tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18368435850878920272024-03-22T17:34:25.975-05:00Bad Outfit, Great LipstickMiss Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08220111649046519267noreply@blogger.comBlogger774125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1836843585087892027.post-83728652593648170232019-09-21T19:45:00.002-05:002019-09-21T19:45:46.362-05:00We've had a great run. Thank you.I began vlogging about beauty products over a decade ago, broadcasting shitty webcam videos recorded in my first college apartment. Despite being very average at makeup and not having anything particularly new or revolutionary to say, I managed to accrue a small but loyal following. I eventually realized that YouTube wasn't the right fit for me, and I moved on to this written blog. My viewership blossomed, I felt creative and inspired, and I met many lovely people I still speak to regularly via Instagram and email.<br />
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But a lot has changed over the last year, both in my personal life and in the beauty community at large. The <a href="http://www.badoutfitgreatlipstick.com/2019/07/goodbye-simmis.html">loss of my cat Simmis</a> was devastating for many reasons, but it also helped me realize some things.<br />
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First, blogging has made me creatively lazy. There was a time when I used my camera to take beautiful pictures of my beloved cat, as well as my friends and the world around me. Over the last three or four years, however, my camera has been used to take HD selfies and product shots...and nothing else. There's nothing wrong with product photography or self-portraits, of course, but when you use "oh wait I have to take pictures of my twentieth red lipstick" as an excuse to avoid other creative endeavors? It's a problem.<br />
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Of course, that brings me to my growing concerns about consumption. On a personal level, I look back on my materialistic 20s and feel so utterly disappointed in my wastefulness. Much of the physical stuff I bought is no longer with me, but likely festering in a landfill. This doesn't mean I'm suddenly going zero waste--I have a new cat and I'm attempting to adopt a second one, so I'm bound to create a decent amount of trash--but I'm certainly trying to cut down. Yes, I want the new Surratt foundation like crazy, but I have four other foundations to finish. I don't need to spend $75 and 3+ hours of my time reviewing another one. (Sidenote: it is amazing when you finally realize that wanting something doesn't mean you have to spend the money on it.)<br />
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And as a certified Old Woman, I'd really prefer it if that money went to more important things, like eliminating my student loan debt. Sadly, that's tough to do in the beauty community. We all love to snark about marketing trends, but frankly, we fall prey to them fairly often. It's actually sort of necessary in the beauty community if you want to stay relevant: I noticed a marked drop in my readership when I stopped buying and reviewing new releases on the regular. Going on a No Buy excited a lot of the regular readers and some specific newbies, but on the whole, it was a death knell for my views.<br />
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Am I upset about that decline in readership? Not really. I recognize many of the people who have commented here over the years. Heck, I talk to some of you fairly frequently on Instagram! It's more that the decline in readership really emphasized how consumption drives the community. Encouraging people to buy stuff they don't need? It's not something I want to funnel my energy in to anymore.<br />
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That's the other thing: I've been struggling with how I expend my energy lately. Everything makes me anxious, including "When am I going to finish my next blogpost?" It's become a bad habit that I want to address with counseling and self-reflection. Add in several other personal life factors that are grabbing at my attention right now, and I really can't be stressing over a blog.<br />
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Most of all, I think I've gotten everything I can out of this blog, as have most of my readers. It's been a great way to practice my writing, connect with like-minded people, and talk about my love of makeup. And yes, I still love makeup! But I don't have to blog about it or buy a ton of it to prove I love it. Instead, I'll make the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reneesanatomy/">occasional Instagram mini-review</a>, or I'll try a new look on a lazy weekend. In the meantime, I will reconnect with my loved ones, my hobbies, and my creative side. And of course, I will continue to appreciate everything you've done for me over the years.<br />
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I will let my dot com domain (www.badoutfitgreatlipstick.com) expire in
March. The blog should continue to be available at its Blogspot address
(badoutfitgreatlipstick.blogspot.com) in perpetuity. Eventually, the blog may become
archived or private, depending on how much of my mental energy it
requires; I will announce that in advance if it's happening. And Hell, who knows? Maybe I'll create a catch-all blog at some point to keep practicing my writing.<br />
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Thank you all for supporting this blog and me. You have been an important part of my life this past decade, and I am eternally grateful.<br />
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-- Renee Miss Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08220111649046519267noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1836843585087892027.post-43063548741871606842019-07-05T18:55:00.000-05:002019-07-05T18:55:08.967-05:00Goodbye, Simmis.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have always been a crazy cat lady. My parents hated asking me what I wanted as a gift for my birthday, Christmas, Easter, or any other holiday, because my answer was always the same: "I want a cat." Each time, my mother reminded me that my dad was allergic to cats and our dachshund may not like them--it just wasn't possible.<br /><br />One summer, shortly after I had turned eleven, my mother called from work and asked if I'd be willing to watch her friend's cat Simba for a while. Her friend was going on vacation, and Simba was too young to be kenneled. A cat?! No duh, I agreed! The next day, my mother came home with a white kitten so tiny, he fit in the palm of one hand. I couldn't wait to hold him.<br /><br />When I DID get my hands on him, I realized two things: first, this wasn't a he. Second, she was absolutely COVERED in fleas. We fought to de-flea this poor kitten for over a week, and of course, we ended up giving our dog the same treatment. I learned that this wasn't the start of Simba's troubles: whoever had owned her mother hadn't wanted to deal with kittens, so they'd drowned them in a bucket. This little fighter had managed to survive by getting her head over the edge of the bucket. That's when my mother's friend's daughter found her and hid her in her purse.<br /><br />I never wanted this cat to feel that type of fear or pain again. I played with her regularly, helped her and the dog adjust to each other, and genuinely enjoyed feeding and cleaning up after her. I was a little sad that I'd have to give her back, but weeks went by and she never went home. After Simba had been with us for about a month, my mother came home with new cat toys. I was confused. "Mom, when is your friend coming back from vacation? She's been gone a long time! Is she on a cruise or something? And why are we buying her toys?"<br /><br />My mom sighed. "Renee, you ruin everything. I wasn't supposed to tell you until your dad came home."<br /><br />"Cat-sitting" was just a ruse. The friend had decided not to keep the kitten and had asked my mother to take her. My parents were worried that my father's allergies would act up, so they decided to pretend we were just watching the cat for a while so I wouldn't be upset if they gave her back.<br /><br />I was so elated, I started to cry. I ran to the cat and started petting her. The whole time, this kitten--already well aware of her queenliness--was staring at me like, "Lady, what's your problem?"<br /><br />We changed her name to the more feminine Simran, but nobody ever called her that. In our house, on her name tag, and on her paperwork, she was always "Simmie," though I personally spelled it "Simmis" with a silent 's' because I like palindromes.<br /><br />Simmis didn't like being hugged or squeezed. She enjoyed other forms of affection, like cheek scratches, dozing against my stomach while I watched TV, or squirming on the floor as you spoke or sang to her. She would always greet us when we came home from an outing, partially because she was lonely and partially because she was a total pig who wanted fed again. She loved catnip toys, especially crinkly mice and fish, and she'd carry them around the house whilst yowling like a fierce huntress with her prey. Some cats have exceptionally loud purrs; Simmis's purr was soft and smooth, but always welcome. It would shake every bit of her eight pound body when you stroked her side or woke her up for breakfast.<br /><br />One of the most amazing things about her was that she adjusted to her position as ruler of the house so quickly. Unlike most pets, she wasn't afraid of the vacuum. My dad (a very big guy) would playfully stomp near her head, and she wouldn't even flinch--she'd roll on her back and stare up at him like, "I can be silly, too!" When we switched her from a self-feeding dry food diet to a meal-based wet food diet, she made sure to interrupt whatever we were doing with loud "FEED ME!" screams. She was the cleanest cat I've ever met, grooming herself constantly and fussing if her litterbox wasn't scooped often enough. Sometimes, it seemed like her favorite past time was getting right under your feet when you were half-awake or carrying something heavy. Simmis started life as a scared kitten squirming in a bucket, but she quickly became a diva.<br /><br />So when I visited my family this past summer, the changes in her behavior really stuck out. She'd run her paws over the catnip fish, but she wouldn't play with them. Her arthritis made going up and down the stairs difficult, so she didn't come up to my bedroom to sleep with me like she used to. She spent almost all of her time on the living room credenza, not even looking out the window the way she used to. She just slept. And after twenty years of her drinking water once a day and always using her litterbox, she began drinking tons of water and peeing around the house. Cats are masters at hiding pain, but we knew something was wrong. Simmis was no longer thriving; she was merely existing.<br />
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Last month, on the last night of our visit home, Simmis made her way upstairs and got in to bed with me. She couldn't sit still, likely because of her arthritis, and she had to get up and adjust her position every five minutes or so. But still, she cuddled up against me like she had for so many years. It felt like she knew her time was coming, and she was saying goodbye.<br /><br />After we left, her symptoms worsened. Today, I had to make the difficult decision to put her to rest. I'm struggling in large part because I won't be there physically: we moved across the country last year, and while we moved in a to a pet-friendly apartment and absolutely expected to bring her here, her age and health issues made the trip impossible. But as several of my family members pointed out, it's probably for the best. I've already spent several weeks crying and hyperventilating, behaviors that always set my cat on edge. My parents' house is also where she's always lived and felt safest. Thanks to Lap of Love, she will spend her final moments in that home she's always known, cuddled on a fleece blanket she loves.<br /><br />I know we gave each other twenty wonderful years, but the grieving process remains frightfully difficult. She is my baby, a beloved part of our family, and I'll always miss her.<br />
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At this time, I ask that you be patient with me and the ongoing hiatus. And if you have a pet of your own, please give them a scratch or a treat for me.<br /><br />Goodbye, Simmis. Goodbye, Miss Kitty, Boo Kitty, Miss Fuzzybutt, Queenie, Fluffy Wuffy Princess, Mon Petit Kiki, my girlfriend. By any name, I have loved you times a thousand and will you love you forever.Miss Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08220111649046519267noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1836843585087892027.post-19639389858394914252019-06-28T16:05:00.001-05:002019-06-28T16:05:23.514-05:00I'm on a break.You may have noticed that this blog has been strangely quiet for the past two weeks. That's because I have experienced a ton of life changes in June. I'm not wild about broadcasting my entire personal life on the internet, but there are four big things happening that I think you have the right to know about.<br />
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First and foremost, I visited my family for several weeks and realized that my cat isn't doing well. She's had a few health scares, but these are much more serious, continuous issues. It's been a struggle to come to terms with the fact that my cat is finally feeling all of her twenty years. This issue alone has taken up a ton of my time and energy. <br />
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Also, my partner and I have both experienced some really positive career changes, including a relatively stable full-time position for me. While these are obviously improvements, there's also a lot of stress that goes along with them. Restructuring my brain to focus on one full-time position instead of juggling two or three part-time positions (I've done the latter for about six years now) has been tricky.<br />
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A lot of my energy is being devoted to politics as well. I'm sure most of you are aware that there's a big election coming up in the United States. My career will be greatly affected by some of the major issues in this election, namely education and immigration, but I'm also concerned about the future of this country. Living in one of the most conservative, least politically flexible parts of the country forces my partner and I to deal with a lot of stress and turmoil that we want to work through.<br />
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Finally, our closest friends in the area are moving across the country. Obviously, we're thrilled about how their lives are getting better and better! But my partner and I are human. So we're sad to say goodbye to two people we've come to love and trust. We've realized that we probably need to work on making more friends and expanding our social circles, which is...something I am shit at, frankly.<br />
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So for now, at least, the blog will be quiet. I actually have a lot of reviews left to write and plenty of post ideas jotted down in my notebooks, but I think I need to take an honest to goodness break for a bit--no popping in every couple of weeks to post or whatever. I'll still post on Instagram from time to time, I'm sure. In the meantime, I hope you all have a beautiful summer, and I thank you for sticking with me and this blog throughout these years.<br />
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<br />Miss Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08220111649046519267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1836843585087892027.post-55024099947467515232019-06-13T08:30:00.000-05:002019-06-13T08:30:00.669-05:00I broke my no buy. It's fine. Don't panic.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Many a psychologist has pointed out that our shopping tendencies have little to do with our wants, needs, or financial realities and more to do with how our brains our wired. The fact that we buy stuff we don't need and spend more than we should because of our habits has become common knowledge; it's a factoid that appears in just about every blog post critiquing capitalism and every "stop shopping" YouTube video. And that's what made me break my no buy this month: a habit.<br />
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If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that I've moved to a rural area with few physical retail options, but I'm originally from Pittsburgh, where shopping opportunities abound. This means it's tough to get nice clothes where we live now unless we do a ton of online shopping and returning. However, we have plenty of options when we visit my family. So twice a year, we have a "refresh the closet" budget, slash, shopping spree. This includes visits to numerous thrift, consignment, and discount stores, including T.J. Maxx. And after a hundred T.J. Maxx visits, I'd built up a routine: spend 15-20 minutes scouring the beauty section for any products that might remotely interest me.<br />
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Sure enough, when we went to T.J. Maxx last week, I followed the same routine: I perused piles of Perricone MD skincare, Kat Von D palettes (oh, how the mighty have fallen), recently-discontinued Bite lipsticks, and nearly-expired Shiseido sunscreens. Then I noticed a few Bobbi Brown lipsticks, including the relatively new Crushed Lip Colors. I went through my usual procedure with T.J. Maxx beauty products: I checked the shade (Baby, a soft pink I've been wanting for a while), I opened the box and rolled up the lipstick to see if it had been tampered with (it was fine), I considered the price ($15.89 with tax--not bad), and I checked the batch code (it was from a later 2018 batch). I'm so used to doing this that I didn't even think of my no buy as I tossed the box in to my cart and wandered off to peruse the clearance sweaters.<br />
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My T.J. Maxx habits are so engrained in me, in fact, that even going through the checkout lane twice didn't set off my "WAIT WAIT NO BUY" thought process. I bought my clothes on the first go-round, noticed the Bobbi Brown box sitting in the cart under our bag, realized I'd forgotten to pay for the lipstick, and went right back through the line to buy the lipstick on a separate transaction.<br />
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This week, we finally got around to hitting up our local thrift stores and found tons of great, like-new clothing for all of $43. (Why can't my experiences in department stores crowded with $100+ blouses and dresses be as successful?) We decided to wash all of our new-to-us clothes so we could just throw them in our closet when we got back, and when I reached in to the T.J. Maxx bag to grab my $10 sweater, I realized...oh, wait. There's a new lipstick in here. And I didn't use a gift card to get it.<br />
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I broke my no buy.<br />
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Now, I didn't give you this whole story to make excuses for this new lipstick. It doesn't really matter that I bought it because shopping the T.J. Maxx beauty section is a habit; I still made an adult decision and broke my no buy. Rather, I'm pointing out that behavior modification is tougher than we think it is, and it is very likely that you will make mistakes with your own no buy. So much of what we do in our lives is based on routines and habits. In my experience, our financial habits are even harder to break. In a recent Reddit thread, I admitted that I used to prepare for each paycheck by looking for something to buy as soon as the money hit my bank account; it was a habit I didn't break until I was well in to my 20s.<br />
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It's also important that we realize that mistakes are normal, and <a href="http://www.badoutfitgreatlipstick.com/2019/02/no-buy-2019-one-month-update.html">as I've said before</a>, flagellating yourself every time you slip up during your no-buy isn't helpful. You're just going to feel bad for a few days. How is that productive? Rather than downing yourself, think of ways you can address the problem and learn from your mistake. I've realized, for instance, that I should remind my shopping buddy that I'm not buying new beauty products this year. Then, when I make my habitual drift toward the beauty section, they can remind me that I'm on a no buy. If you prefer to shop alone, trying using cash to pay for your purchases instead of a card (we tend to spend less when we use paper instead of plastic), write a note on your hand, or jot down a list and stick to it. For instance, my wardrobe is now pretty well updated, but I still need a new pair of tennis shoes, a white bra, and maybe a back-up pair of jeans. I'd write down those three items on a list, and that would be all I'd look at when I was in the store.<br />
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Long story short, I broke my no buy, but I'm not mad about it. I got halfway through the year without spending my own money on any unnecessary purchases. I'm back on track. And I've learned something beneficial: the T.J. Maxx beauty section is the devil.Miss Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08220111649046519267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1836843585087892027.post-60015933013093548272019-06-08T09:28:00.000-05:002019-06-08T09:28:36.245-05:00What I Crammed Into My Travel Bag<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have a tendency to over-pack when I travel, and that includes my makeup selection. I'll pack five different lip color options and three foundations, despite the fact that I'm incredibly lazy when I travel and I spend a lot of time makeup-less in my pajamas. To save space in our luggage, I decided I'd only pack what I could fit in this small makeup bag. I openly admit that I squeezed it cram-jam full and I could barely pull the zipper shut, but shut it I did, so it counts.<br />
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Against my better judgment, I packed two highlighters: <b>Glossier Haloscope in Quartz</b> and <b>MAC Strobe Cream</b>. I brought the Glossier highlight because it's my go-to for natural looks, and I brought ye olde Strobe Cream because it's almost done and I wanted to empty the tube. (This is a good place to point out that I've decided to stop collecting empties for the year. I'm tired of having a box full of trash in my bathroom and empty containers clogging up my luggage.)<br />
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Glossier actually makes up about half of my bag. I brought three shades of <b>Cloud Paint</b> because I'm Too Much, but also because Dusk, Puff, and Beam can be mixed to make a whole slew of shades. I'm almost done with this tube of <b>Lash Slick</b>, and it's my go-to summer mascara because it doesn't smudge or flake on me, so I figured I'd finish it up on this trip. I'll be curling my lashes with the <b>Shu Uemura Lash Curlers</b>, which are honestly at the end of their life cycle--the hinge is getting rather loose. As for the <b>Boy Brow</b>: it's just a tube of the clear shade I'm trying to finish up.<br />
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There's a distinct lack of Besame in this bag, which I know will raise some eyebrows, since they make my favorite lipsticks. Frankly, I've become a bit of a Besame collector, and I'm way too worried about losing my beloved lipsticks to even consider tossing them in my carry on. Instead, I brought two travel-sized lipsticks that won't hurt my wallet if they're lost:<b> YSL Oil-In-Stick in 44 Nude</b> and <b>Shiseido Modern Matte in Exotic Red</b>. If I wear the Shiseido, I line my lips with the <b>NYX Auburn Lip Pencil</b> to get a crisper line.<br />
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Now, I would usually round out my bag with a brow pencil, since they're easy to apply and don't require any special tools. But honestly, I've been loving how the<b> Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo in Medium Brown</b> makes my brows look. It takes a little longer to apply, but it's unbelievably natural looking. I use the lighter shade in the front of my brows and to map out the shape, and I fill in the tails with the darker shade.<br />
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For my base products, I brought my most natural, slap-it-on-and-go foundation (<b>Surratt Surreal Skin</b>) and my new favorite undereye concealer (<b>YSL High Cover</b>). If I'm traveling and dealing with something that needs more coverage, like the travel acne that finally reared its ugly head today, I usually just skip a full face of makeup and go with these two products instead:<br />
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Is it a cheat to bring these two products in my purse, separate from my makeup bag? I always carry a lip balm (this is the new <b>Glossier Balm Dot Com in Mango</b>) and my <b>Sephora Make No Mistake High Coverage Concealer in 04 Ginger</b>, so it's just standard fair for me. But maybe I should've wedged them in to the bag, too, to prove to myself that I could pack light. Anyway, I think the Mango balm is just okay, and I absolutely love and rely on the Sephora concealer. Sephora will inevitably discontinue this concealer and I will have a minor panic attack. It's doing a great job covering up this morning's travel acne.<br />
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Now that my brother is back from the south and I've finished sorting through roughly half of the objects I left at my parents' house, I can probably start using this makeup bag, right? Right. I'm going to get out of these pajamas and put on that fierce red lipstick!<br />
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...tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll do it, I promise. Today, I have books to read and a brother to hang with.Miss Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08220111649046519267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1836843585087892027.post-17919265413276762622019-05-25T12:52:00.000-05:002019-05-26T10:00:23.490-05:00FOTD: Red Lipstick, No Mascara<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Makeup artists have this incredible ability to make awe-inspiring looks appear easy and manageable. In this age of YouTube, Instagram, and blogs, we have more access to these artists and their work than ever, including tutorials they make themselves. Over the past year, there's been one oft-repeated suggestion that has stuck with me: skip mascara.<br />
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"You know," the makeup artists say coyly as they brush up their models' already-perfect brows, "you could leave the eye makeup here. With skin this glossy and perfected, and with brows this full, you could totally skip mascara." Some of them add, "With a red lipstick, this would be so chic and <i>Parisian</i>," which always makes me cringe a bit because it taps in to an <a href="https://www.vox.com/2017/7/5/15880176/how-to-french-girl-style-beauty">idealized, fetishized,</a> <a href="https://i-d.vice.com/en_au/article/evn7dk/breaking-up-with-the-french-girl-obsession">commodified woman</a> who doesn't really exist. After that cringe, though, I'm basically sold, because red lipstick. I'm a simple Pittsburghese woman.<br />
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As dramatic as it sounds, I've been trying to do this for months, and I just haven't been able to do it. I'd spend a solid 20 minutes perfecting my base makeup and brows, then I'd put on my bright lipstick and tell myself, "Okay, you're done." But I always caved and brushed on some mascara before I left the house. I just felt weirdly incomplete without that mascara.<br />
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Today, I forced myself to put away the mascara. And I have to be honest: I kind of like it. It's nice to know that the only things I'll really have to touch up are a dash of undereye concealer and some post-dinner lipstick. There won't be any black smudges or smears or flakes.<br />
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Accepting my nearsightedness actually makes me like this look even more. With my very necessary glasses on, you can't really see much around my eyes EXCEPT for my brows--you'd have to get damn close to see my lashes behind the lenses. I've been thinking about buying a few more pairs of glasses and treating them like fashion accessories in and of themselves; skipping eye makeup and pairing them with a strong lip color seems like a great way to emphasize both the lipstick and the glasses.<br />
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That said, I'm not going to toss out my mascara any time soon. I still love the look of full, dark lashes, especially if I wear winged eyeliner or glossy shadow. But I'm glad I've finally listened to the makeup artists and tried the sans-mascara look.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>BASE:</b> MAC Face & Body Foundation in C1 + White; YSL Touche Eclat High Cover Concealer in 0.75 Sugar; Dolce & Gabbana Perfect Finish Powder Foundation in 50 Ivory [D/C]; Clinique Moisture Surge Spray</div>
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<b>CHEEKS:</b> NARS Liquid Blush in Orgasm; MAC Strobe Cream in Pinklite</div>
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<b>EYES:</b> Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo in Medium Brown</div>
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<b>LIPS:</b> NYX Lip Pencil in Auburn; Shiseido Modern Matte Powder Lipstick in 516 Exotic Red<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XxM8dpADPkw/XOqpgoQDv2I/AAAAAAAALiI/3ZmP7zSbavkxzbGRzmbwUXwSNOZMorrfQCLcBGAs/s1600/052119_DNA1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="980" height="238" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XxM8dpADPkw/XOqpgoQDv2I/AAAAAAAALiI/3ZmP7zSbavkxzbGRzmbwUXwSNOZMorrfQCLcBGAs/s640/052119_DNA1.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>ETA 5/26/19:</b> I completely forgot to post about our recent donation--I'm so sorry! With your help, we donated $20.04 to the DNA Doe Project this month. Thank you so much! This summer, I'd like to collect donations for <a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/">Planned Parenthood</a>.</div>
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Miss Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08220111649046519267noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1836843585087892027.post-70392977405906298492019-05-18T16:06:00.000-05:002019-05-18T16:06:44.960-05:00The Hype Machine: Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat High Cover Radiant Concealer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dhUPM7Rvd1c/XOBtObwV_CI/AAAAAAAALhM/lmSyBWvd0cYIRB6NbsNbkF7i1mlMUQEjwCLcBGAs/s1600/YSLTEHC_header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dhUPM7Rvd1c/XOBtObwV_CI/AAAAAAAALhM/lmSyBWvd0cYIRB6NbsNbkF7i1mlMUQEjwCLcBGAs/s640/YSLTEHC_header.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The Hype Machine is a series that takes a critical look at
well-loved, cult classic, appears-in-every-other-Instagram-photo
products and asks: are they worth the hype?</i></div>
<br />
A little under two years ago, <a href="http://www.badoutfitgreatlipstick.com/2017/10/the-hype-machine-yves-saint-laurent.html">this same series ranked</a> the original Touche Eclat All-Over Brightening Pen as an above-average product, versatile and lovely, but probably more expensive than necessary. I've continued to use <a href="https://www.sephora.com/product/touche-eclat-radiance-perfecting-pen-P218431?skuId=1120781&icid2=ysl_whatsnew_carousel_us_ufe:p218431:product">my Touche Eclat pen</a> primarily as an undereye brightener, mixing it with my concealer du jour to get a bit less coverage and a brighter, slightly dewier finish. So when YSL released a <a href="https://www.sephora.com/product/touche-eclat-high-cover-radiant-concealer-P440971?icid2=products%20grid:p440971:product">true-blue concealer version</a> of Touche Eclat (because, again, the original <a href="https://www.globalglam.com/toucheeclat/">is not really a concealer</a>; stop yelling at the poor thing), and when it was reviewed positively by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BwcQ3NJHxW9/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">bloggers I trust</a>, I decided to bite the bullet and use up my gift cards.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jkeqQnN4S_E/XOBvBjr4WuI/AAAAAAAALhY/AdHUyoBdFnUgTp03bDt4l5JbBC5PXX_hwCLcBGAs/s1600/YSLTEHC_swatches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="740" data-original-width="800" height="592" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jkeqQnN4S_E/XOBvBjr4WuI/AAAAAAAALhY/AdHUyoBdFnUgTp03bDt4l5JbBC5PXX_hwCLcBGAs/s640/YSLTEHC_swatches.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Natural light on top, ring light on bottom. From left to right: YSL TE High Cover in 0.75 Sugar, YSL TE Brightening Pen in 2 Luminous Ivory, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly, Glossier Stretch Concealer in G11.</i></div>
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What got me a little stuck was the shade range. I couldn't decide between the lightest shade, 0.5 Vanilla, and the second-lightest shade, 0.75 Sugar. After receiving several super-helpful comments on Instagram, I decided to go with 0.75 Sugar, since this is clearly meant to be an undereye/brightening concealer, and I knew the peachy tones of 0.75 would work well on my dark circles.<br />
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I'm glad I went with that shade. First of all, yes, 0.75 is DEFINITELY peach-toned, and it definitely works well on dark circles--more on that in a moment. Second, it's closer to the original Touche Eclat pen in 2 than you'd think. See, the original Touche Eclat pen darkens up a bit as it dries: it comes out looking almost identical to the very pale NARS Chantilly, but it ends up being about a shade darker. I'd peg the YSL Touche Eclat High Cover at about NC/NW 15 in terms of depth, and the YSL Touche Eclat All-Over Brightening Pen is maybe half a shade lighter.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X7PLuGHcDS4/XOBv9pSGeWI/AAAAAAAALhk/D070dX9WPuE0emFddxCLGRgIpLKpxomIQCLcBGAs/s1600/YSLTEHC_beforeafter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X7PLuGHcDS4/XOBv9pSGeWI/AAAAAAAALhk/D070dX9WPuE0emFddxCLGRgIpLKpxomIQCLcBGAs/s640/YSLTEHC_beforeafter.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The only other product on my face in these photos is a thin layer of the Surratt Surreal Skin foundation, which, LOOOOL, look at that beautiful application right over my top lip. I'M AN ARTIST.</i></div>
<br />
The new High Cover version of Touch Eclat features a nearly identical metal tube and brush tip applicator; the only difference is that the High Cover version includes a black label, which is honestly helpful for differentiating between the two tubes quickly. I love the feeling and the weight of this packaging, and unlike many click tubes, it only takes a few clicks to get the product started.<br />
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One click will get you about twice as much product as you see in the above-middle photo. I actually find that a full click of this concealer is a bit much for me, so I just leave the rest on the brush for touch-ups or my next application. However, I tend to wear very thin layers of my base products, I only use this on my undereyes, and I have a sort of small face; you may use a whole click if you're covering more surface area or like more coverage.<br />
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Now, the name of this product may make you think this is going to completely blank out your dark circles. I don't think that's the purpose of this concealer. Instead, I think the name means this is a "high coverage version" of Touche Eclat (versus a traditional, maximum coverage concealer). I'd say this is a very natural, beautiful, just-barely-medium coverage concealer.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qGuFtk9TXnk/XOBxBrJJHRI/AAAAAAAALhw/7Gh4YPC4GQgEQC2wa5i6ov1e1uAuMAF9ACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20190518_151624_517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="833" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qGuFtk9TXnk/XOBxBrJJHRI/AAAAAAAALhw/7Gh4YPC4GQgEQC2wa5i6ov1e1uAuMAF9ACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_20190518_151624_517.jpg" width="332" /></a></div>
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I can hear you scoffing. "<i>Natural?!</i> It looks like you smeared Vaseline on those undereyes!"<br />
<br />
Look, I get what you're saying: my undereyes look hella-glossy in that after photo. But remember that it was photographed with a strong ring light shining directly down on me. In every other lighting situation I tested this in, including the all-important natural light, this just looked like a satin-y, natural, skin-like concealer. See the above natural light Instagram shot for proof!<br />
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You can also dust this very lightly with some powder to make it a natural matte texture. I found that powder took away any and all shine, and it prevented a bit of the (inevitable) creasing, but it didn't clump or cake.<br />
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Finally, let's answer that all-important question: is it worth the price? Again, I have to give you a wishy-washy "yes and no." For me, it's a pretty stellar product that's easy to apply, works well with all of my foundations, and really brightens up my face. I used to put two products on my undereyes; now I'm down to one. If you're like me and you have a hard time finding a single undereye concealer you like, it's aces. But if you already have an undereye concealer you love, I don't know that this luxury product is necessarily going to top it.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><u>BOTTOM LINE:</u> YSL has created a higher-coverage version of their beloved Touche Eclat pen that delivers natural, medium coverage that really works on my undereyes. If you're looking for a great undereye concealer, this could be the one for you; if you've already got a favorite, feel free to give this pricey pen a pass.</i></span><br />
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>The Hype Machine is a series that
represents my experiences and opinions. It is not meant to be a personal
attack on a specific company, product, or consumer. I always recommend
that you try products for yourself and see how they work for you.
Everybody is unique, after all!</i></span></div>
Miss Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08220111649046519267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1836843585087892027.post-52433338526403600932019-05-07T11:12:00.001-05:002019-05-07T11:19:36.394-05:00No Buy 2019: Almost Halfway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-03cdvTVXhg8/XNGmymABloI/AAAAAAAALgk/E5rfwSrs3jU5b5PcIEnp-e4KXZFOFjUPgCLcBGAs/s1600/May19a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="826" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-03cdvTVXhg8/XNGmymABloI/AAAAAAAALgk/E5rfwSrs3jU5b5PcIEnp-e4KXZFOFjUPgCLcBGAs/s640/May19a.jpg" width="528" /></a></div>
<br />
Have we talked about how graceful I am? I'm practically a ballerina. And this past month, I danced right in to my ring flash and snapped the base.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FkmRnfTnh7U/XNGnIUZ8U-I/AAAAAAAALgs/smR2N4XVHaUoJf1tq2QI2m5eLPPwsv6YgCLcBGAs/s1600/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="283" data-original-width="500" height="181" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FkmRnfTnh7U/XNGnIUZ8U-I/AAAAAAAALgs/smR2N4XVHaUoJf1tq2QI2m5eLPPwsv6YgCLcBGAs/s320/giphy.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I've also been horrifically busy with work. As much as I love my career, reading piles of student writing and creating 6-8 new lesson plans every week is starting to wear on me. I've spent a lot of my free time in bed, just trying to recover from the weird creative exhaustion.<br />
<br />
But I'm back, armed with a new ring flash and my Sephora VIB sale purchases! Let's talk about how everything's been going. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What did I want?</b></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SEZVG3n3DXc/XNGnu745FuI/AAAAAAAALg8/oumKg6zl-O0i1xRuRdCL8X3r4BvmmjErgCLcBGAs/s1600/May19b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="1000" height="330" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SEZVG3n3DXc/XNGnu745FuI/AAAAAAAALg8/oumKg6zl-O0i1xRuRdCL8X3r4BvmmjErgCLcBGAs/s640/May19b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Let's take a moment to appreciate this wants list. First of all, I've X-ed off half of the stuff on the list, meaning reading reviews or re-assessing the product has killed my desire for it. The Jillian Dempsey Lid Tints, for example, look absolutely STUNNING on the many bloggers who have been posting about them, but realistically, I don't need more eye makeup. I'm already beyond lazy with the eye products I have.<br />
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Second, I haven't added anything to this list since March. Seriously, for a month and a half, nothing has really tickled my fancy. I actually spent half an hour combing through the "New" sections at Sephora and Nordstrom, and there was nothing interesting enough to add to my wish list.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What did I buy?</b></span></div>
<br />
I returned the very lovely, but very not my shade, <a href="http://www.badoutfitgreatlipstick.com/2019/03/review-laura-mercier-flawless-lumiere.html">Laura Mercier foundation</a> I tested a few months ago and got the <a href="https://www.sephora.com/product/brow-powder-duo-P69300?">Anastasia Brow Powder Duo</a> and a brush instead. I'm honestly loving this purchase. A brow powder takes a bit longer to apply than, say, a super-pigmented pencil, but it gives me a lot of control, and my brows look fuller without being blatantly drawn-on. Also, I have a problem with my brow products turning very red on my skin; the brow powder stays true to color.<br />
<br />
I also made several purchases with store credit and gift cards. Glossier recently released <a href="https://www.glossier.com/products/balm-dotcom">Mango Balm Dot Com</a> (it's okay) and an eye cream called <a href="https://www.glossier.com/products/bubblewrap">Bubblewrap</a> (haven't tested yet), so I grabbed those along with another bottle of the <a href="https://www.glossier.com/products/body-hero-daily-oil-wash">oil wash</a>. For the Sephora VIB sale, I bought a whopping two things: the <a href="https://www.sephora.com/product/sea-spray-mini-P425991?icid2=products%20grid:p425991:product">Verb Sea Spray</a> and the <a href="https://www.sephora.com/product/touche-eclat-high-cover-radiant-concealer-P440971">YSL Touche Eclat High Cover Concealer</a>. I had a rough time buying that concealer because I was sent so many conflicting reports about the shades. After being torn between 0.5 Vanilla and 0.75 Sugar, I went with the latter, since the peachy undertones will likely be better for my undereye circles.<br />
<br />
Today, I repurchased the <a href="https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/skin-laundry-daily-moisturizer-broad-spectrum-spf-35/5111745?origin=keywordsearch-personalizedsort&breadcrumb=Home%2FAll%20Results&color=none">Skin Laundry Daily Moisturizer SPF35</a>, my staple day cream, from Nordstrom. I had a bit of a panic attack when I noticed the product was no longer on Sephora and contacted the company to see if it was being discontinued. They directed me to several other retailers, so apparently, Sephora is just not going to carry it anymore and everything is fine. If they ever discontinue this product, I'm going crazy and buying as much as I can without overwhelming our budget.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">How am I feeling?</span></b></div>
<br />
At the risk of sounding smug, it's crazy to me how easy this has been. Every time I find myself tempted to buy something new, I remind myself that I only have so much spending money, or that I really want to achieve a no buy year, or that I already own a ton of stuff that needs loved. And I feel fine. Again, looking through the "New Products" sections on several websites and feeling zero interest was a wake-up call. I still enjoy makeup, and in fact, I'd say I've gotten even more in to skincare over the past year. But I don't need to buy a ton of it to be happy.<br />
<br />
I do think part of what's making this easy, though, is that I've been so busy at work. I'll be visiting my family for a few weeks this summer, then I'm working a very reduced schedule (roughly 8 hours/week) in July. That makes boredom shopping a very real possibility that needs to be curbed.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Anything else?</b></span></div>
<br />
So I had to pay some of the taxes for that Sephora order out of pocket--$4.62, to be exact. I'm wondering if that counts as breaking my no buy. On the one hand, that seems needlessly strict, since it was just taxes, not another product, and it was under $5 of my own money. On the other hand, I'm worried that that's a bit of a cop-out, and/or that I'll use that excuse to buy things I don't need later in the year.<br />
<br />
I'm keeping track of how much of my own money I spend on non-staples, and $4.62 isn't a bad amount, in my opinion. But I really don't want it to creep up to $50+. What do you think? Am I making excuses, or was this a reasonable expense?<br />
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PS: Recently, I've gotten a TON of questions about replacements for the discontinued <a href="http://www.badoutfitgreatlipstick.com/2013/11/review-dolce-gabbana-perfect-finish.html">D&G powder foundation</a>. For a variety of reasons, namely this no buy and my personal pickiness about powders, I haven't found a replacement. If I do, I'll let you know. If you find one, please, for the love of all that's holy, hook a sister up.<br />
<br />
PPS: When this no buy is over, I'd like to try a new series testing super-expensive products, our finances permitting. It'd be called "I Spent My Paycheck On This," or something of that ilk. Does that sound interesting at all? Is a review of a $200 foundation even on-brand for me?Miss Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08220111649046519267noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1836843585087892027.post-68050286809339308382019-04-13T13:13:00.000-05:002019-04-13T13:14:42.393-05:00Spring Cleaning: Products I'm Purging<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eBcJfp7F45c/XLIiAzca-MI/AAAAAAAALf4/rUpCxtFiW3gwL5stBfw3IGKd6I_7v9x-ACLcBGAs/s1600/SpringCleaning2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1000" height="512" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eBcJfp7F45c/XLIiAzca-MI/AAAAAAAALf4/rUpCxtFiW3gwL5stBfw3IGKd6I_7v9x-ACLcBGAs/s640/SpringCleaning2019.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The beautiful card catalogue Kirby made me only has so much space, and it forces me to keep only what I love. That means I've got to get rid of some products to make room for the new stuff I've tried and loved. I'm actually a bit surprised that I'm getting rid of some of these things, to be honest, because there are some gorgeous products here. But if you're not using something, it's just going to waste.<br />
<br />
So let's talk about the really amazing products I'm getting rid of! At the top of the list are these <b>Face Stockholm cream blushes</b>. I stand by my belief that these are some of the best cream blushes on the market; they have a slightly "jelly" texture that blends easily and provides a natural highlight. But I always, always reach for more hygienic liquid blushes in tubes or slap-it-on-and-go stick blushes. Another beautiful, but rarely worn, product is the <b>MAC Amplified lipstick in Nicki's Nude</b>. As pretty is it is, on the rare days when I wear a beige nude, I reach for NARS Raquel.<br />
<br />
The list of makeup that's really lovely, but just not my style, includes the <b>Marc Jacobs Dew Drops in Dew You</b>, the <b>Milk Makeup Holographic Highlighter in Mars</b>, and the <b>Fenty Mattemoiselle lipstick in Freckle Fiesta</b>. The highlighters are a tad too sparkly and "makeup-ish" for my tastes, though most people with less ghostly skintones will probably find them natural and beautiful. As for Freckle Fiesta: I absolutely ADORE the color of this lipstick, but I think I have to admit that <a href="http://www.badoutfitgreatlipstick.com/2018/02/review-fenty-beauty-mattemoiselle-plush.html">it isn't flattering on me at all</a>. I keep telling myself it'll be better if I tan up to NC20, but that's turning out to be a lot harder than I thought.<br />
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Now for the epic fails. Look, there have been some rave reviews for the<b> Kosas Tinted Face Oil</b>, and it's SO up my alley and I SO want to love it...but <a href="http://www.badoutfitgreatlipstick.com/2019/01/review-kosas-tinted-face-oil.html">it just doesn't work on me</a>. It deserves a better home. <b>The Sephora Bright Future Gel Serum Concealer</b> came highly recommended, too, but I found it pretty "meh." It has zero staying power on my dry skin and it can look a bit chalky on my undereyes.<br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BuFmmPqHhDL/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BuFmmPqHhDL/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">I tried the new @urbandecaycosmetics brow gel and it was...eek. #urbandecaycosmetics #brows #nomame #beautyproducts</a></div>
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A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reneesanatomy/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> Renee</a> (@reneesanatomy) on <time datetime="2019-02-20T02:53:51+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Feb 19, 2019 at 6:53pm PST</time></div>
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<br />
The new <b>Glossier Generation G</b> formula is an abomination, so I won't linger on that. But can we talk about how every other brow product on the market seems to turn bright red on me? I had high hopes for the expanded <b>Colourpop Precision Brow Pencil</b> shade range, but nope, every shade is still too dark or too orange on me. And don't even get me started on the <b>Urban Decay Brow Beater</b> gel. <i>Woof.</i> Maybe if you have decent brows, this will look nicer, but it just made me look like Groucho Marx.<br />
<br />
Speaking of brows! Sephora is finally releasing some freebies I want, so I'll be purchasing <a href="http://www.badoutfitgreatlipstick.com/2019/04/i-refuse-to-buy-this-until-freebies.html">that brow powder and brush I mentioned</a> this coming week. Beyond that...there's not a lot I want to buy with my birthday gift cards. Don't get me wrong; there's plenty of stuff I'd be interested in trying! But even after this purge, I've got plenty of products in my collection that I'm rediscovering. I think that's one of the best parts of being on a no buy: you have to be creative and use what you already have.Miss Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08220111649046519267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1836843585087892027.post-59008780075458717602019-04-05T11:27:00.002-05:002019-04-05T11:33:25.246-05:00I Refuse to Buy This Until the Freebies Stop Sucking<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N4efqE4GicU/XKd8T_z8olI/AAAAAAAALfs/nwPTTN9sFnov6YdZV0r5JbLY9rvLjULPQCLcBGAs/s1600/itsbirthdaytime.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="672" height="598" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N4efqE4GicU/XKd8T_z8olI/AAAAAAAALfs/nwPTTN9sFnov6YdZV0r5JbLY9rvLjULPQCLcBGAs/s640/itsbirthdaytime.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Apparently, I am one of three people on Earth who actually likes the Sephora rewards program. Granted, spending around $75 to earn a deluxe sample is a bit rich, but at least Beauty Insider points don't expire. Getting actual cash back a la Ulta's rewards program is definitely preferable, but I will never spend enough money in a year for it to be worth it to me. So I do most of my shopping at Sephora, and I wait to push the "checkout" button until there are samples I really want.<br />
<br />
Now, I've wanted the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo off and on for several years, and I decided to buy it back in February. But I have a birthday in April, so I waited until this month to place my order so I could use the credit from a return and cash in on my free birthday gift. That's already a big win for me; I never could have waited months to place an order in years past.<br />
<br />
Annnnnnd I'm still waiting because the samples suck. One of the weirdly satisfying things that's come out of my downsizing and more conscious spending is that I'm very picky about what samples I'll settle for. It has to be a product I'm genuinely interested in, and it has to be in a shade or a formula I know I'll use. Currently, there's a red Laura Mercier lipstick available with a coupon code. There was a time when I would have just used that code and been done with it, because hey, free lipstick from a nice brand. Now, however, I know that I already have a ton of <a href="http://www.badoutfitgreatlipstick.com/2018/05/swatches-of-all-eleven-of-my-besame.html">Besame reds</a> I love, and I'm not actually interested in the formula. I'm actually quite interested in several of the foundation samples they've offered recently, but they're not offering a shade that will work for me. Nope. I'll wait.<br />
<br />
Will I eventually just buy the ABH products and get the birthday gift if the samples never improve? Sure. But those Milk Makeup minis will be free to me until the end of April, and that store credit isn't going anywhere. I can wait. And the longer I wait, the more I feel like I'm breaking away from this endless need to BUY BUY BUY.<br />
<br />
Speaking of my birthday! If you're interested in getting me a present and you have $3 to spare, donating to <a href="https://ko-fi.com/G2G87QIB">my Ko-Fi</a> would be absolutely stellar. This spring's charity of choice is the DNA Doe Project, an organization that uses emerging DNA technology to identify John and Jane Does. While I have mixed feelings about law enforcement and medical organizations accessing genealogical DNA, I am all for it being used to give these people back their names and bring closure to families. You can read more about the DNA Doe Project on <a href="http://dnadoeproject.org/">their website</a>.<br />
<br />
I have not received any donations for the past few months, so my recent donations will remain private.Miss Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08220111649046519267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1836843585087892027.post-72045654134021702632019-03-29T15:59:00.000-05:002019-03-29T16:00:26.756-05:00Companion Piece: 2019 No Buy and Goals Check-In<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ipTY8hEsQ4c/XJ6BfpqU5XI/AAAAAAAALfg/nXeiUfLEOY80Mo7XqMr-nynGGSfiUNsMwCLcBGAs/s1600/March19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1000" height="512" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ipTY8hEsQ4c/XJ6BfpqU5XI/AAAAAAAALfg/nXeiUfLEOY80Mo7XqMr-nynGGSfiUNsMwCLcBGAs/s640/March19.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Buying fewer beauty products means less to review and more time to brainstorm new post ideas. That's how I came up with "Companion Piece," a new series that will combine a blogpost and a video on a related topic. I figure this is the best way to please a variety of my readership, since some of them prefer to read and others prefer to watch or listen to a video. Fair warning: the video cuts off very suddenly because the last piece of the file was corrupted, but I'd love to hear about how your 2019 goals are going!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">What did I want?</span></b></div>
<br />
There have been a ton of great new releases these past few months, like the <a href="https://www.sephora.com/product/touche-eclat-high-cover-radiant-concealer-P440971?icid2=justarrived_us_skugrid_ufe:p440971:product&skuId=2209179">YSL Touche Eclat High Cover Radiant Concealer</a> I've been eyeing, but I've also found myself looking in to more "established" products, like the <a href="https://www.sephora.com/product/brow-powder-duo-P69300?icid2=products%20grid:p69300:product&skuId=929794">Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo</a>, the <a href="https://www.violetgrey.com/product/lid-tint/JIL-LT2050D">Jillian Dempsey Lid Tints</a>, and the <a href="https://www.sephora.com/product/hollywood-contour-wand-P434002?icid2=products%20grid:p434002:product&skuId=2115962">Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Contour Wand</a>. I talked myself out of the contouring product because, quite frankly, I will never be the sort of person who contours, and I just have to admit that to myself. I have a thin face; contouring isn't going to do me too many favors. I'm also pretty sure I won't buy a Lid Tint anytime soon, just because they're super pretty on other people, but not the sort of makeup I'd fuss with on the daily.<br />
<br />
That said, I do plan on buying the Anastasia Brow Duo and a brush to go with it. Don't worry, I won't be breaking my no buy! I returned <a href="http://www.badoutfitgreatlipstick.com/2019/03/review-laura-mercier-flawless-lumiere.html">the Laura Mercier foundation I tested</a> earlier this month (it's beautiful, but I don't have a shade match), and that plus my leftover gift cards will more than cover the cost of the brow products. April is my birthday month, so I'll use the opportunity to get the yearly birthday gift and whatnot on the same order.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">What did I buy?</span></b></div>
<br />
As is usual for a 2-3 month period, I had to replace some staples; in this case, it was my favorite Paula's Choice BHA. I've used their <a href="https://www.paulaschoice.com/skin-perfecting-2pct-bha-liquid-exfoliant/201.html">2% BHA liquid</a> for years and have never been disappointed.<br />
<br />
Also, Glossier decided to launch their new sub-brand, <a href="https://www.glossier.com/play">Glossier Play</a>, and I used my store credit to order <a href="http://www.badoutfitgreatlipstick.com/2019/03/1p2l-pencil-eyeliner-with-glossier.html">(and review)</a> quite the haul. That slew of products and Kirby's bout of shingles kept me preoccupied for most of the tail end of winter.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>How am I feeling?</b></span></div>
<br />
To be totally honest, I'm feeling better than I ever expected re: No Buy 2019. I've been wearing makeup a little less than usual due to my odd work schedule, some exhausting traveling and conference-attending I've had to do, Kirby's illness, etc. So every time I've found myself wanting to jump online and buy something "for fun," I've opened the drawers of my card catalogue and said to myself, "Well, here are these 20-some lipsticks I'm barely wearing right now. Do I really need another one?"<br />
<br />
As for how I'm feeling in general? That's...a bit different. I've struggled with depression a lot this month, especially at the beginning of March. There have been far too many days when I've felt useless and unhappy with myself and my choices. A large part of the problem is that there are several huge life changes looming on the horizon, but they're not guaranteed, ie, I won't know if my life is changing in these massive ways any time soon. I hate uncertainty. The realization that it's not safe to fly my cat across the country has also affected me. She's my cat and I want her with me, but I also want her to be happy and healthy, and a long-haul flight just isn't in her best interests.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Anything else?</span></b></div>
<br />
Something that people always mention is how quickly a no buy can lead to overspending in another hobby, and I really experienced that this past month. Living in a rural, relatively isolated area means there are limited shopping choices in-town, so traveling for work becomes an opportunity to shop. Last week, I walked in to a <a href="https://www.joann.com/">Joann Fabric</a> for the first time in months, and...well, let's just say it's a miracle I only spent $40 on planner supplies versus $100. My planner supplies drawer is full now, so even though I want some new pens and more washi tape, I'm telling myself, "No no no, use what you have."<br />
<br />
To keep myself on track, I'm limiting my allowance to $10 for April. That sounds crazy, but really, what do I need? Nothing. $10 will buy me a Steam game or a nice new pen, and that's more than enough combined with what I already own.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Video: 2019 Goals Check-In</span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/0fwF9qvOQDg/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0fwF9qvOQDg?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />Miss Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08220111649046519267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1836843585087892027.post-67939203080525105242019-03-17T15:00:00.000-05:002019-03-17T15:00:51.870-05:001P2L: Pencil Eyeliner with Glossier Colorslide + Glossier Play Mini-Reviews<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E_LxV-qE59c/XI6VhcnT0HI/AAAAAAAALdI/54ib8wMz8SMJ_4Cl2ujAINIEe0Rg5sJCQCLcBGAs/s1600/GPheader.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1471" height="434" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E_LxV-qE59c/XI6VhcnT0HI/AAAAAAAALdI/54ib8wMz8SMJ_4Cl2ujAINIEe0Rg5sJCQCLcBGAs/s640/GPheader.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Like most beauty bloggers, I assumed Glossier was about due for a "more full-on" makeup range, and I figured <a href="https://www.glossier.com/play">Glossier Play</a> would be it. When they launched a range that prompted some excitement and a slew of criticisms, my initial feelings toward the four new cosmetics and two new tools were relatively mild. Yes, I was excited for the highlighters, but my reaction to highlighters is as instinctual and simple as my two-year-old niece's response to french fries. The lack of professional swatches on multiple skintones--something Glossier has been relatively good about for the past few years--leads me to believe that the launch was a little rushed.<br />
<br />
All of this said, I received a slew of Instagram messages and emails
when this line was announced, so clearly there's been some hype and
interest surrounding the range. And frankly, a fun, colorful cache of
products I could buy with the store credit you lovely people have earned
me (thanks!) couldn't have at come at a better time. Between Kirby fighting a nasty bout of shingles and me being whacked with the depression hammer, the first half of March reminded me just how important fun and relaxation are.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6vOk3TSM_Jk/XI6Wa46BvtI/AAAAAAAALdU/wqR5Gmo90bwhD2fWSkdK8uU2Xzk78Co3gCLcBGAs/s1600/GPpackaging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6vOk3TSM_Jk/XI6Wa46BvtI/AAAAAAAALdU/wqR5Gmo90bwhD2fWSkdK8uU2Xzk78Co3gCLcBGAs/s640/GPpackaging.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Now, a lot of people have complained that this launch doesn't suit the
"Glossier look." I can't entirely agree. For starters, there's a reason
why they're launching these products under a sub-brand: they know it's
not their usual no-makeup-makeup. But more importantly, this strikes me as "cool
girl" party makeup, the kind of stuff naturally pretty people slap on
their faces when they go out and want to try something a little
different. None of it is designed for precise cut creases or stage-worthy
Instaglam looks, and in my opinion, that's very Glossier.<br />
<br />
There's also been a lot of debate about the design and environmental impact of these products. <a href="http://auxiliarybeauty.blogspot.com/2019/03/glossier-play-reviews-colorslide.html">This delightful post from Auxiliary Beauty</a> sums up most of my feelings about this. I'll add that I thought the 1970s-as-seen-by-Y2K-teenagers fonts and boxes were very cute. They hit me right in the "oh fuck that was middle school" nostalgia. However, like most people, I think wrapping each product in an extra piece of foil, then putting in to a box, is a wee bit excessive. It's also suspicious to me that Glossier claims they spent two years preparing this brand, yet they didn't think to use biodegradable glitter. Their consumer base is almost all Gen Z and Millenials, and we're groups that tend to worry about climate change and plastic consumption. To their credit, Glossier has listened to the criticisms; they will phase out the foil packets and plan on reformulating their products with biodegradable glitter.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u-XP0u_NOgc/XI6XmdkEfoI/AAAAAAAALdg/XM9svVT3u1wgN6CkZHuvP28WMHMGq8bSwCLcBGAs/s1600/GPfoilpackets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="739" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u-XP0u_NOgc/XI6XmdkEfoI/AAAAAAAALdg/XM9svVT3u1wgN6CkZHuvP28WMHMGq8bSwCLcBGAs/s640/GPfoilpackets.jpg" width="294" /></a></div>
<br />
Since I'm ranting, may I also point out that Glossier is STILL doing that "this is so unique and there's nothing like it" marketing, and it <i>just doesn't work for them?</i> Colorful pencil eyeliners and glitter gel have been around for decades, but they're releasing ad copy like this:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IowpZFvprsY/XI6XukQzy-I/AAAAAAAALdk/C_UHjCacbpMWolGjQZibq2dyUkiJDFTWwCLcBGAs/s1600/GPad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="872" height="408" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IowpZFvprsY/XI6XukQzy-I/AAAAAAAALdk/C_UHjCacbpMWolGjQZibq2dyUkiJDFTWwCLcBGAs/s640/GPad.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
For the millionth time: there are more marketing tactics than the appeal to novelty. Customers like me are drawn to how easy and effortless Glossier's range is, and some are drawn to the "cool factor." But I'm not seeing a single, not-a-Glossier-rep person gushing over how "new" and "original" these products are. Play to your strengths, Glossier.<br />
<br />
Enough complaining; let's get on to the swatches, looks, and reviews!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qqFOokftaLY/XI6YYjF-eQI/AAAAAAAALd0/XOAOtQ6Gc_UwouSXiO4o1BGl-meFkpLgACLcBGAs/s1600/GPswatches_Colorslide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qqFOokftaLY/XI6YYjF-eQI/AAAAAAAALd0/XOAOtQ6Gc_UwouSXiO4o1BGl-meFkpLgACLcBGAs/s640/GPswatches_Colorslide.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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As mentioned, Glossier Play was launched with four new makeup products and two tools. The first makeup product is <a href="https://www.glossier.com/products/colorslide">Colorslide</a>, a range of colorful eyeliners. I got five shades: Adult Swim and Disaster Class for day-to-day wear, and Early Girl, Nectar, and Jumbo for experimentation and fun. All of these shades are matte, but there are metallic colors in the range, if that's more your gig. The Colorslide pencils are $15 each.<br />
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I've also sharpened them with the <a href="https://www.glossier.com/products/blade">Blade sharpener</a>. I get that a sharpener isn't something most people are going to lose their shit over, but this is a pretty nice one at an agreeable $4. It comes with a purple "cleaning stick" that you can twist in the sharpener to clean out the blade.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bm4Az12T_2w/XI6ZsuufZSI/AAAAAAAALeE/YiGBM84popksxoXJuMmeYt7XcgwtsT-wgCLcBGAs/s1600/GPswatches_GlitterGelee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bm4Az12T_2w/XI6ZsuufZSI/AAAAAAAALeE/YiGBM84popksxoXJuMmeYt7XcgwtsT-wgCLcBGAs/s640/GPswatches_GlitterGelee.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Next, we have those not-yet-biodegradable <a href="https://www.glossier.com/products/glitter-gelee">Glitter Gelees</a>. I have three of the four shades: Glass Bonsai, Phantasm, and Firewalk. They're all <i>technically</i> suspended in a clear base and are, therefore, meant to be layered or used as sparkle rather than as full-on eyeshadows. But you can see that some of the shades contain a bit more of the fine shimmer, which makes the base seem less clear; this is most obvious with Firewalk. Phantasm, meanwhile, contains no fine shimmer and is all larger, more obvious holographic glitter shapes. Glass Bonsai is somewhere in the middle as far as opacity goes.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TBTl_AytSqE/XI6aP9qfzzI/AAAAAAAALeM/aDbG7pDTWVkGx7rn_eafKhRDvvdc6qBDwCLcBGAs/s1600/GPswatches_VinylicNiteshine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TBTl_AytSqE/XI6aP9qfzzI/AAAAAAAALeM/aDbG7pDTWVkGx7rn_eafKhRDvvdc6qBDwCLcBGAs/s640/GPswatches_VinylicNiteshine.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The product I was least excited for, shocker of shockers, was the <a href="https://www.glossier.com/products/vinylic-lip">Vinylic Lip</a>. Yes, a liquid lip product in a click pen with a spongey applicator takes me right back to my first order from <a href="https://www.elfcosmetics.com/whats-new/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMImJrlp_OJ4QIVCoppCh06KwVcEAAYASAAEgLkJPD_BwE">ELF</a>, I'm not gonna lie. But I'm not a huge gloss person, and I find clicky pens a bit of a pain to use. It took me 41 clicks to get product out of Pony, and a whopping <i>71 clicks</i> with Baby. I also find Glossier's color descriptions a little weird: Pony is less "taupe" to me and more mauve, and "Baby" reads more like a strawberry pink than a saturated, blue-based red.<br />
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By contrast, I was beyond hyped to see that they were releasing more full-on highlighters, because...highlighters. I purchased the two lightest <a href="https://www.glossier.com/products/niteshine">Niteshine</a> shades, the yellow-based Pale Pearl and the pink-based Platinum Rose.<br />
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Here are two looks I created with my Glossier Play products. (The only one not shown here is the Glitter Gelee in Glass Bonsai.) On the left, we have my attempt at something a little more full-on. I used the Jumbo and Disaster Class liners as bases, then added <a href="http://www.badoutfitgreatlipstick.com/2018/03/review-glossier-lidstar.html">Glossier Lidstar</a> in Cub to the center of my eye and topped it with two layers of Firewalk Glitter Gelee. I lined my lower lashline with Nectar. On the whole, I enjoy the eye look:<br />
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Interestingly, neither the Colorslide pencils nor the Glitter Gelee applied the way I expected. Glossier describes Colorslide as a "technogel eye pencil," implying it has a smooth gel formula. I actually found these pencils very waxy, and they tugged at my lids a little as I applied them. Disaster Class was especially difficult to use and applied patchy when I tried to use it as a base. Also, while I was able to get some intense color out of the Colorslide pencils, it took at least two layers to reach full saturation, sometimes three. And using these all over your eyelid when they're a waxy formula that catches? This can happen:<br />
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Yeah, that's frustrating.<br />
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In short, you can use these as eyeshadow bases, but it's a real pain in the ass, and some of the shades work better than others. These also take a little more effort to transfer to your waterline as compared to a true gel or khol-type pencil. If you're going to get these, go for the more pastel, interesting shades, like Nectar and Easy Girl, which are perfectly serviceable and can be tough to get in a decent formula. As a whole, though, I don't think these eyeliners are particularly special.<br />
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I had much better luck with the Glitter Gelees. Now, some people have complained these glitter gels made a huge mess on their face and left a ton of fallout all over their cheeks. In video reviews that stated this, I noticed that the person would apply the glitter to their eyelid, then immediately start blinking and moving their eyes all over the place. A product like this needs a minute to dry, so just be patient and keep your eye as still as you can right after application. I had absolutely zero glitter fallout or movement from all three Glitter Gelee shades after they'd dried, which sort of stunned me.<br />
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For the second, more natural look, I used Easy Girl and Adult Swim on my upper lashline to create a simple, slightly winged eyeliner, then lined my upper waterline with Adult Swim and tapped a bit of Phantasm Glitter Gelee at the corner of my eye. Phantasm is the glitter most people are excited about, and I can see why; it's just really fun and pretty.<br />
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For both looks, I used their <a href="https://www.glossier.com/products/the-detailer">Detailer</a> to apply the glitter. A silicone applicator is definitely the best way to apply these, since it gives you more control and limits the mess, but you don't have to buy this one. Plenty of other brands make <a href="https://www.elfcosmetics.com/silicone-glitter-applicator/84056.html?cgid=toolsbags-spongesapplicators#start=13&sz=24">cheap silicone applicators</a>.<br />
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Both the Colorslides and Glitter Gelees had great staying power; there was no fallout and minimal fading/smearing throughout the day. I use baby oil and cottons to remove them. The glitter is especially tenacious and should be kept out of your plumbing as much as possible, so you'll probably want to hold the oil-soaked cotton on your skin for a while to loosen it up.<br />
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For the more dramatic look, I wanted a super-shiny, very bold, definitely red lip, but I didn't get that with the Vinylic Lip in Baby. In fact, when I tried to layer it, I got only slightly more color, but I also noticed flakes on my lips that I didn't see before--see above. And it still never became "high shine" like Glossier promised. It's a thin, lightweight, decently comfortable formula with a faint strawberry smell. Nothing terrible, nothing to write home about. Frankly, I think Glossier should have produced colored versions of their <a href="https://www.glossier.com/products/lip-gloss?g_campaign=US_Google_Brand_PLA&g_campaignid=791993178&g_adgroupid=45292334818&g_adid=201994384290&g_keyword=&g_keywordid=pla-611164692386&g_adtype=pla&g_merchantid=107339476&g_productchannel=online&g_productid=LIP-010-00-00&g_partition=611164692386&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqbGlj_SJ4QIVSLXACh3EMAQcEAQYASABEgIQ4_D_BwE">regular gloss</a> instead, since it is far shinier and more full-on than this formula.<br />
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I'll definitely get more use out of Pony, which I used for the softer look. One layer gave me that wearable, work-appropriate mauve shade that's perfect for work.<br />
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Last, but not least, we have the Niteshine Highlighter Concentrate. In terms of payoff and shine, I'd say these are like <a href="http://www.badoutfitgreatlipstick.com/2018/04/moderate-stash-highlighters.html">Glossier Haloscopes and Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors</a> had a baby: they're shinier and more obvious than the Haloscope, but they manage to do it without being sparkly a la the SSP. It's a nice product with a thin, liquid formula that can be built up. Just make sure you blend them out fast, because they dry within seconds. I'm wearing Platinum Rose on my cheekbones in the full-on look, Pale Pearl on my cheekbones and under my brows in the more natural look.<br />
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While I really enjoy these and will get good use out of them, I have two quibbles. First, the shade range is just plain dumb. Platinum Rose and Pale Pearl are almost identical on your skin, and the two darker shades look similarly close. If you're releasing glitter gel and colorful eyeliner, and if your ads are full of disco and rave-inspired shots, you should probably come out with some more interesting colors. A lavender, for instance, would've been an on-trend option. Second, these suffer from the same packaging problems as the Lidstars: the lids are small, smooth, and difficult to turn. Anybody with limited hand mobility is going to have a rough time opening these highlighters.<br />
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When it's all said and done, I don't think this launch is as terrible as some people are making it out to be, but I also don't think it's full of products you have to rush out and buy. True, I really love the Glitter Gelees, and I'll use the Niteshine Highlighters regularly. But one of each, tops, will probably be more than enough for most people. And while the Colorslide pencils and Vinylic lips aren't <i>dreadful</i>, they certainly aren't worth it when you have brands like <a href="https://colourpop.com/">Colourpop</a> producing better stuff at a lower price. If Glossier wants to improve this range, I suggest that they:<br />
<ul>
<li>Fulfill their promise to use biodegradable glitter in the Glitter Gelee,</li>
<li>Improve the shade ranges for several of the products, and</li>
<li>Focus on creating what their fans have actually been asking for, like a cream bronzer or a tinted moisturizer/foundation with a bit more coverage. </li>
</ul>
PS: I'll be taking a very short break from writing this blog to focus on work. I should be back by the end of March!<br />
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PPS: WHERE IS THAT GODDAMN <a href="https://intothegloss.com/2017/08/glossier-candle/">CANDLE </a>YOU PROMISED, GLOSSIER?!<br />
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<i>Note: All of these products were purchased with Glossier store credit earned via an affiliate link. I have not been paid to test, photograph, or write about anything in this post. My reviews are always honest. Actually, Glossier is probably a bit sick of sending me so much free shit, given how poorly I've rated some of their releases. Sorry, guys.</i></div>
Miss Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08220111649046519267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1836843585087892027.post-32471617327646575002019-03-15T15:18:00.003-05:002019-03-15T15:22:32.248-05:00This Isn't Makeup: I Finally Bought a New Purse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ty03zmjX9rM/XIwF_k7lIZI/AAAAAAAALcw/VkJ5UBxZuFIYchoZwnygTBRuZeoH7moyACLcBGAs/s1600/NewBag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1000" height="512" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ty03zmjX9rM/XIwF_k7lIZI/AAAAAAAALcw/VkJ5UBxZuFIYchoZwnygTBRuZeoH7moyACLcBGAs/s640/NewBag.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm somebody who has, for the last decade, had zero problems dropping $100+ in a single go on fancy foundation and more red lipsticks. Yet I've always struggled to spend that kind of money on other products. This includes clothing and accessories: the only jewelry I wear these days is my engagement ring, and I get almost all of my outfits in thrift stores or off of sales racks. So it's not surprising that I've had the same Fossil bag, and only that one Fossil bag, for a solid four years.<br />
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Even buying that bag (on the right) was tough for me. I scoured the internet for the cheapest price, eventually finding the tan shade for under $100. When I received it, I made sure to treat it with leather balms and protectants. I loved that bag. The front pouches were perfect for my wallet and keys, there was an inside zip pocket that I could stuff with tampons and medicines (I'm a walking pharmacy/grandmother/whatever), and there were two small sections on the inside that were perfect for hand cream, lip balm, business cards...basically, there were many junk pockets.<br />
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This month, I finally admitted that my beloved bag had bit the dust. The zipper had ripped away from the bag itself, making it impossible to shut properly, and beyond the normal, expected discoloration of the leather, I'd noticed a lot of black staining. So I went ahead and bought a new bag, also from Fossil: <a href="https://www.fossil.com/us/en/products/sydney-crossbody-sku-shb2076210c.html">the Sydney crossbody</a>. It was already on sale for $97, but I found a coupon code on Google that dropped the price to about $72 shipped.<br />
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You know what's weird? I knew I needed a new bag, and I got a sturdy bag for a good price, but I still struggled to spend the money. And when I thought about it, I realized...it's harder for me to spend large amounts of money on <i>anything</i> now that I've been downsizing and no-buying. I used to spend this kind of money on lipstick without even flinching, and now I spend a lot of time asking, "Is this makeup worth a whole day's work?" I mean, buying $200 worth of makeup twice a year? Doable. Using gift cards or receiving PR? Whatever. But I don't feel comfortable spending this kind of money on non-necessities on the regular anymore. <br />
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Now that it's here, I'm really enjoying this bag. It's a little smaller and has fewer pockets, which I wanted so I'd carry a bit less shit. That's...kind of working. We'll see if I can downsize my bag's contents even more!Miss Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08220111649046519267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1836843585087892027.post-22061759548982613112019-03-09T12:00:00.000-06:002019-03-09T12:00:01.151-06:00REVIEW: Laura Mercier Flawless Lumiere Radiance-Perfecting Foundation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mWkR54DDhFk/XIP4bWvMg9I/AAAAAAAALbw/W8US-K7xIXE5bokbh3tBWQpzWIpn3FDKwCLcBGAs/s1600/LMRadiant_Header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mWkR54DDhFk/XIP4bWvMg9I/AAAAAAAALbw/W8US-K7xIXE5bokbh3tBWQpzWIpn3FDKwCLcBGAs/s640/LMRadiant_Header.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Laura Mercier is the brand of my dreams, promising glowy skin and naturally gorgeous looks packaged in sleek, simple tubes. Unfortunately, I haven't had much luck with their products. Their formulas are almost always perfectly fine for me, but their shade ranges? I don't know what it is, but I can never find a passable match in a Laura Mercier formula. When they released the <a href="https://www.lauramercier.com/foundation/flawless-lumi%C3%A8re-radiance-perfecting-foundation-prod12704724.html">Flawless Lumiere Radiance-Perfecting Foundation</a>, a product name full of words I love but refuse to keep typing throughout this review, I thought things might be a little different.<br />
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<i> Natural light on top, flash on the bottom. From left to right: Tarte Shape Tape Concealer in Fair, MAC Face & Body Foundation in C1, Kosas Tinted Face Oil in 02, Laura Mercier Flawless Lumiere Foundation in 1W1 Ivory.</i></div>
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The Flawless Lumiere foundation is $48 for an ounce of product housed in a simple glass bottle with an easy-to-control pump. As of this writing, there are 30 shades in the range, stretching from fair to decently dark, though it looks like there's quite a jump between the depth 5 and depth 6 shades. I chose the lightest warm shade, 1W1 Ivory. In swatches, it's about NC15 with very strong golden undertones, but I do think it gets a bit darker after application. Even when I self-tanned my neck, this shade was too dark for me.<br />
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The formula itself is a thin, relatively fragrance-free liquid that spreads easily with your fingers, a brush, or a sponge. If I had to describe the texture in one word, I'd call it "soft."<br />
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Laura Mercier says this product has medium coverage, and some people have taken umbrage with that. I actually think Laura Mercier is right, though you could call it a "light medium" or "natural medium" coverage. As you can see in these before-and-after pictures, my skintone is evened out and most of my flaws are covered or softened, but you can still see my freckles and a bit of the darker surface redness peeking through. This is a very skin-like foundation, and while it isn't outright glowy on my dry skin (what foundation is?), it certainly makes me look healthy and hydrated.<br />
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The one issue I had with this foundation? I had an awful time blending my blush over it. I tested all of my cream blush formulas, which normally spread like a dream for me, and they all experienced a bit of "catching." Powdering mitigated the issue a little, but of course, it cut down on the radiant finish. In the end, the best fix for me was to really warm up the blush on my fingertips or the back of my hand, then take my time slowly but surely patting it in to my cheeks. Going over the blush with a damp Beauty Blender also helped. <br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sowUCDLF9zE/XIP60sMPGvI/AAAAAAAALcM/KZKKGDfRQFEo9L24IB3jM5Dh1bT9cKZFQCLcBGAs/s1600/LMRadiant_Texture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="686" data-original-width="1000" height="438" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sowUCDLF9zE/XIP60sMPGvI/AAAAAAAALcM/KZKKGDfRQFEo9L24IB3jM5Dh1bT9cKZFQCLcBGAs/s640/LMRadiant_Texture.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's a macro shot of my makeup completely finished. Looking at my nose, the skin around my brows, the tops of my cheeks...I think this foundation looks just like skin. Really, it's a beautiful texture.<br />
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PS: Why do so many brow pencils turn red on me? Is this some weird makeup version of a Midas touch? Send help and ashy pencils, please.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vlYabSbFGO8/XIP7fZtybnI/AAAAAAAALcY/9MWOemx4vis5-PetR48KgXH5xxIiTazdgCLcBGAs/s1600/LMRadiant_Wear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vlYabSbFGO8/XIP7fZtybnI/AAAAAAAALcY/9MWOemx4vis5-PetR48KgXH5xxIiTazdgCLcBGAs/s640/LMRadiant_Wear.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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As far as wear goes, the Flawless Lumiere foundation performed pretty well. I noticed some oil breakthrough on my nose after three hours, and a lot of oil and some fading on my nose after 8 hours. The skin on the driest parts of my face--around my mouth and up the sides of my jaw--also looked a little dry at the 8 hour mark, though you had to get really close to my face to see that. I'd call that pretty solid performance, though I'd hesitate to recommend this foundation to truly oily skin. I didn't experience any itching, discomfort, or breakouts from this product; it was comfortable and weightless all day.<br />
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Now, in these pictures, I buffed out two pumps of foundation with a Real Techniques buffing brush, then bounced a damp Beauty Blender on top of it, as directed by many-a-YouTuber. However, Laura Mercier suggests using a sponge to apply this product. So I used a damp sponge and my usual "spray your face with moisturizing spray until it's dripping wet" tactic on my next test run, and I got this:<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O3fMRgvACU4/XIP8ZtEEQ3I/AAAAAAAALck/tk2Da9JdhacNWg9BFNhozlXrPNisiWHYwCLcBGAs/s1600/LMRadiant_Sponge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O3fMRgvACU4/XIP8ZtEEQ3I/AAAAAAAALck/tk2Da9JdhacNWg9BFNhozlXrPNisiWHYwCLcBGAs/s640/LMRadiant_Sponge.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
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While they're both really lovely finishes, I'd say I prefer this sponge-and-spray look to the brush-and-sponge look. It has an even more natural finish. I also applied this product with my fingers during another test, and while it looked just fine, I really think a damp sponge works best.<br />
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And yes, I wore a turtle neck and applied the foundation to the top of my neck. This stuff is way too dark for me, but dammit, it's pretty, and I wanted to wear it to work at least once.<br />
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So there you have it: another Laura Mercier foundation that doesn't work for me, personally, but is an overall gorgeous product. If it wasn't such an uphill battle to apply my cream blush on top of it, the Laura Mercier Flawless Lumiere What Is With These Long Names Foundation would be a five star product.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">RATING: 4 out of 5</span></b></div>
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<i>I purchased this foundation from <a href="https://www.sephora.com/product/flawless-lumiere-radiance-perfecting-foundation-P440268?icid2=justarrived_us_skugrid_ufe:p440268:product">Sephora</a>.</i></div>
Miss Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08220111649046519267noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1836843585087892027.post-45024204670014926692019-03-07T12:00:00.000-06:002019-03-08T21:37:14.614-06:00Lipstick Diaries, Round Three: Besame Red Hot Red and NARS Michiyo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ef-e3jtmZKg/XH9aMHIYjqI/AAAAAAAALbk/az_kMZAKeVAR9uK6_TaSLb02yYka03ERwCLcBGAs/s1600/LD5_RedHotRed_Michiyo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ef-e3jtmZKg/XH9aMHIYjqI/AAAAAAAALbk/az_kMZAKeVAR9uK6_TaSLb02yYka03ERwCLcBGAs/s640/LD5_RedHotRed_Michiyo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Pay no attention to the woman in front of the curtain with some slightly jacked-up base makeup; she was trying a few new products and didn't always hit it out of the park. Let's focus on the lipsticks instead! On the left, we have a shade that has slowly become one of my all-time favorites, <b>Besame Red Hot Red</b>. I've probably said that about every Besame lipstick I own, but it really matters with Red Hot Red because <a href="https://www.badoutfitgreatlipstick.com/2018/05/swatches-of-all-eleven-of-my-besame.html">I once called the shade "redundant."</a> Yes, it's still like Victory Red and Besame Red got together and had a warm-toned baby, but it's definitely a little different. I think it's one of the most flattering reds I own.<br />
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On the opposite end of the color spectrum, we have <b>NARS Michiyo</b>, a very cool-toned pink. I'm weirdly picky about shades like this, probably because they clash with my warm-ish undertones. Michiyo seems to have the "right amount" of clash, if that makes sense: it sticks out without looking bad. I wore this makeup to class this past week and garnered half a dozen compliments. Granted, I teach a lot of ELL students who are openly obsessed with bright lipsticks and will compliment me any time I wear one, but they were especially enthusiastic about this one. Michiyo has also has great staying power (especially if you apply, blot, and re-apply) and photographs beautifully.Miss Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08220111649046519267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1836843585087892027.post-32766346025172739242019-03-03T17:02:00.000-06:002019-03-03T17:02:31.876-06:00Pray for My Face, March 2019<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O0Ph5leLtQA/XHxV2iugawI/AAAAAAAALbM/28hVmCRlGfsBh6V2mwVjyLvJdzwqWSm4gCLcBGAs/s1600/PfMF4a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O0Ph5leLtQA/XHxV2iugawI/AAAAAAAALbM/28hVmCRlGfsBh6V2mwVjyLvJdzwqWSm4gCLcBGAs/s640/PfMF4a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm at a really terrible point in my stop-consuming-shit journey: while I can ignore just about every new release and raved-about product for months on end, I suddenly want to buy everything Jordan Samuel releases. And since it's cold as the ninth circle of Hell right now, I'm also tempted by every balm, ointment, and glow-promising serum out there. I've managed to tamp down those desires by using deluxe samples that were hanging around my bathroom, and being "meh" about two of them reminded me that you can spend a lot to find one product you love.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Jordan Samuel Hydrate: The Mist, <a href="https://jordansamuelskin.com/products/hydrate-the-mist">$29 at JordanSamuel.com</a></span></div>
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I'm a sucker for facial mists, but I'm also weirdly picky about them. They have to provide light hydration without feeling sticky, they need to work under <i>and</i> over other skincare and my makeup, they have to have a fine mist, they must be "no-no ingredient" free, so on and so forth. I'm also loath to buy a mist if there's a similar, more concentrated product in the range. <a href="https://www.badoutfitgreatlipstick.com/2018/03/pray-for-my-face-march-2018.html">Jordan Samuel's Hydrate Serum</a> is already one of my favorite products, and I use it regularly, so why buy a watered-down version?<br />
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Well, I had to repurchase my serum at the end of 2018, so I caved and tossed a bottle of Hydrate: The Mist in to my cart. And I am so, so glad I did. It is, indeed, a lighter, less hydrating version of the Hydrate Serum, and that makes it perfect for my morning routine. I can spray this all over my freshly-washed face in the morning, and it dries in a minute while plumping and smoothing my skin. All of my moisturizers and foundations smooth over it without issue. I especially love topping it with my <a href="https://www.badoutfitgreatlipstick.com/2019/01/best-of-2018.html">Skin Laundry Daily Moisturizer SPF35</a> to lock in the moisture.<br />
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My one complaint is the smell: when I first spray it, it has a bit of a mildew scent. That dissipates after it dries, but it's always a little jarring.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask, <a href="https://www.sephora.com/product/watermelon-glow-sleeping-mask-P420160?skuId=1955764">$45 at Sephora</a></span></div>
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According to YouTube circa 2017, this is THE mask to get if you have dry, sensitive skin. Frankly, I have plenty of AHA exfoliants and lightweight hydrators already, but this appeared in a sample pack I bought, so I figured, "Hey, why not." Alas, I'm not impressed. I find that this exfoliates my skin just fine, but it doesn't do anything else, and it's certainly not so gentle or effective that it warrants a $45 price tag.<br />
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Now, to be fair, I don't leave this on my face all night; I rinse it off after about 15 minutes. That said, the instructions say you can wash this off after 10 minutes, most exfoliants will do their work within those first 10 minutes, and frankly, there's nothing in the ingredients list that suggests it will be enough to keep me hydrated throughout the night. I do appreciate the lightweight gel texture of this mask, but the strong, artificial watermelon scent erases any of the textural benefits.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sKeajByPkoY/XHxZ33AdaKI/AAAAAAAALbY/nBLVKFBMzwUmoEgVuq777SUwx7dFE71rwCLcBGAs/s1600/PfMF4b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sKeajByPkoY/XHxZ33AdaKI/AAAAAAAALbY/nBLVKFBMzwUmoEgVuq777SUwx7dFE71rwCLcBGAs/s640/PfMF4b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask, <a href="https://www.sephora.com/product/lip-sleeping-mask-P420652?icid2=products%20grid:p420652:product&skuId=1966258">$20 at Sephora</a></span></div>
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This is another YouTube darling, but unlike the faddish Glow Recipe mask, I think this lip balm is still quite popular and beloved. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC18CjLdco5zmVfT-FtkUhAw">Karima McKimmie</a> recently mentioned it in a favorites video, and it's regularly recommended on various skincare forums. I can see the appeal of this one: while it looks waxy and thick in the pot, it applies with a smooth, creamy texture and almost seems to blanket the lips. (I've photographed it against the waxier, dryer Nuxe Reve de Miel balm I use every night so you can get a feel for the texture.) It's very comfortable and works well under lipsticks.<br />
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Unfortunately, I don't find this as hydrating as other people do. When I wake up, my lips feel slightly dry, as if the balm sort of faded away instead of soaking in. Part of the problem may be the inclusion of denatured alcohol, which is halfway up the ingredients list and always seems to dry me out if I use it regularly. I'm sticking with my Nuxe balm for bedtime and keeping the Laneige pot on my desk, where it will serve as a lipstick primer or occasional "touch-up" balm.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb, <a href="https://www.sephora.com/product/moisturizing-eye-bomb-P422905?skuId=1997394&om_mmc=ppc-GG_1165716893_53825942380_pla-420640417676_1997394_257731950149_9021070_c&country_switch=us&lang=en&ds_rl=1261471&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1MzA_ojn4AIVUbnACh3z9gj-EAYYASABEgIjKvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds">$48 at Sephora</a></span></div>
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I hate it when I really like an eye cream, partially because they're also so damn expensive, partially because I know they're not entirely necessary. And frankly, this eye cream doesn't do anything so spectacular that I would rush out and repurchase it when I finish this sample pot. But yes, I do really like it.<br />
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The best thing about this eye balm is the texture: it's a "gel lotion" texture, almost like a body lotion that has been thinned out with a little extra water. A small amount spreads pretty far, and it smooths over the eye area easily, softening the skin and providing a tiny bit of plumping. This definitely helps with my fine lines in that area, but it's quite temporary, of course. I've also used it in the morning and tested it under makeup, and it soaks in quickly enough that you don't have to worry about it borking your concealer. Miss Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08220111649046519267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1836843585087892027.post-16933374689977761152019-02-17T12:54:00.000-06:002019-03-03T16:30:47.839-06:00VIDEO: No Buy Tips That Don't Work For Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mBtlB55v5rM/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mBtlB55v5rM?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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There are dozens of no buys tips flitting about the internet, and of course, some of them just won't work for you. Here are three no buy tips that don't help me. Let me know how your no buys and low buys are going in the comments!</div>
Miss Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08220111649046519267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1836843585087892027.post-12408474239572832582019-02-06T08:00:00.000-06:002019-02-06T08:00:00.691-06:00No Buy 2019: One Month Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5_cDh_yzyIE/XFclVmllVxI/AAAAAAAALas/WfDyGeah7Vo-DQn-6XzFfnWGlBhh4tUewCLcBGAs/s1600/January19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5_cDh_yzyIE/XFclVmllVxI/AAAAAAAALas/WfDyGeah7Vo-DQn-6XzFfnWGlBhh4tUewCLcBGAs/s640/January19.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I don't think the first month or two of a year-long challenge is all that interesting, since so little time has passed and you've likely faced few challenges. However, I've gotten a lot of questions about how my No Buy 2019 challenge is going. And since this seems to be the Year of the No Buy for many beauty bloggers and YouTubers, it's as good a time as any to update you all.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What did I want?</b></span></div>
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I jotted down three wants in my bullet journal: <a href="https://www.sephora.com/product/pro-filt-r-instant-retouch-concealer-P88779809?icid2=fenty_rihannaspicks_011119_productcarouselufe:p88779809:product&skuId=2173086">the new Fenty concealer</a>, <a href="https://www.sephora.com/product/flawless-lumiere-radiance-perfecting-foundation-P440268?icid2=justarrived_us_skugrid_ufe:p440268:product">the new Laura Mercier foundation</a>, and the <a href="https://ritueldefille.com/">Rituel de Fille range</a>. Helpful comments from Instagram followers and fellow Redditors knocked the purportedly drying Fenty concealer off of my list. I'm still very interested in the Laura Mercier foundation, especially with all of the positive reviews coming out, so I might use a gift card to purchase it. This being me, though, I might wait until there's a sale on it to sweeten the deal. I always prefer to buy things on sale! And while most of Ritual de Fille's cream products purportedly dry out and become unusable quickly, I've been sent tons of comments that state the highlighters are an exception, especially the <a href="https://ritueldefille.com/collections/the-alchemist-highlight-intensifier">Alchemist Highlighter Intensifier</a>. I'm still waffling on this highlighter, so I'll wait a while longer and see if it's worth a gift card.<br />
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By not purchasing these products I wanted, I saved $106 this month. I'm hoping that "total saved" number will grow as the year goes on!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What did I buy?</b></span></div>
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The <a href="https://www.sephora.com/product/face-gloss-P404796?icid2=products%20grid:p404796:product">Milk Makeup Face Gloss</a> has been on my Sephora "loves" list for quite a while, but I just couldn't bring myself to pay $20 for such a tiny tube. When they put it on sale for $10, however, I snatched it up. After taxes, it was $10.80; I used a $25 gift card I received for Christmas to cover the charges. (I pay for a yearly Flash Shipping subscription, so there were no shipping fees.) I plan on using the rest of the gift card to buy a mini size of the <a href="https://www.sephora.com/product/gimme-brow-volumizing-eyebrow-gel-mini-P440700?icid2=justarrived_us_skugrid_ufe:p440700:product&skuId=2181345">Benefit Gimme Brow</a>, but I'm holding off until Sephora puts up some point perks and samples that interest me. <br />
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As for staples, I repurchased my day cream, the <a href="https://www.sephora.com/product/daily-moisturizer-broad-spectrum-spf-35-P416593">Skin Laundry Daily Moisturizer SPF35</a>. There's still a bit left in my current bottle, but it's only a few uses and it goes out of stock too frequently for me to risk it in the dead of winter.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">How am I feeling?</span></b></div>
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Honestly, thus far, this hasn't been a struggle. I have a lot of willpower (aka, I'm stubborn as a mule), and when I tell myself I'm not going to do something, there's a good chance I'm going to stick to that. Life has also played its part: I'm often too busy with work to pay attention to product launches, and the water in our building randomly shuts off at least once a month, which makes me hesitant to wear makeup sometimes. Furthermore, I've been putting the money toward my other goals. I'm one payment away from killing a student loan, and holy shit, the YES YES YES! feeling I'm getting is more powerful than the need for lipstick.<br />
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That said, I'm not getting cocky. I know it's only the first month in what is shaping up to be a stressful quarter. The desire to stress shop could hit me like a truck. Also, I'm turning 31 in April, and my birthday has traditionally given me an excuse to buy a lot of stuff I don't need. I'm trying to focus on experiences for my birthday this year, especially since, by some strange stroke of luck, I'll be off work on the Friday before and Monday after my birthday.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Anything else?</span></b></div>
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Something that keeps popping up on Reddit and Instagram is that many people have already caved and broken their year-long no buy. There's a lot of guilt and shame on both sides, with the people who messed up self-flagellating themselves for making a mistake and their readers/viewers questioning how they could be so weak as to fail in less than a month. Instead of doing that, I want to stress that, while year-long no buys are very popular this year, <b>not everybody is ready for a no buy this long.</b><br />
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Trust me, I know; there was a time when I spent entire paychecks on makeup I barely used. Willpower or no, telling myself I couldn't buy anything for a year wouldn't have worked back then. Instead, I started with easier challenges, like a <a href="http://www.badoutfitgreatlipstick.com/2017/12/the-last-budget-post-and-2018-goals.html">beauty budget</a>. Change doesn't happen overnight, my friends, and most of us need to break bad habits carefully and mindfully.<br />
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If you're struggling with a year-long no buy, I have a few less intense options that might work better for you:<br />
<ul>
<li>Try a monthly or seasonal no buy. See <a href="http://auxiliarybeauty.blogspot.com/2019/01/2019-beauty-blogging-resolutions.html">Auxiliary Beauty</a> for an example of this strategy.</li>
<li>Instead of challenging yourself to stop spending money, challenge yourself to recreate certain looks or make a dent in a few of the products you already own. I've written more about suggestions like this <a href="http://www.badoutfitgreatlipstick.com/2017/03/addressing-that-terrible-i-want-it.html">here</a>.</li>
<li>Create a budget. Budgeting videos are huge on YouTube right now if you need some inspiration! The best thing about budgeting, honestly, is that it helps you figure out your priorities, e.g., "Wow, I spend 10% of my income on makeup and only 1% on travel, but I always say I want to travel more."</li>
<li>If you struggle with wanting to spend your disposable income the moment it hits your account, set up an automatic transfer: every paycheck, X amount goes in to your savings, a retirement fund, etc. instead of sitting in your checking. (This works best if you have consistent paychecks.)</li>
</ul>
Miss Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08220111649046519267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1836843585087892027.post-19552072141682811142019-02-02T11:30:00.000-06:002019-02-02T11:35:03.175-06:00Duping that Perricone MD "No Makeup" Look<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iidReDwS51U/XFIL4HPBiHI/AAAAAAAALZw/sOdxqxySUzA6FwFhNJAK1t69_FqL1QX0ACLcBGAs/s1600/PerriconeDupe0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1000" height="512" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iidReDwS51U/XFIL4HPBiHI/AAAAAAAALZw/sOdxqxySUzA6FwFhNJAK1t69_FqL1QX0ACLcBGAs/s640/PerriconeDupe0.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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A no buy tip <a href="http://www.badoutfitgreatlipstick.com/2017/03/addressing-that-terrible-i-want-it.html">I repeat often</a>, in part because it works so well for me, is "focus on the look, not the products." This tip saved me from a $100+ purchase of <a href="https://www.perriconemd.com/no-makeup-skincare/">Perricone MD products</a>, which always tempted me because I love that "no makeup makeup" look and easy-to-apply makeup. By looking at the promotional images for the range, I reminded myself that the actual look they create is easily duped with stuff I already own.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YAWJoa5ybzU/XFIM59-Ir9I/AAAAAAAALZ8/MOLR4D3JGGgWpqCSoMlsI14o_A8SbES-QCLcBGAs/s1600/PerriconeDupe1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YAWJoa5ybzU/XFIM59-Ir9I/AAAAAAAALZ8/MOLR4D3JGGgWpqCSoMlsI14o_A8SbES-QCLcBGAs/s640/PerriconeDupe1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Noticing the laughably tiny shade range for Perricone MD's No Foundation Foundation and No Concealer Concealer was already a turn-off, but it's also easy to see that these are not especially unique products. A tinted moisturizer with SPF and a serum-textured concealer? If you have a decent amount of makeup, you probably already own those. I replaced Perricone's foundation with my <a href="https://www.sephora.com/product/renewed-hope-in-jar-skin-tint-P417009">Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Skin Tint</a>, a favorite of mine, and lightened up by undereye circles with the <a href="https://www.sephora.com/product/bright-future-gel-serum-concealer-P398009">Sephora Bright Future Gel Serum Concealer</a>. I think that Sephora concealer is "meh," to be honest, because it creases constantly and fades after a few hours. Still, it gets the job done.<br />
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If you dislike tinted moisturizers, you could probably get the same effect by applying a similar sheer, skin-like concealer to blemishes and discoloration, then topping it with a bit of powder. You could also try sheering out your favorite medium coverage liquid foundation with a bit of moisturizer.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0PCEsgIcczE/XFIOBJGArwI/AAAAAAAALaI/l99gkn_QFQQ7spwnYQtc4jLSXSFaOrbZgCLcBGAs/s1600/PerriconeDupe2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0PCEsgIcczE/XFIOBJGArwI/AAAAAAAALaI/l99gkn_QFQQ7spwnYQtc4jLSXSFaOrbZgCLcBGAs/s640/PerriconeDupe2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The easiest products to dupe were definitely the cheek products. The blush was at the top of my "wants" list until I realized that I already own a product that's the same damn color, the <a href="https://www.sephora.com/product/beach-tint-P375978">Becca Beach Tint in Watermelon</a>. As for the highlighter, my original inclination was to use some <a href="https://www.maccosmetics.com/product/13824/364/products/skincare/moisturizers/strobe-cream">MAC Strobe Cream</a>. I decided to go with something even <i>more</i> natural and barely-there, so I applied a few dots of <a href="https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/yves-saint-laurent-touche-eclat-all-over-brightening-pen/2797674">YSL Touche Eclat</a> to my cheekbones. Normally, I wouldn't use this as a highlighter on its own, but I wanted to look like I wasn't wearing makeup, so...there you go.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LIWBGKzV1Ic/XFIO47M0LzI/AAAAAAAALaU/5ZPJ99uvDDQwi16Vlf1SU5U4TvD76VqMACLcBGAs/s1600/PerriconeDupe3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LIWBGKzV1Ic/XFIO47M0LzI/AAAAAAAALaU/5ZPJ99uvDDQwi16Vlf1SU5U4TvD76VqMACLcBGAs/s640/PerriconeDupe3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's where things get a bit hairy: Perricone MD doesn't have a "No Brow Pencil Brow Pencil," or what the fuck ever they'd call it, available. And while a lot of makeup artists have created amazing natural looks that I'd love to duplicate, I've noticed that they pretty much always choose models with fantastic eyebrows. I, however, have terrible eyebrows. I tried to lighten them up just barely using a bit of <a href="https://www.ulta.com/brow-wiz?productId=xlsImpprod840088">Anastasia Brow Wiz</a> in the back half of my brows, avoiding fuller front portions, but it still looks a little drawn on. Hey, I never claimed to be a makeup artist. At least I have eyebrows now!<br />
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As for they eye makeup, the replacement for the Perricone MD mascara was clear: <a href="https://www.glossier.com/products/lash-slick">Glossier Lash Slick</a>. Used sparingly and applied with a light hand, it gives you that separated "I just got a lash tint" look I often love. To mimic the look of the No Eyeshadow Eyeshadow, I used some <a href="https://www.ulta.com/prime-fine-smoothing-refiner?productId=xlsImpprod12831113">Catrice Prime and Fine</a>, since it's a translucent beige color that camouflages the discoloration on my eyelids. I had no interest in the Perricone eyeshadow, to be honest, but a dupe is a dupe.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FSzPozurDXM/XFIQAkpdOVI/AAAAAAAALag/mlPByn9qW4ULOWSviXPaYlj9wcdReFBrQCLcBGAs/s1600/PerriconeDupe4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FSzPozurDXM/XFIQAkpdOVI/AAAAAAAALag/mlPByn9qW4ULOWSviXPaYlj9wcdReFBrQCLcBGAs/s640/PerriconeDupe4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Finally, it was time to replicate the lipstick. The Perricone MD lipstick is a glossy, sheer, slightly warm pink--pretty, but easy to dupe. I decided to replicate it by dabbing a small amount of <a href="https://kosas.com/products/rosewater">Kosås Rosewater lipstick</a> on to my lips, then topping that with some <a href="https://www.glossier.com/products/balm-dotcom-trio">Glossier Balm Dot Com</a>. Kosås says Rosewater is a "cooler" pink, but I find that it reads like more of a watermelon color on my lips.<br />
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So there we have it: my attempt to dupe the Perricone MD "No Makeup Makeup" look. I don't think I was <i>entirely</i> successful, thanks to those eyebrows, but it did save me some money. Hurrah! No Buy 2019 is still on track.Miss Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08220111649046519267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1836843585087892027.post-8716906512393223352019-01-30T08:00:00.000-06:002019-01-30T08:00:03.962-06:00REVIEW: Kosås Tinted Face Oil<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tu-GAZvdWsk/XE9c1js62tI/AAAAAAAALYw/tLLnwgYbBgANcqfdn55jibeVfqlrXS-uQCLcBGAs/s1600/KosasTFO_Header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tu-GAZvdWsk/XE9c1js62tI/AAAAAAAALYw/tLLnwgYbBgANcqfdn55jibeVfqlrXS-uQCLcBGAs/s640/KosasTFO_Header.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We're all prone to marketing pushes, and I'm no exception. When Kosås started promoting their products via Instagram ads, and several accounts I follow began posting about the Tinted Face Oil, I started nosing around for reviews and photographs. Despite the hype kicked up by that marketing push, however, there's still relatively few in-depth reviews of the Kosås brand. Wanting to fill that gap, slash, totally suckered in by slick advertising and products that seem right up my alley, I purchased both the <a href="https://kosas.com/products/tinted-face-oil">Tinted Face Oil</a> and a <a href="https://kosas.com/products/rosewater">Weightless Lip Color</a> on Black Friday.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iNCmzB5jbv4/XE9disxlK3I/AAAAAAAALY4/Dc2D_QNCLqQVfmhZdRPHKZaeXT6OtUCvgCLcBGAs/s1600/KosasTFO_Swatches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="952" data-original-width="952" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iNCmzB5jbv4/XE9disxlK3I/AAAAAAAALY4/Dc2D_QNCLqQVfmhZdRPHKZaeXT6OtUCvgCLcBGAs/s640/KosasTFO_Swatches.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Natural light on top, ring light on bottom. From left to right: Kosås Tinted Face Oil in 02, MAC Face & Body in C1, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly, Sephora Bright Future Concealer in Fondant.</i></div>
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I purchased the Tinted Face Oil in shade 02, since it's the lightest shade with yellow undertones. As these swatches demonstrate, 02 is roughly NC15 on a MAC scale. It works fine for me when I'm self-tanning my neck, which, frankly, is something I've been doing regularly for the past six months or so because I'm tired of trying to match the single whitest part of my body. Since this is not a full coverage base and it has a skin-like finish, I'd guess it would work for anyone in the NC10 - 20 range. There are only 10 shades in the entire range, but there's a solid gradient, and Tone 10 is quite dark.<br />
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The texture of this product is different from just about any other foundation I've tried, and I've tried dozens. My Instagram followers bombarded me with two questions over and over--"How does it compare to <a href="http://www.badoutfitgreatlipstick.com/2016/02/review-glossier-perfecting-skin-tint.html">the original Glossier Skin Tint</a>?" and "How does it compare to <a href="http://www.badoutfitgreatlipstick.com/2013/12/mac-face-body-foundation-some-tips.html">MAC Face & Body</a>?"--and I'm here to tell you that it's kind of like those two products had a super-runny baby. The texture is extremely thin and watery; it starts running down your hand immediately after you squeeze it out of the thin, plastic nozzle. A little goes a long way: a dime sized amount was enough for my entire face, and it has an incredibly powdery, silicone-ish feel to it that makes it slide across the skin in seconds.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0M8eHSKEASk/XE9fqpM3wCI/AAAAAAAALZE/64C-kfSnLtIL-Rey_3ZC1W44n19CW96SgCLcBGAs/s1600/KosasTFO_BeforeAfter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0M8eHSKEASk/XE9fqpM3wCI/AAAAAAAALZE/64C-kfSnLtIL-Rey_3ZC1W44n19CW96SgCLcBGAs/s640/KosasTFO_BeforeAfter.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Initially, I wanted to call the Tinted Face Oil a light coverage base. However, looking at these photos, I can see why the brand would call it medium coverage. This has the same sort of blurring effect that the original Glossier Skin Tint had, making it look like it provides more coverage than it technically does in photographs. In both real life and photographs, redness and patches of uneven color are evened out; blemishes are softened, but not completely covered; freckles are still visible. The difference is that the tint has a "soft focus" effect in pictures and a "skin like" effect in real life.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2Q8FdT73f8M/XE9g6JVABZI/AAAAAAAALZQ/NMR7FFvZNsIFLaogearA_aVc_pABY7HRQCLcBGAs/s1600/KosasTFO_LipLines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2Q8FdT73f8M/XE9g6JVABZI/AAAAAAAALZQ/NMR7FFvZNsIFLaogearA_aVc_pABY7HRQCLcBGAs/s640/KosasTFO_LipLines.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>You can see the oil settling in to the fine lines around my lips. I took this photo after I'd already patted the product out of these lines three times. By the way, I hope you all appreciate the fact that 30-year-old me is giving you these sexy shots of my fine lines, youth-obsessed culture be damned.</i></div>
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The problem with this blown-out effect, of course, is that it's pretty damn hard to take macro shots. While this looks perfect and natural in pictures, and from about a foot away from my face, get a little closer and you'll see that this clings to dry patches. Even more annoyingly, it doesn't stay put: I had to pull this tint out of my fine lines at least four times, and it would transfer on to my fingers or fabric if I touched it<i> </i>for hours after application.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MijVYEOoyDk/XE9hNFDQupI/AAAAAAAALZY/0ZG0aH2NlRQ21GcLWswjVSTf9lxsQwh-QCLcBGAs/s1600/KosasTFO_TimeLapse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="1600" height="284" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MijVYEOoyDk/XE9hNFDQupI/AAAAAAAALZY/0ZG0aH2NlRQ21GcLWswjVSTf9lxsQwh-QCLcBGAs/s640/KosasTFO_TimeLapse.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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In terms of wear, the Kosås Tinted Face Oil is "meh," and I say that as somebody with <i>very</i> dry skin. My nose was oily in a few hours, which is no surprise, but you can also see a bit of shine and wear on my forehead and chin at both the 4 hour and 10 hour marks. I also noticed that my skin looked even dryer and flakier after several hours of wear. And each time I wore this product, I would notice new, painful, under-the-skin pimples in odd places at the end of the night, suggesting that something in the formula broke me out. Since it's hard to see in these time lapse photos, here are some super-sexy macro shots:<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BvSX6POL3ls/XE9h10izRtI/AAAAAAAALZk/_YP_xgeir2kYiEb8CD6xVVogrupyIdrBACLcBGAs/s1600/KosasTFO_ew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BvSX6POL3ls/XE9h10izRtI/AAAAAAAALZk/_YP_xgeir2kYiEb8CD6xVVogrupyIdrBACLcBGAs/s640/KosasTFO_ew.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>That picture on the left gives new meaning to "frosted flakes."</i></div>
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When it comes to rating the Tinted Face Oil, there's part of me that wants to give it three stars. I'm thrilled to see the darker shades at the end of the range, the actual texture of this product is beautiful, and it looks fantastic in photographs. But even if I set my personal acne triggers aside, I have to think about how useful this will be to most people. It doesn't stay put, even on dry skin, and it emphasizes both dry and oily patches. I have to admit to myself that I lean toward a 3 out of 5 because I so desperately wanted this to be a new favorite for me. That desire? That's not worth an extra star.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Rating: 2 out of 5</span></b></div>
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<i>Kosås products are available on <a href="https://kosas.com/">their website.</a></i></div>
Miss Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08220111649046519267noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1836843585087892027.post-12705242582173398722019-01-25T15:18:00.003-06:002019-03-05T23:25:43.727-06:00Lipstick Diaries, Round Three: Besame Tango Red and Glossier Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5-hoUUtmhtU/XEt7n83iL7I/AAAAAAAALYY/JN8qtim3a4wbfE7a_czYJ3nmWeYLTf_0ACLcBGAs/s1600/TangoRed_Cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5-hoUUtmhtU/XEt7n83iL7I/AAAAAAAALYY/JN8qtim3a4wbfE7a_czYJ3nmWeYLTf_0ACLcBGAs/s640/TangoRed_Cake.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have enough red lipstick to coat my entire body a million times over, but damn if I didn't finally buy <b>Besame Tango Red</b> in a snap during Black Friday 2018. While this product's description and swatch photos I'd seen made me think this wouldn't be my most flattering red, I still wanted it. And I can now confirm that yeah, other Besame reds are much better suited to my coloring, but this is still a gorgeous shade. Tango Red seems very similar to <a href="http://www.badoutfitgreatlipstick.com/2018/05/swatches-of-all-eleven-of-my-besame.html">Carmine</a> in the tube, but on my lips, it reads more pink and less orange, and it has a more muted quality to it. It's a relatively unique shade among my slew of reds. I agree with Besame: this would be truly stunning on people with olive undertones or a deeper skintone.<br />
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Oh, and yes, I bought a new tube of <b>Glossier Cake</b> to test out the Generation G lipstick's freaking <i>third</i> formulation in the last five years. I've gotta say, I agree with most of the reviews that have come in: the new formula builds better, but is more drying and accentuates the lines in my lips like woah. Just look at how parched my mouth looks in this photo, and I'd JUST applied the lipstick fifteen minutes before! I like the shade and the sheerness, but the new formula isn't comfortable in the slightest and definitely isn't worth the money.Miss Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08220111649046519267noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1836843585087892027.post-56322108585185665342019-01-19T15:34:00.001-06:002019-01-19T15:34:15.587-06:00Try This: Keep the Boxes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vz1-dSkO2Go/XEOVTp19fhI/AAAAAAAALYM/i0MpWul4b3seucdfFbaMSRFnuhhknQ85gCLcBGAs/s1600/KeeptheBoxes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1250" height="512" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vz1-dSkO2Go/XEOVTp19fhI/AAAAAAAALYM/i0MpWul4b3seucdfFbaMSRFnuhhknQ85gCLcBGAs/s640/KeeptheBoxes.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Some people genuinely enjoy every piece of their makeup's packaging, including the cardboard box it arrives in. I used to be one of them, especially with special boxes for limited edition products. I'd keep every tube and compact inside its beautiful sleeve, even though it took up a ton of space in my organizers. Initially, forcing myself to recycle these pretty boxes to free up space in my suitcases post-grad-school-move was a challenge. Now, though, tossing the packaging is just something I do reflexively. <a href="http://www.badoutfitgreatlipstick.com/2018/09/video-my-fiance-built-my-dream-storage.html">The card catalogue</a> is the true beauty. Why clog it up?<br />
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So after doing some major damage during Black Friday 2018, I decided I'd curb that impulse and hold on to my boxes for a while. Every time I received a new product from December to today, I stashed its box, planning to create a helpful No Buy 2019 visual by arranging everything Tetris-style as above. But even before I pulled out the boxes and lined them up, the trick was working: the envelope I was keeping all of the boxes in kept overflowing and spilling all over my office floor. It was frustrating, and that frustration reminded me that I don't need more stuff. Hell, between the start of the year insanity at my jobs and several personal crises, I haven't even had a chance to test everything you see in this photo!<br />
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Hence, if you're like me and you're attempting a No Buy, or you want to curb your spending and you benefit from visual arguments, keeping the boxes for a while might be helpful. If nothing else, they make for an interesting photograph.Miss Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08220111649046519267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1836843585087892027.post-81618914661466744942019-01-14T08:00:00.000-06:002019-01-14T08:00:04.513-06:00The Hype Machine: Pat McGrath Lip Products<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uQWDJL8pOj4/XDtt2nJFhWI/AAAAAAAALXc/7EZ7uvBpT_sPKikjoGIj1TMiVbHynVu4QCLcBGAs/s1600/PMGheader.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uQWDJL8pOj4/XDtt2nJFhWI/AAAAAAAALXc/7EZ7uvBpT_sPKikjoGIj1TMiVbHynVu4QCLcBGAs/s640/PMGheader.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The Hype Machine is a series that takes a critical look at
well-loved, cult classic, appears-in-every-other-Instagram-photo
products and asks: are they worth the hype?</i></div>
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Pat McGrath herself needs little introduction. She's known for using a range of inventive materials to create unique looks, and she's done everything from editorial shoots to runway shows. When I watch her applying makeup, I am absolutely flabbergasted by her talent; it's like she puts a brush to a model's skin and magic pours out. It's no surprise that her makeup line has been wildly popular, especially when her products were first released in limited quantities on Sephora and sold out almost immediately.<br />
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But I'm not exactly rolling in disposable income, so as pretty as her products looked and as intense as the reviews and praise were, I just couldn't spend my money on the Pat McGrath range. $38 for a lipstick? $125 for an eyeshadow palette? And there's no way for me to swatch the products and experience the textures before I purchase? That's just beyond me and my means.<br />
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So how did I get these products? Well, my friends...I did some damage during Black Friday 2018. With the LuxeTrance lipsticks on sale for $26, I decided they were close enough to my $25 price ceiling to give them a try. I went for the shade <a href="https://www.patmcgrath.com/collections/creme-lipstick/products/luxetrance-lipstick?variant=419745726488">Strangé</a>, partially because it's a red and partially because I think that's a Grace Jones reference.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C7E8bQ-rhwI/XDtykhQkV2I/AAAAAAAALXo/z9dld2E8d18WMa5gwDFXIMefpiIKeV3RQCLcBGAs/s1600/gracejones.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="277" data-original-width="500" height="221" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C7E8bQ-rhwI/XDtykhQkV2I/AAAAAAAALXo/z9dld2E8d18WMa5gwDFXIMefpiIKeV3RQCLcBGAs/s400/gracejones.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i> She is perfection and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7VH8LKDnr0">this scene</a> is iconic.</i></div>
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I also purchased an on-sale <a href="https://www.patmcgrath.com/collections/lip-pencil">PermaGel lip pencil</a> in Manhattan, thinking it would match Strangé. In reality, Manhattan is a bit darker and more brown, but that little bit of depth helps. <br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J9V7IlnhoIg/XDtzhv8JH4I/AAAAAAAALX0/f2tSf6aIYcgfu6qhct4hgD_TJ_E8PgsjACLcBGAs/s1600/Strange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J9V7IlnhoIg/XDtzhv8JH4I/AAAAAAAALX0/f2tSf6aIYcgfu6qhct4hgD_TJ_E8PgsjACLcBGAs/s640/Strange.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>What do we think of the lighting in this photo: yay or nay?</i></div>
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The packaging for these products is definitely worthy of the price point. Every product comes in a beautiful box fastened with string. The writing on both the products and their boxes is gold foil. And while some people have complained that the giant gold lips on the lipsticks are tacky, I think they're just the right amount of over-the-top for a Pat McGrath range. The woman is famous for <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2017/aug/06/beauty-queen-how-pat-mcgrath-revolutionised-makeup">the number of bags and trunks</a> she travels with; she's not exactly known for subtly.<br />
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Are the formulas inside those pretty packages worth a day's pay? Well, that depends. The lipstick is certainly beautiful: it feels incredibly thin and smooth during application, almost like a liquid, and it gives full color payoff with one stroke. I did blot and reapply on this day, like I do with all lipsticks, and after eating a bowl of homemade sesame chicken, I noticed that the lipstick was mostly intact, with some wear near the very inside of my lips and all of that slightly glossy finish gone. It goes without saying that I love this color, because...red.<br />
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The lip pencil, however, leaves something to be desired. The name "Perma-Gel" suggests that the pencil will be creamy and long-wearing. It certainly has a fluid, soft gel texture, but it doesn't prevent feathering in the slightest. This macro shot shows how my lipstick looked after just an hour of wear: you can see that the edges, especially on my top lip, are smeared. I love the color of the lip pencil and how it pairs with this lipstick, so I'll keep using it, but I'll likely use a slightly waxier pencil first to get my lip lines smooth and crisp.<br />
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Perhaps the best way to sum up my feelings about Pat McGrath's lip products and the hype around them is this: I haven't looked at any other lip pencil shades, but I have picked out one more LuxeTrance lipstick I'd like to own, 1995. (Take a moment to appreciate my restraint here, please, because there's a shade named <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepper_LaBeija">Labeija</a> and I haven't bought it just for the name.) It's just one shade, and I won't even think about buying it until it's on sale again. I'll get my use out of these products and may own a few more, but I won't break the bank for them.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><u>BOTTOM LINE:</u> Like the <a href="http://www.badoutfitgreatlipstick.com/2016/03/the-hype-machine-nars-audacious.html">NARS Audacious lipsticks</a> before them, these Pat McGrath lip products are beautiful, but not necessarily better than any of the $20 lipsticks I've tried. Skip the lip pencils and settle on one or two special lipstick shades unless your budget is endless.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>The Hype Machine is a series that
represents my experiences and opinions. It is not meant to be a personal
attack on a specific company, product, or consumer. I always recommend
that you try products for yourself and see how they work for you.
Everybody is unique, after all!</i></span></div>
Miss Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08220111649046519267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1836843585087892027.post-69340277348935811762019-01-11T15:06:00.003-06:002019-01-11T15:10:37.258-06:00VIDEO: Responding to Negative Reviews of Books I Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/aHIAaIroB7g/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aHIAaIroB7g?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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Remember when YouTube would let you color correct your videos and add
annotations? Man, those were the glory days. I'm sorry I'm actually blue
in this video; I didn't realize they'd gotten rid of the color
correcting filter and I don't have very good video editing software. Any ideas on what I should invest in? And by invest, I mean buy for $20 or less?<br />
<br />
Also, since we can't add annotations anymore and I forgot to say this in
the video, I'll repeat what I stated in this video's description box: Yes, Sarah
Waters has stated that "Street Lavender" was an inspiration for
"Tipping the Velvet." My complaint is more with people who claim
"Tipping the Velvet" is a direct copy or a total rip-off. In reality,
the similarities are mostly surface level stuff, or things you'll find
in a lot of other Neo-Victorian fiction. "Inspired by" is not the same
as "plagiarized."<br />
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<u><b>Books Mentioned:</b></u> </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25104465-tipping-the-velvet?ac=1&from_search=true#">"Tipping the Velvet," by Sarah Waters</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1733692.Street_Lavender?ac=1&from_search=true">"Street Lavender," by Chris Hunt</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35959740-circe">"Circe," by Madeline Miller</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60931.Kindred?ac=1&from_search=true">"Kindred," by Octavia Butler </a><br />
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Also, a huge thank you to everyone who donated via KoFi! I sent $20 to amfAR in January. I'd like to keep collection for amfAR throughout the spring, since it's an organization that's near and dear to my heart.</div>
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Miss Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08220111649046519267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1836843585087892027.post-10147133166313767402019-01-06T16:18:00.000-06:002019-01-06T16:19:56.724-06:00Best of 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The mere five products I selected for this post boosts my confidence for No Buy 2019: I'm less interested in purchasing slews of stuff and more interested in using what I love, and I've become a lot more particular about what I love. I didn't just enjoy these products in 2018; they became actual staples, items I use almost daily and repurchase without hesitation. Without further ado, here's the five best of 2018!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Skin Laundry Daily Moisturizer SPF35</b></span></div>
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I can't remember what, exactly, prompted me to buy this moisturizer. It promised more than SPF15 and great hydration while containing none of no-no ingredients, sure, but so has every other day cream that's absolutely wrecked my face. Whatever the reason, I'm beyond glad that I took the chance. As far as day creams go, this thick lotion is rich and hydrating without feeling heavy or looking greasy on my skin. It works wonderfully under makeup and never seems to break me out or irritate me. And it's proven its worth as a day-to-day sunscreen: the only time I burned during our Toronto vacation was when I forgot to apply this moisturizer in the morning. I'm actually at the end of this tube and am therefore rationing it until it's back in stock at Sephora, but when it does come back, I might get two tubes so I don't run out again. Thanks, Skin Laundry, for creating a day cream I love.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Glossier Lash Slick</span></b></div>
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"Another year, another Glossier favorite" seems to be a running theme on this blog, and 2018 was no different: I fell in love with Lash Slick mascara. I was a little surprised when they launched this product, actually, because it's not the barely-there lash tint I expected, but rather a fiber mascara that lengthens and separate. While the effect is nice, what really made me fall in love with this mascara is that it doesn't smudge or flake as horribly as almost every other mascara I've tried. I can swipe it on at 8:30am, work all day, and come home at 6:00pm with next to no black specks or racoon-y smears. As an added bonus, the stopper inside the tube works perfectly, getting off every extra bit of product so you can go straight from the tube to your lashes. Glossier has produced some questionable products, but Lash Slick is a definite winner.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Jordan Samuel Hydrate Serum</span></b></div>
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Objectively, most people shouldn't spend a lot for hyaluronic acid: it's a cheap ingredient that's easy to use in a range of formulations. Unfortunately, most of the cheap, readily available hyaluronic acid serums and essences seem to break me out or irritate my skin--I'm thinking there's a common carrier ingredient that my face doesn't like. I'm willing to shell out $29 a bottle for Jordan Samuel's serum because it gives my dry, dehydrated skin the help it needs without any irritation, and it never pills under my other skincare products. I'm about to start my third bottle, which, based on how frequently I use it, suggests that each ounce of serum would last about 3 months with daily use. My favorite way to apply this? I mist my skin with a little distilled water, pat 2-3 drops of serum in to my damp skin, then top with moisturizer. Magic.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Skin Tint</span></b></div>
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While this jar packaging continues to be the bane of my existence, I've loved the tinted sunscreen inside. It's weightless, it looks like skin, and it's easy to slap on when I'm half awake and still glugging coffee. And despite containing SPF, this skin tint never turns white in flash photography, making it great for outdoor special events; I've worn it to several weddings, for instance.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand</span></b></div>
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It wasn't so much the hype that made me buy this highlight as it was the absolutely stunning photos of glossy-cheeked YouTubers and Instagrammers. That mixture of dewy and high-shine can be tough to achieve, but the Beauty Light Wand makes it a breeze. It's fairly flexible as well: you can use the tiniest dot for a more natural glow, or you can layer it on thicker for cheeks that look outright wet in pictures. My only qualm? Last I checked, there was just one shade, a light champagne gold. Expanding the shade range would make this an absolute Holy Grail for me.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Honorable Mention: That Sequin Fabric</span></b></div>
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Remember when I always had a television or some other janky nonsense in the background of my pictures? That finally stopped when I got a yard of sequin fabric on sale and JoAnne Fabrics. I know it's not to everybody's taste, but I finally brought that fabric back with me to our new apartment, and I couldn't be happier. In my opinion, it helped my photographs look more professional and more consistent in 2018. I'm hoping for more of the same in 2019.Miss Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08220111649046519267noreply@blogger.com2