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This or That: The Blush Edition

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blush is my crush gloss is my sauce this or that
When you love blush so much it makes you wanna dance! Blush Is My Crush Tee, $34

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 Blush Edition

  • Cream or powder?
  • Liquid or gel?
  • Sheer or pigmented?
  • Pink or peach?
  • Berry or brown?
  • Loose or pressed?
  • Nude blush or bright blush?
  • Matte or shimmer?
  • Which one would you rather layer with your blush — bronzer or highlighter?
  • NARS Orgasm blush — “all that” or overrated?

Cream or powder?

UGH. Don’t make me choose! My gut is saying cream…but I adore powder blushes to bits.

Liquid or gel?

This one’s easy — gel. The gel blush by Chantecaille, by the way, is all that and a bag of chips!

Sheer or pigmented?

Hmm… Sheer, because it’s always easier to add color than take it away.

Pink or peach?

Peach!

Berry or brown?

Berry.

Loose or pressed?

Pressed, please.

Nude blush or bright blush?

This one is surprisingly difficult for me. Most of the time I wear nude blush because (SURPRISE) it’s easy, but a pop of color from a bright blush really does make me seem less undead, and I need all the help I can get these days, so I’m going with bright… NO, NUDE.

Ask me again in five minutes. ?

Matte or shimmer?

Matte.

Whew! — at least that was easy.

Which one would you rather layer with your blush — bronzer or highlighter?

I love me some bronzer, but I’ll go with a subtle highlighter because there’s less risk of my skin looking muddy…and I do like having a bit of reflection on my upper cheek bones.

NARS Orgasm blush — “all that” or overrated?

I’ve always liked it, but I don’t love it in the way I love the other NARS classics like Amour and Deep Throat.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen ?

P.S. My mom just sent me a box of persimmons! These are the last bunch of the season from the tree in their backyard.

Do you like your persimmons crunchy or soft? I like mine just a smidgen soft. Connor likes ’em extra soft and squishy and will refuse to eat them if they’ve got any crunch whatsoever.

Product Spotlight: You’ll Be Drawn to Maybelline Color Strike Cream-to-Powder Shadow Pens If You Love One-And-Done Eye Makeup

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maybelline color strike pen

Your amusing factoid of the day!

The part of a pen responsible for the click-click-clickity sound is called “a thrust device.” ?️

You’re welcome! ?

There’s no thrust device in these new $7 Maybelline Color Strike Cream-to-Shadow Pens, and aside from their cylindrical packaging, they aren’t very much like pens at all… When you twist them open, there’s a sponge tip inside, which is basically a fairly traditional preloaded eyeshadow applicator. In fact, there isn’t a felt tip or a ball-point pen applicator or a thrust device anywhere in sight.

maybelline color strike pen

Semantics, schemantics.

These cream shadows are great for a single, purposefully messy sweep of color on the lids because they’re only moderately pigmented, so they’re perfect for washes of quick, easy color.

The formula is on the thinner side, but I wouldn’t call it watery. It’s almost like someone melted a MAC Paint Pot and thinned it out a bit. It’s slick and slippery when it moves across your skin, and it takes some time to set, so you have a good 10-15 minutes to blend.

I would caution against using too many “pens” (“air quotes”) on your eyes in one sitting, though, because there seems to be a tipping point after which too much shadow results in the colors mushing into a muddy mess.

I also find the applicator a challenge to use and, even with the pointed sponge tip, the shadow always ends up a little bit off…which makes these difficult to use for layered looks with multiple placements.

maybelline color strike pen

That said, the price is right, though ($7 MSRP). They’re less than $10 each! And the wear time is fabulous. They last all day long on my dry lids with barely a hint of creasing, and that’s without using any primer with them.

If you’re a fan of one-and-done eye makeup, I think they’re great. Just remember to stick to single shadow looks, OK?

I would suggest starting with Flare, the matte cool-toned taupe. It’s the one I wear the most, and it’s a neutral everyday shadow color a lot like MAC Groundwork Paint Pot but more gray.
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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 651

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be gentle with yourself wreath
Hello, and welcome to a new week!

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. Last person you held hands with?

    The Coywolf, while walking up the stairs.

    2. Yoga or Baby Yoda?

    Baby Yoda in a heartbeat!

    3. Do you ever get scared in the middle of the night?

    Oh, hell yeah. Most of the time it’s something silly and irrational, like wondering if I’ll see the Bloody Mary ghost in the mirror when I go the bathroom in the middle of the night. ? But sometimes it’s real-deal fear rooted in worry about finances, the future, our health… All those big scary things that keep adults up at night.

    4. Did you grow up playing video games?

    I did! ?️ We had an Atari AND a Nintendo in our house, and my brother and I played games together (Super Mario Brothers was our favorite), but we weren’t playing 24/7. I wouldn’t say we were hardcore gamers.

    5. How do you feel about your first name?

    Well…funny thing. I’ve always liked it, but now that the Internet doesn’t like Karens, it isn’t always an easy name to have.

    6. Can you do the splits?

    Absolutely not!

    7. How good are you about wearing sunscreen during winter?

    I’d say it’s hit and miss for me, but I’m trying to be better about it.

    8. A red lipstick you like?

    Stila Beso!

    9. What’s easier for you to use — gel liner or liquid liner?

    Liquid liner, ideally with a flexible pen tip because it’s faster and easier than dealing with a brush and potted gel.

    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. Last person you held hands with?
    2. Yoga or Baby Yoda?
    3. Do you ever get scared in the middle of the night?
    4. Did you grow up playing video games?
    5. How do you feel about your first name?
    6. Can you do the splits?
    7. How good are you about wearing sunscreen during the winter months?
    8. A red lipstick you like?
    9. What’s easier for you to use — gel liner or liquid liner?

    P.P.S. Hi there, friend. Just wanted to say that I think you’re wonderful. We’re all doing the best we can, and your efforts aren’t going unnoticed. I see them. Hang in there.

    Sending you hugs and couch cuddles from the Girls Club at MBB. ?

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 632

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I did not want to get out of bed this morning! It was cold!

Well…cold for us. It was about 50 outside this morning, but Rosie still wanted to go for her walk, just like Tabs would have. He was like the Post Office when it came to the weather. Neither rain nor sleet nor snow could stop him from going on Sunday patrol. Yup, he took cat corporate security of Tabs the Cat Industries, LLC very seriously.

The chill is here! Fall has officially arrived, which also means falling leaves to chase and windy weather fun. Some of Tabs’ favorite days were windy days in fall.

It fired up his cat senses and boosted his energy to almost kitten levels.

On windy days like today, Tabs was like his best cat self. He climbed trees, chased birds and regularly struck award-winning poses.

And now I also know that Rosie loves fall as much as Tabs did.

Rosie

It totally caught me off guard, but she leapt almost 10 feet up the trunk of a big oak tree today…while on her leash! She jumped up, stretched her claws and hopped down, then hopped through a big pile of leaves, then darted around behind me and tied my legs up in the leash. She was fired up!

I think it was a combination of the breeze, which was causing leaves to swirl and generating lots of movement, and the crisp air, but it really got her excited. It was fun to see her have so much fun.

It made her a handful though. I had to watch her like a hawk. She was so excited that I couldn’t take my eyes off her. In fact, I needed one of the company interns to help…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Saturday Surfing, Nov. 7, 2020

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WOO-HOO! It’s the weekend, my friend. Greetings from a keyboard in Novato, California. It dips below 60 degrees here in Marin County now, which basically means that everyone is wearing 20 million layers of down, HA HA HA! Welcome to California.

I hope you’re feeling well. I busted out my favorite cozy down vest yesterday, and look what I found in the pocket…

Apparently, I put one of Connor’s newborn socks in the pocket for some reason years ago, and it’s been there ever since. Now I can’t bear to take it out, so I’ve actually washed it with the vest several times. ?

Anywho, you know what I realized recently? We’ve been asking a lot of our ears in 2020. Between the masks and the glasses and the earrings, I feel like there’s just one too many things going on, and that’s in addition to, you know, using my ears for their intended purpose (i.e. listening).

Ears are the unsung heroes of 2020! ?

On that note, here’s today’s reading…


Yes, I’m obsessed.


Peep Pat’s red lipstick!


The easy-listening ’80s cover you didn’t realize you needed until just right now


I’m special…SPECIAL!


Low-key obsessed with Michele

Has it gotten cold yet where you live?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Congratulations, President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris. Best of luck.

This or That: Mascara Edition

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mascara kitties mbb blog post top pic
Must haves: cats (obvs) and a great mascara! Mascara and Kitties Tee ($34)

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. ?

Copy and paste

  • Would you rather have a mascara that gives you massive length or intense thickness?
  • Lash primer: a must-have or an unnecessary step?
  • Mascara on lower lashes: love it or leave it?
  • Brown mascara or black mascara?
  • Purple mascara or blue mascara?
  • Department store or drugstore mascara?
  • Skinny wand or oversized wand?
  • Tapered wand or curved wand?
  • Do you prefer mascaras with a natural effect or dramatic effect?
  • Soft or stiff lashes?
  • Tubing mascara or fiber mascara?
  • Clear mascara: love it or leave it?

Would you rather have a mascara that gives you massive length or intense thickness?

Don’t laugh but I spent an inordinate amount of time contemplating this. One the one hand, length is great because I feel like it mimics the look of falsies, but thickness offers a lot of bang for your buck visually. Hmm… I think ultimately I’ll have to go with length, but who knows? That answer might change in five minutes, LOL!

Lash primer: a must-have or an unnecessary step?

Five years ago I loved the stuff (I think it really does make a difference in how your mascara performs), but now I just don’t have the patience for it. So, unnecessary step.

Mascara on lower lashes: love it or leave it?

Love it, but only when it’s a thin layer.

Brown mascara or black mascara?

Black mascara all day every day!

Purple mascara or blue mascara?

Ooh, choices! I’ll go with blue because it’s easier to see blue on my lashes. Purple mascara usually ends up looking black.

Department store or drugstore mascara?

Got mad love for both, but the department store ones seem to do a better overall job, and they’re not nearly as crunchy.

Skinny wand or oversized wand?

Skinny wand, since it’s much easier for me to get between the lash hairs.

Tapered wand or curved wand?

Tapered, because I always end up holding my wrist in a weird way with the curved ones.

Do you prefer mascaras with a natural effect or dramatic effect?

GIMME ALL THE DRAMA!

Soft or stiff lashes?

Soft please.

Tubing mascara or fiber mascara?

Tubing, even if they’re a pain to remove. The fiber ones always end up flaking off and getting in my eyes.

Clear mascara: love it or leave it?

Love it. Handy for the beach or brows!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen ?

P.S. TGIF!

Latest Trader Joe’s Finds

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trader joes bag front steps
There’s no place like home.

I do most of our grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s, so every week, in addition to picking up the usual staples (milk, eggs, nacho cheese tortilla chips, FROZEN WAFFLES!), I try to get at least one or two things I haven’t gotten before at Trader Joe’s…to try something new. I’m a pretty adventurous eater, and I’m trying to pass that on to Connor Claire.

Anywho, here are a few new finds I’ve been eating and loving lately…

Harvest Apple Salad Kit

This is a complete salad kit! You get a spring mix, unexpected cheddar cheese, apple cinnamon chips, pecans and an apple vinaigrette spring mix, and there’s enough for small side salads for four people, although, truth be told, I ate an entire bag all by myself in one day (half for lunch and half for dinner).

Apparently, I’m not the only person who does this because the cashier who helped me earlier this week said she’ll finish one in a single sitting. It’s THAT good!

trader joes harvest apple salad kit

Turkey Meatballs

You can find this bag of Italian flavored pre-made turkey meatballs in the frozen section. I snack on these throughout the day. I’ll microwave a meatball or two and dip them into TJ’s Marinara Sauce.

trader joes turkey meatballs

Cauliflower Crisp Snack Thins

These thin crackers have a delightful crunch! Great to nibble on with a slice of TJ’s pre-sliced Swiss cheese.

trader joes cauliflower crisps

Les Petite Carrots of Many Colors

The fam-bam LOVES these tiny carrots. They come prepared in a bag, already peeled and washed and ready for cooking or snacking. I like to toss them with a little bit of avocado oil and salt, then roast them in the oven. I served them as a side with roasted shrimp scampi last Friday and they were a hit!

trader joes petite carrots

trader joes petite carrots shrimp scampi

Colorful Carrot Coins

Sliced, seasoned and pre-cooked frozen carrot coins, yum! I use these as a quick-and-easy side to have with my lunch salad. I warm them up in a pan, which takes about 5 minutes.

trader joes carrot coins

Bite Size Sharp Cheddar Cheesy Crackers

I love these crunchy, crispy crackers because they have a strong sharp cheddar flavor. (Connor isn’t a fan, though).

trader joes bite size cheesy crackers

Pepita Salsa

This salsa is made with pumpkin seeds and tastes delish with eggs. I’m a wimp when it comes to heat, and if I eat too much my tongue feels like it’s on fire, LOL!

trader joes pepitas salsa

Cinnamon Croissant Loaf

Like a cross between a croissant and a cinnamon bun, and extra delicious when lightly toasted and buttered. If you see this loaf, DO NOT PASS IT UP!

trader joes cinnamon croissant loaf

Bamba Peanut Snacks

WARNING: These peanut snacks are melt-in-your-mouth lighter than air and highly addictive. Connor also loves ’em!

trader joes bambas

What yummy finds have you uncovered at Trader Joe’s lately?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Trying New Things: Winged Liner for Lifted Lids

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stila beso new winged liner placement
Taking flight!

Pop quiz, hot shot:

The pic below is the face one makes when trying…

  • A. To get through 2020 with one’s sanity relatively intact
  • B. A new winged liner placement
  • C. All of the above
    • stila beso new winged liner placement
    Every day of my life since March 2020

    Inspired by Hindash

    Last weekend I watched a winged liner video by Hindash, one of my favorite makeup artists, on how to lift the lids with liner, so I thought, what the heck, why not take my own advice for once (!) and try something other than the small kitten flick I’ve been wearing for the past few months.

    stila beso new winged liner placement
    Long Live Lipstick Tee in Driftwood

    I followed Hindash’s advice on the placement, then ended up customizing the liner by drawing my wings with pencil liner and liquid liner. I also skipped false lashes and did a quick wash with a few MAC shadow staples on my lids for a little depth (Saddle on my lids, Wedge and Omega mixed together in the crease and a soft veil of Vapor on the brow bones and inner corner).

    What’s the most challenging aspect of doing makeup in a way you wouldn’t normally do?

    For me it’s doing placements I’m not used to. It challenges my muscle memory! I’m very used to holding my liner at a certain angle and with a very specific pressure to get the look I like, and so doing it differently feels physically weird.

    I also find that stopping and starting lines in different places is also hard. I guess I’m so used to things looking a certain way, and when they don’t, it’s a little startling.

    stila beso new winged liner placement
    Well, hello there!

    I do like this look because it does seem to lift my lids when I’m looking down, and especially in pics. When I see it straight on with my eyes open, though, the effect is more visible from some angles than others. I think I’ll keep practicing because mama wants some lifted lids!

    Makeup Worn in this look

    • BASE: It Cosmetics Your Skin But BetterFoundation + Skincare in Tan Warm 41 and Tan Warm 42.5 (foundation), Estee Lauder Double Wear Instant Fix Concealer in Medium Deep Warm (under eyes)
    • CHEEKS: MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Give ME Sun, MAC Blushbaby Blush
    • LIPS: Stila Beso
    • EYES: Maybelline Tattoo Studio Gel Pencil in Deep Onxy, MAC Brushblack Liquid Liner

    Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

    Karen

    P.S. I’m about to put on an extra pot of coffee because I got *no* sleep last night. Anyone else need a pickmeup?

    HELLO, I LOVE YOU

    Also, I woke up with this song stuck in my head, and because I don’t want to be the only person singing it all day…

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