Wake-up to Make-Up

From time to time, I like to talk about makeup. I have an obscene amount of it. I have always been into it but when I started reading the makeup board on makeupalley.com I started to buy everything under the sun in an effort to re-vamp my look as I have grown older. Wearing the same things I wore when I was 25 just was not working for me in my late 30's. I learned a lot there but I am no longer on a buying mission. Not reading makeupalley on a regular basis has been a Godsend to me. I have learned to appreciate what I have and I got out of wasting money on things that are exactly like stuff I already have. Not to mention that for me, constantly buying stuff when I already have plenty is a sign of something lacking in my life but that is another topic entirely. I would die of embarrassment if a "normal" person was to see my stash. They would surely think I have some sort of makeup buying disorder. My ex saw it, he thought it was cute. But he was in love with me and my eccentricities were charming to him. He also used to tell me on a daily basis that I was beautiful and I really did appreciate that. It's not that I am so insecure and needy that I had to be told that everyday but to have someone appreciate the effort I make to look presentable everyday was a wonderful thing.
Despite the large amount of makeup I own, I wear the same things everyday. It's just how it works out. Any working woman knows that getting yourself together and getting out of the house everyday is something you do on automatic after a while. Who has time to stand there and make decisions? I grab for what I know looks best on me and works every time. In the summer I wear a heavy sunscreen that leaves my face a bit sticky. The only thing that I can wear over this is a nice powder. My summer face is as follows

1.) Bioderma Photoderm Max 50. Excellent sunscreen, works like a charm and has a very high PPD rating. PPD means persistent pigment darkening. Most U.S. sunscreens do not have adequate protection against UVA and UVB rays. This sunscreen protects fully.

2.)Concealer. I never had to use it till now. The stress I am currently under is giving me darkness under my eyes and I need something to brighten that area. Lately I am loving this foundation in a tube from Estee Lauder for this. It lasts forever, it's waterproof and looks like I am wearing nothing. It is called Maximum Cover Camouflage Makeup for Face and Body. For something so heavy duty it is very thin and creamy. It only takes a minute pin drop of it and it covers all my darkness under my eyes completely without looking cakey and make-uppy. I also like Benefits erase paste, it brightens nicely but doesn't last as well as the Estee Lauder. In the winter I always use Estee Lauders doublewear concealer to cover the redness and broken capillaries around my nose. It is the only thing that does not come off when I blow my nose in the cold weather. The Maximum cover one also makes a perfect base on my eyelids to take away redness as well. I also love and wear an eye base at times from Merle Norman. It's the best one out there, it comes in a compact and it is called Automatic shadow base. It's perfect for people with dry lids who don't want something too heavy duty that will make your skin texture look crepey and older.

3.)Caron loose foundation powder. This soaks up everything and looks completely natural. It honestly does not look powdery on your face, it is perfection. Smells like roses and violets too. My face looks like velvet with this stuff. You can only get it at the Caron boutique here in NYC but it is well worth it. It's $45 for a HUGE tin of it that lasts me for over a year. It's the best powder I have ever tried bar none.

4.)Shiseido hydropowder eyeshadow. It's a cream in a pot, it absolutely does not crease all day and it totally brightens my entire eye lid without looking like I am plastered with makeup. It takes all the redness or darkness out and looks like a beautiful glaze on my eyelids. I use the colors glistening sand and I also like lemon sugar. Both are nice everyday colors. I just smear it on my lids with a clean finger, quick and easy.

5.)Merle Norman Soft Touch eye pencil. This is what I line my eyes with. I used to use gel liners a lot from Bobbi Brown and Merle Norman, but they come in a pot and I need to use a brush to apply and frankly I am too rushed lately to do this. I do really like the look of those though and do still use occasionally. The Merle Norman pencils are it for me though. Especially the color Galaxy, it is a gorgeous grey with hints if purple and blue but it lights up my eyes gorgeously AND they are water resistant and do not rub off .The range of colors is pretty nice and the actual colors are really gorgeous.

6.)Maybelline brow pencil in charcoal . This is a cheapie, it comes in a two pack for about $3. I regret to say though that they discontinued this color and it is perfect. It's not gray, it's a perfect color for just filling in your brows a bit but not looking like you did. Anyone could wear this color. I got extra off of ebay. Oh and FYI, If you think your eyebrows are OK look again. I always thought so too but after having my eyebrows done by a pro a few years ago it completely changed my face. Getting them shaped professionally really does make a difference. It take years off of your face, if you haven't done it treat yourself!

7.) L'oreal Telescopic mascara. This is fantastic stuff. Gives long lush lashes and can be found right at your local drugstore. If you want the best mascara on earth that will make you look like you are wearing false eyelashes try Faux Cils from Yves Saint Laurent. What a fabulous luxury.

8.)Blush is my love. I never needed it when I was younger because I always had a very red face but as I've gotten older I realize that I do need some color and it makes a huge difference when I wear it. I love cream formulas from Becca to Julie Hewitt, to drugstore ones like Revlon and the ones from the Carmindy line.Shiseido's accentuating color sticks are superb as well. I also like anything from Bobbi Brown from the rouge pots to the powder blushes.Presciptives blush petals are really subtle and go on beautifully too. Kevyn Aucoins cream and powder blushes are also in my regular rotation as well and if you like mineral makeup Bare escentuals makes some wonderful blushes and the array of shades to choose from is staggering. My all time favorite blush is a gel blush from L'oreal that has been discontinued, it is called translucide gel blush. Gel blush is the most natural looking of all blushes because it totally absorbs into your skin and looks like the color is coming from within. A nice substitue for the discontinued L'oreal ones are the gel blushes from Bonne Bell that you can order online from their site. They are dirt cheap and just as good as expensive ones.

9.) Lips, I used to wear traditional lipstick all the time but now that I am older I cannot. It ages me terribly. Dark colors really age me as well and I rarely wear them. Natural is best. I once heard that you should look for a color that is close to the inside of your lower lip if you want something that will flatter you. That's pretty close to true for me. I also have to use a base (preferably liplift by Guerlain) if I am wearing something really creamy or darker colored because I have a terrible problem with my lipstick bleeding into the fine lines around my lips. This product stops it for me but there are others to try as well. The only kind of lipstick I can wear is a gloss type of lipstick like the Clinique buttershines or the Luxiva lip glazes from Merle Norman. This moist glossy type of lip product makes my lips look fuller and more youthful. I always stay away from anything really shimmery or frosty, this does not flatter me at all either. I also like Maybelline's Moisture Extreme lipsticks from the drugstore. They are dirt cheap and so moist and look great. The color Desert Bloom is a nice everyday color. Sue Devitt lipsticks are also being sold for super cheap on ebay right now and the color Hollywood is so pretty as a face perker upper. It's sheer and very moist as well. Bare Escentuals lip guards are great too. The lip guards are nice because they have SPF if you are outside and they have a wonderful fresh lemony scent. They always look just right too color wise. Oh and Guerlains kiss kiss gloss sticks are beautiful too, MAC slimshines are similar and cheaper but I do not like the colors as well. Lately my everyday lip is a balm from Weleda that I got at the health food store, it is called Everon lipbalm. It smells like roses and honey, it is just lovely. I put a swipe of a L'oreal colorjuice stick lipgloss over it for color. I have a lot of lip products but these are the ones I use most.

10.) I am very pale, I do not like bronzer at all and normally never wear it but lately I have finishing my face at the very end with a very light dusting of prescriptives pressed powder leaves in the color antique peach. I have a huge fluffy powder brush and this product is very light, you can barely see it on my skin. I like to go over the bridge of my nose and lightly dust my cheeks and forehead. It is barely perceptible and I am still very pale but it gives me a little extra oompf that I've been needing lately but it by no means makes me look tanned.

Winter Changes

In the winter I do make a few changes, I do not wear a heavy sunscreen and my skin is dry, I like liquids for foundation best at that time. My current favorite for my dry mature skin is liquid lift from the brand Makeup For Ever. It's just perfect, not too rich and it gives my face a really healthy even tone and texture. If I had to buy a liquid from the drugstore it would be Maybellines instant age rewind. My dry winter skin likes this one. It is very similar in texture and wear to the expensive Chanel Vitalumiere. There are times too when I like to wear a primer with a liquid foundation. This is a product that makes the foundation go on much smoother, last all day and not soak into your pores. Olay makes a very nice one called Pore Filler at the drugstore among many others. I also like to use a little subtle shimmer/ glow on my cheeks over my blush and the two highlighters I love most are a liquid from the brand Benefit called high beam. It's not disco glittery and just makes my cheeks look glowy with no visible shimmer. For a powder I like Makeup For Ever's compact shine on powder. It too is very subtle and barely noticeable. It just gives a nice illuminating glow.


I must mention too that I like to exfoliate regularly and use a scrub on my face maybe once or twice a week to get rid of dry flaky skin. This helps makeup go on smoother and look better overall. I'm sure you think with all this stuff I just talked about I spend an hour in the mirror but the truth is, it takes me about 5 to 10 minutes to do my face like this and the only thing I re-touch during the day is my lips. Ironically this comes out looking completely natural but if you saw me before I apply this stuff you would be shocked at what a difference it makes!

One more comment, I have changed my hair color too as I've aged. I used to have very very dark hair, I am now a redhead. It has completely lifted my face and my whole look. It has made a huge difference. Getting stuck in a rut with having the same hair you've had your entire life is a mistake a lot of women make as they get older. Sometimes a very small change can make a huge difference.


If you are feeling like you need a change or want to perk yourself up again and get your glow back, I hope there is something here that sounds appealing and sparks your creative juices!! Feel free to contact me if you have any thoughts or questions. The things I have listed and discussed here are what I have currently pared my routine down to but I have tried out many more things that I also like and am just not using at the moment.

That's all for now!! :)