Shopping used to be fun and inspiring and exciting and lately it’s been sad, disappointing and just plain dull. I’m still crossing my fingers that it’s all because we’re still in between seasons, because if this is what I have to look forward to, then my savings account is going to quadruple this spring/summer.
I haven’t been to Forever 21 in months. MONTHS. So I decided to go to a mall that had one today and it was the most awful shopping experience I’ve ever had there, ever. The entire left side of the store was various items that had stripes on them. Seriously. A quarter of the store was stripes. Thin stripes, thick stripes, black and white stripes and colored stripes. Just horizontal freaking stripes everywhere. I wanted to cry. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love stripe, but for the love of God they could have changed the name of the store from “Forever 21” to “Shop here if you heart stripes!!!!!!!”
UGH. So then I checked out a few more stores and they too, were uninspiring. So, I obviously didn’t buy any clothing or accessories, but I did have a purpose to my mall trip. I had somehow run extremely low on all of the makeup I use on a daily basis, all at the same time, which almost never happens.
So, I visited Sephora and MAC to pick up my essentials.
SELF-ESTEEM BOOST ALERT!: While at MAC, one of the male makeup artists came up to me and told me my makeup looked gorgeous and that I did “such a great job applying it.” Thank you, awesome guy at MAC, for making my day!
Here’s what I got:
From Sephora: NARS Laguna Bronzer
The Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder is a new one for me and I bought it solely based on Giuliana Rancic’s recent i-Village interview where she said it was one of her favorite products. She always has such pretty skin so I trust her recommendations. You can read about her other fave products here. Doesn’t she just always look glow-y? I love it.
pencil and will continue to use it in collaboration with other products.…and, before I go, a story about good karma:
After I left Sephora today and shopped around for a bit, I had the sudden urge to look at my receipt. I realized that the total on my bill was only $60 and that I had not been charged the $33 for my NARS Laguna bronzer. I couldn’t believe it. I went back to the store and paid for it, and the girl who rang me out was really sweet and appreciative and was kind of stunned I came back. I mean, it’s not like I got a free chocolate bar! I would have felt too guilty using the product knowing that I hadn’t paid for it, even if it wasn’t my fault. So, hopefully good things will be coming my way (and by good things, I mean I hope I win the lottery I stop eating Thin Mints.)
Happy weekend ladies!
xoxo,
Veronika.
Aw, good for you for going back & paying for that bronzer. That makes me happy to know there are honest people out there still. 🙂
Can you post tips on how you use your Eye Bright pencil someday? I have one and I love it, but I'm never sure if I'm using it "properly" for full effect.
Let us know how you like the brightning powder! That was really good of you for going back and paying (good karma)! 🙂 xo
I thought the exact same thing when I went in F21 this week also! I have been loving stripes lately, but it was a little bit overkill. Glad I'm not the only one who thinks so!
What comes around goes around! Glad to know there are still honest people in the world. Can't wait to hear your comments on the brightening powder!
I love Giuliana & I agree, her skin always looks amazing. I've been pretty disappointed with my recent shopping trips as well. I think it's because I'm not a fan of the seventiesesgue clothing coming out now.
I really want to know what you think of the brightening powder! I'm headed to Sephora on Monday and can't decide what all I want to get….
I admire your honesty and goodness! I probably would've done the same thing, but there would probably be some deliberation first :/
@tina—I definitely for a split second thought "can i just keep this?" but then I realized I never could—too much guilt would come of it and I always worry about karma and balance so keeping it without paying wasn't an option for me!
I would have done the same thing if someone forgot to ring me up for something and still put it in my bag – I once drove 45 minutes back to a store because they gave me $2 too much change, and I didn't realize it until after I got home and sorted through my wallet. For $2, I know most people would think it was silly, but I would have such a guilty conscience about it forever! I'm too honest and fear karma coming back to bite me in the ass!
you adding that story about your good deed totally defeats the purpose. Keep it to yourself then maybe some good karma will come your way.
Ooo I really want to try the Laura Mercier powder…love her products! Thanks for the tip!
jane—I just think it's interesting to see what others would do in the same situation. I don't think it defeats the purpose to share the story. A lot of people talk about the good they do and the charities they support, etc. I think it's a positive thing to share good deeds.
I reallyyyyyy want to try the bronzer, I heard it's an HG for most, and i always thought that because I'm colored, I shouldn't bother, but that glow is just awesome:)
Don't even listen to that nonsense above me btw, you'll get good karma, even from taking all that constant flack:)) lol
xx
amelia
https://inthepinkofthings.com
Loving your blog. I haven't tried the brightening powder but I love other Laura Mercier products. I'll add it to my never ending must try beauty list.
Ramblings of a Small Town Girl
Oh my gosh that is too funny. I dragged my roommates to F21 today and they were both like. . . HOLY F why does everything in here have stripes!!! I'm not a big stripe fan in the first place and I was totally overwhelmed!
I know what you mean about feeling uninspired by the clothes out lately. Everything I see looks like something I already have, something I've already grown tired of and donated, or looks like rags.
I went to Nordstrom yesterday and helped my mom shop but didn't buy anything for myself, until the very end when I swung by the Bobbi Brown counter. All the MUAs were busy, so I asked another girl at the Trish McEvoy counter if she could grab a Creamy Lip Color in Nectar for me. I got all the way home and realized she sold me a gloss by the same name! Now I have to go all the way back just to return it. Irritating.
Good for you Veronika, I am proud that you went back and paid, sometimes its hard to do the right thing and I am glad you shared your little story because I think it will help give the women that read your blog the extra nudge they may need to do the right thing too.
Awesome mac guy was right- your makeup always looks beautiful!
I wish my MAC store MUA were as nice as yours ! I went there yesterday and the sales assistants/makeup artists were SO rude ! They didn't even say hello, ended up asking me very rudely if I knew what I wanted so they could get it over with… Anyway 😉
You did good going back to pay for the bronzer ! I would have felt bad too. Being honest is always a good thing 🙂
GIve us a follow up on the Laura Mercier brightening powder! I've heard great things about it too and would love to hear what you (a non-celeb!) think!
Lol, so true about Forever 21. I am striped out! I have quite a few striped things in my closet and I'm most definitely done with them. Forever 21 is always hit or miss.
At least makeup never fails us!
I Love Guiliana! I hope their show resumes soon, her outfits/style and personality are all so inspiring! Also, I just got the Benefit erase paste and eye bright (finally) and have been playing with both. Do you use a primer prior to putting on the Eye bright? It seemed to fade quickly on me, maybe it's just my oily eye lids!
Jenn—I don't use a primer before eye bright and I find it stays on really well—i just use it on my inner corners and on my lower lash line though!
The LM Secret Brightening Powder is awesome! I use it to set my undereye concealer and it's beautiful, but I feel like it looks weird as a highlighting powder everywhere else. I wonder what your experience will be. I just bought the Bobbi Brown lip balm and it is seriously the best lip balm I've ever tried. Look up the reviews… I am starting to love pretty much everything Bobbi Brown.
Hi veronika i was just having a look through your wedding photos and you look beautiful 🙂 My mums getting married in June and were all thinking about getting a spray tan but not sure what tan to go with, did you have a spray tan for your wedding if so which one? x
thebrunette girl—I did get a spray tan for my wedding at throwing copper in houston 🙂
V- You are so sweet to come back to the store. Good things will comeback to you. P.S love Giuliana & Bill Rancic <3
~M
Classy & Fabulous
https://classnfab.wordpress.com
There's one main thing I notice when I read your posts: you don't have kids :-). I remember the days when I could drop $90 on makeup in one trip like it's nothing, shop every weekend for clothes, and spend time focusing on my hair & makeup by reading magazines & watching YouTube videos. Now I'm lucky to get my makeup on at all. Oh well, my little one is worth it! 🙂
@tina—nope, no kiddos yet! when we do have em' i'll try to be as super-mom as possible, but of course, when you have kids, priorities change. I'm just writing about how life is now 🙂