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

DAILY PHOTO: Sibling Saturday

June 23rd, 2013 by Karen 11 Comments

My little brother zipped over on the ferry from where he lives in SF yesterday to my neck of the woods in Marin County so we could hang out together.

Sibling Saturday!

We started with sightseeing in Sausalito, a scenic town just north of the Golden Gate Bridge with lots of restaurants and shops, then got pizza in Mill Valley (Tabs’ old stomping grounds). After that, we headed to the movies to watch World War Z!

He’s also a big fan of sci-fi/zombies/vampire movies.

Do you have any brothers or sisters?

The ferry! (That’s San Francisco off in the distance on the right.)

The view from the water in Sausalito. (That’s Angel Island on the left and SF on the right.)

We had lunch at Pizza Antica in Mill Valley, where they make delicious thin-crust pizzas, but I had the spring salad this time.

A glass of Riesling with lunch (see the umbrella in the reflection?).

Fresh juices from The Plant Cafe Organic. I ordered the Skin Refresher on the right (made with cucumber, apple, watermelon and strawberry), and my bro had the Good Start (kale, broccoli, celery, apple and ginger) on the left.

THREE Ways to Win a Prize Package of Goodies From Neutrogena

June 22nd, 2013 by Karen 171 Comments

Happy Caturday, love! Good mornin’. It’s Saturday, which means it’s also giveaway time here on MBB.

Today the kind folks at Neutrogena have offered up a sweet prize package for us of skincare and beauty goodies.

Are you ready to take the plunge?

One lucky lady or gent will win the following prize pack from Neutrogena valued at $61.96.

One (1) Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Eye Cream ($20.99)
One (1) Neutrogena MoistureSmooth Color Stick ($8.49)
One (1) Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 ($20.99)
One (1) Neutrogena Healthy Skin Blends ($11.49)

First, have you ever entered a Rafflecopter giveaway before? It’s easy. All you need is an email address and/or a Facebook account to log in using the widget below. After logging in, you can enter the giveaway in up to three ways. The only mandatory one is by leaving a comment. After that, you can also get two extra entries by tweeting and by following MBB on Pinterest.

That’s up to THREE entries for three chances to win.

Full terms and conditions are available in the widget below, but here’s the gist of it: the giveaway ends on Monday, June 24, 2013 at 12:00 AM (Pacific Time); it’s open to U.S. readers only (sorry, international babes); and you must be 18 years old or older.

Cheaters won’t prosper (in other words, false entries will not be counted).

Let’s see how this goes… Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. There’s also another giveaway going on now (ends at the same time, Monday, June 24, 2013 at 12:00 AM Pacific) for a gift basket of goodies from Covergirl, Herbal Essences, Olay and a few other brands. Only takes a minute to enter before you go… I’m just sayin’.

DAILY BEAUTY: Cargo’s Bourbon Street Lip Gloss

June 22nd, 2013 by Karen 12 Comments

Here I’m wearing Cargo Bourbon St. Lip Gloss ($14), one of 18 Cargo Lip Shades available now at Ulta stores and online

Cargo’s Lip Glosses are supposed to last six hours, but I usually get from 3-4.

Other tidbits about Bourbon Street…

It’s a bright reddish coral with a cream finish
Non-sticky texture with a medium-weight formula (reminds me of a Chanel Glossimer)
Comes with a doe-foot applicator
Smells and tastes a little like blackberries (yum!)
Applies evenly on my lips and looks and feels smoooove…
It could use a little more moisture though (my lips are hella dry)

What do you think of Cargo’s Lip Glosses?

DAILY PHOTO: An Unlikely (Yet Delicious) Breakfast Combo

June 22nd, 2013 by Karen 11 Comments

Scrambled eggs, salsa and, um, a frozen waffle? Yep, it sounded weird to me at first, but then I tried it, and now I’m 100% on board.

The flavor’s a mix of savory and slightly sweet, like fried chicken and waffles or one of those McDonald’s McGriddles sandwiches.

I hope you give it a try. It’s really good!

I found the recipe on womenshealthmag.com and only changed it a little. It takes less than five minutes to make, and it’s pretty healthy, too.

Scramble one egg, and cook it on the stovetop (the original recipe calls for microwaving the egg, but I felt that made the egg a tad rubbery.)

End with a tablespoon or two of salsa on top!

Eye Gloss, Lip Gloss, We All Gloss for This Gloss: Paul & Joe’s Eye Gloss & Lip Gloss Duo in Nice

June 21st, 2013 by Karen 7 Comments

So darned cute that heart-shaped bubbles and blue-eyed white kittens may trail behind you when you wear it. 🙂

Paul & Joe’s sweet dual-ended stick has a cream shadow (the Eye Gloss) on one end and a lip gloss on the other. Nice ($34), from the Beach Baby summer collection, is nice!

1. Adorable overload…

Paul & Joe Beach Baby Collection 2 — From the left: the Eye Liner and Eye Crayon from the Eyeliner WP & Eye Crayon Duo in Saint Tropez 001; the Gloss and Eye Gloss from the Eye Gloss & Lip Gloss Duo in Nice 02; and Bermuda Nail Enamel

OOH! Look at the scripty font and chrysanthemum flowers.

Paul & Joe Eye Gloss from the Eye Gloss & Lip Gloss Duo in Nice — The Eye Gloss from the Eye Gloss & Lip Gloss Duo in Nice

Paul & Joe Gloss from the Eye Gloss & Lip Gloss Duo in Nice — The Gloss from the Eye Gloss & Lip Gloss Duo in Nice

2. Put your powder shadows on pause

Paul & Joe's Eye Gloss & Lip Gloss Duo in Nice Eye Gloss Swatch — A swatch of the Eye Gloss

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On Your Mark, Get Set, Go! Sprint Into Summer With the Form-Fitting Actra Kendra Running Compression Capri

June 21st, 2013 by Karen 10 Comments

It’s true, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Working out in cute clothes makes the act of sweating that much more bearable.

This is somewhat of a recent discovery for me, by the way. I used to run in tattered shirts with holes in them and whatever shorts I had on hand (wait, it gets worse, because I’d also have a scrunchie in my hair, haha!), but that changed when I found the Zella Live-In Capris.

Now, I kind of enjoy getting suited up for a workout, and the cuter and more color coordinated the outfit, the better.

I also enjoy shopping for workout clothes… 🙂

When I spied these cute Actra Kendra Running Compression Capris ($35.99) at Lady Footlocker (diggin’ the purple ombre stripes on the side), I decided to step out of my Zella comfort zone and give ’em a whirl.

I love the attention to detail here, like the reflective strip at the bottom and the key pocket, which is zippered to keep your key from falling out.

Actra Kendra Capri zippered pocket — Zippered back pocket on the waistband

The Kendra Capri is a compression garment, a type of form-fitting workout pant designed to prevent muscle strain and fatigue, thereby increasing athletic performance, by keeping your muscles warm. They’re also supposed to minimize chafing and rashes by wicking perspiration away from your body.

The deets…

Mid-rise with a 20″ inseam (side note: these sit a little lower on the waist than the Zella Live-Ins)
A zippered back pocket
Non-chafing seams
Tight compression fit from hip to knee
EVAPORÂ® technology wicks sweat away from the skin
Made from 75% nylon/25% spandex
Sizes XS, S, M, L and XL
Available in black with black stripes, black with teal ombre and black with purple ombre
Machine wash cold, tumble dry low

And since they’re snug, they help keep your drawers in place!

For me, this is a top priority. 🙂 I can’t stand workout pants that make my underwear shift like tectonic plates. I need to keep those suckers on lockdown! — something the Kendra Capris totally do.

I’ve been wearing these off and on since early June, and I like ’em. I like ’em a lot. I haven’t really noticed a difference in my running performance from the compression (then again, I’m the farthest thing from an elite athlete), but I have noticed that these wick well and really keep me cool.

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Friday Morning Mental Fog and the Orly Mash Up Collection

June 21st, 2013 by Karen 16 Comments

Day five of a really long week…

The cat woke me up this morning by leaping off my tum (specifically, my bladder). It was shocking. My pillow was wet with drool.

Two cups of coffee and I have yet to find my mojo. Where is it? Cloudy, cloudy, cloudy in my brain…

I lumber back and forth between the kitchen and the dining room, out of sorts, my feet sliding along the tiles like a zombie dragging its foot. What should I be doing? What day is it? Why is that large cat stalking me?

In the living room, I see the bottles on a white table, a mish-mash of sparkling green glitter, creamy pastel, a bright orange like a highway worker’s vest and a deep, dark purple that looks like the paint job on a 1970s muscle car.

“How random,” I mumble into my coffee cup. “A mash-up of nail polish colors.”

My right eye twitches and time escapes me. I lose consciousness in a fog of bright color and swatches with the six-piece Orly Summer Mash Up Collection while the Millionaire Matchmaker drones in the background.

This is my Friday morning so far…