June 1, 2020

I Hope It’ll Be Ok

I struggled writing about beauty when COVID broke out. It’s really taken a lot of emotion and energy to try to act like things were normal when things were very not normal. But I found a calm in it and you all helped me with your kind comments and positive emails to tell me that my posts took your mind of what was going on around us.

But today, I’m struggling even harder. Like many of you my eyes are glued to the TV screen even though watching it hurts my heart so much. I always want to think the best of people, I want to think the world will be ok, that things will be right with the universe with time and patience. Today, is one of those days I have doubts.

When President Kennedy was assassinated, Dr King told his wife, “This is what is going to happen to me also.” I hate that he thought that, I hate that he felt that way, that the world was so damaged that he knew it was going to kill him. He would be so devastated that things are worst not than they were over 52 years ago when he was fighting to make this world a better place for not only African Americans but for everyone.

I am saddened that in 2020 nothing has changed, nothing has evolved, and things are worst than they ever were before. I posted Tabitha Brown’s wise words on Instagram a few days ago because I didn’t have the words to express my own feelings. I can’t tell you how to feel right now when I don’t even know how I feel.

I can just hope that things will be better but there are days I feel like that might not happen in my life time. I hope I’m wrong. I hope I’m so terribly wrong. I do know that the little things matter in life and the little things can bring about big changes. Please try to do the little things so they lead to those bigger changes. If you have children, teach them well so that our future is better and brighter.

I see so many people doing nice things but also, somehow, they want recognition for that and thanks. When you do something nice you don’t need a pat on the back for it. You did it because it came from a good place. Like Lennon said, “When you do something beautiful and nobody noticed, do not be sad. For the sun, every morning is a beautiful spectacle and yet most of the audience still sleeps.”

Do good things because that’s being human.

Remember to love each other. Remind yourself we all need each other. We’re all humans and we all bleed red.

I love you all. I hope that helps a little bit.

I’m tying to remind myself it can’t rain all the time.

Black Lives Matter and The Equal Justice Initiative are two of the organizations that can help you on your journey today. I hope you’ll take the time to visit their websites, educate yourself, and maybe make a small (or large) donation to their causes.

24 Comments

May 29, 2020

I Don’t Know If I’ll Make It To Ulta Diamond for 2021

I don’t know if I’ll make it to Ulta Diamond for 2021 and it feels kind of odd. I mean, I still have plenty of time but I’m not even half way there yet….! My current Ulta statement is $294 that means I need $906 more dollars. Without a 20% Off in a few months and 21 Days of Beauty being sort of a bust I’m feeling like my Diamond Status is in jeopardy. We still have the Holidays to get through but with a lack of new beauty releases I’m sort of feeling like I won’t make Diamond Status this year. The Sephora Rouge Event did secure my status of Rouge but Ulta I’m a little skeptical I’ll make it there this year.

It’s funny because when the originally introduced the Diamond Rewards Tier I felt $1200 was way too much and that I’d never spend that much at Ulta because I do tend to shop Sephora or department stores more. But I did it and quickly which shocked me a bit. You see, I don’t really shop the drugstore options at Ulta as they tend to be more expensive unless a sale is going on. Most drugstore brands are way cheaper at Target or even drugstores compared to Ulta prices. As for fragrance most of my collection is niche, indie, or higher-end and Ulta doesn’t carry brands like that so, that was out for me. But they are pretty good with Mid-Range and certain unique product lines from Korean brands, etc…! Ulta can be an interesting experience sometimes as they combine the best of drugstore, mid-range, and a touch of higher-end in one location. I always wondered how I’d feel if Sephora started suddenly selling drugstore brands! I mean, L’Oreal makeup is sold in France at Sephora would I be weirded out to see a L’Oreal Mascara at Sephora for $14.99!? Ulta nails it as far as variety plus they have started adding more and more brands into their catalog like NARS, MAC, Chanel, even Tom Ford Fragrances.

So, yeah, maybe Ulta Diamond 2021 isn’t that unattainable after all 🙂 I dunno…! But when I saw my status this morning I was like, “Damn! Am I going to make Diamond Status this year?” I’ll keep you posted.

Do you think you’ll make Ulta Diamond this year?

Curious minds!

31 Comments

May 29, 2020

Benefit Maybe Baby Is Back and I’m Excited

Benefit Maybe Baby EDT

Benefit Maybe Baby Eau de Toilette is back in stock and I’m a happy girl! Thanks to Meg on Instagram who told me this today as I didn’t even notice. Now if Stila would bring back Creme Bouquet we could all be living our best smelling lives in quarantine! I also would not be averse to seeing B Spot return! I’d buy buckets of it thanks so much!

Benefit Maybe Baby started out life as Bathina which was a Benefit’s chic little bath and body collection. If you really want to take it back there was Benefit Kitten as well which I loved but the glory of Bathina’s pin-up girl was what really drew me in back in the day. Bathina didn’t technically have a fragrance. There wasn’t a perfume or an EDT at the time but there was a shower gel and a body cream. And later on, Benefit realized how much people loved it and ended up bringing back Bathina in a variety of other ways and one of the most popular products they launched was the Maybe Baby fragrance which was Bathina’s signature scent in a new perfume version. There was actually a Bathina All Over Mist as well which launched in Fall 2014 but the original Maybe Baby fragrance return in 2015 was very exciting! It stayed around for about year or so before disappearing into the Benefit beauty vault. The original Maybe Baby Fragrance launched in 2003 guys! 2003! 17 years ago! Where does the time go?

I don’t really like floral fragrances. I’m more a sweet make me smell like candy kind of girl! But Maybe Baby is a very clean, crystal clear almost aquatic floral. It contains fruity elements of apricot and peach but I find the floral notes dominate this fragrance and the white musk gives it a nice delicate dry down. It still remains a fond favorite fragrance for me and I was happy to see it return on Benefit’s website.

If it’s something you’ve always loved and wanted more of you can now purchase a bottle of Benefit Maybe Baby again on Benefit’s website. If you never tried it now is your chance to try it.

Who’s a Maybe Baby fan girl or guy?

Where to buy

Benefit

17 Comments

May 29, 2020

Pat Mcgrath Mothership VIII: Divine Rose II for Summer 2020 Arrives Today with 10% Off

I receive a small commission if you shop through my link.

Pat Mcgrath Mothership VIII: Divine Rose II arrived today and I am not sorry for ordering it because it’s divine. I just needed to have it in my life! Does anyone get a sparkly version of ABS Modern Renaissance from it? Or is that only me? I have absolutely no shame and readily admit I’ll be using some of these shades as blush as well as eyeshadow. It’s an outstanding range of colors that really work well together!

Shades include:

  • Skinshow Rose Opal (Incandescent Champagne with Opalescent Shift)
  • Naked Blush (Mid-Tone Coral Matte)
  • Eleganza (Chromatic Plum Pink)
  • Bronze Rosé 005 (Metallic Copper Rose)
  • Gold Lust 001 (Glistening Antiqued Gold)
  • Xtreme Burgundy (Deepened Burgundy Matte)
  • Divine Dusk (Luminous Rose Bronze)
  • Rose Seduction (Vivid Magenta Satin)
  • VR Sextraterrestrial (Fuschia, Golden Peach and Chartreuse Triochrome)
  • Astral Pink Moon (Glittering Peach Champagne)

There’s early access for the palette today on Pat’s website using the password BLOOM10. Use BLOOM10 at check out as well for 10% off your entire purchase.

Pat Mcgrath Mothership VIII: Divine Rose II is lust at first site don’t say I didn’t warn ya!

Anyone grabbing it?

Where to buy

Pat Mcgrath

4 Comments