I am embracing the concept that 20 - 30 years down the road I will wake up and stare back at a wrinkled stranger in the mirror.
The challenge: Can I stay 40 forever?
I have no idea...but join me where "Every Saturday is my beauty day!"...I am working mom with a FOOD BLOG and a SAVING BLOG....but no matter where I am or what I do .. I'll find time to relax and share with you beauty tips towards aging gracefully!
I took a long lunch break today so I can gather up some last minute gifts for my staff . Oh no...my feet dragged me to Sephora again and of course I am drawn to the endless makeup right before me!
What I love about Sephora is that the gorgeous ladies who worked there couldn't care less what I do as I poke and test all their brands......Nice!
Anyway, after almost an hour of trying gazillion eye shadows..I realized that it doesn't really matter what brand of makeup you use - -- it's the tools that makes "THE" tremendous difference
The choice of brushes contributes to the style of applying - -the question is: What do I need and what is the selection criteria to determine which is the right brush for me? Here's my guide ....
- Be familiar with the type of brushes: Brushes comes in difference forms - - it could be synthetic or natural. You will see more and more synthetic brushes (more affordable) and they relatively have the same effect but I personally prefer the natural bristles
- Always test brushes: So many times have I purchased a brush only to learn that 3 weeks later they shed easily. Also, be sure to open the plastic cover around it and feel the brushes against your skin. Sometimes the test brush may be different from what you are taking at the counter.
- Consider soft versus hard bristles: Depending on your skin , you may also want to consider the texture of the brush. Personally, I avoid hard brushes as they don't tend to glide and absorb the powder causing more inefficiency on my part.
Price range varies and it should also be part of your consideration. I love the Laura Mercier brand (starts at $20++/ brush), Body Shop (starts at $15++/brush and Sonia Kashuk ($10++ per brush)...but do experiment and see what is out there that's right for you!
I have been using Neutrogena (TTH) and Clinique (MWF) foundations alternately for years now but I want to explore if there is a need for me to upgrade my makeup to achieve a more natural look. So I took a break and dragged two teens to Sephora to check out some interesting alternatives.
My favorite sales clerk is working today and after her usual "hello, how are you" routine she pretty much let me run around and play with all the containers to my heart's content. But after more than 30 minutes of hanging out with Nars, Dior and Stila .... I'm compelled to stay on my old brand . Fear of the unknown? I definitely needed a beauty intervention!
A sales lady wearing all black (beside 3 sales clerk with a butterfly makeup in their face) was kind enough to break from the pack and guided me on this brand, Make Up Forever....and I was so impressed as she knowledgeably pick out one item from more than 30 bottles and told me I AM NUMBER 140! Okay...scary ....with my doubtful eyes following her... sure.. let's try it!
This is weird...but I applied the make up and it feels so natural --like I'm not wearing make up at all! Wow! Bravo - - hand me a bottle and I'm outta here! But I am having no luck today as NUMBER 140 is out of stock! Hmmm..what???? Fine..I'll come back next Saturday and it better be there! As I sadly walk away from Sephora with the NUMBER 140 lingering in my thoughts ....I have to write about one beauty basic I follow everyday.......
MAINTAIN A CLEAN FACE!
If you wear make up every day, be sure to take it off before retiring to bed. I follow a 3 step process when I clean my face on a daily basis to ensure that I don't clog my pores attributed to foundation use:
STEP 1: REMOVE MAKEUP: Using a cotton, remove eye makeup and mascara by using a skin cleanser (Cetaphil or in my case a Walmart's brand for Cetaphil - <$5). I use approx 3-4 cotton to remove all traces of makeup
STEP 2: MASSAGE FACE: I apply Noxzema on a wet face sponge and gently scrub the areas on the forehead and cheek in an upward motion for 2 minutes. Rinse with warm water.
STEP 3: FINAL RINSE: I dab a drop of Neutrogena Deep Clean cleanser on a face sponge and massage my face for 1 minute. Rinse
WHY DO I USE MULTIPLE BRANDS?
No reason. I love alternating my face wash/scrubs ! If you are happy with your brand, just stick to it and I am sure it's working to your advantage. Just a pet peeve for me as there are days that I feel the need to use a different brand specially if I feel that my face is oily after a long day at work ( I alternate with Clinique brands every weekend)
I recently came across a website that highlights the benefits of Vitamin E cream.
If I may quote " As many of us start to age, we begin to notice the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Unfortunately these signs of aging are quite difficult to combat, nevertheless reverse. Fortunately, a good vitamin e cream can help you diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. If you’re interested in using a cream that’s not solely dedicated to vitamin E, by all means use it! However, make sure the cream that contains a good amount of vitamin E. Creams that pack a vitamin E content of 1% or less are not worth your hassle." - Reference: www.vitaminecream.org
Typical of me to be excited of this new opportunity for a beauty break - -I immediately ordered Puritan's Pride Vitamin E Cream to see if this will be a good fit for me. I have been using this for almost 3 weeks now and I can swear that my skin feels soft despite the dryness caused by the change of season
By the way, I am not hired by the company to endorse this brand, I just happened to be a curious buyer and I am liking the cream so far. It's too early to tell if a line that I noticed in my forehead will disappear....but let's see !
When I was younger, I couldn't care less what I place in my face as long as I have something pink in my cheek. But I am 40 ...and I want to ensure that I take the extra attention required to have the appropriate skin care I need --and that includes the basic essentials to my daily make up. I am fortunate that I have no dark spots or any wrinkles (yet) but one thing that I need to be vigilant is the potential of having one attributed to sun damage.
This is the reason why I use a moisturizer with SPF 10 on a daily basis but since I literally tossed a bag full of make up today and I have a third left on my current brand, I decided to upgrade the SPF from 10 to SPF 20 for the added sun protection.
There's really no hard and fast rule on brand selection - -you can use a drug store brand that will cost you $5/tube or a high end brand as long as you get the sun protection you need. I chose Laura Mercier ($40) as I love the flawless look when you combine it with the primer and the concealer since it comes in a tinted version.
If you are traveling a lot like me, I would recommend that you get their travel pack ($65)
How many times have I purchased a mascara only to find out that I have an unused one in another drawer somewhere? Today is my first Saturday where I am taking a break from my regular routine so I can concentrate on counting my wrinkles! . But before I do that ..I'm starting this blog by going back to basics - -a well organized make up box!
You are only seeing one drawer but I have accumulated a lot of makeup, lipsticks (all the works) over the years. It's weird, but I do get attached to my old makeup and brushes even if I know I am not using them anymore. Oh well, time to dispose them to ensure that I keep my inventory fresh. No wonder..I can't find a mascara...
After 20 minutes of cleaning each brush and tossing one bag full of makeup (more than 6 months) - - whew - -This looks better. Now I can see what I need to keep this blog rolling ...
