L’Oreal

I’ve been using this mascara almost daily for the last 3 months and it’s starting to dry out. That’s a first! I got this as a full-sized sample in the mail, and it has changed my mind about non-waterproof mascaras: it doesn’t smudge at all! It’s super easy to layer without horrible clumping and gives definite volume and length. I have to say that I use UDDP with it, as there has been definite smudging when I’ve been lazy. Everything smudges on me without UDDP.

I would totally rebuy if I didn’t already have a myriad of mascaras to try/use up.

An emotional roller coaster.

I’ve met so many people in this past month, made so many connections, and had so much fun.  Approximately 7 months ago I rejoined (my first foray was January 2010) the kink community and I haven’t looked back.  I never should have left in the first place, but I needed time to grow and mature.  I needed to figure out what I want, what I’m looking for, and more importantly how to say no to the things I do not want or have time for.

Right now I’m learning to juggle my relationships and friendships without hurting anyone or myself in the process.  I’ve got a bad habit of ignoring red flags and burning bridges which sucks for everyone.

I’m having great fun meeting amazing people, but hushing the insecure and anxious voices in my head is a full time job.  I can’t help but feel just a little bit heart broken after every amazing encounter.  I can’t help but push people away, because there’s no way we made that connection, the chemistry was all in my head, there must have been some mistake, no one in their right mind could feel the same about me.  Who was real, and who wasn’t?

So right now I am just torn.  Should I become colder in order to feel less pain?  Or am I supposed to just deal with it, because these are human connections that help me learn and grow into a well balanced human being?  Staying in and never meeting anyone new again is NOT an option.

 

Mr. Mouse:  I came back for you.  I love you as a friend and a lover, and when the latter stops I hope the former will always remain.  My only hope is that I can do right by you and not hurt you – and the other way round as well.

Big bad:  Was never attracted to you, but you seduced me when you let me bite you.  I like your flower too, but things always had an air of something off.  When you laughed at me and belittled me outside of play, I lost all respect for you and your abilities.

Trigger happy Jack:  You are dominant, mellow, sexy and fun.  I had you in my sights, initiated contact, and got you. This was a rush in itself, and made me forgive an unforgivable act.  We might not have much in common, but I felt we had chemistry.  Communication faded fast with you, and it’s for the better.

Glasses:  You approached me.  Physically, you are not attractive to me, your hair is wrong and you are so tall, but we seemed to click in our date.  We spoke and had fun.  You were nice and not too weird and only slightly douchey. (I blame the glasses.)  You are intelligent, so of course I fear manipulation and have feelings of insecurity.  We will have chances to hang out more often, and I hope it turns out well.

Dionysus:  I had no idea what to expect from you.  You are also not what I usually find attractive – I am not a fan of facial hair, but I like your slight build.  You came out of nowhere and rocked my world.  Was it because of the spontaneity?  Most likely.  But you still can’t fake chemistry; we weren’t the only ones that saw it.  You are also kind and experienced.  I hope our other encounters meet the bar that we set so high.

Spider:  Because I felt like a bug captured in your web.  My Mouse hooked me up with this one.  Neither of us knew what to expect, and I don’t think we were attracted to each other to begin with.  You did this as a favor.  Turns out, we got along swimmingly and had a lot of fun, but I’m sure you are just that damn charismatic with anyone else.  I’ll be a bug in your web any day!

I love my iPhone

I would love to revive this blog with pithy updates about work, makeup, school, my dog and perhaps some PG mentions of kink. I live a fascinating life, and it’s worth sharing and documenting for future perusal. I stopped journaling about major and minor life events maybe 4 years ago, when life got a little too crazy and experiences came one after another, with no boredom in between. Life is still like that and I am ever changing and evolving. I write for myself because I have a horrible memory, and writing about my experiences helps me remember the good and the bad.

Love,
Kat

More Lush

As I cool off from my shower on this balmy summer night, I would like to wax poetic about two surprisingly awesome Lush products that I bought on a whim (both came in a gift set). 

Lemony flutter cuticle butter: It works. It simply just works. Maybe I’m giving the product a little too much credit since it wasn’t like I had a cuticle routine before, but I seriously needed it. I am an ex-nail-and-fingerskin-biter, who is currently a boredom skin/hangnail picker. My fingers went from nasty to presentable in 2 days. This stuff would do wonders for my feet, I bet, but alas I only have a trial size.
EDIT: This stuff smells weird to me in the pot, but today I kept smelling my fingers (lol yeah…) and wondering what that wonderful aroma was.

Sultana of soap: I wasn’t expecting much from Lush soap. I had the idea that their stuff was super natural (it’s really not) and “real” soap is simply too drying for my already dry skin. This stuff smells great, the little sultana’s in the soap give a little exfoliating action, and the foaming action when I use my scrubby towel) was a surprise, but those aren’t the reasons I love this product. It is so damn creamy and moisturizing. Even moreso than my everyday Dove Winter Care that I stocked up on and use year round. Sure it’s summer, so the air isn’t as dry, but I still apply lotion after showers. I didn’t lotionize tonight out of laziness, and my skin is soooo supple. And I can still smell its subtle scent on my arm.

 

In other news, I bought myself an iPod nano, in green of course. It currently has no songs but the pedometer amuses me to no end :] Can’t wait to run and stuff with it.

Being a huge Lush

Yeah, it’s been quite a while, but I’m bored and procrastinating at work. I’ve been “rewarding” myself a lot lately and have discovered a few new things:

1.) Chloe perfume. It’s just absolutely mesmerizing. I admit my nose is horrible at identifying scents. This is just a very unique, fresh, clean scent with a hint of sweetness. It doesn’t smell very floral to me, but it did to my brother. I kind of smell it now – it’s a very green and subtle floral – not as cloying as most flowery perfumes are to me – there’s nothing old-ladyish about this. I love it and am planning on exhanging my gift set for a full-size 3 oz bottle.

2.) Mask of Magnaminty from Lush. I enjoy anything and everything minty. This mask feels amazing. The first time I used it, I slept in it and saw an obvious change in my nose (so clear!) and pores (smaller!). The second time I used it for 30 minutes. It felt just as amazing, but I didn’t notice any change. Still, I love masks and will be alternating this with my My Beauty Diary paper masks.

3.) Volcano Foot Mask from Lush. This is horribly messy and difficult to use, but it feels SO good. This is a very tingly minty mask that leaves my feet super soft. I slather my feet with the very watery clay, put them in plastic bags, slip on my fuzzy slippers and surf the internet until I’m ready to clean my feet. The mask is slightly abrasive, so instead of just rinsing, I add water slowly and scrub as much as possible. Feels good man.

4.) Wiccy massage bar from Lush. Yeah I kind of love everything I got from Lush. This smells of mint and cloves. It reminds me of a lighter and milder Tiger Balm or Bengay. I ordered it online in summer and they warned me it might melt, so I can’t be too disappointed that it came to me pretty messy. I am currently recovering from shin splints from hell, so this is a lovely thing to apply to my legs right before bed or even before I leave the house. I enjoy the smell, and it’s not oily at all so it just feels like a lotion.

5.) Angels on Bare Skin from Lush. This item’s pretty meh for me. I like it plenty, but it doesn’t really stand out. It’s a very mild scrub with a mild smell that does not lather and leaves my face feeling moisturized. Usage is also pretty messy as it has some chunks in it and you need to mix with water to form a paste before using. I just don’t think this product does much for me; it’s simply a very gentle scrub and cleanser.

 

I always admired Lush from afar… and after a passing comment from a certain person I felt a strong need to satisfy my curiosity about the brand. I would love to one day try the different flavors of masks, although these are UK-only and require refrigeration. Other items I definitely want to check out in-store are the Buffy bar, Dark Angels cleanser (was sold out when I did my online splurge), and the Dirty hair cream. There was a minty shampoo that I wanted to try so badly, but I am not allowed to buy shampoo until I finish my Costco size Bed Head stuff. I might just pawn that off on my brother after I get my hair cut/dye job at the end of the month.

So excited to go short and red!

Lash loot

New toys :]

Daiso “A” lashes; top ones have been worn twice.

Benefit Lash Glue

I have never EVER worn false eyelashes before in my life. In fact, there was a point in my life where I thought they were ridiculously frivolous and just not for me… But being the brave soul and new makeup addict that I am, I decided to equip a pair of cheapy lashes from Daiso to a cotillion on Saturday. The result? Me likey! They did a great job of emphasizing my eyes, which I like to think are one of my best features, wonky assymetrical eyelids and all. (Additionally, the combination of somewhat thick winged eyeliner + falsies also plays down said wonkyness.)

Now, I’ve never used any other glues so I can’t say how Benefit’s compares to other brands. I know Duo is the most popular according to online reviews, but Benefit was all they had at Ulta and seemed to work just fine, if a little watery and hard to work with. My right inner corner did start to peel early in the night, but a dab of glue and a few seconds of holding the lashes in place remedied that nicely. I’m not sure how invisible other glues are, but this glue definitely needs a layer of liquid eyeliner to help mask any “Elmers glue” effect. The lashes lasted through a long sweaty night! I was also pleasantly surprised at how easily they came off with just warm water. The glue and mascara washed off of the lashes easily too, leaving them intact for the next day.

I’ve got to say, falsies are NOT for the low maintenance. It takes patience and a bit of practice to estimate the perfect time to put them on – when the glue is not too tacky or too watery. Getting the inner corners to stick and stay put is tricky. I had to add additional glue the second day, which dripped into my eye and it BURNED. Once the initial panic passed, I refrained from dumping my head under the faucet and simply let the tears rinse off the offending liquid with the help of a Q-tip. Despite a slight smearing of eyeliner, dried glue in places it shouldn’t be, and annoying cotton bud remnants from troubleshooting, the final look turned out just fine. You’ve just got to be very careful because the formula is very watery. If this clutz can do it, anyone can! Ha!

The worst part is the itchyness. I don’t know if this will ever go away completely, but you will definitely feel these foreign objects on your eyes for the first few minutes. If done right, you’ll get used to it. If not, the irritation will continue. From my experience on the second day, one eye got more watery than usual because the edge of the lash was irritating my waterline.

But I can’t wait to practice more! Next chance I get, I’m going to Daiso and buying one of each eyelash they offer. At $1.50 for TWO pairs, which are reusable it’s pretty hard to beat.