Friday Finds & Check-ins, Volume #662
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: UOMA Beauty’s new collection just arrived yesterday from Ulta. I also am trying Ulta’s same-day delivery service for Maybelline’s Super Stay Vinyl Inks.
Weekend plans: I’m going to try fostering for the first time! Later today, I’ll be picking up two puppies and fostering them at my home for the next two weeks. Wish me luck!
How do you express yourself creatively? At most, through eye makeup, but otherwise, I don’t have a creative outlet… but I am not that creative either!
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 site for video gaming guides — good if you (or someone you know or your kids!) is into gaming, including crosswords and Wordle. Plus, I worked with hubby to develop our own games! You can check out the games we have at Awordy, which include Concludle (trivia) and Adoptle (figure out the name of an adoptable pet in six guesses), and Mislettered (figure out the quote by guessing letters).
This week's doggo photo/video...
Share your pet photos to the Temptalia Pets flickr group!
Can’t wait to see pictures of the new foster puppies!
Recent purchases: Clinique Even Better Makeup in Ivory, which I use on days when I don’t want coverage as heavy as EL Double Wear. Also, I received my order of the lovely Mugler Alien Flora Futura Eau de Toilette. (Anyone know if it has been discontinued?)
Rediscoveries: Modern Renaissance Palette. I’ve forgotten how much greener my eyes look with the combination of Buon Fresco and Antique Bronze.
Weekend plans: Working on my music, reading, relaxing, grocery shopping, and trying to keep myself from binge-spending on perfume, makeup, tarot decks…
How do you express yourself creatively? Through music. Writing songs, playing the instruments, and recording them using GarageBand. (A pro music producer friend told me they’re releasable, but I’m shy about sharing my music, so only my husband and close friends have heard it. )
That’s super cool that you record your music using GarageBand! Kudos to you! I love sharing certain creative things with just those that are close – sometimes it’s better that way and that’s all the audience those things need.
Thanks, Kira. People on the internet can be cruel, and I don’t think I can handle the criticism, so at this point I’m keeping my music private. GarageBand is a lot of fun, but I’m starting to outgrow it and thinking about moving up to LogicPro. If I can stop buying makeup, perfume, etc…
Recent Purchases: Adept Cosmetics Plain Jane Remastered palette.
Rediscoveries: Nothing in particular! The last couple of weeks have been very stressful work-wise, so I’ve just grabbed products at random.
Weekend plans: Starting to clean in prep for my son’s birthday party and wrap presents for him.
How do you express yourself creatively? Through makeup and clothing. My job is creative by nature (I’m a graphic designer) and I find that I’m creatively zapped regularly, so there’s not a lot of that kind of energy left for me to be creative in other ways.
Same job! I know exactly what you mean about feeling creatively zapped at the end of the day.
Yes! I also find myself entirely tired of screens by the end of the day as well, lol
How wonderful of you to foster dogs! Enjoy!
RECENT PURCHASES: Paula’s Choice Resist Optimal Results Hydrating Cleanser (repurchase).
WEEKEND PLANS: Nothing concrete. My husband’s uncle passed away last Saturday, so we’re trying to stay available in case my MIL needs help with anything. She’s taking care of getting his body cremated and coordinating when we can spread the ashes.
HOW DO YOU EXPRESS YOURSELF CREATIVELY? Makeup, fashion, journaling, knitting, crocheting, arts & crafts, home decor.
I’m so sorry for your loss, Rachel R.
Thank you
How wonderful that you are fostering! I wish you luck because you’ve asked for it but I know the two of you are great dog parents and Winston is sure to be a great big brother.
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Blurring Balm. I am actually not sure what this is, kind of a skin perfecter, I guess. I am a sucker for this type of product.
Weekend plans: The usual farmers market and grocery shopping, plus The Bear on Hulu.
How do you express yourself creatively? I don’t do much these days. I used to knit but don’t really enjoy that anymore. I guess it’s just eye shadow these days.
I am SO EXCITED that you’re going to try fostering and look forward to seeing pics!!
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: Now that my hair is a yellowish blond it’s really making me reassess the colors I use! I love beige/pale nude-pink lip and peach lip colors now, especially Guerlain Kiss Kiss in Caliente Beige (M306). I use the Natasha Denona Gold Palette so much lately for brow colors and eyeshadows that are perfect for the work week.
Weekend plans: I want to finish reading a book about environmental law and finish up some art projects. I have been working forever on an advent calendar for my Harry Potter loving friends, and want the façade to look like the Burrow – so each day you open a window and it’s a drawing of their dog. I might also do a walk through of a house for sale in my neighborhood.
How do you express yourself creatively? Too many ways, lol. I wish I could focus in on one hobby but there are so many. Definitely lately focused on drawing and watercolor painting, since I am focused on career development right now and don’t have time to write for fun. I would love to check out a writer’s workshop in the future though!
The Harry Potter calendar sounds amazing!
Recent Purchases: I did some shopping around Amazon Prime Day, but it wasn’t anything cosmetic related.
Weekend plans: I’ll need to finish washing / cleaning up some things I want to declutter / donate (most being replaced by my Prime Day shopping), hopefully on Sunday I also manage to get rid of everything.
Otherwise the usual. I desperately need to get my eyebrows threaded, they never grew so fast and thick like the past 2-3 weeks. I should also get a haircut, but that always gets postponed.
How do you express yourself creatively? Through… imagination???
I have zero talents. Can’t sing, can’t sketch or paint, nothing art related. I like wearing makeup, but there’s zero creativity involved.
I try to be creative at work, find new solutions, think of new ways to improve things… but it’s as creative as computer architecture can be.
But all my life I invented stories in my head. When I was younger I even tried writing stuff. In my mind there’s always several stories I imagine as movies or books, I like to construct storylines and characters. I’m not really that creative, but I love creating new worlds in my head when I walk, run or just lay in bed waiting to fall asleep (which in the last years happens almost instantly).
He’d be welcome here! I use mine every night before bed…and always need to be mindful of my super-chonk white floofball getting in there because she too wishes to be a dishwasher!
Purchases/rediscoveries: Just ordered Josie Marian Argan Daily Tinted Moisturizer SPF 47 and Haus Labs Pink Amethyst Bio-Radiant Highlighter yesterday. Rediscovered my tube of UD TMI Vice Lipstick last week and used it again. Forgot how much I love this light-medium (at least on me), bright cool pink during summer! Plus, it feels so hydrating, too.
Weekend plans: Probably going to go for a swim today. It’s very hot and humid out, though, and I’m pretty sure the pool water is lukewarm. Will likely pop a load of laundry in while I’m over there, as the two are next to each other. Also, my Zoom meeting tomorrow.
How do you express yourself creatively? For much of my younger years, I did so through writing song lyrics. It was my emotional and creative outlet where I felt “safe” to express my deepest innermost feelings without anyone’s scathing judgement. Also, through modern jazz ballet mixed with some hip hop dance moves. I really miss doing both, but now my even my printing is barely intelligible and it will take slow, gentle retraining of my body to get back into dancing again. These days, it’s definitely through makeup and cooking!
Oh WOW! How did I miss the part about you fostering a pair of PUPPIES??? 😱
This will be so exciting to watch them grow up and get a little training from Winnie! 🥰
…and then I bought more. Went through your link to Camera Ready Cosmetics and placed my order for Lethal Cosmetics Ornamental and Floret (Floret is on backorder) blushes, plus Singularity and Exosphere Multichrome e/s’s. I can hardly wait to play with these new, very interesting shades!
I’m a musician (as a hobby) and my lyrics are definitely a creative outlet. Sometimes I write them in a way that is vague enough to express what I’m trying to say, but not obvious to the listener in order to keep my thoughts private. I am ok with the listener having their own interpretation even if it’s not what I intended. I recently finished a song about an emotionally abusive family member that caused me a lot of pain in the past…it was incredibly cathartic.
Recent Purchases: Three of Lisa Eldridge’s new lipsticks launched last week: Je Ne Sais Quoi, Wonder Wheel and Strawberry Shock. I love the colours and the formula. Strawberry Shock is such a gorgeous and luminous shade for the summer. It “awakens” the entire face.
Weekend plans: Cleaning, gardening (installing some tomato cages) and taking advantage of the sunny (and not so humid) weekend.
How do you express yourself creatively? Painting, writing.
Maybe Winnie just wants to play in the sprinklers!
Haul: So things have been crazy busy at my house. So I haven’t purchased any beauty products or really even using any. I have contacted Toshiya @fudejapan about getting me the LE DeCorte powder that is launching in August. Otherwise, I haven’t even been thinking about makeup.
Weekend plans: Well, given my mom’s recent stroke and other issues going on I have decided to table my move to the city and will remain here until my health just won’t let me, any longer. My mom is doing okay but is so very stubborn that sometimes she is her own worst enemy. She refuses all therapy and won’t wear oxygen, even though she isn’t getting enough oxygen to her brain and heart! She has made a remarkable recovery with only her speech and facial droop being the residual deficits. She has forgotten what she felt like when she initially had the stroke so she thinks she is back to normal. So, my time is divided between helping to take care of her and getting some major things done at my house so that I can be prepared for winter. The only way I would sell now is if a really good offer came in that I just couldn’t turn my back on.
My weed whacked foot is slowly healing. I am able to get around on it and it is looking good. I am very relieved about that since being a diabetic puts my extremities at risk for poor wound healing. I have also finally found a couple of young high school aged boys to do some odd jobs for me so that is exciting. Summer is finally here in Western Montana but we have been having serious thunder, lightening, rain and hail. The good news so far, is that we haven’t had any fires started by the lightening. The weather has been just really strange. So, now that I have rambled on for an hour, my plans are to supervise the guys in doing work, picking up mom’s house and going to the closest big city to do some grocery shopping.
Creativity: I have to preface this with a short story. My mom, sister and brother have always been very creative. The draw, paint, sew, etcetera. I have never considered myself to be artistic or creative and never did anything along those lines. Yes, I am pretty good at home decorating but I didn’t consider that particularly creative. I love music and did sing semi professionally in high school but college and being an RN stopped that outlet. When my daughter was born, I attended a scrapbooking class with a friend. I was hooked. From that love of creating layouts and mini albums, pretty paper and flowers, I started increasing my interests. I think that makeup was my creative outlet, even though I didn’t recognize it. Now, I am involved in mixed media, origami, scrapbooking, home decor and many other things. I am not particularly good at any of them but I find they satisfy my need for expression. For the past year, I have posted primarily my origami on my IG feed. Similar to makeup, I post there so that I can remember the name of the creator and where I found the tutorials, crease patterns or diagrams, so that I can find them later. For the past two years, I have been folding about 500 models a year to use as Christmas ornaments. In addition to that, I am working on a lot of mixed media Christmas ornaments for my daughter as part of her Advent calendar this year. She had asked me to do it a few years ago as she wanted the handmade things and also wanted my “work” to keep as memories. I am going to be posting the finished pieces on IG but haven’t gotten that close to being done with any of them!! If you would like to see my origami, my IG feed is @debkaysor
Deborah, you ARE very creative and inspiring with your absolutely splendid Origami creations that I’ve been seeing you post on IG! Everything looks precisely folded and constructed perfectly. Don’t ever doubt your talent, because I do wish that my fumble-fingers could do even a tenth of what I have seen you do!
Wow the colors of your origami are so beautiful, you are very talented. So nice to see your work thank you for sharing.
Your origami is beautiful! I’m so glad your foot is healing.
My mother wouldn’t do her breathing or physical therapy when she was in the hospital, right before she passed. It’s incredibly frustrating and heart-breaking, I know. (((((Hugs))))
Your origami is beautiful.
I know I could never do it as precisely, I get impatient.
I hope you’ll share a lot more of your artwork on IG.
What a lovely idea to foster some puppies – and I think Winston will enjoy having some buddies to play with. I wonder if he will be a bit jealous though!
Recent Purchases: Nada –
Rediscoveries: ND Glam, PMG Sublime Mini, Dior’s 3 Coulers in Khaki
Weekend Plans: We’ve so far had quite the weekend. Nicholas and Anika are celebrating their 10th Wedding Anniversary by going into the city for 2 nights – Anika’s sister looked after the children on Thursday night and took them to school and Harry to daycare on Friday. We picked them up from school and daycare and they spent the night at our place. Harry slept with us and we were gentle awoken at 7 am (quite a respectable hour) by him patting my face and giving me cuddles.
My eldest son David has taken Lachlan to footy clinic and I am taking Olivia to a birthday party – lots of birthday parties this year as most children missed out over the past couple of years due to covid.
Their parents are due to return this afternoon (Saturday). Their anniversary was on Bastille Day.
After all of that – just clean up the house (Dear God!) and relax. We are going out for dinner tonight.
Creative Outlet – apart from my makeup I don’t really have any other outlets except for cooking.
I’m so impressed by people that are able to cook creatively. I watch a lot of cooking shows and wish I could find that kind of enjoyment and fulfillment in creating beautiful, luscious dishes, but I just don’t like doing it. The most cooking I do is making an omelet with imitation bacon bits in it. Lol
Winnie loves doing the dishes along with my pup Lex and my daughter’s dog Berkley, anything to do with food lol!
Looking forward to your reports of the fostering! Good luck!
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: PML Skin Fetish Divine Blush Duo in Night Bloom, and Wow! I’m blown away! I barely touched it with my brush and it picked up so much color, it applied beautifully and looked like I had my makeup applied professionally! I don’t know what happened but I’m going to wear it every day if it makes me look that good. It lasted all day and into the night without fading.
Weekend plans: Alessia Cara is playing at the Calgary Stampede on Sunday night so we are going to go see her. It’s been scorching hot here and we’ve been taking our little yorkie Lex to the parks for walks in the shade, he is not liking the heat so that’s where we will be hanging out this weekend.
How do you express yourself creatively? I like making beaded anklets and other jewelry, cross stitching and decorative painting. I haven’t had a whole lot of time to do these things since we bought Lex but as he gets older I’m hoping to get back to them.
Have fun with those puppies. I’ve often thought of fostering a “guide dog in training” before they go into their actual training but I’ve not done anything about it …. yet…
New purchases: nothing BUT the most exciting new thing in my life is my new grand-daughter, Jemma Kelly Exxxxx. She was born this past Monday (7/11 which apparently entitles her to a free Slurpee on her birthday; my daughter is so happy to be able to rub it in to her brothers). Jemma arrived by C-section after a long and gruelling labour. And the next day, my son in law wound up in the same hospital having his appendix removed. It’s been a bit of a disappointing home-coming. My daughter was overwhelmed and disappointed and just bereft. Fortunately, her husband was discharged yesterday morning though he was feeling rough (we were there all day to help out) but he’s feeling much better today. The baby is adorable – looks so much like my daughter when she was born!
Weekend plans: gas my car and then head to the gym tomorrow (early) and then meeting up with daughter, son in law and baby at their family doc in our city to hand over some items they need (paper towels, Lysol wipes, etc. etc.) and have a quick visit in the parking lot, of all places! Sunday might be brunch at the golf course, I hope.
How do you express yourself creatively: cooking (I have to do it but I try to make it interesting and creative) and sewing. I like sewing clothing for myself and now, with this new little person, I can’t wait to make her some clothing (though she has so much already that I can’t imagine she’ll need much for the next 18 months!)
Congrats on your new grandaughter! I have one on the way next year and we are over the moon! I forgot about cooking as being creative, I love cooking! I could spend the whole day in the kitchen. I love trying new things, soufflés, special cakes, different ethnic dishes, give me a recipe that sounds good and I will make it. Sometimes I will start dinner at 2 pm and will still be at it at 7 pm creating something delicious. Enjoy your new grandbaby.
Thank you so much for the good wishes, Brenda and congratulations to you too, on a grandchild in 2023 (hopefully, it will be a better year than the last 2.5 or 3…I’ve lost track of how long this Covid thing has gone on!). On the cooking front, I’m actually pretty tired of it after all these years of cooking at home and teaching food and nutrition in secondary school but still I have to do it! My husband is also the fussiest of eaters (he has an allergy to shellfish but there are also loads of things he just won’t eat….any fish at all, lamb, pork – this last one comes from visiting his brother who was working on a pig farm while in university…yeesh!) So cooking for just the 2 of us is a challenge and I’m in some ways at the point where I’m ready to make what I want and let him fend for himself (he doesn’t cook so it would be a grilled cheese sandwich or some peanut butter!).
Congratulations to you and your family having a lovely new baby!
Your daughter must have been so tired after being in labour for a long time. I know sometimes new mothers feel cheated when having to have a C-section, I hope she doesn’t feel that way.
Give her my very best!
Congratulations Mariella on the safe arrival of your granddaughter Jemma. It has certainly been a baptism of fire for both your daughter and son in law though – just as well his appendicitis happened the day after bubba was born and not on the day. And I can’t help thinking that it would have been nicer if your daughter was kept in hospital for a few days longer and discharged when her husband was. These days hospitals are very keen to toss you out way too early after a baby has been born and a couple of extra days can make all the difference to your well being.
It would have been quite nerve wracking and definitely overwhelming for her to come home from hospital without her husband by her side – because she, too has had a big operation and a traumatic delivery. Plus the baby -at least Mariella, she has you and your husband to help and assist her.
I hope the coming days will find them more settled and feeling better.
Congratulations once again to both you and your husband on the newest member of your wonderful famiily.
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: My Electrum Cosmetics Ascendant palette arrived!! It looks beautiful.
Weekend plans: We’re doing a big Mexican-themed buffet-style dinner!
How do you express yourself creatively? Through makeup, nail art and writing poetry 🙂
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: I’m waiting on an Ulta order that’s currently a day late-Lancome Mademoiselle Penelope and Mademoiselle Lupita lipsticks and a bunch of stuff from Ulta’s Thor: Love and Thunder collection-Find Love lipgloss, weekender bag, small makeup bag, and flat and crease shadow brushes.
I also placed 2 Sephora orders, forgetting to apply the points multiplier code to the first-Rare Beauty Humble, Fun, Bold, and Lively Kind Words lipsticks; Sephora #Lipstories Spark lipstick; Charlotte Tilbury Dream Pop mascara; Haus Labs Rose Quartz and Fire Opal Bio-Radiant highlighters; and Ellis Brooklyn West travel spray-but remembering for the second-Haus Labs Raw Amber, Golden Pyrite, and Sunstone highlighters; Sephora #Lipstories Oui! and Spring Break lipsticks; and Ellis Brooklyn Sweet travel spray.
Weekend plans: Weekly grocery run tonight, work all day tomorrow, Sunday is open.
How do you express yourself creatively? Right now, primarily through makeup. I also customize dolls, post photos of them on Instagram, and occasionally write-mostly fanfiction.
Fostering puppies sounds like fun. I’d have a hard time letting them move, though. 🙂 Winnie is adorable, he really is a gorgeous little guy!
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: Oh, nothing except sun screen. Rediscoveries, no, can’t think of anything.
Weekend plans: Same old, garden, chores around the house and the fun part, but I do it every day, walking Stubbs,
How do you express yourself creatively? Right now I don’t think I do, unless applying mascara and lipstick counts. Oh, and creative typing, my new thing. I’m a lousy typist, I think it should, in my case be called typoist. 🙂 I really don’t get how odd words look when the fingers are one step to the right, or left on the keyboard!
I have done a lot of crafty things, but it’s been a while since I last did anything. I used to crochet, knit, sew, do cross stitch, embroidery of various kinds, I went to pottery classes, I liked that a lot. But these days I feel so uninspired.