Halloween is but a few hours away, and I’ve been watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns to get fired up!

I’m a huge fan of the show and have been for years… Love all of the characters, but a favorite’s Willow the witch (Buffy’s BFF), played by actress Alyson Hannigan.

Alyson Lee Hannigan (born March 24, 1974) was 23 in 1997 when the pagan stars aligned and she landed a job on the show. Even though she appeared in several commercials and even a feature film (My Stepmother is an Alien, LOL!) before Buffy, it was her portrayal of Willow that made her a star.

This one time, at band camp… Fans may remember Alyson as the nerdy flute-playing vixen from 1999’s American Pie or recognize her from How I Met Your Mother (in season 5 now on CBS).

Buffy also played a fateful part in Alyson’s personal life. She and actor Alexis Denisof (who played the bumbling Wesley Wyndham-Price) married in 2003 and just welcomed their daughter, Satyana, on Alyson’s 35th birthday.

I’ll always have a soft spot for her red hair from the Buffy years, but I think she looks great as a brunette, too.

Which of Alyson's hairstyles do you like best?

• 1. Red chin-length bob with a side part
• 2. Wavy bob with a side part
• 3. Dark brown updo with side-swept bangs
• 4. Red with long, loose waves and a side part
• 5. Dark brown, long and straight with side-swept bangs
• 6. Half up, half down with long bangs
• 7. Dark brown, long and curly with side-swept bangs
• 8. Medium brown, shoulder length and straight
• 9. Reddish brown, long and wavy

View Results

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Morning, ladies. Looks like we made it to Friday.

Did you do anything fun last night? I didn’t do much, but I did go to a movie with El Hub. We saw Paranormal Activity, the new Blair Witchy (because it’s also filmed with a shaky camera) horror flick.

Maybe because of the way it’s filmed (almost like a grainy YouTube video), it scared the bejeezus out of me, but one of the main characters (the boyfriend) kept tempting fate and driving me nuts!

While I pound my coffee to jump start some neurons, let’s see what the girls in Daily Makeover’s Beauty Bloggerati have been up to this week…

• Get chiseled cheekbones — Spoiled Pretty
• A step-by-step guide to getting Paula Patton’s pompadour hairstyle — Hair Thursday
• What’s the best black nail polish for Vegas? — The Jet Set Girls
• How to look good without makeup — Makeover Momma
• Piece of mind during Breast Cancer Awareness Month — Beyond Beauty Basics
• Makeup essentials for your next camping trip — Beauty Blogging Junkie
• I love this Juicy Couture black filigree ring! — A Mom in Red High Heels
• CUTE! Love this Anastasia Mini Wax Kit — Talking Makeup
• A roundup of fun Halloween makeup video tutorials — Makeup Bag
• Doesn’t Fresh Rose Marigold Tonic Water sound refreshing? — Product Girl

Have a great day today (TGIF!).

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Procrastinators, unite!

No need to worry. There’s still plenty of time to come up with a costume for Halloween. Here’s one idea…

Remember the pseudo backup band from the video for Robert Palmer’s Addicted to Love?

I felt like trying the black smokey eye/shiny red lip combo the ladies in the video made famous and used a mix of makeup, including the NARS Modern Love Palette, Urban Decay Book of Shadows Volume II, NARS Mounia Blush and the red lippie and gloss from Estee Lauder’s Ultimate Red.

Eyes without flash

Continue Reading…

Through the magic of Hulu, I’ve been watching old episodes of My So-Called Life, the mid-’90s TV show that made Claire Catherine Danes (born April 12, 1979) a star.

Claire was just 15 years old when she landed the role of Angela Chase on the show, which fans loved for its authenticity, but her work was short-lived as the show only lasted a season. Despite the short run, it earned her an Emmy nomination and won her a Golden Globe.

Life as a teenage actress led to her first onscreen kiss, which incidentally occurred before her first one in real life. NOTE: I wouldn’t complain if 1) my first kiss was with Jordan Catalano and 2) they paid me to do it, haaaay.

After the show ended, Claire’s career took off, with roles in more than two dozen films, including Little Women, Romeo + Juliet (with Leonardo) and more recently Stardust, opposite Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert De Niro.

FUN FACT: Claire turned down the role of Rose Dewitt Bukater in Titanic, which later went to Kate Winslet.

On a bizarre note, Claire is a bit notorious among Filipinos as a result of remarks that appeared in a 1998 article for Vogue. Claire’s comments led to her being declared persona non-grata by the government of the country.

I still remember the e-mails from my mom with the subject line, “BAN CLAIRE DANES!!!” and thinking, “What the heck did Angela Chase get herself into?”

While I forgive her for her comments about my birthplace (she was just 19 at the time), as a die-hard Terminator fan, I’ll NEVER forgive her for Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, bluh!

Which of Claire's hairstyles do you like the best?

• 1. Loose waves with side-swept bangs
• 2. Shoulder length with height in the front
• 3. Updo with side-swept bangs
• 4. Mid-length bob with a side part
• 5. Red bob with a center part
• 6. Sleek, chin-length bob
• 7. Updo with twists
• 8. Long and straight with a side part
• 9. Shoulder-length and brown with a side part

View Results

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Rise and shine, morning glories. Guess what? You made it half way through the workweek already! The following post has been sponsored by COVERGIRL and Daily Makeover, and regularly scheduled MBB programming will resume in a few.

Get Extra Long Lashes!

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The long brush provides more control, plus special product reservoirs at the top of each bristle grasp even the tiniest lashes to lengthen them by up to 80%.

The clump-free formula contains nylon fibers, the same material used in expensive lash extensions, to extend your lashes without flaking, smudging or smearing.

You have to see it to believe it! Try on COVERGIRL’s new LashBlast Length Mascara in Daily Makeover’s virtual Makeover Studio now.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen