Fashioning My Cyber Microcosm: Of Life And Buys

I was debating whether this would've been better suited for I Heart Good Buys, but this is mostly just a review of how these products are working thus far... and some randomness.

I know that these past posts haven't exactly fit the bill of goth, in fact they're very regular sort of posts-- this one isn't much different, hehe. I'm not that gothicly creative when it comes to my face, and I know that there are many out there like me who have a difficult time trying to wriggle our way into that aspect of our image, and it's just so damn hard trying to figure out where to begin adorning with make up and such, despite the myriad of make up blogs in the blogosphere. 

Personally, I love reading/watching reviews-- I know I probably don't come off as financially conscientious, but I would rather spend good money on a product I felt had a large chance of success, then to keep wasting money on micro purchases that in the end don't work at all; as my husband puts it, you spend $1 a hundred times that's $100. 

Enough jibber jabber!

There are some products that didn't make it into my previous post of buys because they require a little more time to consider a proper result. These are my new skincare products:

On the left we have the Fresh Farmacy cleanser bar courtesy of LUSH Cosmetics. On the right Hydrating Light Moisturizer brought to you by Simple Skincare.

To recap, 'good' and 'moisturizer' is a mythical combination that for a while now has become the perfect enemy and never fails to foil my skin happiness time and time again. Even in my first face routine post, I was not very happy with that moisturizer. Knock on wood, but I think I might've found it.

Maybe it's luck, a fluke... whatever, but in the full week I've been using this (bought this before the beauty haul) I didn't have any complaints. No news is good news, right? It doesn't leave my face glazed looking or feeling, and is able to properly moisturize despite me using tea tree oil.

One thing that personally doesn't affect me, but may with someone else is that it contains mineral oil. I hear that this has the possibility of making breakouts worse or cause reddening, in some people.

But other than that it's uncomplicated; no perfumes, no colorization... zip! It's just what it is-- simple.

Now, I had been previously raving about Lush's Angels on Bareskin cleanser. It smells great, it works well... I've been using it for about a year. The smell alone was what prompted me to try it and eventually keep buying it. Unfortunately, that love has finally become too little to ignore the increasingly annoying part about this cleanser: the application and wash off. It's super crumbly, and at first I didn't mind it... until I've been picking pieces of it from my hair, and many times finding the pieces in my mouth; probably snuck in from the corners... I resorted to just cleansing while I shower, so I can just wash it all off in one go. But this wasn't entirely viable since there are mornings where I cleanse to start off my day, but don't need a shower because I had one the night before. On a note, I had previously tested/used fresh farmacy, and it works just as well as A.B.S. ... except that it doesn't have a pleasant aroma.

I figured that since it was a bar and not a roll of mush you buy, it'll be much more user friendly. I just didn't like the smell-- it's not that it's gross, but it just doesn't smell at all like something you'd put on your face; the active ingredient is calamine, afterall. As you can see, the consistency is a lot more conducive to cleansing.

My gripe about this, other than the smell, is that LUSH does not make containers for their cut bars. If enough water hits the bar, you'll probably be losing precious pricey product, not to mention dust and bacteria getting on the exposed bar. I used a food container to alleviate this; one that is deep enough to fit the bar, while being small enough to put on my bathroom shelves and in my toiletry bags.

This next review is fun... and stupefying. I really wanted to see how my 99 cent Wet And Wild lipstick measured up to my $30 Lise Watier lipstick. Both bright red. I put my husband up to the Lipstick challenge, and asked him which of these swatches is which!

Normal application

Thumb smudged.

After a 2 hour power nap... that mostly ended up on my face...

Can you tell the difference?

And now... some obligatory kitty photos of my husband's beautiful fur demon. (bribed with demon treats... my arms and ankles)