Hiya!
I've been having a fairly good Christmas home with my parents, and it's been really nice to see them again. In a few days, I'm going to visit with the man's friends and family a bit, too, and I'm also looking forward to that.
Anyway, I haven't used up or bought anything new lately (SN order did come through, yay! And I also have a new luminzer!) but I have been looking at a lot of makeup.
Every November, gift sets and palettes come out from brands of all prices, and even from brands whose sole purpose is cheapie makeup kits. Invariably, no matter what the price, these palettes suck for me.
The very first allergic reaction to makeup I ever had was to a Color Workshop kit that I bought at Wegmans when I was fifteen or sixteen. The stuff turned my eyelids and lips into a dry, red, flaky mess. On principle, I will not buy from that brand again. Ever. I have no idea what ingredient caused the reaction as I've looked at the kits they sell now, read the lists, and not found anything that usually bothers me - so all I can assume is that they're so cheap that something nasty snuck in. I don't remember the stuff being of super great quality, anyway.
In my mid-twenties, I developed an allergy to beeswax that I talk about incessantly in hopes that it might spare someone else the medical trauma I went through before I figured that out. This rules out most palettes that include lip glosses or cream shadows because if it's from a brand I recognize, it's usually got that ingredient; and if it isn't, it's usually cheap as hell and I don't trust it. ELF might be the exception, but I talked about my ELF hate in my last post. Most of their lip products skeeve me out because they're essentially a gooey mess of dyed petrochemicals, and gooey messes of dyed petrochemicals like that only come off on everything I eat, drink, or kiss; dry my lips out because they seal moisture OUT, and don't even last that long. I don't mind one or two petroleum-based ingredients in a product where the bulk is natural oils and butters - but if there's nothing from a plant that didn't die in the Cretaceous in there, I don't want it.
Plus, allow me to point out the sheer idiocy of packaging cream and powder products in the same container - you drop that and not only are your shadows broken, but you also have to dig them out/off of the cream products. And lip products are the only thing I reapply throughout the day, so not being able to take that color with me would be very irksome.
Some companies make palettes that look awesome, then package them with a bunch of stuff I can't use. Tarte is terrible at this - they either include beeswaxy eyeliners or mascara in the palette/set or they include lip gunk. I got halfway through a deluxe tube of their lipgloss before I got sick and had to throw it out, and it was ok - but not really enjoyable.
Urban Decay seems better at sticking with eyeshadows in their palettes, which I prefer (a coordinating blush is ok, though, and blush/eyeshadow palettes are the only combo I find acceptable).
All in all, I despise these palettes that everyone seems to want so bad.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Used it! oil, ELF, lotion, thoughts on ELF in general.
1. Trial size citrus body lotion from whole foods. Alright, nothing special.
2. No-name brand Vitamin E oil. I like to oil my legs in the winter after shaving. There are better, cheaper oils I could use, and I never use Vitamin E for its intended purpose.
3. ELF Mineral Blemish Kit. I might buy this again. On sale. And keep it around in case of breakouts - I ended up applying it my whole face with a cotton powder puff - the round kind with the short little furs. It wasn't a miracle product, but it seemed to help a little (Damm you Evian lotion!).
4. ELF nail polish remover pads. Could be stronger, but pretty good for what they are - I use them on my toenails and they work. They also smell ok, which for nail polish remover is good because most of it smells terrible.
That said, I can't quite get behind the ELF love the way many people do. Most of the dollar items and Studio line seem to be full of petrochemicals and other crap fillers, their concealer pencil that was supposed to help heal my zits made them huger and more painful, their mineral powders ALL have bismuth oxychloride pretty far up on the ingredients list, and a liquid liner I bought smelled so terrible I threw it away immediately. There are very few ELF products that I actually like: the blemish powder, the Studio body kabuki, the mineral lipstick (but only if it's a good color, and so many of them aren't - ripe rose is the only one I've tried that I really liked), and the nail polish remover pads. I see people posting huge ELF hauls when they have sales and can't imagine wanting all that stuff!
81 items gone
23 full size items gone
2. No-name brand Vitamin E oil. I like to oil my legs in the winter after shaving. There are better, cheaper oils I could use, and I never use Vitamin E for its intended purpose.
3. ELF Mineral Blemish Kit. I might buy this again. On sale. And keep it around in case of breakouts - I ended up applying it my whole face with a cotton powder puff - the round kind with the short little furs. It wasn't a miracle product, but it seemed to help a little (Damm you Evian lotion!).
4. ELF nail polish remover pads. Could be stronger, but pretty good for what they are - I use them on my toenails and they work. They also smell ok, which for nail polish remover is good because most of it smells terrible.
That said, I can't quite get behind the ELF love the way many people do. Most of the dollar items and Studio line seem to be full of petrochemicals and other crap fillers, their concealer pencil that was supposed to help heal my zits made them huger and more painful, their mineral powders ALL have bismuth oxychloride pretty far up on the ingredients list, and a liquid liner I bought smelled so terrible I threw it away immediately. There are very few ELF products that I actually like: the blemish powder, the Studio body kabuki, the mineral lipstick (but only if it's a good color, and so many of them aren't - ripe rose is the only one I've tried that I really liked), and the nail polish remover pads. I see people posting huge ELF hauls when they have sales and can't imagine wanting all that stuff!
81 items gone
23 full size items gone
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Used it! mostly crap petroleum, one full size skin serum
1. Aquaphor - small tube. Best for feet. Ironically, a doctor recommended it to me a couple years ago when my lips were really broken out, and I started using it again and my lips hate it!
2. Target brand vaseline lip balm knock off. I still have four of these lying around at varying stages of completion. After I developed my beeswax allergy, my lips were so sensitized that this was all I could use on them. Now, they're good for protecting my lips from toothpaste, but not much else. Sometimes I'll use a little to seal a more natural balm in.
3. Silk Naturals Green Tea and Aloe Serum. Pretty good stuff, but I just got a thing of the Oatmeal Serum instead - I've used a couple samples of it and like it better. Silk Naturals skincare is a thing of wonder all of you should try.
Running tally:
77 things total
20 full size products
2. Target brand vaseline lip balm knock off. I still have four of these lying around at varying stages of completion. After I developed my beeswax allergy, my lips were so sensitized that this was all I could use on them. Now, they're good for protecting my lips from toothpaste, but not much else. Sometimes I'll use a little to seal a more natural balm in.
3. Silk Naturals Green Tea and Aloe Serum. Pretty good stuff, but I just got a thing of the Oatmeal Serum instead - I've used a couple samples of it and like it better. Silk Naturals skincare is a thing of wonder all of you should try.
Running tally:
77 things total
20 full size products
Friday, December 17, 2010
6 more things are gone!
Used up a bunch more stuff!
1. Clinique salicylic acid spot treatment. This stuff could dry out zits, but always left me a little flaky and took longer than I wanted.
2. Kat von D tattoo concealer - light (sample decant). Hoped it could cover dark circles, but it can't without creasing. Also, I'd prefer something with less yellow and more peach.
3. Mix of Lucy Minerals foundation, silica powder, and Aromaleigh yellow shimmer. Not that I can make this again, but it wasn't the best.
4. Aromaleigh Opulent Lustre shadow sample - Tea. Gorgeous light yellowy green color - already have the full size! But given that the kids at work have started looking for greens, I do believe I'll quit while I'm ahead and break it out again later.
5. sample of Alba Botanica very emollient rinsing conditioner. This stuff wasn't bad, but I also didn't fall in love with it. It works ok, but not super awesomely.
6. trial-size jar of Yes to Carrots body butter. I might buy this again if it didn't smell so herby. Works fine, though.
Running tally:
74 things total
18 full size products
1. Clinique salicylic acid spot treatment. This stuff could dry out zits, but always left me a little flaky and took longer than I wanted.
2. Kat von D tattoo concealer - light (sample decant). Hoped it could cover dark circles, but it can't without creasing. Also, I'd prefer something with less yellow and more peach.
3. Mix of Lucy Minerals foundation, silica powder, and Aromaleigh yellow shimmer. Not that I can make this again, but it wasn't the best.
4. Aromaleigh Opulent Lustre shadow sample - Tea. Gorgeous light yellowy green color - already have the full size! But given that the kids at work have started looking for greens, I do believe I'll quit while I'm ahead and break it out again later.
5. sample of Alba Botanica very emollient rinsing conditioner. This stuff wasn't bad, but I also didn't fall in love with it. It works ok, but not super awesomely.
6. trial-size jar of Yes to Carrots body butter. I might buy this again if it didn't smell so herby. Works fine, though.
Running tally:
74 things total
18 full size products
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Hey everyone
Hi there!
I'm still here, but waiting until I use up a couple more things so I can have a more substantial use it post.
A couple things have just gotten knocked from my routine, though - my face broke out fairly badly a few days ago, and the best I could figure was that it was the Evian lotion (which I was using out of desperation for lack of a better cream), or maybe I'd had enough of the Desert Essence sunblock - which doesn't usually bother me on an occasional basis. So frustrating! I'm going to have to make a LuckyVitamin order soon for more cleanser, alba Sea Minerals cream, and shampoo. The Evian has been banished to foot and hand duty, and I'm thinking of saving the Desert Essence for running, when it's warm enough out to start that again. I don't really care what I look like while I'm pounding pavement - extra pale is fine!
I also have a Silk Naturals order on the way - mostly skincare and a full size of Ginger blush.
Anyway, I'm up to 36 followers - so I wanted to give you all a chance to introduce yourself and give me some feedback on my blog! Say hi! (Feel free to say hi if you lurk, too!)
I'm still here, but waiting until I use up a couple more things so I can have a more substantial use it post.
A couple things have just gotten knocked from my routine, though - my face broke out fairly badly a few days ago, and the best I could figure was that it was the Evian lotion (which I was using out of desperation for lack of a better cream), or maybe I'd had enough of the Desert Essence sunblock - which doesn't usually bother me on an occasional basis. So frustrating! I'm going to have to make a LuckyVitamin order soon for more cleanser, alba Sea Minerals cream, and shampoo. The Evian has been banished to foot and hand duty, and I'm thinking of saving the Desert Essence for running, when it's warm enough out to start that again. I don't really care what I look like while I'm pounding pavement - extra pale is fine!
I also have a Silk Naturals order on the way - mostly skincare and a full size of Ginger blush.
Anyway, I'm up to 36 followers - so I wanted to give you all a chance to introduce yourself and give me some feedback on my blog! Say hi! (Feel free to say hi if you lurk, too!)
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Copying from Phyrra again...
1. What’s been your go-to eye shadows, blushes or lip products this winter?
Sephora Pure palette, Wanderlust edition; anything in a sample baggie (want. them. gone.)
2. What class are you playing the most in Cata (if you play WoW?) If you’re not playing Cata, tell me about the game you’re playing?
No games here. I'm more a NY Times crossword puzzle sort of nerd. So excited to do today's! Sundays are my faves!
3. What’s on your nails?
Nothing. I still haven't gotten around to doing them. Sad, right?
4. If you were to be a fantasy character, what would you be?
Maybe an ent, because they're awesome.
5. If you could instantly know three additional languages, what would they be?
I already know Spanish, a little Portuguese, and a teeny tiny amount of French, and I'd like to know German, Finnish, and Catalan on top of that. I should also work on improving my Portuguese and French skills, because they are rusty and undeveloped. Actually, if you were to give me the opportunity to learn pretty much any language, I'd hop on it. Languages are awesome. Can I add Polish and Russian to the list?
Sephora Pure palette, Wanderlust edition; anything in a sample baggie (want. them. gone.)
2. What class are you playing the most in Cata (if you play WoW?) If you’re not playing Cata, tell me about the game you’re playing?
No games here. I'm more a NY Times crossword puzzle sort of nerd. So excited to do today's! Sundays are my faves!
3. What’s on your nails?
Nothing. I still haven't gotten around to doing them. Sad, right?
4. If you were to be a fantasy character, what would you be?
Maybe an ent, because they're awesome.
5. If you could instantly know three additional languages, what would they be?
I already know Spanish, a little Portuguese, and a teeny tiny amount of French, and I'd like to know German, Finnish, and Catalan on top of that. I should also work on improving my Portuguese and French skills, because they are rusty and undeveloped. Actually, if you were to give me the opportunity to learn pretty much any language, I'd hop on it. Languages are awesome. Can I add Polish and Russian to the list?
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Used it! short and sweet - kind of ambivalent
1. Whole Foods brand unfiltered apple cider vinegar - used for hair rinses, face masks, salad dressing - so glad i'ts gone. I'll be sticking to citric acid for hair rinses now - so much easier!
2. Whole Foods brand citrus body lotion. Not the best stuff ever, or the worst. I'm kind of eh on it. Also still have a travel size bottle to use up.
Running tally:
68 things total
16 full size products
2. Whole Foods brand citrus body lotion. Not the best stuff ever, or the worst. I'm kind of eh on it. Also still have a travel size bottle to use up.
Running tally:
68 things total
16 full size products
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Updated blog sale!
Email emilys dot livejournal at gmail dot com if you're interested. Will ship international with small extra charge.
Aromaleigh Batch - $35 for everything including shipping!
Full Size Aromaleigh Nocturne Lite
Aromaleigh Nocturne Lite sample baggies (x4)
Aromaleigh foundation - Glissade 2w
Aromaleigh Gothic Lolita Shimmer Nightbright (green) - 10g jar, 95% full)
Drugstore Bonanza! $12 shipped!
Physicians Formula Bamboo Wear compact with a translucent glow Face Brightener pan in it.
NYC LE berry blush - swatched only
Wet N Wild color icon Vanity six-color palette - all colors used once
Wet N Wild iSparkle palette - all colors used once - brown, tan, olive green, yellow
All three $12 shipped!
Tarte mini cheek stains - Glitzed, Tipsy, True Love (all at about 90%)
$4!!!
Silk Naturals Sleep In a Jar Extra Light Peach - full size, 95%
Make a reasonable offer!
Jane Iredale Rose Gold powder
Physicians Formula grind-your-own loose powder highlighter
Aromaleigh Batch - $35 for everything including shipping!
Full Size Aromaleigh Nocturne Lite
Aromaleigh Nocturne Lite sample baggies (x4)
Aromaleigh foundation - Glissade 2w
Aromaleigh Gothic Lolita Shimmer Nightbright (green) - 10g jar, 95% full)
Drugstore Bonanza! $12 shipped!
Physicians Formula Bamboo Wear compact with a translucent glow Face Brightener pan in it.
NYC LE berry blush - swatched only
Wet N Wild color icon Vanity six-color palette - all colors used once
Wet N Wild iSparkle palette - all colors used once - brown, tan, olive green, yellow
All three $12 shipped!
Tarte mini cheek stains - Glitzed, Tipsy, True Love (all at about 90%)
$4!!!
Silk Naturals Sleep In a Jar Extra Light Peach - full size, 95%
Make a reasonable offer!
Jane Iredale Rose Gold powder
Physicians Formula grind-your-own loose powder highlighter
Used it! Also, a request for recommendations
So, I used up three more things!
1. EcoTools hand lotion mini. Not bad! Scent kind of grew on me, moisturizing without being sticky, a little goes a long way. I might actually buy this again.
2. Darling Girl Cosmetics sample shadow - Trust Fund. If you're into light yellow-golds, you will like this color. On me, I found it to be too much between gold and yellow, if that makes sense. Susan's blending skills are superb - definitely give this new company a try.
3. Homemade blend of shea butter and almond oil - worked pretty nicely on my feet, but overall too greasy for regular use. Will not make again.
Running tally:
66 things total
14 full size products
Oh, and also? I need your recommendations on a morning moisturizer with SPF 15 or above. I'd like it to not be greasy, not have avobenzone, not be mostly silicone and mineral oil, and not leave a really whitish cast. Fragrance free is a bonus!
1. EcoTools hand lotion mini. Not bad! Scent kind of grew on me, moisturizing without being sticky, a little goes a long way. I might actually buy this again.
2. Darling Girl Cosmetics sample shadow - Trust Fund. If you're into light yellow-golds, you will like this color. On me, I found it to be too much between gold and yellow, if that makes sense. Susan's blending skills are superb - definitely give this new company a try.
3. Homemade blend of shea butter and almond oil - worked pretty nicely on my feet, but overall too greasy for regular use. Will not make again.
Running tally:
66 things total
14 full size products
Oh, and also? I need your recommendations on a morning moisturizer with SPF 15 or above. I'd like it to not be greasy, not have avobenzone, not be mostly silicone and mineral oil, and not leave a really whitish cast. Fragrance free is a bonus!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Used it! Awesome blush sample, and some other stuff
More things aren't in my bathroom anymore!
1. Silk Naturals blush sample - Ginger. LOVE. Such a pretty pinky peach, and SN's formula is sheer and impossible to mess up, which with my fair skin is nice when I don't want to spend time blending. It's already in my SN cart for when I make my next order.
2. L'Oreal 360 deep cream cleanser for sensitive skin. Liked the scrublet, the cleanser was ok, but when I used it in the shower sometimes I accidentally got a taste of it - and yuck! Nothing that foul should go on my face.
3. Aromaleigh Bete Noire shadow sample - Solange. Medium-dark brown with gold/green sparkle. I already have the full size! Beautiful color, turns a warm bronze when foiled.
4. Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut conditioner. Used this for conditioner-only washes. Only got four uses out of it, so even though it's not bad, wouldn't repurchase.
1. Silk Naturals blush sample - Ginger. LOVE. Such a pretty pinky peach, and SN's formula is sheer and impossible to mess up, which with my fair skin is nice when I don't want to spend time blending. It's already in my SN cart for when I make my next order.
2. L'Oreal 360 deep cream cleanser for sensitive skin. Liked the scrublet, the cleanser was ok, but when I used it in the shower sometimes I accidentally got a taste of it - and yuck! Nothing that foul should go on my face.
3. Aromaleigh Bete Noire shadow sample - Solange. Medium-dark brown with gold/green sparkle. I already have the full size! Beautiful color, turns a warm bronze when foiled.
4. Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut conditioner. Used this for conditioner-only washes. Only got four uses out of it, so even though it's not bad, wouldn't repurchase.
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