Just For Fun

I feel like if I fess up to this, the makers of that Hoarders show will come and get me, but what the heck! — I love eyeshadow palettes.

Who doesn’t, right? But I think I might possibly love them a little more than usual…because I hold on to them FOREVER, and I tell myself that this is OK because powders last such a long time (even though I know that the experts say you’re supposed to throw them out after a certain period of time), so even when I hold on to a palette forever for “archival” purposes or nostalgia, it’s totally fine.

I just really like the idea of opening a compact and having everything right there (I think I even like them more than singles). And when they have special limited edition colors, too, like if it’s an eye palette from December 2005, and it has this one color with the purple sparkles that you just can’t find anywhere else — that brings me great joy. 🙂

Off the top of my head, and I know this is so cliché, but I love the O.G. Naked palette — the very first one — and Chanel Kaska Beige (OMG! Why’d they discontinue it!?).
[Continue reading…]

Pink lemonade and chocolate-chip cookies

Pink lemonade and chocolate-chip cookies! Hello, my new favorite snack. 🙂

El Hub thinks I’m a little nuts to love this combo as much as I do because for him, it’s all about milk and cookies (for dunking), but the pink lemonade combo is totally working for me.

Not to dunk though. I don’t dunk the cookies in the lemonade. I just like to have them together. I like the contrasting taste of the tart lemonade (ha! I almost wrote “Tarte lemonade”) with the sweetness of the cookies.

Oh! — and lemonade has to be cold and pink. Don’t ask me why; it just does.

I really like Trader Joe’s Low-Calorie Pink Lemonade Made With Organic Lemon Juice… As usual, TJ’s gets it right.

Kerastase Spray Fluidissime…for unruly bangs!

So I’ve had this bottle of Kerastase Spray Fluidissime ($42 for a 5.1 fl-oz. bottle) for a while, and it’s basically an anti-frizz, thermal-protecting, shine-boosting spray that you spray on wet hair, and then either air or blow dry.

I mostly just used it on long sections of my hair from about mid-length down to the ends, where it does a great job, but for reasons unknown, it never occurred to me to try it on my bangs…

Until the other day.

Wow, it works great! It tames my mischievous, frizzy side-swept bangs, which have gotten long and rebellious lately because I’m way overdue for a trim.

This spray totally tames their inner beast. I just spray a few spritzes on my bangs while they’re wet, then dry with a brush and a hair dryer.

It makes my hair smooth, silky and well-behaved, and it holds the side-swept shape perfectly.

I liked this spray before…BUT NOW I LURVE IT.

This “K” mug from HomeGoods

First things first, I need to stop going to HomeGoods…

Because every time I walk in there, I walk out with another mug, and I am the LAST person in the world who needs another mug.

Let me put it this way: there are only two sad glasses in my kitchen cupboard (because El Hub, who works part time as a bull in a china shop, broke the rest) and about 20 mugs.

This one is my new favorite. 🙂 I got it to replace the Anthropologie mug I used to have that had the letter “K” on it because, surprise! — El Hub broke it.

This one is by Signature Housewares, and it was just $4. It’s big and deep, and I like that it doesn’t get molten hot when I warm something up in the microwave.

I will enjoy the time we have together until El Hub breaks it…which should happen some time within the next few weeks.
[Continue reading…]

Is nail art over?

What!? NO WAY, MAN! It’s still going strong, and I hope it doesn’t go anywhere anytime soon.

Painted paws are a quintessential part of makeup and fashion, and not just on catwalks, but on sidewalks too. I LOVE nail art…even though I’m absolute and total crap when it comes to actually doing it on myself. I’m serious, the complexity of my paw painting capabilities involves barely being able to handle an accent nail on my index finger! (And I can barely do that these days.) Or sometimes nail stickers.

I think that if I had more time I could get better at it. I’ve always had decently steady hands, so I think I could handle some pretty meticulous designs.

*big sigh* One of these days…

Of course, I would love to have Tabs’s face on my claws. You know that, right? 🙂

Ooh! Or what about plaid nails? Or, even though I’m probably way too old for this, Hello Kitty nails, or nails that give a shout-out to famous artists like Matisse or Picasso? All of those sound cool.

What do you think? Is nail art over, or is it still going strong?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Guess what. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. There’s a video on this post. It may not pop up in the feed, but you can also click here to watch it.

This may sound strange, but what I look for in a makeup artist when I want advice is kind of like what I might look for in a therapist. Basically, I want somebody that I can tell is really listening to me and isn’t in a big hurry — somebody who will take the time to help. Ideally, this person would also be nice, because it’s always easier to talk to nice people who aren’t dismissive of you, or who look down on you. I mean, that’s never fun. I go to a makeup counter because I want to feel good about myself and learn something new, or perhaps I just need a pick-me-up, and it’s just always nicer talking to somebody sincere who has a good attitude, and somebody friendly who will look you in the eye, you know, and maybe crack a few jokes, but at the same time is very knowledgeable.

Most of the time when I do go to a makeup counter, I go with a specific question in mind, and I’m not shy about it, so I’ll walk up to whomever’s working and be like, “Hello. Who’s the best person to ask for eye makeup advice?” or, “Who here does the most amazing skin??”
[Continue reading…]

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 seven 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. White nail polish or black nail polish?
   OK, how about white polish for my fingers, and black nail polish for my toes? 🙂 And while we’re at it, can I just say how awesome it is to have white nail polish as a real option? — because waaaaay back in the day I’d resort to painting my nails with White Out.

   Yeah, ew.

   Probably wasn’t the healthiest thing to use, and to be honest, it wasn’t very attractive either, but we were kids being kids!

2. Last beauty buy you made based on a friend’s recommendation?
   There’ve been a couple. Yesterday at Ulta with my favorite beauty enabler, Marisol, I grabbed a bottle of Garnier’s Clean + Nourishing Cleansing Oil, which she highly recommended. My cheeks have been crazy dry lately, and she has dry skin too and loves the stuff, so I decided to give it a whirl. I also picked up Sally Hansen’s Nail Nutrition Green Tea + Bamboo Nail Strengthener on her recommendation, because when I mentioned that my nails have been splitting (boo!), she said it helped hers a lot.
3. Yellow gold, white gold or rose gold?
   Yellow gold…with rose gold being a close second.

4. How often do you wear suits?
   These days, never. I think the last time I wore a suit was around 2005 for a job interview. I wore black suits when I worked in a law firm because they were easy and brainless (just add shirt!). I also think that suits helped me look a little older and more mature (and not an intern), which, believe it or not, was a problem I used to have (but these days, that’s soooo not an issue, LOL!).

   I still have and wear those same black suit jackets on occasion, like with skinny jeans, a white tee and gold jewelry. I like that combo.

5. Do you spend more time on your makeup or on your hair?
   My makeup, definitely. With my hair, I try to do the bare minimum, which means styling it on the first day after a wash (usually with a curling iron, which takes me about half an hour), and then just brushing it through and using dry shampoo on the roots, which takes less than five minutes, on the days until the next time I wash it.

   If I’ll be taking pics or doing a video, my makeup usually takes longer than usual, too, but I can usually do it in 30 minutes if I’m really pressed for time and rushing. It can take an hour or longer for more complicated looks. If I’m just doing makeup to run an errand or meet a friend for coffee, though, that’s usually takes about 15-20 minutes.

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

1. White nail polish or black nail polish?
2. Last beauty buy you made based on a friend’s recommendation?
3. Yellow gold, white gold or rose gold?
4. How often do you wear suits?
5. Do you spend more time on your makeup or on your hair?

Hey, sweet girl! Happy Labor Day to ya. I hope you’re enjoying the long weekend.

I got to sleep in a few minutes this morning, but Tabs has me on the clock today… You know how it is with international kitty supermodels — you’re always on call, LOL!

No, really. I’m trying to finish the few things on my to-do list early because it’s supposed to hit the mid-90s here today, and homegirl needs to be out of her office by 3 p.m. at the latest, lest she melt.

Wish me luck!

You have a magnificent Monday, ‘k?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen