While getting my morning coffee this morning, I walked by the nearby Body Shop store and learned that there’s a flash sale for 50% off makeup. This includes makeup, brushes, nail polishes and even makeup & polish removers!
*sigh* And what’s a makeup addict to to? I haven’t bought anything yet but I plan to stop in at lunch or after work. Here’s what I’m thinking.
I’ve been thinking about getting cosmetic tattooing, or permanent makeup done for a long time now, and I’ve finally decided to proceed with it (consultation appointment tonight!) The main reasons I want to do this are 1) to reduce the amount of makeup I need (with potential cost savings over time), and 2) to save time getting ready every day.
The areas I am getting tattooed are:
In the future, I think I may even do some eye shadow shading as well – I’ll bring in my beloved MAC Satin Taupe so they colour match it.
I happen to have all of CoverGirl’s LashBlast mascaras in my stash, so I thought I’d do an overview post to show the differences between them, and my preferences.
From left to right, the order in which they were released, and their claims, they are:
Volume (orange tube) Jan 2008 “For bold, high-volume lashes”
Luxe* (deep pink tube) Feb 2009 “High-volume lashes tinted with shimmer”
Length (yellow tube) Sept 2009 “Makes lashes up to 80% longer looking vs bare lashes”
Fusion (purple tube) Apr 2010 “Volume + Length in one stroke”
24 Hour (black tube) Jan 2012 “Power hour after hour. Bold, intense volume”
Clump Crusher (green tube) Nov 2012 “200% more volume + length, zero clumps”
Full Lash Bloom (pink tube) Dec 2014 “Exceptional lash fullness that’s soft to the touch”
For this overview, I am just looking at the non-waterproof formulas. I typically do not wear waterproof mascaras for regular usage.
* I just realized that I’m missing Luxe in my stash, the darker pink tube. But I can speak to it since I’ve tried it many moons ago – it’s a gimmick to have shimmer in mascaras, it doesn’t shows up on the lashes unless there’s a spotlight on them. The only place you’ll notice the glitter is on the cotton pad when you remove your makeup at night. The Luxe version is literally the original LashBlast Volume with glitter dumped into the formula.
Keep reading for details on each type
Let’s preface this post by saying that I’m not an expert on skincare – my opinions are just my anecdotal, personal experience. I also don’t battle with too many skin concerns in terms of deep wrinkles or loss of firmness – I would say that I’m in more of a preventative and maintenance mode.
My current primary concerns are:
• Fine lines: laugh lines, forehead, and under eye area
• Sun spots, aka my freckles – I get comments on them [from mostly Asian sales associates] but I’ve had my freckles since I was young, so I’m not sure if they really are a sign of aging?
• Sallow / dull appearance
I mainly use targeted anti-aging products at night before bed, for a few of reasons: typically these products are richer and I’d rather not have greasy skin during the day. Also, when sleeping, the skin goes through a renewal process which lends itself to better absorb and utilize the anti-aging skincare ingredients. Lastly, some anti-aging ingredients, such as retinods, cause sun sensitivity so I would rather avoid that if possible. During the day time my primary focus is sun protection.
This is part deux of “How I wash my brushes” entry. As I mentioned in that post, I used to simply lay my brushes flat to dry them after they’ve been washed. But with advancement in the technology of makeup brush care, I have improved my methods!
First up, my eye shadow brushes. I found this nifty art brush holder at the dollar store:
In the promotional images, the art brushes are placed with the bristles facing up for storage, but for the purpose of drying my brushes, I face them down – but with brush guards protecting the bristles. This is key. Don’t just put the brushes facing down and smooshing the bristles. The purpose of drying my brushes with the bristles facing down is to let gravity do some of the work: it prevents moisture from getting trapped in the ferrule (the metal part of the brush, where the bristles are glued in place). If moisture gets trapped in the ferrule, it can weaken the glue and cause the hairs to fall out. With this brush holder, I can fit 49 eye shadow brushes, and the whole set up can be taken apart completely for compact storage.
Continue reading
It’s officially the first week of Spring! I toyed with the idea of doing a Spring cleaning makeup purging entry… but I’m just not mentally up for sorting through my stash yet. So instead, I’ll show you how I clean my makeup brushes.
My method has developed over time. For years I simply washed my brushes with baby shampoo, laid them out on a towel and called it a day. But as more tools became available, I was able to improve my method and set up.
I wash (or sometimes referred to as “deep clean”) my brushes regularly – my eye makeup and foundation brushes are typically used only once and then set aside for cleaning. My sponges are also used just once and usually washed that very morning – I don’t like to let foundation dry inside the sponge which can permanently stain it. This may seem excessive but I don’t want to risk bacteria build-up which can cause cross contamination between my brushes, my makeup and my face.
The idea to create this Tag came out of a discussion with StyledWithJoy in the comments section of one of my posts a couple of weeks ago. We’re both on a No Buy for 2015, and we decided we needed a place to commiserate. If you’re on a No Buy or a Lo Buy, please join us in answering these co-authored tag questions – it’s cathartic!
1. When did you start your No Buy / Lo Buy? How long is your No Buy / Lo Buy going to last?
2. Why did you decide to go on a No Buy / Lo Buy?
3. Have you ever attempted a No Buy / Lo Buy before? If so, how did it go?
4. What do you hope to achieve with your No Buy / Lo Buy?
5. What product(s) have you hit pan on since starting the Makeup No Buy?
6. Do you have more empties because of it? What product do you miss the most?
7. Do you think you can survive the ban from makeup?
8. What is the one product you envy right now but can’t get? For eyes? For lips? And for face?
9. Have you cheated and bought something already?
10. After your No Buy / Lo Buy, are you planning a big haul? What are you going to buy?
This is a list of beauty related “hacks” – just tips and tricks that are inexpensive, and perhaps a little unconventional. There are all things I use on a regular basis that have been helpful to my beauty routine – I hope you get some new ideas!
Wheeee! Another Tag post. These sure make their way around the blogosphere. I enjoy reading them as they add a different dimension to an otherwise singular focus blog topic (be it beauty, fashion, cooking etc) – and as we know, everyone is multi-faceted. Thanks Bree, and StyledwithJoy for tagging me on this one.
“What’s in my makeup bag” is a popular youtube / blog topic, it’s fascinating to see what other people find to be so essential that they need to carry it with them at all times.
Here’s the makeup bag I carry in my purse:
stash matters 