Lives Up to the Hype, But So Does This. . .

This or That?

Recently, I blogged about the infamous
Nars Orgasm blush. I had tried their all in one stick "The Multiple"(more of a cream blush version) and fallen in love, but gone with the powder blush due to price. I spent a recent rainy Saturday afternoon in Sephora and have determined that for me, at least, the cream version makes a HUGE difference. I once again was all glowy goddessy.

Here's the catch: I also discovered ANOTHER blush that I like almost as well. While in Sephora, my friend S., in the grand tradition of 11 year olds at slumber parties, allowed me to make her over. My original* obsession with cream blush goes back to Stila Convertible Colors. I have used the Petunia color for years now. (They seriously last forever). The convertible colors come in small brightly colored compacts and are designed to be used on both lips and cheeks. (But mostly cheeks). Do not be taken aback by the color of the compact or even of the blush itself. The colors go on light and sheer, and blend gorgeously. A few swipes of petunia instantly brightens my face.

So, for S., I immediately went for a Stila convertible color as one of the things to use on her. I initially determined that Poppy would be a good color for her (I recommended it to my roommate with success. Tina Fey also uses it, though as far as I know it's not because of my recommendation) but it wasn't a great color on her. I then tried the scarily named and intimidatingly bright Fuchsia (pictured) on her, and it was FABULOUS. So fabulous I tried it on myself, and spent the rest of the day walking around with Orgasm on one side and Fuchsia on the other cheek. They look totally dissimilar in their respective packaging, but very similar on my face. The only difference is that the Orgasm has some shimmer and the Fuchsia doesn't. So once again, I'm torn between which to choose and can't afford both. I'm leaning toward the Orgasm for now since I need the shimmer in winter, and going with the Fuschia come spring.

*When I was a child my mother was the only person I know who used cream blush, despite it's extreme scarcity in the 1980s. Mea culpa, Mother dear. You were right.

Even if you're not having your photo taken, this is a great product

There are certain products that have a lot cache. You read about them for years in multiple magazines, hear about them from red carpet make up artists, etc. (Or at least I do. Maybe the general public does not). One of these products is Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. The primer is supposed to provide a smooth surface for foundation and concealer, helping to create a flawless finish. It also mattifies skin by absorbing oil, prevents shine, and conceals perspiration. This in turn is ideal for photo shoots and red carpets because it leads to perfect looking skin in photos and on camera. (The primer comes in a regular version, a light version for oily skins, and a version with SPF 15).

I am not someone who spends an inordinate amount of time in front of a camera (friends can attest to the fact that I am a lazy photographer and would have no photos of myself it it weren't for others), nor do I use foundation, but I'd heard so much about it that I wanted to try it for myself. I got a sample of it when I bought another product by Smashbox last year, and despite my feelings that "primer" is yet another thing invented by beauty companies solely to turn revenues, not because it is actually needed, I was excited to try it.

I can verify that it does indeed prevent shine, and provide an smooth service for make up other than foundation - concealer, eye shadow, blush, etc. Even in the humidity of a Washington, DC summer, there was not a bit of shine or an ounce of sweat on my brow when I used this product. (A dab goes a long way). Nonetheless, like so many things, it shifted to the bottom of my make up bag, and I hadn't used it in a while until one recent morning I decided to use a bit in lieu of moisturizer. I then walked across Central Park to a meeting that I was wretchedly unprepared for. The meeting went better than expected, but the most surprising thing? I was repeatedly complimented on my glowing skin. I'm rotating it back into regular use.

Lives Up to the Hype. I Think. Maybe. Not?

THIS VERSUS THIS

So, for years now I've been reading about Nars Orgasm blush. According to a variety of sources it is wildly flattering on every skin tone and transforms the pastiest of complex-
ions into glowing roseleaf. However, the description of a "peachy-pink" blush with gold shimmer has always been a bit off putting to me. I have a cool complexion, and despite a teenage infatuation with Cornsilk (anybody remember that brand?) blush in two shades of peach, it's just not that flattering with my blue eyes and blond hair. Recently I was in Sephora striking out as I tried to restock some essentials - Shu Uemura mascara and Laura Mercier concealer. I was annoyed that this Sephora didn't have what I needed and annoyed that the sales people were not helpful, and especially annoyed that I was going out that night and wouldn't have the make up I'd wanted. (Word to the wise - the Sephora at 76th and Broadway has a limited selection and unhelpful staff).

At this point, I was standing next to the Nars display, and I noticed a tube of blush. I'm a HUGE fan of cream blush. I think it goes on better and blends more naturally than powdered blush. Naturally I picked it up, and was surprised to discover that it was the much vaunted Orgasm blush in cream form. I swiped some on my cheeks and I instantly looked more cheerful, more awake. Glowier, happier. My dark circles and annoyance receded in the face of the peachy pink golden shimmer on my cheekbones. Suddenly my tired self was radiant. The drawback? The cream form is significantly more expensive than the powdered form. Despite my misgivings - powdered just doesn't blend the same way - it seems to get caught in my moisturizer - I went with the cheaper alternative, and I just haven't been thrilled. It's too peachy. And goes on too heavily. I kind of look like I'm wearing bronzer. I can't decide if the lighting in the store just fooled me or if it's an honest difference between the powdered and cream blush. Of course, my game plan is obvious: go back to Sephora, put on the cream blush, wear it for a day and determine if this is an exchange or a return situation.

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not: Can Marc Jacobs Daisy End My Serial Perfume Monogamy?

For me, the only thing more maddening than searching for a mascara is searching for a perfume. You can really only try on four scents - max - before succumbing to a headache and watering eyes.

As documented in a recent blog post, for some time now, I have been at loose ends for a signature fragrance. I've spent some time pondering my serial fragrance choices, and I've realized that I tend to buy one scent and stick with it for an extended period of time. In fact, it's only been in the past year that I haven't had a fragrance that I wore daily. I'm sure that's meaningful on an unconscious level, but that's not the point of this blog. During that year, there is a perfume that I have tried on repeatedly: Marc Jacobs Daisy. It debuted last year to much buzz, as do all things Marc Jacobs. Having jumped on the new "it" fragrance bandwagon before, I intended to eschew Daisy, but was intrigued by plain old Marc Jacobs perfume's simple packaging: a solid rectangular bottle graced only by a narrow black bow. So Audrey. I initially liked the way it smelled, but the second time I tried it, the perfumed devolved into a powdery talcum like fragrance and I remembered that I don't really care for the way gardenias smell. No go. But Daisy beckoned on the same shelf, so I spritzed some on the other wrist. It was sweet but faded into something softer as the day progressed. (According to the company, it contains notes of strawberry, violet, gardenia, grapefruit, and jasmine). Every time I visited Sephora I sprayed some on, and every time I liked it a little more. But something held me back from buying it. (Maybe grad school bills?). Still, I kept trying it.

I recently had a birthday, and my friend S. thoughtfully included a small bottle of Marc Jacobs Daisy in my gift. She knows me well enough to realize that I need to be able to wear something daily in order to determine if it's a contender for a signature fragrance. Then I opened a package from my parents, and found a HUGE bottle of Daisy. Are the fragrance gods sending me a message that I've discovered my signature scent? Only time will tell. I'll keep you posted.

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree

If I had to try and explain the origins of my love of products, it would probably start with my grandmother. When I was a little girl, I loved to sit in her bathroom and watch her as she “put on her face.” No make up was involved – the most I ever saw her wear was lipstick, but she ritually cleansed, toned and moisturized. It paid off. She looked years younger than she was. My grandmother was also a collector of perfumes. Her vanity shelves were graced with beautiful bottles of a variety of fragrances – L’aire du Temps, Chanel No. 5, Opium, White Linen, White Diamonds, and in later years Glow, Pleasures, Kenneth Cole Black and many others. She had a perfume for every occasion, for every mood. My mother (her daughter), on the other hand, has worn Oscar by Oscar de La Renta, and only Oscar, for as long as I can remember. In this regard at least, I’ve always thought I took after my mother – that I was someone with a signature fragrance, a distinct perfume that would become synonymous with me. The problem is, after some 15 years of wearing perfume, I’m still looking for that signature fragrance. I’ve realized that when it comes to perfume, I’m actually a serial monogamist. I fall madly in love with a fragrance and remain firmly committed for an extended period, until suddenly. . .I'm not.

Past relationships include: Malibu Mist, some drug store dreck I
wore at age 12. When I was 13 I somehow got my hands on a bottle of Elizabeth Arden Red Door. At 14 I switched to something that was very rose scented – also a drug store find, but I recall really loving it in the face of the Elizabeth Arden Sunflowers craze, despite the fact that I can no longer remember its name. I had a brief infatuation with a Jessica McClintock scent, and then when I was 16, it was on to Pleasures - a birthday present from my grandmother. I stuck with Pleasures for several years, and then in college I became enraptured with Ralph Lauren Romance, the fragrance du jour, which I wore for several years. In my mid-twenties I decided it was too common and fell in love with Sarah Jessica Parker's debut perfume: Lovely. And lovely it was. Everyone who smelled it on me ran out and bought it, and I once again jumped ship because my perfume was too common. That time, I ran to Fresh Pink Jasmine, which is not found on many wrists. A bottle has lasted me three years, because at the end of the day it's just not me. Last summer I spent several hours at a Nordstrom perfume calendar while a very handsome European salesman spritzed my wrists with various fragrances in the white flower category - apparently this is where my tastes run - and left with a bottle of J'adore by Christian Dior. But yet again, it still wasn't me and so I continue to look while alternately wearing the J'adore, Pink Jasmine and Pleasures. I've had brief flirtations with FlowerByKenzo and Narcisso Rodriquez but am unable to commit. I know that my signature fragrance is out there. . .I just have to find it. And if I hang out by enough perfume counters, I’m sure I will.

I have no idea what magnolias smell like, but I love this hand cream!

Let's be honest, a good hand cream is hard to come by. There are plenty that are thick and moisturizing, but you also can't do anything for 30 minutes after using them because your hands are slick and greasy. Then there are the light weight lotions that sink it but don't actually moisturize; lotions that while perfectly fine for your arms and legs don't seem to do a lot for your cuticles; and lotions that are great moisturizers but so heavily scented you need to open a window after using them. That's why I love the Magnolia Hand Lotion from Savannah Bee Company. It's light-weight, absorbs almost instantly and has a very innocuous light scent. Allegedly, the scent of magnolias. It's great in both summer and winter. As a bonus, Savannah Bee Company doesn't test on animals, use artificial colors or synthetic frangrances, and 37% of the packaging comes from recycled materials. A little goes a long way, so though a tube runs $13* it should last you a good long while. And your hands will be smooth and soft all year long.

*Once upon a time Bath and Body Works carried this product, and I used to routinely buy in on sale for a fraction of the price. A quick perusal of their website shows that they no longer carry it online, but you never know if a BBW near you might carry it. . .

Products I Can't Live Without: Take Two

As promised, here is the second product I would want with me on
a deserted island: Mary Kay Acne Treatment Gel. As with mascara, I had tried many acne products before I tried the Mary Kay. I wanted to believe that there was miraculous acne product that would reduce my breakouts and diminish blemishes, but hadn't found the cure all. I found products that certainly helped, but inevitably I stopped using them or switched because they just weren't doing it for me.

Well, I've been using the Mary Kay for at least four years now, and it might be five. I use it religiously every morning and every night, regardless of if I'm breaking out. (I learned this tip from a friend of mine with beautiful porcelain skin who swore by Clearasil. Clearasil didn't do anything for me, but her advice to apply the acne cream of your choice in your breakout prone areas morning and night, regardless of break outs was pure gold). Since starting to use it, I haven't switched once and I've had better skin (break out wise) than I did when I used far more expensive products or prescription products. The active ingredient is benzoyl peroxide. At $7 a tube, it's a bargain, and truly a product I cannot live without. You may want to start out with a once a day application to make sure it doesn't dry out your skin, but in general I've found it to be pretty mild. And for spot treatment, it cannot be beat. And I will say it again: Mary Kay has a guaranteed return policy. Go pink today!

Products I Can't Live Without: Take One

A fun game that I like to play is the "If you were stranded on a deserted island. . ." game. Most people play it by asking what person they would want to be stranded with. I play it with products – as in “If you were stranded on a deserted island and could have only two products what would they be?” (Sunscreen does not count, and please do not ask me why you would need products on a deserted island. Clearly you do not get the point.) Without a doubt, one of the two products I would want with me a on a desert island is Shu Eumura Fiber Xtension Mascara .

Although every year my hair gets a shade darker, I am a natural blonde. My eyebrows and eyelashes remain the most obvious evidence of this. Without mascara, I look like a chemo patient wearing a wig. It is the only make up that I actually wear daily. Sadly, every mascara I’ve ever tried has migrated underneath my eyes within a few hours of application, even the waterproof. Having tried virtually every brand (Clinique, Maybelline, Max Factor, Cover Girl, Lancome, Estee Lauder, Mary Kay, Smashbox, Christian Dior, Almay, and Neutrogena) last fall I became determined to find a mascara that did not settle underneath my eyes, but still made my eyelashes look fabulous.

I established a very scientific method for this. Every time I went to Sephora, I used a different mascara on each eye.* I then paid attention to what happened over the course of the day. After several rounds of this, I had two finalists: the Shu Eumura and Fresh Supernova mascara. But after wearing the Shu Eumura on my left eye and the Fresh on my right eye all day - and sleeping in them **- a clear winner emerged. The Shu Eumura lasted an entire day AND night without smudging. It didn't look great in the morning, but there was no smudging. I've been using it ever since, and can only regret that I didn't think to go to the brand of "the perfect eye" before. It’s truly phenomenal, and worth every penny.

Tomorrow, tune in for my other can’t live without it product.

*I went to a Sephora where all the mascaras have the wands cut out. I then used a clean wand for each eye. Not foolproof, I know, but I haven't developed any eye illnesses as a result.
**Do not do this at home. It's bad to sleep in your eye make up.