Photo remixed from an original by Guillaume Cattiaux
I can’t believe it’s been 10 years already, but I can still remember the day like it was yesterday. Clear as a bell.
I remember thinking on the day it happened about something my high school history teacher used to say. He would always talk about the day President Kennedy was shot, and how it was just one of those things that was so traumatic, so frightening, that he remembered every single thing that happened to him that day. That’s how it is. I remember every single thing that happened to me on September 11; the day was etched into my memory forever.
I’ve been reading some of the stories of the families who lost loved ones, the children who lost parents and are now 10 years older, and although there’s deep sadness there, there’s also something remarkable about how people keep going, how they carry on, despite tragedy.
Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing today, I hope you feel safe, happy and loved. And if you feel like it, stop by and say hi in the comments.
The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed
MASSACHUSETTS TO MELBOURNE
BEAUTY DOWN UNDA’
Late last year my husband and I became American expats living abroad when we made the move to Australia from the U.S. for his new job. I knew about our big journey months in advance, so I did the best I could to prepare and studied anything and everything I could about the land down unda’ before we arrived; however, I made two fatal mistakes.
First, I never fully realized just how expensive things would be down here, and second, I was unprepared for how long I’d have to wait for makeup collections to make their big debuts here after being released in the States.
As a woman of substance, I have my needs. Among them: facial moisturizer, hair products (loads of ‘em), perfume, nail polish, and anything pertaining to MAC, Benefit, Clinique and Philosophy. Not long after moving, I was already hitting the bottom of my assorted elixirs and potions, wondering what I was going to do. Read more…
DOLCE & GABBANA SWEET TEMPTATIONS COLLECTION
CINNAMON, CANDIED AND GREEN ALMOND FEEL FRESH-FACED AND SWEET
Dolce & Gabbana’s epic eyeshadow quads are total limelight hogs that often steal the show in the brand’s seasonal makeup launches, but in this fall’s Sweet Temptations collection, the Smooth Eye Colour Duo in Cinnamon ($36) and Crayon Intense Eyeliners in Green Almond ($29) and Candied ($29) are giving the Smooth Eye Colour Quad in Cocoa ($59) a run for its money.
Nothing against Cocoa’s warm, cozy chocolate, cream and orange, but I’m liking the fresh, sweet glow I get from these pieces even more. Read more…
YOU’LL BE SPARKLING FOR HOURS
WITH THE NEW URBAN DECAY STARDUST SPARKLING LIP GLOSSES
I’m making the weekend last through Tuesday this week with Urban Decay’s new Stardust Sparkling Lip Glosses, because ooh-la-la, sis-boom-bah! — these sheer, sparkly glosses are just too much fun for regular weekends.
I’m still tracking down prices and availability on these and the other Urban Decay fall/holiday launches, but I think it’s safe to assume that these will cost around $16-19 each, right in line with the price of an average UD gloss.
Based on the three I’ve been getting to know since late last week — Space Cowboy (a shimmery champagne) Andromeda (a shimmery, peachy pinkish gold) and Glitter Rock (a shimmery magenta) — these are light on pigment but heavy on glitter and shine, and what I like most about them is the way they feel on my lips. There’s no grit to ‘em, as far as I can tell, unlike quite a few other glittery glosses on the market. Read more…
TEAM TAUPE TAKES HOME THE SILVER IN THE NEW
CHANEL OMBRE ESSENTIELLE SOFT TOUCH EYESHADOW IN FAUVE
Doth shimmery taupe eyeshadows make thy booty shake? If colors like MAC Satin Taupe make you want to drop it like it’s hot, better limber up, young lady, because Chanel Ombre Essentielle Soft Touch Eyeshadow in Fauve ($28.50) is going to ask you to dance.
Like Satin Taupe’s 21-year-old cousin, shimmery taupe Fauve is a bit of a party girl. Her fab flecks of silver glitter distinguish her from everyday workhorse shades, and when I swatched the shadow at the counter last week, I must have sounded like a hungry Homer Simpson when I spontaneously said, “Mmmmmm… glitter.” Read more…
THE LIP COLORS IN THE DOLCE & GABBANA SWEET TEMPTATIONS
COLLECTION ARE SPRINGING INTO FALL
For the first time in many moons, I felt a chill this morning when I stepped out of bed, and before making my way downstairs with Tabs, I bundled up with long pants a sweatshirt and robe.
Bluh…
It turned out to be sunny today, but the brisk kiss of crisp air that heralds fall never completely went away. Soon, the oak tree outside my window will lose its leaves, and the sun will set every afternoon before El Hub gets home from work.
Fall won’t wait just because we wish it would, but at least the springy new lip products in the Dolce & Gabbana Sweet Temptations collection aren’t all about fall. Read more…
BLONDES REALLY DO HAVE MORE FUN
WITH CHANEL INIMITABLE INTENSE MASCARA IN PURPLE
Truer words were never spoken — in reference to Chanel’s new Inimitable Intense Mascara in Purple ($30, part of the new Sophisticated Eye collection). The first time the wand graced the back of my hand and I got a good look at the swatch, I feared that the color of this brownish plum would be lost upon my dark fringe. But oh, how I wanted to believe!
The logical part of my brain said I shouldn’t expect much; it said I’d never be able to see the tint on my dark lashes, but the Coco-obsessed part of my brain kept telling me not to worry. “Trust in Coco, Karen. Everything will work out in the end.” Read more…
THE RICH COLOR EYESHADOWS IN THE BOBBI BROWN MARRAKESH CHIC COLLECTION
LOVE LADIES IN THEIR 30s, 40s, 50s AND BEYOND
Not gonna lie, Marrakesh Chic is probably the most excited I’ve been about a Bobbi Brown release in a while. The new Rich Color Eyeshadows, WHEW! Kind of amazing.
But before we dive in, let’s — beep, beep, beep! — back up a second. Bobbi recently launched this new fall collection for eyes, lips and cheeks at Bobbi Brown counters and also online. The Rich Color Eyeshadows ($24 each), a brand spankin’ new line of powder shadows, headline the launch.
I swatched the collection a couple weeks ago; right off the bat, I had a feeling that Bobbi’s Rich Color Eyeshadows would rock me down to Electric Avenue. And they did. Now, after having worn two of the eight shades, I’m itching to grab a few more. Read more…
THE MAC FALL COLOUR
COLLECTION MAKES IT EASY TO SMILE FOR THE CAMERA
Photography geek alert! Everyone please remain calm, but this is kind of a big deal, especially if you’re a fellow photography geek and/or major MAC fan.
When I heard a while back that acclaimed New York photographer Cindy Sherman was going to be taking pics for the new MAC Fall Colour collection, I nearly dropped my DSLR!
Sherman’s probably best known for her self-portraits, where she gets into a specific character and does the whole kit and caboodle herself — everything from her own makeup, to styling, to modeling for the shoots and, of course, taking her own pics — and her work often tackles topics like women in society, media and art. Read more…
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Nina says
September 11th, 2011 at 12:35 pmid like a longer weekend, pls. 😀
Karen says
September 11th, 2011 at 1:07 pmYou and me both. What are you up to today? I’m about to work out and then maybe go to the movies.
Nina says
September 12th, 2011 at 6:43 amthe hubs met up w/ his buddies for a quick drink and some Texans football. while i stayed home and read. i think the ASOIAF series is turning me into a hermit. 😀
Karo says
September 11th, 2011 at 1:04 pmI am happy and i am safe and I can´t belive it´s been 10 years already…I still remember this horrible day…
God Bless America!!!
Peace!
Karo
xoxo
Karo recently posted … CHANEL Pink Mink 109
Karen says
September 11th, 2011 at 1:07 pmPeace to you too, Karo.
Erin says
September 11th, 2011 at 1:17 pmI watched the news all day 10 years ago. I was at school, 7th grade, and it was the most surreal thing ever. I can’t imagine what it is like for people around the world who experience tragedies like this regularly. So sad that people can’t respect each other despite their differences.
Erin recently posted … 10 years.
Karen says
September 11th, 2011 at 1:41 pmHi, Erin. Surreal. That’s it exactly. Like it wasn’t really happening, only it was.
I always try to keep a positive outlook about things, but we humans are still so imperfect that it’s disappointing sometimes, isn’t it? The more things change, the more they stay the same. Even after everything we’ve created and accomplished, all of our fears and our most primitive, violent tendencies are still there just below the surface.
o0Stacey0o says
September 11th, 2011 at 1:52 pmI remember everyone was clamoring to get gas, lines so long they were into the streets. It was like…everyone was so terrified we literally forgot how to live. You just wanted things around you that made you feel comfortable and normal. I was in high school at the time and skipped most of my classes to sit in the band room and watch the news. I remember so vividly, just like you, every little detail, everything we consider part of our day to day routine, I remember. My german teacher said to some of the students that vowed to stick around the rest of the day, “You will remember this day for the rest of your life. The world…its changing as we speak.” If we could have only fathomed…
Katie says
September 11th, 2011 at 2:41 pmI remember praying all day (I was in catholic school) for all of the families and the people affected. I hope that you and all the rest of the readers are safe, happy and healthy! Bless! Xo
Megan says
September 11th, 2011 at 3:33 pmI remember walking back from Brit Lit 214, stopping by my dorm before my next class, when my friend Michelle ran up to me and told me to turn on TV, because planes were crashing into towers. We were transfixed to our televisions all day; most profs cancelled class (a few didn’t), and many of us went home. A lot of my dorm was from Pittsburgh, and were in hysterics because we hadn’t yet heard the exact location Flight 93 crashed–all we’d heard was “near Pittsburgh.” Those of us who had food on hand made whatever we could and gathered dorm-mates around televisions, feeding people, making coffee, anything we could do to keep calm. I went home that night; I was terrified of what might happen next. Because it seemed like anything could happen next.
10 years later, I still struggle to process it all. I’m grateful for my son, for my family and husband, my beautiful home in a quiet corner of Ohio.
Karen, I’m grateful for you, too. You make me smile every day, and remind me to take joy in the beauty all around us–whether it’s a kitty, an eyeshadow color, or a flower. I’m sure I’m not the only one…but thanks. 🙂
Viv says
September 12th, 2011 at 3:30 amEven though I’m in the UK I remember what was left of that day completely – I remember too the exact first time I knew something had happened – I turned on the car radio on the way to school – I remember the exact spot on the journey. Then just total disbelief. Everyone picked up their children from school in shock and went home to watch the news coverage. My children had been taken into the school hall and said prayers for all the people affected.