So…what is the Monday Poll?
Excellent question! It isn’t, contrary to its name, an actual poll, like with little clicky buttons. It’s just a list of five more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007). I love reading your answers, and it helps me get my week off to a good start. ?
1. What’s your definition of “no makeup” makeup?
Well…it’s all an illusion as you know. Mine starts with sunscreen, followed by a quick curl with a lash curler and a coat of mascara. Then, brows filled in with a pencil, followed by the daintiest kitten flick done with either liquid liner or eyeshadow applied with a wet angled brush.
Voila!
2. Would you rather cut your own bangs or dye your own hair?
It’s been two years since the last time I colored my hair(!), so at this point, I’ll reluctantly opt to cut my own bangs… I’ve done it before, although it was in high school, so I’m fairly sure I could do it again…but I’ll cut slooooOOOooowly and carefully, and I’ll do something like side-swept bangs that I could easily pin back if disaster struck and I made a major boo-boo.
3. Something you’ve been wearing a lot since March?
High waisted Zella black leggings! At this point they may be permanently glued to my body.
4. What kind of tea would you like today?
Earl Grey please, with a splash of half-and-half. No sugar.
5. Would you rather have to apply your makeup solely with your fingers, or solely with sponges? (It’s either/or in this scenario.)
Fingers! — although I know you can do a lot with a Beauty Blender, I feel like I have more control when I use fingers. Plus, it’s faster for me to pile on a more concentrated application of eyeshadow and blush with my fingers!
6. What’s the weather like today where you live?
It’s overcast in the mid-50s with some drizzle. Nice winter day for us. I may take Connor out in her rain boots and rain coat to splash around in some puddles.
7. Say something nice to the person above you in the comments.
Since there’s nobody in the comments yet, here’s a nice thing for everyone reading this: you’re doing SO good. Hang in there, and keep it up!
8. One of your go-to beauty products as of late?
Oooh, Odele Leave-In Conditioner! It does a little bit of everything (tames frizz, moisturizes dry hair and adds a light hold), and it does it all without my hair feeling heavy or weighed down with product. A big 8-oz. bottle with a pump is pretty affordable, too, at $11.99.
9. Something you want to do today?
I got a Cuisineart Bread Maker for Christmas as a gift from my niece (thank you, Rachel!), and I want to bake my first French bread loaf in it today.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. Here are the questions to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to ya soon.
1. What’s your definition of “no makeup” makeup?
2. Would you rather cut your own bangs or dye your own hair?
3. Something you’ve been wearing a lot since March?
4. What kind of tea would you like today?
5. Would you rather have to apply your makeup solely with your fingers, or solely with sponges? (It’s either/or in this scenario.)
6. What’s the weather like today where you live?
7. Say something nice to the person above you in the comments.
8. One of your go-to beauty products as of late?
9. Something you want to do today?
P.P.S. Hello, my friend! ? Last Monday Poll of 2020. Deep breath in, deep breath out…and remember, we’ve totally got this!
1. What’s your definition of “no makeup” makeup? Yellow concealer inner corners, blended; curled lashes. Done!
2. Would you rather cut your own bangs or dye your own hair? Cut my own bangs; my cosmetology degree has to be useful for something lol.
3. Something you’ve been wearing a lot since March? Ack! Less underwear because breathing and no need to go to work. lol
4. What kind of tea would you like today? Coffee-flavored. :))
5. Would you rather have to apply your makeup solely with your fingers, or solely with sponges? (It’s either/or in this scenario.) Fingers.
6. What’s the weather like today where you live? 72F and mostly sunny.
7. Say something nice to the person above you in the comments. I appreciate you, Karen! You’re considerate, a wonderful writer, and I bet a very amazing Mom and wife.
8. One of your go-to beauty products as of late? The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Masque; really takes care of maskne!
9. Something you want to do today? Sit on my new couch that’s being delivered today!
Woooh!! We made it!!! I hope you feel that sliver of hope and light at the end of the tunnel that I do–at least I feel that for now. I’ll hold onto it as long as I can, because I know we’re still in for a BUMPY RIDE.
We sure did make it, Christine! I’m feeling hopeful, too. 🙂
Are ya working today? I remember from my legal assistant days that December was always the slooooowest month. Seriously all we did was eat cookies.
The courts are still running but no jury trials. Nonetheless, the pace feels slower because I suppose most counsel are on holiday (or racking up billable hours since it’s the holidays and they have the time to work). I cannot think legal things at home so I’m glad I’m back in chambers everyday where it’s much easier to concentrate–something about wearing makeup and heels, too, really helps me feel professional and able to get into the right mindset. That sounds weird but it’s so true. Wearing camisoles commando at home with my hair up in a messy bun and no makeup is NOT conducive to legal analysis!!
They’ve made accommodations to keep everyone alone for the most part; if not, then 2 to a room at most, distantly separated, with UV air purifiers, masks required when you leave your work space.
The office culture here, as you can imagine, is such that all year long it’s SNACKS and FOOD FREE-FOR-ALL ALL THE TIME so it’s easy to indulge in the treats!
I’m glad you’re feeling a bit uplifted, too!
1. What’s your definition of “no makeup” makeup?
Tinted sunscreen, pinpoint concealing, Glossier Boy Brow, brown mascara
2. Would you rather cut your own bangs or dye your own hair?
OH GOD. I used Overtone on myself this summer so I guess we’re dying.
3. Something you’ve been wearing a lot since March?
Bralettes. I haven’t worn a wired bra in months and it’s fantastic.
4. What kind of tea would you like today?
I just had looseleaf raspberry green tea.
5. Would you rather have to apply your makeup solely with your fingers, or solely with sponges? (It’s either/or in this scenario.)
Fingers is close to my normal LOL.
6. What’s the weather like today where you live?
Warmer than it has been, high 30s, the snow has melted. Michigan is permanently overcast this time of year.
7. Say something nice to the person above you in the comments.
You sound so friendly, Christine!
8. One of your go-to beauty products as of late?
Clinique Pretty Easy Liquid Lining pen is the easiest to use liquid liner.
9. Something you want to do today?
Walk Hettie! I’d had an earache all weekend so we mostly laid in bed. There’s also something at Ulta I want but that might wait until later this week.
Aw, thank you, Chelsea. It’s the kinda people Karen and her blog attracts. 🙂
Your #2 made me giggle. Happy New Year!
It’s true! You wouldn’t think you’d get a friend of nearly a decade for commenting on a blog, but here we are!
1. What’s your definition of “no makeup” makeup? Sunscreen, one coat of mascara, lip balm or lipstick.
2. Would you rather cut your own bangs or dye your own hair? Dye my own hair, not a fan of bangs.
3. Something you’ve been wearing a lot since March? Nothing in particular. I guess jeans, but I always wear jeans.
4. What kind of tea would you like today? Mariage Frères Vanille des Iles with whole milk.
5. Would you rather have to apply your makeup solely with your fingers, or solely with sponges? (It’s either/or in this scenario.) Solely with my fingers
6. What’s the weather like today where you live? 56 and partly cloudy. No rain here.
7. Say something nice to the person above you in the comments. Christine, I hope your sofa is comfortable and cozy. Keep up the hope of a better, brighter and healthier new year.
8. One of your go-to beauty products as of late? Sunscreen. Always sunscreen. Dear Husband laughs at me because it’s winter and cloudy and I’m still applying sunscreen.
9. Something you want to do today? Workout, then make a big pot of vegetarian chili. And yes, I know that if it has beans and no meat it’s not really chili
Thank you, Tatiana! It’s an adulting upgrade so I’m pretty stoked.
Happy New Year to you and yours!
1. What’s your definition of “no makeup” makeup?
Probably no makeup, LOL, but I would put on sunscreen, definitely.
2. Would you rather cut your own bangs or dye your own hair?
Since the pandemic, I’ve been coloring my own hair. It hasn’t been a complicated process, thankfully, but the only downside is that the color doesn’t last as long as when I go to the salon. Plus, my hair tends to grow out fast, so my roots show within a few weeks.
3. Something you’ve been wearing a lot since March?
Been wearing jeans a lot.
4. What kind of tea would you like today?
Tazo Awake English Tea.
5. Would you rather have to apply your makeup solely with your fingers, or solely with sponges? (It’s either/or in this scenario.)
I probably would apply makeup with my fingers, but I mostly use powder makeup, so I always use brushes.
6. What’s the weather like today where you live?
Last night, the rain was really coming down, with thunder and lightning!. Right now there’s a break in the rain, but it’s supposed to start raining again this afternoon and evening.
7. Say something nice to the person above you in the comments.
Tatiana, hope you are doing well. Wishing you a wonderful New Year!
8. One of your go-to beauty products as of late?
I’m really enjoying the Pantene hair serum and also the Pantene rose scented shampoo and conditioner.
9. Something you want to do today?
Well, not necessarily something I want to do, but cleaning and decluttering stuff around the house. Not very exciting, but at least I’ll feel productive.
Marcia- Yes, I’m hanging in there and doing OK. Hope you have a wonderful New Year, too!
1. What’s your definition of “no makeup” makeup?
Little bit of facial oil, sunscreen, concealer on my cheeks and corner of my eyes, brow gel, cream blush, mascara and tinted lip balm.
2. Would you rather cut your own bangs or dye your own hair?
I haven’t had bangs in years but I did color my hair for fun in high school so I’d go with the dye.
3. Something you’ve been wearing a lot since March?
Sports bras! Supportive and comfy.
4. What kind of tea would you like today?
Mighty Leaf Vanilla Bean with a splash of cream and a touch of honey.
5. Would you rather have to apply your makeup solely with your fingers, or solely with sponges? (It’s either/or in this scenario.)
Fingers!
6. What’s the weather like today where you live?
Mid 50s with mix of sun and clouds. It’s the warmest day since Christmas Eve.
7. Say something nice to the person above you in the comments.
Tatiana, I always love reading your comments and I can tell you are one elegant woman!
8. One of your go-to beauty products as of late?
Youth to the People Hydrate + Firm Peptide eye cream.
9. Something you want to do today?
Call my best friend.
Happy (almost) New Year!
Megan- Thanks for the compliment. My initial reaction was “HA! If she only knew how far from elegant I truly am.” More corny and goofball than anything.
Ha! Well, you have me fooled ?.
1-What’s your definition of “no makeup” makeup? Liquid Light Therapy from Thrive Cosmetics, Mascara, brown eyeliner.
2-Would you rather cut your own bangs or dye your own hair? Bangs I guess.
3-Something you have been wearing a lot since March? Leggings
4-What kind of tea would you like today? Earl Grey – straight up, no milk or sugar.
5-Would you rather apply your makeup solely with your fingers or solely with sponges? Fingers
6-What’s the weather like today where you live? 63 and partly cloudy. Unusually cool for South Florida.
7-Say something nice to the person above you in the comments. Tatiana, your chili sounds fab (I’m a half-a**ed vegetarian).
8-One of your go to beauty products as of late? The afore mentioned Liquid Light Therapy from Thrive Cosmetics.
9-Something you want to do today? I had my first Covid vaccine today – the Moderna one, so just relax the rest of the day. Oh, and I am making soap! (which I have been doing to 8 years now).
Linda- I’m not a strict vegetarian, but lately we’ve been trying to eat less meat and this is one recipe Dear Husband asks for over and over again. I add a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa to deepen the flavor and some bulgur or brown rice to add chewiness to it.
Have a great New Year.
I just don’t much like meat anymore, I do eat fish, eggs and cheese. So I’m not a true vegetarian but I’m heading that way. I am looking for more meatless recipes. Have a great New Year also.
1. What’s your definition of “no makeup” makeup? Tinted moisturizer, sunscreen, mascara, brow pencil
2. Would you rather cut your own bangs or dye your own hair? Dye
3. Something you’ve been wearing a lot since March? Jeans
4. What kind of tea would you like today? Peppermint
5. Would you rather have to apply your makeup solely with your fingers, or solely with sponges? (It’s either/or in this scenario.). Fingers which is what I usually do
6. What’s the weather like today where you live? Sunny/40
7. Say something nice to the person above you in the comments. Linda – woo hoo for the vaccine! Hope you are doing well
8. One of your go-to beauty products as of late? Lip balm
9. Something you want to do today? Buy a new cooktop! We lost power on Christmas and when it came back on, the cooktop blew out Hopefully covid doesn’t mess this up for me!
1. What’s your definition of “no makeup” makeup? Tinted moisturizer, concealer, blush, little eyeliner, powder, done!
2. Would you rather cut your own bangs or dye your own hair? Cut my own bangs
3. Something you’ve been wearing a lot since March? Sweatshirts/hoodies, concealer
4. What kind of tea would you like today? Earl Grey
5. Would you rather have to apply your makeup solely with your fingers, or solely with sponges? (It’s either/or in this scenario.) Sponges
6. What’s the weather like today where you live? Cold/30s
7. Say something nice to the person above you in the comments. Hi, Melissa! Hope you’re able to get a new cooktop quickly!
8. One of your go-to beauty products as of late? Lotion and lip balm
9. Something you want to do today? Go to Target!
danielle, I am sorry when i wrote my nice comment it was for a couple of posters ago because I was tied up. but you seem like a brave person to choose to cut your bangs
No worries, Ericca! Haha, thank you!
You’re welcome
1. What’s your definition of “no makeup” makeup?
foundation/ tinted moisturizer , concealer , nude lipstick , eyeliner and mascara
2. Would you rather cut your own bangs or dye your own hair?
neither
3. Something you’ve been wearing a lot since March? tee shirts
4. What kind of tea would you like today? chamomile with honey . but i just bought a tea called the champagne of teas- darjeeling
5. Would you rather have to apply your makeup solely with your fingers, or solely with sponges? (It’s either/or in this scenario.) sponges
6. What’s the weather like today where you live?
cold , but sunny
7. Say something nice to the person above you in the comments.
Chelsea, you have good taste in tea
8. One of your go-to beauty products as of late?
sunscreen
9. Something you want to do today?
drink more tea in bed.
1. What’s your definition of “no makeup” makeup?
Tinted sunscreen, quick bronzer/blush, swipe of neutral shimmery shadow, Shu Uemera brow pencil, mascara. And lip gloss… except masks.
2. Would you rather cut your own bangs or dye your own hair?
Bangs. Just a tiny bit. I actually just cut part of my hair with a razor, because my first haircut in 5 months didn’t go quite as planned. It looks okay now, good enough for quarantine!
3. Something you’ve been wearing a lot since March?
Small earrings. I love big earrings but there’s not much point now!
4. What kind of tea would you like today?
Earl Grey sounds great. With cream.
5. Would you rather have to apply your makeup solely with your fingers, or solely with sponges? (It’s either/or in this scenario.)
Fingers, for sure.
6. What’s the weather like today where you live?
20 degrees and snowy.
7. Say something nice to the person above you in the comments.
Ericca, I hope you have a fun Target run! And that you have a great makeup day and get to drink more tea in bed. I always like your comments and remember when you learned to drive, I was so impressed with your positive can-do approach.
8. One of your go-to beauty products as of late?
Kosas liquid eyeshadow. It’s not something I’d automatically buy, but it was a gift, and I really like it! It’s fun and easy and looks good.
9. Something you want to do today?
Have a fun meal with my family.
Amy thank you . You brought tears to my eyes seriously . I had a really blah Christmas . You really cheered me up
Aww Ericca thank you for saying this, now you’ve made my day too! I hope you have a great 2021.
P.S.
Karen,
I’ve gotten so much joy reading everyone’s #7s. This was a nice addition to the Monday Poll. 😉
Agreed!
1. Sunscreen, brows, mascara, benefit primer on my T zone, tinted lip balm and I’m good! ?
2. Dye my hair. I’ve been dying my hair with a colored shampoo for over a year and it’s been awesome! I finally switched to regular shampoo a couple of weeks ago though. Almost time to go in and chop off my damaged ends.
3. Black t-shirts. I strangely have many!
4. Mmm, I’m definitely a tea person! I’ll take the blackest black tea, please. ☺️
5. Sponges. I admire all you confident finger people!
6. Perfect.
7. Amy you are so sweet and encouraging! I hope you were able to have a fun meal with your family. ❤️
8. KVDBeauty brow pomade.
9. Play a board game after the kids go to bed. ☺️
Aww, thank you Jacylyn! So are you. And I just did. We had burritos and debated IRL cloning ethics while watching Star Trek. 🙂
1. What’s your definition of “no makeup” makeup? Concealer over my nose and cheeks to cover redness, and Tony Moly Cats Wink Powder all over my face, a little cream blush, mascara, black eye pencil on the top waterline, lip gloss.
2. Would you rather cut your own bangs or dye your own hair? I detest wearing bangs, so there’s nothing to cut, but I wouldn’t if I did. lol I’d definitely be more experienced and comfortable with dying my own hair.
3. Something you’ve been wearing a lot since March? Leggings and T-shirts
4. What kind of tea would you like today? Orange spice with some Splenda and a teeny bit of honey.
5. Would you rather have to apply your makeup solely with your fingers, or solely with sponges? (It’s either/or in this scenario.) Sponges
6. What’s the weather like today where you live? It was 46 F and sunny today. The last sunny day for awhile.
7. Say something nice to the person above you in the comments.
Christine: I hope your meal with the family was delicious and lots of fun! I love that being with your family was a priority for you.
8. One of your go-to beauty products as of late? I’ve been slacking awfully bad on the beauty front, but I’ve used the Natasha Denona Glam Palette when I’ve had my sh*t together. It’s amazing!
9. Something you want to do today? I wanted to “see” my friends on Facebook, as I haven’t been on in several days. Accomplished.
P.S. Karen, I’m glad you had a nice Christmas! I wish you and my fellow readers a wonderful New Year. Granted, 2020 didn’t set a very high bar…lol.
1. What’s your definition of “no makeup” makeup? Sunscreen set with a bit of Clé de Peau powder, eyebrows combed into place, eyelashes curled, a bit of tinted lip balm smoothed over my lips.
2. Would you rather cut your own bangs or dye your own hair? I’ve worn bangs all my life: short bangs, long bangs, side swept bangs, middle parted bangs, feathery bangs, precision cut bangs, bangs! I cut them myself. I haven’t colored my hair in over 50 years (embraced the grey) so I don’t think I’d ever want to do that.
3. Something you’ve been wearing a lot since March? Jeans
4. What kind of tea would you like today? I can’t get enough of a high quality Jin Hou (aka Golden Monkey) from the Fujian province. It’s my fave.
5. Would you rather have to apply your makeup solely with your fingers, or solely with sponges? (It’s either/or in this scenario.). Although I love brushes, there’s really nothing wrong with well designed sponge tipped applicators and beauty blenders.
6. What’s the weather like today where you live? The rain poured down all day. There were strong wind gusts, thunder, and lightening. It was the first major storm of the year and we sure needed it.
7. Say something nice to the person above you in the comments. Hi Rachel. I’ve read your c0mments for years and have always thought how fun and practical you sound. You also seem able to poke a bit of fun at yourself from time to time and that’s an important quality to have when things get tough. I bet you’re the glue that holds the family together.
8. One of your go-to beauty products as of late? Blue tansy oil. We’ve had a lot of Santa Ana winds this year and they cause my dry skin to become irritated. Blue tansy eliminates the redness, soothes the irritation and, being an oil, helps with my perennial dryness.
9. Something you want to do today? I wanted to go for a walk but the wind never calmed down. I don’t mind walking in the rain at all, but I don’t like the wind.
1. What’s your definition of “no makeup” makeup? Sunscreen, filling in my brows with a little pencil, a little bit of blush, and a swipe of tinted lip balm.
2. Would you rather cut your own bangs or dye your own hair? Cut my own bangs, I’ve been doing it since March, but decided to just grow them out. I’d be comfortable dying my own hair too, but the upkeep isn’t worth it for me. I don’t have too many greys yet, maybe when I do that will change.
3. Something you’ve been wearing a lot since March? Brow pencil, with half your face covered up, eyebrows are a lot more important.
4. What kind of tea would you like today? No tea, I don’t like it at all. I want to like it, because it seems so elegant, but it tastes like grass clippings.
5. Would you rather have to apply your makeup solely with your fingers, or solely with sponges? (It’s either/or in this scenario.). I’ve never used a beauty blender, but I don’t wear foundation, so fingers. I use my fingers for blush, so it’s works out!
6. What’s the weather like today where you live? Mostly cloudy, we had rain overnight which was desperately needed in Central CA. High was 57.
7. Say something nice to the person above you in the comments. Eileen sounds cool, I want to know her! And I’m really interested in trying the Blue Tansy oil she mentioned!
8. One of your go-to beauty products as of late? Glossier Cloud Paint blush. I really like how natural it looks.
9. Something you want to do today? My family celebrated Christmas today, so I really wanted to see how everyone liked what I got them. It was a good day!
I love that you added the #7. I’m sorry I missed it but it’s a great reminder that, thanks to you, we’ve all sort of gotten to know one another in the comments. You should be very proud of the positivity you’re putting out there. <3