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New Job and Some Reviews

Hi Blog Friends! I know I’ve been M.I.A. lately and haven’t been blogging much. I’ve been doing my freelance writing and have finally gotten a little break from that. Yesterday, I sat in on a session in Sylvan and tomorrow I sign my paperwork and start my first day. I’m really excited about finally being able to work and I think it’s something I could enjoy. I know I won’t be making much because Sylvan only calls you when they need you, but they are short on tutors now. Not to mention, I’ll have my freelance writing to pick up the slack. This way I can earn some extra cash to help Michael and I and I won’t lose my services for my disabilities.

Since I had to go in yesterday for a test run, I got all fancy and got to use one of the other beauty products I got from Target and I’ll finally tell you guys about the cleansing milk I got from Etsy. I’ve also been using a couple of new moisturizers. So, today we will be discussing E.L.F.’s Expert Liquid Eyeliner, the Cleansing Milk from GoodEarthEssentials on Etsy, White Tea Extract Face Cream from LeeAnnsHeavenScents on Etsy, and the Body Shop’s Vitamin E Illuminating Moisture Cream.

E.L.F’s Expert Liquid Eyeliner

I really love E.L.F.’s products. Most of them are really good and their prices are very affordable. I bought this liquid liner because I don’t have the best luck with pencils. Another one of my friends that has motor skill issues tipped me off about it. I tried it and loved it! It was much easier to apply and it was much more dramatic, really making my eyes pop. I just put a little translucent powder over it and it held up longer. Definitely a keeper.

GoodEarthEssential’s White Rose Ultra Gentle Cleansing Milk

I bought this cleanser when I realized how sensitive my skin gets with redness. I’m still using it up with the Vitamin E line from the Body Shop that my fiance bought me for our anniversary. The Vitamin E line is superior to this cleanser. When I used this cleanser on its own, it would calm my face for a little while, but by the end of the day, my face was red again. But maybe it just doesn’t agree with my skin. It does feel great on skin (especially if you leave it in your fridge) and the scent is light and wonderful. If you think it might help you, look it up on Etsy and read on it.

LeeAnnsHeavenScent’s White Tea Extract Moisturizer

 This was a much better moisturizer than the one I had been previously using (African Black Soap Brand). It calms my skin well, hydration is great, and the smell is great. I don’t know if this will be my go to night cream yet though. I have some more to try out from the Body Shop. It is in the running though.

the Body Shop’s Vitamin E Illuminating Moisture Cream 

When I read the reviews for this moisturizer, some people didn’t like it because of what it actually does. It’s “illuminating” and what it means by that is that it gives a neon shine to your face. I think it is kind of cool, so I use it as a “going out” moisturizer. If you put make up over it, you won’t see the shine, but it does make my foundation more smooth. I’m going to try putting a little over my foundation for a dewy finish. My fiance loves it on me too and it’s great for giving a glow when you’re going out but don’t want to wear foundation. I think it’s a keeper.

I Promise I’m Not Dead and I’m Not For Sale

Heh, I hope you guys like the Stone Temple Pilots reference. I haven’t been blogging these past few days because I took some time off to dedicate to job hunting. I never heard from that company that wanted the second interview, so it is safe to assume that they went with someone else. Bummer.

So far, things are looking up a bit. I did manage to find a few jobs I was qualified for that are in my field. I just applied for them yesterday, so we’ll see. So far, the only one I’ve heard back for is only a part time gig that is a little far, so it may not be worth it. I’m still going to do the phone interview and see if full time is possible.

A few goodies I ordered should be here today, so reviews will be coming soon. I haven’t really tried out the new supplies I bought at Target yet because I haven’t had any reason to wear make up and it is really hot outside. But if you guys remember one of my previous posts, I discovered I had eczema and not rosacea. I’ll be trying out the new face wash, lotion, and ointment soon. My translucent powder and eye shadow primer are almost here and the foundation I picked out of the three is on its way!

I know it seems like I buy a lot of stuff for the sake of beauty, but I actually buy everything in a certain price range and make sure my bills are paid off first. But lately, I have been worried about our financial status. I’m still unemployed and my fiance is at a dead end job, However, he is getting tutoring for his GED and has been working very hard at it. And at least, I’m getting call backs, right?

Despite all that, I still find myself getting depressed at times. I really hope we can get at a better place soon. Especially because my fiance’s dad just informed us that their rent house will be available in a month. His current tenants are moving out. He said he would even lower the price for us (me. my fiance, and his brother). If I can get a job soon, MAYBE we could do it. But right now, it’s just not feasible.

Last night was wonderful though. My fiance and I stayed up and watched a couple of hours worth of Daria. We’re almost done with the series and it’s great to share something that is so near and dear to me with him. We laughed at my hero’s sarcastic wit and cuddled. That show will forever be in my heart as a childhood through adult relic.

Can’t wait to start reviewing again.

Product Review: AddictiveCosmetics’s Vegan Mineral Foundation Powder (Ivory 4 Matte)

Look at me in my Fight Club shirt! My shirt is slightly messy and I have a big smile on my face because I had just tried on my first out of three samples of mineral foundation powder. As I mentioned before, I’m just not loving my normal brand of foundation anymore. It just wasn’t giving me the coverage that I want and the liquid foundation always felt heavy and was even worse when I was in the sun. Not to mention, I’m trying to go vegan with all of my skincare products.

I see why this place is called AddictiveCosmetics because it is going to be my new addiction. I did have a bit of trouble with the powder because I didn’t have the proper type of brush to handle this kind of foundation. But next time this shouldn’t be an issue because I had the fiance run me to Walmart to buy me a kabuki brush and some Simple Mineral Water Cleanser (but that’s for another post). So, next time I won’t have a mess on my shirt and heavy handed coverage.

As you can see, even though it’s caked on thicker because of my inferior brush, it still looks razor (once again for those just joining us that’s my slang for cool, beautiful, etc.). It was a bit difficult to get the foundation on to the brush because the samples are small, but this won’t be a problem when I buy the full container.

I ordered the three sample package in order to find the right shade. I have Ivory 4 in Matte, Beige 1 in Matte, and Beige 2 in Glow. This one is the Ivory 4 in Matte, I will be using the next two and will be posting pictures and maybe a little commentary. After that, I’ll be buying a full container of the best shade in glow most likely. I think I might like it more than matte.

The great thing about this foundation is that I don’t even feel like I am wearing it and thus I didn’t feel like I was baking when we went out! AddictiveCosmetics claims that the foundation will stay on all day. I just checked a mirror and it still looks flawless from when I put it on this morning. Dare I say it…yes…this is the best foundation I have ever tried!

To try out the three sample pack go here:Mineral Foundation Sample Pack

It’s $4.99 plus shipping and a full container is $9.99 plus shipping.

Job Interview #2 and the e.l.f. Mist and Set Spray Review

Today, I had another job interview and it went really well. I was told upon leaving that I was wanted for a second interview. The hiring manager said that if I didn’t hear from them in the late afternoon, then I would hear from them by morning. Well, no call today. Better keep my ringer on tonight!

Of course, I had to make myself all pretty and apply make up. I really hate the foundation I use now, which is funny because I use to love it. But ever since I noticed the redness in one side of my face, it just doesn’t cover well. I also miss powder foundations. I switched from Bare Minerals to e.l.f.’s flawless liquid foundation (what I’m currently using) because I heard from a make up artist friend of mine that it (Bare Minerals) wasn’t good for your skin.

But the powders made my face look so good! I had tried other powder foundations after that, but the coverage was always horrible. Luckily, I ordered some powder foundation samples from a vegan cosmetics maker on Etsy. I can’t wait to review them!

Until then, I have to use up my e.l.f flawless liquid foundation and I also had the chance to properly use my new e.l.f. Mist and Set Spray. This time I sprayed it with the proper distance from my face and it kept my make up fairly fresh. The biggest problem is with my eye make up. It never wants to stay on my face! I ordered a vegan eye shadow primer from the same Etsy store as the foundation, so hopefully that will make my eye shadow stay. But I’ll still have the eye liner to deal with. It didn’t hold up well today. Anyone have any tips?

As for the Mist and Set, it does a good enough job. My only concern with it is that it’s a small bottle. However, the price is right at $3. However, I did mention in another post that I bought another bottle of rose water that can serve multiple purposes. When I run out of Mist and Set, I am going to try it out as a make up setter. It’s already going to get a rave review on being a toner alone! That stuff is razor!

Aside from all that, after the interview the fiance and I went out to eat. We were all giggly in the parking lot and flirty with each other. It felt so great. Which was good because the food was lousy. I felt so bad because I suggested the restaurant! But all was well because we came home and watched Daria and flirted with each other until he had to go to work.

I think that’s what we need to do. Try as hard as we can to make time for each other alone. We go out friends a lot and it can be difficult. We need the time to talk seriously, flirt, and just be goofy. I think I’ll ask him if he wants to watch the Last Unicorn tonight.

A Thrift Store Adventure With Some Reviews Thrown In

Yesterday, the fiance and I decided to go on a one-on-one date. This is something we hadn’t done in a good while. We’ve recently been invited on many double and triple dates with our friends, but sometimes it’s just nice to go out just the two of us. However, this date turned out to be a real drag.

I spent a lot of time in the bathroom trying to make myself look razor (it’s my slang for cool, but I could substitute it for beautiful too). I chose a little black and grey striped dress that stops just past my knees. It’s a little flirty without being revealing. My floral Doc Martens really paired well with the dress

I did something a little different with my eye make-up. I applied the usual mascara with black eyeliner, only this eyeliner had a little glitter in it. I don’t wear it often, but I busted out my silver eye shadow pen from e.l.f. I have to say the results looked pretty razor.

Just as I was about to try out my new bottle of e.l.f.’s mist and set spray, he poked his head into the bathroom and said my eyes looked sexy. I smiled somewhat, usually I would be thrilled with the compliment, but lately the passion in our relationship has fizzled out a bit. I was hoping that this may lead to some cuddles later.

The e.l.f. mist and set spray set is supposed to lock and seal in your make up for the day, but of course I messed it up on my first attempt. I sprayed it way too close to my face and ended up messing up my eyes. Needless to say, I had to redo it. I’ll write a more in depth review on it when I get it right.

I don’t know for sure, but I think most guys may hate it when we wear lipstick. I know my fiance hates it when I make his lips sticky when we kiss. As I was looking in the mirror, I realized I didn’t want to put any color on my lips. My natural lip color would go well with what I did with my make up. Of course, I would need to keep my lips moisturized and nice and glossy.

Recently, I purchased a vegan lip balm from an Etsy shop. I bought it in the flavor “Rose Candy” and I love it! It smells wonderful, feels great, and makes my natural lip shade glossy. Here’s a link to it:Rose Candy Lip Balm. I really want to try the Whiskey Sugar and Whiskey Honey ones next. I think my fiance would really like those.

Once I was all set, we went to our nearest Goodwill store. I love thrift store shopping! You would be amazed at what you could find there. There wasn’t much on clothes there. I only managed to find one skirt. It’s black with lots of white circles stitched in. I liked it. It was very different.

The real deals I found were in the CDs and DVDs. I managed to find:

I have been itching to get the Reality Bites soundtrack. I love the grunge and alternative era of the nineties, Ethan Hawke, and Winona Ryder. I owe tons of Ethan Hawke films and his novels. He’s my biggest actor crush next to Joshua Jackson (Pacey of Dawson’s Creek). Ethan even sings on the soundtrack!

I now owe the movie. I loved it. I want to read the book, but haven’t gotten it yet.

My fiance’s never seen it. So, I’ll introduce it to him once we finish Daria. Can you believe he had never seen Daria? That was a staple of my childhood.

But alas, most of our date consisted of us being separated to look for own items. I was under the impression we were going to do more, but he didn’t want to go to dinner. If I knew we were only going to spend a couple of hours at a thrift store, I probably wouldn’t have gotten all made up because of the hot sun.

Lately, there seems to be no romance and he seems so disinterested in me. I hate to say it but I even hiked up my dress while we were watching Empire Records. Just to get a little attention. Yeah, I felt like Cory.

Product Reviews: “Naturally Rosy” Rosewater Toner

I’ve found it, guys. I’ve finally found the holy grail of toners for me. Gosh, I’ve been searching for years. I’ve heard that rosewater can do wonders for your skin and really brighten it up. I was always very eager to try it out. I just had to get rid of other toners I bought first. I noticed a different in my skin’s tone after the first use!

Here are the benefits of rosewater that is listed on the toner’s Etsy page:

Rose water prevents and or reduces eye puffiness. Rosewater helps to maintain your skin’s pH balance.
It helps fight acne, dermatitis and eczema. Rose water helps to hydrate, revitalize, moisturize, and smooth out the skin. It also helps to heal scars, cuts and wounds. Rose water calms the skin to help ease any stress and anxiety. It helps tone the skin, while offering anti-bacterial properties. The antioxidant properties of rose water help to strengthen skin cells along with regenerating skin tissues. It also helps to revitalize aging skin while keeping fine lines and wrinkle at bay.

Another good thing about this toner is that the other ingredients besides rosewater are not only natural, but they also are very good for your skin. The other ingredients include aloe vera, chamomile, green tea, and raw honey.

The only downside I found is that it’s $10 for a 4 oz. bottle, but you must factor in that you are paying for quality ingredients. I just replaced the normal cap with a cap that squirts, so I can control how much I use. Also, the owner is very accommodating. I asked them if I could pay extra for a bigger bottle, but they don’t have one. However, they said they could keep a look out for a recyclable glass bottle. It never hurts to ask! You can find this toner at the Etsy shop NaturallyRosyRiley and here is a direct link to the toner: https://www.etsy.com/listing/227467494/rosewater-toner?ref=shop_home_active_1

Now, let me catch you up to speed on my natural skincare series. Here’s the parts of the routine we have found.

• Cleanser:Colloidal Silver Acne Face Wash
• Toner:Rosewater Toner
• Acne Medicine: AcneFree Terminator 10 (you can find this at Walmart or just look it up online)
• Body Shop Facial brush for night time washing: http://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/skin-care/skin-care-accessories/rounded-handle-facial-brush.aspx
• Moisturizer: Still testing

Extras:

• Bio Oil for Post Acne Marks: You can purchase this at Walmart or look it up online.

This means that we almost to the end of the natural skincare series. It makes me a little sad, but honestly I’m glad I’m finding the right routine for me. Of course, it will never actually really be the end because I’ll always be trying new products. I’ll actually be searching for organic make-up once I get rid of the stuff I already have.