april 2018 ipsy bag!

hey guys! my april IPSY BAG* (theme: social butterfly) arrived this week and i decided to go ahead and get this post up because i'm only keeping one item.... ~Lindsay

1. meech and mia shadow in copper -- this is a really pretty loose shadow. i'll need some more time to actually test it on the eyes, but swatching it is really nice. i think i'd consider this more of a golden orange than a rusty red-orange kind of color though
• repurchase: nah
2. delectable by cake beauty triple moisture body lotion in coconut & cream -- i'm not a fan of the scent or feel of this lotion. the scent is sort of your typical beachy coconutty type of scent, but not..? i guess that's where the cream comes in? either way, using a bit of this on my hand, i didn't like how watery it felt, and it took a bit to fully sink in. my hand does feel relatively softer but not enough for me to keep this and spread this all over.
• repurchase: no
3. trust fund beauty that liquid glo tho liquid highlighter -- this is not a liquid product. as you can see how much i had to squeeze the tube, this is more of a cream consistency. i meant to re-swatch it for the photo, but this is more of a micro shimmer than like a lit from within glow. i think this product is more of a personal taste kind of thing, as this is really pretty from a distance, but i just don't want to deal with it being a liquid/cream product and the shimmer particles.
• repurchase: no
4. h2o+ beauty oasis hydrating treatment -- this is a blue gel facial moisturizer, and it has a slight scent to it. i can't really place it, but it has a water-like "fresh" scent to it. while the scent isn't terribly strong, i am not a fan enough of to slather over my face. i'm also not up for trying new things on my face until it stops freaking out.
• repurchase: no
5. nyx cosmetics soft matte lip cream in istanbul -- i'm going to pass this one along. i had a few of these way back and never really used them regularly. i can't remember really how i felt about them, but i want to say they had a vanilla type scent, and only lasted on the lips maybe a few hours or so.
• repurchase: nah
6. butterfly ipsy bag -- i really like this bag design. it's a printed pleather with rose gold accents, and the back is like a darkened lavender type color.

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re: walmart beauty boxes, instyle & spring trendsetter 2018 boxes

hola! it's a rainy stormy day and i figured i should probably try catching up on at least one of the posts i promised i'd make this week..and haven't. 😅 ~Lindsay

as i previously mentioned, i've personally have had issue with this subscription as of late (like over a year or so now...), but unlike ipsy, i do think that this subscription is still worth keeping and has great potential.
let's start off with that second part... walmart beauty boxes are $5 and shipped once a quarter. occasionally there are "one off", limited edition boxes usually also $5. the contents of these boxes are not just makeup, usually they're a mix of cosmetics, skincare, and hygiene products. and you can definitely spend more than $5 on these items in their respective sections at your local store. these boxes come 4x per year (more often if you also get the limited boxes) which is great for me since i'm so freakin slow at getting around to using things these days. as far as value and variety of products, i think this is still a good subscription to have, considering they typically send stuff that i genuinely will need or want anyway and it's a great way to try new things.
and back to the first note i mentioned..the complaintsssss.

1. the web dev team -- i'm beating a dead horse here, but i'd like to remind you guys that there was an endless email loop that yours truly was stuck in for about 2 hours last year. 😒
2. the first of the following images.. not sure if this is a knock against the web devs or the marketing people....depends on how things are done over there...... but is it that difficult to ensure correct dates are used in emails before running the email job? because i don't think so. either way, this is pretty embarrassing in my opinion to send out an email in march asking you to perform some action a whole month earlier.
3. the second of the following images... i'm not sure who'd be at fault for this one, but what happened to the january box for both 2017 and 2018??? as i rummage through my old posts, the one i linked above also has this complaint. these guys are "promising" boxes starting in january, march, june, and september (an image stating such is included in my linked post). my order history determined that was a lie. (to make things less confusing, the InStyle box is the 2/28/18 order.) honestly, i would be more ok with a "sorry, due to unforeseen circumstances we couldn't send out xxx box." than not hearing a word. on that note, subscribers are only billed when the box ships. this is not a huge deal to me that i'm not being charged for a product that isn't delivered upon. that should be how any business should be run. but i don't like being told or promised something, and it not being delivered within my expectations (ie. a product or an apology)--especially if you are the one making the promise.

i do want to let you know that i also voiced the above issues to a customer service person regarding my experience with these boxes. from the response i received, it sounds like i was somehow among the small few affected by items 1 & 2 above, and the issue was resolved for other subscribers. he apologized for this inconvenience, but didn't give any indication as to why i was not sent a followup email with the corrected date. the third item above, i feel like i received a less than satisfactory answer. the response given was more or less, 'we bill in waves, and you may not get your box at the same time as other people that you may see on social media.' this, to me, is an insufficient response to my issue. last time i checked, 3 does not equal 4. that's all i'm saying. at the end of the response, he thanked me for the feedback on how they can improve.

stahp complainin' and get to what you got!!

Walmart x InStyle box -- i didn't mention above, but if i recall correctly, the email advertising this included a product listing for me to better decide if i wanted to buy this.

1. secret clinical strength deodorant -- this is a mini, but i used to go through this deodorant for years!
2. pantene sheer volume foam conditioner -- this stuff is so freakin weird. i didn't feel like it did anything. i'm not even sure who thought this was even a good idea. you use it in the shower after shampooing, right? but you have to shake this metal can and not drop it with your wet hands, before you can dispense the foam onto your hands/hair. then once you work it into the hair it like vanishes. and then you're supposed to let it sit and rinse it out?? this product really baffles me, and even more so that this is 'award-worthy'.
3. found coconut sheet mask -- i haven't opened this yet. i'll have to update in an empties when i use it.
4. olay whip facial moisturizer -- i've only used this once or twice since i got it and i'm not sure how i feel about it yet. i do like the texture of the product, but as far as effectiveness, i'm undecided.
5. olay cleansing infusions body wash in crushed ginger -- so..this product made it into my empties post before my 'haul' post, lol. i really liked this, the scent is amazing. i want to get a full size to try this again, because i didn't really get much of the exfoliating effect from it because i generally use shower poufs with body washes.
6. crest 3D white whitening therapy toothpaste -- i haven't opened this yet either. i usually reserve travel tubes of toothpaste for..travel. i do think this is pretty new, since i haven't seen these floating around at my mom's yet.

Spring 2018 Trendsetter box

1. aquaphor advanced therapy ointment body spray -- this is now the second of these that i have received from this subscription. that being said, i haven't even opened the first yet.... i will soon, i promise!
2. p2 cosmetics polish in 440 double agent -- this is a really pretty creamy red, but i'm not into it for myself, and i passed this along.
3. soo ae purifying brightening peeling gel -- another face mask that i am adding to the backlog!
4. degree motion sense ultra clear black & white invisible solid -- while i'm not huge on the powder scent i received (or ever really, lol), i am interested in the black and white clothing promise to not leave marks or stains. this is currently in my travel bag since i don't like the scent.
5. aveeno daily moisturizing lotion sheer hydration -- i really like aveeno body lotions, and i am interested in getting around to this sample at some point, since i don't like the heavy sticky feel, and this makes me think it's a thinner or faster absorbing product.

march empties!

hi guys! time for another delayed end of month post! empties!! i thought about making this a 'hit pan' post too, but i think i already included them in the past as hit pans, and they're at the point where i think their time is up. ~Lindsay

what happened to you jigglypuff?!😆

1. simple cleansing wipes
2. tree hut sugar scrub in coconut lime
3. clinique clarifying lotion 3
4. clinique ddm gel
5. fenty foundation in 140
6. maybelline baby skin primer
7. almay clear complexion concealer in light
8. rimmel london stay matte in translucent
9. tarte amazonian clay blush in paaarty
10. makeup geek eyeshadow in havoc
11. skindinavia oil control setting spray
12. pixi endless silky eye pen in black
13. glam glow supermud
14. peace out acne dots
15. marc anthony hydrating coconut oil & shea butter treatment -- while this smells amazing, i'm not sure it did much for my hair. yeah it nourished it or whatever, but my hair didn't feel any different when i used this. this product is suuuuper thin, and poured out very easily, but after maybe the first handful of uses, i just was at a point of wanting to use it up to get rid of it.
    repurchase? no
16. its skin cookie & body ice cream in mint -- i'm currently working my way through the strawberry one and will update on that when i finish it, and i've used at least 2 of the "original" scent. i really liked this one. it smelled like mint chocolate, and that's one of my favorite things since before i couldn't have chocolate. mmmm...andes mints!
    repurchase? yes
17. memebox i dew care space kitten mask mini -- i bought this in the mini meow mask trio kit, which was overpriced, which i already talked about that.. and i really liked this upon first use. i think this jar lasted me about 3 uses. after using it the first time, i went online to see what some of the reviews were and while i agreed with some, not so much on others. firstly, your pain tolerance level is definitely a factor. if nose strips are too painful then no, this product is not for you. otherwise it was super gratifying pulling this off my face. i will say that areas where the skin is thinner, like under your eyes, it will burn quite a bit as you pull it off. but you can either avoid applying it there, or just be careful during removal. i don't 100% think that this removed all the peach fuzz and whatever off my face, but i do think that it did feel quite a bit smoother and refreshed after using this.
    repurchase? already got a full size!
18. sky organics kids bath bomb set -- i received this as a gift from a relative that saw this on my wishlist. i wanted to try this set because i liked the "adult" set (also on the same link), and this one had pokemanz toys in it. the scents in this kit are super kid friendly, fun and sweet types of scents, which i typically prefer over perfumey. i do like aromatherapy and earthy scents though.. anyway, this kit was fun, and it was fun pulling out wonky looking pokemon toys out of each one, but i'm not sure if i'd get this set again. i did see that on their site they offer build your own bath bomb boxes, which i'm interested in. --- side note on this note, i kind of wish they'd let you build a box with both the adult and kid bath bombs mixed, instead of one or the other.........
    repurchase? undecided
19. soap & glory fizz a ball bath bomb in original pink -- i actually bought two of these because they were bogo. but at $4 each this was only ok. as mentioned previously, i have a 'garden' tub, so it's rather large. this bomb, while smelling amazing of their original pink scent did not linger for very long. the bath water turned a weird peachy tinge, and there was a toooooon of silver shimmer everywhere. anyway, i think that if i used both at once it would have been better...maybe, but i'm not sure. i'm going to pass the other along because i don't really want to keep it.
    repurchase? no
20. olay cleansing infusions body wash in crushed ginger -- i kind of wish this sample was bigger.. it only lasted me like 3 uses, or i'm just a wasteful person..? anyway this is more of a body polish body wash, if that makes sense. it's got scrubby particles in it. i didn't really use it on bare skin, like i tend to use poufs so i never really got to use the exfoliating aspect of it too well. i do want to get a full size at some point to further try it though. also, this scent is amaaaaazing. if you don't like ginger, then stay away, but it's soooo spicy! i loved it!
    repurchase? yes

double header: macadamia natural oil

1. deep repair masque -- back to me going and using samples of all kinds of things, i unearthed this one to do a product smackdown against the new hair masks that they're selling. i can't recall when i actually obtained this, but it smelled and worked exactly as i had remembered it. it was amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing!
2. nourishing moisture mask -- so, originally i saw this on amazon's prime samples page because this jar was like $4, and therefore it became a $4 credit toward your next macadamia natural oil purchase of select products. so i was like ok, i'll bite. amazon itself is no longer selling the deep repair masque, so that's why i wanted to give this a try. and nooooope. this is nothing. nada. zilch. compared to the "OG". first off the scent is completely different. secondly, it doesn't work or make the hair feel the same what so ever. i may as well have been using an ordinary conditioner. in short, if you're expecting this to be the original, you will be completely and sorely disappointed.

erin condren vertical life planner - my march

hi guys! so, march planner post, eh? my march in general wasn't too bad, until the end there... i'll elaborate further below. ~Lindsay ^.~

monthly calendar spread: this spread was from JoyfulPlanner! super cute floral design!

week 1: all of the birthday stickers. so many different shops on one page here! my birthday was pretty whatever this year. i went to work, didn't really mention it was my actual birthday, then i got a slew of belated 'happy birthdays' becuase my manager sent out a happy birthday email to me. i guess he found out from my linkedin? i'm not sure...

week 2: this spread was from ShepherdSupplyCo and i apparently have been liking florals a lot this year! otherwise, not a whole lot happened during this week..

week 3: another floral?! i loved this st. patrick's kit from PlannerFrenzy! i liked how it was cherry blossom-ish plus all the greens!

week 4: this was another PlannerFrenzy kit, i figured it was fitting as we were supposed to travel this week...
this is where things got pretty frustrating. so, we were supposed to go to DC for a week for a wedding and do touristy things because teh paul has never been. tuesday rolls around and they decided to cancel our flight because of the snow and rescheduled us for thursday. after a few hours of trying to figure out what to do and such, we decided to cancel our trip entirely. as much as i really wanted to attend the wedding we were invited to, 1) i hate cold weather -- like i can barely stand how cold our winters are and i live in southern lousiana for crying out loud.... and 2) airports are a complete hassle. our original flight was a direct, and we ended up getting rescheduled for 2 flights on thursday, putting us at arriving a full 24 hours after we wanted to be there. this gave us less time to do anything we had wanted to do. the decision to cancel also came about based on the hassle my grandparents went through to make it up there, their first flight tuesday morning, and they didn't make it until wednesday night because of cancellations and redirects. and 3) protests. in light of current events, we found out that there would be a protest pretty much in downtown DC where like everything we wanted to do and look at would have been. and dealing with all that wouldn't have been enjoyable...
anywho, we cancelled our trip, i ended up shortening my 6 days of vacation to 1, and paul's was a mere 2 hours. as soon as we were able to sort out our travel cancellations, he went straight back to work on wednesday. on the flip side of things, i was originally really bummed that i'd miss out on the first annual company picnic. our office has been here about 5 years now and they've been trying to think of fun things to do to boost morale. since we were in town, we went and got 2nd place in the dessert contest with paul's cheesecake recipe. w00t. also, i'm not sure why i never got prescription shades sooner, but they've been great!

notes page: stop wishing start doing

blog update - today's frustrations

hi guys! so. an actual random post about random daily activities!
this blog was down pretty much all day today, i was getting pretty irritated that it wasn't working and i couldn't figure out why. it was working perfectly fine yesterday evening when i put up the last three posts. but i did also mess with some settings because blogger was all like, 'heyyyy, https! you should enable it!'
if you didn't already know, i manage this site through blogger on my domain. as a person who has formerly worked in the network security industry, yes, switching to use https is a great thing and this site should have been using it for ages now! what i don't understand is why a google product is incompatible with a google product and caused my site to be down the entire day with a single click. anyway, from what i can tell, it appears that blogger is automatically switching people to https, and for people who have theirs on custom domains, you have to manually enable it. but guess what? it has issues for people with said custom domains. 🙋 sooo, when i finally decided to disable the switch, lo and behold the site was up and running again. isn't that wonderful? 😑
anyway, i wanted to give a quick update regarding that, and to give fair warning that there may be outages in the next several days as i monkey with it. later. ~Lindsay

update: it seems like the issue is with redirects? my site now has https enabled. and i think the redirects are now working as well.

march hauls (mostly planner)

i think this'll be the last ketchup (hehe) post for today. this concludes all of the photos that i already had taken and edited up to this point. look forward to more posts in the coming week!

here's all the stuff i bought last month! a lot of stickers and a lil bit of makeupy skincare stuff. ~Lindsay

all of the bath things from ulta! got this unicorn dreams bath bomb gift set, which i have yet to open and use... but it's sooo adorbz. then soap & glory was bogo half off, so i got 4 bath bombs, 2 original pink and one of smoothie star and sugar crush. i've used one of the original pink ones and will further elaborate in my empties post when i finish making it.. i also saw that tree hut has sheet masks, and these were also bogo half off. so why not? i also restocked on my shiseido facial cottons, and tree hut sugar scrubs (also bogo half off), which there's a limited edition lemon blueberry tart scent that sounded interesting. annnd less than a week after getting the stupid expensive memebox mini meow trio, i went back and bought a full size of space kitten because love.
a lil complaint here... so i've had an email alert set on my shade of the fenty foundation on sephora set for the past 3 months - no joke, and i have yet to get a restock notification. every time i used the inventory thingy as i got close to the end of my last bottle, it would never show as being available in my area. so i went ahead and ordered directly on the fenty website, got free 2day shipping for spending all the monies, and then got my package basically the next day. WHAT.
sigma has a new rewards system or something that involves points and getting dollars off of your purchase. i had been wanting a mr. bunny set for freaking ever, primarily because i wanted to try the sigmax F40, which was otherwise not offered. then these two brushes were on the clearance page, so i went ahead and grabbed them.
colourpop had some offer, maybe free shipping or something, and i wanted to try their flat kabuki brush. so that's that..

funky split photo because i suck at remembering what is in what photo because i took them on different days...

at the sephoras.. i got two lip masks because i was redeeming my sephora play! points card. then the urban decay x kristen leanne bun bun lipstick was only $8 on the weekly wow...had to grab that!

at target, i got more washi and a dr. bronner's peppermint lip balm. it seems like they're branching out into other products aside from the liquid and bar soaps, but for now, i wanted to try the lip balm.

bun bun

planner stuffs.
sailor. moon. all. the. things.

keatown - it was only march, but i went ahead and got a christmas kit, lol!

jlynnpaperco - got two sampler sets, and they're sooo cute. also got a few character sheets and kits.

tcmc -- super lucky! i made it in to get the freebies from the other stores! ordered the anniversary set, along with a few other random sheets and monthly kits.

oh hello co -- i can't recall the rationale for the purchase (birthday coupon?) but i had to get these! it's been quite a while since i'd ordered from them!

march 2018: sephora play!

hi guys! here's what came in my march sephora play! (theme: festival of beauty) ~Lindsay ^.~

flirting game, bohemian purple

bohemian purple

1. sephora collection contour eye pencil in 15 flirting game -- these eye pencils are actually pretty good quality. this isn't the first of these that i've tried, but i definitely like this color a lot because it's pretty reminiscent of certain popular brand's liners that i looove!
   repurchase? probably other shades
2. sephora collection cream lip stain in 35 bohemian purple -- this is so gorgeous and sooo not work appropriate. sadface. i really like this color a ton. but i have no idea when i'd be able to realistically wear this.
   repurchase? other shades
3. dr. jart+ premium beauty balm spf 45 -- i tried this out, over moisturizer, under primer a few weeks ago and it was weird. honestly i really wanted to use this on its own because bb creams are like tinted and stuff, and this has spf. lol no. this was soo light. i couldn't see it on my skin aside from the 'oily' look that spf products usually give. anyway, it's a whatever in my book.
   repurchase? no
4. briogeo blossom & bloom ginsing + biotin volumizing spray -- i didn't try this and i think i'm passing it along. i don't use volumizing products.
   repurchase? no
5. lancome hypnose drama mascara -- i feel like i've had samples of this in the past, but i can't remember if i actually ever got around to using them. i've got two full size mascaras open already, so i haven't opened this one. we'll have to see.
   repurchase? ???
6. marajo hair care nourishing cleansing creme & deep treatment butter -- as previously mentioned, my skin has been freaking out, so i have been trying to be careful with what i've been using when. once my skin clears up, i'll give this a go.
   repurchase? not likely
7. 'coupon' for an extra 50 points on the next in-store purchase

march 2018 ipsy bag!

hi guys! so in my whatchu ben doin post, i mentioned how like i'm considering cancelling this subscription service. well... here's why...

hey guys! my march IPSY BAG* (theme: create) has arrived, and i've got a huge concern here, which i think will speak for itself. ~Lindsay

first off, let's review what i received last month: a brush, primer sheet masks (skincare-ish), eyeshadows, a pencil eyeliner, and a mellow cosmetics lipstick.
let's preview what i got this month: a brush, a balm (skincare-ish), an eyeshadow, a pencil eyeliner, and a mellow cosmetics lipstick.

hopefully you guys are seeing what i'm seeing because this does not make sense to me. i understand that they want us to update our profiles every now and then, and that reviewing each product we receive on their site will help the algorithm better choose what we get each month, but this is kind of ridiculous and sad in my opinion. i was not expecting to get near identical bags for two consecutive months. and while i do like these categories or types of products, that's not the point of having this subscription. i'm not trying anything new or innovative anymore here.

1. royal & langnikel prismatic ombre fan brush -- i haven't actually tried using this brush yet. i really like the brushes from this brand, and have high hopes for this one! the bristles feel pretty sturdy, slightly dense considering this is a fan brush, but definitely more substantial than other cheap fan brushes i've had.
• repurchase: other brushes
2. glossier balm dotcom in coconut -- i don't really get this product. as a 'lotion' it's too oily, like an ointment or something, but it's kind of ok as a lip balm? i need to try it a few more times, but i'm not sure about this one..
• repurchase: no
3. int cosmetics eyeshadow in goddess gold -- this is a really pretty shadow. i haven't really used it much, but it has an interesting texture. it's kind of creamy wet, but still applies pretty smoothly.
• repurchase: probably not
4. tarte sex kitten eyeliner -- i'm not even going to try beyond what i've swatched here. this is not the pigmentation or hardness (it's hard..) that i want to use on my eyes.
• repurchase: no
5. mellow cosmetics creamy matte lipstick in nude -- this is a bit pinker than i'd typically go for. i think for the sake of me not grabbing for this, i'm going to pass this along. the formula is nice and i really like how it feels and sits on the lips. doesn't really last very long through eating, but what lipstick does?
• repurchase: maybe other colors.
6. color-it-yourself ipsy bag -- love this concept! i think i'm going to pass this bag and markers along because i'm probably not going to use this bag and i'm sure it will be better enjoyed by someone else!

goddess gold, sex kitten, nude, coconut balm

nude

*Affiliate Link.

what i got for my birthday!

finally buckling down and workin on some posts for you guys! i'm starting with the easiest, because this post was like 90% complete and i was just being lazy.... 😅

hi guys! so birthday stufffff. these are the fun (tangible) things that i got this year. most of these were on my wishlist because i didn't really know what to ask for this year... anyway enjoy. ~Lindsay

alrighty, let's start with the first things that arrived! J got me so many things this year! i had all of these items on my birthday list, but they're so much cuter in person! the bows have swarovski crystals in them, and the other 4 are 16G labrets. the two opal ones are from the same line as the opal one i already had, i really liked this star, and the pearl one apparently was a freebie because she bought all the things! then from amazon, there was this life around 2 angels bath bomb set. [all of the bath bombs!] these are maybe between a golf ball and a baseball in size? and they smell so strong! i can't wait to use them! and this totoro figurine is super cute and kind of funny. the umbrella post, as you can see, doesn't go through the center of the umbrella, but if you look at the top of the umbrella, the piece sticking out is centered -- ya know, like a real umbrella. hahaha. but whatevs, it's cute. he's pretty small, plastic, and sounds hollow. i originally wanted to get him to leave him outside, but he seems too small and may disfigure and discolor with the weather here...so he can hang with the inside plants instead.

mom's been on this trend of buying me pandora charms lately. and i don't actually mean just pandora brand.... these are cristy cali bracelet charms, which are from the brand that she started my bracelet from. the fortune cookie is so cute!
sidenote - i'm looking at my christmas post, and apparently i failed to mention the cristy cali crescent city necklace she got me.... i wore it quite a few times in random posts since then.. (see loreal hair oil review post) also, crescent city... new orleans... city landmarks on a crescent moon... love it!

T and i keep going back and forth with different skincare lately...mostly me not actually using it... anyway, she got me tony moly and snp goodies! the tako is pretty nice, and the mango hand butter is really yummy!

A got me this kawaii wallet that i found on the amazons. i mean look. at. itttttt.

my in-laws got me quite a few things too. i want to say around black friday, sigma released several gift sets that sold out sooo fast. this one (modern eyes) was still available on nordstrom's website and it has all the brushes that i love! an E55, E40, and E25. i also wanted a collegiate wreath for the front door. i'll probably put it out sometime in april or may, if they're still doing any good, or wait til football season. apparently this season hasn't been too great. annnd lastly, the thing i haven't decided how much i like yet..... a unicorn corkcicle tumbler. i like that it keeps my drinks cold, i'm not sure how i feel about the unicorn-ness. the mug is a white base with a few layers of holo glitter (it's not completely covered in it.....) so in certain lights, it's not super pretty rainbowy. 😕

teh paul is funny. he says i can order this spring wreath...then gives me an etsy gift card on top of that.... all the sticker monehz. but this one is cute, a little smaller than i was expecting, but i still likes it!

whatchu ben doin

hi guys! i'm finally...finally getting back here. i've been feeling pretty lethargic lately here and haven't been feeling like making blog posts, or anything else really. a good part of it has to do with my vacation that we ended up cancelling, and dealing with all that has been both upsetting and tiresome, for more than just me. i will elaborate further in my upcoming march planner post. work itself hasn't been all that busy lately, i have been given a few more administrative things to do recently (around the office, not for my client), but i still come home not feeling like doing much of anything. house-wise, nothing new really. i changed out some of the dying plants in the flowerbeds recently, but it needs re-mulching and edging when i have time and the weather cooperates. we bought some new patio furniture this past weekend. something to note that i never really mentioned before... honeywell skybell (the round one) is a piece of crap and just don't do it!!! 🙅 all of the complaints! but i'll save those for my 1 year in my house post. see amazon reviews before deciding to buy it! we got ours because it was from our security company and it synced with our system, but are toying with the idea of getting something different.

my skin officially hates me. i have no idea what is happening right now. if i recall correctly, it was in february that i was trying to go through my sample shampoo and conditioner stash. this made my skin freak out, so i spaced out using them and my skin cleared up for the most part. i eventually finished all them. yay! unfortunately, in the past two weeks or so, it started going crazy again and has been worse than that last time. i'm still in the process of trying to figure out what's causing it, as my diet hasn't really changed much. i also went back to my usual haircare routine in late february to early march, sans samples, and nothin. i thought it may have been one newer skincare product, but i cut it out for the past week and haven't seen a change. by not seeing a change, i mean that as many spots are appearing as they are disappearing (healing). and this is not just my face either. it's my usual places (back, shoulders, chest, face) and it's like i'm in middle school all over again. it's awful. i have some suspicions that it may be my laundry detergent as this is a new bottle of supposedly the stuff we've been using, but my clothes are retaining scent for a really loooong time after washing -- like wearing them a few days later and still smelling like detergent at the end of the workday, after walking around out in this heat for like 20+ minutes. something seems different about it to the point where paul asked me if i noticed something "off" about it. and him noticing something...is something. so i bought a different detergent today (another that we've used in the past) to try out for a bit. we'll see what happens. as mentioned before i started using green concealers, and they've definitely been helping with the redness. i need to do a favorites post here sometime... that will be on the ever growing laundry list for the blog.

going back to this blog.. there have been many things i've been thinking about with upcoming posts and such that i want to do or write (no, i don't really intend to do anything different than usual), but then thinking about them has been overwhelming and i internally rage quit and end up doing something else. which i guess is one of the reasons why i've been putting off posting recently. this very post, i've been intending to write for maybe 2 weeks now. blog posts have been nagging at the back of my mind for quite some time, and i'm just now finally taking the time to get around writing this one. something i kind of miss about this blog... well not this blog, haha, but back in the good ol xanga days, i would get on there and write about a whole lotta nothin. daily posts about my day. how i did absolutely nothing. how i'm doing in school. oh, here's some random quiz results i've taken on which anime character i am from a given show. 😉 misadventures of ex-boyfriends and shit my roommate(s) pulled. that all being said, i do want to shift to a more casual and candid way of doing things. for as long as i can remember, i typically have written (on here or otherwise) pretty formally or businesslike when situations don't necessarily need be or, conversely, i will be incredibly brief and be like, 'no i don't like that' without really giving any real reason. the latter being more applicable to this blog, haha. i think that if you've seen some of my posts since january, you've probably already noticed this change a little bit. something recently i did like and would like to continue doing is actually trying the samples in my subscription boxes then talk about them. instead of this haul crap where i'm like 'this is what i got, hehe!'. when i first started doing subscription box posts, it was partially because i was among the first to get my box/bag in the mail and it was before this whole sneak peek thing was happening. so i'd end up getting a lot of page hits because people wanted to see what i got. these days, with sneak peeks, no one cares. hell, i don't care. i think that's why i haven't been liking making these posts, until last month when i did my ipsy and sephora bag posts a few weeks after receiving them. i had some time to actually try things out here and there, and found it more enjoyable talking about them.

speaking of subscription box posts, i'm toying with the idea of getting rid of my ipsy subscription. nope, not the walmart one which i was complaining about before (and will have a continuation of at a later time 😉), because i think it still has potential. but, yes, ipsy. first off, i feel like i haven't been using everything they've been sending me. i'm feeling overwhelmed because i'm getting stuff too often (for me) and i end up not liking most things and giving them away. i haven't been taking advantage of their coupon codes for the 300 companies they partner with each month, and their ipsy bundle deal thingies rarely interest me. i think i've gotten 2 sheet mask sets because they were reasonably priced, but now i have an endless supply of sheet masks that i'm not using because my face hates me. 😔 (nah, it was my fault for building up that stash, lol.) i think i will keep up with it a little longer, but i'm not confident at this point that i will keep it past this year. additional reasons why i'm feeling this way will come in my march ipsy bag post, whenever i finish typing it up.

anyway, i'm not really sure how i really want to end this post aside from a quick summary -- i haven't felt like doing the things, i want to be more real, and i plan to get some of my usual monthly posts up this week and next -- if i can. thank you for spending the time to read through all these muddled thoughts i've been having and i hope you'll come back soon for my upcoming posts! ~Lindsay