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Getting Sample Crazy!!!

4 Oct

It is without a doubt that women love free samples. We act like it’s Christmas when we go to the mailbox and inside are colorful packets, tubes, bottles and squares of mini versions of what’s hot on the market. Sometimes we actually try them and like them so much that we go out and invest in the full sized product. Other times, we stash them in the bottom drawer of the bathroom for those “just in case” moments. Then there are times we just love the little buggers so much, we create a new name online and get more of the sample so we have something to put in our overnight bag.

 I recently asked a few of my blogger girlfriends to tell me where they go to get hot new samples. I also wanted to know what sample they got recently and fell in love with. Fell in love so hard that they actually wasted no time to go and buy the full sized product. I found that some discovered their new finds just recently, while others have been faithful after using the sample for many, many years. Here’s what they had to say:

Lancome’s Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover: “I got a small bottle [as] a gift with purchase and fell in love. It’s so gentle! I wear waterproof eye makeup every day and Bi-Facil makes it so easy to remove.” –Carol (age 48)

MD Skincare’s All-In-One Facial Cleanser With Toner: “Whenever I get samples of cleansers, I’m very hesitant to try them since my skin is so sensitive. I got a few sample packets when I was at my Sephora retail store a few weeks back. After one day I was in love! It’s very mild and can be used for all skin types. It’s cleans very thoroughly but is not drying at all. I bought the full size within a week! –Tammy (age 29)

Clinique All About Eyes Rich: “I swear, that stuff helped me get over a black eye fairly quick! I did buy the full size.” –1shell1

Beauty Bliss Cosmetic’s Original Mineral Foundation: “I told my friend I was in search of a good loose mineral foundation without any talc in it, because my face had become super sensitive. She suggested I try BBC’s foundation. It isn’t available in retail stores and can only be bought online. They offer samples of ANY of their mineral products at only $1.25 each. And the samples come in decent-sized jars! It’s nice to be able to try different shades without investing a ton. This foundation is amazing. Great coverage and I can match my skin tone perfectly. I’ll never use anything else.” –Lyn (age 42)

 Clinique’s Naturally Glossy Mascara: “I remember going to the mall with my Aunt when I was about 14 and she gave me the gift she got with her purchase. In it was a little green tube…and I tried it on in the car, I was in love. It was smooth and shiny and clump free and so black. I bought my first full sized tube not long after that, and that slim silver tube has occupied my makeup drawer ever since!” -Sally (age 25)

mark. Eye Shadows: “I have had bad luck with eye shadows not lasting so without the samples I most likely would not have tried them. These are really the best.” –Melissa (age 31)

mark. Glow Baby Glow Lip Gloss: “I got the sample of [this lip gloss] and ordered the full size. It lasts, has a natural color, and a great minty smell.” –Four4Me

Make Up For Ever’s HD Microfinish Powder: “When I got my sample…I almost gave it away but after using it I can’t imagine I went without before. I ordered the full size.” – Melissa (age 31) and “I love the MUFE HD powder too! I was a bit skeptical of the whiteness–but it’s really a great powder, I won’t use anything else now.” –Coalieluv

Bumble & Bumble’s Prep Spray, Thickening Spray & Thickening Shampoo: “My salon in Maine converted to a B&B salon and my stylist gave me a few samples to try. I’ve been hooked ever since. Prep Spray is my HG [holy grail] hair product. And I don’t even want to know what my hair would look like without Thickening Spray at the roots.” –Nicole (age 31)

Vera Wang’s Fragrance Princess: “I would smell the perfume all the time in magazine ads and every time I did, I would think to myself, ‘Man I MUST get some of this! It smells divine!’ It got to the point when I could just get a waft of it and I would immediately know it was Vera Wang Princess. I love the smell THAT much. So, I finally went and bought the biggest size Nordstroms had and I have never regretted it. It’s light, fresh and feminine, yet musky and sophisticated at the same time.” –Julie (age 22)

Very often you can find samples of all kinds of goodies at your local cosmetic stores or the counter at fine department stores. Don’t be afraid to ask! Many of the associates work on commission and your new addiction could be a bump in their paycheck meaning they’d be MORE than willing to help you out. If you aren’t out and about that much and find that your computer is your shopping heaven, click below to try out the following websites for cool samples too:

www.freesamplesblog.com (a great listing of free samples of ALL kinds!)
Wal-Mart Samples (everything from perfume to tampons—depends on the week)
Beauty Bliss Cosmetics (good sized, inexpensive samples of mineral foundation, blush & eye shadows)
mark. Cosmetics (if you ask nice, the rep may send you goodies!)
and of course… www.sephora.com (my favorite shopping heaven!)

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Cool Fall Nights, Hot Beauty Finds!

29 Sep

It is absolutely no secret that I am a makeup junkie. And it’s even more obvious that my favorite glamour getaway spot is Sephora. I remember the first time I went into a Sephora store was when my husband took me to New York City for the first time in my life and I went to the store in Times Square. I never knew a store like this existed. Growing up, makeup was the “Buy One Get One” goodies you got from the Avon Lady or the drugstore splurge you invested in when you went to pick up tampons. I remember I walked in the door and just began to drool. It was like the Disneyland of Glamour. They handed me a bib and a shopping basket and the addiction began.

 With school back in session and the trees turning from green to gold, I have already begun to add a few of the season’s hot fashions to my closet. The dark denim skinny jeans, long tunic sweaters, jazzy high boots, and lots of leather! But with all great outfits comes great accessories, and makeup is my favorite accessory of them all! The rich hues of the season can go right from your wardrobe onto your eyes and lips for a finished look with pizzazz.

 While I spent my hour of monthly therapy at my local Sephora, I came across some great finds that I think are a “must have” for this Fall. My cosmetic co-pay was spent on these must haves this season:

 

  • MDskincare’s “All-In-One Facial Cleanser With Toner” – As soon as the days become shorter and the nights become cooler, my face begins to flake. This means I have to change my skin care routine to include a more gentle cleanser and a more enriched moisturizer. Of course, if Indian summer sneaks in, then I have to swap everything out again for the oil-slick stoppers. It’s such a pain. This cleanser might actually stop the game of musical skin care. It has a very odd consistency, almost like soft butter, but it cleans thoroughly without clogging pores or over drying skin. The longer you massage it onto you dry face, the more or a deep cleaning you’ll get. Felling dry?… rub it on for 10 seconds. Feeling oily?… rub it on for 30 seconds. It’s non-irritating, mildly scented and easily adaptable for the ever-changing weather of the season. It keeps my skin feeling soft and night tight at all.

 

  • Urban Decay Eye Shadow in “Gunmetal” – Smokey eyes are still the rage, and this shadow will give you just that with a little bling. This is THE perfect slate grey shade for Fall. In fact, Urban Decay is promoting it as a main ingredient for the “Glitter Over 40” look. (Okay, stop right there because I want it to be known I did not buy it for that reason. As far as anyone knows–except the clerk at DMV–I am 29… 32 max!) I’ve been looking for a great grey shade for a while now with no luck. Some were too light and many were almost onyx. This is a true dark smoky grey. What I also love is it is a bit sparkly. Yup, there is some glitter, but it is the perfect amount and doesn’t make your face look like a disco ball. It easily can be worn both day and night. Urban Decay’s shadows are a cult-favorite in the cosmetic industry with shades ranging from subtle to slammin’ and styles from matte to metallic. They contain very little binders and can be worn dry for casual wear or wet for a dramatic effect. I use “Gunmetal” as an accent lid color as well as a deep liner too.

 

  • Stila Lip Glaze in “Blackberry” – It is without hesitation that I think Stila Lip Glazes are the ultimate gloss in my cosmetic wardrobe. When I first discovered them this summer, I selected shades is sheer pastels (Grapefruit, Banana, Fig…ok, so I like fruit!) Now with closet filling up with cozy fabrics and colors, I wanted to add a nice rich neutral wine colored gloss to the collection but not have it look over the top with my red hair. “Blackberry” was exactly what I wanted. Nice scent and taste, and had a nice berry shade that worked well all by itself. It isn’t painfully dark, but has a warm purple tone to it. And of course the built-in brush tube is still the perfect applicator for me (once I mastered the click dispenser that is). FYI– the gloss is WAY darker in the package then it is on the lips so don’t be afraid to try!

 

  • Sephora by Opi Nailcolor in “Because I Said So” – Ok, admit it…don’t you just LOVE the names of Opi’s nail shades? I mean you have to just smile when you put on “I’m With Brad” or “It’s Somewhere In My Purse”. Since I had retired all my hot pink, coral, raging blue and tangerine polishes for the year, I was now in search of my first shade for Autumn. When I saw this shade on display, I immediately fell in love. This is a really deep metallic burgundy nail polish. It has a nice frost-shimmer to it and goes on true to the color in the bottle. Like all Opi polishes I’ve used in the past, it goes on smooth and even and dries quickly. Two coats and you are good to go. I’m glad Sephora and Opi took on this great relationship. I mean really…”How Cute Is That?” Oh wait, that’s a shade name too!

 

  • Philosophy’s Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath in “Pumpkin Spice Muffin” – The name says it all. All those great fall aromas are blended together in one bottle to make bath time a scrumptious experience. The infamous Philosophy formula leaves your skin & hair clean, soft and hydrated. You’ll love the smell so much, you’ll wonder if there is any way to enjoy it all day long! Actually, you can… Philosophy also makes their Lip Shine in the same great flavor. Not only can you have the scent, but you can get the yummy taste as well!

 

Fall is my absolute favorite time of the year. I love picking apples with my family, pressing colorful leaves from the trees in my backyard, and decorating my house in the rich warm tones of the Autumn. With these great little finds from Sephora, now I can pamper myself from head to toe while enjoying all the shades and scents the season has to offer.

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It’s Not A Writer’s Block…It’s Just Life.

20 Sep

Every day my husband asks me, “Did you do any new blogging today?” And for the past couple of weeks, I’ve pathetically say no. I think I have a writer’s block. I’ve heard about those. I shouldn’t feel bad. Even the greatest literary geniuses have hit the pen and ink brick wall. In fact, Earnest Hemmingway was once asked what was the most frightening thing he had ever encountered. His reply? “A blank piece of paper.”

It’s not that I don’t experience things I could write about. Hell, I’m a mom of two teenagers—a daughter 13 years old going on 23, and a son 15 years old going on 4. I’m the wife of a guy who will scream to me that we are out of coffee creamer, but is too lazy to move the gallon of milk to see that we actually have two left. I’m the daughter of a narcissistic mother whom I’ve realized, thanks to my therapist, won’t be happy till she’s on every prescription drug they advertise on TV because she thinks she’s entitled to be. I spend more time at doctors’ offices than I do at Sephora, Wal-Mart AND Office Maxx put together. And you don’t think I have anything I could talk about? Ha!

The thing is, I don’t think anyone would believe half the crap I could write about based on what I experience during one day of my life. I, myself, often think that what I see while out and about is nothing but a pilot for a really bad TV series that only shows up on the cable channels your remote can’t even reach. The phrase “Oh that did not just happen!” flashes through my head each day more often than the memories of my 80’s high school years complete with big hair, Jordache jeans and my “Foreigner 4” album.

For example, let’s take a flash view of the breakdown of my day today:

6:00am – Get up to make sure my children get on the school bus without someone losing an eye. The morning routine begins: daughter hogs bathroom, son yells for her to get out, daughter slams door on his knuckles, son threatens to pee on her backpack if she doesn’t hurry up, daughter comes to me whining that she wishes I could have given birth to another girl instead of her brother. I have to remind her that he was born first and it was out of my control. She grabs her still-dry backpack and her I-Pod and storms out of the house. My son pats me on the back, tells me I should have just stopped at one, and leaves as well. I grab a muffin and a Xanax and crawl back into bed.

9:00am – I wake up again from my drug-induced sleep to see husband has left for work. I know this because his spot on the bed has been replaced by a shower-wet bath towel and a pair of dirty boxers. Oh yeay. I pull my aching body out of bed and crawl into a shower myself to loosen up the sore shoulders and knees. On my way to the bathroom, I step on a clothes hanger. Curse words fly.

9:30am – I’m still in the shower. I plan on staying in here all day now. There is no one in the house to bother me except the four cats, one of which must need water because he’s licking the water drops that keep rolling down the shower door from the steam. I’m in my own personal heaven.

9:40am – I now have run out of hot water and must rinse the deep conditioner from my hair by jumping in and out of the ice cold spray. More curse words. My feet begin to turn purple from the cold water pooling around my ankles.

10:15am – I finish getting ready, grab my purse, car keys and sunglasses and head to the car. I start the car. I turn off car. I take the keys and go back in the house when I realize I forgot my cell phone. I grab the cell phone. I go back to the car. I start the car again. I turn off the car again . I take the keys and go back in the house when I realize I forgot my datebook. I grab the datebook. I go back to the car. I start car the car for the third time. I realize I forgot my bottle of water. Screw it. I sigh and drive off.

10:45am – I get to my doctor’s office to have a past ear infection checked. The nurse asks if I’m better. I lie and say yes. The nurse takes my temperature. I am told I have a fever of 101. Oh great. The doctor says my ear still looks bad. In fact, the other one is now infected AND my lungs are congested. I am given a handful of antibiotics, a cough medicine, and some funky looking teapot. I ask the doctor if I am supposed to use the teapot to soothe my aching body with a nice cup of chamomile before bed. He tells me that the “teapot” is actually for my nose, so I can squirt warm water and baking soda from it up one nostril and let it run like a faucet out the other to flush my sinuses of nasty toxins. Are you freaking kidding me? The last time I experienced something remotely close to what he had just described was in high school when my best friend liquefied cherry Jell-O in her mouth and I made her laugh hard causing it to shoot out of her nose and onto the back of the cutest guy in lunch, who just happened to be wearing a  white oxford shirt that day. The poor guy. Even to this day, I feel bad we did that to him. The receptionist schedules an appointment for me to come back in two weeks.and tells me to have a great afternoon. I give her a look that makes her so uncomfortable, she tells me I can keep the Viagra pen I was writing the check for my co-pay with. Nice…sick but still intimidating!

1:00pm – I arrive at my local Wal-Mart Super Center to pick up just the basics so my family can survive through the weekend till I’m feeling better to do “real shopping” on Monday. I begin my trip through the store by having an old woman drive up the back of my heel in the antacids department because she can’t see over the steering bar of the shopping cart. I grab Pepto for the house then back up to get a bottle of Motrin for the pain I now have in my foot. I head to the grocery department and see there is absolutely no line at the deli. I muster up the last bit of energy I have to make a mad dash to get sandwich meat for lunches. I am immediately cut off by a man in a sleeveless shirt that says “I Think Your Mom’s Hot”. He’s about 40. He looks at me, straightens his John Deere hat, sucks in his stomach and smiles. I have an urge to tell him my mom is 82 but I’m scared of the response I’ll get. I get all of my food and household items and make my way to the checkout lines. There are only two lanes open: the “15 items or less” aisle and the tobacco/Red Bull aisle. Even though I don’t smoke, my cart containing over 20 boxes of frozen foods alone exempts me from going to the short lane. I kill time by reading the latest headline about how Tom Cruise was abducted by aliens. I can’t help but overhear the woman in front of me on her cell phone talking to her BFF that she’s in Lane 19 and to meet here there so they can go outside for a smoke as soon as she’s done paying for her 40 packs of Ramen Noodles and a 12 pack of Bud. She begins to fight with her son, who I actually thought was her young boyfriend till he called her mom, never hanging up the phone on her BFF for a second. My head begins to pound, so I grab a Vitamin Water out of the nearby cooler and pop an Excedrin Migraine. The cashier tells me the bill for my “basics” comes to $168. I write her a check and pop a second Excedrin Migraine.

3:00pm – I get home, unpack the groceries and make myself lunch. Finally. While I heat up a hot pack for my now piercingly painful ear, I decide to call my mother. I should have waited for the migraine meds to kick in a bit more before I dialed the phone. This conversation was no different than any other daily check-in-with-mom phone call. “Hi mom…. yeah, I just got home from the doctor… oh, you’re sick too?… what’s wrong today?… you had that last week… oh, it’s different this week?… no, I don’t think my antibiotics will help with your new bout of diarrhea… maybe you should eat some applesauce… oh that gives you gas?…. I didn’t know that… gee, it’s nice that it is finally cooler outside… the cold weather makes your rosacea bad?… mom, I’ve gotta go. My husband is home from work early to help me stick hot pokers in my eyes… ummm, I said my husband is home early to help me fix the exercise ropes for my thighs… I’ll talk to you tomorrow mom.” I check the clock to see if I was able to take another Xanax. Dammit.

5:00pm – I officially declare my day has ended to all who are in the house, including the cats. I inform them that they are on their own for the rest of the night and I am not to be disturbed unless the house is ablaze  or someone is bleeding to death. I remind my daughter of the words “to death” so she won’t bother me for her daily eight Band-Aid hangnail injury. I take my medicine for my ear infection, grab an ice pack for my new Wal-Mart Achilles injury, and go upstairs to lay down in bed. As I begin to drift off to a nap, I hear my husband call out that he can’t find the ketchup in the refrigerator. I smile to myself as I hear my our daughter tell him, “If you aren’t on fire, don’t bother. She won’t answer.”

See? Nothing special to write about here. Just another boring day in the life of Sassy Auburn.

**UPDATE** – After my husband reviewed my latest post, he feared that people reading it would think I’m a chronic pill popper. I jokingly said “What stay-at-home mom isn’t?” He didn’t find that so funny. So, for the sake of my health, his reputation and our sanity, please make the following changes in the posting you just read:  a) replace all references to Xanax with the words “piece of fruit”; b) replace all mentions of the product “Excedrin Migraine” with the words “Tic-Tac”.  Thank you.

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Product Review: Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder

6 Sep

HD Microfinish Powder

By Make Up For Ever

Price: $30 @ Sephora or Sephora.com

Item Description: from Sephora.com:

What it is:
A universal translucent finishing powder to be applied over foundation or worn alone.

What it does:
Sets the foundation and slightly matifies skin without changing its natural contours. This 100% mineral silica powder softens the appearance of imperfections. Completely evens out the complexion for a glowing, radiant look. One universal shade for all skin tones.

What else you need to know:
It’s completely translucent and goes on any skintone. Its talc-free formula does not dry the skin and is formulated with 100% silica. Dermatologically tested.

Things I like: White in color but goes on translucent so it doesn’t change the color of the foundation/skin; good for all skin tones; talc- and cornstarch-free; very fine—not heavy or sticky; easy-to-use sifter jar; a little goes a long way

Things I don’t like: Price seems high, but since you use so little it’s a good long-term investment

Rankings:

Packaging Design: 5 out of 5

Portability/Convenience: 4 out of 5

Wearability: 5 out of 5

Shade/Color Variety: n/a

Value: 5 out of 5

Overall Rating: (scale of 1=worse to 10=best)  9.5

Likely To Buy It Again? Absolutely!

Here’s my imitation of a SassyAuburn Infomercial:

“Have you ever put on your foundation and want to “set it” with a touch of powder then realized the powder just changed the color of your foundation & skin? Do you have a nice complexion but can’t find a finishing powder that’s colorless so it won’t change your look? Do you notice the powder you use looks like pancake batter on your oily skin in less than 2 hours? Does you powder sit on top of your skin, sticking to each little hair and fuzz like wet snow sticks to a tree branch in Winter? If so then do I have the product for YOU!!!!!”

As a Sephora Insider (which, honestly, is just another name for a Sephora Shop-a-holic), I got an email about this product about a month before it was released to the public. With a small purchase from sephora.com, this deluxe sized sample was available to me to try and review. It couldn’t have come at a better time. I had just changed foundations (went from a liquid to a true powder mineral foundation), and was looking for that little bit of sheer powder to set everything up when I was finished with my makeup application. In the past, me and pressed powders have not got along. Me and loose powders have gotten along even less. With my oily skin, large pores, hormonally baby-fuzzy face, and paler than pale skin, powder was an impossibility in my glamour drawer. Pressed powders got that nasty oil film on top after a couple of weeks. Loose powders made me look like a fuzzy pumpkin since the only shades they seem to come in turned my face orange. Plus, anyone who is part of a professional photo shoot—in front of or behind the camera—knows the #1 product on the set is powder. And lots of it. I needed one…and fast!

I love the way Make Up For Ever’s HD Microfinish Powder makes my skin look and feel. It’s super fine and translucent so it doesn’t matter how old, how young, how dry, how oily, how light or how dark your skin is—it will work. It doesn’t “sit” in or on any fine lines or large pores, so it gives you an even, velvet-like finish. And because it is doesn’t have talc or cornstarch in it, it won’t turn cakey on your face if you sweat or get oily. It’s great if you have sensitive skin and it won’t clog your pores. And if you have slightly dry skin, it won’t make you look like you have fish scales for a complexion. It won’t change the color of your foundation or skin, or even take away from any blush you might already have on. And you do NOT need a lot! I lightly dust it on with a standard foundation brush to avoid it sticking to my face and making me look like a Chia Pet. You can also dust it on with a big powder brush as well. And its stay power? Awesome! Very seldom to I have to touch up my makeup during the day when I use my HD Microfinish powder. And that’s saying something.

I got my deluxe sample at the end of March, and I’m not quite done with it yet. Cool huh?

Don’t strain a brain cell trying to find a loose or pressed powder that matches your foundation, or that doesn’t make you feel like you have an extra three layers of makeup on after you apply it. Go sheer, go colorless, go lightweight, go High Def…go to Sephora (because they have the exclusive contract for it!) and get a jar for a fabulous “photo-finish” for your face!!

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Sassy’s “Top 10 Beauty Tips” (August, 2008)

27 Aug

When it comes to humor, I think the one-liner joke is severely underappreciated. They are timeless and tacky but always remembered. “Men are like parking spaces—all the good ones are taken.” “If a turtle doesn’t have a shell, is it naked or homeless?” “What is invisible and smells like carrots? Rabbit farts.” Priceless! Simply priceless! “Take my husband….please!” Okay, you get the idea.

Sometimes I feel like I am the Henny Youngman of beauty tips. I have many that are short, sweet and right to the point. It probably is the only time I have the ability to give suggestions and opinions in less than 10 seconds too. Of course, after I throw in my two cents under fifty words, I can only hope someone will respond with a “Why?” so I can then talk for 10 minutes giving a detailed explanation that would put most men into REM sleep.

Today you will find the first of my “Top 10 Beauty Tips” that I have personally found to be priceless to my beauty routine. They aren’t just given lip service here… they all have been or are being used by myself at some time or right now. Plus you will see that whenever possible, I will try to avoid suggesting a specific name-brand product too. I’m not here to promote the sales of any specific item. Well, unless I am paid to put in some shameless product placement plug to generate me some coin. Then a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. But primarily, my duty is to just bring you great ideas because I get great joy to reach out and touch someone. (Cha-ching!)

  1. Apply your body lotion, cream or butter when you get out of the shower while your skin is still damp. Don’t dry off completely! The oils in the body lotions will help seal in the waters and keep your skin hydrated AND moisturized!
  2. Enjoy those long hot showers in the morning? Remember to splash your face at the sink with cool water after you get out and before you begin putting on your makeup. You want to make sure you close your pores so the makeup doesn’t “sink” into them.
  3. Witch hazel is a fabulous toner for normal /combo skin. Diluted (with distilled water) apple cider vinegar is a perfect toner for oily skin.
  4. Whenever possible, put your under eye concealer on with a specially designed brush. The bristles help fill in any lines and creases and the long handle of the brush helps to prevent any heavy-handed tugging around the eye area.
  5. Sweet almond oil should be a staple on your bathroom counter! It’s great for moisturizing your lips, face, cuticles and hands. It also has scar reducing properties for face imperfections and doesn’t clog pores for those that are acne prone.
  6. Got yourself a great eye cream? Make sure you use a little of it each night before bed around the edges of your lips. The fine lines around your eyes are very similar to the ones around your mouth.
  7. Moisturize and exfoliate your lips at the same time. Mix 1 teaspoon olive oil with 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar. Place mixture in a small sample or cosmetic jar and into lips for a minute each night. Gently wipe off any excess sugar with a soft towel.
  8. Don’t throw out an old banana! Once the skin on the fruit has turned dark brown, mash it up in a bowl till it’s almost creamy like pancake batter. Spread it all over your cleaned face at bedtime and let it set for 10 minutes then rinse with warm water. Bananas are one of nature’s best anti-aging foods!
  9. Feet tired? Take a bag of dollar-store marbles and put them in the freezer. Fill a basin with cool water. Add your favorite foot soak (or just drop in two Alka-Seltzers and a slice of lemon or a sprig of fresh mint) and put the frozen marbles into the basin. Sit back and roll your feet on the marbles for about 15 minutes. Ahhhhh.
  10. Your pillowcase is not your washcloth. Always always always take ALL of your makeup off before bedtime. Someone once told me that if you sleep with your makeup on, it will prematurely age your skin by ten days. I have no idea if that is true, but even if it was only by ten seconds, that’s ten seconds too much for me!

The list isn’t seasonal, but the tips are “must knows” and will be the basis for other lists to come. Like any good house, it all starts with a good foundation. Now that I think about it, so is a good glamour look!

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When Enough Just Isn’t Enough….

23 Aug

Shopping is better than sex.

If you’re not satisfied after shopping

you can make an exchange

for something you really like.

~ Adrienne Gusoff

This past winter was the season from hell for me. I was pretty much sick from February through June with some sort of allergy-induced virus. For four months, my life revolved around Benadryl, nose sprays, vitamin C and boxes of lotioned tissues. In addition to developing a sensitivity to just about everything that grew or pooped in my backyard, I also developed sensitivity to most of the cosmetics in my bathroom. I was afraid to smooth, scrub, lather or line any part of my face or body. The skin care and glamour items that I had used without problem for almost five years were now the on ramp to the irritation highway. I began a new quest for products that would keep my skin illuminating instead of inflamed.

After endless trials and tribulations, samples and specimens, I managed to replace each irritating item in my daily routine with something that didn’t turn me into a spokes model for “Hives R Us”. Of course, to do this wasn’t cheap. Most of the products I found were high-end items designed for sensitive skin. Almost all had to be free of common fillers that were the new enemy to my overactive allergies. I did, however, discover recipes to make my own cleansers, exfoliators and moisturizers out of natural ingredients found in my own kitchen. I was able to save a few coins with my diluted vinegar toner but of course I had to turn around and invest them back into things like finely ground, talc-free mineral foundation. But for the sake of youthful itch-free skin, it was worth it.

Now that I had a skin care routine mastered with products that were perfect, I should be happy. Right? Ummmm, kind of. See, it’s in a woman’s nature not to be satisfied when it comes to shopping. We could save a hundred dollars on a clearance-sale dress for a party and then spend that savings plus fifty more on a new pair of shoes, lip gloss, eyeliner and perfume to accessorize. Heaven knows we all have THE perfect lipstick in our drawer. It matches every outfit, makes our lips feel like satin, stays on for hours, and never goes out of style. So if this precious tube is everything we ever wanted in a lipstick, why do we have 20 others? Some are too dark, too dry, too sparkly or too blah. Some we’ve never even broke the safety seal on! So why do we have them? Because at the time we found them, we justified a need for them. Each and every one of them. All women do this. I admit it, I do this. And I do it often. No jury needed….guilty as charged.

The advertising departments of the major cosmetic companies are trained to target the hard-core makeup shopping junkies such as myself. They know we are way past the gateway drugs of the 99 cent lip glosses and need-to-burn eyeliners and they tease our senses with brightly colored polishes and packages to lure us into their circle. We know what we have on our bathroom counter is good enough. In fact it’s probably better than good enough. But still we yearn for more. We want the rush of discovering something new and fabulous, and being the first to do so amongst our friends. We want to be the one to find the new solve-all, fix-all glam item of the century. This was evident today as I flipped through a copy of my latest fashion magazine and discovered a well-known cosmetic company had come out with a new line of cleansers and foundations. My heart began to beat erratically as I read about the new state-of-the-art ingredients in their fast-paced, anti-aging formulas that were shown to stop the hands of time. Oh heavens. Gimme gimme gimme. I mean, I knew what I had at home was perfectly fine. It worked exactly how I wanted it to. And it didn’t turn me into a piece of red flannel. So why was I planning on rushing out of the dentist’s office where I was reading this article, across the street to the local drug store, and buy stuff I did not need whatsoever? Because I’m a woman!!!!

Ten minutes, two makeup products, one bag, and one credit card receipt later, my latest fix and I were driving for home. It was just like a scene out of “Intervention”. I left my laptop and purse in the car, and rushed into the house with my little baggie of goodies. I spoke to no one, ran directly into the bathroom and locked the door. It was time to “use”. I first grabbed the innovative cleanser and held the bottle in my hands. I inhaled the scent of the new drug, and rubbed it around in my hands. Ahhhhh. This was good. Every wrinkle, every line, every problem would be gone with just a squirt and a scrub. I lathered up my face, stared in the mirror, and enjoyed the rush. I splashed my skin clean and enjoyed the fresh feeling of my newly rejuvenated face. Then I took out the new foundation that I was convinced was going to be so great, it would be nominated for Nobel Prize. I played with the packaging and applied it with sheer precision. I stepped away from the mirror and admired these life-changing products with a smile a mile wide. I was in awe, and I had made it happen. I looked good. Well, I thought I looked good. Because whether it be in life or in the cosmetic aisle…”love is blind.”

I exited the bathroom, feeling like America’s Next Top Model. I was a stunning, wrinkle-free woman. Hear me roar! As I saw my husband standing in front of the microwave, I couldn’t help but toss my hair and give him a sexy grin as I struck a pose. And he immediately responded to my self-proclaimed Cosmopolitan-like look. “Geesh, you look sick. You’re pale. What did you do to your face? You makeup looks like ass. Are you doing something new?” NOOOOOO! This was not the response I was looking for! Where were the flawless-gorgeous-timeless comments I was told I would get in the ad? This isn’t possible!! When I told him what I had done and what I had bought, he told me I had made a mistake. A big mistake. Even before I could tell him that he obviously knew nothing about what was en vogue and high tech, he called for our daughter. Because he knew I was going to tell him he was a fashion-clueless male, and he was right. He knew I would need a female’s opinion to back him up. Now my daughter is a thirteen year-old glamour guru. She is the girl whom I taught to be smart and not to do or buy anything on impulse. Ouch. He asked her “How does mommy’s makeup look?” She got close to my face. REALLY close. For twenty seconds I stood there while she inspected me like Number 14 inspects your underwear. Then, after an uncomfortable silence she gave me the devastating blow. ““Your face is getting red and blotchy. And I see wrinkles. And your pores are huge.” With no expression, she just turned and left me in a daze. My legs got weak and I had to sit down. This can’t be happening. How could this be? Sigh. That’s what I get. I had cheated on my makeup with a (not so) cheap fling. I fell hook, line and sinker for the “new kid on the block”. Why did I stray? Why did I think the skin was softer on the other side of the fence?

I sulked back to the bathroom and collected my thoughts… and my new products. I put them back in their little bag and threw in my receipt so I could return them to the store. I hung my head in shame. And what was worse was I knew deep down this probably wouldn’t be the last time I let my glamour regulars down. Why? Because we are fickle. We are women. And just like it’s a man’s nature to hunt, it’s our nature to shop. At that moment, I looked over at the bathroom counter and saw my regular cleanser and foundation staring at me in a hurtful way. I’m sure they were wondering if they could ever trust me again. I couldn’t even look at them with those other substandard products on my face. I turned on the faucet and began to wipe the slate clean. Literally. As I eliminated all traces of the facial affair, I promised myself to be true and loyal to those who have been there for me… through the good and the brash.

Well, at least until the next supermodel tells me her new lipstick will make me the next Gloria Steinem.

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Cosmetic Review: Stila Lip Glaze

13 Aug

Stila Lip Glaze

By Stila Cosmetics

Price: $22 at Sephora.com and Sephora retail stores

Item Description:

What it is: An ultra-high shine lip gloss in a nifty click pen.

What it does: Stila’s ever-popular lip glaze is back in action with larger pens (twice the size of the original) guaranteed to keep your lips glossier, longer. The gloss gives lips a punch of color and adds a delicious scent. Whatever sweet flavor you are in the mood for, it is sure to be found in this collection of classic shades.

Things I like: High gloss shine; moisturizing; long wear; tons of awesome shades and flavors; pen-style applicator with “clicking” dispenser; built-in brush.

Things I don’t like: A little steep in price; twistable dispenser takes a while to master, but once you do you’ll love it.

Rankings:

Packaging Design: 5 out of 5

Portability/Convenience: 5 out of 5

Wearability: 5 out of 5

Shade/Color Variety: 5 out of 5

Value: 4 out of 5

Overall Ranking (on a scale from 1 – 10): 9.5

Likely To Buy It Again? Absolutely

Why?

When it comes to shine, this might be the product that all others will look up to. I can see why Stila called this a glaze and not just a gloss. It’s thick like a melted frosting and makes your lips shine like a newly waxed car! I could see the thickness being a problem for some, as it is a hair and fuzz magnet. But that’s what makes it extra super shiny and moisturizing. I love the fact there is a color and flavor for every mood and style I have. Now that it is summer, I’m enjoying the Banana and Grapefruit shades the most. I can see that fall might entice me to pick up the Brown Sugar and Plum colors. I personally prefer a lip gloss with a brush rather than a spongie applicator. I think the spongies can get nasty if they are used over different lipsticks. The brushes seem to be more precise and put more product on instead of taking existing colors off like the spongie applicators do. This price is a little higher than what I have used in the past. But I have to say, I use these glazes much more frequently because I like how they look and feel so it only makes sense I am getting my money’s worth. I can see how lip glosses can be a personal preference selection, but I will definitely put Stila Lip Glaze at the top of my list. It’s a must have glamour item that goes with me everywhere, every day!

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Perfume: The Smell or the “Scent”?

9 Aug

I received a sample of a new perfume while visiting my make-up heaven a while back. I’m very hesitant to try new perfumes because I’m very particular about what I like. I generally have a cologne rule of thumb: if it smells like ass in the bottle to my nose, then it probably is going to smell like ass on my skin. This sample, however, was right up my alley. I tend to lean towards fruity, crisp, light scents and this had a tone of fresh summer berries to me. It wasn’t like wearing a fruit cobbler, but it was sassy and summery. I wore the sample for a week and decided to invest in a small bottle.

Most women will say they have their “signature scent” and wear the same perfume every day. I think women who do this are boring. I’m not like that at all. I tend to match my perfumes to different things: weather, mood, clothes, occasion. I don’t have a ton of fragrances, but enough to change it up when I feel like it. Keep it interesting, I say. I feel the same about men’s scents too. Don’t bore me with the repetitive “in” fragrance of the year. Keep me curious. I once dated a guy who wore Polo Green, every day, by the handful, for our entire relationship. We dated for over 5 years. And yes, it was in the eighties. To this day, I cannot smell that cologne on a man without my stomach turning every time. It may be from the memories of big hair and gummy bracelets. But I’m leaning towards the Polo.

When it comes to perfume advertising, I have noticed that all of the ads in the media portray perfume to be the “missing link” to a connection with the opposite sex. Smell good? Get lucky. Rub this here? Get rubbed there. The industry even “teaches” us to put spritz cologne where our bathing suit covers! Fashionably, perfume is similar to clothing. You wear it as a reflection of your style. It’s no different than wearing your favorite jeans, your sexiest top, your designer shoes, or your Fredericks’ unmentionables. And honestly, who do you want to notice your fashion statement more than anyone? My guess is male prospective possibilities! Think about it. You’ll pour yourself into a pair of pants and know you won’t be able to sit all night just to make your butt look good for the bartender of your favorite club. You’ll jam your blistered toes into a pair of pumps that are as comfortable as wearing tomato soup cans on your feet just so you can strut for the executive who sits by the window of the coffee shop that you pass each day. You’ll do all that for someone else’s attention. But this is where perfume veers off the fashion highway. Ultimately, who is the first person who will think you are sexier because of your new scent? The guy who is numb to anything except the smell of mojitos? The java junkie whose senses are steamed and frothed? Nope.

You.

Go out and get a new perfume that you are just dying to have. Watch and see how you act after you put on your new aroma. Maybe you’ll put your lipstick on a little darker. Or you will make your eyes look a little more smoldering. Maybe you’ll smile a little more flirtatiously. Or you will have a slight swank to your step. Now you take that aura that is newly surrounding you to the streets. You’ll notice people noticing you. They glance longer at you from across a room. They do the infamous “double take” as you walk though the market. They smile at you…just because! What is it? What’s new? Is it because you smell different? Nope. It’s because you are giving off a new “scent”. A scent of self confidence. A scent of assurance. A scent of sexiness.

“Happiness is like perfume. You can’t give it away without getting a little on yourself.” – Anonymous. When it comes to feeling sexy, there is a fine line between the enticing smell your perfume gives off and the seductive “scent” you emit yourself. You owe it to yourself to cross that line. Dare to put yourself out there and own the sexiness that only you can feel with a scent you love!

(By the way? The perfume I recently ordered and almost attacked my UPS man for was Escada’s Moon Sparkle.  He had no clue what was in the box, but I guarantee you he wanted to know!!)

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Hurry Up, The Maids Are Coming!

6 Aug

You would have thought the Queen of England was coming to my house with the way I was acting last night. “Put those shoes away! Get those dishes out of the sink! Who’s going to sweep this floor? Take the garbage out of the bathroom!” The members of my home were running around like hamsters on a wheel. Time was running out. I’d never get everything done in time. I’m getting a stress headache.

So who was coming over that was so important that I made my family clean up till the stroke of midnight? Were Branjolina and the new babies coming to visit? Maybe it was the Publisher’s Clearing House crew with my 26 pound check. Or was it was the Absolut Vodka hunk, Jason Lewis, coming to drop off a case of booze in person? Unfortunately no, it was none of those fantasy friends. It was a group that was even more ‘in-the-know” and my house had to be ready for them. Who were they, you ask?

….the maids.

Yeah, okay. Take a minute to process that one. I’m cleaning my house so the maids won’t think my family is a group of slobs. Now if any of you have or had a maid, you know exactly where I’m coming from. There is a line between what is acceptably clean and what is “Oh you’ve got to be kidding me!” dirty. I’m sure for the most part I was being obsessive compulsive. But then again, if I was that OCD I wouldn’t need a maid in the first place.

For the most part, I’ve always been able to handle my house on my own with the help of my husband and two kids. It’s been much more difficult, however, since I had had three shoulder surgeries and four hernia operations within the past 8 years. I’ve had to cave in to the fact I can no longer reach, grab, push, pull, lift, carry, and stand for long periods of time. That pretty much takes away my ability to do much cleaning now at all. My husband isn’t the most together person when it comes to cleaning either. He was the only child of a stay-at-home Italian mom and didn’t realize that clothes didn’t wash and fold themselves till he was around 25. In fact, while helping me after my first hernia surgery, he actually called me on his cell phone from our basement to ask me what the knobs on the washing machine were for. Give me strength.

With a foot surgery on my upcoming agenda and no idea how long I will be out of commission for, I decided to break down and hire a cleaning service. I don’t feel bad that I am now aware that I can’t take care of my house by myself. Hell no, I’m not that proud. I’m upset because I have to let a van full of women see my cluttered, disarranged abode. There is no privacy paper you sign when the maid service comes to your house either. Everything they see will be discussed amongst the living before the end of the day. And because of this “all seeing, all knowing” clause that you know is in fine print, anything not in place must be put in place ASAP. Things such as all dirty socks buried under the couch. All of the toenail clippings on the floor that no one will claim must be disposed of. All pay stubs must be filed. All wine glasses must be washed and their accompanying empty bottles must be disposed of. And the collection of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues must be “put away for safe keeping” as per my husband.

So if all this is going to be done, why bother to get a maid? I guess it’s because a home is easy to de-clutter but not easy to clean. And when the time comes to remove the clutter, somehow accumulated crud appears where clutter once was. By that point, to most wives and moms, it’s overwhelming to the point of tears. Cleaning services are awesome. They get down on their knees and scrub the bathroom places that I only see when tying my shoe while taking a pee. They will clean my kitchen and dining room floor with a nail brush. They chisel off the Spaghettios that have become a permanent fixture in my microwave. They will suck out the fuzz from under the refrigerator. They will polish the candlestick holders that Aunt Melva gave to my mother-in-law who in turn gave to us which honestly don’t match a damn thing but my husband says we can’t get rid of due to sentimental value. At this point, they have accumulated sediments … not sentiments. They will tackle this home with a shop vac, old t-shirt scraps and Windex. And for this I will pay them. I will pay them well, and I will nominate them for cleaning sainthood.

So as soon as I finish getting my house in order, I will be ready for them to come in and tackle my dusty, dingy but full of love and appreciation home. I just hope to hell they don’t open the hallway closet. If they do, the chances are good they will be attacked by a hockey stick, a computer charger, 15 X-Box games, an empty six-pack of coke, Christmas decorations, and a box of stale Cheerios. I’ll have to make a note to get that cleaned out before next Spring.

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Cosmetic Review: Sephora’s Atomic Volume Mascara

15 Jul

ATOMIC VOLUME MASCARA

By Sephora Brand

Price: $16 at Sephora.com and Sephora retail stores

Item Description:

What it is: mega-volume mascara.

What it does: Sephora Brand Atomic Volume Mascara blows all other mascaras away. An innovative tubular brush applicator with a lash-lengthening comb perfectly separates lashes for a full, sexy flutter. The advanced color formula conditions lashes, keeping them pretty, healthy, and capable of causing an explosion.

Things I like: Lasts ALL day; no smudging, smearing, running or flaking; very lengthening; thickening but not clumping; blackest of black color; one coat coverage; fabu-licious applicator!

Things I don’t like: Hmmmm, let me think. Ah, none.

Rankings:

Packaging Design: 5 out of 5

Portability/Convenience: 5 out of 5

Wearability: 5 out of 5

Shade/Color Variety: 5 out of 5

Value: 5 out of 5

Overall Ranking (on a scale from 1 – 10): 10

Likely To Buy It Again? Absolutely!

Why?

Let me start by saying I am a mascara fuss pot. I don’t try a lot of different mascaras, and I like even less. With the weather where I live changing from wet to dry in an instant, and temperatures fluctuating from freezer to oven within a month, my skin can definitely lose all control. My eyes are a true show of these rapid changes. With the wrong makeup, it’s easy to tell that the “hazy hot & humid” alert has gone off as you slowly see my eyes sliding down into an oil slick on my cheeks. Ugh.

Rewind to a few weeks ago when I made a stop to my local retail Sephora heaven and picked up a few things that I probably didn’t need. When I checked out, I had qualified for a deluxe sample and I had my choice of three things. Two of them I had already (you can see the pattern already, can’t you?) but the third was a new mascara from Sephora called Atomic Volume. I knew nothing about it—didn’t know the shade or the formula—but I’m always willing to try new glamour. Like I do with all of my new buys and latest samples, I tried it out as soon as I got home.

The first thing I notice when I applied the mascara was how long it made my lashes. Not just fluttery long… killer-looking, curly long!! This is a big selling point for me as my lashes are very straight and short. Next I realized how awesome the unique applicator was. It’s tubular with lots of little combs. It doesn’t have one of those poofy mushy brushes. It’s precise. It gets even the smallest of lashes in the corners and crannies. This applicator made each lash thick, but not clumpy or sticky at all. Ok, so I must love it 100%, right? I mean it did pass every test, didn’t it? Not yet. Now comes the test of time…. And this will decide if it is a mascara that can run with the big boys.

I took the mascara off at bedtime that night with my usual waterproof eye makeup remover. It took two cotton balls to get all the mascara off, but that’s why a mascara is good…stay-power. The next morning I curled my skimpy lashes, applied my new Atomic sample of mascara, and left the house to go about my daily routine of this and that. Other than touching up my lip gloss here and there during the day, I barely check my makeup. I don’t have time to be a mirror monger. So at the end of my hectic craziness, I headed home to put on my super lounge clothes and take my face off. When I peeked in the mirror to see how my mascara held up, I was more than pleasantly surprised: I was flat out amazingly shocked! My lashes… my ubersexy lashes… looked as perfecto as they did when I put the mascara on first thing that morning. Not one flake of black. Not one smudge of creamy soot. Long, luscious lashes after ten strenuous hours, and they were still going strong!

That’s it. I was in love. And it was with a black, teardrop shaped tube.

Until they either stop making it or I need falsies (lashes that is), I have found my one and only mascara. Sephora’s Atomic Volume is the answer to my lash prayers. It is my new number one fave glamour item, and I have already started spreading the word. This is one item that you just cannot miss with all year ‘round!

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