Random Sunday: Run, Blinc, Tauer

Three random Sunday items:

First, a big thanks to all of you who suggested I try Sephora OPI´s Run With It nail polish when I was doing my odd colors. I never did because it wasn´t unusual enough in the bottle, frankly.  It looked a little too beige/boring.  I finally dropped it on a bare nail in the store one day (it lives next to the blingier and perennially sold out Queen of Everything) and … wow.  That´s really beautiful in an understated way, isn´t it?  Kind of a dove grey on me with (Violetnoir pointed this out) faint pinkish undertones, and it has a very, very slight shimmer that reads as crà¨me but doesn´t get that boring scuffed matte thing going on.  I bought it and wore it to LA since it´s such a perfect neutral color, and no chips for a week.  Violetnoir was so taken with the color when she saw it on me, she bought some for herself, and given that she and I have very different skin tones, I´m guessing it´s a fairly universal nude.  Here’s a link to the Sephora review blog that (if you scroll down) shows the true color in all its subtle glory, although that’s not the sharpest mani in the world (looks like mine!)

Second, I have found the perfect no-smudge mascara.  No, seriously, this one is different.  I´ve tried all the major brands of regular (non-waterproof) mascara.   They all give me raccoon eyes.  It´s my fault – I have dry skin, so I over-moisturize and under-powder, because powder can be really aging in those teeny under-eye crinkles.  Thus the raccoon eyes.  Also I hate getting those little mascara flakies in my sensitive eyes, so all the hyper-extending/thickening mascaras are out.  Finally, some waterproofs don´t raccoon on me, but they´re such a pain to remove I´m always worried about the effect on my slightly sparse eyelashes, and too much remover itself can irritate my eyes.

I finally tried one of those “tube” mascaras – the original Kiss Me, made by Blinc, sold at Sephora.  It´s some sort of plastic polymer (?) that makes a teeny tube around your lash, read more here.  I also like that it has a relatively small brush, which in my opinion gives better control and less clumping.  To remove it, you wet your lashes, let them sit a minute, and then the tubes slide off (I´m warning you, in case you think all your lashes fell out – it´s a little freaky to see those lashy things in your hand.)  Some people remove them in the shower.  I just kind of slide them off with a damp cotton square.   The mascara doesn´t irritate my eyes at all and it DOES NOT BUDGE.  Does not flake, smear or clump.  Now, everything has a downside, and this one is: you´re getting natural-looking lashes.  This is not a hyper-thickening, super-lengthening formula.  What you get is definition and darkness and that´s about it.  So anyone looking for length/thickening should look elsewhere.  But for those of you who, like me, have tried everything from Maybelline Great Lash to Lancome to Chanel, Shiseido and beyond looking for something that doesn´t wind up under your eyes, this is well worth trying.  If you get it at Sephora and you hate it – remember, they´ll take it back used.

Finally, for anyone interested in the comments discussion in a recent post re: Andy Tauer´s use of capital letters in naming his fragrances, I asked him, and here´s his answer:

I have read the question and the speculations about the capitalized names…. And I just did the following:

I got a copy of each flyer (the flyer is the standard…what I have on the web is not really consistent, I guess).

And I looked at the flyers and the rule is: There is none.

To be honest: I never really cared about it.
I consider writing, spelling and capitalization rules as recommendations. A constant source of pain for my partner who happens to be a teacher.

Well, anyhow: Here is a glimpse of what could be a rule…

English (pure English): Capitalized with one exception: Vetiver dance (don´t ask me why…. I think dance should be small her…you see: I am trying to find a cheap excuse!)

French: only first word capitalized, exception: Maroc in Le Maroc pour elle, this is capitalized following correct French rules (the W.-factor, my partner teaches also French)

The Incense extràªme and Incense rosé are tricky anyhow: I mix two languages here (on purpose). Incense is English, extràªme and rosé are French.

I find this bridging of two languages nice and enjoy it. So far I got not one question about it which is amazing….

Personally, I find the fact that he didn’t kill himself thinking about the names rather refreshing.   Instead I guess he’s putting all that thought into … the fragrance.  I like that thinking.