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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 613

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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. Can you change a tire?

    Probably not! I wish I could. It seems like one of those life skills everyone should learn in high school, but…ya know. I did not.

    2. Liquid, pencil, gel or cake eyeliner?

    Pencil, because smudgy lines and diffused edges 4 life, baby.

    3. Summer, spring, winter or fall?

    Spring, assuming there are allergy meds around, because apparently I’m allergic to life as we know it.

    And my second favorite season is fall.

    4. How many TVs are there in your house?

    Just the one in our living room. El Hub has been lobbying for a second TV in our bedroom for years, but I’m not having it, LOL!

    Of course, every phone and tablet screen substitutes for a TV nowadays, so I don’t know how much it matters.

    5. Favorite color or colors?

    I’ve always loved purple, but I’ve been drawn to pastel coral, pink, yellow and orange more than ever lately.

Essie Expressie Update

Hiya! I’m off to work at the bakery in just a few, so before I remove my nail polish and say g’bye to my pink Essie Expressie weekend mani, here’s what the polish looked like after two days…

The nails on my left hand, which is my usual swatch hand, survived Saturday and Sunday with minimal chips at the tips.

essie second hand first love two days
Two layers of Expressie Second Hand First Love
essie second hand first love two days
Essie Expressie in Second Hand First Love after two days…

There were a few decent dents on my right hand, all of which showed up immediately after I was futzing with some Legos (#MOMLIFE) on Saturday morning. To the polish’s credit, the chips didn’t get bigger over time.

essie second hand first love two days
See the dent in my thumbnail?

All in all, it held up pretty well, considering that I didn’t use a separate base coat or top coat. If you need to quickly paint your paws for an event, or if you’re like me and only need your nail polish to last a couple days at a time, these polishes do the trick quite nicely.

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. Can you change a tire?
2. Liquid, pencil, gel or cake eyeliner?
3. Summer, spring, winter or fall?
4. How many TVs are there in your house?
5. Favorite color or colors?

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 593

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Lights, camera, action!

Tabs was surprisingly modest about his film career. He didn’t start acting until later in life. Legend has it, after his career-ending injury playing football for the Mill Valley Wildcats, doctors told him to rest and recuperate, but Tabs being Tabs, instead of sitting around, he decided to audition for The Great Catsby on a whim, and the rest is history.

I’ve already taken out his Oscar statuettes and buffed them to a gleaming shine in anticipation of the Academy Awards tonight. I suspect he’ll be honored posthumously for his cameo in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Here were some of his most favorite critically acclaimed roles… ?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Saturday Surfing, February 8th, 2020

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essie second hand first love
Essie Expressie Nail Polish in Second Hand, First Love

Welcome to the weekend, my friend!

Time to rest and recharge your batteries (hopefully!). For me, that means painting my paws, because when my paws are painted, the stars are in alignment. Mercury avoids retrograde. Pluto becomes a planet again… I feel so naked these days because we can’t wear nail polish to work at the bakery for food handling reasons. So the first thing I like to do on my days off is paint my nails. ?

Last night I did a quick mani before bed with one of the new Expressie quick-drying polishes from Essie (grabbed it at Target last night for $9). They have a built-in base, color and top coat and, allegedly, they’re supposed to dry in one minute… Took more like 5 though, which is still pretty good, considering there’s a base and top coat up in the mix. I’m wearing two coats of rosy pink called Second Hand First Love on my fingers.

I like the smoothness and opacity. It looks even from base to tip, sans streaks, and the finish is super shiny and almost gel-like. Two coats was perfect.

No nicks yet as of this morning, but quick-drying polishes are notorious for chipping easily, so I’m not holding onto any illusions that it’ll last more than a few days…but who knows? Hopefully Expressie will prove that wrong.

Either way, it was just what my nails needed for a quick fix.

You know what else I need to do right now? Finish this cup of coffee! ?

That means it’s time for Saturday Surfing.


The gal in the black dress and glasses is my hero.


Eyeliner tips for hooded lids: YES, PLEASE


So fun. And I love Lizzo’s blue eye makeup, swoon!


I want to wear this look to Costco (FOR REAL).


Wish we were here


I want all the notebooks…


This is the song stuck in my head at the moment.


The world’s smallest cat


The secret to keeping a new habit? Start small.

Are you doing anything this weekend to refill your well?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

5 Things I’ve Been Loving Lately

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earl grey
YUM

1. Earl Grey

I like mine with milk and ? honey…lots of honey. I’ve been downing it daily, sometimes twice, and I’m freaking out a little because I just made myself a cup and realized that I’m out of tea now…

I think I’m low-key addicted!

2. Sparkly pencil eyeliner

In particular, anything with tiny flecks of glitter, because when you buff out the liner, it’s so sparkly! And, seriously, it’s the easiest way jooj up weekday work makeup.

urban decay oil slick swatch
See the sparkles? LOVE.

3. Morning affirmations

You are 100% permitted to call me corny, because this video sounds like something b-list comedians would make fun of on Saturday Night Live, but listening to positive affirmations first thing in the morning helps. A lot. I repeat them internally while I’m washing my face, brushing my teeth, getting changed and making my bed. Gets the day started right.

4. Cats on my couch

Cats make a house feel like a home, amirite?

Everyone should have at least one content kitty on their couch at any given moment. Currently, there are two napping on mine…

5. Level Up by Ciara

I feel like Ciara is so underrated, man. This song is about learning from your mistakes (I think) and having the strength to get over your fears. Also, that beat is bangin’! I have it on my running playlist.

What have you been loving lately?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF.

MAC Loud and Clear, Glow Play Blush Collection Swatches on NC42 Skin

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mac loud and clear collection
The MAC Loud and Clear Collection and Glow Play Blushes, both available now at select MAC locations and the MAC website

Man, I couldn’t get this on my arm and face fast enough. First of all, NEUTRALS. Second, MAC.

Seriously, too good.

Technically, you are looking at two LE MAC collections. One is Loud and Clear, which consists of single Eyeshadows ($18 each), Lipsticks ($20), Lipglasses ($18.50) and Extra Dimension Skinfinishes ($37 each), and the other is a collection of Glow Play Blushes ($30 cheek colors extraordinaire).

A few high-level observations:

  • The blushes are not in the standard-issue powder formula. They have a creamy, bouncy formula and feels gel-like. They’re silky. They’re soft, and they work best when applied with my fingers. I believe they’ll be fab friends to five-minute makeup.
  • As for the eyeshadows, they feel softer than usual, like they have more “give” than usual for MAC powder shadows. I have high hopes for them, especially because they appear to be more intense than usual, too.
  • If you like monochromatic looks, this is the collection for you. There are several coordinating eye/cheek/lip products (this becomes more apparent when you separate the items into color families). I love matchy-matchy makeup because I think it’s easy sophisticated, so I’m all about that life.
  • THE PACKAGING! It’s kinda Shu Uemura, yah? I’m into the clear cases, not just because they look cool, but they’re also practical, because it’s easy to tell what shade they are from the front and the back.
mac loud and clear collection
I love the clear packaging… So unlike the standard MAC black.
mac loud and clear collection swatches lipstick and lipglass
Lipsticks ($20 each) and Lipglasses ($18.50 each)

mac loud and clear collection swatches eyeshadow extra dimension skinfinish
Eyeshadows ($18 each) and Extra Dimension Skinfinishes ($37)

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Covergirl Clean Fresh Tinted Oil Lip Oil Review

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covergirl clean fresh tinted lip oil
Lightweight and lovely new lip oils by Covergirl

Has anyone, throughout the history of makeup-kind, ever sat around thinking to themselves, “You know what I *really* wish I could have? — flaky, thirsty-as-all-hell chapped lips. That would be so great.”

As a person of the parched pout persuasion, I can 100% assure you that this has never happened.

What exactly are lip oils?

I’ve got enough lip oils to last me into the next century, lady, because unlike many lip balms and glosses that will coat your lips without actually moisturizing ’em, lip oils are designed to seep into the skin, as opposed to sitting on top, which means hydration, BAM! And, of course, soft, pillowy plush lips.

Affordable, with lots of extra benefits

If you live near a CVS (because that’s the only place you can find them), the new lip oils by Covergirl are a pretty affordable drugstore option at $10.49 a pop. Available in six sheer shades (including a transparent option), the oils are vegan and made without parabens, formaldehyde phthalates, parabens, sulfates and talc. Also, they aren’t tested on animals.

The main oils doing the heavy lifting are cranberry seed oil, olive oil and coconut oil, so there’s gooood stuff happening!

covergirl lip oil swatch
Swatches!

But how’s the moisture?

I’m at a place in life where the higher-end lip oils I love, like the $48 Hourglass one, give me pause whenever I sit down and do the math before purchasing one of them. I love them, but I can’t help but think of how many ballet lessons that could fund, so I’m all about Covergirl’s price point.

It’s pretty moisturizing, too. Not the most moisturizing oil I’ve used, like it isn’t as moisturizing as the Hourglass and Clarins Lip oils, but it’s pretty good. It feels like it helps for about an hour.

And even though many of colors look similar on my pigmented lips, I can still see a sheer tint in each one, which I appreciate.

covergirl bad apple
I’m wearing Bad Apple.

Other items of note…

  • Lightweight: Texture-wise, they’re thicker than a MAC Cremesheen Gloss but thinner than a Lipglass.
  • Not-goopy: These aren’t sticky at all, so they’re comfy, but they don’t last long on me — an hour at most – so they have a very brief wear time. I reapply often (at least it’s easy with the doe-foot.)
  • Fruit punch: All the shades have a faint fruit punch scent and flavor, which lingers for about 15 minutes.

The final word

I think these are good. Now, are they life-changing? Nah, but they’re good enough to keep in your purse with your collection of nude lip products (which, by the way, I’m beginning to carry around in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag! SEND HELP). Bust one out when you want some shine, moisture and a bit o’ color.

From covergirl.com:
Packed with shine and long-lasting moisture, COVERGIRL Clean Fresh Tinted Lip Oil has you covered for comfy, all-day wear. Full of good-for-you ingredients like coconut and pomegranate oils, this tinted lip oil moisturizer also contains vitamin E to keep lips soft, smooth, and conditioned–for up to six hours! It’s available in a variety of bold, beautiful shades, letting you transform your look anytime you want. No apology needed. Pro-tip: Try this lip color as a topcoat over any COVERGIRL Exhibitionist Cream Lipstick for an extra pop of shine.

Ingredients:
COVERGIRL Clean Fresh Tinted Lip Oil, Swipe Ripe POLYBUTENE, OCTYLDODECANOL, DIISOPROPYL DIMER DILINOLEATE, CRAMBE ABYSSINICA SEED OIL, RAPHANUS SATIVUS (RADISH) SEED EXTRACT, C12-15 ALKYL BENZOATE, SILICA DIMETHYL SILYLATE, OLIVE OIL DECYL ESTERS, PHENOXYETHANOL, PARFUM/FRAGRANCE, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, COCOS NUCIFERA (COCONUT) OIL, PUNICA GRANATUM SEED OIL, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, SQUALENE, BENZYL ALCOHOL, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED OIL, BENZYL BENZOATE, ALUMINA, GERANIOL, ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS (ROSEMARY) LEAF EXTRACT, TOCOPHEROL, BHT. MAY CONTAIN: IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), D&C RED NO. 27 ALUMINUM LAKE (CI 45410), D&C RED NO.7 CALCIUM LAKE (CI 15850), D&C RED NO. 6 BARIUM LAKE (CI 15850), FD&C YELLOW NO. 5 LAKE (CI 19140), FD&C BLUE NO. 1 ALUMINUM LAKE (CI 42090), D&C RED NO. 21 (CI 45380).

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

New Kicks: The Nike Winflo 6

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nike winflo black and pink

I call these Nikes my “elf shoes” ?‍♀️ because of the pointy curve in the heel…

nike winflo black and pink

So, I’ve been spending a lot of time on my feet since I started working at the bakery, and now even when I’m off cake/cupcake duty, I’m very particular — more particular than ever before — about my shoes.

At this point in my life, I’d rather be comfortable than cute…

I know — WHO AM I?

At any rate, my tootsies crave supportive footwear that simultaneously makes me feel like I’m walking on cushioned clouds. No stiff shoes for this girl!

Enter these Nikes.

I’ve been living my best life in these Winflo 6 Running Shoes, which I love because, not only do they lift my arches up enough to keep ’em stable, they’re also on the squishier side, so I feel like there are fluffy cumulous clouds strapped to my feet…

They’re firm and supportive, but not stiff or uncomfortable.

This is the third generation of these shoes I’ve worn, and I think it’s the best-feeling, cutest one yet.

The wide base around the heel keeps my ankles from rolling, and the fabric makes them featherweight (they required absolutely *no* time to break in). I also love the subtle pink and purple color blocking and the “swish” on the insdie heel.

nike winflo black and pink

nike winflo black and pink

The shoe comes in other colors, too, ranging from conservative (gray, black and white) to colorful (berry, black and hot pink!). I like this particular color combo because the black and white are pretty standard issue, so I can wear these with most outfits, but the pop of pink keeps it fun.

I wear them all the time — when I’m working out, when I’m toolin’ around Novato, or whenever I need to do things with Connor, because you never know when you’ll have to break into a sprint when you hang out with a child.

I love them so much that I’m thinking about getting a second pair.

You can find this style almost anywhere that carries athletic shoes. I just saw them at Dick’s Sporting Goods in Petaluma and DSW in Novato, and online at nike.com and nordstromrack.com.

Your friendly neighborhood comfortable footwear addict,

Karen

Workout Sliders/Gliders: Put These On Your “To-Try” List, ASAP

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sliders gliders
I found these $5 sliders at Target.

For years — decades even! — I thought of myself as a person who didn’t like to exercise first thing in the morning. The last thing my body wants to do upon waking is jump around. Or run rapidly. My bones don’t need jarring early in the day.

But I’ve come to realize that that’s no longer the case anymore. Just because my booty, legs, core and arms are averse to high-impact burpies and jumping jacks at the crack of dawn doesn’t mean they won’t do other things, and let me tell ya, this has been a revelation. IT’S BEEN LIFE CHANGING.

I’ve finally started exercising early, ideally within half an hour of waking, and I love it, because it gets me going even better than coffee, and there’s nothing like the sense of accomplishment from finishing a workout early to set the tone for a good day.

The key has been doing low-impact activities that are easy on my joints, like Pilates, yoga or non-jumping cardio, or working out with these thingamabobs: sliders!


I did this workout this morning.

Slider workouts (also known as “glider workouts”) are my new favorite way to torture myself in the morning, ha ha ha!

OK, so I realize I’m not selling it, but really, if you want to do a workout that doesn’t involve the intense clanking of joints, these are great, and they’ll get you sweating like CRAY.

Basically, sliders/gliders are disks that slide across the floor. You put your hands or feet on the disks, and much like in Pilates, you move your limbs in controlled ways that involve lots intense muscle squeezing, and even though you aren’t jumping around a lot, you’ll feel spent by the end of your workout.


So much core

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