And here we go again...

I'm staring Winter Break in the face after a rough semester (which is why it's been so quiet around here. And what's with the lousy maid service? *blows away cobwebs*).

However, even as busy and overwhelmed as I've been, I seem to have found room for a few more addictions.  Of course, the book addiction is not going away while there is still breath in my body, and the calibre collection is expanding nicely (3135 as of today).

The most pervasive of these new addictions seems to be The Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs. (BPAL for short). These are perfume OILS, not the spray stuff diluted with alcohol you buy in department stores.  They're quality blends of amazing versatility.  http://blackphoenixalchemylab.com .  There are literally hundreds of blends on their website, and they are always releasing LE's (limited editions) tied to holidays and once a month, the full moon (called Lunacies).  Right now we're at the tail end of the Halloween update (they come down December 13th), and in the beginning of Yules.  The Yule update was something like 50 blends, so you can see how comprehensive their releases are.  There's even a forum dedicated to the site and the perfumes - not to mention general chat and craziness.  I've barely scratched the surface of what they have to offer - but already I have a few favorites, and I did get a Halloween order in for two of the Celestial Apples line, which were just AMAZING.  And the forum has fast become a favorite hangout for me, plus I've made a couple of new friends, one of whom (I'm looking at YOU, Jen!) is responsible for my next new addiction....

Anyone who knows me in person had probably better be sitting down for this next revelation.  After being fairly indifferent to makeup for the last oh, 20 years or so,  the girly-girl urge came back with a vengeance!  To be fair, part of it is the type of jobs I aspire to land after graduation require a professional look, and that means makeup.  But I'm (re)discovering that it's fun, too.  This time there's a twist, though - I'm drooling over some of the higher end brands.  NARS blush, anyone?   Also plotting and planning a trip to Macy's Watertower Place in downtown Chicago for the Inglot store.  I must admit though, that M-A-C doesn't really impress me.  I bought a Lipglass this weekend at the Cosmetics Company store in the outlet mall, and while it's a great color, it's also a small tube, and I can't tell any difference in texture, finish, or color payoff than my Wet n Wild Megaslicks stuff.   And their "full-size" eyeshadows are pretty darn little!  Inglot's shadows are nearly twice the size and half the price.  I'm also finding drugstore brands that work for me.  Revlon's Photo Ready makeup is supposed to be a close dupe for M-A-C's Mineralize Satin Finsh line.  I don't know about that, not having tried the M-A-C version, but I do really like it.  It's got a smooth finish and just a hint of luminosity.  Also, L'Oreal's All-Over-Glow from the Naturale line is wonderful stuff.  I've given up on blush, I just do a swipe of the Glow over my cheeks and I'm done!  I've got it in both Nude Glow and Rose Glow - depending on what other colors I'm wearing that day.  The Nude Glow is more of a warm color, while the Rose has more cool tones.  Luckily, I've also discovered I have pretty neutral coloring, so I can wear either warm or cool shades. 

That's about all the news that's fit to print - I should be around a bit more during Winter Break and there is a light at the end of the school tunnel - anticipated graduation date September 1, 2012!  That's only 8 more classes after this batch is done!  Oh, and did I mention my 3.76 GPA?