Make(ing) Up for Lost Time

I have a confession. For someone who has spent 90% of her adult life, on a daily basis wearing little more than tinted moisturizer, chapstick and mascara, I am obsessed with make up.

It's a weird obsession, because I don't really like learning how to put it on, or actually wearing it for that matter. For example, I think I own like 15 different types of highlighter and 3+ contour kits, and I don't have the faintest clue what the fuck to do with any of it.  That said, I am still obsessed with buying different palates of things, and um, well, stuffing them into a drawer, waiting for a rainy day to try them out. 

I figure my make up ownership is kinda like exercise equipment.  Owning it should usurp the need to use it, and by merely owning it, magically, I'll be slimmer, trimmer, stronger, just on the principle of ownership.  With make up, owning it magically removes lines and creases around my eyes and forehead, and moisturizes my skin, giving me a more youthful appearance, and of course automatically makes my eyes appear larger, and lashes thicker and fuller.... ah!  the magic of ownership!

Yeah, yeah, it's faulty logic, but it's my faulty logic.

Anyway,  I have decided as part of the work/life balancing project of Shelter in Place thanks to Covid-19, that my rainy day has arrived.  Yes, that's right.  I have decided to bust out much of the make up that has been waiting patiently for me to try it, and see what it's like.

So this is my fair warning to everyone out there.  If you see me at the grocery store looking like something from Fraggle Rock.  Don't worry, I'm just experimenting, and likely forgot I put it on before stepping out of the house.

 I don't know if I'll get through the crazy extensive inventory - but it's worth a shot.   Maybe I will even develop a method to the madness so I can describe how I applied it when something works out in the positive (or what ever).  And I'll try to put links to stuff in here too, in case anyone wants to try something out as well.

Stay tuned!

Adventures in Make Up - March 22, 2020 - Day 1

Make Up Adventure Day 1

Wow. that is a hell of a lot of make up for me. 

Before any make up went onto my skin, I had to "prep" it, with skin care stuff....

I started out with Passport Tibetan Goji Berry Anti-Aging Eye Serum

Then, I applied Youth to the People, Kale + Spinach Green Tea Hyaluronic Acid

Next up was Lancome Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector

Then I started working on the actual make up part.

Up first Concealer for under my eyes.   Today's choice It Bye Bye Under Eye

The package says that it's full coverage, Anti-Aging Waterproof concealer.   It did take way some of the darkness, but I think it caked a little in my lines.   I will need to figure this out more.   I'm sure there is a "how to" in my future.

Next came Covergirl CG Smoothers, Hydrating Makeup Foundation.

Usually I use a tinted moisturizer from CG, but sometimes you need a little more coverage, and I bought this a while ago, and never used it.  So it's officially "in the mix".

It was a bit thick, so I had to "bounce it" on my skin using the original beauty blender

Next up, I decided to try a Shimmer Bronzer in place of blush.  Hikari Shimmer Bronzer - color is Flush

This is absolutely an item that I need a tutorial on.  I have no clue how to properly use it. It's also has a hell of a lot of shimmer.  Maybe too much for me.

Next up.  Coconut Balm Dot Com by Glossier

I use the untinted, and this isn't a "new" experimental product for me - this is something that is a staple for me, and usually goes on every morning after I brush my teeth and before I do anything else.

Then I lined my lips using Lord & Berry Nude Lip Liner #3035
which is something I never do... but thought I should give it a go.

To be honest, when I first got this pencil, I thought it was for my eyebrows... it sat for months before I realized that it's a lip liner.   Cool color by the way.

And to fill in my lips... NYX Butter Lipstick in Lifeguard
and I rarely, if ever wear lipstick... so this was sort of an experience also.   I thought the color would be much darker than it actually turned out. (Happy surprise!)

Then it was time to apply my eye shadow primer.   This is also a staple for me on days when  I do wear eyeshadow, because it seems to smudge off, and using a primer sets it.  I am a long time fan girl of Urban Decay Eye Primer - Enigma

I use another color too(which I'm blanking on but I'm sure will surface in upcoming posts) this is just the basic color one, which may or may not have a new name at this point.

In an attempt to be "fancy"  eyeliner was also a must.   Today's pick  Ciate Fierce Flicks Liquid Liner
I have had pretty good luck with this stuff.  Not quite as water proof as Urban Decay's (which will make an appearance soon) but pretty happy with it.

Then I spread various colors about on my eye lids from the Doucce Nude Eye Finish Pro Palette
I tested out Amanda (84) Natalie (90) Ariana (80) and Aspen (79) and then used a little bit of the Solstice (3) to round it out.

To make sure my effort wasn't wasted, I spritzed on some Tarte Stay Spray

I am actually pretty familiar with finishing sprays, however I recently switched to Tarte from Urban Decay... I'm not 100% sure I like it as much as All Nighter from Urban Decay, but I have two bottles of it from one of my make up subscriptions, so I figure I better use it.   So far, so good.  But the weather hasn't been warm.

And then last but not least, I finished off with mascara.  Todays pick. Urban Decay Troublemaker

I am a long time lover of Urban Decay Mascara, but I have to say.. THIS ONE SUCKS.   The box claims that it is sex proof. Bah!  It's not even mild hot flash proof.     Still, I am trying to use it up. I typically use a different wand that I love to try to spread my lashes, as this clumps and is not user friendly.

And one final shot..... And no laughing at my hair.  Given the Shelter in Place order, I  have also decided that I am going to try to rehab my hair, by using as little product (if any at all) and minimal styling heat to see if I can improve the health of my hair before summer. 

How I Spent My Spring Break

The above photo is 2 quarters of my Napa Valley Distillery club shipment booze, which I decided needed to be sampled. Not shown, the bitters and shrubs that were part of the shipments to make various cocktails, which may (or may not) become fodder for future posts. 

Wow, exactly 11 years since the last time I posted anything on this blog.  Given the state of the world at the moment, i.e., the shelter in place thanks to Covid-19 and how it’s pretty much altering the way everyone lives, I’ve decided that now was a fantastic time to make some positive changes in my life.   Having something to write (and to read) that isn’t gloom and doom in the media seemed like a good place to start. Plus it will be a good place to rid me of all my fantastic sarcasm. 

One of the reasons it took me 11 years to update this blog is because I am shitty at balancing work/life.  This is especially true of the “life” side of the equation. Recently, I told someone that although each morning tends to start out promising, by noon, my well organized plan of attack, looks more like rabid squirrels at a gang bang.   

Last week was M’s spring break from school.  He and G had plans to go to Lake Tahoe to Ski and spend time with G’s family.   Last Tuesday they embarked on the trip, only to arrive in South Lake and learn that the casinos were closing at midnight, and that the Ski Resorts who had originally shut to evaluate the situation decided they would close for the season.   Wednesday they returned home.  I am not sure who was more disappointed by this development – them, or me?  

See, when I am home alone a very magical thing happens.   I get shit done.  I am 1000 times more productive when left alone.   I would like to pass it off simply as I am not interrupted as much but reality is that my sleep wake schedule morphs into something peculiar.  Suddenly 2 a.m., is go time, and I no longer need more than 20 minute naps to refresh and revive.    

For weeks prior to ski break, I have been planning my to-do lists.   Work things, personal things, organizational things, general cleaning things, things upon things that I wanted to do were being written down and scheduled with precision into my alone time.   The anticipation of it all turns me into a kid waiting for Christmas morning, so hearing they were coming back so soon, was the equivalent of finding out Santa isn’t real.

Couple losing my week of “to-do accomplishing” with learning that the world was being shut down until further notice, by mid-week, I knew that 1 of 2 things were certain.  Either I had to make some changes, or I was going to lose my damn mind.   And since White Jackets aren’t really my thing, I opted to at least try making some changes.  Deciding on these changes and mapping out a plan took some time, but since the hope of actually accomplishing anything last week was dashed, I figured I could call it a win, if I at least made a plan to succeed in the future…  It’s like New Year Resolutions 2.0

What I came up with.

-Establish a better work / life balance (generally)

On the work side, since I am working from home for the foreseeable future, I am going to keep normal office hours and not respond to emails and calls that are work related outside of normal business hours.  Usually for me, I work Tuesday-Friday, and reserve Monday’s as my catch up day, but I am also pretty well known for working through an entire weekend on work projects. For this “balance” experiment to be effective, I won’t be working Saturday/Sunday starting immediately.

On the life side (which is really the side I need to improve upon)

-Set aside time each week to take care of personal business items (making appointments / gathering tax documents, organizing my personal documents etc.)

-Set aside time to do something I enjoy, and actually do it.  Stop having other things “pop-up” and kill my plan.  

So far:

I’ve worked in the yard Yard Duty

Went to the ranch Ranch Life

Found a new hobby I bought a shotgun

Plans to sample make up Make Up for Lost Time

Since the gym, tanning salon, and weight watchers are currently closed, I am working on trying to include those things into my life too – which will likely result in random adventures that I will hopefully remember to write about in the near future (and not wait 10 + years to update this blog!)