Final 2017 Ulta Haul

It's gotten so cold in Florida that I've actually gone and emergency ordered Cupid a medium weight blanket from Amazon (thank you same-day shipping!!!). So, while I sit here and wait for it to be delivered I figured I'd write up my final Ulta haul from 2017. Thank you, platinum 20% off coupon! I got lucky and the box arrived on the 30th, but I had other posts planned for that timeframe. So the poor box has been sitting in my guest room/office, waiting to get unpacked and shared!

The first two items I received were the Clinique Quickliner for Eyes in Dark Chocolate and Really Black. Black and brown are the two eyeliner colors I typically wear during the week so to get these for 20% off was exciting!

The next two items I received were the Origins Checks & Balances Frothy Face Wash, and Origins Ginzing Energy-Boosting Gel Moisturizer. I had received these two items as travel sizes in one of my November orders and loved them. So when I received the 20% off coupon I knew that I wanted to get the full sizes of these products. The face wash really works at making your face feel clean, without feeling dry, and the moisturizer is perfect for the morning before you apply primer and makeup.

The freebies that I received in this box were a travel size of the Origins Drink Up-Intensive Overnight mask and the Clinique Pop lip color in Cherry Pop. Both of these are new items to me and I'm super excited to try them out!

Now, I've got to go dash out to the barn and throw Cupid's new medium weight blanket on her. Not entirely sure she'll appreciate it but I'll sleep well tonight knowing that she won't freeze. Florida ponies, can't stick them in the backyard, can't stand having them out of sight.

NYX Lippie Countdown Days Fifteen through Twenty-Four

I was doing so good, then suddenly I wasn't! I honestly did try to get all 24 days posted as I opened and used the colors. But life got in the way and suddenly I found myself with less and less time to write as Christmas got closer. In an effort to make it up to you, dear reader, here are days 16 through 24 from the NYX 2017 Calendar.

Day 15
The fifteenth color was a purple from the Butter Gloss collection.

The shade is called Raspberry Tart which made me smile.

Overall, I didn't hate this shade but I didn't love it. Because the Butter Gloss collection is simply a tinted lipgloss it wears off quickly. After a few reapplications, I found that I didn't want to keep trying to wear this shade. It's pretty, but the dark shade combined with the gloss feature was a turnoff for me.

Day 16
Color sixteen is from the NYX Lingerie collection (yay!), and it's a purple (not yay).

This shade is called Embellishment and it is not one that was included in the 2016 calendar, unlike the other Lingerie shades.

Embellishment applies nicely and looks a lot nicer out of the tube than in it. The shade is a purple-tinted nude that isn't too bold yet isn't too pale. There's more of a red undertone than blue which made this color a shade I can actually pull off! Like all Lingerie shades, this one does settle into lines but does last long with an application necessary after a meal. While I probably won't buy Embellishment again, I probably will continue to wear this shade until it runs out.

Day 17
Color seventeen is a red (yay!) from the SimplyRed line (double yay!).

The shade is Russian Roulette, which matches my initial impression. In the tube, this seems like a nice sassy red shade.

This color applies smoothly, yet is easy to color outside the lines with. Despite that, it cleans up nicely and feels almost invisible on your lips. It does wear off on various glasses and snacks but lasts long enough to only reapply every few hours. This color very well might appear on my favorites list from this calendar.

Day 18
Eighteen is a blue..... It's from the Liquid Suede collection which has been a success in the past, but it's a blue....

The shade is Stone Fox which seems appropriate for the color.

I'll be completely honest, I applied this shade then wiped it off 30 seconds later. It is far too dark and bold for my personality. The color did apply patchily but that could have been because my heart wasn't really into sampling this. I can guarantee that this shade will end up in the bottom of my lip color bag only to reemerge when it's time to purge the collection.

Days 13 through 18 Summary
Overall, my favorite shade from this section was color thirteen, Vintage. It has a long wearing power and a nice unique color.

My least favorite shade was easily Stone Fox. Worst color ever, for my skin tone and personality.

Day 19
Nineteen was from the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream line which I have recently become obsessed with!

The shade is called Copenhagen and it's a deep plum shade.

I'm not in love with the shade and it isn't the best color for me, but with the right eye and contour it could actually be a fun party look! This is a long wear lip color and did need reapplication during the day. With the dark shade, it did require two coats for the initial application but it built nicely and did not appear cakey.

Day 20
Color twenty was from the NYX Matte Lipstick collection.

This is a fun blue-toned pink, named Shocking Pink.

I love this color. This is a shade for my personality and skin tone. It is a nice bold pink without being too shocking or overbearing. The application is nice, but the shade does require several reapplications during the day. Honestly, I am seriously considering wearing this color for New Year's Eve.

Day 21
The twenty-first color is from the Lingerie collection (which they must have really been trying to get rid of this year!).

The shade is Exotic and it was also one of the 2016 colors.

I loved this color last year and it was the first shade that I ran out of. Unfortunately, this year I either got a bad tube or the formula changed. It was oily and took more work to apply than I remember.

Day 22
Twenty-one is from the Butter Gloss collection so I instantly disliked it.

The shade is a pale pink/nude and called Tres Leches.

Despite my aversion to Butter Gloss I actually really liked this shade. It is extremely pigmented and applied really well. It lasted like a typical gloss but I didn't mind reapplying it because I was that in love with the shade. This might actually be a color I consider repurchasing!

Day 23
Another Butter Gloss for number twenty-three....

I had high hopes for this one because it's a hot pink titled Sugar Cookie.

Unfortunately, Sugar Cookie isn't as sweet as a cookie. The color was too bold and the gloss was too hard to apply evenly. This is another color I honestly didn't wear. I couldn't get it to apply and look good because the color kept running thin in spots or gathering in others. This was a big nope for me.

Day 24
Day twenty-four was another selection from the Butter Lipstick collection.

It's a mauve shade called Ripe Berry.

This applied nicely and actually looked good on me! It is not a long wear and did require several reapplications throughout the day, but it was worth it. This isn't a color I would normally wear but after trying it out I think it'll make a reemergence in my routine!

Days 19 through 24 Summary
I loved the shade from day twenty. This is hands down my favorite shade from this section, if not my favorite shade from the entire calendar. This color screamed my name and looked great on me!

My least favorite shade was day twenty-three. Between the gloss factor and the pigmentation, this was a horrible color. If it was a cream, then I would have probably loved it.

Overall
I love these Advent Calendars but did get a bit sick of having 24 different lip colors to try. The Butter Gloss was my least favorite collection and the Soft Matte Creams were my favorite. It was a fun experience and I look forward to using most of these colors in the coming year!

3 Things I've Learned During The First Month of Bari Sax and NYX Lippie Countdown Day Fourteen

So, I have officially been playing the Baritone Saxophone for approximately a full month. It is a lot harder than I expected, yet easier than anticipated. I am so thankful that the flute has extremely similar fingerings which have saved me a lot of work. But the following are the top three lessons I've learned from playing this monster saxophone.

1) I am a weakling. 

For an instrument that basically dangles from a tiny little strap on your neck, that sucker is heavy. After only 30 minutes of practice, my shoulders hurt, my neck is sweaty, and I start wondering if my thumb is going to break from the thumb rest. Clearly, I'm either doing something wrong or need to start a workout program.  

2) My breath control is not what I thought it was.

I can play the top register of the flute and piccolo for several measures without getting out of breath. Two measures of the bari and I'm dying. Clearly, I need to work on increasing my lung capacity or risk passing out and dying after that lead weight falls on me. 

3) I'm not a complete failure.

Sitting there and running scales on the bari is not as hard as I initially expected. Sure, I'm extremely weak and dying because I can't breathe. But I'm running scales with almost 100% success on the notes and my tuner recognizes that I'm actually playing the correct note, in tune! Despite all my reservations about this, I think I might actually be able to pull off playing the bari in a concert one day!

So, today is day fourteen of the NYX Lippie Countdown and if we're being honest I completely forgot to pop today's color out until I got home from work. The preview for this color showed a nice pink toned shade that looked like something I would typically wear.

Upon opening the tab, I was disappointed to see that this was a Butter Lipstick shade. The Butter collection has not been kind to me in this calendar. Despite that, I was excited to see today's shade was a mauve/pink tone that seemed like something I would typically buy. 

This color was called Root Beer Float, which is cute and reminds me of summer. 

Root Beer Float applies nicely but has the lipgloss shine that the other Butter collection colors have. Despite this, I actually really like this shade on me. It's a bit different from my typical pinks but it is fun and appropriate for work and play! I'm not sure if I would buy this again but I do plan on wearing this shade until the little tube runs out! 

Bok Tower Gardens and NYX Lippie Countdown Day Thirteen

Today, I celebrated my final day of my vacation by going to Bok Tower Gardens. This is a location that I have been meaning to visit for a long time.

Bok Tower Gardens was donated to the American people in 1929 by Edward Bok, an author and one of the original editors of the Ladies' Home Journal. The gardens are laid out in several different sections including a children's garden, edible garden, endangered plant garden, wetland, and several ponds and reflecting pools.

The highlight of the gardens was the Singing Tower. The Carillon is not an instrument that I am actively familiar with or have had the opportunity to experience. Sitting and listening to the concert performed on the carillon was an amazing experience. I was able to snag a spot by the screen that allowed me to view the carillonneur as he performed his art. It amazed me that carillonneurs have to use both their hands and feet to perform on the carillon. The amount of talent that requires simply blows my mind. I look forward to going back to the Tower and experiencing another performance.

From the Singing Tower, I headed over to the Pinewood Estate. Initially, I believed that the estate belonged to Edward Bok which isn't actually the case. Instead, the estate was the winter home of Charles Austin Buck, a Bethlehem Steel Vice President. In 1970, the estate was obtained by Bok Tower Gardens and added to the areas that visitors could tour. While I did not go into the house, I did walk the grounds and admire the Christmas Tree. My favorite part of the estate was a small pond with a waterfall just off the main entrance. This area begged to have you curl up with a book and a cup of tea.

Overall, I loved the Bok Tower Gardens and fully intend on going back. Because I could apply my admission price from today to an annual pass, I may or may not have purchased one! I promise next time I'll get more, and better, pictures.

Today's color preview made me extremely nervous. It appeared to be a red/brown and I was not cool with that.

After opening it, I was pleased to see that it was from the NYX Liquid Suede collection and was actually a purple/brown which is much more doable for me.

This color is called Vintage which made me smile when I first saw it.

Vintage applied nicely but did settle into the lines on my lips fairly quickly. It didn't look half bad but was not a good color for my skin tone. It's a bit too dark for me but not bad enough to where I couldn't pull it off. Honestly, I would not hesitate to wear this again. Providing it is not in a professional setting. If this color seems like something you would like the I would definitely test it out!

*Late Post* Coco Review and NYX Lippie Countdown Day Twelve

I'm sorry for the late post. I went out to dinner and to see Coco with a friend last night and had no motivation to write my review. So, better late than never!

Coco takes place in Mexico and the Land of the Dead. It follows the story of Miguel, a young boy who has a passion for music despite his family's aversion to it. Miguel runs away to participate in a Day of the Dead talent show and suddenly finds himself in the Land of the Dead. To return to Mexico, within a specific time limit, Miguel must find his ancestors and receive their blessing. Along the way, Miguel discovers what family truly means and that idols might not always be what they come off as.

Overall, I really liked Coco. The story is fun and really makes you stop and think. Initially, I found myself disliking Miguel's family because of their insistence that music is horrible. But as the movie progressed I began to understand their initial logic and feel sympathetic for them.

This movie had a perfect balance of comedy and drama. I loved the humor provided by the dog, Dante, and the drama caused by the family dynamic. One thing that I wasn't really a fan of was the depressing build up of the storyline surrounding Miguel's family and what happens in the Land of the Dead when the deceased are forgotten.

I would recommend Coco to everyone young and old. The story was light enough for kids to laugh and enjoy it, yet deep enough for adults to think and reflect on their own lives. Plus, the music was amazing!

The preview for day 12 of the NYX Lippie Countdown showed a nice soft red. I was excited for this as it had been some time since the color of the day was red.

After opening it up I was happy to see that it was from the NYX Matte Lipstick collection.

This shade was called Indie Flick which makes it sound like a fun, cute, and edgy color.

Upon application, I was amused to see that this is a bright orangy/red color. It applied easily and cleaned up fairly nicely but did smudge slightly. This is not a long wear color but layered nicely without looking cakey. While I would not replace this when it runs out, I would happily continue to wear this shade.

For days 7 through 12, I was fairly amused by the color selection. They ranged from nude, to purple, to red, to pink. Overall, my favorite shade was day 11, Sao Paulo because it is closest to the colors I would normally buy. My least favorite shade was from day 8, Creme Brulee. This color had a lot of potential but was horrible to wear. I found myself constantly checking it and reapplying it.