Just For Fun

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. Golden brown or reddish brown?

Golden brown, baby!

2. Skincare advice you’d give to your teenage self?

Girlfriend, step away from the Sea Breeze toner. DON’T DO IT! Also, get thee a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide cream ASAP, and don’t be chintzy with it, either.

3. Name three beauty products you’ve used today so far.

Korres Greek Yoghurt Cleanser, Skinceuticals CE Ferulic and Avene Solaire UV Mineral Multi-Defense Tinted Sunscreen Fluid…because I’ve keeping it “minimal” in the morning since we’re traveling and all.

4. Basil or cilantro?

Basil, please.

5. Who’s the best at doing makeup in your family?

Allegedly, it’s me, but I think Connor’s editorial style is much more interesting.

6. How do you like your toast?

I like it when my bread is lightly toasted. If it’s overdone in any way I won’t have anything to do with it! My teeth and I can’t deal with bread that feels like a scouring pad.

7. Pickles: dill or bread and butter?

Bread and butter; I like the hint of sweetness.

8. Boy George or George Michael?

DUDE. How can one even choose? I guess I’d go with George Michael since his songs were basically the soundtrack of my childhood and teens.

9. What’s something you have to remember to do this week?

I have to remember to reorder migraine medicine, or else I’m gonna be in a world of hurt!

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. Golden brown or reddish brown?
2. Skincare advice you’d give to your teenage self?
3. Name three beauty products you’ve used today so far.
4. Basil or cilantro?
5. Who’s the best at doing makeup in your family?
6. How do you like your toast?
7. Pickles: dill or bread and butter?
8. Boy George or George Michael?
9. What’s something you have to remember to do this week?

P.P.S. A bright and sunshine-y aloha to you this morning, sweet girl! It’s a new day, and I have a feeling you’re going to have a good one. Please take time to enjoy a simple pleasure — a hot cup of coffee, a hug from a loved one, a text from a dear friend. The small things are ultimately the big things, you know?

I’m going to try to take this to heart today, too. In case you missed it, I’m currently visiting family on Oahu who I haven’t seen since pre-pandemic times, and I’m especially enjoying the small things that I love and have missed doing. It’s amazing how much the beach (with warm water!) does for the heart and soul. ?

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Well, hi there, sweet cat ladies and dog ladies and bunny ladies and horse ladies and parrot ladies, and all my ladies!

If you saw a plane over your head somewhere around the San Francisco Bay Area early yesterday morning, FYI, that might’ve been me waving to you from the sky above. The fam-bam and I got out of dodge — REALLY OUT OF DODGE. We had an opportunity to take a last-minute trip to visit our family on Oahu (El Hub’s parents, who we haven’t seen in two years), so this Saturday Surfing is coming to you from the other side of the Pacific.

If you’re a new friend here, hi! My husband is from Hawaii (Oahu), and back in ye olden times before the pandemic, we’d go back to visit that side of the family once or twice a year, but the past year changed that, of course, so it’s been a long time. El Hub is going to be doing some work from here remotely, but he gets to do it from home with the family.

This particular water baby is looking forward to getting sand between her toes and dipping said toes into a warm blue ocean later this morning.

If you need me, I’ll be at the beach…

This week’s reading

• Everyone and their mother is launching a new skincare line! See: Gabrielle Union and Dwayne Wade, influencer Hyram Yarbro, and Vanessa Hudgens and Madison Beer.
• In case your strands were in need of a new scent!
• Important milestones for your feline bestie.
• Speaking of cats, here’s why they’re always swatting at things.
• Does the perfect MLBB lipstick exist?
• How to remove long-lasting makeup, according to a drag makeup artist.
• NYX becomes the first makeup brand to partner with an esports team.

I love me some gadgets.

I’m a little obsessed with Dr. V

Please talk to me about Vitamin C.

Like I said, I LOVE ME SOME GADGETS.

I may have watched her eyeshadow the entire time, LOL.

How are things going this weekend? How was your week? What are you up to?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

How to play

Pick one or the other for each of the questions below, and copy/paste your answers in the comments. Can’t wait to see your picks! Mine are listed below. ?

This or That: The Skin Care Edition, Part II

• A matte dark navy liquid lipstick or a glossy YLBB (your lips but better) shade?
• Sugar lip scrubs: yes or no?
• Sticky or non-sticky gloss?
• Frosty lipstick or frosty lipgloss?
• ’90s-style brown matte lips or an early 2000s glossy lip?
• Overnight lip masks: necessary or unnecessary?
• Do you tend to wear “safe” lip combos you know well, or do you prefer edgier, more editorial lip looks?
• Lip plumping glosses that tingle: yes or no?
• Pick one: lipstick only, lipstick with gloss on top, or lipgloss only?
• Lip brushes: yes or no?
• Sunscreen lip balm: give it to me, or no thank you?
• Which of these have you finished down to the last drop: lipstick, lipgloss or lip liner?

A matte dark navy liquid lipstick or a glossy YLBB (your lips but better) shade?

Glossy YLBB, please.

Sugar lip scrubs: yes or no?

Naw, but I like ’em in theory!

Sticky or non-sticky gloss?

While I don’t mind either, I’ll take the non-sticky today because my hair is down, and I don’t want it to get stuck in my gloss… ?

Frosty lipstick or frosty lipgloss?

Frosty lipgloss, because most frosty lipsticks end up just sitting in my vertical lip lines after a couple hours (not a cute look).

’90s-style brown matte lips or a an early 2000s glossy lip?

OH, THIS IS SO HARD! I’ll go with the brown matte, but it has to be something approachable, like a pinkish-brown. The dark browns, much as I love ’em, make me look too vampiric!

Overnight lip masks: splurge or skip?

Skip.

Do you tend to wear “safe” lip combos you know well, or do you prefer edgier, more editorial lip looks?

Do you know me at all? Safe all the way! (Well, lately, at least.)

Lip plumping glosses that tingle: yes or no?

No thank you! I don’t need pain in my pucker.

Pick one: lipstick only, lipstick with gloss on top, or lipgloss only?

Lipstick only.

Lip brushes: yes or no?

NOPE!

Sunscreen lip balm: give it to me, or no thanks?

Give it to me, please and thank you. ?

Which of these have you finished down to the last drop: lipstick, lipgloss or lip liner?

It’s been a minute (a.k.a. a few years) since I’ve finished any one of them, but I’ve finished all three at different points in time.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF! ?

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. Who makes the best lipstick?

Personal opinion? MAC and Chanel! I know their shade families, formulas, finishes, and their lippies don’t get funky as quickly as some other brands do. Also, I just like how they feel on my lips.

2. Three pieces of makeup you wear often?

The Urban Decay brow pencil, Laura Mercier Caviar Mascara and Clinique Pretty Easy Liquid Liner.

3. A lesson you learned early in life?

There won’t always be someone around to help you, so you’re going to have to figure out how to do/get it yourself if you want something.

4. A lesson you learned later in life?

Building upon my answer to the previous question, it’s *totally OK* to ask for help, and it is NOT a sign of weakness. Asking for help actually takes a lot of courage since it’s been stigmatized in our society, but it takes strength to lean on other people. The truth is, no one does it alone, despite what many people like to claim. No one makes it alone. No one succeeds alone, so don’t ever be afraid to ask for assistance.

5. Jell-O: delightful or disgusting?

Delightful! Especially with a touch of whipped cream. My favorite flavor is Strawberry.

6. The movie that most traumatized you as a child?

Salem’s Lot. Why young children were allowed to watch this at our babysitter’s house on a random Tuesday afternoon, I WILL NEVER KNOW. I wasn’t afraid of the dark before seeing that movie, but after I watched it, I ended up sleeping with a night light for years.

7. What’s one of your pet peeves about purses?

I can’t stand when a purse is too deep. Ugh! It’s too hard to find anything, and I always end up having to dump the contents onto the floor or a table to find small things like my keys.

It’s aggravating as all hell!

8. What are you reading right now?

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes.

9. Lace or ruffles?

Ruffles, in moderation. I love how lace looks, but it’s too itchy!

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. Who makes the best lipstick?
2. Three pieces of makeup you wear often?
3. A lesson you learned early on in life?
4. A lesson you learned later on in life?
5. Jell-O: delightful or disgusting?
6. The movie that most traumatized you as a child?
7. What’s one of your pet peeves about purses?
8. What are you reading right now?
9. Lace or ruffles?

P.P.S. Hello, friend! Sending you a big virtual hug on this beautiful Monday morning. I hope you feel calm, organized and ready to take on the week. We can do this, OK? I’ve got your back, girl. ALWAYS. ?

Guys, it is SO HOT! Except for brief excursions outside the house, I hunkered down this week because of the heat. It topped 100 a couple days and was almost that hot yesterday, which for this area, especially for this time of year, is hotter than usual.

To cool down, we spent a little time at the neighborhood pool too, seeing as how Connor and I cannot resist a body of water (we’re both water babies to the core).

I’m hell bent on taking sun protection seriously from now on, so I’ve become the lady who wears a full-on ensemble to the pool. The other day one of Connor’s friend’s curiously looked me up and down before asking if I was wearing a swimsuit underneath my leggings and swim shirt, haha! (The answer was yes.)

For the record, I’m not actually wearing “official” swim leggings, but because necessity is the mother of invention, I repurposed these old Senita workout leggings into swim pants…

The top is made specifically for water wear, though. It’s by Altheta and I love it! It covers my bum and has pockets and thumbholes, so I can cover up my hands, too.

This week’s reading

• Anybody want to try the inner corner pop with me?
• A short version of makeup’s long history.
• Drag makeup’s influence on mainstream beauty
• In case you need some bright makeup inspiration (I know I do!)
• Ever wonder why cats make biscuits? Or why kitties like to swat at things?
• Sunscreens for darker skin tones.
• I’m curious about these olfactory sculptures!

Yum.

I spend most of my time staring at their skin, LOL.

Spill all the secrets, Brad.

I love me an empties video.

It’s complicated.

Welcome to my eternal struggle.

Makeup tutorial, but make it ’80s

Got two minutes?

I’ve been listening to this all week long.

Well, I’m off to go put on another layer of sunscreen now! (Ha.) Happy Juneteenth to you. How was your week? What are you doing this weekend? ?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen