Blue Lipgloss, eBay, MAC Dazzleglass

I'm normally a bit of a paranoid germaphobe who would never dream of sharing cosmetics with anyone, but from time to time I buy cosmetics on eBay. I figure that as long as the seller has 100% positive feedback from thousands of buyers, I'm pretty safe.
And of course, the product has to be NEW, not, "Tested only once!".

So, I bought a California Kissin' gloss from Benefit on eBay yesterday, at $9.60 after S&H it was much cheaper than buying it from Benefit ($16 plus S&H).


Cool tones are very flattering to me, and I'm excited about the blue lip glosses that have been coming out lately. The only blue gloss I have right now is from Prestige (a cheapish drugstore brand), in "Ice". I think it is a discontinued color, actually.



The blue is a very white-blue, I can't wear it on its own because it makes me think of trashy girls with bad taste who wear very light lip gloss thick on their lips to make their tans seem darker. 
I cringe when I see goopy whitish lip gloss. Who wants to look like a cheap porn star?
Now, when I wear this gloss over red lipstick- spread on very thin- it looks wonderful. It doesn't make the lipstick look purple (since the blue on top is thin and translucent), it just gives it a cooler tone and gives the color a sort of luxurious depth to it. 

I'm excited about trying California Kissin', and MAC's new Dazzleglass in Comet blue- because they look like sheerer blues, without the white-icing look of my Prestige gloss.

I just checked MAC's website, and Dazzleglass is available! I'm ordering two, both in Comet blue. Funtabulous (violet) looks nice, and I may order it if there are any left Friday. 
Dresscamp went so fast, I'm sort of paranoid about getting the colors I want before they disappear!

Drugstore Deals!

I was recently gifted with a $50 Walgreens gift card, today after work I went and bought some goodies. They had some really good deals this week!



Top row:
Noxema bikini shavers, a 3-pack  with a free 3-pack attached. 2.99!

Sinful Nail Polish in 'This is it' #832 (yellow gold). I'll wear a layer of Rimmel 'Dazzle' #606 (a sort of sheer, cooler toned gold) over it. 1.99!

Cool Water Summer Fizz, 3.4oz EDT. Nice and summery orange-ish fragrance. I don't really like Cool Water for women, but this is nice. $29.99.

Almay Oil-Free eye make up removal pads, about 5.89 each but they were buy one get one free, so I stocked up. About $12 for the four of them.

Middle row:
Rembrandt Toothpaste (wintergreen), on sale for $6, plus a $3 off coupon attached to the package. $3.00!

Neutrogena Age Shield Face Sunblock SPF 70, regularly $10.99 but 25% off this week, plus a $2 off coupon from my Walgreens Beauty Advisor- about $6.25!

Walgreen's brand container of 75 dual-tipped applicators, I MUST have these on hand to fix eye makeup and nail polish mistakes! About $1.30.

Bottom row:
All Almay was BOGO, so I got a Clear Complexion Concealer (which I needed- I can't use my regular under-eye concealer on the occasional breakout or it makes it worse), and Smart Shade Blush in Berry #030. I cracked open the blush, it comes out of the tube as a
sort of specked grey-purple-pink cream, and blends to a light berry stain, very natural-looking.
I tried a second layer for more color, and that looks pretty good, too. About $8.59 for the two.

Two pots of Ice Cream Dreams lip balm, one in Peach, one in Bubblegum. These are little containers of lip balm  shaped like ice cream cartons, I mostly bought them because the packaging is so freaking cute. About $4.00 for the two.

Kiss Nail files, LE ones printed with names of different cities. I got Tokyo, London, and New York.
 They also had Milan, Los Angeles, and Paris. 
These are cute! So much more fun than a regular pink or black file. And they are only .99 each!
About $3 for the three of them.


I went about $25 over my gift card. I didn't need that fragrance, but I wanted something summery. If I skipped that, I would've had a bit left over on the card, but I did pretty good otherwise. Those BOGO deals are great! There are certain beauty supplies I'm willing to spend more on, but certain products that are available at drugstores are not only really good prices- they also are great quality products.
I've been using Neutrogena sunblock for a while now, and it is really gentle on my skin. Aveeno is another good drugstore sunblock, but there is less of a selection.
Almay eye make up removal pads work really well for me, the oil-free ones at least.

New Books, Crazy Home Decor, Makeup Update

I've been pre-ordering books on Amazon. David Sedaris has When You Are Engulfed in Flames coming out June 3rd.
"Sedaris's sixth essay collection assembles essays on trying to make coffee when the water is shut off, associations in the French countryside, buying drugs in a mobile home in rural North Carolina, having a lozenge fall from your mouth into the lap of a fellow passenger on a plane, armoring windows with LP covers to protect the house from neurotic songbirds, lancing a boil from his backside, and venturing to Tokyo in order to quit smoking."
I LOVE Dave Sedaris (and Amy, too). He is just HILARIOUS. I have a thing about funny writers who come from crazy families.
 
Augusten Burroughs has A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father coming out at the end of this month. 
His work is much darker than Sedaris's, and this looks even darker than his past work.
You can download a free chapter on Augusten's site. It really is a more than a bit disturbing.

In addition to pre-ordering those two books, I ordered Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's by John Elder Robison, who is Augusten Burrough's older brother. Augusten was born Christopher Robison, I didn't know that until a few months ago. Christopher Robison makes me think of Winnie-the-Pooh.
I'm mildly interested in Asperger syndrome- any disorders involving 'poor social skills', really.
But, what really interests me is reading about the same dysfunctional family from the viewpoints of two different family members. I'm curious to see what Robison has written, how it compares to Augusten's experience.

I've been working on making large silhouette wall art for my bedroom walls. I love wall decor that is big, unexpected, and unique. Right now I have a huge cardboard cut-out of a cat mask hanging above my computer desk, maybe 3' wide by 3.5' high.



I got it from the local Target store several years ago. For their Halloween decorations they had these big mask cut-outs hanging from the ceiling. I saw the cat one and knew I had to get my grubby paws on it one way or another. So, I pestered the Target people until they agreed to give me a call as soon as the Halloween signs came down.

I'm sure quite a few people would find my decorating style to be incredibly tacky, but I like fun things. I'm in love with this monster wall hanging:


 
But, it costs about $390, and I couldn't justify spending that much money on it. Maybe if it were twice as large- 8'x4' instead of 4'x2'. I would save for it if it were HUGE, and make it the focal point of a whole room.
Yoyashop.com, designpublic.com, and velocityartanddesign.com 
all carry the wall hangings and the Fauna pillows made by the same manufacturer.
I think they're great but way over-priced. I love pigeons and they have a pigeon pillow:


I'm not willing to pay $48 for a 13"x10" throw pillow, however. 
But it does inspire me to buy a silkscreen kit and whip up a whole flock of pigeon pillows. I have to say, while I like Fauna's photo images of animals, I really don't appreciate the cut-out shapes, some of their pillows look lumpy and awkward, like a middle-schooler's home economics craft project. They'd be more appealing on regular square or rectangle shapes, I think.

MAKEUP UPDATE:
I was pretty satisfied with the Make Up For Ever shadow. It lasted with no creasing (although I always use a primer with shadow, so who knows how it would be without). The quality was very good, but I don't think I'd buy it again. It isn't better than MAC shadow, and MAC is cheaper and has more colors (although MUFE has quite a few also). The color was pretty different from what Sephora shows on their site, Khaki Brown 148 is described as 'antique gold shimmer' and the swatch shown looks very warm-toned. The actual shadow is very dull brown-olive with some shimmer but not what I'd expected. It is a very flattering tone, but just for once I'd like the site's image and the actual product to look the same.

I ended up buying my Too Faced Lip Injection Extreme on Ulta's online shop. It is the same price as with Sephora, and I needed some other Ulta stuff. At $27.50 it isn't a cheap lip plumper, but it works so well, and I've bought Lip Venom frequently at $16 for a teeny little 0.12 oz vial. So, it isn't an awful price.

Sephora Nail Polishes, Philosophy Cinnamon Buns, and Too Faced Extreme Lip Injection

I got my order from Sephora in today- just some bodywash, nail polish, and an eyeshadow.
(that's my  little Tortie , O'llie, up in the top of the picture. She likes to hang out while I'm experimenting with makeup, and never laughs if I try something really out there)


The bodywash is philosophy Cinnamon Buns, my absolute favorite. Using it is like rolling around naked on top of a giant cinnamon bun. Philosophy says it can be used as a shampoo also, but I don't think it makes a very good shampoo. :/

The nail polishes are Sephora brand. Lacquer polish L21 Mangue & nail polish #60 are the same exact orange. 
Their turquoise blues in the lacquer and the polishes are the same, also. 
Since some of the nail polishes are only $2 compared to $4 for the lacquer,
if there is a color in the cheaper one I get that, since I always use a base coat and a top coat anyway. The orange is nice, sort of pumpkiny, and bright without getting too bright.
The other polishes are nail polish #57 (lavender purple) and lacquer L23 Myrtille (what I'd call a deep periwinkle blue). All of the polishes are solid cream-types, no glitter or shimmer to them.
Sephora's polishes are great, and I like that they come in smaller, less expensive bottles- especially for the odder colors I probably won't wear often.

The eye shadow is from Make Up For Ever- I'd never tried their products but have heard good things about them. I bought a khaki brown color, it went on smoothly, has a lot of pigment, and blends very well. I'm waiting to see how it is on my lids after about six hours or so before I start raving about it and buying more.

OKAY. One of the samples included in my order was for Too Faced Extreme Lip Injection. I'm always looking for a better lip plumper... my lips are pretty full on their own, but I like a really full look. I dabbed on a bit from the sample packet- it is a thick clear gel- and right away my lips were a deeper pink color. In fact, all around the edges of my lips, where I got a bit messy with the gel, were also pinkish. I got suspicious and wondered if this was going to be like Smashbox's O-Glow, where they make claims about micro-circulatory effects but in reality the clear gel turns pink once it is exposed to air. 
The Lip Injection remained clear when I dabbed it on my hand, however. "How odd", I thought, "if my lips are turning pink from the effects of the plumper you'd think I'd feel somethingGAAARRRRHHH!!!!". The stinging that I felt didn't hit until about a minute after I had  put it on. it is unlike any lip plumper- tingling/ burning sensation I've felt. It was really like lots of tiny tiny needles stabbing my lips. I LIKE a bit of a burn, but for a few minutes until the stinging stopped, I wanted to run away from my own lips.
I wish I'd had thought to take a before picture. I really didn't think this stuff would have much effect, especially since it says on the back of the packet, "for maximum long term results, use for a minimum of 30 days- am and pm". That made me think it was more of a hydrating sort of treatment, to reduce lines and increase the volume a bit over time.



My top lip is usually quite a bit thinner than the bottom, as you can see in the above picture the Lip Injection evened things out a lot. The bottom is a bit plumper than usual, but the top lip nearly exploded. I LOVE this. This is so not the lip plumper for anyone with sensitive lips, but it has worked better than anything I've tried in the past.
My lips are still very full and it has been nearly three hours since I applied it. The only thing I don't like is how my lips are still an irritated-pink color at the edges, I will have to be careful applying this in the future.

*trots off to Sephora's site to buy a tube*

Pets, Cookie Magazine, and Etsy

I've been watching my mother's pets since last night and have to give Jack, her geriatric pitbull, his insulin shots. There are few things I hate having to do more than give animals injections.
I kept saying, "sorry sorry sorry sorry" as I grabbed his scruff and jabbed him with the needle- he didn't even seem to feel it, but I was so paranoid I'd done something wrong.I had to keep looking in on him every ten minutes or so. "You alive?" Like he'd answer yes or no either way.


I've been reading through a copy of Cookie Magazine from my mother- she isn't trying to drop subtle hints as far as I know- the ladies at her work pass around magazines quite a bit.  I thought it was funny how much I (a childfree woman) enjoyed this magazine.
 It really is quite darling! I really got a kick out of the article on dollhouses- ducklings were included in the photoshoot-



Check out McDuckyPants inside the house on the back! Had they included close-ups, I'm sure it would've been CuteOverload-worthy material.
'Cookie' didn't, at any point, make me wish for a munchkin of my own, but I did keep stopping and thinking, "Oh, that would be PERFECT for ______'s kid". I like to keep a small supply of baby/ child items on hand for gifts on short notice, and I saw so many good ideas in 'Cookie'.

One great gift idea I found by browsing through Etsy- Baby Mohawk hats! They're from Infantile (and they have adult ones also, I think I'd wear a black one).



How cute it that? Very cute! But I would have to get one in a unisex color for my gift stash.
This is the sort of thing, where if no friends or co-workers announced an upcoming baby, in a year or so I could just say, "To hell with that, I'm keeping this and one of the cats can wear it".

It is easy to get lost on Esty- there is so much to look through! For those who don't know, Etsy is, "Your place to buy & sell all things handmade", the variety of products is amazing- from fine diamond jewelry to handsewn cat toys. Many of the items are one of a kind, this is a great site to 
find unique accessories.

The sweetest shop I've come across on Etsy is Ugly Kitty's. Quasi is a rescued kitty with a smooshed-in face, and her human has raised over $1800 for shelter cats so far through her Etsy shop. I think Quasi is adorable, sort of a cat/ French Bulldog hybrid. Check her out!

Vogue, Superhero Style and Retro-futuristism

I don't usually buy Vogue, but I'll be buying several of the May issue- check out some of the photos posted today in the LJ community 'fotodecadent':







This last one especially thrills me- what a wonderful piece of art that dress is!
It looks like she belongs lives in a retro-futuristic world where all the policemen carry
Atomic Disintegrators.


And of course, all the bad guys would carry guns like the one below by Weta Collectibles.



It is such a good thing that, at $690, this is out of my price range. Because if I could get my grubby paws on this baby, I would totally spend my days jumping out of alleyways and from behind parked vehicles, aiming this at passerbyers and making obnoxious, "PEWPEWPEW", 'raygun shooting sounds'.

Candy Review- Pocky Strawberry, Cute Fabrics and Totes from Japan

I'm not sure if Pocky can rightfully be considered a candy, but I'm going to stick it in that category. In my mind, the cookie sticks only serve as a vehicle for the candy-like outer coating.
I bought these over a month ago at Cost Plus World Market, totally in love with the packaging- they make me think of Strawberry Shortcake in Strawberry Land.


The box came with four packs with six sticks in each one, 
each pack has a cute print of little strawberries and the Glico logo.
When I opened the first pack, the strawberry scent hit me right away. The scent was so strong, I was surprised how mild the strawberry taste was. The ingredients list includes both dried strawberries (you can see the little bits suspended in the cream coating) and artificial strawberry flavor. The taste of the cookie stick actually stood out more than the outer coating.
I was a bit disappointed, but since I bought the box for the excellent packaging, I really can't complain.


I am trying to decide on what I'll order from Shinzi Katoh's website. If I had the money, I would order one of every item, but I can't do that. The tote bags are oh-so-adorable, and there are aluminum bottles to match quite a few of the totes. They also have some vinyl-coated bags, they cost quite a bit more than the totes 
(around $50 compared to about $18 for the totes) but seem like they would be sturdier, and they are a nice, big size. This one with the Elephant/ Oranges is too cute!

 

I use tote bags all the time, since I like to carry my sketchbook with me. Tiny purses just don't do it for me, and I don't want to run into anyone with even a similar bag to what I'm carrying.
Here in Phoenix, it seems like every other girl and woman has a real or fake Coach or Louis Vuitton bag on her arm. It all strikes me as being so unbelievably boring.
Shinzi Katoh has a selection of fabrics, not a lot but the ones they do have are darling.
Another online shop carrying some Shinzi Katoh products, and a much wider range of cute fabric, is Nuno-plus, they have a lot of teeny-tiny adorable prints. The fabric can get expensive, over $20 for a yard, so check Reprodepot first if you are in the USA, they carry quite a few of the same exact fabrics at cheaper prices.