The Daily: January 5th, 2023

Oh my darlings today my bones feel like jelly. I am fine when sitting at my desk but once back in motion I can feel the inside of my muscles talking to me. I realized that I haven’t been pushing hard on a lot of my indoor workouts. I had a list of exercises to do but I would vary the number of reps I was doing. So I went back to my beginning list and saw the number of reps I started with. I think what happened was that every time I didn’t really feel like working out but made myself anyway, I shaved off a couple of reps to make myself feel better. And then later I forgot that I shaved them off.

And so I would go with that number until the next time i really wasn’t feeling it and there would be another couple of reps shaved off.

Not a very good spiral.

And so we make a spreadsheet. That’s right. Spreadsheet. Since today is Thursday i will call today and tomorrow part of next week’s week 1 and start writing things down. In case you are interested here is a screen shot of both the oddly long week one and week 2. Following weeks will be like week two. Each week I will increase the number done by a small amount I also usually take Saturday and Sunday off. Each time I complete one set I put an x in the box. I usually run through a set each morning (when I haven’t talked myself out of it) and occasionally I will do a second set in the afternoon. At least that is what i was doing when I was losing weight regularly. Which is why I will get back to it. Week one is getting me back into the habit of every day workouts and to make sure I stick to the proper numbers. The plan is this week to once again build the habit. Then next week I will increase the numbers slightly and add in one day where I do the work out’s twice. Once in the morning and once in the evening. Then we will see how it proceeds from there. Here is my preliminary chart.

I am sure things will shift as I get into it, but hopefully they will shift in the right direction. I just used a simple spread sheet. As I fill things In I will add additional weeks. I know that seems a little obsessive, but I generally find that when I write things down or require myself to keep an actual record then I am better able to stick with a schedule of this sort. I don’t suddenly decide that maybe 20 squats instead of thirty feels right today because I can’t put an x by the squats if i don’t complete the numbers. And If I can’t put the x by them then doing twenty isn’t going to be recorded.

I know there are a lot of people out there who start the new year off with plans to get in a better shape either for general health or weightless. if there is one thing I have learned in this entire process it is myself. I have learned more about how i think and how I process things than I ever thought i would. i have learned what motivates me and what will get me to stick to whatever plan I am doing.

i used to marvel that there were so many different systems or ideas about weight loss. And then I was told it was because every body is different. Which is true. however more importantly every mind is different. And it is the mind you have to engage in the process. now I’m surprised that anyone comes up with any weight loss system that works for anyone but themselves. For me part of what helps me out is writing things down, food, exercise, schedules. Seeing it all laid out and then being able to go back through and see the things I have checked off gives me motivation.

I should also mention i told a friend this and they shivered in revulsion and said they would never even start a work out if they had to write something down. it would doom them to failure. To each their own. I need the documents.

I didn’t actually mean to go off into weight loss land, but there we go. it is what is most on my mind today. But here we will leave it and get into today’s look. I went for a softer one today and am quite pleased with myself.

Today’s Look:

Primer: Marc Jacobs Under (cover) Blurfection Primer (discontinued- from the Use Up Box)

Foundation: Beauty Blender Bounce Liquid hip Long Lasting Foundation

Bronzer/Blush/Highlight/powder: Pur 4-in 1 Perfecting Powders palette

Concealer: Trestique Cover and Correct Crayon

Setting Powder: Becca Cosmetics Pink Haze Setting Powder (discontinued – from the Use Up Box)

Eyeshadow: Ciate London The Velvet palette (currently on sale for only $8)

Mascara: Iconic London Triple Threat Mascara

Lips: Revolution Pout Bomb Plumping Lip Gloss with Vitamin E

Setting Spray: Ciate London Watermelon Burst Setting Spray

Okay first I have to do the happy dance. This was the last use of the Becca Pink Haze Setting Powder. It is no more. It is empty. Which means if nothing else I have managed to use up one of the items in my use up box. And considering how large the square powder box is, that is really helpful. i will have to find a pink setting powder to replace it, but it was time to let it go.

I also used the Marc Jacobs Primer from the box and will hopefully be letting that go by the end of the month.

The more i use this Bounce foundation the more I like it. It is very light weight and doesn’t require a lot of product to get the look i want. At the moment I don’t have any break outs so it isn’t really having to cover a lot and I still need to test it over larger blemishes, but it covers redness well and lasts all day long. I am glad they changed the packaging though as if you don’t tilt it just right or press too hard you can end up with foundation on your shirt rather than in the provided dip.

I really like the Pur palette which is odd since in general I am not a huge fan of the products I have tried from the brand. This palette however is an old standby and one that I will repurchase once this one is no longer usable. It is the perfect palette for travel and I really like all of the products in it. which again is odd since I have tried a couple of their products separately and wasn’t a fan. Something about this palette I just like.

I didn’t sleep terribly well and this yo-yo weather has my sinuses going crazy. Over all I don’t get sick much but every year I get a seasonal cold where my internal systems react to the weather changing. Usually it is in the spring or the Autumn. This year it seems to be every few weeks. So I went for the concealer. This color is perfect for me and I like the stick application as i an more easily put it where it needs to go. It is a formula that needs to warm up a little before use as it is a bit stiff. So I just hold it in my hand while I am studying the eyeshadow palette to see what look i want to put together. That generally warms it up enough for me. I have no had issues with it creasing and I need to remember to reach for this more often.

Speaking of eyeshadow. this was my first use of the Ciate Velvet Palette. For me Ciate Shadows are hit or miss. Sometimes I will get a palette and I just won’t like the formula. Other times I will get a palette and fall head over heals in love with the palette. Oh my darlings this is love. I am actually rather surprised by it as I expected this to be a shimmery palette I only occasionally used. It is mostly shimmers but a few shadows apply more matte than they look in the pan. And they applied beautifully. They went on smoothly and while pigmented weren’t over the top with the pigmentation so i was able to build them to what I wanted and the shimmers are stunning. I think I will be playing with this palette for a while.

As usual the Iconic London mascara is great at lengthening but that is about it.

In addition to the eyeshadow i think I am falling in love with the Revolution Pout Bomb. I think there may be a little plumping, I’ll do a photographic time check to be sure but even if it isn’t I really enjoy this formula. It feels a little sticky going on but the stickiness fades away pretty fast and you are just left with a clear gloss. (I’m sure they make other shades but I have clear). The best thing though is the vitamin E. even after the gloss wears off my lips feel nourished. i really like this lip gloss.

And so we will end on a high note. Fantastic shadow and fabulous lip gloss as well as a work out plan I can stick to. To me that makes this feel like a good day. i hope you are having a fantastic one as well.

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The Daily: January 4th, 2023

I don’t know if you have noticed but as soon as it goes dark and rainy in the winter it feels much colder than it actually is. The temperature hasn’t really dropped that far, but it feels so much colder than it did before the rains came yesterday. Perhaps it is the damp, perhaps it is just the lack of sun. Admittedly bright sun in the winter always makes things look a lot colder as well. Something about the quality of the winter sun makes the air feel brittle, like a thin sheet of ice ready to shatter.

Or maybe that is just me.

Today is rainy and not likely to get much brighter. I always feel vaguely out of sorts when I have to get up without the sun. I like seeing it peeping over the horizon as I get out of bed. I like the thought that if I am getting up at least the sun is having to get up too. It some how makes me feel better about mornings. Not fabulous about mornings as I will never be a morning person, but better. when I get up and the sun still stays nestled behind clouds I feel rather tricked.

Again, that is probably just me.

But with yesterday’s deluge inspiring thoughts of Ark building in the backyard and rain likely to continue throughout the day, the park is, as one would expect from a walking trail built in a flood plain, flooded. I love that they found a way to use very unusable land without doing much more than putting a path through it, but it does make my out door exercise weather dependent. However, as cold as it feels, the out door temps are not in the single digits, which means my sunroom does not feel like a frigid icebox. So I was able to get in my morning exercises without too much trouble. I really just don’t like sweating when it is cold. Unless I am walking through the world and there is a line of sweat under my knitted hat or around my writs where the gloved hold my hands tightly. My hands never get sweaty in the gloves, just the wrist area where the gloves are held tight and the coat is pulled over the end of the gloves so there is no gap of exposed skin.

Not that wrist sweat is something many people complain about. So perhaps that is just me too. I know, I am feeling just a bit out of sorts today, let’s just jump into the makeup.

Today’s Look

Primer: Stila One Step Color Correcting Primer

Foundation: Bite Beauty Changemaker (discontinued – from the Use Up Box)

Bronzer: Kim Chi Chic Beauty Thailor Bronzer

Blush: Benefit Cosmetics Georgia Golden Peach Blush

Highlight: Jazmine Beauty Coastin Highlighter

Setting Powder: Pink Haze by Becca Cosmetics (Discontinued and from the January Use up box)

Eyeshadow: Luvia Cosmetics Eyeshadow Palette

Mascara: Iconic London Triple Threat Mascara

Lipstick: Josephine Cosmetics Liquid lip In Tiphaine

I was feeling a little on the red side today. I’m also a little stuffy from the up and down weather patterns, but that is another tale. I figured that meant today was a good day for the color correcting primer. There is something appealing about the twisted ropes of color inside the tube. They look like marshmallow ropes and probably why Stila opted for a clear container to show them off. What comes out is a little grayish with green streaks. Less appealing, but it did even out my skin tone. If redness or uneven skin tone is your thing i think this could be good for you. It doesn’t do a lot to fill or blur pores (which is more my thing) but as I was red today it helped. It is a wet formula and needs a little time to dry down a bit and settle into place before you apply your other makeup. It is also a less is more product. start with a little on your reddest areas and blend out. Then apply more if you need it. It won’t blur pores no matter how much you use so just think of it in terms of color. But start with a small amount.

Bite Beauty is gone, but i love this foundation and will be using it up until it is gone. It is no longer being made so I won’t dwell on it, but it was fabulous.

The Kim Chi bronzer is a soft formula and highly pigmented so dip cautiously into that pan, especially if you are winter pale. It does blend well so it is pretty forgiving, just know it goes on highly pigmented-ly and you will do well. I like it, mostly because it does blend well and if I move cautiously I can use it for a more natural look (due to blending) but if I want something more dramatic then I can go a little deeper. The under tones in this shade really match well with my skin and for me that is what allows the shifting use. The collection has a wide enough range that I think a wide range of people can find their undertone pretty easily. I really like that I can use it light or heavy for a variety of looks. Clearly i went a bit light today, mostly due to winter.

This is actually the last Benefit blush I have in my collection It is showing signs of wear and I do want to reach for it more. Partially because I just love Benefit’s blushes, but also because I want to use it and then go with a Blush Palette from Benefit. while I adore their primers and mascaras, they do a really good blush formula. The problem though is that any blush I try tends to lean itself more to a season. I’ll use them out of season of course, but the Gold Rush Blush was amazing on my skin when I had a summer tan and just a good blush in other seasons. This Georgia tends to look amazing in the spring and just like a decent blush the rest of the year. Because of that i do want to keep multiple blushes from benefit around, I just don’t want the bixes taking up so much space, hence the blush palette. Although i do have to admit that as they released a new line of blushes I will probably end up picking up a few singles as well. What can i say, they just make a really good blush. I am just holding off until I get a bit more wear on this one.

This is my first use of anything from Jaszmine Cosmetics. It came in a Kinder Beauty Box and I just didn’t get around to trying it. Although I do know that it is a clean beauty product, which I love. The gold tones are a little on the pink toned side for this highlighter. It goes on brightly and it is buildable. It was a good first use, but i think I am going to have to try it some more to decide how I feel about it. At the moment though it is quite lovely.

I went with the Becca Setting powder because I am trying to use it up. slowly but surely it is emptying. It is good while it lasts though.

This Luvia Cosmetics Eyeshadow Palette is a Two pan palette i received in an advent calendar this year. It is a clean and vegan beauty product and as I love the highlighter they make I was excited to try out the eyeshadow. This has one brown matte and one gold shimmer in it. The shadows are billed as highly pigmented and boy are they not kidding. Exercise caution my darlings. One dip with each shade was enough for my eyes and I spent the rest of the time with a clean brush blending everything in. Interestingly Where the gold overlaps the brown it goes to my favorite bronzy gold. Where it isn’t over the brown it is a reddish rose gold color. There really are just two shades on my eyes but the shift makes it look a bit like three.

The matte and shimmer worked well together, but as there was only one matte and one shimmer I don’t know how well they play together in a full palette. These two layered well and blended decently but not fabulously well. The brown is just so highly pigmented that it just wants to be what it is. i will still play around with it, but I think this would be an interesting formula to try in a lighter shade.

the Iconic London triple threat mascara lengthens well. Everything else is just okay, which I guess makes it a single threat instead of a triple one. i will use it and enjoy it, but it wont be one I repurchase.

I put this in my use up box this month not because i wanted to use it up but because i couldn’t remember using it. I kept getting it out when i did my lipstick declutters, swatching it and loving the red but never remembering to use it. So I figured if it was in the box I would remember to use it. I am actually quite impressed with this. It is a bright red and I love the tones. Reds can also get messy in liquid form, but this is helped by the well defined point on the end of the wand. It allowed me to outline my lips and then fill them in. The lipstick doesn’t dry down all the way so there is a shadow of a lip print once it ‘dries’ but it is really just a shadow. There aren’t trails of red lipstick all over my coffee cup and water glass. The fact that it doesn’t dry down all the way makes it very comfortable to wear. I am actually really enjoying the formula if I am honest. I am very glad it is in my January Use box and i will be reaching for it often as I move forward.

And that my darlings is me today. I kind of like the way things turned out, even if my brain feels a little bent today. And i will admit, the bold red lip did make me feel just a little bit better. And so this is where I leave you. Enjoy the rest of your Wednesday and I hope you find all of the balance you need, red lip or not.

The Daily: January 3rd, 2023

Well I seem to be recovering from the holiday fairly well but the weather it seems is in for a relapse. The sun started out late as though it too wanted to sleep through the alarm and then it rallied for a bit. Now, clouds are moving in and the sun is nowhere to be found. It is days like this that make me just want to crawl back into bed. However I actually had my eyes flutter open around three am this morning and refuse to shut again. They would blink but as for actual sleep, that was a no go.

I am still oddly awake and not the slightest bit sleepy now even though it is mid afternoon. I thought that lunch time would see me start to drowse, which is why I went in hard this morning on all the things I needed to do. . I figured there might be an urgent nap time in the afternoon. Thus far, no call for napping. Which I am okay with. If I can stay awake and non drowsy for the rest of the day there is a good chance that I will sleep well tonight. I know, a bit more than you probably care to know, but i find it a bit strange.

Between the weather and the sleep it is throwing off my exercise game though.

I think that has been heavily on my mind since I got back. December was filled with more gatherings than I think we have had in the past few years. I think part of it is that most of my friends are extra cautious and so any get togethers have been very much social distanced. I think there is also a desire to get together and I think there were also family issues this year. Some people weren’t traveling for various reasons but still wanted to get together. Or maybe I am just more aware of it this year. My mother declared this was a minimum Christmas this year. My brother’s birthday was on December 29th and so his birthday and Christmas were always linked and the first year after his death was hard on all of us. It is also why we made such a big deal about Thanksgiving this year. No one was going to be in the mood for a big Christmas. And if there weren’t little kids to celebrate i think my mother would have called the entire Holiday off this year.

Food wise I was okay with the snacking. I managed to limit myself. But i also noticed that as the month went on and more and more non-standard affairs went on, the less I kept track of things. i also took time out for doing the extra holiday things. I have no complaints about that. I enjoy wrapping presents and decorating for the holiday and all the other things that have to do with the holidays but there is no denying that they do take time. And if work still has to be done then it is exercise time that gets shorted.

It also didn’t help that when the temps dropped to single digits, the sunroom where I do my indoor workouts became positively frigid so several of those workouts got skipped. And on the 29th I celebrated (if that is the right term) my brother’s birthday with Pizza and the WWE’s Royal Rumble. As did all of the family actually. I think a couple of people deliberately signed onto a streaming service to be able to see it. My brother adored both the WWE and pizza so it seemed a fitting thing to do. I am glad I did it. There was laughter as well as tears and it was good.

It has also been a really long time since I mindlessly ate in front of the television. Usually i separate food and TV. I ate far more than I needed to.

All of this means i am pretty sure i gained weight over the holiday. I will find out Friday morning, but I wanted to put this here. It is sort of to brace myself. I have already admitted to myself that I gained weight and acknowledged why. I know it isn;t a normal thing and can thus move on, accepting what Friday’s scale tells me.

I know, sorry to pull you into my personal therapy but I am guessing that in this wide world I am not the only one who is facing January realizing that the indulgences of December did not magically disappear when the calendar turned on New Year’s. For me it always helps to sort of sit down, face what I did and why I stepped out of my plan. It helps me let it go so that when I step on the scale Friday morning i can face the numbers knowing that I have already addressed the issue. I find separating the addressing the issue and the stepping on the scale helps me out. Perhaps it will help you too.

Which was heavier than I planned to get on a Tuesday. We’ll chalk it up to low sleep and move into something lighter.

Today’s Look

Primer: Marc Jacobs Under (cover) primer (discontinued- from the January Use Up Box)

Foundation: Yensa Skin on Skin BC Full Coverage Foundation

Bronzer/Blush/Highlighter: Realher Ultimate Glow Getter Cheek Trio

Setting Powder: Becca Pink Haze Setting powder (discontinued)

Eyeshadow Primer: Pretty Vulgar Eyeshadow Primer

Eyeshadow: Urban Decay Naked honey Eyeshadow Palette

Mascara: Iconic London Triple Threat Mascara

Brows: GrandeBrow Fill Volumizing Brow Gel

Lips: Colourpop Ultra Matte Lip in Tulle

Setting Spray: Ciate London Watermelon Burst Setting Spray

The Mar Jacobs Primer is from my use up box and is discontinued. I’m hoping to use it up this month and clear it out. I really like it but alas, it is no longer being made.

I love this Yensa Foundation. I enjoy their other foundations, but this is my favorite. in fact at the moment it is my hands down favorite foundation in my collection It is half empty at the moment and I am trying to hold up repurchasing it. i think that I might have to make a deal with myself. If I clear out two foundations from my collection I can repurchase this one. It is just my favorite go to foundation and it always looks good on my skin.

This Real Her Cheek Trio I actually took with me traveling. It is slim and compact and the product work really well. I tend to lean more heavily on this in the summer because of the shades but if I dip lightly into the pan it works well in the winter time as well. The highlighter is the one product I don’t like in the winter. In the summer when i am tanned it blends really well with my skin but in the winter when i am a bit pale it tends to look a little brassy on the skin. So I avoided the highlighter. As I like the natural glow of the Yensa foundation it worked out well.

I went for the Becca powder today because I am so close to using it up. It is part of my use up box and I actually think that with this week and possibly next weeks worth of use I can actually use it all the way up. It is a great powder but discontinued and the packaging is quite bulky. I know I won’t reach for it once i order a new pink powder (and will probably end up trying out several pink powders to find one I like which will also take up space) so I want to clear it out before i look for a replacement. So for the next week or so, I will be using it a lot.

I tend to forget eyelid primers a lot and so this one is getting a little on the old side which is why I put it in my use up box. It is my favorite eyeshadow primer though so once it is used up I will probably reorder it. I have a few shadows that really need a primer underneath. The Urban Decay isn’t one of them, but it didn’t hurt anything and I am trying to get in the habit of using it. It works well and creates a nice even colored canvas for the shadow.

I love this Naked Honey eyeshadow palette. It is easy to work with and instead of just slapping on a shade (which I can do with this palette) it always calls me to play. which is fun with eyeshadow. I just really like playing with this palette. i know i have several palettes i need to test out (and am looking forward to testing out) but this is just one of my favorite eyeshadow palettes and I figured if i was using one of my favorite foundations then i might as well use one of my favorite eyeshadow palettes. It is just such a fantastic palette. I just couldn’t resist it today.

This is a brand new tube of mascara opened for the first time today. However the name sounds familiar and makes me feel like I have tried it as a sample at some point. However I can’t recall it at the moment. The wand is thin and I usually prefer thicker wands. It works well. It is supposed to volumize, lengthen and lift if you are wondering the three threats. There is no volumizing but it lengthens pretty decently and it lifts well. The lifting is it’s strong suit. It is a decent mascara but it is one i will use and let go of not one I will repurchase. I am happy to use it though.

This year seemed to be the brow gel invasion. I tried not to take it as a personal commentary, but I do have a lot of brow gels to try out. In general I love Grande cosmetics. when my ill fated attempts to use false lashes ended up ripping out most of my natural lashes I turned to them and they did an amazing repair job with their lash serum (Highly recommend, btw). I tried their liner yesterday and need to practice and continue using it as it went on really well and lasted all day. it is just my application of a liquid liner that needs to improve. So I ad no trouble deciding to pick this out of my stack of brow gels to try first. This is a clear gel which I like and it locks my brows into place without feeling like I have superglue on my eyebrows. Thus far I am rather enjoying it. The volumizing did have me worried I would end up looking a bit Neanderthal but thus far we are doing just fine. We’ll see how I feel as use continues.

This is one of the two lipsticks in my use up box, mostly because there is not a lot of product left in the tube and the tube is aging. I love the color but it is a little bit of a drying formula. It does cause it to crumble a little after mid day, but for a morning meting it is really good. I just add lip balm over it post lunch.

I will be honest i do tend to forget to use setting sprays. I have a bunch of them I need to use so I chose the Ciate to start with. Mostly because it came in a Boxycharm recently (December I think) and it was at the front of the shelf. It has a nice mist to it and a nice watermelon scent which is kind of nice and summery. I figure if the weather can forget the seasons so can my setting spray. It works well and I will be using it every day in January. At the end of the month I will see how i feel about it and if it is worth repurchasing. For the moment though I really like it. The scent is really not much of an issue. It is the spray that gets me. this has a fine mister which is what I look for as it means fewer chances of splotches of wet on my makeup. Thus far it is also locking in the makeup well so that is also a good thing. I am more than happy to use this setting spray for the month. Plus in winter a good setting spray helps me from looking dry and powdery as the day wears on.

And that my darlings is me today. I started with a fabulous foundation and used my favorite eyeshadows so personally I am happy. And now, it is back to work for me. I’m doing my best to stay a head of things this year. It’s not exactly a new year’s resolution, just an understanding that things happen and if I am always a little ahead, the things that happen might not take as dramatic a chunk out of my schedule. I know it is a vain hope but as I spent the last few months trying desperately to catch up after my schedule was torpedoed, I rather enjoy the thought of actually being slightly ahead. It makes me happy.

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 31st, 2022

Happy Halloween my darlings. The pumpkins are out, and have been for the better part of the month. I think they turned out quite well this year. However I will say that they are not the longest lasting jack o’ lanterns we’ve had. Usually the colder temps keep them stable and in good shape for quite a while. These no longer look quite so lovely inside (or from the back) and first thing tomorrow morning they will be taken to the compost bin before their structural integrity deteriorates any further.

But they still look good from the front and in the dark. Just don’t look too closely and all is well.

The candy is much fresher of course. It is in a bowl by the door inside. It is easy to grab for any trick or treaters yet out of easy passing range so that I will not be filling up on candy throughout the day. It will be interesting to see who we get this year. When we first moved in the neighbor hood was mostly older people and then as the neighborhood started turning we got younger families moving in and there was a slow trickle of little kids in their costumes. As the kids in the neighborhood are still really little it isn’t even full dark when their parents take them around.

So tonight my babydoll and I will have an early dinner and then pass out candy to anyone who shows up. then we will settle in for our continuing movie fest. Last night was The Legend of Hell House. Its a good movie if you have never seen it. The book is way scarier and gave me nightmares when I first read it in high school. Admittedly there was a lot in the book that they couldn’t put into the movie. But the movie is really good.

Tonight I think we are rounding out our Halloween movie fest with The Ninth Gate. I know I have seen the movie, and I vaguely recall what it is about, but it isn’t one of my usual watch repeatedly movies so I don’t know it that well. I’m actually looking forward to it.

And of course as this is Halloween it means November begins tomorrow. For the month of November (at least until Thanksgiving and the arrival of Black Friday) I am going to have posts about holiday sets and bundles you might want to look into when Black Friday and Cyber Monday roll around. I am also going to be posting a few more recipes this month and in December. They will be a combination of low cal meals that are quick and easy to make when you are in a hurry, as well as a few easy entertaining ideas and snacks to think about having around so you don’t go into high caloric holiday fests super hungry.

they are things I am using this season to help keep me on track so i hope you enjoy them. But now…

Today’s Look

Primer: Yensa Essential Glow Tone Up Primer

Foundation: Becca Aqua Luminous Perfecting Foundation (discontinued)

Bronzer: Milk Makeup Baked Matte Bronzer

Blush: No 7 Damson Mist Blush

Highlight: Wander Beauty Wanderess Glow After Hours

Eyeshadow: Luminosity Palette by Trendbeauty

Mascara: Fenty Beauty Full Frontal Mascara

Lipstick: Anastasia Beverly Hills Matte Lipstick

FYI I used the Natura Hair mask last night and I am still really liking the way my hair looked and felt this morning, even if I do need to trim my bangs.

Today was an interesting combination of products. Several if the items were already out and because I liked them I went ahead and used the, (I didn’t tidy up my dressing table this weekend as planned so it was easier to grab some products that were already out). This includes the Yensa Primer (which I always Love), The Fenty beauty mascara (which I will use because it came in a subscription box but not really repurchase) and the ABH lipstick (love the formula but the shade has been discontinued – even though it is fabulous – so I am using it up).

Then we get to the foundation. This is the last use for this foundation actually. Becca as a brand is no more and so this foundation is no longer being produced. It has no expired yet but the end date is close and I am far enough down in the product level that I feel okay about letting it go. (I know it is a waste versus health and safety) but there isn’t much left so it isn’t that much of a waste. It was a good foundation so I used it one last time before saying goodbye. I loved it, I used it, I am letting it go.

Today was the first use of the Milk Makeup cream bronzer though. I like the shade and it blended well but i did have to warm it up a little first. It was stiff in the container and dragged the foundation until it was warmed with my hands. Then it was creamy and blended beautifully. I really enjoyed it and will be using it frequently as I get the feel of it.

The blush was No 7 and I haven’t used it in a while. It is a blush i don’t reach for often because in the pan it just looks so shockingly pink. It is buildable more than pigmented though and applies well. It takes a little bit of time to build up, but oi do like it once it is on. The Wander beauty is an old favorite as well. I have actually worn down the product in the pan and will soon have to replace it. It is one of those highlights that looks bright silver and you can if you want leave it in a streak that is blinding. However it does blend out to a soft glow that I really enjoy.

The eyeshadow is also new. I ordered a Holiday Kit from Ipsy and this was one of the palettes that came in it. To be honest I ordered the kit for the bag as I thought it would be perfect to pack up a little makeup starter kit for one of my nieces (and it is actually). I had not tried anything from Trendbeauty before. This palette arrived with a busted shadow but I cleaned it up and tried it out anyway just to see the formula of the other shadows. They are soft and creamy in the pan. There isn’t a lot of fall out. They were a little bit of work to blend together. each of the shadows I used wanted to stand on it’s own. In the end I came up with something I liked. It isn’t a bad formula, it is just not a super quick one to use. I think it might be a little less streaky if I used an eyeshadow primer underneath as a base. I do like the brown and gold hued palette though and think it is a good mix for the fall season. The selection of shadows isn’t earth shatteringly original but it is a decent little palette and as it retails for $12.50 it is really good for the price. It’s just a shame one of the shadows was broken.

And really that is me today. I am running around doing a bit of tidying in the yard between bouts of rain today (we hd strong winds last night and rain off and on all day) I want the yard to look nice if people are going to come to the door tonight. It will be interesting to see how many people we get as it is so rainy today. They are predicting thunderstorms this afternoon. That usually takes it’s toll on the number of kids running around in costume. But who knows, maybe by the time they are all dressed, the weather will have improved. As I love seeing all of the trick or treaters, I’ve got my fingers crossed.

The Daily: August 15th, 2022

Happy Monday to everyone. I hope yours is going fabulously well. Today, when I woke, there were no watery eyes, not constantly running nose and only a minor cough. Which feels like a minor miracle. You know, when I feel well I don’t think about my health much. when I feel bad it seems like the only thing that matters.

Today I feel pretty good AND there was no rain so before the heat and humidity rose, I went out on a walk. It felt amazingly good to simply do what i normally do. I was able to go on a normal walk without feeling out of breath. Okay I was a little out of breath at the end so I am not going to try and push it with a second walk later this afternoon. I am just going to be pleased with 98% normality and not get over confident.

98% feels fantastic and made the entire day feel good. I hit Monday morning ready to go and I ticked items off of my to do list like no one’s business. well like my business actually, if you want to get technical. The point is, today worked and it felt good, really good.

Tonight we are having one of my favorite salmon meals. It is super quick and easy. I took two salmon filets marinated them in equal parts soy sauce and maple syrup and then sprinkled in a teaspoon of red pepper flakes on top. I put the marinade together at lunch time. It will sit until dinner and then I will pop it onto a sheet tray skin side up in the oven at 400 for about 10 minutes (or until it is the right doneness – that always varies based on the size and shape of the salmon.)While it is in the oven I will put the same marinade measurements mix into a sauce pan and add a dash of sesame seeds, let the sauce reduce and steam some broccoli. The sauce is fantastic on broccoli and as a little extra for the salmon. Simple and fabulous, especially now that my nose is cleared and I can both smell and taste again. That just makes the world a better place.

Today’s Look:

Primer: Tatcha The Silk Canvas

Foundation: Becca Aqua Luminous Perfecting Foundation

Bronzer: Kim Chi Thailor Bronzer

Blush: Benefit Cosmetics Georgia blush

Powder: Tatcha Silk Powder

Eyeshadow: OFRA Signature Symphony Palette

Mascara: Give them Lala Beauty Mascara

Brows: iMethod Beauty Eyebrow Stencil Kit

Lips: Lawless Beauty Forget the Filler Lip Plumping gloss

Okay the Tatcha, both primer and powder were still out on the dressing table. I know i need to put them away and rotate through products but I just love them both. The same with the Benefit Blush. It was out, I know I loved it so I went ahead and used it.

The foundation is a bit of a throwback for me. I opened my drawer and saw a box in the back. I thought, what new foundation did I pick up and forget to try. it isn’t a new foundation. it is one of my favorite older foundations. For a long time this Becca foundation was my go to foundation. I used it pretty much exclusively. And I know I said that when Becca was going out of business I wasn’t going to stock up. But I was curious as to how low their last process would go and while I resisted most of the sale but in the last days of the closing up shop sale the foundation was on deep discount and i couldn’t resist.

So I bought a bottle and then put it into the drawer thinking I could use it when I finished testing out the foundation i was currently trying and that I would use it on days I wasn’t posting my makeup. It remained sealed. Since it won’t last forever, even sealed, I have opened it and will be rotating it through. I’ll try to use it more on the days I don’t post since the company is no more, but I still love the formula of this foundation. It is glowy without looking wet and it really just works for me. I won’t spend a lot of time talking about it when i wear it, but it is the one Becca product i truly loved and will miss.

I did have a couple of new items to try. The first was the OFRA palette. I loved the shadows today. I think I loved them more because I used a shadow formula last week that tyook effort for me to use. This took no effort. It blended well, it layered well and this is a formula that lasts all day. I am a fan of OFRA products. And this palette works. I am pleased to see that it is for sale and hasn’t gone away.

The mascara was the Give them Lala Beauty. I tried it once last week but my eyes were watering so I tried to forget about the test. I had to apply several coats to get it to look as I wanted and it does take a bit of time to dry. While I didn’t sneeze today a hard blink left lash marks that needed to be cleaned up. this is one of those mascaras where I feel I need a hand fan. I’ll be using it this week and see if I like it any better towards the end of the week. For now it is just so so.

And then there is Lawless Beauty. I like the gloss actually. It smells like watermelon and has that tingly feel. I need to do a side by side look to see if there was any plumping, but it feels good on the lips. It is sticky at first but After a few minutes of wear the stickiness goes away. It just looks like a beautiful gloss. I have the shade Rosy Outlook which is a pinkish clear that looks pretty good on my lips. Kind of my lips but better shade. I am curious about the plumping so I’ll have to take some close ups later this week to see if there is any noticeable change. But it is a nice gloss.

And there are the highlights of both my makeup and my day, my darlings. It has been a good day and I think my makeup turned out like I expected as well. Somedays, that is all that takes to make me happy. I know I should probably seek to aim higher than ‘lack of illness’ but for today, it just feels fabulous. Now I just have to work on cleaning and disinfecting every surface in the house. But I’ll worry about that after dinner. Have a great rest of your afternoon.

The Daily: October 28th, 2021

Today has been a nice and calm day if I am completely honest. The weathermen threatened rain, but we have sunny skies and cool temps. Walking this morning was fantastic. It was actually one of those mornings where you forget that you are walking for exercise and just walk because it is just beautiful weather to walk around in.

Which quite frankly is the best way to get exercise in my opinion.

As I’ve worked at my desk today the laundry has chugged along in the background. By tonight I will not only have all clean clothes but the sheets will be freshly laundered as well. There is just something absolutely delightful in that first sleep on clean sheets.

Not that I let them get filthy, but I change the sheets once a week. That first night with the clean sheets always feels glorious. Also since it is cool and dry out, I hauled the comforter out into the sunshine to get a bit of air so the bedroom will smell extra fresh when it is time to turn out the lights.

Somedays it is the little things.

Even though this did take a little bit of time out of my day, I decided it was worth it. Plus I got up early and plan to work late tonight actually. I’ve also worked late the last couple of nights as I get things sorted. Not only is the month ending (which always makes things a bit busy, but the rest of the year is slowly dribbling away.

Well, not so slowly at this point.

As November is about to hit I am looking back over the things I’ve tried this year, making lists of my favorites and trying to pull together a list of products I sampled and want to try out in the full size. I’m going to have to weigh the list against the items I have waiting to try out, but I will share the lists with you. In addition to my normal posts I have some getting ready for the holidays posts coming out as the season of gift buying and personal restocking occurs. As the sales have already started I know that doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone. For me the next few weeks will be an eplosion of consumerism. While there is more travel this year a large percentage of Christmas items need to be mailed.

Which means they need to be purchased and wrapped so they can be mailed out in plenty of time to reach their destinations. with the postal service already being somewhat overwhelmed I want to give my items plenty of time to get to their destinations.

So soon a shopping we will go.

Today’s Look:

Primer: Urban Decay Optical Illusion Primer

palette madness still going on 50% off many fabulous palettes

Foundation: No 7 Lift and Luminate Triple Action Serum Foundation

Bronzer: Too Faced Cocoa Contour Palette

Blush and Highlight: Doucce Posh Powder Palette

Powder: Becca Pink Haze

Eyeshadow: Little Briar Rose Palette from Storybook Cosmetics

Mascara: Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Mascara

Lips: M2U liquid lip

First things first, I have to say I feel a distinct sense of pride. Today I finished the Urban Decay primer. It was a great primer and I loved it, but it has been discontinued so I wanted to use it up and send it on it’s way. And now I have. So long, fare well. I loved you while you were here but now must let you go.

The No. 7 Foundation is one of my favorite drugstore Foundations. There are a couple that I like actually, but this one really tops the list of them. The serum formula really blends into the skin beautifully and as it is suitable for sensitive skin it causes no problems. I always feel like my skin looks extra nice when I put this foundation on. It has a kind of glowy aspect without being a dewy kind of product. It just makes me feel like I have good lighting.

The Too Faced contour palette is an old favorite that I am trying to remember to reach for more often. I like it and I like having the variety of tones, especially at this time of year. My skin is altering tone as my summer tan fdes so playing around with shades sometimes helps me out.

I went with the Doucce palette as well today as it was quick and easy. I am really starting to like this palette. I decluttered the magnetic palette from the brand a while ago because I never reached for it and the shadow shades weren’t ones I reached for. I find myself using all thre of these blushes and all three of the highlights. This palette hasn’t been in my collection long but it is starting to grow on me.

Like the Urban Decay Primer, the Becca Powder has been discontinued. I won’t concentrate as hard on using it up as I did with the primer (I was more worried that one would expire) but it will make frequent trips to my daily look as I work through it. Clearly once it is done it will be gone. I do want to find a new pink toned setting powder that I like as much though. I think that might be my quest for the new year. It seems each year there is one makeup item I go hunting to find. Sometimes I find it, other times I get distracted. we’ll see how this one turns out.

Today I took out the Briar Rose palette from Storybook cosmetics. I don’t reach for this palette enough. The reason is that because it is so bulky I store it in the back of the drawer and forget about it. I need to find a different place for it because every time I use it I realize how much I like it. The colors all suit me and I am very much drawn to them. But the palette format, while lovely to look at is so bulky. I need to maybe use it as a table top decoration so I will reach for it more. Because I really like the shades. I actually thought about ordering more palettes from them to make a little display. Plus i like the formula. I just haven’t gotten around to looking at them. But I do need to reach for these shadows more. I love the color story of the palette and I really like how well the shadows blend. it is a really good palette, especially for me.

The Marc Jacobs mascara is always one of my favorites. Sadly it too is being discontinued. Currently the Marc Jacobs website has it at half price. I have been making an effort not to stock up on discontinued products but with this mascara it is hard. It has been my absolute favorite for a really long time. There are other mascaras that I like, but this has just been at the to f my list for a really long time and I hate to see it go. I may have to actually break my no stocking rule. I am going to try to resist though.

The M2U liquid lip is growing on me actually. The color seemed perfect with the shadows today, but i really like the formula. It is super comfortable to wear and doesn’t dry out my lips or leave lip prints everywhere. It takes a little while to dry down and it never dries down completely, but if you give it five minutes then there will be no lip prints and it will stay in place with out making your lips feel dry. This is definitely a formula I am going to have to look at more and think about picking up more shades.

Over all i am pretty happy with my look today. It is a good work look and feels comfortable enough to wear all day long. Admittedly after my walk the only place I’ve gone is to and from the laundry room, but I like to think that the fresh sheets appreciate the look as well. And even if they don’t, I’m happy with it and that is what counts.

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The Daily: October 14th, 2021

Oh my darlings, today has been somewhat erratic. I tried for a walk, but by the time I got my shoes laced, the phone was ringing. It hasn’t really stopped. In addition a call I thought was a regular conference call turned out to be a video one so I ended up doing a five minute makeup look.

Actually I think it might have taken me three. But it worked out. Tonight’s dinner is a baked potato with broccoli, bacon bits and a scant scattering of cheddar over the top. The cheese I have to measure because it is so easy to over shoot the calories where cheddar cheese is involved. I understand why it is so caloric, but it always knocks me back a step to see it when I start grating it. While most foods I have repeated enough and measured enough that I can generally eyeball them, the cheddar is one thing I always have to measure. Otherwise I will talk myself into believing that a half a cup looks just like it could be 2 tablespoons.

Ah cheese, my eternal weakness.

Today’s Look:

Primer: Urban Decay Optical Illusion Primer

Foundation: Revolution Fast Base Foundation Stick

Bronzer: Ace Beaute Bronzed in Paradise Palette

Blush: bareminerals Bounce and Blur Blush

Highlighter: Illamasqua beyond Powder in OMG

Powder: Becca Pink Haze

Eyes: Ace Beaute Bronzed in Paradise Palette

Mascara: Roen Cake Lash Mascara

Lips: Elf Sheer Stick in Black Cherry

Okay the Urban Decay Primer and Becca Pink Haze Powder are both discontinued and I am trying to use them up. I love them both and wish they could be repurchased, but they can’t. So I will use them up and let them go.

The Roen Mascara is one I am currently testing out. I used it for the first time yesterday and liked it. Today I am even more impressed. It is not a dramatic mascara. There isn’t a lot of lengthening or volumizing. It does feel light on the lashes and won’t weigh them down during the work day and is actually a pretty good workday mascara. If going out, I would add a more dramatic mascara on top of it (I don’t do fake lashes, trust me, its for everyone’s benefit). However the mascara isn’t clumping or flaking and it is light enough that i can forget I am wearing it. And my lashes still look pretty good.

I didn’t choose an eyeshadow palette today because I was moving at speed. Instead I used the bronzer palette as, well bronzer, and then I took the darkest shade, which is actually a nice reddish brown and just swiped a bit across my eyelids. It is a lovely color and probably the only reason i was able to get my face on in time for the call.

Over all this look was designed to make me look less like i rolled out of bed and was working in my pajamas. I think I managed to clear that bar. Okay, it wasn’t a high bar, but I think I successfully cleared it. I also think mornings like this are what stick foundations were really designed for. I love traveling with the stick foundations but when you are in a rush they make life so much easier. The Revolution Fast base is a creamy formula that matches my skin tone so it was especially easy to grab and go.

Stripes across the face and then a quick blend with my 999Master Blender from Bdellium Tools and boom, done. I do love that foundation brush. I keep meaning to reach for a different foundation brush so that by the end of the week it isn’t so gunky (I clean my brushes on Saturday) but somehow I never do. Each Saturday I remind myself I do have other foundation brushes to use, but still I don’t reach for them. I actually have one I keep meaning to test out, but keep forgetting. I might actually have to hide my Masterblender. Just for a bit.

I also think I need to give it a deep clean. Maybe I’ll give it a deep clean tonight so that it will still be damp tomorrow and I’ll have to reach for a different foundation brush. Ah self trickery, sometimes quite useful.

At the moment the Master blender is on sale. Usually it is $16 but at the moment it is only $11.20. As it is the best foundation brush I have, I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a new foundation brush.

And with that I will leave you and get back to work. My plan for the day got a little off kilter but I think I have time enough to rein it in and hit Friday morning on schedule. As we have company coming this weekend, Friday also includes a bit of cleaning, so knowing it will be added makes that schedule just a little bit more important. After all we can’t let guests see toothpaste spatter in the sinks can we? Also I spilled some setting powder a few days ago so it looks like my bathroom is quite dusty. (I thought the lid was on, but it wasn’t actually screwed on just sitting on top.) And no one likes a dusty bathroom. There are worse things of course, but I’ll take down the problems I have. And for now, my problems are in the form of paperwork. So back to it for me and bathroom deep clean (company edit) tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon.

The Daily: September 29th, 2021

Good afternoon my darlings. It appears we have made it to the middle of the week and are peering into the end of the month. Wow September flew by, didn’t it? It certainly feels that way here. Especially since I had an unexpected chunk knocked out of my day yesterday. Don’t get me wrong I am incredibly grateful for the earlier appointment. I just hadn’t planned on it and am now playing catch up.

Plus last night I had dental themed nightmares.

I’m not terribly surprised though. To check that the post set well the dentist took a tool that looked like a small pair of pliers, put them in my mouth and tried to wiggle the post. While everything was fine my nightmares last night featured people with pliers coming at my mouth. Understandable of course, but not pleasant.

Hopefully by brain worked that loop out and it won’t be recurring. Other than that, there was a walk today because it is absolutely beautiful out today. 70 degrees with a light wind and sun. Perfect weather to be outside. I snuck in the one long walk and then I had to go back to my desk and turn away from the windows. Because I need to play catch up from yesterday.

But catch up I will. And then I might try and sneak in a second walk later this afternoon. It really is just too nice to be stuck inside today.

Today’s Look:

Foundation: IPKN Moist and Firm BB Cream

Bronzer: Trestique Vegan Stick Bronzer

Blush: Illamasqua Colour veil gel blusher

Highlighter: Milk and Honey palette by Beauty Bakerie

Powder: Pink Haze by Becca

Eyeshadow: KVD (Lolita) and Violet Voss (Magic Hour) Single Shadows

Mascara: Florence by Mills Built to Lash Mascara

Lips: Bare Minerals Mineralist Lip Gloss in Sincerity

Setting Spray: Lise Watier Magnifix Setting Spray

This was the last day for the setting spray. The sample is done. The Magnifix spray did lock things into place well, but the spray was kind of clunky. there were almost always drips from the spatter that had to be tamped down by the makeup sponge. So it is a good product, but i prefer a finer spray so this will not be a repeat purchase for me.

You may notice that there is no primer listed above today. That’s because I realized I hadn’t tested out this BB cream without a primer and wanted to do so before I made my final judgement on it. So I put it on with no primer underneath. It worked pretty well actually. It is definitely a low key look, but that was kind of where I was going today.

Because of the low key look I picked up the Colour veil gel blusher from Illamasqua. It is nice over the BB cream and gives a subtle blush. I’m not so sure how it would fare over an actual foundation. I’ll give it a go, but I think this gel blusher may end up falling into the more natural looking days.

The Trestique bronzer i live as I can make it as subtle or dramatic as i want. This isn’t my first Trestique stick bronzer and it won’t be my last. It remains on my repurchase list. Now however, it comes in a refillable case. Seriously how cool is that? While I will repurchase this bronzer this is my last disposable one. After this, I will be purchasing the refillable case and then just picking up the refills. I love that Trestique is going refillable on pretty much all of their products it looks like. Very happy with the product and at the moment very happy with the brand as well.

The Becca powder I like but because it is no longer being produced because Becca is no more, I am using it up and letting it go. I’m trying to remember to roll it in more often so that I can use it up. You’ll notice that above there is no link to the product page. The site that did have it listed for sale now has it listed as unavailable so there is no link. (In case you are wondering I mostly just link back to the company websites for products. I try to link directly to the brands where possible. A few of them are affiliate links so if you do click on them and purchase something i may make a small amount. So feel free not to click on them if that makes you uncomfortable).

I am also trying to remember to reach for the single shadows that made it through my last declutter. Today I took out the KVD matte and a Violet Voss shimmer. I love the formulas of both and enjoyed using them. It was also quick and easy to do as it was just one matte and one shimmer. Not a lot of staring at a palette and figuring out what to do.

Today I also reached for the Florence By Mills mascara. I keep trying to like it, but I don’t. It darkens my lashes which is good, but that is really all I have to say about it. and quite honestly I am done trying to like it. It made a sort of hollow popping sound when I used it today letting me know that it is starting to get empty, but I feel no need to use every drop of this product so I am sending it to the empties bin. I am done with this mascara and it will not return. If it shows up in a subscription box, I know to pass it along unopened. I just don’t like it.

I do however like the bareminerals lip gloss. I’ve tried several items from the mineralist line and I have to say I like each and every one of them. I think bare minerals is one of those brands people don’t talk about enough. I pick them up periodically when I see their products and I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad product from them. It is a brand that should be talked about more because it is really good.

And that my darlings was today’s look. There is no jewelry and no really dramatic , well, anything really. It is just me today working at my desk trying to catch up and wanting to be outside in the sun. So now I am getting back to work so that I can finish up and hopefully get back outside before the day goes away. I’m not too worried though as the weather forecast predicts another three days of this. While weathermen occasionally lie, I figure that if they predict three days we might at least count on one. So even if I can’t make it out again today, I’ll be aught up and can enjoy tomorrow. At least that’s the plan.