(Tokyo: A Certain Style by Kyoichi Tsuzuki.)
For Christmas, I bought Ryan a copy of Tokyo: A Certain Style
In Tsuzuki’s book, he profiles many single people who either spend all of their time at home working, or none at all. There are families so obsessed with anime characters that their collections have taken over their homes, vintage album collectors who carefully catalog their records but don’t ever take out the trash, and university students who live in neat and tidy apartments within walking distance to a public bath.
It’s an incredible glimpse inside a densely populated city and a culture so different from my own, and it was so much fun to read. In fact, the book actually fell apart as I perused it over the holidays (due to a design flaw), so Amazon graciously sent us a new copy. It’s still on Ryan’s night stand, and I might have to borrow it again soon, just for fun.
(Tarte’s pretty packaging.)
I’ve tried a few of Tarte’s products in the past and loved them, so when I read about their new eye and cheek palette, Be MATTEnificent, I knew I wanted to try it. I always enjoy a darker, matte look when it comes to my eye makeup, so this new collection seemed perfectly suited for me as I’m lightening my hair and embracing the grey that is peeking through. I also decided to try the Smooth Operator Finishing Powder, which is supposed to work wonders on oily skin.
(Tarte’s Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Colored Clay Matte Eye & Cheek Palette.)
The palette’s packaging is beautiful and elegant. It’s too big to fit inside the makeup kit that I use daily, so I keep it in a drawer nearby. Honestly, it should be displayed, since the compact itself is lovely. And I’m happy with the colors, which are very pretty and muted, but I’m not thrilled. They are highly pigmented and quite blendable, but also very, very muted.
Just for fun, I tried one of the suggested looks that was on a small card tucked inside the compact, and despite using several different shadows, the look was entirely too beige for me. I have dark brown eyes, and I prefer a more dramatic eye overall, so I’ll definitely use the dark plum color (as you can see), as well as the liners at the bottom. The blush is a little light for my taste, but might be nice this summer. And I can use the other shades as highlighters or base colors for a long time, so I’m still happy I decided to purchase this palette.
(Tarte’s Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder.)
Tarte’s Smooth Operator Finishing Powder is another story entirely, and I’m so thrilled with it! I’m honest about my issues with oily skin, and this powder received such wonderful reviews on multiple sites that I decided to try it. It’s pure white, so you have to use it sparingly and blend it into your skin, but a little goes a long, long way. In fact, it arrived in the afternoon, so I applied some on top of my makeup and noticed how dry it made my skin feel.
I prefer to use this first thing in the morning, directly on top of foundation and concealer, and it works incredibly well to control the oil that starts to appear an hour or two after I finish my makeup each morning. Once I apply it, I add a bit of skin-toned powder for color, and my makeup is set for the day. I do have to touch up slightly throughout the day, but not nearly as much as before.
I also stopped using the makeup primer I mentioned last week, because I suspect it was causing more oil to appear, so things have been much better since then, I’m happy to report.
Overall, both Tarte products were a good purchase, and I definitely recommend the palette if you prefer lighter shadow on your eyes. With the blush and liner, it’s a great product, and you only need to add mascara and a lip product to finish off the look.
(Snow in our backyard.)
Last Thursday night, we got enough sleet and snow to disrupt all of Central Texas for a few hours. I can hear you laughing, Shayla, but this is what a snow day looks like where I’m from. And here are some pictures of the damage it causes when Texans try to drive in this weather.
(Rhys still looks like a baby with his winter hat on.)
Anyway, a Friday snow day isn’t the worst way to start the weekend, and we snuggled up with lots of movies, pancakes, hot chocolate, and other yummy comfort foods. The boys were beyond thrilled by the “snow” that fell, even if it wasn’t enough to roll into balls, and Ryan took them outside twice during the day to let them run off steam. Rhys ate a ton of snow and James had to try it, too. And by mid-afternoon, the sun was out, the ice had melted, and the weather over the weekend was really lovely.
(An icy bridge near our house.)
(The trail behind our house.)
I ended up with a case of bronchitis, which put a damper on the weekend. Ryan drove me to the doctor Saturday afternoon while his dad watched the boys, so we made a quick date with a stop at Starbucks, Home Depot, and the grocery store to get my medicine. I had to stay in the car, but it was still nice to get out for a bit and I felt a lot better, too.
(James eating snow.)
We’re actually expecting another round of icy weather again this week, and I hope that will be the last of it. I’m not a fan of cold weather like this, and snow days are best when they’re few and far between. Like every few years.
