Month: May 2018

Deal Breakers- What Make Us Hard-Pass On A Product?

I recently was trying a new face mask sample (the Fresh, Lotus Youth Preserve Rescue Mask to be exact) and I was struck by the cucumber scent. Now–I have no problems with cucumbers–I actually really like them, but I know Jess is not a fan. And I wondered if it was just the taste of cucumbers that she was against or cucumber anything.

Which then got me thinking about product deal breakers. Things that are just NOT going to work for you when it comes to a new product. Would a cucumber scent be enough to send Jess running away from the Fresh mask? (it’s actually not included in the description for it and only in the ingredients, btw.) I wondered what other things might be product deal breakers for us–and you!

Jess:

Why yes, I DO hate the scent of cucumber- it literally makes me gag!!

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What products did I pack for my trip?

So here’s the situation. I just got back from a wonderful trip to Spain that was divided into three parts: a few days in Barcelona, a 60+ mile hike on the Camino de Santiago and then a few days along the Costa Brava. Those are three very different vacations. And I had to pack for all them in a bag I could carry on my back during the hike portion of the trip. (technically, I could’ve put the non-hike stuff in a locker at the airport, but that would really be too convenient, and probably too smart for me. And yea—clearly it was.)

As we have established, I’m a pro at packing light. So keeping the weigh down was not a problem for me. I was able to pack everything I needed in a bag that weighed less than 15 pounds.

got a new pack for the trip off a packing light story.  it was okay. really designed for boys though.

This was seriously a source of pride for me. But did I pack right? Especially when it came to my skin care/makeup game. Let’s review!

Continue reading What products did I pack for my trip?

There Might Be Too Many Brow Things

Oh hi!

Do you remember a while back when I stepped out of my NYX micro pencil safety zone and tried something new?? Well, as expected, it dried out pretty fast, but now my eyes were open to exploring all* the new stuff that has been hitting the shelves in the name of giving you some serious brow:

by “all” I mean “a few”

First, a little about my brows. At this stage in my life, I’m pretty lucky to still have some fullness, thanks to never being able to tweeze them myself- I’d try, then eventually my face would start looking like a Picasso, you know?? So I’ve always left it to the professionals (I’m a fan of threading). That being said, I am still recovering from a wonky wax a few years ago that robbed me of some of the inner part of my left brow. (Pro tip: if you’re getting a pedicure and the tech takes you into a shady back room and also takes a phone call while waxing you, RUN.) I also have a few hairs that have, um, lost pigment. Because I am old. So my main concerns are a) filling in the gaps and holes and B) tinting the greys. I am not personally into the “Instagram Brow”- it is gorgeous on some people but crazy looking on me- and I’m not quite brave/baller enough to get microbladed yet, so to the drugstore we go!

Continue reading There Might Be Too Many Brow Things