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Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 729

September 25th, 2022 by Karen 1 Comment

The following first appeared in Fortune magazine…

“When I’m at work,” Tabs says, “I’m going to bring it, so I expect everyone on my team to bring it too. No dead weight.”

This was the quote that they led with in Fortune magazine’s profile of the “5 most influential cats in business.”

Was he a demanding boss?

Um, yeah? It was the hardest job I’ve ever had, but I loved every minute.

Well…maybe I didn’t love being tasked with finding chicken gravy pâté at midnight on a stormy Sunday night in Paris, but c’est la vie.

Basically, Tabs managed with an iron paw. He didn’t tolerate tardiness, wrinkled clothing or food between your front teeth, and he had no patience for slackers or people who wore low-heeled shoes.

Flip-flops? Don’t even think about it.

Rosie

Rosie-pose is less outwardly aggressive and more on the psychological games side. This cat is always playing career chess with me! For instance, I’ll ask her, “Rosie, do you want a snack?” and I’ll receive a sharp stare in reply, which could mean any number of things — Yes? No? Go to Whole Foods and purchase a poached salmon ASAP before I scratch your eyes out?

Or, some combination of all three?

She’s the type of manager who likes to keep you on your feet/paws. Like, when you think you’re just lounging around outside enjoying an early fall day, she’ll be casually lying down on the grass looking disinterested, but underneath that calm exterior, she’s planning her next 25 tasks, all of which must be completed in the next hour.

It’s definitely a management style I’ve had to learn to love.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Saturday Surfing, September 24, 2022!

September 24th, 2022 by Karen 4 Comments

Happy Saturday, beauty friend! It’s going to be a skin care kinda day because I’ll be headed to Ulta in a few. Their Fall Haul sale is happening right meow and runs until October 1.

My Ulta Fall Haul skin care picks

Cerave Healing Ointment (I use this on cuts, bug bites, scrapes, dry skin and cuticles) and Moisturizing Cream (a simple, fragrance-free heavy hitting hydrator).
e.l.f. Holy Hydration! Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm (I use this as a first cleanse to remove makeup and mineral sunscreen).
Bliss Block Star (A tinted mineral sunscreen rockstar).
Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser (I like this for when my skin’s feeling moody).
Avene Tolerance Control Skin Recovery Balm (Again, for when my skin’s crabby, like when I accidentally overdo it with an AHA).

Dior 999 on sale!

Speaking of a good sale, if you had your eye on the Dior 999 Forever Lipstick, it’s currently on sale for $35.70 at Macy’s with the code VIP.

Happy shopping!

This week’s reading

According to ye olde oil paintings, cats have been stealing food off of tables all throughout history.
Meet the adventure cats of Oregon who enjoy hiking and camping in the great outdoors.
Queen Elizabeth had a secret signal which involved lipstick.
“There’s been a seismic shift in scent, and while there will always be a place for traditional fragrance houses, there’s an overwhelming amount of new, niche brands popping up that bring with them unique notes, sustainable innovations and an intricate back story.“
What may be the best-known scent of ancient Egypt was a perfume called the Mendesian, which is sometimes referred to as ‘the Chanel No.5 of antiquity.’
Another day, another celebrity skin care launch. This one’s by Brad Pitt! WHA?

In case you were hoping to watch a video of a cat eating corn.

JVN drops hair wisdom.

I’ve always thought this was one of MC’s underrated jams.

This makeup is so beautiful!

LEGIT. SO. GOOD.

Have a great rest of your weekend, and let me know if you grab anything good on sale.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

5 Things I’ve Been Loving Lately

September 23rd, 2022 by Karen 12 Comments

1. Cat rice

First thing’s first: If you’re trying to do low carb, look away. LOL! This is a simple, delicious rice dish you can eat on its own or with other meat or vegetable accoutrements. It involves hot cooked rice, soy sauce and bonito (tuna) flakes. I add a pat of butter to take it to the next level!

BTW, I found bonito flakes at Whole Foods, of all places!

I usually have cat rice with a sunny side up egg and sliced tomatoes.

2. The show “Maggie” on Hulu, and the makeup

So, you’ve probably heard me say it before, but here it is again for the cheap seats in the back. Ever since I had Connor, I can no longer watch anything too scary or heavy. For whatever reason, it’s just too much. Anywho. This is a very fun, light comedy-slash-sci-fi show with likable characters and sharp dialogue.

The story centers around Maggie, a psychic who can read other people’s futures. Unfortunately, her present life is kind of a mess.

Every time I watch this show I laugh out loud!

Oh, the makeup is fantastic. It’s a fun mix of wearable and chic looks, and I’ve been getting a ton of inspiration. I just watched an episode where Maggie had a gig working as a psychic at a high school prom, and she wore beautiful two-toned blue liner on her lids along with blue mascara. It was just the right amount of color. I tried to find out the show’s makeup artists, and they’re listed here on IMDB.

3. Listening to your body when it needs rest

Historically I haven’t been great about this, because even when I’m tired, if I have time available, it’s usually my first inclination to push through uncomfortable feelings and be productive. It typically does not serve me well.

Anywho, I’ve been feeling a little frayed at the edges lately, so yesterday I forced myself to do absolutely nothing. All I did was rest. I ate cat rice, napped on the couch and watched TV.

4. “The White Lotus” on HBO

This show won a bunch of Emmys, and I wanted to watch it mostly because I adore Jennifer Coolidge. It’s a character driven show without a defined villain, so if you prefer your shows to have a typical story arc (nothing wrong with that!), this might not be the series for you. I ended up really liking it.

It does have very odd pacing, so be prepared for that. Oh, and don’t watch it around any kids. Too many shcmexytime scenes.

5. These pants

Jean from the Extra Petite blog recently recommended these Abercrombie and Fitch pants. I bought the gray pair in the short length and I LOVE THEM. They’re soft, lightweight and comfortable, machine washable, and you can easily dress them up or down.

FYI, I read in the comments that these run small, so you might want to consider going up a size. I did and am very happy with the fit. They sell out fast, so if you see a pair you like, grab them ASAP.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

The Red Lipstick to Rule Them All!

September 21st, 2022 by Karen 15 Comments

I know I’ve been talking about Dior 999 lately, but dang, it really is that good! It’s kiss proof, mask proof, transfer proof… Basically life proof!

I didn’t realize this the last time I mentioned it, but there are a few different versions of this particular color. The one that you want is in the Rouge Dior Forever formula, which is $42. It’s the ultra pigmented matte version which feels light on lips and lasts FOREVER.

Dior 999 is mostly neutral red with a touch of orange, so it leans of the warm side, but it doesn’t have so much orange that it goes into MAC Lady Danger territory.

It’s classic and timeless, and you could wear it all year ’round. It’s SO GOOD! Seriously, give it a try.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Mad About Mascara!

September 20th, 2022 by Karen 17 Comments

Current mascara lineup, but of course I’m lookin’ for a new love!

It’s clear from the answers to question nine in yesterday’s Monday poll that as a collective group we are mad about mascara!

Did you think you were alone in your mascara obsession? Guess what? You’re not!

As much as I love mascara, I do have to say ever since I quit using lash serum (it was around this time last year), mascara needs to work that much harder. Ugh! When I was consistently using lash serum, my lashes were long, thick, lush, curled easily and rarely fell out. I could use any mascara, and my lashes would look amazing. Now that I’m back to my baseline lashes, every mascara falls short.

I’m on the hunt for a new one, again!

In the comments yesterday, Megan mentioned the new Tower 28 mascara, which I’ve been wanting to try ever since I saw makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes use it on Instagram. I have yet to find an –“air quotes” — clean mascara that I’ve liked, though, so if and when I pick it up at Sephora, I’m gonna definitely keep my receipt just in case.

What mascara are you using at the moment?

All summer long I bounced back and forth between a couple of old faves from MAC, and I just recently started a new tube from a brand called Araceli. They’re a small, cruelty-free line out of Southern California, and the packaging has a pretty butterfly on the side of the tube. It’s good at thickening and lengthening, but I could use with more curl hold, so it’s not the one to rule them all.

I’m wearing two coats of Araceli Mascara.

One tube of Araceli mascara is $19, and side note, when did mascara get so dang expensive?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 747

September 19th, 2022 by Karen 21 Comments

monday poll keep going got this balloons — Happy Monday!

So…what is the Monday Poll?

Excellent question! It isn’t, contrary to its name, an actual poll, like with little clicky buttons. It’s just a list of more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007).

1. Fill in the blank: I start every morning with _________.

A Nespresso, half a bagel and a workout.

2. Something you can’t get enough of?

Honestly, hair masks and deep conditioners. Give them all to my thirsty mane!

3. One thing you always have with you when you leave the house?

Ugh, my phone. It’s a love-hate relationship. On one hand, I wish I could go back to not feeling so tethered to the internet all of the time. On the other hand, it’s great to know Connor’s school can call me whenever she needs me.

4. The first thing you do when you get home?

Back when Tabs was my kitty boss, the first thing I’d do was pet him because he’d always come running to greet me at the door when I got home. Rosie doesn’t do that, so these days I take off my shoes first.

5. Something you’re looking forward to this week?

Going out to dinner on Thursday! We’ve been doing this as a family for the past few weeks, and it’s been nice.

6. A sweet treat you absolutely love?

See’s milk chocolate candies. YUM!

7. Hair gel or hairspray?

Soft hold hair spray a la L’Oreal Elnett.

8. Your scent of the day?

I’m on a Tocca kick; today is Graciella.

9. Pick one — eyeshadow, eyeliner or mascara?

Mascara, please!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to ya soon.

1. Fill in the blank: I start every morning with _________.
2. Something you can’t get enough of?
3. One thing you always have with you when you leave the house?
4. The first thing you do when you get home?
5. Something you’re looking forward to this week?
6. A sweet treat you absolutely love?
7. Hair gel or hairspray?
8. Your scent of the day?
9. Pick one — eyeshadow, eyeliner or mascara?

P.P.S. Happy Monday, sweet friend! I hope your week is calm and productive. 🤗

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 728

September 18th, 2022 by Karen 5 Comments

My goodness, first rain of the season! This was the first rain of the season. Earlier than usual, and it wasn’t a lot of rain, but it came down for real there for a while. It started late last night, and of course Rosie was on fired up. She was pacing around the house, checking all of the windows. There was a some wind with it too, so the branches and leaves were swaying.

You know how cats are. All that movement outside gets their spider senses tingling, so she was on full alert!

Back when Tabs was the King of the House, he was the same way. He always got fired up during a rainstorm. In fact, he always demanded that I take him outside when it rained.

It was like a special occasion, but of course, as soon as he actually got out there and got wet, well, diva mode inevitably kicked in.

Rosie

Rosie handled it in much the same way.

She demanded that Connor and I take her outside only to quite quickly realize — Ew! My paws are wet! This is not good!

She eventually got it over it, though, and started exploring.

One thing both Tabs and Rosie wholeheartedly agree on is this: rain means rainbows, which means that rain isn’t bad. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Saturday Surfing, September 17, 2022!

September 17th, 2022 by Karen 3 Comments

Good morning, and happy Caturday!

Last night, I was just about to fall into bed when I made the mistake of checking Netflix. Did you know there’s a new season of “The Great British Baking Show?” Yeah, you’re welcome. LOL! Of course, even though I was half asleep, I had to fire up the first episode because it was all about cake!

On your mark. Get set. BAKE!

I’ll have to rewatch it again sometime this weekend to fully appreciate the cake designs and flavor combinations, but one part I was fully awake for was when the bakers had to make a red velvet cake.

Have you ever eaten a red velvet cake? It is HEAVENLY. I haven’t had it in ages. Red velvet is a light cocoa cake with a very distinctive tanginess, and typically, it’s topped with a cream cheese frosting. When I worked at the bakery for a hot second, the red velvet cupcakes were my favorites!

Red velvet FTW.

Anywho, I realized that I need a slice of red velvet cake in my life, ASAP. I might try to make an entire cake, or I might just buy a slice. Haven’t decided yet! I kinda like the idea of the challenge of making an entire cake and frosting from scratch. It’s been a while, though, since I’ve felt the urge to bake. I got really burned out from being the family’s 24/7 cook during the pandemic, and I’ve only been doing the minimal amount to keep everyone fed for the past year. I figure the mojo will come back eventually. In fact, I made banana bread a couple weeks ago, and I wasn’t mad about it.