What’s in My Cosmetic Bag Today?

When Avon calls, I definitely answer the door. They have a great range of products at amazingly reasonable prices, such as their bubble baths and skin care.

But my favorite Avon product at this moment is their Advance Techniques Daily Shine Mirror Shine Spray ($8). A few small spritzes on my hair add a great glow and shine without too much weight. And because the formulation isn’t greasy, I can use it (in moderation) every day should I so desire. I love the way my hair looks with it, and I’ve noticed I don’t need hairspray because it helps me manage fly-away hair as well.

If your hair is looking a bit lack-luster, or you just want a boost in shininess, give it a try. It’s a staple in my cosmetic bag.

Tips for Self Tanners

It’s that time of year–that blinding white light? It’s my bare legs. Man, are they white. I could light up a room, that’s how pale they are. I won’t tan naturally because I know better now–the dangers of skin cancer are just too high. And I don’t like paying the money to stand in a booth and have tanner applied to me. So, self tanners are the way to go.

But there are pitfalls to doing it myself, which I have learned over the years–orange hands, streaky areas, places where the tanner never quite made it. Then I read Good Housekeeping’s “7 Years Younger,” and its great chapter on using self tanners, and I feel I can face it again. Here is a summary of what I thought of as their key tips to make this process as goof-free as possible:

• Prepare your skin by waxing/removing hair and exfoliating 24 hours in advance. You need to give follicles time to close after being opened through waxing/threading/other methods of hair removal, and give skin time to calm down.
• At the same time, you want to test your tanner on an unobtrusive area of your body, such as under your arm, to make sure you won’t have a reaction to the formula. If you do, you have time to get another product and re-test.
• Do not use deodorants, perfumes, body lotions, or any other add-on that might react with the self tanner. Go bare, baby.
• If you are new to this, start with a light formula until you get the process down pat.
• Experts recommend starting at your thighs and rubbing down your legs, proceeding to your torso, and followed by your arms (shoulders down to elbows and wrists), thinning out as you go.
• Spray hard to reach spots, especially your feet where you tend to pile on the smoothed-down product.
• Wash your hands thoroughly when you are done and then apply the tanner. GH suggests curling your hands into claws so that the product won’t pool in knuckle creases. AVOID YOUR PALMS–YOUR PALMS DON’T TAN!
• Keeping your skin hydrated will prolong your tan. A self-tan lasts between 4 and 10 days, so keep swimming and showers to a minimum time.

I’m looking forward to goof-free tanning this summer–thank you, Good Housekeeping!

 

What’s In My Cosmetic Bag Today?

A friend of mine once said, “If the only tool you have is a hammer, then everything will look like a nail.” Well, if you don’t have the right make-up brushes, it really doesn’t matter how fabulous your cosmetics are–you’ll have difficulty applying them, and subsequently looking fabulous in them.

That’s why I swear by my Bobbie Brown make-up brushes. The Bronzer Brush is fabulous for applying not just bronzer but a light dusting of powder to even out skin tone. The Blush brush has a curved tip so you can apply just to the area you want. The Eyebrow Brush, a personal favorite of mine, is stiffer bristled and angled so I can swoosh on a perfect arc with Bobbie’s eye shadow (no pencils for me). And the Lip Brush is small and pointed to make a cupid’s bow or fill in a thin upper lip.

These brushes aren’t cheap, but are well worth the investment. I’ve had mine for over 10 years, and with a weekly wash and air dry, they hold up like champs. And yes, you should wash your brushes every week or they become nasty repositories for germs and bacteria, which you so do not want on your face. So, wash those bad boys every week at night before you go to bed, gently squeeze them out, and let them air dry overnight–and you’ll be good to go the next day.

Love Me, Love My Beauty Secrets

Cosmetics (Photo credit: My Sight, as You See.)

We all have certain things we swear by, but only share with our closest friends. Because, after all, if we all have the same beauty secrets, no one has an edge. And we all want an edge–don’t we?

But I have found I love certain products so much that I just have to share their goodness with everyone–or the few folks who don’t know about them. Because that is the kind of person I am (smiley faces and flowers galore).

Seriously, if we don’t share what we know, then what is the good of having a blog. So, let me share with you two of my favorite beauty products, go-to items when I want to look as fabulous as I can.

The first is Benefit’s High Beam. This “luminescent complexion enhancer” is the absolute last word on bright skin tone and a beautiful glow. You can dot and blend it over your makeup to make your best features stand out, and to shore up other not-so-faboo features. On your cheeks, it can highlight killer cheek bones. Under your brows, it can open your eyes. And on your Cupid’s bow, it can highlight your gorgeous bee-sting pout. It lights up your skin and enhances what you want enhanced. It makes my tired eyes look brighter, and can also conceal under-eye circles.  It’s a great multitasker in a bottle.

The second is Michael Kors Leg Shine–Classic. I love everything about Michael, but this product stands out.  It gives my legs a subtle glow that approximates a light tan, and the scent is to die for. Rub it down the center of your shins, and your legs will look thinner. It also provides a bit of moisture and shine to legs, and my legs need that–how about yours?

What’s in My Cosmetic Bag Today?

My latest find is Make Up For Ever’s Pro-finish Multi-use Powder Foundation–I love this stuff! It goes on wet or dry, and comes in 25 shades so it’s a relative snap to match your skin color. With an oily T-zone, I use it dry but I did use it both ways, and both worked.

Sephora gave me a sampler with four shades to try, which helped me narrow it down to one. I opted for Pink Porcelain, but the other shades worked, too. I love it to do touch-ups after a day in the office when I’m on my way out at night. A new winner in the make-up bag!

What’s in My Cosmetic Bag Today?

Because my hair is fine and can be limp, I need hairspray to help me hold whatever body I can urge into my hair with a cut and blow dryer. But I hate that helmet-head feel that many hairsprays can give, or the look that I could withhold gale-force winds.

That’s why I have fallen in love with Rusk’s W8LESS PLUS spray. As the name implies, it’s light, but it does give me a fair amount of hold. And since I only wash my hair every four or five days, I don’t notice a build-up of product. Plus, it has a lovely scent. AND W8LESS PLUS comes in a handy-dandy travel size. It’s a winner for me, and a must have in my cosmetic bag.

What’s In My Cosmetic Bag Today?

On days such as this when I’m cursed with a pimple along with a wrinkle (how does this happen? you’re killing me, face!), I’m so glad that I have Peter Thomas Roth’s Acne Spot and Area Treatment in my cosmetic bag. It’s my go-to product for breakouts, and it does the job with finesse and swiftness.

A dab smeared around the trouble area dries up the offending blemish in a day or two, without drying out my skin. It’s odorless and blends in with my skin, and does not show obtrusively when I use BB cream or powder over it. I carry it with me in my purse just in case–it is indispensable when my skin is acting up. I wouldn’t be without it.

Michael Kors…Makeup?

Great news for those of us who love Michael Kors‘ design aesthetic and style: he is branching out into cosmetics and body care products. WWD reported last week that Michael Kors’ line of make-up and beauty products, as well as perfume, will debut in August at Macy’s (which has a one year exclusive).  Estee Lauder will produce the items, which are in beautiful, streamlined packaging, as you can well imagine.

I was particularly designed to the natural colors he is offering–yes, there will be rich, dramatic shades, but there are lovely neutral tones, too, perfect for day. The three collections–Sporty (yeah!), Sexy, and Glam–offer a little something for everyone. And there is a fragrance for each line, too. Love me some Michael, and can’t wait to try out the Sporty scent, which has “orange and mandarin tones.” This almost makes up for him not being a judge on Project Runway.

Baby, Baby, Baby

Great news for those addicted to mascara (cough*me*cough)–Yves Saint Laurent is debuting its new Baby Doll mascara later this month. Obviously in tribute to the baby-doll dresses that Heidi Slimane sent down his runway, this mascara promised to disperse thin amounts of mascara onto lashes. The formulation won’t clump so that it can be built up on lashes and remain clean and even.

The brush has two patents, so we are talking serious business here. The mascara will be available initially in black, brown, blue, and violet (happy sigh).  It will be priced at $30, which is unfortunately out of my price zone–for the time being, I’ll stick with my Christian Dior.  But this formula does sound intriguing.

Alphabet Soup

Just as I’ve managed to wrap my head (and my skin) around the concept of a BB cream comes the news heralding CC creams (there is even a DD cream looming, but I’m not ready to go there yet, let alone touch on the BB products for hair). The Complexion Correctors or Color Correcting (CC) creams purport to do just that–even out skin tone and reduce redness or ashiness (depending on skin hue), while touting the ability over time to reduce wrinkles and imperfections.

Clinique is coming out with its CC cream in an April launch; others from Peter Thomas Roth, Lorac, Ole Henriksen, and Dr. Dennis Gross will appear soon as well. All fall in the $28-$48 range.

But it strikes me that something is going to have to give–who has the time or the money to use a BB cream, a CC cream, a moisturizer, an AHA product, an exfoliator. These creams have to provide big benefits in order to squeeze into an already heavy lineup of hitters. Clinique is banking big money ($40M) on its ad campaign for its CC cream, and rolling it out in all its venues, so it will be looking for big paybacks.

Women have purchased all types of antiaging products over the years; now BB and CC creams perform multiple tasks (smooth, moisturize, even out, and protect) while offering longer term benefits such as reducing wrinkles and improving tone. Time alone will tell us if these benefits truly accrue. Are they worth it? Well, I’m guessing I’ll be testing one or more out sooner or later.