Just For Fun

Is it bold eyes and a nude lip? Bright cheeks and lots o’ lashes? Cat eyes? Sparkly glitter liner? Matte neutrals FTW?

I always feel like fall is a good excuse to go completely crazy in the makeup department, especially with my eyes, so lately, with fall all but here already, my go-to look of late has been some sort of variation on smokey eyes, with contouring and highlighting on my cheeks, and a dark lip.

Basically, if I can look like a vampire extra from Underworld (the first one, of course), I’m happy. 🙂

Now, if I have an appointment or someplace to be where I have to look somewhat responsible (CRAP), I’ll swap out the bold lip for something nude.

These days, I feel like I can’t stop wearing Tom Ford’s Sable Suede, which, while expensive, just might be the best nude lipstick on the planet right now, no joke.

Anyhizzzz…what’s your current go-to makeup look these days? Describe it in great detail please (so as I may try it myself!), if you’re inclined, or jot a quick list — whatever you feel like doing. I’m always curious about what other people are wearing. It’s the voyeur in me, I guess!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

I bet you get a lot of junk mail. I do. I get TONS, and I’m actually afraid to unsubscribe from some of it because El Hub, who works as an IT guy by day, says that clicking that little “unsubscribe” link on legitimate spam confirms to the evil spammer that there’s an actual human being on the other end. So they send even MORE spam.

I guess what I’m trying to say is this: I hate spam, too, and I work very hard (tirelessly, even) every day to make sure that my daily emails never seem like spam. Just the best pictures I can take and (hopefully) helpful, entertaining posts about makeup and beauty products (and sometimes cats).

That’s what you’ll get if you subscribe to my daily newsletter, which I really hope you’ll do.

Thank you for visiting. 🙂

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

1. Is your desk neat or messy?
   How ’bout this: it’s so messy it’s neat. 🙂 A neat mess? I adhere to the stacks and piles approach to office efficiency, meaning that there are tall stacks of paper everywhere.

   But at least they’re neatly stacked piles, haha!

2. One fun thing you did over the weekend?
   GURL, I watched more Lifetime movies last weekend than I had in the three years before! My favorite was Escape From Polygamy.

   No, really, that’s what it’s called, and it was actually REALLY good! Even El Hub thought so. Every time he had to get up for something he’d hurry back and ask, “What did I miss??”

3. What book(s) are you reading?
   A thriller/crime novel called Sharp Objects, by Gillian Flynn, but I have to stop reading it at night because it creeps me out, and then I have a hard time falling asleep.
4. Something you keep meaning to do but don’t for one reason or another?
   I gotta get my hair did! I’ve been talking about it for weeks, and my roots are exceptionally rooty right now.
5. What’s a typical morning for you?
   I get up at 6:30, usually with a tabby on my torso, and lumber downstairs like a zombie. First thing I do is make a big mug of coffee or a tea and something to eat, usually peanut butter toast, a fried egg sandwich or oatmeal. Then I feed Tabs.

   If I’m still on schedule after that, I hop on the treadmill for 20-25 minutes, because I find that when I don’t exercise early in the morning, it just doesn’t get done at all. Work starts and time flies, and by the late afternoon I’m tired.

   After working out, I quickly clean up, get dressed, and start writing my posts for the day doing Tabs’ bidding.

6. Three of the makeup brushes you use most often?
   The MAC 217, 239 and 224.

   I use them in virtually every look. They’re the most practical makeup brushes I own.

7. What’s one of your best eye makeup tips?
   Use a clean blending brush to blend your eyeshadows, because dirty brushes seem to just scoot the product around.
8. Something you’ve been loving lately?
   H&M. I haven’t gone in a while (I get stimulus overload in there), but I went last week and found lots of cute, cute, CUTE fall stuff for cheap. I picked up a few tops for less than $20 each.
9. Any life-changing beauty products lately?
   Skinceuticals C E Ferulic. Yeah, it’s freakishly, obscenely expensive, but damn if it hasn’t completely transformed my skin.

   My skin hasn’t been this smooth in years! — and the stuff has really helped with my chin acne.

10. Are you wearing any polish on your toes, and if you are, what shade?
    I’m still wearing my same leftover pedi from Vegas earlier this month using Essie’s The Lace Is On, an opalescent, jewel-toned fuchsia.

    It’s definitely chipping…

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. Is your desk neat or messy?
2. One fun thing you did over the weekend?
3. What book(s) are you reading?
4. Something you keep meaning to do but don’t?
5. What’s a typical morning for you?
6. Three of the makeup brushes you use most often?
7. What’s one of your best eye makeup tips?
8. Something you’ve been loving lately?
9. Any life-changing beauty products lately?
10. Are you wearing any polish on your toes, and if you are, what shade?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. I have it on very good authority that you are going to have an excellent week. Don’t ask me how I know. I just do. 🙂

I was looking at my hands last night and thinking, “Dang, this is a disaster!”

Got me thinking about mani/pedi mishaps…

I haven’t had any nightmarish nail salon experiences, thank goodness (knocks on wood), but I have heard some pretty gnarly stories.

The closest to a mani/pedi disaster was probably the time I treated myself to a fancy pedi at a shoo-shoo-foo-foo spa.

My toes looked great when I left! — but then I accidentally kicked the leg of a table and totally jacked up the pedi on my right foot.

Grumpy!

Since I rarely go out and actually get my nails done, and it costs a small fortune, I was quite…perturbed (batsh*t crazy angry) the rest of the day.

What about you? Have you ever had a mani/pedi mishap or full-on disaster?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!!! 🙂

Uh…this is gonna sound a little weird, but isn’t it hard to apply your eyeliner or mascara with your mouth closed?

Seriously, what’s up with that? I must be so deep in thought that my lower jaw just, ghhhlgl, drifts down…

It’s the weirdest thing! But I don’t think it’s just me. I’ve seen other people do it, too, both guys and gals, even in YouTube videos.

How about you? Are you an open-mouthed eye liner or closed? Do you apply your eyeliner or mascara with your mouth open or shut? Inquiring minds want to know! 🙂

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

1. One makeup or beauty product you can’t stop hoarding?
   It’s not “one” product in the strict technical sense…but coral everything — lipsticks, glosses, eyeshadows. I like the way coral works with my warm skin tone. When I’m stumped for what to wear, it’s a no-brainer for me.
2. What did you have for breakfast this morning?
   A Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Larabar (been eating a lot of these lately) and a big-@ss cup of Kona coffee with almond milk and a teaspoon of sugar.
3. I’m happiest when ______.
   I’m ahead of my deadlines. It’s the worst when I feel like I’m behind schedule.
4. Don’t be afraid of ______.
   Change. I’m definitely getting more set in my ways as I get older, and it’s a little frightening… It’s harder to go with the flow for me than it used to be. I have to force myself to try new things.
5. What’s one of your mantras?
   “You can cry when you’re done.”

   I’m an emotional person, and the tears come easily, especially when I’m overwhelmed, but crying can get in the way sometimes, you know? It can be hard to stop once I start, so I try to hold it together long enough to finish whatever I’m working on…and THEN I shut the door and lose my sh*t.

6. Something that inspires you?
   People who are passionate about learning. Doesn’t matter what the subject is, really. If they love something and talk about it passionately, I get fired up, too!
7. What’s your secret passion?
   Song writing.
8. You’d be surprised if you saw my _______.
   Shoe collection. ‘Cause it ain’t small — that’s all I have to say. I only wear about half of the pairs these days because I recently decided to only wear shoes that I could easily outrun zombies in…because it’s only a matter of time before Z-Day goes down, obvs.
9. One thing you love about your job?
   My boss. He’s such a sh*t talker, but as far as bosses go, he’s not half bad. 😉
10. Something you have to do this week?
    Make an appointment to get my hair did. My roots are completely out of control!

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. One makeup or beauty product you can’t stop hoarding?
2. What did you have for breakfast this morning?
3. I’m happiest when ______.
4. Don’t be afraid of ______.
5. What’s one of your mantras?
6. Something that inspires you?
7. What’s your secret passion?
8. You’d be surprised if you could see my ______.
9. One thing you love about your job?
10. Something you have to do this week?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. It’s nice to be back home! I miss you. 🙂

P.P.S. You. $50. Sephora? You still have time to enter this week’s gift card giveaway for Sephora (ends tonight at midnight).

Just sayin’…