I am stuck. Between a rock and a hard place and I'm finding it difficult to wriggle out of the clutch of writer's block. I think I'm in that slump of should I do this anymore, or am I the lil' engine that could? Buying makeup isn't all too exciting; I mean I love the hunt, but once I get home I let my purchases sit. Sometimes I even experience buyer's remorse. What's tough is I've been doing this blogging thing since October, but I should't get too disheartened, right? I once had a guidance counsellor tell me I would never get into college with the grades I had. Hey, I milked my sick days for a while; but, then I worked my butt off during my junior year, improved my grades and got into a pretty decent university.

Maybe a little sweat and a touch of elbow grease will help me turn things around. I often compare myself to Sisyphus; I am the one pushing that heavy boulder up hill, but will I ever get to the top? My husband might just be my biggest (and only) cheerleader - heck, he even subscribed to my blog's RSS feed!

So, I guess this is more or less an appeal. Is anybody there? I know I have visitors, but what makes your heart sing? Why do you visit? And do I need to shake things up?

I am a writer, lover of the arts, but not an artist. Makeup is my thing and I think I do an a o.k. job of painting my face.

Thoughts?

/end rant/

Onto something a tad more topical. Bare Minerals and their pressed palettes.

Known for being "loose" - hey, get your mind out of the gutter! Bare Minerals has that whole "swirl, tap and buff" thing down pat, but why the change? This is diversification at its finest. They've gone from powder to packed and small quantities with heightened colour pay off. Plus, how can you knock the anti-aging claims and ingredients which might even help reduce puffiness.

While I do enjoy how silky soft this duo feels, it does leave me disappointed. Talk about crease city! I've tried applying Top Shelfs' Cognac and Mixologist several different ways; initially it's pretty, but in two hours time the colours have made their way to my crease. I haven't given up hope, because I know I have oily lids. Although, my go to primers aren't even working their magic; should I try setting my primer with powder first?

Mixologist is described as a "champagne sheen," but I see Stila's Kitten. As for Cognac, the "gilded bronze" works for me. Since its release inside of Mecca Cosmetica the demand has been high. During a recent visit to say hi to Cindy, I noticed The Top Shelf was sold out; perhaps a fan favourite, because it's a reasonably priced classic pairing.