#you are all used to my garbage but posting these pics i make elsewhere feels like stripping naked in public i will die of fucking shame

[longelk]

my kaycee hyperfixation has ruined my ability to open commissions on other sites.. my favorite artwork ive done in the past Year are all pieces of Her and i dont even want to use her as an example because shes so fucking gross..

[nancypullen]

Wake Up and Make Up

A couple of days ago my sister and I were talking about makeup.  We’ve been talking about makeup since I was in kindergarten. No lie.  Those tiny Avon sample lipsticks were our gateway drug and we’ve had a monkey on our backs ever since.  Here’s the thing though,  I’m not one bit sorry.  Trust me, I’ve heard all of those passive-aggressive remarks like, “Oh, I never wear makeup, who has the time?”  Me, I do.  It’s not for everyone and I’d never dream of telling another woman what she should or shouldn’t do with her face.  That said, I get asked A LOT what I use/wear/recommend.  Not because anyone wants to look like me (I’ll be 55 next month, I’m no one’s goal) but because people know that I am a Sephora junkie who absolutely loves to play with cosmetics and find out what’s new, what works, what’s wonderful, and all that.  They’d probably be surprised to learn that this is my daily face.  Super quick and super easy.

Disclaimer:  I am not a photographer and this was not a glamour photo shoot.  I pulled these items out of my makeup bag and snapped them on the bathroom counter. Deal with it.  First things first.  I love this IT Cosmetics CC cream.  It’s nourishing and it’s got 50 SPF, so that’s kind of fabulous. The tube has a pump which is really nice and a little goes a long way. I’ve had this tube since May and it’s easily got another two or three months worth in it. There’s not a huge shade range, but because it’s a CC cream it tends to blend well and I think most people could find a match.  I wear medium in the winter and medium tan in the summer.  This tube is $38, but if you check the Sephora website you can purchase a little travel tube for $15.  I’m sure it’s sold elsewhere, but I’m a loyal Sephora customer.

Next up is this fabulous little multi-tasker.  It’s Bobbi Brown’s Pot Rouge and it’s for cheeks AND lips.  Score!  I use the color Blushed Rose and I love it.

As  *ahem*  a woman of a certain age, I find that creams are kinder to my skin than layers of powders.  I tap my middle finger on this rich color and just sort of dab it on the apples of my cheeks.  Then I repeat for my lips.  It provides lasting color and it feels good on my lips.  This compact will run you $32, but remember that’s cheeks and lips. Let’s talk eyes.  I’ve never been one to wear a lot of cosmetics on my eyes.  Maybe it’s because my brother always called me “bug eyes” when we were kids and I’m still a little self-conscious about them, or maybe it’s because I find one color on my lids to be plenty.  If we’re going out for a fancy-schmancy evening I might add a little navy blue smear to the crease on top of my standard brown shadow.  I think nearly every eye color looks fabulous with a little dark blue accent.  But my go-to is a little pot of cream shadow from MAC.

Here’s the thing about eye shadow (in my humble opinion).  Most women already have pretty eyes, and you really don’t want to hide them, you just want to frame them.  Again, just my opinion, if you feel best with seven colors of glitter on your lids, then you go rock that.  I’ve almost always just worn a subtle shade of brown, sometimes a plum brown, because I once read in Seventeen magazine that’s what you should wear if you have green eyes.  The shade you see above is Constructivist from MAC Cosmetics.  I also have a lighter brown that I wear in the winter, Groundwork.  As we age, that space between the eyebrow and the lid starts to look heavy.  What do we do when we want something to recede? Color it dark!  My loyalty to brown eye shadow has paid off because a swipe of color that’s a couple shades darker than your skin tone can make that droopy upper lid recede.  Or at least give the illusion that it does. These Mac Paint Pot beauties run about $19 and they last for-ev-er.  Seriously, you’ll get your money’s worth out of every product I’m listing.  Besides, people think nothing of dropping $30 for a pizza dinner that literally turns to poop, or twice that much on garden mulch that they’ll rake up at the end of the season.  I have a friend who will only use scented garbage bags and special orders them (newsflash, your garbage still smells like garbage) but wont splurge on a good foundation.    I used to justify my cosmetics because I cut and color my own hair, I rarely spend on clothes, I don’t have expensive hobbies, and blah,blah,blah.  Now I just admit that I like makeup and I think it’s okay to use good quality products on your FACE.  No apologies.   And that brings us to my favorite product of all... The cheese stands alone.

 This, my friends, is Giorgio Armani’s Black Ecstasy mascara.  It is made with the tears of angels and unicorn fluff.  I don’t know what sorcery is involved in the making of this stuff, and I don’t care.  It’s $32 and worth every penny.  I’d give up every other product but this one.  Over the years I’ve tried drugstore mascaras and they always irritated my eyes.  I graduated to Clinique and Estee Lauder and they were fine.  In fact, for years I used whatever was on sale or in the “gift with purchase” at my local department store cosmetics counter...and they were all fine. Just fine.  Then Sephora sent me a sample of Armani’s and that was all over.  One swipe, honestly just one swipe is all it takes to coat and separate my lashes.  You don’t have to go all Tammy Faye to get lush lashes. I dip and swipe on my right eye, then dip and swipe on my left eye, and finish by running the brush horizontally across the bottom lashes of each eye with what’s left.  It doesn’t flake and get in my eyes, and there’s nothing in it that irritates.  It’s my true love. My soul mate. So that’s my makeup routine, 4 products.  My look rarely changes.  I’m pretty boring.  These photos are all spaced about a month apart.  *YAWN*

 Don’t judge me.  I’ve never taken a great photo in my life.  Or maybe I really do just look goofy all the time. The last picture is my norm.  I somehow always manage to look like a cocker spaniel who needs to go out. I’m not wrong.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t add my other favorite lipstick to this list.  I’ve been buying it for several years, since it made its debut, and I’m still in love with it.  

Bare Minerals Liquid Lipstick in the color XYZ.  That’s the color I’m wearing in the first two pics and the Bobbi Brown Blushed Rose is in the third picture.  There’s not a huge difference, but the XYZ is a warmer color and the Blushed Rose is obviously pinker and cooler.  This Bare Minerals lipstick is fantastic.  It goes on super creamy with a little doe foot applicator and dries down to a matte finish that will last alllll day. When I wear it I always pop a spot of gloss on my bottom lip, or at least a little Carmex - I think I’m too old for a super matte lip, but maybe I’m too old for gloss.  Maybe no one cares. Either way, this tube is always in my makeup bag. Don’t think for a minute that just because I’ve listed only a few products here that I don’t have drawers upon drawers full of palettes, winter colors, summer colors, fancy night out colors, that one red lipstick that I really want to wear but I look like Cruella de Vil when I do....and more.  This list is my automatic, never-fails-me, done-in-5-minutes face.  None of these things will hide all of the crinkles I’m getting around my eyes.  I’ll let you know right away if I find that miracle product.  I use a cleanser and moisturizer from Paula’s Choice.  They run $10 or $11 dollars and the bottles are large and will last months and months.  I love and trust Paula’s Choice - Paula Begoun is the woman who wrote my bible, Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me.  You can read about that here: https://www.paulaschoice.com/who-we-are/about-paula.html I hope that these ramblings answer a few questions.  What works for me might not work for you. Hopefully the products I’ve shared here are universal enough that they’d be a nice addition to anyone’s war paint.  If you want to expand your inventory, stop at any Sephora and ask for samples.  I’ve had them pump two or three foundations at a time into little sample pots. They’re happy to do it.  They have an exceptional return policy where they’ll take back a product (with the receipt), no questions asked - so they’d much rather you take home a sample than return a full-sized item.  Another bonus, Sephora employees do not receive commission. You won’t get a hard sell or a pushy employee trying to fill your bag for their benefit.  I like that.  Now, if you go to your local Sephora and encounter a snotty girl who acts like assisting you or providing samples is a bother, ask for a manager - that’s not okay.  I’ve never had that issue, but I’ve also not been to every Sephora.  I take that back, the super models in the Sephora  on Champs d'Elysées in Paris were kind of rude - but that may have been a combination of a language barrier and the fact that I looked like a Hobbit who’d been caught in the rain.  Still, not okay. Wear it, don’t wear it, be as natural or as glamorous as you like. But whatever you choose, do it for yourself.   I paint my face for me.  I like it.  I don’t do this for other women, and I sure as heck don’t do it for men.  I’m not spending money on a lipstick for someone that I wouldn’t trust to pick a paint color.   Mine is the only opinion that matters when it comes to my face, my body, my hair, my clothes, etc.  Get that set in your mind and you’ll enjoy your days. P.S.  Even though I mentioned Sephora a million times and shared specific brands, this is not a sponsored post and I’m not promoting or advertising for anyone.  But hey, if Sephora is listening I wouldn’t get mad at a gift card.  My husband would probably appreciate it.