My energy saver light bulbs turned out to be a wise investment in more ways than one. Aside from the saving on my electricity bill, they’ve also lasted for years.
Changing ceiling light bulbs is the bain of my existence and I prefer to do them as infrequently as possible. Trying to keep steady at the top of the step ladder, removing the old globe without breaking it, then the panic about whether I have the right screw in or bayonet globe as a replacement and then finally the tense 10 minutes spent with your head thrown backward with one arm stretched upward and the other hanging on to whatever seems sturdy that far off the ground. I am so glad I survived and it’s all over for another year or so.
There needs so be some kind of reward system for light bulb changing. Perhaps with bonus points for ceiling bulbs that need replacing on the weekend. Perhaps something like the good old Priceline Sisterhood quarterly in store cash for points arrangement. I’m not sure that this is what Priceline calls it and I know I should know the proper name after all these years but it’s a Monday and I only had instant coffee this morning.
Armed with my coupon, I took myself into town for the afternoon as a reward for the light bulbs and other assorted house things I did on Saturday morning. I have this rule with Priceline cash and it is that I never spend it on essentials like toothpaste, Listerine or contact lens solution. Instead, the coupons have been my excuse for buying myself makeup.
This month’s purchases were based on suggestions I found on Paula Begoun’s Beautypedia website. I’m a long time reader of Paula (aka ‘the Beauty Cop’)’s work. Beautypedia is a one stop reference for objective review of the latest and greatest in makeup and skin care. A wide range of brands are discussed and there are often a good number of mid priced options in each category that meet the ‘Best’ category. I find the reviews very informative as they often include application tips as well as objective comments about the product’s performance.
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| Revlon’s Age Defying CC Cream (RRP $26.95) and Colourstay Liquid Liner (RRP $16.95). |
The products I was looking for were a new alphabet cream (running out of my Garnier BB) and a liquid eyeliner. Regarding the liquid eyeliner. Sigh. I’m back in that delusional mindset which sees me being able to do a perfect, elegant liquid eyeliner look at 5.15am every weekday before I head into work. On the first go. To go with that equally timeless and elegant outfit I’d planned the night before and laid out at the end of my bed. It remains to be seen if I can actually make these dreams reality.
From my Beautypedia research, Revlon turned out to be the brand I needed for both my CC and liquid eyeliner needs. So far, the CC cream is meeting my needs. It has the consistency of a fluid foundation yet a little goes a long way in terms of providing a sheer and even coverage. It didn’t look too shiny on me and seems to be wearing well today. I chose the medium tone which I think is the darkest of the range available in Australia. It has yellow undertones to it and sits well with my skin tone. The SPF 25 is a huge bonus.
I haven’t had time to do a proper test run with my Colourstay Liquid Eyeliner though. My testing over the weekend involved trying to follow various YouTube beauty gurus on their perfect and easy guides to liquid eyeliner with limited success. I just have oddly shaped eyelids, I think. The eyeliner is very easy to use and the firm brush tip is easier to control than the softer pen tip eyeliners on the market. The black is a true and rich one. I’ll give it a go again later this week and report back with how its staying power fares at the gym.
There was more comfort food cooking this weekend. Involving both cans and jars, for a bit of variety. I had some sausages to use up in the freezer so managed to turn them into this curried sausage recipe. Using apple sauce instead of grated or stewed apple is a great time saver. Which then gives you a minute or two to finely grate the knob of ginger that balances the seemingly odd combination of the apples with fruit chutney, curry powder and tomato paste.
The end result is a curry that’s on the sweeter side of things with just the right amount of a comfort food feel to it. Boiling the sausages before making the curry did get rid of some fat and I also used low fat coconut milk. Both steps helped to reduce the stodge factor without compromising the taste. I used pork sausages but this curry would work well with any kind of sausage really. I might even try it with left over rotisserie chicken one day.
I’m holding on to summer living for as long as I can. Even if it means I have to pretend beach at the pool. At least that’s what I’m calling checking Facebook on my iPhone whilst I caught some rays through the window, put on some lip balm and face cream as I sat on the poolside bleachers after yesterday’s swim. I was the only person doing this but I reckon everyone else will be following suit in coming weeks as it gets too cold to bask at the beach.
From pretend beaching to sipping a hot mug of herbal tea on my mossy front doorstep in the one day. It’s the change of season I love the most in Sydney. I’m getting excited already about new season wardrobe planning.
Hope you’re having a lovely day.