Just For Fun

So…what is the Monday Poll?

Well, it isn’t exactly a poll. It’s more of a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past 10 (!) years. (It’s like a kickstart for your brain.) I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.?

1. What do you have on your lips right now?

Just a little bit of Urban Decay Lip Love ’cause my lips are so dry from the plane ride home yesterday.

2. Something you’d like to accomplish this week?

Soooo many things, but the first is to unpack all my stuff because I know if I wait for too long, the bags will just sit there unopened for weeks.

3. Create or destroy?

A little bit of both? I’m going to pick create, because that’s what I like to do the most.

4. How’s your pedicure looking right now?

Girl, awful! I mean… I really should get professional help because it’s been ages since I’ve dealt with my feet, and they could definitely use some cheese grater love.

5. Something you recently learned about yourself?

Never thought I’d be able to say this but I recently learned that — yay! I can actually pack light.

Back in the bay

Hi, sweet friend! Super late Monday poll, I know, but I didn’t get any sleep last night when we got back home from the airport. The baby was grumpy, we were all jet-lagged, and because it was like a billion degrees in Novato while we were gone, the house was a pizza oven. Girl, it was rough! Please forgive me if the next few posts are short and sweet. Regularly scheduled makeup programming will resume shortly. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions to copy/paste.

1. What do you have on your lips right now?
2. Something you’d like to accomplish this week?
3. Create or destroy?
4. How’s your pedicure looking right now?
5. Something you recently learned about yourself?

Last day of the trip. We’ll be back home tomorrow. It’s been so relaxing and great seeing Connor have so much fun in the tropics.

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I’m starting to lose track of time… Not that I was great at keeping track of it before, haha! But the hours have been blending into each other, because when you’re at the pool, and you’re splashing around, time feels slow, but fast at the same time. It’s weird.

I was hoping that Connor would like the water. She’d never gone into a pool or the ocean before this trip… Well, we took her to Ocean Beach in SF once when she was about six months old, but she squealed and kicked when her toes touched the water. It was cold and gray, though. Not like the ocean here.

They have a really cool baby pool at the resort that’s shallow for the little ones, and the bottom of the pool is sandy. It’s a sandy bottom, and I brought the baby there yesterday.

I mean, it would have been fine if Connor wasn’t into it, but she laughed and smiled and played and had a good time.

I had a good time yesterday, too. I just hung out with El Hub and my brother all day long. We left all of our crap in the hotel room with my mom and dad, and then went to the pool. There are a bunch of pools on the property, and we went to the one with the water slide and — OMG! — these amazing hidden hot tubs with huge waterfalls.

[Continue reading…]

So…what is the Monday Poll?

Well, it isn’t exactly a poll. It’s more of a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past 10 (!) years. (It’s like a kickstart for your brain.) I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.

1. Someone you’d like to pinch?

If we’re living in reality, then Connor Claire, on her cheeks. If we’re not living reality, then Zac Efron.

Don’t ask me where I’d pinch him, HAHAHA!

2. How many kittens would you like today?

Three would be great, thanks! I’ll take one ragdoll, one gray tabby and a tortie to go, please.

3. Those cold-shoulder tops that are seriously freaking everywhere — yes or no?

Sure, why not? Some are pretty cute.

4. Cream, liquid, gel or powder blush — which is your favorite formula and why?

Ooh! That’s tough. I love how extra special cream blushes look on skin, like the color is part of your cheeks and not just sitting on top of it, but I also love powder blushes because they’re so much fun to blend.

OK, if I have to pick one…I’ll go with cream.

Or powder.

Oh, I don’t know!

5. What’s the punchline to an inside joke that always makes you laugh?

Psycho cake is the best! Psycho cake is the best!

Aloha nui loa

Good morning from Oahu! It’s 4:26 a.m. Hawaii time right now, and I’m click-clacking away in the dark because of le time difference, which I am quite clearly not used to yet.

Boy, oh, boy — your niece? She took her baby-ness to the next level on the flight out here. She was NOT babying at 100% on the plane, let me tell you. She fussed almost the entire time, I think because of the excitement and not having her routines. I tried a bottle at takeoff, a few new toys, snacks…and that was just for me, haha! But seriously, she was in rare form!

Today, not much of a plan for the day. Just take it easy, eat some fresh papaya and King’s Hawaiian Sweet Bread for breakfast, and find a nice, quiet lagoon to explore… And I want to check out Honolua Surf Co. for cute tees and other things because I haven’t been there in a while.

Have a great week. Be extra kind to yourself today, OK? I’ll still be posting here and there, but probably not as much as usual.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Uh…

Um…is anybody else low-key freaking out about the new Trader Joe’s Fearless Flyer?

I guess they redesigned it, and I just got one in the mail the other day.

First impression? “Ooh, colorful!” But it seemed kind of thin with fewer pages than usual. Then I set it aside to read later in bed. (Don’t judge! It’s normally great bedtime reading.)

I can’t believe it! Where did all the rambling intros with fun facts about coffee beans, weather patterns, ducklings and four-leaf clovers go?? Or the clever puns and silly wordplay? Everything in this new version is succinct, matte-of-fact and blah. It looks great, but dayum, TJ, why you gotta do me like that!? BRING BACK THE OLD FEARLESS FLYER!

On that note, a little light reading for your Saturday morning (beauty and otherwise)…

• The hidden history behind the Maybelline New York makeup line
• Ehrmahgawhd! The print on this dress is purr-fection. WANT.
• Lumpia and pancit for everyone! The food of my people is gonna be the next big culinary thing, according to Vogue.
• Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Clinique Black Honey Almost Lipstick
• How do the chemicals in sunscreen protect our skin from damage?
• Makeup legend Pat McGrath talks makeup, tech and what’s next in the future of beauty.
• Thanks, Carolina, for giving me a serious Dior mascara lemming.
• My girl Adia compiled a lengthy list of nude lipsticks for deeper skin tones, YES!
• And in case you missed it, here’s the skinny on the awesome Ouai haircare line, Urban Decay’s newest Naked Heat Palette (it’s hot stuff), Milk Makeup’s skin-like Sunshine tint, and how your face powder can be a secret makeup weapon in your beauty arsenal.

Violette_Fr’s videos are binge-worthy. SO GOOD!

Playing this all the time, over and over and over again…

Makeup in 5, 10 and 15 minutes with MAC Next to Nothing (a.k.a. my favorite thing in the world right now)

I’m in last-minute vacay mode, packing and getting the place ready for the tabby’s favorite pet sitter. As Tabs explains it, he’s a consummate deep-tissue kitty massage pro. He’ll be the tabby’s on-site temp assistant this week.

I wish I could bring Tabs along on this trip, though. I briefly contemplated emptying my big green bag and trying to sneak him aboard in it, but I can see the TSA agent now. “Um…ma’am? Is there a large cat in your bag??”

Well, yeah, obviously. 🙂

Do you ever wish you could bring your pets on vacation with you? I wish I could every time.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen