Massive post of STUFF!
Since I've been huddled in my studio working nonstop this month, you are basically getting three weeks' worth of posting all at once. Makeup reviews, PopSugar reviews, stuff stuff stuff. Warning: image heavy!
Woe, USPS: Yesterday was my first full day off in a long, long while. Well, mostly-off. I spent about a 1/2 hr adjusting shipping profiles on my store, as Monday USPS prices go up. It's not that big a deal for US residents, but it is fairly dramatic for international customers. Prices are pretty much doubling there. I am a bit nervous about how this is going to affect my business, and basically I'll be eating costs on international orders (custom and club) that have already been paid where shipment is ongoing. Lovely.
However, I am now using Etsy & Stamps.com for shipping instead of going to the PO with everything. This means that the savings I am getting for free delivery confirmation alone should offset the cost of printing labels and then some. Yay for efficiency-- I'm saving a lot of time this way, and time is money when you own your own business.
Woe, my own stupidity: I forgot my phone was in my back pocket. My phone is now in a bowl of rice. I may not have a phone for the next few days. Crossing my fingers.
Reading: I haven't had solid chunks of time for reading, which is what I prefer when reading long-form narrative fiction, so I've been reading Michael Farquhar's A Treasury of Royal Scandals, which is largely entertaining and very good for the 30 mins or so I can muster before I pass out at night. It does, however, cause me to ardently wish that there is a special hell in which several Roman emperors are burning eternally. I had to skip a few pages here and there because oh hell no. I have tonight basically free, so I will be cuddling up to finish The Night Circus, which so far is entrancing when I can find the time for it.
PopSugar: My January box came!
Stott Pilates Stability Ball: DUDE. I am so excited about this. I've wanted to get a ball for a while now, so this is exciting. I really need to get back into a regular movement schedule, and this came with a booklet of suggested exercises. AND it will be fabulous for stretching out my upper back for dance stuff. Obviously, this is going to be a hit or miss thing for people, but I'm jazzed about it!
Remix Brand Watch: It's so not my style, but the theme of this month's box is clearly New Year's Resolutions, and it is basically the perfect workout watch. It lights up, which is neat, and you can switch out the watch face if you want. I wouldn't buy this for myself, as I don't really wear watches, but I will probably get some use out of it. Either that or I'll gift it.
Epicuren Lip Balm: There has been a lot of buzz about this stuff on the beauty blogosphere, and I am really excited to try this. I mean, I like my flavored balms for the daytime (I am currently rotating Haunt's Lavender Spice Tea with Haus of Gloi's Pumpkin Cheesecake), but this is supposed to be more of a heavy-duty treatment than a balm, so I plan to use it before bedtime. (Also, if I use it during the day, the tea tree in it means Mim will be up in my grill all day long.) In general, I do not like potted balms (finger germs, ew), but since I'll be putting this on after nighttime teeth-brushing, it's no biggie to just wash my hands first.
ThinkThin Bars (3): I was a bit skeptical, because this box is heavy on the edibles, but I really do like these. I read through the ingredients, and they're gluten free, with no scary chemical unpronounceable ingredients. They're high in protein (20g in the peanut butter bar), low in saturated and trans fat, and some bars also have a lot of fiber. They taste pretty good, and were very satisfyingly filling. Yesterday, I was out and about and had to push back mealtime-- one kept me from going full on berserker in the grocery store. Success! So these are a good option to toss in your purse just in case. Plus, they sell them at my local Trader Joe's. I never would have bought these had I not tried them (probably because the name sounds super gimmicky), but honestly, I like them.
PopBar Hot Chocolate On A Stick (2): You're supposed to stick these in boiling water or hot milk for instant hot chocolate. Got one in milk chocolate and one in dark chocolate. I haven't tried these yet, but they look interesting enough.
Kraft Vanilla Jet Puffed Marshmallow Bits: This was the 'meh' item of the box. Widely available and not niche or gourmet, I'm unimpressed. I'm sure the point is to pair them with the hot chocolate, but... meh. Meh, I say!
So overall-- for the theme, it's a good box. Even if it's not my favorite theme, I will get plenty of use out of it, especially the big ticket item. If you're interested in joining up, here is my referral code!
Makeupland: Now that I have had some time to play with stuff I got in the latter part of last year, I wanted to show some photos and do some reviews. Plus, my nail polish collection continues to grow.
First up, Bare Minerals' The September Issue Palette.
Rawr.
The September Issue
The September Issue
Overall, this is a pretty good palette! I got it because, like many others, I was all nuded-out. Don't get me wrong, I love low-key makeup, and that's what I do most days. I like nude palettes. But I really, really needed some color for days when I want to feel like a rockstar (and don't we all?).
This is my introduction to the Bare Minerals line, because unless a color is REALLY unique, I just don't have time to fuss with loose powder, and Temptalia raves and raves about the new pressed powder READY formula. (Here is her review of the palette, with good swatches and an AMAZING look she did with it.)
The major downside to the palette is the outer packaging, which shows every single print ever on it. It needs to be frequently wiped down or it'll look like a cruddy mess. But inside, it's basically perfect. I bought it for three shades-- Glitterati, Statement, and Prêt-à-Porter- but have found most of the shades are to my liking. The magenta IS a little powdery and has a tendency to blend into the other colors more easily than the rest, so if you want a WHAM of that color, you really have to pack it in. But that's a pretty minor gripe. And I love the big mirror.
Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner in Purple and Black
I got a full-sized purple Eyeko Skinny Liner from Birchbox some months ago, and have since acquired black. I may yet acquire the turquoise and a brown, which are currently ONLY available from Birchbox in the States. US Sephora has four shades, but not the brown and turquoise available on Birchbox.
This is basically the PERFECT liquid eye liner. It's a felt-tipped pen, very fine and easy to control. If, you're like me, and you have a hard time getting pencil liner all the way down to the lashline, you will not have that problem with this liner. It also stays on fantastically, and the colors are quite pigmented. I usually only do a slightly extended line for everyday looks, but I have done really dramatic cat eye liner and this is a GODSEND for that. A+++. Best liquid liner for beginners, best liquid liner I've tried, can't rave about it enough.
Stila Convertible Color Trio - Cool
Stila Convertible Color Trio - Cool
Stila Convertible Color Trio comparison vs full-sized Gerbera
Stila Convertible Color Swatches
Cherry Blossom, Lillium, and Peony from the Cool Trio
Gerbera singlet
Next up are new-to-me shades of a product I love and use near-daily Spring-Summer-- Stila Convertible Color. Last fall, they released two trios, Warm and Cool. Birchbox carried cool, and Nordstrom carried both, afaik. Honestly, aside from Cherry Blossom, I wouldn't call these shades especially cool. They're very neutral and wearable. (The warm palette, on the other hand, was almost unwearably warm on even warm-toned pale skin tones, as far as I can tell from swatches.)
Cherry blossom is a cool-toned pink. Like, Barbie pink. It is the only shade not available in full-size. Lillium is a pinkish nude. Peony is a warmer, more brown-based nude. It is also slightly more sheer than the other two. (Also swatched is the full-sized color I have, Gerbera, a peach shade.)
What can I say? I still freaking love this product. It blends flawlessly, in seconds, with just your fingers. It is the difference between dull winter skin and looking actually alive. It is the best "no-makeup makeup" out there.
As far as Kat Von D's Lock-it Tattoo Foundation goes, I have raved about it before, but I just wanted to show you a little comparison. Gird your loins, steel yourself. I am about to show you a comparison of no makeup (and just woke up, for good measure!) vs. just one pea-sized pump of this foundation.
Kat Von D Foundation Comparison
This is now my go-to makeup for stage (it is VERY matte), photos, etc. It completely eliminates the redness around my nose, and I haven't used any concealer since I bought it. OMG.
It doesn't feel heavy at all, and unless you REALLY need heavy duty stuff, I wouldn't use over one pump, or it might look cakey. Dry skins WILL need to prime with moisturizer. I will say that for daily makeup, I do a mashup of a beauty balm plus 1/3 pump of KVD foundation as a concealer around my nose. That way it's more luminous and natural looking. I'll show you the difference shortly.
Make Up For Ever Holodiam Powder - 302 - Plum
Make Up For Ever Holodiam Powder - 302 - Plum
NYX Glitter Cream Palette
SPARKLY THINGS.
The Holodiam powder was purchased on Sephora around Christmastime, which I think I mentioned in my last post. But here it is! It sold out exceedingly quickly, and was limited edition. Hopefully they'll do more of these. It's a very sheer reddish-purple micro-shimmer glitter with teal highlights. Amazeballs.
I bought the NYX creams at a makeup shop in Hampden around Christmas, too. I have yet to break into it, so I can't give a review, but hopefully soon. There were other color combos, but I need a silver glitter for stage, so I went with this.
And here's how everything looks when worn:
Eye makeup done with The September Issue palette + Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner
The above eye makeup
Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation
Stila Convertible Color in Lillium
NARS lipstick in Tzigane
My usual neutral eye makeup, using Stila's In The Light Palette
The above eye makeup
Dr. Jart beauty balm sample + KVD Foundation as a concealer
Stila Convertible Color in Peony
NARS lipstick in Christina
Clear lipgloss
And on to nail polish. New acquisitions:
Zoya Polishes: Shawn, Neely, Rica, Kieko, Zara
Butter London Toff, OPI Nail Envy, Sinful Colors Nail Junkie,
Deborah Lipmann Flash Dance
Deborah Lipmann Flash Dance
Zoya Shawn, which I'm currently wearing.
The Zoya polishes were acquired in their recent "pay shipping, get 3 polishes free" sale. Zoya has the BEST promos. So, I layered that and their "Spend $25, get free shipping" and got five polishes PLUS their big flipper bottle of Remove+ for $25. AWWW YIS. So far, I've worn Zara and Shawn. I was a little nervous that Zara would look too much like Lotus when worn, but it doesn't. It has a really pretty golden shimmer over the lilac purple that is so fairy-like and lovely. It's gonna be heavy in my spring rotation. Shawn isn't exactly a kelly green-- more like a dark moss green. Two coats, lovely formula.
Butter London Toff was an impulse buy. It's lovely for when I want to look polished but am indecisive about color. OPI Nail Envy was purchased because wirework leaves me with splitty, unhappy nails. When worn in lieu of basecoat, it has a surprising upside (or downside, depending on your perspective): glitter polishes peel right off after about three days. No more struggling with polish remover. It comes of in a sheet. As I am enamored of glitter and have to change my polish frequently because of how much wear my nails take, that's awesome for me. The Sinful Colors was an impulse buy, and I haven't worn it yet.
Flash Dance is EVERYTHING I EVER WANTED AND MORE. I almost didn't buy it because they are HELLA EXPENSIVE, YO. I was in Nordstrom because I was curious about them, and the saleslady was pushy, and okay, I have no impulse control. This is now the most expensive bottle of polish I own. Which is fine, because IT IS EVERYTHING I EVER WANTED AND MORE. Don't be misled by online swatches sans topcoat. Here is the recipe for amazingness: 1 coat of red creme as a base, 2 coats Flash Dance, 2 coats topcoat for a glassy finish. Fuchsia sparkle amazingness, with little garnet glints to really set it off. I LOVE THIS POLISH.
Hair: My hair indeed lightened up after the last round of washes. It's now fuchsia on top, medium purple underneath. Here's a shot plus a rainbow clip-in I bought from IKickShins on Etsy.
I AM RAINBOW BRITE, Y'ALL.
Okay, technically, I'm like a Stormy/Starlite mashup, but most of you wouldn't get that reference.
In less-fun news? I didn't blow dry my hair for like a week while I was working on the latest update, and that combined with SERIOUSLY DRY CONDITIONS in my house = the first bout of dandruff I've had since adolescence. I did a coconut oil masque because dandruff shampoos SERIOUSLY strip color, and it's a little better, but I looked like a serious grease ball afterwards. Next up is gonna be apple cider vinegar + rosemary EO. And we got a humidifier. Ugggh, I am ready for my scalp to stop freaking out.
Retail Therapy, Non-Makeup Variety: Mostly, January has been all about the work purchases. But I did snap up a couple of things for myself that I'm really enjoying. Mostly candles, because dear lord, I love me some candles.
I got a Fairy Wishing Candle from The Evergreen Nest, on of my Etsy FaeTeam teammates. It is super cute.
Also in the candle-vein, I picked up votives from Woodcrafts and Candles, where I've been a faithful customer for years. I got Lemongrass, Blood Orange, and Victorian Rose. I was sent a free cupcake votive. THESE ARE SUPER SCENTED. And they last forever. And the customer service is A+. I got some of the clearance stuff from Witch City Wicks during their flash sale, and I'm LOVIN' Herb Garden and Lemon Chiffon. Once their stock is replenished, I look forward to acquiring Lavender Rosemary.
I am currently working my way through the cocoa I got from Flying Bird Botanicals, which I lurve because it's heavy on the cocoa, low on added sugar. Also lavender mint and vanilla rose. Subtle, but TASTY.
I am usually not one for lotions, but my house is dryer than a hay bale right now, so I have been going THROUGH some lotion. My favorite body lotion right now is CocoaPink's Voluptuous Body Butter in Black Chocolate. It's like... I can't even describe to you the wondrousness of how this smells. I am not a chocolate scent person, but I got a sample of this in a previous order and fell in love. It's like 70% dark cocoa plus rich, gooey amber. It sticks around like whoa. And I am already halfway through a tub of it.
Not pictured: Drooooool.
Because I am total shy violet when it comes to color, I got this headband from JanineBasil on Etsy:
It's all her fault, really. Her model has fuchsia hair. She practically forced me.
In the realm of the practical, I bought The Victoria hoodie wrap from ElvenForest on Etsy. It will likely not be my last purchase, because Spoutwood is coming up and THIS WAS PRACTICALLY MADE FOR ME:
Pictured: My Precccccioussssssss...
Like seriously, how can I live in a world where that exists and not own it? Which I will, as soon as it is financially feasible. But until then, I have a nice grey one on the way that I can wear pretty much whenever without looking even weirder than I currently do.
Other things: Really, there's not a lot else to report. Husband is good, preparing for a ski trip. He bought me an orchid. It's lovely. The weather is bitterly cold, and the 1" of snow on the ground hasn't melted in two days. Cats are mostly fine, except Olive has had an all-caps ATTITUDE lately. She cannot abide Nox or Mim getting any attention. Period. We are trying to break her of that, but she is being difficult.
So. Yep. That's about the it, minus my political rantings, which are mostly on Facebook. Enjoy How to deal with a mansplainer, starring Hillary Clinton in gifs, if you haven't seen it already. How Faux News ANYONE could have watched that hearing and decided that she didn't stand her ground and then some is totally beyond me. Rand Paul is a fucking disgrace, and I'm surprised he can tie his shoes, let alone sit in Congress. I'm not saying that there shouldn't have been an official inquiry about Benghazi. There absolutely should have been. What I'm saying is that nobody talks about the other consulate attacks pre-Obama, where far more Americans have died and been injured than the Benghazi attack. What should have been a routine and necessary investigation into Benghazi has been turned into a three-ring circus of conspiracy theories and condescension by the Tea Party and their bankrollers at Fox. It's political opportunism on display. These are, of course, the same people who say the left politicizes tragedy after mass shootings. Hypocrites, the lot of them.
If you made it this far, congrats. Gold star. Here are some pretty pictures to finish this massive post off!
My new office orchid.
The spoiled princess.
Breakfast at Bonjour. Yummy chestnut creme pastry.
New art in my studio by Renae Taylor Arts
In The Studio...
Ciao, y'all. Off to read.
Woe, USPS: Yesterday was my first full day off in a long, long while. Well, mostly-off. I spent about a 1/2 hr adjusting shipping profiles on my store, as Monday USPS prices go up. It's not that big a deal for US residents, but it is fairly dramatic for international customers. Prices are pretty much doubling there. I am a bit nervous about how this is going to affect my business, and basically I'll be eating costs on international orders (custom and club) that have already been paid where shipment is ongoing. Lovely.
However, I am now using Etsy & Stamps.com for shipping instead of going to the PO with everything. This means that the savings I am getting for free delivery confirmation alone should offset the cost of printing labels and then some. Yay for efficiency-- I'm saving a lot of time this way, and time is money when you own your own business.
Woe, my own stupidity: I forgot my phone was in my back pocket. My phone is now in a bowl of rice. I may not have a phone for the next few days. Crossing my fingers.
Reading: I haven't had solid chunks of time for reading, which is what I prefer when reading long-form narrative fiction, so I've been reading Michael Farquhar's A Treasury of Royal Scandals, which is largely entertaining and very good for the 30 mins or so I can muster before I pass out at night. It does, however, cause me to ardently wish that there is a special hell in which several Roman emperors are burning eternally. I had to skip a few pages here and there because oh hell no. I have tonight basically free, so I will be cuddling up to finish The Night Circus, which so far is entrancing when I can find the time for it.
PopSugar: My January box came!
Stott Pilates Stability Ball: DUDE. I am so excited about this. I've wanted to get a ball for a while now, so this is exciting. I really need to get back into a regular movement schedule, and this came with a booklet of suggested exercises. AND it will be fabulous for stretching out my upper back for dance stuff. Obviously, this is going to be a hit or miss thing for people, but I'm jazzed about it!
Remix Brand Watch: It's so not my style, but the theme of this month's box is clearly New Year's Resolutions, and it is basically the perfect workout watch. It lights up, which is neat, and you can switch out the watch face if you want. I wouldn't buy this for myself, as I don't really wear watches, but I will probably get some use out of it. Either that or I'll gift it.
Epicuren Lip Balm: There has been a lot of buzz about this stuff on the beauty blogosphere, and I am really excited to try this. I mean, I like my flavored balms for the daytime (I am currently rotating Haunt's Lavender Spice Tea with Haus of Gloi's Pumpkin Cheesecake), but this is supposed to be more of a heavy-duty treatment than a balm, so I plan to use it before bedtime. (Also, if I use it during the day, the tea tree in it means Mim will be up in my grill all day long.) In general, I do not like potted balms (finger germs, ew), but since I'll be putting this on after nighttime teeth-brushing, it's no biggie to just wash my hands first.
ThinkThin Bars (3): I was a bit skeptical, because this box is heavy on the edibles, but I really do like these. I read through the ingredients, and they're gluten free, with no scary chemical unpronounceable ingredients. They're high in protein (20g in the peanut butter bar), low in saturated and trans fat, and some bars also have a lot of fiber. They taste pretty good, and were very satisfyingly filling. Yesterday, I was out and about and had to push back mealtime-- one kept me from going full on berserker in the grocery store. Success! So these are a good option to toss in your purse just in case. Plus, they sell them at my local Trader Joe's. I never would have bought these had I not tried them (probably because the name sounds super gimmicky), but honestly, I like them.
PopBar Hot Chocolate On A Stick (2): You're supposed to stick these in boiling water or hot milk for instant hot chocolate. Got one in milk chocolate and one in dark chocolate. I haven't tried these yet, but they look interesting enough.
Kraft Vanilla Jet Puffed Marshmallow Bits: This was the 'meh' item of the box. Widely available and not niche or gourmet, I'm unimpressed. I'm sure the point is to pair them with the hot chocolate, but... meh. Meh, I say!
So overall-- for the theme, it's a good box. Even if it's not my favorite theme, I will get plenty of use out of it, especially the big ticket item. If you're interested in joining up, here is my referral code!
Makeupland: Now that I have had some time to play with stuff I got in the latter part of last year, I wanted to show some photos and do some reviews. Plus, my nail polish collection continues to grow.
First up, Bare Minerals' The September Issue Palette.
Rawr.
The September Issue
The September Issue
Overall, this is a pretty good palette! I got it because, like many others, I was all nuded-out. Don't get me wrong, I love low-key makeup, and that's what I do most days. I like nude palettes. But I really, really needed some color for days when I want to feel like a rockstar (and don't we all?).
This is my introduction to the Bare Minerals line, because unless a color is REALLY unique, I just don't have time to fuss with loose powder, and Temptalia raves and raves about the new pressed powder READY formula. (Here is her review of the palette, with good swatches and an AMAZING look she did with it.)
The major downside to the palette is the outer packaging, which shows every single print ever on it. It needs to be frequently wiped down or it'll look like a cruddy mess. But inside, it's basically perfect. I bought it for three shades-- Glitterati, Statement, and Prêt-à-Porter- but have found most of the shades are to my liking. The magenta IS a little powdery and has a tendency to blend into the other colors more easily than the rest, so if you want a WHAM of that color, you really have to pack it in. But that's a pretty minor gripe. And I love the big mirror.
Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner in Purple and Black
I got a full-sized purple Eyeko Skinny Liner from Birchbox some months ago, and have since acquired black. I may yet acquire the turquoise and a brown, which are currently ONLY available from Birchbox in the States. US Sephora has four shades, but not the brown and turquoise available on Birchbox.
This is basically the PERFECT liquid eye liner. It's a felt-tipped pen, very fine and easy to control. If, you're like me, and you have a hard time getting pencil liner all the way down to the lashline, you will not have that problem with this liner. It also stays on fantastically, and the colors are quite pigmented. I usually only do a slightly extended line for everyday looks, but I have done really dramatic cat eye liner and this is a GODSEND for that. A+++. Best liquid liner for beginners, best liquid liner I've tried, can't rave about it enough.
Stila Convertible Color Trio - Cool
Stila Convertible Color Trio - Cool
Stila Convertible Color Trio comparison vs full-sized Gerbera
Stila Convertible Color Swatches
Cherry Blossom, Lillium, and Peony from the Cool Trio
Gerbera singlet
Next up are new-to-me shades of a product I love and use near-daily Spring-Summer-- Stila Convertible Color. Last fall, they released two trios, Warm and Cool. Birchbox carried cool, and Nordstrom carried both, afaik. Honestly, aside from Cherry Blossom, I wouldn't call these shades especially cool. They're very neutral and wearable. (The warm palette, on the other hand, was almost unwearably warm on even warm-toned pale skin tones, as far as I can tell from swatches.)
Cherry blossom is a cool-toned pink. Like, Barbie pink. It is the only shade not available in full-size. Lillium is a pinkish nude. Peony is a warmer, more brown-based nude. It is also slightly more sheer than the other two. (Also swatched is the full-sized color I have, Gerbera, a peach shade.)
What can I say? I still freaking love this product. It blends flawlessly, in seconds, with just your fingers. It is the difference between dull winter skin and looking actually alive. It is the best "no-makeup makeup" out there.
As far as Kat Von D's Lock-it Tattoo Foundation goes, I have raved about it before, but I just wanted to show you a little comparison. Gird your loins, steel yourself. I am about to show you a comparison of no makeup (and just woke up, for good measure!) vs. just one pea-sized pump of this foundation.
Kat Von D Foundation Comparison
This is now my go-to makeup for stage (it is VERY matte), photos, etc. It completely eliminates the redness around my nose, and I haven't used any concealer since I bought it. OMG.
It doesn't feel heavy at all, and unless you REALLY need heavy duty stuff, I wouldn't use over one pump, or it might look cakey. Dry skins WILL need to prime with moisturizer. I will say that for daily makeup, I do a mashup of a beauty balm plus 1/3 pump of KVD foundation as a concealer around my nose. That way it's more luminous and natural looking. I'll show you the difference shortly.
Make Up For Ever Holodiam Powder - 302 - Plum
Make Up For Ever Holodiam Powder - 302 - Plum
NYX Glitter Cream Palette
SPARKLY THINGS.
The Holodiam powder was purchased on Sephora around Christmastime, which I think I mentioned in my last post. But here it is! It sold out exceedingly quickly, and was limited edition. Hopefully they'll do more of these. It's a very sheer reddish-purple micro-shimmer glitter with teal highlights. Amazeballs.
I bought the NYX creams at a makeup shop in Hampden around Christmas, too. I have yet to break into it, so I can't give a review, but hopefully soon. There were other color combos, but I need a silver glitter for stage, so I went with this.
And here's how everything looks when worn:
Eye makeup done with The September Issue palette + Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner
The above eye makeup
Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation
Stila Convertible Color in Lillium
NARS lipstick in Tzigane
My usual neutral eye makeup, using Stila's In The Light Palette
The above eye makeup
Dr. Jart beauty balm sample + KVD Foundation as a concealer
Stila Convertible Color in Peony
NARS lipstick in Christina
Clear lipgloss
And on to nail polish. New acquisitions:
Zoya Polishes: Shawn, Neely, Rica, Kieko, Zara
Butter London Toff, OPI Nail Envy, Sinful Colors Nail Junkie,
Deborah Lipmann Flash Dance
Deborah Lipmann Flash Dance
Zoya Shawn, which I'm currently wearing.
The Zoya polishes were acquired in their recent "pay shipping, get 3 polishes free" sale. Zoya has the BEST promos. So, I layered that and their "Spend $25, get free shipping" and got five polishes PLUS their big flipper bottle of Remove+ for $25. AWWW YIS. So far, I've worn Zara and Shawn. I was a little nervous that Zara would look too much like Lotus when worn, but it doesn't. It has a really pretty golden shimmer over the lilac purple that is so fairy-like and lovely. It's gonna be heavy in my spring rotation. Shawn isn't exactly a kelly green-- more like a dark moss green. Two coats, lovely formula.
Butter London Toff was an impulse buy. It's lovely for when I want to look polished but am indecisive about color. OPI Nail Envy was purchased because wirework leaves me with splitty, unhappy nails. When worn in lieu of basecoat, it has a surprising upside (or downside, depending on your perspective): glitter polishes peel right off after about three days. No more struggling with polish remover. It comes of in a sheet. As I am enamored of glitter and have to change my polish frequently because of how much wear my nails take, that's awesome for me. The Sinful Colors was an impulse buy, and I haven't worn it yet.
Flash Dance is EVERYTHING I EVER WANTED AND MORE. I almost didn't buy it because they are HELLA EXPENSIVE, YO. I was in Nordstrom because I was curious about them, and the saleslady was pushy, and okay, I have no impulse control. This is now the most expensive bottle of polish I own. Which is fine, because IT IS EVERYTHING I EVER WANTED AND MORE. Don't be misled by online swatches sans topcoat. Here is the recipe for amazingness: 1 coat of red creme as a base, 2 coats Flash Dance, 2 coats topcoat for a glassy finish. Fuchsia sparkle amazingness, with little garnet glints to really set it off. I LOVE THIS POLISH.
Hair: My hair indeed lightened up after the last round of washes. It's now fuchsia on top, medium purple underneath. Here's a shot plus a rainbow clip-in I bought from IKickShins on Etsy.
Click to viewI AM RAINBOW BRITE, Y'ALL.
Okay, technically, I'm like a Stormy/Starlite mashup, but most of you wouldn't get that reference.
In less-fun news? I didn't blow dry my hair for like a week while I was working on the latest update, and that combined with SERIOUSLY DRY CONDITIONS in my house = the first bout of dandruff I've had since adolescence. I did a coconut oil masque because dandruff shampoos SERIOUSLY strip color, and it's a little better, but I looked like a serious grease ball afterwards. Next up is gonna be apple cider vinegar + rosemary EO. And we got a humidifier. Ugggh, I am ready for my scalp to stop freaking out.
Retail Therapy, Non-Makeup Variety: Mostly, January has been all about the work purchases. But I did snap up a couple of things for myself that I'm really enjoying. Mostly candles, because dear lord, I love me some candles.
I got a Fairy Wishing Candle from The Evergreen Nest, on of my Etsy FaeTeam teammates. It is super cute.
Also in the candle-vein, I picked up votives from Woodcrafts and Candles, where I've been a faithful customer for years. I got Lemongrass, Blood Orange, and Victorian Rose. I was sent a free cupcake votive. THESE ARE SUPER SCENTED. And they last forever. And the customer service is A+. I got some of the clearance stuff from Witch City Wicks during their flash sale, and I'm LOVIN' Herb Garden and Lemon Chiffon. Once their stock is replenished, I look forward to acquiring Lavender Rosemary.
I am currently working my way through the cocoa I got from Flying Bird Botanicals, which I lurve because it's heavy on the cocoa, low on added sugar. Also lavender mint and vanilla rose. Subtle, but TASTY.
I am usually not one for lotions, but my house is dryer than a hay bale right now, so I have been going THROUGH some lotion. My favorite body lotion right now is CocoaPink's Voluptuous Body Butter in Black Chocolate. It's like... I can't even describe to you the wondrousness of how this smells. I am not a chocolate scent person, but I got a sample of this in a previous order and fell in love. It's like 70% dark cocoa plus rich, gooey amber. It sticks around like whoa. And I am already halfway through a tub of it.
Not pictured: Drooooool.
Because I am total shy violet when it comes to color, I got this headband from JanineBasil on Etsy:
It's all her fault, really. Her model has fuchsia hair. She practically forced me.
In the realm of the practical, I bought The Victoria hoodie wrap from ElvenForest on Etsy. It will likely not be my last purchase, because Spoutwood is coming up and THIS WAS PRACTICALLY MADE FOR ME:
Pictured: My Precccccioussssssss...
Like seriously, how can I live in a world where that exists and not own it? Which I will, as soon as it is financially feasible. But until then, I have a nice grey one on the way that I can wear pretty much whenever without looking even weirder than I currently do.
Other things: Really, there's not a lot else to report. Husband is good, preparing for a ski trip. He bought me an orchid. It's lovely. The weather is bitterly cold, and the 1" of snow on the ground hasn't melted in two days. Cats are mostly fine, except Olive has had an all-caps ATTITUDE lately. She cannot abide Nox or Mim getting any attention. Period. We are trying to break her of that, but she is being difficult.
So. Yep. That's about the it, minus my political rantings, which are mostly on Facebook. Enjoy How to deal with a mansplainer, starring Hillary Clinton in gifs, if you haven't seen it already. How Faux News ANYONE could have watched that hearing and decided that she didn't stand her ground and then some is totally beyond me. Rand Paul is a fucking disgrace, and I'm surprised he can tie his shoes, let alone sit in Congress. I'm not saying that there shouldn't have been an official inquiry about Benghazi. There absolutely should have been. What I'm saying is that nobody talks about the other consulate attacks pre-Obama, where far more Americans have died and been injured than the Benghazi attack. What should have been a routine and necessary investigation into Benghazi has been turned into a three-ring circus of conspiracy theories and condescension by the Tea Party and their bankrollers at Fox. It's political opportunism on display. These are, of course, the same people who say the left politicizes tragedy after mass shootings. Hypocrites, the lot of them.
If you made it this far, congrats. Gold star. Here are some pretty pictures to finish this massive post off!
My new office orchid.
The spoiled princess.
Breakfast at Bonjour. Yummy chestnut creme pastry.
New art in my studio by Renae Taylor Arts
In The Studio...
Ciao, y'all. Off to read.