L'Oreal Lumi Cushion Foundation | Review

So as we all know by now, L'Oreal has come out with a new addition to their Lumi line - a cushion compact foundation. These types of foundations have been pretty popular in places like China and Korea already, but they've slowly started seeping into the western market. I've been dying to try a cushion foundation for ages, and had actually been eyeballing the one from Innisfree before this one came out - ready for me to just go to the store and buy!

The price is actually pretty steep (~$17), but much of the Lumi line has been more on the expensive side for drugstore items as far as I've seen. I was a little leery about buying it for $17, but I reasoned I could always take it back if I didn't like it right away.

So, a few things about this that I've personally experienced: there does seem to be a good amount of product in there, and you don't need much to apply. It's pretty light/sheer coverage, and slightly buildable, so this would not be great for anyone with extreme redness, discoloration/scars, acne, etc. because it won't cover much for you. It does, however, do a great job of evening out your skin tone if it only needs a little help. It's extremely hydrating and dewy, great for dry skin, but I'd definitely not recommend this for oily skin - this is probably one of the "dewiest" foundations I've ever tried, but I personally love that. My skin is dry as the desert and I love anything that can make give me a little glow.

The color selection is also not amazing, but not terrible. The shade I got is actually slightly too dark for me, but it's the lightest shade they had. I just blend it down my neck and make it work, and I actually kind of like having a slightly darker shade for a change. They have shades for deeper skin tones as well.

I've tested it a few times wearing it all day, usually with about two coats on. I apply it by dabbing a damp beauty sponge in the cushion and blending it, which seems to work the best for me. It doesn't emphasize my dry areas, and actually stays on pretty well (even better with a sheer powder that suits dry skin). It's very pretty and glowy, and gives a healthy sheen to my skin. I really like it for "light" make-up days, which I tend to do a lot nowadays. My current foundations can feel too heavy for me sometimes, so this is honestly perfect for someone like me. 

Again, not so great a foundation for those that want heavy/medium coverage, and possibly not so well for oily skin (maybe with some powdering it would work pretty great!), but I've personally been pretty pleased with it so far!

Big thumbs up for you, Lumi!

12.2.15

(someone was being photogenic!)

School and work are still eating up all my time. I didn't really expect much else, but I'd like it to feel a little more....fulfilling. Like I'm heading towards somewhere, you know? I don't feel like that at all. I haven't felt like that for such a long time, and it can be rather disheartening.

Often I find myself trying to find the right track again, but I just can't seem to. I feel terribly lost, but I suppose that happens to a lot of people. That is a comforting thought, usually, that I'm not alone in this sentiment.

Because of this I think about my future an inordinate amount. I think about it more than I should, rather than focusing on the present. That's a problem I'm trying to fix. I think about where I'll be in five years, rather than how I'm going to get to that place and what I'll do to get there. With those thoughts, I'll still just be thinking in five years. I think to much, and it's all I'll do. Does anyone know any good exercises to kind of pull out of your own head and focus more on things presently happening?

Also, the cold weather has been leaving me rather lonely and perhaps sadder than usual. Sometimes I forget the cold isn't very forgiving to me. 

I hope you guys are having a great December so far!

Red & Purple | Review

Today I was sifting through my makeup for an idea on what makeup products I wanted to talk about, review, etc., and I pulled out these two eyeshadow singles for no apparent reason. I thought about it for a second, and realized that to me, personally, both of these eyeshadows are very eye-catching. The packaging, the color, the little golden sheen in both - they're truly very beautiful, and I love them for that reason alone.

But, I decided to go a little deeper and review both of them. Eye-catching and beautiful doesn't always mean good. They can be chalky, not pigmented, so glittery that you get none of the color and all of the glitter. So, what about these two? Are they worth it? Let's check it out!

First up is a NAR's single in the color 'Strada.' This is one of the first eyeshadows I ever bought, and honestly I got it because it was gorgeous. It also swatched very prettily, as you can see - it's a dusky purple with gold glitter, and I was so taken with those gold glitters. I believe this cost about $20, maybe more, but after playing around with it at home I realized that I should have picked another shade (or been smart and checked the reviews!). While it swatches so prettily, it's SO difficult to work with on the eyes. If you pat it on the lid very thickly as the primary color, it will go on pretty well but it faded for me very fast, even with a primer, and mostly the glitter was left. If you blend it too much, it becomes rather muddy looking and it's practically unfixable. It's a very difficult shadow to work with, though I find it works best used sparingly, so it's not a total loss. I like to use it on the lower lid sometimes for a pop of subtle color. It's not terrible, but it's not great. Definitely better purples out there.

Now this one I actually ordered online. It's from Style Nanda's makeup brand, 3 Concept Eyes. This is the color 'Saturn.' I was intrigued by that vibrant red online, and when I got it in the package, I was so pleased with how it swatched. As you can see, it swatches a beautiful fiery golden-red color. It seems to have a gold duochrome in it, which is just beautiful. I was also very happy to find out it was pretty lovely to work with. Patting it all over my lid produces that gorgeous red color, which fades slightly throughout the day but still looks lovely. It's also a great lower lid accent if you want something more subtle. Overall, I was so happy with this eyeshadow, especially because reds can sometimes be a little disappointing. It costs 11,000 won, which is about $9.50.

I've really been getting into wearing more colorful eyeshadows lately, so hopefully I'll be able to review more for you guys soon!

Dear Younger Self

I never really saw myself writing one of those "advice to your younger self" letters, but it was mostly because I had no idea what to say to my wayward teenage self. As I grow older, though, I'm discovering the things that I would tell myself, and the things I wouldn't. If given the chance, yeah, I would probably give my younger self some sound advice and save myself a world of trouble and nerves. There are some things better left to experience, and learning the hard way, but there are just some things that I'd want to avoid at all costs. So, past me, let's get started:

1. Don't try so hard to get people to like you. Some people just won't like you, and that's fine. Don't waste your feelings and energy on them. Some of those people will realize that you want them to like you, and take advantage of that. They will use you. Be aware.

2. Keep drawing and painting, and don't let anyone stop you. You will regret that you didn't keep going, and you will regret that you let the negative things get to you.

3. Wash off your makeup before you go to bed! Isn't this something we would all tell ourselves? Seriously, do it.

4. Don't feel bad about staying in and not hanging out with your friends when you don't feel up to it. Those nights will be precious. Don't let your friends make you feel bad for wanting time to yourself.

5. I would say make better friends, but it's good that you learned how to tell the difference between good and bad friends. 

6. Stick to journaling, and writing down your experiences. Years later, you will love reading those entries and remembering everything that happened. Your memory will erase much of it. Keep records.

7. Don't waste your time on romantic pursuits that you're not interested in from the beginning. Don't waste their time, or yours. Don't let your friends guilt trip you into accepting advances from people you don't like. "Oh, but they're nice" doesn't mean anything. It's just better for everyone in the end.

8. Don't laugh at sexist jokes to fit in. You felt uncomfortable for a reason, but you laughed so no one would call you "too serious" and tell you to learn to take a joke. Your existence, and other women's existence, is not a joke, girl. You don't have to jump into an argument with them, but don't laugh to validate their poor excuse for humor.

9. Don't be afraid to get into makeup earlier. I know people, mostly boys, around you will try to shame you for liking makeup, but don't listen! You'll enjoy it so much, and just imagine what getting started earlier will do for you.

10. Please, don't lose your love of reading. You will be so sad that it's gone, and can't even concentrate on a full chapter of a truly good book. Do everything you can to not burn out, and lose that love. It gave you such life.


What are some things you would tell your younger self?

Photo from pcwallart.

Blog Change!

I was never too terribly happy with the blog name I chose for this place. I just sort of piggy-backed off an old blog I had, and didn't know what else to name my little space. After some deliberation, I finally decided to go with another old tag I had created years ago, one that still resonates with me and feels more "me," you know?

It's pulled from a quote from my favorite movie in the entirety of ever, Velvet Goldmine. I couldn't tell you why I love that movie so much, I just do. 

I'm hoping the little name change is agreeable with you all as well! 'Big Fluffy Cats' just wasn't quite me, no matter how much I love actual big, fluffy cats. I'll see you all soon. :)

"Put out the torches. Hide the moon. Hide the stars."

11.18.15

It's getting so much colder here lately, and I know one day I'm going to wake up to a little snowfall. In fact, I just ordered some "winter" boots for the heavy snow this year. When I moved here n January, even though I had bought lots of clothing for snow, I was still pretty unprepared. Coming from an area where it gets relatively cold but never snows, I was just not ready to be thrown into thick, constant snow days.

This year I'm going to be a little more prepared. I've already started buying some sweaters, eyeballing scarves and gloves, and hunting down my thermals. I'm ready for you, snow!

I'm also in such a journal-y mood lately. I've been working through my journal some, but I also just love writing on my own blog rather freely, just like this, chronicling my thoughts. There's something very calming and soothing about it, especially during the winter months. I like keeping the content on my blog kind of all-over-the-place, because honestly, that's me! I'm everywhere. I love makeup and beauty but I also love writing, and soft pretty things, and whimsy. And there are more things I could push onto this blog, but I definitely don't want to overwhelm it, and no longer find in joy in it. I like the little niche I'm carving so far. It suits me just fine. :)

Holiday Beauty Wishlist

Every holiday all the big beauty brands try to out-do themselves with gorgeous holiday sets that usually feature a mish-mash of products, either new or a "best of" kind of thing, and beautiful packaging. I'm a sucker for packaging, and the holiday sets never fail to make me start salivating. I thought I would throw together a few of my top picks that I either hope to get this season or WILL be getting.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Palette - I know a lot of people have complaints about the size of the pans compared to the price of this ($80), but I don't have much of a problem with it. I'm very curious about all of the powders, and don't think I'd have trouble going through the powders too fast. I feel like despite its size, I'll still get plenty of use out of this, and more than my money's worth. Plus, what better way to jump into Hourglass's products than to get six of them at once!

Tarte Light of the Party - Speaking of money's worth, this massive Tarte compilation is only $59. You get that lovely palette up there, a mini mascara and a brush, and yet another palette with more eyeshadows and blush and bronzer. I'm so sold for this palette, and I WILL be getting it. I already love Tarte as a brand, and when they release things like this, they really just...make me so happy, you know? I'm so happy.

Marc Jacobs The Sofia - This is more of a "yeah, I'd enjoy that" type of thing, and I probably won't end up getting it, but it would be nice to try five Marc Jacobs lipsticks at once. They're small, sure, but I haven't gotten through a lipstick yet. The color range is pretty sweet, and the best part is that it's only $45 (you get that leather case too!).

Peter Thomas Roth Mask-A-Holic Vault - At $190, this is definitely on my "wishful thinking" list, but I am indeed a mask-a-holic, and I've heard a few amazing things about the PTR masks. Maybe one day I'll feel brave enough to justify the price of just one of these masks, but until then I'll eyeball this gift set and pass it up over that magical Tarte palette that's a much more reasonable price.

That's all I've got for today. Let me know what your favorite sets that have come out this year are!

Tarte Lights, Camera Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara | Review

(I'm afraid I'm still not very good at taking pictures! I need a good background..)

Okay, so, this was a mascara that everyone in the beauty community was in love with like, last year. And I know everyone has moved on to the Better Than Sex mascara, which I personally don't like a whole lot. But I finally used up ALL of this mascara (yes! all of it! that never happens) and I can safely say it is definitely one of my favorite mascaras out there, drugstore or high end.

I've been trying a few new ones out since using this up, and so far the next best thing for me is the Urban Decay Perversion mascara, which looks nice but is very hard to remove. What I liked about Tarte's little tube was that it made my lashes look nice, it didn't flake off ever, it didn't clump, it didn't smudge, and it was relatively easy to remove at the end of the day. It was everything good in a mascara that I liked, and I was honestly just never not tired of it. 

I'd say my only not-so-favorite thing about it was the packaging. It's a little awkward, but the purple and gold looks really nice. But, hey, I can get over packaging if the formula is amazing. And it is. 

I will say this is the 4-in-1 kind, I know they had a few different "types" of this mascara so I don't know what the others are like. This one, however, is getting a repurchase once I use up my sample mascaras. Big thumbs up, Tarte!

10.28.15

 

I've been a little absent from here lately, mostly due to overwhelming personal reasons that I'm finally getting a handle on (school, anyone? please, let it end!). At any rate, the holidays are nearing and with that, time for me to visit my family. I'm very excited for that, but until then I'm just doing my best.

 

Lately, I've been enjoying:

 

-Bite Beauty's lipstick in 'Truffle'

-Orange leaves

-Fairy tales

-Fairy-like clothes

-L'occitane almond shower oil

-Cuddly cats

fairy walk

fairy walk by sanguinine featuring bride hair accessories

Raina sleeve shirt
$105 - caramel-shop.co.uk

Naf Naf mid calf skirt
$28 - placedestendances.com

The Cambridge Satchel Company vintage handbag
shopbop.com

Cream jewelry
topshop.com

Bundle MacLaren Millinery bride hair accessory
boticca.com

Music Rec | Agnes Obel

I'm a big fan of sharing music, and I decided that I really wanted to bring that love of sharing to my blog. While I was waiting on my new camera to come in (which it did tonight!!) I was thinking of new little 'segments' that I could bring to my blog. Music recommendations sounded like a pretty good idea, and I'd also like to continue my Youtuber recs as I love watching a great many channels.

Today I'd like to recommend an artist I fairly recently discovered and have fallen in love with. I love female vocals as it is, but Agnes Obel has such a clear yet throaty singing voice that I instantly fell in love with. I love the soft, piano style music that she plays, and many of her songs have a darker mood that is absolutely perfect for autumn.

I figured she would be perfect for an autumn music recommendation. I'll leave a song below, the first one I heard from her that I really love listening to on the train. I hope you enjoy!

9.29.15

 

(I can't ever seem to take pictures of ice cream without eating it before remembering to take a picture...oops!)

 

These have been a little bit of a theme on this blog, but I'm glad I'm keeping up with it! Work has been eating up most of my time, and I find my lack of a good camera is really affecting my ability to blog like I want to. Fortunately, however, I just ordered a new camera! It was on sale and I couldn't resist, and decided it was worth the investment. So once it gets here and I fiddle around with it, I'll hopefully have much better quality pictures of all sorts of things. I'm quite excited!

 

Anyways, this week I loved:

 

-soft, beautiful droning music (Grouper & Julianna Barwick)

-rain clouds

-watching television shows at night

-washi tape

-light contouring and highlighting

 

I hope everyone has a great week! <3

 

9.22.15

My birthday was this past Friday (9/18) and I feel like it lasted the whole weekend. I'm usually not very fond of my birthday for a few reasons, but this year it just felt a little magical. My workplace celebrated with me, and my boss even bought me a cake and everyone sang to me. I almost cried, I felt so appreciated. My dad also delivered chocolate-covered strawberries to my work - I miss him terribly. I then spent the whole weekend with my friends drinking, talking, shopping, and finally we ended by going to the beach and the arcade. I enjoyed it immensely, and I'm sad it's over, but I have some tangible memories to sustain me.

This week, I loved

-Spending time with friends

-Agnes Obel

-Photobooths

-Painting my nails

-Black dresses

-Poetry

9.15.15

 

I'm a few days late for this, but I am valiantly trying to stick to my new little 'weekly things I love' diary. This past week has been a little crazy, so I took any opportunity to just relax and not do anything. I love to take pictures as I'm out, hoping to use them for entries such as this, but unfortunately I didn't go out much! That should change this week, as it's my birthday on Friday. I'm sure I'll have plenty of things to share after that ;)

 

This week I loved:

 

- Seeing childhood friends

-Walking through beautiful Brooklyn neighborhoods

-The arrival of autumn

-Purple lips

-Crisp, cold apples

-Gold eyeshadow

 

I'm going to lose my mind in Sephora in a few days for my birthday, so I'm sure I'll have plenty of new things to share here soon! See you guys later :)

 

Youtuber Recs | CloudyApples

I know I'm not the only one who loves watching Youtube videos. Sometimes I'll spend hours on Youtube clicking through different videos, but I spend a lot of time watching makeup/beauty/fashion based videos. As such, I have a lot of favorite Youtubers that focus specifically on those genres, whether for fun or other things. One of my favorite Youtubers of them all does post a lot of beauty/fashion videos, but she also posts a lot of lifestyle and discussion videos that share her own thoughts about the world she knows. Beyond loving her content, she edits her videos in a fun and pleasing way that really appeals to me. She often includes her boyfriend in her videos, and both of them are also hilarious.

So, if you're looking for a new Youtuber to check out, try CloudyApples! I thoroughly enjoy her videos, and hopefully you will too.

9.6.15

Inspired by Little Moon Dragon's challenge to write about all the things I have particularly loved and enjoyed this week, I have to decided to do just that! I can certainly use a reason to find some happiness in my life, as lately my mental illnesses have been succeeding in getting the best of me. I won't list many things at once, just the things that really stick out to me. I'd like to try and do this more often, for most weeks if not every week. So, this week, I have loved:

-Light lunches

-Deep orange colors

-Pomegranate cherry juice

-Strappy heels

-Disney Tsum Tsum app game

-Red lipstick

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick | Review

Yet another small review for you guys! I'd heard a few good things about Stila's liquid lipsticks, and as a huge fan of liquid lipsticks anyway, I was very excited to receive a little version of the product in my Birchbox. I received the color Beso, which is a gorgeous red.

It's very highly pigmented, and one swipe produces all the color you need. Unfortunately, this lipstick is not my friend. I wanted it to be, very badly. It had other ideas. Perhaps I got a dud, or maybe the smaller sizes aren't as good as the full-size versions. I'm not quite sure, but let me tell you my problem with this product. While the pigmentation and color is absolutely gorgeous, this lipstick does not "stay all day." Not even an hour, actually. After about 45 minutes of wearing this, I checked in a mirror to see how it was faring and the answer was: not well. There was a bare, very visible ring on the center of my lips where the lipstick had apparently rubbed off. It was also balling up, for lack of a better word, on my lips. It was not a very pretty sight. I re-applied to see if that would help, but the same thing happened. It just would not stay on my lips. It was also hell to get off of my lips, and left a lovely stain. Additionally, the scent is a little off-putting for me. I'm sure they mean it to smell like vanilla cupcakes, and it does, sort of. It's more like a vanilla cupcake chemical bath, and it's borderline sickly sweet. I could get over that, except the smell sticks around for about 30 minutes after application. 

I was very sad that this product didn't work for me, and I don't think I'll pay $22 for a full-size one to try. I'd rather try other liquid lipsticks, to be honest. Sorry, Stila, this one is a big miss for me. 

To close, let's have my blog earn its namesake:

One big, not-so-fluffy cat!

Review | Nyx HD Finishing Powder

I was in need of a decent setting product, as my last setting spray finally ran out. I decided to try my hand at a powder, which I usually don't bother with as my skin is very dry and flaky and powder tends to emphasize that. But, as I learned, some powders tend to work fairly okay with dry skin types, and now it was up to me to experiment and see which ones could.

I decided to get the NYX HD finishing powder as my first try. It was relatively inexpensive so if it failed, I wouldn't be out of a good chunk of my wallet. I also decided to go for the mint green color, as I do have a fair bit of redness as well. Couldn't hurt, right? I'd tried their translucent setting powder once before, when it came in the tub and you had to sprinkle it out. I hated that powder, as it showed off my dryness, and was the powder that made me swear off powders. But, now it was in a friendly compact, re-formulated, and I got it on a whim.

I must say I'm not disappointed! I don't use much, and mainly keep it concentrated under my eyes so my concealer doesn't crease. It does emphasize my dry skin a tiny bit, but not to such a noticeable or horrendous degree as powders can. It's quite bearable, and my concealer doesn't crease. The powder is very fine and thin, so it doesn't cake on and it's easy to control the amount you apply. I can't say I've noticed any difference in my redness, but I didn't really buy it for that. It may not be perfect, but it's decent, and that's good enough for me! I'd say this is a hit, and a cheaper option than more high-end setting powders that could potentially not work for me. After some research, I'm sure I can more confidently choose a high-end powder that could suit me. But this was a good first try, and restored my faith in setting powders a bit. As it is, I still want to invest in a good setting spray!

Haul | Most Recent Items I've Purchased

I finally return to beauty! I suppose this is more of a collective haul, built up over the last two months or so. But, as they're recent enough, and I've got quite a few things, a haul post seemed in order! The picture quality isn't so great, and for that I apologize. The natural light was dying and I'm a bit out of practice. I'll probably do more in depth reviews on individual items as I progress in using them and get a better understanding of them, but for now, let's see what I've picked up!

-Nyx HD Finishing Powder in Mint Green

-MAC lipstick in 'Syrup

-MAC Viva Glam lipstick in Miley Cyrus

-Milani blushes in Tea Rose and Romantic Rose

-Nyx Micro Brow Pencil in Chocolate

-MUFE Step 1 Primer in the white 'Nourishing' tube

-NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly

-Kat Van D Tattoo liner in black

-MAC Mineralize liquid foundation in NW13

I've also collected a few bits and bobs from my Birchbox subscription but I won't include those here. I might do a few reviews on things from the boxes, though, if I get around to it. As it is, I have a lot of things to review!

Days Go By

July passed in such a blur, and August is already on its way out. Seeing the time pass so quickly is making me feel a little sad, but it's also a bit of a good thing. I've been rather busy since my last post, with work and new friends that I've happily made, but I haven't forgotten about my little place to write about my journeys and beauty and everything else I love. Until I can gather up my makeup posts, I'll just share a little from the past month instead.

I took a day with my best friend to explore some of East Village, which is full of amazing food. We ended up going to Xian Famous Foods, which is a tiny little restaurant that serves the best soup I've ever had in my life. I also stopped at a macaron shop on our walk and picked up four little macarons, all of which were amazing. I'm dying to go back soon!

We had a roof day with some friends one night as well, where we laid out some blankets and played games and drank. It was a very fun night, and we plan to do many more! We light candles when it gets dark, though the city lights tend to help visibility as well. The subtle scents from the candles and the light breeze really make the entire atmosphere so serene and calming. I adored this night.

To finish off, as everything should be finished off, I had some amazing cheesecake ice cream. I had already started on it before I remembered to take a picture! 

I hope August remains a decent month, even as I go into school and prepare for some very busy times. I hope to see you all soon!

July, July

July 4th is Independence Day for America, a day often celebrated with fireworks and barbecues. I don't usually celebrate July 4th for my own reasons, but I couldn't pass up a chance to see some fireworks this year. I went to Coney Island with my best friend, and we sat on the beach and enjoyed some beautiful fireworks and dollar churros that were a little stale but still pretty alright. It was a lovely and fun night, and I highly enjoyed myself. I also managed to get a few nice pictures of fireworks. Who hasn't seen those though, right?

Of course, it seems a few people in my neighborhood had some leftover fireworks, as for the past few days I've still heard/seen a few going off in the night. Fun to look at, but not fun while I'm trying to sleep. It seems to have waned, though, and hopefully they're running out by now!

Wandering

Lately work has been rather crazy, so I haven't had much time to pay attention to my little blog, sadly. I work in real estate, and the market explodes during the summer months, especially in New York. Fortunately, it keeps me busy and unable to dwell on very much negative things.

I still often feel like I'm just wandering around this city without any real purpose. I've never much felt like I had a purpose, to be perfectly honest. I've no idea what I wish to do with my life, and even though I'm young, I often can't help but feel stressed out about not knowing. Maybe that's the perfectionist in me?

I can't say I'm 100% happy yet, but I hope soon I will be there.

In the meantime, I've been collecting my empty products to make a post about, as I feel there's something terribly satisfactory in using up a product in its entirety. I love seeing other people's 'empties,' and I also feel a little more confident that their review of the product is more genuine than if they only used it a few times. Not to say they're lying, but that sometimes a product can end up not working out halfway through, and when the product is completely gone you have no misconceptions about your feelings for it. So, I've been collecting some things and I will hopefully have an amount that I'm happy enough with soon.

See you next time :)

May Favorites | 2015

I don't believe I've done a favorites post yet, and I know they're one of my favorite things to see in the beauty area of the Internet. I love to see what people have been enjoying, and also what they haven't - I think next time I'd like to incorporate both things I've liked and disliked. Ever since watching Claire Marshall's 'Beauty Reviews,' I feel like the inclusion of both is a pretty great idea.

But, anyway, this month is about what I've loved. It is a touch late, but better late than never. :)

I only have a few, all makeup related, as that's all I wanted to talk about this time. I've finally gotten the chance to really wear my makeup almost every day, so I've had plenty of time to try things out and see how I like them on an all-day basis and not just 'try it on and wear it around the house for a few hours.'

First, I'll start with the big thing: the Naked 3 palette.

I bought this last year, mostly because I loooved the colors in it. I'm a sucker for golds and dusty pinks. I didn't own any other Naked palette (I still don't), but this one called to me first. I've been really enjoying it this month, and almost every time I wear eyeshadow I use this. I particularly love Nooner, which is a matte mauve-pink and looks absolutely gorgeous. Sometimes I wear it alone with a bit of Dust in the inner corners. Dust is also a favorite, though many don't seem to like it because it's a fairly chunky glitter shadow and is a bit, well....dusty. I personally love it. It reminds me of fairy dust, and makes me feel quite like a fairy when I wear it. There honestly isn't a color in here I don't like in some way. With primer, these shadows last all day.

I've also been loving the Real Techniques buffing brush. I've been using it as my foundation brush, and let me tell you it works like a charm. I've always had trouble applying foundation with a brush, as it would get quite streaky, but this applies my foundation flawlessly. It feels wonderful. It can get a little streaky when the brush is dirty, but a good wash and it's back to it's usual perfection. Mine is currently dirty and in need of a good wash.

The Kat Von D Immortal Lash mascara has also been working pretty great for me. It's what I've mostly been wearing this month. It's a great, true black mascara that thoroughly coats my lashes and gives them length and, with two coats, a fair amount of volume. Nothing crazy, which is fine with me. The little bubble tip at the end of the wand is also pretty handy for catching my bottom lashes. The formula doesn't flake or smudge throughout the day, even in hot weather, which is fantastic (as you guys know, the Better Than Sex mascara did this to me - sad). I really enjoyed this mascara, and I'll probably buy it again.

The Pixi Flawless primer has also been steady on my favorites list. I've done a review on it already, so let me just say it has continued to not disappoint and I am sadly almost out of it. If you have dry, flaky skin, this might be a good primer to try for you.

Lastly, the OCC Lip Tar in Lydia has been killing it. I bought this on a whim a few months ago and I've worn it at least six times this month, which I almost never do for lipstick. I tend to switch it up a lot. But this lip tar is just so gorgeous. The shade is a beautiful dark mauve-y plum that looks fabulous with my pale skin, it applies like a dream, and once dry it stays on for hours. Even with no touch ups, at the end of the day my lips will be a light mauve that is still very flattering. It's also not drying. The lip tars can take some practice to apply, as they are very pigmented and can get messy fast. I apply it carefully with a small lip brush, which works great for me. I'm dying to get a few more colors from OCC soon.

I suppose that's it for this month. I have a few new skin/hair products to try out as well, and maybe they'll make it to next months list. We'll see!

On A Day Off

I had a day off from work and although I didn't go anywhere, I enjoyed myself immensely.

I'm very much an introvert, and almost always have been. I enjoy having some alone time for myself, and feel refreshed and recharged after having spent some time doing things I love by myself. Many people are led to believe introverts are shy and quiet and hate being around people - which isn't necessarily the case. It just means that we tend to feel at our best and can recharge when we are alone. Extroverts, conversely, get their energy from being around people. There is a spectrum to the introvert-extrovert, as there is a spectrum with many things, but I won't go into that right now. 

What I'm trying to say, of course, is that I spent my day mostly alone and loved it. I read a few short stories, had some rosehip tea and apples (and I cut my finger cutting the apples - not terribly, but I will remember to be more careful), cuddled with the cats, and took some pictures. It may not sound like much, but I thoroughly loved my day.

I will end this little diary entry here, and return to my reading - but first, I will leave a poem that I particularly love, and that I find repeats itself in my head often:

I heard the old, old men say
'Everything alters,
And one by one we drop away.'
They had hands like claws, and their knees
Were twisted like the old thorn trees
By the waters.
I heard the old, old men say
'All that's beautiful drifts away
Like the waters.'

-"The Old Men Admiring Themselves In The Water," William Butler Yeats

OFRA Universal Eyebrow Pencil | Review

I received this pencil ages ago in either an ipsy bag or a Glossybox, but basically I've had it for a quite a bit.

I've used it fairly often, on and off, and it's about half the size it was when I originally got it. However, I'm not sure if I'll use the whole pencil up.

For one, this pencil goes down fast. I can sharpen it, and after one eyebrow it's practically a nub again. I also don't quite like the color - it claims to be universal, therefore good for everyone, but something about the color doesn't look right on me. Maybe it's too much of a red-brown? I'm not sure, but it doesn't quite suit me.

And lately, though it wasn't that bad before, I've noticed that the formula has gotten extremely waxy. Being a bit waxy can actually be a good thing, as it can help keep the brow hairs in place without the added help of a brow gel. But this goes above and beyond waxy, and makes my eyebrows look almost flat and wet. I'm not sure why that happened, and I'll try it again a few times just to make sure, but I wasn't horribly impressed by this pencil last time I used it.

I recently ran out of my previous brow pencil (and I plan on making an empties post, which it will be in) and turned to this one, but was sorely disappointed and had to turn to a brown eyeshadow to do my eyebrows. Not the best, but it'll do. I just bought a Nyx brow product, so I'll be using that now and seeing how it goes.

Thanks for reading. :)

A Day at the Fair

Today was my day off, and I was relaxing and enjoying it when my friend called me to come to a street fair in the neighborhood I work in. So, I threw on some clothes, took the subway and hung around for a few hours and had some fun!

It was almost unbearably hot today, and a little humid. But the fair was very lovely and fun regardless of the heat. I enjoyed looking at all the little booths and smelling the food as we walked by. I tried a few things here and there, but mostly enjoyed walking around and petting stranger's dogs.

It was a bit of a nostalgic day, too. My hometown holds a little fair every year around November that my dad used to take me to when I was younger. We haven't gone the past few years, and it's something that I really actually miss. I don't spend a lot of personal time with my dad as we aren't as close as I am with my mom, though we still love each other very much. Today, I missed being younger and spending time with my dad at a tiny little fair in a tiny little town. 

Despite the memories, I tried to make newer ones and enjoy myself for that day.

I did stop at a little crystal/gem booth, where an old man was selling gorgeous crystals and crystal jewelry. I bought a few that caught my eye. They were the only things I bought, but I didn't want to buy too much, as I have nowhere to really put anything right now.

Aren't they lovely?