Karen

The Marin Headlands on the north side of the Golden Gate, California, April 8, 2012

1. Mood:
   Excited! I’m heading into the city to have a late breakfast with two of my buddies this morning, Heather and Marisol. We’re all into beauty, so I’m looking forward to good grubbin’ and makeup chat. Can’t wait!
2. Have you ever consulted with a psychic or palm reader?
   Just once. I used to work for a pretty big law firm, and on Fridays every summer they’d host these wacky events for the staff, like themed lunches and whatnot. One Friday they brought in a group of psychic readers, and I met with a gal who — I swear she either really did have “the gift,” or maybe she was just really good at reading body language, like that guy from The Mentalist…

   Anywho, I asked her what she saw in store for me over the next 10 years, and whether or not she saw law school in my future. She said no, and said I’d end up doing something creative and unusual, which I think sums up blogging pretty well.

3. Do you ever buy lottery tickets?
   Oh, yeah. But I’m not as serious about it as my parents are. They’ve been playing the same numbers every week for the past 20 years!
4. Have you ever been the victim of makeup theft?
   Not makeup, but I have had perfume stolen. I lived with a sticky-fingered roommate when I first moved out to San Francisco. Right before she moved out, she stole a bottle of Gucci Envy, a few sweaters and a bottle of Moet that my boss had given me for Christmas. I’m still pretty salty about it…
5. What’s one of your go-to tricks for radiant skin?
   Wearing lotion with some pearl in it, or a highlighting lotion. I swear by MAC Strobe Cream and actually keep a couple tubes of it stockpiled in my beauty closet.
6. I could be a contender for the title of Most Likely to _________________.
   Ah! Where to start?! Most likely to … have a cat watch her while she uses the bathroom. Most likely to be 10 minutes late. Most likely to fall asleep standing up. Most likely to shave her toes. Most likely to find popcorn in her bra. Most likely to turn into Liz Lemon from 30 Rock.

   The possibilities are endless…

7. Do you have a friend who’s always up for anything?
   My friend Cindy. She has a taste for adventure, and she’s always up for trying something new.

   Well, with the exception of makeup. She’s not really into it, but dagnabbit! — I’m determined to get her to try on some blush one of these days.

8. Time for our afternoon snack break! Where should we go?
   I’m taking you to Pinkberry for some kick-ass fro yo, ma!
9. What’s one thing you were surprised to learn about yourself?
   That I have an artistic side. Because I grew up on a strict science track. I denied my creative interests all throughout my teens and early 20s because they really weren’t valued in my family. It’s only been over the past few years that I’ve started to think of myself as someone with a creative side.
10. Weekly goals:
    Fill one page in my journal every day with a list of things I’m grateful for. Finish my taxes (they’re hanging over my head like a dark cloud!), and go to yoga class at least twice.

Hi, cutie. 🙂 Here we go again. It’s another Monday, and I’m feeling really good — not just about the day, but generally, overall.

Maybe it’s the weather. When it’s sunny outside like it is today and the songbirds are singing, I can’t help but feel … energized.

Can you stop by for a quick hello in the Monday poll? Missed ya over the weekend!

1. Mood:
2. Have you ever consulted with a psychic or palm reader?
3. Do you buy lottery tickets?
4. Have you ever been the victim of makeup theft?
5. What’s one of your go-to tricks for radiant skin?
6. I could be a contender for the title of Most Likely to _________________.
7. Do you have a friend who’s always up for anything?
8. Time for our afternoon snack break! Where should we go?
9. What’s one thing you were surprised to learn about yourself?
10. Weekly goals:

You have a wonderful week, okay?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

I recently learned a valuable lesson about my bangs. I have naturally wavy hair, and if I don’t straighten my longish side-swept bangs every day, they curl up and stick out in all kinds of crazy directions.

Thanks to a tip from the gal who does my hair (thank you, Alis!), I learned that I get much straighter, flatter bangs if I straighten them with a flat paddle brush than I’m able to get with a round brush, which creates more of an arced shape.

So, after I step out of the shower, I draw as much moisture from my hair as I can with an Acquis hair towel, and then spray my bangs with Living Proof Straight Spray.

Then, with the paddle brush (here’s one for $6 from Goody) and my T3 hairdryer, I straighten! Five minutes of work, and my bangs lay flat and straight all day long. 🙂

Now how about you?

What’s one makeup or beauty lesson you recently learned?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen