Manolo for the Beauty

I think we can all pretty much agree that buying someone a gift on sale simply means that we are trying to buy more for them for the money.  In that spirit, here are some nifty beauty gifts that can be bought separately and put together in a makeup bag, or maybe one nice, big gift.  Either way, it’s a gift, and if they don’t like it they can give it back.

Sephora by OPI It’s Real 18K Top Coat.  Lots of great reviews for this top coat, a lot of luxe in a little bottle!

You can never go wrong with a pretty little compact.  This one is from Tarina Tarantino.

Adorable leather ponytail wraps.

Just give up the pretense of gift-buying and get them for yourself, already.

Go ahead and take the plunge for the friend you know will love these but hasn’t yet bought for herself.

You gotta love a palette that has almost everything.  The colors look pretty compatible for many skin tones, but that is a very personal factor that must be taken into account before purchasing.  Of course.

Let’s face it, it’s an extremely low-tech Clarisonic. At least you’ll never have to buy batteries for it? But the reviews are overall pretty great.

I’m grateful for many things.

Among them are you, my witty, erudite, and beauteous readers.

I’m grateful for days when my hair looks great even though I haven’t really done anything to it.

I’m grateful for my health, and the health of my loved ones.

I’m grateful for the perfect makeup brush holder I found, an old vase from Japan adorned with purple flowers.

I’m grateful that I still have the opportunity to write this blog, and I promise that I will post more regularly.

I’m grateful for many things.

I know you are too.

So you’ve got an especially well-endowed set of lips?  Most women would be panting with jealousy, as there are bajillions (seriously, bajillions) of products designed to make your lips appear larger than they really are.

However, let’s say that you aren’t comfortable with your lip size, and possibly for certain occasions, would like to minimize their appearance rather than highlight them.

Glinda is here for you.

I’ve done a bit of research for you so that you don’t have to wade through articles that tell you to commit to an exercise routine for your lips so that you can get rid of their extra fat.  Yes, someone actually DID write that.

Anyhoo, for those times when you would rather your lips not take so much of the spotlight, here are some tips:

1) Use matte colors, no shine.

2) Try applying foundation on your lips before lip color application.  This can help reduce their outline a little bit.

3) Soft neutral colors rather than dark or intense ones.

5) Highlight another part of your face to draw some attention away from the lips, but don’t overdo it.  It’s a fine line, to be sure.

There seems to be some disagreement about the use of a lip liner, and I myself am torn.  Usually a lip liner is used to make lips larger, but I could see that it could help define a smaller lip when using the foundation trick.

Good luck!

81% of you choose to keep your lady garden in its natural color state.  18% of you are at least not rejecting the idea outright.  To me, if it is safe and not too much of a hassle, I don’t see it as anything but some harmless fun.

Some beauty/style website I happened upon featured the above hair style as a “no no” for women over 40.  They called this hairstyle “witchy poo.”

Excellent advice for women of any age.

And I am so bummed she and Will Arnett are divorcing.

25% of you have broken my heart by saying that you do not have a positive self-image.  I obviously cannot speak to the experiences that have placed you in that mindset, but I want you to know that I truly believe that each of us in our humanity is impossibly and breathtakingly beautiful.  It has nothing to do with the shininess of our hair or the trendiness of our lip color.  It has everything to do with the way we reflect ourselves and our attitudes to the outside world.  I mean, I don’t even know you, and I think you are fantastic!  And if a complete stranger on the internet thinks you’ve got it, then you have got it going on!

59% stated that they mostly do have a positive self-image, and you go, girls! I think it is safe to say that everyone has their off days.  Re-read above.

3% of you say that you absolutely do, and you are my people.  There is nothing to be gained by beating ourselves up, is there?

51% of you would choose clothes, if given the choice between clothes, shoes, and makeup.  30% chose shoes, and the remainder fell into the makeup category.  Surprisingly, I was among those who chose shoes.  If I was a betting woman, I would have bet on makeup, but recently I’ve been on a mini shoe-buying binge. 

Clothes aren’t holding much for me lately, as my hormone therapy for my missing thyroid isn’t going all that well and an unpredictably ballooning waistline isn’t making me all that enthusiastic about shopping for clothes.  Now, if I knew what weight I was going to be from month to month, I’d be fine, but I never know exactly where I’m going to be due to the meds.

Speaking of bodies and the changing of, I’ve got a self-esteem question for you today.

Oh, I’m so proud of you, 50% knew exactly what a BB cream is!  Not that I’m disappointed in the other 50%, because I was recently one of you.  A BB cream stands for “Blemish Balm” or “Blemish Base” or a couple of other similar alliterative terms.  You can go here to read more details, but many BB creams have soothing properties, along with light coverage.

Today, I’ve got a question that might be a toughie.  And, know that with this question, money (or lack thereof) is not an issue.  A total hypothetical, if you will.

If you’re guilty of doing one of these so-called “bad skin habits.”

OK, well, I can see how going without sunscreen and baking in the sun aren’t good things.  But how many people actually apply products with such a heavy hand that they cause problems?

And, you will have to pry my hot showers and exfoliators out of my red, inflamed hands.

For 34% of you, it only takes 10-15 minutes to put your makeup on for a normal day out, and for 26%, it takes less than 10 and also less than 5. 5% take 15-20, and 3% take 30 minutes or more.  I would say it takes me somewhere around 15, and I attribute that mostly to the fact I have a toddler.

Now, the picture above of a makeup-less (or mighty close to) Heidi Klum has been making the internet rounds, and it seems the internet had quite a bit to say about it.  Let’s see where within the spectrum your opinion lies.