Category: Category

have you heard of Natura Brasil?
New York friends, here’s one more store that you can go to on your next beauty buying adventure, as well as that I would like to be able to go to also if I didn’t online 2,903 miles away… It’s Natura Brasil, as well as it’s at 240 Elizabeth street in the heart of Nolita.

They’re Brazilian brand, as well as I’m not sure exactly how long they’ve been around, however they’re new to me. They’re a huge offer in Brazil (If you comply with beauty news, they may noise familiar since they just recently bought The Body shop from L’Oreal! So, yeah, that’s $$$ BIG.), as well as they do body, bath as well as hair products. They’re likewise a preferred of many prominent Brazilian babes, including Adriana Lima as well as Gisele.

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Even if you aren’t planning a trip to new York anytime soon, you can still try their products, since they’re likewise offered on the Natura Brasil website. most of their products are about $25 each, so right in the mid-range, similar to The Body shop as well as Aveda.

Castanha Body Lotion
I chatted with some pr peeps from the brand to discover more. The business is all about utilizing regional Brazilian ingredients, as well as they work directly with farms as well as households to source things like castanha (commonly understood right here in the U.S. as the Brazil Nut) as well as murumuru (a palm tree with edible nuts that are sometimes added to moisturizers).

Cacau Body Butter

I’ve tried a few of their lotions as well as a shower oil so far, all of which have lovely, cozy scents. If you’re a fan of rich, musky fragrances like The Body shop Cocoa Butter or Shea Body Butter, you’ll most likely like these. whatever smells warm as well as extremely sexy.

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I’ve truly been loving the lotions. The Castanha Body lotion ($25) has a thin, watery, surprisingly moisturizing formula that takes in quickly as well as doesn’t leave a greasy film behind.

The Cacau Body Butter (also $25) is lightweight however hella moisturizing, too, as well as it has a whipped consistency that reminds me of Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter.

And then there’s the Castanha Hand cream ($19.50), which is extremely thick as well as rich (and great) like Caudalie’s Hand as well as nail Cream.

Pitanga Triple phase shower Oil
The Pitanga Triple phase shower Oil ($24) is one more great one. For the record, it looks a bit like salad dressing. When I shake the bottle to integrate the oils, put a bit on a washcloth, lather up, as well as rinse off, my skin feels fabulously soft.

Castanha Texturizing Spray as well as Pataua Restorative Hair Oil
I’m going to try a few of the hair products next. The Castanha Multi-Benefit primer ($25) is supposed to enhance as well as protect hair from warm styling.

I’m likewise going to test the Pataua Restorative Hair Oil ($25), Murumuru Reconstructive Hair Mask ($25) as well as Castanha Texturizing Spray ($25), which is a fave of Gisele’s.

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Hey, man, if I can accomplish Gisele-caliber Brazilian beach waves with it, indication me up!

Your friendly community beauty addict,

Karen

The new Velvetizer from urban Decay is available now exclusively at Sephora ($34 for a 0.28-oz. jar).
At the risk of absolutely dating myself, one of the old-school makeup tricks we used back in the day was to dust a little loose powder on my lips after applying lipstick. I’d dust it ideal on top with a finger (or, if I was feeling extra fancy, a brush!) to transform any lipstick finish into a matte.

It’s a similar idea to how the new urban Decay The Velvetizer works.

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Velvetizer is a loose, translucent powder ($34 for a good-sized 0.28-oz. jar, a Sephora-only product). You mix a little with your favorite tinted moisturizer or foundation, and it instantly transforms the finish into a velvety satin without futzing with the color.

A translucent, loose powder
The trick is getting the ratio ideal of powder to liquid, and it can take some practice. I’ve found that if I add too much powder, the mixture will pill up, nearly like it’s peeling.

This isn’t a big surprise, considering the fact that the second ingredient is dimethicone, and products with a lot of dimethicone in them do tend to pill up when I use too much on my skin.

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It’s not a best science. I just kinda eyeball it, but urban Decay suggests using a dime-sized amount per full pump of foundation or tinted moisturizer, but I rarely use a full pump of my base makeup anymore. So I use a lot more like a half a dime-sized amount.

I shake it into my palm, add a bit of naked Skin One and Done, mix them together with a finger, then apply that with a real techniques Buffing Brush.

Ingredients

If you do see any pilling, just pat it down with your fingers until it blends into your skin (and use a little less next time).

Because the powder thickens liquids you mix it with, you get fuller coverage, too. When I use Velvetizer with One and Done (which is about medium coverage), the final effect is closer to full-coverage foundation.

I think it’s cool, albeit a bit gimmicky. It gets the job done, but I mean, if you want a full-coverage matte foundation, just use a full-coverage foundation, ya know?

It’s a Sephora-only product, so you’ll have to trek to Sephora if you want to play.

And easy TJ’s lunch

The sampling section at the Trader Joe’s in my ‘hood is THE BEST. Mind you, it’s no Costco, where you can get a full-on meal just walking around for 15 minutes, but I learn all kinds of neat food hacks for TJ’s fare.

Like this one here, which is my new top easy lunch: TJ’s Carrot Spirals with a Veggie Marsala Burger Patty. combine equal parts Mango Ginger Chutney with plain yogurt, and add it on the side as a sauce.

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SO GOOD!

Your friendly neighborhood appeal addict,

Karen

My dearest family, frenemies and fellow felines,

As you know, I’ve managed the day-to-day operations at MBB and Tabs the cat industries LLC for nearly a decade, and in that time I’ve discovered numerous effective ways to motivate and manage my employees, all of which I’ll be sharing with the world in my upcoming book, 7 practices of highly effective Feline Managers.

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Here’s an excerpt from the book, which will be published by random house in may 2017. As my many beloved fans, I wanted you to get the first peek of the greatness.

1. inspire by example

I firmly believe in leading by example. If you want your employees to be fabulous, you should be incredible yourself. Don’t come to work looking sloppy and unkempt, like some ragamuffin kitty who just walked in from a street brawl, and expect your employees to take you seriously. get your fur done. check out the claw beauty salon on a weekly basis. If your company has a formal dress code, wear a tie.

2. Track productivity

Not to say that you need to track every relocation your employees make, but I do find it important to hold my staff accountable for every minute of every day, just so that I know they’re keeping up with their assigned duties. Some cats install video camera systems, which are effective, but I’m old school. I choose to follow my employees from room to room, thereby sending the message that the boss is always watching.

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3. set expectations

It’s essential to establish boundaries in the workplace and clearly define what is and isn’t acceptable behavior. For example, I had an employee — let’s call her “Sharon” — refuse to give me a full-body massage once because she was allegedly “too busy,” so I right away swatted her with my paw, climbed up on her chest and demanded a deep-tissue massage best then and there. Sharon hasn’t refused a rub-down request since.

4. rewards for a job well done

Discipline is one thing, but you don’t have to create a corporate culture of worry in purchase to have effective employees. establish a rewards system to bring out their best. I offer Christmas bonuses — usually a bird I’ve caught or a framed picture of myself — to incentivize my staff to objective high.

5. know when to say when

For successful cats like myself, there’s the temptation to keep working until your tail falls off, but this is not the way to go if you want long-term success as a feline manager. You have to know when to draw the line. Self-care is important, and my general guideline is to take at least six naps a day, at a minimum.

6. Network, network, network

Mix and mingle with fellow feline managers, and get to know who’s who in your company community. That way, if an issue arises that you can’t right away resolve in-house, you have a network of similarly-minded managers you can turn to for advice.

I set up a casual round-table for the feline managers in my network, and we meet once a month by the catnip shrub in my front yard to trade stories and talk shop.

7. keep your eyes on the horizon

Yes, you’re a successful cat manager now, but where would you like to be in two years? would you like to be managing a larger company? With every relocation you make in your purr-fessional life, it’s essential to keep your overall tactical goals in mind.

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Hold your tail high, my friend, because you’re on your way to even greater success!

Your friendly neighborhood charm addicts,

Tabs and Karen

before there was strobing, there was MAC Strobe Cream, as well as EEK! — now it’s offered in five different shades.

Yeah, as well as they’re in the long-term line, so if you occur to autumn in like with one of them (ahem, “Peachlite!”), no worries. They’re right here to stay.

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Also, no concerns — the original Strobe cream is still in the lineup. It just has a new name: Pinklite.

If you’ve been reading MBB long, you most likely understand that I’ve been loving as well as using Strobe cream for years.

The new MAC Strobe cream shades ($33 each)!
Basically, it’s an opalescent highlighter/pearly highlighting lotion, however please don’t let that frighten you, even if the believed of using shimmer around your deal with seems terrifying…

It does to me, right? — because, hello, pores. however Strobe cream is subtle.

Of course, if you feel like going the BA-BLING highlighting route, the new In the spotlight collection likewise includes four new additional dimension Skinfinish highlighters.

MAC additional dimension Skinfinish in Beaming Blush

The MAC In the spotlight collection

Available on the internet now as well as concerning stores November 10

Strobe Creams in Pinklite (pink pearls), Peachlite (peach pearls), Silverlite (silver pearls), Redlite (red pearls), Goldlight (gold pearls) — $33 each; permanent

Extra dimension Skinfinishes in show Gold (peach that breaks pink), Double-Gleam (beige that breaks silver), Beaming blush (pink that breaks gold) as well as Soft Frost (white that breaks violet) — likewise $33 each; permanent

127 Split Fibre deal with clean ($35), 188 little Duo Fibre deal with clean ($35) — permanent

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Both the Strobe Creams as well as the additional dimension Skinfinishes are $33 each, as well as they’re offered on the internet now (and concerning MAC counters as well as stores November 10).

Your friendly community charm addict,

Karen

This $19 traditional always delivers.
Dear Universe/Siri,

How numerous of these have I bought over the last 10 years?

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20 bottles? 25 bottles…? Clinique Take The Day Off makeup cleaner For Lids, Lashes & Lips ($19) is by far the very best eye makeup cleaner I’ve ever used, as well as I’ve repurchased it numerous times.

Everything melts under its liquid gaze, as well as I imply everything, from industrial-strength water resistant mascaras, to long-wearing liquid as well as gel liners, as well as even water resistant cream shadows. Anything you can throw on your lids, no matter what makeup apocalypse it’s made to withstand, this takes it out.

When I soak a square of Shiseido Facial Cotton with a little amount of Take the Day Off, that square dissolves every shred of makeup with a couple gentle swipes. It works shockingly well, however that’s not even my preferred thing about it.

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Well, I mean…it is, however it wouldn’t matter if this stuff hurt my eyes. Thankfully it doesn’t. numerous other eye makeup removers make me tear up, however this doesn’t bother my peepers one bit.

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an usually underrated makeup morsel, a long-term collection product that scoots under the radar screen of numerous makeup enthusiasts however routinely rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features a few of my favorites.

It’s a multitasking powerhouse, too, since you can likewise utilize it on your lips to erase any type of traces of long-wearing lipsticks. plus — bonus! — it doesn’t taste funny or weird.

(I don’t understand why, however this is a thing for me. I don’t like it when makeup removers that you can likewise utilize on your lips taste funny. Go figure.)

I likewise like that I can quite much discover it everywhere. I typically get mine at Sephora, however you can likewise discover it at any type of ol’ Clinique counter.

This bottle I just chosen up ought to last me about six months, based on past experience, as well as I’m an “eye makeup every day” person.

Ingredients

And I’m not the only person crazy about this. I went to Sephora a few weeks back (it was the exact same trip when I purchased Drybar double basic Conditioning Foam, which I’m still utilizing as well as loving) to get a fresh bottle, as well as while I was there I chatted with a few of the artists I see all the time, as well as every single woman who saw me holding it in my hand stated much more or less the exact same thing in 20 different ways. “Oh, that’s the only eye makeup cleaner I use,” as well as “That Clinique purple bottle is THE BEST,” as well as “Hey, I like that too!”

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It’s tried as well as true.

Your friendly community charm addict,

Karen

There’s something kinda 50 shades about this, amiright?
I feel such as this woman on the Deck of Scarlet No. 01 edition combination is about to 50 shades me…like her sole objective in life is to punish you as well as enjoyment you at the exact same time. *cracks whip* ?

This is the most recent combination from upstart charm brand/makeup combination membership service Deck of Scarlet. You pay $29.95 per month every other month, as well as get a different restricted edition eye, cheek as well as lip combination with some pencils on the side, as well as if the combo for a specific month doesn’t do it for you, you can avoid that a person without having to pay for it.

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The products are cruelty free, made in the USA, as well as you can only get them online.

The huge twist, other than the whole combination membership angle, is that every new combination is a different partnership with a different prominent vlogger.

This is their third one (ironically called No. 01), as well as it’s a collab with YouTuber Evon Wahab.

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I truly don’t understand anything about her, however I looked her up on YouTube as well as saw the front of her channel page, as well as she’s truly pretty.

The combination has three powder eyeshadows, a contouring powder, a highlighting powder, two lipsticks, a lip liner as well as an eye liner.

Honestly, I’m not into lipsticks that are available in palettes, however I like the coral one here, Kiss the Coral. It’s a warm, satiny coral that feels fab.

I do like that the palettes have separate covers to keep the powders from mingling with the lip products, particularly thinking about that the powder products like to scoot around, especially the eyeshadows. I have to keep in mind to tap off my brush, or I end up with great deals of fallout.

The shadows remind me of NYX. They’re soft, pigmented as well as look intense in swatches, however they sheer out quite rapidly on lids. I believe they’re great for blown-out smoky looks since they blend easily, however if I’m working quickly, the colors tend to all blend together. So they’re simple to over-blend.

If you’re all about an ashy contour, you may like the contour powder, since it’s extremely gray-based. I don’t truly like the method contour looks on me, as well as I feel such as this looks muddy, however I believe it ought to be an efficient contouring shade if that’s what you’re into.

As for the highlight powder, I like the soft sheen I get with it, however the grains are rather large, as well as I can see them sitting on top of my cheekbones.

The verdict

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I like it! — particularly the coral lipstick. I believe the products are in the realm of high-end drugstore makeup, like NYX, L’Oreal as well as Maybelline. If you like getting goodies in the mail (who doesn’t?), as well as you like blown-out eye looks as well as an ashy contour (and you can offer with moderate fallout), inspect it out.

Your friendly community charm addict,

Karen

When all you wanna do is try ALL THE SKIN CARE! Clockwise from the bottom left corner: Giorgio Armani ultimate Renewing Mask, Algenist POWER Recharging night pressed Serum, Neutrogena Hydro improve Hydrating Serum, Neutrogena fast wrinkle repair work Regenerating Cream, Clarins additional Firming Mask, Clarins Hydra-Essentiel rich cream – extremely dry Skin, Starskin 7-Second morning Mask, Neutrogena Hydroboost exfoliating Cleanser, Neutrogena fast wrinkle repair work Serum, Clarins double Serum as well as Algenist sprinkle Hydrating setting Mist

So…what is the Monday Poll?

Well, it isn’t precisely a poll. It’s a lot more of a regularly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random listing of concerns I’ve been putting out to visitors every Monday morning for the past 10 (!) years. (It’s like a kickstart for your brain.) I’ve always took pleasure in reading your answers in the comments, as well as I hope you take pleasure in reading mine.

1. Do you like trying new skin care products, or do you tend to stay with the exact same routine?

You know, it truly depends upon exactly how my skin is doing. If I’m breaking out like I was last month — shout-out to Julian the pimple! — then I’ll go back to the routine that I understand works to remove up my skin, as well as I’ll religiously stay with it. however when my skin is quite remove as well as well behaved, you may believe I’d stay with whatever it is I’m using, however no, I still get the itch to try new things, since I looooove trying new skin care.

It just truly depends upon exactly how fussy my skin’s acting at any type of provided time.

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2. When was the last time you had a feline on you?

Girl. When do I not have a feline on me? Or, for that matter, when do I not have a bit animal clinging to me in some type or fashion? There’s always a bit animal on my lap, on my hip… That’s just where I am in life ideal now, LOL!

By the way, when Tabs was on me a bit while ago, he was on my head, FYI. photo that for a second.

3. Carrots or cucumbers?

Uh…pizza?!

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But seriously, I assumption I’ll opt for carrots, since when you eat them with peanut butter, it’s a revelation. try it sometime. Your mind will be SO blown.

4. exactly how are you with keeping plants alive?

Depends on the plant! I’m quite great if the plants are anything other than orchids as well as cacti, which is odd since they’re meant to be a few of the most low-maintenance plants around. Don’t ask me why I can’t keep them alive…

Everything else, though, I’m great with!

5. Does it feel like autumn ideal now where you live?

Yes, it does! It’s getting chillier at night, as well as there’s a chill in the air in the mornings. The oak trees are likewise starting to decrease their leaves.

I overheard some women at infant story time last week state that it’s meant to get hot once again this week, which I’m NOT looking ahead to, however we’ll see.

I’m so over the heat, though… Gimme boots as well as scarves.

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Have a great one, my friend. delighted Monday, as well as have a terrific week.

Your friendly community appeal addict,

Karen

pleased Easter
Happy Easter, my friend. rise and shine, morning glory! I hope you have a fantastic Sunday.

Easter is one of my favorite holidays because — helloooo — bunnies, food and fam, but I also love the sense of renewed hope. It’s another opportunity to start again, and that always feels so good.

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Have a fantastic day. We’ll be taking it easy over here at MBB HQ, nothing fancy because I think Connor Claire is still too young to hunt down dyed eggs (plus, she won’t remember), although she friggin’ loves eating scrambled eggs.

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Talk to you soon.

Your friendly neighborhood charm addict,

Karen

My brother’s going on a one-month trip to the Philippines this month, so he’s been working a side gig on the weekends to make some additional money before he goes. It’s at a thing called a pop-up, which is like a restaurant that takes over one more restaurant for a short time. This one’s called buddies With Benedicts, as well as Connor Claire, El Hub as well as I went for brunch (complete with mimosas) Sunday morning.

Connor as well as I with the owner (on the left) as well as my sibling (on the right)
It was delicious!

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The pop-up is at Mykonos Greek restaurant at 1431 Polk St. in San Francisco, simple walking distance from one of the cord vehicle lines, as well as they’re open on Saturdays as well as Sundays.

Basically, in the pop-up idea, the pop-up team — the cooks, the wait staff, the kitchen area helpers as well as the manager — go to as well as temporarily take over the other restaurant for the day, so the parent restaurant (Mykonos Greek Restaurant, in this case) is closed. It’s just the pop-up that’s open.

FOOOOOOD!
Yummy, yummy, yummy
It was like checking out somebody’s home as well as them make fantastic food for you, like traditional breakfast/brunch dishes with scrambled eggs, eggs benedict, pancakes, etc., as well as some weekends they’ll do brunch specials with a twist, like an eggs benedict with beet-infused hollandaise sauce, or themed brunches (they did one based on old-school breakfast cereals, one more one called That ’70s Brunch, as well as one more one influenced by The Jungle Book), so they have fun with the idea, too. It’s not stuffy or formal.

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Everyone was friendly as well as down to earth, unlike some brunch areas or restaurants where you’re ushered in as well as out. This didn’t feel like that at all. The cooks as well as greeters as well as wait personnel (and the bartender, who made a damn fine mimosa, BTW) were exceptionally friendly.

El Hub had a baked croque madam (brioche pain de mie with grated cheese as well as somewhat peppered ham topped with a fried egg as well as hollandaise sauce; served with fruit), as well as I had the banana pancakes, which I ended up only eating half of since Connor made a decision to mooch off mommy’s breakfast, which was fine.

Both of us believed it was delish!

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If you ever discover yourself hungry for great food as well as friendliness in the city on a Saturday or Sunday morning, you must go. perhaps we’ll see you there.

Your friendly community appeal addict,

Karen

These tantalizingly soft, textured Sweat Cosmetics Skin-Balancing Cleansing Towelettes feel almost like a terry washcloth.
These wonderful wipes are like a portable, post-workout shower, and they’re sensationally soft. They come in packs of 10 for $7 and 30 for $18 from Sweat Cosmetics.

The thing I notice about most specialized post-workout wipes, especially the ones that say they’re for face *and* body, is that they’re usually great at one thing but not great at another, like they’ll be fine for quickly cleaning my neck and down, but when I try using them to clean my face, they’ll sting or make my cheeks feel tight afterward. Or, they’ll leave a film that pills up when I put on sunscreen or BB cream.

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Most of them aren’t great at both — face and body — but these are, so even even though you can use baby wipes or regular old makeup wipes to clean up after your workout, these are just better, heftier and softer than usual, like a really good cotton washcloth that smells like lavender and green tea.

The portable shower that fits in your purse

A pack of 10 is $7.
After a sweaty workout last week, I wanted to run to Target on the way home, so I grabbed one of these, wiped down my face, my neck, armpits, legs — you know, all the vital sweaty areas — and I felt really, really clean and, importantly, not sticky afterward, which is totally different and better than I felt after my last new body wipes experience with Yuni’s shower Sheets.

The towelettes contain coconut water, green tea, vitamins B and E, and I don’t know if that’s the secret sauce, but whatever it is, my skin feels fab and hydrated after I use them.

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Also, when I use them on my face, I don’t feel the need to then followup with lotion. I can go about my merry way with my bare, clean skin. Or, I can touch-up with BB cream or foundation or powder or something else, since these don’t leave behind an annoying residue that interferes with how other products will layer.

Speaking of makeup, though, you might need to use an additional oil-based remover if you wear waterproof mascara. because these wipes are good, but sometimes they do need a little help removing the long-wearing stuff.

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If you’re on the market for a quick, comfy way to clean up after your workouts, highly recommended.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen