Karen

You guys. So, it occurred to me the other day when I did the same look for the umpteen millionth time with lashes, liner and a nude lip that I might be in a makeup rut.

Like a serious makeup rut!

And I think I need help.

So, where do you go when you need help? You ask your girlfriends, of course.

Here’s the deal. I just… Right before I had the baby, I was sooo tired all the time. I wasn’t wearing a lot of makeup at all. Then, after I had the baby, it got even worse, because then I didn’t have any energy or time to put on makeup.

But Connor is four months old now, and I’m ready to get back into my groove and my regular life again, but I’ve gotten used to only putting in the tiniest amount of effort, and things like doing a full-on smokey eye are very daunting.

I haven’t worn a lot of makeup in five or six months, which is a long time for me. I just really haven’t been taking care of myself in that way for a while.

I’m guessing that this is something a lot of women go through? I don’t know… I’ve talked to friends about it, about getting into certain habits with your look of like, I dunno, wearing your hair or doing your makeup the same way for weeks or months, and I’m definitely in that monkey house.

I’m trying though. The other day I laid out a whole bunch of eye products and took pictures of them, because not only am I kind of out of practice when it comes to putting on my makeup (I think I’ve lost a little bit of the muscle memory?), I also haven’t spent a lot of time in front of my camera.

So I was looking at all of these beautiful colors and finishes and the different formulas — the creams, powders and whatnot — on the table in front of me and started thinking, “What if I layer this shade with that one?” and “What if I blend these two things together?”

I thought it was a eureka moment!

I felt like I finally figured something out, but the next day when I sat down to do my makeup, I went right back to — you guessed it! — lashes, liner and a nude lip.

The thing is, I really do miss doing more with my makeup. I want to. I’m just stuck or something.

And maybe this is also a metaphor for my life in some ways. Not to sound too corny, but there are things I want to do and so many paths I want to explore, but at this point in my life, I’ve gotten accustomed to the patterns of my day and living those same patterns day in, day out. It’s gotten harder and harder to push myself in new directions.

I mean, yeah, things have definitely changed a lot since the baby came along, but still, it’s different from when I was in my teens, twenties and early thirties, when, seriously, it felt like something was always happening to get me out of my comfort zone. Now it’s been so long since I’ve pushed myself that way that I don’t know how it feels anymore.

Anywho…thank you for listening to this long, rambling, whining thing, friend. If you have any advice about makeup, life or whatever, I’d love to hear from you.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

You might be wondering, “So what in tarnation is this Monday Poll thing anyway!?”

Well, it isn’t exactly a poll. It’s more of a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past eight (!) years. (It’s like a kickstart for your brain.) I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.

1. Have you ever worn “Instagram makeup”?
   Yeeeeeah, totes! I went through a phase a while back when I was all about the super sharp brow tail, the bronzer you could see from across the Pacific Ocean, haha! room, the lashes and the overdrawn lip — the whole Instagram makeup kit and caboodle.

   It was fun, and I’ll still go that far on occasion.

2. How did you style your hair today?
   So, lately I’ve had ZERO imagination when it comes to my hair. Absolutely zilch. Nada. None. Like, all of the energy I used to use to keep my hair looking somewhat decent has been diverted toward other pursuits, like changing Connor’s onesie every five minutes. (How does a baby get so dirty? I honestly don’t know.)

   So today my hair is up in a high pony, which will probably morph into a messy bun over the course of the next five minutes.

3. What makes you feel hopeful?
   Reading my horoscope (can I get an amen from all my Gemini girls?), seeing people help one another, random acts of kindness and watching the sun rise above the oak trees outside my window. 🙂
4. Five words that describe your home?
   Messy but full of love.
5. East Coast or West Coast?
   West Coast, baby! I grew up here and totally identify with that Cali life.
6. Something you need to get rid of but can’t?
   Ohmygawd, the 10 million bottles of nearly finished body lotion in my bathroom.

   I don’t know why I do this, but I feel like I have to use every single, solitary last drop — even the tiny droplets that cling to the insides of the tube or bottle — before I can throw one out.

   So I’ll leave them upside down all over the counters just to be able to use those last few precious drops, but the thing is…this leads to me having multiple bottles of basically empty lotion all over the place.

   It drives me (and El Hub, truth be told) absolutely nuts.

   But I can’t stop!

Your turn. 🙂 Just copy and paste the following questions into a comment with your answers. I look forward to reading ’em!

1. Have you ever worn “Instagram makeup”?
2. How did you style your hair today?
3. What makes you feel hopeful?
4. Five words that describe your home?
5. East Coast or West Coast?
6. Something you need to get rid of but can’t?

Hey, babe! Happy Fourth of July! I hope your day is filled with fun, fireworks and delicious barbecue. If you don’t mind, please save me the sides, will ya? I’m all about that potato salad and corn on the cob.

A little later this morning, we’ll probably go to Petaluma for lunch, just to get out of the house. We like to time it just right around Connor Claire’s meals, so we’ll get everything ready — her baby bag with the wipes and diapers and stuff, her stroller and Sophie the Giraffe — then we’ll change her, feed her and GO, GO, GO! And try to make it back home before the next feeding time, haha!

It’s a process.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

What’s your current makeup brush storage situation?

Do you stick them in your favorite mug (the one that says “Crazy Cat Lady” on it), throw them in your makeup bag, or drop ’em in a box all willy-nilly? Or do you do something else?

For the longest time, I kept mine in this roll-up travel bag contraption with different compartments, and served me well for many, many years, but — SADNESS! — I guess I loved my brushes so hawd that a few of the compartments have holes in them. The bag is falling apart. 🙁

So I’ve been looking for a replacement, or another solution to this obviously pressing dilema, for a few months…

On a recent trip to Homegoods with my friend Marisol, Marisol picked up a desktop organizer similar to the Sheffield Home 6-Section Desktop Organizer ($19.99) pictured at the top, but she got it in black.

They’re kind of like a lazy susan for desktop accessories — ya know, pencils, pens and whatnot — but you can also use it as a makeup brush holder.

I didn’t get one that day because I wanted a different color to fit my office decor, but every time I’ve gone back to Homegoods since then I’ve looked specifically for that twirly thingamabob. I’ve seem it in brown, black, white and gray, and a different version where the carousel sides are shorter and more squat.

But then this past weekend I went and saw this mint green one, and I was like, “Yup! That’s it!”

I think the beauty in this thing is that you can separate your brushes in whatever way makes sense to you, whether it’s by brush function, shape, whether they’re clean or dirty, or how often you use them.

Oh, and it twirls, which is nice.

If you live by a Homegoods, keep an eye out for this bad boy. I found mine in the section where they have office furniture and supplies, but I’ve also seen it in the aisles near the big storage boxes and baskets by the bathroom items.

Let me know how you store your brushes in the comments. Bonus Q: Are your brushes currently clean or dirty? I’ve got a whole pile of dirty ones waiting to be washed.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen