Free for Haul Friday, Volume #496

Share your recent beauty purchases or rediscovered favorites in your stash (for those on low/no-buys!), chit chat about weekend plans, and learn a little more about each other!

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Share your own answers in the comments!

  • Haul/Rediscoveries: Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Tea Tree Treatment/Micro-Exfoliating Shampoo, Alterna Caviar Heat Protection Spray, Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair Leave-in Mask, Belief The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb, Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil, FAB Ultra Repair Oat & Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, FAB Heloo FAB Bendy Avocado Concealer, Dr. Jart+ Dermask Water Jet,/Water Replenishment/Hydro Shake & Shot, Huda Beauty NYMPH Highlighters, Youth to the People Superfood Cleanser, Milk Makeup KUSH Lash Primer, Serge Lutens Fille en Aiguilles, Flower Beauty Blush Bombs.
  • Weekend plans: I’m waiting on a package to arrive today (Friday), which I’m anticipating photographing Saturday morning (so I’ll also add in some other items to photograph/swatch). All of the home-related projects seem to be done for now, so trying to de-stress a bit.
  • What’s the last movie you enjoyed enough to watch again (shortly after seeing it)?: Maybe not a movie per se, but it was certainly movie length in time… Homecoming (by Beyonce).

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Miradan Avatar

Haul/Rediscoveries: Reporting in on my Sephora VIB sale haul: usual moisturizer, concealer, eye serum, primer pencil, plus Marc Jacobs Lip Creme in Slow Burn (a repurchase) and 3 Pat McGrath lipsticks: Venus in Furs (Mattetrance) and Lavish and Sorry Not Sorry (Luxetrance). All three are great colors, but am on the fence about keeping Venus in Furs because it was pretty dry by the end of the day (although I have a tendency to over-apply matte lipsticks). Certainly not buying another Mattetrance in the future. I love the Luxetrance formula, though.

Weekend plans: Low key day tomorrow, walking a 5K on Sunday and going to a concert (Melissa Etheridge) on Sunday night.

What’s the last movie you enjoyed enough to watch again (shortly after seeing it)?: I watch very few movies, so haven’t rewatched anything in years, but maybe Hidden Figures?

Seraphine Avatar

Haul: I finally broke my no-buy, but it lasted an astounding four months! Here’s how it happened. I wanted to do a purple eye look and couldn’t find the shades I wanted in my stash (much to my surprise!). So after doing a little research on purple-based palettes, I placed a Colourpop order for It’s My Pleasure. To avoid shipping charges (because I’d rather have more makeup than spend money on shipping) I also bought Super Shock Shadow in Daddy, Jelly Much Shadow in Big Ego, and Disney Villain Lux Lipstick in Dr. Facilier. I absolutely love everything I bought! On the other hand, I received the bottle of Mon Guerlain fragrance I ordered from Macy’s when it was on sale for 50% off last week. But it turns out the sale was on the Eau de Toilette, not the Eau de Parfum (which is the one I use), so I returned it. In the end, I don’t feel guilty for having spent money on Colourpop, since that order was cheaper than the Macy’s order that I returned. Is that twisted thinking? 😉

Weekend plans: Manicure, family visit, dinner with friends, grocery shopping, laundry, relaxing whenever I can.

What’s the last movie you enjoyed enough to watch again (shortly after seeing it)? “Get Out”—I watched it on cable one night when I was home alone, then about a week later I watched it by myself again (I noticed so much more the second time!), then I watched it a third time a few days later because my husband wanted to see it.

Seraphine Avatar

I threw in the Dr. Facilier lipstick just to hit the $30 mark to avoid shipping (he’s one of my favorite Disney villains), but was pleasantly surprised to find that even though I have a couple other shades in the same color vicinity, I don’t actually have a dupe for it…and it is lovely. The case is adorable, too.

WARPAINTandUnicorns Avatar

Haul/Rediscoveries:
Last minute Sephora sale purchases. lol
COVER FX Prime + Set Complexion Kit wanted to try out the primer and setting spray mostly.
Tarte babassu foundcealer™ skincare foundation in 14S fair sand, MY shade! Going to have fun with this foundation.

Weekend plans: More work, more hand sewing.

What’s the last movie you enjoyed enough to watch again (shortly after seeing it)?: I don’t do much rewatching now that I think about it…. But I’ve been playing Steven Universe episodes in the background while sewing along with chatty Youtube videos.

Jessica Avatar

Haul:
Final 20% off buy from Sephora
The InKey List Retinol Serum, Nars Audacious Lipstick in Annabella & Juliette

Rediscoveries: I used my ND Gold palette last week and I still love it, I still wish there was a bit more variety in some of the browns that were offered, but it’s a gorgeous palette. I combined the Rosewater Bento Box from Kaja with the Dose of Colors’ Marvelous Mauves palette and also the Melt’s Twenty Seven palette and it really compliments both palettes perfectly.

Weekend Plans: I desperately need sleep. I had to keep my 4 week old nephew last night b/c his dad was unexpectedly in the ER all night and mom (my oldest sister) didn’t want to leave him alone. Who knew 4 week old’s don’t really sleep through the night all that much, ha. I am currently chugging a highly caffeinated Starbucks’ beverage. Saturday, I need to wash my hair and clean my apartment. I need to buy cat food, or poor Piper might end trying to eat my face while I sleep, lol. Sunday is Mother’s Day, so to be a good sister, I am going to keep my nephew’s for the day so my other sister can go to a baseball game. We’ll just go to grandma and grandpa’s so I have a little bit more help b/c while both the toddler and 3 month old are cute, they are definitely a handful for 1 person.

Tammy Avatar

How sweet of you to babysit. Babies overnight are a handful! You are a saint.

I love how you brought other palettes in with ND Gold. I am finding I create the best looks when I combine palettes.

I love NARS Juliette❤

Jessica Avatar

I made the mistake of saying “they’re my babies,” so now everyone is like “I need you to babysit your baby b/c of xyz” LOL.

The ND Gold palette pairs perfectly with a lot of different palettes. I used it with the Melt Smoke Sessions palette and it was really very pretty.

I’m a little nervous about Juliette b/c it’s so bright, but it was too beautiful to pass up.

Genevieve Avatar

I echo Tammy’s comment – you are indeed a saint. There is no way on Earth that my twin sister would’ve done this. The only time she stayed over was when my eldest was having his Christening and she bought along her sleeping tablets so that she didn’t hear anything….. Babies don’t sleep too well at night for a long, long time in my experience. I bet you are feeling a bit ragged…..
I hope your brother in law is feeling better and is not too ill. It must have been a worry for both of them.
Staying at Grandma’s and Grandpa’s is a good idea and I hope there is a park handy to take the 3 year to. They can be very active little bunnies too.
Re the Gold palette – yeah, I did think that there needed to be a few other shades to make this palette work as a stand alone. It’s good that you are getting use out of your other ones though.

Tammy Avatar

Haul: continued from last week.

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat lipliner in Iconic Nude. I will try this is I ever get over my infatuation with Supersize Me, which I have been,wearing continuously since it arrived.

Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche in Pickled Ginger. I thought I would regret this one but I love it. I like to use lipsticks that are bright and light like this to create an ombre lip, which is essentially my daily lip routine everyday. Always ombre, just with different colors.

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Liner in Crazy in Love. I had to send this back to be replaced as it was packed up against a jar of body scrub and it broke in shipment. It looks very pretty, I can’t wait for my new one to arrive.

Amore Pacific Treatment Enzyme Peel Cleansing Powder. I love this enzyme powder for non abrasive exfoliation and I’ve used up all my samples. The full size is so big, it looks like it’ll last a couple years.

Drunk Elephant TLC Sukari Babyfacial. Because I love everything I’ve tried from Drunk Elephant and everyone raves about Babyfacial. I haven’t tried it yet.

Drunk Elephant C-firma. I tried so hard not to buy this. This is my fourth purchase and I wanted to try something new. I even bought another product to try to force myself to try something new. But C-firma cocktailed with B-hydra is just my face’s happy place. It gives me a beautiful glow that I am loathe to cover up with other products.

Drunk Elephant B-hydra. 4th purchase. See above.

Quai Scalp and Body Scrub. Recommended by Beauty Look Book.

REN Clean Skin Care Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Salt Anti Fatigue Exfoliating Body Scrub. Another recommended body product from Beauty Look Book. I bought this specifically for Mother’s Day. My husband agreed to exfoliate me as part of an at-home spa day. I do sunless tanning in the summer and need to exfoliate once a week. Why not do it in style?

Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder. Because I’m tired of using the sample. I can’t get enough out of the sample to tell if I really like it. I’ve used it one day so far and it’s good. Time will tell if I grow to love it.

Pat McGrath Lust Lip Gloss in Flesh Astral. I got three colors of this gloss during the Sephora sale. I thought I would regret them but I love them all. Earth Angel is one of the prettiest glosses I’ve ever seen or used in my life. I am wanting to get Astral Moon Flower next.

Tom Ford Soleil Blanc atomizer and 1.7 oz. (I used a $50 dollar gift card and my ebates check, with 20% off I paid only $100 for the 1.7 oz bottle!) The only fragrance I’ve ever broken. I will never again take it into a room with hard floors. Such an amazing scent and now I can carry it in my purse for afternoon touch ups. No other summer fragrance comes close. Divine.

Artis Cleaning Brush Foam and Brush Cleansing Pad. I purchased two Artis Face brushes in 2018 and decided to get the accessories. Did I need Artis Brushes? No. Are they good for applying foundation? Yes. Really nice.

NARS Liquid Blush in Torrid. I was so impressed by Orgasm Liquid Blush that I wanted to get a second color. I haven’t tried it yet.

Wander Beauty Nude Illusion foundation. Settled into all my fine lines and pores. It looked so bad I was embarrassed to be out in public. Made me appreciate my La Mer Cushion and Armani Luminous Silk even more. Returned.

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Ultra Fine Mist. I am using it to intensify the glow on my cheeks. It will be nice for those skincare only days when I want my skin to beam.

Weekend plans: My daughter got a babysitter so we can have an adult mother’s day celebration. Going Saturday night for cocktails and dinner! I might even wear heels, lol.

I will have to think about the movie question. I have a hard enough time sitting still through a new movie.

Deborah S. Avatar

Great remainder of your haul. I love the Pat McGrath Lust Gloss lip glosses and have had Flesh Astral for quite a while. I just picked up Heavy Petal when I placed my second order which I blamed on you, LOL! I am not a huge gloss wearer but these have changed my opinion. They are thick enough to stay where you put them and that was probably my primary peeve with most glosses. Since I have aged and I have upper and lower lip lines, glosses would just migrate into the lines. These do not do that on me, I am happy to say.
I also used a tester of the Amore Pacific Powder. It lasted me forever but ultimately, I returned to my HG Tatcha Enzyme Powder. They are pretty much the same though. I tried the Amore Pacific thinking it would be cheaper than the Tatcha but they were pretty nearly the same cost.
I also have the Ren and picked up a deluxe sample size of the Ren Daily Moisture and Skin Protector. Jury is still out.
I am going to have to check out the Tom Ford scent. I have picked up a couple of scents recently, tester sizes only so that I could stay on my no/low buy. I have liked several of them so when I figure out whether I am going to Europe at Christmas this year, the reason for the low buy, then I will know how much money I can spend.

Tammy Avatar

Deb,

I debated between the Tatcha and the AmorePacific. I love the smell of Amore Pacific. I have used and enjoyed several of their products. I honestly would prefer a fragrance free option, as I try to avoid putting fragrance d products on my skin, but if I have to choose between two fragranced options, I choose Amore Pacific.

I have a real affinity for sexy skin scents, especially in the summer. The biggest complaint about Soleil Blanc is the longevity on the skin (lasts for weeks on fabric). But the scent, there’s nothing else quite like it. The author of the Beauty Look Book recommended layering it with White Suede, which is also equally sexy, and the two together will probably have more staying power. I have a deluxe sample of the White Suede, and I plan on using my next Sephora $100 perk to purchase a full bottle.

Haha, you can blame me, but weren’t we so good for four consecutive months? It makes the haul sweeter after having worked up an appetite?

Deborah S. Avatar

You are right about the wait making the buying feel so satisfying. I was really good for four months, as were you and several others on the blog. I was mostly worried that opening the flood gate would let all the water out, sort of scenario. I found myself on the Sephora site last night and when I realized what I was doing I closed out of there! I did peruse Ulta to see about a product that Taylor mentioned in her Friday night foundation video. I was curious if the powder foundation she was trying would work as a powder over the areas that I have hyper-pigmentation and maybe cover it better than my concealer or any foundation I have tried in the past. It turns out that the lightest shade they carry, which was the one she was reviewing, didn’t show up on the Ulta site. So, I did purchased it directly from the brands website and since it was $13 I think, I didn’t feel like I was breaking the bank. If it works then I would ultimately end up saving money in the long run.
I find that a lot of scents these days do not have lasting power. I don’t know if something has changed in the formulations overall, or what. I love several Byredo scents but they don’t last at all. For the price I would like then to last through at least a decent 6-8 hours. I frequently end up going back and picking up a roller ball so that I can reapply during the day. I probably need to get one of those perfume atomizer’s that you can put custom scents into but wouldn’t want to have to buy one for every scent and don’t know how they would work if you couldn’t get one scent out before adding another. Something to research. Have a great Mother’s Day with your family, Tammy.

Celesta Avatar

Haul: The Beauty Bakerie Cotton Candy Champagne Blush palette.

Rediscoveries: All of my glosses.

Weekend plans: I told my husband, the only think I want for Mother’s day is to be able to sleep in for a while, lol. So, hopefully that. And spending time with my family, of course.

What’s the last movie you enjoyed enough to watch again (shortly after seeing it)?: The only think that comes to mind is Incredibles 2. 🙂

Linda Avatar

I ordered a BYOP from Colour Pop, which arrived Wednesday. Happily no additional duties at the border, and I’m very happy with my purchase. I didn’t go too crazy for the Sephora VIB sale, but I did buy a Z-Palette (will be attempting for the first time to do some de-potting, starting with some older eyeshadows that I don’t want to toss but the packaging makes them too bulky to keep on my day-to-day makeup shelf.
My weekend plans include going to get my summer tires put on finally (it’s been unseasonably cold here this spring so I don’t feel too bad about holding off), general housekeeping and laundry, and the de-potting mentioned above.
I loved Netflix’s ‘The Dirt’, have watched it twice and will definitely watch again. Motley Crue was my favourite band for many years, and my first concert way back when I was 15! Great movie even for non Crue fans!

Linda Avatar

I’m not sure if I just got lucky and they decided to let it through, or if this is normal. I know things have changed with cross-border shipping in the past few years. Either way, happy to finally get to try them! And it only took 8 business days to get to me, so totally reasonable for coming from California. I will likely order from them again based on this experience for sure!

Priscila Avatar

I’m still doing my low-buy, so I’m happy to report not many purchases have been made! ?

Haul/Rediscoveries: Elf Putty Primer (curious to see if this is a Tatcha dupe like everyone claims), Maybelline’s Made For All Spice for Me (beautiful orange lipstick shade), got my Sephora Birthday Gift (picked the Drunk Elephant minis to try), and I purchased the LA Girl Pro.Color Pigment Kit (it has minis of their foundation mixers which will be very useful when I travel since the full sizes are very bulky and large).

Weekend Plans: lots of reading, different books that I want to finish this month, purchase mom’s gift and Mother’s Day lunch with mom! ☺️

Last Movie Watched: Bohemian Rhapsody, wouldn’t mind watching it again just for the songs! I love Queen!!

Ana Maria Avatar

Haul/Rediscoveries: Not too many things on this front for me. But I purchased the Peter Thomas Roth Skin To Die For primer at the end of the Sephora sale.

Weekend plans: Just the usual outdoors on Saturday (I want to visit a beach this weekend). I’m still debating if to do a San Francisco museums trip on Sunday or purchase tickets for The Lightning Thief musical.

What’s the last movie you enjoyed enough to watch again (shortly after seeing it)? I’m personally not into movies, I prefer books. And even when I like a movie, I rarely re-watch it.

Nancy T Avatar

Mellan, your eyes just melt me into a puddle of mush! ?

Haul: Last Saturday when I went up to Sephora, I got talked into buying FAB 10% AHA Resurfacing Liquid instead of my Tata Harper Resurfacing Serum as I went in to grab a box of FAB Coconut Skin Smoothie Priming Moisturizer. Because; unbeknownst to me, there were several FAB reps in that zone! When they saw the TH Resurfacing Serum, one then asked me, if, since I obviously love FAB, have I tried theirs yet? No? *Puts some on the back of my hand* this stuff seemed worth a shot. We’ll see!
All my UD GOT orders arrived, and I’ve definitely have been enjoying using what I bought!
Also, one exchange at MAC. Hi-Fructease lipstick had to go back because of how unattractively it wore off on me. The upside? I finally have See Sheer!

Weekend plans: Even though my energy is very low, I must work on the literal mountain of laundry climbing up my bedroom wall. I am so horribly behind that it’s not even funny. Plus, have to do my hair, nails and go to my meeting on Sunday.

Last movie I enjoyed enough to watch again: Oh man, I have no idea! I really don’t get out to see many in an actual movie theater and I don’t rent any either, so I feel very out of the loop. There have been many that I would have loved to have seen, though! Perhaps, if I were to rewatch something, Salt (Angelina Jolie) or Chicago would both be enjoyable! But those are from at least 9 or 10 years ago.

AJ Avatar

Haul: Didn’t buy anything this week but a friend gave me two Sephora Lipstories (the cash money one and the blue one) as a belated birthday present. I’m looking forward to trying them out!

Weekend plans: More moving! We’ll move all of our furniture and most if not all of our “stuff” to the new rental house this weekend. A friend is coming over to help with the furniture on Sun, and we’ll probably load her Subaru up with boxes of stuff, too 🙂 Other than that, there’s an art and craft show I’d like to go to but probably won’t have time for, same with the farmer’s market. And I’m going to a belly dance practice jam to share some pointers on how to use my favorite prop.

Movies: I honestly don’t recall ever liking a movie enough to re-watch it again in a short period. I tend to be a one-and-done kind of gal when it comes to watching things or reading books, with a few exceptions. I did re-watch all of Parks and Rec a couple of years ago while I was working on a big costuming project, and I have a couple books that I’ll re-read when the mood strikes me, although I do that less often since I’m usually behind on my To Be Read list! I can’t believe I used to re-read all the Song of Ice and Fire books before a new one would come out. I just can’t fathom having the time for that now, LOL.

Deborah S. Avatar

Oh my gosh, Melan, you have such soulful eyes.

Haul: Okay, I cannot tell a lie, LOL! I placed a second Sephora order. I blame it all on Tammy, LOL! I just had to get the Giorgio Armani Power Fabric Concealer and the Huda powder. So while I was there I through in a couple of other things. I picked up the scent Wild Poppy from Nest, Smashbox Primerizer (repurchase), Pat McGrath Lust Lip Gloss in Blood 2 and a new Beauty Blender. I had purchased the Pat McGrath Eye-Dol in Divine Mink. I am wearing it today for the first time and it is lovely. I did a really dark, smokey eye and that is so on trend this spring, NOT! It drys down pretty quickly which I hadn’t expected so had to work a little on the first eye to get it blended.

I have a question which hopefully someone who has purchased the Eye-Dols could answer. The lid on the shadow does not latch at all. It isn’t magnetized and it doesn’t have a mechanism to keep it closed. I don’t know if I got a defective one or if they are all that way. I would be worried trying to travel with it.

Weekend plans: My daughter left for her summer job in Glacier National Park so this weekend begins the big spring cleaning. I like to really go through things a couple of times a year to make sure my hoarding tendencies do not get out of hand. I also would like to get a little yard work done.

Last movie I saw more than once: Bohemian Rhapsody. I have seen it 4 times I believe. I love Queen and associate their music with so much of my late teens and early twenties. I didn’t go to the movie thinking it would be a documentary so I wasn’t disappointed with the theatrical license they took with the movie. I also don’t care that they didn’t deal with his HIV/AIDS years. I knew that Brian and Roger were not going to sign off on anything that might have “damaged” Freddie’s memory. Not that I think having HIV/AIDS does that but they preferred to focus on their years as a band on not on the salacious details of his life. We all know that part and having it plastered on the screen would not be something that I would want to watch. I think I mostly appreciated the music and that Freddie’s life was being honored. I himmed and hawed about seeing them on tour. True Queen fans fall into two camps. The first is the “Queen died when Freddie died and whatever Brian and Roger are doing with Adam Lambert or anyone else just isn’t Queen” camp or the “Brian and Roger were 1/2 of Queen and if they want to continue touring as Queen they wouldn’t be the first band to change members” camp. Finally, I decided I wanted to see Brian and Roger so I have tickets to see them with Adam Lambert in July in Seattle. I am excited to see them.
QUEEN FOREVER!!

brendacr1 Avatar

Haul/Rediscoveries: Sephora haul: Mac Perm Me Up Mascara, Kerastase Conditioner, Isle of Paradise Tan Eraser, Sephora Clay Mask, Stila Lip Gloss in Blue Sky, Givenchy Base Mascara, Chloe Nomade Perfume, St. Tropez in Shower Tan, DE A-Passioni Retinal Cream, DE Marula Oil, Algenist Liquid Collagen, UD GOT Winterfell Eyeliner. BB Foundation.

Weekend plans: Going out for dinner on Saturday night to celebrate Mother’s Day. Sunday driving my husband to the airport then packing for our trip next weekend.

What’s the last movie you enjoyed enough to watch again: I can’t think of a movie right now.

Deborah S. Avatar

Sorry, I forgot it was Mother’s Day this weekend. Since my daughter is away at her job it will likely just be my Mom, brother and nephew going out to dinner at the big local restaurant! I picked up a little something for my Mom but I didn’t want to buy too much. Sadly, my Mom had 6 craniotomies about 12 years ago for a huge Hemangioma in her left frontal lobe. It was the size of a grapefruit. It left her with some issues and not the least of which is hoarding. I could write forever about all of my attempts to intervene but to no avail. So, I try not to buy her much as it will just be thrown in the trash heap. I think I have mentioned that she lives in what use to be my brother’s garage and that he converted into a one bedroom apartment for her. I have recently been talking to my brother about having professionals come in to help us clean and repair what needs to be done but he doesn’t want anyone seeing that “his mother lives this way” and I can’t deal with it on my own anymore. Anyway, off topic but I did get her a little something and will buy her lunch or dinner.

Rachel R. Avatar

I’m sorry about your mom. Mine was a hoarder all her adult life, and it’s an extremely difficult issue to deal with, even with therapy and medication (which the hoarders usually won’t agree to). I don’t really think there’s anything else you can do. Hoarders can be quite irrational (accusing people of stealing and throwing important items away; not believing their house smells or is a safety hazard; claiming they are in the process of “organizing” and this is temporary), and cagey (taking actual trash out of the garbage can behind family’s back, getting new stuff from freecycle and such, threatening to call police and have family charged with theft and/or abuse).

Not that you shouldn’t keep trying, but just know if you get nowhere, it’s not your fault, or anyone else’s. It just is. Your mom can’t help it any more than she can help her eye color. Do decide with your brother how you’ll take care of the things when she passes, no matter how far in the future it may be. There will be a lot to do, and figuring out what to do with her genuinely good items, who will clean up or dispose of what, and who pays for what (clean-up and repair services, extra garbage fees, dump fees, storage unit to temporarily house heirlooms and other stuff to keep) will be a big help. (((((Hugs))))))

Deborah S. Avatar

Thank you, Rachel. It is an impossible situation, that is for sure. It is so hard seeing her live like that and not being able to do anything about it and I know that the person she was before the surgeries, would be absolutely appalled with how she is living. My sister wants to have her committed but she isn’t incompetent by the clinical sense of the word. She does have a mental disease that was brought on by the huge tumor she had. Neither my brother or I would support having her committed and since my sister lives in Boise, Idaho and isn’t around for the day to day, she really doesn’t understand.
You are right, she is constantly telling me she is cleaning house when I talk to her on the telephone. Or she will say she has started cleaning. I know this conversation is off topic for this blog and I shouldn’t go on and on but I do have a little funny story to tell. Prior to my father passing away, he told my Mom to clean the house while he was at work that day. This was after her surgery. I was there later that afternoon and she got up and took a rag and dusted the 4 inch strip in front of the TV on the cabinet it was sitting on and then she put the rag away and went back to watching her soap opera. When Dad came home he asked her why she hadn’t cleaned house and she told him she had and she went to the bedroom. Daddy looked at me and I laughed. I told him she did clean, she dusted the TV stand. As my Dad’s health declined he gave up and so the hoarding started getting bad before he passed but he was too ill to deal with it and he was sorry that he was leaving it to us kids but there wasn’t anything to be done about it.
Thanks for understanding. I think it is something you have to have experience with to understand. It just isn’t as easy as going over there and cleaning!

Genevieve Avatar

Hi Deborah
That was a lovely little haul for you and I hope you enjoy them. One of the problems I have with single eyeshadows is opening them, with my short stubby fingers and nails. So I understand what you are going through with the PMG single – for the money, the brand should have put on a much sturdier and better latch.
I quite agree with you re Queen – you don’t need to keep airing the laundry every time a film is made about someone, you can just appreciate them for the talent they have and the joy they gave. I hope you love the concert.
Happy Mother’s Day Deborah, I know you will miss your daughter and I hope the luncheon with your Mum works out well. I completely sympathise with you re your mother’s hoarding issues. My mother got a bit like that before she passed away too.
Getting professionals in is a good idea and perhaps if your brother talks to one he will see how much it can help you all. Not any easy venture though. Best wishes for that too.

Deborah S. Avatar

Thank you so much, Genevieve. You have a wonderful Mother’s Day also. You are always so unfailingly kind and thoughtful. You are goals for me with being more considerate.
I am honestly at a loss in dealing with the situation with my Mom and my brother. I believe it has been 5 times that I have actually gutted her place and done reconstruction, painted, new curtains, furniture and then organized everything. The only outcome has been for her to accuse me of stealing all of her stuff. I just am not physically or mentally up for doing it another time but it is such a difficult situation. Her siblings that live close by won’t go to visit her because it is so bad and smells to high heaven. She always wonders why none of her family come to visit. Trying to explain it to her just ends up in an argument. It is such an interesting mental illness in that she can see it in other people but doesn’t see it in herself. She is always complaining that one of her sister’s has so much junk lying around. I always tell her that there is a difference between nic-naks and junk but she doesn’t get it. I have just reached a point where I don’t want to argue with her anymore so I don’t mention it anymore. Anyway, too heavy a subject for today. Thank you again and have a very happy Mother’s Day, Genevieve.

Genevieve Avatar

It is a form of metal illness that your mum is suffering from. My daughter in law has similar problems with her own parents (they suffered badly in the Black Saturday bushfires in the North East of Melbourne several years ago and now suffer from PTSD amongst other issues). Both her and her sister have gutted the place (with a lot of help from friends and in laws) and it is now back to what it was. Any efforts on my DIL’s part to get them to see how their level of ‘stuff’ is impacting on their daily lives is futile. The house is now far too big for them and they cannot manage it. Yet to move to a smaller place would involve cleaning out (again) this one…it’s a no-win situation. Arguing (as in your case too) only gets them more upset and frustrated. It’s just not an easy situation. Best wishes Deborah and you are a pretty kind person yourself.

Tammy Avatar

Nice haul, Deb! I will have to smell Wild Poppy when I go to Chicago next month. I will have to look up Eye-dols, I am not familiar with them. I agree with you, if any movie would be worth a second viewing, it would be Bohemian The proxy. I love Adam Lambert’s voice and I am so excited that you will see Queen in July. Going to a concert is one of my goals for 2019.

Katherine T. Avatar

Hi Deborah, I got the Pat McGrath EyeDols shadow in Lapis Luxury, and it is truly stunning!! Mine closes just fine, it’s not a magnetic closure, but the latch is really really tiny, and very flush to the case, so it’s a bit too tightly closed. So even though I have small, delicate fingers, I still struggle a bit trying to open it. It’s rather annoying when I’m rushing around in the morning, but the shadow is so gorgeous that I’m willing to put up with it. The teal blue shade is very similiar to ColourPop Coconut, although Coconut has some additional blue micro-glitters in there.

Deborah S. Avatar

Hi Katherine, thank you for the information. I looked at mine again just now and I don’t have anything like a closing mechanism. I think it has either broken off or was never there in the first place. I will have to put a rubber band around it if I ever decide to travel with it. Just for use at home it isn’t an issue. They are beautiful shadows. They weren’t what I was expecting and don’t really know what I was expecting but they dry down so well and don’t budge an inch on my lids. I will be picking up more in the future. I hope she releases more shades, perhaps some more unusual colours.

kjh Avatar

The GOT palette as a gift. I had promised it as a goodbye present to the boss at night job. Not only is she staying, she decided not to move in with the beau on the Cape, and not take the promo of opening a store, she fell and broke her ankle in 3 places. She NEEDS something fangirl to sit and play with. We’ll see if the w/e brings back 1/2 my outdoor furniture, that was removed by someone in the yard crew. I had set aside what I wanted to keep, probably ~10 things, and everything was gone, except an old, rusty shovel that is not even mine. Ugh. I could write volumes about how poorly my landlady understands doing that type of business, but will refrain. Day job has been a corker. Basically, supposed to write an evaluation within 45 calendar days on a young woman who was psychiatrically hospitalized for an entire month, and I’ve never met. Who writes these scripts, anyway? I don’t watch many movies in any format, but would rewatch any Werner Herzog film any day.

Rachel R. Avatar

Haul: *UD x GoT Eye Pencils in Lannister Gold and Winterfell Snow, and White Walker Lipstick. Unfortunately, the collection launched and restocked right before I got paid, so I wasn’t able to grab all the Eye Pencils and Lipsticks like I wanted. I am thrilled I was able to get the Lannister Gold liner. I thought that would sell out quickly on restock, and that’s the items I wanted the most.

Rediscovery: Clinique Wear Everywhere Neutrals All About Shadow 8-Pan Palette in Wear Everywear Greens. It has such a pretty, soft, shimmery greens palette and is just the right size to fit in my purse makeup bag. It’s a shame they DC’d it.

Weekend plans: 1) Celebrating Mother’s Day. We’ll probably go out to eat, and see the Detective Pikachu movie. Start planning our vacation for July. We haven’t had a long family vacation in years. 2) We want to take a couple weeks or so, and go to Utah and camp, because the we want to see the dinosaur stuff, the National Parks, and the Petroglyphs. Then we want to go home via CA, so we can visit my brother in San Francisco, and we can visit Crater Lake on the way home.

What’s the last movie you enjoyed enough to watch again (shortly after seeing it)? I rarely watch movies twice in short time period, even if it’s on Netflix or I own it. I don’t go back to theaters a second time to see a movie, even if I loved it. We bought “Thor: Ragnorok” and “IT (Chapter I),” and I loved those enough to watched them again a few times.

Genevieve Avatar

I had to look up that eye palette from Clinique you wrote about and it is very pretty and I think those greens will look lovely on you.
For me, the Lannister Gold pencil was the most unique item from the whole GoT UD release and it’s sounds like you got lucky on the restock of this one. It’s a beautiful shade.
Happy Mother’s Day Rachel and I hope you enjoy your lunch out – we are going out too.
There is lots to see and discover in your beautiful and diverse country and I think you will find all that wilderness and countryside relaxing.

Rachel R. Avatar

Thank you, Genevieve! Enjoy your time out this weekend.

I’m not overly fond of camping, but we have a small camper, so we don’t have to sleep in a tent. It has a toilet, a small kitchen, and we put in an air conditioning unit, so it’s not that bad. I do love travelling and seeing the countryside. I’ve driven through Utah several times. It has some really pretty canyons with vivid orange-red rock, and cool geological features.

We’re science nerds, so seeing all the history and dino stuff will be great fun for us all. Our last long family trip was Yellowstone National Park when the boys were still teens, and our sons still talk about being able to see the Milky Way so clearly from our campsite. They need more of those kind of memories, you know?

Genevieve Avatar

Having a camper makes all the difference – I am a keen camper, but not tent dweller (our last foray in a tent ended up with it being blown nearly inside out in the middle of a gale in the wee small hours of the morning – not fun for sure).
We are science nerds here too and love seeing the countryside and its natural beauty and history. Your kids will love this trip. What great parents you two are, I think.
I had a wonderful Mother’s Day and I hope you did too.

Genevieve Avatar

Mellon has the most soulful eyes!

Haul – Priceline (a weeny biit like your Ulta, but without all the beauty brands) had a 40% of selected skincare sale this week, so I did a bit of indulging:
A’kin Firming Night cream, Dr. Lewinn’s Ultra 4 Milk cleanser and serum, Antipodes Day moisturising cream and Burt’s Bees Sensitive cleanser and hand cream.
EA lipstick in Goldmine – a favourite shade of soft plum.
Rediscoveries: Naked 2 – still a lovely palette.

Weekend Plans:
Friday – we had our new ducted central heater installed and Lachlan came to play.
Saturday – shopping, cleaning and laundry
Sunday – Mother’s Day and the family and I are going out for lunch at a country seaside hotel, which should be lovely as the weather is going to be mild.

Re-watched a movie: No, I don’t think I have re-watched a movie, but I have done so with a couple of TV series – Broadchurch Series 1 and The Bridge.

Genevieve Avatar

Yes, Tracey I did. It was a beautiful lunch and then we all went for a long walk down to the pier onto the adjoining park for the kids to run around and have a play. It was perfect weather too.

Alecto Avatar

Haul/Rediscoveries: A decent helping of stuff from Paula’s Choice, but I can’t remember what at this point (except the the Super Light Daily Wrinkle Defense, which is the whole reason I placed the order); I do remember there were a few new serums and a couple lotions I had never seen before (I haven’t been on the website in a while because I tend to buy in multiples).

Weekend plans: Work, mostly.

What’s the last movie you enjoyed enough to watch again (shortly after seeing it)?: Avengers: Endgame. This is going to be a good year for rewatchings, I think.

Lisas Avatar

Hauls/ rediscoveries – RMS savannah peach collection.. I love their highlighting powder so this was a must have for me. I’ve only tried highlighter and lipstick, they are both amazing. I also ordered Kevyn Aucion glass glow in prism rose but they sent me wrong color so that will go back .
Weekend plans- Since it’s mother’s day , was supposed to go to my mom , then mother in law’s but my rotator cuff surgery is still only 2 weeks past and the pain is just overwhelming so home bound again this weekend.
Last movie- Can’t think of any good movies, watched The Predator, but it wasn’t good. Binge watched Dead to me on Netflix overnight ( not sleeping well due to pain) and that was very good, highly recommend. Also watched Black Klannsman this week ( forgot) , that was great too, thought it was even better after I found out was true story.
Hope everyone has a great mother’s day !!

Lisas Avatar

Thank you Genieve!! Unfortunately it’s a very slow headache process, 4-6 weeks until pain fades and up to 6 months for full recovery. It’s very frustrating. I feel like I’m an idiot who did this to myself. I know I wouldn’t have full use of my arm without surgery so I’m just doing my best to get through it !!

Katherine T. Avatar

April was a big month for sales!
Sephora-20% Off VIB Rouge- UD Game of Thones eyeliner in Night King (these sold out within minutes of launch online, found 2 in store), Pat McGrath Eyedols Shadow in Lapis Luxury (stunning!!!), UD Eyeliner in Love Drug (backup), Too Faced Peach Puff Long-Wearing Diffused Lip Color ( Sippin’ Tea and Brunchin’), Supergoop Shimmershade Cream Shadow in SPF30, Tatcha Mini Silk Canvas Primer (thanks for the full size Michele!), Hourglass Ambient Powder in Diffused Light, IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Powder Brush #701, Sephora x Moschino Honey Bear Mask, Diorshow 3D Triple Volume Lash Primer, Verb Ghost Oil (HG), The Ordinary AHA 30% +BHA 2% Peeling Solution, Sephora Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover

Ulta – 20% off – MAC Bad & Bare (from the Strip Down collection), L’Oreal Unlimited Length & Lift Mascara, Oh K! Chok Chok Glowing Moisturizer, Peach & Lily Rescue Balm, Real Techniques Instapop Eye Duo Brushes, Kopari Starry Eye Balm, Boots No. 7 Instant Results Revitalizing Hyrdogel Eye Masks, Simple Micellar Makeup Remover Wipes, Matrix Total Results Keep Me Vivid Shampoo, Clinique Take The Day off Cleansing Balm, Shea Moisture Coconut & Hisbiscus Curl Milk, Shea Moisture Sacha Inchi Shea Butter Soap, Jergens Shea Butter Moisturizer

Paula’s Choice-15% Off — Clear Ultra Light Daily Sunscreen SPF 50 ( my HG summer sunscreen), Shine Stopper Instant Matte Finish, Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid, and Samples ( Resist Intensive Wrinkle Repair Serum, The Unscrub, Omega + Complex Moisturizer, Brightening Essence)

Weekend – usual chores, Mother’s Day brunch at my BIL’s house

Movies- have seen Frozen 500 times, thanks to my toddler!

Genevieve Avatar

A wonderful haul Katherine and I am sure you are going to be enjoying those goodies for a while to come.
Happy Mother’s Day too and a brunch at someone else’s place is just perfect.
And as a mother and grandmother I can honestly say I know what you mean about Frozen – my granddaughter was obsessed with it. And when my boys were little it was Thomas the Tank, Steam train videos and Star Trek…..

Katherine T. Avatar

Thanks Genevieve!!! Yes, many wonderful goodies to enjoy — I was on a low buy, waiting and waiting for the big sales, then pounced! IKR??? Kids love to watch movies over and over again, I can see those movies in my sleep! I hope you also have a wonderful Mother’s Day and Grandmother’s Day!! Lunch at a seaside hotel in the country sounds absolutely fantastic!

Pearl Avatar

Haul:
Sephora sale, 20% off:
PMG glosses – Skin Show Nudes trio (cool), full size Aphrodisiac and Flesh Fantasy
Giorgio Armani Power Fabric foundation 4.5 and 6

Chanel:
Blurry Green and Blurry Grey quads

Rediscoveries:
MAC PatentPolish – love these over matte lipsticks
MAC Tan pigment
Tom Ford blushes (still) – especially Flush, really liking it for Springtime

Weekend plans: Help a friend move on Saturday, Mother’s Day brunch with parents on Sunday. Somewhere in there I want to do laundry, tidy up/clean and get a manicure in.

Last movie enjoyed enough to watch again: I love Marvel Universe but haven’t seen any current movies lately, so Deadpool or an oldie but a goodie, Hot Fuzz.

Tracey E Avatar

Haul:
– Selfridges: Suqqu UK Exclusive Summer Collection: Eyeshadow Compact 101, Pure Color Blush 113 Genkou, Pure Color Blush 114 Kousai, Holographic Glow Crayon 101 – all absolutely stunning!
– Macy’s (15% off): Bobbi Brown High Shine Liquid Eyeshadow, Crushed Liquid Lip in Hush Hush;
– Bobbi Brown (20% off): Rosy Glow Highlighter;
– Charlotte Tilbury: Dreamgasm Eyeshadow Quad
– Sephora (20% off): Laneige Lip Balm, Lancome Le Monochromatique in Haute Couture (love how it can spruce up a cheek and eye look);
– Shoppers BB (20% off): Les Beiges 9-pan eyeshadow palette Les Indispensables; Chanel Cruise Collection: Les 4 Ombres Lumieres Naturelles, Ombre Première Gloss in Lunaire; Stylo Ombre et Contour in Metallic Flash, Coco Flash Lipsticks in Lumiere and Boheme, Bronzer/Highlight Duos in Medium and Clair (after seeing it in person, I plan to use Clair as a finishing powder and highlighter or as a shimmery blush as “bronze” shade is very, very light; the highlighter is gorgeous).

I was not happy to see that the Canadian price for the Les Beiges 9-pan eyeshadow palette increased by $12 to $110 CDN while the US price remained the same at $70 USD, and the Lumieres Naturelle eyeshadow quad increased by $10 to $80 CDN while the US version increase by $3 to $65 USD (a previous LE price was $72 CDN). I will reconsider purchasing Chanel eyeshadows if these higher Canadian prices become the norm.

Weekend Plans: My credit union offers a secure documents shredding service once a year, so will be collecting last documents to drop off. General pickup of the apartment and getting some listings ready on eBay.

Movie enjoyed enough to watch again: I’m not a big movie watcher but I saw most of Frozen on a flight but didn’t see it all, so watched it again not long after to see it fully. Feel that’s going to be the same with the Christopher Robin/Winnie the Pooh movie I recently saw (well, most of it) on a flight.

Nikki Avatar

Haul/Rediscoveries: I got some supplies for my makeup routine-a styling cape to cover my clothes, a Baggie of doe-foot applicators, banana clips to keep my bangs away-and a hair pick (I use it when I want to detangle but still keep the texture I worked for) at Sally Beauty. I also still have a few hauls I’m considering but haven’t bought yet:
*Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet Infrarose and Tom Ford Lips & Boys Liev lipsticks
*Tarte Park Avenue Princess bronzer, Dollface and Blushing Bride blushes, and a full-size Paaarty blush
*NYX Candy Slick Glowy Lip Colors-Jawbreaker, Jelly Bean Dream, Birthday Sprinkles, and Single Serving
Weekend plans: Ran errands yesterday, worked all day today and am currently in front of an SVU marathon, laundry and a small Mother’s Day celebration-my mom just wants to stay home and make chili-tomorrow.
What’s the last movie you enjoyed enough to watch again (shortly after seeing it)?: A couple years ago, This (a syndicated broadcast TV channel that runs a lot of MGM movies) ran the movie version of Sweeney Todd something like 5 times in 1 month. I watched it about 3 of those times, and I’d already seen it several years before that.

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