Get Ready...

Hi all, sorry I haven't posted more since starting this thing up. Finals have been taking longer than I expected, but the writing is going...
In other news, I have big plans (ok, maybe just plans...) for starting this thing off right with some swatches and reviews. Among other goodies, I have recently acquired some loose eyeshadows from Meow Cosmetics' Egyptian Treasures collection, and some loose eyeshadows from the soon-to-be-defunct Aromaleigh cosmetics blog's collections. It is my understanding that these were shades specifically created to use up leftover raw materials after the company made the decision to close; I bought some after having read many, many favorable reviews, but let me tell you, so far I am disappointed! I'll continue trying them out between now and when I get a chance to do a proper review, and maybe my mind will change, but I don't quite get the hype yet. Maybe using them wet will help matters? I'll be experimenting. I also ordered some shades from collections released before Aromaleigh went out of business, and I'm curious if the quality issues have to do with the fact that these shades were made out of "leftover" stock, so we'll see once I get the other order. Meow Cosmetics, on the other hand, has me purring... ;)

Just a note: Anything I say here is my personal opinion. I have bought all of these products with my own money, and I am in no ways a medical expert. In fact, I'm not an expert in anything. However, I know that reading about other peoples' experiences with things has helped me make purchasing decisions and direct my beauty budget more sagely, so hopefully others will find this helpful as well :) So if you have any questions about whether or not a product is right for you, you'll have to trust your own instincts and medical professionals.

Welcome!

Hello, everyone! Welcome to my blog :) Haven't gotten anything up yet, but I envision this as a place to communicate my appreciation for fashion, design, makeup, and costuming, as well as the occasional literary interest. I am a grad student in an English Literature program focusing on the Early Modern period, which explains this blog's name. In Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene, The Bower of Bliss is a dangerous garden of sensual temptations, designed to lead the virtuous into libertine pleasure... and this is what these interests are for me. I needed some sort of outlet for them, so, here we are! While I love what I study, it can be frustrating to have other interests with no way to legitimize them, and this is a place where I can honor them and give them the same sort of attention I give to my school work.

When I'm not agonizing over paper writing or reading texts written before the 17th century, I can be found designing and sewing historically inspired costumes, playing around with makeup, frequenting my local Place of Commerce, spending time with my wonderful friends and family, reading the types of blogs that have inspired me to create this one, and passionately advocating the use of the Oxford comma.