The Daily: February 21st, 2023

I have to admit, I wasn’t originally planning to take Monday off. It whipped through my brain that Monday was president’s day but quite honestly last week I was so off kilter that it didn’t fully register until my babydoll came home and yelled, “Three Day Weekend!” and then collapsed on the couch.

He had a pretty stressful week last week too. There was some sort of snafu with contractors that he had to iron out. Mine was more trying to figure out why my computer was having spasms of ineptitude, but that is an entirely different thing.

I also discovered that I have been binging Criminal Minds a little too much. The whole series is on Paramount + which I love. They are putting up the current season now. The thing is that it had been a while since I saw the show so I decided to start at Season one and then work my way to the current season (season 16). I love that I can do that as I am really getting into the show, but last night I had a nightmare about being chased by a band of serial killers. It did sort of blend Criminal Minds and A Clockwork Orange into a dream scape which, while awake I find really interesting. But I think it also means I need to get something non murder-y in my watch list.

If anyone has any suggestions I will happily take them. I will be scrolling through trying to find something that doesn’t involve murder or dystopian futures. My watch list on every streaming site tends to lean in that direction. I wonder if there is a category of recommendations for things unlike what is on my watch list? That would be helpful. But something for another time. For now…

Today’s Look

Primer: Figs and Rouge Satin Soft Blurring Primer (from Use up box)

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

Concealer: Dior Backstage Concealer

Bronzer/Blush/Highlight: Marc Jacobs Omega X 3 Tantastic Glow Palette (discontinued)

Setting Powder: Puff Puff Pass Set and Bake Powder from Kimchi Chic Beauty

Eyes and Lips: Axiology Tinted Dew in Humble

Mascara: Anastasia Beverly Hills lash Brag Mascara

Setting Spray: Ciate London Watermelon Burst Setting Spray

Okay let’s take a deep dive. This month i put the Figs and Rouge Primer and the Bite Beauty Foundation in my Items to Use up Box. This was the last use for wither of them. Bite Beauty is no more so this was a fond farewell to a fabulous foundation and the Primer I was on the fence with. It is a good blurring primer and it hydrates. So if you have dry skin it is fine. I find the scent a little off putting, but that does fade fast. I find I can wear it if I am having a really good skin day, but if I have any red spots or blemishes it is just not going to help me. It works well but it isn’t something I feel I need to repurchase. it was fine while it lasted and I would use it again if it showed up in a subscription box, but I have other primers I prefer.

I like the Dior concealer. It has a brush rather than a doe foot which I find easier to use. I tend to use very little concealer and then only when allergies attack. Usually that is only a few times a year but with the weather bouncing up and down the thermometer sniffles and dark circles abound. I just need a little dot of this and then i blend it out and it works for me. It doesn’t crease and it lasts all day. I just need to use very little.

Even though this Marc Jacobs Trio is no longer in production I really enjoy it and will use it until all three pans are empty. And then I will use it as a travel compact. After two weeks of cream blush I did go a little heavy handed with the powder. That always happens when I switch back to powder from cream. Plus this is more of a summer time palette for me. I just saw it and though, I haven’t used that in a while. (Mostly because it is a summer time palette) and picked it up. It is worth using, even if it isn’t being made any more.

You know I love the Kimchi setting powder. A chunk of the love is the powder puff that comes with it. That is a fantastic powder puff. The powder is also good. Go light because two much can look a little powdery. But I love this slight tint to the powder that keeps it from looking super white. I use the puff to apply and just brush off the extra.

As I mentioned Axiology sent three products for me to try. This is the second of them. It is the Tinted Dew Multi Stick. It is less pigmented than the color cream. Today I used it on my eyes and lips. On the lips it feels like a lip balm. It gives a sheer-ish wash of color. I have the shade Humble. To be honest it is not my lip shade. However I did use it as a cream eyeshadow today and i love it. it was quick and simple and has not moved or faded all day. It took two seconds to apply and I think it looks really good for a very low key natural day kind of look. I especially love it paired with this mascara. I love the barely there eyeshadow looks pared with really thick and full lashes. And the Axiology mixed with the ABH Lash brag gave me that today. I am really happy with this.

To finish it off I did use the Ciate Setting Spray. I’m trying to remember setting sprays as i tend to forget the non-skincare based ones. The Ciate nozzle was clogged up because it sat for a while after my last use so I cleanse it with a cotton swab and it works perfectly now. I will be keeping it out and using it until it is gone. I have a stock pile of these because I do like setting sprays but tend to forget I have them. So i want to use up what I have and then only repurchase the skincare based ones. So you will see this one for a while a I work through it.

And that my darlings is me. I feel refreshed and revived after my three day weekend. It may be a short week and I may feel crunched towards the end of it, but I really needed that mental reset. It feels really good to have that. And I think that will make this week a pretty good one. Sometimes, you just need a breather.

The Use Up Box: January 2023 review and February Selection

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

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

The January Use Up Box

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

February’s Use Up Box

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

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

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

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

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

The Daily: January 18th, 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

Today’s Look

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

Foundation: HIDE Invisible Oil Free Medium to Full Coverage Foundation

Bronzer: Fenty Beauty Sun Stalk R Bronzer and Highlight Palette

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

Powder: By Terry Hyaluronic Acid Hydra Setting Powder

Eyeshadow: Dominique Cosmetics Unconditional Palette

Mascara: Milk Makeup Kush Mascara

Brows: GrandeBrow Fill

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Daily: January 17th, 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

Today’s Look:

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

Foundation: Yensa BC Full Coverage Foundation

Bronzer/Highlight: Fenty Beauty Sun Stalk R Palette

Blush: Kaleido Cosmetics Skin Luminate Palette

Powder: By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra Powder

Eyeshadow: Charlote Tilbury Flawless Filter Luxury Palette in Diva Lights

Mascara: Milk Kush Mascara

Lips Maybelline Superstay InkCrayon in Live on the Edge 05

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Daily: January 9th, 2023

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

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

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

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

To the Library, Batman.

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

Today’s look

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

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

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

Setting Powder: By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra Powder

Eyeshadow: Ciate London The Velvet Palette

Mascara: Iconic London Triple Threat Mascara

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

Setting Spray: Ciate London Watermelon Burst

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Daily: January 5th, 2023

Oh my darlings today my bones feel like jelly. I am fine when sitting at my desk but once back in motion I can feel the inside of my muscles talking to me. I realized that I haven’t been pushing hard on a lot of my indoor workouts. I had a list of exercises to do but I would vary the number of reps I was doing. So I went back to my beginning list and saw the number of reps I started with. I think what happened was that every time I didn’t really feel like working out but made myself anyway, I shaved off a couple of reps to make myself feel better. And then later I forgot that I shaved them off.

And so I would go with that number until the next time i really wasn’t feeling it and there would be another couple of reps shaved off.

Not a very good spiral.

And so we make a spreadsheet. That’s right. Spreadsheet. Since today is Thursday i will call today and tomorrow part of next week’s week 1 and start writing things down. In case you are interested here is a screen shot of both the oddly long week one and week 2. Following weeks will be like week two. Each week I will increase the number done by a small amount I also usually take Saturday and Sunday off. Each time I complete one set I put an x in the box. I usually run through a set each morning (when I haven’t talked myself out of it) and occasionally I will do a second set in the afternoon. At least that is what i was doing when I was losing weight regularly. Which is why I will get back to it. Week one is getting me back into the habit of every day workouts and to make sure I stick to the proper numbers. The plan is this week to once again build the habit. Then next week I will increase the numbers slightly and add in one day where I do the work out’s twice. Once in the morning and once in the evening. Then we will see how it proceeds from there. Here is my preliminary chart.

I am sure things will shift as I get into it, but hopefully they will shift in the right direction. I just used a simple spread sheet. As I fill things In I will add additional weeks. I know that seems a little obsessive, but I generally find that when I write things down or require myself to keep an actual record then I am better able to stick with a schedule of this sort. I don’t suddenly decide that maybe 20 squats instead of thirty feels right today because I can’t put an x by the squats if i don’t complete the numbers. And If I can’t put the x by them then doing twenty isn’t going to be recorded.

I know there are a lot of people out there who start the new year off with plans to get in a better shape either for general health or weightless. if there is one thing I have learned in this entire process it is myself. I have learned more about how i think and how I process things than I ever thought i would. i have learned what motivates me and what will get me to stick to whatever plan I am doing.

i used to marvel that there were so many different systems or ideas about weight loss. And then I was told it was because every body is different. Which is true. however more importantly every mind is different. And it is the mind you have to engage in the process. now I’m surprised that anyone comes up with any weight loss system that works for anyone but themselves. For me part of what helps me out is writing things down, food, exercise, schedules. Seeing it all laid out and then being able to go back through and see the things I have checked off gives me motivation.

I should also mention i told a friend this and they shivered in revulsion and said they would never even start a work out if they had to write something down. it would doom them to failure. To each their own. I need the documents.

I didn’t actually mean to go off into weight loss land, but there we go. it is what is most on my mind today. But here we will leave it and get into today’s look. I went for a softer one today and am quite pleased with myself.

Today’s Look:

Primer: Marc Jacobs Under (cover) Blurfection Primer (discontinued- from the Use Up Box)

Foundation: Beauty Blender Bounce Liquid hip Long Lasting Foundation

Bronzer/Blush/Highlight/powder: Pur 4-in 1 Perfecting Powders palette

Concealer: Trestique Cover and Correct Crayon

Setting Powder: Becca Cosmetics Pink Haze Setting Powder (discontinued – from the Use Up Box)

Eyeshadow: Ciate London The Velvet palette (currently on sale for only $8)

Mascara: Iconic London Triple Threat Mascara

Lips: Revolution Pout Bomb Plumping Lip Gloss with Vitamin E

Setting Spray: Ciate London Watermelon Burst Setting Spray

Okay first I have to do the happy dance. This was the last use of the Becca Pink Haze Setting Powder. It is no more. It is empty. Which means if nothing else I have managed to use up one of the items in my use up box. And considering how large the square powder box is, that is really helpful. i will have to find a pink setting powder to replace it, but it was time to let it go.

I also used the Marc Jacobs Primer from the box and will hopefully be letting that go by the end of the month.

The more i use this Bounce foundation the more I like it. It is very light weight and doesn’t require a lot of product to get the look i want. At the moment I don’t have any break outs so it isn’t really having to cover a lot and I still need to test it over larger blemishes, but it covers redness well and lasts all day long. I am glad they changed the packaging though as if you don’t tilt it just right or press too hard you can end up with foundation on your shirt rather than in the provided dip.

I really like the Pur palette which is odd since in general I am not a huge fan of the products I have tried from the brand. This palette however is an old standby and one that I will repurchase once this one is no longer usable. It is the perfect palette for travel and I really like all of the products in it. which again is odd since I have tried a couple of their products separately and wasn’t a fan. Something about this palette I just like.

I didn’t sleep terribly well and this yo-yo weather has my sinuses going crazy. Over all I don’t get sick much but every year I get a seasonal cold where my internal systems react to the weather changing. Usually it is in the spring or the Autumn. This year it seems to be every few weeks. So I went for the concealer. This color is perfect for me and I like the stick application as i an more easily put it where it needs to go. It is a formula that needs to warm up a little before use as it is a bit stiff. So I just hold it in my hand while I am studying the eyeshadow palette to see what look i want to put together. That generally warms it up enough for me. I have no had issues with it creasing and I need to remember to reach for this more often.

Speaking of eyeshadow. this was my first use of the Ciate Velvet Palette. For me Ciate Shadows are hit or miss. Sometimes I will get a palette and I just won’t like the formula. Other times I will get a palette and fall head over heals in love with the palette. Oh my darlings this is love. I am actually rather surprised by it as I expected this to be a shimmery palette I only occasionally used. It is mostly shimmers but a few shadows apply more matte than they look in the pan. And they applied beautifully. They went on smoothly and while pigmented weren’t over the top with the pigmentation so i was able to build them to what I wanted and the shimmers are stunning. I think I will be playing with this palette for a while.

As usual the Iconic London mascara is great at lengthening but that is about it.

In addition to the eyeshadow i think I am falling in love with the Revolution Pout Bomb. I think there may be a little plumping, I’ll do a photographic time check to be sure but even if it isn’t I really enjoy this formula. It feels a little sticky going on but the stickiness fades away pretty fast and you are just left with a clear gloss. (I’m sure they make other shades but I have clear). The best thing though is the vitamin E. even after the gloss wears off my lips feel nourished. i really like this lip gloss.

And so we will end on a high note. Fantastic shadow and fabulous lip gloss as well as a work out plan I can stick to. To me that makes this feel like a good day. i hope you are having a fantastic one as well.

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The Daily: January 3rd, 2023

Well I seem to be recovering from the holiday fairly well but the weather it seems is in for a relapse. The sun started out late as though it too wanted to sleep through the alarm and then it rallied for a bit. Now, clouds are moving in and the sun is nowhere to be found. It is days like this that make me just want to crawl back into bed. However I actually had my eyes flutter open around three am this morning and refuse to shut again. They would blink but as for actual sleep, that was a no go.

I am still oddly awake and not the slightest bit sleepy now even though it is mid afternoon. I thought that lunch time would see me start to drowse, which is why I went in hard this morning on all the things I needed to do. . I figured there might be an urgent nap time in the afternoon. Thus far, no call for napping. Which I am okay with. If I can stay awake and non drowsy for the rest of the day there is a good chance that I will sleep well tonight. I know, a bit more than you probably care to know, but i find it a bit strange.

Between the weather and the sleep it is throwing off my exercise game though.

I think that has been heavily on my mind since I got back. December was filled with more gatherings than I think we have had in the past few years. I think part of it is that most of my friends are extra cautious and so any get togethers have been very much social distanced. I think there is also a desire to get together and I think there were also family issues this year. Some people weren’t traveling for various reasons but still wanted to get together. Or maybe I am just more aware of it this year. My mother declared this was a minimum Christmas this year. My brother’s birthday was on December 29th and so his birthday and Christmas were always linked and the first year after his death was hard on all of us. It is also why we made such a big deal about Thanksgiving this year. No one was going to be in the mood for a big Christmas. And if there weren’t little kids to celebrate i think my mother would have called the entire Holiday off this year.

Food wise I was okay with the snacking. I managed to limit myself. But i also noticed that as the month went on and more and more non-standard affairs went on, the less I kept track of things. i also took time out for doing the extra holiday things. I have no complaints about that. I enjoy wrapping presents and decorating for the holiday and all the other things that have to do with the holidays but there is no denying that they do take time. And if work still has to be done then it is exercise time that gets shorted.

It also didn’t help that when the temps dropped to single digits, the sunroom where I do my indoor workouts became positively frigid so several of those workouts got skipped. And on the 29th I celebrated (if that is the right term) my brother’s birthday with Pizza and the WWE’s Royal Rumble. As did all of the family actually. I think a couple of people deliberately signed onto a streaming service to be able to see it. My brother adored both the WWE and pizza so it seemed a fitting thing to do. I am glad I did it. There was laughter as well as tears and it was good.

It has also been a really long time since I mindlessly ate in front of the television. Usually i separate food and TV. I ate far more than I needed to.

All of this means i am pretty sure i gained weight over the holiday. I will find out Friday morning, but I wanted to put this here. It is sort of to brace myself. I have already admitted to myself that I gained weight and acknowledged why. I know it isn;t a normal thing and can thus move on, accepting what Friday’s scale tells me.

I know, sorry to pull you into my personal therapy but I am guessing that in this wide world I am not the only one who is facing January realizing that the indulgences of December did not magically disappear when the calendar turned on New Year’s. For me it always helps to sort of sit down, face what I did and why I stepped out of my plan. It helps me let it go so that when I step on the scale Friday morning i can face the numbers knowing that I have already addressed the issue. I find separating the addressing the issue and the stepping on the scale helps me out. Perhaps it will help you too.

Which was heavier than I planned to get on a Tuesday. We’ll chalk it up to low sleep and move into something lighter.

Today’s Look

Primer: Marc Jacobs Under (cover) primer (discontinued- from the January Use Up Box)

Foundation: Yensa Skin on Skin BC Full Coverage Foundation

Bronzer/Blush/Highlighter: Realher Ultimate Glow Getter Cheek Trio

Setting Powder: Becca Pink Haze Setting powder (discontinued)

Eyeshadow Primer: Pretty Vulgar Eyeshadow Primer

Eyeshadow: Urban Decay Naked honey Eyeshadow Palette

Mascara: Iconic London Triple Threat Mascara

Brows: GrandeBrow Fill Volumizing Brow Gel

Lips: Colourpop Ultra Matte Lip in Tulle

Setting Spray: Ciate London Watermelon Burst Setting Spray

The Mar Jacobs Primer is from my use up box and is discontinued. I’m hoping to use it up this month and clear it out. I really like it but alas, it is no longer being made.

I love this Yensa Foundation. I enjoy their other foundations, but this is my favorite. in fact at the moment it is my hands down favorite foundation in my collection It is half empty at the moment and I am trying to hold up repurchasing it. i think that I might have to make a deal with myself. If I clear out two foundations from my collection I can repurchase this one. It is just my favorite go to foundation and it always looks good on my skin.

This Real Her Cheek Trio I actually took with me traveling. It is slim and compact and the product work really well. I tend to lean more heavily on this in the summer because of the shades but if I dip lightly into the pan it works well in the winter time as well. The highlighter is the one product I don’t like in the winter. In the summer when i am tanned it blends really well with my skin but in the winter when i am a bit pale it tends to look a little brassy on the skin. So I avoided the highlighter. As I like the natural glow of the Yensa foundation it worked out well.

I went for the Becca powder today because I am so close to using it up. It is part of my use up box and I actually think that with this week and possibly next weeks worth of use I can actually use it all the way up. It is a great powder but discontinued and the packaging is quite bulky. I know I won’t reach for it once i order a new pink powder (and will probably end up trying out several pink powders to find one I like which will also take up space) so I want to clear it out before i look for a replacement. So for the next week or so, I will be using it a lot.

I tend to forget eyelid primers a lot and so this one is getting a little on the old side which is why I put it in my use up box. It is my favorite eyeshadow primer though so once it is used up I will probably reorder it. I have a few shadows that really need a primer underneath. The Urban Decay isn’t one of them, but it didn’t hurt anything and I am trying to get in the habit of using it. It works well and creates a nice even colored canvas for the shadow.

I love this Naked Honey eyeshadow palette. It is easy to work with and instead of just slapping on a shade (which I can do with this palette) it always calls me to play. which is fun with eyeshadow. I just really like playing with this palette. i know i have several palettes i need to test out (and am looking forward to testing out) but this is just one of my favorite eyeshadow palettes and I figured if i was using one of my favorite foundations then i might as well use one of my favorite eyeshadow palettes. It is just such a fantastic palette. I just couldn’t resist it today.

This is a brand new tube of mascara opened for the first time today. However the name sounds familiar and makes me feel like I have tried it as a sample at some point. However I can’t recall it at the moment. The wand is thin and I usually prefer thicker wands. It works well. It is supposed to volumize, lengthen and lift if you are wondering the three threats. There is no volumizing but it lengthens pretty decently and it lifts well. The lifting is it’s strong suit. It is a decent mascara but it is one i will use and let go of not one I will repurchase. I am happy to use it though.

This year seemed to be the brow gel invasion. I tried not to take it as a personal commentary, but I do have a lot of brow gels to try out. In general I love Grande cosmetics. when my ill fated attempts to use false lashes ended up ripping out most of my natural lashes I turned to them and they did an amazing repair job with their lash serum (Highly recommend, btw). I tried their liner yesterday and need to practice and continue using it as it went on really well and lasted all day. it is just my application of a liquid liner that needs to improve. So I ad no trouble deciding to pick this out of my stack of brow gels to try first. This is a clear gel which I like and it locks my brows into place without feeling like I have superglue on my eyebrows. Thus far I am rather enjoying it. The volumizing did have me worried I would end up looking a bit Neanderthal but thus far we are doing just fine. We’ll see how I feel as use continues.

This is one of the two lipsticks in my use up box, mostly because there is not a lot of product left in the tube and the tube is aging. I love the color but it is a little bit of a drying formula. It does cause it to crumble a little after mid day, but for a morning meting it is really good. I just add lip balm over it post lunch.

I will be honest i do tend to forget to use setting sprays. I have a bunch of them I need to use so I chose the Ciate to start with. Mostly because it came in a Boxycharm recently (December I think) and it was at the front of the shelf. It has a nice mist to it and a nice watermelon scent which is kind of nice and summery. I figure if the weather can forget the seasons so can my setting spray. It works well and I will be using it every day in January. At the end of the month I will see how i feel about it and if it is worth repurchasing. For the moment though I really like it. The scent is really not much of an issue. It is the spray that gets me. this has a fine mister which is what I look for as it means fewer chances of splotches of wet on my makeup. Thus far it is also locking in the makeup well so that is also a good thing. I am more than happy to use this setting spray for the month. Plus in winter a good setting spray helps me from looking dry and powdery as the day wears on.

And that my darlings is me today. I started with a fabulous foundation and used my favorite eyeshadows so personally I am happy. And now, it is back to work for me. I’m doing my best to stay a head of things this year. It’s not exactly a new year’s resolution, just an understanding that things happen and if I am always a little ahead, the things that happen might not take as dramatic a chunk out of my schedule. I know it is a vain hope but as I spent the last few months trying desperately to catch up after my schedule was torpedoed, I rather enjoy the thought of actually being slightly ahead. It makes me happy.

The Daily: January 2nd, 2023

Welcome my darlings to a brand new year. I have every hope that this will be a fantastic one. While I am not one for New Year’s resolutions I have to admit that I do like to start new things as the year rolls over. For me it is about separating the new year from the old and making a determination to do better in the new year than I did in the last.

One of the things that I have decided to add is the To Use Up box which will hopefully allow me to use up some products that I don’t usually reach for thus keeping them from expiring and needing to be thrown away.

In fact, this year reducing waste is one of my mail goals. I did pretty good last year, using my Makeup Eraser rather than disposable makeup wipes. I even switched out my cotton rounds for reusable ones. I am really enjoying the Swipies from Magnitone for those actually. I am hoping to expand things a bit. I have a compost bin that I will be using more religiously this year so that fewer organic items will make it into the trash can. I will also be shredding many of the boxes that subscription boxes come in so that they can be used as the dry matter in my compost bin.

I am also going to try to limit my driving this year. There are many places within walking distance, even if walking to them isn’t all that convenient. I will be combining errands when I can’t walk to them so that they can be done in a more efficient manner. My goal is actually to cut my driving mileage in half this year. I don’t know if I will make it, but I think it is a goal worth pursuing.

It also has the added benefit of increasing my walking time. Which will help with fitness. My weight and getting into a healthy weigh range for my body type remains of course something I will pursue but it is not something I would consider as a New Year’s goal. That makes it seem too ephemeral. I am committed to living a healthier life, but that is a lifelong change and not something I ever want to list with resolutions. However in this at least I think that my fitness efforts might also help me out with the efforts of reducing the amount of resources that I actually consume.

Speaking of that goal, While I will be trying to use one item from my Use Up box each day, Today I am just going to go hard and use most of the items in the Use Up box. The discontinued items I will not link anywhere since they are not being made. I do believe those items can still be found on Amazon or Walmart websites though. And so we begin…

Today’s Look:

Primer: Marc Jacobs Under (cover) Blurfection Primer (Discontinued)

Foundation: Bite Beauty Changemaker Foundation (discontinued)

Bronzer: Ciate London Bamboo Bronzer

Blush: BareMinerals Bounce and Blur Blush

Setting Powder: Pink Haze from Becca Cosmetics(discontinued)

Eyebrow: By Reema Brow Kit

Eyeshadow: Too Faced Melted Chocolate Liquid Matte Eyeshadow and RealHer Dreams so Big Eyeshadow Duo

Mascara: Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Brag

Eyeliner: Grande Liner Liquid eyeliner

Lipstick: Colourpop Ultra Matte Liquid Lip in Tulle

Okay the bulk of today’s makeup came from the use up box and this month that box features a lot of discontinued products I am trying to use up and clear out of my collection while they are still good. In the future I will limit the number of items I roll i n from this box but I just wanted a chance to use them all to see if they were all still good and if i did want them in the box. I will go quickly through the discontinued Items. Marc Jacobs was a really good clear primer that created a smooth canvas for other products to shine. I loved it and look forward to reaching for it often this month. I adore this Bite Beauty Foundation but the brand is gone and so I look forward to using it up. Again with the Becca Powder, love it and really need to pick up another pink setting powder as it works well with my skin but I know I won’t until this is used up, so i am using it up.

The Too Faced Liquid Matte Eyeshadow is discontinued as well I believe which is a shame as I really enjoy it. The matte formula goes on well and doesn’t crease. I find it easy to blend with my fingertips and then let dry and apply a powder eyeshadow over it I do find that by the end of the day the powder shadow(regardless of the brand, will wear off and just leave me with the matte liquid shadow. I can’t actually remember if it plays well with other liquid shadows. I have a few (it isn’t my preferred formula) so I’ll play with that this month just out of curiosity. I tended to not reach for it because I forget single shadows in general.

Which is why I put the Realher shadow quad in this use up box this month. the two shades work well for me but I forget about it a lot. I’m hoping having it out will entice me to use it more. They aren’t the most pigmented shadows and they tend to fade as the day goes on so I don’t really want to purchase the full sized palette but this duo is nice for a quick look.

The ciate Bronzer and Bare Minerals blush are two of my favorites and ones I will reach for often. The Bareminerals blush is actually a sample that I have been trying to use up for some time. There is a slight dent in the product but no sign of pan. I will use up the sample and then when it is empty i will buy a full size. it is just taking a long time to use up the sample. Perhaps next month it will end up in the use up box. For now I am happy to just rotate it in when I want it.

The Brow Bar By Reema I have used before. I do like the powder and the highlight for under the brow and it is a pretty kit with a great mirror. I am only going to use two of the products inside though so it feels like I am wasting the other products when I use it. The two products I use I like, and I am happy to use it this month. I just don’t think I would purchase it again. While the package is lovely and it is great for travel, and I like that it does have a brush, spoolie and tweezers, that only comes in handy when traveling. I prefer another brush and tweezers to the set. But for travel it is nice. Otherwise it takes up a lot of space with things I won’t use.

This was the first use for the Grandeliner this morning. It has been a while since I used liner and I did make a bit of a mess with it, but I want to try to remember liner more and I really did like this formula so I will keep using it. it doesn’t seep into lines and glides on easily.

The ABH mascara is not new and it an item I love and will repurchase. It is a fabulous mascara.

The Colorpop formula is a little on the dry side and I find myself adding lip balm throughout the day. To be honest it is why I rarely wear this liquid lip any more. That and the fact that there is a little fine line seepage before it dries if you aren’t quick with the blot. It is half empty and I do love the color so I will use it this month hoping to use it up. If they have this shade in a bullet lipstick i may end up repurchasing it, but the liquid lip formula is a little too drying.

And that my darlings is me today. I am pleased with how my makeup turned out (barring liner which I need to do some practicing with) and happy that these are some of the products I am working towards using up this month. As for life, the weather is finally cooperating and I am back on my fitness journey and my walks out in the wide world of the park. I am going to spend the rest of my day at the desk however as I look to the calendar and begin the mass scheduling that the new year’s arrival always brings. I am looking forward to this new year actually and am hoping it will be much better than the year being left behind. It was a difficult one for me and I just hope that 2023 will be a little less dramatic and traumatic. Happy New Year my darlings. Let’s make this one a fantastic one.

The Daily: December 13th, 2022

I have to say I was inspired by the finishing up of the Triplicity foundation. it felt goo to use it up and move it along. This week will also see the end of the Glamglow primer and today I am releasing a mascara as well. Finally letting go of a few items has made me realize that there are things I need to use up in the next year. Some are from discontinued brands, others are older products and some are so so products that I want to use up and clear out With theses they are good enough to keep and use but i know i am never going to repurchase them. I promise myself that i will use them and let them go, but I end up reaching for my favorites instead.

I think I have come up with a plan. I think at the start of January I am going to make up a little box. Into the box I will put a selectin of items that I want to try to use up in the box. Then whenever I don’t have anything specific in mind to use, I will reach for one of the items. I think if I keep the box out where I can see it I will reach into it more. And then at the end of the month i will do a check in to see how i did. I think I may add a few of my favorite single shadows in just so I can remember to use them as well.

And if I still don’t reach for the item when it is constantly in sight, perhaps it is time to let it go. I really like this plan. I tend to watch the project pan videos on YouTube. I like the idea but I know I can never do that as I would just get bored if I reached for the same product every day. But I think this could be a good way to use up and purge.

In this upcoming year my main goal is to clear out the clutter from pretty much ever aspect of my life. Not only have things shifted in the last couple of years but as we have been spending more time at home in the past couple of years, there has been an accumulation and now I find I don’t have the space to do some of the things I want to do because things I don’t use are in the way. So I guess this year is about figuring out what I really want and doing a bit of streamlining. I’ll never be a minimalist, but I think it is time to let some things go.

Now of course it is time to see the products I used today. Again the sun was iffy when i took the pictures so I used the light on my makeup mirror as a ring light. I prefer natural light but the sun just didn’t want to cooperate with me. So fake light it is.

Today’s Look

Primer: Glamglow SuperMatify Primer

Foundation: Bounce Liquid Whip Long Wear Foundation from Beauty Blender

Bronzer/Blush/Highlight: Marc Jacobs Omega x Three Palette

Setting Powder: Beauty Bakerie Flour Setting Powder in Oat

Eyeshadow: Tresluce Midnight Deseos

Mascara: Complex Culture Executive Level Mascara

Lips: Revolution Pout Bomb Plumping Lip gloss (clear)

Love this primer but it is no longer made. There are only two more uses of it in my container though so I am hoping to let it go on Thursday. The link will take you to amazon. It is a fantastically mattifying primer.

It has been a few days since I used this foundation and I found that the pump clogged on me It took a while to get it going and when it did I ended up arching a shot of foundation at the wall. It seems to be working well, but i think this is a foundation that doesn’t take well to being left to sit on it’s own. I think the pump is partial to clogging. The packaging is changing though so maybe that has been fixed. I do like the foundation. But I will be watching the pump.

I know Marc Jacobs no longer makes makeup. But I love this trio and it is perfect for my skin tone at this time of year. I won’t talk about it too much even though i will still be rotating it in until the seasons change. i love it, it’s slim line travels well and after the product is used up i will use the compact for travel. As long as it is wearable, I will wear it.

Love this setting powder. It has not been discontinued as Beauty Bakerie is doing well. And I hope they do well for a while. especially as I adore their Lip Whips. (incidentally, still on sale, suggest stocking up, the link above will take you to their site.)

While I love the metalics in this palette, I wanted to see if i could get a more neutral look It doesn’t look as reddish in normal light, but I used the makeup mirror light for the photo and it makes it a lot brighter. It is far more neutral without the light. Unfortunately when I tried to take the pics without the light there were just weird shadows. This was a really quick look with mattes only and it was nice. The colors seem to be highly pigmented though so go lightly. this is only a second use so I’ll need to play around with it more, but that was how it seemed. These were the most neutral of the shades and while not very neutral I could easily wear to to a meeting without anyone thinking it strange. As I spend more times in meetings than parties, it is a consideration.

Oh the mascara. This Complex culture mascara came out of the gate strong. For the first few uses I adored it. It lengthened really well. And then it started clumping in the tube. The tube got messier and messier and more product clogged up the top so it actually looked older at a week old than some of my mascaras that are getting ready for the three month purge. (I don’t keep mascaras past three months any more. I was keeping them for six thinking i could push it but now I am keeping fewer open in general so my few open ones aren’t actually lasting past three months. At the moment I only have three open ones). This one isn’t three month’s old. I think it might be a month old and I had to fight the tube so much that this will be my last day of use. it is a mess and while it still looks good, it is not worth it. The top sticks and it is just a mess. Other products look as good if not better and don’t have these problems. I would literally choose to buy any of them before I would repurchase this one. Looks good, but isn’t worth it.

As a lip gloss I really like this Pout Bomb formula, It is glossy and while a little sticky when first applied, the stickiness fades. It has a nice mint smell and a slight tingle of the plumper. I did not check to see f it was plumping. Next time I use it I’ll take before and after photos to see if it is actually plumping. But plump or not, it is a really great gloss.

And that my darlings is today’s look. It is quick and simple, but it is kind of the week for quick and simple. I also had a meeting today and didn’t want to be glitter coated. This was my last in person meeting this week so I may play around with the glitter (the shifting greenish blue shade is calling my name actually). But for now it is back to work. Tomorrow, there will be glitter. Today is more e-mails and follow up calls. not as glamorous, but it is necessary.

The Daily: December 7th, 2022

Good afternoon my darlings. I hope you are having a fantastic Wednesday. It is rainy and cold and quite honestly I would love to curl right up with a mug of tea and a good book and forget the rest of the world exists today. Alas that is not possible as thee are several meetings I have to attend. Only one in person and the other are phone calls. Luckily thein person one will be coming up soon. After it I plan to take off my makeup and go through the rest of my day au natural.

My eye is feeling better. It is still red. Basically whatever I had in the eye on Tuesday scratched my eye while I was removing it and the eye basically just needs time to recover. While it is still red and the bags underneath are a little deep, it looks a lot better than yesterday. Because I have to drive and discovered yesterday that my glasses prescription is out of date, I had to put the contacts back in today. As soon as I get back from the meeting those are coming out too and the glasses are going back on. I just can’t drive with the old glasses. I put off replacing the lenses since I want to replace the frames too. I’ve had these frames for about eight years now so I think it is time for a change. I generally only wear my glasses when my eyes need a break from my contacts. Otherwise they sit on my night stand in case I have to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom or something.

It doesn’t really matter that they are a little out of date for that. So I was waiting until I found some frames I like to bother replacing the lenses. Its only when there are problems like this that I realize I really need to go ahead and get that done. I do know that FYTOO has a massive sale on glass frames right now (90% off on some). I think I might pop over there and see if any suit me so I can actually order those. For now it is the slightly off prescription for the rest of the day and the ibuprofen to deal with the resulting headache from the slightly off prescription. For today though there was minimal makeup. Just enough so I looked like I put forth an effort for the meeting and didn’t just roll out of bed to attend.

Today’s Look:

Primer: Glam Glow Supermatifying primer

Foundation: Bounce Liquid Whip Long Wear Foundation from Beauty Blender

Blush/Bronzer/Highlight: Marc Jacobs Cafe O Omega X Three

Powder: Flour in Oat by Beauty Bakerie

Shadow: Sweet Potato Pie Palette from Beauty Bakerie

Lips: Revolution Satin Lipstick in Ruby topped with Revolution Pout Bomb plumping gloss with vitamin E

Still trying to use up the glam glow primer. It is no longer available except on secondary sites like Amazon so I am pretty sure it has been discontinued. Which is sad as it is a good product. So, I will use up this last little bit and then sand the bulky compact away. It has been fantastic while it lasts.

This Beauty Blender foundation is still half off and I am still liking it. There will be a full review coming up soon. I just have a few more tests I want to put it through before I officially call it, but as a daily foundation it works really well.

I know Marc Jacobs is no longer making makeup, but I do love this compact. It is a slim line that is prefect for travel has a large mirror and the three products inside are fantastic. I will honestly use this until there is no more product and then i will just use it as a compact. It is still available at Walmart, which is where the above link will take you. Occasionally it will also pop up in the Boxy Shop. For me the shades work well on my winter skin and this compact travels well. If you are looking for something for travel, this isn’t a bad one to pick up. I went for it today because it was quick and easy.

The more I use this powder, the more I like it. It knocks back shine and locks makeup in place without making me look powdery. the slight tint to the powder in the Oat color means it isn’t a bright white and it isn’t too dark either, which is quite fabulous.

Today I went super minimal on the eyes. I used the one reddish brown shade across my lids and left off the mascara completely. A light touch with the shadow and one sweep blended across the lids. Quick, easy and good for my meetings today.

Both the Lipstick and the gloss came from my Look Fantastic Advent Calendar this year and this is the first use of both. The Lipstick goes on well and easily. I really enjoy the pigmentation and formula. It has a satin finish rather than a matte one so it was a little shiny on it’s own. I did top it with the plumping gloss mostly because I have a hard time resisting plumping glosses. This has a peppermint scent and a little sting. I honestly wasn’t paying attention to the plumping today so that is something I will have to test later. It was a little sticky going on but the stick factor faded and it is just a really shiny gloss. With some stinging and a peppermint scent. Over all I kind of like it. I’ll have to see if it actually does any plumping but for now it is a really good lip gloss top coat.

And that my darlings is me today. And now I am off to a meeting and when I return there will be a face wash, a removal of contacts and my hair will be tied up. then I might take a bit of time to look at glass frames. You know, before the headache sets in. Have a great day and I will see you tomorrow.