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Random things I’m excited about at the moment.

• Comfy shoes. I’m wearing my Vans with the makeup print today.
• Cooler weather around the corner. It was foggy in my neck of the woods this morning for the first time in a long time! YAY!
• All the sheer and medium foundation and tinted moisturizer choices out there.
• All the shades of foundation and tinted moisturizer available in this day and age! Take it from a brown girl who survived the ’90s… Times were tough back then. LOL!
• Fried chicken. Honestly, I never really liked it until I had the Northern Fried Mary’s Chicken with a salad at Blue Barn restaurant in Novato. I wonder what makes it “Northern Fried?” Hmmm. Whatever, it’s good. I like how it’s not hella greasy and the breading isn’t overly thick.
• Coffee. Always coffee! I’m already salivating at the thought of a second cup of Nespresso.
• A new season. Anyone else have kind of a rough summer? I’m ready to move on.
• The fact that we’re alive today! Think of all the people out there today wishing they had more time. Dang, that always puts me in my place whenever I start feeling cranky about small things.
• The cute quail family that moved into my neighborhood recently. There’s, like, 16 of ’em. They’re so cute when they sprint across the roads with their tiny little legs, awww. I hope the neighborhood cats leave them alone.
• Resting. GIRL. I get to Thursday and Friday and I am done. JUST. DONE. I can’t wait to rest this weekend.

What things are you excited about right meow?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

Happy Tuesday, friend! I realize we’re already halfway through the day, but I had a presentation earlier and spent the morning prepping for it. (It went well, by the way!)

Whenever I have to do something big for work, I always like to have a little bit of armor on via makeup. This red lip and glittery bronze lid helped me feel ready. 🙂

I’m so bummed about this cream glitter shadow from Hourglass. I bought it back in February and it’s already falling apart. 🙁

My hope was that it would be a dupe for Chanel’s legendary New Moon glitter shadow, but nope. I probably won’t be buying another one anytime soon.

On a completely unrelated note, here’s a list of stuff I’ve been watching lately, just in case you need some screen time!

Trying (Apple TV)

A sweet comedy/drama following the ups and downs of a British couple on their journey to become parents.

The characters make me want to believe that there’s still sweetness and wonder in the world.

Surface (Apple TV)

A mystery surrounds a woman who loses her memory in a traumatic way! This show is like a “Lifetime” movie kicked up several notches, and while it’s borderline unbearable at times, I just can’t look away.

It’s set in San Francisco, so Bay Area people, prepare yourself for mental anguish as the main character, played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw, traipses all over town with bare shoulders and no light jacket in sight.

Purple Hearts (Netflix)

It’s hard to pin this Netflix movie into a neat category. It’s part drama, romance, musical AND war story all wrapped up in one. The gist — two very different people (opposites attract!) enter into a faux marriage, and chaos ensues.

External forces threatening to ruin their lives turn up the pressure, which keeps the story moving. If you’re a softie, expect to shed a tear or two (I did).

Wedding Season (Netflix)

A charming rom-com about two people with meddling parents who are desperate to get their children hitched.

I really enjoyed this and plan on watching it again.

Indian Matchmaking (Netflix)

This show follows a Mumbai-based matchmaker, Sima, who helps singles all over the world find their marriage partners.

Warning: Prepare to be sucked in at an alarming rate!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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).

Monday Poll Back-to-School Fall 2022 Edition

1. Name a scent (or scents) you wore back in your school days.

In high school I was all about Cover Girl Navy and YSL Paris. I also really liked Exclamation and Debbie Gibson’s Electric Youth (whoa, throwbacks!), but I knew too many people who wore them so I didn’t go there, although I really wanted to. In college I wore Estee Lauder Pleasures, Clinique Happy and Juniper Breeze Body Lotion from Bath & Body Works. Funny thing I remember about Bath & Body Works “flavors.” There was an unwritten rule that if your roommate wore a certain scent, you couldn’t, so even if you liked Country Apple, if your roommate claimed it first, then you had to find something else.

2. Were you into decorating your school locker?

I have a vague recollection of doing it in middle school and for freshman year in high school. I remember cutting out pictures from magazines and putting them up with tape and thinking how cool I was, LOL! I wonder if kids still do that.

3. What school activities did you do?

I geeked out in the band SO HARD you don’t even know. LOL! I was also on the high school paper during my senior year, too; honestly, it was nothing anybody took seriously. Nobody really cared about having a byline. You joined the paper because you got an extra lunch period!

4. How often did you take the bus to school?

I took the bus during my first couple years in high school, and man, that was some scary sh*t. Public school transportation will teach you things real fast. It was like “Lord of the Flies,” no joke. I was quiet and shy and insecure, but luckily I had friends whom you did not mess with, which helped me get through that era without any major incident.

5. Did you go to your high school reunion?

Nah. Didn’t feel the need. My friend still Cindy keeps in touch with a group of people from that era, so if/when there’s news, she’ll loop me in with what’s going on.

6. Describe your high school hairstyle in five words.

Big, curly, stiff, time consuming.

7. Your high school makeup essentials?

Corn Silk Pressed Powder (remember that?), Coty Airspun Loose Powder, all the liquid foundations that were way too beige and made my skin look grey, Revlon Toast of New York Lipstick and Cherries in the Snow Lipstick, Wet ‘n’ Wild 666 Lip Liner, Clinique Lipstick and Blush…

8. How concerned were you about photos on picture day?

Probably too concerned. LOL! I remember obsessing over possible “looks” for weeks.

9. Some advice to those going back to school this fall?

When you’re taking school pictures, remember to put some powder on to take down the shiny spots. Also, your school years go by faster than you think! Try to enjoy this season in your life as much as you can. It won’t last forever.

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. Name a scent (or scents) you wore back in your school days.
2. Were you into decorating your school locker?
3. What school activities did you do?
4. How often did you take the bus to school?
5. Did you go to your high school reunion?
6. Describe your high school hairstyle in five words.
7. Your high school makeup essentials?
8. How concerned were you about photos on picture day?
9. Some advice to those going back to school this fall?

P.P.S. Hey, beautiful girl. This week is going to be a good one for us. I can just feel it! 🤗

Good morning, beautiful! Happy, happy Saturday. Getting a slow start this morning because this week was A LOT, and I’m officially tapped out. Connor was home with me all week long, so between writing snappy headlines and marketing campaign briefs, I was playing with her.

Her favorite things to do at the moment are drawing on the street with chalk and playing a game she calls “wild children.” How does one play “wild children?” Well, thank you for asking. It involves some combination of running around the grassy area in our circle without shoes, looking for four-leaf clovers, gathering sticks, not falling into a dangerous imaginary river and occasionally pretending to free the neighbor’s parrot from jail. In all these scenarios, I’m always the little sister, who also happens to be a toddler. *shrugs*

Don’t ask me why this requires so much mental and physical energy! Let’s just say you’ve crossed a bridge when you need to drink lots of coffee in order to keep up with a six-year-old child, LOL!

On one hand, I’m so tired, but on the other hand, I’m enjoying this time with her.

I know that soon enough the scenario will be so different, and I’ll be drinking coffee to stay awake while I wait up for her to come home for curfew.

I have a quick question for those of you out there with an only child, or those who were an only child. One thing I’m constantly thinking about is how to help Connor from feeling lonely.

I mean, having a sibling didn’t stop me from feeling lonely while I was growing up; my brother and I are six years apart and didn’t have much in common. Plus, I was wildly jealous of all the leeway my parents gave him because he was the baby and a boy — but that’s another story for another time. Still, my brother and I share the same sense of humor, and we also have the same memories of growing up in our family.

I have absolutely no more plans for another kid, so Connor won’t have that shared experience with anyone. How do I give something like to her? Can I do anything to help avoid feeling lonely?

If you have any advice, I would love to hear it.

Anywho, onto this week’s reading!

• How stolen cultural beauty practices feed viral videos.
• Chanel’s new nail polish collection is all about inclusive nude shades.
• Ingredient to look for and avoid if your hair is wavy.
• Wait, Sun-In (the hair lightener that transformed many a dark mane at my middle school into various shades of brassy orange) is still around?
• The best products to help stimulate hair growth, according to a dermatologist.
• A manifestation magic manicure is a thing.
• Um, just in case you want to revisit the ’90s skinny brow!

Fancy lady stuff!

I’m feeling this vibe.

Go on, Miss Patti!

Seriously. The. Best.

French street style.

By the way, it was really fun chatting with you this week. Have a great rest of your Saturday!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are a few things missing in the pic above because I’ve been trying to get better about removing unnecessary items right away, and it didn’t occur to me while I was putting everything in the recycling that I should probably take a picture first. Le sigh!

Anywho, here are (most of) my recent empties.

• R+Co Sun Catcher Power C Boosting Leave-In Conditioner – I liked this because it’s lightweight and does a decent job of hydrating my hair, but I probably won’t buy it again because I go through it too quickly.
• KORRES Foaming Cream Cleanser – An old standby cleanser for hot, sweaty summers! I use this when my skin is on the oilier side.
• BSG Kids Moisturizing Sunscreen Lotion for Face and Body SPF 50 – This feels so sheer and lightweight on my legs, neck and arms. No stickiness whatsoever. I will rebuy, for sure.
• Avene Solaire Mineral Sunscreen – My boo. LOL!
• Bumble & Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Shampoo, Conditioner and Heat/UV Protective Primer – I like this line a lot and finished all the products to the very last drop, but it’s so pricey. I’m gonna chill from it for a bit and switch to drugstore to save some money.
• Keys Soulcare Rich Nourishing Body Cream – If you’re looking for a rich balm for super dry skin, this is so good.

I can’t wait to see your empties in the comments below!

On an unrelated note…

I have to read this book for a work team bonding session that’s happening soon. Have you read it?

Most of my reading is either fiction or about writing, so this is new for me. I want to know if it’s good!

Hope you’re having a nice Thursday so far.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen