September 27th, 2009 | Karen | Filed in: Fragrance, Just For Fun

Our intrepid Inspector Tabs is trying to figure out which of the following is NOT the name of a famous fragrance.
Can you lend him a helping paw?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
September 24th, 2009 | Karen | Filed in: Fragrance, Just For Fun
The giveaway is now closed, and I’m contacting the winner by e-mail. Good luck!

10 Days of Giveaways keeps chugging along with today’s celebrity fragrance, a tribute to one of my favorite celebs, the very talented Queen Latifah.
She raps, acts, sings and brought to market a lovely fragrance fit for — you guessed it — a queen.
One lucky lady will take home a bottle of Queen by Queen Latifah (a $59 value).
With notes of Italian bergamot, mandarin, rose, jasmine and sandalwood, it almost makes me feel like royalty.
Entering is easy. There are two different ways, and you can do both of them for two chances to win.
First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post — a comment about anything at all.
Speaking of Queen Latifah, I’m bumping Ladies First in iTunes right now.

Second, enter by following me on Twitter and retweeting (RT) the following message:
RT @karenmbb: RT to Win Queen by Queen Latifah http://bit.ly/4rMdRt
I’ll pick the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59 p.m. PST on Friday, September 25.
Успех!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
The giveaway is now closed, and I’m contacting the winner by e-mail. Good luck!
September 22nd, 2009 | Karen | Filed in: Fragrance, Just For Fun
The giveaway is now closed, and I’m contacting the winner by e-mail. Good luck!

It all started in 1990. Mariah Carey had just released Vision of Love, and I was unable to contain my glee. One could even say I was obsessed…
And I dragged my family into it, too, making my poor little brother sit through Glitter with me on opening night (LOL!); a few years before that I dragged Mom to an MC concert here in the Bay.
FUN FACT: I attended said concert dressed up like Mariah, with frayed-at-the-waist jeans, a belly-bearing pink crochet shirt and big hair. Yup…
I think it’s time for a giveaway — time to share some mad MC love!
One lucky lady will take home Mariah Carey’s Luscious Pink (a $55 value).
The delicate pink bottle (love the butterfly top!) houses a fresh, feminine fragrance with notes of Sicilian bergamot, pink peony, lily of the valley and white musk.
Entering is easy. There are two different ways, and you can do both of them for two chances to win.
First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post with the name of your favorite Mariah Carey song (here’s a list of some of her biggest hits).
There are SO MANY to choose from! But I think Breakdown will always be my fave.

Second, enter by following me on Twitter and retweeting (RT) the following message:
RT @karenmbb: RT to Win Mariah Carey Luscious Pink http://bit.ly/d8lAz
I’ll pick the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59 p.m. PST on Wednesday, September 23.
Pob lwc!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
The giveaway is now closed, and I’m contacting the winner by e-mail. Good luck!
September 21st, 2009 | Karen | Filed in: Fragrance, Just For Fun
The giveaway is now closed, and I’m contacting the winner by e-mail. Good luck!

Many moons ago (well, like 2007), I had a fateful run-in with — don’t laugh — Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy perfume.
Previous to that bedazzling moment o’ blackberry bliss, I was a total scent snob who never paid no mind to celebrity perfumes. I preferred to get my stars between the pages of US Weekly instead of spritzed on my wrists.
Since then, however, my tastes have changed. Now, I like a bunch of different celebrity perfumes! And to celebrate my broadened horizons, I’m giving away a different celebrity scent each day for the next 10 days.
Today’s is a shout-out to my sk8r girls — Avril Lavigne’s new scent, Black Star!
One lucky lady will take home Avril Lavigne’s new Black Star Eau de Parfum Spray (a $40 value).
A fruity floral with notes of plum, dark chocolate and pink hibiscus, Black Star comes with a removable studded band inspired by Avril’s favorite studded cuff (street fight motif).

Entering is easy. There are two different ways, and you can do both of them for two chances to win.
First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post. It can be a comment about anything at all. Tell me which lip gloss you’re wearing, what music you’re listening to or which scent you’re wearing today.
Today I’m all about Dior Creme de Gloss in Delicious Plum!

Second, enter by following me on Twitter and retweeting (RT) the following message:
RT @karenmbb: RT to Win Avril Lavigne Black Star Perfume http://bit.ly/313APr
I’ll pick the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59 p.m. PST on Tuesday, September 22.
Bonne chance!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
The giveaway is now closed, and I’m contacting the winner by e-mail. Good luck!
September 11th, 2009 | Karen | Filed in: Fragrance, Just For Fun

YSL Parisienne Eau de Parfum, $85 for 3-oz. bottle
I do, particularly fall and winter versus summer and spring. In the colder months, I gravitate toward fragrances with heavier notes, like musks, roses and blackberries. They just feel cozier and more appropriate for colder climes to me.
I’ve been trying to find new fragrances to alternate with some my old fall standbys like Stella, Coco Mademoiselle, Givenchy Irresistible and Vera Wang Look.
Have you had a chance to sniff Yves Saint Laurent’s new YSL Parisienne? Give it a try when you get a chance. It’s a blend of blackberry, Damask rose (used a lot to flavor food and make rose water) and sandalwood. That’s the bottle shown up top.
The scent kinda reminds me of Stella because they have the same rose thing going on, but it also has the blackberry and a pinch of pepper.
Do you wear different fragrances in fall, and are there any you come back to year after year?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen