Illlamasqua is on HauteLook today (bigger selection than usual and 50%+ off)

Disclosure: This post contains a referral link.
Looks like a good sale. All sort of lipsticks, cream pigments, nail polishes, etc., starting at about $7.50. Some things are already sold out, so you might have to make up your mind soon.

Amy Schumer's "Girl You Don't Need Makeup" video is pretty funny

This One Direction parody is a pretty good response to dudes who think they should be allowed to determine how much makeup women should wear.

As usual for Amy Schumer,  she comments on women's own insecurities too, so it ends like this:

"Girl, you do need makeup / Lots and lots of makeup / Think of a clown and then work your way back /  You are great except your face, girl / So don't take off your makeup / Wear it when you sleep and swim."

HELP! I'm covered in chemicals! (Politicians working with EWG to introduce bill increasing FDA oversight of "personal care products")

I don't think this is a bad idea, as such. I'm a fascist commie Canadian who thinks the government should get more involved in everything, clearly. I just wish it were backed by decent science, not by Environmental Working Group's food-babe-style scare tactics. The association with the EWG (a lobby group - sorry "nonprofit consumer health advocacy group" started by personal injury lawyers) just taints the whole fucking thing for me. Did you know that women put 168 chemicals on their bodies everyday *cough*mostareprobablysafe*cough*? Are they counting water?

You can find a good critique of the EWG's "scientific" methods here, which doesn't really even address their hysteria. (Here's another critique with good links from something called the Yummy Mommy Club? But a useful article, anyway.)

Empties 2015, Part III (Hair and Body)

Here are some more things I've finished up so far this year. It's kind of fun to keep track of this shit. It's nice to feel like I've accomplished something, even if it is incredibly fucking trivial. I finished a bottle of shampoo! Whatever! So many things in my life are incomplete, but that's not. Plus I have a record to look back at for future purchases.

Hair Products

Generally, I don't write much about shampoo and conditioner or foils, since the former are rarely exciting enough in a good or bad way to warrant comment, and the latter are usually too small to form an opinion about. In the absence of any other information, assume something is just fine. So this should be fairly short.

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Cherry: I've reviewed a bajillion dry shampoos on the blog here, but even though I went through two cans of this in the fall, and it's the best one I've tried yet, I haven't written a proper review of it. (Mini Instagram review here, though.) I'll do one with before and after photos when I buy some more, but first I have to use up some more expensive and less impressive dry shampoos (including the Oscar Blandi one reviewed here).

Davines OI Conditioner (mini)

Pantene Smooth & Sleek Shampoo and Conditioner (minis)

Carol's Daughter Sacred Tiare Anti-Breakage Anti-Frizz Leave-In Cream (mini): It didn't really seem to do anything. I don't have much frizz, per se, though I do get quite a bit of breakage. Maybe didn't use this regularly enough to notice a difference.

Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray (mini): I like this product, and it smells great. If I were in the market for another beach spray, I'd get this one. I used it to make loose waves in this post, which is maybe not the best advertisement for it. My favorite part is the spray nozzle, so I saved this bottle for some future purpose, to be determined.

Davines Minu shampoo (mini)

John Frieda Luxurious Volume Shampoo and Conditioner (foils)

Teadora Rainforest at Dusk Shampoo and Conditioner (minis): Smelled better that Rainforest at Dawn (mentioned here), but otherwise just as mediocre and overpriced.

DermOrganic Daily Conditioning Shampoo and Masque (minis)

Pantene Expert Age Defy Shampoo and Conditioner (foils)

L'Oreal Total Repair 5 Shampoo and Conditioner (foils)


Body Products

Unknown foaming body wash: Got it as a consumer trial, so I have no idea what it is. It comes out of the pump as a moussey foam, and I haven't seen anything like it in store yet. It lasted forever.

Essential Elements Wake Up Rosemary Body Lotion (mini): One of the endless fucking supply of hotel lotions Birchbox has been sending me. Very strongly scented; the initial rosemary fragrance fades quickly to just mint. Worked okay as a hand lotion.

Vitabath Fragrance Mist in Nouveau Rose: I got this from Influenster a million years ago (or October 2012, to be more precise). It had a perfectly fine rose scent, but I don't really use body sprays, so it took some creativity to finish it up. I used it as room freshener, fabric deodorizer, etc. Finally, when there was about an inch and a half of liquid left in the bottle, I just started spraying it on myself every single time I got out of the shower and that eventually killed it.

Nivea Extended Moisture Body Lotion (foil): Makes a good moisturizing hand lotion.

Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream: Spent some Birchbox points on this and used it for most of the winter. It has a nice, fresh grapefruit scent. I wasn't particularly impressed by it while I was using it, but when it was gone and I was left with other things, I missed it. It moisturized well without being greasy, yet it didn't leave my hands feeling really soft. I think I prefer hand creams with a little more silicone for a smoother sensation. While I liked it, I wouldn't spend real money on it, because it costs $15 for 2.5 oz. That's too much for hand cream.

Avon Haiku Roll-On Antiperspirant: I don't usually include deodorant in these things, but there it is. Pretty fragrance, incredibly fucking cheap ($2), and it works well, but there is something supremely unpleasant about rolling cold goo in your pits - and then flapping around like a chicken while you wait for it to dry.

Curel Intensive Healing Cream (mini): I think I finally only have 1.5 of these little tubs left. I use it as hand cream before bed. It's okay (reviewed here).

So that's that, though I still have photos of empty makeup and skincare stuff to post once I have a chance. Getting shit done.

"Makeup Mayhem" on HauteLook this week (50%+ off Tarina Tarantino, Illamasqua, theBalm, LORAC, etc.)

Disclosure: This post contains referral links.
So this week HauteLook is having their big makeup feature. Most things look like they are 50% off or more. We've got BH Cosmetics (meh), Tarina Tarantino (good lipstick, eyeliner, and eyeshadow - avoid the "eye dream hyperlight" for its horrible packaging) - and later this week LORAC (Wednesday), Illamasqua (Thursday), and theBalm (Friday). I've bought all of my theBalm makeup through HauteLook, since it's always been at least 50% off. They tend to have a wide selection including most of their new products. This is also one of the only places Illamasqua is currently sold in North America, unless I am mistaken and they've returned to some other stores recently.

You have to take into account the shipping costs (usually about $6 for beauty stuff) and the long shipping time (2-3 weeks). Obviously your shipping will go farthest if you buy multiple things at once, so if you want to shop more than one brand, it might be worth waiting until they are both available at the same time. Usually each brand stays on the site for about 4 days, but some of the most popular items might sell out.

I don't need anything right now, so I'm not looking too closely. Normally I would be all over this. Think of me if you get something good? I will post reminders about Illamasqua and theBalm, because I am grading this week, and blogging is an excellent form of procrastination.

You need an account to browse HauteLook, so I've included my referral link above, but you are of course not obligated to click it.

Complainy Monday: Come Bitch With Me

It's not alliterative, but do you think I can make #CMCBWM take off? No? Probably not. Anyway, this is not a post where I recommend something to you or show you anything helpful. It's a mostly just a self-indulgent post where I complain, and I invite you to complain too. Positive thinking is more of a Saturday thing. (If it's no longer Monday by the time you see this, complain anyway!)

Here's my thing: my skin fucking sucks right now, and it's really annoying. The texture is bad, lines are becoming wrinkles, pores are clogged, breakouts won't fucking die. I guess those are things I complained about late last winter/spring too. So maybe it's seasonal? But added to those, this year I have a new treat: dry patches! Hooray for aging! At least I think that's what's causing the dry flaky skin under my eyes that I've never dealt with before. My nose is a disaster of dryness, too. Usually some Smith's Rosebud Salve every night keeps it under control, but the last 2-3 weeks, it's an unrelenting mess. And chapped lips. I am a delight to behold, let me tell you.

I don't know if it's the weather (but don't these seem more like winter than spring issues?), or stress, or aging, or slacking off on the sunscreen (there was a lot of 6 am rushing and skipping real sunscreen in favor of SPF 20 tinted moisturizer this winter), or the fact that everyone in my fucking apartment complex smokes even though it's not allowed and that can't be good for anything. Or all of the above.

Anyway, hopefully I will figure something out, because right now I'm just frowning in the mirror a lot and that's only making the lines deeper. Until them I am moisturizing like a maniac.

Now you go. Any beauty problems frustrating you these days? Anything else pissing you off? Let it all out.

What's so fucking special about Crème de La Mer? With dupes! (From Of Faces and Fingers)

I have a couple of longish review-type posts (remember when I used to write those regularly?) that are half finished, but real work has been preventing me from completing them. Soon that real work will be over, and I'll have time to post those in between desperate job searching.

In the meantime, check out this fantastic comparison between the exorbitantly priced Crème de La Mer and some other, rather basic, and much cheaper moisturizing creams. The upshot is that, unless you believe the plant extracts in La Mer actually do something (follow the link above to find out why they probably don't), all these products are similar. There are some decent moisturizing ingredients in La Mer, but they aren't exclusive or expensive. I've reviewed the Curel Intensive Healing Cream before, and it's a brand name version of the stuff that hospitals or pharmacies provide to diabetics in huge tubs. Effective, for sure, but very utilitarian and certainly not worth its weight in gold.

Zoya Earth Day promotion: 50% off 6-24 bottles of polish + free shipping

For Earth Day, Zoya always does this promotion where you can get a discount in exchange for sending unwanted bottle of polish to them for proper disposal. You're not supposed to throw nail polish in the trash, since it counts as a hazardous material, so this is a way to get rid of it properly.

But you can get the deal even if you don't send them anything back. They say it's on the honor system, and they suggest that you might also donate some nail polish instead of disposing of it. You'll get each bottle for $4.50 with this deal.

Use code EARTHLUV from April 21-28. All the information is here.

Zoya's one of my favorite nail polish brands. Possibly my very favorite. They just make such fucking interesting shades and they have a million of them. I've been happy with almost all the ones I've bought, and I've never paid full price, because they frequently have good sales. I'm going to have to sit this one out this year, because I just can't afford any more polish, but if anyone goes for it, show me what you get!

Here's one of my favorites, Giovanna (more here):

And here are links to some of my other Zoya swatches: Evvie, Neely, Ibiza, Arizona, Odette, Song, Lotus, and Fei Fei. And those aren't even all the ones I own.

I turned off anonymous commenting

I'm getting absolutely inundated with spam lately, so I turned off anonymous commenting, at least temporarily. I don't get many legit anon comments, so hopefully it won't be an issue. If you want to ask a question and don't want to set up a commenting account, you can always email me at cheapasf AT gmail DOT com.

All About Hyaluronic Acid (from The Beauty Brains)

This is interesting and useful. I have a couple of products that contain hyaluronic acid, and I really like them (like the Paula's Choice serum that I reviewed a while back). I like finding a breakdown of how "miracle" ingredients really work and then being able to decide for myself if they're worth the hype. I knew hyaluronic acid was a humectant, but not much else. I have had problems with products that are high in glycerin (another humectant) actually drying out my skin in winter (the Neutrogena hand lotion, for example), but I haven't noticed that with hyaluronic acid, and I used the serum mentioned above all winter. Overall, it seems like a effective ingredient with some promising science behind it.

More Birchbox complaining

Who can get enough of that, right? In case you were wondering if using the beta customization settings they added to my account resulted in a better box, then answer is, emphatically, no. I ranted about it a little on Instagram, and you can read that here, if you want to (even through a web browser).
My year-long subscription ends after June, and I won't be resubscribing. It's frustrating, because the year started out so strong.

Sales and stuff: fyi

Just a note: these days I tend to post links to sales/deals/free stuff on Tumblr and Twitter, rather than spamming up the blog with them. I don't post everything I come across, because there are other blogs that are more on top of that stuff than I am (Nouveau Cheap, for instance), but if you're interested in that kind of thing, you might want to follow me one of those places. I tend to include more information in the Tumblr posts, for obvious reasons.

Things I Haven't Changed My Mind About

I started this blog on Tumblr in late May 2012, so I guess I am coming up on a three-year anniversary. Seems longer! My original idea for this post was to go back through opinions I've shared here and see what I've changed my mind about. I mean, when I started, I had a handful of mostly drugstore products, and I had no idea I was supposed to be excited to get GOOD BRANDS like a Tarte lip crayon or a Benefit primer in my Birchbox. (I gave them away and now and then I think back and kick myself for some reason, maybe because I don't get cool stuff like that from Birchbox these days.) Surely now that I am a sophisticated and discerning makeup and skincare hoarder, my tastes have become refined and I can see the value in products that baffled me years ago?

Not so much, apparently, because when I revisited my old posts, it turns out that the main thing Old Me and New Me differ on is the amount of crap New Me owns, and the waning desire that New Me has to ever buy another bottle of nail polish (it's not gone, but it's slowly dissipating).

For instance:

• I still think Monistat Anti-chafing gel works about as well as any siliconey makeup primer I've tried.
• I still use Cetaphil lotion as eye makeup remover.
• I still love Wet N Wild Comfort Zone as much as any of my fancier eyeshadows (though now that I'm gone from grad student to whatever the hell I am now, it's a bit shimmery for daily use).

  

  SHIMMER

• I still think those knotted hair elastics are stupid.
• The red Sally Hansen topcoat is still my favorite (but I am trying to use up some bottle of inferior products before I buy any more).
• I still think e.l.f. is worth it if you approach it the right way.
• I still rely on tea tree oil for treating acne.
• I still use my Avon eyebrow pencil almost every day because it's my favorite, and it's down to a stub now, but I still haven't used up the first one. I bought 2 backups 2 years ago. That was not necessary.
• This Freeman Avocado clay mask is still the shit. Also those tubes last forfuckingever.
• I still have never got a setting spray to work, though I got some mini Bare Minerals foundations to play with, so maybe it will work with those?
• I still can't wear eyeshadow without primer, and I've have the best luck with the cheaper options. I just threw out half a tube of LORAC primer because I hated it. What a waste. Right now I'm using e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow Primer, which doesn't seem to exist anymore, but it's working pretty well.
• SCIENCE.
• My posts are still full of typos. Sorry, I try, but there's probably at least one mistake in this post. (This isn't my job, so I usually have to put posts together in brief periods of free time.)

Things that are slightly more complicated now:

• I still don't think that expensive finishing powders are going to change your life. In my post on them, however, I did sort of conflate finishing and setting powders, which is obviously makeup blasphemy. I'm slowly working my way through this Nars powder (below), which I use almost every day mostly out of habit. I honestly don't see much difference on my skin. Maybe for photos? I do still prefer the Maybelline powder I mentioned in that post linked above to all the more expensive loose powders I've tried.

Nars powder: a little grimy, but PAN!

• I do have some NYX products that I like now, but I guess I'm still not super excited about any of them.
• I guess if I were to write my highlighting and contouring on the cheap post again, I might include more options for contouring/shading. Like if you have really cool coloring, maybe you don't want to use bronzer, because it could look too orange. I own NYX blush in Taupe, and I would likely mention that - though I almost never use it myself, because I still use highlighter much more than shading contouring products (if I'm going to do anything at all). These days there are way more products out there specifically designed for contouring, and I would still say fuck those, because you can just use crap you already own, like eyeshadow or concealer.

Things that have changed:

• I guess I got back together with lipstick, but I'm still not very good at wearing it, especially if it's very dark/bright and opaque. Maybe for an hour at home, but not if I am out somewhere where I have to talk or eat.
• A lot of the newer stuff I've acquired has been "higher end," but it's not because I necessarily think it's better. It's mainly because I'm trying to save money, which sounds like nonsense, but hear me out. I've bought very little makeup in the last 9 months or so, and what I have bought I've mainly picked up using my Birchbox points. So that means that even though I would really prefer a L'Oreal Lineur Intense liquid liner, I got the Stila liquid liner, because it was $0 with a few months worth of points instead of $9 at CVS. Other things I've picked up have been with gift cards I got for participating in consumer trials, etc. (I'm going to write a post about how to do that some time in the next couple of months). So the more expensive things have oddly enough been more affordable for me due to circumstances.
• All of the blue glass mugs that I had for many year broke. Fuck.
• I tend to include more of my own photos when I review something now, even though my camera is still shit. I just like reading posts on other blogs that include some photos, so I figure I ought to do it myself too.
• I'm not using any affiliate links anymore, even though some of my old posts still say they have them. They don't - I just don't have time to edit every single one. I'm not ruling out using them again in the near future, though.
• My hair isn't this pretty anymore. I should probably do something about it.
• Instagram.

So that was admittedly pretty self indulgent, but then so is this whole blogging thing, isn't it? It's nice to know that New Me is still Old Me, for the most part. I still haven't sold out to The Man or whatever (though if The Man has a job to offer me, he should definitely get in touch).

The Beauty Scenario Tag

I was tagged on this one by Beauty Reductionista what seems like a million years ago in Internet time, but I guess was only about 3 weeks ago in reality. So maybe I am not as slow as I feel. These questions seem to be designed to make me think about how much I really value all this crap I have. Let's find out!

You have to get rid of all of your foundations and only keep one high-end and one drugstore; which do you keep?

All I can think here is yes, please! Give me an excuse to get rid of all my foundations and start over, since the only ones I have left are ones I don't like much. Then I wouldn't feel obligated to use up this crap. None of them is high end. I'd probably replace them with tinted moisturizers instead, since I don't have a lot of skin tone issues that need heavy coverage. I've been looking at options from The Balm, Laura Mercier, and Paula's Choice. None of them is very cheap, but that's a product that seems harder to find at the drugstore.

Here's what I had at the end of last year, but at this point I'm left with just the Maybelline stick, the Revlon, and the Sephora tinted moisturizer.

You go for an interview, and the lady interviewing you has lipstick on her teeth. Do you approach the subject or ignore it completely?

I would absolutely ignore it. I would be surprised to find someone in my field wearing noticeable lipstick in an interview, to be honest. And I really need a job, so it seems the safer bet to say nothing. I can't afford to be noble at the moment. Better that she wonders whether or not I noticed than that I risk offending her. In another situation I might mention it, but not in an interview for an academic job when the odds are already stacked against me - academics are prickly weirdos under the best of circumstances.

You're not feeling yourself and need a pick-me-up lipstick. Which do you go for?

Am I buying something or just putting on something I own? If it's the latter, I regularly put on garish/fun lipstick at home that I can't wear to work, like red or orange or hot pink or dark wine.

You go back in time for a day to your teenage years; how would you do your hair or makeup differently?

I had a horrible boyfriend in high school who constantly tried to convince me not to wear any makeup or feminine clothes, etc. If I could go back in time to my teenage years, I would chop his dick off.

You ask your hairdresser for a shoulder length Pixie Lott haircut but they hear wrong and give you a pixie cut - what would you do?

A) Smile, say thank you, call your mum and cry hysterically
B) Cry in the chair and things get awkward
C) Complain to the manager and demand a refund

As other people have mentioned, how do I not notice all my hair being chopped off before it's finished? I mean, I have terrible eyesight and I have to take off my glasses in the chair, but even then I would be able to tell the difference between shoulder length and pixie. I'm going to be a brat and not choose one of the options. If she started to chop off too much, I would probably hesitate uncertainly about what was going on until it was too late to stop her, then stop her and ask for a refund. So I guess it's a combination of A and C.

Your friend surprises you with a 4-day city break and you have one hour to pack. Which 'Do it all' palette do you pack in your makeup bag?

The only one of those (with eyes, lips, and blush) I have is a shimmery Pixi palette, but I probably wouldn't take it, because it's bulky (and the packaging is embarrassingly juvenile - better it remains in my bedroom). I guess since I recently got this Bare Minerals set called "The Magic Act" on sale (below) and I haven't quite decided what I think of it, I could play with it on the trip. I'd have to pack lip stuff separately along with a bunch of other crap. I'd really prefer to travel with smaller options than a bulky or fragile palette.

Does it annoy anyone else that the eyeshadow pans are crooked?

Your house has been robbed. Don't worry, everyone is safe, but your beauty stash has been raided. What's the product you really hope is safe?

I thought a lot about this, and I don't think there's any one thing I would particularly care about losing. But I would be really fucking pissed about everything being gone, because I can't afford to replace it - or maybe my renter's insurance would cover it. Would they really believe that I own this much makeup? Maybe I should start taking inventory photos.

It's interesting that I am not particularly attached to any of the beauty crap I own. Does that mean it's more about the experience than the object for me, or something? Anyone want to analyze me? I think I've had enough introspection for one day.

I'll tag Beauty in a Jar, Hello Pretty Bird, and anyone else who wants to play!

This is why your beauty products need FUCKING PRESERVATIVES! (Recall of Nourish Organics Lotion and Face Cream)

If you have either the Nourish Organics Face Cream or the Nourish Organics Face Lotion, check the UPC, because they may contain mold. More info from Wegmans here.

For more on preservatives in skincare, click here.

ETA: The samples Ipsy sent out a while back are apparently fine; it's just the 1.7 oz containers that are a problem. Good thing, because I used my sample a few months ago. I'm glad it wasn't contaminated.