Just For Fun

These days, like the great Sir Mix-a-lot once crooned, “I like big brows and I cannot lie!” 🙂

I like to try different brow fillers now that I have more to work with up there. I’ve been rockin’ a full brow this year (well, full for me), but I’m more courageous because I know I can always go back to my fool-proof fillers — a pan of MAC Eye Shadow in a shade that matches the color of my hair, which I’ll apply with a MAC 266 Small Angle Brush.

Easy, breezy, and I can do it when I’m half asleep. MAC Concrete used to be my shade for this (back when my hair was really dark), but these days I’m all about Brun (a muted blackish brown).

How about you? What do you use to fill your brows (if you fill your brows), and what’s your all-time favorite brow filler?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

I’m talking things like manicures, pedicures, waxing, hair coloring, facials. For me, it’s any sort of brow maintenance. I do — and have always done — my own brows, mostly ’cause I have an irrational fear of someone accidentally waxing, threading or tweezing them into oblivion.

I always think of this scene I saw unfold at a Benefit counter, when a woman walked up in tears after a dicey threading session at a brow salon elsewhere in town. Poor thing had red, patchy areas below her brows, which were pencil thin and totally uneven. The Benefit girls did a wonderful job of reassuring her, and telling her that everything was going to be OK. They showed her how to fill in her brows until they grew back again and suggested the products she could use.

Another thing I refuse to pay for is body waxing. DUDE! — I can wax my legs, upper lip and lady parts no problem (Underarms are a different story, though. Too ticklish.), but I don’t do it very often because shaving is so much quicker and more convenient for me.

So what’s a beauty services you absolutely refuse to pay for? Manicures? Pedicures? Facials or Waxing? Anyone out there daring enough to cut their own hair (I’ve known someone who’s done that before)? Inquiring minds want to know…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy hump day. 🙂

Truth is, there are tons of great budget beauty products out there, but here’s one I like for $3.49: Essence Gel Eyeliners.

Have you tried ’em before? They’re so great! — waterproof, smudge-proof, super smooth and easy to apply. And they’re like the Hulk once you get them on your lids. They absolutely will not budge unless you ask really, really nicely.

I’m in a thick cat eye liner phase, so these have been my jam lately. I’ve been alternating them with the MAC Fluidlines and NARS Eye Paints to make the pricier products last longer.

I mean, $3.49! That’s less than Starbucks, and they’re available all over the place — drugstores, Ulta and online.

Which reminds me, an Ulta store is opening a few miles away from me in San Rafael. Actually, it might be open right now… I think this calls for a quick trip. 🙂

What’s the most bad-@ss sub-$5 makeup product you can think of? Or, if you can do it, combination of products that add up to $5 or less? And sure, sales and eBay deals count.

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 six years. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.

1. What’s one thing you’re trying to do less often?
   Worry about things I can’t control — because I’m a natural worrywart, but it seems to be getting worse as I get older.

   Need to just let things go, ya know?

2. What’s one thing you’re trying to do more often?
   Take more risks in my writing and my life.

   I mean, try more things that have the potential to be very cool, even if there’s also a chance they could end up being a disaster.

3. How often do you clean your house?
   Ugh, not as often as I’d like/should. I’d always been a pretty regular weekly cleaner, but now it’s maybe one or two days a month because I’m usually so tired on the weekends.

   Working on it though!

4. What’s one of strangest compliments you’ve ever received?
   “I thought you’d be taller.”

   Um, thanks?! I actually get this a lot on account of my big personality. 🙂

   But seriously, I think it’s because I don’t stand next to anything for scale in my pictures. It’s hard to tell just how vertically challenged I really am (I’m only 5’1″)!

5. Fruit or vegetables?
   I’m gonna have to go with fruit on this one. I mean, sure, I eat both, but if I had to pick just one — fruit or vegetables — I’d go with the fruit, because could you imagine bringing a squash to the beach?
6. What’s your favorite old-school beauty product?
   Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion.

   Man, I feel like I’ve been using this since the dawn of time! I use it after washing with my regular facial cleanser to remove any last traces of makeup. It’s non-drying and keeps my breakouts under control, and I love that it’s only $13.

7. Do you like rainy weather?
   Well, I don’t mind it so much in Hawaii, but the cold rain here is total bullsh*t.
8. When was the last time you spoke in front of an audience?
   It was probably a couple years ago on this beauty blogging panel.
9. What’s one thing you’re grateful for at this very moment?
   Coffee.
10. Are you passionate about anything that other people in your life don’t quite understand?
    Yup, beauty blogging. Even though I’ve been doing it for almost seven years, there are still some friends and family members who act surprised every time I answer when they ask, “So what are doing now, Karen?”

    It gets a little exhausting explaining it over and over again, and I think if I were saying something like, “Oh, I’m just finishing my residency,” or “I’m up for a promotion at work,” they’d probably remember.

    Oh, well! I’m just gonna let it go…

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 one thing you’re trying to do less often?
2. What’s one thing you’re trying to do more often?
3. How often do you clean your house?
4. What’s one of strangest compliments you’ve ever received?
5. Fruit or vegetables?
6. What’s your favorite old-school beauty product?
7. Do you like rainy weather?
8. When was the last time you spoke in front of an audience?
9. What’s one thing you’re grateful for at this very moment?
10. Are you passionate about anything that other people in your life don’t quite understand?

Another Monday, babe

This cloudy, chilly weather makes me want to just hibernate and watch Netflix on the couch, which is pretty much what I did last Saturday afternoon. I re-watched Skyfall, and then a sci-fi movie called The Europa Report that was really good!

I also listened to some new music (well, new to me… Lorde’s entire album, Pure Heroine, and Katy Perry’s Prism) and practiced a few neutral looks with some MAC permanent colors — Texture, Twinks, Vanilla and Sketch.

Back when I really started getting into makeup, I was strictly a MAC girl, and I was all about the permanent colors (has anyone else gone through that phase?), but over the past few years I’ve become more obsessed with the LE collections.

Sometimes, though, it’s just fun to go back to your roots, you know? — so I’ve been rediscovering some of the permanent colors that are just really great shades.

It’s also kind of comforting knowing that they won’t be disappearing any time soon, you know? (Hopefully.)

I hope you had a good weekend, and have a great day today.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen