Weekly Beauty Edit 2.8.2015

Slow week in the world of makeup, skincare, hair and nails. It was a gruesome week at work, 60+ hours and bringing work home.  Interfered with my online shopping time!

Mani of the Week

Essie Suite Retreat, 2015 Resort Collections

Part of last week's Haul-A-Lulu was a color from Essie's 2015 Resort Collection, Suite Retreat. Have thoroughly enjoyed wearing this color. In some light it leans blue, other light it leans violet. Applied beautifully, no puddling! Opaque in two coats and no dragging. Clean-up was easy. Base coat was Revlon Colorstay Base Coat and Top Coat used was NYC In a New York Minute.  I own 6 base coats and Revlon Colorstay is my favorite. I like the brush, dry time and I find I have the least drag marks when I use it. However, it is discontinued. I stocked up and this week from amazon but they haven't arrived yet.  I had no chipping but I like to add the caveat I have a Nail Fairy because nail polish does not chip on me. It just doesn't. Then again, I don't do dishes! Train them well, ladies, train them well!
Edits and Deletes
Glitter nail polish was at the top of my delete list. Yesterday was a lazy day at home - a perfect day to tackled my wall of nail polish. I don't wear glitter polish. I have worn it from time to time and use the Elmer's Glue as a base coat trick (see my demo video here) which makes removal a 60 second task.

Lip Gloss was also on my delete list this week. I have a large tray and it was time to trim the stash down. I rarely wear gloss and this is one category of beauty items I don't like to hold on to for any amount of time. Some of these had to go!

Skincare
I don't get chemical peels at a medi-spa or doctor's office. I do them at home. The real deal, not the "peels" sold at Ulta or Sephora such as Dr. Dennis Gross Peel Pads, Philosopy Microdelivery Triple Brightening Peel or Glycolix Elite Treatment Pads (which are all excellent by the way and I use the Philosophy). Those do exfoliate but they are sold for the mass market and although they work, they don't run deep. I buy my "real" chemical peels from makeupartistsschoice. They have many peels with different hydroxy acids at various strengths. The instructions are on line and very clear. They also sell TCA and Jessner peels but I have not hit that level of bravery yet.You peel like a lizard from these!

These "real" peels sting, really bite. Depending on how strong a peel you use, you will flake and if you use a really strong one, you will peel. If you regularly exfoliate, flaking might not be as drastic. Did I mention they bite? First time I used the Fade Peel, I could only keep it on for two minutes vs the recommended five minutes. Yowza. I also have the 15% salicylic acid and the 40% lactic acid. I'm ordering the next step up on both of these. I'm ready! I think.

If you choose to visit the website, take your time reading, learning, researching on other sites, and reading some more. They are very easy and quick but you need to choose wisely and start s-l-o-w. Most importantly, they are effective but no overnight miracles, it takes months and months to see real results. Improvement from skincare products is a very slow moving train. My over all skin tone is lighter based on the new shade I use in Estee Lauder Double Wear (this is over the course of a year). My hyperpigmentation on the left side of my face, from driving, is almost gone. I have to believe that if I did not do regular chemical peels, my skin would be sagging even worse than it already is! My pores are not clogged so they haven't been stretched open from debris. If I look at close up photos from a few years ago compared to now, my pores are not as glaring!

The sample sizesfrom makeupartistschoice.com  are plenty, plenty big. Enough for a dozen peels making them the perfect size for at home use. I did learn to fan myself while I have the peel on my face which helps greatly with tolerating the sting. The more you use these peels, the less they sting but they still sting! If you've ever used an epilator, these are like using an epilator on your face non-stop.The Pumpkin Peel with 5% Glycolic is very mild if you want to start by dipping your toe in.

This is just my two cents when it comes to skincare... I think if you are using skincare regularly, it's hard to see a difference when you move to a newer, greater, faster, miracle skincare line. It takes a leap in skincare to see a difference. Strong chemical peels are a huge leap. Using prescription Retin A is a huge leap. Adding an alpha or beta hydroxy acid is a huge leap. Staying out of the sun and using SPF daily is the biggest leap of all. Regardless, they all take time!

Empties
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Hair and Scalp Treatment - I have itchy scalp. My hair is not dry, I don't have dandruff but I have itchy scalp.I think it is a mild reaction to hair dye because about the time I need to touch up my roots, most of my itching is gone and then it starts up after I color my roots. I use this as my conditioner every few shampoos. I try to get most of it on my scalp and then run it down the rest of my hair. It's a great tingle especially when you start rinsing! I find this treatment helpful but not great enough to repurchase. It does leave my hair very soft and shiny. I'm not a fan of the scent and I'm all about scent. I'm going to try Aveda's scalp treatment next. If you have suggestions, would love to hear them!

Chanel Sublimage La Creme Yeux (eye cream) -  Used this for my daytime eye cream. I had two samples that lasted me quite a long time. My under eye area is extremely dry and sensitive. It will get red and rashy at the drop of a dime or the thermometer. Even though this is Chanel, their eye cream is not scented like every other product they make. Amen! It's a nice eye cream but not at all remarkable. It's very pricey, heart stopping pricey ($225 for .5 oz).  I much prefer Clinique All About Eyes, Alegenist Eye Renewal Balm (love), Kiehl's Avocado or Wei East Eye Alive for daytime use. I could write a book on eye creams. I only need deep hydration, luckily I don't have dark circle or bags.

Haul-A-Lulu

LA Girl Glazed in Blushing

LA Girl Glazed Lip Paint in Blushing - this is a deep raspberry color that leans to violet. Maybe a berry is a better way to describe it but not at all a wine. Many bloggers and YTers are comparing this to Too Faced Melted Liquified Lipstick. I think it's the packaging that sparked the comparision. The delivery system is different, the finish is different, the texture is different and finally, the wear time is different. So I'm not sure why some think it's a dupe. I like it. It is glossier and more hydrating than the Too Faced but the wear time is not as long as Too Faced. The color I have, Blushing, does stain slightly. I prefer Too Faced due to delivery system, color range and delivery system.


Cheers,

Lulu
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