Oh, hello....

I have another product review today. Hooray!

I was at Walmart (a.k.a. the bane of my existence) this morning looking for a waterproof mascara for no good reason when I stumbled upon the makeup brush section. I certainly don't need any more makeup brushes, but what I did find was the Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette. These types of products have always seemed so gimmicky to me, but I took the plunge and plunked down my $14.94 anyway.

Before sitting down (laying down) to type this post, I was in my bathroom scrubbing my makeup brushes and putting the palette to the test. To my surprise, I LOVE IT! It shaved at least 10 minutes off of the whole process (maybe more) and because of all the textured nubs, I really think my brushes are so much cleaner than when I just use my hand! Hallelujah! I still think it's expensive for what it is, but I'm not sad that I bought it. My only true gripe about its functionality is that there is no way to squeeze out the excess water from the brushes without having to remove the palette and use your fingers, but since it saves me time, I can accept that.

I'm always happy when I find something new and great and even happier when it's something I thought would be crap to begin with. Thank you, Sam and Nic!

Cheerio!

Just call me Miss Cleo

As predicted, I've lost interest. What's it been, two days? That was quick!

You know, one thing I can't stand is people who brag. It shows a huge amount of insecurity. They're always looking for you to validate them and I just can't fake being impressed. With that being said, I've been guilty of bragging before but I have no qualms about admitting that I'm incredibly insecure. This guy, though...sheesh. It's nonstop "I did this" and "I did that." BOOOOORING.

Back to the drawing board!

I'm waiting for two packages to be delivered this week. (No, that isn't bragging.) One package is makeup (of course), and one is a beauty device that's coming all the way from Switzerland. I'd love to document all of the crazy shit I have planned, but I always fear that it will be for nothing so there's a good chance I'm not going to talk about it. I will, however, talk about any makeup I find that's revolutionary. Which reminds me...

I bought the Dermablend Blurring Mousse Camo Foundation when if first hit the market. Here are the claims from the Dermablend website:

Our best foundation for oily, combination, and acne prone skin. Oil-free coverage in a fresh mousse texture to smooth the appearance of bumps, crevices, and enlarged pores. Seamlessly camouflages skin concerns--including acne, redness, and scars--with a natural, matte finish for up to 18 hours. Fragrance free. Non-comedogenic.

No.

I have some breakouts and texture issues with my skin and it looks just as shitty with this foundation as it does with most other full-coverage foundations I've tried. I used a Beauty Blender to apply it so I'll probably use my fingers the next time in order to give it a fair shot. I really want to try the Urban Decay All Nighter Liquid Foundation next but I have so many (disappointing) foundations in my collection that buying more seems ridiculous. To be completely honest, my favorite foundation of all time is the L'Oreal True Match. It's cheap, it's thin enough to not be cakey, it's blendable, and there are tons of shades.

The search for perfection continues!

It's raining men!

Don't I wish. But it IS raining. I love rain. The smell, the way it keeps me from boiling in the usual Texas heat, the sound it makes when it hits the roof. There is no purpose behind this post; I just happen to be laying down for a nap (doing nothing is exhausting) and the sound made me happy.

So, what's been going on in my life? Well, shockingly, I've been talking to someone for a little while and it's almost disturbing how easy the conversation flows. Why am I posting about it? Naturally, so I can look back in a week or a month and say, "Lindsay, you're dumb. It was all a fluke." That isn't to say that my hopes are up because I have no interest in dating anyone. Still, a new friend is always nice and I can't deny that I have a crush. It'll go away, though. They always do. Pessimism for the win!

Now for the part that makes me really uncomfortable. He likes me. A lot. Maybe too much. It makes me nervous. Why? Because his feelings seem to be in hyper-drive and I'm not ready for that. It's one of those if-we-had-met-at-a-different-point-in-my-life-things-could-have-been-different kind of situations. I have too much on my mind right now and I don't need to add to it.

This post is schizophrenic. A crush is exciting and the attention is nice, but if I could rewind time, I wouldn't have acknowledged him. It's just not the right time. Sigh.

Despite all of that, it's raining, and I will continue to be happy about that. Thank you, Mother Nature; you fabulous, unpredictable bitch.

Friends don't let friends have bad brows...

...except for me. I could talk about this subject forever. Well, for MAYBE 5 minutes. Eyebrows are damn important and I find too many women neglect theirs (pluck!) or shape them in the most unflattering ways (rainbows or sperm, anyone?). I'm no expert, but I know fleek. Now, with that being said, I don't think there's a tactful way to say, "Hey, your brows look like complete shit," so I don't say anything at all because it's not my place. Still, if someone can't look in the mirror and see the mess they have just north of their eyeballs, they're far beyond help.

I'm just kidding. It's not that serious. Sort of.

The real point of this post is to discuss a high-end brow product that I've been using and loving for years, and, now, a much cheaper dupe.

First, the Anastasia Brow Wiz. I use the color taupe. They are $21 at Ulta and they are the most superior eyebrow shaper and filler-inner that I've ever found. That is, until...

The NYX Micro Brow Pencil. My god! They're like the same product! The only exception is that the NYX is only $9.99 and there are very often buy one get one 50% off sales at Ulta. That's a great exception. Anyway, again, I went with taupe and as soon as I got home, I swatched them. Same. Exact. Color. I will say that I did maybe three to four swipes of the NYX to achieve the same intensity of the Anastasia; however, the point (I think) of a brow pencil is to create subtle lines of color in your eyebrows so they look natural. In other words, you don't need sharp, dark lines. 

I saw a review and comparison of these two products on YouTube once and the person (I don't remember who) claimed that there was less product in the NYX pencil. Not true. They both contain .003 ounces of product and NYX is half the price. I'd say that's a win. 

Sorry, Anastasia. I've loved you forever, but it's time we break up. 

Lazy AF

It's been a while since I've posted anything. Honestly, that's because my real life has been just as quiet and uneventful. After next week, however, I'm hoping things start drastically changing.

Since my last post, I've had a birthday, so now I'm an even older bat. I told myself that I would try to start being more positive once I reached my newest age (ummmm, why? That's dumb.), but I find that hard to do. People have been irritating me and testing me more than usual lately. I try to distance myself from everyone, but that gets lonely.

I've been playing games using an iPhone application and I recently received requests from two complete strangers. I accepted and started playing and then I started getting private messages. Yep, it appears people are now using game applications to try to hit on people they've never met. I confess that the change of scenery (for lack of a better term) is fun, but, no. Gross. Stop.

What else can I talk about? Politics? NO. Dieting? Maybe. That's going okay. Better than usual, I guess. When I have a significant loss, I'll make a post about it. What's weird is, I've had very little appetite lately. I hope I'm okay. I should be ecstatic about it, but when going from a ferocious, out-of-control appetite, to little interest in food, it tends to cause worry. Of course, stress could be the culprit.

Anyway, I'm about to head out. I get to go pick up my new glasses today. You know you're old when you get excited about eyewear and clearer vision. One day, when I decide that makeup is worth applying, I'll take a picture. Then, I'll probably never post it, but it gives all my adoring fans something to look forward to. And by adoring fans, I mean the ones who read this...which is me. So, me, I look forward to seeing you. HA!

ZzzQuil Review

I will begin this entry by posting my obligatory disclosure:

I received my sample of ZzzQuil free from Influenster for testing purposes.

Timing is everything, they say. I've been suffering from insomnia for weeks now and I have no explanation for it. Out of the blue, I received an email with a survey, followed by another email telling me that I'd be receiving a sample of ZzzQuil. YES! PLEASE! Save me from my sleepless hell!

Last night, I took it. The insert included in the package says:

"Helps You Fall Asleep in Less than 20 Minutes." Nope. Took me at least an hour.

"Sleep Soundly. Wake Refreshed." Nope. I woke up more times than I can remember and when I finally got out of bed, I felt incredibly groggy.

"Ensure Time to Get a Sufficient Night's Sleep (7-8 hours)." I gave myself at least 12 hours just in case I needed a LOT of sleep.

Needless to say, I won't be purchasing ZzzQuil on my own. I had contemplated purchasing it in the past, but never got around to it. I'm grateful that Influenster gave me the opportunity to test it out so that I wouldn't have a bottle or a package rotting away in my medicine cabinet. That isn't to say that it won't work for other people, but, frankly, I was surprised by how much of a zombie I was today. I've been looking forward to going to bed all day. Wait! Maybe that's the trick! It keeps you up most of the night before so that you'll be able to sleep like a rock the next night! Genius!

I'm not a fan of writing negative reviews, but I'm not a fan of lying, either. So, there you have it. The good (it was free), the bad (it didn't work at all), and the ugly (I look and feel like I was hit by a truck).

If you're interested in receiving complimentary products in exchange for reviews, check out Influenster.com. I'm not sure if you need an invitation as that's how I was brought aboard. Also, I believe this service is limited to the United States. I've discovered some great things from great brands (Tastykake, Dr. Scholl's, and belVita to name a few), so I highly recommend signing up if you get the chance!

With that, dear friends and strangers, I wish you all a good night.

#ZzzQuil #SleepLovers #Influenster #VoxBox

Sayonara, Weight Watchers

I canceled my Weight Watchers subscription yesterday. It was bittersweet. I have been an official member for four years (I've actually been using Weight Watchers since 2009, but not officially) and it worked great for me...until it didn't. They have a real problem listening to their members. When they switched from the Points system to PointsPlus, people groaned, but it was tolerable and I found success. Once they switched from PointsPlus to SmartPoints earlier this year, it was a complete disaster for me and for so many others. I haven't had any meaningful losses this entire year and it's depressing. So I left. No worries, though, for I have a plan! BUT I know I mentioned that I wasn't going to talk about weight loss anymore, and for the most part, I won't. That almost defeats the purpose of this blog and makes my headline irrelevant, but I think it's funny and clever so I'm keeping it and there's nothing you can do to about it. SO THERE! :)

There hasn't been much exciting happening in my life since my last post. I'm impatiently waiting to get a call for an interview that I was (am?) sure I was going to get. The position is still wide open, though, so maybe they wait until all applications are received before they start calling for interviews. I don't know how these things work, so, in the meantime, I'll continue my wishful thinking. 

The concert I've been really looking forward to is in nine days. I'm so excited to get out of this house and do something fun for a change. I'm very much an introvert and I can count on one hand the amount of times I've left this house to do something recreational this year. It's the life I choose, but I admit that it's exhausting doing nothing sometimes. 

And so ends another boring blog post. If you weren't entertained, hopefully I've at least put you to sleep.