Just For Fun

Hmm…Good question. It was this lovely bottle of Amore Pacific Treatment Enzyme Peel (lens flare added for dramatic effect).

It’s the gentle exfoliating face wash ($60, unfortunately) I’ve been using in the mornings off and on for about a year, alternating it with Neutrogena’s much less expensive All-in-1 Acne Control Daily Scrub, and I really like them together as a combo.

I finished my bottle of the peel a couple weeks ago, and I think my skin misses it…

I first found out about it from one of the gals at Sephora who recommended it to help with my chin acne, which was acting up at the time. She said it was something that many of her clients with problem skin raved about, so I picked up a bottle right then and there.

From the get-go, I loved it. Loved the floral scent, loved the way it didn’t leave my skin feeling scratchy or tight after I washed with it in the morning, but didn’t really love the price. Because it was also pretty expensive, I almost gave up on it.

My skin slowly improved over the next few months using this with Neutrogena’s All-in-1 scrub, Kate Somerville’s Anti Bac Clearing Lotion, Skinceuticals C E Ferulic and Sunday Riley Good Gene Treatment. I’d also made some adjustments to my diet, which I think helped.

But this — this is my favorite gentle exfoliating face wash.

Note to self: restock this bad boy, ASAP!

How about you? What’s the last skincare product you finished all the way down to the last drop?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Good morning and happy Friday from the employees of Makeup and Beauty Blog! 🙂

Now…I have a very important question for you.

Tabs would like to me ask if you would be his Valentine. In his words, “Mrow?”

Please say yes!

Goodness, I don’t even know where to start! Uh…let’s just say that I’m glad there were no camera phones back then, because despite perhaps thinking I was hot sh*t, I’m pretty sure I wasn’t.

Yeah, it would’ve been nice to have beauty blogs and YouTube back then… I’m just sayin’. 🙂

Let’s see… High school for me was the early ’90s, and I liked to wear bold lips back then with black liner on my upper lash lines, foundation when I was in the mood for it, pressed powder, blush, but NO mascara (I know! But my mom wouldn’t allow me to wear it for some reason.).

Oh, those brows…

Freshman year of high school, I wore Clinique Raspberry Glace almost daily. It was my first “big girl” lipstick, and it was my jam! Eventually, other colors worked their way into my high school life, like coppers, wines and reds, usually from drugstore lines like Covergirl, Wet ‘N Wild and Revlon.

I distinctly remember wearing Revlon Cherries in the Snow all throughout junior year, mostly because almost everyone in the flute section that year (BAND GEEKS!) wore it during marching season.

Nerd alert! With my BFF Jen

College was a few years later in the mid-to-late ’90s, and I remember wearing a lot of matte textures and browns…

Now that I think about it, though, I should have worn more glitter back then, because if there’s ever a time to get away with wearing the sparkly stuff on a daily basis, it would have been then.

I was a total lip product junkie all throughout those years and wore A LOT of bold lips, often MAC Paramount Lipstick.

Then, on my eyes, Clinique eyeshadow, liner and mascara (FINALLY!), which was partly out of convenience, as there was a Clinique counter inside the campus bookstore (I KNOW!).

Other than that counter, the closest mall was a 30-minute drive up the highway (this was Davis, California), where they had a MAC counter, and really, I was too busy trying to memorize the Krebs Cycle to make that trip often.

How about you? What was your typical makeup look in high school/college?

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 stance on chocolate in breakfast foods?
   I’m a supporter, as long as the chocolate isn’t overly sweet. I’ll happily gobble down a semi-sweet croissant or a chocolate-chip pancake with my coffee, yum!
2. Did you ever collect stamps?
   I did when I was a kid. I had albums filled with limited edition U.S. stamps and stamps from around the world, but I can’t remember when I grew out of it… Probably sometimes in my moody tween years, I think, when boys started to seem more interesting.

   In hindsight, I probably should’ve stuck with the stamps, LOL! At least for a few more years.

3. One of your favorite skin-soothing products?
   GURL, First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Cream is the shizzle. I use it everywhere — on my face, hands, cuticles — anyplace my skin needs extra moisture.

   It’s rich and thick, but not greasy, and it doesn’t give me breakouts. Highly, highly recommended.

   Oh, and something else I love for dry skin — Sisley’s Black Rose Mask. Hella expensive, but it works wonders on my scaly bits.

4. I know I shouldn’t, but I always _____.
   Fiddle with my phone before bed. I’ve read that the light from phones and tablets is supposed to interfere with your sleep, but I get sucked in, ya know? Time flies when you’re fiddling with gadgets (usually watching YouTube makeup videos or reading on my Kindle).

   It’s a habit I really have to break…

5. Have you been watching the Olympics?
   I’ve watched the opening ceremony and the parade of athletes (for the outfits and the factoids about the different countries) but haven’t actually caught any of the events yet.

   I will though. I have been watching the recaps in the mornings.

6. Do you ever wear glittery eye makeup to work?
   Um…yes. Shimmer and sparkle are strongly encouraged here at Tabs the Cat Industries, LLC. Our CEO’s philosophy is “the more bling, the better.”

   I might actually have to bust out some bling today — ya know, on account of it being Monday. 😉

7. A vegetable that makes you cringe?
   Okra. Blech! It’s the texture… Not a big fan of slimy things. I don’t mind it so much when it’s fried, but I make a face whenever I see it in a stew or something.
8. What’s your philosophy on makeup?
   Do what you like.
9. We’re all wearing flowers pinned to our shirts today! Which one would you like to wear?
   A gardenia, please.
10. What are the craziest socks in your sock drawer?
    Wow, that’s a tough one… Lots to choose from, LOL!

    I have several pairs of crazy cat lady socks, but the craziest ones are a warm pair of black and gray striped socks with gray tabby cats on them. They always make me laugh.

Now it’s 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 stance on chocolate in breakfast foods?
2. Did you ever collect stamps?
3. One of your favorite skin-soothing products?
4. I know I shouldn’t, but I always _____.
5. Have you been watching the Olympics?
6. Do you ever wear glittery eye makeup to work?
7. A vegetable that makes you cringe?
8. What’s your philosophy on makeup?
9. We’re all wearing flowers pinned to our shirts today! Which one would you like to wear?
10. What are the craziest socks in your sock drawer?

Brrr, it’s cold in here! For a second there I thought we were skipping the wet part of winter and fast-forwarding to spring, but I guess not.

It rained all through last weekend. Not that I mind the rain because we need it, but Tabs is pretty fussy about the whole thing. He’s quite the diva when it comes to wet paws and fur. He hates walking on wet ground, and he takes out his frustrations on me by pretty much doing the exactly opposite of anything I want him to do.

You know… Cats.

In other news, think warm thoughts while I go make us another cup of coffee. You fill out the Monday Poll, and I’ll be right back. Do you take cream or sugar in yours?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen