The Daily: September 29th, 2021

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

Plus last night I had dental themed nightmares.

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

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

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

Today’s Look:

Foundation: IPKN Moist and Firm BB Cream

Bronzer: Trestique Vegan Stick Bronzer

Blush: Illamasqua Colour veil gel blusher

Highlighter: Milk and Honey palette by Beauty Bakerie

Powder: Pink Haze by Becca

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

Mascara: Florence by Mills Built to Lash Mascara

Lips: Bare Minerals Mineralist Lip Gloss in Sincerity

Setting Spray: Lise Watier Magnifix Setting Spray

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Daily: September 21, 2021

Good afternoon my darlings and welcome to a very rainy Tuesday. Outside it is bucketing down and the odds of making it to the end of the drive without being a completely soaked mess are pretty nigh impossible. However I am feeling the twitchy itch to move about so there was a short session with my hand weights in the sunroom this morning and this afternoon there will be yoga.

Oh yes, there will be yoga.

Other than that there is just a lot of working at the desk. Me and my keyboard are the bestest of friends today.

And because I don’t need to go out into the heat and humidity, I can just leave my hair down for a bit. I used one of the ribbons from an older Glossy Box to tie it back so that it is out of the way, but that’s about it. I decided that today there will be no products and no twisting it up. I had to tie it back with the ribbon though because it keeps getting in the way. If nothing else it reminds me that I really need to seek out a stylist and get an actual hair cut. I butchered my bangs because they were driving me nuts so I am waiting until they grow out enough that they can be evened out by a professional. That has been my excuse for not getting it cut at the moment. well that and the fact that it has simply been too hot to do anything but twist it up and forget about it. But summer is fading and soon I will be able to wear it down. And with luck there will be places I can wear it down to. Socially distanced places, but still, places.

So I’ll need to do something soon. And I think to help me remember that I may be wearing it down more often when I’m in the house so I remember just how long my hair has gotten. Sometimes, I forget.

Today’s Look:

Primer: Optical Illusion by Urban Decay

Foundation: IPKN Moist and Firm BB Cream

Bronzer: Trestique Vegan Bronzing Stick

Blush: YC Collection Liquid Blush

Highlighter: Milk and Honey Palette from Beauty Bakerie

Powder: The Extraordinary Powder from Ciate London

Eyeshadow: Maple Glazed Palette from I heart Revolution

Mascara: Black Noir from Florence by Mills

Lips: ELF Sheer Slick in Black Cherry

Setting Spray Lise Watier Magnifix

Okay so lets go through this list of products. Some you may be seeing repeatedly for the next little while. First up there is the Urban Decay primer. It is an old favorite, it has been discontinued and I really need to use it up so that it can leave my dressing table. It is the travel size I always kept in my travel bag and it really does need to get used up so It will be staying out for a while and hopefully I can just plow through it.

The same actually goes for the Lise Watier Magnifix. It isn’t as big a favorite, but it is a nice setting spray. It is Also a travel size that needs to be used up. I don’t think that I will end up repurchasing it once it is done though. It is noice, but the spray is a bit heavy.

This is my first time using the IPKN BB Cream. It came in my Birchbox this month. I’ve used other products from the brand before and liked them. This BB cream feels nice, is a good color and blends well. It was a bit streaky with my brush and I had to switch to my makeup sponge in order to get rid of the brush lines. Thus far that is the only minor issue I’ve had with it. It seems to be wearing well. I think there is enough product in the sample tube to get through the week so we’ll see how it performs over the next few days.

This is the second day with the YC Collection Liquid blush. Looking on the website it looks like the blushes are designed for a more natural finish look and they seem to work better with a BB Cream. There is still a strange line between clown spots and blending into nothing. I don’t think these are going to be my favorite products, but thus far I don’t hate them. I don’t know how often I will reach for them once my initial testing is done.

The same can also be said for the Florence by Mills mascara. It is a dark mascara. So it makes your lashes dark. It doesn’t lengthen and it doesn’t volumize. I can only wear it with lighter eyeshadow or my lashes just sort of disapear. It is a mascara I don’t find myself reaching for, but I am trying to remember to use it so that it won’t go to waste in the six months that I keep mascaras open. I think it is the mascara to wear on a no/low makeup day. My eyeshadow was light enough I felt I could get away with it,

There were four rock star products I used today and they are ones I love, will keep around and will repurchase. The Maple Glazed shadow Palette, the Ciate London Powder, the Trestique bronzing stick and the Elf Sheer slick in Black Cherry. I really like how these products perform. And to be honest, All but the eyeshadow palette are repeat purchases and the Maple Glazed Palette makes me want to buy the other doughnut palettes from Revolution.

It is kind of a low key day around here, which is fine. It is time to work on things at my desk while the rain turns the street into a shallow river and the river flows into the park turning the park into a lake. It is the drawback to building the walking trail and park in the flood plain. But the water has to go somewhere. And it is better going to the flood plain than into the basements of the neighborhood houses. Over all it is well planned, I’m just missing my walks.

Hence the afternoon Yoga.

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)