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Greetings from the land of big hair!

Question for you: after someone cuts your hair, are you ever able to recreate the same exact style that you had when you walked out of the salon? Mine never seems to look the same. Who knows if I’ll ever be able to recreate the ’90s Cindy Crawford moment I had with Ariana right after she cut and styled my mane, but maybe if I practice a few times with my round brush and my T3, I can make it happen. I experimented on my hair with my curling iron yesterday, and so far I’m stoked about the big volume!

Oh! — can we talk about ice cream for a minute? It’s been on my mind this week because you’re officially looking at the lady who holds the title of “Ice Cream Fridays Volunteer” at Connor’s school. Yes, from now till June, I’ll be the person in charge of delivering the frozen treats for the weekly ice cream fundraisers at school.

About that, do you remember those little grocery store packaged ice cream sundae cups with the wooden spoon? When I was growing up, there were two options in our neck of the woods — vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce, and another one that was vanilla with strawberry sauce.

I’m curious to know if you disliked the strawberry ones, because I found out from the last year’s ice cream volunteer that the kids NEVER touch the strawberry sundaes. Apparently, they only eat the chocolate ones!

I don’t remember disliking the strawberry sundaes, per se, but I do remember that if were given a choice, I’d always take the chocolate option, and I’m guessing it’s because vanilla and chocolate is a more predictable combination when you’re little? Or maybe kids see the strawberry sundaes and think it looks too weird? I totally can see the kindergarten version of me being grossed out by the strawberry sundaes because of the sauce looking too much like ketchup or fake movie blood. (Side note, I was kind of a weird kid!)

One last thing before I start my day: last fall I discovered these Caraa masks, and even though they’re a little pricey, I still love them so much (they’re incredibly comfortable!), so I’m going to get some new ones.

Ours have generally held up well over the past year. That said, a couple have wires poking out now, and some have lost their little plastic toggles, so it’s time for a refresh. Anywho, I was looking around their website today and noticed these cute ones with embroidered daisies. Aren’t they adorable?

Yup, you know you’ve lived through a pandemic when you think about things like the cuteness of your face mask.

What’s going on with you? I hope you’re having a good week so far, my friend!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Lately, my not-so-secret TV shame has been “The Hills.” Yes, girl, the OG “Hills” from 2006!

A little back story for ya — last week was an emotional roller coaster for me, so I’ve desperately needed to turn off my brain. Enter “The Hills,” a guilty reality-TV pleasure from way back when, which I’ve binge- watched over the last few days.

If you didn’t catch the show the first time around, FYI, it’s completely ridiculous!

It ran on MTV for years and became progressively more fake as time went on. Despite the obvious staging of storylines and general tomfoolery, its fans, including yours truly, leaned into it.

The show follows a group of 20-something girls in Los Angeles through all of their ups and downs — friendships, boyfriends, betrayals and, oh yeah, “work” (in air quotes).

It stars Lauren Conrad, a fashion student who moves in with her best friend at the time, Heidi Montag — spoiler alert, Heidi ends up being the show’s cautionary tale — along with a whole host of other characters and various hangers-on.

Even though the storylines made no sense, and it was very obvious the girls played roles the producers wanted them to play, it was also strangely compelling.

Never mind how nobody actually seemed to do any real work at their places of business, or how the cast ended up at clubs they were probably too young to get into, or why someone who allegedly was an intern suddenly made enough money to own a Chanel bag, a Burberry coat and a luxury car.

Back then, I could not look away, and now, I still can’t!

As I rewatch the show with fresh eyes 16 years later, I find myself LOL-ing out loud at the trends. Oh, the early 2000s! What a hoot you were!

First of all, there were SO MANY LOW-RISE jeans, and all I have to say is WHY?

Every girl in the show wears them, and I’m truly in awe of how those pants actually stayed on. They’re a feat of engineering.

Back then, I wore low-rise jeans all the time, too, and now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure my booty was all out for the world to see. The muscle memory of constantly pulling my pants up every 10 minutes is permanently seared into my brain. Why did I put up with that nonsense? I’ll never know.

Gosh, remember all the embellishments on the jeans, too? Especially on the back. There were so many studs and rhinestones and over-the-top stitching.

Oh, and please don’t forget to pair your low-rise jeans with a silky camisole top with spaghetti straps, as well as an extra-long necklace — but only if the necklace has beads bigger than your Blackberry.

(I’m guilty of these things, too.)

I had a major “been there” moment during an episode when Lauren shows up to class carrying an oversized handbag with a thick strap studded to within an inch of its life. Why were our bags so flashy back then, and why were they big enough to carry formal place settings for an entire dinner party?

Another buried trend the show unearthed from my memory — wide headbands. Remember those? I rocked them all the time back in the day, and, you know, I’m not mad about it now, even though headbands always gave me a headache. I think the wide headband still holds up well!

Oh, same thing with the pearls the girls wore. Lauren and Heidi often rocked a single strand of white pearls and/or big pearl studs. I was there for it then, and I’m here for it now.

While we’re on the subject of style that still holds up, I have to give a major shout-out to Whitney Port. She played one of the show’s secondary characters, so she didn’t get as much air time as the others, but she was memorable. Remember the episode when she fell down the stairs on live TV, OMG!

Anyway, when you really look at what she wore back then, all of her outfits could still work now in ye modern times. None of her ensembles appear overly dated, so kudos to Whitney for having a transcendent vision of fashion. Her timeless style is the real unsung hero of the show!

Big ups to present-day Whitney for being able to laugh at herself, because — oh, my gosh, this is how deeply I’m invested, you guys! — I just found out this morning that Whitney has a YouTube channel with videos where she sits on the couch and rewatches old episodes of “The Hills” and just cringes! I haven’t seen any of the videos, but believe me, I’ve bookmarked that ISH for the near future — like, right after I’m done writing this.

Last but not least, I gotta give love to all the nude glossy lips worn by every girl on the show. That lip look is arguably the most vital element to each and every 2000s outfit.

Just for funsies, I’ve listed some of the trends from the show down below. If you want, copy and paste the list into the comments, and let me know which ones you were guilty of back in the day. I’ll do mine to start us off.

The rest is still unwritten!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Copy and paste

Which 2000s trends are you guilty of?

• Low-rise jeans
• Silky camisole tops
• Chunky, long necklaces
• Oversized, embellished handbags
• Pearls
• Wide headbands
• Glossy nude lips

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). I love reading your answers, and it helps me get my week off to a good start. ?

1. Did you ever have “the Rachel” haircut in the ’90s?

OMG, yes, and it was disastrous! Let’s just say that if you’ve got naturally wavy hair with unruly tendencies, rocking “the Rachel” is a challenge. I looked like a mushroom for a year!

2. When you go grocery shopping, do you grab a basket or a cart?

Even if I’m walking into the grocery store to buy a single banana, I will always grab a cart, because you never know when watermelons or other heavy and/or awkwardly shaped items will be on sale.

Trust me on this. You do not want to be shimmying to a checkout line with your basket in one hand and that discounted watermelon in the other. It will not end well. GRAB THE CART, BABE.

3. Have you ever pierced your eyebrow?

No, although I did go through a brief phase during my senior year in high school when I wanted a dainty gold hoop through my left brow.

I grew out of it eventually.

4. The Bachelor or The Real Housewives?

I’ll roll with the housewives.

5. You’re feeling hangry. What’s your go-to quick meal?

This one’s been my go-to since college: two toasted frozen waffles with creamy peanut butter spread on top.

One could do crunchy peanut butter on them, I suppose, but I never do. I’m a creamy peanut butter gal, through and through.

Oh — after you put the peanut butter on, sprinkle the waffles with a handful of raisins, but if you don’t have raisins around, sliced bananas or blueberries work, too.

It’s a fast, filling, really yummy meal.

6. How do you think you’d fare in a Lord of the Flies situation?

Girl, I’d be running that island! Join my girl gang. We’d be set! 😹

7. How are your plants doing?

They’re alive-ish, thanks to El Hub’s valiant watering efforts, so kudos to the dude who refuses to let the plant terrorists (me, Rosie and Connor) win.

8. You have to live without one item — bras or shoes?

Um…living without either would be pretty terrible! I suppose I’d be a little less miserable living without a bra. I could wear a very snug and supportive tank top instead, and perhaps I could even layer multiple tank tops when I worked out.

I couldn’t live without shoes, though. Imagine all of the gross public spaces — like gas station bathrooms! — and your shoeless feet walking all over them. Hard pass! 🙅‍♀️

9. Do you have a favorite yoga pose?

Happy baby for the win! — with child’s pose a close second. Both make my lower back very happy. 😺

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. Did you ever have “the Rachel” haircut in the ’90s?
2. When you go grocery shopping, do you grab a basket or a cart?
3. Have you ever pierced your eyebrow?
4. The Bachelor or The Real Housewives?
5. You’re feeling hangry. What’s your go-to quick meal?
6. How do you think you’d fare in a Lord of the Flies situation?
7. How are your plants doing?
8. You have to live without one item — bras or shoes?
9. Do you have a favorite yoga pose?

P.P.S. Good morning to you, sweet girl! Happy, happy Monday. I hope the universe brings some good things to you this week. Sending joy and luck your way. 🤗

Hi, friend. I’m in the throes of a much-needed self-care Saturday! I’ve had A WEEK — bold, all-caps. The lead up to the first day of kindergarten was busy with last-minute tasks like buying new shoes and white socks, wrapping up summer swimming lessons and labeling practically everything under the sun, and on top of all that, I’ve been feeling and processing so many intense emotions. I desperately need to just slow down and take care of my body and mind for a little bit.

I started the weekend with a much-needed haircut! I haven’t had one since last February, and my mane had gotten to the point where it felt heavy and was giving me headaches again, so I went back to the gal who cut my hair last time around, Ariana, and hoped for some more mane magic.

Ariana is absolutely lovely and talented at her craft, so if you ever find yourself in Marin County and want somebody friendly who knows hair, go see her!

I told her I was going for big ’90s-style Cindy Crawford supermodel hair with a Disney villain spin, and she and her razor worked their magic into this voluminous cut with lots of layers.

Don’t even ask me how many people gave me side-eye as I was taking selfies in my car right after my haircut. The salon’s in a busy area in San Anselmo, and there are coffee shops and bakeries all around (including a gluten-free one that makes GF cinnamon rolls, WHAT), and so there are always people all up your booty when you look like you’re about to drive out of your space. Whatever, I was there, and I hadn’t used up my two free hours, so it was selfie time!

One interesting thing I’ve noticed about grays is lighting makes a huge difference in how much of the gray will peek through, especially in pics. In outdoor natural lighting like this, when it’s overcast outside, the grays will really pop, almost like highlights. Ariana said that she thought the silver gave my look more of an edge, and I have to kind of agree with that statement. I’m happily embracing my edgy cool girl, even if I wish I was wearing more makeup in this picture. Eh, it is what it is. I woke up late, and all I had time for was a swipe of Urban Decay Cannonball and a touch of Chanel Brow Pencil. You know how it goes sometimes.

While I was sitting in Ariana’s chair, I people-watched and noticed some clients sitting in silence. Some were reading, and some, like me, were chatting it up with their stylists. What camp do you fall into when you get your hair cut? Team Silent or Team Chatty? I think you know where I stand, ha. And — guess what? — my need to talk to everyone under the sun has intensified over the last two years. I was pretty outgoing before, but now when I talk to people, I’m hella extra about it! Trust me, before I leave you, I will find out your entire life story. It’s almost extreme now, my need to connect with people on any sort of level.

Anywho, Ariana and I both have kids in elementary school, and we got to chatting about kids’ birthday parties. She told me that, pre-pandemic, she threw a “spa day”-themed party for her daughter. Isn’t that cute? I had no idea that spa birthday parties for kids were even a thing. She said that she found all of these cute pink spa robes for the girls, and she set up different do-it-yourself spa stations, where they made things like homemade body scrubs with sugar, and homemade masks. I’m definitely bookmarking the idea for the future!

We also talked at length about Disneyland, too, and both lamented about how challenging it is to look cute at Disneyland, and how it’s exceptionally challenging when you’re momm-ing, and/or you’re a woman of a certain age, because it’s super hot, you’re carrying loads of kid crap, your feet hurt, so you’re wearing hideously massive lunch lady tennis shoes, and then your thighs are all chafed from walking around all day, etc., etc.

I’ve yet to bring Connor to Disneyland, and I’m already wondering what frenzy I’m going to whip myself into thinking about shoes with enough arch support to survive the entire day!

I’m back at home now and ready to spend the rest of my day doing a whole lotta nothing, which means watching (please don’t judge me) reruns of The Hills season two, which is when Spencer gets into the mix.

I know, I know. I just need something to turn my brain off, man! By the way, I only recently found out the answer to one of the biggest mysteries of The Hills — what happened to Bella the dog, Heidi’s Christmas present in season one. You’re welcome.

We’ll also go for a walk sometime, since the pink ladies are blooming here, and I want to see as many of them as I can before they disappear.

Big hug, and I’ll see ya soon.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Hi, friend. I’ve been a little quiet on this end lately, I know. I’ve been “in my feelings,” to quote Drake, especially yesterday, because my Coywolf started kindergarten.

Even though she’s been going to preschool for three years, it just really, really hit me yesterday that she’s on her way (Um, am I really going to cry again? I guess it’s a good thing that I haven’t put any makeup on yet.) to becoming a full-grown person.

I didn’t expect the feelings to hit me as hard as they did. It’s a mix of joy and sadness…or rather, it’s bittersweet. Where does the time go?

We’d been prepping for the day for a couple weeks — doing run-throughs of putting on her new backpack, trying on her uniform, breaking in her new shoes and talking, in detail, about how things would be different from preschool. One thing I failed to prepare for, though, was how I’d handle it!

Honestly, I thought I was going to be fine. I thought I was just going to go up there and drop her off, and that it would be that. Everything would go smoothly. But no. My eyes started welling up the moment I saw Connor’s teacher waiting to welcome her at the door.

I gave Connor a hug and a kiss and told her to have an amazing day, and she said, “Goodbye, mama,” and walked in with a smile on her face.

My friend, she didn’t even look back. Not at all. She strolled into the classroom, and I caught a last glimpse of the too-big backpack on her tiny little shoulders, her pigtails swinging in the air, and that was it. She was gone.

My heart went “BOOM.” It totally caught me off guard, but I’ve been leaning into it.

Now, before this becomes “the ballad of a hella emotional lady,” I need to share something minor-but-borderline-life-changing I discovered this week — chalk pens! Dude, they’re amazing.

They’re felt-tipped pens that contain liquid chalk, and they’re used just like markers, except on a chalkboard.

I absolutely love ’em! I think they made Connor’s picture board look a lot neater and nicer than regular chalk, and the words are easier to read.

I found this set at Target for 10 bucks and used them to fill out Connor’s back-to-school chalkboard that I have in her first day pics. I think it takes the board to the next level.

I’ve really enjoyed these last few bits of this golden time with my girl. She’ll grow up too soon, and pretty soon she’ll be graduating from high school and going to college in just the blink of an eye.

Who knows? Maybe when that time comes, we’ll still be here talking about makeup and cats, and I’ll still be here bawling my eyes out.

Maybe. Who knows?

Anyway, I love you. Thank you for listening. Talk to you soon.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF! 🤗

Truth be told, there are always so many products I “need” (air quotes, very loosely added), but at this current moment, my mission is to find some new cream shadows that rock my world.

This is my imperative. 🤭

As part of this very important mission, I went to Ulta yesterday, you know…to conduct recon, since the testers are available to swatch again.

Side note: this freaked me out a little because it’s been a long time, and while there’s no way I plan to apply any makeup from testers on my actual face any time soon, seeing how products move and look on skin really does help to get a feel for them, which is why I swatched a few colors that caught my eye.

I’m still deep in the research phase of the operation, but I have the Amber and Greige shades from the Smashbox Always On Cream Shadow line on my list. They remind me a little of the old-school MAC Paints (RIP).

Along with cream shadow, I’m also looking for a moisturizing sunscreen (I figure I’ll need some heavy-duty face and body ones for the fall and winter), a lightweight hair oil and a dark burgundy nail polish with a cream finish.

Shh! Quiet. Don’t give away your location. We must be stealthy to have a good hunt. 🤫

What beauty products are you currently hunting?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen