Hello to all of you beautiful nerds and welcome back from traveling the vast nerd universe! Time for a new post!

Annoying Things the Tick Tock Beauty Influencers Do!

I feel like doing something relevant since Tick Tock has been the newest platform for people in the beauty space to do reviews on. We have Micaela Niguera, Glamzilla, and of course Jeffree Star coming back to the beauty space to do reviews on Tick Tock but did cause one thing there. I would say watch the Viewer’s Voice and Dustin Daily for their updates. Anyways, it has been a new platform for them while others are still on YouTube and Instagram. Heck, I post my beauty stuff on Instagram instead since I find doing through there more easily since I did have a troll take down an Urban Decay look I had done. If you all want to follow me there, MariBlueCat is my username!

Besides the new platform rising, we do have some annoyances that are also arising that I feel like are making a scene. Here is my list of those annoying things I have noticed and want to have a bit of a talk but first!

Disclaimer!

This post is based on thoughts and observations from the lead writer of this blog! Please respect her thoughts on these observations because she is only human! You have been warned!

The Influencer GASP!
I feel I should start with this post with this one since I always see this in every Tick Tock video and I did make fun of it on Instagram alongside with something a bit later. There has been something called the Influencer Gasp where the person is doing a review and they gasp at the effects it gives. They give the usual gasp or the “OMG!” or the “Oh!” when it looks “amazing”.” One prime example is Jacklyn Hill going, “Oh!” wWith a green CC Cream she tried onn for her gasp. I feel as though that the gasp is not necessary with how the item works or if it works since it can be misleading to the viewer when it comes to the short. Yes, we can have a gasp towards being surprised during an unboxing from PR but not an individual product. Another thing is that an item takes time to work. Yes, a CC Cream may work at first for one person but not work right away for another. For instance, I used to use the corrector green shade with NYX’s concealer pots and it worked by hiding myn post blemish spots. It would work for me but it would not necessarily work for someone who has major redness since the item does not work for everyone. So, people just don’t gasp unless you are getting a nice gift!

Saying a Product is “Life Changing!”

Another annoying thing, especially with how Glamzilla and Micaela have been saying it, is how a particular product is life changing. I understand that skin care can change someone’s life if it works for them after a few months but a makeup product doesn’t change someone’s life in one use. It’s like saying if I just started the Mac Pro LongWear Paint Pot for eye primer. I would not say it changed my life after putting shadow on it once, I would say I will have to use it more before saying something like it would be my holy grail shadow primer when there are so many out there. For instance, not only do I use the Mac Paint Pots but I also enjoy the shadow primer from Ulta due to how well my shadows stick to it and it’s lower priced than a paint pot or the primer from P. Louise. Tangents aside, I think that some of these people on Tick Tock should stop saying something is life changing after one use.

Saying One Item Is Awesome and It’s Not Afterwards!

I’ve seen this with Micaela where she reviewed the Rare Beauty Blushes and the Got 2 B Brow Gel. She said these items were amazing and how well they worked in one video, well separate videos at first and then the next she says the Rare Beauty blushes are not in her Top Five and the brow gel is hard to remove. This is why I prefer honest reviews from people on YouTube, especially the ones who do the all day wear test to show how the product wears at the beginning and then comes back later to show if it wore off or stayed on and give their thoughts. I miss those kinds of videos since we get a better idea of how the product works throughout the day. I loved how Tati did that with the Wet N Wild liquid lipsticks when she went to IMATS one year to test how well they worked throughout an event! I wished we had more of that since we would be drinking water or soda and see if the lipstick stays or needs to be reapplied. A Tick Tock is just a YouTube short that shows only a small bit of that test. Heck, I was honest one year when I said Havana Nights from Ofra kept on bleeding all over the place, if you saw my interview with Tia Ballard on YouTube, would you see that! Again, tangents aside, I miss those videos where it is an all day test of something to give a better idea of the product rather than saying this product is amazing one video and then the next it sucked a few months later. 

Saying Where to Get the Item When the PRoduct Sucked!

I wanted to bring this up since I did mention the brow gel in the last point. Besides Micaela reviewing the brow gel, she points out how good it is and where she purchased it, which was Amazon. She mentions later how hard it was to remove but then people commented on those videos saying they bought the product. It went the same way for the Maybelline Hybrid Powder where people bought the powder because not only Micaela said it was amazing and it blended like skin but Nicki Tutorials said the same thing which caused people to go to Ulta and buy it! People didn’t get the same results as Nicki and Micaela which caused them to return their product. I saw the reviews on Ulta as well and they were not good. This is why I love watching anything from Jen Luv because she can give you an honest review about a product if it’s crap or not. I love her Top Ten Favorites and Fails every month because with the items she gets in subscriptions or PR or even buy herself, I feel relieved if she says it’s not good then I don’t spend the money on it. Such as the Peanuts Face Pallet from Wet N Wild’s Holiday Collection 2022. I was shocked with her review since Wet N Wild is known for their blushes and highlighters but that was not a good one and I was glad I didn’t buy anything from that collection specifically. Lauren May Beauty is another great resource for reviews and Karen Harris as well since she focuses on more of the Cruelty Free stuff. I just got into Kelly Guche recently and she is really good on her reviews. I got the Fenty Bronzer recently and need to keep using it before I decide to do a Favorites post again. Stilol, I feel as though you’re better off seeing someone on YouTube for recommendations on what to purchase rather than someone on Tick Tock and wasting your dollars on it. I feel bad for the people who picked up that brow gel and felt that they wasted their money. I bet you’re wondering, I suggest the NYX Tame & Frame Brow Pomade and their Control Freak Clear Brow Gel. I have used that combo for years and they are a chef’s kiss in my book! I think Got 2 B Should stick to hair stuff since I used to use their hair pomade when I started looking for jobs in the past.

Making Cuts for The Effect!

I remembered how people pointed this out for some of the people on Tick Tock where they are trying a product and they make cuts to hide what they’re doing. One example is the reason for Lash Gate where Micaela puts on the Telescopic Lift with one coat and then makes the cut to say what happens after a second coat but has Ardel Wispies after her cut. Viewers even wondered if she did the same idea with the Maybelline powder where she put something on and that was not shown. When I did beauty videos, I showed the whole process of putting my makeup on and how it applies. Yes, the video is longer back then but you see there is no cut for an effect. It’s all me! As in, putting on the foundation where I spread it on with the Wet N Wild Photo Focus and then the powder, no cuts to show a weird effect to say my skin is so smooth due to my translucent powder.. I can see why so many people got mad at Lash Gate and were distrusting of some of the people on Tick Tock because the cuts can be anything and we’re not getting much. I know that YouTube editing allows someone come back with the finished product but they say that they tend to do a particular step off camera which includes brows or lashes and they say they will be back and say that their brows or lashes are now on and go to the next step but others do show how they do their brows and lashes. So, no cuts required with some people.

Don’t Need That Much Foundation!

I have to point this out because it is a reference to Meredith Ducksbury. She has posted on Tick Tock how she uses the entire bottle of foundation for her entire look, especially when she uses her hands to apply it. This caught the attention of Makeup by Mario where he talks about how his foundation really needs about one pump and to come to his studio for a makeover. Meredith did go for a makeover and was not happy with the amount he used, which was half a pump. I researched it and apparently less foundation is more coverage and I agree with that. I do about two pumps with the Urban Decay Stay Naked when I first used it, I also used two with Smashbox but that was not my favorite due to the pump being so tiny for the product you need, but I tend to do one squeeze with the new NYX Blur Foundation i’ve been liking at the moment. I don’t use my hands because it’s hard to get a good blend so I use my Real Techniques sponges to get an awesome blend. If I don’t blend too well, then RJ helps with added blending. I think Meredith just likes to cake on a bit much which you don’t need much of it and foundation has not been cheap with inflation striking last year. I was surprised that the Stay Naked foundation went to $40 last year and just wait for a sale or just purchase it if I feel like it at some point. In the meantime, I will stick to spreading on Wet N Wild or just squeezing one dollop of NYX.

N0ot Disclosing Your Sponsorships!

This is one thing that people have been questioning about some of these people on Tick Tock and that is how sponsorships are being disclosed. I like the idea of making your coin but not disclosing with the guidelines the FTC puts in place will get you in trouble, which they need to start breaking down. Seriously, they get on MLMs for saying they cure certain conditions but not break down how bad some people do their sponsorship claims! As in, how some not only use the banner but they don’t[‘t put if it’s ad or not at the beginning of their descriptions or put it in a hard to see font to hide it. To me, that is very tacky with how it gets hidden by white text. I understand paying my bills is important but if I were the FTC, I would tell the person to pay back the check to the company because not disclosing can cause problems. This also goes the same with Amazon links apparently where the person has to disclose that they do make commission off the purchases that are made. I think Amazon and the FTC should crack down and say, “Hey! You need to mention you get paid for your links, if not then we have to take that money for ourselves. Sorry!” One problem I’ve seen with this is, which includes with the past with Morphe, is that the viewer loses trust in their favorite YouTube star or Tick Tocker because of how it feels like if they use their code or buy the product then they are just a paycheck to them. Remember the Morphe codes? Especially with how Jacklyn Hill pushed it constantly with every beauty video she had made? It felt as though we are lining their pockets and like I said above, not all products will work out for everyone. What happens if that linked product or sponsored product does not work out? That also causes a mistrust for that person which would cause the viewer to think, “Are they making a paycheck off me viewing this or buying it?” So, if you’re being sponsored then just disclose and follow the FTC guidelines. They are right on their website for public viewing!

Buying a Gift for the Audience to Promote a Collaboration!

Had to point this out since it just happened and talked about on Viewer’s Voice. Apparently, Glamzilla bought gift cards to give to her audience for Sephora and said something about going broke if she keeps on buying these thank you gifts and then she did a promotional video for her nudeStix Collaboration that will be sold in Sephora locations. I am glad she got the collab but getting gift cards for people to use it on them is kind of cheap in my book. When I get a gift card I’d rather use it on something I really want from the store such as a set of earrings if I got one from Hot Topic or get my favorite Orally Top to Bottom if I’m running out if I got one from Ulta as examples.. It’s a bit tacky to give your audience this incentive and expect them to purchase your collab when those gift cards should be just giveaway prizes if the person were to do a contest using the collab and hash tagged them, that is what I would do if it was my own collab. I just started using NudeStix by the way and so far they are good but I need to keep using them since I did get the Sweet Peach Peony and Sweet Cheeks sticks and have to see how I feel about them.

Giving Advice on a Different Product That is Being Asked About!

Since I pointed out about how people spend money on items that were reviewed and were loved at first, this kind of goes back to people asking for makeup advice. Glamzilla was asked about the concealer from Bobbi Brown since she had made a video about how she enjoyed it. Someone asked if they still recommend it, Glamzilla turns around and says that the Bobbi Brown one was not her favorite and suggests the Maybelline Age Rewind instead because of how iconic it has been, plus she has been sponsored by Maybelline as well. Like I said above, if you like the product and say it’s good then recommend it to people even when they ask about it. Don’t go around and say it sucks when you said it was great at first and tell someone you shouldn’t get it if you loved it. I admit I was guilty of doing that when I said I liked the Star Light Gel Liners from NYX on video and found out later they were really drying and never recommended them in any blog posts after the fact. If you don’t like the product, then say you don’t like it and just say you prefer something else! I think I said in my Coastal Scents video for the Makeup Forgotten video a long while ago that I didn’t like lip pallets but did try their lip pallet for the video and would prefer a lipstick instead.. Not sure if that thing survived the flood, if it didn’t, like said before I prefer lipsticks over lip pallets. Heck, I even said earlier that the Smashbox Foundation is not my favorite due to the pump not being powerful and would even tell someone that if they asked about it.

I think that’s it, I hope no one doesn’t come after me for being honest about some of these points. I’d rather watch an honest review on products by people I enjoy on YouTube than being told to go out and buy something that won’t work on me. I did forget to say with the makeup being life changing . Most people wear it for a day and then wipe it off at the end of the day with some mycellar water, a makeup removing towel, or makeup wipes. Just enjoy the makeup you love to use already instead of buying things that won’t work out or just watch people who you trust on YouTube and just buy what works for your skin or what is suitable when it comes to formulas. You should not be uncomfortable with beauty. That is it! Just look out for my book review next!

Hello to all of you beautiful nerds and welcome back from traveling the vast nerd universe! I am back with a new post!

Yeah, Meh, Nah Spring 2023

It’s that time again and that is what I would like, I might buy if it’s catching my interest enough,and definitely not buying for this spring!  It’s been a long time since I’ve done this post with all the makeup that has been coming out and with the drama surrounding it, it is time for me to put my thoughts on it. I watched What’s Up in Makeup this morning and I heard some releases that made me want to write this post and here is what I have to say!

Nars Laguna Shadow Pallet

I mentioned Nars is one of those brands that seems to lose their creativity due to how much they have banked on their blush shade Orgasm for many years with so many items. I still have my big Orgasm blush compact somewhere in my stack of drawers, I am not lying about that, I did buy it but didn’t get the Orgasm Rising Shadow Pallet. See what I mean? Now, this year for spring they are doing the same thing but with their Laguna Bronzer, which is another best selling shade. It’s a shadow quad, even though it says there are five shades but four is only mentioned under the Details tab on Ulta and it costs $49. What the hell? Really? That much for just four shadows even if you can contour with them? That is definitely a nah in my book since I did get the Nomad Surf Shack pallets for way lower since they are being discontinued. Since that was happening I bought two of the shadow duos instead of one. To be fair, I was going through a rough patch last month and I went makeup shopping. Anyways, why would I want a shadow quad with four iterations of a bronzing shade? It would work if this was a nine pan pallet or a twelve pan where you can not only have bronzer type shades but also mix in some blues since it is supposed to be Laguna Beach? Still, nah to me! I enjoy Nars with some items, well more of the blushes but this is not something I would buy.

ColourPop Magnetic Blush Palette

Not sure I will be picking this up but I feel like brands are starting to throw back towards older trends that people have enjoyed and that is the magnetic pallets. If you remember back in the mid-2010s, the brand Z Pallet came out with magnetic pallets where you can take magnetic pans and place them into these pallets to create your own pallet which in turn people started to pan shaes for these pallets to be more unique. I like the idea since I did get those Hot Pot Shadows from Coastal Scents to create my own pallets for work makeup looks and even done it with some Colour Pop shadows as well. Other brands have followed suit and it had died off for a little while due to the pandemic. Color Pop is trying to bring it back with their blushes where you can create a cheek palette where you can put either bronzer, blush, or highlighter or just blushes, highlighters, or just bronzers to have your own face pallet by purchasing this type of pallet to build your own. It starts at 

$10 and you go from there. I may pick this up because I have tried some blushes from Colour Pop and enjoy them and may add some highlighters because they have an amazing formula. So, this is a meh for me!

Too Faced Italian  Spritz Pallet

I haven’t purchased anything from Too Faced since they discontinued their Chocolate Bar collection and am still sad about that. Why discontinue the popular items that made you famous? I heard the Better Than Chocolate pallet was terrible though! So, yeah they broke it. Anyways, when Jen talked about this pallet she got in PR, it got me curious with how she talked about it this morning. I like the idea that it still has the neutrals with the pops of color like with the Chocolate Bars had and it does have the scent of summer which I may be buying thi]k8s since it has been a long time. So, it would be under the Yeah and Meh categories because of how Too Faced brought back the scented pallets and might be going back to their original idea.

Update: I am purchasing the pallet so it is a yeah in my book!

Rare Beauty GIve Yourself Grace Pallet

It’s been a long time since I got anything Rare Beauty related since I left Ipsy. As you know, I only got mascara from Rare through Glam Bag Plus and it was pretty good on my lashes. I may get that again if I can find a Sephora in town. This is an eyeshadow palette that has rosy shades based on the blush shade called Grace. I haven’t tried her blushes which I heard are good things about them, I may have to check those out at some point and with this pallet, is a meh for now since I haven’t tried her shadow formula yet. Jen did try it out and she said she didn’t like it. I may have to try it so the shadow pallet is just a meh right now.

Too Faced Healthy Glow SPF 30 Skin Tint

I haven’t tried many foundations from most prestige brands except for Smashbox and Urban Decay and I do enjoy the skin tint from Urban Decay since it is very moisturizing due to how dry my skin is and I haven’t re-purchased it, I hope it is on the 21 Days of Beauty block for this spring since I already went for the Mac Paint Pots, especially with two newer shades as well. This skin tint has 18 shades with moisture and helps with glow. It also has SPF 30. I agree with Jen that the SPF is not enough to go without your sunscreen since I still wore sunscreen while wearing any makeup product that had it when I used to get any of the subscription boxes. I am not sure if they have my shade since I am a light to medium with neutral undertones and so far Urban Decay, Wet N Wild, and NYX have pulled through with their shades for me. Right now, this skin tint is a nah since I already have foundations I enjoy.

That is it for this post. I think I covered some of the items that were mentioned. I did update that I did pick up the Italian Spritz pallet and not sure if I will do a video since I need to get a new tripod but may just do it on Instagram. Who knows! They seem that they’re coming back from the makeup graveyard and see if they will be purchased again by me./ I am trying one of their Cloud Blushes on top of it. I may add the new Color Pop pallet to my budget next month, who knows. I may continue this series at some point this year since it’s fun talking about makeup like this. What’s next? I am on the last book of the Winter of the Witch Trilogy so stay tuned for that review!

Hello to all of you beautiful nerds and welcome back from traveling the vast nerd universe! Guys! THis tea is hot, it’s hotter than a gas giant in space! I decided it’s time for a new Cosmetic Controversy!

Cosmetic Controversy: False Lashes in a Mascara Review and Why Is It Still Happening?

Yes, I know what’s going on with Micaela Noguera and L’OReal Cosmetics with their new Telescopic Lift Mascara. I did buy this one after hearing this along with two pallets from Nomad Cosmetics, which I will be doing a look with this on Instagram coming soon! But I do have thoughts as a makeup lover and I have been wearing mascara since 2014 and will give them! But first!

Disclaimer!

This post is based on thoughts and opinions from the writer of this blog. Please respect her thoughts on the topic towards this controversy and how she feels about the product! You have been warned!

So, this past week I have seen stuff on YouTube about how Micaela Noguera reviewed the new Telescopic Lift Mascara from L’OReal Cosmetics. I have loved the original Telescopic and after hearing about the new one I was a curious little kitty towards it. What got me a little confused is that she not only applied the mascara with one coat, which has the regular brush and then a lash comb to separate the lashes, she goes off camera and comes back saying that it changed her life but other creators have noticed she had some Ardell Wispy Lashes on. I have heard of Ardel but you know my stance on false lashes, heck my first Cosmetic Controversy post was on them, you can find it in the archives and do hear my favorite people on YouTube use Ardel lashes in their looks. A lot of creators like Kathleen Lights, Raw Beauty Christie, and a few others noticed and spoke out about it because they felt duped about how they’re honest with their reviews of products. Even Jeffree Star came out of his reviewing retirement to Tic Toc to post his review and talked about how people are being paid to say that they love the product when people are really honest with items. I may have to touch upon that a bit later in this post but one person did say that everyone lies about everything which is not always true!

The False Lashes in Mascara Advertisements

This is not a new thing because in the early 2000s, especially going into the 2010s, we have seen commercials that showed models with the most beautiful looking lashes for mascara. Maybelline and Rimmel got hit with some whistle blowing for their advertisements. Maybelline advertised their famous Rocket Mascara which I had tried and my lashes did not look like the model’s at all. I didn’t like it much either and never bought it again due to it not doing much for my lashes. THe thing that got maybelline in trouble is for having the model having lash inserts on their eyes to make it look like their lashes are voluminized. Rimmel had their advertisement in 2017 banned in the United Kingdom for using false lashes as well. The UK is very strict on their advertisements and could see why they banned it. I only really saw articles going back to the 2010s before what happened recently but of course we can’t always trust the brand’s advertisements. Not all mascaras do what the claims say since everyone’s lashes are different. Like I said above, the Maybelline Rocket didn’t do anything to my lashes like some of their mascaras.  Rimmel, on the other hand, has better luck with their formula. All I have to say is that using false lashes or extensions in advertisements make it look like false advertising. Most of the time people that use the falsies have to use the mascara on their actual lashes and then apply them and blend them into the natural lash with another coat. Unfortunately, our natural lash does not do what a wispy really does so I can see why most people would wear them. Like I said, I think it is not necessary to have these when most people have nice and natural lashes and mascara is supposed to be used to enhance the volume and length, even some do the curl enhancement. Of course, we do have the lash curlers to help before and after the mascara on top of it. It would have been better if they just left these falsies and extensions at home.

My THoughts with Micaela and L’OReal

I think this was really shady as a freak because I have loved L’OReal voluminous line, especially the Miss Manga which I had used with cosplay and they have discontinued. Rest in Peace my friend! Micaela did a very dishonest review in my book because wearing false lashes makes the product not be real enough to justify the purchase. I did buy it so I can try it out myself after seeing the clips from James Charles in some videos. I like to try out items to see what I think about it for myself since I can’t see the end result due to being blind. If I feel it on my lashes and how well they look and feel with the mascara and if it does the  stuff as advertised, like with how the Miss Manga made my lashes look like an anime character, I will purchase it again. Hearing about how she wore the lashes made me feel that the review was cheap to say that this the best mascara. Even though Micaela is not speaking, L’OReal is also not speaking since they partnered with her and sent influencers PR packages with this mascara. I think they should have put in a contract if there is one to have a point without false lashes. Like I said before, it makes the review look cheap if the lashes were placed because we can’t tell if the formula did its thing. I understand Tic Toc is a new environment for brands to send over review items but Tic Toc personalities should be held up to the same standards of reviews on Instagram and YouTube, which brings me to the next point!

Thoughts on Jeffree Star

Jeffree Star came back to the beauty space but on Tic Toc this time to review the mascara and talked about how he hates people paid to say they love the product even if it’s not good. I’d rather rewind what he has said to the days of Morphe’s popularity where people said they love the item so much after one use. I saw it the most with Miss Jacklyn Hill and that caused me to unsubscribe from her. There are honest people on YouTube who have tried products over time and can say that it’s not good or that it’s awesome after their experiences. I love Jen Luv the most since she says in her motto about not buying crap but buying really good items. I have trusted her reviews on items I’ve seen in her Favorites & Fails video, such as her thoughts on the Wet N Wild Peanuts Collection for holiday last year. It’s been a long time since I bought anything from Wet N Wild since I love their foundation for a long time, I trusted her review on some of the items in the collection did not work out and was surprised that a face product was not pigmented when they were known for pigmentation in a lot of their items. Tangents aside, there are still some honest personalities out there. Which also brings me to how someone thought everyone lies about everything, yes and no! Not everyone lies about everything but some do and that can be a backlash on themselves. I still remember Jacklyn’s lipsticks being one of these examples where she kept on lying about the lab having white cotton gloves and how the fibers fell into the formulas when really there are animals walking around. It is a big deal for customers at the time because of how these contaminants caused injury to the customer. Raw Beauty Christie made a point about the review that made her and others look bad because she wore lashes and doing a review should be more honest. So yes, not everyone lies about everything!

Closing Thoughts

Micaela is not able to bounce back from this due to her silence. L’OReal is also guilty because they should have a clause about no lashes allowed in the review because it brings a bad taste to it. As said before, I did buy this mascara and I will try it for myself and how I li]k,8ke it and see how it feels. I do like Ulta’s snub by putting the Telescopic Lift next to the Ardel display which kind of shows that they don’t like the review either. I also feel that the audience may not trust her reviews after this if she is using false lashes in any more mascara reviews. I know doing this in mascara commercials is banned in the U. K. and the United States may have followed suit but should also do it in partnering with any Tic Toc personalities if they are going to continue work with them as time goes on.

That completes this post. It feels good to say something and man it hurts since I love L’OReal’s products over the years. I will have to see how this mascara works on my lashes to see what I think. Still reading books by the way. I am almost done re-reading The Bear & the Nightingale before I work on the second one in the Winter Witch trilogy, Until next time!

Hello to all of you beautiful nerds and welcome back from traveling the vast nerd universe! Time for another beauty post!

Fave Beauty Items of 2022

I know I should have done this just after the Bests & Worsts but I felt that other posts had to come first in order to think about what I wanted to include. I don’t want to be like some beauty people who name everything they like but I do have some things that I have tried and enjoyed during the year and will mention them here. But first!

Disclaimer!

This post is based on thoughts about products that the lead writer of this blog has enjoyed during 2022. Please respect her picks and thoughts about each item! You have been warned!

Hair

Starting with hair since I have been growing my hair out I want to make sure that my hair is strong! I am starting off with the Tresemme Keratin Shampoo and Conditioner. I have been growing my hair and one thing that helps is carotene oil to make hair strong and I have been enjoying this shampoo and conditioner because of how strong and thick my hair has been getting. I notice not as much fall out as my hair gets but I do put a comb through it and some strands fall but not as bad. Another hair product I did love was the Honey and Mimosa Hair Pomade. For work, I try to keep my hair from sticking out and having a good pomade does help. I have used the Got2B Pomade for years but that has been hard to find for years and tried out one from Old Spice but that one weighed my hair so much I had to toss it until I found the one from Carol’s Daughter.This was the most reasonable priced at Ulta and it did keep my hair down with a light hold and it didn’t weigh it down until I need to either wash my hair or just use dry shampoo. I did like one sale where they had this product buy one get one discounted and did buy it at that time to keep a stock of it. I hope this doesn’t go away. And finally, the Eva NYC Satin Dream Leave-In Conditioner is another favorite this past year. This has been something I use to keep my hair from frizzing up and being so dry, especially after washing my hair. It smells so good and I love the pump idea since this stuff is thick! I’m glad to see that Ulta carries this and I can just go into my Favorites list and pick it up. I just recently got another one in case I run out soon.

Skin

Next category is skin and man. I’m glad I did cancel my subscriptions because all of the skin care items have piled up over the years and now I’m starting to use some items. I do have some items I did enjoy this past year and one of them happens to be the SaraVay Skin Tint SunScreen in 30 SPF. I love this one because it doesn’t give me the white cast like the SPF 50 one does. I tried so much to love that one but couldn’t due to how much of a white cast it gave me, even my supervisor helped me to clean my face every time and had to toss it. The Sheer Tint SunScreen just goes on sheer like it says. I am on my second tube since I did repurchase it when my dad visited last time this month. I am still buying this even on sale. Another skin care item I give props to is the Aveeno Oatmeal Face Wash! I think I have gone through so many face washes all thanks to the subscriptions but I think the one I have enjoyed so far is the one from Aveeno. This one is meant for sensitive skin and I like how it’s not overpowering with the oatmeal scent either and it has helped with moisture even before my skin care. I think I prefer this one over the Saravay one because that one is a bit too drying for my liking even though that was suggested by the person from Ulta who helped me find items for my canceled RangerStop trip. I think I will stick with this face wash for the shower instead. Another skin care item I have enjoyed has been the Good Molecules Hyaluronic Acid Serum which I prefer over the ones I have tried from subscriptions. THis brand is from Beautylish and they have been at Ulta for over a year and a half and have picked this up in the smaller bottle and now I have the bigger bottle. I am about to try one from Tony Moly that has caught my eye and see how that works, if that one turns out bad I know I will return to my Good Molecules one! And finally, I admit I love Native Deodorants! For the longest time I have bounced between so many deodorant brands until I finally broke down and purchased Native all thanks to Mile Higher talking about the Christmas scents at the end of 2021; It did take me a while to get used to them because I was going from brands that I was used to a new and natural formula with shea butter and it was the greatest choice. I have enjoyed the Tye Dye Vanilla Cupcake which was a limited edition scent along with the Mint Chip Cupcake that I got three of and used one of them I believe. I am currently using one from the Cabin Collection which is their autumn collection and it’s the Vanilla Marshmallow. I hope they bring this collection back, especially the shower gels because I got the bundle of body washes and man they smell so good! I love the bundle packs because they do save you some money in the end. I did pick up their Candy Shop Collection with the Strawberry Vanilla Taffy, Sour Berry Ropes, and Gummy Bears because of Jen Luv’s ad and like everyone else who commented, I wanted to smell like gummy bears too!

Face

Next up is what I loved in face makeup and to start this category I have been enjoying the Smashbox Hydrating Face Primer. Even though the NYX Marshmallow Primer, which is my go to replacement for the hydro one they made, has been my top choice, the one from Smashbox is my second favorite and I think I prefer it over the foundation. It has a better pump and it also feels good and cools on the skin when I put it on. It may cost a little bit more than the NYX Marshmallow Primer since they have raised their prices but Smashbox does have a good price for some of their stuff. At least it’s not as high as Urban Decay has gotten as of late! Speaking of which, I do enjoy the Urban Decay Stay Naked Skin Tint which I purchased through 21 Days of Beauty and of course got it in Light Medium Neutral! This is another feel good product but also blends very well into the skin when I get to foundation. I put it on my pallet and apply it with my beauty sponge and it feels refreshing once blended in! Finally, I give props to Milani with their blush sticks! I would have never enjoyed a blush stick until Milani released these last year. I have one in rose and one in peach and love how well they blend in once I apply them.

Eyes

Next up is eyes and man it’s hard to know what I loved! I admit the Ulta Matte Eye Shadow Primer has been something I’ve been enjoying when it comes to priming my lids before applying my shadows. I usually love the potted primers but this tube of primer has been lasting me for a long time and it keeps my shadows on very well. I also enjoyed the Araceli Eyeliner in Rose Gold to go with any of my rose themed shadow looks. I found how pigmented it is and I do enjoy the pencil sharpener that came with it as well. 

Lips

Final category is lips. I think I don’t have much since most of the lipsticks I have used are from Mac. I have purchased a lot of lipsticks from them last year and enjoyed them. I do admit I did like one liquid lipstick line but it got discontinued which made me sad. I do admit their Powdered Kiss line is pretty good from what I’ve tried so far. I do put it on top of a favorite which is the Ulta Collection Lip Primer. I have used the one from ELF but when I tried this one out I fell in love! This one is more like a chap stick and easy to use. I tend to use it with liquid lipsticks to keep them from running all over my face. I tend to carry one in my work makeup bag and one in my personal makeup bags! I did find one I have gotten a while back in one of my LoungeFly backpacks since I used up the one in my work makeup bag since they sold out recently. At least I found out they re-stocked and may purchase at a later date.

So, that is it for this post! I know it seems short but I feel as though it was easy in certain areas. I didn’t include an eye shadow pallet because I didn’t use shadow pallets as much. I may have some for 2023, let’s see what happens! I am still reading books so stay tuned!

Hello to all of you beautiful nerds and welcome back from traveling the vast nerd universe! It happened guys!

My Thoughts On Morphe Going Bankrupt!

It just happened in the news and man I have some thoughts!

Disclaimer

This post is based on thoughts and opinions of the topic at hand! Please respect the writer’s thoughts on it! You Have been warned!

If you have been living under a space rock, Forma Brands has gone bankrupt this past week and with everything going on some people across YouTube were waiting for it to happen. This past Christmas, we saw the closure of all the brick and mortar stores for Morphe and not only it includes the locations in the United States but Canada as well when they were supposed to keep the Canadian stores open along with the ones overseas. Apparently, Forma has owed people some money and can see where this is a part of the bankruptcy since earlier last year they had some issues paying rent on some of their physical stores. I can see where that can be an issue since retail space in a mall can be pretty high and hearing that as a part of the issue can cause problems. Another part of it is that lawsuits had been made and one of them happened to be Playa Hair Care which the owner has sued them for since they were supposed to build them up except they didn’t during the pandemic. 

Besides Forma going bankrupt, that means the brands have also gone bankrupt which includes not only Morphe, Morphe 2, Playa which their lawsuit was brought up, but also Jacklyn Cosmetics since that is under Forma too. While REM, which is owned by Ariana Grande, is separating itself from Forma so it would be bought by another company. I can see that as a good thing because it helps the brand not only become more independent but also have better creativity and life. Some people had issues where Ariana didn’t have much life and thought she didn’t care about the brand as much. Another thing too is that when it first started the products, which I heard, were not made with great quality since that can happen to any brand that starts out but under Forma the formula is not as great. One example happened to Jacklyn Hill’s vault pallets where the formula in the shadows were not as pigmented as the first Jacklyn pallet. With REM separating from Forma then they would develop better products as the brand progresses over time. I did hear about the new limited edition collection called Thank You Next where there is a shadow pallet and a few other items. I may want to check out some products, heck the concealer did catch my ear but I have to finish up some products first. 

Another part of the bankruptcy is how Morphe owed some of the influencers they had collabs with on top of that is going on, which is mostly with James Charles, Jacklyn Hill, and Jeffree Star. Plus, now they owe all of the employees who lost their jobs at every store they worked for. I have to say as someone who works a job myself, not being paid for the time worked does suck. I have seen the Tic Tocs of people who worked for locations that they were given a day’s notice to over a week’s notice that they are no longer working at the store and that their last day is in a week or the next day and they have to help pack all of the leftover inventory to clear the shelves or sell all of it tbg5fv4ro customers/ I even feel bad that the customers who enjoyed this brand lost their favorite store that they can go to and try the products out. Trust me, when the Hot Topic at the mall down the road where I used to live back in Orlando closed down after wishing it to be near me, I was sad back then. Also, the NYX did close down the Millenia location, not sure if the Florida Mall location is still open? Who knows? Still, I think having that store for Morphe did bring people to the shop until of course the pandemic happened. Like with most makeup brands, sales didn’t go well during the pandemic where anyone hardly wore makeup due to masks being worn and online sales did do well but it was mostly in skin care since people were getting zits from masks. I understand that the pandemic can affect the brick and mortar store but online sales do well since no one was out as much. Morphe did start losing sales around the pandemic like with most brands. ELF did also close their stores but they flourished online and I think Morphe could flourish after this since that is their plan to do so! 

Since I mentioned the influencers earlier, another part of them losing their sales is how these top influencers were dropped due to some factors and they happened to be Jeffree and James Charles. As we remembered, Tati made some allegations about James Charles being a predator and he was targeting some straight guys and that sparked the second Armageddon. This caused Morphe to drop him and softly sell off his pallets which were the original big pallet and his smaller one. I remembered that sale and got myself one and still have it in my drawer tower. With Jeffree, they dropped him around 2020 or was it 2019? Still, Jeffree got dropped for his racist past and dropped his brand from their stores on top of it. Some people thought they had different energies when dropping both of them and I can see that it took a bit to drop James but immediately with Jeffree. Even though they had other influencers that were not so problematic in the past but became problematic later and I feel as though despite how popular an influencer is they do have some issues and still stay the same. Yes, I had bought Jeffree Star products thinking he had changed in the past but he has still stayed the same old jerk once Morphe got him. He has been silent as of late after moving to Wyoming from what I’ve seen. I think some of the other influencers have grown since Morphe and two of them happened to be Laura Leigh and Manny MUA who not only started their own makeup brands, Laura Leigh Cosmetics and Lunar Beauty, but also have their own podcast called Full Coverage. I listened to their podcast about the Morphe stores closing and they were nice about it and they were very chill in their podcast because they were just chatting. I may want to listen to more of their podcasts. Also KathleenLights having her own brand, Lights Lacquer, she has moved on and became a business woman and having her own creativity with her nail polishes. I love her polishes myself since I have a few of them. What about Jacklyn? I have noticed that she has not done much about saving her brand as of now from what people have said, she has to do something or she will go down with Forma because if she doesn’t fight for her brand that she worked hard for then it will be dead. Will have to see if she stays in Ulta since it looks like they are keeping it there.

Closing Thoughts

I know that was long but that’s how I felt. To me Morphe is not the end all be all when it comes to makeup. We have so many of them out there and to me we can choose our favorite brands easily. I still enjoy NYX, Mac, Urban Decay, and a few others but Morphe is not one of them. I feel as though with the change of the market online, whether it’s with YouTube, Tic Toc, and makeup as a whole, things have changed since how much the pandemic changed with how people spent their money on more skin care than cosmetics. Who knows how well Morphe will survive online in this environment since ELF has flourished with their new formulas, new products, and they have flourished still in Target and Ulta. Now they are carried in WalMart and have been doing well there, CVS and Walgreens. I think what Morphe should do is not only stay in Ulta but also try for other stores if they want people to buy their products by being in WalMart, CVS, or even Target since Ulta has their own space there. REM on the other hand, it looks like they are going into Sephora which is somewhere they could be more at home. I hope they get more creative and have Ariana have more creative power if possible.Jaclyn Hill should try to save her brand from going down with the ship by keeping up with the makeup environment because she only comes up with something new almost once a year or twice a year and most brands are creating new things months after months. Look at Colour Pop for example who creates new products two weeks after a new launch which they are coming out with a Winx Club collab. That’s another thing too, Morphe and Jacklyn need to survive by being more relatable with the customers and what is trendy in the makeup sphere. Not only making products with favorite series but seeing what is new in trends right now and keep it fresh as they do those releases. Who knows what will happen to both brands but we have to see the YouTube sphere spin it.

That’s it for this post! I feel like doing this post finally and that is makeup products I loved in 2022! I haven’t talked about my favorite products in so long! Until next time!

Hello to all of you beautiful nerds and welcome back from traveling the vast nerd universe! It’s time for that long awaited post!

Cosmetic Controversy: The Truth About Nail Polish

Disclaimer

This post is based on facts and personal experiences. Please respect what the writer has to say because it’s good to agree to disagree but do it respectfully. You have been warned!

I was hoping to do this last year because it was something that hit a little bit home for me. As you know, after a long week of work, I love to pull out my nail care items alongside a bottle of nail polish I may have just purchased from Color Club or Lights Lacquer or may have received from Ipsy and give my nails a nice coat of base, color, quick dry, and top coat and it gives me that look for a few weeks and chips as it goes. Right? Well, after getting my first refund from school, I decided to have a day to myself by going to the mall for some needed relaxation after having a busy week and took the opportunity after getting blood drawn for one of my doctors and decided why not check out the nail salon in the mall?

I arrived at the salon and asked what the prices were for manicures and heard that a regular one was $17 and the gel was $30 and decided to see how well their regular polish was and went with a navy one for the regular price. I was helped to a table with a woman and I never thought I would be bombarded with suggestions of getting the gel manicure and why it was better than regular manicures. Even the guy at the counter came over and tried to get me out of the regular manicure by telling me the gel is better and lasts me longer, except my nail polish on my nails I used before this appointment lasted me three weeks by this point and will get to that later and was annoyed and told him I still want regular and will do the gel next time. I felt he was giving me the look of “Don’t come back to us if it chips easily.” Then the attendant told me that regular polish dries out your nails and then the reasons for gel as well. I felt as though they were trying to corner me for a deal rather than what I want which I understand from a business standpoint but a customer wants what they want and I was sticking by it! The manicure did come out nice and even though I promised to come back, I never went back after hearing some things from a co-worker about some of their experiences and told them about their push for gel. My manicure did last me all the rest of the month into February! This is with regular polish and a top coat mond you. After that experience, I went into research mode and decided why not talk about it?

The Differences Between The Polishes

Let’s break down the differences between each polish. Nowadays, we have regular polish that you can find on your favorite shelves at Ulta and Target, gel, non-toxic which you can sometimes find in stores but mostly online, and dip nails. 

Regular: Regular polish is more of a mixture of a polymer and a solvent that gets painted onto the nail plate and can be removed with an acetone remover but can cause non-permanent discoloration with most dark colors if not too careful.

Gel: This term is also known as “Five-Free Polish” because these polishes don’t contain five commonly used chemicals that can be harmful but not really proven as yet. Subscription boxes tend to carry these but you can look around in your favorite beauty retailer or online for some of these brands but one I tend to use is Color Club.

Even though they last longer, gel polishes are mainly photo reactive which have to be cured under a UV light. UV light can be damaging to the skin after prolonged exposure and can also cause aging when it comes to the hands. Also the polish can cause the nails to be a bit brittle, so best to use this for special occasions because the removal process is more harsh than acetone alone because you have to file it off, especially with electric files. I remembered the attendant did use one of those motorized files to remove my polish that day.

Dip: This is a manicure that has a polymer that is made to be like super glue to [painted on first, then the nail either dipped into an acrylic powder or the powder is painted on with a brush and then an activator is used to form a hard shell. There is an issue with sanitation since the best practice for a salon is to place the powder into small containers or use clean brushes to paint the powder on since fungus in salons can occur. It happened to my mom once even though it was not a dip powder job but it can happen.

Which Is Better?

Dermatologists do approve regular polish the most since you can easily spread your manicures out since nails can become brittle and dry over time. I am going through that at the moment with my own nails but it’s not due to nail polish exactly. Non-toxic is a good option if you have sensitive skin like I do to prevent contact dermatitis due to how the chemicals in most polishes like Formaldehyde don’t really have much proof when it comes to harm to health over time. I would say wear a mask since that strong smell in any polish can occur. I still use Color Club not only because of the Five Free idea but I do enjoy how long the colors stay on my nails longer than most polishes. I can go for almost a month with polish. Like I said above, I was wearing a Color Club before that fateful day which lasted me two to three weeks while wearing it. I think it depends on the company that makes the polish and what kind of top coat you use to keep them staying longer. Also, think about the activity you do, whether it’s typing like I am doing now or washing dishes, nails do chip based on what you do. Heck, I lose false nails based on what I do too.

But Where Does the Drying Come In?

Acetone helps remove the polish and get off easier because it causes the polish to turn to liquid easily once the polymers are broken down. Not only does it help remove nail polish but it also helps remove glue and paint. What does that mean for our nails? Easy, it dehydrates them if we use it regularly, heck it’s more dehydrating than other products we use on our nails, even more than regular nail polish. No wonder I just let my nail polish chip naturally, if I can;t then I would use the remover pot. If you already have dryness, it would advance as time goes on and cause even more peeling, breakage, and other effects. Ouch! There are acetone free nail polish removers everywhere next to the acetone ones. Anyone want to work at a salon? Acetone-free would help more.

I bet the last bit would be surprising and that is gel polish also causes nails to dry and not regular polish. That’s easy my dear Watson! Hand washing, repeated use of acetone removers, and repeated use of gel polishes! As you know, everytime we use the bathroom or do something very unsanitary, we’re always told to wash our hands or use hand sanitizer to keep our hands clean. The most active ingredient in a lot of soaps and sanitizer is alcohol! Alcohol is very drying for any part of the body, whether it’s prolonged use for acne like I had in the past or even for hand use, it can dry out your skin and that can be a common cause for your nails and cuticles to dry out. I have noticed as of late that my nails were breaking very easily and this was without polish on them mind you and looked it up to see it was due to washing my hands a lot. All thanks to the pandemic and even rewinding back to H1N1 back in 2009, we were told to kill the possible infection is to wash your hands with an antibacterial hand soap and of course I carry these all thanks to my trips to Bath & Body Works and sometimes bought them from stores, even when I had to clean my piercings during healing time I used antibacterial soap from Dial for those six to eight weeks and yes my right, index finger suffered so much where that nail broke first all the time! Best thing is to use hand lotion or your usual lotion after handwashing to get the moisture back.

Another suspect is the nail polish remover you use that may contain acetone. Yes, it is great to remove that pesky polish you had on, especially if it has the pretty glitter flecks that a lot of people love but it can do harm to your nails than good and that with repeated manicures it can cause peeling, cracking, and and brittleness from the roughness. Also, sometimes the removal can also cause more damage with the wrong tools when buffing it away, even electric files get used. I don’t get why the lady used one of these with my nail polish when it’s not gel. I guess I preferred regular polish to save my nails from suffering. Not only that, where I pulled the information about the peeling, there are tips such as seeing if the tools are cleaned at the salon since most places don’t keep their tools cleaned. Now you can see where the sanitization for dip comes into play. Another is not to peel off any gel polish due to moisture build-up since gel can start coming off. Also, acetone also gets used to remove gel from what I’ve seen with this resource but the place I went to used files.

What Should I Do?

I would say just use a traditional nail polish over gel. Like I said above, dermatologists do recommend them more, if you are worried about the chemicals in them then check out some of the non-toxic brands by researching them online. I do recommend Lights Lacquer and Color Club as two of these brands since they are made in the U. S. A.

I bet you’re wondering, I have not returned to this salon in the mall because I don’t want to be pushed by a product I want again. I have heard good things about other salons some people have gone to and may try those if I want to get another manicure and one place is even closer to where I am now. I also don’t recommend this place because I have a feeling if I were to send someone and they decided on a similar manicure I had then they would go through the same thing. Like I said before, I understand the business aspects and want the tip and so on but pushing something, especially having the cashier/manager push it onto you is a bad sign. One other thing I forgot to mention, they tried to tell me that gel polish dries quicker under the lamp and that the regular polish takes longer. That day I was not in a hurry because it was a day for myself. I think that would be a bad sign if they want to push their customers out, even loyal ones, due to one service being better then why return? Like I said, I didn’t return to this salon, I may try another one in town at some point but in the meantime, I have tons of polish in my Color Club collection and others I got from Ipsy to use. 

Here My Resources

Gel Manicures: Tips for Healthy Nails

A Look At Nail Polish and Its Effects On Health

Is Acetone Bad For Your Nails?

That completes this post! I know it was long but felt good to finally get this up after a year. Like I said, things got in the way since that manicure and will go to another salon. If you think there is another topic that fits Cosmetic Controversy, just comment below! Still reading some books so stay tuned!

Hello to all of you beautiful nerds and welcome back from traveling the vast nerd universe! Happy new year! Time for the first post of 2023!

Makeup Brands That Lost Their Creativity!

I love makeup and with most brands I tend to notice how creative they are with their products and feel as though some of them have lost their way. What caught me was bold colors, cute packaging, and now it feels that with the demand for neutral products they have gone to the wayside or make products that are weird or shadow pallets with off color schemes. I have noticed with some they are releasing the same items over and over with different packaging! Let’s see what I think about which brands lost their creative spark over time.

Disclaimer

This post is based on the thoughts and opinions of the lead writer of this blog. Please respect her thoughts and opinions on makeup. You have been warned!

Urban Decay

Starting with a brand I fell in love with ever since getting their mascara in Ipsy moons ago. Urban Decay caught my eye with their Naked pallets with how colorful they were and how well the color schemes fit with each one. Naked was very neutral, Naked 2 was smoky, Naked 3 was purple, Naked Smoky was even smokier, Heat with fiery shades, Honey with honey shades and you get the drift. They even were more colorful with their Game of Thrones pallet a few years ago and matched with the houses. Now with having brands that can make their own Naked pallets, they started to discontinue some of them but where they lost their creativity was around the Naked Cyber pallet. I finally used mine this morning and the shades were hard to put together a shadow look with the reds. When I think something cyber I think silver! Not red and peach!! THere was only one shade with silver and blue duo chrome which makes me sad. I think the other pallets I could come up with look more than with this one and I feel as though Urban Decay is losing their spark in making awesome products. I also noticed it in making new Basics pallets which should have been done a while ago when they were bringing new Basics pallets for Naked 2 not now since they have done it with 3. I may be with Jen Luvs Reviews where she is stopping purchasing from Urban Decay. I think I may have lost some of my naked pallets from them in the flood since I had backups for Naked 3, Heat, and Honey and found my Honey back up though. I may have to see. Next!

Too Faced

I used to love Too Faced with their Chocolate Bar pallets and with having Jared with them it felt as though they didn’t know where they were going. At first with the Chocolate Bar, they decided to bring new scented pallets with their Peach collection, they also did it with some of their Christmas pallets, and then later they decided to bring in the dog, Clover, into the mix? Okay! Where is this spiral going? I felt with having Jared and then him leaving, they have lost their way a bit since I agree with almost everyone that they were going in two major different directions as in creating products that are cute and creating products that were X-rated sounding! Too Faced, pick one1 You can go cute or go the other way. Yes, Urban Decay had weird names with their products but they didn’t go as far as “Pat Your Puss” for a highlighter. Still, it feels as though they still lost creativity, especially after the discontinuation of everyone’s favorite Chocolate Bar line.

Benefit

I bet you’re not expecting this one to be on the list. I feel with Benefit they have not really created many things that have been really new. With what I’ve seen with this brand, I see how they really have released mascaras, brow products, some face products, and a few lip items and that’s it.   I feel as though that they keep on releasing their Hula Bronzer and their Dandelion Blush in different packaging for different occasions and holidays but a brand should not just rely on their face products alone since they can do more with items such as eye shadows; Just saying!

Nars

I just got into this brand not too long ago because their blushes caught my eyes more than their items. I do like a good blush and Nars are pretty good since I have a rose one from them somewhere in my collection but I also have one in their most popular shade and that is Orgasm. I am not kidding on the name either. I seem to see different iterations of this particular product and I only purchased the jumbo version so I could just have it. Like with Benefit, I feel as though their only popular item is just one face product and nothing else. Why name a product after a sexual thing? I am not sure but I think with every version of this blush, I think they need something new!

MakeUp Revolution

Or shall I say Revolution, they have been doing a lot of releases but seemed to have been slowing down due to some issues in their company. They are known for copying and making their own versions of some popular items such as the Kat Von D pallet years ago as an example. They also have done it with the Too Faced Chocolate Bar pallets as another example. Yes, having a good dupe that is comparable to the original even in price point except it does have a drawback. Once you start making your own stuff, you kind of lose that creativity since you rely on doing your own dupes. I have seen their own collabs so far for Halloween and Christmas so far and they are doing okay and hoping they can keep up with that spark because the days of duping a product from someone else is kind of over.

I think that completes this post. I am glad to be in the new year and hoping things go well for us. Next up will be the Cosmetic Controversy post I’ve been waiting to write! Stay tuned!