Archives for August 2008

Would You Redesign Makeup and Beauty Blog?

August 21st, 2008 by Karen 35 Comments

Makeup and Beauty Blog 1.0, April 2007

Happy Thursday, girls! I’m prepping posts on Shu Uemura’s Fall 2008 collection and MAC’s Cult of Cherry (on counters today!), but first I wanted to get your opinion on something I’ve been thinking about for a while: a redesign of Makeup and Beauty Blog.

I’m not a good web designer at all, but I feel like the blog could use a redesign. I don’t know… Maybe I just get a little tired of looking at the same thing.

The current design has been up since April of 2007, when I changed my web hosting from the free wordpress.com setup (similar to blogger) to a paid godaddy.com account (about $5/month) and migrated to wordpress.org using a free theme. That’s also when I got the www.makeupandbeautyblog.com domain name. Then, I got a copy of Photoshop Elements for Mac ($59) and a book on how to use it, found a cursive font I liked (Mariette) and put together the banner. If you’re curious about any of the early steps I took with the blog, leave me a comment and I’ll go into more detail.

Before that April the blog looked like the picture above (no banner, fewer categories, but overall the same idea). Sixteen months is a lifetime in blog years, and so I think it might be time for a change, like painting a room, buying new drapes, cleaning the carpets, etc.

Time for Makeup and Beauty Blog 3.0?

Is there anything you would like to see changed in Makeup and Beauty Blog 3.0? Or should the blog remain exactly the same? Any changes to the layout or colors? Is the pink too pink? Would you like to see a new banner up at the top? Do you like the current three columns, or would you prefer two? Is the font too small?

A Menu at the Top?

What about a drop-down menu up at the top of the page for the categories, which could replace the list of categories over in the right sidebar? Would that be easier to see?

An Image Gallery?

An image gallery to more easily browse through all the pictures on the blog? There are a lot of them, and a gallery might be a neat way to quickly zip around.

Games, Contests, Twitter?

Would you like to see me build more games and hold more contests? Does anyone use Twitter? I don’t know the first thing about it, but people tell me it’s fun.

Advertisements?

How about the ads? Are they well placed? Do they get in the way? Do you think they’re better than the Google text link ads I was using before? I know most people don’t like ads at all … but they do help pay the blog rent and help keep me motivated to write. That doesn’t mean they have to be obnoxious, though.

Share Your Thoughts

I know how busy you are, but I could sure use your help in the comments.

If you could change anything about the design of Makeup and Beauty Blog, what would you change? Please take a minute to throw some links or ideas at me in the comments.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

$40 Stila Chocolate Palette Set Caught My Eye

August 20th, 2008 by Karen 19 Comments

Calling all chocoholics! I was surfing Stila’s website the other day and spied this limited edition Chocolate Palette Set. Isn’t it lurvely? I can’t stop thinking about it… like how I get when I’m craving brownies!

The case is what drew me to it. That faux suede packaging reminds me of fall boots… and chocolate. The thing just screams CHOCOLATE! What do you think of the embossed leaf pattern on the case and the pink agate under the ribbon? Pretty, yah?

The set sells for $40 and comes with three neutral eye shadow shades in brown, peach and beige; a peach blush; Lip Glaze lipgloss in Grapefruit (a frosted pink) and a tube of Stila Major Lash mascara. That’s about $6.70 per product, which isn’t bad at all.

What do you think? Drool worthy or passable?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Tarte Lash Hugger: Eco-Friendly Lash Lengthener

August 20th, 2008 by Karen 27 Comments

Riddle me this: how do lashes go green without actually going green? Answer: by wearing Tarte’s Lash Hugger ($18). Billed as an eco-friendly mascara, Lash Hugger looks like a step in the right direction. Tarte skipped many of the chemicals commonly found in mascaras, like paraben, propylene glycol, and synthetic dyes and fragrances, and, to reduce environmental waste, they used recycled aluminum for the tube. Lash Hugger scores on the environmental front, but how does it perform?

The first thing I noticed about the product was the brush. I hoped the long bristles would give my lashes a nice mix of length, thickness and curl.

Before Lash Hugger
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Beauty Snacks: Sites of the Day, August 20

August 20th, 2008 by Karen 9 Comments

WHOWHATWEAR
Who What Wear takes the traditional fashion print magazine concept and injects it with molten hot internet flava! The site covers looks and accessories worn by trendy, fashion-forward celebs. It’s well written and fun.

BussBuss – The Online Shopping Bible
Depending on how you look at it, BussBuss.com will either save you money or cost you your savings. They publish a daily email newsletter, gift, trend and shopping guides, and what they call their Haute Shops — listings of hot fashion, beauty, home and gift shopping sites. Expect to find a new obsession within these walls, with lots of attention paid to up-and-coming, independent designers and access to exclusive deals.

The Pink Train Case
A search for “beauty blog” on Google returns 20 million results! Where to start? How about The Pink Train Case? Tanya writes thoughtful, engaging product reviews, and she’s a sucker for taupe eye shadow and puppies. Girl after my own heart. 🙂

Independent Fashion Bloggers
Sort of a trade journal for fashion bloggers, but I think it’s chock full o’ helpful tips for bloggers of all kinds. If you run a fashion or beauty blog (or any other kind of blog, for that matter), or think you might like to start one, click the pic.

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MAC Cult of Cherry and Overrich Collections Now Available Online

August 19th, 2008 by Karen 41 Comments

Just a quick note for the MAC fans — MAC Cult of Cherry is now available online. Yup, the wait is over, and all MAC online purchases made by August 23 will also ship free.

Must. Exercise. Spending. Restraint.

Here’s a screen shot taken from an artsy-fartsy video MAC has posted on the Cult of Cherry page. It features a woman with a weird plaster cat. Interesting…

But Cult of Cherry isn’t the only MAC news of the day. The new Overrich pigment collection ($19.50 each) also launched online.

Featuring limited edition pigments in green, gold, mauve and copper shades, Overrich looks wearable and pretty. I’ve got a fetish for greens and golds and can’t wait to see both Vintage Gold and Antique Green in person.

You know it’s going to be a good day when you get your MAC fix before noon. 😉

Ladies, I’m on my umpteenth cup of coffee already and feeling kinda loopy! How goes your morning so far?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Beauty Sleep, Interrupted

August 19th, 2008 by Karen 82 Comments

G’morning, girls! I hope you got your beauty sleep last night. I was up late partying with C. Bale (I wish; don’t tell El Hub, LOL!).

Tabs says hi! He’s in the doghouse today because he was naughty yesterday. He kicked kitty litter all over the floor and felt like meowing all night long.

With my help he put together this little story that he hopes you enjoy. 🙂

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MAC Starflash Goes Back to School: A Purple and Gold Eye

August 18th, 2008 by Karen 23 Comments

Hey, hey, girlies! Can you believe August is almost over?

For some of you, that means heading back to school. In the comments on a previous post, reader Abigail said she was looking for a new look for school and wanted to use purple. I’m a big fan of purple and reached for Top Hat, a shimmery purple shade from MAC’s recent Starflash release, for this face of the day.

Abigail, I hope it gives you some ideas. 🙂

Back in school, I struggled to get to class on time. I was that girl always chasing down the bus. “Wait! Wait for me!”

I shot for quick and easy with this purple and gold look to help other students who suffer from the same affliction.

To complement the eyes, I went with plum cheeks and lips. I used MAC Beauty Powder Blush in Secret Blush on my cheeks and MAC Star Nova Lustreglass on the lips.

Eye Products I Used

Benefit Birthday Suit Creaseless Cream Shadow
MAC Woodwinked Eye Shadow
MAC Top Hat Eye Shadow
MAC Graphblack Technakohl LIner
MAC Powersurge Eye Kohl
MAC Prep + Primer Lash
MAC Zoomblack Zoomlash Mascara

Step by Step

1. First, I covered the entire eye with a layer of Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in Birthday Suit.

2. Then, I dusted MAC Woodwinked eye shadow into the crease.

3. I swept MAC Top Hat Eye Shadow onto the lid area, just barely into the crease and along the lower lash line to softly define the eye.

4. When I’m in a hurry (late for work, yo!), I don’t always have the time or patience for eyeliner along my upper and lower lash lines. Sometimes, I’ll apply liner to both water lines and leave it at that. I think it’s tougher to spot uneven lines on the water lines because of their location. They’re partially obscured when the eyes are closed. Uneven lash lines, on the other hand, really stand out. For the upper water line, I applied Graphblack Technakohl Liner.

5. Next, I added Powersurge Eye Kohl on the lower water line.

6. To finish up, I curled my lashes, applied two coats of MAC Prep + Prime Lash lash primer, followed by two layers of MAC Zoomlash mascara.

Finito! Time to hit the books!

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Suave Professionals Vibrant Shine Shampoo and Conditioner: A Winning $7 Drugstore Combo

August 18th, 2008 by Karen 17 Comments

I’ve been getting lucky, ladies! I’ve been finding some great drugstore shampoos and conditioners lately, like Suave Professionals Vibrant Shine Shampoo and Conditioner ($7 for the pair), a drugstore knock-off of a popular salon product, Sebastian Laminates Shampoo and Conditioner. I used Sebastian products back in the mid-90s and loved them but not the $20 price tag per bottle.

One thing I like about Suave Pro Vibrant Shine is the fragrance. A thick head of hair weighted down with a heavy scent can feel downright oppressive. If you don’t like overwhelming scents in your hair, then give this a try. Both the shampoo and conditioner have a very light, vaguely fruity scent that smells clean and not synthetic or plastic-y at all.

The shampoo lathers into a rich, sudsy foam that takes some work to rinse out, but I like products that force me to make sure I’m rinsing thoroughly. Same goes for the conditioner, which also takes some time to rinse out. Just as a comparison, it’s a bit thicker than Aussie’s Opposites Attract Conditioner, so if you have difficult hair that needs to be weighed down, Suave Pro Vibrant Shine Conditioner might be a good option.
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