Spring Cleaning: Products I'm Purging

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.

So let's talk about the really amazing products I'm getting rid of! At the top of the list are these Face Stockholm cream blushes. 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 MAC Amplified lipstick in Nicki's Nude. As pretty is it is, on the rare days when I wear a beige nude, I reach for NARS Raquel.

The list of makeup that's really lovely, but just not my style, includes the Marc Jacobs Dew Drops in Dew You, the Milk Makeup Holographic Highlighter in Mars, and the Fenty Mattemoiselle lipstick in Freckle Fiesta. 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 it isn't flattering on me at all. 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.

Now for the epic fails. Look, there have been some rave reviews for the Kosas Tinted Face Oil, and it's SO up my alley and I SO want to love it...but it just doesn't work on me. It deserves a better home. The Sephora Bright Future Gel Serum Concealer 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.

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I tried the new @urbandecaycosmetics brow gel and it was...eek. #urbandecaycosmetics #brows #nomame #beautyproducts

A post shared by Renee (@reneesanatomy) on Feb 19, 2019 at 6:53pm PST

The new Glossier Generation G 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 Colourpop Precision Brow Pencil shade range, but nope, every shade is still too dark or too orange on me. And don't even get me started on the Urban Decay Brow Beater gel. Woof. Maybe if you have decent brows, this will look nicer, but it just made me look like Groucho Marx.

Speaking of brows! Sephora is finally releasing some freebies I want, so I'll be purchasing that brow powder and brush I mentioned 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.

Companion Piece: 2019 No Buy and Goals Check-In

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!

What did I want?

There have been a ton of great new releases these past few months, like the YSL Touche Eclat High Cover Radiant Concealer I've been eyeing, but I've also found myself looking in to more "established" products, like the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo, the Jillian Dempsey Lid Tints, and the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Contour Wand. 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.

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 the Laura Mercier foundation I tested 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.

What did I buy?

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 2% BHA liquid for years and have never been disappointed.

Also, Glossier decided to launch their new sub-brand, Glossier Play, and I used my store credit to order (and review) quite the haul. That slew of products and Kirby's bout of shingles kept me preoccupied for most of the tail end of winter.

How am I feeling?

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?"

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.

Anything else?

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 Joann Fabric 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."

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.

Video: 2019 Goals Check-In

No Buy 2019: One Month Update

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.

What did I want?

I jotted down three wants in my bullet journal: the new Fenty concealer, the new Laura Mercier foundation, and the Rituel de Fille range. 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 Alchemist Highlighter Intensifier. I'm still waffling on this highlighter, so I'll wait a while longer and see if it's worth a gift card.

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!

What did I buy?

The Milk Makeup Face Gloss 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 Benefit Gimme Brow, but I'm holding off until Sephora puts up some point perks and samples that interest me.

As for staples, I repurchased my day cream, the Skin Laundry Daily Moisturizer SPF35. 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.

How am I feeling?

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.

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.

Anything else?

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, not everybody is ready for a no buy this long.

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 beauty budget. Change doesn't happen overnight, my friends, and most of us need to break bad habits carefully and mindfully.

If you're struggling with a year-long no buy, I have a few less intense options that might work better for you:

• Try a monthly or seasonal no buy. See Auxiliary Beauty for an example of this strategy.
• 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 here.
• 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."
• 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.)

Duping that Perricone MD "No Makeup" Look

A no buy tip I repeat often, 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 Perricone MD products, 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.

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 Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Skin Tint, a favorite of mine, and lightened up by undereye circles with the Sephora Bright Future Gel Serum Concealer. 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.

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.

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 Becca Beach Tint in Watermelon. As for the highlighter, my original inclination was to use some MAC Strobe Cream. I decided to go with something even more natural and barely-there, so I applied a few dots of YSL Touche Eclat 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.

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 Anastasia Brow Wiz 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!

As for they eye makeup, the replacement for the Perricone MD mascara was clear: Glossier Lash Slick. 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 Catrice Prime and Fine, 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.

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 Kosås Rosewater lipstick on to my lips, then topping that with some Glossier Balm Dot Com. Kosås says Rosewater is a "cooler" pink, but I find that it reads like more of a watermelon color on my lips.

So there we have it: my attempt to dupe the Perricone MD "No Makeup Makeup" look. I don't think I was entirely successful, thanks to those eyebrows, but it did save me some money. Hurrah! No Buy 2019 is still on track.

No Buy 2019: What I Pulled Out of the Purge Box

I get that the whole "New Year, New Me" thing is based on arbitrary dates, numbers we've assigned on a calendar, but...it's powerful for me. There's something exciting and motivating about that 1/1/19 date, especially after experiencing so many life changes in 2018 (quitting three jobs, starting two new jobs, moving across the country, etc.). I'm genuinely anxious to start working on my 2019 goals, including that year-long no buy.

Now, 1/1/19 feels like my clean slate starting point for sure, but that doesn't mean I can't start reinforcing good habits at the end of 2018. When I noticed I was visiting the Sephora website 2 or 3 times a day, I decided to stop looking for something to purchase and rifle through the purge box at my parents' house instead. Much to my surprise, I did pull out about a dozen items. Don't get too stressed, though: I only missed two products and really wanted to test out one. The others were just "I bet I could finish this meh thing" grabs.

What I Genuinely Want

I think my Besame lipstick collection is well over 15 shades now, and with so many beautiful reds residing in my card catalogue, I probably could've left American Beauty where it was. But it's been over 6 months, and I just can't bring myself to get rid of that beautiful berry red. Pulling this one out of the box definitely shut off my desire to buy more because I wanted to show off this shade instead of purchasing other lipsticks.

Also, it feeds my Besame addiction without tapping in to my wallet. I won't deny that I spend an unhealthy amount of time clicking through their website.

I also decided not to get rid of the Kevyn Aucoin lip pencil in Minimal. I don't wear a lot of purple-toned nude lipsticks or soft pinks anymore, as I've embraced my warm-ish undertones. It's a gorgeous lip liner, though, and I realized that, even if I don't pair it with a matching lipstick, it can create some beautiful new lipstick shades if I mix it with other products.

Last, but not least, I grabbed a big sample packet of the DevaCurl Wave Maker. I actually wanted to try this product for some time, but I never got around to it before the move, and I wanted to save room in my suitcases for more important things. Now I can toss it in to one of the checked bags I dragged home for Christmas and give it a shot at my leisure.

Well, why not?

I pulled two L'oreal products, the Magic Lumi Highlighting Pen and Brow Stylist, mostly because they weren't worth reselling or donating, but they could still ostensibly be used up over the course of a year. I dislike the faint shimmer in the highlighting pen and the Brunette brow shade is a tad warm for me, but hey, it could be doable!

The same goes for Tarte Shape Tape: I greatly prefer my other concealers, but it's a decent product, and I'm thinking I can get some use out of it before it goes rancid. If I really don't reach for it, I know for a fact that my boss uses the Shape Tape foundation and therefore might enjoy the concealer. (I know this because I brought something to her hotel room at a conference and looked at her makeup bag. For five seconds. And I recognized almost every product in that bag in those five seconds. #productjunkie)

I removed the three MAC lipsticks that were in the box--Rebel, Scarlet Ibis, and Faux--because I'm pretty sure one of my friends could make good use of them. If not, well, they're coming with me until it's time to Back 2 MAC some things. I'll never forget how much I loved MAC lipsticks, but with so many other brands producing high-quality formulas, these lipsticks just don't top the charts for me anymore.

Inventory and Review for 2018 and No Buy 2019 Prep

One of my most-repeated "stop buying shit" tips is to pull out everything you own and really look at it. You can arrange everything in neat rows and count it, or you can pile it up like a dragon's hoard. I like to do both: the organized method helps me calculate exactly how much I have, and the pile o' stuff is just a fun visual. I mean, c'mon, look at this picture! Isn't that quite a lot of frivolous stuff? Just call me Smaug.

I dropped almost $2000 worth of makeup on my office floor because I've decided to go through with my no buy in 2019, and before I start that, I need to get a handle on what I currently own and how I did with my 2018 goals. Frankly, I didn't do well, but I'm not the least bit upset about it. Why? Because I absolutely underestimated how taxing it is to move to a new place and start two new jobs. I was up at 7am and working by 7:15am most weekdays, and I worked until 5pm, then made dinner, then cleaned...reading and wearing makeup took a back seat to so many things these last few months.

I will not read 50 books this year.

I will not finish $200 worth of makeup.

I spent too much money these last few months on things I didn't need.

That's fine. I've got this. I'm settled. We're looking forward to a brighter, better 2019.

First up, let's look at some numbers! Here's what I had at the start of the year versus what I have now.

PRODUCT	JANUARY	DECEMBER
Concealer	4	4
Foundation	2	4*
Powder	2	1
Spray/Mist	1	1
Brow Pencils	3	5
Brow Gels	1	3
Eyeliner	2	1
Powder Shadow	16	3
Cream/Liquid Shadow	5	12
Eye Primer	2	2
Mascara	3	5
Lip Gloss	1	2
Lipstick	18	26
Lip Pencils	6	7
Blush	11	12
Highlighter	4	6

Note the * next to my foundation number: I just bought a foundation I've been wanting for over a year from Sephora, but it disappeared from the website ten minutes after I placed my order, so I have the sneaking suspicion Sephora will cancel that item. Also, I'm not too upset about where my numbers went up, since a decent amount of that is going to get used up pretty soon. For instance, I'm almost done with my Milk Makeup Gel Brow pencil. That drop in my number of powder shadows is just...so pleasing. Lastly, I have a small pile of products I plan on purging: I've set them off to the side, and if I don't miss them in the next month, away they go.

Now for my official plans for my 2019 No Buy! First, the exceptions. I am allowed to:

• Purchase replacements of staple products, like MAC Face & Body foundation or Jordan Samuel Hydrate Serum.
• Buy new things if I have gift cards or store credit.
• Receive products as PR or gifts.

 To stay on track with my goals, I plan on:

• Collecting all of my makeup and skincare empties for the year. This might be easier said than done, since we only have so much space, but I can try to squeeze a bag under the sink!
• Keeping all of my receipts AND keeping a list of my purchases. If I buy something with a gift card and end up paying a few dollars for taxes, I need to keep track of it.
• Writing down what I wanted to buy, then calculating how much I saved by not buying it. I already have a sticker in my planner for this!
• Doing regular update posts and/or videos. (Would posts or videos be better?) I think a monthly post in the same format would be a bit dull, but I could probably do something no-buy related each month.
• Forcing myself to be more inventive with the products I have. As I've gotten older, I've grown away from heavy eye makeup, but isn't it worth revisiting?

So what new stuff do I plan to bring to the blog? Well...

• It would be great if I could bring my day jobs in to the blog from time to time. There's a slim chance of that happening, since I work in education, but my career is incredibly important to me. 
• I want to write about food from time to time, particularly as it relates to my health. I've been somewhat shifty about this because it's so personal, slash, some people hate hearing about it, but I try to eat a certain way 90% of the time because I have irritable bowel syndrome and I work weird hours. So the occasional meal prep, what I ate today, food challenge-type stuff seems interesting and worthwhile.
• Kirby will probably come back for another video. He's funnier than I am, so, you know...worth it.

What's your price ceiling?

Makeup artist and YouTube goddess Lisa Eldridge recently launched a line of three red lipsticks in a "true velvet" finish. Not surprisingly, some people saw "red" and "velvet finish" and rightly assumed I'd be interested in these lipsticks. I've been eyeing these since they were announced, and I'm even more intrigued now that a Reddit user has posted a macro shot of her bullet's unique texture.

But no, I won't be buying them any time soon.

Truth be told, part of my reasoning is that I own more red lipstick than any one person should. I've tried just about every red Besame has produced and own a solid 75% of them, I decided to buy my first Pat McGrath lipstick in a red shade on Black Friday...really, I need another red like I need a hole in the head. But more than that, the price is too far beyond my "okay I'm comfortable with that" ceiling.

The Lisa Eldridge True Velvet Lipsticks are £26 each. At the current exchange rate, that's roughly $33.34. Add to that the shipping costs (since my broke ass would likely purchase just one tube), and the total price comes to £34.50, or $44.24. And I just can't stomach anything over $25 for a single lipstick.

Which got me wondering: how did I come up with that number? What you consider "too expensive" obviously varies from person to person, after all--this isn't universal. To some people, $25 is cheap for a good lipstick, while others think anything over $10 a tube is ludicrously expensive.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that my personal "price ceiling" is decided by my favorite products. Let's look at lipsticks as an example: Besame makes my favorites, and they're usually $22 per tube. Not surprisingly, most of the lipsticks I buy are in the $18-$25 range. Anything more expensive than that immediately makes me go, "Ehhhh, is it worth it? Probably not." Heck, I wouldn't buy that Pat McGrath lipstick until it went on sale for $26 because the usual $38 makes me "NOPE" right off the webpage. $38? Nyoooo. $26? Sure, no problem; that seems reasonable.

I went through my collection to confirm my theory, and yep, it's pretty much completely accurate. My favorite foundations are $30 and $39; I don't get squirrelly about foundation prices until we hit the $45-a-tube mark. The Shu Uemura Hard Formula pencil and Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz are $25 each, which is my max for most brow products. $38 for a Charlotte Tilbury highlighter almost killed me because I'm so used to spend $25 or less for my other favorites. So on and so forth, the formula holds pretty well through my entire collection.

My ceiling is also greatly impacted by my career. As somebody who has worked at least two part time jobs for years, always making less than she was worth, I'm very leery about tossing my money around and will wait for months for a sale. Now that one of my jobs has made some odd changes to my schedule, I'm even more cautious about spending my paycheck. I've actually gotten to this point where I think of products in terms of hours worked, e.g., "That Lisa Eldridge lipstick costs X hours of work. Is it worth that much of my time and effort?"

So I'm curious: what is your price ceiling, and what decides it for you? What impacts that ceiling--for instance, would you pay more for a Lisa Eldridge lipstick because it seems unique, or less for a mascara because it should be tossed after 6 months?

Winter-is-Coming 2018 Makeup Bag

If I were still living in Pennsylvania, this would be a fall makeup bag and I wouldn't use a memed-to-death quote from a series I loathe. I'm in the great white north now, though; I walked in to work covered in snowflakes and turned on our heat as soon as I got home. It's winter in my neck of the woods, friends, and that's worth a Game of Thrones reference.

Perhaps the funniest thing about this makeup bag is just how blatantly lazy I've gotten. I didn't think it was possible to put any less effort in to my makeup while still actually enjoying makeup, but here we are, sans foundation and using bright lips as a crutch. Bold lipstick just screams "I tried, I really did!", even if I slapped said lipstick on during my five minute break between shifts.

Slap-It-On Base -- I've always stressed the importance of sunscreen year round; the sun doesn't stop shining on the last day of summer, after all. But it's especially important for me to use a moisturizing sunscreen like the Skin Laundry Daily Moisturize SPF35 now that I'm living somewhere colder, dryer, and brighter. It leaves my skin feeling smooth and plump, and it makes applying concealer a breeze. I've been skipping foundation and going for just undereye concealer on a lot of days, and while the Sephora Bright Future Serum Gel Concealer doesn't have great staying power, it's very skinlike and super easy to apply. For my cheeks, I've been reaching for the Face Stockholm Cream Blushes. The gel texture provides a bit of natural dewiness, aka it let's me skip highlighter.

Something Old, Something New -- My feelings about the Glossier Zit Stick are pretty mixed. The actual formula isn't that amazing or unique; you can get an equally effective acne treatment from any number of brands. That said, the pen format makes it ideal for purses and makeup bags, and it dries totally clear. I used it several times during an especially stressful conference in September. By contrast, we all know that I love the Maybelline Full n' Soft Mascara! It seems like no matter how many other mascaras I try, I'll always come back to this one. Full n' Soft gives me fluffy, naturally volumized lashes with minimal flaking or smudging.

Monday Morning Effort Level Lips -- Yes, I know what you're saying: "Dark lips for fall? Groundbreaking." But while Besame Red Velvet is one of my standard reds, MAC More Than a Woman is more purple than what I normally wear. I just tend to think that purple looks stupid as Hell on my skintone. I can get away with More Than a Woman because of its strong pink base, and it's just light enough to be office wearable for me. I pair it with the Sephora Lip Liner to Go in Deep Aubergine.

As a final note, I would like to thank the readers who donated via my Ko-Fi link! Our $15 donation to ProLiteracy went towards improving women's literacy across the globe. From now until the end of December, I'll be gathering donations for the Foundation for AIDS Research. If you'd like to contribute, please click the Ko-Fi link in the blog sidebar.

Moving = Downsizing Tool

I will never forget moving back to Pennsylvania with this collection. It took up an entire checked bag and several post office boxes, and some of it still arrived damaged. Now, this was partially my own fault: wrapping hundreds of items quickly wore on my patience, and as a result, I didn't pad everything as much as I should have. But it's also just a simple fact of life that, if you're packing a boatload of makeup and putting it in the hands of people who have to move very heavy things as quickly as possible, you're going to experience some casualties.

I've downsized all of my possessions gradually over the last few years, but things really kicked in to overdrive at the start of 2018 because I knew I was moving across the country. As compared to my post-grad school move, which cost me thousands, I was able to fit almost everything I wanted and considered irreplaceable in three checked bags, two large USPS flat rate boxes, one medium flat rate box, and a bookbag. True minimalists could obviously move with much less, I'm sure, but a computer and a camera set up take a lot of room (the computer had its own checked bag, actually), and I'm not willing to give up the tools I need for my hobbies and career for the sake of space saving.

In fairness, I was not moving any furniture: nothing in my bedroom was especially precious to me, and my fiance and I knew we could furnish our apartment with rummage sale findings and leftovers from friends and family. (One of our goals for this coming week is to move and scrub an old loveseat and armchair set his parents had packed away in a trailer for the last five years.) This will obviously not be the case if you have, say, a very expensive couch or a family heirloom of a coffee table, or if you're moving to a place with no friends or family present. There are also things that just made zero sense to pack, i.e., I now work from home and therefore do not need dozens of dress clothing items. And most importantly, my cat has a safe place with my parents until I can figure out the safest way to move her. I know not everybody has those luxuries.

That said, makeup is a very different beast from pets and loveseats; in theory, it should be easy to move. And being able to fit all of my makeup in to one 12" x 12" x 5.5" box and ship it for less than $20 felt like such a coup. There are several thoughts and realities that guided me as I downsized, e.g., "It's okay to get rid of products I like if they're not being used enough. It does not mean I like the product any less." But the big question I asked myself--and the one that really worked for me--was, "Do I really want to go through the hassle of moving this a thousand miles?" If I asked myself this question and my response was anything less than, "Duh, I love this thing," I realized it likely wasn't worth keeping.

I kept saying this to my mother, actually, because she would ask me if I was packing $20 pans or every single $5 thrift store shirt I owned: it's not worth paying for more post office boxes or checked bags. She eventually caught on to what I was doing and didn't even bat an eye at the 4+ trash bags full of donation items I gathered. I mean, can you imagine if I'd tried packing all of that stuff? What a mess.

I suggested that my fiance try asking himself this question, and he said, "Yeah, my imagination isn't that strong; I know I'm not moving a thousand miles right now and I can't pretend I am." (We moved to his home state, so all of his possessions are a short drive away.) So I suggested he try a variation: "Do I really want to go through the trouble of packing this for my new apartment? Am I going to make sure it has a place, that it's stored properly? And when I move out of this apartment, will I want to pack it?" Remembering that we dream of settling down in several other states has helped him much more.

If you're a visual person, try getting a small-ish box or plastic tote and pretend it's the only space you have to pack your makeup. If you hesitate to put something in the box--if you start thinking, "Well, but that will take up space, and then..."--put it off to the side. When you're done, look at the products you've set aside and ask yourself if you really love and regularly use those products. You can also put those set-aside products in a box and hide them somewhere, like under your bed or in your closet, and see if you miss them over the next few weeks. Context is important, of course; if you only wear burgundy lipstick in the colder months and you live in Texas, well, that's likely why you aren't reaching for that lipstick right now. But I think most people have the critical thinking skills to keep that in the back of their mind.

I Did My Makeup with Single Use Samples

I have a weird obsession with beauty samples. I don't just mean the deluxe samples that are miniaturized versions of the full price product, although those are my favorites. I mean any kind of sample: foil packets of face cream, whiffs of perfume sprayed on glue and covered with a bit of paper in magazines, cardboard sheets with a swath of blush on them...you name it, I've probably hoarded it. But it's not wise to stockpile samples when you're preparing to move, and since that's my goal this summer, slash, I was feeling a little emotional about walking out of my college for the very last time, I decided to do a Face of the Day using only samples.

There was one minor snafu: the foundation sample I'd gotten from a MAC associate some time last year definitely smelt off. Also, I've yet to see a single use mascara sample. For those reasons, I used products already in my collection for my foundation and mascara. Everything else is from a sample card or sachet.

The above photo shows my starting point: a thin layer of Buxom Some Show Skin foundation mixed with a dot of MAC Strobe Cream, pressed in to my skin with a Beauty Blender. I put my mascara on later.

The first sample I used was the Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra Longwear Concealer in 1N. I almost always hate the totally flat foundation and concealer samples that include just a dot of product under a sticker because it's never enough to do your face. So imagine my surprise when I tapped my finger in to that little smear of concealer, dabbed it on my undereyes, and immediately realized I'd applied too damn much. Despite being a thin, lightweight formula, this stuff has a surprising amount of coverage; I was able to put a-bit-too-much on my undereyes and soften up my forehead blemish. There was some creasing in my fine lines after an hour or two, but I think that's because I used too much concealer, and it was easily tapped out. I actually taped that stupid sticker down so I could re-use the sample! So far, so good.

Next, I used the Bite Beauty Multistick in Biscotti for blush. Experiencing the texture of these reaffirmed what I said in my anti-haul: they're nice for the cheeks and might work on the eyes in a pinch, but the formula is just too stiff for my lips. You can see that the product actually popped out of its blisterpack, showing that it's drier than it looks.  That said, it blended out decently, and I got a ton of product in that little packet. I'm considering taking one of the other two shades from that sample to Toronto this summer so I don't have to pack as much.

Last, but not least, I applied a little Peter Thomas Roth 24K Gold Pure Luxury Lift and Firm Prism Cream to my cheekbones as a highlight. I've used this product before and I like it just fine, but the color is more golden than I usually go for, and it's certainly not worth the massive price tag. I also think the skincare benefits are overstated, but to be honest, I wouldn't apply something this frosty all over my face, anyway. ("But, Renee, the MAC Strobe Cream"--is not as gold or as frosty; stop pointing out my hypocrisies, dammit.)

Everything's great so far, right? My skin looks good and nothing is performing horribly. This is going to look amazing!

Hold up. This is me. I have to ruin things.

You see, I got a sample of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade. And I've used Dipbrow before and truly enjoyed it. So what's the issue?

Well, my friends, they included a brush with the sample. I applaud the effort, but really, I don't know who is going to actually use this extremely tiny, not-the-best-quality brush to apply such a pigmented product!

Except yes I do, and it's me. I'm the one who said I was going to do as much of my face with samples as I possibly could, and that brush counts as a sample!

Adults get to make choices. I am not proud of this one. Let's move along, because the next thing on the list is actually damn good.

It's the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Sin. Look, I remember when there were YouTube feuds over whether the original Urban Decay primer was better than my standby, Too Faced Shadow Insurance. (UDPP vs. TFSI, anyone?) Frankly, I remember liking them about the same; the only real difference was that I thought the Too Faced had a slightly nicer texture, and that's why I've kept using it. But ooooh, the Sin shade! It's frosty champagne goodness that applies smoothly and looks like eyeshadow. Seriously, if I wanted to pretend I was trying, I could throw this on, add another color to my crease, do some quick liner, and call it a day. Suffice to say that Sin went straight to my Sephora wish list.

 I always have to cut these types of samples open. It sucks. Please stop, beauty companies.

The lipstick was not quite as successful. It's the NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment in the shade Who Fucking Knows, It's Not On The Packaging. I checked the fancy box it was tucked in and the annoying chastity belt of a foil packet that held the applicator, and nothing. I thought it was American Woman, but the shade on my lips is far cooler and more purple than the warm, chestnut-y shade they show on Sephora.

Your guess is as good as mine. As for the formula, it's pretty solid as far as liquid lipsticks go: it's a thin, smooth liquid that's opaque with one layer, it starts drying down within a minute, and it lasted through cookies, spring rolls, and a glass of wine. Yes, that's what I ate for dinner. Again: choices.

It's tempting to say that this was just a funny one-off experiment that went totally awry, but I did learn some things. For starters, I'm way more likely to buy a product if I get several uses out of the sample. The Urban Decay sample provides more than enough primer for the upcoming week, so I taped off the little opening in the packet and put it away in my container. Compare that to the NARS liquid lipstick, which you can't store properly after pulling out the applicator. In that vein, there is clearly some packaging that is less frustrating than others. If I can't reseal it, I toss it, no matter how well the product works. Companies, if you want us to fall in love with your line via samples, you gotta give us some easy-to-open, easy-to-close packaging!

And of course, this proves that samples work. Like I said, I put the Urban Decay primer on my wishlist right away, I'm interested in trying the Laura Mercier concealer more, and while it's not my cup of tea, I'd have no issue recommending the NARS liquid lipsticks based on my experience.

So keep sending us new and improved samples, beauty companies, because we love them and they work! ...but don't let me have any more for now. I can't be stuffing taped-up blister packs of blush in to my luggage.

2018 "Warm Weather" Makeup Bag

I promised I would be better about documenting my makeup bag, makeup basket, "what I'm reaching for right now" products, so here I am with a warm weather makeup bag! ...except it's not warm yet. In fact, it's barely cracking 60°F this week, so is it even spring?

Part of me relishes the cooler weather because my fiance and I are visiting Toronto in June, and if it stays 10° cooler than usual, we'll have no problem walking 4+ miles a day to sight see. Buuuuuuut one of my students told me this actually means it's going to be hotter than Hell this summer. So is there going to be a sudden jump from cold, damp April to blazing May? Climate experts, help a girl out!

Regardless, I've been wearing these products a lot lately, and I'll likely keep favoring them when the sun does finally show up to the party. Here's a breakdown of my warm weather ready look.

SPF (aka "Sun Protected Face"): Glossier Invisible Shield Daily Sunscreen (1), Kat Von D Lock It Concealer Creme (2) Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Skin Tint (3) -- I get lazy as all get-out about my base makeup in summer. It's just too humid and hot for me to care, and I hate the feeling of sweat mixing with foundation. So I almost always skip foundation in favor of sunscreen and concealer. Lately, I'm eating my words about Glossier Invisible Shield and am enjoying it for incidental exposure; I add dabs of Kat Von D Lock It where needed for coverage. But I've also finally found a tinted sunscreen I like, the Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Skin Tint, which provides light coverage with a natural finish.

Glossy, Glowy Finishes: Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand (4), Becca Beach Tints (5), Glossier Generation G (6), Glossier Lip Gloss (7) -- My highlight collection has expanded recently to include a number of newer products with an almost "wet" finish. The Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand, a champagne-colored highlighter that adds a bit of warmth and plenty of glow to my skin, is leading the pack. The locking mechanism on the tube just makes it so makeup bag friendly! As far as colors go, I tend to stick with warm, pretty pinks in the summer months; the Becca Beach Tints in Watermelon and Dragonfruit fit the bill for blush, and for my lips, I like a layer or two of the sheer Glossier Generation G lipstick in Crush.  I've been topping that off with some of Glossier's Lip Gloss lately for a super shiny look.

Sweatproof Eyes: YSL The Shock Mascara (8), L'oreal Brow Stylist Definer (9) -- The L'oreal Brow Stylist Definer is actually brand new to my collection, but I plan on giving it a thorough testing this summer to see how it compares to the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz. I have the shade Brunette. Beyond that, the only other eye makeup I usually wear during the summer is mascara, because everything else just tends to melt and smear. YSL The Shock is my favorite sample I'm using right now because it provides plenty of volume and some length without looking clumpy.

Moderate Stash: Highlighters

Despite the fact that I'm borderline obsessed with highlighter, I don't write about it much. It's been over three years since my last collection post. Maybe I'm just too busy trying foundations and raving about lipsticks; regardless, I've done my highlighter stash a disservice, and that must be rectified.

Now, when I announced on Instagram that I was writing this post, I received some wonderful recommendations from followers, like "Tell us how long they last." Part of the problem, though, is that...I don't generally have a problem with my highlighters fading. This is partially because I use creams and liquids exclusively, and they're more likely to "stick" to your skin, and partially because my skin is uber-dry, so makeup clings to it. That said, I'm going to do my very best to give you a useful description of the finish, color, wear, packaging, and purpose of all of these highlighters.

Please note that this information was accurate at the time of this post. Prices change, new shades are created, old shades are discontinued, formulas are altered, etc. I mean, damn, MAC lipsticks weren't even $15 when I bought my first one, and now they've crept up to $18, fifty cents more per tube at a time. Time is a great thickener of things products.

Lastly, my birthday is coming up next week! If you've enjoyed my blog and want to show your appreciation, please consider (but don't feel required to) leave me a "tip" on Ko-Fi. I donate all of the tips to charity; right now, my charity of choice is Pro Literacy. If that's not in the cards for you right now, no problem! I love "happy birthday" comments and emails as well. :)

MAC Strobe Cream in Pinklite

Cost: $34 for 1.7oz, $12 for 1oz
Formula: Lotion
Packaging: Squeeze tube.
Other Shades: Goldlite, Peachlite, Redlite, Silverlite (1oz size only available in Pinklite)
Finish: Natural
Color: Faintly pink and opalescent.
Description: I've gone through at least three of the travel size Strobe Cream tubes, and now that they've expanded the shade range, I can see me emptying dozens more. This is actually a luminous moisturizer, and you can absolutely use it in that capacity if you don't mind the shine and need just a bit of hydration. Because of the thin lotion texture, it appears incredibly natural and seamless on the skin and gives you that no-makeup-makeup, "I slept really well" look. I usually use this as a highlighter on foundation-free days for work (left photo), or I mix it in to my foundation and use a dab more on top of my cheekbones for a soft glow (right photo). Note: the travel size tubes are actually cheaper by the ounce, but as of right now, you can only get them in the original Pinklite shade.
Purchase: MAC Cosmetics

ELF Beautifully Bare Targeted Natural Glow Stick in Morning Dew

Cost: $4 for 0.08oz
Formula: Oil Stick
Packaging: Twist up stick.
Other Shades: Pink Pearl Glow, Champagne Glow
Finish: Wet
Color: Clear
Description: I was pretty bummed when I realized the Ciate Dewy Stix contained some of my no-no ingredients, then thrilled when The Critical Babe mentioned this much cheaper product as an alternative. While the other two shades are a bit garish and sparkly, Morning Dew is completely clear and gives you a "wet skin" look in seconds. That's not shocking when you look at the ingredients and feel this product on your skin: it's an actual oil stick, not a traditional highlighter. This means it will look super glossy and gorgeous without being sparkly, but it will also stay tacky on your face and may seriously clog some people. Also, while $4 is a great price, you're not getting a ton of product here, so keep that in mind if you plan on using this highlighter regularly.
Purchase: ELF Cosmetics

Glossier Haloscope in Quartz

Cost: $22 for 0.19oz
Formula: Cream Stick
Packaging: Twist up stick.
Other Shades: Topaz, Moonstone
Finish: Glossy; can look wet in some lights.
Color: Very Pale Champagne
Description:  Like the ELF Beautifully Bare Targeted Natural Glow Stick, this is an oil-laden highlighter in stick form. I refer to it as a "cream stick," though, because it has a smoother, less oily texture and a bit of fine shimmer in it for a dash of color. (It still stays sticky on the skin.) That might sound unattractive, but I love the ease of this highlighter, which I can swipe on and blend out in less than a minute. The mixture of smooth oils and barely-there color make it ideal for photographs, where it catches the light will still looking incredibly natural. This is probably my personal favorite Glossier product. I have tried the other two shades, and while Moonstone was a bit meh to me, I really liked Topaz. It's just too warm and dark for my skintone.
Purchase: Glossier

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Beauty Light Wand in Spotlight

Cost: $38 for 0.4oz
Formula: Liquid
Packaging: Squeeze tube with a sponge tip applicator and on/off mechanism.
Other Shades: none
Finish: Glossy; slightly metallic when layered.
Color: Champagne
Description: The cost of Charlotte Tilbury products generally makes me want to die, but because this one was a decent size and everybody was bragging on it, I decided to throw my Nordstrom gift card at it. I'm glad I did,  because I totally get the hype! It's a champagne-colored highlight with fine shimmer that gives you a light-catching, slightly glossy look; you can layer on a little extra and get a more metallic shine, but it's never going to be overdone. Now, is it as wet-looking as something like the ELF stick? No, but the benefit of the Charlotte Tilbury is that the liquid formula actually dries down. This means you can use it around your eyes as well. (Peep it on the inner corners of my eyes in the right photo.) I also like that the tube has a little on/off mechanism to prevent the highlighter from seeping out in your luggage or your handbag. The sole downside for me is that this is the only shade available, and because it is more golden, I have to use it on a full face of makeup to make it "fit."
Purchase: Nordstrom

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Pearl

Cost: $41 for 1.7oz, $19 for 0.68oz
Formula: Liquid
Packaging: Airless pump for full size, squeeze tube for travel size.
Other Shades: Moonstone, Opal, Topaz, Rose Gold, Champagne Pop, Prosecco Pop (0.68oz size only available in Moonstone and Opal)
Finish: Ranges from natural to metallic, depending on how much product you use.
Color: White
Description: Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector is the OG "WOW THAT LIQUID HIGHLIGHTER" product, and it's still a tough one to beat. While it's costly, you get a ton of product, and the littlest dot goes a long way. Apply a small amount with a flat brush for a natural look, or layer it on with your fingers for that metallic "Instagram Glow." This is definitely a shimmery highlighter, but at least in the shades I've tried (Pearl and Moonstone), it's a very refined shimmer. Still, I'm not a fan of mixing this in to my foundation; it's just too shiny. The "Pop" shades purportedly contain chunkier glitter. Also, be aware that this formula contains sunscreen ingredients that some people find sensitizing. I've had my tube of Shimmering Skin Perfector since college and it's still almost half full, so I will be getting rid of it at the end of the year to be safe. If they ever make Pearl available in the easier-to-finish travel size, I will absolutely repurchase it.
Purchase: Sephora

Milk Makeup Holographic Stick in Mars

Cost: $28 for 1oz, $14 for 0.25oz
Formula: Cream Stick
Packaging: Twist up stick.
Other Shades: Supernova, Stardust
Finish: Shimmery
Color: Peach glow with faint purple shimmer.
Description: I wanted this highlighter in its original lavender shade, Supernova, for quite a while, but when I swatched them in my local Sephora, I realized that Mars looked much prettier and more refined. The peach base almost blends in to my skintone, leaving me with some shine and a bit of purple shimmer that's only visible when you're very close to me. In other words, this is sparkly and far from natural, but it isn't outright glittery. The texture of this cream stick is a little more powdery than the Glossier or ELF products, and it dries down more on my skin. It's not a shade I reach for regularly, since I tend to prefer "natural" or "glossy" to "shimmery," but it's damned pretty and works well for nights out. Note: while the 1oz size of this is technically a much better value, that's a ton of highlighter to finish up, and I'm not sure most people could manage it. I definitely encourage you to get the minis instead.
Purchase: Sephora

I made a new Excel inventory (and you can, too).

I am far from an Excel wizard. Rather, I'm the person who constantly opens Excel by accident when she's really trying to update a PowerPoint for class, leading to much wailing and gnashing of teeth as I wait for the program to load so I can immediately close it again. To be fair, I've only met a couple of people I would call actual Excel wizards, and they had a lot of classes on the program so they could use it for business or accounting purposes. I've only ever used it for gradebooks and other basic record keeping, so...not as much column calculating there.

That said, Excel can create really easy to read makeup inventories for you, even if you're not that tech savvy. Heck, I've even used it to track spending. You just have to know how to fiddle with the templates a little.

To find this template, I started a new Excel file, then searched for "inventory." While there are lots of lovely options, this "Home Inventory" with green accents really appealed to me and looked like it would the easiest thing to modify. After all, normal people document what's in their house for insurance purposes. Weirdos like me document the exorbitant number of lipsticks they've collected over the past few years.

Now we have to remove the stuff we don't need. This is pretty easy, actually: you just left click at the top left corner of the columns/rows you want to remove, hold down shift, then click on the bottom right corner. You should see it highlight the area you've selected. Let go of shift, then press delete to erase the text. If you don't want that actual space taken up, you can right click on the highlighted area and choose "Delete..."; you just might have to fiddle with four "Shift" and "Move" options it gives you.

Learn to love the undo button (the arrow at the top of the Excel toolbar) and the save button, by the way, because if you're new to this, you'll do what I do and mess up frequently.

I did the same thing with any columns I didn't want, like "Purchase Price"--I thought the value bars on the "Estimated Current Value" column were cooler and more helpful. (Mostly cooler.) Just select the column, right click, choose "Delete," "Table Columns."

Quick reminder: columns are vertical, rows are horizontal. I'm not trying to be insulting by writing that. It's something I actually have to pause and think about for a second every damn time, and maybe you're the same way.

Now let's talk about inserting rows. There's apparently a super easy keyboard way to do this, but I suck at doing it, sooooo we're gonna right click. Go to the far left side of the spreadsheet and click on one of the gray number boxes; any one will do as long as it is next to a row in your inventory. Right click and select "Insert." This should create a new row above the one you had selected.

From here on out, it's just a matter of renaming things and filling out the spreadsheet. The nice thing about this template is it will create a new, easily selectable, yellow category box you put in that "Room/Area" drop down box. I ended up with just four categories because that's what works for me, but you could create as many as you wanted.

This template also calculates a "total value" if you plug everything in to that column. Mine made me die a little inside, since I can imagine what else I would get for $1500+. That said, it's also less than I thought I'd own, so...progress?

If you don't like this template, fiddle with the others! I actually tried two others before I settled on this one. And if you're one of those fantastic Excel wizards, we'd love any of your tips and tricks for optimizing our inventory-making experiences.

Even if you're one of those normal people who inventories their house instead of their beauty products. It's okay. We still like you.