e.l.f.& It! Cosmetics Haul!

Howdy Friends!

With the exception of a half way decent day here and there, I've been down for the count and out of commission for the past several weeks. There just seems to be something about the transition of the seasons that puts my brain and my body into flare mode. My pain levels spike and my activity levels and alertness all but disappear. It's very much like "the crash" that I wrote a post about a while back, but in this case, I'm not getting payback from a period of over-exertion. It just happens. Go figure! I'm not sure that I'll ever get this Lupus thing down. I don't honestly know that anyone really does...

In the meantime, I just thought I'd share a couple of the purchases I've made recently! I'll be giving you some first impressions here and then some more educated thoughts and/or reviews on the products in an upcoming post.

I have to say that the items from this e.l.f. haul that I've used so far, are all winners. I did do a quick swatch of the "Mad For Matte" eyeshadow palette for you ...and as for what I think so far? Well, let's just say that I use at least one or two of the shadows in this palette, pretty consistently.

So for now, please enjoy the eye (lip and face) candy! LOL

I've gradually become a big fan of e.l.f. Cosmetics. Of course, it wouldn't be fair to compare their products point by point to higher end brands, but in my very humble opinion, for a drugstore makeup that sells for what I think anyone would have to call very reasonable prices, they put out a really decent product line. What I like most about them, is that they're adding to and improving the quality of their products all the time. They've even started a skin care line and I decided to give a couple of the offerings from that category a shot this time around.

I'll elaborate further on these in a future post, but I have to give e.l.f some major kudos for these matte lip colors. I only have one issue with them and that's their current packaging. It's a good idea from a concept perspective, but the product is a bit too loose and wobbly inside the twist-up case. So much so, that every time I use them, I'm careful not to exert much pressure because I'm afraid that the tip of the lipstick will snap right off. So, if anyone from the company happens to read this (yeah, right Mary lol) please reconsider how you've chosen to package these very lovely matte lippies!

Being an ultra fair skinned Irish lass, I'm not really into the super bright or extra dark colors for my lips, so I was pleased to find that they had a decent selection in the more nude, or natural range.

A lot of matte lipsticks out there right now are intensely deep red, burgundy, or plum shades and of course there are the sassy and sultry trending fashion shades like blacks, blues and dark purples that look amazing on the younger gals (and guys!) but can tend to be a little bit freakish on very pale, middle aged women like me. Not that I haven't see my share of more mature women rocking these trends, but I'm just not one of them.

The color sticks are nice. They give a subtle glow wherever you use them. I'm not used to using cream products on my cheeks, but these go on quite nicely and blend easily.

I haven't used the Lock & Seal yet, but I have a couple of loose pigments that I've received in Ipsy bags and I'm looking forward to giving it a go!

I really didn't think that anything would ever come along to make me switch from my It! Cosmetics Brow Power, but I'm actually liking this more than I thought I would. It's definitely something that I'm sure I'll use when I have extra time to put my makeup on, because it's more of a three-step process... but I'm impressed.

Haven't tried either of these yet, simply because I have similar products from other lines that I want to use up first.

Considering the fact that I am an admitted brush snob, this little contour brush is really pretty awesome!

Perfect size; no shedding; soft, yet densely packed bristles; solid ferrule and cleans up beautifully! That definitely passes all of my tests!

I'm a liquid or gel liner gal and this is a pretty good one. The tip could be just a tiny bit less rigid for my taste, but overall, not bad at all.

OK, so this isn't the most highly pigmented palette I own, but the shadows are quite buildable and very silky. I was surprised to find that there's not at all the amount of fallout that you usually see with even some higher end matte shadows.

I can't say that it quite equals my It! Naturally Pretty palettes, but I do use several of the shades on a regular basis.

Sorry, these aren't the best swatches, but I'll do some that are more detailed in a review post. There are actually two shadows before the dark tan shade, but in the light that I was working with and my very fair skin, they were a bit too light in color to show up. (The swatches are in the same order as the palette and they're the first two shadows)

I have to admit that I haven't used any of the nail polishes yet. Not because I don't like the colors... It's really just that I have so many open polishes that I really need to use up or "retire" soon.

And now... the It! Cosmetics kit that I purchased, specifically because I was dying to try their "Bye Bye Foundation". Anyone who knows me well, is very much aware that I am already an It! Cosmetics addict. I've worn the CC+ Cream and the Celebration Foundation for a few years, but let me just say right up front, that I'm beyond happy that I did, because this "no foundation" foundation, is some pretty amazing stuff! Especially during the Summer months.

In an upcoming post, I'll be adding more of my thoughts, along with some photos of the coverage it provides. I'll also share my opinions on the rest of the products in the kit and do some swatching. For the moment, this is what came in the kit:

This particular kit came with two bonus items that were stored in this frosted vinyl bag. The gifts were quite nice all by themselves and the bag should come in handy for traveling!

You can see that lovely brush right away...

But, what is it that's wrapped in the tissue?

I already have this "Heavenly Luxe Double Ended Foundation and Concealer Brush" in my collection, but when it comes to It! Cosmetics brushes, you truly can't ever have too many!

Unwrap the tissue, et voila! Aside from the Bye Bye Foundation, what I was most excited about was this Vitality Face Disc. I have a similar palette from another It! kit with slightly different products in it, but I'd been hearing so much about this face disc through YouTube and other social media, that I just had to experience it for myself! Briefly speaking... I am NOT disappointed!

I love the fact that Jamie always includes a thorough and very helpful booklet with all of her kits. In case you aren't familiar with the brand, Jamie Kern Lima is a former news anchor and the founder of It! Cosmetics.  She also happens to be their best - and bubbliest - spokesperson! Just click on her name (above) to read an article from Entrepreneur.com about how she started the company and got her big break on QVC.

Along with the Vitality Face Disc, the products that are new to me are: The Bye Bye Pores Silk HD Anti-Aging Micro-Powder, the Bye Bye Foundation, the Vitality Lip Flush and the Bye Bye Waterproof Concealer. I already own and use the Brow Power, No Tug Waterproof Gel Liner and a different incarnation of the Hello Lashes Mascara.

The Hello Lashes has a very nice, not too wet formula, that lengthens and adds volume ...and it holds a curl like nobody's business!

Sorry about all of the out of focus photos in this post. I just didn't have the time to take them over for this "haul" post, but I'll be doing reviews etc. in upcoming separate posts on each of these products and I'll (hopefully) have much better photos to go along with it.

Haven't used this powder yet but I'll be doing some close-ups in my review post, so... beware! Yikes!

Oh my! I won't go on about it now, but this Vitality Lip Flush is simply lovely! I will be buying this product again and again - you can safely bet the farm and just about anything else you'd like to, on that declaration!

Definitely one of my go-to liners! And they are not kidding when they say waterproof!

Hands down, THE best brow product I've ever used... and I tried quite a few of them before finding this one! I believe it would be safe to say that this is my holy grail brow product!

I've been using It! Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye Concealer for some time now and I love it, but this might just be my new favorite! It has the same amazing coverage, but they've thinned out the consistency a bit (which has been one of the major issues for a lot of Bye Bye Undereye's critics from day one) and I think it's better suited to be used as a stand alone, or foundation replacement on those days when you're feeling like a full coverage foundation or a BB or CC cream aren't necessary.

Well, here it is, in all of it's splendor! Stay tuned for a full review in the not too distant future, with swatches and before and after photos included! Those of you who are easily frightened by, or uncomfortable with, close up photos of slightly enlarged pores and/or wrinkles, might want to avoid that one! Ha!

But seriously, please do come back and visit me again. If you are curious about either e.l.f Cosmetics or It! Cosmetics, I promise you that whatever I share here on the blog, will always be very thorough and very honest.

Thanks so much for stopping in to say hello! If you have any questions or any specific things you'd like me to address in either the e.l.f. review and swatch post or the It! post, please leave them in the comments below. I'm really very happy to oblige in any way that I can!

In the meantime, stay as beautiful as you are... both inside and out!

Mary


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Living With Lupus - The Crash

Howdy!

If this is your first time here, Welcome! If you came here specifically for this post in particular, I would assume that you either:

A) Have SLE/Lupus

B) Wonder if, or think you might, have SLE/Lupus   OR

C) Live with, or care for someone with SLE/Lupus

Those of you who've been reading this and/or my other blog, Go Ahead... Take A Bite! for a while, already know that I have Lupus. And if you've read certain posts in particular over the years, you've also learned a bit more about just what Lupus is and about how long and sometimes unbearable the road to a "formal" Lupus diagnosis can be. Lupus is an autoimmune disease, which (of course) means that it affects the immune system and because of that, it usually piggy-backs a whole host of other debilitating health issues along with it.

If you're one of the dear friends who go way back to the very beginnings of my life as a blogger, you also know that the cold Winters here in the Northeast can be the absolute worst time of the year for someone with these crazy health issues. ...and how that aspect of the illness has kept me away (at times a month or often more) from my blogs for long periods, without allowing me an opportunity to let you all know ahead of time that I'd be taking a break. I'm sure it goes without saying, but these absences also spill over into other areas of my personal and internet life. I certainly don't have the emotional or physical strength to keep up with the various social media networks that the blogs and I are a part of, but one of the most difficult and upsetting parts of this illness for me, is how it affects the amount of time that I'm able to spend with family and friends.

Someone told me a long time ago that a chronic illness can be like a death. A death of self. And like any death, it's something that you had to mourn. Now, that might sound pretty extreme or over the top to people who don't live this way. Trust me... It would have sounded pretty "dramatic" to me, too... before I got sick. But it's the best advice that I could give to anyone who asked me what the most important things were that they needed to do, post diagnosis of any painful and debilitating chronic illness, in order to start accepting what is happening to them and that it's the best way to to help you start to move forward.

Once you are able to wrap your brain around those things - and that is NOT an easy thing to do - you also need to prepare yourself to accept the fact that more often than not, even the closest people in your life will likely never fully understand how sick you really are.

That very wise person also told me that when you're chronically ill, your world shrinks. OK... It doesn't literally shrink. Obviously, it's a metaphor. But... that doesn't make it any less difficult to deal with. You don't do the things that you used to do and you don't often see the people that you used to see. And no matter what people might think, it's not because you don't want to.

Believe me... I miss the people in my life that I used to see on a regular basis more than I can say. And it kills me that I now miss out on so many things that I used to do. I wish at least once every day, that I could be the person I used to be. But, I can't.... because I have a chronic illness that has robbed me of all of those things.

If you've been diagnosed with a debilitating chronic illness, I'm sure you've either found, or are in the process of finding, a medical provider to help treat your illness. But I'll offer up one more piece of advice... Make sure to find a good mental health practitioner/provider and utilize their skills to the fullest. Being in pain is hard, but being isolated a great deal of the time can foster both depression and anxiety and that can be as bad, or worse, than the physical pain.

Source Google Images

So. Getting back to the subject in the title of this post... This past Winter was a little different for me. It's not that all of those nasty health issues didn't raise their ugly little heads. If anything, it was (and continues to be) quite the opposite.

But, that being said, there were factors other than the usual Winter time issues that helped to play a part in my absence from the blog at the end of last year and the beginning of this one. But what made it a different experience for me was that the last few weeks of 2014 and the start of the New Year was a time that I wouldn't have changed a moment of. Nope. Not even the "less than pleasant" ones. Not for all of the material riches that this world could offer.

OK, so what in the world could make me say a crazy thing like that? Have I reached a point where I've become a masochist? Or, maybe I've just finally lost my mind? Nah...

You see, back at the beginning of December, I excitedly and anxiously hopped on a plane and headed South, so that I could be present for and at the birth of our new grandson! (who, btw also happens to also be our first grandchild!!) He was born in the second week of the month and if you've been through this joyful experience already, I'm sure I don't have to explain that I had already made plans to stay on for a while after he arrived, in order to be able to spend time loving on the new baby and to also do my best to help out in any way that I could, while the new parents were getting used to being a family of three. (I guess I should make that five, when you count their furry kids!)

The Hubbs, (aka Grandpa) had to work for those first couple of weeks, but he drove down little before Christmas, so that we could all spend the Holidays together. I'm sure that it's fairly obvious, but having a brand new, sweet smelling snuggly soft member of the family, is by far THE best Christmas present EVER! Believe me when I say that we really hated to leave, but we begrudgingly headed back North a few days into the New Year.

So how did all of this change the impact of what the Winter months are usually like for me? I'll do my best to explain, in the best way(s) that I know how.

Source Google Images

If you live with any kind of chronic and/or physically debilitating illness, you learn very quickly that payback is inevitable any and every time you push or exert yourself more than you should. So, of course, I experienced some serious payback once I returned home. And I've been dealing with this long enough to know fully well that it was coming, long before I ever made the decision to go. But really... can you blame me for going anyway?

You see... even when you're sick, every so often an event or an occasion comes along that is SO important... SO special, that you make the deliberate choice to willingly and very happily, push yourself beyond your usual limitations; all the while knowing that there will be consequences. You do it, not because you're a masochist and certainly not because you have a need to impress anyone with some kind of proof of your so called "strength". You do it because it's so much more important and well beyond worth, any level of payback that follows.

Source Google Images

In a nutshell... The human mind can do some truly amazing things when the joys in life demand it. Unfortunately, these amazing things are often only temporary.

I can't speak to how others in my position deal with it, but in my case, I've taught myself to mentally (for lack of a better way to word it) go to a place where my brain works very hard to push the reality that I have a painful illness, as far out of the way as it possibly can. In essence, I'll will myself into what I suppose you could call a kind of temporary amnesia. That way, my brain then tells my body that it can pretty much do whatever it needs to do and that the pain associated with these actions, is more or less, an illusion.

Sound a little crazy? Yeah, well... keep in mind the fact that I also make sure that I have and use every possible tool in my "pain arsenal", in order to get through that period of time. Those tools include the usual suspects, like medication and grabbing as much rest as I can in between physical activities. It's surprising at first, what kinds of tools you also develop yourself along the way, that help you survive a particular situation. But, don't forget that every person who lives with a chronic illness is different and that the tools they use to get through a given situation are very personal to their illness and in turn, their experience with it.

Then, because (as I mentioned above) this thing that I do is strictly a temporary super power, once the experience is over, that part of my brain that has basically been on a self imposed hiatus, inevitably kicks itself right back into gear and clearly (often brutally) reminds my body exactly what it's been through. This is the point when my body wakes up from the oblivious state it's been in and it reacts.

I refer to this as "the crash". Yeah, I know... not terribly original, is it?

Definitions aside, believe me when I say that by my second day back home from that trip, I crashed. And I crashed BIG!

I spent the next two and a half or three weeks, sleeping an average of 18 to 20 hours a day. On those occasions that I did awaken, which altogether could be counted in minutes, not hours of awake time, I was so fogged over and I hurt so much, that I was well... useless. I was able to make it to the bathroom, or to the kitchen for a cold drink, or maybe a nibble of something. But cook a meal? Ha! Do even a small load of laundry? Not on your life! Take a shower? Um, maybe three times, that I can recall.

My poor, sweet husband... heaven help him, has been through this kind of crash with me more times than I can even begin to count and he knows only too well, what it is that's going to happen when it comes. Luckily for me (and sadly for him) it's made him quite capable of taking care of the things that need to be done, like maintaining a clean work wardrobe and preparing meals for himself.

...And that's when I start beating myself up.

No matter how many times we've been through this kind of crash over the last decade (plus), I always feel an overwhelming sense of guilt. Always. I tell him all the time that I'd never hold it against him if he decided one of these days, to just trade me in for a new unbroken model. Because in my mind, he didn't sign on for this. I mean, seriously?? Nobody would ever willingly sign on for this. At least that's what the never ending cycle of negative "self talk" keeps telling me. But, because of the very special heart and the incredibly loving soul that this man that I love with all of my heart possesses, his response is always the same:

"Yes I did. Don't you remember? For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, til death do us part? I love you and I'm in this for keeps. And you know damned well that you'd do the same exact thing for me, if the tables were turned."

And he's absolutely right. I would. In a heartbeat.

In the grand scheme of things, being there for the birth of our grandson was just as amazing and just as wondrous as the moments that our own girls were born. As I said before, I wouldn't have... no, actually I couldn't have missed it. Not for the world.

And I now have a completely renewed perception of the how "things (ya know, major things like life and love) come full circle". And I've definitely gotta say, that part of it is flippin' awesome!

Well, I believe that's about it... for now. Trust me. If I were to continue carrying on in the direction that this post has started to take me, I'd most certainly end up creating a big ol' puddle of salty tears, which would in turn ruin my makeup and quite possibly, short out my keyboard. ;)

Oh... and since I don't have any reasonable expectation that my Lupus is going away any time soon and there will hopefully always be something that happens in my life that's worth "crashing" for, I'm sure that I'll be posting more about both subjects, again. And again. And again....

If you live with a chronic illness, how do you deal or cope with "the crash"? I'm sure we all have our own little tips and tricks. Or maybe you are just beginning this journey and have questions that I might be able to help with. Say hello and let me know in the comments!


Live Well,

Mary

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