Search Results for: 5 things

1. Prive Revaux Eyewear Reading Glasses

Got these at THE RACK because I’m tired of staring at my phone and having everything be hella blurry! Usually, these reading glasses are $40 at full price, but I found this lightweight pink pair for $13! I saw lots of blue-light blocking glasses in lots of cute frames, too.

2. Old Navy Eva Slides in the Big Leopard Print

Leopard print is a neutral! I saw one of Connor’s teachers wearing these cute leopard slides, and so when she told me to run-don’t-walk to Old Navy, I promptly heeded her advice. These are cute, and the arch support is decent, although I wouldn’t go walking around Disneyland all day in them or anything… They’re fine for errands and camping.

I suspect they’re only built to last one summer, though, because some of the print along the edges of the slides has already started peeling off. I’m not crabby about it, but I think I’ll eventually try to find a similar one that’s more durable.

3. The beauty section at the Old Navy cash wrap

Speaking of Old Navy, the beauty section located near the cash wrap is LIT. They don’t have a ton of brands, but the ones that are there (in the store in my town, at least) are stocked. I saw quite a few things from Pacifica, e.l.f., Burt’s Bees and a perfume brand that’s new to me called Kindred Goods.

4. Shirts with sun protection UPF50

Apparently, I’ve somehow ended up on a mission to have absolutely no rays of sun touch my skin over the next few months, LOL! I’ve been browsing and bookmarking long-sleeve shirts with UPF50 sun protection. I’m on the hunt for affordable, lightweight and cute shirts.

I like that these breezy, comfy-looking Under Armor shirts are only $35. It gets really hot where I live in Northern Marin County, and the sweat-wicking material would be helpful.

The curved hem and thumbholes in the Athleta Uptempto top are nice touches. Lots of colors to choose from, too.

They’re $69 each, which is out of my budget, but if I can find one on sale, I’ll pounce!

5. The Jetsetters, by Amanda Eyre Ward

Last night I started this book and had to force myself to put it down, so I could go to sleep! This fiction novel is about a woman in her 70s, Charlotte, and her three estranged adult children; Charlotte enters an essay contest and wins an international trip as a prize. She then invites her kids to join her, and shenanigans ensue.

What’ve you been loving lately?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

1. Embracing the straw visor

OK, I know, I know. A week ago I was solidly against the oversized packable straw visor, mostly because it reminded me of my glamorous grandma and all of her homies back in the day, but then I watched this favorites video by Dr. Dray (she’s a dermatologist, and she is all about sun protection). She mentions how much she loves her packable straw visor because she can put her hair up in a bun on the top of her head while she wears it! YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW MIND BLOWING THIS WAS TO ME.

Since my hair is past my shoulders, it’s always a struggle to figure out where to put my bun or ponytail when I’ve got a hat on. I end up wearing buns/ponytails low on the back of my head, but I don’t really love that because then my hair sits against the back of my neck, and I get really hot. Anyway, I ended up going back to Nordstrom rack and grabbing the visor for $15, and I LOVE IT. I wore it today to go hiking, and my hair was off my neck, and it felt really good.

2. Finding Rosie in the weirdest places

She’s been getting creative lately with her napping spots. Here’s her new favorite hiding place: Connor’s old play mat, where she keeps some of her stuffed animals (Connor, not Rosie).

3. The radio station Q-102.1

I try not to get too attached to any radio station here in the SF Bay area because the ones I love just seem to always disappear mysteriously! Seriously, one day you get in your car, turn up your favorite ’90s hip-hop throwback station expecting to hear Lil’ Kim, but then you hear the screech of guitars from a speed metal band instead.

Anyway, I was flipping through the channels in my car the other day, and this station is one of a handful I can actually tolerate. In the span of 10 minutes, I heard Wham’s Careless Whisper, Mariah’s Emotions and 2Pac’s California Love. GLORIOUS!

4. TJ’s Traditional French Brie with sliced Opal apples

THIS COMBO, OMG! After you try it, you’ll love me and hate me at the same time. Eating apples with brie is really nothing new, but the TJ’s Traditional French Brie will take your breath away. It’s what I like to call “a funkier brie,” so it’s got that pungent, smelly toes aspect to it (which I love), and it’s just so, so soft and creamy. When you eat it with sliced yellow Opal apples, goodness gracious, it’s a heavenly experience.

5. Keeping a small army of sunscreens on hand

I’m earnestly trying very hard to be diligently wearing sunscreen (that’s a lot of adverbs!). I’ve read that it helps to keep a variety of formulas and types on hand, and that’s what I’ve been doing lately.

I think it’s working for me! Previously, I would only keep one or two bottles around the house, but now that I have a bunch of them on hand, it’s been easier to remember to wear sunscreen, especially when I have different options available (spray, lotion, even stick sunscreen) to suit how lazy I’m feeling at any particular moment. Also, now I know I’ll always have some on hand! I used to always wait until I finished a bottle before getting a new one, but now I just always have sunscreen around. It’s kinda cool!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy hump day. 🤗

1. These pink trees

I wish I knew what kind of trees these are because they’re blooming all over Marin County right now. Only thing is…I think I might be wildly allergic to the flowers, because every time I stand next to one I start sneezing and get a stuffy nose.

Aren’t they beautiful though?! I wish I had one in my front yard.

2. Trader Joe’s Almond Butter-Filled Pretzel Nuggets

Pretzels nuggets stuffed with almond butter might sound basic, but gosh, these are wildly addicting. Salty and sweet, and that pretzel crunch is so satisfying. It’s almost too easy to eat the entire bag in one sitting.

3. Swiffer Dusters Heavy Duty Super Extender

WHERE HAS THIS BEEN ALL MY LIFE?

This cleaning gadget is a long pole that extends to six feet long; on the ends are two heavy duty Swiffer Dusters, which are these awesome fluffy disposable dusting mitts that grab each and every piece of dirt within striking distance.

I’ve been using my Heavy Duty Extender to clean and dust everything — walls, ceilings, blades on the ceiling fans, windows, light fixtures on the ceiling, shelves, even the very tops of the door frames and doors. It’s also great for quickly dusting baseboards because you don’t have to bend down or get on your knees.

Make sure you get the one that extends to six feet, though, because there’s also a shorter version, which works too, but having that extra length sure helps! I think the longer one takes it to the next level.

4.All the body creams (especially the exfoliating ones)

Give me rich creams! Especially the exfoliating ones with all the AHAs and BHAs. I wanna shed those layers of skin, quite literally!

Of course, the former English major in me is interpreting this to symbolically mean that I’m yearning to leave behind all of the crusty metaphorical layers of the last year, ha!

I’m currently rotating among First Aid Beauty KP Smoothing Body Lotion With 10% AHA, Eucerin Intensive Repair Lotion with AHA, Bloom Effects Tulip Nectar Skin Repair Body Balm and Pixi Glycolic Body Lotion.

5. My NARS Pro Palette with all of the classic eye colors

I made this eye palette back in 2015 (!), and yes, I still love and use it.

Side note: I’m not entirely convinced that one needs to replace their powder shadows as often as brands and beauty mags claim we do. All of the powder products in my palette still work great and don’t smell funky or seem “off,” so I’m going to keep using them, but you know, you do you, boo.

Anyway, I have all of the classic, old-school NARS colors in it, and of all the NARS palettes I’ve ever used, this is the only one I still wear often.

I’m thinking that from this point onward, eye palettes that allow me to hand pick my own colors are the way to go. That way there’s no dead weight!

What have you been loving lately?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

1. My So Called Life on Hulu

Oh, Angela Chase and all her teenage drama!

I used to love this show back in the day, and what’s interesting to me now, watching it as a full-blown adult, is the parents… DANG. They look *really* young! I remember watching this show as a teen/young adult and the parents looking, like, you know, regular parents — the people who would send you to your room and ground you if you got too sassy.

And oh, the ’90s fashion. All the high-waisted jeans and the floral dresses! It makes me wish I would’ve saved more of my ’90s wardrobe.

I like to imagine where Angela, Rickie and Rayanne ended up in life… Perhaps they Zoomed together during quarantine? LOL!

2. Chanel Ultra Le Teint Ultrawear All-Day Comfort Flawless Finish Foundation

Well, this foundation from Chanel is just lovely! It’s a full-coverage, soft matte foundation that feels comfy and lasts all day. I like how natural it looks on my skin, how it doesn’t feel heavy and how easily it blends. It’s also available in 30 shades.

3. The soundtrack to Kipo and the Age of the Wonderbeasts

So, I’ve actually never watched a full episode of this animated show, only bits and pieces because it’s always on at our house. El hub and Connor are obsessed with it! The parts I’ve seen are hilarious and very clever, so eventually I’ll watch it, but for now I’m all about the music. The soundtrack is really good. Catchy and totally dance-able, and full of songs I wish were on the radio, but for unknown reasons are not.

4. Universal Thread Sleeveless Knit Dress

I just got this $20 dress from Target in black, and I’m excited to wear it to the pool and the beach when the weather gets warmer. First of all, 20 bucks! Second, it’s 100% cotton, and the cotton feels good, too. It’s soft, relatively thick, and it skims the body nicely.

5. The front tuck and the half tuck

While we’re on the subject of clothes, I’ve been wearing my button-up (button-down?) shirts like this lately, and all I have to say is why didn’t I discover this sooner?

I feel like I definitely look taller and leaner when I wear my shirts this way. Let the front tuck and half tuck change your life, babe!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

1. Whole Foods Four Cheese Thin Crust Pizza

Otherwise known as “Magic Pizza.” If you’re in the mood for easy meals, and/or you’re too tired to deal with the mechanics of cooking dinner, chances are anyone within the perimeter will inhale this cheesy masterpiece. Conner always asks for seconds (sometimes thirds), WHICH SHE NEVER DOES, EVER! I like it too.

The cheese marvelously melts like actual, real cheese, and it isn’t too oily. The thin crust feels more substantial than Saltine crackers, too, and the red sauce has some sweetness and very little bite, which is why I think it’s a been a hit here.

2. Paula’s Choice Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid Broad Spectrum SPF 50

SUPER GOOD. It’s lightweight, absorbs quickly, layers well under makeup, AND it’s moisturizing. Best of all, it doesn’t leave a visible white cast behind.

3. Odele Leave-In Conditioner

This got me through the most challenging period of crazy pandemic hair. To say that I love it would be an understatement of epic proportions! It does a little bit of everything, and does it all well — smooths frizz, detangles knots, and drenches hair with a deluge of moisture. And it does it all without weighing hair down or heavily coating it with anything.

4. Cat & Jack Stevie Lemon Sneakers

These toddler/kids shoes are super cute in person. They’re sparkly, bright and cheerful. I got a pair for Connor, and she loves them! If there’s a little girl in your life, grab a pair if you can.

5. Lucky Brand Classic One Pocket Shirt

The white button-up (or button-down, if you will) shirt I got recently on sale is 50% off now on the Lucky website! I usually wear a size Small (4 or 6), but I sized up to Medium because I didn’t want to have to deal with the buttons gaping open. I also wanted the option to layer things under or over it without the arms feeling too tight.

It’s more of a casual than a dressy white shirt, which is what I wanted too. I love it!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF! 🙂