Fabulous Over Forty – Where Beauty Is Ageless

Do you have that one item that you just can’t seem to live without? That one bit of makeup that is a MUST everyday, no matter what? Well this Laura MercierEye Basics is my daily must.

I have red blotchy skin, and especially on my eyelids, and this stuff is so reliable that no matter what type of eyeshadow I put on, it just doesn’t affect it. I use the wheat color, and you just dab a few spots on your eye lids and smooth it out. You can put cream or powder eye shadow on top of this and it doesn’t move. No creasing, no wearing off, nada.

It dries to a nice matte finish – not a drying matte, just a smooth matte that makes it perfect for eyeshadow application.

What’s your one product you can’t live without?

We’re slowly dipping our toes into the sandal pool. I say slowly because one day it’s 76 degrees and the next it’s 34 and snowing. It has been an exceptionally long, cold Spring here and when we do have those rare warm days, my feet can’t wait to put on sandals. Unfortunately, they take a few weeks of blisters and adjustments before I can wear them without pain. I can’t just go from full coverage footwear to strappy sandals without a major hit in the blister department.

That’s where these come in handy. If you already have a blister developed, these Band-Aid Ampules are great. They have a cushioning gel that makes you forget you have a major blister. They’re a nude color so they blend right into your feet and no one has to know you are dying underneath. I swear when I wear them for a few days, there is absolutely no sign that I’ve ever had a blister. I figured there must be some magical medicine inside the gel that makes them heal pronto.

The other thing I’m dying to try is this Band-Aid Blister Block. You rub it on your feet in the area that you just know those darn shoes will give you a blister, and it creates a barrier to prevent a blister from forming. I’ve checked a few stores, and can’t seem to find this, but I am not giving up on my search, because I just know it will be 75 and sunny again and my tootsies will be screaming “let me out”!

What do you do for your feet to prepare for sandal weather?

When in your 40′s you should begin using a product with Vitamin A. The strongest form of Vitamin A is known as Retin-A, available by prescription only and sometimes it is too harsh for sensitive skin. But it’s also available in OTC form known as Retinol, which is a lesser strength, but still can work wonders. Retin-A was originally used to treat acne, but it was discovered that because of the quick cell renewal that occurred when using this to treat acne, it also worked magic at making the face more smooth.Bootshas been available in the UK for over 150 years and is now available at Target stores. They make a retinol product called . It’s a small tube, but you only need a small bit, and it sells for $21.99, making it totally beauty on a budget friendly. When I started using this I noticed a difference in my skin with texture. Use this at night time after cleansing and before moisturizing. It works best at night since your skin does most of its repair work at night, and this product works hard at repairing. When using retinol products, make sure you use sunscreen during the day, because your skin can become more sensitive to the sun.

No7 Restore & Renew Facial Serum

Boots saying to wrinkles:

These boots are made for walking, and that’s just what they’ll do<one of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you

I know I’ve professed my faith to my Mac Bronzer in Golden, but I ran out earlier this week and thought I would let my eyes do some wandering into other some other brands. I know breaking up is hard to do, so I still want to be faithful, so I keep a stash of Mac Bronzer in my desk. But, I may have found a new love. Or at least some close competition. It’s Lancome Color Ideal Illuminateur. They have 3 lovely, soft shades and the Shimmering Bronze color suited my skin the best.

Now I know the color has the word “shimmer” in it and that can be frightening to some. Some brands say the word shimmer and they really mean “14 year olds – come get your glitter on here!”. This is not that kind of shimmer. It’s very subtle, gives you a glow without making your face look like it’s screaming SHINE, GLITTER or worse yet – I’M OLDER THAN 40 AND WANT TO LOOK LIKE I’M 19! And because the colors are so subtle, you don’t get that – “Wow! You have a lot of bronzer on” look. It’s just a nice, fresh, healthy look.

Check it out at Lancome counters – some of the colors are limited edition, so you know the drill – once they’re gone you’re outta luck. $31.

Do you ever have those weeks where it feels like you get up early, go to work, so busy you get into hyper mode, stay late nearly every night at work, finally get home to have a bite to eat, chat with the family and CRASH. I feel like I’ve been in this mode for a few weeks now, and I’m exhausted, so I am anxious for the weekend, only I already have a list a mile long of things I need to get done, so it makes me even more exhausted thinking about it. You know how it is, you’re likely to be a mom reading this, and if you have little kids especially, every day can be this way.

OK, I’m done feeling sorry for myself, and I’m sure you’re wondering what does that have to do with the title of this blog today, Pure Beauty. Well, funny you should ask. I had a work function/charity event I had to attend yesterday afternoon into the evening, only I needed a pick-me-up on the way home from the event so I went to check out this new place called PureBeauty. I had received a $10 off purchase coupon in the mail that was about to expire, and hey, I love a discount as much as the next person, so I wandered into this cute little French boutiqueish looking store. It’s quite the little gem. You may be familiar with the store called Trade Secret, well this is the new version that all the Trade Secrets will be converting to in the next few years.

Exciting news at Bobbi Brown! You may recall me mentioning that Bobbi is going to new packaging with a mix and match palette system. I had mixed feelings about the whole thing because what about the money invested in the old packaging and the great train cases that she had to fit those pieces? What about some of my great round packaged colors – last I heard they do not fit into square pegs!

Well, I’ll just have to get over it, because the new system is here and it’s great! You can mix and match any eye shadows or cheek powders in any combination you want, it all will be customized with what YOU love – not a palette that has maybe 2 colors you are dying to have and then hate all the rest. The compacts fit perfectly in your handbag so they’re great for on-the-go, or keeping in your makeup drawer like I have (which will soon have to become a makeup closet)! There is also some new colors in the collection, so be sure to check it out!