On The Hunt

About a week ago, Birthday Boy came by and scooped me so we could go looking at motorcycles.  Oh, not me for me, though.  Strictly for him!  You know men and their toys...  Anywho, we went to some bike mecca located off the beaten path and perused their rows upon rows of inventory, all to feed his latest "need for speed" cravings.

The indoor showroom was a huge kaleidoscope of colors, handlebars, fiberglass and chrome as we made our way through the long aisles.  Motorcycles really aren't my thing so I did my best to cover up my aloofness with feigned interest and even managed to throw in a couple of "oohs" and "aahs" for good measure as he navigated the different makes and models.  His heart seemed to be set on something specific, however, so we worked our way outside to see if we could satisfy it.

After some additional legwork, his eyes (and heart) locked onto this cherry bomb and the search was pretty much over.  He had found his new toy and conservatively gushed over it as he surveyed the details and contemplated all the particulars.  This was a mission of reconnaissance so he could make a fully informed purchase at a later date.  And after an exchange of a business card and a hearty handshake, his mission was now complete.  

But he wasn't the only one who was on the hunt that day.  I, too, wanted to gather info on a possible new pad or new digs - if you will.  You know, just in case I want a change soon.  Or need one.  I wasn't sure whether I could take photos or not (and didn't even bother to ask), so the pic above is of an apartment I had initially seen a while ago, but passed on because I felt it was too narrow and spacially challenged.  It pretty much looks the same as the one B-Boy and I visited, minus an upstairs.  And, just like the one in the picture, it ended up being too small and narrow.

As the day came to an end, he and I parted ways, which left me making dinner for one: a homemade Angus cheeseburger topped with various greens, including arugula and spinach, with a handful of salt 'n' pepper potato chips on the side.

And if you follow me on IG (Instagram) then you already know about this mammoth confection of delight.  B-Boy surprised me later with an upside-down pineapple cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory, which is one of my absolute faves!  Ooh-wee, I couldn't believe it!  And can I just tell you guys that, as of today, this bad boy is now history?  Yes, aside from the one slice that I had to make B-Boy eat, I had the entire cheesecake to myself.  Can you say 'gluttony at its finest'?  Can you say 'waistline in peril'?  But it was sooooo worth it!  O.M.G.Y.U.M.!

So, that's a little bit of what's been happening in my part of the woods.  It was a "chopper, chips and cheesecake" type of weekend for me.  And if all goes as planned, this weekend may shape up to be somewhat eventful as well.  But we'll see.  We shall definitely see...

Weekend Report: Thrill Seeker

Sooooo happy that it's the weekend, guys!  But you knew this already, right?  Well, I told you all in my Pearly Plum post that I was going to go for color this weekend and now I want to show you what I've come up with.  I'm kinda excited because I've thrown in something new - an item I've also mentioned prior to, but was vacillating whether to use them or not until now.  And so, without further ado, let me break down the ensemble that I'll be rocking for this last weekend in March.

On my lips will be MAC's Frost Thrills, which is a frosty burnt orange.  This was a limited edition lippy that came out with their To The Beach collection some moons ago.

In addition to Inglot's #446, I'll be recruiting Sunlit Cactus for my lid as well as Coppering for my crease color.  The latter is a true shade of copper from MAC and is one of their staple shadows.  It has a Veluxe Pearl finish (high-pearl shine, but just short of a frost).

Along with NARS' Exhibit A (sorry, no Project Pan Dollymix this time!), a touch of bronzer and other face colorings, I am going to put one more finishing touch to my eyes.  And it's a game changer.  Yes, my darlings, I am going to... (drumroll, please):

PUT ON FALSIES!!!  Yes, I am going to wear a pair of store bought, human hair lashes, you guys!  I know it's not a big deal for some, but if you've read my Lashing Out post then you know that this is all new to me.  And so I am going to go for it; I decided to round out my look with the Demi-Wispies and, all together, I should end up looking something like this:

Now, I have to tell you that when I first started putting on the lashes I was scared.  Don't ask me why.  I mean, I guess I was more nervous than scared - nervous that they wouldn't look right on me at all.  And so I started with my left eye, put the glue on the lash, blew on it then put more glue because I didn't think I put enough on the first time... then I put it on my eye and the outer edges started to lift up because I hadn't put enough glue on the inner/outer corners, so I had to peel it off and start again!

This was the result of my second try.  Still not perfect, with the middle not being totally tethered to my lash line, but better than the first attempt.  Not wanting discouragement to set in and have me looking like the character from A Clockwork Orange, I pushed on.

My nerves had settled down a bit by the time I got to my second eye, allowing me to apply the lash with a little more precision.  My natural eyelashes are curled like a capital "C" and were desperately fighting the falsies from lying flush, but I think I did an OK job getting them on.  Oh, I nearly blinded myself trying to put mascara on all the lashes (real and fake).  Umm, yeah.  But I pushed through that, too, emphasizing the application on the outer corners to help with blending and "elongating" the eye.

So, there you have it!  My first go 'round with false eyelashes and I must say that after the initial mishap I really like seeing myself in them!  At first it felt like I was wearing two large canopies on my eyelids and I guess - technically - I was, but then I got used to them.  And I can totally see what all the hubbub is about.  It took me awhile to get on the "lash train", but I'm just glad I finally bought a ticket to board.  They're a fun and easy way to up the ante to any look... and cheap, too! 

And just like that, my Project Pan is steadily moving along...

High Brow

Don't look now, but highly sculpted, perfectly arched and coiffed eyebrows are currently all the rage.  In fact, I would go so far as to say that the dramatically defined brow has become an absolute obsession.  I, myself, prefer the more natural look when it comes to my brows, which is not to say that I want them to look unkempt or unruly.  I like to tame my hairy caterpillars via waxing then color in sparse areas with a simple ash brown shadow or brow pencil and call it a day.  But this little sample had me intrigued.  I'm not opposed to stepping up my grooming game a notch so I decided to give Browmousse from Tweezerman a try.

Browmousse is a lightweight, clear gel formulated to help shape and style brows while disciplining errant hairs and keeping them in place.  It comes equipped with a mascara-like, bristled wand and has no discernible smell.  It is also hypo-allergenic and boasts a flake-free finish.

(Raw, unadulterated eyebrow)

(Brow after applying Browmousse)

(Brow after applying Browmousse)

Browmousse applied cleanly, gliding over the hairs of my product-free brows without even a hint of stickiness.  It dried quickly and definitely kept every hair laid without the residual crunch or hardness traditional gels are known for.  Working alone, it gave my brows a more uniformed appearance and even added a slight shine to them.  And so I know pairing it with a little color from my pencil is only going to help me fashion full and shapely brows with hardly any fuss at all, which is exactly how I like it.

So, do I really need to say it?  I really liked this brow gel!  It does precisely what it says it's going to do and for someone who's not into spending hours crafting a perfect brow, I think it's kinda neat.  Is it an absolute must-have?  Well, prolly not.  I mean, I suppose once I run out of this sample I could recreate it with a simple hair gel or clear mascara, but I'm glad I got the chance to try this one out.  It gave me a chance to experiment and elevate my brow game to a higher level.  Perfectly manicured brows all within a stroke of a brush?  Yes, please and thank you!

Tweezerman Browmousse is available at beauty.com and retails for $12 (full-size).  

Pearly Plum - 446

Happy Monday, everybody!  Did you have a good weekend?  Hope so.  Mine was OK... nothing spectacular to speak of.  I went the neutral route as far as my face was concerned, but I'm ready to do a one-eighty this week and play with some color.  And after perusing my stash, I think I know just the shadow to recruit for the task.  It's one that I have yet to actually use, which is a shame because it's a ravishing number that just begs to be worn.  It's pretty.  It's purple.  It's from Inglot.  And it's shade #446.

#446 is a lush, moody shade of plum and it's from Inglot's Freedom System lineup of single eyeshadows.  It is potently pigmented, yielding rich ribbons of opaque color that blend effortlessly on the eye.  The shadow's texture is soft, but firm, and it has a pearl finish.

I've been thinking about pairing this with a nice green OR I could go the conventional, no-brainer route and just pair it with pink.  Hmm... But what I might do is smoke it out, nice and dark, and finally make use of one of my pairs of false lashes!  Hmm... Yes, that may be the way to go if I'm up for it and don't cop to the role of Lazy Lima Bean and do nothin'.

Nah, I think I'm going to for it, y'all.  I really think I should.  And when/if I do, I'll be sure to report back with pics and ample evidence of the outcome!

Inglot #446 is available at Inglot boutiques and select Macy's, and retails for $7.

Wink For Pink

Well, it's finally happened, y'all.  Spring is officially here... Woo-hoo!  And to celebrate this glorious season of blossoms and blooms, I've got an Easter-worthy shade of lipstick to show 'n' tell you all about.  Yes, it's pink.  And, yes, it's from Revlon.  But my experience with this one is a significant departure from the ones I've had prior to.  So, if you care to indulge me for a minute or two, I'd like to share with you my thoughts on a lippy called Wink For Pink.

Wink For Pink is a dusky, pastel yellow-pink and it's from Revlon's line of Super Lustrous lipsticks.  True to its "Créme" designation, this moisture-laden lippy boasts a super creamy texture, which allows for a super smooth application to the lips.  However, its semi-sheer finish didn't really play all that well on my pout; instead of the "your lips but better" effect I got from Lovers Coral, Wink just looked like I wasn't wearing anything at all since the light, pink shade pretty much faded into my already naturally pink lips.  Using Baby lip liner helped, but Wink alone was basically invisible on me.

Yeah, this one left me somewhat deflated, y'all.  It looks nice in the tube and feels good on the lips, but does nothing for me without major enhancing from a lip liner.  And there's nothing wrong with that, but... I'm not really feelin' it.  I mean, I'm over having to "doctor" and make something work, especially when I don't really have to.  If I'm not loving something nowadays, I'd rather take it back (if I can) than suck it up.  And I believe that's what I'll prolly end up doing with this: taking it back.

So, even though I can't give this lippy a wink, a nod or even a "thumbs up" approval, I still wanted to showcase it so you could draw your own conclusions.  And if my detractions weren't too much of a distraction and your curiosity hasn't waned then, by all means, you should check it out for yourself and see how it fares on you.

Revlon Super Lustrous in Wink For Pink is available at Target, Ulta and WalMart, and retails for around $8.99.
   

Lovers Coral

Start spreading the news 'cause I've got another lipstick that I'm simply swooning over!  I love the color, I love the feel of it on my lips, I love the finish and I am loving its name.  When I saw it, it immediately caught my eye and I just had to have it.  It's a lovely lippy from Revlon called Lovers Coral.

Lovers Coral is a soft coral that leans a little more pink than it does orange.  It's a "Shine" from Revlon's Super Lustrous line of lipsticks.  I was a little taken aback when I first tried it on because I was expecting a more robust shellacking on my pout only to be met with a semi-sheer assignment of color instead.  It's buildable, though, and glides on like a moisturizing lip balm, imparting a nice gloss onto the lips.  It's the coral version of "your lips but better"... and I like it!   I did find that Lovers' glossiness petered out as the day wore on, but its color remained strong throughout without budging - a tradeoff that I found did nothing in taking away from its appearance nor its appeal.  

So, if you're a lover of coral and looking to wrangle a nice one for spring - something sedated and not too over the top - you may want to give this one a once-over.  Lovers Coral is a beaut that works handsomely alone, but would also be awesome paired with another lipstick to create a unique mix all your own.  And although it plays up as bright and bold in the tube, it's definitely more coy upon application.  It has a delicate naturalness to it, giving lips a soft flush of color that I found to be ultra flattering.

Revlon Super Lustrous in Lovers Coral is available at Target, WalMart, Ulta and various drugstores, and retails for around $8.99.