Chanel

Outfit of the Day with a Pop of Color and New Red Chuck Taylor Y2K Heart Shoes

January 30th, 2024 by Karen 20 Comments

Yesterday’s work outfit was a nod to Valentine’s Day next month with a pop of red on my shoes and a cute shirt with red hearts.

At my new job, I’ve noticed that lots of my co-workers wear nice tennis shoes to work. I haven’t worn Chucks since college, but these were so cute and I knew they’d go with the shirt, so I snagged them the minute I saw them online.

I checked the Converse website this morning and apparently they’re already sold out, BOO!

If you’re looking for a pair for yourself and you find them, FYI, apparently this pair runs big, so you might want to go a half size down (unless you want the extra room for thick socks).

I usually wear a size women’s 7 and ordered a 6 1/2.

Oh, and if you still want a pair, these red platform high top Chucks look very similar.

As for the rest of the outfit, the patch pocket jeans are Madewell (I bought the petite length for the slightly cropped ankle look), the blue shirt with red hearts is J. Crew factory and the nails are Chanel Incendiaire.

Have a great Tuesday, my friend!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Really Important Things (Not Really) That I Think About When I’m Washing Makeup Brushes

January 17th, 2024 by Karen 4 Comments

I found a stash of Keurig coffee cups at the office. They’re squirreled away in a cabinet that’s supposed to contain stuff for everyone to use, but I don’t think most people would bother to check it. I wanna be a team player and tell my office mates about the stash, but I also want to have ALL THAT COFFEE to myself, ha ha ha!

Also, I really can’t hang with this rainy weather. I keep telling myself that longer days are just around the corner, but it’s been gray and dreary a lot here, and I just wanna feel the sun on my skin and be outside in warm, fresh air.

If you’re feeling the rain and wanna set a moody a vibe, though, FYI, I just discovered a really lovely rainy day song called “Glitter” by Patrick Droney. The perfect type of bittersweet song for a cozy afternoon.

Oh! At lunch today, I realized that “Trader Joe’s Salad Hacks” should totally be a thing. Today, I had their pre-packaged Pasadena salad, which is pretty good on its own (chopped romaine, slivered almonds, chicken, and the crunchy white bits you’d find in a Chinese chicken salad). But I found out it’s even better when you add a scoop of crispy chickpeas (highly recommend the Sea Salt flavor by Biena) and a scoop of hemp hearts. It was SUPER GOOD, and it held me over for hours.

Completely not related to salad at all, but I ran out of brow pencil a few days ago, and I’m contemplating going back to the Chanel Boy brow pencil I was using and loving a while back. I’ve been all doing old school Anastasia Brow Wiz for the last few months and it’s fine, I guess, but you know how it goes. One gets itchy to swap out the same-o-same-o for something different. At least I do, ha!

Speaking of Chanel, I’ve been thinking about their awesome red nail polishes because I saw a reel on Instagram where a gal talked about wearing short red nails for a whole year. A WHOLE YEAR!

Can you even imagine, in this day and age, with all the access to different colors that we have, doing short red nails for an entire year?

She made a good case for it, though, and said that it freed her up from spending any time having to make nail polish decisions, and that she always felt chic, and that red goes with most everything. I’m thinking of trying it, but I’m definitely not ready to commit to a whole year. Maybe three months? I’ve been slacking when it comes to manicures and hoping this will get me back in the groove.

What’s going on with you? I hope life is treating you well.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Chanel Rouge Coco Bloom in 158 Bright | Red Lips for Friday!

November 10th, 2023 by Karen 4 Comments

Sometimes you just need to wear red lips on Friday. 🙂

This red lippie by Chanel from the Rouge Coco Bloom line is a little glossy, a little shiny and a lot of fun. Say hi to Bright!

The Rouge Coco Blooms are Chanel’s line of long-wearing and hydrating lipsticks with a plumping effect that’s supposed to last 8 hours.

I don’t really notice fuller lips but I rarely see a difference in most plumping formulas, though. *shrugs* I mostly like Bright because of the intensity of the pigment and how soft my lips feel when I wear it, plus the color, of course.

How’s your Friday going so far? Do you have the day off for Veteran’s Day? Connor’s home with me and hanging out with a friend, so I’m off to take them to the park with some snacks.

Have a great rest of your Friday!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Checking In | Beauty Nerd Things on “The Morning Show” | Chanel Midnight Red Lipstick | Crazy Brussels Sprouts Stalks

November 8th, 2023 by Karen 7 Comments

Do you watch “The Morning Show” with Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston? If you do, I wonder if the episode that aired last week got your nerdy beauty wheels turning! There’s a scene towards the end where Reese’s character is in her dressing room, and numerous beauty products are displayed in the background.

Like the beauty nerd that I am, I hit pause and tried to name as many brands I could! I spy with my little eye…

Mario Badescu
L’Occitane
Clinique
Biossance

I think the tall bottles in the middle (the dark blue, periwinkle and mint green ones) are Oribe, but I’m not sure. Hmm.

Don’t ask me why these things feel like a treasure hunt, but they do!

By the way, Reese’s hair in this scene is my dream hair. Love the loose curls, love the volume, love the smoothness. I especially love how the layers around her cheekbones frame her face. Ugh, so good. I try to get there as best as I can with my hair, but I don’t want to put in the extra work to get the little spiky bits around my hairline to play nice. Ha!

The most effort I’m willing to put in is to clamp them down with these weird little flat clips and then spray them with hairspray.

When you’re trying to tame your hair but it doesn’t wanna listen

BTW, I put this makeup on just for fun, and from far away it seems pretty chill, but when up close, it has more of an ’80s vibe. I’m wearing the new Chanel holiday eye palette and one of the pigmented red lipsticks, Rouge Allure L’Extrait in Midnight Red.

Connor’s home a lot this week because it’s parent-teacher conference time, which means I get to hang out with my little sidekick, just like the good old days!

We went to TJ’s in the middle of the day (what a luxury, truly) and she begged me to buy her this brussels sprouts stalk.

I’ve never seen a child so excited about vegetables! I had no idea how to pick a good stalk, so I just went with my gut and hoped for the best.

How’s your week going so far? Anything new to report on your end?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Chanel Rouge Allure L’Extrait in Rouge Puissant | Red Lips Inspired by Fall Leaves

November 3rd, 2023 by Karen 9 Comments

There’s a joke around where I live in Northern California about the Bay Area not having a real fall season. I think the trees around my neighborhood would have something to say about that, LOL! Here’s a stunner that I see every day when I walk Connor to school.

Gorgeous, right? I strolled by her today and couldn’t help but feel inspired to wear a bright red lip.

I’m wearing a super intense, super concentrated red from Chanel’s holiday 2023 collection, Rouge Puissant.

chanel rouge puissant lipstick — Chanel Rouge Allure L’Exrait in 854 Rouge Puissant

It’s a long-wearing formula that takes a bit of elbow grease to remove, so if ya prefer lippies that pack a ton of pigment, you might love it.

Happy Friday to you, my friend! I’ve got a video interview in just a few, and I feel so ready with this makeup. 🙂 Please send good vibes. I’ll take ’em!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Chanel Lumière Graphique and Duo Lumière, and the Inner Corner Highlight Moment

November 2nd, 2023 by Karen 3 Comments

Sometimes that inner corner highlight hits just right! I put a little bit of the new Chanel Duo Lumière highlighter on after doing a swish of the khaki taupe shade from the Lumière Graphique eyeshadow palette on my lids, and it was exactly what I needed today.

Both are from the new holiday collection, by the way.

I feel so out of practice with eyeshadow, but you know what? I’m gonna give myself plenty of grace and go with the flow. 🙂

I’m wearing Chanel Lumière Graphique Eyeshadow Palette and Duo Lumière Illuminating Powder Duo on my eyes

Chanel Lumière Graphique Eyeshadow Palette and Duo Lumière Illuminating Powder Duo

Blush is Ilia Color Haze Pigment in Temptation and Lipsitick is MAC Crossfade

How’s your Thursday going so far? I think I’ve finally recovered from all the Halloween festivities, LOL!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

5 Things I’ve Been Loving Lately

October 26th, 2023 by Karen 8 Comments

1. All the fine details in Chanel’s newest holiday launches

Seriously swooning over the patterns in the Lumière Graphique eyeshadow palette and the Les Symbols de Chanel highlighters! So beautiful.

2. Apple and carrot soup

My favorite soup these days because it’s savory with a little bit of sweetness, and it’s super easy to make. I serve mine with little quinoa patties. YUM.

I stumbled onto this account on Insta and liked the simple soup ideas. I riffed on the apple and carrot soup recipe below (scroll through to see it)!

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A post shared by McKenzie Caldwell, MPH, RDN (@fertility.prenatal.dietitian)

3. Watching watercolor painting videos

They’re so soothing! This one is one of my favorites.

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A post shared by Shayda Campbell (@shaydacampbell)

4. Going for long walks in the fog

I used to live in the Richmond neighborhood in San Francisco, which is close to the beach and notorious for the heavy fog, even in the summer. Dude, it was so misty and foggy ALL THE FREAKIN’ TIME. I felt that chill deep in my booty bones for years. I didn’t really love it, but occasionally I enjoyed walking around in the thick mist.

Anywho, where I live now in Marin is only occasionally foggy, so I don’t get to walk around in it often. Earlier this week, though, the fog was thick, and it didn’t burn off until the afternoon. I took a long walk in the early hours and hauled my bum up and down a bunch of hills… It was beautiful to see the mist moving through the trees, and the cool air felt invigorating.

All the fall colors seemed that much more saturated, too. So pretty.

5. Teena Marie’s song, “Square Biz”

This one’s a banger! Blast it in your car ASAP.

What’ve you been loving lately?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Beauty and a Book: Chanel Ballerina and “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo”

October 25th, 2023 by Karen 8 Comments

The beauty, Chanel Le Vernis in Ballerina

Sure, everyone needs a classic nude nail polish that’s pretty and presentable, but if it can also make you feel super special when you wear it, then it’s that much more wonderful. That’s how I feel about Chanel’s iconic pale pink polish, Ballerina.

When I wear this milky pastel, which by the way, is the exact shade of pink ballet shoes, my fingernails feel bejeweled. There’s something about the creaminess and the smoothness of Ballerina that gives off a luxe vibe. Understated yet sophisticated.

Milky pastels can often be tricky because they tend to streak if you don’t have a super steady hand. This formula, though, levels out perfectly. No tell-tale stripes left behind.

I really do believe everyone should have a few beauty products on hand that make you feel extra special, and this is one of those items for me.

The book, “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo,” by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Sometimes I just need a quick and satisfying book that’s easy to read, and this one hit the spot!

It’s about a Hollywood star and the secrets she keeps along the way in order to make it to the top of the fame game.

This book is a quick read, but the language is lovely, and Evelyn, the main character, is compelling and complicated, so I couldn’t help but pull for her along the way.

Oh, and side note, Evelyn’s daughter is named Connor. 🙂

If you want something fun and light that you can knock out on a weekend or during a long plane ride, grab this book ASAP.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen