The Daily: March 27th, 2023

Good afternoon my darlings and welcome to another Monday. I hope yours is treating you well. Mine is chugging along nicely actually. We had a weekend where the weather was nice and the wind was blowing just right so we opened all of the windows to air out the house and began the first major spring cleaning of the year.

It felt fantastic. I know cleaning is normally not high on my fun times for weekends, but there is something about the full spring clean that just makes me feel so fabulous. The house smells fresh, all of the extra winter things are gathered. Even if we get a cold snap the hats and gloves and scarves and other winter things that pile up are put away for the year. Sheets are washed, blankets hung out in the sun and you find things you thought you lost.

It feels a bit magical.

And to top it off this weekend when the house stuff was done I sat down and cleaned my makeup brushes. I have to say there is just something extra nice about sitting down to do your makeup on a Monday morning with a full set of cleaned brushes. This is my every day jar. I have other brushes that I will sometimes swap in so that I don’t have to clean the brushes I used because of time and other excuses. I cleaned all of those too. It took quite a while because I have been putting it off for a long time. I did end up putting all of the extra brushes out of sight so that hopefully i will just remember to clean these instead of swapping the dirty brushes out for clean brushes.

One can hope.

I have to say it was a nice way to start off a Monday. I got back into my early morning workout routine, making it just a little bit earlier than before actually. We have started putting the seedlings out to start the hardening process so after Easter we can start the garden planting. That means adding a little early morning garden tour to the schedule to make sure things get watered before the sun is fully up. Right now it isn’t much of an issue, but I need to get in the habit of checking every day now so that when the summer heat rises I have the habit of checking each morning well established.

Mornings are not my strong suit and to be honest, habit is how my mornings run. It takes a bit to set a habit but once it becomes habit and I can run my mornings on partial autopilot, things go a lot more smoothly. So the seasonal transition has begun. My day now starts with me rolling out of bed and into my workout clothes, doing my indoor workouts, putting on the coffee, checking the garden and then coming in for shower and skincare. After that the regular day can begin. The first week of transition is always rough, but today wasn’t that bad. I might be feeling differently come Friday, but today at least went well. I am taking it as the positive step into spring.

Today’s Look

Primer: YSL Touch Eclat Blurring Primer

Foundation: Tom Ford Traceless soft matte foundation

Bronzer: Viseart Bronze Noix

Blush: Beseme Cosmetics Cream Rouge in Crimson

Highlighter: Wander Beauty Wanderess Glow in After Hours

Setting Powder: Anastasia Beverly Hills Setting powder

Eyeshadow: Butter London Natural Goddess Palette

Mascara: Tarte Lights Camera Lashes Mascara

Lips: Yensa Super 8 Vibrant Silk Lipstick in Noble

In March I am making an effort to work through my primer samples. To be honset I may have to make that a goal for April as well. I had more samples in that samples box than I thought I did. This one has been hanging on for a while. I am going to make an effort to use it all this week to try to work through it. I love this YSL primer. It makes my skin feel soft and smooth and foundation glides over it. I think I keep putting off finishing the sample because I know I am going to want to pick up the full size as soon as it is done and I really need to finish out some full sized primers before I do that. While I love primers for a stretch there subscription boxes were just sending lots of them so my already large collection multiplied. When I did my spring cleaning of the makeup this weekend I found a couple of full sized primers I hadn’t even opened yet. So need to clear out some space before purchasing any full sized items. Which I know is a stupid reason to drag out the use of a sample size. But it is such a good primer.

But I am determined to finish the sample. It will not be going back in the makeup drawer.

The Tm Ford Foundation I need to remember to reach for more often. I think the reason that I don’t is because it is a very liquid formula and can be a bit messy. Usually I dispense product onto my hand, dot it onto my face with a finger, blend with a brush and then if necessary go in with a makeup sponge. With this foundation I dispense a tiny bit on the hand, dip the brush onto my hand and apply, then dispense a little more. I have to watch the dispensing as it will run off the back of my hand. It does mean I use less product so this bottle will last a long time. The top does get messy and needs to be wiped down after each use but it is a beautiful light weight foundation.

I like the fact that the Viseart bronzer is buildable rather than highly pigmented. I feel more in control when I use it. It blends well and the tone is great for my skin. I also adore the packaging. I know packaging isn’t everything but I do like the little fold out pouch.

the foundation pump always gets messy because it is such a liquid formula

Today was the first use of the Beseme blush. Technically speaking I did use in on Thursday but then here was an incident involving mud and a run away dog and well perhaps we had best call today a first use. The metal tin is lovely and the cream is highly pigmented. I also have Crimson which I think is their darkest shade. it works well for my skin but it needs a light touch. I applied with my finger and it needed to be warmed up a little. Which my finger did. I will try using a sponge for application tomorrow to see how that does, but the finger approach worked well. I dotted it on my cheek and blended with clean finger tips. I would recommend having a cloth to wipe off your finger as soon as you are done. Even after applying I had product on my hand and it needed to be wiped off.

I remembered highlighter today. I don’t always. I love highlighters but I don’t always remember to wear them. The Wander Beauty is one of my favorites though. I have a sample size pan but the sample lasts forever. At some point I will get a full size but it will take a while. I like that even though this is silvery it has a pink under tone that lets it blend in a bit better. It can be stunning or subtle. As I am usually going for an office look I prefer the subtle.

The ABH Setting powder is nice but messy. There is no inner lid so I always get a spray of powder everywhere. I am almost done with this container though. I have a back up waiting but I am ready to clear this one out.

Today I pulled the Butter London Palette out of the drawer. This palette I don’t reach for often but it always makes it through the decluttering process. So I decided to take it out and see if it really deserved to stay. And yeah there is a reason I keep it. The colors are rich and saturated. The one matte is brown and when the brush is tapped off there is little fall out. It blends well as a base and then the shimmer shades glide over easily with a dry brush. The shadows stay in place all day and despite having only one matte there is enough variety in the six pans that I don’t get bored. It is a really good little palette. I think i gets lost sometimes because of it’s size but there is a reason it has lasted through the declutters.

Of the Tarte mascaras I have tried this is my favorite. It gives me nice long lashes with one coat and it doesn’t flake. perfect for a daily look.

This is my first actual Yensa Lipstick. I usually go for the lip oils from Yensa. Although that may have to change. This is a creamy pigmented formula that is really nourishing on the lips. It is a bullet style so it doesn’t dry down and there are lip prints, but even when the color starts to wear off the lips feel hydrated so for me that is a big win. Plus I like the color.

And that my darlings is me today. When I tidied up I found some products I hadn’t reached for in a while and I decided to use them. I am really glad I did. I thought I might use them and decide that no, they don’t need to stay. Instead I realized there was a reason I kept them around. Which is also good to know. Especially now that i get to use them.

But for me it is back to work. I hope you have a fabulous rest of Monday.

The Daily: March 21st, 2023

March just keeps chugging along doesn’t it. Today the freeze warning is still in effect but according to all sources I can find, it is supposed to warm up in the morning. I know tulips are fairly hardy but I do fear for their safety. they are no longer glazed and looking like ice sculptures and they don’t look wilted yet so I have hopes they will come through this snap in tact. Oddly the leaves are now starting to come out on my blackberry bush. They are small leaves teased out but the warm front before this current cold snap and now looking like they are regretting their optimism, but still they are there.

And blackberries always mean summer to me. So I am hoping for a bumper crop this year. I’ve already got my netting handy so at the first sign of fruiting I can protect the bush from the predations of the birds. I am actually curious as to how that will play out this year.

Usually we have problems with voles, squirrels and birds in our yard. This year the issue has been more of a feral cat situation (in the neighborhood and not just our yard) and all other wildlife seems to be giving our patch a wide berth because of it. We usually have a lot of nesting birds near us so it will be interesting to see how things progress.

It is my own little live action nature documentary.

My only role is to protect my garden otherwise I just watch it play out and occasionally scare off the cats. Last year most wildlife viewed my garden as an all you can eat salad buffet. Until this past fall when the cats decided it was a squirrel buffet with vegetable garnish. And the more the feral cat’s multiply the more my babydoll starts looking at pictures of terriers. I’m pretty sure he watched Crufts this year thinking about what kind of dog would work best against some of the rather large neighborhood cats.

Some of them are really large.

I’m not so sure I want to take that active a roll in the nature documentary that is our yard. At the moment I have a bottle of soapy water that is eco friendly and keeps bugs from eating most of my plants and chicken wire to keep things out of the garden beds. That is about as active as I plan to get. Tastes bad but isn’t actually poison and won’t hurt the ground as well as physical barricades like netting and wire. I might go as far as something that makes noise, but I am not up for all out warfare.

All of that is several months away of course as we are now struggling to get above freezing and my seedlings are in my greenhouse safe and sound from all predators and the weather. But the appearance of the blackberry leaves has started the planning.

Today’s Look

Pre Makeup Base: Embryolisse Lait Creme Sensitive

Primer: YSL Touche Eclat Blurring Primer

Foundation: Hide Invisible Foundation

Bronzer/Blush/Highlight/Eyeshadow: Wander Beauty Getaway eye and Face Palette

Setting Powder: Beseme Cosmetics Pink powder

Mascara: Thrive Causmetics Mascara

Brows: Grande Cosmetics Brow-Fill Volumizing Brow Gel

Lips: Serephine Botanicals Lip Gloss and OFRA Lip Gloss in myth

I really like how everything turned out today. My plan this moth is to work through the sample sized primers and I have had this primer for a long time. Each time I think I am done with itI realize there is still just a little bit more left in the bottle and I keep it around. And even though I used it today there is still just a little bit more left in the bottle so I will continue to use it. Even though it is hard to get out of the bottle. I really love this YSL primer. I know it was all the rage a while back with everyone saying fabulous things about it and then it fell off the radar and now people say it’s time has passed, but I love this primer. It does such a beautiful job of blurring things out. And while the gold flakes are a bit much, when I use this primer under heavier matte foundation, it tends to look a bit less heavy. Even if it isn’t sparkly. I have tried several YSL makeup items and thus far this is the only one I’ve tried that I will repurchase.

This HIDE foundation is pretty good as well. It helps that it is in the perfect shade for my skin. I also know that it expires in August and so I am trying to keep it in rotation so that when August arrives I have used all of it. It is a weightless foundation that blends out so well.

Most of my face products came from the Wander Beauty Palette today. It is my first use of this palette. That bronzer is very pigmented. As is the blush. I suggest going lightly into the pan. I will say that both blend out really well, but they are more pigmented than they look.

The eyeshadows too are pigmented. I used Villa as a base, Boardwalk to darken the corners and Day dream as my shimmer. It was quick and easy to use and honestly I think I may have found my next favorite travel palette. The whole thing worked really well for me and took so little time to use. It isn’t the broadest spectrum of looks and I think I will probably end up with the same look each time I open the palette, but for a weekend trip, that isn’t a bad thing. And the size is great for a small makeup bag.

The Beseme Setting powder is amazing. I can already see myself getting refills for this compact for a long time to come. My quest for a replacement pink setting powder might have just ended because this just works so well without looking powdery.

The Thrive mascara gave me long lashes today that worked well. I might pair this with a thickening mascara in the future but for long lashes I really like this.

As for the lips. I tried the Seraphine and while I liked the color it was a little too sticky for me. I have this OFRA lipgloss that is just a little too light for me to wear on it’s own. It does make an excellent topper though. So I used it to top the Seraphine. It lightened the color a bit which I don’t mind but it also took away the stickiness from the other lip gloss. Th9is is definitely a pairing I will be using in the future.

So this is me today. Honestly I am really happy with the way things have turned out. It’s not dramatic, but then my looks rarely are. It is nice and casual yet when I had to take a video call earlier it didn’t look out of place. it was casual yet office friendly I suppose. Which is kind of where my makeup really lives. I play with the glitters and things at night and on weekends, but really day in and day out, casual and office appropriate is my lane. And I am happy with that. Especially for a Tuesday.

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Mid Week Baggage Claim

Okay technically Tuesday isn’t quite midweek, but as tomorrow is the first of March and the day I look at empties and the upcoming Use up box, I thought I would go ahead with a set of undereye masks. Already the air is full of allergens. The early flowering trees have started to flower and already there is a thin coat of yellow dust over all of the vehicles. It isn’t as thick as it will be in a month or so, but it is noticeable and as you may recall, spring is the time i turn to under eye masks.

I really like under eye masks for really taking down puffiness and just making me feel more refreshed. Every allergy medicine I take leaves me in a bit of fog and having the under eye masks does help to alleviate some of that fog. I also keep a stone roller in the fridge to aid in the de puffing and when things get really bad I have the gel filled eye mask I keep in the fridge as well. Cold is my friend in the Spring.

These Baggage Claim Gold Eye Masks from Wander Beauty are not new. I know they have a newer pink version, but these are the classic originals. I know everyone went over the mood for them when they first came out and then as more and more products came out and different materials were used these sort of slipped off the radar.

Personally I really enjoy them. They are a good size so in addition to helping out my under eyes, I can give the crow’s feet area a little extra love too. They are composed of thoroughly saturated paper, so they adhere really well to the contours of my face. I don’t have to reach up and press them back down as they peel up. In fact I can put them on at the desk and work while completely forgetting that i have them on.

Which is kind of nice. If I know i have a meeting later in the day and start out feeling puffy, I will often use these before I put my makeup on, delaying the makeup application until i am ready to get things together for my meeting. They are quite often a life saver.

These Wander Beauty Baggage Claim Gold Eye masks are a familiar favorite and i was happy to reach for them again today.

The Daily: February 6th, 2023

Good afternoon my darlings. I hope you had a fantastic weekend and that Monday is treating you well. This was a interesting weekend for me. Friday was just a hot mess. I didn’t even remotely get a chance to do my Face Mask Friday. A project that I thought was done went super nova and it was all hands on deck.

I have several 3 minute face masks ready to try out though, so I might roll one of them in place of the sheet mask this week so if you are feeling like you missed your face mask fix, stay tuned.

But the fun didn’t stop there. My babydoll is not a fan of crowds at the best of times. He tends to have a set group of people he likes and then he wants the rest of the world to just leave him alone. He is one of those people that very much enjoys social distancing and he is really sort of hoping the distance thing becomes a permanent thing. I love him dearly but he is not a people person.

But for Valentine’s Day, he tries.

Usually it is a bit of a compromise. We tend to go out for Valentines Day but we go out the weekend earlier and then just have a night in on the actual valentine’s day. So since Valentine’s Day is on a Tuesday this year, he reasoned that the weekend of the 11th would be when everyone went out to celebrate. And so we went out this weekend for the dinner out. We had a grand night out actually. We went to a concert and then went out to dinner. He bought me tulip bulbs for the garden as a gift. I am very happy with that actually as I have been talking about expanding our small tulip bed. well area maybe more accurate, but you get the picture. Not only did he get me something I like, but he was actually listening when I talked about the garden. (In case you are wondering I got him a box of his his favorite high end chocolates – he has a far bigger sweet tooth then I ever will – and some kit for his beer making endeavors. he was tickled by the new gear although I have to say I have very little idea what I actually picked up. He keeps a wish list and I saw one of the items was in stock so that’s what I ordered.)

It was a really great night. And then we got food poisoning from the restaurant.

It wasn’t the stomach pumping kind of bad, but it did sort of ruin the rest of the weekend. Nothing else was done. No routine errands or household chores. Nothing. I am now up to Season seven (out of 16) of Criminal Minds thought. with the release of the new season on Paramount + I started at Season 1 and began working through the seasons to reach the current one. I am now about midway through season seven. while I love the show, there is something almost therapeutic watching people take down serial killers when you are curled up under a blanket on the couch with a wonky tummy. I also confess, I like the weird episodes. There was one this weekend where the killer turned people into marionettes. It was a good episode. Anyway Paramount+ has them all so I am working my way through until I get to the current season. And this weekend was a good weekend to do some binge watching.

Because I wasn’t going anywhere or doing anything productive.

While I am better, and need to restock the Pepto Bismol, It wasn’t a restful weekend and it feels like I needed another day. Still the work week arrived as predicted so here we are. I do think I am going to feather in all of the missed chores during the week this week though so I can just collapse next weekend. At least that is the plan.

Today’s Look:

Primer: Pinklipps Soft Matte Primer

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

Bronzer: Milk Makeup Bronzing stick (sample size from the Use up box)

Blush: Axiology No Waste Multistick Color Cream in True

Powder: By Terry Hyaluronic Acid Hydra Powder (sample size from the Use up Box)

Eyeshadow: Wander Beauty Wanderess Escape Palette

Mascara: Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real Magnet extreme lengthening Mascara

brows: GrandeBrow-Fill

Lips: Axiology Zero Waste Multisuse Crayon in Nude Plum

Okay my darling’s we will take it from the top, because we have some really interesting things in today’s line up. First is the Pinklipps primer. This is an interesting primer. If used sparingly, it is quite fantastic. It creates a nice softly blurred canvas for the rest of the makeup to sit on. The pink tone helps even things out in my skin tone but I have pink undertones to my skin so if you don’t have that, it might not help. It does give a nice matte look to the skin which I like. However if you use a little too much this formula does tend to feel a little heavy and greasy. So I put just a little bit where i need it most and then blend out. Which seems to work for this primer. i am still playing with it so I’ll keep you posted, but tat the moment that seems to be what is working.

The Bite Foundation is fantastic but discontinued so it is in my use up box. My hope is to finish it out this month so I can let it go. The same holds true for the By Terry Powder. it is good but not my favorite formula so i am using up the sample size I have this month so I can let it go. The Milk Makeup Bronzer also comes from the use up box, however it is there for a different reason. It is a sample size that I want to use up so that I can purchase the full size. While I love samples because they give me a good idea of how the product actually works, if I like it I make myself use up the sample before I purchase the full size. I really like this bronzer, so I am am using up the sample in order to purchase the fill size.

And now we get to the Axiology products. I don’t know if you have heard of this brand but it is well worth looking into. they very kindly sent over a few products for me to try so they will be around for the next few weeks (and probably beyond) while i try them out. They are multiuse products with sustainable packaging. There is no metal or plastic in the packaging. it is all paper and all recyclable. I’ll get into all of the details of that with my fill post of the brand but if sustainability is important to you I recommend checking out their website to see how they are doing things. The links in this post will take you to their site.

But a good idea is only a good idea if it works. And so we start the product testing. Today I use the Multi stick color cream as the blush and the Multi use crayon as my lipstick. For the blush the color I used was True. I dotted it on to my face as I would a stick of cream blush and then blended with a damp makeup sponge. (Currently I am using the Beauty Bakerie Blending eggs for this. They are just the right density. I don’t like my makeup sponges too hard in general, but for this you will also want to avoid the too soft ones. they never seem to work all that well for cream blushes. Other things, yes, but not most cream blushes, so go with a medium density).

I only needed a couple of dots and then it blended into a really nice blush. I really like this shade and actually i think that this is also multi season in shading for me as well. I started with a single dot of product and blended out and it gave me a very light flush. I added a second dot and it blended as well and proved the formula was buildable. As the shade works well with my skin tone I think when the summer sun starts to give me a tan, I will just be able to use a little more to have the perfect summer shade as well. I love a product i can use year round. I won’t know for certain until the summer but this first use was very promising. The lip crayons went on really well also, it was smooth and creamy. It has the consistency on the lips of a creamy bullet style lipstick. It doesn’t dry down which is fine and requires reapplication after eating but i really like the shade and the feel of it on my lips. It was a great first use. Thus far the only issue I see is that I really like this True shade as a blush so I am not sure I am going to want to try using it anywhere else. It just makes such a great blush. Still it is multi use so I will try using it elsewhere.

This was my first use of the Escape Palette, although a while back I had a mini version of this palette I believe. I remember this pink shimmer shade and I am very happy to have it back (the previous palette was used, well loved and then accidentally dropped where three of the six shadows crumbled, in case you were wondering).I love having this pink shimmer back. It was my favorite before and it is so again. It is a subtle shimmer that is perfect for the work day. i went with a general work day look today and I think it came out looking really well.

The Benefit mascara is one of my favorites. I tried the magnet in a sample and loved it enough to purchase full size. Oddly while i love the magnet version of this mascara, i wasn’t as thrilled by the regular They’re real. It was okay but when I used it I preferred Bad Gal Bang from them. I still love the Bad Gal but this Magnet They’re real is a close second. I just find it amusing at the difference between the two versions of They’re real.

And to end I am using the GrandeBrow Fill. As a brow gel it is fantastic. Since my bangs cover most of my brows at the moment I don’t need much in the way of brow products so I am hoping the good things in this brow fill will work on the patchy spots. That will take time to see but i do like it as a brow gel. it keeps everything in place without feeling stiff.

And wo my darlings that is me today. I’ve just begun the Axiology test and am really excited to see how the products perform in the next few weeks. My tummy is feeling better and the panic that was Friday has settled down to something more manageable for the work week. And so I will get back to my paperwork and let you get on with the rest of your day. I hope it is a fabulous one.

The Skincare Line Up: December 23rd

Welcome to the Friday before Christmas. This afternoon I will be heading out so next week will be interesting, but lets see what got used this week shall we?

Cleanser (day time): GlamGlow Supercleanse Clearing Cream to Foam Cleanser

Cleanser (night Time): Milk Wash Exfoliating Jelly Cleanser from Beekman 1802

Toner: Elemis Superfood Fruit Vinegar Liquid Glow

Serum: Ole Henriksen Truth Serum

Out with the old, in with the new! Sale on Sale – Take an Extra 25% Off Sale Items!

Eye cream: Byroe Rose Tea Eye Cream

Moisturizer: Drunk Elephant Protini polypeptide Cream

Night Cream: IT Cosmetics Confidence in your Beauty Sleep And Wander Beauty Do Not Disturb Overnight Repair Concentrate

Lip Mask: Tatcha Kissu lip mask

Okay there were a couple of items that I ran out of last week and so I reached for products I already had in use. To replace the empty Skin Inc Serum i went for my trusty Truth Serum from Ole Henrkisen. I have lost count of the number of times I have used this serum and I will no doubt pick it up again when this bottle is done; It is a really great vitamin c serum that doesn’t make your skin sun sensitive. I am a fan.

I am also a fan of the Elemis Superfood Fruit Vinegar toner. I know, I love most Elemis products. There is something about this scent that I just love. It is like fermented apple cider. It also works really well.

And then we have the two cleansers. They are a fabulous power couple and I adore both of them. I will happily use both of these any time.

Returning also is the Byroe Tea time Eye cream. It is fantastic. The gel texture has it absorbing really well and my skin is absolutely loving it.

Having said that all four of these products are too big for me justify packing in my bag. This Christmas is going to be a shorter visit than usual as I spent two weeks at my mom’s in September and then we went down for longer over thanksgiving. And so the smaller bag is packed. Plus I need space for the box of gifts we are adding. So as much as I love these products I will have to leave them home and know that they will be waiting for me when I return.

This week the It Confidence in a Beauty Sleep cream finished on Tuesday. I like it. It is a good cream and I think that for the duration of a jar of cream i could tolerate the scent of it. It is strong and not my favorite scent. But it works well enough that I would be willing to ignore it for the duration of the jar. I would probably be very happy to finish the jar when i am done,. but I do like the cream enough to use. For me it is a thicker cream that works well in the Winter but I think might be too heavy at other times of the year. If you have drier skin then it may be for you for a longer part of the year, just know it is highly scented. Even though i suggest you test most moisturizers before you use them full size, I would definitely recommend trying this first just to see if the scent is for you before picking up a full jar.

Since it ran out, I rolled in the Wander Beauty Night Concentrate. I have used it before and absolutely loved it. So it was really nice to have it in my list up again. While I could probably make space in the bag for it, the type of pump it is doesn’t make it ideal for travel, so I will leave it home and then start using it again when I return.

As for the Drunk Elephant, I scraped the bottom of the sample sized container this morning. I used every drop of this and as far as samples go, it did it’s job. I definitely wast to purchase the full size of this moisturizer. it wasn’t large enough to see results but my skin felt so soft and hydrated after I used it that I am definitely willing to put it on the list for a full sized trial. I loved this sample. It had almost no scent to it, absorbed well and felt fantastic. It moisturized well and I am looking forward to a longer trial sometime in this upcoming year.

Tatcha Lip, always fabulous. And going into the travel bag before i leave.

And that my darling is my skincare for this week. While most of the items were super fabulous, they will be staying here and waiting for me when i return from Christmas. It will be nice to return to them, but it will be a sample sized Christmas.

Also this week I will be skipping the Friday Face Mask since I will be on the road. I suppose I could put one on while i’m driving but I really think that might be a bit much for my fellow travelers. I will probably put on a face mask with my mother tonight, but that won’t make it to a post. I hope that whatever you are up to this year, you have a fabulous vacation and some well deserved down time if nothing else. Merry Merry and I’ll see you back here next week.

Holiday Gift Sets: Wander Beauty

I have tried a lot of Wander Beauty products and there are quite a few I really like. Pictured above are some of the favorites in my collection. The Staycation mask is really good for hydration (no surprise there) and is something I turn to routinely in the wintertime. If you are interested in a more fulsome review, it featured on a Face mask Friday post a while back and you can read about it here. The Do Not Disturb Overnight Repair Concentrate was a part of my Skincare routine from July 2nd – September 3rd, 2021And I liked it enough to pick up a second one. In fact I pulled it out of my skin care drawer because I need to rotate a night mask into my current routine and I will be adding this in. The baggage claim Eye masks are long term faves and this, my last set, will be slipped into my travel bag before i leave for Thanksgiving and reordered once I return.

In fact the Baggage Claim Under Eye Masks feature in several of Wander Beauty’s Holiday sets this year. Which isn’t surprising since they are really nice eye masks and because they travel really well. This year Wander Beauty has the Eye masks in Festive Fuchsia for a limited time. ($26 for a pack of 6)

Wander Beauty also offers a 24 piece variety pack ($75) this set includes not only the Limited Edition Festive Fuchsia Baggage Claim Masks but the original gold and the rose gold sets as well.

Whatever color you use they all are fabulous. they are light weight and stay in place well so if you want to put them on while getting things done around the house they are easy to wear and you don’t have to worry about them slipping. Last year my mother and each wore a set while wrapping Christmas gifts. And then after got dressed for the holiday gathering. (where we handed out the presents we just wrapped, timing slipped a little last year).

They are great for a pre makeup ritual and they really help to depuff the eyes which is why they are onw of the products I keep around for allergy season. Actually during allergy season i like to put them on and then while they sit I will lightly roll over them with a jade roller. It pushes more of the serum in and the coolness of the stone is also beneficial to allergic eyes. So for me the larger pack is always a good idea. I like the way they feel and I love that they don’t leave any sticky residue on the skin when you peel them off.

The eye masks also feature this year in the Wander X Tenoverten Mask and Mani Set ($46). With this set you get six of the original gold Baggage Claim under eye masks and three nail polishes from TenoverTen. The colors are R&R (Soft Pink), First Class (Metallic Gold) and Soirée (Berry). I have tried the Ten over Ten top coat called Outlast. It is designed to make the polish chip resistant and I found it to be a really good quality top coat. i have never actually tried any of their nail polishes before. If they work as good as the top coat then I would consider this a very good deal. Each of their nail polishes retails for $12 on their own and the masks are a $26 value so you you get over $60 worth of product for the price.

I think that is one of the things that I really like about Holiday Bundles in general. You can get long time favorite products, try new things and get a great deal into the bargain.

Of course not all of the Holiday Bundles from Wander Beauty are about the under eye masks. (I just go through so many of them that I gravitate there first). One of the sets that really interests me this year is the Skincare essentials set. it is a Duo of the Drift Away Cleanser and the Dive in Moisturizer. I have never tried either product actually. I know I love the Do Not Disturb Overnight treatment so I am pretty sure the Dive In moisturizer would work well for me too, but if I am honest I am most interested in trying out the Drift Away Cleanser. It is a gel to foam cleanser that is supposed to provide the effect of a double cleanse without stripping the skin.

You know I love a double cleanse. And the few cleansers I have tried that have been gel to foam or cream to foam have been transitions I really like because the initial form (gel or cream) really lets me see where i put the cleanser so i can make sure i have in fact covered my whole face and am washing everything. I know that sounds a little strange, but I am not at my best first thing in the morning and the visual cue is helpful. I’m better after coffee, but still I like the transformative cleansers. I’m actually using a cream to foam cleanser at the moment.

Which I suppose it just long way round to say that I like this bundle.

They also have non skin care bundles this holiday season. Two of them caught my eye. The first is the Double Date Mini Lip and Cheek Set ($25). There are six mini lip and cheek products which is all of their lip and cheek shades plus the new release Spring Fling. I love this set for several reasons. One I would get to try every shade Wander Beauty has of the Lip and Cheek Creams. That right there is a bonus. i mean how often do you get to try out an entire lines worth of shades in one set?

Also I have really been liking cream blushes lately. the ones I like give me a great deal of control with blending and pigmentation level. (Of course the ones i don’t like provide a degree of angst, but that is the way with every product). I have been eying the Wander Beauty Double Date Creams for a while trying to decide which color suits me. And the ones that don’t work as Blushes on me look like they would be fab as lip products. And I will never say no to lip products. there is also something aesthetically appealing about the clear plastic rounds. Youi can see the product at a glance so you can quickly pick the shade you want and honestly they just look attractive. Plus, you know I already wanted to try them. Sort of a no brainer that I’d like it.

Of course you can’t forget the mascara. I have to say I am amused by this next bundle. It is the Eye-tinerary mascara Duo ($35). I have tried both mascaras and liked them both. They are just both good products. Personally I like the Unlashed a little bit more. I like the curved wand and if I had to pick i will generally go for volume over lengthening in a mascara. If I can get both great, but if not I will lean towards volume. So of course I go for the Unlashed which is a volumizing mascara. My cousin on the other hand loves length and absolutely adores the Mile High Club Mascara. Unsurprisingly, it has great lengthening properties.

So we predictably disagree on which mascara is the best. I know as far as serious debates go it doesn’t hold a candle to anything but when others get into more heated arguments about far more important (and family damaging) disagreements the debate between length and volume has served to break up the tension.(And when it doesn’t works there always the Smurfs Vs. Snorks debate to fall back on for diffusing tempers, admittedly that debate might show my age a bit). Regardless, I find it amusing to see both mascaras in the same bundle. I also think it is a great deal as both are in fact really good mascaras.

If you just want to try the Wander Beauty Mascaras without committing to a full sized tube they also have a trio of mini mascaras ($35) It has both the Unlashed and the Mile High Club as well as the Upgraded Lashes thickening Mascara. I have not tried that one so I can’t speak to it, but the other two are fantastic.

There are other Holiday sets available this year from Wander Beauty and honesty they all look well worth the price. these are just the ones that caught my eye. If you are looking to try items from the brand, stock up on favorites or seek out gifts for the skin care or makeup loving family member, there are several items on the Wander Beauty Holiday Sets page well worth looking into.

The Daily: October 31st, 2022

Happy Halloween my darlings. The pumpkins are out, and have been for the better part of the month. I think they turned out quite well this year. However I will say that they are not the longest lasting jack o’ lanterns we’ve had. Usually the colder temps keep them stable and in good shape for quite a while. These no longer look quite so lovely inside (or from the back) and first thing tomorrow morning they will be taken to the compost bin before their structural integrity deteriorates any further.

But they still look good from the front and in the dark. Just don’t look too closely and all is well.

The candy is much fresher of course. It is in a bowl by the door inside. It is easy to grab for any trick or treaters yet out of easy passing range so that I will not be filling up on candy throughout the day. It will be interesting to see who we get this year. When we first moved in the neighbor hood was mostly older people and then as the neighborhood started turning we got younger families moving in and there was a slow trickle of little kids in their costumes. As the kids in the neighborhood are still really little it isn’t even full dark when their parents take them around.

So tonight my babydoll and I will have an early dinner and then pass out candy to anyone who shows up. then we will settle in for our continuing movie fest. Last night was The Legend of Hell House. Its a good movie if you have never seen it. The book is way scarier and gave me nightmares when I first read it in high school. Admittedly there was a lot in the book that they couldn’t put into the movie. But the movie is really good.

Tonight I think we are rounding out our Halloween movie fest with The Ninth Gate. I know I have seen the movie, and I vaguely recall what it is about, but it isn’t one of my usual watch repeatedly movies so I don’t know it that well. I’m actually looking forward to it.

And of course as this is Halloween it means November begins tomorrow. For the month of November (at least until Thanksgiving and the arrival of Black Friday) I am going to have posts about holiday sets and bundles you might want to look into when Black Friday and Cyber Monday roll around. I am also going to be posting a few more recipes this month and in December. They will be a combination of low cal meals that are quick and easy to make when you are in a hurry, as well as a few easy entertaining ideas and snacks to think about having around so you don’t go into high caloric holiday fests super hungry.

they are things I am using this season to help keep me on track so i hope you enjoy them. But now…

Today’s Look

Primer: Yensa Essential Glow Tone Up Primer

Foundation: Becca Aqua Luminous Perfecting Foundation (discontinued)

Bronzer: Milk Makeup Baked Matte Bronzer

Blush: No 7 Damson Mist Blush

Highlight: Wander Beauty Wanderess Glow After Hours

Eyeshadow: Luminosity Palette by Trendbeauty

Mascara: Fenty Beauty Full Frontal Mascara

Lipstick: Anastasia Beverly Hills Matte Lipstick

FYI I used the Natura Hair mask last night and I am still really liking the way my hair looked and felt this morning, even if I do need to trim my bangs.

Today was an interesting combination of products. Several if the items were already out and because I liked them I went ahead and used the, (I didn’t tidy up my dressing table this weekend as planned so it was easier to grab some products that were already out). This includes the Yensa Primer (which I always Love), The Fenty beauty mascara (which I will use because it came in a subscription box but not really repurchase) and the ABH lipstick (love the formula but the shade has been discontinued – even though it is fabulous – so I am using it up).

Then we get to the foundation. This is the last use for this foundation actually. Becca as a brand is no more and so this foundation is no longer being produced. It has no expired yet but the end date is close and I am far enough down in the product level that I feel okay about letting it go. (I know it is a waste versus health and safety) but there isn’t much left so it isn’t that much of a waste. It was a good foundation so I used it one last time before saying goodbye. I loved it, I used it, I am letting it go.

Today was the first use of the Milk Makeup cream bronzer though. I like the shade and it blended well but i did have to warm it up a little first. It was stiff in the container and dragged the foundation until it was warmed with my hands. Then it was creamy and blended beautifully. I really enjoyed it and will be using it frequently as I get the feel of it.

The blush was No 7 and I haven’t used it in a while. It is a blush i don’t reach for often because in the pan it just looks so shockingly pink. It is buildable more than pigmented though and applies well. It takes a little bit of time to build up, but oi do like it once it is on. The Wander beauty is an old favorite as well. I have actually worn down the product in the pan and will soon have to replace it. It is one of those highlights that looks bright silver and you can if you want leave it in a streak that is blinding. However it does blend out to a soft glow that I really enjoy.

The eyeshadow is also new. I ordered a Holiday Kit from Ipsy and this was one of the palettes that came in it. To be honest I ordered the kit for the bag as I thought it would be perfect to pack up a little makeup starter kit for one of my nieces (and it is actually). I had not tried anything from Trendbeauty before. This palette arrived with a busted shadow but I cleaned it up and tried it out anyway just to see the formula of the other shadows. They are soft and creamy in the pan. There isn’t a lot of fall out. They were a little bit of work to blend together. each of the shadows I used wanted to stand on it’s own. In the end I came up with something I liked. It isn’t a bad formula, it is just not a super quick one to use. I think it might be a little less streaky if I used an eyeshadow primer underneath as a base. I do like the brown and gold hued palette though and think it is a good mix for the fall season. The selection of shadows isn’t earth shatteringly original but it is a decent little palette and as it retails for $12.50 it is really good for the price. It’s just a shame one of the shadows was broken.

And really that is me today. I am running around doing a bit of tidying in the yard between bouts of rain today (we hd strong winds last night and rain off and on all day) I want the yard to look nice if people are going to come to the door tonight. It will be interesting to see how many people we get as it is so rainy today. They are predicting thunderstorms this afternoon. That usually takes it’s toll on the number of kids running around in costume. But who knows, maybe by the time they are all dressed, the weather will have improved. As I love seeing all of the trick or treaters, I’ve got my fingers crossed.

The Skincare Line Up: August 26th, 2022

Once again it is time for my favorite post of the week, the skincare line up. This week we have one new item, a couple of items facing down their last week and a few who are still rolling on. Shall we take a loom at them?

Cleanser: Best Face Forward (BFF) Purifying Cleanser

Toner: Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner from First Aid Beauty

Serum: Depology Matrixyl 3000 Collagen Boosting Serum

Facial Oil: Wander Beauty Glow Ahead Illuminationg Facial Oil

Eye cream: Kat Burki Nutrient C Eye Cream

Moisturizer: Korres Santorini Grape Poreless skin cream

Lip Mask: Tatcha Kissu Lip Mask

I brought the BFF cleanser into the line up when I was having some skin issues and it really helped. while it isn’t causing any major drying issues, I can feel the drier parts of my face beginning to not be as happy with this cleanser as my skin was before. I only have about a week’s worth of product left and if I continue to pair it with the Wander Beauty Glow Ahead oil I should be fine. For me this is a cleanser that works well when I am breaking out and isn’t too drying, but really should be set aside once my skin has stopped breaking out. Which is good to know. Many cleansers designed to help break outs I can only use one or two days in a row before my skin starts to get flaky dry patches. this Has been less damaging than most and I will put it on a list to be ordered next time I do have need of a break out friendly cleanser. At this point in my life though that isn’t all that often. I generally have problems after I’ve been sick or around the holidays when my skin reacts to over indulgence. But I do like knowing what cleanser to call.

The Facial oil has been key I think to helping balance out which parts need more moisture. I concentrated the facial oil on my traditionally drier spots and blended out which really helps me. I really like this oil in general as it gives my skin a nice glow without clogging pores. It just did doubly duty paired with the cleanser.

The toner is nice and I will use it until it is gone, but I probably won’t buy it again. It feels good in the summer months but to be honest I haven’t seen it work better than my usual toners. And I kind of miss my Thayers with it’s which hazel.

The Depology Matrixyl 300 Collagen Boosting serum is something that my skin really loves. It smooths on well and absorbs easily. I do have to make sure my skin is dry or it will foam a little on the skin and feel momentarily slightly soapy (it goes away as it absorbs but still makes me think I missed rinsing off my cleanser). I have noticed an improvement in the texture of my skin as I have worn it. There is still plenty of serum to go and I will happily continue this trial.

The Korres Moisturizer is getting low in the jar, but it is a moisturizer I will pick up again. It has been a really good summer weight moisturizer. In general I like Korres products as my skin usually reacts really well to this. I can’t say I’ve seen a major reduction in my pores, but I can tell there are fewer clogged pores and my skin feels fantastically hydrated.

The Tatcha Lip mask is a permanent favorite. I love using it and will happily repurchase repeatedly.

This week’s new to the line up product is the Kat Burki eye cream I rolled it in Thursday morning so it is very new to the line up. It has a gel moisturizer like texture and a light fresh skincare scent. I love the glass bottle and the pump. It absorbs well and in the last day it seems to work well with my skin. I will keep an eye on it as I move forward, but it looks like it is going to be a good product.

And that my darlings is this week’s skincare. In the coming week I will finish out the cleanser and possibly the facial oil. I think I’ll have another week with the Korres and another two with the serum. Which for me is the perfect spacing for products. I like to space out the new arrivals so that I can monitor the effects on my skin and determine what product is doing what and make sure to deal with any interaction issues. So for me, things are rolling ahead nicely.

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Trying out the Wander Beauty All Inclusive Shampoo and Body Wasy

This Wander Beauty All Inclusive Shampoo and Body Wash came in a recent Birch Box subscription and I have to say I was somewhat surprised. I have tried many products from Wander beauty, some I loved and some I didn’t. Topping the favorites are the Baggage Claim Eye Masks and the Glow Ahead Facial oil.

That is how I think of them, as a skincare and makeup brand. I honestly didn’t know they had products for the body. I suppose I could have found out easily enough just by poking around on their website, but for some reason it never occurred to me. I suppose though it isn’t all that surprising. I tend to mentally categorize brands in my head and then am completely shocked that they sell something other than the book mark in my brain.

But still, surprise. So let’s look at the All Inclusive shall we?

Go from head to toe with this 2-in-1 gel-to-foam shampoo and body wash. This multitasking, do-it-all formula creates a luxurious lather to reinvigorate dull hair and skin, letting you do more with less during your shower routine.

Bamboo extract leaves hair softer and shinier while doing double duty to soothe and calm skin. Coconut oil and panthenol add shine and moisturize hair. Skin feels soothed and better retains hydration.

Sulfate Free. Silicone Free. Synthetic Fragrance Free. Dye Free. Safe for color treated hair.
Wander Beauty

Here is the thing. I am not a huge fan of all in one products. I always feel like something is left out. Usually I find that all in one products do one thing really well and the other things not so well. It was the same with this All Inclusive.

As a body wash it is great. It lathers well smells like lavender and rinses off clean leaving a light scent of lavender on the skin and my skin well moisturized. In fact I really liked it as a body wash.

I did not like it as a shampoo. It lathered just as well and had the same lovely scent. It rinsed away cleanly but it left my hair feeling somewhat overly clean and really tangled. For me it simply didn’t work for my hair. Perhaps that is just my hair type, but it just didn’t give me what I needed. It is a product I could make work if I paired it with a moisturizing hair mask that specialized in detangling, Like CryBaby from The Mane Club or even the recently tried Paradoxx 3-in-1 hair mask. But on its own as a shampoo it didn’t work and even with a regular conditioner, it left something to be desired. It was just too deep a clean for my hair.

So All Inclusive it may not be, but this Wander Beauty product is a very nice lightly lavender scented body wash that is great for sending me off to bed with sweet dreams. And I for one am very glad to learn that Wander Beauty has a wider range of products than I suspected. I think I am going to have to spend a little more time on their website to see what other gems i can uncover.

The Skincare Lineup: August 19th, 2022

And so another week has gone by. My skin is much less freaked out not that I am not trying to recover from the freeze/thaw cycle. I kept the same line up from last week though, I am going to start adjusting soon. For one thing, My eye cream is almost empty and a new one will be needed. But first let’s look at the products in motion.

Cleanser: Best Face Forward (BFF) Purifying Cleanser

Toner: Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner from First Aid Beauty

Serum: Depology Matrixyl 3000 Collagen Boosting Serum

Facial Oil: Wander Beauty Glow Ahead Illuminationg Facial Oil

Eye cream: Verso Eye Cream #5 Extra Nourishing

Moisturizer: Korres Santorini Grape Poreless skin cream

Lip Mask: Tatcha Kissu Lip Mask

The purifying cleanser was very interesting this week. I did a full post about it which you can read here if you are interested. The basic summation is that it works well but as my nose if finally working again I realized it has quite the perfumed smell to it. I am not enjoying that aspect. I have about two weeks left of product in the tube so I will be using it up, but as nice as it is the scent makes me not want to repurchase.

The wild oat toner is fine. It is gentle on the skin. I find I miss the witch hazel of my usual toners and while I wouldn’t object to using this one again, i am not certain I would seek it out. The main reason being simply that I have other toners I like better. Most of them have witch hazel in them. It is a good toner though, just not something on my must buy list.

I am really liking the Depology Serum though. My skin soaks it up like a sponge and I think I am seeing some improvement in the fine lines. It is still early days with the serum but My skin feels soft and hydrated and there is no delay waiting for it to absorb. It sinks in quickly and I can continue with the rest of my skin care.

I do like the extra layer of moisture the Facial oil provides. Plus I like the little bit of glow I seem to be getting from the Wander Beauty Oil. I think it is helping to balance out the salicylic acid in the cleanser as well so that nothing is dried out. I do concentrate my oil use on the parts of my skin where I tend to get drier patches. And that seems to help.

The verso eye cream alas is no more. I thought I had an extra sample size socked away but alas I do not. I really like the brand Verso in general. I have tried several products from them and I have never had a problem with any of them. When their products are good they are excellent. when they are not so good they are still better than average. Which is not a bad thing to say about a brand. if I don’t like it, then the product is probably targeted for an issue I don’t have. I think I tried something from them (a moisturizer) designed for really dry skin and while it was too much moisture for me, I still used it as a night mask every couple of nights and it worked out really well.

Speaking of moisturizers, the Korres moisturizer is still working out well for me. I use a little less in the day time than I use at night and that seems to be the right level of moisture. I really like that the scent is slightly grape mixed with skincare. It is an odd scent for skincare but I really like it. The scent is stronger in the jar than it is applied to the skin and fades fast. I think I have about two weeks left of product in the jar and I will happily continue using it. I will also consider repurchasing it. I’m not entirely certain it is doing much pore reduction, but it hasn’t caused any break outs and has helped tame the ones I had. It is a moisturizer that I really enjoy using.

I also enjoy using the Kissu Lip mask from Tatcha. I think I will be using that for a long time. I love it, it works well and so little is needed that the small jar will last a good long time. I really like a pre makeup application to get my lips hydrated before I put on any lipstick and it is also fantastic as an over night lip mask. The amount differs and I put on slightly more for the overnight use. In the morning it is absorbed where as pre lipstick i wipe whatever hasn’t soaked in away (which usually isn’t much). As I tend to pick at my lips when they are dry, keeping them hydrated is a big thing for me.

And so my darlings that is my skin care for the week. The products are the same as last week. Next week I will have a new eye cream rolled in but everything else is still in motion. I think I have one more week of the Wander Beauty oil (it was not an unopened tube when I brought it into the line up and I hit it hard post exfoliation binge. It will also not be my last tube. In fact I think I have an unopened one in my skincare drawer. I will try to delay reaching for it until after I have tried out some of the other oils waiting testing). So one week left on the oil and two weeks left on the cleanser, serum and moisturizer. And so we continue forward and hope for fabulous results. Have a great Friday everyone.