Tag Archives: dior

Nov19

Buying Stuff: Episode 22

Posted on November 19, 2014 by Dianna

Current status: still freezing. But thanks for checking. I’ll just be over here wearing socks with my heels, sitting on a heating pad, holding my hand around my nose to keep it warm. Or, looking like an idiot, as it is commonly known.

Gratefully, the weather is supposed to get warmer in the next few days, so perhaps my pouting and whining will calm down a bit. Until the next polar vortex that makes it way through, that is. Me and Winter? We ARE. NOT. friends.

In brighter news, I bought stuff:

A little mini Inglot haul! I picked up a lip paint in shade 59 (in the purple family), a gel eyeliner in shade 82 (also in the purple family; kind of a dark periwinkle), and a pigment in shade 56 (a teal). I have decided that I love Inglot so much. The gel eyeliners are the creamiest and best I’ve ever used. They don’t set for 60 seconds, which works fantastically for me because I am never satisfied with my line on the first swipe. In fact, I need a good 20 minutes – but I’ll accept 60 seconds. I challenge you to buy one of these and then disagree with me. It’s impossible I tell you; they’re amazing. And if you think otherwise, well then you are WRONG. There’s no other way to put it.

I adore the pigments. I reviewed them in my Vegas haul if you’ll recall (and if you don’t, click here), and I still feel very much the same. They are stunning, vibrant, and beautiful. I now own four, and that’s a far cry from the zero amount I’ve owned in the past (i.e., my entire life) (i.e., forty years if you’re counting).

I’ve only purchased this one lip paint, and I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be a lipstick or a lip gloss. It’s a very pretty color, but it sheers out somewhat on the lips which makes me think it’s a gloss. But it’s not really sticky. It’s creamy, but not thick. Either way, though, I like it and I might end up buying some more.

More fun with purple. See below:

This is the Charlotte Tilbury eyeshadow quad in Glamour Muse. I am so happy that Charlotte Tilbury is now being sold in the U.S. I don’t even know why, as I hadn’t even heard of her until someone on YouTube mentioned her one time. I’m gonna say it’s most likely cuz I wasn’t able to purchase her products that made me want to buy her products. Don’t tell me I can’t have something. That creates a panic in me so fierce that I could probably bend steel rods with sheer OCD force or something. Which I suppose is pretty genius marketing on their part. And also how I ended up with this quad.

Okay, I’m torn about it. At first glance, it’s super pretty. The sparkle is just right. But I bought this because I wanted something PURPLE not just purple. And the vibrant looking shade does not transfer that well onto your eyeball. How unfortunate, for me and for all of the world. Now, if you like a more subtle purple, by all means buy this quad with confidence. Do not be afraid. It will probably most likely be the perfect purple for you.

On a happier note, the longer I wore it (and the more often I stared at myself), the more I actually started to enjoy the eye look. So it turned out alright in the end. It just wasn’t what I was expecting in the beginning, that’s all.

And then! I bought this:

I love having a Color IQ number with Sephora because it tells me when new foundations come out that will match my skin tone. If you haven’t gotten your Color IQ done, I’m pretty sure you’ve stumbled upon this blog by accident, cuz anyone who’s everyone who loves makeup is (or should be) doing this. If you like taking out guesswork, making shopping easy, buying foundation from the comfort of your home without fear and while wearing pajamas, that is.

So here is the Dior Diorskin Star foundation in 32 Rosy Beige. For me, this is a really nice product. It’s pretty lightweight, probably about a medium coverage. Has a nice finish – not matte but not luminous – somewhere in between. It claims to be brightening, which I didn’t really catch, but that might have more to do with my horrid complexion to start with. That’s the problem with a lot of supposedly nice foundations. You can’t put them on top of skin like mine and expect fabulous – it just doesn’t happen very often. So, yeah, I wasn’t wowed or anything. It didn’t knock my socks off. It didn’t make me feel supermodelly (like the Guerlain Tenue de Perfection or Givenchy Photo’Perfexion does). So this foundation will be in my second tier – a high quality, better than average, no IT factor foundation.

I bought a brush:

A Wayne Goss #7 lip brush to be exact. I bought this to go with the Inglot lip paint, as I didn’t feel like going all hillbilly fingers into the pot. We use brushes like refined ladies in here, people. Or else.

What can I really say about a lip brush other than it applies lip stuff? Not much. But I will say the edges are very thin, so if you’re really good at using a lip brush I’d think this one would do a pretty good job for you. Other uses of this brush include gel or powder eyeliner application. I tried the gel version, and you know what? I really suck at gel eyeliner. But others who don’t suck might find this brush a dream. It has somewhat stiff bristles so they don’t go flopping all over the place and allows for some nice precision.

Look at this beauty:

This is the Marc Jacobs Sky-Liner Highliner gel eye crayons kit. Let me preface this by saying this kit is a limited edition. However, the eyeliners themselves are not, so even if it’s 17 months into the future and you are reading this blog, this review should still apply. Unless Marc Jacobs goes out of business, so in that case, kindly carry on.

I love these eyeliners. They are very creamy and easy to apply. The shimmer is beautiful. They last for a very long time on the upper eyelid or below the lower eyelashes. On my waterline, though, they did not last as long. Kind of went patchy in the afternoon. But I have very wet eyeballs so that’s probably the reason. I’ve yet to find an eyeliner with hardcore staying power – the Sumita Beauty one comes the closest, but I’m still on my mission. Regardless, though, these are some pretty, good quality liners and you should go ahead and throw them in your basket.

Whatever you do, do NOT buy the travel size of this item:

It’s the Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm, and if you try it once you will fall madly in love, then wrestle with your conscience regarding the $105 full-size price. Or you can ignore yourself like I usually do. It’s your risk to take. But I swear, I have no idea what this stuff is made of – okay I do; it’s made of thermal mud from the Hungarian Moors – but it’s truly magical. Has an odd little smell verging on licorice, but I’m most likely conjuring licorice due to its black color. Anyway, I use a very small amount and apply it all over my face. The texture is soothing, soft, velvety smooth. Wiping it off is even better cuz then you are left with the skin of a baby’s bottom. At this point, you’re under its spell and your shopping hand starts to get itchy. Also, it removes makeup very well, but that’s beside the point now isn’t it?

I have since bought an Omorovicza travel kit that includes another jar of this balm. I’m hoping by the time I’m done with both jars, my fascination will have been satisfied and I will no longer feel the pull of buying the full size. Because honestly, I don’t WANT to pay that much for a cleanser. Although, I suppose I will if I won’t leave myself alone about it. I can be soooo super annoying sometimes.

If you like colorful eyeshadows, you should buy this:

Ack! I die. This Urban Decay Vice 3 palette is just lovely. That gorgeous green on the top row is what caught my eye initially. And the golds and purples. There are hearts in my eyes right now. I had no issues with pigmentation or blendability. Fallout was pretty minimal if at all. And it comes in a cutesy little iPad case to help make your shopping decision even easier.

So many stunning looks can come out of this palette. My favorite (other than the green of course) is using Lucky – which is the color of a new penny – all over the lid, then adding Alchemy – a bold raspberry – in the outer v. Of course, I’m sure some makeup artist could do it even better, but I was pretty proud of my invention. Pretty sure Urban Decay is about to call me. Or Vogue.

Behold, look what else:

Is your mouth hanging open? Mine is. It’s the new Gucci makeup, specifically the eyeshadow duo in Fume. It’s shockingly beautiful, very luxurious, fancy schmancy, and ooh la la. Practically too pretty to even use, what with all those little Gs stamped into the shadow. However, I did use it – just once so far – and lemme just say that sometimes I question my own makeup skills. How could something this lovely not turn out even more lovely once applied? There was more pigmentation in the pan than on the eye. What did I do wrong? I suppose I could’ve wet my brush first to see if that made it better, but putting something wet into something dry gives me anxiety, like there’s a never-turning-back event about to happen, and it stops me from doing it. That’s most likely the #1 reason I hate washing my hair. Which has nothing to do with this eyeshadow, but still.

I’ll keep playing with it. I’m determined to not give up. I’ll do it for my people (that’s you), so you will continue reading (and loving) this blog.

We’re at the end. You’ve made it. Now wasn’t that fun? Be sure to come back again and again cuz I write updates all the time. You won’t want to miss out on anything. Trust me.

Oct31

Buying Stuff on Location: Las Vegas

Posted on October 31, 2014 by Dianna

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Who makes the decision to repave the street in front of my house on Halloween? And then tells us we have to park our cars elsewhere until it dries? How am I supposed to get home? There’s only one way in and one way out of my neighborhood, so it looks like I be walking through fields, barefoot and in 10 feet of snow. Blah.

But most importantly, how is FedEx supposed to deliver my four Sephora orders today? I mean, you know that’s the part that’s really killing me right?

Anyway, my long awaited Las Vegas haul has arrived. Thanks for your patience while I went on vacation for three weekends in a row. But just look at what you’ve waited for:

This is the NARS Audacious lipstick in the shade Dominique, and it almost didn’t happen. I was watching a YouTube video several weeks prior to Vegas, and one of my gurus was going on and on about how fabulous this particular shade of lipstick is. It’s a muted purple – or a purple mixed with a skosh of grey – or it’s just very pretty. Any of those three. And so I went to buy it but nobody had it. Apparently, it’s an exclusive shade for Barney’s New York (aside from NARS) and it was sold out in both places online. Aack! This created a panic in me like nobody’s business. I mean, I don’t live in a big city. The fanciest store we have is a Macy’s, and not even a two-story one. How am I ever going to get my hands on this lipstick then?

You go to Vegas.

Wandering through the Forum Shops inside Caesar’s Palace, and I almost missed it. Gawking off to my right while passing the NARS store on the left. Thankfully I turned my head just in time. It’s so funny going into a store where the salesladies start gearing up for their spiel, and I’m holding my hand up like shuushhhhhh. I already know what I’m looking for; I’m a woman on a mission.

Turns out, they had three tubes left. And then the heavens opened up and angels began to sing. It truly was a miracle moment. I might as well have stumbled upon the last Golden Ticket, or maybe the cup that Jesus drank out of, for how exciting and miraculous this was.

If you like creamy, pigmented lipstick then you will love these. There are a ton of colors that are widely available on lots of sites, Sephora included. I just can’t guarantee you’ll find Dominique. Which is unfortunate because it’s the most beautiful. You’re welcome for the rave review anyway.

You know how when you’re in Vegas, money doesn’t feel like actual money? As in, your $100 blackjack money is traded for a stack of chips, which might as well be Monopoly chips considering how quickly and recklessly they are lost. Well, that’s what happened when I did this:

It’s Cle de Peau. I ain’t even going to tell you what these two things cost because it is the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever heard. But VACATION. What other excuse do I have?

I walked into the Barney’s at the Palazzo just to “see” which my husband should know is international sign language for an Impending Shopping Event. Cuz nobody goes to just “see.” They go to shop on accident. It sounds less purposeful that way, and whatever ensues afterward is “not my fault.”

Browsed for literally half a second when I bagged this shimmery eyeshadow quad in #308. Oh, lawd, the purples! Had to have it, even though the eyeshadow and compact are sold separately. Honestly, that’s a horrible thing to do to someone isn’t it? Thinking they’re getting a whole complete thing, but turns out the very important holder portion is missing. Do I buy soda at a restaurant and they bring it to me without the holder? How about a hot dog – you expect the bun too, right? Of course you do, cuz this is America and you have a right to get a bun with your hot dog.

I rest my case.

Anyway, I bought both the eyeshadow and compact.

And then the saleslady has the audacity to suggest their award-winning concealer. As she is applying it on my undereye, she is telling me how it’s the Concealer to the Stars (i.e., Kim Kardashian) and OMG, it looks so amazing! Well, you can’t do either of those things PLUS win beauty awards and not expect me to buy it. I mean, I am no superhuman.

For those curious, I picked the shade Beige which looks pretty good. The formula is like a cream-to-powder and works best if you have moisturized first. It covers dark circles nicely but not completely – so don’t be expecting no miracle despite the fact it costs a fortune. Unless you have the undereye of a 14-year-old that is.

Had to pop into Sephora because I know the Vegas one will sell wayyyyy more brands than the one in my hometown. That’s the only thing I was interested in – products that are’t readily available to me. So here’s what I got:

Okay, the Marc Jacobs O!Mega mascara was a freebie and I do have access to this at home. But I traded in 100 Sephora points cuz I was curious. This turned out to be one of the best makeup decisions I’ve ever made. I absolutely LOVE this mascara. It fans out my lashes, fattens them up and lengthens them so beautifully. This may be my favorite, although it’s hard to top my Charlotte Tilbury.

I know mascara is very personal because what works for one may not work for another. We all have different eyelashes. Mine are sparse, thin and itty bitty. And what the O!Mega does for me is nothing short of awesome. It has size-increasing ingredients in it, and I highly highly highly recommend.

Next thing I picked up is the Dior Capture Totale makeup base (primer). Again, I have access to Dior where I live. I suppose you could say I got a little sidetracked inside Sephora. Var var easy to do as I’m sure you know. Time isn’t even a real thing once you step inside. I don’t even know why I got this because certainly I didn’t need yet another foundation primer? (If you considered that an actual question, you might’ve stumbled upon this blog by accident.)

This primer has a lot of skincare in it, with anti-aging ingredients and UV protection. It’s pinkish white tint actually brightens my face up a bit when I use it, which I kind of like. I don’t have much more of an opinion at this point because I’ve only used it a handful of times. It doesn’t spread really well over dry skin – I had to pat it on instead of smooth it on – so if you don’t have combo skin at the minimum, ask Sephora for a sample first before spending real money on it. Of course, I bought it practically sight unseen cuz in Vegas there is no such thing as real money.

Finally I get around to the brands I don’t have easy access to. Picked up the Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill eyeshadow quad in #3 Pantelleria. I didn’t even know Sephora carried Giorgio Armani. I was actually able to get color matched to the Luminous Silk foundation, where I found the shade I own (5.5) is not the shade I should be wearing (5.25), and even though the one I own works just fine, the fact that it’s not my shade makes me want to spend another $60 to buy the right one. OCD is a real problem, as you can clearly see. Also, run-on sentences.

But back to the eye quad. It is truly beautiful. I wanted to pick colors that wasn’t my normal purple or green, and I just love the teal. Very smooth application, easy to blend. I’m really happy I bought this. It’s one of the best luxury eye quads I’ve ever purchased.

Then I saw the Givenchy Photo’Perfexion Fluid Foundation and quickly decided the 39 foundations I own is not enough. At this point it had nothing to do with the foundation itself, but more the fact that I needed to own all the things. Got color matched to the shade Perfect Cinnamon, which surprised me for some reason. The word “cinnamon” does not evoke a light to medium skin tone in my mind, but it worked. Took it back to my hotel room and did a quick trial run. And was promptly amazed. The finish on this is extraordinary. Claims to do what digital retouching would do, and I would say that’s pretty close to accurate. Remember how splotchy and hideous my naked skin is? So yeah, you might wanna buy this. Out of 39 foundations, it’s in my top 3.

After all this shopping, I dragged my poor husband into one last place: the Inglot store. And here’s what happened:

In my defense, they had a couch there so he could sit and Facebook or play Fantasy Football or whatever it is that boys do. I decided to try out a couple of their pure pigment eyeshadows because I was mesmerized by seeing them in person. Swatched a few on my hand and was blown away by the intense color. I picked a purple/gold glitter and a burgundy. Both stunning. I’ve used these in real life situations since Vegas, and I’m in deep passionate love. I like to apply them as liner under my lower lashes, and you don’t know the true definition of “pop of color” until you’ve used an Inglot pigment. Plus, they’re like $14. Practically free!

The whole point of my Inglot visit, however, was to see their freedom system eyeshadows up close and personal. There’s no way I could create my customized eyeshadow palette by looking at thumbnail pictures online. It would be overwhelming at the very least. So, I chose the 10-pan palette and got to work. I did the responsible thing and selected a matte crease color and browbone color because every palette requires one. Then decided to create two quads – a orange/brown one and a purple/green one. The quality is very nice. I thought each shade was nicely pigmented and blended well. And the fact they are only $7 each – well, who’s gonna say no to that? (Crazy people.)

Remember how I turned 40 at the end of August and that we’ve been celebrating that fact for at least 2 months? Well, I made sure to remind my husband (lest he forget) that the whole point of Vegas was to go out with a bang. I mean, how many times do you turn 40 in your life? Two, three times, tops?

Well we were passing all these fancy stores – Gucci, Dior, Prada – and I kept jokingly asking what he was buying me. And I don’t know if he was just tired of hearing me or if he’d planned it all along, but oh my God, LOOK:

Happy 40th birthday to ME. Now if I can manage not to sit on these or leave them in a restaurant bathroom or something, that’s yet to be seen. I’ve never had a mishap with my $16 pair, but you know how you can totally hold your breath for 17 seconds until someone actually asks you to hold your breath for 17 seconds and then it’s nigh on impossible? I’m a little concerned about that.

Well, thanks guys for hanging out with me and for making it to the very end of this post. You rock, and if it weren’t for you, I’d be talking to myself and that’s A) weird and B) sad.

See you tomorrow!

Jun23

Buying Stuff: Episode 16

Posted on June 23, 2014 by Dianna

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I spent two hours at the Chuck E. Cheese with a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old so everything listed below is immediately justified. Don’t even try to argue with that.

Here’s my stuffs:

Finally got a chance to exchange the MAC Pro Longwear Foundation. A few months ago, I assumed incorrectly that I was an NW25. I wore this shade to work fully aware I had a slight line is demarcation on my jaw. Luckily I have sweet friends who lie to me and tell me it’s not that noticeable. Otherwise, I would’ve had to go home sick.

Anyway, tried the NW20 shade and it’s perfect. I really like the finish of this foundation. It looked very natural on me. I felt if I didn’t have a splotchy natural complexion, I would have looked flawless. Because this one came pretty close. Unfortunately I’m paying for my reckless youth. Not wearing sunscreen and picking at your face is bad bad bad, kids. If you ignore everything written in my blog, at least remember this one.

Well. Good deed = done. I have succeeded at life. I can get back in pajamas now.

I was in the makeup section at Dillard’s minding my own business, when the Dior counter started calling my name. And when Dior speaks, you listen. I didn’t even have an idea what I wanted; I was just “looking”. Except that’s not a real thing. Y’all know “just looking” is a made up term wives tell their husbands. Just looking is code for I’m about to buy a ton of shit; don’t judge me.

I was browsing the Fluid Stick lipgloss. The lady at the counter was swatching them for me, and I’m searching everywhere for a price tag. I know these things aren’t free, dammit; where do they keep the price tag? Hidden, that’s where. Or else you’d probably never buy this.

But lawd knows I ain’t asking. Not gonna find out ahead of time it’s $35 and then embarrass myself by not buying it. So I do, and it gets handed to me in a cute little logoed bag, which I parade around for all the eyes to see. I mean, if you’re gonna spend $35 on lipgloss, you might as well get some congratulatory stares out of it. I’m pretty sure that’s what those stares were for. Certainly not pity ones for the weirdo holding a Dior bag in your face.

And for those curious, the color I got was #869 Vie D’enfer, a brownish reddish thing. And it has a really lovely glossy shine. Worth the price tag though? Mmmmm, probably not. I don’t always make the best decisions while in the midst of a makeup seduction. I lose control of my brain.

Another lipgloss I didn’t really want or need was the Napoleon Perdis Luminous Lip Veil in the color Scarlet Fever. It is not my fault it was 50% off, and it was on my way out the door. Don’t put that stuff right in front of my eyeballs. Bad things happen.

However. It’s a beautiful red orange gold sparkly gloss that catches the light better than anything I own. I’m really happy I bought it. See, sometimes random purchases work out. I’m a smart person after all.

Last item in the pic is the Chanel le Volume de Chanel mascara. I had heard someone on YouTube say this is the mascara of life, so where’s the question? I walked up to the counter, and the salesgirl barely got her May I Help You out when I grabbed the mascara and handed it to her. I’m sure she was impressed by my determination. Now if only I could apply that to all areas, I’d be the President of the United States. At the very least.

The mascara is a very nice one. The texture is slightly thicker than a normal mascara, so it could get gloopy if you don’t take your time. But it does a great job for me in lengthening and fanning my lashes. Perhaps not the mascara of life, but a must have regardless.

And then Sephora happened. Oopsie:

At least it’s only this one thing this time. Saw this cute little skincare set from L’Occitane and knew I had to have it. I was not seduced by the royal blue packaging in any way whatsoever. Packaging doesn’t work on me.

Okay, that’s not a thing either. If you are adorable, I want you. If you look like you came from the Dollar Tree, you may have a seat.

This is their anti-aging Imortelle set, and I have no idea what that means, but each item is called Precious, and well, that’s me in a nutshell.

So you get the Precious Cleansing Foam, Precious Eye Balm, Precious Water and Precious Cream. That’s a lot of Precious in one place! I’m excited to use it. The reviews online are mostly positive (over 4 out of 5 stars), except several were saying the moisturizer had a funny smell. Now, I’ve applied salmon egg enzyme on my face for over a month, and am currently using a day cream made out of shiitake mushrooms – certainly I can handle a cream that just smells “funny”? We will see. I’ll be ready to use this set in about 15 years or so.

Stockpiling skincare backfires sometimes. Although if I ever find myself living on a deserted island somewhere, I’m already prepared. Succeeding at life once again. Seriously, why am I still wearing business casual when pajamas are all I need?

Payday is one day where I can honestly say I make the BEST decisions:

Your eyes are not deceiving you. This is the Burberry Complete Eye Palette in Sage Green. And it’s stunning. I love green, so naturally I have gravitated towards this one. It’s just a color that has the potential to emote feelings of spring AND fall. I have to have lots of green in my life.

As for the eyeshadows themselves, these go on very soft in terms of pigmentation. Even the darkest brown shade isn’t that dark. So it’s hard to have a super defined eye look unless you rim it with a heavy black winged liner or something. There isn’t much shimmer, so that’s good for me, but the colors just don’t POP enough. However, I will use it often, especially when fall rolls around, cuz I think the whole scheme is lovely. Cuz even when green is bad, it’s still pretty good. I love green. Did I tell you that?

Alrighty franz, I’m out of time for now. Back tomorrow with the best post that ever lived.

Jun3

Buying Stuff: Episode 14

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Dianna

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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

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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!

Mar10

Buying Stuff: Episode 7

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Dianna

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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.

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Tag Archives: dior

Buying Stuff: Episode 22

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Buying Stuff: Episode 16

Buying Stuff: Episode 14

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

Buying Stuff: Episode 7

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