May 2026 Arrivals

Ok folks! I'm back to replenishing on things that I'm running out of and buying mostly just necessities.

1.  L'Oreal Paris Voluminous Original Mascara in 960 Deep Green: I had this in the deep purple shade and really loved it, but unfortunately that mascara has developed a strange scent so I decided to replace it with this one. I don't think I've ever seen a mascara in this shade before and really want to see how the green will look on my brown eyes. That said, it also comes in blue and burgundy so I might get both of those to try out in the future. 

2. Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel SPF 50+ PA++++: I'm running low on my current Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50+ PA++++ and needed to replenish. However, they did not have the essence at my local Teso Life so I went ahead and got the gel. I figure it might be nice and lightweight for summer while still giving my skin hydration. At least the tester felt hydrating in-store. 

3. L'Oreal Paris Eye Defense Eye Cream x2: I got this two pack at BJ's where I felt they were decently priced at about $18 for two jars. I picked this particular eye cream because the one I'm currently using is running low and I'm finding it not hydrating enough. I wanted something that hydrates, depuffs, and brightens so this one seemed promising and I decided to give it a try. 

4. Organic Kitchen Silent Hour Revitalizing Face Mask: I just ran out of one of my face masks and since I liked this one in the past, I decided to pick up another one. It's a nice, lightweight, hydrating and refreshing face mask that smells like berry yogurt so I enjoy the sensory experience of using it. 

5. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Multi-Use Concealer: I'm running low on my current concealer and I have not had this particular concealer in ages and have had it on my wish list so I decided to pick one up and see how I like it now. 

6. Physicians Formula Eye Booster Waterproof Ultra-Fine Liquid Eyeliner: As you know, this is my absolute holy grail eyeliner so when it was time to replenish and this was in stock, I went ahead and picked it up because I love it!

7. one+other Pro-Strength Nail Polish Remover Dip: The current dip polish remover I have has just gotten so gross that sticking my fingers into that goopy, sticky liquid and sponge gives me the ick! Hence I have gone ahead and bought a fresh new one. I also feel like the 100% acetone removes my polish faster which means I can go wash my hands quicker so overall, it's probably causing less damage than soaking my fingers quite a while in the non-acetone one to get all the polish off. 

8. DUO Quick-Set Striplash Adhesive:My lash glue was also getting quite gunky and gross so I went ahead and replaced it. 

9. Milani Make It Last Original Natural Finish Setting Spray: I'm running low on my setting spray and since this is my very favorite I decided to just go ahead and pick up a bottle. 

 

Disclaimer: I purchased all the items listed above myself. All opinions are my own. 

May 2026 Favorites

Hey folksickles,

Alright, all the goodies I've been enjoying in May :) 

1. Tocca Gia Eau de Parfum: This fragrance has made it to several favorites in the past and it is now back! It has such a lovely fresh, sweet, floral scent to it that is perfect for springtime but if I'm being honest, I love it for any time! I'm glad I've come back to it!  

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Disclaimer:  I paid for everything mentioned above. All opinions are my own. 

Love It Or Leave It; Review 2.0: NARS Extreme Effects Eyeshadow Palette

Hello folks. As a makeup junkie and blogger you may have realized that I review a LOAD of eyeshadow palettes and I like to think of myself as being largely an eyeshadow junkie. In order to declutter a bit I've decided to pick out a palette or series of eyeshadows for the month and have that be my monthly selection for those instances where I'm not doing a tutorial for the blog. Every month I'll do a recap on the eyeshadows - how I feel about them and whether I'll be keeping them or giving them away (and why :P) as well as if I think it's worth its price tag. 

 NARS Extreme Effects Eyeshadow Palette

You can find a look I did with the palette here. These are the looks I created this month:

 

 

So as you can see I created all sorts of colorful, soft, neutral, and smoky looks with these shadows. I personally have found that these shadows are easy to blend and the pigmentation on them is fantastic. All of them work really great! This palette is definitely a keeper both for its versatility and the incredible quality of the eyeshadows. They are so buttery, smooth, creamy (despite being powder), and blend like an absolute dream! Frankly sometimes my color picker (I use the Spin the Wheel app and pick 5 shades) would pick combinations I felt initially unsure about but I love how everything came together! 

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Disclaimer: I purchased this palette myself. 

Eye Cream Review: L'Oreal Paris Eye Defense Eye Cream

Hello folksickles. Today's review will be for the L'Oreal Paris Eye Defense Eye Cream.

Availability:  This retails for $13-$18 and can be purchased at drugstores that carry L'Oreal. I would suggest calling ahead to ensure the product is in stock if you're interesting in purchasing it in-person.

Would I buy this again?: I'm not sure.

What is this product designed to address?

According to lorealparisusa.com this is what the product is and what it does:

PRODUCT DETAILS

Reduces puffiness, lines and dark circles. Light-weight, non-greasy. Dermatologist and Ophthalmologist Tested.

Defend the delicate eye area against the first signs of aging. Eye Defense smooths fine lines, reduces puffiness, and diminishes dark circles. This light, non-greasy gel-cream is designed for all skin types.

 

Does it contain any special/beneficial ingredients?

Glycerin: Helps draw moisture to the skin.

Jojoba Seed Oil: Has hydrating properties.

Caffeine: Helps boost circulation thereby reducing puffiness and dark circles.

Oat Kernel Extract: Has hydrating, soothing, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Hyaluronic Acid:  Helps skin retain and lock in moisture.

 

What is the texture like?

I'd describe the texture as a lightweight yet hydrating gel cream. 

Is it scented?

It has a"clean" soap-like scent.

My overall experience/comments on the product:
Honestly I have been playing with this eye cream for about a month now and have really been liking it. I like that it's lightweight but gives my eye area good hydration, it's not heavy, it absorbs quickly, I do find that it de-puffs my under eye area because of the caffeine and the gel texture being cooling, it plays nice with makeup, it's easy to get my hands on it. All pluses, I was ready to rave about it. That is, until I read others' reviews, people are saying that this burned their eye area all of a sudden. Someone even said she started to have vision issues. That has not been my experience thus far but I'm afraid to repurchase this once I use up the two jars I got at BJs to avoid any potential complications. Hence, I likely won't get it again. It has been quite some time since I purchased my very beloved MIZON Multi Function Formula Snail Repair Eye Cream and I think I'll try to get my hands on it again when I'm done with this. 

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Disclaimer: I purchased this myself. 

Love It Or Leave It; Review 2.0: NARS Erdem Fleur Fatale Eyeshadow Palette

Hello folksickles. As a makeup junkie and blogger you may have realized that I review a LOAD of eyeshadow palettes and I like to think of myself as being largely an eyeshadow junkie. In order to declutter a bit I've decided to pick out a palette or series of eyeshadows for the month and have that be my monthly selection for those instances where I'm not doing a tutorial for the blog. Every month I'll do a recap on the eyeshadows - how I feel about them and whether I'll be keeping them or giving them away (and why :P) as well as if I think it's worth its price tag. 

 NARS Erdem Fleur Fatale Eyeshadow Palette

You can find a look I did with the palette here. These are the looks I created this month:

So as you can see I created all sorts of neutral, smoky looks with these shadows. I personally have found that these shadows are easy to blend and the pigmentation on them is fantastic. All of them work really great in my experience. That said, I just know I have similar shades in palettes that I'm likely to reach for more often. Belladonna, the matte taupe in here, makes a great eyebrow powder for me so I will hold on to this palette until I use that up. But afterwards I am likely to just pass it along.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Disclaimer: This palette was provided for testing purposes, I am under no obligation, nor am I being compensated, to mention it on this blog.