Eyes

Laughing Out Loud: Pat McGrath Mothership Palettes

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Pat McGrath Mothership Palettes – Sublime (not pictured: Subversive and Subliminal)

Pat McGrath may as well be a cosmetics wizard. Over the decades of her career, she has undoubtedly earned such monikers as Most Influential Make-Up Artist in the World (Vogue).

A few years ago, Pat started her own line; self-funded at first (pretty damn amazing), the first product was a single golden pigment with a mixing medium that went for $40. A higher price makes more sense when it hails from a limited, 1000 piece run funded by a single solitary individual. Now, there are investors on board. This means Pat’s brand can place larger orders, making the price-per-unit lower. Later, there were lip products and other intriguing things that were entirely unlike what many of us have seen at a counter.

The Pat McGrath Mothership Palettes are HOW Much?

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August 2017 Favorites

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August 2017 Favorites
August 2017 Favorites
1. Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush (part of a set), $9 / 2. Urban Decay Naked2 Basics, $29 / 3. Silkn ReVit, $80 / 4. Haier 1.0 Cu Ft Washer, $199

Details on my August 2017 Favorites after the jump. One is preeeetty mundane, but is a huge quality-of-life enhancement for me…so I’m excited!

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Beauty Chatter

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I’m taking today to recharge as much as one can recharge while still going to their day job.

Here’s a quick round-up!

Nix it, NYX!

nyxcakethat

Why does this exist, NYX? I have plenty of black eyeshadows (too damn many) – any and all of them can be used for this same purpose.

A Sense of Community

Sephora launched their new Beauty Community recently. It has a ton of groups and sections, but I haven’t really explored it yet. I’m not sure how I feel about a retailer hosting a community. My knee-jerk reaction is the risk for censorship of critical discussion (of product which Sephora would be in their right to execute, don’t get me wrong); but if that’s a risk, why not go to a less-fettered platform?

Off-Topic

I got the portable washer that I mentioned in a recent post! It’s completely off topic but it is super neat. Like most sane humans, I loathe the laundromat – so its a welcome appliance even if it does take up a wee bit of my tiny apartment’s precious space.

Lighter Hair, Do Care

My balayage appointment was Saturday before last. Overall, I’m happy with my lighter hair but my old colorist left and the new one didn’t really approach balayage as it is intended to be approached; I have one spot on the left that is a bit abrupt (and high up) so it is fairly obvious and odd. It isn’t a crisis, but it does have me reconsidering my approach. Do I keep the same salon but just ask for a different (more experienced) colorist? I didn’t realize I’d have a different person until I was there.

Just… Damn, so Pretty!

Hourglass’ third Ambient Lighting Edit has been released. I’m not sure if this is worth it, but god is it pretty! I probably wouldn’t buy for myself, but I think it would make a great gift.

The Bottom Line

What beauty-related (or, you know, not – like my washer!) stuff have you seen or done lately?

Chatter: Trying to be Edgy

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Nobody likes a tryhard, yet so many brands are trying to be edgy lately. I’m not offput by crude humor in the slightest, but I can’t help but feel like brands are desperately grasping more and more for attention via punchy names and claims.

Isn’t it a little tired? Isn’t it enough to have a great product and solid marketing?

Brands

NARS Orgasm has been out for ages and the name makes sense for the color they are suggesting it is inspired by. It doesn’t strike me as tawdry even if the average shopper would feel unnerved asking for it by name in Sephora.

Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara isn’t a particularly nice formula – but oh man, such an edgy name! There are plenty of other products out there that are trying a bit too hard. Some are good, some are clearly banking on their shady name to make sales.

Trying to be Edgy

Oh, marketing. Urban Decay has a history of products with shady names. Okay, it’s one thing to name a color something off-beat. They’ve teased their new Troublemaker mascara which is, allegedly, “sex proof.”

Okay Urban Decay; I know that Wende founded the brand with the aim of going against the grain. With an effortless edginess in mind. But in their tagline, “Beauty with an Edge.” But isn’t marketing, “sex-proof,” mascara trying to be edgy a little (a lot) harder than is necessary?

Urban Decay themselves state on the product site:

Troublemaker holds up in hot and heavy situations and still looks good in the morning. We tested it ourselves, and it lasted through saunas, snowboarding and sex!

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Discontinued Products I Miss vol. 2

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I’ve written about the list of products that have been sent to the metaphorical glue factory, and since then, the list has only grown.

DIY Hair Gloss Supplies

RIP My Preferred DIY Hair Glaze Products

The Clairol Radiance line carried at Sally’s has been discontinued, and I only found out days ago thanks to a comment from a reader. I have to find a new method to execute my DIY hair glossing treatment! I aim to have a new regimen established by December. I’d tackle this sooner, but I’m getting my balayage touched up in a few weeks and its fairly pointless to mess with it when my hair is in tip-top shape.

Discontinued Products I Miss - St Ives Whipped Silk Lotion

The Best Drugstore Lotion, Ever

This isn’t a new or recent discontinuation, I just found myself wishing it was still made. St Ives Whipped Silk body lotion was cheap, moisturizing, lightweight, lightly scented, and all-around awesome. Unfortunately, they discontinued it in the US in favor of what is, as far as I can tell, a bunch of heavily fragranced, sticky trash.

Also, RIP the Aroma Steam body washes. Those things were amazing too, dang it!

More Discontinued Products I Miss after the jump.

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L’Oreal Telescopic Carbon Black Mascara

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Note: This is a legacy post that has been given a facelift! Some minor adjustments have been made to format and readability, but the content is the same with spot-updates from today!

(In 2015) I’d been using L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess for a while and liked it well enough. I was picking up a waterproof tube (of something else) for a wedding I went to in June 2015 when I decided to pick up a tube of L’Oreal Telescopic Carbon Black, too (not waterproof).

Telescopic Carbon Black Mascara - Stock Photo

TL;DR? I love it.

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