Friday Finds & Check-ins, Volume #636
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: Lots of fragrance samples from LuckyScent and Scent Split! I also received the new Chanel Lip & Cheek Balms I bought, Chanel Le Lion perfume (full bottle), Tower 28 toner.
- Weekend plans: My biggest to-do item for the weekend, which I actually did this morning (and is the reason I am late posting the Friday post!) was gathering up all the returns around the house, boxing and labeling, AND bonus, dropping them off at UPS. Now, it’s time to sit back and relax… for a few minutes 🙂
- Do you ever buy flowers for yourself?: These days, it’s super rare. I’m more inclined to buy flowers to plant in the yard, even if they may not make it through an Arizona summer, since they’ll last longer and still be cheaper than a typical bouquet. I love real flowers, though.
P.S. — Want to chat with readers on the regular? Check out Temptalia’s Discord where you can chat about beauty, makeup, and more! 🙂
P.P.S. — Check our hubby’s new site for video gaming guides — good if you (or someone you know or your kids!) is into games like Roblox and Minecraft!
This week's doggo photo/video...
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Recent Purchases: None! Trying to put off any potential purchases to the end of the month and reevaluate if I even want them.
Rediscoveries: I used the CP x My Little Pony palette last weekend, and keep thinking about it… so I’ll probably use it again. Just love those tones.
Weekend plans: Nothing in particular!
Do you ever buy flowers for yourself? I don’t… I love them, but it’s just not something that I think of spending money on.
Haul: absolutely nothing. Rediscovery – the UD Game of Thrones palette. Gosh, I love some of the shadows in that and yesterday, I applied Winterfell using my finger and what a great result that was!
Weekend plans: we’ve got a bitter cold spell coming and possibly a whack of snow so we’ll be indoors most of the weekend but we are going to visit my daughter and son in law on Sunday, bringing lunch with us (restaurants are closed here once again for indoor dining which is being pretty tough on them, I can tell you!). We found out Christmas morning that they are expecting their first baby – our first GRANDCHILD – and we are so excited.
Do you buy flowers for yourself: I do, indeed. At this time of year – cold temps, short daylight, just a gloomy time of year – I feel I deserve it because having fresh cut flowers indoors just brightens my mood. If my husband doesn’t think to buy me some, I will buy them for myself (at this time of year, tulips are my favourite – they just seem to promise the eventual arrival of springtime)
Congratulations on the wonderful news, Mariella! I hope your daughter has a good pregnancy.
You’ve got me thinking maybe I should crack open that GoT palette again, too!
AJ, thank you so much for your good wishes. It is a strange time to be pregnant or having a baby (all the “regular” events like baby showers, visitors coming to hospital to see the new baby, etc. are no longer possible) but we are so very excited.
If you do get the GOT palette out again, let me know. There really are a few clunkers in that palette (starting with the stupid packaging) but most are really good and some are total standouts! I’m so glad I’ve been able to make friends with Winterfell!
Big congratulations on your future Grandma-hood, Mariella! Such a wonderful experience awaits 👣
Thank you, Nancy. We’d sort of reached the conclusion that they didn’t plan to have any children so this came as a total surprise, and a wonderful one. I’m so glad I didn’t get rid of my baby sewing patterns (I’ve got some really adorable Laura Ashley ones, if it’s a girl….I’ve even got the pinnies, dresses and pantaloons I made for my daughter when she was little packed safely away!)
Mariella, I am overjoyed to read your good news regarding your daughter’s pregnancy. I do hope she is feeling well and continues to feel well, although she is probably a bit fatigued at the moment. I remember when our son and daughter in law announced their first pregnancy and we were just over the moon with happiness.
It’s going to be very hard, if not impossible, to resist buying all manner of items big and small for the baby. When is the little one due?
Big congratulations to all concerned.
Baby’s due July 11 (though July 1 would give us a Canada Day baby!). Thank you so much for your good wishes. One of the things I’ve been thinking about is that I can turn to YOU for advice, having read all your wonderful posts about how involved you are with your grandchildren, especially now during all these lockdowns and restrictions.
Well here’s hoping that by July the virus will have waned and you can have a wonderful baby shower for your daughter. I put one on for Anika when she was having Olivia (her first) and it was just fantastic. She got so many beautiful and useful presents.
Thank you for the compliment about advice re restrictions and lockdowns + grandchildren. We had a rule here that you could visit someone for care and compassion and with care, we were able to do so under that rule.
This is so exciting for you. I’m excited for you!
I’ve been to a few Zoom baby showers for the children of friends who are now having their own babies. It was nice and no fuss (one was at the very height of one of the lockdowns so all gifts had to be ordered online and were delivered to the mom to be and opened with everyone “Zoom-present”. It was a nice alternative and certainly more personal than just sending a gift and waiting for a thank you card or email but still wasn’t quite the same (no sandwiches, no punch, no desserts). But it’s amazing how we seem to adapt. But a part of me just feels like screaming “I want the old days back”. When I’m reading a book or watching a tv series and the characters meet at a cafe for lunch or a coffee (without all the limitations we have here even when indoor dining was permitted….it’s been shut down yet again but a few months ago, we could go to a restaurant or cafe, tea room, etc. – but with so many restrictions – it couldn’t just be spontaneous like in past) — anyway, I just long for the days to return when I can go for a walk, perhaps pushing a pram, and stop in somewhere for a coffee and a muffin or a bowl of soup….”the good old days”.
Congrats on your first grandchild! We have grand puppies! But they’re permanent babies so that’s ok!
Brenda, thank you for your good wishes. When we were about to get our first dog as a family, I found out I was pregnant again (#3 was a bit of a surprise). Hubs suggested that maybe we should cancel the dog and I said to him “yes, GREAT idea for having the kids welcome their new sibling – ‘Hey kids, you know that puppy we’d promised….well, guess what – you’re not getting her now because you’re getting a new brother instead’ ” So we had a new baby and a new puppy and it all worked out wonderfully (but it sure was a busy time, though)
Congratulations on the happy news of your first grandchild!!
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: Nothing beauty related. I did manage to find some home Covid tests.
Weekend plans: Getting ready for a trip to California for ten days. It’s been so long since we travelled that I need to redo my makeup and toiletries travel bags.
Do you ever buy flowers for yourself? Yes. A few years ago I began buying them regularly but only from local growers at the farmers market.
Covid tests… That’s a thing I would love to get my hand on. 😅 I’ve tried finding something locally but it’s almost impossible. And even my health care provider has a huge delay on shipping them.
How incredibly lovely to go away somewhere nice for ten days – you must be so excited Lesley and California is a beautiful place I believe. It’s been so long since any of us have been able to safely travel that it is no wonder you are redoing your makeup and toiletries bag. And you are so lucky to get some Covid tests too – they are as scarce as hens’ teeth here in Melbourne.
Purchases/rediscoveries: Nothing this week.
Weekend plans: Our big exciting weekend plan is to go to our favorite boba place. I miss being able to actually go out and do things, but here we are again. We will, of course, get takeout again. And otherwise it will just be another weekend of staying home, eating at home, playing games at home, reading at home… Maybe I will try making some fancy cocktails or something.
Do I buy flowers for myself: Yes! I will sometimes pick up a bouquet at Trader Joe’s, and the farmer’s markets around here have really amazing bouquets for like $10. They add a nice spot of brightness to the house, and of course it’s been a few years since I’ve had to worry about a cat eating the flowers or knocking them over.
I’m not sure I know what a boba place is AJ, but anywhere that means going out a bit is totally exciting to me too.
Yep, we are all over staying at home too….
Purchases/Rediscoveries – OCC Lip Tar in Anita. Yes it’s old, but it doesn’t smell weird, look weird, it’s not separated, and it looks great. I miss OCC
Weekend Plans – Same as every weekend. Enjoy myself in whatever way makes me happy. Ain’t nobody putting pressure on me on how/what to do on the weekends.
Buy Flowers for yourself? lol, no. I ain’t “that bitch” and it’s not changing any time soon.
How I enjoy watching the curiosity of a puppy or kitty! Winnie is so stinkin’ cute checking out your fragrance samples 🐕
Purchases/rediscoveries: Zilch for purchases. Did go back to using my regular tube lipsticks and lipglosses now that I have KN95 masks, since those don’t touch my mouth or even that area.
Weekend plans: I haven’t been able to get on Zoom for my meetings the past few weeks. Yet, I am able to get on for other appointments and stuff, so I’m not sure what’s happening? Pretty discouraging, as I need my meetings now more than ever. I finally have an appointment with a general surgeon with 14 years experience. That’s on February 1st. Everything is such a long wait because the Phoenix AZ area hospitals and medical facilities have been hit very hard with medical staff coming down sick with Omicron. I’m just seriously praying that they get to it in time before it hitches a ride to another organ. This is a very scary time to deal with any major surgery or non-infectious illness just because of all the short-staffing.
Do you ever buy flowers for yourself? No, not anymore. When I first moved here, I did for my patio. But, the climate here is just so harsh that everything died within less than a year. Now, when I lived in NJ, I sure did! I had flower gardens all the time. Looked forward to spring just to put new annuals in!
It’s really hard when your phone doesn’t connect you to the one thing that really brings you solace during these tough times, especially when you are on your own facing surgery. February 1st is a lucky day Nancy because that’s the day that our grandson Lachlan was born nearly 6 years ago – so it is a good date and that means your appt. will go well and the surgeon will explain all to you clearly and give you confidence.
I have my fingers crossed for you Nancy. My sister’s back surgery is scheduled for Tuesday and we’re hoping it isn’t cancelled too!
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: Nothing new cosmetic wise. I guess I did a good job at stocking up during the November/December sales, but I think I am at that point when I’ll suddenly finish everything at the same time. 😅
Weekend plans: I somehow have plans to visit an exhibit in San Francisco, debating if to go hiking or to a musical, just take advantage of the long weekend. But I also don’t feel that great and I don’t know of I’m just blaming it on a hard week at work… I guess getting sick is a way of reaching my resting goals…
Do you ever buy flowers for yourself?: I’m the kind of person that takes herself on an trip, dinner or date even when a partner is available. I like doing things just for me, and as an introvert I always do things for me instead of expecting them from a partner.
In the past I have purchased flowers for myself, especially if I saw a nice bouquet. But I haven’t done it in a long while because I personally chooses not to support cutting flowers / plants and especially transporting them across large distances. I prefer to leave flowers to gardens and fields. Also, I have a black thumb; when a plant enters my house, it suddenly dies. I can’t even grow basil in a pot. 😅
So Winston is attracted to scents – he probably thinks his mama has bought them for him to sniff out. What a cutie he is!
Recent Purchases: Just some new DB Centre Stage mascara that is meant to be good and so far I have found it to be easy to apply.
Rediscoveries: Nothing much there as it has been a bit too hot for dazzling eye and lip looks
Weekend Plans: Thank goodness today (Saturday morning here) has dawned cool and humid free. We have endured an extremely tropical week here in Melbourne – intense heat, high humidity and thunderstorms. There is a huge backlog of washing to do and the place is littered with toys as we have tried to keep the kids amused.
Our covid cases are soaring, so it has been a bit scary going out into communal spaces like shopping centres.
My weekend plans are, with the help of the rest of the household, to slowly put away the toys, get the washing done and hopefully vac the house. Plus a bit of food shopping.
Buy Flowers: No, I never buy flowers for myself and we don’t have flowers in the house either at the moment with an inquisitive, active little 16 month old bubba in the place – who loves to climb!
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: Placed a new Sephora order last night, which shipped today and is expected Tuesday-Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Ruby Orchid travel spray, Fenty Sinamon shimmer Match Stix (when the BareMinerals blonzers were out I disliked their finish but liked the Kiss of Copper shade, so I got Sinamon because it’s a listed dupe and I generally like Fenty’s formulas), Charlotte Tilbury Lunar New Year Walk of a Star lipstick (it’s a really unique shade of berry and I couldn’t resist the red tiger tube!) and Cheek to Chic Sex on Fire blush (most likely named after the Kings of Leon song, so it joins NARS Satellite of Love-Lou Reed and ColourPop Thnks fr th Mmrs-Fall Out Boy in my collection of blushes named after rock songs!).
Weekend plans: Slow day off today, work all day and weekly grocery run tomorrow, Sunday’s up in the air.
Do you ever buy flowers for yourself?: Only fake ones-I have a hereditary black thumb!