Cheap Thrills, Part 1: NYX Smooth Whip Blurring Matte Lip Cream in Chocolate Mousse

Have makeup prices increased dramatically in the past year, or am I just no longer receiving a paycheck? I mean, probably both. For the past month, I’ve been searching for a brownish red lipstick similar to Elaine’s in the “Soup Nazi” episode of Seinfeld, but the $10-$20 price point of lipsticks, my former sweet spot,… Read More Cheap Thrills, Part 1: NYX Smooth Whip Blurring Matte Lip Cream in Chocolate Mousse

August 24, 2023August 26, 2023 auxiliarybeauty6 Comments

Glossier Cloud Paint in Wisp & Purple Blush Comparisons

Earlier this summer, Glossier finally released Wisp, the lilac Cloud Paint for which fans had been clamoring for so many years. (Wisp and the other new Cloud Paint, Soar, are supposedly limited edition for this summer, but I have a feeling that means “limited edition unless they sell well.”) A purple-blush fiend since my early… Read More Glossier Cloud Paint in Wisp & Purple Blush Comparisons

July 23, 2023July 24, 2023 auxiliarybeauty1 Comment

A Visit to Glossier Philadelphia

Greetings from our nation’s first capital! My partner and I moved to Philadelphia almost a month ago. Having lived in rural towns in Ohio and Connecticut for the past four years, we’re still experiencing some culture shock at being in a major city full of interesting things to see, do, and eat. Believe it or… Read More A Visit to Glossier Philadelphia

July 12, 2023July 16, 2023 auxiliarybeauty3 Comments

No-Makeup Makeup, Spring 2023

When I first moved to the boarding school where I ended up spending two years, I thought it might be interesting to write a post on preppy beauty. However, it soon became clear that the post would comprise a single sentence: “Preppy beauty doesn’t exist.” In rural New England boarding schools, I discovered, the main… Read More No-Makeup Makeup, Spring 2023

June 13, 2023June 14, 2023 auxiliarybeauty4 Comments

My Five-Minute Teaching Face, Spring 2023

Since the spring semester is almost over, I thought I’d publish a quick update to the post I made six months ago. I still take about five minutes to do my makeup before classes, but as the weather has warmed up, I’ve gravitated toward different colors and textures while remaining in my cool-toned comfort zone.… Read More My Five-Minute Teaching Face, Spring 2023

May 22, 2023June 13, 2023 auxiliarybeauty11 Comments

Urban Decay Lip Bond in PDA vs. Lucky Boy Breakfast Burrito

Happy spring! It’s been a while. Last summer, I decided to try Urban Decay’s new shiny-but-long-lasting lipstick formula, Vice Lip Bond, which seemed to be along the lines of Revlon Satin Ink and YSL Glossy Stain. Since the lipsticks were $27 each, more than twice the price of Revlon’s perfectly good version, I limited myself… Read More Urban Decay Lip Bond in PDA vs. Lucky Boy Breakfast Burrito

April 8, 2023April 10, 2023 auxiliarybeauty8 Comments

MAC Retro Matte Lipstick in Ruby Woo: The Ultimate Red?

Happy Lunar New Year! January 22 marked the start of the Year of the Rabbit, which happens to be my own zodiac animal. (Yes, that means I’m nine months away from turning thirty-six, the age at which I’ve always assumed I’ll have all my shit figured out, though that seems increasingly unlikely.) I realize that… Read More MAC Retro Matte Lipstick in Ruby Woo: The Ultimate Red?

February 4, 2023August 18, 2024 auxiliarybeauty12 Comments

My 12 Favorite Beauty Purchases of 2022

We’re halfway through January, and that means it’s well past time to round up my top dozen new products of last year! I resolved to buy 40 or fewer new pieces of makeup and nail polish in 2022, but I ended the year at 47, one more than the previous year. Though I never felt… Read More My 12 Favorite Beauty Purchases of 2022

January 15, 2023February 4, 2023 auxiliarybeauty10 Comments

Quick Review: Glossier Eye Stars Kit

I’ve never taken much interest in holiday sets from beauty brands. They tend to feature excessive, tacky packaging, overpriced merch, and/or “universally flattering” makeup shades that I either already own or know I don’t want. Glossier’s Gold Kit, released in 2020, is a perfect example: $75 (seriously) for a gold-plated brass initial necklace and a… Read More Quick Review: Glossier Eye Stars Kit

November 22, 2022November 24, 2022 auxiliarybeauty6 Comments

My Five-Minute Teaching Face, Fall 2022

I’m now two months into the fall semester, which has been an especially busy one. My mantra for this year is “the perfect is the enemy of the good,” and that extends to makeup. (Ironically, it doesn’t extend to this post, which I’ve been tweaking for over a month now.) I’ve had to perfect a… Read More My Five-Minute Teaching Face, Fall 2022

November 13, 2022April 10, 2023 auxiliarybeauty9 Comments

Auxiliary Beauty

Dress, Paint, Patches, Setting of Eye-brows, and licking the Lipps with Red.