Welcome to the first, and saltier, of my two 2016 roundup posts! A few notes before we begin: There are thirteen products on this list simply because I was disappointed by thirteen products last year (not a large number, considering how many I tried). As always, the products are listed in chronological order of purchase,… Read More My 13 Least Favorite Beauty Products of 2016
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
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
NYX expanded its matte lipstick line at the beginning of this year, adding some trendier colors to its extensive but mundane collection of reds, pinks, and nudes. The new shade that immediately caught my eye was Up the Bass, a medium purple with a large dose of gray. Because we were heading into spring at… Read More NYX Matte Lipstick in Up the Bass
A lot of stuff here! Let’s get into it: New Makeup/Polish: Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip Creme in Rei of Light: $30 Studded X mini duo (Kat Von D Studded Kiss + Formula X) in Mercy: $7.50 NYX Velvet Matte Lipstick in Midnight Muse: gift from my mom NYX Jumbo Pencil in Black Bean: ditto… Read More Low-Buy Progress Report #8: August
I just finished The Scar, the second book in China Miéville’s Bas-Lag trilogy, which takes place in and around the diverse, sprawling, corrupt city of New Crobuzon. I love fiction about cities—not just set in them, but about them—and Miéville clearly shares my passion. The Scar centers on the linguist Bellis Coldwine, ex-girlfriend of the… Read More China Miéville Lipstick: NYX Velvet Matte in Midnight Muse
Hello from the UK! I’ve spent the last two days recovering from jet lag, with the help of some delicious scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and herbs (imagine me pronouncing the H): Overview: This roundup is going to be brief, because I bought almost no new makeup in May. After several months on this low-buy,… Read More Low-Buy Progress Report #5: May
I didn’t learn to swim until my first year of college and still can’t traverse more than two lengths of a pool without having to rest. Strictly speaking, I’m the last person who should be laying claim to sea witchery of any kind. But that’s the great thing about makeup: it allows us to put… Read More Sea Witchery with NYX Liquid Suede in Stone Fox
I’m told that it’s May, though you wouldn’t know it from the weather, which has been utterly miserable for over a week and promises to carry on being utterly miserable for another week to come. Every day is the same: between 45 and 60 degrees, completely overcast, raining on and off, humidity around 90%. After… Read More Low-Buy Progress Report #4: April
Auxiliary Beauty 