Happy New Year!

Hello, beautiful creatures and happy New Year! 2023 is at an end, and I, for one, am glad. 2023 was one of the most challenging years of my life, if not the most challenging. Thank you for being here for me and being supportive during this difficult year.

Surgery News

I’m still healing from my upper blepharoplasty eye surgery. No eye makeup for four to six weeks. My eyes are still swollen. I can’t wait to see how they look once they finish healing. I think the doctor removed over an inch of excess skin.

I’m still sad that I need another breast reconstruction surgery. I’ll be having that outpatient procedure at the end of January. I have zero natural breast tissue left in my body. It’s hard to accept that my natural breast skin has no elasticity in it, which is part of why I need the additional surgery. However, I’m hopeful that this second breast reconstruction surgery will solve issues that I’m having. I really want this to be my last reconstruction surgery so that I can get some closure on this issue.

Yule Time

You know I love blinky lights. Dave and I found a new Christmas tree this year from Hammacher Schlemmer. We purchased the The Northern Lights Christmas Tree 7.5′, The Tabletop Northern Lights Tree, and the The Expandable Rolling Tree Storage Bag. As a company, they’ve been around for the past 175 years. This is a fiber optic Christmas Tree that has 23 different synchronized patterns of holiday lights.

We opted to not decorate the tree this year because we loved how it looked with the lights on its own. I did buy iridescent garland to put on the tree, but every time I went to put it on I kept deciding I liked it better without any decorations.

Hot Topic Features

I did two sponsored Hot Topic features on Instagram in December. Hot Topic is having a massive sale right now, up to 70% off.

November Must Haves

 

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Red Striped Sweater

I love the bold red and black striped sweater! It looks so cute with my red and black bat skirt, and my CandyPOP Bat flats add a great finishing touch. I bought the skirt from Hot Topic a few years ago and I found the bat flats on Amazon.

Green Striped Sweater

I thought the green striped sweater looked great with my Mala Noche Mystical Snake Pocket Leggings and my Taos Crave boots. I gave up wearing Dr. Martens years ago for my Taos Crave boots and have zero regrets. Also, my feet never hurt anymore and I never have to break in the shoes to make them more comfortable. Taos shoes are comfortable from day one.

Holiday Hits

 

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Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Luna & Artemis Split Girls Hoodie

The Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Luna & Artemis Split Girls Hoodie is so adorable! I love wearing it. From the romantic ruffle details on the shoulder, to the cat ears on the hood, split color design, just all the little touches on this hoodie make it so perfect! I love it.

Star Wars Metallic Foil Flutter Dress

The Hot Topic Star Wars Metallic Foil Flutter Dress is so much cuter than I thought it would be! It’s very flattering and the gold foil design makes it very eye catching.

This was one of the best winter holidays that I’ve had with Dave. We prioritized intimacy with each other and family.

Yuletide Cheer

I have weird feelings where Christmas is concerned. While growing up, my family always emphasized giving lots of presents to kids, but adults were kind of left out of things. My ex would often prefer to do minimal gifting for the holidays as well. This year, Dave said it was important to him that we have gifts for under the tree. So we did things differently this year.

I had The Lore Olympus Hardback Graphic Novels by Rachel Smythe on my wishlist and I was thrilled to find them under the tree.

There are a few other books I should mention. I reread the entire 30 book Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton and thoroughly enjoyed it. If you’re looking for books that mention non-monogamous relationships, therapy, vampires and other monsters, you should peek at these.

Swarovski Jewelry

The gift I was most surprised by from Dave was my Swarovski Lucent Green Cocktail Ring. It was a nice surprise to receive such a beautiful ring. I’ve never had a partner who gifted me jewelry. I bought Dave the Google Pixel Watch 2 in Black with a special mesh band and he is pleased with it.

My Recent Fashion Finds

Satin Shirt

I bought this Scarlet Darkness Rose Purple Satin Shirt (photo is of a similar shirt, size Small) because it fits with my romantic fashion tastes.

Red Lace Trim Top

I love this little Scarlet Darkness Victorian Inspired Red Lace top (size Small). I wore it for Christmas Eve.

Burgundy Velvet & Lace Top

I also took a risk on this blackened burgundy velvet v neck top (size Medium) with lace detail. I’ll be returning it if it doesn’t fit nicely.

Turquoise Renaissance Top

This Scarlet Darkness Blue-Green Renaissance Top (size Small) looks great with my underbust dresses.

Green Velvet Mini Dress

I purchased this Scarlet Darkness Geen Velvet Mini Dress (size Small) and I’m hoping it’s flattering on me.

Scarlet Darkness Fuchsia Waist Belt

This little Scarlet Darkness Corset Belt in Fuchsia (size 6) has been a great addition to my wardrobe! It adds a fun pop of berry color to my black outfits while making my waist look snatched!

Betsey Johnson Leopard Bangle Bracelet

I picked up this glamorous Betsey Johnson Leopard Bracelet for some of my dressier outfits.

Betsey Johnson Celestial Bracelet

I love this simple moon and star motif bracelet, as it works with a lot of my wardrobe.

Betsey Johnson Emerald Cut Out Sparkler Clutch

I know several of you who would be upset if I didn’t share where I found this gorgeous emerald green handbag! It’s a Betsey Johnson Emerald Cut Out Sparkler Clutch, which is also available in black, gold, and silver. It’s great for a night out or dressy event.

Betsey Johnson Midnight Garden Snake Hinge Bracelet

I am obsessed with my Betsey Johnson Midnight Garden Fuchsia Snake Bracelet and choker! Hot pink and Red, so it works with a wide variety of my wardrobe.

Betsey Johnson Midnight Garden Fuchsia Snake Collar

If you want the Betsey Johnson Midnight Garden Fuchsia Snake Collar, I recommend getting it soon! It’s no longer carried at Betsey’s site and I could only find it at Dillard’s. It’s on sale too. I’m obsesed!

Betsey Johnson Black Heart Studs

I thought these cute Betsey Johnson Black Heart Stud Earrings would be a perfect new staple in my wardrobe.

Betsey Johnson Graffiti Love Crossbody Bag

I’ve looked at heart shaped bags on and off over the past few years but never found one that spoke to me until I saw the Betsey Johnson Graffiti Love crossbody. This graffiti hearts pattern spoke to me so the bag came home to me. I love it.

Black Milk Tops

I picked up a matte black crew neck cropped tank and marine blue picnic crop top during Black Milk’s recent sale.

More Black Milk

I also grabbed this matte baby pink cut out tank top and Some Velvet Morning Cropped Jacket, which is a beautiful Victorian Vampire inspired red velvet jacket with dramatic wide sleeves, tie-up corset detail in the back, and double pointed lapels.

Wardrobe Apps

I know many of you were devastated like I was at ACloset’s announcement to shift to a very pricy business model. Well, I’ve been testing out 10 different wardrobe apps and I’ve narrowed it down to my top 3 – Stylebook, Whering, and OpenWardrobe. I’ll be filming a video on the apps I tried and why I chose the ones I did, but until then, check out one of my top 3 to see which you prefer.

Recent Makeup Purchases

While I can’t wear eye makeup for another four to six weeks because I’m still recovering from my eye surgery, I do still have some recent makeup purchases to share. I’ll be sharing makeup swatches on my YouTube shorts soon.

MOB Beauty

I’m waiting on a big order from MOB Beauty. I had so many people recommend that I try them out. I couldn’t find anything about the shelf life of their products on their website so I emailed the brand directly and asked.

MOB Beauty emailed me a response that their products have a shelf life of 3 years. That’s better than the short shelf life of 6 months from KVD’s cream eyeshadow products. My eyeshadow wearing habits influenced my choice in colors to test out.

Cream Clay Eyeshadows:

• M88 softest dusty pink
• M111 lavender stone
• M83 lavender
• M87 dove grey
• M110 deep maroon burgundy
• M81 cyan blue
• M109 chartreuse green
• M106 deep green peacock

Cake Liner:

• M89 midnight blue
• M101 deep plum garnet

Hydrating Shine Lip Balm:

• M138 sheer black

Soft Matte Lipstick

• M102 mauve greige

Hydrating Cream Lipstick

• M3 nude blush beige

Hyaluronic Highlight Balm

• M98 glassy naked champagne

When I think about eyeshadow combos I like to wear:

• Reds – either intense red or burgundy with pink
• Blacks – any sort of black sparkly eye
• Purples – monochromatic, cool toned, warm toned, so many different ways
• Greens – yellow-green chartreuse with deep green, or grass green with blue
• Pinks – soft pink, bright pink, deep pink
• Greys – sparkly soft silver and deeper grey
• Champagne – champagne with burgundy or grey
• Blues – bright teal blue, deep midnight blue, soft blue-grey

Nyx Cosmetics Vivid Rich Eyeliners

I bought Quartz Queen, Sapphire Bling, and It’s Giving Jade from this new line of Nyx Retractable Vivid Rich Mechanical Eyeliner Pencils.

Natasha Denona My Mini Dream Palette

I love small palettes and tend to prefer Natasha Denona’s mini 5 pans to the larger ones. I’ve been waiting for a mini of My Dream.  don’t need a huge taupe palette, but a small cool-toned one? Yes please. I used a bunch of Ulta points to buy the Natasha Denona My Mini Dream Palette.

• Devotion 529M – metallic medium cool nude
• Balance 530CM – matte light taupe nude
• Passionate 531M – metallic light rose taupe
• Loyalty 532CM – matte deep burgundy brown
• Nurture 451CM – matte medium cool nude

See my Natasha Denona Mini Palettes!

Natasha Denona My Mini Dream Glow Blush

I also decided to pick up the Natasha Denona My Mini Dream Glow Blush in Natasha, iconic mauve. Cool-toned mauves are very flattering with my skin tone.

• Left – Icy Rosy Ivory
• Middle – Nude Pink
• Right – Vintage Rose

Lime Crime Majestic Muse Palette

 

I love small palettes and was intrigued by the Lime Crime Venus XS Majestic Muse Palette. Succession, Throne, and Royal seem like shades that will make my blue-green eyes pop.

• Succession: Shimmer Black with Red Pearl ​
• Throne: Matte Muted Cranberry​
• Empire: Matte Warm Medium Brown​
• Royal: Metallic Bronze

Lime Crime Electric Slide Eyeshadow Sticks

I reviewed the Lime Crime Electric Slide Eyeshadow Sticks in April 2023. Since then, Lime Crime has launched new Electric Slide Eyeshadow Sticks shades, so I bought several of them.

Here are the Electric Slide Eyeshadow Sticks shades I purchased:

• IDC – black
• RAD – red
• DUH – brigh pink
• Chill Pill – bright teal blue
• LOL – bright purple
• G2G – grey

No, I’m not on the Lime Crime PR list, so I don’t get products ahead of their launches. That said, I hope you’ll be eager for my follow up review and comparison!

I do wish that Lime Crime would include shade descriptions on their website. It’s not fun to try to shop through their shades and guess based on a photo as to what the color looks like. Shade descriptions with undertones go a long way in helping people to find what they’re looking for.

Velvetines Liquid Lipstick

I took advantage of Lime Crime’s big sale and ordered the Velvetines Liquid Lipstick in True Love. It looks like it might be a dupe for my Melt Cosmetics Bellastona shade. I’ve been trying to find a bright neon red like Bellastona in a formula that is more comfortable for me to wear, like the Urban Decay Vice Lip Bond Glossy Longwear Liquid Lipsticks or the Silk Naturals Velvet Matte Lipsticks or the Sugarpill Liquid Lip Colors.

More Lime Crime Reviews

Below are my reviews on Lime Crime palettes that I’ve purchased that are still available at Lime Crime’s site.

• Lime Crime Venus III Palette
• Venus XL Palette
• Venus Immortalis Palette Swatches
• Lime Crime Prelude Chroma Palette
• Lime Crime Greatest Hits Palette

Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder Flushed

I’d been waiting to see a Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder Flushed in a shade that will be flattering on my very fair cool skin, so when I saw It Girl (cool poppy pink), I snapped it up.

KVD Full Sleeve Long + Defined Tubing Mascara

I also bought the KVD Full Sleeve Long + Defined Tubing Mascara to see if I prefer it to my long-time favorite, the Eyeko Lash Alert Mascara. So far I like it but I’m not sure if I like it better than the Eyeko.

Nabla Cupid’s Arrow Longwear Stylo

I picked up Nabla Cupid’s Arrow Longwear Stylo in Melon as a way to wear the Pantone 2024 color Peach Fuzz.  Nabla’s Cupid’s Arrow Longwear Stylos are my favorite eyeliner pencils for liner or the waterline. They also blend out nicely as a base for eyeshadows.

LA Girl Hyper Cake Eyeliner

I snagged LA Girl Hyper Cake Eyeliner in Icy Cobalt (vivid blue) so that I could have another cake eyeliner product to help me evaluate the MOB Beauty Cake liner.

Eye Palettes

The last few palettes I purchased in 2023 were:

• Huda Beauty Pretty Grunge Palette (Grungy Neutrals)
• Natasha Denona Xenon Palette (Black, White, Greys)
• Cosmic Brushes Gothic Palette (Gothic Berries, Purples)
• Blend Bunny Lure Palette (Blues, Greens, Purples, Berries)

The Cosmic Brushes Winter Wonderland Palette has been on my mind, with its 12 mattes, 8 metallics, in cool-toned purples and blues. I’m a very cool-toned person and I love wearing cool-toned hues, but I keep talking myself out of the palette, even though the formula is excellent, because of the other eyeshadows in my collection.

Lip Products

My favorite lip products of 2023 were both from categories that I had avoided in the past – glossy lips! My daytime lip product is La La Leaf La La Lips Lip Balm. My nighttime lip mask is the Silk Naturals Super Fruit Lip Mask.

The Urban Decay Vice Lip Bond Glossy Longwear Liquid Lipstick is my go-to favorite long wearing liquid lipstick product right now! It just needs more shades! I need a color like Melt Bellastona, a neon bright red that blinds you. I also need a rich deep blue with teal undertones. And while I’m wishing, an iridescent beige with rainbow sparkle. This is my daily wear lipstick.

Silk Naturals Slick Sticks, which are a vegan lip gloss stick. In the past I haven’t enjoyed glosses much. However, I love the Silk Naturals Slick Sticks formula, as it’s very comfortable on my lips and doesn’t end up all over my face. Perspehone (green and black),Hex (red, burgundy, bronze, gold, bright pink, orange, and purple), and Potion (sheer black with holographic sparkle) are my favorite colors.

Final Thoughts

All my expectations for 2023 were thrown out the window when I found out I needed a double mastectomy at the beginning of April. I couldn’t foresee the twists and turns that life threw at me, but I handled them with as much grace as possible.

2024 is starting off challenging, but I’ve reset my expectations to be ready to handle more. I anticipate that life is going to be full of surprises again. I can’t control many different things in life, but I can control myself and my reactions, which is why I do my best to stay positive.

Thank you for being here for me. I’m wishing you and yours all the best in 2024. Of course, I’ll be keeping you updated on how I’m healing, what my blepharoplasty surgery was like, and more. You can always request video and blog posts, too. Just let me know in the comments below!

What’s been on your makeup wish list?

More to See

• DIY Red Eyeshadow Palette
• How to Do Velvet Nails
• 15 Gothic Black and Stiletto Nail Ideas and Inspirations
• Dossier Fragrance Review
• The Fantasy Accessory You Need!
• How to Shop Goth at Department Stores