Just For Fun

When in doubt, wing it out.

LOL! For real, though. For me, black winged liner always does the trick. I can dress it up with a bold lipstick or dress it down with some nude gloss. Either way, it always seems to work out.

As for hair, I usually like to wear mine down with loose waves, and I like my waves a little messy. Not too “done.”

Lately, for beachy waves, I’ve been using (and absolutely loving) Kerastase Spray a Porter.

Damn, I absolutely LOVE that stuff! It’s great for beachy waves that aren’t crunchy.

What’s your one hair and makeup look that works for every occasion?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. For once I didn’t fall asleep on my couch by 9:30 on a Thursday night, LOL! Nope, I headed to SF to watch the Academy of Art graduation fashion show, where the graduating fashion design students show their final work on the runway. MAC did the makeup, and I got the full scoop on the look backstage.

It was fun! I’ll post some pics and details on the makeup soon.

P.P.S. Oh, yeah. One more thing… 🙂

A timer! — as in egg timer or stopwatch.

I usually use the timer on my phone…

I’m so not kidding! It’s the best way I know of to keep things from spiraling out of control.

When I absolutely need to get out the door by a certain time and only have “X” number of minutes to put on makeup, I set a timer on my iPhone, and then that’s all the time I have.

I watch the countdown and adjust myself accordingly, and I seriously think it works better than a regular clock.

With just a clock and no timer, my 5-minute makeup looks tend to stretch out to 15. 🙂

OK, my friend. Your turn. A trick to creating quick and easy makeup looks is…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

You might be wondering, “So what the heck is this Monday Poll thing anyway?”

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

1. The secret to a really good _____ is _____.
   The secret to a really good workout is coffee!
2. Do you have any shoes or bags with funky patterns on them (florals, plaids, animal prints, etc.)?
   Um, yeah! 🙂 My ASPCA Vans shoes with the collage o’ cats.

   I also have some printed makeup bags, like a nylon MAC one with graffiti art on it, and a cute Kate Spade bag with red piping and black-and-white hand-drawn illustrations of lipsticks and compacts and other little pieces of makeup.

   Oh, and I also have a pair of leopard-print heels, but I never wear them because they hurt my feet…

3. Most memorable summer job?
   Working as a coordinator at the Foreign Language Lab on my last summer at Davis. I opened the lab in the morning, checked out language materials to the foreign language students and helped them with their English conversation skills.
4. Pick one — layered jewelry or accent nails (if you had to pick).
   Layered jewelry. Preferably dainty layered necklaces.
5. What would you put into your perfect fruit salad?
   All kinds of crazy-@ss schtuff!

   Watermelon (of course), strawberries, grapefruit, peaches, green grapes (halved), raspberries, blueberries, dragon fruit, lychee and honeycrisp apples (for crunch), all drizzled with warm honey on top. 🙂

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

1. The secret to a really good _____ is _____.
2. Do you have any shoes or bags with funky patterns on them (florals, plaids, animal prints, etc.)?
3. Most memorable summer job?
4. Pick one — layered jewelry or accent nails (if you had to pick).
5. What would you put into your perfect fruit salad?

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel like we get stuck in a rut when it comes to eating out. We go to the same places a lot because they’re good and reliable, and we know what to expect, but sometimes you get lucky when you try something new.

Like, you find a place that serves house-made mini donuts. 🙂

The secret to eternal happiness just might be a basket of mini donuts… (They’re a lot smaller than they look.)

On Saturday morning for breakfast we drove up to the Boon Fly Café in Napa off Sonoma Highway, right next to The Carneros Inn.

I ordered the veggie omelet (so tasty!), which had asparagus, squash, purple cauliflower and jack cheese and came with crispy hash browns and fresh baked wheat toast. El Hub had the standard bacon and eggs with sourdough toast.

YUM! Everything was flat-out delicious, and that’s not even the best part. The Carneros Inn next door has stunning wine country gardens and rose- and fig tree-lined walking paths; it’s worth a trip just for the walk after breakfast.

You never know what you’re gonna get, ya know, when you try something new, but sometimes you get really lucky.

Have a great day today. Happy Cinco de Mayo, my friend. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

For me, eyes that softly shimmer with an eyeshadow in a mysterious, unexpected neutral like khaki or olive, with softly smudged bronze or rose gold liner, a pair of (comfortable) false lashes, and a glossy pink lip.

Oh, yeah… That’s the ticket. 🙂

How about you? It’s spring and love is in the air… What’s your favorite flirty makeup look?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

You might be wondering, “So what the heck is this Monday Poll thing anyway?”

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

1. What’s your idea of a perfect birthday party for you?
   A very casual brunch, because brunch is my favorite meal of the day, where I order both a sweet and savory option, because I hate having to decide between the two, and everybody has mimosas.

   Just a handful of people, and I don’t have to pick up the bill.

   Oh, yeah! — and I’m wearing a tiara. 🙂

2. Tell me about your first car…
   It was a beat up flesh-colored Ford pickup with a camper shell and a long bed, so I couldn’t see what was going on behind me, and the speedometer was broken. Every time my parents would drive with me, they’d yell about how I was going too fast, but how was I supposed to know how fast I was going!? The freaking speedometer was broken!
3. What’s one thing you always have with you wherever you go?
   Cat hair. I’m covered in it. It’s on my shoes, on my clothes, on my purses, in my hair, on my lips sometimes. I can’t escape it.
4. Which of the following can you hear from your home: church bells, trains, busses, children playing, birds singing and/or wind chimes?
   All of the above.

   I’m not 100% sure about the train. I think I hear one sometimes, but I don’t know where it is. It’s like the ghost train…

5. Have you ever been lost — like seriously lost — in a city, a parking lot or someplace outdoors?
   Yes, in the South San Francisco Daly City area. It’s like the Bermuda Triangle for me.

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

1. What’s your idea of a perfect birthday party for you?
2. Tell me about your first car…
3. What’s one thing you always have with you wherever you go?
4. Which of the following can you hear from your home: church bells, trains, busses, children playing, birds singing and/or wind chimes?
5. Have you ever been lost — like seriously lost — in a city, a parking lot or someplace outdoors?

I was feeling really tense this morning when I woke up. Monday mornings are usually…yeah, difficult for me, as they are for a lot of people.

I tried some of my usual Monday morning brain-focussing tricks like mind mapping and list writing, but they weren’t working. Then I went for a 15-minute walk.

Lo and behold, I felt about a million times better! It’s a cliche, but those walks really work. Sometimes the best way to get out of your head is to get out of your head.

Anywho, have a great day today. Talk to you soon. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

I’d say, “true-ish,” or mostly true, with the caveat of, “Rules are meant to be broken.”

When I wear brights like blues or greens or purples, I do tend to stick to things like matte browns and bronzes in my crease and along the lower lash line because I feel like they make the look more everyday wearable, but it’s not something I strictly adhere to.

Sometimes, I just feel like swingin’ for the fences, ya know? Because I figure, if you’re already going to wear something eye-catching — maybe a bright orange, a hot pink or a neon green — might as well go all out.

I like seeing gals/guys gutsy enough to wear brights on their eyes and really go all the way and express themselves. It keeps the world interesting.

If it makes you happy, more power to you, my friend! 🙂

True or false: any time you’re using bright colors on the eyes, you need to ground them with neutrals.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S.