Amazon Influencer

I signed up to be an Amazon Associate. And I linked my Instagram. Weirdly, they labeled me as an Influencer. So uh, here's my first Product Recommendation:

Its called the "DOGNESS Automatic WiFi Dog/Cat Smart Camera Feeder - 6.5Lbs Large Capacity App Control Food Dispenser with WiFi, Portion Control, Voice Recording, Camera, Timer Programmable - Dark Blue"

It's a cat / dog food dispenser. I am able to look at my cats via an app on my phone while I feed them. It isn't angled down enough to actually see my cats' faces while they eat. Nor can I see the amount of food in the bowl. I might see if I can mod it so that the camera is angled down better. I wish there was a "cat version" versus "dog version" where the camera was angled down for the cat version and the small kibble hopper came automatically installed. I had to unscrew the large hopper to put in the small one when I got it. I sometimes also wish it would record automatically when it sees motion. I don't like the mega bright green light on the housing. Those are the bad parts. The good parts is that you can set a schedule. You can manually feed them. You can make up to 3 audio tracks to be played along with each feeding. It can fit half a bag of food. So, 5 lbs fit in this thing since I buy 10 lb bags of Fussie Cat dry food. That's a LOT of food!! I have been tweaking the portions. Right now, I have it going 6 times a day. Three times, it gives 3 portions. Three times, it gives four portions. I learned that 15 portions was about a cup and a half. Right now at 21 portions, that's a little over 2 cups. Which, my cat food recommends 1 cup daily for a 14 lb cat. The fat one is that big. The other one is about 10 lbs. I also really like the night vision on this thing! It is very detailed! I like that it is USB powered and comes with a 5 ft cord.

I have been watching way too much Jackson Galaxy on YouTube lately. He says automated, timed feeding, is better than free feeding. I have 1 normal size cat and then a fatty cat. So I'm trying to help my fatty more than the normal one. But either way its good. This will absolutely come in handy when I go to travel.

Maybelline vs. Avon

So I blogged in the past how I've been using this Avon washable waterproof mascara my mom had given me. I liked how it wasn't clumpy, it looked natural. But I really didn't like how it washed off and I never liked how (not) dark it was. I compared it to my old standby, Maybelline in Blackest Black (oh so goth! I know!) But I've finally come to the end of the Avon's life and am back on my usual mascara. So now I can do a for real side-by-side comparison. And I think both brands have something they could do better....

There on the left is the Avon, on the right the Maybelline.

I gotta give it to the Avon, I love their applicator brush way better. Its thicker, has more bristles, and the bottle squeegees just enough off. The Maybelline, not so much. I find I have to wipe part of it off on the inside even after taking it out of the tube. It's also not as easy to apply (goopy!) because the brush isn't as nice.

But... Maybelline is totally super black. It is NOT natural. And I actually love that about it. Mascara makes an amazing and appreciable difference when compared to naked eyelashes. I have to say, if I were allowed to only wear one makeup item, it wouldn't be foundation or concealer, it'd be mascara. It doesn't hide part of you, it enhances it.

Both kind of suck about washing off and I'm not sure which I hate more. The Avon comes off all clumpy and flaky all over your face in the shower. You really have to scrub it to get it all off. Kills your eyes. Equally, the Maybelline makes you have the most epic raccoon eyes that ever did happen. If you can conjure up the image of a ridiculous drunk woman crying, that's what this stuff is like every time you go to wash it off in the shower. And it stains the ever loving god out of whatever washcloth you choose to use. Both are technically "washable" but seriously, make your life simpler and just use eye make up remover.

I guess if you are going for natural, or think you might cry for some reason, go for the Avon. If you are going out at night and want bold, noticeable eyelashes (and don't want to put falsies on), go for the Maybelline. It might be time for me to experiment with other mascaras, though... both have shown me what the other is lacking. I've gotten some Sephora samples but so far, nothing has blown me out of the water.

Review on Urban Decay as a makeup brand

Overall, I have to say I love Urban Decay as a makeup brand. I am especially a fan of their eyeshadow and eyeshadow primer. I even introduced it to my sister and now she doesn't know how she's lived her life without their shadow primer. But they have a lot of other awesome things too! I just happen to love their eye stuff...

Here's my current stash of their products:

Naked, Naked 2, Vice Palette, various eyeshadows and  Deluxe Eyeshadow, primers and pencil shadows.

Flavored Body shimmer stuff.

As you can tell, when I said I like their eye products, I wasn't lying. The only non- eye stuff (and well non-body glimmer stuff) I currently have are two samples. One of their lipstick in Sellout. And a lipgloss in Naked. I always get their emails with offers for fun new stuff. And I always try their samples when I get them, I just haven't much moved on from what I know and like. I'm a bit intrigued by their new lip pencils though...

So here's why I love them! The Deluxe Eyeshadow (which is on SUPER discount right now) goes on velvety smooth and is very highly pigmented. The same is true of their regular eyeshadows, but it used to be the Deluxe shadows were more brilliantly colored. They have a fantastic selection now, though, of the normal shadows. And they now sell the normal shadows at the same price the old Deluxe ones used to be sold at.

I was kind of hesitant at first when I bought the Naked palette but I figured I needed something to wear to my office job. I was not disappointed. That's why I bought the Naked 2 as well. They pretty much go with anything and everything. You can make the colors in the Naked palettes work for day or night. I ended up getting the Vice palette because I wanted brilliant colors and a big mirror to take to conventions but when I didn't feel like sorting through the mono shadows. Speaking of conventions, I almost can't go to a steampunk convention without bringing either Naked or Naked 2 with me.

I really love their body shimmer stuff because it actually tastes good (no longer a product you can buy). Needless to say, I don't use this often but I do wear it to the bar and invite my friends to lick me. Similarly, I only usually wear lipstick to the bar. I've found the samples I have to be pretty nice but honestly have not much use for a full size product. The lipstick (also no longer a product you can buy) is in fact quite creamy and doesn't ruin my lips though the color they sent me doesn't quite suit me. I guess they just came out with a new lipstick. Can't wait for a sample in a dark color, maybe the color F-Bomb. The lipgloss is delicious smelling and tasting (minty!) and is alright for the office without looking like a hussy.

I can't tell you how much the eyeshadow primer has changed my life. It makes even my crappy Cover Girl colors look fantastic. It keeps the shadow looking densely colored, longer lasting, and crease free. For the most part, I mean everything has its limits. If I drink all night and sleep in it, it's not going to look stellar the next day. But you shouldn't be sleeping in your makeup anyway! For shame!

I see their vintage 24/7 eye pencils are on super sale as well... But I already have most of these in shadow form, so I don't know how necessary a liner would be. I don't usually just wear liner. Though I do just wear shadow. Maybe. I really love their eyeshadow pencils. I mean, love them. They make putting eyeshadow on so easy and lazy its not even funny. You can blend them right after you smooth them on. Once they dry, its as if you mixed your eyeshadow with your primer. They just don't seem to smudge or come off all day long. I am a constant eye-rubber too, and it still doesn't come off. Speaking of, I'd really like to try their liquid liner, but just haven't had the money to get something I hardly wear. Maybe a basic black is in my future though.

I might also mention the brushes that came with the Naked & Naked 2 palettes are fantastic. With Naked I got the Good Karma Shadow Brush. This thing is so nice, I use it for mostly all of my colors not just the palette. It's easy to load up with shadow and apply over all of my lid and does a good job for cutting the crease. The Naked 2 palette came with a double ended brush. On one end is what I think is the Good Karma shadow brush again (but in this instance, it wasn't nearly as full of a brush head. I don't know what is up, it seemed to be missing hairs/fibers/whatever, I don't like it.) and the other end seems to be a Good Karma Crease Brush. I assuredly don't use it for my crease, but I do use it for my brow bone and all over lid color. I wasn't as nearly happy, overall, with the brush that came with Naked 2 compared with the Naked... but if you buy the brush alone, its like half the cost of the palette. I wouldn't mind another Shadow Brush.

I haven't tried any of their foundations or powders because I am hesitant to switch from L'Oreal True Match which works so well already. I have a problem finding stuff that does all of these: matches my skin tone, covers enough, doesn't clog my pores, comes off easily in the shower but doesn't rub off during the day, and doesn't look cakey/fakey. That's a lot of factors and without getting a full product and trying it for a good long week, I don't think I'll change. I need to be sure it works for me to buy it. I'm also a skeptic when it comes to face primers and sealing sprays. That just sounds like clogged pores waiting to happen and I can't risk it.

Overall, I encourage everyone to try Urban Decay. The one product I'd recommend for all is the eyeshadow primer potion. It simply is amazing. If you can't afford anything else, get this. It will make all your cheap drug store shadows so much better. My second vote would actually be for the good karma shadow brush. Yeah, its expensive, but you can use it with everything else you have already.

Shampoo & Conditioner I Love

I love Matrix Biologe. I think I found out about it years ago after I got a terrible hair cut at Great Clips but after the cut, was recommended Matrix products. I bought some and haven’t looked back since. To give some background, I have long, thick, dry, dyed hair. My scalp also gets dry and flaky if I use crap shampoo. So the products I look for have to: usually be dye friendly, really moisturize (my hair AND scalp) and not further damage my hair. If your hair is fine, oily, or not dyed, the stuff I use will probably be too heavy for you. I have experimented with a few different product lines Matrix has, but here are my favorite two:

http://www.matrix.com//our-products/haircare/biolage/scalptherapie/anti-dandruff-shampoohttp:

I found this shampoo to be awesome. I only wash my hair about once a week. On average. I can take between 3 and 10 days to wash my hair. A little goes a long way and it isn’t drying. It soothes my scalp. Gets rid of flakes and moisturizes. It doesn’t strip my haircolor horribly. Though I have weird colored hair so any shampoo at all is going to cause my water to be colorful. Which is one of the reasons I don’t wash very often.

http://www.matrix.com//our-products/haircare/biolage/hydra-therapy/conditioning-balm

I found this conditioner is freaking amazing. I love the smell. It conditions my thick, porous, dyed, long & damaged ends of my hair. I’d recommend to use it every other wash as it can be kind of heavy. But in the winter, go ahead and use it every time. I Buy it in a tub.

Those are the ones I love. However, right now I am using some others as experiments:

 Naturelle Biotera Ultra Moisturizing Conditioner

This is kind of like knock off Matrix Biolage. I don't like the smell as much as I like Matrix, but its been doing a pretty nice job lately. I've used it long ago in the past but sort of forgot if I liked it or not. I've been using it for a couple weeks and its been alright. Its moisturizing enough, but I think I might need to do a deep moisturizing treatment every few times I use this stuff. Not as good as the Matrix HydraTherapy stuff but not bad either.

Matrix Biolage ScalpTherapie Normalizing Shampoo

I accidentally got this instead of my anti-dandruff stuff. This is still not bad. I love the smell. Its not a creamy consistency like the anti-dandruff. It has salicylic acid in it to help normalize the scalp and keep it from flaking. So I view it as like dandruff shampoo lite. It isn't as moisturizing which is the biggest draw back. But it also isn't causing me to be super flaky. Again, I've only been using it for a couple of weeks so the jury is still out but preliminary results are: it's not bad.