Just For Fun

Have you ever noticed how eerily similar brown cream shadow and chocolate pudding are? Or dulce de leche?

Mind you, I just finished vacuuming the house, which was quite a workout, and I’m freaking hungry, so maybe I should eat something and then reevaluate, LOL!

By the way, this shadow is Tom Ford Spice, a total lazy girl staple. Most of the time I just pat it on my lids with my fingers and blend out the edges without even bothering to use a separate primer, which pretty much throws precision out the window, but when I’m going for easy, I’m going ALL. THE. WAY. So as long as my shadow looks even-ish, I’m happy. 🙂

OK, I better go make something to eat now because this pan is REALLY starting to look dangerously like food… While I go raid the fridge, here are some stories that caught my eye this week.

• For some new moms in Taiwan, the postpartum period is like a luxury vacation at a five-star hotel, or, in this case, a “postpartum center” — lavish maternity facilities where staff members pamper mom and baby for a month (for a cool $430 a night!).
• BUYER BEWARE! The beauty black market is rife with counterfeit products, some of which are literally dangerous. Brands like MAC and Anastasia Beverly Hills — which are counterfeited left and right! — have gone as far as conducting their own investigations and have found fakes containing highly toxic chemicals like lead, arsenic and mercury.
• I knew I should’ve saved my favorite pair of high-waisted pants from high school! Z Cavaricci is making a comeback.
• Top drugstore foundations that are just as good as (if not better than) their more expensive counterparts
• Allure magazine will no longer be using the term “anti-aging” in text, and all I have to say is HELL, YES.
• Prepare yourself for your daily dose of “awww,” because these seniors recently tied the knot. She’s 98, he’s 94, and they met at the gym. DO YOUR SQUATS, people, because it just might lead to true love.
• Ulta has a cute NARS exclusive set of Velvet Lip Glides.
• I’m getting ready to save all y’all! Why Gen X might be our last, best hope.
• Obsessively focusing on “clean eating” can cause a big mess in your body.
• How to find the right dry shampoo
• Hilarious, and creepy, things happen when tragic and romantic titles of ’70s and ’80s songs get transformed into Stephen King book covers.
• Is that fern eavesdropping on your conversations? Scientists find that plants might really and truly be capable of listening.

How hand-carved Russian candles are made… This is so cool!

Grease’s “You’re the One That I Want” gets an R&B makeover

OK, baby cakes, it’s Caturday, an (un)official day of rest. May your workload be light and your smile be bright.

A poet, I am not, but at least my booty’s hot, because I do my squats, while my hair’s in knots.

Alright I’ll stop, haha! 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Some people were born to sing (En Vogue shout-out!). Me? I was born to make lists. Here are 5 things I’ve been loving lately.

1. Cool August mornings

June and July were brutally hot here in the Bay Area, and if you didn’t have air conditioning, it was like living in an armpit.

Lately, though, like for the past two weeks, it’s been cooler here. Borderline cold. And what a welcome change. 🙂 I am NOT hating on those overcast mornings in The Lady Sanctuary!

2. The September 2017 issue of Glamour

I’ve been a Glamour subscriber for a year, but #realtalk, it’s been months since I’ve been able to sit down long enough to read an issue from cover to cover because of the baby.

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So…what is the Monday Poll?

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 10 (!) 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. What was the last drugstore beauty product you bought at an actual drugstore (yes, Target counts)?

It was a refill pack of Venus razors, which, FYI, they keep on lockdown at Target these days! You can’t just roll up and grab a pack of Venus refills off the shelf anymore.

Anyway, I bought the pack with the three blades because, honestly, who needs five blades?? I feel like three is enough, LOL.

2. Who taught you how to cook?

A friendly gal named “The Internet!” But seriously, in my family… Well, I’ll give my parents props because there was always food on the table, and the food was always home-cooked, which, as you know as a busy adult, is really hard to do.

But my parents weren’t and aren’t foodies. Preparing food was more of a task they had to get done than something inspirational or creative, so there were many meals with meat that tasted like an old shoe. You ate it and moved on with your life.

So cooking wasn’t a high priority for me growing up, and I didn’t really learn much about it until my 30s, which is when I discovered food blogs!

3. What’s a concept or a technique that helps you get through your days?

I need to believe that every task I complete gets me closer to some goal I’ve set for myself.

And, you know, the goal doesn’t have to be a huge thing. It can be something small like making time to jump on the treadmill in the afternoon, meeting my writing deadline for the day, or taking a five-minute walk with Connor…

I just like to feel that every task has a purpose and moves me closer to achieving something else, and when I realize sometimes that I’m busy, but I’m busy doing things that weren’t even on my list, I start to spiral…

4. Express your current mood using only emojis.

☀️☕️☀️☕️☀️☕️☀️☕️☀️

5. What’s one of your long-term goals?

This is like my own personal NeverEnding Story, but it’s to finally, eventually, someday get my house to where I know exactly where everything is, and there’s no wasted space. Not even in the closets! My deadline date for this is January 1, 2018.

To this end, I have to remind myself all the time that everything doesn’t have to be perfect! This is an issue that has plagued me for most of my adult life. If left to my own devices, I get paralyzed by the thought of doing a half-@ssed job on a task because of not having enough time and having it not turn out exactly the way I want it, so I end up not doing anything about it at all…

I constantly need to remind myself to chill and accept that on some days, 50% is going to be the best I can do.

So this is a gentle reminder to myself and to you that everything doesn’t have to be perfect. Ya just gotta get in there and do something!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions to copy/paste.

1. What was the last drugstore beauty product you bought at an actual drugstore (yes, Target counts)?
2. Who taught you how to cook?
3. What’s a concept or a technique that helps you get through your days?
4. Express your current mood using only emojis.
5. What’s one of your long-term goals?

Rise and shine, pal o’ mine! Good morning! 🙂 We just got back home to Novato after spending the night at my parents’ house in the East Bay. It had been forever since El Hub and I went out on a Friday night, and we were both like, look…we can’t spend another Friday night sitting on the couch watching Shark Tank.

STOP THE INSANITY!

So, we packed up and drove out to Union City. Connor had a playdate with her grandparents while El Hub and I went to see War for the Planet of the Apes, which I liked, but it was emotional and intense. It’s not just about a bunch of monkeys running around in the woods.

Popcorn for everyone!

Now I’ve got errands to run and regular Saturday stuff to do… I hope you’re having a good weekend so far, and I hope that somebody made you pancakes, because pancakes are always better when you don’t have to make them. 🙂

BTW, here are a few things for your morning reading list…

• If you’re a fan of COOLA sunscreen, my friend Jane has a 20% off code on COOLA products.
• Speaking of sales, cult faves like Sunday Riley Good Genes and Drunk Elephant C-Firma are 25% off at Dermstore.
• Things about the beauty industry that make you go hmm… Why do men hold the majority of leadership roles in an industry that that depends so heavily on women?
• Two new vaccines might be able to prevent skin cancer.
• Why salicylic acid is the best acid for your skin.
• How can we get more girls interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math)?
• YES! Misty Copeland — I love her! — is the new face of Estée Lauder’s Modern Muse perfume.
• Sephora versus Ulta — the battle between beauty’s biggest brands is getting increasingly high-tech.
• This LE packaging for the fall collection isn’t what I’d typically associate with Lancôme, but I like it!
• Look at all the ??? hearts! The Burberry First Love Collection is adorable.
• Stop wearing so many hats, and watch your productivity soar.
• Should you have $14.92 million to spare, consider this Frank Lloyd Wright-Designed home on a private island. Oh, and if/when you move in, don’t forget to invite me over for dinner. 🙂
• How to go makeup-free this summer
• 5 little makeup tips that make a difference
• Ooh, I want to try this! An up-and-coming cruelty-free brand named A.P.D.G. is getting major attention for its Longwear Liquid Foundation + Concealer ($18), which comes in 33 different hues, including 16 just for darker skin tones.

You have a great weekend, OK? Take some time to tend to your nails, too. Those paws/claws need some sweet, sweet lovin’ sometimes, ya know?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. I don’t have a legit time machine, but these old MBB posts make me a little nostalgic. Time flies when you’re having fun! 🙂

1 year ago today on MBB: A Beauty Improv Tip to Eek Out the Last Few Drops From Your Favorite Skin Care Bottles

2 years ago today: Go With the Grain When You Apply Powder (and Foundation) Would You Ever Let Your Significant Other Paint Your Toenails?, Clinique Travel Boxes: Fall 2015

3 years ago: Have You Ever Shown Up to a Party/Event and Seen Someone Wearing the Same Outfit or Dress?, It’s Taupe Time With the Urban Decay Naked2 Basics Palette

4 years ago: Accessorize Me! Today’s Purse and Shoes, Unsung Makeup Heroes: The Hourglass Visionnaire Duo in Prism, What’s Nude and Covered Up at the Same Time? Your Lips When Wearing These New Hourglass Femme Nude Lip Stylos

5 years ago: Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 204

6 years ago: LORAC Pop Star, Full Coverage from Two Coats of Nails Inc. Polish, The LORAC Naked Lace Collection Kit Wants You To Misbehave, Revolutionizing Brows with $4 Inglot Freedom Brow Powders, Essie Brand New Bag Collection: Fall 2011

7 years ago: MAC Dare to Wear Eyeshadow in Zingy, Dolce & Gabbana Sicilian Lace Caramel Lipstick: Now You See It, Now You Don’t, MAC Dare to Wear Lipglass in So Bad, Back to School Beauty: Get Blushed in a Rush with Becca Creme Blush, You Can’t Rush Perfection: Dolce & Gabbana Sicilian Lace Collection Nail Lacquer in Perfection

8 years ago: The Pink Ladies, CoverGirl LashBlast Length Mascara: Coming Soon to a Lash Line Near You, Urban Decay Fall 2009 Purple Cat Eye Face of the Day, MAC Make-Up Art Cosmetics Fall 2009: What Would You Get?, Do Me, Baby

9 years ago: MAC Longwear Lustre Puts the Long in Long Lasting Lipwear, Annick Goutal Petite Cherie Body Cream: You and I Make Quite a Pear, Clarins Jazzy Colours Fall Collection: Cooler than Jazz Hands

So…what is the Monday Poll?

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 10 (!) 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. Last time you shampooed your hair?

Last night! I’ve been washing my hair pretty much daily this summer because I’ve been trying (“trying” being the key word here) to exercise more, and it’s been hot, so my hair, and especially my scalp, feel…extra sweaty and gross by the end of the day. I haven’t been in the mood for dry shampoo, either, so I’ve gotten back into the habit of washing my hair daily.

Well, I wash with shampoo and conditioner, then alternate with a “conditioner wash” on the days in between, but that’s a big departure from my routine a couple years ago, when I was using dry shampoo much more and only shampooing my hair once or twice a week.

I still use dry shampoo sometimes, depending on how tired I am, but my scalp feels much better now that I’ve been washing it almost daily.

2. Last time you went to the beach?

It was this past June in Hawaii, but now I can’t bring myself to go to the beach here in NorCal, sigh… The water is so much colder.

I should try to go at least once before the summer is over, though. There’s a beach about 30 minutes away called Heart’s Desire near Point Reyes that’s supposed to be fun for the kiddos. I’ve been wanting to check it out.

3. Last really delicious meal you had?

El Hub and I stumbled on a really yummy sushi place in San Rafael last month when we were looking for a restaurant to go to on our anniversary. We didn’t make reservations because we thought we’d just go to one of our two favorite Japanese spots, but they were both closed!

The place is called Iko Sushi, and everything is delish! — the rolls, the sashimi, the bento boxes (El Hub says that their BBQ chicken is top-notch), and don’t miss out on the tempura!

4. Last person you spoke to before falling asleep last night?

El Hub, purr usual. Sometimes, though, I’ll text my mom or my brother, because they’re always up late.

5. Last awesome thing that happened to you?

A few week ago Jane Ford, one of Benefit’s co-founders, left a comment on a post I wrote about Tiburon, the town she lives in, and she invited me over to her house one of these days (!). It was both random and absolutely thrilling!

Happy Monday!

Oh, Monday… You know I ain’t got nothin’ but love ? for ya.

I’m actually really excited about today, not that I have anything big or exciting to do, but I’m a little bit ahead in my work, and that always feels good. That, and I’m really looking forward to making another egg sandwich for lunch.

LOL! 🙂

I’ve also been thinking a lot about that whole “making your own happiness” thing, because if we don’t do it (make our own happiness), who else will? I might not have control over everything in my life, because none of us does, but I can control how I react to things.

Anywho…just some food for thought. I hope you have a wonderful week, my friend. Talk to you soon.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions to copy/paste:

1. Last time you shampooed your hair?
2. Last time you went to the beach?
3. Last really delicious meal you had?
4. Last person you spoke to before falling asleep last night?
5. Last awesome thing that happened to you?