Friday Finds & Check-ins, Volume #686
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: Part of my Pat McGrath x Star Wars order arrived; apparently, one of the 5-pans is being shipped separately. Hoping to photograph this weekend!
Weekend plans: Um, I did a thing where I answered YES to a foster plea for bottle babies. The puppy rescue I volunteer with had puppies born on the evening of the 28th, and five of the 12 from the litter seem to have varying degrees of clef palates, which means they cannot nurse from mom (hard to latch and then they can aspirate). I picked up two yesterday to do around the clock tube-feeding, so I am feeding them every two hours and hoping they get through the next couple of weeks well. The ones I have are Max and Lorax, as they are part of the Dr. Seuss litter 🙂
What’s your favorite thing to do on NYE? Hang out with the family munching on all the snacks my mom makes!
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)
- Mislettered (guess one letter at a time to figure out the phrase/quote)
- Word Frenzy (find as many words from the letters available before the shark devours them)
This week's doggo photo/video...
Share your pet photos to the Temptalia Pets flickr group!
Recent purchases/rediscoveries: Got this the other week but not sure if I “reported” it or not – I went to replenish my La Roche Posay Lipikar Baume AP+M (the whole surgical process seems to have destroyed the lipid barrier on my operated leg….and beyond…) and the cosmetician showed me a value set with a free Syndet body cream wash and a tiny sample of some face cream. But the wash and the baume together are saving my skin! For Christmas, I got TWO sizeable Gift Certificates for Sephora so you can bet I’ll be doing some shopping this coming week! Rediscoveries: Charlotte Tilbury The Rebel (I never really stray far from it but as I’ve not been wearing my makeup at all lately, I rediscovered the joy of that lovely quad); Clinique Jenna’s Essentials quad; IT Cosmetics blush – it’s the one that comes in the massive “face disc”
Weekend plans: a friend who is on her own, wants to make chili and come here (we always have her over for NYE) – she really wants to see my kids from afar, though son and his wife from Japan will be away in Toronto visiting friends so it’s just my son from the West Coast (he’s going out too but we’ll have an early dinner so she can see him; she has no children of her own and doesn’t have much of a relationship with her sisters or their children and so seems to take a lot of joy from spending time with my kids, which is lovely to see)
Favourite thing to do on NYE: Weather permitting, hubs, my friend and I take a walk around the block to “welcome” the approaching year.
You certainly have been in strife with the surgery scar Mariella – is it painful or itchy or both? My best friend, who had breast cancer surgery, used the same La Roche Posay cream and an Avene one on her scar and she said it made such a difference. So I am glad to read that it’s working on you too.
Lucky you to score a couple of Sephora gift cards – your family knows you too well. I do hope you find something really nice and on sale when you go there. Sephora Canada has twice the amount of stock as Sephora Australia (I checked out their blog) and the prices seem so much more reasonable too.
I had to smile when you nominated The Rebel 2020 as a ‘rediscovery’ – such a perfect quad.
Did your youngest son and his wife spend Christmas with you? If they did, I think they would’ve have been head over heels in love with the newest addition to your family.
Have a lovely, safe and warm NYE Mariella and I hope the coming year is good to you and your family.
Yes, “the baby” and his wife were here (the whole family was) and will be back again tomorrow (they’ve gone to Toronto for a few days to see their friends there and some of her family). They got the neatest gifts for my daughter and her family – beautiful chopsticks with their names carved into them (including a set for the baby). They also got the baby a wooden xylophone in the shape of an elephant – the cutest thing! They got me a Diptyque candle…the Tokyo one. I’ve been aware of Diptyque for year but would NEVER spend that on a candle, so it’s a real indulgence. Everyone is wild about the baby – I don’t think she sat in her highchair for more than 5 minutes – everyone was dying to have a cuddle with her!
As for the knee scar, my physio suggested just pure vitamin E right on the scar to help with healing, so hubs has been rubbing that in gently every day (twice a day if we’re organized enough) – I don’t even want to look at it! The scar doesn’t hurt…it’s all the muscles and tendons that need to be worked to break up scar tissue inside (to have full mobility). The dryness is actually lower down on my leg and I think it will just take time for the old skin to slough off and the new skin cells to renew or whatever they do but honestly, on that one leg, it’s almost like a snake shedding its skin – blech!
Yes, that The Rebel quad…every time I use it, I think of you because it was your praise for it that caused me to grab it when Sephora finally got it “in store”. Sephora here too has woefully fewer products and brands than it used to have and they’re so often out of stock on the very things I want.
A very happy and healthy 2023 to you and your family, Genevieve!
Recent purchases: No beauty products this week. But I just got an email informing me that MAC is ending their Back-to-MAC program in March, so I need to go through all of my MAC lipsticks and pick out the ones that are old or I don’t wear anymore and trade them in for new shades and/or backups of favorite shades before the program ends.
Rediscoveries: MAC Yash lipstick. I haven’t worn it for a few months and forgot how much I like it.
Weekend plans: Visiting family, reading, binge-watching, laundry, and enjoying every last minute before I have to return to work after a week off!
What is your favorite thing to do on NYE? Stay home and treat it like any other night. I’m not a big fan of NYE festivities.
Wait; WHAT? MAC is ending Back-to-MAC?!? NOOOOOO!!! Going to have to do the same with my gazillion lipsticks, I suppose. I don’t look forward to that ordeal, as I hate the idea that some may have turned bad. Feels like $’s down the drain!
I got the same email Seraphine and I was shocked. They’re “wait and see how we’re changing this” sounded ominous – I assumed there would be nothing to replace the program (and I don’t have enough items to do a B2M just now – I think I’ve got 3 lippies, if that). End of an era, I guess!
We never had Back-to-MAC here, some odd rule made it impossible, so I have saved a lot of empties to return when going abroad to some country that have MAC stores. Now I guess I can just toss the lot.
I always loved the idea and would have liked to get some new lipsticks.
A pity postage to The US is so costly or I would have sent out my old lipsticks and if they take them as well the old de-potted eyeshadow eyeshadow containers.
Oh, well, I guess some can go in the ordinary recycle bin and the rest I’ll leave at the proper site, same as we leave old paint and such.
Why on Earth would a brand end such a great environmental program such as Back to MAC? Seriously! It’s a great way to get rid of any old lipsticks or makeup items from the brand – I don’t think we have it here though.
I hope you have a lovely quiet, peaceful evening in Seraphine and that next week will be gentle on you.
Sorry about your pupper. I lost my cat a few years ago and it’s still hard sometimes. On to beauty – I purchased the Dr. Jart+ anti-redness kit at Sephora and I’m surprised at how much I’m actually enjoying it. It really feels like it’s helping my texture and rosacea issues.
For makeup, I’ve been playing with contrasting colors to create halo eye looks. It’s been really fun.
Recent Purchases: Colourpop Petals en Pointe just arrived and it looks pretty. Interested to see how it looks on me. Planning on purchasing another NABLA eyeliner in January to go with it!
Weekend Plans: recover from this migraine
Favorite Thing to Do on NYE: watch The Philadelphia Story and go to bed at 8 pm.
Best wishes Sarah on getting over that horrible migraine and enjoy your quiet night in.
This is so wonderful of you to take on those two lil’ newborn puppies with special needs! 💞
Purchases/rediscoveries: Just placed my order through Macy’s for the MAC Whitney’s Nippy Eye-conic Palette, and a cute black sweatshirt with a white and gray kitty head and paws peeking out up top! Rediscovered my neglected Huda Beauty Black Jaguar palette yesterday and was BLOWN AWAY by how gorgeous my eye look turned out. How in the heck did I forget this absolute gem?
Weekend plans: Zoom meeting tomorrow morning. Food shopping either later today if I feel up to it, or possibly tomorrow. Something near my surgical site (it has been 9 whole months, so I don’t get it) in the abdominal muscle on one side really hurts like a a knife like stabbing pain. Came out of nowhere last night while I was changing out of my meeting clothes back into my jeans. So random. And just unexpected after so many months.
What do you enjoy doing on NYE? Nothing special. Just enjoy watching the beginning of New Years Rocking Eve, if possible. Or whatever is musical, but not holiday music. Man, I sure have mellowed out since my younger years! Happily, though.
Sounds like you might have some scar tissue mingling in with your muscles Nancy – I think that would be quite painful or a nerve ending playing up. What a nuisance for you.
The Huda Juguar palette is gorgeous and I could see it looking spectacular on you.
Have a happy NYE and I hope, a better year to come.
That’s pretty much what I’m guessing it’s from, too, Genevieve. My first thought? That it was a new hernia! But after feeling around the painful spot on my tummy, there was no protrusion. So, I guess that it’s nerves reconnecting or an adhesion/scar tissue. Less painful/tender since late yesterday, thank goodness!
Ouch, Nancy, regarding the abdominal pain. I wonder if you have an adhesion (a friend of mine had them after a C-section). Call your surgeon’s office just to be sure… Hope it turns out to be nothing at all. All the best to you in the New Year (from another post-op patient).
Oh Christine – you are now seriously on mum duties if you are feeding the puppies every couple of hours! You must be exhausted – and with the realisation that tomorrow night will be the same. Do you have to burp the puppies? What a wonderful thing to volunteer for Christine. So kind of you to give up your time to these darling little puppies who have been born this way.
Secondly, I want to ask – how did the Masterchef work go on Christmas Eve? I hope everything went well for you and your family.
Recent Purchases: No makeup as such, but plenty of skincare bargains around from my favourite brands – Inkey List, The Ordinary, Neutragena’s Hydro Boost cleanser and Bright Boost moisturisers + plenty more.
I also scored a most beautiful and comfortable pair of expensive navy sandals at half price, plus a couple of tops for 70% off – so I do feel lucky.
Rediscoveries: No real rediscoveries this week as I am using my brand new Decadence palette with ND Glam, Bronze Bliss and the Exquisite Opulence single.
Weekend Plans: It is infernally hot here as summer has hit with a vengance.
For NYE we are going out for a family dinner to a local hotel restaurant that has great food and a wonderful indoor playground for the kids.
On NY’s day – we are just hanging out at home – it’s going to be even hotter than today and I am hopeless in the heat.
Nicholas and Anika have released their happy news about the arrival of their 4th child – hopefully he/she will arrive either on Candad Day or US Independence Day. The first 13 week scan revealed a healthy and active baby…so that is great news.
Favourite thing to do on NYE: Exactly what we are doing: having dinner out with our family. Coming home and watching the fireworks on TV.
Wishing everyone here a happy and safe New Year and may the coming year be a good and kind one to you all.
No burping! I have to weigh the puppy before I feed it, feed it, weigh after feeding, and then simulate it to potty (mom would do this for the first two weeks, I believe!)… and repeat every 2-3 hours. I aim for around 2 hours during the day and then 3 hours when I’m trying to sleep (but I tend to wake up enough during the night that it’s often around 2.5 hours).
Exhausting but rewarding work. (I’ve done it with puppies and kittens.) Bless you. Their sweet little faces and tubby tummies override the fatigue, don’t they? 🙂❤️
Much love to their big foster brother Winnie and their guardian angel Mellon.
Definitely it is! I am looking forward to when they get to the 10-day mark and start seeing/hearing the world. Week three for puppies is my favorite age, since they are more aware of their surroundings, still pretty clumsy and wiggly, but very snuggly.
I hope you can get pictures when they do!
Christine, you are doing the work of angels, caring for these puppies. I do hope the mom has been or is going to be spayed, given what seems to be a hereditary defect (and the fact that there are already too many puppies in the world needing homes). Feel free to tell me to “MYOB” but, well…it’s distressing to read.
Yes, everything is through a rescue, so both mom and puppies will ALL be spayed/neutered before they are adoptable. The rescue takes in pregnant moms or nursing moms or orphaned pups, but they spay/neuter everybody before they can be adopted. I believe it’s a county law, actually, for rescues to spay/neuter before adopting out, too. I don’t know mom’s story, but I imagine she was a stray that was picked up and transferred to the rescue! This rescue also registers all the chips to them and will take back any of their pups/moms (they have even had one get picked up on the east coast and had it transported back to Phoenix).
They also have a program called mutt-ternity leave where it allows owners to surrender their pregnant dog for the duration of her pregnancy/puppy-raising, then the rescue will spay, and then the owners can get the dog back (now spayed and NOT dumped somewhere either).
What a wonderful rescue organization and major kudos to you for being a nursemaid to those little puppies.
OMG – Christine – weighing the puppies before and after a feed! How exhausting for you – how long do you have to do this for?
It’s a good idea to try and stretch out the night feeds as the puppies need to sleep too.
I’m not sure how long I will do it for, but I’ll probably foster these guys for at least two or three weeks and see how it goes (if I want to go longer, they would be happy to have me, though).
Recent purchases/rediscoveries: None for this week. I keep forgetting to get a new tube of concealer, oops.
Weekend plans: I have to work 2.5 hours at some point today, but I’ll probably bake and do art afterward! Tomorrow is still up in the air.
Favorite thing to do on NYE: I also like to snack on every available food. I also make sure to play at least one board game, but the more the merrier.
RECENT PURCHASES:
No purchases, but I received some beauty Christmas gifts. I got a couple sizes of Beachwaver, Kayali Lovefest Burning Cherry, Lisa Eldridge Myth Eyeshadow Palette, Besamé The Queen Shadow Book.
WEEKEND PLANS:
Grocery shopping. Staying in for NYE, per our usual. We’ll make a nice dinner and play Cards Against Humanity, and probably watch a movie.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO ON NYE?
Stay in with the family.
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: I placed an Ulta order just after midnight Eastern on Christmas Eve (the final hour of the 20% off coupon) that arrived last week-MAC x Black Panther Dora Milaje lipstick and Royal Vibrancy Extra Dimension Skinfinish highlighter, Lancome L’Absolu Rouge Matte Drama lipsticks (shades: Attrape Coeur, Rouge Pigalle, and French Rendezvous), and Lancome L’Absolu Rouge Cream lipsticks (shades: Paris S’Eveille and Rose Cocktail).
My beauty-related Christmas gifts were Fenty Moon Dunez Flypencil, UD 24/7 eyeliners (shades: Chaos, Bourbon, Whiskey, Corrupt), a generic makeup bag that appears to be Criminal Minds-themed* that my mom found on Amazon, and an Ariana Grande Ari fragrance set that includes EDP, body mist, and 3 silk scrunchies-1 white and 2 different shades of purple.
*I had no idea there was such a thing as a Criminal Minds makeup bag! The squeamish have no need to worry, because the reference to the show is pretty subtle-the bag features a plane flying among clouds and the words “Wheels up in 30,” which is how the team leader-first Hotch, then Emily in later seasons-dismisses the team to get their go bags and head to the jet at the end of case briefings.
Weekend plans: The library system I work at was closed Sat/Sun/Mon for both Christmas weekend and New Year’s weekend. I worked all day Friday (making up a shift that didn’t happen because the huge Christmas weekend storm closed the system), my parents and I went to my aunt’s annual NYE party Saturday night, and Sunday afternoon was the Christmas dinner that my dad’s side of the family had had to postpone to New Year’s due to the storm.
What’s your favorite thing to do on NYE? Go to my aunt’s NYE party.