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
Hey girl, be careful with those pretzel nuggets. I love ‘em and after chonking one a few weeks ago, half of one of my molars came out and had to go to the dentist twice to get it fixed. My teeth are decades older than yours tho’ . . . but just sayin . . .
Loving those gorgeous trees too; we had some crabapples in CO that we’re pink also. Right now our bougainvillea is in bloom and loving them. Couldn’t grow them in dry Colorado.
P.S. Why does your blog take til 1 p.m. to get here? (Central daylight time)
Noted about the pretzel nuggets, OMG!
The eye shadow colors in your custom palette are pretty! I agree with you about powder shadows. I always read that you should toss them after 12, 24, 36 months, but I figure that powder products have a longer shelf life. If I notice a powder product smelling funky or changing color/texture then I toss it out, otherwise they seem okay. So far I’ve been liking the Fresh Nectar Antioxidant Glow Water and the Ilia Blue Light Filter Protect + Set Mist. I love facial mists!
If you like face mists you have to try the Avene one. It’s lovely!
I’ll have to check out the Avene face mist. The Nars eyeshadow duo, Kalahari looks nice. I like taupe eyeshadows. I noticed that the Nars eyeshadow duos are on sale on their website.
I want to say that’s an Eastern Redbud tree—but I could be wrong.
So glad you mentioned the extra long swiffer—I lost the extended thing I was using before and being short, I really miss it.
I’m loving espresso, naps and a show on Hulu called Exposure but I’ve only seen the one episode so far. I think you’d like it.
Ooh, adding Exposure to my list! Thank you!
I use the Eucerin Roughness Relief lotion on my KP on my arms and on my feet and it’s so helpful!
Beautiful tree! I’m starting to see some lilacs bud – I love the smell, Hettie and I pass by a bunch on our walks. The wild violets are starting to go away but are so pretty.
Otherwise, I have new splints for my thumbs and fingers and compression gloves that help with the pain in my hands – the splints are silver, I’m getting compliments on the aesthetic. (I need to get a chain adjusted before I post pics to IG). And Cosabella bralettes! I haven’t been wearing wire bras, these are so good.
Ooh, I can’t wait to see your accessories! Very robo-chic.
Is there a specific Cosabella bralette that you like? I just googled them and there are a bunch of pretty ones.
I buy the Never Say Never Sweetie in the curvy sizes! They wash up nicely (I machine wash and air dry) and the lace isn’t itchy.
Ooh, pretty colors in your NARS palette! I always wanted to make my own, but I think I missed the window on that one. I see you have the Kalahari duo twice. Is the new one that different from the original version? I have the original and love it.
I’ve been reaching for my classic NARS shadows and of course the original UD Naked palette along with Naked2.
I was going to ask you what the tree with the pink flowers is. There are quite a few in bloom in my neighborhood too, along with a lot of dogwood trees. I’m the nut job taking cellphone pictures of trees and flowers in everyone’s gardens as I go for my morning walks.
I feel like the old Kalahari is ever so slightly darker? I can’t bear myself to part with it! I haven’t taken out the UD Naked Palette in a minute!
I want to thank you so much! A while back you said to keep checking the Urban Decay website for the discontinued eye pencil I love, that sometimes they pop up on the site. Well today I was at Sephora browsing the new UD single shadows and your tip popped into my head. So I headed over to UD and was able to order an eyeliner in Hustle. Hopefully they won’t cancel the order. But thanks to you I was able to order it!
I agree. I worked in cosmetics with chemists and the water based products are more prone to bacteria, mold and going bad (which is why an effective preservative is essential) vs powder eye shadows so I think you’re good 🙂
I mostly go by scent and visuals. If it looks/smells funky then NOPE! But if it looks/smells normal, all good.
Were you in product development?
Did you see TJ’s came out with a hyaluronic body cream? I’m really liking it, it’s fairly light and sinks right in, great for warm weather. I mix in Aveda beautifying oil if I need an extra boost. ?
Digging your NARS palette, and the swiffer! I keep a shorty in my car to quickly grab dust and random glitter…
I’m loving Truff hot sauce, statement rings and some harem pants I just got that benefits Soi Dog and the Care for Cats Club in Thailand.
Ooh, smart to keep one in the car! That’s genius!
Karen,
Hi. My life changing purchase has been the Swiffer Wet Jet. I use the Mr Clean Lemon refill and the heavy duty wipe pads–this has changed my life–I can “mop” my entire apartment in 15 minutes!
xoxo
Anne Marie
Well that sounds LOVELY. I might have to try one if the mop I just bought doesn’t work out. It’s by O’Cedar and it has *separate* chambers for clean and dirty water. It’s supposed to be life-changing, but we will see!
Hello Ladies
Karen, your palette is so , so beautiful, all my nude vibes, love all the colors 🙂
Hi Karen, I’m a longtime lurker, had to chime in today…If you’re into exfoliating body creams, ya gotta try Skinfix “Resurfacing+ Glycolic Renewing Scrub” followed by “Resurfacing+ AHA Renewing Cream” (which comes in a big tub). The bomb!! I like the whole Skinfix line, which is new to me. Sephora carries it, plus they have their own website. Thanks for your great blog. PS I luuuuurve kitties. ?
Hmmm . . . The trees look like a double blossom weeping cherry. There are some trees that look like that in our neighborhood and that’s what they are—weeping cherry. They’re a gorgeous tree.
Powder eyeshadow—to toss or not to toss. I tend to discard old eyeshadows after a couple years. They might still be relatively safe to use around the eyes, but they do dry out somewhat which alters their texture and finish and sometimes the color begins to change a bit. I’ll sometimes hang on to an oldie as a color reference, but just until I find something new to replace it. Unless the palette is extraordinarily unique, I’d rather have fresh, smooth, creamy product to apply to my old eyes. Besides, formulations, colors, finishes, textures and the like are constantly evolving and improving. My personal preference is to have products that are up to date and in their prime as far as their appearance goes. I actually feel that way about all my powdered products. Since I’m not a blogger and don’t have any need to do comparison swatches, there’s no reason to hang on to things that have seen better days.
Five things I’m loving right now? 1. Having my vaccinated friends come to my home for lunch. 2. Early evening walks. 3. Planning our trip up to San Francisco to see my son’s new place. 4. Watching the garden’s transformation and all the baby birds and animals coming out into the world (we have gazillions of rabbits!) 5. Reading your blog and all the comments ?
Definitely cherry trees.
I love Swiffer everything. I keep the yellow 360 ones in my car for quick clean-ups because I dont like to see specks of dust- Im OC like that. Did you know they can be washed and reused too? I do wash the ones that are not too dirty.
I had NO IDEA you could reuse them! Do you rinse them in the sink?