Free for Haul Friday, Volume #528
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!
Let's Chat!
Share your own answers in the comments!
- Haul/Rediscoveries: Marc Jacobs See-quins liquid eyeshadows, KKW Glitz & Glam palette.
- Weekend plans: Mellan is doing okay; he’s still not fully healed/back to normal, but he’s hanging in there and seems happy to be here for now! He’s having trouble sleeping (likely related to increased steroid dose he’s on, as this has cropped up before), which means I’m not getting much sleep either (maybe two to three hours a night). I’m catching up on the blog, and I’m hoping to catch up on some sleep/relax a little, too, because I was summoned for federal jury duty this week and am a bit behind (I wasn’t selected to sit). I also need to try and get ahead of schedule on posts/content as my parents will be here after in a week!
- What is your favorite breakfast food?: Crab + eggs benedict (hollandaise on the side!).
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This week's doggo photo/video...
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I’m glad Mellan is doing better. I hope you both get some good sleep.
Haul: Two Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eyeliners—Sabbath and Smog, Clinique Grape Pop Lipstick (I couldn’t find a dupe in my collection and I had a 20% off coupon with Ulta, so I went for it!)
Weekend plans: Christmas party, visiting family, chores, wrapping presents.
What is your favorite breakfast food? Almost any kind of breakfast potatoes.
Great eyeliner choices there, Seraphine!
Hoping Mellan will rally again. It would be so much easier if they could talk. They are so good at hiding pain which makes it so important to notice changes as you seem to do. Believe this, he knows you love him and trusts what you are doing for him. I’ve had dogs, cats, etc my entire life from birth on. Old age and illness in our 4 legged friends are so very hard.
Yes, he is exceptionally good at hiding pain, because he shows NO hesitation to get up, walk around, etc. He is excited for any and all signs of incoming food. He would happily fetch if you asked him to (I’m not, lol).
Smog is a beautiful shade for an eyeliner. I hope you have enjoyed your weekend festivities too Seraphine.
Feel better Mellan! He is a good boy!
Hauls: Clinique’s Touchbase for Eyes in Canvas Light. Have still been searching for that perfect primer for my sensitive eyes and the Alima Pure one, while it didn’t irritate my skin, didn’t hang on to eyeshadow at all. Wore the Touchbase for several hours yesterday with no reaction so time to test it with shadow. Their Cool Down blush palette was on sale at Sephora for $22 last weekend so I got that along with the Innisfree lip balm trio which I LOVE. And got Ma some Fenty highlighter for Christmas. I wasn’t originally going to use my $20 off coupon because I didn’t wanna spend money just to get money off, but I am still pretty pleased. I am on an indefinite no buy after I replace my setting powder, which is nearly up.
Weekend plans: stuffing my fingers in my ears until I see Star Wars on Sunday. Also some Saturday shopping with a friend, and watching football.
Fave breakfast: cereal, boringly.
Happy to hear that you didn’t react to Touchbase–here’s hoping it works well with eyeshadow!
I am glad to hear about the Innisfree balms, because I am obsessed with the brand and I want to try it when the Laneige one in the squeezy tube I have is used up. Have you tried Laneige? I think they might be kinda similar.
I have not tried Laneige, although I hear they are excellent! I am more familiar with Innisfree products and saw a reviewer (Becca M) go over their My Lip balms a while ago. When Sephora packaged three of the nicest shades in a trio I couldn’t resist. They feel lovely and have the perfect amount of tint.
I also have sensitive eyelids that react specifically to volatile silicones (cyclomethicone, cyclopentasiloxane etc). I’ve tried at least 20 different kinds and only found 2 that my eyelids will tolerate: MAC prep prime 24hr eye base and Smashbox 24hr shadow primer.
Oh really! Did you get a patch allergy test? I’m still trying to identify the root cause of the sensitivity. Thanks for those suggestions!
My twin sister finds a lot of eyeshadows irritating, but Clinique’s and Laura Mercier’s mattes she can wear. Glad to hear it has worked for you.
I’m so glad to hear that your sweet boy Mellan is still very much here and wants to be. This is what’s most important; having the will to live.
Haul: Nothing this week. The Lucky Jeans fiasco finally got fully resolved, and I’ve been refunded for the jeans that they never even shipped!
Weekend plans: Taking it easy as I have caught one very nasty cold several days ago. It’s so bad that I’ve had to give up on using voice typing my messages and texts, because my voice is unrecognizable! Just hair, a load of laundry, and listening in on my meeting via phone tie-in.
Favorite breakfast food? Homemade GF pancakes with fresh blueberry compote. That with a side of breakfast sausage and I’m a happy camper! And yet most mornings I settle for oatmeal or cereal, go figure.
Phew! It’s too bad you didn’t get the jeans but at least you got your refund!
Feel better, Nancy!
Get well soon, Nancy! I’m glad to hear Lucky Jeans gave you your refund.
Thanks Christine and Rachel! Hopefully these elderberry zinc lozenges will do the trick at knocking this cold out if my system. It’s supposed to help?
Take care Nancy – let’s hope it doesn’t turn into a nasty flu.
Haul: UD Party Favor moondust palette.
Weekend Plans: seeing Star Wars tonight. Patching a hole in the attic over the weekend. The roofing/siding company the HOA hired ruined a bunch of our window screens and punched a hole in our attic, and after THREE MONTHS haven’t sent anyone to fix them, so we’re just doing it ourselves and sending the HOA a bill for materials.
Fav breakfast food: Biscuits & country gravy with a side of crispy hashbrowns.
OMG! I can’t believe that a company the HOA hired did that and you still haven’t had it fixed. Wow!
What a cheek! In the weather you are experiencing, you really do need the window screens and the hole in your attic fixed. Best of luck with the bill for the HOA.
Haul: Nothing this week! I accidentally played myself 😉 We were at a craft show and this indie nail polish brand I like was there, but I didn’t spend too much time looking because I thought my spouse might buy some of their nail polishes and new cuticle cream for my stocking, but I didn’t want to act too excited because they don’t like to take hints. Well on our drive home I mentioned them as one of the brands I wanted to see because they hadn’t been at other events, and my spouse was like “Oh, you barely glanced at their booth so I thought you didn’t like them anymore.” Darn it! I guess I’ll have to buy my own cuticle cream, ha ha.
Weekend plans: Well assuming this crazy rainstorm up here in the PNW doesn’t wash us all off the map, I’m planning a quiet night at home with breakfast for dinner and hot toddies to drink, then tomorrow I have a massage scheduled and we have our friends’ awesome holiday party with crazy white elephant exchange later in the day, so we’ll spend some time hanging out in the city between them, maybe get some ice cream and have some drinks and get a bite of dinner (since it’s a snacky party, not a dinner party). Sunday is a day to STAY HOME. Spouse and I will exchange gifts and stockings and have a really relaxing day. Probably go out for dinner though since I don’t think there’s any food left in the house (Monday is grocery day).
Favorite breakfast food: I go back and forth between french toast, waffles, and pancakes! Our favorite brunch place in AZ used to make this amazing spiced apple french toast and I would always order extra apples because they were so good — not the canned apple pie filling some places uses, it was house-made and delectable. Hey Christine, I think you are in/near Scottsdale? They opened a location there: Prep & Pastry! If you haven’t checked it out I highly recommend it. Their brunch and and the easy access to GOOD Mexican food are the two things I miss most about living in Tucson.
Hope the storm doesn’t get too bad for you, AJ! Stay safe and hopefully dry + warm 🙂
Always love a restaurant rec — we have been to the new Prep + Pastry! Really love their cast iron duck confit and milk and honey French toast!
Thank you Christine! I’m just glad I’m not down in Tacoma, the pics my friends are posting are pretty scary!
Yaaay, I’m so glad you’ve been to P+P. I haven’t had the milk and honey French toast… that wasn’t on the menu yet the last time I visited AZ. I still follow their social media accounts because it’s nice to see them thriving, and I like to daydream about the brunches I’ll eat when I go back to Tucson.
Haven’t found my favorite brunch place up here yet — I’m sure there’s some really good ones in Seattle proper, but out in the suburbs where we live it’s more like old folks breakfasts.
The rain has been crazy here in the Portland area, too. I’m glad we don’t live near any creeks or culverts. I’m glad your not getting as bad as some.
Rachel, we were apparently in the same “atmospheric river”! I hope you got through it OK. Things were fine for us up in Lynnwood and the rain was pretty much done by the time we had to go into Seattle on Saturday. Still not sure when I last saw the sun, though.
We got sunshine today. I hope you did, too. If not, soon. I’m in Hillsboro, just outside of Portland.
Yes! The sun is out! Well. Out-ish. It was out half an hour ago but it’s a little hazy again.
Well, as your side of the Pacific is inundated with rain, our side on the east coast of Aus is still battling bushfires with no rain in sight. I hope you are safe and dry. Enjoy your festive weekend AJ and I hope you get to pick up some of those desired nail polishes and cuticle cream.
Genevieve, I wish I could send some rain to you! I hope that the weather changes and they are able to get the brushfires under control.
We were there a couple years ago with huge wildfires and no rain. Ash falling like snow. It’s awful, and I pray for Australia to get some relief. Firefighters from around the world helped us, and I hope more can come to Australia’s aide.
Haul/Rediscoveries: NARS Unfiltered II blush palette! Warms up my complexion around the darkest time of the year 🙂 (in the northern hemisphere).
Weekend plans: So happy to hear the Mellan updates! And that you weren’t selected for jury duty. I never get picked now that I’m a lawyer, haha! For my weekend, I hope to complete a lot of long term projects this weekend before I head back to California for a quick trip to see family.
What is your favorite breakfast food?: Most days I have a breakfast smoothie with pea protein, peanut butter, quick oats, black strap molasses (for iron), turmeric & ginger, water, and frozen bananas and strawberries. My favorites are the almost unimaginably heavy combo of sunny side up eggs, mashed potatoes, and spam/bacon; or else chicken and waffles.
I have heard that advanced degrees along with being an actual lawyer are usually…less desired attributes in a juror!
Safe travels to California!
Unless you’re retired. They selected a retired professor and retired lawyer last time I was in jury duty. They excused teachers, doctors, and nurses (perhaps due to the shortage?).
I would be very interested to be on a jury so I do hope I get picked one day! I wonder if it depends on if you’re from a big city too with a big jury pool…
My son was the foreman on a very big murder trial here in Melbourne a few years ago and when it was all over (the defendant was given a guilty verdict) he could talk about it to us, it was quite a process and a learning curve for him – also in terms of mediating between the different viewpoints of the jury members in discussions. The trial took about 3-4 weeks.
Haul:
* Sephora: I took advantage in the end of the $20 off $75 offer because something I wanted long time went on sale and I needed some back-ups for items I will finish most likely in January (the back-ups I could have purchased elsewhere, but I decided to take the deal):
-> amika Polished Perfection Mini Straightening Brush (the main reason for my purchase, since I wanted a mini straightening brush for ages; I have thin hair and a full sizes one doesn’t make sense)
-> Anastasia Beverly Hills Eye Primer (mini – which is very big and lasts ages, because I’m using it right now and I love it even if it oozed like crazy at first)
-> Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow+ Volumizing Eyebrow Gel (mini, because I don’t like the NYX Brow Mascara I am using right now, it started drying out after 1 month and I just want an old favorite)
-> Benefit Cosmetics Roller Liner Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner (mini, it’s the liner I’m using right now, works for me and mini liners are enough for me)
->Kiehl’s Creme de Corps (mini, I wanted something small for travel)
-> Kush Mascara (got my free mascara with perk points, as usual)
*MAC
-> MAC Studio Fix Foundation: I’ll probably finish my current foundation sometimes in February, but MAC had 30% foundations mid-week and my next foundation would have been this.
Weekend plans: Spend as much times outdoors in nature as weather allows; and rest; and the regular chores, groceries and meal prep
What is your favorite breakfast food?: A combination of toasted bread, soft cooked egg (either pan cooked, boiled, or pouched, can decide), smoked salmon, cream cheese, chives, heirloom tomatoes bursting with flavor
So glad the sale came at the right time for you! 🙂 Lots of nice everyday kind of products you picked up!
I went to Davis (not for vet med), and I know that the people there really are among the best at what they do, and they care about animals so much! Living in the Bay Area, I know lots of stories about people’s pets who have had to go to Davis for special medical procedures, and all I have heard is praise. I am still keeping your very good boy in my thoughts!! <3
Hauls and rediscoveries: Most of the packages that are coming to my house now are gifts for other people, thank goodness! I did just get the Sugarpill Fun Size palette in the mail, and it has been redirected to my cousin in Oklahoma as part of her gift. She has a ginger cat and she loves colorful makeup, so it seems to be a good fit. (BTW, I tried the Kiko holiday shadows and they are amazing. I got the champagne and the emerald, and I wish so badly I could justify the other shades.) I also rediscovered Melt 420 eyeliner. It is the most perfect deep teal-green, but it just gets lost among my other eyeliners. I need to make a point to grab it more, because it is phenomenal.
Weekend plans: winterizing the garden, applying to jobs/grad school in Oklahoma, packing the library. We are moving out of the Bay Area in the spring, and I am both incredibly excited and epically heartbroken. I love it here, and it is so gorgeous, but with the fires and the cost of living and the economic disparity and the traffic it is just hard to justify staying here, plus I miss my family. It does snow there in the winter, so I think my dog Ellie (lab/shepherd/pit bull/???? mix) would flip out.
Favorite breakfast food: I love breakfast so much, but I have to say it is probably pancakes overall. There's a place in the French Market in New Orleans that has the most amazing pancakes I have ever eaten, but a well-made pancake from IHOP or something does it for me too.
Good luck with the application, and your upcoming away from the bay! I left when I was 18 (to LA then to the east coast). It still breaks my heart a bit when I visit, but there are just too many cons to move back there now. I really miss occasionally hearing flocks of wild parrots.
He had his heart surgery (over 10 years ago) at UC Davis! It’s been so long (and I had the swine flu at the time), so I don’t remember much, but I know it went well, lol!
What does “winterizing the garden” entail, Stephanie?
My mother-in-law and brother-in-law will be moving to Arizona next summer, and part of that is driven by high prices of the Bay Area but the fires as well. My parents will also move to Arizona in 2021 when my dad retires – they actually live in an area that requires federal fire insurance and has only one way in/out. My mom lives in fear; they are going to try to sell in the next few months and rent for the remainder of the time.
Where will you guys go?
How lovely Christine that your folks and Shaun’s are coming your way. It will be fabulous for you and less worry too as they will be nearby. Having one way in and out is a nightmare, particularly if there are floods, landslides and fire.
To be honest, this is our first year with a garden so we aren’t 100% sure what to do about winterizing.
Arizona seems cool for weird bugs and the overall beauty of that part of the country, so I am a bit jealous of that. I won’t miss the fire, nor the smoke that just blankets so much of the area for weeks. I love knowing that I can come back and visit whenever I want, so that helps with the sadness over leaving I suppose.
Merry Christmas, Christine. <3
Even though I live in Australia (Melbourne), I completely understand about the high prices for housing and bushfire prone areas. We live in the outer East of Melbourne and there is not a summer that goes by when we don’t think, is it our turn? We don’t live in a suburb in the Hills, but close by and it can be scary.
Melbourne is notorious for its traffic jams, as previous govts. did absolutely nothing for a couple of decades, so now everything, at least, is being done. I just hope it gets finished properly.
House prices here are absolutely over the top and moving to an inland, country town is way cheaper.
I hope you find a grad position/job in Oaklahoma – and a home nearby.
fair-light skin with I’m not sure undertones( maybe warm, maybe neutral?), dk green eyes dk brown hair
First of all, sending well wishes to Mellan. Dogs are the best and they give so much and ask for so little. I also hope you can catch up on your sleep a bit Christine.
Hanukah/Christmas party on Sat, Sun is my mother’s bday so we shall have some Italian food and she’ll enjoy a snuggle with Snowflake my chihuahua who loves a lap!
Got one of the new liquid shades from the Chanel website, the Rose shade- very nice. I tried it on and my daughter tried it on and loved it too. So, I ordered the peach color for her( blue eyes) and then I can keep mine!
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Wonderful 2020!
Happy birthday to your mom, Ilene! 🙂 Nice to hear good reviews of Chanel’s liquid lipsticks!
Happy 2020!
Happy Birthday to your mum and I could think of nothing better than to celebrate with Italian food!
Good to hear about Mellan! He’s a trooper. Wishing him healing and rest and being back up and at ’em.
Haul – Barney’s closing sale:
NARS Audacious Lipstick (Deco packaging) in Barbara
Hourglass Scattered Light trio
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette
Chantecaille Celestial nail sheer toppers in Nova, Vega and Polaris – this will be a first purchase from the brand and presumably my last. I bought them just because of the sale and I don’t have anything like them in my collection and I was looking for some Chanel polishes and these popped up instead. I’m sure they’ll be fine but this is not a brand that would ever come to mind when I want to haul nail polish. I’m looking forward to trying out some combinations with them.
Chanel:
Le Vernis in Opulence
Eclat du Desert Illuminating Powder – I’ve had the Metal Peach in and out of my cart but decided on this one because of the ‘du Desert’ (reminding me of the beloved Empreinte quad) and because I wouldn’t mind the imprint fading (as much) on this one. I know that I wouldn’t have used that gorgeous Metal Peach because of the beautiful embossing. Also I like that this isn’t as foiled or metallic as Metal Peach could be. I was going to get the 2 quads but I have those colors multiple times over; the neutral one looks enough like Essentiel and the mauve is close enough to Blurry Mauve for me. The peach transition color gives it a nice spring vibe, but I’m not a fan of that color for transition or in my crease.
Weekend plans: Getting ready for family and work parties next week – baking, wrapping and lots of driving to and from for visits and deliveries. I don’t mind so much this year as I did in years past. This has been the busiest year for me in a long, long time but somehow I’m actually looking forward to having a busy week of festivities, especially with my family. I’m cleaning this weekend but not grocery shopping or cooking – next week will be the week of too much food and being sent home with oodles of leftovers and my Dad and I always make extra for our own freezer stash. Facial and (stamping?) mani on Sunday. I swear, I get all my stamping plates out and plan out my designs and then I do maybe 1 or 2 the whole month of December because the manis last so long and I hate to take all my hard work off until they chip. I like the idea of doing my nails every 3 or 4 days but I don’t know what I’m thinking because there’s always so much going on and I never have any time. Some nights I’m up pretty late just so I can do my nails and have some me time.
What is your favorite breakfast food?: I just had crab benedict this morning! I like it without the hollandaise or at least very minimal and sprinkled with fresh dill. Otherwise I love eggs and sausage and either toast or pancakes for breakfast with a french press full of coffee.
Hollandaise can be quite tasty, but I find that a little goes a long way, and goodness knows the calories in it, so I always get it on the side so I can dip for just the right amount!
I, too, would not think of Chantecaille for nail polish! I hope they work out for you.
It must be heartbreaking to see or know that he is in pain and not be able to take that away for him. He still looks a little unwell and I hope in the coming week he starts to feel better. It also doesn’t help him if he can’t sleep in decent amounts either.
It was very lucky you weren’t actually called for jury duty, as that can take you out of action for quite some time. I hope you get a bit of rest/sleep yourself over the weekend.
Haul: Nothing this week, just a good Rimmel mascara to add to my daughter in law’s beauty gift bag for Christmas.
Weekend Plans: We’ve just had some extremely hot weather here lately and the bushfires are still raging up along the East coast of Australia and don’t seem to be abating.
My weekend is mainly about cleaning the house in preparation for Christmas Day, setting the table and going to a market very early on Sunday morning to get the fish for the seafoood salad I am making.
Favourite Breakfast food: Eggs Benedict, with lots of yummy hollandaise sauce.
Thankfully, the case in question had an estimated length of 1-2 days, so it sounds like it would have been doable. I would have tried to get excused for undue hardship (as if I’m not working, there’s nobody to replace me!) if it was going to be several weeks, though!
The fires in Australia just have me so sad! Completely heartbreaking.
Thank you Christine, it seems like every single day there are more bushfires up and down the coast of Queensland and NSW. Lots of the places were those my son and I visited on our recent trip in July/August. It was so dry it was awful.
So many people have lost their homes and livelihoods.
As a family, we have decided to give one or two presents less this year and donate the money to the bushfire appeals.
That pic of Mellan just melts my heart! Happy he is hanging in.
Haul/Rediscoveries: I only wore makeup today, nothing new.
Weekend plans: I am still decorating my house! My husband says it looks like a Christmas store lol! I have a curved stairway and I just have to decorate it then I am finished. I woke up with a bad migraine today so I didn’t get anything done today.
What is your favorite breakfast food?: I really like smoothies, but since I figured out that I am lactose intolerant I am finding it hard to find a protein powder that hasn’t been produced in a facility that produces milk products. When I am in Vegas the Grand Lux Cafe in the Venetian has Chicken and Waffles with Butter Pecan Syrup, it is to die for! Otherwise at home I like fruit.
I’m jealous! I love Christmas decor 🙂 If you have any pics you don’t mind sharing, I’d love to see!
Hope the migraine went away!
Your house must look like a dream. Olivia and Lachlan decorated ours with tinsel etc, so it looks much more festive than before with just the tree being done.
I hope your migraine has eased, do you have to take medication for it?
Wow,! Poor Melan Christine I feel for you it’s so hard when our fur babies are sick or injured , I use to live Marin County and UC Davis is known for its cutting edge Veternarian school he’s in the best hands.
Discoveries ? Artist Couture Honey Brown pallet, so smooth , pigmented doesn’t fade and blends out like a champ ……..and Emani’s 7 in 1 Miracle primer , I mix it with a drop of Hourglass#28 and love it.
Breakfast I know I’m going to get an eye roll..lol…but , I’m vegan and in warm weather I love green smoothies especially mango and kale with coconut water , alas I normally just have time for a piece of fruit mug of hot tea and a protein bar.
Mellan had his heart surgery at UC Davis, actually! It was a long time ago, but I remember being happy with it overall!
Hope Mellan is back to his old self soon!
Haul/Rediscoveries: My $20 off Sephora purchase arrived today – my first Pat McGrath eyeshadow palette – Nocturnal Nirvana.
Weekend Plans: Not much. Finish the groceries and errands. Don’t want to be at the grocery store on Monday – too much chaos! Do a little holiday baking, put the feet up. Hope to see the new Star Wars movie in the next couple of weeks.
Breakfast food – usually bacon (Canadian bacon or the English style rashers if I can find it) and hashbrowns or regular bacon and toast, maybe an occasional egg or waffles.
Enjoy your new PMG palette!
I’m so glad to read Mellan’s doing better! Please give him some pets from Auntie Rachel.
Haul: These are from orders over the last several weeks.
*Black Moon Cosmetics — Black Metal Volume I Eyeshadow Palette and GWP Synthetic Tapered Flat Brush.
*Sydney Grace — Pressed Blush in Paris Skies. O…M…G! So stunning! It looks incredible on. My new favorite mauve blush.
*PML ($10 LuxeTrance sale) — LuxeTrance Lipstick in Psycho Candy, Muse, Madame Greige, and Pink Ultraness.
*Sephora Haul #1 (discontinue prices) — Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipstick in Sugarcane, Sake, and Spritzer; and Prismatic Pearl Creme Lip Gloss in Champagne Pearl, Blush Pearl, Cherry Pearl, Gold, Lavender Pearl, Peacock Pearl, and Champagne Gold; and mini Stila Beauty Boss Lip Gloss in Elevator Pitch.
*Sephora Haul #2 ($25 off $75) — Urban Decay Party Favor Eyeshadow Palette, Clinique Cheek Pop Palette in Cool Down, and PML BlitzTrance Lipstick in Cyber Orchid.
*Sephora Haul #3 (20% off sale prices) — Marc Jacobs Beauty Eye-Conic Multi-Finish Eyeshadow Palette in Elec-Trick, and Beauty Enamored Dazzling Gloss Lip Lacquer in Pick Up! and Genie Kiss; Violet Voss Sugar Crystals Eyeshadow Palette (gift for someone); Natasha Denona Mini Lila Eyeshadow Palette (gift for someone); and trial size MUFE Artist Nude Creme Lip in 5.
Weekend plans: My husband is on vacation for the next two weeks! I’m so happy to see more of him! I’m finally starting to feel better. Today I put on a full face of makeup, had lunch out with hubby and my younger son, and ran some errands. *happy dancing* This weekend: 1) Try my darnedest to snag the two PML x Star Wars palettes from Selfridges tomorrow. 2) Take the cat for his ear infection follow up. He seems all better, but of course we have to make sure. 3) Deep clean the living room and hang the stockings. 4) Get started on the gift wrapping. Monday or Tuesday hubby and I are hoping to get a date night. We want to go out to dinner and see the new Star Wars movie.
What is your favorite breakfast food?: French toast, especially if made with my husband’s homemade bread. Bonus if served with fresh berries.
Will do! 😀
Paris Skies is IT! Not only is it relatively unique (at least, as a single shade), but it is STUNNING on! So dimensional.
Enjoy your husband’s vacation 🙂
Thank you!
I am glad to read that you are feeling much better and back to your happy self. I bet you felt wonderful putting on your makeup today – having lunch out would be heaven.
I hope your cat is much better too – an ear infection is painful and nasty.
Best wishes on snagging the Star Wars palette from PMG and enjoying the new Star Wars movie too.
Both my sons are going to see it on Boxing Day.
Thanks so much, Genevieve! I’m a bit better every day. We made it to the Asian market with the boys, got the gifts wrapped, and the living room cleaned up.
Our kitty is free of infection. There is still some dried blood in his ears, so the vet gave us a ear cleaning solution and directions for use. He doesn’t want the old blood causing another infection. Plus, it’s just gross.
I *think* I got the palettes just now from the Selfridges app. I got the confirmation email. I had all kinds of issues trying to check out, so I’m praying I don’t get a cancellation notice later. *Knocking loudly on wood, plastic, and anything else in reach.*
We’re putting having our date night off till right after Christmas. It’s hard trying to avoid Star Wars spoilers, but so far, so good. We’ve been watching The Madalorian to get our fix. It’s really good.
Haul/Rediscoveries: Revlon Super Lustrous The Gloss-Frost Queen. It’s a clear-to-white gloss with purple, pink, and blue iridescence. I think it’ll work well with the makeup I have planned for New Year’s-a replica of Karen’s (Makeup and Beauty Blog) Lady Unicorn look from the end of May.
Weekend plans: Ran errands today, work all day tomorrow. Sunday my mom’s side of the family is having their Christmas party, which will also serve as a birthday party for my cousin (her actual birthday is Christmas Eve).
What is your favorite breakfast food?: Favorite eggs: scrambled with cheese. Favorite breakfast meat: sausage. Favorite pastry: cheese Danish.
I’ve been wanting to try the new Revlon Super Lustrous glosses! Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome! I’ll let you know how the gloss works out!
The lipgloss sounds beautiful!
Haul: Just received Jeffree Star’s liquid concealer today, will test tomorrow. Also got one of his hand mirrors in rose gold (peach metallic I think it’s called) that I’ve been coveting for a while.
Weekend Plans: Hoping to get our boy (dog) to the beach for extended run and play time, to tucker him out. Just waiting for a break in the rain.
+ Finalizing Christmas stuff.
I totally understand your lack of sleep/concern for Mellan, I went that same route for years with one of our girls. She was sick from a very young age and her normal went from doing pretty good/being independent to sleeping day and night in my arms and being carried around. Epilepsy, MRIs, brain surgery, ongoing infections… you name it. She was the most loving and sweetest little thing; never complained. The staff and surgeons at the local VetER knew her too well and adored her.
Breakfast: never eat it, but some weekends we will do a brunch-type lunch and in that case I’ll most likely order an avocado benny or some form of huevos rancheros.
You’re a star for hanging in there with her – caring at that level is hard emotionally/mentally on the caregiver, too. She sounds like she lived the best life that she could possibly have had!
Thank you. She really did, but it’s still hard to lose them. When she was gone, we realized how abnormal our normal had become in years of caregiving. But we wouldn’t change a thing–when you commit to an animal you commit to going all in, period!
Oh and congrats to all the family moving in your direction! My BFF lives in Phoenix and loves the sense of community there, for her and her son.
Haul: for me, nothing. I tried to buy another tube of Embryolisse but the store was totally sold out so I’m going to have to hit another Shoppers location in hopes of getting it. Bought some stocking stuffers – mini hand creams, lip balms (tinted for the girls; colourless for the boys) and some nice Crabtree and Evelyn hand creams, lotions and room sprays at Marshalls.
Weekend plans: heading off to the gym soon (our older son is coming with us); then a few errands and then my cousin from out of town is dropping in for coffee (his partner, who is a harpist, is playing here this weekend) and somewhere in all of this, I have to get to the grocery store and the dollar store, etc.
Favourite breakfast food: if I’m eating out, just about anything involving eggs, bacon sausage or smoked salmon and home fries. So your basic “2 eggs any style, choice of bacon, ham or sausage and home fries” to Eggs Benedict, Benjamin or with spinach – stuff like that. For some reason, I’m not crazy for those “breakfast skillet” dishes – everything but the kitchen sink piled up into a skillet – it all just looks a bit of a mess to me. For some reason, having breakfast or brunch out always makes me feel like I’m on vacation. In some ways, it’s my favourite meal to eat in a restaurant, probably because breakfast at home is generally a hurried and healthy affair (bran cereal with psyllium, additional psyllium sprinkled on top, some fresh fruit on top of that – I think it’s the reason my cholesterol is low in spite of not eating an especially low fat diet)
oh….and as for the jury duty thing – I realize it is an important civic duty but I’m so glad I’ve never been called. It used to be here that I was exempt – my husband is a lawyer and spouses of lawyers (along with judges, lawyers, police) were all exempt but that all changed a few years back. If called, I would attend and hope that if called to sit, it wouldn’t be for a trial involving violence or cruelty to children, the innocent, etc. There was an horrific series of trials here over the past few years (if you look up Dellen Millard, you can read a bit of how horrible it was) and I can’t imagine what those jurors had to look at (in terms of photographic evidence) or hear as verbal testimony. There is actually a movement afoot here to provide psychological or psychiatric counselling to jurors who’ve been traumatized by the experience.
Sending healing thoughts to Mellan too – the poor fellow. And poor you, with the sleepless nights. I remember those well (though they were with healthy newborn babies and, later, sick toddlers).
Counseling would be very nice for jurors if they needed it! I was reading how a lot of reality TV shows (totally different, obviously) provide more intensive counseling pre- and post-show to help contestants deal with everything that comes after (potentially lots of hate, invasion of privacy, etc.). So I mean, if we can do it for reality TV, we can do it for those doing their civic duties, right??
I might not have kids, but I definitely sleep like a mom, LOL. Drop a feather on a pillow in a nearby room and I’m awake!
As I wrote in response to another reader above, my eldest son was foreman for a particularly brutal murder trial a few years ago and it was hard going for him. No counselling was offered, but there was a debriefing session – which kind of helped. It was a long trial – 3-4 weeks in the Supreme Court in the city, which was a nightmare to get to from our place.
I was about to say to Christine that I recalled the sleepless nights, not from pets, but from babies – our eldest (who now sleeps like a log) was very social at 3am and only slept for 8 hours a day max…for a long, long time.
My husband is like that – he really enjoys the “basic” two eggs any style with all the fixings kind of breakfast!
Lovely Mellan! I hope he’ll feel better soon.
Haul. I finally got my PMG $10 lipstick. it’s nice and very tiny.
I got my order of PMG Starwars eye shadow duo and the lipstick cancelled, and I got a refund. I was so annoyed! I wrote to them asking if they were going to restock, but still no answer.
I think I’m going to stop buying LE after this, I don’t feel I want to have the FOMO, and I really think a brand should be able to make enough products to last at least the first couple of days. Now I feel it’s almost gimmicky and just to keep us having FOMO and a stupid way to keep up the interest in the brand. Sorry for repeating myself, I wrote about it the other day as well.
I do hope everyone else who ordered anything from the Starwars collection got their products.
I got some skincare, nothing exiting. No makeup this week.
Rediscovered the Queen of Hearts palette, I had forgotten how much I liked it.
Weekend, nothing much, I’m gong to drive and pick my son up, he’s staying here over the holidays.
Favourite breakfast, I’m not sure but pancakes with blueberries is something I can really long for and it always tastes wonderful.
Oh no! I’m so sorry your order for the eyeshadow palettes got cancelled! 🙁
The last few PMG launches have been really poorly communicated – I hope they are working on improving things for 2020. I wish they would be more transparent about things. I’ve seen Natasha Denona get on her Instagram stories and explain/apologize for shipping delays, multiple charges, etc. and talk about what they’re doing moving forward multiple times. I found that to be really nice and rare to see.
I think, or maybe imagine that PMG had better communication earlier.
I was, and still am very annoyed with the brand. I’ve left a trail of posts about it over the last few days. Sorry for repeating myself. 🙂
I’m actually thinking of not buying from her again.
I’ve not bought much from Natasha Denona, but the two palettes I have are lovely. Very nice to hear that she owns up to problems.
The brand has really fumbled over the recent launches, and though I think other regions “deserve” to have exclusives since it’s a very US-centric view to get upset about something not coming here (when almost everything launches in the US but often doesn’t everywhere else!), I’m not sure that region-exclusives really work in such a global community. It might make sense if they’re only available at physical locations vs. online.
I’m a firm believer that brands should communicate some basic information once a product leaks because you can’t rewind time; so instead of being coy, a simple “This is an upcoming launch, and it will be available again — sit tight for details!” isn’t that much to ask for, IMO.
I think everything should be available for everyone to buy, even if we in the rest of the world have to pay more for shipping and then tax and handling. I don’t mind paying the tax to be honest, the fee for handling is expensive, but then no one forces me to buy from outside the EU.
I completely agree that brands should communicate better.
Haul: CoverFX Monochromatic Blush Duo in Soft Peach and a couple 7 Wonder Masks
Rediscoveries: My powder blushes (as long as I use a cream blush under), and my Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Light Wand.
Weekend plans: Nothing. It’s been an incredibly hectic month with work deadlines, my husband’s birthday, and my husband and son got into a car crash earlier this month, so we’ve been dealing with that, plus hosting a couple of Christmases, so I am READY.
What is your favorite breakfast food? If I’m out at a restaurant, either a Western omelette or eggs Benedict. If I’m home, I make killer biscuits and gravy (ifidosaysomyself).