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A Monday MAC Face of the Day With a Few of My Current Obsessions: Costa Riche Liner, Cantaloupe Blush and Heroine Lipstick

December 16th, 2013 by Karen 26 Comments

MAC Heroine Lipstick and Costa Riche Liner
It’s MAC Heroine Lipstick to the rescue!!

Do you ever feel like putting every piece of makeup that you’re currently obsessed with (in other words, everything and the kitchen sink) on your face at the same time?

Yeah…that’s kind of what happened to me here, LOL!

I’ve got a major crush on MAC Costa Riche (please don’t let it be discontinued, please don’t let it be discontinued, please don’t let it be discontinued…), so that’s what I based my makeup on today. I’m wearing it here on my lower lash and water lines.

MAC Heroine Lipstick and Costa Riche Liner
Cheeks are MAC Cantaloupe Blush, MAC Give Me Sun Mineralize Skinfinish (under the cheek bone) and MAC Shaping Powder in Accentuate (to highlight); I’m also wearing the MAC Prep + Prime Highlighters in Bright Forecast (under-eye area, with MAC Pro Longwear Concealer on top) and Radiant Rose (down the bridge of my nose and on my upper cheekbones)

With Costa Riche being a warm-toned brown, I also busted out a few of my favorite MAC browns in the same vein, namely Bamboo, Saddle and Swiss Chocolate, which I think are great mattes to wear in the crease if you like warm reddish and orangey browns (cool-toned gals, check out MAC Wedge and Omega; also very pretty).

So…you might remember Swiss Chocolate from last week’s MAC stress shopper’s diary. I’m actually wearing a bunch of stuff from that same vid, like the two Prep + Prime Highlighters, Shaping Powders and MAC Cantaloupe Blush, too.

See, told ya! Everything and the kitchen sink. 🙂

I’m starting to believe that every gal (and blush-loving boy) needs Cantaloupe in their life. It’s like the perfect balance of peach and coral, and it always seems to brighten my look, without competing with whatever else I may be wearing.

Definitely worth a swatch next time you visit a MAC Pro Store. I think it’ll be a lovely spring/summer shade.

Last, but not least, those lips! The star attraction: MAC Heroine Lipstick, a powerfully opaque purple matte from a previous collection, but recently added to the MAC permanent line. It’s available now on counters and at maccosmetics.com.

MAC Heroine Lipstick
MAC Heroine Lipstick
MAC Heroine Lipstick and Costa Riche Liner
MAC Ricepaper layered underneath MAC Vanilla on my brow bone, MAC Bamboo and MAC Saddle in the crease, MAC Swiss Chocolate on the lids, and MAC Ricepaper in the inner corner

[Continue reading…]

There are 26 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Face of the Day (FOTD), MAC Makeup

A Stylish Kitty Sleeping Bag

December 16th, 2013 by Karen 17 Comments




FYI, pet parents/accessories addicts! Betsey Johnson’s Bow-nanza Infinity Scarf makes quite a stylish sleeping bag for your furry, fashion-forward feline overlord.

Yeah, it took about five seconds for Tabs to claim my new scarf as his own… Now he’s obsessed with the thing (he sleeps under it for hours).

I think it’s the leopard print and sequins. He has weaknesses for both. 🙂

There are 17 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Photo

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 302

December 16th, 2013 by Karen 35 Comments

The Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll for December 16, 2013
The Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll for December 16, 2013

You might be wondering, “So what the heck is this Monday Poll thing anyway?”

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

  1. Did you do any holiday shopping last weekend?
    Yup, I did, at the mall down in Corte Madera, and it was a sh*t-storm of bad behavior, I kid you not! The parking situation was straight out of Thunderdome, and I saw several adults acting entitled and ill-behaved.

    Oh, well. At least I saw lots of cute dogs in adorable Christmas outfits. 🙂

  2. How did you meet your best friend?
    Just random chance. I met Jen in the second grade and Cindy in the third (we were in the same classes together), but we really didn’t start hanging out together all the time until high school (we all played flute in band).

    As for my other BFFs, El Hub, I met through a friend (we started emailing together, and he had a great sense of humor in print…and really excellent grammar), and Tabs was a friendly neighborhood stray who strolled into my apartment one afternoon, approved of my petting and immediately claimed me as his official gravy provider/servant.

  3. What do you miss most about the ’90s (assuming you were old enough to miss anything)?
    Plaid shirts? Oh, wait — they’re back in style again. 🙂 I was in high school and college at the time, and I guess I miss having long stretches of free time on the weekends and jobs with very little responsibility.
  4. What’s your typical take on smokey eyes?
    Two or three matte browns in the crease, a black/brown eye shadow/liner combo on my lash lines, a matte beige on my brow bone, a shimmery golden beige in the inner corners, black liquid cat liner and LOTS of mascara.
  5. What color describes your mood today?
    LOL! I’m not sure… Purple, I guess?
  6. Do you have a mentor?
    I don’t, but I’d really like one, if only to have someone (other than El Hub and Tabs) to listen to my special blend o’ crazy and give me advice…
  7. What’s the first thing you did when you woke up this morning?
    Hit the snooze button, haha! Then I turned over and saw Tabs sleeping on the bed beside me, so I greedily grabbed him and took two bites of his delicious tabby belly meat.

    SO TASTY!

  8. Has your life ever flashed before your eyes?
    It has not.
  9. What’s something you aren’t very good at but enjoy doing anyway?
    YouTube videos. Dude! I’m a hot mess when that red light flicks on, but it’s fun. I feel like a TV personality.

    Also, cooking.

  10. Have you ever had a snowy Christmas?
    Being from the San Francisco Bay Area, I have to say no, but I’ve always loved the idea of a white Christmas.

    Except for the cold aspect.

Le List

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

1. Did you do any holiday shopping last weekend?
2. How did you meet your best friend?
3. What do you miss most about the ’90s?
4. What’s your typical take on smokey eyes?
5. What color describes your mood today?
6. Do you have a mentor?
7. What’s the first thing you did when you woke up this morning?
8. Has your life ever flashed before your eyes?
9. What’s something you aren’t very good at but enjoy doing anyway?
10. Have you ever had a snowy Christmas?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 35 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 274

December 15th, 2013 by Karen 14 Comments

Tabs the Cat for the Bobbi Brown Colors of Smoked Salmon Palette

Who is Tabs the Cat? About six years ago I befriended a stray, flea-bitten tabby cat with a bad case of worms. I could see he’d fallen on hard times, but his profound knowledge of high fashion and department store cosmetics led me to believe that he was more than meets the eye. We became fast friends, and now he’s actually my boss (and a successful kitty model). 🙂

Dear friends and feline aficionados,

Just a quick entry tonight. I’ve spent the better part of the past two days contending with the Christmas crowds, and my paws are killing me.

I started at the mall, and heavens! — it was a madhouse. So. Many. Cats, dogs and humans.

The dogs were everywhere, running this way and that. Most of them stayed out of my way, though, which was nice.

The children were…generally less polite, yelling and reaching out with their sticky grabby hands. One of them grabbed my tail but had the good sense to let go when I hissed. Another one exhibited perfect technique with her petting, so I advised her to consider a career in professional pet assisting after she finished her schooling.

When my tummy rumbled, I stopped by Boudin’s for a small cup of their delicious clam chowder and then stopped by Pier One to look for festive feline decorations.

Unfortunately, the cat-themed selection was lacking, but the elephants and penguins were represented well. They must shop at that store a lot…

As for my kitty modeling, I had a few fun jobs early this week, but things are starting to slow down now with Christmas approaching. I’m sure they’ll pick up again after the first.

Per our regular arrangement, I’m reposting my kitty modeling campaign pictures here in my online portfolio for your evaluation. I hope you enjoy. 🙂

Your loving furry friend, always,

Tabs

Tabs the Cat for the Betsey Johnson Kitty Bow Nanza Inifinity Scarf

Tabs the Cat for the Tabby TV DVR System

[Continue reading…]

There are 14 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Tabs

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

December 14th, 2013 by Karen 439 Comments

A Makeup and Beauty Blog giveaway

A Makeup and Beauty Blog Giveaway
A Makeup and Beauty Blog Sephora giveaway!

NOTE TO SELF: Typing is kind of hard when you’re wearing gloves…even if they’re fingerless and have an extremely cute snow leopard-print pattern.

My inner cat lady mistakenly assumed that kitty-print gloves would be more conducive to typing.

Yup, we live and learn…

I broke down and got those Betsey Johnson black and gray leopard-print knit gloves we talked about earlier this week. You remember — I was tempted the first time I saw them, but I forgot the gift card I wanted to use at home.

At the time I figured that if the universe wanted me to have fingerless leopard gloves in my life, the gloves would still be at Nordstrom on my next visit, and lo-and-behold, they were! 🙂

Now, you might be wondering why I’m wearing them inside the house to type. Well…why not? I’m in the kitchen, which is the coldest room in the house, and it’s particularly chilly this morning (I’m wearing a parka and gloves to make coffee and type).

But that’s not even the funniest part. Get this: the thermostat is set for 65 degrees…so on the global scheme of things, it really ain’t that cold in here, haha! I’m just not designed for cold.

So what’s on your plate today? Other than staying warm, I have a few chores to do (Blergh! Although I do love having a clean bathroom…) and some Christmas shopping, and hopefully I’ll have time to film one or two new videos. I’ve really been enjoying the video thing so far and want to keep exploring.

Before you get going, don’t forget to enter this week’s Sephora giveaway, even if it’s just one entry by logging into the widget and leaving a comment. You never know — this could be your week.

Win a $50 gift card from Sephora

  • 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 are your favorite movie snacks?
    • What are your throw-on-and-go makeup products?
    • Have you ever been on a radio or tv show?
    • What’s the most peaceful place you know?
    • How many scrunchies do you own?
    • What’s your Starbuck’s drink of choice
  • You can enter in up to seven ways to boost your chances of winning.
  • The giveaway ends on Monday, December 16, 2013 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time).
  • Full terms and conditions are available in the widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 439 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Giveaways, Just For Fun

The Hunt for MAC Costa Riche…

December 13th, 2013 by Karen 21 Comments

MAC Costa Riche
MAC Costa Riche
You’re mine, Costa Riche! MINE! Mwah-ha-ha-ha-haaa!

The hunt is finally over.

It only took repeated trips to three different counters and stalking the MAC website for weeks. Heck, I couldn’t even find it at the MAC Pro Store in SF, but now, finally, Costa Riche is mine, and it’s glorious!

MAC Costa Riche and Teddy swatches
Swatches of Costa Riche and Teddy on my NC42 skin

Oh, sure, it might be a little weird to get this jazzed about a brown liner (so boring, right?), but this one is — oh, boy — really beautiful. It’s a little like a less shimmery MAC Teddy Eye Kohl, and more golden brown than reddish bronzy brown.

Natural with a karate kick!

After scouring every MAC counter in my area to no avail, I was finally able to order it from a counter at the Nordstrom in Corte Madera. The associates offered to have it shipped to the store, yay! 🙂

If you feel that most black eyeliners are too harsh for you, you might love Costa Riche.

My water lines have been extra sensitive lately (no idea why), and the only things I’ve been able to wear on them have been the MAC Eye Kohls.

I’m so glad I found Costa Riche (I fell in love with it after swatching it at a counter, but they didn’t have it in stock), and now I just hope it doesn’t get discontinued.

MAC Costa Riche

There are 21 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Beauty

Get Your Lips Red-y for the Mistletoe With Kissable Cola-Flavored Lush Santa Baby Lip Tint

December 13th, 2013 by Karen 15 Comments

Lush Santa Baby Lip Tint
The new Lush Santa Baby Lip Tint

Like a cola-flavored Icee, this new red Lip Tint by Lush is super chill…

Chill, as in relaxed. It’s not cold or anything, although I think it does taste and smell kinda like a cold Coca-Cola Icee, probably on account of the cola flavoring derived from cherry and date extracts.

Lush Santa Baby Lip Tint
Hurry down the chimney tonight…

I think of Santa Baby less as a lip tint and more as a sheer matte lipstick in pot packaging. Like a matte lipstick, the finish is flat, and there’s a good amount of pigment in it, ensuring that you can actually (hopefully) see the red color on your lips. I can, and I can still also see my natural lip color peeking through.

It’s all very casually cool…like a sweet pair of distressed jeans or a broken-in leather jacket.

I apply it with my fingers and skip the lip liner, and then have to reapply about every 3-4 hours after that.

Lush Santa Baby Lip Tint

In an emergency (uh…a makeup emergency?), it’ll even double as a cream blush.

Lush Santa Baby Swatch

And the lightweight, non-sticky formula feels like next-to-nothing on my lips, which I like.

Lush Santa Baby Lip Swatch
Santa Baby Lip Swatch

[Continue reading…]

There are 15 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Lips, Lush, Makeup, Product Reviews

I’m Jerrod Blandino of Too Faced Cosmetics, and This Is My Makeup Life

December 13th, 2013 by Karen 27 Comments

Jerrod Blandino of Too Faced Cosmetics
Jerrod Blandino of Too Faced Cosmetics
The My Makeup Life series asks beauty biz insiders, bloggers, makeup mavens and artists to share their holy grail products, tricks, tips and favorite beauty tools. Is there anyone you would like to see featured in My Makeup Life or questions you think I should ask? Let me know here.

Name: Jerrod Blandino
Location: Irvine, California
Day job/current gig: Co-Founder and Creative Director of Too Faced Cosmetics
Hangouts online: Twitter, Facebook and toofaced.com.
Beauty inspirations: First and foremost, it’s the women in my life. My sister growing up. Kind of the idea of being little and seeing my really feminine, fabulous sister, but she was also super kick-@ss. Fashion. Interiors. Wallpapers. Car paint. Cupcakes. Pastries. California. Of course, the beach. It’s such a big part part of who I am. You know, it literally comes from everywhere. I become very obsessed with things. I love anything retro glam, classic. Ya know, I love trends and I love the ’80s and I’m obsessed with, you know, just accessories and fashion. I love stationary and wedding cakes and chocolate and clovers and chihuahuas. I love horses. I don’t know, I’m obsessed with horses all of a sudden…
One word that best describes your outlook on beauty: Joyful!


What makeup/beauty products can’t you live without?

I cannot live without and will never live without my Bulletproof Brows, which is my new product that’s coming out. People will be ADDICTED to it. It will change your life.

Too Faced Bulletproof Brows Universal Brunette
Bulletproof Brows in Universal Brunette (one of two shades; the other one is Universal Taupe), $30

My bronzers, my bronzing wardrobe. I have a different bronzer for every different outfit. Every different time of year, every moment. It depends on where I’m going, what I’m doing. I’ve built a bronzing wardrobe that I’m absolutely addicted to and will never give up.

And I love my Amazing Face Powder Foundation. It’s the quickest way to look like you’ve been completely taking care of your skin and have been getting eight hours of sleep and drinking all the water that you should be drinking.

So, those are my obsessive products that I use every day.

When did you start getting into makeup?

Well, that’s kind of funny that you asked that because it’s kind of weird. I was always an artist growing up. I was that little kid who won art shows and was always drawing, and I was obsessed with The Muppets! I went to art school and actually became an art teacher and taught kids art.

Ya know… Well, really in high school, I remember my friend, Bernadette was amazing, and she would spend three hours in the mirror doing her makeup. It was the late ’80s and early ’90s, and I remember thinking that this was just like another form of art. I clicked into that, and I remember the moment it clicked. I was sitting in her bathroom watching her. She was putting on, like, eight different lipsticks to create whatever look she was doing.

And so, then I went to art school. I went to animation school for Disney and Warner Brothers. It was a sort of school where they’d find talent and furrow them in [and it was there] I discovered makeup on accident. I got a job at Estee Lauder behind the counter at Saks Fifth Avenue — it was all totally an accident, freakishly — and on my very first day behind the counter, it all made sense. My art background, my creative background, my dreaming — the way I looked at the world was very cartoonish, always, growing up. I was always ready for, you know, the stuffed animal to come alive and talk to you. I was that kid. I would wait for the rainbow to come into my background so I could climb it and go into the clouds. That was me.

And when I got my first client in the chair, I saw that this was just a different type of art medium, but it was an art medium that would transform people. It would embed self-esteem into women. I saw the transformation that occurred when I was doing my art on people, not on paper. And I was hooked.

What’s your best beauty time-saving trick?

My best beauty time-saving trick? Okay! Alright, so this is what you’re going to do. You’ve going to wake up, and wash your face. You’re going to apply my tinted BB Creme, my BB Balm, because it’s got every amazing skincare serum that I’ve ever tried in my life embedded into that formula. It’s full of moisture, full of anti-oxidants, full of anti-aging, decongesting, wonderful ingredients but it also gives great coverage. So, instantly, boom — we’ve got your skin covered.

Too Faced Bronzer Boxes
Too Faced Bronzers, $30 each

We’re going to take my Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer that’s full of antioxidants and moisturizing ingredients, and we’re going to spread that around the perimeter around your face, closest to the hairline, around the jaw, and through your cheekbones. Boom! We’ve got you sculpted and you’re ready go.

You’ve got to put on my Better Than Sex Mascara, because it’s so rich, and so thick, and the powered peptides in that thing make it so black that you don’t need eyeliner. So you’re going to wiggle that right along your lash line. After that, a little bit of my Lip Injection Plumping Lip Gloss will get your lips full, pink and luscious, and you’re out the door. You’re ready to go to work, you’re ready to go on a date, you’re ready to meet your kid’s future husband, you’re ready to have sex, whatever you want.

What’s your favorite beauty tool?

Easy. It’s my Teddy Bear Hair Retractable Kabuki Brush. It’s great for bronzers, it’s great for blushes, it’s great for powders. It’s retractable and twists up and down.

If you keep the head twisted down almost so it’s really tight, and you just get a mound, and the bristles are tight, you get a lot of coverage. You could even use it as a quick eyeshadow brush if you wanted. You could use it as a sculptor. When you twist it up all the way and it gets to its fluffiest self, it’s the perfect bronzer, loose powder, powder foundation applicator. And because it’s synthetic hair, you could even apply your liquid foundations with it. So it does everything!

What’s the best beauty advice you ever received?

You’ve gotta smile. You’ve got to feel it. You’ve got to love your life, you have to feel it from the inside. Because you can do anything you want in the world to the outside, and it’s not going to make any difference. The most beautiful people in the world are the people who are happy, who are self-confident, and who love to be alive. Who are joyful, who are kind and full of love. You know?

Too Faced Haute Chocolate Spring 2014
The new Too Faced Haute Chocolate Spring 2014 collection, available now at toofaced.com

What’s your skincare routine?

Oh sh*t, do you really want to get into that? Honey, we’ll be on this call for eight hours.

[KAREN: Okay…so give me the abbreviated version]

Ooooooh, HONEY. Obsessed with skincare! I have lots of great friends in the industry. No, I’m lucky enough to meet and call friends like Dr. Brandt one of them. I’ve been given too much information so… (Laughs.) But because of that, because I know of this, I’ll tell you what I do. A lot of the things I use and love and depend on are in my makeup. Because I’ve realized how important it is, and how important it is to preserve and take good care of your skin. And with science, nowadays, I can incorporate that into my cosmetics.

I’m going to abbreviate it for you because it gets scary! I use DermaQuest Peptide Mobilizer, and then I use Stem Cell Day Serum, and then I use a skin growth gel, it’s Bio-Serum, it makes your skin grow thicker and stay healthy. I do that. Then, I use an eye serum. And I fluctuate back and forth.

[Continue reading…]

There are 27 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Guest Post, Makeup Tips/How To, My Makeup Life, Skin Care, Too Faced

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Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog! My name is Karen, and I’m a freelance writer obsessed with makeup.

Makeup and Beauty Blog features daily product reviews, makeup tips and beauty news — like an interactive version of a monthly print magazine, except with occasional pictures of my cat.

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