Karen

Saturday Surfing, May 15, 2021

May 15th, 2021 by Karen 4 Comments

olive june kmc swatch — I’m wearing two layers of Olive & June Nail Polish in KMC, along with one layer of the Olive & June Top Coat

Hiya, happy Caturday from me and my freshly painted paws. 💅 Turns out that Olive & June Nail Polish in KMC is more of a mint green than a jade green, but I’m not mad at it, because I did this mani without wearing my glasses, so I was as blind as a bat (living on the edge!), and it still turned out OK. Good on you, Olive & June!

You can see the polish again in this pic, along with what will forever be known as “the baguette that crushed my cool French girl dreams…”

baker cook baguette — I love you, bread.

Case in point:

Yesterday I went to a local Sonoma spot called Baker & Cook and ordered a baguette, a lemon bar and a banana muffin. This loaf was in my possession for three whole minutes before I greedily gobbled down the exposed end.

IT WAS SO SOFT!

And so, so fresh… I couldn’t help myself.

It was then that I realized I would never be a chic French gal riding around on a bike with a baguette tucked neatly under her arm, because I would eat the bread before even getting on the damn bike, ha ha ha.

I hope you have some really delicious fresh bread this weekend, because let me tell ya, good bread is a revelation.

This week’s reading

Dig, if you will, a picture of a Prince-themed makeup collection by Urban Decay. All I have to say is that there better be something in it called Raspberry Beret!
Fast-fashion retailer Zara just launched a makeup line.
Speaking of makeup collaborations, here’s a new one with the movie Clueless. AS IF!
It’s been a minute, but I’m still fan-girling over Daniel Martin’s work on Meghan Markle for the royal wedding.
In case you wanna look like Cruella…
11 mineral sunscreen options!
Allegedly, these mineral sunscreens don’t leave a white cast.
Oh, and if you’ve got a deeper skin tone, you might want to check these sunscreens out.
Here’s how to tell if your sunscreen’s expired.
An introduction to cat @sshole behaviors.
In case you were wondering if any male celebs have launched nail polish lines lately, the answer is yes.
Fun fact: Penelope Cruz likes to cut hair.
Keep an eye out for this new vegan, Black-owned nail polish line at Nordstrom.
Tips and tricks to dry any type of hair.

Justine Bateman is a rock star.

This was very insightful.

Why am I not in a parking garage dancing with these guys?!

Yum.

Teach me your ways!

Let’s get organized.

Shake your groove thang.

Note to self…

More to add to the list

What’s the plan for the rest of the weekend?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The Magic That Is the Samnyte Hair Finishing Stick, and a Friday Face of the Day With Bliss Block Star Sunscreen

May 14th, 2021 by Karen 11 Comments

First of all, I took these pics in the garden of the place we’re staying at in Sonoma just as a bunch of dudes in man buns walked by…so if I’m looking slightly amused, that’s why. 🙂

Second, what sorcery IS this? Meet the best dang product ever to tame your cray-cray flyaways — the Samnyte Finishing Stick.

I’ve always struggled to tame those tiny baby hairs around my face. I’ve clipped ’em down, coated them with flexible paste, and sprayed the living sh*t outta them with hairspray, but all of those would-be solutions left me wanting; my hair still always ended up sticking up and out every which way. Plus, adding more product usually made my bangs and roots look greasier, heavier or flakier…

NOT A CUTE LOOK!

The Samnyte Finishing stick is a magic wand! It’s a clear, quick drying, extra strong hair gel in a tube with a curved mascara wand. Just a few quick strokes through my baby hairs, and each and every wayward flyaway lines up neatly in place.

samnyte finishing stick before — The before shot, with some stray hairs shooting through

samnyte hair stick review — Put a bit on the bangs…

samntye finishing stick after — And here is the after. So smooth!

Here’s the kicker: even though those baby hairs still get tossed around by wind and the occasional Legally Blonde bend and snap, they’ll eventually, more or less, fall back into place. I just pat them down with my finger or a little more of the gel if I have it around (since it’s shaped like a mascara wand, it’s portable).

The gel also dries to a matte finish, so your hair doesn’t end up looking all shiny and crunchy like those ‘80s hair bears. Added bonus? Two tubes are just $8 on Amazon. Me and my baby hairs are forever changed.

While we’re at it, I actually put on makeup!

Item #12 on the list of “All the Ga-Jillion Ways the Pandemic Changed Me” is that days (weeks?) would pass without me putting on any makeup. One unexpected bonus, though, to not wearing as much face paint was that I got so much better about wearing sunscreen.

In these pics I’m wearing two layers of Bliss Block Star, a tinted physical mineral sunscreen as my base! I used the “two finger rule,” which is when you squeeze two strips of sunscreen from the tip to the base of the index and middle fingers, to apply the first layer to my face and neck, waited 15 minutes for it to set, then applied a second layer, again using the two finger rule.

Once the second layer set (I waited about 5 minutes), I applied eyeshadow, liner, blush, sheer under-eye concealer, brow pencil and liquid lipstick.

I haven’t worn this much makeup regularly in a while, and even though I know it wasn’t a lot compared to what I used to wear back in the day (like, 2019, HAHAHA), it still felt like a lot. Craziness.

BTW, I’m falling more and more in love with Bliss Block Star every day. If you’re looking for a super sheer base that leaves your skin smooth and matte, I think you’ll love it. All kinds of makeup seems to layer well on top of it, too — powder, gel, cream, liquid, you name it.

Like foundation or tinted moisturizer, though, you have to be careful about it getting on your clothes because it does have a tint. If I reapply it during the day (usually at lunch, and then again in the late afternoon), I use a different sunscreen on my neck and chest.

Right now my go-to of choice is Sun Bum SPF 70 Sunscreen Spray because it’s clear, so it doesn’t stain my shirts, and it feels light on my skin.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!!! 🙂

Target Adventures! Billion Dollar Beauty, Jason Wu, Olive & June and SO MANY TWEEZERS

May 13th, 2021 by Karen 19 Comments

Some exciting finds from Target, like this build-your-own palette by Billion Dollar Beauty

Random unsolicited beauty advice for the day: ALWAYS REMEMBER TO PACK YOUR TWEEZERS.

You’re going to laugh at me… We’re staying in Sonoma for a few days while our house is being worked on (and by “we,” I mean all of us, including Rosie the Cat!). Of course, me being me, I did some last-minute “panic packing,” which means throwing everything I could grab into my luggage, including all of the stuff I like to have around but probably won’t use because all I’ve been wearing lately is sunscreen — random neutral palettes I haven’t worn in years, foundation, liquid lipsticks, etc.

Anywho, the first night we get here, I’m lying down in bed trying to fall asleep, when I touch my chin and realize that 1) there’s a stiff, stubby renegade hair; and 2) I didn’t pack any tweezers.

NOOOOOO!

I went to Target the next day to find a pair, and, incidentally, the beauty section had a shocking number of hair removal tools, ranging from pricy (Tweezerman, which are BOMB) to mid-range (Japonesque) to super-duper budget-friendly (Trim).

I’m usually a Tweezerman girl, but I couldn’t resist the Japonesque ones because they look like mini works of art! I ended up with these $6 point tweezers, which swiftly remedied my stubble situation.

Not exactly tweezer related, but does anyone else find this Trim Blemish Removing Tool terrifying…? It looks like something that belongs on a dentist’s exam tray!

If you use this tool and love it, please fill me in on how to use it.

While I was there, I also looked around, of course (it seemed like the right thing to do), and I was pleasantly surprised by all of the new brands I’d never seen before.

This brand called Billion Dollar Beauty looks really cool. They sell an empty palette and individual makeup pans, so you build your own palette from scratch! Everything is pretty affordable, too.

Aren’t the colors pretty? I love the wide range of useful neutrals. I’m saving my lunch money to build my own palette (or palettes?) ASAP.

Oh, please excuse the sad state of my nails. I didn’t have the chance to remove the tow-up remainder of a recent Chanel New Dawn manicure, and that’s probably why I ended up up grabbing these polish removing pads…

I also got a grayish-green shade called KMC, along with a top coat from a new-to-me brand called Olive & June. 😬

I saw my favorite Honest Beauty palette right across from the Olive & June display, by the way! If you haven’t tried it yet, you better get on it ASAP. I actually wore it last night out to dinner (, along with my Bliss Block Star Tinted Sunscreen), and I still love it.

Isn’t the Jason Wu packaging gorgeous?

See anything you like? I’m most excited about the Billion Dollar Beauty and Olive & June lines.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sunscreen Roundup, Part 3: Bliss Block Star Invisible Daily Sunscreen SPF30, Aveeno Positively Mineral Sensitive Skin Sunscreen SPF 50 for Face, Coppertone Water Babies Fragrance Free SPF 50

May 12th, 2021 by Karen 9 Comments

I’ve been trying quite a few new sunscreens lately, and this is a new series reviewing the hits and misses!

For more, check out:

Sunscreen Roundup, Part 1: Neutrogena Invisible Daily Defense Lotion Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 60+, CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 Sheer Tint and Paula’s Choice Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid Broad Spectrum SPF 50

Sunscreen Roundup, Part 2: La Roche-Posay Broad Spectrum Anthelios 60 SPF 60 Melt-In Sunscreen Milk and Sunscreen Lotion Spray, and the Sun Bum Broad Spectrum SPF 70 Sunscreen Lotion and Spray

Hi, friend! Happy hump day to ya. 🙂

These are the last of the sunscreens I’ve been testing and trying. How long that statement is true remains to be seen, because I’m always on the lookout for more.

I’ve got some good ones for you (hello, Bliss Block Star), but before we get to that…do you remember the old sunscreen song by Baz Luhrmann?

SPF 1000, what the what?!

I remember the first time I heard it… I was driving across the Bay Bridge at an obscene hour in the morning after a long night of dancing in San Francisco. I was listening to Live 105 on full blast to stay awake, and I liked the song so much that, the next day, I went to (wait for it) A CD STORE — remember those! — to track it down.

I haven’t heard the song in forever, and I gotta say, it resonates differently at 45 than it did at 24. OMG! Anyway, give it a listen…

Bliss Block Star Invisible Daily Sunscreen SPF30

“Hey, now! You’re a block star. Get your game on, go play.
Hey, now! You’re a block star. Get the show on, get paid.
And all that glitters is gold;
Only shooting stars break the mold.”

SORRY, GIRL, but I had to do it. 🙂 This song burrows its way into my brain whenever I pick up Block Star, which, by the way, is the newest item to join the Bliss permanent lineup. It’s a physical sunscreen, and, like all of the items in Bliss’s skin care collection, this tinted mineral sunscreen is cruelty-free.

I wore it on my mug the other day when El Hub hugged me, and he said, “You smell really good.”

Good sign!

It smells like lavender, and it lingers for about 15 minutes or so. I like it, and apparently so do the peeps in my circle!

The tan tint is a surprise. It appears lighter and peachier than the CeraVe tinted mineral sunscreen, so I assumed it wouldn’t work for someone like myself with tan skin, but it completely disappears after you rub it in.

There’s a slight cast at first…but after it sets (about 10 minutes), it disappears, and all that’s left is a smooth, matte finish.

This lotion feels silky, and I don’t feel like I have to jump through any hoops to get my skin to absorb it, likely due to the inclusion of dimethicone. If you’re a fan of that distinctively smooth, silicone-style slip, you’ll probably like how this feels on your skin.

I also like how it doesn’t burn or sting my eyes, and that I can layer it throughout the day. It’s an extremely easy sunscreen to touch up and reapply with, and I think it’s even easier to use than the CeraVe.

If you’re debating between the CeraVe and Block Star, I’d say go for Block Star if you like lavender and like the feeling of a “silicone slip,” and opt for CeraVe if moisture is your top priority. Both are solid choices, IMO, and you can’t go wrong with either.

A 1.4-oz. tube is $19.99 at Target. Definitely going to keep this in the rotation.

Coppertone Water Babies Fragrance Free SPF 50

As far as affordable sunscreen options, this one costs less than 10 bucks, and you get 6 ounces, woot! This fragrance-free chemical sunscreen is pretty darn good. I’ve used this for face and body, and it doesn’t irritate my peepers. Connor has also used it and agrees.

If you’re looking for a budget-friendlier option to La-Roche Posay Melt In Milk, this might be a good alternative, because like the Melt In Milk, it’s moisturizing, as far as sunscreens go, and it actually lasts throughout the day, but I don’t think the formula is as “elegant,” meaning that it takes much longer to rub in and absorb, and it feels thicker and stickier than Melt In Milk…

You also might want to patch test this first if you plan on wearing it on your face. I haphazardly put a layer on my mug one day when I was rushing to get Connor to a playdate, and I broke out shortly afterwards, boo!

A 6-oz bottle is $8.99 at Target. I’ll definitely buy this again because I like it as a body sunscreen, especially for the price, but I would exercise caution as a face sunscreen if your skin tends to break out.

Shiseido Clear Stick UV Protection Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ WetForce

I saw a sh*t-ton of these clear, chemical sunscreens sticks at the cash wrap at The Rack a couple weeks ago and picked one up on a whim, and now I get why — it looks like it’s being discontinued.

My feelings are totally mixed about this product… On one hand, I love the convenience of it. The shape and size make it perfect for sticking in a pocket or a purse, so that makes it really easy to reapply during the day. I just unscrew the top, run the stick directly across my skin (it leaves behind a thin, non-sticky film), then rub it in more with my hands.

It’s clear, so there’s no white cast or stain, and the light, lemony scent is delightful but not overwhelming. I also like the matte finish.

Problem is…it just doesn’t stay on all that well! The film never truly sinks into my skin and just sits on top, so it ends up rubbing off on whatever I come into contact with. I’ve worn it on my arms, hands and feet, and it doesn’t seem to do really all that much when it comes to actual, ya know…sun protection.

A 0.52-oz. stick is $28 at Nordstrom Rack, and online at shiseido.com (for now). I’m not going to buy this again, and I don’t even think I’m going to finish it, either, TBH. 🙁

Aveeno Positively Mineral Sensitive Skin Sunscreen SPF 50 for Face

Gotta love how affordable this physical sunscreen is for face. A 2-oz. tube is less than $10! Those who prefer their face sunscreen without a whiff of tropical fruit notes may also enjoy how its faint sunscreen-y scent fades quickly.

Unfortunately for this latte-colored lady, the white cast is pretty visible on tan skin. When I wear the recommended amount, my face and neck turn into the most interesting a purplish gray… Very Addams Family! It also feels heavy and slightly greasy when it’s sitting on my skin.

A 2-oz. tube is $9.97 at Target, and although the price is SO RIGHT, I really can’t see myself finishing this tube or buying it again. It’s not bad…but it’s not great either.

Take care of your skin, ya hear?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

5 Things I’ve Been Loving Lately

May 11th, 2021 by Karen 10 Comments

pink reading glasses — I can see clearly now!

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.

pink reading glasses nordstrom rack — This is what happens when your hair is crazy and you’re only wearing sunscreen and you just go with it…

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.