
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 more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007).
1. Your favorite fall drink?
Hot apple cider, yum! I’m still a pumpkin spice latte kinda girl, but I gotta be in the mood because now they’re a little too sweet for me.
2. Scarves or mittens?
Scarves because it’s too hard to do anything when my fingers are enclosed in mittens. Plus, I can’t stand a cold neck (although having long hair helps a lot in terms of insulation, LOL).
3. Apple picking or pumpkin carving?
Honestly, I’d rather just buy some apples at the store. Pumpkin carving is so much more fun for me!
4. Boots or clogs?
Hmm. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m going to go with clogs. They’re great if you’re on your feet for hours at a time, and when worn with wide-leg jeans, they’re super cute.
5. Blue, brown, black or purple mascara?
Let’s do a bright blue.
6. Halloween or Thanksgiving?
Halloween! 🎃 There’s candy and I don’t have to cook!
7. Something on your beauty wish list?
I’m looking for a thick, rich hair mask. Do you have one that you like?
8. Apple pie or pumpkin pie?
Apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
9. Have you ever been in a haunted house?
Yes. I knew it the moment I stepped through the door, too!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. Here are the questions to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to ya soon.
1. Your favorite fall drink?
2. Scarves or mittens?
3. Apple picking or pumpkin carving?
4. Boots or clogs?
5. Blue, brown, black or purple mascara?
6. Halloween or Thanksgiving?
7. Something on your beauty wish list?
8. Apple pie or pumpkin pie?
9. Have you ever been in a haunted house?
P.P.S. Good morning, my friend. I hope this week brings you so many good things! 🤗

1. Your favorite fall drink? Mint tea – not a coffee person. Hot chocolate if it’s made like I had it in Copenhagen. Chunks of chocolate on skewers in hot steamed milk. Stir to get the chocolate to melt. Heaven!
2. Scarves or mittens? Scarf
3. Apple picking or pumpkin carving? Pumpkin carving – I used to do elaborate ones when we got trick or treaters
4. Boots or clogs? Boots
5. Blue, brown, black or purple mascara? Let’s go with purple
6. Halloween or Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving
7. Something on your beauty wish list? Getting a facial but life is getting in the way
8. Apple pie or pumpkin pie? Apple
9. Have you ever been in a haunted house? No
1. Your favorite fall drink? Usually cider, but it’s hard to find good cider here. Dependent on the closest Wegmans.
2. Scarves or mittens? Scarves. I have leather, thinsulate-lined gloves.
3. Apple picking or pumpkin carving? Probably pumpkin carving. Apple picking is a PITA and some years my grandmother comes down with bags and bags of free apples if some of the hometown orchards overproduced their contracts.
4. Boots or clogs? Boots. I have steel-toed clogs though for when I need steel toes for work.
5. Blue, brown, black or purple mascara? Black or brown all the way. My eyes are blue/green so the colors can really clash.
6. Halloween or Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving – better food.
7. Something on your beauty wish list? A moisturizing but low-transfer foundation so I can wear something without gunking up my KN95 masks.
8. Apple pie or pumpkin pie? Apple most of the time, but pumpkin (or pumpkin cheesecake) is required for Thanksgiving.
9. Have you ever been in a haunted house? Maybe 1 or 2.
For the hair mask. I recommend the Zotos All About Curls mask at Sallys. Similar performance to the Briogeo Don’t Despair Repair mask but a lot cheaper.
1. Your favorite fall drink? Masala chai
2. Scarves or mittens? Scarves
3. Apple picking or pumpkin carving? Apple picking.
4. Boots or clogs? Either
5. Blue, brown, black or purple mascara? Definitely brown
6. Halloween or Thanksgiving? Halloween. No slaving in the kitchen and no dishes to be washed after.
7. Something on your beauty wish list? The perfect foundation that doesn’t migrate to my pores and lines, doesn’t amplify said pores and line and texture, doesn’t look cakey, looks like my skin only better.
8. Apple pie or pumpkin pie? Definitely apple.
9. Have you ever been in a haunted house? Yes! The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland!
1. Your favorite fall drink?
Chai, every season. But during the fall I don’t mind if it’s a bit spiced
2. Scarves or mittens?
Scarves
3. Apple picking or pumpkin carving?
Pumpkin carving
4. Boots or clogs?
Boots
5. Blue, brown, black or purple mascara?
Black, though I’ve been on the lookout for a good purple mascara since forever
6. Halloween or Thanksgiving?
OMG Halloweeeeen any day!
7. Something on your beauty wish list?
So many things… a nice advent calendar, some proper face brushes (someone please bring back quality brushes with real hair), Tom Ford perfume… Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time looking for perfume-scented lotion.
8. Apple pie or pumpkin pie?
Hmmm… pumpkin
9. Have you ever been in a haunted house?
Occasionally I feel like the one I currently live in is haunted hahaha 😀 👻
Have a good week and enjoy the cooler weather!
Ooooo, do share the story about the haunted house, Karen. Love me a good spooky story!
As far as a suggestion for a decent hair mask goes, Briogeo Don’t Despair Repair mask is one product where I actually get what the hype is all about. Also, it’s 50% off on Sephora this coming Thursday, so stock up!
1. Your favorite fall drink?
Hot chocolate, with a bit of Kahlua or Bailey’s Irish Cream.
2. Scarves or mittens?
Scarves. They’re just so much fun.
3. Apple picking or pumpkin carving?
Neither, but apple picking, if I had to choose.
4. Boots or clogs?
Clogs, if they’re soft and cushy, not the clunky kind.
5. Blue, brown, black or purple mascara?
Classic black.
6. Halloween or Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving. So many of my favorite dishes and such fun things you can do with the leftovers.
7. Something on your beauty wish list?
Sephora has a new straightening hair dryer from Amika that I have my eye on.
8. Apple pie or pumpkin pie?
Apple pie, from my favorite grocery store, Publix. (It’s a southern thing, lol.)
9. Have you ever been in a haunted house?
No.
The girls and I love the coconut hair mask from Trader Joe’s as a weekly/bi-weekly hair management mask. It’s great on all types, from the baby’s baby-fine, straight hair to our teenager’s mass of 3C curls.
If you need a ‘hairmergency’ treatment mask 😄, have you tried Briogeo? I’m really impressed with their products and I think they have a couple of new masks out.
1. Your favorite fall drink? Chai Tea (more for winter for me)
2. Scarves or mittens? Scarves.
3. Apple picking or pumpkin carving? Apple picking
4. Boots or clogs? Neither – I live in South Florida, no chance to wear these things.
5. Blue, brown, black or purple mascara? Navy blue – it really goes nicely with green eyes.
6. Halloween or Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving
7. Something on your beauty wish list? A really moisturizing lip balm.
8. Apple pie or pumpkin pie? Hm – tough choice, I’ll go with pumpkin.
9. Have you ever been in a haunted house? I don’t think so?
1. Your favorite fall drink? Coffee…I used to be addicted to pumpkin spice…but then I fell in love with peppermint mocha🥰
2. Scarves or mittens? Scarf…but I rarely wear them.
3. Apple picking or pumpkin carving? Pumpkin Carving 🎃
4. Boots or clogs? Boots
5. Blue, brown, black or purple mascara? Black
6. Halloween or Thanksgiving? Halloween…CANDY🍬🍭
7. Something on your beauty wish list? Rare Beauty Bronzer sticks…really want to try one. And I would like to try some eye shadow sticks…not sure which brand. I need to find some products that make my daily work make-up quicker🤨
8. Apple pie or pumpkin pie? Pumpkin…but I would eat both
9. Have you ever been in a haunted house? I used to work in the old historic building in our downtown area….they were supposedly haunted and they do guided “ghost” walks during the fall
1. Your favorite fall drink? Drowsy Bear Herb Tea from the Kobuc in Anchorage (they’ll mail it). Chamomile, rosehips, licorice root, star anise, clove, and orange peel. It smells and tastes so wonderful this time of year.
2. Scarves or mittens? Scarves. I’m about as dexterous as a T-Rex in mittens.
3. Apple picking or pumpkin carving? Pumpkin carving!
4. Boots or clogs? Boots.
5. Blue, brown, black or purple mascara? Black.
6. Halloween or Thanksgiving? I love Halloween – the pumpkins, the scent in the air, the CANDY!
7. Something on your beauty wish list? A mascara that won’t flake or smudge, I’ve tried powder underneath, primer, you name it and nothing helps.
8. Apple pie or pumpkin pie? Apple.
9. Have you ever been in a haunted house? Yes, the B and B we stayed in on our wedding night was haunted but we didn’t know that at the time. The owners said the ghost (a smiling elderly man who would appear in a rocking chair) had been seen by numerous guests in our room.
1. Your favorite fall drink? Apple Cider with spiced rum and cinnamon sticks. Heaven!
2. Scarves or mittens? Scarves, that way you can wrap it around your face to keep it warm.
3. Apple picking or pumpkin carving? Apple picking. Pumpkin carving is messy.
4. Boots or clogs? Clogs. They’re comfy, I like comfy.
5. Blue, brown, black or purple mascara? Blue, dark blue.
6. Halloween or Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving. I’m probably the only person on the planet that doesn’t care much for Halloween.
7. Something on your beauty wish list? A moisturizing serum that isn’t slimy or drying.
8. Apple pie or pumpkin pie? Apple crisp.
9. Have you ever been in a haunted house? A real one or a Halloween one? Yes to both.
1. Your favorite fall drink?
Chai spiced latte.
2. Scarves or mittens?
Scarves.
3. Apple picking or pumpkin carving?
Pumpkin carving! It’s still a tradition most years for me and my dad.
4. Boots or clogs?
Probably boots. It’s funny. I used to wear boots a lot but only ankle boots or slightly higher. Otherwise I feel trapped!
5. Blue, brown, black or purple mascara?
Black.
6. Halloween or Thanksgiving?
Don’t make me choose! In terms of the season-Halloween. In terms of the actual day-Thanksgiving.
7. Something on your beauty wish list?
A miracle eye cream that hydrates, plumps and helps with dark circles.
8. Apple pie or pumpkin pie?
Would never turn down either. But pumpkin pie (with whipped cream!) is a lot harder to mess up. I’ve had some not great apple pies.
9. Have you ever been in a haunted house?
I’ve definitely been to for fun haunted houses and I love them. As far as an actual home that’s haunted, not to my knowledge but who knows…
Have a great week!
1. Your favorite fall drink? I recently had an iced chai latte with pumpkin cream cold foam.
2. Scarves or mittens? Gloves
3. Apple picking or pumpkin carving? Pumpkin carving
4. Boots or clogs? Boots
5. Blue, brown, black or purple mascara? Black
6. Halloween or Thanksgiving? Turkey Day
7. Something on your beauty wish list? Laneige lip balm
8. Apple pie or pumpkin pie? Apple
9. Have you ever been in a haunted house? Yes, but it’s been a while. Not a fan of them- too spooky.
1. Your favorite fall drink?
Starbucks hot chocolate with the wee chocolate chips in it. Yum.
2. Scarves or mittens?
Scarves with gloves. It gets cold here.
3. Apple picking or pumpkin carving?
Pick some apples
4. Boots or clogs?
As an equestrian and person with foot issues, BOOTS BOOTS BOOTS. Do you know how bad clogs are for your feet?
5. Blue, brown, black or purple mascara?
Blackest black.
6. Halloween or Thanksgiving?
Halloweeeeeeeeeen.
7. Something on your beauty wish list?
Body wash. I’m out.
8. Apple pie or pumpkin pie?
I HATE pie.
9. Have you ever been in a haunted house?
Yes and I very much dislike them.
1. Your favorite fall drink? In the fall, I switch from white or rose wine to red, so I guess a southern Rhone would be it. I don’t switch my coffee order, ever, and I cannot stand pumpkin spice lattes.
2. Scarves or mittens? Scarves.
3. Apple picking or pumpkin carving? Apple picking, the pumpkin carving is fine but getting the pumpkin guts out is a laborious process.
4. Boots or clogs? Clogs. I got a bad back, and they help.
5. Blue, brown, black or purple mascara? Brown.
6. Halloween or Thanksgiving? Halloween, no icky family issues to deal with.
7. Something on your beauty wish list? I cannot think of anything, except getting a massage for aforementioned bad back.
8. Apple pie or pumpkin pie? Mostly, apple though I would eat both!
9. Have you ever been in a haunted house? Yes. The ghost’s name was Rose, because when she was around you could smell roses. Sure enough, I smelled roses in the sitting room, and said “Hello Rose” and the smell immediately evaporated. I guess she didn’t like being noticed.
1. Your favorite fall drink?
I drink Earl Grey year round, but love to add some Chai Latte in when it is cold.
2. Scarves or mittens?
Both, especially when I go to work by bike in the morning.
3. Apple picking or pumpkin carving?
Neither, but if I have to, it would be apple picking.
4. Boots or clogs?
For fall? Definitely boots, clogs don’t work when it is cold and rainy.
5. Blue, brown, black or purple mascara?
Always and exclusively black.
6. Halloween or Thanksgiving?
Both, but maybe Halloween more for the same reasons you mentioned.
7. Something on your beauty wish list?
A radiofrequency skincare device! And no, I don’t have any hair mask recommendations.
8. Apple pie or pumpkin pie?
Apple pie. I am not overly fond of pumpkin if it isn’t as soup.
9. Have you ever been in a haunted house?
Yes, but not in a bad way. We rented a place for our summer holiday in Sweden once and there always was a very strong presence, as if someone was right behind the door or the corner. It didn’t feel hostile though, just… watchful and very strong. Even my husband noticed, and he isn’t really one to pick up on these kind of things. The kids, 4 and 6 back then, felt absolutely safe and warm there, which made me relax over time. We stayed there for three weeks without anything happen, but even now, when I think back, I swear there was someone or something there.