The Weekly Roundup The Ordinary Concealer Review

 Welcome to another Weekly Roundup.  It has been a slow start to the year.  We are still in lockdown 3.0 in the Big Smoke.  I think I went a wee bit overboard with the cleaning.  I added in a common laundry additive that was supposed to boost the cleaning and brightening power of my laundry detergent.  Unfortunately, my zealousness resulted in a horrid case of hives that covered me from the neck down to my ankles.  I have used a hypoallergenic detergent for decades without any other additives so I am not sure what I was thinking.  As we have been sheltering in place for almost a year, I think I have become a tad OCD with housework.  If you suffer from allergies, then you can understand that for the last 3 weeks, all I have had on my mind is managing the itching and trying to bring the hives, swelling, and rash under control. 

Never mind, enough of my woes.  I do have something new to take my mind off the ever present desire to scratch at the hives which is the long awaited release of The Ordinary's concealer.  Currently, I am using Jouer's concealer which I talked about here.  I do like it but I am not in love with it as it dries down incredibly fast so there is no blend time at all.  

At 8 ml and an incredibly affordable $5.80 CAD, one can try it out without worrying about wasting a heap of money if the shade is not right.   It is always a bit tricky when trying to choose the right shade online, however, The Ordinary offers an impressive 36 shade range. I chose 1.2N. which is a fair shade with neutral undertones.  I think I could have gone a step darker but I think a light shade is fine for covering up dark undereye circles.   I don't have a lot of opportunity to wear much makeup these days but having a concealer that makes me looks somewhat healthy and alive on Zoom meetings is a must.

The concealer is described as "high coverage."  It does a very good job of covering my dark undereye circles.  There is enough slip so that it blends easily.  I would say that it sits somewhere in the middle of a matte and a dewy finish.  I used Hylamide SubQ Eyes serum before using the concealer.  However, the concealer still settled into the dry patches and fine lines so I might need a more intense moisturizer in the future.  On the plus side, the concealer is alcohol, oil, silicone, nut, gluten and cruelty free and is vegan.  

The tube comes with a long thin nozzle. I am used to using a doe foot applicator.  However, the nozzle allows for a precise controlled use of the product as a tiny amount goes a long way.  

As you can see, it does a more than adequate job of covering the red spots (from my rash) on my hand.  I didn't put any moisturizer or primer on beforehand so you can see that it will highlight lines and creases even though the product description states that it doesn't settle into fine lines.

Overall, I am very pleased with this concealer.  And really, at this price point, one can't complain.  It does the job and I think it will be a true workhorse in my makeup routine.

Making the Most of 2021 New Stay At Home Exercise Routine

 Happy New Year and welcome back!  I really needed a break after doing Blogmas.  The province that I am in declared a State of Emergency this week (again) and issued a Stay at Home Order starting today.  Every time this happens, my emotional state tends to dip down a bit.  It's a bit of a rough start to the year but I am determined to make the most of 2021.

I received this exercise bicycle for Christmas.  I didn't ask for it and it was a huge surprise.  I had basically stopped going on hikes due to a couple of heavy snowfalls so my exercise regimen (already quite minimal) had taken a hit.  This bike uses magnets instead of an oldfashioned chain so it is really quiet. It has a digital readout screen to estimate calories burned and distance "travelled."  

The bike also has a pair of bungee cords for working out one's arms.  To be honest, I usually find workouts to be really boring which is why I prefer getting out into nature.  To encourage myself to stick with working out on the bike, I balance my tablet on top and put on a wildlife or travel documentary.  Like many people, the pandemic pounds crept up on me.  There is no doubt that I overindulged massively in emotional eating.  As we have been sheltering in place for almost a year now (!!), I hope to continue working out at home and doing what I can to maintain my health.

Have you been battling the pandemic pounds as well?