Small Changes

In 2025, I changed my glasses frames. The ones I had before were similar, but not quite as large and not quite as cateyed. For the most part, no one said anything about them. I mean, I wasn't craving compliments so that was fine, but still. However, when I got these new ones, suddenly I had a lot of people talking about them. Pretty much everyone I encountered talked about how they liked the new frames. It felt good to know I picked out something that worked so well with my features.

The problem being, well, the glasses are rather large. I didn't want them damaged but it was difficult to find something to keep them safe because of their size. While they fit in a conventional glasses case, it was a snug fit. 

My solution? Well, Ipsy gives out these bags every month and one of them was perfect for holding my glasses. It was sleek and black with a little fake jewel on it. The inner lining was bright pink and very soft. I felt like it was appropriately fancy for my fancy glasses. 

Remember when we were all about sparking joy? This little setup of mine certainly sparks joy in me. Sometimes the little changes make all the difference. 


 

Ipsy Extra Choice February 2026 Spoilers: My Thoughts

I'm not getting the Ipsy Extra box this month, but I thought I'd go over the choices for those who do.

GLO GIRL Love Bomb Eyeshadow Palette
This seems like a pretty decent product. It's supposed to be highly pigmented and long-wearing. The shades are beautiful. They're very warm and range from neutrals to very sultry colors that suit its Valentine's Day theme. If you love romance and enjoy dramatic looks, this might be a great choice for you. I have a lot of palettes right now so this wouldn't be my first choice, but I certainly wouldn't mind if it ended up in my box.

HAUS LABS ColorFuse Glassy Blush Balm Stick in Glassy Hibiscus
This is Lady Gaga's makeup line and people really love it. This is supposed to leave a great glow to the skin, as it is formulated to both hydrate and plump. It's also reported to calm the skin and help deal with redness. Even though it's called a blush, it's usable for lips as well. The shade is rich, rosy mauve that would work on most skin types. It should last up to 8 hours and is buildable. Again, a selection I would be happy receiving.

BRIOGEO HAIR CARESuperfoods Passionfruit + Açaí Hydrating Mask
This would have been a tempting choice for me. I love hair masks and this one is supposed to be especially good for thin, fine hair. This is because it claims to be very lightweight and non-greasy. Now the scent seems to be somewhat polarizing. Described as something like fruity bubble gum, people either love this or hate it. It's something to really keep in mind about a product like this as you'll have it for quite a while and if you hate the scent, that could be a problem.

MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Skin Smooth & Blur Undetectable Under Eye Concealer
I'm on the lookout for a good liquid concealer. I love my stick one, but liquids are better for the V method of foundation. This might be a selection I would give heavy consideration because it's supposed to defuse imperfections while not highlighting pores and creases like many concealers do. It's supposed to last a full 24 hours which would also make me seriously consider it.

ELEMIS Balancing LavenderToner
I love Elemis and I'm need of a good toner. It contains no alcohol or other harsh ingredients. It's supposed to refresh, soften, and purify the skin, all the while calming it. I know very well that Elemis products are quite good at calming the skin and as I've mentioned before, if there is one thing my skin needs, it's to be calm. The only thing that gives me pause here is the lavender scent. Lavender can be very overwhelming to me and the idea of swabbing it on my face every night doesn't exactly appeal.

I'm actually somewhat happy I'm not getting this box next month because I would probably put way too much time into figuring out which of these I would select. There is a lot of really good product here and that is a positive thing. There seems to be something for every need. I mean, even if you don't want anything else, you can always choose the Haus Labs product just for Lady Gaga vibes.

What will you choose?  

 

End of the Month Reviews: Ipsy Winter 2025 Icon

I received this box earlier this month but it is still technically an edit from last year, 2025. At the beginning of the month, it's always easy to get enchanted by all the pretty new things in the pretty boxes. Over time, this changes. As we're coming to the end of the month, I thought I would go back and see how well the products I received from the subscription boxes did. This is my criteria.

1. Did I use this?
2. Was it a good amount?

3. Did I enjoy it?
4. Did it live up to my expectations?
5. Would I repurchase?

Natasha Denona I Need a Nude lipstick 36NP Amorosa

1. Did I use this? Yes, although I find that I'm saving it for special occasions. I shouldn't do that. I should use it as often as I want because I deserve luscious lipsticks and I do own this.
2. Was it a good amount? It is a very standard bullet of lipstick, so yes.

3. Did I enjoy it? Ahhh, so much. I have never had a lipstick that felt better on my lips.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? Yes and my expectations were pretty high too.
5. Would I repurchase? I would. I have never had a lipstick that felt so velvety on my mouth.

8 Faces Brilliance Serum
1. Did I use this? I use this morning and night. It's really helped to soften my skin.
2. Was it a good amount? It has a decent amount of product and given that you only need drops of it at a time, it will last for quite a while.

3. Did I enjoy it? I love this serum. I love the way it feels on my skin. I love the scent of it. I love the beautiful bottle. It very much pleases me. In fact, the bottle is so beautiful I plan to display it when I'm finished with the serum.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? I really had no expectations for this before I started using it but as you can tell, I love it a lot.
5. Would I repurchase? I certainly would.

Rodial Glass Powder
1. Did I use this? I use this a lot. It's become my go to setting powder.
2. Was it a good amount? It's a standard amount of loose powder. I will say that the holes in the sifter insert are a bit too wide and allow more powder to escape at a time than I would like. I've wasted some of the product because I couldn't control the sifter well.

3. Did I enjoy it? I'm not the biggest fan of loose powder. I find pressed powders to be easier to control. Despite that, I'm using this as my regular powder because it's so good at blurring my skin.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? I have very high expectations for Rodial. It's a company that I hold to a lofty standard and aside from the sifter issue, it's certainly lived up to what I expected.
5. Would I repurchase? No but I would purchase the pressed version of this. I know I could control it better.

Natasha Denona Retro Palette 15 Eyeshadow Palette
1. Did I use this? Some? Not a lot. Nothing wrong with the palette itself but a majority of the shades just don't appeal to me.
2. Was it a good amount? Yes, this is a large palette and really, maybe that's part of the problem for me. I tend to like palettes with fewer than nine pans because I think they tell a better color story and make more sense in my head.

3. Did I enjoy it? I would say I enjoy it more in theory than I do in application. I'm just not using this very much. Maybe that will change over time, but I find this just isn't quite working with my coloring.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? The quality of the product is certainly there. It's beautiful and heavy and very well made.
5. Would I repurchase? Not at this size and not these shades. Maybe one of her more neutral warmer palettes.

Dr. Brandt Skincare Glycolic SkinRenewal Mask
1. Did I use this? My skin gets irritated so quickly with masks that I have to use them sparingly. I did decide this would be my go-to mask for when I used one though.
2. Was it a good amount? Yeah, it's a very decent amount of product. It's going to last quite a while.

3. Did I enjoy it? Yes. It dries down quickly and comes off easily. It leaves my skin so very soft and what else could you really want in a mask?
4. Did it live up to my expectations? It did. I feel like it does what is required.
5. Would I repurchase? I think so. It's certainly been easy on my skin, and that isn't something I can say about a lot of skin mask-type products.

Persona Cosmetics Volumizing Tubing Mascara
1. Did I use this? I used it once to see if I liked it better than my other one. I didn't. I haven't used it since.
2. Was it a good amount? Yeah this is actually a pretty large tube of mascara.

3. Did I enjoy it? I was unmoved one way or the other.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? It's okay. It's just not as good as my other one.
5. Would I repurchase? No. Not a bad product, but just not thrilling for me.

Lithe Beauty Soft Fill Lip Pencils
1. Did I use this? I used these more than I thought I would. Unlike a lot of lip pencils (that can be too dry and hard), these glide over the lips well and fill in your lips very smoothly. The soft aspect of them has been quite beneficial for me.
2. Was it a good amount? I think so. You don't need much of the product so it will last for quite a while.

3. Did I enjoy it? Again, I find that I enjoyed them quite a lot. They're really good about blending with other colors and blurring the edges of my lip line to help it look fuller, more even, and softer.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? It exceeded them by a long shot.
5. Would I repurchase? I would. This product has really upped my lip shaping technique.

Bisha Essential Eye Designer Duo Set in Downtown Black and Uptown Brown
1. Did I use this? I tried for quite a while to make these work for me but they just never did. Eventually, I gave up and went back to other things.
2. Was it a good amount? It's a standard size.

3. Did I enjoy it? I found them frustrating. That probably has more to do with the way I react to liquid liners than it does with any fault of the product. If liquid liners work for you, these are probably great.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? Given that I expected to not have any more luck with these than I ever have with this kind of pencil, I guess so.
5. Would I repurchase? No. Again, nothing against the product. It just doesn't work for me.  

End of the Month Reviews: Ipsy Original for January 2026

At the beginning of the month, it's always easy to get enchanted by all the pretty new things in the pretty boxes. Over time, this changes. As we're coming to the end of the month, I thought I would go back and see how well the products I received from the subscription boxes did. This is my criteria.

1. Did I use this?
2. Was it a good amount?

3. Did I enjoy it?
4. Did it live up to my expectations?
5. Would I repurchase?

ELEMIS Peptide4 Plumping PillowFacial

1. Did I use this? Oh certainly yes! I used this until I could no longer squeeze product out of it.
2. Was it a good amount? It was only a small sample, but there was a good amount of product in it.

3. Did I enjoy it? I enjoyed this so much. This was probably one of my favorite things I got all month.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? My expectations for Elemis are very high but this still lived up to them. I miss this already.
5. Would I repurchase? I would if I had the funds, yes. The way this calmed down my skin and relaxed me was so very nice.

LUNA MAGIC Strawberry Mojito lip pencil

1. Did I use this? This has been my go to lip pencil all month. A lot of the ones I have are too dark but this one is so complimentary to my coloring.
2. Was it a good amount? It was a full lip pencil so yes.

3. Did I enjoy it? I do enjoy it, yes. I think it works so well with my lips.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? It did, yes.
5. Would I repurchase? Oh certainly yes.

MOONSLICE BEAUTY Cream Blush in Cutie Pie

1. Did I use this? Yes. I used it a lot.
2. Was it a good amount? Even though it's not the biggest container, it's still a lot of blush and because it's a cream, it isn't flaking off like a powder one would.

3. Did I enjoy it? I did. I'm really enjoying more orange blushes.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? Yeah. I wasn't sure where I stood with cream blushes but I am certainly a fan of them now.
5. Would I repurchase? I would.

SUGARSILK Ethereal Eyes Palette

1. Did I use this? I did. I used it more than I thought I would.
2. Was it a good amount? It's not a very big palette but it'll still last me a long time.

3. Did I enjoy it? Yes. I actually use some of the shades for color correction and others just for lighter eye looks.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? Yeah. I actually found it to be far more useful than I anticipated.
5. Would I repurchase? I would.

byrosiejane's Remi Perfume

1. Did I use this? Yes. I used it sparingly because there isn't much of it.
2. Was it a good amount? No it was just a small sample.

3. Did I enjoy it? I did. It isn't my favorite perfume, but I did like it.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? Yeah. It was a very nice scent.
5. Would I repurchase? Probably not because while I enjoyed it, it isn't exactly my scent profile.

The Monthly Bag
1. Did I use this? Yes. I decided to make it my purse bag.
2. Was it a good size? Yes. It holds a lot.

3. Did I enjoy it? I do enjoy it because of the side zip and the blue accent on it. Oh and the little zipper coin. Yeah, I really do like this bag. However, I have noticed my bag was different than a lot of other people's for this month.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? Yes.
5. Would I repurchase? I normally just get black bags so no I probably wouldn't get a white one again, but that doesn't change the fact that I adore this.

End of the Month Reviews: Ipsy Extra Box January 2026

At the first of the month, it's always easy to get enchanted by all the pretty new things in the pretty boxes. Over time, this changes. As we're coming to the end of the month, I thought I would go back and see how well the products I received from the subscription boxes did. This is my criteria.

1. Did I use this?
2. Was it a good amount?

3. Did I enjoy it?
4. Did it live up to my expectations?
5. Would I repurchase?

Kulfi Beauty Badi Lash Smudge Proof Volumizing Tubing Mascara in Black
1. Did I use this? I did! I used this a lot. In fact, it's been the mascara I've been reaching for almost every time I do my eyes. My little sparse, short lashes respond really well to this mascara and I'm so very pleased with it.
2. Was it a good amount? Oh yes. You're not having to use much to really get a good amount on your lashes and this will last me quite a while.

3. Did I enjoy it? Deeply! I usually find mascaras frustrating and annoying because they get everywhere and smudge. Because this one is working for me, it's just so much fun to put on.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? Yes. It exceeded them, really. It gave me hope that mascara can work for me.
5. Would I repurchase? I certainly will.

BYROE Sugar Plum Shimmer Lip Oil
1. Did I use this? I did. I figured out how to make it work for me. I really needed lip liner on first but once I did, everything worked well.
2. Was it a good amount? Yes. This will last for quite a while and I don't really need much of it.

3. Did I enjoy it? It's not really my style, but I'm pleased when I put it on.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? Yes because they weren't very high. Glittery lip oil? I did not have that high up on my priority list. However, I find that I do like it quite a lot.
5. Would I repurchase? I think I would by another Byroe lip oil but I don't think I would get one with a shimmer.

WANDER BEAUTY On-the-Glow Blush & Illuminator in Dusk
1. Did I use this? Yes, I used this a lot. Both sides.
2. Was it a good amount? It is. It's a very decent size.

3. Did I enjoy it? I like both for different reasons. The blush side actually is dark enough to use for contouring and the shimmer side is a good blending shade to make concealer blend better.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? I think so. It doesn't exactly do what I planned for it to do, but I've found it to be very useful.
5. Would I repurchase? I think so.

EVEREDEN'S Hair and Body Fragrance Mist in Darling
1. Did I use this? I use this daily. It blends wonderfully with my hair.
2. Was it a good amount? Yes. Lots of product in the bottle and you don't need much.

3. Did I enjoy it? I love this scent. I usually don't go for strawberry-scented things but I love the freshness and lightness.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? I didn't realize how much I would really use this. I thought it would be just an occasional thing but it's become part of my daily scent profile.
5. Would I repurchase? Yes.

CHICA BEAUTY Mirame Liquid Liner
1. Did I use this? No. I have other eyeliners and this one doesn't work very well.
2. Was it a good amount? Yeah it was a fine amount. I just wish it worked better.

3. Did I enjoy it? No. It was basically useless to me.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? Given that I just found it to be useless for me, then no.
5. Would I repurchase? No.

End of the Month Reviews: Allure Beauty Box January 2026

At the first of the month, it's always easy to get enchanted by all the pretty new things in the pretty boxes. Over time, this changes. As we're coming to the end of the month, I thought I would go back and see how well the products I received from the subscription boxes did. This is my criteria.

1. Did I use this?
2. Was it a good amount?

3. Did I enjoy it?
4. Did it live up to my expectations?
5. Would I repurchase?

Obagi Hydrate Facial Moisturizer by Obagi Medical
1. Did I use this? Yes. I used this twice a day. The cream set well on my skin and absorbed nicely.
2. Was it a good amount? No. The bottle ran out pretty quickly and because the lid didn't come off, I couldn't access anything that was left inside. I think I had this about two weeks.

3. Did I enjoy it? I did, but honestly the fact that it didn't last as long as it looked like it should have marred my liking of it.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? Yes and no. It did what it was supposed to, but there isn't as much product in the bottle as it seems.
5. Would I repurchase? Probably not. This is an expensive product for how much you actually get.

Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum

1. Did I use this? Yes. I used this with every hair drying and sometimes just to add some shine to my hair.
2. Was it a good amount? For how little you use it, it actually is. You need very, very little of this product and it's going to last me a good while.

3. Did I enjoy it? Yes. The way it speeds up hair drying is pretty game-changing for me. I love that about this product.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? I would say it exceeded my expectations. I really didn't believe the hype but it certainly did what it promised and that turned out to be a nice, fundamental change for me.
5. Would I repurchase? I certainly would. For one thing, it isn't that expensive. For another, it really does a great job on my hair.

Mitchell & Peach English Leaf Body Soufflé Cream
1. Did I use this? I used this several times a day. I used this as often as I felt I could get away with using it. I used this because I found myself craving the scent and the softness.
2. Was it a good amount? Yes. The tube isn't that large but there is a decent amount in there and it's lasted at least through the month and then some.

3. Did I enjoy it? I really loved this. My skin is certainly smoother and softer after using it for a while and the scent is something I have come to dearly love.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? Considering how I felt when I first smelled it, I would say this is the biggest turnaround I had on any of the Allure products this month. This is the product I will miss the most when it's gone.
5. Would I repurchase? I had to give this some pause because, admittedly, this is a more expensive product, but honestly if I had the money to spare, yes, I would certainly repurchase.

Blake Brown Beauty's Fundamental Nourishing Mask

1. Did I use this? Yes. I used this with every shower and looked forward to doing so.
2. Was it a good amount? This was a massive amount, given that people go through hair masks slowly. I'll have this for a while.

3. Did I enjoy it? I really did. This felt so lux. It did wonderful things to the feel of my hair and left it smelling wonderful.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? Yes. I felt like this was a pretty divisive item, but I really felt it did what it needed to do.
5. Would I repurchase? I would, though honestly as slowly as one goes through this, repurchase wouldn't have to be that often.

Levitate Beauty's Hydrogel Under Eye Masks

1. Did I use this? I did, though I kind of had to remind myself to do so. It's cold and putting on eye masks right now isn't that fun.
2. Was it a good amount? I received three, which I feel was a pretty good amount. They had a generous amount of product in the packet as well, which could be smoothed over my skin.

3. Did I enjoy it? Aside from the cold, I did. I liked the fact that the masks were very thin and stayed in place well. I also appreciated that they had placement pads on them.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? My expectations for eye masks are very little so yes, they did. They certainly did what they were supposed to.
5. Would I repurchase? To be honest, I'm probably not going to buy eye masks as they have a way of just showing up in my life for free, but if I did happen to purchase some, I would certainly consider this brand because I felt the design was very practical.

Tarte Cosmetics' Sculpt Tape Contour

1. Did I use this? I did. Mostly because it's the only bronzer I own.
2. Was it a good amount? Yes. I feel this had a good amount of product in it.

3. Did I enjoy it? No. It blended down into my skin to the point that it was barely noticeable and what was there tended to read very muddy orange on my skin.
4. Did it live up to my expectations? Not really. It just didn't work on me very well.
5. Would I repurchase? No. I don't think this liquidy of a bronzer works for me. Tarte is a good brand so this probably works for a lot of people, but it just wasn't suited for me.  

So yeah, end of the month, I'm mostly very satisfied with what I got and even happily surprised by some of it. Good month from Allure.

Ipsy Ultimate Spring 2026 Sneak Peek III and IV: My Thoughts

This is groups III and IV of the Ipsy Ultimate Spring collection. Of the four, I was most pleased with these.

• NARS COSMETICS Explicit Lipstick
  I am never upset by a new lipstick. I'm not sure what shade we'll be getting because two different pictures were shown. If this is a product we get to make a choice about, perhaps we can pick the color, but if not, hopefully they'll pay attention to my profile and give me a shade that actually works with my coloring. I also love the name. Very inspiring.

• SAINT JANE BEAUTY Rich Rescue Phyto Mucin Cream
  I've never had any Saint Jane Beauty products, but I am very excited about this one. Snail mucin has been all the rage for a while, but people are starting to move away from that and go to mucin found in plants. This is supposed to make your skin more youthful, plump, and glassy within three weeks. I'm always down for a product that does that.

• MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Skin Hydra Glow Hydrating Foundation
  This foundation is supposed to give you a natural, hydrating finish that has a slight glowy cast to it. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but honestly,  that's based on my past history of being younger and having oily skin. Now that I'm older and matte finishes don't look good on me, this might be something I really need. It's also supposed to be good for uneven texture which is certainly something I have to deal with these days.

• GROWN ALCHEMIST Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser
  I am happy for a cleanser. This one is supposed to do a gentle exfoliating but at the same time not strip the skin of its moisture. I always love something that claims to really cleanse pores. My pores need all the help they can get. Am I a sucker for good packaging? Oh yes I am. And this bottle is beautiful.

• FABLE & MANE Sahascalp Wild Ginger Purifying Scrub
  When spoilers first came out, besides the Rodial and the Charlotte Tilberry, this was the thing that caught my eye. One of the main reasons I started this exploration of beauty was to figure out if there was some way to make my hair less . . . like my hair. Getting a good product for it always makes me happy. You can only use this once a week to replace your shampoo, which means it will last a good long time. It's supposed to remove any build-up, improve scalp health, and deal with any flakes you may have. A lot of people love the scent of this and many people with oily and fine hair (like mine) said that it actually added volume, which is such a win in my book.

• LIVING PROOF Perfect Hair Day Heat Styling Spray
  Even though I get a lot of hair products, I usually don't get hair sprays. This one is good because it's formulated to protect your hair from styling tools. Would that I had had something like that back in the day when I was using curling irons and hot rollers all the time! This is something I will certainly use and I really hope it's in my box. The scent is supposed to be wonderful as well.

• LITHE BEAUTY Gel Eyeliner Set
  Instead of the usual black, it looks like these are purple (Galaxy) and blue (Blueprint). I'm happy about that as I've gotten so many black liners recently. I also like the fact that these are cream as creams tend to work on my eyes at least a little bit better than the liquid ones do. I also like the fact that you get two of them instead of just one.

• KEVYN AUCOIN Indecent Mascara
  This is a product that everyone is getting. I'm sure it's a very good mascara but right now, I have three new mascaras so I can't say I'm that thrilled about this. Though I am intrigued by the claim that it curls the lashes. If it does that, I'll reverse my opinion so fast because that is an amazing idea. If my lashes need anything, it's certainly curling.
  
  Normally this is when I rank things, but honestly aside from the mascara, which is ironically the product that I KNOW I'm getting, I'm really excited about all of these. I'll be happy with any of them that shows up in my life. And even the mascara is pretty great so overall, very nice selections.