Oregon Ducks Manicure

I'm a graduate student at the University of Oregon, in Eugene. I tell you this because this post is intimately tied to that part of my identity. Last week, the state board of education terminated the contract of the UO's president, Richard Lariviere, saying he wasn't enough of a "team player" and his efforts to make the UO a self-sustaining economic entity, apart from the (very, very broken) state funding system were undermining the other colleges in Oregon. This is patently absurd, of course––I'm baffled how anyone could think that the improvement of one school must come at the detriment of others (especially if, as is the case here, the one school helps subsidize the others). The campus community, as well as Eugene at large (and many state politicians, actually), has not taken the news well, and the members of the board, the chancellor, and the governor are the target of much ire. There have been rallies, petitions, and meetings, but as of Monday, the board voted to oust Lariviere come Dec. 28, at which time the UO will, apparently, have no president. The sense of frustration and sadness that I get from how events have played out cannot be overstated, and I considered writing a post on here about all of it, but ultimately decided that would be a little too "beyond" the "beauty" purpose of the blog. So I decided to paint my nails green and yellow so I'd have an excuse to write about this, while still keeping true to the spirit of the blog. Not to mention it was a great procrastinating tool!

30 Days Makeup Challenge: Day 1

The lovely Magi-Mania ran this feature on her blog (which is in German, but the pictures are great if that's not a language you're familiar with!), and I thought it was a cool idea, but I knew I would never have the wherewithal to actually post my answers every day. So: I still think it's fun and I'd like to do it, but with the modification that I will post a new answer every day that I feel like it, which will be nowhere near 30 in 30 days. 30 in 6 months, maybe, though I can't promise even that. (ETA: I've also decided to change many of the questions, since there were some I didn't feel equipped to answer, and others I wanted to address that weren't present. Also, it's my blog, so I can pull crap like that!)

Having said all that, then, here's the first one!

When did you start wearing makeup?
I started wearing foundation and concealer in early high school, I think, but I didn't really get into makeup (in the sense of it being a daily ritual and outlet for my OCD) until a couple years ago. My approach to it has changed a lot, too; now I'm very careful about what I buy and do a lot of research beforehand, but I'm also more willing to spend more for higher-end products rather than just sticking to cheapie drugstore stuff (though I still love me some cheapie drugstore stuff!). I've gotten much better about knowing what I like to wear and not buying things that don't fit into that ethos, though there are some times that I can't help myself––fortunately, I have friends who are willing to take lots of the things I don't use, so at least I don't feel like they're completely wasted!

What about you? When did you start wearing makeup? I'd love to hear your stories!

Revlon Nail Enamel in 675 All Fired Up Review and Swatches

I've been buying a lot of nail polish lately, because a) it's cheap, b) it's cute, and c) there are so many colors to procure!  Even though I'm absolutely terrible at painting my nails, I still enjoy the ritual, and besides, it's so fun to have pretty colors waving at you on your fingers!  I was having a serious lemming for a red nail polish, so when I was at Target I picked up one by Revlon (for $3.99, because I was too impatient to wait for a sale).  It's called All Fired Up, and it is seriously red.

Revlon All Fired Up

theBalm You're Giving Me a Complexion Kit Review and Swatches

You know how sometimes you purchase something, and you're just so excited that you can hardly bear it, and then you use the products, and you realize with a sinking feeling that they're just not going to work for you? Yeah, that happened. Now I'm going to grouse about it on here (the real reason I started a blog!).

I posted a few days ago about the awesome theBalm sets at TJ Maxx. Before I go any further, let me tell you that this review is in no way a condemnation of theBalm or TJ Maxx. I love them both super lots, but sometimes love is not enough (I feel like that should be accompanied by a really sad guitar).

Skincare Saturday: Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque Review

It's been awhile since I've posted anything for Skincare Saturday, and for that I apologize.  My skin has been acting up like crazy the past couple months, and I've gradually had to learn that I should just stick to the prescription stuff and leave experimentation for some other time, which means I've been very wary about adding anything to my routine.  A few weeks ago, some drugstore (Walgreens, maybe?) had Queen Helene Mint Julep masque on sale for $2.99, so I decided I had to pick it up, grouchy skin be damned.  I've only used it a couple of times, so these are really more just my observations about the product than a true review.

Image from Drugstore.com

Cherry Culture NYX Haul (plus pictures of adorable animals)

Happy Black Friday! I hope you all were able to take advantage of some of the awesome sales going on in the beautysphere this weekend (check my Twitter feed for specifics!); I placed an order with theBalm for timeBalm concealer and Cabana Boy blush at 40% off plus free shipping, and am very tempted to get a few things from Inglot during their 15% off plus free shipping sale, but have so far managed to abstain, since I have too many eyeshadows already!

I went to the mall today, not to shop (that would be suicidal), but to get color-matched in various foundations at the department store, which happily ended with me carting off 3 sample portions of MAC Matchmaster, Estee Lauder Double Wear, and Lancome Teint Idole Fresh Wear (each in the lightest shade, surprise surprise). You can look forward to reviews on those in the next few weeks.

I also finally received my Cherry Culture order today, 2 weeks after I ordered it. Painfully long turnaround time, but I'm super pleased to have it now! I was also very pleased to see that they wrapped my nail polishes in 3 layers of bubble wrap, and they all arrived in perfect condition.

I got a Black Label Lipstick in Socialite, Advanced Salon Formula nail polishes in Maroon and Gold Glitter (super creative names, guys; leftmost and rightmost polish, respectively), Girls nail polish in Carnival (middle polish), and Eyeshadow Base in Skin Tone. I'll have reviews and swatches of everything up as I get around to testing them! I'm thinking Gold Glitter over Maroon would be perfect for a holiday manicure...

Fragrance Friday: Givenchy Very Irresistible L'Intense and Saffron James Le'a Reviews

After the past couple FFs, I was beginning to think I was a miserly shrew who turned everything she smelled rancid. Then I remembered that I still have perfumes I wear and love, so threw that theory on the backburner and tried another couple perfumes from my sample collection. And, what do you know, I actually found one I like!

Givenchy Very Irresistible L'Intense, via Sephora

But first, the one I'm less crazy about. Givenchy Very Irresistible L'Intense is supposedly Very Irresistible on steroids, but having not smelled VI in a very long time, I can't really attest for or against that. Regardless, I can give you my (completely non-professional) impressions of the scent. 1) It smells like baby powder, which diminishes over time, but is definitely underlying all the way through. Now, I love babies (not in a creepy way! Unless you find strange women in grocery stores making faces at your baby to be creepy, that is), but I do not want to smell like one's butt, even if it is clean. There are also some fruity (plum) and floral (rose) notes, as well as a healthy dash of patchouli, but nothing can really conquer baby powder. This one is a pass for me, BUT, unlike some other perfumes I've "reviewed" (read: ranted about), I didn't feel the need to wash this one off.
$56.50 for 1 oz, $80.50 for 1.7 oz, available from Sephora

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you're all getting to enjoy some quality time with your family, friends, and awkward relatives (maybe that's just me?), and are able to eat too much delicious Thanksgiving food!

Here are some things I am thankful for in my life:
––Obviously, my family and friends, without whom my life would be bleak and dark. I love you all so much!
––Grad school, because even though it's a lot of work, it's still less than I had at Swat (thanks, undergrad, for making all my future academic pursuits seem laid-back), and it's all linguistics and therefore awesome. I love that I get to spend my time learning about what I want to learn about, and feel so blessed to have such amazing, intelligent, creative colleagues and co-students.
––Having a job! This is thanks to grad school, too. I love having a steady source of income (as small as it may be), and truly enjoy getting to teach and learn from my students. Though all the grading I have this weekend is a bit of a drag!
––Rain jackets, because they're super convenient and keep me dry.
––Modern medicine, which has made everything else in my life possible.
––Good food, for being the one thing guaranteed to always make me feel better, whether it's homemade pie, or Café Yumm!, or a piece of really good cheese.

And here are some things I'm grateful for in my beauty life!:
––My Meow foundation and concealer, for letting me not feel self-conscious about my skin, and for being light enough to match perfectly!
––Blush, for making me look like I'm neither ghostly nor sickly, and because it's just so pretty.
––Tarte LipSurgence pencils and Jordana EasyShines, for being easier than falling off a log to apply, and keeping my lips happy and pretty.
––Body butters, because they smell delicious and keep my hands soft.
––Sally Hansen Hard as Nails clear base coat, which is a miracle worker for my nails, keeping them from peeling, breaking, and splitting.
––Fast-dry top coat, for mitigating the effect my clumsiness and impatience has on my nails!
––Perfume and deodorant, for helping me smell good (the former) and keeping me from smelling bad (the latter). There are few things that give me more immediate happiness than a great perfume!
––And Philosophy Purity facial cleanser, for removing my makeup gently and not breaking me out.

There are so many other things I could write about (Turkish grammar books, for giving me ideas for how to structure my experiment! Bunnies, for always being so adorable and making me giggle like a maniac. Babies, for pretty much the same reason, with the added bonus of making faces. Leather boots, for keeping my feet warm and dry. My wonderful boyfriend, for putting up with my neuroses and quirks.), but I don't want to completely inundate you, so let me just finish with this:

I am so thankful for all of you who read and comment, and feel so lucky to have anyone reading my posts. I passed 10,000 page views yesterday, which, while it isn't very impressive compared to other beauty blogs, I'm still really pleased about, and it obviously couldn't have happened without you! So thank you. Have some pie to celebrate!

What are you thankful for this year?

Essence Holographics.Com LE Nail Polish in Prism@tic White Review and Swatches

Essence came out with a "holographic" collection (scare quotes because the products were not, in fact, actually holographic, but rather duo/multichrome, a distinction apparently lost on the German brand) a few months ago, and I happened to come across a small display of some of the products in Ulta a few weeks ago.  I decided to only pick up one polish, Prism@tic White (stupid name, guys), that I thought I could use for wintry-themed nails and to layer over other polishes.  I decided to wear it over black to start with, because I knew its duochromeness would show up better over a dark polish.

Essence Prism@tic White

theBalm at TJ Maxx: Deals and Steals to the Max(x) (I hate myself)

I was feeling the need to check and see if TJ Maxx had gotten another shipment of theBalm products, since every time I've gone on the weekend there's been nothing, and lo and behold: oodles and oodles of theBalm holiday sets and individual products (though not the one I've been particularly lemming, namely Cabana Boy blush).  I snapped some crappy pictures for y'all (you're welcome):

A whole load of makeup kits from theBalm, ranging from eye to face to lip kits, with some combos thrown in for good measure

Shady Lady eyeshadow palettes, Vol. 1, 2, and 3, each a mere $12.99 each, $39.50 normally. If you like eyeshadow and enjoy pops of color (unlike some people who only wear neutrals, *cough*), this is an absolutely unbelievable deal. 

4 full-size lip products! I was so tempted to get this, but then I remembered I hated the sample of Stainiac that I got, and I don't really like or wear lip gloss, so that would basically be $25 down the drain. But it's a fantastic deal for those who would be able to make use of the products!

Close-up of the Green Eye Kit (as in, the kit for people with green eyes, not the kit with green eyeshadow...I was confused by this for a bit), which comes with Overshadow loose mineral shadow, 2 Shady Lady eyeshadows (I can't remember exactly which ones, sorry!), Balms Away makeup remover, and Cheater mascara

And my favorite Balmbini palette!

There were other kits and sets available too, including a bunch for skincare (I was also tempted by the Clear Skies Ahead kit for combo/acne-prone skin, but decided my skin is too unpredictable to risk the $23), several nail polish sets, and some super-cute pouches with nail, lip, and eye/cheek products (some had Betty Lou-Manizer, others had eyeshadow).

I picked up the "You're Giving Me a Complexion" set because I've been wanting a new liquid foundation/tinted moisturizer, and thought the other products sounded promising, too.  I opted for the Light option, only to discover upon opening it at home that all of the products were Medium (2 shades down from what I needed!).  Extremely annoyed, I did the 20 minute trip back to TJ's to see if they had a light kit that actually had light products, and after establishing that the moisturizer and TimeBalm were both as they were supposed to be, exchanged it for another.  Of course, upon getting home, I realized that the Liquid TimeBalm concealer was Nude, not Fair like the box had claimed, so it's a shade darker than I was promised (boo, hiss), but I'm going to continue playing around with the products to try and get them to work for me.  The TimeBalm Tinted Moisturizer in Light (which is the lightest it comes in, though it's only a small 3-shade range) is still a bit dark for me, but I'm going to try cutting it with moisturizer to see if I can't sheer it out and make it wearable.  Fingers crossed!  I'll write full reviews of everything after I've gotten the chance to wear it all more, but if you're interested in any of these products/kits, get to a TJ Maxx soon, because I don't know how long they'll last!  Just be sure to open the packages and check the contents to save yourself some misery.