Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup

1. That feeling of ultimate release right after you remove a hair tie from a slicked back high pony (especially after a really long day, yowza).
2. That feeling of relief when you run out of your favorite [INSERT PRODUCT HERE] and you know that you already have a backup stashed away for this exact moment!
3. Why having a separate, special towel just for your hair is a total non-negotiable.
4. Why it’s essential to have several different types of combs and brushes in your hair arsenal. Wide-toothed comb, teasing comb, paddle brush, boar’s hair brush… Honestly, the last time I only owned a single brush was when I was eight or nine, ha ha ha!
5. That every single black hair tie you own will eventually go missing, so don’t get too attached to them.
6. That there will always be another taupe eyeshadow, and even though you don’t need another taupe eyeshadow, you really, really want that new taupe eyeshadow. ALWAYS.
7. That weird pull you feel to do hella complicated makeup looks — like a double-winged liner with a cut crease — when you only have, like, five minutes to put your face on. Why do I always choose the hardest thing? LOL!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. It’s raining here! And it’s California! Will wonders never cease? Just when I thought it might never actually rain here again, it does! It’s so nice to hear the pit-pattering of rain on the roof and see raindrops on the windows. 🌧️❤️🤗

I learn something new about being a mom every day, it seems!

1. You sometimes (translated = ALL THE TIME) find yourself going to the bathroom with the door open, and you have absolutely no qualms about relieving yourself in front of anyone anymore.
2. You can carry on three simultaneous conversations while washing dishes, making dinner and planning out the next few steps on your conquest/world domination plan.
3. You sneak in a cat nap during every single movie you go to, even the ones with your kid (or kids). It doesn’t even matter if it’s the most stressful, intense movie that’s ever been made, either. If you’re in a dark room in the middle of the day, YOU WILL FALL ASLEEP.
4. You learn to accept that, on any given day and at any given time, you’re guaranteed to have some combination of dried crust on your clothes comprised of bits of snot, food or other bodily functions.
5. Speaking of bodily functions, you’re no longer grossed out by them. And yes, I’m talking about NUMBER TWO. One ceases to be disgusted by it after a baby goes through the “poop is so much fun to play with!” phase, or after the umpteenth time you’re forced to rescue a toy that has been gleefully dropped into a turd-filled toilet (and it’s ALWAYS filled with turds when this happens).
6. You start separating all of your black leggings (because at some point they became surgically attached to your lower half) into categories for “public leggings” and “private leggings.”
7. You realize that on some days, combing your hair and (maybe) putting on a bra are the best you’re gonna do, and you know what? You’re totally fine with that.
8. You 100% understand the haunted looks you see on the faces of parents with newborns when you see them moving slowly, zombie-like, as they push their carts around Target.
9. Speaking of Target, one day you find yourself wistfully strolling down the diaper section, trying to remember the last time you bought a box of diapers, and wondering if you knew then that it would be the last time.
10. You seriously consider contributing to the Kickstarter where someone is trying to invent a time machine, just so you can go back in time to hold your little one’s tiny baby body one more time.
11. You automatically respond with either “Yes” or “Ask daddy” whenever you hear a child say, “Mama” or “Mom,” and seriously, half the time it’s not even your kid.
12. You come to expect that every ice cream cone or piece of chocolate or cookie will have to be shared, so sometimes (again, ALL THE TIME), you hide in rooms when you want a sweet treat all to yourself.
13. You consider it a personal victory when everyone (including yourself) is bathed and in their pajamas by 7 p.m.

    OK, 6:30.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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).

As a matter of fact…this is the seven hundredth installment! Holy $$%@@#! Can you believe that? Wow, right? It’s effing incredible! I love reading your answers, and it helps me get my week off to a good start. 🤗

1. Strawberry or banana?

Strawberry…mostly because I like strawberry pie and fresh strawberries, although, hmm… I do love banana bread and banana pancakes.

Gah! I refuse to overthink this, so strawberry it is. 🍓

2. Are you a twin?

I am not, but I have often wondered what it would be like to be one.

3. A place you’d like to revisit someday?

Portugal. I loved the food!

4. Do bugs freak you out?

Most don’t, but the really big ones? Like the ones I’ve seen in Hawaii? (Those centipedes are horror movie caliber!) Also, bugs that fly really fast and have stingers scare the bejeezus out of me.

5. A Halloween costume you wore when you were a kid?

Well, I was Big Bird once in kindergarten, and it was one of those uncomfortably sweaty plastic costume situations from the ’80s. I certainly remember that one.

6. What would you rather splurge on — expensive skin care or expensive hair care?

Can I get both? 😁 If not, I understand. If I can only have one, then I’ll go with expensive skin care.

7. Do you prefer the mountains or the beach?

My heart belongs to the sea, so I’ll take the beach, but ya know… I’m finding that I’m not as easygoing as I used to be about spending time at the beach. I really have to have at least an umbrella for shade, a beach chair and some sort of bathroom situation with running water nearby because my days of climbin’ down rocky cliffs to reach a secluded lagoon or rolling up to the surf with just a towel and a bottle of sunscreen are long over.

8. Every night before I go to bed I (FILL IN THE BLANK).

Put my night guard on my upper teeth. Seriously, that thing is the real MVP. My teeth would’ve been ground to dust over the last two years without it!

9. With or without hot sauce?

Hard pass on the hot sauce. Without! 🌶️

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. Strawberry or banana?
2. Are you a twin?
3. A place you’d like to revisit someday?
4. Do bugs freak you out?
5. A Halloween costume you wore when you were a kid?
6. What would you rather splurge on — expensive skin care or expensive hair care?
7. Do you prefer the mountains or the beach?
8. Every night before I go to bed I (FILL IN THE BLANK).
9. With or without hot sauce?

P.P.S. I hope the day treats you well, my friend! 🤗 Have a most excellent week.

Hi, guys! Happy Saturday. I hope your weekend got off to a great start. Mine? Solidly OK, although I’m feeling a little under the weather… I caught a teeny cold, so I’ll allegedly be taking it easy today. I say “allegedly” because whenever I’m supposed to rest, and know I should rest, I still struggle to refrain from doing all of the things I feel like I should be doing, like laundry or tidying or reading. Does this ever happen to you? It’s almost like I have to FORCE myself to not be productive.

I told myself this morning that all I was going to do today was re-watch The Hunger Games movies and sleep. So, that’s my plan and I’m sticking to it!

Anyway, I took this pic of myself at the top the other day because I was having a good hair day. I highly recommend grabbing a selfie whenever your hair is cooperating because, inevitably, when you’re tempted to do things like cut your bangs or dye your hair (ME AT THE MOMENT!), it helps to have something to remind you of what a good hair day looks like.

This weekend’s reading

• A writer contemplates what it’s like to let go of multistep skin routine. I’ve done this in the past, and you know what? My skin generally is better when I do less to it. You’d think I would’ve learned my lesson by now, but sometimes I can’t resist the temptation to keep piling on all the things.
• You might find a beauty product that you use and love on sale at Amazon right now, like DHC Cleansing Oil.
• This L.A. beauty and hair-care guru is changing the industry.
• I can’t wait to discover new brands at thirteen lune, an online beauty shopping site that features brands created by Black and Brown founders.
• Grapeseed oil is trending.
• Why the heck are so many haircare brands launching fragrances?
• Heinz Ketchup is selling makeup kits…
• I just cannot deal with TikTok sometimes!
• Cat eyes in four easy steps.
• What is sea moss, and what can it do for your skin?

Oh, hey, Dr. Alexis!

Just what I needed

For my friends who love the British Baking Show

This looks so fun!

What is this, and why am I only finding it now…?

I hope things on your side of the keyboard are grand. Have a wonderful rest of your weekend! Talk to you soon.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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 Makeup Mini Edition

• A set of mini eye brushes or a mini eyeshadow palette?
• Mini tweezers or a mini kabuki brush?
• Mini trio of Rare Beauty liquid blushes or Mini Duo of Fenty Lip Glosses?
• Mini makeup primer or mini setting spray?
• One box of 5 mini Laneige Lip Masks or a set of Jo Malone Fragrance Minis?
• Mini lipsticks: yes or no?
• Mini mascara or mini blush

A set of mini eye brushes or a mini eyeshadow palette?

I’ll take the mini eyeshadow palette, please.

Mini tweezers or a mini kabuki brush?

Mini tweezers! I’m getting hairier every single day.

Mini trio of Rare Beauty liquid blushes or Mini Duo of Fenty Lip Glosses?

Liquid blushes, because I’d use them more.

Mini makeup primer or mini setting spray?

Hmm. Probably the setting spray. Again, I’d use it more. I used to LOVE primer but now I skip it.

One box of 5 mini Laneige Lip Masks or a set of Jo Malone Fragrance Minis?

This is truly a difficult choice for me because I’d love either set. I guess I’ll go with the Lip Masks? That way I can stash jars all over the place!

Mini lipsticks: yes or no?

Nah. I never end up wearing them because the small tubes feel so awkward!

Mini mascara or mini blush?

Mini blush. Is it just me, or are those mini versions of mascaras always super dry?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen