Friday, October 23, 2015

Project Pan: The Round Up


I know it's long overdue, but I promise you that I didn't forget.  For months now I've been holding out on giving the final status of my Project Pan "project" because I really wanted to make more of a measurable impact on the products, but at the rate I'm progressing I don't think that's gonna happen anytime soon.  So, without further ado, I'm just going to "give up the tapes" and share with y'all a quick rundown of the end results.


The GOOD: MAC's Cranberry Eyeshadow -  Well, I've honestly been making a go at this one because I really like the shade.  Now, I can't say that I've been using it often because I haven't, especially on the eyes.  However, I have occasionally worn it on my lips with a gloss or as a complement to a lipstick and feel that it's an absolute stunner in its re-purposed role, which leaves me with high hopes for Cranberry.  The winter months are right around the corner and, like clockwork, everything of the "berry persuasion" will be on full display, so I have no doubt that I will have ample opportunity to make a real dent in this frosty looker.


The "OK": False Lashes - It's not that I don't like them.  To the contrary, I think they're rather fun.  I think because my homegrown lashes are pretty thick and curly on their own is why I find them kinda uncomfortable to wear.  And so I don't.  And even though plenty of women wear them as everyday fare, I would prefer to rock them for special outings... but haven't attended anything that would warrant such eye dressings in quite awhile, so there's that, too.  So, outside the one time I did a look with the Wispies, I have not made much progress with these at all. 



The "I Give Up": MAC's Dollymix - I can't even fake the funk with this one anymore, guys.  I tried and TRIED to like this blush and even made an effort to incorporate it into more looks, but to no avail.  I just don't like it.  Nope.  You know how certain items have the power to put a smile on your face just by looking at them?  Or how the simple fact that you even own a particular product or thing can ignite in you a sense of pleasure?  Well, Dollymix does neither for me.  It doesn't get me excited AT ALL.  I try my best to avoid it, ignore it.  Therefore, I think I'm officially done.  Yep.  I haven't been makeup shopping in a few moons, but when I finally make my way to a MAC counter I think I'll be trading this blusher in via their Back-to-MAC program (if they still have it!) for something more exciting.  A new lippy perhaps?  Sounds good to me!

So there you have it - the final lowdown on my Project Pan showdown!  And while I didn't make all the progress I had initially intended on making, I can't say that I'm completely disappointed.  I freely give myself a modicum of credit for at least making the effort to use some of the things I had long ignored.  Besides, playing in makeup is hardly an arduous, joyless task, so I can't exactly say that I'm any worse for wear because of it.  But the files on this Project Pan are now closed, making room for a possible second round of untouched products to be explored further?  Hmm... we'll see.  We shall definitely see...

Friday, October 9, 2015

Weekend Report: Feelin' Blue


Hey, guys.  Well, no sense in me mincing words and such - yesterday was a pretty horrible day for me.  Everything that could have gone wrong, did... and with a vengeance.  Broke one of my fave eyeshadow palettes?  Yep!  Hurt my finger trying to clean up the mess?  Yes, ma'am!  Liquid eyeliner stalled out on me midway through lining my second eye and couldn't find a replacement in time?  Check!  Nearly jacked up a project I had been working on and had to start from scratch?  Checkity-check!  Needless to say, I'll be starting my weekend early.  So I'm going to fight fire with fire and cure my blues by swabbing my lids with an ash-blue I talked about not too long ago.  Yesterday is already a memory.  It's time to start this weekend off anew!


This weekend warrior-princess is going to keep her war paint pretty simple.  I will be complementing a heaping of MAC's Love Lace with some wines and berries... and topping it off with a soft cat eye.  It'll be small, though.  More of a kitten eye, if you will.  When it's all said and done, my peepers will be looking like this:  






On my cheeks will be a pairing of a dirty bordeaux cream blush from L'Oreal HIP called Tempting and the pastel pink side from Stila's trio Lyric.  The latter is actually an eyeshadow, but I'll be using it to bring some tinted light to my cheekbones.  I plan on neutralizing my lips with Revlon's Soft Nude, topping them off with a lacquering of MAC's C-Thru Lipglass.  Once I'm done primping, I should end up looking like this:




So there you have it!  I am so happy it's Friday (and so thankful for Saturday and Sunday!) that I really don't know what to do with myself.  Well, that's not entirely true.  I know exactly what I'm going to do with myself.  I'm going to relax... do ME... and press the reset button before the start of the next week. 

Yep, yesterday's a memory now and I'm no longer feeling blue... but I AM feelin' the blue that I'm rockin'.  And it's feelin' - and lookin' - real good, if I do say so myself!