Just For Fun

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. Leopard spots or zebra stripes?
   Cat lady says what now?! Leopard spots, of course.
2. Have you ever blown a kiss to a stranger?
   Not that I can recall, but stranger things have happened after a glass of wine or two…
3. A movie that scared you as a child?
   Salam’s Lot, HOLY CRAP. I don’t know whose idea it was to allow a bunch of 5-year-olds to watch that movie at the babysitter’s house, but it went down, and I was (and still am) traumatized.

4. Are you a back, tummy or side sleeper?
   Yes! I usually fall asleep on my back, but then roll on to my tummy or side in the wee hours of the morning.
5. Who’s your team?
   THE NINERS!
6. Do you, or does someone you know, have a sixth sense?
   I’m not sure… Maybe. I do get a very strong sense of déjà vu sometimes. And there have been a few times when something — a very distinct, unmistakable gut feeling that something isn’t right — has probably saved my life.
7. How are you at multitasking?
   Absolute crap.
8. What was the last skincare product you finished down to the last drop?
   I think it was NARS Aqua Gel Luminous Oil-Free Moisturizer… I used it a lot toward the end of summer because it was lightweight, super moisturizing and didn’t give me breakouts.

   It’s probably not moisturizing enough for me now that it’s gotten colder and drier, but I’ll use it again next spring and summer.

9. If you could be a makeup artist for any brand, which brand would it be?
   MAC or NARS, for sure. 🙂
10. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your current ability to work a smokey eye?
    Hmm… I’ll say 7.5? I think I can handle the basic styles OK, but I’m sure there are plenty of tweaks and improvements I could do.

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. Leopard spots or zebra stripes?
2. Have you ever blown a kiss to a stranger?
3. A movie that scared you as a child?
4. Are you a back, tummy or side sleeper?
5. Who’s your team?
6. Do you, or does someone you know, have a sixth sense?
7. How are you at multitasking?
8. Last skincare product you finished down to the last drop?
9. If you could be a makeup artist for any brand, which brand would it be?
10. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your current ability to work a smokey eye?

Somewhere between the 49er roll and deep-fried soft-shell crab somebody at the table brought up shapeshifters…

Yes, these are the kinds of deep thoughts my friends and I have while we’re stuffing our faces with sushi drizzled in a nice ponzu sauce.

So yesterday I went to the South Bay to hang out with my girlfriends, Jen and Cindy, and to take Jen to a spa for her belated birthday present, and then afterward we had sushi at this place called Cha Cha Sushi in San Jose.

Jen believes that shapeshifters — assuming they exist, of course — are limited to transforming into something of the same mass, like, the example used at the table was that if you’re a 100-pound girl who shapeshifts into a bodybuilder, you might look like a bodybuilder on the outside, but you’ll only weigh 100 pounds, so you won’t be able to lift as much as an actual 300-pound bodybuilder would…

I guess this makes partial sense to me, since matter is neither created nor destroyed (that’s one thing I remember from my science years), but I think that if you’re already assuming that shapeshifters exist, then you’re already messing with the natural world and its laws as we know them, so I think it’s safe to assume that certain laws are being bent, because hello! — someone is SHIFTING THEIR SHAPE! 🙂

Unfortunately, we left the issue unresolved because the food arrived to the table…

OMG! So freakin’ good. There’s just something magical about spas and sushi, really. Every day should be a spa-sushi day… Someone needs to print that on a t-shirt.

How’s it going this morning? Do you have a couple minutes to say hi and touch base in the Monday Poll? I hope so. It’s a nice way to get the creative juices flowing, and I always like to hear how you’re doing.

Talk to ya soon!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Are you an everyday eyeshadow gal, a weekend wearer, or do you just wear it once in a blue moon?

I was chatting with a makeup-loving friend the other day — a fellow eyeshadow palette hoarder — when I was shocked to discover that, aside from mascara and a smidgen of liner, she only wears eyeshadow on weekends.

“Uh…” I said, visibly confused, “that’s only, like, two days a week!? Are you kidding me right now?”

LOL!

I pretty much do the opposite. I’ll usually wear eyeshadow during the week, and then give my lids a break on Saturdays and Sundays (unless I’m going out). Most of the time, I’ll just do mascara, maybe some liner, and that’s it.

But the rest of the week is a shadow free for all! 🙂 And with it being fall, I’ve been wearing a lot of darker colors and smokey looks, like this smokey cat eye I wore the other day using the new MAC RiRi Phresh Out and the NARS Crime of Passion palettes.

What about you? How often do you wear eyeshadow? And what do you wear when you don’t? Inquiring minds want to know.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Good mornin’, and welcome to the hump. 🙂

OK, so, totally not eyeshadow related, but can we talk blazers for a moment? I love how a cute blazer to pull an entire outfit together.

Today I’m wearing one I found on sale at Anthropologie a few weeks ago called the Delacour by Leifnotes, and seriously — it’s like the Pajama Jeans of blazers.

I used to be more willing to sacrifice comfort for fashion, but those days are gone. Now, if something’s itchy, stiff or binding in any way, I just can’t do it.

Basically, I want everything to feel like yoga pants or sweats… At least that’s the idea.

Aaaand that’s why I love this blazer. It’s all snugly, warm and cozy, almost like a sweatshirt. It’s actually made from a sweater-like material — a soft polyester and viscose blend.

Oh, and hello! — no need worry about this bad boy wrinkling. You can fold it up, shove it in a bag, and it keeps its shape.

Right now it’s on sale at Anthropologie, marked down from $148 to $79.95.

Happy shopping. 🙂

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. Soup or salad?
   If the soup’s vegetarian, then soup; otherwise, salad…with the dressing on the side.
2. When was the last time you went to a haunted house?
   It was a dark and stormy night back in 2010…

   Ha! Not really. Well, it was in 2010. It was at a Halloween ball held on an old decommissioned aircraft carrier called the USS Hornet in Alameda (The Monster’s Ball). They turned the ship’s innards into a haunted house.

   Very spooky… Every time we turned one of the tight corners in the bowels of the ship and something popped out of the shadows, I screamed, haha!

3. Are there any bargain beauty buys you’ve been recommending to all your friends?
   Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Body Butter, babe! Best $4.99 you’ll ever spend (well, maybe one of the best).
4. For a big event, would you rather have your makeup professionally done, or do it yourself?
   Honestly, even though I think I could handle it myself, I’d rather have it done. It’s one less thing to worry about, ya know?
5. Pumpkin spice lattes: yes or no?
   YES! Double yes. I’m craving one right now.
6. Where would you like to see yourself this time next year?
   I would like there to be a new addition to our little family, or to have a baby on the way. Also, to have done more things with our condo to make it more comfortable (it’s only been three years, le sigh…) and to have struck a better work-life balance.

   That’s one of the downsides to blogging, to be honest. It’s easy to go overboard and lose track of time. Pretty soon it’s 10 p.m. and you’re still taking pictures. Happens all the time.

7. Nudes or brights?
   Brights.
8. You get to build a four-pan eyeshadow palette for a weekend getaway using any colors from any brands. What do you put in it?
   MAC Soft Brown, MAC Brun, MAC Woodwinked and NARS Night Star.
9. Last meal you had outdoors?
   Hmm… I think it was two weeks ago. El Hub and I had late lunch at Blue Barn Marin in Corte Madara.

   It was nice. There was a band, and we just sat there and enjoyed one of the last warmish days for a while.

10. What makeup do you wear when you want to look fresh-faced?
    I’ll fill in my brows, curl my lashes, and coat them with a layer or two of mascara. Then, I’ll usually apply MAC Strobe Cream all over my face, a bit of foundation, under-eye concealer and lip balm. That about does it.

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. Soup or salad?
2. When was the last time you went to a haunted house?
3. What’s a bargain beauty buy you recommend to your friends?
4. For a big event, would you rather have your makeup done or would you prefer to do your own makeup?
5. Pumpkin spice lattes: yes or no?
6. Where would you like to see yourself this time next year?
7. Nudes or brights?
8. You get to build a four-pan eyeshadow palette for a weekend getaway using any colors from any brands. What do you put in it?
9. Last meal you had outdoors?
10. How do you do your makeup when you want a fresh-faced look?

Thought you might enjoy this: Sonicaid Music to Inspire Positive Thinking.

It’s not drum circle or whale mating music or anything too out there (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Mostly just soothing instrumental piano that’s supposed to boost alpha and beta brainwave activity, which is supposed to aid creativity and relaxation.

I’ve been listening to it all morning long (happy Monday, by the way) and feeling really positive about the day.

I hope it helps you, too. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen