Just the basics, ma'am

It is absolutely wild to me when I think about the amount of makeup I used to own in comparison to the amount of makeup I have ever consistently actually USED and WORN. I've never been a face makeup (foundation/powder/concealer or highlighter/bronzer/blush) person, which has not ever stopped me from buying and keeping it. I was rarely an eyeliner or eyeshadow person, which did not stop me from coveting and collecting an array of it. 

The wild world upending ride of 2020 saw me finally let go of makeup I was holding onto just in case. It is more cost efficient to get my makeup done for any event I really want a lot of it on for versus buying shit that looks pretty in its packaging but will expire before I use it twice. Regardless of how pretty a palette is I am not the person who is going to get solid use out of a palette. I want to be a makeup person because I like makeup, but I'm not, and I've moved on to admiring it from afar but not bringing it home with me.

I also cannot act like I'm 13 and know no better - makeup does expire and it needs to be culled way more often than most of us are culling it. 

So this is it except for other lip products I use, specifically Buxom Lip Balm in Dolly Fever. I am also partial to Urban Decay Vice Lipstick, Tarte Color Splash Lipstick, and Tarte SEA H20 Balm Tint . 

NYX Shine Loud Lip Color - I have three of these. I mostly combine two at a time. It will last until the next day perfectly overnight most of the time. You have to remove it with micellar water. I wear it matte and don't use the shine. I have Magic Maker, Ambition Statement, and Born to Hustle. Trophy Life too but I don't really like that one so it's about to get binned. 

Ilia Mascara - Solid daily work horse

Marc Jacobs Accomplice Concealer - I use it for under my eyes and it works great. I don't know how to advise you on how it works on other parts of your face since I don't do that. 

Thanks to my friend Chelsea for recommending the NYX Shine Loud and the Ilia Mascara in IG stories - follow her there. 

It feels good not to own makeup just in case. While I am now a makeup product minimalist, I will not be taking questions or comments about the amount of nail polish I own at this time. Thank you for respecting my privacy. 

Friday Five 11.20.2020

1. If I wear something with pockets and don't wash it there is an 85% chance I will find a shell in it when I put it on next.

2. As we head into winter, I'm getting diligent about my body moisturizing again. Two of my favorites, both of which are cruelty free: Andalou Naturals CannaCell Botanical Body Lotion in Joyful. The scent is rosemary and lemon balm and, you know, joyful. I also like Scottish Fine Soaps Au Lait Body Butter - you can find this at TJMaxx (online for those not going to stores) and Marshalls too for great prices. Perfect stocking stuffer. 

3. It is my estimation that everyone has at least one thing they are never happy with the results of other people cleaning. For me that is my gas range top. This slippery little sucker can be difficult to find, but it is amazing: Weiman Gas Range cleaner. They make the stainless steel cleaners that are great too. 

4. Always, RBG.

5. I have loved kiwi since I was a child. I've subsisted on that, steamed asparagus, and various ravioli (toasted from Aldi's freezer section and cauliflower cheese boiled from Trader Joe's fridge section) this week.

I hope you have not slept on the High-rise ankle pants from Target (that link is an affiliate for Chelsea at The Girl Who Loved to Write, who turned me on to these, purchasing  through an affiliate link costs you nothing and the person benefitting makes approximately three cents on each transaction) from last week's Friday Five because Sunday I got showered and dressed to go for a bike ride and MFD asked me why I had nice pants on and when someone says that about your lounge pants I think you know you've made it. Order that shit for pickup and wear for Thanksgiving!

Happy birthday to Steph today!

I'm off next week and I cannot wait to exhale. Happy Friday. Wear a mask and be kind to each other out there, okay? 

Thursday Thoughts - I wish I was the messenger and all the news was good

1. Philly is in bloom and it is fabulous. The fountains are back on too and when that happens life is good.

2. Isn't this the happiest dish towel ever?

3. Can you even with this dog?

4. I love the Nile Livingston Grace tribute art to Grace Jones at Mission Taqueria. I saw it at lunch on Monday and it's perfect. Go have some mahi mahi tacos and see it.

5. My library tote runneth over. I have three books out from the Ocean City library right now too and I'm late on a few Netgalley ARCs. I like to read them before the publish date.

6. I love the ladies at MAC and I'm glad one opened on Chestnut. I can't recall the last time I bought a new lip color, I've been a good anti-consumer and have used four up over the past few months. I ran out of my daily Twig and replaced it with Plumful at MAC for summer. I also got Charlotte Tilbury lipstick in pillow talk to replace another and will leave the other two un-replaced. I'm trying the Coola sun silk sunscreen drops this year. I will report back on those. Sunscreen every day or bust, friends.

7. Monday night I went to Dad & Carol's for an impromptu dinner of their Easter leftovers and saw my niece and nephew and My brother and Aubrey. Tuesday I got to sit and chat with Michelle for an hour. Last night I had dinner and talked for hours with my friend of 38 years. It's been a good My People week in my world.

8. I also did reasonably well in the To Do department: finally got the Screen building people on the phone to rebuild two at the shore, ordered the bulk of my shore house needs before summer for delivery this weekend from Amazon thanks to the generous gift card from my Mom & Rich, picked out a color to paint our bedroom at home, did laundry, and packed for this weekend. We are hurtling towards Memorial Day and we still have a lot left to do at the shore. I am probably going to have to take a day off sometime soon.

9. Reminder: I want women to grant themselves this permission so hard.

10. Ecards.

That will be all. 

What appears after the hyphen in Thursday Thoughts is a song lyric to whatever I'm listening to when I start to write the post. This week is Wishlist by Pearl Jam

Thursday Thoughts - why isn't teleportation a thing yet?

1. Technology is amazing. Remember that nail in my tire? The tire sat flat all weekend. Monday night, MFD plugged this contraption in that was in the wheel well, pumped it up, and drove it 15 minutes to Tire City without a problem. So is changing tires roadside not a thing anymore unless they're shredded, or should I only drive volvos for eternity so I never have to worry about it again?

2. This sign makes me want to try this place. Even though I was on my way there to get a watch battery, which is what it was like five minutes ago. I swear, new stuff is always popping up.

3. If you're like me, you have been wondering how the fuck people can outright not believe facts, or actually see things on video and still not believe them. If you've wonder how people can not give a shit about education, how they can justify racism, how they can fear everything because they believe any propaganda you put in front of them, and how they can do all of these things and still call themselves good and righteous Christians, this is for you. An Insider's View: The Dark Rigidity of Fundamentalist Rural America.

4. Remember this guy? Of course now that he is supporting a bill with draconian and inhumane cuts to medicaid he doesn't tweet about Medicaid anymore. I sure hope no one voted for him because of promises like this. MAGA, am I right? How the fuck do people still support this lying conman? He doesn't even make it hard to point out his hypocrisy - all you have to do is search his Twitter account. But you show people this and...crickets. It is okay to say no after you've said yes, everyone. You can change your mind and stop the madness. This applies to more than one scenario in life. And sure, this was a campaign promise, and sometimes they don't fulfill those...but they usually do make a show of fighting against Congress about it. Not a fucking peep about the Medicaid devastation evil Mitch McConnell and his slimy bag of white male turdweasels are serving up as a healthcare bill that is really a tax cut for the rich who don't even fucking want it because it's inhumane and insane.

5. Because this is where I am right now...this healthcare bill? It is a shitbrick for absolutely everyone. People will DIE. And SUFFER. Terribly. And some people are okay with that. I have been saying for a few months that it goes beyond politics for me in this political landscape. Here is exactly why: I Don't Know How to Explain To You That You Should Care About Other People. There is a divide that has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with the type of society I want to live in that some other people do not want to live in. I do not want to live in a society where people don't care if other people die and suffer terribly on their way out. This healthcare issue is killing me and I am a healthy (for now) person - I truly can't imagine the rage and fear people who will be more affected than me are feeling.

6. My mom came over last night and brought me some stuff she picked up for me at Sam's and a Lee's hoagie and took a zillion magazines off of my hands. Win win win.

7. I picked up library books Tuesday and actually managed to listen to myself and hold off on reading one for about two hours...which is as long as it took to clean up the lakes of water throughout the basement from an overflowed sink basin and have the same fight we have every time this happens once a year. By the end we were both laughing because we seriously don't have it in us anymore. I bought some vacation essentials: sunscreen and new nail polish and some other necessities and placed a panic order on Amazon.

8. I have extreme guilt right now. Geege was supposed to get his teeth done in June and the month totally roared past me. And now it can't get done for another two weeks because I'm going on vacation and I know they're bothering him.

9. Reminder:

10. E-card of the week. Hotdog hotdog hot diggity dog

Happy birthday to my cousin Courtney!

LUSHtastic

My great friend and personal product guru Jill, a professional makeup artist and cosmetology educator at PB Beauty School in NJ, is back today! Beauty is her passion and she's gracious enough to stop by here once a month to share her knowledge and favorites with us.Last time she covered bargain beauty buys and this time she's talking about LUSH. 

Click here to learn more about Jill.

Follow Jill on Instagram: @kicksandlipsticks

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Let's talk skincare. I am sure all of you have a beauty routine of some kind involving a facial cleanser of some sort. I used to use bar soap before I got into the beauty industry so my skincare regimen has changed dramatically over the years. But the biggest change came just within the past 2 years. I was turned on to a company called LUSH by one of my students and I, as well as my skin, have been singing their praises and reaping the benefits ever since.

What is LUSH and what makes them so extra special? Here are a few great reasons.

My absolute favorite thing about LUSH is that they DO NOT ANIMAL TEST! I am an animal lover and think it is completely unnecessary for any company to practice animal testing. They have a very strict policy and will only buy products from companies that also practice safe testing alternatives. I am not an expert in the area but I do know that with advances in technology laboratories have been able to develop tests that will exhibit the harmfulness of a product on a human and the environment without needing an animal. To learn more about their policy and their slogan visit:  LUSH.

The ingredients they use are almost all natural. They have little to no synthetic ingredients. Think about that for a second..... that is amazing! They use only the freshest of ingredients including fruits, veggies, and essential oils. They make the most wonderful fresh face masks. They only have a shelf life of about 2-3 weeks and must be kept in the fridge because the mask isn't being packed with preservatives and chemicals to last longer. To see a full list of the ingredients they use, you don't have to look much further than their website: Lushopedia

They are huge on charitable contributions. They have donated over 10 million since 2007 to grassroots charities. They sell an amazing hand and body lotion called  "Charity Pot" in the store and use 100% of the contributions of the price (minus taxes of course) for charity. The price ranges from $6.00-$25.00 depending on the size of the container you purchase. I love a company that is so popular doing the right thing and giving back.

ON top of all of that- the packaging is simple and made of 100% recycled plastic. They will even reward you for returning 5 empty and clean pots with a free fresh face mask.

  

I am going to share my LUSH routine with you guys and if you get into one of their stores or have a minute to shop your website pick up one of their products. You won't regret it!

I use this facial cleanser every single night, it is gentle and smooth, smells nice, and works great at cleaning my skin and removing makeup that a wipe didn't get completely : 9 to 5

One night a week I give myself a facial mask, I have used this on other areas of my body that just felt rough including my hands and elbows. It is absolutely amazing, makes the skin feel so smooth and it has a beautiful glow to it after. My must have mask is : Mask of Magnaminty (Steph's note: I had to run out and buy this on the day Jill sent me her blog post!)

After my cleanser or mask (depending on the day) I will use a toner water. This is great for helping to remove dirt deep in the pores and will also help to close the pores to keep dirt and makeup out. I prefer a spray toner and so the ones LUSH sell are ideal for quick and easy usage. The one I prefer is: Eau Roma Water 

After my toner, I will apply my moisturizer. I have dry skin and have a sensitivity to many moisturizers but this one is perfection and has never given me any issues. I also will use this on many of my clients prior to applying their makeup and they always comment on its fragrance. My top moisturizer is: Celestial

The last piece of my facial routine is my lip scrub. I can't imagine life without one. I think it tastes good and it makes my lipstick lay smoother on my mouth. I have tried many of the lip scrubs they offer but my favorite is : Bubblegum

My product collection doesn't stop there, in the shower I use Ocean Salt for my body exfoliator and have since turned everyone in my life on to this product, including my boyfriend who uses it on his face as well.

After a long day working in the salon atmosphere my body is aching and I don't always want to grab for the aspirin. I found a nice alternative in their massage bar. It has a combination of a perfect cinnamon smell and a massaging feel from the beads on the one side. It is very soothing and I have gone through 3 bars in the past year or so.

 In honor of my good pal Steph's birthday I am going to keep the gift giving going! Here is how you can win a $25 GIFT CARD to LUSH.

To qualify: 

1. Follow me on my instagram @kicksandlipsticks

2. Tag me in a pic of your LUSH favorite or a new LUSH product you're trying or would like to try

3. Use the hashtag: #Lushtasticgiveaway

The photo with the most likes by April 7th wins!

wearing my most favorite mask!

LUSH is full of goodies that you and your whole family, kiddies included will love. If you are already a LUSHie like me then please let me know some of your favorites! If you haven't tried them before give them a shot and check back in to let me know what you've used! 

  

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Thanks so much to Jill...I had to rush out and get MagnaMinty the day I read through this email. I hope you win the $25 LUSH giftcard!

Great Makeup on a Budget

I've been like 0 for six or sometimes even 7 days a week on wearing makeup, so naturally it's been a minute since anything beauty-related has been on this blog. I love makeup posts so I'm bringing in the big guns, my great friend Jill. She's my go-to makeup guru and did my makeup for my wedding. Anyone in the southern NJ/PA area who needs a makeup artist for a wedding or special event, get in touch with Jill! She does an awesome job and is really knowledgeable about makeup and application. She does her research on products and knows her shit! I usually confer with her before I buy things if I'm hemming and hawing over it. Be sure to follow her on Instagram!
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Hi everyone! My name is Jill and I am so excited to be guest blogging for Steph today. I am a professional makeup artist and cosmetology educator at PB Beauty School in NJ. Beauty is my passion and this is such a great opportunity to share it with all of you! 

Click here to learn more about me.

Instagram: @kicksandlipsticks

As a professional makeup artist, I am constantly buying makeup. It is basically part of my job to shop and stock up on beauty products. I often times find myself looking around for duplicates or "dupes " of some of the high end products I love. I am a beauty addict so I will buy any makeup product from Dior to Cover girl. If I like it and it is a good product the label doesn't matter to me. I would prefer to get more bang for my buck and I'm sure most of you feel the same. I have found so many that I love and want to share them with all of you!

1. Smashbox VS. NYX

How many of you wear foundation? If you're wearing it, are you priming your skin first? Here's my tip: if you wear a foundation daily you should be using a primer. It is going to do several things for you. First, it's going to make your makeup stay on longer and second, it's also going to allow your makeup to go on smoother. My favorite primer is Smashbox Photo Finish. It is great for all skin types. However it has a pretty steep price tag at $36.00 and for an item that should be used everyday you can burn through it pretty quickly.

Here is my suggestion as a perfect dupe- NYX Photo Loving Primer. At $12.99 you can grab this baby at your local CVS or Ulta. This is a great product and is equally as good.

2. Benefit VS. NYX

In addition to a primer a lot of people ask me about pore fillers, some primers work as a pore filler but often times in areas such as the nose a pore filler is needed to help minimize the size of the pore.

One of the most popular ones on the market is POREfessional by Benefit Cosmetics. Although it is a great product why pay $31 when you can buy a product that will do the same thing for $13.99?

NYX Pore Filler does the job just fine. I use this product on my cheeks almost everyday! This can be used with a primer like the Photo Loving one from above or alone as a primer and pore filler.

3. Anastasia VS. NYX

Let's talk brows for a second. To me eyebrows are the most important accessory. A good brow can make your everyday look seem like it's right off the red carpet. I swear by the Anastasia Beverly Hills brow products but recently tried a great substitute. I have always used the Anastasia Highlighting Duo Pencil which is $23. I would line around my brow and it would brighten up the whole area and really help to define my brows.

BUT, even though Anastasia will always have my loyalty, I have to spread the word about the NYX Eyebrow Push-Up Bra. This product has a built-in brow pencil as well as a highlight stick. It can be used to shade and shape but on the flipside it can conceal and highlight. The best is the price:  it is only $9.99.

4. MAC lipstick VS Drugstore Brands

My last dupe I want to share with you is one that I found on Pinterest. I have personally bought every one of the suggested "dupes" and have been pleasantly surprised by them. I LOVE MAC lipsticks and thought there was no way I would ever find a lipstick that had the same awesome color quality and a decent texture with long lasting wear. I am so glad I tried these because the price difference is so worth it.

(image via INDULGY )

I hope you guys have enjoyed reading about my favorite "dupes."Be sure to let us know if you try any of them!

Thanks so much to Jill for beautying up this place. Look for more guest blogs from her in the future!

Do you have a dupe you swear by?

About that Dollar Shave Club

My mom brought me this Chi-Chi's sombrero from  her attic last night. RIP Chi-Chi's.

Update 11/13/17 - We no longer use the Dollar Shave Club monthly service because they are advertising on Sean Hannity's program and we do not support programs who provide shelter to pedophiles like Roy Moore. I placed an order with Dorco and that's how we'll go forward. 

Let me start by saying Tuesday sucks. And also that I was not compensated for this post or given a free product to try and review. I'm just passing what I consider to be a good deal on to you, dear readers.

I saw a blog post on a 'lil hoohaa about the Dollar Shave Club in December. What a genius idea for a stocking stuffer! I promptly signed MFD up. Mail fail - it came, I didn't squirrel it away, and I am into instant gratification so I said open it now! He's been using the razor blades for a month and likes them better than his former razors. Can I take a minute to say that I love that I have a husband who will play along with my desired blog photos?

Anyway...I typically buy Venus to the tune of $12+ per package and MFD uses Schick for $14+ per package. Buying razors always makes me mad because that's freaking highway robbery but if one does not want to walk around like a hairy Sasquatch it's a necessary expense. Could I use cheaper ones? I could. I could also shave my legs with a cheese grater. As I was saying...

Dollar Shave Club offers packages for $1/month, $6/month, or $9 for month. I chose the $6/month package for MFD. The initial package includes the razor and four blades, and four new blades arrive via mail every month. It's marketed towards men, but it's a great deal for women too. I thought let me get in on that, and bought a one off razor and pack of cartridges for myself. I'll just steal one of his or order another set to arrive with his monthly order whenever I'm running out. The razors are good and do what razors should do.

MFD's razor expenses went from $14/month down to $6/month, a savings of $96/year. I only buy cartridges every other month, so I went from $72/year to $36/year for an overall razor savings of $132/year. I love cutting costs like a boss wherever I can, especially if the product performs well at the lower price point.

If you want to save some cash, give Dollar Shave Club a try. I also learned that you can buy blades direct from Dorco USA, which supplies Dollar Shave Club, and if you buy in bulk you can save more - 6 packs of four blade razors for $28, free shipping over $25. So you can save $8 more over a period of six months if you choose. I will never remember when we're out, so I'm sticking with a monthly delivery from Dollar Shave Club that requires no thought or action from me.

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Haikuesday:

Razors. You need them.

Dollar Shave Club saves you cash.

Use it to buy shoes.

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I thought this was a good savings opportunity to pass on - every little bit counts, right?