The Daily: July 27th, 2022

Good Afternoon my darlings, I hope your week is going well. Yesterday my babydoll had dental surgery so I spent a large chunk of my day working in the waiting room on a lap top. It was surprisingly productive actually. With the exception of me and one older gentleman reading a newspaper on the other side of the waiting room, everyone else chose to wait in their cars. While it eliminated my sport of people watching, I did get a lot of work done, which was nice.

And the surgery went well.

Today my babydoll is home resting. And my resting I mean he has taken a lot of pain medication and while he is relaxing on the couch he is periodically moving around, mostly to come in and either ask what I’m up to or to tell me something about the show he is watching. I thought he might be lonely so I tried sitting on the couch watching television with him for a bit but he didn’t really want me there. he wanted to sprawl out on the couch and then periodically come in to tell me something so he could stretch his legs.

Which has mead this an interesting work day. Twenty two minutes seems to be the gap between visits. Occasionally it will be twenty five and occasionally eighteen but it seems to average out to twenty two minutes. I’m sure if you ask him tomorrow then he will claim he only came to ask me a few direly important questions once or twice during the day. And a week from now he will claim that when he is ill or hurting he just wants the space to be left completely alone. That seems to be his mental picture of himself. It isn’t reality, but it is the version he likes.

Today there was no walking and while I have gotten up from my desk a lot more today, I didn’t work in a workout. Tomorrow he is back to work though so I am going to take advantage of the extra work time I used yesterday to plan some extra work outs tomorrow. I’m hoping that will make up for missing today and possibly help to balance things out.

Today’s Look:

Primer: Tatcha Liquid Silk Canvas Primer

Foundation: bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer

Bronzer: Illamasqua Gel Sculpting stick

Blush: Pixi by Petra Peach Honey Duo

Powder: No 7 Perfect Light Pressed Powder

Eyeshadow: Lunar Beauty Nude Prism Palette

Eyebrows: iMethod Beauty Eyebrow Kit

Mascara: Tarte Gifted mascara

Lips: Wet ‘n Wild Megalast Lipstick topped with Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb

Today I reached for the Tatcha liquid Silk canvas Primer because it was light on the skin and quickj and easy to apply. There is no waiting time really and light and quick was more or less today’s style. Plus I am never upset reaching for a Tatcha primer. It just works beautifully.

The bareminerals also falls into the light and easy category. I like the way it blends and takes down redness, evening skin tone. It does have a bit of a glow-y look. While I am getting more accustomed to this look in the cooler months, in the summer time it just makes me think of sweating so I dust it off with powder. Since my favorite powder from No 7 is at the end of it’s life I am using it all this week so that i can bit it a fond farewell and then repurchase. It is a standard item in my bag. often I have two, one for the makeup drawer and one that stays in my purse. With not going out as much after I finished the one in my makeup drawer I took out the one in my purse to use. (I didn’t want to just leave it there to linger and go bad since I wasn’t going out. I actually transferred all but a lip balm out of my purse actually. The hand lotions and sanitizers I still go through quite rapidly so they stay, everything else has been taken out. which I might need to look at soon since I am starting to go out more than I was so another switch might be eminent. But that is a tale for another time.)

The Illamasqua bronzer is performing well. I chose to use it today because it can be a light touch product. it can also be darkened for drama, but the lighter application works well with the tintes moisturizer level of coverage. It is just enough.

I decided that since i was going light I would take out the Pixi Duo. I like the blush. It isn’t going to be a favorite but it is good for a light look and I don’t mind using it. I don’t care for the highlighter side of the duo, but the blush is nice.

iMethod is my go to brow product. i did hurry today so one is a little lopsided. You need to line up the stencils and not rush that aspect. Once you get that done, you are golden.

Today I switched back to trying out the lunar beauty palette. It is not a highly pigmented formula, however if you tap off the brush before applying the product then there is also no fall out. which is nice. I will be playing around with this for a while as I try to figure out how it performs and how i feel about it.

Tarte makes great mascara and this is not the first time I’ve used the Gifted clay formula. I really like it. it works well without flaking and is great for everyday use. My favorite tarte mascara is still the Lights camera Lashes but this is still a really good formual and not the first tube of this that has ended up in my makeup.

And finally the lips. I love the Wet ‘n wild Matte formula. It does last a long time and it is comfortable to wear. While it doesn’t dry out my lips in the winter, I have found that if I am spending time in the sun it is best if I put something on top. Today I went with the Fenty Beauty Gloss bomb. The wet n wild doesn’t dry out my lips but if left uncovered the matte lipstick can look a little dry in the summer sun for some reason. With the topper there are no problems.

But now my darlings I must leave you. I have just been asked ‘how crunchy is too crunchy do you think’ and now there is movement in the kitchen. so I am off to point out that popcorn and dental surgery don’t mix. As this is the second time with this conversation i think I might hid the bags of microwave popcorn, keeping them out if sight for a few days at least. Have a great Wednesday.

The Daily: July 5th, 2022

Good afternoon my darlings and I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. At our place, because we had the weekend cleared for company and company came and went early, we had a fantastically quiet and oddly productive weekend.

There were limited numbers of things we could do in the yard as anything not getting watered (i.e the veg) is more or less dry and crispy. So there was no mowing and only watering the veg sparingly just after sunset.

The sunset watering is of course the reason why I have so many bug bites. The perfect time to water is also the time when they swarm. Thus far they have laughed in the face of any bug spray I have tried. Admittedly I think they wait until I am starting to sweat a little and then go for the spots where the sweat has removed some of the spray.

At least that is my current working theory. If i could figure out a way to get a group of people to hold citronella candles high in a circle around me as i water I would. Sure it would look like some sort of odd midsummer ritual but I might actually itch less. I don’t think I have used this much calamine lotion since I was sent to summer camp as a kid.

But the plants are coming along. We have paperika peppers dried and ready for grinding. Soon we will harvest jalapenos and the squash and eggplant is coming along nicely as well. The tomatoes are slow growing this year but I have high hopes we’ll get something before it is time to winterize the beds and plant the fall Brussel sprouts.

On a less botanical note, with my garden chores reduced to sunset and early morning watering, my nails are recovering. They are still short as they always take a beating during spring planting, but they are healthy and I can now actually put polish on them and expect the polish to last for more than 24 hours. Which is always fun. Over all it was a nice quiet weekend and now, things are getting back into a normal schedule. I suspect by Wednesday I will be freaking out over the Monday Holiday and the time it took out of my work schedule, but for now, I am just basking in the return to my regularly scheduled work day.

Today’s Look:

Primer: Unicorn Glow Long Wear Primer

Foundation: Wet ‘n Wild Tinted Hydrator

Bronzer: Trestique Bronzing Stick

Blush/Highlighter: Pixi by Petra Beauty Blush Duo in Peach Honey

Powder: Zeesea X British Museum Refreshing silky powder from the Egyptian Collection

Eyeshadow: Natasha Denona Cupid Mini Palette

Mascara: Unlashed by Wander Beauty

Brows: iMethod Beauty Brow Kit

Lips: Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb in Diamond Milk

Today I wanted to go for a more low key kind of look. And despite getting back into my routine, I really didn’t want to spend a lot of time messing around with my makeup so I decided to go for a quick and light look. The primer I am still testing out and it does not really lend itself to quick. It needs a minute or two to settle in and get comfortable. So I applied it and then went and did a couple of things for about five minutes before coming back. With that little time, it really helped and I am growing fonder of this primer. It is nicely porefilling and blends well.

I always get a little nervous when I first apply the wet n wild as it always looks a little too light. But it blends beautifully if you are just looking for a light coverage. It claims to be buildable, but I generally find if I try to build it, then it gets a little streaky. I love this tinted moisturizer for a light touch though. Just be aware it looks light at first but blends out well. And don’t really expect it to be build up to fuller coverage.

The trestique I love and it worked well here as always. It is buildable but today I went in with a light hand and was pleased with how it worked.

The Pixi came in a Glossy Box so i decided to try it out. It seemed to work okay with the tinted moisturizer but tomorrow I may have to try it with an actual foundation. It is really a light product and the highlighter came off a little more powder like than highlighter. I will be playing around with it before i decide. It was okay today, By the end of the week I will know a little more.

I used one matte and one shimmer for my eye look today, Subtle and natural is really not this shadows reference point. it is highly pigmented and wants to go on strong. Since I have three of these mini palettes, I am going to be rotating through them this week as sort of a mini collection to see how I feel about them I like them this far, but I don’t think this particular mini palette is designed for a low key look. At least not on my skin tone.

I love the Wander Beauty Mascara, but I am almost out. This tube has been well loved and sadly this is the end for it. Thee was almost no product left and so this was it’s last showing. I will be replacing it sometime soon however. This mascara will return.

Even thought my brows aren’t really visible they do look nice under my bangs, and as my bags blow around, I like that my brows look nice. The more i use this brow kit, the faster I am and the more convenient it feels.

And finally I went back for the gloss bomb. I’m not the biggest Fenty Fan, but I love this gloss bomb and will repurchase it. In fact I am looking at several shades I want to add right now. I’ll do a lip inventory first, but I really like this formula. it looks god on and leaves my lips nourished when it comes off. With this one, Fenty hit it out of the park.

And so my darlings this is me today. Not fantastically exciting, but I am rather pleased with how it turned out. I hope wherever you are, your week is starting off on the right foot as well.

The Daily: June 15th, 2022

Welcome my darlings to Ten Second Makeup with Mimsy. Well, maybe fifteen. This morning I got up and did the garden watering and after a little refreshing water, I felt cool enough to warm up for my yoga. I think it is not only me adjusting to the heat but my body saying enough is enough we need to move whether you feel like it or not. So it was a good session and I did feel better for it.

And yes I did feel more energized as well.

Stupid truth about exercise…

What I didn’t really feel like doing was putting on a lot of makeup. Or really much of any if I am honest. Right now, any step outside just means that you start to feel like a candle in an oven. The effect is worse when you are wearing a foundation.

But I did have some video calls this morning, so I had to do something.

Hence the ten second makeup.

Are you ready for it?

First the tools. To accomplish this fantastic on the run look you will need a foundation brush, a powder brush and an eyelash curler. The eyelash curler is optional. Of course, I suppose the foundation brush is too if you want to use your fingertips. But those are the three tools I used. Now to the products…

First layer: Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre. You aren’t using a lot, but use the concentre as it works the best for this. Something about the thickness of the cream makes it work better for a pre makeup base than the others, even if the others work better as moisturizers at this time of year. This will moisturize you, but it really works well as a base .

Second Layer: Wet ‘n Wild Bare Focus Tinted Hydrator with Hyaluronic acid. It blends into the skin concealing uneven tones with a very thin and light weight layer. And while I love the hyaluronic acid in general for good skin health, here it does give a little bit of a plumping that keeps things from settling into fine lines.

Third Layer: No 7 Perfect Light Pressed Powder. Mine is almost out as it has a thin layer of product around a very clear silver pan but this is a great quick powder. A quick dust over the face helps the tinted moisturizer stay in place and takes down any unwanted shine without making things look powdery. If you are out and about, I suggest taking this with you as it helps keep you from becoming shiny later.

Fourth Layer: Big Poppa Mascara from Wet ‘n Wild. First use the eyelash curler then add a quick swipe of product and you are done. The lashes look good and give a finished appearance even if you aren’t bothering with Eyeshadow, which I am not.

Fifth and final layer, Yensa Super 8 Lip oil. It has just enough pigment to look like you applied color without overpowering the barely there look of the rest of the face and it had a great shine. It also has a nice fruity scent to it.

So there you have it my darlings. It isn’t a look that will win awards or get massive applause for artistry, however if today is not the day you are feeling a full face of makeup yet still need to look like you made a little bit of an effort instead of simply rolling out of bed and into your desk chair, these are some great products that are great to have around. And while I see them all lined up and realize that none of them are terribly expensive, when I took them out this morning, I didn’t aim to make an inexpensive look. I just chose products that work for me on the fly. Sometimes it is about knowing what works And for me, this works.

And to be fair, with the Embryolisse base and the hyaluronic acid tinted moisturizer and the vitamin infused lip oil, it is actually a pretty healthy for my skin look today as well. Since heat and makeup usually make me break out, I appreciate that as well. As for me and my quick makeup look, it is back to work I am afraid. Two more meetings this afternoon. Admittedly all I have to do is nod and take notes on the few minutes that actually relate to me, so it won’t be too onerous. I just have to be there and not look like I rolled out of bed and onto the computer. I think it is mission accomplished. I’ll see you tomorrow and get back to testing that gold metallic pigment from Lottie London. See you then.

The Daily: June 7th, 2022

This morning started off with a thunderstorm. The thunder lightning and drenching rain caused me to snuggle into bed and hit my snooze alarm as many times as I felt I could get away with. let’s face it, I don’t like mornings in general and knowing that I didn’t have a hope of getting a walk in today just made that snooze alarm too tempting to resist.

When i did get up I discovered that in the night wind played havoc with both the garden and the lawn furniture. So I went chasing chairs and re-staking tomatoes. The Cucumber vines were like one of those inflatable men balloons outside of car dealerships, but they too were corralled.

I also managed to accidentally scare several rabbits and felines out of their rain shelters. I moved the chair, they realized their shelter was gone and ran for the hills. I didn’t see them until them moved and almost had a heart attack as they streaked past me.

Which meant I was well awake before my morning coffee.

I suppose that is the karmic balance for the snooze alarm.

I will say the rain hasn’t stopped even if the wind had died back and the thunder and lightning moved on. The rain has settled into stay. If the weather reports are rught then it is here to stay for a few days. It is making me feel very sleep and like I want to just find somewhere cozy to curl up with a good book rather than work, but as I am behind on a few deadlines due to may’s upheavals I can’t afford to just walk away for the day. No matter how much I just want to call it a rain day.

Sometimes being an adult is just not fun at all.

my hair got a dousing with the rain this morning and any attempt at volume has gone out the window. Apparently it only liked uncontrolled volume when the humidity hangs in the air instead of falling from the sky

Today’s Look:

Primer: Rodial Glass Primer

Foundation: Pretty Vulgar Cool AF Lava Water Foundation

Bronzer: Buxom Cosmetics Staycation Vibes Bronzer

Blush: Illamasqua Gel Blusher

Powder: Tatcha The silk Powder

Eyeshadow: Iconic London Sunset to Sunrise Palette

Mascara: Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Brag

Lips: Wet n Wild Megalast Lipstick

One thing I love about this time of year is that I get to switch up my makeup. Yes I know the illamasqua and the buxom are year round products that I absolutely love and will reach for regardless, but I meant foundation. I get to shift my winter shade foundations to the side and pull out my spring to summer ones. It is always a delight. (Mostly because if a foundation doesn’t work for me I get rid of it fairly quickly so someone else can use it, so all the foundations I keep I really like) This Pretty Vulgar foundation is just beautiful. And right now the shade I have is exactly the right shade for me. It blends so beautifully with my skin tone and it lasts all day long with no issues. It also feels weightless. Its at this time of year where I feel like I am discovering old favorites anew.

This is one of the few true foundations that i will wear during the summer. I tend to shift into more tinted moisturizer bb cream sort of products for the summer. However this one is light enough that when I do need an actual foundation in the summer, I will reach for this one. The bottle is about half empty at this point so I suspect it will be finished out before the summer’s end. Which means I will be repurchasing. I’ll need to decide if i want to pick my summer shade or get both the summer and fall shades of this when I do. I think of it as a summer foundation because that is the shade i have and because it works so well in the summer, but since I am repurchasing I may get a winter shade as well this year. I managed to clear out several of my winter shades this year as well so there is space and I really do like this formula. The pretty bottle doesn’t hurt of course.

With the Rodial Primer, I think I have reached the conclusion that I do like the way it performs. I like the way it feels on the skin. I like the way it looks and the fact that it doesn’t clog my pores. It really is just a matter of scent. That menthol scent is strong and I do not care for it. It is however a great primer.

The Buxom Bronzer I really like as it is buildable. I can go light with it now and as the summer progresses deepen it so that I don’t need a different shade. It is a nice bronzer in general. Of course when I went to their site to look at the links for this post I saw they have what looked like a new line of plumping matte liquid lipsticks. I will be delving in deeper. You know I love my mattes, I love my liquid lippies and lets face it, I kinda dig the plumping. The trick is the drying factor with matte liquid lips. So I’ll need to hold back, get one or two shades for testing and then decide if I like them. But as I generally love Buxom’s lip formula, I have high hopes.

Today’s lipstick was from Wet ‘n Wild. I like their megalast line as the color rally lasts on it and they are comfortable to wear. if you blot after application the lip prints aren’t too bad. Towards the end of the day my lips do get a little dry but a quick hit of lip balm covers it and all is good.

The more I use the ABH Lash Brag Mascara, the more I like it. it does tend to flake after about eight hours of wear, but until then it looks fantastic. Each time I use it, it seems to get better.

On the other time, I am finding I want to reach for this Iconic palette less and less. This morning I had to talk myself out of reaching for my Lime Crime Palette. (Incidentally Lime Crime has just lowered their prices permanently. It isn’t a sale. I so want their Venus Immortals Eyeshadow Palette. I am trying to hold off until I do a palette declutter but I know soon, this palette will be mine. I just need to make space first – which is actually a good incentive for decluttering.

But I am finishing up the trial of the Iconic palette so I took it out instead. The shadow formula is nice. They are nicely pigmented and blend well. It is really the shadow colors that I’m having issues with. The shimmers are many and varied and they all look nice and work well. I really only like two or three mattes in the palette. some of the colors I don’t like, others just don’t work for me and my skin tone. It is a palette where I will reach for it for a couple of specific shadows and that’s it. So great formula, bad color choice.

And finally I am still using the powder sample from Tatcha and I probably will be for the rest of the week. There is a surprising amount of powder in this sample. It looked like it would just be a day or two but this is day two and there is still plenty. With the way the sample is set up I can’t put it in a drawer to use later so i do need to use it up. Which is not a hardship. This powder is super fine, little is needed, it feels soft, makes my skin took great and doesn’t look powdery. This is one of the best powders I’ve tried in a while. I have several good face powders but this is a fabulous one.

And that is my look for the day. It is raining outside so walking gave way to Yoga and I am fighting my own desire to take the day off in an effort to get some work done. Rainy days just call for curling up with a good book. Given the front moving in, the rain is likely to last the week. If it hangs around until Saturday, I suspect that is going to feature as part of my weekend plan. For now, it is full steam ahead into the land of e-mails and paperwork. Wish me luck!

The Daily: April 27th, 2022

Good afternoon my darlings. Today the sun has returned, even if the temps are remaining low. The park is still flooded though. I walked down there which was a bad idea actually. The water rose with the rain and then faded back slightly which was just enough for the various crawfish, and other aquatic life that was washed onto dry land to be stranded and the stink to rise. You could also see yellow streaks on the pathway and grass where the pollen was left behind.

which meant that I hot footed it home again and took some allergy meds. I’m hoping that if the sniffles stop then later this afternoon there can be some yoga. I think tomorrow I will just plan on an indoor workout and let the allergens do a little receding as well. There is no reason to cause an allergy attack, right?

I thought about skipping the makeup today, but then I saw the red lipstick and thought, nope, I want to wear that today. So I did.

I couldn’t resist the call of the red lip

Today’s Look:

Pre Makeup Base: Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre

Primer: OLE Henriksen’s Banana Bright Face Primer

Foundation: Yensa Super Serum Silk Foundation

Bronzer: NudeStix Nudies Bronzer stick

Blush: bareMinerals Bounce and Blur Blush

Highlight: Saint Luxe Liquid Glow

Powder: Puff Puff Pass Setting powder from Kim Chi Beauty

Eyeshadow: Sandbar Beauty The Mirage Palette

Mascara: Wet ‘n Wild Big Poppa

Lips: Elf Matte Liquid Lip in Red Vixen

I love this lipstick and every time I put it on I think that I really need to look into getting more shades of this formula. Red vixen is one of my favorite reds, but as far as liquid lip formulas go, I love this one. Especially for darker colors. It applies smoothly and dries down enough to stay put all day without turning my lips into sandpaper. I think it is the Vitamin E mixed in that keeps it from drying out the lips. It does dry down pretty fast though so you really need to get your lines straight pretty quickly. I thus far haven’t found a lip liner that I like to pair with this one, but it really could benefit from the pairing. I’m not the steadiest when applying lipstick sometimes and having those lines to essentially color in would help. However this lipstick doesn’t seep into the fine lines around my mouth, I just need the outline to keep me from looking wobbly.

I chose the Ole Henriksen primer to pair with the Yensa today because it is one of my favorite brightening primers and I wanted to see how well they paired. It is actually working fairly well. I find myself missing a little bit of the pore filling that I get with some of my other primers but thus far the foundation is holding it’s own without the pore filling. I’m always going to want more pore filling, but I don’t think I have to use pore filling with this foundation, which is good to know.

I used the Nudestix bronzer today because I am still trying to figure out how I feel about it. I think that part of my issue is that is a sample size. While there are other issues, one of my problems is that the sample size had smaller surface area during application so it draws a thinner line on the cheek. It is more defined so I have to blend it out a little more than I would with a wider stick so a lot of it blends away. Today i tried a double line. It worked better but I really had to move quickly. It has a limited window of blendablitity. It isn’t my favorite formula but I am finding ways to work with it. I suspect I’ll just keep it in rotation until it is used up and then let it go. I might actually frequently rotate it to use it up faster.

The bareMinerals blush I love. It is a great formula and one of my favorite shades of blush. I have the Mauve Sunrise and it really works well for me. It is a use and repurchase product.

The Saint Luxe is interesting. It gives a very subtle glow which I like. However it can blend in a little too much to be spotted. I m still playing with it. I think it is a product that you can wear all over your face under your matte foundation. I think that is why it is blending in more than I expected. I’m still not sure how I feel about it.

The Kim Chi powder I really like. However it is definitely something that should be used over liquid and cream products and then used sparingly as a setting powder. It works really well as a setting powder but too much will really make the foundation look powdery. Light amount of product on the puff and then press into the skin. It takes off the shine without a powdery look. And I don’t mind using less because it will last longer. I think tomorrow I may try it with powder products and a little restraint in application. I was a bit heavy handed the first time. We’ll see how it works tomorrow.

I love the Big Poppa mascara, you know that already.

The eyeshadow palette is fine. This is the last day of my trial with it and I am kind of relieved. It works well, but I am just kind of bored. My full review will be up tomorrow so you can read all my thoughts then, but essentially it boils down to good formula and good for office looks but kind of boring. I think that might be why the red lip was calling to me today. I needed just a little bit of color. I have been hitting the neutrals in both shadow and lips pretty hard lately. I think I need to play around with a bit more color for a bit. Today the red lip was enough.

And now my darlings it is back to work for me. The end of the month is neigh and there is so much to do before the thirtieth rolls around. Short months always go by way too fast. I know it is technically only a day, but somehow it feels like someone lopped a week off the calendar.

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The Daily: April 19th, 2022

Good afternoon my darlings and welcome to a chilly Tuesday. Tonight is supposed to actually drop low enough to freeze so the plant covers are out, ready and waiting to cover all the delicate spring growth. already in the garden. Surprisingly after this last snap of winter, tomorrow is supposed to get up into the seventies. Such rapid changes always mean a headache for me so I have checked the stocks of ibuprofen.

However today is glorious. Cold, but glorious. The ran stopped and even though the park is still flooded and curtailing my walking, the sun has blasted back the mold from the air. So no watery itchy eyes and sneezing fits today.

Oh yes, there will be mascara.

And if the weather holds then the grand spring plant out can begin this weekend. i have plants that I started early in the green house that really need to see more of the outside world. I started hardening them and they were able to spend the night outside up until Easter Sunday, but then I had to bring them back inside. Hopefully they can stay outside the rest of the week and be planted this weekend.

Tis the season where the garden dominates my thoughts. And much of my time. It also starts to take it’s toll on my nails. I think tonight I may paint them so I can have them looking pretty for the rest of the week. They’ll be wrecked by next Monday, but then I will remove the polish and start the spring strengthening treatments so they should remain healthy for the duration of the planting season and come out looking strong and healthy by the time I can paint them again and reasonably expect a manicure to last more than a day.

The nail strengthening treatments are on my list of spring and summer orders. It happens after every Easter. The summer gathering. I make sure I have extra sunblock on standby (this year I’m also going with a hat to wear gardening), I start positioning bottles of Avene Thermal Water and an extra spray sunblock by the garden door, one to use when going out and the second to use when coming in. I will check to see that my Aloe plant is healthy in case of sunburns and I will have the Missha Artesmisia Essence on hand for skin soothing purposes. There are more items needed to prepare for the spring and summer, but those are the highlights I am hitting this week. Soon the orders will go out and the stocking will begin.

I am also starting my sunless tan for my legs this evening, so I will keep you posted on how that proceeds. I have two different products I am trying out this year. even though my Easter dress from Ever Pretty (reminder: their major bridal sale ends on the 20th) was long enough to cover my legs, it was the first skirt of the season and reminded me of how white my legs are. I don’t need to be bronzed all over, but I would like my arms and legs to look like they are attached to the same body. And my arms are already showing a tan line around the wrist. So self-tanning we shall go. But first, today’s makeup.

Today’s Look:

Pre makeup base: Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre

Primer: Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch

Foundation: Yensa BC full Coverage Foundation

Bronzer: Trestique Bronzing Stick

Blush/highlight: Natasha Denona Cupid Cheek Duo

Powder: Elf Perfect Finish HD Powder

Eyeshadow: Revolution Maple Glazed Doughnut Palette

Mascara: Big Poppa Wet ‘n Wild Mascara

Lips: Wet ‘n Wild Mega Last Lipstick

After a day of sneezing and watery eyes it always feels good to be able to apply makeup again. I think its the fact that I know it might actually last more than ten minutes and not be decorating Kleenexes a few moments after I’ve applied it.

The Embryolisse as a make up base was actually very appreciated today. I think that the tissues I used pulled out all the moisture in my skin so adding a bit more out to smooth and soothe my skin before putting on today’s makeup was very much a good idea.

This is the second week I’ve been testing the Yensa Skin on Skin BC foundation and I am really liking it. It does have a bit more of a glowy look to it than I usually prefer in my foundations, but as long as I pair it with a matte primer. In looking through my primers I found I really only have three matte primers in my collection at the moment. They are the ones I tend to buy and use the most where the dewy ones come in subscription boxes. Actually I have several I have yet to test out. But that will require a matte foundation, so even though i now feel I know how this foundation performs, I’ll leave that for later.

I did go for one of my favorite cream bronzers and it was the Trestique. I know, no surprise. However i chose it not just because I love it but because cream products tend to work better with other cream products. And I wanted to test out the Natasha Denona Cupid Duo. It has a cream blush and a powdered highlight. I was worried about the cream blush. I do have another cream blush from the brand that I adore, but when I swirled my finger in the cream it didn’t seem to impart much color. then I tried it on my cheeks and I loved it. the color was there and it was very blendable and long lasting. It is something I will reach for. I will need to play around with the highlighter before I make a determination though. When applied with a finger it disappeared. I went over it a little with a clean brush I had on hand, and it did a little better, but I may need to work with it a bit more to figure out how it likes to be applied. It might take more work.

In keeping things simple I went for my Maple Glazed Doughnut palette from Revolution. I know I say this every time I use it, but I really need to pick up more of the doughnuts. They are easy to travel with and apply fantastically well and easily. they are easy to grab first thing in the morning and don’t require a lot of thought. the only reason that I haven’t picked them up is that I haven’t been into ULTA for a while. I looked at them on line and they are often sold out, but I know ULTA still carries them so next time I am in the store I may pick one up. It is just a great go to palette.

Wet n’ wild was the source of both my Mascara and lipstick today and I regret neither. They are both great formulas and I will use them repeatedly. The Big Poppa Mascara I will need to rotate in often. everyone knws that time starts ticking once you open a mascara, but with the Big Poppa you have almost exactly six months no matter how often you reach for it. which is fine as I don’t like to keep mascara longer than six months, but once you open this one it works fine for five months but that sixth lets you know it is nearing the end of it’s life. Sixth months in and it will start to thicken and clump. It is fantastic until then. You just have to commit to using it once you open it. I’m actually okay with that as I love using this mascara and sometimes I forget how long I’ve had products open. Having a very obvious indicator is not a bad thing for me.

But that was my look for the day. It applied quick and easy and is lasting throughout the day. It is comfortable enough that I don’t have to think about it and suitable for any possible meetings later this afternoon. There is a rumor of one circulating about one later today that I might or might not need to be a part of (digitally) So I have my Elf compact on hand incase a little shine needs to be powdered off and I am good to go. Until then, the paperwork calls.

Have a great rest of Tuesday my darlings.

The Daily: April 6th, 2022

Ah sleep. That blessed communion between the eyes and the inside of the eyelids. Not something you think about when you have it, but something you miss dearly when it is gone. Yesterday passed by mostly in a haze. A very gritty eyed haze. My attempt at a nap was not successful, however I got to bed early and slept like someone smacked me with a brick.

It was fantastic.

I used to get more of these bouts when I was younger. I don’t know if I was more easily able to shrug them off when I was eight, ten or even twenty, but they seem to hit harder now. The blessing is that these nights don’t come up nearly as often as they used to. I’m just kind of a mess when they do hit.

To be honest, I think it is the extra sugar we have in the house. We had company over the weekend and I asked if there was anything they wanted on hand to drink or snack on. And so we stocked the pantry for company. While we will occasionally get the mini cans of ginger ale, the last time we had full sized cans of cola in the house had to have been Easter 2019. And I think even then we only had the mini can’s of ginger ale. Which is why my brother brought his own I suppose. He drank the entire 12 pack he brought with him but didn’t touch the one we bought so we now have soda in the house. It is hard to resist, but I haven’t had that much sugar in my system in a while and I think that might be throwing me off a bit as well.

I’ve hidden the rest of the cans in the back of the pantry. They are still there but they are not constantly in view and I can more easily ignore them. Hopefully I can get my system back to normal.

Today there was little exercise. I isn’t get a lot done yesterday and to be honest much of what I did yesterday needed to be redone today. It was not a great performance on my part. So it is me at my desk for the bulk of the day. I did manage to get my makeup on today. It is a bit ELF tastic for two reasons. One is that I saw the new Dunkin X ELF collab and instantly wanted it so I wanted to see what Elf products on hand so I could figure out what to order from it. And the second reason is that I am still going through my foundations. I have two ELF foundations. There is the Acne Fighting one I wore today which is one of my favorites (and as I have sugar break outs, kind of needed) and then I have a second one I forgot about. I can’t remember how that one performs so I figured I’d try the one I like best first then see how the other compares. But I am getting ahead of myself. Let’s list the products.

Today’s Look:

Pre Makeup Base: Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre

Primer: ELF Poreless Putty Primer

Foundation: Elf Acne Fighting Foundation

Bronzer: Trestique Bronzing Stick

Blush: bareMinerals Bounce and Blur Blush

Powder: ELF Perfect Finish HD Powder

Eyeshadow: ELF Bite Sized Palette in Rose Water

Mascara: Big Poppa Mascara from Wet ‘n Wild

Lips: ELF Matte Liquid Lipstick

Today as I said was an elf tastic kind of day. I wanted to remind myself what I have from elf as well as what I don’t have. With the elf products I used, the Putty Primer is a product I never run out of. As soon as it looks low, I pick up a new one. I also really like the Elf acne fighting foundation. It is a fuller coverage than I usually wear (I prefer medium coverage) but on days where I am breaking out and still need to wear makeup it is fantastic. It does need a pore filling primer underneath it though. But if you use that then it will last beautifully all day.

The HD Powder I don’t wear a lot. Part of that is because I have another pressed powder I love, and part of it is because it can look a little powdery. I am finding that pairing it with the Embryolisse as a pre makeup base, means that it does tend to not look as powdery. Or at least it didn’t today. I am going to be reaching for this powder more so that I can use it up. Whether or not I will replace it or not has yet to be seen. But it did work better when my skin was more hydrated.

I love these bite size palettes from ELF

I am always blown away by how well thought out the Bite sized palettes are. This Rose water is actually my last one left. There was an incident and several were broken. These are great palettes to grab in the morning when you are in a hurry, just pick the tone and go. I was going to replace the palettes from this bite sized collection, but I think I might go for the Dunkin ones instead. they look like they are as well thought out in color selection and seem to be about the same size. So that may be my main purchase from this new collection.

And the liquid lips from ELF I adore. They have a pointy end to the applicator that is perfect for outlining your lips if you don’t have a lip liner to match your lipstick and they stay all day. there is a little fading throughout the day but they really require makeup remover to take off at the end of the day. they can be a little drying, however as soon as they dry down enough not to smudge, I apply a little lip balm over them and they are good.

There were other products I used since I don’t have enough for a full face of ELF. So I went for a few of my favorites. The trestique is my favorite cream formula for bronzing and contouring. It is so easy to use and now refillable. The bareMinerals bounce and Blur Blush I have been singing the praises of for a really long time and will continue to do so. I apply it with a finger tip and it feels like powder, blends like a cream and looks fantastic all day. And the Wet ‘n wild Big Poppa may be my favorite product from the Wet ‘n wild brand. One swipe, mega lashes.

So that was my look today. It was mostly a look that my computer monitor got to see, but I was happy with the way it turned out. It lasted all day and looked great. Tomorrow I’ll be testing my other ELF foundation to do a comparison between the two. Since this is the one I always grab, I can’t even remember what the other foundation looks like (or when I bought it, which may mean it is expired, so I’ll check on that too). But if it can still be worn, I’ll give it a try tomorrow to see if there is a reason I left it in the back of the drawer or if I just forgot a good product.

As for now it is back to work for me. I’m doing well in making up for the time I lost yesterday, but there is still a lot to get done before I can end my work day. wish me luck.

The Daily: March 22nd, 2022

Hell my darlings. have you ever had that moment where you are using a product as you always do and suddenly you read the packaging and have a eureka moment? Maybe it is just me, sometimes I can be a bit slow, especially before my coffee. So this morning I was doing my morning skincare and I reached for my moisturizer, which at the moment is the Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre (retail $28 – which I list here because it is just an amazing price for such a great moisturizer)) and I see the words Multi Functional on the tube.

And then I remember seeing something about how makeup artists had been recommending this dermatologist created product since the 1950s. At first I thought, ‘we’ll yeah, it is always easier to put makeup over good skin.’ Then I went a little further and realized it could be used as a makeup base so today before i put on my makeup I applied a thin layer and let it settle in for about ten minutes.

It was amazing.

Giving it that little time to settle in was perfect. All of my products applied better this morning than usual. I think as soon as my month long trial is done, the rest of this tube is being relocated to my dressing table for pre makeup use as I switch to the second moisturizer in this line. I was just floored. I think part of it is that this Foundation has tended to look a little dry in the afternoons and applying the Embryolisse before completely eliminated that. It does alter my opinion of the foundation slightly, but by now I already more or less know how I feel about it. I just had to share about the Embryolisse because I was so excited. And now I am just going to jump into the makeup today because I did end up adjusting the products. I’ll get into it below. Let’s list them first.

Today’s Look:

Pre-makeup base: Embryolisse Lait Concentre

Primer: Tatcha Silk Canvas Primer

Foundation: Charlotte Tillbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation

Bronzer: Too Faced Cocoa Contour

Concealer: Age Rewind Eraser from Maybelline

Blush: Benefit Cosmetics Gold Rush Blush

Highlighter: Wander Beauty Wanderess Glow Afterglow Highlighter (now back in stock, woo hoo! Its been out a while.)

Setting Powder: Becca Pink Haze (discontinued, I know but I am trying to use it up while I search for a new Pink toned setting powder)

Brows: ABH Brow Wiz

Eyeshadow: Nomad Cosmetics Tosca Palette

Mascara: Wet n’ Wild Big Poppa Mascara

Lips: Persona Cosmetics Lip Liner in 90210 with Thrive Cosmetics Lip gloss in Ashley over it

Okay so I started with the Embryolisse and Quite honestly i may be starting with that as my pre makeup base from now on. It made everything apply better because my skin was recently hydrated and it kept products that have been drying out in the late afternoon from drying out because the layer of moisture was added just under them. Big fan of that. That may be my makeup hat trick from now on.

I had planned to see how the Charlotte Tillbury worked over the Tatcha primer when applying with the makeup sponge and not using the brush and so I went with that. I adore the Tatcha primer so using it was easy to talk myself into. The Tatcha was as always beautiful to work with. I absolutely adore the scent as much as the product. Today I used the Natasha Moor Sponge to apply the foundation. I have some thoughts about the shape, but I’ll save the sponge review for later. The foundation does work better with a makeup sponge application. It just is always going to streak a little if you use a brush. Some foundations are like that. Its just good to know which ones and use the right tools.

Today I used the concealer around my eyes. I actually put it on before the foundation and after the primer. Mostly because I noticed that this foundation has been settling into the fine lines around my eyes in the late afternoon and concealer tends to hep me out. The primer fills in the lines smoothing the canvas of my face and then the concealer on lids and around the eyes adds just that little extra layer to block the foundation from sinking in. I also discovered that I am almost completely out of concealer. I rally like this Maybelline one and will be replacing it. while I like others, this one has worked the best for me.

I know i was supposed to continue testing the Nudestix bronzer, but everything was applying so well and it was not the best at blending. And the Too Faced contour palette had been left out so I just went ahead and reached for it. As always it worked fantastically well.

Since I went ahead with what would keep the nice application going I went with the Gold Rush Blush and the Wander Beauty highlighter. I know you probably get sick of me rolling them into the mix a lot, but they are both beautiful products. I will shake things up and rotate more of the products, but for today, they were fabulous.

I am still trying to use up the Becca Pink Haze while looking for a pink tones setting powder to replace it with. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know. I’ve tried a couple but none of them work quite as well. Still as Becca has gone out of business, I must find a replacement.

I used the brow wiz because I was reminded I had it by the arrival of a trial size. I like this product and don’t mind using it. It isn’t my favorite formula, but it works well.

While I will always love my Big Poppa Mascara, I am still on the fence about this Nomad Palette. I love the formula, but this palette is really not a stand out. I reach for it because it is easy, works well and doesn’t require a lot of thought. I always come out with almost exactly the same look. The red toned hues work well but the browns not so much. So everything in this palette ends up looking similar for me. I am on the fence about it staying. Because it is so quick and easy to use I reach for it, but I also know that if I got rid of it there are palettes I enjoy more that i would reach for just as easily. It is something I need to think about before my next declutter. While Nomad’s Berlin Underground will stay until the pans are down to empty metal, the Tuscany themed one might not be around much longer.

And finally we have the lips. I like the color of the Persona Lip liner and it is creamy enough to apply all over the lips. However ten minutes after applying my lips are gasping for moisture so I put the Thrive cosmetics clear topper over them. I really like the look of the pairing. and my lips don’t feel dried out and desiccated. In general I Like Thrive products. Their mascara was fantastic and this lip topper is a good one, I just need to remember to reach for it more.

And that was todays look for me. Honestly i was just so blown away by using the Embryolisse as a base that I forgot everything. The sun is shining, the walk on the trail was nice and work is as always crazy. But today, my makeup also looks pretty good.

The Daily: March 9th, 2022

And again the rain is here. So workouts will be done in doors. I don’t mind the indoor workouts actually. However I have gotten used to the daily does of fresh air that a walk outside brings so I feel a little deprived on days when I only work out indoors. I also don’t think I burn quite as many calories. Which is entirely my fault of course. I need to expand my indoor workouts. Since the rain is no doubt going to continue for most of the day, I think I am going to sit down tonight and write out a list of exercises with both the ones I currently do and a while bunch that I don’t always do and then come up with a sort of ‘to do’ list for my work out tomorrow. I’ve fallen into the habit of using the same set routine and I think it needs to be shaken up a bit.

Beyond that I am just chugging along with the course of normal daily life. Since my babydoll had dental surgery last week we’ve been modifying the meals to avoid a lot of hard textures with crisp and crunch. It is a very strange way to think about food. I found this out this past summer after my own dental surgery. Normally I think of texture as something I add to a meal to make it more appealing, planning meals to avoid it is somewhat interesting and has thrown off my meal plans a bit. I will be very happy when he has healed enough that meals have a little more normality to them. And I don’t have to think about how crunchy something actually is before incorporating it into a dish. I think next week normality may resume. Fingers crossed as it is more dependent on my baby doll’s healing process than anything.

Today’s Look:

Primer: Elf Poreless Putty Primer

Foundation: Too Faced Dew You Full Coverage Fresh Glow Foundation

Bronzer: Trestique Bronzer Stick

Blush: Illamasqua Colour Veil Gel Blusher

Highlighter: About Face Light Lock Highlighter

Powder: Smashbox Photo Finish Fresh Setting Powder

Eyeshadow: Huda Beauty Mercury Retrograde palette

Mascara: Wet ‘n Wild Big Poppa Mascara

Lips: Uoma Lip Liner and About Face Light Lock Lip Gloss

Today was an interesting one. I pulled the Too Faced Foundation from the depths of my drawer. I honestly forgot I had it. I also forgot how watermelon-y it smells. which I don’t mind, it was just surprising. I don’t know if Too Face Makes this foundation any more or not. The link above takes you to Too Faced’s foundation page, in case you were wondering. I don’t reach for this a lot because full coverage is not an everyday thing for me. That being said I do like how light weight this formula feels on the skin and the way it blends. With a foundation brush streaks will be left, however a makeup sponge will take them out. So have one handy. It does have a bit of a dewy finish so I use a matte primer (love my elf poreless putty) and powder off the shine.

My powder today was the Smashbox Photo Finish powder. I have a love hate relationship with this powder. The powder itself i like, and I kind of did the fresh shaved powder. But the dial is hard to turn and sticks a lot. If you have anything on your hands it is hard to grasp. I have had several nails break as my hands slipped while turning. while I don’t have mobility issues, I imagine that if you had any this would be a nightmare. Still the powder is good despite the packaging so I will keep it and use it until it is gone and then not repurchase. I just have to remember to reach for the powder often enough to use it up in the first place. I tend to shove it to the back of the drawer.

the bronzer and blush are standards and I love reaching for them. I will be cleaning up my dressing table tonight so they will go back in the drawer and not be out and easily available. It is the only way I can keep from automatically reaching for them and give other products a chance.

Because I just received the About Face Lip gloss I remembered the About Face Highlighter and used both today. while I still think the lip gloss looks a little cheap and like a Too Faced knock off, it performs better than I thought. I put it over the Uoma lip liner to give it more color as it blends to shine on it’s own. It is less sticky to wear than when I tested it on it’s own and I like the way it looks. I know, I didn’t expect much from it, but this lip gloss very much exceeded expectations. I can admit when I am wrong and I was wrong.

The highlighter is a nice golden shade of liquid highlighter. It blends well and looks good. It isn’t my favorite and I probably wouldn’t repurchase it, but it is a good highlighter.

I left off the lid primer today and tried for a softer look with the Huda palette. Today’s look came out a bit more springy than I thought it would but I like it. This is never going to be my favorite eyeshadow palette, but there are several shades I like that will make me keep it around.

The wet ‘n wild mascara I adore. it gives me length, it gives me volume and it is probably the least expensive mascara in my collection. It is just a fantastic mascara and I am happy that i replaced it. I feel like my lashes look fabulous today.

It’s Travel Time for Makeup and Skincare

Ah yes, my darlings it is travel time. Time to pick out makeup and skin care products to take with me on my trip. I know this sounds totally dorky, but I really love picking out travel products. It forces me to slim down my choices with makeup, taking only what I will need for the trip and it allows me to try out an entire range of samples that I have been stashing in the drawer and waiting for an excuse to try out. With my travel I have a rule with packing. I can either take two small makeup bags (think the IPSY Glam Bag size) and place skin care in one and makeup in the other or I can take one larger makeup bag.

Hair care always gets stashed in a separate bag regardless, mostly because those items are often wet from the shower. That will be a second post. I actually did pretty good paring down the makeup this year. I have a harder time at Christmas as when I go home there are more gatherings. But I am still proud of myself. Let’s take a quick look at the makeup I am bringing along and why.

The Travel Makeup:

Primer: Elf Poreless Putty Primer: This is a great primer to just smooth out the rough edges. Plus I am almost finished with it and am hoping to use it up soon. Don’t worry a replacement has already been ordered. Partially because ELF has a huge sale going on right now and I couldn’t resist a restock. Not only is this a good primer, but it is a good travel primer. It performs well and because it is a cream it won’t spill or get a punctured tube. It is neat as well as fabulous.

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Foundation: Revolution Fast Base Foundation Stick: It is a great foundation and I really like traveling with a stick foundation over a liquid one. No spillage or breakage to worry about. this foundation can look a little shiny in the midafternoon, so have not only the powder in my makeup bag, but I have a compact in my purse. I know, it bends the rules a little, but I’m okay with that.

Pur 4-in 1 Skin Perfection Powders Face Palette: I chose this palette because I like all of the products in there and having all of my powders in one is a really good travel plan. It also has a hard case that will protect the powders on their journey. Is it my absolute favorite palette? No. It is good and I don’t mind using it for a long weekend though. It also has the powder, blush, bronzer and highlight. My other palettes don’t have quite the same mix. Several of them have multiple blushes or highlights or bronzers. This has all four so it is easy to pack. Plus it has a nice large mirror in case I end up putting on my makeup in a small corner of the kitchen table. This tends to happen more than I expect.

Eyeshadow: No 7 Pink Blossom Trio and the Ciate Trend Edit palette: I know, I probably should have chosen just one. The No 7 gives me a quick solid look, which as I am never certain how much time I will have to get ready when I am with the family is always appreciated. The Ciate London Palette has a few more pops of color but the colors complement the No 7 well. So I can use the No 7 and then maybe brighten it with the Ciate. or just swap them out by day. Both palettes are small and encased in sturdy plastic so I know they will travel well and give me enough variation for the length of the trip.
Mascara: Tarte Lights Camera Lashes and YSL Volume Effect: I know, two mascaras. Both are samples and neither have a whole lot of product left in them, so I suspect they will be used up during the trip. I have both so I won’t run out of mascara and because I like both. I do suspect that the trip will finish out both tubes of sample sized mascara though.

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Lips: Elf Sheer Slick, wet ‘n Wild Megalast Lipstick in Cinnamon Spice, bareMinerals Liquid Lip in Pout, and Colourpop So Juicy Plumping Gloss: Yup that’s right, four lip products. And yes there is still a lip balm in my purse. and probably another couple of lip products as well. however I did choose the lip products carefully. All of them are ones I like so that is a no brainer. The ELF is a light wash of color for a barely there look. The wet ‘n wild is a deeper berry shade that is more dramatic and the bareMinerals is a pink toned neutral. Which means I have my shade ranges covered with this lot. The colourpop plumping gloss is to make mattes shiny and to plump my lips if I choose. Or to just be a clear gloss if I decide not to use a lot of lipstick.

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See I may have gone a little heavy on the included lip products, but I chose them for a reason and even though a few more may find their way into my purse, I am pretty happy with my selection and the reasoning behind it. I was a little less cutthroat with my skincare items. There is a little less reasoning as far as products go. I had samples and I chose a sample for each category. Most of the products I’ve never used before and am using this as an excuse to try them. Others I’ve used before. Soooo.

The Travel Skincare:

Toner: Thayers Rose Petal Toner: Don’t worry I am not packing the whole bottle. Its why I have the travel bottle from my in-flight products packing kit next to the full sized bottle. I will fill the bottle and for extra safety tape the top shut during travel. Also it will go in with my hair care items, just incase it leaks. It shouldn’t but I like to be prepared.
Elemis Cleansing Balm: I know and love it and I picked up the travel size just for traveling. It is kind of my go to when traveling.

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Klorane waterproof eye makeup remover: I am a big fan of this eye makeup remover. I actually have a large bottle of this but I keep the smaller sample size for traveling and just refill it. It always takes the makeup off and doesn’t cause the eyes to sting.

Tatcha Soft Cream Cleanser: Never tried it but it came in an IPSY a while ago and it was the only sample sized cleanser I had on hand. I’m actually quite looking forward to trying it out.

May Coop Raw Sauce: This is an essence. I picked it up the last time I went to the Peach and Lily website because it looked interesting and I thought I would give it a try.

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Elemis Pro Collagen Marine Cream Anti Aging Day Cream: I know I’ve tried it before, I loved it before, but as so many of the products in the line up are new to me I thought I’d have at least a moisturizer that I knew and loved. If all else fails, I’ll still have a moisturizer.

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Filorga Age Purify intensive serum: I figured I would try this out as a day time serum. The tube feels quite light so I made certain to include both a night time serum and an oil in the mix.

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BareMinerals Ageless Night Concentrate: I plan to use this as my night time serum. As it is a retinol I am packing an oil to use just in case. I am actually very excited about this serum. I’ve used BareMinerals makeup products for years but I’ve never tried out any of their skin care, so I am very much looking forward to using this.

Akar Soothe Face oil: When using retinols it is always good to have an oil around to calm down the skin if necessary. Plus if I run out of day time serum I can sub it in with no issues. Or so I hope.

Hey Honey Look into my Eyes Eye Mask: I found this floating in the bottom of my samples drawer and thought why not. I also have three Hey Honey Moisturizer samples I need to try. But that is for another time. I really like Hey Honey. The items I have tried from them have been really good. I’m hoping this one will be as well.

Sunday Riley Broad Spectrum Light Hearted Sunscreen: I keep forgetting to rotate this in to try out. I’ve been using up my Neutrogena spray sunscreen and applying it whenever I leave the house. But I have wanted to give this a try so now seems like the right time.

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And finally I have two types of Eyemasks: Klorane’s Cornflower infused eye masks and Grace And Stella’ Energizing Eye masks. I love them both and when traveling home they are necessary. there are many dogs. I love them and they love me. My sinuses are less enthused. it is not allergies, just a change in environment and my eyes get puffy. These are amazing products to use to depuff. Especially since I love playing with the dogs. For me, they are essential Holiday Travel kit.

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And that my darlings is the list of makeup and Skincare items going into my travel bag. By using a bunch of samples and strategically choosing my makeup, i fit it all into one bag. The brushes will be going in a different bag, as will the hair care, but that is just par for course. I have the thrill of trying out all new products and the added benefit of clearing out some space in my samples drawer. So it is kind of like an extra win for me. the closer we get to New Year’s Eve the more I want to clear out samples and partially used products. Partly because it makes things look neat and clean and partly because it makes me feel I am opening myself up to whatever the new year brings. and this makes me feel like I am getting a good start on that.