Project 10 Pan = pain in the butt

Project 10 Pan is quickly becoming a pain in my butt. It seems to drag on forever, but I am trudging forward in the hopes that there will be some sort of satisfaction at the end. After weeks of finishing nothing up I finally had a few products come to the end of their lifespan:

• Mac Eye Makeup Remover - wasn't sure if I should count this since it is not makeup but I figured it counted. It's not like I can run out and buy another one though, since the shopoholic in me had a backup. Believe me, I considered "forgetting" I had one so I could go get another and then realized I was acting like an insane person.
• Nars Laguna Bronzer - Best bronzer ever. I have been through a few of these, but I don't think I have ever been as diligent and responsible as I was with this one. I literally waited until it crumbled up, then used up the crumbles! I don't recommend doing that by the way, because more ended up on my carpet than on my brush (but don't tell my mom!).
• The next two are mascaras, which I found easy to use up because a) I use a lot at a time, and b) I was using quite a few at once, so several needed to be used up and tossed. The first one is Fresh Supernova, which I really did enjoy. This was actually my second tube of it, but I probably won't repurchase for awhile. I want to explore new ones before buying duplicates just to appease my buying habit. The second one is L'oreal Telescopic, which I will be buying again because it is so inexpensive, and honestly one of my all time favorites. I always try to keep a tube of this around.

I have a few more products that are contenders for the project but still have a lot of work to go, so we will see. I might take a mini break after I finish 5 products if I finish project 10 lush just so I can chill for awhile - I don't want to be boring.
Out of these products I am really enjoying the benetint, although it is totally ridiculous how tiny that bottle is. I bought that $10 one hoping to save money instead of getting the big $28 one, and it is about a twentieth of it's size. Not exactly the best move, lol. I have been using it more as a cheek stain than a lip stain, just because it is a bit drying on the lips, but I like the color a lot. It gives you the just-got-swept-up-in-a-snowstorm look.

4 out of 10 isn't bad, right? For now, I'll keep working at using these products up, but don't be surprised if I allow myself a cheat haul (for good behavior :). Now I am going to get in my super comfy can't-get-out-of-bed bed and watch Lost, since I am about 4 episodes behind. I like to think Lost and my mini snickers bar is a reward for being mega productive today, since I cleaned my closet (moved around enough stuff for Bear to sit on the shelf), helped mom with dinner (we got pizza delivered), shipped some of my contest winners packages (spent an hour trying to figure out which state the Australian address was from. WA = Washington? Apparently not...), and saved a life (moved a caterpillar from the sun porch to the grass).

Busy as a bumblybee right?
Elle Fowler

a pink glittery mess of fun

While diligently taking inventory of my ever dwindling lush stash I came across a gem I had forgotten about (that is why project 10 lush is fun - finding products you forgot about!). I spotted this glittery piece of pink love and decided to try it out. It's called Flosty Gritter and it is a bubble bar, so its like a solid bubble bath bar... thing.

My first impression of this was "prettttyyyyy" but as soon as I picked it up I wondered if it would create a huge mess. Glitter immediately got all over my fingers and ended up on my jeans, so I think a normal person would have thought it was too messy and put it back. Not me though, I bought one right away.

I must admit, this makes quite a mess when it is dry. I was a bit skeptical of it, as pretty as it is, and was scared to use it at first. I ran my water, broke this in half, and started to crumble it up. My water instantly turned a pretty baby pink, and the glitter pretty much disappeared. It did NOT get all over my skin and create chaos as I halfway expected. It had a light scent of cotton candy but was not overpowering at all. Here is the online blurb:
"If you're in the mood for something sweet and comforting, crumble this luxurious bar under your tap and revel in dazzling swirls of pink sparkles and fluffy white bubbles. The fragrance is delectably soft vanilla with lavender, similar to our American Cream conditioner and solid perfume. Whether you're planning a night in with chick flicks and manicures or a girls' night out on the town, start with a Flosty Gritter bubble bath.".

Bottom line - I love the scent, I love the color, and I love the glitter. It screams Elle in my opinion, and for that reason alone I will probably repurchase this in the near future :) If the dry glitter is going to bother you I would stay away from it, and don't expect it to be the most soothing of lush products, it's more of a fun lets-soak-in-a-pink-glittery-mess type bath product.

That brings me up to number 6 on project 10 lush! I have a few more that are nearing completion, and I can assure you that you will see a Lush haul as soon as the project is finished. There are a few Lush hair products I have been eyeing, including the Marilyn hair mask for blonde hair and the Jasmine and Henna Fluff Faze which is a deeply conditioning jasmine scented hair luxury. Has anyone tried either of these? Any good?

xoxo
Elle Fowler

Pores no more!

I have found a new love, and it is a strange one. Let me preface this by saying that I am not keen on MAC's skincare line. As much as I love them for color, their face products have always reacted badly with my skin. Nevertheless, a MAC makeup artist recently did my makeup for an important event, and she used this product on me. It is the MAC Prep and Prime Skin Refined Zone Treatment ($19.50) and it is amazing. I was sold after seeing my skin with this.

I apply it after washing my face and moisturizing, using less than a pea size amount. I only apply this where my skin has visible pores, so for me that's right around my nose and right between my brows. The MAC girl told me I needed to press it into my skin - not rub, and to let it dry for a full 5 minutes before applying any makeup on top. So every morning I dab dab dab and then let it dry while I speed flat iron my hair (less heat = less damage!).

I must admit, I don't have terrible pores to begin with, so I don't know if this would give you an invisible look if you have really large pores, but it is worth trying out! I really like how it works on my skin. It also claims to reduce oil and shine, but my skin is dry so I can't be the best help on that declaration.

Could this be my first real MAC skincare love? I will keep you guys posted on my thoughts.

xoxo
Elle Fowler

Recipe for the most comfy bed :)

Today I did some sprucing up in my bedroom at my parents house, and I feel like it's finally coming together. I had never fully moved into this room because my parents moved to this house after I had moved out, so basic items like curtains were never dealt with. So earlier I went to target and bought curtains and my two basic bedding needs that can turn any bed into a super comfy and amazingly soft paradise (and it doesn't cost a ton like a temperpedic mattress would!).
The first is just the basic egg crate style foam pad. I always buy the cheapest one I can get my hands on; this one is from Target and was about $15. Sometimes you can find them on sales though, I got my one at my house for $8!
Now be forewarned, this egg crate alone will NOT give you a paradise bed, you have to combine it with the secret ingredient below. I actually never understood the appeal of the egg crate alone; I don't think that it does anything as far as comfort goes - you sink right through it!
The memory foam topper :) Just thinking about it makes me smile. Yes, that is Bear on the top of the box. This topper combined with the egg crate makes for the coziest sleep of your life. Just like with the egg crate I went into money saving mode, and bought the cheapest one I could find. This one is only 1.5 inches thick, but it seriously works just as well as the super expensive 4-5 inch ones that sell for hundreds of dollars. This one was $70 for a queen, which is a little more than I wanted to spend, but I didn't want to wait for it to go on sale (cause my mattress at my parent's house is like a rock!). If you layer this one on top of the egg crate pad you will never want to get out of bed.

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On a different note, I finished the book "The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown. My thoughts? I really enjoyed it until the last few chapters when it was suppose to come together into a really amazing "ah ha!" moment... and it just didn't for me. The whole book was building and building and then it just stalled the last few chapters. Sad, but I guess since I enjoyed 90% of the book it was worth reading, right? At least it kept me entertained on my flights :)

xoxo
Elle Fowler

Blog Giveaway Winners!

Hey everyone! I finally picked the winners for the blog giveaway. I decided to randomly pick 5 followers to win (as discussed on Twitter) since my comment idea didn't work. I used random.org for this. Each winner will get to pick out $50 worth of stuff from Glitzy-Glam. Don't be sad if you didn't win, I will have another giveaway soon!

So without further ado, the winners:

Necia...
Paulina Harkey
dejahlynn
Shayla Oseka
Isolda Hanney

Not all of them have blogs, so I linked an area of "proof" so that I can make sure the right people claim the prizes. Blogger is tricky because you can literally change your user name to anything you want, therefore becoming one of these winners. Congrats to the winners, let me know what you would like from the site (Email or twitter me).

xoxo
Elle Fowler

an eyelash discovery

While applying my very minimal "going on a roadtrip" makeup this morning I made a discovery. My eyelashes are noticeably thicker and longer than normal. Only someone who diligently puts on mascara every day would even notice such a thing. I haven't been dabbling with eyelash growth serums (yet) so my only conclusion is that it must be from the absence of pulling associated with contacts. I have basically left my eyes alone for two weeks now, not rubbing them or pulling on them at all, and I'm wondering if this has something to do with the unexpected lash growth.

Blair and I are driving back to my parents house today, which I am a little nervous about only because I am used to blasting music and singing at the top of my lungs the entire way to pass the time. Blair will most likely sleep the whole way, which means no singing for me.

Here is a breakdown of my minimal but still put together makeup look:


Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer - I love this stuff for a quick swipe across your face, but as for everyday foundation, I have moved on to a fuller coverage foundation in her line. I will review that in a seperate post or video once I am sure it doesn't break me out or do anything weird. The tinted moisturizer does exactly what it says - it gives a very faint bit of color and adds a bit of moisture, just make sure to add some powder or bronzer after so you do not look greasy. I just applied with with my fingers.

Laura Mercier Secret Concealer - best concealer I have found for under eye circles and other problem zones. Super creamy and easy to blend.

Mac MSF in Medium Deep - way to dark for me as an everyday powder, but this one makes for an excellent bronzer when I am normal colored, and a bronzer/powder when I am spray tanned. It hasn't taken the place of my beloved Nars Laguna bronzer, but it serves as a different purpose. I apply it with my Sigma SS150 brush.

Mac Blush in Sunbasque (not pictured, somehow it got lost in translation) - another color that is a bit too much on my regular, pale skin, but gorgeous when I have a bit of a summer glow. My last spray tan is still holding on a bit, so this color still looks nice on me. This is the only blush I took to LA and I love it! It is described as a gilded peach with pearl - gorgeous!
Speaking of spray tans, I paid the extra 5 dollars for the "extra stay power stuff" that they offered, which I admit sounded a bit gimmicky but I think it actually worked! I got the spray tan on Sunday afternoon, and it is now Friday, and my tan is still nice and glowy.

Mac Rubenesque paint pot - No shadow today, just this paint pot. You can tell it is well loved from the picture - it is a frosted golden peach with gold and pink pearl (could it sound any prettier?). Normally I pair this with a shimmery lid color like mac all that glitters or honesty, but today I am going for minimal.

Fresh Supernova Mascara - One of the products I am diligently using up for project 10 pan, it is almost at the end of it's lifespan.

Korres Lip Butter Quince - I am trying this one out (it was sent to me), and I like it so far. It gives a soft pink color - not nearly as dramatic as I like, but then again, it's just a lip butter. I think this stuff would be really nice to apply before bed.

Puppy Love

Due to the lack of videos on my channel I decided I would do a blog before curling up with the last few chapters of "The Lost Symbol", which I am quite enjoying. Blair and I just got back from LA late last night, and we slept the entire day today. Our plane got in at midnight last night, and we were supposed to have a cab waiting, but there was none to be found... only a lone stretch hummer party bus. Talk about causing a scene. Blair immediately took up the entire bus so she could stretch out and sleep, so I just sat with all the luggage and tried to listen to music. The radio station was playing a song from the 1800s, so I tried to change it but only succeeded in turning off the entire power system (including the strobe lights), so I decided to leave my technological instincts for YouTube, and didn't mess with it anymore.

Currently I am in bed enjoying my boringly uneventful night. Blair is sleeping beside me (we are at my house) and I have reached the following conclusions:
1) I think Blair has a secret power she has been hiding from all of us. She has the ability to flick a switch in her mind and go to sleep in a second (just like cats do!). It took her all of 20 seconds to go from "Elle, where is your remote?" to being out like a light bulb. I can't even move her. She has about 80% of the bed, leaving me with 20%, which leads me to conclusion 2.
2) Sharing a full size bed with another full grown human is difficult. I haven't slept in a full with Blair since we were little girls. She is not only a cover hog, she likes to push me off the bed by rolling completely on top of me. She is like a mini sleeping burrito.
3) I have completely fallen into a "I want a puppy" mode. It started when my roommate got an adorable maltipoo puppy (Rollie Pollie Bologna), but increasingly got worse in LA. I fell in love with a Bichon Frise, and I have decided I want one. I'm thinking a bichon would have a better chance at survival than a small dog since she would at least be the size of Bear, and therefore Bear wouldn't be able to eat her (maybe... then again he might).


Speaking of, Mom called me to inform me that Bear had torn down the curtains in Blair's room while we were gone. He doesn't even have claws; I have no idea how he manages these great feats. Mom doesn't understand that he needs stimulation when I am not there for him to bother, and that he was probably just trying to tell her he wants to play in the guinea pig cage, which is his favorite pass time. He and guinea are quite close. Bear doesn't really fit in the cage well, being the size of a lion, but I think he turns on his sloth powers and gets really pliable, and somehow fits. He is essentially made of play doh.

Okay back to important updates:
I am still noodling over the contest and trying to figure out what to do, I might just pick 5 random followers to win since my comments went berserk.
Project 10 pan in the slowest thing in the world, and as of right now I don't recommend it if you want to stay sane.
My eyes are still sore (not terrible but enough that I'm not trying to tug on them or put on a ton of products) so tutorials will have to hold off for a bit longer. I am going to film some non tutorials soon though, send requests to my twitter :)
I am researching all of the eyelash growth serums and I think I want to try lilash once my eyes get completely better - what do you think? Has anyone tried it?

Okay I'm off to move the sleeping burrito and hopefully score at least 10% more bed space. Wish me luck!

xoxo
Elle Fowler

Late Night Ramblings

It's 11:30pm on Sunday evening, and instead of trying to sleep like a normal person I am wide awake. Blair and I are leaving at 7:30am to drive to the airport, then we are flying to LA for a few days. We have been traveling so much lately packing is a piece of cake. My carry-on was still packed from NY, with my NAP blanket from Brookstone, my NAP neck pillow, a pair of absurdly fuzzy socks, and a brand new book. Plus I always carry my makeup brushes and jewelry in my carry-on so they don't get all mangled up in my suitcase.

Don't laugh... but I really think a pair of these NAP boots would be the perfect thing to keep my toes toasty warm, even if they would look a bit ridiculous. Planes are cold!------>



I took some melatonin to help me sleep but it hasn't kicked in so I am just going to have a nice ramble until it does. I have complied a small list of Project 10 Lush contenders - products that may be part of my final 5 lush items in this project. They are:
Therapy Massage Bar
Angel's Delight Soap
Porridge Soap
Honey I washed the kids Soap
And I have no idea what number 5 night be - maybe another bath bomb or something simple, since I still have a few. Project 10 pan is...going, I haven't finished anything up yet though, lol. I had to buy new hairspray and shampoo but thankfully those are not makeup items so I did not feel guilty in the least.

Hmmm... still wide awake. Perhaps an In's and Out's?

In:
Goggles - yes. I like my goggles. Call me crazy, but I feel "safe" in them. My eyes are feeling deceptively normal, but I will not be the one in a million case who dislodges her flaps. No. I am taking extra measures. I slept for the last few nights without them on, but then put them back on for last night (cause my left eye was swollen) and woke up with not only normal feeling, unswollen eyes, but my eye sight got better overnight! The doc told me that might happen after about a week, and it has been 9 days - so yay!

Flowers - I love when I am given fresh flowers, they really brighten up a room. My dad got me some flowers the other day, and I have been diligently watering them and keeping away flower chompers. I don't quite have a green thumb, but I am trying.

Project 10 Lush/Pan - It really is a simple pleasure to use up a product entirely. I think all product junkies would agree with me; the majority of our products simply don't get used up. It is like we are children with an extremely low attention span - there is always another product out there that immediately grabs us.

Mystic Tans - Such a nice alternative to burning your skin, and it gives you a glow overnight. It doesn't last long, can be streaky, and is expensive, but for special occasions it can be nice. I just got one tonight for LA, so I smell very self tannerish. Bear doesn't seem to like the smell, so maybe he will avoid by eyeballs tonight. He probably would anyway, because my suitcase is open with black clothing in it, so of course his first priority would be to roll all around on that, and not stomp on my eyeballs. Whatever floats his boat.

My roommates new Maltipoo - fondly nicknamed Roly Poly Bologna, (birth name Lola), she is the cutest little baby ever. I want one. But Bear would eat it. Speaking of, I asked Bear today what he thought of me getting a baby bologna and he acted totally perturbed and then ignored me for an hour.

Out:
Contacts/Glasses - This is an obvious one, so I won't bore you with details.

Flower Chompers - enough said. coughbearcough.

Blair waking me up every morning by either singing (we have a paper thin wall between us), Teddy barking, or, if nothing annoying is happening, simply coming in my room to "chat". Let's chat once I wake up. 10am is not a sensible time for a person like me to wake up. Thank you.

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Tonight at dinner Dad got into a very philosophical conversation about the question "Why is a Raven like a Writing Desk?" (from Alice in Wonderland), and absolutely REFUSED to tell me the answer. So after dinner... I googled. Yes, I googled. And guess what? There is no answer! The author wrote the question meaning for it to have no answer. Apparently the author later wrote this: "Because it can produce a few notes, though… they are very flat; and it is nevar put with the wrong end in front!" (Note the spelling of "never" as "nevar"—turning it into "raven" when inverted. This spelling, however, was "corrected" in later editions to "never" and Carroll's pun was lost." - Wikipedia. Thanks for clarifying Carroll, I get it now...

One more food for thought before going to bed: There is this thing called "sympathetic pregnancy" which is where a man gains weight and suffers morning sickness while his wife is pregnant. Is it a psychological condition, you can research it if you are curious. Anyway... today I noticed Bear had an eye infection. Sure enough, we got him checked, and he needs eye drops. Just like me. He is my own little sympathy lasik case.

Goodnight everyone. No videos for a few days, since we will be on a trip, and unfortunately the comments have not been fixed on this blog :( I don't enjoy posting nearly as much since I can't interact with you guys, but I'm making do until I find out what to do about it. I'm hoping it's a Blogger glitch! Xoxo!

Elle Fowler

Quick Contest Update

I'm going to bed soon, but I just wanted to give a quick update on the contest. I received over 20,000 comments, and I had on "comment moderation"... and I guess that froze up the system. I cannot access my comments now, not just on that post, but on this whole blog! As you can imagine, I am kinda sad about that.

If anyone knows how to clear out those comments let me know and we will figure something else out for the contest, and I will just know in the future that blogger can not handle this kind of quantity. Here is a screen shot of the comments :( Tweet me if you have any ideas, since comments are not available right now on this blog.








If I can't figure out how to fix this comment problem I don't know what I am going to do. I could continue posting but I enjoy getting feedback from you guys. Should I just start over? Or just not have comments on here?

Oh blogger and your comment limits, you are not making my life simple. Going to bed now, goodnight and sweet dreams everyone. Hopefully I will sleep soundly without Bear walking on my eyeballs, although I miss the little sloth terribly when I am here. Talk to you all soon!

Quick Beauty Tips - Oh, how I love thee

Today has been an annoying day so far, and even though I have only been awake for about 7 hours I am ready to crawl back in bed. I woke up at 6am because my mom came in to put eye drops in my eyes, but I was so incredibly disoriented I asked her about the CIA (I blame the fact that I fell asleep reading The Lost Symbol, which involves someone from the CIA). I also remember asking her if they had custody of my blog, and her trying to convince me that my blog was still mine.

About an hour later I woke up again, still in a weirdly medicated state of confusion, and had a perfectly normal conversation with my cat Bear. He seems to think that walking on my face, in particular my eyeballs, is a perfectly ordinary thing to do, but I beg to differ. I told him he needed to have respect for me, and learn by example. I don't walk on his eyeballs, after all.

I woke up and uploaded my video, only to have it be taken down within 30 mins for "copyright". Really?! I get so annoyed at days like this, I just want to curl up and read my book. Or take a lush bath. Or both. I think I will.

Oh, I forgot to mention - we were out of Diet Coke too. I know I am "giving these up".... eventually, but for now they are my one health vice.

Anyway I uploaded another video, a Glitter Glossary Quick Tip. This one is about how you can use redness relief drops to take the red out of a pimple. I have used many things in my day to help reduce these monsters - honey, toothpaste, eyedrops... the list goes on and on. The eyedrops I have found to work though.

I also have a few more Quick Tips already on YouTube, a homemade sugar lip scrub, a quick mascara smudge tip, and a lush storage trick.

What are your quick beauty tips? I am always on the look for fast tips. Let me know what you swear by!

In Memory of Jo Opie

We are very sad to announce that our dear friend and Feminists Against Censorship colleague Jo Opie has died. An early supporter of Gay Pride, Jo joined FAC in 1990 and was active up to date. Founder of Islington MIND, Jo worked there as a volunteer until she became ill in August of last year and played a major role in their continued development, including co-founding the organisation's Crisis Line, serving on planning groups for local mental health retreats and presiding over a major drop-in facility.

Jo was also a member of Women in Prison and, in 2006, contributed to an enquiry into Deaths in Custody and Bereaved Families in the Corston report.

We will miss Jo very much and always appreciated her liberated and refreshing approach to relationships, freedom and feminism.

If you have any anecdotes or publication details you can share related to Jo as a person, her life, work or her anti-censorship, feminist and LGBT activism, please send them over to facnews at googlemail dot com or comment here.