The Skincare Line Up: March 17th, 2023

Good morning my darlings. It is time once again to look at the skincare used this week. To be honest, there weren’t a lot of changes this week, however three of these products are now completely empty and will need to be replaced tonight. So changes are coming. Shall we see where we stand and how everything performed?

The Daytime Line Up

Cleanser: Byroe Kiwi Detox Gel Cleanser

Serum: Bare Minerals Long Life Herb Serum

Eyecream: Byroe Truffle Eye Cream

Moisturizer: First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

There is just enough liquid in the Bioderma bottle to remove the last of my makeup tonight. Technically it should have been in the night time line up, but for some reason I put it with the day time crew. it is a good micellular water and worked really well at getting the makeup off. It was a very gentle way to cleanse mascara from lashes as well. there was nothing harsh about it.

While I have been going through my sample items to clear them out, I looked but did not find a sample sized cleanser. I’m sure I have some, i just couldn’t find it on the morning my last sample ran out. This Byroe cleanser was the smallest tube of cleanser i had in the wings so I went with it as my option. It is a good gel cleanser. It doesn’t smell of kiwi which is slightly disappointing as I think that would be a lovely refreshing way to start the morning. It has little beady bits like kiwi seeds in it. There are enough to be noticed but not really enough that it feels like an intentional exfoliating option. I’m not entirely sure they do much, but maybe time will tell.

The Byroe Truffle Eye serum is still doing well. It doesn’t clog the pores and it has a skin softening effect. I think I have been using it long enough that I should start seeing results soon. it is thus far a good eye cream. Not my favorite, but a good cream.

This was the last use of the bareMinerals Serum. It was a lovely herbal scented serum that absorbed well and made my skin feel soft. Beyond that I didn’t really see any results. The serum I had lasted two weeks and typically you need thirty days to see real results so I may have to use it longer. I am not opposed to trying it out for a longer period and i probably will at some point because I like bareMinerals products in general, but there is nothing that made me want to immediately go out and purchase it.

I was going to pick out a different Day cream but a I have a night mask in the line up that I am using a couple of times a week, I figured this would be good for both day and night use and I could limit the number of products open. I really like this First Aid Beauty moisturizer. It is actually one of my favorite FAB products. I’ve used it before and I will certainly use it again. I really do enjoy it for both day and night time use. I do have to add that we are going through a cold snap right now. I think it might be a little too hydrating for me to use in the day once the weather warms up, but even then as a night cream it works really well.

The Night Time Line Up

Makeup Remover:Bioderma Purifying Cleansing Micelle Solution

Cleanser: Byroe Kiwi Detox Gel Cleanser

Toner: Perricone MD Face Finishing and Firming Toner

Serum: Replenix Age Restore Night Time Therapy

Moisturizer: First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

Sleeping Mask Omorovicza Midnight Radiance Mask

Lips mask: Tatcha Kissu Lip mask

The Perricone MD toner is really a nice gentle exfoliator. I am on the lower end of the product now with maybe a week or two left of use and I have really enjoyed using it. It is definitely something I would get again. It is kind of interesting that when I first started to use it there was a lot of gunk on the toner pad when I was finished as it exfoliated all the dead skin cells. As time went on there is less gunk on the toner pad. Not because it stopped working but because it is routinely taking them off as they arrive and so there is no build up. It is a good product that bears consistent use.

The Replenix is almost completely out of product. Actually I say that to make myself feel better. It was sputtering last night when I applied it and I know I will press the dispenser tonight and there will be little to nothing that comes out. I will still try though as it was a really good serum. It absorbed quickly and my skin felt like silk when it was on. I would love to get a full size and see how it performs over time. It is certainly on my list of full sized future trials.

I am 100% certain I never pronounce Omorovicza correctly, but I will still always try because I adore the brand’s products. This sleeping mask is used twice a week and there is only a little needed to cover the entire face. It is a gel formula that feels very lightweight on the skin. I love the way it makes my skin feel. It is an extra boost of moisture but it also seems to perk my skin up so I wake up looking better than I did when i went to bed. And isn’t that always the goal? If I had my way I would never run out of this cream.

And then as always we end with the Tatcha Lip mask. The divot inside is deep, but there is still plenty of product. I am actually quite amazed by how long this has lasted. I am also really glad it came with a small spoon. while the spoon wasn’t really needed at first I am getting to the point where it is easier to use it to get out the product. So I am glad I have it.

So for now, this is the line up. I will need new serums and a new makeup remover at the very least for next week’s line up. I can’t wait to see what I pull from the samples box to try out next.

The Skincare Line Up: March 10th, 2023

That’s right it is time once again for the skincare line up. Are you ready? I know I am because I really enjoyed my skincare this week. But seriously when do I not enjoy talking about skincare? So off we go.

The Daytime Line Up

Cleanser: Glow Recipe Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser

Serum: Bare Minerals Long Life Herb Serum

Eyecream: Byroe Truffle Eye Cream

Moisturizer: Beauty Stat Universal Pro Bio Moisture Boost Cream

This morning I used the last of the Glow Recipe Cleanser. It is a good cleanser and if the full size manages to dispense product more easily I would consider using it again. While it was good it wasn’t my absolute favorite cleanser. I don’t feel the desire to run out and replace it right away, but I would certainly use it again.

This was the first week of use for the Bare Minerals serum. As you can see the first week of use managed to use up about half of the serum. The serum has a bit of an herbal scent to it. Not an herb I can actually identify but a generally herbal scent. If I had to guess I would say that lemon verbena is somewhere in the mix though. The scent faded as the serum dried. It took a moment to dry down and absorb into the skin. In the morning I generally found my self applying it and then brushing my teeth. Once they were clean it was time to move on in the routine. As there is still half a tube left, I will continued using it next week.

The Byroe Truffle Eye cream is good. I like the way it feels on the skin and absorbs. I haven’t seen the same sort of results I saw with the Tea Time from Byroe but it is still early days yet so there is plenty of time. For now I like that it is at least not the sort of formula that clogs the pores around my eyes. The skin around my lower orbital bone is prone to that. So that is a victory.

I am still hoping for results with the fine lines.

And finally with the day time we go to the Beauty Stat moisturizer. What can I say, I used it, I loved it, I now hate that it is empty. And I cleaned that little jar out. it is squeaky clean. Not a drop remains. It was an interesting formula. It was white and creamy and somehow felt like vasiline on the fingertips yet melted in like a dream I was very impressed with it. it was also my first use of anything from this brand so I will definately be search9ing out more from them as a result of using this crea,

In the morning line up only the Serum and the eye cream will continue. Tonight I will try all new products to fill in the morning time gaps. But now we enter the night…

The Night Time Line Up

Makeup Remover:Bioderma Purifying Cleansing Micelle Solution

Cleanser: Glow Recipe Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser

Toner: Perricone MD Face Finishing and Firming Toner

Serum: Replenix Age Restore Night Time Therapy

Moisturizer: First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

Sleeping Mask Omorovicza Midnight Radiance Mask

Lips mask: Tatcha Kissu Lip mask

This week I used the Bioderma as my only makeup remover. It worked well and I am hoping to finish it out this week. I did find that with the Bioderma alone there were more traces of makeup on the toner pad when I used it than I would have if I backed it up with a makeup remover, but by the end I was satisfied my makeup was removed and face clean. I would definitely make this part of a two step makeup removing process though.

The Perricone MD toner was fantastic. I like it just as much now as when I started. the only thing I wish is that it had some sort of regulator cap on the inside instead of being an open bottle I almost knocked it off of the counter this week and only a last second save stopped it all from going down the drain. i am quite prod of my last second save though.

I have already added the Replenix to my list of products to purchase in a full size. It worked really well to help make my skin smooth and hydrated. I would love to spend longer with the formula to see if it does more. There is still some product left in the bottle but as it is solid plastic I am not sure how much. I am hoping it lasts the week. I want to use this as long as I can.

The FAB moisturizer I have used in the full size before. it is a really good moisturizer and in fact one of my favorite products from the brand. It is why I kept this travel size ready to go in my travel kit. However I felt it had been in there too long so I rolled it into use. It is a full tube so it will be here for a little while, which I can’t say i am mad about. I think it needs to stay at night moving forward though. In the driest of winter i can use it both morning and evening, but we are edging into the separate products for day and night time use zone.

This week I did at the Omorovicza sleeping mask. I have no idea how to pronounce it but it is glorious. Anything I havetried from the brand has been utterly amazing. I have always tried sample sizes and always been left wanting more. This Sleeping mask is designed to be used only twice a week so i used it Monday and Wednesday this week and was left with th softest most hydrated skin when I woke up. This is one of those brands that I wish I could afford to buy more from on a regular basis. As it is I watch like a hawk for sales and any form of discounts. Occasionally Look Fantastic puts things on sale from the brand and I pounce like a skincare ninja. It is just such an amazing brand.

Also amazing is my tatcha lip mask, but I forgot to put it in my picture today and didn’t realize until just now. <y lips are back to hydrated and the dry bits I tend to pick at are all gone so they can continue to heal properly.

Over all my skin is fantastic this week and I am really please with it. There are a few deeply clogged pores but as I have an AHA based mask for this afternoon i am hoping that will help clear things away. Fingers crossed.

St Patrick’s Day Sale – Spin To Win Up To 30% Off Your Order!

The Daily: January 2nd, 2023

Welcome my darlings to a brand new year. I have every hope that this will be a fantastic one. While I am not one for New Year’s resolutions I have to admit that I do like to start new things as the year rolls over. For me it is about separating the new year from the old and making a determination to do better in the new year than I did in the last.

One of the things that I have decided to add is the To Use Up box which will hopefully allow me to use up some products that I don’t usually reach for thus keeping them from expiring and needing to be thrown away.

In fact, this year reducing waste is one of my mail goals. I did pretty good last year, using my Makeup Eraser rather than disposable makeup wipes. I even switched out my cotton rounds for reusable ones. I am really enjoying the Swipies from Magnitone for those actually. I am hoping to expand things a bit. I have a compost bin that I will be using more religiously this year so that fewer organic items will make it into the trash can. I will also be shredding many of the boxes that subscription boxes come in so that they can be used as the dry matter in my compost bin.

I am also going to try to limit my driving this year. There are many places within walking distance, even if walking to them isn’t all that convenient. I will be combining errands when I can’t walk to them so that they can be done in a more efficient manner. My goal is actually to cut my driving mileage in half this year. I don’t know if I will make it, but I think it is a goal worth pursuing.

It also has the added benefit of increasing my walking time. Which will help with fitness. My weight and getting into a healthy weigh range for my body type remains of course something I will pursue but it is not something I would consider as a New Year’s goal. That makes it seem too ephemeral. I am committed to living a healthier life, but that is a lifelong change and not something I ever want to list with resolutions. However in this at least I think that my fitness efforts might also help me out with the efforts of reducing the amount of resources that I actually consume.

Speaking of that goal, While I will be trying to use one item from my Use Up box each day, Today I am just going to go hard and use most of the items in the Use Up box. The discontinued items I will not link anywhere since they are not being made. I do believe those items can still be found on Amazon or Walmart websites though. And so we begin…

Today’s Look:

Primer: Marc Jacobs Under (cover) Blurfection Primer (Discontinued)

Foundation: Bite Beauty Changemaker Foundation (discontinued)

Bronzer: Ciate London Bamboo Bronzer

Blush: BareMinerals Bounce and Blur Blush

Setting Powder: Pink Haze from Becca Cosmetics(discontinued)

Eyebrow: By Reema Brow Kit

Eyeshadow: Too Faced Melted Chocolate Liquid Matte Eyeshadow and RealHer Dreams so Big Eyeshadow Duo

Mascara: Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Brag

Eyeliner: Grande Liner Liquid eyeliner

Lipstick: Colourpop Ultra Matte Liquid Lip in Tulle

Okay the bulk of today’s makeup came from the use up box and this month that box features a lot of discontinued products I am trying to use up and clear out of my collection while they are still good. In the future I will limit the number of items I roll i n from this box but I just wanted a chance to use them all to see if they were all still good and if i did want them in the box. I will go quickly through the discontinued Items. Marc Jacobs was a really good clear primer that created a smooth canvas for other products to shine. I loved it and look forward to reaching for it often this month. I adore this Bite Beauty Foundation but the brand is gone and so I look forward to using it up. Again with the Becca Powder, love it and really need to pick up another pink setting powder as it works well with my skin but I know I won’t until this is used up, so i am using it up.

The Too Faced Liquid Matte Eyeshadow is discontinued as well I believe which is a shame as I really enjoy it. The matte formula goes on well and doesn’t crease. I find it easy to blend with my fingertips and then let dry and apply a powder eyeshadow over it I do find that by the end of the day the powder shadow(regardless of the brand, will wear off and just leave me with the matte liquid shadow. I can’t actually remember if it plays well with other liquid shadows. I have a few (it isn’t my preferred formula) so I’ll play with that this month just out of curiosity. I tended to not reach for it because I forget single shadows in general.

Which is why I put the Realher shadow quad in this use up box this month. the two shades work well for me but I forget about it a lot. I’m hoping having it out will entice me to use it more. They aren’t the most pigmented shadows and they tend to fade as the day goes on so I don’t really want to purchase the full sized palette but this duo is nice for a quick look.

The ciate Bronzer and Bare Minerals blush are two of my favorites and ones I will reach for often. The Bareminerals blush is actually a sample that I have been trying to use up for some time. There is a slight dent in the product but no sign of pan. I will use up the sample and then when it is empty i will buy a full size. it is just taking a long time to use up the sample. Perhaps next month it will end up in the use up box. For now I am happy to just rotate it in when I want it.

The Brow Bar By Reema I have used before. I do like the powder and the highlight for under the brow and it is a pretty kit with a great mirror. I am only going to use two of the products inside though so it feels like I am wasting the other products when I use it. The two products I use I like, and I am happy to use it this month. I just don’t think I would purchase it again. While the package is lovely and it is great for travel, and I like that it does have a brush, spoolie and tweezers, that only comes in handy when traveling. I prefer another brush and tweezers to the set. But for travel it is nice. Otherwise it takes up a lot of space with things I won’t use.

This was the first use for the Grandeliner this morning. It has been a while since I used liner and I did make a bit of a mess with it, but I want to try to remember liner more and I really did like this formula so I will keep using it. it doesn’t seep into lines and glides on easily.

The ABH mascara is not new and it an item I love and will repurchase. It is a fabulous mascara.

The Colorpop formula is a little on the dry side and I find myself adding lip balm throughout the day. To be honest it is why I rarely wear this liquid lip any more. That and the fact that there is a little fine line seepage before it dries if you aren’t quick with the blot. It is half empty and I do love the color so I will use it this month hoping to use it up. If they have this shade in a bullet lipstick i may end up repurchasing it, but the liquid lip formula is a little too drying.

And that my darlings is me today. I am pleased with how my makeup turned out (barring liner which I need to do some practicing with) and happy that these are some of the products I am working towards using up this month. As for life, the weather is finally cooperating and I am back on my fitness journey and my walks out in the wide world of the park. I am going to spend the rest of my day at the desk however as I look to the calendar and begin the mass scheduling that the new year’s arrival always brings. I am looking forward to this new year actually and am hoping it will be much better than the year being left behind. It was a difficult one for me and I just hope that 2023 will be a little less dramatic and traumatic. Happy New Year my darlings. Let’s make this one a fantastic one.

The Daily: November 2nd, 2022

Today my darlings we are going to do something different for my daily post. I had planned on a bit more normality, my first use of the the paid My fitness Pal app, lie in general, and my daily makeup look. You know, all of the usual stuff. Then I went to get my makeup for the day out. I first came across the Becca Foundation I planned to declutter on monday. It was still out. I promised myself I would throw it out this afternoon. Then I reached into the drawer and pulled out the RealHer Foundation thinking I hadn’t used it in a while. It was seperated. So I reached for the NYX and found the tube was really light. I dispensed some into my hand and found there wasn’t enough left to use for one last time.

And so instead of putting on my makeup I laid out all of my foundations and did an impromptu foundation declutter. I know, My plan was to wait until December and go through my decluttering so that everything was fresh for the new year.

But I was annoyed. So Foundation declutter today. As a warning there may be a primer declutter for tomorrow as they are in the same drawer and there are several products that either need to go to a new home, tried out or simply thrown out because they have reached the end of their lives.

But for now, we are doing a foundation declutter.

Before we start I would like to say that a lot of these foundations came in subscription boxes. I did purchase quite a few of them because a few years ago the foundation I used routinely was discontinued so I went on the hunt for a new everyday foundation. Then I stopped and began rotating through products to use up the ones that I had. there are two powder foundations I didn’t take out for the declutter. One is the KVD Lock it Powder foundation and the other is the One Size Powder foundation. I like both of them and will be keeping them. Also I have two foundations that I did order. One is the Bounce from Beauty Blender. I tried the sample that came with a Sephora order and I liked it enough that when I saw it was on sale for half price and there was a $5 discount for first time purchases I went ahead and bought it. The second I have on order is the Koh Gen Do Aqua foundation. It was out of stock for a really long time but now it is back in stock. It is a fantastic high end foundation and my go to for event foundation. I tend to go through a bottle during the holiday season.

So this is everything else.

Just seeing them all laid out like that is a lot. But let’s dive in. There are a lot to go through so there is only going to be a few little bits about each so this isn’t a mile long. First we have the empties and expired products.

RealHer I am Divine is expired. It is an okay foundation but not one of my favorites. It tends to sink into the fine lines and isn’t all that long wearing.

The QMS Medicosmetics Active glow is also expired. It is a decent tinted moisturizer. It gives pretty much no coverage. it is great for a no makeup day, but aside from taking down redness it doesn’t do a lot. I liked it on no makeup days, but it is a pricy product that I won’t be repurchasing because there are less expensive products that perform better.

The Becca is discontinued, almost empty and on the verge of expiring. It was supposed to leave on Monday, but it was apparently just waiting for some friends to join it.

The NYX Bare With Me tinted skin Veil is empty. Completely empty. It is a fantastic product that I leaned on all summer. It is a great tinted moisturizer that works as a light coverage foundation and in the spring i will be repurchasing it. For now, the tube is empty and going away.

The Purlisse Perfect Glow BB Cream is also a summer time favorite. There is a smidge left in the tube but I am going to go ahead and declutter it. It is a good light weight formula that gives light to medium coverage (my preferred coverage actually) and I will definitely be repurchasing it.

The Catrice HD Liquid Coverage is a product I am sad to see go. I love the formula but had so many problems with the dropper. It is quite honestly a packaging problem. I am sure i will end up picking this up again in the future simply because it is such a good formula, but I have had two bottles of this and each of them has had issues with the dropper. since I don’t reach for it, this foundation has expired. I think if I had fewer foundations I would go to the trouble of having a replacement dropper next to the bottle to use but it is messy and with other foundations to choose from, I just chose other foundations.

Too Faced Dew You Full Coverage foundation is a good full coverage foundation. I don’t go for full coverage a lot and this foundation is light with kind of yellow undertones. There are about two weeks out of the year where I can make this work (this came in a subscription box). Because of that I don’t use it often and it has expired. It is very long wearing and very full coverage. It is just the wrong shade for me. I also think that Too Faced discontinued it.

I have two foundations from Yensa. One is the BC Skin on Skin Foundation. It is fantastic and I would wear it everyday if I could. Which is why the tube is almost empty. It is staying for now but i will use it up before the new year and immediately repurchase. The Yensa Super Serum Silk Foundation is growing on me. I don’t like it as much as the BC foundation, but I like it enough to finish the bottle. I am still on the fence about whether or not I want to repurchase, but it is staying and I will continue to use it.

The No 7 Lift and Luminate and the Elf Acne fighting foundation are my two drugstore favorites. The No 7 is reordered as soon as it gets low. I like the Elf and will repurchase it but I don’t feel as intense a need to replace it. The Elf is getting low and I will probably finish it out before the year is up. Oddly this is one of the only Elf foundations I do like. While I don’t have that big a problem with acne, this feels lighter than the other elf formulas and one that I would use again,

The Ciate London Extraordinary Foundation is a good foundation. I like using it but you have to go sparingly with it. A little does go a long way. You can build it to full coverage if you want to though. The more you build it though, the more it is going to settle into fine lines. I always use a pore filling primer with this foundation and I always go with a lighter application. For me the big draw for this foundation is that the shade I have perfectly blends with my skin tone.

The next three foundations I like and will use, but I probably won’t repurchase. I reach for them often enough that i will use them up, but I’m just not going to buy them. Two came in subscription boxes and one came from Influenster. The first is the Charlotte Tilbury Air Brush Flawless Foundation. It is nice but tends to feel a bit heavy and oddly enough looks a little powdery even without setting powder.

The Tom Ford Traceless soft matte is a beautiful foundation. It is a serum style and looks fantastic on. It is however quite pricy and to be honest the No 7 Lift and Luminate is almost on par with it. The Tom ford is a little bit better but only by a slim margin. while I don’t mind paying more for a great product, the difference between the tow is too slim for me to justify. I will however use every drop from this bottle.

The third in this group is the Natasha Denona Transformatte. It is a good formula but feels a little heavy on the skin. It is supposed to be pore vanishing but I still need a pore filling primer if it isn’t going to sink into fins lines throughout the day. It looks beautiful for about 8-9 hours and then it sinks into fine lines. I like it enough to wear, but not enough to repurchase given the price of the formula. It is good, but I am not repurchasing when it is done.

The bareMinerals Complexion Rescue is a good tinted moisturizer. It is great for a no makeup look and blends into the skin well. I like it, but I have other products that do the same. I am still actually on the fence about this product though. I don’;t think I have actually used it enough to really decide if I would repurchase or not. I do know my skin loves this more than it does my other tinted moisturizers. I think I might just have to see how I feel after more product has been used.

And then we have Bite Beauty. I love their Changemaker foundation. Or at least I love the formula of the Changemaker foundation I have. I know they changed a lot of their formulas. I don’t know if this foundation went through a change as well. I adore this formula and would purchase it repeatedly. If it hasn’t changed. Also I think the brand has started to go out of business. So this is a conditional love but might not be able to ever repurchase.

Also in that boat is the Kristopher buckle Triplicity Foundation stick. the brand is no longer in existence and I am finishing out the last of this stick. It was a fantastic formula and I will probably cry when the stick is completely depleted. It will not follow me into the new year though.

The Revolution Fast Base Foundation Stick i love and will repurchase repeatedly. I purchased it initially just to have something spill proof that I could travel with. And then I fell in love with it. it is creamy, blends beautifully and looks great. It isn’t the longest wearing foundation but when it wears off it just sort of fades away instead of peeling or sinking into fine lines.

And then the final stick foundation from Anastasia Beverly Hills. It is the Caramel Stick Foundation and it works really well with my skin. It is longer wearing than the Revolution but it also needs a little warming up before using. If you warm it up then it applies well and is very creamy. Again it is also the prefect shade for my skin so that helps.

and so there we have it. A quick and dirty impromptu declutter. It wasn’t what i planned for the day, but it was definitely needed. So the end result: Seven foundations are leaving today. There are thirteen remaining. One is discontinued and will be used up and let go. three are almost empty and will be gone before the end of the year. And five of them will be used up and never repurchased again.

It is still a lot, but as I empty out the ones with low product in them, even if I like them they will not be repurchased until the ones I want to use up and not repurchase have been used up and sent on their way. I’m sure there will be other foundations that come my way in the year but I feel pretty good about knowing what I have, the product level of what i have remaining and the fact that I have gotten rid of items I simply won’t (or can’t) use. Just before we roll into 2023 I will do a brief review to see what is going to actually make it into next year with me but for now, i feel really good about this, even if it wasn’t part of today’s original plan. Hopefully you enjoyed the break form the norm as well.

The Daily: October 27th, 2022

Good afternoon my darlings. Today has been a very interesting day for me. And you may notice that this post is going up just a little bit early. while in my working life I do a lot of copywriting and editing and a lot of non-fiction writing, my love is writing fiction. And sometimes a story grabs me unexpectedly.

I woke up this morning with plot bunnies dancing in my eyes. There is a story I have been thinking about off and on for a while but this morning when i woke up, several things just snapped into place (hence the chorus of plot bunnies). I woke up before my alarm and grabbed a pen and notebook from the night stand and started writing until the alarm did go off.

Then I had to accept that I had work to do. So I shortened all of my morning routines and dove into it hoping to clear off all of it to give myself time to write. I just finished the last of what has to get done today and I am posting this early. As soon as it is posted I will go on a short walk to shift my brain out of work mode (and to get at least a little exercise in) and then I will sip on a cup of soup for lunch while I spend the rest of the afternoon writing. So without further delay, let us jump into today’s look.

(I will say the foundation is a little off because I am testing a foundation from a sample pack with several shades and while I use the blister that was my shade I still have questions about the foundation so I am using the ones that aren’t exactly my shade. since my time out of doors today involves only a quick walk, I am not too worried by the discrepancy but I know it may bother some of you. I know this is not my shade and that my face doesn’t match my neck. I apologize for those of you that this really bugs.)

Today’s Look

Primer: Huda Beauty Complexion Perfection Pre Makeup Base

Foundation: Beauty Blender Bounce Liquid Whip Long Wear foundation

Bronzer: Trestique Stick Bronzer

Blush: Bare Minerals Bounce and Blur Blush

Eyeshadow: Fall Edit Palette by Estate Cosmetics

Mascara: Fenty Beauty Full Frontal Mascara

Powder: Kim Chi Chic Beauty Puff Puff Pass Setting Powder

Lips: Anastasia Beverly Hills Matte Lipstick

Today I took the Huda Beauty Primer out of my makeup drawer and found that the tube is mostly empty. It is a decent product but not one of my favorites. It works well at blurring out the pores but not so well with helping out the fine lines. I won’t spend too much time discussing it because it is discontinued and now only available on Amazon and other second sale sites (at least I couldn’t find it on Huda Beauty’s website or Sephoras). I might try using this up in the next few days, but I will then be letting it go.

Today I am using an off color of foundation. The reason is that once i finish my work and start writing I will probably end up with a longer than normal day. When I really get stuck into a story I tend to loose track of time, and tonight is a left overs night as we clear out the fridge before Friday’s big meal and weekend grocery shopping. So dinner won’t take more time than reheating and eating and then I will more or less get back to writing, leaving my babydoll to his own devices for the evening. A lot of nights I take my makeup off just after dinner to let my skin breathe on it’s own before my nightly skincare routine starts. Sometimes there is an evening mask as well. Tonight, none of that will be happening. As this is a long wear foundation this will give me a better idea of how it performs when worn longer than i usually wear my makeup.

Hence the wrong shade for the day.

If it bothers you just repeat the phrase – Its for testing purposes. And know that while I adjusted the camera angle so the change between face and neck isn’t so startling, when I see myself in the mirror when I go to the bathroom I have to live with the full on startling difference for the day. It is much more apparent head on.

I did use the Kim Chi Setting powder as it has a slight tint to it. Today was not the day to add stark white setting powder. I do love this powder. I also love the powder puff which is actually usable and not just a thin piece of foam on the top of the powder.

The bronzer and blush are my quick and easy go tos for face products when I don’t want to spend a lot of time. The bronzer is just a quick swipe and blend. The blush I was worried would be too dark as it is a deeper tone, however instead of applying with my finger and then blending, i just tapped the makeup sponge into the pan and then applied that way. the darker shade toned down and as always the bareMinerals came out looking well.

I was feeling a little fall so I picked up the Fall Edit from Estate cosmetics. The shadows are a little bit powdery and have some fall out. I had to double tap the brushes to avoid fall out, but the shadows do blend beautifully and I really like the fall look that came out of this palette. I will be testing it next week as well so we will see i it is just the one look I create slight variations of or if there is more to this palette. For today I liked it and I paired it with my fave fall lipstick. It is the ABH in Dead Roses. The shade has been discontinued but the formula remains. It is a very comfortable formula to wear. As this has been discontinued I will wear it this fall as my daily use as much as possible. The lipstick is really worn down and I think I can use it up and send it on it’s way. I do have several nudes but i like the thought of using up a lipstick completely. It doesn’t happen often with me as I rotate products and my weakness for lip products means there are always plenty to choose from. This is no hardship to wear though and I have no problem keeping it as frequent to the daily.

And so that is me today my darlings. Necessary work complete and stories dancing in my head. Well one story where separate pieces finally clicked together. And so I am posting early, taking a short walk and sipping my lunch time soup while I get to work on pulling the story out of my brain. It wasn’t what I planned for the day, but no one plans for a plot bunny attack. I’m sure normality will resume tomorrow, but until then, have a great day.

Beyond Clean Beauty. Ogee is plant powered, vegan, gluten-free, GMO free and certified organic ingredients.

The Daily: September 6th, 2022

Good afternoon my darlings. I hope you had a fantastic weekend. Personally I really enjoyed the three day weekend. While the rain kept me from doing much in the way of garden chores, I did get several very necessary things done in the house. Which was nice. I also took a little time and just sort of rested. I think I have been running a 100 miles a minute for the last few weeks so having a little time to just sort of take a breather was probably the best thing for me.

Sometimes, even when your plate is full, taking a few minutes of down time is the best thing you can do for your mental health. I always forget that until I take the down time and then i always remind myself to remember after I’ve taken the time. I need to figure out a better system, but hopefully the reminder will help you.

Speaking of reminders, I did something fun and fabulous this weekend. I pre ordered my Look Fantastic Advent Calendar. I know, it is September. The pre release list was just opened. They won’t ship until closer to the Holiday season. Unlike the people at the grocery store near me who already have a display of Santas and other Christmas themed décor items up for sale. (Seriously, they skipped both Halloween and Thanksgiving and went straight to Christmas in the final week of August. I am actually amazed at how offended by that I actually am. After all I haven’t even gotten out my Frankenstein Coffee mug.

the pre order I don’t mind though. Especially since the last three years they have sold out before I could purchase them. I have been trying to snag the Look Fantastic Advent Calendar for a while and just missing out. So the pre order went in. And then there was a Happy Dance. It was also nice to just feel like something went right for a moment. Even if it was something small. And even though I do put up an advent calendar post listing out all of the ones I think are worth purchasing, I generally limit the number of advent calendars I actually purchase. while cost is definitely a factor, I really like it to feel special and opening one or two nice ones instead of a bunch does keep them feeling special. There are always far more advent calendars that I want than I can realistically buy anyway, hence the post. I’ll still get a couple for family as gifts, but limit the number for myself.

Anyway that is the long winded way of saying that I managed to pre order the Look Fantastic Advent Calendar for 2022 and that they are now available for pre-order if you would like them. I am now avoiding any spoilers for the Look Fantastic Advent Calendar since I would like to forget what little I do know about it and treat it as a surprise. So with that said, let’s jump into today’s look shall we. I decided to take a little break from the neutral norm.

Today’s Look:

Primer: Elf Poreless Putty Primer

Foundation: Cover Girl Aqua Smooth Makeup + Titanium Dioxide Sunscreen

Setting Powder: Kim Chi Chic Beauty Puff Puff Pass Setting Powder

Bronzer: Buxom Staycation Vibes Bronzer

Blush: bareMinerals Bounce and Blur Blush

Eyeshadow: Colourpop Blowin’ Smoke palette

Brows: iMethod Beauty Stencils with the ABH Dip Brow Pomade

Mascara: Milk Makeup Rise Mascara

Lips: Stila Stay All Day Lip in Rubino

I know usually I start with the base work my way out and then go from eyes down landing on the lips but today we need to start with the lips. Oh my do we need to start with the lips. I ordered the Blowin’ Smoke Palette from Colourpop and it arrived over the weekend. It was on sale (still is actually if you follow the link above). I’;ve wanted the palette for a while now, but always talked myself out of it. I think I was just wanting something more than the rosy tones and neutrals that I have been going for later and I have to say this was fun to play with. But that we will get to in a minute. The point is that once I put the eye makeup on a neutral lip didn’t look right.

While I have bee wearing more neutral lips a lot lately I love a good deep lip color. This Stila liquid lip is one that I always swatch when I think about decluttering my lips and then decide I just love the shade so much I can’t part with it and remind myself to wear it more often. So I went for it today. It is a messy liquid lip. It needs a lip liner to keep it from bleeding into the fine lines. It is also strange when drying down. It takes a while to dry down on the lips, but it sort of stains. So once you put it on your lips that is where it is staying. Which is why if you zoom in my lips are messy and crooked. This formula doesn’t dry down all the way and leaves lip prints everywhere. it also stains your lips and if you smear it it stains around your lips too. I am going to have to go in with a lip scrub tonight. I do love the color but have just such problems with the formula. The wand put too much product on the lips and then when i blotted, it smeared and touch ups were kind of a pain. I need to find this color in a different formula and just mark this tube as kept for color match not for wearing.

the foundation was a new one for me as well today. I saw this when i ducked into a drugstore over the weekend and couldn’t resist. It is really interesting. It has to be applied with a makeup sponge. You will get no where with a foundation brush and this product and actually using brushes afterwards will leave lines. It applied beautifully with a sponge. With the sunscreen in the formula though, it is a bit on the oily side. It was fine once I set it with the setting powder but it is a foundation that needs setting powder over it.

Also it doesn’t like brushes. At all. I use the Kim Chi powder today because it came with a powder puff. When I applied the bronzer I used a brush and then had to tidy up with a makeup sponge which I have never had to do with the Buxom Bronzer. I had a different blush out but went with the bareMinerals because it was a creamier formula applied with the fingertips. That worked better. I think this is just a foundation that needs cream products on top of it. I liked the way it looked so I have no problems playing with it to see what works, but any brush will leave tracks t seems.

I think I will try cream products tomorrow to see how it works out.

The Colourpop palette was fantastic. The brushes had to be tapped off because it was a bit powdery. But I think that part of that is because of the darker tones. This is a fun palette. It is full of grays and black tones with silvers. It is a really nice break from my regular palettes and I am really glad that i picked it up. I enjoyed using it today and I will enjoy using it the rest of the week. It makes a really nice break from the red tones and neutrals. The gray and black blended well and that silver was just absolutely fantastic. It will be interesting to see how long I find the palette interesting as it is fairly monochromatic and could get boring. At the moment I am loving it and I think it will be a really good addition to my collection.

The Rise Mascare from Milk Makeup remains super fabulous and I can already feel the tube starting to make the empty sound so soon it will be no more and I will need to purchase a full size.

If you have been following these posts for any length of time you will know I have fallen in love with the iMethod stencils for brows. Mostly because it is the first time my brows have actually looked like each other. Sometimes they are sort of related when I do them with out a stencil, sometimes they aren’t even in the same gene pool. So this has been fantastic for me. It feels a bit like cheating but i don’t care. However I do have several other brow pomades. And since the pomade from iMethod is running low I thought I would rotate the pomades with the stencil and tool and see how it worked. I went with the ABH Dip Brow today. it works fine with a brush, not so fine with the stencil. It is far too dark with the stencil. the formula worked well, which is nice to know, but the color is just off. I would need to get this in a formula several shades lighter to look right. But I like the fact that I can use it with the stencils.

And that my darlings is me today. A little bit different from the typical but I think I like it. I will probably be rotating through my darker lip shades but this is actually helping me decide which ones I need to let go. I love the Stila color. If I get a lip liner that can corral it I might be able to make it work, otherwise the formula is just too messy. Which is also good to know.

And so it is back to work for me now. Have a great rest of the day and I’ll see you back here tomorrow to share what is going on in my world. Until then.

The Daily: August 9th, 2022

Good afternoon my darlings. The sun is out, the humidity is high and I am feeling a little bit better today. Well the sniffles still drag on but the headache has abated and this morning my latest test came up negative. Which means I am only dealing with the aftereffects. And hoping they will go away.

I’m afraid that doesn’t translate into much of an exciting day. I thought about a walk and then thought about how wobbly my legs felt and how i didn’t want to be the person collapsed in the heat. there also might have been the irrational fear of being eaten by squirrels. I know they don’t actually eat people but they seem to be swarming in mass numbers in the park this year. either the population swelled or there is a squirrel King consolidating his kingdom. The numbers are kind of out of control.

That and when i pass by they don’t scamper off any more. They sort of stop and stare at me as though wondering why I am passing through their domain and possibly wondering if I have the right permits.

Other than that my day has been spent quietly at my desk catching up on everything that happened last week. I may have been at my desk the beginning part of the week but that really means absolutely nothing. Pretty much anything I did at the start of the week has had to be re done. So let that be a lesson for you if you are trying to power through an illness while working, sometimes the work you do just isn’t worth you being there. Take the sick day. You may have to race to catch up but you won’t be going back to redo things you thought were done prior. I know, it is advice easier to give than to take.

Today’s Look:

Primer: Tatcha Liquid Silk Canvas Primer

Foundation: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation

Bronzer: Illamasqua Sculpting Gel Stick

Blush: bareMinerals Bounce and Blur Blush

Eyeshadow: Lunar Beauty Nude Prism

Eyeshadow Primer: Sandbar Beauty Eyeshadow Primer

Brows: iMethod Eyebrow Stamp and Stencil Kit

Mascara: Eyeko Black Magic Mascara

Lips M2U NYC Beauty Matte Liquid Lip

Today I felt better and bundled my hair up onto my head to keep it clear. I thought about earrings but then forgot. The shadows are a bit strange in this one but I am very pleased with how things came out. Admittedly i think i still look tired, but maybe that’s just because I feel that way. Today I used the Tatcha Liquid Silk Canvas because i like it and saw it and wanted to use it. The Charlotte Tilbury was a deliberate choice though. I chose it because I like the foundation but I wanted a full heavier foundation to try out the sculpting gel stick on. While yesterday was a full foundation it was a serum one and they are a bit more forgiving. This is a full on cream foundation. It applies well, covers a host of redness and blemishes, wears well and feels light.

It does require both a brush and the final smoothing touch of the makeup sponge to remover lines but if you have a lot of redness this will take it down. It is a good foundation if you know you are going to be spending some time taking a lot of photos. I find I do need to blot after a few hours, but it will stay in place if you are attending a wedding or funeral or other family gathering.

The Illamasqua gel stick didn’t like it. While it blends beautifully with every other lighter face product i used, it didn’t blend as well with a full on cream foundation like this one. while the shadows do exaggerate it a bit you can still see the line in the photos (I took the pic and then worked more on blending it out with my foundation brush so I didn’t look too crazy. but this is what a normal level of blending did.) So I think this stick works better with lighter foundation products.

The bae minerals blush was fantastic. It always is but after fiddling so much with the contour I found its ease of use extra fabulous. It is one of my favorite blushes.

I actually went for the brows today and I am pretty pleased with the way they turned out. I am in love with this stencil. It has earned a permanent place in my makeup bag. even if I trade out pomade I will keep these stencils and the stamping tool. I actually want to get a back up of the tool as it is so useful.

I only sneezed once with the mascara so it was relatively painless and I do like Eyeko. I set aside the new mascara to try in a few days when I can give it an honest evaluation. I know and like how Eyeko works so I used it today.

I also know and love the M2U lipstick. It dries down fast without during my lips to dust and it stays in place. This tube is almost at it’s end so a new on needs to be ordered soon. Perhaps that will be this weekend. After an lipstick declutter.

Which of course brings us to the palette. I used the lid primer again today and the Lunar Beauty Shadows did work better with it. i still had to do a bit of work to get them to do what i wanted. To be honest though, I am not sure it is worth it. I have all of these shades in different palettes in much easier to use forms. These tend to be powdery and just okay looking after you put the work in. I like the look of the palette, but honestly I don’t know how much I am going to reach for it once i have finished testing it out.

And so my darlings that is my look today. It isn’t out there crazy as I was mostly looking at shadow and bronzer bendability. I did remind myself of how much i do like the charlotte Tilbury Foundation though, so that is something. And now it is back to work for me. Have a great one, whatever it is you plan to do.

Trying out the bareMienrals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer

This tinted Moisturizer from bareMinerals is an interesting product and one that I really enjoyed using. I am, in general, a big fan of bare Minerals. I have several lip products as well as a blush and their mineral veil in my collection and they are items i reach for regularly. In fact i am almost out of one of my favorite glosses from their Mineralist line. I had to resort to the trick of placing the tube in a mug of warm water to gather the product form the sides so that it could be used up actually. The heat causes the product to slide down the insides of the tube and gather at the bottom so it can be used. Go with warm but not boiling water, you don’t want to cook your lipstick, just heat it a little and then take it out. And yes I will do this until there is no more product to use in the tube.

But we are not here to talk about extending liquid lip products. We are here to talk about the bare Minerals tinted moisturizer. According to the website…

The #1 tinted moisturizer in the U.S. This 3-in-1 multi-tasker is a moisturizer, skin tint and SPF 30, with Hyaluronic Acid to boost hydration for a dewy, healthy-looking glow. What it does: Provides 24-hour hydration, Builds from sheer to light coverage, creating a dewy, healthy-looking glow, Visibly evens skin tone and blurs imperfections, Protects with broad spectrum mineral-based SPF 30
bareMinerals

Okay so right off the bat, I love hyaluronic acid for my skin. For me it really works in helping me to fight my fine lines. It isn’t magic, but it is a great weapon in the fight against the inevitable march of time across my face. It plumps up the skin around the areas where my fine lines are and because of the tint it helps to hide them from view.

the shade I have is slightly light for my summer time skin. i think if I were to order a bottle for summer use I would go one shade darker than this one. However, this is the perfect shade for my post summer and pre summer skin tones. Which i am not mad about. First of all, I don’t have a tinted moisturizer for the cooler months. Mostly because I tend to pick them up in the summer when I don’t want to wear foundation. Not only do I not mind having a tinted moisturizer for the cooler months when my skin lightens, but it has an SPF30 mixed in. While in the summer time i always put SPF 50 on and then just before my walk spray myself down a bit with a spray sunblock as extra insurance, I am sad to say that in the winter I am less diligent.

I know the sun shines all year round even f you are not sweating. But in the summer with both walks and garden work I am outside at least a little each day so it becomes habit to apply the dual layer. I am not outside every day in the winter and so the habit lapses. it is something i am working on. And while I would not trust my only sun block to a tinted moisturizer, it is nice to have that back up.

But how does it work as a tinted moisturizer? Really well. I needed only a pea sized amount on the skin to cover my face. I applied it in small spots to my skin then used a brush to blend it in. Even though it is a little light, it blended beautifully and felt absolutely weightless. Since this summer has been brutally hot, the weightless feeling is very much appreciated.

This bareMinerals tinted moisturizer does have a slight glow-y look to it. While I am okay with that in the cooler months in the summer I just look at myself and think oily so I add a pat of powder and the shine is gone. Because I am not a huge fan of the shiny/dewy/wet look I make certain to use a matte primer underneath. An illuminating primer is simply too much for me with this tinted moisturizer. But if that is a look you are going for then it will certainly give it to you so pair away. I add a matte primer and a quick sweep of powder and I am good to go. I need a second pat of powder around mid day, but that is all. (And mostly personal preference). I have missed that afternoon powder and no one thought I looked oily.

This bareminerals tinted moisturizer wears well. I used a light coverage and it kept the light coverage all day. The product is buildable if you are trying to get more coverage, but only to a point. It is a tinted moisturizer that can be stretched to a light coverage foundation with little issue. Beyond that and while it will look good for a few hours, after that it starts to feel heavy and slightly patchy. It wants to be a light tinted moisturizer. It will try it’s best to do more, but you ae really only going to get it to look good for a couple of hours if you do. especially in the heat. If you are looking for more coverage, use a product designed to give you more coverage.

As a light tinted moisturizer this bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer takes out redness and evens skin tone. It is feather light and forgettable. It blends easily and I had no problem with any product i put over it. I really enjoyed this as a tinted moisturizer and will continue to use it. I will also use it when the weather grow cooler and then make the decision as to whether or not this is a product i want to keep in two shades or one I want to keep for a seasonal use. for now, I am happy to keep it in rotation and to find another great product from bareMinerals to use.

The Daily: July 27th, 2022

Good Afternoon my darlings, I hope your week is going well. Yesterday my babydoll had dental surgery so I spent a large chunk of my day working in the waiting room on a lap top. It was surprisingly productive actually. With the exception of me and one older gentleman reading a newspaper on the other side of the waiting room, everyone else chose to wait in their cars. While it eliminated my sport of people watching, I did get a lot of work done, which was nice.

And the surgery went well.

Today my babydoll is home resting. And my resting I mean he has taken a lot of pain medication and while he is relaxing on the couch he is periodically moving around, mostly to come in and either ask what I’m up to or to tell me something about the show he is watching. I thought he might be lonely so I tried sitting on the couch watching television with him for a bit but he didn’t really want me there. he wanted to sprawl out on the couch and then periodically come in to tell me something so he could stretch his legs.

Which has mead this an interesting work day. Twenty two minutes seems to be the gap between visits. Occasionally it will be twenty five and occasionally eighteen but it seems to average out to twenty two minutes. I’m sure if you ask him tomorrow then he will claim he only came to ask me a few direly important questions once or twice during the day. And a week from now he will claim that when he is ill or hurting he just wants the space to be left completely alone. That seems to be his mental picture of himself. It isn’t reality, but it is the version he likes.

Today there was no walking and while I have gotten up from my desk a lot more today, I didn’t work in a workout. Tomorrow he is back to work though so I am going to take advantage of the extra work time I used yesterday to plan some extra work outs tomorrow. I’m hoping that will make up for missing today and possibly help to balance things out.

Today’s Look:

Primer: Tatcha Liquid Silk Canvas Primer

Foundation: bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer

Bronzer: Illamasqua Gel Sculpting stick

Blush: Pixi by Petra Peach Honey Duo

Powder: No 7 Perfect Light Pressed Powder

Eyeshadow: Lunar Beauty Nude Prism Palette

Eyebrows: iMethod Beauty Eyebrow Kit

Mascara: Tarte Gifted mascara

Lips: Wet ‘n Wild Megalast Lipstick topped with Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb

Today I reached for the Tatcha liquid Silk canvas Primer because it was light on the skin and quickj and easy to apply. There is no waiting time really and light and quick was more or less today’s style. Plus I am never upset reaching for a Tatcha primer. It just works beautifully.

The bareminerals also falls into the light and easy category. I like the way it blends and takes down redness, evening skin tone. It does have a bit of a glow-y look. While I am getting more accustomed to this look in the cooler months, in the summer time it just makes me think of sweating so I dust it off with powder. Since my favorite powder from No 7 is at the end of it’s life I am using it all this week so that i can bit it a fond farewell and then repurchase. It is a standard item in my bag. often I have two, one for the makeup drawer and one that stays in my purse. With not going out as much after I finished the one in my makeup drawer I took out the one in my purse to use. (I didn’t want to just leave it there to linger and go bad since I wasn’t going out. I actually transferred all but a lip balm out of my purse actually. The hand lotions and sanitizers I still go through quite rapidly so they stay, everything else has been taken out. which I might need to look at soon since I am starting to go out more than I was so another switch might be eminent. But that is a tale for another time.)

The Illamasqua bronzer is performing well. I chose to use it today because it can be a light touch product. it can also be darkened for drama, but the lighter application works well with the tintes moisturizer level of coverage. It is just enough.

I decided that since i was going light I would take out the Pixi Duo. I like the blush. It isn’t going to be a favorite but it is good for a light look and I don’t mind using it. I don’t care for the highlighter side of the duo, but the blush is nice.

iMethod is my go to brow product. i did hurry today so one is a little lopsided. You need to line up the stencils and not rush that aspect. Once you get that done, you are golden.

Today I switched back to trying out the lunar beauty palette. It is not a highly pigmented formula, however if you tap off the brush before applying the product then there is also no fall out. which is nice. I will be playing around with this for a while as I try to figure out how it performs and how i feel about it.

Tarte makes great mascara and this is not the first time I’ve used the Gifted clay formula. I really like it. it works well without flaking and is great for everyday use. My favorite tarte mascara is still the Lights camera Lashes but this is still a really good formual and not the first tube of this that has ended up in my makeup.

And finally the lips. I love the Wet ‘n wild Matte formula. It does last a long time and it is comfortable to wear. While it doesn’t dry out my lips in the winter, I have found that if I am spending time in the sun it is best if I put something on top. Today I went with the Fenty Beauty Gloss bomb. The wet n wild doesn’t dry out my lips but if left uncovered the matte lipstick can look a little dry in the summer sun for some reason. With the topper there are no problems.

But now my darlings I must leave you. I have just been asked ‘how crunchy is too crunchy do you think’ and now there is movement in the kitchen. so I am off to point out that popcorn and dental surgery don’t mix. As this is the second time with this conversation i think I might hid the bags of microwave popcorn, keeping them out if sight for a few days at least. Have a great Wednesday.

The Daily: July 25th, 2022

Can you believe we are entering the last week of July? I know in some ways it seems as though this summer has lasted forever and in others it has seemed like it has flashed by. The heat has made it just feel as though the days are dragging along without end. Yet somehow there is never enough time to get everything done.

I like to think it is because the heat makes me move slower.

I am pretty sure it is just because so many extra things have been happening. It seems like any time I start to find my footing this summer something has just sort of come along, looked at my schedule and laughed. For example tomorrow my babydoll is having dental surgery. He will be knocked completely out so I will be driving him to and from the dental visit and pharmacy. Which I don’t mind. I just though the surgery wasn’t until August. Which technically it was but they had a cancellation and asked if he wanted to move it up, which he did.

Hence the surprise.

I think the scheduling gremlins just saw I had a normal work week plotted out and decided that this was the best way to play with it.

So there is extra time in the office today. Also despite the brain boiling heat it is time to actually start thinking about the fall, back to school and soon enough I will have to write out my holiday shopping list. I try to at least get the list squared away when the dust settles from the back to school stuff. If I am really on my game then I will start picking up my Christmas gifts in the back to school sales and then use the black Friday/cyber Monday sales to knock out both the winter birthdays (there are a lot in my family) and whatever we need stocking up on for the rest of the winter season. (That way I can take advantage of the sales and get the items that need to be shipped out for Christmas ready well before they need to be shipped. I can also spread out the cost so my bank account isn’t attacked all at once which makes me feel better.)

I can already tell you, I am not going to be the early bird shopper this year. It is going to be one of those have the list ready for Black Friday/Cyber Monday kind of shopping years. I can feel it in my bones.

But at least I got up early enough this morning to get a walk in before the air turned swampy. I’m calling that a victory. Everyday should have at least one small victory and today, I am calling that mine.

Today’s look:

Primer: Elf Poreless Putty Primer

Foundation: bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer

Bronzer: Illamasqua Gel Sculpt

Blush: Illamasqua Colour Veil Gel Blusher

Powder: No 7 Perfect Light Pressed Powder

Eyeshadow: Palace Identity Eyeshadow Compact

Mascara: Eyeko Black Magic Mascara

Brows: iMethod Beauty Eyebrow Stencil Kit

Lips: MAC Love Me Lipstick

The pictures look a little more shaded than usual as there isn’t much sun today. There is a thick bank of clouds. It feels like rain. It looks like rain and I think it really wants to rain and yet, I suspect that it is just a tease. I think we will have our humidity just below the tipping point for the rest of the day so that we get the high heat and the super hi humidity but no rain.

I did go for a lighter look today with the bare minerals works for. Even though I am in shade, the bare minerals is a hair too light for my skin at the moment. Which I actually find interesting. Almost all of my tinted moisturizers are in shades for the summer because I end to reach for them more in the summer time. It is just simply too hot to have foundation on. Plus I find that the tinted moisturizers tend to melt less in the heat, behaving more like moisturizers and less like a product that will make me look like a melted candle. This is actually a shade I can wear when my tan fades. I don’t actually have any winter tinted moisturizers so while I love using this now, I am looking forward to some winter wear with this bae minerals as well. It does wear well now though and I enjoyed it.

As always I love the elf poreless putty primer and the Illamasqua blush is one that I will always reach for. It blends in well and is good for both a natural look and something built up for more drama. I tap my finger on the product and that is all I need for each cheek so this little jar will last a really long time.

I am still getting a handle on the gel sculpt stick. It feels a little wet when applied which is an odd sensation. t is lighter than it looks in the stick and it applies more subtly than I thought it would. I thought it would be bold and dramatic. Instead it applies soft and can be built up. It also blends really well. It is proving really nice for a natural look. I’ll have to try breaking out an actual foundation to give it a try in a less natural look but for now it is working well for me.

My No 7 powder is almost gone. There is a large circle of pan in the center and just a ring of product left. I think I might keep it out this week just to use it up. I don’t think it will last longer than the week. It is a staple in my makeup drawer and has been for years. It is a good powder to finish out a look but it’s chief use is to blot out mid day shine. It does this beautifully and never looks powdery. I am a very big fan. Surprisingly I have very few compacts. I have a lot of loose powders but I just tend to repurchase this as my pressed powder. I may have to do a powder inventory to see what I have once this us used up. But it is one I have repurchased for years and will definitely pick up again.

The imethod brows is now my new standard. I love that stencil. Now that I have found my brow stencil I just put them on and go. It is quite fabulous and I will use this daily unless I am testing out another product.. Even then, the stencils will be used. This is the first time my bows actually look like each other and I am a fan.

Today with the eyeshadow palette I just went for the lighter pink in the palace identity palette. It was a one and done look. I like the pigmentation and it is a nice bas shade for an I don’t want to do much look. it is soft and just enough to make the look finished.

I love so many items from Eyeko. their eyeliners are the ones I always reach for when I wear eyeliner. This mascara is good, but it isn’t my favorite. I actually prefer the Lash Alert. I believe it is a tubing mascara so it is really easy to get dramatically long lashes with that one. This is a good every day mascara though it is just a little less dramatic. Which actually makes it perfect for todays look. And the toned down shadow actually makes it pop a little bit more. I like dramatic lashes, I just don’t like false lashes.

And finally there is the MAC lipstick. I love the formula of MAC Lipstick. It is comfortable to wear and it doesn’t dry me out. And this is a good neutral shade that worked today.

Over all I am pretty pleased with how things turned out. I feel good about how things turned out. Since I now have a handle on the Palace Identity palette I will be switching back to the Lunar Beauty palette, but it was i just couldn’t resist the pretty palette. Plus I needed to watch a few tutorials. So that is me today. It is just me working at my desk today and I will be working later than usual tonight as well. I am glad that today turned out to be a comfortable look I don’t mind wearing a little longer than usual. So now it is back to work for me. Have a great rest of Monday my darlings.