Friday Finds & Check-ins, Volume #689
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: a few of the About Face Lip Butters that weren’t originally available
Weekend plans: I just wrapped up editing photos this morning, but I’m going to see if I can’t push and get some lip swatches done, too. I am volunteering at the mom + puppy rescue this evening to help do intake for two moms and 13 puppies (between the two of them), which involves wearing a big, yellow hazmat-kind of suit and sweating from head to toe while giving the lil’ babes baths and nail trims.
Unfortunately, Lorax passed away on late Monday/early Tuesday, after being taken to the ER. They just were not able to do anything that would have saved him, and he had been thriving and doing well until about 11PM on Monday and was seen at the ER by midnight. We are totally heartbroken here; my hubby has taken it harder than me, I think, but I have a greater capacity to compartmentalize to some degree. We loved him so much while he was here.
What is your go-to comfort food? Pasta. Anything pasta. Occasionally, Indian food in general, but I have been going for pasta when I need something really comforting.
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: I scored a bottle of REN Bio Retinoid Youth Concentrate Oil, which retails at Sephora for $94 Canadian, for $20 at Winners (I’m tempted to go back to get the other bottle they had but it’s probably gone by now). It is LOVELY though I don’t believe most of REN’s claims, including all the “youth” stuff.
Rediscoveries: Tarte Natural Beauty blush (no longer carried at Sephora…WHY???) – I hadn’t used it in years and it is so perfect; MAC Phloof! eyeshadow (had – guess what – also discontinued!). It’s a perfect “wide awake” shadow for all over my lids, with some liner, when I don’t want to look like I’m wearing eye makeup.
Weekend Plans: the gym both days; making a large pot of Burgundy beef and wild mushroom stew tomorrow and then on Sunday (weather permitting) we’re going to drive to visit daughter, son in law and grand daughter and take dinner to them (we’d originally invited them here but with the weather being iffy, I think it’s better that they can stay home and we can drive to them)
Comfort food: MASHED POTATOES…with a nice dollop of butter melting on the top and some Maldon sea salt flakes. Also, home made chicken soup (if someone else makes it – a rarity – so much the better) with broad egg noodles. Oh, and rice pudding!
Burgundy Beef and mushrooms is quite a winter staple in our household, with everyone loving it. I serve it with mashed potatoes – a side that Anika, Olivia and my husband love (they got the mashed potato gene).
You definitely sounding like me Mariella – bringing the dinner to their place because the weather is too cold to bring the baby out. I still get a lot of requests to cook certain foods from Olivia (now this week Nonna, how about your chicken pasta?).
It’s a shame that all your favourite makeup products are not longer carried at Sephora or of course, d/c. It’s just not fair.
Enjoy your weekend and I hope the weather permits a visit from you to see your darling little angel.
Actually, the stew is for us; my daughter won’t eat mushrooms! Her husband eats them now but this is recent – until a few years ago, he wasn’t a fan. We’re making meatloaf and mashed potatoes and probably skilled roasted Brussels sprouts (daughter’s favourite vegetable) to bring to them tomorrow. The great thing about the stew, though, is that because it doesn’t contain potatoes, it freezes well (I also serve it with mashed potatoes – that was my answer to the Friday question about favourite comfort food – I love mashed potatoes, even badly made ones!) It’s not the cold I’m so concerned about with grand-daughter…it’s more the road conditions that concern me.
It’s not just Sephora…my favourite body care items from The Body Shop – GONE!!! Sephora seems to be phasing out most of their REN skin and body care products (I scored a few at Winners over the past few weeks for next to nothing, especially compared with their original prices!)
I’m not a mushroom fan either, but I do tolerate them in the casserole and they are good for you.
We’re also big, big Brussel Sprouts fans as well – I cook them a couple of different ways (roasted, boiled etc) and I put them into most casseroles I make.
Yes, I can image the road conditions would be quite dicey (black ice, slush) with your weather at the moment. A wise move on your part Mariella. I am sure your daughter and SIL will love your ‘food’ gifts.
I’m about to starting making a pumpkin soup for Lachlan….
Sephora is losing the plot – and our Sephora is a joke….
Brussel Sprouts seems to be either love or hate here. I love them, as did my grandparents and mother, my son and his father wont touch them.
Here’s a weird idea, Brussel Sprout eye makeup! I think I’m going for it tomorrow. 🙂
I don’t think I liked them as a child – my mom cooked like most moms back then so they were overcooked and not very appetizing. My kids loved them, even as children – I’d bribe them to eat more chicken, using the sprouts as the bribe – “one tiny piece of chicken and then another sprout”. I don’t think it would work as an eye look for me, though.
But we love green, and they are dark green going lighter until almost white. I just went with a light silver and a dark grey eyeshadow as a liner on the outer part of the upper lashes today, but green tomorrow, yes, it could happen.
Anyway, cool kids you have being bribed to eat chicken with Brussel Sprouts. My son, as I said don’t want to be close to the poor sprout.
I’m thinking of growing my own this year, along with some other veggies.
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: my very strict half-year almost no buy ended Jan. 1 so I have made more makeup purchases in the past few weeks than the last half of last year, but it has all been very good stuff to spark joy and update my collection. I made an order with Ciate so that I could get the Iris Apfel travel bag for my upcoming trip. I also got another of the Iris Apfel shiny lipsticks because the formula is lovely as well as a long-time wishlist item, their glitter lipstick in Topaz. It definitely wasn’t a planned purchase and it wasn’t impulsive either, so I feel pretty satisfied with how I spent my money. I am keeping with my one-in-one-out strategy, so I need to find 2 old unused lippies to be replaced.
Weekend plans: The usual. Art, reading, relaxing. I think we are gonna go to Ace Hardware for some container gardening stuff for our patio, and to Trader Joe’s. Due to my chronic illness weekends are usually chill by necessity, but I do like to get out and about if I can, especially if the weather is nice! Thinking of asking my hubs on a brunch date tomorrow since we are gonna be out in the mid-morning anyhow.
What is your go-to comfort food? Cheeseburger. It doesn’t matter if it is from McDonald’s or a fine dining restaurant, a good cheeseburger always nourishes the body and the soul! I don’t eat beef or pork at home, so it is kind of a “sometimes treat,” in the parlance of Cookie Monster, to have a burger somewhere.
Oooh! I forgot 🍕🍕🍕 for mine!
Pizza is good too! I used to really not care for pizza much at all, but my taste has changed and it definitely hits the spot when I am in the mood.
OMG, I’m so sorry, Stephanie, but I was trying to respond to BrandiD, but I’m answering on my phone, so sometimes things land in odd places! BTW, YES to 🍔🍔🍔, too!
I’m sorry to hear about your pupper, Christine. ❤️
Rediscoveries Finally found my stash of Colourpop 9-pan palettes, I’ve got no idea why I had stored them separately from the rest of my makeup!
For a while in 2018-2019, I bought *every* 9-pan palette they made; got a better diagnosis and handling of my ADHD, and realised how unnecessary it was, not just financially but in eco terms as well – though they seem to be doing the plastic again….
Getting a good handle on decluttering all my makeup. I would like to cut it down to one of the four-drawer wheelie units, with maybe an extra box for palettes I can’t bear to part with.
The best thing has been discovering great colours and formulas I’d forgotten I even owned!
Weekend plans: you guessed it: more decluttering!
It’s very hot here so no comfort food is springing to mind; I am a horror if I don’t have a least two iced coffees every day, does that count? 😅
I think a nice brunch is a wonderful idea on the weekend, especially if your going out already to purchase a few good items for your patio. I hope your chronic illnesses give you a break.
Recent purchases/Rediscoveries: I recently did a makeup swap where I got a custom palette with Urban Decay’s singles (these might be older — Foxy, ABC Gum, Midnight Cowboy and Naked). These colors together make a fantastic natural/wide awake look for me. I’ve also rediscovered MAC’s Layin’ Low cream shadow — I was thinking it might be too old so tried it with the idea that it could qualify for Back to MAC. Nope, I’m keeping this one because it’s another lovely one-and-done look for my eyes.
Weekend plans: I’m hosting book club tomorrow at a small winery near friends. I’m pretty sure I’m the only person who finished the actual book, but any excuse to eat vegan cheese/salami/gluten-free crackers and drink wine with friends is a good excuse for me! Other than that, we don’t have much going on.
My go-to comfort food: Pizza! I have food allergies so rarely eat it, but I will risk a mild reaction every now and then just to have the Supreme from our local Ballpark Pizza. Ramen is my go-to among the things that DON’T cause allergies — I’ve formulated my own recipe using homemade meatballs, veggies and rice noodles. I love it!
Best wishes for the book club Brandi – it sounds like a fun place to host it and I hope the weather is kind to you.
I’m not a pizza fan myself, due to an intolerance of cheese (as I have aged, my tolerance to dairy products has diminished and I have to be careful).
When I saw the very sad, tragic news about little Lorax, my heart was so broken for you both. Yet, just knowing that you gave him such wonderful care and that he was loved so much somehow takes away some of the sting. Still heartbreaking, though. 💔
Purchases/rediscoveries: No purchases. Rediscovered the simple beauty of my UD 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Corrupt, which is still oddly eye brightening despite being a very deep taupey brown! Also rediscovered an old Fenty Cream Gloss Bomb in Cookie Jar, if I’m reading the label correctly.
Weekend plans: Other than my Zoom meeting tomorrow morning, my weekend is up in the air! Nice for a change. Wish that I was still living in Scottsdale so that I could hop on one of those circulator buses and get to a very beautiful, safe feeling park with WATER and TREES, though!
Comfort food (s)? Pasta lover here, too! Plus, ice cream, donuts, and many other unhealthy choices, lol!
Here’s hoping that you get back to Scottsdale soon Nancy. Don’t they have any public buses etc near to where you are currently living?
Hi Genevieve, we do, but they only run on major roads (no meandering through the local neighborhoods to places one may love to visit like; Scottsdale Fashion Square, Diego Pop’s restaurant, etc.), and they also don’t run as late as on the other side of town, either. So, while sure I can get to the food store, it takes a few different buses to get to Sephora, Ulta or Macy’s, etc. The parks over here are nothing to write home about, either. Had my son never given me his word that he would gladly bring me to the store and to visit lovely sites, I would never have moved over this way. I regret doing so constantly. But I really believed him when he offered his assistance.
Oh Christine and Shaun – how heartbreaking for you both! He looked so well and was so, so happy. No wonder you are both upset, seeing how much love and care you devoted to him. This is such sad news.
You are doing a wonderful and much needed work at the mother and baby dog rescue centre. I have a really great chicken pasta recipe if you need some more comfort food.
Recent Purchases: Just some heel balm cream for my feet.
Rediscoveries: Just rotating my stash – combining a few palettes together, varying my lipsticks
Weekend Plans: Fairly low key this weekend. Lachlan is having his 7th birthday party on Saturday afternoon with 5 friends – the party food at home and then they are off to a play centre for the afternoon.
His real birthday is on Feb 1st, but that is a school day, so this works out better. I am bringing over some party food at lunchtime. But I’m not going to the play centre though.
Other than that, just some grocery shopping and meal planning. It’s going to be a hot day, so just relaxing.
Go to comfort food: A couple of Lindt milk chocolate balls never goes astray (although I am not a big chocolate eater) and if I was upset I would want to go out for dinner and have my favourite Chicken Scallopini dish at my favourite restaurant.
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: The 8 remaining Lancome lipsticks (Moderato, French Touch, Nuit Parisienne, Berry Noir, Blush Classique, Bisou Bisou, French Coeur, and French Idol) that I ordered from Ulta arrived today. I ordered the new Estee Lauder Pure Color Matte lipstick in Stolen Heart-the pink shade that Ana de Armas wore to the Golden Globes-from my local Von Maur on Tuesday (the regular release date is this coming Wednesday, but it looks like they had an exclusivity agreement with Von Maur for an early launch) and it also arrived today!
Weekend plans: Weekly grocery run tonight, work all day tomorrow and laundry tomorrow evening, not sure about Sunday.
What is your go-to comfort food? Probably chocolate.
RIP lovely little Lorax. I’m so glad he was loved while here.
Purchases/rediscoveries: Electrum had a great sale today!
Weekend plans: Having a friend over for a really nice dinner tomorrow!
Comfort food (s)? Cheese and crackers.
Oh Christine! I don’t know how your heart could take the loss of that sweet little pup. You were so lucky to be able to help him on his journey.
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: nada
Weekend plans: We’re in the middle of a Polar Vortex so I will be going out as little as possible. We need to build stairs up to our bed so Lex can come and go as he likes, he jumps off fine but we have to lift him up. They will come in handy as our daughter’s dog is getting older and not as confident jumping up on the bed neither.
What is your go-to comfort food? Mexican food I could eat it every day!
I’m so sorry about Lorax, Christine! I know you’ve seen a lot of loss with this particular foster journey. I’m glad you were able to love these puppies so much while they were here.
Recent Purchases: Ace Beauté had an amazing sale on their Aura and Envy palettes + coupons stacked on that sale, so I picked those up since I wanted them so badly. I’m excited to use them! They’re beautiful unique color stories.
Rediscoveries: I used my Purito Cica Clearing BB Cream several times this week and it’s just so nice.
Weekend plans: We were supposed to go over to my MIL’s house last weekend, but she wasn’t feeling well, so we are going Saturday. Sunday I get to meet up with my BFF for breakfast.
What is your go-to comfort food? Cereal. I love a good cereal. 🤤
Good Saturday, Christine! Im so sorry to hear you lost your Lorax!
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: 2 new Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet lipsticks. (# 63 and #64) Im in love. Have my eye on #46. I love ordering through the Chanel website as their packaging and generous samples are a treat! I am rediscovering a Chanel shadow single- Cuivre Rose. It is like ..PERFECT for me. Wish Id bought a back up.
Weekend plans: Yours put mine to shame. I caught a cold from my hubby, and he is still suffering from it too. We will lay low and I will attempt to launch my workout I’ve skipped for the past 2 days. Maybe talk him into a quick trip to Costco.
Go to comfort food: At home, its any kind of homemade soup. In the past week, I’ve made bean with bacon soup, lasagna soup, wild rice soup, and cajun clam chowder. For take out, its Mexican food, or Pho. Do you have any recommendations for Indian food in the Phoenix area? I would appreciate them for an upcoming trip!
Have a good weekend everyone!
Christine, I am so sorry.
<3
So sad to hear about little Lorax. Such a cute little one. He was so loved, I’m sure the little short life he had was a very good one.
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: No purchases. Still waiting for About Face eyebrow gel and blush. I will contact them in a week or two to ask again where my order is.
Rediscoveries, MAC Clean Green, I had completely forgotten I had it, it was fun to use again. Also MAC Artificial Earth, I think I have three eyeshadows from that LE, Artificial Earth, Stony and Marsh.
I had a bit of fun going through my MAC LE’s.
Weekend plans: Weekend is gone, but I didn’t do much and nothing to write about, really. The usual dog walks, I do enjoy being out with my sweet boy. I have re-watched a lot of Veronica Mars.
What is your go-to comfort food? Vegetarian lasagna.
I wish Lorax had made it. So sad. Cleft palate is so tough. IDK why there aren’t graduated palate prostheses for dogs, heck, all pets. I wanted to volunteer for Smile Train (I’m an slp) in Syria, but this is not the time. He was a lovely fellow and got the best care possible. Heartbreaking.