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. Would you rather wear red lipstick or black lipstick?

Oh, my goodness. Red lipstick please, and if we’re getting specific, red with a matte finish. ?

2. Gel or cream?

Cream!

3. Some advice you’d give your 12-year-old self?

Self, believe it or not, you really do not have to be running around with your arms crossed underneath your boobs when you’re in P.E. ? (I know, they hurt when they bounce up and down like that, and I’m sorry you’ve been doing this for months) Please ask Mom to buy you a bra this weekend, because she won’t be the one to suggest it.

Also, if you’re uncomfortable with the thought of a regular bra, then get a sports bra instead. Not a big deal. ?

4. If you could have any makeup artist from any era do your makeup, whom would you choose and for what?

Kevyn Aucoin, for sure, on my wedding day.

5. What’s the worst Halloween candy?

Licorice (yuck)! But those chewy orange peanuts come a close second.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Question time! Here they are to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to ya soon!

1. Would you rather wear red lipstick or black lipstick?
2. Gel or cream?
3. Some advice you’d give your 12-year-old self?
4. If you could have any makeup artist from any era do your makeup, whom would you choose and for what?
5. What’s the worst Halloween candy?

P.P.S. I hope you find joy in the little things this week. ?❤️?

Do you ever wake up, walk to the mirror and say to yourself, “I’m gonna put on all the things”? I felt that way this morning (happy Caturday, by the way!).

It’s been about two weeks since I’ve done a full face. I’ve been mostly just doing a lash curl here and some brow gel there, but today? Today I want it all!

First, a little backstory…

Connor spent pretty much all of last week sick with a bad cold. Then, as luck would have it, I caught it, so it’s been a while since I’ve truly played with face paint.

Today will be all about Ms. Charlotte Tilbury. Every time — and I can’t be the only one who does this — I put on her makeup, I hear her silky British voice in my head saying something like, “DAA-LING! I want you to coat your fringe with my fabulous, Full Fat Lashes. Literally every lash. See, daa-ling?”

Please tell me I’m not the only one who does this. ?

On to today’s reading…

• 7 unexpected fall makeup trends that get a stamp of approval from makeup artists.
• When makeup meets science: the story of one cosmetic chemist’s journey start a makeup brand.
• Bust out your smoky liner and your brown lipstick, because both are among the big beauty trends for fall 2019.
• Shiseido’s buying Drunk Elephant for a cool $845 million.
• Putting all nine of these dermatologist-recommended moisturizers on my wish list, because I’m all about HA (that’s hyaluronic acid, my friends) these days.
• Five skin care staples, and exactly how and when to use them.
• What would Jesus shoe? This pair of Nike shoes filled with holy water sold for $1,425 in less than a minute.
• These high heels, which convert to flats, look interesting.

? —> ?

• In a shock to absolutely no one, when a cat cafe was burglarized in Alabama, the feline residents did what all felines do — absolutely nothing.
• Cat moms, FYI, if you’re traveling with your kitty on a plane, do everything you can to make sure your feline friend’s crate stays locked and secure.
• Trader Joe’s is *finally* making a holiday advent calendar for kittehs!
• Filed under fun facts: tigers like it when you douse pumpkins with perfume.

What’s the plan for today, my friend? I hope it involves lip liner. ?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Did homegirl just quote Frozen? She sure did. Can you blame her (me), though? My primary source of social interaction is a toddler, LOL!

“Let it go” isn’t just a song lyric. It’s also a gentle reminder for both you and me to just let the little things go, a.k.a. not sweating the small stuff.

That’s hard for me — not getting too frustrated about all of the little annoyances that happen throughout the day. I’ve been diligently working on it for a month, and it’s been…a challenge, to say the least. I have to keep working on it, but so far, at least, the effort has done a lot for my spirit. I just want to take more things in stride, ya know? — but it’s hard to remember that there are many things I don’t have control over (like people, and some circumstances).

You know how it is… The only thing we really have control over is how we react. ?‍♀️

Case in point, last night I was on hold on the phone for — I kid you not — a full hour trying to sort out a situation with Connor’s school pictures. There was a snafu with the ordering, and what I thought was going to save me time ultimately ended up taking A LOT more time to straighten out.

While I was on hold, my shoulders grew increasingly more tense, and my jaw clenched tighter. I started to run through a mental checklist of questions and answers that went a little something like this…

• What about this situation is bugging me so much? Answer: That I’m wasting so much time, and also a decent amount of money.
• Do I have control over how long I’m having to wait on hold? Answer: I don’t. I just have to keep waiting until I can speak to someone who can hopefully help me sort things out.
• Does being angry right now make my life better in any way? Answer: No. It just makes me even MORE stressed.
• Will being crabby toward the person on the other end of the phone make me feel any better in the long run or help me get back my lost time? Answer: No.
• Do I have control over how I react in this situation? Answer: I do. I can either let this ruin my evening, or I can take it in stride, do what I have to do, and move on.

You get the picture.

It’s fascinating to me that there are people out there who just do this naturally, because I have to REALLY work at it.

It’s such a cliche, but it’s also true. We really don’t have control over many of life’s annoyances, just like we don’t have control over how other people treat us throughout the day, and for me, it is a struggle to be chill, because I’m so not chill, but I’m working on it… I find that the more I closely I watch my breathing, and the more attention I pay to how I’m feeling, like when I ask myself questions in situations I’m bothered by, the better and less stressed I feel.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

I snapped a few pics in the city last weekend. El Hub and I went to meet some old friends who were visiting the city and stopped by a couple of bars for a few hours on Saturday night, mostly in the Union Square/Nob Hill area.

I used to live in San Francisco and walked all around this neighborhood when I worked in one of the tall buildings near Union Square. Just when I think I’ve seen ever corner and there’s nothing new to see, hello! — I’m wrong, and I stumble upon something I’ve never seen before. Every time I visit, I see the city with fresh eyes all over again. There’s always something fascinating and interesting to see in San Francisco.

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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. Liquid or cream eyeshadow?

Cream eyeshadow, please!

2. Your greatest beauty achievement?

Figuring out how to do a smoky eye on my slightly hooded lids. MAN, that was challenging!

3. What’s your current makeup philosophy?

Don’t worry so much. ?‍♀️

4. Would you rather wear a perfume that smells like pizza, like hamburgers or like clam chowder?

A margherita pizza…with fresh tomato and basil.

5. Mascara on your lower lashes? Yay or nay?

Lately, it’s been a nay. I’ve been trying to wear less underneath my eyes because it seems like the less I wear in that area, the less tired I look.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Question time! Here they are to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to ya soon!

1. Liquid or cream eyeshadow?
2. Your greatest beauty achievement?
3. What’s your current makeup philosophy?
4. Would you rather wear a perfume that smells like pizza, like hamburgers or like clam chowder?
5. Mascara on your lower lashes? Yay or nay?

P.P.S. I hope your spirit feels light this morning and your foundation feels strong. Sending you positive vibes for a fantastic week. ?❤️?