A big hand-waving hi from sunny Novato, California!

Haaay! I’m back at home in the Bay after my birthday trip to new Orleans, and our frequently scheduled charm bloggery will resume on Monday.

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As you can probably imagine, my tabby employer was overjoyed to have his assistant back. He was so overjoyed, in fact, that he barely lifted a paw in protest when I said that I planned to showcase a couple much more of the cat pals I made in NOLA.

As it turns out, working as a shopkeeper cat is one of the most profitable feline gigs available in the city.

This particular white, orange and gray charm models for a local art gallery…

A woman working next door said about her — and I quote — “That cat is a monster!”

I didn’t believe it because she was purr-fectly professional during our interaction. She even let me pet her paw when I poked into the gallery.

I also chilled with this dainty diva, who worked at a competing local gallery down the street…

I told her that I loved her sense of style (you can’t go wrong with black satin and bling), and she rewarded me with headbutts and purrs.

I had a blast networking with NOLA’s very talented company kitties.

OK…that was a completely crazy cat lady thing to say, LOL!

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In other news, I’m glad to be home! I love traveling and exploring new places, but nothing compares to sleeping in your own cat hair-covered bed.

Your friendly neighborhood charm addict,

Karen

using NYX intense Butter Gloss in Funnel pleasure ($6, one of 12 shades)
Yesterday I used one of NYX’s new $6 intense Butter Glosses while eating a piece of intensely buttered brown bread at The Cheesecake Factory.

(You understand their brown bread, right? Man, I like that stuff.)

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I normally go simple on the butter because, you know, I figure I’ll just have to run it off eventually, however they brought out two hot loaves, as well as I thought, “Gee…I’m eating intensely buttered bread while using intense Butter Gloss.”

So I ate a lot.

Color me weird, however things like that bring me excellent joy. It’s all about the bit things, you know? You gotta get your kicks where you can.

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Three of the 12 new NYX intense Butter Glosses ($6 each) from the left: Apple Crisp, Tres Leches as well as Funnel Delight
Anywho, these truly do feel like butter on my lips — like I spread a thick, creamy layer of fresh churned butter (made by delighted cows, of course) on my kisser.

I keep believing that I’m going to have to do some cardio if I keep using them, badum tish!

They’re a brand new line, as well as NYX rolled out 12 intensely pigmented shades for spring.

NYX intense Butter Glosses from the left in Apple Crisp, Tres Leches as well as Funnel Delight
So far I’ve tried three of the shades — a red called Apple Crisp, a hot pink called Funnel pleasure as well as a nude called Tres Leches — as well as I believe the red one as well as the hot pink are hella impressive. brilliant (so intense that your natural lip color will be buried under an avalanche of pigment), opaque, full-coverage, as well as they apply smoothly, too.

But for me, the nude was the genuine test, since I have naturally pigmented lips, as well as a great deal of the time I have to jump with hoops to get nude shades to show up, however not this time. No concealer on my lips, no lip liner in advance — nothing. just my lips as well as the gloss. That’s it.

Swatches from the left of Funnel Delight, Tres Leches as well as Apple Crisp

These likewise last a quite long while — from 4-5 hours if I’m just hanging out at the shopping center playing hooky as well as getting shoes, however throw a meal into the mix as well as things change. In other words, if you’ll be eating heaps of buttered brown bread at The Cheesecake factory while using these, you’ll have to reapply after the meal.

Additional bullet points for the official makeup record:

Scent/flavor: They odor as well as taste faintly of butter cream frosting (yum). I don’t believe it’s obnoxious at all.

Applicator: Hell, indeed to the flocked doe-foot, which truly assists get the gloss all the method to the edges as well as corners of the lips.

Texture: They have a creamy, non-sticky, moderately thick formula.

NYX intense Butter Gloss in Tres Leches
NYX intense Butter Gloss in Apple Crisp
And did I mention that you won’t have to pledge your very first born kitten to a shady warlock with a hunchback in buy to put one of these in your purse? since they’re only $6.

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SIX DOLLA-DOLLA-BILLS, Y’ALL. let us all dance upon a hilltop at dawn with flowers in our hair as well as pray that the makeup goddesses do a BOGO at Ulta ASAP.

PRICE: $6 each
AVAILABILITY: offered now on the internet as well as at drugstores as well as Ulta
MAKEUP as well as appeal blog RATING: A+

Your friendly community appeal addict,

Karen

MAC Veluxe Pearlfusion shadow in Brownluxe ($40, available now in the MAC permanent collection)
One of the downsides of deep-cleaning one’s office (yes, operation get My Sh*t together is still ongoing) is finding a substantial mound of stale cat treats behind a box of eye palettes and realizing, “Holy freaking crap! I’m the woman who had a pile of stale cat treats in her office and has no idea how long they were there!”

It could have been days, weeks or even years, and frankly I’m surprised that Tabs didn’t find them, because I’m sure he would have “removed” them for me.

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Hey girl, haaaay!
Before you click away thinking, “This woman is crazy,” I do have a point, and it is this: one of the upsides of deep-cleaning one’s office is rediscovering long-loved and lost gems like MAC Brownluxe Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadow.

If you like wearing eyeshadow but feel like your blending skills are lacking, and/or you’re typically in a hurry to get out the door, and/or you can’t bear the thought of buffing out three layers of Soft brown with your 217, YOU need THIS IN YOUR LIFE.

“Five complementary shades that glide on and blend beautifully for infinite day-to-night looks: egg shell, frosty orange gold, light yellow chocolate, deep bronze, blackened plum with pearl. Matte to highly pearlized finish.”

— maccosmetics.com

MAC Brownluxe
MAC Brownluxe belongs to the Veluxe Pearlfusion shadow family, a group of powder shadow palettes in the MAC permanent line. It’s one of eight Veluxe Pearlfusion palettes available now for $40 each.

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A few of the MAC Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadows…
The MAC Veluxe Pearlfusions have a different formula than the regular MAC powder shadows that come in the round pans. Softer and silkier, they feel almost creamy to the touch.

Each Veluxe Pearlfusion palette (Plumluxe, Copperluxe, Peachluxe, etc.) has its own distinct color theme, and within each palette, you get five Veluxe Pearlfusion shadows hand-selected to work together in that particular theme.

Browluxe, one of my favorites in the Veluxe Pearlfusion fam, has a soft, shimmery eggshell beige; a satiny, medium golden tan; a glittery, orangey gold; a shimmery chocolate; and a shimmery, deep plummy brown — all colors that I could happily wear daily for the rest of my life based on how I’ve been feeling lately, ’cause I’ve been all about #datneutrallife.

Swatches of MAC Veluxe Pearlfusion shadow in Brownluxe on my NC42 skin
But it’s not just the Brownluxe colors that I like. The Veluxe Pearlfusion formula is also just plain fab. It’s really, really easy to blend. even if you’re completely new to eyeshadow, I think you could do a look incorporating two or three (or maybe even all five!) of these colors, and have it turn out looking like you know exactly what you’re doing.

I don’t know what kind of cosmetic witchery is at work, but it’s probably related to the creamy formula. Erasing edges between the colors and creating diffused gradients that seamlessly transition from light to dark, which are telltale signs of someone who’s been blending for a while, is easy with these shadows.

Brownluxe is the best if you’re always running late (story of my life). I wore it yesterday to a meeting in the city with some beauty folks, and I only had 20 minutes to do a full face of makeup from start to finish. Brownluxe helped me quickly do a neutral cat eye, which I paired with a bright hot pink lip (MAC Pink Pigeon), and I think it turned out looking like I spent 45 minutes instead of 20.

Wearing MAC Brownluxe on my eyes

I really do believe that Brownluxe would be terrific for anyone new to blending shadows. Newbies, I’m talking to you! You’d have a good time with it, and later, after you’ve explored and experimented more with color, you’d be able to work these same neutrals into your brighter looks.

There are a couple of other things I should also mention…like the shape of the Veluxe Pearlfusion pans. They’re long and thin, so don’t even bother trying to use a big eye brush. It would just pick up color from neighboring pans. When I work with these, I always use brushes with smaller brush heads like the MAC 239 and MAC 217, and occasionally I’ll get a pencil brush up in the mix, like if I’m smudging out my lash lines.

Also, be sure to tap your brush first to remove any excess and reduce fallout. I say again: tap your brush first. tap YOUR brush FIRST.

You really ought to tap your brush first. because some of these shadows do exhibit a little fallout. but it’s not a substantial amount.

Wearing MAC Brownluxe on my eyes
And then there are the flattering finishes. Girl, as I grow up (haha), things like the way a shimmery product reads on my skin really, really matter, and I love the way these shimmer. They look silky smooth on lids, even lids with fine lines (ahem, like mine). It’s almost like you’re wearing softly glowing crushed pearls… It’s very elegant, and akin to what you might find over at Chanel.

The wear time is also wicked. I had a long day yesterday, and even after 12 hours, I could still see the Brownluxe shadows shimmering softly on my lids (for reference, I have combination oily/dry skin).

I feel like I should spread the Brownluxe love. I’ll talk about it with anybody who’ll listen, and if you’ve made it this far down this post, I hope you give it a try. I think you’ll find something wonderful.

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

The MAC Unsung Heroes series (a subset of my regular Unsung makeup Heroes series) features some of my all-time favorite products from MAC’s permanent collection

MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Fleur Power Blush
MAC Unsung Heroes: Swiss chocolate Eyeshadow
MAC Unsung Heroes: Costa Riche Eye Kohl
MAC Unsung Heroes: Mineralize Skinfinish Natural
MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC extra dimension Eye shadow in Havana
MAC Unsung Heroes: Chicory Lip Pencil
MAC Unsung Heroes: Smoked Almond Lipstick
MAC Unsung Heroes: half ‘n half Lipstick
MAC Unsung Heroes: Chili Lipstick
MAC Unsung Heroes: Coffee Eye Pencil
MAC Unsung Heroes: Mineralize Skinfinish in global Glow
MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC extra dimension Eye shadow in Havana
MAC Unsung Heroes: retro Matte liquid Lipcolour in Burnt Spice
MAC Unsung Heroes: Mineralize Foundation/Loose
MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC giddy Lustre Lipstick
MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC studio fix fluid Foundation
MAC Unsung Heroes: Amorous Alloy Eyeshadow
MAC Unsung Heroes: texture Eyeshadow
MAC Unsung Heroes: Prep + Prime 24-Hour extend Eye Base
MAC Unsung Heroes: Swiss chocolate Eyeshadow
MAC Unsung Heroes: Saddle Eyeshadow
Unsung Heroes: MAC In extra dimension waterproof Mascara
MAC Unsung Heroes: Minted Eye Kohl
MAC Unsung Heroes: Take the Plunge Technakohl Liner
MAC Unsung Heroes: Cork Eye Shadow
MAC Unsung Heroes: 221 mini Tapered Blending Brush
MAC Unsung Heroes: Matchmaster shade intelligence Compact
MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Oh My Mocha Eye Shadow
MAC Unsung Heroes: pro Longwear waterproof Colour Stick in Lilacked
MAC Unsung Heroes: Satin Taupe Eye Shadow
MAC Unsung Heroes: High Tea Lipstick
MAC Unsung Heroes: Blooz Eye Kohl
MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Fleur Power Blush
MAC Unsung Heroes: Layin’ low paint Pot
MAC Unsung Heroes: Constructivist paint Pot
MAC Unsung Heroes: Prep + Prime Fix+
MAC Unsung Heroes: Mineralize Skinfinish Natural
MAC Unsung Heroes: Persistence Matte Lipstick
MAC Unsung Heroes: Veluxe Pearlfusion shadow in Brownluxe
MAC Unsung Heroes: Costa Riche Eye Kohl
MAC Unsung Heroes: The studio Chromagraphic Pencils
MAC Unsung Heroes: Brun Eye Shadow
MAC Unsung Heroes: Staunchly stylish pro Longwear Lip Pencil
MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC warm soul Mineralize Blush
MAC Unsung Heroes: reflects Antique Gold Glitter
MAC Unsung Heroes: style Blush
MAC Unsung Heroes: Shaping Powder in Lightsweep
MAC Unsung Heroes: pro Longwear paint Pot in Painterly
MAC Unsung Heroes: era Eye Shadow
MAC Unsung Heroes: Bronze Eye Shadow
MAC Unsung Heroes: Honey Lust Eye Shadow
MAC Unsung Heroes: sun rush Lustre Drops
MAC Unsung Heroes: nice Buzz Plushglass
MAC Unsung Heroes: 33 Lash
MAC Unsung Heroes: Shale Eyeshadow
MAC Unsung Heroes: harmony Blush
MAC Unsung Heroes: Careblends pressed Powder
MAC Unsung Heroes: fulfilled Plushglass
MAC Unsung Heroes: Bamboom Paint
MAC Unsung Heroes: Sublime Nature Paint
MAC Unsung Heroes: face and Body Foundation
MAC Unsung Heroes: Prunella Eye Kohl
MAC Unsung Heroes: The 239 Eye Shader Brush
MAC Unsung Heroes: Greensmoke Eyeshadow
MAC Unsung Heroes: Ample Pink Plushglass
MAC Unsung Heroes: Indianwood paint Pot
MAC Unsung Heroes: Bare study paint Pot
MAC Unsung Heroes: Rubenesque paint Pot
MAC Unsung Heroes: tarnish Eye Kohl
MAC Unsung Heroes: big baby Plushglass
MAC Unsung Heroes: Kohl Power Pencil liner in Feline
MAC Unsung Heroes: format Blush
MAC Unsung Heroes: Ambering rose Blush
MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Iridescent Powder/Loose in Silver Dusk
MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Iridescent Powder/Loose in golden Bronze
MAC Unsung Heroes: C-Thru Lipglass
MAC Unsung Heroes: Fresh Flare pro Longwear Eye Shadow
MAC Unsung Heroes: Viva Glam V Lipglass
MAC Unsung Heroes: Loud & lovely Cremesheen Glass
MAC Unsung Heroes: Viva Glam VI Lipglass
MAC Unsung Heroes: breezy Sheertone Shimmer Blush
MAC Unsung Heroes: care blends vital Oils, Grapefruit + Chamomile
MAC Unsung Heroes: Prep + Prime Vibrancy Eye Primer
MAC Unsung Heroes: right image Cremesheen Glass
MAC Unsung Heroes: Modesty Cremesheen Lipstick
MAC Unsung Heroes: double dare Cremesheen Lipglass
MAC Unsung Heroes: Bamboo Eyeshadow
MAC Unsung Heroes: speak Louder Cremesheen Lipstick
MAC Unsung Heroes: Sandy B Lipstick
MAC Unsung Heroes: Club Eyeshadow
MAC Unsung Heroes: uniform Technakohl Liner
MAC Unsung Heroes: sweet satisfaction pro Longwear Eyeshadow
MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Red Lipstick
MAC Unsung Heroes: lady danger Lipstick
MAC Unsung Heroes: temptingEyeshadow
MAC Unsung Heroes: Ruby Woo Lipstick
MAC Unsung Heroes: Retrospeck Eyeshadow
MAC Unsung Heroes: Eyeshadow in Phloof!
MAC Unsung Heroes: Twig Lipstick
MAC Unsung Heroes: Creme in Your Coffee Lipstick

The catastrophe of Tabby, prince of Novato
Act III, Scene I

Enter prince Tabby, Queen Karen, Left turn the Black Cat, Thug the Russian Blue as well as Lords.

TABS: To highlight or not to highlight — that is the question.

Whether ’tis nobler in the condo to experience the humiliating family pets as well as chin scratches of outrageous fortune, or to raise paws against a sea of troubles, as well as by opposing, end them. To eat, to nap — perchance to dream; ay, there’s the stomach rub.

Wait, what the heck is prince Tabby speaking about!? I don’t understand about him, however speaking for myself, there is absolutely NO concern about it. I am always, always down for highlighting, as well as right here are my five top picks for “Best Highlighter.” These are the ones I wear the most.

Best daily Highlighter: hourglass Ambient Powder in luminous Light ($45)

It’s incredible to me exactly how this champagne pearl pressed powder barely appears like I’ve made a dent in it, when I’ve been using it quite consistently — often for weeks on end — for the past few years.

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That’s a quite great thing to know, that a single pan of anything might last up until forever, or up until Skynet ultimately takes over (whichever comes first).

What I like about luminous Light — I mean, other than the name, since don’t a lot of gals like the concept of being bathed in luminous light? — is the finish. On the skin it appears like expensive, luxurious velvet bathed in the light of a buttery late summertime afternoon.

Ah…

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The sheen is unlike anything else I’ve seen before. Soft as well as subtle, yet still noticeable, as well as it’s oh, so forgiving of big pores as well as fine lines (hallelujah!).

All told, this one’s my preferred everyday, all-occasion highlighter in the world!

$45; offered now at hourglass counters as well as online.

Best Highlighter for a Dewy Finish: MAC cream Colour Base in Hush ($22)

Hush!

No, you can talk. I was referring to MAC Hush, which I like for its flexibility. It’s a soft peach with subtle shimmer, as well as I like it just about any type of which way/any exactly how — on bare skin, on top of tinted moisturizer, foundation, even on top of powder. Whenever I’m aiming for a lot more of a dewy, wet look, out comes Hush.

All I do is utilize my fingers to apply as well as blend it, normally on my upper cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose as well as on my Cupid’s bow, as well as it takes all however a minute to use.

I likewise believe it looks amazer-ing in pics.

Oh! — as well as you can likewise utilize it as an eyeshadow base. Score!

$22; offered now at MAC counters as well as online.

Best Highlighter for remarkable Looks: BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector pressed in Opal ($38)

Good ol’ Opal. exactly how lots of pans of it have I gone with over the years?

Three? Four…? I’ve lost count.

BECCA has lots of marvelous Shimmering Skin Perfector pressed options, however Opal is the one I wear most, by far. It’s a incredibly shiny golden opal pearl, as well as for remarkable highlights, it’s unbeatable. Unlike standard-issue high-shine highlighters, of which there are many, it’s the extremely meaning of luminous, as well as the total antithesis of extreme as well as metallic, so skin glows seemingly from within with wonderful eldritch power without appearing oily.

It’s so friggin’ great that when I had to pick a single highlighter to wear on the red carpet to the Emmy’s last year, I went with Opal. There was no concern about it.

Fun tip: to open up the eyes as well as make them look as big, bright as well as large as possible, lightly apply Opal in the inner corners of the eyes, as well as just above as well as below the greatest point in the arch of your brows.

$38; offered now at Ulta, BECCA counters as well as online.

Best Highlighter to wear With Pink Blush: Smashbox combination Soft Lights in Baked Starblush ($32)

This quiet, subtle pearlescent pink powder is my “halfway” highlighter. Shinier than hourglass luminous Light however less shiny than BECCA Opal, Baked Starblush comes out whenever I wear a pink blush, since I believe it looks incredible with warm, awesome as well as neutral pink blushes.

$32; offered now at Ulta, Smashbox counters as well as online.

Best Highlighter for Multitasking MAC Iridescent Powder/Loose in golden Bronze as well as Silver Dusk ($23 each)

Sadly (horrifically), these were discontinued right here in the us (WHY, MAC, WHY?!?!), however I had to provide them a shout-out anyway since I believe they’re so damn good.

You may still be able to discover them outside the united states (or, maybe be able to track them down on eBay), as well as if you do, think about yourself lucky, since these powders are epically wonderful.

I discovered out about them from MAC senior artist as well as all-around incredible feline woman Keri Blair, who pointed out someday that she utilized them all the time for bridal looks. She called them her unsung heroes from the line.

Soooooo, the next day I went out as well as gotten both of them, LOL! Silver Dusk is a shimmery, silvery pinkish beige (great for cooler skin tones), as well as golden Bronze is a peachy golden bronze (looks amaze-balls on warm skin). Basically, these are like loose powder versions of the BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfectors, however with an even a lot more nuanced pearlescent finish.

A teeny, small bit goes a long way! I like to apply them with a tapered eyeshadow blending clean like the MAC 224, for precision.

These are mighty multitaskers, too! For dewy skin, just mix a bit with your foundation or tinted moisturizer. Or, for a gorgeous sheen on your arms as well as legs, sprinkle a bit on a blob of body moisturizer or body oil, as well as then massage directly on the skin.

Swatches from the left: hourglass luminous Light, MAC Hush, BECCA Opal, MAC Silver Dusk as well as MAC golden Bronze
Smashbox combination Soft Lights in Baked Starblush
Quick (non-makeup) concern for ya…

Have you ever utilized airbnb.com, as well as if you have, did you have a great or a poor experience? I haven’t utilized it before, however I’m believing about it for an upcoming trip because, OMG, hotel prices? They are out of freakin’ control!

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Some of the locations I’m seeing on airbnb look truly nice. I’m just anxious about renting a location that looks fantastic in pics however having it turn out to be sketchy in genuine life, you know? Please assist a feline woman out! I requirement a short holiday right here quite soon.

Your friendly community appeal addict,

Karen

When your feline asks you to contour his cheeks, of program you state yes…
I’ve done event makeup for household members, as well as they seemed quite happy with the results, so yeah, I believe I might do it, particularly if the makeup wasn’t as well involved. I can handle smoky eyes, or winged liner as well as red lips, or a soft neutral bridal look, however a cray-cray cut crease with intense drag queen-caliber contouring? most likely not.

Well, maybe…if I had an entire day to work on it.

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Eyeliner, though, is one of those things that’s always difficult for me to do on other people since I’m terrified of poking someone’s eye out! Also, lash curling, again, for the exact same reason…

If you do makeup on other people as well as have any type of suggestions, please let me understand in the comments! I believe it’s definitely a different skill than doing makeup on yourself.

So, today’s million-dollar question? presuming you don’t already, do you believe you might do somebody else’s makeup? as well as if you have done it before, exactly how did it go?

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Your friendly community beauty addict,

Karen

P.S.

The $44 comprise For ever artist combination volume 3 – Florals
I understand that April showers are supposed to bring may flowers, however what about the January showers? What do we get for all of those? LOL!

Hurry up with the flowers already please! perhaps just an early spring bloom?

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And may I suggest tulips as well as freesia? I believe they’d go well with the new $44 comprise For ever artist combination volume 3 – Florals.

Make Up For ever artist combination volume 3 – Florals
Make Up For ever artist combination volume 3 – Florals
How quite is that very first row? I wanna smear that blue, purple as well as taupe around my… I was gonna state lids, however heck, I want everything over my body! then I’d put it on Tabs, too, so we might be all matchy-matchy.

Yes…I’m a crazy feline lady.

Swatches of the comprise For ever artist combination volume 3 – Florals

More swatches…
And even more swatches…
All nine of the shadows in Florals are re-promoted shades from the comprise For ever long-term line, as well as at 0.05 ounces each, the pans are somewhat smaller than the routine 0.07-oz. singles MUFE offers individually.

The nine-pan combination includes…

ME-230, a metallic peacock blue

I-544, an iridescent pink granite

ME-930, a metallic blackened purple

D-236, a lagoon blue with a diamond finish

I-804, an iridescent golden pink

I-918, an iridescent lavender

S-404, a satin straw yellow

ME-512, a metallic golden beige

I-528, an iridescent pearl

What do you think? Does this get a no, or a big, blooming yes? Do you have any type of of these shadows already?

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If you’re feelin’ Florals, it’s offered now for $44 at Sephora stores as well as online.

Your friendly community beauty addict,

Karen

wearing the new urban Decay Vice3 ($60) palette on my eyes
Vice, thrice. Nice!

I delight in humming the Miami Vice theme song to myself when I use the new urban Decay Vice3 palette ($60).

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Duun-dah-dun, dah-dahdun dah-dah-dahda-dun.

Dahdun-dahdun-dun-dun-dun, dahda-dun-dahdun-dahdun-dun-dun-dun…

Why?

Because I can.

Inside the palette…
So much Vice
But that’s just one of numerous reasons to break into song while using this palette, with another being the included cute matchy-matchy clutch.

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(In some circles, I go by the nickname “Clutch Collector,” or “Hoarder of Bags,” or “Lover of Anything She Can stuff Gel Pens and cat treats Into…That Still Zips Up.”)

The newest in Vice from urban Decay…
The new case is one of several tweaks urban Decay made to Vice3, the new followup to their popular Vice and Vice2 palettes. The brand also trimmed it down, making it slimmer and simpler to travel with (this Vice is goin’ places!); raised the price by a taco (that’s $1 in layman’s terms); changed the layout; and included 20 new eyeshadow shades.

Follow the rows down vertically

The shadows are grouped together by column, with coordinating neutrals in the column on the far left, jewel tones in middle columns and smokey shades in the column on the far right.

I don’t know why, but this layout works well for me. I find it easy to wrap my head around and, oddly, quite thrilling…like petting my cat with my bare feet or biting into a cold slice of leftover pizza.

Maybe it’s ’cause each column looks like the colors in a standalone quad.

Instead of a palette with shadows that seem haphazardly strewn about — hello, Vice and Vice 2 — Vice3 is laid out like five quads, each with a distinct personality, and for me that one change makes this palette, among the Vices, simpler to use.

Yeah, I’m pretty sure I’ll be grabbing this often.

Swatches from the left: Truth, Undone, Downfall and DTF
Dragon, Freeze, Heroine and Brokedown
Vanity, Lucky, reign and Bobby Dazzle
Alien, Alchemy, Bondage and Sonic
Last Sin, Angel, Defy and Revolver
Back of the palette
With a MAC Lipglass for scale…
Wearing Downfall in the crease, lucky on the lids, reign on the upper lash line and outer corner, Last sin in the center of the lids, and Bobby Dazzle in the inner corner

As urban Decay fans might expect, UD unleashed the proverbial pigment hounds unto these shades! Plus, they’re easy to blend and last for me from 10-12 hours.

But dude…the fallout? With the technology we have now — we can send unmanned probes 34.8 million miles to Mars — we can’t avoid eyeshadow from leaping off brushes and landing on our cheekbones?

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Until that marvelous day arrives, you will find me, Vice3 and my eye brushes doing our best Morse code impressions, tap-tap-tapping away the excess powder before applying these shadows to my lids.

PRICE: $60
AVAILABILITY: Coming soon to Sephora, Ulta and select Macy’s stores; and coming September 13 to urbandecay.com
MAKEUP and charm blog RATING: A-

Your friendly neighborhood charm addict,

Karen

Giorgio Armani Cheek fabric in 503 Daybreak, $46
Daybreak.

Wasn’t that an Ethan Hawke film about vampires?

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Or was it Daybreakers?

Sorry… never mind.

Giorgio Armani’s $46 Cheek fabric in Daybreak 503 might not have enough bite for the ladies league of plush Pigment Vampires because 1) its apricot sheen is surprisingly subtle on skin, and 2) it’s practically $50.

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But if you don’t mind spending a pretty penny (or rather, 4,600 of them) and like makeup that doesn’t look obvious, or you want a blush to wear with bolder eye looks, ch-ch-ch-check it out…

When I want to keep the focus solely on my eyes, like when I’m a wearing a black, gray and/or taupe smokey eye look, I’ll apply Daybreak and swipe a pale nude gloss on my lips.

On my combo dry/oily skin, I get about between 8-10 hours of wear from Daybreak (from about dusk till daybreak, in fact).

I’m also wearing the urban Decay Naked2 basics palette and Armani’s Black Ecstasy Mascara on on my eyes, and hourglass extreme Sheen Lipgloss in Origami on my lips
Even though it’s very subtle (and possibly too quiet for some), I think of Daybreak as one of the much more interesting blushes I’ve ever worn because of the way the powder lays on the skin. It’s as if it clings to the surface, and it practically feels like I’m wearing nothing at all. Très elegant.

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The color is kinda interesting, too. The apricot pigment shows up on my cheeks but still lets a lot of my natural skin tone through.

Apparently, Armani developed it that way. They combine pure pigments with a transparent base, so that when you apply the blush to your skin, it looks soft and luminous.

Daybreak is part of the permanent line and was recently re-promted with Armani’s new fall collection. It’s available now with the rest of its fall cohorts.

PRICE: $46
AVAILABILITY: Permanent, and available now at Giorgio Armani charm counters and online
MAKEUP and charm blog RATING: B+

With a MAC Lipglass for scale

easier than a bathroom remodel: Molton brown Body Wash
Leave it to Molton brown to turn the act of scrubbing away all of the schtuff that gets stuck to your skin throughout the day (tabby fur, glitter, Nutella…) into a full-on spa experience.

A shower is more than merely a shower when you lather up with one of their glamorous body washes. They turn shower time into a mini spa session, and they’re hundreds of dollars cheaper than a five-star Tahitian resort (although at $30 a bottle they aren’t exactly cheap).

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I’ve been bouncing back and forth between their Gingerlily gel (fragrance family: floriental; has notes of ginger oil, tuberose, cedar and white lily) and the Orange & Bergamot (fragrance family: citrus; a zesty scent with notes of bergamot, neroli, musk and Seville orange). Both build into a luscious, sudsy lather, and when I’m done using one, my bathroom smells like a garden.

If you’re a sucker for fancy body washes, give ’em a sniff one of these days. For me, they hit the spot. A 10-oz. bottle goes for $30 (the bottles pictured here in this post are the smaller 3-oz. samples; the regular bottles are much larger).

Gingerlily and Orange & Bergamot are available now at Neiman Marcus stores, Molton brown counters and moltonbrown.com.

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Molton brown Gingerlily Body Wash
P.S. On my walk this morning with Tabs, guess who stalked a mouse (or perhaps another rodent)?

No, it wasn’t me.

We were walking behind the house on the hill under some tall trees where the ground is covered by a thick layer of leaves, when Tabs saw something moving under the leaves and pounced! He dug both paws into the pile and darted around, and then his entire head plunged into the leaves like he was diving under water. I freaked out!

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I tugged on his leash a little because I didn’t know if it was a snake, and we do have rattlesnakes around here. Whatever it was must have gotten away because Tabs came out empty-handed/pawed, but it was close.

Just another exciting episode in the life of an acclaimed kitty supermodel/hunter…

P.P.S. happy hump day, my friend! Did you do anything fun for St. Patrick’s Day night? El Hub and I made tacos (yes, I know they aren’t Irish), but we did go to our favorite Irish pub earlier for lunch.

Dear Tabby is written by Tabs the cat, commonly thought about “the world’s very first plus-size kitty supermodel.” established in mid 2012, it has swiftly ended up being the most prominent feline recommendations column on earth — understood for its fresh, feline point of view on lifestyle, fashion as well as style problems affecting cats as well as humans.

Aspiring singer trying to discover his voice

The hills are aliiiive, with the noise of MEOW-siiiic!

Dear Tabby,

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Oh, my gosh! I can’t even begin to tell you exactly how much I like singing. It’s all I believe about. singing in the morning, singing at night, singing when I’m just walking around the house. It’s my passion.

I’m always singing! — except not around other cats, though, or people, which I understand is weird, however I haven’t truly done much singing professionally yet because, well…I’m still a kitten, as well as likewise since I have quite horrible stage fright.

Really. It’s extremely bad, Tabby. It’s so poor that I can’t even meow. I just freeze up as well as stand there shaking.

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Have you ever had stage fright before? I don’t envision you have, since you’re so famous, however I believed I’d ask anyway. I mean, do you ever get anxious before you perform? If so what do you do?

-A Terrified Tenor

Fa-la-la-la-laaa!

DEAR TERRIFIED TENOR: any individual who tells you that they never get anxious or terrified in front of groups is either being funny or fibbing. everybody gets stage fright sometimes. It’s totally natural.

The thing is, it truly does get much easier the a lot more you perform, as well as the a lot more you put yourself out there. You begin to realize, “Heck, what’s the worst that might happen?” So you miss a note or fail to remember your lyrics or something. assumption what? even when it does happen, it’s not a huge deal. You’ll be fine. as well as you’ll get much better over time if you just hang in there, as well as chalk it as much as practice.

An unlikely friendship

Dear Mr. Tabby,

First, I must state that I’m a huge fan of yours, sir. I’m also…

Well this is a bit uncomfortable for me, as well as I’m not precisely sure exactly how to proceed, however basically, I am a member of the canine persuasion. I am what they frequently refer to as “a dog.” however I am likewise a feline fan, which is what brings me to my reason for contacting you.

See, it’s about my good friend Charles, who is an orange tabby cat. He is likewise the absolute finest good friend that I have ever had.

As you can most likely imagine, this has been a source of drama in our regional pet dog community. a few of my colleagues have questioned my integrity. Some have even gone so far as to concern my sanity, however they don’t understand Charles like I do. He’s fluffy as well as funny as well as exciting, as well as we have a great deal of fun together.

I just don’t want to have to select between Charles as well as my canine brothers. Tabby, from what you understand about dogs, do you believe Charles as well as I will ever discover acceptance, or do you believe it’s a lost cause?

-Roof Times

I’m an optimistic tabby

DEAR roofing TIMES: I wouldn’t phone call myself a trusting kitty since I’m really extremely territorial, however I have understood some dogs who were great people.

I’m hopeful that things will get better. The world absolutely needs a lot more canine feline crusaders, however I believe everything boils down to education. Dogs just requirement to understand that cats aren’t just playthings that are created for chasing. We’re likewise quite great business when you get to understand us.

Maybe you might begin by holding a gathering for regional cats as well as your pet dog friends. keep it incredibly low key, as well as perhaps have voluntary muzzles offered as well as assign different areas for cats as well as dogs while everybody sniffs things out as well as gets to understand each other.

Kitten dreams of breaking barriers

Dear Tabby,

I want to be the very first American Ninja Warrior cat, as well as I am completely dedicated to doing whatever it takes to make this happen.

Who am I? Well, my name is Trevor, as well as I’m a bit under a year old now, however I’ve been doing parkour as well as training in trick for the past six months.

The reason I train in trick is since of my mom cat. She’s terrified that I might hurt myself, as well as she’s extremely old fashioned as well as strict.

I’m wondering now, as the championship approaches, if I must keep training in trick as well as just wait to see if I get caught, or if I must face my mom feline now as well as tell her that this is what I want to make with my life. What must I do?

-Trevor the Ninja Warrior Cat

Always keep in mind to stretch

DEAR TREVOR: Bravo as well as finest of luck to you for reaching for the stars! I have to say, I do like that show. If I were your age, I may even provide it a try.

Here’s the deal: at some point in your life, you’re going to have to discover exactly how to stand up of what you believe in, as well as it’s much better that you discover this lesson sooner than later. For something that you feel this passionate about, I believe your mom will ultimately come around. It may take a bit while though…

A feline wonders if honesty is the very best policy

Dear Tabby,

I’ve been out of town for a while, however I’ve type of struck up a long-distance connection with somebody remotely. We’ve ended up being pen pals, as well as we talk about all type of things in our letters, like our preferred magazines (she likes feline elegant just as much as I do!) as well as our really hopes as well as dreams (I hope to own a sushi bar someday, as well as she really hopes to ended up being a literary agent).

My present living circumstance is about to considerably change, as well as I’m going to begin having substantially a lot more complimentary time. I’m truly looking ahead to satisfying my pen pal, as well as I want our very first satisfying to go well. Do you believe I must be truthful about whatever from the get-go as well as tell her where I’ve been for the past 3-5 years (it’s a long story), or must I gloss over the details in the beginning as well as see where things go?

-Locked Up as well as trying to find Love

I cherish the long-lost art of letter writing

DEAR LOCKED UP: Not understanding the details of your time away, I believe you must tell her.

Probably ideal away.

It may be hard, however I believe your connection will be much better for it. I hope everything goes well.

Modeling in the digital age

Dear Tabby,

My twin kitties are up-and-coming junior kitty supermodels, as well as I work full-time as their momager. As a former kitty design myself, I understand a great deal about the business, however when I was modeling, it was well before social media, so I’m like clueless when it pertains to technology.

What are a few of your top Instagram tips?

-Chanel

Social media is social marketing

DEAR CHANEL: (Love your name, BTW.) You’re extremely smart to acknowledge the value of social media. My advice? publish consistently, utilize a similar style across all of your pictures, don’t favor one kitten over the other, try to catch candid moments when you can, as well as cultivate each kitten’s own special personality.

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Best of luck to you as well as your brood!

Affectionately yours,

Tabs