Some Near End of Summer Musings…

I am back for a bit.  It’s been over a month since my last post.  don’t think I don’t know that it’s a little bummy of me to follow up a pictureless post with a pictureless post…it is a beauty blog after all.  But this is definitely a text appropriate musing post.  I haven’t been reading as many blogs and that’s hugely due to time constraints and the fact that i feel a bit ridiculous checking out a beauty blog at work…don’t think that I haven’t though – on the sly…But it does cut down on the amount of commenting I would do, or liking for that matter.  But I am still peeking my head out there.

And of course, still thinking of my own blog.  I decided I needed a theme change.  But I can’t say this is the permanent one, or even the one for right now.  There are certain things I don’t like about it.  And there are certainly issues with the way some photos have been distorted on this theme.  The upshot is that other photos that had been constrained by my use of the old theme now appear larger.  But still – i think I need to go post by post and re-uploading…crikey.  But I am only going to do that once I settle on a theme.  This maybe a placeholder.

Ahhh, my beauty spending ban.  I have actually stuck to it.  Nary a single bottle, pot, or box has been bought.  I rarely go to Sephora or other beauty retailer, whether online or in store.  I think it’s nice because when I do go back, I am hoping for some surprises, which was the whole purpose of the spending ban.  I want to be surprised again by the new and the old – and that was surprising.  That I could be surprised by something I already owned.  Origins Stay Tuned Balancing Makeup is a great matte foundation for oilier skintypes and for humid weather.  It doesn’t give the most “natural” skin-like finish, but for those of use who require sweat-proof, acne-covering coverage – it’s awesome!  Usage of facial mists and highlighter powder can counter the matte effect, or you could just wait it out as your skin oils mix in with the foundation.  I found that I had to blot from oil breakthrough, but it only made my makeup look more natural.

I am currently using my Jemma Kidd Light As Air Foundation, which has been discontinued.   I couldn’t stand the black plastic tube bottle so I just dumped the contents in my used up Origins foundation bottle.  I hope to be done with it by the beginning of fall.  Once that’s done, I think I will keep that “empty” and use to repackage other foundations, like my broken bottle of Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup, which pumps out foundation on the sides, as well as from the nozzle.

Speaking of empties, while I enjoy others posting about them, I hate posting about them.  That was an interesting exercise and one that will stop for my blog.  Finishing a product gives me glee, but so does throwing it out.  I hated keeping empty bottles just to collect them.  I live in New York freaking City, keeping “garbage” is a no-no.  I am doing away with the few posts I did do (DELETING) and I won’t be posting them in the future either.  I get great satisfaction from dumping empty bottles, or even expired bottles.  Saving the bottles was messing with that bit of pleasure. So, soyonara!

Back on the beauty front, I am aware of some rather significant beauty launches…of course, Marc Jacobs Beauty is BUZZING.  I wasn’t all that thralled when I heard about it, and then I became a bit more, and then I just went mehhhhh.  I’ve read some of the previews and honestly I can’t tell if it’s just basic fangirl lemming and rhapsodizing about a brand as opposed to the actual product.  You know, sometimes, it is all about the BRAND and the ASSOCIATION.  So, maybe the “I can’t afford a Marc Jacobs blouse or bag” turns into a “but at least I can afford a $40 dollar foundation.”  (For the record, I can’t afford a Marc Jacobs blouse either.)  Every review I have read so far makes it sound like “PERFECTION.”  But I suspect it’s just brandolizing.  Having said that, I did notice some very distinct blush shades I would like to try out from Marc Jacobs Beauty Shameless Bold Blush in Outspoken (a lilac pink), Naughty ( a natural super light pink), and Promiscuous (described as a warm rose, but it looks like a muted dusty burgandy) and I am curious about their face powder.  Sadly, I have too many foundations still (NOT GOING BAD) for me to justify buying anymore after the ban.

But there are other products I am really intrigued by and i will be slapping down some money for.  I mean who wasn’t salivating over the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Powder? I kind of want to get them all….    So much for my more frugal ways.  Also, Urban Decay’s Naked Skin Ultra Definition Pressed Finishing Powder sounds kind of awesome.  But will cheap packaging do them in?  Or will the shades I am looking at on my screen scream beigey-orange or brown?  I am super curious of Givenchy Teint Couture Long Wearing Compact Foundation, as well.  If you have noticed, there is a powder makeup theme going here.

Leaving the powders, I would love to try out the Hourglass Femme Nude Lip Stylo and find the perfect nude for me, which may be the Nude No. 4 or Nude No. 6.  Then there is the amazingly natural, yet made up look of Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro – yes, a now dated release, but such a great lip texture and long lasting color.  I absolutely loved 500 and 501, both nudish medium-pinks that dressed me up without dressing me over.  I almost broke my beauty ban over those two matte lip glosses.

New skincare products are always welcome, and I am curious about the new cleansing oils that are popping up.  I have my two favorite mainstays I have purchased over the years, Softymo Deep Cleansing Oil and DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, plus the luxe Rodial GlamTox Cleansing Balm, which I have written about a few times.  But I am always interested in new products, like Murad’s Renewing Cleansing Oil  and the oldie I haven’t quite gotten around to trying just yet, but really want to for some reason now, Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm.

I am always checking for new sunscreens and I haven’t thrown in the towel with Kate Somerville just because I couldn’t stand her Protect SPF 55 Serum suncreen, which is NOT ideal for oily, acne-prone skin.  So i am still curious about her new Daily Deflector Waterlight Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ PA +++ Anti-Aging Sunscreen.  And despite the fact that Sephora has been pushing their very much invested in Algenist brand, I still want to try Algenist Ultra Lightweight UV Defense Fluid SPF 50.

On my own personal skincare front, i realized a few weeks ago that what I had thought was a moderate to severe melasma problem had actually gotten much worse, and is in the severe category.  Most of the foundations I use now are darker, which makes sense – it’s the summer.  But the patches of my natural skin that have not been effected by melasma has shrunk to a small triangle area below my left eye.  It finally hit me that my over-pigmentation problem was exasperated by my use of RETIN-A MICRO.  I remembered that it was during grad school that someone pointed out to me that my forehead had gotten darker than the rest of my face (thanks!).  This was the time period I went on Seasonale (AWFUL) and when I started heavily using RETIN-A MICRO to clear up my increasingly bad hormonal breakouts.  Fast forward and my facial pigmentation has dramatically deepened compared to the rest of my unexposed body parts, which had nothing to do with with natural tanning.  RETIN-A MICRO is known to create inflammation and darkening in some skintones.  My desire to blast my acne off my face has led to some collateral damage that was far more significant than I thought.  My facial skin without foundation now looks mottled…sure, it’s wrinkless, but I definitely look tired and old and mottled.  I’ve already set up a dermatologist appointment and am ready to kick the RETIN-A MICRO habit…

Of course, something really interesting happened when I briefly mentioned in passing my melasma problem to some.  Apparently, it’s not ok to discuss melasma as a problem to a darker skinned person…I swear I got “side eyed” which really irritated me.  I am aware of the politics of skintone but if i can’t talk about a legitimate skin issue, without it being politicized then it’s the other person who needs to be headchecked.  i will leave it at that.

Overall, I am REALLY excited about the end of summer and the beginning of fall.  I received my first fall issue of newly redesigned Lucky Magazine, and it looks like a LUCKY-VOGUE  hybrid (sigh).  But it still an improvement from what it was before.  Sorry, former editors.  Glamour’s new Jennifer Aniston cover (again!) is tired and the issue – meh.  I am still waiting on Marie Claire, which has an amazingly gorgeous cover of Zooey Deschanel and Allure (don’t let me down!).

I can’t wait for a few new fashion updates.  My closets getting smaller and clothes more simple, and yet I am more satisfied.  Other than a new coat, winter boots, and new everyday casual shoes in the goes with everything taupe because I am obsessed with LESS, I am not really interested in clothes.  I am hunkering down and just thinking on finances and my financial future.  It happens.  I think it’s called being a grown up…and realizing your disposable income is not so disposable.  Those in marriages and with kids think about this stuff sooner for obvious reasons, but eventually even the single gal has to think about the future much more seriously.

Anyways, here is looking to fall! I hope to get the kinks out of the blog – theme-wise – and to start reposting again.  I hope you are all enjoying your summer!  If you haven’t figured it out, the bolded are clickable links so you can review the products at your leisure (all not affiliated).  See you soon in the blogging world.