**MAKEUP** Swatches on Skin (dark foundations)

Since I have said over and over that I should do this, I've decided to go all Nike on y'all and just do it.

(By the way, ladies, even though I'm posting about darker foundations, I believe that each of the products covers ,most skin tones from the palest to the deepest. Just wanted to toss that in because the makeup struggle is real, no matter what your shade!)

The shades are:

1. * BH Cosmetics Complexion Collection (shade - Deep Espresso)
2.  Mary Kay's Timewise Luminous Wear (shade - Bronze 8)
3.  *Black Radiance' Complexion Perfection (shade - 8435 Ebony)
4.  *NARS' Sheer Glow (shade - Khartoum/Dark4)
5.  *Black Opal's True Color Pore Perfecting (shade - Ebony Brown)
6. Mary Kay CC Cream/sunscreen SPF15 (shade - Deep)

I starred my faves, but I won't count on Black Radiance not to discontinue the Ebony shade. The Mary Kay products were my late sister's and she loved the way the looked and made her skin feel. I might have to see about some shades that suit me.

Now, here is how these looked against my skin in full-on sunlight:

#1 shade is bottom, #6 is top by eye

By the way, to help with which shade is which, #1 on the list is on the bottom part of my face while #6 is the first and nearest my eye. I lost track when I was adding the numbers onto the photos!

Keep in mind that I didn't blend these, but just wiped them on to give you an idea of what the shades looked like. When my faves are blended, they are pretty flawless. Even the too-light Mary Kay Luminous Wear doesn't look outrageous if I blend it in. That's why I want to try one of the darker shades from the brand.

When I moved back a bit so that my face was still getting a lot of sunlight but not as direct, this is what the swatches looked like.

This is the reason I want to point out is that, even when a shade is too light (or orange/red/whatever), there can still be some use for it. I like to highlight the area just over and under the outer parts of my eyebrows with a slightly light shade. Sometimes, I will use a lighter shade as an eyeshadow.  Also, everything depends on lighting, lighting, lighting. You think I'm lying? Just go look at how some folks prove that "ugly" can be about the angle (or lighting) of a shot. Big thanks to Sad and Useless for the post. Lifted my esteem a notch.

The next photos are of the swatches on my arm held at different angles. This was done under indoor lighting - or "office" lighting since I had a couple of computer lights on.

Most days, I don't go all overboard with my makeup. Let me back up and admit something: most days I only half-step it when doing my makeup. Sometimes, all I'll bother with is some lip pretties (stain, stick or gloss), but usually, I do light foundation, mascara, and the lip pretties. That's because I'm getting older and am not as confident as I used to be. There was a time when I went totally barefaced and strutted around like my poo didn't p.u. It's nice when I find a shade that works to look natural and light.

Anyway, I hope that these photos help to give some of you all ideas for shades you might be wondering about.

Next time around, maybe I will show some of the lip pretties I love.

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** SoundPEATS vs LG Tone Pro (headsets)

This is LG HBS-760 Tone Pro headset that I got from AT&T. Current Price: $39.99 (I paid around $69.00 for the first pair 2 years ago and have been given replacements)

3 of 5 stars from me

This is the SoundPEATS Q800 headset I got from Amazon. Current Prime Price: $21.99 (I paid $19.99 last year)

4 of 5 stars and 1 heart = 5 stars LOL

When I wrote an Amazon review for the SoundPEATS (SP) headphones, my Tone Pro (TP) was still my favorite (even though it was broken, which I why I got the SoundPEATS). In comparing the 2 sets, I was team Tone Pro all the way. I thought the SB wasn't as nicely designed. Also, I thought the sound quality wasn't as good. I did concede that, for the low price, it was a decent headphone to use as a backup. (After the TP set kept breaking down, I was glad for the backup!)

I used to have the Tone Pro VERSION, then it went wacky. One earbud quit seemed to get a short and would work off and on, depending on how I positioned the cord. That got tiresome. I took advantage of the AT&T 1-year replacement warranty. The replacement worked great. For a while. The next time I had to replace it, the headset had been upgraded. I thought that was great. Maybe the new version would actually work for a longer period of time. Uh... Nope. And that's whey I stopped using the SP as backup and made it my full-time headset.

Funny that my opinion about the SP set changed so much when I was actually using it all day, every day. When I review products for brands, I make sure to give whatever the item is a good chance. I look at the Pros and Cons from every angle, then I make my judgement call. When I reviewed the SPs the first time, I tried them out for about half and hour (or maybe even less), and decided they were only good enough for a standby.

Once I had no choice but to use the SPs as my main headset, I paid more attention to the design and sound quality. This is what I should have done in the first place. (And, by the way, I did have a choice about using them, but I was too cheap and lazy to hunt down a new set,)

I've been using the SPs for about 3 weeks now. I like them so much that I take them for granted. I almost forgot about the old review I'd done on them. The other day, someone asked me what kind of headset I was wearing and I told them. I added that they had been so well-priced that I wish I had been using them all along. And that's when I remembered the old review.

My headset works so much better than the pricey LGs. The one thing I still don't like as much about them are the large buttons. I wish the ends were sleeker, but... I don't have complaints about the sound quality anymore.

I use these things constantly. I have a slight hearing problem and I also have trouble concentrating on one thing when lots of things are going on around me. With my headset, I can listen to (and focus on) my audio books, podcasts, and - most importantly - phone calls.

In general, I recommend that everyone should use a headset for using their phone. It sure makes driving a lot safer. Wearing my headset frees up my hands and allows me to keep my phone out of the way. Before now, when I would cradle my phone between my ear and shoulder, I came close to dropping it into dishwater. Now, I can keep my phone safely in my pocket, purse, or clipped to my clothes via a holster.

So I really want to back peddle on that first review. I wasn't being fair to SoundPEATS. Once I gave these earphones a real trial, I had to go back and admit that they are more than worth it for the price I paid.

I still have a fondness for the Tone Pro headset. When it worked, I loved it. I liked the look of it and the feel of the buttons. But I'd rather drive a hooptie that runs consistently than a Maserati that keeps breaking down.

Because the SoundPEATS work so well, I'm thinking of getting a second one. I have my current ones paired to both my phone and computer. Switching from one to the other is also another feature that works better with these than the Tone Pro. Still, I want to look at getting another color as a birthday gift to myself. Maybe this time I'll get a really jazzy color...

So, to the makers of SoundPEATS, I want to apologize for kinda, sorta slamming your product. I've gone back and updated my review. I gave this 4 of 5 stars on Amazon.

Peace
--Free

(Apologies to readers. I know that my grammar and tense constancy was horrible in the post. It's been a rough morning.)