Friday, September 20, 2002

It is snowing.

SNOWING.

...and sticking. I'm not supposed to be here, you know. I'm supposed to be in Palm Springs, or Yuma, or even Dallas.

I really hate snow.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 8:55 AM |

Wednesday, September 18, 2002

At last, I have my CCB Paris order. I'm not sure what took so long -- they said 5-7 business days, but it was more like 10-15. I think something happened to the package in transit, since the box was dented and had a large gouge in the bottom of it.

Fortunately, though, everything inside was just fine. As I was a new customer, they gave me 50% off of everything I ordered, one free item of my choice (including the most expensive thing in the catalogue, which was something like eleven dollars -- I chose something for about eight), and the free gift of a little vinyl clutch. The clutch is about the perfect size for traveling with, which is what I'll probably use it for. Provided I ever get to travel again...

Anyhow! As for what I ordered, and how I like it:

Lipsticks:

I ordered three, two matte finishes and one 'brilliant' (shiny). They're not standard-sized lipsticks, but the coverage is good and I think they'll last a while. I chose Desert Earth and Grape Brown for the mattes -- Desert Earth is a little more orange on me than I was hoping/expected. Not that I'm all that -surprised-, mind you. I have a hard time finding reds that look good on me. I need a lot of blue in them, as my complexion seems to have a lot of yellow in it. (I don't know -why-, as it doesn't _look_ yellow.... *Shrug* Who knows.)

The Grape Brown is actually just a few shades darker than my natural lip color, making it a good neutral for wearing in casual-business situations. Or something like that, anyhow, since wearing makeup in my line of work is...not silly, but certainly a losing proposition. After the first couple of hours, all that work is just gone.

Grape, the brilliant color, is actually another brown-toned shade, with very little true purple in it. It -does- look nice on me, particularly with a little bit of Revlon's StreetWear lipgloss in TwinkleToes dabbed on over top.

The lipsticks smell kind of like classic lipsticks -- a little like roses, a little waxy, and a little like something else entirely. Very light and pleasant, however, and something that I don't object to having right under my nose.

Nail polishes:

I got three of the long-lasting formula: Grape Brown, Evening Gold, and China Glaze. They are _truly_ long-lasting -- I put _one_ coat of Evening Gold on my left index finger on Sunday night, worked a full day Monday and Tuesday, and the majority of it is still on the nail. The tip has worn away, and there's a small chip in the middle, but it has survived repeated washings, assault with alcohol, betadine and Soft Scrub. I'm impressed.

As with the lipstick, Grape Brown is not very grape and rather more brown. Evening Gold is a soft, satiny gold color, and China Glaze is... Hard to describe. Kind of a maroon with a little more brown, but not really -brick-? It's a lovely color on the nail.

Luminous Powder:

I picked up the pressed powder in Dawn Sunlight, which is a pale buttery yellow. It smells like something that I can barely remember from when I was little%3B a very strong perfumey scent. It's almost too strong for me, but you might like it. It doesn't, I'm sad to say, actually have any reflective properties, so it doesn't make you sparkle. It is a pretty color, and it doesn't make me look like I put on yellow pressed powder -- just like I put on pressed powder. It's also avilable in a loose form for those of you that prefer that kind of thing.

Complexion Correction Kit

I havent actually used this in the way it is intended to be used, but the correcting creams are smooth and don't smell like anything.

Cosmence Pureté Line

Okay, I have to say that part of the reason that I bought some of the products in the Pureté line was because I liked the color. The other part was the price -- being half off, I could get two items for the price of one.

The Pureté line is for people whose skin is less than perfect, which describes mine in a rather kindly light. I like the way it smells, and when I remember to use it, it works really well.

The cleansing wipes are especially nice to use after coming home from work, and they make a nice quick wake-up scrub for those mornings when you have to run out the door with hardly any time for breakfast, let alone a full face-washing regimen.

The little two-sided exfoliating sponges make a lot of lather%3B the daily purifying gel has lovely little exfoliating beads%3B and the clarifying night gel is good for keeping oily skin at bay overnight. The double-action tonic is... well, it makes my face feel cool. I have yet to use the mask, though.

Shower Gels

These are wonderful! They lather well, smell -incredible-, and get me squeaky clean. The only thing is that the scent doesn't stay on my skin after I get out of the shower. I got Dainty Lemon, Capricious Orange, and Charming Vanilla -- I've tried the vanilla and orange so far.

And that's all, so far. I hope to get more in the future, though. Particularly some of the eyeshadows I missed on this order, as well as some of their new fast-dry nail polishes.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 11:27 AM |

A Story With A Happy Ending

Today, on my way to class, I had the semi-misfortune to witness a pickup truck narrowly missing a small brown dog. I stopped, of course, and caught the dog, who turned out to be a red-nosed pitbull (I know, but it's a real version of the breed!). She was sweeter than my cinnamon toast, in -great- shape, and got into my car with no hesitation. I had to go to class, so we went on down to UAA.

After class (which was as dull as all hell -- I thought we were having an exam or I'd have blown it off looking for the dog's people), I went back to the area in which I'd found her and started looking for her people. I knocked on all the wrong doors, asked all the wrong people... Eventually, I gave up on my random searching and decided I'd go down to the pound and see if anyone had called her in. On the way there, I stopped at a vet's office to see if -they- recognized her (they didn't). They also checked her for a chip, which she didn't have.

I arrive at the pound at last, and am directed to the Lost Dogs book. I start leafing through the pages, marking off the one possible owner, when the woman behind the counter hands me a page and asks if I could put it in the book when I'm done. I say 'sure, but...', read the description and the 'Lost at...' addy, and grin. "I think I have that dog in my car!" I went and got the little dog, the woman confirmed that yes, she -was- a red-and-white red-nosed pitbull, and called the owners back.

Sadie's dad was at the pound in ten minutes, and sure enough, that was his Sadie-girl. She'd escaped after a bath, which is why she wasn't wearing a collar. So, yay!

And also? Get your pets outfitted with a microchip ID. It doesn't cost that much -- Ivan's was, like, 36.00 _BEFORE_ my Employee Discount -- I'd have had him chipped at that price anyhow. It gives them one more chance at getting home to you, and unlike a tag, it can't fall off their collar. (And unlike Spike's chip, it won't alter any of their current behaviors. Hee.)
Posted by: Shannon M.: 6:11 PM |