Friday Finds & Check-ins, Volume #640
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:
- Papillon Perfumes Bengale Rouge perfume — love at first sniff!
- Tom Ford Eye Color Creme quads (hoping to swatch today).
Weekend plans:
I’ve been trying to rest my hand a lot this week and doing tasks that are more “even” on my hands/fingers (like writing out reviews, which is why reviewing perfume has actually been enjoyable since it is longer form and doesn’t require a lot of the repeitive tasks of other reviews), so I am determined to get a good chunk of photos taken today. I will probably split the work up and do lip swatches tomorrow and editing across today and tomorrow.
On Sunday, my family and my husband’s family will be over for the Super Bowl. My mom does a lot of the cooking for family gatherings, and she spent three days prepping and cooking last week for Lunar New Year, so we’re just going to order pizza and keep it simple.
What are three pieces of advice you’d give to your younger self (non-beauty advice!)?
- To me in my mid-20s: don’t be afraid to dream big and bigger, take more risks with the business! I
- To me in graduate school: you should actually study instead of skating by on your brain’s natural abilities so that you’d actually DO better. I was that person who barely studied and did well in almost all my schooling until law school. It definitely didn’t help that Temptalia was taking off at that point so I was putting in all my work and time into the blog and school took the loss.
- To me in high school: it’s okay to be introverted instead of lonely; enjoy the extra time it gives you with your mom.
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 video games (or even Wordle, lol)!
This week's doggo photo/video...
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Recent Purchases: I found all the BH Cosmeticd Sweet Shoppe palettes, so I’m excited about that! Also planning on purchasing the Oden’s Eye x Angelica Nyqvist Hela palette; really excited for that one!
Rediscoveries: I used my Kaleidos Club Nebula palette for the first time in a while (on the day that Angie announced her collab with Oden’s Eye to boot! Wasn’t planned that way) and really enjoyed it so much. I’m getting into deeper matte shadows that can blend super easily and don’t get patchy, which can be difficult to get right, and Kaleidos has a beautiful deep matte formula.
Weekend plans: Cleaning, spending time with family, calling my mom for her birthday (the day before v-day) and on Sunday my husband and I are going yo head to each other’s favorite store to blind-pick out valentines gifts for each other. We’ve done this before and it was a ton of fun.
What are three pieces of advice you’d give to your younger self (non-beauty advice!)?
1) Life won’t always be so unstable and chaotic. You will feel safe one day; keep holding on.
2) You will grow into yourself and you will find people that love you for all you are.
3) You are on the right path.
Congratulations on getting the BH Sweet Shoppe palettes – they look fabulous and I am sure you will put them to great use. I looked up Odin’s Eye cosmetics and wow – do they have some gorgeous looking products – particularly the lipsticks.
Happy birthday to your mum and I hope she has a lovely day – does she live far away from you?
I recall from last year the ‘blind’ Valentines Day gifts – you picked out some golfing gloves for him, right? Men are so transparent…. what are you getting him this year?
And he wandered into Ulta/Sephora and picked out a purple eyeshadow palette that turned out to be on the dud side. Is he venturing into these shops again?
Whenever I go to either Mecca or Sephora here. there are couches outside the shop full of guys waiting for their wives, girlfriends, sisters, daughters etc to emerge…
It will certainly be interesting to see what he gets you.
I also love the advice given to your younger self – so very true.
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: My friend gifted me the Saints Angels Sinners Get Lucky palette!
Weekend plans: Tomorrow I hope to sleep in and Sunday I’ll be with my brother and family for the Superbowl!
What are three pieces of advice you’d give to your younger self (non-beauty advice!)?
1 – Don’t stop exercising regularly. You will regret it.
2 – Start therapy while in undergrad rather than later.
3 – Say yes to any opportunity to learn how to cook starting in your late teens.
I hope you and your family enjoy the Superbowl and I think the advice you give to your younger self is really useful and wise. Especially about the cooking – so many people do not know how to prepare and cook a meal on a budget – one that’s tasty and healthy at the same time. When I was working full time I use to get each of my sons to prepare an evening meal one night a week to give me a break. We had some interesting meals at first, but they soon got the hang of it (no takeaways) and now are pretty good cooks.
Watching your Winnie grow up and seeing my Penelope Pie-eyes become a loyal little lovebug have both brought so much joy to us after our untimely tragic losses of Mellan and Scunci. Though neither of our boys can ever be replaced, our new babies have brought something back into our lives.
Purchases/rediscoveries: Nothing purchased, rediscovered Mac Heux and Handwritten with ColourPop Glass Bull today. Simple, but super pretty eye look! And yesterday, I duped perfectly that Dior Night Bird quint, and just WOW! Should have taken pics and uploaded them on IG. But I didn’t.
Weekend plans: Laundry galore! Zoom meeting tomorrow morning, if my stupid phone cooperates. And I now have a set date for my surgery. March 25th. Didn’t imagine that they would push it so far out, but it is what it is.
What would you like to say to your younger self? Simple. 16 year old Nancy; that first time your boyfriend John backhanded you in the face, LEAVE HIM. Don’t get me wrong, I do love my two children that came from my relationship and marriage to that monster, but life could have been so much better and more beautiful with someone else who would have treated me with respect and real love. Yes, I do realize what I’m saying. But it’s true, and I definitely deserved so much better. 17 year old Nancy; do NOT drop out of high school for that jerk! 20 year old Nancy; You got your GED with one of the highest scores the state had ever seen, been offered full ride scholarship’s to even Ivy League colleges, GO GIRL and get yours! Because, yes, you can. Late 40’s me: Stop being so mean and disrespectful towards your kids marriage mates, because it’s none of your business and there is always three sides to every story: his, hers, and the truth.
Oh Nancy, it breaks my heart to read your post and the missed educational opportunities you gave up for false love…you must have been so, so clever and talented. As I wrote in my own post about our Head nun Sister Helen at secondary school, she realised we (at an all girls Catholic school) were squandering our opportunities by partying and met the situation head on, which motivated me to get back into our studies and ‘drop’ the boys. I wasn’t quite sure how she knew all about that – but now I guess you don’t get to be a principal of a girls school without being quite worldly at the same time.
Wise advice you give.
Bad boyfriends…. I’m so lucky I had a narrow escape. I think most of us have (if we’re lucky, far in our past and with no permanent ties like children) a bad relationship. I was so madly in love with mine that – partly because my parents backed me into the corner of “you can’t continue seeing him if you want to live under our roof” – that I left home and moved in with him while I was still in high school. And I don’t know if it was blind good luck or the fact that I was a “daddy’s girl” and eventually realized that I deserved better – but I left him 2 years later and moved back home (I was terrified my parents would say “never darken our door again” but they welcomed me back with open arms). It was truly such a lucky escape but in many ways I don’t regret it because I did escape and the experience taught me so much (including “never back a teenaged child into a corner….”).
You are such a lovely person, Nancy, from what I “know” of you from this site and I’m sorry you had to endure so much struggle.
Genevieve and Mariella, thank you so much for your very kind and thoughtful words. They mean so much to me. More than words can say.
The saddest truth is that my story is not unique. Not in the least. And, not everyone gets out alive. A young mother was just murdered by her baby’s father the other night in the Phoenix metro area. Then, he shot and injured NINE police officers before they shot him dead. Now that little baby has no mother or father.
I absolutely agree, in hindsight, that one should never back their teenage child into a corner like mine did. Or give their kid an ultimatum, either. And yet, I would strongly advise parents to be on the lookout for “red flags”, and proceed accordingly to safeguard their child.
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: Nothing new.
Weekend plans: I’ve cancelled my original plan and I’ll focus on getting some needed paperwork done, try to see how I can schedule tests and travel plans. I’ll try to keep myself busy and just survive the weekend… hopefully I’ll have more clarity. Well… at least the weather outside is warm enough for endless calming walks.
What are three pieces of advice you’d give to your younger self (non-beauty advice!)?
It’s Ok to be happy in your way, even if it’s different than everyone else – I’ve spent a lot of my younger years trying to be happy just as the majority of people want to be happy. I believed that there’s something wrong with me because I couldn’t be happy and fulfilled in the ways my friends, family and close circle were. Nobody ever imposed anything on myself, it was just my own doing.
Prioritize health and making your body work better, even if it’s the uncomfortable thing – I was lying myself that I was healthy, just because I had decent blood work and nothing hurt. When you are young you just don’t get that the bad habits will catch you in 10-20 years.
Learn how to organize your time and don’t procrastinate – I kept a bad habit of procrastination just because luckily I was never in trouble because of it. I’m a hard-working and responsible person, so most time procrastination meant wasting days and pulling all nighters afterwards just because I didn’t want to disappoint people.
Be true to yourself and tread your own path – well said Ana Maria.
I so enjoy living vicariously through your posts about Winston, Christine!
Purchases/Rediscoveries: I rediscovered the Natasha Denona Gold mini-palette last weekend. I think I had only dipped into one color once. I guess that’s what happens when you buy a palette thinking it will be great for travel and then you spend 2 years stuck at home 😉
Weekend plans: I think we’re going to go out for tacos (eaten outdoors) and get boba tea. We’re having a little False Spring in the Seattle area! I also need to finish the Valentine’s Day gift I’m making for my mother-in-law. It’s her favorite holiday so we always send her a gift and a card.
Three pieces of advice for my past self:
Age 16-17 – Just because your parents don’t seem to care about your education or your future doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.
Late 20s-early 30s – Here’s a list of people you should not waste your time/effort/money being friends with; they are not as nice and cool as they seem. And here’s a list of cool people you should spend more time with instead; they’ll still be in your life 5-10 years from now.
6 years ago – Give all your pets as much hugs, kisses, treats, and time as you can.
Amen to education AJ – you really hit the nail on the head. And I really like how you express the idea of choosing your friends wisely too. Great advice.
Of course Winston is a mama’s boy! Even the human ones are….. I love the collage of photos of him and I am not surprised at all to read that he loves to snooze between the two of you at night. Baby Harry is the same, he loathes his cot and loves snuggling between his mum and dad at night.
I can definitely sympathise with you re your hand Christine – and it’s no wonder that you have problems with your right hand after all the work on your computer you have done for the blog over many years. I currently have a stretched tendon in my right hand from lifting Harry, the laundry basked and shopping bags and, according to the Physio I attend, an overworked set of muscles in my right arm. So it does get painful when I move or go to grab something the wrong way. Rest is the only real cure.
Yes, your mum does need a break from cooking (as one who has catered for small and large celebrations over the years) and I think some pizzas are a good idea…
Recent Purchases: As I was telling Kira last week on the blog, I was in my local Sephora -expecting to be disappointed as per usual, when on a lonely stand, was PMG’s Sublime Bronze palette. I had just looked it up earlier in the day in reply to Kira’s post (her having rediscovered it) and due to the weird naming of Pat’s palettes, I had checked out to see which one she was talking about. It was the only one of Pat’s that I truly liked (all neutrals and no pinks), but I had lost hope that it would ever come to our Sephora as it was never in the original bunch of palettes that were being sold there. The palette was not even being sold on Pat’s website anymore either.
Anyway, I boggled at it and there was only one left besides the tester and I picked it up pretty quickly.
It was $106 – same price as Dior’s quints. It is very pricey for me – but oh so lovely. So now that last palette (not even advertised on Sephora’s website here) has a new home with me.
I haven’t opened it yet….I am going to keep it for awhile till I use up another couple of neutral eye palettes I have and I will save for a special day.
I am still waiting for my Fenty foundation to arrive in porcelain rose and the Freckle Fiesta lipstick.
Weekend Plans: Friday: I went out to lunch with a group of former teachers and colleagues at a school I worked at for a long time. Every couple of months we get together and it is wonderful to see them. Most of us have grandchildren around the same age and it is delightful to find out how they are all progressing and swap photos of them.
Still getting our house back to order, vacuuming and doing some shopping. We have babysat Harry for most of the week and Anika is really enjoying her job and is getting lots of very positive feedback.
She says to say thank you to all of those who wished her well.
The weather has turned quite a bit milder for a couple of days this week – which is such a relief and it’s going to be quite hot though this weekend and into next week.
Three pieces of advice to your younger self:
1. Take exercise more seriously and develip steady habits that will last you a lifetime.
2. Value your educational opportunities – once you are qualified in something – no-one can take it away from you. When I was in my senior year at a Catholic Secondary college, Sister Helen (the Principal) thought we were all partying too hard at weekends and not studying enough (she was right) and in a lesson, she dealt us life cards – and not ones with happy endings – like “Your husband has left you with three children under 10” or “You’ve been widowed with two children” to demonstrate how an education can help you in life…it certainly was the wake up call I needed, as my mother was widowed with twin girls at the age of 13. I decided then and there to go to university and study a profession (teaching) and it was the best call I ever made.
3. Take care in choosing your life partner – as Nancy above can attest. If violent, an alchololic or abusive in any way – leave the relationship as soon and as safely as you can.
I also have only one Pat McGrath palette and it’s similar to the one you describe (but with only 6 shadows, I think – it’s the Sublime Bronze Ambition one) and I bought it under very similar circumstances to yours – I walked into Sephora FOUR years ago and they actually had it IN STORE!!! And like your purchase, this one really suited my taste and preferences (no pinks, reds and MORE pinks!).
WOW, I thought the Dior quints were expensive here (and they are). When the newer bunch of quints came out (New Look, Jungle, etc.) I wondered if you would be getting any of them and wondered what the price in Australia would be. I have to say, though, that if Jungle is still available, you would LOVE it and probably find it worth the outrageous price tag (it’s similar to CT’s The Rebel in many ways – that similar earthy-neutral vibe).
My MIL was widowed very suddenly with FIVE young children and no job skills (I think she didn’t even finish high school). Despite her utter despair at losing the love of her life (and blaming herself absolutely needlessly in the belief that she could have saved him if she’d “been there” – he developed a blood clot and died in moments) and having virtually no money on which to raise these five children, she pulled herself up by the bootstraps, went back to get her high school equivalency and then an adult ed course on basic job/office skills and supported all 5 children, all but one of whom went on to post secondary education themselves. Among her large circle of friends, she’s the only one who doesn’t have a child who is an alcoholic, has gone to jail or other “off the rails” sorts of issues and yet she and her children are the ones who faced the toughest struggles.
To find the PMG palette – that wasn’t in the main stand of her products at Sephoa was a unexpected, but lovely find. The least expensive of Dior’s quints generally go for $99 (I have found through an online retailer) – which is still very pricey.
My father also passed away from a blood clot too (a major stroke) at the age of 48 years. Needless to say he should have been on blood pressure medication, but it was never really checked.
I can appreciate how hard and strong your MIL would have had to have been to bring up 5 children on her own. None of the women of her generation were particularly well educated after growing up in the Depression years and then WW2. She must have been a wonderful mother for all of her children to end up being successful in life – not only academically, but as people.
I’m eager to see the PMG palette you did buy…can you post the actual full name (there seem to be several with both “sublime” and “bronze” in the name, including the one I got a couple of years ago. I think it would absolutely hilarious if we both – once again – bought the same palette several years apart!!!
My husband’s father had his leg injured in a tractor roll-over and I think he was about the same age as your father when he died. His leg was severely bruised but he was released from hospital and went home. Mother in law was caring for him but had to go out to pick up new eye glasses for one of her kids and when she came home, he was dead. She was convinced that had she not left him, had she been there, she could have “saved” him, though everyone has explained to her that there was nothing she could have done. You and I seem to have so much in common – good things and not so good things….
Oh wow …Winston is an instant cute bomb…..
Recent purchases ? I rediscovered Guerlain and I ordered 2 limited edition lipsticks which I love …and some drug store finds ..L’Oréal Noir Balm Volumizing Mascara..and a sweet little Physicians Formula Butter Believe it eyeshadow..
Weekend plans ? Sorting through things to donate..we are prepping for a house sale and a move in the Spring ….and Super Bowl Sunday fun..
Advise to younger self?
1,Trust yourself…
2. Take more risks …it’s ok to fail..it’s part of growing ..
3,. Embrace everything you are moving in the right direction…
Oh Mary – moving house! We have just helped our son, daughter in law and their three children move from our house (they were living with us for 9 months) into their own and I am just getting over it three weeks later.
So I wish you the very best of luck, I hope you and your spouse don’t have TOO many disagreements about what to keep and what to save and that the weather is kind to you.
Trusting yourself is really important.
Recent purchases: just another tube of Jouviance SOS Cream (this stuff is so good – hydrating without any greasiness and also safe to use around the eyes). Rediscoveries: UD Love Drunk lipstick (with Elizabeth Arden primer underneath – it’s the only way I can wear this stuff) and the previously mentioned KVD Monarch palette (I’ve worn it a lot over the past 2 weeks) as well as NARS Old Church Street duo.
Weekend plans: our younger son (who will be getting married in Vegas next week and moving to Japan with his wife next month!!!) has been here but it leaving later today. We’re taking him out to brunch before he heads back to Toronto. The gym either later today or tomorrow (Sunday). And I want to make some 3-cheese Twist Bread later today (I’d planned to make it when I got in from work yesterday but son and husband wanted to go to see the sloth at the rainforest exhibit at the Royal Botanical Gardens and I couldn’t pass THAT up).
Three pieces of advice I’d give to my younger self: I honestly don’t know that I can think of any. I probably shouldn’t have fought with my parents and moved out while I was still in high school but in the end, it and every other “mistake” I made sort of got me to where I am now and that’s a pretty terrific place. In all honesty, I think the only thing I’d have changed is to have told my parents and my beloved mother in law more often and more directly just how much I love them.
Congratulations to your son and his fiance and I hope the wedding goes really well. Will you be able to attend? Are they planning to live in Japan permanently? Gosh that is going to be tricky to visit him.
As to moving out of home, realising your then boyfriend was not up to scratch (I read your reply to Nancy’s post) and moving back in – I guess we all live and learn from our mistakes.
How cute is Winnie! Adorable little boy!
Purchases, nothing.
Rediscoveries, nothing.
Obviously a boring week when it comes to makeup. I used ND Glam for my grocery chopping, but I use it regularly.
Weekend, not doing anything out of the ordinary.
Three pieces of advise to my younger self, this is a hard one to answer, I think.
1, When in school, age 7 to 15 do work a bit more and don’t be satisfied with goodish grades.
2, Don’t chose a nursing profession just because it’s a job where you’ll not face unemployment. Get a wider education and go to university, do what you dream of and don’t settle.
3, If your workplace is dysfunctional and the boss person is a bully, quit in time or at least get your union rep to help immediately.
To add to this, I did like nursing, I really liked the work in surgery, remove the bad and hopefully the patient will have a long pain free or cancer free life ahead of them.
I should probably have stayed in a better mental health though had I understood that I should have become a psychologist or and actor, though I suffer from stage fright and the job market isn’t really good, so therefore the nursing.
Not sure my confused thoughts on what I should have done makes any sense, sorry if not. 🙂
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: Picked up some stuff from Sephora, basically a “Tiktok Made My Buy It” haul
Weekend plans: I’m working almost all weekend. Working today and tomorrow, and then I have Sunday off during which I’m getting brunch with a friend and then third-wheeling my best friend and her boyfriend’s Valentine’s Day celebrations. She knew I would be feeling down this Valentine’s Day weekend and so even though it’s not as romantic to also include your best friend she wanted me to be there too
What are three pieces of advice you’d give to your younger self (non-beauty advice!)?
1. Live your life now! And take every opportunity to do amazing things even if it seems scary
2. Stop wasting your time pining after horrible partners thinking no one else will come along. Even if it’s true you’re better off without
3. Please eat more! You’re not going to lose the weight anyway, so stop stunting your growth and ruining your teeth from lack of nutrients!
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: I’ve been buying a lot of Milani lipsticks the last two weeks! My Target order from last week came Wednesday-a personal care body powder, Milani Shine Fetish Fantasy and Bitten lipsticks, and Matte Fetish Fleur Collection Petal, Blossom, and Fleur lipsticks. It was also supposed to include Shine Fetish Seduce, but I couldn’t find it when I opened the box. Target’s sending a replacement tube, slated to arrive Tuesday.
I currently have a Walmart pickup order on hold until Wednesday that includes Matte Fetish Secret and Passion and Matte Fetish Fleur Collection Poppy. It was also supposed to include Peony, but that one was unavailable last-minute, so I have to figure out a different retailer now.
Weekend plans: Made a pharmacy run and half a grocery run Friday, getting some things that I thought would be sold out by last night. Worked all day and did the second half of the grocery run yesterday. Today while watching the Super Bowl, my dad made chili and I mixed together a quick and easy chip dip-just two ingredients: a 1-pound container of sour cream and a packet of onion soup mix with the big onion chunks strained out.
What are three pieces of advice you’d give to your younger self (non-beauty advice!)?
1) Being different is what makes you special and unique.
2) Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and it’s never too soon to do it.
3) Persistence and perseverance are key.