I kinda lost my mind today.

I don't know what kind of paycheck I thought I got this week (this was not my bigger paycheck) but I went apeshit at the stores today. I saw a post on Instagram about some new Matte Lipsticks from Nicka K and I wanted to find them, so I went to the beauty supply, but there was no luck there, then I went to Walgreens because I needed another Jordana eyeliner for my lips (because we're breaking all the rules here), and then I went to Walmart because I needed more gloves for work, and somehow I ended up with this:

I just...I don't know...I'm so broke now.

I don't have any excuses, honestly. I fully accept the consequences for my actions, and will live in poverty for the next week without complaint.

Anyway, here's what I got!

• Some tweezers. These actually weren't the tweezers I wanted (I wanted the Nicka K tweezers because you can literally pull your soul out of your body through one of your pores with them), but yeah; tweezers.
• The Jordana Cosmetics Easyliner Eyeliner in Coffee Bean that I actually went into the store for; aren't you proud of me?
• I also ended up getting the Easyliner Eyeliners in Intense Blue, Sterling Blue, and Seagreen
• As well as the Jordana Cosmetics Fabuliner Liquid Eyeliner in Black
• Black Radiance Perfect Tone Matte Lip Color in Afro Chic (I had a $1 off coupon!)
• Ruby Kisses Creamlicious Triple Butter Matte Cream in Sipping Wine
• Black Radiance Urban Identity Shadow Trio in On Point
• L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Eyeshadow Single in Teal Couture
• Ruby Kisses Luxe Colour Eyeshadow Palette and Eyeshadows in Greenwich Village, Caribbean Breeze, Tropicana, and Golden Radiance

I'm done for the week, seriously lol I really, seriously lost my mind today. But, I think I got some really good stuff! Hopefully you'll see it in some looks coming up; especially the eyeliners, because of the seasons! I'll be back later on tonight with my look for work!

x Ashlan

Flexible Dieting Friday 1

Alriiight, here we are! It is Friday, the first Friday of my new Flexible Dieting lifestyle (or whatever you want to call it). If you have gotten this far in this loony blog, then you should know the ramifications of this new, indefinite lifestyle, but since it's only the first Friday, I'll happily list them again for you! With this new "diet":

• Once every two weeks (on Fridays for me), I will allow myself to go to a store and look and make a purchase, if I see something I want.
• I will not buy anything before or after those two allotted days during the week.
• Once every two weeks (the other two weeks in the month) I will allow myself to make an online purchase, if I see something that I want
• I will not order anything before or after those two allotted days during the month; I also will not be buying anything in store on these days.
• Nothing that I purchase, be it in store or online, will cost more than $30, including shipping fees.

I also posted a wishlist on the post that clarified these restrictions, and I must say that it has gotten incredibly long since I made that post; I actually took the time to go to the BH Cosmetics and Makeup Revolution websites, and made a list of everything that I plan to buy, and, being the masochistic person that I am, I'm going to post it here for your judging pleasure, but first! The Flexible Dieting Friday Inaugural Purchase!

 The Bella Black is out of its original packaging because the little booger broke and I had to fix it, because I'm too lazy to take it back to the store for another one. I mean, it's a black eyeshadow; it's not that serious.

This week was my In-Store Purchase week, so I am only allowed to buy something in a store, and whatever I get in total cannot cost more than $30, and that's all I'm allowed to buy for the week, so here's what I got! The Makeup Revolution Flawless Matte palette (or, as I like to call it, the Flawless Transition palette), as well as a few more of the Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadows in Bella Black (-and the Twilight stan in me giggles-), Bella Sand and Bella Champagne, and a few of the Black Radiance Perfect Tone Lip Color lipsticks in Brandywine, Copper Glow, and Sundrenched Bronze (which are swatched and documented in my swatch gallery!). I'm quite pleased with this week's purchase, because the Flawless Matte palette is so practical, and useful. Like, I hate mattes, honestly. I think they're boring, and take entirely too much blending to spread out to the color payoff I want (be it high end or drugstore/beauty supply, don't get it twisted), but they're so necessary. I could never do an entire satin/shimmer/metallic eye look, because I just don't like the way that looks. I like to save that brilliancy for the lids and lower lash line areas, so a good matte, while doesn't do much for me on its on, is extremely necessary and appreciated to complete an eye look, and the Flawless Matte palette has it all. 

 

Not only does it have it all, but all of the mattes are soft, and creamy, and not nearly as patchy as you would expect a matte shadow to be. I knew I would have to get this for its practicality, and I'm glad that I did. Plus, I'm addicted to the Bella Eyes singles, and I want them all (and I will get them all, mark my words), and Black Radiance's lipsticks are amazing for two dollars. Their colors are exquisite, and because it's a POC (specifically Black women) friendly company, all of the colors are complimentary to our skintones, so what's not to love? Swatches of those lippies are also in the swatch gallery!

And now for the uber long wishlist, which has been updated, and will indicate what I plan to buy next week, on Online Purchase Friday.

In Store Purchase Wishlist:

• NYX Liquid Suede Lip Color in Vintage, maybe Sandstorm (I'm still not sure)
• NYX Lingerie Liquid Lip Color in Teddy
• All of the Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadows

Online Purchase Wishlist:

• BH Cosmetics
• Pride + Prejudice + Zombies Eye + Cheek Palette (I think the concept of the movie is stupid but...this palette)
• Take Me To Brazil Eyeshadow Palette
• Pop Art Color Extreme Palette
• Nude Lips Palette
• Ultimate Lips Palette
• Wild & Radiant Palette
• Wild & Free Palette
• Wild at Heart Palette
• ColourPop
• Ellarie Lippie Stix and Pencil
• Dalia Lippie Stix and Pencil
• Taurus Pencil
• Silk Lippie Stix
• Lyin' King Ultra Satin Lip
• Super Shock Eyeshadow in Nillionaire, Bae, Envy, Drift, Rex, La La, Shameless, Too Shy, Sequin,Lovely,Smash, Hammered, and Truth
• Eyeliner in Dirty Talk, Piggy Bank, Swerve, Show Me, Best O, No Shame, Fast Lane, Bee Sting, Puppy, and Exit
• Makeup Revolution (aw yeah)
• Iconic Pro 1 & 2 Palettes
• Flawless 2 Palette
• Welcome to the Pleasuredome Palette
• Stripped & Bare Palette
• Big Love Palette
• Unicorns Are Real Palette
• The I Heart Chocolate Palettes in I Heart Chocolate, Death By Chocolate and Salted Caramel
• Mermaids Vs. Unicorns Palette
• Eat Sleep Makeup Repeat Paletee
• Essential Mattes 2 Palette
• What You Waiting For? Palette
• Dia De Los Muertos Palette
• Eyes Like Angels Palette Palette
• Iconic Elements Palette
• Hard Day Palette
• Hot Smoked Palette
• Girl Panic Palette
• Iconic Dreams Palette
• Essential Shimmers Palette

Yeah, yeah, it's a lot of damn eyeshadow, and a lot of damn palettes, but I told you from day one that I was a palette addict! I want all of the MUR palettes (and this isn't even all of them available), and on top of that I'm giving away at least 50% of the eyeshadow palettes I own (that aren't MUR or high end), so cut me some slack! I could be doing drugs or something; leave me be!

Alright, that's all I got for you today! I think I might do an eyeshadow collection post tomorrow, if I'm not too worn out from work (two jobs tomorrow). Actually, I might save the collection post for Monday, and just give you looks this weekend since I'm doing them anyway. Alright, I'm tired of typing! Bye!
 

x Ashlan

Let's talk about expensive makeup.

Since joining the world of the beauty obsessed, I have come to acknowledge a certain necessity for higher end cosmetic products. There are some products you just cannot skimp out on, no matter what, and there's just certain cosmetic lines that you cannot go to for everything (which makes you wonder why they bothered coming out with certain products in the first place, but hey; money talks). Especially when your skin is a little persnickety about some things, like oily eyelids, sensitivity, etc; you're just going to have to shell out some extra coin to get the comfort and result that you want. 

So, as frugal as I am, I choose to bite the bullet sometimes; Benefit ain't cheap, and Anastasia ain't for the lighthearted, either. Because of  the makeup artists that you see on YouTube and Instagram and whatnot, and see the products that they use (Natasha Denona, Tom Ford, Dior, etc), they will have you thinking that the only way that your makeup will be beautiful is if you spend at least $25 on everything that you put on your face. That's how I felt at least, so I didn't think that I would look good until I had some expensive foundation and, especially, some high end eyeshadow; nobody is going to take you seriously with L.A. Colors on your face, right? I bought all of the cult classics, if you recall from my Super Mega Ultra Haul (I think that's what I called it). 75 Urban Decay Naked Palettes, some LORAC, some Tarte, and I wasn't done. Anything that I had seen a YouTuber use, I was going to buy; I even considered shelling out $200 for a Natasha Denona palette (the colors of which are exorbitant, but $200?). I had my arsenal of Ulta and Sephora-bought eyeshadows, and I would look at my vanity and think, there; I've arrived.

Then they started to collect dust, and I would look up at them as I was reaching for my La Palettes or my Wet 'N Wilds, and realize that I never touched them. They'd been sitting up there since I bought them, and I tried to use one of them for my makeup for work this past Sunday, and realized that there was none of them that really matched what I needed on my face; for $50+, I'm gonna need you to be in my hand a little more often. It was then that I had to take a step back and really look at things, and face the facts. I never used my Urban Decay palettes, or the first Tartelette, and I have done and posted several looks on Instagram and this blog; what's the point in me having them, and having had spend $200 on them, if I never felt a need for them? To be in with the rest of the crowd? That's not my style (mostly involuntary). I have soooo many drugstore and lower priced palettes, being an eyeshadow addict in particular, and not one of them is poorly pigmented or cheap looking on my face; I reach for all of them over and over again - why did I spend all of that money? So, I took them back (not the LORACs; I adore the LORACs), and traded them in for something a lot more affordable, and a lot more appealing to me.

From general left to right:

• Makeup Revolution Sugar & Spice Ultra Blush Palette, $10
• Makeup Revolution Affirmation Ultra Eyeshadow Palette, $15
• Makeup Revolution Girls on Film Salvation Eyeshadow Palette, $10
• Makeup Revolution Run Boy Run Salvation Eyeshadow Palette, $10
• Makeup Revolution Unicorns Unite Salvation Eyeshadow Palette, $10
• Ulta Beauty Gilded Gold Eyeshadow Palette, $20

You can see I've quickly developed a love for Makeup Revolution products, right? To be honest, the only reason why I got the Ulta palette was because I was trying to get the free gift with purchase but some coupon applied and I was too lazy to take it back. It's still a nice palette, though. But the point! The point. The point is that I got all of these with the credit from the four palettes that I returned, and still had over $100 refunded to me, and I'm glad I did it. I needed to get off the bandwagon and acknowledge that I'm fine with more affordable makeup, and I needed to get out of the mindset that affordable makeup is cheap looking or subpar in comparison to all of the expensive crap that YouTubers use. The point of BeautySupplyBeauty is to show affordable beauty, anyway, and it's time to get back to that.

Alright, enough yapping. Swatches will be added to the Swatch Gallery, pictures will be added to the Palette Key, and I will be all up and through these during my No Makeup March Challenge, so stay tuned!

x Ashlan

Mini Haul Time!

I was early to class today, and still a little salty about not being able to get anything at Walmart, so I made a pit stop to CVS in search of the L'Oreal Paris La Palette. And I got it!

L'Oreal Paris La Palette 1, $20

This palette is expensive for a drugstore brand (L'Oreal in general is), and it's especially expensive in convenience stores like Walgreens and CVS, but, nevertheless, I got it, along with a couple of other things:

 E.L.F. Studio Blush Palette in Dark, $6

E.L.F. Studio Daily Brush Cleaner, $3

I needed a spray for my brushes to at least attempt to keep them sanitary in between washing days, and I saw about the blush palette from Sande at TheSocialiteLife; I've been binging on her videos for the past week. I'm excited to try these products, mainly because I expect this palette to be worth the coinage that I paid for it. If it is (or it isn't), I'll be sure to let you know.

x Ashlan

Super Duper Mega Epic (Brick and Mortar) Haul

So...I lost my damn mind today.

I got my hands on a little extra money (thank you, college), and proceeded to go down my entire wish list of makeup goodies and bought everything in sight.

 Excuse my messy bed; I only have my room and a folding table to work with here

Alright, let's get into all the shit I bought!

From (general) left to right:

• ColourPop Super Shock Eyeshadows in Coconut, Game Face, Get Lucky, KathleenLights, Mooning, Empire, Etiquette, Hustle, Lace and Fringe
• This is the only thing that wasn't from an actual store, because they just so happened to arrive on the same day that I lost my damn mind

• Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow in Bella Espresso and Bella Rouge
• Maybelline Color Sensational The Buffs Lipstick in Maple Kiss
• Hard Candy Stroke Of Gorgeous Eye Marker in Little Black Dress
• L'Oreal Paris Voluminous False Fiber Lashes Mascara
• Ruby Kisses Auto Lip Liner in Espresso
• Ruby Kisses Big Lash Mascara
• Absolute New York Eye Expert Nano Liner
• LA Girl Beauty Brick Eyeshadow Palette in Smoky
• LA Girl Matte Pigment Gloss in Secret
• Tarte Tartelette Amazonian Clay Eyeshadow Palette
• Urban Decay Naked Smoky Eyeshadow Palette
• Urban Decay Naked 3 Eyeshadow Palette
• Urban Decay Naked Eyeshadow Palette
• LORAC Unzipped Eyeshadow Palette

If there was anyone that thought my addiction to eyeshadow palettes was fake, you should know that I had to buy a second set of drawers specifically for them, because I ran out of room:

 Anyway, I'm super uber excited to try all of this stuff out and show you what I end up doing! Also, this is only the first half of the haul (hence the Brick and Mortar specification); there's an entire other half of this haul to come, strictly from online purchases. I've bought so much crap that I could probably do daily posts on swatches for two weeks.

Again, thank you, college.

x Ashlan