Make-up and Wrinkle Creams
I am dedicating this installment to our own Cuckoo Mama for the inspiration from one of her posts.
I hate spending money on make-up and wrinkle creams. I cringe when my mascara is at the end and I am squeezing every last drop from my moisturizer tube.
The beauty industry sees us coming from a mile away. “Banish lines in a week!” “Make your skin glow!” “Make your tired eyes look instantly refreshed!” ok, ya, whatever.
I have never had the luxury of shopping expensive department store counters for my make-up, so I am only able to write what I have experience with, which is moderately priced products.
Wrinkle Creams and Moisturizers
My mom got me started in my 20’s using moisturizers. That coupled with good genes usually gets my age mistaken for 5-10 years younger than I really am. Plus, I refuse to ever act my age, because old people can be so boring and I hate boring. I love those who embrace and celebrate every wrinkle and age spot. I am not one of those people, but I am also not running out to get plumped and filled with poisons and injections that not only wear off and have to be redone, but cost enormous amounts of money and make you look like an over inflated Barbie. I am going to fight age with every penny I can allot to it, but I am also realistic.
I have extremely sensitive skin on my face. My skin seems to build up a natural resistance to products after a time and I start to have breakouts. Nothing teenager-like, but the one or two pimples constantly present is just plain annoying. Due to my wonderful skin, I have tried many products over the years. I have tried the celebrity endorsed lines from Victoria Principle to Cindy Crawford. I have tried Hydroxatone, products from each of Avon’s age centered Anew lines, and Mary Kay. Everything works pretty much the same for me, except for Resveratrol Q10 from our local health food shop. My skin dried out so much on the lower half of my face it took two weeks for my skin to feel normal again.
About two years ago, I was completely out of one of my products and desperate, so off to the drug store I went. The store was having a buy one get one 50% off sale on Neutrogena products. Neutrogena is known for not causing break-outs, so I thought I would try the Anti-wrinkle Deep Wrinkle Moisturizer and eye cream (dark blue stripe on silver box and tubes). My results were like nothing I had seen before. My lines around my eyes really improved like the advertisement said, for the first time. It doesn’t stay greasy feeling or dry out too fast. The cost is around $20 each for the eye cream and moisturizer, and lasts me about 3 months.
Last spring, I saw an episode of Dr. Oz explaining why most wrinkle creams are just expensive moisturizers, and why only those with Retinol replace the elasticity around the eyes and on the face. The Neutrogena products contain Retinol.
Make-up
Foundation is a problem with my skin, so I can usually only wear foundation for special occasions, never more than once or twice a week. I have heard that primers have come a long way in helping foundations to not settle into fine lines. I would love opinions on this. When I am looking for a flawless finish without my face looking caked on, I wear Garnier Ultra-Lift Transformer Anti-Age skin corrector. I LOVE this stuff. It has spf and turns from a cream to a tinted moisturizer the more it is rubbed in.
I love to get fixed up for special dinners out or special occasions with full out eye shadow, blush and lipstick, but I don’t like the heavy way it feels, so I am usually in eye liner and mascara with occasionally a light tinted lip gloss and that’s about it. Because of my preferences, and the fact that I also have sensitive eyes that will water constantly if I use the wrong products, I have endlessly searched for the best eye liner and mascara for me. Last September, I found my absolute favorite eye liner EVER. L’Oreal Infallible Lacquer Liner 24H truly stays on for 24 hours. No other liner has ever stayed put for me like this one. It comes in a little jar with an applicator brush. The price is about $9 which is more than a pencil, but it has been almost a year, and I have about ¼ of the jar left.
I have tried about every type of reasonably priced mascara made. Nothing compares to L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara. My favorite is the original, with the black tube and gold letters and cap. When the tube is new, I need to wipe the wand on a tissue to prevent clumping, but the fullness and length I get from it far outweigh the mild inconvenience. The price is usually $6-$7.
Under eye concealer is also important in my regimen. I have allergies and can tend to get dark circles. I stopped looking about 6 years ago when I was talked into trying Mary Kay Signature Concealer. The price at the time was a little steep for me at $10, but I am just getting to the end of my tube. Yes, it has lasted 6 years. A little goes a long way, it doesn’t make my skin dry and doesn’t irritate my eyes.
Now it’s your turn. I want to know what brands work for you. If you have to have an expensive product, what is it and why is it worth the price? What is your must have beauty product? What do you have in your purse right now?
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