weeklyroundup

What is it about extra hot water that makes tea taste even better? I’ve always been more of a lukewarm morning beverage girl, but I’ve been turning up the temperature of my tea and coffee this week, and now the hotter, the better. Piping hot. I love the sensation of it traveling through my body and heating up my tum.

So good!

Not much planned for today. If my back feels up to it — it’s still a little sore from yoga yesterday — I’m gonna try a slow run on the treadmill in a little while. That way I can eat with reckless abandon later today if El Hub and I go Off the Grid again for lunch. There’s a cupcake truck that I missed last week, and I will not allow that to happen again. 🙂

Tonight’s also a new episode of Downton Abbey, yay! Did you watch last week’s ep? Wasn’t it intense?? I feel like the characters have lost their frickin’ minds, and I love it. Can’t wait for the season finale tonight.

A few beauty posts that caught my eye…

• Tigers get turned on by CK Obsession at the London Zoo (what the what!?) — Addicted to Beauty
• MAC Prep + Prime Vibrancy Eye Primer Review, Photos & Swatches — Beautezine
• The best kind of distraction: Chanel Distraction 549 Le Vernis — The Beauty Look Book
• Lessons learned after almost six years of perfume blogging — The Non-Blonde
• An interesting look at a MAC Masterclass with Pablo Rodriguez, London Fashion Week — Vex in the City
• Crazy about leopard print? Um, YES! As a matter of fact, I am — Swedish Love Affair
• What a fantastical green! That it’s called Dragon makes perfect sense — The Nailasaurus
• Pretty, pretty colors! — heading down the runway at the Milly F/W 2012 show — Keiko Lynn
• It’s official: I need to try plummy Inglot Eyeshadow Pearl 446 — My Weekend Ramblings
• Confused by La Roche-Posay? Here’s what to use for your skin type — Beaut.ie

MAKEUP MONSTER: STENCH DRAGON

DESCRIPTION: Stench Dragons are a subcategory of dragons that spend much of their time stalking perfumeries and fragrance counters. Powerfully stinky, they tend to be aloof, solitary and self-centered. Their motto is, “It’s all about me.”
FREQUENCY: Rare
SPEED: Fast
ARMOR CLASS: 8
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Like a fine cheese, Stench Dragons become more powerfully pungent as they age. They are attracted to strong fragrances, which they attempt to overpower with their awful dragon breath.

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Fragrance resistance; aura of repulsive stench
INTELLIGENCE: Very
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic neutral (naughty)
SIZE: Medium (6′ long)

With MAC Mineralize Concealer, Just Swipe and Go

Dry Lips Love L’Oreal Colour Riche Balm SPF 15

Paul & Joe Matte Pressed Powder in Cinnamon

Makeup for Rain, Sleet and Snow

My Favorite Pink Lips for Valentine’s Day

The MAC Tendertone Lip Balms From the MAC Cook Collection

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stains

MAC Eye Shadow Quad X4 in Call Me Bubbles

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Next time you make it out here to the San Francisco Bay Area, see if you can squeeze in a meal at one of the cute little restaurants on SF’s Claude Lane. It’s a small area with a European vibe (plenty of outdoor seating) a little off the beaten path about two blocks from Union Square. Just a couple of quaint cafes and restaurants, but I think it’s well worth checking out.

I had dinner there the other night at a spot called Gitane with my girlfriends from college, Christine, Eleanor and Mary Anne.

My first real job after college was at a company about one block away from the restaurant, and as I was walking from where I’d parked to meet the girls, I passed a few familiar haunts.

Back when I had that job, I was in my early 20s and very unsure of where I was headed in life or what the future held. I never could have imagined I’d ever be sitting at a desk in the town of Novato with a chubby tabby cat on my lap as I typed something like this to you…

It’s just weird! But also cool.

As I got closer to the restaurant the other night, I wondered, should I find myself walking down these same streets 10 years from now, what will I be up to then? Will I have children? Will I run into any old friends and share stories about how little Paul or Alexandra love art and music, but my parents think they should both be doctors? Or will I not have children? And will I be okay with that decision?

I don’t know… I just hope that wherever I am and whatever I’m doing, I’m happy. And you are, too. 🙂

A few beauty posts that caught my eye…

• Hmm… Maybe this will help me stop dressing like a teenage skater boy: How to organize your closet in 6 easy steps — The Glitter Guide
• These DIY teacup candles are too cute! — Everything Fabulous
• I absolutely LOVE this: 10 ways to celebrate yourself — Positively Present
• If you’re like me and always losing bobby pins, you might appreciate this super simple bathroom organizing tip — Super Woman
• 25 clever ideas to make life easier — The Daily Buzz
• I’ve been listening to Whitney all morning while reading this reprint of an interview from 1993 that she did with Rolling Stone… RIP, Whit — Rolling Stone
• The new YSL Vinyl Candy Palette looks like so much fun — Glitter Geek
• A glowy and fresh professional work makeup look — Lisa Eldridge
• Becca channels sultry for winter with Balearic Love — Makeup4all
• I’m always looking for makeup storage ideas, and this one looks great for lipstick — Makeup and Macaroons

MAKEUP MONSTER: LINER LAMIA

DESCRIPTION: Long, long ago, a powerful evil sorceress/former makeup artist created Liner Lamia to guard her makeup counter while she was away, but a small number of the mischievous creatures escaped! Tentacled gremlins with eye liners for arms, they really just like to mess up makeup.
FREQUENCY: Rare
SPEED: Fast
ARMOR CLASS: 7
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Liner Lamia prefer surprise attacks over frontal assaults, typically striking while their victims are distractedly applying their makeup — for instance, while driving.

They are deathly afraid of mirrors.

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
INTELLIGENCE: Medium
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic neutral
SIZE: Small (3′ tall)

Make Up For Ever’s New La Bohème Eye Shadow Palette

Make Up For Ever’s Two New Rouge Artist Natural Lipsticks

The Dolce & Gabbana Khol Collection

MAC Vera Collection Pics and Swatches

MAC Shop and MAC Cook Collection Pics and Swatches

The Paul & Joe Face & Eye Color Palette in Purr-Fect

Be Catwalk Ready Right Meow With Paul & Joe Spring 2012

Paul & Joe Kitten Collection Nail Polishes

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Rise and shine, morning glory. 🙂 I hope you slept well. Did you have any dreams? Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about dreaming big and told a friend of mine who’s very accomplished and encouraging about things like that. She says that people should reach beyond the stars! — even for things that seem totally outrageous and impossible — because when it comes to those dreams, in the process of reaching for the stars, you never you know where you’ll land.

Here are a couple of the things I’ve been dreaming about lately (please tell me yours in the comments).

The Cannes Film Festival For some unknown reason, I’ve become super obsessed with the idea of going to the Cannes Film Festival in France someday. Now, to attend, you’re supposed to have ties to the movie industry, which I don’t, so I have no idea how I’d ever actually get my foot in the door, but I’m trying to figure it out. I love movies, and I think it would be a blast to go.

Makeup school Also related to movies, I came across a school called Cinema Secrets through a video by Melissa Street, a movie makeup artist who’s been in the biz for 20 plus years. In it she talks about the school’s overall makeup curriculum, as well as their expertise in special effects. Now, the school’s in LA, so for me it wouldn’t exactly be a quick commute. The course I’m interested in taking is also six weeks long, so it’s still just a dream, but hey, you never know…

Have you taken the time to dream big lately? What are some of the things you’d love to do if you had absolutely no restrictions in the world?

A few beauty posts that caught my eye…

• A movie makeup artist explains how she got started — Epic Makeup
• I kinda want to wear black lipstick thanks to this post — Jazzi McG
• Create big, luscious doll lashes with this step-by-step tutorial — Beautezine
• 3 key things a blogger should do in their free time — Sherry Blossom Beauty
• Kelly checks out the new MAC Mineralize Skincare Charged Water line — Vampy Varnish
• The font freak in me loves this mani — We Heart This
• If you’re feeling kinda crafty this weekend, there’s this super cool Crayon DIY project that I’ve been dying to do — Whatever…
• The 100 best books of all time, according to Wikipedia — Wikipedia
• DIY Beauty: Make Your Own Cream Eyeshadow — Beautiful with Brains
• Have you ever tried anything from Rain Cosmetics? — Beauty in New York City

MAKEUP MONSTER: FOUNDATION FIRBOLG

FREQUENCY: Rare
SPEED: Slow
ARMOR CLASS: 10
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Foundation Firbolgs are a sub-species of Hill Giants obsessed with wiping all foundation off the faces of the earth.

Wielding giant foundation brushes they fashion from tree trunks and Griffin fur and using their keen sense of smell, they patrol remote mountain passes and strip mall parking lots, hunting for foundation wearers. When they find them, Foundation Firbolgs use their giant brushes to wipe away all traces of foundation before releasing their victims, in most cases unharmed.

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
INTELLIGENCE: Medium
ALIGNMENT: Evil
SIZE: Huge (13′ tall)

Unexpected Encounters and the LORAC Unzipped Palette

Laura Mercier’s Gel Lip Colour in Dollface Is Here

Hourglass Hidden Corrective Concealer

MAC Unsung Heroes: Eyeshadow in Club

Physicians Formula Eye Enhancing Shadow and Liner in Nude

Laura Mercier Crème Cheek Colour in Innocent Peach

MAC Viva Glam Ricky Martin and Nicki Minaj

New Burberry Body Mist Welcomes Spring

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Good morning, fellow beauty babe. How’s it going today? Did you do anything fun yesterday?

I didn’t get to a whole lot of the things I wanted to get to around the house yesterday, like housecleaning and grocery shopping, but I did manage to go for a nice hike with El Hub. Fun took precedence over function.

Oh, what do you know about cat cafes…? Yes, this is completely random, but if you come by very often, you’ll know that’s sort of par for the course around here. 🙂

So about cat cafes, apparently they’re popping up all over Japan. They’re places where you pay a reasonable fee for the privilege of spending some time with cats. Here’s an interesting article about ’em (complete with pretty kitty pictures!). Seriously, someone needs to open one here in the U.S. because I know at least a few hundred cat lovers who’d be regular customers, myself included, even if it meant upsetting Tabs… He’d probably say I’m cheating on him.

In other news, here’s a trend (you have to click your region after the link) I never thought would ever again see the light of day. I saw these recently on the American Apparel site.

I remember wearing HUGE bows back in the day… Every girl in my seventh-grade class had one in her hair.

I don’t know, though. Are these supposed to be for grown women? I’m a little confused (and yet intrigued). 🙂

As for food trucks, remember last weekend when I mentioned wanting to make it to Off the Grid (the local food truck jamboree)? It was raining here during the last one, so I missed it, but it’s supposed to be sunny today.

Wish me luck!

A few beauty posts that caught my eye…

• How to prevent eyeshadow fallout — Kajal Couture
• Nail art brushes: having the right tools for the job — The Nailasaurus
• LOVE these cool iPhone cases — society6
• The Dior 5-Colour Eyeshadow in Grège 734 — The Beauty Look Book
• Tips to overcome procrastination (I’ll try ’em later, LOL!) — the99percent
• How to use your camera’s Aperture Priority (sometimes called AV) mode to create awesome blurry background effects — Running on Happiness
• Four words: Hunger Games sugar cookies — Fictional Food
• How to cover practically anything on your skin from pimples to red patches — Beauty Editor
• Good knight! a England’s Order of the Garter is a gorgeous blue nail polish — Nihrida
• Gotta love a good makeup book: Makeup Makeovers in 5, 10, 15, and 20 Minutes — Jennysue Makeup
• The relationship between acne and food — The Beauty Department

MAKEUP MONSTER: BRONZER BUGBEAR

FREQUENCY: Rare
SPEED: Slow
ARMOR CLASS: 9
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Bronzer Bugbears are huge, slathering ogres with a taste for bronzer. They consume it for the talc and silica, which they need to survive, and also like to roll around in it like elephants do with mud.

Bronzer Bugbears are able to sense the presence of bronzer within a 10-mile radius, but the exact mechanism by which this sense works remains a mystery (it’s not a sense of smell, since Bronzer Bugbears lack noses). Once within range of bronzer or a person wearing it, they attack! — using a special powder puff that all Bronzer Bugbears instinctively know how to construct. After collecting the bronzer, they retreat to their lairs to eat it in peace.

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
INTELLIGENCE: Low
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: Huge (12′ tall)

Summer in Britain With Burberry Beauty

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes for Spring 2012

Burberry Beauty Pale Barley Eyeshadow in No. 22

MAC A Shade of Red For Every Heart

New Pink Burberry Beauty Lip Cover Lipsticks

The Essie Navigate Her Nail Polishes

Estée Lauder Illuminating Perfecting Primer

The Estée Lauder Pure Color Blushes

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

So this is winter, huh? Gotta say, not a fan.

Yup, the rain returned this morning, but it’s not one of those productive rains that refills reservoirs and builds up the snow pack in the mountains. This is just a faint freezing drizzle that makes me want to stay indoors and drives Tabs out of his ever-lovin’ mind.

How’s it going out yonder way? I’m not really feeling up to writing transitions this morning, so here are just a couple of non-makeup and makeup-related things I’ve been liking lately…

Whatever you’re up to, I hope you have a great day. 🙂

Southland It’s baaack! The new season of one of my favorite shows just started, and I think it’s one of the most underrated hours on TV.

It’s a police drama, but if you like police dramas, give it a try. It has some pretty interesting, complex characters, great acting and cool story lines. Plus, it stars cutie pie Benjamin McKenzie, and starting this season, Lucy Liu, too, who I think did a great job in last week’s season premiere.

Food trucks Right now they’re HUGE in San Francisco. I haven’t been to one lately, but I keep wanting to go.

There’s this weekly food truck jamboree thing called Off the Grid where a bunch of food trucks all meet at the same time and place in the city, and now they’re introducing an Off the Grid up here where I live in Marin County, huzzah!

Underworld Awakening Okay, I have no idea why they keep making these movies because I think they went downhill fast after the first one, but I’m a big Milla Jovovich Kate Beckinsale fan (I always get those ladies confused). I have to see it. Can’t resist.

Sunday Riley and Edward Bess I’m intrigued by both of these lines. Sunday Riley is new at Barney’s New York, and Sephora recently started carrying Edward Bess. I love how elegant both of them look from the packaging, so these are tops on my list of new things to try.

If I do venture out of the house this afternoon, I’ll have to be very careful, though, because another makeup monster has been spotted in the area (possibly the last makeup monster in this series). I should be okay… The authorities are saying that it only targets people wearing false eyelashes, and I didn’t plan on wearing any today.

MAKEUP MONSTERS: THE LASH LIFTER

FREQUENCY: Rare
SPEED: Fast
ARMOR CLASS: 3
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Master rogues/pickpockets, these evil little goblins have the quickest hands and uncanny dexterity! They’re able to remove false eyelashes so quickly that they can be in and out between blinks. You don’t even notice your lashes are gone until they’ve already left the area, and if they can’t remove a lash because of its adhesive, they’ll just bite it off with their scary sharp teeth!
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
INTELLIGENCE: Medium
ALIGNMENT: Evil
SIZE: Small (1′ tall)

A few beauty posts that caught my eye…

• Scarves and boots make everything better! — Keiko Lynn
• Spring Cleaning: The Beauty Edition — Beaut.ie
• Nailing it! Simple Spring Cherry/Plum Blossoms Nail Art for Chinese New Year — My Women Stuff
• Dreamcatcher eyes! — Bows and Curtseys
• I’m lovin’ these watercolor nails — Nails and Noms
• Ever wonder how to successfully pull off a chartreuse-colored dress (I know I have!)? This post offers a few stylish ideas — What I Wore
• I miss the ocean! For my fellow water babies: some big blue beauty and fashion inspiration — Fashion Squad
• Super cool: giant artwork inspired by toys — Flavorwire
• So pretty! This step-by-step photo tutorial shows how to do a gorgeous bronzy golden eye — By Celina
• Color me intrigued by this $24 Ilia Lip Conditioner — Bella Sugar

New $7 Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR Eyeshadow

5 Lip Looks to Jump Start Your Style This Year

Benefit Sun Beam Liquid Highlighter

New Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation

The Chanel Knightsbridge Collection Pink, Coral and Fuchsia Lippies

Clarins Colour Breeze Mineral Eye Quartet in Blue Sky

Give Your Brows a Lift With Benefit High Brow Glow

NARS Diamond Life Nail Lacquer

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Heavens to Murgatroyd! Is it Sunday already? Well, I hope you’re having a good one so far. No complaints over here. I stayed up late last night watching that show I mentioned the other day, Survivors. Only two more episodes left before the series finale, gah! I just can’t believe the show got cancelled. It’s probably the best post-apocalyptic programming I’ve ever seen, even better than the Walking Dead (if you’re into that kind of thing, it’s available to stream on Netflix).

And no, I’m not just saying that because Max Beesley could be El Hub’s doppelgänger. 🙂 But I have to warn you — if you watch it, you’ll scream, “What the hell!?” at least three times every episode.

Survivors isn’t the only British export I’ve been hooked on lately. Do you ever listen to an album for a while, then kindasorta forget about it, and then rediscover it in a few years? That’s what happened with me and Bloc Party.

I loved their 2005 album, Silent Alarm, when it came out, but then it drifted off my radar screen until I queued it up again the other day before a run.

Wow! I totally remember why I loved it so much. Block Party reminds me of a slightly harder version of Phoenix with a dash of punk rock and ’80s new wave. Lots of strong driving beats and catchy hooks to help you power through a workout.

One of my fave songs, evah!

No big plans for me today. I do have to swing by Target at some point to get a stepladder and some hangers. Maybe Container Store, too, if I have any time left in the afternoon. My cup runneth over with excitement, I know.

What’s on your agenda for today? If you missed anything we talked about this week, here’s one final look. I think for me, NARS was the star.

Oh, and just a heads up, but if you’re wearing any concealer, better watch out for these guys…

MAKEUP MONSTERS: THE CONCEALER CREASER

FREQUENCY: Rare
SPEED: Fast
ARMOR CLASS: 6
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Quick claw sneak attack! Concealer Creasers will hide in chimneys, garages and the back seats of cars, waiting for unsuspecting concealer wearers to approach. Then, in a blur of frantic scratching, clawing, and raking, they’ll strike, causing creases and fading in all types of concealers. Nothing, not even Time Balm or Stila Perfecting Concealer, stands a chance.
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Flight
INTELLIGENCE: Low
ALIGNMENT: Evil
SIZE: Small (1′ tall)

A few beauty posts that caught my eye…

• WARNING: Checking out these Tokyo street style pics could become a daily habit — Toyko Fashion
• Louis Vuitton’s releasing its first fragrance in over 20 years — Bloginity
• I quite enjoy this photo blog — Le Dans La
• AWESOMESAUCE: 31 years of Meryl Streep — Fashion Indie
• Get the glow back in your curly hair — Naturally Curly
• This tie-dye nail tutorial looks like messy fun! — Creating Really Awesome Free Things
• This could be cool for mobile blogging (a virtual keyboard) — She Finds
• Six tips to get the most out of after-Christmas sales — The Budget Fashionista
• Bracelets that hide your hair elastics, neat! — Bellasugar
• “You have to make mistakes to find out who you aren’t,” and more wise words from one of my writing heroes — Soulseeds

The Weekly Roundup: MBB Posts You Might Have Missed

The NARS Mexican Rose
Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil Diaries (Uncensored)

Dear Diary,

Didn’t do much yesterday other than radiate awesomeness. Yeah, that’s right. I make it rain! And if that makes me sound conceited, so be it.

My pink-haired roommate (we totally match!) tells me all the time, “you’re basically the sh*t.” She clearly sees that I’m the chupacabra of perfect pink lips.

I think she might be my new BFF, which is funny… Girls usually get so jealous of my dense pink pigment, high shine and easy-to-apply pencil tip.

But it’s not my fault that I’m so awesome and unique. I can’t help that I start off all super shiny like a gloss or that I morph into a hot pink lip stain with a subtle sheen. Read more…

Charmed, I’m Sure, by the Dolce & Gabbana
Charm Pencil Collection

One of the reasons why Dolce & Gabbana rules: they dangle tiny charms from their makeup JUST BECAUSE THEY CAN.

Never you mind that the charms enchanting the eight-piece limited edition Charm Pencil collection don’t really serve a purpose beyond looking cute as they swing from their respective lip and eye liners. If we have the right to accessorize, so should our makeup! Viva la cuteness for us all!

Every time I catch a glimpse of the dainty golden envelopes, high heels, hearts and horns hanging from these pencils, which arrive next month (just in time for Valentine’s Day!), while I attend to my lips or eyes, I’m transported back to the kinder, gentler days of my youth, when a trip to the Hello Kitty store to buy a $4 mechanical pencil with a charm swinging on the end was one of the highlights of my week. Read more…

With NARS Gaiety Blush on My Cheeks,
Merriment Ensues

Well, I’ll be darned… There’s shine in that thar blush!

After seeing the new NARS Gaiety Blush ($28) in its pan, and even after the first quick swatch on the back of my hand, I was sure this candy pink would apply as a straight up matte, but it turns out that this member of the new NARS Spring 2012 collection has a secret up its sleeve — it likes to shine. Coupled with its medium pigmentation, this sweet sheen transforms Gaiety from a pretty pink blush into a thing of beauty.

Imagine the light flush you get when your crush notices that you’re wearing your hair differently. For me, that’s Gaiety. Read more…

The $34 Limited Edition NARS Paramaribo Eyeshadow Duo,
and the Time I Was on Jeopardy

Karen: “Hmm… Since I’m on a roll, I’ll take Famous Crazy Cat Ladies for a thousand, Alex.”

Alex Trebek: “This pop star, crazy cat lady and ex-wife of Russell Brand has a perfume line with bottles shaped like cats… Karen?”

Karen: “Who is Katy Perry?”

Alex Trebek: “Correct! Well, you certainly know your cat ladies, Karen, and your Madonna lyrics and Ryan Gosling trivia. Two categories left — Projectile Sports, and the NARS Paramaribo Eyeshadow Duo.”

Karen: “I’ll take NARS Paramaribo for $200, Alex.”

Alex Trebek: “Paramaribo is named after the capital city in this tropical South American country… Oh, and there she goes.”

Karen: “What is Suriname, Alex? NARS Paramaribo for $400.” Read more…

MAC UNSUNG HEROES
TECHNAKOHL PENCIL LINER

Yup, one of those days…

I feel like just hitting my head against my desk, but I wonder, “What would Tim Gunn do?”

Ah, of course. That’s right. Tim would “make it work,” so I’ll try to do the same, and I have, hence the five cups of tea.

To make it official, though, I think I should put it in print, so here goes: “By the time I reach the bottom of this mug, I will be filled with lurve.”

LURVE!

On the plus side, at least I’m not possessed by a demon (yay!), I have all of my toes, and I don’t have serial killer eyes. Three very good things, and today I owe that last one to MAC Uniform Technakohl ($15).

A khaki eyeliner with golden shimmer, it fits my mood a lot of the time when other shades don’t. Understated. Not as flashy as black nor as blah as brown, it makes me feel classier when I swipe it along my lash and water lines. Read more…

Thanks to NARS Valparaíso Pure Matte Lipstick,
Berries Are in Season This Spring

Today I live in the burbs about 30 miles north of San Francisco, but back when I did live in the city, it was smack dab in the middle of the dot-com boom, and the place was hoppin’.

Rental rates were out of control! Dot-coms were shooting up everywhere you looked, and housing of any kind was hard to come by. I struggled to find a place to live and eventually ended up renting a room in a sketchy house out in SF’s Sunset District, living with a cavalcade of characters, like the DJ/herbal enthusiast (let’s just say she wasn’t growing rosemary, if you know what I mean), and the kleptomaniac.

Honestly, I have no idea what I was thinking when I signed that lease. It wasn’t one of my better life decisions, but the rent was cheap, and I was hell bent on moving out of my parents’ house.

Which brings me to the new NARS Valparaíso Pure Matte Lipstick for Spring 2012. Read more…

An Inside Look at the New Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation
With Benefit Global Beauty Authority Annie Ford-Danielson

Benefit babes, brace yourself for a bodacious treat.

Yesterday Benefit Global Beauty Authority Annie Ford-Danielson took a few minutes to chat with me over the phone about their newest product, Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation ($34), which arrives on counters this March.

You may remember Annie and her sister Maggie from last year’s B.Right Skin Care launch. Together, they travel the world, working as global ambassadors for the brand.

This marks Benefit’s latest leap into liquid foundations, and Annie, who also works in product development, gave me an inside look at the development process and what we can expect from Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow when it arrives. Read more…

NARS Notable Neutrals Club Meeting Minutes, Jan. 12, 2012
Should Lhasa Eyeshadow Be Granted Membership in the Club?

Order, people! Order! Is this thing on…?

Good evening, everyone. Tonight’s meeting of the NARS Notable Neutrals Club is called in session. I know everybody’s excited about the spring collection, but let’s settle down. If we don’t start the meeting soon, you won’t get home in time to watch the Jersey Shore — no judgement! Seriously though, quiet down.

Okay, our first order of business. I’d like to nominate a new member to the club, NARS Lhasa Eyeshadow. She’s a single, $24, and I propose that we waive public comments and vote to make her membership official effective tomorrow, January 13, when she debuts along with the rest of the spring collection.

Now, I can hear some of you grumbling back there… I’ve heard the charges that the club has become too exclusive to newcomers — Cyprus, I’m talking to you — but may I remind you that we are not mean girls. All of us were at one time new neutrals ourselves, waiting to be discovered and loved. Lhasa deserves a chance. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

It’s true. Time flies when you’re having fun, and my afternoon in SF yesterday with Jen and Cindy flew by in a blink of an eye!

I miss living closer to them… I can’t believe there was a time when we’d see each other every single day (we were band geeks in high school).

Oh! About those french fries at Absinthe. They ranked right up there with some of the best I’ve ever eaten — thin, tasty, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside — but I don’t think I’m ready to award them the “Best in the City” prize. Not while there are still so many tasty fries out there I haven’t tried. 🙂

After the restaurant we went to the movies and saw Young Adult, starring Charlize Theron. I thought she did a great job, as usual, but let’s just say that the movie wasn’t my idea of a rollicking good time. I thought it was a little slow and quiet — so quiet that I’m sure everyone around me in the theater could hear my stomach gurgling (I guess I had too many fries).

And Charlize’s character in the movie isn’t the nicest gal in the world. She’s a narcissistic, alcoholic young adult fiction writer who’s having something of a mid-life crisis. Liked the performance, but it wasn’t one of my favorite flicks as of late.

No problemo. I still had a great afternoon spending time with the girls.

How about you? What are you up to on this lovely Sunday? Chillin’ at home, or are you out and about?

Before we close the book on another week, how about one final look at some of my favorite recent posts from this blog and others?

Please be careful while you’re reading. A new makeup monster has been sighted in the area…

MAKEUP MONSTERS: THE BRUSH BREAKER

FREQUENCY: Rare
SPEED: Normal
ARMOR CLASS: 7
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Simply put, they break brushes. They’re not the strongest creatures, but they have perfect technique when it comes to breaking brushes. They can break even the thickest brushes in half, but they prefer to cause ferrules to come loose and fibers to fall out (because they’re insidious like that).
SPECIAL DEFENSES: They wear chain mail armor made from broken metal brush ferrules.
INTELLIGENCE: High (They have to be pretty smart to figure out how to break all the different kinds of brushes.)
ALIGNMENT: Evil
SIZE: M (6′ tall)

A few beauty posts that caught my eye…

• Everyday Makeup: A Recreation of Dolce & Gabbana Spring 2012 RTW Runway Look — Glitter Geek
• LOVE this Orla Kiely dress… — See Creatures
• Josie Maran Argan Color Stick in Petal Pink — My Weekend Ramblings
• Best Nail Polishes of 2011 — à la Peach
• If you’ve ever played Guitar Hero… — The Nailasaurus
• A tutorial using Urban Decay’s Rollergirl palette — Style By Cat
• 3 pieces of advice I’d give my 18-year-old self — Raptitude
• For high schoolers out there thinking about college: How to make the most of your great scholastic adventure — Bailey Powell
• How to dress like a rebel or a disco doll — Rookie Mag
• This tutorial on how to style a twisted bun makes me want to grow my hair out again — A Beautiful Mess

The Weekly Roundup: MBB Posts You Might Have Missed

The New Smashbox Be Legendary Lipsticks
Answer the Question, “What Are Legends Made Of?”

Ugh. Projectile sports. You know, the ones that involve airborne objects like baseballs? I’m just so bad at them. Whenever I see something flying at me at high speed my first instinct is to run away, but if there were a projectile sport involving lipsticks and perhaps cute uniforms, well, that I might play.

Especially if the lippies were as pigmented as the new Smashbox Be Legendary Lipsticks ($19 each).

The new line of 20 bold lipsticks in matte and creamy finishes recently launched at Sephora stores, on Smashbox counters and also online, and I’ve been wearing three of the creamy shades for about a week — Chai (a caramel nude), Fig (a red grape) and Vivid Violet (a bold berry). Read more…

A Good Zombie Survival Kit Should Include
the New Smashbox Be Discovered Cream Cheek Trios

To someone with survival training, including the Smashbox Be Discovered Cream Cheek Trios ($29 each) in my zombie apocalypse survival kit probably makes about as much sense as a Shake Weight, but believe you me, if the dead one day rise, I will not go down without a fight, and I won’t evacuate without bringing at least a little bit of makeup.

El Hub laughs, but it’s the truth. (SIDE NOTE: I used to work with a woman who wore false lashes every single day, even once when she had to go in for surgery! Now that’s what I’m talking about.)

The two new trios are part of the Smashbox Be Discovered collection for spring 2012, and since they fit in the palm of a hand, it’s not like they’d take up much space in a typical survival kit. There’d still be plenty of room left for peanut butter, toilet paper and various kinds of weaponry. Read more…

I’m Feeling Catty About the New Smashbox
Be Discovered Jet Set Waterproof Eye Liner & Brush

Ooh, Tuesday morning cat drama! Guess who just sauntered across the front yard with a twitchy tail and her little kitty nose raised up in the air? — the Russian Blue from next door, exuding tons of cattitude.

It’s been a while since the last time she visited, and when Tabs caught a glimpse of her through the window in my office upstairs, he hissed like a fiery cobra!

The window overlooks a row of overgrown rosemary bushes and what’s left of a large catnip plant, the same plant that Tabs caught her snacking on before their last altercation. Read more…

Bounce with Me and the
Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blushes

It started with pics of the new Dream Bouncy Blushes and my ’90s hip-hop playlist.

Next thing I knew, Jay-Z was bumping on iTunes, and I was bouncing with Hov, directly in front of my office window. I was on my feet, waving one of Maybelline’s new $8 blushes to the beat when I glanced outside and saw my neighbor staring up at me from his front door with a look like “she’s crazy.”

Haha! Hella moded. 🙂 Read more…

NARS Unsung Heroes
Cyprus Eyeshadow

Power-nap eyeshadows are like soft white lightbulbs for your eyes — shades that instantly brighten up tired peepers after a late night or an insomnia attack.

Some people yearn to scale Mount Everest; I yearn to amass a collection of power-nap eyeshadows so vast that it would scare the hosts of Hoarders!

My latest power-nap love, NARS Cyprus Eyeshadow ($23), is a shimmery bronze with a golden whisper. The morning after a rough night, I apply one layer over my lids and mellow out the edges with a finger.

“Ah!” Instant relief. And quicker than a shower and mani. Read more…

$7 Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR Eyeshadows
Vibrant Color for Less Than 30 Cents an Hour

Dang, it’s getting so hot in here that I started sweating glitter!

I mean, just look at these colors from the new Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR Eyeshadow line ($7 each) of what Maybelline calls “gel-cream” shadows.

The line sure looks promising. Vibrant colors in a crease-resistant formula designed to last a full 24 hours. The 10 shades come in a variety of neutrals and brights and shimmy onto counters this month.

So…I can’t exactly remember the last time I needed or wanted to wear an eyeshadow for a full 24 hours, but you never know, right? Read more…

A Laura Mercier Lingerie Collection Face of the Day
and a Few Wise Words from Tabs

Whoa! Time to go get my hair cut, but I still haven’t decided what to do!

When I asked style icon and world-renowned kitty supermodel Tabs what he thought, he twitched his tail twice and plopped his husky body beside the new Laura Mercier Eye & Cheek Palette ($60, available now) sitting on my desk.

Tabs believes that if you’re going to be looking at yourself in the mirror for 2-3 hours at the salon (haha, I accidentally typed “saloon”), you want to look cute. Normally, I’d apply some mascara and gloss and head out the door, but today Tabs insisted that I “break my cycle of lameness” (his words via text) by incorporating Laura’s new palette of six eyeshadows and two blushes from her Lingerie Collection for spring 2012. Read more…

The $59 Dior 5 Couleurs Garden Pastels
Eyeshadow Palette Is Quintessentially Dior

Might as well take a chisel to Michelangelo’s David. That’s how I felt about swatching the new Dior 5 Couleurs Garden Pastels Eyeshadow Palette ($59) and why it took me so long to build up the courage.

Every time I’d contemplate taking a brush to the raised roses on the pans, I’d see myself tearing into a beautifully wrapped present, squishing a frosted cupcake or picking apart a delicate hors d’oeuvre.

I don’t want to do it! I don’t want to do it! I don’t want to do it!

But I finally did. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Well, it’s official. Welcome to 2012. 🙂

I hope you had a blast last night. Did you stay up to midnight or conk out early? I was tempted and tired enough to go to bed around 10:30, but El Hub talked me into renting a movie that kept me up the rest of the way (Fright Night — a cheesy vampire flick, and you know how much I like those).

Yesterday I actually went ice skating! There’s a rink at Union Square in downtown San Francisco. I’ve only been ice skating a few times, so I’m not exactly an Olympic figure skater, but at least I didn’t fall (or cause anyone else to fall), which is something.

After skating El Hub and I went to see Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and then stopped at a sushi place for dinner.

It was one heck of a day… I can’t remember the last time El Hub and I had so much fun. It was such a clear night that we were even able to see fireworks off in the distance from our deck.

What a nice start to 2012. Something tells me it’s going to be a great year, but certainly not if these guys can help it…

Highlighter Haters. They’re awful beasts!

MAKEUP MONSTERS: THE HIGHLIGHTER HATER

FREQUENCY: Rare
SPEED: Deceptively fast
ARMOR CLASS: 10+
SPECIAL ATTACKS: These guys feed off of light and brightness, sucking it out of their surroundings and making the world (and the cheeks) around them dull and lifeless.
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Well, they’re made of pure energy, so they’re immune to most physical attacks.
INTELLIGENCE: Low (animal)
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: Massive (30′ tall)

A few beauty posts that caught my eye…

• 10 Fantastic Ways To Get Ready for 2012! — Gala Darling
• LOVE IT!: A Month of Holiday Beauty — Refinery 29
• Happy New Year Nails — The Nailasaurus
• Le Métier de Beauté Resort Collection: Orange Juiced and HibisKiss Sheer Brilliance Lip Glosses — Messy Wands
• Paul & Joe Spring 2012 Kitten Makeup Collection — Makeup4all
• I friggin’ love this Christmas Eve eye of the day — Swatch Freak
• Great ideas for a skincare routine using all natural and organic products — Jenn Staz
• Best Nail Polishes of 2011 — à la Peach
• New Year’s Eve with a green sky lantern — Swedish Love Affair
• The Beautyblender Sponge — My Weekend Ramblings

The Weekly Roundup: MBB Posts You Might Have Missed

NARS UNSUNG HEROES
STAR SAILOR EYESHADOW DUO

I have to say, for a long, long time I didn’t think much of NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Star Sailor ($33), and I sailed past it many times without giving it as much as a sneaky side-eye glance.

Then, one day, the planets and stars were aligned just right, and I decided to see what swatches of its two shadows would look like on my skin.

Over the moon! — that’s how I felt when the first shade, a shimmery yellow gold, and the second, a shimmery golden bronze, blossomed before me, like a nebula under the watchful eye of the Hubble Space Telescope…

Sorry, I’m a sucker for a good (or middling) space reference. Read more…

A VEGGIE BURGER, FRIES AND
VANILLA SHAKE FACE OF THE DAY

Since all I really had to do today was eat, I decided not to go all out with my makeup. I went with a mostly neutral look using products from NARS, MAC, Buxom, Tarte, Boots, Hourglass, Urban Decay and Madina Milano.

I guess I’d describe this as neutral with a side of sparkle… I think the eyes are probably sparklier in person than they might appear here because the sparkles from NARS Eyeshadow in Night Star are shy in front of the camera.

They are there, though, doing their sparkly thing.

I wore this out to lunch with the fam today to a local Redding institution, a great little burger joint here called Damburger, which has been around since 1938! El Hub has a relative who’s been getting burgers there since about 1946. Read more…

UPGRADE YOUR OPTIONS IN COLOR WITH THIS
QUICK TRAVEL MAKEUP TIP

Over my four-day Christmas trip up and down Northern California to visit with my parents and in-laws, I relied on one particular makeup trick a little more than the others. I’m just about to hit the road back home to Novato, but first, if you like to wear different looks often but don’t usually have a lot of room to spare in your travel makeup bag, here’s one quick and easy way to increase your color options.

Pack as many colorful sticks of eyeliner as you can find, and with one quick swipe along your upper and/or lower lash lines, you’ve got a new fast, fun look.

This trip I brought MAC, Urban Decay and NARS eyeliners in gray, purple, green, gold, blue and bronze, along with my usual liners in black and brown.

That’s it! Quick and easy color that doesn’t take up much cargo space. Read more…

10 OF MY PICKS FOR HEAD OF THE CLASS
A+ MAKEUP AND BEAUTY DEPARTMENT STORE (AND OTHER) PRODUCTS OF 2011

2011 was another awesome year for feline and human makeup and beauty. Along with rediscovering/falling in love again with a slew of pulse-pounding permanent products from some of my favorite lines like MAC and NARS, I also bumped into bunches of beautiful products to lurve on drugstore and department store shelves.

If you’re on the market for something special to spend a Christmas gift card on, consider one of the overachieving A+ department store products below. All of them are looking for new homes just like yours and can be found in stores now. Read more…

10 OF MY PICKS FOR HEAD OF THE CLASS
A+ MAKEUP AND BEAUTY DRUGSTORE PRODUCTS OF 2011

Going to a drugstore after a long day is one of my favorite ways to unwind. I’ll flip through a few magazines, grab an ice cream cone, and cruise the cosmetics aisle looking for a little something I can get myself as a budget beauty treat.

It’s been a ritual of mine ever since I was a teenager.

Sure, I do love department store beauty and big brands like Benefit and NARS, but some of my favorite makeup and beauty products don’t reside at stores like Nordstrom, Sephora or MAC, and that’s why I’ll always have a soft spot for drugstores. Not only because they make it possible for gals on a tight budget to look great from head to toe, but because they also make it easy to treat yourself without breaking the bank. Read more…

HOURGLASS VEIL MINERAL PRIMER SPF 15
KEEPS MAKEUP GOING ON AND ON TILL THE BREAK OF DAWN

While it’s not a brand new product, Veil is new to me. I only recently got to know it well while visiting and staying with family over the past few days, when I was doing my makeup early in the mornings and needed something to help my looks last from dawn till dusk. This month, that something was Veil.

Before I settled on Veil, though, I tried a number of other primers from MAC, Make Up For Ever, Smashbox and Cover FX over the month or so since Thanksgiving. Veil’s been my favorite so far.

A lot of primers feel thick and heavy to me, like they’re smothering my combination dry/oily/acne-prone skin, but lightweight Veil quickly absorbs and doesn’t feel like it’s just sitting on the top layers of skin like a lake of pore-suffocating product. It also hasn’t caused any breakouts, near as I can tell, and I’ve heard from other girls who love it specifically for this reason. Read more…

NARS UNSUNG HEROES
INDIAN SUMMER EYESHADOW DUO

NARS has a knack for neutral eyeshadows but likes ‘em with a twist, like Star Sailor, which accompanied me on my quick holiday trip last weekend. Keeping us company on the open road was another dynamic neutral duo from NARS, the $33 Indian Summer Duo Eyeshadow, which happens to be the subject of today’s Unsung Heroes post.

Like both of the colors in Star Sailor, Indian Summer’s shadows keep a low profile until they get out of their pans; that’s when their powder shadows sing. In the official PR, the shades are described as a frosted champagne and a mustard seed, but I think they’re much more exciting than that. Read more…

THESE BOOTS NO7 POPPY KING LIPSTICKS
ARE ALL ABOUT HISTORY, POWER, GLAMOUR, SEDUCTION, INTRIGUE, CONFIDENCE AND ALLURE

Wow, okay, December 29? And we’re still kicking? Shoot, we need to reward ourselves for making it through the holidays.

Yes, I’m totally serious! Perhaps some small token for artfully dodging the family drama (which takes tremendous skill), for enduring that undercover sibling rivalry that never quite goes away, or for cooking that monster meal that catered to everyone’s preferences and food allergies (SIDE NOTE: Does anyone else out there still like cilantro?). Whatever the justification, I think we’re all due a small “Woo-hoo, we made it!” kind of prize, and I can’t think of a better one than Boots No7 Poppy King Lipstick ($9.99).

The new line of seven limited edition lipsticks launched last month at Target, and there’s a lot to like about it beyond the price. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. About those makeup monsters, I know I’m not the only one here who likes to draw, so if you’ve seen any makeup monsters you’d like to draw or paint, shoot them over to me! I’d love to feature them here.