Manolo for the Beauty

Big for fall? Blue eyeshadow.

Hey, I saw that eyeroll.

You know there are only so many colors that exist in the world, so blue was bound to come back at some point.  You knew that. 

Blue makeup does have a history that goes past that horrid 1960’s to 1980’s era.  Really, it does. 

Blue eyeshadow made of crushed lapis lazuli was used in Egyptian burials as early as 10,000 B.C.  Of course only the upper classes and royalty could afford to apply semi-precious stones to their eyelids.  Blue body paint is rumored to have been used by Celtic warriors, although to impress people as to their ferocity, not to look pretty.  You can see a fine example above courtesy of Mel Gibson in the movie Braveheart. It took a man named Max Factor to bring eyeshadow to the masses in the 1920’s, and blue was certainly among the popular colors.

But let us forget all about the heavy, matte blue eyeshadow of our disco-ing sisters.  Today’s blues are light, often faintly iridescent, and easier to wear than you think.  Blue is a flattering color to almost any skin tone, and is especially lovely on people with brown eyes.  You’ve just got to know how to choose the right blue with the correct undertone for your skin and eye color. 

If you have darker skin, lean towards turquoise and teal shades, such as this gorgeous turqoise shimmer pigment from Illamasqua:

If you have lighter skin and brown eyes, something like this shimmery darker periwinkle pigment would work well:

And if you’ve got blue eyes, the key is to choose a shade that is lighter than your own eye color.  This soft periwinkle blue might be a good one to try:

Remember to never go all the way up to the brow with the blue color.  Always choose a lighter color to sweep on the brow.

Because you seriously don’t want to revisit these days.

Who else is scared by their reflection in the miror when they wake up in the morning?

I didn’t used to be so scared of it until I started getting lovely things like wrinkles and blotchiness and other entertaining skin variations that come with the aging process.  If it is indeed true that you get the face you deserve, I must have been a total bitch my entire life.

Not that I hate myself when I see my reflection, but I sometimes stand there and say, really? So this is what it’s come to?

For someone who enjoys putting on makeup, I find myself not using a whole lot of it lately, but I think my almost year-old daughter is mostly to blame.  My morning routine these days is lucky to include a splash of water along with brushing the teeth.  Sometimes between getting my son out the door for school and dealing with the baby, I am sad to say my hair doesn’t even get brushed until hours later. 

Wouldn’t you just love to visit me first thing in the morning?

I promise it will make you feel better about yourself.

I have, throughout the years, used more types of facial cleansers than a reasonable person should.  My skin has always been oily and acne-prone and I could never seem to find the magic product that not only would make my skin oil-free, but perfectly glowing and blemish-free.  Well, I still haven’t exactly found a product that can do all that, but this one comes close.

A drugstore brand I bought for years was no longer being stocked, and so seeking a change, I searched  for a suitable replacement.  This 5% glycolic acid wash was definitely not a compromise.  It cleanses without stripping, and my skin tone looks to be a bit more even.  I don’t really use it to minimize wrinkles, although I’m reaching that stage more quickly than I’d like. Initially it seemed expensive, but you can get away with using a very small amount of product, and the bottle is quite large.  I’ve had mine for over three months and have used maybe a quarter of the bottle so far.

And you know what? It tingles.  It makes my face feel all tingly, and if I accidentally get some in my mouth, it puckers a bit.  Like a rube, I fall for the tingly sensation every time. If it FEELS like it’s working, it must be, right?

But all that aside, this is an excellent wash for someone with aging, oily skin.  Like moi, unfortunately.

Well, we might as well start off with me explaining my take on “beauty” which is a term that encompasses a vast amount of products and services.   And even though I can view beauty products with a part-crow mindset of “ooohprettyshinymewant,” I like to think I  have an equal amount of practicality.  I consider my approach to beauty as somewhat cerebral, if that’s possible.

I think that your beauty routine should:

1. Fit your lifestyle.  Heavy cat-eyes might be “in,” but if you don’t have time for it, do what works for you.

2. Fit your budget.  Fancy and expensive products aren’t the only options out there.

3.  Make you feel good about yourself.  If your beauty routine is as simple as applying a moisturizing sunscreen and a little lipgloss, and that is what makes you feel comfortable, I say go for it.  Not everyone is cut out for the Taylor Momsen look.  Actually, I’m not even sure Taylor is cut out for it, either.

4. Be flexible.  Consider colors, products, or techniques you haven’t used before.  Play around a bit.  Don’t be like the ladies who use the same eyeshadow they did twenty years ago.  This stuff is supposed to be fun! 

I am of the opinion that like your clothing and shoes, your makeup (or lack thereof) says something about you to the world.

Let’s make it a positive statement, shall we?

image via

Oh yes, a beauty blog.

I’ve been dying to do this type of blog for years now, and I was finally able to wear the Manolo down after about three years of bugging him about it.  Because I’m that persuasive.

Am I some type of beauty expert? A person who has any type of professional makeup experience? 

Well, no.

But, I will assure you that at the tender age of eleven I was already pawing through my sister’s Seventeen magazines and avidly reading up on the correct way to apply eyeshadow (which really, hasn’t changed a whole lot in the thirty years since) and the best way to highlight your cheekbones.

My tween self took all of this advice to heart, having already covertly practiced with my grandmother’s Avon products while she was away at work, as my mother didn’t really wear makeup.   Luckily for me, my grandmother had a bathroom filled with all kinds of beauty products for me to enjoy.  Not because I thought I was ugly without them, but the colors, the textures, and the scents were all too intoxicating for me to resist.  It was, indeed, futile.

As I got older and my checkbook expanded, so did my range of products.  I bought everything from expensive hair conditioner to tinted moisturizer to lotions with acid in them and everything in between.

So while I’m no professional, I am someone with more than a passing interest in the world of beauty, and always have been.   I also own no fewer than fifteen lipsticks at any one time, all of which are used regularly.  Which either means I really like lipstick or I need to enter some type of twelve step program.

I’d like to use this site to chat about all the things we use to make ourselves look (hopefully) better than before we applied them. 

So pull up a chair, powder your nose, and let’s go!

photo via