So…what is the Monday Poll?
Excellent question! It isn’t, contrary to its name, an actual poll, like with little clicky buttons. It’s just a list of five 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. Cream shadow in a pot or a stick?
Tough call, since pots are better about not drying out, but sticks are more convenient (and are easier to do precise placement on lids with)… I’m gonna go with the pot option.
2. Favorite non-perfume smell?
SO. MANY. THINGS… But warm laundry that’s fresh out of the dryer is tops, as is the scent of Coywolf’s skin. Also, indoor botanical gardens, the stems of fresh cut flowers, and books (especially old ones).
Seriously, we could be here forever!
3. When I need a little self-care, I like to…
Eat a bucket of vegetables, and leafy greens work wonders, I swear. Also, I like to drink a couple massive jugs of water, watch Notting Hill on the couch, and then go to bed early.
4. What’s your “running late, five-minute face-makeup” routine?
I’m happy to say that I have this routine down pat: 1) curl lashes with a lash curler, 2) coat them with 1-2 coats of mascara, 3) blend cream blush on cheeks, and 4) apply a nude gloss.
This is my usual get-out-the-door-NOW mom makeup.
5. A beauty product you brought with you on your last vacation?
The most non-sexy thing you can think of — Kate Somerville Anti-Bac acne face cream.
I literally never leave home without it!
Old-school makeup loves
Hiya, friend, and happy Monday. ? How’s your day going? Mine’s going really well so far… I’m drinking a massive cup of coffee (always a good thing), the sun’s out, and I’m wearing a couple of my favorite go-tos — black stretchy pants (can I get an AMEN?) and MAC Face and Body, a tried-and-true makeup gem.
In other news…I’m in the midst of reorganizing my makeup (seriously, story of my life), and I found these bottles of C4 and C5 tucked away in the back of a drawer.
I wore them for the first time in ages. I mixed both C4 and C5 together, buffed a couple thin layers of that on my skin with a synthetic buffing brush, then set with MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural.
Now I remember why I love this so much. It’s lightweight, doesn’t move, looks like real skin, and layers well with primers and concealers. As far as sheer foundations go, it’s an O.G.
Anyway, I feel like a pirate finding buried treasure when I rediscover old faves… I’ve probably talked about most of my O.G. faves at one point or another over the past 12 blogging years, but I still have so much love for some of them!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. I hope you have a beautiful week. ?
P.P.S. Question time! Here they are to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to you soon.
1. Cream shadow in a pot or a stick?
2. Favorite non-perfume smell?
3. When I need a little self-care, I like to…
4. What’s your “running late, five-minute face” makeup routine?
5. A beauty product you brought with you on your last vacation?
1. Cream shadow in a pot or a stick? Either. A pot is easier to use a brush with though.
2. Favorite non-perfume smell?
Smell of rain
3. When I need a little self-care, I like to…
Get a 2h thai massage
4. What’s your “running late, five-minute face” makeup routine?
(1) Sheer foundation – Chanel le tint is current fave. I just blend it like lotion.
(2) Sheer gold cream shadow stick (LM or BB) blended with fingers.
(3) Quick eyeliner with shadow stick in Bark from BB top lash only.
(4) Quick coat of waterproof mascara top lashes only.
(5) A light peachy pink blush or BB illuminating Bronzer
(6) Either a nude lip (TF Honey Bear) or Honest Beauty lip balm
5. A beauty product you brought with you on your last vacation?
Goodness – my last vacation was 3 years ago. I do remember bringing a Nars Blush palette- Wanted I think.
Thanks for filling out the poll today, Cherie! Love your 5-minute routine, btw!
1. Cream shadow in a pot or a stick? I’m not the biggest cream eyeshadow fan. Just first tried a Laura Mercier Caviar Stick and loved it so I’m going with stick!
2. Favorite non-perfume smell? Coffee or Lilacs
3. When I need a little self-care, I like to… Drink a nice cuppa coffee☕
4. What’s your “running late, five-minute face” makeup routine?Mascara, powder, blush and lip balm!
5. A beauty product you brought with you on your last vacation? What is this thing called vacation? ???
Hi Erica,
Caviar Sticks are old school greats! Love ’em.
I never tried them and I figured I’d check them off of my makeup bucket list and I am impressed. They dry down which I was worried bc when I think of cream eyeshadow I worry, will it crease and move around, then disappear? Nope not these!
1. Cream shadow in a pot or a stick?
I prefer pots as they don’t dry out like sticks tend to (in my experience anyway).
2. Favorite non-perfume smell?
Like you, laundry! Also oddly enough, Home Depot! Any home improvement store really.
3. When I need a little self-care, I like to…
Go to a morning yoga class followed by an iced coffee (did this on Saturday).
4. What’s your “running late, five-minute face” makeup routine?
That was me this am…
1. Elsa MD clear sunscreen
2. Kosas tinted face oil
3. Becca sunlit bronzer in Capri coast (dusted on lids as well)
4. Glossier boy brow in brown
5. Ilia limitless lash mascara
6. Kosas rosewater
7. Onomie setting spray
5. A beauty product you brought with you on your last vacation?
Can’t think of anything specific but when I went to Dallas for my nephew’s graduation in May I seriously paired down my beauty bag to absolute essentials and found I didn’t miss what I didn’t bring!
I always enjoy reading the Monday poll answers and finally decided to join in. Have a great week, Karen!
Hi Megan,
Thanks for joining in today!
Congrats on to your nephew on his graduation. Did he graduate from high school or college?
P.S. One of these days I’m going to get around to trying Boy Brow. I hear it’s great!
My nephew graduated from high school. With both kids away at college this fall my big bro will be an empty nester, which is so hard for me to believe!
I’m all about Boy Brow. I’ve tried and loved the hourglass brow gel as well. But I feel I get a very similar effect w boy brow for 1/2 the price.
Isn’t it crazy how the time flies? I can’t believe my younger brother is almost 40 (OMG). I’m officially ancient!
Oh about the brow gel, you had me at half the price. I love the Hourglass one but the price kills me… I’ll definitely have to give it a go ASAP.
1. Cream shadow in a pot or a stick? Pot. Right now I’m really into the Colour Pop supershock shadows (though they’re more of a powder cream hybrid) and the Revlon ones.
2. Favorite non-perfume smell? Coffee, hot chocolate
3. When I need a little self-care, I like to…
Go for a long walk with a good audiobook. Sleep. Watch a feel-good movie or show., like Steel Magnolias or The West Wing
4. What’s your “running late, five-minute face” makeup routine? Brow gel, concealer under the eyes, colorful sheer lip balm
5. A beauty product you brought with you on your last vacation? Under eye sheet mask that I didn’t once use and sunscreen I used religiously! I also brought some
makeup but went without on most days.
I really need to try MAC face and body but have been procrastinating on getting matched bc I have to go to a mall to do it.
I love the questions this week!
1. In a pot. It just feels more glamorous!
2. This one is weird, but the onions from the farmers market. They smell SO GOOD and sweet. I was out of town for a week and when I got back home my car still smelled like the onions and it was such a welcome surprise!
3. Watch Queer Eye. Buy a new plant baby to take care of. Group text my friends.
4. Apply sunscreen (always), Elf brow pomade in dark brown, coat of mascara OR a brush of color from the naked palette OR a quick cat eye, swipe of chapstick.
5. So many. I just got back from vacation yesterday and I brought so many beauty products even though it was a glamping situation! The most frivolous item I brought was my Fenty Stunna lipstick. And yes I did wear it! ?
1. Cream shadow in a pot or a stick? Stick. I don’t wear a lot of eye makeup and have small lids/brow space so the stick is more likely to be used up and has better control.
2. Favorite non-perfume smell? Probably pizza or bread just out of the oven.
3. When I need a little self-care, I like to… Get takeout and zone out in front of the TV, maybe with some knitting.
4. What’s your “running late, five-minute face” makeup routine? It’s blasphemy, but I rarely wear makeup. Most days, I would say – curl lashes, brush/groom brows and add some lip balm.
5. A beauty product you brought with you on your last vacation? I take a couple of packets of the Dr. Dennis Gross Extra Strength Alpha-Beta peel with me when I travel. It’s a good reminder to use them.
THAT’S the foundation routine of yours that I think looks the best. 😉 It’s pretty old school, foundational technical (har har), but I think it works so well.
1. Cream shadow in a pot or a stick?
Steeeck. I like the Sephora Collection and the Bobbi Brown.
2. Favorite non-perfume smell?
My Jade yoga mat, which still smells like a gas station, about a year after purchase. O_o That’s real rubber for you.
3. When I need a little self-care, I like to…
Read fiction on the bed in the sunny room.
4. What’s your “running late, five-minute face” makeup routine?
Curl lashes, Urban Decay Perversion mascara/LA Girl Concealer on the inner eye corners/MAC Flat Out Fabulous bright lips
5. A beauty product you brought with you on your last vacation?
Vacation for me is just not going to work, i.e., the weekend. I bring no beauty products to the beach with me. LOL. Seriously, though, the last time I left the island was last November and I honestly don’t remember what I brought with me!
Have a great week, KMBB!
1. Cream shadow in a pot or a stick?
It’s so funny that you mention this (plus the paint pots pictured) but I was recently organizing my makeup and I found bare study that I haven’t worn in a while. I did a thin layer on top of TFSI and wow! My eye makeup looked perfect even after the 8 hour mark. So yeah, I’m loving the pot.
2. Favorite non-perfume smell?
Cooking food. Fried onions and garlic? Yes!!!!
3. When I need a little self-care, I like to…
Long salt soak and full body scrub and lotion session. Usually followed by painting my toes and watching something light.
4. What’s your “running late, five-minute face” makeup routine?
I don’t have anything under 10 minutes. Primer, concealer, powder foundation, blush and brows. It’s my usual mon- fri 9-5 look since I’m too exhausted to do a full face on a regular basis (I save that for weekends)
5. A beauty product you brought with you on your last vacation?
All the makeup. Seriously. I went to Ecuador for a month a few years ago. I brought oodles of options so I wouldn’t get bored and so I could have different looks, lol. Now though, I would never pack so much.
1. Cream shadow in a pot or a stick?
Pot! I like using my fingers or a brush to apply.
2. Favorite non-perfume smell?
Lilacs
3. When I need a little self-care, I like to…
Drink water, take a long bath, and take a nap after watching some British Bakeoff
4. What’s your “running late, five-minute face” makeup routine?
Tinted sunscreen, tiny bit of concealer in my inner corners and on spots, brow gel, cream blush, smudgy eyeliner, mascara.
5. A beauty product you brought with you on your last vacation?
It was to Montréal and I brought Bioderma Sensibio H2O, which I’ve been using forever. I go on vacation this week to Montréal again actually!
1. Cream shadow in a pot or a stick? – Pot. The coverage seems to be a bit better in pot form.
2. Favorite non-perfume smell? – Rain, fresh laundry, freshly baked cake.
3. When I need a little self-care, I like to… – Face mask, mani-pedi, veg in front of the tv.
4. What’s your “running late, five-minute face” makeup routine? – I honestly don’t have one. If it’s the weekend and I need to run out and do errands, I’ll just go. Sometimes, I’ll use a bit of concealer to mask my redness but usually I don’t. If I’m going to work or out to dinner, I’ve got the whole face on.
5. A beauty product you brought with you on your last vacation? – First Aid Beauty Facial Cleanser, my holy grail.
1. Cream shadow in a pot or a stick? stick
2. Favorite non-perfume smell? waffles
3. When I need a little self-care, I like to… take extra long showers
4. What’s your “running late, five-minute face” makeup routine? brow gel, lipstick , mascara
5. A beauty product you brought with you on your last vacation?lipstick
1 – Cream shadow in a pot or stick? Pot definitely
2 – Favorite non perfume smell? New car (wish I had one!)
3 – When I need a little self-care? I like to take a warm bubble bath. And put on a face mask.
4 – What’s your running late, five minute face makeup routine? Mascara, Blush, lipgloss.
5 – A beauty product you brought with you on your last vacation? Also Anti-Bac – I literally never leave home without it. Thank you Karen!
1. Cream shadow in a pot or a stick? In a pot I think, I love a cream shadow.
2. Favorite non-perfume smell? Starbucks, that smell just makes me so happy.
3. When I need a little self-care, I like to…. Grab a coffee with the hubs, the kids, the bff’s. I’m a big Starbucks girl. But it’s relaxing to sit in my local place and people watch and relax.
4. What’s your “running late, five-minute face” makeup routine? Moisturizer with SPF, I use Glossier Boy Brow, Glossier Cheek Paint, a coat of Undone Beauty mascara, and a swipe of Undone Beauty lip. My daily routine.
5. A beauty product you brought with you on your last vacation? Lip balm, I always buy a lip balm.
Happy Monday! We just got back from vacation last night. I seem to have caught some stomach bug, though. I was up sick from the wee hours of the morning. Most of the trip was pretty great after the first couple days in Utah.
1. Cream shadow in a pot or a stick? I guess a pot, because ColourPop Super Shock Shadows and Maybelline Color Tattoos are the only cream shadows that don’t crease on me.
2. Favorite non-perfume smell? Tree sap in spring
3. When I need a little self-care, I like to… Self-care? What’s that?
4. What’s your “running late, five-minute face” makeup routine? Loose powder foundation, blush, black mascara, bright lipstick, and setting spray.
5. A beauty product you brought with you on your last vacation? I just got back from a two-week vacation, mostly camping, and it was really hot out. I took: Neutragena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen, bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Gel Moisturizer and Original Foundation SPF 15, RCMA No Color Powder, theBalm Balm Beach, Physicians Formula Butter Blush in Plum Rose, Tarte Gifted Mascara, UD 24/7 Eye Pencil in Deep End, Too Faced Totally Cute Palette, Revolution Beauty I Heart Revolution Macaroons Chocolate Palette, and e.l.f. Original Mist & Set. And way too many lip colors (I was anxious when I packed). I ended up wearing Fenty Beauty lipgloss in Fenty Glow and Fu$$y, Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Liquified Lipstick in Demi-Glace, NYX Liquid Suede Cream in Orange County, UD Revolution Lipgloss in Shadowheart, and a sparkly purple Lime Crime gloss that I can’t remember the name of. Plus a few brushes, my skincare, and Burt’s Bees micellar water face wipes.
1. Cream shadow in a pot or a stick? Either
2. Favorite non-perfume smell? Top of my daughter’s head (before she hit puberty), clean cat fur, my mare, the crook of my husband’s neck, coffee, baked goods.
3. When I need a little self-care, I like to… go for a walk.
4. What’s your “running late, five-minute face” makeup routine? Sunscreen, light dusting of powder, mascara, lip color. If there’s still time, a quick brush through with a brow tint to cover the grays.
5. A beauty product you brought with you on your last vacation? I can’t remember. I’m always in such a rush/panic when it comes to packing for trips I never remember from trip to trip what I throw in my makeup or skincare bags. But I can tell you what I bought. I was in THE Chanel boutique on rue Cambon and I bought mascara (because I forgot to pack some) and an eyeshadow quad.
1. Cream shadow in a pot or a stick? Stick. I have a couple sticks from Sephora in neutrals that I adore. Just slid one on in the car this morning actually.
2. Favorite non-perfume smell? Dahlias–no fragrance like roses or sweet peas but they have a distinctive “green” smell. Also, my teenager’s skull.
3. When I need a little self-care, I like to… do yoga
4. What’s your “running late, five-minute face” makeup routine? primer and lipstick
5. A beauty product you brought with you on your last vacation? Sunday Riley blue oil–I forget the name
1. Cream shadow in a pot or a stick?
Stick, both for portability and ease of use. (Right now my fingernails are too long to mess with pot shadows.) So far I have shadow sticks from Mally and Bobby Brown. Both are pretty good.
2. Favorite non-perfume smell?
Pure vanilla, right out of the bottle. Coffee beans. Fresh roses. Newly cut grass.
3. When I need a little self-care, I like to…
Take a nap!
4. What’s your “running late, five-minute face” makeup routine?
Tinted sunscreen, mascara, powder on my T-zone, a highlighting blush (Too Faced Sweethearts blush or Milani Baked Blush in Bella Bellini), Mally Beauty Evercolor Shadow Stick in Burnished Bronze. Done.
5. A beauty product you brought with you on your last vacation?
I finally used up my Clinique Super City Block. I try to pack light, so this often acts as sunscreen and foundation.
Hi Karen
I love this one too , amazing foundation, hands down
Speaking about foundation, what’s the expiry time for foundation ?
How long you can keep on using for?
Cheers
1. Cream shadow in a pot or a stick? Stick! Used to be a huge fan of MAC paint pots (rubenesque and indianwood) but now I’m all about Laura Mercier caviar sticks (burnished bronze, copper, rose gold, and amethyst)
2. Favorite non-perfume smell? Fresh laundry all the way. When I’m walking the dog and somebody’s got their dryer going, I pause for a sniff and my doggo totally gets it.
3. When I need a little self-care, I like to… sheet mask and good book
4. What’s your “running late, five-minute face” makeup routine?
– A’pieu sunscreen
– Glossier stretch concealer in dark on T-zone only, set with a tiny bit of MAC MSF natural in medium golden
– Pixi gel blush in flushed
– Glossier lash slick on curled lashes
– Pat McGrath lip gloss in bronze temptation
5. A beauty product you brought with you on your last vacation? All of the above lol, I only do the 5 minute look on vacation.