Are you enticed by those persistent ads on Instagram? Or do you recklessly order hard to shop for or boring items on Amazon just to get it over with? I’m guilty of both. Here’s round two of the products I’ve ordered online. From make-up to sports bras, the results have been mixed, but you you can learn from my mistakes—or laugh at them.
(Read Part 1 here.)
Instagram Indulgences
I don’t like shopping for make-up. It’s expensive and overwhelming—I have no idea how to compare all the different brands. When I reluctantly succumb to a make-up artist’s help, I always feel pressured to buy more stuff than I want or take home silly products I never use. Online ads for cosmetics are my weakness, especially those showing radiant women aglow in easy to apply foundations and blushes. Here are two I tried, with mixed results.
Jones Road Miracle Balm
When cosmetics maven Bobbi Brown, 66, tells me (like 50 times) I need this product, I believe her. She has a new brand, Jones Road, focused on clean, high quality products that work on everyone, but especially older women. Less is more, a heavily made-up look is passé, and all we need to be beautiful is a lustrous, dewy glow from her Miracle Balm, $38. After taking a quiz on the website, I ordered mine in the shade Flushed. This balm is a kind of moisturizer/foundation/bronzer combo that is easy to apply, feels nice and looks… fine. It’s something I can throw on easily before tennis or errands to add a little color and shine, but it isn’t life changing. It doesn’t have enough coverage to deflect from my sun spots or even out my skin tone, and I wouldn’t put it on my entire face anyway, because it looks like a sunburn. Maybe I’d like a more neutral shade?
Il Makiage Foundation
The Instagram ads for this “Woke Up Like This” foundation, $45, are compelling. Women find the perfect shade of foundation that blends seamlessly with their complexions, creating a flawless, smooth look. This magnificent match is created through an online quiz and a free trial period. I’m obviously bad at these surveys because when my foundation arrived it was so yellow it made me look jaundiced. The company was proactive about following up and offered to exchange the product, but I kept postponing the return and then the trial window closed. I threw the bottle out, because seeing it in my cabinet just made me feel bad. On a brighter note, I did like the brand’s F*ck I’m Flawless concealer and use it often.
Quince Silk Scarf and Skirt
Instagram often reads my mind (or eavesdrops on my conversations) and serves up exactly what I need. These Quince purchases fall into that category.
I’m going to Marrakech in October and want to bring a big lightweight scarf to throw over my shoulders when modesty is required. I don’t love wearing scarves, but this is the one must-have garment all the travel experts recommend for Morocco, a Muslim country. When I saw ads on Instagram for a well-priced, feather weight silk/cashmere scarf from Quince (a company I’d never heard of) it seemed ideal. I’m super happy with it. It’s as big, light and pretty as promised and worth the $59.90 price.
I was so smitten by Quince’s offerings of luxury fabrics at low prices, I also ordered a washable silk skirt in champagne, because $59.90 is a great price and midi skirts are part of my go-to summer outfit. I wish it had a little more give in the elastic waistband, but I think I’ll get a lot of wear out of it and the color is lovely.
Amazon Efficient
When I need some boring and practical object, I often don’t want to waste a lot of energy shopping for it. Instead of being fussy, I just google search an item and grab it on Amazon. Here are a couple purchases I’ve made that I’m actually very happy with.
J.WMEET Athletic Socks
I play a lot of tennis and athletic socks are an important part of my gear. Because I play mainly on clay, I like a quarter height sock that keeps the grit off my ankles. My favorite tennis socks are from Feetures, but they’re pricey—around $18 a pair. I found this colorful pack of J.WMEET running socks on Amazon for just $16.99 for six pairs. Not only are they padded and comfortable and stay snug at the ankle, all my tennis friends have been complimenting me on them.
Champion Sports Bra
I hate shopping for underwear and sports bras are no exception. This Champion Sports Bra does everything I want it to do. It fastens with hooks in the back like regular bras, so there’s no struggle to tug it over my head. It gives the high level support I need but has some definition (no uniboob look). At $26.59, it’s a good value. The straps are wide, so I don’t wear it with racerback tops, but I’m wearing tops that provide more sun protection these days anyway. I’ve already reordered.
Phone Tripod
I take a lot of photos of myself. It’s part of the blogging job! I’ve been making do with a little table top tripod, but finally I decided to get a full-sized version. This Sensyne 62″ Cell Phone Tripod has been the perfect upgrade. It can fold down to a compact 17″ so it’s easy to pack. And it’s versatile and easy to use, with a blue tooth remote to snap the pics. No more mirror shots! Regular price, $19.98 (but it may be on sale!).
If you’d like to see what else I’ve bought online, take a look at my original post, below:
Fully Fabulous 