Ellis Faas Spring 2012 Set: Ramblings & Swatches

I couldn’t let the spring season pass without mentioning this lovely set from Ellis Faas.  To be brief, I love it, but you probably already knew that.*  After all, Ellis Faas has never let me down before in terms of product quality before.

The only other set I own from the brand is the Summer ’11 offering, which was not worth the price to me since I didn’t love all three products equally.  This set though, this set is perfect.  There’s a tube of Creamy Eyes (a life-changing formula if I ever met one), one of Lights (gorgeous, indescribable finishes), and the requisite lip product.  The colors remind me strongly of spring, but they can easily be worn year-round.  And they complement each other so perfectly, it’s almost as if they were made for each other.

Well, they were in a way.  That’s why this is a set.

*You didn’t actually think I was going to brief, did you?  When has that ever happened on this blog?  More behind the cut, people!

Keep Calm and Smile on: My Teeth-Whitening Regimen

I’m officially confused.  Is it regimen or regime?  Because I hear regime so much that I’m starting to think it’s regime…except a regime is not the same thing as a regimen, is it?  I always thought it was regimen.  Anyways, I digress…

Senior year Prom is supposedly a big deal.  And I’ve had it in the back of my mind every since this Beverly Hills excursion, where I helped my friend pick out a gorgeous, floor-length Banana Republic dress.  Even though I was completely burned out by the time Prom rolled around, I eventually decided to go.  As I got in my car, trying to come up with a plan to shower/change/do hair & makeup in approximately 20 minutes, I randomly burst into tears and drove all the way home crying.  And then I got home and cried for another hour.  By then, I knew I wouldn’t make it in time.  So I sat on the floor and stared at the carpet, wondering how I was going to write an article on Prom without having been there.  The next day I thought it would be a good idea to drink strong black tea at 1 am to help me sleep (LOGIC).  I may have gotten food poisoning somewhere in there too since I spent the day after that in a nauseous blur, trying not to move too much from my perch on a classroom desk and munching a few carrots.  And today, mail!  Why do important college things always get lost in the mail and cause me major anxiety?  I’m sending everything by certified mail from now on.

I digress again…

Despite these minor setbacks, I’m still trying to smile at least 50% of the time.  Partly because I believe in the theory that when you smile, you make yourself happier.  But mostly because I’m vain, and have discovered the joys of drugstore whitening.  This must be shared, my teeth are so much nicer than they were just a week ago.

If that’s not a ringing endorsement, I don’t know what is.  So as promised, my teeth-whitening regimen!

Back in January,

Senna Mod Muse Part II: Lips

The order you voted on: lips, eyes, face

Actual order of my reviews: eyes, face, lips

Hmmm, I think I spy a discrepancy!  Never mind that though, since today marks the end of my Senna Mod Muse series, and I’ve managed to cover everything.  ’Tis the goal that matters, not the journey, right?  Or is it the other way around?

Of all their products, Senna’s Lip Lacquers seem to get the most love in the beauty blogger world.  They’re known for their long-lasting formulas and wearable shades (see previous review here).  The shade I have from the S/S collection is aptly name Bloom, dark pink in the tube, papaya when swatched, and juicy coral on my lips.  Senna describes it as as ‘hot house coral,’ so I suppose we could just go with that.

Sparkle Like a Mermaid with Hard Candy Glossaholic Lipgloss

Do mermaids sparkle?  Do they sparkle like Hard Candy Glossaholic Lipgloss?  I really have no idea.  In fact, I was going to say ‘sparkle like the Arkenstone,’ but I figured you’d just about had it with the never-ending Tolkien references, and I decided to give you a reprieve.  Aren’t I considerate?

If you’ve ever seen one of those iridescent flaky polishes before, you know how impossible they are to resist.  All that color-shifting, irregularly-shaped shine.  Here’s an example.  And another.  And yet another.  Flakies are quite popular these days.

But you see, for the most part, you can only get your flaky fix with nail polish.  Which is all well and good, but what if I want some of that devastatingly gorgeous iridescence on my lips?  Aha!  You guessed it.  Glossaholic to the rescue.

The first thing you’ll notice

An Internal Conflict Concerning Roses & A Review of Smith’s Rosebud Salve

For years, I hated roses, and I mean really truly detested the scent.  I even started calling rose scents ‘old lady’ and ‘bleurgh,’ both of which are completely unfair and untrue.

Then out of the blue, I managed to fall in like with Crabtree & Evelyn’s Rosewater Hand Therapy, and had to relax my rose-hating philosophy.  Want to know what I said in that review?

Yes, it still smells like roses, but for some reason, it doesn’t smell as cloying as some other rose fragrances do.  It reminds me of individual rose petals, rather than the whole rose, which for me is quite nice.

What does that even mean?!  Clearly, it was my way of saying I have no idea what I’m talking about, so I’m just going to say whatever.  Also, I actually do like rose scents.

The rose obsession slowly bloomed (as floral obsessions are wont to do) in the garden…of my mind.  By the time Smith’s Rosebud Salve came creeping into my life, I was head over heels for anything rose-related, and this is where our story begins.