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A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict

Saturday Surfing, September 2, 2023!

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Happy Saturday to ya, my friend!

Guess what? Remember how the other day, we were talking about Hallmark stores? There used to be more in the SF Bay Area, but now they’re hard to find. Exciting news — well, for me at least. I found one in the next town over, which is about a 15-minute drive away, assuming there’s no traffic.

Side note, in the Bay Area, you always have to calculate traffic and time of day whenever you travel on a freeway, even on the weekends. It’s annoying but becomes second nature after a while.

Anywho, I mentioned the Hallmark store to El Hub and his eyes lit up, LOL! We might visit later on today!

I have to go and do some cat lady duties, first, though. Connor and I have been asked to catsit “the boys” in our neighborhood for a couple days, Harris and Mr. Willoughby.

Oh hai, Harris
My neighbor’s cat Mr. Willoughby

What are your plans for the long weekend? Are there cats involved? I hope so!

This week’s reading


Love the take on the song and her makeup


This look is gorgeous, WOW


Interesting


Give me wings


I will take those tips, please

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Friday First Impressions: Maybelline Super Stay 24H Skin Tint

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This 24H Super Stay Skin Tint seems to be everywhere lately!

Super Stay Up to 24HR Skin Tint delivers buildable light-to-medium coverage for a skin-like finish and a natural, radiant look. Vitamin C infused vegan formula brightens skin instantly and overtime. 95 percent said skin looks healthy. Resists sweat, humidity and fading. Available in 18 shades.
—Maybelline.com

Buuuuuut IMHO calling it a skin tint in a stretch. When I think of skin tints, I think of sheer, glowing, barely-there finish, and I’m not getting that vibe from this product at all.

As someone who’s spent a good chuck of the last couple years wearing tints and tinted moisturizers, seeing this on my skin was kinda shocking. On my combo oily and dry face, 24H Skin Tint looks more like a medium-to-full coverage matte foundation.

Not to say that it doesn’t have good things going for it. It is HELLA long-lasting and requires absolutely no special tricks to get it to stick, even when it’s raging hot outside. I can even opt out of setting powder if I want, which is cool. It also dries down fairly quickly, too.

Oh, and the wide shade range and the fact that it’s easy to find? Definitely a plus. By the way, I wear shade 312, which is a warm medium tan with strong yellow undertones.

Ultimately, though, it’s more coverage than I’m used to wearing, and if I go even a little teeny bit overboard with the product, it starts to look heavy and my pores look very pronounced. I’m only comfortable wearing it when it’s very sheered out, like in these pics.

Before

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Thursday Thoughts: Hair Rut Ruminations

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Rocking the long layers since 2016

How do you know you’re stuck in a hair rut? I’m asking for a friend, aka me, ha ha ha!

I think I might be in the throes of one, and I have mixed feelings about it.

A little backstory –– I’ve had the same long, layered, salt-and-pepper hairdo for a few years now.

Before Connor, I was much more adventurous in terms of color and length. For the past few years, though, I’ve held onto this style because it’s less work.

At least that’s what I keep telling myself.

Long hair has always been lower maintenance for me; I can twist it up into a bun or throw it into a ponytail easily, and if I want to wear it down, all I have to do is curl a few pieces with a curling iron and that’s it.

I totally know what it feels like to want a big hair change. Over the years, I’ve answered the call many times, chopping and highlighting and doing all the things to my hair.

I haven’t felt that way in ages, though. Sure, every once in a while I get antsy to color it again, but someone (usually a hair stylist) talks me out of it.

One of my theories is I’m currently in a season where I need a security blanket, and that’s what this particular style is doing for me right now — comforting me in ways that I subconsciously want and need.

Or perhaps I’m more fearful of change than I used to be.

I’m not sure what the true answer is right now.

Side note, for some reason being in a hair rut makes me think of the teachers I had in middle school. All my teachers, and I mean ALL OF THEM, seemed to have dated hairdos from the ’60s and ’70s. The middle school version of me couldn’t fathom why they didn’t just go for something more hip and modern. I’m realizing now they might’ve been in a season where big changes seemed daunting to them, too.

Anywho, I know it’s just hair, and in the grand scheme of things it’s not that big a deal. But it feels so much deeper than that sometimes.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy Thursday to you! I hope something wonderful comes your way today.

Checking In: The September Issue | Some Beauty Things from Trader Joe’s and Maybelline | Hallmark Nostalgia

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Ooh, how lovely it is to see the thick, substantial September issue of “Vogue!”

Remember when they were all like that? I miss the days when I could curl up on the couch and just read magazines all day long, sigh.

Anywho, I was excited to see the “Supers” together on the cover. I love the hair, makeup and styling, and I’d wear Linda’s sequin jacket in a heartbeat!

I wonder if they had fun reminiscing about the ’90s, and if anybody gave Naomi crap about throwing a phone at anyone. Remember that?

On the beauty front, I was grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s earlier this week for dinner ingredients (I made salmon on Monday and ground beef and broccoli on Tuesday) when a couple things in the things beauty section caught my eye — a firming body lotion and a co-wash.

The Vitamin C Firming Body Butter speaks to me mostly because of the glycolic acid; I don’t really care about the firming part, but I could always use extra exfoliation.

So far, so good. The texture is thick and rich but not greasy, and the clementine scent is cheerful. A big 8-ounce tube is very affordable at just $6.99.

Speaking of good deals, this 8-ounce tube of Cleansing & Conditioning Hair Wash is only $4.99.

It’s a non-foaming co-wash with a delicate grapefruit and mint scent. If you’re living that “free of” hair life, FYI, this one has no sulfates, silicones, detergents or parabens.

I like it! I used it on second-day janky roots and was impressed by how clean my strands and scalp felt. I woke up the next morning with bouncy, soft hair.

Oh, not that I needed another base, but I was running errands at CVS and saw the Maybelline Skin Tint that’s making the rounds. I totally caved and bought a bottle, ha ha ha!
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Beauty Q of the Day: What Discontinued Scents Do You Wish Would Come Back?

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I’ve been feeling nostalgic lately for certain perfumes I wore back in my 20s and 30s, and now I’m deeply regretting the perfume purge I did a few years back because I found out recently that several are now discontinued!

When I think about them, I can practically smell them. Is that weird?

Discontinued Scent Number 1, Laura Mercier Eau de Lune

I desperately want a bottle of Laura Mercier Eau de Lune, a beautiful light floral with plumeria, rose, violet, amber and musk notes that I wore to my office job in San Francisco for years.

It was subtle enough not to take over an elevator but was still present enough to enjoy. I wore it when El Hub and I started dating and eventually wentthrough a couple bottles.

I just always assumed it would be there for me when I wanted to wear it again, but alas, no. I tried to find it online and couldn’t track it down.

Cue the glittery tears!

Discontinued Scent Number 2, STELLA by Stella McCartney

Oh, this one was a beauty — English rose mixed with mandarin and peony with an amber base.

El Hub got me a bottle during our first Christmas together, and I wore it all the time. I should’ve kept it just so I could smell it every once in a while. It reminds me of that carefree era when it was just us.

What discontinued scents do you wish would come back?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Have a terrific Tuesday!

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 796

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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 more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007).

1. Pick one — expensive purse or expensive shoes?

Although I feel like I’d get more use out of an expensive purse, I’d worry too much about losing it or it getting stolen, so shoes it is. Ideally, they’d be comfortable and make my heart sing!

Side note, I saw these sequin boots the other day and thought, “Oooooooh!” They’ve got a four-inch heel, though, so it’s not happening.

2. What’s more important to you in a foundation/base — a long wear time or a natural finish?

Natural finish, please. If it looks heavy at all, I can’t do it.

3. A perfume or a scent that you tried and didn’t like?

Really, there are so many. I like to try scents because you never know if one will work with your body chemistry, so I’m always hopeful, but ugh. There have been many times when I’ve spritzed stuff on and spent the day with a headache or feeling nauseous.

Lemme think. I know a ton of people who love Angel by Thierry Mugler, but it’s a little too sweet and heavy on me. Also back in the day, I tried the Liz Claiborne perfume in the triangle bottle, and it made my head pound for days.

4. Something related to skincare you’d like to try -– a product, procedure, anything!

There’s a new prescription retinoid I’m really interested in that I read about on allure.com that’s supposed to have hydrating ingredients in addition to the tretinoin. Looks promising!

5. Lavender or roses?

Roses. I’d love a few for a vase in my office.

Hello and how’s it going, my friend? I hope Monday has been treating you well.

When I walked Connor to school this morning, I looked up at the clear, blue sky and felt really good – like the week ahead has so much potential.

Small and gentle reminder to make your lists, drink your water and take care of your boundaries. Here’s a *hug* in case you need it, too.

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. Pick one -– expensive purse or expensive shoes?
2. What’s more important to you in a foundation/base — a long wear time or a natural finish?
3. A perfume or a scent that you tried and didn’t like?
4. Something related to skincare you’d like to try — a product, procedure, anything!
5. Lavender or roses?

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 775

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Tabs…

One year on a very special Labor Day, Tabs gave the employees of Tabs the Cat Industries LLC the day off…

I know! This came as a shock to everyone because Labor Day was normally one of the holidays the company did not observe, because Tabs liked to interpret “Labor Day” as meaning “a day to labor,” instead of as a day to celebrate labor by taking a day off. 🤔

Even though I basically ran the office on a day-to-day basis, it was hard to question him. He was, after all, the most successful plus-size kitty supermodel in Novato, California, history, so he obviously knew what he was doing.

Even though Tabs didn’t encourage time off from work (he was a total workaholic), there was one thing he did encourage…

Fashion!

He always dressed to the nines, and he liked to see his employees do it too.

Whether it was clothes, jewels or crowns, there were always people and cats playing dress-up at the office.

Yup, it was a fun place to work.

Rosie…

Nowadays, the office isn’t as “spicy” as it once was, but Rosie has been getting gussied up more often lately. Like today, she had four wardrobe changes!

That cat is definitely improving her style. 😄


Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Saturday Surfing, August 26, 2023!

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Hello, friend! Happy Saturday.

I’m desperately trying to avoid falling into an internet rabbit hole of researching easy marinara sauce recipes with fresh tomatoes. My back deck tomato plant is having a moment, and I have a bumper crop of tomatoes I need to do something with ASAP!

I was contemplating bruschetta or panzanella, but I’m craving pasta. If you have a simple sauce that you like send it this way, please. My future delicious pasta dish and I thank you!

On that note, it’s been a very quiet morning. El Hub and Connor left early to go fishing, so I drank coffee, ate some toast and finished the second season of “And Just Like That,” aka the spin-off to “Sex and the City.”

Have you watched the show? What did you think? I’m dying to talk to someone about it!

Anywho, it was a peaceful and lovely way to start the day. Rosie didn’t mind it, either.

What’s going on with you on this beautiful Caturday? I hope you are doing something nice for yourself today.

This week’s reading


Tips and tricks for hooded lids


This song makes my heart feel good


I feel like I’m here right now


Adding a few to my grocery list this week


I really want to try this

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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