Just For Fun

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 889

August 11th, 2025 by Karen 8 Comments

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 more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007).

1. Is lipstick an everyday thing for you?

Yes! I usually start the day off wearing lipstick. As the day goes on, though, I move into gloss because it’s easier for me to apply for touch ups. Just swipe and go!

2. Bright colors or earth tones?

Lil’ bit of both. 🙂

3. What’s the most-used tool in your makeup routine?

My fingers! I use them to blend and apply minimal base and blush, mostly, and sometimes to swipe and blend liquid or cream eyeshadow.

4. A makeup trick that you’ve been loving lately?

Layering brown eyeshadow on top of black eyeliner. I love how it softens the black liner, so you still get a good amount of impact, but it isn’t as harsh.

5. How closely do you need to follow the school year schedule?

At the moment, pretty closely, since Connor’s still in elementary school. I don’t mind it, though. It gives an ebb and flow to the year!

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. Is lipstick an everyday thing for you?
2. Bright colors or earth tones?
3. What’s the most-used tool in your makeup routine?
4. A makeup trick that you’ve been loving lately?
5. How closely do you need to follow the school year schedule?

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 869

August 10th, 2025 by Karen 2 Comments

Poor Marnie. 😥

After struggling for weeks to get on Rosie’s good side, and to get away from her claws, Marnie, using the power of her mighty derp, realized that the key to Rosie’s heart is through her mind.

In hindsight, this makes perfect sense, because Rosie is, after all, an award-winning cat scientist.

Anyway, Marnie got to work last weekend looking for a scientific breakthrough that she could use to impress Rosie.

Something, anything, to get on Rosie’s good side.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t easy…

Nope, not easy at all…

It’s tough when your mentor has, like, eight degrees and a Nobel Cat Prize in Physics.

Not to mention a feline genius-level IQ…

Tabs was different. Obviously, he was also a cat genius, but he was also way more stylish and approachable.

Where Rosie takes a scratch-first-ask-questions-later approach to dealing with Marnie, Tabs was always very patient with less scientifically minded creatures.

But then, we’re talking about Tabs here. He was omega-level greatness. 😊

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 888

August 4th, 2025 by Karen 5 Comments

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 more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007).

1. How often do you do meal prep for the week?

Very rarely. I do a super loose version or “meal prep” (air quotes) by cutting fruit and veggies on Sunday, and that’s about it. I tried making meals on Sundays a few times but then got sick of eating the same thing mid-week, so meal prep has never stuck.

2. Do you work out when you’re on vacation?

I try to! I bring my tennis shoes and a couple sets of clothes to exercise in, so that at the very least, I can go for a walk.

3. Is bronzer a daily thing for you?

Once upon a time, this was a hard yes. Love me some bronzer! I don’t wear it much these days, though, because I’ve been trying to get away with as little makeup as possible for like the last year or so. Now that I’m thinking about it, though, I might pop a little on after I’m done with this poll just for funsies. 🙂

4. A show that reminds you of after school time as a kid?

Weirdly enough, “Three’s Company.” It was always playing in the background when I got home.

5. A nice thing you did for yourself recently?

I made an effort for some “me” time on Saturday afternoon and finally got around to grooming my brows, which had been unruly for weeks (um, maybe months, if I’m being 100% honest). I also joined a gym last week and went swimming a couple times, which felt great.

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. How often do you do meal prep for the week?
2. Do you work out when you’re on vacation?
3. Is bronzer a daily thing for you?
4. A show that reminds you of after school time as a kid?
5. A nice thing you did for yourself recently?

Select Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 868

August 3rd, 2025 by Karen Leave a Comment

It’s all fun and games till a mouse takes over your patio.

That’s what happened here at Chez Tabs this week. Rosie used to call the shots here at Tabs the Cat Industries, LLC, and for the most part she’s been a benevolent dictator, but a few days ago a tiny tyrant of the rodent variety moved into, or onto to be more accurate, the patio where the staff (basically, just Marnie and Rosie) take their lunch.

For the most part, Marnie and Rosie work fairly well together.

I mean, Rosie tells Marnie to do things, and Marnie tries to oblige… Bless her heart.

They’d reached a form of detente, and it had been pretty effective until that mouse showed up.

Now every time one of them goes out there and tries to nap underneath one of the wooden lettuce or tomato planters, the mouse starts scratching or sneaking around somewhere in the area, must be underneath the wood, and Marnie and Rosie can hear it, and it drives them nuts.

It’s a shame because Tabs would have never allowed a usurper to … usurp his authority like this.

There’s just no way he would have shared power. 😹

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 887

July 28th, 2025 by Karen 3 Comments

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 more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007).

1. Ice cream sandwich or popsicle?

An ice cream sandwich please, but it’s gotta be a Mini Its-It in Vanilla. YUM!

2. What are you wearing on your nails right meow?

Chanel Incendiare, a warm bright red. Reminds me of summer tomatoes.

3. Things that make you think of summer beauty?

Bright, sheer glossy lipgloss. Colorful, bold nail polish in shades of red or coral. Certain Chanel fragrances with a fruity vibe, like Chance. The scent of Guerlain bronzer. Body oils.

4. Have you ever lived somewhere where chickens wake you up in the morning?

Technically, yes. In the spring, during a particularly rough patch of insomnia, I used to hear a rooster crowing off in the distance in the wee hours of the morning. My guess is he lived down the street and a few blocks over. I haven’t heard from him in a while, though, so hmmm. Hope he’s still around!

5. Your preferred decade of dance music?

‘80s, baby!

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. Ice cream sandwich or popsicle?
2. What are you wearing on your nails right meow?
3. Things that make you think of summer beauty
4. Have you ever lived somewhere where chickens wake you up in the morning?
5. Your preferred decade of dance music?

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 867

July 27th, 2025 by Karen 1 Comment

Despite being incredibly busy, Rosie had to put a critical research project on paws this morning because of something unusual.

Earlier this week she took some pictures of Marnie for the company newsletter to announce her as our new intern, but when Rosie was processing the images she noticed something…

She pondered it during a jam session on her keyboard…

Quantum mechanics and superposition!

Rosie thinks she knows what’s going on. Somehow the office here in Novato has become entangled with another dimension.

This changes everything! 😹

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 886

July 21st, 2025 by Karen 9 Comments

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 more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007).

1. What time of the day are you at your best?

From 5:30 until about 11 in the morning. Everything is downhill after lunch, which is when I turn into Sleepy Spice, hahaha! I don’t know when it happened, but somewhere along the way in the last 10 years, I became a morning person.

2. Things you like in your smoothie?

Greek yogurt, vanilla protein powder, raspberries (for fiber!) are my favorites. I also like bananas or apples for sweetness.

3. Something about your current makeup routine that bugs you?

Ugh, the concealer I’ve been using from MAC just doesn’t seal well after I use it. Bits and bobs of it end up all over the place. It’s super messy and it bothers me.

4. Something about your makeup routine that you love?

I’ve pretty much gotten everything so streamlined that I can get an entire face on in less than five minutes. The ability to put on makeup joyfully in very little time has been absolutely freeing.

5. Something beauty-related that you’re thinking about doing?

I’m very casually thinking about coloring my hair again. I’m not really serious about it because of the time and the money it takes for upkeep (ugh, ROOTS), but I kindasorta miss the thrill of changing it through highlights and whatnot. I dunno. I probably won’t do it for the sake of practicality, but then again, I just might!

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. What time of the day are you at your best?
2. Things you like in your smoothie?
3. Something about your current makeup routine that bugs you?
4. Something about your makeup routine that you love?
5. Something beauty-related that you’re thinking about doing?