Friday Finds & Check-ins, Volume #675
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: New Melt holiday palettes, Charlotte Tilbury holiday products, MAC holiday products… there’s a theme! Swatches should be up shortly.
Weekend plans: I’m about to head out to volunteer this morning! I edited and added a lot of photos/swatches late last night in anticipation of potentially being too sluggish this weekend to do so. Hubby and I are getting our flu shot and COVID booster later on this afternoon, which I know has knocked some people on their butts and others have been fine, so we shall see how we tolerate the double-jab! If we are feeling up to it, we want to take Winnie to a local garden on Saturday.
What do you like to do in your free time? Right now, I’m enjoying volunteering at a local dog rescue that takes in pregnant moms and orphaned puppies. It’s been a nice way to spend free time that doesn’t feel wholly unproductive, and it is very different than my normal day-to-day – less screen time, not using my hands to click/tap/navigate on a phone or computer, and well, puppies.
Psst… since it’s Friday and we’re heading into the weekend, if you have some downtime, consider playing one of the games hubby and I have created! 🙂 You’ll find all of our games on Awordy, but here’s a breakdown of what we have so far:
- Adoptle (guess the name of an adoptable pet in six guesses)
- Concludle (figure out the subject within six clues)
- Flipplant (figure out the plant using a mix of text- and image-based clues)
- Mislettered (guess one letter at a time to figure out the phrase/quote)
- Unswatched (figure out the makeup item using a mix of text- and image-based clues)
- Word Frenzy (find as many words from the letters available before the shark devours them)
We just launched Word Frenzy, which is really for me, because I love this style of game and the countdown/timer twist definitely adds to the challenge.
This week's doggo photo/video...
Share your pet photos to the Temptalia Pets flickr group!
Recent Purchases: Merit Lipstick in Fashion which is a great berry. I ordered and it and it did not arrive, unfortunately.
Weekend Plans: PT exercises! Going to lunch with family.
Free Time: Volunteering with church, learning Spanish, and recovering from Physical Therapy!
Best wishes for your Physical Therapy Sarah and I hope it really helps you.
Recent purchases: MAC Powder Kiss Lipstick in Teddy 2.0 (Also bought a pair of high-waisted flared jeans at Express and a pair of Steve Madden platform loafers. I’m loving the 70s and 90s retro trend in fashion and shoes this fall!)
Weekend plans: Visiting family; reading the book “Mexican Gothic,” which I’m really enjoying; continuing to watch “The Watcher” on Netflix; and trying not to stress out about the massive amount of tedious, boring work I have to do on Monday because the woman who normally does this awful project no longer works here, so my boss assigned it to me.
What do you like to do in your free time? Writing and playing music, reading, tarot cards (I use them for personal insight, as I don’t believe in fortune-telling), going out to dinner with my husband (and sometimes friends), watching Netflix or Hulu, and lately—because of all my work-related stress—napping.
I loved Mexican Gothic! It gave me literal goosebumps
Yep, I recall all that work related stress when I was working full time and a weekend nap was always on the cards, as I didn’t always sleep well during the week – worrying/tossing and turning. I don’t think it is quite fair that you have to pick up the pieces of a very ordinary project (is it necessary? important to the business?) without extra help. Your workplace is sounding like a nightmare and I really do sympathise with you.
It’s an extremely necessary project that comes up every year. Very, very important, yet very, very boring, tedious, and way under my job title. Unfortunately, there’s no one left to do it. My boss gave it to me because she knows I’m the one who can get it done the fastest out of all the other people in the office.
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: Revolution London Turkish Delights & Color Story CB05 (Blue-on sale) palettes (not disappointed either) as I needed to add a couple of missing colors for other palettes I was duping.
Weekend plans: cultural association meeting, women’s online prayer group, studying for a business certification, church, and hopefully some rest in there! LOL!
What do you like to do in your free time? Not much right now as I’m starting a business (praise Jesus, finally!), but when I do, watch a documentary, play Minecraft with my kids, read and sleep.
Good luck with your new business venture!
Good luck with your new business! How exciting.
I really hope that your business kicks of well and that there are no hitches. It must be quite a busy time for you Jane. Best of luck!
Recent Purchases: Nothing this week!
Rediscoveries: ND Midi Retro palette. It’s so beautiful.
Weekend plans: Tomorrow morning my family and I leave bright and early for vacation in Gatlinburg! We are very excited to get out of town for a while. The last time we were there was when I was pregnant with my son, so it will be fun to introduce him to the area.
What do you like to do in your free time? I play video games, do yoga, play with my son, and read as much as I can.
Have a fabulous family holiday Celesta and I hope that everyone stays well and has a great time. I just looked it up and it’s quite near to Dolly Parton’s home. It also looks like the kind of place that offers a wide variety of things to do and see in a beautiful setting. I love those kind of places myself.
Recent Purchases:
Weekend Plans: Celebrating my birthday with some friends.
What do you like to do in your free time? Play with makeup, watch makeup tutorials/reviews, read novels/memoirs, go out to brunch, try new restaurants, watch horror films
Happy birthday!!!
Happy birthday!
Happy Birthday and I hope you have a great day.
Happy Birthday!
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: Nothing exciting, just some new undies from Target.
Weekend plans: Good luck w/ the flu and covid shots, Christine. This weekend I am working on more unpacking, going to the doctor, and going to see the show my husband is playing backing music for.
What do you like to do in your free time? I like to paint and draw, read, nap (chronic illness sometimes makes this my #1 hobby), and scroll tumblr. I follow a lot of artists and art blogs so I get a lot of inspiration.
How exciting to go and see the play your husband is playing backing music for! What instrument does he play?
I hope the unpacking is going well and everything is falling into place.
He plays guitar. The theater has asked the band back for 2 more shows next year plus the annual Rocky Horror for Halloween so I guess they’ve all impressed!!
Stephanie, that’s awesome! Congratulations to him.
Recent purchases – well, I can tell you what I TRIED to purchase – a jar of Tatcha Dewy Moisture Cream (sold out at my local Sephora and I wasn’t in the mood to go to a different location) and the Dior Cosmic Eyes 5-pan; I tried 2 places and so far, no luck, but I’m hoping it will come in to The Bay in the next week or so, in which case, I’ll be there like a shot (unless it gets a crummy review from Christine – not likely, I don’t think – or it turns out I’m absolutely swimming in dupes, which is more likely). I did buy a Sephora gift certificate for my former trainer for her birthday and I purchased a tube of ABH eyeshadow primer to try it out. I’m still on the fence about the primer…
Weekend plans: hubs and I, our daughter, son in law and grand-daughter are invited to lunch at the condo of one of my oldest friends; she moved here in the spring and is keen for the kids to see her place; I also want to hit the gym both days, if possible. And we need to cut back almost everything in the garden (hostas, shasta daisies, peonies – all that stuff).
Free time: sewing, reading cookbooks/cooking mags and baking, and the gym is a biggie, especially now as I am facing knee replacement and the stronger I am and the better shape I’m in, the better I’m likely to be able to cope during those post operative weeks (I’m quite nervous; the surgery is only 2 weeks away).
I think the Dior Cosmic Eyes would look fabulous on you Mariella and it will complement all your other Dior quints too. Yes, you will probably be ‘swimming in dupes’ but that is beside the point – it is lovely. Mind you, the new PMG quint is lovely too….
I hope everyone has a lovely time visiting your friend’s new condo – it’s always just so relaxing when someone else has done the cooking. Baby Jemma must be growing up now, smiling and making noises – so, so gorgeous at her age.
As for your knee – well, I am truly in sympathy here Mariella. I hurt my own right knee a week ago, and whilst it is nothing like the condition of your knee – I have now a real appreciation about how much I use my knee! I’ve been going to the physio – who thinks it is a muscular problem regarding a group of muscles on my inner knee cap and have been doing my exercises. But it has been difficult to walk and putting on my socks and shoes really jolly well hurts!
My brother in law has had both of his knees done (separately) and they healed really well – more so from the first operation, the second one gave him a few hassles. I gave him some CeraVe moisturising cream in the tub to help with the wound and it worked a treat. His surgeon wanted to know the name of the product he used so he could recommend it to his other patients. You are waaay more fitter than he was, so I am quite confident that it will be OK for you too. Although I would be nervous too.
🎂RECENT PURCHASES:
*PML Divine Blush + Glow Face Palette in Nude Venus; Sephora Nest birthday gift.
*Lurella Cosmetics Spider Queen, Desert Skies, and Ugly Christmas Sweater palettes.
🎂 WEEKEND PLANS: Monday is my birthday, so I’ll celebrate with the family this weekend. We’ll probably go out to eat. Tomorrow we’re going to go to a pumpkin patch. It’s supposed to be 85°F, so that’ll be weird. But at least it won’t be raining!
🎂 WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR FREE TIME?
Journal, listen to music, read, arts/crafts, watch TV or YouTube with hubby or the kids. Cuddle my kitties.
Happy Birthday Rachel for Monday and I hope you and your family have a lovely time out and about. Is it unusually hot for this time of the year for you? At the moment here, it is still quite chilly and raining – it’s supposed to be sunny.
Do you have a favourite restaurant to go to?
I really like those Lurella eyeshadow palettes you have bought for yourself Rachel – I can see you rocking those shades. Have fun!
Thank you! These have been record highs for this time of year here. Not normal at all. Usually we’re in the 60°s F by now.
This will be my first time trying Lurella, so I hope the quality is good.
The weekend so far has been a wash. Friday afternoon, my brother was in a fender bender with my car, so I had to deal with that. Luckily, he’s on our insurance, both he and my son seem OK, and the people in the other vehicle were OK. My car is drivable, but the entire front has body damage.
High temperatures, an inversion layer, and fires in the Willamette Valley have given us hazy skies and poor air quality alerts. I have asthma and severe allergies to smoke, so I have to stay indoors. On my actual birthday I’ll be taking my son and brother to doctor appointments for post-accident checks.
Next weekend my husband and I have reservations to spend the weekend at the coast, which will be greatly appreciated! LOL
Happy Birhtday!
Thank you!
It has been a joy watching your puppy rescue journey on IG over the past few months! This is something that I would love to do with helping to socialize semi-feral cats because apparently, I’m a cat whisperer, also pregnant and nursing cats and kittens if I was able to get to the places that have these volunteering privileges. Alas, I don’t drive. But, perhaps one day I will live close enough to one!
Purchases/rediscoveries: Well, because I didn’t pick up my order from Ulta within their 5 day window for pickup, they cancelled it. However, I was waiting for the long red and black cardigan that I ordered from Nordstrom Rack to get to the store first, since I knew that I wouldn’t have the energy to get up there twice. I DID purchase the Nyx Microbrow Pencil in Espresso as I have been hearing so many YT’ers singing its praises and claiming it is a very solid dupe for the ABH Brow Whiz pencil.
Weekend plans: Yesterday wore me out mentally after completing a GRUELING Zoom deposition that I am a litigant in that lasted nearly 6 hours. My brain is fried. And so are my nerves. So, I may just go up to the Arrowhead strip mall to pick up my NR order, return a surprisingly scratchy black sweater to ON, and hit Ulta for the Matrix A Curl Can Dream shampoo and cream conditioner mask plus a duo of Real Techniques Beauty Sponges. Desperately need to get a ton of laundry done, Zoom meeting tomorrow morning.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Spending time with a close friend, either in person or just on a phone call. Also love the time I spend interacting with my 3 cats. And when I lived across town, going to the park with the big man-made lake or going up to the Scottsdale Fashion Square. I really miss living over there, as there was so much to do and far easier to get around and about!
That was a bit rich of Ulta to cancel your order because you couldn’t get there quickly enough – I mean, not everyone has cars and public transport can be so unreliable.
At least that gruelling deposition has been done and hopefully, you won’t have to do it again. I think a little treat is in order here Nancy!.
Six hours! I know the subject was difficult, too. Hugs
That was crappy of Ulta to cancel your order.
Yes to both of these, Rachel and Genevieve. I cannot understand why Ulta provides the order to pick up without making it known upfront that if you don’t get there within 5 days, they’ll cancel it out!
And thank you, Rachel. Hugs, even virtual ones are so deeply appreciated. It was incredibly painful to relive it all, and then have the opposing side imply things that I was truly taken aback by.
I think spending time volunteering at an animal shelter for pregnant mums and orphaned puppies would so rewarding and heart-lifting, as these animals deserve all the love they can get.
I hope your wrists and hands are healing Christine.
Recent Purchases: I haven’t made any makeup purchases for quite awhile now, as nothing has really interested me or I already have it in my stash. Only some skincare items like The Ordinary’s Argon Oil and a new La Roche Posay’s SPF 50+ sunscreen.
Rediscoveries: CT’s The Rebel, Foolish lipstick from CP – a pefect combination!
Weekend Plans: Last week I managed to injure my right knee and the Physio has told me that it’s quite fixable (thank God!), but it has been very awkward and I have lots of exercises to do, which I do religiously. I just have to remember to use my left leg when walking down a step or two. It means that I haven’t been able to take Harry to the park, but seeing that it’s been raining, raining and raining here – at least we’ve all had to keep indoors. Lots of flooding going on in our state. But we are OK.
So resting my leg is the priority this weekend.
Free Time: Not sure I have much of that! But I do like reading and going out for drives into the countryside. I also enjoy catching up with my friends and going out for dinner!
Honestly – this seems to be beyond coincidence. It’s my RIGHT knee that I also injured (more than 10 years ago); I had arthroscopy in 2008 and in 2 weeks, it’s total knee replacement for me which I’m both looking forward to and also dreading. I know what you mean about walking up and down stairs (like a toddler, with your sore leg kept straight). I hope your recovery is quick….just keep doing those exercises (maybe ask the physio if a knee brace might be helpful too). It seems to be “feast or famine” with either devastating forest fires or flooding, not just in Australia but in so much of the world. All the best to you and all those affected by the floods.
Re: stairs: the good go to heaven and the bad go to hell. I pulverized my right calcaneus while working at a rehab. Heard that one a lot and didn’t have to worry about PT scheduling as progression was built into my day by my work friends. NWB for 12 weeks and bringing trays with a wheelchair to my dysphagia patients was a blast. Not. Good luck.
Ouch! I am so sorry to be hear that you injured your knee pretty badly, Genevieve. Those HURT. Something my two kids, especially my daughter, and myself know about firsthand. Hopefully, the PT and your doctor can get it back to normal quickly and as completely as possible.
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries:
No purchases, I do however have a few eyeshadows in my cart at Terra Moons. We’ll see if I press the buy button, or empty the cart. Stupid inflation getting in the way of my purchases! 🙂
Rediscoveries, I’ve been trying some of my MAC lipsticks, the older ones to see if they are still OK to use. They all are and not that it’s a rediscovery but MAC certainly know how to make lipsticks!
Today I’m wearing Bare Minerals eyeshadows from the Bare Sensuals. I had forgotten about it and it’s quite nice.
Weekend plans:
Oh, same old garden, same old house and thankfully same old-ish dog to walk, groom cuddle and jus bee with. I love him so much!
What do you like to do in your free time?
I play video games, new World of Warcraft expansion on it’s way, might be fun, I read, work in the garden, watch TV, news, films and shows. I like to sew, knit and sometime crochet though I can’t do the latter for long as it makes my hand hurt a bit. I also like browsing You Tube and Twitter. Playing with my makeup.
I have nothing but free time as I can’t work due to my depression and anxiety. I guess I don’t find free time as fun as it was when I did work.
Is it that Cerise Waves eyeshadow in red that you have in your cart Helene? I could see it looking quite beautiful on you and some Terra Moons eyeshadows are not as expensive as say a PMG palette……
Yes, free time does feel differently when you don’t work, now that I have stopped paid employment, I do notice that. The days do tend to run together too. But then I think of all the times I got stressed, worried, tired of getting up really early in the morning (especially in winter) and I think hmmmm – I do find my life much more serene.
Cerise Waves is in the cart. I think I have to buy it, it’s so different from all the red eyeshadows I have in various palettes, yes, I did a lot of red swatching, it was fun.
I do feel a lot better, knowing I don’t have to go to the stressful job I had, and once really liked. I no longer wake up every hour of more often during the nights, I’m a lot less stressed out, but I still have a lot of problems I don’t think I’ll ever get back to being the me I was before.
So I think you are right, it’s more serene, a lovely word, that.
I hope your knee will heal completely.
I hurt my right one from twisting it in a stupid fall. It hurt so much I actually screamed when trying to put any weight on the leg. It turned out I had about half a deciliter of blood and when drained all the pain just went away. I swear it was worse than giving birth! 😀
Helene, I can so relate to your free time statement! I too suffer from debilitating depression and anxiety, with pretty bad PTSD thrown in, so I completely understand what these do to our ability to do as much as we would like. The “free time” isn’t always much fun!
Was streaming tv and fell into a cosmetics analysis. Suspect we all do this. The actress had medium olive foundation that was totally Mr. Grinch…and almost J* dark purple brown lipstick. Just as I was thinking how just wrong that look was, there was a jump to the same scene with total lack of continuity. Suddenly she had on sheer rosy-ish lips and her foundation had been lightened and to a cooler olive. Vast improvement. Guess the MUA didn’t like look #1 either. Beauty: it’s everywhere.