Just For Fun

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. Black liquid liner or brown pencil liner?

I’m equally passionate about both (hello, Clinique Easy Liner and MAC Coffee), so this is a very difficult choice for me…but I’m going to have to go with brown pencil, and here’s why: if I want to, I figure I can make the brown pencil look darker by layering a black or dark brown eyeshadow on top, whereas with the black liquid eyeliner, you can’t really make it lighter.

You know what I’m saying? It’s easier to go from lighter to darker than from darker to lighter.

2. Skincare products you put on your face this morning?

Here we go!

• Fresh Soy Cleanser
• Paula’s Choice BHA
• Lilfox Kalahari Serum, Aloha Youth Serum and Laurel Skin Sun Serum (got these all from a recent Beauty Heroes box)
• Kate Somerville Anti Bac (always and forever)
• Elta MD Clear Sunscreen, which I’m testing this week

3. For tonight, cooking at home or eating out?

I actually don’t mind cooking at all, but I REALLY don’t love the washing dishes part, so tonight, I’d rather go out to eat… We probably won’t, because it’s a school night, but I gotta admit that it’s nice when someone else does all the work!

4. What foundation do you wear when you need your makeup to last?

Estée Lauder Double Wear! — because you can’t go wrong with the O.G.

5. Velvet or lace?

Velvet, because it’s soft, it keeps me warm, and it doesn’t itch!

600 Mondays

G’morning, sweet girl! 😊

As this is the six-hundredth installment of the Monday Poll, that means that we’ve started approximately 11 years (!) of our Monday mornings together. 😺🙌

That’s over a decade of silly ramblings and, of course, pictures of cats.

Can you believe it’s been that long?? Sometimes it feels like I blinked, and BAM! — here we are. So many changes, big and small, both about lipstick and life…

It’s been fun, hasn’t it?

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. Black liquid liner or brown pencil liner?
2. Skincare products you put on your face this morning?
3. For tonight, cooking at home or eating out?
4. What foundation do you wear when you need your makeup to last?
5. Velvet or lace?

P.P.S. To quote the The Golden Girls again on this lovely morning, as I hope I’ve told you often over the years, thank you for being a friend. ❤️

In case you need to reach me, I’ll be at the Michaels in San Rafael, California, because apparently I live there now! 😂

What is it about craft items I technically don’t need but desperately want? — like this Golden Girls cross stitch kit?! Never you mind that I’ve never stitched a cross in my life (?), but I want it anyway.

I’m going again later today to get some frosting tips and bags so I can practice piping cupcakes this weekend. Maybe some more cookie cutters, too, if I find some cute ones.

How about you? What are you up to?

Do you have a few minutes? Because here are some stories that caught my eye this week…

• Everything you ever needed to know about eyebrow extensions (yup, you read that correctly)
• Aaaaaand in this week’s edition of “Celebs Releasing Beauty Brands,” pop singer Kesha has a colorful new vegan makeup line.
• The ultimate starter kit for men 👨 who are interested in wearing makeup but don’t know where to start
• Can you tell if your eye makeup is actually eye-safe?
• The mysterious black cat who stole the show during a Monday Night Football game is still on the loose!
• Super important question —> Is Quilty the cat 😼 an escape artist or a criminal mastermind?
• This famous photographer reveals why David Bowie wore red lipstick. (Side note: I wonder if he wore a matching lip liner, too?)

You’re too cool, Cher!

How pretty are these cupcakes?

Love these updo ideas

I hope you have a good rest of your weekend! Please tell me you’re doing something relaxing and fun. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S.

Oh, and this is kinda random, but you might remember that I tested some long-wearing, sweat-proof makeup to wear to the gym a few months ago, partly because my HIIT teacher asked me to be the gym’s member of the month, which involved us taking pics together during class, hence the makeup?

Well, I totally forgot about it until this week, when I noticed that the “Member of the Month” poster was up, and I’m in the pic! LOL.

I would totally say “no” to this if it weren’t for one thing, because El Hub is very low maintenance.

Very.

I’ve been trying to get the man to use moisturizer and/or sunscreen for about one billion years, and he still rebuffs my efforts.

Be that as it may, there is one beauty-related tip I’ve learned from him, and it’s this: in a pinch, you can totally use shampoo as a body wash. Also, if you’re extra desperate, you can use shampoo as a face wash as well.

I know this because when he and I first moved in together, I used to buy these huge bottles of Bumble & Bumble shampoo and conditioner, and I remember going into the shower one day and noticing that it seemed like I was going through the shampoo faster than usual…so I asked him, “Are you using my shampoo? If you are, I totally don’t mind,” to which he said, “Yeah I am! That soap is really great! Thank you. I use it for everything.”

Wait, wait wait… Soap? I was like, WHAT?! Please don’t use my expensive Bumble & Bumble shampoo as your body wash, man! So, yeah.

Funny thing is, I’ve gone there myself over the years. I’ve used this shampoo-as-a-body-wash trick a few times, both as a body soap and as a shave gel on my legs and armpits, LOL! AND IT WORKS.

So, thank you, El Hub, for that nugget of knowledge. 😊👍

How about you? Have you stolen any beauty secrets from your significant other?

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 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. Is it too early to put up Christmas decorations?

Man…it used to make me really crabby to see Christmas decorations up at stores and stuff and on houses BEFORE Halloween, but now I’m kind of like, “Eh, let ’em live.” It’ll be Thanksgiving in literally (OK, figuratively) the blink of the eye, so if somebody wants to put up their Vegas-style lights already, I’m not gonna hate. It makes my world brighter, so I’m cool with it. I will, however, be waiting until the week before Thanksgiving to put up my Christmas decorations around the house.

2. Skin care or hair care?

Homie, don’t make me choose! — but seeing as how I usually put my hair up and back because it’s part of my dress code at the bakery, I’ll pick skin care… I’ve been all about moisturizing potions lately.

3. Hot chocolate or hot tea?

Mmm… Seeing as how I discuss my sweet tooth often, you might think I’d lean more toward hot chocolate, but I actually prefer hot tea.

Basically, I’m picky about my hot chocolate. I don’t like when it doesn’t taste chocolaty and all you can taste is sugar, and I also don’t like when there isn’t any milk in it, so you don’t get that sensation of milk coating your tongue (I know, such a weirdo). Also not my fave: when the marshmallows are too big, or when there are too many marshmallows… Point is, I’m really picky about my hot chocolate, and I’m less picky about tea (just please leave the bag in there for at least five minutes).

4. What’s the best/worst thing about “adulting”?

The best thing? Being able to make decisions for myself (good or bad ones) and know that they’re 100% my decisions, because there wasn’t a lot of that happening in my family growing up (Asian tiger parents and all).

And the worst thing? UGH, when you find yourself in a situation where all of your options are sh*tty, LOL! So like you have to pick between the least sh*tty option… That sucks! Oh, and paying bills, of course. Oh, and knowing that you have to “adult” for the rest of your life because there’s no turning back!

5. Are you the type of person who needs a list when you go grocery shopping, or do you like to wing it when you get there?

Girl, please. Give me a list; otherwise, I’ll throw all sorts of nonsense into my cart and promptly forget to buy all of the important things.

Sing it loud

Heya! Monday is the best day… Yes, I just sang that out loud, I hope you know, and I’m doing it because I’m trying to psych myself up to have a great week.

You gotta do what you gotta do, right?

Also, after the fires and power outages last week…this week has to be better! Heck, I’m just happy to be in my house again and able to turn on the lights… It’s the little things, really.

How are you doing this morning? Did you turn all your clocks back?

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. Is it too early to put up Christmas decorations?
2. Skin care or hair care?
3. Hot chocolate or hot tea?
4. What’s the best/worst thing about “adulting”?
5. Are you the type of person who needs a list when you go grocery shopping, or do you like to wing it when you get there?

P.P.S. In case someone hasn’t told you lately, you’re brave and you’re tough. ❤️