ftzys – Page 13 – 175+ Post Ideas for Beauty

Author: ftzys

How numerous bad haircuts have You Had?

Posted on December 23, 2022 by ftzys

Shoot, how much time do you have, because we could be here all day.

ALL DAY.

Honestly, I can’t even make an accurate estimate, but it’s upwards of 12, maybe as high as 20, and I know that sounds like a lot, but I’ve lived through numerous haircuts gone wrong.

Let’s see… Off the top my head, there was that one in first grade when my grandma, who was attending cosmetology school at the local community college at the time, convinced my mother that it was in the family’s best interest to give me a bowl cut and a tight poodle perm.

It did not end well. shortly after the perm grew out, The Ralph Macchio cut happened.

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SERIOUSLY, WHAT WAS MY mother thinking letting ALL THESE people DO crazy things TO MY HAIR!?

There were also various bad haircuts in middle school, one involving a Princess Diana haircut that went very wrong… I’m gonna leave your imagination to that one.

In high school a series of awful layered bangs, but that was my own damn fault. I typically cut my own hair bear bangs and had no idea what I was doing.

For several years in college I got a small respite because my hair was long, and I didn’t have the extra cash to do stuff to it, but when I started working full-time in my 20s, gurrrrrl — that’s when sh*t really hit the fan. I had just enough money in my pocket to go to beauty salons where ladies got their hair “DONE”, but the done I was doing rarely worked out. My hair is naturally wavy, and back then it seemed like hardly anybody knew what to finish with it, like that one time when the person who cut my hair into what was expected to be a J.Lo-inspired shag used a razor… I ended up with a mullet, and not a pseudo mullet, but a full-on ’80s mullet with a rat tail!

I wore my hair up for months after that! (I also developed a severe worry of razor cuts that didn’t go away until I met my friend/hair whisperer Alis.)

There was also the person who cut my hair the day before she was scheduled to leave on a three-month trip to Thailand… I guess her mind was on packing for vacation, because she completely changed the direction my hair parted.

Oh, and all of the lopsided hair cuts… SO numerous OF THEM! ’tis the curse of wavy hair with a varied curl pattern.

When you answer this question, I hope you get to say “never,” or “only once or twice,” because growing out a bad haircut seems to take roughly forever.

Anyway, let me know! and let me know what you did last night! Did you score lots of candy? ?? Connor kept grabbing handfuls of Swedish Fish, even though I kept aggressively whispering “Get the Snickers for mommy!!!”

Your friendly neighborhood charm addict,

Karen

Unsung makeup Heroes: urban Decay Rehab makeup Prep Lip love

Posted on December 22, 2022 by ftzys

the best lip balm!
I realize that I keep talking about this lip balm, but it’s THAT. GOOD. I’ve gotten to the point where I have tubes everywhere. I have one on my nightstand. I have one in my Kate Spade wristlet… I’m thinking now that I also need to keep one in my car.

It’s urban Decay Rehab makeup Prep Lip Love, and it’s $15, which, you know, is much more expensive than something you can get from the drugstore for less than five bucks, but it’s really, really, really comfy and moisturizing.

Oh, my goodness! I barely even feel it. It’s a little slippery, but it’s not thick or heavy or sticky. and because it isn’t too thick, the balm also lays well underneath lipsticks and lipglosses, so it’s great for prepping your lips before color.

I realized just how much I really love it after I swatched a whole bunch of lipsticks last week, and my lips felt like I’d been making out with a bag of broken glass afterward. Lip love essentially rescued my lips from flaky oblivion and restored them to their previously smooooove state.

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of numerous makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

I’ve read that some folks find the flavor to be a turnoff. I don’t mind it so much… I actually kind like it. It’s a little bit coconut and shea butter, which is good because it has both shea butter and coconut oil in it, and for the most part I think it’s nondescript.

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Before Lip Love, I was hardcore into the Nuxe Reve De Miel lip balm, which I still love, but it’s in a pot, and I don’t like putting my finger into it, especially when I’m outside of the house and touching things.

Lip love comes in a convenient tube, which just makes everything easier. Oh, and I was also hardcore into the hourglass Lip Oil, which I still adore…but it’s very expensive ($42). This is 15 bucks, so it’s still a treat. It’s about the price of a pan of eyeshadow, but it’s something I can use every day.

It might be strange to be so into a lip balm, but I’m LIVING FOR THIS. Off to go get another one for my car…

Your friendly neighborhood charm addict,

Karen

Makeup and appeal blog Monday Poll, Vol. 579

Posted on December 20, 2022 by ftzys

So…what is the Monday Poll?

Excellent question! It isn’t, in contrast to its name, an actual poll, like with little clicky buttons. It’s just a list of five a lot more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007). I love reading your answers, and it helps me get my week off to a good start.

1. Your preferred nail shape?

Slightly squared like a very tired, very lazy oval. So not overly square.

2. What would happen if you rubbed your cat’s belly?

I realize that lots of kitties aren’t down with stomach rubs, but Tabs loved the tum-tum action. He would always purr when I rubbed his stomach fur, which was longer than the rest of his coat. one of my favorite things to do was to run my fingers through that delicious stomach meat!

3. What TV shows are you currently watching?

I’m bouncing back and forth between Claws (although I’m getting to where I need a break), American Ninja Warrior, The bold type and Black Mirror (the new season is only three episodes).

Hmm… Seeing it now, it looks like I enjoy a lot of TV, but it’s normally just on in the background while I do other stuff.

4. Last thing you cooked?

We’ll use the term, “cooked,” loosely in this case, but it was an egg salad sandwich with sliced tomato on a Dave’s killer Bagel (seriously, SO good). then I sprinkled a handful of chopped green onions on top.

OK, can we talk about egg salad method for a moment? Normally, I chop the entire egg, yolk and all, then mix the mayo in, but this time I separated the yolks out first, mixed the mayo in with the yolks, and added the chopped egg whites afterward, and I vow it tasted better than normal (even though they were still technically the same ingredients).

Maybe I’m just reading too much into this. LOL!

5. Are you rocking the tightline today?

Tightline, FOR SURE!

Feelin’ cheesy

I always love finding new places to explore, which we did last weekend at Marin French Cheese. They have a cute little store where you can get their cheeses and other picnic fixin’s like fresh bread, drinks (both adult and otherwise), fresh fruit and preserves, sandwiches and desserts — and all of that’s just for starters.

The shop is located about 20 minutes west of Novato on Novato Boulevard ideal at the point Reyes junction, and they’ve been making cheese there considering that 1865!

After you choose your wares and noms, you can take pleasure in them al fresco down by the pond a few steps away from the store. and if you happen have a fishing pole in the trunk, you can also fish (catch and release only)!

Highly recommended if you’ll be staying in/near Novato, or if you’re on your way out to point Reyes or Tomales Bay.

Your friendly neighborhood appeal addict,

Karen

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P.S. question time! here they are to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. speak to you soon.

1. Your preferred nail length and shape?
2. What would happen if you rubbed your cat’s belly?
3. What TV shows are you currently watching?
4. Last thing you cooked?
5. Are you rocking the tightline today?

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, makeup and charm blog Mascot, Vol. 481

Posted on December 15, 2022 by ftzys

“I call this side profile look ‘selling the stud.’”
Before we left the house yesterday, and actually I do this each time I leave for a trip, El Hub, Connor and I spent a long time telling Tabs that we love him, that we’re going to miss him, and that we hope he doesn’t throw any ragers while we’re gone.

It’s true, though. Whenever I go anywhere without Tabs, I feel like I leave part of my heart ? behind (although I don’t know if he cares that much about me, to be honest).

As you can see from these pics from his newest photo spread with his favorite pet sitter/freelance photographer, he was very thrilled about getting dressed up and celebrating Christmas Eve at the home office on his own.

He sent me a text earlier to ask if it was ok if his old CIA buddies came over for a visit, and at first I was like, “You were in the CIA”? and he said, “Mrow,” which, loosely translated to human speak, means, “Yes, how could you have not known? I didn’t exactly keep it a secret.”

Whistle while you werk
Can you find the hidden tabby?
Christmas kitty supermodel
“Eggnog for everyone!!”

“Obviously, I was a very good cat this year. Obviously.”
“All I want for Christmas is Chanel and Dior.”
“I wish you a meowy Christmas…”
“And a pleased new year.”
Of course, being in the Christmas spirit, I told him “sure,” so, as you’re reading this, half a dozen CIA kitties have descended upon Novato, California, and nobody knows or has any idea what’s going on, because they’re sneaky like that…

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Oh! — Tabs let me pick out his Christmas tie this year (I guess he was feeling generous). I went with red and white because I thought the red would play off the green in his eyes, and the candy pattern is symbolic of his sweetness.

Before we left the house, El Hub tucked several treat into Tabs’s stocking, I wouldn’t be amazed if Tabs tucked some presents underneath the tree for us, too.

Wishing you and your kitty family a very meowy Christmas,

Karen

Shout-Out to the MAC cream Colour Bases!

Posted on December 14, 2022 by ftzys

MAC cream Colour Base = love (palette kitties in the bag are from the palette Kitty tote in the store)
Old-school MAC right hurr! It’s been a minute since I’ve talked about the cream Colour Bases, but I’ve been wearing incorrect Copper and vintage rose as cream blushes lately and just remembered what makes them so, so good.

Hello, my pretties!
Not all of the shades are eye, cheek and lip safe.
These multitasking creams moonwalk across the skin and stay put on my lids, lips and cheeks. You can easily blur the edges with your finger, too, even if you consider yourself blending-challenged.

I wear shell and Hush as eyeshadow bases and highlighters all the time, and I give them out of 5 hearts for being awesome.

Do you have a fave? Which one, and how do you use it? Inquiring minds want to know.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, makeup and appeal blog Mascot, Vol. 599

Posted on December 14, 2022 by ftzys

spring has sprung! ? — and despite the seriousness of current events, Tabs wouldn’t have let it rain on his parade. Nope. spring was his favorite season, and he saw it as a time of incredible creative, mental and spiritual renewal.

Times are hard and getting tougher. Tabs would have said, “Adversity reveals true character.” He was a very inspirational cat.

He was also the greatest springtime kitty supermodel of all time.

PGR (Pretty girl Rosie), even though she made a decision to pursue a occupation in science, has also been inspired by Tabs. She sees me always looking through ad campaigns Tabs did, and the walls in the home office are decorated with poster-sized pictures of Tabs, and I think some of that fabulousness has rubbed off on her, because every once in a while I’ll catch her striking a pose for the camera. ?

I think she might even try to get a few kitty modeling gigs as a side hustle. ?

Your friendly neighborhood appeal addict,

Karen

The Kevyn Aucoin Neo Trio palette

Posted on December 13, 2022 by ftzys

Fresh, simple and easy cheek color and dimension from the Kevyn Aucoin Neo Trio Palette
There’s something about magnets, man. I like stuff that sticks together, like the Fenty charm sticks and these Kevyn Aucoin powders in the $58 limited edition Neo Trio palette on counters meow.

You can stick them together and take them apart like puzzle pieces, which is completely my thing (El Hub is not into puzzles at all, which is crazy to me)!

Each of the three pans in the Neo Trio palette include 0.25 ounces of product; one full-size pan from KA’s permanent line is 0.75 ounces, so you get a good amount of product.
Capri, Ibiza and setting Powder

The Trio comes with a trio of popular travel-sized face powder products from Kevyn Aucoin’s permanent line. There’s also a magnet inside each of the packages, so you can click them together and pull them apart, which is much more amusing than you think it would be.

Each powder has some degree of ombre action happening. There’s a highlighter that goes from pale pink champagne to light violet; a translucent face setting powder that goes from a matte to a sheen finish; and a highlighter, blush and bronzer trio in a amazing pinkish brown.

I’ve tried the Neo face setting powder before, and I’m not crazy about it (it does better on pale skin tones, but it’s a tad too chalky and shiny for my skin), so I’m going to pass it onto a friend, but Ibiza, the pink-to-purple highlighter, and Capri, the amazing pink highlighter/bronzer/ blush combo, are where the magic happens in this set.

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Both ought to play very nicely with many skin tones (yup, warm and cool!) and, seriously, you guys, when I wear them together, I don’t look nearly as 40-something as I typically do on any given day.

You can also wear them separately, of course…but when I wear Capri on my cheeks and Ibiza on my cheekbones, my skin looks fresh, it looks bright, and it looks polished, but not, like, overly done. If you like to look like you’re wearing makeup on your cheeks but don’t wanna be all, “Hey, man! look whatsoever this stuff I piled on,” it’s the ideal combo for that type of look.

Capri, Ibiza, Matte to Glow
If you’re a NARS fan, I think you might really dig this set. The powders look and carry out a lot like NARS bronzers, blushes and highlighters.

They do look a little powdery in swatches at first…but once they work out on the skin, they create a naturally bronzed cheek flush.

The face powder’s a bust for me, but I think this set is still worth it for Ibiza and Capri alone, because the full-size versions of each are $58 a pop. check it out next time you’re at Sephora.

Your friendly neighborhood charm addict,

Karen

P.S. pleased Tuesday!

What’s the longest You’ve ever kept the same Hair Style?

Posted on December 10, 2022 by ftzys

The hair I wore for years (I’m wearing R+Co Trophy in it, by the way)
What’s the longest you’ve ever had the same hair style?

Hmm… I’d have to say four or five years. I had essentially the same long, dark brown layers from 2014 until just recently. now it’s a little shorter, and I’m trying a center part, which is a new thing for me, and demi-permanent chocolate color, which is also new for me.

I also went about five years between the ages of 16-21, also that time with long hair with layers well past my shoulders.

I just realized something… Both of those long stretches when I had long layers were periods of massive change in my life, and whenever there’s a lot uncertainty in my life, I tend to stick to the familiar…at least when it concerns my hair.

How about you?

Your friendly neighborhood charm addict,

Karen

Space Buns and Sparkly Purple Lids

Posted on December 5, 2022 by ftzys

I may or may not have about a billion bobby pins in my hair at the moment.
I’m sure this tri-bun hairstyle has an official/formal name, but I intend to call it “space buns,” because there’s something undeniably star Wars about it…

If I were hurtling through space on a rocket bound for Mars, and I was required to wear my hair up (to safeguard the sensitive electronic equipment from static discharge, you see), you better believe I would NOT be rocking a basic low pony.

SPACE BUNS ALL THE WAY, GIRLFRIEND.

Side note: Connor calls this a “pony hairstyle” because she’s into horses at the moment.

Maybe it’s the stars twinkling in the firmament…but sparkles and space buns just seem *right* to me, thus the purple glitter in this look.

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Wearing some newness from the MAC holiday collection
I got a few compliments from my coworkers when I wore this to the bakery the other day. It was nice. I think it was because this is one of those looks that isn’t too over the top in terms of base and lips (I kept the foundation very sheer and the lips glossy and subtly sparkly, which boosts the wearability for daytime), but I think the glitter is punchy and fun enough to catch your eye.

If you like this type of makeup, you need to follow Katie Jane Hughes on Instagram ASAP. She’s a celeb makeup artist known for her sheer base, the wings she does, and her penchant for sparkle. It’s very inspiring!

I’m wearing MAC Spellbinder shadow in Wishful thinking on my lids.
I’m using some new MAC products from the very sparkly Staring You holiday collection, by the way. This collection, which is out now, has new Spellbinder shadows in glittery holiday shades (you might remember these ionized eyeshadows from 2016).

The new, limited edition MAC Starring You holiday 2019 collection, available now
Two things if you plan on picking up one of these loose shadows: 1) many certainly DO NOT skip wearing an eyeshadow base; and 2) apply it using a stiff, flat eyeshadow brush, or your fingers.

If you’d like to chat much more about the Spellbinders, drop me a comment. I’m pleased to help!

Makeup worn in this look

Eyes: Chanel eyeshadow primer, MAC Spellbinder shadow in Wishful thinking (lids), MAC Powerpoint Eye Pencil in Starring You (tiny lil’ wing), urban Decay heavy metal liner in Metalhead (upper lash line), It Cosmetics Superhero Mascara (lashes), MAC Blushbaby blush (transition, urban Decay brow pencil in Neutral Brown

Cheeks: MAC Blushbaby

Lips: MAC Whirl Lip Pencil, MAC young star Lipglass (also from the holiday collection)

Base: Tom Ford Traceless foundation in Tawny mixed with make up forever Ultra HD Concealer in Y41 set with Paul & Joe pressed Powder

Your friendly neighborhood charm addict,

Karen

Quick makeup Query: I feel naked Without [FILL IN THE BLANK]?

Posted on December 4, 2022 by ftzys

Mascara, please.
A concern for you on this beautiful morning.

For numerous years, it was under-eye concealer for me, up until I just recently realized that I might really online my life without it. (Side note: This was incredibly liberating.)

Now I feel totally naked if my lashes aren’t curled as well as I’m not using mascara, since the simple act of applying even a single coat of mascara does much more for my eyes than truly anything else — much more than doing my brows, much more than concealer, much more than eyeliner.

Basically, when I’m using mascara as well as my lashes are curled, I feel like a legitimate member of the living, ha ha!

So, yeah, that’s my answer, as well as I’m staying with it.

How about you?

Your friendly community charm addict,

Karen

P.S. typically when I get a new book, I devour it as rapidly as a can, as well as sometimes I’ll even stay up half the night reading it, however I’m trying something new with crazy rich Asians, which I just started. I’m aiming for three chapters a day… Don’t ask me why I decided on three. It just seemed like a good number, LOL!

Anyway, I’m hoping this will let me savor the story a bit bit more? We’ll see if I’m really able to stay with it…

When you get a new book, do you generally checked out it quick as well as furiously, or do you like to speed yourself as well as spread it out?