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. Soup, salad or a sandwich?
A lovely salad for lunch today would be great! If a mysterious lunch benefactor were to hook this lady up with a Tostada salad from Blue Barn, I’d be most grateful. I sure do love those things, but I do not love them being $20.
2. A sound you sometimes hear in your neighborhood?
“BRGL! BRGL! BRGL” Dozens of huge wild turkeys roam our neighborhood, and I hear them gobbling outside all day long. They’re so loud!
3. A piece of makeup you like?
I always end up going back to Clinique’s Pretty Easy Liner felt tip liquid liner. It really is the easiest black liquid liner to use.
4. Banana or grapefruit?
Grapefruit, but only if it’s juicy and cold (no room temperature grapefruit for this gal).
5. Cotton or silk?
Cotton, since my life is too messy right now for silk.
6. One of your hobbies?
Baking, although I haven’t had any grand ambitions to make anything too complicated over the last six months. I enjoy cookies and bars and that’s about it. But I think I’ll eventually get back to the place where doing a three-layer cake and frosting from scratch will feel good again… Maybe once life feels completely steady and even again. Hopefully soon.
7. Makeup setting spray or clear brow gel?
Clear brow gel, no question!
8. Would you rather have professional help with your hair, your skin or your makeup?
I’ll happily accept assistance in all three categories, please. HAHAHA!
9. Hair mask or face mask?
A rich hair mask would be lovely!
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. Soup, salad or a sandwich?
2. A sound you sometimes hear in your neighborhood?
3. A piece of makeup you like?
4. Banana or grapefruit?
5. Cotton or silk?
6. One of your hobbies?
7. Makeup setting spray or clear brow gel?
8. Would you rather have professional help with your hair, your skin or your makeup?
9. Hair mask or face mask?
P.P.S. Hello, sweet friend. Today will be is a good day, and, FYI, you’re cherished and you’re loved! Please take some time to celebrate your accomplishments this week, OK? Even the ones that seem teeny-tiny, because whenever you accomplish something it’s a big deal. YOU DID IT. ?
1. Soup, salad or a sandwich? Why can’t I have all three at the same time? I eat a huge lunch when I can!
2. A sound you sometimes hear in your neighborhood? Blackbirds in the morning.
3. A piece of makeup you like? Suntegrity tinted sunscreen. Been using it for years, can’t live without it.
4. Banana or grapefruit? Banana. Not a fan of grapefruit.
5. Cotton or silk? Cotton 100%.
6. One of your hobbies? Watching old movies. I haven’t watched one that in a while.
7. Makeup setting spray or clear brow gel? Clear brow gel. 🙂
8. Would you rather have professional help with your hair, your skin or your makeup? Right now, my hair.
9. Hair mask or face mask? Hair mask that revives my curls and color corrects this darn green tinge at the end.
I love that Suntegrity, too, Syahidah. I only have the regular, though, which I mix with a little foundation. I’ll have to try the tinted!
I love that you love a big lunch! Have a great week, Syahidah!
P.S. Well now I gotta try that sunscreen!
It really is the best, Karen. I don’t break out from it and it gives my skin a nice glow. The only downside is that there are four shades in the range so it’s not inclusive at all. Sigh.
1. Soup, salad or a sandwich?
The three of them, we’re used to bigger lunches than dinners.
2. A sound you sometimes hear in your neighborhood?
Dogs barking and children playing.
3. A piece of makeup you like?
Guerlain Meteorites, I feel like a fancy lady.
4. Banana or grapefruit?
Banana.
5. Cotton or silk?
I’ve never tried real silk so cotton.
6. One of your hobbies?
Baking as you. It has been therapeutic lately and I actually enrolled in a pastry course, today was the first class and I made cookies and alfajores.
7. Makeup setting spray or clear brow gel?
Brow gel.
8. Would you rather have professional help with your hair, your skin or your makeup?
In order of importance: skin, makeup and hair.
9. Hair mask or face mask?
Face mask.
Happy Monday, I hope we can make it through. I wasn’t accepted in the master’s degree, but I’m sure something better is in the future.
I’m sorry that you didn’t get in, Efra. Don’t worry though, something great is on the horizon for you. It’s coming, I just know it!
1. Soup, salad or a sandwich?
A big chef’s salad, please.
2. A sound you sometimes hear in your neighborhood?
My nieces live down the block and sometimes I can hear the two youngest playing outside, when they’re in residence.
3. A piece of makeup you like?
Still loving my Bare Minerals Bounce and Blur Blush. The eyeshadow version was a complete fail, but the blush is solid gold.
4. Banana or grapefruit?
Banana. I can’t eat grapefruit because of one of my medicines.
5. Cotton or silk?
Cotton. Where am I going to wear silk these days, lol?
6. One of your hobbies?
Reading, always.
7. Makeup setting spray or clear brow gel?
Brow gel, although I prefer a tinted one. My brows are strangely light in comparison to my dark hair.
8. Would you rather have professional help with your hair, your skin or your makeup?
My hair. I do not have hair styling skills.
9. Hair mask or face mask?
Yes to both! With a slight preference to face mask.
Hi, Suzanne! What are you reading these days?
Right now, I’m doing a ‘buddy read’ of Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals with some of my pals in Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club. (Seriously, if you want to improve your reading life by 100,000%, MMD Book Club is where it’s at!)
I’ve gotten heavily into audiobooks over the past year and my latest one was so good- Jane Harper’s The Lost Man. I’m going to read everything Jane Harper now. I think my next book, though, will be Who Is Maud Dixon?, for a little change of pace.
1. Soup, salad or a sandwich?
I will take a ribeye sandwich (and then feed the bread to the pigeons).
2. A sound you sometimes hear in your neighborhood?
Hella tropical birds and the occasional rooster (I name the roosters, they all have characteristic crows).
3. A piece of makeup you like?
Byredo Colour Stick. Can I haz all the colors pleeeasssseeee….
4. Banana or grapefruit?
Grapefruit! Funny, maybe you did too, I hated this as a kid. Now it’s my favorite!
5. Cotton or silk?
Silk.
6. One of your hobbies?
Upcycling jewelry and clothing. I love not throwing stuff away and turning it into other stuff that’s nicer.
7. Makeup setting spray or clear brow gel?
Gonna have to go with the makeup setting spray. Been enjoying this trick to prevent concealer creasing and that is patting setting spray with a small brush onto concealed areas, and then patting loose powder on top.
8. Would you rather have professional help with your hair, your skin or your makeup?
Pro help with the hair.
9. Hair mask or face mask?
Face mask. I cannot put my face up into a bun so I gotta work on face lol.
Happy New Week! Take advantage before Mercury goes retrograde towards the end of the month! Ack!
Thank you for the heads up on Mercury in Retrograde. Gonna get all my ducks in a row right meow!
1. Soup, salad or a sandwich? Soup.
2. A sound you sometimes hear in your neighborhood? Crows and scrub jays.
3. A piece of makeup you like? UD 24/7 liner in Hustle. Of course I can’t find it anywhere, so I’m guessing it’s discontinued.
4. Banana or grapefruit? Banana
5. Cotton or silk? Cotton
6. One of your hobbies? Reading
7. Makeup setting spray or clear brow gel? Brow gel
8. Would you rather have professional help with your hair, your skin or your makeup? Skin, please!!
9. Hair mask or face mask? Don’t really have the patience for either.
I would keep checking the UD website periodically for Hustle. Sometimes the discontinued stuff pops up! It happens more often than you would think, too!
1. Soup, salad or a sandwich?
Butter lettuce and romaine salad with nuts, cheese, berries or apples or figs, red onions, and balsamic vinaigrette.
2. A sound you sometimes hear in your neighborhood?
The street car “ding ding,” light traffic, church bells, dogs talking, the street sweeper.
3. A piece of makeup you like?
Laurie Mercier tinted moisturizer. It’s old school but I keep going back to it. Great finish. Also buxom lip glosses.
4. Banana or grapefruit?
Banana daily…grapefruit to splurge! They’re so delicious. I’m with you on the necessity of chilling it!
5. Cotton or silk?
I love heavy silk blazers or jackets, or silk and linen.
6. One of your hobbies?
Does walking the dog count? I love a good long spring walk with my hound.
7. Makeup setting spray or clear brow gel?
Hmm. I guess the setting spray in summer. If I’m going to do brow gel, it should be tinted.
8. Would you rather have professional help with your hair, your skin or your makeup?
I have total pandemic hair, so this is easy to decide! I’d give a lot for a good cut and style right now.
9. Hair mask or face mask?
Face mask!
Happy Monday, Karen and all!
Well that salad sounds absolutely delightful, yum!
1. Soup, salad or a sandwich? Turkey sandwich with soup on the side.
2. A sound you sometimes hear in your neighborhood? Birds chirping
3. A piece of makeup you like? Cle de Peau concealer
4. Banana or grapefruit? Banana
5. Cotton or silk? Cotton
6. One of your hobbies? Baking cookies
7. Makeup setting spray or clear brow gel? Clear brow gel
8. Would you rather have professional help with your hair, your skin or your makeup? All three, lol. I’d pick hair though.
9. Hair mask or face mask? Face mask
Thank you for filling out the poll today, Danielle! Have a great week.
1. Soup, salad or a sandwich? I love freshly made tabbouleh for lunch—heavy on the parsley; very light on the burghul,
2. A sound you sometimes hear in your neighborhood? We live in a small agricultural valley surrounded by beautiful foothills and mountains. People often erroneously assume living in the country is a very quiet experience. Not so. When freezing nights set in, we hear the huge wind machines that circulate the warmer air around the crops. When the fans are in the fields next to our small development, it sounds like helicopters hovering overhead—for hours! Needless to say, we have noise canceling headsets.
3. A piece of makeup you like? Oooo, there are many things but something I keep repurchasing is Tom Ford’s dual ended eyeliner pen. It’s simply the very best.
4. Banana or grapefruit? A nice ruby red grapefruit is so refreshing.
5. Cotton or silk? Silk
6. One of your hobbies? Before the pandemic, I used to go to about 20 or so classical concerts during the season. Now, I listen at home to the special broadcasts, podcasts, and YouTube performances. I really miss not being to attend the concerts in person. Experiencing the living music is so much better.
7. Makeup setting spray or clear brow gel? I’ll go with clear brow gel.
8. Would you rather have professional help with your hair, your skin or your makeup? My skin. I have mild, very well controlled rosacea thanks to my wonderful dermatologist.
9. Hair mask or face mask?i love to apply a moisturizing face mask and lie down for about 20 minutes while listening to some calming music.
You’re so right about live music, Eileen. Totally difference experience!
1. Soup, salad or a sandwich? Sandwich most of the time.
2. A sound you sometimes hear in your neighborhood? Emergency vehicle sirens, not sometimes, but extremely frequently! I hate living in a house that backs up to 6 lanes of traffic. There’s also “boom cars” and idiots intentionally making as much noise with their engines as possible, pretty much all the time. As for pleasant sounds, I sometimes hear carolina wrens singing in the bushes outside.
3. A piece of makeup you like? Burberry Rosewood eyeshadow (an uncharacteristic splurge for me).
4. Banana or grapefruit? Banana. I really can’t stand the smell of grapefruit.
5. Cotton or silk? I love both, but cotton is infinitely more practical.
6. One of your hobbies? Gardening.
7. Makeup setting spray or clear brow gel? Brow gel. Setting spray is essentially the same thing as hair spray, and I don’t really like that on my face.
8. Would you rather have professional help with your hair, your skin or your makeup? Hair, I think. My hair has changed due to chemotherapy and aging.
9. Hair mask or face mask? Hair.
1. Soup, salad or a sandwich?
A sandwich — grilled cheese, please!
2. A sound you sometimes hear in your neighborhood?
Foxes yipping or screaming. Frankly, it’s bloodcurdling.
3. A piece of makeup you like?
MAC blush in Lovecloud. Oh, how I miss the days of blush!
4. Banana or grapefruit?
Neither. One interferes with my meds, the other I’m allergic to.
5. Cotton or silk?
Cotton. Easy care, wash and wear.
6. One of your hobbies?
Since the pandemic hit, I’ve been watching a lot of old movies.
7. Makeup setting spray or clear brow gel?
Clear brow gel. Got to tame those unruly puppies.
8. Would you rather have professional help with your hair, your skin or your makeup?
My hair. It hasn’t been cut in over a year, so it needs all the help it can get.
9. Hair mask or face mask?
Hair mask.
1. Soup, salad or a sandwich?
Sandwich, a toasted cheese please.
2. A sound you sometimes hear in your neighborhood?
Owls hooting.
3. A piece of makeup you like?
I’ve become addicted to Lanolips.
4. Banana or grapefruit?
Neither! I hate both!
5. Cotton or silk?
I love both, but I much prefer silk. I have super sensitive skin and even cotton can be irritating sometimes!
6. One of your hobbies?
Aside from riding from horses and walking Bree, I love photography.
7. Makeup setting spray or clear brow gel?
Brow gel
8. Would you rather have professional help with your hair, your skin or your makeup?
I’m with you, Karen. I’ll take all three, make it a spa day.
9. Hair mask or face mask?
Ooooooh, both are amazing. I do a hair mask every week, so face mask, as long as we’re talking about the one spas rub on your face, not those masks we’ve been wearing the past year.
1. Soup, salad or a sandwich?
If I could have anything, a mango berry Salad and grilled cheese from Zupas. Otherwise I’d make myself a salad or eat leftover soup.
2. A sound you sometimes hear in your neighborhood?
Neighbor having late loud parties.
3. A piece of makeup you like?
Eye shadow from Flower beauty.
4. Banana or grapefruit?
Love them both. Guess I’d pick grapefruit over banana even though I generally eat bananas way more often.
5. Cotton or silk?
Cotton
6. One of your hobbies?
Painting rocks
7. Makeup setting spray or clear brow gel?
Make up setting spray.
8. Would you rather have professional help with your hair, your skin or your makeup?
Skin. I’m a hairdresser so I try to help myself ?.
9. Hair mask or face mask?
Don’t use either
And I forgot to say… Thanks for the reminder about “having lots to look forward too.” I recently got a new job doing hair for residents in an assisted living center. When I saw that quote, I took a screen shot to remind me to tell that to the residents when they talk about how it’s sad they are aging.
1. Soup, salad or a sandwich? It’s been warming up in Central CA, so a fresh crispy salad has been my lunch the last couple of days. With homemade dressing, bottled dressing is not my favorite.
2. A sound you sometimes hear in your neighborhood? Meowing. In August a mama kitty showed up with a kitten, we kept the kitten. Neighbors said they’d take care of Mama, they lied. Mama kitty got herself in the family way, had three kittens, we kept them. Mama is now fixed, and ours, meaner than anything, but the kittens are friendly and cute, and oh my gosh there’s so many I feed. But you gotta do what you gotta do.
3. A piece of makeup you like? Glossier Cloud Paint and Elf Camo CC cream.
4. Banana or grapefruit? Neither. I cannot pick. I do not like either.
5. Cotton or silk? Cotton. My Dad used to grow it.
6. One of your hobbies? Knitting, but I haven’t made anything recently.
7. Makeup setting spray or clear brow gel? Brow gel.
8. Would you rather have professional help with your hair, your skin or your makeup? Hair. Buns and ponytails are my go to.
9. Hair mask or face mask? Hair. While laying in a the tub. Reading a saucy romance. That is heaven.