Sunday, January 25, 2015

Weekly Beauty Edit 1.25.2015

Every Sunday I share the ups and downs of my beauty bucket! Topics change a little each week but always include my hauls, edit and deletes, and empties. This week I added a Mani of the Week.

EMPTIES
Foxbrim 20% Vitamin C Serum.  Using a Vitamin C serum every morning is a standard step in my morning routine. It brightens skin, over a long period of time will lighten age spots, over a long period of time will build collagen, and fights those nasty free radical molecules. Free radicals are oxygen cells that have gone crazy and instead of being good guys have mutated into bad guys. The Kami-Kaze oxygen molecules love to attack the collagen cells in your skin. Collagen goes, firmness goes, wrinkles arrive.Vitamin C is an anti-oxidant - it fights 'against' the 'oxygen' cells that have mutated into bad guys, also known as free radicals.
Foxbrim 20% Vitamin C Serum on Amazon

The brand of Vitamin C doesn't matter to me. There's quite a few "types" or forms of Vitamin C for topical use. Some forms are fragile, some are more stable. Vitamin C serums also comes in various potency levels. I use a stable 20% potency and search on amazon for the the best price. Checked my amazon account and my empty Foxbrim was ordered October 7, 2014 which means 1 ounce lasted me over 3 months. I use about 5 or 6 drops each morning. Foxbrim uses Vitamin C from sodium ascorbic phosphate, a relatively stable form of Vitamin C which means it doesn't degrade easily from air and light; it holds it's potency and efficacy. Not forever but surely for many months. Here's a great article about this form of Vitamin C and skincare. Also, here's a link to Foxbrim 20% Vitamin C serum on amazon. (This is not an affiliate link, none of my links are affiliate links.) I have a deluxe size of Algenist Vitamin C serum from Sephora, one of Algenist's newest products. Will use that up and then repurchase the Foxbrim. It's a good price, 20% potency and stable.

MANI of the WEEK
Marc Jacobs LE Polish in Enamored
Marc Jacobs LE in Enamored, a very dark navy creme, borderline black. I knew it was dark when I bought it but once applied it was too dark for my taste. Love deep, inky blue polishes but want them to look navy, not black, when I'm indoors. As with the entire Marc Jacobs beauty line, packaging is stunning. Enamored is opaque in two coats, had a bit of puddling with this color.

My number one issue with Marc Jacobs polish is the brush! Horrible, cheap, tiny, stiff, will cause drag marks if you're not careful. Just really awful, especially the small size. Grips very little polish which means you need to redip which in turn can lead to drag marks. Other problem is the shape of his polish bottle is unique but not functional. Very prone to tipping and the more often you dip, the more likely the bottle will fall. Ugh. This particular shade also stains. Removing was a bit of a pain even with 100% Acetone. Clean up was problematic as the polish stained and smeared while I was trying to get it off my cuticles from the puddling. I rarely rarely have chipping issues but had bit of chipping with this one. You didn't miss anything with this limited edition. Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Night Watch is a gorgeous dark navy creme that applies, performs and removes wonderfully!

HAUL-A-LULU 
Bobbi Brown Extra Repair Eye Cream.
Ordered a deluxe sample size on ebay which I always try to do with higher end eye creams. The skin on my face is oily and very tolerant but the skin under my eyes is as fussy as can be plus it's very, very dry. Might be too soon to say but early results indicate Shiseido Benefiance eye cream is more emollient for night time (and less expensive than Bobbi Brown Extra Repair). 

Perricone No Makeup Makeup Bronzer and Blush
QVC had a great price on this duo. I wanted the bronzer, which is very liquid-like, almost a serum consistency, to mix with my foundations in the summer for deepening the color to match my self-tanning. The blush was an added plus, haven't tried it yet.

Perricone No Blush Blush, No Bronzer Bronzer and Gray Away
Gray Away
This is Holy Grail status for me. With dark hair that is thinning, the scalp shows through terribly. Plus as gray roots start to show, it looks like even more scalp. In 5 seconds, a quick spritz of this makes me look like I have a full thick head of hair and gray roots are gone. Doesn't run or rub out until you shampoo it out. I have to do a full review on this. Love the very fine, targeted nozzle.

Maracuja Miracle and Naked Skin
DELETES and EDITS
Urban Decay Naked Skin in 3.0
I wore this yesterday to make sure this would be a delete and it is. The shade is too light. I like this foundation for a quick trip to the grocery store or maybe coffee with a friend. On my oily skin, looks good for about 3 hours. It's a very thin, comfortable, lightweight formula. Coverage is light. Biggest issue is that it wears off my nose area in about an hour, even if I apply a second layer and set with powder. I would recommend for very dry, dry and normal skin.  I'm planning to repurchase in my correct shade. I like the way my skin looks in it for short periods of time.

Tarte Maracuja Miracle Foundation
This foundation was discontinued a while ago so it needs to go due to age. It was never a good match for me, way too yellow, and a little too dewy for my taste. 

REDISCOVERED BEAUTIES.... aka Shopping My Stash
Maybelline Full n Soft Mascara - As the name implies, your lashes but better! I amplifies what you have but wouldn't go so far to say it volumizes. No clumping, builds nicely, have me more length. I use the waterproof but it wasn't great a holding my curl.

IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Loose Powder - Still one of the best pore coverage powders I know of. Needs to be gently swept on rather than dabbed on. There are lots of great finishing powders that cover pores today and this is one of the best. 

Philosophy Apricots and Cream Body Lotion - I own the body wash and fragrance mist but the body lotion by far nailed the fresh apricot scent the best.  My favorite time to apply is at bedtime, surrounded by this fresh, gentle and delicious fragrance.

Thank you for stopping by and carving some time out of your day to spend with my blog.  

Cheers,
Lulu

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Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Series: My Favorite Things, Part 2

A link to Part 1 of this series can be found at the end of this post.

I have a list of 30ish items that are tops in my book. Some are specific items and some are categories of items. This series is not in any particular order. I wouldn't say these are Holy Grail because I own and love a lot of things. But because I own a lot of everything, when I call something my favorite, it' has to be pretty darn good in my book. Would I be sad if any were discontinued? Maybe but I don't think so. Let's be serious, it's makeup.

100% Pure Acetone
100% Pure Acetone
Fast, fast, fast. It is amazing how quickly pure acetone dissolves polish off the nails. Giving myself an at-home manicure is a very relaxing ritual. Plus, I don't like nail salons. That's a story over a glass of wine. I change my polish every 4 to 7 days. Depends on my mood. It's not just a polish change but I deep condition my nails as part of the process which is why I'm good with using pure acetone. It can be very drying to cuticle or nails. I apply a very emollient hand cream every night at bed time and use a nail oil a few times a week, too. During my manicure, after I remove my polish and cleanse my hands, I apply a drop of whatever oil is handy, usually jojoba, and rub into my nail, cuticle and underside. I go about doing whatever, usually watching TV, posting on FB or watching YT videos, and about 30 minutes later will cleanse my hands again and then begin applying polish. Using pure acetone is significantly faster and easier compared to acetone "based" nail polish remover, ie, Cutex, Zoya, many store brands. You can find pure acetone most anywhere but make sure it says 100% Pure Acetone, not just Acetone Nail Polish Remover. There's a difference!

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer
In the summer I often reach for a mattifying primer but they don't play well with many foundations. An obsessive foundation-ista like me has time and temperament to test and play to discover the right combinations. If I could only pick one, though, it would be Hourglass's primer. It keeps me more matte than
Hourglass Primer .33 oz




most other non-specialty primers but don't believe it would be drying for those with dry skin. It smooths the pores and fine lines enough to make me happy. Foundation glides on, blends beautifully and wear time is extended. What more could I ask for? Oh, I know. A lower price point and better packaging. Price, well, it is Hourglass so that won't change. But I hope they start making this in a squeeze tube. Very hard to get the last 1/4 of the bottle out so you need to remove the cap then dig in with a Q-Tip or makeup spatula. The deluxe sample size (.33 oz) and the regular size (1 oz) come in glass pump bottles. The jumbo size (2 oz) does come in a squeeze tube at $72. I hope this is a sign of things to come to the smaller sizes. My second favorite is Dior Diorskin Pore Minimizer Primer. Again, spendy but great packaging!

 Palmer's Eventone Fade Milk
Palmer's Eventone Fade Milk $8 for 8.5 oz
Rather like exercise, which I dread and avoid at all costs, this only works if you use it forever and ever, amen. It is part of my bedtime routine every 3rd or 4th night, a bit more often in short sleeve weather. I'm not sure which is busier -  my morning routine getting ready for work or my nightly bedtime! I buy this at Wal-Mart and find it in the ethnic skin care/hair care section. Here's a link to it on the WalMart website. No doubt other big box stores or drug stores carry it. As with anything, amazon always works! Palmer's Eventone Fade Milk runs about $8 for 8.5 oz. It's a very liquid lotion making it easy and quick to apply. It
contains 2% hydroquinone so if you have issues with that ingredient, this is not for you. I've used this for years and have no age spots on my hands or arms. Admittedly, I've avoided the sun for quite sometime and do use SPF on my hands almost daily. If I'm wearing short sleeves in warm weather, I'll apply SPF to my arms, too.  There are many 2% hydroquinone products easily available at the drug store or any big box store. The reason I choose this one is because of the thin, liquid easy to spread formula and the scent! Hydroquinone has an awful stench which causes companies to over fragrance products containing the ingredient. Scent is personal but to me, Fade Milk has a light scent that does not bother me at bedtime. To my nose, there is a trace of Lily of the Valley.

Threshold Hair Wrap (superior version of the Turbie Twist)
This blows the Turbie Twist out of the water! Get it....out of the water? I can only find these at Target in the Home section, near the towels. Here's a link to them on the Target website. Usually they are on an end cap. So much thicker, more absorbent, cuter designs and color, come in two packs, and I find them easier to tuck. Again, I'm a crazy woman in the morning trying to get out the door so if something can save me time, I'm all over it. This absorbs water better than any towel, is very lightweight unlike most towels, and stays on tightly. I have no idea why but I feel like Lucille Ball, in an elegant way, when I'm walking around the house with this on my head. Must be from some episode of I Love Lucy I have tucked in my head. Get it......tucked in my head?

Part 1 of My Favorite Things Series can be found here.



Cheers,
Lulu

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Sunday, January 18, 2015

Weekly Beauty Edit 1.18.2015

Join me every Sunday for a little chat about my weekly adventure with beauty products!

MASCARA
Fun week with mascara. I used a different mascara each day. My lashes are stick straight  that also point slightly downward. Top that with the fact my eyes get more and more hooded every year. Looking at me from a profile angle, my upper lids actually rest on my lashes adding more pressure on them to point downward. As much as possible, I try to buy waterproof mascara since it will help hold a curl, kind of like hairspray for lashes! I curl my lashes every day. If I don't, some days I feel like I'm looking "through" my lashes as they point downward. Need to check and see at what point insurance will cover an upper lid lift. I know there is a specific test and photos the doctor needs to submit to the insurance company.

EMPTIES
Garnier Nutrisse Hair Color in 50 Medium Natural Brown. I can't stand coloring my roots. Ugh. My hair grows quickly because I take Biotin to help keep the hair I do have thick and healthy and speed up the new growth spurts from Rogaine. That also means I have to do my roots more often. Before applying the dye to my roots, I saturate the bottom 4 or 5 inches of my hair in jojoba oil. It's a mini treatment but also if any dye touches that area, it is less likely to take. Color grabs color and medium brown will eventually turn dark brown and then really dark brown. I never pull my color through the last 5 minutes as the directions suggest.


Emjoi MicroPedi Refill Roller. I was to the the Pedi-Egg. When I discovered the Emjoi MicroPedi, well, there are no words unless you try it for yourself. Look it up if you're not familiar with it! It's battery operated and has a spinning cylinder shaped pumice. You simply "shave" your souls with this cylinder. More info than you need but I get calluses on the ball of my feet from wearing heels most days and barefoot most nights. The calluses hurt as they press into the bone. I have had zero pain since my Emjoi.

Philosophy Soul Owner Foot Cream. Best foot cream ever. Sadly, it was discontinued late last year. I bought 6 tubes from the Philosophy website when I saw it moved to the Outlet page. A Black Friday coupon code helped, too. I rarely buy back-ups of anything! I've been using this foot cream for 15 years while also trying others. Nothing has come close in my opinion. It has both AHAs and BHAs, is very thick and moisturizing, absorbs in less than 10 minutes, and has a wonderful herbal scent which has become a "habit" scent at bed time. I actually cut the tube in half when I couldn't squeeze more out which I have NEVER done with any product. Since I know these six tubes are my last, I'm using every bit. My second favorite foot cream is Aveda Foot Relief. I also use Soul Owner as my bed time hand cream to keep my hands exfoliated.

Translucence Resurfacing Serum by SKINN is an enzyme exfoliating serum I use every night right after cleansing. This product is similar to Perricone's Blue Plasma or Isomer's Synchronizer.  I used to use a glycolic serum but the concept of using enzymes to loosen up the dead cells and speed turnover appealed to me more. I use prescription Retin A and thinking the older I get, I need effective but milder ingredients. I will be using up my Blue Plasma next. I bought a Perricone Today's Special Value kit a few months ago so the price was right. Otherwise, I would not buy Perricone Blue Plasma due to price and knowing there are less expensive, equally effective options. I also bought the Translucence in a kit. The strongest of the three mentioned is the Isomers Synchronizer. Even with my oily skin I get flaky in the mouth and chin area, thus, gave up using Synchronizer.

HAUL-A-LULU
Sinner perfume roller ball by Kat Von D, Kat, mostly known for her makeup line sold at Sephora, once had a perfume line as well, I think only three scents: Saint, Sinner and Poetica. I bought a roller ball of Sinner from an ebay seller and it arrived this week. For me, this is a winter scent and can only wear it maybe once a week or couple of weeks. Reading the actual notes, it is not how I would describe it. According to
Kat Von D Sinner Perfume Roller Ball
fragrantica, most will pick up a mix of white floral, warm spicy patchouli, cinnamon and sweet vanilla. I also pick up on some musk the longer I wear it. My favorite scents are Lily of the Valley, Magnolia and Gardenia so you can see Sinner is really not in my wheel house but on certain days, mmmmm. P.S. I love the fragrantica website because it breaks down the notes most of us regular folks will pick up in a fragrance as well as listing the actual notes or the fancy pant folks. Actual notes never make sense to me! What the heck does a Heliotrope smell like? I want to know what my untrained nose will smell!

Wayne Goss #4 and #5 Eye Shadow Brushes. I forgot to post about these last week. Jury is still out but I'm not jumping up and down about them. They are spendy, not as spendy as Hakuhodo and Chikuhodo even though Goss are made in the same Japanese tradition, each bristle is a "natural" end and each brush is handmade. Yes, they are soft but brushes have come a long way in the last two years and many at all price points are very soft as compared to five years ago. My issue is how these work on mature, crepy, LOOSE eye lids. The bristles are soft but also stiff at the same time. My eye lid skin "moves" with the brush making it difficult to apply shadow smoothly. Anyone with older lids completely understands. I need eye shadow bristles with more give. The natural end bristle picks up eye shadow beautifully but with soft eye shadows, like LORAC Pro or Mega Pro, the stiffness (density?) of the bristles causes a lot of dust kick-up in the pan if you're not gentle. I'm not gentle when I'm trying to get ready and out the door like a crazy woman in the morning. I bought them from beautylish and the packaging was simply out of this world. Hand packed with love and creativity. It's a problem when you like the shipping packaging more than the actual product!

L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation. I love this foundation. I wrote an entire review about it which you can read here L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Review

CoverGirl Lip Lava Gloss in Ooh La Lava and Lava Glow.These are fun, pigmented, not sticky and last long enough for a gloss. Downside it the brush style applicator which, inevitably, become splayed. All of these are sparkly or shimmery, even a bit of duo chrome going on. The Lava Glow is more of a gold shimmer overcoat which I apply only in the center of my lip to create an optical illusion of a pouty, fuller lip. I've had my eye on Guerlain's Maxi Shine Gloss D'Enger in 400 Gold Tchlak Guerlain's Maxi Shine Gloss D'Enfer in 400 Gold Tchlak. It's $30. It's the only gold overcoat gloss I know of. Usually, I tap some gold shadow on the center as I've been holding off on the Guerlain. The Lava Glow works but I wish the gold were lighter in color and the shimmer bits a bit smaller. Guerlain is always perfect, isn't it?

EDITS AND DELETES
Dior Miss Dior Eau de Parfum. Love miniature perfume bottles. Whenever Sephora offers them as a 250 point perk, I order one even if I have no idea how the perfume smells. I have a little collection on my dresser. I ordered Miss Dior a few months ago and tried it this week. Could be me, but I feel like the miniatures need to sit a few months to cure. Sounds like a cliche but Miss Dior smells like the classic Raid bug spray of yesteryear, bad roses. I will edit Miss Dior out of use but will most definitely keep it in my miniature collection.

L'Oreal Visible Lift Blur Foundation. This is a delete. Had very little coverage, did not blur anything.

Wet N Wild Max Volume Plus Mascara. I don't like to judge a mascara until I've used it a few times since freshly opened mascara is not an accurate reflection of it's true performance. This mascara kind of clumped but more accurately, it left tiny clumps of mascara here and there on my lashes. I'd try to brush them out but then landed up with more mascara than I care to wear. Pull out my lash comb to de-clump. Delete.

Revlon Lip Butters in Sugar Frosting, Pink Truffle, and Sugar Plum. I continue to delete my Lip Butter collection since I never wear them. If you like the resurgence of brownish rose 90s lip that Kylie Jenner wears you might like the Plum Truffle. If you like the new Marsala color of the year, try the Pink Truffle.



Cheers,
Lulu

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Saturday, January 17, 2015

REVIEW: L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte foundation (Love it!)

I have hesitated to write this review. Why? Because the thought of admitting that I may have found my Holy Grail foundation is incomprehensible. If you are new to my blog, my "thing" is foundation. Don't get me wrong, I own a lot of many things. But foundation has a very special place in my heart. I pick foundation each morning the same way I pick my earrings or shoes or lip color. When someone asks me about my favorite foundation I often reply, "I can tell you the top 10 I have in rotation at the moment." At which point they murmur something about .... "10? 10? In rotation? How many do you actually own?" I have yet to answer that question. I'd rather tell you much I weigh.
L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte 104 Golden Beige

Another reason I hesitated to write a post of adoration for a foundation is because we all know, foundation and mascara are very very personal.

How does one describe love? In anything, you just know it. I love L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte.

This foundation has incredible coverage, wears for at least 12 hours on my oily skin, looks natural and not at all make-up-y.  It is comfortable, I don't feel it on my skin which is amazing with the coverage it gives. To get 12 hours of wear that looks 80% as good as it did when freshly applied AND have it look smooth and not caked, is almost impossible in my opinion. The finish is not dead matte. It is a natural matte. I didn't have oil break through for 6 hours. Usually with mattifying foundations, I blot at about the 4 hour mark. The oil break through at 6 hours was just a hint, I did not need to blot. If you have dry skin, I believe this will work for you if you like a natural matte finish and if you like a medium plus coverage.

My nose is my biggest makeup challenge. Usually by 11:00 AM, I have a very shiny, very red nose. Rest of my face still looks fine but the oil on and around my nose will have broken down the foundation. On a typical morning, I use Dermablend Cover Creme and set set set with powder. In the summer, forget about it. I keep concealer in my desk makeup bag and reapply and reset with powder at least twice during my work day. In the testing of the L'Oreal Infallible, I smoothed  a second layer on my nose and skipped Dermblend. No red nose until 3:00. Angels singing. More oil break through than the rest of my face but not by much. This is nothing short of miraculous for me.

I have tested with primer, without primer, applying with fingers, applying with Beauty Blender, applying with a brush, with moisturizer, without moisturizer, setting with powder and not setting with powder. No matter what path I chose, the foundation looked outstanding at the end of my work day. The only day it looked less than spectacular and I had more oil breakthrough was the day I tested it with a classic silicone primer, Smashbox original. I never use a silicone primer with my skin type but I do like to use it during a testing week. Maybe this is the answer for very dry to dry skin with this foundation or using a luminous primer. I actually liked this foundation best without any primer.

Top to Bottom: Lancome 320 BisqueW, Diorskin Star 31, IT CC Cream Medium, Tarte Amazonian Clay Medium Sand, Maybelline Fit Me Poreless & Matte 220, L'Oreal Visible Lift 152 Sand Beige, MAC Studio Fix NC 30; Vertical L'oreal Infallible Pro-Matte 104 Golden Beige

What else can I share with you? I have some pore issues but not horribly. Worst pores are on the sides of my nose. Other area that gets worse each year is to the sides of my mouth mostly because that is where my worst sagging is - the pores are getting stretched open with the sagging. This smoothed my pores even when I did not use primer. Did it make me poreless? Nothing makes me poreless. Humans have pores. Mannequins do not have pores. I will say this foundation smoothed my pores better than most of the foundations I own.

Coverage is very personal. I don't have acne scarring. I don't have deep, dark, big age spots or a face full of freckles. I have average aging, uneven skin tone with age spots and broken capillaries here and there. I am thinking of taking the leap to Obaji NuDerm skincare system because my uneven skin tone makes me crazy but that is more vanity on my part. I know there are many, younger and older, with much worse uneven skin tone and hyperpigmentation issues. For me, this foundation is somewhere between medium and full coverage. It is not on the scale of Estee Lauder Maximum Coverage. If you have tried Kat Von D Lock It or Becca Ultimate Coverage Complexion Creme but they left you as flat as if you were lying flat in a casket, try this L'Oreal and use two light layers!
This is the amount I use for my full face

The price is excellent. Some may say it is high for drug store but I don't understand that phrase. Comparing this to EL Maximum Coverage or Kat Von D or Becca, this is a bargain and looks better, in my opinion. I think it was $12 or $13 for 1 oz. To me, a small price to pay for a foundation that delivers these results. Drug store foundations have really shot up in quality the last couple of years and prices for the research and better ingredients reflect in the higher prices. I'm good with that.

Love the squeeze tube, you can easily control how much comes out, and for germaphobes, it's a hygienic delivery system. For those who are frugal, you will be able to get everything out, especially if you use the 'cut tube in half' trick when you can't squeeze anything else out.

For my MAC NC 30-35 skin tone, or medium with yellow undertones, 104 Golden Beige is a perfect match for me. I started with 107 and it was too yellow and had to return it. 105 and 106 might have worked, I don't know since I did not purchase either. From looking at them in the display, they looked a bit peachy.

I've watched maybe a dozen YouTube reviews and first impression videos on this foundation. Every review was glowing and positive particularly those who went the first impression route. Their last 'check in' at the end of the day showed the foundation still looked good to very good.

Have you tried L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte? What did you think? What are some of your favorite winter foundations?

THANK YOU very much for reading my blog! Please subscribe by email. You'll get an alert in your inbox each time I post which enables you to click through right to the new post. Would love to have you share my blog on your FB page.


Cheers,
Lulu

Let's connect on Instagram

Let’s connect by email at ladyluluonbeauty@gmail.com
Let's connect on Facebook
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