Friday, April 6, 2018

march hauls (mostly planner)

i think this'll be the last ketchup (hehe) post for today. this concludes all of the photos that i already had taken and edited up to this point. look forward to more posts in the coming week!

here's all the stuff i bought last month! a lot of stickers and a lil bit of makeupy skincare stuff. ~Lindsay

all of the bath things from ulta! got this unicorn dreams bath bomb gift set, which i have yet to open and use... but it's sooo adorbz. then soap & glory was bogo half off, so i got 4 bath bombs, 2 original pink and one of smoothie star and sugar crush. i've used one of the original pink ones and will further elaborate in my empties post when i finish making it.. i also saw that tree hut has sheet masks, and these were also bogo half off. so why not? i also restocked on my shiseido facial cottons, and tree hut sugar scrubs (also bogo half off), which there's a limited edition lemon blueberry tart scent that sounded interesting. annnd less than a week after getting the stupid expensive memebox mini meow trio, i went back and bought a full size of space kitten because love.
a lil complaint here... so i've had an email alert set on my shade of the fenty foundation on sephora set for the past 3 months - no joke, and i have yet to get a restock notification. every time i used the inventory thingy as i got close to the end of my last bottle, it would never show as being available in my area. so i went ahead and ordered directly on the fenty website, got free 2day shipping for spending all the monies, and then got my package basically the next day. WHAT.
sigma has a new rewards system or something that involves points and getting dollars off of your purchase. i had been wanting a mr. bunny set for freaking ever, primarily because i wanted to try the sigmax F40, which was otherwise not offered. then these two brushes were on the clearance page, so i went ahead and grabbed them.
colourpop had some offer, maybe free shipping or something, and i wanted to try their flat kabuki brush. so that's that..

funky split photo because i suck at remembering what is in what photo because i took them on different days...
at the sephoras.. i got two lip masks because i was redeeming my sephora play! points card. then the urban decay x kristen leanne bun bun lipstick was only $8 on the weekly wow...had to grab that!
at target, i got more washi and a dr. bronner's peppermint lip balm. it seems like they're branching out into other products aside from the liquid and bar soaps, but for now, i wanted to try the lip balm.


bun bun
planner stuffs.
sailor. moon. all. the. things.

keatown - it was only march, but i went ahead and got a christmas kit, lol!

jlynnpaperco - got two sampler sets, and they're sooo cute. also got a few character sheets and kits.

tcmc -- super lucky! i made it in to get the freebies from the other stores! ordered the anniversary set, along with a few other random sheets and monthly kits.

oh hello co -- i can't recall the rationale for the purchase (birthday coupon?) but i had to get these! it's been quite a while since i'd ordered from them!

march 2018: sephora play!

hi guys! here's what came in my march sephora play! (theme: festival of beauty) ~Lindsay ^.~

flirting game, bohemian purple

bohemian purple
  1. sephora collection contour eye pencil in 15 flirting game -- these eye pencils are actually pretty good quality. this isn't the first of these that i've tried, but i definitely like this color a lot because it's pretty reminiscent of certain popular brand's liners that i looove!
    repurchase? probably other shades
  2. sephora collection cream lip stain in 35 bohemian purple -- this is so gorgeous and sooo not work appropriate. sadface. i really like this color a ton. but i have no idea when i'd be able to realistically wear this.
    repurchase? other shades
  3. dr. jart+ premium beauty balm spf 45 -- i tried this out, over moisturizer, under primer a few weeks ago and it was weird. honestly i really wanted to use this on its own because bb creams are like tinted and stuff, and this has spf. lol no. this was soo light. i couldn't see it on my skin aside from the 'oily' look that spf products usually give. anyway, it's a whatever in my book.
    repurchase? no
  4. briogeo blossom & bloom ginsing + biotin volumizing spray -- i didn't try this and i think i'm passing it along. i don't use volumizing products.
    repurchase? no
  5. lancome hypnose drama mascara -- i feel like i've had samples of this in the past, but i can't remember if i actually ever got around to using them. i've got two full size mascaras open already, so i haven't opened this one. we'll have to see.
    repurchase? ???
  6. marajo hair care nourishing cleansing creme & deep treatment butter -- as previously mentioned, my skin has been freaking out, so i have been trying to be careful with what i've been using when. once my skin clears up, i'll give this a go.
    repurchase? not likely
  7. 'coupon' for an extra 50 points on the next in-store purchase

march 2018 ipsy bag!

hi guys! so in my whatchu ben doin post, i mentioned how like i'm considering cancelling this subscription service. well... here's why...

hey guys! my march IPSY BAG* (theme: create) has arrived, and i've got a huge concern here, which i think will speak for itself. ~Lindsay

first off, let's review what i received last month: a brush, primer sheet masks (skincare-ish), eyeshadows, a pencil eyeliner, and a mellow cosmetics lipstick.
let's preview what i got this month: a brush, a balm (skincare-ish), an eyeshadow, a pencil eyeliner, and a mellow cosmetics lipstick.

hopefully you guys are seeing what i'm seeing because this does not make sense to me. i understand that they want us to update our profiles every now and then, and that reviewing each product we receive on their site will help the algorithm better choose what we get each month, but this is kind of ridiculous and sad in my opinion. i was not expecting to get near identical bags for two consecutive months. and while i do like these categories or types of products, that's not the point of having this subscription. i'm not trying anything new or innovative anymore here.
  1. royal & langnikel prismatic ombre fan brush -- i haven't actually tried using this brush yet. i really like the brushes from this brand, and have high hopes for this one! the bristles feel pretty sturdy, slightly dense considering this is a fan brush, but definitely more substantial than other cheap fan brushes i've had.
    • repurchase: other brushes
    • glossier balm dotcom in coconut -- i don't really get this product. as a 'lotion' it's too oily, like an ointment or something, but it's kind of ok as a lip balm? i need to try it a few more times, but i'm not sure about this one..
      • repurchase: no
        • int cosmetics eyeshadow in goddess gold -- this is a really pretty shadow. i haven't really used it much, but it has an interesting texture. it's kind of creamy wet, but still applies pretty smoothly.
          • repurchase: probably not
        • tarte sex kitten eyeliner -- i'm not even going to try beyond what i've swatched here. this is not the pigmentation or hardness (it's hard..) that i want to use on my eyes.
          • repurchase: no
        • mellow cosmetics creamy matte lipstick in nude -- this is a bit pinker than i'd typically go for. i think for the sake of me not grabbing for this, i'm going to pass this along. the formula is nice and i really like how it feels and sits on the lips. doesn't really last very long through eating, but what lipstick does?
          • repurchase: maybe other colors.
          • color-it-yourself ipsy bag -- love this concept! i think i'm going to pass this bag and markers along because i'm probably not going to use this bag and i'm sure it will be better enjoyed by someone else!


            goddess gold, sex kitten, nude, coconut balm

            nude
            *Affiliate Link.

            what i got for my birthday!

            finally buckling down and workin on some posts for you guys! i'm starting with the easiest, because this post was like 90% complete and i was just being lazy.... 😅

            hi guys! so birthday stufffff. these are the fun (tangible) things that i got this year. most of these were on my wishlist because i didn't really know what to ask for this year... anyway enjoy. ~Lindsay

            alrighty, let's start with the first things that arrived! J got me so many things this year! i had all of these items on my birthday list, but they're so much cuter in person! the bows have swarovski crystals in them, and the other 4 are 16G labrets. the two opal ones are from the same line as the opal one i already had, i really liked this star, and the pearl one apparently was a freebie because she bought all the things! then from amazon, there was this life around 2 angels bath bomb set. [all of the bath bombs!] these are maybe between a golf ball and a baseball in size? and they smell so strong! i can't wait to use them! and this totoro figurine is super cute and kind of funny. the umbrella post, as you can see, doesn't go through the center of the umbrella, but if you look at the top of the umbrella, the piece sticking out is centered -- ya know, like a real umbrella. hahaha. but whatevs, it's cute. he's pretty small, plastic, and sounds hollow. i originally wanted to get him to leave him outside, but he seems too small and may disfigure and discolor with the weather here...so he can hang with the inside plants instead.
            mom's been on this trend of buying me pandora charms lately. and i don't actually mean just pandora brand.... these are cristy cali bracelet charms, which are from the brand that she started my bracelet from. the fortune cookie is so cute!
            sidenote - i'm looking at my christmas post, and apparently i failed to mention the cristy cali crescent city necklace she got me.... i wore it quite a few times in random posts since then.. (see loreal hair oil review post) also, crescent city... new orleans... city landmarks on a crescent moon... love it!

            T and i keep going back and forth with different skincare lately...mostly me not actually using it... anyway, she got me tony moly and snp goodies! the tako is pretty nice, and the mango hand butter is really yummy!
            A got me this kawaii wallet that i found on the amazons. i mean look. at. itttttt.

            my in-laws got me quite a few things too. i want to say around black friday, sigma released several gift sets that sold out sooo fast. this one (modern eyes) was still available on nordstrom's website and it has all the brushes that i love! an E55, E40, and E25. i also wanted a collegiate wreath for the front door. i'll probably put it out sometime in april or may, if they're still doing any good, or wait til football season. apparently this season hasn't been too great. annnd lastly, the thing i haven't decided how much i like yet..... a unicorn corkcicle tumbler. i like that it keeps my drinks cold, i'm not sure how i feel about the unicorn-ness. the mug is a white base with a few layers of holo glitter (it's not completely covered in it.....) so in certain lights, it's not super pretty rainbowy. 😕

            teh paul is funny. he says i can order this spring wreath...then gives me an etsy gift card on top of that.... all the sticker monehz. but this one is cute, a little smaller than i was expecting, but i still likes it!

            Monday, April 2, 2018

            whatchu ben doin

            hi guys! i'm finally...finally getting back here. i've been feeling pretty lethargic lately here and haven't been feeling like making blog posts, or anything else really. a good part of it has to do with my vacation that we ended up cancelling, and dealing with all that has been both upsetting and tiresome, for more than just me. i will elaborate further in my upcoming march planner post. work itself hasn't been all that busy lately, i have been given a few more administrative things to do recently (around the office, not for my client), but i still come home not feeling like doing much of anything. house-wise, nothing new really. i changed out some of the dying plants in the flowerbeds recently, but it needs re-mulching and edging when i have time and the weather cooperates. we bought some new patio furniture this past weekend. something to note that i never really mentioned before... honeywell skybell (the round one) is a piece of crap and just don't do it!!! 🙅 all of the complaints! but i'll save those for my 1 year in my house post. see amazon reviews before deciding to buy it! we got ours because it was from our security company and it synced with our system, but are toying with the idea of getting something different.

            my skin officially hates me. i have no idea what is happening right now. if i recall correctly, it was in february that i was trying to go through my sample shampoo and conditioner stash. this made my skin freak out, so i spaced out using them and my skin cleared up for the most part. i eventually finished all them. yay! unfortunately, in the past two weeks or so, it started going crazy again and has been worse than that last time. i'm still in the process of trying to figure out what's causing it, as my diet hasn't really changed much. i also went back to my usual haircare routine in late february to early march, sans samples, and nothin. i thought it may have been one newer skincare product, but i cut it out for the past week and haven't seen a change. by not seeing a change, i mean that as many spots are appearing as they are disappearing (healing). and this is not just my face either. it's my usual places (back, shoulders, chest, face) and it's like i'm in middle school all over again. it's awful. i have some suspicions that it may be my laundry detergent as this is a new bottle of supposedly the stuff we've been using, but my clothes are retaining scent for a really loooong time after washing -- like wearing them a few days later and still smelling like detergent at the end of the workday, after walking around out in this heat for like 20+ minutes. something seems different about it to the point where paul asked me if i noticed something "off" about it. and him noticing something...is something. so i bought a different detergent today (another that we've used in the past) to try out for a bit. we'll see what happens. as mentioned before i started using green concealers, and they've definitely been helping with the redness. i need to do a favorites post here sometime... that will be on the ever growing laundry list for the blog.

            going back to this blog.. there have been many things i've been thinking about with upcoming posts and such that i want to do or write (no, i don't really intend to do anything different than usual), but then thinking about them has been overwhelming and i internally rage quit and end up doing something else. which i guess is one of the reasons why i've been putting off posting recently. this very post, i've been intending to write for maybe 2 weeks now. blog posts have been nagging at the back of my mind for quite some time, and i'm just now finally taking the time to get around writing this one. something i kind of miss about this blog... well not this blog, haha, but back in the good ol xanga days, i would get on there and write about a whole lotta nothin. daily posts about my day. how i did absolutely nothing. how i'm doing in school. oh, here's some random quiz results i've taken on which anime character i am from a given show. 😉 misadventures of ex-boyfriends and shit my roommate(s) pulled. that all being said, i do want to shift to a more casual and candid way of doing things. for as long as i can remember, i typically have written (on here or otherwise) pretty formally or businesslike when situations don't necessarily need be or, conversely, i will be incredibly brief and be like, 'no i don't like that' without really giving any real reason. the latter being more applicable to this blog, haha. i think that if you've seen some of my posts since january, you've probably already noticed this change a little bit. something recently i did like and would like to continue doing is actually trying the samples in my subscription boxes then talk about them. instead of this haul crap where i'm like 'this is what i got, hehe!'. when i first started doing subscription box posts, it was partially because i was among the first to get my box/bag in the mail and it was before this whole sneak peek thing was happening. so i'd end up getting a lot of page hits because people wanted to see what i got. these days, with sneak peeks, no one cares. hell, i don't care. i think that's why i haven't been liking making these posts, until last month when i did my ipsy and sephora bag posts a few weeks after receiving them. i had some time to actually try things out here and there, and found it more enjoyable talking about them.

            speaking of subscription box posts, i'm toying with the idea of getting rid of my ipsy subscription. nope, not the walmart one which i was complaining about before (and will have a continuation of at a later time 😉), because i think it still has potential. but, yes, ipsy. first off, i feel like i haven't been using everything they've been sending me. i'm feeling overwhelmed because i'm getting stuff too often (for me) and i end up not liking most things and giving them away. i haven't been taking advantage of their coupon codes for the 300 companies they partner with each month, and their ipsy bundle deal thingies rarely interest me. i think i've gotten 2 sheet mask sets because they were reasonably priced, but now i have an endless supply of sheet masks that i'm not using because my face hates me. 😔 (nah, it was my fault for building up that stash, lol.) i think i will keep up with it a little longer, but i'm not confident at this point that i will keep it past this year. additional reasons why i'm feeling this way will come in my march ipsy bag post, whenever i finish typing it up.

            anyway, i'm not really sure how i really want to end this post aside from a quick summary -- i haven't felt like doing the things, i want to be more real, and i plan to get some of my usual monthly posts up this week and next -- if i can. thank you for spending the time to read through all these muddled thoughts i've been having and i hope you'll come back soon for my upcoming posts! ~Lindsay
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