Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 347

November 17th, 2014 by Karen 22 Comments

The Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll for November 17, 2014

You might be wondering, “So what in tarnation is this Monday Poll thing anyway!?”

Well, it isn’t exactly a poll. It’s more of a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past seven years. (It’s like a kickstart for your brain.) I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.

Have you ever accidentally spilled the beans on a secret you were supposed to keep?
Naw. If it’s really important, I’m pretty good about keeping my mouth shut.

Would you rather be able to fly, or have telekinesis (the ability to move things with your mind)?
Oh fly, definitely. That way if my car didn’t have gas, I could still get around and wouldn’t have to rely on public transportation.

Of course, I’d have to bring a bag of accoutrements with me to fix my hair and makeup once I arrived at my destination, because knowing my luck, I’d always end up with insects up in my grill…

Have you ever had a crush on someone at work?
Yeah, but you know, that was ages ago. I think it’s kind of inevitable, especially with people you spend a lot of time with, but that old saying is there for a reason: “Don’t sh*t where you eat.”

At least I think that’s the saying… Whatever it is, it’s true.

On a scale of 1-10, with one being a complete klutz and 10 being a world-class ballerina, how graceful are you?
Exactly 7.25. No more, no less. 🙂

I’ve always thought I have a good eye for __________.
Photography composition. I struggle with a lot of the technical aspects of photography, but that’s one part that’s not so hard for me.

Your turn. 🙂 Just copy and paste the following questions into a comment with your answers. I look forward to reading ’em!

1. Have you ever accidentally spilled the beans on a secret you were supposed to keep?
2. Would you rather be able to fly, or have telekinesis?
3. Have you ever had a crush on someone at work?
4. On a scale of 1-10, with one being a complete klutz and 10 being a world-class ballerina, how graceful are you?
5. I’ve always thought I have a good eye for __________.

T-minus four days till Mockingjay: Part 1. Have a great Monday, and may the odds be ever in your favor.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 322

November 16th, 2014 by Karen 16 Comments

Dear fans, friends and felines,

It’s with a happy heart and a full tum that I say, “success!” I just finished hosting my very first Thanksgiving, and it went extremely well.

Due to scheduling conflicts later this month, my guests and I celebrated today. A couple of the major shareholders of Tabs the Cat Industries LLC attended, as well as my assistant Karen. Overall, it was an intimate gathering. Lots of food, friends and fabulousness.

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7 Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card From Sephora! (Ends Monday)

November 15th, 2014 by Karen 324 Comments

Beyond the Lights. I think it just came out last night. El Hub and I went, and I really enjoyed it.

I just caught myself because I almost wrote a spoiler… Don’t worry, I won’t. 🙂

It was directed by the same woman who directed Love and Basketball, Gina Prince-Bythewood, which I also liked, so if you liked that, I think you’d also like this. It’s about a young, hyper-managed pop star whose every action is spun for the tabloids or gossip blogs, or covered up, and everything has PR implications — who she’s dating, where she’s going for lunch, what she’s wearing. It exhausts her.

She also has no creative control over her career either, at all, and the things she wants aren’t compatible with the manufactured image that her manager (her mom, in this case, played by Minnie Driver) and her record label are trying to create.

She starts to unravel until… Cue the romantic part of the story!

It sounds like it could go Lifetime movie in a second, but it doesn’t. Not really. It’s a little cheesy, but it’s not super cheese. You get a very clear sense of who these characters are, and they don’t seem wooden or one-dimensional. They feel like real people.

Go see it and have fun!

It probably won’t win any awards, except maybe for a couple of acting performances (Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Minnie Driver are great!) or set the literati ablaze, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable.

After the movie we just came home, read a little on the couch and went to bed. I woke up early this morning because El Hub was tossing and turning, so I read for about an hour, and now I’m here with you. 🙂

Good luck in this weekend’s giveaway, my friend. Hopefully I bump into you in the comments or social media somewhere along the way.

One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Open to U.S. and international readers.
You must be 18 or older to enter (or otherwise an adult based on your local laws).
Your comment can be about anything at all, but here are some ideas if you’re stuck:
- What do you think is your most unique attribute?
- What would your drag queen name be (mine would be Kitty McDiamond)?
- What’s one piece of makeup you wear every day (or almost daily)?
- What’s your favorite month?
- How good is your penmanship/handwriting?
- What time did you go to bed last night?
You can enter in up to seven ways to boost your chances of winning.
The giveaway ends on Monday, November 17, 2014 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂
Full terms and conditions are available in the widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sometimes I Wonder…

November 14th, 2014 by Karen 13 Comments

Sometimes I wonder if I’m the only person who thinks that a Christmas tree decorated entirely with makeup-themed ornaments would be the raddest thing ever.

I’d decorate mine with things like Sephora’s Golden Star Eyelash Curler ($18). 🙂

I’m trying to get El Hub on board with the idea, but it’s been an uphill battle so far…

Someday, I’ll have my makeup-themed tree.

Mark my words! *shakes fist at the sky*

Sausalito, Teacup Kitties and Sightseeing With a Friend

November 14th, 2014 by Karen 15 Comments

You probably already knew this…but the Internet? Kind of amazing sometimes!

I mean, not only can you buy shoes with the push of a few buttons and have them delivered to you from thousands of miles away (shoe miracles), but you can meet and get to know people from all over the world.

Today I real life met Steph, who lives clear across the country, but since she was going to be out this way, we made a date to connect.

Steph and I have been chatting online in the comments here on the blog and Instagram off and on for at least five or six years, and I finally got the chance to hang out with her in person today.

Hi, Steph! 🙂

We walked around Sausalito for a bit, which is a cute town on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge, and did some sightseeing and window shopping at one of my favorite stores, the Sausalito Ferry Co. They sell all kinds of cheeky toys and snarky cards and magnets and things like the teacup kitties in that pic at the top.

It was such a nice day! And it was a real pleasure finally meeting you in actual person, Steph. 🙂

A Warning to All Crazy Cat Ladies Considering the New Laura Mercier Luxe Travel Brush Collection…

November 14th, 2014 by Karen 20 Comments

Take heed, crazy cat ladies. Rubbing the brushes in Laura Mercier’s $125 Luxe Travel Brush Collection across your face may induce irresistible urges to adopt additional cats.

WARNING: If you have already acquired a “gateway cat,” exercise extreme caution, especially around the Cheek Colour Brush, because it feels exactly like the softest, plushest, most downy delicious belly meat.

Makeup lovers have reported that it made them contemplate kitty crime. “I’m considering kidnapping an adorable tortie girl who lives down the street,” said one woman, “even though I know better…” 🙁

Gate-way cat
noun
Among members of the crazy cat lady community, the third cat is commonly referred to as “the gateway cat,” since it opens the door to adopting even more cats and posits the question, at this point, why stop at just three?

All eight of the brushes in this set feel kitten soft, from the fluffy Pony Tail Brush (fabulous for erasing hard edges, applying highlighter to those upper cheekbones, or for blending under-eye concealer), to the Angled Eye Liner Brush (great for thin lines and flicks, and it also doubles as a spot applicator for concealer). The set also comes with a travel case and a removable mesh cosmetic bag insert.

The $125 Laura Mercier Luxe Travel Brush Collection includes…

Cheek Color Brush

Secret Camouflage Brush

Pony Tail Brush

Creme Eye Colour Brush

Eye Crease Brush

Smudge Brush

Flat Eye Liner Brush

Angled Eye Liner Brush

Travel Case with removable mesh cosmetic bag

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The $26 bareMinerals Lipspectacular Set Brings All the Boys to the Yard

November 14th, 2014 by Karen 18 Comments

You know that moment after a looong day when you finally take off your false lashes and your Spanx? Yeah, the six glosses in the $26 bareMinerals Lipspectacular set feel even better than that.

They’re just so smooth and creamy and oh, my friggin’ goodness! — comfortable. And not sticky at all.

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Meet Elsa the Tortie…

November 13th, 2014 by Karen 18 Comments

Otherwise known as my side-cat, or “my cat on the side.” She wants to keep our relationship on the down-low… I’d rather go public with it and make it a full-time thing, but Tabs has a strong opinion on that subject. (He just says, “No.”)

Elsa lives right around the corner from me. She’s a tiny thing, only about five pounds, who eats treats out of my hand and serenades me with meows. When I visit her, I get head butts, purrs and slow blinks — the crazy cat lady holy trinity.