Beauty Tips

MAC favorites from Allure Magazine Reader’s Choice Awards

May 24th, 2007 by Karen 5 Comments

I got my June Allure magazine in the mail yesterday and the first article I read was the Reader’s Choice Awards. I was not surprised to see that several MAC products were voted as favorites in several makeup catagories. Here’s a quick round-up of the MAC faves that Allure Magazine readers voted for:

Lipstick: Mac Viva Glam V. If you don’t have this yet, get it. It’s beautiful, universally flattering, and easy to apply even when you are in a hurry.

Lipgloss: MAC Lustreglass Lip Gloss in Pinkarat. I haven’t tried any Lustreglasses (I’m more of a Lipglass girl) but this is now on my list of upcoming MAC purchases.

Eye Shadow: MAC Eye Shadow in All That Glitters. I don’t have this, but the MAC website describes this “a mid-tone beige with gold reflects.” I will have to check this one out as well; it sounds like a pretty highlight color.

Eyeliner: MAC Fluidline Eye Liner Gel in Blacktrack. I love me some Fluidlines. However, blacktrack is *not* my favorite black. I prefer Blitz & Glitz, which is softer and has a little more dimension to it because of the gold flecks.

Concealer: MAC Select Moisturecover. I recently purchased MAC Select Moisturecover and after feeling just so-so about it for a few months I’ve decided that it’s one of my favorite concealers. It works well with my skintone and it doesn’t budge, even through dance class.

I am leaving for San Diego tomorrow and still have yet to pack. It’s a surf/spa trip, and I haven’t surfed since last July when I was in Hawaii. I dug out my surf wetsuit from the nether regions of my closet yesterday. I haven’t worn it since 2003 (the NorCal ocean is too damn cold to surf in!) so wish me luck – I’m gonna need tons of it when I attempt to squeeze into it.

Friday is right around the corner and I can’t wait. I hope you’re having a great day.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Face of the Day, Coral Colors – MAC Lychee Luxe Lipglass and MAC Fab Blush

May 23rd, 2007 by Karen 4 Comments

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Summer is just around the corner so I’m really feeling really inspired by bright colors from my summer wardrobe. Here’s a face of the day that I did with coral colors on the cheeks and lips. Unfortunately I was too lazy to use the super-good digital camera to get a better closeup of my eyes, but if you look closely you might be able to see the greens I used.

Face:
Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer in Almond
Laura Mercier Translucent Powder

Cheeks
MAC Fab Blush – This is from the Barbie Collection from a few months ago. There are rumors that the entire collection will be re-released this summer. If the whispers are true then snag this blush if you can. It’s fantastic!

Lips
MAC Lychee Luxe Lipglass

Eyes
MAC Bare Canvas Paint over entire eye (applied w/252)
MAC Fluidline in Sweet Sage over lid and slightly on crease (217), then on lower lashes (209)
MAC Eyeshadow in Swimming on lid and slightly into crease (275)
MAC Eyeshadow Vex on browbone (252)
Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Pencil in Jungle Green

Today is supposed to be a hot one here in NorCal. Don’t forget to slather on your sunscreen if you’re going out to enjoy the sunshine!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Three Resources for Finding Spas Online

May 21st, 2007 by Karen Leave a Comment

I’m in charge of finding a spa for our girl’s surf/spa trip down to San Diego next weekend, so the other day I fished around online for some good websites with spa recommendations and reviews.

Spa Magazine has a great spa directory that covers most of the United Sates, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Mexico, South and Central America and Asia. The featured spas are lush and indulgent so if you’re looking for serious pampering (and some serious money spending) then this is the site to explore.

The San Diego spas I found on this site looked pretty amazing. All were tied to big resorts and hotels and very chi-chi-foo-foo fancy. If I had access to unlimited amount o’ money I’d hit the spa at the beautiful Hotel Del Coronado in Del Mar. The spa has 21 treatment rooms, hydrotherapy, relaxation areas for men and women and steam rooms, and a newly opened private terrace that overlooks the hotel’s Windsor Lawn and the Pacific Ocean.

Del Mar is supposed to have a fun surf beach on 15th street and a nice promenade for post-surfing beers. My perfect day would include surfing all the morning, lunching on the promenade, then hit the spa afterward for a Deep Tissue Massage and a purifying facial.

Hotel Del Corondao Spa Whirlpool

Allure also has a good spa finder as well, although not as extensive.

ICE Spa lounge

Unfortunately my cup does not runneth over with the cash flow, so I headed on over to Yelp to find more budget minded options. I think we’re going to go the I.C.E. Spa, which looks totally cute and a bit more affordable.

I can’t wait to go. I haven’t had a good spa day since last July with my friend Christine in Hawaii. I am due for a good pummeling deep tissue massage.

This past weekend I finally got my license in the mail. Anything is better than my old license, where I’m full on squinting and looking confused (it’s the DMV picture guy’s fault cause I received no warning before he took the pic). The same DMV picture guy took this recent photo, and it is clearly evident that he hates what he’s doing, because he does nothing to make your pic all that it can be. Despite this, I have to say that my picture turned out pretty good. Before angry DMV picture guy snapped the pic, I tried to sneak in a body turn at the last second, and the result was a high-school senior-esque picture where I’m looking off into the distance at the bright future ahead, lol.

Hope you have some fun in the sun this Monday.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Three MAC Must-Haves for the Club – Makeup and Beauty Blog’s Guide to Smart Clubbing, Part 5

May 19th, 2007 by Karen 1 Comment

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When I hear music it makes me dance … I know you love that song by Debbie Deb! Anyway, when I hear music at the club I can’t help but dance. I can’t understood people who pay a cover and just sit around and bob their heads. The least you can do is shuffle your feet back and forth – it’s exercise, people! And the thing about dancing is that everyone looks silly doing it. We’re all in the same boat.

When I go dancing I get pretty damn sweaty, so I wear makeup that will make it through the night without disappearing. I have three MAC holy grail items that make it through a long night of dancing so, without further ado, here are three of my MAC must-haves for any clubbing night![Continue reading…]

Three Ways to Make Your Clubbing Experience Better -Makeup and Beauty Blog’s Guide to Smart Clubbing, Part 4

May 18th, 2007 by Karen 2 Comments

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Three Ways to Make Your Clubbing Experience Better

1. Put some makeup wipes or baby wipes in your car. Chances are after you leave the club you’ve got a layer of sweat caked on ya. I live out in the burbs, so if I go into the city and have to drive home I’ll wipe my face down before I leave. This instantly wakes me up for the ride home and saves me time when I get home and just want to go to bed. If you are carpooling with your girlfriends they will think you are a genius when you bust these out.

2. Bring a small snack, like a Special K meal replacement bar or a Pria Bar, for the after-clubbing munchies. Unfortunately I no longer have my 20s metabolism, so scarfing down a bucket of fries at 3:00 a.m. is not an option. I have to watch what I eat. =( To stay on track with my eating plan, I keep a meal bar in the car to eat on my way home. This gives me a 200-calorie fix, which is just enough food in my stomach to prevent me from stopping by the drive through Taco Bell.

3. Since we’re on the subject of food and drink, here’s another trick that I use to help me stay on track when I hit the club. If I’m going to drink, I order from a mental list of low calorie drinks, like white wine, which is about 120 calories per 6-ounce glass. I know it’s fun to drink and then get your dance on, but if you’re trying to lose weight then downing 3 margaritas at the club will not help your plight. Beer and mixed drinks are calorie heavy. For example pina coladas have 272 calories per serving, and beer, depending on the type, an average of 200 calories per serving. Knowing the calorie counts of what you’re drinking when you’re out can help you stay on track.

It’s Friday, woo hoo! I get to blissfully putter around the house today. I bought some tomato plants last week so I am going to attempt replant them today. I know nothing about tomatoes so this will be interesting. One of them actually has a small tomato growing on it so I hope I don’t kill it. I also get to help plan a trip down to San Diego for Memorial Day weekend. Do you have plans yet for the long weekend? Ya better get on it!

I hope you are having a FANTASTIC Friday.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen