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

Once upon a time, it was makeup! 🤪 But these days, my hair takes up the biggest chunk of time in my beauty/getting-ready routine.

There are just A LOT of steps involved. It drives me nuts! The most involved part is the washing and conditioning, because I work out pretty much every day now, so my scalp gets super sweaty and oily and requires…attention. Plus, on top of that, I have pretty bad seasonal allergies, so when I go outside, my hair absorbs pollen, dust, ash from local wildfires, or whatever other allergens are floating around outside on any given day. I absolutely have to wash my hair before I go to bed; otherwise, I hit the hay with hella allergens all up in my business, which consequently get all over my pillow and the bedding, and bothers me all night long.

Funny thing is…I don’t spend nearly as much time styling my hair as I spend cleaning it. It only takes me about five minutes to do a semi-decent hairstyle with a large-barrel curling iron, or to do a messy braid or bun. In fact, it takes way less time to get my hair ready to go “out into the world” than it did when I was in my 20s and 30s because I’ve long since embraced my natural waves and no longer go to battle with them (go figure).

The next most time-consuming part of my routine is the skin care, and basically it’s keeping track of all the layers, then waiting for them to dry. Man! Ever since I decided to wage the good fight against hyperpigmentation, time it takes me to do my skin care routine has increased exponentially. Mind you, I’m OK with that because it does seem to be helping…

Oh, and putting on sunscreen multiple times a day takes up a lot of time, too.

The least most time-consuming (least most?) part of my routine is any actual makeup, when I wear it, followed by panting my nails.

How about you? What’s the most time-consuming part of your beauty routine?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy Tuesday! 😺

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. Plum or lychee?

Lychee, preferably cold and juicy.

2. How are your hot roller skills?

They are…not great! I’ve tried using them before, multiple times, but I can never get the rollers to sit quite right. There’s something super awards about it for me. Also, because I have a great deal of hair, there usually aren’t enough rollers in those sets. I’d rather just use a curling iron instead.

3. Something you loved as a child?

The Care Bears. I was crazy about ’em, even though I never owned one of the plushies.

I really, really wanted one, though.

4. Biking or roller blading?

Biking, and if it’s outdoors, we’re going at a slooooow and lazy pace because — hey, man, when I’m outside, I don’t want to be working too hard on bike, ya know? Now, if, instead, we’re indoors on a stationary bike, then BRING IT!

5. What’s your go-to serum?

SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic is my jam right now.

6. A skin care item (or items) you used in ’90s?

Oh, so many! Clinique 3-step with the bar soap in the green plastic tray, Noxzema Face Wash and Noxzema Pads, St. Ives Apricot Scrub, Nivea Lotion takes me way baaaaaack. Oh, and all the toners! Ten-O-Six lotion, Sea Breeze, Witch Hazel… If a toner were able to practically melt your face off in the ’90s, it’s safe to assume I used it.

7. Do you sweat a lot?

Yeah, when I’m working out, I sweat like a mofo’! During the course of my everyday life, I would say that I’m moderately sweaty, but more so when it’s hot out.

8. Things that help you put your best foot forward?

Getting a good night’s sleep, meditating first thing in the morning, drinking lots of water… Oh, and wearing an outfit that makes me feel good.

9. Jump rope or dancing?

Dancing! 💃🏽

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. Plum or lychee?
2. How are your hot roller skills?
3. Something you loved as a child?
4. Biking or roller blading?
5. What’s your go-to serum?
6. A skin care item (or items) you used in ’90s?
7. Do you sweat a lot?
8. Things that help you put your best foot forward?
9. Jump rope or dancing?

P.P.S. Hello, my sweet friend! I’m so grateful to see you here today, and I hope the week ahead is filled with so much joy. You are important and so, so loved. Have a good one, OK? 🤗

Hello there and good morning to ya, beautiful girl! I hope thou feelest calm and centered on this lovely Saturday. If you’ve got grand designs on wearing a little makeup this weekend (perhaps a lipstick or some gloss?), hurray! Good makeup tidings to you! I’ll be trying a few new lipsticks from Urban Decay this weekend, so I’ve got high hopes for those. I’ll let you know how it goes. UD recently redid their formula and packaging… What do you think of the square tubes?

This week’s reading

• “Perfume can be that helpful friend who handles the chitchat when an introvert finds herself shy in a crowded room.”
• Rihanna’s new perfume has notes of magnolia, musk, tangerine and blueberry, with hints of Bulgarian rose absolute, geranium and patchouli.
• Have you ever found yourself wondering what, exactly, is a vampire facial?
• Here’s exactly when to apply a serum when you’re doing your skincare routine.
• Get to know the mother-daughter duo behind Okiki Skin Care.
• Just in case you were thinking about replacing the silk pillowcase your cat destroyed with her overenthusiastic biscuit making in the middle of the night…
• A few tips to help your nail polish dry faster…
• Cats love agility training. Who knew?
• FYI, International Cat Day is August 8th. (That’s tomorrow! 😺)

Drop that knowledge, docs!

Totes trying this.

How to choose the right cleanser for your skin

So, I know this is about the makeup but, WOW, her hair!

If you love shoes like I do…

A super catchy tune, and the colorful sets and clothes in this video are gorgeous.

What do you have going on this weekend? I’m really trying to enjoy these last few weekends of summer before my not-so-little girl goes off to kinder… I took her to get her haircut last week, and I still can’t get over how much she’s grown over the last year.

Have a great rest of your day. Talk to ya 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 listed below. ?

This or That: The Bold Lip Edition

• A neon hot pink matte lipstick or a richly pigmented red gloss?
• Bold lips with bold eyes: yes or no?
• To go with your bold lips: a lip liner with a soft texture or a hard texture?
• Black lipstick or navy lipstick?
• Matte orange or metallic green lipstick?
• What’s easier for you to use, a bright lipstick in a liquid formula, or a bold lipstick in a bullet?
• Would you like bold gloss with or without glitter?
• Your favorite red lipstick: apply straight from the tube or with a brush?
• Would you rather have a budget bold lip color that you absolutely love and wear all the time or an expensive bold lip color that you feel “meh” about and only wear once every few months?
• What happens to you more: your lip color smearing outside your lips or your lipstick ending up on your teeth?
• Spend or splurge on your bold lip color?
• Spend or splurge on your bold lip liner?

A neon hot pink matte lipstick or a richly pigmented red gloss?

Neon hot pink matte lipstick, which I’d wear with a flat matte black winged liner and lots of mascara. 😉

Bold lips with bold eyes: yes or no?

YES, QUEEN! 🤩

To go with your bold lips: a lip liner with a smooth texture or a hard texture?

Smooooooove… I don’t need to fight my liner, ya know?

Black lipstick or navy lipstick?

Black, so I can relive my wanna-be goth days circa 1991, ha ha ha.

Matte orange or metallic green lipstick?

OK, so yeah, a metallic green is tempting because of the fun factor, but I’m going with the matte orange, because it’s got more of that classic vibe, and that’s how I’m leaning these days.

What’s easier for you to use, a bright lipstick in a liquid formula, or a bold lipstick in a bullet?

Hmm… Lipstick in a bullet, I guess, because it’s easier to control? Not sure about this one. 🤔

Would you like bold gloss with or without glitter?

I would like it with glitter! — because might as well go all the way.

Your favorite red lipstick: apply straight from the tube or with a brush?

Straight from the tube, baby.

Would you rather have a budget bold lip color that you absolutely love and wear all the time or an expensive bold lip color that you feel “meh” about and only wear once every few months?

Sigh… I mean, I don’t want any dead weight taking up space in my collection anymore, so I choose the budget bold color. 100%

What happens to you more: your lip color smearing outside your lips or your lipstick ending up on your teeth?

Yargh, if I had a dollar for every time my red or pink lipstick unintentionally ended up on my cheeks or my chin…

Skimp or splurge on your bold lip color?

Splurge!

Spend or splurge on your bold lip liner?

Skimp, because there are so many affordable ones out there.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF, my sweet friend! 🤗❤️😸