Tag Archives: eyeliner

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.

Nov6

Buying Stuff: Episode 21

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Dianna

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Finally the sun has come out after being non-existent for the past several days. I was starting to wonder if we’d ever see it again. I mean, by all means be 48-degrees if you have to, but at least give me sunlight. Without the sun, I am moody and sad and var var pale. Sunshine sustains me. It’s the only thing that can get me through the disaster that is Winter. I love sun, sunlight, sunshine, and any and all things sun-related. Sunglasses.

Therefore I sit in my car during lunch hour where it proceeded to blaze hot right onto my face and into my eyes. Urgh. Go away, Sun.

Clearly something is wrong with me.

Look, I bought stuff:

This is the Benefit Majorette Booster Blush, and I have no idea what I’m going to do with it. This is one of those circumstances where I bought something cute simply because it was new and would make a good Instagram picture. Does that make me shallow? Probably.

Okay, yes, it’s a cream-to-powder blush so obviously you can use it that way. But I’m not a huge cream blush fan even though this one is pretty idiot-proof. Like the most easiest application and blendability I’ve ever come across. The color is a sweet girly peach. It’s matte and has a great smell. You can also layer it underneath another blush to give that other blush more vibrancy. But those are two things I’m not really interested in. First of all, who has time to be applying TWO blushes? (Superhumans.) And second of all, I didn’t think it looked all that pretty on my face. However, everyone else in the universe seems to love it, so apparently I lose at makeup.

But then I bought this:

Who else has been petrified of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade? I mean, this stuff is a gel-like cream you apply to your eyebrows with a liner brush – freehanded – and hope to God you don’t ef it up. I am not a natural when it comes to drawing on brows. Sure I could just follow the lines like a normal person would, but I do have pictures of myself where I did just that and ended up creating BROWS! with jazz-hands and everything. So I was scared that something as pigmented as this would be messy and worse.

Long story short: I faced my fear. Me and Sephora had a little chat and I decided to go for it. But which color? They’re all variations of brown. Which one would create the most natural look? I wish I could tell you my selection process was more scientific, but it all boiled down to seeing the word “universal taupe” on other brow products from other brands, so I chose the Taupe one and walked away before the anxiety kicked in.

Believe it or not, this isn’t as scary as I expected. If you tap your brush in lightly and very gently sweep over your brows, you can make some natural looking arches. Granted I can’t come close to the pictures I see on Instagram, but it’ll do for me. As for the color, there may have been a better brown shade to suit me, but the Taupe works just fine. Which is good cuz I’m pretty sure this little jar will outlast everything in my makeup collection.

Guess who came to America?

It’s Charlotte Tilbury! This is some exciting news cuz the last (and only) time I bought one of her products, international shipping about made me change my mind. Since I had my pick this time, I chose the Feline Flick eyeliner pen. As my preferred method of eyeliner, I feel as if owning all of them is completely justified. But then again, I write a beauty blog, so EVERYTHING is justified as far as I’m concerned. And nobody can argue with that kind of logic.

But back to the eyeliner. I liked it alright. The nib is pretty sturdy, so it lends a great amount of control in the application along the lash line and drawing the angle in the start of the wing. However, when I tried to connect the wing portion to the base of my lashes, the sturdiness of the nib didn’t make that part as easy. Like I literally had to go over it several times in order to get a good, crisp looking line. However, my own OCD may have played a part in that. And also, I am not very good at winged liner. But aside from those two things, I can’t say this eyeliner is my favorite. I’ve went back to my Kat Von D pen for the time being.

Look how beautiful:

I bought this Laura Geller Baked Gelato blush because it looked like food. Like something I could stick my finger in then lick off. A cupcake top. A vat of frosting. I literally couldn’t NOT buy it after laying my eyes on it. Whoever was in charge of the design of this product is a genius. I own chocolate masks, strawberry moisturizers, and all things coconut BECAUSE of geniuses like this. All other companies should take note. You want me to buy your product? Make it resemble food.

This is a really beautiful blush. The shade I picked out was Guava, and it’s a bright but wearable pink. It’s sheers out really well and creates this lovely flush of color. I’m not sure if it’s a cream that’s been baked or what exactly, but it’s applied like a normal powder blush and that’s all I really need to know. I feel like I need more colors, but I’m trying very hard to be good.

Hahaha, just kidding. I bought this too:

This Smashbox Cherry Smoke eyeshadow set is the perfect fall palette. Instead of your typical grey or black smokey eye, this is a taupe and burgundy version and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Each shadow applied well and blended nicely. I could create a daytime, natural look with it as well so it’s pretty versatile. Although I don’t necessarily stick to daytime/nighttime makeup rules. I want what I want when I want it. Smokey eye at 10 a.m.? Done. But for those who like to stick to rules (and are probably not wearing white after Labor Day), you can still utilize this palette at your 9-5. And back to that whole food thing – the word “cherry”? Sucked me in right away.

One of the best makeup decisions ever made is below:

It’s the Sedona Lace Round Top #480 brush and I’m in deep, passionate love. Ugh. I can’t even express properly how beautifully this applies foundation. It hugs every curve of my face and makes blending practically effort-free. I thought I loved my Real Techniques Expert Face brush, but this (while similar) is so much better. Even the price is good at $18.95 (although I had a 20% coupon as well as an additional $4 off). The bristles are dense, and the round top gets rid of harsh lines that blush or bronzer might create. I don’t think I’ll ever want to use anything different. It’s also pink and adorable and looks pretty on my counter. How many more reasons do you need? Approved! Put it in your basket.

We done for today. I’m now going to get back to fighting with Sephora’s broken website. They are having their 20% off sale and the entire world is on the internet. Boo.

Aug14

Buying Stuff: Episode 19

Posted on August 14, 2014 by Dianna

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Well I’m about ready for the weekend, aren’t you? I know if I didn’t work I couldn’t afford to buy stuff, so I should appreciate my Monday through Friday. But you guys … I just really love pajamas. What can I say?

Lookie, I bought stuff:

I fell in love with the mint green color of the Smashbox Always Sharp 3D liner. It’s just so springy, summery, warm weathery. I couldn’t walk away from this liner even if I wanted to. Plus, it sharpens itself every time you remove the cap. Genius! I have since bought the black liner as well, and while the color isn’t ultra black – I mean it is but it isn’t, kind of blurry black – okay, that’s not a color and makes no sense – but I’m not disappointed cuz it cuts down my eyeliner time by at least 10 minutes per eye. That’s not a typo. Me and eyeliner: we are not best friends.

Then I bought this Make Up For Ever Lab Shine lipgloss in the shade M10 Morello Cherry. I’ll just be honest – I did not really need this. I saw the color and was temporarily blinded by its brilliance. So I buy it and spend the next several hours in the throes of Buyer’s Remorse cuz I don’t know how to walk away from shiny things. I could’ve taken it back but that requires effort of which I have none to give. However, it is a really lovely color, it sparkles prettily, and I will use it probably more this fall when I wear darker clothing. Or at least that’s what I’m telling myself.

One thing I did need – okay, want – is the Bite Beauty lipstick in the shade Cava. I was looking for a nude, but everything I’ve ever tried makes my lips disappear right into my face. So I spent about half an hour in Sephora trying on several shades and finally settled on Cava, which is a lilac beige. Just saying the word lilac beige is enough to make you wanna go out and buy it, amiright? Sounds so pretty. And while I wasn’t 100% sure in the store, now that I brought it home and have been wearing it, you might say I’m a wee bit in love. Plus the Bite formula is unbeatable. Serious, if you haven’t tried on a Bite lipstick yet, you may wanna consult your physician cuz there may be something wrong with your brain.

Got my hands on a tiny, free sample of the new Benefit They’re Real Push-Up liner. After all the hype swirling about this product, I had to try it out for myself. All its fancy claims of making it easier to apply liner and whatnot. Tempting me with miracles and such.

I followed the directions by only clicking twice so the product that is dispensed isn’t too much. Okay, so far so good. I applied it to my lash line just like normal and it seemed to do alright. I had to keep clicking up product to finish the entire eye, but it did work and it was easier. I think the trick is to not keep clicking because once the tip is gooped up, it does not apply well. Unless you are into a patchy mess, then by all means click away. However, a week or so later I went to use it again and it did not apply well. It skipped all over my lid and portions of it dried and crumbled right off. So I don’t know now. We might break up. I’m don’t think I’m feeling it anymore. Maybe one more date, and if there’s any misbehaving going on, I’m gonna have to see other people.

Here’s yet another successful shopping trip:

I decided I was going to make my morning routine even longer and start washing my face with a cleansing cloth every day. My mentality has always been I wash my face at night, why would it be dirty the next morning? I’m sure there’s some science in that statement somewhere, but who’s to know.

But my OCD gets to me every time, and I start obsessing over the fact there may be bacteria growing on my face while I sleep, so this is how the story of the Ole Henriksen pore refining cleansing cloths was born.

These cloths are great. They have a rough, exfoliating side and a smooth side and the scent is a cooling eucalyptus. If you aren’t awake when you’re using these, you will be shortly. They feel very nice on the face, fresh, cool, tingly. I like them a lot. Only problem is the price – $15 for 30. Soooo … not sure if I’ll repurchase. I would like to but if it comes down to expensive wipes or expensive makeup, makeup wins every time.

Cashed in 100 Sephora points and got a little sample of the Make Up For Ever HD foundation primer. I’ve been using this for a few days and it has a very light texture that absorbs very fast into the skin. I love it for that fact alone. But it is just a lotion, not a silky velvety finish that some may prefer. And don’t even ask me if it makes your makeup last longer cuz I have no idea.

I am nothing if not professional.

The other day I went into Sephora where they were celebrating Benefit Day and I got to spin the prize wheel. It was definitely exciting on that day. A prize wheel?! Oooohkay! Well I landed on the middle between a free sample or a free winged liner application. And because my husband was with me I chose the free sample cuz it was “quicker” and we had “errands to run”. Hmmmphf.

Well turns out, I wanted the free sample anyway. Because I already owned the push up liner, I grabbed the Stay Flawless foundation primer. It comes in stick form, and the Sephora lady said to not overdo it and to trust the product is doing its job. I immediately got scared, cuz what if I do overdo it? What happens to my face? Will there be a falling off scenario impending?

Please tell me others have used this successfully. I applied it on my face, but it’s very dry so I wasn’t even sure I had it on at all. The instructions say to immediately apply foundation and blend the two together right on your face. I did all that. Nothing bad happened, but nothing at all happened either. So, did I err too far on the side of caution and not apply enough? I dunno. I’m gonna have to fiddle with it I guess.

Bought two of the best eyeliners I’ve ever used. If you like black black black and super duper creamy deliciousness, then go ahead and put these L’oreal Silkissime liners in your basket. Go on. I’ll wait.

These simply glliiiiiide across your eyeball. No skipping. No tugging. They hold up pretty well in the waterline too. They don’t remain solid there, but perform better than the majority of my eyeliners do. In fact, I only have one other one (Sumita brand) that works as good. If there’s one drawback, I’d say it gets nubby awfully fast. Probably due to its creaminess. I’m not even gonna pretend that’s a big deal though, cuz honestly I love these liners.

Next product – well, you can just blame YouTube. Someone was washing their makeup brushes with the Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap and said it worked great. Luckily this is one of the cheaper products I’ve been influenced to buy. Got the lavender scent, and man is it smelly. I mean, like lavender, but very strong lavender. It does get the brushes squeaky clean; however, on my more denser brushes I had to rinse them three separate times in order to get all the soap out. So perhaps I need to tweak my method a little bit since it literally took 48 hours for my Sigma F86 brush to fully dry cuz I had to keep rinsing it over and over. Who got time for that? Nobody.

While shopping for the Dr. Bronner’s soap, there was a little Pacifica lip butter display provoking me with its jewel toned packaging, and well, as established earlier in this post, I can’t walk away from pretty packaging. Picked out the darkest shade they had, a deep burgundy called Blissed Out. Don’t be frightened though – it goes on very sheer. The smell is heavenly, the texture is very creamy and moisturizing, and the color has a nice subtlety to it for those days when you don’t want lipstick but still want color. I liked it a lot. Probably one of my better lip butter decisions.

Last item is a complete random afterthought. I went into Bath & Body Works to pick up one hand sanitizer and I walked out with 5 of them, plus two candles, a bath pouf, and this coconut smelling Cooling Gel Lotion. Did I need this? Is the sky blue? Don’t ask stupid questions.

The texture of this lotion is ultra light, cool, and creamy. The smell is not hardcore coconut, but a blend of citrus and coconut that is very refreshing. It’s nice to put on right before bed because you don’t get that heavy lotion feeling and the scent is not overpowering by any means. I know summer is (sadly) just about over, but I’m alright using this all year round. It’s good stuff.

I finally got off the Birchbox waitlist for this thing:

This Zoya nail polish remover purchase makes no sense for the girl who hates nail polish. I know. I am my own oxymoron. But haven’t you ever wanted to own something just cuz it seemed like it might be fun to play with? Like a barcode scanner or a shrink wrapper? Or in this case, a pump-top dispenser. You flip open the lid, take your cotton ball and press it up and down over the top of it and that’s it. You can do it one-handed even. How’s that for barely making an effort? Also, it doesn’t smell as bad as other removers AND it’s the best at tackling glitter polish. Plus, it’s award-winning. If you’re not convinced yet, you can’t read this blog.

Just kidding. But you’re wrong, that’s all I’m saying.

Then I got this other thing from Birchbox cuz I had credits and wanted to apply it towards something fancy:

It’s the Skin & Co Truffle Therapy serum. I bought this off of one person’s recommendation so hoping it’s wonderful. I love serums and want to try them all, and for whatever reason this one appealed to me. The truffle in here is mushroom not chocolate (just an FYI), but it doesn’t stink like that other mushroom cream I used last month (see previous Empties post). The scent is reminiscent of coconut, but I know it’s not coconut. The texture is also lotiony but very very light and absorbs almost immediately. This is a very good thing cuz I feel the benefits of this serum would best be appreciated in the a.m. than p.m. (antioxidants, etc), and I have about zero minutes to waste in the morning. The only issue so far is the $75 price tag. If I didn’t have Birchbox credits, I doubt I would’ve bought this.

Last bits below:

Gotta love the Beauty To Go bin at Sephora. They recently added a travel size of the Dr. Brandt Pores No More primer, and lawd knows how much I needed it. My pores are huge you guys. It was practically a medical necessity.

This stuff feels amazing going on. Powdery and silky soft. If you are a texture person, you need to go ahead and put it in your basket. It will bring you joy. But most importantly, does is mask your pores? Wellllll … if your pores are pinpricks, then probably. The echo-y caverns that I have, however, get blurred out but by no means disappear. It helps though, so at this point in my pore erasing journey, I’ll accept.

If you’re in the market for a new matte lip cream but don’t know what to buy, here’s where you need to start paying attention. The Sephora Luster Mattes are AH. MA. ZING. Ohmygod, I’m not even joking. They are luscious, creamy, pigmented and beautiful. They are matte, yes, but not a harsh, dry looking matte like you may have experienced before. And as you wear them, they stay pretty creamy for awhile before they start to dry, and even at that dry point, the color still looks pretty good. I bought the color Fig which is a very pretty mauve and I’m in complete and utter love. I want more of these, and I’m not even gonna feel guilty about it. Plus it’s my month long birthday celebration. Have I mentioned that? Wellll, it is.

Last item is the Benefit High Brow brow lifting pencil. Bought this on a whim cuz that’s how I buy most of the stuff I get from Sephora. But it seemed like it might be useful. The pencil is a pearly white color, and you draw it all along your brow (underneath) and blend in. This will highlight that area and make your eyes appear more vibrant, alert and lifted. Well what’s not to love there? I’ve used this several times and I think it gives a really pretty cleaned up look. I’ve incorporated it into my morning routine because the 17 other steps I’ve got going on isn’t quite long enough.

This was the longest haul post that ever lived. I’m so sorry to make you read all this, because certainly you’re still reading? Good night, friends. More tomorrow!

Jul3

Buying Stuff: Episode 17

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Dianna

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You ever have those times where you think you are doing so good at shopping, not spending too much, then on the way out the store you see something you most desperately need and end up ruining all your good work? Except you technically didn’t ruin anything because now you have something amazing, therefore you go home feeling like you quite literally saved the world from a stock market crash. Well here is one of those times:

It’s a cute little mask set from Peter Thomas Roth and I am in love. Even if you don’t like masks, you could buy this cuz it has pretty colors, and who doesn’t love that? (Crazy people.) I’ve been wanting to try the two gel masks for awhile, so finding this kit made me var var happy. I didn’t know the pumpkin one existed, so that was a bonus. Although I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin smells. The last pumpkin thing I had was a mask from Michael Todd, and it had the consistency and appearance of baby food. Not necessarily a bad thing if you love pumpkin; however, I do not. But this Peter Thomas Roth thing is an exfoliator and the opposite of baby food, so I think it will be fine.

And remember how I saved the world from a stock market crash. So everything mentioned in this post, including the pumpkin scrub, is immediately justified.

Below is a small Sephora haul:

I love it when I run out of something cheap like body wash or makeup remover. I have a legitimate shopping excuse at that point, and anything else that happens to find their way into my little basket is just a hazard of the emergency. I mean, what can you do without body wash? You can’t take a bath, that’s for sure. So probably “emergency” is too mild a term to describe this situation, but “catastrophic misadventure” is much too long to type.

So I picked up a Philosophy body wash (that triples as a shampoo and bubble bath) in the scent Melon Daiquiri. It smells like summer in a bottle, and I really like it. They have tons of scents to choose from, and I spent an obnoxiously long time sniffing each and every one of them. I almost bought all of them at one point, but finally decided on the melon. But the Animal Cracker and Coconut scents are probably my next buy.

Wanted to try one of the Too Faced La Creme lipsticks because YouTube haunts me about 95% of my day. Lots of my gurus talk about how they like the formula of these lipsticks, and I am easily persuaded, so there ya go. I swatched a few of them in the store, decided on Pink Chocolate, and proceeded to walk around with it in my hand for about 45 minutes. Right before checkout, I had an attack of conscious and realized I didn’t need to buy another lipstick. I put it back, then stood in line at the register behind a lady taking an extraordinary amount of time signing up for the rewards program. Or just long enough for me to ignore my rudely interrupting conscious and grab the lipstick off the shelf again and put it in my basket.

Well. People need to be quicker in dealing with their transactions, that’s all I’m saying. Hardly my fault.

Also got suckered into buying the Sephora #55 airbrush foundation brush because I am helpless and need a psychiatric evaluation. Honestly, how many foundation brushes do I need? In my defense, none of them say the word “airbrush” in the title, and I don’t know about you, but that word sucks me in almost 97.90567% of the time. As evident by the fact I bought the dang thing.

I primarily wanted it because back in May when Sephora opened, the sales girl applied the Kat Von D foundation on me using this brush. The finish was spectacular, which prompted me to buy the foundation. Since that day I have not been able to duplicate the finish. In fact, I almost hate the Kat Von D foundation because it is so thick and dry that applying it is about zero fun.

So now that I have this brush, one of the first things I did was apply the Kat Von D. I read the directions of how to use the brush, and it says to dip it in the product, swirl it on the back of your hand, then apply to your face. I did all that, and I still didn’t get the finish I was looking for. Drat. Perhaps I am not the makeup artist I pretend to be? Perhaps my brush is broken? Whatever the case, I have yet to achieve the look of airbrush, but I’m still working on it.

And then for no reason whatsoever, I needed to buy the Becca Beach Tint Shimmering Souffle. For one, it’s a new product and there was a lot of excitement circling the Becca aisle because of it. And two, the texture of this is pure fun. It’s like the bubble wrap of makeup – you can’t stop touching it. Whoever decided to call it a souffle gets an award, because that’s the perfect name. It’s cushiony, airy, light. Here’s a better close up, complete with finger indention. Not a big one cuz I didn’t want to ruin it right off the bat:

This is the color Guava/Moonstone. It’s a cream blush – but the easiest application of a cream blush I’ve ever used. It’s no fail. If you get circus cheeks from applying this, then you need to sit down, as messing this up would be nigh on impossible. The color payoff is very sheer and subtle, which could be a good thing if that’s what you’re looking for. Beachy and glowy is what it is and var var beautiful. Now, this is the only color I’ve used. The others may be completely different. You may get circus cheeks out of them for all I know. But the Guava/Moonstone is golden and sunkissed – probably works best as a highlighter since the coral in it does not pop like you might expect. I also have medium light skin, so depending on how dark or light you are, this may or may not be your dream blush.

How’s that for a review? Maybe, maybe not, could be, could not be, yes, no … You might just need to swatch them for yourselves cuz I ain’t getting sued for misleading information. All I’m saying is I like it. Mostly because it’s squishy in its jar. I dare you not to want to stick your fingers all in this stuff. If you are somehow able to refrain yourself, you might need to take that show on the road, because that amount of willpower is downright inspirational.

Next up is this horrible picture below.

I can’t even pretend there’s not cat hair all over this blanket. I’m sorry. What can I say? They lay about as if they own the place. And I guess that’s somewhat correct since my girl cat poops wherever she feels like and we still let her live with us.

The only thing in the picture I bought was the Bobbi Brown blush – the rest I got for free. Perks of being VIB Rouge, y’all! Which did not cost me a small fortune to begin with or anything (you know, in case the husband is reading this). But back to that Bobbi Brown blush. I got the color Sand Pink, and it’s a really nice medium shade that looks good with my skintone. I’d say it’s pretty pigmented, but right now I’m distracted by how much cat hair is on that blanket and I can’t think of anything else. I need to page-down real quick or something.

So all that Fresh lip care stuff was a little sample set. It includes the lip polish, two lip balm treatments, and a sugar shine gloss. I am really enjoying these products. Aside from the weird brown sugar smell, that is. I don’t prefer it. But I believe the scrub is the best one I’ve ever used. It keep my lips exfoliated the longest. Which is quite a feat because I have the flakiest lip skin in all the land. I don’t even understand why. It couldn’t be because I sleep with a fan blowing in my face for 8 hours or anything.

The lip balms are nice as well. The Rose one has a slight pink tint, but it’s not super evident, so don’t expect a whole lot. I do like the way they feel on the lips; very moisturizing. The shine gloss is just a top coat. I probably won’t use this as much, but it’s not a bad product. I just don’t wear a lot of clear glosses.

Then I cashed in a couple hundred rewards points and got the next two things. First one is the Aqua Eyes eyeliner by Make Up Forever. I didn’t realize when I got it that it was a brown pencil, but I’m kind of happy it was. I have a lot of black liners, but very few brown ones. I was mostly interested in it cuz I needed a really good liner that stays put in my waterline. And even though this one is waterproof, my eyes somehow, miraculously, couldn’t give a shit. So this isn’t the one, needless to say. Still searching. Story of my life.

Last product is the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer. I know I’m the last person aside from nomads and cavewomen to own this bronzer. Better late than never. I can’t own all the things all at the same time ya know? Anyway, I thought this bronzer would be too dark for me cuz it kind of appears that way in the pan. But it’s PERFECT. Goes on lovely, blends fantastically, and smells like chocolate. Plus it’s matte so old people like me can wear it with confidence. Yayuuuuuus. In short, it’s my favorite bronzer now.

Congratulations, you’ve reached the end of this post. Your reward? Another post tomorrow.

You’re welcome.

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!

Apr16

Buying Stuff: Episode 11

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Dianna

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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

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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!

Snacks On Rotation

surprisingly, not a food blog

Tag Archives: eyeliner

Buying Stuff: Episode 22

Buying Stuff: Episode 21

Buying Stuff: Episode 19

Buying Stuff: Episode 17

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

Buying Stuff: Episode 11

Buying Stuff: Episode 10

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