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Moody Makeup Time! Smokey Blue Lids and Matte Berry Lips (and a Trip to Gabriel Farm)

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mac burning love maybelline ace front
When your hair and makeup evoke Disney Villain vibes

You know you’re a makeup lover when your penchant for puffs of sooty blue drives your Halloween decor decisions.

samantha the ghost closeup
OF COURSE I would want the ghost wearing makeup.

Behold the floaty ghost bride currently welcoming visitors to our humble abode. Despite being undead, she’s very proud of her dark lip and blue smokey eyes.

Oh, and her dark burgundy nails.

This is Samantha, and she hangs out in my doorway. I haven’t asked her yet, but I’m kinda wondering what her wedding theme was and whether Billy Idol was the groom.

Inquiring minds want to know…


This video scared the living crap out of me when I was a kid!

Samantha was the one who inspired this look I’m wearing, and if we were to hold a “Who wore it better?” battle, she would definitely have won this round because I could’ve/should’ve pushed it further.

mac burning love maybelline ace with samantha
Just the girls

I was going for a wearable version of her look, but I’m feeling like, with these blue lids — which, by the way, I did with an awesome new product from Maybelline called Color Strike (they call it “a cream-to-powder shadow pen”) — I should’ve just taken the shadow all the way up into the brows and maybe even further down the lower lash line. Oh, and what if I’d layered the blue shadow with a black or dark purple pencil and switched out the berry lip for a straight-up black? That could have been even cooler.

Hmm… I think I just figured out tomorrow’s FOTD!

mac burning love maybelline ace closeup

mac burning love maybelline ace smile

samantha the ghost
Samantha?!

By the way, if you’re admiring Samantha’s mani, I highly recommend Smith & Cult’s Dark Like Me. 🙂

samantha smith cult dark like me

Makeup Worn in this look

Fall adventures at the farm

Connor had last Friday off from preschool, so she and I met up with her bestie (and her BFF’s mom) for a fun day at Gabriel Farm in Sebastapol.

It’s an organic family-run farm that offers a yearly seasonal membership valid from June through November. A family membership is $40, and when you join you get a HUGE box of delicious, sweet and crunchy Asian pears. You also have access to the farm during those months and can visit as often as you like to pick and pay for whichever fruit and flowers are in season that month (fruit is charged by the pound). They grow berries, tomatoes, apples, Asian pears, persimmon, pineapple guava and flowers.

There’s also a cute picnic area tucked away in a gorgeous grove of persimmon trees, so when you’re done picking your goodies you can relax in the shade with your bounty.

The girls had fun picking berries and exploring the farm, and then played for hours under the trees. If you have a little person to entertain, or if you’ve got a hankering to spend some time outside, I highly recommend it.

persimmon grove gabriel farm

There were multiple hand-washing stations around the property, and masks and social distancing were required. Connor and I went as guests of our friends this time, but next year I’m definitely signing up for a membership!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 649

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So…what is the Monday Poll?

Excellent question! It isn’t, contrary to its name, an actual poll, like with little clicky buttons. It’s just a list of five more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007). I love reading your answers, and it helps me get my week off to a good start. 🌻

    1. Can you keep a secret?

    Girlfriend, it’s like Fort Knox up in here! You can tell me what ya need to get off your chest. I won’t tell a soul (well, unless it’s hella illegal; then truth be told we will have an issue.)

    2. What’s inspiring you right now?

    ’80s fashion, particularly the costuming in Desperately Seeking Susan. ’90s makeup, for sure! OH, and pies. ALL THE PIES.

    3. What time did your alarm go off this morning?

    Six o’clock on the dot. But I didn’t roll outta bed until 6:10.

    4. What does your alarm currently sound like?

    It’s got chimes in it. I use my phone, although I really want to start using a regular alarm clock so I don’t have to keep my phone by my bed. Anyway, it sounds kinda xylaphone-y. “Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding!”

    5. What’s the least used condiment in your pantry?

    UGH. We always have a big-@ss bottle of Tabasco, and I never touch the stuff. El Hub loves it, but I had a traumatic experience when I was in elementary school involving a dare at the babysitter’s house, Tabasco and some canned peaches… Yeah, it was gross.

    6. Favorite country to visit?

    I’m halfway tempted to say Hawaii because when you go to Hawaii it feels like a different country, for real. But it’s not! Sooo, right now I’m going to say the last country I remember visiting and liking, which is Canada, eh.

    7. Describe your brows in three words.

    A little problematic. HAHAHA!

    8. The most overused phrase right now?

    Literally, people (including me) need to stop prefacing sentences with the word “literally.” STTAHHHHHHHP!

    9. Write a nice note to the other people reading the poll right now!

    I think you’re beautiful and you’re tougher than you think you are, and you’re doing great!

    Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

    Karen

    P.S. Here are the questions to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to ya soon.

    1. Can you keep a secret?
    2. What’s inspiring you right now?
    3. What time did your alarm go off this morning?
    4. What does your alarm currently sound like?
    5. What’s the least used condiment in your pantry?
    6. Favorite country to visit?
    7. Describe your brows in three words.
    8. The most overused phrase right now?
    9. Write a nice note to the other people reading the poll right now!

    P.P.S. Hello, sweet friend. Sending you a big hug from across the keyboard, and good thoughts for the week. I’ve decided that from this point on the holiday season, I’m going to focus on the future. No looking back at the past. Just eyes ahead at all the opportunities and good things on the horizon. Wanna come with me? I would love the company. 🤗

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 630

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Crab cakes, tuna tacos and sweet turkey crisps, cat intrigue and politicking, tons of tail twitching and furtive glances — I tell ya, there’s nothing quite like a Tabs the Cat Halloween Masquerade Ball. 🙂

They were always one of the hottest parties of the year. As you might recall, one year’s gala was the scene of a foiled plot to push Vladimir Puss ‘N’ Mau off the banister directly on top of Tabs, and the culprit cat was never caught. He fled the scene wearing a teddy bear mask and disappeared into the night…

But that wasn’t the only shocking development. We also found some vandalism in Tabs’ study, the words “CL was here” scratched into an antique desk.

After that, we really beefed up security to prevent anything nefarious from happening. It would have been such a shame to have anything overshadow the costumes.

Speaking of that, here’s a Halloween cat makeup tutorial Tabs was very proud of… Hope you like. 🙂

TOOLS:

  • Primer — Go with one that suits your fur type; I went with an anti-aging formula for dry or combination fur.
  • Full-coverage black cream stick foundation — Matte, velvet or shimmer. The finish is entirely up to you, but I prefer a sheen finish, which has a hint of glossy shine.
  • Black liquid nose and cheek tint — Liquid nose and cheek tints are easy to blend and layer, which is why I like working with them. Like the cream stick foundation, you have a lot of room to play in terms of finish. I ended up sticking with the same sheen finish for the sake of continuity.
  • Black kohl pencil — Black liner instantly intensifies your look.
  • Golden yellow contacts — A fun extra touch.
  • Kabuki brush
  • Beauty Blender

STEPS:

  1. Pour a dollop of primer into your paw. Blend the primer by going in the direction of your fur, not against it. Wait a few minutes for your primer to completely dry before moving on to the next step.
  2. Gently massage a full-coverage black cream stick foundation into your fur with your paws, swirling and tapping until the foundation covers most of your natural fur color and markings. Buff away any heavy areas with a kabuki brush, and repeat the process until you reach the level of coverage you want. Also take care to smooth out any patchy areas.
  3. Dot a multi-purpose black liquid nose and cheek tint on your nose and whisker pads, then stipple and blend using a Beauty Blender sponge to thoroughly blend the product.
  4. Rim your water lines and lash lines with a black kohl pencil to enhance your illusion of black cat-ness.
  5. Optional: if you want to go the extra mile, apply golden yellow contacts.

(NOTE: No cats received actual makeovers in the preparation of this tutorial…even though I’m sure you already knew that. But still, please don’t put makeup on your kitty cat.)

Have a happy Halloween week from Tabs!

Rosie’s also in the Halloween spirit

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Saturday Surfing, Oct. 24, 2020

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Hey there, pumpkin. 🎃 Happy Saturday to ya. Two (not-so-pressing) pumpkin-related things on this glorious weekend morning:

First, it occurred to me *just now* that despite the fact that the season o’ pumpkins is in full swing, I’ve yet to have a pumpkin spice drink. 😲

AND THAT MUST BE REMEDIED ASAP.

We’re taking CoyCoy to a socially distanced Halloween dance party/pumpkin patch at her dance studio today, and to ensure that I have plenty of energy to do the Monster Mash (it was a graveyard smash!), I plan to drink a massive pumpkin spice drink with all the fixings.

Oh, and you know you’ve crossed a certain bridge when your Halloween party plans involve slamming a pumpkin spice latte in the early afternoon so you can dance to Baby Shark — with feeling! — at a children’s party.

Second pumpkin related item: I need a reliable pumpkin pie recipe ASAP because I’m still in the thick of Pie Quest 2020, and last Saturday, I made, not one, but TWO absolutely terrible gluten-free pumpkin pies.

Seriously, totally gross and inedible. The filling was terribly bland, and the pre-made gluten-free pie crust was so overcooked that it turned into a crispy cracker.

Pies are kicking my baking butt, man!

Anywho, if you have a pumpkin pie recipe that doesn’t let you down, please drop it for me in the comments. Either gluten-full or gluten-free would be cool. Thank you in advance.


On an ’80s kick.


Still one of my favorites.


Just introduced Connor Claire to this gem.


I’m really enjoying Robert’s videos.


You still count.

Got any Halloween plans on your to-do list?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

5 Things I’ve Been Loving Lately

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1. Vanilla notes (and Lancôme La Vie Est Belle and Idôle)

Isn’t the smell of vanilla so comforting and cozy? I’ve been feelin’ vanilla lately but haven’t wanted to wear anything that smells too much like vanilla. I just want something a little bit vanilla. Like, as much as I love baking, I don’t necessarily want to walk around smelling like cake batter or Play-Doh. You know what I’m sayin’?

Lancôme La Vie Est Belle and Idôle recently caught my nose eye because both have notes of vanilla.

lancome la vie est belle idole
LOVE

La Vie Est Belle is a warm gourmand scent (a.k.a. a foodie fragrance!) with vanilla, iris (YES), patchouli and praline notes, and Idôle is a floral with notes of citrus, rose, jasmine and white musk layered over a vanilla base.

I hadn’t smelled them in person before they arrived at my doorstep, and I don’t know if it was just dumb perfume luck, but I love them! The vanilla is there, but it’s subtle, and both scents are so feminine and long-lasting, too.

I’ve been telling everyone I know who loves perfume about them!

2. Casabella Waterblock Gloves

casabella waterblock gloves
Your paws (and your manicure) will thank you.

You know you’ve crossed into the land of “Adulting Really Hard” when you have a favorite pair of cleaning gloves…but hey, I’ve tried every single brand under the sun, so let me just save you from a lifetime of cleaning glove misery — the Casabellas are THE BEST.

They’re the thickest ones I’ve found, so they’re sturdy and don’t fall apart quickly. I hand wash my dishes in very hot water, and a pair of this will last a good six months, whereas the other cheaper, thinner gloves might last three months, tops.

The Casabellas are also longer up the sleeve than most cleaning gloves, so less water and soap drips into your gloves, which is NOT my favorite thing. These keep my hands and arms dry, dry, dry!

They also have a handy lip at the end of the glove, which also stops water from sneaking in as well.

I bought this pair at a local hardware and gardening store called Friedman’s up in Petaluma, but they’re also available online.

3. The chalk drawings on the sidewalk in front of Trader Joe’s

trader joes pumpkin chalk drawings
Chalk art!

It’s all about the little things, right? When I’m standing outside in line, waiting to shop at Trader Joe’s in the socially distanced line — which is never really that long; five minutes at the most — they have these chalk drawings on the sidewalk to tell people where to stand. The drawings are either a cheerful play on words or some sort of seasonally-related scribble like these pumpkins. I appreciate that little touch because it gives me something to look at while I’m waiting. Always brings a smile to my face. 🙂

So thank you to whoever does these drawings every single week… You’re such a treasure!

4. Colorful bowls from Costco

I bought this set of super shiny bowls on a whim last weekend, and I loooove them. The brand is Laurie Gates, and you get six stoneware ceramic bowls for $21.
We’ve been using them for soup, pasta, cereal — seriously, everything. You could probably even use them as serving bowls.

The outside of the bowls are all the same beautiful beige color, but when you look inside, each bowl has a different color and pattern. Everyone in our family has already picked out their favorite. Connor loves the red one, I love the green one, and El Hub loves the blue one… They’re all super cute and fit nicely in my hand.

Oh! — and they’re also deep, but not obnoxiously deep, so when I’m eating cereal or soup, liquid is less likely to splash over the edge.

5. Cleaning tips from Vanesa at Amaros Cleaning on Instagram

MIND BLOWN! Vanesa and her husband run their own housekeeping company in Texas, and she shares very helpful tips and shortcuts on how professionals clean appliances, surfaces and areas of a home. I’ve learned so much from her feed, and yes, I used the vacuum tip to clean my stove the other day and it totally worked! 😁

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF! 🎈

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