I’ll be honest, Purlisse is one of those brands I like but tend to forget about. I actually tried all of the items in their Blue Lotus line and the item that I remember the most was the moisturizer. For me it was the perfect level of moisture for my sin in the Spring and Fall. It was the kind of transitional formula I could wear when the seasons started changing. It was light enough that I could wear it as both a day cream and as a night cream, occasionally adding in a night mask.
I did not realize how strange it looked that my shirt matched my hair band until I looked at the pictures. It is a bizarre and unintentional matchy-matchy, please ignore it
It has the same scent as this Blue Lotus + Seaweed Mask actually which is what brought it to mind even more than the brand name. I have used this mask before as well. It is a good solid sheet mask. The scent is fresh and light. It leans slightly floral, but it is so light that it barely registers as a floral and mostly just smells like clean skin care.
According to Purlisse…Each essence-soaked mask is infused with Blue Lotus, Seaweed, Mulberry and Anise Fruit to deliver intense moisture, soothe redness & inflammation and visibly reduce signs of aging.
In general I find that this sheet mask is really good after I have been in the sun. I actually really like them after I have been in the garden sweating it out actually. I will wash the sweat and sunscreen remnants off my face and then apply the mask. I think that not only does the sun leave me feeling icky from the sweat/sunscreen mix but through sweat I lose salt and other minerals. So a rinse off of the residue and a sheet mask really help keep things balanced.
This mask is one of those cloth feel masks that adheres really well to the skin so it is easy to put it on and then go running around the house doing a few little things while you wear it. The masks do come out of the pack extra juicy. I tend to wipe off some of the serum just by running my fingers over it before unfolding it.
This sort of gets the serum that was just placed inside the pack to keep it from drying out off of the mask while leaving the absorbed serum. Which means it doesn’t drip. There is still plenty of excess serum in the packet if you want a little more after masking.
After fifteen or so minutes has elapsed, the mask is peeled off and discarded. It does take a few minutes for the rest of the serum to absorb and the skin will feel a little sticky until it does all sink in. Then once it does, the skin feels refreshed and replenished. It is a great, post sun, post workout refreshing mask. It is naturally cool, even without being put in the fridge. I find it too cool if I put it in the fridge, but my mom loves doing that. For me it is too intensely cold. On it’s onw the Blue Lotus + Seaweed Mask from Purlisse is refreshing and it works as a great summer skin pick me up.
Good afternoon my darlings. It has been quite the morning here. Computer issues delayed the start of my day and caused more phone conversations than expected, with both the people fixing the computer and the people i couldn’t e-mail until the computer was fixed. I think I may have to start working more on my laptop than n my desk top. Tonight there will be a massive file switch so that is possible. I know that sounds strange but there are certain things I have always used a desk top for and others that I use the laptop for. But with my laptop being far newer than the desk top, that may be changing soon.
Today though, things worked out.
Oh as a quick reminder, For those who subscribe to Glossy Box, their Limited edition Easter Egg goes on sale tomorrow (March 29th) at Noon (EST), for those who aren’t members, the Easter Egg goes on sale at Noon on March 30th. That is as much a reminder to myself as it is to everyone else. I am a member and am hoping to purchase an Easter Egg this year. I have missed it three years running now. At this point I am determined not to miss it. The problem is that i will forget if I don’t keep reminding myself. Hence the reminders. And the spoilers I’ve seen of it look pretty good this year too. You can check them out on the Glossy Box website if you are interested. The link is at the bottom of the page.
Despite the slow start, today and the rest of the week to be honest, are all about getting ahead. We have company coming this weekend so for me Friday will be a short day. My plan is to have everything done (including the company clean) by the time I sit down for my Friday Face Mask. I’m guessing that Instead of relaxing I will be running around putting last minute things away while wearing the face mask, but I have my fingers crossed that this is not the case.
It is sort of an unexpected visitation. Someone’s plans changed and they realized it would take them in our direction so the weekend visit was scheduled. Which is delightful as I haven’t seen them in a while, just unexpected. So there will be lots of running around this week in order to complete projects early. And yes it makes the computer glitch this morning extra concerning. But hopefully, things will be back to rolling along now after the moment of Monday Morning Madness.
Personally I think my skin came out looking great today
Okay today was mostly face products I know and love while i worked on playing around with the Nudestix Bronzer. The Tatcha primer is an eternal love and well worth the price. The Purlisse BB cream is a standby all summer and so easy to use that i don’t have to think about it. Plus i think after two weeks of full coverage foundation i just needed a bit of a break. And then the Gold Rush Blush, Illamasqua Highlighter and No 7 powder are the products I reach for routinely so you know I love them. Actually today the No 7 started showing a little silver pan so it is well loved. I have lost track of how many of these I have used up over the years. It is my favorite pressed powder.
This of course brings us to the bronzer. I was having issues with the Nude Stix last week. It would go on but then it didn’t really want to blend. Then when got it to blend it would almost disappear. Today I held the stick in my hand for a minute letting my body heat warm it up. This really helped. It applied better and was easier to blend. I didn’t have to go in so forcefully to get it to blend so less of the product disappeared. I don’t think it will ever be my favorite bronzing stick, but it is workable. I think it also helped that I was wearing a BB cream instead of a full coverage foundation.
So now we are down to eyes and lips. this was a first use of the Estate quad that came in this month’s Glossy Box. While pastels are not normally my thing, at this time of year is when I do reach for them. They are very Easter-centric. My Easter Dress is a dark blue (it is from Ever Pretty and so fabulous. it is well worth remembering that they do more than just wedding and bridesmaid dresses. Although they have some fantastic looking wedding dresses). So I was going to lighten it up with a more pastel eye look. This shadow worked well. It was a bit on the powdery side, but the shades blended well. It is a very soft look, but it is something to work with.
The athr beauty mascara I like. It takes a few layers to get it to look right, but once you’ve applied it it looks good the rest of the day.
Today i wanted to try the About face Lip Gloss on it’s own instead of over a lip liner. It is okay on it’s own. It is kind of just a basic lip gloss. It is better over a lip liner. The color is there for a minute and then with a sip of coffee or water, the color is all on the rim of the glass and there is just shine left. which is fine if you have something under it. I think that this is a lip gloss that I would always pair with a lip liner.
And finally some of you may be looking at the picture above and think that something is different. I got a hair cut. I know it is still long but they knocked four inches off the main length and added in layers. Which means I can finally start breaking out the tools to play with again. With my hair the way it was tools were pretty useless. My hair was so heavy that the curls just fell out or I had to use enough hair spray to qualify as helmet hair. Which has never been my thing. Now it is light enough that I can actually work with it. Also I forgot that when some of the length and weight of my hair is removed, my hair tends to have natural waves. It was just the weight pulling it straight. So I will be having some fun playing with my hair in the near future. And as I have several tools to try out, I plan on having a lot of fun with it.
But for now it is back to work for me. I hope you are having a fantastic day and that no one else is afflicted with a case of the Mondays. I have my fingers crossed that this was the worst of it. And if you are looking for the Glossy Box Easter Egg, remember to get in early. You can check it out by following the link below.
Good afternoon my darlings. The weather here has once again turned lovely, although a bit cooler now that the rain has subsided. The waters have receded from the walking trail and I went on a very long walk this morning. It was fantastic.
Last week I started using the Fitbit to track my walks, food and well basic things. This weekend I looked at last week in review, trying to see what I could do better. While I don’t think step trackers are essential for weigh management, they can be helpful tools.
I actually learned something in looking at my measurements from last week. Apparently, my walks burn more calories than I thought they did. Its actually a good thing, but it means some of my basic calculations for calories in/ calories out are a bit askew. This week I am going to try and see if I can get the balance back to my goal intake/output is. As strange as it sounds, if you don’t eat enough then your body kind of locks on to every calorie it can and weight loss slows down. Keeping everything in balance will hopefully help me out in the long run and hopefully make the weight loss more permanent.
At least that is the goal.
It was a quiet weekend here actually. A lot of weekends are here actually. Most of our going out has been curtailed and so we tend to concentrate on working on things around the house. Of course that is also due to the time of year. In the winter we always spend more time in the house so once the weather turns we start looking at making improvements before the winter really sets in. At the moment we are looking at some new sheets and bedding. Usually we end up ordering such things before Thanksgiving and then put them on the bed when we return from Thanks giving travels as our special, let the holidays begin treat to ourselves.
Admittedly we haven’t done that in a while. we started because we had older sheets so we would pick up a new set as we rotated an old one out of use on the bed. Then for a while we had enough newer sheets. So we stopped buying them (obviously). Now we are down to several sets that need to actually be retired from use, so a fresh set is going to be ordered. Once we can decide on the set. Right now we are in the what do you think of these stage where we each look at options and share what we’ve found until there is one we both like.
It’s a process.
Eventually we will end up with a new set of sheets and hopefully a new duvet cover. Ah the things cold weather stirs up. This week we are also airing out blankets and taking inventory.
Today was the quick and easy look as I planned to spend the bulk of the day working at my computer. And to be fair, beyond my walk, that is where I have been today. And I’ve gotten a lot done actually. I’m actually quite pleased with myself.
The Primer is a discontinued one I am trying to use up and send on it’s way. I am hoping that this will be it’s last week of use, but there is the possibility it might spill into next week.
I love the Purlisse BB Cream formula. It blends beautifully and feels absolutely weightless. It is one of my favorite BB Creams. I know, I have said this a lot. The fact is, it remains true. The Trestique Bronzer and bareminerals blush are quick and easy to use and always work out well for me, so I went with them today. The No 7 Prefect Light powder is actually my favorite pressed powder. I do have several others in my dressing table though so I need to start reaching for them a bit more. Several of them are translucent and in the summertime they give a little too much white to my skin. The No 7 I use is tinted so it sees a lot of use in the summer.
I am still getting a feel for the Man eater gloss but today I layered it over the Zoeva lip crayon. The Zoeva is a little too tan and makes my lips disappear, but it works layered with products. I’m not over the moon with the formula as it is incredibly soft. I plan to use it up and let it go. I won’t be purchasing it or more shades from the line. The jury is still out on the Tarte Plumping gloss.
This Nomad Palette was barely saved from declutter, but I am glad I did save it. The one dark brown shade (Passeggiata) tends to apply patchy but all of the other pans perform quite well. They blend easily and I don’t know if it is the fall tones of the earth shades in the palette, but I find myself wanting to reach for it more right now. So I did.
It was a quick and easy look today and I rather enjoy it. With the exception of the tingling of the plumping gloss (along with it’s slight stickiness), all of the products feel weightless and it is easy to forget that I am wearing makeup at all. Which is not a bad thing as I have other things I’d like to think about when I work. Over all, today was a good selection of products.
Good afternoon my darlings. I think I mentioned that this week I started using a fitbit to track steps and calories and all sorts of other good stuff. It has been interesting to see thus far. I have to admit I have been a bit lackadaisical about my calorie count as of late. I haven’t been weighing foods as I used to mostly because I thought I knew most of the foods. And I do. I eat a lot of the same foods repeatedly.
And some foods come with weights attached. For example we just received a package from Vital Choice. we routinely order salmon from them. Actually that is what we are having for dinner tonight. I have the salmon sitting in a mustard based marinade in the fridge as we speak. We are having it with couscous, freshly grilled corn (the last of the summer stuff) and a side salad tonight incase anyone is interested. And because we ordered the salmon, it comes marked with the weight. So it is easy to log as a dinner item.
Other things I used to measure, but now sort of eyeball.
I know, I shouldn’t but I do.
And it turns out my eyeballs aren’t that great at measuring.
I know it is a bit dorky, but I love graphs and charts. So I felt with the fitbit I ought to take advantage of that feature and log as much as possible. And since the graphs look way more official than my handy scrap paper on the desk system, I felt compelled to start measuring again. Also I wanted to see how close to accurate I was. I was anticipating a victory lap for my innate measuring skills.
Yeah, that didn’t happen.
I logged everything in figuring I might as well measure what I’m doing and then see where I need to improve. It turns out I get way more steps than required so I get stars for achievement there. I also drink more water than they recommend, so I think that is pretty good. It turns out I have been shorting myself on calories. I think in part it is because I drink so much water. Because every time I think I am hungry I have a glass of 3water first and then think about what I want to eat. But I think the big culprit is my tendency to round up. If something has 90 calories, I’ll often mark it down as 100, just incase I over eat a little elsewhere. that way I have a little wiggle room. But then the next time I eat the same food I’ll remember it is 100 calories so I’ll mark down 110 to give myself the wiggle room.
Turns out all of my wiggle room add ons added up. So I was shorting myself on calories. I know, that sounds like a good thing, but if my calories consumed drops below a certain mark my weight loss slows down dramatically. So I am going to go back to strict monitoring , especially as we go into the holiday season. This weekend we are stocking up on Halloween Candy for potential trick or treaters. No clue if we will actually get them, but I want to be prepared. The annual candy purchase is what mentally kicks off the holiday food mentality in my world. As soon as the bags come in, my baby starts asking if I can start making some of his favorite winter dishes. And from there we tip straight into the once a year indulgences.
So getting back to measuring things now is not a bad thing. Nor are the long walks in the nice weather. I am sure once the next bout of rains hit, my step count will drop. For now, I am feeling pretty good about it.
Okay with the newer bronzer and blush I wanted to try them out with a BB cream rather than just using them with a foundation. I love the formula of the Purlisse BB Cream. It is one of my favorite BB Creams. The shade I have is just a shade bit too light for me at the moment, which is why I chose the tinted setting powder today. As my tan fades I will be reaching for the Purlisse more and more often. I should actually get another tube in a slightly darker tone, and I probably will this spring, but I want to use up a few products first. Although I might stock up on the black friday sales and just put it away until spring. But for now, I love it.
The Smashbox powder I am mostly just using up at this point. It is a good powder and I like the idea of freshly ground powder, but the dial sticks an if there is anything on my hands then it can be hard to turn. While I don’t have any mobility issues where my hands are concerned at the moment, if you have any issues with your hands, this is a powder you will want to skip. The groves aren’t deep enough to provide much traction. If they adjusted that just a little bit more, it would be easier to turn and this would be a different comment, because it is a good setting powder. However if they deepen the indents it will look less like a camera lens. So in this case it is a failure of packaging more than product.
With the BB cream instead of foundation I could get a better feel for the bronzer. It is more pigmented than I saw yesterday. I have the light shade (Motivate) and it is as dark as I would want to go. yesterday I thought it was more buildable than pigmented. Today, while I’m sure you can build it up to a deeper level, I think it is more pigmented than buildable. I still have most of my summer tan because summer just wouldn’t let go here, but even at my deepest I wouldn’t want anything deeper than this shade. It is a lovely shade though and I really like it. I can also use it year round. I also love the packaging. Thus far it seems to be a good product.
The Georgia blush is also a good product. I love Benefit blushes. This pink shade is light enough that I think I will only be reaching for it when I use something like a BB cream or a tinted moisturizer. Because of the shade it takes a lot of work to make it work with an actual foundation. At least for my skin tone. For a light makeup look I will definitely reach for it and I am happy to have it. I just need to pair it with the appropriate face products. If you have really fair skin, this might be a blush for you as it seems to skew towards lighter skin tones.
The Sassy Sienna palette is not one I tend to reach for often. I need to actually sit down and play with it. Thus far every look I try with it comes out more or less the same. I like the idea of the shade range but there really needs to be some sort of contrasting lighter shade in the palette for me. The formula is fantastic though. I love the Dose of Colors Eyeshadow formula. Highly pigmented and easily blendable. I think that might be why it has made it through so many declutters. I have a couple of singles, but not a second palette from the brand so I think it is a reminder that I like it. But really I need to play around wit it and see if I really want to keep it.
The Tarte Mascara is good. It isn’t very dramatic though. Just a good work a day mascara.
The lip plumper is also a good lip gloss. I am actually really liking it at the moment. It has that lip gloss stickiness to it, but it isn’t too bad and I kind of like the plumping tingle. Surprisingly the color works well on me too. And I have to admit I get a childish chuckle from the lip gloss. I generally have to check the bottom of products to remember the shade names. This lip gloss is named Buff. Without my reading glasses on the print is small enough that the f’s look like t’s so each time I look I think it says Butt. Which seems like a strange name for a lip gloss and makes me giggle just a little. Childish I know, but there it is.
And so that is my makeup for today. As well as the realization that I don’t eyeball measure things very accurately and occasionally have a childish sense of humor. But that’s okay. I have a good handle on my work for the day and a nice salmon dinner waiting for me this evening. Overall, it isn’t a bad place to find myself in mid week.
Good afternoon my darlings. Usually during the day the house remains fairly quiet, especially as I am currently the only one working from home. Today, the entire house feels like it is sitting on a speaker with low playing house music on. You know that thrumming sound you feel more than hear? That is sort of what is going on. It is rather strange. Outside workers are putting in new fiber optic cables.
Do you remember a few weeks back when I was out of internet for a few days due to someone cutting a couple of bundles of fiber optics? Well they fixed those and I think the current project involves expanding them in our area. My neighborhood was built in the 1940s and 50s and it is in an area dotted with similar neighborhoods. There was a lot of area between the neighborhoods (at the time) and much of it was flood zone. They have now managed the water differently and while there were a couple of 1960s-70s era neighborhoods developed there was still a lot of space. In the last few years they have started filling in the spaces.
Its part of the reason why we’ve had some issues as of late. But hopefully the current work will alleviate some of those issues. At least that is what I’m telling myself as the house feels like there is a party going on in the basement. Not that we actually have a basement, but you get the idea.
As for workouts, I managed a walk earlier this morning. I beat the heat but that humidity is no joke. All of the rain we received in the past week has decided to rise as a wet blanket making even the cooler morning temps feel smothering. This afternoon is definitely indoor yoga and hand weights for me.
new glass carafe style bottle
I did get something in the mail today that I am super happy about though. As you may recall I am a huge fan of the Soda Stream. I sometimes add flavoring, but mostly I just like the seltzer water (and really if I want flavor I just drop a lemon, lime, or orange slice into the glass). I find that having the water carbonated makes me drink more water. It somehow doesn’t feel as heavy as regular water so I am able to drink more, which is good when i am sweating more as well. Drinking more water helps in a bunch of ways and the Soda Stream has helped me replace a lot of my during the day drinks.
But to the mail! while the bottles are reusable and help cut down on waste, after a while the plastic bottles do need to be replaced. I used my dishwasher safe bottle as many times as possible, but it finally reached the stage where no matter how tight I tightened the lid there was always a hissing noise as air escaped and the plastic started to look really worn. To be honest I think I;ve had this bottle about three years. So it was time to replace it. And what did I replace it with?
I know! Glass! I’m kind of tickled about it. I really like the way it looks, and I like the way the ridges keep the glass from being slick. So I now have a glass bottle to replace my worn out plastic one. And although I do like glass better than plastic, it is the shape of the bottle that makes me really happy. The plastic bottle is wide all the way down and the glass bottle is more carafe shaped. I don’t have the world’s biggest hands and the carafe style bottle is just easier for me to control. So it may be a small thing, but it makes me happy.
Today I feel like there ought to be a drumroll. That’s right two items are leaving my dressing table. Today was the last day that I could use the They’re Real Mascara. It is a good mascara and I wouldn’t mind using it again, but the tube is now empty. It is making the strange empty popping sound and it took a lot of effort to get the product on my lashes. And so it is good bye. It was a good mascara though. while not my favorite Benefit Mascara I would certainly have no qualms about using it again. But this particular tube is empty.
the end of NARS
Joining it in the empties bin is the NARS bronzer. That’s right, the bronzer I have been working so hard to use up has now reached the end. There is a little bit of product in the corners, but I had to work pretty hard to get product on the brush today, so I am calling it done. Technically the container isn’t going into the bin though. The little mini sized pan is perfect for my brow pomade pan from Billion Dollar Brows so I am going to clean it out and put the container to use as it’s new home. But I did love this bronzer. I will end up ordering a new one once I’ve used up a few more products. Right now i am just happy to be able to pull out another product from my drawer instead of using this one consistently. I like it, but i am ready to switch things up.
The bareMinerals blush is one of my favorites and will continue to stay in rotation. The lime Crime Palette is one of the palettes I reach for consistently. It may only have eight shadows, but they are well thought out and the combinations are enough that it is a neutral palette that is never boring. The shadows blend well and while I do tap my brush off before applying, they aren’t overly powdery. They are not massively pigmented, but they are buildable and blendable, which in my opinion is often better. I find I have much more control this way. To be honest, the only reason I don’t have all of Lime Crime’s Palettes is that the packaging is a bit on the bulky side and my space is limited. At this point I am actually pushing my limits for eyeshadow storage space. I went through them in the spring but I think I may have to take a harder look at them and do a deeper declutter. I like when I can see what I have and can easily find things. I think now I have enough palettes that I am forgetting which ones I have.
I think I will be putting at least an eyeshadow declutter on my Autumn check list. I know, with this record breaking heat it is hard to think of the fall, but it is technically here.
I have decided that I am not going to order a back up of the Becca Pink Haze Setting powder. It is the one Becca Product I was really on the fence about. I really do like the pink toned setting powder and when I have used this up I will look for a different brand and hopefully find a replacement. But I am not ordering another one from Becca. Incidentally according to their site they are still taking orders through the end of September if you were looking to stock up on anything. I think for me, I am going to use up and let go.
I am still testing out the Vesca Primer. I think that as long as I go matte with the foundation products then I am okay with it. I don’t think it will become a favorite, but it is nice. However I couldn’t resist breaking out my Purlisse Perfect Glow BB Cream. This is the original rather than the illuminating one that I tried out last week. I just couldn’t resist opening it. I was planning to wait to open the new tube, but I couldn’t. The summertime heat was just made for BB cream and this is one of my favorites. It is really a good formula. Lightweight but still good coverage. I use Light Medium if you are looking for shades. It is a little light on me right now, but in a few weeks it will be absolutely perfect. In winter it will look slightly dark and I will lighten it with a bit of white powder, then it will be the perfect shade in the spring through early summer. Then it will go back to being a hair too light. With this shade I can wear it year round actually. I just darken it slightly with bronzer and tinted powder in the summer and use white/translucent powder in the winter. I like that I don’t need to keep multiple shades.
Today for the lips I am still trying to get a handle on the KAB Lip oil and how I feel about it compared to other lip oils. Today I put it over the Buxom Plumping Lipstick. I chose this, partially because I really like the Buxom lipstick and partially because the color of this is one that on its own washes me out. I wanted to see if there was any actual color to the lip oil. There might be a little, but I think it is more the shine that brings my lips out more than the color. So that was more or less me today. So now that I have had a lovely little break talking to you, it is back to work for me. I hope the rest of your Tuesday is absolutely fantastic.
When my skin is looking good, and the weather is warm, I often reach for BB creams and tinted moisturizers instead of foundations. While I have several tinted moisturizers that I love, there are fewer BB creams that I actually like. One of my absolute favorites is the Purlisse Perfect Glow BB Cream. I tried it in a sample and liked it enough that I now have the full sized tube. It is the original one however.
I am not a glowy sort of foundation person. They dewy look is not for me. If I apply a dewy looking formula to my skin I tend to feel like I look greasy and then end up applying too much powder to counteract the dewy/glowy look. However, I have been known to pair illuminating primers under matte foundations to add more depth to the foundation.
illuminating and the original side by side.
And because I really enjoy the regular Purlisse BB cream, I thought the Illuminating version might be interesting. Plus it was only a sample size. and even I can put up with a week of glow if need be.
The illuminating BB cream applied really well. It blends into the skin to give you a your skin but better look. It evens out the tone of your skin but isn’t as heavy as a foundation would be. There is only the skin tone evening not foundation like coverage.
The Illuminating BB Cream feels weightless and it is easy to forget that you are wearing it. On it’s own, it gives a slight brightening effect to the skin, with a matte primer beneath it, the BB cream just gives a slight illuminating effect. In other words, it brightens but it doesn’t have me reaching for the powder to counteract the glow.
With an illuminating primer beneath it, the product was far too glowy for me. If you like the glowy look, you will be fine. For me, it was too much. I enjoyed the BB cream with both matte primers and on it’s own, but not with illuminating primers.
The Purlisse Perfect Glow Illuminating BB Cream has the same fantastic formula as the original Perfect Glow BB Cream. It has the same SPF 30 in the mix. Although you should still wear sunscreen. It is an oil free product and it is a rather natural look. Personally I prefer the original Perfect Glow BB cream and will continue to buy that. But really it is only a matter of preference.
Both perform spectacularly well. If you like an illuminating BB cream, the Purlisse Perfect Glow Illuminating BB cream is a good one to have in your arsenal. If illumination isn’t your thing, then the Purlisse Perfect Glow is the one you want to lean towards. while I won’t be picking up the full size of the Illuminating version, the regular bb cream is a summertime staple for me. I am however glad I tried it and quite frankly I am super excited that they have a primer now released into this collection. It is definitely on my list of products to try soon.
Well, it isn’t raining. Which is sort of surprising, but the air is once again thick and the clouds promise more rain on the way. The park is flooded and likely to remain so for at least another two days even if we don’t get any more rain. So like every other person in the neighborhood, I went walking along the streets in my block. The path isn’t as long as if I were using the walking trail, but it is very hilly, so I’m hoping that a couple of laps around my neighborhood sort of comes close to what I would normally walk.
I used to have a Fitbit tracker, but I wore it until it fell apart. It let me actually sort of map all of the variations in my normal walks so I kind of know the mileage, step count and all of those other lovely details. I somehow never got around to replacing my step tracker and so I sort of guessed about the neighborhood and the necessary laps. For now it works. At some point the skies will clear and the rain end so that I will be back on trails I know well.
But at least I got up to move a bit more today. Yesterday I felt very twitchy since I couldn’t walk. I didn’t realize how accustomed to just moving around my body has gotten. After about two in the afternoon yesterday I had a hard time sitting still. Fidgeting usually isn’t a problem for me but it was yesterday. Today I may be hazy on miles and steps, but at least I know I moved around enough not to be fidgety so I am calling that a win.
I know, the bangs desperately need a trim. I am trying to hold out until I get an actual stylist to cut the rest of my hair in a few weeks. I’m trying to let them grow out a bit so the stylist has something to work with.
The testing of the Purlisse Illuminating BB Cream continues. I actually have just enough to finish out the week which is nice. While I like this sample, I have decided that I like the regular Purlisse BB Cream better than the illuminating variety. I actually have a full size of that one. It is one of the best BB creams I have tried and one I will purchase again. The illuminating version has a formula that feels just as good on the skin, I am just not a fan of the illumination. It is more of a personal preference than a product one. The product is good, it just doesn’t suit me. It does work much better with a matte primer underneath. Yesterday I had an illuminating primer beneath the illuminating BB cream and I just felt shiny. Every time I passed a mirror I felt compelled to pat down with powder.
Today I went with my trusty Porefessional. It may not be a new release, but it is a standard for a reason. This is a primer I will always restock. Although I will confess, I really love the Pearl version as well. It is fantastic under a matte foundation.
I also had a second Benefit Cosmetics product out today and that is the They’re Real Mascara. The original. I like the mascara actually and it is dramatic enough to pair with the bolder colors of the eyeshadow palette I’m trying out right now. This is a sample size and I have maybe a week’s more worth of use for this one. (I think I have a couple more samples floating around but I am not sure. I have spent this year trying to work through my sample collection.)while this is a good mascara, I have to confess I prefer both the Bad Gal Bang and the They’re Real Magnetic Mascara. While it is a mascara I wouldn’t mind repurchasing, it the Benefit Cosmetics Mascara Universe, it actually comes third. But I do like it and will happily use it.
The Nars Bronzer is slowly but surely being used up as is the Farsali Setting Spray. While I will repurchase the NARS I will not be repurchasing the Farsali spray. The spray works well enough, but I just don’t care for the scent. And for me Scent will always top visual appeal. The gold flakes are very nice to see in the aesthetically pleasing glass bottle. But the fact that it is just an okay product and it doesn’t smell very nice, means that it will be used up and sent on its way.
I think by now everyone knows that the bareMinerals Bounce and Blur Blush is one I will always reach for. I love the look and I love the formula. The same goes for the Illamasqua highlighter. Today I went for the powdered version rather than the cream. Even though they are the same shade, for some reason I really like the powder version better than the cream. I’m actually quite surprised by that as I do like a lot of cream products and generally find cream and liquid highlighters easier to blend. But for the Illamasqua I find myself liking the powder more. I need to play around with the cream version more, but for today, it was the powder.
I think I have figured out the Norvina Palette out and I’ll have a full post on it tomorrow. My feelings on it are quite mixed actually. There are some shadows I like and some that I don’t. Since it is a heavily purple themed palette I went for the more purple shades today. It is always risky with me as usually purple makes me look like I’m trying to impersonate Ursula the Sea Witch. I think I ended up with a non-sea witch look today. Which kind of makes me proud.
The Becca Setting powder is the Pink Haze that I am still on the fence about. Well that isn’t true. I know I like the powder. In fact I love the pink toned setting powder. The fence sitting deals with the fact that Becca is ceasing production. I haven’t found a pink setting powder that performs as well as this one so I was trying to decide if I wanted to purchase another one to have on hand while I go on a quest for another pink setting powder or if I just want to use this one up, bid it a fond good buy and reconcile myself to eventually finding a replacement. I have about a third of a container left. And I still don’t know what I want to do. For now I will just say that I like the powder and if anyone out there happens to know of a different pink toned setting powder that they like, please let me know. Even if I do pick up a backup I’ll still need to look into a new brand as Becca is going away. Becca is taking orders until September 30th so at least there is a hard deadline for making the decision.
And finally the lips. I really love the wet ‘n wild megalast line and this cinnamon spice is so my shade. I like the formula, I like the shade and to be honest, I like the fact that there is a clear top of the lipstick tube so that I can see which color is which at a glance. I have several colors in this formula so it is noce to see at a glance which is which. I topped it off with the Diamond Milk today because I wanted just a little bit of shine. I have tried several Fenty products and usually my reaction is ‘they are okay, but not spectacular’ this designation does not apply to the diamond milk gloss. This gloss I love. It is one of the few Fenty Beauty products I’ve tried that I will repurchase. It gives a great shine and if you wear it alone, even when the lip gloss wears off, the lips feel nourished. I may not be the biggest fan of the other products I’ve tried, but this gloss is really nice and well worth keeping around.
So that was my makeup for the day. It was less the good and the bad and more comparisons and questions I suppose. But all in all I think it turned out okay. And I managed to use a purple eye shadow without going full on Sea Witch. That alone deserves a celebration.
Erno Laszlo is having a sale now through August 24th. Their under eye patches are amazing and I love their Sea Mud Deep Cleansing Bar. I never thought I would like a bar soap for my face, but it was just fantastic. I think they might have a cream version as well, but I’m not sure. The bar is well worth picking up though. and now, you can get 25% off. which makes fabulous just a little bit better.
Good afternoon my darlings. Today, the rain has come. It came down in fits and spurts yesterday but I managed to get a short walk in between the showers. Today, there was no possibility of that happening. It rained steadily throughout the night and the pace the rain is holding now is likely to last throughout the rest of the day. Curtesy of the Tropical Storm Fred, of course.
There will be no walking.
I do however feel less paranoid about skipping the gym for the moment as yesterday they announced they were going to be shut down today for a deep clean. So first of all, I wouldn’t have been able to get to the gym anyway. Second I heard from a friend of mine who also goes to the gym that three trainers and a couple of members got sick.
So again, I feel less paranoid.
Today I will probably not go out at all anyway. Since we haven’t had rain for a while but have had a very high heat, the ground around here is baked to a solid brick. So we have lots of flash flooding as the water just rolls right off the ground instead of absorbing. Our area is riddled with creeks, most of which have now flooded their banks.
It’s a good day to stay home and work. Maybe I’ll break out my weights later when I need to move around for a bit. That’s one thing that no one tells you. Once you start working out and moving more in an effort to lose weight, your body gets used to the movement. When you suddenly don’t have the movement, you find yourself getting antsy if you sit for too long. Or at least I do. So hand weights, crunches on the yoga mat and maybe even a few jumping jacks and squats. Hopefully that will make up for the lack of movement throughout the day.
Today turned out to be a lot more glowy than I am used to. I feel very shiny actually. I saw the Vesca Primer (which came in August’s Boxy Charm Premium) and I realized I hadn’t tried it yet. So I decided today was the day for the first impression. I’ve actually never tried the brand before. In fact until it was featured in Boxycharm I had never heard of the brand and still know nothing about it.I dispensed the primer onto my hand and thought wow that’s bright. It has an iridescent sheen to it and wen applied, my skin was brightened and a little on the dewy side. It applies well and feels nice on the skin. It is a thinner formula and applies a bit like a water cream. I think that if I applied one of my regular foundations over it, I would have been fine, but I am using the Purlisse Radiant Glow this week.
Two radiant products are a bit much for me. I almost felt like I didn’t need a highlighter but I used a tiny smidge of the About Face anyway. Very little actually as I already felt very shiny.
The powder products helped bring down the shine a bit but in the future I think I will wear the Vesca under a matte foundation. I think there, it could give more depth to the matte. Likewise I will wear a matte primer under the Purlisse radiant glow.
Today was mostly about the eyes. Or more importantly the Norvina palette. Yesterday I used my regular brushes and with the intense pigment I felt like I was just splashing it all about. I felt very messy. Today I actually used only one brush. It was the LaRuce Tapered blending LR007. (I used a color switch to change colors)
The double oh seven worked well for me today. It blends well, but it is smaller than most of my other blending brushes. The smaller brush really helped me control the shadows and their placement. Aldo I dipped into the pan and tapped twice to shake off any loose pigment before lifting the brush to my eye. The double tap really helped me not coat the side of my nose with color as well. I kind of like how it turned out today. I was already feeling shiny so I stuck with mattes. I like how well they blended together. Over all I am quite pleased. I did have to slow down, use the smaller brush and double tap the brush before applying, but if I did, things went well. Perhaps if I possessed the skills of a MUA I would not need such tricks, but as my chosen art form involves words, I needed the assistance.
Today I opened the ABH Lash Brag Mascara. I wasn’t going to but when I went for my Wet ‘n Wild Big Poppa, the tube was so empty that it couldn’t be used. So I figured if another mascara was going in the bin, I could go ahead and open a new one. I will have to do a fallen mascara review. I was impressed with the Lash Brag actually. It went on easily, lifted, separated and lengthened well. It was dramatic enough to wear with the pigmented eyeshadow as well. Over all, I’m rather pleased with its first performance. It did quite well.
Today was an interesting mix for me. My face feels brighter and I have to resist the urge to blot my face with powder. I feel shiny and the urge is strong. However I did not pass many mirrors today so it was relatively easy to ignore. But now it is back to work for me. It is the day where the to do list looks longer than the hours available I am afraid. And so it is time to dive back in. I hope that whatever you are doing today, the rest of your day flows smoothly along.
Have you ever been so relieved that something is fixed that you don’t really care that you sort of feel a bit stupid for not seeing the solution yourself? That is kind of how I feel today. As you may recall, my computer decided to do some wonky things recently. Most notably it decided that I was not allowed to access my photos. (Which is why the linked Pinterest has looked a little odd the last few weeks, in case you were wondering). To get around this I had to bounce from computer to Ipad to get everything posted. It worked well enough, but it was a major time drain.
Then Friday around two there was just a major melt down and I once again called in the Calvary.
Apparently during the year my babydoll worked from home, our home computer was networked into his office data base. When he went back to working in the office, I’m pretty sure it was disconnected. Or maybe temporarily disabled. Anyway with cases once again on the rise, someone decided to relink the at home connections for certain key people incase at home work was brought back for a while. They had a really hard time getting it up and running at first and there was a lag time so I think they were trying to avoid another week of lost productivity while connections were reestablished.
The end result is that part of my files were somehow locked into their system. As i don’t work for them. I didn’t have access. I found this out when my babydoll called from his office and put their IT guy on. I handed the phone to my friend currently fixing my computer. Two or three clicks on either end and the problem was sorted. I was also asked about a couple of before and after’s for my skincare images and was able to recommend a couple of products, namely the Herbal Dynamics Beauty Hyaluronic Serum and the Elemis Eye revive mask.
So I suppose everyone got something out of it.
Personally I’m just glad I can access everything I need to on my computer. I just can’t believe I didn’t see the extra network added. It would have been a clue that something was going on. But you live and learn.
Today I tried to use either new or newer to me products as well as products I am trying to use up. It provided a really interesting mix. So let’s start at the top. The Tatcha Primer came in this months’ IPSY Glam Bag X and I was over the moon to see it. I’ve used it before and it is on my to repurchase list, but it is one of those expensive primers I can’t justify purchasing until I use up several of my other really good (but less expensive) products. I admit, I couldn’t help but use it right away. I love the scent of it. I am pretty sure it is Japanese peach, but I could be wrong. It is the same scent that a lot of Tatcha products have and personally I really enjoy it. I also really enjoy how the product works. very little is needed so the primer should last for quite a while. I tend to concentrate on the areas of larger pores for best use of the product. It is a primer well worth splurging on.
The Purlsse Radiant Glow BB Cream is nice. I started using it last week and I am pretty sure the sample tube will be empty by the end of the week. I am okay with that actually. I love the formula, but I really like the original BB Cream better than the illuminating one. Although with a matte primer it isn’t too glowy. It is just a preference thing. The product itself is really nice and works well for me. I would just go with the regular.
The pan is slowly growing in the Nars Bronzer. I think the silver pan showing is just smaller than the size of a quarter. Given that it is a sample size I am confident I can use the entire thing up. I am actually quite surprised at how long the mini lasted actually.
The Doucce Blush is new to me. I used IPSY Points to pick up the Posh Powder Palette and this is the first of the products I’ve tried in the palette. I have tried Doucce products before. The products are pretty good. I passed on the magnetic palette I had from them because I had all of the colors in formulas I liked better so I just wasn’t using it. I passed the palette on to my mother. The shades are perfect for her and I think she has actually hit pan on one of the eyeshadows. This blush is best called buildable. It goes on very light and you have to sort of layer it. to get the color you want. It is more subtle than many of my other blushes and I think it would be very suited for a low makeup day. in fact I could see it very easily used in an everyday makeup look. Today however I am testing the Norvina Vol 1 palette.
That palette is many things, subtle and neutral are not the terms it can lay claim to. The colors are bright and even if you tap off the brush all of them scatter pigment. The shadow got a little bit out of hand today. I think that I am going to have to use my smaller brushes to apply some of them. Tomorrow instead of reaching for my standard blending brushes I will go for the smaller ones and see if that works out better for application. I think that because they are so pigmented I feel a little bit out of control when applying them. Perhaps with smaller brushes I will feel more in control.
The Florence Mascara was not the mascara to use with this eyeshadow palette. This is a very low key mascara. It darkens the lashes beautifully. Bit it doesn’t lengthen or volumize. This is the sort of mascara you can wear with a low key shadow look. if you are just dusting a bit of bronzer or blush across your lids and then hitting the lashes with mascara, this might be a good one. This shadow, needs a more dramatic lash than this mascara can provide. As I just recently removed several mascaras from use, I am starting to roll new ones in, This was a first use and I think I am going to wait to use it again. I’ll think it could be a decent everyday mascara, but it simply doesn’t work with this dramatic eyeshadow and judging it along side it is a bit unfair. So I’ll pair it with a more toned down look to see how I feel about it then.
The lips and brows came from Billion Dollar Beauty. I really like both formulas. The more neutral lip seemed to work well for me today, I certainly didn’t need to go reaching for any of my red lipsticks. This is a neutral pink tone that worked quite well. I love using it in the Beauty Box Magnetic Palette from Billion Dollar Beauty, but I would also like to get a small compact where I could put the small square pan with maybe a travel lip brush. Kind of like the old bulled lipstick case my grandmother used to use. It clipped on the side of a bullet lipstick and had a flip up mirror and a small brush clipped onto the side. The brush was in a little sheath like a sword. I think the sheath came apart for cleaning. The whole thing had an Art Deco enameled design on it and I remember being fascinated when I was little. I would love a little case like that for this lipstick. I really like the lipstick pans and love the control of applying them with a brush, but it is harder to just slip into the purse. Just a small magnetic compact with a travel brush clipped to the side would be perfect. If anyone has ever heard of a place selling something like that, let me know. i would love to pick it up.
But that is another story.
This was my first time using the About Face Liquid highlighter and i really liked it. Very little is need. I dispensed a drop onto my hand, dipped a finger in and applied it that way. I could have blended less and it would have stood out more but i love how blending in just gives a subtle gold to the skin. I don’t know if it comes out in the photo, but I really like the in person look. This is the second About Face Item I’ve tried, the other being lip paint and thus far i have really been impressed with the products.
The final two products are ones I am trying to use up. One is the Smashbox photofinish setting powder. It is the one where you have to twist in order to get fresh powder. It is nice in concept but the dial is hard to turn if you have anything on your hands or have freshly washed hands and sometimes it sticks. I like the powder, and I even like the fresh powder concept. it is just the dial that I don’t like. if you have any mobility issues, like arthritis I would stay away from this product. Somedays it turns well, other days it is a real struggle, and I don’t really have any hand mobility issues. So even though it is a good powder, it isn’t worth the fight so I won’t be repurchasing it when I am through with it.
The Farsali Setting spray as well will be a use and let go rather than repurchase. It sets makeup well enough and the gold flakes are pretty but I just don’t care for the scent. I will use it until it is gone and then not replace it.
So that was my makeup today. I tried out a lot of new to me products as well as worked on using up some older ones. Over all I am fairly pleased with how things worked out. Admittedly with my computer fixed I am just pleased in general about how my day is going.
I tell the computer to do and it does it without causing issues? How fabulous! I am personally going to bask in that fabulousness. I hope you have something fabulous for your Monday as well. I think you deserve it.
Good afternoon my darlings. Today was another day of waling instead of the gym. I managed to get up earlier than usual and get a walk in. The heat may not have risen but the humidity made the air thick. I was seriously surprised that you couldn’t actually see my outline in the path that I walked through the humid air. It certainly felt like I was carving a path through something thicker than normal air.
And despite the early hour I still felt sweaty and gross when I returned and ended up standing in the shower for a long time. At least I used less hot water this time as the cooler water was just perfect. So I suppose it was energy efficient maybe?
The trick came later. After several hours at the desk, I now have the intense desire to move about a bit. Which is why I have been doing a mid-morning gym run to use the treadmill on most days. Since I’m currently taking a break from the gym and it was already too hot to walk again, I just moved around the house for a bit. It got me moving but it wasn’t quite the same. Still I did move around enough to lose the fidgets and get back to work. It just wasn’t as intensely calorie burning as I am used to.
Today I realized I had a sample size of the Purlisse Illuminating BB Cream and I thought I would give it a try. I’ll actually be using it until the sample has been used up. Using it Friday and over the weekend it should last through until about Tuesday. While I’ll talk more about it after I’ve used it more as a first impression I think it was really positive. Admittedly I was expecting to like it. I tried the non illuminating BB cream from Purlisse and fell in love. I actually have an unopened tube in my dressing table. I am resisting opening it until I use up a couple of products. It was really good and thus far I like this Illuminating version as well. It is a light coverage that feels weightless. I used it with a matte Primer specifically today to see how they played together. Plus I have used the Benefit Porefessional often enough to know how it works.
The combination worked well for me actually. I could see that it was a bit more illuminating as it brightened my skin, but it wasn’t too dewy looking for me. I think it looked rather fresh and clean.
As always I love the Porefessional Primer. It worked as well as it always does and will continue to be a staple in my collection.
This was my first use of the Laura Geller Baked highlighter. I liked that it has no glitter in it. It applies a bit like a bright powder and it does brighten the areas where it is applied for a very natural looking ‘lit’ area where it is worn. Normally I apply highlighter with my fingertips. This one needed a brush. If I applied it with the finger then it left a long stripe that took a lot of effort to blend in. If applied with a brush the powder didn’t compact as much and was easier to diffuse. I like it, but I think I may have to play around with it before I make a final decision.
I did however pair it with my NARS Bronzer to serve as quick eyeshadow today. I forgot to pick out a shadow palette so I just used a bit of bronzer on my lids and then dotted a bit of the baked highlighter on the inner corners to brighten it. I think it worked pretty well for a low key look.
The Lips were also a mash up. I used the Buxom lipstick which was lovely and plumping, but the color tends to wash my lips out. So I tilled it with the Milk Glow Oil. I really like the combination actually. It may be one of my favorite neutral look combos at the moment. And definitely something to remember as I try and go back to testing out the brighter Norvina eyeshadow Palette. Having a neutral lip handy with a bright palette is always a good idea. And the lip oil worked surprisingly well with the plumping lipstick. I wasn’t sure the two products would work, but they really play nicely together. there was no separation at all they just blended into each other really nicely.
At the moment I am playing around with the Norvina Palette as I try out different looks, but when dressing for the day, I don’t actually find myself reaching for it. I think I like playing with all of the purple tones, but I just tend to be more neutral during the work day. I am going to try for some more work day looks with the palette, now that I’ve played with the brighter colors.
But that is for next week. Today was the day for first impressions of the Laura Geller Highlighter and the Purlisse Radiant glow, both of which I liked enough their first time out to continue playing around with. For now though, it is back to work. I hope you have a fantastic rest of Thursday. I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning for the weekly weigh in and the Skincare line up.
Ms. Mimsy Reviews 