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 23rd, 2023

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you are having a fantastic one. Mine is powered by coffee and sinus medication today. The weather changed again. When ever the weather turns I get basically a sinus headache and runny nose. It isn’t a bad issue, more annoying than debilitating, and easily cleared up with a sinus tab. It does leave me puffy and feeling a bit foggy for the day though.

I think what bothers me is that usually I get these sorts of things once a season maybe if there is a strong front blowing in then I will be looking at a couple of extra times in the year so for a full year i will get this sort of sinus knock out maybe 6 times in a calendar year. With this yo yo weather I think I’ve had to take min sinus meds four times since New Years. It is very unusual for me.

I also find it strange when the day gets colder as the sun rises. I don’t know about you but I always think of mornings as colder and then as the sun rises it sort of warms things up. I know that is not always the case but my brain feels like it should be the case and it always seems weird when temps drop as the sun rises. Which is sort of the case today. It was 37 when I woke up and now it is 30 and snow flakes are beginning to drift down.

I know it is nothing to complain about as everyone else is getting hit harder. It just feels strange.

Needless to say, only indoor workouts today. But I did manage to catch up on everything that went off schedule last week so hopefully I can just keep on schedule this week and things won’t get crazy. I’m really hoping strange weather is all I have to complain about, not only this week but all year. It might not be as fun to read about, but I am sort of hoping for a calm 2023. Just calm. Nothing spectacular, just a year to catch my breath. I sort of went for kind of calm with the makeup today as well.

Today’s Look:

Primer: Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Primer

Foundation: HIDE invisible Medium to Full Coverage Foundation

Bronzer/powder: KAB Cosmetics Contour Palette

Blush: NARS Blush in Orgasm

Eyeshadow: Charlotte Tilbury Diva Lights Palette

Mascara: Milk Makeup Kush Mascara

Lips: Colourpop Matte Liquid Lip in Tulle (from the use up box)

The only thing I used from the Use up box today was the Colourpop lip. It is kind of funny as I have moved it around a bit more it now looks full because the product coats the insides so I reach for it and wonder why it is in the use up boc and then I realize that it is almost empty. It shows more with each use. I might just be able to finish it out by the end of the month. It is a little drying so I put the Lanolips balm over it after lunch actually.

The primer I fear is not long for my makeup drawer either. There is not much product left. I adore this primer formula. It sits beautifully and really gives my skin a great look, filling in all of the small lines so the foundation sits better. The jar is getting very low on product though.

And this is a foundation that needs a pore filling primer. It needs something to fill in the fine lines or it will sink into them itself. Otherwise it is a fantastic formula. This shade suits my skin tone well and two pumps covers my face well. I have noticed that later in the afternoon it starts to look a little dry so I spritz it with a mist and that seems to help. I am currently using the Peach and Lily Glass skin Mist. It provides just enough moisture to revive the foundation without it looking blotchy.

The KAB Bronzers are performing quite well. They are pigmented so a light touch is needed but they do blend very well. I thin the powder in the palette is also helping the foundation to look a little dry. I will try it with one of my regular setting powders tomorrow and see how that works out.

NARS blush. It is a classic and I love it. I know I have been reaching for it a lot. I just forgot how good it was at giving a soft pink glow to the skin. NARS was one of those brands I used constantly. I know everyone I knew was into MAC and i did love their lipsticks (and their Prime+Fix setting spray) but I loved NARS. Any product I had from them i used down to pan. Its been a while since I used them regularly though and it is like having an old friend return.

Today I went for the Charlotte Tilbury Diva Lights. It is an amazingly easy palette to use for everyday looks. I will continue to create nearly identical looks with it though. It isn’t going to be a surprising look but for a quick everyday look suitable for the office, Oh yeah, this works. Quick and easy. I’m sure it can get more dramatic bit for the work day quick and easy is perfectly fine for me.

This Milk Mascara though. Long, thick lashes. I really like the way they turned out today. I am kind of sad this is a sample size as I can feel the tube is almost empty. I will finish it out this week, and hopefully it will last the week, but I really do enjoy this mascara. My lashes look fabulous today.

And that my darlings is me. I think I am reaching for some of the same products because I haven’t had tome to put things away yet so I tend to just grab the products already out rather than take more out and make a greater mess. Tonight my plan is to put everything away and start fresh in the morning. It was my plan to do that yesterday, but it just didn’t happen. (On the other hand our bathrooms and showers have all been deep cleaned and are sparkling with lemon scented cleanliness, so it was a trade off.) And now it is back to work for me my darlings. Paperwork and wondering if these bits of snow will actually amount to anything by the end of the day. we get snow so rarely here that it tends to drive people insane. Hence the weather watch. But first, to the e-mails! Have a great rest of Monday.

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.