May Favorites, Acquisitions, and Empties (Or: Amy's Wordiness on Steroids)

Ok, guys, this post is massive. It's so far past tl;dr, it can't even see it on the horizon. Consider yourselves warned.

Favorites:
This month, I've been loving mixing Revlon Colorstay Ivory 110 with MAC Matchmaster 1. The combination is a perfect match for my skin, and it means the best of both worlds: the slip and ease of the Revlon, and the pigmentation and oil control of the MAC. Very pleased!

I've also been wearing eyeshadow 4 or 5 days a week (up from 1 or 2 in the past, ha!) because I get bored waiting for my sunscreen to absorb. My go-to look is TFSI with Too Faced Silk Teddy on my lid, LMdB Corinthian in the crease and outer V, and Too Faced Heaven above my crease to blend. Easy, elegant, and lasts all day!

I've also really been loving playing around with all my perfumes. Mitsouko is still my #1 love, but FM Carnal Flower and By Kilian Beyond Love are great for warmer weather (I love my tuberose, yum). Some of the other wins: L'Artisan Thé pour un Eté (jasmine tea!), FM En Passant (lovely lilac), Samsara (great day-to-night scent), Dior Diorella (weird, delightful chypre), and Jicky (ultimate comfort scent). I've taken to wearing one scent down my shirt (scandalous!) and a different one on my left forearm, so that I catch whiffs of them both over the course of the day. I do have to be sure to wear scents that don't clash, and sometimes I spray the same one both places, especially when I'm "testing" it (for my own edification with regards to how much I like it), but it's a system that's working well!

My Hair Routine: Suave Color Protection Shampoo and Captivating Curls Conditioner Reviews

I've been working on a big post summarizing my beauty collection (arsenal?), and while linking to the reviews I've done, I realized I've never actually written a post on my shampoo and conditioner! (The only other styling product I use is Suave Captivating Curls Mousse, which I reviewed here.)

images via Suave

Giveaway Winner!

The winner of the giveaway is Lizzy, with her suggestion that I should try Shiseido products (entry #14)! She also won one of the last giveaways I did, and has been one of the blog's longest and most ardent readers (and is one of my oldest and dearest friends IRL, aww), and if I didn't trust that Rafflecopter's selection process is completely random, I would think nepotism! So congratulations, L, and thank you to everyone who entered :-)

I'll have another post up in the next couple days with y'all's suggestions for cheap dinners. Spoiler: there's lots of legumes.

What's new with you all?

Revlon Colorburst Lip Gloss in Strawberry Review and Swatches

Hey, y'all! Today's the last day to enter the giveaway, if you haven't already! Also, you may have noticed I changed the look of the blog. It was done as a procrastinatory measure, but also because it's approaching summer now and I felt like a change (summer 'round these parts is GREEN, hence the color scheme). Let me know what you think/if there's anything you'd like to see different!

For anyone who's not read the blog before: I tend to hate lip gloss. It's sticky and messy and glops up all weirdly (though see Fraise Crème and pH Matchmaker for success stories). And yet, sometimes the hype is enough for me to be willing to try one, and when you combine that with a 40% off sale, you get the perfect gloss storm. Sometimes, though, the risk pays off, and such is the case with Revlon Colorburst Lip Gloss in Strawberry (though let me just say, no natural strawberry has ever been this color––not that it's a bad thing, just a slightly misleading name!).

Prettyyyyy

Sunday Summary

Happy Sunday, lovelies! It's been awhile since I've done one of these, but with the long weekend I feel like I have a bit more breathing room work-wise (rightly or not, ha!) so I actually feel like I have the time! I went winetasting with my mother today; it was sadly overcast, but not too cold, and it didn't rain, so all in all a weather semi-win. We went to Sarven Winery and did their flight and got cheese and bread to go with it; I neglected to take a picture until I had already decimated quite a lot of the cheese, but here it is:

Olives, apple, and manchego cheese

Still-warm baguette, yum

Fragrance Friday: Some Mini Reviews (Miniviews?)

I've been entirely too busy with life stuff lately and haven't really had the chance to write up full reviews for perfume, not to mention I am so unqualified to do so. And so, I've decided to post "miniviews" of things I've smelled, with links to more substantial reviews from other legit perfume bloggers where warranted. These are basically just the notes I took on my phone when I went perfume hunting with L at the Eugene mall (which has a truly paltry selection of perfume, so don't be expecting anything niche here), so some are very brief and uninformative, though I've added some extra comments in parentheses. Hopefully they're witty enough for you to forgive me their lack of content! (Also, if you haven't already, be sure to enter the giveaway! It closes Monday.)

Cacharel Anaïs Anaïs: Nope, smells outdated. (Classified as a floral by Fragrantica, where it received not great reviews. I think the vintage was better, but am not about to try and hunt it down.)

Chanel No. 5: Yes, aldehydes, but I like it much better in edt than edp form, because the underlying floralcy can come out. Worth smelling, should probably try on skin. (Aldehydes and I don't get along particularly well, so I don't actually plan on getting a sample of this. I know, cue perfumista horror. See Bois de Jasmin and Now Smell This's reviews.)

Clinique Aromatics Elixir: L described it as bug spray. I cannot put it better myself. Perhaps it's better when worn, but I don't really feel a burning desire to find out. (This is a classic, polarizing chypre, so I really should try it on skin sometime. Maybe I'll try the next time I'm at the mall. See Bois de Jasmin's review.)

Dior Hypnotic Poison: Okay, smells like vanilla and licorice to me. Maybe the woods come out when you wear it, but I'm not willing to find out. Too strong, too sweet. (See Now Smell This's review for a more flattering opinion.)

Dior Poison: Smelled this years ago and hated it; still holds true today. Way too big, couldn't even try and find the notes. Just no. ("Poison" is an accurate name, at least! This is arguably THE perfume of the 80s, with everything that comes with that. Should stay in the 80s, thank you very much, along with shoulder pads, big perms, and the Berlin Wall.)

Currently Coveting: Bronzers and Highlighters

Currently Coveting is an intermittent feature on products that catch my attention, whether new, cult classics, or something in between!


I'm pretty pale, much like French is pretty nasal. I've never been matched to MAC's main line of foundations, but Matchmaster 1 is just a little bit dark for me, so I'd guess I'm in the NW 5-10 range depending on season. Most of the time, I'm just fine with that; sure, I have to wear sunscreen like whoa, and gigantic sun hats are my best friend (after bunnies, I mean), but I am just way too lazy to try to fake a tan. I'm also pretty oily, much like cheese is pretty delicious. I use multiple products daily to try and keep my shine to a minimum, and still am not entirely pleased with my results.

And yet. And yet. Lately, I've been finding myself feeling like picking up a bronzer and/or highlighter. I already have a bronzer, Benefit Hoola, and almost never wear it, and a luminizer, theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer, which I can't even tell is there after application, so I justify considering buying new ones by saying I'll use it them contouring, since, while the Meow Skinny Dipper is the perfect color for contouring, I am always far too lazy (notice a trend?) to bother with loose powder in the morning, and Hoola is too dark to be a foolproof contour. Really, though, I just want them because they're pretty. Fortunately, I have more restraint than that (barely), but here are some that have particularly caught my eye:

Combos

Korres Magic Light Contouring Trio Santorini, $28 for 0.30 oz

Guerlain by Emilio Pucci Terra Azzurra Bronzing Powder & Blush, $75 for 0.56 oz

Neutral Eyes: Quick Reviews of Urban Decay Shadow Pencils in Juju and Sin and Hourglass Visionaire Eyeshadow Duo in Gypsy

I wanted to get my thoughts on Urban Decay's shadow pencils up before the end of the giveaway (extended through Memorial Day! Go enter if you haven't!), but didn't feel like doing a full review and happened to have swatches of Hourglass Gypsy that I needed to do something with, so...here's a quick combo review!

Juju (left),
Sin (right)

Urban Decay's eyeliners are cult favorites (I have Mildew and Rockstar, and love the former [the latter is a bit too glittertastic]), so everybody was pretty psyched when they came out with bigger shadow pencils. I picked up the 5 pack they'd released for the holidays when it was on super-sale and kept the two lighter neutrals for myself (the others are here), and have been using them on and off for the past couple months.

Juju (top), Sin (bottom)

Sin is a shimmery light champagne, and Juju is a shimmery taupe. They're pretty firm, so I just swipe it all over my lid and then blend to soften the edges. On their own, they crease and fade pretty badly on my oily lids, but they last ~8 hours over TFSI, and longer if I top them with powder shadow.

Sin blended all over lid, Juju blended in crease

They do need to be sharpened, but I've gotten a lot of wear out of them without needing to do so yet (the only reason I did was to test and make sure it could be sharpened before writing this review, and yes, it can––I used the larger hole in the $2 Revlon sharpener I have to no ill effects). I wouldn't pay $20 for one, but I'm very pleased to have the ones I do! Grade: B (if you get them for cheap, A-)
$20 for 0.10 oz, available from Sephora and Urban Decay

Grouchy stressed post (after 5 minutes of thinking, that's the best title I could come up with. I don't even know.)

Oh my god, you guys, I am so bleh. I've spent the last 2 weeks grading like mad, and I still feel like it's not right––with 75 students, how am I supposed to ensure consistency in my grading? Essays are the worst. I feel so ill-equipped to determine who gets a B+ and who an A-. Plus, there are some people who turned their surveys in late, but I didn't always mark them as such, so they're getting higher grades than they deserve, and that also makes me feel like a fail GTF. Blergh.

White bleeding hearts at Hendricks Park

On top of that, I've been way too social the past few days, and it is exhausting. Between that and the grading, I just feel completely drained, and all I want to do is hunker down and hide from the world and play with nail polish. Instead, I have to read some really technical articles, try and get my shit together for this experiment I'm running (which is also causing me great stress, because OMG WE HAVE 3 WEEKS LEFT AND STILL NO SUBJECTS, and hey, what about the whole term paper thing? I should probably be doing reading for that, too?) and try and catch up on syntax reading (y'all, syntax sucks) and oh right, syntax term paper, you should be written, too! What's that, you say? More reading? More confusion? MORE STRESS? Sure, why the hell not.

Pretty pale pink rhododendrons, also at Hendricks (fun fact: Steve "Pre" Prefontaine, the great track star, crashed his car on a rock and died in Hendricks Park. Olympic hopefuls leave offerings by the rock during the Olympic Track Trials [and other track and field events].)

Anyways. I have all these grand plans for the blog, reviews and comparisons and witty posts galore (you know you've spent too much time thinking about syntax when "galore" makes you think mockingly of those theoreticians who hypothesize that it is underlyingly before the noun, but undergoes movement, when it's so much simpler to realize that it's a relic of diachrony), but right now I am just wiped. So all that will have to wait.

Crepes Suzette with strawberries, from Excelsior; super nom

I'm going to go eat something unhealthy, remove my nail polish and reapply something pretty, and watch Happy Endings. I only have a couple episodes left, but I'm definitely planning on rewatching Penny's birthday episode, because I loled out of my chair. So yeah, pretending that the world and all this stressy stuff doesn't exist (denial is fun!). The readings will still be there tomorrow. I would buy myself something pretty (Armani Gloss d'Armani 511, new for the summer, and it looks like absolute perfection for me: a sheer non-sticky plum! Come to mama...), but I don't want to go over my beauty budget so I'm trying to hold off until June. Why can't I be a trust fund baby, y'all? The perfumes I could sniff, the gloss I could buy, le sigh. I'll be back in fighting style soon, I hope, but for now, go enter the giveaway if you haven't already!

How do you deal with stress?

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush Review and Swatches

I already have, like, way too many lip products, but when I saw a full display of the new Balm Stains from Revlon at Rite Aid during the Revlon 40% off sale, I couldn't resist picking one up.

Oh fer pretty!

I love balms, and stains, and though I already have several lippies in this style, I wanted to see how this compares.

Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush

One Year Blog(g)iversary (What? Don't look at me like that, it's totally a word people use)

One year ago tomorrow, I wrote my inaugural BJB post. I wasn't sure if the blog would actually be a thing that I'd want to continue doing, and for awhile, I only told my closest friends about it (and actually, for the first couple weeks, I didn't tell anyone about it!). I've learned so much in the past 12 months, about myself and beauty and blogging, and it's hard to believe that I've actually stuck with it for so long! It's funny reading my first post, because comments like "it's really unlikely you'll find much full-price luxury stuff discussed here" and "I've given up on nail polish (I can never get it perfect, and my OCD self won't allow anything less)" have been proven so untrue (that last thanks to bent eyeliner brush, 100% acetone, and a magnifying lamp!).

One of my friends recently asked me what inspired me to start the blog. I told her that it was because I'd turned in my final college paper and was at a loss for what to do with myself, since after 4 years of endless academic challenges, it felt very strange to not have some sort of responsibility. But I've since realized that only explains why I started a blog, not why I started a beauty blog, and so I've been mulling over why I felt a) inspired and b) equipped to do so. The second can be explained by hubris and naïveté: having spent a couple years extensively reading other blogs and having an interest in beauty, I (bafflingly?) thought my comparatively paltry stash, meager budget, and relatively shallow history with cosmetics would be sufficient for adding something new to the conversation, and figured it would be nice to just be able to share some of the things I learned, both up to that point and beyond. I failed to realize how time consuming blogging is, especially if one wants to have a resource that is somewhat helpful to others, which has always been the primary purpose of this blog––most of my traffic comes from people who come upon it when looking for product reviews, and I've always wanted them to leave feeling better informed as to what to expect from the product. Whether I've succeeded or not is debatable, but I do think I've improved over the past year in providing relatively quality, reliable content. (This post is an exception; it's basically just 5 paragraphs of me navel-gazing and hating the patriarchy. Read at your own risk. Though there is a fun surprise at the end!)

30 Days: Day 9

Well, I guess one of these posts every 6 weeks or so means I'll be done with this series in...another 3 years, ok. I should probably step up the pace if I actually want to have any hope of finishing it! (If you're not familiar with the series, see my original post here, though I'm not following Magi-Mania's prompts too strictly!).

Show us your (powder) eyeshadow collection!
I wear glasses and am effectively blind when applying eye makeup, so I tend to rely on neutral staples when I wear eyeshadow. As such, my collection is pretty boring by most bloggers' standards, but it serves my purposes very well! I sometimes think I should cut down on it, because I just don't wear eyeshadow that often, but I like them all...

Pacifica Shower Gel, Soap, and Candle Reviews and Pictures

Hey, y'all! I just spent an hour working on this post instead of grading midterms. I expect lots of loving comments in return. Carry on!


Pacifica is a perfume company stationed in Portland, OR and founded by a UO (University of Oregon, YELL O!) alum, Brooke Harvey Taylor. The UO Duck Store had a 25% off sale a few weeks ago, and I took the opportunity to snag some of the Pacifica products they carry (which include candles, body butter, shower gel, soap, reed diffusers, solid perfumes, and spray perfumes), and got a free gift to boot!

In keeping with the eco-friendly approach that permeates Eugene (and the Willamette Valley in general), Pacifica's products are made with locally-sourced ingredients whenever possible, have 100% recyclable packaging, and are made without animal testing, phthalates, parabens, sulfates, and other such "bad" ingredients. Now, let me take a moment to say that all rigorous scientific research done has shown that parabens pose minimal risk, and the crusade against them is simply a very successful marketing ploy, so there is absolutely no reason to be afraid of using products with parabens (unless you are one of the rare people who suffers from a sensitivity, much like I do to cocomidopropyl betaine), and if you go out of your way to buy paraben-free products, you're being ridiculous. In addition, the prose on the Pacifica website is rather, um, overly wrought, and includes lots of references to Buddhism and East Asian influences, which, well, cultural appropriation = problematic. In spite of all this, though, I really like the products from the brand that I've tried, so if you've managed to make it through that ramble (and if you're a regular reader of the blog, you should be used to such by now), here are my thoughts!

I got the shower gel in California Star Jasmine, since I was tired of trying to round up the enthusiasm to use Holiday Lights Aglow when it was 70 degrees out and don't like how watery the Body Shop Mango shower gel I have is (oh my god, why am I so wordy?!). CSJ in shower gel form is heavily green with a jasmine floral backdrop. The Pacifica website claims that the scent has orange top notes, but I get primarily green notes with some hints of citrus. Regardless, it's bright and fresh, and perfect for sunny mornings. It's also wonderfully thick and foamy, so a little goes a long ways; a mounded quarter-size dollop is enough for my whole body. I've also worn the spray perfume (I love testers!), which has the same bright green opening, but wears down into a more floral heart. It only lasts a few hours and the finish is rather barebones with just a shadow of green florals, but it's very refreshing and pretty, and at $22 for 1 oz, it's a good cheap thrill. Or, if you go to the UO, you can just duck into the Duck Store (I couldn't help myself) and spray yourself as a pick-me-up!
$10 for 8 oz shower gel from Pacifica and select retailers (like the UO Duck Store in Eugene, OR, and perhaps Whole Foods? We don't have one in Eugene [the locals rebelled when they tried to put one in, as we already have several locally-owned organic/natural food stores]); other California Star Jasmine-scented products available as well

Le Métier de Beauté Pure Color Eyeshadow in Corinthian Review and Swatches

After having seen review after review extolling the virtues of this shadow, I knew I needed to buy it for myself, so it was one of the few items I picked up in New York. But seriously, how was I supposed to restrain myself in the face of this:

It's TAUPE!

And AWESOME!

Happy Mother's Day!

My mother is in her early 50s and is as pale as me, but as a natural redhead, on the opposite end of the temperature spectrum. She's received a number of beauty products that were too warm for me, as they flatter her immensely (she is the epitome of an "Autumn").

Us on vacation in Florida during my senior spring break, my mother's graduation present to me!

Skincare Saturday: Sunday Riley Cashmere SPF 30 Sun Defense Review

Yet another Sunday Riley product that I got from the generous SA at Bergdorf! Out of all the products from the line that I've tried, this is the one I like the best.

image via Sephora

Many sunscreens leave my skin feeling oily and slick with a heavy feeling that takes forever to soak in. Not so for this! It's pleasantly creamy, but not thick, so it spreads and absorbs really easily. I've taken to wearing it under my Cover FX primer, and I find it is plenty moisturizing for my oily skin, and as far as I can tell it hasn't made my skin worse, as if that's possible...It has a faint chemical smell, but it's really mild and fades quickly, and a little product goes a long way (though I do make sure to apply more than I think I need to try and ensure adequate sun protection!). It doesn't seem to increase my oiliness, and it does definitely work as a sunscreen––I know this because, after a bit of time in the sun, compared to my non-sunscreened chest my face looks very pale (as contrasted to the red that is my neck, whoops; I envy those people who can be in the sun for longer than 5 minutes without getting red, seriously). Unfortunately, like all Sunday Riley products, such loveliness comes at a price––$125 for 1.7 oz. I will gladly use up my samples, but I shan't be purchasing the full size. If you have the collateral, though, it's definitely worth checking out, especially if you find that sunscreen usually leaves you looking ashen or is overly heavy and oily.
$125 for 1.7 oz, available from Sephora, Barneys, and Sunday Riley

Taming the Brows: Prestige Cosmetics Clear Brow Gel and Essence Eyebrow Stylist Set Reviews and Pictures

I have caterpillar brows. They're dark, they're big, and they are unashamedly there. Keeping my brows groomed is a sisyphean task, but plucking (like, every other day, gawd) helps keep them relatively well-behaved. After reading that brows and mascara are the two most important parts of a beauty routine on more than one blog, I figured I should maybe try and do something to further polish my brows. I looked for clear mascara at the drugstore, but had no luck, until one day, during a Prestige sale, I happened upon their clear brow gel, which I of course promptly snatched up. After using it for a couple days, I realized that, big and bold though my brows may be, they could use a little filling in in some places, so I picked up the Essence Eyebrow Stylist Set for ~$3 at Fred Meyer, since I figured the two matte shadows included were bound to be workable.

Prestige Cosmetics Clear Brow Gel

Essence Eyebrow Stylist Set

I shan't be around much...

...because this is just part of the grading I have to do this week.

Oh hai, 80 dialect surveys and analysis essays! Here's hoping you're fully spellchecked and proofread. Pretty please?

Life, I miss you already. My apologies for the inevitable slowdown in posts! Here's some stars to make it up to you:

This was one of those manis you think of, put on, and realize you don't actually want to wear. It sucks when that happens more than once; three times that night I put on a full mani before deciding it obviously wasn't gonna happen and opting for bare nails, so sad (what a waste of time and polish). It's 3 coats Zoya Pandora (which my mother adores, especially with Sally Hansen Blush Diamond, peach version, on top; I'll try to snap pics the next time she wears it) with 2 coats NYX Dreamy Glitter. Pretty, ethereal, nude. Someday I'll try it again.

Anywhos. Sorry I don't have anything more fun to post! I've got lots of stuff to share with you, but I'm not sure when I'll get the chance to actually take photos/write reviews. But it will happen! Eventually. One last thing before I succumb to the mountain of undergrad essays: Revlon is 40% off at Rite Aid this week, and I highly recommend you get yourself there and pick up some stuff! Their Lip Butters are awesome if you haven't learned that already (or had it hammered into your head from my incessant nattering on about Sugar Plum), I love their foundation, the Colorburst gloss in Strawberry is gorgeous (one of the things I have to share!), and they have a new balm stain pencil that is very reminiscent of Clinique Chubby Sticks. I picked one up (it was a struggle to restrict myself to just one, let me tell you) and look forward to playing around with it. Also, they have some awesome nail polish colors, including dupes of high-end polishes (though no Peridot yet, sigh), and their nail buffer is great. Anyways! Go forth and get good deals! Seriously, at least pick up Sugar Plum. Then you can gush about it with me :-)

Guerlain Rouge Automatique Lipstick in Chamade Review and Swatches

I've wanted to try the Rouge Automatique line since Temptalia reviewed Champs-Elysees and showed that it lasted through an Italian meal and said it was moisturizing to boot. Guerlain's Rouge G line of lipsticks is widely regarded as one of the best lipstick formulas there is (and is Temptalia's favorite), and Rouge Automatique is apparently nearly as good for $11 less. Unfortunately, that still means it's $35, so I knew I needed a good excuse to buy one. Guet-Apens was my long-time lemming, but I ended up deciding on Chamade since I figured I didn't have anything else like it, whereas I do have other darker lippies. Temptalia's review, which said Guet-Apens was lacking in the formula department, just confirmed my choice.

Guerlain Chamade Rouge Automatique

Sunday Summary

Hello, lovelies. I hope you've had a pleasant weekend! As usual, I spent mine doing work, though this weekend focused on recording and synthesizing some stimuli for an experiment I'm running, so I spent a lot of time in the lab. Such will be my life for the next few weeks! That, and grading 80 midterms and dialect projects. Lovely. On the upside, at least it's sunny! Though that really just makes being cooped up in a sound booth even more frustrating, ha!

Out in a Pout wrote a great post on parabens and how important it is to be aware of the scientific research and not just succumb to the marketing hype. Very well written and insightful!

Nails and Noms has some swatches of Nerd Lacquer polishes, which I am still coveting. Now I want Cold and Calculating and Event Horizon, sigh.

Lucy's Stash always posts the most awesome nail art manis, and the ones that I found particularly enchanting include a tape manicure, thin draggy mani (no idea what to call the style, but it's super awesome), and two gradient manicures. Some people are so talented!

Pink Sith has the low-down on the new sunscreen regulations. Very informative!

Delicate Hummingbird's review of YSL's Glossy Stain 15 has furthered my resolve to add one to my collection. I so wish there were someplace nearby to swatch!

Now Smell This, Perfume Posse, Grain de Musc, Bois de Jasmin, and Perfume Smellin' Things have posted their Top 10 of Spring 2012. Read it, and then go back in the archives and read all their other Top 10 lists, though only if you want to add a bunch to your "need to sniff" list.

And lastly, xkcd discusses the importance of periodically clearing one's browsing history. Right now, mine's got a lot on volcanoes, earthquakes, Stonehenge, prehistoric societies, genetics, and perfume ingredients. Not necessarily viewed in that order.

What links have you enjoyed this week?

Fragrance Friday: Guerlain Mitsouko

I've been battling a cold since last Thursday, and while the sore throat has gone back where it came from (hell), the congestion has been much more tenacious. As such, I haven't been able to smell properly, which makes writing a fragrance review less feasible. Fortunately, I happened to have one already written, which I'm posting today! I was intending to post it with one or two other Guerlain frags, but what with the phlegm and stuff we'll just have to settle for the one. And really, if any fragrance deserves its own post, it's Mitsouko. Beautiful, beautiful Mitsouko...

Mitsouko, image via Fragrantica

Cover FX Clearprep FX Matte Foundation Primer and Anti-Acne Treatment Review

I considered posting this on Skincare Saturday this weekend, but ultimately decided it would be disingenuous to do so, since I don't use it as a skincare product. Which is why this rant ended up happening instead. Whoops? The good news is, while Clearprep FX hasn't done anything for my skin, it has completely knocked my socks off as a primer. I feel stupid typing Clearprep, since it's not a word, lawdy, so I'm just going to refer to it as "the primer". Scratch that: The Primer. There we go.

Image via Sephora

So this is one of those ill-advised posts...

...that you write when you have been drinking. Don't worry, guys, I'm not drunk. I'm just, um, not sober. I am, fortunately, aware enough to keep the typos to a minimum (though this has required quite a bit of backspacing on my part, so I hope you appreciate it). My friend L is back in town for a couple weeks, which is wonderful because we can talk about beauty for hours on end. You can look forward to reviews of a couple of products she owns and is willing to let me borrow (thanks, L!).

I went out with my godfather this afternoon and had a couple beers, since I wasn't driving, and then went out with L and had a beer and a half (one of them was chocolate chili, and it was kind of disgusting, but I was still tipsy enough that I enjoyed the weirdness). I ordered another set of samples from Aedes last Friday, and they somehow arrived from New York on Monday; how is this possible?! I have no idea. Magical Aedes fairies, I guess. (Btw, I just had to respell "fairies" 3 times because it kept looking wrong. Don't drink and blog, kids!) I'm still recovering from my cold, so my olfactory mechanism is not up to par, but that didn't stop my betrunkene self from transferring a couple vials into spray containers, so I've currently got Serge Lutens Bois de Violette and L'Artisan Timbuktu dabbed on my forearms. You can check out sheet 3 of my perfume spreadsheet if you want to see my betrunkene notes on them. Also, hey, spellcheck, why aren't you marking "betrunkene"? You tell me "moisturization" isn't a word, but are willing to let German slide? What's wrong with you? (Also, guys, moisturization is a word, right? It seems like a word, and I use it all the time [sober], so...)

I really want to order one of the YSL Glossy Stains, but can't decide on a color! There's so many choices! And no place nearby to swatch them! So if any of you are pale, neutral-cool, with a penchant for plum lips, what color do you recommend? (Penchant's a funny word, heh. It kind of sounds like pension, but it doesn't mean the same thing at all! Like two, too, and to. And hey, anyone in the classes I have to grade for, past, present, or future, please keep those straight! As well as you're/your and there/their/they're. This PSA is now over.)

Now I'm probably going to go wash my face. Or place a Sephora order, depending on what the free samples are. Or maybe watch this tutorial for drunk makeup, for the 57th time (thanks, L). Or maybe paint my nails, because right now I'm not wearing anything and I've already lost several to peeling (sorry, left index and middle, right index, middle, and thumb). Or maybe eating leftover Thai food. Or, or, yeah, watching the drunk makeup video. Again.

I LOVE YOU GUYS. BYE NOW.

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream Nail Polish Review and Swatches

I finally got around to actually wearing this beauty on my fingers! Yay! (You can see my earlier non-review here.)

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream