Beauty Protector Leave in Conditioner Review

Good afternoon all!

I have somehow misplaced the cord for my camera (and my laptop doesn't have a slot for my SD card) so please bear with the webcam picture coming up in 3... 2... 1...

So my roommate gets a Birchbox every month, which is awesome for her (I do not). Last night she left me with this Beauty Protector Leave in Conditioner and as you can see it got great reviews.

WHY THE FUCK THEN DOES IT NOT WORK??

I have no way of reviewing the product because zero product comes out. Zero. None. None at all. Sarah, a reviewing of the product, agrees. "I really do like the smell of this product however I couldn't get the sample size to spray. The product itself was very thick so I don't think it could have come out as a spray. Maybe I just got a bad batch but its enough to discourage me from trying it again". I couldn't agree more.

I'm not sure if it's just the sample size, and the normal size is fine? I have no idea. But the product is waaaaaay too thick to come out in a spray (it's literally the consistency of conditioner you get out of the bottle). I'm not really sure what they were thinking.

Basically, 0/10 would not recommend.

Has anyone tried the full-sized product? Or did your sample size work? Let me know!

Cheers!

P.S. - My roommate's cat makes an appearance in this picture; Carlos is a huge attention whore and would not leave me alone. :P 

Mary Kay Eye Makeup Remover Review

Good morning everyone!

I hope the weather is nice where ever you are, because here in MN we haven't had this much snow on the ground since the late 80's (will winter EVER be over?). Anyway, Today I'm sharing one of my favorite products of all time: Mary Kay's (Oil Free) Eye Makeup Remover.

My mom has always used this, so it was something I used when I still lived at home. I moved out, and failed to grab some of my own, so I was using Almay's Moisturizing Eye Makeup Remover instead.

Let me just say it: that shit sucks. It was oily, greasy, and almost impossible to get completely off my skin once it was on. But I felt bad buying something and then not using it, so I managed to use 90% of the product before my mom said, "Hey, I bought you some of that Mary Kay stuff you like". 

Yes, my mother is a wonderful woman. 

I love this product because a little goes a long way, and with the top not being completely open you have more control over the flow of the product. It doesn't leave my skin feeling disgusting, and it doesn't smell horrible either. If you don't trust me, most people on makeup alley seem to like it.

I'll be honest and say I'm not a huge fan of Mary Kay stuff overall, but this is one product I will repurchase in the future.

What's your favorite eye makeup remover? Let me know!

Cheers!

NARS Train Bleu + L'Oreal Mulberry

Good morning everyone!

So today not only am I showing off my Star Trek: Voyager comm badge and my Star Trek bow, but also my NARS Train Bleu lip pencil! Of course, I fell in love with this color just as NARS announced they were discontinuing it, and I was pretty bummed. But then word got around that it was back in stock (curse them) so I went to the NARS website and ordered myself one from there (I linked to Sephora's website because something's wrong with the NARS website? I dunno what's up with that).

Anyway, I'm wearing that with another favorite of mine, L'Oreal's lip color in Mulberry. It's one that I wear A LOT, so the tube is a little worse for wear (but I love it anyways!). It goes on super smooth, and lasts very well - both of those things being things I greatly appreciate in a lipstick.

Train Bleu also goes on smoothly, and I used it just around the edges of my lips since I don't want to waste it (and since I've wanted to match these two colors up since I found out about Train Bleu). Overall I'm pleased with my purchase. It's something I ordered in late January and just got now, so it'll be the last thing I'll receive/get until March (it's gonna be tough y'all, but I think I can make it).

The first thing I plan on getting is my hair dyed (lookit all that regrowth :C) since I need it pretty badly. Also, I am pleased to report that my eyebrows are growing in well (woot!) although not as quickly as I'd like. Oh well. I have time.

Do you have Train Bleu or Mulberry? What are your thoughts? Let me know!

Cheers!

Stila Countless Color Pigments Review

Good morning everyone!

I hope all of you had a good week last week (I say this as I am writing on the 10th). Of course, right before my no buy month, something I had had my eye on for a good while went on sale, and that was the Tie Dye Countless Color Pigments eyeshadow from Stila (that's the one in the blue container, if you're wondering). All of a sudden it was all sold out on Sephora, and I was sad and thought I had missed my chance, since on Sephora they were marked as limited edition. Well, I was able to find my Tie Dye shadow on the Stila website, and for $8 instead of $22! (wooooo!) Because it was such a good deal, I also snagged one in Melody as well. 

I had read some reviews that said these weren't very pigmented, and after a few uses I've found that I don't have this problem (to be fair, I always use Nyx's jumbo eye crayon in Milk under all my shadows). I love these colors quite a lot, and they definitely pop for me.

My only complaint is that when I used Melody last, I had a hard time completely cleaning it off my eye (but didn't have a problem on the 9th, when I took the picture above). 

As a side note, I tried a new way of curling my hair overnight, and am pleased with the results. Maybe I'll do a blog post about that sometime soon as well!

Have you tried these shadows out? Did you find them to be pigmented enough? Let me know!

Cheers!

Peppermint Foot Scrub Review

Good morning everyone!

I have to start out by apologizing for the wonky coloring/lighting in my pictures - I usually take all my shots midday, but today I am up at 7:30 am (for whatever ungodly reason) and had to take some quick photos since I was taking care of my sick roommate yesterday morning and didn't have time to before work. So sorry!

Anyway, today I'm reviewing this peppermint foot scrub from Body & Earth Spa. It's something I got from one of my old roommates because she didn't want it anymore. Upon doing some research, it seems that they mostly do gift baskets and can be found at KMart (hence me not linking directly to the product itself). I didn't have any foot scrub at the time, so I figured I'd give it a go.

While I like peppermint tea quite a bit, I'm not sure I like it in this foot scrub. The scent is almost overpowering, and it doesn't really smell natural or real. While the texture of the product in hand is fine, it doesn't go on very evenly or well onto my feet, and big clumps usually end up at the bottom of my tub. It also uses microbeads, which is not good (since they can't be filtered out of the water system). And most disappointing of all, I'm not entirely convinced that it actually works or does anything -  I feel like my pumice stone does a better job of buffing out my feet than this does.

I guess I can't complain too loudly since I got it for free, but here are some products from Ulta I think I'll try out once my no buy month is over:

• H2O Plus Spa Pumice Foot Scrub, $16
• Earth Therapeutics (Travel Size) Tea Tree Oil Cooling Foot Scrub, $2 ($9 full size) 

Do you have any foot scrubs to recommend to me? Have you tried this product? Let me know!


Cheers!

Boiré Self Heating One Minute Mask Review

Good morning everyone!

I was really excited when I found out about the new Bioré Don't Be Dirty line from Nouveau Cheap (that's one of my favorite beauty blogs, by the way). The new products use charcoal to deeply cleanse your pores (or something). I honestly can't explain to you why I wanted to try the masks and the facial cleanser out (well, I do seem to have a liking for face masks) but the need was real. So when I popped into my campus CVS the other day, I was delighted to see that they had these in stock (even though Target didn't, which I found surprising).

Anyway, I have the facial cleanser as well, but I'm not really sure how I feel about it just yet, so for now you just get a review of the mask. With that all said, let's begin!

Sorry the pictures are so wonky, I took them in my bathroom and the lighting is always a little bizarre in there. Anyway, it comes in that little package, and contains four little servings of facial mask. Unlike the Say Yes to Cucumbers facial mask I reviewed not too long ago, these actually DO end up being enough for one use (and not two - as a side note what was left in that package didn't dry out and I was able to use it all up!) which is nice, because I don't like things that are meant to be single-use but contain far too much product for that to be practical. I paid about $8, and as you can see there are $4, making them $2/each. I suppose that isn't too bad, although some of the stuff I got from Ulta was about the same price and has more than 4 uses. 

But those are self-heating, so I suppose I can't judge. By the way, "self-heating" is a bit of a misnomer. You have to continuously for one minute. So you do have to do some work. But the product does heat up, and it feels nice on the face (at least I thought so) and calming to boot. The smell isn't too strong or overpowering, and it feels kinda nice to just rub your face for a minute, which isn't that long anyway. Because of this the product never hardens, so it's easy to get off as well.

My skin was left smooth and beautiful, which is what I like to see (especially since as of late my skin's been very dry and lizard-y looking). 

I think this was worth the price, and I could see myself buying it again once I use it all up.

Has anyone else used this product, or for some unknown reason (like me) been interested in trying it out? Let me know!

Cheers!

Memebox Fourth Edition

Good morning everyone!

So let me start off by saying that I'm really glad that I ordered my Memebox Fourth Edition last month because a) holy shit those babies are selling fast (everything up to 7 is sold out, including 5-2 and 5-2) and b) this no buy month is already hard. :C A lot of times I want something, a lot, and then after a few days I don't care as much anymore, but the wanting is tough man, the wanting is tough. 

As some background info, Memebox is a beauty box that isn't a subscription, so you pick whichever box you want (and whatever's in stock). This one was $21 and after shipping about $27, but now I see for the newer boxes they're charging $23 (so more like $30 after shipping). They ship fairly fast, and they usually hit the states in 3-7 business days.

Anyway, mine came in the mail on 31.01.14, actually, but I wasn't awake yet at 9:30 am, so I missed the USPS person, which meant I had to pick it up the next day. This is a little frustrating, by the way, since normally I only bus around and I can't bus to the USPS office, but I'm glad the company actually gives a shit if we get the product or not.

It's obviously quite full with items, and each box contains a little card that explains what's inside and how to use the product. I found that to be helpful, since a lot of the stuff is familiar, but I can't read Korean (and I wouldn't want to apply too much/not properly/etc). 

This is more of a brief overview of what's inside the box - I'll probably revisit this a bit later with a more detailed review, once I get a chance to use the products (thus far I've only been able to try the shampoo). As a warning, this post is going to be picture-heavy, so I apologize if you aren't a fan of pictures. Let's get started!

IOPE Bio Essence Intensive Conditioning, 18ml (Full: 168 ml/$60)

The description is, "Intensive skin-enhancing program, clearing and smoothing skin texture within three days. Fast-absorbing active ingredients instantly regenerates the skin". You apply this stuff in the bottle with the pads in the morning and night. Sounds interesting. I'm not sure about the whole texture thing, or if I would be able to judge how well it works, since I have pretty all right, smooth skin to start with, but I'll still give it a go.

LANEIGE Snow Crystal Pure Lip Gloss, 3g (Full: 5g/$20)

The description is, "Gel-based, high-sheen lip gloss formulated to smooth the surface texture of your lips. Rosy tint and micro glitter creates the illusion of a full, juicy kiss". Well, firstly, I'm offended that Memebox thinks my kisses aren't juicy enough as is (thanks guys). Secondly, this stuff feels kinda sticky, so I'm not sure someone would want to kiss me while wearing this anyway. Well, I guess I'll have to try it out on my lips and see what I think after that. (Also, this is literally called "the snow" snow crystal pure lip gloss. I'm not sure why people think saying things in another language [in this case French] makes them fancier, but they do.)

Goodal Repair Plus Essential Oil, 15ml (Full: 100ml/$48)

The description is, "A fast-absorbing multi-use essential oil derived from argan, olive, macadamia, sun flower seeds, jojoba, camellia, and green tea. This combination of oil from these super-seeds hydrated, firms, and enhances the skin's complexion". Apparently you can use this on your face, nails, cuticles, and hair. But what I'm wondering, is what the hell are jojoba and camellia!? After some research (and by that I mean using google and wikipedia) I discovered that jojoba is, " is a shrub which is native to the Sonoran, Mojave and Baja California deserts of Arizona, California, and Mexico and the southernmost portion of the California Floristic Province". ... Oke. Sounds good I guess? And for camellia, I got, "Camellia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalayas east to Japan and Indonesia". All right. Well, the more you know. 

Anyway, I've been meaning to try out some essential oil stuff, but it can be kinda spendy. I'm actually glad this (along with another oil thing) was included in the box, so I can try this sort of product out first in a small amount before committing to a lot.

Clio VF 21 Water BB SPF35 PA++, 15ml (Full: 50ml/$20)

The description is, "Ultra-hydrating BB cream designed for dry skin with SPF35, PA++. It gives you a natural dewy glow with long-lasting, medium coverage. Enhances skin complexion and fights against wrinkles". Uhh... What the hell does PA++ mean? I see I'll be off to google again (man this is turning in to a long-ass post). Well, apparently it's the "protection factor" of anything with SPF (according to Yahoo Answers, god only knows how much I can trust that, but I don't really care enough to dig any deeper). 

I've always been leery of BB creams ever since I read this post on Brightest Bulb in the Box's blog. I mean there's nothing wrong with them, per se, but people seem to think they're some sort of miracle cream when that really isn't the case. Anyway, I feel like this is going to be hella dark on me, since I swatched on my hand and saw this:

It's like me, but if I were ten shades darker

Now to be fair, I didn't really blend it in all that well, but that is how it comes out of the tube. Usually I prefer things with sheer coverage, since I usually don't use that much product on my face and I feel like a buildable product is better since you can... y'know, build up and get your desired look. I haven't tried it on my face just yet, so I'll have to do that before giving up on it completely. I do like that is has some SPF since I burn and turn lobster within a matter of minutes when I'm outside, but we'll have to see.

Peripera Peri's Tint Mini Mandarin Juice, 2.5ml (Full: 6.5 ml/$7)

So I had originally thought to put this at the end of my post, but a) this post is starting to get ridiculously long and I didn't want someone to give up before seeing this disappointing mess and b) I figured maybe it would be better if I encased the bad in the midst of good and all right products. Either way, look at this fucking bullshit right here. Now I am no scientist, and I'm actually REALLY bad at measuring things, but you can't honestly expect me to believe this is 2.5 ml. Also, why waste that whole (tiny?) bottle for like... a few nasty looking drops of product? Was this really the desired amount? Could you at least make it look better if that's the case? Obviously it got tossled around in transit, but my god it looks like weird orange cooking grease in there.

The little box thing was so cute, I was really excited. And then I opened it and was like.... "wat??" Yeah, I'm not impressed. I sent an email to Memebox customer service. Either this is wrong or I'm a picky customer, I don't know.

Anyway, here's what it looks like swatched:

As you can probably see already, orange is not my color

I'm not too impressed, as it left a gross-looking orange stain on my hand after I tried to wash it off, but if I'm feeling really ambitious I might try it on my lips a little later. We'll see, we'll see.

LJH Dr's Care Vita Propolis Ampoule, 5ml (Full: 15ml/$26)

The description is, "This perfect combination of vitamins and propolis (psst, propolis is "a resinous mixture that honey bees collect from... botanical sources" peeps) harvested by bees brings out the natural, healthy luminosity of your face. High concentration of propolis in the hermetically sealed ampoule (a fancy word for the vial itself) hydrates, soothes, and protects skin. Suitable for sensitive skin". Directions are to either drip it on to your face, or (what's "highly suggested") is to mix it with your facial lotion/cream. Lots of fancy words in that one (at least fancy to me, maybe I'm the only heathen in the house who didn't know some of those terms). It smells nice? That's basically all I have right now, I'll report back later with more.

The Shampoo Plus Natural Waterless Shampoo, 50ml (Full: 50ml/$5)

A wild full-sized product appears! And the description is, "Made out of oregano (wat), this foam-based dry shampoo allows you to cleanse your hair anywhere without water. It also protects your hair from harmful UV rays, and enhances scalp and hair follicle health with antioxidant properties". So this is something I've already used (as in on Sunday morning as I am sat here writing up this post). I wouldn't call it a dry shampoo, exactly. It's like... somewhere between dry and wet. It's a foam, but a bit more watery than a foam? You definitely don't need to stick your head under a faucet for it to work.

I can actually say that I like this product already. Because of my red hair, I try to wash it with water about once every two weeks and to use dry shampoo in the interim. My dry shampoo ran out recently, and so my hair was getting pretty gross, so I tried this out ASAP. And my hair felt much better, and looked better, immediately after use. Not sure if it actually protects or does anything good for my hair, but at least it doesn't look greasy as hell anymore.

Danahan Bon Yeon Jin Essence, 12ml (Full: 50ml/$68)

The description is, "Concentrate your skin's effort to enhance regeneration and elasticity. Thick serum is a formula made of red ginseng and herbal extracts compatible with all skin types" uhhhh.... K. Somehow this sounds like bullshit to me, but whatever, I'll give it a go.

Lanoa Natural Soap Sulfur, 100g (Full: 100g/$12)

Another full-sized product! The description is, "100% natural handmade soap featuring powerful natural ingredients: sulfur, shea butter, chamomile and lavender. It is specially designed for sensitive and dry skin by hydrating on the surface as well as underneath the skin's barrier". Well, my facial skin has been really dry lately (no matter how much lotion I apply) and I do have sensitive skin, so I'll have to give this a go.

T. E. N Cremorlab Mineral Treatment Essence 100ml (Full: 270 ml/$36)

The description is, "Start your day with essence derived from therapeutic hot spring water to hydrate, tighten pores, brighten and even skin complexion". So basically it's something you apply to your skin after washing. My god, with all this "essence" talk I'm reminded of Zoolander:

Anyway, we all needed a good laugh after that long-ass unveiling. I know it was long, and those of you who stuck around till here deserve cookies (or maybe more appropriately awesome lip stick and facials). I'm excited to try all this stuff out, and I feel like it was certainly worth the money that I spent, but I'll make sure to report back later (and we'll see if I still think so).

Have you gotten this Memebox or another one before? Thoughts? Was this post too long? Did it make you want to take a page out of Oedipus' book and gouge your eyes out? Let me know!

Cheers!

Sonia Kashuk Shimmering Sands & Showstoppers Review

Good morning everyone!

As some of you may know, it was my birthday on the 25th. While I didn't end up going out, I did break out these two quads to do some makeup. I also managed to forget to snag a picture of myself (I know, boo on me). Anyway, I thought I would review these eyeshadows and let you know what I think.

Firstly, I had to apply all of these with a wet brush. I mainly used the lightest brown/tan in the upper quad and a mix of the light colors on the lower quad (and used the black up top for an eyeliner). I tried with a dry brush, and the glitter didn't apply evenly and basically none of the color transferred. 

There was some problem of fallout, I found (even though I used a primer and pat the color on) and it was really hard to manipulate, blend, and control once on the eyelid. 

But worst of all... Clean up was a mess. Usually with my towelettes I can get everything off my eyelid, but for the life of me I couldn't get all this glitter off. :/ And that was honestly a big let down for me.

While I think these colors are pretty, I think there's also a reason these have been sitting in my makeup box for so long with such little use. Showstoppers got mixed reviews on Makeup Alley, and I have to agree with the people that didn't like this quad a whole lot. To be fair, I did get these a bit ago, so maybe in the newer renditions (with black packaging) they've changed the formula? I'm not sure.

But as it stands this isn't something I'd recommend and something I'll only try again in the future if I'm daring.

Do you own either of these quads? What's your opinion? Let me know!

Cheers!

Deep Down Detox Ultra Cleansing Mud Mask Review

Good afternoon everyone!

Today I'm going to review this Deep Down Detox Ultra Cleansing Mud Mask which I bought from Ulta, but a quick google search shows some other places (like Walgreens) carry this item too.

If you haven't noticed yet (I'm sure you'll catch on quickly though!) I love facial masks. There's something so gratifying about slathering some product all over your face, letting it set, and rubbing it off to reveal ultra smooth skin. Oh yes, I like my facial masks indeed. I picked this one up at my local Ulta after doing some research online (where it got 4.5 stars), and it has yet to disappoint me!

Firstly, the packaging. For some reason I was really drawn to its simple yet somehow pretty design. I really like the sort of matte texture of the packaging as well (most bath/skin care products are kinda slippery, if you know what I mean). 

Secondly, the product itself. On the packaging it says, "This super-cleansing detox mask cleanses impurities for a cleaner, brighter complexion. The energy of orange recharges, while sea salt cleanses and bergamot balances. Your face will notice the difference." While I'm not sure about all the frilly details of recharging and whatnot, I have noticed a difference in my skin over the few times I've used this, and it leaves my skin very soft. I also really like how this product smells - I was a bit worried at first because I have had facial masks that are a little overwhelming in the scent department (which is unfortunate, since you slather it on.. y'know... your face), but this smells very nice without overpowering me. This is one of the longer facial masks I own (meaning longer sit time), as the directions call for 10-15 minutes. So I usually put this on at the start of my bath and soak up for a bit before taking it off.

I highly recommend this product to anyone who likes using facial masks, or who has skin that sometimes won't behave. I also find the scent to be relaxing (along with facial masks themselves; there's something about the application, the waiting, and the removal that's calming to me), so I like to use this to help me unwind at the end of a long day.

Have you tried this product? Are you excited to try it? Let me know what you think!

Cheers!

88 Original Palette

Good afternoon everyone!

Today I thought I would share a bit about the biggest palette I own, and the one that really got me "in" to makeup again after a long hiatus. I bought it last year sometime before I really knew about the Coastal Scents website, and in fact got it as a deal from somewhere else. The most used color for me is the brown I use to help fill in and perfect my brows, but I've started to expand into some other colors lately, and it's a great feeling to finally be using up this palette!

Right now it's on sale for $11.95, and while it isn't the best shadow I've ever used, I do enjoy the variety of shades. It comes with two applicators, but I've really grown found of my ELF "C" brush so I don't really use them. I have noticed some fallout problems after a long day of wear, but nothing too shocking that would make me not want to use this product. 

Honestly, for the price I think it's a great starting point for someone who's new to makeup and color and really just wants to experiment a bit. That's what I've been doing, and I've really liked the outcome! It's also so cheap you don't have to feel stingy when using these shadows, so you could devote an entire day to trying different colors and looks and not feel bad about "wasting" the product. I've actually thought of doing a post dedicated to my explorations with this palette (because I'm still learning the ropes too!), so maybe that will crop up one of these days!

Do you own this palette? How do you feel about it? Have you created any looks with these colors? Let me know!

Cheers!

Kate Moss for Rimmel Haul

Good afternoon everyone!

I hope everybody had a fun and safe New Years celebration (or if you didn't celebrate that you still had a good night and a good end to 2013); I spent the first part of the night with my SO's family and then my SO and I went to a friend's place to play Cards Against Humanity and drink bubblies. It was a good night indeed that ended with Star Trek.

Unfortunately this morning I woke up feeling less than stellar (curse my luck), but I did get the joy of having my Kate Moss for Rimmel Lipstick haul arrive! I ordered four lipsticks from Walmart, sort of on a whim. I say sort of because I wanted 107 because I saw a post on this blog and fell in love, but the other colors I decided to try, mostly because I tend to stay in the same color range and never try anything new. And for under $5 a tube, why not?

I was a bit disappointed that a few were a bit smooshed at the top when they arrived, but other than that they arrived safely at my door. I'm also a little hesitant about the lighter, more coral colors, but I can't decide if that's just because I'm not feeling well and am deathly pale or if I will always feel cool toward them (if so, I'm sure my roommate would like some new lipstick).

I also have to apologize about the squiggly lines for my swatch picture - I'm left-handed so drawing straight lines with my right hand is nearly impossible, haha. 

107 is by far my favorite; I'm a huge fan of the dark colors and it seems to go well with my skin tone. (It's much darker when I apply it to my lips, by the by). To be honest, however, I'm not a huge fan of the formula. I tried both different formulas with both lip balm underneath and no lip balm, and both ways the application and color distribution wasn't nearly as smooth or even as I'd like it to be (so sadly, it doesn't stand up to my MAC lipstick and L'Oreal lipstick). I'm willing to experiment and see if maybe when I feel a bit better it looks better, so maybe I'll report back then (and include pictures of these lovely colors on my lips!) which may be later in the week or in the month.

Has anyone else tried these lipsticks? Were you a fan or no - and why or why not? Let me know!

Cheers!

Smashbox Liquid Halo Foundation

Good evening everyone!

I thought I would do a quick review of the new foundation I bought earlier this month. For a long time I was using a plain drugstore foundation, and while it was in the palest color possible it was still took dark for my complexion, and that wasn't its  only downfall. It also didn't blend in well and I felt like it was heavy on my skin. So since my roommate needed to get new foundation as well, I went with to our local Sephora and ended up buying Smashbox's Liquid Halo Foundation in Natural Vanilla. The employee I spoke to suggested it since I wasn't really sure what to get. I don't have a lot of redness or blemishes, so I didn't really need full coverage (and wouldn't want it since I want my freckles to peek through!), and Smashbox's foundation blends in like a charm. I feel like I'm not wearing anything! It's also super easy to clean off at night, and I don't feel like I've been wearing a mask all day and getting makeup over everything that touches my face. It's a bit pricey, at $42, but well-worth it for me since I've been wearing this foundation everyday. And it's SPF 15! (Which isn't too shabby, I suppose.)

What foundation(s) have you been using? Have you found one you fancy? Let me know!

Cheers!

Wild Orchids

Good afternoon everyone!

So this morning I decided to dig around in my makeup box (literally, I have no organization other than on my sinks surface and in a box) and pull out something I haven't used in awhile. I came back with a set of four crème eyeshadows from Revlon. Specifically I pulled out Revlon's Illuminance Crème Shadow in 701 Wild Orchids.

 I've had this for awhile now (and it's one of two that I own, maybe I'll try out the other one later) but I rarely use it. This is mostly because to me, crème eyeshadows are a lot of hassle and with little payoff. They're messy, difficult to apply evenly, and even though the color can be packed on for a vibrant look, in my experience it doesn't stay that way for an entire day of wear.

At first I thought that maybe I just didn't know how to apply/wear the crème eyeshadow, so I decided to look up some reviews. As it turns out, I'm not the only person who isn't a big fan of Revlon's crème eyeshadow line. As a note, I applied primer, and also ended up lightly packing on some white/pale nude powder shadow on top since I wasn't confident with just the crème.

I think in the future I'll give this quad another go, perhaps with some colored shadow on top (to make the powder color pop a bit more) but this honestly isn't my favorite.

So here's a quick pic of me with the shadow on (and yes, my baseline look is my left brow arched. I try to make them as neutral/even as possible but I always end up with my left brow arched, at least a tiny bit). You'll have to pardon my messy hair; I wanted to put on some makeup for fun, but I'm actually about to settle in for a much-needed Star Trek: TNG marathon with my SO!

Has anyone else tried the Revlon Illumiance crème shadows? What was your reaction? Do you have any tips or tricks for me? Let me know!

Enjoy your day, and cheers!

The Uncanny Review

The Uncanny by Sigmund Freud
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I mostly was interested about the article on the uncanny itself. While Freud proposes several interesting thoughts, particularly about what separates the uncanny from what is generally considered to be frightening, I find that he makes generalizations that don't account for the fact that not everyone is the world is a middle class Austrian (like he is).

View all my reviews

The Phantom Tollbooth Review

Good Afternoon everyone!

Today I thought I would review for you one of my favorite children's books, The Phantom Tollbooth written by Norton Juster (and illustrated by Jules Fieffer). It's a charming tale about a young boy named Milo who is interested by simply nothing at all. Everything's a drag, and he thinks life to be boring - and most boring of all is learning. He comes home one day to find a strange box in his bedroom... And that's where the adventure begins.



Truth be told, I didn't read this book in my very early childhood; I believe I was eleven or twelve when I first discovered it. But honestly, this book takes you on a wondrous adventure no matter your age - I recently re-read it during work (it makes for a lovely book to read at my call center job, because I whisked right through it in no time at all and it wasn't too hard to pick back up again when I get on the line with someone). It's charming and heartwarming. One of my favorite characters Milo meets would have to be Tock, an unfortunate watch dog that goes "ticktickticktick" instead of "tocktocktocktock".



Not only are the characters lovable and fun, but the story itself will take you on an adventure through Digitopolis and Dictionopolis, through the Doldrums and back, on an adventure to save the princesses of Rhyme and Reason. I'm honestly surprised more children don't read it as part of their school curriculum growing up; it's not only a sweet tale, but it also illustrates the importance and the fun of learning.



Oh, and Slenderman makes a guest appearance (kidding! :3). I personally love this story, and think everyone should give it a go. If you're interested and want to take a peek, The NPR Book section has a preview here, and if you want to read the entire thing but aren't interested in buying, you can read the complete story (and enjoy the illustrations) here.



Enjoy!