Two Products I Swear By!

Revlon Grow Luscious Plumping Mascara: It Works!

I love finding new products that work!  Two that I've found lately are making my life much happier. Disclaimer:  I am not advertising nor do I receive any renumeration in any form from these two companies or any other having to do with these products.
First, finally a mascara that I can love using everyday.  Through the years, my lashes have grown thin owing to my using extensions for years and years (those things are very, very hard on your lashes and everyone ends up losing some permanently), then using strip false eyelashes everyday for at least 10 years.  Many people swear by products that help lashes grow that you put on at night before bed, but I was always forgetting to put those on.  Coming to my rescue: Revlon's Grow Luscious Plumping mascara.  It has the ingredients that help your lashes grow, but in a mascara that actually looks good.  And since this is mascara, I don't forget to put it on.  I'm wearing it everyday as part of my regular makeup routine.  It's a good mascara that thickens lashes when you apply it, and over time actually helps your lashes grow.  It has minimal flaking, a big plus for me!  And of course, since it's a drugstore mascara, it's relatively cheap, about $7.99 per tube.  I use a tube about every 6 weeks or so.  It will last longer for people who don't use mascara as heavily as I do.

Estee Lauder Re-Nutriv Intensive Lifting Makeup SPF 15

Second, a product that will cost you more, but if you measure the effectiveness of a product by how it makes your skin feel and how many compliments you get,  is definitely worth the money.  I am known to be an Estee Lauder fan and have used their foundations, especially Fresh Air makeup base, since the 1970's. While I still think that the oil-free Fresh Air makeup is one of the best ever, ever made, it lacks a sunscreen.   On Saturday, I turned 63 years old.  I need a foundation with a sunscreen, even in the winter months, and even though I use a cream with an SPF of 15 every day. I splurged and bought Estee Lauder's Re-Nutriv Intensive Lifting cream foundation in the Fresca shade.  I though that it was a bit shiny, so I also got the Re-Nutriv finishing powder.  I didn't really need to though since the subtle glow/shine is what I get so many compliments on.  Does it really "lift" (I could use the lift)? I'm sure it doesn't, but for the finish it gives my skin and the comments I've received, it is definitely worth the $75.00 price tag for the jar. A plus, a great range of shades for all skin colors.
Below: my face with only a bit of lipstick, eyeliner, and my foundation.  No blush, basically a blank canvas.  Doesn't my skin look great!?

Aging Gracefully

Pictures of me today! Why? Because at age 62, I have been trying for the first time all the creams and serums that so many people swear by.  While I don't think that any of these will keep me from aging, I am hoping that they will give me soft, smooth skin and help me age, well, gracefully.  Plus, I am having a ball trying different things!  A funny switch for someone who until the age of 59+ used only Purpose soap and Aveeno lotion on her face!
   Now, my routine has changed. No more sleeping in make-up (my huge vice - I'm so often lazy); if I don't shower before I go to bed (with my Purpose soap), I use either Neutrogena facial wipes (it takes me 2 to clean my face, then I splash with lukewarm water) or Estee Lauder's Re-Nutriv cleanser (always splashing water afterward).
   Currently, at night I am using a firming serum called Acure Organics Seriously Firming Facial Serum; afterward I apply L'Oreal's Revitalift (a drugstore, yes, drugstore purchase!).
   In the morning, I may experiment with some sort of serum, but usually I just use Estee Lauder's Daywear. It's very moisturizing, has a sunscreen, and I love the cucumber scent.  When I remember, I may use their foundation primer, but usually I just use Re-Nutriv Ultimate Lifting Creme make-up. It  has an SPF 15 rating so I am doubling up on the sunscreen. If I do decide to go sans foundation, I always put a sunscreen on!

   I've been very happy with the results, best seen in the first picture: no retouching, no photo-shopping. I don't know how firm my skin is, but it is certainly smooth and soft!
By the way, my skin is extremely sensitive, but so far nothing has caused a break-out during experimentation except for Lauder's Swiss Performing Extract. 
   Next experiments will be with lash enhancers!

Four Beautiful Women Over 40

 

Just a short post to celebrate the beauty of these four women who are all over 40. First, above, Nicole Kidman is still gorgeous and drop-dead sexy  no matter what color her hair is (I personally prefer her in red).

S. Epatha Merkerson (Law and Order) is a beautiful woman.  I love her dimples and the sprinkling of freckles that she doesn't try to hide. And what a smile! She is 60; can you believe it! By the way, she is not the thinnest star either, but she still looks great.

Above, Kim Basinger. Enough said. She's 59 years old. Yes, in this picture.

Catherine Zeta-Jones is 44 years old and absolutely stunning despite health problems and possibly marital problems.  
All four of these women prove that you do not have to let a stressful life show on your face no matter what your age.  It is not too late to get enough sleep, take nutritional supplements, exercise, lose weight, and wear makeup.  Don't think of private trainers, chefs, $800 haircuts, expensive make-up. None of that really matters. What matters is that you exercise whether you have someone to train with or not.  That you eat healthfully, even if you eat out or cook for yourself. Get your hair cut by someone who cares what you look like. And drugstore makeup is wonderful these days. Experiment and you can find something that will work for you!

What I'm Wearing

The shorts are new for me. I'm not sure how  feel about them yet, but after wearing them a few hours, I've found that they are quite comfortable.  I'm trying them out for our trip to Paris.  We'll be taking my grand-daughter to Euro-Disney and I'm thinking that it is going to be too hot for long pants.  And you know how I feel about crops!  These have a cuff and seem a little dressier than most shorts. I'm wearing them today with a turquoise tee from Old Navy, my favorite Franco Sarto snakeskin sandals, and my Hermes Andalucia scarf.  David Yurman watch. Cluny Grey mixed gemstone necklace.

I find that I often wear my hair in a ponytail.  I wear a high ponytail although I've read that at my age, one isn't supposed to.  But it's the most comfortable for me and I think looks better than a lower ponytail (which also bothers the back of my neck).

Below, in keeping with being truly realistic about what I wear and how I look, I have not done anything to the photo below. (I see some messy eye makeup!)

  Estee Lauder Fresh Air foundation; Armani blush in #10; Estee Lauder lipstick. Underneath, Estee Lauder Daywear moisturizing cream with SPF 15. And yes, my hair needs trimming badly!

Lips and the Best Mascaras

As we get older, our lashes often thin, and mine are no exception. I got tired of wearing false eyelashes for the lush look that was a part of my signature eye makeup and have been looking ever since for a mascara that both lengths and thickens my lashes with making them look spidery.

 I've finally found the right concoction! I am using two, yes, two mascaras, and both are by Maybelline. I first put on Illegal Lengths mascara to get the length that I want, being careful not to let it dry between coats. It goes on best if you apply until you get the length that you want without letting it dry between coats. Then, I use the Volume Express mascara, Falsies, for thickness.  If this sounds, goopy and like too much, it really isn't.  I like the "winged" Falsies best, I think.  I apply a couple of coats of it starting close to the lash base, and finally, I have the lashes I want!  The Falsies in waterproof is also decent, too.  I used it lately when I was in South Africa and Mozambique to keep away racoon eyes.  It worked!

 Beauty Tip:  If you have very dry lips all the time, try this. Your toothpaste may be drying your lips.  Before brushing anytime, put a thick coat of vaseline on your lips, then be sure to rinse lips after you finish brushing.  Toothpastes containing baking soda are especially drying to the lips.  I've tried this and my every so dry lips are finally getting soft and smooth!

SPF - Sunscreen is NOT Optional!

Be sure to wear a sunscreen everyday!  As careful as I have been with my complexion, it is not something I have always done.  Going about day to day life, I often used a foundation with an SPF of 15, but often I didn't.  Now I know that you can prevent signs of aging by wearing a sunscreen year round, yes, even in the winter when all you do is hop in and out of your car to do errands. And remember, your foundation may have a sunscreen, but most people do not wear enough foundation to get true protection.  The answer is a moisturizer with sunscreen and a foundation with sunscreen. Wear both - everyday - even in the dead of winter!

Foundation: Armani VS. Estee Lauder - and the Winner is...

 

There has been so much hype about the new Giorgio Armani silky foundation that I felt that I had to try it.  Armed with my Neiman's charge card (or rather, in this case, my husband's) I set out to Tyson's to see if it was all sold out.  It wasn't!  It had a nice silky finish and I bought a bottle and took it home.

Now at this point it is probably important to add that I have stuck with Estee Lauder's foundations since the 1970's and been ever so happy with them  My favorite and the best all-time foundation is Estee Lauder's Fresh Air Make-Up Base; for a while in the 1990's I couldn't find it anywhere, but luckily it's available again and I am happy again!  During the interim when it wasn't available, I had used Double Wear by Estee Lauder and was happy enough with it, but nothing beat the Fresh-Air make-up.
So I paid by $59.00 to try the Armani make-up (over twice the price of Fresh-Air's humble $24.50 price tag). The result: it looked fairly good, and it was different.  Very light, but there was coverage unlike most "light" make-ups. However, after wearing it for about 5 hours one day, I happened to look in the mirror while I was wearing my reading glasses and noticed that I had a bit of flaking near one side of my nose and a rather dry looking patch on the other side. I no longer had that refreshed look of well-moisturized skin, but rather skin that said, "I've been on the overnight from Heathrow to Dulles and my skin feels it!"
I washed off the Armani and put the Estee Lauder back on.  It looked wonderful; the color was richer, but matched my skin, and it gave me a half-dewy, half-matte look that requires no powder.  I've been checking everyday since with my reading glasses to see if the look is lasting after 5 hours, after 10 hours... and it is!
If Estee Lauder ever gets rid of Fresh-Air, I may have to use the Armani, but until then, the winner is - Estee Lauder's Fresh-Air make-up base.  Never fool with a winner!!
  P.S. You can find Fresh-Air make-up in the standard department stores that sell Estee Lauder, but they don't seem to stock a lot of it.  I usually buy it directly from the Estee Lauder website.

The Cream de la Creme!

I have extremely dry skin (on my body - my face is slightly different). In fact, my skin has a condition known as ichthysosis (the ichthys from fish) which basically means fish-scale skin. And if left alone, it would look very much like fish scales. Luckily my case is not as severe as it could be, but it still makes finding the right lotions and creams a challenge.
Of course, I love, absolutely love, Aveeno lotion. It is the cream that I use on my face - the only cream, and I've used it for years (I've received many compliments on my complexion which is rather porcelain-like; I attribute the complexion to Aveeno and to good sunscreens). However, finding a good body lotion/cream is a different matter. I seem to need to rotate creams in order for them to remain effective. The body butters from The Body Shop and Bath and Body Works are some of my favorite concoctions (I loved the ones with grapeseed and with pumpkin, both of which are now discontinued), but I've found a wonderful alternative.
The Wildflower & Thyme Company in Waterloo, Illinois makes a cream to die for! This body cream supplies just what my skin is hungry for: grapeseed oil, jojoba oil (my two favorites), avocado oil, Vitamin E, aloevera, and other goodies for your parched skin. And best of all, the nice people will scent your cream with your choice of fragrance: LAVENDER/ROSEMARY, PATCHOULI, ROSE, VANILLA BEAN, LILAC, PEACH NECTAR, JASMINE, LEMON VERBANA, GARDENIA, CINNAMON, MUSK, TROPICAL BREEZE, CUCUMBER MELON, PEPPERMINT, HONEYSUCKLE, GRAPEFRUIT, PLUMERIA, SANDALWOOD AND BROWN SUGAR, EVERWOOD OR FRAGRANCE FREE.
The Jasmine is my favorite, and it's a good strong jasmine so that the fragrance lingers.
It also isn't as greasy as many of the body butters (those with shea butter especially), and it rather inexpensive at about $1.00 an ounce.
You won't believe how great this cream is - and no, I have no affiliation whatsoever with the company. I found them one night while frantically googling for lotions with grapeseed oil and jojoba oil together.
You can e-mail them for information at wildflsoap@aol.com. At times they sell on ebay under the id cacook1. Here is a link: http://cgi.ebay.com/BODY-CREAM-ALOE-VERA-JOJOJBA-GRAPESEED-AVACADO-VITA-E_W0QQitemZ300249052852QQihZ020QQcategoryZ21205QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem



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Back with Good Products

I've been concentrating on other things lately and have let this blog lapse shamelessly - but now I'm back! I'm not sure that it was the discovery of good new products that have brought me out of hiding or the completely hideous fashions that I've seen everywhere lately (more on those lately), but here I am again.
First new product: Not necessarily a new product, but great are two mascaras, both by Lancome. The first is Lancome's Hypnose, the one I think that I cannot live without and that will take the place of the single best mascara, Elizabeth Arden, I've ever used that was discontinued years ago. Lashes are longer; lashes are thicker; lashes are curled, and they do not have that spikey look that does not flatter older women at all. The second is Lancome's Fatale, a mascara with a funky brush that takes some getting used to, but that will probably become your favorite mascara if Hypnose is not.
Stayed tuned for the next great find: a wonderful cream that moisturizes and lifts your spirits with its wonderful fragrance!

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