Making 3 into 1: Concealer, Foundation, and Powder

I need to tell the truth. I’m sitting here wearing no makeup. Zilch. And I haven’t worn makeup for the past few days either. Hauling out my bag of makeup every morning and going through a routine day after day is too tiresome for me, and there is no need for it. But, after all that, I do end up putting on makeup 5 out of 7 days of the week because of everything that goes on in a big family.  It has taken me a long time to learn makeup basics and getting them down-pat and I can never refrain a sigh when I look back over some of the things I used to do with makeup. But now, after a little bit of experience and some research, I am mostly happy with the way I do it. Not that my way is for everybody, but I’m a pretty basic girl. That said, let’s start with the most basic of basics, concealer, foundation, and powder. Wash, then moisturize your face with whatever you use and let it dry for a few minutes. I use Rachel Perry Super Antioxidant Complex- Coq10, Nonie Juice & Sunblock SPF 18 since it has SPF in it. See, if  you look closely at the picture you’ll see while the rest of the girls body is getting tanned, her face is staying the complexion it’s supposed to; the SPF in the moisturizer is doing its job.  Moving on.  Concealer is essential for all those days after a bad nights sleep because a little child was moving around in your bed, or your previous day had just been so stressful it brought all the stress to the surface of your face.    I use a Maybelline Cover Stick, just like the one pictured; I’ve never experimented with anything else, but this serves its purpose, so why should I? Okay, let me quickly breeze over this. A little word on your concealer, though: a little goes a loooooong way and your shade should pretty closely match your skin color. Now, take your concealer and lightly dot under your eyes, the place that needs it the most. With your finger, tap at it until it is well blended into your skin. Over your trouble spots you can make a small X and tap that until it is blended, too. Ditto for your birthmarks. For all those girls who didn’t moisturize their faces, now is the time they will notice that the concealer is not blending in very well and is flaking. One word. Moisturize.   Foundation time! Some girls swear by foundation, others don’t. I do. Foundation easily gives you an even complexion if you find a shade that matches your skin. Start out by shaking the bottle gently then dotting some on your finger tip. Now, apply it in small amounts to areas that are unevenly colored by soft, outward and downward strokes, blending, blending, blending. Did I mention blending? The area you want to concentrate on the most is the jaw and the hairline. Foundation plays its part well. If you skip it and just do concealer and powder the powder will wear off in a couple of hours and have to be reapplied, and that’s hard to do if you’re out and about. The most important things to remember about foundation if you’re going to make it work, is, small amounts, and blending. Now, the final, finishing touch: powder. Loose powder works wonders, even beyond that of foundation. It binds together the work of the concealer and foundation and gives your face a beautiful veneer, if it’s the right shade. Lightly dip your brush into the container and, using the lid, tap off the excess until you have a small bit left. Brush it over your entire face, not skipping anything; the nose, along the hairline, and even on your eyelids. I alway make sure to powder my eyelids because it is a good base for my eyeshadow. If you somehow managed to get your eyebrows dusted, don’t worry, just take a Q-Tip, get one end of it damp, and run it along your eyebrows, then dry them with the other end of the Q-Tip. Ta-da! That was easy and painless. Now your face is ready and waiting for the rest of your routine. Anna

Coming and Arrived

Here’s what is coming:   From Borders. From J. Jill. My Old Navy shirts did manage to come today even though it snowed outside! I like them.  Upcoming posts: Beauty Basics, How-To. Look for them! Anna  

Merry Christmas (It’s Over)

Christmas is over. But it brought a lot of joy and presents. The looks and excitement from the little boys was absolutely precious, and the toys they got will keep them occupied for many days.  The toys and gifts I got will keep me happy for many days, too. Who knew that my Mom would be buying me a leopard print top from Ann Taylor? Not I!Or leopard print shoes from T.J. Maxx? Not I!I’ve been wanting to buy something with leopard print these past couple of months. I thought, maybe a scarf, or maybe a bag, but a shirt and shoes? I love it…   I think that the way to pull off the look of leopard print is to keep it casual. No glitzy jewelry, no heels; just jeans or relaxed pants. In a conservative color. No lime green or hot pink. Keep the face natural looking, as well; avoid making it up too much. I admit, though, I did pair my red bag with my top. Black or brown would work, too,  but I couldn’t resist having red with the leopard print. *Sigh* I guess my conservative days are over.  Last night I also wore a pair of red matching jammies from Target. They’re not satin, but they are cool, breathable cotton and really cute. I ALSO got a coat which will keep me, hopefully, very warm when I am walking around on the icy streets of Washington D.C. It’s french blue with faux fur lining. Mmm!  Tell me what you got for Christmas! Anna 

Jammie Rides

Oh, what to wear for a jammie ride? Each  year at Christmas time, usually as the big day draws closer, everyone in my 11 person family, including the dog, climb into our van and ride *bumpity, bump* down the hill to a neighborhood that is ablaze with Christmas lights. I sat next to my littlest brother and had much pleasure in listening to him point out “Cars!”, “Monsters Inc.!”, “Incredibles!”, “Tom & Jerry!”, “Elvis!” Wait. Elvis? How do you know who Elvis was, kid? I admit. I always wear my jammies. No one sees me unless I voluntarily go into a store or restaurant.  Jammies are one thing, however, that I have not poured much of my time or money into. I don’t have a matching set. I don’t have anything satiny or lacy or red. The cashmere bathrobe I have sure is soft and warm, but I didn’t pay a cent for it. I think I’ll wait until I get me a husband before I start worrying much about what I wear to bed.  If I were a rich girl I would be spending money on these little items from Anthropologie, though:   Anna 

Messy Chic

Some days a girl has just got to stick her hair in a ponytail and live with it. If you haven’t had time to make it look effortlessly stylish and hate having it hang limp in your face, here is what you do: grab a thick hairband and pull your hair back to the middle of your head in a ponytail making sure it is a little loose, then push the hairband forward till it’s no longer loose and you have a messy chic ponytail. If you do have at least 5 minutes, run the tiniest amount of gel or mousse through your locks to separate the strands and hairspray it when you are done. Some girls I have seen, dress up this look with a summer scarf tied over the top or a headband. Cute. You could even add a few pins or clips!   Anna 

Where To Shop

For a girl with a low income, I don’t have lots of options for where I shop, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be creative.  Ever since I remember, my Mother has taken me to the Goodwill thrift store to browse the racks of *mostly* grungy clothes on a treasure hunt for those few, elusive articles of clothing that pass the feel and look test (it needs to look AND feel good, in fact, YOU should feel good about what you are buying). Now that I’m grown and provide for most of my clothes, I shop online a lot. I still appreciate finding the occasional $50 pair of jeans in new condition for $5 dollars, though. What girl wouldn’t? I do not, however, appreciate cheaply produced, mass clothing. Think Wal-Mart. Think Ross. Yesterday, I stepped into Ross and browsed the racks in search of a gold nugget, but almost all the clothes were thin, strangely designed, and had smudges or a defect of some sort, not to mention most of the sizes were xxx30, or whatever. Just because 90% of America is obese does that mean we stop making clothing sizes for the normal 10%? (And no, that is not any sort of statistic, it was completely made up). I did not find anything to waste my money on at Ross.  Hopping over to the Goodwill did turn up one skirt, and I have it hanging in my closet now. It’s a brown, corduroy, knee-length, pencil GAP skirt that fits me like a dream. The color is good and will go with most everything in my closet and well, and, I imagine, it will even stand up to the harsh weather of the East Coast with some thick tights and a good sweater and coat. Flats or boots are both flattering with the cut, but walking around a lot, I would rather wear flats than heels. Like I mentioned in my previous post, I shop at Old Navy, too, and everything I have purchased from them has met my needs. They are a little pricey, but I automatically click on their sales or bargains page when I am browsing so as not to be tempted by clothing with a higher price. If I’m looking for something specific I’ll try my hardest to find it on a sale page, but sometimes I have to grit my teeth and pay full price. I just purchased jeans from J.C. Penney, another good place to shop. Most of my purchases have been satisfactory, with only a few disappointments. Their petite sizes have always fit me with no complaints. They are also rather pricey and I’m pretty selective about their clothes, a lot of which I think look too old-ladyish, and are more expensive than Old Navy. They have quality clothing, though, and if you buy something you don’t have to be afraid that the seams will break and have the whole thing fall apart the next day.  So, those are a few of my favorite places to shop. Old Navy, J.C. Penney and Goodwill. I’ve hear T.J. Maxx is a pretty good place to shop, but I haven’t been there so I can’t vouch for them. Skip going to Wal-Mart, Target and Ross. They’re not worth your money or gas.   Anna 

Black and Red

These are my recent purchases from Old Navy: Since I only ordered this today I cannot yet give details on this particular item. I was drawn to it, though, because of my need for a black shirt, and its velvety, soft look. Many black shirts are too harsh looking for my taste, but the velvety look will easily draw together many an outfit. I bought this as a Christmas gift to myself and I’m charmed by it. The large size and bright, red color make it an easy accessory to grab when I’m heading out the door. The size is also perfect to double as a carryon for my upcoming trips. The color is versatile enough that I think this purse will waltz right into the Summer season. The only thing it is wanting is pockets but carrying a wallet inside has taken care of most of that problem. Anna