Fabulous Over Forty – Where Beauty Is Ageless

It’s nearing that time of year again, Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.   And do you know what that means?   Super buys on beauty!  Again, there are some incredible deals of pre-packaged sets or large sizes with a special price, and the beauty companies pull out all the stops for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.    This year they are doing it so much smarter than in the past.   It used to be that you could pre-order what you wanted to purchase and then wait till the sale and pick it up.   But, if you were one of the unlucky ones and didn’t pre-order, your chances of getting the goods when the sale day started were very slim to none.   Now you can go in store or online and pre-order and it is shipped to you from their warehouse, even before the sale actually starts on July 16th.   Or if you can’t seem to get it together before that, you can go into the store and the stores will have good stock.  I wouldn’t wait too long though – no guarantees!

Here are a few of my favorites of the many, many wonderful deals to choose from.  Be sure to check online for more specials available.   Decisions, decisions…

This Dior deluxe palette is so much more gorgeous in person than how it looks here.   It includes a soft pink blush, a three tone bronzer,  four beautiful eye shadows, two lip glosses and a mini brush.    $54.00   There’s a Dior Addict Ultra Gloss lip gloss that’s exclusive too.  Fabulous!

Trish McEvoy always has wonderful value sets and this is no exception.  The “Must Have” collection for eyes is a $175 value for $85   It includes an “emergency card” which is credit card sized palette of 8 eye shadows, a dual ended makeup brush, a travel sized Eye Base Essential in Bare,  Instant Eye Lift, travel size Lash Enhancer, travel size Mascara, all in a mesh pouch to fit in your petite size planner. 

Giorgio Armani make beautiful brushes.  In this set you get a mini blush brush, a mini blender brush (I use the blender brush every single day) a mini eye shader brush and a mini eye contour brush all in a travel pouch.     These aren’t tiny mini brushes either, they are really nicely sized ones.  Individually these would sell for $167 and are being sold for $75.

This Bobbi Brown set is incredibly priced!   The products are all full-sized and would sell for $139 if purchased separately.   They’re selling the set for $75!   This Chocolate and Navy set includes a 5 pan eyeshadow palette including a new navy shade, an Everything mascara, Long Wear Gel Eyeliner in Caviar Ink along with an ultra fine liner brush, a Brownie shade lipstick and Pink Blossom lip gloss.   

Not to be outdone, Lancome has this Hypnose lash set for $42, valued at $99.  It includes Hypnose mascara in full size, a full sized Ink Artliner in Brun Elegance, a full sized Cils Booster XL, BiFacil makeup remover and a smudge brush #1 in a satin pouch.

Jo Malone fragrance sets are always divine and of course this one is no exception either.   This is a $135 value for $85 and you get an Orange Blossom Cologne (I wear this a lot), Grapefruit scented travel candle, Lime Basil and Mandarin Bath Oil and Pomegranate Noir Body Creme.  I’m in fragrance heaven already.

For the botanical skin care lover, Chantecaille has this set for you.  A $209 value for $135.  You get a Pure Rosewater, a Rice and Geranium Foaming Cleanser and a Vital Essence all in this pink drawstring nylon bag.    

And last, but certainly not least in my list of favorites is this Laura Mercier Portable Beauty Set for $65 with nearly $100 savings off the $164 value.  The set includes a split pan eye shadow duo, a dual ended brush, a split pan cheek color duo, a dual ended Lip Glace along with a mascara in this cosmetic bag. 

Deals this good only come around once a year, so be sure to check out all of them.  I’m sure I missed some that might be your favorites.  If you want to talk with a sales associate if you don’t have a Nordstrom near you, call 952-883-2121 and tell them Fab Over 40 sent you.  They’ll be great at assisting you in what you need.

What better to look fresh and Spring-like than in pink!    When wearing pink, you don’t want it to look so reddish pink that your makeup looks like Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland.  Ghastly!   Use a softer version or lean more towards purple than red.   If you have trouble wearing pink – try a coral pink instead.   There is a pink shade for everyone!

My foundation in this collection is Dior Capture Totale with SPF 15.    It is on the expensive side at $76, but the finish is beautiful and it’s chock full of the anti-aging ingredients that their Capture Totale skin care line has, so think of it as good for your skin too.  

Next, to cover my under-eye darkness, I use my favorite, Jouer Cosmetics Age-Repairing Brightener.   It’s so creamy and again chock full of anti-aging goodness that help diminish fine lines and wrinkles.    And it, of course, brightens under the eyes.

For the eyes, I use Giorgio Armani eye shadow in #36.  It’s a great all-over eye shadow base color.   Then on the eyelid, I use the lighter golden pink shade of Nars Kuala Lumpur and in the outer corner of the eye the darker golden purple shade from the Kuala Lumpur duo.   Line the eyes in a black or dark coffee shade of liner.   This Urban Decay 24/7 eye pencil is ultra creamy and easy to apply.   DON’T use a purple liner when doing these colors or you will end up looking like the Mad Hatter!   Top the lashes with CoverGirl’s new LashBlast Fusion for volume and length.

On the cheeks or all over the face use Jemma Kidd’s Mannequin Skin Complexion Enhancer in 01.  It gives the skin that beautiful glow.  It’s available at Target as individually packaged, but unfortunately it only comes in this kit online.    Top your cheeks with Sonia Kashuk’s liquid blush in 01 Peony.  It looks like an outrageously bright color, but it’s super sheer and just adds a hint of color.  Use your fingertips to tap it into the cheeks.   Again this is available at Target, but not shown online.     Add some warmth to the face with the Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Exotic Bronzing blush.   Adding another dimension of color is important here.

Top the lips with Chantecaille’s Lip Chic in Bourbon Rose.  These lipsticks are super creamy and moisturizing and this shade has a hint of shimmer.   They’re actually like a lipstick and lip gloss combination.

Polish off the Pretty in Pink look with the go-with-everything nail shade of Before He Cheats by Deborah Lippmann Collection.   It’s one of those classically beautiful pink shades.

What do you think of Pretty in Pink?

This year I didn’t do a whole big Spring 2010 beauty campaign.   Let’s face it, life can get in the way of fun sometimes and that’s what happened to me for about 5 weeks.   But there are a few products that are out there from Spring that are still worth talking about, even though Summer 2010 is starting to arrive on the beauty shelves as I type.  

These Giorgio Armani Nude Contrasts palettes are just the items that are still worth a second (or first) look.   My first impression was that yes, they are nice palette colors and some may think even boring.   But the more I thought about them and looked at them, they captivated my beauty attention. 

The case is not a matte one this time, instead it is a glossy black compact with the Giorgio Armani signature on top.  Palette #1 (left) has a soft pale blue shadow on top, a color they call pale bronze, a black liner and silver.   Palette #2, which I own, is different in color description than what they say online (I think).   The top color is a soft beige/taupe, the next color is a soft pink/beige -both with a soft shimmer, a black matte liner and a white at the bottom that is a bit more shimmery than the other two colors.    $58.

These palettes let you create a soft, classic, polished look – the classic Armani look as I like to think.   I like the layout of these colors in the compact better than the Eyes To Kill shadow palette – they allow better access to the colors without running the shadows into each other.   Be sure to give them a look!

Celebrity makeup artist Jillian Dempsey did Lancôme ambassador Kate Winslet’s beautiful makeup tonight for the Golden Globes.   I LOVED her smoky eye – a little more intense than she usually has done in the past.

Kate’s look was clean and luminous. Armani Luminous Silk Foundation showed off Kate’s naturally beautiful complexion.

To create contoured cheekbones, Jillian used Avon Be Blushed in Blushing Nude and highlighted the cheeks with a brightener.

Jillian Dempsey For Avon Professional Kohl Eye Liner in Navy played off the midnight hues of Kate’s dress. Several coats of Lancôme Hypnôse Mascara in Excessive Black really made Kate’s eyes pop.

For Kate’s matte lip, which she requested, Jillian topped lip liner with Lancôme L’Absolu Rouge in Rich Cashmere for a soft, pretty finish.

I’ve put together my list of “Best of 2009″ products after going through many blog posts and my bathroom and makeup bag(s).   The list consists of products that I continually use and like love, and restock my supply when out.     They are in no particular order, not all are new to 2009, but they are my personal “Best of 2009″

High End Fragrances  – By Kilian Fragrances.    Originally a perfumer for such names as Armani, Dior and others, Kilian Hennessy then started his own fragrance line “By Kilian”.  It was originally released with seven and now an eighth fragrance has been added to the collection.   Based on love and seduction these fragrances are full bodied, rich fragrances for men and women.   The bottle is so beautiful to a man or woman with the tooled leather detail and it is refillable.   Around $225.

Fragrances - Lisa Hoffman Beauty Variations.  I know you’ve heard me sing the praises of Lisa Hoffman’s products and now you can add the Variations Fragrances to the list of things I can’t quit talking about with this line!     Japanese Agarwood scent is one of my favorite in the line as it’s not too sweet, nor is it too manly.   It’s a scent my sensitive nose loves.   Shown at top is the wonderful packaging concept for these fragrances (there are 5 scents to choose from) which are labeled Morning, Daytime, Evening and Bedtime.  These essential oils have different blends of the fragrance to satisfy a woman’s olfactory senses throughout the day.   Brilliant!  $95 for the leather case and oils, and the case is refillable.   If you like a more feminine fragrance, the Tunisian Neroli is beautiful as well.   (I haven’t smelled the others to compare)   The Madagascar Orchid and Japanese Agarwood scents are available in this limited edition 2-Vial set in recycled plastic case (shown in photo 2 & 3).  $43.

Exfoliant – Kate Somerville ExfoliKate - pure skin care excellence!   I use this once or twice a week and a little dab of the green magic goes a long way.  This fruit enzyme exfoliated removes dead skin in just 30 to 60 seconds flat and leaves your skin baby bottom soft.   If you have sensitive skin, there is a formula for that, but my “tender” skin can tolerate the regular version because it is on for such a short period of time.   ExfoliKate is beloved by beauty bloggers everywhere!   $85, but it lasts for about 6 months.  I have bought this many times over the last few years.

Hair Care - Shu Uemura Art of Hair.  When I was sent the Prime Plenishshampoo and conditioner I thought I would try it with no expectations.   The results blew me away!    Prime Plenish is the perfect formula for over 40 women.   Formulated to build and replenish time worn hair, it leaves my hair full of body and volume and manageability.   It also does not strip colored hair.    $40 for the shampoo, $50 for conditioner.   It’s expensive for shampoo and conditioner, but I am willing to fork over the money for them – they’re that good.    Essence Absolue is their conditioning oil that is like gold magic!    I just raved about this recently so you can read all about it here. 

Eyeliner - Estée Lauder Gel Eyeliner.  I have raved for years about the Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner, but this one by Estée Lauder tops it!  Why?  Because it’s smoother and easier to apply (the Bobbi solid colors are “drier” than the shimmer colors)  It’s creamy for application and gives you time to fix any flaws before it dries and it stays all day.   $19.50.    My only hope is that they add many more colors to the line as it is only available in black, for now.  Do you hear me Estée Lauder?  Browns, plums, greens, blues.   I’ll take one in every shade if you please would make them!   

Mascara - Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill.  I first bought Eyes to Kill mascara late summer 2009 and was amazed at how it made my eye lashes pop.    I have fairly good length to my lashes, so I need volume.   This gives my lashes both incredible volume and length.  In fact, when I started wearing it I was stopped by complete strangers (seriously!) telling me I had incredible eye lashes and some even asking if I use Latisse.   I do not use Latisse and much earlier in the year I had tried NeuLash, but hadn’t for months when I began wearing this mascara.   It never flakes, never smudges, and doesn’t dry out my lashes.    It’s my perfect mascara!   $28.00

Foundation/Tinted Moisturizer – Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint.  Every woman over 4o should have a tinted moisturizer in her makeup bag for adding a hint of color, but also much needed moisturizer as well.  I use the Golden shade and it’s not too dark for my fair skin.    It adds warmth to my face and just the right amount of moisture too.   Some tinted moisturizers I’ve used either are tacky feeling or leave my face super-shiny.   This Luminizing Moisture Tint works perfectly for me.  The bonus is that it’s oil free and has SPF20.

Lipstick - Lancôme L’Absolu Rouge.  I first noticed this lipstick at the Lancome counter display with Kate Winslet’s photo and her favorite shades.  If memory serves me, there were 12 she had selected and of course if anything has Kate Winslet’s name with it I surrender full blown, must try, must have, you had me at “hello” type of reaction.  My first purchase of this extremely creamy, moisturizing, soft lipstick (with SPF 12) was the beautiful shade Aubergine Velvet – a shade that is typically darker than my normal shade range, so I also picked up Rich Cashmere – a great shade for every day polished look, and Tulipwood and Crushed Rose to round out my can’t-live-without-lipstick.   $29.  A bonus is the case is magnetic so you never have to worry about losing the top.

Face Powder - Becca Fine Loose Finishing Powder.  I typically have a love/hate relationship with face powders.   I know they work to set your makeup, but I have an extremely difficult time either finding the right shade or they turn color on me throughout the day or they leave my face looking overly powdered.  Yuck to all of those.    I was introduced to Becca Cosmetics this fall at a conference and haven’t gone a day without using the loose powder since.   The shade that perfectly matches my skin is Sesame and it doesn’t discolor or settle in wrinkles or even look too powdery.   I’ve tried countless finishing powders from inexpensive to ridiculously expensive, and I will not go without my Becca!  $35. 

Body Lotion - Korres Body Butter in Guava. While searching Sephora for a travel size lotion and body wash, I came across Korres Body Butter in Guava.   I love a good lotion, but it can’t be sticky, must absorb quickly and of course, leave my skin silky.   This lotion does it all!   It is thick like a butter and I love the light guava scent.  It comes in a variety of scents, but this one is my favorite.   Starting at $9.50 and up.   Korres comes from Greece and uses advanced natural formulations in their products.   (I love the lip glosses too!) 

Palettes – Jouer Cosmetics.  Palettes are a wonderful and convenient for travel, work or any time you want a “put together look” without having to think about it.   I am in love with Jouer Cosmetics for many reasons and this is another reason why.  Their palettes are completely customizable and all the pieces snap/slide together, even the glosses!    They now have these great collections called Signature Collections that are pre-packaged for you.   (I’ll be sure to post about those another day!)  Prices vary depending on item.

Body Care - Lisa Hoffman Beauty Spa Shower. Did you seriously think I wasn’t going to have these on my list?  The #1 Shower Gel moisturizes your skin as it cleans #2 is a gentle Body Scrub and #3 is the Body Oil that you apply when your skin is still wet – leaving it soft, moisturized and a lovely scent (Japanese Agarwood).   If you want travel convenience, you can get the Travel Packettes for only $9.50.   They’re perfectly size for a weekend away and meet TSA size requirements if flying.  $27.50 on up for the full size.   I think in 2010 I’ll be adding the #5 Hand and Foot cream to my must have list as well.    

Face Moisturizer -Lancôme Absolue Precious Cells.  Created especially for women 50 and over this rich, creamy moisturizer is one I have fallen in love with and consider it my go-to daily moisturizer.   With some powerful scientific claims behind it (by Lancôme’s research) I like this for several reasons.   It’s not too heavy that it clogs pores or makes it difficult to apply makeup over it.   It has SPF 15.  It keeps my face moisturized throughout the day without being oily and it has treatment ingredients as well.   It’s kept my skin looking great and the scientific claims behind it are difficult to ignore.   Only time will tell!  Recently in More magazine this was chosen as one of the favorite treatment moisturizers among a group of testers/readers.  $145.

That’s exactly how my face felt waiting for the bus Monday night.   Like it was frozen to a metal pole.  We Minnesotans are typically hardy when it comes to our winter weather, but sometimes we’re just not ready for those near 30 below zero wind chills, especially so early in the season.    It’s imperative that I make sure my skin is super moisturized so it doesn’t get quite so damaged by mother nature.  

Giorgio Armani Crema Nera Restoring Serum has been working magic on my face lately.   This serum feels more like a lightweight lotion going on, but it packs a wonderful moisturizing punch keeping dryness and wrinkles at bay.  It says its for severe dryness that can occur in mature skin, which is true.  I say it’s perfect for severe weather too.

Bobbi Brown’s EXTRA Face Oil is not only moisturizing, but healing to the skin.   Do not be afraid of applying oil on your face – I wouldn’t recommend using baby oil like my mother used on her face when her skin was dry, but this face oil offers ingredients that are wonderful for your skin.   I mostly apply this at night, but if you are super-dry, during the day works well too because it absorbs quickly.  I’ve found it to be remarkably healing – dab some on a zit or skin irritation and it’s gone by morning.  My super-sensitive skin has never been irritated by this Face Oil.  Ever.

Bobbi Brown Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 25 is really multi-purpose.   Use it as your daily moisturizer and you don’t need to apply a foundation – it’s built right in and the scent is incredible!   If you think you don’t need an SPF in winter,  you are seriously wrong.   The sun’s rays shining off the snow can be worse on your skin than in the summer.  Your skin will instantly glow!

Don’t forget the rest of your body either.   Dry itchy skin will disappear with these Quench Bath and Body products.  All natural, no chemicals and no preservatives and all Quench recipes are from beauty secrets from women around the globe.  The skin care is made out of natural things like Rose Water, Olive Oil, Almond Oil, Eucalyptus Oil, Lemon Myrtle and more.  I especially like the Shea Butter Oil.   It has little grainy beads mixed with the oil and all that is needed is a small amount to rub in and easily soak into your skin, making it incredibly soft all day long.

Now I’m ready to face the frozen outdoor elements!