Saturday, January 31, 2015

Maybelline Falsies Big Eyes Mascara

Maybelline's Falsies Big Eyes
$9.49

As long as I'm alive and kicking, I will forever be on the hunt for the perfect, cheap and cheerful drugstore mascara.  Every brand has 15 iterations of mascara, all claiming to among other things; lengthen, volumize, fan and not flake, clump or smudge...uh huh.

Pretty much, you might as well throw a dart and hope to get lucky.  I was a little more intrigued with Maybelline's Falsies Big Eyes Mascara because I liked the concept of a smaller brush and lighter formula for use on the lower lashes.

A few years back, Clinique created Bottom Lash Mascara, a separate mascara exclusively for lower lashes.  I purchased and promptly returned it.  All hype and and extra step to boot, but here Maybelline combined the two in one applicator, so the I decided to give this one a try.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Almay Smart Shade Butter Kiss Lipstick

Almay Smart Shade Butter Kiss Lipstick
$8.99 

I picked up Almay Smart Shade Butter Kiss Lipstick at Ulta the other day on a whim.  I have a soft spot for "butter balm" lipsticks.  They feel fantastic on.  Revlon makes a good one.  L'Oreal does not...

Almay's is perfect!!!!  For starters, they have attempted to take 4 shades and break them down by skin tones to create best matches.  I'm not sure what happened to the "coral" family or "dark" skin tones --maybe they will follow in the next roll out. (I think this chart above is actually backwards. The lighter shades are appearing next to the darkest skin tone in this photo.)

If you favor these shades and fall within these skin tones, this is an amazing find. How did they manage to make one lipstick deeply pigmented, richly moisturizing and long lasting???  I also like the fact that they are shaped and slanted to match the lip line perfectly...you can touch up, mirror free, anywhere.


Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Jergens Skin Firming and Tightening Lotion

Jergens Skin Firming Toning and Tightening Lotion

Long time readers will know I'm always on the hunt for anti-aging product for the body. I firmly believe,( no pun intended), that the neck south, is vastly untapped, and well primed for Mass Consumer attention.

Why shouldn't the chemists and marketing whizzes at P&G and et al, give some love to my upper knees???

As I perused the CVS aisle two weeks ago, I spotted Jergens 'Even Better' Skin Firming Tones & Tightening Lotion.  As far as I could tell, it had no peers.

Done...

Monday, January 26, 2015

Juno: The Blizzard of 2015



For those of you in the Northeast, I hope you are stocked and prepared for the blizzard heading our way. I'm not a winter fan, so I will appreciate the beauty for about 30 seconds before gnashing my teeth about the inconvenience.  If there are major power outages, things will quickly change from whipping up some hot chocolate and hunkering down for a Netflix binge, to teeth chattering.

Let's hope for the the former and having a snow day...

Ever since Prime Suspect with the marvelous Helen Mirren, I have been a huge fan of British crime dramas, so if you long ago worked your way through House of Cards and Orange is the New Black I can highly recommend the following: Luther, The Fall,  Happy Valley and Broadchurch.

Happy binging!!! Be safe and warm.

xox,
DD

2015 Sag Awards Fashion


The trouble is, it was pretty much non-existent.  The evening was laden with gowns that ranged from dull to fugly: Jennifer Aniston, Claire Danes, Rosamund Pike, Uzo Aduba, Laura Carmichael,  and Emma Stone, to wit.

THE ONLY standout was the dependably, magnificent Lupita Nyong'o, resplendent in couture Elie Saab. I worship this man.

Lupita Nyong'o in Elie Saab
Screen Actor's Guild Awards 2015

Everyone before or after is just a hazy memory.  Lupita, SHUT IT DOWN.  I worship this woman.

That's all...

xox,
DD

Fashion Flash




Cindy Ingalls, the author of Prime Beauty Blog is the Fashion Flash host this week. Each week, we strive to bring you interesting and informative reads about beauty, fashion, health and fitness, particularly gear towards women over 40.

ICYMI, I contributed Totalbeauty's well done, easy to follow piece on, "How to Fake a Facelift with Makeup.  It's a must read!  Catch them all here.

Enjoy!

xox,
DD

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Totalbeauty: How to fake a facelift with makeup

courtesy of Totalbeauty


I have a huge soft spot for Totalbeauty's website.  For starters, they accepted my blog DivaDebbi into their exclusive coterie of bloggers when I was just 6 mos. out of the gate.  I always appreciated the vote of confidence that my voice was cutting through the clutter and deserved to be published.

 Merci!!!

I am also enamored by the unbiased reader reviews of about a zillion products.  As a result, TB frequently tallies "best and worst of" articles.  I have made notes and purchased products, so many times, as many of you often tell me you do based on my posts.

 Merci!!!

They also have arresting articles that stop me in my tracks and demand reading, like Emily Woodruff's piece on How to Fake a Facelift with Makeup, based on tips by makeup artist Taylor Chang-Babian.

Fashion Flash




This week, the well regarded Huffington Post contributor and creator of Chic at any Age,  Josephine Lalwan is our Fashion Flash host. Josephine describes FF as: a select group of lifestyle blogs for women over 40, covering a wide range of topics including health, skin care, fitness, fashion, make-up and reinvention. Fashion Flash is one of the largest forty plus communities on the web. This weeks Fashion Flash is full of useful tips to keep us healthy and looking good this winter plus “red carpet” insider information.

I concur! To read this weeks FF please click here and ICYMI, includes my Red Carpet Golden Globes snarkfest.

Enjoy!

xo,
DD




Thursday, January 15, 2015

A Crisis! MAC's Soar Lip Pencil is out of stock EVERYWHERE




Over the years, I have written about MAC's Soar Lip Pencil at least a half a dozen times.  It's my Holy Grail Lip Pencil.  It seems incongruous, that NO ONE else makes a pink nude with brown undertones.  Believe me, I have bought every wannabe and dupe.  Besides the perfectly natural hue,  part of what makes it perfect is that it is not a waxy self sharpening liner, but a wooden one that can be honed to razor sharpness.

I usually horde them and can almost always find a stub or two stashed in a handbag:


It was time to replenish my stash, so I stopped into Bloomingdale's, my closest and easiest place to purchase MAC.  Quelle horreur! I blanched as she told me they were out of stock and would not have it again for about 3 WEEKS!!!  As a Bloomingdale's Loyalist, she offered to ship me
one from another store free--Big sigh...FINE.

It was then that her colleague stepped in and informed us both that it was sold out company wide and not just at Bloomies, but Nordstroms AND MAC's website as well!!! Sure enough, I checked and he was right. Panic immediately set in....

Monday, January 12, 2015

DivaDebbi's 2015 Golden Globes Report Card

a
Amy Poehler and Tina Fey
They killed it, but as usual, I loathed their Red Carpet choices, Amy in an
ill fitting Stella McCartney cerulean blue sack and Tina in a Giambattista Valli tent
Sunday night was the 2015 Golden Globe awards...but of course you knew that.  It's usually one of the more fun award events since it combines  he medias and everyone gets to swill plenty of champagne.  It was an odd assortment of nominations with some really fantastic performances overlooked in favor of others. What evs...

Silvery metallics and 50 shades of red were the trend colors of the evening.

Tina and Amy did a good job of setting the tone for a mostly congenial night that also had celeb's duly noting the atrocities that occurred in Paris in the last week. Peace and prayers...these are scary times.

Normally, I do a complete round up pf my loves and loathes, but I have a Bravo launch party in NYC and time is tight.

Sophie Hunter and Benedict Cumberbatch

For me, it just doesn't get better than the exquisite (and pregnant) Sophie Hunter in a glorious navy Erdem silk print, with beautifully styled hair and makeup and fiance Benedict Cumberbatch in gorgeous, black tie, without gimmicks.  This my lovelies, is my idea of perfection.

Who were my loves??? They were few and far between.  An off night, sleepy by every standard, with some looks marred by awful accessories, (Kate Mara, Amal Clooney, Salma Hayek), bad boobage, (Rosamund Pike, Jessica Chastain, J. Lo, Kate Hudson) or hideous hair, (the lovely Joanna Froggatt ripped straight from a Swiss Miss box.)

Joanna Froggatt


I did like Chrissy Teigen, Amy Adams, Christine Baranski, Katherine Heigel, Julianne Moore. Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston's choices, but was only blown away by Kate Beckinsale in couture Elie Saab.  WowZa!!!

Kate Beckinsale
Resplendent and H2T perfect in couture Elie Saab
 I also quite liked The Affair's Julia Goldani Telles in Carmen Marc Valvo.  Loved the color, the silhouette and even the little nude modesty panel,  though the whole effect; dress, hair and makeup would have been more appropriate on someone nearing 40 instead of 20:

Julia Goldani Telles in Carmen Marc Volvo



I may be alone, but was disappointed in Alison Williams red tiered Armani Prive, Julia Louis Dreyfess in nondescript Narciso Rodriguez, Taylor Schilling in Ralph Lauren that looked more like a bathing suit from the back,  Emily Blunt in a seen it one too many times Grecian style white Michael Kors and the usually impeccable Naomi Watts, in canary yellow Gucci with a diamond snake necklace.

Sunday, January 11, 2015

L'Oreal Colour Caresse Wet Shine Stain

L'Oreal Colour Caresse Wet Shine Stain
$9.99
I recently posted about L'Oreal's Infallible 2-Step Longwear Lipstick, one of the better longwearing products available.  While the stain is very effective, I found the the clear balm 2nd step to have limited powers and ended using gloss to keep my lips from feeling dry.

I stumbled upon another L'Oreal lip product at CVS this weekend, and when used in tandem, you will not only get hours and hours of deeply pigmented lip wear, but moist, glossy lips as well.  L'Oreal's Colour Caresse Wet Shine Stain, is a hybrid stain and gloss. It is applied with a soft sponge, reminiscent of many glosses, but applies more like liquid lipstick.

I'm in love!!!
Banana Boat Summer Color Self-Tanning Lotion Deep Dark Color
$6.79 Drugstores nationwide

Well, that is certainly a mouthful!  Like most Girls, I can easily be persuaded to try a well rated drug store "cheat".  I'm also a sucker for a good list.  As a blogger for TotalBeauty, I do consider myself a fan of the site and I'm grateful to all the women who take time to rate and review products.

When I received an email about The 20 Best Drugstore Buys, I set aside some time to read it properly, note pad in hand.

The very first item,  Banana Boat Summer Color Self-Tanning Lotion Deep Dark Color caught my eye. My Kate Sommerville 360 Self Tanning Towelettes are an expensive addiction. Reviewers loved that it was quickly absorbed, didn't streak had no discernible "self tanning" odor scent and of course, a lovely price

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Fashion Flash



Happy New Year from the Ladies of Fashion Flash!  This week Melanie of Society of Wellness is our host this week.  Some of the topics covered include:
  • Facial Exercises
  • 10 Best Cold Weather Beauty Products
  • Scientific tips and myths regarding weight loss
  • Things to consider before changing your hairstyle

ICYMI my post is my DivaDebbi Best of Beauty 2014 Roundup.  Please click here to see them all.

Enjoy!

xox,
DD

Friday, January 2, 2015

DivaDebbi's Best of 2014



Oh what a year it's been!  As always, I wouldn't be blogging if I didn't enjoy it and I am always so delighted to hear from readers and friends who tell me that my obsessions have become their obsessions.  It's fun to go back and review the hundreds of posts and reviews that I have written over the course of  a year to pick out the must-haves of 2014 for you.

With each pick I will link you back to the original blog, so if you wish to read about it more detail, you will have that option.  In no particular order:

1)  Exuviance  Age Reverse Toning Neck Cream - $78 What can I tell you??? This stuff works... I love the rich gel like texture and can see a difference in the firmness of my neck.  It doesn't hurt to have friends ask me in hush whispers, if I , "had anything done".  It comes in a huge tub and will last several months.  Use it nightly. This is just one of a number of Exuviance products I have come to love. They have amazing depth and breath in their Anti-Aging arsenal.  Do check them out...

2)  Lancome Cils Booster Primer - $24.50 Do you really need a lash primer??? Yes. And not just any lash primer, but this one. Don't think of it as an extra step...think of it as your first coat of mascara, and one that you can just slap on with abandon.  The result, clearly, is longer, thicker lashes with just one coat of your mascara.

3)  Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lash Mascara - $29.00 -  Low maintenance Girls should skip to number 4...
for everyone else, this is both brilliant and life changing. I received this for review and raved about it.  I just purchased my own kit after a little more than 3 months of use.)  For those who love the look of insanely long and full Latisse lashes, or false lashes for special occasions, this two step lash system will give you all that and more...Voila.  You're a vixen (and it washes off easily.)

4)  L'Oreal Infallible Gel Eyeliner - $10.99 This is a great drugstore find... One pot of this gel liner will probably last you a lifetime.  It glides on and stays on like a dream. I even prefer it to Bobbi Brown's Long Wear Gel Eyeliner, which also requires the purchase of a separate $25 brush. This is as good as a drugstore find gets...even better than the costly prestige original.  Genius...

5) Perfect Pink Gel Coat - $30 I stumbled on this brilliant product at Sephora, the day after a manicure. Out of sheer boredom from my light colored Essies sheers, I chose a deep shade instead.  They were gorgeous for about 6 hours before the first chip set in. Maddening-- truly.  Perfect Pink Gel Coat is great as a base and top coat for light pinky colors like Ballet Slippers and Sugar Daddy, and for a glossy mid week touch ups.  In addition, it will strengthen them like granite.  In a word, perfect...

6) Lash Em Brow and Lash Enhancing Serum - $70 - Over the years, I have used over a half a dozen lash enhancing products with varied results.  Often I grew fabulous lashes, but they were always accompanied by unsightly red, scratchy eyes.  This is the first product I have used that both worked and caused zero irritation. I realize that experiences with this type of product are individual, but if your eyes are as sensitive as mine, Lash Em may just be the product for you (and as an additional plus, one tube lasted me 7 months. I was sent this to review but just purchased a second tube.)

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Happy New Year and Congrats to the Roc Skincare Giveaway!!!




Happy New Year Lovelies!

Thank you to all who participated in RoC Skincare's incredibly generous Holiday Giveaway! The lucky winner will be sent this 12 piece gift basket and a $200 Visa Gift Card.



44 readers participated.  I used the website Random.org to choose the winner.  Number 11 was the the number that was randomly chosen, which means the 11th commenter, Sandyhills x will be starting off the New Year off with some great RoC products and a $200 Visa gift card to spend.

Congratulations Sandyhills x!!! I will be contacting you for your sending information.  RoC will send you your goodies directly.

My thanks to all my loyal reader and my sincere wishes for your good health, happiness and success in the New Year ahead.

xox,
DD

Happy New Year: Happy Review





(18 shades)
List price $29.99 available on the web for less


Happy New Year Lovelies!!! I trust you are reading this with your second cup of coffee in hand...

I wanted to start the New Year off right, with a review of one of the best longwearing lipsticks I've tried, L'Oreal's Infallible 2-Step Longwear Lipstick. It aspires to 24 hr. wear, and I can attest that some definitely still exists on my lips, despite lots of champagne and air kisses last night.

What shocked me, was the hefty $29.99 price, which I didn't know until researching this blog.  How is that possible, you ask? Easy...I purchased this while on a recent Target run, before seeing the movie Big Eyes the other day, (shared mall, good film.)

***Update- I saw L'Oreal Infallible 2-Step Longwear Lipstick in CVS this weekend for $15.99. Still steep for a mass item, but better than the $29.99, I hopefully did not spend.