Lemming:
1. (noun): any of various small, mouselike rodents of the genera Lemmus, Myopus, and Dicrostonyx, of far northern regions, as L. lemmus, of Norway, Sweden, etc., noted for periodic mass migrations that sometimes result in mass drownings. (from dictionary.com)
2. (noun OR verb): in cosmetics cyber-parlance, wanting something with uncontrollable desire (especially if also sought by the masses), or, the thing that is the object of this desire. Often appears with the word “total” or “totally.”
Examples:
“That Smashbox palette is a total lemming for me.”
or, more commonly:
“I am totally lemming that Smashbox palette.”
(It took me awhile to get over the rude transformation of that noun into a verb. I guess you can take any word with “ing” on the end of it and assume it’s a present participle. Then again, I still cringe at using “they” as a gender-neutral third-person-singular pronoun, so maybe I’m not the best person to ask.)
BTW, if you are lemming something, but then get to the store to look at it and find that it doesn’t live up to your expectations, you have de-lemminged it. For example, today at ULTA I de-lemminged Urban Decay’s lip primer stick and Smashbox Halo foundation powder. I was so, so proud of myself. Voxy 2, lemmings 0.
And then I turned the corner, and saw this.
It is the Smashbox “Wish for a Perfect Palette” palette. I used to be a sucker for palettes, but after some serious thinking I stopped buying them, since most of the time there ended up being only one or two things I liked and a whole lot of things I didn’t, and really if I just tested more carefully in stores, I could probably do better in terms of ratio of price paid to quantity-of-things-I-like. Also, the cosmetics in palettes aren’t always the same in color or quality as their respective full-size products, which has to do with how and where the palettes are manufactured.
The exception to my no-palette rule (and you knew there was going to be one) is when you can get a palette that’s packed full of high-quality, good-as-full-size, true-to-color cosmetics from a high-quality brand that you already know, and for a good price. Particularly at this time of year, palettes are everywhere, and so are sales. (Maybe next week I’ll do a palette round-up post, if you guys are into palettes.)
This Smashbox palette is only available on the Smashbox website or at ULTA (online or in-store). For $59, you get what they say is $225 worth of product, however they count that all up. Yes, that’s more than I like to spend, but hey, it’s still $16 less than the Bobbi Brown palette I was also lemming, which has far fewer colors. Here’s what’s in it:
64 Eye Shadows
8 Cream Eye Liners
6 Brow Tech Powders
1 Brow Wax
8 Lip Glosses
2 Blushes
1 Complexion Brightener
1 Bronzer
1 Highlighter
4 Mini Brushes (Shadow, Liner, Brow & Lip) [these live next to the cream eyeliners/brow powders and the lip glosses; you can't see them here because I had to close the case just slightly so it would fit in my light box]
The amounts are smaller than what you get in full-size products, obviously, but you get a lot more variety. And, frankly, I’ve often wished I could buy smaller amounts of things. It’s really rare that I totally empty out an eye shadow or use absolutely all of the lipstick or lip gloss in a container. But this palette is, IMHO, a fabulous bargain. For example, you get all six colors of the brow tech powders, which normally run $24 apiece for a 0.03-oz container. OK, you only get 0.02 oz in the palette, but I think I can deal. Also, the colors shown in the palette are wearable — sometimes palettes are filled with shades that would only look good on the dead. This is all wearable, with the exception of one randomly yellow eyeshadow. (Bet you can’t find it.)
Palette aficionados with long memories will note that this is the same packaging that Sephora used for their palette last year, although this has a glossy rather than matte finish.
WHILE YOU’RE AT IT:
While you’re at ULTA, it would be criminal not to pick up the Smashbox “Quick Eyes” set, which contains two full-size eyeshadows in lovely neutral browns (“ASAP” and “Pronto”), plus a Smashbox Shadow/Liner Brush (#30). Full-size totally wearable eyeshadows, plus a brush, for the low low price of $12.99 (a $52 value). The kit is less than the cost of one eyeshadow alone ($16).
AND SPEAKING OF LEMMINGS:
By the way, if you miss playing the computer game Lemmings — which, for you young’uns, is the picture at the top of this post — you can do it online here! (I take no responsibility for any ensuing loss of productivity.)
Via Women’s Wear Daily:
Joan Holloway and Betty Draper Barbies.
You all know that old chestnut about the definition of insanity being doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, right? (Well, you do now.)
Lemming, meet Fox.
If you happen to see, out of the corner of your eye, a rapidly-moving blur that might look a bit like a very excited little girl wearing a pink dress with sparkles and tearing off in the direction of your local mall, pay no attention. That’s just Little Voxy, running at breakneck speed toward Sephora.
