Labor Day

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I’m giving myself a day off. I hope you have one to enjoy; if not, I hope you have one soon. For today, some more tidbits.

  • The Urban Decay Electric Palette is on clearance at Macy’s for only $24. Tempting.
  • I have a dream that we live in a world where Sephora does Labor Day sales.
  • Speaking of sales, Ulta is doing another 21 Days of Beauty. Today, they have Becca Luminous Blush and IT Cosmetics eyeliner on sale. Truth be told, though, I’m kind of underwhelmed. I will probably pick up two more Clarisonic brush heads on the 16th, though.
  • In 2015 around now, I talked about my experience with makeup sales people. I did visit this past week, though, and had a far more real, sincere experience. Got color matched, got zero false-flattery BS.
  • I tried out the L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte AND Pro-Glow foundations. They wear well, but I haven’t found the right colors for me. How I wish drugstore items had testers – they’d probably lose less money if they did (rather than some asshat choosing to treat stock as their own tester).
  • Happily, I can report that my hair is NOT losing its mind after several months of primarily using Tigi Moisture Maniac.
  • The red Stridex Pads are still treating my skin kindly, too!
  • Beauty Retailers are going to start stocking their Holiday 2016 sets soon. How crazy is that? I won’t buy any of the holiday palettes, but there’s definitely value in some of the other kits.
  • I finally remembered to redeem my Play! Pass and got my extra 50 Beauty Insider points.
  • I’m in desperate need of a DIY Pedicure and plan to give myself one today.

If you do have the day off for Labor Day, what will you spend it doing?

Cheers.

Swisspers Facial Cotton

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Swisspers Facial CottonSwisspers Facial Cotton, $4

Have you joined me in taking the Micellar Water Challenge?

When I started, I only kept some cotton-rounds in the house. The rounds were textured on one side and plush on the other. Somehow, the layers are bound together. The process that does so, however, results in an edge that has a sharp quality to it. That sharp edge + applying facial products = ow.

It’s a good rule of thumb to avoid products that can create micro-cuts on the skin – bacteria doesn’t need much, after all, to cause chaos.

To replace them, I picked up these Swisspers Facial Cotton. They’ve been FAR kinder to my skin than the rounds, and I’m considering clearing the shelf of my local stores because I love them. I hear the Shiseido Facial Cotton pads are the cotton pads, but I can’t bring myself to spend nearly $10 on the damn things.

How do you apply Micellar Water or toner? I’ve tried tissue and it made me crazy.

Naked2, Bought & Sold

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naked2Urban Decay Naked2, $54

Urban Decay Naked was my second-ever palette. I still have it, and I baby the hell out of it because it is delightful. Last October, I bought Naked2. As far as I could tell, my collection wasn’t rife with dupes (except for Half Baked, but I’m okay with this).

Last Friday, I sold it. I never even took swatch photos for the blog because I hadn’t grown to love it.

I picked it up that same morning to do a look, thinking, “This hasn’t been touched this in months.” After doing my makeup and examining my work with the cooler, smoky tones, I decided I was over it. An hour later, I took usage photos, sanitized it, and listed it for sale. The palette was claimed within the next few hours, and mailed out to its new (excited to own it) home the next day.

The colors are pretty, but the majority of the cool shades aren’t pretty on me. That’s ultimately the deal-breaker here; I’m not a professional makeup artist, I don’t need to keep products that don’t flatter me.

What I Didn’t Love about Naked2

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Trim Portable Manicure System

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Trim Portable Manicure SystemTrim Portable Manicure System, $8

I had something similar to this cheap, battery-operated electric file years ago. The motor ultimately burned out, and I hadn’t seen a replacement until I came across the Trim Portable Manicure System while out and about.. Admittedly, I didn’t give the tool much scrutiny in the store when I picked it up. For under $8 and running on non-included AA batteries, my expectations were low.

First Impression

Upon unboxing the tool I confirmed that its construction matched its price-point. The body is made of cheap, lightweight plastic. The handle is long (read: awkward to handle), and it doesn’t seem as though the bits have a locking mechanism to hold them in place. The battery compartment was easily accessible, but there aren’t any markers to indicate which way to insert them. I determined that negative should face the bottom of the compartment, positive towards the top.

No dial, switch, or series of buttons means no variable speed control. This little guy is a one-speed.

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One Month Micellar Water Challenge

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Micellar WaterWhen I shared my skincare arsenal overhaul earlier this year, I mentioned that I was considering ditching makeup wipes. I was consistently using micellar water to remove my makeup, but at the end of a long day I was letting myself reach for the convenient option.

Well, I’m finally out of makeup wipes. I’m choosing to prioritize my skin over convenience for one month. Since last Friday (August 19) I have exclusively been using the Garnier Micellar Water I wrote about in April.

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TPDTY: You Need a Cuticle Stone

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Cuticle StoneCuticle Stone, $1.79

There are a zillion-and-one guides and tutorials out there on how to give yourself a DIY manicure. Beyond the plethora of guides, there are probably thousands of different execution methods you could employ to achieve the same results. Damn few, however, mention taming crazy cuticles and eponychium with a cuticle stone.

It’s always, “gently push them back with an orangewood stick.” That isn’t wrong – it’s a good and gentle method that prevents you from removing living tissue. Those dang cuticle nippers that professional manicurists whip around like a magic wand are SHARP – and I don’t know about you, but they’re a challenge to use. It does not, however, help you remove any dead tissue that adheres to the nail plate like a cuticle stone can.

If you do your nails even semi-regularly, for under $2, can you really afford not to try one?

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