A Year Almost Over

Hello all,

It's around this time of year that I always feel so far behind. I feel like there were a million things I wanted to do and never got the chance; all these hobbies and projects and just general stuff that never was or half-was but never became complete.

But first, let's talk about what I did accomplish:

1. I graduated from Uni!
2. I got my first big girl job
3. I moved to a completely new state
4. I got another bunny
5. I read 26 books (my goal was 20; admittedly I may finish another, but that would be a stretch)
6. I went to an awesome Star Trek Convention, where I met both LeVar Burton and Kate Mulgrew

So that's pretty good, right?

But I am a bit disappointed in myself. I semi-gave up on beauty/skincare/fashion blogging, I didn't read nearly as much as I would have liked, and didn't finish even close to all the video games I wanted. I didn't exercise enough. Typical stuff like that.

I won't say that'll change this coming year, but I am going to try to do what I want, and to be happy with what I do do.

That's all folks! Until next time.

Kaleidoscope Dating Sim: A Review

So I have a confession guys:

I have a soft spot for dating sims.

I know, it's silly, and I'm probably waaaaay too old for them, but they're easy and kinda cute. I started with apps for my phone, and those are frustrating as all hell since you can only do so much at one time and I want to know the ending NOW.

So I kind of got back in to them with Jurassic Heart (I'll post some pictures and my thoughts on that tomorrow) which is silly and extremely quick.

But then I needed more. I also didn't want to pay because I'm waiting to spend my hard-earned cash on Hatoful Boyfriend since it's on Steam. So I googled around and I found this one: Kaleidoscope Dating Sim (1). I had no idea wtf I was doing.

Basically you have 30 "sleep cycles" (days) to meet someone and to find your dream soul mate so you can leave.

All you do, as I found, is click on things. Repeatedly. Over and over. It was also really annoying that when you responded to your chosen victim (mine was Angel, pictured below) they say things like "nice" or "hmmm" after to tell you how you did, but DON'T ACTUALLY FUCKING RESPOND TO YOUR REPLY. Jeebus. It was really annoying. Also if you say the wrong thing you have to use precious hp to choose the correct answer instead of simply moving on, as what would happen irl.

Angel, who is wearing lingerie in a pond for some reason??

I think it was a cute idea, but it got old after awhile. Here's a guide and here's a link to the creator's DA account.

Overall I'd give it a 6/10. The graphics were nice and it was a good idea, but not so great in practice.

Cheers!

NaMoWriMo, Away!

Good morning everyone.

Well, it's morning to me. Late morning. Before I go to work. Well, whatever.

Anyway, this year I decided to take the plunge and write a book in one month. The more I think about it, the more crazy it sounds to me. I work so much, have all these other things I would like to do (like knitting a birthday present for my boyfriend). But all my life I've been writing, but I've never finished a damn thing. It is high time to change all that.

It's a science fiction novel, and it isn't one of the ideas I've had bouncing around in my mind for ages. I've always thought about going back and fleshing out those old tales, but will something really be good that I started at 15? No, probably not.

Anyway, I'm not sure where this will take me. I might never actually publish it. But I want to finish something, and that is very important to me.

I really officially began writing today, and so far I've put in 2,261 words. Not even remotely close to 50,000, eh? But it's a start. I don't care if it's good, I don't care if anyone likes it. I want to finish something.

Anyway, here's a link to my page. I may post some snippets here, I haven't decided yet.

Cheers!

Big Changes Ahead

Hello all!

For those of you who don't know (which is probably everyone), I have left my hometown of Minneapolis to live in Champaign, IL. It is a huge change. I never thought I would leave home. But times change. I had the opportunity to start my career right out of college in a job I love. To live with my boyfriend. To have a nice place to live, spacious and welcoming for myself and my bunnies. It wasn't easy, but sometimes we need to make choices for ourselves, even if it wasn't part of our plan. It cost me my hometown, and my hair (which I won't go in to detail about, but my hair is now much much shorter and a lot less red).

I'll still visit home once a month, which is nice. And I am still me. I didn't sacrifice who I am at my core.

So what does this mean for this blog? Obviously I've been quite busy. Even though I don't live in Minneapolis anymore, I think I will keep this name. I can't promise steady posting - in the past three weeks I have worked six days a week and 12-13 hour days.

I think instead of focusing on only makeup and skincare I'll focus on whatever I damn well please. Cooking, baking... Gardening, book reviews. Whatever I want.

You can keep visiting or you can stop, whatever you'd like. But this is for me, not just to amass a bunch of followers.

Cheers everyone. I mean it.

Weekly Window Shopping: emandsprout on etsy

Good morning everyone!

Today I thought I would share some cute finds from a store on etsy, called emandsprout. There are a lot more cut things to look at on the seller's page, but I picked just four things that I liked the most.

Alpaca Love Ladies T-Shirt, $19

Isn't this a cute Reese and Cyrus (from AC: NL) shirt? I love it! T-shirts aren't always my favorite because I don't like things to be close to my neck, but I love the scoop in this t-shirt, and the design.

Lady Fox Sleep Mask, $18

Panda Sleep Mask, $18

Fox Face Mary Janes, $28

I'm super excited about the fox mary janes, as my SO ordered a pair for me as an anniversary gift. I'll be sure to post a review when they arrive!

Is there anything else from this seller you like? Or do you like my picks? Let me know!

Cheers!

My Makeup Today 4.21.2014

Product List

Face

• Baby Skin Primer
• Smashbox Liquid Halo in 1 (the lightest shade)
• Smooth Minerals Avon Powder Foundation in M02 Soft Ivory
• Physicians Formula concealer
• Physicians Formula Nude Wear Blush in Rose
• Benefits Watt's Up highlighter

Brows

• Anastasia brow pencil in Medium Brown
• Nyx Primal Colors in PC07/Hot Red

Eyes

• Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
• Maybelline Eyestudio Gel liner in Blackest Black
• A green and Bronze color mixed from the Coastal Scents 88 Original palette
• The Taupe color from the Sephora 4 shadows and a liner palette, Matte Madness #15 (lower lash line)
• Cover Girl Clump Crusher mascara

Lips

• Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream in Istanbul

Hey everyone! My scumbag brain decided we needed to get up at 7 am instead of 7:45 this morning, so I actually had the time to do a full face of makeup (yay?). Let me just say that I fuckin LOVE the soft matte lip creams from Nyx. I also own Addis Ababa and it's so poppin. They go on fairly well but the staying power isn't great and I do find them to be drying. But the pay off is definitely worth it. 

Gel liner is not my friend, let me tell you. I've always had a hard time applying it, but I was really feeling a winged eyeliner look today so I thought fuck it, why not and went with it anyway.

What looks have you been rockin lately? Let me know!

Cheers!

My Makeup Today 4.18.14

Product List

Face

• Baby Skin Primer
• Smashbox Liquid Halo in 1 (the lightest shade)
• Smooth Minerals Avon Powder Foundation in M02 Soft Ivory
• ELF High Definition Powder
• Physicians Formula concealer
• Physicians Formula Nude Wear Blush in Rose
• Benefits Watt's Up highlighter

Brows

• Anastasia brow pencil in Medium Brown
• One of the reds on the lower right from Coastal Scents Original 88 Palette

Eyes

• Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
• Nyx Milk jumbo eye pencil
• Julep Kajal eye glider/liner (the black end)
• Same red as brows mixed with a dark brown from the Coastal Scents 88 Original palette
• Makeup Forever mascara in smoky extravagant

Lips

• Baby Lips in 70/Pink Shock

Hey guys! Here's what I did for makeup today, and my awesome roommate helped me out. :D First time doing red brows, and I'm happy about it. 

What did you do today?

Cheers!

The end is near, but not close enough

Hey guys.

Hopefully I'll graduate in a few weeks, but until then, here's a picture of the makeup I did while trying desperately to procrastinate (hence the shitty webcam picture). I'm not a great blogger right now, but I've been thinking about this a lot, and I know I'll be back soon! It's just hard right now. :C

I've also started Good Night Minneapolis, which is another blog by me (obviously), but more about just... Stuff in life in general. Movies I watch, books I read, shit I do. I miss writing and I miss the more creative aspect of my life, so that's where that all goes.

Now, back to writing my thesis paper on the Thebaid!

Cheers.

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 

Weekly Window Shopping: Purple Fish Bowl on Storenvy/Etsy

Good morning everyone!

It's been a long while, and I apologize. Life is one of those things that I try and be prepared for, but sometimes it sneaks up on me and I get caught up in things I need to do! (In this case, it was lots of school work and work work stuff.)

Anyway, I've been doing a lot of online window shopping (who doesn't?) and this week I have for you some lovely items I found from a store that's set up both on Storenvy and Etsy, called Purple Fish Bowl.They have women's clothes and an interesting, unique sort of selection (I would say). Here are some pieces for you to look at!

Design Fine Art Collection Story Book in Oil Painting... , $80

Design Fine Art Collection Middle Ages Cafe de Paris Oil Painting... , $90

Design Fine Art Collection The Artist in Montmartre... , $115

Designed Japanese Collection Gorgeous... , $279

What do you think? Do you have a favorite collection or piece? Let me know!

Cheers!

I'm back!

Hey everyone!

Man oh man, they sure do keep you busy right before spring break, and let me tell you, I have been super bogged down with class work and with work work. So I apologize! But I've been thinking of a lot of things, trying to decide what I want to post about, and I will be making a new post soon!

Cheers!

A product I am excited about: Galaxy Chick Palette

Good morning everyone!

So I've been eyeing this palette from BH Cosmetics because it is SO FRIGGIN COOL. I'm actually a huge fan of astronomy and my SO and I plan to try and snap some pictures of the night sky when we see each other next, so this came into my cross hairs at exactly the right time.

Well... Except it is out of stock until the 7th of March. Womp womp. My dad gave me some money for my birthday, however, so I think I will try and pick it up then. I've seen some good reviews online, and it's super pretty! 

Have you heard of this product? What are your thoughts? Let me know!

February No Buy: What Have I Learned?

Source: Chiot's Run

Good afternoon everyone!

I think it's a good question, and a good place to start: what have I learned?

Well, a few different things:

1. I can still find things to post about, even if I'm not constantly buying and trying new things.
2. I already have a good amount of makeup I can use to look pretty!
3. I'm still learning, and I can experiment with what I have.
4. I can overcome stress without retail therapy.

There are several others, I'm sure, but I think these are the four biggest points. I remember being concerned that I wouldn't have anything to post about if I wasn't buying new stuff, but then I realized that I have a lot here to work with (although to be fair I did have a good chunk of posts about stuff I bought in January). 

I also realized that I should utilize my 88 Original Palette a lot more (which is on sale right now by the way, check it out!). It's pigmented well, even more so with some Nyx Milk underneath, so I should try and use it more, and for more than just my brows (seriously y'all I'll take a picture one day and you'll be able to pick out IN AN INSTANT which color I use for my brows). 

I also remembered how satisfying it is to use up a product entirely. It feels good to know I've used something to its fullest and that I've gotten my money's worth. This was just as comforting to me as buying, in a way.

Going off of that, I've sort of replaced my need to buy with Otome games on my phone where I can use in game money to buy stuff (even if it isn't fancy or a lot). It sounds silly, but they're nice for bus rides or waiting for the bus. 

Does this mean I'll never buy makeup again? Hell no. I already know something I would like to get with some birthday money I got a few weeks ago. But it does mean I will be more careful with my dollars, and not use buying as a way to deal with stress.

It was tough, I almost broke a few times, but I made it. I made it, and here I am, perhaps a little more learned because of it.

I was even good about my food budget and using what food I already have here; I brought a lunch with me almost every day! I feel accomplished that I was able to apply this to more than just makeup.

Have you gone on a no buy? How did it go? Let me know!

Cheers!

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!

Weekly Window Shopping: Knitwits

Good morning all!

In honor of the chilly weather we're getting here, I thought I'd share a cute little hat shop I found whilst browsing some other blogs (most notably The Clothes Horse, one of my fashion inspirations).

Well, let's get started!

Robbie the Raccoon Animal Hat, $29.99

Hello Kitty Animal Hat & Mitten Set, $64.99

Oscar the Grouch Animal Hat, $34.99

What do you think? Which hat (or set) would you buy? Let me know!

Cheers!

Snow! And lots of it!

Good evening everyone!

Sorry I didn't post as I normally would today. We got a TON of snow yesterday, meaning I got home late (as in after 11 pm) and today I had plans so I was away from my lappy all day.

I'm still alive!

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!

Weekly Window Shopping: Tiny Attic on Etsy

Good morning everyone!

People always post the most beautiful clothes and accessories to tumblr, and since I love to window shop, I almost always click the links (and I can't stand it when people decide not to share a source). So anyway, someone shared a piece of jewelry from the esty shop Tiny Attic, and I fell in love! Here's what I liked the most:

Dynamite Dried Flower Pressed Rings, $12.03

Malva Lavender & Rose Dried Petal Snow Globe Ring, $12.03 

Pastel Moon Pendant Necklaces, $6.01

Butterfly Explorer Necklace, $10.31

That's all I've got this week! See anything you like? I'm especially fond of the necklaces.

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!

Weekly Window Shopping: Pinup Girl Clothing

Good morning everyone!

As some of you may know (and others not), I am a huge fan of pinup fashion. I've always been a big fan of vintage clothes, and while I love them dearly, my current budge just won't allow for it (boo).

I recently discovered Pinup Girl Clothing via someone on tumblr, and I fell in love with a lot of the super cute clothes they carry. They're American made, which probably accounts for the price (along with all the fabric that gets used in full bodied skirts and dresses). But right now they're having a special set of items that are 15% through Valentine's Day, so click here if you're interested!

Anyway, here are some of the things that I found cute. Enjoy!

Heidi Dress in Cat Print With Red Bow, $98

Audrey Skirt in Black, $78

Pencil Skirt in Blue Floral, $54

Jenny Gathered Full Skirt in Neverland Print, $98

High Waisted Cropped Trousers in  Light Blue Sateen, $82

High Waisted Cropped Trousers in Black, $82

Boatneck Top in Black and White Stripe, $48

They also have a t-shirt section, which I thought was sort of weird at first (but hey, you can do what you want), but I checked it out and they had a lot of cute nerdy stuff in there, like these two Star Wars shirts, which are both a little more within my price range: 

I am R2D2 Tunic Tank, $32

Star Wars Long Sleeve Off -Shoulder Tee, $42

Along with clothes, they also carry accessories, lingerie, and also petticoats! Petticoats are most important for the nice, full body of vintage skirts and dresses. 

Well, that's all I have for you lovely folks this time around. Have you purchased from this store before? Let me know what you think of it! Maybe once my no buy is over I'll let myself get one of the Star Wars shirts (maaaaybe).

Cheers!