Wearing NARS Super Orgasm about one year ago

I can’t believe how time flies… Brace yourself, but this blog is three months shy of its third birthday already (the very first post). THIRD BIRTHDAY!

I’m blown away whenever I think about it, but we’ve been hanging out here on the side of the Information Superhighway for a *hella* long time! Isn’t that amazing? Thank you, ladies, for choosing to spend part of your life with me.

Right now I’m cleaning out my soon-to-be/maybe/hopefully office, which is a room upstairs next door to Tabs’ villa in the condo.

Seriously, it’s not that cool. His villa is really just a bedroom being used for storage with empty cardboard boxes strewn about, cat toys, an upright vacuum cleaner and newspaper down on the floor under his litter box.

While I finish my chores and maybe rent that movie tonight on iTunes, here’s a look back at some of the posts that appeared on the blog around this time last year and the year before that.

Have a great night.

2008

• NARS Super Orgasm Blush — All awkward name issues aside, I have to give Super Orgasm props. It begets cheeks with a perfect, just-pinched, shimmery peach color. Super Orgasm Blush would totally be the stuff of legend if it weren’t for one flaw…
• Aussie Opposites Attract Shampoo Does Double Duty as a Fast, Cheap Brush Cleaner — Caked on concealer, dried gel liner, crusty cream shadow (eww) — this shampoo removed even the most stubborn makeup, breaking up the product within seconds. And the suds rinsed out quickly, too.
• Bed, Bath & Beyond Goes Major Makeup — We were just about ready to leave the store when I turned a corner and there, before my starstruck eyes, was a sight of such profound beauty that I almost dropped the shower caddy and slipcover I was cradling in my arms. What I saw was the biggest makeup and beauty department I’ve seen outside a MAC or Sephora in quite some time.

2007

• The LeSportsac Tokidoki Campeggio Bag: A Perfect Holiday Gift for Ladies on the Go — This bag is roomy, light, comfortable and holds everything AND the kitchen sink while still having a sleek silhouette. If you need to buy a present for someone who carries lots of stuff — a new mom, a student, a nomad — then this bag is the perfect gift!
• Random Musings on Old School MTV Beauty Idols — I put on some of my mom’s black eyeliner and try very carefully to make it look just like Madonna’s in the video. I somehow figure out how to work the VCR, tape the Lucky Star video, and then play it over and over again. Play, rewind, dance. Play, rewind, dance. I learn the entire video by heart. Hours pass. The sun goes down. For some weird reason my parents say nothing while this strangeness unfolds in the living room. Maybe they figured at least I was exercising and not hanging out with the neighborhood ruffians.
• The Battle Against Dry Skin Continues — You know that Gnarls Barkley song, Crazy (”I think we’re crazaaaay”)? God I hate that song. However, I can’t help but sing it to myself whenever I look for moisturizers in the wintertime, because when the temperature drops I feel like “My skin’s going crazaaaay!” Don’t fret; there’s hope for the scaly-skinned. Here are two choice products which I’ve found recently that fight the good fight against dryness…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Ah… I feel so much better now. I just finished lunch (a pasta salad with tomatoes and basil) to replenish my energy after two hours of hardcore web surfing. I was researching treadmills, among other things. Holy crap! Some of them are EXPENSIVE!

I hope your weekend got off to a good start. Here are the highlights of my cyber travels.

• Make your hair one of the highlights of your holiday look — Bella Sugar
• What a great look at Stila’s holiday Smudge Pots, holla! — Temptalia
• Fantastic video showing eyeshadow application and blending — Fashion Face TV
• Does your university have degree programs for cats? — Boing Boing
• I’m so making this vegetarian shepherd’s pie, YUM! — We Heart This
• Teachers, ever wonder what your students daydream about in class? — Too Pretty For This
• A shimmery gray eye and berry lip look with Bobbi Brown’s Chrome Palette — The Coveted
• This vintage luggage is a trip! — GetReadySetGo
• Tabs, I think you might want to sit down for this… — Kitty Stampede
• It’s official: I’m obsessed with Glee — Glee Fan

From Denver to Singapore and back… in five minutes!

I love this animated short…

I miss the water

What are you up to? When I’m done with my chores (cleaning the bathroom and vacuuming, blah!), I plan to reward myself with The Proposal on DVD.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Thanks to Sesame Street, I learned that C is for Cookie. Years later, I learned that it’s also for Chanel, but that’s a different story.

This November 10 marks the 40th anniversary of the show, and I felt compelled to salute it today with 10 simple Sesame Street-inspired beauty tips.

1. Don’t forget the sun protection

Take it from the Count, “One, ha ha ha! Two, ha ha ha!” — by focussing on preventative measures, like the regular use of broad-spectrum sunscreens, we can all age a little more gracefully.

2. Be good to yourself

Grab your drink of choice (mine is coffee), sit beneath a shady tree and listen to the leaves move in the wind. Take a picture of yourself after a really fantastic workout. Limit your prepping — comb your hair and wipe away the perspiration from your face. Capture a shot that conveys how strong and proud you feel at that moment. Later, on days when you don’t feel like exercising, look at the photo you took of yourself and try to remember how good you felt at the time it was taken.

3. Try a creamy facial cleanser

Cleansers strip away moisture as part of the job of removing makeup, and dry winter air tends to magnify the problem. Gel cleansers can be very drying, but creamy ones like Dove deep moisture creamy facial cleanser and Neutrogena deep clean cream cleanser should help.

4. Moisturize meh!

Moisturize throughout the day, and don’t forget to drink extra water when it’s cold and windy. Your hands, feet, knees and elbows may need a little more help, too. I like rich products containing shea butter, petrolatum, mineral oil, tea tree oil, linoleic acid or glycerin. For intense relief, moisturize hands and feet at night, and then slip on gloves or socks to lock in moisture.

5. Find a workout buddy

A workout partner can be a great motivator, especially when you’re trying to get back into exercising on a regular basis after a long hiatus. If none of your friends or family are in the mood for fitness, try to make new friends at the gym, and keep your eyes peeled for any open team activities like intramural soccer leagues or basketball.

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Mine’s a tossup between 1) giving at-home waxing a try, 2) grooming my brows and 3) learning to accept my naturally wavy hair.

I used to spend A LOT of time and money at salons getting my goods waxed. Doing it myself at home saves that money for makeup, and I don’t have to tip.

As for my brows, think *hot mess*. That’s how they are when I forget to pluck and fill them in. Before I started plucking, I’d just let them go, but a pair of shapely brows help to frame the face and make a huge diff, fo’ reals!

With my hair, I used to spend hours straightening it every morning. I just preferred the look of straight hair, but it was taking forever to style and wound up damaged. I’ve been a lot happier just riding my waves.

What about you? What’s the best beauty decision you’ve ever made?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Hi, ladies. Do you ever think about your first time?

Mine was 1988… It was fifth period lunch, and I was in the girls bathroom.

I’m talking about the first time I lined my waterline, of course. It took me 15 minutes per eye because they kept watering like crazy.

I’m 100% sure it looked awful, but I remember feeling so fly! I used purple liner to go with my outfit — a purple Esprit sweater, stretch pants, slouchy socks and shoes. Yup, good times…

My stroll down waterline memory lane was triggered by this e-mail from MBB reader Stephanie:

Hey Karen!

I’m a late bloomer in the eyeliner department! I’ve just started doing waterline eyeliner, but it doesn’t work well for me. It’s like my waterlines are *too watery.* Do you have any tips because I really like the look! Thanks a mil!

Stephanie

What’s up, Stephanie? When it comes to drawing attention to the eyes, nothing beats those waterlines. I’m a big fan.

First things first — finding a product that’s 1) easy on the eyes and 2) stays put!

Champions of the waterline!

Cargo Plant Love Liners

Here are my current waterline favorites…

• Cargo Plant Love Liner in Black ($16): A smooth, organic, long-wear liner free of parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals, synthetic dyes and fragrances. NOTE: I just checked the Sephora website for availability, and it looks like this and most of the Cargo Plant Love makeup line are MIA online. Finding this one might take a phone call or a trip to the store.
• Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero ($17): This rich, dark black liner has legions of devoted followers! It’s so soft and buttery, yet lasts long and strong once it dries.
• MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack ($15): Of these three, I think Fluidline lasts the longest, but it also takes the most effort and requires a brush to apply (for me). Totally worth it in my book, though, and as a bonus it doubles as an eyeshadow base.

Other liners to consider

Friends on Twitter and Facebook had a few more recommendations. The girls love…

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