The annual Academic Job Conference of Doom fast approaches (this is my second year preparing for it), and yesterday I had a dress-rehearsal practice interview with my advisor and another professor. This gave me an opportunity to test my interview makeup as well as my answers to questions like “But Machiavelli and Polydore Vergil are… Read More FOTD: Game Face
One of the best lipstick formulas that I’ve discovered in 2016 is the NYX Liquid Suede formula. I generally prefer solid to liquid lipstick, but I’ve somehow collected three Liquid Suedes: Amethyst, Stone Fox, and most recently Brooklyn Thorn, one of the 12 new shades released this past spring. I have no idea what the… Read More NYX Liquid Suede and Suede Matte Lip Liner in Brooklyn Thorn
Surfacing briefly from the dissertation abyss to give you my November update! I’m proud to say that I made only one beauty order on Black Friday—I bought some new clothes that I really needed, so I couldn’t justify splurging on makeup too. And November was my birthday month, so I received a few makeup gifts,… Read More Low-Buy Progress Report #11: November
(Not a panning project focused on minis: that would be a “mini-panning project.” But now I want to do a “mini mini-panning project”…) Despite my enjoyment of other bloggers’ empties posts, I have a strange aversion to finishing my own lipsticks. I’ll use a lipstick until there are just a few millimeters of product left,… Read More Mini Panning Project
My archives tell me that I haven’t written a comprehensive skincare post since February 2015 (!), and a lot has changed since then. When better to post my updated routine than on the coldest day of fall so far? Though I don’t really alter my skincare regimen from season to season, perhaps you’ll find something… Read More Skincare Routine, Fall 2016
After my disappointing experience with Lipstick Queen Black Lace Rabbit, I probably should have given up on finding my ideal sheer black lipstick. But I’m nothing if not perverse, so while I was in New York last month, I popped into the Upper West Side Sephora to do some fieldwork. The first sheer black I… Read More Sheer Black Lipsticks, Part 2: Estée Lauder, Givenchy, Urban Decay
It turns out that I have time for one more post before I head to New York tomorrow! A lot of new products entered my life in October, and though some of them were gifts, some were…definitely not. It’s not exactly shocking that I bought more stuff than usual last month. October tends to be… Read More Low-Buy Progress Report #10: October
During my trip to LA in August, my chronic absent-mindedness struck again: I managed to lose my tube of NARS Dolce Vita, my trusty “purse lipstick.” Despite my usual preference for bold matte or semi-matte lipsticks, I like having a sheer MLBB on me at all times, in case I don’t have a chance to… Read More Dolce Vita Dupe: Revlon Super Lustrous Sheer Lipstick in Pink Truffle
…instead of, you know, her opponent’s total disdain for the democratic process. The third (and, blessedly, last) presidential debate of 2016 took place last night at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. I’m not going to discuss the content of the debate because 1) it’s pretty obvious which candidate I support and 2) this is a… Read More Let’s Talk About Hillary’s Lipstick
Lipstick Queen is a brand that confuses the hell out of me. When I first heard of it, about five years ago, I got the sense that it specialized in high-quality, beautifully packaged, somewhat overpriced renditions of traditional lipstick shades. Despite reading favorable reviews online, I found the shade range uninspiring and the price point… Read More Lipstick Queen Black Lace Rabbit: Just Another Gimmick?
Auxiliary Beauty 