Beauty Balm

                           


                                  ONE  OF THE BEST NEW BEAUTY PRODUCTS




Maybe you've noticed one of the newest beauty products on the market.  It actually crawled in under my radar and onto the shelves without attracting my attention.  A sales person at the Body Shop first introduced me when I said I was looking for a tinted moisturizer. " Try this,"   She held a small tube marked BB. "It's Beauty Balm" I then recalled seeing ads for it but they had failed to pique my interest.   So many products .. so little time.  She must have read my mind.  "Just give it try. It's  a bit different from what else is out there.  
 I smoothed some over my face and checked the mirror. My skin  had that luminous glow I'm forever in search of.  Best of all it didn't look like I was wearing makeup

Beauty Balm, I think originated in Asia . It is a combination of primer, color, moisturizer and  sunscreen.    It is light and impacts a nice healthy look when you chose the right shade (go lighter rather than darker). It's inexpensive.  Maybelline's, which I tried next was under $10.  I then moved on to Cover Girl (also good )and L'Oreal which  is marketed for mature skin and is a little more moisturizing  than the others.  However it didn't impart as much color.

On a trip to Sephora, I found that they too had hopped on the Beauty Balm bandwagon with everyone from Benefit to Dior hawking their versions. I decided to be extravagant and try a high end balm.  After taking a good look at my face the salesperson returned with a jar.  This BB was a water based gel and was one of several from a line I  had never heard of, Dr. Jart.  The product was rather thick and not easy to apply.I was skeptical,but she was convincing and I had a train to catch so I put another  $35plus tax on my credit card and took it home.   If  there was a glow, I couldn't see it and the gel like texture wasn't to my liking.     Back it went no questions asked.  For now I'm sticking with  the drug store brands .
The balm is a great idea for those of us who like to think we really don't need foundation but look much better with it.  Foundation? Me?  Of course not! Just a little BB Balm. 


Cheers,

Barb

TEINT INNOCENCE: ONLY FOR THE YOUNG?

I ignored Chanel's latest foundation offering when it first appeared. The word "innocence" put me off and I assumed it was targeted to a much younger demographic. The wording in the the advertising copy didn't speak to me either, especially the line about letting skin's natural glow show through. Let's face it, at this stage I'm looking for makeup to give me that elusive glow.

On the other hand Chanel makeup has been a family tradition begun by my mother who would use no other. So while I was researching the high end foundations I had to give it a try

Liquid silk was the thought that came to mind as I rubbed it over my cheeks It felt great;more like a lotion than Cliniques Supermoisture foundation which was creamy. Still the skeptic, I thought it probably wouldn't cover that well but I was presently surprised. Not only did it cover but it provided that glow I'm always searching for. I was already to purchase it when my daughter, Kim reminded me to hold off until after I had my surgery. She said Iwould probably need a different shade then after the peel with the Active FX Laser.


Tomorrow it's off to the drug store to see what new foundations are lurking there.

Cheers,

Barb

TRYING A NEW FOUNDATION

"How does it feel?" the girl smoothing Estee Lauder's Resilience Lift Extreme Ultra Firming Makeup over my face inquired. "Like silk." I replied, a bit impatient. I was more interested in seeing how it looked. That surge of new makeup induced hope was charging though my veins. Finally she held up the mirror? She had spent a lot of time testing my skin to get the right shade but I wasn't too sure about it. Could be it was the store light but I thought my skin had a slightly gray cast. She was reassuring and sent me on my way with a generous sample to use while I made up my mind. At home I tried it again. The color looked better in my bathroom mirror and much better with the addition of blush and lip gloss. As a matter of fact it matched my rather pale skin exactly and evened out my skintone. Too often,left to my own devices I tend to use foundation to give my skin more color and end up looking like I'm obviously wearing makeup. Now I looked like myself, only better. And what about the lift? Well, my face felt a bit tighter but I couldn't swear that it looked any firmer. Maybe I was unrealistic in my expectations but the firming factor aside,it is a nice foundation