A Sephora Haul | Thoughts on Beauty and Mental Health | Beauty Q&A | New Eyeliner Obsession

Yesterday, I went to Sephora because I’ve been feeling kinda “blah,” and I needed to do a little pick-me-up beauty shopping. Side note: I think it’s a combination of the dreary weather we’ve been having lately and hormones. More on this in a few.

Anywho, I went in with a very vague plan of picking up lipgloss and liner, but I didn’t have any specific brands or colors on my list, so it was an improv situation. While I was there, I found myself drawn to old favorites and things I remember loving back in the day passionately, which is why I ended up with an Hourglass lipgloss in the shade Canvas and a tube (pen?) of YSL Touche Eclat. (I also grabbed a new eyeliner.)

Which leads me to today’s Q&A question!

Have you ever changed your mind about your tried-and-true makeup favorites?

When I was doing MBB full time, exploring and testing new products was part of the territory, so I was always trying new things, but occasionally I’d fall in love with something so deeply that I’d come back to it over and over again. And that’s the memory I have connected to Canvas gloss.

It’s been a while since I’ve worn it, so I was eager to wear it again. I beelined it to my car so I could slip on a layer, and after a few swishes and a couple lip smacks, I found myself staring in my rearview mirror and thinking to myself, “Hmmm… That’s it?”

I still like how smooth it looks, the opacity and the weight of the gloss on my lips, but truth be told I expected to be wowed – but wasn’t.

I think a big part of it is that I’m so protective now of the space in my makeup bag; I really need to love something in order to keep it around. And if I don’t feel that rush of excitement, that thrill, then I’m not having it.

Canvas, you’re pretty enough, but I want to be swept off my Nike-wearing feet!

Same thing happened with the Touche Eclat. I tried it on and was like, “Dude… Why?” LOL! It certainly lays smoothly, which I remember, but I didn’t feel like my skin looked livelier or fresher or brighter. I guess 30-something me liked different things!

Oh, I did have a very inspiring moment with the eyeliner, though.

It’s Hourglass Voyuer Waterproof Gel Liner in Solstice, a metallic bronze. I’m very much into liner that defines my lash lines without looking too harsh (hello, you’re officially in your 40s when that happens), and this does just that. It just adds a little something-something – my upper lashes look thicker, and my eyes pop a little more. The formula is smooth and soft, and it stays on! I think I want the cool brown shade, Cave, next.

So, like I was saying earlier, I’ve been feeling a little “blah” lately.

I think it’s a combination of not seeing the sun for such a long stretch and lady hormones doing their thing. The good thing, though, is that I’m at a point where I’m better about recognizing it early on. It feels like a fog that’s creeping in, and now I can easily identify those first tendrils, whereas before I’d just suddenly be stuck in the thick of it and be so overwhelmed that I couldn’t find my way out. Part of “staying out of the fog” involves doing all the basic care I need to feel good, like getting enough sleep, changing out of my pajamas first thing in the morning, doing my hair, brushing my teeth and putting on makeup that makes me feel beautiful, inside and out.

Thank goodness for lipgloss and all the little beauty pleasures! They really do make my days a little brighter.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen