BEACH CHEATS



There was a time when I never thought about makeup for the beach. Just a comb and some lipstick tucked into the pocket of my beach bag did the trick. Unfortunately those days are gone and being a woman whose face now craves makeup, the idea of showing up bare faced at the shore holds no appeal and few things are more incongruous than the sight of a fully made up woman surrounded by sunlight and sand. A hat and large sunglasses provide effective camouflage but what happens when you decide to go for a swim? In my case, once the glasses are off my under eye circles and uneven skin tone are spotlighted and my pale eyes are all but invisible without liner and mascara. Just lipstick no longer cuts it.
However technology keeps advancing and a trip to my favorite source of all things cosmetic left me with some solutions. Makeup For Ever makes a long lasting waterproof concealer that promises to cover scars and tattoos as well as facial discolorations and under eye circles. It is oil free, has a matte finish and a high concentration of pigment. It goes on smoothly and feels light.
I can't speak for its effectiveness on scars or tattoos but it does hide my pigmentation and under eye circles and most importantly stays put.
Sephora's waterproof kohl pencil liner goes on without any pull or tug and stays right in place without smudging throughout countless swims. It comes in blue or black. I picked the blue and found it makes my eyes appear brighter. In fact I like it so much that I find myself reaching for it even when I'm not headed for the beach.
As for mascara, I yet to find a waterproof one that can beat Maybelline New York VolumExpress Turbo. It's waterproof and smudge proof without leaving behind those annoying clumps and it only takes a few strokes to achieve the look of luxurious lashes.

Cheers,

Barb

The Inside Scoop On Beauty Products


If you're like me the first question you have about a beauty product is will it work? Next, is it worth the money? The second question is particularly important because the price of those anti- aging creams that are flooding the market have skyrocketed.
I recently discovered a site where those and practically any other beauty questions you have can be answered: Just log on to BeautyBrains. com. The site is written by two former cosmetic chemists and they REALLY know their business. I was so impressed that I put a link to their site on my Blog Roll. If you want to check them out just click on the link.
Incidentally after reading my post about Kohl eyeliner they e-mailed me to advise my readers to stay away from REAL Kohl because it contains lead.
Cheers,
Barb

The Best Eye Pencil

My arsenal of sharpened eye pencils stand at attention in a small ceramic cup. I'm a democratic purchaser and the mix includes Channel and Dior along with MAC and Bennefit as well as drug store brands like Cover Girl. I usually make my choices based on how a product looks on someone else, an ad that talks to me or a reasonably priced product(read cheap) when I'm trying to curtail my cosmetic budget.
I honestly don't remember how I found my current favorite Prestige Soft Blend Khol Eyeliner I think I wanted to try black as opposed to the gray or dark blue I usually wear and didn't want too spend much just in case I didn't like it.
I needn't have worried. This one is a KEEPER.The consistency is as soft as the name promises but unlike many soft pencils it doesn't wind up messy and smudged under your eyes. The line you draw is the one that will still be there hours later. I did like the black, but only for evening. My eyes are light as is my skin and the look was too stark for day. However they have a wide array of colors and Chamomile, a greenish gray, I had never seen in any line before is just perfect for me. Give Prestige Soft Blend Khol a try.
Cheers,
Barb