Happy Valentine’s Day my darlings. I hope you are having a fantastic one. I am afraid today is going to be a bit of a rushed post for me today. For Valentines day my babydoll booked a spa appointment for me. So I spent the morning adjusting my schedule so that I could take this afternoon off.
I love the fact that my babydoll thought of this as a gift and it is fantastic, but because it was a surprise I couldn’t plan any schedule shifts. To be honest I am not all that fond of surprises but he was so tickled that he thought of it, I just decided to enjoy it. Half of of gifting is accepting that giving you something brings other people joy when they see you are happy. And I do love the gift, that I am not complaining about at all.
I’m just not fond of surprises. I am pretty sure though his thought process was that all of the surprises last year were bad ones, wouldn’t it be nice if there was a good surprise. So I can’t fault him.
So compressed scheduling activated. The same applies to my makeup today. I went for products that I could use quickly and easily without having to think too much. Yup, it was five minute makeup time.
I seriously chose things that just go on without any issues. This Butter primer is silky smooth and just requires a few swipes over the face and then a quick blending with the fingertips. You know I love my No. 7 Foundation. it looks so good without much effort or a lot of product. And really the key to getting this foundation to look fabulous is to apply lightly. It isn’t really a buildable formula, but it looks great with a light touch.
The Milk Makeup bronzer is one swipe across the cheeks and then a quick blend with the fingertips. The Axiology I used as blush and it took two dots per cheek and then it was blended with fingertips (I wiped my fingers off between bronzer and blush). With the Axiology though do one cheek fully before moving to the second cheek It doesn’t set up super fast, but it is easier to blend if you apply and then blend and then apply the other cheek and blend. Then go back and see if you need to build it up more.
This Quad from Charlotte Tilbury is well worth the money on days like this. There are four shadows and you just move around the quad clockwise to apply and you are done. i went light today so i only used three. If I add in the fourth it does take me a little longer to get it just right , because it is a darker shade that requires a little more work. The first three can be put on with very little effort.
The ABH Mascara is fantastic and makes it look like I actually put more of an effort in. Quick easy and fabulous. It always looks good. This is either my second or third tube and I will always replace it when it runs out.
Finally I went with the Maybelline Superstay. The point of the crayon makes a great lip liner and then I fill in with product so it looks as I intended. then I blot and it stays all day.
I know you might be wondering why i bothered with makeup today. It is because I had a short morning meeting where I needed to look presentable before I went on with my day. As far as looks go, I like this one. It also took me a total of seven minutes to apply. Which is not bad. However it is now back to work for me as I have a couple of things that really need to get done before I take off early for my surprise appointment. I have to admit while I was a bit more frantic this morning, now as I am wrapping up the last of my todo list, I am getting excited. It has been quite a while since I have had a spa visit. i am kind of looking forward to being pampered for a bit. Which is I know, part of the reason for the gift. I hope you have a fantastic Valentines Day my darlings, no matter what it is you plan to do or who you are doing it with.
Good afternoon my darlings. Have you ever had one of those days where in the back of your brain you are convinced it is the wrong day? somehow my brain keeps telling me it is Wednesday instead of Thursday. It is really throwing me off. There are some things I do on Tuesdays and Thursdays and some how they are not clicking in. For example my Grimm Expansion Project on my writing site (ten-til-midnight) I convinced myself that it was Wednesday so it didn’t need to go up until tomorrow and then I looked at the calendar and realized today was Thursday and I had to scramble.
It has been like that all day and I have no idea why.
Does anyone know why that happens? maybe it was because Wednesday was so off that my brain just decided on a do over. Yesterday felt like i was running from one thing to another all day long. Not like in a normal work day where you move from one task to another but where you were almost done with something when something starts to pull you away so you hurry the last of the task while listening to the details of the next one so they sort of run into each other.
The interesting part was none of them were emergencies. they were the sorts of things you just need to get done before you forget so that they don’t become emergencies down the road. It wasn’
t a bad day, just a strange one.
this one hasn’t been bad either. It has been busy but whatever brought yesterdays task deluge on has eased up so it is just a normal work day. I did manage to sneak a walk in. The clouds were dark and heavy though so i felt like I was being pressed down as I walked. I went on my normal length of walk but I shaved ten minutes off my time. It wasn’t intentional, I think I just walked faster because it felt like rain was coming. We are sitting at 34 degrees so it would be rain, just really cold rain. The rain has not arrived yet but every time I glance out of the window it looks like the sky is getting lower and lower. I feel like getting my walk in was actually some sort of victory. This entire week has been me versus the weather, but to be fair, every January is like that. I flipped through one of my journals last night. While the weather bouncing has been more extreme than in most years, January the biggest complaints were all about the weather not being good for walking. It was just more consistent temperature wise.
It made me feel a little bit better to see that.
Today I decided to go quick and simple with my makeup.
I am really impressed by this AOA Primer. It is a bit crumbly though until it warms up. Then it blends smoothly and really does a good job filling pores and blurring out fine lines.
Now that I know this HODE Foundation is not expired I am returning to testing it. And actually I have to say it is a really good formula. It does need a pore filling primer underneath if you have fine lines. I have noticed it is especially willing to settle in the fine lines at the edges of my mouth. But it blends beautifully and looks fantastic on the skin.
I went for the Fenty Palette today because I was trying to streamline my makeup so I could get my day going. Plus my babydoll misplaced both his keys and glasses this morning so we ended up starting the day with a search which delayed things. So I felt a bit crunched I used the second lightest bronzer as my bronzer today and it worked really well. I went one shade darker for the all over my eyelid shade with the silver highlight in the inner corner and the darkest shade for a little definition along the lash line. Personally I really like how it turned out.
I adore the Illamasqua blush and love how well it worked with this foundation. Thee was no pulling and it blended easily. The Fenty Beauty palette doesn’t really work well for highlighters so I left it off and set my face with the beauty Bakerie Flour Powder. I really enjoy the formula and the slight tint to the oat shade works really well for my skin.
This was the first use of the UOMA mascara and I am very impressed with it. My lashes look longer and thicker, but even more it is a very smooth formula. Thee ae no flakes and even as it dries it doesn’t feel as stiff as some other mascaras. It really feels like nothing is there. Thus far it is a really good first use.
And then i finished with Maybelline for the lips. I am really thrilled with the Ink Crayon formula. the point of the crayon makes a great lip liner so i don’t need a second product. The lipstick glides on smoothly. It feels waxy until you blot it and then it is very easy to simply forget that you are wearing it. It is also really long lasting which I appreciate. I did a little touch up after lunch, but only because I had a quick video meeting. I probably wouldn’t have bothered otherwise and just been happy to wear it the rest of the day. it is very impressive and makes me want to pick up more shades. Admittedly i will either have to order on line or wait until my local drug store restocks. The pickings were slim when I took a stroll through. And to be honest I picked this lipstick up because it was one of the racks with product on it and I thought the color might be nice. I am very glad I did, but picking it up wasn’t my intent. Now,. I am going to take a closer look at the rack.
But that is me today my darlings. It was a relatively quick look to pull together. Simple, but I think it works. Don’t you just love when that happens?
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)
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.
This is my one and only political comment. I don’t care who you are or what your politics are. I don’t care if you agree with my politics or not. Every person deserves to have their opinion count. The only way your opinion counts is if you vote. So if you can, get out there and vote. I know it can be a pain to get to. My poling place is well off my normal beaten track. I know you are busy. But this is important. Make the time and do it. You deserve to have your opinion count, no matter what that opinion is. So no excuses. Go and vote.
Hopefully that was not too painful for you. And I promise, that is all the political talk.
Today is election day so there are actually more people moving about near me than usual. I know several of my neighbors were given a bit of time off to go and vote. As the polls didn’t open this morning until 8 am and almost everyone leaves the neighborhood between seven and seven thirty in the morning it was like the entire neighborhood slept in. I actually did early voting at the library as it is easier to time when they are not busy since i work from home. My babydoll has been running such a crazy schedule that he missed early voting and had to go this morning. Since actual voting is at a school with a very small parking lot I drove him, dropped him off to go through the line and picked up a few things at the pharmacy before circling back to pick him up. There are just far too many people trying to park in a very small lot.
But now we have both done our civic duty and knocked one errand off the to do list. So that was nice.
It did throw my schedule off a little bit today. In reality it wasn’t a lot of time but somehow I have found that a little bit of off in my schedule can sometimes throw me more off balance than if a big chunk is taken out. Maybe it is because if I have a chunk taken out I automatically start mentally rescheduling things but if it is only a little bit of time I always thing, oh I can make that up easy. So there is no real rescheduling just a wondering of why everything seems to take so long.
And so today feels like everything took just a little bit longer. But I’m not really too far behind.
The rain has stopped and the temperature dropped, but the park is still flooded from the rain, so no walking today. there was an indoor workout. I like the indoor stuff because those exercises are always good for strength, but i really miss the calorie burn of the walking. But I am not wading in knee deep creek water to do it. So, indoor workouts today it is. Especially since flooding in the park brings up mold, mold brings up my allergies and then I can’t really breath very well which is not good for exercise.
I want to walk today, but my lungs will actually thank me not to try. Somedays it simply is what it is. But I still have my fingers crossed for a retreat of the flood tomorrow.
The more I use this primer, the more I really like it. I’m never a huge fan of the luminizing primers but I really like the pore blurring of this primer. I also really like the way this primer sits under makeup. It has a slight stickiness to it (not mega gripping, but it is there) and I think it helps lock everything into place as well. It is the pore blurring I am most loving though.
this Yensa foundation is growing on me. I still like the BC formula better, but as the weather gets colder and I lean more into actual foundations rather than the lighter bb, and tinted moisturizers of summer, I am liking this more. The shade works well for me but it does have a slightly yellow cast. I corrected this by using a pink setting powder and it worked beautifully. And yes I am still using the last of my Becca Pink Haze setting powder. I really need to find a new setting powder since this is discontinued due to the brand closing shop, but I haven’t found a replacement yet so i am just using the last of it up before letting it go. If anyone has any pink setting powder suggestions let me know.)
Weirdly the Milk Makeup Bronzer did not work terribly well for me today. It kept blending out into nothing (and yes I applied all cream products before the powder even though I listed the powder first). Something about this bronzer and this foundation didn’t mesh. they didn’t really want to play together. I’m not sure why as I haven’t had issues with this bronzer before. I’ll keep playing with it and see if it is just a one off though.
I have not used this blush for a daily look for a while. i will use it on weekends because it is a good product. I believe it has been discontinued. Which is a shame because it is a really good blush. I am not sure why Julep no longer makes it, but they don’t. And I am pretty much down to pan on the one I have and so this is the final use for me. The link above will take you to their active makeup page. Their shadow sticks are absolutely fantastic if you are looking into the brand. In fact I haven’t had a product from them I didn’t like. And as it is rare that I use a blush down to pan, you can tell I really liked this blush. But it is no more and so this is it’s last use before parting. So long makeup of the past.
I like this palette and I am trying to use all of the shades in it, but it is not a fast palette to use. The shadows can be powdery so you need to tap the brush off, but there isn’t a lot of fall out once applied. It isn’t a palette that I would reach for to do a quick look before running out of the door though. Which is odd as the Venus exposed palette is one of my favorite “I have no time and need to dash on something before I leave” palette. I think that boils down to color selection. Plus I don’t think it is quite as powdery. I may use it tomorrow as a comparison. In the end I was pleased with how every thing turned out, bit this is not a palette to turn to when i am in a rush.
As for the Mascara, I love this formula. It always makes my lashes look fantastic with very little effort.
This is my first use of the Maybelline gloss and I have to say I love it. I have the shade Reef which is pinker than I usually go (I picked it up in a hurry at the store). even though it is more pink than usual for me I really like the way it looks. I think it helps that it is a sheer wash of color rather than an opaque one. But color aside, this gloss feels fantastic. It smells of coconut and tastes a little sweet, but it isn’t sticky and it is just a really comfortable gloss. I am definitely going to be looking at other shades of this formula. I am very pleased with this impulse buy.
and yes I know I really should have done my brows today but I forgot. My bangs were too long for a while so I got out of the habit. Now they are trimmed and I need to remember the brows. And I swear they were trimmed evenly but I went to bed with wet hair and they are just impossible today.
But my darlings that is me. And now, it is back to work as I have many files needing editing. I hop you have a fantastic day. And remember to go vote. It’s important.
Good afternoon my darlings. Yesterday, I might have overdone it on the walks. The weather was just so beautiful and I had the fear of the scale in me. I can’t lie, I went to bed a little footsore. I do feel validated today though as the sky is gray and low and rain is predicted to start tonight and run for a couple of days.
It makes me feel like i planned ahead instead of going crazy for the nice weather like a prisoner suddenly let loose. Yesterday was just one of those perfect walking days and I am now glad I took advantage of it.
And to be fair the rain is a good excuse to restart my indoor workouts up again. Which i know I need to do. I just don’t enjoy it as much as I do walking so I tend to let it slide in favor of walks when I can.
There is nothing like external factors making you do something you know you should have been doing anyway. But before the afternoon indoor workout begins and the makeup comes off, let’s take a look at the makeup I put on today.
I am going to be trying different foundations with the Maybelline perfecter to see how it performs. I don’t think it will ever give me enough coverage to be considered even a light coverage product even though it says you can use it on it’s own. It does make a pretty good primer however. It is a bit glowy which as it is literally called a 4-in-1 Glow shouldn’t be a surprise. It did maintain the glow under the revolution Fast base foundation stick. It isn’t pore filling, but it does some burring which I like. It is is also really light weight which i love. At the moment I am very glad I picked it up to add to my collection. We’ll see how that remains as I continue to mix and match it with products. I will say though that when purchasing, I had better luck matching my shade to the chart in front of the products than I did to the product in the container. I was nervous that this was too dark looking at the actual bottle even though it seemed to be my shade. (I have 1.5 Light Medium). So my advice is to match to the swatch rather than what appears to be in the bottle. That is what i did and it seems to have matched me well.
While I am testing out different foundations with the Maybelline I never really need an excuse to pick up the Fast Base Foundation Stick. I love this formula and I have repurchased it repeatedly over the years. I originally purchased it because I wanted a foundation that wouldn’t leak when traveling and I thought a stick would work. It does, but the formula puts it in my top three foundations. It actually beat out some pricier ones to make the cut. It also helps that this shade just works for me most of the year so I don’t need multiple shades. I have F11 in the mid summer when my tan is the darkest, i need to use a little bronzer to darken it slightly and in the whitest of my depths of winter skin I only need to lighten it with a little setting powder. I am about halfway through this tube but it is a product I will always reorder when i start to run out.
Since I do have half a tube left I didn’t reorder it in my recent Revolution order. I should have a package coming from them later today actually. I ordered the Coraline Palette. The colors just looked fantastic and I just couldn’t resist. Of course I ordered it and then a few days later I saw that the Beetlejuice line has now been restocked. (it was out when I ordered). So there may be a future order. For now though I am looking forward to the Coraline Palette. It has been a while since i have ordered any of their eyeshadows actually. But that is for the future. Moving on…
I went with the ABH bronzer today mostly because it is a highly pigmented bronzer. I like it, but it is a very bold bronze. It does blend out nicely with my normal makeup tools. I am testing out the AOA brushes at the moment and I wanted to see how they handled blending out a more pigmented bronzer. with the light look I used yesterday it wasn’t much effort. I was pleased with how well they worked today. Some brushes aren’t substantial enough for highly pigmented products. This worked today. and I love the tones of this bronzer. It just requires either a light hand or a good blending brush.
Today I use the Benefit Gold Rush Blush. I strongly suspect that it has been discontinued. It has been out of stock for a long time (since the new blush releases actually, which makes sense). so the above link will just take you to the blush page for benefit Cosmetics. I really like their blushes. This was one of my favorites and I have actually hit pan on it. I am going to try to finish it up before the end of the year. I want to try out some of the new ones or possibly go for a blush palette from them (because i like their formulas) but i want to use this up before i allow myself to purchase it. I was hoping to have it done by the time the holiday kits came out, but I got distracted. I was hoping to order the new blush(s) when I picked out the holiday kit i wanted this year (I tend to pick up one each year. well one for me, I tend to order several and then give them as gifts, but I usually end up adding whichever one features the Bad Gal Bang Mascara to the order for myself.) Looking for Gold Rush to see if it was actually discontinued or not I found the Holiday Kits and Advent Calendars are already out. (they look great by the way). So now my goal is to finish out this blush by the end of the year.
My setting powder today was the By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra Powder and honestly I was blown away by how well it worked and felt against the skin. It dimmed the shine from greasy to glow without looking powdery and it feels great against the skin. I know I sound surprised it works so well when there are loads of people who rave about the brand, but prior to this the only thing I tried from the brand was the rose lip gloss. It is intensely rose scented feels amazing on the lips and leaves them wonderfully healthy looking but tastes like you are sucking on a perfume bottle. And while you shouldn’t really judge makeup on taste, with lip products it is hard not to. It was a product i loved and hated all at the same time. This powder, I just love. It sets beautifully without looking powdery.
all four shades in the quad were used but the two silvers blended together in the middle. The lighter silver shade looks whitish/pinkish in the pan if you are looking at the palette
I had an interesting time with the AOA palette today. I recently picked up all four of the Orbit Quads from AOA (as each was only $1 it isn’t as decadent as it sounds). Yesterday I used mercury which was super easy to use and blended like a dream. Today was Neptune’s chance on the lids. I don’t like it as much. I think part of it was first use dislike though. The silvery shades I had to work with the brush to get it loose enough to go on the brush. I don’t know if it was pressed hard, or a quality of the metallic silver. It might have been an over spray. After I played with it a bit i did get it to apply well.
the quad. Once past the top pressed layer things got a bit messy
This quad has three shimmers and one Matte. I think all four of them are set up that way. While I didn’t feel I needed a second matte with the Mercury palette, here I felt like an additional matte would have been a good idea. Especially as the two silvers are virtually indistinguishable once on the eye lid. there was also more fall out this time (there was none from yesterday’s palette). but again, that could just be the silver. I will continue through the quads and see how the other two perform and then do a wrap up with all four. But at this point I don’t like Neptune as much as I like Mercury.
Every time i reach for the Patrick Ta Major Volume I feel like it is misnamed. It gives great length but it isn’t really great on volume. It is a comfortable mascara to wear on a daily basis, but it is more a lengthening than a volumizing product.
And finally today I use the NARS Lipstick. It has been a while since I used a traditional lipstick from NARS. The color and quality was always there but they were a little drying. This NARS Lipstick is a revamp. The same classic colors but a new formula. This one came in Boxy and it is fantastic. the fab color is there but the dryness is gone from the formula. It is amazingly comfortable to wear. The trade off is that it will transfer. It never dries down completely. So there will be some lip prints However the prints lighten and disappear as you wear the lipstick throughout the day, but the color remains on your lips. I love a good red lip and this is just fantastic.
And so my darlings, that is me today. I know i blathered on a bit more than usual but what can I say, there was a lot to talk about. Hopefully I didn’t lose you before the lipstick. But alas it is back to work for me now. Have a great rest of the day.
Good afternoon my darlings. Do you see the photo to the side? I know, some of you are wondering why I took pictures of my shoes. But those aren’t just any shoes. Look closely, do you see? That’s right, they are close toed shoes.
Those are actually two of my favorite pairs of shoes actually. I tend to wear them from fall through spring. Thy are getting a bit worn actually and I will soon be looking for replacements, but that is not the point. The point is that in the summer they live in the closet, in a heat induced hibernation. I simply can’t wear them in the summer because I will overheat. With the exception of my walking shoes I haven’t worn closed toed shoes since May. And truthfully since we hit our first 90 degree day the first week of May, sandals arrived with Cinco de Mayo.
If you look on the calendar t=you will see that Thursday Autumn officially begins. And while my tomato plants are still producing like it’s July and I am just now starting to harvest the first of the cantaloupes (Halloween melons anyone?) the temperatures have dropped enough that I felt justified in slowly edging out a few of my favorite early fall pieces. Like the shoes. It also helps that this weekend the strap broke on my sandals. While I purchased a couple new pairs in the spring this was the pair that I was hoping would last one more summer. You know that really comfortable pair that despite how fab they feel were discontinued by the brand and you can’t find anywhere any more? This was my pair. I hoped they had one last summer in them and they did, barely. So away they went and to make them feel like they survived to the end of the summer I took out the first of the fall shoes.
Not that I think the shoes actually care, but I am so ready for fall and it seemed like a good reason. I also felt like today needed a bit of glitter and I started taking out some fall makeup. But we’ll get to that below. Today though, I was feeling like fall, despite the overflowing tomatoes.
got a hair cut over the weekend. The bangs were trimmed and I had layers put in. It feels so much lighter and has a lot more movement.
like I said i was feeling fall today and for me that meant getting out an actual foundation instead of a tinted moisturizer. I went for the NARS because it is beautiful And it works well with the Tatcha Primer underneath. We all know I don’t need an excuse to use the Tatcha primer. It is one of my absolute favorites. It lasts forever and is well worth the price.
The NARS foundation is a good one. You have to shake it before use, especially if you don’t use t everyday. I always forget how little product you actually need for this foundation. A little goes a really long way and it lasts a really long time. It is a luminous formula that is still on the matte side. As you all know I am not a dewy look kind of person so for me this is perfect. it is brightening and works well. I did go a little heavy with it today because I simply forgot how little is actually needed. It is a thinner formula so it is more like a serum than a cream. Which is something to watch out for when applying. I might use this again tomorrow because I just like it.
The foundation is slightly too light for me (It is my winter shade) so I used the Fenty setting powder. It is in the shade cashew and is slightly too dark for me. The two paired well. By using the darker powder with the lighter foundation I actually got something that looks fine for me.
For the bronzer I reached for the Viseart. I like the formula and I was thrilled that it is now back in stock. For a long while they just couldn’t keep it in stock. It felt like taunting when I used it and it was out of stock. ‘Oh I like this bronzer but you can’t get it because it is out of stock. Ha Ha.’ Not that I was thinking that, but it felt that way. Now it is back in stock so I can recommend it again. It is a product that is more buildable than it is pigmented. For me this helps as i sometimes get my balance off so I like sort of drawing a light line on my cheek so I can make sure that my cheeks match before I build it up. It does blend very well also and I just find it to be a good product. And it is back in stock.
The ND Bloom palette sits in the back of the drawer because of it’s height but I really like it and need to find a way to bring it forward. I have a blush declutter coming up so perhaps once i clear a few products out I will find a way to adjust it’s location so I can reach for it more. I love the cream blush in this palette. I’m not as enamored of the highlight as I prefer something a little more subtle but I like it enough that when i take the blush out I will use the highlighter. I would still like just a pan of that cream blush though.
The iMethod stamp is a favorite so that I can get my brows to look like they match. The stencil is a permeant addition to my makeup bag, the pomade is however running very low. I will need to replace it soon. I like the pomade formula. I need to try it with my other formulas to see if they work as well with the stamp application.
The Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Brag i like more and more each time I use it and I will certainly be repurchasing it. It has a fluffy hourglass wand and is fantastic with both volume and length. I haven’t had any problem with flaking either which is nice and again a reason to repurchase when this tubes time is done.
the semi dried out color tattoo was hard to work with but I do love the shade and that glitter
For shadows, I wanted to use the Glitter shadow from Hourglass. I just felt like a little shimmer for a Monday. Because of it’s size it is stored with my Color tattoos from Maybelline. So I took one of the mattes out to use. It is a bit dried out. and it was hard to use. So it doesn’t look the best and the eyes don’t match because of it, but it was still usable, barely. I may try the rehydrating with facial oil trick on it because when they aren’t dry they are fabulous. Today, not so much. We’ll see how the rehydration goes. I did love the Hourglass though. There is a little fall out mid afternoon because I didn’t use a primer. Also when I used the Hourglass with the Maybelline when it wasn’t dried out, the cream shadow helped lock in the Hourglass without a primer. They make a great pair actually. And if my attempt to save this cream shadow doesn’t work I will probably just repurchase it. It is a good formula. I may have to order it though as the drugstore almost never has the color I want when i go in.
And finally I used the Velvet Lip from Guerlain. I adore this formula. It is a bullet style lipstick but once it settles into place it stays there. I did not leave a trail of lip prints on coffee mugs and tea cups throughout the day. If it weren’t so pricey I would stock up on this formula in multiple shades. As it is, I will use this one down to the nub and purchase a refill. It looks great and is super comfortable to wear. Plus it has some weight to it so it feels extra luxe to use. Even if i am in a t-shirt working at my desk today, I felt super special putting it on. And it never hurts to use something that makes you feel special.
And so my darlings that is todays look. I was thinking fall and leaned into it hoping the weather would follow. I know we are due a few more sweltering days and it will be October before fall thinks about arriving, but I am hopeful and a little encouragement can’t hurt. So it is back to work for me now. Have a fantastic rest of your Monday.
Good afternoon my darlings. Have you ever had a day where everything just chugs along as expected. No mishaps, no emergencies, no surprises? Just the day quietly moving along as planned? I know it is the sort of day that once it is passed will slip through the cracks in my memory and be forgotten in a haze, but to be honest it feels fabulous.
I think it has just been such a strange spring for me. Every time I turned around there was another large must deal with event coming down. There were some high points but there were some low points but it was a very spiky looking graph because there seemed to be no mid points.
The transmission on my vehicle started to slip and needed expensive repairs. I got a commission on a project I really wanted to work on. My brother died. I received an award. My heating and air conditioning unit needed to be replaced. One of my younger cousins had twins. One of my best friend’s father died. One of my cousin’s kid’s graduated with honors. A friend got married, two friends got divorced.
I’m sure there were a few more things in there. Some of them happened to me, some around me, but this was not a quiet spring. It was a season of emotional rollercoasters. It felt more like a cork had been popped out and everything just sort of spewed forth in one big gush. I think a lot of it might have been things that were delayed due to earlier lock downs and rescheduling issues and it just all happened to land at once. But it kind of makes me appreciate the solidly steady quiet days where things just go as intended.
Today, I watered, I worked out, I showered and dressed for the day, I worked, I had a a Smoothie Box smoothie (Orange – it was delicious) for lunch. I went back to work. Then I remembered I was going to marinade the salmon we were having for dinner (we just got a Vital Choice order, in fact because it came in around the same time as the Smoothie Box we are thinking of getting one of those small stand alone coolers Nothing large, but in the summer we eat a lot more fish so we order Vital Choice more often (plus there is a huge sale going on right now, I;ll link it below) so that it is on hand and my babydoll wants more room to stash his freeze pops. Yes those plastic tubes of colored sugar water and ice you freeze. He loves them and couldn’t find space in the freezer).
The marinade is my favorite, equal parts maple syrup and soy sauce, freshly grated ginger, a couple of pinches of pepper flakes and that’s it. I put everything in a bag so it is easy to turn after two hours and I put the bag in a bowl in the fridge so if the bag springs a leak there won’t be sticky marinade in the fridge. We are having it with roasted green beans that have a dash of sesame oil and some sesame seeds on them. Beans are in season here so you can buy huge bags locally. I roast a whole pan and the left overs will get pureed and mixed with potato so so tomorrow we will have a sort of vegetable pancakes to go with our gochujang chicken.
Yup my biggest concern thus far was making sure I had a plan to use the leftover beans I know we will have.
Today was an interesting mix of new and old, or maybe I should say established. I started with the trial size of primer that came in my Allure. It is one of those tubes that is mostly empty. I might be able to squeak two more uses out of it. It is from the Sephora line and I have to admit when I saw it in the Allure box I wasn’t thrilled, but I did think that if it was there then maybe it was there because it was really good. It is the sort of slippy silicone feeling primers. It works well. It isn’t fabulous but it is functional. It is the sort of thing that if i was placing a Sephora order and needed one more thing to push me over a spending limit, I might add. It is not something that I would look for or specifically go to buy. It is a $16 primer so it is more affordable, but honestly I think the Elf primers are $8 or $9 depending on where you get them and they are better. So if you were looking for an affordable primer I would go there before going to the Sephora line. It does a decent job, it just isn’t rave worthy.
The Revolution Fast Base foundation stick on the other hand is a standby summer favorite. I finished up a tube last summer and then when Revolution had a sale I restocked. This was my first use this summer and I do love this foundation stick. It doesn’t need to be warmed up, blends easily and I found my perfect match (F11 in case you are wondering). It is something that I can wear now and will be able to wear throughout the summer and into the fall when my tan fades. I generally end up using up a tube of this foundation every summer.
The Too Faced bronzer, is a regular use product, it tends to work better for me when I am more tan so it does get more use in the summer. and lets face it the compact is beautiful too so it is nice to play with.
The IBY blush I saw in the drawer this morning and could not honestly remember using. I opened it and it looked untouched. It also looked like a good shade for me. I’m guessing it came in a subscription over the winter and I thought ‘summer shade’ and put it to the side. It is a darker tone and for a first use it worked well. It isn’t highly pigmented but it beldns without disappearing which is nice. I’ll play around with it and see if I am going to add it to my summer makeup, but first use seems promising.
I like the Kim Chi Powder. It is a good quality and with the powder pudd I don’t need to use all that much which keeps it from looking powdery. I did notice if I used a brush then it could look powdery, so I always use the puff with this powder.
Because I wanted to play around with the metallic foil I just used the Maybelline to give me a little darker shade towards the edges. I really do love these color tattoo shadows. It took me a while to figure out how to work with them but in the end they turned out to be fantastic. I need to figure out how to get myself to reach for them more. It is an on going problem with the single shadows. I paired them down to the ones I really like, but I just need to figure out an organizational system that works. So it worked fantastically as always. The gold was the pone I was playing around with. It is the Lottie London. When I used a brush, there was fall out. when I used my finger there was less fall out but it was a bit messy because my finger was just too large. Today I soaked a cotton swab with Setting Spray (Benefit Cosmetics Super Setter) and it was perfect. It had the rounded tip of the finger and the dampness locked in the powder so there was no fall out but it had the maneuverability of a shadow brush. I now want to try this with all of my loose pigments. I don’t know why I didn’t try it before. It was a fantastic solution and thus far I have had zero fall out.
Even though Marc Jacobs Beauty is no more, I found an unopened back up of the Velvet noir and decided to use it. I’ll try to use it more on the days when I don’t post a daily so that I am using products available to purchase if you find them appealing (I hate when I see something I like only to find it no longer exists). this was my favorite mascara for a long time, but Marc Jacobs Beauty has closed. Also I saw an article about Revlon closing too. Which I admit stunned me more than Marc Jacobs.
Revlon is declaring bankruptcy. That seems almost unfathomable.
So we end with lips. I chose the M@UNYC because I like it, it is matte and it dries fairly quickly. I wanted to try the lip plumper over it. The TYS doesn’t have a huge amount of plumping that I can see (but it does tingle a lot) and it has the same effect over lipstick as it did on bare lips. Which was what i was testing today. And it worked.
And so that is me. I was a bit long winded today, maybe with everything seeming calmer I just felt like chatting. I hope you don’t mind. I am tickled my cotton swab idea panned out and I will be trying it elsewhere. I am also thrilled I thought up an advance plan for the left over green beans. I know, not buckets of excitement, but today, that is an amazing thing. Have a great rest of your afternoon.
Hell my darlings. have you ever had that moment where you are using a product as you always do and suddenly you read the packaging and have a eureka moment? Maybe it is just me, sometimes I can be a bit slow, especially before my coffee. So this morning I was doing my morning skincare and I reached for my moisturizer, which at the moment is the Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre (retail $28 – which I list here because it is just an amazing price for such a great moisturizer)) and I see the words Multi Functional on the tube.
And then I remember seeing something about how makeup artists had been recommending this dermatologist created product since the 1950s. At first I thought, ‘we’ll yeah, it is always easier to put makeup over good skin.’ Then I went a little further and realized it could be used as a makeup base so today before i put on my makeup I applied a thin layer and let it settle in for about ten minutes.
It was amazing.
Giving it that little time to settle in was perfect. All of my products applied better this morning than usual. I think as soon as my month long trial is done, the rest of this tube is being relocated to my dressing table for pre makeup use as I switch to the second moisturizer in this line. I was just floored. I think part of it is that this Foundation has tended to look a little dry in the afternoons and applying the Embryolisse before completely eliminated that. It does alter my opinion of the foundation slightly, but by now I already more or less know how I feel about it. I just had to share about the Embryolisse because I was so excited. And now I am just going to jump into the makeup today because I did end up adjusting the products. I’ll get into it below. Let’s list them first.
Okay so I started with the Embryolisse and Quite honestly i may be starting with that as my pre makeup base from now on. It made everything apply better because my skin was recently hydrated and it kept products that have been drying out in the late afternoon from drying out because the layer of moisture was added just under them. Big fan of that. That may be my makeup hat trick from now on.
I had planned to see how the Charlotte Tillbury worked over the Tatcha primer when applying with the makeup sponge and not using the brush and so I went with that. I adore the Tatcha primer so using it was easy to talk myself into. The Tatcha was as always beautiful to work with. I absolutely adore the scent as much as the product. Today I used the Natasha Moor Sponge to apply the foundation. I have some thoughts about the shape, but I’ll save the sponge review for later. The foundation does work better with a makeup sponge application. It just is always going to streak a little if you use a brush. Some foundations are like that. Its just good to know which ones and use the right tools.
Today I used the concealer around my eyes. I actually put it on before the foundation and after the primer. Mostly because I noticed that this foundation has been settling into the fine lines around my eyes in the late afternoon and concealer tends to hep me out. The primer fills in the lines smoothing the canvas of my face and then the concealer on lids and around the eyes adds just that little extra layer to block the foundation from sinking in. I also discovered that I am almost completely out of concealer. I rally like this Maybelline one and will be replacing it. while I like others, this one has worked the best for me.
I know i was supposed to continue testing the Nudestix bronzer, but everything was applying so well and it was not the best at blending. And the Too Faced contour palette had been left out so I just went ahead and reached for it. As always it worked fantastically well.
Since I went ahead with what would keep the nice application going I went with the Gold Rush Blush and the Wander Beauty highlighter. I know you probably get sick of me rolling them into the mix a lot, but they are both beautiful products. I will shake things up and rotate more of the products, but for today, they were fabulous.
I am still trying to use up the Becca Pink Haze while looking for a pink tones setting powder to replace it with. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know. I’ve tried a couple but none of them work quite as well. Still as Becca has gone out of business, I must find a replacement.
I used the brow wiz because I was reminded I had it by the arrival of a trial size. I like this product and don’t mind using it. It isn’t my favorite formula, but it works well.
While I will always love my Big Poppa Mascara, I am still on the fence about this Nomad Palette. I love the formula, but this palette is really not a stand out. I reach for it because it is easy, works well and doesn’t require a lot of thought. I always come out with almost exactly the same look. The red toned hues work well but the browns not so much. So everything in this palette ends up looking similar for me. I am on the fence about it staying. Because it is so quick and easy to use I reach for it, but I also know that if I got rid of it there are palettes I enjoy more that i would reach for just as easily. It is something I need to think about before my next declutter. While Nomad’s Berlin Underground will stay until the pans are down to empty metal, the Tuscany themed one might not be around much longer.
And finally we have the lips. I like the color of the Persona Lip liner and it is creamy enough to apply all over the lips. However ten minutes after applying my lips are gasping for moisture so I put the Thrive cosmetics clear topper over them. I really like the look of the pairing. and my lips don’t feel dried out and desiccated. In general I Like Thrive products. Their mascara was fantastic and this lip topper is a good one, I just need to remember to reach for it more.
And that was todays look for me. Honestly i was just so blown away by using the Embryolisse as a base that I forgot everything. The sun is shining, the walk on the trail was nice and work is as always crazy. But today, my makeup also looks pretty good.
Oh my darlings we have reached that time of year. It is the time of year where inventory is taken, gaps marked out and the list of current sales grows longer each day. So each year I look at the products I use or have used throughout the year and decide which ones are worthy of repurchasing. Because the one thing better than getting a product you like is getting it on sale. while some sales have already been activated, some are yet to come, as they approach I’ll try to list them. For now, we look at products worth bothering to pick up. After all, even if it is on sale, somethings don’t need to be purchased. It is only a deal if it is a good product.
Since I reviewed a drug store shampoo this morning, I thought it only fair to continue with another drug store item, foundation. Now some of you may be looking at the above photo and thinking that you see some Ulta products. When searching my Drug store foundations, I saw several I liked that I knew were from Ulta so I addend them onto this list since they didn’t really fit anywhere else. There is an Ulta in my town so I can pick them up just as though I was running to the drug store, hence their inclusion. I don’t have a Sephora in town so I order from them on line, but generally pick up Ulta products in person.
As with all my foundations, I go with medium coverage and I wear primer underneath them.
So on to the items.
No 7 Lift and Luminate Triple Action Serum Foundation: It does have SPF 15 in the mix, but that is just an extra perk and not something you should count on. What I like about this foundation is that the serum consistency makes it fairly melt into the skin. It is suitable for sensitive skin and I have never had any issues with it. Because of the bendability of the formula the shades are fairly flexible. I can actually use the same foundation year round and simply adjust it slightly at the extreme light and dark times of the year (aka mid-summer and mid-winter). It is a beautiful medium coverage foundation.
E.L.F Acne Fighting Foundation: I’ve tried quite a few Elf foundations at this point and I think this one may be my favorite from the brand. It is excellent if you are in the midst of hormonal break outs (or any other breakouts actually) as it doesn’t irritate them at all. While I don’t know if it actually does fight blemishes, it doesn’t make them any worse. I apply in a thin layer at first and then blend it in. Going light with this foundation helps it not to streak with a makeup brush. Of all of these foundations, it is probably the most long wearing. It doesn’t melt into the skin like the serum foundations on this list, but it blends really well and stays in place all day.
Maybelline Fit Me Matte and Poreless: This is a classic must have for a reason. It applies well, stays on all day and looks fantastic. The only reason I don’t reach for it more is because of the bottle. The glass bottle has an open mouthed top. I always end up pouring out more product than I need. I know that in some places like Look Fantastic, you can order the foundation in a squeezable tube that is easier to control. If you can find this at your drugstore, go for it. My drug store only sells the glass bottles. Normally I am all about glass, but it is the open pour that bothers me. I tend to appropriate a dropped from a now empty skincare product to use it. It is a great foundation, it is just that pour.
Catrice HD Liquid Coverage Foundation: I know there are a lot of people out there who dislike this foundation for one reason or another. I actually like it. I think I like it because I don’t wear it more than about ten hours at a time. The bottle says 24 hour coverage. I’d say 12 is more realistic. As I said I rarely wear makeup more than 10 hours at a stretch. And in that time, this foundation looks great. It is a fuller coverage foundation than the others on this list. It is still medium coverage, but it is on the higher end of medium. It is what I lean towards when I have to give a presentation and know I’m going to be under some bright lights and the focus of the room’s attention. Again, I wouldn’t wear it more than 12 hours, but in those 12 hrs it performs beautifully.
Ulta Youthful Glow Foundation Serum Drops: I was very impressed with this Ulta Foundation. It actually came as a bit of a surprise for me. I tried a couple of other Ulta foundations and hated them. I tried this one honestly because I liked the look of the bottle and i think it was on sale. The bottle of course, has changed. I am actually almost out of this and will have to repurchase it soon. So I don’t feel too bad about the old packaging as it will soon go away. I do however like the older packaging more than the new. I will happily repurchase this foundation again. I don’t there are many Ulta products in general I would say that about, and certainly no other foundations. Part of that is that I like the serum style foundation. I prefer foundations that blend into the skin and feel weightless. This one does. It looks good on the skin and lasts all day. It doesn’t have as high a coverage as some of the other foundations on this list so I generally use it when I am having a pretty good skin day. The big thing to remember with this foundation is to shake well before use.
Revolution Fast Base Foundation Stick: I seriously debated whether or not to include this on this list. But then I realized it is the stick foundation I find myself reaching for more often than the other products. Stick foundations are great when you are traveling or in a hurry. Well they are great in a hurry if they blend well. This one does blend well and gives good coverage that lasts throughout the day. It has a fairly wide shade range, however it doesn’t have a lot of flexibility. I have to keep two shades, one for summer and one for winter. As it is a very inexpensive product and quite contained, having two isn’t a problem, it is just something to keep in mind when shopping. It is a creamy formula and one that I tend to choose when traveling.
So there you have it, the top drugstore foundations I am currently using and would consider replacing. All of the links will take you to sites where you can find them. I believe some of the sales have already begun. If not, then just wait a few weeks for Black Friday sales to really get underway and then stock up. For me, all of the products but the Catrice (which I tend to use for public presentations which haven’t happened in a while) and the No7 (which I just repurchased) are getting low enough in product that I have them on my repurchase list. The elf and the Revolution products are the two I will repurchase first, the others will depend on the other items I need to replace. I hope when planning your shopping lists, this helps you out.
Welcome to another Monday afternoon. I hope that everyone had a fantastic weekend. I know that my Friday posts sounded a little off. I skipped both the masking and Happy Hour posts out of necessity and I know I sounded a little off.
My babydoll is subject to nasty sinus infections that can very quickly spread into his chest and lungs. His current sinus issues went from bad to very bad in a very short space of time (hence the doctor’s visit of Friday) and as the Delta variant has been most virulent in our area I was a bit of a panicked mess until the doctor officially declared it only a sinus infection.
Now calmness can return. He slept most of the weekend and needed to be babied, but things are resuming their normal course. The panic has subsided and I apologize if I sounded like a loony on Friday.
Speaking of normal rhythms though, most of the schools in our area are back in session for the fall semester, even if some of them are on line. The summer veg is almost completely spent and this week I will be pulling out the remains of the plants this week, and you know what that means?
The autumn manicure.
As much as I love painting my nails, during the summer it is petty much a lost cause. Even the best polishes will be chipped in less than two days. In the summer time I mostly concentrate on nail health. I use cuticle oils and nail strengtheners and mostly just let my nails breathe and try not to do too much damage. At the moment they are rather short because of the garden work. But this weekend, once the garden is through, there will be the annual autumn manicure. Hands will be soaked in oiled water. Exfoliated and buffed, my hands will get the at home royal treatment. I have even been saving a hand mask for the autumnal manicure. I might use that This Friday along with the face mask. The heat may not have broken, but my hands are taking advantage of the calendar date.
I am very much looking forward to it.
Of course it also means that I need to catch up on all of the things I promised myself I would do for fall. This year the chief among them was get my desk organized. It is still too hot to put away some of my summer essentials like the Avene Thermal Water spray that lives by the back door all summer long or the Color Wow Dream Coat which is pretty much single handedly keeping the humidity from turning my hair into a frizz ball every afternoon, however it is time to start thinking about getting the autumn and winter products out. Soon the closet clear out will begin and any item that gave its all for my summer wardrobe and can’t last another summer will be removed from service, even if it isn’t quite time to haul out the sweaters. I at least need to sit down and make a list of all the things that need to change in the near future. The garden is always the kick off. Once spent plants are removed and taken to compost, the Autumn Manicure signals the start of fall transitioning. I may need to make that list tonight. especially as the autumn sales have already started.
The first thing you will notice is that I ended up annoyed with the length of my bangs. It will be late September before the heat breaks and I go to get my hair cut, but I just couldn’t wait that long. they grow fast so I am sure they will be a good length when I do go to the salon. They are still damp in this photo as I sprayed them down with water and then trimmed them. They are also a bit uneven. I’m waiting until they fully dry before trimming again. They are longer when wet and i don’t want to cut them too short.
So you can actually see my brows today. And I ended up using the Billion Dollar Brows pomade. It is rapidly becoming my go to brow product. I rather enjoy it . I was a little heavy handed today, but I like the product.
the majority of products were actually chose because I wanted to give the Vesca Primer another go. Last week I tried it under the Purlisse illuminating bb cream and it was just too much glow. So today I chose a matte foundation and pretty much all products that I know well enough to know I like how they perform.
The Vesca gives a nice glow under the matte foundation but it is thin enough that it is almost like a liquid highlighter. there is no pore filling or redness cancelation with it. I like the way it looks paired with a matte foundation, but I am not sure how often i will reach for it. Generally if I am reaching for an illuminating primer I go for something that also has something else to it. I’m not entirely certain this does. I’ll keep working with it though to see how it performs this week with different products. i just wanted to try it today with products I know well and use often.
The NARS is slowly exposing more of the pan and will soon make it’s way out of my makeup rotation. i just want to keep it in until it is officially used up. I like the formula and the color so at some point I will be repurchasing it. I’m just excited to be hitting pan and finally letting it go.
Speaking of letting go. the They’re Real mascara is almost empty as well and soon it too will be leaving for the empties bin. I think I might have enough to use tomorrow but then I’ll have to let it go. While it is a nice formula, I prefer both the They’re real Magnetic Lengthening Mascara and the Bad Gal Bang Mascara. Both of those are on my repurchase list. I am trying to clear out all of the older mascaras and the mascaras in my unopened drawer before I purchase any though. I suspect that i will get pulled into the holiday kits from Benefit again this year as I almost always do, so I’m sure there will be at least another Benefit Cosmetics Mascara coming soon.
But that is more or less it for me today. I’m still trying to decide how I feel about the KAB lip oil so I’ll have to get back to you on that. At the moment it just feels like a lip oil. It will feature off and on this week as I try it out. So I’ll report back later. But for now, it is back to work for me. I hope your Monday is going swimmingly. Until tomorrow.
Ms. Mimsy Reviews 