Category Make-up

wearing colors from Kat Von D’s new limited edition star Studded Eyeshadow book ($55) on my eyes
The first time I saw Kat Von D’s new $55 star Studded Eyeshadow Book, all cloaked in black with that star pattern on the outside, I thought, “Ooh! It looks like something Slash would wear on his wedding day.”

Imagine my surprise when I opened it and found 24 uber-organized eyeshadows grouped into efficient color-coordinated quads.

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I dunno… Chaos just strikes me as a lot more rock ‘n’ roll, ya know?

Each of the four-color subsections includes a base, lid, crease and accent shade, like something you might find over at a a lot more formal, buttoned-up line like Trish McEvoy, but don’t let that deceive you — these shadows still have major rawr.

There’s also a helluva lot a lot more glitter.

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The Kat Von D star Studded Eyeshadow book ($55)

When Tabs keeps me up all night and I wake up with only two functional braincells the following morning, star Studded’s creative layout must come in handy. That said, nowhere does it say you have to stick to the color combos in the prearranged quads.

Since Kat included a great range of finishes (mattes, sheens, shimmers and glitters), colors (neutrals and brights) and pigment levels (from sheer to opaque), and all of the shades work together harmoniously, feel complimentary to go off script and crank out looks that are your own.

Swatches from the left: Sola, Nephilim, Platonic, Mandala, Damned, Division, Depeche and Brass Knuckles
Swatches from the left: Anti-Star, Estrella, Starflyer, Black Star, Banshee, Violator, Gothica and fascination Street
From the left: Moz, heaven Knows, Leather, Smiths, Crosses, Covenant, Cult and Craft

But before you bust out your blending brushes, a word of warning: the fallout from these shadows is fairly intense. On the one hand, the fluffy, featherweight formula makes them easy to scoot around and blend, but it also makes them…yearn for the open road! Of my face! When I wear this palette, I absolutely have to do my eyes first, clean up the fallout, and then followup with my base makeup; otherwise, it’s La Ciudad de hot Mess.

My foundation here is Laura Mercier flawless Fluide foundation in Chai, and I’m also wearing MAC Powder blush in Cantaloupe on my cheeks and Tom Ford Lip color Matte in first Time on my lips.

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Rock ‘n’ roll rebels who like their appeal with bite won’t be disappointed by this well-organized palette, with its cheeky names and flashy finishes, but they better brace themselves for a quick jaunt through fallout city.

PRICE: $55
AVAILABILITY: limited edition, available now online and at Sephora
MAKEUP and appeal blog RATING: B+

Your friendly neighborhood appeal addict,

Karen

My darlings,

One of the concerns I’m continuously asked while on place posing for kitty modeling campaigns is, “Tabs, exactly how can I be as fantastic as you are?”

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First of all, it is possible. I understand that I make it seem simple sometimes, however I wasn’t always this fabulous. It took a great deal of difficult work as well as purr-severance, as well as now I’d like to share the lessons I’ve discovered with you.

1. Cultivate a network of fantastic buddies (and frenemies)

One of the very best methods to discover exactly how to be much more fantastic is to spend time with other fantastic friends. view exactly how they deal with expert as well as personal situations. When do they purr? When do they meow? exactly how do they strut as well as pose? Observe their mindset as well as mannerisms, as well as take every chance to network as well as satisfy even much more fantastic friends. quite soon, as a few of their fabulousness scrubs off on you, you’ll begin acting much more fabulously too.

While you’re at it, it’s likewise essential to cultivate a few frenemies as well, since you understand what they state about keeping your buddies close as well as your enemies closer. That, as well as there’s likewise no such thing as poor press when it concerns being fabulous.

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2. hire a social network strategist

Social media is a essential element of brand administration these days, however in striving to ended up being a world class kitty supermodel, your time will be limited, so I suggest hiring a expert to assist you deal with the daily upkeep of your numerous social network channels, somebody who can publish everyday beauty photos of you as well as bring around your iPhone. This way, you’ll have much more time to link with your fans.

3. shop where other fantastic cats aren’t shopping

Because true fabulousness is about paving your own way, be a trendsetter, instead of a pattern follower.

For instance, if all of your buddy cats are buying at Chanel this season, buck the pattern as well as shop at Prada or Dior. create your own path, as well as be your own cat.

4. star on a truth TV show

Even though you’re destined for greatness, it never hurts to get a bit nudge, as well as there are few much better methods to get yourself available than by starring on a truth TV show.

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If you’ve already completed the very first three steps, you’re well on your method to being fabulous. A television audience will notice, which will propel you as well as your profession to even higher heights. truth TV superstardom assists you keep your name in the media spotlight as well as on the suggestion of everyone’s tongue.

5. serve up your manager sauce

With a fantastic new method of dealing with yourself on a daily basis, don’t take any type of guff from anyone, since true fabulousness can’t be suppressed or denied. So be your own cat, as well as show ’em who’s boss.

Now go forth, as well as be fabulous!
Tabs

Dear Diary,

With my birthday coming up (I turn 10-ish on Tuesday!), I’ve been feeling particularly generous, and to share the love, I made a decision to grant both of my assistants a few days off for good behavior.

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My motives weren’t entirely selfless, however. truth is, I could really use some time to myself.

I know that my public identity is one of a jet-setting tabby who goes from party to party, hanging out with Bono one night and RyGos the next, but let’s be real. That’s absolutely true, but often I just want to chill, and you know what they say — a cat’s home is his castle.

So I sent my people to NOLA while I celebrate turning 10 here, but I won’t be flying completely solo. After all, no cat is an island. My favorite petsitter will also be here to dote on me, and one of his responsibilities will be working the remotes so that I can catch up on game of Thrones.

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When I’m not napping, of course.

Oh, I can’t wait to sleep in. Those early kitty modeling call times are killer! No big birthday blowouts for me this year. All I want is a few days to rest, reflect and recharge.

But Diary, you know me. I can’t sit on my butt for long (well…). I also plan to inventory my cupboards. growing up on the streets, I learned the value of saving for a rainy day, and there’s something comforting about knowing exactly how much food I have in my pantry.

I’m probably also going to squeeze in a workout or two, and I’ve been training with Stephen Curry of the golden state Warriors. He works on improving his agility for basketball, and I work on my agility for birding and kitty modeling.

I think it’s going to be a relaxing, fulfilling birthday week, and I’m really looking forward to it.

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I’ll catch up with you soon.

Love,

Tabs

The make up For ever artist palette Vol. 2 colors You Crave ($42)
Current cravings:

A Pink Power Smoothie, even though I already had one today for breakfast.
Is there an unwritten policy I don’t know about against drinking two of the same kind of smoothies in one day?! #deepthoughts.

A hug from Tabs, because I haven’t seen him considering that I fed him gravy this morning.
He normally “supervises” me in my office during the mornings because he likes the sun in here, but I think he’s terrified of the new pink shelves, so he’s hiding.

The poppin’ pigments in make up For Ever’s new $42 artist palette Vol. 2 colors You Crave

Make Up For ever artist palette Vol. 2 colors You Crave ($42)
May brings us two new artist Palettes from MUFE — Vol. 1, Nudes You Need, which I played with yesterday, and this brighter one here, Vol. 2, called colors You Crave.

Now, if my stomach rumbles through these next few paragraphs in this post, I apologize. You see, I am currently craving lunch, in addition to these colors.

The palette houses nine pans, which are set up into color-coordinating columns of three (or rows, if you turn it sideways), of make up For ever eyeshadow in their exceptionally soft, crazy creamy gel-dash-powder formula (they reformulated their eyeshadows last year).

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So, how soft are they? Well, this morning El Hub stopped by my desk to loiter as he often does and asked what I was doing. before I could answer, he reached out and touched the palette.

Of course, he gouged a big divot into one of the pans just by brushing his Tarzan hand against it, so you have to be a little careful with these… all of that is just to say that they’re very soft. They nearly feel like a cream, but they’re not. They aren’t wet at all. They’re still powders, but they’re squishy powders.

I haven’t been wearing this batch of colors for very long today, but the neutrals I wore yesterday, which I applied around 10 in the morning and removed around 8 at night, had lost about a third of their intensity over that time.

Not bad, but not epic either.

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But I wasn’t using my regular NARS pro Prime at the time because I was trying out a new concealer (new to me, IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye, which I’ll be examining soon) and was using it on my lids as a primer, so that could have affected the overall longevity of the shadows.

Make Up For ever artist palette Vol. 2 colors You Crave ($42)
Wearing the new make up For ever artist palette Vol. 2 colors You Crave on my lids
S-924, ME-302 and ME-930
For this look I took MUFE’s lead and used the three coordinating colors in the middle column. I used the top shade as my highlight (the shade on the left in the above pic), then mixed the teal and the sort of metallic green, which looks a little like MAC Club, together. I mixed them on the back of my hand and applied that on my lids.

There was a lot of shimmer going on, so I also wanted a transition shade. I ended up grabbing MAC texture and using that in my crease.

I also did a little something-something in the outer corners for depth using the black shade from the MUFE Nudes You need palette.

ME-910, ME-232 and ME-700
From the left: I-872, D-552 and ME-512
All told, Vol. 2 here is absolutely flashier than Vol. 1, but I think Vol. 1 is probably a lot more beneficial day to day — absolutely for me. I think Vol. 2 is a good every-once-in-a-while palette, like a fancy dress that you only take out every once in a while…unless you wear colors like these everyday, in which case, good for you!

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But normally speaking I see this one as a lot more of a special event palette for me, or, in combination with a batch of neutrals, a good source of spunky accent colors.

PRICE: $42
AVAILABILITY: available now online and at make up For ever counters and Sephora
MAKEUP and appeal blog RATING: A- (only thing is, I think the three lightest shades are a tad redundant)

Your friendly neighborhood appeal addict,

Karen

excuse me, um…why doesn’t this tube have a cat on it?

Dear friendly person at Paul & Joe,

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A kitty cat somewhere on the packaging of your ideal makeup primer would have turned it into the most Purrrrfect makeup Primer, in my humble cray-cray cat lady opinion. Please take this under advisement for future product modifications. thank you.

Feline wordplay aside, $42 Paul & Joe ideal makeup primer is one of two new makeup primers coming from Paul & Joe this fall, and it does a little bit of everything. It’s a tinted gel makeup primer to prep skin for foundation by filling in pores and fine lines, and it also moisturizes and improves wear time while adding a sheer veil of tinted color.

This is the option you want if you’re seeking heavy-duty spackling.

Swatch of Paul & Joe ideal makeup primer in 02

It does what any good primer should, mellowing out my pores, and one pump does the trick for my entire face, leaving homegirl to wonder, “Where my pores at?!” The gel formula dries to a smooth, canvas-like powder finish ready for foundation shenanigans.

Like many Paul & Joe makeup, it has a strong fragrance. My nose detects notes of Russian Blue, Ragdoll and Siamese…

Totally kitten (kidding) ya! It smells like baby powder, orange flowers and jasmine.

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Paul & Joe ideal makeup primer arrives in two shades — 01, a slightly bright ochre, and 02, a natural ochre (and the shade I wear) — this August 2015 online and at Paul & Joe counters.

PRICE: $42
AVAILABILITY: Coming August 2015 to Paul & Joe counters and online
MAKEUP and charm blog RATING: A- (a great, albeit a tad pricey, all-around primer)

Your friendly neighborhood charm addict,

Karen

The Essie holiday 2015 fringe Luxeeffects Collection nail polishes ($8.50 each, available now online, at salons, drugstores and Ulta)
Like a confetti party for your paws, Essie’s four new holiday 2015 Luxeeffects nail polishes have So. Much. Glitter.

Glorious gobs of glittering, glistening, lens-flare inducing glitter!

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And the glitter comes in different shapes, colors and sizes, all of it suspended in a clear nail polish base, so you won’t be stuck staring at standard-issue sparkle. No, way. There’s gunmetal gray and pink glitter in fringe Factor, platinum and cobalt in Frilling Me Softly, copper and bronze in Tassel Shaker and maroon sparkly flecks in fashion Flares.

Essiei fashion Flares
Essie Tassel Shaker

Essie fringe Factor

Essie Frilling Me Softly

I’m wearing each of the four by themselves in the swatches here (two coats, by the way), but because they all have a clear base, you can also use them to add a glittery topcoat to something else.

Essie fashion Flares
Essie Tassel Shaker
Essie fringe Factor
Essie Frilling Me Softly
The little glitter strips totally remind me of confetti.

All four $8.50 bottles are limited edition, and you can find them now online and at salons, drugstores and Ulta.

The only thing is…yup, like most glitters, they’re tough as nails to remove (ha, get it?). I do it right after I get out of the shower, and I use Essie naturally clean Purifying polish Remover.

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Stuff is terrific at removing glitters.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

What do you perform in Napa on a long, lazy weekend?

You take a nap.

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Or two.

Or three. You know, #priorities.

My good friends Jen as well as Cindy as well as I all agreed that the primary thing we wished to do on our girls’ weekend in Napa last weekend had to include maximum relaxation, as well as yes, napping was on the agenda. At the end of the weekend we tallied up our naps, as well as right here are a few of the locations where we collectively napped…

The pool (not inside however near it)

The covered lounge area adjacent to the pool (next to a significant bowl of French fries!)

In the “Serenity Room” at the Meritage hotel health club Terra

In the heavy steam space inside the health club area

In the whirlpool lounge inside the health club area

In our hotel room

On the hotel patio

Haha! who understood that three women on holiday might sleep so much as well as in so lots of places?

Besides napping in Napa, we likewise had some yummy meals (my preferred was Sunday brunch at a adorable bistro called Grace’s Table in downtown Napa), as well as we did some sightseeing along the waterfront…

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It was a great time, however I’m glad to be back house in Novato. Napping in Napa is fun, however napping in Novato is quite great, too.

Your friendly community appeal addict,

Karen

OK, as soon as I saw this collection, I knew it would be ideal for my pal Pearl. She and I went to art school together and have long because loved collaborating.

We essentially just make pictures and push each other out of our comfort zones. She has remarkable style, and her makeup is typically just mascara and lipstick (if any at all). The limited edition Aveda Indian Sunset collection is ideal for gals like her who don’t typically wear bolder makeup but still want to try out some color.

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Aveda Nourish-Mint sheer Mineral Lip color in sheer Clove $17, Nourish-Mint Lip liner in spring rose $17, Petal Essence single Eye color in Desert Clay, Peach Nectar, Lilac Glow, and amethyst Dawn $15, Petal Essence face Accents in Tesserae and Apricot whisper $24, Petal Essence Eye Definer in Violet blossom and Sea fern $17
The collection includes 11 new shades for eyes and lips, including four shadows — two purples and two orange shades. My favorites are amethyst Dawn (a purple satin) and Desert Clay (a matte, earthy orange), which are the shades I used on Pearl’s lid and outer corner, respectively.

On Pearl’s skin tone, the earthy shades look really natural and completely enhance the sunflower-babe vibe she’s always got going on.

The purples vibrate so lovingly with the warm shades. I put Peach Nectar in her crease and Lilac glow in her inner corner.

This collection is ideal for gals like Pearl because the shadows do the work for you. I call shadows like these slap-and-go, and the sunset shades just go together so well.

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There are also two eyeliners in the range — Violet blossom and Sea fern — and both shades are gorgeous. I used the purple to add a little extra oomph to Pearl’s lash line. 

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Jewel tones like these will flatter anyone. because Pearl doesn’t typically wear makeup, the purple looks softer than black and did much more for the color story much more than brown would have.

The lip liner is a versatile shade that would work under numerous different nude lipsticks, but we chose just the liner. It’s a nude, which is still ideal for my slap-and-dash ladies, but it still complements the shadows. The warmth of the liner pairs with the earthy tones on the eyes, and the hint of pink plays into the soft violet tones as well, creating a cohesive look that isn’t monotonous. 

Overall, I think this is a spectacular collection for the season.

Time to get the show on the road.

Acutely aware of what seems to be a constellation forming on my chin…
This week, while browsing the web, I came across a post that said that June is Acne awareness Month.

Did you guys know about this? because I, your high oily-ness, did not.

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The post is an interesting roundup from the writers of the site about their acne, and it gave me a fair bit of amusement and some feelings of solidarity, because as someone who writes often about skincare and beauty and is in constant awe of makeup and the skills that people use to apply it, I’m also in constant awareness of my acne.

(Did you just think of mad Eye Moody yelling constant VIGILANCE? because I did. #harrypotternerd4life.)

Getting back to Acne awareness Month…I don’t know exactly how I feel about it. I feel like there are already “awareness” and “appreciation” months for everything nowadays. One could say that it would bring better awareness to taking care of your skin, but wait — September is already national Skin care awareness Month (and may is Skin cancer awareness Month).

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I’ve waxed poetic about my acne before, but it’s been flaring up more than usual lately, especially around my chin. The moisturizers and oils that (ironically) served me well for a few months aren’t helping anymore, and I’m still looking for something to use this summer (Murad has some very helpful articles on their website in honor of Acne awareness Month).

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Acne-wise, the things I struggle with the most are whiteheads, papules, pustules, and the occasional cyst (so, SO attractive).

I would like to think that sometimes I’m less aware of my acne, for my own sake, but when it comes down to it, it’s usually constantly in my awareness. It’s always there because, well, it’s front and center. It’s the first thing I notice when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I address before I go to bed.

Did you know that June is Acne awareness Month? and what do you think of the constant cycle of awareness/appreciation months?