End Piracy, Not Liberty
Posted by: Lauren on: January 17, 2012
I know I hardly post consistently, but I want it to be known that I am not posting tomorrow, January 18th, very much on purpose. My blog, along with websites across the net, will be blacked out tomorrow to protest SOPA and PIPA, legislation which touts to end piracy, but which actually infringes on our liberty. Take Action. Stop American Censorship.
I hope everyone is having a lovely week, and I’ll see you on the other side. 
Star Wars “Versus” World of Warcraft
Posted by: Lauren on: January 15, 2012
Originally, this post was going to be about Star Wars: The Old Republic alone. I’ve been playing since the beta and enjoying myself immensely, despite generally not being a fan of “space games.” I’d love to start blogging about SW:TOR as I do WoW (that is, inconsistently — har har). I haven’t felt the need to compare SW:TOR to World of Warcraft, though, because they fulfill different niches for me. But the discourse surrounding SW:TOR’s launch (which I’ve been following mostly in the WoW blogosphere since I read those blogs anyway) has been occasionally troubling and disappointing. Without intending to be insulting, I expected better from such a vibrant and fun gamer community.
There has been a wave of criticism directed toward SW:TOR recently, particularly during its beta and at the time of its launch. This is fine. I take no issue, generally, with criticism. In fact, I think criticism of new media is highly important. It’s valuable for developers to incorporate constructive criticism into a final product, or, in the case of MMOs, to address valid concerns after launch. Providing these sorts of evaluations is what a lot of us bloggers are here to do. The issue I have in this specific case is that the criticism of SW:TOR, while sometimes valid, seems to be entirely — not partly, not occasionally, but entirely – based on comparisons to WoW.
Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette
Posted by: Lauren on: January 12, 2012
I’m going to consider it kismet that the day I finally got around to publishing my review of Urban Decay’s Naked palette, Naked 2 was teased for the first time. Perhaps I am some sort of makeup prophetess! Or maybe it was a coincidence. Either way, I ordered Naked 2 “hot off the press,” as it were, the day it launched. So far, I’m very pleased with it! While it might not have been strictly necessary to have both palettes (does one really need 23 neutral eyeshadows?), I find myself using both of them constantly, usually in combination.
As hard as it is to avoid, this review will attempt to isolate the qualities of Naked 2, independent of its cult-favorite predecessor. I’ll be doing a post later on comparing the two. This palette includes 12 full-sized shadows, an exclusive-to-this-palette, double-ended Good Karma Shadow/Crease Brush, and a travel-size Lip Junkie Lipgloss in Naked for $50. I’m also going to toss in my review of the travel-size Eldorado 24/7 Liner I got as a sample when ordering because I think it fits the “theme” so well. Overall, this is yet another palette with tremendously good value and versatile application from Urban Decay.
Happy 2012!
Posted by: Lauren on: January 11, 2012
I know I’m two weeks late on breaking my hiatus (and wishing everyone a happy new year), but Mochi has been ill, so I hope you’ll forgive me. He’s feeling much better now, so let the blog posting re-commence! My tropical getaway was very fun, and I’ll probably be posting some pictures from Hawaii and Hanukkah to my Flickr shortly — most of the upcoming posts will probably be about my makeup and SW:TOR holiday fun, though! Ringing in the new year with my boyfriend, my Jedi Sage, and egg cremes, what could be better?
I hope everyone had joyous holidays, and is enjoying 2012 so far. Cheers!
Two Week Hiatus!
Posted by: Lauren on: December 9, 2011
I’m off to tropical locales sans internet, so I won’t be posting for two weeks. Happy holidays, all! 
Burberry Luminous Sheer Liquid Foundation (and Lip Mist!)
Posted by: Lauren on: December 7, 2011
Having recently detailed a tale of foundation matching horror, let me now share a tale of makeup love and perfection. After returning Chanel’s Perfection Lumiere, I wandered around Nordstrom’s trying to decide where on earth to start looking for a new prospect. On my way to the Armani counter, my eye was caught by the beautiful packaging over by Burberry. So, what the hell? I gave it a shot.
This was the best decision I’ve made recently. I honestly don’t know why I didn’t think of Burberry earlier — it’s based in England, they clearly must support people who are ludicrously fair (har har). The artist quickly matched up with Burberry’s Luminous Sheer Liquid Foundation in Trench No.01, which despite the name is a rather medium-coverage foundation which comes in a variety of really-light to slightly-less-light shades (very encouraging for pale girls like me!)
Chanel Perfection Lumiere Foundation
Posted by: Lauren on: December 7, 2011
This not the review I anticipated writing when I bought this product. I wound up returning it, but let’s start at the beginning. After hearing many glowing reviews for Chanel’s discontinued Pro Lumiere foundation, I decided to try the new Perfection Lumiere which had been billed as a sort of “spiritual successor” to Pro Lumiere. Since I’m very, very fair, I typically try the lightest shade available for foundations. Being pale can be a hassle, but since I live my life mostly in a state of computer-lit hermithood, the chance of me tanning is somewhere between 0 and -1. Bonus: I don’t have to buy a different foundation for the summers! At the counter, I tried the two lightest shades they had: Beige 10 and Beige Rose 12.
Patch 4.3: Hour of Twilight
Posted by: Lauren on: November 29, 2011
I was planning on writing some posts about the recent “faction bias” and “SW:TOR vs. WoW” debates, but, uhhhh… patch day! So, instead, I’ll be fumbling my way through new heroics and crying over yet more dailies to do. Hooray! Enjoy transmog and void storage, everyone!
Urban Decay Naked Palette
Posted by: Lauren on: November 27, 2011
- In: Girly Stuff
- 1 Comment
Almost two months ago, my boyfriend bought Urban Decay’s Naked Palette for me after seeing me drool over it every time I dragged him to Sephora. Two months is an unusually long time for me to wait before reviewing a product, but I’ve been really reluctant to write this post because I wasn’t sure I could adequately describe just how much I love this palette while also not parroting all of the reviews which led me to get it in the first place.
Everyone loves this palette — and for good reason. I’ve heard people speak of Holy Grail items before, and never really gotten it. However, in the time that I’ve had this palette it’s easier to count the days I didn’t wear one or more of these shadows than the days I did. I get it now. This palette includes 12 full-sized, incredibly versatile shadows, the Good Karma Shadow Brush, and a travel-size Original Eyeshadow Primer Potion for $48. I don’t think any other palette has done neutral better, or for a better price.
Guest Post on WoW Insider!
Posted by: Lauren on: November 22, 2011
Today’s Breakfast Topic on WoW Insider was submitted by yours truly! It was inspired by my adorable 11-year-old cousin, Noa, who has always loved to watch me play WoW, and now has an account herself. I plan on writing an expanded article on these issues as we continue to play together — while WoW isn’t kid-friendly in its base form, it’s definitely possible to create a safe experience within the game.
Blog by a programmer cum linguist cum writer cum total geek. One who pretentiously uses "cum" in place of any other logical connectives. Direct questions to the Ask Lauren page!
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