Okay Back For Real

So back on Monday was a bit of a lie - this week was way busier than I thought.  My boyfriend ended up visiting Tuesday and Wednesday, I worked til at least 8 two nights, and I went into work this weekend.  It has been busy but enjoyable.  Now it is Saturday and I am done at work and my apartment is clean (okay just the living room and kitchen, but that counts) and I finally have some free time! 


Right now I am listening to Adele through my iPhone on my new Phillips speaker my parents got me for Christmas - it sounds great.  I am drinking fresh apple-pear-lemon juice I just made in my new juicer I got for Christmas (thanks Santa/Mom/Dad!) and I also have a new magazine I just got in the mail today. Life is go0o0o0o0d!!!

With some of my Christmas money, I decided to buy myself two presents - Lancome Hypnose Doll Lashes Mascara in So Black! and Lancome Limited Edition Spring 2012 Collection Eye Palette Eye Brightening All-In-One 5-Shadow and Liner in Rose Coquette (whew, thats a mouthful). 

Lancome makeup isn't cheap, but is my favorite when it comes to mascaras and they have the best foundation I have ever used.  It is also really fun to buy, because you usually get 4 or 5 samples for free with your order.  I decided to splurge and buy some fancy eye makeup - I use mascara every day, so this sounded reasonable to me (however, the same logic does not apply to other necessities - while yes, I do wear a bra and underwear every day, I do not justify their purchases in the same manner and can't stand having to shop for them!).

I bought my mascara at the Dillards makeup counter.  It was $25.  I hadn't realized it smells slightly of roses until I read the reviews, but yes, it does have a bit of a rose smell.  I think it might bug some sensitive eyes, but it didn't bother me at all.

The mascara has 4 star reviews for effect, performance, value and texture.

One of the main complaints I was worried about is people said this mascara is super clumpy.  I have not found that to be the case.  However, I think people are having this problem because they try to do the standard two or three coats of mascara.  With this mascara, it is really important to only do one coat.  I take my time and repeatedly brush through my lashes until they are exactly how I want them and then, hands off!  Another coat does NOT work well at all.  Therefore, this is not a good mascara if you like to have a day look and a dramatic look and you try to achieve that by layering on more coats.  It is a great everyday look though, and also strong enough to wear at night if you aren't looking for too much drama.

Interestingly, I didn't like this mascara at all the first time I used it and a lot of other reviewers said the same thing.  I am not sure why that happens.  Maybe it is expectations?  After using it about two times, I have grown to absolutely love it (as do other reviewers). I am not sure if it conditions lashes each time, making me like it more over time.  I am not sure if I finally mastered the correct way to apply it, which is why I like it so much now.  Who knows.  All I know is if you get this mascara, give yourself a few days.  Don't be disapointed and toss it in a drawer or return it.

I knew I wanted the Rose Coquette color of eyeshadow because I always read about pink being a trendy color for eyeshadow, but I have never owned anything other than a very light, shimmery pink color.  I thought this would be a good way to be adventurous and if I didn't like the pink, I would at least like the shimmery brown highlightere and light pink base coat.  Unfortunatley, Dillards AND Macys were both out of the Rose Coquette color!  I had to order it online.  It sucked I had to wait so long for my package to come, but it was a blessing in disguise because I got five free samples.

This eyeshadow is great because it has five colors that go excellent together - black liner, a light pink basecoat, a pink lid color, a shimmery brown highlighter, and a dark brown crease shade.  My very favorite is the brown highlighter color - it has the perfect amount of sparkle and can best be described as a "sandy" color.  I also love the light pink basecoat.  Even if I am not wearing much eyeshadow, I always even out my eyelids with a base color (usually a neutral tan).  This light pink evens everything out, brightens my eyes, and isn't obvious.  It has one of those "I know you did something but I am not sure what" effects.

The pink I am still iffy about.  It is a pretty bright pink.  I was expecting more of a rose color.  However, with a third of my lid darkened in the corner with the brown and the other third highlighted with the sand, it does look awesome to have a pop of pink in the middle.

Here are the free samples I got with my order:

• Small Color Design Groupie Shimmer Lipstick

• Absolute Premium Rx Replenishing Cream
• Absolute Ultimate Rx Replenishing and Restructuring Serum
• Absolute Night Premium Rx Night Recovery Cream
• Absolute Eye Premium Rx Eye Cream

It will be fun to try them out in the next few days.  I am always weary of eye cream though - I got some Estee Lauder Eye Cream a few years ago for Christmas.  After eagerly applying it at night, I woke up with a rash all around my eyes.  Horrible! Now I have to spot check everything (apply it to a tiny part of my face and wait 24 hours to see what happens) and the anticipation kills me.

Perfume

It's about that time to get a new perfume.  Since about right before Spring break (March) I have been using DKNY Be Delicious - Juiced.  It was cool when I bought it because it was a new "remix" of the original, and I was the first person at Southcenter Sephora to buy the perfume.  Woohoo -- trendsetter!  I like to always get the smallest perfume, so I can change scents more frequently.  Rather than a signature scent, I like to try different ones for different periods of my life or different seasons (ex: New to college; summertime; first day at work, etc.). I also still have TONS of perfumes from highschool, which I don't think they are supposed to last that long...I do keep them in a cool dark place though, which I think it supposed to help.  However, I am a sucker for new perfumes and all the old ones remind me of specific time periods (you don't want to wear a perfume that reminds you of seventh grade when you just graduated college!).  Did you know perfume is supposedly the strongest connector to memory?

My most recent perfume basically smelled just like DKNY Be Delicious, which I used to use for a bit in high school.  The thing I don't love about this perfume is I feel like the smell doesn't last very long.  I love when ladies can walk by and you smell just a bit of their perfume.  I am pretty confident this perfume doesn't smell much at all (or maybe I am so used to it I have just been putting on waaaay too much and no one has said anything!).  I really do think it is too light though...case in point: On Sunday I had just put some on, and my boyfriend said OMG You smell so good! What is that? And I had to ask him if he was serious, because I have been wearing that perfume for over three months...you think it would be recognizable!  It was a nice, light, Spring-y scent though.

My friend Kyle told me it smelled like an eighth grader, ha, and I can totally tell where he is coming from.  He also told me my previous perfume (Gucci Guilty) smelled like a fancy old lady.  Kyle is actually usually pretty accurate.

Current perfume:

Maybe part of me just really loves the bottle?

It is described like this: Juicy New York apples take center stage, opening the fragrance with a medley of colorful, fresh fruits and a flirty dose of pear blossom. Bold and bright, its vivid floral heart includes notes of muguet flowers and white peony while crushed violet petals add a touch of vibrancy to the mix. At its heart, a sheer wave of cedar and creamy woods is followed by white amber, imparting a lasting, memorable wave of cool refreshment.


My perfume before that was Gucci Guilty:

This perfume had a much stronger, longer lasting smell.  The apple one is more a daytime one and this was definitely more a nighttime one.

It is described as a sheer, floral-oriental fragrance, it opens with a bright burst of citrus and a dangerous hint of black pepper. This arresting introduction gives way to full-throttle femininity as its heart pulses with fruity and floral notes. The fragrance dries down to a rich, ambery base with notes of patchouli. The overall effect is young, stylish, and eminently wearable—a daring edge of sexiness and sensuality that captures the essence of Gucci.




So now I need help...what should my next perfume be?  Lancome has a new line and I think I want to try one of them.  Here are the top contenders:

#1) De'Lorangerie

The fragrant composition is based on orange blossom created on citrusy-aromatic chords. Top notes carry the essence of the composition with skillfully accentuated accords of orange blossom absolute and citrusy zests. The heart intoxicates with aromas of orange blossom and white jasmine, while a soft and sophisticated base supports the theme of the edition with cedar and benzoin.


OR

#2) d'Azur

This one is described as as fresh with floral and fruity accents. The notes include bergamot, lemon, rose, peony, ambrette seed and musk.



Both are based off the original 1969 o de Lancome.

So what do you think for summer?  Orange-y or a more general floral/fruity one?  Or, should I keep looking and broaden my horizons? I'll make the poll to this for a day or so...even if no one votes, I have to buy one soon!





Also...
Today for dinner I had grilled cheese and tomato soup.  It was delicious! I made the soup from an orangette recipe: Chickpea Tomato Soup with Rosemary.  The soup itself was fine...it satisfied me, who likes to make my own things and canned tomato soup "just won't do" (only half joking- ha!).  However, it didn't end up tasting like rosemary at all to me.  I think you would be just as good if you cracked a few cans of tomato soup, added some rosemary and garlic, and threw in a can of chickpeas.  Blending soup can be a bit of a pain sometimes.

I finally bought some bread today. I rarely ever buy bread, but you can't really have tomato soup without grilled cheese.  It's weird how those kind of pairings happen.  Why does peanut butter and jelly seem so natural and not something like peanut butter and relish? Why is relish normal when it's made from pickles but it would be weird if it were made from squash?  That sort of thing interests me.

As for the grilled cheese, I thought I would be able to use up some of the cheese my mom left.  NOPE it had gone bad :( Thankfully I had agonized over whether to buy two bags of mexican cheese at the store (one bag was for sure for the chicken tacos I am making this weekend) and ended up buying two.  I also scored FIVE GAME TICKETS for Albertsons!  I used some of the cheese to make the grilled cheese.  Here is the KEY.  I finally tried making the grilled cheese with mayo instead of butter.  Try it. It seriously works really well...one of my finer grilled cheeses (still can't compare to Dad's though).

This weekend I am planning to make a big chicken taco dish...I am backwards.  I like to cook lots during the week when I am busy and then not cook at all on the weekends, when of course I have more time.  I think it is because cooking is an accomplishment, so it lets me feel like I did something on a busy weekday.  The weekends are already filled with other fun stuff, so I don't need to "accomplish" anything.

Now it is bed time soon...but first I would like to say, MTV, you are kicking ass tonight! First, if you ever feel like life isn't fair or your day sucks, see "True Life: I am allergic to everything."  It is terrible. Then, watch "True Life: I hate my roommates."  One of the main rommates are from North Idaho College aka NIC up in Coeur d'Alene! It was exciting to see Idaho repped on TV :)