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Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 712

May 29th, 2022 by Karen 3 Comments

Was Tabs solar powered? He may have been. With all the time he spent lounging in sunny spots, you’d think that all of the energy he absorbed would have to go toward something, and maybe it did. Perhaps it manifested itself through his fabulousness.

I’ll never forget — and this is going to sound very cat lady of me — how his fur smelled after he’d been lounging in the sun for a while. He’d be so chill and let me pick him up and take a big whiff of his warm belly. It smelled like raw bread dough. 🙂

https://makeupandbeautyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/tabs-sunny-day-may-5-2018.mp4

Rosie

So far Rosie has claimed two favorite sunny spots in our house. The first is in the upstairs hallway at the top of the stairs. There’s a sunny window there, and you’ll find her there approximately between 9:30am and 11:30am every day. Sometimes before she’ll plop down, she’ll sit there staring at my back from behind while I’m on a video call, and I can see her little face on the camera. My coworkers joke that she looks like she’s plotting my demise.

Little do they know, she’s just working out complex calculus derivatives…

Her second favorite spot — her afternoon spot — is right next to the downstairs sliding glass door, where you’ll find her daily after 3pm enjoying the breeze and birdsongs from our hill outside.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 3 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Rosie, Tabs

Saturday Surfing, May 28, 2022!

May 28th, 2022 by Karen 1 Comment

Good morning, beautiful! Sending you calm and joyful vibes this morning. Are you just as relieved as I am to finally make it to the weekend? I can’t wait to have a second cup of coffee and then work out. That’s my plan, and I’m stickin’ to it.

This week’s reading

  • Asian founders work to steer the narrative as beauty trends pull from their cultures.
  • How to treat and prevent ingrown hair.
  • In case you get the itch to dye your hair but don’t want to commit to anything permanent.
  • Embrace your grays with herringbone highlights.
  • Can you make perfume from kitchen cupboard vanilla?
  • Some professional baseball players believe a heavy dose of cologne or women’s perfume is essential before they take the field.

  • I need this.


    And I need this too!


    MEOW.


    Yes, please.


    Needless to say, I’m intrigued.


    Carbs are your friend!


    Retinol recommendations, broken down by category.


    This was soothing and lovely.


    I really want to make this!

    Have a great weekend, and take care of yourself.

    Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

    Karen

There's 1 comment on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

What Are Your Biggest Summer Beauty Concerns?

May 27th, 2022 by Karen 17 Comments

highs and lows k and connor bridge

Hi, friend. Before we get into today’s Beauty Q&A, I just wanted to say happy Friday, and TGIF. I’ve been quiet because I’ve had to feel some feelings. The world is a scary place, and MBB is usually my safe haven, so when I sit down at my keyboard in the mornings, I try to do it with a warm heart. Some days are so much harder than others, though, especially when I realize how everything feels so much more fragile than it did when I was a child.

I hope that wherever you are today, you and your family are feeling steady, loved and safe. Those things aren’t guaranteed for any of us, it seems, so any day you have them in your life is a gift.

DEEP BREATH. I think I’m ready for a little lighthearted chat about beauty; how about you? I need a momentary distraction.

As you know, summer is just around the corner. We got a preview a couple days ago in the Bay Area with temperatures in the 90s. I’m so not ready to be covered in sweat every time I leave the house, ugh.

No, this isn’t my pool. I wish, LOL!

At least the heat is a dry heat, though! It does make a difference. Humidity takes the challenge to the next level, for sure.

So, some summer beauty concerns…

  • Makeup melting off in the heat! Although I don’t wear as much as I used to, I don’t appreciate my liner smearing all over the place.
  • Hair challenges. I’m a little self conscious of the spots on my hairline that’ve receded a bit, so I’ve been trying to figure out how to disguise them and still keep my hair off my neck. Instead of doing high buns and ponytails, lately I’ve been doing more low buns and french twists because I can swoop the front pieces over those spots.
  • Sweating like a mofo. OH gosh, so hot, so sweaty, all the time! The worst spots for me are my armpits (they’ve been next level lately), the backs of my knees and between my thighs.
  • Keeping up with sun protection. I’m trying to be diligent about protecting my skin from the sun! I’m forever reapplying sunscreen, it seems.

How about you? What are your biggest summer beauty concerns?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 17 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Air Dry Adventures!

May 25th, 2022 by Karen 7 Comments

There’s something so inspiring about a fresh chop! Now that my hair is shorter and has more shape, I’m excited to do stuff to it again. (It’s been a while!)

On that note, I’m trying some new things. I’m on a quest to find products that help my mane look presentable after air drying.

  • R+Co Sun Catcher Power C Boosting Leave-In Conditioner: A leave-in conditioner that adds mega moisture without weighing strands down. You can use it on wet and dry hair! I’m on a mission to boost volume, which is why I wanted to try it.
  • R+Co Zig Zag Root Teasing + Texture Spray: A lightly tinted texturizing spray that lifts roots. You can also use it on the mid-shaft and ends for lift, shape and hold.
  • R+Co Sail Soft Wave Spray: A lightweight spray that encourages soft, natural looking waves. You spray it on wet hair before air drying or using heat tools!
  • dpHue ACV Daily Scalp Serum: An oil-free serum that’s supposed to balance and hydrate the scalp while also encouraging hair growth.
  • Urban Decay Naked Half Baked Palette: A travel palette of powder shadows inspired by the iconic shade Half Baked. I know this isn’t hair related, but I’m wearing it today so I figured it deserved a shout out, too!

Building those happiness muscles, day 10

Welcome to hump day, friend. How is it Wednesday already?

OK, so the two things that I’m grateful for today:

  1. Watching my daughter dance. She’s been rond de jambe-ing since she was in my tummy! It’s so fun to watch her grow as she dances.
  2. Hair claw clips. Seriously, so great when it’s hot outside!

What are you grateful for today?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 7 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Hair, R+Co, Urban Decay

Quick Makeup Tip: Bronzer Unifies Your Look

May 24th, 2022 by Karen 11 Comments

mac give me sun
Well hi there, MAC Give Me Sun!

Your makeup can be as complicated — or as simple — as you’d like. If you’re in the mood to streamline, then grab your bronzer, and apply it strategically to multiple places. This not only simplifies your routine but also unifies your look. Sweep it on cheeks as a blush-slash-contour, around the edge of your face to add warmth, and in the crease for depth. The result? Easy monochromatic makeup.

Today I’m wearing an old favorite, MAC Give Me Sun Mineralize Skinfinish. It’s a warm medium golden brown with a slight sheen and a finish that looks natural on skin. I’m wearing it on my lids (just in the crease), on my cheeks, across my nose and around the edge of my face.

mac give me sun

This natural, fresh look with warm browns and neutrals was easy peasy and took me 15 minutes! The other items I used…

  • Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Wheat
  • Kevyn Aucoin Super Natural Conceaeler in Medium EC05
  • Hourglass Retouching Fluid in Sand
  • MAC Costa Riche Liner
  • MAC Extended Play Gigablack Lash
  • Anastasia Beverly Hills in Medium Brown
  • MAC Boldly Bare Lip Liner with MAC Spite Lipglass

Building those happiness muscles, day nine

Hiya! It’s time to build those happiness muscles.

Anywho, the two things I’m grateful for today are 1) listening to music first thing in the morning (it always does so much to get my mind right for the day), and 2) stretch videos on YouTube.

Feel free to join me in the comments, if you want.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 11 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: MAC Makeup, Makeup, Makeup Tips/How To

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 730

May 23rd, 2022 by Karen 16 Comments

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. Coconut or lemon?

    I like both, but today I’m going with lemon. I’m thinking lemonade, lemon bars, lemon print EVERYTHING, lemon in my tea with loads of honey… YUM!

    2. What’s your hairstyle today?

    I’m wearing it down today. It’s wavy and on the slightly messy side, which I did on purpose. I’m learning to embrace the chaos!

    3. Can you do a backflip?

    Oh, hell no. Then again, I’ve never actually tried to learn how to do one. I mean, maybe if I had lots of time to warm up and stretch, and I tenaciously trained for months? Maybe.

    4. Would you like dessert?

    Always! And I don’t plan on sharing mine with anyone else. 🙂

    5. A color you like wearing?

    Hmm, well, I recently discovered that I enjoy wearing yellow very much!

    6. What’s your mantra?

    Focus on one thing at a time. (Side note: multi-tasking is not my jam.)

    7. What time did you go to bed last night?

    Around 10-ish? I watched an episode of “Schitt’s Creek” (it was “Asbestos Fest”) and then passed out.

    8. Eyeliner?

    Yup! I’m wearing two shades today – a brown Ilia gel on my water lines and a bright matte blue by Urban Decay, Chaos, buffed and smudged on my lash lines. I’ve been really into using eyeliner as eyeshadow lately.

    9. Something good you can do for yourself today?

    I can make sure that I drink lots of liquids today (I’m still feeling a little under the weather).

    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. Coconut or lemon?
    2. What’s your hairstyle today?
    3. Can you do a backflip?
    4. Would you like dessert?
    5. A color you like wearing?
    6. What’s your mantra?
    7. What time did you go to bed last night?
    8. Eyeliner?
    9. Something good you can do for yourself today?

    P.P.S. Hello and happy Monday, my friend! Hope this day brings you so much joy. 🤗

There are 16 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 711

May 22nd, 2022 by Karen 1 Comment

Can you believe it’s almost the end of the school year? Tabs loved this time of year. His schedule was particularly busy from late May through mid June due to his commencement speeches at various colleges, not just in the United States but around the world.

Although he wasn’t quite the scholar Rosie is, he did manage to earn several honorary degrees and headed the Masters program for felines in digital and social media at Stanford. (NYU tried to woo him away, but Tabs was 100% West Coast.)

Tabs’s academic success crossed over into the realms of technology and software engineering. He also headed the team that created the first paw recognition program for iPhones, and his sleek body inspired the design for robotic cat assistants. 🤖 (FYI, that project was put on hold following an incident involving a rogue feline assistant AI that refused to give gravy on command.)

Rosie

I tried to take Rosie out for a scheduled end of year photo shoot today, but she had no interest in cooperating. 🤷‍♀️

Would she wear the little cap with the tassel? No. Would she wear the gown? No.

All she wanted to do was read her scientific literary journals and study spring cloud formations outside.

Such is the life of a cat obsessed with science.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There's 1 comment on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Rosie, Tabs

Saturday Surfing, May 21, 2022!

May 21st, 2022 by Karen 6 Comments

Hi, sweet girl. Happy Saturday from me and from these beautiful trees in my neighborhood! So often I see people staring at their phones while they’re walking this path, and I always think to myself, “Why stare at a screen when there’s so much beauty if you just look up?”

The trees are one of my favorite things about where I live. 🌲

Well, things on this end have been a little challenging this week. We’re all sick at our house. Covid tests were taken and we are all allegedly negative, but DANG. Everyone at Casa MBB is down for the count!

Connor is feeling so much better, thank goodness, but I’m still in the thick of it. It’s been a while since I’ve had to care for a sick child while also being under the weather, so today all I’m going to do is a whole lotta nothing. I heard the new season of “Working Moms” is out on Netflix, so I might marathon that between naps and eating Eggo waffles (everything else sounds gross to me right now).

My go-to meal when everything else sounds disgusting!

I’ve been meaning to tell you, thank you for your nice comments and for all the thoughtful conversation this week. It’s been lovely to connect and chat! I really, really enjoy your company.

Oh, and just in case you missed anything, here’s what we talked about: new hair and thoughts on keeping the gray, weird stuff at the sporting goods store and things I’ve been loving lately.

This week’s reading

  • On the power of fragrance: “My body couldn’t escape my small suburban Ohio town, but perfume was an escape hatch to a more glamorous me, even if it was only for a moment.”
  • Speaking of stuff that smells good, here are some shrubs, flowers and vines to consider for your garden.
  • Apparently I like vacation fragrances because quite a few of my favorites are on this list. (Hello, Light Blue!)
  • File this under pretty darn cool — a lipstick that’s compostable AND under $20.
  • Bite Beauty bites the dust.
  • RE: Skincare. Products and gadgets dermatologists love, and new May launches.
  • Human hair is being used to clean up oil spills.
  • Gel nail stickers are a thing, and now I’m totally intrigued!
  • The secret to Farrah Fawcett hair (IYKYN) — without any heat! — is double buns.
  • Allegedly cats can remember names of their friends, but I dunno. All the felines I’ve assisted have been more likely to remember the names of their enemies, LOL!


I really want to do this!


I’m listening, JVN.


Take me back to 1995.


Just lovely.


Interesting!


Talk to me!

Building those happiness muscles, day eight

Before I head on out, the two things I’m grateful for today are: 1) my humidifier and 2) Vicks Vaporub.

DUDE. There’s a joke in the Filipino community that Filipinos use Vicks to heal everything, but honestly, whenever I use it when I’m sick, it really does seem to help, LOL!

I just about died cracking up watching this video… When he gets to the part about putting Vicks on your feet, OMG. I just did that last night! 😭🤣

Stay healthy, my friend, and have a great rest of your weekend.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 6 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

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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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Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 878

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