I had two recent epiphanies; 1) I have officially graduated to the need and use for a magnifying mirror for daily eye makeup and 2) I really am not all that talented at applying liquid eyeliner.
Big Sigh!!!
My preference for Stila One Step Waterproof Pencils topped with Lancome ArtLiner, is hampered by the fact that I have to go out of my way to Ulta to purchase them, since, annoyingly, only half Stila's collection is sold at Sephora...(C'mon. Either you in or you're out). In desperation, I recently tried Smashbox long wearing pencil, only to discover I'm allergic to it. No great loss as I found it a bit "grabby" while applying.
Totally over matte lipsticks? I hope so...Frankly, I've never understood the trend or liked the dry, mask like feeling they impart. Funny how matte, cycles its way back into fashion every couple of years, isn't it? I guess every 20 something should experience them at least once in their lifetime .
My favorite lipsticks feel almost balm like. Finding one that is highly pigmented, however, can be challenging.
Total Beauty did anice little slideof their reader and editor's favorite moisturizing lipsticks...I will absolutely being saying NO, to Cle de Peau Beaute's Chinoiserie Chic Lipstick for, deep breath now, $65!!!
And I thought Tom Ford's were outrageously priced at $50!
I've never been much of an Estee Girl...I can't exactly put my finger on why not.
Growing up, my favorite Auntie, had an affinity for Youth Dew, one of Estee's original, signature scents. I adored how it smelled on her and loved how it lingered. Years later, when Tom Ford rebooted it, I asked my sister to buy it for my Birthday. Some how, the allure eluded.
Part of the reason I don't gravitate to it is because I am rarely in department stores, where EL has always been traditionally sold. I was surprised to see it at Ulta the other day and decided to pay the display some mind. I was in the market for a truly long wearing eye pencil, that would glide on but stay on and have some initial color depth, that was also buildable.
Laura Geller The Real Deal Concealer Light, Medium and Dark $22
A few weeks back, I rhetorically asked if I would ever stop buying and trying new concealers. There is always that nagging hope, with any product I try, that this will be the one. My search will be over and I can just consider it the Holy Grail of its category and be done.
As you can imagine, Sephora, Ulta and CVS are some of my happy places... I roll from aisle to aisle in a zen like stupor, sifting, sorting and sometimes checking reviews as I go.
On an Ulta run the other night, where lighting is as flattering as a bus depot, I gasped as I spied my reflection. Who was that tired looking woman with the dark circles???
The first thing within arm's reach, was Laura Geller The Real Deal Concealer for, "serious coverage". Goodie! Loved that there were only 3 shades. 10 shades of concealer offerings is 7 more than I can wrap my head around.
Let's face it Lovelies, sometimes we need to call in the beauty cavalry. Particularly when pesky, tell tale bruises rear their ugly head, and NO, no one is going to believe it occurred because you bumped your head or had a too long visit in the dentist's chair.
I decided to research a beauty classic, Dermablend, a company well known for makeup that covers a host of skin care woes; scars, Vitiligo, bruises, birthmarks, freckles, acne scars, dark circles and melasma. When used with their "setting powder", (which I've not yet purchased, )coverage can last up to 16 hours!
Of the 94 reviews on their website for Quick Fix Concealer, all 95 were 5 star . That, is unprecedented, so yes, I had to try it for myself. Available in 10 shades, the medium matched my skin tone perfectly.
Have I gone daft??? Three things; 1) Are BareMinerals and BareEscentuals the same brand??? I still don't know... 2) It took me 15 minutes to figure out that "Gen" alludes to "Generation". I'm pretty, pretty sure, nude lipstick has been around since Ultima II launched The Nakeds, but perhaps, to a new "Gen", everything old is new again. 3) Do you ever think it's a good idea for a company to describe a color as " dirty mauve"??? It almost made we want to wipe it off and go return it!
Silly, daft me, I was at Ulta today gift shopping, and actually hoped to replace a shade I love, from BareSomebody, called Marvelous Moxie Chase Your Dreams. No such luck, Gen Nude is the new iteration of Marvelous Moxie. (Dermstore.com to the rescue, I found it online.)
All gripes aside, Bare Minerals Gen Nude Radiant Lipstick,is a very buttery, balmy lipstick with rich, medium coverage. I knew my pick, the "dirty" Mantra was more brown hued then Chase Your Dreams, but thought it would be a pretty winter shade, so I'm glad I purchased it.
Talk about American success stories! Jamie Kern, is former news anchor, who started creating her own cosmetics when nothing would cover her Rosacea. With the advent of HD TV became the norm exposing every flaw, finding a fix became Jamie's passion
Fast forward 10 years, this past summer L'Oreal purchased IT Cosmetics, for over $1 billion dollars!!! Allure did a great feature on Kern if you would like to read more about herinspiring tale. I recently blogged about IT's new Bye Bye Eye Illuminating Waterproof Concealer(in Medium, which is nicely, on the light side.) I am IN LOVE with it, and I am now using what's left on my finger pads as a shadow primer.)
I happened upon Jamie, doing what she does very well, on QVC one night...selling her brand. I really appreciate that she uses models of all ages and ethnicity's to demonstrate her cosmetics on. What caught my attention???
The way every pore and flaw disappeared on every models, with just a few swirl of IT Celebration Illumination Foundation. I am very much enjoying my Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, but I thought, "wouldn't it be nice to have something portable, that might provide enough color in the "Tan" shade, than having to apply Stila 3 in 1 Bronzing Mousse on top of it?"
It Celebration Illumination Foundation $34 at ULTA (I purchased it on QVC and got the brush with it
for the bargain price of $48 for the set.)
OK, for starters, I have no clue why this concealer is so peculiarly named. I don't see how it's performing "double duty" and I don't know what "shape tape" means.
I had tried Tarte Shape Tape Concealer a few weeks back at Ulta, where it is being sold exclusively at retail. They only offered 6 shades, and mine, Light Medium, was sold out, as were most others. It is also available on Tarte's website...sort of. Any of the shades most of us would choose are perennially sold out. I asked to be notified by email when it was back in stock. A few days later, my dreams came true. By the time I got to ordering it about 9 hours later, I was back to square one.
Don't we all want more, what we can't have??? I had recently thought I found something pretty special with Too Faced Born This Way Concealer. Once I tried Shape Tape I could see I got more significant coverage and the hunt was on...
Today I finally got lucky. Tarte Shape Tape was restocked at Ulta.
By mistake, I picked up the Medium, yet it seems just about perfect, not too dark or light. I also bought a concealer brush, having read that the chubby sponge applicator, was hard to manage.
It is... This. Is. Really. Good. Stuff... Total, creaseless, coverage that somehow seems to diminish the look of fine lines. If is what, "shape tape", refers to, I want a formula for my knees.
It also looked completely fresh, 12 hours and a Pilates class later. Today TotalBeauty happened to run a step by step on how to completely cover dark circles. Though the model did not have what appeared to be problem dark circles, the step-by-step had some interesting points, starting with a concealer brush.
I intend to try it tomorrow.
I'm delighted with my new purchases (which was made with my return of Born This Way Concealer. Always save those receipts Lovelies.) and received a few compliments about both my makeup and how rested I looked. All credit to Tarte Double Duty Shape Tape.
I'm hoping if you find it, you will both find it and then love it as much as I do...
Juice Beauty Phyto-Pigments Satin Lipstick 8 Shades $24
I mentioned on Labor Day, I did my version of Back To School shopping; a three stop sweep of CVS, Sephora and Ulta. Two of the products I was on a mission for, a new volumizer by Living Proof and Tarte's oddly named "Shape Tape" a concealer that is only available at Ulta and Tarte's website were sold out. Shape Tapes 5 star raves have caused a bit of hysteria in the beauty world and it is sold out, almost everywhere. Naturally, that only heightens my own, "gotta have it" mania. I did sample the light/medium and I must admit, I was mightily impressed...Their list price is $24. It can be had for a premium of $28 plus shipping from QVC, but I'm just going to wait it out. In the interim, I still happy enough with my new Too Faced Born This Way Concealer.
Once at Ulta, I found myself in my usual zen like trance and wandered from aisle to aisle. It drives me absolutely INSANE, that there are no mirrors at Ulta, save for the occasional smudged hand mirror, left lying about. I also would like to see a lot more alcohol, tissues, makeup remover, cotton balls and waste baskets. Isn't the whole point to try this stuff on?
The first thing that caught my eye was Juice Beauty's beautifully hued Phyto-Pigments Satin Lip Cream. Where did these come from??? It took a moment for me to remember that Juice Beauty is Gwyneth Paltrow'sbeauty company.
Ohhhhhhhh.... Gwyneth, who has the distinction of being named Star Magazine's "Most Hated Celebrity in the World", is admittedly, not a fave of mine either. I thought her "conscious uncoupling" from then husband, Coldplay's front man Chris Martin, sounded, nauseatingly pretentious. And then their is poor "Apple". Seriously, who names their kid, "Apple"???
But, for beauty, Gwyneth, GOOP, her vaginal steams, all get a pass...
Hello Lovelies!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day Weekend. I got to spend some wonderful time in Newport with old and new friends, laughing, chatting, napping, eating lobster rolls, drinking lots of coffee and wine and honoring that age old tradition, perusing the Yellow Page like tomes, that make up the annual September Fashion Books.
I like to pretend that the stunning and stylish Kendall Jenner isn't really one of "them." She seems stitched from a whole other family cloth and her 'off duty' street style never fails to impress; flat out fabulous, every time.
Though I had the entire summer, I was hoping against hope, that Manus x Machina, Fashion in the Age of Technology, this years Met Costume Institute Exhibit was extended. As luck would have it, I and the rest of the tri-state area were in attendance, (no doubt after abandoning beach plans for the hurricane that wasn't). We got lucky. Labor Day was the end of its extended run.
It was nothing short of spectacular, exceeding all expectation. I wrongly imagined that it was going to show the mechanical elements of design. Instead, the exhibit focuses on the end product; the incredible creations that incorporate the handmade and the machine-made, primarily in the ateliers of the haute couture.
The 170 coutour designs featured were magnificent fabrics, embellished with embroidery, pleats, beads, hand and machine made flowers, sequins and raffia. Others were created solely from leather and feathers. The imagination, vision and skill that is required to produce a single garment is artistry, and team and machine work at its best..
Chanel Metallic Duck Feathers
Chanel
Raf Simons for Dior
Alexander McQueen
Alexander McQueen
Raf Simons for Dior
Monsieur Dior 1950's
Karl Lagerfeld's 2014 Wedding dress, Chanel Couture
The 20 ft. train is ivory scuba knit material. The gold embroidery computer generated, than hand stitched. The rhinestones were printed by machine. Pearls and gemstones were applied by hand for the finishing touches. Simply breath taking.
I almost didn't write about this, knowing some of you would feel badly about having missed it, but I was too inspired not to share my good fortune.
Andrew Bolton, the shows brilliant curator, did an overview on this YouTube video above. I hope you will enjoy it.
I no longer have to worry about Back To School Shoppingthank God, but I did do my annual trek for my version of it, which includes starting off the fall "term", with a visit to CVS, Sephora and Ulta.
Naturally, there will be tales to tell...
Have I ever left Sephora or Ulta empty handed??? Truthfully? Not. I popped into Ulta with a pit in my stomach... I had a feeling that my beloved Bare Minerals Chasing Your Dreams Lipstick was a summer romance and I was right... It was over.
Thank heavens for the Internet...
As I was leaving, I saw a display for Too Faced Born This Way Concealer and stopped in my tracks...Back in September, I was enamored, to have found the best shade match to my natural skin, with Too Faced Born This Way Foundationin "Golden".
It was the first time I put my big girl panties on, and tried a medium/full coverage foundation. Crushing my fears of looking old and overly made up, my skin looked natural and flawless. I proclaimed it my Holy Grail foundation and pledged monogamy for life... Or so I thought.
Born This Way turned out to be a sensation, so Too Faced smartly decided to up the number of shades it was offered in. I went back to Ulta and purchased a new bottle of Golden, (perhaps the first time I have ever used a foundation to the Q-Tip swabbing end, I might add), giving it no thought, until the next morning when I opened it to apply it.
Surprisingly the color was perceptibly different! How could this be??? Fortunately, I still had the original, plus my receipt for the newly purchased one. Assuming it was just an off bottle, I went back and inspected each and every one, side by side with my original, nothing matched. I corralled several associates to confirm my assertion that I wasn't a madwoman. The verdict was unanimous. Crazy shade not crazy woman.
Return accepted.
My hope was, the problem was just Ulta's , so I tried my luck at Sephora. Same sorry tale. Here's the thing. Too Faced did a greatthing by expanding the shades it is offered in, because, in theory, minus one, many more people would be able to use it. It really is an amazing product and I highly recommend you sample it.
So, bitterly, we parted ways, yet still, I couldn't resist buying Too Faced Born This Way Concealer. Some how, some way, I hoped my love affair could be rekindled.
Color Wow's Root Cover Up Kits 4 Shades $34.50 at Ulta (I saw several shades advertised on Overstock.com for $24.99
Hmmmm....well pretty much, I feel like a total dope. I recently was having my hair blown out at my happy place, the sleek and chic, Becker Salon in Greenwich, by the young and talented Elianny.
Becker Salon 380 Greenwich Avenue Greenwich CT. 203-340-9550
When she finished, she said you know, "there's a small patch in the back that needs some help. Shall I get the Color WOW?"
This award winning product continues to be a leader in the temporary "root problem" category. I had bought, returned and posted about it back in 2013.
My problem with Color WOW, was that even using the larger side of the brush, the coverage wasn't that good and it seemed unnervingly time consuming. Albeit a bit messier, wasn't it easier to just spray away gray???
IT Superhero Elastic Stretch Volumizing Mascara $24
I have a somewhat iffy relationship with IT Cosmetics. Overall, I would say I have returned more items then I have kept.
My Too FacedBetter Than Sex Mascara was on its last clumpy legs, and I decided to return my replacement Born This Way Foundation because I think it will be way too heavy for the summer months and because I noted a distinct difference in their Golden shade, now that they have amped up the number of offerings. Huge SIGH!
On a whim, I picked up IT Superhero Elastic Stretch Volumizing Mascara. Maybe the life sized displays at the cash register had something to do with it as well...
I got a lovely surprise Friday morning...this stuff is good! Full disclosure, I tried one eye with a primer (as I always do,) and the other without. The first coat without a primer was a bit anemic, but with? Oohh la la!
What resulted was a lush, long, full fan of very black lashes. reasonably clump free for a first attempt, no flakes throughout the day and it washed off without any tug or toil.
Nice!
For those of you who want more details, here you go:
Clinically shown results!
96% said their lashes looked stretched!
96% saw dramatic volume & length!
96% saw plumper-looking lashes!
100% saw a fuller lash line!
Anti-aging & lash-loving!
Elastic Stretch Technology
Lash-Lifting Polymers
Volumizing Collagen
Hydrolyzed Keratin
Proteins and Peptide-Infused
Biotin
Key Benefits:
Game-changing, exclusive Elastic Stretch Technology for volume & length!
Lash-Changing Power Brush for maximum reach, lift, separation & curl
Super Black pigment plus collagen to condition as you coat
I love a fresh pedicure, don't you? Once you finally wrap your head around surrendering the time to have one, it's always a lovely, relaxing experience. Drying? Not so much. On the one hand it's an indulgence, on the other, a bit of a chore.
As such, I will usually chip a toe and ignore it, simply because I don't want to invest the time to get a fresh pedicure. By the time it's two I'm teetering, but why not try to extend my toes shelf life with a home touch up instead?
I spotted Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri, a polish that promises one coat coverage that dries in 60 seconds at Ulta. Sounded good to me...
Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in Chase Your Dreams $18
I love my Girlfriends, really, I do. I am blessed with a large posse who I know, truly have my back, as well as my face and hair. If they are calling me out, I am all ears. If you have trusted sibs or pals who have your best interest at heart, listen up! Sometimes, they are a better mirror than your own.
Case in point, I was having breakfast with my friend Monica a few weeks ago. "Your lipstick is too dark", she admonished between bites of her eggs. Really??? Here I thought I had finally found "the one" in MAC's Amplified Lip Cream. "Yes. You can find something with depth that's a hair softer."
I could see Monica's point, but I knew it was a tall order...I have tried lighter shades and with my large, dark eyes, I tend to look like a classic Alien sketch; all eyes and no mouth.
I stumbled upon Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in Chase Your Dreams, during my newly sparked missionat Ulta. It is part of a set, but can be purchased on its own. It is also part of a, "limited edition", two words that strike fear in my heart and kick start my hoarder gene...What if I love it??? Should I buy three???
I'm not a fan of black eyeliner by day, but it's hard to deny the drama of how liquid black eyeliner looks at night, or maybe it's just that as of late, I am a bit smitten with the fabulously adorable Adele.
The problem with liquid liners, is that they can look harsh and dated. As well, unless you have the steady hands of a neurosurgeon, it can be a nasty piece of business to apply. Traditional gel liners are an option, but no matter how deftly I dip the brush in the pot, I always end up with too much product and not enough eyelid to put it on.
I had made a note of Revlon ColorStay Gel Eyeliner, since it won a coveted Allure Best of Beauty Award in September of 2015. It is conveniently packaged, with the brush preloaded into the top of the applicator. Lovely to have it tidy and all in one unit; no need to rifle through 20 or so brushes in search of the one intended for eyelining.
I am a "VIB" at both Sephora and Ulta. I'm not even sure exactly what this acronym stands for; suffice to say it translates into, "spends way too much annually on beauty products". Sephora, by far, makes their VIB's feel special, offering special bonuses, perks and discounts. Ulta, occasionally throw you a bone, and then frustratingly, things never seem to apply, as promised.
I was finally rewarded with an 8x10 glossy, that arrived in the mail, promising 20% off my entire Ulta purchase. Hallelujah. I like to give beauty gifts to colleagues, friends and the special people who provide me with great service all year long, so the timing was perfect.
While there, (as I selected one for you and two for me,) I knew I would treat myself to another mega tub of one of the faves in my anti-aging beauty arsenal, Exuviance Age Reverse Toning Neck Cream. I first wrote about it in August of 2014 after two of my colleagues asked me confidentially if, "I had done something to my neck".
I'm not sure what it says about me, that I was a little thrilled that they thought my neck looked so good, that I had it surgically tightened. How nice to be able to report that instead, the reason my neck looked so toned was from the great results I achieved using Exuviance Age Reverse Toning Night Cream.
Truly, it's a wonder and I assure you, it will do nothing to harm your upper arms either...
I like gel eyeliner pencils. Trish McEvoy's Intense Gel Eyeliner Pencil in midnight blue delivers beautiful results, but it's pricey ($28) and requires sharpening almost daily. Translation; it has a short shelf life.
I noticed Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner because it was advertised in a few of the mega September fashion issues, one of the rare times a year I actually purchase glossies anymore. I made a mental note to try one, but had no luck finding them on any of my drugstore runs.
What the puck???
As I honed down to to the tale end of my last Trish Gel Eyeliner Pencil, I was trying to figure out when I would visit Saks or Bloomingdales to replace it. I was also out of my HG lip gloss, Pur Minerals ChateauKisses Lip-Plumping Lip Gloss in Glitzy, which required an Ulta run. On my way out, I decided to see if they might have Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in stock.
Bioderma Micellar Water Europe's Leader in the Category $19 USD
Simple' Micellar Water $7.99
Two years ago, when I was in London visiting my dear childhood friend Nancy, she treated me to a magnificent whirlwind of cultural and culinary events, castle tours in the country side and of course our requisite shopping.
There we got down to recommending our absolute beauty must haves for each other to purchase. I had never heard of Bioderma Micellar Water, but Nancy insisted it was one of those products that lives in the vanity of every self respecting woman in Europe and I needed it STAT. Oh-Kaaaaay...but can you tell me what it is and why I have to have it???
No.
Of course I bought it anyway.
By definition:
Micellar water is a skincare product that removes makeup and cleanses the skin, without the need for rinsing.
It took me nearly two years to use the entire bottle, partly because I still didn't completely understand how I was supposed to be using it.. Micellar water is far too gentle to be the only thing I use to remove my make up. As a toner, it doesn't have the requisite "ping" that makes me feel like another step actually happened. Mostly, I use it on a Q-tip to correct eye make up gaffes, or to gently refresh my skin if I am reapplying makeup from day to night.
So, as I hit the tail end of my bottle, was I going to replace it? If Bioderma was my only option, at 3 times the price, probably not. But I was doing an Ulta run, (I can't believe I'm stalking yet another beauty emporium besides Sephora and CVS,) and spotted Simple's Micellar Water on sale for $6.
Too good to pass up...
Can I tell the difference between the two??? Not a chance and I use them exactly the same way.
How about you? Do you use Micellar Water? Do you need it? Is it a case of the Emperor's new clothes? Is there any there, there???
Still not a clue.
I will be visiting Nancy again at the end of October. I'm looking forward to spending time in the country house she and her husband have lovingly built, sheep and all, but if I know my Girl, there will be a tiny "Chemist's shop", somewhere, with something, " I absolutely, must have".
And have I will...and so may you.
Xo,
DD
P.S. Nancy's marching orders:
You are wayyyy to funny! Soak a cotton pad with the damm stuff! Put it on your eye. All the eye makeup..... Every single bit of it. Let the soaked cotton pad do the work. Let it sit on the eye for a minute. Then wipe. It will handle anything you through at it! Oh. And don't forget...no rinsing! Ditto, the face makeup.
L'Oreal Sublime Self Tanning Serum $10.99 3.4 fl. Oz.
If you can find it, that is...
As soon as I saw this advertised, I wanted to try it. This is a completely new medium for self tanner. No one has ever produced a self tanning serum.
Touting its ability to last for up to two weeks, I was desperate to get my hands on it. As well, the reviews I read were glowing; easy to apply, not too stinky, streak free, golden and long lasting. Now all I had to do was find it...
I struck out at two CVS's in Greenwich. Ditto one in Newport as well as a Rite Aid. I was contemplating ordering it online, when I got lucky and snagged the last one at Ulta.
