Archives

2015-My Favorites Make up Round Up

Dec28

Hello! And welcome to my highlights for 2015.  I’m an admitted make up junkie.  I love trying new products and sharing my results with the world.  A little about me, I’m a middle aged accountant who loves all things make up.  I’ve been wearing make up for over 40 years.  My mom was the neighborhood Avon lady, so I learned about skin care at a young age. I believe in aging well.  I’m not trying to look like I’m twenty, but I do want to look good for my age. So without further ado, here are my top make up and skin care finds for 2015.  They are not in any particular order, and I have reviewed some on previous blog posts.

Women’s Rogaine 5% foam-If you are losing your hair, this is the product for you.  I’ve been using Rogaine for fifteen years and it really works. It does make your hair dry, so extra moisturizing is a must.  $30 for a two month supply. http://www.rogaine.com/product/women%E2%80%99s+rogaine-+foam+2-month+supply+auto+delivery+.do?sortby=ourPicks#.VoGuQPkrLrc

Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula with Vitamin E Skin Therapy oil $10 at https://www.palmers.com/en/cocoa-butter-formula/55-skin-therapy-oil-face.html  Has all the great ingredients you look for, but not the price.  I use four drops on my face every night.  I’ve been using it for months and have seen a great improvement in my skin.  Lines softened, smoother texture, more money in my pocket, what’s not to love?

Estee Lauder Advanced Time Zone Age Reversing Line/Wrinkle eye cream-$9 for a deluxe sample on EBay.  I am so digging this eye cream.  I’ve been using it for two months, and have seen a definite decrease in the lines under my eyes. I’ll be buying a full size soon.

OMG! Where have Frownies been all my life???  https://www.frownies.com/  These babies have been around for over a hundred years! They are about as low tech for wrinkle reduction as one could ever imagine.  They are basically brown kraft tape with a special adhesive that you get wet and put on your wrinkles. I found them at Bed Bath and Beyond for $16.  A package will last you 6-8 weeks. They totally work, and I love them.  No Botox for me!

Wet N Wild Fergie Center Stage Collection Rose Champagne Glow highlighter- $10 http://www.amazon.com/Wet-Wild-Centerstage-Collection-A045/dp/B00AXYFKZI/ref=sr_1_3?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1451340660&sr=1-3&keywords=wet+n+wild+centerstage+collection  You can’t find this in stores anymore, but it’s flipping awesome! I bought mine at Walgreens earlier this year.  It’s baked and has a pale rose glow, great for my 56 year old face! Not too shimmery, just right and very natural looking.

YBBB Brow Power Skinny Pencil in Universal Transforming Taupe by IT Cosmetics. $24 at Ulta.  I discovered IT cosmetics late in the year, and I really like all of the products I’ve tried.  This ultra-thin eye pencil is no exception.  My brows are blonde and this pencil really makes them pop.  It also has a spooly brush to finish off your look. The color stays on until you take it off. No crazy brows for me, I’m over 50, and just want a natural look.   http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod5770243

IT Your Skin but Better CC + Airbrush Perfecting Powder SPF 50- $35 at Ulta.  This is a game changer for me. I just throw on some 30 SPF moisturizer and buff this stuff on, and I’m out the door.  It has buildable coverage, but does look airbrushed.  I love the fact that it has an SPF of 50. Always a plus. http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod12251077

Maybelline Master Prime By Face Studio Primer SPF 30 in Blur & Illuminate $8 at Bed, Bath and Beyond.  My local BBB recently started carrying cosmetics.  I have to say, they have quite the selection, and awesome prices. BBB always has 20% off coupons. This is a great rose colored primer.  I mix it with any liquid foundation I might be using and it really blurs imperfections out, and adds a nice glow.

elf High Definition Under eye Setting Powder- $3 at Target. This is by far the best discovery for me for 2015. http://www.target.com/p/e-l-f-high-definition-undereye-setting-powder/-/A-14795896#prodSlot=medium_1_1&term=ELF+high+definition+undereye  Where can you find any kick ass product for $3??? The brush that comes with it is junk, but the powder is flipping wonderful.  It’s a white powder that you brush on after you put your concealer on.  Lines are decreased, and it lasts all day.

Becca Under Eye Brightening Corrector-$29 at Ulta http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod11881009  Another under eye cover up game changer.  I got a BECCA gift set at Ulta to try out.  This was by far my favorite item.  It covers well, and a little goes a long way.

I hope you enjoyed my year in review.  Thanks for stopping by, and Happy New Year!

 

Check this out!

Dec22

My son did this self portrait in art class. Some talent he has, huh? He sure didn’t get it from me.  I’m trying to teach him to be witty. I think he’ll be better off with his art. His art teacher submitted this for a contest, I hope he wins!Self portrait

Update-e.l.f. High Definition Undereye Setting Powder

Nov30

ELF Undereye Setting Powder Packging

Update-I used a better brush today, and the results are amazing!  The lines are blurred and not cakey at all.   I’ve had this on since 7 am, it’s now noon, and my under eye area looks great!  Never under estimate the power of a good brush!

Whose says $3.00 won’t get you anything these days?  I just bought this powder yesterday at http://www.target.com/p/e-l-f-high-definition-undereye-setting-powder/-/A-14795896#prodSlot=medium_1_4&term=elf+under+eye+powder, and it’s awesome.  It works great to set your concealer.  I just started using Becca Under Eye Brightening Corrector along with Bye Bye Under Eye Anti-aging concealer by IT, (which I purchased from http://www.ulta.com) and this e.l.f. setting powder is a nice finishing touch.  It’s a finely milled whitish powder that blends well. I have some serious under eye line action going on, and this helps to blur everything out.  While you can still see my lines, my dark circles are gone, and I can live with that!

The brush that comes with it is a joke, but for $3 bucks, who cares! Just use a small fluffy brush to apply. Now it doesn’t completely hide my lines, I have too many! Plus I wear glasses so that helps to hide them as well.  Now if I could just blur out all the other wrinkles on my face, oh wait, I really don’t have too many. That my friends is from using a daily sunscreen for the last 30 years. Sure, you can get procedures done to help look younger, but I would rather have more money in my pocket.

 

A guy’s thoughts on the ‘Thigh Gap’

Nov30

Great story! I’ll never have a thigh gap, and that’s just fine with me!

JR @ Straight-Talking-Fitness's avatarStraight Talking Fitness

Apparently you ladies want to have your own thigh gap?

Apparently it represents health, happiness and even sexiness?

Apparently if you’re a chick without a thigh gap, you’re less of a woman, right?

That’s the thigh gap fad talking. Not me. 

Enjoying the company of some girls the other day, they referred to a magazine image that supposedly portrayed “feminine perfection” – or words to that effect.

I’m not sure of the exact image, but it looked a little something like this……………

Okay okay, maybe I’m stretching it a touch…………….

Yes. That’s more like it! There’s your classic, stereotypical thigh gap magazine type image.

“Wouldn’t it be great to have legs like that?!”

“Oh HELL yeah! Guys love it!”

Hang on a minute!

Being a relatively young and heterosexual guy, if there was ever a time my input could or would be relevant, it was now. And if that didn’t…

View original post 369 more words

Goodbye Sweet Melissa

Nov2

I lost an old friend today.  Though I haven’t seen her for years, it only seems like yesterday when we last spoke. We had reconnected recently on Facebook.  She was doing well, living in the house she grew up in, and taking care of her mother.

I met Melissa in 1971 at Northview Junior High, seventh grade, first day of school.  I was standing in the lunch line and Melissa asked me about a birthmark on my fore arm. It’s large, and resembles a map of the United States. I looked her in the eye and told her with a straight face that it was a hickey! I was all of 12 years old and had never had a hickey, but I’ve always been a smartass. Melissa looked away and busted out laughing. From that point on we became best friends.

I started riding the bus home after school to hang out at her house. Her house backed up to a park, and she always had good snacks.  I thought her family was rich because they had a microwave! Remember this was 1971, and no one had microwaves in their homes. Wow! How cool!  One of our favorite after school snacks were frozen glazed donuts that we would microwave. OMG! Best snack ever! Those doughnuts were the high point of my day. And because of those darn doughnuts, I didn’t buy my first microwave until I was 27!  I was convinced I would end up eating frozen glazed doughnuts all the time and weigh 800 pounds!

Melissa was the youngest kid like me.  Her older sister had a 1970’s white Triumph Spitfire convertible that I thought was so cool.   (Melissa would later buy said car).  Melissa had an older brother Eddie who was always so nice to me. They had a camper in their back yard that was the best hang out for a couple of 12 year old girls. We had so much fun hanging out with her neighbors Craig, Lisa, and her cute brother Mark. I had a crush on him; he was fine, but too short for me. Ha!

Melissa

This is Melissa in 1978. She had the best smile, always lit up the room.

Melissa and I had quite the adventures. One of our adventures involved a weekend party at my house, and no parents around.  We were all of 14. Yeah, I took the car out for a spin.  Melissa stayed back at the house, which was probably a good thing. Unfortunately, we got caught, and Melissa couldn’t stay over at my house anymore. Nothing got wrecked; we didn’t think it was a big deal, not so for the folks.

Middle school is such a tough time for most kids. Eighth grade was very difficult for me; I was always getting into trouble.  Melissa always had my back, and she never judged me, and for that I will always be eternally grateful. Her delightful mom pierced my ears! She has the best family, so warm and welcoming.

I’ll never forget the time Melissa and I were hanging out in my front yard one afternoon.  All of a sudden Melissa is screaming her head off, I turned around and my goofy cat was peeing on her back. The cat was about five feet away from her, and the pee was shooting straight out of his butt! OMG, I don’t think I ever laughed so hard in my life.  Melissa wasn’t too amused, but after she got cleaned up, she was laughing too. Then there was the time we were riding our bikes, and her neighbor Craig, totally wiped out in front of us, he went right over his handle bars. We stopped to make sure he was okay, and then proceeded to laugh our asses off at him. It was pretty funny. Sorry Craig.

Melissa had the best sense of humor; we were always cracking each other up. She would say something clever, and do this side look and grin she always did.

I spoke to Melissa on the phone in 1996, but last saw her at our 10th high school reunion.  I was there with my brother, and she was with our friend Deedee.  We had so much fun, I had forgotten how truly clever she was.  I’m so glad I got to connect with her again.

I do hope her children find comfort in knowing that their mother was a very important person to me all those years ago. She will be truly missed.