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5 Things I’ve Been Loving Lately

January 26th, 2021 by Karen 6 Comments

duri burgundy charade
Nails of the week: Duri Burgundy Charade

1. Painting my nails with Duri polish

This week’s color is Burgundy Charade — which I pronounce “Sha-RHAD,” emphasis on “RHAD,” because lately the only voice I hear in my head is Moira’s on Schitt’s Creek. HAHAHA!


BEBE!

This under-the-radar family-run brand out of Brooklyn is a low-key beast in the best possible way. The polishes are pigmented, smooth, long-lasting and affordable (just $8 a bottle). I’ve also been using their top coat and drying drops, and they work great too.

SUPER IMPRESSED!

duri burgundy charade
Duri Loves!

2. Caroline Girvan’s workouts on YouTube

Caroline Girvan’s YouTube workouts are challenging, and she offers very little verbal instruction, so you kinda have to know what you’re doing already, but I sure do love the variety of her exercises.

I’m constantly trying moves I’ve never done before, which I love! Challenges ye olde muscles in different ways, ya know?

Also, on days when I can’t handle someone on the other side of a screen yelling at me to dig deep or do one more pushup or whatever, Caroline’s my go-to. Her videos have a short intro where she talks about the workout, but then during the video, all you hear is music and a series of beeps to let you know that a new exercise or a break is coming up while you see her working out on the screen with you.

It’s just me and my breathing, and some days, I prefer that.

Right now I’m really into her ab and core videos.

3. Placing all of my mugs with the handles to the right…

I recently came across this tip in a how-to-organize video, and even though it’s the smallest little tweak, it works wonders! When I do this…my mug shelf looks less chaotic and better organized.

mugs to the right
To the right, to the right…

4. Speaking of organization videos…

They’re my new favorite how-tos on Youtube. I have a hard time letting go of things and hold onto items longer than I should, and I desperately don’t want to be that person anymore. No more cluttered shelves, baby! Those are my first goals. After that, I’ll do the closets next.

When I watch these organizational how-to vids, it feels like I having a personal coach by my side talking sense into me and telling me that I have the strength to pass on that pair of pants that 1) no longer fit me, and 2) I haven’t worn in five years.

Here are few of my favorites so far.

5. Having an electric kettle with hot/warm water always around

Don’t ask me why I’ve always assumed one water had to be cold in order to be consumed, but it never occurred to me until recently that I could drink water warm whenever I wanted to all throughout the day.

I have an electric kettle on the counter and now just keep it out so that I can grab a cup of warm water whenever I want!

Yes, I could easily heat up the water in the microwave, but I swear it tastes different when I warm it up in the kettle.

Speaking of kettles, how cute is this one?

What have you been loving lately?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

5 Things I’ve Been Loving Lately / Originally published January 26th, 2021

There are 6 comments on this post. Leave yours.

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Comments

  1. Tatiana says

    January 26th, 2021 at 12:57 pm

    I’d like to order some Duri polish, but their swatches are so different from the colors in your photos I’m afraid I won’t end up with colors I really like. Also, I need to do a destash of my polish as it is.
    Haha, I always put the handles of my mugs to the right. If Dear Husband puts the mugs away and the handles are to the left I always go and switch them. Not sure why I’ve always done it this way.
    For me water needs to be ice cold to drink. If it’s warm or hot it needs to be made into tea, coffee or ginger water. I’m weird, but I don’t like the taste of warm, plain water.
    I’m gonna watch some of those organizing videos. My declutter got stalled over Christmas and I need to restart it. So thank for sharing those videos.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      January 26th, 2021 at 1:18 pm

      You’re very welcome! If I find any other good decluttering videos, I’ll share them too.

      Also, the Duri Cosmetics Instagram seems to have pics that are closer to the real thing!

      Reply
  2. Jennifer Emmett says

    January 26th, 2021 at 8:21 pm

    I’m loving old fashioned hot water bottles on chilly nights (as do 2 out of 3 cats). Corn starch as dry shampoo, my new twisted feather silver earrings, Icebox Horror podcast and my Japanese watercolor set I got for Christmas.

    Reply
  3. Melissa says

    January 27th, 2021 at 1:00 am

    OMG yes! My sister thinks I’m ridiculous for saying the microwave makes water taste different but I swear it does! Especially if you’re making tea, it never turns out right!

    Reply
  4. Kim says

    January 27th, 2021 at 9:50 am

    You’re hitting all my high points today! First, I need to check out those ab vids. I messed up my right leg, biking (I think I pulled every muscle from ankle to hip and a few tendons in between!) so I’ve been a bit bummed this week. Some core work would be welcome. 🙂 I also need to get on the organizational vids – mostly those about visible clutter. Like, find a home that’s hidden away for everything, woman, and get it off your counters! Thankfully, closets and cupboards are not my challenge, and I absolutely have all the mug handles facing right (we’re all right-handed). 🙂 Agreed on kettle vs microwave as well. I like that it boils quickly and my mug isn’t hotter than hades when I pick it up, like when I microwave.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      January 27th, 2021 at 10:45 am

      Caroline’s ab videos are so great! If I was a beginner-beginner I wouldn’t be able to handle them.

      Here’s another great one for lower abs by Sydney Cummings. This video was super helpful because I never understood really what to squeeze down there! It took a few tries for me to really find all the muscles.

      Reply

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Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog
Hi there! I’m Karen, your friendly neighborhood beauty addict, and I’m a Bay Area girl who hoards brown eyeshadow and covets coral lipstick. Every morning, I wake up and say, “I’m going to do something other than a smoky eye today.” Then…I end up doing a smoky eye anyway (most days). When I’m not putting on makeup, taking pictures of makeup or writing about makeup, which I’ve been doing daily since 2007 (!), you’ll find me hanging out with my hubby (“El Hub”), my four-year-old daughter (Connor Claire) and my torbie girl cat (Pretty Girl Rosie, a.k.a. PGR).

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