Just For Fun

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 Valentine’s Edition

• Chocolate or roses?
• Valentine’s or Galentine’s?
• Dinner — homemade or takeout?
• Red or pink roses?
• Red or pink nail polish?
• Date night — casual or dressed up?
• Red lipstick or pink lipstick?
• Store bought or handmade gift?

Chocolate or roses?

Milk chocolate from See’s, to be specific.

Valentine’s or Galentine’s?

Both. 🙂

Dinner — homemade or takeout?

UGH, did I mention that I’m sick of my own cooking? Takeout, please!

Red or pink roses?

Pale pink would be lovely, thank you.

Red or pink nail polish?

Hmm… Red, shiny and opaque toes and pale pink fingertips.

Date night — casual or dressed up?

Casual for now, but believe me, after our corner of the world opens up, we’re getting dressed up and we’re going OUT.

Red lipstick or pink lipstick?

Matte red and bright, bright, bright!

Store bought or handmade gift?

I would say yes to either!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen ?

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. Sheer or opaque pink polish?

Opaque all the way, lady, and hold the shimmer too!

2. Fruits or vegetables?

Hmm… I love both dearly, but seeing as it’s still morning and I’m about to have some plain Greek yogurt…I’ll go with fruit. Specifically, berries!

3. How good are you at confrontation?

Oh, my gosh, I’m absolutely terrible at confrontation, but I’m…working on it? LOL. I tend to bottle things up until I eventually explode. It ain’t pretty.

4. Sweatshirt with a hood, or a button-up cardigan?

I’m going to shock myself (GASP) and go for the button-up cardigan.

5. Lipstick — warm red or cool red?

I like both for different reasons, but I’ll go with warm red because I have warm skin tone.

6. Have you ever climbed a tree only to discover you couldn’t find a way down?

Nah, girl! I grew up in a neighborhood that was still relatively new at the time, and there weren’t a lot of large, mature trees around to climb.

7. Oatmeal cookies or chocolate chip cookies?

Right now I would LOVE a batch of oatmeal cookies with raisins. ?

8. Strapless bras — love ’em or leave ’em?

Eff all the strapless bras, I’m so done with them, so leave ’em. MY GIRLS NEED STRAPS!

9. What show (or shows) are you currently watching?

Firefly Lane on Netflix. It’s about two best friends and the ups and downs in their relationship. Eh, I think it’s just OK so far… Somehow, though, I’ve gotten sucked in!

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. Sheer or opaque pink polish?
2. Fruits or vegetables?
3. How good are you at confrontation?
4. Sweatshirt with a hood, or a button-up cardigan?
5. Lipstick — warm red or cool red?
6. Have you ever climbed a tree only to discover you couldn’t find a way down?
7. Oatmeal cookies or chocolate-chip cookies?
8. Strapless bras — love ’em or leave ’em?
9. What show (or shows) are you currently watching?

P.P.S. Happy Monday, friend. How goes it? I hope you got some time to relax over the weekend. I predict that we’re going to have a good week. ?

Happy Caturday, guys! Rosie would like to officially welcome you to the weekend.

I’m about to relax with a book (still reading Bulletproof) and sip this cup of tea… Well, technically it’s a glass of tea. I’ve been drinking my daily Earl Grey in these big glasses from Crate & Barrel since I got them last month, and, call me crazy, but I swear the tea tastes better in a glass.

As far as my plans go for this weekend, sometime today or tomorrow I plan to take a walk up to the waterfall, and then there’s the Super Bowl tomorrow, which isn’t particularly my thing, but I am looking forward to making a pot of chili, or some burgers, and baking some chocolate-chip cookies to devour during the game.

We’ll see what happens! ???

• Well…now I want this comb.
• Twiggy’s ’60s mod makeup looks!
• Sephora’s launching LYS, a Black-owned clean makeup brand.
• How to care for your baby’s hair, aww!
• Dolly Parton’s perfume is launching this weekend.
• Just in case you were thinking about joining a subscription box service for scents and perfumes…
• Products to fluff your brows and keep them in place.
• How to wear a hair perfume, according to an expert.
• This animal shelter in Maine will place your ex’s name in cat litter boxes!
• Actress Issa Rae has a new hair-care line
• THESE BRAIDS!

Hope you have a restful weekend. Have fun. Go Chiefs!!!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

I know we’ve discussed it before, but uh…mine has changed over the past few months.

SHOCKER, I know.

I’m definitely wearing fewer products than I was pre-pandemic; that’s for sure. I wear less base in general, and now I’ve gotten to the point where it feels like I’m wearing too much when I use concealer and foundation at the same time. Now I actually prefer only using foundation, and I’ll use it for everything, too — under my eyes for dark circles, and/or to do some “spot correcting” on the uneven areas on my cheeks.

(Side note: I like using a buildable medium-to-full-coverage foundation for this, and It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Foundation is great for this.)

Overall, I’m also wearing less eye makeup than I used to, which has been a double-edged sword, because on one hand, I have so much extra time to spend on important life things like rewatching Schitt’s Creek, but on the the other hand, my blending skills have reeeeeally deteriorated. I haven’t done a complicated smokey eye in FOREVER, and even now when I see myself in pics wearing just one or two colors, I see mistakes I probably wouldn’t have made a few months ago when I was regularly wearing more eye makeup and pushing my skills (LOL).

Even though I’ve been wearing lipstick and gloss around the house, I miss going out in public and being able to rock a bright lippie. I also miss seeing other women wearing bold reds and whatnot and being able to compliment them. Is that crazy? I was that stranger, BTW, the one who would walk up to you in Sephora on the day you were rocking a bright red and say things like, “You look amazing in that red lip, like AH-MAY-ZING,” and see their face light up. That always makes me so happy. ? I haven’t done that in person in over a year… I miss sending that kind of energy out into the world, you know?

So how has your makeup style changed lately? How would you describe it now?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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. Black or white nail polish?

Opaque white on short nails.

2. Bagels or cinnamon buns?

Team #allthecarbs, so both?! But if I haaaaave to choose one…I’ll go with a freshly baked cinnamon bun made from scratch, because nobody has time for bullsh*t cinnamon buns. ?

3. How good are you at parking vehicles?

Pretty good, I think, considering that I don’t drive as much as I used to. Also, for the record, I’m decent at parallel parking (even on hills!).

However, one parking skill I’ve yet to master is being able to back into parking spots, which I’d love to be able to do so I could just drive straight out. It’s great for fairground parking lots and stadiums.

Hmm… Maybe that will be my next thing to learn!

4. Eyeliner or mascara?

Mascara.

5. Foundation or concealer?

Foundation.

6. Have you ever had a snake as a pet?

Nope. I’ve been lucky enough to care for many different animals in my time, but I’ve never had a pet snake. I’ve just never made a strong connection with a reptile… Plus, I can’t see myself feeding a snake without low-key freaking out every time!

7. Hair perfume or body spray?

Body spray.

8. Bralettes — love ’em or leave ’em?

LOVE THEM. What’s a real bra, anyway?

9. The next holiday you’re looking forward to?

Valentine’s Day, because 1) I don’t have to make a meal, and 2) obscene amounts of chocolate!

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. Black or white nail polish?
2. Bagels or cinnamon buns?
3. How good are you at parking vehicles?
4. Eyeliner or mascara?
5. Foundation or concealer?
6. Have you ever had a snake as a pet?
7. Hair perfume or body spray?
8. Bralettes — love ’em or leave ’em?
9. The next holiday you’re looking forward to?

P.P.S. Hello and happy Monday, sweet friend. Here’s to hoping for a calm, peaceful day. I also hope you get to spend some time outdoors with nature, but just in case you can’t, the following video is for you.?

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Karen | Makeup and Beauty Blog (@karenmbb)

Good morning! Short and sweet intro today, my friend, as I’m off to do some much needed self-care in the form of a simple look with the items in the top pic (I set them aside last night to make it as easy as possible to get my face painted today).

Oh, and in case you’re interested in any of the above items…

• Lancôme Skin Feels Good Hydrating Skin Tint Healthy Glow: Lightweight, easy to blend with fingers
• Bite Beauty Upswing Mascara: Bring on the drama! Epic curl and length.
• MAC Blushbaby Blush: A natural matte pinkish beige flush.
• MAC Candy Yum Yum: An intensely pigmented neon pink that doesn’t play around.
• Urban Decay Brow Blade: For full, lush yet natural-looking brows.
• Lancôme Idôle Intense: A new, more intense version of Idôle (main notes are jasmine, vanilla and musk). ❤️ LOVE!

This week’s links!

• Dior has a new makeup ambassador, Sam Visser. Fun fact about him: he launched his makeup career at the tender age of 12.
• In case you were in need of a fancy hair perfume (because why not?), here are some luxurious-sounding options if you’re in the mood to treat yo’ self (I vote for the Acqua di Parma one.)
• —-> Favorite read of the week.
• Something I never thought I would ever ponder: Can I apply lipstick after taking my mask off in public?
• The times, they are a-changin’, as Army soldier women will now be allowed to wear lipstick, nail polish and locs.
• This woman’s car was stolen with her cat inside, and here’s how she got her 19-pound calico back.
• Have you ever wondered what ylang-ylang smells like?

Take care of yourself, and have a great weekend. ?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen