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

It’s questionable whether these ought to be considered a tool…but I’ll allow it! ? I bought these funny eyeliner stickers from E.L.F. a couple weeks ago for only $2!

They looked like they’d be fun. Plus, I haven’t worked a wing in a hot second, and one can never have too much help when it comes to winged liner!

What about you? What was the last beauty tool you bought?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

I borrowed this from Matt Damon’s character in The Martian (good movie, BTW), and I think it works for me.

Work. The. Problem.

In the movie, Matt Damon’s astronaut character gets stranded on Mars during what was supposed to have been a routine space mission (aren’t they all?). Well, he gets accidentally left for dead, except that he’s still very much alive, but some of his equipment is broken and he can’t communicate with NASA or the crew of the spaceship ? he traveled to Mars with.

Yeah, talk about a BAD day.

And the day turns to weeks, then months, then… At any rate, it was a really bad time for Matt Damon’s character.

One theme that pops up over and over again in the movie is the idea of working a problem.

What does that mean?

Well, if there’s a problem in front of you — like, say, being accidentally stranded on a hostile planet with very little food, no friends, no spaceship and no means of communication — first, you gotta keep it together (a.k.a. don’t freak out).

Then, you work toward solving the very first problem in front of you, and you keep working that first problem until it’s solved. Then you move on to solving the next problem, then the next, then the next one after that. Hopefully, after you’ve solved enough of the problems, you achieve whatever the larger goal is. In the case of The Martian, it was getting the heck off Mars.

I’ve been thinking about “working the problem” a lot lately because I’ve been trying to make headway on a couple of big projects — planning some large home repairs (we have a bathroom that needs repairs, carpet that should be replaced, some needed electrical repairs, etc.) and making some changes in my career. (Definitely not quitting blogging, though. I’m just trying to get something else going.)
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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. Do you ease into it, or rip off the Band-Aid?

Rip that Band-Aid off, and do it quickly before I change my mind!

2. What mascara are you wearing?

I’m taking a new one out for a spin. It’s called Mile High Club, by Wander Beauty, and it’s making my lashes look stretched out and looooong.

Fingers crossed that the curl hold lasts.

3. Are you friends with your neighbors?

I’d like to think so. We’re friendly, but it’s more like casual acquaintances than “homie” status… Mostly, it’s a time thing. I think everyone’s so busy out here in the Bay Area (and everywhere, really) that it’s tough to make time for socializing, especially when you’re of a certain age and working full time.

4. Last thing you purchased for someone else?

I got Connor an outfit at Target for her birthday on March 3. (She’s turning 3. Can you believe it?) Got her a pair of rainbow unicorn ? jeans, a rainbow ? tee and a pink zip-up sweatshirt.

5. Nude nail polish or colorful nail polish?

Colorful please! Nude shades are lovely (I’m a big fan in my eye makeup), but seriously…I don’t need any more beige in my life.

Small things to make the day sweet

Happy Monday, babe! It’s a rainy day here in Marin County…which means it’ll be a perfect day to get a treat ? from Creekside Bakery. ? It has these huge windows that look out on a bunch of old oaks and a creek. When it’s rainy, you can sit at a table and watch the leaves and branches sway in the breeze.

It’s very cozy! Connor’s a fan of the sprinkle cookies, BTW, whereas I’m more into the almond biscotti. It’s HEAVEN ON EARTH dipped into a foamy latte.

Mmm… Biscotti and coffee has been my go-to afternoon snack as of late.

How are things on your end? Wish we could have cookies and coffee together.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Question time! Here they are to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to you soon.

1. Do you ease into it or rip off the Band-Aid?
2. What mascara are you wearing today?
3. Are you friends with your neighbors?
4. Last thing you purchased for someone else?
5. Nude nail polish or colorful nail polish?

Good morning, glory! I hope you have a cup of coffee in your paws a cat on your lap. It’s a lovely day here in Novato, haaaaay!

So…about that sign up at the top of this post, it’s SO TRUE, isn’t it? I know you know it, ha ha! I saw it at Target in the dollar section, and I thought about it later at home that night, at which time I asked poor El Hub to get out of a warm and cozy bed to go look for Tabs, because most nights when we go to bed, Tabs follows us upstairs and hangs out, with “hangs out” being code for “Tabs will sit on top of one of us while we pet him until he bites us and jumps off the bed when the petting no longer pleases him.”

I was about 10 minutes into the book I’m reading (Lilac Girls) when I noticed he hadn’t come up yet. After calling to him a bunch of times and still not hearing him meow back, I started to panic a little.

What if he’s stuck in the closet? What if he sneaked out the front door when I was bringing in the groceries? He could be halfway to Mill Valley by now, OH GOD!!!

So El Hub went to look for him. He found Tabs in his cozy nook under the TV in the living room, fast asleep. ?

Yup, this cat definitely runs the show!

On that note, here’s your kitty, beauty (and GOLDEN GIRLS) reading for the week…

• This intrepid feline had gone missing for 10 years before finally returning home.
• This is what happens when AI ? makes ? cats.
• A new Golden Girls-themed cruise sets sail in 2020, and all I have to say to that is 1) “Where’s my rattan purse?” 2) “Does it dock in Miami?” And 3), “Will there be cheesecake?”
• My makeup spirit animal, Sir John, is here to turn you into Beyoncé.
• Urban Decay is launching a Game of Thrones collection ? in April, which leads me to wonder if George R.R. Martin might appreciate a teal eyeshadow? I can see him liking a thick line of sparkly teal on the upper lash line for some reason.
• The Western United States, Scandinavia and Latin America — these are the new fragrance capitals of the world, according to this post.
• This looks like a fun field trip. —> Eighth graders learn chemistry through mixing perfumes in a lab.
• In case you were wondering what to do with that old Victoria’s Secret scent you’ve had since 2002, according to a study published recently in the Journal of Insect Science (yes, you heard me), Victoria’s Secret perfume acts as an effective insect ? repellent.
• A secret garden in Venice is the inspiration for the new Hermes’s perfume.
• New York City recently banned discrimination based on hairstyle.
• One of my fave hair brands, R+Co, is expanding into makeup and fragrance.
• Is it bad to sleep with wet hair?

Have you watched Upstairs Downstairs, yet?? I’m liking it just much as Downton Abbey.

I’m not exactly sure what’s going on here, but I love it!

This makes me so happy. ?

I wonder if this really does help kitties chill-the-eff out.

What are you up to this weekend?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen