Tag Archives: hair

1st Annual “Sassy’s Slammin Style Awards” (part two)

14 Mar

Today, I will conclude my 1st Annual Sassy’s Slammin’ Style Awards. A couple of weeks ago, I handed out the little bronze shoe award to different items in the field of fashion and accessories. Today I will honor items that were discovered this year that keep me looking my youthful best on a day-to-day basis. These skin care and makeup products might not be new to the retail market, but they are new in my routine. Maybe they came my way via a sample, advertisement or referral. No matter. They are award-worthy. So, a round of applause to…..

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Best Performance By A Facial Moisturizer

moisturizerRÉNERGIE MICROLIFT R.A.R.E.™ Superior Lifting Cream SPF 15 Sunscreen by Lancome – Just like a movie trailer, samples are a tease to get the public interested in their feature so when it becomes available, you’ll want to be the first in line to be a part of it. That’s how I was lured into falling in love with this moisturizer. Lancome managed to put  age-fighting ingredients as well as a decent SPF into this rich cream that keeps my face smooth all day long. After one week of usage, I noticed an immediate difference in the texture and tone of my face. I no longer had uneven redness, my fine lines were less noticeable and my face was softer. With most products that contain an SPF, I was worried my sensitive skin would freak out, especially since it contained so many other high tech ingredients. But after using it the first week, I was happy to see that it didn’t. I was also very happy that I was able to find ONE product that was able to do the job of three. The price, I will say is steep ($80)! But the jar is quite large and the amount you use is very small. I think it is very possible that it will last well over 6 months. (Available at Sephora.com)

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Best Performance By An Eye Cream

eye-creamEye Believe by Philosophy – If keeping your face looking young is as important to you as drinking bottled water, then keeping your eyes looking young and wrinkle-free should be as important as taking the cap off of the bottled water! It is a fact that your eyes are one of the key indicators of aging. You want an eye cream that keeps the skin in the eye area moist and well hydrated. BUT… here’s the key… if you get a cream that is too rich, you can actually clog the small pores around the eye causing tiny clusters of little white bumps. That’s bad. Very bad. I tried this eye cream for a week and loved it almost immediately. It’s a silky cream that isn’t too heavy or thick, but still has all of the age-fighting peptides that are crucial in youthful looking eyes. It glides on with a powder-like finish so you can put your makeup on right over it and not have to worry about any greasy residue causing your eye makeup or foundation to slide off your face. Again, a little goes a long way. I’m just finishing up my first tube, and I’ve had it for almost a year. (Available at Sephora retail stores and Sephora.com)

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Best Designer Performance By A Drug Store Product

shimmer1Lip Shimmer by Burt’s Bees – The name Burt’s Bees is as well-known in the glamour industry as Coke is in the area of beverages. I will admit, I’ve read and heard fabulous things about their lip products but had never bought a single item. Every makeup review site I have ever written for or looked on has endless compliments about the Lip Shimmer products. Maybe I was just being a makeup snob, thinking that an inexpensive skinny little drug store tube could actually be so great. Well, I guess the crowd was right on this one! This long-lasting sheer shimmered color infused into a vitamin-enriched, natural balm is perfect for moisturizing my lips for an extended period of time and giving them a designer look. Plus the slight mint tingle is soothing as well. Available in 11 various colors, this little goodie is now a constant in my purse while being easy on the wallet! (Available at most drug and retail stores)

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Best Supporting Role In A Hair-Styling Situation

hairstufffrizz Wave Shaping, Curl Defining No Frizz Styling Cream (for Medium to Thick Hair) by Living Proof – While returning a hair product that I had purchased recently because it basically turned my hair into a glob of matted muck, my favorite salesgirl clued me in to this hot new product. She told me that The Today Show featured the frizz line on a recent episode, and before 5pm they were completely sold out of the product. What makes Living Proof’s line of anti-frizz products so unique is that they are designed for several different types of hair. They have specific items just for fine/medium, medium/thick and thick/course hair. And if you aren’t sure exactly what group you are in? They have a guide to help you find your formula. I have just a touch of wave in my color-treated, thick hair and I wanted a product that would enhance that without making it feel gluey. I wanted something to moisturize my hair while still controlling frizz. I don’t ask for much, do I? But they had exactly that! Not only was this light, nicely scented solution able to do all of what I wanted, but they also managed to create it in a way that actually repelled dirt! If I don’t wash my hair on Day 2, it’s no big deal… it looks just as fresh, soft and clean as it did on Day 1. Say goodbye to hiding under the hat on bad hair days!! (Available at Sephora retail stores and Sephora.com)

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Best Performance By A Foreign Fragrance

perfume1L’Eau The One by Dolce & Gabbana – Sometimes you will get a whiff of a fragrance that smells totally unique, completely different from any other scent that you usually wear. It intrigues you so much that you keep sniffing your wrist or the little cardboard card where you spritzed a test spray to see if it jazzes you as much after an hour as it did when you first tried it. That’s what I did when I tried D & G’s newest fragrance. Its description of having a “fruity, head-turning twist” is dead on. It is a more glamorous scent with a hint of diva-tude than your average citrus-infused perfume, but still appealing enough to wear with anything and everything… from jeans and a glitter t-shirt to a backless evening gown. (Available at Nordstrom.com)

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Then and Now: Fashions For “Old Farts”

10 Jan

Ever since I was a teen, there have been a few things that have been a staple in my wardrobe, closet and makeup drawer. They are probably things that you cannot live without either. But as I move up in age, I notice fundamentals of these items evolving. For example, every woman needs a purse. As a young woman, my purse needed to be able to hold my money, a lip gloss and a license. That was it. When I got married and had children, my purse then had to be able to hold those items plus a travel-sized pack of baby wipes, hand sanitizer and a Ziploc bag of Cheerios. You see where I am going with this.

Even now that my kids are teens and my daily routine is totally different, I am finding that my must-have items are becoming less and less basic. At least the designers are aware of this because no matter what I need, someone seems to make it. Let’s break down my simple fashion necessities and what requirements they must have to fit my more “mature” life now:

  • PURSE

Then: Small shoulder bags in jazzy colors with one compartment were fine. Sometimes it wasn’t even necessary to carry one at all. Carrying a purse meant you could only carry one drink at the bar during 2-for-1 nights.

Now: Shoulder bags are frowned upon due to arthritis bothering the shoulders. Black or brown is fine. It must be able to hold a wallet, checkbook, ATM card, cell phone, pill box, lip balm, bottle of water and the janitor ring of keys. Extra room should be available in case there is a need to carry a small pack of tissues, datebook, two granola bars and a hair clip. Designer name not required but it helps to justify the purchase.

  • SHOES

Then: High, high, high. The more hooker-looking, the better. Brown didn’t exist, red and black patent leather were a necessity. Comfort was not even considered. Kinney’s was your go-to shoe heaven.

Now: Leather shoes work best because they stretch out and allow room for bunions. Square-toed and rounded-toed shoes work best. Pointed-toed shoes make your eyes water just looking at them. Peep toes are the new sexy. Black and brown are a must, grey or silver is now considered daring. Any shoe over 2” must have a comfort, no slip sole and a built-in cushioned arch support. Designer name not required but helps to justify the purchase.

  • JEANSjeans

Then: If your jeans weren’t tight, you returned them. Stretch jeans were best because they enhanced your figure. You lay down on the bed to put them on and you were fine with that. If you wanted them to feel snugger, you wore stockings underneath them. Acid-washed was your favorite color but anything tight would do.

Now: If your jeans are tight, you return them. Jeans must be purchased at the store because they have to be tried on—no two pairs of the same size fit the same. Stretch jeans are best because they stretch for your figure! If you have to lie down on the bed to put them on, you can expect to be there all day. Usually the classic name jeans fit best but if a designer pair fits better, then that will help to justify the purchase.

  • JEWELRY

Then: The gaudier the better. You watched Madonna and Janet Jackson videos for ideas. Your earrings were so heavy that you were told your piercing holes were about to rip through. Getting you ears double pierced was a luxury that made you the envy of your friends. Your bracelets were made of rubber. Your necklaces looked like Mardi Gras beads. If your jewelry turned body parts green, it was no big deal (that’s what clear nail polish was for.) If you didn’t get your jewelry at a “Buy One Get Two Free” sale at your local teen store, you paid too much.

Now: The shinier the better. Golds, silvers and platinums are the jewelry box trend. Styles are simpler and reflect the person wearing the pieces. Studs, hoops and chandelier earrings are most common. Necklaces are all lengths with varied pendants. Bracelets are usually flashy. If you only have your ears double pierced, you are considered white bread. Minimum of three holes in one ear (with diamond studs) is more the norm. A pierced belly button is now a common accessory at PTA meetings and soccer games. Any watch with two hands will work, but ones with diamonds have been said to keep better time so that helps to justify the purchase.

  • MAKEUP & SKINCARE80sgloss

Then: There was no such thing as the “natural look.” Foundation had to be slightly on the orange side and end right before the neck began. Lipsticks came in pink, hot pink and fuschia. Lip gloss rolled on and came in strawberry or cherry flavors. Mascara was in a pink tube made by Maybelline. Eyeliner was a foot-long pencil, was always black and always cheap. Skin care consisted of Sea Breeze pads and Noxzema in the blue jar. Moisturizer was only something you used on your hands in winter. If you went to bed with your makeup on, you knew it could save you time in the morning. Perfume was Love’s Baby Soft or Charlie.

Now: You have two looks—au natural and glam gorgeous. The natural look is earth tones from mineral powders. Chapstick with a shimmer is enough for the lips. Eyeliner is soft and smudged and mascara is minimal. The glam look is more out there. There is glitter on everything from the eyes and lips down into the cleavage. Eyeliner is blackest of blacks and mascara is thick and bold. Focus on skin care is a must. We will try anything…and everything… to avoid crow’s feet, laugh lines, wrinkles, flakes and sun damage. Paying $40 for a good moisturizer is not unusual. We look for words like Retin-A, peptides, SPF, omegas and vitamins. Our bathroom counter looks more like a spice cabinet. We go to retail stores that sell nothing but makeup and skin care, and won’t think twice about dropping a car-payment size amount of money to stay looking young. Washing your face at night takes 10+ minutes. There are perfumes everywhere that suit a person’s personal taste, but if it comes with a body lotion and shower gel sampler, a free tote bag and a pair of sunglasses, it certainly will help to justify the purchase.

  • HAIR

Then: No matter how big your hair was, it wasn’t big enough. Two cans of Aqua Net and a can of mousse per week was normal usage. Finesse shampoos and conditioners were the designer brand for routine care. Home perms were what you had done if you and your mom were bored on the weekend. If you mother refused to give you a home perm, you bought a hair crimper. You were happy with your natural hair color. That is, until June, when your locks drank Sun-In as much as you drank Iced Tea. When you realized that the Sun-In had turned your hair into dried grass, you tried to make it look stylish with either Farrah Fawcett side curl flips or a jazzy banana clip.

Now: Your monthly hair maintenance is as routine as your mortgage payment. And about as expensive. You’ve lost track of what your natural color really is because you can’t tell where the highlights begin, the lowlights end with the blending of the roots in between. Your stylist knows all about you and refers to you by name & hair color shade. (“Oh, hello Tina Redken OC8 Cayanne/Saffron!”) You can’t stand the thought of even a wave in your hair and you don’t hesitate to pay an exorbitant amount of money on a ceramic hair straightener and blow dryer to prevent any type of curl. You have bottles, tubes, cans, sprays, foams, gels, waxes and pomades in every nook and cranny of your bathroom and shower. Because your hair looks so slammin’, you save money by not buying hair clips, and that in turn helps to justify the purchases.

  • TATTOOStat

Then: You hoped the box of Cracker Jack you bought contained a tattoo that because that would have made you sooooooo cool with your friends.

Now: You are wondering where on your body you are going to put your third tattoo because your friends think you are a Cracker Jack for having less than them. You finally tell your husband you are going to get a tramp-stamp of the design on your wedding invitation tattooed on your back because it will make you feel that much closer to him. That surely will justify the purchase with him… Right?

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