I’m a lawyer with weird hobbies: like spending hours researching the etymology, history and origin of certain cocktails and alcohol. And being frustrated with the state of the world even after I’ve told myself not to read about the state of the world. And beginning sentences with the word “and.” None of the opinions I post here matter, and are often times probably pretty dumb; BUT, I promise there will at least be some humor injected somewhere in each post. And curse words…lots of curse words. And if reading superfluous opinions isn’t your thing (I don’t blame you), head over to the “Booze” section for cocktail recipes, history and stories! I do hope you don’t take this page too seriously and enjoy yourself while here.
That’s my face. Close up. All those pores and bumps and fine lines? EVERYONE HAS THEM.
I think it’s really important to say this because I don’t think it’s acknowledged enough—not only in the makeup community, but just in general: you have your “good” days and you have your “bad” days. I mean…It’s not like I fancy myself as some kind of life coach or guru…but maybe it means even more coming out of the mouth of someone whose job isn’t to make you fell better about yourself, and who is otherwise just some person among the billions on earth, who is just living as best she can with what she’s got.
IDK.
Take it for what it is. I know for me, it took half a lifetime to come to this conclusion. Well. There’s a whole lot more involved in that revelation, but let’s just start with that. You are going to have days where you think you look better than others—and you are the only one who is going to notice (most times…unless you’re like…dying or something) because you know yourself best. You know what you look and feel like when you’re bloated…or when a new zit makes its temporary home on your chin; or when you’re dehydrated, so your wrinkles are a bit more noticeable (or if you’re too young for that, more zits you plump-skinned heathen).
But, from far away, you can’t see them. In fact, NO ONE is going to stand close enough to you to notice your pores unless you let them, and at that point, you’re probably already comfortable enough with that person to show him/her your pores. Your pores probably like that person too. And their pores like you.
Some people suggest treating yourself extra nice on those days, or doing other things that make you focus on “being beautiful.” I actually think that makes it worse because if you weren’t already focused on how you looked that day, you absolutely are now. Here’s my two cents: if you wake up one day with your skin rebelling against you and pouring out of the top of a pair of jeans that fit you yesterday, take a few minutes to acknowledge it and how it makes you feel then chalk it up to one of “those” days and move the fuck on. Grab a pair of slacks and remind yourself that you’ll be back to normal in a couple of days.
I HATED the way this look turned out, but I posted it anyway and other people enjoyed it. While you shouldn’t seek happiness solely based on what other people think or approve of, sometimes you need the perspective.
I don’t know about you, but when I woke up on those days I would panic and replay everything I ate and drank the two weeks before to try to pinpoint where I went wrong. Like, “it was that fucking French fry that did it! I’d have a clear face if it weren’t for you, you little shit and wouldn’t be ballooning out of my jeans, asshole French fry!” Or, I’d berate myself for not drinking enough water, or skipping that last mile on a run last Tuesday.
I mean. I probably have a diagnosable problem.
The point is YOU are the only one who notices it, which means YOU have the complete power over whether it will ruin your day. Don’t let it. Cut your body some slack. If you’re anything like me, you’re a female millennial juggling a ridiculous amount of things while trying to be taken seriously, yet maintain a social life all while being bludgeoned with national and global news everyday that has really been taking steps toward apocalypse of late. So, you’ve probably got a shit-ton of cortisol seeping from your pores. (note: you can actually smell stress. It’s sour. My husband once got into my car after a particularly stressful day and was like, “What the shit is that smell?”) That hormone is supposed to help your body cope with stress, but what it actually does in large amounts is fuck with your sleep, weight and causes all sorts of other issues.
This was a good day. Everything worked–my skin, the makeup, lighting and angles.
The last thing your body needs in that situation is even more cortisol from your insecurities. It would be like punching yourself in the face as punishment for getting punched in the face by someone else. (side note: nobody probably does that, but it was the only analogy I could think of. I should never become a therapist). Especially since your body is actually pretty amazing. It does some stupid shit sometimes, but by and large its usually awesome. It can make beautiful music, create amazing things, and go really really fast, or pick up really heavy things. For us ladies, it literally makes other human beings.
So if it gets a zit every now and then, or holds more water than usual, give it a break—it’s been working to keep you alive its entire life and sometimes needs help managing stress.
If you recognize that, I think you’ll end up feeling grateful instead of critical.
And, btw, I still post to the Insta on crappy days because getting even one like reminds me I’m the only one who thinks it was a crappy day.
The good news is, we’ve saved a shit-ton of money on entertainment. Instead of paying $30 for two drinks, we pay $30 for 1.5 liters of gin. Instead of paying $24 to watch a movie at the theater, we pay $0 for mooching off my parents’ Netflix account. The $20 per weekend to Uber places to get sloshed is now also $0.
The bad news?
I’ve purchased one makeup palette, one pan of pressed glitter, and like three skincare products. And another moissanite ring. I justify it by telling myself (a) I’d have spent the money on going out anyway, and (b) it probably still doesn’t equal the amount we’ve saved in travel and entertainment. Also, I see it as a preventative measure against going completely insane stuck inside all day. Now I not only have fun new makeup to play with, but I can entertain you with my very interesting* reviews!
Aren’t you lucky.
I admit I fell victim to the Facebook ads when I bought Jolie Beauty’s Intergalactic palette. We all know how well that turned out last time. (I bought a $40 foundation that I ended up returning. I was out of pocket $5, but I did get a post out of it…so I guess there’s that.) I clearly have not learned my lesson.
In my defense, I was left unsupervised I did lots of research before I pulled the trigger along with an embarrassing amount of overthinking (should I just save the money? But I have nothing else to do, and we’ve saved so much in entertainment! But I could save it for home improvements like actual responsible adults. Why can’t you just be patient?! B’cause I DON’T WANNA BE PATIENT I WANT IT NOW). < This is not an uncommon narrative for me.
Photo credit: Joliebeauty.co.uk
As it happens, Jolie Beauty is a pretty “indie” brand (so says Tati, who was the only influencer I was actually familiar with that did a video on Jolie’s all pressed glitter palette), so there was not a ton out there as far as reviews; but the stuff that I did find clearly convinced me enough to spend the $37 dollars to buy the palette. (read: I really did need that much convincing to spend money on makeup). That, and the colors were unique. I have three Juvia’s Place palettes, three Morphe palettes, and a few other random mini palettes, so I’m pretty set as far as the color wheel goes. This palette, however, had pastels, bright colors, shimmers, douchromes, and pressed glitters–many of which were not already in my possession.
Jolie Beauty describes itself as “the brainchild of a team of highly experienced makeup artists that have, in their career, worked with some of the biggest names, such as MAC, Illamasqua, Clinique, Estee Lauder, Sephora and more.” Their products are cruelty-free, and they claim regular donations to animal charities. Jolie’s products are also fairly priced: I’d say comparable to Morphe, Colour Pop and Juvia’s Place. Jolie does have an edge on creativity. The company has commandeered a niche in the pressed glitter world, making a name for itself with its “Bomb Dot Com” palette, which is the one Tati reviewed in 2018. That video got 1.7 million views. Other than Tati’s video, If you search “Jolie Beauty” on Youtube, you’ll find primarily videos posted by its own site—typically swatches and tutorials on looks with various palettes and products.
I was pretty impressed with the pressed glitter. It is absolutely just what it says: glitter that’s been pressed in a pan. Glitter all the way down, through and through. And the best part? It’s got this weird pasty-but-not-greasy texture that allows the glitter to glide smoothly on your lid so you get the best color pay-out without having to use glitter primer or dipping back into the product a whole bunch of times.
From wrist to elbow: White Out, Big Bang, Supernova, Red Dwarf, Spaceship, Light Year, Comet and Asteroid
The mattes are pigmented too, but not as creamy as other formulas I’ve tried (like, Il Makiage, Tarte, or Juvia’s Place).
Again, I’d say solidly on par with Morphe. None of the colors are patchy, and all blend very nicely. The douchromes are not as pigmented as the rest of the colors/shimmers, but I feel they weren’t supposed to stand on their own. Rather, I get the feeling they were meant to be dusted on top of another color to give a holographic sheen—which they do very well. The shimmers, unlike the mattes, are super creamy and a joy to work with. The colors are also unique (to me, at least), and pack a pigmented puch (haha…alliteration).
From mid-forearm to elbow: Alien, Parallax, Aurora, Meteorite, Intergalactic, Star Dust, Cosmic and Constellation
The palette itself is substantial. It’s got great heft and a full-sized mirror (something Tati quipped about the Bomb Dot Com not having…maybe Jolie took that quip to heart with its Intergalactic palette…or maybe it just did it just because, idk how much clout these influencers have with indie makeup brands). But I think my favorite part about the palette (I mean…other than the amazing glitters) are the names of the shades.
Okay…maybe just two of the shade names:
RICK AND MOTHERFUCKING MORTY
(*it’s just “Morty”)
Like.
That ALONE had me sold on the palette.
From wrist to elbow: Antimatter, Rick, Morty, Martian, Galaxy, Zodiac, Ultra Violet, and Dark Matter
A brand that not only makes a quality product but also is in touch with viral cult-inducing, meme-inspiring counter-culture favorites?! Count me the fuck in. It would be like if they named a few of the shadows “Zim,” “Gir,” or “Piddy.”
Ugh.
Missed opportunity.
The palette took a couple of weeks to get here, as it ships from the U.K. You can pay a little extra to track your package or just stick with the free shipping. I’m probably undiagnosed obsessive compulsive because I check tracking numbers for shit that’s shipped on the daily and it drove me absolutely bonkers not to be able to do it with this palette. My cheap-ass self won over my compulsive self when I hit the “place order” button.
From mid-forearm to elbow: Orbit, Milky Way, Nebula, and Black Hole
Final verdict? I’d absolutely recommend this palette. It’s an ass-ton of fun. Obviously, if you’re looking for an all-in-one palette with transition shades, this ain’t it. This palette is purely fun, sparkly and LOUD. You can make complete looks with the palette alone, but they aren’t going to be understated. I mean, I guess you could do the thing where you put a “pop” of color on the inner corners of your eyes…but why waste the lid space? This palette was definitely what I needed to help pass the time in quarantine.
With all this time? And isolation? (read: I’m in my room alone and able to do stuff not in the audience of other human beings…or even the cats. They judge you. Don’t you judge me too. You know exactly what the hell I’m talking about).
Yeah.
So I do stuff in the privacy of my room that I wouldn’t otherwise do in public.
Like.
Take selfies, you dirty dirty heathen.
I think it’s no secret that I idolize Linda Hallberg. Okay, maybe it is, because I’ve never actually talked about her. But she is who instructed me (through her tutorials) on creating an uplifted eye look on eyes that are deep set. Now. To be crystal clear: Linda Hallberg’s eyes are hella perfect. And I’m also not saying deep set eyes can’t be perfect. Fuck.
It’s hard to be politically correct all the time. But hear me out.
I. Have. Deep-set eyes.
I blame my mother and her German/Polish heritage. But you know what else that gives me? SHIT-TONS of lid real-estate (to quote @alexandra_anele who is…fucking AWESOME. Please do check her out on the Insta and YouTube) to work with. I don’t have hooded eyes. Just deep-set eyes and a bunch of skin between my lashes and brow hair. I honestly can’t say whether Hallberg has deep-set eyes; but I can say they kind*** of look like mine (Jesus. That’s almost fallacious. I’m so sorry).
Anyway, the point is, it’s rull hard to get a cat-eye effect when your eyeballs are golf-holes in your skull. You got all than damn orbital bone in the way. You try to draw a straight line from your lash line to your *very* prominent brow bone and end up with something looking like a check mark.
I photo-shopped the blue eyes because I like blue eyes. Fight me.
You don’t want check marks.
So you have to do the thing Alexandra Anele does and MAKE the shape of your eye into what you want (I knooooow this started as a Linda Hallberg Tribute…but it’s also kinda becoming an Alexandra Anele tribute, too). Anele is a graphic artist who does makeup. She. Knows. Her. Shit.
Hallberg is just raw talent with tenacity who made her own makeup line, like, “Oh! Like it’s hard?” I mean, I get there was a metric shit-ton of work involved, but damn. That makeup line is stunning.
And fucking ‘spensive.
Like. I’m a partner in a prominent law firm and still can’t justify $50 for 4 or 5 makeup crayons.
I’m probably just cheap.
But thems crayons is fuckin’ MINT. (in a good way. Like, They probably RAWK, But I won’t know until I can justify spending that amount of money on a single makeup thing. $43 is apparently my limit. Thanks, Estee Lauder.)
ANYWAY.
I digress. Which I often do.
But if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be me, and you wouldn’t be reading this rn.
The POINT was that I’m heckin’ bored and have the time and privacy on my hands to take picture of myself.
As is clear (or maybe not. I digress a lot. Idk.), I think Hallberg is fucking awesome (like Macklemore in “Thrift Store”) and her photography is simple, clean and emphasizes the makeup. (I still remember some of the stuff I learned at PCCA. RIP Mr. Miller, who was an absolute H.E.R.O. Mr. Miller was our photography teacher in high school and a talented sculptor and welder. And a friend). The point is: I wish to emulate that style of photography: clean, simple, focused on the thing you want your viewer to focus on.
So.
With all this extra time and privacy on my hands, I tried it.
And the result?
Not embarrassing!
I mean. Not great. Not even good. But not embarrassing; and that’s my bar right now.
For those of you who are not aware of FaceTune, now’s your time for enlightenment. To be absolutely, one hundred percent (100%…sorry. It’s the lawyer in me) clear: My. Skin. Ain’t. That. Purdy.
I use FaceTune to smooth the sandpaper texture and zits that comprise my face…at fucking 33. Like. I’ve been lied to. I was told this BULLSHIT would stop once I hit my twenties. LIES.
I also enhance the sparkles in the eye shadow that don’t pick on up on my iPhone and tone down the left-over white goo on my lashes. I won’t say that e v e r y o n e does it. (haha. I just did). But I will say that a LOT of people do. At the very least, they enhance their features (skin, jawline, eyes, etc.). I usually use the app to smooth out my obnoxiously rough skin texture and to enhance the non-poop-brown color of my eyes for Instagram.
I don’t do that shit on Reddit because it’s not allowed.
So I just use REEEEEEAAALLY good pictures (Trump tiny-hands) that are posted on Reddit. Which doesn’t happen often.
Anyway.
You were reading this for a reason I would hope.
I’ve begun photographing myself with the regular-ass iPhone camera and have been getting pretty good results.
I’m pretty happy.
I mean.
I got a super-ridiculous-absurd exfoliator after I saw my face on the regular-ass camera. That exfoliator, absurd amounts of water and a religiously-followed skin routine has helped with the texture a lot, but there are just some things that won’t go away and some things that will just get worse with time—like wrinkles.
Insecurities aside, I like playing with the different angles and close-ups. Makes me feel like a real influencer. Note: I don’t even fancy myself a fake influencer but its fun to pretend sometimes.
My set up is laughable. I have a tripod that extends up to about 5 feet, and in order to use the forward-facing camera, I have to put a mirror in back of the tripod so I can see WTF it is I’m doing. The mirror came with the house and is the cheapest most college dorm room mirror you’ve ever seen. It’s like if you went to IKEA and asked for something so college not even the college students could bear to buy it.
But hey, it works.
The tripod came with a wee remote control that connects via Bluetooth with my iPhone so I can snap photos of myself without the dreaded “selfie arm.” Because the way my room is set up, I don’t have a ton of room between the bed and my light source, so I have to either sit fully on the bed, or maneuver some weird half-on-half-off-leaning-slightly-back-mix-of-baffled-and-disgusted-look-inducing bullshit. Can’t be half as bad as what porn stars have to do, but it definitely puts that shit in perspective.
I zoom the camera in slightly and snap! I get a photo that kinda reminds me of Linda Hallberg’s artistry. Only far far far far less good.
Unlike this muffin I’m eating right now. This shiz’s delicious. Go see my other blog for the recipe I stole off Pinterest.
I haven’t pulled the trigger yet on a “real” camera (I mean the one in the iPhone ain’t nothing to sneeze at [and my English teacher just had an inexplicable guttural pain]), because…well, it’s like $700. And while I have no issue spending that amount of money over time on makeup, or one time on my car, I can’t justify clicking the damn button and seeing that money leave my bank account. But MAN it would be cool to have such a camera. Believe it or not, photography was my favorite course in high school (Mr. Miller, God rest your holy holy soul). I loved the crouching and zooming and feeling like I was a real artist because the stuff I could produce kinda looked like the stuff sold in art galleries (unlike my woeful attempts at painting and sculpting).
Here’s the thing…though to be clear, this is an idea I wholly prescribe to but almost never follow (do as I say, not as I do)…there is more to you than your job and existing. There was a time (and if I’m really being honest, it’s still mostly ongoing) where I burned myself out. I’d wake up, go to work, work out, come home eat and go to bed. On the weekends, I cleaned. I never (and sometimes don’t) had the energy to do the things that once made me who I was. And as a person who still feels like an outsider at my job (like, WTF?! I’m not smart enough to be doing this shit! I’m no academic or scholarly whatever!), I felt lost.
So, my point is your “hobbies”? They make up who you are and are deserving of your attention and fruits of your labor at work. I mean…what the hell else are you gonna do with that money? Save it until you get old so you can continue just to exist? That’s no fun.
I plan (and let’s be honest, I’m a Millenial, so it’s my fate) to continue to work so I can continue to live a fulfilling life. I’m trying not to wait until I’m “financially comfortable” because that day will never come. I’m trying to live the life I wanna live now.
I have no reason to do anything but be grateful at this moment…but FUCK, I’m bored. I was super excited to drive the empty streets of the Tampa Bay area to go to work to pick up a legal pad and transfer files from my desktop import folder to our remote system. I left the house with my bar card ready if I got stopped.
I didn’t.
I flew over the bridge with the windows down, AC/DC blaring and hair sticking to my lip gloss. It was glorious. Seemed like any other weekend stop to the office, except for the complete lack of cars on the bridge.
I pulled in to the office, already feeling reminiscent after working remotely for only a week. The parking lot, usually dotted with at least 3 or 4 cars belonging to over-dedicated employees, was barren.
Not. A. Car. It was weird.
Walked into the building, after hitting the elevator buttons with my elbow, and it was cavernous. The news the lone security guard had on echoed throughout the lobby, and the single janitor, wearing a face mask and gloves, wouldn’t even look at me, as though she would contract the disease just by eye constant. I elbow-push-buttoned my way up to our floor, which had signs on the clear glass doors, instructing any mail/packages services to just leave them at the door. Another attorney happen to be in the office at the same time I was, and I caught him as he was leaving. Even after only one week, I felt I hadn’t seen him in decades. I wished I could walk right up to him and catch up—but I couldn’t.
I walked in to my office—a sight for sore eyes. You really don’t realize how much you miss normalcy until it’s gone. My chair. My planner and lamps. My vases full of candy. On the way in, I passed the kitchen, were a plastic container of half-eaten Publix donuts sat on one of the glass tables. It reminded my of a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie where life just suddenly stopped.
And realized: that is what is happening now.
I am living a historical moment. Not post-apocalyptic…but pre-apocalyptic. We are living a chapter of a history book, with an ending that will not be happy.
I sat down in my chair and logged on. It felt familiar. Normal. Comfortable. But I know it was evanescent. I would go back home, on empty streets, most places closed, nobody out and about, to figure out what the hell I would do with the rest of my day.
St. Petersburg in particular is known for its sidewalk life. People milling about outside the myriad of local cafes, restaurants, bars and galleries. We are proud of our local tribe and do everything we can to nurture and preserve it. It is devastating to see it revert to the ghost town it once was, decades age.
When I returned to our little 1948 house, which I love; I stared at the garage wall from my car for a solid 3 minutes. I was trying to think about what I’d do with the rest of my day, now that I couldn’t go downtown; or to the beach, or one of St. Pete’s numerous parks.
One of the good things to come out of this pandemic (aside from camaraderie and solidarity) is the opportunity for creativity to flourish. When everything was open, and we lived our normal lives, we had time only on the weekends to catch up on our passions. That time was interrupted, however, with chores and “adult stuff”we didn’t have the energy to do during the week—like laundry, vacuuming and mowing the lawn. Those creative outlets we fostered as children, which we now characterize as “hobbies” fell by the wayside, as we ground through our days: sleep, work, eat, sleep, work. But now? We have the time.
Now, we have the breathing space to allow ourselves to revisit our passions as children. Our curiosities and interests. Our creative outlets. What makes us human. Because certainly, we are not just what we do to make money. We are more.
So. After staring at the wall and my steering wheel for weird amount of time, I walked in to my house; hugged my husband and dog and made myself a gourmet grilled cheese; complete with baby Swiss cheese and home-smoked pork loin. Then? I played with makeup.
For three hours.
In fact—for the week that I’ve been able to work at home, I’ve done makeup looks each day. Why? Because the sun isn’t down by the time I’m finished working. Because I want to further engage myself and remember life is not just work-eat-sleep.
So, in these absurdly stressful and uncertain times, find comfort in your forgotten creativity. You were not always a lawyer, or an accountant, or construction worker, or doctor. You were an artist. A chef. A musician. A dancer.
Embrace the time you’ve been given to rediscover your whole person. It won’t last long.
We’re going to talk about jewelry, and you’re going to come on a psychological journey with me whether you like it or not.
Original image credit: Star Ruby Gem Shop
“But what does jewelry have anything to do with your psychosis?” you might ask? Well, a lot actually. And not just my own psychosis. Jewelry (and all other material things to an extent) comes with all kinds of baggage. It can mean engagement or marriage; or it can be a material expression of love-like for Valentine’s day, birthdays, anniversaries or other special occasions. It can be a gift to yourself for reaching a certain goal, or to commemorate and award hard work.
For me, I had planned on buying a “right hand ring” for myself to celebrate becoming a shareholder, but wasn’t emotionally prepared to part with six thousand dollars, so I did a metric fuck-ton of research and bought an eighty-dollar moissanite and silver ring instead. Off Etsy. From India.
Sometimes I make questionable decisions.
I wanted a custom setting, which added $20 to the $60 ring. It was a “colourless” 1.75 carat moissanite, and I was S.U.P.E.R. excited to have it on my hand.
Let’s actually pause for a second so I can geek out on you about gemstones. Before I did the metric fuck-ton of resarch on moissanites, I did a metric fuck-ton of research on diamonds, which lead me to lab-created diamonds, which lead me to moissanites…so I suppose instead of two separate fuck-ton research sessions, it was one galactically ridiculous amount of time spent researching a tiny tiny trinket.
Because that’s how I do.
You should have seen the absurd amount of time spent researching cars. You’d be disappointed in the hours of my life I wasted.
So, we all know diamonds are the hardest stone on earth, rating at 10 on the Mohs Scale of hardness. According to Wikipedia (which is THE authority for allcompletely factual information on the interwebs), the Mohs Scale is:
[A] qualitative ordinal scale characterizing scratch resistance of various minerals through the ability of harder material to scratch softer material. Created in 1812 by German geologist and mineralogist Friedrich Mohs, it is one of several definitions of hardness in materials science, some of which are more quantitative. The method of comparing hardness by observing which minerals can scratch others is of great antiquity, having been mentioned by Theophrastus in his treatise On Stones, 300 BC, followed by Pliny the Elder in his Naturalis Historia, AD 77. While greatly facilitating the identification of minerals in the field, the Mohs scale does not show how well hard materials perform in an industrial setting. (internal citations omitted).
Diamond is the hardest at 10, while talc is the softest at 1. In between, you have sapphire and ruby (corundum) at 9, and emerald (beryl) at 7.5. Diamond is a solid form of carbon, and, prior to De Beers’ (the world’s largest diamond mining company) “diamond is forever campaign,” was primarily used in tools. Indeed, while diamonds as pretty sparkly things to admire were a thing since before Christ was born, they did not become synonymous with esteem, prestige or engagement rings until the late 19th century.
In Uri Freidman’s How an Ad Campaign Invented the Diamond Engagement Ring, Freidman breaks it dowwn suscinctly (and with no small amount of distaste):
Epstein [Edward Jay Epstein, an investigative journalist] traces its origins to the discovery of massive diamond mines in South Africa in the late 19th century, which for the first time flooded world markets with diamonds. The British businessmen operating the South African mines recognized that only by maintaining the fiction that diamonds were scarce and inherently valuable could they protect their investments and buoy diamond prices. They did so by launching a South Africa–based cartel, De Beers Consolidated Mines, Ltd. (now De Beers), in 1888, and meticulously extending the company’s control over all facets of the diamond trade in the ensuing decades. <https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/02/how-an-ad-campaign-invented-the-diamond-engagement-ring/385376/>
But De Beers’ brilliant marketing campaign doesn’t change the fact that diamonds are rull pretty and rull hard. Which makes them rull gud for jewelry that you wear on your hands everyday for the rest of your life. De Beers wasn’t wrong when they say “a diamond is forever” (which is likely why they were so successful). Nowadays (and really, since the 60s or 70s), scientists have figured out how to make diamonds in labs, greatly bypassing the 3.5 million years it takes diamonds to form beneath the earth’s crust and get thrust upward via volcanic activity. More recently, scientists have found how to create jewelry-grade diamonds which now sell on the market for about half of the cost of natural diamonds, despite their increased quality and consistency. I guess there’s just something about wearing a 3.5 million-year-old rock on your hand that gets people’s jollies.
That’s not to say a lab-created diamond is cheap. A 1.25 carat G color, VS1 clarity diamond will still set you back between $2,500 and $3,500 (though that same quality natural diamond is between $8,000 and $10,000).
In my research of lab-created diamonds, I came across the “perfect diamond alternative”: the moissanite. Unlike diamonds, nearly all moissanites currently on earth and in peoples’ jewelry is lab-created. Why?
Okay, not quite star dust, but they do come from meteorites, so they are actually rarer than naturally-occurring diamonds.
Photo credit: orlovdiamonds
Moissanite rates at a 9.25 on the Mohs Scale, which is harder than any of the other gemstones on earth other than diamonds. That means moissanite is nearly as indestructible (big asterisk), long-lasting and durable as a diamond. But get this: THEY’RE MORE SPARKLY! Moissanites actually have a 2.65 refractive index, compared to the 2.42 of a diamond. So the highly coveted “fire” of a diamond? Take that and boost it to inferno, and you’ve got a moissanite. Trust me-the fire is there and its REAL purdy.
The next best thing? Moissanites are a fraction of a fraction of the cost of even a lab-created diamond. In fact, if you buy moissanite like I did, you’re looking at spending between $30 and $60 for a 1.25 carat stone.
Now the caveat: unlike diamonds which have decades of established grading systems and labs, moissanites are not as strictly regulated. If you want a strictly-regulated near-diamond-like-monitored stone, you’re probably looking at spending a few hundred bucks. Charles & Colvard is the standard with its “Forever One” moissanite. It’s actually a formula specific only to Charles & Colvard. But if you’re like me and make questionable decisions, you can find both loose stones and jewelry on Etsy from China and India for CHEAP.
Which brought me to Star Ruby Gem Shop and a $60 silver four-prong ring with a “colourless” 1.75 moissanite. Again, I wanted a cathedral-type setting, so I ordered custom, which set me back an additional $20. The customer service was fantastic-super responsive and accommodating. But the shipping time was abysmal. Now this is expected when something is being shipped for free from India, but I have exactly zero patience, so it took about 50 years for the ring to get here.
When it arrived, I opened the box and the stone was…blue.
Looked nothing like the picture, even when you factor in variences due to computer screens. The damn thing was blue.
So blue.
This is where the psychosis comes in. While the stone was still GORGEOUS, and my favorite color is in fact blue, it was NOT what I was expecting; NOT what I ordered, and NOT what was advertised. All these things-despite the fact that the stone was still big, pretty and sparkly-disturbed me greatly. I was lied to. I was duped. I paid $80 for something completely different from what thought I’d paid $80 dollars for. At first, I just stared at it, willing it to be the color I ordered. Then, I joined a subreddit just for moissanites to ask if the blue color was within the spectrum of normal “colorless” stones. Then I asked two different moissanite manufacturers (one was Charles & Colvard) and got answers that were satisfactory, but still didn’t assauge my disturbed mind. Then, I went to have the damn thing tested to make absolute sure it was moissanite.
It was.
And that helped a lot.
After that, I actually really warmed up to the stone. It is reeeeaaallly pretty in the sun. And when I compared it to my CZ, I actually preferred the slight blue color to the clear. And, hey: it’s sill a moissanite; which means it’s super hard and originally from space.
As I was admiring the stone on the way to get my Sunday morning muffin, thinking what I complete tool I’d been for literally going crazy, I saw it.
A CHIP.
A FUCKING CHIP.
CANNOT UNSEE
It was on the edge just near one of the prongs.
Now. Moissanite is literally the second-hardest mineral known to man. Hitting it on a toilet seat is NOT enough to chip that rock. (side note-yes. I hit it on a toilet seat while reaching to flush-it was the only thing I could think of that would have damaged the ring).
I. Was. Heartbroken.
And mad.
Rull mad.
So I reached out to the seller and sent a picture. He, in turn, sent a photo of the ring pre-shipment, promising he “closely” inspects all stones before they are shipped. The fact he had a pre-shipment photo actually made me feel better. But it didn’t change the fact the dude had either (1) missed the chip, or (2) saw the chip and sent the stone out anyway (though why he’d take a photo of a chipped stone to show me as proof the stone wasn’t chipped tends to support he just missed it). And that’s fine, I guess-I almost missed it to.
It’s. Right. THERE. Look at the bottom. That wee white speck is the chip. Right next to that wee hair.
BUT NOW IT’S THE ONLY THING I SEE.
To his credit (and while he straight up denied the chip even though it’s right there in the bloody picture), he offered to re-set the stone so the prong covers the chip. He also commented on how small the chip was.
It is small.
But when you’re dealing in things that are small already, a small chip is actually not a small deal. It’s why diamonds with flaws are far less valuable than flawless diamonds. I posted this on Reddit, too, and the responses made me feel slightly better. Most people agreed the chip was super small, and hardly noticeable. One person actually relayed a similar story and admitted the chip was the only thing she could see on her stone for a long time, but eventually stopped noticing it.
I have a particular brand of crazy and am skeptical I will ever NOT notice the damned thing.
So.
Now I’m frantically looking at: re-setting the stone; buying a whole new stone and buying a whole new ring…all while at the same time destroying myself for spending money when I could be saving it to get an actual diamond ring.
It’s all very confusing and I hate it.
What I’ve come to decide is, I’ll have the stupid thing re-set (and pay $30, now bringing the total cost to $111…which is still less than its original price of $116, so there’s that. I bought it on sale).
AND I’ll buy another moissanite ring.
Not to replace the old one, but because I actually really like moissanite. Like I said–it’s sparklier than a diamond.
At some point I might muster the emotional strength to spend $6,000 on a diamond ring-maybe if/when I become full partner. But for now, I think I’ll take the extra “fun” money I have and get the ring I like fixed, and the next ring I want on my finger.
Though, this time-I’m inspecting that shit the MOMENT it arrives so I don’t run into the argument that I somehow chipped a 9.25-hardness rock on a plastic toilet seat.
So, I gave Il Makiage a pretty hard time in my last post. Their flagship foundation just wasn’t for me, and I thought the advertisements were a bit misleading. The foundation looked way more high coverage in the ads than it ended up being in real life. That said, I was able to return it and ended up being out only five dollars for shipping. When the company found I had returned the foundation, the head of their marketing department reached out in (what I assume was either an automated or template) email, offering a $50 voucher for anything on the site.
I’m not saying I’m bought easily…but I’m also not so far up on my high horse that I’ll turn down free makeup.
So I gave Il Makiage another shot (at no expense to me. Which was precisely the point). After scouring the website, I decided on a mini shadow palette with blacks and greys (I didn’t have anything with just those colors and usually have to go to two different palettes to get them). The palette is part of the “Color Boss Squad,” and is called “Hustler.” Reading the reviews on the site, I found almost no bad reviews. Hell, I was hard pressed to find even a “meh” review. Though I know many sites-not just makeup-filter their reviews to show only good ones. Some allow subpar reviews to make the overall rating seem legit. I don’t know if Il Makiage is one of those companies, but just be aware that that kind of thing happens. Never rely on just the manufacturer’s site for objective reviews.
But again—I literally had nothing to lose.
The package took about one and a half weeks to reach me after I placed the order—FAR better turn-around than the first time, and FAR better communication with regard to updates. When it arrived, the packaging was just as beautiful as the foundation. The palette is this high-shine metal—could be used as a mirror in its own right and HEAVY. For a wee little thing, it had weight (excuse the dank meme, but thicc). The palette has its own mirror and the shadow pans are big. For reference, Huda’s mini palette—which is precisely the same length and width—has nine shades. Il Makiage has four. So these colors will last you a good while. But these little bonuses are not the best part.
You guys. When I touched my finger to the black, it felt almost like a cream product it was so lush. And the color payoff was about as good. ON ALL SHADES. There is a matte black, a shimmer black, a foil gunmetal grey and foil silver and all were creamy, dreamy and beautiful. Pigmented AF. And the fall out?
This is my cat. She has nothing to do with this post. She’s just fat.
So, when I’m doing a dark smoky eye, or trying out a new palette, I will do the eyes first to avoid the dreaded fall out. But because I’m kinda dumb sometimes, I forgot to do that here. But that was fine, because there was. No. Fallout. Not a molecule. These shadows are like a cream/powder hybrid. It’s magical, ya’ll. And they blend effortlessly. Like, I felt I was cheating. And with black shadow—I seriously felt like I was missing something.
Did I inadvertently sell my soul?
Meh.
Worth it.
In sum, I’d say Il Makiage has redeemed itself in spades. While I wouldn’t buy their foundation, I’d say their shadows –or at least the Hustler Color Boss Squad palette—exceeds Juvia’s Place (I feel the need to wash my mouth out for saying that. I’m so sorry, Juvia. I still love you). Now, that’s just formula. I’ve still found nothing on the market that beats Juvia’s at its price point and Il Makiage is no different. To buy that palette, you’re looking at a $40 set back—which equals about $10 per shade. That said, it is a LOT of shadow, and it’s REALLY good.
She’s REALLY unhappy I’m not paying attention to her rn.
So, next time you’re in the market for a high end, creamy dreamy black shadow, check out Il Makiage. Bonus for your money—classic black smokey eye with near zero effort…which I guess is part of the premium when you spend a lot of money on stuff (think nice car—it basically drives itself).
So, I caved and ordered the Il Makiage foundation. You know: the one with the ad that pops up on Facebook as if Facebook knows you’re looking for a new foundation? Spoiler alert: it does. Privacy has been rendered to a false sense of security. Everyone knows everything about you, and if you think the government doesn’t work with the big tech companies to obtain information about you, you’re irreparably naïve. In fact, it’s the tech companies who have the government in their respective pockets and when the time comes to turn everyone into mindless, consuming drooling slaves, they will face no resistance.
But you’re not here for conspiracy theories, no.
You’re here to see if Il Makiage does what it advertises.
The short answer: it depends. It depends on whether you are relying solely on its video ad, or whether you actually read the description of the product when you visited its website. But we’ll discuss this later on in the post.
Let’s start with the shade matching. I’ve seen plenty of reviews knocking the shade matching quiz; but my shade (060) was PERFECT. Absolutely perfectly matched. The quiz itself is a bit long and some of the questions don’t seem relevant to what it’s trying to accomplish, but whatever the algorithm it works. Let’s move on to the buying experience. I ordered the product on December 28, 2019. For 10 days, I received nothing about a tracking number or any notification the product had shipped, despite a promise in the order confirmation I would receive said notification within 3 to 8 days of ordering. When I emailed the company, I received no response until after the product had shipped. Now, to be fair, I ordered it in the midst of the holidays. But: if you are going to promise some sort of notification within a certain amount of days, you damn well better notify. This is good customer service 101, and a rule I have come to learn the hard way should not be bent or broken. Clients get angry when you promise a report in 5 days but get it to them on the 6th. If you’re not sure when something’s going to happen, don’t make a promise. Similarly, Il Makiage promised to respond to my order inquiry “within 48 hours,”but they failed to do so, making me have to follow up with them. Again: customer service 101: nevermake the client follow up with you. Regardless, three days after I inquired, I received the tracking number, promising delivery by Thursday.
Let’s talk about the packaging and product aesthetic. Beautiful. It looks like a $44 bottle of foundation. It comes in a glass bottle, and is packaged like a high-end bottle of perfume. The box itself is super sturdy and heavy. The foundation itself actually has a pleasant scent. Not overpowering. Some people don’t like their makeup products to smell. I am not one of those people. In fact, I will take a pleasant floral scent over paint thinner any day—especially on stuff that’s going on my face around my nose.
So, that’s all the ancillary stuff. Not super important, but could make a good product great, or an okay product gooder. Let’s move on to the formula. Many people I’ve seen review this product say it goes on like “silk.”To be completely honest, I did not get that impression. It’s not a thick formula—more the consistency of NARS or Estee Lauder. It is very comfortable on the skin.
I had to use two full pumps to cover just half my face.
But it covers almost* nothing.
There are tinted moisturizers out there with better coverage. I can’t speak to whether the formula is long wear, because I took it off and used another foundation. Now: the product does not promise it’s full coverage. Rather, it states it is “buildable medium to high coverage.”I did not get that impression at all. It is buildable, and does not streak, but it took me 4 pumps of product to even get close to the coverage I was looking for, and I could still see my very light freckles showing through. Here’s the thing. I get that they promote control of the coverage by layering, but when it takes half the bottle of a $44 foundation to achieve the coverage you’re looking for, that’s going a bit far. Like, if you want full coverage, you have to buy ALL the bottles of foundation. My $43 Estee Lauder foundation not only has better coverage, but feels about the same on the face, and is tested for long wear. Like, that stuff does not move after you’ve applied it to your face unless you take a makeup remover to it.
Right side I just used one pump of the Il Makiage. As you can see: not a lot of coverage. My Smashbox BB cream has more coverage.
So, bottom line? Thanks, I hate it.
Okay, that was harsh. How about “it’s not for me.”
But, because I’m extra (read: I likely have a diagnosable problem), I saw Juvia’s Place was having an amazing sale, so I ordered their new foundation for $10 (normally $20—still less than HALF the price of Il Makiage). AND even though I ordered Juvia’s Place like three or four days afterI ordered Il Makiage, it got here sooner. Now, I am not new to the Juvia’s Place brand. I have three of their palettes, because their eye shadow is literally the best quality for its price point. Honestly, I’d argue it’s consistently the best formula out there. The only other shadows I would say come close are Huda’s and Urban Decay’s.
Let’s start with the matching. There is none.
Sigh.
If Juvia’s Place included a matching quiz on their website, they’d be unstoppable. Like a T-Rex with extendable grabby claws unstoppable. So, I had to pick the shade I thought was closest to my skin tone, which involved holding the laptop up to my face in a mirror, and holding other foundations up to the screen. I do not recommend this method of shade matching. You look ridiculous and it doesn’t actually work. As it happened, the shade I ordered is a tad too yellow. After I finish it, I’ll probably order a shade more neutral. Or maybe before I finish. IDK.
Like, look. Look at this shit. This is effin’ amazing.
I tried this foundation on for a night out, and ho-lee-shit, you guys. I’m not going to compare it to Il Makiage, because that would be a disservice to Juvia’s Place. I’ve never tried Kat Von D’s foundation—you know, the one that’s supposed to cover tattoos, but this stuff does actually cover tattoos. It covers e v e r y t h i n g. If you’re looking for Nikkitutorials-level face-as-a-canvas coverage, this is it. In fact, Nikki does a review of this stuff, too and her revelations are the same as mine: this stuff is magical. It’s not a second skin: it’s synthetic skin, because skin that flawless doesn’t exist (except in Korea).
So, how does it perform with other products? Flawlessly. It took two different brands-worth of cream products (Too Faced Multi-Use concealer and Tarte Shape Tape concealer), as well as several powder products like a goddamn champ. As far as length of wear? Pretty good. Not like Estee Lauder, but damn good. By the end of the night, I did not notice any separation or breaks. The only thing I did notice was it had settled in my laugh lines. Now, I’m old, so this is to be expected in most foundations. Estee Lauder didn’t, but all other foundations I’ve tried do, so I don’t even think I would consider it a knock against Juvia’s Place.
AND IT’S ONLY $20.
So, you can literally buy 2 of these babies for the price of one higher end foundation (NARS, Too Faced, Estee Lauder, Il Makiage, etc.) and the payoff is worth more than any of the above-referenced foundations.
Bottom line: GET YOURSELF SOME, SON.
I’d recommend finding it in an Ulta for best matching.
In my last post, I promised I would buy the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation and try it out for you guys; contingent upon my cheap-ass forking out $43 dollars for a consumable. Welp. As it happens, I did not have to fork out any dough because my wonderful, amazing, smart, funny, talented, beautiful and GENEROUS sister and brother-in-law got me a Sephora gift card for Christmas.
Okay.
First of all, buying a makeup addict a Sephora or Ulta gift card is like taking an alcoholic out for a night on the town, only with less supervision.
That said, I did leave the store with $11 left on the card, which is a testament to my rock-hard, steel-cold discipline (but also my genuine distaste for crowds. Never go to the mall the day after Christmas. It’s about as bad as going to the mall on Christmas Eve—only fewer dudes and more chicks)
Not only did I get the Estee Lauder foundation and pump—I know there was talk of a MAC pump that fit the bottle, but I guess Estee listened to its customers and now has its own pump you can buy for $10. Marketing. Brilliance. Now instead of spending $40 on a foundation, you’re spending $50. There’s something psychologically off-putting about spending $50 on a tiny tiny bottle of face paint; but for whatever reason, spending $40 is acceptable enough that people will do it. Estee Lauder has hacked that psychological hesitance by making you pay $10 for a means of efficiently depositing the paint on your face, such that you do not waste a drop of it.
Evil. But genius.
So, most everything I’ve read about this foundation says it is FULL coverage. But what I experienced is medium to light coverage. Now. I applied it with a sponge, which I’ve since read absorbs much of the product (well, fuck). So, I went BACK to the store to BUY a foundation brush. No. I did not own a foundation brush before buying this foundation. So, now Estee Lauder has racked up my bill to $67—though they don’t get to reap the cost of the brush. That goes to NYX. And I had to go to three different stores to find the damn thing (though, admittedly, I could’ve just gone to Ulta and probably spent the same amount of time)
And the verdict?
Not.
There was no difference in coverage. BUT. There was a pretty sizeable difference in the amount of product I had to use (duh). With the sponge, I had to use two full pumps. With the brush, only one full pump. I used another half pump, but it was only because I did not properly distribute the product on my face before buffing in. Also, I spent about an hour Youtubing foundation tutorials and learned you’re “supposed” to dab the product on your face with your fingers, then buff it in. I use quotations because I understand there’s no “right” way to apply makeup—only theories; which is what actual, licensed makeup artists spend so much time learning (spoiler alert: I’m not a makeup artist. I just do this in my spare time). So, what I’m telling you comes from the naïve mind of a makeup enthusiast with precisely ZERO professional training. Unless you consider Youtube tutorials and talking to Sephora employees training. But you don’t and shouldn’t . It would be like watching Ally McBeal and calling yourself a lawyer.
Even though people actually do that in Facebook rants.
So, when I say I’m no makeup artist, it comes form a place of deep empathy and understanding of the professional’s or master tradesman’s plight.
Anywho, Estee Lauder makes a damn fine foundation. While it is not full coverage, it is an actual second skin. When I said NARS’ Longwear Radiant foundation was a second skin, I hadn’t actually experienced the legit Ed Gein second skin phenomenon that is Estee Lauder’s Doublewear foundation. Once it was on my face, I literally had to hold a magnifying mirror up to it to find the stuff. It did not crease or catch on dry skin. It in fact melts into the skin, evening everything out, while allowing you to show through. From not-magnified-by-7x away, you look flawless. Fu-law-less.
Bottom line: I’d buy it again, and I like it better than NARS. But it’s not as full coverage as NARS or Too Faced. Too Faced is still my go-to for a dewy look. Estee is now my go-to for a natural flawless look, and Maybelline is my go-to for full-coverage. NARS is still up there for higher-end full coverage, weightless and longwear. Did that make it more confusing?
Sorry-not-sorry, but that’s how it is. There will be 1 million different people who say 1 million different things about every single foundation out there. Maybe one day I’ll find the holy grail, but today is not that day. (like when the god of death comes…but not [and if you don’t get that reference, we can’t be friends].)
But let’s talk about the other $30 dollars I spent at Sephora…on my FIRST HUDA BEAUTY PALETTE!! God, I was excited. And my excitement was warranted. You guys. These colors are PIGMENTED. And SO PRETTY. Ugh. I know I’m yelling, but I’m so heckin’ excited. And how they buh-lend. Ungh. So good.
I did two different looks with the palette, but I imagine you can do as many different looks as your imagination desires. The shimmers are just that: shimmers. They are not foils, and so are not opaque enough to pop without a base. But they are sheer and douchromatic and absolutely stunning. The mattes are creamy and opaque and—as noted above—SO pigmented.
I don’t have a particular affinity to a particular makeup brand…which is why I have so many products from so many different brands. Rather, I tend to pick products each brand does best: like NARS’ or Too Faced foundations; Tarte’s concealer, or Juvia’s Place or Morphe’s eye shadows. In fact, I don’t actually own NARS or Too Faced powder products (shadows, bronzers, etc.). Understand, I’m not saying they are in any way subpar–I’ve just found powder products I really like from other brands. (Also…I have limited funds and just haven’t gotten around to buying it. Yet.)
This is all to emphasize the fact that I choose the product for its quality–not the brand name. I have several drugstore brand items which I LOVE, and which perform just as well, if not better, than higher end brands.
At this point, I’m sure you’ve guessed that I’m trying to make a point, but are still unsure as to where I’m going, and you’re like, “but honey get to the goddamn point. I ain’t got time for this.”
Huda Beauty matte liquid lipstick with the Boujee lip strobe over top
The only two brands of which I have multiple different types of products are Maybelline and Huda Beauty. It is because these brands consistently perform incredibly, and I just got a new lip product of Huda’s in my Ipsy bag that I can’t put down: Lip Strobe.
You guys.
Allow me to put my girly panties on and gush for a hot second:
IT’S SO PRETTY.
The color I got is called “Boujee,” and is this iridescent pinky coral color that goes SPECTACULARLY over red matte lipsticks. The first look I tried was with Maybelline’s Voyager matte liquid lipstick–a wine colored lipstick. But once you layer the lip strobe over top, it looks like a frosted blackberry, and I want to eat my own lips, or audition for a role as the sugar plum fairy.
The next look I did was a traditional holiday glam look, using Huda’s matte liquid lipstick in Heartbreaker, a perfect bright red. But with her lip strobe on top, it turns into this red and pink iridescent scrumptious cinnamon candy lip that you would expect to find attached to a gingerbread house. It’s magical, ya’ll.
And SO easy to work with. It’s spreadable. You know…kind of like softened butter or slightly warmed creamy peanut butter. (I’m a goddamned food blogger. What do you want.) It’s super pigmented, so a little goes a long way, and the fact it’s easy to…spread…helps.
I’ve only used Boujee on red tones; but I’ll bet it would look positively enchanting over purple or pink lipstick.
It’s always fun to rediscover a makeup product. For instance, I typically rotate three different foundations, depending on the look I’m going for, or for financial purposes (to preserve the more expensive stuff). Of late, I’ve been on a Maybelline/Too Faced kick, and as a result have left my NARS Radiant foundation go by the wayside. Despair not, my friends, for it has not been forgotten. In fact, not using a good product for a long time, then returning to it is what makes the rediscovery part re…discovery…
Yeah.
For my “wearable fox” look (do you ever do the thing where you type particular words in a particular order and don’t realize how heckin’ weird it is until you fininsh typing? Yeah. That just happened.) I didn’t want a dewy finish (as I would get with my Born This Way foundation), and I wanted to give my Maybelline Fit Me Matte Poreless a break. The poor dear’s been working everyday for the past three weeks. So, I used my NARS and was in awe all over again when I put it on my face. The pump gives you teeny tiny amounts; so at first, you think, “really? I’ll be 90 before I get a reasonable amount to cover my face”…and that’s at 30 pumps a minute.
For 60 years.
But!
NARS knows what it’s doing. You don’t need a dime-size to cover half your face (and candidly, if you’re using a dime’s worth of foundation for just half your face, I feel bad for your wallet). Two pumps gets me three quarters of my face. And before you make jokes to yourself about my small head, try it yourself. Not only do those two pumps get me a good amount of square…inch…age..? They get me mad coverage. Check out my tutorial on Instagram, where I give you a sloppy half-and-half (face with and without foundation). The shiz is legit.
The finish is about the same as my Maybelline Fit Me, if not just a scosche (yeah. I had to Google the spelling. I had considered using “scintilla,” but it sounded too legal. And if you think that judges are too dry to use funny words like scintilla, think again. I once saw “malarkey” and “shenanigans” in the same ruling and my heart swelled.) more satiny. It doesn’t crease or collect on dead skin (though ya’ll should be exfoliating before applying makeup), and stays put through the night.
Trust me. I’ve tested it.
In the Florida heat and humidity.
If you guys don’t think Florida’s heat and humidity is as bad as we say it is, why don’t you come on down and see for yourself what living in a literal swamp is like. I’ve half a mind every morning to take my snorkeling gear with me just to make it to my car (yes. I understand the practical logistics make no sense. It’s called hyperbole, you uncultured swine).
I digress.
As I often do.
NARS’ foundation also plays very well with others. One product I’ve been loving is Too Faced’s Multi-Use Sculpting Concealer. I’ve got it in a darker shade for contouring, but absolutely plan on getting a lighter-ish shade for concealing/highlighting, once I finish my other concealers. Or not. There’s no harm in having 5 different concealers. NARS is also a fantastic base for powders. Just a wonderful all-around foundation. And! Apparently it’s got skin-loving ingredients, like raspberry, apple, and watermelon extracts. I have NO idea what they’re supposed to do, but NARS says they “instantly” improve the look of skin, as well as “over time.”
The only drawback with this stuff is it’s ‘spensive. But, because you’re only using a teeny tiny bit at a time, you get a long time out of one bottle—especially if you do what I do and rotate different foundations.
Now, one of the bloggers/influencers I worship watch, Desi Perkins, says that if you apply it to your face with your hands, it melts into your skin like a second skin. I’ve tried both a beauty blender and my hands and can confirm the finish does look slightlybetter when applied with your hands. NARS agrees. They’ve got a video with a guy (sorry, guy. I don’t know your name) who applies the foundation from the palm of his hand with his fingers to the models’ faces. It really does look like a second skin in the video (though all the models appear to have flawless skin to begin with…which makes a difference).
Bottom line? It has become one of my go tos. Really, the only other foundation I’ve been wanting to try but haven’t is Estee Lauder’s Double Wear foundation. You better believe a review is in store when I get it. In the meantime, you can rest assured the NARS Radiant Longwear foundation is a solid choice for the higher-end market.
Motion to Slay 