Makeup & Beauty Blog

The New Herbal Essences Naked Collection…

What’s shakin’, bacon? How’s it going this afternoon?

Yeah…I’ve been waiting all afternoon to use that phrase up there in the title of this post. “Today I got naked at the mall and had my favorite salad in the world.” (Explanation to follow.)

Ah, the joy of being easily amused…

Over lunch today I stopped by the mall to do some Christmas shopping and saw the most awesomely rand-o cat lady gift at Urban Outfitters.

Cat lady says what now?

Note the use of the word “literally” in the name.

From the packaging: “will not fit chunky kitties.” Sorry, Tabs!

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I have to say — OOH! Filling in brows is exciting stuff for me. Isn’t it for you?!

Kidding. You don’t have to answer that. If it isn’t exciting for you, I totally understand, but I get fired up when mine are filled. I feel like I sit a little straighter and stand a little taller (which isn’t really too hard when you’re only 5’1″).

Call me CRAZY BROW LADY!

With so many different brow fillers bursting on the beauty scene over the past couple years, gals (and dudes) have so many options. In this video, I go back to an old-school favorite of mine — filling in my eyebrows with eyeshadow.

I think I always end up coming back to this method because it’s so easy to do. You can dial it up to diva or keep it natural-looking — whatever suits your mood. And once you get the hang of it, you can do it pretty quickly, too. No muss or fuss.

Products mentioned in the video…

• MAC Eye Shadow in Brun ($15)
• The Laura Mercier dual-ended angled brush with the spoolie I used in this vid is from a holiday kit a few years back. Here’s a similar brush from her line, the Double Ended Eye Brow Brush ($34)
• Anastasia Clear Brow Gel ($22)
• MAC Chromographic Pencil in NW25/NC30 ($16)
• MAC 214 Short Shader Brush ($25)

I tried to relax a little more in this video (“tried” being the key word here), but what’s funny is what you actually can’t see in the shot. I had my asthma inhaler on the table next to me because sometimes when I get really anxious, I have a hard time breathing. So I had it there just in case…like a security blanket.

Oh, and the candle burning behind me is supposed to promote relaxation. It’s the Rest Candle by Marie Todd, and it has a lavender, vanilla and peach scent. I dunno if it actually worked…but hey, at least the room smelled good.

Anywho! Onward to our brows…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Thank you for watching!

Lush Celebrate Hand and Body Lotion

I tell you what — I’d have a BIG reason to celebrate if Lush ever decided to make limited edition Celebrate Hand and Body Lotion permanent, because it’s the absolute best scent I’ve ever sniffed from them, hands down.

Citrusy and fresh, like a walk through a grove of blossoming orange trees (or the aroma wafting from a mimosa on Sunday morning), I can’t even begin to describe just how yummy this smells to me… I wish there was a scratch-and-sniff plugin for computer screens.

Oh, and it’s insanely good for dry skin! The shredded carrot cuticles on my toes (sorry, TMI, I know!) disappeared when I started using it on the regular.

Celebrate!

Being so rich and decadent, Celebrate does leave behind a slightly greasy feel, but for me the scent and how good it makes my skin feel more than make up for it.

If your skin needs heavy-duty hydration, this is the stuff.

Ingredients…

I just might cry the day I hit the bottom of this tub. Oh, if only it were permanent…

Reya made this. Thanks, Reya!

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Right before I jumped on the treadmill this morning I noticed these shadows on the walls and thought they looked really cool…

Just goes to show ya, there’s beauty all around you, even on the walls next to a closet filled with towels.

You just have to keep your eyes open to it.

Santa’s Lip Scrub by Lush

Well this stuff is just plain cool.

I think I can safely say that I’ve never seen anything like it before. I don’t know…maybe cherry preserves? It’s by Lush, and it’s called Santa’s Lip Scrub.

I like Lush’s Sugar Lip Scrubs, but this one has a yummy cola flavor and the cutest little hearts, which — get this — are totally edible!

You just rub the scrub all over your lips to exfoliate them. Then — YES! — just lick your lips clean.

Follow-up with your favorite gloss, balm and/or lipstick.

A 0.8-ounce jar costs $8.95, and you can find it now at Lush stores. It looks like it’s currently sold out on lushusa.com, but if you’re interested, you might want to check back in a few days.