Category Archives: Buying Stuff

Jun3

Buying Stuff: Episode 14

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Dianna

So while I’ve been posting one box review after another, it may appear I have not been out shopping for new goodies. Hahahahahaha. Do you even read this blog? Lemme just put your mind at rest.

Birchbox had a little shipping delay and they were unable to get my box out on time with the rest of the world. They felt horribly guilty (as they should), so I was given $10 worth of Birchbox points to help make up for it. I will accept your apology, and buy myself this Cynthia Rowley eyeshadow with it:

These shadows were very powdery, but kind of in a good way. I thought they blended well and looked very nice on my eyelids. Perfect spring shades, even though we are now coming up on summer. But who follows tradition? Not me! I will wear my white pants in December if I feel like it. Even though they are a size too small now so probably shouldn’t do that. White pants are very unforgiving in a lumpy-thigh-skin sort of way. And if they cling to you like they are holding on for dear life – well, that’s not a look anyone should embrace. I mean, maybe supermodels, but then after that, NOBODY.

What am I going on about? I dunno.

Look at this little piece of artwork I made:

I have too much time on my hands.

I saw this beautiful purple and olive green NARS combo at Sephora and knew instantly I had to have it. If there are two colors more suited for each other than purple and green, please let me know. But also I have brown eyes, and if I’m not mistaken, purple and green are great complimentary colors for brown or hazel eyes.

Aside from all that, these are nice eyeshadows. Not extremely pigmented on me, but really, what do I know? Everyone else in the world disagrees, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. I am very hard to please. We’ve established this already.

Speaking of pigmentation, or lack thereof, I present to you:

It’s Marc Jacobs blush. Should be amazing. Color in the pan looks to die for. Color on the cheek … not so much. I swear, I about got carpal tunnel swirling my blush brush over this thing, trying – desperately – to get it to release it’s beautiful lilac pinkness. I don’t even have dark skin. In fact, I’m on the lighter side of medium, and this barely showed up on me. No, I wasn’t expecting straight up purple cheeks, but come on! You are $30; now dadgum act like it.

If you’re curious, this color is called Outspoken. And I will say, once I sort of swirled enough of the ribbed impression off the top of the blush, the pigmentation increased a bit. Not gonna go out of my way to sing any praises or anything, but it did get better. Thank goodness, because y’all know I can’t be bothered to return anything back to the store.

Next up is this thing:

Now that I am a Sephora VIB Rouge, I get included on the secret emails that promote exclusive freebies with purchase. Never one to disregard an exclusive freebie, I got a sample of the Dior Dioraddict It-Lash mascara. I had it for about two seconds before I decided I needed a full tube. This stuff is awesome. It fans my lashes out like butterfly wings. I just love it. You can get your own tube now; it’s not just for VIB anymore. And I highly recommend that you should. Just do what I say. I am the boss of you.

Along with the Dior mascara, they had another VIB Rouge sample promo going on where I could pick three free deluxe trial sizes of an array of products. The next three photos is what I chose.

Why would I buy Urban Decay makeup setting spray? Cuz I don’t own any and I was curious if it actually worked. So I used it and honestly I can’t tell much because I don’t ever feel as if my makeup has fallen off. I don’t even know what that would look like. My face always has makeup on, and it always looks the same all day long. Do people actually have issues with their makeup just melting away as if nothing ever happened? Am I being naive? Am I being a butthole? Probably both.

I will say, however, that if I use a matte setting powder (currently It Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores) then spray this on, my t-zone oil is less apparent. Like right now I just came in from outside where it is 90 degrees and hideous, and my forehead, nose and chin feel very dry. The good kind of dry. So perhaps there is something to this setting spray thing. I am going to do a scientific experiment tomorrow and use my setting powder and NO spray and see what happens. Because before I spent $30 on a full size bottle of this stuff, I need to know if it actually works and it’s not just the psychological brain trickery that seems to haunt me at every turn.

Another sample is this cutie pie:

It’s Benefit Fake Up Concealer. I got the shade medium and it seems to be a good choice for me. I have been using it for the past few days, and I may consider buying the full size. I like the way it blends out with my concealer brush. I probably already have a concealer that does this, but you don’t end up with hoards of makeup with that kind of logic. So we’re just gonna push that thought out of our heads immediately. And also, please disregard the fleshy hand. Who knew you could gain weight there?

You can never have too many cleansers. Here’s proof:

At one point, I owned the Boscia black illuminating mask, which was a super fun peel-off kind. Thought I’d give the matching cleanser a whirl. I haven’t used it yet as it’s in line behind 3 other cleansers, but hopefully I will use it before the end of the month. One thing to note about this cleanser, and perhaps its most endearing quality, is that it warms up as soon as you put it on your skin. I used to have a mask like that a long time ago, and I loooooved it. The warming sensation feels way better than a cooling sensation, so I’m really excited to give this a try.

Big nerd alert. Sorry.

Okay, this next item is the must luxury of all the items I’ve ever purchased:

Ummmmm, Tom Ford. That’s almost all I need to say about this, and you’d be nodding your head saying, Yes, girl, I know. Cuz that’s why you’re reading this blog: you understand. But for those that need explicit instruction, I will oblige.

Glossybox had $25 gift cards to Bergdorf Goodman in their May boxes, which I told you about (if you’ve been reading this blog like a proper human being). Well, I could have gone on their site and found something for $25 and end up getting it for free, but like a true makeup addict, I lose all sensibility and decide to buy something horrendously expensive so I could get a $25 discount instead. I mean, honestly, when would there be another chance to get a Tom Ford eyeshadow quad for $25 off? Never. These things don’t end up in the reject bin. It was my only chance.

So now I’m feeling pretty good about myself. I used it once (Silvered Topaz is the name) and it was very pretty as expected. It now rests inside it’s little brown velvet pouch inside my makeup drawer next to the Dolce & Gabbana and Dior eyeshadow compacts. Will I use it again? Probably. But more importantly, I own it. And that’s all that matters.

Below is a little Sephora haul:

Do not even ask why I bought that super dark burgundy metallic OCC Lip Tar. You already know the answer. In an effort to own all the things I had to get it as I didn’t have any OCC in the stash. But this color is gorgeous. I tried it on in the store, and wowza! If it was October and I had a big ol sweater on, this dark lip would’ve put the entire world in its place. It’s stunning. Plus, you only have to use a pin drop in order to get a full application. That’s not even an exaggeration. I will own this tube for at least 15 years. Talk about value for your money.

And if you’re of the curious kind, the color is Black Metal Dahlia.

Next item is the Buxom lip polish in the color Gabby. I love these things. I own three now. They have an addictive cool tingle that feels awesome on your lips in the summer. It literally makes you stop sweating. They don’t advertise that, but they should.

Ran out of makeup remover, so thought I’d give the Sephora brand a try. I always get the waterproof version because I feel it gets my mascara off way better than the regular kind. I’ve been using this for a couple weeks now, and I really like it. Does a great job. I think I will most likely repurchase this if I’m already in Sephora and I need some. However, for about $4 less, Ulta carries the Lumene brand and it works just as good. Never mind that Ulta and Sephora are in the same mall and I could easily go to either one to pick up eye makeup remover. I make up my own rules and exceptions to those rules, so just let it go. It’s a puzzle only I can figure out.

Last item in the Sephora haul is the new Bare Minerals Bareskin serum foundation with brush. I got a little sample of this and no sooner did I get it on my face was I out the door and standing in front of Sephora about 15 minutes before they actually opened. This is the most beautiful foundation I own, better than the Chanel (I’m sorry!) or the Shiseido (am I actually saying this?). I don’t even know if I can explain it properly, but here is my best effort:

If you have normal or dry skin, cancel all your plans today and get to Sephora or Ulta immediately. If you have slightly oily skin, get a sample first to see how it wears for you. The formula of this foundation is very liquidy and has a slight slick texture that may seem oily although it’s oil free. I have an oily t-zone, and I still love it, but I do set it pretty good with my transluscent powder. If you have oily skin all over, you may not like this. Again, try a sample and give it a shot.

The finish is just unreal. My skintone has never looked so even, and I have a very splotchy naked face. It’s not matte, and it’s not dewy, just somewhere in between. It’s lovely. Just lovely. I don’t even know why you are still reading this and not in your car on the way to the store. What are you waiting for?!

It does have an accompanying brush that I bought because it is quite unique. Looks like a flat top kabuki, but instead of it being completely flat top there is a little divot in the center, or a “well”, to drop the liquid into. I’m not sure of it’s purpose, honestly, so I think you could probably use any brush and get a great application. I will say that every time I’ve used this brush, it’s shed on me. Boo.

See below:

It’s a Z-Palette. At the time I bought this, I had nothing to put in it. I was just preparing to put stuff in it. I wanted some Makeup Geek eyeshadows, and all the beauty gurus put them in a Z-Palette. What’s good enough for them is guaranteed good enough for me. I’m easily influenced.

So I got my first batch of Makeup Geek shadows:

Picked out these colors cuz I felt they were very summery and fun. The green is called Appletini, then there is Yellow Brick Road, Last Dance is the purple-y shade, Frappe is a matte brown, and Mango Tango is the coral. These babies blend like a dream and I heart them sooo much! And now I’ve addicted myself. I have 5 more shadows on their way to me as we speak. In my defense, my Z-Palette holds 27 shadows and hell if I’m having a half empty Z-Palette. How tacky and gauche that would be. Pffft.

Last thing in the haul is more eyeshadow palettes because I can’t control my shoppin’ hand:

These are both from Sleek Makeup and they come straight from jolly ole England via the Royal Mail. Next up: lunch with the Queen. I know; so fancy! Anyway.

These i-Divine palettes are very inexpensive, about $12. There are several to choose from, and I feel I got the most varied of them all. The first one is called Snapshot and the second one is apparently limited edition (did not know!) called Lagoon. I used a few of the colors today, and they seems to be alright. I did feel like I was blending longer than necessary, but perhaps I was off my game this morning. But also I was trying to mix a yellow with a teal and a black, so maybe those need extra TLC anyway. Can’t wait to play around more and try out some very fun looks. If I go to work looking like a clown, it’s all in the name of research.

That’s it guys. Ginormous haul. But I got paid today so don’t worry, more is already on its way. I waste no time. In fact, if I’d treat every aspect of my life in the same way I treat my makeup addiction, I’d probably be President by now.

Toodles!

May14

Tales From the Mothership: A very special episode of Buying Stuff

Posted on May 14, 2014 by Dianna

Standard

About a month or so ago, I swear I was just minding my own business. Walking through the mall, glancing in store windows, sipping an Orange Julius, getting my wedding ring cleaned. Then I spotted it. Across the foyer inside the JCPenney, the sign shone like a beacon in the night. Brilliant and dazzling. Magnetic. Calling me home.

It was a Sephora under construction. Right there amid the Petite clothing section. My heart stopped. I’m sorry, whaaaaa?!?! When did this happen and why has no one told me about it? I felt as if I’d stumbled across an oasis in the desert. I seriously had to control my legs from sprinting across the tiled floor. Cuz an out of shape, almost 40-year-old woman running without any supportive girdle-like garments is not a scene for public viewing. It hurts everyone’s eyes, trust me.

The doors were covered in a Visqueen plastic sheet, but they didn’t install it very well cuz I could totally see inside. All I had to do was peel back the sheet where it was attached with screws, bolts and super glue, and voila! Instant peepshow. All my favorites were in there. NARS, Makeup Forever, Becca, Bite … I was dying. Literally dying.

Opening day was a month away. Do you know how long a month is? Like 15 years or something. It’s ridiculous. I tried to exercise patience, but we’re talking about the opening of a Sephora not a dentist’s office. You can imagine how hard it was. In fact, I peeked behind the Visqueen at least 12 more times. Also got on the escalator a once, twice or 18 separate occasions so I could glance over the top. Since it’s a roofless store, that makes perfect sense. Otherwise, I’d look like a crazy person.

Finally the day arrived. Walking through those doors felt like taking your first breath or feeling the sun on your face after a thousand years of winter. I spent an extraordinary two hours just browsing the front of the store. That’s not an exaggeration. Sales ladies kept checking on me because I was there so long, reminding me there was a whole other half I hadn’t even looked at yet. Oh, I was quite aware, trust me. I just didn’t want to miss out on anything so I was taking extra special mental notes.

And when I tell you I was fawned over, I was freaking fawned over. I got a full foundation application, free samples made for me, they told me they loved me. Everybody was just so happy and excited in there. For a second I’m thinking, Willy Wonka’s in here somewhere isn’t he? I’m going to turn around and Willy Wonka will just be standing there handing out golden tickets. He runs the chocolate factory AND Sephora. And why wouldn’t he? That place is magical.

So here is my loot in all it’s beautiful, radiant glory. A couple of pieces were mailed, but it all came from Sephora:

The Caudalie Polyphenol serum is one of those free gifts with purchase. It’s a month supply of anti-wrinkle and vitamin C goodness. And it comes with a dropper to make it super scientific and fancy. I haven’t used it yet because I am working on another serum sample right now, but it’s coming up next. I’ve loved every Caudalie product I’ve used so far, so I’m sure this will be no exception.

Picked up a Bite Beauty lipstick in the shade Shiraz which is like a brownish-plum color. Not very springy but I didn’t want red, hot pink, coral or nude … so what is left? This one. And I like it. The color suits me, but the texture of the lipstick is probably the best I’ve ever felt. Doesn’t dry on your lips, which is my lipstick pet peeve. I recommend var var mucho.

While I was getting my foundation did, the sales lady asked me what my favorite moisturizer was, and I looked at her like she was cray. Obviously she has no idea how many different moisturizers I use, so much that I couldn’t even answer this question properly. I stammered, mostly. Then she gave up on me and picked out her favorite to apply on my face – Ole Henriksen’s Nurture Me. And of course it felt amazing, smelled amazing, was amazing. So I own it now. But you knew that’s how this story would end. I’m nothing if not predictable.

The foundation she applied was the Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo. I had been curious about this for months. It’s a full coverage matte foundation and I really wanted to see how I’d look without pores, freckles or splotches of any kind. Lemme just say I looked okay. I wasn’t in love or anything. But didn’t hate it either. So naturally I bought it cuz that’s just how bad my mental illness is.

One lipgloss I knew I had to have the moment I saw it was the Buxom Full-On Lip Polish in the shade Trixie. It’s this beautiful golden pink and it reminds me of summer. Looks very fresh and youthful on the lips, and if there’s anything I wanna pretend to be, it’s almost always fresh and youthful.

Got another lipstick, and kind of stepped out of my comfort zone with the Too Faced Melted in Melted Peony. This is a pink, not hot pink but verging on Barbie pink. It’s surprisingly pretty. It’s very opaque and bold, which I love, although the longer it wears on your lips, the chalkier it becomes. That part is a bummer, but if you just keep reapplying and everything will be okay. You might not get anything else done on your to-do list, but at least your lips will look lovely.

I bought the most ridiculous mascara on the planet. I read on some site that Dior Diorshow Blackout was the best mascara for short, sparse lashes. Well, I perked up immediately. Anything to help my hopeless eyelash situation, I instantly need. Lemme tell you, this mascara is thick. Like pudding. Okay, that’s an exaggeration. But it is thick. And you gotta be super careful when applying or you’re gonna get some crazy spider leg lashes. However, this mascara gives me the best length and volume of any other mascara I own regardless of anything else. So you take the bad with the good and deal with it. Cuz it’s mostly good. It’ll be my special occasion mascara.

I wanted to play around with some pretty spring eyeliner colors so I picked up the Stila smudge stick in the Periwinkle shade. I wore this over the weekend and it’s so pretty. I paired it with some champagne eyeshadow so it really stood out. I feel like I wanna get some other colors now. They have a turquoise and an emerald that are doing their very best at tempting me.

Last item in the picture is a lip balm by Tokyomilk in the Coco Noir scent. Has a blend of rum, cocoa and cherry and it smells very exotic and masculine. It’s hard to describe the scent, but even harder to describe the texture because I’ve never felt anything else quite like it. Don’t know if I love it cuz it’s just so different. I don’t hate it though, in fact I like it a lot. But is it love? I’m not thinking so. In other words, we can make out but we’re not soul mates. Moving on.

The below item is one I ordered online and it’s var var beautiful:

See! Oh my gawd. It’s the Dolce & Gabbana eyeshadow quad in the shade Elegance. If this doesn’t scream Spring! to you, then you need your eyes checked. It’s glorious. And even better in person. I can’t even believe I own this because it’s just so lovely. I wanna walk around with my eyelids shut all day so others can enjoy it as well. If anyone wants to help me make that happen (i.e., as human seeing-eye dog), let me know. Thanks.

Oh, wait. There’s more! I did make a second trip to Sephora only a mere few days later. And picked up these little goodies:

I am a little slow on the bandwagon, but in my defense I’ve only been buying makeup since September. But I finally decided to get the Benefit Coralista blush. This color is so pretty! Looks very natural on the cheeks. I would wear it everyday if I didn’t have 23 other blushes giving me the stink eye. So gotta be fair and spread the love. But next time I’m wearing brown clothes, this blush is MINE.

Picked up the Bite Beauty Whipped Cherry Lip Scrub. Let me preface this by saying this is not a very good lip scrub. But if you like the smell of cherries and big into soft, gentle textures, this is a great product. Sephora gave me a sample of this during my first trip. Had I not used a sample first, I would’ve bought this thinking it was going to get rid of all my peeling, dry lip problems – and I would’ve been disappointed. But this feels very nice going on the lips, even though the exfoliating beads are few and far between. I’m not even sure what is the point in calling it a scrub because it wouldn’t blow eraser crumbs off a sheet of paper much less remove dead skin off your lips. However, I like the way it feels and the smell is heavenly so naturally I’m spending $18 on a product that does not do what it claims but still like anyway. Again, mental illness.

Last in the batch is the Kat Von D Autograph eyeliner. I wanted this because I’m in search of an eyeliner that won’t disappear from my inner rim. I’ve tried lots, and the Sumita brand is the closest I’ve gotten so far. But I was told the Kat Von D would be a good one, and it was only $10 so I felt as if either way, I’ve saved money. Well, I must have super wet eyeballs or just bad juju because this thing does not work for me at all. Within an hour, the eyeliner had already started to wear off even though it is waterproof. Sad face. Still on my mission, I guess.

I’ve saved the best for last, y’all! I just want everyone to know I’ve made a success of my life. Mom, you can rest now; your job is done. Whatever else happens, no one can take this away from me:

Highest level at Sephora now. I’ve made it! This is like an Academy Award or something. I haven’t been this excited since I got my gold card at Starbucks – which I flash at every given opportunity. Royalty at the cash register people; step aside! So I imagine this card will be pulled out of my wallet frequently, and maybe not even just at Sephora. I might “accidentally” drop it while in line at Walmart, or maybe try to pay with it at Home Depot – oops, sorry, wrong card, I’m so silly. I mean, I did a lot to earn this thing so I would like a little time to blatantly enjoy it. Thanks.

So that’s it. Hope everyone is still awake and excited to go out and buy some stuff! I will be back tomorrow for some box reviews. But for now I’m going to go put my wrists in ice water cuz I feel carpal tunnel setting in. Have a great day!

May8

Buying Stuff: Episode 13

Posted on May 8, 2014 by Dianna

Standard

Oh look, someone went shopping. Someone needs the internet taken away. Someone needs an intervention.

Not me, but someone, probably.

Picked up this pretty little Josie Maran kit:

I’ll admit, I was tempted primarily because of the floral packaging. I was not enticed much by buying a box full of argan oil. However, since it’s here, we’ll make the most of it. There is a hair oil, which I will use on my ends as I’ve been doing for almost a year now; a cheek and lip tint, which is a pretty pinkish coral; a whipped body butter in the Vanilla Apricot scent, which I haven’t smelled yet, but I can only imagine it is kittens with angel wings floating on clouds; a cleansing oil, which has been used and it works pretty good breaking down makeup but the smell could use some assistance; and their claim-to-fame product, argan oil, which I’ve also used a couple times and was just okay with.

See what packaging does to you? You buy things you don’t really want or need. Because I really didn’t want more oil stuff. I have plenty to last the rest of my life. But since someone put this in a kit and boxed it up all pretty-like, I immediately MUST HAVE! In fact, it becomes quite a one-track-mind situation and I won’t rest until I have it in my hot little hands.

Having said that, I do think the cheek color looked nice on me and I will absolutely get use out of it. And the body butter too. So was it all for naught? No. Purchase = justified. Next!

Whoever came up with the Kohl’s Cash promo deserves a reward, because it is genius. My hubby and I bought some luggage a few weeks ago (like responsible grown-ups) which earned us $60 in Kohl’s Cash. They might as well have told me I won the frickin’ lottery, as much as that excited me. Sixty dollars?! Oh, the mind was turning already.

Well, apparently, my husband assumed half of that was his because we’re in the store and he’s gone off to shop. I’m sorry, what? Since when does he go shopping? Since Kohl’s gave us $60 for free, that’s when. I’m trying very hard to let it go, since technically it’s only fair (according to etiquette books; I looked it up), but there was all this emotional turmoil happening and I was on the verge of poking somebody’s eye out. I mean, I wouldn’t, but I was on the verge. The very very verge.

Do you know how hard it is to limit yourself to $30? What am I going to buy for $30? Even Jesus couldn’t turn all the fish into bread for $30 (Was that a thing? I don’t know what I’m talking about.) But here’s my best effort:

This is the theBalm Shady Lady palette. Pretty neutral purples, grays and browns. I now own every theBalm palette they are currently selling, so I feel like I’ve completed a collection or something. Which is a time to celebrate (by sending gift cards) if you ask me. This palette came with a sample tube of the Put a Lid On It eyeshadow primer. I used this over the weekend and I like the texture very much.

At this point, my purchase has totalled $40. I honestly don’t know what hubby is going to do with the $20 I’ve left him.

Next thing I picked up is this eyeshadow duo by Simply Vera Wang:

This is duo #409 and is a matte rose with a coppery rose metallic. They are really pretty, but honestly, they looked better in the pan. I paired it with a cool brown crease color (Bobbi Brown matte shadow in “Toast”), but it looked all muddled together. I’m going to try again though, do a gray or a purple in the crease for a better contrast. Maybe do a black on the outer V for further contrast. I’m very into contrast if you can’t tell.

So now we’re up $20 more dollars, and my purchases officially total $60. I have no idea what the hubby is going to buy with no money left.

Remember about a week ago when I said I was trying to ignore myself from thinking about purchasing the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation? Look how awesome that turned out:

Well! I’m very happy right now and that’s all that matters. I’ve been wearing this foundation all week, and I’m just in love right now. It’s so pretty, the color is a good match, and it’s also Chanel. As in Chanel. I’m an extremely shallow person.

I’ve bought yet another kit of travel skincare to take with me on my trip to Chicago next weekend. At this rate, I’m going to need another carry-on.

This is the 29 Cosmetics kit that I got at Target. It includes a cleanser, serum, day cream, night cream and three toner pads. I wanted this kit primarily because I have no travel-friendly toner – all mine are over the 3oz maximum. So naturally, I had to buy an entire kit of stuff. This makes perfect, logical sense to me. Don’t even try to argue.

Last batch of goodies is this haul from Beauty.com:

I got an email from them saying they have free sample jars of the cult classic By Terry Baume de Rose lip balm, and that they’d send me one if I buy $25 worth of stuff. Well, number one – call your product a “cult classic” and my cat ears perk up immediately. Number two – that lip balm is $60 in it’s full-size form and I’m almost certain I’d never buy it because it’s freaking lip balm for $60. And number three – I don’t own anything from By Terry. Okay, done! I’ll sign up.

So you can see in the picture my itty bitty baby jar of lip balm. Isn’t that the preciousest? I’ve used it a couple times, and the texture of the balm is very soft and lovely. Definitely a rose smell. Not hint of rose, essence of rose, or aura of rose. It’s ROSE. If you don’t like that smell, don’t buy this. I feel it’s very nourishing to my lips though. I’m testing it out (in a very scientific manner) to see if it will keep my lips from peeling every single day. If it does, I don’t care if it’s $60, I’m buying the full size because that right there would be a dadgum miracle.

Now for what I bought in order to get the free sample is the prettiest packaged thing I’ve ever gotten. It’s a skincare duo by Le Couvent des Minimes, also in a rose theme. I got the micellar water (fancy name for toner) and the moisturizer. Do I need this? Is the sky blue? Don’t ask stupid questions.

Well that’s all for now. Thanks for hanging out with me once again. I do have another batch of goodies to share, but that’s for another day. I also have 4 boxes waiting on my porch right now, and I can’t concentrate for shit. Have a great evening everybody!

Apr29

Buying Stuff: Episode 12

Posted on April 29, 2014 by Dianna

Standard

This constant state of buying stuff just has to stop. It’s overtaking my life. I wake up and buy stuff; go to bed and dream about buying stuff. It’s becoming a tragic, unending problem.

Juuuuuust kidding! My husband wrote that. (Kidding again, although he could’ve.)

I have a big haul for you today. I’m not sure if I’ll separate it out into two parts or not. Depends on how long the first part takes. You may be asleep at that point so…

First things first, here’s a pic:

Got the Too Faced A La Mode eyeshadow palette. These colors are stunning! Not the trio of beiges but all the other colors. Just lovely. And surprisingly I like the magenta and navy best. Does not make you look like you have tuberculosis, despite what you’d think hot pink eyeshadow would do. Love.

I bought the little travel size of the Mario Badescu cleanser because I’m going on a little trip to Chicago next month and needed something small to fit in my bag. And also cuz I didn’t own any Mario Badescu. I probably could’ve gotten away with something from the Dollar Tree, but that’s just plain nuts. Why do that when you can buy something more expensive? My motto, in case you didn’t know.

I have already tried the cleanser because my curiosity couldn’t stand it. And it’s suuuuuper nice! The texture is so soft, it feels more like you’re moisturizing than cleaning. Approved! Put it on your shopping list.

Do not even ask me what I was thinking when I purchased the Queen Helene Mud Pack Masque. But it was $3.99 and pushed me over the free shipping barrier. You know you do that too. I have a lot of redundant pots of lip balm because of it. As if by spending $4 to save on a $5 shipping charge makes perfect sense. (It does. It’s psychological brain trickery.)

However, I love skincare so I’ll definitely use the mask. Oh, I’m sorry, I mean masque. Also, I know it’s made of mud, but if it looks like chocolate pudding, I’m not complaining.

I’ve been kinda diggin’ Essence makeup lately. They are a pretty cheap brand but they have lovely blushes and eyeshadows. Wanted to try the I Love Extreme Crazy Volume mascara cuz YouTube told me to. (Happens a lot.) Oh my goodness. This mascara is awesome. Makes my tiny baby lashes look so long and noticeable. I highly recommend especially if you have nonexistent lashes like me. It’s so funny that a $3 mascara can work just as good as my $40 Charlotte Tilbury one. But it can. Don’t tell my husband.

Wanted to try the Real Techniques version of the BeautyBlender sponge. I love love love my BeautyBlender. But wanted to see if I can get just as nice results from a cheaper dupe. So I’ve used it for the past week, and it does a pretty good job. Blends my foundation out nicely. I’d say it’s not necessarily a dupe but it does just as good as the BeautyBlender. And with the $14 you save you can buy something else. (Yes, you can – I did the math.)

Last item is a serum primer by It Cosmetics called No. 50. I bought this primarily because it was $28 off. That’s not a typo. So at this point it didn’t matter what it was, it was virtually free. Thankfully, however, it’s a nice, silky soft primer that is supposed to reduce pore size and fine lines and brighten skin in a mere 10 days. It claims to be “baby skin in a bottle” which is quite a clever catch phrase cuz if the discount price didn’t sell you, achieving baby skin definitely would.

And then I had a 10% off coupon for Sephora which I could not let go to waste. So I bought this:

Do you own anything by Jurlique? I didn’t, which is reason #1 why I do now. This little trio is the Herbal Recovery Anti-Aging kit that includes night cream, eye cream and a serum. Have I used it yet? No. But I own it and that’s all that matters.

We are not done. I bought another little skincare kit from Ole Henriksen:

I’m not even certain how all this happens anymore. It’s like my hand has a mind all it’s own, pointing and clicking and whatnot. It moves independent from my body. I could totally be zoning out reading a book or taking a nap, but my right arm is stuck out shopping on it’s own free will. It would be quite magical if it wasn’t so expensive.

This kit include seven sample sizes of an eye gel, foaming cleanser, truth serum, night gel, walnut complexion scrub, sheer transformation moisturizer and a super creme moisturizer. So I got an entire day and night ritual that would probably last for a month or so. Maybe longer on some of the products. I’m very excited to start using some of this stuff. One day. After all the other stuff gets used.

In other words, I’ll get back to you in about 15 years.

Here’s a small batch of goodies:

I had some Birchbox points I wanted to cash in so thought I’d buy an expensive mascara in an effort to make it less expensive although still expensive. Picked up the Chantecaille Faux Cils mascara. According to their website, their formula works better than false lashes. So I’m sold! Who doesn’t want that? (Crazy people.). I’ve used it a few times, and it really is a nice mascara. No clumps, great length. Is it worth the $42 price tag? Well it took my tiny straight sad little lashes and transformed them into butterfly wings. So you be the judge.

Needed yet another travel size product to take with me on my Chicago trip next month, this time in the form of a toner. Saw the Caudalie Beauty Elixir and I figured I’d give it a try. The reviews are pretty good. In fact someone on Instagram told me it changed their skin completely. I’m really excited now. I want new skin too! I spritzed a little already and it has this tingly sensation that I can probably get super addicted to. But I put it away to save for my trip. My gestures of willpower are simply amazing. Ok, in all seriousness, they really truly are. I’m super human.

Last item in the haul – yes, we’ve made it to the end – is this lipstick from Rouge Bunny Rouge. I know, Rouge Bunny what? They are a Russian company; even the packaging had some Russian writing on it. I felt so cosmopolitan. I was like, Vogue! I’m here.

Anyway. The lipstick is in one of their best selling colors called Nothing Unknown. It’s a nude rose with mauve pearlescent and is so very beautiful. It sparkles so lovely in the sunlight. I think it might be my favorite lipstick. It’s sheer though, so beware if that’s not your thing.

Okay, that’s it. In case you weren’t aware, I did the entire haul instead of splitting it in two parts. It took me 13 hours to write this post, just so you know the sacrifice I made for my people. Hope you enjoyed it after all that effort.

Good night!

Apr16

Buying Stuff: Episode 11

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Dianna

Standard

I’m starting to think I’m in need of an intervention. I buy a lot of stuff. It’s getting ridiculous. Well, not for me, but for my husband. His stink eye is getting tired.

I, on the other hand, am having the time of my life. It’s fun to own all the things. But I can’t rule out the possibility of an intervention. I got my eyes peeled for a large gathering of my family appearing out of nowhere. In fact, I’m getting very suspicious about Easter.

Anyway. Look what I got!

It’s a Hautelook haul, y’all. That site is so evil. Tempting me with half off prices and stuff. If you gonna flaunt all that in my face I can’t be blamed for what ensues. I think it’s written in the intervention guidelines somewhere.

I picked up these four lovely little things from the TheBalm event last month. I love TheBalm so much. First off, the packaging is super adorable. But then the products are pretty nice too. So it’s a winning situation whatever way you look at it.

First thing I got is the Balms Away eye makeup remover. I just wanted to try something other than a liquid remover. And to be honest, I prefer liquid. Despite that though, this balm works pretty good. It’s just yucky having black mascara smeared Dalmatian-style all over your eye while you’re trying to remove it. But it does remove it, which I suppose is the point.

Next, I picked up the Schwing liquid eyeliner. I used to use liquid eyeliner in brush form like this, but switched to the pen form as I felt it was easier. But I figured I’d try Schwing to see if I could still master the brush. Annnnnnnd … I can’t. It’s not like riding a bike; I forgot utterly and disastrously. I remember the good ole days when it took like 5 seconds to swipe this stuff on. Not anymore, friends. Good thing I have 1.5 hours set aside in the morning. Otherwise: tragedy ensues.

I love TheBalm’s eyeshadow palettes. They are cute as pie. I own four of them now. I think the shadows are nice quality, pigmented and easy to blend. This palette is the Balm Jovi one, and the colors are very wearable. I’ve been using it all week and it’s safe to say we’s best friends. Yes, I said we’s. It’s that serious.

Plus, not only does it have lovely eyeshadows, but it includes a very pretty blush, a champagne highlighter and two lip glosses. It’s practically all you need in life.

Just kidding. You need wayyyyyy more than that. At least I do, hence the intervention.

Last item I got was the Dandelion Brightening Moisturizer. I haven’t used this yet as you know I keep buying moisturizers that may never see the light of day. But I’m trying very hard to make a dent. I do have an entire line of TheBalm skincare so if there’s ever an excuse to move this one to the front of the line, this be it.

Ok, I’m done for tonight. I have more hauls and boxes coming up so GET. EXCITED. Why, you ask? Is this your first day here? Cuz I am the boss of you, that’s why.

Good night!

Apr10

Buying Stuff: Episode 10

Posted on April 10, 2014 by Dianna

Standard

I would say I need to quit buying stuff, but we all know that will never, ever happen. Buying stuff is the gas that keeps me going. If I can’t look forward to opening my mailbox in the evening, then what is the point of life? I ask you: what is the point?

So here’s a few things that came in my Sephora box:

In yet another attempt to own all the things, I have added a couple new ones to the pile. First item is the resurfacing mask by Tata Harper. I hadn’t really heard much about the Tata Harper brand. But this mask comes in a pretty green jar, and that was enough persuasion for me. And then upon further research I discovered it won an Elle beauty award. So at this point, nothing else mattered. I bought the Tata Harper and it’s simply lovely.

The jar, that is. I haven’t used the insides. I have no idea when that will actually take place. Owning all the things doesn’t necessarily mean using all the things. Do you need to take a minute to write all this down in your notebook? I’ll wait.

…

Okay, next new brand is the Shiseido foundation in a stick. Who doesn’t love things on sticks? Corn dogs, lollipops, deep fried chocolate dipped twinkies. Those may not come on sticks, but they are delicious! Anyway. The foundation. Back in October, I got color matched at Sephora using their Pantone camera device. They gave me my color number (1R07) and now I can input this number on Sephora’s website and up pops a myriad of foundations that will match my skin tone perfectly. No more guessing! This is ingenious, in my opinion. If you haven’t done it, GO.

So I ordered this foundation knowing with a 100% certainly it would be my color. And you know what: it is. It almost disappears into my skin after swiping it on without even blending. It’s perfect. I was nervous because I am a medium skin tone, but the color match was a natural fair ivory. But I decided to trust the Color IQ system and so glad I did. Obviously the colors run dark, so FYI for those that need to know.

Let’s talk mascara. You know how I have about 27 tubes or something like that? And how I’m always in search of that one mascara to beat all mascaras? Well, I think I’m getting pretty close with this one. YSL‘s Babydoll mascara is so amazing y’all. The brush is small so you can really get down to business. My lashes get fanned out and lengthened nicely, which is what is always missing with so many of the mascaras I try. I’m so happy to have this, it’s worth every penny of the $30 I spent on it. And if my husband’s reading this, I meant $3 not $30. Silly auto-correct.

And because I don’t ever have enough masks in my life, I picked up the First Aid Beauty red clay peel-off one. For those with twitching fingers, a peel-off mask is the perfect thing to soothe you. Nothing is more fun than peeling something off your skin. Dried glue doesn’t happen as much anymore, and now that I’m older, sunburns – while still 100% satisfying to peel – are not the ideal way to go. You know, skin cancer and whatnot. So what is left but a peel-off mask? And if they happen to rip off my tiny mustache while we’re at it, that’s just bonus points. In other words, so excited to use this. One day. After all my other masks get their turn first.

Sigh. My life is so hard.

Last item in the picture is something I got off Amazon. After sampling the tube of Coola sunscreen in my Birchbox and discovering how much I loved it, well what is the natural next step? This stuff is not cheap, but I did find a tube on Amazon for about $8 cheaper and free shipping so I don’t feel too bad. Actually, I don’t feel bad at all. It is sunscreen – a vital and crucial part of life – and therefore a medical necessity. That = JUSTIFIED. Any questions?

Next batch of goodies came from Ulta after they sent me a 20% coupon that I did not need. However, that is irrelevant at all times. Here’s what I picked up:

I went in primarily for the Stila liquid eyeliner pen. I wanted to get a green one. Why for? Just cuz. You know how we girls do. Actually, I was thinking how I really liked the look of my blue Chella liquid eyeliner, even though its pen tip is the biggest fail known to man. Someone on Instagram had said Stila had a great pen and in lots of pretty colors. Well, that’s all you have to say. I’m on it immediately. I really impress myself with how quickly I can get things done. Not housework, but the other stuff. Well, just makeup stuff. Everything else is a crapshoot.

Back to the eyeliner. I picked up the Moss color, which is like a hunter green. I applied it and it went on so smoothly, was so pigmented, and I didn’t have to do the toilet paper swipe thingy in order to keep the color flowing in the nib. It was heaven. My holy grail probably. No, definitely. And then, as an added bonus because I wasn’t even checking for this, it didn’t feather out on my inner eye like every single other liquid eyeliner does that I’ve tried. A miracle! God wasn’t resting on the 7th day – he was creating the Stila eyeliner and making my life very very happy indeed.

And as if I needed another cream blush in my stash (I did), I picked up a lovely peachy color by Butter London called Honey Pie. I picked this up on a whim because they had it out on display and I passed by it on accident. They really shouldn’t put things on end-caps. Dangerous territory, those end-caps are. Also, shelves of things near the check-out registers. Bad, horrible. Just like window displays, the little set-ups in the front of the store that highlight the specials, all the rows of products lining the walls and filling up the insides, the stuff in the middle and the left and right sides. All that is bad, horrible, dangerous territory. If you can somehow float near the ceiling without seeing or touching anything, that might be the only safe thing.

Last thing I got was the Benefit The Big Easy BB Cream. A spontaneous purchase, as I never intended to buy this as I have plenty other BB creams to tend to. But the packaging was irresistable, they had them on display (right in the front – see, I told you), and if I ever walk out of Ulta with just two things, something is seriously seriously wrong. One thing to note is the color range runs a little light. I would normally get the light-medium shade, but the medium actually worked best. However, the shades are self-adjusting, so even if I had chosen wrong I still think it would’ve turned out okay. The finish looked very nice on my skin, like a powder but not flat. Coverage was light, but probably buildable. I say probably because I never build my foundations. If I gotta put two coats of foundation on, I’d never get out of the house in the morning. It’s best to just get it right the first time. So, I liked this product a lot. Dry skin people may not because of the powder finish, but for my oily skin peeps – this one’s got your name on it.

That’s enough for now. I actually have more haul pics but I feel as if some of you may already be asleep. We will continue our discussion tomorrow. Hoorah!

Apr5

Buying Stuff: Episode 9

Posted on April 5, 2014 by Dianna

Standard

Lawd. Help me. And stop sending me Ulta 20% off coupons.

I just can’t let a good coupon go to waste though. I even have three Sephora coupons waiting for me, and I’m literally freaking out. My heart tells me to go shopping but my brain gives me the stink eye. Ugh, the struggle.

Alright, let’s just ignore all that business and get started with the haul. Here’s a few things I picked up from Sephora last week:

The first thing there is a 100 point perk item so it was free. Yay for free, am I right? Kind of was expecting a bit bigger bottle but I’m thinking it might last longer than I’m expecting. It’s the Ole HenriksenTruth Serum. You know how I love my serums. I’d probably buy a tube of slug trail if someone told me it was a serum. Sad, but embarrassingly true.

Anyway this stuff is full of vitamin C and is supposed to smooth out my fine lines and prevent further skin damage. So we will see. I’m excited to use it cuz the B5 gel moisturizer I have says it works very well with vitamin C treatments. I don’t know why, but you tell me it’s so then IT. IS. SO.

Next thing is a travel size tube of Givenchy Noir Couture mascara. It has a really unique wand, but that’s not really why I bought it. I bought it cuz it is Givenchy, and I don’t own any Givenchy, and as you know I need to own all the things.

I know. I’m ridiculous.

But I did use it, and it was nice. Not the most amazing thing I’ve ever owned, but definitely not the worst. It does say if I’d use it everyday for 4 weeks, I could have visibly curled, volumized and lengthened lashes. I’m about 97.37753% certain I’m not using this everyday for 4 weeks. My 15 billion other mascaras won’t let me.

Speaking of other mascaras, next item is the Eyeko Skinny Brush mascara. This stuff is pretty good. The brush is definitely unique but it can make your lashes clumpy if you’re not careful. I recommend only a few passes through the lashes and then moving on with your day. It gives really really nice length so you don’t need to spend light years swiping this on anyway.

Next item is another freebie, one of the samples you always get free with your order. I picked the Peter Thomas Roth Camu Camu Sleeping Mask. You put this on over your moisturizer before bed. In other words, I’ve added yet another step to my nightly skin care routine. I’m up to 18 steps now or something like that. My husband knows when I say I’m going to take my makeup off, he won’t see me for at least 45 minutes. But when I look 40 when I’m 80, who’ll be whining then? He will, but only if he’s blind. And stupid.

Last item is the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in the color Dim Light. This powder is all the rage right now. And whether it works or doesn’t work makes no difference to me. Everyone has it so immediately I need it. Hell if I’m gonna be left out. I’ll see to that!

This was pretty expensive. And if it bathes me in flattering light, I wouldn’t know. I work in an office under a fluorescent tube all day. Nothing penetrates that shit. But the point is owning all the things, and really people, what more do you expect out of me?

Here’s more stuff:

YouTube is so evil. I would never know this $98 bottle of Perricone MD Blue Plasma existed otherwise. But now that I know, I can’t unknow so look what’s sitting on my bathroom counter. Hmmmphf.

But regardless, Blue Plasma is a daily leave-on exfoliant that’s supposed to replace your old face with a new one. So if that’s gonna cost me $98 so be it.

Last adorable little thing is this Tarte cheek stain in the color Fearless. I loved this. The application is easy and the color looks so natural on the skin. I do not regret for one second buying this off some stranger on eBay who probably touched it all over with his fingers. I mean, it is pretty cute. It’d be hard not to.

That’s it for now, lovies. I have more new things, but at this point it’s really just an everyday normal thing in my life. Chances are, if there’s a day when I don’t have a new thing you need to be very very suspicious. And send gift cards immediately.

Mar24

Buying Stuff: Episode 8

Posted on March 24, 2014 by Dianna

Standard

Huge haul alert. Just a warning, in case you have something important to do within the next 15 hours. Otherwise, get comfy; we gonna be here for a bit. I’ll try to make it short and sassy, but sometimes (i.e., every time) my eyes sort of glass over when talking about makeup and skin care. I’m so addicted, I can’t focus on anything else anymore. Seriously, my husband could be standing in the middle of Ulta completely naked and I’d never notice.

So let’s get started. You know how I am about wanting to own all the things. Pretty sure that will never end, although I’m giving my best effort. Every time I am on YouTube, one of my gurus starts talking about some brand I don’t own, and that gives me the hives like no other. I need to have something, anything, from every brand or I can’t function properly. OCD sucks so bad sometimes. It manifests in many different ways, one-track-mindedness being one of them.

Here is an eyeshadow palette from Lime Crime:

I chose the Alchemy palette because it is new and all the shadows are duochrome. They are absolutely gorgeous shadows, and surprisingly wearable, especially the purple in the middle. Very very pigmented as well, which is nice. I think my favorite of the five colors is the green. It’s vibrant and bold, looks beautiful on the outer V and lower lash line. Reminds me of spring, not Easter spring, but green grass spring. It evokes a feeling of warmth and sunshine in me, and effectively cures my Seasonal Affective Disorder. In other words, this palette is a medical necessity and therefore justified.

Next!

I used the Carol’s Daughter Monoi Repairing Hair Mask yesterday, and I’m so in love. This is some amazing stuff. But in order to get a bigger picture, let me describe my hair to you. Naturally wavy. Dries frizzy and poufy (the bad poufy, not volumized poufy). Fine texture. Oily scalp but dry ends (I know; I told you I was my own oxymoron). In simpler terms, I just don’t like. I wish I could let my hair dry naturally and love the results. But no, that would be too simple, and my life is all about the complicated. Wavy hair is not the same as curly; it’s can’t-commit hair, the worst kind. Be curly if you wanna be curly. Don’t look as if you thought about it and changed your mind in the middle. Cuz what I’m left with is straight and fine in the scalp region, lumpy in the middle section, and frizzed out at the ends.

I use a hair dryer and a flat iron or curling iron, so there’s heat damage to add to all that other mess. It’s not color-treated, or at least not since 2011. But it does break easily, and even after I get a haircut or trim, my ends still look like they’re split. As if my hair is not committed to being curly or straight, but dadgummit it has no problem being broken. And you should just see how much hair swirls around in my bath water. I spend more time picking errant strands off my body or untwining them from around my fingers. What am I supposed to be doing in the tub? Nothing. What am I really doing? Trying to save myself from being attacked by my own hair. No. Bueno.

Enter the Carol’s Daughter mask. First off, this stuff smells like the Garden of Eden. Use this mask for that sake alone; it’s heavenly. In fact, I’m sitting here typing this blog with a swatch of hair strewn across my upper lip like a makeshift mustache. You literally can’t stop smelling it. It’s made with monoi oil, which is apparently derived from 15 gardenias and coconut oil combined over a 15 day sacred ritual. That’s quite specific, and I wish I could tell you I was kidding, but I’m not. And it comes from Tahiti. Tahiti. Are you convinced yet?

The result? Glorious. My hair was less poufy and so extremely smooth and silky. The silkiest it’s ever, never been. And my ends look very healthy, even though it’s been 3 months since my last haircut. I will never be without this mask now. I’m so happy I could cry.

As for the tiny jar of Tarte eye treatment, I haven’t used it yet. But of course I needed it right this second. Bought a sample off eBay because I didn’t want to commit to a $38 full-size. I’ve heard great things about it, so I’m excited to use it. After I finish this horrendously large tube of Glytone that seems to replicate itself after every use. I’ll never be done.

More good stuff. See below:

Cutie pies! All of it, just adorable little cutie pies. I work as a buyer, and one of the departments I buy for is a spa. This is a relatively new job responsibility, and it’s proving to be quite dangerous because now I know exactly what products they’re ordering and I need to own every last one of them. These three things are from the Farmhouse Fresh line, and I barely walked away with the small shopping bag as opposed to the industrial sized platform truck I really wanted. Everything was simply precious. I swear, if there’s an idiot CEO out there that claims packaging isn’t that big of a deal, I will karate chop them in the throat. Because honestly, it gets me lured in every single time.

What I bought was a jar of Honeysuckle Orange Custard body cream, a tube of Front Porch Punch hand cream, and a Sundae Best chocolate face mask. All food scents, so delicious and summery. I’ve mentioned before how boring body lotion or hand lotion is, how I never ever buy it, unless it is in cute packing or it smells like fruit. This stuff’s got both.

I’ve brought the hand cream to work, so now I’m using it all day long. It’s a mixture of strawberry, mango, melon and grapefruit. So good. If my hair isn’t stuck up underneath my nose, it’s my fingers. Yummy and delicious. I haven’t used the body cream, as I’m trying to finish my Ahava sample, and then I have the Josie Maran sweet citrus body butter next in line. In other words, it’s gonna be a while. But just having it in my bathroom, owning it and claiming it as mine, satisfies me to no end. Plus it has a wooden spoon applicator. A wooden spoon applicator! You need this in your life, at the very least so you can own your own tiny wooden spoon. As for the face mask, it smells and looks like chocolate pudding. It’s divine. I may eat it if I don’t use it soon.

Last bit of goodies is this small haul from Ulta:

I actually finished my Urban Decay pressed powder, so thought I’d give the loose powder a try. Someone on YouTube said it gave them flawless skin, and well, you don’t have to tell me twice. Flawless is a magic, evil little word, isn’t it? You tell me something is going to make me flawless, and I’m buying it about 2.5 seconds later.

The tube of Too Faced LashGasm mascara is a really good one. I actually owned this not too long ago, and it made my lashes look amazing – or as amazing as my lashes have the capability to be. Then one day I dropped the tube on my tile floor, and ruined my life just like that. The tube cracked at the top, and all the mascara oozed out of it. I tried to salvage it for a few days, but it was just too messy, and then I started having OCD panic attacks about all the poo germs getting into it because it’s stored on the counter right next to the toilet. Needless to say, I had to give it a sad little goodbye. But now that I’ve replaced it, my heart has healed.

I own a lot of the NYX butter glosses. They are some of the best lip glosses that ever lived. Not sticky one bit, smells amazing, colors actually show up even though they are sheer. Thought I’d try the purple because I live on the edge, and also the name of it is Raspberry Tart, which makes me think of pie. I love pie. And cake. Cake and pie. With whipped cream on top. And chocolate shavings.

What are we talking about? I dunno.

I actually have a Sephora order delivering to my house today, and I was thisclose to calling in sick so I could sit home and wait for it. You know how it is. The excitement becomes almost too much to bear sometimes. I’ll do another haul on that later this week. Still got 6 beauty boxes to review and only 7 days left in the month. Pressure’s on, people. It’s hard being a blogger sometimes. So. Hard.

Toodles!

Mar10

Buying Stuff: Episode 7

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Dianna

Standard

It was about 2 a.m. and everyone in the house was asleep but me. I could react like any normal person and watch some Three’s Company reruns or old gameshows on GSN. You know, the stuff I couldn’t watch while the husband is awake for fear of the stink eye. But no. It seems like 2 a.m. is only good for browsing Sephora and buying really expensive makeup for no dadgum reason other than to own all the things. And quite honestly, spending money doesn’t seem so harsh in the quiet darkness of night.

But in the morning. Holy hell, what have I done?

Well! In my defense, look how pretty:

These are the beautiful Guerlain Meteorites pearls for the face. I don’t even know what else I can say about these things other than I’ve wanted them for quite awhile, and now they are MINE. But I’m going to be honest with you. Because we’re friends, and I know you won’t judge. Now that I own them, I’m not sure what to do with them. I could use them, yes, but I’m old y’all. Do I really want glitter powder accentuating my fine lines and wrinkles? No. But they were too expensive just to decorate with. Yes, they look lovely sitting on the counter, but that’s money a-wastin’ if they’re just gonna do that. I probably should have thought this through a little bit. Either that, or someone needs to turn off the internet in the middle of the night. (I’m not referring to me physically not getting on the internet. That wouldn’t work anyway since my willpower is all shot to hell. I mean, the CEO of the internet needs to shut it down completely until sunrise. Someone get on that, stat.)

So since I have them, I’m gonna make some use out of them, I guess. I have applied them to my face twice now. And I haven’t really noticed anything too flashy; maybe in bright sunlight there’s a bit of a glitter show, but mostly I look about the same. I need to experiment more with them, I think. They do smell like luxury, though, there’s no doubt about that. And each individual pearl was handcrafted by French artisans. Yes, I said handcrafted by French artisans. Do you see now why I was lured? (Yes.) And can you blame me? (No.) Case closed.

Now, of course I couldn’t stop there. It was, after all still in the middle of the night, and I had plenty more hours of remorseless shopping to pursue. Here’s some more goodies:

Practical. All practical. Not the price, but the use of the product. The price is always disastrous.

Got this makeup remover from Koh Gen Do. Oh, excuse me, I mean cleansing spa water. Just calling it that makes it instantly a billion times more fancy. I believe all makeup removers should have been called cleansing spa water from the very beginning. If so, I probably would’ve washed my face more often when I was younger.

Then I thought I’d try another cleansing milk. I already own the Clinique one and I’m about out. I really really liked it, but wanted to try a different brand just for fun. So I picked up the Caudalie one. Haven’t used it yet, because ironically the minute I think I’m about out of a product, and I frantically order a replacement, the original seems to hold out for another month or so. Figures. The universe is forcing me to hoard. Forcing me. I have about an inch left in the bottle, so hoping I’ll get to the Caudalie next week.

Last thing I got was this body butter from Josie Maran. Now that I’ve finished my Moroccanoil sample, I wanted to try something new. One of my YouTube gurus praised this one a million times over, and sometimes I can only understand the language of praise, and I get all one-track-mind-y until the deed is done. Well, it’s done. I have it in my hot little hands, and I can’t wait to use it. Because, AGAIN, I am trying to finish up this other lotion sample I got from Ahava, and my OCD won’t let me stop. It’s hard being me sometimes. If you can’t tell.

Not pictured is a free little sample tube of eyelash primer from Dior. It goes on white and is supposed to create a miracle upon your lashes. I will say that I used this with one of my mascaras that I did not like as much, and the mascara performed so much better. So if it continues in this vein, you can pretty much guarantee I’m buying the full size when the sample runs out.

I suck so much.

And then I did the most ridiculous something. I bought a product you can’t even get in the United States because some British YouTuber told me to. Gah. Have I no restraint? Here it is:

I don’t know why I’m reviewing this because it’s not even that accessible. But I suppose I wanted you to get a clear understanding of the type of person I am – the type that has lost all sense in things that are sensible. On my quest to own all the things, I found this Charlotte Tilbury Full Fat Lashes mascara on eBay of all places. So technically, someone else lost all their marbles and paid $47 for international shipping, not me. However, this mascara cost me more than any mascara I already own, like almost double. Does that make me just as insane? Probably. Thankfully, the mascara is fantastic and at this point was totally worth it.

That’s all for now. Beauty boxes are making their way to me this week, so stay tuned for those.

Feb18

Buying Stuff: Episode 6

Posted on February 18, 2014 by Dianna

Standard

Got a little coupon in the mail the other day for a FREE Clinique lipstick. Not even sure how I got on that mailing list, as it is with most mailing lists I somehow miraculously belong to. One day, I spent an entire afternoon unsubscribing to sites like Babies R Us, a restaurant I ate at while moving my sister home from college (in fairness, I did give them my email), and one of those cheap little doodad stores that sells stuff like indoor poop rugs for dogs.

However, there are some mailing lists – like the Clinique one – that I’m perfectly fine with. This coupon was the best kind of coupon: free product, no purchase necessary. Awesome! For once, I could go to a makeup counter to buy something and never have to get my wallet out of my purse. It’s a black hole in there anyway. Trying to find something in my purse, regardless that it’s just one single solitary large pocket is an ever-loving nightmare. The thing I need is always buried at the bottom underneath countless things I never need, ie, tissue pack, dental floss, hand sanitizer that smells like the inside of a science experiment.

But I should have known better to think I’d actually get away with not spending money. I mean, have I even met me?

Walked up to the counter, cool as all get out (you know how I do), and presented my coupon like I was VIP royalty or something. The girl starts digging through the drawers, and of course she took a second too long cuz before you know it I get captivated by the new Cheek Pop blushes sitting on the counter to my right.

They shouldn’t put stuff up there right next to the credit card swipey thing. Horrible marketing ploy.

But have you seen these cuties?

I just can’t. Walking away from this adorable thing is like turning your back on a hungry kitten. Who could do that other than evil people? Or robots?

So I bought it. Of course I did. Again, hungry kitten.

But that’s not all. (Never is.) They have this product called Bottom Lash Mascara, made specifically for your teeny tiny baby lashes on the lower lid. Why, pray tell, do I need this? Tell me, why? It’s just mascara isn’t it? Don’t I have about 20 or so mascaras in the bottomless arsenal? And wouldn’t just about every one of them work just fine on the bottom lashes?

If you can’t come up with one single solitary reason why NOT to buy this mascara, then you may continue to read my blog. Seriously, why do we buy anything if not for the sheer pleasure of owning all the things. If you search through your makeup stash and find only one mascara, then you need to take your show on the road because that kind of willpower is downright inspirational.

(And for the record, I used it. And I liked it. And it actually did a pretty darn good job.)

Here’s the big reveal of all my lovely things:

Your eyes aren’t fooling you, I literally walked away with one of their tiny shopping bags when normally they need to go in the back room to find some other bag more suitable. So regardless if I needed that mascara or not, I bought TWO things and got one free. Not too shabby, I’d say.

Here’s lipstick swatchies:

Aside from my lackluster selfie skills, it’s a pretty decent color for a free lipstick. I honestly expected it to be a really crappy one, like one you’d find in the bottom of your grandma’s purse, or even just a color I would never ever wear. Kudos to Clinique for not giving away for free what no one would ever buy intentionally. And for those curious, this is their Long Last lipstick in the color All Heart. They categorize it in the red family, but as you can quite clearly see it’s more on the pink side. For my lips anyway. (That’s my disclaimer in case someone tries to sue me for making them buy this “pink” lipstick.)

That’s all for now lovelies. But more is forthcoming as always. I have two beauty boxes sitting on my front porch as we speak. Yessss.

Snacks On Rotation

surprisingly, not a food blog

Category Archives: Buying Stuff

Buying Stuff: Episode 14

Tales From the Mothership: A very special episode of Buying Stuff

Buying Stuff: Episode 13

Buying Stuff: Episode 12

Buying Stuff: Episode 11

Buying Stuff: Episode 10

Buying Stuff: Episode 9

Buying Stuff: Episode 8

Buying Stuff: Episode 7

Buying Stuff: Episode 6

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: