Tag Archives: givenchy

Jul16

Buying Stuff: Episode 26

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Insider Tip #257:  When you go to your annual skin check at the Dermatologist’s office, plan ahead and make sure you’re wearing your nice underwear.  Because regardless of who is looking at you almost naked, it’s less uncomfortable if you’re not sporting a baggy, pilled-up cotton, 6-year-old pair of underpants.  Not that I know firsthand or anything, I just randomly thought of it and figured it’d be a handy little tip worth sharing.

Look, I bought eyeshadow!

This is the Givenchy Prisme Quatuor eyeshadow quad in #7 Tentation and IT. IS. TERRIBLE.  It is also the only time I’ve ever received something that I put actual effort towards returning.  Well, would you spend $58 on something that doesn’t work AT ALL and then store it away under your bathroom counter for the next 15 years?  I mean, I would cuz I’m ridiculous, but would YOU?  Cuz when you’re Givenchy there’s a certain expectation to uphold, and this was not it.  Pigmentation was seriously lacking; even the glittery green looked muddy and matte on the eyelid.  These colors should have been beautiful.  And for once, the reviews on the Sephora site agrees with me.  I can’t speak for the other quads, however, but Buyer Beware.  This also has a six month shelf life, so what started out bad just got worse.

And now for a high quality, professional photograph:

Hush.  I know.  In my defense, I accidentally deleted the pic off my phone so I had to screenshot it from my Instagram, then crop it.  I went to a lot of trouble to present it for you.  Even more trouble when I tell you I’ve only used it one time.

I’m having bad luck with eyeshadow palettes lately, especially ones from designers.  However, this Tory Burch one in Cat’s Meow isn’t as bad as the Givenchy.  All of these shades had pigmentation, but the payoff wasn’t as impressive as I thought they’d be.  Surprisingly, the two darker shades on the bottom looked about the same on my eyelid even though they clearly are not.  The tones of them are more muted than vibrant, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing depending on what you prefer.  They give you a more smoky effect than anything else, and they kind of wore off my eyeball by the end of the day (even with primer).  I am going to pull it out again this week and have another stab at it.  It cost me $60 so something tells me it’s the right thing to do.

I need to stop buying expensive eyeshadow palettes.  Case in point:

It’s the NARS Dual Intensity eyeshadow palette and it cost $79, which is clear evidence I make very poor decisions.  Yes, it’s pretty.  Yes, it’s limited edition (and therefore puts me in a brainwashed kind of panic).  But pigmentation on these is not as vibrant like you’d expect and I don’t find myself reaching for it much if at all ever.  The shadows can be used wet or dry, and when wet they do give off a much better, bolder color.  But who wants to be messing around with water in their eyeshadow?  Cuz although this palette is made to get wet, I’d somehow manage to ruin it.

These are pretty:

This is an eye look I created using the Colourpop Supershock eyeshadows in the Shaaanxo collection.  I will admit I bought this because I watch Shaaanxo on YouTube, and if you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know I do everything YouTube tell me to do.  So these eyeshadows are interesting.  First of all, they’re like $5 so super affordable.  But they are unlike any other eyeshadow I’ve ever had.  They are like a cream/powder hybrid.  They are kind of wet like a cream, a bit squishy when you poke your finger into them (the fun part!), but you can apply them like powder.  Granted, your fingers are the best tools to use with these shadows, but have you ever tried to blend your inner corner with a ginormous sausage finger?  It’s nigh on impossible.  I stick with brushes and somehow make it work.

More evidence that YouTube has made me its bitch:

What normal person has heard of Viseart cosmetics?  Nobody.  Unless you are a makeup artist – a real one, not one of those pretend ones on Instagram.  So when I saw another of my Beauty Gurus swatching this Sultry Muse palette – who then had the audacity to tell me where I could go buy one of my very own since Sephora decided to do us all a favor and start carrying the line – I took about 1.5 seconds to think about it before I threw it in the shopping cart.  And yes, they are gorgeous.  They are everything you’d want an eyeshadow to be – buttery, pigmented, blendable.  So naturally they cost a billion dollars (or $80, but close enough).  Can’t say I’m too regretful.  I don’t mind spending money on something I like.  I’d rather get it for free, but if that’s not available, what choice do I have?  Sephora is constantly out of stock on these – they are very much an in demand product.  Which means you are panicking and NEED TO BUY ONE RIGHT AWAY.  Or maybe that’s just what my brain does.

How about another photo of my eye:


I did not hear good things about the Hourglass Modernist eyeshadow palettes but I just felt like spending $58 on something.  One thing for sure, the pattern molded into the palette is enough to suck you in.  I love how ripple-y it looks.  When I saw that, nothing else mattered.  Is that shallow?  Probably.

There are 7 palettes in the collection and I picked Color Field, the green one.  Amidst the flurry of no-pigmentation claims, I created the eye look you see above and I was quite impressed.  I thought there was plenty of pigmentation, and everything blended together so nicely.  Perhaps some of the other palettes are not as good, but Color Field worked just fine.  Granted, I used it just one time then stored it under my bathroom counter never to be see again, but THAT IS NOT THE POINT.

Speaking of pigmentation, I give you these:

Do you hear angels?  I do.  These are the Makeup Geek Foiled eyeshadows and they are the best most pigmented, vibrant, luscious eyeshadows on the face of the planet.  This is not a joke.  One gentle swipe is all you need for maximum payoff.  They have an almost wet texture to them – apparently they have a higher oil content – and certain brushes give you better application.  The MAC #239 or any of its dupes works really well.  Or you can use your fingers, but again I don’t prefer that method.  If you don’t have the MAC one or a dupe, any shader brush that has dense bristles will work.

There are a couple of cons though.  The price for one eyeshadow is $10 so if you want to own the entire current collection, that’s $200 out of your pocket.  I’m not saying I spent the last few months buying every single Makeup Geek eyeshadow available or anything, but I probably did.  It didn’t hurt as bad until I got to the foiled shadows.  Ouchie.  But once I start on a project, I literally have to finish it because my OCD says so.  Yes, I’m quite aware I have a problem.

The other con is these shadows are very delicate and can crumble on you with no warning.  I swear I haven’t been throwing them around the room – they’ve been sitting gently in a Z-Palette the entire time – but two of my shadows have random chunks coming out of them.  Not a huge deal since you can just press them back into the pan, but it is kind of annoying.  And since they are $10 each, any crumb missing might as well be the Hope Diamond or something.

Let’s end on a bummer, shall we?

Who wants to buy a palette that looks like a quilt on the inside?  Me!  And who wants to pay $96 for it?  Me!  Wait … wait?!  I have no idea what I was thinking when I bought the By Terry Eye Designer palette but I’m pretty sure it has 97.93766% to do with that stupid pattern stamped into the eyeshadow.  Who’s the most ridiculous person on the planet?  I’m not even gonna answer that question cuz you already know.

These are new and come in two styles.  I bought the #2 Color Design because of the vibrant fun colors.  And yes, it is a beauty to look at.  And makes a very cool Instagram photo as evident by the 81 likes it’s currently received.  But good gracious it’s pricey!  And to be honest, I don’t think it’s worth it.  Sure it looks fancy, but I did not find the pigmentation on any of these to be particularly good.  Or not $96 worth of good.  And I don’t know about you, but if I’m spending that much money on anything, it bygod better be the best thing that’s ever been invented.  I’m keeping it until I die though because I figure eventually I’ll use it at least one more time by then.  Hashtag JUSTIFIED.

In case you haven’t noticed but I’m extremely behind this month already.  What is time?  Where does it go?  I dunno, guys. Sometimes I just paint my nails for three hours in the evening instead of doing something important.  Although painting my nails is pretty important, but I imagine my husband thinks scooping cat poop is more important.  He is WRONG.  Bye Friends!

Oct31

Buying Stuff on Location: Las Vegas

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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!

Sep29

Birthday Haul: Part 3

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I would tell you my 40th birthday celebration is over, seeing that it was about 30 days ago and all, but it’s not.  Nope, I can stretch a birthday out for dayyyyyys, so it’s Vegas all next week to commemorate this milestone like a proper lady.  May or may not involve male dancers.

Just kidding.  But it will definitely involve shopping.  And my husband’s credit card.  Weeeee!

See below for the last bit of damage with said credit card:

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I love all of that.  That = happiness to me.  Did I need all of it?  Is the sky blue?  Don’t ask stupid questions.  Let’s begin!

Cashed in 100 Sephora points for the tiny Givenchy Le Rouge lipstick in the shade Rose Dressing.  Even despite it’s miniature stature, it comes housed in a black box to make you feel like a fancy lady.  I’ll be honest when I say I didn’t even care what color the lipstick was; I just needed that box.  You know, so I could apply lipstick in public like a damn professional.

Lucky for me, the lipstick isn’t a horrendous pink.  It’s not fuchsia or magenta or anything loud like that.  It’s nice.  The formula is very creamy, kind of matte but reflects a bit of light.  I’d buy a full-size.  Not because the full-size comes in a leather tube.  But probably.

And of course I can’t sit around listening to every beauty guru on YouTube sing the praises of MAC Pro Longwear Concealer, and then somehow not go buy it.  I bought mine in the same NW20 shade that is my foundation as I felt that makes the most sense.  The coverage on it is really, really good.  I’d say a healthy medium at the least.  I don’t have massive dark circles, but I don’t have the undereye of a 14-year-old either (sadly).  This concealer brightens me up and makes me look awake and fresh.  A little goes a long way, however, so don’t overdo it.  Unless you like cakey.  Cakey, not cake, cuz that’s two different things and cakey is bad while cake is fantastic.  And now I would like a piece of cake, so what was I saying?

Oh yes.  I am happy I got this concealer.

Picked up a tube of the Lust for Lacquer lipgloss by Marc Jacobs.  I chose the shade Shooting Stars because it seemed like a neutral but not a nude, which tends to wash me out.  Also it is a full coverage gloss instead of a sheer, which is what I prefer.  What is the point of sheer gloss I ask you?  Anyone? Anyone?  No, no one knows the point.  Unless you are a 10 year old playing in your mommy’s makeup, no one knows the point.

But, back to the issue.  I really like this lipgloss.  It’s very shiny and the color is beautiful. The only issue is when the gloss starts to wear off, it leaves behind pieces of glitter on your lips.  It’s not the worst thing could happen, but just wanted you to be aware.  It doesn’t go away gracefully.

Another lipgloss found its way into my basket – this time in the form of the Hourglass Extreme Sheen in the color Siren.  I didn’t even know if I wanted another lipgloss, but this vibrant red orange caught my eye.  I swatched it and knew immediately I had to have it.  It’s the color of fire, or a maple tree in the fall, or the sun as it nears the edge of the Earth.  I’m not kidding you; it’s gorgeous.  It goes on super metallic, but it does simmer down pretty quickly.  It’s creamy, opaque and long lasting.  I highly, highly recommend – this color or any color for that matter.  It’s officially one of my favorites.

After talking myself out of purchasing an Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush, I managed talk myself in again.  The price isn’t that desirable ($35), and despite your impression of me, I can stall a little bit when it comes to price.  But since it was my birthday and since someone else was paying for it, I went ahead and picked one up.  There are six colors, and I decided on Mood Exposure, which is a soft plum.  Now, you may have heard about these blushes and the magical powers with which they have been infused; however, I didn’t notice anything spectacular happening upon my face that I couldn’t have achieved with my NARS Orgasm blush.  But if you are the type that is influenced by fancy words such as Photoluminescent, then by all means.  I do admit I like fancy words too.

Having said all that, though, I do like the blush.  The color is pretty and it does impart a bit of a sheen, which is most likely the magic I was talking about.  It lasts for a long time on my cheeks, and even looks better as the day goes on.  I like the premise of these blushes, how they are mixed with the Hourglass ambient powders to create something unique.  I see how you can get sucked in by something like that.   Out of 681 Sephora reviews, 481 are 5 star.  So see?  I clearly have no idea what’s fabulous.  I need another one to be sure.

Picked up the new Ole Henriksen Pure Truth Melting Cleanser because it’s an orange gel that looked fun to play with.  That’s not a typo.  (I am a child.)  It starts out as a gel that melts into an oil as you massage it into your face.  Then you add water to it and it turns milky.  So of course after all that I had to throw it in the basket.  I was about an inch away from finishing up a cleansing milk and absolutely couldn’t wait to be done with it.  But then the cleansing milk kept replicating itself cuz it took about 2 more weeks to empty it.  Urgh.  Finally though – I started using the melting cleanser and lemme just say the idea of it is better than the reality.  The gel part is fun if you’re big into texture like I am.  It does melt nicely onto the skin, but once it turns to oil it loses that thick consistency and then I’m just over it.  The milky bit is a non-event.  However, most importantly, it breaks up the makeup like a champ so I suppose it you buy products based solely on whether they work or not, you’ll like this one.  I, on the other hand, just like things that look pretty.

Treated myself to a bit of luxury as well.  Passed the Chanel counter on the way out the door when the Les 4 Ombres quadra eyeshadows stopped me in my tracks.  The one in the display was the Tissé Gabrielle, and it was absolutely stunning. Shades of grey and mauve.  They look very sparkly in the pan, but when applied to the eyes they shimmer but not in an overly glittery way.  Like I could wear it to work and not feel flashy.  But that’s coming from the girl who wore a record in her hair in 7th grade, so you can’t always measure wearability by me.

I dunno, guys.  I just really loved this quad.  Out of all my luxury quads, it’s my favorite.  Maybe because it goes well with my brown eyes.  Maybe because the name Chanel makes me feel like a princess.  Maybe because it’s the latest one I bought and therefore the most new and exciting.  Whatever the case, I am happy I picked this up.  They blended well, and the term ombre really suits the shadows as they are all (with the exception of the white gold) variations of taupe/grey.

The Chanel lady also tossed in a set of freebies in the form of a serum, foaming face wash, and eye cream.  I’ve used them all but the serum, even though I’m most excited about the serum.  It’s next, though, as soon as my current serum is empty.  I’ve got about an inch left in the bottle, but we all know how long an inch can last.  What I have tried – and still currently using – is the face wash, or face mousse as Chanel likes to call it, is wonderful.  It’s a pearly white, moussey consistency (aptly) that smooths over the face nicely.  The smell is pure luxury, like perfume but a clean, fresh version.  But the best part is wiping it away.  It comes off so perfectly and completely and leaves behind soft, moisturized skin.  Like, I’ve never had a cleanser do this.  I want to buy a full-size, but it’s $45 and I’m not sure cleansers should cost this much.  I dunno, but I’m really really thinking about it.

The eye cream is okay.  The tiny sample tube has lasted me a month so far because you need so little of it.  I think there would be great value in your money here if you have a thing about eye creams.  Unfortunately, I don’t, but of course I can never love anything that makes economical sense.  So I am going to enjoy this while it lasts as I know I won’t repurchase.  It is a pretty thin eye cream, but I prefer thicker.  Although it does sink in super fast, and that’s important to me.  However, I don’t have a love affair with eye cream, so I’m just gonna move on with my life now.

Here’s what I got with the gift card my sister gave me:

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It’s the Guerlain Tenue de Perfection foundation and IT. IS. LOVELY.  First of all, the packaging.  Looked not-so appealing on the website, but in person – Ack!  This speaks luxury at top volume.  The bottle is super heavy glass and feels so substantial in your hand.  The cap is black plastic, however, the top of the cap is inlaid with a gold Guerlain logo that’s so so so pretty.  I chose this foundation because for one I didn’t have to pay full price ($61) due to the gift card, and two, there is a color match for me based on the Color IQ scan Sephora did for me last fall.  I am in the shade 13 Rose Naturel, and it fits me perfectly.  The finish is matte, and the coverage is almost full (on me).  I love everything about this foundation.  Everything.  My face looked the most flawless it’s ever looked, and that’s saying something as I don’t ever look flawless.  I prefer this foundation over every single one I own, even the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk, and that hurts me a little to say that.  In fact, if something happened to this foundation due to theft, damage or natural disaster, I wouldn’t blink an eye to repurchase immediately.   So now you know the depths of my love.  It’s a pretty big deal.

Last bit of the birthday haul has arrived.  It’s the free mascara Ulta gives you:

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Yes, the quality of my photos surprise even me.

So if you’ve ever been curious about the CK One mascara, let me ease your mind.  This is an average one.  I’ve had worse and I’ve had better.  Which is pretty much the definition of average.  (Shhhhh, I know.)  The wand on this one twists up and down to give you two styles of lashes: up for length and down for volume.  I admit it did make a difference when I applied both wand versions.  But how annoying is it to do all that? (Very.)  Just give me a wand that does both, please and thank you.  The result, like I said, was average.  It didn’t make me wanna stare at myself in the mirror very long, let’s just put it that way.  On the bright side, it’s free.  The day I start complaining about free stuff is probably the day the Universe stops giving me free stuff, so we don’t wanna put all that negative energy out there no do we?  No, we do not.

Okay, friends.  You’ve made it through all three parts of my Birthday Haul (assuming you’ve read part one and two).  Give yourself a little pat; you deserve it.  I’m gonna go read a book, eat some Cheez-Its and zone out.  Var var busy, as you can see.

Apr5

Buying Stuff: Episode 9

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

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

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

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

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

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

I know. I’m ridiculous.

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

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

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

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

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

Here’s more stuff:

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

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

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

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