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Just For Fun

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 618

August 2nd, 2020 by Karen 2 Comments

Tabs used to have a roommate, but they had a falling out.

His name was Sushi, and he was a flamboyant, fabulous betta. He was also an accomplished aquatic model.

Before they became friends, Tabs studied Sushi from afar. He took notes on posing and general fabulousness, trying to crack the code to becoming a world-famous supermodel.

Tabs wanted to learn everything about modeling, and Sushi was a pro.

This went on for months. Tabs had great respect for Sushi and what he’d accomplished in the aquatic modeling world, but there was something else…

Over time, the nature of their relationship changed, and Tabs couldn’t explain why. He found himself getting hungrier and hungrier…for knowledge, and he determined that the only way he could truly understand modeling would be to digest everything Sushi had to offer.

To get his mind and body working in unison, Tabs started a rigorous fitness regimen focusing on plyometrics, also known as jump training, with the goal of being able to jump up onto the hutch where Sushi lived in his fishbowl.

Tabs believed that if he could work eye-to-eye with Sushi, Tabs could tap into the secrets of the modeling world…

Of course, in hindsight we know this idea was flawed…

Tabs became obsessed with Sushi and finding a way onto the hutch. He trained relentlessly, day and night, stretching, leaping, reaching and climbing.

This continued for weeks until, one day, or should I say one night, I was walking down the stairs when I saw Tabs perched on top of the hutch with a paw reaching into Sushi’s fishbowl!

“No!” I exclaimed, “Tabs! Get down!”

Immediately, he jumped down onto the carpet, looking confused, aghast, and a little guilty perhaps.

Things were never the same between Tabs and Sushi after that. They stopped talking about modeling and stopped hanging out. They even stopped meeting for lunch. Oh, they lived together for a while longer, but they never spoke again.

To this day, we don’t know exactly what happened or why the relationship soured. It’s a mystery. Totally unexplainable. ?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 2 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Tabs

Saturday Surfing, Aug. 1, 2020

August 1st, 2020 by Karen 6 Comments

hello saturday
What’s up, Caturday?

Greetings, fellow feline and fun-filled weekend enthusiast! Our two artists-in-residence send their regards.

While the girls decorate this piece of paper, I plan to decorate…my face with winged liner and a bright lipstick.

Why?

Answer: why not? But seriously, I don’t have anything profoundly exciting planned. I’m just taking Connor to her dance studio for the first time in months because she has a solo dance recital, and that’s all the excuse I need to get a little gussied up… At the very least, I can brush up my brows! ?

The dance studio moved most of their classes online, but they do a couple things outdoors in their parking lot, and we’re going today so Connor’s dance teacher can record her and a couple other socially distanced students while they do the routine they would’ve performed on stage at our local civic center for the spring recital.

I still can’t believe how much things have changed… At last year’s spring recital, there must have been a hundred kids and 300 parents, everyone jammed into a performance hall, and all the kids and parents got ready in a big room backstage adjusting costumes, soothing nerves and, ya know, breathing the same air in close proximity.

Leapin’ into these crazy times!

I know this is all temporary, but you know how it is. I get a little down sometimes when I think about it… I’ll keep hangin’ in there if you do.

I’ve been informed by the local ballet authorities that this type of jump is called a jeté.

What are you up to today? Got a few minutes for some Saturday surfing?

  • This article in The New Yorker about rethinking the science of skin is a long read, but it has forever changed how I view the bar of Dove soap in my shower.
  • What is Hypochlorous Acid, and what can it do for you?
  • Thanks to the pandemic (uh…), women are growing out their chin hair (and other bodily hair).
  • How often should you be washing your hair?
  • This polish by Nails Inc dries in 45 seconds, and it’s supposed to be the world’s fastest drying nail polish.How do you feel about pink eyeshadow? — ’cause it’s gonna be all over Chanel this fall.
  • 10 budget-friendly perfumes that smell way more expensive than they are…
  • How to “blind buy” a new signature perfume without ever smelling it…
  • Long-lasting grapefruit perfumes for the citrus enthusiasts out there…


This was refreshing.


Love it


Because it never hurts to learn something new


Stretching changes everything! I’m going to try this.


This dude needs to come over to my house and do my hair every day.


This made me tear up.

Have a great rest of your weekend. I hope you’re able to do something relaxing and fun. ?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 6 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Checking In: The Summer of Camping (Part II), and a Couple Things to Try on Your Next Camping Trip

July 31st, 2020 by Karen 14 Comments

Early morning fishing at Collins Lake

OK, I guess I’m getting better at “mom-ming while camping” because instead of needing two weeks to recover from the trip, it only took two days, ha ha ha! Ya know, when I envisioned the “Summer of Camping” in my mind, I thought we’d be going, like, every week or every other week this summer, but now I’m thinking maybe once a month?

Don’t get me wrong — it’s fun! I love it. It’s just a lot of work. The trip we just took to Collins Lake was a ton of fun. The drive is a long one if you’re coming from the Bay Area (about two and a half hours), but once we got there, wow! Our campsite was right next to the lake, and the water was SUPER warm — like bath temperature warm! Whenever I wanted to cool off, all I had to do was hobble down a hill and over some rocks for a minute, and then I’d jump right in. It was glorious! And being the water baby that I am, I went swimming quite a few times, although you know what I realized? Lake swimming is no joke, dude. When you don’t have salt water to keep you afloat, you gotta work that much harder.

The water in the late afternoon!

Ain’t no party like a West Coast party

One thing I learned on this trip is that the time you go to bed at night really depends on your neighbors and how close you are to them. The tent sites at Collins Lake are closer to each other than the sites at Clear Lake (where we camped last month), and this time around, instead of being surrounded by quiet couples and families, it seemed like all of our neighbors were partying like it was a West Coast party circa 1994. Everyone was pretty rowdy, and we heard it all night long.

The music, at least, was good! Someone nearby was playing DJ and blasting ’90s hip-hop jams into the wee hours. I would’ve totally appreciated Color Me Badd’s I Wanna Sex You Up, but instead of singing along as usually do, I kept thinking, “Oh, please, oh, please, don’t let Connor ask me what these lyrics are about.” LOL!

BOMB. DOT. COM.

A portable fan is your friend

Another thing I learned on this trip? A portable fan is an absolute non-negotiable. I know, sounds so silly. Who needs to have a fan, of all things, while they’re camping? Well, apparently I do! El Hub bought me this one from a brand called Treva (it runs on D batteries, so you don’t have to plug it in), and it just made the trip so much more pleasant. I would turn it on whenever I was in the tent to circulate the air and keep things cooler, which was especially handy in the middle of the day when the tent was really hot, and at night when we were getting ready for bed. Sometimes I’d bring it outside and set it in front of me on the camp table so I’d have a breeze to cool me down (it was pretty hot) while I made food. It sounds so silly, but it was REALLY nice to have around. I don’t think I can go camping without it now.

collins lake
When you take a post-sponge bath selfie to celebrate your relative cleanliness, LOL!

A quick bedtime refresher is the key!

One last “next level up” thing I stumbled upon on this trip is what I like to call “a quick refresher” before bed. Here’s what I do: I set a washcloth or some paper towels near my sleeping bag, along with a water bottle. Then, before I go to sleep, I wet the wash cloth and quickly wipe down my face, neck, the crooks of my arms, the backs of my knees and my feet — basically, any areas that have gotten sweaty since my last shower/sponge bath.

I don’t know why, but I seem to sleep so much better when I do this! I also did the same for Connor and she seemed to like it.

Anywho, we’re hoping to go on one last camping trip in August, and if I figure out any more tips by then I’ll be sure to let you know!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!!!

There are 14 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

When Was the Last Time You Dyed Your Hair?

July 28th, 2020 by Karen 39 Comments

karen side bright eyeshadow
Rockin’ my natural hair color

Ah, let me tell you about the life of a lady with grown-out roots! Hair dye is a CONSTANT topic of conversation between me and my neighbors, it seems, because when I run into my buddies who live nearby, we’re always talking about the last time we went to the salon to touch up roots. It’s the newest way to make polite conversation between women, ha ha ha!

For me, it’s been a minute since my hair was dyed. Fall of 2018 was the last time. That’s when I started this little experiment of growing out my grays. How much you can see them depends on how I part my hair and the lighting, and although I’ve been told it looks nice, I’m still keeping the door open again to color my hair in the future ’cause I like to switch things up every once in a while (although the pandemic has prevented that from happening, so it probably won’t be for a long time!).

How about you? When was the last time you dyed your hair?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 39 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Hair, Just For Fun

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 636

July 27th, 2020 by Karen 19 Comments

everythings gonna be oj
Wise words from the chalk artists at Trader Joe’s

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. Banana or coconut?

    Coconut.

    2. Gimme the deets on your last beauty purchase!

    I restocked the drugstore hair/body things I was running low on, namely Neutrogena clarifying shampoo, Pantene Rose Water shampoo and conditioner, and Dove Body Soap.

    3. When you’re eating bite-sized foods like bacon-wrapped shrimp hors d’oeuvres or mini brownies, do you take dainty nibbles, or do you shove the whole thing into your mouth?

    Dainty nibbles when there are other people around (what’s that even like any more, LOL?!), but if it’s just me, myself and I…and Netflix, then I shove the whole thing!

    4. Have you had “maskne” before (it’s when you break out because of your mask, by the way!)?

    I think I have. I got a few little pimples just underneath my nostrils and around my mouth earlier in the summer, but that was probably mainly because I slacking on my zit lotion. After I got back on track with putting on Kate Somerville Anti-Bac two times a day, it went away.

    5. When’s the last time you went to an office building?

    It was last March, just before I was laid off from the bakery.

    6. How did you (or how do you) plan to celebrate your birthday this year?

    My b-day was in June, and it was low-key but fun. We went to a nearby beach, then got takeout from In-N-Out. I think I may have also gone to Sportsbasement to go look around?

    You know how it is now; the bar is low, and a Double Double tastes like a three-star Michelin rated meal, hahaha.

    7. Coral or brown lipstick?

    Coral, all the way!

    8. Lip liner or eyeliner?

    Eyeliner.

    9. What’s something nice you could do for yourself this week?

    It’s SO not exciting, but if I could get myself in bed by 8:30 one night, it would do me a world of good. A little extra sleep works miracles!

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. Banana or coconut?
2. Gimme the deets on your last beauty purchase!
3. When you’re eating bite-sized foods like bacon-wrapped shrimp hors d’oeuvres or mini brownies, do you take dainty nibbles, or do you shove the whole thing into your mouth?
4. Have you had “maskne” before (it’s when you break out because of your mask, by the way!)?
5. When’s the last time you went to an office building?
6. How did you (or how do you) plan to celebrate your birthday this year?
7. Coral or brown lipstick?
8. Lip liner or eyeliner?
9. What’s something nice you could do for yourself this week?

P.P.S. Hope you’re having a nice day so far. ?

There are 19 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 617

July 26th, 2020 by Karen 5 Comments

tabs-chasing-squirrel-5

If you’re a cat, there’s a lot to see and do on our little oak tree-covered hill.

Tabs was a BIG fan. We spent hundreds if not thousands of hours “patrolling” the hill.

Rosie is still building up the courage to explore and learning how to guide me on her harness, but she’s getting there.

The hill is home to a thriving community of turkeys, deer, other cats (some nice, some malcontents), dogs, coyotes, quail, finches, owls, hawks, crows, woodpeckers, raccoons, squirrels, foxes and a rabbit (or two), to name a few.

Tabs sort of administered everything to make sure the community performed at an optimal level, which he liked to do from one of his many perches, like his window shelf in the living room or his outdoor tabby command center.

But sometimes you have to get out there and get your paws dirty to see what’s really going on, which we did all the time on our walks.

tabs-chasing-squirrel-7

The grass on the hill is all dead and dry right now, but the oak trees are green and action-packed.

tabs-chasing-squirrel-6

Problem is, some of the critters in the area are no longer following proper procedures, like this ne’er–do–well who refuses to show his authorized tree pass.

tabs-chasing-squirrel-3

[Continue reading…]

There are 5 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Tabs

Saturday Surfing, July 25th, 2020

July 25th, 2020 by Karen 6 Comments

Huzzah! It’s the weekend!

Happy Saturday, friend! How goes it? Just in case someone hasn’t told you lately, a good life lesson is to dance like nobody (especially your neighbor’s dog) is watching.

Case in point…

connor and gracie
Both of their little faces, LOL!

We’re packing up the car for another camping trip, this time to Collins Lake, and yes, it took weeks to mentally and physically recover from the last trip and prepare for this one, HA HA HA! I’ll be mom-ing pretty hard, but I know it’ll be fun.

Why is eating hotdogs outside so fulfilling?!

Looking forward to the snacks (S’MORES!), of course, and spending time in the water with Coycoy. I’m also starting a new book, What Alice Forgot, by Liane Moriarty.

YES!

I gotta say, one of the best things about camping is having long, uninterrupted stretches of time to read while Connor and El Hub go fishing.

Speaking of reading, here are some cool things I found this week…

  • A dermatologists’ guide to glowing skin using AHAs.
  • Scalp care is the new skin care, as many skin care brands (including one of my drugstore faves, Neutrogena), are launching hair products to give TLC to your scalp.
  • Dermatologists, estheticians and skin care experts hand-selected these 77 skin care products as the best of the best for dry, oily, sensitive, acne-prone and mature skin.
  • What is sea moss, and do you need it in your skin care products?
  • You learn something new every day —-> “Vitamin F is not a vitamin in the traditional sense of the word,” says board-certified dermatologist Hadley King, M.D. “It’s actually a term for two fats, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid (LA).”
  • I feel like the only correct answer to the question, “Would you like to smell like a 19th century queen?” is yes, but I could be wrong! LOL!


Got winged liner woes?


When cats meet hurdles, this is what happens.


Now all we need is gelato and pasta.

How goes it on your end? I hope all is well.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 6 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Q&A: Would You Wear Nail Polish That Smells Like Your Favorite Food?

July 24th, 2020 by Karen 7 Comments

urban decay double team mascara vice
Pizza!

Earlier this summer the drugstore nail polish brand SinfulColors unveiled a line of polishes that look and smell like snacks — doughnuts, cheese puffs, pizza, chocolate cake and tacos.

OK, sure, scented nail polish isn’t revolutionary, but dang! — props for creativity!

That said, as much as I like Taco Tuesdays and Cheetos, I *cannot* handle my nails smelling like a crispy beef taco with sour cream (because I’m assuming guac is extra). Or pepperoni nails? BARF! I give the savory scents a hard pass.

And the sweet scents, too, despite my sweet tooth. I just can’t take my fingertips smelling like a glazed doughnut. ?

How about you? How do you feel about snack scented nail polishes? To what degree would it depend on the snack?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF! ?

There are 7 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Nails

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Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog

Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog! My name is Karen, and I’m a freelance writer obsessed with makeup.

Makeup and Beauty Blog features daily product reviews, makeup tips and beauty news — like an interactive version of a monthly print magazine, except with occasional pictures of my cat.

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