Good afternoon my darlings. Today is a good skin bare face to the world sort of day. I just did not feel like putting anything but sunscreen on my face. and admittedly, if i didn’t go on a walk i wouldn’t have put that on. I would have just stayed inside bare faced all day. But oh that sun.
It doesn’t help that there are looming deadlines.
What is it about seasonal change that makes deadlines seem so much more fearsome? The ones in the fall are the worst because in addition to fall turning into winter you have all of the holidays. Although I suppose people have summer holidays. r at least their kids do, so maybe that is the difference.
Regardless as May starts to slide into June all of the deadlines have that end of spring beginning of summer feel to them and people are starting to panic about ending things before the Summer hits. Maybe it is just because of kids wrapping up school. We always did our summer vacations mid summer when i was a kid but I remember some of my friend’s families going on vacation just as school ended.
Mostly I remember because my birthday is at the end of June and there were always friends who missed the party because they were going out of town. Our vacations were usually mid July just before we started getting ready for back to school.
With I suppose is the long way round to say that people are getting that pre holiday deadline craze. Luckily it is not as bad as the ones in November and December. I do need to remember this so that next year, no deadlines in May.
But for now with the exception of my morning walk, it is me at the desk all day. And on the phone. I think the freak outs are done for the day so it is just straight up work the rest of the day. I do think that tonight, there will be a face mask. It seems like the day for it.
So Happy Tuesday My darlings. Tomorrow, there will be makeup. Today, I’m just enjoying the skin and telling Chicken Little that the sky is not actually falling.
Oh and if you are looking for a relaxing tea, the Art of Tea has some amazing Memorial Day Discounts.
Okay I have to say I had a very nice surprise today. I heard a thump and then a scurry. My postman was in stealth mode today. Actually I’m not sure what flavor of mail delivery it was. It could have been the postman, or the UPS, or Fedex of even DHL. No clue. All I know is that when i went to investigate there was a package from Yensa on the doorstep. Inside was blush. They just released a line of Super Serum Silk Cream Blushes. There are eight shades and they sent all eight to me along with a brush for application purposes.
I can’t lie, I sat down and carefully opened each box to see which shades would best suit me. Was it what i planned for Monday Morning? No, did I enjoy it immensely? Oh yes. And I would do it again.
I am really starting to love cream blushes. Well the good cream blushes anyway.
And while i found one shade that will work later in the summer and one shade that will work mid winter, I also found one that is just right for right now. So I used it today.
I simply couldn’t resist.
And yes i also went with the Yensa Skin on skin BC foundation as well. It is one of my favorite foundation products and I took the opportunity to use it. It is an excellent light weight summer foundation actually, so it will be seeing a lot more use in the next few months.
Actually since I have already started getting into today’s makeup, lets go ahead and jump all the way in.
This is still a new to me primer. I am not sure how long it has been out because to be honest, Stila fell off my radar for a while. I used to love them and then they discontinued one of my favorite primers. The Lingerie Soufflé primer was a product I loved. After that I sort of forgot about them. And then I got a mascara from them in a Boxycharm that was absolutely fantastic and then I saw this new primer and picked it up to try. As I have been testing out a new foundation, I needed to put it to the side, but now it is in the makeup bag. It has a slight pink tint which works well for my skin and kind of helps even out my skin tone. So I am a fan. It feels like a slightly less airy version of the primer I once loved and honestly I really am liking it.
I paired it with the Yensa Skin on skin foundation which quite honestly feels weightless and comfortable to wear. It looks good on and I can wear it in warm weather without melting. Which is going to be more and more important as we roll into summer. Honestly I adore this foundation. i know it has won awards so it shouldn’t come as a surprise but, it is a foundation i will always repurchase. It is also a tone I can use year round. I have Medium Warm and I can wear it in the depths of winter and the height of summer because of the blendability of the product. I don’t mind having two shades of foundation, but if I can get one that just works year round instead of keeping two bottles around I am a happy camper.
I chose this bronzer because it is a buildable formula rather than a highly pigmented one. Because this foundation is my skin but better, it needed a lighter touch with the bronzer and this one starts light but can be built up and blends well. It makes it easier to control with lighter summer products.
You know I was going to try out the Yensa blush. And oh wow. I used the provided brush and I have to admit I was a bit nervous. Usually cream products need to warm up. This didn’t. I was able to gather product with the first swirl and apply it to my cheeks, No warming necessary. And wow did it blend out easily. The brush is not as dense as a kabuki style brush but it isn’t super floppy either. And honestly, it is the perfect brush for this cream blush. It is a medium stiffness I suppose. so it can gather the product without digging into it or just fluffing over it. (If you are using a brush other than the Yensa one (It is the Yensa Skin on Skin Complexion brush if you are looking it up.) For a first use this was an amazing blush. It applied easily straight from the pan, blended well and gave me just the right amount of pigmentation. I went light at first but then added a second layer to build it up. For a first test this was fantastic. And I think the Moody Mauve really suits me.
Yup, I used the Wander Beauty again. It is such a good formula that it is easy to reach for. it gives me a glow without being glitter and it blends in for a soft look. I could leave it as a stunning stripe but that really isn’t me.
I opened a new container of the ABH Setting powder. It is a good powder I just forgot how messy it was. Luckily i was wearing a t-shirt during application (and in he picture) I then changed into a blouse which wasn’t powder speckled. That is the one thing to remember, It is a good powder that looks good on the face but it will get everywhere when you use it.
For four shadows the Charlotte Tilbury palette was expensive. However it really was worth it. This quad is just a super quick and easy look I only used three shades, leaving off the darkest one. This gives me a great, easy everyday look. Adding the darker one makes it a bit more dramatic. I really do love this quad. It is good quality and easy to use. I’m not sure i need more than one, but i like having the one.
This Roen Mascara is nice. It isn’t dramatic but it is a good reliable everyday mascara. It doesn’t flake and it doesn’t make my lashes too stiff either. Great for everyday. Just not all that dramatic.
To finish it off, I went with the Rimmel lip gloss. I’d love to tell you the shade, but I can’t find one on the tube. It is a great lip gloss though. Very comfortable and quite glossy. It doesn’t leave a lot of pigment on cup rims because it doesn’t have a lot of pigment. It is kind of a my lips but better shade. It is great for an easy summer look. I am not a huge fan of glosses, but somehow they seem to suit the summer. Plus the slight vanilla scent is wearing off of this one so I think I might want to use it up this summer and replace it. I don’t think it has expired, but I always get a little nervous when lipsticks change scent. Thus far it is just a slight fading, but I am taking that as a sign that I need to work on using that up.
And that my darlings is me today. i sort of geeked out over the blushes. It is the first time a brand has sent a package like this too me and I was a bit stunned to see the entire range of blushes in front of me. I’m even more stunned now that I see how well it applies. I am hoping it wears just as well. But for now, back to work. Have a great rest of monday!
Good afternoon my darlings. Today there is no makeup post. There is however a lot of sneezing. The pollen count is through the roof and I have been sneezing since i woke up. we have reached the stage of flowering where, even though I am taking my sinus tabs pretty much as soon as I wake up, the watery eyes remain throughout the day.
It is just that time of year. At least it isn’t a time of year that lasts long. I will have to spend the next few days mostly indoors, venturing out for my walks as early as possible. Once the sun full rises everything opens up and the air is filled with pollen.
I suspect by the end of the day I will have decided that contacts are no longer viable and I will have switched back to my glasses. It will be about three or four days of this and then all of the trees and flowering bushes planted in my immediate vicinity will have shed their pollen. We will gat a second wave in a month or two, but after three or four days the pollen will quit flying for a bit and we will put on face masks and sweep up piles of yellow dust. I know it is pollen and not dust, but it always makes me think of those bad 80s movies that feature post apocalyptical scenes. Everything seemed to be coated in yellow radioactive dust. It will certainly feel like that.
After sweeping, there will be a car wash to get it off the vehicles and then things will flow into summer. Usually when we reach this point of pollen it signals the end of anything spring like in the weather. Summer heat will officially arrive regardless of what the calendar says. The pollen is sort of like the confetti you see in 1950s films when large passengers ships leave the docks (and yea i love both 1980s horror movies and 1950s films – All time fave: Auntie Mame, the one with Rosalind Russel not the Lucille Ball version, highly recommend).
The pollen is like their steamer ship send off. Goodbye spring, Enjoy your round the world cruise. Summer will make sure to hold down the fault while you ae gone.
Anyway I suppose that is the long way of saying that watery eyes and Mascara to not mix. So no makeup today. Luckily it is just me and my trusty desk top for the day. Admittedly my desktop has been behaving lest trustworthy lately so a weekend systems clean may be in order. Like sinus meds for the database.
Anyway that is today my darlings, not spectacular, unless you count the sneeze that actually lifted me off the chair. But somedays, this is life. Have a great one.
it is Wednesday my darlings. Somehow this week has flown by. I think it is a product of having far too much to do in one time span, work is jam packed and keeping me hopping with several looming deadlines. And then of course there is the gardening. At this time of year the weeds are coming up at about the same rate as the seeds I actually planted in the ground. So there is always the came of, is this what I planted or an invasive weed I must destroy.
Its like my own personal game show. The theme song that plays in my head usually starts off as Wheel of Fortune but almost always switches to Jeopardy midway through. I think it is because I always pick the weeds I am sure are weeds first. Like picking consonants you know are often used before you go for the q or the x. By then my brain has switched to plant trivia and I am onto the Jeopardy theme song.
Such is life.
I think I did pretty good with last evening’s pass through. There are a couple of seedlings I need to look up before I do my evening garden chores tonight. I know what i planted last year and I am comparing those seedlings to what is sprouting in a patch I am not sure if i planted this year. everyone give three cheers to the garden notebook!
It’s the only way I keep track of volunteer plants that I want to welcome and those I need to get rid of.
At least most of the feral cats have gone. I think they might have moved a few houses down. Not sure why. I assumed when I didn’t see them for a while that some one took care of them while i was out of town. Turns out they don’t like my yard any more. Except for one big fat gray and white cat. He likes my yard well enough and gives me the stink eye every time I have to go outside into the yard. If he has to, he will shift just a bit to stay out of my way and then stare at me while i work. The when I go back into the house he moves back to where he started and then turns to look at me.
Thus far it hasn’t been a problem. If it becomes a problem i will break out my secret weapon – the hose. That’s right. I will start out with the mist setting and go to gentle shower. If all else fails I will use the power stream that I can’t use on my plants because it dislodges too much dirt. Last time I needed it, the mist setting sent the cats running. I suspect this one will need the gentle shower. I doubt I’ll have to go full on power spray. (It isn’t a pressure washer just a garden hose with an adjustable nozzle. So no one will be hurt if I have to use the full spray force. It is just a bit much for little seedlings and the surrounding dirt.
And if I am truly honest I won’t spray the cat directly, I’ll spray the ground near him and then chase behind him as he runs away rather than actually aiming at the cat. I’m not that mean about it. And if they didn’t dig up plants then i wouldn’t bother. They just keep digging up the plants. So I use scare tactics.
I am still rotating through my primers with this foundation. The Tatcha is working beautifully with it. It is a really great paring. And i am noticing that the travel sized bottle of the liquid primer is getting very low. I am also running out of the balm style primer from Tatcha and will soon have to decide which one to repurchase. I can’t justify buying both at the same time. I love them, but they are pricy. I can justify one for my birthday and then probably justify the other when Black Friday rolls around. I just have to decide which gets purchased when.
I am about a week in to testing out this foundation and I really enjoy it. Each use I like it better and better. It is just working really well for me. I only need one pump so it will last a while a well. Admittedly this is my summer shade so i would have to get a new shade in the fall. but as it is an inexpensive foundation that isn’t a problem. It is also an inexpensive foundation that feels expensive. It does have a slight paint smell to it, but it dissipates quickly.
As always I love the trestique as it blends well and doesn’t pull up foundation. And I adore the Wander beauty highlight as it blends for a soft glow. The Nars blush is also a favorite. Plus I wanted to try out a powder blush with this foundation (I’ve been using cream products). It worked well and I love the shade.
With the eyeshadow I just went with the simple Dusty Rose and a little bit of the shimmer dreamer. Mostly because I was sort of in a rush today and didn’t want to think too hard about eyeshadow. That’s usually when I grab a blush or a bronzer and decide it will work for eyeshadow. Since the palette was out i just went one and done (well two and done) and called it good. Not terribly exciting but it works.
This setting powder darkened my foundation just slightly, which the translucent powder didn’t. I think I am going to keep it for lighter shades I need to adjust. It is a good setting powder though. I just didn’t realize it was tinted until I opened it. And yes I was too lazy to trade it out.
I chose the ABH Lash brag today because it gives me super fab lashes with one swipe an I wanted to try it out right after trying out the MAC. The MAC is good for every day, but the ABH brings the drama.
And finally I used the NYX lipstick. This suede formula is really comfortable to wear. It is a bullet style so it doesn’t really dry down and you will leave lip prints but it does last for quite a while and is very comfortable to wear.
And so my darlings, that is me today. As always Wednesday leaves me feeling like there is way too much to do in way too short a time. So today I will feel panicked about getting everything done and then tomorrow I will more than likely realize I am ahead of things. I don’t know why that is my system. It just is. It sort of works. it just makes Wednesdays a bit busy. So it is back to work for me. Have a great afternoon.
Good afternoon my darlings. I am feeling significantly less annoyed today. My bank has decided that I was in the right and all the money taken out by people I don’t know was returned. I still have the update everything that needs to be updated ahead of me and I can’t use my debit card at the moment, but it is still less annoying.
There is just an intensely powerless feeling that comes from something like this that I absolutely hate.
But it is being dealt with. So no more need be said.
Today I feel like doing a rain dance. I don’t know if it will help but the weather just feels like it needs one final push in order to just rain and get it over with. The air is heavy with moisture and rain is predicted. However rain has been predicted for the last week and yet, no rain. It is a very looming sensation. And it feels like just one push could send it over the edge and cause the rain to fall.
I don’t know if it is a rain dance, some sort of plant based sacrifice or if someone who just spent over an hour doing their hair needs to utter the words, ‘No, I don’t think I’ll need an umbrella today.’ but it just needs one more thing to push it into actual raining.
Maybe I should hide the umbrellas and break out the curling iron.
Perhaps if it hasn’t rained by dinner time.
the worst part though isn’t the looming. It is the gardening. I have to water the plants to make sure they get enough water, but it feels like it could rain at any second. So I get to play the nightly guessing game of should I water or will it rain. Fun stuff. But that just comes with the time of year. I am fairly certain I complained of the same thing last year around this time. It is the eternal complaint. And oddly, there is something comforting in that.
I am switching through primers to see how the Revolution foundation works with them. the Beauty Bakerie Butter primer does a really good job at filling the pores and I think it does make this foundation look a little bit better. It actually has looked really good no matter what i put under it, but with my skin texture the pore filling looks the best I am actually starting to fall in love with this foundation. My skin just looks so good while wearing it and It feels good on the skin. It is oil free which helps in the summer time though. I suspect in the winter when I am dry I will need to put some moisturizer on about 10 minutes before applying this foundation so if you are a dry skin person you may want to think about the moisturizer just prior to using this formula. For me I am entering the oily phase of the year and it is working well for me. It is a bit more full coverage than I am used to though.
But I do love the way it looks.
I used the Fenty palette today for bronzer and highlight. I like the bronzer and the bronzer also works well for a quick shadow look but the highlighters are just okay. They work better as shimmer shadows than they do as highlights.
I do love this Ciate setting powder though. I know I need to change out my powders, but I just haven’t gotten around to it so I grabbed the one that was out.
Today in addition to using the Depology as blush I remembered to try it a lipstick. I used a lip brush. It applies well and I think it looks good. The tint is pretty good. It feels comfortable on he lips. The one issue is that it does not dry down at all. So there are a trail of lip prints left behind and this does wear it off pretty rabidly. Oddly once all of the product is worn off the lips are still slightly rosy in a my lips but better look. It isn’t like they are stained, but it just looks a little more like a sheer lip gloss with a hint of tint. If it weren’t for the trail of lip prints I would be happy. I think that I will continue to use it as blush and know that if i had to i could use it on my lips in a pinch, but probably not use it unless I forgot my lipstick when packing.
I love this Soft Glam palette from ABH. In truth I could probably use the dusty rose shade as a one and done and be perfectly happy. I did layer a few shades though. I was more restrained than before. I really like how today’ look turned out actually. The shadows are powdery. All ABH shadows are. But they blend so beautifully. Just remember to tap off the brush before applying and you will be fine. this is one of those palettes I could probably use every day and be happy. they are just the perfect everyday shades for me.
The MAC mascara is proving interesting. It lengthens well with about four coats on the lashes. It feels like it might apply better with a fluffier brush. And oddly enough the mascara has a slightly floral fragrance mixed in with the mascara scent. I find this a little odd. It isn’t a bad everyday mascara, but you do need multiple coats and I suspect the tube will not last all that long because of that.
And that my darlings is me today. I am just tickled pink by the Soft Glam and I am so glad I picked it up as an add on. It just works so well as an everyday palette. As fond of the palette as I am right now I have to say this foundation is the day’s top product. Revolution really did well with this formula.
Good afternoon my darlings. we have managed to make it to the middle of May. I don’t know why that surprised me so much to see the date on the calendar this morning. I think because the first week of may seemed to just last forever and drag out so that I didn’t expect the Poof! its the 15th.
I can sort of understand why that happened this month, but I can’t be the only one who is sometimes surprised by time.
Admittedly that is a much nicer surprise than Friday’s surprise bonanza. I got an alert from my bank regarding fraudulent charges. The big one was for around nine hundred dollars and that triggered the alarm, but once I started dealing with that, I found there were fifteen other charges made on Friday that some how didn’t trigger the alert. They were all between $16-$25. The bank has been really good about it, but I ended up spending a large portion of Friday going through my bank records line by line and I am going to have to get a new debit card and switch out a whole bunch of things when it comes it. Plus I have to put off several planned purchases.
While it was taken care of and in the grand scheme of things isn’t that horrific, it was just a load of annoyances. I don’t know about you but I have found i can deal well with emergencies and full on traumas better than I can with loads of little annoyances. I think because of the emergencies you just sort of buckle down and deal with it, without stopping to think too much about how you feel about it until it is done. With these little things you deal with it, and then react, and then deal with it some more. And everything gets just ratcheted up a notch, especially when you know the parts you are dealing with are separated while someone else deals with the center. I called the bank and went through my records. Now the bank is dealing with it and then later i will have to deal with it again as I get a new card.
Maybe it is anticipation of future annoyance.
I don’t know,. I do know that to make myself feel better I did a Nightmare on Elm Street Movie Marathon over the weekend. There is nothing like old school slasher films to make you feel just a little bit better about things. I think it is because they can be so over the top. Like the death of Johnny Depp and the fountain of blood shooting up from his bed. Very over the top. But it did make me feel better. even if it wasn’t what I planned this weekend.
I am testing out the Revolution foundation so I am rotating through different primers to see how they play with the foundation. Today I used the YSL. I tired a sample of this primer and I used up every drop of the primer in the sample. It was so good and I did end up buying the full sized one when Sephora had their annual sale. It works so much better in the full size with the pump instead of the stick in the sample. I love it.
I don’t think it was the right primer with this foundation though. The primer smooths and adds a bit of a glow to the skin, which works well, but I think this foundation needs a bit more pore filling than the primer provides. I like how my skin looks, but I think I need a bit more pore filling.
The foundation does work well with the cream bronzer and blush. It stayed on my cheeks as I applied the products instead of peeling up, which can occasionally happen. This didn’t so I was very pleased. Also I think I managed to get the blush even on both cheeks so that is a plus.
I love the wander Beauty Highlight. It is just a lovely glow to the cheeks. I could go brighter if I wanted, but i do love how it just blends in. I have a sample and when I finish the sample I will be purchasing the full size. I am a bit concerned that it keeps going out of stock. I am hoping that it is because other people like it as much as I do and not because they are thinking of discontinuing it. It just has a great soft glow that I really like.
I have to admit I went a little bonkers with the shadow. Normally I use two the three shadows at the most. I think because this is a palette that i used to use and loved, I went over board. I kept dipping into the shadow and thinking, Oh I used to really love this one… And then I just kept going. I like ABH Shadows. They are always powdery in the pan and my new palette no longer looks so new after one use. You have to tap off the brush before you apply or you will get powder everywhere. Today’s look was a bit all over the place because I just got excited. So I’ll calm down and not try to use all of the shadows at once next time I reach for it.
I am glad that i reached for the Eyeko stick to use under my brows though. And use i should have reached for a brow product as well (I do have several I want to try out actually) I have just gotten out of the habit with my brows. Love the Eyeko though.
This was the first use of the MAC mascara. It was good, but not as spectacular as I hoped. It lengthened well, I just expected a little more. Perhaps as I use it I will begin to like it more. It did well lengthening though.
And finally for the lips I layered two products. The Seraphine is a little too brown for me and makes my lips disappear into my face and the OFRA is too light and frosted for me. I put the two together and it worked out well. Not my favorite lips look, but it worked well. And I do like the OFRA formula. it is just a little too pink and frosty. I need to find a different shade. Great formula though.
And that my darlings is me today. A bit crazy with the eyeshadow, but otherwise not so bad. I will try and restrain myself in the future. And off we go for the rest of Monday. I hope you have a fabulous one.
Do you know what happens when you spend too much time with neutral eyeshadow palettes? You end up rummaging through the drawer until you find one that had very few neutral shades and then you go a little crazy. At least if you are me you do.
At least today there was no glitter.
I find this kind of amusing actually. I love my browns and bronze and I often feel like I basically do the same makeup look everyday with just subtle differences. Which in fairness I probably do. Mostly because that suits my life right now. I am not going to festivals or out dancing much any more. I did end up dancing at a Barbeque event a few weeks ago, but that isn’t quite the same thing. (A friend just build a really large back deck and had people over for food and the music caused an impromptu dance party causing the few teenagers around to roll their eyes and hope their friends never saw.
But it was a jeans and sweatshirt kind of gathering. it was still cool enough for the fire bowl/pit thing. It was a fun night, but not one I paired with glitter eyeshadow. I think I just used a dash of bronzer on my lids actually.
But sometimes, the everyday looks just won’t cut it. Sometimes, like yesterday I decide that it is bare skin for the win and other times, like today, it is colorful palette time. And since it is just me at the desk today, it doesn’t actually matter. So shall we get into today’s look?
I know it is a new foundation so i need to try it with other primers but I really just wanted to use the Stila again before i start switching out the primers to test the foundation. Then of course I’ll go back to the primer and start switching out the foundations. I just wanted to use this again because I really like it. It fills in the pores really nicely and evens out the skin tone well. It is also very light weight
The foundation blended beautifully today. I Only needed one pump because a little goes a really long way. that is something to remember, it is very easy to overdo it with this foundation. I am really liking the way it is wearing. I haven’t had issues with settling, but it is early days.
This is the time of year where bronzer palettes really shine and this Coco Contour works well. The multiple shades alow me to get the right one for my seasonal changing skin tone and I really like it. I don’t know if it is being made anymore as all the places I found it listed also said it was currently out of stock, and it wasn’t on the Too Faced Site, but it it a great palette I will continue to use until it is either used up or expired. A it still smells of chocolate, I think I am still good.
The Depology blush is another item I have to tread softly with as it is highly pigmented. At the moment though it is my ability to get them even height on both cheeks that I am working on. That is a me problem and constant with all blushes. For some reason I always go higher on my left cheek than I do on my right. Sometimes blending makes them look eve, other times not. the deeper the pigment the more my off balance looks. I think i did okay today.
I love this Wander Beauty Highlight. I think it may be one of my favorites. I can put a stripe on my cheek and then go in with a brush to blend it to a soft glow. I know it doesn’t stand out in the photo, but I am not really a fan of dramatic highlighters. I love the soft glow.
And then we get to the eyeshadow. Ciate Shadows are interesting. Some palettes I simply don’t get along with. And some palettes I adore. Sometimes it is the color story and other times the formula. To be honest, there is no rhyme or reason that I can figure out. some brands do mattes really well and some are the shimmering queens. when Ciate gets a palette right they get all of them right. When they don’t I find all of the shadows hard to work with. I have found no pattern. If anyone does know a pattern let me know.
This is one of the good ones. It does have some browns in it, but to be honest as soon as I open it my eyes go to the green shimmer, the blue shimmer and the icy blue of spectre. There are a lot of pink and peach tones in the palette as well. And to be honest as soon as I open it, I want every shade but the brown. In fact if you look at it, the brown shadow is untouched. These shadows can be powdery when you dip into them, but if you tap off your brush before you apply you should be fine. The only one you really have to watch out for shedding excess pigment is the dark blue of Jublee. Which i of course used today. It did have a little excess but a powder brush swiped it away. I know for some it isn’t all that over the top but for me this was a bright and colorful look. and I really enjoyed it. I also think I need to play with this palette more and give the neutrals a little rest.
The mascara was a little disappointing. This Iconic London Mascara is almost used up. i know I have been saying that a lot recently, but the other mascaras were opened at the same time and used up pretty much at the end of the time span I was willing to use them. This one is running out of product well before the deadline of disposal. It isn’t my favorite. it lengthens well, but not as well as others. It is called a triple threat but really all it does is lengthen.
with the lips i started with the Matte Nyx. Very comfortable formula with little transfer after it settles in. And then it just looked too matte when paired with the eyes. So I topped it with the wet ;n wild gloss. Personally I like how it turned out.
Actually I like how everything turned out. I needed a little something bright today, and i got it. Somedays, you just have to break away from the neutrals. For me, today was that day.
Good afternoon my darlings! Welcome to Wednesday. You know how it has been really cold lately with loads of rain bucketing down? Well it seems that now the seasons have officially turned. We have rain, but instead of dropping the temperatures, it just makes things humid.
I think our brief pleasant spring window has officially closed. Today is about 80 degrees F and about 85% humidity. Which is generally how we know we are swiftly sliding down the slope into full blown summer. Usually we have until May dates start hitting the 20s before it is ready to be called summer, but this year, I think i am calling it early. we had very little spring and the summer is beginning.
Or at least my summer schedule needs to begin. In the summer I start to get up earlier because the garden needs tending before the sun gets too high and the plants have an actual shot at absorbing the water instead of it leaping straight into the air or turning droplets into magnifying lenses to burn holes in the plant leaves. I also start walking in the mornings and evenings instead of during the day.
This year every time I tried to transition into summer mode we got a cold snap that made it feel like winter fighting back. Today I really felt the humidity. You know when you go on a walk and you feel like you are drinking the air more than breathing it, then you need to start switching up your walking routine.
And preparing for extra laundry.
bare faced to the world cause I feel good in my skin
That’s right, we now have the clothes I wear inside the house and the clothes I wear outside the house. In the winter this just means putting on and taking off a coat. In the summer this means an entire wardrobe change. Even without the air on, our house stays cool so i tend to wear long sleeved shirts all year round inside. Going outside means a full outfit change before leaving. If walking then a t-shirt I don’t mind destroying over the summer months and if going to a meeting it means wearing a light blouse but taking a cardigan in case the meeting room is super chilled.
Either way there is no get up and go for clothing, it is a full change before leaving the house.
It also means a purchase of a new pack of Hanes undershirts. All of the ones I wore last year just look so beat down I need to use them as rags. Sweat stains come out in the wash, but there is only so much washing the material can take. As the summer progresses they will be worn out and then taken off and dumped in the laundry as I come back in the house. They will be too sweat stinky to be put in the laundry basket. they go directly into the Laundry room by the vent. we have a special sweaty basket. Sounds gross I know, but it works.
If you are doing a lot of sweating outside whether for exercise or gardening or any other activity, my advice is to pick up a pack of Hanes t-shirts for the summer. I get the white men’s t-shirts and i get them in a size or two larger so the material is loose on me. High tech sports fabric is great if you want to go to the gym where people are watching. I am on the walking trail melting in the humidity. I do not need to be fashionable. The white shirts are cool and the loose cotton not only breathes, but it moves about so you get good air flow.
that is my summer workout advice for everyone.
Today, I not only melted but felt like I was having a good skin moment. I may do a face mask later, but today I just didn’t feel like makeup after my shower. I did take a bare faced picture of me. Since I am working at the desk all day it is only going to be seen by you. And i don’t mind. I love makeup and i love playing with it, but I have no problem running around bare faced every now and again. And today, I felt like going bare faced. part of that is that my skincare is really going well this week. That we’ll talk about Friday, but for now, it is bare skin to the world. I hope you are having a fabulous day no matter what you are doing.
Good afternoon my darlings. I hope your Tuesday has been going swimmingly. Mine has been a bit bumpy. My computer started closing things down after I’d open them and then informed me I didn’t have enough memory to open , well anything. So I did a mass browsing history, cache clear out and pretty much jettisoned anything I thought was extraneous.
Seriously it was like trying keep a ship from sinking.
And then I found out someone installed a game on the desk top that my computer was simply not equipped to handle. which was why my simple fixes weren’t working.
It’s all good now. And I got a sheepish apology.
Productivity sort of went out the window though.
But today I got to use some new makeup. I know it doesn’t make up for the lack of productivity. Working late ton9ight and possibly tomorrow night will fix that. But I did go to Ulta yesterday, An actual in person visit too. Not an order on line and pick it up. This was the first time I actually went into the store and shopped since 2020.
I wanted to get a tinted moisturizer for summer. Mysteriously all of the shades that suited me were out. It was like an imp went in before me and said ‘Ha Ha not tinted moisturizer for you’. They were also out of the Buxom Matte Lip I wanted as well. It was very strange. All of the things I planned to pick up weren’t there.
Did that stop me from shopping? Alas for my bank account, no. I picked up a Stila Primer, A new Revolution foundation, a Buxom Lip scrub (which i had been eyeing on line and was going to add to my next on-line order anyway so it sort of counts as something i was planning to buy) and a NYX Lipstick. And yes I used all but the lip scrub in today’s makeup.
In all fairness I did need a summer shade of foundation. I can’t really justify the rest. But I am going to enjoy it.
still no sun so I took the pic in the bathroom where at least the light comes from the front and not overhead
A long time ago I used the Stila Soufflé Primer and loved it. It came in a fabulous jar that I ended up keeping around long after the product was used up. It has long since been discontinued but I loved it. I recently tried a color correcting primer from Stila and it reminded me that i hadn’t looked at Stila products in a while generally. So I took a stroll through the aisle. In the tested it seemed a lot like the old formula I loved so i took a chance. This primer lacks the whipped texture of the soufflé primer, but it works more or less the same. I actually really enjoyed the way it performed today. It is light weight and doing a good job of smoothing out my skin into an even texture, which is what i look for in a primer most days. To keep testing the foundation, I will have to set it to the side for a bit. I like to test foundations with different primers.
Again I chose this revolution foundation because I used to use the Fast Base products from Revolution. I still purchase the Fast base Stick Foundation on line actually from the Revolution site, but they weren’t in the store. I instead chose to try out their IRL Filter foundation. It does smell a little like paint when first dispensed, but it dissipates quickly and isn’t as heavy as some of the paint smelling foundations I have tried before. Which means it didn’t give me a headache. It also performed beautifully. It is my summer shade and I am already contemplating going back and picking up a winter shade when my skin loses it’s summer tan. It is a breathable formula that feels light weight and blends out beautifully. I will be trying it out and seeing if the joy continues, but this was a very positive first wear test.
I took out the Fenty Beauty Palette mostly to remind myself how much i enjoy it. I am going to have to do a clear out soon and declutter a lot of products. I am never going to be a minimalist, but after a certain point having too many products makes me a bit angsty. Plus everyone was pro neutral palette for a long time as far as subscription boxes go so I have loads of browns that I just need to whittle down to the ones I really enjoy using. Oddly, while Fenty is not my favorite brand I do really enjoy this palette. It is a really good bronzer and an okay highlight and a good simple eye look. I didn’t feel like going back for another palette today. Which is also the problem of the overstuffed drawer. The Fenty palette worked well today. It is a very neutral look but i like it.
I like the Depology cream blush but I have to remember that less is more. It is highly pigmented so one tap on the skin is enough. it is very easy to go overboard. But it blends so beautifully. I just need to remember a little restraint and i am fine.
I went with the Ciate Setting powder today. This is the Everyday Vacaay Setting powder. It smells like coconut. Interestingly, while it looks like their regular translucent setting powder in everyway except the scent, it doesn’t have the same white flash back that the other setting powder does. The coconut is nice and luckily fairly light. I like coconut scented things but once summer arrives, coconut and watermelon scented products will be everywhere. How about we make this summer the year of the citrus? This summer give Lime and lemon and Yuzu a chance to shine. Or at least let them run along side the coconut and Watermelon Juggernauts of summer scented products. It did lighten just a little bit, which is fine. This is my summer foundation and i am still edging into my summer tan. So it worked out.
Give limes a chance. That’s all I’m asking.
The Lights Camera Lashes is one of my favorite Tarts Mascaras. I also Like Maneater because it adds great volume, This gives really great length. Put together they are unstoppable. But they are nice separately too. This mascara works well with a simple basic eye look. It lets the lashes really pop.
and finally the NYX Suede lipstick. It is soft and creamy and wears well without drying out. It is a bullet style lipstick but after a few minutes of letting it settle in i didn’t get a lot of transfer to the rim of my coffee mug. There was a ghost of color but not a real solid lip print, which I like. I prefer my lipstick on my lips and not my coffee mug.
Over all I was really happy with my makeup today. And given the irritation of technology, it was nice to have something go well. I am also really pleased with my purchases from Ulta, even if they weren’t the items I went there to buy in the first place. Recently I have been working hard to eliminate and use up older products so they won’t expire before they can be used. Sometimes it is nice to just pick up something new.
Good afternoon my darlings. I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Mine was interesting. As you recall it was the one year anniversary of my brother’s death. Thinking about it last week sort of had me out of sorts. there was sadness and missing him, but there was also just a clear reminder that time does move on. Grief can feel like it sticks you down in one spot, but time does keep passing. And letting grief anchor you into one place does no one any good. It was a lesson I learned when my Dad died and I had to learn it again now. You grieve but you have to still keep living.
Didn’t mean to go dark on anyone during a Monday afternoon.
I think the best description of my weekend is introspective. Most of the activity went on in my head. well the gardening between rain storms happened outside of my head, but there was a lot of thinking going on. And I feel better for it. I am certainly less melancholy than I was last week.
At the moment it is raining down buckets. The sun was hit or miss today so the photos I took are not the best, still, let’s jump out of my head and back into everyday life with today’s look.
Again I apologize for the lighting. The sun was not my friend and the overhead light was not working with me. Next time I will just go to the bathroom and take the photo there. Anyway,,,,
I love this Butter primer from the Beauty Bakerie. It is light weight and pore filling. It goes on white which always makes me feel like I am going to look ghostly, but then it blends it. The stick formula makes it easy to use with no mess. I think this may be one of the best things I’ve tried from the brand. Their lippies are great too …okay it may be a tie.
At the moment I am looking at all my foundations to see what is going to be used for summer wear and what needs to be set aside for post tan fading times. This Hide shade works for me. It is a beautiful formula and I really like wearing it. My brush does leave tracks so I had to smooth them over with a makeup sponge, but it was so worth it, The formula is weightless and leaves my skin looking fantastic.
The Buxom is one of my go to summer bronzers because it works with both foundation and BB creams. I do need to pick up some BB creams. The one I have left from last summer has very little left. I keep trying to pick things up when I go to Target but they are always sold out. I think an Ulta run might be in my near future.
I chose the Axiology today partially because it is just a good product and I love using it. I also chose it because I wanted to see if the cream product had dried out any in the paper tube. I love that the tube is all paper and can just be rinsed and recycled when you are done with it, but I didn’t know what that would mean for the product. Thus far there has been no signs of it drying out in the slightest. So I am relieved and excited. It is a really good cream blush.
And you know I love my Kim Chi setting powder. I gush about the puff (cause it’s awesome to have a usable puff in a powder) but it is a great product on it’s own.
I did go a little heavy on the eyeshadow today as I was playing with the palette, but I think it turned out well. I have noticed that the mattes will blend well together but the shimmers don’t really blend. They just overlay the mattes. There is a definite line where they stop. At least mine didn’t want to blend too much. I applied it and then reached for my blending brush. I got the demarcation line to blur slightly but you can still tell where the application stopped. It looks fine with my eyes open, but that sort of bothers me a bit. I do love the palette though and will happily play with it some more.
And you know I love the ABH Lash Brag. Great mascara and soon I will have to replace it. Partially because there isn’t much mascara in the tube and partially because it is reaching the deadline. I may love the mascara but I won’t risk an eye infection for it.
And then we have the lips. I lined them with the Uma Beauty lip liner. It is an excellent formula. I then topped it with the Trestique. I love these lip crayons. I don’t know why i think of the mini collection in the summer. I think it might be because I have the mattes mixed with sheers and the colors are all so bright and cheerful. They go on like light weight bullet lipstick. They last longer with a lip liner under them. They are also quite moisturizing so the lip liner won’t dry out the lips. Really love these for summer wear.
And that my darlings is me. I’m coming out of the doldrums, even if the weather is a bit stormy and I feel good. thanls for putting up with me when ,my disposition is less than sunny. I appreciate it.
Ms. Mimsy Reviews 