Friday Finds & Check-ins, Volume #607
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!
- Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: Still waiting to receive some orders!
- Weekend plans: Stay cool, probably head to my parents’ house for a dip in their pool.
- What hobby have you been enjoying lately?: I wish I had more hobbies/interests, but for now, it’s Winston, who takes up a lot of time, energy, and patience, haha!
P.S. — Want to chat with readers on the regular? Check out Temptalia’s Discord where you can chat about beauty, makeup, and more! 🙂
This week's doggo photo/video...
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My Radiant Reflection Light palette shipped today, along with the Dear Reader and Perfect Vacation singles. It’s my first eyeshadow purchase of the year. I’m excited! I have been looking for a “rainbow palette” for a long time. And I just ordered MAC Fleur Sure. After I research a good dupe to replace my favorite discontinued Bite lipstick in Radish that’s probably it for me until the holidays.
I have been slowly figuring out what works for me now that I wear glasses all the time. My pencil eyeliners just don’t look good. Maybe they haven’t for a long time and I just couldn’t see.
I also wear glasses all the time Wendy and find that eyeliners don’t really work on me either. And I stay away from mascaras that promise to lengthen my lashes, as I don’t like the windscreen wiper effect on my glasses when the mascara hasn’t dried down quickly enough. It is new territory for you to work out what suits and what doesn’t, for sure.
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: I just got the Sydney Grace x Temptalia palettes and single shadow yesterday in the mail! I had so much fun swatching and playing last night, they’re so stunning. Of course, the grungy dark colors and bright jewel tones are so fun, but I even discovered a few color combinations that’ll be amazing for work! I think one of my favorite shades so far is The Mielke Way, it’s neutral enough for everyday but that subtle shift is so fun. Congratulations, and I’m so excited to keep playing!
Weekend plans: Lunch tomorrow with my mom and some family friends! Other than that, cleaning my apartment and relaxing in the sun.
What hobby have you been enjoying lately?: I’ve been trying to read more on my commute, I was able to finish a whole book last week. I used to read constantly when I was younger!
Yay, a fellow reader! What sort of books do you enjoy?
A lot of nonfiction, primarily science and math! Boring I know, but I love it. I also read a lot of history books, or some true crime. Right now I’m reading Bad Blood, about Theranos/Elizabeth Holmes, but I just finished In Pursuit Of The Unknown: 17 Equations That Changed The World by Ian Stewart. Next on deck is The Great Mortality which is about the black plague! But I’ll read anything well written, so I’d love to know what you’re into!
Not boring at all! I don’t enjoy reading about math but my spouse really does 🙂 And I read a fair amount of non-fiction, including some science. Currently the spouse and I have been reading “Entangled Life” by Merlin Sheldrake (an unlikely name, I know!). It’s all about fungus and it’s really interesting. Another interesting recent non-fiction read was “Four Lost Cities” by Annalee Newitz, about what causes people to abandon cities, and what we can learn from it in order to prepare for a changing landscape in the future.
Bad Blood and The Great Mortality also sound interesting to me. We recently read Hype by Gabrielle Bluestone, which was supposed to be about internet scams in general but was 85-90% about Fyre Festival. It briefly touched on Theranos, but only in a “this is also a scam that fooled some rich people” sort of way.
Merlin Sheldrake, I love the name, the book sounds interesting. Four Lost Cities will go to my to buy list, I have a long one where I put loads of books I hear about, then I check reviews to see if it sounds like something I’d enjoy.
So far this sub tread has led me to put four books on my list.
There are few boring reads, if we skip badly written things. Maybe one subject isn’t to my liking, that would be math for me, doesn’t mean its a bad read.
I used to read, every and anything, after I got severe depression and anxiety I really struggle, I miss reading and keep at it, but it’s slow going.
Even though math isn’t my thing, I love the title, In Pursuit of the Unknown: 17 Equations that Changed the Word, what a great title!
The Great Mortality sounds very interesting, history is something I do love. I’m going to put it on my to buy lists.
That fungus book sounds fascinating, I might have to check that out! My brother actually has a second job foraging for mushrooms, maybe I’ll get him a copy!
I completely know how you feel, I used to be a voracious reader but the combination of work, school, and dealing with family and mental issues meant I barely read at all the last 5 years or so. I’ve been trying to set aside time each day, which for now is just my commute on the subway.
RECENT PURCHASES: Sakari Botanicals Sweet Grass Lip Butter.
RECENT REDISCOVERIES: Tarte ROTS Vol. 1 and 3. I took them with me on vacation, because I knew I’d be going really light on makeup. Perfect one-and-done neutral shades for super hot days, including humid ones.
WEEKEND PLANS: We’re on our way home from vacation today. The rest of the weekend we’ll unpack, and then stay indoors in the AC. I’ll catch up on missed episodes of Loki and The Bad Batch.
WHAT HOBBY HAVE YOU BEEN ENJOYING LATELY?: *I’ve started coloring again. *I’m getting back into enjoying makeup again, too.
I hope you and your husband had a great holiday Rachel, you certainly deserve one. That’s the hard part of coming back home is the unpacking and the washing. I hope it isn’t too hot where you are living either.
It’s good to hear that you are back into your makeup and colouring again too.
Thank you! We had a great time, despite a few bumps, including higher than expected temperatures and forest fires and smoke causing us to take anew route home. It was a pretty drive, and we got home safely.
It’s been much hotter than normal here. Yesterday was 108 F, a record breaker by 15 degrees from 9 years ago. Today will be another record breaker at 112 F/44.45 C. Luckily, we have air conditioning and fans throughout the house. They’re expecting our power grid to hold out through the heat wave, thank goodness!
We put out water and new salt licks for the squirrels who live in our tree, and any other critters who come along. Our backyard is well shaded, so we a variety.
A lot of people and businesses here don’t have air conditioning, and we have a large homeless population. I worry for those people. There are cooling centers and water being given out, but it’s never enough to help everyone.
Sorry this turned into a bummer read. I’m grateful we’re blessed and will be OK. We have great vacation memories. Our pets are indoors only and safe, too.
That is awfully hot weather for your part of the world Rachel and having endured 44.5 temps before (not for awhile thank goodness), I know how hot that actually is.
I’m glad you had a great time, marred by the forest fires – which would have been scary because they can move so quickly.
Keep cool and I am thinking of you.
That’s very appreciated. It got to 113 F, but is supposed to be “only” 96 F tomorrow. They had to close the commuter trains, trolley cables melted, and I heard some roads were buckling. Absolutely crazy!
Haul: still waiting on my Temptalia On the Horizon palette (oh, I will be happy-dancing when it gets here); rediscoveries: KVD Monarch palette, UD Naked2 (haven’t used it in ages) and Sephora Lip Stories in Matinee…initially, I wasn’t wild about it but lately, I’m really coming to like it.
Weekend plans: tracing off some patterns onto tracing fabric, maybe going fabric shopping, going for a patio brunch at the golf course on Sunday (YAAAAAY – 2nd time and it’s such a treat). They are calling for rain but I’m prepared to suit up and eat under my umbrella, if necessary!
Hobbies I’ve been enjoying lately – does listening to audiobooks count? Failing that, sewing (see weekend plans, above) or just planning to start sewing again. Once things open up more, I really want to get back to hot yoga.
The KVD Monarch is one of my forever favorite palettes! I actually just grabbed it on Weds when I needed a quick brow bone highlight .
I love planning my sewing, but often get stuck at the tracing part. I don’t understand why I find that part so boring. I used to sew a lot and really enjoyed it.
Seems I only had hobbies, I used to read, used to sew, used to take riding lessons and compete at a very easy level. A theme here: I used to.
I think this tread is so much fun, it generally is, but so far I’ve found some books I want to read and a fellow seamstress, of course I’m just maybe a sew-ist these days.
Listening to audiobook does count. I find it really hard to listen, my mind easily goes on its own path, and I have to re-listen. I envy those who can listen to books.
My twin sister is a big, big fan of audio books and I hope that you get to enjoy them as well to relax after a hectic day at work.
Isn’t it wonderful to be able to go out to a restaurant again? I hope you enjoy your lunch and find some good patterns to sew again.
What I love about audiobooks is that I can listen to them while doing other mundane things that don’t require a lot of attention – doing dishes, laundry, while I’m out for a walk or on the elliptical at the gym (if gyms EVER re-open) so it’s the ultimate “multi-tasking”. I can even listen if I’m sewing (providing it’s not something too complicated). And because there’s a “sleep” function/timer, I can even fall asleep listening (ooooh, the soothing tones of Richard Armitage…not the US politician but the UK actor….)
Restaurants here are still only open for outdoor/patio dining and still with social distancing of tables. Our city has allowed a lot of restaurants in the older part of the city – downtown area – that don’t have outdoor patios to install these temporary ones that jut into the street but which seem to work really well and it means that these eateries, which are hanging on by their fingertips can maybe make a go of things until we move to the next stage of re-opening. I’m glad both my province and Canada as a whole are being really cautious, seeing how some other countries have had numbers climbing significantly upon loosening restrictions.
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: Nothing new beauty wise, I’m waiting on those 4th July sales and deals for a couple of things I’ll need soon.
Weekend plans: Hopefully catch on some sleep. And also hopefully get on the phone with my grandparents, their line was down multiple days in the last week, I only get news from them through my mom who visits them regularly.
Otherwise it’s just chores, groceries, cooking, finding a cool place to hike, starting a new mystery novel and clearing up some old stuff like clothes and kitchen wear (just in case I’ll need to move in the next 2 months).
What hobby have you been enjoying lately?: My hobbies are hiking, nutrition and reading… nothing changed on that front lately… I enjoy them too much to have time for something new.
Recent Purchases: My Clionadh order should be in soon, after a week layover in customs and a short trip to San Francisco (I live in Indiana).
Rediscoveries: I’ve been playing a lot with my Kaleidos Makeup 6-pan palettes and have really enjoyed myself.
Weekend plans: nursing a sick son, and hopefully having my MIL over for her birthday.
What hobby have you been enjoying lately? I’ve played a lot of turn-based RPG video games. I pretty much finished Paper Mario and just started playing Octopath Traveler, which I love. My husband keeps trying to get me to play one of the older Final Fantasy games, but the story/world is way too confusing and not even the same from game to game and I can’t invest that much of my time 😂
I remember reading that your order was stuck in customs, and I thought it takes a long time for things to reach me (it does).
From what I hear Final Fantasy is huge, I’m thinking of giving it a try. I play WoW, have done for ages now. I find the latest expansion rather boring and am back playing the first expansion, The Burning Crusade and the very first WoW of all, vanilla.
Fun to meet another gamer, not that I can call myself one, I just play for fun, not to reach endgame and spend my life in raids, not that that wasn’t fun.
I hope your son is feeling better soon, it’s really tricky when they are half well, half sick and don’t know what to do with themselves.
I wonder if your Clionadh order and my Temptalia/Sydney Grace order are talking to one another in Customs – “Hey, I’m on my way to someone who posts at Temptalia.” “No way….my future owner is ALSO someone who posts at Temptalia!” If makeup could talk….. My order shipped on the 21st and maybe I’ve been spoiled by Amazon and Sephora but I was hoping it would have arrived already – I’m SO impatient to have it!
Purchases: My three Sydney Grace x Temptalia palettes (plus Dear Reader) arrived way back on Monday and I have been enjoying them. I wore Phosphenes for my job interview on Wednesday and it went well enough that they have scheduled me to talk with another member of the team next week to see if I’m a good fit. Was it the sparkling eyeshadow or my sparkling personality? We’ll never know 😉
Weekend plans: We are having a HEAT WAVE so my plans are to stay cool. We’ll hit the local bookstore to enjoy the AC and buy books. Go get some ice cream. Drink lots of cold beverages and read books in front of a fan.
Hobbies that I enjoy: I love reading. I just finished my 70th book for the year. My goal is to read 100 this year and it’s looking like I’m gonna blow past that. I really enjoy dancing (just not in a heatwave). And in the past couple of years I’ve started doing embroidery. I also did beadwork for a long time and I still enjoying buying and collecting beads, but my collection is such a mess after moving so often, that I don’t know where anything is and it’s too overwhelming to try to gather everything for a project.
70 books! Wow! How did you decide what books to read?
Happy to hear you’re liking the palettes so far, AJ!
I have a variety of ways I find new books!
1. A lot of what I read is just new books from authors I already like.
2. I follow those authors, their publishers, and their editors on Twitter. I watch out for Tweets that say things like “If you like XYZ, look for ABC coming out in June!”
3. For romance specifically, I read a review blog which helps me find out which books have elements I like and which would be a big NO for me. They also do some non-romance reviews and I’ve found some good books that way.
4. I get recommendations from my spouse, and a friend who reads a lot. Sometimes my spouse and I even read books together — right now we’re reading an interesting one about fungus. We only do this for non-fiction, I could never be patient enough to only read a novel one chapter at a time together.
5. For non-fiction I just go to the bookstore and see what looks good, especially in the Staff Recommendations section, because those usually have a note from the staffer about why it’s good 🙂
6. Right now I am doing the Seattle Public Library’s summer Book Bingo challenge, so I look for books which will fulfill the requirements of specific squares, like “Coming of Age” or “Sports”.
7. Speaking of the library, sometimes I just open the library app and browse and see what is on the different curated librarian lists. They always have some interesting themes, such as books related to whatever is observed that month (AAPI heritage month, Mental Health Awareness month, etc).
Thank you so much, AJ! I find that it’s hard for me to start a book/get into it, but usually, about half-way through, then I have to finish it (also a problem, lol).
Me again.
I used to love embroidery and did a lot of different kinds. Maybe it’s something I should take up again.
What kind of embroidery do you enjoy?
I tried knitting with beads once, it was fun, it was a lace and bead shawl. I have no idea where it is or even if I finished it.
I am a big, big reader and probably have finished around about 50 books or more this year. Going to library helps and I like to browse bookshops to see if the library has them to request.
I loathe heatwaves and I hope you manage to stay cool.
Oh my goodness, how sweet of a Winston video! He’s growing up so fast!
Purchases/rediscoveries: WOOHOO! I just received my SG x Temptalia bundle, plus Dear Reader single yesterday upon returning home from my Remicade infusion! These are beautiful beyond my expectations. Yes, I’ve seen a bunch of swatches, but to see these in person gives one all the good feels for what went into creating these. Truly a very special purchase in every way possible!
Weekend Plans: Relax. Well, mostly anyway. I’ll likely hit the pool at least once. Do my Zoom meeting tomorrow, too. Every time I get my Remicade infusion I’m totally wiped out that day plus the next.
What hobby have you been enjoying lately? Nothing! It’s kinda sad, but I just haven’t been feeling very adventurous or enthused over hobbies these days. Even my usual hobbies/interests just don’t seem to make me feel anything anymore. This lack of joy or enthusiasm isn’t like me at all. I wish it would all come back to me again…like now.
Oh, so glad you are loving them so far, Nancy! Thank you! 🙂
I hope your Remicade infusion starts to work shortly for you, such a debilitating disease you have. Having a cool down in the pool would help I think.
Heeeey Winston! He’s so cute, I may rewatch they several times!
Waiting in my, your Quintessence light and Dear Reader. So excited ! Weekend plans are to relax. And my hobby garden is is amazing!
So close!
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: My three Sydney Grace x Temptalia palettes and Dear Reader should arrive Monday. I am SO excited!
Weekend plans: I’ll mostly be working. Currently, I’m copyediting a science fiction novel. The author is excellent, so I’m having a great time with it!
What hobby have you been enjoying lately?: Some friends and I just started a Star Wars tabletop RPG campaign–so much fun!
How cute is Winston! And he does look like he needs a nap too. And how wonderful it is for you to be able to visit your parents Christine, especially when they have a pool to relax in from your very hot Arizona weather.
Recent Purchases: My Grown Alchemist shampoos and Maybelline’s Spice for Me lipsticks have just arrived, so I am pleased about that. Just waiting on my On the Horizons Light palette to show up.
Rediscoveries: Last year (inbetween our two major lockdowns) I purchased a beautiful teal jumper and haven’t worn it until yesterday. I used my Lancome Sparkling Intoxication palette to co-ordinate with it.
Weekend Plans: Not surprisingly, our washing machine has broken down (it refuses to spin) and we have a technician coming out next week, but in the meantime it is trips to the laundromat for me – in house of 8, we have a truckload of washing every single day.
Our recent lockdown restrictions have eased further, which is great news, but our local hills are still off limits because of the wild storms a few weeks ago. Thankfully the army have delivered portable generators to those without power, but the amount of fallen debris on the roads is still bad.
Hopefully on Sunday my husband and I can go out for a drive.
Hobbies: Hmm – not much time for hobbies lately! But I do enjoy reading and read a wide variety of books both fiction and non fiction. I enjoy mystery crime (Stephen Booth in particular) and non fiction books on palaeontology, geology etc. I am currently reading Simon Winchester’s book on the Atlantic.
Have you heard of “Four Lost Cities” by Annalee Newitz? It has a lot of cool archeology and history of ancient cities.
No AJ, I haven’t heard of that book, so I am busy now looking it up. Thank you for the suggestion.
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: Nothing new yet, but I found some Milani baked blushes at the back of the drawer – I love those! So glowy and so pretty!
Weekend plans: We’re expecting a lot of rain so I’ll catch up on housework and binge some shows with my husband. But tonight I get to babysit my granddaughter! She’s the best!🥰
What hobby have you been enjoying lately? I’ve been crocheting my little heart out! Baby blankets for my granddaughter, for my new great nephew (just arrived Tuesday), and one for my great niece arriving in October! And of course, always reading!
What a joy having a granddaughter! How old is she Carolyn? My granddaughter is 7, my grandson is 5 and the baby Harry, is 10 months old and is a constant delight.
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: The Sydney Grace x Temptalia collection!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And a handful of shadows from Terra Moons and Clionadh.
Weekend plans: Continue recovering from surgery and managing the pain.
What hobby have you been enjoying lately?: Being a moderator of my nail stamping group 🙂
Hope you feel better soon, Cat <3
I hope your recovery from surgery improves on a daily basis – it’s not fun at all being in pain.
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: A replacement Fenty Purp-a-Trader Flypencil (the lead just randomly fell out) and PMG Lovestruck, Cherish, and Divine Rose blushes.
Weekend plans: Worked all day today, grocery run tomorrow evening, Sunday I’m not sure about but there will probably be some CSI: Miami and/or Criminal Minds involved at some point.
What hobby have you been enjoying lately?: Right now it’s been mostly makeup, actually!
Recent Purchases: I hadn’t bought makeup in a whole year so I kind of splurged in May/June for my birthday lol. Lime Crime Venus greatest hits classic eyeshadow palette. ColourPop Baroque and Thumper eyeshadow palettes plus Heiress single. MELT She’s in Parties eyeshadow palette. Terra Moons Blood Moon single. Sydney Grace x Temptalia all 3 palettes light versions plus Moon Landing single. I also got a Natasha Denona Sense 384M eyeshadow single as a GWP from sephora.
Weekend Plans: This weekend is my husband’s 40th birthday so we’re going to smoke ribs and salmon for a dinner potluck and maybe go fishing.
Recent hobbies: I spent the last month matting and framing a ton of art that I’d bought in the last 2 years (but had just stuck in a drawer in my art desk) and now I’m going to hang it all, which means taking down everything I already have hung so I can arrange it nicely. I’ve also gotten back into walking this year, I’m up to a 5K every other day and have gotten to know my neighborhood really well.
Sounds like you will have a party of eyeshadow! 😀
What a wonderful stack of eyeshadows you have purchased Alice and I hope your husband had a great birthday with your friends too.
Winston! He is such a cute boy!
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: I’m almost done with my Dior quads, tossing eight or nine that either didn’t perform well anymore or that I just didn’t like. I had decided to try to sell my PmG Mothership V? the bronze one whatever it’s called. I was just going to swatch it for fun, I ended up using it and though I get fall down like crazy *I have liked the very simple one and done looks I’ve made. I think I’m just going to keep it.
If anyone have ideas of how not to get fall down when applying, pleas comment, I have tried dry brush, damp brush, finger.
I am of course waiting for my order from SG.
Weekend plans: None. Walking the dog, maybe do e bit of gardening, and I really need to clean the house. What fun!
What hobby have you been enjoying lately?: Playing WoW The Burning Crusade. I found an interesting TV series about Egypt, I have to check when it’s on to see the rest of it. A British historian doing a cruise on The Nile, visiting loads of the places I’d love to see and of course getting access to a lot I’d never be allowed to see.
History as a hobby, I guess that works.
recent purchases: the temptalia collection yay! everything is so beautiful, and rediscovered my ND diamond blush palette in darya
weekend plans: wrangle the kiddos and begin mentally preparing for July when my 3 yr old goes back to preschool for the first time in 18 months, my maternity leave wraps up, and I start a new (in person!) job (very bittersweet things!)
hobbies: i did a full face of makeup for the first time in forever because I really wanted to do the collab pallettes justice and am going to try to make it a point to play with makeup for fun at least a couple times a month
Happy it arrived, Vicki! 🙂
Best wishes for the new job Vicki and I hope your little one settles into preschool really well. They definitely do miss being with other kids.
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: The Sydney Grace x Temptalia collection! I tried all three palettes for my try-on haul video and I have to say I’m in love!
Weekend plans: I work Sunday, so this Saturday is dedicated to filming a few videos and editing my July Camp NaNoWriMo announcement in time for it to go out before the first of July
What hobby have you been enjoying lately?: Writing and making videos! I won’t be participating in vlogging this Camp NaNoWriMo because of my work schedule, but I’m still actively writing! Not sure if it’s ever going to be something I can ever actually publish though. I’ve been writing for over a decade now but YouTube is something I started up during the pandemic, even with my job now I’ve still been keeping up pretty well with it
I will watch for the video! Thank you, Kimberly!!
Finds/Rediscoveries: Look Fantastic US had the Bobbi Brown Love Radiance Collection, so I picked up the Luxe Eyeshadows in Opal Moonstone and Heat Ray. My Lisa Eldridge order came in a few weeks ago. The standouts for me are the Elevated Glow in Cosmic Rose, Enlivened Blush in Venetian Red, Lucent Lip Colour in Spirited Away, and Gloss Embrace in Beauty (that I bought to jazz up Velvet Beauty lipstick).
Weekend Plans: Went over to a friend’s house for brunch on Saturday, cleaning and organizing one room on Sunday, watching NHL playoffs and finishing the Queen’s Gambit series.
Hobby I’ve been enjoying lately: I’ve been depotting my Suqqu eyeshadows and blush into Z-palettes. I enjoy seeing how the colour combinations change or are repeated (corals) when you can see the eyeshadows all at once while still keeping the quad design (inspiration) intact.