Walkers On Aisle 7 (Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Mall)

So...this happened...


Credit: al.com

And all I could think of was this (turn your sound down. It's ...weird):


Credit: youtube

The first video was taken at a Wal-Mart in my home town. In fact, it's the Wal-Mart where I generally shop. The only reason--and I do mean only--that I was not there for this Black Friday massacre is that I was at another location closer to my house. The second is from AMC's The Walking Dead, and really makes me think that the zombie apocalypse is already upon us, and we just haven't noticed.

Yes. Yes, I went into the fray on Black Friday Eve (formerly known as Thanksgiving). It's not something I've ever done before, but Thomas and I have been looking to replace the prehistoric television (it's a box!) in our bedroom for some time, and Wally World was rumored to have one in the perfect size for the perfect price. It was kind of a now or never type of deal. There is no way I would have ever attempted to brave the store otherwise.

I can honestly say that I've never experienced anything like it, and I've worked Black Fridays in both a mall coffee shop and a New York chocolate boutique, not to mention a major department store. You could barely move inside the store. The aisles were filled with palettes of items to be sold only at specified times, and the few clear bits of aisle were taken up by people waiting in lines for those items. Periodically, uniformed officers would sweep those aisles to prevent impatient folks from tearing into the plastic wrap and taking what they wanted before the sales event began. They also served as armed guards for the poor employees who had to deliver the palettes to the floor. The actual departments within the store were roped off with caution tape, forming makeshift Disneyland queues through ladies' pajamas and produce. On top of that, all around, exhausted shoppers were sitting or lying on the floor, resting, while protecting their precious packages. I alsmost ran over one with a cart. It wasn't even my cart. I was just trying to squeeze past it, and didn't see a man slumped on the ground beside it.

The employees were wonderful, helpful, and even patient, but the patrons were anything but. I was stepped on, yelled at, and tugged on, and that was just trying to walk past the shoe section. I grasped onto Thomas' hand, just so we could stay together in the ebb and flow of the crowd. When we finally figured out where our queue began, we were issued a ticket for our item. On the ticket was the number 7 in a circle. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for that, but all we could figure was that was Wal-Mart shorthand for being in the Seventh Circle of Hell.

We got our TV. We even got to pay for it, even though that was another hour of trying to decipher where the lines began, and where they split apart again. The entire ordeal was a nightmare, even without the Romero reenactment.

The next morning, I picked my mother and brother up for our traditional 6AM Black Friday shopping at the mall. There was almost no one there. I walked into Bath and Body Works, and was at the counter within five minutes. The first 200 people at Customer Service received gift bags, and I was able to mosey up to the desk and get one. I honestly only did that to kill some time waiting on Mom to check out at Hollister. JCPenney's had some long lines, but the people in them were in good spirits and were polite and patient. What used to be the time for the "crazies" to fight it out over toasters and trinkets has now become, dare I say, quaint. Rising before dawn for Doorbusters is downright sweet, these days.

You know what? You can keep your camping out at Best Buy and your 10pm Wal-Mart zombie attacks. Who needs Midnight openings when you can enjoy a well-earned Turkey coma? I'll just stick to being quaint, thank you.

Black Friday Down

Wow. I'm not as crazy as I thought. Oh, I'm still plenty nuts, but I discovered today that there are folks out there who have downright lost it! See, I thought it was insane for me to hit Walmart with Thomas on Thursday night, then do my internet shopping at midnight (exactly), then pick up Mom and Curt at 5am for Mall shopping on Friday--and it is! That's certifiably crazycakes. However, it could be worse. I could be in line at Best Buy. Now. Monday.

And I wouldn't be alone...

I'm not looney enough to give up sleep, warmth, three days of vacation time, and turkey with my family to save a few bucks on some electronics. If it's something that is really and truly a necessity, and camping out is the only way you can get it, then more power to you, and may the odds be ever in your favor. I'll see you at dawn on Friday.

As it is, heading out into the fray on zero sleep is going to be a challenge. Then, of course, you have to factor in that everyone you have ever known is going to be out and about, too, and you are going to run into them. There's no question about that. If there is one person in the entire world that you don't want to see you in sweats with no makeup, rest assured that you will run into them first. I refuse to give them the satisfaction of seeing me looking like a swamp witch, so I'm planning ahead. If you'd like to join me in strategizing, please read on.

1. Lay It Out
My main tip for Oh Dark Thirty shopping is to lay everything out the night before. And I mean EVERYTHING. Sure, I'll pick out what I plan to wear. Then, I'll pull out shoes, socks, underwear, and any accessories, but I won't stop there! Makeup and hair products can be selected and placed on the vanity or bathroom counter, so you don't have to deal with fuzzy thinking and poor judgement after forty-five minutes of sleep. Lastly, I'll make sure there's a bottled Frappuccino and a power bar in the fridge, ready to go.

2. Keep It Simple
No one is expecting you to look like a supermodel for Black Friday shopping. If you're like me, the look you're going for is less Cindy Crawford and more Not the Wicked Witch of the West. Skip the full face of makeup, and focus on glowing skin and soft, neutral colors. For hair, skip the wash and spritz in a little dry shampoo for volume and freshness, then toss it up, up, and away. My pick: a trendy and super-simple messy topknot for cute and easy hair, and Too Faced Beauty Balm for luminous, yet effortless skin.

3. Make It Last
The last thing you want to have to deal with is touching up your makeup. For one thing, who wants to lug around a makeup bag when you have so many other bags to schlep? Pick products that are known for their staying power. My picks: Buxom Stay There Eyeshadow in Collie (sparkling champagne), Lip Tarnish in Mug Shot (nude pink) or Scandal (mauve), and NYX powder blush in Pinched (shimmering rosy peach). Good Luck!

Frugal Friday: Holiday Round-Up

Happy Last Friday of 2011!!! Let's get to this, shall we?

Victoria's Secret: The semi-annual sale is going on right now, with some fantastic deals and free shipping on online orders over $50 with the code SHIP50. Also, if you're a Facebook fan, you can print out an instore only coupon for a free NYE panty with any purchase today only!! Dec. 30th!! Get on that now, 'cause it's pretty darn cute.

E.L.F.: You have a few offers to choose from right now, actually. You can get a free mini-makeup collection with any order over $10 with code HOLIDAY thru Dec. 31st (tomorrow), and SHIP25 will get you free shipping on orders over $25 thru Jan. 1st. This one's a little complicated, but if you spend $20.12, you can add an 11-piece Studio Brush set plus case for $2.12 with code 2012. That one is good until Jan. 2nd. None of these can be combined, so choose wisely.

Busted Tees: It's Grab Bag time!! Thirty bucks gets you four random shirts. Granted, you don't get to pick 'em, but at $8 and change per shirt, it's still a really good deal. **P.S. If you find an Easter Egg and get a code, WRITE IT DOWN!! I accidentally clicked my mouse before I had a chance to, and it disappeared, never to return. I tried to remember it, but one letter/number escaped me. Busted, it would be nice if that code automatically made it to my cart next time. Just sayin'.

Sephora: Extra 20% off ALL sale items. Use code EXTRA thru Jan. 3rd. Good only online, and cannot be combined with other offers.

StyleMint: Extra 30% off any tee with code TLOW30. One tee per transaction, but an unlimited number of transactions is allowed. Also, buy any cashmere sweater and receive two free JewelMint pieces (Parisian Dream earrings and Smooth Sailing necklace). No promo code needed, and none allowed on cashmere pieces.

Old Navy: Take an extra 15% off your entire order, including sale items (!) with code ONEXTRA15. Offer good online only, and only thru Jan. 2nd. Considering clearance items are going for 50% off, this is a fantastic deal.

Of course, there are tons of other sales going on this weekend, but this should help out with promo codes and special deals. Have a wonderful New Year, and remember to eat your peas, cabbage, and pork! We need all the luck, money, and health we can get in 2012!!

Worth No Sleep and Crazy Crowds: Stila Glitz and Glam Palette

A few weeks ago, I found myself impulse buying a makeup palette. This, for the record, is not something I generally do. I'm a research, look at it, hem and haw, look at it again, research some more, justify the heck out of it, and eventually go back and get it, if it's still there and has gone on sale kind of girl. However, this was just too good to pass up: a Stila mini palette with four plummy shadows, neutral blush, highlighter, and full-sized lip glaze for $14. How could that get any better?!
It could go on sale for $10. That's how.

Figures. Anyhoo, the Stila Glitz and Glam palette is part of Sephora's Black Friday sale, and I'm going to cut to the chase and recommend it. I've used mine several times and received some really nice compliments. That's the short. Here's the long:

Packaging: The palette is constructed of heavy-duty cardboard (think: Golden Book) and opens to reveal a small mirror and instruction guide on one side, and products on the other. The entire setup is the size of my DROID, and fits neatly in a purse. Lip Glaze packaged separately in a click pen. I hate click pens, but that's just me.

The four shadows are large, and blush and highlighter are similar in size to a CoverGirl compact. My only gripe is that the blush and darker shadows are so close together that I have accidentally ended up with purple cheeks, so be careful. 7 out of 10.

Products: The shadows (champagne, rose gold, plummy fawn, and dark grape) are sheer, but nicely pigmented and silky, and work together beautifully. There is some shimmer, but not enough glitter to make this too teenybopper or inappropriate for the workplace. Heck, I wore these to church last week and got more compliments there than anywhere else.

The blush (dusty rose) is also very sheer, and pale as I am, I have to pile it on. However, the built up color is stunning. The highlighter is colorless, but imparts a subtle sparkle to applied areas.
Lastly, the raisin lip glaze, while my least favorite of the group due to it's stickiness, is a lovely deep crimson that can be applied lightly or deepened, depending on the occasion. The overall effect of the set is sophisticated and elegant. 8 out of 10.

Wearability: Overall, this is a gorgeous set, but you will need to do a bit more than the included directions let on. Obviously, you'll need foundation and powder, but I'd also recommend a black or deep purple shadow liner, top and bottom, and black mascara, top and bottom. I also like to add a little contouring to my cheek bones with a light bronzer.

With or without the additions, this is an immensely wearable set; appropriate enough for holiday parties or Christmas Mass. The colors also work well alone. You're getting a lot for your tenner, that's for sure. 9 out if 10.

Final Verdict: 8.7. You'd be crazy to pass this up.

UPDATE: These are super sheer, so they don't show up too well on camera, sorry to say. That, and I suck at photography. Also, sorry to say. From left to right: Glitz (good luck finding it), Glam, Glitter, Glow, Amore blush, and Illuminate highlighter (again, good luck finding it). 

Crazycakes-A-Thon Might Be More Appropriate

Reasons for the term "Black" Friday:
1. It's the day (weekend? Week? Month?) when retailers try to get back "in the black."
2. It's the most dreaded day of the year for folks who work anywhere near a mall or shopping center.
3. It's the color the sky will be when my mother and I line up to get into whatever sale we decide upon.
4. It's also the color of the very strong coffee I will require to survive the day.

God help us all.

Yep, Mom and I decided to brave the fray and head to the early morning sales this year. Alcohol must have been involved in the making of this decision. Well, I say that, but my brother wants (really!) to come along, and he's only thirteen, so he'd better have been sober. Oh, holy hand grenade, what were we thinking?

All joking aside, though, I'm really looking forward to going. It'll be like the Gilmore Girls (and an itty bitty Luke) do Black Friday. And, somewhere along the way, Thomas is planning to catch up with us, so we'll have a real family outing, and that's what holidays are all about, right? So, stock the fridge with frappuccinos, set all the alarms to butt-crack of dawn, and join me in scouting out some fun sales!

Beauty.com: Wanna stay home and still catch some deals? Get a gorgeous Erickson Beamon makeup bag stuffed with tons of deluxe samples--and a couple of full-sized items--with any $100 purchase.

Sephora: Online and in stores (not inside JC Penney, sorry), you can get 10 pretty darn nice items for 10 bucks each. A list is available on the facebook page. I'm making my list and checking it twice.

Ulta: Check out this leaked sale paper for some serious scores! Stores open at 6am.

Bath and Body Works: This is one of my favorites each year. For $20 with any $40 purchase, you can get a really cute black tote bag (zebra lined!) filled with over $100 worth of full-sized products!! Not to be missed! Enter code VIP11 at online checkout, or pick one up in store.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some coffee to set up on an IV drip.

Frugal Friday: I Will Survive (the Holidays)!

We're doing Frugal Friday a day early this week, in the hopes that I can post the gift guide tomorrow (with pictures!), and also because you'll want to check this out as early as possible: Sephora is previewing their $10 Black Friday exclusives on their Facebook page TOMORROW! Beauty Junkies, start your engines!

Now, I have no earthly idea what will be on sale, but I do know that the imminent holiday season means parties, events, and tons of those God-forsaken atrocities known as candid photos. Dear Lord, I hate those things. In other words, it's Christmas, so get your game face on. Literally.

To help, I've put together a list of some must-have items for your holiday survival kit. After all, it's much easier to deal with crazy family and crazier crowds if you don't have to worry about looking like you just escaped the crazy farm.

1. Benefit That Gal. I know I've preached the wonders of this before, but it's just so awesome that I'm going to keep preaching. This is a luminizing primer-and a darn good one, at that-BUT you can also pat it OVER makeup to add a subtle glow and a little extra smudge-proofing. $29, Sephora.

2. Benefit Boi-ing. This bills itself as industrial strength concealer, and, boy, is it ever! Dab a little on with a finger or brush, and you're set. True story: my husband noticed when I switched to this. Really. $19, Sephora.

3. Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden. Yes, we've discussed this before, but, again, it bears mentioning. This comes in several colors, but my all-time pick is Eden because matte ivory is always appropriate. You can layer shadow over it, use it as a shadow, or even layer UNDER concealer for a little extra coverage. It's beyond must-have. $19, Sephora.

4. Urban Decay Lip Junkie in Midnight Cowboy. This is a nude, sparkle-filled gloss that looks like vinyl and feels like butter. Mild plumpers perfect your pout, while the minty flavor freshens your breath. Keep it in your purse to always look polished. $19, Sephora.

5. Couture Color Pequi Oil. A few drops of this tames flyaways and adds shine. Another great product to keep in the purse. $12, Sephora.

Frugal Fridays: Mobile Edition!

I am now blogging from my phone. This should prove interesting, to say the least. For instance, autocorrect changed blogging to clogging ...yikes.

Anyhoo, I have some fab deals for you today!

From 11:11 this morning, for 11 hours and 11 minutes, e.l.f. will ship any order over $11.11 for $1.11. The holiday collection this year is called 24kt, and features pretty gold packaging and tools. I highly recommend checking it out.

Now through Monday, Fredericks of Hollywood has 50% off all clearance and 20% off all corsets. There are some really cute party dresses (among other things) at ridiculously low prices right now.

Lastly, Jewelmint has started a daily deal that can be found in their blog. Today's is a matching ring, earring, and bracelet set for 30% off with the code WONDER30.

Happy Veteran's Day!! Take a minute today to hug, thank, or give a thought to those who risk everything for our freedom. Have a great weekend!

Okay, So It's Frugal Saturday. My Bad.

*Editor's Note: This was written for yesterday. I swear. Um...yeah...sorry 'bout that. 

 

Welcome to another installment of Frugal Friday! Today's hot tip isn't just a Friday thing, but can actually be used any and every day of the week, until the sale runs out. Now, I have no clue when that'll be, so I wouldn't sit on this too long, if you know what I mean. I've been searching the site high and low for an end date, and just can't seem to find one anywhere. If any of you run across it, I'd be much obliged if you'd comment here and share with the rest of the class.

 

Anyhoo, I've been so busy rambling, I haven't said what the deal is, and I'm so sorry! The Body Shop is holding a semi-annual Skin Care event, and all skin care and makeup items (excluding sets) are Buy 2 Get 1 Free, or Buy 3 Get 2 Free! That is a fantastic deal, ya'll.

If you're a regular Body Shop-per, you could potentially save a lot of money with this deal. Some of these items are well into the $20 range, so if you already use, say, the Natrulift collection in your skin care routine, you could pick up your usual Firming Day Cream, Firming Night Cream, and Firming Serum for $102, and be able to get your routine Refreshing Roll-On Eye Gel and even give a Shimmer Cubes eyeshadow palette a shot ($26 and $22, respectively--a $48 value) for FREE! Obviously, you can make up your own combination. I just went with some of the more expensive items to demonstrate the savings.

 

Again, this is mainly for folks who either use Body Shop products regularly, or were already planning to try out the brand. I mean, it's not really saving money if you weren't going to spend it to begin with. All in all, though, if you need to stock up, now's the time to do it. Happy Shopping!

Bring the Magic Home (Or Don't)

Photo Credit: Amazon

If you're itching to finally own all of the Harry Potter movies, you can now pre-order a bare bones collection at Amazon for $89.99. That's $50 off MSRP, for the record. It's a Blu-ray collection, with all eight films and their previously released special features. The official release date is November 11th. If this is your first time buying any of the films, it's not a bad deal. IHowever, if you're just dying for new material, you might want to hold off for a bit. Nothing's been announced, but I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if there's a fancy-schmancy special edition collection on the horizon. (Standard Definition is also available for $64.99.)

Nothing a Good Mai Tai Probably Couldn't Fix

Photo Credit: Sephora

Okay. The picture round-up is currently on-going, so I'm going to have to put off any Disney tales till next week. I know; you're heartbroken, but I'm sure you'll find a way to get by.

I will say, that after three full days of sweating glowing in the hotter'n Hades beautiful Florida sunshine, I could literally feel the dirt invading my pores. I could see the clogs. That's bad. I did the best I could to combat the elements: drank lots of water, scrubbed my face at least twice a day, used tinted moisturizer instead of foundation, and tried to let my skin breathe as much as possible. It didn't matter. I am so broken out, people are mistaking me for a high schooler. Of course, I'm sure my being short isn't helping with their confusion.

As soon as I got home, I washed my face (again), and slathered on my Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque. True to form, it cleared out a significant amount of clogged pores and blackheads. Still, my face was in a state of trauma. You don't think about the wringer your skin goes through while you're laughing it up in the Happiest Place On Earth (okay, I know that's Disneyland, but same deal). We've established there's the heat and sweat and dirt...fine. There's also greasy food (which, I know, dermatologists have said that the grease you put in your stomach doesn't affect your skin...try eating pizza without getting some on your face. I dare you), drastic changes in enviroment (a/c in the car, airplane atmosphere, getting on and off rides, fog machines, wind machines, etc.), sleep deprivation, too many cokes and not enough water, little germy kids with little germy hands that touch all the same things you touch...I could go on, but you see my point? Even after the masque my skin was still screaming.

Yesterday, I happened upon Ole Henriksen's Blue/Black Berry Enzyme Mask. According to Sephora:

This potently calming blend of lavender, papaya enzyme, blueberries, and blackberries gently polishes the skin, relieving facial stress and delivering smooth results.

Well, that sounded like it might help. There was a fantastic sale, so I snapped this puppy up for only six bucks.

So, last night, after work, I put on my jammies, washed my face and pulled my hair back, opened up the jar and spread the contents all over my face. Then, I sat down to relax and watch some television.

The Good: The scent. Wow. This mask has a very strong lavender fragrance, but not a fakey, chemically one. This is real lavender, and it is extremely calming. The gel mask is downright frosty, and there are also no parabens, sulfates, or artificial colors. In fact, there's no color at all. It's clear, which also keeps you from having that whole Wicked Witch of the West thing going on.

The Bad: I had a hard time washing the mask off, and really, I couldn't tell if it did anything to my skin. I followed up with a moisturizer, partially because you should always follow a mask with a good moisturizer, and partially because my skin felt really dry. That's not a good sign when it's supposed to be a hydrating mask.

The Ugly: Normally, this is priced at $32. That's insane.

I'm going to give this another go. The directions said it could be used 2-3 times weekly, so it may just be very gentle. If nothing else, twenty minutes of inhaling lavender might relax me enough to not care about my skin anymore. I say, for six bucks, it's worth a second look. For $32, I suggest you keep your money and look elsewhere.

Final Verdict: It'll calm your nerves, but not necessarily your face. 4 out of 10.

Boredom Buster: Design Your Own Makeup Palette

I know; I promised pictures and stories from my Disney World trip...I lied. Well, only partially. I have, like, a grand total of two decent pictures on my phone, and one of them is Thomas in a fez ('cause fezzes are cool). The rest of the pictures are on my mom's camera, and it's at her house, patiently awaiting download onto my computer tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll have stuff for you then. Key word: hopefully.

In the meantime, I ran across this little deal yesterday, and it's too good to pass up. Too Faced Cosmetics has an online exclusive: you can get one of their custom palettes (regular price, $35) for $17.50 right now, plus there's free shipping with the code travel until July 25th (which I totally missed, and am now kicking myself over).

Photo Credit: Too Faced Cosmetics

I love this palette. You get to pick a blush (pink, peach, or Sun Bunny bronzer), an eye shadow duo, and either a lip gloss, mascara, glitter eyeliner, or eye shadow primer. Then you get to customize the cover and add an optional gift message. I've been searching for some pretty pinks to break up my usual peach/bronze routine, so I opted for Pinch My Petals pink blush, Totally Toasted eye shadow duo (milk chocolate and toasted almond), and I Love Myself pink Mirror Mirror lip gloss. The cover is customized with a pink fishnet stocking background and black chandeliers, and inscribed with "Erin's Pink Palette". It's uber-girly, and completely awesome. Plus, the eye shadow alone would have run $17, so for fifty cents more, I got the blush and gloss to go with. Oh--they're also sending lipstick and lip plumper samples. It's a can't lose deal.

By the way, if you're stumped for what to put in your palette, I'd suggest Sun Bunny bronzer (it's my all-time favorite, and works great on all skin tones), George & Wheezy eye shadow (icy gold and bronze pearl), and a Lash Injection mascara. Those are great shimmery but natural colors for a glowy, polished look, and you can have it all in one place.

One more awesome thing, and then I promise to quit gushing. After I placed my order, I received a phone call from a rep at Too Faced. Seems they'd run out of the lip gloss I'd originally chosen, and rather than just randomly toss in a replacement (as so many other companies would), they called to see what I'd like in its place. That really says a lot about how they value their customers, and it's very much appreciated. $17.50, Too Faced.

**UPDATE! It appears that Too Faced has discontinued this palette. The items are still available, though, so stay tuned for a review of individual pieces. Thanks!

Challenge--For YOU!!

Okay, folks, I have a challenge for you. *cue evil laughter*

This weekend, I purchased this dress for $6 at Old Navy. Well, technically, I got it for two dollars and some change because I had a gift card, but why quibble? Six dollar dress. Awesome.

Photo Credit: Old Navy

Here's the challenge: I need you to accessorize it for me. Post your best ideas in the comments section (with links, if at all possible), and I'll announce a winner Thursday afternoon. The winner will receive this glorious, one-of-a-kind, suitable for framing, fine Corinthian graphic to post on their own blog or website.

Lovingly crafted by moi in MS Paint

The dress is solid black, jersey knit, wth an elastic waistband and spaghetti straps. The occasion would be a casual cocktail party (think hoity-toity cook-out). Have fun and good luck! I can't wait to see what you guys come up with!


****UPDATE!!!! Congratulations to Magnolia! I'll send you a JPEG of your prize shortly. Stay tuned tomorrow for a post showing off her mad styling skillz. Yo. Alright, I'll stop now.****

You Don't Even Need a Helmet: Tokidoki Prisma Lipgloss in Rocketeer

Photo Credit: Sephora

As promised, I now have a review of Tokidoki Prisma Lipgloss ($15, Sephora--currently on sale for $7). Seems the UPS guy finally took pity on me and delivered my order, so there may be even more reviews coming soon. Or not. I'm fickle that way.

So, a little backstory on this particular purchase: in addition to being a lipgloss junkie and slave to all things cutesy, I'm also a sentimental fool. When Thomas asked me out for our first date, he did it with flowers. That's right, folks. My sweet husband found out what kind of flowers I liked (daisies--they don't make me sneeze) and had them delivered to my house. When he picked me up, there was my favorite Starbucks drink (decaf, non-fat caramel macchiatto, for those keeping score) waiting for me in the car. We ate dinner in a charming little Italian place (*cough* that's currently condemned for too many health violations *cough* but was really nice at the time *cough, cough*), then got ice cream and ended up at his apartment, where we watched The Rocketeer. Seriously, how much more wholesome can you get than a Walt Disney movie? We were good children. Anyway, by the end of that date--heck, by the middle--I'd decided I'd like to keep him around.

With that in mind, how could I pass up a lipgloss with an itty-bitty Rocketeer encased in the cap? How? I couldn't. There was no way.

What Sephora has to say:

These non-sticky glosses offer a sheer touch of color and a yummy blueberry flavor, plus protective kudzu and marine extracts. Each gloss cap holds a criminally cute tokidoki character inside a snow globe, so you can take the playful tokidoki spirit wherever you go. The clear silicone paddle applies gloss smoothly and evenly. These products are not tested on animals.

They're also paraben-free, if you're into that. I am.

What I have to say:

OMGLOLROFLMAOIDKABCXYZBBQ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay, so I have no idea what that even means, but I feel the need to type in tween text speak, now. This packaging is too freaking cute for words! First off, it comes in a clear plastic box, littered with little Sanrio-on-crack-esque characters. The tube, itself, is brilliant in its simplicity. You get a generously-sized square tube. I emphasize the square because, really, it just makes sense. My makeup train case has squared-off compartments and a flat bottom. Squared objects fit better than rounded ones. Likewise, my makeup tray is completely squared-off. Even the individual comparments for lipsticks and glosses are squared, even though most lipstick and gloss tubes are round. That has never made sense to me. Plus, the square shape makes this easy for me to blindly locate in the bottom of my gaping voi--um...purse. Yeah, that's what I meant. Purse. Moving on.

As I said, this is a very simple tube. Clear plastic displays the gloss inside. A black band separates the cap from the tube, and the minimalistic Tokidoki logo is printed in black down one side. Left as is, this would be a grown-up, sophisticated piece of packaging. But it's not. Not by a longshot. See, the cap is clear, large, and hollow. That emptiness is filled by a teensy little Rocketeer, and about a zillion pieces of magenta and silver heart and crossbones confetti. It kind of jingles when you shake it.

It makes me happy.

At this point, I'm already squeeing myself into a little puddle of tween-ish delight, without ever opening the tube. However, the gloss, itself, is the most important part of this review. Onward!

When you open the tube, the first thing you notice is the fragrance. "Blueberry Muffins" is the only way I can describe it. Well, "yummy" is another description, I guess. The second thing that'll catch your eye is the applicator. It's not a brush, nor is it one of those little fuzzy wand thingies. This is a clear, flat, flexible, plastic paddle. It's ingenious. The paddle is comforable, distributes well, lines beautifully, and best of all, never gets gummed up with product. Also, if you apply this over a lipstick, you don't have to worry about the lipstick sticking to the applicator and getting mixed with the gloss in the tube. How has this just been thought of?

The gloss is amazing. It's not completely non-sticky--you might get your hair caught in it on a windy day--but it's not goopy, and it won't make your significant other miserable if they kiss you, or worse, you kiss them on the cheek. Ever try to get goopy gloss out of stubble? No worries with this. I also feel like my lips are well-moisturized with this gloss.

The color, in the case of Rocketeer, is a scary black-ish purple. When you pull the applicator out of the tube, though, the color has diluted to something more akin to blueberry pie filling (appropriate, I suppose). Then, when you apply it to your lips, the gloss goes on so sheerly that you end up with a very flattering, high-shine, berry flush. It's really pretty, and great for a naturally glowing Summer look. I paired it with shimmering neutral eyeshadows, bronzed cheeks, and beachy waves for a care-free but polished Cali-girl look.

Tokidoki Prisma sale glosses also come in Burger (sheer orange), Bullets (sheer berry), and Sandy (sheer apple green, but I hear it's actually pretty colorless). Other colors can be found here for $15 each.

Gripes: Not terribly long-lasting. Non-plumping.

Final Verdict: 9 out of 10. As long as I keep it around for touch-ups, this is a cutie-patootie keeper.

It's the Holiday Season!

So, Whoopty Doo and Dickory Dock!  Welcome back!  It's time for the Holiday Sing-Along!  EVERYBODY!!!

On Thanksgiving Weekend, the cosmos sent to me:
12 a.m online sales
11 mile-long lines
10 missed parking spaces
9 extra feet of garland
8 days of leftovers
7 trips to Walmart
6 lost tracking numbers
FIVE EXTRA POUNDS!!!!
4 Egg Nog lattes
3 freebie totebags
2 broken ornaments
And a pneumonic parakeet!


Alright, alright!  I admit it!  I exaggerated a bit.  There were only two Egg Nog lattes and one broken ornament, but that didn't fit the song!  The rest is pretty much spot-on, though.  I stayed up until slightly after midnight Black Friday to place my Victoria's Secret online order.  The Sephora order went through a little after 2:30 am.  I live directly across the street from the mall, so I could watch the crazies line up at Toys 'R' Us and Best Buy starting around 6:30 pm Thanksgiving.  They came with all manner of tents, chairs, port-a-potties (seriously)...you name it.  I could almost understand lining up that early for Toys 'R' Us, since they opened at 10 pm, but Best Buy wasn't opening for almost twelve hours.  That's insane, especially considering the sales there, and at most places, were pretty weak this year.  At least, they were around here.  Sure, you could get a Wii game for $20, but only one that was regularly priced at $20.  Disappointed.  Did anybody score anything really amazing?  If so, I'd love to hear about it in the comments. 

If nothing else, the tree is up and the house is decorated, although the downstair's lack of wall decor is really noticeable now.  The presents are all bought and wrapped, and I almost feel like I can exhale.  I think I'll feel better next Thursday after my Christmas gig.  I'm the musical entertainment for a charity silent auction.  It should be fun, but it's been...interesting so far.  They don't have a playable piano, so I can't have live accompaniment, which left me looking for karaoke tapes.  It's a workable solution, but not necessarily my preferred option.  Sure, I'd love to sing "O Holy Night", but not necessarily in the style of Avril Lavigne (yes, that exists).  Luckily, Thomas found some more traditional downloads for me on Amazon.  Now, I just have to figure out the best way to play them and practice, practice, practice. 

Lastly, the bird is okay.  Rufus (you may remember the last time he was ill) decided to give us all a scare and stop moving, so we spent Saturday afternoon in the animal E.R.  $200 and a very tiny X-ray later, we learned that he has a touch of pneumonia.  So now, I get to wrangle him, wrap him in a towel, and force-feed liver flavored drops to him twice a day.  Thomas keeps telling him we're going to try waterboarding him next. 

So yeah, throw in a couple of trips to Mom's house and a few loads of laundry and you have my Thanksgiving weekend.  How was it for you guys? 

In other news, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a darn good movie.  Granted, there are plot holes you could drive a truck through, but I'm fairly sure all will be resolved in the second part.  There are also enough scares and surprises to keep you on the edge of your seat to the very end.  Just try to avoid having a small child with a loud voice and inattentive mother sitting behind you.  I learned all sorts of neat things from the one behind me.  Things like:  what was going to happen in the next scene, the results of his trip to the bathroom, and (my favorite) that the vision in his left eye was better than vision in his right.  *head desk*

Lastly, if you're like me and gained a ton of weight over the weekend (and before, but let's blame the turkey, shall we?), I can actually recommend a fast food salad that doesn't suck and won't exacerbate the problem.  Wendy's BLT Cobb is amazing.  A (generous!) half-portion will run you about $3.99, and comes with spring mix lettuce, tomato, bleu cheese crumbles, egg, applewood smoked bacon, and grilled chicken.  There's also a wonderful avacado ranch dressing on the side, but I enjoyed it without.  230 calories and 13 grams of fat without dressing.  340 calories and 23 grams of fat with.  To give you some perspective on this, a slim-fast drink contains between 170 and 190 calories, and I normally need to add a 100 calorie cheese stick to it to get me by for an hour or two.  This salad has kept me full for almost three hours, and I really only want a light snack.  A half-cup serving of sweet potatoes with all the fixings (no idea how many calories!) only killed my hunger for about 30 minutes.  That's something to think about.