Seeing out the Use Up box of February and bringing in the March 2023 products

Each month i choose a selection of products to try to use repeatedly. For some of them they are products i love that are on the verge of expiring. Some are products that have been discontinued and i want to use up and clear out. A few are samples that I want to finish out and a few are items I’ve tried but want to give myself an opportunity to try out a bit more before I make a decision about how i feel about them.

The box I chose for February included:

Figs and Rouge Blurring Primer

Bite Beauty’s Changemaker Foundation

By Terry’s Hyaluronic Acid Hydro Powder

KVD Vegan Beauty Single shadow in Lolita

Tarte Breezy Cream Blush in pink sky

Milk Makeup Bronzing Stick

The Figs and Rouge Primer I used up. I found it a good hydrating primer, but it did nothing to help prevent foundation from sinking into fine lines and while it was pretty good at doing some blurring it was not my favorite formula. It was acceptable to use, but i am glad it is finished and going away.

I have been trying to finish out this Bite Beauty Foundation since the brand went Belly Up. With the push both in January and February to use it repeatedly, I have finally used it up and can send it away. It was an absolutely beautiful formula and I am sad it is no longer in production.

The By Terry loose powder was a sample size and I did use it up completely in this month’s box. While I adore the pressed version of this powder and in fact keep a compact in my bag at all times, I found the loose powder left white marks when I used it to set my makeup. They could be blended out, and i did blend them out but they were somewhat annoying and took extra time. While I would repurchase the pressed version, I am not a fan of the loose one. Now that it is empty, I will not repurchase in the full size.

I had no actual belief that i would be able to use up the KVD Shadow this month. I do have a box of single shadows and small quads that I tend to forget to use. Each month i am trying to rotate one in so that they do get used or so that in looking at them I can decide they no longer need to stay. I love this shade and will happily put it back to be used again.

The Milk Makeup Bronzer is a sample size. I put it in this box because I want to use it up. I like it enough that I want to purchase it in a full size but won’t do so until I have used up the sample. Mostly I know that I will stop using the sample once i have the full size and I don’t like wasting product. It isn’t used up yet but I did turn to the bronzer often. It will be staying in the box in March.

The final item in February’s Box was the Tart cream blush. I put it in the box because I wanted to get a feel for the product. When it came in I tried it and I did like it but I knew I needed to play around with it more. And then I forgot about it. This month I only reached for it once so I am going to keep it around another month and see if i reach for it any more. If I don’t that may tell me it doesn’t need to hang around.

And now for the new box.

March’s Use Up Box

Products:

Milk Makeup Bronzing Stick

Tarte Breezy Cream Blush in Pink Sky

Almay Velvet Cream Shadow in bronze

Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Primer

Anastasia Beverly hills Matte Lipstick in Dead Roses (sample size)

Anastasia Beverly Hills Translucent setting powder

The Milk Makeup Bronzer I want to continue using up and it will stay in the box until it is finished. The tarte too is sticking around. either i will use it more this month or I will realize it is not a product i want to reach for and let it go.

The Almay Cream shadow I have only gotten to use once and I am keeping it in the box because I want the chance to play around with it a bit more. I think having it out will encourage that.

I chose the Laura Mercier Primer because I have several primer samples. I tent to put them into a little box and then forget about the, This month I am going to start with the Laura Mercier primer and then when it is finish keep rolling in sample sized primers to use them up and determine whether or not I want to purchase any of them in a full size. I am starting with this one because it was on the top of the pile (It arrived in the February Cohorted box).

Thee are two Anastasia Beverly Hills products in here. the first is a matte Lipstick in the shade Dead Roses. I love the shade but it is discontinued. I love the formula as well. It is a sample size so I am going to work on finishing it up and sending it on it’s way. I really like the ABH lipstick formula so using it is not a hardship. The second ABH Product is the Setting powder. I like it. It is a good setting powder. It is a large setting powder and I am a little past the halfway point in this powder’s use. I don’t know if I can actually finish this powder this moth but I am going to try. I should also say that I do have a second unopened container in my powder drawer. I just think the opened one has been open for quite a while and want to use it up.

And so my darlings that is the Use up box, both the February recap and the products I will work towards using up for March. I know it isn’t exactly like the project pan that other people do and maybe at some point I will do that, but i really enjoy selecting products to focus on using. I won’t use each of them every day, but throughout the month i will try to use at least one item from the use up box each day so that i can keep them in constant use. It gives me enough wiggle room to create the look I want for that day, but also to feel like I am not letting products sit. to be honest, this month, I am most excited about focusing on using up the sample sized primers. Some of them I really wanted to try and hope they will be good to purchase in a full size, Others I know nothing about. But then I do love a good primer.

Get 30% Off Pivot & Pivot+ With The Winter Sale At Coravin

The Daily: February 13th, 2023

Good afternoon my darlings. Today has been a frosty one. Over the weekend we got rain that was just one degree warmer than ice. While it was not pleasant to go out in, the going out was minimal actually. After last weekend, my babydoll and I needed just a quiet relaxing weekend at home. So the rain helped justify that. Last week I added on all of the house chores during the week so that nothing would actually have to be done. So it was actually a full weekend with nothing that had to be done.

It may make me sound like a boring lazy bones, but i have to say it was really nice to have nothing that needed to be done and to simply rest on the weekend. I think that we don’t actually do that enough. There always seems to be a list of things to do over the weekend. And while some are necessary chores (like laundry) and some are fun things, little adventurous rewards for being adult during the week, a lot of the last year was dealing with everything that went down over the year whenever we weren’t working. I know it is February and the time for any form of resolutions is past, but I think it might be a good idea to add at least one weekend a month where all the chores are done early and nothing is planned. I think as a mental break, that is just a good idea.

I certainly feel a lot better for having that quiet weekend.

I also feel far more refreshed than I have in a while. The start of the work week feels a lot less draggy, if that makes sense. Usually Monday i am dragging my feet getting started, but today, I woke up thinking, ‘okay, let’s get this work week going.’ I think it really is because I actually rested over the weekend.

I know, not rocket science, but sometimes I get so caught up in all the things that have to get done or that I want to get done that i forget to stop and just allow myself the recuperation time. For me this is a good reminder. I don’t know if you need that reminder too, but there it is. I have already been more productive today than i usually am on Mondays. so it is helpful in many ways other than just mind set. Just something to remember, for all of us.

Today’s Look:

Primer: The Butter Primer from Beauty Bakerie

Foundation: Yensa BC Full Coverage Foundation

Bronzer: Buxom Staycation Vibes Bronzer

Blush: Axiology Color Cream in True

Setting Powder: By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra Powder (the Use up Box)

Eyeshadow: Ciate Royal Edit Palette

Mascara: Uoma Beauty Salute to the sun

Lips: Ace Beaute Pout Perfect in Manifest

This is the first Primer I have had that is in a stick form and I have to say I really like it. It is super easy to apply and blend out. It goes on a little white but then just blends out to no color very easily. And it feels fantastic on the skin. It doesn’t need any dry time because it isn’t a liquid. It settles in fast so it seems like a good product to use in the morning rush. I kind of want to try it with my favorite stick foundation to see how quick my morning application can be. This primer also really seems to hold product in place as well so smoothing and long lasting is it’s category. there is no tint to it so dims down slight redness but not by much. At the moment I am having a good skin moment so this works.

I went for one of my favorite foundations today. It is the Yensa BC Foundation. i like their other foundations, but this is hands down my favorite. And I have to admit, I finished the tube i was using and today was the first use of the new tube. It is one of the few foundations that I have a back up of in the makeup drawer. I tend to pick up the back up when I am down to a third of a tube so i don’t keep the back up around a long time, but I do repurchase when I get low. I like the glow I get from this foundation. It is enough of a glow for me without being too dewy. Which is why it is my favorite.

Today I realized I was going hard on the Milk Makeup bronzer in my Use up box so I decided to switch it up and reach into the drawer and use whichever product I picked up first. I came out with the Buxom Staycation. I like this bronzer, but this is usually my summer time bronzer. It is darker than I usually go for in the winter. I used a light hand and it worked well. it is a really good bronzer, just more my summer shade. I did realize that I have been reaching more for contour palettes lately than I have been reaching for individual bronzers. I think that might be because i received one in my advent calendar this year and I have one from January’s IPSY. I also just got one from the February IPSY. That came in yesterday. I will be testing it out soon. But for today I just wanted a single bronzer and this worked.

I am still testing out the Axiology Color Cream. And to be honest I don’t want this trial to end. I am really loving this formula and this shade. it just works well for me. It is a buildable formula so even though it looks good now, I think it will be usable all through the summer as well. I really like that it is a year round use shade for me. I also like that it is a fully recyclable paper packaging. Kind of in love with the brand at the moment actually.

Today i was a bit more restrained with the Ciate Palette. I know,. so many exciting shades. Today I started with the most neutral browns to avoid the multitude of fab shades and go “conservative office standard” Yup I went for the browns. And then I topped it with tiara. It was a bit crumbly but when i tapped off the brush it was fine during application. The shades blended well and I really like them. And now that I’ve tried the neutral zone, I will start playing with the other shades.

Okay we need to talk about this UOMA Mascara. First of all it looks amazing on the lashes. I love the look. I also love that it actually does make my lashes feel softer. It has been open a month at best, maybe three weeks. And it is starting to come out of the tube a little clumpy. It still applies well, but it is getting messy in the tube and a lot of excess product comes out. As it is a good formula I would like it to stay in the tube so i can use it. It is the one drawback of the mascara. I I like it, but I don’t think it will last long. I think it might be a mascara to pick up just before an event though because it just looks fantastic.

And then we go with the lips. I went Ace Beaute again today. it is a gorgeous packaging and a really creamy formula. It i slightly sticky and it doesn’t really dry all the way down so there are lip prints. But they aren’t major and the lipstick does last a long time on the lips even without drying all the way down.

The only item from my Use up box that I used today was the By Terry powder. And this is the last use of it. This was a sample size and it is now empty. This is a powder that you need to apply with a brush. If you apply it with a makeup sponge it will take forever to blend out the marks from the sponge circles. It was nice to use, but not my favorite. For me I will let it go. I love the pressed version of this powder, but i don’t think I would purchase a full size of the loose powder. I am thrilled that i did use up something in the Use up box. I don’t know why that feels like an achievement, but it does.

And that my darlings is me today. It is a pretty low key look and I am happy with how it turned out. And now, it is back to work to see if i can keep up this Monday productive streak. Have a great one my darlings.

The Daily: February 9th, 2023

Today my darlings is an interesting day. I know I usually talk about fitness, gardening and the general meyhem that is my life but today I am going to talk about Boxycharm.

My February box arrived. And while I decided to post the majority of my subscriptions on IG instead of here this year as i try to sort things out, I am going to talk about it here. Don’t worry it won’t be a product by p[product break down. So, yesterday my Boxycharm Premium came in. There were four fantastic , can’t wait to try items and two that hit my annoyance button. One of the products I was looking forward to trying is skincare and I will use it when I get to it, but the three makeup items in this month’s box I used today for my look. I actually really liked all three. However there are still the other two items.

Now I know subscriptions are always hit or miss. There are always going to be products you are more excited for and products you don’t particularly like. That is just the nature of subscription boxes. This particular box is listed at $39.99 on the site. When all is said and done with the taxes and fees I pay exactly $46.07 for each premium Boxycharm box.

Four of the items felt premium and the other two sent me through the roof. So let’s talk about those. The first of the annoyance items was a single shadow from Dose of Colors. I like Dose of Colors. They have great shadows. I however have this same single shadow from them already. Actually I have three of this single shadow. One came in a $13 IPSY bag, where a single shadow is an appropriate item to receive. The other came as an item in a previous boxy Charm Premium and annoyed me at the time as it felt like it shouldn’t be in a premium box. Perhaps I am wrong, but in the context of subscription boxes I tend to view single shadows as sample sized items. I know you can buy single shadows as single shadows but in a subscription box they feel like, ‘here is a sample shadow so you can get a feel for the formula and perhaps buy the full palette.’ So it felt out of place in the Boxycharm premium to me, and it was a repeat annoyance.

The second item in my box that just hit the annoyance button was the Refreshments Body Cream. It is certainly full sized. It is in fact quite large. IPSY started the refreshments line as a separate service. I tried the items when they were released and they are pretty basic formulas. They actually feel like something I would get my ten year old niece who is interested in beauty. She no longer wants the ‘little girl’ barbie and tinkerbell themed products beauty products, but she isn’t allowed to wear makeup yet and still has a few years before breakouts cause the need for skincare items. That is how that product line feels to me in general. Others seem to like it so more power to them, it isn’t for me.

In general you do get products that aren’t for you in subscription boxes so I would normally just have rolled my eyes, set it aside and given it to my niece. However for the past few months, Boxy has been sending me invitations to join Refreshments. It is usually a first month free thing and this same body cream was offered as a free incentive. And yet here it was counting as an item in my premium box. Somehow that just hit me as one annoyance too many.

And I realized how many little annoyances there had been.

One of the reasons that I stopped posting some of my long term subscriptions is that I wanted see which ones I would keep and which ones I would let go if I wasn’t posting about them. I also found several I want to try out and to do that I needed to let some go (both because they get expensive and because too many subscription boxes equals far more product than I need). I have had both Boxy and Ipsy for so long that to let either go was hard, but this box made it easier, so I have canceled my Boxycharm Box. Perhaps i will return, perhaps I won’t.

I do know that I felt really good when I did cancel it.

I know some of you aren’t into subscription boxes, personally I love them. And I know some of you do as well, so I just wanted to share my thoughts as to why I cancelled my Boxycharm. I will aslo start to post reviews of the newer subscriptions I am trying out. But for now we will move on to todays look, featuring three items from February’s box.

Today’s Look

Primer: Beauty Bakerie Butter Primer

Foundation: Bite Beauty Changemaker Foundation (discontinued – from the use up box)

Bronzer: Milk Makeup Bronzing Stick (sample from the use up box)

Blush: Axiology Multi Use Color Cream in True

Powder: By Terry Hydra Powder (sample from the Use up box)

Eyeshadow: Ciate London Royal Edition

Mascara: Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Brag Mascara

Lip stick: Ace Beaute Pout perfect liquid lipstick in the shade Manifest

Lip liner: Huda Beauty Lip Contour in trophy wife

Okay, first the Use up box. At the beginning of the month i choose products that I want to use up and clear out of my makeup collection. They aren’t bad products they are just products that are either close to being used up and i want to do a final push to use them up or they need to go for other reason. There are three today, the Bite Beauty Foundation is fabulous, but it is discontinued. I think I have three more uses tops before the tube is empty so I want to clear it out this month. The Milk Makeup Bronzer and the By Terry Powder are both sample sizes. The Milk I want to use up so i can justify purchasing the full size. the By Terry is not my favorite setting powder as it tends to leave white marks that it takes a bit of work to blend in, which I find a little strange since I adore By Terry’s Pressed powder. So I will be using up the last of this and not repurchasing, hopefully this month.

The Axiology Multi Use color Stick is a product I am currently testing out and absolutely adore as a cream blush. As a stick it is really easy to work with. I dot it on my cheeks and then blend out. It belds really well, but do one cheek at a time. Dot it on the cheek blend, switch to the other cheek and blend, then see if you want to build it up more. if you dot it on both cheeks and then go back to blend it blends less well. It will still beldn but you can feel it start to set up. So one cheek at a time. also go slowly because it is quite pigmented. it is very buildable though, so start light and then add to get the pigment you want.

The Beauty Bakery Butter primer was in my Boxycharm It was a choice item actually. You know I love primers and I love balm style primers. I haven’t tried one in a stick format though. This one glides on smoothly with the stick and then I used my hands to massage it in. it is white streaks when you apply it but the whit goes away as it blends. I was very impressed with application and thus far it is doing really well for a first wear. And like all Beauty Bakerie products it is adorable. It looks like a stick of butter with the tablespoons measured out on the side. I know I will be reaching for this often.

The Eyeshadow was also from Boxy Charm as well and it is the Ciate London Royal Edition. I say it and thought, oh it is going to just be blues and purples. Then i opened it and I got really excited to play with it. Too excited actually as i think I layered on a few too many colors. i started nice and soft with the everyday neutral shades and then I saw the bronze. And then i wondered about the blue shimmer and I perhaps did not do the palette justice as I layered shimmers on top of an everyday look, but I couldn’t help myself. And in the end it just ended up looking vaguely silvery and shimmery. It has actually been a while since i have been this excited to play around with a palette. I was like a three year old not knowing which toy to play with first. I’ll temper the excitement and test it out properly, but I did go a little shimmer crazy today.

I opened a new tube of the ABH Lash brag today as well. I used up he older tube and let it go. I opened it because I wanted to compare it with the Uoma beauty mascara actually. they both have similar fluffy wands and fabulous results. But I didn’t remember the ABH clumping quite like the UOMA beauty so I wanted to have them going at the same time since I marked down when I opened the UOMA and can do a timed comparison.

and then we get to the lips. The Ace Beaute lipstick came in the BoxyCharm and the packaging is stunning. It is very black and gold art deco. The wand is really long which was surprising although i should have expected it to be the length of the bottle. the shade did wash me out a little so I blended it with the Huda beauty lip contour (very creamy) and together they made a really nice everyday wearable shade for me.

Over all I am really happy with todays look. I did go a little crazy with the shadows because I just kept seeing ones I wanted to try. Luckily it is just me working at my desk today so no one will really notice. I am going to have fun with this palette though. I do want to mention that the three products I tried from Boxy today I really loved. And that has been what has kept me signed up to the subscription for so long. It is also what kept me ignoring, or trying to ignore, the little annoyances. They are small so it feels petty to complain about them, but like little splinters they get under your skin and cause major irritations. And I think this year, I am less inclined to put up with some of those minor irritations than i have been in the past. I have noticed that applies to a lot of things in my life right now, not just Boxycharm. It is causing some interesting changes to my world and I have to say it feels really good when those minor annoyances are cleared away. I suppose that is my thought for the day, if there is something minor annoying you, regardless of what it is, maybe it is time to stop telling yourself that it is a small thing you should ignore because it is too petty to address. There is a disproportionate amount of relief in clearing it away. At least that has been my experience.

And with that thought I will leave you, it is back to work I go. Have a great afternoon my darlings.

The Daily: February 6th, 2023

Good afternoon my darlings. I hope you had a fantastic weekend and that Monday is treating you well. This was a interesting weekend for me. Friday was just a hot mess. I didn’t even remotely get a chance to do my Face Mask Friday. A project that I thought was done went super nova and it was all hands on deck.

I have several 3 minute face masks ready to try out though, so I might roll one of them in place of the sheet mask this week so if you are feeling like you missed your face mask fix, stay tuned.

But the fun didn’t stop there. My babydoll is not a fan of crowds at the best of times. He tends to have a set group of people he likes and then he wants the rest of the world to just leave him alone. He is one of those people that very much enjoys social distancing and he is really sort of hoping the distance thing becomes a permanent thing. I love him dearly but he is not a people person.

But for Valentine’s Day, he tries.

Usually it is a bit of a compromise. We tend to go out for Valentines Day but we go out the weekend earlier and then just have a night in on the actual valentine’s day. So since Valentine’s Day is on a Tuesday this year, he reasoned that the weekend of the 11th would be when everyone went out to celebrate. And so we went out this weekend for the dinner out. We had a grand night out actually. We went to a concert and then went out to dinner. He bought me tulip bulbs for the garden as a gift. I am very happy with that actually as I have been talking about expanding our small tulip bed. well area maybe more accurate, but you get the picture. Not only did he get me something I like, but he was actually listening when I talked about the garden. (In case you are wondering I got him a box of his his favorite high end chocolates – he has a far bigger sweet tooth then I ever will – and some kit for his beer making endeavors. he was tickled by the new gear although I have to say I have very little idea what I actually picked up. He keeps a wish list and I saw one of the items was in stock so that’s what I ordered.)

It was a really great night. And then we got food poisoning from the restaurant.

It wasn’t the stomach pumping kind of bad, but it did sort of ruin the rest of the weekend. Nothing else was done. No routine errands or household chores. Nothing. I am now up to Season seven (out of 16) of Criminal Minds thought. with the release of the new season on Paramount + I started at Season 1 and began working through the seasons to reach the current one. I am now about midway through season seven. while I love the show, there is something almost therapeutic watching people take down serial killers when you are curled up under a blanket on the couch with a wonky tummy. I also confess, I like the weird episodes. There was one this weekend where the killer turned people into marionettes. It was a good episode. Anyway Paramount+ has them all so I am working my way through until I get to the current season. And this weekend was a good weekend to do some binge watching.

Because I wasn’t going anywhere or doing anything productive.

While I am better, and need to restock the Pepto Bismol, It wasn’t a restful weekend and it feels like I needed another day. Still the work week arrived as predicted so here we are. I do think I am going to feather in all of the missed chores during the week this week though so I can just collapse next weekend. At least that is the plan.

Today’s Look:

Primer: Pinklipps Soft Matte Primer

Foundation: Bite Beauty Changemaker Foundation (discontinued – from the use up box)

Bronzer: Milk Makeup Bronzing stick (sample size from the Use up box)

Blush: Axiology No Waste Multistick Color Cream in True

Powder: By Terry Hyaluronic Acid Hydra Powder (sample size from the Use up Box)

Eyeshadow: Wander Beauty Wanderess Escape Palette

Mascara: Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real Magnet extreme lengthening Mascara

brows: GrandeBrow-Fill

Lips: Axiology Zero Waste Multisuse Crayon in Nude Plum

Okay my darling’s we will take it from the top, because we have some really interesting things in today’s line up. First is the Pinklipps primer. This is an interesting primer. If used sparingly, it is quite fantastic. It creates a nice softly blurred canvas for the rest of the makeup to sit on. The pink tone helps even things out in my skin tone but I have pink undertones to my skin so if you don’t have that, it might not help. It does give a nice matte look to the skin which I like. However if you use a little too much this formula does tend to feel a little heavy and greasy. So I put just a little bit where i need it most and then blend out. Which seems to work for this primer. i am still playing with it so I’ll keep you posted, but tat the moment that seems to be what is working.

The Bite Foundation is fantastic but discontinued so it is in my use up box. My hope is to finish it out this month so I can let it go. The same holds true for the By Terry Powder. it is good but not my favorite formula so i am using up the sample size I have this month so I can let it go. The Milk Makeup Bronzer also comes from the use up box, however it is there for a different reason. It is a sample size that I want to use up so that I can purchase the full size. While I love samples because they give me a good idea of how the product actually works, if I like it I make myself use up the sample before I purchase the full size. I really like this bronzer, so I am am using up the sample in order to purchase the fill size.

And now we get to the Axiology products. I don’t know if you have heard of this brand but it is well worth looking into. they very kindly sent over a few products for me to try so they will be around for the next few weeks (and probably beyond) while i try them out. They are multiuse products with sustainable packaging. There is no metal or plastic in the packaging. it is all paper and all recyclable. I’ll get into all of the details of that with my fill post of the brand but if sustainability is important to you I recommend checking out their website to see how they are doing things. The links in this post will take you to their site.

But a good idea is only a good idea if it works. And so we start the product testing. Today I use the Multi stick color cream as the blush and the Multi use crayon as my lipstick. For the blush the color I used was True. I dotted it on to my face as I would a stick of cream blush and then blended with a damp makeup sponge. (Currently I am using the Beauty Bakerie Blending eggs for this. They are just the right density. I don’t like my makeup sponges too hard in general, but for this you will also want to avoid the too soft ones. they never seem to work all that well for cream blushes. Other things, yes, but not most cream blushes, so go with a medium density).

I only needed a couple of dots and then it blended into a really nice blush. I really like this shade and actually i think that this is also multi season in shading for me as well. I started with a single dot of product and blended out and it gave me a very light flush. I added a second dot and it blended as well and proved the formula was buildable. As the shade works well with my skin tone I think when the summer sun starts to give me a tan, I will just be able to use a little more to have the perfect summer shade as well. I love a product i can use year round. I won’t know for certain until the summer but this first use was very promising. The lip crayons went on really well also, it was smooth and creamy. It has the consistency on the lips of a creamy bullet style lipstick. It doesn’t dry down which is fine and requires reapplication after eating but i really like the shade and the feel of it on my lips. It was a great first use. Thus far the only issue I see is that I really like this True shade as a blush so I am not sure I am going to want to try using it anywhere else. It just makes such a great blush. Still it is multi use so I will try using it elsewhere.

This was my first use of the Escape Palette, although a while back I had a mini version of this palette I believe. I remember this pink shimmer shade and I am very happy to have it back (the previous palette was used, well loved and then accidentally dropped where three of the six shadows crumbled, in case you were wondering).I love having this pink shimmer back. It was my favorite before and it is so again. It is a subtle shimmer that is perfect for the work day. i went with a general work day look today and I think it came out looking really well.

The Benefit mascara is one of my favorites. I tried the magnet in a sample and loved it enough to purchase full size. Oddly while i love the magnet version of this mascara, i wasn’t as thrilled by the regular They’re real. It was okay but when I used it I preferred Bad Gal Bang from them. I still love the Bad Gal but this Magnet They’re real is a close second. I just find it amusing at the difference between the two versions of They’re real.

And to end I am using the GrandeBrow Fill. As a brow gel it is fantastic. Since my bangs cover most of my brows at the moment I don’t need much in the way of brow products so I am hoping the good things in this brow fill will work on the patchy spots. That will take time to see but i do like it as a brow gel. it keeps everything in place without feeling stiff.

And wo my darlings that is me today. I’ve just begun the Axiology test and am really excited to see how the products perform in the next few weeks. My tummy is feeling better and the panic that was Friday has settled down to something more manageable for the work week. And so I will get back to my paperwork and let you get on with the rest of your day. I hope it is a fabulous one.

The Daily: February 1st, 2023

Good afternoon my darlings and welcome to February. I know the day is still cold and drizzly but because the calendar page turned i find my eyes drifting towards the seed catalogs. I need to get my seed orders in soon so I can start the seeds in the small greenhouse and have them large enough when actual spring time arrives to allow them to survive the move out doors.

And by greenhouse I mean a plastic shelving unit with a sort of clear rain coat over it. Greenhouse makes it sound far more grand than it actually is, but as it is an amazing bit of kit, I just have to give it the full title of Greenhouse. And yes, this year i am starting my seeds just a little bit earlier than last year. I checked my garden Journal to be certain.

Garden Journal

Last year’s spring was such a yo-yo of temperatures that a lot of my seedlings weren’t quite up to the transfer. I did the normal tempering of the plants but we had cold fluctuations all the way until May when summer came blazing on and lasted until October. I figure if I start my plants earlier and make sure they are more substantial, possibly with a longer tempering time, (starting outside in the day, coming in at night and gradually staying out all night until they are planted in the actual garden beds) I might have better luck this year.

Given the winter, I don’t think this spring is going to be an easy transition year either. So I am trying to plan for that. We’ll see if it works.

Other than that it is still rainy and just barely above freezing, 34 where I am. which means I just want to stay inside. which is fine as I have a lot to do. I was less puffy and inclined to watery eyes today so I am guessing that whatever was in the air washed out. Either way, for today’s makeup I decided to go for the complete use up box and then filter in the other elements from my collection to get a complete look. I’m actually quite happy with it.

Today’s Look:

Primer: Figs and Rouge blurring primer

Foundation: Bite Beauty Changemaker Foundation (discontinued)

Bronzer: Milk Makeup Baked Matte Bronzer

Blush: Tarte Breezy Cream Blush in Pink Sky

Setting Powder: By Terry Hyaluronic Hydro Powder

Not really a setting Spray: Peach and Lily Glass Skin Veil Mist Hydrate and Glow

Eyeshadow: KVD Vegan Beauty Single Shadow in Lolita and Elf No budge Shadow Stick in Rose Gold

Mascara: UOMA Salute to the sun

Lips: Revolution Pout Bomb in Clear

This primer I have to apply more like a moisturizer than a primer. With primers I generally put the primer on the spots where I need the primer the most and then blend out. This has too thin a consistency so I dispensed it on to my hand and then applied it like a moisturizer. I think it does a little blurring, but mostly it is a hydrating formula. with the heat running constantly at the moment, I am perfectly fine with a moisturizing primer.

I do love the Bite Beauty Foundation. I loved many things about Bite Beauty but alas, they are no more. I was pleased to realize there was less product in this tube than I thought so I definitely think I can use it up this month and clear it out of my collection which makes me happy.

I love the formula of this Milk Makeup Bronzer. I have a sample which is halfway down on product and it is in the Use up box so I can use the sample up and then order a full sized version. I really enjoy it and will have no problems reaching for it this month.

I put this cream blush from Tarte in the mix this month because i am still unsure about it. i have been liking cream blushes more and more recently. Usually they apply with a finger tip and then blend in. This one doesn’t work well that way. When i use a finger tip it tends to sort of take off the foundation when I try to blend. So I used a makeup sponge today. I patted it in the pan and then to my cheeks. At first it didn’t look like much but it built up and suddenly I had very pink cheeks. I used my foundation brush to knock it back a bit in color and then topped it off with the setting powder and I really like the way it turned out in the end. I am still going to have to play with it though. It is an interesting formula.

While I adore the pressed powder from By Terry, the loose version tends to be hard to blend out and leaves white marks. i went in with a light touch and a fluffy brush and it worked okay. it always looks good in the end but it takes a bit more effort than I want to give a setting powder. It is a travel sized version though so hopefully I can use it up this month and let it go.

Whether it is the setting powder or the central heat, my skin looked dry today so i found myself reaching for this spray a lot today. it keeps everything from looking and feeling dry without smudging. The mist is fine enough that even the mascara didn’t run. I really enjoy this spray. It is a long time favorite and one i usually reach for more in the summer, however this winter it has been a real skin saver.

The KVD is one of my favorite single shadows and I was happy to keep it in the Use up box rotating in this month. I will happily use it. Today I paired it with the Elf shadow stick. I picked this up on a shim and I am going to have to pick up more. They apply easily, blend well and do not budge all day. This shade happens to work really well with the KVD shadow so I think it will be popping up more often this month. I am a big fan.

Todays clear winner in the makeup category is this UOMA mascara. Two coats, ultra fabulous. I mean seriously, I am very impressed with my lashes today.

And I just wasn’t reeling the lipstick today so I went for the clear gloss of Pout Bomb. It is fabulous and with the heat running I know the Vitamin E will do well for my lips.

And that my darlings is me today. Not to bad as it turned out. It is a low key look that I am comfortable with. I deliberately used all of the items in my Use up box, mostly to see how they worked together. I won;t reach for all of them every day but I am going to try to use one item from the box each day through February. i don’t know how well I’ll do, but I like having that a a goal. I am also happy that if I use the box it is more of an every day look.

But now it is back to work for me. I hope you have a fabulous Wednesday wherever you are.

The Use Up Box: January 2023 review and February Selection

This year I decided to do something a little bit different with my makeup. I realized there are items I like that I never reach for, items that are nearing their expiration date, items from discontinued brands and items I might have tried but never really long enough to decide how i feel about them And so each month I will be picking a few items from my makeup collection and putting them in The Use Up Box.

In this box would be items that were constantly in view so I would see them and hopefully if I wasn’t specifically testing anything in that category I would reach for the item and use it. I think I was partially successful in that I did use up a few items. I think I was also overly ambitious in the products I chose. First let’s tale a look at what was in the January Box.

The January Use Up Box

The items that I fully used up were the Marc Jacobs Primer, The Becca Pink Haze Setting Powder and the Colourpop Ultra matte Lip. The Marc Jacobs primer and Becca Setting Powder were both discontinued so I am happy to have used them up and cleared them out,. They were both good products but they are no longer being produced so it was time to let them go.

The Colourpop is still in production, but this particular lippie is an older one that I have had for quite a while. It was getting to the point where I needed to finish it up and let it go. I really enjoy the formula and color so I will probably repurchase it at some point but for now, I have finished with this lippie and am letting it go.

I was hoping to finish up the Bite Beauty foundation because Bite beauty is no more and even though I love this foundation it is no longer being produced. However i had several new foundations come in that I needed to test so I didn’t reach for it as often as I planned. It will remain in the use up box for February. Hopefully it will be finished out in February. My goal is to use it at least once a week. i think that will finally clear it out.

That is actually the only product that is staying in the use up box.

The Josephine Cosmetics Lip was put in the box because I couldn’t remember trying it before. I knew I swatched it but couldn’t remember how it performed. It performed beautifully and is a lovely red shade that I will be keeping for a while. It will remain in my collection.

the Brow Bar By Reema is one of those products I love the thought of more than I like actually using. It is really a beautifully designed kit. But it is not my shade. i love the under brow highlighter but none of the powders work for me and I really don’t like the cream formula. The pencil and the tools in the kit I love though. And that mirror is fantastic for travel. For those reasons I am transferring it out of my makeup drawer and just putting it in the purse that I use for travel. I think that is when I am going to reach for it and that is where it will be the most useful. I might end up letting it go, but for now I think as a travel item, it is still useful for me to keep. Just not in the drawer with other eyebrow products.

Because the highlighter in the palette was so good, I didn’t reach for the Eyeko under brow highlighter. I did youse it a couple of times and liked it, but i am not going to put it with the use up box. I am going to transfer it to my brow products drawer and try to reach for it when I do my brows. As my bangs are kind of long at the moment I haen’t been reaching for brow products and need to remedy that, but I will try to work on that.

The Pretty Vulgar lid primer i only reached for a couple of times. It is a really good lid primer, my favorite in fact, but it is edging into the expiration date. There are only one or two more uses with of product left in the tube. I am going to put it in the front of my eyeshadow drawer to use when I have shadows that need a lid primer. It will be reordered as soon as it is empty but it won’t last the week so I am not going to add it to the use up box because it is almost done.

The two eyeshadow products I included because i wanted to start rotating through my single shadows. I tend to forget to reach for them. I figured if I had them out I would reach for them more. And I did reach for them a couple of times. I just have several palettes i need to test out so I ended up reaching for them first. I still think it is worth it to have a single shadow in the box so I am adding one for February and rotating these out.

So are you ready for February’s Use up Box?

February’s Use Up Box

The Foundation I love but want to use up because it is discontinued. The Figs and Rouge primer is about half empty and while I did like using it, I am still on the fence about whether or not I would repurchase it and would like to both figure that out and use it up.

I really love the milk Makeup bronzer but it is close to being finished up and I would like to use it up and order a new one to use. It is a sample size and I would definitely like to get a fill size to use.

The KVD Shadow is one of my favorite one and done eyeshadow products so i am rolling it in for the days when i don’t have something specific I want to use since it is very good. The By Terry powder is one of those products that is hard to work with but looks beautiful once it is on. It is a sample size of powder and I would like to use it up. Because it is difficult to work with i probably wouldn’t repurchase it. I adore the pressed powder version of this, just not the loose version.

The final product is the Tarte cream blush. I tried this when it came in a tarte themed Boxycharm. i liked it but I have several cream blushes I love so I tend to reach for them first. I don’t feel that I gave this enough of a chance. So hopefully i will reach for it more if it is out and I can decide how I really feel about it.

I’m sure you have noticed, but the February list is much shorter than January’s list. I’m hoping that will cause me to reach for the items more since there are fewer of them so they will be more displayed than in a clump. Either wya, I still like the idea of the Use up box and I am happy to continue down this path. I also find it useful to assess what I like and what I am wanting to use. It actually inspires me to go through each drawer and look at things that I haven’t reached for a while or forgot about. Hopefully you find it fun as well.

The Daily: January 30th, 2023

Good afternoon my darlings. It looks like we are actually closing in on the end of January. It is always interesting to see the end of January. A lot of months I am surprised to reach the end of them but somehow January always feels much longer than any other month in the year. I think part of it might be that ic comes after a bunch of holidays. For Me Halloween is sort of when time speeds up.

Halloween is that fun holiday where you dress up and have candy and carve jack o’ lanterns and just generally have a good time making smoking concoctions that look like witch’s brews for the cocktail hour. Then the next morning as I realize the mold has claimed the inside of your pumpkin and the rot from being on the front stoop for several weeks has caused it to slump sideways, I am hit with the realization that it is in fact November.

we always do a lot of our gift exchanges on Thanksgiving because some people only travel for one of the holidays so everything has to be purchased and wrapped for those folks and then there is the shipping for other people so they can have things by Christmas and with one thing or another, the shopping the gatherings, the decorating and the taking down of decorations, from November 1st to January first there is just a blur of movement and whizzing past of time until it stops with the midnight champagne cork popping of new years.

Then everything sort of slows down to normal speeds, which oddly seems glacially slow.

And so January seems to last forever. Yet here we are about to reach the end.

At least that is my take on it. I suppose I am in a bit of an introspective mood today. I spent large chunks of my weekend trying to work out a character’s motivation. My plot idea had him behaving in a certain way so the story would move along but then I couldn’t figure out why he would do what I wanted. It made no sense so i had to think about what this particular character would do in the situation, based on how I’ve written him thus far and how that would affect the story. And than just for fun I flipped it around and thought about how I’d re write the character so that he would behave as I wanted and then i tried to decide which I liked best.

I actually enjoy that part of writing. But it does put me in an introspective sort of mood. I start wondering how everything around me ticks. Luckily oi am working from home with no meetings scheduled today so no coworkers will be affected.

Today’s Look:

Primer: AOA Studios Blur Fection Primer

Foundation: HIDE Invisible medium to full coverage foundation

Bronzer: Kim Chi Chic Hello Thailor Bronzer

Blush: Benefit Cosmetics Georgia Blush

Powder: By Terry Hyaluronic Hyrdo Powder

Eyeshadow: Revolution Beauty Coraline Palette

Mascara: Uoma Salute to the Sun Mascara

Lips: Yensa Super 8 Lip Oil in Power Pink

I picked up this AOA primer from Shop Miss A on a whim and I have to say I really like it. It is a bit crumbly until it warms up and then it blends beautifully and sort of works like spackle on fine lines and pores. I am really enjoying it.

The HIDE foundation is perfectly my shade at this time of year and it does blend well. I am noticing that less is more though. One layer looks beautiful but it is not a foundation I am having any luck building up. One to two pumps covers the face well with a medium coverage. it is my preferred coverage so i am okay with that but building it up just makes those fine lines show more.

The Kim Chi bronzer is beautiful. It is soft and richly pigmented. It applies strong but blends well. I just need to remember that it is more my summer shade than my winter one. It was a bit heavy for me today and since I haven’t used it in a while I was a bit heavy handed. It blended out well, but it was definitely operator error.

This Georgia Blush however is prefect for winter for me. It tends to get lost when I am tan but it is a nice soft pink on winter pale skin for me. I just need to remember to reach for it more often. I am glad I reached for it today.

The By Terry powder is one I will use, but I don’t think I will repurchase, at least in the loose version. The pressed powder is amazing for afternoon touch ups but the loose powder is a bit temperamental. if you use a sponge or a puff it wants to shoe where you first touched down on your face, It can be blended out but it takes some time. The best application has been a fluffy brush tapped on the wrist once before applied to the face. That helps. Once on, it is a beautiful powder, it just requires a bit more thought than other setting powders.

I chose the eyeshadow because I had Revolution on my mind today. I caught up on all of the legal drama of the brand over the weekend so I was thinking about them. Plus once I opened the palette I saw the purple and deep blue and decided that was just what I wanted today. I know, very Ursula of me, but I think it came out well. At least I like it. While I love my neutrals there are some mornings where my brain just says ‘Color NOW!’ and this is just what happened. Personally I like the way it turned out.

I am also loving this UOMA mascara. I deliberately went with just one coat today and I think my lashes look fabulous. In addition, this formula feels so light weight and when I used it last week, my lashes felt soft when I removed the mascara. I know it is a nourishing formula or it is supposed to be based on the website description, but it really seems to be doing some nourishing. One use isn’t enough to really tell, but it is encouraging.

And then there are the lips. I went with the Yensa Super 8 Lip oil. The one I was using before was just a light shine on the lips with barely a tint. This one is far more pigmented, almost like a lipstick. I am actually very impressed with the pigmentation. It is brighter than I usually go with my lips but I do love this formula. I think because the lip oil I used previously had such a barely there color I didn’t realize just how pigmented they were. I am going to have to look at the shade range and actually think about colors instead of just lip care with a shine. And I am always happy to find more lip products.

But that is me my darlings. I am kind of tickled with the way the yes turned out today. It is mostly my computer screen that will get to see them, but they make me happy. And somedays, that is what count’s the most. Happy Monday everyone.

The Daily: January 18th, 2023

Good afternoon my darlings. I hope you are having a fantastic day. Today, I can’t lie has been a bit on the busy side. I spent much of yesterday on the phone with my mother. She now has her prosthetic hand and was as thrilled as a toddler on christmas morning. You know when they talk to you and are so excited that they get out of breath and have an hour long run on sentence? Well that was my mother. Odd in a woman in her seventies, but still kind of adorable.

everything works and she is starting her lessons in control. When she tried to pick up a cup she crushed it so she has been warned not to try shaking anyone’s hand for a while. It was also suggested she avoid using her good china. I think she spent the day showing off her new arm. I think she also might be trying on clothes to see what works well with it because she has sent six pictures today all with her wearing different shirts. I find it adorable.

And after last year it is really nice to see her excited about something.

It does mean that I am running a little behind on things, but I consider that perfectly acceptable.

Yesterday I also received two separate subscription boxes. My Boxy Charm Premium arrived and the Chic Beauty Box from November/December arrived. I was trying it out to see if I liked it and with it being so late I put the membership on hold until I received the box. It is still on hold and I am definitely skipping the January/February Box. I’ll decide in February if I want to get the March/April box or just cancel. I couldn’t resist using several items from those boxes in todays look so you will see some of those below. The full boxes I have up on Instagram. There is a link in the side bar if you want to see them.

Speaking of subscription boxes, Smartass and Sass is having a 60% off sale through January 20th. I tend to get their t-shirts to use for workouts as they make me feel better. Sometimes I like their boxes and sometimes I don’t so I tend to pick up the items I like in their on-line store rather than subscribe to the boxes, mostly because I know I won’t use some of the items. But I do love certain items and I did place an order for a few things. As they arrive and I put them to use I’ll use them and share my thoughts. If you have a slightly sarcastic and bent sense of humor, you might want to check them out. They also have some discounted boxes in the sale so if you are thinking about a box, you could try one of those and see if you like it before committing to the subscription. I love their t-shirt subscription but prefer to pick and choose with the items. with the occasional box when things just appeal to me. I actually ended up getting some smartass gifts from them for friends this year as well. Anyway, big sale if you are interested and it runs through January 20th.

Today’s Look

Primer: Marc Jacobs Under (Cover) Blurfection Pimer (discontinued and from the Use Up Box)

Foundation: HIDE Invisible Oil Free Medium to Full Coverage Foundation

Bronzer: Fenty Beauty Sun Stalk R Bronzer and Highlight Palette

Blush: NARS Unwrapped Orgasm Blush Duo (I used Orgasm today)

Powder: By Terry Hyaluronic Acid Hydra Setting Powder

Eyeshadow: Dominique Cosmetics Unconditional Palette

Mascara: Milk Makeup Kush Mascara

Brows: GrandeBrow Fill

Lips: Laura Mercier Rouge Essentials Beige In Time (70) Lipstick

Okay we start with the Primer, love it, it is discontinued and I am so close to using it up. It actually worked well today. But since it is no longer in production, I will say no more about it.

As I mentioned above I am using a lot of Subscription box products today, starting with the foundation. I have never tried anything from HIDE before. It is a $30 foundation that has the word luxury all over the packaging and the website. The container is white plastic that looks a little on the cheap side. I haven’t looked into it and there may be a good reason for it, but the container feels kind of cheap. Also while the white boxy look with black lettering is nice and editorial in a photo, this is my first use and I already have streaks of foundation on the white. I suspect I will have to clean it after each use. That being said, I actually kind of love the foundation. It is a first wear, but it is wearing well. It blended beautifully and felt light. Thus far I am not having any settling issues. I’ll keep working but thus far it is performing impressively even if the container doesn’t look that Luxe.

The Fenty Beauty palette I like. It has a range of bronzers and while there is only one I can use now and one that I will probably transition to in the summer, they also make nice shadows. The two shimmer shades are good shadows but really poor highlights.

In the Chic Beauty Box was the NARS. I had the Orgasm Blush when it first came out and I used it down to pan. It is a beautiful shade that just works so well with my skin tone. The other shade in the duo I may be able to use in the summer but not now. I am fine with that. the pans are large and I adore the shade I am using. It also reminds me that I need to replace my NARS Bronzer. It too I used down to pan. NARS was one of those brands I turned to as a staple for the longest time and then slowly forgot about. For the last few months they have started edging back into my consciousness. I am actually quite happy to see them return. (And if you get a chance their reformulated lipsticks are well worth picking up).

I think I may now have a handle on the By Terry Powder. The trick is to one, apply it with a fluffy brush, and two tap it on your wrist before putting it to your face. if you go straight in then the brush leaves a powder mark you have to get off. Tapping it once just puts the mark on your wrist not your face. Makes application much easier.

Dominique Cosmetics has also been coming out with some winners. I adore their cream blush and reach for it quite frequently. This Shadow Palette came in my boxy and it is a first use. It does had a gold glitter shade that has already started leaving a trail across the table. I avoided it today but I used pretty much all of the other shades. They are quite pigmented and the brush does need to be tapped off before application, but they do blend beautifully. I think it is a really good selection and the mix works well. The shadows complement each other and it is a really well thought out palette. It is also a good selection to go into February and Valentines Day with so that is nice.

The Milk mascara performed beautifully. And I am kind of in love with the Grande Brow Fill. If goes on easily and not clumpy. It adds a slight tint to the brows as well a a little gel to hold them in place. They are staying in place without feeling crunchy which is also nice. In general I love Grande Cosmetics products so it isn’t a surprise but it is always good to find another product from the brand I like. (Their Lash regrowth serum is absolutely fantastic, I used it when I ripped out my lashes in an ill fated false lash glue accident and I recommend it highly.)

And finally the lip. I Like Laura Mercier and this is a nice neutral shade for me. It is a very creamy formula that does leave a trail of lip prints behind. It will also need to be reapplied around lunch time. But it isn’t sticky, just very creamy so if you are having dry lip issues, this might be one formula to look into.

And that is me my darlings. Over all I am pleased with how things turned out, and while I have no problems with why large sections of my day were lost yesterday, it does leave me playing catch up today. And so now I will leave you and return to the ever present paperwork. Have a great day.

The Daily: January 17th, 2023

Good afternoon my darlings. Today is not sunny. The rain has returned and it is dreary outside. There is however excitement building inside. While I am personally excited that my latest book , Tansy Moves In is now finally out, there are bigger things afoot today.

Today, my mother gets her new prosthetic hand. That’s right. After the surgery, the healing, the learning how the nerve endings and muscles now work and of course the multiple measurements for the new faux hand, today it finally arrives. She is actually on her way to the prosthetics place as we speak. I will face time with her once she leaves the medical complex and gets back home with her new hand.

I have already spoken with her this morning though. She is super excited and feeling a bit like she is welcoming a new family member into the house. In this mornings Face Time she had three outfits she wasn’t sure about. I have to say it was the first time I have ever been asked which outfit looks more appropriate for going to get the ‘new hand’.

I think part of the issue was with sleeves. She wanted something long sleeved because it was cold, but she didn’t want it to get in the way or be too bulky when she rolled it up (because she doesn’t have the hand yet and all right handed sleeves need to be rolled up a bit if they are long sleeves). She settled on something with wide, loose sleeves that can be easily rolled up out of the way without being too bulky. she is also wearing a cape like coat over it.

She will be super fabulous in the doctor’s office. she was a little annoyed that she had to wait until her driver arrived to pin her fantastic broach to the cape like coat. But it was a minor annoyance that couldn’t dim today’s enthusiasm.

As you might have guessed, today is not a normal day for me. I did manage to get my morning exercises in before the calls, then shower and get dressed with makeup on and then get some work done. Now i will work until the call comes in and it becomes show and tell time. It is however one of those days where I am more than happy to have the interruptions. And to be honest, the makeup is mostly because my mother thought I looked pale and sickly when we spoke this morning, pre makeup. Which leads us to…

Today’s Look:

Primer: Marc Jacobs Under (cover) Primer (discontinued – from the use up box)

Foundation: Yensa BC Full Coverage Foundation

Bronzer/Highlight: Fenty Beauty Sun Stalk R Palette

Blush: Kaleido Cosmetics Skin Luminate Palette

Powder: By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra Powder

Eyeshadow: Charlote Tilbury Flawless Filter Luxury Palette in Diva Lights

Mascara: Milk Kush Mascara

Lips Maybelline Superstay InkCrayon in Live on the Edge 05

Slowly but surely I am using this primer up. I actually hope to have it used up completely by the end of the month. I just need to keep remembering to reach for it.

You know I love my Yensa foundation. It is the one I reach for the most and will happily do so in any season. It takes so little to cover the face beautifully and it has a soft glow to it that I really just adore. It isn;t super glowy, which you know is not my thing, but it has just enough luminosity in it for me. It is a great every day foundation.

The Fenty Beauty Palette is growing on me. I am not the biggest fan of Fenty Products. Mostly I just find them to be okay to use but not to repurchase. The one exception is of course the Diamond Milk Gloss Bomb. that I love and will always repurchase. this is actually a palette I will reach for. The highlighters are much better as shimmer eyeshadows, but I really like the range of bronzers and how they work.

I am still on the fence about the kaleido cosmetics blush. It applies really brightly and blends in well but after about an hour it looks as though I never applied blush at all. It looks great while it is there. I’m hoping to find a product application balance so I can wear it longer without looking clown like. My thoughts are a work in progress.

Then we come to the powder. You know how much I love Hyaluronic acid. It helps reduce the stress crack in my forehead to a line from a canyon. And I have heard people rave about this powder. I have the pressed version and the loose version. The pressed version I love for mid day shine take downs. I am having a bit more trouble with the Loose powder. It takes a bit to blend in. I hated how it applied with a makeup sponge so I used a brush today. It was better but it takes a while to get all the white gone. However once you do work it down, the powder blends in flawlessly and doesn’t look powdery at all. It just takes a bit more work to get there than I am used to powder taking.

Today’s eyeshadow is the most expensive eyeshadow quad I own. I picked it up on sale and I have to say I don’t regret it. I only used three of the four shades as I wanted a softer look. To be honest I come up with the same look every time I reach for this palette. I think because it has an apply by the numbers pattern on the back. Sometimes I darken it with the fourth shadow but I didn’t feel like doing that today so I just left it light. It is a beautiful quad and honestly I could use this everyday. It may be have stars on it and be called Diva, but it is really good for a toned down every day office look. I suspect I will be reaching for this often when i have meetings.

The Kush Mascara from Milk Makeup I like. This isn’t my first go round with it and I will happily use this sample sized tube up. As a warning because I don’t like to let open samples sit you may be seeing this for the next week or two as I use it up. Samples just tend to dry ut faster so I tend to just keep using them until they are gone once I open them. while I like it, when I next purchase a Milk Mascara I will probably pick up the Rose version from them as I like it better, but this is a good mascara.

And Finally to the lips. This weekend I popped into the drugstore to take a peep at some of the new releases. It was a wasteland. while I saw all of the new stuff on line, none of the new items were in the store. I was especially hoping for the Matte No Budge Eyeshadow pencils from ELF. I have one of the shimmers in Rose Gold and I adore it. I saw on line they had a selection of Mattes out and I was hoping to get one to try and pair with the rose gold. I tend to use shadows more if i can create a whole look with them so I was hoping. I also wanted to try out the pink setting powder from ElF since I finally managed to finish the Becca Pink Haze. They had no setting powders (or pressed powders). In fact in their face products department there was only one lone blush left to hold the fort. And I noticed most of the racks were empty or looking sparse. I also wanted to check out some NYX products but no dice on that either. I was really looking forward to getting my hands on the new Bare With Me Blur Tint Foundation. I loved the Bare With Me. It is one of my summer time go to products and I was hoping this would be just as good. Apparently I am going to have to place some on line orders if I want to try them.

I did however luck out on the Maybelline Lipsticks. I love the Ink Crayon formula. I could easily just choose my favorite five and rotate through them. The point of the crayon makes a great lip liner and then the product goes on smoothly with one swipe. It doesn’t dry down completely so it does leave a little bit of transfer, but it isn’t a lot. It does dry down enough to stay all day. It is super comfortable to wear. It simply is a really good formula.

And so my darlings that is me today. However the time for my call with my mother is rapidly approaching. Soon I will see all the intricacies of her new hand. I will also be running through her new exercise list with her as she learns to maneuver her new hand. A little out of the ordinary, but in the very best possible way. Have a good afternoon everyone.

The Daily: January 9th, 2023

Good afternoon my darlings. I hope your Monday is going well. Mine has been interesting. we had rain all weekend so all sorts of mold rose into the air and in addition to cold and damp there were allergies. So my babydoll and I sort of ended up being couch potatoes for most of the weekend. we went out to restock on groceries but mostly just stayed in. We had a Criminal Minds marathon.

I think that is actually going to be a multi session marathon because there are sixteen seasons on Paramount+ and you just can not watch all in one sitting. Time wise it is simply impossible. The new season is currently being released (I think they start putting out new episodes on January 12th.) I really like the show actually. I forgot how much I liked it actually. And I should probably admit that I like the weird killers more than the regular ones. I think the episode where we stopped had a serial killer who was a cannibal with satanic leanings. So that is what we will be watching after dinner.

Is it strange that I am looking forward to that? Maybe it is because I don’t remember the episode. When the show initially aired I wasn’t always able to catch it so I only saw a few episodes here and there. Now, because they are all streaming I can actually watch them all. I know, strange thing to be excited about but I like having small things to look forward to each day. Especially since the flood gates opened and as everyone has now recovered from the holidays the e-mail is full and it seems like a never ending wave of work. Having something small to look forward to (like catching up on a show) makes me happy.

It sounds strange but with work and adding in the fitness elements, doing the meal planning and having my list of in house chores and out of house errands if feels like I am just thinking of things that have to be done. It is less about the show and more about something entertaining that I get to do rather than something i have to do. I also finished my stack of waiting books so once I refill the stack i will be looking forward to reading a new book before bed too. But at the moment the stack is gone.

To the Library, Batman.

Well later anyway. For now lets jump into the makeup.

Today’s look

Primer: Marc Jacobs Under (cover) primer (discontinued – from the Use Up box)

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

Blush/Bronzer/Highlight: Marc Jacobs Omega X three Tan Tastic Palette (discontinued)

Setting Powder: By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra Powder

Eyeshadow: Ciate London The Velvet Palette

Mascara: Iconic London Triple Threat Mascara

Lips: Colourpop Liquid Lip in Tulle (from the use Up Box)

Setting Spray: Ciate London Watermelon Burst

Okay today I went hard on the list of discontinued products and items in my To Use Up box for January. I suspect that may be a Monday thing. On Mondays I go into my office and the box is the first thing I see as I turn on the computer. Which I placed it so that it is the first thing I see so I can’t really complain. During the week i slowly stop focusing on it but each Monday i am reminded first thing. So I suspect I will reach for it more on Mondays moving forward.

So let’s blaze through the discontinued. All of them are items I really like, but the items are no longer being made. Mostly because Bite Beauty as a brand has ended and Marc Jacobs is no longer making makeup. I love the primer as it creates a really smooth layer for the rest of the makeup to sit on. The foundation was one of my favorites, but again, Bite Beauty is no more. While the Marc Jacobs palette isn’t in my to be used up box it is Marc Jacobs and thus discontinued. It is just an easy palette to reach for and use when you are in a hurry. It also travels well.

In the Use up box is also the Colourpop lippie. It isn’t discontinued and I do like it. It is just on the older side and over halfway used up so I wanted to go ahead and use it up before it expires. I like the lippie. It dries down well and even with the deeper color it doesn’t leave li prints everywhere. It is a little drying but not uncomfortably so. Actually what has been interesting is the more I wear it again, the more I like it. It is the time of year where my lips are usually dry and I tend to reach for my lip balm to go over my lips on a regular basis anyway. My lip balm goes over this lippie well and I haven’t had any problems.

The Iconic Mascara is good at lengthening. It is a good everyday mascara but it probably isn’t going to be one I replace when it is finished.

This is the second time I have used the Velvet Palette from Ciate and for a quick soft look I am really liking it. It is the kind of soft look i can wear pretty much everyday, whether running to the grocery or jumping into a meeting. I’m rather impressed actually. I think because all of the shadows looked like shimmers I was just expecting to use it to brighten up an otherwise matte look. But I really like it. I think that the fact that the shades are more soft one instead of highly pigmented really helps for me. It is far more of an everyday palette than I expected. There are plenty of shimmers though, and I have focused on the more subtle shades. There are deeper tones and more shimmery shimmers in the palette so it will be interesting to see how I feel about them. I think that I am just surprised at how well this is working for a daily palette. Very unexpected.

Today I also used the By Terry Loose setting powder. It is a Hydra powder so it feels a bit wet. I have been using the pressed version as the small compact has been in my purse for a few weeks. Usually i dip a damp makeup sponge into the powder dot it on my face and then blend it with a brush. This powder doesn’t like that. I don’t know if it is the hydra part of the powder or if it is just too finely milled to use that application. When I applied it to my face with the makeup sponge it wanted to stay where I put it. I think tomorrow I may try a powder puff as an applicator to see if that works better.

And that my darlings is me. I actually went for quick and easy mostly today. I did lean heavily into the Use Up box because it’s Monday and I don’t have to think too hard about those products. I think it turned out pretty well. No muss, no fuss. And so Monday rolls on. Have a great day my darlings and I will see you bright and early tomorrow.