[illi] Anti Aging Cleansing Oil

Tuesday, February 28, 2017


This wasn't going to be a long review because I can sum up how I feel about this oil in three words:


Mask Madness Vol 2: Bonvivant Illuminator Whitening Water Gel Mask

Monday, February 27, 2017

I love my sheet masks, I really do. However in recent months I've decided to make an effort to incorporate more masks that are housed in jars or bottles that can be recycled in order to cut down on my packaging waste. One of the first ones that I ordered while weaning off sheet masks was this Bonvivant Illuminator Whitening Water Gel Mask.


Scentbird - A Fragrance Subscription

Thursday, February 23, 2017


I first heard of Scentbird over a year ago, when I was in the middle of my blogging hiatus and my mind could not be further away from beauty and fragrance.  A representative from Scentbird contacted me to see if I was interested in trying the service, but at that time I was elbows deep in dirt (caught the gardening bug!) and let that offer pass me by. But the idea of a decant perfume shipped monthly to my door stayed with me and now, many moons later, I subscribed to their service out of pocket. 

Marc Jacobs Beauty #Highliner Matte Gel Liners

Monday, February 20, 2017
 I was recently received a complimentary VoxBox from Influenster with two shades of the new Marc Jacobs Highliner Matte Gel Liners. This is only my second product from Marc Jacobs, the first being a gloss I tried some time ago.

Fyrinnae Whipped Metallics: Vintage

Saturday, February 18, 2017
Late last year, Fyrinnae was having a little sale (15% off) and one of the things that I snagged was this Whipped Metallic lipstick in Vintage. I didn't have any metallic mattes; thus far I lived entirely on cremes. At the moment, some of the protruding little knobby attachments on my teeth for my Invisalign seem to be responsible for lip product ending up on the orthodontia, and so liquid lipstick (also stains) are my best bet right now. 
 
 I didn't find this lipstick to be very whipped or mousse like. It dried within a few minutes down to a pretty matte finish. I also don't seem to get anywhere close to as much copper gleam as in stock photos. It's possible to trace a really nice outline with just the doefooted applicator. I had to go back and fill it in three times to get full opacity.
 
 
 Wish I saw some more of that pretty copper. I could dust some Mehron Metallic Powder in Copper in the center of the lip if I wanted, to amp it up. Instead I think the color looks like the color of black ball point pen, the ink is the deepest of violet with that slight metallic gleam.
It transferred a little, here's what a gentle rub left on my finger tip. In addition, it did break down very easily even while sipping water, crumbling into gritty little bits. Upon removal, some of the dark blue colorants stained my lips, but mostly just the dead skin.
 
I could have looked passed many of these (many) shortcomings, but this lipstick was also quite drying and I found it uncomfortable to wear. Each time I would take it off within a couple of hours. Fyrinnae Whipped Metallic and Mattes are $8 each. Do you have a favorite maker of matte metallic lipsticks at the moment? Product featured was purchased by me, for my own use. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy. 

Puerto Rico

Saturday, February 11, 2017


Good evening! I have been sharing tidbits of some of my trips over the last few years, but I'd like to make travel posts a permanent feature here on the blog. 

My husband and I love to travel. New sights, new smells, new tastes (I sound like Anthony Bourdain).  We haven't been lucky in the baby department so instead we've focused our attention on each other and traveling the globe. I'm exceedingly thankful to have had these new experiences, this ongoing adventure with my life partner. For the past few weeks I've edited a lot of the pictures from our most recent trip to Central Europe, but I'm not quite done yet. Instead since it's cold and rainy out, I'd like to reminisce about the warmth of the Caribbean. My second visit to what I think is a really under appreciated part of the US; Puerto Rico. 

Last Weekend's Eye Look: Anodized Titanium Look

Monday, February 6, 2017
I've recently been doing a lot of eye looks with warm transitional colors paired with a metallic/glittery/shimmery cool color close to the lash line.