Welcome to my blog!

Welcome to my humble corner of the internet!

I've been writing reviews and notes for myself for awhile and decided it was time to consolidate my thoughts into one place. I like the searching capabilities of blogs and think that typing on the computer is much more enjoyable than typing on a phone keyboard. Thus, this blog now exists!

I have a relatively-inactive Instagram page by the same name (@constant.projects) where I mostly post about makeup and indie brands. I came up with the name because I originally planned to do Project Pan (a.k.a. "makeup use-up") posts but decided quickly after that it wasn't for me. Since I am committed and don't want to change my watermarks, the name stuck.

If you want to know what to expect when reading my blog...

 

My interests

I buy from a lot of small businesses and niche brands. My main hobbies are beauty-related: nail polish, makeup, perfume, and jewelry. I enjoy buying from small businesses because I often find the most unique products with exceptional quality, and I enjoy supporting artists and their livelihood. I hope that my thoughts can be helpful to someone who may be interested in supporting a small business for the first time or who just wants another perspective on a purchase they're considering!

I don't talk much about skincare because everyone has such different needs. As someone with skin allergies, I rarely try new products. Everything I put on my face and hair is free of propylene glycol, coconut, nickel, (and usually) fragrance. Most of my body products are allergy-friendly, too, though I seem to have fewer sensitivities on my legs than anywhere else. At some point, I'll post my daily routine to share some of the products that work for me. My skin is quite oily and acne-prone, so that's the lens I have to determine if something is good or not.

Another big part of my life is my diet. I am completely dairy-free and try to eat vegan as often as possible. With my huge love of snacks, this also leads me to try interesting or niche items with my food, too! You can safely assume that anything I talk about will at least be dairy-free, if not more.

I recently got my first (and second) fountain pen and have enjoyed learning about the world of fine paper and writing utensils. As a former nerd for school supplies, I love using new, unique inks and fancy paper! Besides being more environmentally-friendly and cost-effective long-term, it's awesome to have a go-to writing instrument that never runs out. (If you've ever had a great pen, you know that feeling.) In no way do I claim to be an expert about any of it, but I might share some things I learn or try from time to time.

At some point, I hope to dabble more in photography, but that's more of a goal than a current hobby. I'm also learning a little bit about embroidery and revisiting my high school days of doing macrame and friendship bracelets. It has all been a lot of fun!

Finally, I also watch a lot of YouTube and tv shows, and I love reading books, both physical and on audio. You can often find me analyzing the intricacies of storytelling and what makes something good vs. enjoyable. There's a chance that my thoughts on pop culture will appear here, too, because I always enjoy a good discussion!

How I test scents

As an avid user of indie perfume, I am often testing new scents and find it fun to compare them to others. I test all new fragrances at night. I apply two fragrances (one on each arm, with no other products) before bed and will see how they smell over the first little while, usually 10-30 minutes. After I wake up, I make notes on how things have changed or faded. I find it tedious to check in more frequently, so many of my reviews will say “after awhile” referring to some point between the initial application and me smelling it in the morning. If a fragrance is still going strong but I stop checking on it, I’ll make note of the longevity with a ‘+’. This is open-ended, meaning only that I smelled it for the amount of time listed but assume it would last longer. I only do standalone tests and will not look at scent descriptions until after I document my thoughts, though I often have a vague memory of the notes from when I made the purchase. Occasional other testing methods or thoughts will be listed.

Did I miss anything? Let me know! Thanks for reading ❤