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Olive & June

Fun with Summer Brights with Olive & June Jellies, Part Deux

June 14th, 2023 by Karen 3 Comments

When you nails match the flowers!

The Olive & June Nail Polish Remover Pot is like the gift that keeps on giving! I just figured out yet another reason why I love it so much; it makes it really easy to remove any excess oils or lotions or products from nails before laying down that first layer of polish.

Side note, apparently this is a critical prep step, and if you skip it, then your polish won’t grip onto your nail as effectively, so you risk it chipping more readily.

So, say for example, you’re about to paint your nails, but you give yourself a quick hand massage with a rich lotion and cuticle oil. You have to remove all those products from your nails first before painting them.

I feel like this is one of those steps that I learned a loooong time ago but kinda forgot – whoops!

I love this thing!

Basically it’s no effort to pop a finger into the pot and wipe off whatever lotions or whatnot are on my fingers at that moment.

Anywho, this pot that is giving me so much unexpected joy, LOL!

The sun is finally out in Marin County, so I grabbed the chance to walk around the neighborhood with freshly painted paws, which were Olive & June, of course. The shades I’m wearing happen to go perfectly with all the blooming trees and plants. 🙂

Bocce Ball is Olive & June’s bright green with a jelly finish. Flowerpot is also a jelly, but in a terracotta shade. Both remind me so much of summer days spent just hanging out in nature.

Two layers of Olive & June Flowerpot
Olive & June Bocce Ball

Like the other polishes from the summer collection, the jellies have an element of transparency that’s not immediately apparent when you see them from an arm’s length away. Get up close, though, and you’ll notice the whites of your nails peeking through the polish, which is kinda cool.

Two layers of Bocce Ball (and my neighbor’s amazing jade plant)

It’s been a minute since I’ve felt excited to do nails, so I’m really happy this manicure set came into my life.

For a while painting my nails felt tedious, and I think part of it was because I didn’t really have a centralized kit with all my stuff in it. I have a drawer that I chuck polishes into along with random bits and bobs for nail maintenance. It’s low key out of control and hard to find stuff. Not fun. Now that I have a cute box with everything I need, it just makes it really easy and pleasant.

Another thing that I think made it feel like a chore was that I didn’t realize until the last few months that I needed to be wearing reading glasses! I’ve basically been painting my nails half blind for over a year now… YOWZA. It’s a whole new world when you can see what you’re actually doing, which leads me to another thing that I wanted to ask you about — READING GLASSES. If you have any recommendations for brands/styles, please let me know. I need a few new pairs.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 3 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Nails, Olive & June

Fun with Olive & June Summer Brights

June 13th, 2023 by Karen 6 Comments

Two coats of How Do You Spell Bougainvillea?

OK, whatever you do, do not — DO NOT! — attempt to remove your pedicure polish by sticking a toe into the Olive & June Nail Polish Remover Pot.

I’m going to file this life lesson under “things that seemed like a good idea at the time.”

Ha ha ha!

For removing nail polish off of fingers, though, is another story. It’s super easy — pop you nail into the pot, which has a presoaked sponge inside, and move it around a few times.

It’s lot less hassle compared to having to get a cotton pad and a bottle of nail polish remover. It’s so easy, in fact, I’m making it the my weekly nail upkeep routine.

Anywho! Painting nails has been really fun with the Olive & June Mani System that my friend Marisol gifted me for my birthday. Connor has been enjoying it too, and she even volunteered to help out with a couple swatches.

Two coats of House of O&J (left) and two coats of Not a Cloud (right)

We’re wearing three of the six new summer shades! On my fingers, I’m wearing two coats of How Do You Spell Bougainvillea? Connor’s sporting two coats of House of O&J and Not a Cloud.

One thing that’s interesting to me about these particular shades is that they have a level of coverage that’s not quite opaque, so even with two coats, you can see a bit of the whites of your nails coming through if you look very closely. (You can’t see it from an arm’s length away, in case you’re wondering.)

These shades have a tiny smidge of translucency, which seems to be on-trend with all the jelly manis that’ve been happening lately!

I naturally prefer a solid block of color, but the more I wear the jelly-style shades, the more I like it, go figure.

All this to say — even when you know exactly what you like, you just never know if you’ll be into a new trend until you try it. 🙂

Have you tried this type of jelly mani yet? I think you should give it a go!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 6 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Nails, Olive & June

Saturday Surfing, June 10, 2023!

June 10th, 2023 by Karen 5 Comments

It’s a colorful kind of Saturday

Good morning and happy Saturday!

I’m still riding on a big wave of birthday joy and wanted to thank you for your well-wishes and for sharing sweet stories of good things that’ve happened to you lately. You brought a smile to my face.

On a beauty note, how cute is this rainbow of nail polish by Olive & June? A friend gave me the Mani System for my birthday, and so after many, many weeks of dark, moody Chanel nails, I think it’s time for something bright.

These shades are from Olive & June’s summer collection. From the left to right…

  • Starshower — A clear rose gold glitter
  • How Do You Spell Bougainvillea? — A hot magenta purple
  • Flowerpot — A burt orange terracotta
  • Bocce Ball — A fresh grassy green
  • Not a Cloud — A cloudless skin blue
  • House of O&J — A regal deep purple
  • The Top Coat — A glossy top coat

Are you doing nails today, too? If yes, what color? 🙂

This week’s reading

  • 9 blush sticks for those who love effortless, summer makeup looks (aka me!).
  • Of course Stevie Nicks is on this list of 15 beauty muses who inspire ’70s-style summer makeup.
  • Get the look of glossy lids.
  • Quantas, Australia’s national airline, will scrap its gender-based uniform guidelines. Now male cabin crew can wear make-up, and women can opt to ditch high heels.
  • If your makeup is pilling, here’s what to do to make it stop.
  • Here are some perfumes for the next time you want to conjure the scent and vibe of the American desert. Side note: I really want to smell Estee Lauder Desert Eden now. You know I love a rose note!
  • Can fragrance brands make a truly sustainable scent?
  • Honestly, I love a rollerball.


The music of my formative years!


I like the low-maintenance part


I did this the other day and it was so fun


Pretty purple


Ohemgee, SUN IN!


One of the greats

I hope the rest of your weekend is relaxing and peaceful.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 5 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Nails, Olive & June

Makeup Musings: Finishing a Bottle of Nail Polish, and When Small Acts of Love Are the Big Gestures

June 15th, 2021 by Karen 8 Comments

So, I realize that in the grand scheme of things, finishing a bottle of nail polish is totally not a big deal compared to, say, delivering a baby on a plane, or fighting oppression with acts of civil disobedience!

Buuuuuuuut, if you’re a beauty lover like I am, I think you’ll totally get this. See this bottle of mint green polish by Olive & June? I’ve finished almost a quarter of it, and I’m thrilled by the prospect of perhaps even finishing — gasp! — half of it soon. Or, perhaps the whole thing.

(MIND BLOWN.)

You guys, I can’t even remember the last time I finished a bottle of nail polish down to the last drop. I’m fairly sure it was decades ago.

This might have something to do with me getting rid of all of the old-@ss polishes that were gathering dust in my office for literally YEARS. I recently decided to only keep colors that I truly love, and even though I have far fewer bottles of nail polish now, deciding what to wear on my nails is so much easier than before.

I FULLY realize that I sound like a broken record there, but it’s been so liberating.

FYI, this is KMC with a slice of yellow watermelon! I bought a mini yellow watermelon from Trader Joe’s yesterday, and yes, I already finished most of it by myself, in one day, because it’s been the only decent watermelon I’ve gotten this year.

Every single red watermelon I’ve brought home in 2021 was either mealy, flavorless or otherwise inedible and gross! I’ve tried all of my “watermelon whisperer” tricks to pick them, too, like looking for the ones with the darkest yellow spot, comparing them by weight, knocking on the outsides to hear a hollow sound, but I’ve still yet to find a halfway decent red watermelon this year.

How’s your luck been with watermelon this year? Inquiring minds want to know…

Anyway, the watermelon was part of a picnic lunch that Connor “hosted” in our circle with her friends in the neighborhood. She’s with me this week because it’s the break between school and summer camp, and over the weekend she made a list of things she wanted to do while away at “mama camp.” One of the things was having a picnic outdoors with her buddies.

Guess what I figured out yesterday? If you have to feed children at a picnic — they don’t need much food! I put together a whole spread for the kids, but all they ate were slices of watermelon, homemade guacamole and tortilla chips. *shrugs*

I wanted to take a picture of the guacamole, but the kids ate it all before I could grab a shot. For the guac, I left out any strong spices, so no garlic or onion powder, and only used smashed avocado, a little bit of lime (lemon will work in a pinch) and some salt. That was it.

So, yeah, the next time you have to feed some little ones outdoors, keep in mind this *very gourmet* food combination, LOL! It’s a winner.

Oh, I almost forgot, but the kids also ate the homemade chocolate chip cookies Connor and I made the day before. I whipped up a batch of cookies to bring to my high school friends, Jen and Cindy, who I met for lunch at a sushi restaurant in Sausalito for a belated birthday fete.

I hadn’t seen them both in well over a year!

As a side, I like to get Connor up in the mix whenever I do things like write cards or make cookies for my friends because I think it’s important for her to learn about the importance of small gestures. I want her to know that this is what caring for your people looks like…doing the seemingly small things. I want her to know that there are many ways to say “I love you,” and sometimes the smallest gestures are very meaningful.

One of those “seemingly small but big” acts happened at the restaurant with Jen and Cindy. We were sitting at the table catching up, and when it was time to order, I had no idea what to choose. Ya know, you’d think that ordering a couple of California rolls wouldn’t be so damn hard, but it’s been so long since I’ve seen them (they’re like the sisters I always wanted), and I’ve been having to hold it together for everyone else around me for what feels like THE LONGEST YEAR EVER, and I just didn’t have it in me 1) to keep my guard up anymore, and 2) order food.

Because she knows me, Cindy saw that I was struggling and said, “Don’t worry about ordering. I got you, girl.” She then grabbed my menu, rattled off a meal for our table (she’s the bossy one, LOL!), and took care of it.

I don’t remember the last time I got to actually relax during a meal outside the house. I mean, yes, Connor and El Hub and I eat at restaurants every once in a while again, and even though it’s a break for me because I don’t have to cook, I’m still “on duty.” I’m watching Connor and helping her mind her manners, monitoring what comes out to our table because of El Hub’s gluten allergy, things like that. And I’m always making sure other people are set before I eat. I’m happy to do it all, of course, but when we eat out, I’m never truly relaxed. I’m mom-ing and wife-ing, and doing all the things people around me probably don’t even notice.

But, last Sunday, when I was having sushi with my friends, all I did was sit there. IT WAS GLORIOUS. Having a friend order for me (and for her to do it without me having to ask) made me feel so cared for and so, so loved.

It’s all the little things, right? In the end, they always end up being the big things.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 8 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Nails, Olive & June

Target Adventures! Billion Dollar Beauty, Jason Wu, Olive & June and SO MANY TWEEZERS

May 13th, 2021 by Karen 20 Comments

Some exciting finds from Target, like this build-your-own palette by Billion Dollar Beauty

Random unsolicited beauty advice for the day: ALWAYS REMEMBER TO PACK YOUR TWEEZERS.

You’re going to laugh at me… We’re staying in Sonoma for a few days while our house is being worked on (and by “we,” I mean all of us, including Rosie the Cat!). Of course, me being me, I did some last-minute “panic packing,” which means throwing everything I could grab into my luggage, including all of the stuff I like to have around but probably won’t use because all I’ve been wearing lately is sunscreen — random neutral palettes I haven’t worn in years, foundation, liquid lipsticks, etc.

Anywho, the first night we get here, I’m lying down in bed trying to fall asleep, when I touch my chin and realize that 1) there’s a stiff, stubby renegade hair; and 2) I didn’t pack any tweezers.

NOOOOOO!

I went to Target the next day to find a pair, and, incidentally, the beauty section had a shocking number of hair removal tools, ranging from pricy (Tweezerman, which are BOMB) to mid-range (Japonesque) to super-duper budget-friendly (Trim).

I’m usually a Tweezerman girl, but I couldn’t resist the Japonesque ones because they look like mini works of art! I ended up with these $6 point tweezers, which swiftly remedied my stubble situation.

Not exactly tweezer related, but does anyone else find this Trim Blemish Removing Tool terrifying…? It looks like something that belongs on a dentist’s exam tray!

If you use this tool and love it, please fill me in on how to use it.

While I was there, I also looked around, of course (it seemed like the right thing to do), and I was pleasantly surprised by all of the new brands I’d never seen before.

This brand called Billion Dollar Beauty looks really cool. They sell an empty palette and individual makeup pans, so you build your own palette from scratch! Everything is pretty affordable, too.

Aren’t the colors pretty? I love the wide range of useful neutrals. I’m saving my lunch money to build my own palette (or palettes?) ASAP.

Oh, please excuse the sad state of my nails. I didn’t have the chance to remove the tow-up remainder of a recent Chanel New Dawn manicure, and that’s probably why I ended up up grabbing these polish removing pads…

I also got a grayish-green shade called KMC, along with a top coat from a new-to-me brand called Olive & June. ?

I saw my favorite Honest Beauty palette right across from the Olive & June display, by the way! If you haven’t tried it yet, you better get on it ASAP. I actually wore it last night out to dinner (, along with my Bliss Block Star Tinted Sunscreen), and I still love it.

Isn’t the Jason Wu packaging gorgeous?

See anything you like? I’m most excited about the Billion Dollar Beauty and Olive & June lines.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 20 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Billion Dollar Beauty, Honest Beauty, Japonesque, Jason Wu, Just For Fun, Makeup, Olive & June, Target, Tweezerman Keywords: Japonesque

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