The Daily: September 9th, 2021

Good afternoon my darlings. Today is a lovely day where I am. This morning featured a long walk and I am debating on a second one a little later in the day. The temps haven’t dropped enough to let me enjoy a walk until after the heat of the day breaks, but If I time it right I can walk after the heat breaks but before the mosquitos and gnats rise. Its a slim window, but well worth exploiting.

And it is nice to get outside as well as get some exercise.

And today I had a bit of post declutter pleasure. Not only is there space enough now for me to see things properly, but i have a bunch of items I forgot about and now get to rotate into my routine. It’s kind of fun.

Today’s Look:

Primer: Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer

Foundation: NYX Bare With Me Tinted Skin Veil

Bronzer: Trestique Bronzing stick

Blush/Highlight: Natasha Denona Bloom Blush and Glow Palette

Powder: No 7 Perfect Light Pressed powder

Eyeshadow: I heart Revolution Maple Glazed Doughnut Palette

Mascara: The Feathers by Pretty Vulgar

Lips: Bite Beauty Lipstick in Rhubarb

Setting Spray: Farsali Rose Gold Skin Mist

So Today was the final day for the Milk Primer. The sample size is completely spent. I do have the full size and eventually I will open it and roll it into the rotation, but right now I feel I have too many open primers and want to use a few of them up before doing so. However it does feel good to use this sample up completely.

It will feel even better to finish using the Farsali setting spray up, but I still have a couple of more days with it. I think I might be able to use it up by Monday though so that is the plan. It will not be repurchased.

While the NYX tinted moisturizer I reconnected with a few weeks ago and still love using, especially at this time of year, I forgot about the Natasha Denona Palette completely. It isn’t kept with my other palettes. Or it wasn’t. It will be now. For some reason it was stashed behind the setting powders. So I forgot all about it. I really love the blush though and I am going to have to reach for this more often.

The eyeshadow palette is one I forgot about as well. I know it looks like a silly little doughnut (which sort of makes me happy to see actually) but it is also really good eyeshadow. I really forgot how much I like it. Again as it is round and small it sort of rolled to the back of the drawer. I think I am going to have to lay it flat now that thee is more space so I can keep it front and center. It is just a really good everyday palette.

And the final thing I forgot I had was the Bite Beauty Lipstick. I use their lip masks so much that I forgot about the lipstick. It is worn down to a a bit of a nub so I may try reaching for it more often so I can just finish it out. This sounds strange to say about a lipstick but I really like the way Bite Beauty Lipsticks smell and taste. They look good too, but this one also has a slightly fruity scent and taste to it instead of the waxy lipstick taste. I kinda dig it. I am sooooo glad that Bite Beauty brought their lipstick line back. It was gone for so long and I am thrilled it returned. While I am trying not to buy as many lipsticks (a failing endeavor, I know) I may have to stock up on some of these just incase Bite beauty decides to take them away again. It is such a good formula

I know its a shorter than usual afternoon post, but today is a jam packed day. Still catching up from Monday off but mostly it just seems like everything landed on my desk at once. I’m slowly chugging through it, so it isn’t bad, just more than I expected. And so I will be quickly getting back to it and looking forward to my late afternoon/pre-mosquito rising walk. I hope your Thursday chugs along well also.

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The Daily: September 8th, 2021

Another day without sun, but at least my good friend Beeker is keeping my Tomahawk shades for me. I know they are safe and I think they look kind of cute sitting there. So even if there is little point to wearing them today, I can still enjoy them.

Today is not rainy at least. It is overcast and the chance of sun breaking through is pretty minimal. The bonus is that it isn’t terribly hot. Don’t get me wrong, I still worked up quite the sweat on my walks today but I I didn’t actually feel like I was melting.

And yes I said walks, plural. Two to be exact. One in the morning and because the temps stayed low enough, one in the afternoon. It was fantastic.

Sweaty, but fantastic.

Over all, that is today’s big news. I know not epically major news, but as the rest of the day has mostly been freaking out because it is the middle of the week and the paperwork is piling up, it was a bit of a pick me up. I always end up having this happen when there is a three day weekend. I Start the week off Tuesday morning in my typically Monday morning fog. And then it lifts the next day and I realize it is now mid week and I haven’t caught up.

The thing is I know it is going to happen each time, and yet nothing I can do actually stops it from happening. It is the post three day weekend trauma. And no I don’t have this when I take Friday’s off. Then I do extra work on Thursdays and feel fabulous about everything. When Monday is a holiday I always feel like I’ve missed a step, no matter how much prep work I do the Friday before.

But I am handling it and by tomorrow I should have smooth sailing until Friday.

Today’s Look:

Primer: Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer

Foundation: Revolution Fast Base Foundation Stick

Bronzer: Lottie London Sunburst

Blush: IBY Sunkissed Blush

Powder: Ciate London The Extraordinary Powder

Highlighter: Laura Geller Baked Highlight in French Vanilla

Eyeshadow: Rimmel Magnif’eyes Crimson Edition

Mascara: Milk Makeup Kush Mascara

Lips: M2U nyc in Soho

Setting Spray: Farsali Rose Gold Face Mist

I know a lot of these are repeat products from yesterday. The Milk Makeup primer I still love. I have only one more use left in the tube now so I will finish it up tomorrow. It is a great primer that really locks in the makeup. It is clear so there isn’t a lot of redness coverage but makeup stays in place. I already picked this up in a full sized container, but the sample is almost empty.

The Revolution Foundation stick is an oldie but a goodie. I forgot I had it until I started doing my declutter. It is small and the tube rolled to the back of the drawer. It happens with foundation sticks. I need to work out a better storage system. I don’t have much product left in this tube so I may just keep it out and use it for now anyway. It is the perfect shade for me right now. While I love this foundation it does leave me looking a touch oily so I need to use a non illuminating primer underneath it and I need a dusting of powder over it.

The powder I used today was the Ciate London Extra ordinary powder. The powder is good but has the tendency to leave white splotches where you first touch your brush to skin. So I bank it once on my hand after dipping into the product and it works out well from there. It is a good powder, just watch out for the first touch.

Again I used the Lottie London Bronzer. I really think that coconut is going to be a killer for me. It is a good bronzer but I really hate that coconut scent. I found myself making the ewww face when I opened it and had to smooth my expression out to apply it. Which is never a good sign. I do like the light but buildable formula, just not the scent. I may poke around on the Lottie London Website and see if they do sell a non scented formula, but this one I suspect will soon be leaving me.

In looking at my blushes I found several that I received but hadn’t gotten around to trying out. One of these is the IBY blush. I’m sure it came in an IPSY bag, but I don’t remember getting it. I like IBY shadows but haven’t tried any of their face products. I think this one may be a bit on the pink side for my current skin color, but I may get more use out of it in the winter. My blushes tend to go lighter in the winter. It is quite pigmented though so it is one to be careful with.

I am likeing the Rimmel palette more as I use it. The lighter shimmer shades do need a wet brush in order to really show up on the eye but the mattes blend beautifully together. I am really pleased I found this lurking in the bottom drawer and decided to give it another chance. It is a nice drugstore palette that I think I will end up keeping around for a while.

This is the last day for the Milk Mascara though. It is a good formula and I will be picking up a full sized tube at some point, but this sample size is done. It was an effort to get a second eye done today. Despite being volumizing, I found it seems to be more lengthening that volumizing. I do very much like it and as the brand Milk Makeup is also one I enjoy, I have no problem putting it on my repeats purchase list.

I am also adding the M2U lipsticks to the list as well. This formula really is fabulous. The shade might be a little too pink for me, but I love the way it dries down without drying out my lips. I just need a few different colors. I would love to see how this preforms in a really dark berry shade. Those are the ones that seem to have issues drying down without drying me out. So perhaps a test for later.

For now, that is today’s look and how I feel about the products I used. Over all not bad. I just wish the scent of coconut wasn’t so strong.

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The Daily: September 7th, 2021

Hello my darlings and I hope you had a fabulous three day weekend. We actually took a little bit of a summer getaway. This summer there simply wasn’t time for an actual vacation so we decided that the end of summer would have to do. Friday was a half day and we ended up going to a small cabin in the mountains. It was basically the two of us in a cabin in the woods. Check in was no contact and there was no wi-fi and barely any cell service. We saw no one and really just took the long weekend to completely unwind.

It was glorious.

And the fact that it was a completely no contact weekend was really nice as when I came back there were multiple electronic warnings about the danger of Labor Day Travel. So it was a nice and safe holiday.

And when I came back I put my eSalon to use. The custom dye came in before I left, but I waited to use it until after I got back. I went with something a little bit darker and I think it worked out well. As always I love the care they put into their kits. I really like the fact that the eSalon kits also have a step by step process that it really feels like a custom experience.

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Plus I’m still working on finding a new stylist. With the eSalon, I really do like dying my hair on my own so I wanted to take care of that before I found someone to cut my hair. It’s proving harder than I thought. Plus I’m trying to decide if i should go now before things get any worse where I live (infection rates are rising) or if I should wait just a little longer for them to go down a bit.

Decisions, decisions.

But at least I got my hair dyed.

Today’s look:

Primer: Milk Makeup Hydrogrip Primer

Foundation: No 7 Lift and Luminate Triple Action serum Foundation

Bronzer: Lottie London Sunburst Bronzer

Blush: bareMinerals Bounce and Blur Blush

Highlighter: Laura Geller Baked Original in French Vanilla

Powder: Elf Translucent Loose HD Powder

Eyeshadow: Rimmel Magnif’eyes Crimson Edition

Mascara: Milk Makeup Kush Mascara

Lips: M2U NYC Matte Liquid Lip in Soho

Setting Spray: Farsali Rose Gold Face Mist

Today was an interesting mix of products for me. The Milk Makeup primer is a sample size that I found in my primer drawer during a declutter. I liked it enough to pick up a full size, but then I somehow forgot about the sample, so I am using it up. I have one, maybe two uses left in the container so I used it today and will use it tomorrow and possibly Thursday just to finish it up. It is a formula I really like and really does lock in anything layered on top of it.

The No 7 Foundation is one of my favorite drugstore foundations. It is light weight and I tend to forget I am wearing it. It also blends really well and lasts all day.

This is my second use of the Lottie London bronzer. I like the way it looks on and I like the way it blends. I am not too thrilled with the overly sweet faux coconut scent to it. It is only strong when you are applying it though so that isn’t too bad. The scent goes away fast, I just don’t like the scent. Still the bronzer seems to work well so maybe it will end up working well enough that I can get over the scent. I suspect it will end up being an occasional bronzer though as I do find the scent off putting.

the bareMinerals Bounce and Blur Blush is one of my favorites. It is fantastic and I reach for it often. It is super east to blend and for me this mauve sunrise is an excellent color.

I am still on the fence with the Laura Geller Backed highlighter. I love the fact that it is light without glitter. I am not so thrilled by the fact that it is not the easiest product to blend. when applied with a brush it tended to leave a strip of white that was difficult to blend. I found that even though it is a powder it was easier to dip my finger in and ort of tap the finger along the area where I wanted the highlight. That seemed to apply better and create less of a stripe for me. It is still new to my collection so I’ll be playing around with it a bit more.

The elf HD Powder isn’t new but I haven’t use it in a while. I tend to like the loose elf translucent powder better than he pressed translucent powder. Somehow the pressed leaves a little too much whitecast behind while the loose doesn’t. I think I will be using this up though and getting a tinted powder from elf instead. While I like the loose powder, it is still a bit white for me as I still have a summer tan. In the winter it is less of an issue, but I think a tint to this powder wouldn’t be a bad thing.

This Rimmel eyeshadow palette was in my declutter pile. I mentioned it as part of my declutter post. However I couldn’t remember how it applied and so I decided to keep it around for a little bit to play around with it. I know I have most of these shades elsewhere in formulas I really like, but I just liked the look of it and since i couldn’t remember how I felt about it I felt that was a good enough reason for a second shot. Today I leaned into the darker shades which worked well. Not spectacular, but well. The one lighter shade I used a dry brush and it was okay. I think with a wet brush it would do better. so I will try that tomorrow as I keep playing with the palette. Right now it is possible it could go into the declutter pile again, or I could decide to keep it. I should know by the end of the week.

Milk Makeup also appeared in my mascara today as I finish out a sample sized tube of Kush Mascara. I like this mascara. It lengthens well but doesn’t do a lot for volume. It isn’t overly dramatic but a very good everyday mascara. I could easily see myself picking up a full sized tube of this in the future.

I am also impressed by this M2U lipstick. It takes a while to dry down enough not to leave lip prints, but when it does dry down it is a really comfortable product to wear. It doesn’t dry out my lips or crumble midway through the afternoon. And the full sized lippies are $7. So I suspect that I will be picking up a few more of these in the near future.

And finally the ever dwindling setting spray. There is less than an inch of spray left and I will be very happy when it is finally used up. The spray is nice and I plan to reuse the glass bottle. The product is nice as well. It is the scent that gets me though. I just don’t care for it and am very ready to not smell it any more. I think that If I use it this week, I can use it up and next Monday start the week off with one of my other setting sprays. That’s the plan anyway. It is a good product, but I just don’t like the scent.

So those were the products I used today. Some old, some new, some forgotten and some on the verge of being used up. I Don’t know why it makes me so happy to actually fully use a product, but it always does. I’m sure it is something deeply troubling in my psyche but I’ll leave that to the shrinks to figure out. For now it is back to work for me. I enjoyed my long weekend but now I am paying for it by playing catch up. Such is life.

The Daily: September 1st, 2021

Good afternoon my darlings and welcome to September. Yes, there is no more teasing, it is officially fall. At least in my books. And because of the rain and cloud cover it actually feels like fall. which is nice for September 1st. it also feels like a conspiracy. I have my Tomahawk Shades lined up on the shelf and they are just begging to be worn. Especially the tortoise shell pair from the Grasshopper line. I says “wear me, and don’t forget to grab a bold red lip when you do.”

Isn’t that always the way though? As soon as you find something you want to wear the weather says, yeah, not today. Its why I haven’t taken my sweaters and other cool weather clothing out of the back of the closet. I don’t want to encourage the heat to linger any longer than it has to. I’ve concentrated my fall efforts on other areas, like the decluttering.

I have actually really been enjoying that to be honest. The lip products were a long overdue necessity. While I am sorting through other categories and not getting rid of as much I love the fact that things i haven’t used in a while come to light. Then I get to use them because I love them and haven’t seen them in a while or because I can’t really remember how I felt about them. Or because I want to use them up, or try out something new. Today’s makeup is sort of a testament to that.

Today’s Look:

Primer: Milk Makeup Hydro Grip

Foundation: NYX Bare With Me Tinted Skin Veil

Blush/Bronzer/highlight/powder: Cover FX Perfecter Face palette

Eyeshadow: Tartelette Tease palette

Mascara: Milk Makeup Kush Mascara

Lips: M2U NYC Matte Liquid Lip in the shade Soho

The Milk makeup Hydro Grip primer is a sample size that I thought I had finished. I liked it enough that I ordered the full size but have been forcing myself to finish out at least two more primers before I open. when sorting through my primers, i found out that i had just a little bit left, so I am going to be using it until it is absolutely empty and can go. That way it doesn’t get lost in the bottom of the drawer again. Its a little round tube that tends to roll. It is also a very good primer, so I don’t mind keeping it around for a few more days.

The NYX tinted Skin Veil I found about a week ago in the drawer, pulled it out and used it and remembered just how much I liked it. It blends in really well and feels feather light on the skin. The shade I have is True Beige Buff and it is flexible enough that i don’t need to stock up on multiple shades for different seasons. So That is an added bonus for me. In deepest summer it can be a little light so I use tinted powder and in my palest winter it can be a smidge too dark so i adjust with translucent powder. Those are the only corrections I need to make.

The Cover FX Palette is an interesting one. I had this palette, or one nearly identical to it, a long tike ago. I remember it being all the rage and everyone talking about it at the time I was using it. I thought it was a fabulous travel palette if I remember and I remembered loving the hard case as it protected the products. I think the Powder and Contour I used down to pan and the other pans were looking pretty worn. I also think the case and mirror ended up cracked and i wasn’t certain if mirror shards got into the powders so I decluttered it. A few months ago I saw this on Boxy Pop up and was at that time quite excited about the possibility of travel resuming so i ordered it. I think I used it once when it came in and then forgot it. when i sorted palettes again I came across it. I think because of how i used the last one (when I had a job that put me constantly on the road)My brain just saw the palette and thought “Travel Palette”.

And it is an excellent travel palette. It is also just a good general palette. The contour works as a bronzer for me. It is very pigmented so I found myself treading lightly and then blending. The blush is a little brighter a pink than I usually use, but I actually like it quite a lot. I did find that I had to do a quick tap with the blush so that i didn’t apply too much. The highlighter is golden in tone (my preference) and blends well so there is a glow rather than a streak of gold. Over all it is a good little palette. I just need to think of it more as a palette and less of a travel palette.

The same holds true of the tartelette Tease palette. it is six basic tarte shades and I bought it a while ago soely for the purpose of travel. The palette is about three inches long and slips easily into a travel bag. The shadows are varied enough for good basic looks and I happen to like the tarte formula. You do have to tap off the brush to avoid fall out from the mattes but they are highly pigmented. Also if you want the shimmers to shine you really need to wet the brush. I didn’t bother today so it is quite a low shimmer. I also used the darkest matte in the palette (Shade bff) to remind myself about the palette.

The Kush mascara I opened, tried once and then the trail sized tube was buried and forgotten. Somehow it ended up with the lipsticks. So I decided to dig it out and put it in rotation. It has a fluffy wand, which I like and while the formula is not overly dramatic, it is pretty good. I haven’t had any problems with it flaking yet, but I will use it more to get a better feel for it. While it isn’t massively lengthening or volumizing it is a good mascara that does enhance the lashes.

And then we move on to the lip. I’m guessing the M2U NYC matte lip came in an IPSY bag at some point. I honestly don’t remember it arriving, but that seems like a logical arrival point. The color is nice. It takes a little while for the formula to dry down. Once it does, the lipstick stays in place. There is a bit of wearing off. It is not an apply in the morning and forget about it product. Lunch wore the lipstick off and I reapplied. Once it is dry it is comfortable enough that i can forget that i am wearing it and it doesn’t transfer. It isn’t dry enough to make my lips feel dried out, just dry enough to stay in place. The waiting for it t dry down and then having to reapply it after eating are the only issues I can see with this lip so far, so first impressions are quite possitive. I know nothing about the brand, this is in fact the first time I’ve ever heard of them or tried a product. This lipstick does make me want to go in search of more products though. And it is always nice to find new brands that i like.

Finally today’s look wraps up with the Farsali Setting spray. There is only about an inch worth of product left in the bottle and I am determined to finish it out. The product is pretty, the bottle lovely and in truth it works well as a setting spray. it isn’t spectacular, but it is nice. I just can’t stand the scent of it. So I will use it up. And because the bottle is glass and can be reused, I may transfer a different setting spray into the bottle. I have a setting spray that is leaking and another where I like the product but can’t stand the spray. So In this case recycling actually helps me out. And soon the Farsili Spray will be used up. While it is a nice product, because of the scent, I will not be repurchasing it, just reusing the bottle.

And that was todays look. A large part of it was inspired by my current declutter, but I am okay with that. the declutter has gotten me excited about products I already have as well as letting me clear out space and reorganize, which is kind of nice. I like like the excitement of finding things that I forgot I had. It’s like my own personal treasure hunt. and as there are several more categories to go through, we push on in our declutter quest. Onward and upward! To El Dorado! Or at least the land of makeup i forgot about.

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The Daily: August 31st, 2021

Ah my darlings we have reached the end of the month. I don’t know why the end of the month always turns into a train wreck of last minute projects and a scramble to get things done, yet somehow, it always does. This month is no exception. In fact I think it might be worse because it is the end of August. Not only is the month ending but it feels as though summer is as well.

I know the heat will not really break for another few weeks, but today it is raining. The temperatures are only in the 70s instead of the 90s and it feels like autumn is don’t it’s best to sneak in under cloud cover. Each year I have great plans i want in place before autumn arrives and each year it takes me a bit by surprise. I always plan to be further ahead than I actually am.

At least with the rain there is no temptation for a walk. The park has already flooded and become impassable. And we have at least another day of this if the weathermen are correct. So even if it prohibits the walking, it is keeping me locked down at my desk and checking off the things that need to be done at months end and beginning. So that’s sort of nice. And I’ll try to work in some weights and yoga this afternoon when I need a break from sitting at the desk.

Mostly because I know i won’t be able to sit still all day. It is the change that comes from routine exercise. As hard as it is to get started incorporating exercise into your routine, after a while your body starts getting fidgety if you skip it. I still regard things like the gym as necessary evils, and have no idea how it is that some people truly enjoy the gym. Power to them actually, I wish sometimes that I was one of them. But I am not. The gym is a chore like any other. But it is not one I have to face today. In fact i have been taking a break from the gym lately due to rising infection rates in my area. Hence the reason my normal work out got rained out today. But I will sneak in some yoga and watch my calories, so it shouldn’t be too big a set back.

Today’s look:

Primer: Benefit Cosmetics Porefessional Primer

Foundation: Pretty Vulgar Cool AF Lava Water Foundation

Blush/Bronze/highlight: Real Her Ultimate Glow Getter Cheek Trio

Powder: No 7 Perfect Light Pressed powder

eyeshadow: real Her dreams so Big Eyeshadow Duo

Lips: Milk Makeup Lip and Cheek Tint

Mascara: Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Mascara

incidentally, still on sale at Marc Jacobs Beauty

Setting Spray: Farsali Rose Gold Face Mist

I’ll be honest, today I grabbed the Porefessional and Pretty Vulgar products partially because they were still out from yesterday and partially because I really liked using them yesterday. They are both great products and I didn’t have a problem using them two days in a row. Everything else was more or less chosen because I didn’t really want to think about it.

I know the Real Her cheek Trip works well and easily, the Marc Jacobs mascara is one of my favorites and the No 7 remains my favorite pressed powder. The Milk Makeup lip and cheek stain I really like only on my lips and I hadn’t used it in a while so I decided it would be nice to use today.

The Real Her Eyeshadow duo I am still coming to terms with. While I love the Real Her palette, this is the first eyeshadow I have tried from the brand Real Her. It is a nice duo with a brown shade and a pink shimmer. It is not highly pigmented, but it is buildable. The matte shade needs to be tapped off after you dip a brush in to avoid fall out, but if you tap the brush then there isn’t a lot of fall out during application. The shimmer is subtle with a dry brush. I haven’t tried it with a wet brush, but I will to see if it is improved. thus far there is little fall out from the shimmer either.

Over all today was more about doing my make up quickly and simply with products I know and like. I just couldn’t resist the eyeshadow at the end. Not terribly exciting I know, but I do like knowing what products I reach for when I need something consistently good Pretty much all of these products fall into the reliable category.

But now it is back to work for me today. The rain is falling pretty heavily now and I am determined to clear off this stack of paperwork before the new month/season starts in the morning. Wish me luck.

The Daily: August 30th, 2021

Good afternoon my darlings and welcome to the start of a new week. It was an interesting weekend for me. Quiet, but interesting. My main focus was to get my sleep patterns back to something resembling normality, which I did.

It was nice.

I know alarm clocks are useful and lord knows I wouldn’t get up on time if I didn’t have one, but I really enjoy having two days where i get to wake up when my body decides it wants to wake up instead of being startled awake by the alarm.

Beyond sleep, I started in on some of my fall to do list. The manicure, I put off a bit. However I did start my decluttering, which I’ll be posting about this week, and more importantly I went shopping for new bras. I know not the most exciting thing, but more than any other garment in my wardrobe, my bras take a beating in the summer time.

While in the gym I tend to remember to wear the sports bras. When on a walk through the park, I generally just walk in whatever I happen to be wearing. So I generally end the summer restocking and bidding several bras a fond farewell. The Bali bras are really good as they are comfortable and durable. While the fit is nice, I think one of my favorite aspects are the straps. They are wide enough to comfortably support without digging into my shoulders. And these bras will last me all year and well into next summer.

Very few of my undergarments worn on walks in the summer time actually survive the summer. Each spring I designate older undergarments as “walking wear” and between the sweating and the washing they just take a beating. Hence the sort through and replace every fall. But as soon as the heat breaks I get to wear my nicer undergarments on a more regular basis, which is nice.

I have to admit that i love the underwear clear out in the fall. as the summer progresses the drawer just looks worse and worse. I have a line of nicer things off to the side, mostly including my Underclub sets as well as nicer things I wear going out, but the everyday walking wear just looks worse and worse as the summer goes on. So the clear out always makes me feel really happy.

It is my first declutter of the season.

Followed shortly thereafter by other declutters. I do like declutters, not only do they make things feel fresh (if only because I reorganize and put everything where it belongs) but I always find things that i forgot I had so even if I don’t go shopping, I feel like I have some new things. That actually applies to my makeup today as well.

Today’s Look:

Primer: Benefit Cosmetics Porefessional Primer

Foundation: Pretty Vulgar Cool AF Lava Water Foundation

Blush: Ciate London Marbled Light Blush

Bronzer: Lottie London Sunburst Bronzer

Powder: No 7 Perfect Light Powder

Highlight: Laura Geller Baked Original Highlighter in French Vanilla

currently on sale for 20% off at Lovely Skin

Eyeshadow: Lime Crime Prelude Exposed Palette

Mascara: ABH Lash Brag

Lips: bareMinerals Gen Nude in Pout

Setting Spray Farsali Rose Gold Face Mist

The Benefit Cosmetics Porefessional is one of my favorite primers. I actually picked it up today because I thought it felt a little hollow and I wanted to see how much product was left in it. I squeezed the air out of the tube and it turs out there is a lot more than I thought there was so I am happy. I tend to pick up the holiday kits to restock on a lot of Benefit products (partially because I really like the tins as well a the products) and I think my primer will last until the Holiday kits come out. As we are reaching the end of August it actually won’t be that long. Halloween decorations are already in stores and with Thanksgiving barely a blip on the retail radar, the holiday kits, advent calendars and black Friday sales aren’t that far away.

And yes I’ve already started my list of both presents to pick up this year and things I want to stock up on here. I know, Labor day sales are just kicking off and I will be taking advantage of some of them but honestly, in my house we have always done things for the home on Labor Day. I’m pretty sure all of our major appliance purchases were Labor Day ones. At the moment the only big house purchase we have coming up is a mattress. I know Sleephead has a sale going on. I think we might take advantage of that one this year pick up one of the gel toppers and then maybe look at Purple for the mattress sale. Their labor day sale is up to $350 off so it is definitely a good time to look into the replacement. Well technically we should have picked up a replacement last year but never got around to it. So this year is a must. (I’ll link both sales down below if anyone is interested.)

Beyond that I am redoing a lot of my desk so I can get more organization in my life. I’ve been looking at Sonix and Multitasky for a lot of those items and hope to have a plan in place soon so i can take advantage of those sales. But that is off topic.

To the makeup, batman!

I admit, I forgot completely about the Pretty Vulgar Foundation. I really like the way it blends into the skin and this shade really does work well for me. I found it in my foundation drawer. It was on it’s side and because of the shape of the bottle it rolled towards the back. It is just a little too tall to actually stand up. I think the only reason that I forgot it is because when I think of Pretty Vulgar I automatically think of The Feather’s mascara. But I really need to remember this foundation as well, because it really is good medium coverage that feels feather light on the skin.

Seeing the Ciate Blush in the Look Fantastic box reminded me of the marbled light blush so I pulled it out today. While I like the Glow to illuminating blush, I personally prefer the look of the marbled light. And I was happy to use it.

The No 7 is a long term staple. I know I don’t have to tell you again hoe much I love this powder.

The bronzer however was one I honestly didn’t know I had. I knw I had a Lotte London Blush somewhere but I could not remember getting the Bronzer. I’m guessing it came in an IPSY Bag a while ago and I just forgot it. I think this is the first time I’ve used it. I found it interesting. It is a Coconut scented bronzer. The faux coconut scent is pretty strong and to be honest, I don’t like the scent. The bronzer itself, I actually really like. It goes on well, blends nicely and thus far today has worn really well. I think I actually like it enough to ignore the scent. I’m going to keep it out for a few days to try it out and see if the scent is something i can ignore or if after a few days it is what causes me to want to push the bronzer away.

This is the second time I’ve used the Laura Geller baked highlighter and I am impressed. It is a nice highlight with absolutely no glitter in it. Often times if I know I have a meeting for work I will completely skip the highlighter because I don’t want any glittery mess. This is perfect for an office. It adds the light without the sparkle. And while I like sparkle as much as the next person, sometimes it isn’t appropriate. This is a product i am keeping around for office wear. As a caution, A light hand is needed otherwise there is just a light powder smear. It blends better of you go in light. if you go in heavy it is harder to blend in.

For eyeshadow I just wanted something quick today so I just used the Abyss in my Lime Crime Palette as a one and done look. It blended well with my bareminerals lip gloss (another fave) and I was happy. It was a simple look today, which is fine for me. It is a day spent mostly at the computer so I didn’t feel the need to go too crazy. So quick and easy ruled the day.

For those interested, the Purple link will take you to the Purple Mattress Sale and the Sleepyhead link below it will take you to the Sleephead Gel topper.

The Daily: August 25th, 2021

Good afternoon my darlings and I hope you are doing fantastic today. This morning I replaced my walk with some work in the garden. Pulling up spent plants may not be as calorie burning as a full on walk, but it needed to be done. And when working outside right now the only time the heat and humidity is bearable happens to be the time I usually take my walk.

I know, not a mega surprise reveal on that one. It actually amazed me how many small cucumbers were lurking beneath shriveled leaves. The biggest are the size of golf balls but sliced and mixed with a little diced onion, a little vinegar and a little sugar and left in the fridge until dinner time, they will be perfect for a quick side salad tonight. Tonight we are having bean burgers They will end up being lightly grilled on the grill pan in the kitchen because it is actually far too hot to fire up the grill in the back yard. The cucumber onion side salad will go well with it.

It’s light and the last of the summer veg won’t go to waste.

I managed to get the spend plants up and into the compost and to spread down some nutrient rich dirt on top in a thick layer. In a few days I’ll make sure it is all mixed up and then add in the seeds to grow over the fall and winter. The back bed already has small little rutabaga sprouts coming up as the plants there finished early. If you are looking for fall planting guides or seeds, you might want to check out Botanical Interests. They have a lot of really good advice for planning gardens of all sizes (as well as a really good variety of seeds). Their information is fantastic if you are just beginning to garden.

I don’t think the calorie burn is exactly equal to a walk, but i was drenched by the time I finished my morning garden chores, so I am considering that at least a half way decent workout. This morning I didn’t even use the hot water when I went to wash off. The cold water just felt so good I couldn’t make my hand reach for the hot water tap.

I’m going to call that energy saving.

Today’s Look:

Foundation: NYX Professional Makeup Bare With Me Tinted Skin Veil

Bronzer: Too Faced Chocolate Gold Soleil

Blush and Highlight: Doucce Posh Powder Palette

Powder: No 7 Perfect Light Pressed Powder

Mascara: Florence by Mills Mascara in Black

Lips: KAB Hydrating Lip oil

Setting Spray Farsali Rose Gold Face Mist

I know, you look at the list and gasp, Mimsy, there is no primer on there! I know, me without primer. Practically unheard of. Often times I will use primer and skip foundation. With the NYX Bare with me Tinted Skin Veil though I tend to like it better without a primer underneath. It is just a super light barely there look. Which quite honestly I was in the mood for today.

Plus i wanted to try the Florence by Mills Mascara with a low makeup look to see how I felt about it. When I tried it with bright shadows on my lids, the mascara disappeared into nothing. Today, I dusted a little but of bronzer and a dash of highlight on my lids and called that shadow for the day. I figured it was enough to add a bit of contrast to the lids and allow the lashes to shine.

They didn’t.

This mascara is a very basic mascara. It darkens the lashes. That’s about it. There is no length, no volume. And while it is okay on a low to no makeup day, any color on the lids and the lashes are lost. If you are using this as the mascara on your lashes before you put on false lashes, then perhaps you would like it. If you are looking for just a darkening of the lashes in an otherwise natural look, then yeah, this could work for you. For me, I’m not a fan. I will continue to use it in rotation since it is open and I hate waste, but it will only really be used when I am going low key, like today. It isn’t my favorite formula.

The Doucce Posh Powder Palette is one that I will also keep for low key makeup days. The formulas are buildable rather than highly pigmented. So when I am using something like the NYX Bare with Me, it works really well. It lets me get a light blush rather than having clown cheeks.

this is my third day with the lip oil and While I used it over a nude lip yesterday and thought it might have some color to it, today I used it over my bare lips. My lips did have some foundation product over them though. I don’t think this lip oil has a tint now. I think the oil gloss of it simply enhances whatever is beneath the oil, like a magnifier. It does change the tone a little but I think it is more through the shifting of the light than actual color in the oil. (I know our perception of color is only really based on the wave lengths of light and so on, but you get what I mean, hopefully). Although to be honest, it very well might have a light tint. I can’t quite figure it out. I keep going back and forth on my opinion of color. I will say that as I have used it this week, the scent has changed. When I first opened it the melon was the top note with a sort of tropical, coconut undertone. Now it is reversed. when i open it I now smell Coconut with a light melon scent as an after note. To be honest, the oil itself is okay. I have better lip oils. What i love though is the shape of the doe foot applicator. The dip in the tip of the doe foot really cups the lip during application and makes the product apply smoothly. In all honesty it is the applicator that will keep me using this product. the oil is okay but not great. the applicator, I like.

I probably didn’t need a setting spray today, but I am slowly but surely using up the Farsali Rose Gold Face Mist. It is an okay setting spray but not my favorite. It is pretty to look at and looks nice sitting out on the dressing table, but I just don’t like the scent. and it has been lingering in my collection for too long. So I am trying to use it up. I’m getting so close too. I was hoping to finish it before the end of August, but I think it will be with me through the first week or so of September. It is a bit of a shame though. the bottle is lovely and the spray of the mist is quite good. There is a part of me that wants to see if I can take the mist from another setting spray whose dispenser I don’t like and put it into this bottle to use. But that is an experiment that will have to wait until the Farsali bottle is empty. Soon…soon… and then the home recycling experiment can commence. But for now, we wait. and use the spray.

And that is it for me today. It was a pretty basic day. Morning gardening/sweatfest followed by shower light makeup and working at my desk. It is a quiet, yet productive day, and quite fraknly, I’m rather pleased with that.

There are a few pre labor day sales going on that you might want to check out.

25% Off Select Textured Haircare (SheaMoisture, The Mane Choice, Curls, Mielle, TGIN, The Doux, Eden Bodyworks, Rucker Roots)

The Daily: August 24th, 2021

Good afternoon my darlings. Usually during the day the house remains fairly quiet, especially as I am currently the only one working from home. Today, the entire house feels like it is sitting on a speaker with low playing house music on. You know that thrumming sound you feel more than hear? That is sort of what is going on. It is rather strange. Outside workers are putting in new fiber optic cables.

Do you remember a few weeks back when I was out of internet for a few days due to someone cutting a couple of bundles of fiber optics? Well they fixed those and I think the current project involves expanding them in our area. My neighborhood was built in the 1940s and 50s and it is in an area dotted with similar neighborhoods. There was a lot of area between the neighborhoods (at the time) and much of it was flood zone. They have now managed the water differently and while there were a couple of 1960s-70s era neighborhoods developed there was still a lot of space. In the last few years they have started filling in the spaces.

Its part of the reason why we’ve had some issues as of late. But hopefully the current work will alleviate some of those issues. At least that is what I’m telling myself as the house feels like there is a party going on in the basement. Not that we actually have a basement, but you get the idea.

As for workouts, I managed a walk earlier this morning. I beat the heat but that humidity is no joke. All of the rain we received in the past week has decided to rise as a wet blanket making even the cooler morning temps feel smothering. This afternoon is definitely indoor yoga and hand weights for me.

I did get something in the mail today that I am super happy about though. As you may recall I am a huge fan of the Soda Stream. I sometimes add flavoring, but mostly I just like the seltzer water (and really if I want flavor I just drop a lemon, lime, or orange slice into the glass). I find that having the water carbonated makes me drink more water. It somehow doesn’t feel as heavy as regular water so I am able to drink more, which is good when i am sweating more as well. Drinking more water helps in a bunch of ways and the Soda Stream has helped me replace a lot of my during the day drinks.

But to the mail! while the bottles are reusable and help cut down on waste, after a while the plastic bottles do need to be replaced. I used my dishwasher safe bottle as many times as possible, but it finally reached the stage where no matter how tight I tightened the lid there was always a hissing noise as air escaped and the plastic started to look really worn. To be honest I think I;ve had this bottle about three years. So it was time to replace it. And what did I replace it with?

A glass bottle.

I know! Glass! I’m kind of tickled about it. I really like the way it looks, and I like the way the ridges keep the glass from being slick. So I now have a glass bottle to replace my worn out plastic one. And although I do like glass better than plastic, it is the shape of the bottle that makes me really happy. The plastic bottle is wide all the way down and the glass bottle is more carafe shaped. I don’t have the world’s biggest hands and the carafe style bottle is just easier for me to control. So it may be a small thing, but it makes me happy.

Today’s look:

Primer: Vesca Beauty Soft sun Radiant skin Primer

Foundation: Purlisse Perfect Glow BB Cream

Powder: Becca Pink Haze setting Powder

Bronzer: NARS Bronzer in Laguna

Blush: BareMinerals Bounce and Blur Blush

Highlighter: About Face Light Lock Fluid Highlight

Mascara: They’re Real from Benefit Cosmetics

Eyeshadow: Lime Crime Prelude Exposed Palette

Lips: Buxom Full Force Plumping lipstick in Fly Girl and KAB cosmetics Hydrating Lip oil in Juicy Melon

Setting Spray: Farsali Rose Gold Skin Mist

Today I feel like there ought to be a drumroll. That’s right two items are leaving my dressing table. Today was the last day that I could use the They’re Real Mascara. It is a good mascara and I wouldn’t mind using it again, but the tube is now empty. It is making the strange empty popping sound and it took a lot of effort to get the product on my lashes. And so it is good bye. It was a good mascara though. while not my favorite Benefit Mascara I would certainly have no qualms about using it again. But this particular tube is empty.

Joining it in the empties bin is the NARS bronzer. That’s right, the bronzer I have been working so hard to use up has now reached the end. There is a little bit of product in the corners, but I had to work pretty hard to get product on the brush today, so I am calling it done. Technically the container isn’t going into the bin though. The little mini sized pan is perfect for my brow pomade pan from Billion Dollar Brows so I am going to clean it out and put the container to use as it’s new home. But I did love this bronzer. I will end up ordering a new one once I’ve used up a few more products. Right now i am just happy to be able to pull out another product from my drawer instead of using this one consistently. I like it, but i am ready to switch things up.

The bareMinerals blush is one of my favorites and will continue to stay in rotation. The lime Crime Palette is one of the palettes I reach for consistently. It may only have eight shadows, but they are well thought out and the combinations are enough that it is a neutral palette that is never boring. The shadows blend well and while I do tap my brush off before applying, they aren’t overly powdery. They are not massively pigmented, but they are buildable and blendable, which in my opinion is often better. I find I have much more control this way. To be honest, the only reason I don’t have all of Lime Crime’s Palettes is that the packaging is a bit on the bulky side and my space is limited. At this point I am actually pushing my limits for eyeshadow storage space. I went through them in the spring but I think I may have to take a harder look at them and do a deeper declutter. I like when I can see what I have and can easily find things. I think now I have enough palettes that I am forgetting which ones I have.

I think I will be putting at least an eyeshadow declutter on my Autumn check list. I know, with this record breaking heat it is hard to think of the fall, but it is technically here.

I have decided that I am not going to order a back up of the Becca Pink Haze Setting powder. It is the one Becca Product I was really on the fence about. I really do like the pink toned setting powder and when I have used this up I will look for a different brand and hopefully find a replacement. But I am not ordering another one from Becca. Incidentally according to their site they are still taking orders through the end of September if you were looking to stock up on anything. I think for me, I am going to use up and let go.

I am still testing out the Vesca Primer. I think that as long as I go matte with the foundation products then I am okay with it. I don’t think it will become a favorite, but it is nice. However I couldn’t resist breaking out my Purlisse Perfect Glow BB Cream. This is the original rather than the illuminating one that I tried out last week. I just couldn’t resist opening it. I was planning to wait to open the new tube, but I couldn’t. The summertime heat was just made for BB cream and this is one of my favorites. It is really a good formula. Lightweight but still good coverage. I use Light Medium if you are looking for shades. It is a little light on me right now, but in a few weeks it will be absolutely perfect. In winter it will look slightly dark and I will lighten it with a bit of white powder, then it will be the perfect shade in the spring through early summer. Then it will go back to being a hair too light. With this shade I can wear it year round actually. I just darken it slightly with bronzer and tinted powder in the summer and use white/translucent powder in the winter. I like that I don’t need to keep multiple shades.

Today for the lips I am still trying to get a handle on the KAB Lip oil and how I feel about it compared to other lip oils. Today I put it over the Buxom Plumping Lipstick. I chose this, partially because I really like the Buxom lipstick and partially because the color of this is one that on its own washes me out. I wanted to see if there was any actual color to the lip oil. There might be a little, but I think it is more the shine that brings my lips out more than the color. So that was more or less me today. So now that I have had a lovely little break talking to you, it is back to work for me. I hope the rest of your Tuesday is absolutely fantastic.

The Daily: August 18th, 2021

Well, it isn’t raining. Which is sort of surprising, but the air is once again thick and the clouds promise more rain on the way. The park is flooded and likely to remain so for at least another two days even if we don’t get any more rain. So like every other person in the neighborhood, I went walking along the streets in my block. The path isn’t as long as if I were using the walking trail, but it is very hilly, so I’m hoping that a couple of laps around my neighborhood sort of comes close to what I would normally walk.

I used to have a Fitbit tracker, but I wore it until it fell apart. It let me actually sort of map all of the variations in my normal walks so I kind of know the mileage, step count and all of those other lovely details. I somehow never got around to replacing my step tracker and so I sort of guessed about the neighborhood and the necessary laps. For now it works. At some point the skies will clear and the rain end so that I will be back on trails I know well.

But at least I got up to move a bit more today. Yesterday I felt very twitchy since I couldn’t walk. I didn’t realize how accustomed to just moving around my body has gotten. After about two in the afternoon yesterday I had a hard time sitting still. Fidgeting usually isn’t a problem for me but it was yesterday. Today I may be hazy on miles and steps, but at least I know I moved around enough not to be fidgety so I am calling that a win.

I know, the bangs desperately need a trim. I am trying to hold out until I get an actual stylist to cut the rest of my hair in a few weeks. I’m trying to let them grow out a bit so the stylist has something to work with.

Today’s Look:

Primer: Benefit Cosmetics Porefessional Primer

Foundation: Purlisse Radiant Glow Illuminating BB Cream

Bronzer: NARS Bronzer in Laguna

Blush: bareMinerals Bounce and Blur Blush

Highlighter: Illamasqua Beyond Powder in OMG

Powder: Becca Pink Haze Soft Light Setting Powder

Eyeshadow: Norvina Volume 1

Mascara: Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real Mascara

Lips: Wet ‘n wild Megalast matte in Cinnamon Spice topped with Fenty Beauty Diamond Milk Gloss Bomb

Setting Spray Farsali Rose Gold Skin Mist

The testing of the Purlisse Illuminating BB Cream continues. I actually have just enough to finish out the week which is nice. While I like this sample, I have decided that I like the regular Purlisse BB Cream better than the illuminating variety. I actually have a full size of that one. It is one of the best BB creams I have tried and one I will purchase again. The illuminating version has a formula that feels just as good on the skin, I am just not a fan of the illumination. It is more of a personal preference than a product one. The product is good, it just doesn’t suit me. It does work much better with a matte primer underneath. Yesterday I had an illuminating primer beneath the illuminating BB cream and I just felt shiny. Every time I passed a mirror I felt compelled to pat down with powder.

Today I went with my trusty Porefessional. It may not be a new release, but it is a standard for a reason. This is a primer I will always restock. Although I will confess, I really love the Pearl version as well. It is fantastic under a matte foundation.

I also had a second Benefit Cosmetics product out today and that is the They’re Real Mascara. The original. I like the mascara actually and it is dramatic enough to pair with the bolder colors of the eyeshadow palette I’m trying out right now. This is a sample size and I have maybe a week’s more worth of use for this one. (I think I have a couple more samples floating around but I am not sure. I have spent this year trying to work through my sample collection.)while this is a good mascara, I have to confess I prefer both the Bad Gal Bang and the They’re Real Magnetic Mascara. While it is a mascara I wouldn’t mind repurchasing, it the Benefit Cosmetics Mascara Universe, it actually comes third. But I do like it and will happily use it.

The Nars Bronzer is slowly but surely being used up as is the Farsali Setting Spray. While I will repurchase the NARS I will not be repurchasing the Farsali spray. The spray works well enough, but I just don’t care for the scent. And for me Scent will always top visual appeal. The gold flakes are very nice to see in the aesthetically pleasing glass bottle. But the fact that it is just an okay product and it doesn’t smell very nice, means that it will be used up and sent on its way.

I think by now everyone knows that the bareMinerals Bounce and Blur Blush is one I will always reach for. I love the look and I love the formula. The same goes for the Illamasqua highlighter. Today I went for the powdered version rather than the cream. Even though they are the same shade, for some reason I really like the powder version better than the cream. I’m actually quite surprised by that as I do like a lot of cream products and generally find cream and liquid highlighters easier to blend. But for the Illamasqua I find myself liking the powder more. I need to play around with the cream version more, but for today, it was the powder.

I think I have figured out the Norvina Palette out and I’ll have a full post on it tomorrow. My feelings on it are quite mixed actually. There are some shadows I like and some that I don’t. Since it is a heavily purple themed palette I went for the more purple shades today. It is always risky with me as usually purple makes me look like I’m trying to impersonate Ursula the Sea Witch. I think I ended up with a non-sea witch look today. Which kind of makes me proud.

The Becca Setting powder is the Pink Haze that I am still on the fence about. Well that isn’t true. I know I like the powder. In fact I love the pink toned setting powder. The fence sitting deals with the fact that Becca is ceasing production. I haven’t found a pink setting powder that performs as well as this one so I was trying to decide if I wanted to purchase another one to have on hand while I go on a quest for another pink setting powder or if I just want to use this one up, bid it a fond good buy and reconcile myself to eventually finding a replacement. I have about a third of a container left. And I still don’t know what I want to do. For now I will just say that I like the powder and if anyone out there happens to know of a different pink toned setting powder that they like, please let me know. Even if I do pick up a backup I’ll still need to look into a new brand as Becca is going away. Becca is taking orders until September 30th so at least there is a hard deadline for making the decision.

And finally the lips. I really love the wet ‘n wild megalast line and this cinnamon spice is so my shade. I like the formula, I like the shade and to be honest, I like the fact that there is a clear top of the lipstick tube so that I can see which color is which at a glance. I have several colors in this formula so it is noce to see at a glance which is which. I topped it off with the Diamond Milk today because I wanted just a little bit of shine. I have tried several Fenty products and usually my reaction is ‘they are okay, but not spectacular’ this designation does not apply to the diamond milk gloss. This gloss I love. It is one of the few Fenty Beauty products I’ve tried that I will repurchase. It gives a great shine and if you wear it alone, even when the lip gloss wears off, the lips feel nourished. I may not be the biggest fan of the other products I’ve tried, but this gloss is really nice and well worth keeping around.

So that was my makeup for the day. It was less the good and the bad and more comparisons and questions I suppose. But all in all I think it turned out okay. And I managed to use a purple eye shadow without going full on Sea Witch. That alone deserves a celebration.

Erno Laszlo is having a sale now through August 24th. Their under eye patches are amazing and I love their Sea Mud Deep Cleansing Bar. I never thought I would like a bar soap for my face, but it was just fantastic. I think they might have a cream version as well, but I’m not sure. The bar is well worth picking up though. and now, you can get 25% off. which makes fabulous just a little bit better.

Dive into Summer Savings! 25% Off Sitewide with code ERNOFAMILY25 at checkout.

The Daily: August 17th, 2021

Good afternoon my darlings. Today, the rain has come. It came down in fits and spurts yesterday but I managed to get a short walk in between the showers. Today, there was no possibility of that happening. It rained steadily throughout the night and the pace the rain is holding now is likely to last throughout the rest of the day. Curtesy of the Tropical Storm Fred, of course.

There will be no walking.

I do however feel less paranoid about skipping the gym for the moment as yesterday they announced they were going to be shut down today for a deep clean. So first of all, I wouldn’t have been able to get to the gym anyway. Second I heard from a friend of mine who also goes to the gym that three trainers and a couple of members got sick.

So again, I feel less paranoid.

Today I will probably not go out at all anyway. Since we haven’t had rain for a while but have had a very high heat, the ground around here is baked to a solid brick. So we have lots of flash flooding as the water just rolls right off the ground instead of absorbing. Our area is riddled with creeks, most of which have now flooded their banks.

It’s a good day to stay home and work. Maybe I’ll break out my weights later when I need to move around for a bit. That’s one thing that no one tells you. Once you start working out and moving more in an effort to lose weight, your body gets used to the movement. When you suddenly don’t have the movement, you find yourself getting antsy if you sit for too long. Or at least I do. So hand weights, crunches on the yoga mat and maybe even a few jumping jacks and squats. Hopefully that will make up for the lack of movement throughout the day.

Today’s Look:

Primer: Vesca Soft sun Radiant Skin Primer

Foundation: Purlisse Radiant Glow Illuminating BB Cream

Powder: Smashbox Photo Finish

Bronzer: NARS Bronzer in Laguna

Blush: Benefit Cosmetics Gold Rush Blush

Score a free mini mirror when you buy new POWmade Brow Pomade!* Use code: BROWLOVE. Valid while supplies last.

Highlighter: About Face Light Lock Highlight Fluid is Shaken or Stirred

Eyeshadow: Norvina Vol. 1

Mascara: Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Brag Mascara

Lips: MAC in Bated Breath

Setting Spray: Farsali Rose Gold Face mist

Today turned out to be a lot more glowy than I am used to. I feel very shiny actually. I saw the Vesca Primer (which came in August’s Boxy Charm Premium) and I realized I hadn’t tried it yet. So I decided today was the day for the first impression. I’ve actually never tried the brand before. In fact until it was featured in Boxycharm I had never heard of the brand and still know nothing about it.I dispensed the primer onto my hand and thought wow that’s bright. It has an iridescent sheen to it and wen applied, my skin was brightened and a little on the dewy side. It applies well and feels nice on the skin. It is a thinner formula and applies a bit like a water cream. I think that if I applied one of my regular foundations over it, I would have been fine, but I am using the Purlisse Radiant Glow this week.

Two radiant products are a bit much for me. I almost felt like I didn’t need a highlighter but I used a tiny smidge of the About Face anyway. Very little actually as I already felt very shiny.

The powder products helped bring down the shine a bit but in the future I think I will wear the Vesca under a matte foundation. I think there, it could give more depth to the matte. Likewise I will wear a matte primer under the Purlisse radiant glow.

Today was mostly about the eyes. Or more importantly the Norvina palette. Yesterday I used my regular brushes and with the intense pigment I felt like I was just splashing it all about. I felt very messy. Today I actually used only one brush. It was the LaRuce Tapered blending LR007. (I used a color switch to change colors)

The double oh seven worked well for me today. It blends well, but it is smaller than most of my other blending brushes. The smaller brush really helped me control the shadows and their placement. Aldo I dipped into the pan and tapped twice to shake off any loose pigment before lifting the brush to my eye. The double tap really helped me not coat the side of my nose with color as well. I kind of like how it turned out today. I was already feeling shiny so I stuck with mattes. I like how well they blended together. Over all I am quite pleased. I did have to slow down, use the smaller brush and double tap the brush before applying, but if I did, things went well. Perhaps if I possessed the skills of a MUA I would not need such tricks, but as my chosen art form involves words, I needed the assistance.

Today I opened the ABH Lash Brag Mascara. I wasn’t going to but when I went for my Wet ‘n Wild Big Poppa, the tube was so empty that it couldn’t be used. So I figured if another mascara was going in the bin, I could go ahead and open a new one. I will have to do a fallen mascara review. I was impressed with the Lash Brag actually. It went on easily, lifted, separated and lengthened well. It was dramatic enough to wear with the pigmented eyeshadow as well. Over all, I’m rather pleased with its first performance. It did quite well.

Today was an interesting mix for me. My face feels brighter and I have to resist the urge to blot my face with powder. I feel shiny and the urge is strong. However I did not pass many mirrors today so it was relatively easy to ignore. But now it is back to work for me. It is the day where the to do list looks longer than the hours available I am afraid. And so it is time to dive back in. I hope that whatever you are doing today, the rest of your day flows smoothly along.