Weekly Beauty Edit 6.07.2015

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I went to Sephora this week. Not that you need instructions on how to shop at Sephora but Rule One e is wear comfortable shoes since you most certainly will walk the entire store no less than 137 times. Second rule, take a list of things you want to swatch or sniff or touch. Third rule, take a list of samples you want to request (sub rule: do not ever leave Sephora without requesting at least 2 samples). Fourth rule, prepare to enter Nirvana. Keeping in mind this blog is written for those with crow's feet.....Remember your ability to perfectly lip sync to Carol King's Tapestry album because it had all the lyrics, they about sum up my trips to Sephora..... "I feel the earth move under my feet..." or "My life has been a tapestry of rich and royal hues" or "You make me feel, you make me feel, you make me feel like a nat-u-ral wo-man." Those were the days my friends (quick, who sang that?) of the best music ever! Favorite album? Not sure if Tapestry or Sticky Fingers or Led Zeppelin IV would get that award. Can't forget Abraxas. Honorable mention to Aqualung. Can we have a moment for Jimmy Page and Robert Plant? I'm completely off topic here but if you have not seen Heart performing Stairway to Heaven at the Kennedy Center for Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, stop this very moment, blast the speakers (heats up at 4:45), and click this link. You will get chills and I daresay, shed a tear for the memories...... (trivia, Bonham's son is on the drums). Anyone who followed my train of thought in this paragraph, take a bow.

If you haven't heard, I'm back to making YouTube videos. Rather fun, I must say.  Here's a link about my trip to the mothership.

Best Beauty Purchases in May
St. Tropez Self Tan Luxe Facial Oil - I did one of my "side by side" reviews between this and the Clarins Radiance Plus Golden Glow Booster. They are both terrific products. St. Tropez is easier to use. I apply it every night to maintain a nice subtle color. Neither St. Tropez or Clarins will give you a Hawaiian bronze. Here's my side by side video review.

St Tropez Self Tan Luxe Facial Oil

Tanwise Self Tanning Mousse - The price point on this compared to St. Tropez, Vita Liberata, and Famous Dave's is significantly lower for a better, deeper color. I'm loving it!

Philosophy Lemon Custard Set - Painful to admit, I really fell of my wagon on the "no more shower gels for 2015"beauty resolution with this set. It contained, I can hardly admit it, a 64 (sixty four) ounce shower gel. This is one of my top 10 all time scents. In the set was also the most incredible body souffle, my heart be still, and a fragrance spritz.

Philosophy Lemon Custer 3 in 1

Ever Pro Gray Away - Multiple repeat purchase on this puppy. Holy Grail status. It's a spray that comes in hair colors and I use it to spay over my thin spots as well as gray outgrowth. All of three seconds and I'm done.

Tarte Beauty in the Basics Kit - QVC had this as a Today's Special Value. I fell in love with the cream foundation and the brush. The brush. My new all time favorite foundation brush.

Drawer insert system for lipstick storage -  Not that anything that has anything to do with makeup is life changing, let's be serious, but if something was life changing, this would qualify.

Worst Beauty Purchases in May
IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Pressed Powder - The original, loose version is a favorite of mine. However, this was a chalky mess that left a white cast on me. Most reviews on this are positive. I tried several application methods and did not use too much. However, compared to other pore blurring or finishing powders, I have much better in my collection. My YouTube review is here.

Tressa Watercolor Shampoos - I rarely chastise myself on beauty purchases but this is one, actually four, that I'm kicking myself over. These are color depositing shampoos which I bought in four shades to enhance my color. I thought it would be fun to be a bit more burgundy one week, a bit more lush brown the next, a bit more auburn and so on. Nope. None of them make a difference. They were amazon purchases. I have to check on the return policy once I stop kicking myself.

Westmore Foundation - The daughter of the head makeup artist for Star Wars or some such movie has launched this makeup line, allegedly using movie set technology blah blah blah. Don't believe it. Very light coverage and not comfortable on the face. Even better, pores became craters.

Alterna Kendi Dry Oil Micromist for Hair -  I'm not sure this belongs on the Worst list but I was so very disappointed by this product. I had high hopes it would solve my frizz problem. It helps but does not nearly solve it.

Alterna Kendi Dry Oil Micromist

Edits and Deletes
Cover Girl Lipstick - The formula that was out previous to the current collection was horrible. Gee, that helps. I love applying lipstick. Long wearing formulas don't matter to me because I like reaching for the tube during the day and refreshing my lipstick. That said, this previous formula of Cover Girl didn't even last the morning commute. Where does it go? I pulled these all out from my collection. Delete.

Hey, Honey, Take It Off Peel Off Mask - Some of us care about packaging, some of us care about results, some of us care about price. I care about scent. In some things, I want no scent. In things that are scented, if I don't like the scent, I won't even try to make it work. That was the case with this mask. I detested the scent. It did not smell like honey. It smelled like cheap perfume. Delete.

Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Mascara - Trying to work through my mascara this month, especailly the samples, many in duplicate and triplicate. The Estee Lauder will be removed from my collection. It's a fine mascara but the brush is too big for my eyes. Edit out.

Upcoming Side by Sides
The weather in the Chicago area is finally climbing into the high 80s this week. I detest hot weather so this is not at all exciting for me. It does, however, give me the chance to run some side by side comparisons of various mattifying products. A "side by side" is when I use a product on one side of my face and not the other. This gives me a true performance evaluation.

Cheers,

Lulu

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