China Glaze Crackle Metals Collection Summer 2011 Swatches and Review

Just when I thought I was getting over the whole crackle thing, these come along and renew my interest. Previously, the only options for crackle topcoat were cremes, but recently there have been a few shimmer and foil crackle topcoats cropping up. These China Glaze Crackle Metal crackle glazes are some of the prettiest crackle topcoats I've seen; they're crackle FOILS. Crazy, sparkly, ethereal, shimmering metallic foils. Take a look!


China Glaze Cracked Medallion (over Essie Super Bossa Nova). This is a light brassy-bronze foil crackle topcoat. Extremely sparkly (as are all of these shades) yet light and airy looking as well. Not too dense, it doesn't drown out your base color.


China Glaze Haute Metal (over Wet n Wild Black). This shade is a light, rosy pink metallic foil crackle topcoat. Silver based.


China Glaze Latticed Lilac (over Ozotic 505, which itself is over Finger Paints Art of Theft). This one is a silver base pale purple/lilac foil crackle topcoat. This reminds me of an old China Glaze color. Trying to remember the name. Was it Barefoot In The Park? I know it was from that collection. The ones that came with little nail decals on the neck of the bottle. Anyway, I'm digging the way this looks with the teal side of Ozotic 505!


China Glaze Oxidized Aqua (over Essie Brazilliant). Oxidized Aqua is a silver based light aqua blue crackle topcoat. Foily finish. Light and pretty and oceany.



China Glaze Platinum Pieces (over Pure Ice All Night Long). This is a straight up silver foil crackle topcoat. No blue tones. It's more of a white-silver, or a light shade of silver. Compared to the other silver crackle topcoat I have, OPI Silver Shatter, this is lighter in color and less dense/more sheer and lets the base color peek through.


China Glaze Tarnished Gold (over Ozotic 505 which is over Finger Paints Art Of Theft). Saved the best for last. This is a less brassy shade than Cracked Medallion. It's a neutral and almost taupe-toned gold foil crackle topcoat. I think this looks amazing over the duochrome goodness of Ozotic 505. I didn't plan this combination! It happened by chance! I just put some of the new crackles over my existing mani to test them. As luck would have it, it turned out awesome so I took a picture of it. Seriously, try this over a duochrome if you have one handy.

The formula of these is good. It's much thinner than any other crackle topcoat I've used. These shades are a little watery and therefore rather sheer, but it all works out in the end. Once they crackle, they shrink up/bunch together a little which makes them more opaque. They dry very quickly, but if you try to apply topcoat too soon after applying, it can smudge the crackle so be careful of that. I've also noticed that these don't seem to dry in the neck of the bottle as quickly as other crackles.



Just for fun, I did a few more of the shades over black. The black base really shows how sparkly and jewel-encrusted they look and it gives great contrast. So pretty over black. Left to right (pinkie to index) is Cracked Medallion, Latticed Lilac, Tarnished Gold and Oxidized Aqua.

Two thumbs up from me. These are gorgeous. They apply easily and don't seem to dry out as fast. They add sparkle unlike any other crackle topcoats. I heartily approve.

On an unrelated note, I'm unable to reply to comments again. Blogger just eats them, they disappear without a trace. Until I have my other computer back and I can post comments again, hit me on Twitter if you have any urgent questions, it's much easier for me to respond quickly there. Thank you :)

(These were sent to me for review.)

New Benefit 'They're Real!' Mascara - Review and Flash Sale Info

Recently I got the chance to test drive Benefit's brand new, not-yet-released mascara, "They're Real!" I was actually quite surprised and amused when upon my doorstep arrived this lie detector box accompanied by images of a very well-endowed film noir bombshell exclaiming, "They're Real!" However, the packaging isn't quite as important as the product, so here's my review.

It comes in a very nice tube. No plain plastic utilitarian tube here. It's a mirror-shiny black chrome-esque material, somewhat reminiscent of Hourglass' dark metal packaging.

The brush is pretty interesting. It's a plastic/rubbery type brush (I'm very fond of these) but instead of being tapered toward the top like I'm used to, it has a spiky thing at the end. It's like a cross between a normal rubber brush á la Lash Blast and a spiky ball brush like Telescopic Explosion. What it really reminds me of is one of those antique lightning rods:
The brush is designed to be used horizontally to grab lashes and add volume (like a normal wand) and then to be turned vertically to use the spiky end to lift, define and curl.


Here's one side without any mascara and without my lashes curled (the naturally have a bit of a curl to them, though). My eyes are so puffy and itchy... Super bad allergies this year.


Here's the other side with two coats of Benefit They're Real! Mascara. Well... maybe two and a half coats. I started to do a third coat but then stopped because I noticed it was starting to get chunky.

It adds a ton of length, gives a significant amount of curl to uncurled lashes and a modest amount of volume.

The formula is really smooth feeling. It feels very soft and thick, almost like a very soft wax. It reminds me of the way a tubing mascara feels like when you're applying it. It's not a tubing mascara, but it definitely feels like one going on and gives a similar look when applied. It's not a wet formula, but it's definitely not dry or flaky. When it's on your lashes it feels very soft and hydrating, but sometimes a little sticky or waxy because it's so soft. It doesn't dry hard and crunchy at all, it gives you very soft lashes. Removal is also easy; it melts away gently with water or makeup remover.

I love the rubber brush, the shiny tube, the way it curls my lashes and the silky, non-drying formula. However, there were a few things I didn't quite like.

The main downside for me is that this seemed to have a tendency to look chunky after the second coat. To be fair, I normally have this problem whenever trying a brand new tube of mascara, and I've only worn this four times, so it may get better with use. But, it was worth mentioning. It likes to clump up and give a rough appearance when applying more than two coats. If you're a one-or-two coat mascara wearer, you shouldn't have a problem.

The other downside for me is that I can't figure out the spiky ball end of the brush. Each time I try to use it vertically like it says, I make a bit of a mess. Maybe I'm not using a light enough hand... But when I do it, it sticks my lashes together and I get mascara on my lid. I think I just need more practice.

Overall, this is a great lengthening and curling mascara that isn't drying and doesn't flake. It doesn't add quite enough volume for me, but that's what the iconic BadGal Lash is for. Compared to BadGal it gives more length and curl and is a lot softer, but BadGal gives much more volume, a bit more definition and is darker.

This mascara officially releases in July and will retail for $22, but Benefit is doing a special one-day-only flash sale on it today (June 10 2011):


The preview sale is happening at these locations:

California
Macy’s Union Square
170 O'Farrell Street
San Francisco, CA 94101
415-397-3333 x4886

Bloomingdale’s Santa Monica
315 Colorado Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-985-6400

Ulta Laguna Gateway
9141 West Stockton Blvd.
Elk Grove, CA 95758
916-478-2610

Ulta Creekside Town Center
1232 Galleria Blvd.
Roseville, CA 95678
916-780-1117

Ulta The Promenade at Sacramento Gateway
3591 N. Freeway Blvd
Sacramento, CA 95834
916-285-6450

New York
Sephora Times Square
1500 Broadway #304
New York, NY 10036
(212) 944-6789

Illinois
Benefit Boutique Armitage
852 West Armitage
Chicago , IL 60657
773-880-9192

Canada
Sephora Eaton Centre
220 Yonge Street
Toronto, Ontario M5B 2H1
416.595.7227

(This was sent to me for review.)

OPI and Serena Williams Glam Slam! France 2011 - Spark de Triomphe and White Shatter

Here's the second duo-pack that makes up the OPI/Serena Williams Glam Slam! France collection. The other set was Rally Pretty Pink and OPI Red Shatter topcoat, this set has a glitter nail polish called Spark de Triomphe with a new white shade of OPI Shatter crackle topcoat.


OPI Spark de Triomphe. This is a sheer glitter that can be layered for more coverage. I have two coats on here and you can still see a bit of my nail through it, three coats would be completely opaque. This glitter is a mix of tiny round particles and larger round particles. The color is an interesting mix of silver metallic base with golden-green tint. Really unusual looking, I have to say I'm a fan!


And here's the crackle pairing:
OPI White Shatter crackle topcoat over two coats of OPI Spark de Triomphe. Like the last set, I thought the white with the golden-green glitter was a weird combination and I didn't think they would go together, but I was again proven wrong. I think White Shatter looks awesome over the glitter! It looks like a fancy party. I'm also surprised at how opaque the white is, I didn't think it would give me as much opaque coverage over the glitter as it did. It's very nice.

The formula on both of these was flawless. The glitter applies smoothly and isn't too thick. It's sheer enough for layering but can also be worn at three coats for full opaque coverage. The crackle applies evenly and crackles well. The drying time on both is stellar and I really have no complaints about either. OPI did good. Great formula.

Overall, I think I prefer this half of the Glam Slam! French Open collection. The glitter is sparkly and gorgeous and it looks fantastic with the white shatter. I guess there's a bit of a downside, though... I feel like I've seen this glitter before. Is it an old Nicole color? The green-gold-yellowy tint seems unique, though, but I know I've seen this glitter configuration in silver. In fact, they just released the next installment of Glam Slam! that includes a similar glitter in silver.

Unique or not, both colors are very pretty and the formula is spot on.

(These were sent to me for review.)

Sephora Favorites Set For Summer 2011 Limited Edition Sampler

I saw this set on Sephora.com a few weeks ago and instantly had to have it. It has mini sizes of tons of things I wanted to try- Too Faced Peach Leopard bronzer, Fresh Rose tinted balm, a Smashbox Fusion Soft Lights (love those things) and that makeup primer with the little pieces of real gold in it. I figure I should review it for anyone else who's curious about it. Here's what's included:

- 0.07 oz full-size Sephora Collection Mono Eyeshadow in Choco Excess 19 (dark chocolate with silver glitter)
- 0.13 oz Smashbox Fusion Soft Lights in Dusk
- 0.08 oz Too Faced Mini Peach Leopard Brightening & Perfecting Bronzer
- 0.125 oz Sephora by OPI nail colour in I'm Wired (opaque electric coral red)
- 0.08 oz Fresh Sugar Rosé Tinted Lip Treatment (sheer berry rose in pink case)
- 0.18 oz Guerlain L'Or Radiance Concentrate with Pure Gold Make-Up Base
- 0.10 oz Tarte Lights, Camera, Splashes! Mascara in Black
- 0.34 oz Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Make-Up Setting Spray
- 0.20 oz full-size Smashbox Lip Enhancing Gloss in Pop (cool pink)
- Sephora signature makeup bag

This is what I really wanted from the set... Peach Leopard. Ooooooooooo pretty.....

This is the full size Sephora Collection Mono eyeshadow in Choco Excess 19. It's a warm brown with lots of flaky glitter and gold microglitter. I haven't used this yet.


Smashbox mini Fusion Soft Lights in Dusk. I tend to collect these. They're probably my favorite thing from Smashbox... well, that and the primer... And the brushes.



Full size Smashbox gloss in Pop and mini size Fresh Sugar Rosé tinted lip treatment.

And my quick opinion on the items:


- 0.07 oz full-size Sephora Collection Mono Eyeshadow in Choco Excess 19 (dark chocolate with silver glitter): Haven't tried to use this yet, but it sure is pretty to look at. I think they just included this inexpensive house brand shadow to be able to say the kit comes with two full-sized products.


- 0.13 oz Smashbox Fusion Soft Lights in Dusk: I used this as a bronzer/blush and it's great. It's bronze but not too warm or ruddy, and the small amount of shimmer in it makes it look smooth and blurry, not sparkly and bumpy.


- 0.08 oz Too Faced Mini Peach Leopard Brightening & Perfecting Bronzer: Looks gorgeous in the pan, but I'm beginning to think that the Too Faced bronzer minis are a lower quality than the full sizes. This was hard and not very pigmented, nothing like the formula of all my full-size Too Faced bronzers. It's cute, though.


- 0.125 oz Sephora by OPI nail colour in I'm Wired (opaque electric coral red): Haven't worn it yet but the tiny bottle is cute. This is not normally the type of color I wear- too safe and normal, not fun enough... But I could be wrong, it could be really fun and bright when it's on the nails.


- 0.08 oz Fresh Sugar Rosé Tinted Lip Treatment (sheer berry rose in pink case): Same formula and feel as the original Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment (melty, buttery, a little grainy, lemon scented), but this adds a red berry tint to my lips. Very sheer, subtle, doesn't stain. The sample is not secure in the tube- feels like it's going to break off whenever you use it. The packaging is really nice for a sample- it's a metal screw-cap tube like the full size.


- 0.18 oz Guerlain L'Or Radiance Concentrate with Pure Gold Make-Up Base: I'm not even sure what this is supposed to do, but I had to have it. The best part of it is the gold suspended in the fluid. It's so cool to look at. Unfortunately, it does nothing. It stings and then makes my skin look oily. The gold doesn't add shimmer, it just dissolves and disappears. Can't figure this one out and I'd never pay $70+ for the full size (ONE OUNCE!) bottle.


- 0.10 oz Tarte Lights, Camera, Splashes! Mascara in Black: This seemed old... It was too dried out to use. What a waste. I like the original formula Lights, Camera, Lashes though.


- 0.34 oz Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Make-Up Setting Spray: I've used this before and liked it, but I do have a complaint with the sample packaging. The sprayer on the mini sizes doesn't mist; it splatters. Instead of a fine, even application you get splotches and puddles, which still work, but it's uneven. I've used this for keeping glitter on my eyes but I haven't used it for setting my makeup.


- 0.20 oz full-size Smashbox Lip Enhancing Gloss in Pop (cool pink): Really pretty color- sheer milky slightly warm pink. Very flattering. Smashbox gloss has a nice formula that's smooth and non-drying, not sticky at all.


- Sephora signature makeup bag: This is what the set comes in. It's just an ugly zip-top plastic bag. Not pretty or glam like Sephora's other makeup bags. This would, however, make a good beach bag, maybe to carry your wet swimsuit back home in. I'd consider this more of a throwaway than a featured item...



This set costs $39. Is it worth $39? My opinion: no. Why? These are all samples. Sure, they may be deluxe samples, but they're still samples. Tiny. I know samples aren't free to manufacture or distribute, but I don't see how this set is a "$135 value". Did I buy it anyway? Yeah, because I wanted to try some of these things without committing to a full size. What I should have probably done is just buy the $28 full sized Peach Leopard bronzer and not this. I think this kit would be more fairly priced at around $25 and I wouldn't hesitate to purchase it again at that price. The full sized products included don't really increase the value of the set; the gloss is one of those things that Smashbox is constantly giving away as Gift With Purchase or during Let's Do Lunch, and the house brand shadow isn't exactly a selling point, you know?

I'm making it sound like I don't like this set, aren't I? That's not the case. I do like this set, that's why I bought it. I just think that $40 is too much for a bag of samples and two cheapie/giveaway full sized items. Lower the price and I'd have nothing to criticize.

I do think it's a great set and I like (almost) everything that's in it. It is cheaper than buying all of the items in full size, after all. But I still really want that Peach Leopard bronzer in full size. Arg.

In case you wanted to see it for yourself, here's the link to it on Sephora: Sephora Favorites Set For Summer

Three amazing a-England The Mythicals nail polishes

A England (aka a-england, I'm not sure which is the official format) is a brand-new London nail polish brand. Normally I'm extremely wary of reviewing brand new indie brands because of my experience with the world of indie mineral makeup, but a-england has been around for a while now and seems to be a pretty stand-up company with a really gorgeous, high-quality product. I'm very excited to be reviewing these three shades from The Mythicals line. I'm sure most of you hardcore polish junkies have seen these already, so allow my photos to add to the stack of evidence confirming how gorgeous these are. Seriously, they are so cool

Oh, and also cool? The entire line is themed on Arthurian legend.

These are the shades I tried:

Avalon. This is a very deep (but not blackened) blue-toned purple with iridescent shimmer. It's not just a plain shimmer, though, it has a two-toned blue purple/red purple thing going on. I suppose I could call this a duochrome, but instead of shifting, both colors are visible all the time. It's really neat, it's almost layered looking.



Lady of the Lake. Can you believe your eyes? A PURPLE HOLO. I know it looks very blue in my photos, and it is a blue sort of purple, but it is less blue and more purple in real life. The angle where it looks most purple is in brighter light which makes it look a little washed out. This is a very rich, regal, gorgeous starry type of purple. I am seriously impressed with this polish. It has smooth holo particles, not a chunky glitter, but not a true linear holo. Really, really fantastic, I can't even tell you how great this polish is. It's dark and vampy but still obviously purple and that sprinkle of rainbow sparkle is totally mesmerizing.


Tristam. This one is similar to Lady Of The Lake except it's all blue. A very rich deep blue (also obviously blue, not blackened) with a nice amount of hologram shimmer. The particles are fine and smooth, not chunky or rough or glitter-like. So beautiful. This is not a dupe for OPI Designer Series Glamour, but it is somewhat similar, so if you missed out on that one, you may want to pick this one up to satisfy your dark blue holo craving.

The formula on these was great. The holo polishes were very thick, but that also means that they were very opaque. If I did a really thick coat, I could get one coat coverage. I did two thinner coats and that was perfect. Avalon was a little thinner than the holos, but it still had a little of that three-free thick feeling to it. All applied well, the brushes and bottles were not flawed in any way and I didn't get stained from the blue (shockingly). The only complaint I can think of on the formula is that they seem to have a pretty long dry time. I always use quick dry topcoat, and I used Seche Vite when I wore each of these, but they still stayed dentable for quite a long time.

Overall, this looks like a really strong and creative line. It's small- there are only around a dozen shades- but it's good. Not all of the colors seem completely unique, they have your standard silver foil, black creme and pale pink type shades, but they all look fantastic. The holo polishes and the purples were the stand-outs to me, but I'd love to see the metallic gold, the vampy black-red and the other blues and purples in person.

The polishes aren't cheap, though- they're £9.00, which is about $14 US dollars. Not outrageous or overpriced, but more expensive than your average salon brand. I'd say those holos are totally worth it, but I might hesitate to pay that much for a plain black or white unless the formula and coverage was really amazing.

They are running a special, though:



(These were sent to me for review.)

Urban Decay Rollergirl Eyeshadow Palette for Summer 2011

Let me tell you about my new favorite thing. The Urban Decay Rollergirl eyeshadow palette. It's new for summer, just like the Urban Decay Rollergirl Nail Polish Set. Yeah, I love nail polish... but, frankly, I prefer the Rollergirl palette over the nail kit! I mean, just look at it.... It has shiny metallic gold foil with hot pink accents and the front of it has black and white photos of a super sexy roller girl. Shiny foil, black and white photography and hot chicks is a pretty unbeatable combination. It would only be better if the foil was hologram foil, and even better than that would be if the lady was wearing glittery holographic disco-ball skates and matching bikini.

One thing that I think is great about this palette is that it isn't just eyeshadow, but it's also not one of those nasty mixed shadow-and-gloss (or even the occasional cream shadow/liner) palettes where the gloss gets all covered in eyeshadow dust and becomes gross to look at after the first time you use it. This palette comes with its own mini lipgloss and mini eyeliner, independent of the palette. You can take out the eyeliner and replace it with a different color, or even a brush... I like that. I don't like that there's nowhere to store the gloss that comes with, but the glosses always end up in my purse anyway, so I suppose it's not that big of a deal.


With and without flash. This palette contains: Woodstock eyeshadow, Verve eyeshadow (exclusive to this palette), Suspect eyeshadow, Darkhorse eyeshadow, Whiskey 24/7 Eyeliner mini and a mini Lip Junkie gloss in Crush (not pictured).

All of this comes nestled in a fancy velvet tray with plastic sleeve, but I didn't get a picture of that.

Closeups of a few of the shadows:
This picture shows some of the sparkle in Verve and the bright color of Woodstock. Don't be afraid to click through to see the full sizes!

This one shows the sparkles/microglitter in Darkhorse and the texture of Suspect.

This is the mini size Whiskey liner that comes with the palette. It's a medium matte brown. It's slightly warm with nice autumn tones to it.

Wanna know something pathetic? I can't roller skate. When I have roller skates on, I just sorta... gently roll backwards and then fall on my ass. I can't figure out how to roll forward. I can rollerblade just fine, though I haven't done that since that one time I was walking my dog while wearing rollerblades. That activity ended up with me wiping out on concrete and scraping off/gashing open the tips of all the fingers on one hand, then bleeding all the way back to the car... That was a fun story! Anyway....



Swatched over Urban Decay Primer Potion. Left to right. Woodstock, medium to dark-ish hot pink with a satiny-shimmer finish, like satin ribbon. Verve, a light beige-champagne shimmer with hints of grey and pink frost. Suspect, a light bronze-brown metallic shimmer. Darkhorse, a dark neutral nearly-matte brown base with gold microglitter that doesn't show up when swatched or worn. Whiskey 24/7 pencil, which is warm matte brown and Crush Lip Junkie which is a creme semi-sheer hot pink.

The Lip Junkie is really cute in that tiny little tube. The formula of it is really nice. It's smooth and slick with only a hint of sticky, and it's in the medium-to-thin range in terms of thickness. It has a soft vanilla mint scent, like those chalky little buttermint candies that some restaurants have near the cash register. It tastes sweet and slightly minty. It has a little bit of a cooling feeling but not significant or strongly tingling. It's supposed to be a plumping gloss, but it doesn't have a sting, a numbing effect or a strong cold tingle like most plumping glosses. It doesn't wear for very long, but while it does it's very glossy and the color goes perfect with the shadow colors.

The eyeshadow is a mixed bag in terms of formula. Woodstock is a bit of a disappointment because it's hard, too tightly packed and not very pigmented. It's not very easy to apply, but the color is great. Verve and Suspect are perfect- silky, shiny, decent pigmentation but can be layered or used wet for more shiny metallic goodness. Darkhorse is a bit hard and a little chalky, it could use more pigment and payoff, and the glitter never shows up. It's not bad, I think it's a fantastic crease color and I like the neutral shade of dark brown, but it has to be applied a little more heavily to achieve the same darkness as the pan color.

The eyeliner is fantastic, but it's rare that an Urban Decay 24/7 isn't fantastic. It really does glide on, and once it's set, it stays on. Decent color payoff- it's not one of those shades that you have to keep going over to get it to show up, but it's also not super dense and bold like Zero.

Like I said above, this is my new favorite palette. For one, the colors all go together so there's nothing to think about. My brain is very fuzzy lately and I can never quite figure out which colors to put together when faced with a drawer of shadow singles or even a bigger more varied palette. Since there's no guesswork, I can use this as one of those superfast I'm-in-a-hurry-but-still-want-to-look-good shadow looks. Verve is just super pretty and flattering and you could wear it on its own and still look 'done'. Here's one easy look I've been doing with this palette:



This is:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Verve all over lid and in inner corner
Suspect on outer half of lid
Darkhorse in crease
Woodstock on lower lashline using Morphine 24/7 Shadow pencil as a base
MAC Vanilla shadow on browbone
Milani Liqif'Eye pencil in black
Illamasqua Precision Ink in Abyss as liner (these things seriously rock)
Benefit BadGAL mascara

Another thing that I've been doing is using Woodstock wet as liner on the top instead of on the bottom. It works much better wet, especially with this Pixi Eye Liner Sealer stuff I've been using as a mixing medium.

No, the colors aren't crazy bright and neon or packed with glitter or duochrome, but I still love it. It's neutrals that don't look boring plus a little hit of color. I think Urban Decay did a great job with that theme in this palette. I think that's also the reason I liked the Sustainable Shadow palette so much, too... Nice easy neutrals with a little pop of color. I do wish Woodstock was smoother and more pigmented and that the glitter in Darkhorse didn't disappear, but those are my only complaints. Not too many overused repeat shadows (I didn't have Woodstock yet, so that was a bonus), either... No Baked / Half Baked / Twice Baked / Smog / Shattered for the millionth time. Thank you, Urban. I do love those colors... but they seem to be in almost every palette you make, which means if you collect all the palettes like I do, there's a ton of overlap. I love getting new/exclusive colors in palettes.

I ordered mine from Sephora, but I think everyone that sells Urban Decay is carrying this now. This set costs $32 and I'm pretty sure I remember reading that it was limited edition, but now I can't find where it said that... Anyone know?

Layering neon and black glitter

This is a coat of Revlon Galaxy over OCC Beta (which is over a coat of Essie Vermillionaire). Wish I could have gotten this to show up better on camera, it was so cool in real life. It looked like Halloween! Halloween is my favorite. Revlon Galaxy has become one of my top favorite glitter topcoats. I don't know if you can see it from this angle, but there's black, blue AND hologram glitter, not just black. A little sprinkle of holo hex glitter mixed in, but it's sparse and random and not much of it ever makes it to my nails.

I know I've been absent for a little while... Didn't mean to disappear without warning. Without going into boring detail or emo-whining, things have been rough for me this year and I'm having trouble concentrating on writing. I'm still taking pictures... lots and lots and lots of pictures... Just experiencing difficulty writing about the stuff in the pictures.

Also, thank you to everyone who sends me nice messages when I disappear. They mean a lot to me. I may not always be able to reply (especially when I feel this crappy) and I feel very bad about that, but your encouraging words do make a difference and I am grateful for them.

Soooo.... that was awkward. I think now I need to post a bunch of pretty shiny happy things. I have this cool Urban Decay palette that I'm obsessed with lately, maybe I should review that next.