Friday Finds & Check-ins, Volume #624
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: Beauty Bay eyeshadow palettes, Patrick Ta blush palette
- Weekend plans: Enjoy the cooler weather! After a long, hot summer, it is nice to head into some more fall-esque temperatures.
- What motivates you?: Lately, it’s been family and knowing things need to get done in order to take care of the people I love.
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This week's doggo photo/video...
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Winston makes my heart feel better!
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: I broke my no buy and bought the new Danessa Myricks eye palette I don’t have room for it but I’ll have to make room, it looked so beautiful I couldn’t help my self.
Weekend plans: I’m on a healing journey right now, my sister passed away on the 10th. I flew to Vancouver on the 1st to spend a week with her in the Hospice and the five of us sisters spent the whole week with her and helped her on her path to a pain free after life. At least she is free from all the pain she was in thank goodness. My migraines have been out of this world this week so I’m looking forward to relaxing this weekend my husband is good at looking after me.
What motivates you?: Having the best life for myself and my family and friends.
I’m so so sorry to hear about your sister! What a blessing though that she got to have all of you with her for that time.
I hope you get to heal too and that your migraines ease up, they are horrible.
❤️
Thank you Lydia we never know when it’s our time to go and when we have time to say good bye it is a blessing.
Brenda, I am so terribly sorry for your loss of your sister. There is certainly something special about belonging to a larger group of siblings. I saw that with my Mom and her 3. When the 1st one passed away, it was both very sad, yet beautiful how the remaining 3 uplifted one another. As far as I know, I do have several siblings on my biological father’s side that I’ve never met. But I digress. I know that this must be a terrible time for you, and I am truly sorry and hope that your memories of her give you comfort.
Thank you Nancy <3
I’m so sorry for your loss.
Thank you AJ.
My condolences on the loss of your sister. Losing a sibling is so hard.
Thank you Rachel.
I am so, so sorry to read about your sister Brenda and I know that she is now pain free and in a peaceful state. She was so lucky (given the state of lockdowns and restrictions that are rampant everywhere around the globe) to have you all there to be with her at her passing. So very sad for you and your family.
I am not surprised to read about your migraines either – after the most stressful week or so that you have had. Take care.
Thank you Genevieve we were lucky that we were able to visit her it was a comfort to her that we were with her to the end. The Hospice staff were so good with her I don’t know how they do that job every day!
I’m very sorry about your sister. Take comfort in knowing she’s in a better place. Those migraines are probably down to stress. It’s very very difficult seeing a loved one go through something so painful… It’ll get better, just give it time!
Thank you Andrea.
I’m so sorry to hear about your sister, Brenda It’s wonderful though that you all could be together this last time, even if it was a sad time.
Take all the time you need to grieve, it is so important.
I hope your migraines will go away soon.
Take really good care of yourself!
Thank you Helene.
Ah, Brenda. I’m so sorry. I’m thinking of you. How hard it must be to go through that loss. Sending you love.
Thank you Celesta it was a struggle but we had the support of family and the Hospice staff were so wonderful and comforting.
Oh, Brenda, what a sad loss, but clearly you have taken comfort in the knowledge that her pain and struggle are over. We are fortunate that end of life care, hospices and an overall greater understanding of dealing with the road to death have advanced and continue to do so. Caring thoughts to you.
Thank you Mariella when someone is in such pain it is a relief to see it end and the Hospice staff is so comforting. My youngest sister is one of the nurses that works there and I honestly do not know how she does this every day, but it works for her and obviously for the others and they are so caring and kind.
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: None. While I have my palettes on rotation to use a different one each month, I am still using the colors always have used.
Weekend plans: Meeting up with friends whom I last saw in 2019 for pizza on Saturday. On Sunday I gave tickets to the Dior show at the Brooklyn Museum. Their shows on the art of fashion are amazing.
What motivates you?: Not to be a downer but I am more aware now of me and my husband getting older and it is motivating me to pay more attention to how we live.
I totally get that! I’m 39, and for the past few years I’ve really been thinking about the fact that 40 is right around the corner. Still many good years ahead of me, but I’m trying to make decisions now that will help me be healthier as I age. Thinking about exercise for bone density, for instance. I’d like to continue to be active for as long as possible and I can’t do that if my bones are broken. And in my dance practice I’m more conscious than ever of warming up properly and not doing anything foolish that could lead to injury.
I hope you and your husband have a wonderful time catching up with friends and I think the Dior Art of Fashion show would be fabulous, it’s just the kind of thing I love to do myself. Have a great weekend Lesley.
Recent Purchases: A few Terra Moons Fall Equinox shadows (The Cosmos, Veil Nebula, Star Sign), and a single shadow from Sugar Drizzle Polish (Floragous).
Rediscoveries: showing my Natasha Denona palettes love this week.
Weekend plans: Heading to Zoo Boo with my husband and son!
What motivates you?: mostly the satisfaction of getting something done. It clears my head.
Have a great weekend Celesta vising the Zoo Boo with your family. I think your son will love this – he is at the right age to really understand about animals.
He really seemed to enjoy it this time around; we haven’t been to the zoo since he was two (because Covid). We all had a great time. 😊
Recent Purchases: Just some re-stocks from Paula’s Choice: SKIN BALANCING Oil-Reducing Cleanser, mini CLEAR Extra Strength Daily Skin Clearing Treatment with 5% Benzoyl Peroxide, CLEAR Purifying Clay Mask, All Over Hair & Body Shampoo (so happy it’s back in stock), RESIST Anti-Aging Eye Gel (mini), CLINICAL 1% Retinol Treatment (mini), SKIN PERFECTING Travel Size 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant (gift with purchase, mini), The UnScrub (gift with purchase, mini)
Weekend plans: It’s finally raining in the California Bay Area, so I need to find indoor solutions to be active. 😀 Unfortunately any hiking plans are off on Saturday.
But on Sunday I will be attending a local performance of the Hamilton musical, my first since the pandemic started. I’m kind of nervous going back to `normal`, but I’ll take it one step at a time.
What motivates you?: I’m quite a self-motivated person, I’m just motivated by my urge to get things done… and my perfectionism. 😆
But in a way I’m also motivated by my wish to make people that care for me proud. I don’t want to disappoint anyone.
Enjoy the local performance of the Hamilton musical Ana Maria, I think once you are there you will be transported to a happier world.
And it’s good to hear that rain is falling in your state after all the bushfires and drought you have been experiencing lately.
Oh how wonderful that you got a new dog! My 17 year old cad passed away a while ago and we are starting to think about a new furbaby.
Yep, he sure is! 😍
Purchases/rediscoveries: All I bought this week was a few pieces of fall/winter clothing. Which, living here means that they won’t get as much use as they would back in New Jersey!
Weekend plans: Zoom meeting tomorrow morning, provided that I wake up on time and that my stupid phone will allow me to get on. Later today, I need to make a trip to Fry’s for a script. Speaking of prescriptions, I have some wonderful news: I do NOT have pancreatic cancer! The not so good: I have something called Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency and need to take Creon pancreas enzyme replacement capsules right as I take my first bite of food. Hey, that’s still nowhere near as bad as I was fearing, though!
What motivates you? Plans! Yes, firm, well defined plans to either go somewhere or that there is something that I must get done. I’m really not a good “self starter”, so I need structure and at least some predictability in my routine to keep me on track. Now this is in regards to duties/routine. As for long term, the sometimes very scary realization that at 62 y.o., I need to focus on how I would like to live out the remainder of my life. And I know deep in my heart that I want and need to return to New Jersey. Problem is; funds. I’m likely going to sell my very beautiful, very old antique desk in order to make this happen. I just don’t know.
I’m so glad to hear that you don’t have cancer! I’m sorry you have any issue at all, but I’m so glad it’s easily treatable. I hope you start feeling much better.
Rachel, so am I! Turns out EPI is pretty easily treated with taking these replacement enzymes that most people’s pancreas naturally produces. I kinda messed up last night, though. Began devouring some of my dinner before remembering that I needed to take that capsule! So stupid of me!
As long as I have known you on this blog Nancy, you have always wished to return to New Jersey and I hope you can find a way without selling your lovely antique desk, however if selling means you can live your dream – well so be it.
Thank goodness you don’t have pancreatic cancer, but something else that can be relieved by taking medication. What a relief (in a way) for you. You must have been worried out of your mind about the diagnosis.
Exactly right, Genevieve. As much as I hate selling it, I know that it is the only thing I have that will likely give me enough to leave the desert. I’ve had enough of the searing heat during most of the year, especially since I don’t drive.
And yes, I sure am super relieved that it’s not pancreatic cancer! I was truly terrified to the point where I was frozen. Wasn’t making those few very important appointments out of paralyzing fear.
Holy moly! Here I was not so long ago complaining about it being too sunny and about my foot! And you were worried about the big C! I’ve been shamed into my little corner, talk about perspective hey?! I’m very happy you have something which can be easily treated!
Covid’s wreaked havoc on my plans too and I’m still trying to come out of it at the other end tbh! Maybe you can have a looksy through your closet before selling your lovely desk or sell other not so nice furniture you have lying around? It it comes to it, it’ll be fine, tell yourself it’s just a desk and it’s an opportunity to get a better dining table to have your friends over in NJ!
No need to feel shamed at all, Andrea! We’ve all done that. I know I have. I’m just grateful beyond words that this turned out to be only a C scare, not the real deal. Will say, though, I was paralyzed with fear of the unknown and stupidly put off the one definitive test because I was chicken.
As for the desk, I don’t believe that I have anything else of that value to sell? Perhaps some of my clothing that doesn’t fit anymore (Covid weight gain!), makeup? Perhaps I’ll do another GoFundMe? Although for this, it just feels a bit “wrong”? I do know this for sure; I learned life is far too short to stay where one is both very depressed, plus having an issue with extreme weather that one’s body can no longer tolerate.
I was thinking of clothes, handbags and shoes because I know there’s big bucks in that. You might not think they’re worth much but there’s always sb who’s interested! Every single item put together… you might actually get a nice amount at the end. Handbags in particular always drive people crazy and I would also consider bits and pieces like old earrings and bracelets. I think those are easier to replace than an antique desk so you wouldn’t regret it as much in the future. I’ll stop now because I’m being too nosy!
I’ll just add this: we can’t stay where we feel we don’t belong. Moving can be difficult but if you feel now’s the time just go for it. If you have “moral backup” in NJ, then you have the most important thing. Go for it, you’ve made you decision! This might sound mean but take advantage of the covid numbers going up; more people home, means more people bored and looking at stuff to buy online, so start unloading your stuff now. All it takes is pictures. If it goes, it goes, if it doesn’t that’s fine too. Good luck!
Oh Nancy I’m so happy you have a treatable illness and not cancer. You must have been so scared!
It has definitely been a crazy few months of worry, Helene! And I sure am relieved beyond words, not to mention, grateful that it wasn’t cancer.
Such wonderful news, Nancy. I’m so glad and can’t imagine your sense of relief.
Thank you, Mariella! This has been a very tough few months with this hanging over my head. But, now knowing that what I have is easily treatable and not deadly, has given me a brand new perspective on life and where I need to be!
What a relief Nancy! I’m very happy for you. Things seem to work their way out somehow when you put your mind to it, and we all know that you get things done that you want to be done. I know you’ll figure it out one way or other.
Brenda, I don’t even know if relieved begins to describe it! I feel like I have a new lease on life and a greater appreciation for the time left, with some exhilaration thrown in and lots of prayers of thanksgiving.
And that awareness makes me hope that I do have the heart to go after my dreams, and not just waste time living in a place that I no longer can deal with.
That is exactly the way I felt when my diagnosis on my liver came back clean. Run with it Nancy! We have to live our lives every day, we only die once.
I love when pets put all of their little feets together when they sleep <3
Purchases/rediscoveries: I wore Mielke Way for the first time last weekend and it was soooo pretty. OTOH, I was reminded that while I like how "Dead Roses" from ABH looks in the tube, I don't like how it wears on my lips. So that's going in the trash, along with my UD Heavy Metal glitter liner that I noticed has completely separated 🙁
Weekend plans: The main thing is that my little brother is coming to visit us! I haven't seen him in 4-5 years and he's never been up to the Seattle area so it will be fun to show him around. He gets in late Saturday night. He's a big ol' nerd like me so we are going to have a game night with some of our friends at a local game shop on Sunday. Before he gets here, spouse and I will run some errands but also treat ourselves to our favorite boba tea place.
What motivates me: Honestly, I am often a very externally motivated person. When I was in a dance troupe, I was motivated to practice our choreographies so I wouldn't let my troupemates down; especially if I was going to be in front of the formation with some newbie dancers behind me 🙂 Similarly, at work, it's really important for me to get things done ahead of deadline whenever possible so that no one is ever held back waiting for me.
How absolutely wonderful that you are able to catch up with your ‘little’ brother AJ and I hope that you have a wonderful time showing him around your gorgeous city.
Organising a game night with him will be right up his alley, I think and it will be so lovely to connect with him again.
RECENT PURCHASES: Enchanted Lustre Cosmetics (etsy) Dragon Prism 1 collection; Beauty Bay Age of Opulence Palette; Nomad Haunted Europe Palette
WEEKEND PLANS: Put up Halloween decorations outside. We may go to the Portland Art Museum on Sunday and see the Queen Nefertari’s Egypt Exhibit.
WHAT MOTIVATES YOU?: My family
What kind of Halloween Decorations do you put up Rachel? Now that we have kids living in our house, they and their parents are all into Halloween. I have already bought the kids their costumes – with baby Harry in a pumpkin suit that he looks impossibly cute as in.
The Portland Art Museum sounds like a wondeful place to visit too.
Brenda, my condolences on the loss of your sister.
Ilene
Thank you Ilene.
How absolutely cute as – both Winston and Mellan. Gorgeous photos Christine.
Recent Purchases:: After reading some reviews of the By Terry Bonjour Paris palette, I decided to purchase it on behalf of my husband for my birthday in November. Because shipping is incredibly slow to Australia, I thought I would get it now. The swatches look good, the colour story is mine and I hope it works out as I have never tried anything from this brand at all. I got it from Beautylish, through Temptalia.
Recent Discoveries: Dior’s 3 Coloeurs Khaki palette as it has a divine olive brown shade.
Weekend Plans: Quite a lot of our restrictions have been lifted from midnight Thursday night, so I was able to meet up with my two best girfriends for lunch on Friday. We haven’t seen each other for months and had a lot to catch up on.
Saturday: Quite a lot of laundry, cleaning and ironing, plus I hope to go for a drive – depending on the weather, as it has turned cool and rainy. The kids are going up to see their other grandparents.
Sunday: Not sure what will be happening, a long walk and some relaxatiion.
What motivates me: Hard to say at the moment with the whole family living together in a very long lockdown land, but I guess the need to have some kind of order in the chaos that is our household. I like things to be reasonably clean, tidy and sorted. So I am motivated to keep things manageable and organised.
I also like to provide nourishing meals that are varied to give the children and adults and baby so that we all enjoy the mealtime experience.
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: I haven’t really bought anything that I can think of lately, mostly just been window shopping here! I’m trying to spend all the “extras” lying around. I wish I could go on holiday with an empty suitcase and come back with it full instead of ordering online!
Weekend plans: The biggest thing was getting my hair done but they got the date wrong! I’m so pissed right now… When that feeling’s gone I need to work on hiding anything a 4 y.o. would find *shiny* and *interesting* as my niece will probably be coming over for the day soon. Also need to decide between possibly worthless physiotherapy or surgery on my foot. A few weeks ago I was thinking how wonderful it would be to visit NY and then it was like, do I want to go and have to sit down after 10 minutes and rest my feet?!
What motivates you?: It used to be the wellbeing of people around me. Not feeling or being that well has made me realise it’s not the end of the world if I think of me first. I’ve also been feeling extra motivated to get well by knowing I was right and my GP’s an idiot! What a wonderful feeling to have and, even though I feel like crap, I finally hear that little voice saying “Keep going! You’ll get there!”.
My hair is so, so desperate Andrea, it’s not funny anymore and to have the dates mixed up would absolutely throw me into a first rate tizz.
What’s wrong with your foot Andrea? Would surgery help fix it? I wouldn’t spend my money on physio if it’s not going to help (having done that before myself).
And it’s OK to put your own health and wellbeing first so that you can heal yourself and I also have realized this myself, having my whole family living with me – sometimes I just have to have a break.
Hi Genevieve, thank you for caring!
OMG! The hair! I I drove for a bloody hour to get there… That’ll teach me to go to a place that’s closer! haha! Lesson learnt and I’ll be taking it in my stride!
Among other things, because this past year has been the gift that keeps on giving in terms of health, I have something called Haglung’s Deformity. It’s basically an inflammed bone in the heel which causes me a tremendous amount of pain when walking. At first it wasn’t hurting per se, just being uncomfortable but I kept hearing from doctors “you need to work out”, lose the extra weight and it’ll go away… It got to a point where my left foot tried to compensate, so it hurts too as does my hip. Meds haven’t helped and from what I’ve read, neither will physio but we’ll see when I go to my appointment. I don’t want to spend the next months or year with my feet dictating what I do or where I go.
That’s why I can’t even imagine what Nancy went through! When you feel sick but you don’t know for sure what it is, your mind takes over and “fills in the gaps”, usually not in the nicest way possible! It’s a wonderful feeling to know what’s wrong though. Then you can move forward with a plan! I always tell people to put themselves first but it’s not easy when it’s me. I’m still learning to be my own advocate!
Winston is so cute, trying to make a knot using his legs.
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: Orchid You Not eyeshadow palette, Wild Orchid Sol Shimmering Body Powder. Lipsticks Dancing Lady, Heavy Petal and Orchis also Venus Slipper eyeliner pencil, all from CP.
Weekend plans: Nothing. Sounds boring, but there’s not a real distinction between week days and weekends for me.
What motivates you?: If I only knew! It’s really hard for me to find any motivation right now. It is the chronic depression making things harder and the year has been quite awful, so I feel empty. Hopefully it’ll get a bit better with time.
I can say that the wellbeing of my dog and my son probably is the one thing that makes me slightly motivated, and the hope that I will find motivation to do the things I know I love doing in a not too distant future.
It’s been one heck of a bloody crappy year, hasn’t it? You’re not alone in feeling like that! If the help you’ve been getting isn’t making you feel better, look elsewhere, talk to your GP if you haven’t. But, more than anything, don’t beat yourself up over it, it wasn’t your choice and you won’t always feel that way.
Recent purchases: 2 Sephora Rouges Lacquer lipsticks – Stronger and Visionary; Sephora Microsmooth Powder in Nude (I’d purchased Sand a few weeks ago because Nude was out of stock) and most exciting of all, Charlotte Tilbury The Rebel eyeshadow quad, which I’ve wanted for ages. Hearing Genevieve’s love for this for this palette was what really compelled me.
Weekend plans. We’re at the gorgeous cottage of our dear friends, helping them with repairs and improvements and building storage racks for the kayaks. The view of the changing colours across Big Rideau Lake is just breathtaking. When we leave, we’re travelling on to Ottawa for a few days in our nation’s capital.
What motivates me: mostly, enjoying myself and enjoying what I do. I’m at an age where I think I’ve earned that.
I am so glad that my love of CT’s The Rebel 2020 quad has motivated you to make this purchase. You won’t regret it Mariella because I use these shades with all of my neutral, rose goldy and Glam kind of palettes – sometimes I use the second shade, and sometimes the third and fourth, depending on what kind of look I am aiming for (or thinking about aiming for – with Olivia ‘helping’ me in the background.
This is something funny that will make you laugh – I was wearing our favourite perfume – Clinque’s Aronmatics the other day and my husband commented on how much he liked that perfume and was it a new one? I looked at him, in astonishment, and said, I have been wearing this for the past twenty to thirty years! Doh!
I also hope you are having a beautiful time by the lake and enjoy your visit to Ottawa, is it likeour capital city Canberra – ismall and compact, but has an amazing amount of museums and places of interest to visit?
Well, Ottawa isn’t exactly what I’d call small (population of about 1.5 million) but it’s an historic and picturesque city. Its “industry” is government and the Supreme Court of Canada so without traditional industry it’s very clean (ignoring the dirt of politics, that is) and has wonderful shops, galleries, artist communities, restaurants,etc. We really love it there.