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Just For Fun

This or That: The Holiday Edition, 2023 Part II!

December 21st, 2023 by Karen 8 Comments

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 down below.

This or That: The Holiday Edition, 2023, Part II!

  • Do you celebrate the night before (24th) or on Christmas day (25th)?
  • Hot cocoa or hot apple cider?
  • Ice skating – yes or no?
  • Choose your advent calendar – one for skin, hair, perfume or nails?
  • Pick a holiday candle scent – pine, cinnamon, peppermint or cranberry?
  • Make a wreath or build a snowman?

Do you celebrate the night before (24th) or on Christmas day (25th)?

A little bit of both. I used to be able to feast and stay up until midnight to open presents, but since I turn into a pumpkin at 9 that’s not happening, ha ha ha! We’ll do a festive meal and fall asleep at our unusual time on the 24th, and then we’ll open presents and have a yummy breakfast on Christmas morning.

Hot cocoa or hot apple cider?

I like both, but I’ll take hot cocoa because I’m less likely to taste the scoop of collagen protein I sneak into it.

Ice skating – yes or no?

Yes! Race ya around the rink. 🙂

Choose your advent calendar – one for skin, hair, perfume or nails

Perfume please.

Pick a holiday candle scent – pine, cinnamon, peppermint or cranberry

Cinnamon sounds cozy.

Make a wreath or build a snowman?

Let’s build a snowman. Don’t forget the carrot for the nose!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 8 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

This or That: The Holiday Edition, 2023!

December 19th, 2023 by Karen 9 Comments

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 down below.

This or That: The Holiday Edition, 2023!

  • Pick a holiday movie – “Elf” or “A Christmas Story”?
  • Fruit cake or egg nog?
  • Twinkling lights – yes or no?
  • Pick one beauty gift – a trio of twist-up cream eyeshadows or a mini brush set?
  • Bake a batch of homemade cookies from scratch or buy cupcakes from a bakery?
  • Festive red nails or festive red lipstick?

Pick a holiday movie – “Elf” or “A Christmas Story”?

“Elf” because I’m guaranteed to laugh!

Fruit cake or egg nog?

Hmm. I haven’t had either in years. Let’s do the fruit cake, so I can have coffee with it.

Twinkling lights — yes or no?

Yes! Slow twinkle, though. The lights that blink too fast make my eyes twitch.

Pick a beauty gift — a trio of twist-up cream eyeshadows or a mini brush set?

Let’s go with the cream shadows.

Bake a batch of homemade cookies from scratch or buy cupcakes from a bakery?

At this point in the holiday season, I’m buying the cupcakes from the bakery and saving myself the effort.

Festive red nails or festive red lipstick?

Festive red nails. I could use a mani right meow!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 9 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 812

December 18th, 2023 by Karen 21 Comments

Just singing in the rain!

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. Are you cooking or baking anything special for the holidays?

Every year I try to make a sweet treat for our friends and neighbors; this year I’m baking brownies from scratch. As for our Christmas meal, I still don’t have ours planned out yet, but if I can’t think of anything, we’ll probably do crab again.

2. Are you on Santa’s naughty or nice list?

I hope I’m on the nice list, LOL!

3. A holiday treat you enjoy?

Peppermint ice cream from Baskin Robbins, ideally in a sugar cone. Yummy!

4. What nicknames do you have for your pets?

Rosie has so many! She also goes by Posie, Pose, Rosie-Pose, Chonks, Chonk-a-donk and Mama.

5. Something makeup related that you’d like to buy for yourself?

I really need to update my lipstick collection. I’d especially love a fancy, go-to lipstick that’s moisturizing and pairs with most looks.

Happy Monday, beautiful girl. It’s a beautifully rainy day here in Marin county, and I just got back from an onboarding meeting for my new job. The countdown before my first day starts right meow, woo hoo!

Can you believe Christmas is just around the corner? I’m not quite panicking yet, but I do have a good amount of wrapping to get done before the week is over. I also have some last-minute gifts to take care of — stocking stuffers and whatnot.

How’s your holiday task list going?

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. Are you cooking or baking anything special for the holidays?
2. Are you on Santa’s naughty or nice list?
3. A holiday treat you enjoy?
4. What nicknames do you have for your pets?
5. Something makeup related that you’d like to buy for yourself?

There are 21 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 791

December 17th, 2023 by Karen Leave a Comment

Tabs was a firm believer in the power of sparkle.

How have the holidays been treating you? I hope all has been well so far. Things have been good around here. It’s getting chilly (for California), and traffic is, of course, out of control. But that’s pretty normal for this time of year. It’s incredible how many more cars are on the road than there were last month. It’s like BAM! — all of a sudden there are twice as many cars.

I’ve had a little cold for the past couple days, but it’s just about cleared up now. I haven’t really done a whole lot, though.

Since I haven’t been feeling well, Rosie has been in charge, because, ya know, cats… They prefer calling the shots rather than being told what to do.

Rosie wishes you and yours a Merry Christmas!

Oh! — Rosie has taken on the role of official greeter here. Yup, she stands out in front on the walkway to welcome visitors.

She really enjoys the responsibility. 😸

Saturday night was the company Christmas Party, and as usual, there was the holographic memorial show for Tabs…

And then Rosie passed out everyone’s bonuses…

After the party, we all just hung out on the roof gazing up at the stars through Rosie’s telescope. I didn’t see anything, but she thinks she saw a shooting star…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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Categories: Just For Fun, Rosie, Tabs

Saturday Surfing, December 16, 2023!

December 16th, 2023 by Karen 1 Comment

Happy Caturday!

Good morning, my friend. Happy Saturday to ya!

It’s the first weekend in a while where our family has no dance-related activities, and I almost don’t know what to do with the down time. Dance fam life is fun and exciting, for sure, but keeping track of scheduling, costumes, hair styles, meal planning and everything else in between requires a lot of mental bandwidth. I’m glad to have the chance today to veg out and let my brain and body rest.

My not-so-tiny dancer!

Today I have no plans other than getting over this lingering cold. There will be lots of hot tea drinking, book reading and binge watching, because the second half of the latest season of “The Crown” is now on Netflix. YES!

This week’s reading

  • What do you think of Pantone’s 2024 color of the year? I’m getting ’80s vibes!
  • I think Jennifer Garner’s beauty routine is really pretty. I’m going to try her trick of doing mascara first and liquid liner second.
  • This makeup artist works on celebrity clients in the NFL.
  • Meet Carol Rasheed, the head makeup artist for “The Color Purple.”
  • In case you didn’t know, “off-world DNA storage” is a thing, and now hair samples of three U.S. presidents are set to launch into deep space later this month.


Yes please


Very pretty


This is a lot of blush, wow


Talk to me

Have a great rest of your weekend, and please do your best to stay healthy! I feel like I’m getting a cold every five seconds these days, LOL!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There's 1 comment on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Lip of the Day | Laura Mercier Chloé

December 13th, 2023 by Karen 9 Comments

I’m still on a bright lip kick! Today’s beautiful warm red is 381 Chloé by Laura Mercier, and it’s from her Petal Soft Lipstick Crayon collection, a line of twist-up matte lipsticks.

I like this line of matte lippies because the finish is flat but not harsh. You get the matte effect without the heaviness of a true flat matte. The brights are also vivid but not overwhelmingly intense; I think it’s an approachable way to do reds, corals and hot pinks.

Anyway, I’m really enjoying taking pics outside lately because of all the festive holiday decorations in my neighborhood.

Case in point — if you stand in front of a tree with ornaments you kinda look like you’re surrounded by glittery floating planets!

I love this tiny Santa in my neighbor’s yard. Is he just arriving? Or is he leaving? Only Santa knows, I guess!

Oh, and if you happen to see a red berry wreath and you stand in front of it at a certain angle, you can look like you’re wearing a crown that magical forest creatures made especially for you.

I’m about to take this red lip on the road with me to do some Christmas errands. 🙂

Have a great rest of your Wednesday, and if you’re so inclined, feel free to share your lip of the day color in the comments.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 9 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Laura Mercier, Lips, Makeup

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 811

December 11th, 2023 by Karen 7 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. Are you naturally athletic?

Eh, I’d say I kinda am, but I’m no sports superstar. It really depends on what the assignment is! With endurance things that are solo (like running, walking or swimming) I do ok. I’m also alright at things that involve a lot of balance, like surfing. If there are fast moving objects flying through the air though, forget about it. Let’s just say you don’t want me on your volleyball team!

2. Something on your Christmas list?

I’d really like a rug for my living room.

3. If you have a pet, where’s your pet at this very moment?

Wait, let me check! Aww, Rosie-Pose is sleeping amongst Connor’s stuffies. Too cute.

4. Your current favorite easy snack?

The salted frozen edamame in pods from Trader Joe’s is easy, delicious and has protein. I’m also loving the Boom Chicka Pop Butter Popcorn in a bag. I fill up a bowl with the popcorn, add a small handful of cashews and dried fruit, and I’m so, so happy.

5. How’s your hair today?

It’s so cray! I washed it last night and haven’t had a chance to deal with it. Connor coughed all night long and so she’s home today. I thankfully was able to get her into an early morning appointment with her pediatrician, and I’m only just now sitting down at my desk to do some writing. Maybe I’ll wrestle with my hair after I finish the poll. Or maybe not, ha ha!

6. Something you need to get done?

I really need to sign a stack of paperwork that’s due soon. I should also wrap some Christmas presents! Oh, and comb my hair and brush my teeth and get out of my pajamas. LOL. Did I mention we got no sleep last night and had a bananas morning? Sigh.

7. Something you’re lovin’ these days?

Eating a breakfast that’s high in protein, and low in sugar and carbs. I started doing this a few weeks ago and now feel like a completely different person, in a good way, in the morning.

Have a wonderful rest of your day, sweet friend. I hope you’re healthy and happy and that you’re feeling the holiday spirit.

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. Are you naturally athletic?
2. Something on your Christmas list?
3. If you have a pet, where’s your pet at this very moment?
4. Your current favorite easy snack?
5. How’s your hair today?
6. Something you need to get done?
7. Something you’re lovin’ these days?

There are 7 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 790

December 10th, 2023 by Karen Leave a Comment

tabs christmas 2017 tummy
“I call this side profile look ‘selling the stud.'”

Some cats are large. Tabs was too. In fact, he was larger than life. Almost 20 pounds of fierce feline fabulosity. I miss him so much this time of year. Every Christmas, I’m reminded of all the Tabs-ian misadventures he embarked upon, like the TIMEs — plural — he knocked over the Christmas tree. Yup, not just once. It was his thing for a while, but I digress… Here’s a look back a few years at a Christmas weekend starring Tabs. 🐱🎁🌲

Before we left the house yesterday, and actually I do this every time I leave for a trip, El Hub, Connor and I spent a long time telling Tabs that we love him, that we’re going to miss him, and that we hope he doesn’t throw any ragers while we’re gone.

It’s true, though. Whenever I go anywhere without Tabs, I feel like I leave part of my heart ? behind (although I don’t know if he cares that much about me, to be honest).

As you can see from these pics from his latest photo spread with his favorite pet sitter/freelance photographer, he was very excited about getting dressed up and celebrating Christmas Eve at the home office on his own.

He sent me a text earlier to ask if it was OK if his old CIA buddies came over for a visit, and at first I was like, “You were in the CIA”? And he said, “Mrow,” which, loosely translated to human speak, means, “Yes, how could you have not known? I didn’t exactly keep it a secret.”

tabs christmas 2017 side view
Whistle while you werk
tabs christmas 2017
Can you find the hidden tabby?
tabs christmas 2017 side view
Christmas kitty supermodel
tabs christmas 2017
“Eggnog for everyone!!”

[Continue reading…]

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Categories: Just For Fun, Rosie, Tabs

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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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Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 878

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 894

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