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Fashion

I’m Super Obsessed With Athleta Workout Leggings

November 21st, 2019 by Karen 20 Comments

Altheta tights
These stretchy pants take it to the next level.

Why didn’t I heed their advice sooner? I should’ve known the ladies in my HIIT class — the women who lift heavy, run fast and push me every time I step into the gym — would steer me in the right direction. For years I heard them rave about Athleta workout leggings, but I never considered buying a pair for myself because they’re like $100 a pop!

Super. Crazy. Expensive.

However…when something is good, and I mean really, REALLY good, the calculus may prompt me to go there. And I totally went there.

What ultimately pushed me over the edge was a secondhand pair of Athleta tights my friend Nicol gave me. She teaches the HIIT class I take, and she happened to have an extra pair that didn’t fit her, and she passed ’em to me.

First time I tried them on — and immediately after I stuffed everything I could into the pockets, of which there are SO MANY — I started to wonder if I’d ever wear another pair of pants again, because daaaaang… They were so soft.

Then, of course, I bent over in the mirror to see if they passed the squat test…

They totally did. 🙂 No underwear peeking through!

Next, I wore them to class and could not stop staring at my booty in the mirror, because the pants somehow transformed it into J. Lo’s (#GOALS), LOL!

I didn’t have to pull up my pants once, not once, during the entire class. Also, the waistband stayed up and held in my tum-tum the entire time, and the material stayed intact and didn’t stretch out at all, either, so no baggy knees.

When that class was done, I knew it… I’d be drinkin’ the Athleta Kool-Aid with the other girls soon.

Later that week, I ended up going to the Athleta store in Corte Madera to buy my first pair, because someone in class mentioned there was a sale happening. I left with the camo ones up top (yup, they’re still on sale!).

When I told the sales associate that it was my first Athleta purchase, she told me all about their generous return policy (if you work out in your clothes and don’t love them, you can still return them with a receipt), then gave me a discount on top of the sale for being a new customer.

SWEET!

If you’re into working out, or otherwise particular about your stretchy pants (as am I), I think you’re going to love these. I’m officially saving up for my next pair.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 20 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Fashion, Product Reviews

Transitional Booties at DSW

September 16th, 2019 by Karen 13 Comments

dsw booties
Take me to the mothership

I got a coupon in the mail for some good deals on early season boots at DSW, so I went! — despite the fact that it was 92 degrees with nary a cloud in the sky.

Thankfully for me and my feet, DSW has the answer to navigating this very confusing time of year between summer and fall, and the answer is something I call “transitional booties.”

Did you laugh like a teenage boy when I said, “transitional booties”? Because I crack up every time I say it, ha ha ha!

So, what is a transitional bootie? Well, they’re ankle boots, usually made from suede or leather, that you can wear with summery dresses or your favorite fall pant/cozy sweater combo, and they go with everything during that weird in-between phase between summer and fall.

My favorite type of transitional booties are perforated ankle booties.

dsw booties

They have the little hole cutouts in the shoe material, a la instant air conditioning for your feet. On warm days, you can wear them without socks, and perhaps with a dress.

baretraps booties
The perforated Rizzo bootie by Baretraps

And on cool days…socks!

I really like the Rizzo by Baretraps because of the low heel and the rounded toe.

Super comfy.

baretraps closeup
I like these!
baretraps booties
Strike a pose…

I also like the Dr. Scholl’s Best Day Bootie. This one is SUPER cute in person, especially in the Olive option, which is a dark, rich green khaki that functions as a neutral.

dsw booties 21
Dr. Scholl’s Best Day Bootie in Olive

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There are 13 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Fashion, Just For Fun Keywords: dsw, fall shoes

The DKNY Fusion Perfect Bra Is a Bad-@ss Brassiere

September 11th, 2019 by Karen 15 Comments

dkny fusion perfect bra beige
Do your girls a favor.

Transcript of me talking to a stranger in a Nordstrom Rack fitting room a few weeks ago:

Me: “Oh, my god. Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod. OH. MY. GAWD!”

Stranger in the stall next to me: *knocks politely on wall* “Miss? Are you doing OK?”

Me: “Yeah, I’m OK. I’m so sorry. I forget sometimes that I’m, ya know, out in public.”

Stranger in the stall next to me: “Erh… Alright.”

This exchanged happened as I was trying on the DKNY Fusion Perfect Bra, a lightly padded underwire t-shirt bra.

This exchange also happened shortly before I bought all of the available Fusion Perfect Bras in my size in the store (there were two!), and a few hours prior to me buying three more online at nordstromrack.com.

Seriously, SO GOOD.

My new favorite affordable everyday bra

The Fusion Perfect Bra is regularly $42, but it’s on sale now for $18.97 at “DA RACK,” as I like to call it, and while a few of the colors are sold out, there are still a good number of sizes and shades available. If you can snag your size in a color you like, all I have to say is…do your boobies a favor, and get them into this ultimate over-the-shoulder boulder holder.

Props to the marketing peeps who came up with the phrase, “perfect fusion,” because this bra is indeed a perfect blend of functionality, fit and feel.

dkny fusion perfect bra bows
Dainty details

It’s bra nirvana!

The material, a mix of nylon and elastane (a.k.a. Spandex), is softer than a baby’s cheek, a bunny tail AND your favorite cozy couch blanket, and it’s worked into two silky smooth cups and a velvety band that hug your torso with a gentle touch that’s so comfy I sometimes forget I’m wearing a bra.

It’s definitely NOT one of those itchy, ill-fitting bras that poke you and that you immediately ditch the second you get in your car (wait, am I the only person who’s done this?). I could keep this bra on all day (and possibly all night) if I needed or wanted to.

Oh, how do I love this bra?

Let me count the ways!

  • So flexible: The smooth material allows the bra to sit perfectly under both flowing tops and fitted tees, and it somehow miraculously seems to never get too hot against my skin.
  • No slip: The straps are slightly thicker than your typical bra straps (but they’re still slim enough to seem dainty), and they prevent the bra from sliding down my shoulders!
  • Off the hook: The clasp in the back with the hook and eye is easy to fasten.
  • Big ups to the cups: I like that the cups high up enough that there’s no boob spillage over the top of my bra, and no weird gaps. I also like that the padding is light enough to hide les nips, but yet it isn’t so stiff that I feel like I’m walking around town with pot holders strapped to the front of my chest.
  • Delightful details: The sweet bow in the front and the little teardrop peek of skin underneath it lend a feminine, dainty touch. Oh, and I also dig the subtle DKNY branding on the side. There’s a small logo at the base of the band, and it’s barely visible.

[Continue reading…]

There are 15 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Fashion, Just For Fun

DSW Adventures! I’m Fancying Flatform Sandals

June 24th, 2019 by Karen 16 Comments

Don’t knock ’em ’till you try ’em, man! These flat platform sandals — otherwise known as “flatforms” — combine the comfort of a flat shoe with the height of a platform, so you get the extra lift without the achy arches and lower back pain from high heels.

Side note: I can’t believe I just wrote that because it was only a few years ago when I was living in high heels practically 24/7, but now I wear flats all teh time, and my bod feels better.

At first, I poo-pooed flatforms. I thought they looked like a Frankenstein-ian monster mashup of an espadrille and a wedge, but I kept seeing them on blogs and Instagram and thought, “Hey! Those are actually really cute.”

They’re the kind of shoe you almost have to see on someone else’s feet to appreciate them as fashionable footwear…instead of as a questionable science experiment.

And once you slip them on? Ahhhhh! All is right with the world…

I was this close to giving this pair of Bjorn flatforms (at the top) a happy home today. I slipped them on and proceeded to walk around the store for 10 minutes because I forgot I was wearing them! But that’s a good sign, right? When you forget to actually pay for a pair of shoes on your feet because they’re that comfortable? That’s usually a good sign…

In the end, though, I decided to wait because I’m picky about my straps, and this pair had one too many around the ankles. If I’m still pining for them on Friday, I might go back. We’ll see.

I also liked the look of the lighter brown MIA flatforms below, but the straps were a little too loose.

Cute though!

So many flatforms…


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There are 16 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Fashion, Just For Fun

Why Yes, You Need to Revisit the Little Black Backpack

June 12th, 2019 by Karen 15 Comments

Target Convertible Nylon Mini Backpack
Does she or doesn’t she have cat food in there?

Is it 1994? Are we wearing Doc Martens, flowery black dresses and Revlon Raisin Rage? HAS ANYONE SEEN MY NIRVANA CD? Sorry, for a second there, I could’ve sworn we took a hot tub time machine back to my late teens, which was when the little black backpack was the undisputed Queen of All Accessories.

Believe it or not, enough time has passed for them to slingshot back into style again. It’s only a matter of time before the beauty gods also bring back pencil thin brows, but that’s a discussion for another day.

I’ve been wearing this tiny black nylon one I got at Target practically everywhere lately, and ya know what? I cannot help but wonder why I ever stopped carrying a little black backpack, because they’re freaking great.

This one is from A New Day, and it’s an affordable $19.99. The nylon is feather light, so I’m not hauling around three extra pounds of purse, and it’s juuuuuust big enough to hold the bare necessities. (You know me; if there’s an opportunity to overstuff a bag, I will totally do it.) This one’s the perfect size.

Target Convertible Nylon Mini Backpack
I like that the nylon isn’t overly shiny.

Best of all, my hands stay free, so I can scoop up the Coywolf at a moment’s notice, or pet a passing kitty.

But wait, this particular bag also easily converts to a cross-body bag. You just pull the straps up at the top!

Target Convertible Nylon Mini Backpack
Converts to a cross-body purse in three, two, one…
Target Convertible Nylon Mini Backpack
And just like that, you have a cross-body purse

If black nylon is too retro for you, check out the black-and-white striped one instead. I came this close to picking it up because it has a slight J.Crew vibe. The pale pink one is also pretty cute (but it would probably pick up more dirt), as are the bright blue and the canary yellow.

Some reviewers on the Target website say that the zipper gets stuck, and yeah, it happened to me once when I shoved one too many things inside. It was an easy fix, though. I slowly pulled the zipper back to the starting position, and the teeth slipped back into place. I think as long as you don’t push the maximum capacity, you’ll be OK.

I bought it mainly to take with me to the playground and have both hands free to play with Connor. I don’t feel comfortable leaving my purse on a table or bench, which the moms do here all the time, but I ugh, I just can’t. I feel safer with my wallet and phone physically on my body. I looked online, at Marshalls and at T.J. Maxx, and this Target bag was the lightest and cheapest hands-free option I found. It fits my wallet, phone, keys and a pouch for Connor’s Travel Potty, and then I usually bring my water bottle in a separate bag, along with snacks.

Target Convertible Nylon Mini Backpack
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There are 15 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Fashion, Product Reviews

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Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog
Hi there! I’m Karen, your friendly neighborhood beauty addict, and I’m a Bay Area girl who hoards brown eyeshadow and covets coral lipstick. Every morning, I wake up and say, “I’m going to do something other than a smoky eye today.” Then…I end up doing a smoky eye anyway (most days). When I’m not putting on makeup, taking pictures of makeup or writing about makeup, which I’ve been doing daily since 2007 (!), you’ll find me hanging out with my hubby (“El Hub”), my four-year-old daughter (Connor Claire) and my torbie girl cat (Pretty Girl Rosie, a.k.a. PGR).

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