Well it’s been a week since I came down with Bell’s palsy. It sucks big time. My eye will barely close and I’m having a hard time eating.
I found out you really don’t want to eat caramel when half your face is paralyzed. Damn you vendors for bringing in Christmas goodies.
On the up side, I now know what I would look like if I got Botox, uh, give me back my wrinkles and my smile please.
Happy day after the July 4th! I’m off work today just hanging out. I visited my friend Marv earlier, now I’m just chillaxing on the couch. Having had the past five days off I visited Ulta twice. (Obsessed much? Yes).
Gravity is not being kind to my eyelids, as I watch them disappear before my eyes, literally. I’ve been looking into some possible procedures, but after doing extensive research, I’ve decided against it. I did a Botox eyelift four years ago, I liked the results, but it only lasted three months and cost $600.
I’ve never been big on liquid eyeliner on my lids, as I wear glasses and I could never get the darn line straight. I was looking through my vast eye make up collection, and came across a freebie Clinique Quickliner for Eyes Intense. I tried it and really liked it. I went to my local Ulta and got Intense Clove. I must say it really enhances my eye color, and makes my lids not quite so hooded looking. The color lasts all day, and doesn’t smudge. I just did a quickie eye make up job today, as I was only going to do volunteer work.
I got a post card in the mail from Ulta saying I could get a full size Clinique Clarifying toner with any purchase. A $14 value. Dang, winner winner, chicken dinner! I was looking for a clarifying cleanser and the salesperson said to use this instead. The salesperson was super helpful with my color selection.
Here are a few photos. Please keep in mind I’m 57, and know I will never have the eyelids of my youth without medical intervention. And I’m okay with that.
The Clinique Quickliner for Eyes Intense at Ulta is $16.50. I got Intense Clove. I used points since I’m a Ulta rewards member and only paid $7.50. Clinique Quickliner at Ulta
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Hello! I had a fun day off yesterday, visiting my local Ulta for a haircut and style. My awesome stylist Taleah asked me if I wanted a Tarte make over after my hair appointment. I’m like heck yeah! We were going out with friends later, and I had not done my make up yet.
I’ve used a few products from the Tarte line, but never any make up. The Tarte make up artist Shannon, did an awesome job, and I ended up buying two items.
Freebies!
VIP Lip Sculptor
Lip Color swatches
Contour Palette
Great coverage make up!
Shannon used all of the colors from the contour palette, taking me through each step. I’ve been a make up artist in the past, and she really knew her products. My eyelids have practically vanished due to gravity, so I was glad to be able to see my eyes better. It’s $45 at Tarte Contour Palette
The Lip Sculptor in VIP is awesome! Super creamy lipstick with a matching gloss that wasn’t sticky at all. It’s $24 at VIP Lip Sculptor
Not only did I get these two great products, but I got two freebies as well. A deluxe sample of the Maracuja Oil and Maracuja C-brighter eye treatment. I’ve used both products before and they are great.
The best part, not only did I get some amazing products, but as a Ulta rewards member I got 20% off my purchase. It’s a once a year promotion where you can get 20% off your entire purchase including premium brands.
Ulta knocks it out of the park again!
We’ve been seeing each other for seven years now. I think it’s time for you to go, I mean really, get the hell out of my life. I could have easily dealt with having a period for the rest of my life. It only would be for a few days a month anyway. All of the changes you have put me through, just drop freaking dead!
The changes you have made to my body are unforgiveable. I use to have the wonderful ten inch waist to hip ratio. That is where your hips are ten inches larger than your waist. I use to have an hour glass figure. Now it’s more like an apple.
I exercise five days a week, for almost an hour each time. Do you think it makes much of a difference? Um no. I use to have some muscle tone, now I have the dreaded old person wrinkly skin. Thank god, I live in a cold climate and I can be covered up most of the time.
Forget about doing hormone replacement, too dangerous given my family history. I don’t have hot flashes anymore, but sleeping without taking meds, ain’t happening. The meds I take to sleep will probably make me lose my mind. Great!
People say, but you don’t have to worry about getting pregnant now. I didn’t worry before, because I was on birth control for years. I only went off of it because my doctor made me.
The good thing about puberty is you know when it’s over. So far I haven’t gotten an end date for this menopause crap. Nobody likes to talk about it. You men don’t know how easy you have it. You might have to deal with a little erectile dysfunction or baldness. Hell, you just take a little pill and shave your head. Oh, then get yourself a much younger woman.
As I sit here looking at a 62 year old Christie Brinkley on the cover of the magazine telling me about her “young-forever diet”, I pretty much want to puke. She looks amazing at 62, but she was also a former super model. She has amazing hair, which she admits to using hair extensions. Yeah, I tried hair extensions, unfortunately you could tell. Lucky for me I have a great collection of baseball caps.
The good thing about menopause?? I don’t have a flipping clue, but if you know please clue me in.
Wow! I can’t believe I’ve been wearing make up for over 40 years. Man, that’s a long time. I’ve seen so many trends come and go. I sold make up and was a make-up artist for a number of years part time. I had a flash back this morning when I was applying some olive green eyeshadow. When I was a sophomore in high back in 1974, my then boyfriends’ older sister rocked a pale green eyeshadow with bright blue mascara that I loved. I adopted that look for the next few years. My senior photo had that same look. I have blue eyes and thought for some strange reason that this would enhance the color. Not really, at least according to my friend Susie Lin. I met Susie in my senior year; I really admired her fashion sense. She was kind of enough to tell me that my green/blue eyeshadow just wasn’t cutting it. She had a plethora of Clinique products she turned me on to. She said I really should be wearing brown eye shadow to enhance my eyes. I looked at her like she had two heads! But she did a makeover on me, and OMG! What a difference!
While I would like to think I’m up on the latest trends, I don’t necessarily follow them. Except for maybe in the 1980’s. Everyone wore a ton of make-up, me included. I see pictures of myself back then and cringe at the amount of eyeshadow I was wearing. Yikes! I was certainly in style. When I sold make up, I could always tell how old a woman was by the color of her eyeshadow. I’ve read studies where when a woman finds a make-up look she feels that she looks her best; she will stay with the look forever. I still laugh when I see someone wearing sky blue eyeshadow. Hello the 1970’s called and they want their look back!
I have several beauty magazine subscriptions, so I’m always up on the latest looks. As I’ve gotten older, I may not be wearing the latest style with my make-up, but I look pretty darn good for my age. One trend that I wish would go away is the need for young women to have to feel that they have to wear a ton a make up to look good. My eighteen year old niece was visiting and I couldn’t believe the make-up ritual she went through to go out. The contouring was out of control. If you need contouring, great. My niece didn’t need contouring; it did nothing for her other than make her look a lot older. I’m all about looking your best, please don’t get me wrong. If you have great skin, you don’t need to wear a crap load of make-up.
Good skin care is critical. Applying a SPF of at least 30 is crucial to long term skin care. I’ve been using a daily SPF for the last thirty years. I stopped tanning years ago. I know some ladies are getting Botox in their 20’s. To me, that is beyond messed up. Again, I’m all about looking your best, so please don’t take offense. The point I’m making is good skin care is the key to long term beauty. My mother always took really care of her skin, and she looked great up until her death at 84.
As we get older, and skin care becomes more advanced, we have an arsenal of tools to keep us looking our best. I would rather spend my money on traveling than having a cosmetic procedure done. Be kind to your skin, don’t smoke, eat right and don’t forget the sunblock! Every single day.
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!
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.
I used a few drops on my face right after I showered. After about ten minutes, I put on my 30 SPF moisturizer as usual. Then my liquid foundation. OMG! My skin looked amazing. I think the argan oil works better than a primer. Every time I went to the bathroom today, (which is a lot because I have a bladder the size of a walnut) I couldn’t get over how good my skin looked. My skin looked nice and dewy up until I took my make up off a little while ago. I put my foundation on at 7 am, and took it off at 8 pm. I also picked up some Almay stick concealer at the dollar store. I don’t normally use stick concealer because it’s too heavy. Guess what? This stuff is great! It worked really well under my eyes and around my nose. It especially worked on the dent in my forehead. Score one for Stacy!
Happy Monday!
Let me start off by saying this product is amazing! I had tried Josie Maran’s argan oil and loved it. I got a sample of Josie’s in an IPSY bag I got a while ago. While I loved Josie’s brand, it’s a bit pricey. The Physicians Formula Argan Wear Glow oil is only $14.99 for one ounce. I bought it at Ulta, and only paid $8.69. They had a buy one get one for 50% off, and I had an Ulta store coupon.
Here is the Ulta description:
Physicians Formula’s Argan Wear Glow Oil is 100% Pure Argan Oil, known as “liquid gold” for this its rich conditioning benefits, can improve skin’s brightness, tone, texture and elasticity. Weightless multi-tasking miracle combines the benefits of a moisturizer, primer, brightener, protector & treatment in one! Use on face, body, hair, & nails. This magical ingredient from Morocco transforms skin, smoothing the appearance of fine lines, brightening dull skin and renewing suppleness, helping to enhance skin’s youthful looking glow without ever leaving a greasy feel or finish.
I’ve been using it for about a month. It is so great for my mature skin. I was trying the Mario Badescu skin care line and wasn’t really impressed. My chin had broken out, which my skin never does, so I took the Mario stuff back to Ulta. The argan oil cleared my skin up immediately. Argan oil gives you a nice glow, and seems to smooth out my skin. It softens my wrinkles and just makes my skin look better. For the price you can’t beat it.
I use it as a night time treatment. I use 4 drops for my face. I’m trying a Perricone MD Cold Plasma Sub D on my neck and will hopefully see some good results with that.
Argan oil has so many uses. I’ve been using Moroccan oil on my hair for several years, and it works great.
http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod11861055
cornfedcontessa 