Weekly Beauty Edit 4.26.2015

Today was the first lawn cutting of the year. We have windows open and the scent of freshly cut grass is filling the house. If the scent of freshly cut grass wasn't enough to be the official signal of Spring arriving, then certainly looking at the colors on my lips and nails scream Spring! Summer isn't my favorite season but Summer lip and nail colors are! Give me a bright pink or coral and this girl is happy. Especially on my nails since I look at them all day.

Xen Tan Scent Secure Moisturizer

The other sure sign of Spring is plunging into the adventure of self-tanning. Immediate 10 pounds gone over night, what's not to love? I always apply tanner at bedtime so I can shower off the dreaded scent in the morning. I take very quick showers but on the morning after self-tanning, I try to slow down to give my pores plenty of time to open up and let the water and soap wash away the tanner. I'm not loyal to any self-tanner. I mix it up. I had a deluxe sample size of Xen Tan Sparkle which I used earlier this week. Must say, I really like the color. I went over to Nordstrom's site to order some and, interestingly, I found that Xen Tan has a moisturizer specifically made to cancel out self-tanner odor. I'm tempted. Even though I shower it off, I still get whiffs of it during a hot flash. Bet your Mama didn't tell you about that! Honey, let me tell you about self-tanner and menopause. Here's a link to the Scent Secure by Xen Tan if you're interested. Let all of us know if you've used it, especially if you are part of the hot flash gang. By the way, I don't have 'personal summers,' no rose bushes blooming around me, I have a soaking wet, horrible, ready to scream, strip off my clothes, stink like a truck driver in August, flipping hot flash.

Nail Polish News

Social Ladder, Soul Mate, Boogie Night

Sinful Color Boogie Nights

Bought three new polishes this week from Sinful Colors at Walgreens. Social Ladder, a micro shimmer, slightly holographic white; Soul Mate, a creamy, dusty coral peach cream; and, Boogie Nights, a bright coral tangerine cream. I'm not keen on any of them. I will probably like Social Ladder when my nails get a bit longer. It's kind of a retro 60s look but I like that look on longer, but not claw length, nails. Soul Mate looks dull on my nails. I don't like the formula of this color, either. I won't be giving it a second chance. Then we come to Boogie Nights which I am wearing right now. By all accounts, I should love it but I wish it was a tad brighter. First coat was a little streaky but second coat cleaned up nicely. Great tangerine color without being a screaming neon.

Wish List Adds
Sephora Collection Liquid Moisturizing Skin Concentrate - This is a toner type product, a bit thicker than typical toner but not quite gel-like, that I'm hoping will work as my summer moisturizer. Finding moisturizer for my 50 something year old very oily skin is a challenge. It's hard to explain how very oily skin can also be deyhydrated, but it can be. Oil slick on top of dehydrated skin is not a good look at any age. Hydrated skin looks younger.

Sephora Collection Rouge Cream Lipstick in It Girl, Seduce and Jealous - I'm pretty sure I'll never buy these. Well, never say never. There's a sweet bit of satisfaction adding something to my Sephora "loves" list. It's as though I can now erase it from my mind. I have wish lists everywhere from ebay to Nordstrom to Tiffany. By the way, this is the Tiffany Sixteen Stone Ring, she's a beauty, isn't she?

Tiffany Sixteen Stone Ring

 Xen Tan Scent Secure Moisturizer - mentioned above

Shiseido UV Protective Liquid Foundation SPF 42 - This has been in and out of my wish list for 5 years I think. I'm not sure why I haven't bought it considering I buy just about any foundation that I lay my eyes on. Great SPF plus reviews indicate it keeps skin matte. I am going to buy this. Finally. Maybe.

Kao Biore UV Milk - A Japanese SPF 50 skincare product that is supposed to be very mattifying. I'm hopeful. I ordered it on Amazon and should be here before June. As they say, slow boat from..... Japan.

Empties
Tree Hut Sugar Scrub in Brazilian Nut - the best body scrub ever. Not that I have tried every body scrub out there but I dare say I've probably tried a couple dozen. There are others I adore but this one hits all my buttons. Wide mouth plastic jar easy to scoop into, perfect amount of scrubbiness and grit size, no oil slick, stays stuck together (that's a scientific term) so it doesn't spill all over the shower floor, lots of wonderful scents, available everywhere, great price. By the way, Brazilian Nut has a chocolate scent more than nutty. The Coconut Lime scent screams Summer.

Joy & Karma 20% Vitamin C

Joy & Karma 20% Vitamin C Serum - This made me feel famous! It's the very first (and only) product scent to me for review. I had to read the email three times when they offered to send it to me. Me? I actually had bought this serum before and loved it so I sure as heck was happy to accept a free bottle. I'm currently using Foxbrim and usually buy Foxbrim unless another brand has a better price on amazon. Lots of great 20% Vitamin C serums from smaller companies that sell via amazon. Since they were nice enough to send it to me, they get their own photo!

Tan Towels - one of the self-tanning products I always have in rotation. Best prices, by far, are on HSN. They usually have two Today's Special events each year and prices are really crazy good on those days. Super easy and neat. It's like a giant Wet Wipe and you wipe wipe wipe, wash your hands afterwards, dries immediately, done. It gives me an even, average color tan. If you want to be really dark, this will not do that but it is a great quick, maintenance product.

Minoxidil, generic Rogaine - using this daily was one of my 2015 Beauty Resolutions. It works. Takes months and months to see results so it is hard to stay with it but if you do, I promise you will see results. Costco Kirkland brand is the best price or check on ebay, too. Curious about all my 2015 Beauty Resolutions? Here's a link to my blog post.

Vita Liberata Self Tanner - this was a deluxe sample size. They claim this does not have a self tanner odor. I disagree. After 5 or 6 hours, I still get that odor. It is less strong than other self-tanners but it is there. This develops too brown on me, almost ashy. Bare Minerals Faux Tan is also too brown for me. Darn. I need something with more red or even a bit of an orange (eee gads!) undertone. I think if you are olive, this would be a great color for you because it has that green tint to it. From what I read, most who use this one love the color.

eSalon Hair Color - I was supposed to cancel this service but I'm rather enjoying it. It's not that the product is better than any other, it's more that it arrives every three weeks and is helping me keep another 2015 Beauty Resolution which is to color my roots every three weeks. Yes, yes, yes, I could simply by a box of Feria at Walgreena every three weeks, heck, I'm in there every week. But the fact that it arrives in the mail, in a cute box with a cute label that says it was made just for me (stop rolling your eyes) makes me want to color my roots. That's a lie. But it works. By the way, at the end of each month I do a report card on how I'm doing with my 2015 Beauty Resolutions. Here is my March report card link.

Skincare News Flash

Boscia Luminizing Black Mask

Boscia Luminizing Black Mask - This is a peel off mask for the strong of heart. It is like putting on a layer of thick black tar. Many peel off masks are more like a thin coat, a second skin. This one is thick and gooey and takes at least 30 minutes to dry. I use flat, paddle type foundation brushes to apply all my masks and peels. I don't like that shape for applying foundation but love them for neatly and quickly applying peels. Peeling this off takes off every dead skin cell, and then some, plus all your peach fuzz. Yowza. Pulls gunk out of pores, too. If you have used those Biore strips, picture one big one all over your face. It's luminizing because your face is throbbing! But I loved it.

Who is this crazy lady?

Cheers,

Lulu

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