Sally Hansen Miracle Gel

I’ve written before how hard I am on my nails. Most ‘regular’ polishes make in one, maybe two days if I’m lucky. That lead me to get my first salon gel manicure a couple of years ago (that one lasted around two weeks without chipping) and as a result, I invested in my own curing light and quite a few polishes. Unfortunately, I’m one of those people who gets bored easily so two weeks is a long time to keep me satisfied with just one nail color. Anyway, early last year I discovered Sally Hansen’s Miracle Gel polish and it has proved to be an affordable way to get an inexpensive, non-boring manicure that lasts a week on my abused mails. Woohoo!!!

These babies are great! They are available at most drugstores for right around 8 bucks (or $15 for a bottle of color and the top coat, which is a must have to make the whole thing work). I’ve got five or six colors in my collection and have worn them on fingers and toes. My favorite for my professional life is Bare Dare, a warmish nude that seems to match my skin tone pretty well. The nice thing about Miracle Gel is that there’s no light requirement or fancy nail prep or bottom coat. All you do is brush two thin coats on clean, bare nails and then add a coat of the Miracle Gel top coat. According to Sally Hansen, natural light works with the polish to continuously cure the gel thereby hardening the finish so that the wearer gets up to fourteen days of wear. Now, I generally do not get fourteen days of wear with any polish but anything over two days is a win for me! Miracle Gel definitely fits the bill and I consider it an affordable staple in my nail polish collection.

One thing I noticed about Miracle Gel is that the applicator brush seems to be quite a bit wider than all of my other polishes, including other gel polishes. At first, I thought this would be annoying but it really seems to work well. Unlike my experience with some thinner brushes, I do not get any drag or brush marks in my polish with Miracle Gel. Not sure if that’s why the brush is so wide, but it’s OK by me!

Last week I wore Bare Dare and these pictures were taken on Day 3. Since I traveled all week, the fact that my manicure shows no wear after three days is quite a big deal. Do you know how beaten up you get traveling by air? It’s killer!

Miracle Gel is available in over 45 shades at a drugstore near you. If you’re looking for a good, economical long wearing polish, this is definitely worth checking out!

Ages of Beauty rating: ****

Urban Decay Ink for Eyes in Perversion

Have I told you lately how much I love Urban Decay’s Ink for Eyes? No? Then let me tell you now! I first bought this liquid liner when it first came out earlier in 2014. But then things went to hell in a hand basket and I stopped blogging for awhile (and I had planned on telling you then about my new favorite black eyeliner). Suffice it to say that Ink for Eyes was a staple for me all thru 2014 until I mistakenly left the top off of it after months of use and it dried out during a business trip (sad face). BUT I LOVE IT! Let me show you why…

See that tip? Yeah, I know…you really have to look hard because it’s so tiny and fine. That’s one of the many things I love about this liner. Precision is key when drawing a fine line whether it’s on paper or on your eyelids and this liner is as good as it gets. I can achieve the finest, blackest line ever on my eye lids or go thick, rich and dark for a more dramatic look. And flicks and cat eyes are NO problem! If you’ve never been able to get a good flick or cat eye, then this one is for you!

See how perfect? The color is also a to-die-for rich, deep black. Perversion is glossy and the blackest black. What’s not to love?

Yes, that is the thinnest black line you have probably ever seen (OK, maybe not). This stuff also holds tight, doesn’t smudge and lasts all day and into the evening. Awesome stuff!!

You can purchase UD’s Ink for Eyes at Sephora for $20 (click here). I know you’ll love it as much as I do!

Ages of Beauty rating: *****

Sometimes All You Need Is A Little Skin Conceal!

After a very intense work week last week, which included a flight out to the West coast, all day meetings (with a lot of people) in a too small conference room and then the pollution, traffic and stress that go along with all of that, my body and skin needed a break! Well, fortunately for me, I just had an hour and a half massage with my favorite massage therapist, Mike. That took care of the knots all over my body. Last week, though, my skin reacted differently to all the stress---in the form of a large blemish! It had been literally YEARS since my face had seen such an eruption! Having just re-packed my traveling makeup bag, I (fortunately) discovered that I had packed Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics’ Skin Conceal. Honestly, most of my love had been given to my up-to-the-moment favorite, IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye, so I was anxious to give Skin Conceal a real workout!

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Skin Conceal in R1 (light, red-based skintone)

Available for $20 in twelve colors at Sephora and at OCC’s Website, Skin Conceal will take your complexion to places it has never been! I found that not only did it cover the minor discolorations that come from normal aging, but it also concealed the major spot that my newly-teenaged self seemed to grow over night. And it did so ALL DAY!!!

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Skin Conceal in R1 (light, red-based skintone)

See below for before and after pics:

Before: No makeup, no concealer (wet hair!)

Midstream: After a light layer of Smashbox Camera Ready CC Cream in Light

After: CC Cream plus OCC’s Skin Conceal in R1. Wooohooo!!!

Before, Midstream and After OCC Skin Conceal

Before and After: OCC Skin Conceal

OCC’s Skin Conceal has now found a permanent place in my makeup bag---it’s that good!!! Check it out at Sephora or OCC and find a shade that’s right for you.

Ages of Beauty rating: *****

Too Faced Natural Eyes Palette

I’ve been traveling a lot this summer and today, my husband and I are actually on the way to the Bay Area for work (me) and relaxation (him).  My habit has been to not really fully unpack (except for dirty clothes) so I’ve kept my makeup bag pretty steady all summer. One new staple has been the Too Faced Natural Eyes Palette. It’s size and the flexibility of the shades has made this one a winner for me. Read on to find out more!

The palette consists of nine neutral shades, ranging from very light to very dark and matte to satin. Each shade is VERY pigmented and goes on as smooth as a dream! I’ve also found that the color last more than twelve hours on my oily lids (I almost always wear a primer but even without a primer, these shades last and last!). The color selections are split into three categories: Day, Classic and Fashion. Day shades tend to be matte while the Classic and Fashion shades have a little bit of shimmer (not too much, which I really like). Lately, I’ve been mixing the Day and Classic shades to create my own look. In the pictures below, I’m wearing Silk Teddy on the inner half of my lid, Push Up on the outer half, Erotica on the outer crease and Heaven under the brow. From a texture perspective, each shade is silky and easily blendable.

Natural Eyes is an excellent palette and a great choice for someone looking for a compact palette full of long lasting, neutral shadows. You can find it for $36 at Sephora and where Too Faced Cosmetics are sold. This one is definitely worth the cost!

Ages of Beauty rating: *****

L’Oreal Visible Lift Blur Foundation

It’s been awhile since I’ve written a strictly beauty product post but for the past couple of weeks, I’ve been using L’Oreal’s Visible Lift Blur Foundation so I thought I’d blog about my results. Read on for more!

I look for a couple of things in an every day foundation. First, it has to be really easy to put on without a lot of tools. There’s nothing I hate more than trying to get made up quickly but finding I need significant brush work on my foundation. I also like a decent amount of sun protection, coverage (not too much) and it needs to be relatively long lasting. So far, I’ve worn Visible Lift Blur on a long plane trip, during business meetings and as an every day, light coverage foundation. The good news is that this foundation is light weight and easy to put on using fingers only. It blends well into my skin and does the whole “blur” thing. That’s due to the loads of silicones that it contains, which isn’t a bad thing for most of us. If silicones are problematic for you, steer clear of Visible Lift Blur. Texturally, it’s light, smooth and powdery feeling. it dries nicely on the face and leaves a smooth finish.

L’Oreal Visible Lift Blur Foundation: Before and After

In the picture on the right, I’m wearing just the foundation in Nude Beige (see swatch below). This foundation is very sheer and I’ve attempted to build it up a few times without much luck. Now, I happen to like my foundation on the sheer side so that my real skin shows through. I conceal any problem areas (for me, under eyes, around my nose and on either side of my chin) with my favorite concealer (IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye), powder, and I’m off. Since I don’t tend to have blemishes, that’s not a concern for me but some women our age do have breakouts. For those of you who do, Visible Lift Blur may not offer the coverage you are looking for.

L’Oreal Visible Lift Blur Foundation in 203 Nude Beige

My only real complaint about this foundation is that it does not seem to last well on the skin, even with a nice dusting of powder. It showed significant wear after four hours and that’s an issue for me as I don’t like to really touch up my makeup (other than a light dusting of powder and maybe some lip color). If I’m just working at home or stepping out and want to even out my skin tone and add some spf, (which is 90% of the time if I’m not traveling), then this one is a great “go to.” And for that reason, I’ll use if for the rest of the summer. It really does lightly even things out and, while I don’t really see a big “blur” impact, I do like this foundation for everyday wear.

L’Oreal Visible Lift Blur Foundation is available for $14.99 in twelve shades at drugstores everywhere. Check it out!

Ages of Beauty rating: ***

Skin Actives Pumpkin Enzyme Peel

Happy Monday!!! Hope you had a great weekend and are refreshed and ready to go for the week. Techincally, this is the beginning of the first week of summer but here in Virginia, it has felt like summer for quite awhile!!!

With the warmer weather often comes skin problems. Gone are the blustery days of winter when my skin is often dry and chapped. These days, I'm fighting the perpetial glow of humidity and sometimes my facial pores get clogged and bumpy. That's usually when I increase the amount of exfoliation power I'm using. For toners, I go from my DIY White WIllow Bark concoction to a full on salicylic acid potion. As I still use my Retin A every other evening, I often feel the need to use a "day time" exfoliant and Skin Active's Pumpkin Enzyme Peel fits the bill! 

This clear, colorless liquid provides the gentle exfoliation that we all need. Containing 100% Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) Enzyme, usage is anywhere from a couple times per week to every day (depending on whether you have dry, normal, oily or acneic skin), I normally use it once or twice per week, in addition to my normal routine, but for those months when I experience hormonal breakouts, every day does the trick for me. I've tried so many different exfoliants including really strong acid peels and it's so nice to use a product that is effective yet so gentle on the skin---there's no worry about burning or painfully "roughing up" your face by accident. Skin Actives Pumpkin Enzyme Peel is like that friend who is always there for you---you may not realize how much it does for you when you're using it but you sure do notice when it's not around!!!

Just like all of the Skin Actives product line, Pumkin Enzyme Peel is so well priced at $9.50 for one ounce. A little goes a long way so you will get much more benefit than you can imagine for the price! Click here to purchase at the Skin Actives website.

Ages of Beauty rating: *****

Great Memories Brought to You by Bobbi Brown’s “Beach”

When I was a little girl, my family spent three weeks every summer at Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina. As did many of my parents’ friends, we rented a cottage on the inner sound area (my Mom called it the “lagoon”) and spent hours running around with other kids, swimming, boating and just generally reveling in the joy and freedom that went along with the season. Those memories are precious and fill me with a sense of nostalgia---the sites, sounds, tastes and smells of the beach. My brothers and I still reminisce about those days and it really makes me happy.

Now that I’m older and have my own “place at the beach,” life isn’t quite as simple as it was then (when I was eight years old!) and I can’t get to the beach as often as I like. I am, however, quickly taken back to those days every time I spray Bobbi Brown’s Beach eau de parfum. I LOVE this fragrance and it immediately reminds me of suntan lotion, salty waves and sunny days on the sand.

Unlike a lot of beachy-type fragrances, Beach isn’t a cloying, sickly sweet combination of coconut and pineapple. This beach scent is clean, dry, salty and almost earthy. It IS the beach! The fragrance is described as a mixture of sand, jasmine, sea spray and mandarin. Despite its floral notes, I think it actually works as a unisex scent. Reminiscent of Coppertone Suntan Lotion (which is, without a doubt, the main reason this perfume tends to bring back those nostalgic memories), it’s soft and clean rather than chemical and harsh. For me, this scent lasts throughout the day and is a staple for me throughout the spring and summer.

This lovely scent is available in perfume, body oil, lotion, a scrub and also shower gel. You can find the perfume for about $70, wherever Bobbi Brown products are sold.

I love this scent so much that I’m sourcing a scented fragrance oil to put in hand made soap! Will definitely let you know how that turn out!

Ages of Beauty rating: *****

Naked 3: A Soft Eye Look

Now that all of the hoopla from Naked 3’s launch has died down, I thought I’d start a series of looks that I’ve worn using this excellent palette. Like a lot of ladies, I purchased #3 (I also have Naked 2) as soon as it launched. I love the rose-centric colors and, at first, I thought that the colors weren’t different enough to create many looks. It didn’t take me long to figure out that I was woefully uninformed! Once I started playing with it, I easily came up with a number of lovely combinations and I’m still discovering more. So here’s my first look. Check it out!

For my look #1, I used the following shades:

* Base (from lashline to brow): Strange

* Lid: Buzz

* Crease: Nooner

* Inner Corner: Dust

* Bottom Lash Line: Nooner

I find the colors in this palette work well with my lighter skin and green eyes. They blend easily and have a nice, smooth texture. While they are quite pigmented, the tones work well for the “over 40” crowd because the pigments tend not to lend a harsh look to the face. Although I don’t normally do much with my lower lash line (again, I don’t like harsh looks as I think it really ages the face), I easily achieved a soft look by applying Nooner on the outer lash line rather than all the way across.

Naked 3, in my opinion, is a great buy at $54 for twelve shades. The quality is excellent and, unlike some brands, the shadows in this palette perform equally as well as Urban Decay’s single shadows. I’ve reached for this palette again and again this winter and spring and I expect that to continue. If you’re looking for a versatile palette, Naked 3 definitely deserves consideration. Find it at Sephora, Urban Decay or at Ulta. Over the next few weeks, I’ll post more examples of ways that I’ve worn these colors.

If you’ve already purchased it, what are your favorite combinations?

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush: Mood Exposure

When Hourglass released their Ambient Lighting Blushes, I, like a lot of other people, rushed Sephora’s website and purchased as many as I could (five, to be exact). A few weeks later, I added Ethereal Glow, which was sold out originally. I had intended to review the entire collection at that time but life “happened” and I had to rush back to Florida to take care of things with my parents. The good news is that I have been happily using these blushes since then and I’m ready to review!!!

Mood Exposure

I have to admit…when I saw Mood Exposure in the pan, I thought, “Ewwww!” It appears to be  “brownish” and blah. “Yeah, I guess it could work on some skin tones,” I thought, “but no way will it work for me.” This, my friends, is another one of those “Don’t judge a book by its cover” moments!

Mood Exposure (heavy swatch)

When swatched, Mood Exposure turns into a soft, glowing rosie plum. Never could I imagine that the ugly duckling in the pan could possibly turn into a beautiful swan! You can’t tell from the picture above, but Mood Exposure has almost an ethereal quality as it seems to have its own inner glow. Once I applied it to my cheeks, however, it became off the charts gorgeous!

Mood Exposure

I find Mood Exposure to be one of those blushes that completely transforms my face and my mood. Believe me, this one was a surprise, my friends, and every time I wear Mood Exposure, I get compliments! My face glows (in a good way) and this blush helps me exude health and happiness. It wears really well and looks fresh even after a long day. About the only difficulty I have with the Ambient Lighting Blushes is their price ($35 each) but, clearly, I purchased them anyway. If you’re going to splurge on a blush, this line is the way to go!

Mood Exposure is a winner for me! Check it out (along with Hourglass’s other Ambient Lighting Blushes) at Sephora.

Ages of Beauty rating: *****

Brush Cleaning Made Easy With Benjabelle

I know, it’s a chore but it’s a chore that we all must do. Yes, I’m talking about cleaning makeup brushes. Ideally, we should clean them once a week at the very least but…you know…sometimes it’s a job that fills the bravest of us with dread. Clutter! Mess! Smudges on Counters! Water all over the place!!! With as many makeup brushes as some of us have, it’s a pain having your brushes positioned around the sink so that 1. they drip into the sink and 2. they don’t fall into the sink (which mine always do). Fortunately, I found the answer to this (First World) problem---Benjabelle Brush Trees!

The geniuses at Benjabelle designed a beautiful solution to all of our makeup brush woes. Available in four “flavors,” these brush trees allow brushes to drain the water out thru the “hair” part of the brush, making i t impossible for water to get into the ferrule (the metal part of the brush). This is important because if water gets into the ferrule, the brush can literally fall apart. Makeup brushes are expensive, y’all, and I personally don’t want mine ruined by water.

I purchased two of these (the Original and the Mini) and this product makes me dread this weekly chore a whole lot less! Even better, Benjabelle Brush Trees are compact, they break down to store easily and they are Made in the USA!

The Mini

Priced from $19.95 to $39.95, BenjaBelle Brush Trees can hold any size brush, from the smallest eye liner to the largest face brush, keeping your investment in your makeup brushes intact.

Check these out at the Benjabelle website. You NEED this product! Click the link now (and this is not a sponsored post)!!

Ages of Beauty rating: *****

The Garnet Rose Soap Company

Would you believe that I only recently purchased my first bar of handmade soap? One would think that since I am so interested in beauty products, bath products, etc, that I would have sampled a bit by now. Fortunately for me (and now for you), I discovered The Garnet Rose Soap Company on Etsy! I purchased four bars of the most beautiful and fragrant soap and wanted to share my newly found obsession with you!

The Garnet Rose Soap Company’s products are made the old fashioned way---with oils, lye, essential oils, etc. The proprietor of Garnet Rose, Ms. V, uses natural products from her surrounding area (the Blue ridge Mountains of North Carolina) to produce a beautiful line of soaps that you won’t want to miss! Although there are many “flavors” of soap available at the Etsy store and on Garnet Rose’s website (click here), those that caught my eye include Lavender, Lemon & Dark Patchouli and Bergamot Citrus.

The Lemon & Dark Patchouli is the first bar I have tried and OMG, is it breathtaking! A mixture of goats milk, olive and coconut oils, she and cocoa butters as well as lemon and patchouli essential oils, this soap provides a luxurious, silky lather and a heady, mysterious fragrance. It also contains a small amount of steel cut oats for exfoliation and I think this bar is to die for! I also love the top of the bar, which is decorated with botanicals and mica---it feels like a luxury spa experience! Fortunately for me, I have two of these so will look forward to using this scent for a long time!

Wow!!! Look at that huge bar of soap!!!

The Lavender soap bar is also lovely. Containing Bulgarian Lavender essential oil, olive and coconut oils, shea and cocoa butters, natural botanicals steel cut oats for exfoliation. The scent is a herby lavender scent that is out of this world. If you love lavender, you’ll love this soap!

Last but not least, is the Bergamot Citrus. This mellow scent is fresh and slightly tangy and much more sedate than I originally thought. It is so lovely and sweet smelling. Bergamot is not a scent that I am usually drawn to but it really works combined with the citrus. This one is definitely a win and a combination I will continue to look for.

Garnet Rose’s soap ranges in price from $6-$7 per bar and is available in the Etsy store as well as their website. There are currently twenty-two varieties of soap on their website so check it out! You won’t be sorry!!!

Ages of Beauty rating: *****

IT Cosmetics Eyelift in a Tube!!!

Once again, It Cosmetics has hit it out of the ballpark with an under eye concealer! It’s no secret that my holy grail concealer is their Bye Bye Under Eye. I have long relied on it to do away with the dark shadows that have made their appearance under my eyes over the last few years. That product is really great and provides amazing coverage but sometimes, a girl needs a quick pick me up that goes on quickly and brightens as well as covers. And that’s what Eyelift in a Tube delivers so well!

This double-sided tube contains the Bye Bye Under Eye concealer on one end and It’s Hello Bright Eyes highlighter on the other. The liquid version of Bye Bye Under Eye provides slightly less coverage than it’s single, tube package counterpart, mostly due to it’s more liquid consistency but that only makes it easier to apply in a hurry. Just dabbing on a tiny bit under both eyes and then smoothing with a “tap tap tap” of a finger, I find that this concealer stays put all day with a light dusting of loose powder. On the other end, the highlighter allows me to further add a nice light to the area under my eyes, down the bridge of my nose, the tops of my cheekbones, etc. It applies smoothly and adds a slight luminescence, which is great for aging skin!

Concealer and highlighter in Light/Medium

Like Bye Bye Under Eye, this product also runs a bit light so I purchase the Light/Medium shade, which is perfect for me. You can see, in the picture above, that the concealer end is much more opaque than the highlighter end (which is exactly what you want). Because of its packaging, Eyelift in a Tube is very convenient for travel and touchups during the day or evening, if needed (which I haven’t so far).

Eyelift in a Tube is available on the It Cosmetics website or Ulta for $29 and comes in four shades. Could this be your new holy grail concealer/highlighter duo? You owe it to yourself to try it out!!

Ages of Beauty rating: ****