Part of me is writing this because I’m disgusted at the way companies and (Ugh) influencers are using social media to shill, grift, sell.

Ohhh. I ALWAYS use what I …..am grifted. Every day. Look. No Wrinkles!

\I’m tired of looking at reels on Instagram (forget TikTok—I can’t even deal with that site anymore), where cosmetics and skincare companies post filtered videos, stories and pics on their regular feeds of women—both young and old to show you the miracles their products will work on you. They don’t. These women—especially the old ones are filtered up the wazoo.

This photo was taken from HuffPost: Read!

And I realize that I’ve blogged about this in the recent past but it is really getting on my last nerve. Lately it seems that Instagram is nothing more than ads—it’s very disturbing.

In addition, given the fact I’m not that comfortable getting into the car, driving to the mall, and being surrounded with people who may or may not have Covid have changed my thoughts on being in large public enclosed spaces. Covid changed me. The consumers  who aren’t wearing a mask but coughing up a keg o’ phlegm, just isn’t moving my needle.

Crowd at the local King of Prussia Mall (photo taken off the internet), I don’t see anyone wearing a mask.  Covid changed my shopping methods.

Instead, I’m letting my fingers do the walking.  And that means makeup and other items . Before I add any products that I am sharing or writing about with you,  I give full disclosure that links added on what I purchased are from Amazon and I do receive a small monetary commission—trust me it’s very small but, I wanted to throw it out there to you. These are products I buy and use. I have a gifted product in this post as well, and I have been using it regularly. And, there are items I have not purchased through Amazon but through various websites.

Okay. For the makeup.  I see tons of foundation ads—all pontificating the same thing. All with women—especially the older ones, swiping and swiping and swiping the product on their faces for what seems like hours.  Then with a quick edit, wrinkles are gone—all due to the foundation. Please do not believe this BS for one second.

A ton of product does not make an older face look younger. It makes you look like Bette Davis in Baby Jane.  Less is more and products that I’ve been using lately are cushion foundations and BB cream cushions.

Bette Davis was 54 when she filmed Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. And I can tell you that without all the filters older influencers use, IRL they probably look like this!

This cushion from Catkin is my latest purchase from Amazon.  It came with two refills for a total of $23.99. Divided by three that’s approximately $7.99 per cushion loaded with product.  This comes to less money than what drugstore brands are charging and this brand from China is worth purchasing from.

I highly recommend this cushion foundation/cc cream by Catkin. Less pricy than department store makeup and the two refills make the price point better than drug store makeup!

The product arrived well-packaged.  The two refills securely and air-tight wrapped.

Compactly (pun intended) boxed–no wasted space. I like that!

Two refills come with this.  Honestly, this is a great buy and I use this a lot lately.  I highly Recommend this Catkin BB Cushion!

The compact, itself is beautiful.  I do have a very old compact that I purchased a few years back and refilled it with sunscreen so I don’t have to carry a big messy tube around.

TIP: When the foundation runs out, you can clean out the refill and fill it with sunscreen. This way you have sunscreen you can travel with and the sponge allows for a better application–especially if you have sensitive eyes!

I used the Catkin makeup to achieve this look. It really is great for mature skin.

In addition, I “found” another cushion foundation from the Korean brand Missha Magic Cushion.  When I say I found it, I mean it was deep in the bowels of one of my makeup drawers. I must have forgotten about it.  I’m wearing it as I write this and am extremely pleased with the way my face looks.

The shade range runs more to the lighter side, but the sunscreen component is great and as a winter makeup–this is wonderful for those months when you aren’t out in the sun!

Here’s a side by side:

The side I’m point to has no makeup. See the redness? See how the Missha Magic Cushion covers the red? 

And, again, this was less than the price of drugstore makeup.  With prices running from about $15 to $20, it is still better than department store foundations and with the rising prices of drug store makeup–it’s worth it! Granted, the shade range isn’t extensive by any means but the foundation works nicely if your skin tone is medium to light.

My love for K dramas had me intrigued by a stick that has been used in many of the series I watch. Kahi Seoul Multi Balm .  This clear balm-in-a-stick is great for the winter when our skin gets dry.  In my purse, it’s a quick fix during office hours to hydrate my face. It isn’t oily and it glides on nicely. I swipe it all over and it keeps my skin hydrated and moisturized.  I won’t need it in the summer because I sweat…and sweat gives that hydrating glow but for the colder seasons, this is a good purchase.  At $24.99 it’s a bit pricey but one stick will last well after winter ends!

Surprisingly, this IS a multi-use balm. I use it on my face at the office when I can feel the HVAC making my skin dry and I use it on my cuticles. I use it as a lip balm too.  It’s worth the $24.99

The next product is so great that I ended up signing up for a once-a-month subscription: Peripera Ink Glasting Lipgloss in Clear.  I’ll be spending $8.91 per tube and for me, it’s worth it.  Here’s why- my lips are very pigmented naturally. Because of this, dark glosses and lipsticks look even darker on me and oxidize. The only lip color I can wear is pink—and the pink can’t be too nude or have any nuance of warmth. It has to be pink.

Hands Down. THE perfect shiny and clear lip gloss.

I’m also a lip gloss fanatic. I love me a good lipgloss—like a 1980’s type with a ton of shine to make my full lips look fuller than they are!  I ordered this clear gloss blindly.  I took a chance. You have no idea how much money I’ve spent wasted over the years in search of that perfect clear gloss. The gloss is too sticky or isn’t sticky enough. It tastes like over-sugared fruit. It has the worst applicator. There’s no product on the applicator. It doesn’t feel glossy.  Trust me, I’ve gone through every excuse.

My apologies for the crappy lighting but I took this photo when I was in a hurry. See how shiny my lips are?  Granted, the gloss doesn’t have all-day staying power but it stays put for a while and doesn’t feel gooey or sticky! I’m glad that I subscribed to this. My new one arrives this week!

So, when I ordered this gloss, my expectations were low. Then I opened the small, wider tube and applied. First of all, the doe-foot applicator has a little indentation in the middle which holds more gloss—that’s a plus.  The applicator is also wide—another plus for my big mouth.  Then there’s the gloss. It’s wonderful.  Glossy and glassy. It’s shiny!  Granted no lip gloss lasts all day but as the gloss wears down, my lips remain soft and hydrated.  I was so happy with this that I had to subscribe. Name brand and luxury glosses cost a small fortune these days—and drugstore glosses are nothing spectacular—but this gloss is everything!   A very good purchase.

This gloss also comes in two other shades. I ordered the shade to the far right but it’s wayyyyyyyyyy too dark for me. If you are looking for a darker shade, check this out!

In inspecting my face before the holiday season—actually when I went to the dermatologist, I was somewhat sad—not concerned mind you, but sad.  I felt that way because my aging skin was looking mighty neglected.  I’ll admit—I have a plethora of skincare products but I get lazy at night when it’s time for a proper skincare routine. I don’t want to spend an hour or seven applying serums and creams and this and that. I want something simple—like me!

I remembered how much I loved Mizon products that I purchased maybe two or three years ago when I was on a snail kick. Snails both for beauty and escargot—how can you go wrong?

I remembered how happy I was with this Mizon Skincare set and how good my skin looked. I can’t remember why I stopped using this–laziness, I’m sure but I’m glad I found it again!

Anyway, I headed back to Amazon to see if this Korean brand was still selling the products, the eye pads, the moisturizer and serum I was once happy with.  They did and I signed up for a subscription to be delivered every three months.

For the subscription price of $40.86 USD every three months, this is worth the money. 

The eye pads are very soothing.  My eyes don’t get that puffy under normal circumstances but when I eat too much salt or drink too much wine, the next day my eyes puff up.  Applying these pads bring the puffiness down on those days but I mostly enjoy applying these at night before bed. I’ll watch TV while wearing them and it’s calming.

Again, packaging is secure. Each item is individually boxed within the box.

The serum—even though I’m not a serum person, I prefer this to any other I’ve tried because the product isn’t gloppy or oily. It has a nice feel and texture. Again, I use this at night.  A little goes a long way and it dries quickly so I can apply the moisturizer in no time!

The moisturizer. I love this moisturizer.  It’s freaking hydrating as all get out. It isn’t heavy—in fact it’s very lightweight—feels very “whipped”.  It’s great at night and great during the day. It melts nicely into the skin so you don’t feel like you are wearing any cream underneath your makeup. And it’s the one product I use both morning and night.

Other Stuff:

Okay. So after my cataract surgery almost 2 ½ years ago, It was discovered that I didn’t need the strong prescription I used to have. In fact, readers would suffice. Who knew?   And there’s such a vast selection of readers and decorative eyeglasses out there ranging from downright cheap to rather pricey.

Although I do need the readers, I also like the blue light glasses with plain lenses. It’s because I’ve been wearing glasses since I was two years old—I don’t feel comfortable without a pair on my face. I feel naked. It’s weird. The thing is I love the way glasses look on me.

After my surgery, I ordered a pair of Warby Parkers. It was during lockdown. I headed to the King of Prussia Mall, waited on a line to gain entrance then went in to try on and order a pair.  I can’t stand them and never wear them.  The fit is awful and I’ve had them adjusted. They were a huge waste of money at over $100.  I’ll never again buy from that brand.  While I realize Warby Parker has a huge fan base—they brand isn’t for me.

I found decent readers at Walmart at ten bucks a pair. But the thing is, they have a tendency to break quickly and I’m constantly making purchases.

My sister mentions she buys her readers on Amazon so I let my fingers, once again, do the walking and found this five-pack for $15.99. I’m wearing one of the pair now and they are comfortable, they fit well, they look good and I can see.  That’s slightly over five bucks a pair. I’ll take it.

These inexpensive readers are from a brand called NORPERWIS. Five pair for $15.99 isn’t bad. I have a pair in the car, a backup in my everyday purse and I’ll adding a backup to my travel bag. 

As these are great for backups, they are more akin to the Walmart readers with being flimsy. Still, for the price, you can’t go wrong.

They look fine, do the job and are less expensive than even the Walmart brand.

And, I feel that if you do wear readers, a good pair is always key. I found that “good” pair.  Izipizi Paris is a French brand that sells incredibly stylish readers up to progressive readers.  I paid 40 USD for these glasses and love them. In fact, when we head back to France this summer, I plan on visiting the boutique in Nice, or if possible, closer to where we are staying in Theoule.

I love the quality of these frames by Izipizi and the thickness of the frames as well. It’s important to me to have at least one “good” pair of readers–something strong that I can rely on. And at $40 USD, these are FAR superior to Warby Parker. Sorry not sorry!

If you live in the Philadelphia area, the stationery store Omoi Zakka sells the glasses!

I love Omoi Zakka. It’s the cutest stationery store ever. And if I lived in Center City I would walk over and buy the readers here. However, I despise parking in Philly. 

Little fruit and veggie package cutters.  I don’t know about you but I find releasing items from their packaging more and more frustrating and difficult.  Products encased in hard plastic surrounded by heavy cardboard—why does everything have to be childproof?  And thieves are going to find a way to steal this stuff anyway?  I’ve ruined acrylic nails, cut my fingers and hands and discovered a way to acquire more hangnails by trying to open these packages the natural way before cursing then finally grabbing a scissor.

Instead, I ordered these cute package cutters -one a strawberry and the other a carrot to ease my frustration. They were worth every penny of the $8.98 spent.  Both are retractable and lock into place. They are wonderful for opening up packages from the most annoying to those which just need cutting into the packaging tape. They are extremely sharp but used properly, make life a bit easier and the blade locks which is great for safety purposes.

One of the two cutters I ordered. These little box covers made my life a bit more pleasant. You have no idea the stress and anxiety I suffer when trying to open a simple package these days!

Two products were gifted to me from Prime Prometics. Mascara and a Cheek/Lip stick.

The mascara is really good.  I’ve been wearing the blue color almost exclusively since it was sent to me.  For some reason, I love the blue. It’s not as dark as the black but it doesn’t show up too blue. It’s a nice soft shade.  The mascara doesn’t clump at all. In fact, it doesn’t thicken lashes but it does make the lashes appear longer. It’s a lovely mascara that doesn’t smudge either.  The other colors sent were brown and black.  I’ll use the black as soon as the blue is gone then I’ll order the blue. I like it that much.  Brown does nothing for me as far as mascara goes, so I’ll give it to Oona.

The cheek stick is also really good—hence, it’s why it is in my everyday purse! It looks darker than it is but glides on to a nice flushed natural blush.  We all know I don’t like color on my overly pigmented lips so I keep this strictly for my cheeks.

Repeat on this pic from above. I used the Prometics Primelash Mascara and the Primewand Pigment stick (bottom far right). Both are $28.00 each on the Prometics website.  On Amazon the Mascara is also $28.00.  And the Prime wand Pigment doesn’t appear to be available on Amazon!

Two gorgeous skirts.  Okay, it’s common knowledge I love my J. Crew skirts and my plaid kilts. Sometimes—actually on that rare occasion I go outside the box.  I saw this tulle skirt on Chicwish. The Boho type vision of this skirt kept haunting me. So I purchased it.  Because I followed reviews (and I shouldn’t have), I purchases a size Large. It’s a bit big but not big enough to return it.  It’s the skirt I’ll keep for next Thanksgiving and Christmas so I can eat and not have to open a button because the waist is elastized.

.Yes. I went down the rabbit hole of being sucked in by internet ads. But it was a good purchase and the fit is generous! I bought this skirt on Chicwish for $35.90

Then I spotted a similar skirt on Amazon—and with hearts for $19.99.  I bought it and will be wearing it to our “after-Valentines Day-Valentine’s Dinner Date.  I went with a smaller size this time and prefer the smaller size. So word to the wise. Sometimes, you need to go with your gut on sizing and not reviews!

I actually like this better. The hearts make it dinner-date appropriate. I’m wearing this tonight when we go out for a belated Valentines Dinner!  Amazon did great with this for $19.99. It IS one size fits all but it fits me and I have a thick waist!

So…what have you been purchasing lately? Share the details!