Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 715

February 7th, 2022 by Karen 12 Comments

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. Tulips, roses or daisies?

I love them all, but today I’ll go for pink roses.

2. What’s the most challenging thing about eyeliner for you?

There are so many things, OMG. By far the most challenging, though, is getting the lines to look even. My right eye is slightly bigger and more hooded than my left, so I have to adjust how high up I take the liner and how far out. If I don’t account for the difference, my eyes appear asymmetrical.

3. Besides a good color match, what do you look for in a concealer?

I’m so picky about concealer, especially in the under-eye area. My number one thing is that it cannot settle into my fine lines. NOPE! No thanks.

4. Cake today?

Cake every day!

5. Boots or sneakers?

Sneakers, 100%. I never know when I need to chase after a child, and sneakers are much more conducive to impromptu sprints.

6. Have you ever had to break up a cat fight?

Thankfully, no. We’re a one cat family.

7. What’s worse: pants that are too tight or an ill-fitting bra?

Both are awful and remind me of many bad dates in the ’90s. Too tight pants would be worse, though. At least you can take off your bra, you know? I mean, you could take off your pants, but then it would be a totally different party…

8. What’s your hairstyle for the day?

Half up, half down with a high pony tied with a scarf.

9. Something you’re looking forward to this week?

I just ran out of my favorite Ilia eyeliner, so I need to make a Sephora stop this week. Fun!

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. Tulips, roses or daisies?
2. What’s the most challenging thing about eyeliner for you?
3. Besides a good color match, what do you look for in a concealer?
4. Cake today?
5. Boots or sneakers?
6. Have you ever had to break up a cat fight?
7. What’s worse: pants that are too tight or an ill-fitting bra?
8. What’s your hairstyle for the day?
9. Something you’re looking forward to this week?

P.P.S. Happy Monday to you, friend. I hope that you’re feeling rested and ready for the week. Let’s do our best to lift each other up today, OK? You’re doing great, so hang in there! 🤗

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 696

February 6th, 2022 by Karen 2 Comments

Roar!

Did you hear that…? It was the call of the jungle, a call that Tabs answered quite often.

To the unassuming passerby, Tabs may have looked just like a regular old housecat, but inside he had the heart of a lion. He fancied himself as the King of the Jungle.

There were a few incidents — some may call them skirmishes — where he had a power play with a lion or two on set, but thankfully because of my superior negotiation skills, I was able to take things down a few notches, and no limbs or claws were lost.

Just so you know, working with the big cats of the wild will make a woman out of you! I was forever changed, especially with the scuffle he had with a cheetah during a MAC campaign… I still have all my fingers, yea! 😁

Rosie

I’ve been trying to inspire Rosie to unleash her inner jungle cat, so today I put her in a fashionable cheetah collar with a complementary flower and some leaves because she is a girly-girl after all.

I was expecting claws out, some roars here and there, perhaps some growls, but instead she wanted to contemplate the changing landscape around her. Spring is starting to show around these parts, and you know Rosie; she’s got several science experiments going in her head at any given moment.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Saturday Surfing, February 5, 2022!

February 5th, 2022 by Karen 3 Comments

Good morning, and happy Caturday! I woke up this morning with Rosie-pose curled up next to my head, like a torbie-style beret. Have you ever had a cat sleep on (or next to) your head? It’s weird and wonderful.

My day off yesterday was glorious, and today I feel the most relaxed and rested I’ve felt in really long time! Most weekends, I wake up with this intense weight of everything I need to get done on those two precious days off, but this morning, my heart and soul felt light.

Note to self: remember how good this feels, and in the future, be more intentional about taking breaks!

This week’s reading

Kosas’s Revealer Foundation is supposed to be pretty good.
Everything you need to know about donating your hair.
Coty is making perfume with carbon-captured ethanol.
Allegedly yellow nail polish helps you feel good.
Oh, and speaking of the color yellow, here’s how yellow affects your state of mind.
Do your cats sleep with you at night?
9 things you don’t know about your cat’s teeth.

Someone make this for me, please!

In case you’re interested

When you want to feel like you’re in a period piece

Fascinating

I encourage you to carve out time today for rest. It does a body good.

Take care of yourself this weekend, OK?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Warm Golden Lids With Bronzed Liner Breakdown | Prioritizing Rest | Eyeshadow Tips

February 4th, 2022 by Karen 9 Comments

Heya! Happy Friday. How’s your day going?

Mine has been pretty good so far. Today I have the day off, my first in ages, and I have a few hours to myself while Connor is in school, and I almost don’t know what do. I’ve been working on the weekends for the past few weeks, and while I usually don’t mind keeping busy, I’ve decided that this is the year I’m going to fully embrace rest, so today I’m going to do my best to just relax.

All I’m allowed to do are things that help refill the well, so to speak, both mentally and physically. Good luck to me, LOL! There’s always something to do around here, and I’m already ticking off all the things I could accomplish with the extra time, like cleaning the bathroom, doing laundry, going grocery shopping, prepping meals for the weekend, getting ahead on writing for work, etc. etc. BUT, NOPE. Not gonna do it. Rest is the priority today.

I’m going to curb the need to be productive and just do fun things for me today. I’m going to watch a period piece (I’m thinking “Remains of the Day” or “The Age of Innocence”), order a Blue Barn salad, start a new book and maybe paint my nails if I’m feeling ambitious. Oh, I’m going to drink decaf Nespressos all day long, hahaha. I may even take a nap, GASP!

Ate my favorite salad in the world, the Tostada salad with grilled shrimp and avocado from Blue Barn Marin

Love me a period piece

Let’s do this

Are you good about being proactive about your periods of rest? I’m so not. I’m trying to get better about it, though.

Anywho, so this note is marginally related to makeup, Kathleen said this in the comments last Friday on the two-toned liner makeup post:

Teach me your ways! I can handle the cool liner situation. But can you walk me through the eyeshadow, please? Is the Honey Lust on the lid and the Woodwinked on the inner corner? And Saddle underneath both as a base? I never wear shadow, so I appreciate your tips – Thanks!

Hey, Kathleen! Thank you for your question. Here’s a breakdown of where I put each shadow on my lid; hope this helps.

Some general tips:

Practice, practice, practice. With eyeshadow, I think it’s always a good idea to just keep practicing. Place your shadows on your lids, blend as much as you can (use a light touch), and repeat until you get the hang of it. Eventually you’ll figure out what placement works best for your eye shape.
Keep it simple. I would keep it relatively simple. Do one, two shades at the most. Oh, and simplify by skipping the primer if you want (or don’t). I usually opt out and just do shadow, no primer.
Smooth it out. That said, if you’re having trouble smoothing out your gradients, try dusting a light layer of powder on top of your lids first. And just keep practicing!

Alright, I’m off to go and do absolutely nothing.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

January 2022 Book List

February 3rd, 2022 by Karen 18 Comments

Hi there, friend! I hope everything on your end is good and that this week has been treating you well.

The other day, in the Monday Poll, Tisha asked the following question in the comments:

Btw, what are you reading? I’ve been dying to get my hands on a good book, sounds like fun!

I read lots of great fiction last month. My favorite out of the bunch was “Klara and the Sun,” by Kazuo Ishiguro. It’s science fiction, but not the kind that involves aliens destroying the earth or superheroes saving the universe from killer snakes from outer space.

It’s a quiet story of a robot companion and her teenage charge, and it contemplates what it means to love and be human. Days after I finished the last page, I kept thinking about the story, and my heart would feel both heavy and hopeful at the same time.

Sigh… I’m not ready for the rise of the machines, man.

Still, I loved it. It’s one of the best books I’ve read in years.

I’ve recently discovered that Reese Witherspoon (yup, the actress) has a book club, kinda like Oprah’s Book Club. Every book that she’s recommended so far, I’ve enjoyed. In January I finished…

“The Giver of Stars,” by Jojo Moyes

I started this a while back but stopped reading when it got scary for the main characters, librarians who travel by horseback into the far reaches of the Kentucky mountains during the Depression. I just couldn’t take it and needed a break. I’m so glad I finished this book, though. It’s about friendship and resilience, and the relationships between the women are beautiful.

“The Last Story of Mina Lee,” by Nancy Jooyoun Kim

This mystery is about a Korean woman who immigrates to Los Angeles in the ’80s and her daughter, and it flips back and forth between the past and the present as the story unfolds. I had to force myself to put the book down before bed! It’s one of those books you could easily read cover to cover.

“The Henna Artist,” by Alka Joshi

Another page turner! It’s set in 1950’s India, and it’s about a woman trying to make it on her own in a world where there aren’t a lot of opportunities. Again, I couldn’t put it down.

That Reese Witherspoon knows how to pick some good books.

jojo moyes giver of stars book

the henna artist book

I also read a couple non-fiction books, too. “Painless Grammar,” by Rebecca Elliott, is written for kids, but it’s a fun refresher on basics of the English Language. I also enjoyed “The Easy Filipino Cookbook,” by Roline Casper, and I can’t wait to try some of her recipes.

painles grammar book

What’ve you been reading lately?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Fleur Power Blush

February 1st, 2022 by Karen 1 Comment

The long-running Unsung Heroes series here on Makeup and Beauty Blog features some of my all-time favorite permanent collection products.

This is one of my favorite MAC blushes, and I’ve been wearing it for years. I first featured it back in 2015.

‘Tis the season for smoky eyes, fa-la-la-la-laa-la-la-la-laaaa!

But there isn’t just one season for smoky eyes, fa-la-la-la-laa-la-la-la-laaaa!

Every season is a good season for smoky eyes, fa-la-la-la-laa-la-la-la-laaaa!

OK now I’m gonna stop singing this dumb song, fa-la-la-la-laa-la-la-la-laaaa!

Seriously, though, fall and winter are the BEST seasons for wearing smoky eyes. That’s when they feel extra super duper *right* to me, along with wearing boots and sweaters and chunky knit scarves.

Even just generally, because of the cooler weather and no risk of sweating everything off, this is my favorite time to wear a little more makeup.

Good times, peeps. Good times. 🙂

And you know what can take your smoky eyes to the next level? — or, at least help you look more awake?

Blush. You gotta get some blush up in there, too.

Today, it’s all about MAC Fleur Power Blush ($22), homie. Wear it with smoky eyes — any smoky eyes — and you’ll be set. It’s a mid-temp pink with a kiss of coral, so it goes great with warm- or cool-toned smoky eye looks.

If you love a natural-looking pink cheek flush, like where you look like you just came in from the cold and your cheeks look all cherub-y, Fleur Power kicks butt.

It’s an excellent everyday blush with all-day staying power, and I’d even go so far as to call it universally flattering.

And since it’s part of the MAC permanent line, you can always get your paws on it. No need to worry about it disappearing into limited edition makeup oblivion.

Technically a MAC Satin Blush, Fleur Power looks more like a matte on my cheeks. I hardly see anything satin or shimmery about it, but that also makes it treat my pores and fine lines well.

I usually wear Fleur Power with either brown or gray smoky eyes, by the way, because I like how the pink injects some color into the look without taking over. Then I couple that with either a pale or bright pink lip.

You could also rock it with a brighter eye look, like a purple or blue smoky eye, but in that case, I’d probably go with a nude lip instead of pink, lest you end up with a whole lotta color on your face… Unless that’s what you want, and if you do, hey, that’s cool too.

mac fleur power swatch — MAC Fleur Power Blush swatched on my NC42 skin

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 714

January 31st, 2022 by Karen 19 Comments

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. Sweet, salty or spicy?

Sweet, always.

2. Super sticky lipgloss: yes or no?

These days, no.

3. Someone you plan to see this week?

My friend Kelly. She’s the mom of Coywolf’s bestie from preschool, and we became buddies two years ago.

4. Coffee today?

Yes, yes and yes. I had my first cup when I woke up at 6:00 a.m., and now I’m looking forward to a decaf or a half-calf at lunch.

5. Jumpsuit or dress?

Both! But if I had to pick one, I’d go with a dress with pockets.

6. What’s for lunch today?

A big bowl of fresh, crunchy veggies (I’m trying to get in my five servings every day), and an Amy’s frozen meal. Have you ever had the Indian Mattar Paneer? SO GOOD. I’m craving it today.

7. A fun game you like to play?

Connor has a bingo game for kids called Zingo that I really enjoy, LOL! If you have any children in your life and you need a present, I highly recommend it!

8. What’s on your lips today?

Ilia Tinted Balmy Gloss in Tahiti, my favorite for video meetings.

9. Something good that happened to you in January?

I started reading again before bed and finished quite a few books. It’s fun, and it makes me feel good!

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. Sweet, salty or spicy?
2. Super sticky lipgloss: yes or no?
3. Someone you plan to see this week?
4. Coffee today?
5. Jumpsuit or dress?
6. What’s for lunch today?
7. A fun game you like to play?
8. What’s on your lips today?
9. Something good that happened to you in January?

P.P.S. Happy Monday! I hope that this week brings you so many good things. Sending you a big hug! 🤗

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 695

January 30th, 2022 by Karen 1 Comment

Bold tiger. Sex symbol. Cat stud. When it came to kitty modeling, Tabs dominated. He pretty much invented the field of feline supermodelry.

I mean that posture, those angles, that uncanny ability to strike a pose anywhere.

Bam!

Look at that.

But we all know that wasn’t all. Tabs was also a business genius. He did his own books, even created his own business plan. I was his personal assistant, but he made all the big decisions.

Rosie

Rosie definitely has the smarts to run the company. She’s been a great CFO of Tabs the Cat Industries, LLC since she took over. She’s actually increased profits every quarter so far. 😊

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen