Travel Makeup for a weekend trip

While this is the travel makeup I used, to be honest, it came in handy only once this weekend. That’s right this was church makeup this weekend. On Friday I drove down wearing a night mask for extra skin hydration and once I arrived, Friday and Saturday were filled with errands. I didn’t slow down to put makeup on. I think I used the pressed powder to dust away the shine, I brought pink toned powder to it had the benefit of some skin brightening.

No when this makeup came into it’s own was when I found myself in charge of the church bound carpool. Yup, me and three older ladies who would gasp theatrically, but sincerely at the thought of going to church without makeup. Since I knew this was when i would be wearing the makeup the most, i did choose not only for ease of travel, but for location of wearing so, what did I pack?

Under eye concealer: Beauty Pie Superluminous Under Eye Genius

Primer: Beauty Bakerie: The Butter Primer

Foundation: Revolution Fast Base Foundation Stick

Bronzer: Trestique Bronzing stick

Blush/lips: Axiology Color Cream (currently they have a 20% off sale going on if you are interested, just click the link)

Highlighter: Wander Beauty Wanderess Glow

Setting Powder: Beseme Cosmetics Pressed Powder compact in Aurora

Eyeshadow: Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter Diva Lights

Mascara: Stila Huge Extreme Lash Mascara

The more I use this Beauty Pie dark circle corrector the more I love it. It takes so very little to make a big difference. I also used it as a spot concealer over some red spots and it worked beautifully. I used it under the primer and it worked like a dream.

I like this primer for travel because it is a stick, and therefore won’t spill (a common theme with the items I chose) and because it is a really good primer. It really locks everything into place.

The foundation again, stick formula so no potential spillage and this formula works kust so beautifully. Ulta (at least the one near me) no longer carries it but it is on the Revolution Website. I hope it never leaves as it has been my go to travel foundation for about five years now. I think this may be my fifth or even sixth tube of it. Once I found a shade that worked, i kept repurchasing it. On me it does need a setting powder though.

I love the Trestique and will happily travel with it. I am actually really liking cream products more and more actually. And this one comes with a built in brush so I didn’t need to add a brush for it to the bag. It is just an over all good product.

The Axiology was my cream blush and my lip product this weekend. I added a brush for the lips and went in lightly just to give a light tint. The product feels like a lip balm on the lips and brought a nice flush. It isn’t terribly long lasting on the lips, but I didn’t need it to be. It lasts well on the cheeks though and it blends like a dream. It gives a nice light flush to the cheeks. It is buildable, but light was kind of where I was going and this worked.

I am still using the Wander Beauty highlighter. It is a sample size so it fit well in the bag. I think the brand may have cut it from their line up though as i couldn’t find it on the website and when I could find it the product was always out of stock. I was hoping to use up the sample and then purchase the full size but I might need some investigation followed by a potential new plan. (and product trial)

While I do prefer loose powder for setting, this slim compact worked better with my travel plans. Plus on the days I didn’t wear makeup a dusting of pink powder over my skin kept me from looking washed out (hello, five second fix).

I like this Charlotte Tilbury Quad because it is quick and easy and soft and subtle. And as it was a church look I didn’t need something too out there. I really only did a dusting of the lighter brown on the lids and a little of the shimmer on the inner corners and called it a day. I did use the Stila mascara which did go a bit more dramatic, but no one noticed. Or at least they didn’t comment.

They did comment on my reading glasses though and one little only lady tried to steal them. Well maybe steal is a bit harsh of a term. Apparently she “forgets that other people’s things aren’t hers” at least according to my mother. Frankly that sounds like stealing since it is not a medical pasted “forgetting” and she had been doing it for at least thirty years. She wasn’t in the carpool but sits in the same pew. The reading glassess are the Thin Optics ones so I understand why she wanted them, because they are fabulous. But I have my eye on you, Ms. Betty. My reading glasses will not be left unattended.

Other than the reading glasses, it was a drama less event. At least on my part. When Ms. Betty tried to walk off with someone else’s bible i was another story. The bible had one of those elaborate zippered book covers that Ms. Betty apparently couldn’t resist. Although it did have a pocket with reading glasses in the front as well so maybe that was the draw.

But the makeup went well the trip. I chose it for it’s ease of use and smaller packaging. All of the products worked well and I was very happy. I just need to keep a closer watch on my reading glasses.

The Daily: May 8th, 2023

Good afternoon my darlings. I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Mine was interesting. As you recall it was the one year anniversary of my brother’s death. Thinking about it last week sort of had me out of sorts. there was sadness and missing him, but there was also just a clear reminder that time does move on. Grief can feel like it sticks you down in one spot, but time does keep passing. And letting grief anchor you into one place does no one any good. It was a lesson I learned when my Dad died and I had to learn it again now. You grieve but you have to still keep living.

Didn’t mean to go dark on anyone during a Monday afternoon.

I think the best description of my weekend is introspective. Most of the activity went on in my head. well the gardening between rain storms happened outside of my head, but there was a lot of thinking going on. And I feel better for it. I am certainly less melancholy than I was last week.

At the moment it is raining down buckets. The sun was hit or miss today so the photos I took are not the best, still, let’s jump out of my head and back into everyday life with today’s look.

Today’s look

Primer: Beauty Bakerie The Butter Primer

Foundation: Hide Invisible Oil Free Foundation

Bronzer: Buxom Staycation Vibes Bronzer

Blush: Axiology Multi Use Color Cream

Setting Powder: Kim Chi Chic Beauty Puff Puff Pass Set and Bake powder

Eyeshadow: Natasha Denona Alloy Palette

Mascara: Anastasia Beverly hills Lash Brag

Lips: Uoma Beauty Lip Liner in Angelou and Trestique Mini Matte Lip Crayon in Barcelona Bright Berry

Again I apologize for the lighting. The sun was not my friend and the overhead light was not working with me. Next time I will just go to the bathroom and take the photo there. Anyway,,,,

I love this Butter primer from the Beauty Bakerie. It is light weight and pore filling. It goes on white which always makes me feel like I am going to look ghostly, but then it blends it. The stick formula makes it easy to use with no mess. I think this may be one of the best things I’ve tried from the brand. Their lippies are great too …okay it may be a tie.

At the moment I am looking at all my foundations to see what is going to be used for summer wear and what needs to be set aside for post tan fading times. This Hide shade works for me. It is a beautiful formula and I really like wearing it. My brush does leave tracks so I had to smooth them over with a makeup sponge, but it was so worth it, The formula is weightless and leaves my skin looking fantastic.

The Buxom is one of my go to summer bronzers because it works with both foundation and BB creams. I do need to pick up some BB creams. The one I have left from last summer has very little left. I keep trying to pick things up when I go to Target but they are always sold out. I think an Ulta run might be in my near future.

I chose the Axiology today partially because it is just a good product and I love using it. I also chose it because I wanted to see if the cream product had dried out any in the paper tube. I love that the tube is all paper and can just be rinsed and recycled when you are done with it, but I didn’t know what that would mean for the product. Thus far there has been no signs of it drying out in the slightest. So I am relieved and excited. It is a really good cream blush.

And you know I love my Kim Chi setting powder. I gush about the puff (cause it’s awesome to have a usable puff in a powder) but it is a great product on it’s own.

I did go a little heavy on the eyeshadow today as I was playing with the palette, but I think it turned out well. I have noticed that the mattes will blend well together but the shimmers don’t really blend. They just overlay the mattes. There is a definite line where they stop. At least mine didn’t want to blend too much. I applied it and then reached for my blending brush. I got the demarcation line to blur slightly but you can still tell where the application stopped. It looks fine with my eyes open, but that sort of bothers me a bit. I do love the palette though and will happily play with it some more.

And you know I love the ABH Lash Brag. Great mascara and soon I will have to replace it. Partially because there isn’t much mascara in the tube and partially because it is reaching the deadline. I may love the mascara but I won’t risk an eye infection for it.

And then we have the lips. I lined them with the Uma Beauty lip liner. It is an excellent formula. I then topped it with the Trestique. I love these lip crayons. I don’t know why i think of the mini collection in the summer. I think it might be because I have the mattes mixed with sheers and the colors are all so bright and cheerful. They go on like light weight bullet lipstick. They last longer with a lip liner under them. They are also quite moisturizing so the lip liner won’t dry out the lips. Really love these for summer wear.

And that my darlings is me. I’m coming out of the doldrums, even if the weather is a bit stormy and I feel good. thanls for putting up with me when ,my disposition is less than sunny. I appreciate it.

The Daily: April 10th, 2023

Good Monday afternoon my darlings. I hope you had a wonderful weekend and a fabulous Easter celebration. Due to scheduling difficulties, my family is actually gathering next weekend. I leave on Friday for a fun family weekend.

I did get reports about a successful Easter egg hunt from a breathless four year old. He managed to find the golden egg in his hunt (I don’t know if it was a community one or a church one, the details he focused on did not cover that). I know he got some sort of prize, but I think he was more excited about the fact that this proves conclusively that there are geese that lay golden eggs and therefore the beans they are planting in the backyard garden are much more exciting.

I was called because his mother asked me some gardening advice a couple of months back and therefore I am the one who also knows about the magic beanstalks. Or how to get beanstalks to turn into magic ones. He is of the belief that it isn’t the beans that are magical, but the stuff you put on them that makes them magical. I think he has seen too many of the yard improvement fertilizer ads as he was talking about things that you clip to your hose to make the grass grow like carpet.

I should tell you that he thinks this is a waste. After all, why would you go for thick grass when you could go for a magic beanstalk?

It was quite the splendid conversation. I enjoyed it a lot. Even if I wasn’t there for the Easter egg hunt. I will see him next week so that should be fun. Plus it should be warmer. I am hoping that now Easter is done the cold snap is through and we can get on with the outside things. I do have a couple of edamame growing this year and a few celery plants that survived the frost. These are my let’s try this seeds for the year. Sometimes the let’s try seeds work out and become staples, other times not. But two of the soybeans sprouted. I suspect the squirrels made off with the rest. I’ll be planting more later this week and putting in a squirrel defense system (chicken wire fencing arched over the planted seeds to prevent digging.) I have my fingers crossed that it will work.

Today’s Look

Primer: Too Faced Primed and Poreless Primer

Foundation: NYX Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop Full Coverage Foundation

Bronzer: Trestique Bronzing Stick

Blush: Axiology Creme Color Multi Use stick

Highlighter: Wander Beauty Wanderess Glow in After Hours

Eyes: Eyeko Double Act Dual ended shadow Sticks

Mascara: Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real Extreme Lengthening Magnetic Mascara

Lips: Wet ‘n Wild Tickle Me Elmo Lip Plumper

earrings: Mariz Jewelry

Today I used the last of the Too Faced Sample. I do have a second unopened sample to use, but This sample is now done for. It is a really good primer for smoothing down the skin. It tends to provide a blank canvas and smooth out texture. I quite like it actually.

I am still testing out the NYX foundation. I have to say I really do like it. I will have to get a deeper shade if i am going to wear it much longer. I do have some darker setting powders that I might try out with this foundation to see if that helps, but i think if I get too much more sun then this will just be too light. It is a great formula. Weightless and blending well. I just chose the wrong formula. I did notice something that might help you if you are shopping. This foundation comes in a clear glass bottle and I chose my shade based on what I could see through the bottle. If you turn the bottle upside down and look at the bottom (also clear glass) it looks lighter. this is the shade that ended up coming out of the bottle. So when shopping, look at the bottom of the bottle to shade match yourself. It should help with finding the right shade.

I love both the Trestique and the Axiology. They are the first products i reach for and I will have to put them away so I can play with other products. They blend so easily. Today I went really light with the Axiology blush. I just wanted a tiny hint of color. I love that I can build this up as well as just add light touches.

I went for easy with the eyes as well. These Eyeko shadow sticks are super easy to use. I scribbled the color on, blended with my finger and then layered on a lighter shade and boom done. As always the Benefit mascara is fabulous.

This was my first use of the Tickle Me Elmo lip plumper. I have loved everything else I have tried from the Sesame Street collection but this one may not be for me. I love the cherry red lip gloss and it feel great on my lips. It is tingling although i need to do before and after’s to see how effective it is with plumping. It is the scent and taste that get me. It is very faux cherry and kind of smells a little like cough syrup. Love the color, but not so sure about the scent.

And that my darlings is me today. Because I am leaving on Friday I am working on a bit of a shortened week and a heavier schedule. And so it is back to work for me. I hope you are having a splendid Monday.

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The Daily: April 4th, 2023

Oh this morning has been fun. Loads of phone calls, e-mails galore and a neighbor who lost control of a lawn mower on a hill. Don’t worry he is safe. No one was actually hurt. Although I think several neighborhood dogs were terrorized by the sound. My neighbor apparently set up a pulley system to help mow his rather steep front yard. He looked very pleased with himself too actually.

Until one of the ropes in his system snapped, or maybe came unhooked. I think there were bungie cords involved as well. I didn’t get a good look at the system. I did just see him start and then heard the grating grinding noise as the lawnmower continued past the end of the yard post cord snapping and made sparks fly as it hit the street. Metal grinding on asphalt caused most of the dogs nearby to yowl and I think damaged something vital in his lawnmower.

But on the bonus side I did discover that my neighbor can curse in three separate languages. English, Spanish and German in case anyone is curious. He also turned the sort of red that usually looks like a coronary is imminent. He then slipped on grass, Which also made me and a couple other people think a hospital visit was neigh.

There was no heart attack though. Just a lawn mower repair man and a little break for all of the work from home folks. I was out because his lawnmower ended up in our driveway. Everyone else just joined because of the god awful noise and dog howls. But all was well. I did feel a bit like a nosy neighbor but apparently I live in a neighborhood of nosy neighbors.

Plus some noises are really hard to ignore.

But all is well, even if I did completely forget mascara today.

Today’s Look

Primer: Too Faced Primed and Poreless Face Primer

Foundation: NYX Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop Full Coverage Foundation

Bronzer: Buxom Staycation Bronzer

Blush: Axiology Multi Use Color Cream

Setting Powder: Flour Powder by Beauty Bakerie

Eyeshadow: Eyeko Double Act Shadow Stick

Lips: Elf Cosmetics Liquid Lip in Red Vixen Paired with Wet ‘n Wild Lip Gloss

Okay I started with a primer sample. I forgot I received two of these in my Cohorted Box last month as a replacement for the perfume sample they couldn’t send. I am very pleased with the substitution. A long time ago the Primed and Poreless pressed powder was my go to product. I wore it every day. I love getting a chance to try out the primer from the line. I think this is a relatively new release. I really enjoy my first use of the sample. It has a slight tint to it which took out some of my redness. It is a slippy sort of primer but it gave me a really good base to work with. If I continue to like the samples I may have to look at a full size.

My test of the NYX foundation continues. I went a little heavier today than I did yesterday. Yesterday I used one pump and today I used two. It still feels weightless on the skin and I love the way it blended out into my skin. I think I prefer the one pump application though. It covered everything but blended better with my skin tone. I think part of that may be that I got a shade a little too light for me. I don’t think the foundation is oxidizing, I think yesterday I blended it out enough that it didn’t look as light. I am still enjoying it, I just don’t think I need the full two pumps.

I took out my Buxom Bronzer today even though I usually use it in the summer time. I wanted to kind of help out the lighter foundation a bit and it worked beautifully. I also used the Axiology color cream as my blush. It is such an easy blendable product to use. And because it is a fully recyclable paper container I feel good about using it too.

Today I wanted something simple and easy for the eyes and I saw the Eyeko shadow sticks. I have two and I really enjoy them. Actually with the two double ended sticks I can get a good variety of looks. Today I went very simple. I added a couple of lines on my outer lid from the dark brown of Dusk and used my fingers to blend inward. Then I used the light Cream Shade on the inner corner and blended out. Super simple and I think it looks pretty good. I also know it will stay all day exactly where I put it. So that is nice.

Today I wanted to try out the Wet ‘n Wild lip gloss over a darker shade to see how it worked as a topper. The answer was it worked fantastically well. I went with the matte red Elf liquid lip. I love this liquid lip. the red is the perfect shade of red for me. It also dries down really well so it is less messy than many dark shades an it never seeps into fine lines. I used the pointy end of the wand as the lip liner and then filled in the lips. My lips are slightly crooked on their own so I tried to even that out rather than over line. And then I let it dry for a moment before adding the Wet ‘n wild topper. I really like how it came out. I suspect this summer I am going to be topping all of my matte lipsticks with this. It just adds a really great dimension and shine.

And so that is me. I completely spaced on the mascara, mostly because that’s when I was wondering if I needed to call an ambulance for my neighbor, but everything else I am really pleased with. And now the excitement is over and it is back to work for me. I hope you have a great day with no need to think an ambulance is needed.

e.l.f. x AMERICAN EAGLE is here! The limited-edition collab for eyes, lips, & *both* sets of cheeks.

The Daily: March 22nd, 2023

Good afternoon my darlings. I am happy to report that it is actually 49 degrees and I no longer fear for the lives of my spring flowers. It is however raining and the park is flooded so there will be indoor workouts instead of walking for today and possibly tomorrow, but no ice, so that I can live with.

I don’t know why these late frosts really bother me Possibly because it was more than a little late frost. Mostly I think it is because the week before I just started noticing that all of the trees in our yard started to have that green haze to them. You know the one? When you look directly at the tree it looks brown and winter barren, but if you look at it out of the corner of your eye, the tiny little green buds all over it give it a hazy green look. It isn’t quite budding but it has that breath before budding.

Almost but not quite spring. And then comes the late frost. It was worse this year than usual, but still not terribly unexpected and yet it always gets me.

Oh well. Soon it will be actual spring and things will get planted out into the garden and then it will be a race to get them to grow before the scorching summer sun arrives and early morning watering becomes mandatory. My older neighbor who I see walking in the park has repeatedly informed me that this summer will be a scorcher. He claims to know because of all the signs. He won’t tell me what those signs are but he gives me the wide eyes and frowny face paired with the slow head shake every time he brings it up.

He also seems incapable of passing me without making a comment on the weather. I offer a polite nod and smile but he has this need to say a few words every time we pass. He doesn’t want to stop and talk, but he just has to say a couple of words about the weather.

I think when I am older and people nod and respectfully listen to me when we pass in the park I am going to find a non-weather related topic to mention in passing. Just a sentence drop as the people I pass are trying to be polite. I’m thinking of going with Yetis. I’m sure i can cobble together enough small Yeti conversational sentences for walks in the park. Yeti sightings. Yeti aplasia issues. The shrinking of Yeti held territory due to the increasing Big Foot population and global climate change.

And yes, these are the sorts of things I think about. But for now, let’s get into makeup.

Today’s Look:

Pre Makeup Base: Embryolisse Lait Creme Sensitive

Primer: Tatcha Liquid silk canvas

Foundation: Elf Acne Fighting Foundation

Bronzer: Trestique bronzing stick

Blush: Axiology Color Cream Multi Use stick

Setting Powder: Beseme Cosmetics Aurora 1959 Pink Setting Powder

Eyeshadow: Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Diva Lights Palette

Mascara: Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Brag Mascara

Lips: Tatcha tinted Kissu Lip Mask

The Embryolisse is a great way to start your makeup. I apply a thin amount about ten minutes before I start in on my makeup. It plumps the skin with moisture and preps it for application. Plus it has that very nostalgic scent. The formula hasn’t really changed since the 1950s and both my mother and grandmother used this as their day time moisturizer for huge swaths of my life so it has a very distinctive scent memory for me. Plus I like doing something nice for my skin just before I put on makeup.

You know I love the Tatcha Balm primer so much that I keep forgetting to reach for the liquid version. I really like this one too, mostly because it applies as a liquid but as you put it on it feels almost exactly like the balm as you smooth it over the skin. It is also a travel size that I picked up to try out. So it is sort of like a sample and I am trying to use up samples this month. i just keep forgetting I have this so i don’t use it as much. I have to say the older i get the more important a good primer is. It really helps keep foundation from automatically seeking out the fine lines.

I went with the Elf acne Fighting foundation today. of the elf foundations this one is my favorite and the one I will repurchase. while I am not constantly fighting the acne battle these days, there is just a nice lightweight feel to this formula that I really enjoy. It is one of elf’s best.

Again I stuck with favorites for bronzer and blush. I love my Trestique bronzer. For me this and the lip crayons are the best the brand has to offer. Other items are okay, but those are their hero products in my opinion, and the ones I keep repurchasing.

This Axiology Color cream is rapidly becoming my favorite cream blush. I think as I try out other cream blushes I will be bouncing between using it and the others. It is a creamy formula and in a pinch it can be used for lips and eyes. Plus it is a completely paper packaging so once I am through with it the package can be rinsed out and recycled. How fab is that?

I am loving this Beseme powder as well. Yes I know I chose all products I love today. I’ll try to stop saying that. I think though that I tried for so long to find a replacement pink powder that I just get happy every time I pick this up. tomorrow though I need to return to using up the last of the ABH powder. i want to finish it up before the end of the month so I need to use it pretty much the rest of the month to do so. The ABH Lash Brag mascara is always fabulous. Big fluffy wand, big fluffy lashes.

Charlotte Tilbury was the eyeshadow i went with. I have to say it is an expensive little eyeshadow quad so I will probably only buy one and just use it until it is gone. I bought this one on sale. I don’t mind paying more for a full palette, but it is a bit pricy given that it is a quad. That being said the shadows are really good quality and it is really easy to use. Yu start at the upper left and then work around the quad clockwise and then boom you are done. I always get more or less the same look, but it takes so little time and always looks good. For a quick morning palette or a travel bag, this is a really great quad. And I am glad i purchased it. I am also glad I picked it up on sale. And yes it really is that it is a quad that bothers me about the price.

And finally we have the lips. The regular Kissu mask is part of my night time skincare line up but I keep forgetting I have this tinted version. I don’t know if it is the tint, but it feels more like a lip gloss than a lip mask. It works like a lip mask and gives my lips a nice tint as well as excellent hydration. I need to start wearing it more as a lip gloss, especially going into the lower makeup days of summer.

And that my darlings is me on this dreary and rainy (but surprisingly warmer) Wednesday afternoon. I hope wherever you are you are having a grand mid week adventure.

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Using the Axiology Lip to Lid Balmies

Recently Axiology sent a few items to me to try out and review. As always my opinions are completely my own. I was very excited about these products though because one thing I have been trying to do in my life is to reduce waste.

Axiology has more or less the same mission, although on a much grander scale than mine. Enter the Lip to Lid Balmies. A zero waste Multi use cosmetic crayon. I have the two pack or Nude Plum and Rose which is described as…

Lip-to-Lid Balmies are plastic-free, multi-use crayons for eyes, lips and cheeks. Packed with oils, butters, and antioxidants such as hemp, and plum oil to nourish and hydrate skin. 100% vegan, cruelty-free and palm oil-free. Made with 9 natural ingredients.

Ingredients:Ricinus communis (castor) seed oil*, Helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil*, Garcinia indica (kokum) seed butter, Helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed wax, Cannabis sativa (hemp) seed oil*, Sambucus nigra fruit extract, Prunus domestica (plum) seed oil, Tocopherol**, Azadirachta indica seed oil*

I know I normally only talk about ingredients in skincare but these are well worth talking about here. These products are vegan so they use sunflower seed wax instead of beeswax. If you look down the list it is pretty easy to see it is not a bad list of ingredients. I’ll admit I did have to look up kokum seed butter and nigra fruit extract but the others are items I would not mind seeing in my skincare. (and those I wouldn’t mind either I just had to look them up.) In case you were wondering kokum seed butter is an emollient and nigra fruit extract is also known as black elderberry and has antioxidant properties.

And both are more in keeping with skincare than makeup.

Usually.

While I have the two balmies, they do come in trios and even a Super Fan Pack with fourteen of these little crayons. Personally I was quite stunned by the array of colors available. I have been using these for various functions for the past few weeks (almost a month now actually). They are multi use items designed for use on the eye lids, cheeks and lips.

The first thing you notice when they arrive is that the outer packaging is completely recyclable. It is all paper and it quickly breaks down and can be sent off to the recycling no muss np fuss. We actually needed some dry material for our compost (we are a bit heavy on the coffee grounds) and so I tore the packaging into small bits and added it to it. The packaging is no more.

Inside, the container for the balmies is also made of recycled paper and ou yeah, the actually wrapping for the cosmetic crayon? Yup, that’s paper too. As you use the balmie it wears down and you just peel off the paper and keep using it until there is nothing left.

It is quite an interesting design. I imagine those last little bits of product might get a bit messy, but it will take a while to get there and they would only be a mess when it got down to the last little nub as the paper does go all the way to the base of the crayon and so should hold on until the very end if you are careful with your unwrapping.

I will say that while using these I did sort of want a Cruella Deville style cigarette holder to put them in. I think if Axiology ever decides to expand a bamboo holder in that style (without the hole for smoking) would be quite the classy addition. But that might just be me.

First, let’s talk eyes.

I really liked the way that I could draw a line with the product on the outer corner of my eye and then use a finger tip to blend it towards the center. Whether it is the product or these colors I don’t know but with that approach I managed a real natural sort of look. Just a little hint of color to give a little life to the face. I did try to build up the products and I was able to deepen the tone, but in truth when used as shadows these are really on the more natural side than they are the ultra glam side. The color can be deepened but the nude plum and the rose really leaned towards the natural low makeup kind of looks. I will say that while it is easy to blend, once it is in place it stays all day.

The cheeks were interesting.

I think because I so recently used the Axiology Color Cream which I have to be honest is now my standard for cream blushes, this fell a little short. The formula is fine, but the fine point didn’t work as well for me on the cheeks. These products want to draw a line. I did try and draw a circle and then blend, but the trick is you have to move really fast. Once these balmies are in place they want to stay in place. Which is great for makeup longevity but was not the best with the pointed crayon. I did have better success flipping the crayon over and using the flat bottom of the crayon but to use it I had to peel back the paper and so it left product exposed on both sides and that sort of meant it got all over my hand from the back when I went to use the pointy end.

While it can be used as a cheek product, and will look good on the cheeks, I think I am going to stick with the Color Creams for the cheeks. The shape is just better suited for the cheek area.

And finally the lips.

These Balmies were amazing on the lips. they are creamy and pigmented. The shades I have are more in the my lips but better sort of range. Again, that is just for these shades, there might be more dramatic shades in the box. But quite honestly I loved these. On the lips they feel like lip balm rather than lipstick. They don’t have the often waxy texture of a bullet style lipstick, they really just feel like a nice light lip balm. It also lends itself to a more natural look. It is a matte finish, however I found that pretty much any clear gloss will go over them really well and look good. I used the Revolution pout Balm and they looked great.

The one thing they don’t do is cover up any lip damage. if you have a dry spot on your lips then it does kind of show given the lightness of the formula. It will not irritate your lips though even if they are chapped which is nice. It is just not going to give you that super smooth look to your lips. It is not pigmented for that and it isn’t that dense a formula. However the point does allow you to trace your lips well so you don’t need a lip liner. And actually with this set if you are looking to do your liner one shade darker than your lip color and blend a little bit, the plum works well as a liner and the rose for infill.

Over all i was very impressed with Axiology’s Lip to Lid Balmies. They work well for different uses and are easy to use. There is a good amount of product so it will last a long time. The placement of the paper is designed to let you use the entire product with no fuss (unless you peel it back and try to use the back end). For me the cheeks were not my favorite use and that had more to do with the shape pf the product and the cat that I knew Axiology’s Color Cream was just a fantastic cheek product. If you are looking for products (and brands) that provide good products while reducing plastic, metal and other unrecyclable packaging I think that Axiology should be on your list to check out. Personally I will use these two crayons down to nubs and plan to keep them hand this summer when my default makeup look is low to no makeup for most of my week. I think Axiology’s Lip to Lid Balmies are a product I will keep around for a long time to come.

The Daily: March 13th, 2023

Good afternoon my darlings. I am just now starting to feel back on track. I know last week was a bit coocoo pants, but things have started to settle back down on that front. My babydoll is back to work. His sinuses are still draining but he is on the mend. No fever and most importantly his blood pressure is back under control.

which gives me a great deal of relief.

It also means things are back to normal, or at least normal-ish. I was able to write up a meal plan instead of moving around an under the weather man. In addition I slept this weekend. I slept a lot this weekend. I really needed it. If you added up all of my sleep from last week you would be pushing it to scrape into double digits. I more or less collapsed this weekend. Aside from meal planning, grocery shopping and making sure the seedlings in my greenhouse were watered, I watched the two new episodes of Survivor that were on Paramount+ and zoned out to a podcast on the ancient Sumerians. And Akkadians. And Babylonians.

Okay I went on an ancient history binge.

But I feel well rested. This morning was a bit harsh though. I am back to getting up a little early to get my morning workout in. It seemed extra early this morning as the time changed on Sunday. We sprung forward which is a polite way to say that someone stole an hour from me and I had to get up when it was still dark. As you can tell, I am not a fan of spring forward. I don’t mind getting up at dawn’s first ight, but I do like if dawn is at least attempting to get up with me. I do not like to get up before dawn’s arrival. I like at least a sliver of light in the sky before I wake up. If I don’t have that I feel vaguely off.

I know, in a few weeks I’ll get the dawn back and all will even out, it just seemed to be a little much with restarting my morning exercises after taking much of last week off. The exercises did help push away some of the morning fog though. Which was nice. And it was light when i finished so I did feel better. I just have to consider the workouts as a prelude to starting my day. Therefore I am waking up into the prelude in the dark and then starting the day when the day finally arrives.

I know, semantics, but it makes me feel just a little bit better. Don’t worry, I wont grouse about this until the sun shifts. I just have a tradition of grumping about the spring time change. It is just a first day grump. And now it is done so we can move on.

Today’s Look

Primer: Basic Beauty Smooth and Blur primer

Foundation: No 7 Lift and Luminate Triple Action Serum Foundation

Bronzer: Trestique Bronzing stick

Blush: Axiology Color Cream

Brows: Grande Brow-Fill Volumizing Brow Gel

Eyeshadow: ZeeSea Eyeshadow Compact Palace Identity #02

Setting Powder: Anastasia Beverly Hills Translucent setting powder

Mascara: Pur Cosmetics Fully Charged Mascara

Lips: Axiology Lip to Lid Balmies in nude plum topped with Revolution Pout Bomb Plumping Lip gloss

I’ll be honest, I looked to my dressing table and the one palette I keep out more for decorative purposes than anything else is the Palace identity Palette. The compact is so beautiful. But because it is always out, it tends to get forgotten. I open the eyeshadow drawer and choose from there, not even looking at it. Today I saw it and decided I wanted to use it, so I did. It is a lovely soft look. I do find that I always come up with the exact same shadow look when I reach for this palette. which is fine, but not something I want to reach for every day. the shadows work well. It is a nice fairly easy formula to work with and it doesn’t have a lot of fall out. And it is beautiful. I always feel kind of special using it.

I am still trying out the samples from my primer collection this month. My goal is to use all of the samples up and then decide if any of them need to be purchased in the full size. Today I went with the Basic Beauty sample. It is a clear gel and it does go on wet. I had to fan myself to dry it down. Which lent an extra note of fancy to my proceedings as I am incapable of using a fan without thinking of the old fashioned fan signals from eras gone by.

You’ll be happy to know that rejected the advances of the upstart lord trying to gain my affections. At least i think I did. I may have to run through a list of meanings.

The primer is clear so there is no covering of redness. My skin was very silky soft and there was no stickiness whatsoever. I am not certain I like the clear formula. I have a few days of use left so we’ll see how it progresses this week, but it just seemed okay when I applied it. Basic seems to be the right word for it.

I did love my No 7 though. It is a really nice formula and well, you know I think it is one of the best drugstore foundations out there. It blends out without looking cakey and it lasts all day. I am a huge fan. I will of course be rotating through foundations as I try out primers.

I went with my favorite bronzer today as well. Mostly because it was still out and I love it. The Trestique just works for me as a bronzer. And I love that it is now refillable. I did mean to try out the cream blush that came in my Beauty Fox box but I thought cream bronzer and just reached for the Axiology. I suspect that is going to become habit. I really enjoy the color cream as a blush. It blends so well and can go light or dark. I am looking forward to trying this out in the summer actually once my skin tans. I think I can actually use this shade as a year round shade, which I find exciting.

Some days it is the little things.

I also used Axiology in the lips today. I went with the plum Nude Balmies for my lips and then just wanted a little shine so i added the pout bomb from revolution. The two made a surprisingly good pairing. The shade is my lips but better and then the gloss just made them, well glossy. Over all I was pleased. It was a soft look for the day, but when I reach for this eye shadow palette i know it will be.

And for today it works. I’ll be at my desk for most of the day. I am hoping to slip in a walk later this afternoon if the rain holds off. This morning was a bit damp and drizzly. It cleared up a little about half an hour ago, so I might try to slip in some out door time before the rain returns. I don’t think the park is currently flooded. I have my fingers crossed. I’m also hoping that being up before the sun earned me some karmic brownie points. We shall see. Have a great rest of your Monday.

The Daily: March 8th, 2023

It is amazing what a good night’s sleep can do. I fell asleep pretty early last night and slept like a stone until morning. You know that loggy overstuffed feeling you get when you slept really hard? that’s sort of what i woke up with this morning. It feels a little like being drugged, but is all natural.

Sleep is glorious. I just can’t say enough fabulous things about it.

Today has been interesting. My babydoll is back to work, having shuffled off the worst of the antibiotic take down of his systems. Meals are still pretty much dependent on what is actually more suitable for him. The sinus infection affected the back of his jaw and throat so instead of planning around my plans for healthy eating and weight loos it has been more about what he can eat that doesn’t hurt.

Not my favorite way to plan meals, but it was necessary. And it has thrown my internal systems a bit out of whack. Hopefully now we can start easing back into normal. While having him home sick did take a chunk of time out of my work days, me being so tired yesterday was probably the worst culprit. I thought I was actually sort of productive yesterday but this morning I started out going over everything I did yesterday and almost all of it had to be redone.

If I ever needed a clear picture of how important sleep is, I got it right there.

I can power through and keep working when I am exhausted, but the work will later have to be redone so it isn’t really being productive. It sounds like a simple thought but it is one that I seem to have to relearn a lot. Insomnia is a frequent companion in my life. I know once I reach a certain point of tiredness I should just call it a sick day and back away. I feel lazy if I do that though. I shouldn’t, because it never works out, but I do it anyway.

I suppose this is more a message to anyone else who has these sort of bouts of exhaustion or any situation that pulls focus I suppose. Sometimes it is more productive for everyone if you just step away. It isn’t laziness, it isn’t being irresponsible, it is an intelligent assessment of the situation and a logical course of action.

There is always a big gap between knowing what you should do and actually doing it. Hopefully next time I will take my own advice. Today however, I feel better, even if I have a heavy work load. I went with quick and easy for today’s makeup.

Today’s Look

Primer: Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Primer (hydrating)

Foundation: Yensa Super Serum Silk Foundation

Bronzer: Trestique Bronzing Stick

Blush: Axiology Cream Color Multi Use Stick

Setting Powder: Anastasia Beverly Hills Translucent Setting Powder

Brows: Grande Brow-Fill Volumizing Brow Gel

Eyes Axiology Lip to Lid Balmies in Rose

Mascara: Pur Fully Charged Mascara

Lips: Rimmel Stay Glossy Lip Gloss

I am currently going through my sample collection of Primers and this was the last use of the Laura Mercier sample. I do have a second sample, but I will hold off using it so I can work through some of the others in the sample box. It goes on wet and you really need to give it a minute to dry. I use a hand fan for a moment and practice the Long forgotten era language of fan movements and signals. I can’t help myself. My grandmother taught them to me when I was little and we played around with fans pretending to be Grand ladies greeting potential suiters at a magnificent ball. Now when I get a fan in my hand I can’t help but play around with them, even if I am only getting the primer to dry down. Luckily there is no one in the room to see me so it is fine. No actual suitors were slighted. Once the primer dries down though it is very sticky and really locks the makeup in place.

Today I used the Yensa Super Serum Silk Foundation. I will admit it took me a while to warm to this. I think it is because I love the BC formula Yensa makes. It is my favorite foundation actually. And when I pick this up my mind automatically goes to that. It is a good foundation though. it is more full coverage then I am used to so I make sure to go in very lightly. One pump sheered out over my face is enough to do what i want and it stays in place all day. Especially with a setting powder. It is one I always set as it is on the glowy side and the setting powder takes that down a notch. I am using the ABH Powder this month so I can finish it off. I have a second unopened one waiting. I like it, I just feel this jar has been opened long enough. It does tend to be a messy powder. There is no interior lock or regulator in the container it is just holes so there is almost always powder in the lid. Especially since I store my powders on their side in the drawer. I like being able to see which is which and that gives me the best view with the space I have. It does sometimes mean there is a mess. But it is a good powder

I love the Trestique bronzer. It is what got me started on cream face products actually. It is a creamy easy to blend formula. I can go light or I can go dark and it always works out for me. While not all of Trestique products have worked out for me, this and the lip crayons ae definite winners.

I went for the Axiology color cream as blush today because I am sort of testing out the Tarte Cream blush. Which sounds strange. I really love the blendability of the Color Cream as a blush and After a few days of kind of struggling with the tarte ne I wanted to refresh my memory in case I was making it something it wasn’t. But know, a few dots of color and a quick blend with the finger tips and this is fabulous. If you want more color, go a second or even third round. It is really easy to use (and the fact that it is fully recyclable doesn’t hurt any).. It is going to be really hard not to go ahead and lean into this often. Although I am already looking forward to testing it in the summertime heat. But that isn’t for a few more months yet.

I also went to Axiology with the eyes today, I am still playing with the balmies. I wanted something very light. I used the rose shade and it blended out really well. I went really light, mostly because this shade on me works better when it is really light. It is just a light flush to sort of make the look complete rather than something overly dramatic. The two shades I have to not really lend themselves to drama. There may be other more dramatic shades but I have other shadows for that. i like having something quick and low key I can reach for. And yeah, again, the zero waste production doesn’t hurt my love of these either.

The Pur mascara is not my favorite. it is fine but not fabulous. It worked today and luckily it is a sample size. I will use it until the sample is empty and then I will not repurchase it.

While I like the Rose shade from Axiology when I tried it on my lips it was just a shade too pink for me so I just grabbed the first thing I reached for which was the Rimmel Stay Glossy. I really like this lip gloss. I have no clue what the shade is as I can’t find it anywhere on the tube, but it has just enough color to perk up my lips and just enough gloss to make them shiny. It is a fabulous drug store find. I don’t know how many other shades I would pick up, but having this shade is something I really enjoy. It is a gloss so it doesn’t dry down at all and does wear off but the lip prints are light and the formula is more slick than sticky so I am happy with it.

And so my darlings this is me. I slept well and realized trying to be productive yesterday actually created more work for me today. Hopefully i have learned my lesson or at least served a a warning to those reading. And now it is back to work for me to fix all that I twisted yesterday. I think the second half of the week is going to be a long one. I hope it is also good.

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The Daily: March 6th, 2023

Oh my darlings it has been a weekend! On Friday we had a windstorm kick up that knocked down the internet around 10am. Friday is also trash day at our house and As soon as our bin we emptied by the garbagemen I went out to get it. I was not quick enough and ended up racing off down the hill to catch it. The bin was fine with nothing in it, but once empty there was no stopping it. We live in an area where there are smaller trucks so we don’t have the giant wheelie bins. We have the smaller older style trashcans. Think Oscar the Grouch only made of plastic instead of metal. Which actually that size is perfect for us. It fits three bags of trash and most weeks we only have two bags to go out, if that. I’ve been working on reducing our trash as much as possible.

Even with less trash, the trash is able to hold the bin in place. Empty it was just a play toy for the wind. My best consolation was that I was not the only one reviving their high school track skills.

I got back to the house just in time for the internet to go out. Which, while it did change my plans for the day, I didn’t mind too much. I am working on a large project that can be still worked on off line. So that was fine. Although there was no Face Mask Friday because about the time I was thinking about taking a break and putting on a face mask, we lost electricity.

Yeah Wind!

Oddly enough we got the electric back about the same time the rain storm came through. I say rain but it was filled with much hail. By Saturday afternoon things were more or less back to normal. At least weather wise.

Which is when my babydoll’s sinus issues became a little worse. We thought he was getting better. But bright and early Sunday Morning we ended up at Urgent Care. The sinus infection sent his blood pressure skyrocketing. He is currently knocked out by antibiotics in the bedroom. So hopefully that will be better soon.

I have to say this was the most stressful weekend I have had in a while. While I am keeping an ear out for him, it is actually a bit of a relief to get back to a work day. Thus far, things are kind of just chugging alone as a regular Monday. Normally this would not be something to celebrate, but right now a normal Monday feels really nice. It is a bit of a low key Monday thought so I went light with the makeup.

Today’s Look:

Primer: Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Primer (Hydrating)

Foundation: One Size Turn up the Base Powder Foundation

Bronzer: Milk Makeup Bronzer Stick (Use Up Box)

Blush: Tarte Breezy Cream Blush (Use Up Box)

Eyeshadow and Lips: Axiology Lip to Lid Balmies Nude Plum

Eyeliner: Too Faced Smoke Show Kajal Eyeliner

Brows: Grande Brow-Fill Volumizing Brow Gel

Mascara: Thrive Causemetics Mascara

This Month I am going through many of my primer samples to decide which ones I want to try out in a full size. I actually in many ways this is the month of samples as I am doing the same with skincare, but that is another story. I started with the Laura Mercier. It is hydrating and it does need a little time to dry down and absorb. Once it does, the primer gets very sticky and really locks the foundation down.

Today I wanted to try the primer out with a powder foundation and I really love this One Size foundation. I usually reach for it in the summer as it is just super easy to apply and just a good low makeup product. I know that you can build it up, but I generally find that when I build it up it looks a little powdery on me. So I go with the more natural look. As I am trying out different primers I will be rotating through foundations to see how they perform. The Laura Mercier really works well with this powder formula.

I am still working through the Milk Makeup bronzer and am slowly making progress on using it up. I love it but it is a small sample and I want to use it up before I pick up the full sized version. I just know I won’t use the sample after I pick up the full size so I need to use the sample up before ordering the full size.

This Tarte Cream Blush came in a Boxycharm a while back and I never really got around to using it. I love the color. It works really well with my skin tone. The cream formula needs to be warmed up with the finger. It is easy enough to do I just run my finger over it in a circle until it starts to melt a bit. Then I can use a sponge but I really end up using my finger more. The reason is that it doesn’t bend all that well and you really need to move fast. If I use a sponge then I generally find more of the blush sticks to the sponge then gets applied. I still need to play with it some more. I love the color, but the blending isn’t my favorite.

I am also playing around with the Lip to Lid Balmies from Axiology. This is one of the products they sent me to try out. There were three items in the box and this set of Balmies is the third to try. I really like the way it can go very light on the lids. It can be built up but I decided to go very light today. I warmed the stick up in my hand so it spread super easily. It is fine without warming, but I find it a little easier to spread over the lid if it is a little warmer. That way there is almost no pressing on the lid. I did feel it needed a little something so I actually picked up an eyeliner. I know, I can’t remember when I last used eyeliner. which is why I went with a crayon style since I knew it wasn’t dried out. This Too Faced formula really went on easily. I like it. I have hooded eyes so I generally only use liner when I am not using much shadow. Mostly because I usually feel that the only thing you end up seeing is the eyeliner. This was a decent pairing though. I did realize how out of practice with eyeliner I was though. I might have to try to use it more just to get back into practice.

When I went looking for eyeliner I found this unopened Thrive Mascara. It was still sealed and so I unsealed it and use it today. It is a bit more pointed a wand than I usually prefer. I really love my fluffy wands. However i really like this formula. It is really good at lengthening the lashes and it feels good on the lashes. Also the metal tube just feels luxe. I just feel fancy when I use it. There is something about the heavy metal tube. It helps that it is a really nice mascara.

I went very simple with this Grande Brow Fill. I really like it for simple non-drama brows. This fills in the few little spaces I need filling and keeps everything in place. It is a very quick, very easy product to use when you want something nice but low key.

I went back to Axiology Balmies for the lips as well. I use a brush for the lips because I don’t like putting something on my eyes that i have put on my lips. That is just me. I also get eye infections pretty easily so I take extra precautions. It is the same color on lips and lids though. On the lips it feels like a lip balm. It is very comfortable. It doesn’t dry down at all though so you will leave lip prints. Also it doesn’t hide any rough patches on the lips. It really has the same consistency as a lip balm although it is far more pigmented. I like it for a low key lip look and I do like how I can double use the product.

And that my darlings is me. It was a very tense weekend and I am very happy to roll into a Monday where i just have to concentrate on the work in front of me, with occasional check ins to see if my sleeping babydoll is still okay. Periodically he asks for tea, otherwise the antibiotics have him knocked out. It is a somewhat quiet day. And now that he is on the mend, I feel a bit better myself. Here’s hoping for a nice quiet week.

The Daily: March 1st, 2023

Today feels like March. I know I normally start the month saying, Oh I can’t believe the month changed. But today felt like March. Winds are whipping through the trees, the temps were cooler in the morning but cautiously rose a little before noon only to decide it was a bad idea and drop a few degrees as the afternoon has worn on. The sky alternated between sunny and cloudy.

March always feels like it can’t make up it’s mind on weather and today was definitely a March Day. I always think if March as the in between month. You want to think of it as spring. The world is warm enough that it can’t properly be called winter any more. There are buds on the trees and the most of the bulbs are up. But there are still sudden ice storms and I have already hauled out the blankets we use to cover the flower beds during the cold snap to keep their optimistic little faces from freezing off.

March is the Month where the seasons seem to fight each other. Usually Spring wins. Last year it felt a bit like Winter and Spring fought it out, Winter beat spring but was exhausted so Summer came and punched it in the face. It was a KO and summer reigned as the champion for far too long. Remember I was still picking tomatoes in October last year. Even though my nose is already dripping from the pollen being tossed into the air like confetti, I am still cheering on Spring. I would love a nice long one this year instead of automatically being slapped around by a brutal summer.

which I suppose is the klong way round to say that today feels like March 1st.

And since it is the beginning of the month I chose all new products to try and use up this month. I decided to use them all and fill in where I could. I’m pretty sure the eyes were a mistake. But we’ll get to that.

Today’s Look:

Primer: Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Primer- hydrating

Foundation: No 7 Lift and Luminate Triple Action Serum Foundation

Bronzer: Milk Makeup Bronzing Stick

Blush: Tarte Breezy Cream Blush

Setting Powder: Anastasia Beverly Hills Translucent setting powder

Eyes: Axiology Lip to Lid zero Waste Balmies and Almay velvet foil shadow

Mascara: Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Brag Mascara

Lips: Anastasia Beverly Hills Matte Lipstick in Dead Roses

This month I am going to try to work through as many of the priming sample sizes as I can. I had a couple of primers that I needed to use up so i set the samples to the side and now I have a bunch of them to go through and decide if they are worth picking up in the full size. Since this one was on top, it went first. It is a very hydrating primer. It is a white cream and has a fresh scent to it has a lot of skincare vibes as I apply it. It is very wet so use only a little. I also used a hand fan to dry it down a little. Once dried down a little it is very tacky and sticky. It very much grips the makeup placed over it.

I used it with my No 7 Foundation today partially because I like the foundation and partially because i know how it works which lets me assess the primer a bit more. I applied this with a brush but found myself reaching for the makeup sponge to smooth out brush lines more than i have ever had to do with this foundation. Usually I don’t have a problem with brush lines. My guess is that it was the stickiness of the primer. The lines were easily then care of, but it was more noticeable with this primer.

The Bronzer from Milk is still in my Use up box as i am trying to use up and get rid of the sample so I can buy the full size. It is a great product and I will be keeping it in the box until the sample is completely used up. which is no problem as i like it.

I also kept the blush from Tarte around as I really only used it once last month. I used it today and I really enjoyed it. I did have to run my finger over the pan a bit to warm up the product before it would apply well, but once it was softened by my finger it went on well and blended out fairly easily. The trick is that it seems to have to be blended pretty much immediately. Don’t let it sit and then blend.

I like the ABH setting powder. This particular one is more than halfway emptied and I have a second unopened powder in my makeup drawer to use when this is finished. It is in my box this month because I have had it opened a while and want to use it up. I think the one thing that I don’t like about this powder is that when i open it there is always powder in the top as there is no mechanism to block the holes inside. So I always get a puff of powder everywhere when i open it. There is some on my shirt in this photo so after I applied the makeup i did go change. I think that will be the thing to remember. I need a makeup shirt with this powder.

And now we come to the eyes. The mascara i loved, I went with ABH and the fluffy wand did everything I want in a mascara. I really like all of the products I use on my eyes but the two shadows I used didn’t go together. The Almay foil is in my use up box even though it is new mostly because I want to keep it out to give it a good try. I thought it needed a good matte shadow behind it so I reached for the balmies. I really like how these apply to the eyes. I put a little on the outer edge of my eye and blended in. It worked beautifully. It was just a low makeup look and didn’t pair well with the Almay. I think the copper foil needs a stronger base color to pair with. This was not a fabulous look. However once that foil is in place, it is in place. I would have to do a full makeup removal to get it off and then start again. I didn’t really had the time so I decided I could live with the bad shadow today. It is at least subtly bad. I have put on some glittery looks that went massively awry before and they were hard to life with for the day. This was fine. It was just a lesson with the two products. The balmies are subtle low makeup products and the foil is a bit dramatic. They don’t really play well, They both have tremendous staying power I have to give them that. Neither of them have budged all day. It is like a battle between low key and drama with neither giving way.

I blame March.

Finally I ended with the ABH Lipstick. It is a sample size from the Matte lipstick range. The lipstick has been worn down quite a bit because it is a great formula and a favorite color of mine. However it is a discontinued color as well as a sample size. It has been well loved and I just need to go ahead and try to use the last of it up so i can send it on it’s way. But it is one of my favorites.

And that my darlings is me today. I was happy with the face products but faltered with the eyes. And at least i have learned what not to pair this Almay foil shadow with. I’m going to call that today’s take away. So at least i learned something, right?