Atypical 60

Some Five-Minute Reviews and a Note on GREAT Customer Service!

Posted on May 23, 2017 by Catherine

Before I go into a few reviews on a few cosmetic items, I need to show you another customer service email I received.

This. From J. Crew Factory. Let me backtrack. On Saturday, Bonaparte and I went to J. Crew Factory because I had seen a couple of items that I wanted to check out. I also had a “Rewards Card” and coupon and was itching to use both.

While I did purchase the two short-sleeved sweaters I wrote about in my previous post, and a pair of shorts that were on clearance, I had to pass on the one item I really wanted—a pair of shorts in a Pink Flamingo print.

I honestly cannot begin to tell you how much I love these sweaters. The sleeve length is the greatest on earth!

Yes. Navy shorts with Pink Flamingos standing in all their glory. Those shorts were meant for me. Until I tried them on. At 3” length, I had to come to terms that they just were not appropriate for me. I would need a bikini wax if I sat the wrong way. Lord knows if I had to bend all the way over, I would need more than a bikini wax.

These shorts. I’m so in love. Those pink flamingos. *Sigh* I wanted to make them mine–if only they were an inch longer!!

And when I went home, as is my usual routine, I went on the J. Crew Factory site and wrote reviews. I wrote glowing reviews about the sweaters and a sad review about the shorts:

My sweater review was filled with love….Below is the actual review on the J.C. Crew Factory site and the correspondence that transpired.

Not mature woman friendly

May 21, 2017

Ok, JCFactory. When I saw these shorts I wanted them because the Flamingo print stole my heart and the pink/navy thing melted it. At 3″ I didn’t care. I tried them on anyway.
At 62 years old, 5’6″ and 140 lbs, the 8 was a great fit –but wayyyy to short !! I would need a bikini wax to be running around in these!!!! Couldn’t you have offered this adorable print in longer lengths??? 4″ and 5″ would have been perfect for the older ladies!!!!show less

Cathe

I never ever expected a response:

Hello,

I’m so sorry to hear about the disappointment in these shorts – I’ll be sure to pass along your comments to the appropriate teams for you. I’d be happy to see what I can do to help, but I wasn’t able to locate any online orders for these shorts under your email. Did you happen to use a different email address to purchase them? Or, did you happen to purchase these in store? If so, do you happen to recall the date of purchase, the store you bought them from, as well as the last 4 digits of the credit card used? With this information I’d be able to look into this further for you.

I look forward to your response!

Best,

Marisa Z J.Crew Factory Customer Service

I responded and then I received THIS:

Hi Catherine,

Thanks for getting back to us! Please know that your comments about the shorts have been shared with my team – hopefully we can offer the same print in a longer length in the future. In the meantime, we have 5″ Chino Shorts in solid colors (item 21760), the 5″ Printed Chino Shorts in Pink Multi, Navy Pineapple, Ivory Navy, Blue Ivory, and Deep Navy Red (G2319).

Please let me know if I can help with anything else; have a wonderful week!

Best,

Marina, J.Crew Factory Customer Service

Comments about the shorts will be shared with Marina’s team. How can I not be happy with this?? Especially after the response from the Urban Decay company about the eye pencil.

I’ve been pleased as punch with the customer service at J. Crew—they are the ones who “found” my Stewart plaid Lady Jacket when it was on sale. Kudo’s to my favorite store for stellar customer service. This older lady thanks you!

The beautiful Stewart Plaid J. Crew Lady Jacket. FOUND by the J. Crew Customer Service Folks!

Ok. Now for a few reviews….

First. I’ve “rediscovered” this Illuminating Palette by Wet ‘n Wild. I’m using it as summery eye shadow. It hit me the other day when the thought of a lighter, brighter eye might look good for the warmer weather.

I’ve had this about a year…it’s a great lower end product..

Blended together they make a nice illuminating product. But…

Separately, the colors make a nice summery eye look!

The notable thing is that this is a multi-tasking product. It’s an illuminating product but can double as eyeshadow and at a price point of fewer than five dollars, it is a great summer travel item!

Nice and bright–right? Don’t pay attention to the lips–I didn’t put lipstick on yet!

Next up is the Charlotte Tilbury Mini Miracle Eye Wand.

Tilbury’s Mini Magic Eye Wand–I like it as a lip treatment as well!

This is a two-step product. On one end, the first step is a hydrating eye cream. It does go on smoothly and is hydrating.

This is step 2 and the photo is way out of focus!

The other end is a highlighter—a twin for the YSL Touché Eclat, which I have. The difference is that with the Tilbury product, you get a cream as well.

I decided to use this on my lips instead. I like the way it hydrates the area around my mouth and I can “line” my lips with the highlighter. A two-for-one product which makes it excellent for travel. An eye and lip product!

I use it on my eyes then apply step 1, cream, to the upper areas of the lip then line with step 2. Works for me!

Since I’m running low on blush, I thought it would be an excellent idea to try the Charlotte Tilbury Beach Stick in “Las Salinas”. This is a beautiful, bright, pinkish-coral color stick for both cheeks and lips. I’ll stick to using it solely as a cheek color.

Las Salinas Beach Stick is probably one of the prettiest cheek colors I’ve ever seen and used!

Here’s another view of the color..

..and how it looks on my pasty-fish belly white skin!! (this is the inside of my wrist)

I dot it on my cheeks and blend with a soft brush. I’m really diggin’ this. It is a great summer color. At $45, it is a bit pricier than the NARS Multiple stick but It’ll last a long time.

Dot, dot, dot and blend, blend, blend…

I have the Nars in “Riviera” and love it. I’ve had it for over two years and have hardly put a dent in it. A little goes a long way. It’s a great winter coloor. Same with the Beach Stick—a little goes a long way. This is a fantastic summer color and the price per use will be pennies!

I’m wearing the Las Salinas Beach Stick in this photo. It is so subtle and not clownish at all. Very natural. I’m also wearing the Model Model “Storm” wig!

And last of all—a little tip. You know how much I love my Chapstick and use it as a “blur” product. Lip Balms have a ton of uses. Well the other day I smudged mascara while applying it. I hate when that happens. I grabbed my L’Occitane lip balm and wiped the mascara off in one fell swoop. The L’Occitane is a bit creamier than the Chapstick and worked like a charm. It really worked wonderfully to get rid of any smudges or eyeliner “mistakes”!

More than a lip balm. Last summer I picked up the GREATEST lip balm of all time for one euro. I’m going to load up on it this summer!

Try it—it works!

Any multitaskers for you? Do you have a favorite product that does more than one task? Share it with us!!!

Do you remember this song by Carly Simon? Coming Around Again? It reminds me of all the multi-tasking we did when our kids were younger…

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Beauty, beauty over 50, Fashion, J. Crew | 20 Comments

Welcome to Crazytown. I’ve Begun to Pack for Our Trip Back to France.

Posted on May 21, 2017 by Catherine

It’s almost that time of year. In less than a month, Bonaparte and I will be flying back to the apartment in Theoule-sur-Mer, France.

Our little apartment. I can’t wait to open the front door and relax for a coupla weeks!

I’ve started to prepare. I’m a bit behind my usual timeline because, with a full-time job, I find that preparing is more challenging. Time is of the essence, and I have not been focusing. If you have been reading this blog since the beginning, you are well-aware that my packing obsession has always started way, way, way ahead of the time of departure!

I need to get myself emotionally prepared first. I’ve been listing to my French pop music on the way to the office and then on the way home. Listening to the music repeatedly helps me to learn the language better. No. Seriously. It does. Georges Brassens has the clearest voice ever. He sings his words slow and purposely. I realized that one of his songs is about friendship and the buddies he grew up with –it only took me four years of listening to the song to figure it out!

It’s true. I start my prep work by listening to French pop music and Georges Brassens! I’ll be on the lookout for more music this summer. I’ve amassed quite the collection over the years!

Oh yeah. Welcome to Crazytown–Atypical60 style!

Bonaparte would have a total meltdown or stroke if he walked into the little guest room that doubles as my makeup and wig room. Basically, I keep the door closed at all times so he can’t see the unorganization, untidy display, state of absolute slight messiness that is occurring. I call it the “storm before the calm”.

Bonaparte would have a stroke if he walked in on this–luckily, I cleaned it up. It is now in a pile on the floor!

Today I started to pack.

Sort of.

The little pom-pom clutch will come in handy when we go out to dinner. I don’t want to carry a ton of stuff. The Wythe Hotel tote will be traveling for the 4th time to France. This tote is strong as all get out and will carry wine, champagne and creme de cassis with no problem. The Fragonard tote will be used to haul groceries and other shopping goodies–it can double as a beach/pool bag!

Travel tip: Going to France? Don’t forget to bring tote bags and bags for the grocery haul. You have to pay for the little shopping bags over there–they aren’t free. Spend your money wisely and bring bags.

Every year I’ve overpacked. When Danièle was alive we would always spend time in Paris before heading South. That meant packing two wardrobes. A dressier and cooler weather wardrobe for Paris and a more casual one for Theoule. This summer, it’s casual only.

I have a binder that is chock-full of information I’ve collected over the years and still use it as a reference point. I make notes and do a ton of writing. See the little insert pic? I have tabs for notes and blog posts….

I like to keep my important information close to me. The market information is also very valuable. Yes–and I also have a favorite little “souvenir” shop where I get T-shirts. The people who own the little shop are very, very nice.

Travel Tip: Take notes. Buy an inexpensive binder or organizer. Notes can be used for reference or for information when friends and relatives visit whatever places you have. Keep info such as hours of operation for museums, beaches you like, schedules of water taxis, restaurants you like..it’s all fun!

And here’s the thing. I’m not packing a very fashionable load of clothing. We’ll be at the pool and the beach nearly every day. That’ll mean bathing suits and a simple dress to cover. I love the idea of dresses so that I don’t have to change before sightseeing. Plus, it’s one-step dressing. I throw the dress over my head and I’m done.

This inexpensive cotton/linen shift is perfect for a lunch at the beach. Well, that’s if slob-o me doesn’t spill anything on it! I love the lace detail and its one-stop dressing! It is rolled up and packed.

This is the off-the-shoulder dress from J. Crew that I sized down in. I’m so upset that it didn’t photograph well because it really is a cute dress. I would wear this out to a casual dinner. I’m also packing the hair that I’m wearing in this pic. It’s light and summery! The dress is rolled and packed!

The debate is on as to whether I’ll pack a pair of jeans. As I write this, the decision is “no”. My decision could change next week.

Three pairs of shorts should be sufficient and tops. Tops will be the item that I will be sure to pack plenty of.

I picked up this yellow short sleeved sweater, as well as one in navy at J. Crew Factory. Don’t you love the length of the TRUE short sleeves? The sweater is a light and breathable cotton blend. I will wear the sweater with these navy and white dotted shorts also from J. Crew Factory. This is a nice look for a few hours at a museum..

I really dig this combo!

Here’s the navy sweater I picked up. I’m telling you, I am in LOVE with these sweaters! The shorts are from a few years ago. They fit me again–got ’em at Old Navy!

The last shorts outfit! Uniqlo shorts and a very comfy shirt from last summer–Old Navy. I may re-think this. It’s packed for now.

And YES! Older ladies CAN wear shorts!!! I don’t care how flabby my thighs are. When it’s hot I’m dressing for the weather!

I picked two bathing suits up at Target. Currently, all swimsuits are on sale with a buy one, get one for half price. I got two for fifty bucks.

At WHAT age should women stop wearing bikinis you ask? At NO age!! Even though I lost over 20 pounds, I’m not skinny–nor do I aspire to be. I HAVE flabby thighs. I HAVE a belly–from three pregnancies, and one ten-pounder in the oven, I better have a bit of a gut! But I don’t care because I am at the pool/beach to cool off and the less I wear means the cooler I am. A bikini lends itself well to not have to keep tugging on the bottom of a one-piece that keeps riding up my butt. This is 62–not 26! I’ll be going through a lot of sunscreen!

This year I’ll also be packing hair. I’ve purchased a couple of lightweight wigs that’ll do fine. I had enough hair last summer that I only needed a topper when I wore my hair down. When I wore it up, I needed nothing extra. On the positive side, I won’t be fussing with my hair at all. I’ll just pin it up and plop a wig on. What could be better?

Riley. My ten-buck wig. Light and airy and a great length for sitting around the pool or at the beach. And I’ll pin her up when I swim. The fine art of swimming while not getting my hair wet is one that I practice!

Makeup. I started my travel bag already but I did pick up my favorite low-end foundation today. The six-buck elf flawless. I try to bring as many low-end cosmetics just in case I leave something behind.

I travel with the cheap stuff. I don’t even wear foundation except for when Bonaparte and I go out to dinner so why bother bringing the expensive foundation? This elf foundation works well for me.

I don’t think I’ll bring heels. I want to be a total beach bum so it’ll be sandals and sneakers.

A fancier dress for dining out. Not super fancy just a step up from the casual frocks I’ll be running around in. The Rondini Bikini sandals will fare very well with any dress!

My Rondini Bikini Sandals. OMG. I love these so much and I can’t wait to get to Rondini to add another pair to my collection!

Underwear, camera battery, phone chargers…I need to start gathering that stuff up soon!

I’m packing this dress too. I wear it to the pool and beach. THIS is the infamous shift that started my weight loss. Bonaparte snapped a pic of me last summer in this dress–when I saw how much weight I gained I was disgusted. The dress fits much better this year!

I won’t bring my laptop. As much as I love my blog—I take a vacation from everything! It makes it more fun upon my return to write and have fresh memories!

Here’s how the packing is shaping up so far:

I always travel with a satin pillowcase. It doubles as protection for the clothing when packed!

Shirts (of which I most likely have packed too many) are nestled into a velcro-envelope of sorts which I….

…close and pack at the bottom of my Longchamp carry on. It gives more structure to the bottom of the oversized bag.

The satin pillowcase is placed over the “envelope” housing the shirts.

I start to layer some of the outfits–like lasagna!! I place a folded, flattened white garbage bag in between each “layer” of clothing lasagna–as pictured above!

The layering continues…

Dresses are rolled and packed.

I pack underwear in this zippered compartment. This still needs to be done.

Totes, bathing suits, most of the clothing is packed and there is plenty of room.

For the record, I will bring a suitcase to check in. Toiletries, small electronics, some hair, beach towels, will be added but–there will be plenty of space for all the goods I’ll bring home!

TRAVEL TIP: From Susan at “une femme d’un certain âge” blog. She’s the most pragmatic traveler I’ve ever read. Trust me–if she reads this she’ll be horrified at the way I pack! I always get great travel tips from her reads. This time I learned that a piece of foam is great for cleaning up small spots like deodorant lines. She calls it “Schmutz- B-Gone” –could you die??? I’m going to take a few of the foam strips that come with my wigs and pack them!

After a peek into some of the clothing I’m packing—here’s a look at what I wore this week. I gained three pounds. I’m up to 145—so I’m really trying to pay attention to what I’m eating.

NOTE: Before you check out the pics–I disabled my “word ads”. At first, I didn’t mind having a little ad underneath my post. Then recently I noticed more ads were sneaking in. Nuh unh. Not on my time. I can’t stand reading blogs that are chock-full of ads. In fact, I’ve stopped reading many of them because of the ads. I don’t want my blog to be that way. This is for reading entertainment only!

Yesterday was “Slob Saturday” because sometimes, you just have to bring out your inner slob! (In MY case it is my outter slob!)

I did not wear jeans on jeans Friday. It was too hot. Instead, I opted for this lightweight and loose dress from J. Crew Factory and wore a comfortable pair of Rondini Tropeziennes!

Thursday (or was it Wednesday?) I went Maxi because I was too lazy to shave my legs. Dr. Scholls sandals and a little camel necklace. Can you guess the riddle in the photo above my headshot? Let me know in the comments if you figure it out! I’m wearing my Justine wig by “It’s a Wig”. Justine is coming to France with me!

Yeah. This was Wednesday. I got my gray dress back from the dry cleaners and it remained stain-free for the day. Hmmm. I should pack this dress for the trip!

Tuesday’s look was my favorite for the week! I love the pencil skirt and button down shirt. This had a very office-polished look!

Monday’s look wasn’t one I was crazy about but I was running late. The shirt reminded me of the days I was pregnant!

I did like the hair though. It was freshly washed the day before so I was able to lead the hair fibers on and placed a topper atop my noggin’. When I see pics like this, it makes me miss my bio hair–OMG I had so much of it. Oh well!

Oh. I got new prescription sunglasses. Aren’t they nice? They are the same RayBan frames as my regular glasses only in a tortoiseshell color . I can be really lazy with the eye makeup when I go to the beach! Ugh. That “fang” tooth of mine keeps inching its way into every photo. That’s right. I have a fang tooth and I refuse to have it drilled down. Dentists have tried but I love my fang–it’s part of me. I just don’t like when it wants to photobomb me!

Thanks for reading!!!

Is this not the cutest? Really. Thanks a latte for reading today’s blog post!

Have a listen to some Georges Brassens and listen to how clearly he sings! “Les Coopains d’abord”. Thank you Javier Angulo for posting this to YouTube!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged France, Packing, Travel, travel wardrobe, What to Wear for Vacation | 45 Comments

OMG!!! It’s a Crisis!!!!

Posted on May 18, 2017 by Catherine

I need to reblog this post because I’m so grateful for all the wonderful responses and suggestions. Man. I love you so much. I have THE best blog readers on earth!
And secondly, because I HAVE to share the response Urban Decay sent me. I am not happy with the patronizing tone. Thoughts?

Atypical 60

UPDATE!!! I RECEIVED A REPLY FROM URBAN DECAY. IT IS A FORMULATIC REPLY. I AM NOT HAPPY WITH IT. IT IS PATRONIZING. FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT–HERE IT IS:

We highly recommend using our UD Grindhouse Double Barrel Sharpener which is designed specifically for our entire pencil lineup.

Also, don’t worry, we definitely have not forgotten about our mature makeup lovers which is why our makeup is designed with such diversity from our subtle nude shades to our edgy bold shades! We absolutely love all of our UD Fans no matter their age, we want to cater to all of your make up needs!

If you haven’t already, sign up for our newsletter. You’ll be among the first to know about our latest and greatest products. You’ll get a chance to enter contests and win cool prizes. You’ll get insider tips on makeup application, plus so much more!

If you have any…

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Posted in Uncategorized | 15 Comments

OMG!!! It’s a Crisis!!!!

Posted on May 16, 2017 by Catherine

UPDATE!!! I RECEIVED A REPLY FROM URBAN DECAY. IT IS A FORMULATIC REPLY. I AM NOT HAPPY WITH IT. IT IS PATRONIZING. FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT–HERE IT IS:

We highly recommend using our UD Grindhouse Double Barrel Sharpener which is designed specifically for our entire pencil lineup.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reply to this email. That’s what we’re here for!

Sincerely,

Jaz

In response to MY email:

General comments/questions
Message: First of all, I’m a huge UD fan. I’ve written about your products on my blog many times. My Naked Palettes are in constant use AND your 24/7 eyeliner pencil has ALWAYS been in my constant rotation. That 24/7 Velvet eye pencil is my favorite. I recently set about to purchase my 6th one and the store (Ulta) was out of stock. So I purchased the 24/7 Watermark pencil instead. WHAT HAPPENED? OMG. I had a major crisis because the pencil was a horrific item to sharpen–it wouldn’t and I literally wasted more than half a pencil trying to sharpen it. I wrote about it in my blog: https://atypical60.com/2017/05/16/omg-its-a-crisis/ Yes. I wrote about a beloved brand of mine and the less-than-stellar experience. Look–I write with humor so it is’t a mean post–I’m just so upset about what happened. And while I’m at it, you should realize that we women over 50, 60 still wear cosmetics–do not shut us out. Include us. We spend a lot of money on cosmetics!! Thank you, and I hope you come up with a better pencil to sharpen. Best, Cathe Urbanski

It is true ladies. I am in crisis mode right now. And it all started with an eye pencil!

Well, yeah!! It IS happening. It’s a crisis!

I’m sure I’ve written about the Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Eye Pencil. In fact, I know that somewhere in the bowels of Atypical60’s archives, there has to be something about how great the 24/7 Velvet Eye Pencil is. I’ve purchased this pencil multiple times. It has always served me well.

I’ve always been happy with this eyeliner!

You see, I love to tightline my eyes. This is a process that makes the eyes look a bit livelier. You very carefully line the eyes close to the waterline and in between the lashes. You need a very pliable and soft pointed pencil to do this with or one false move and you’ll be walking with a seeing-eye dog.

This is a close up of tightlining. I DID go over the mess with a Q-Tip. Also, note the red spot on my nose. Wanna know what happened? I was making a feeble attempt to stiple my foundation on just the way Jay did when I had my makeover and I stipled a bit too hard.

The Urban Decay Velvet Eye Pencil has always been my go-to.

Runner up is the inexpensive elf liner pencil. But, in my atypical fashion, I really use the elf pencil for my brows and when I’m in-between the Urban Decay, it’ll work to tightline.

Three bucks..and I use it as a brow pencil!

The elf pencil costs $3.00 The Urban Decay costs $20.

And so, last month I drove to Ulta to repurchase the UD Velvet Eye Pencil. As is my usual bout of luck, my color, Velvet Black, was out of stock.

However, what I did spot was the brand’s 24/7 Waterline Pencil. I figured it was probably even better than the Velvet pencil because it was made for the waterline which is great for tightlining,

I purchased the pencil in the color “Legend” which is just another name for the color black. The purchase price was the same as the other Urban Decay pencil –twenty bucks.

I should only HOPE my pencil stays this big!

The price didn’t even bother me because I’m pretty-much brand loyal when I find something I like.

The next morning, I was very excited as I used my new pencil. It did a magnificent job and my liner stayed on all day.

Understand. Since this is a very soft pencil, it must be sharpened more often than a harder pencil.

And here’s where the crisis began. After about a week of tightlining, it was time to sharpen the tip a bit. Caveat—when I say “sharpen” I don’t mean into a sharp point. If that were the case, I would hear Ralphie chanting to me “You’ll shoot your eye out kid old lady!”

And we have almost the same glasses! I will try to not shoot my eye out Ralphie!

It is now the last week in April since I made the purchase of the pencil.

I started to sharpen the pencil in my special eye pencil sharpener. One side is for a thinner pencil and the other for the wider pencil.

There is never an issue sharpening the elf pencil. She sharpens beautifully.

Look how nicely the elf pencil sharpens. And I’ve had this pencil for a few months now. The sharpener is over a year old!

There was ne’er an issue with my 24/7 Velvet pencils either. They sharpened beautifully on the same sharpener. In fact, I could sharpen the Velvet pencil down to the nub and use every bit of black tar-like coal to line my eyes.

This pencil was having a bit of difficulty sharpening. It kept getting stuck as I rotated it. I cleaned the sharpener thinking that perhaps there was a bit of old pencil stuck in it.

See what a mess my hands are after sharpening the pencil? Ugh- my nails are even worse. How did that random strand of hair get in this pic? Oh..that’s right–I shed like a dog!

After a huge black mess on my hands and my clothing, I tried to sharpen the pencil again. I was left with an uneven point that broke off. So back in the sharpener again. A lot of wasted product and a pencil that was growing smaller with each rotating turn.

I had no idea where the point went and I was left with a plateau and tried to make the best of it.

My plateau point!

After a few days with the plateau point, I scratched the inside of my waterline. Time to resharpen.

You know that I do get a bit emotional at times. Well, this pencil was now putting me into crisis mode. I downright refused to use the elf pencil because it was the principle of the matter. I friggin’ spent twenty bucks on a pencil that was made for tightlining and the damned thing would not sharpen correctly.

So, I tried an experiment—and this is disgusting. I saved the shavings from the Urban Decay pencil and the shavings from the elf pencil. Not only was I now the proud owner of a rather enormous collection of pencil shavings, but they were falling on the carpet and creating stains.

Yes ladies! THIS is how my sick mind works! I needed to see just how much of the pencil I sharpened off so I tried an experiment. Just call me Nigella Degrasse Tyson–I’m like a scientist! Check out yet another random strand of falling hair!

I would venture to say my scientific ability puts me up there with Neil Degrasse Tyson!

Bonaparte was now in crisis because the carpet in my make-up room, the room he never goes into was stained and Bonaparte Felix Unger was going ballistic with his French naughty talk-and not the delightful naughty talk either!

That twenty dollar pencil is going to cost me the price of a Stanley Steemer visit!

A month later and I’m left with half a pencil that has the most awful point in history.

I’m so disgusted. This is a crisis worse than spilled milk!

My crisis is bigly. I will have to look for an eyeliner pencil that can be sharpened. Do I search in vain for the 24/7 Velvet pencil in Black? Do I look for a different brand?

This is so pathetic. All because of a stubborn pencil that refuses to sharpen correctly!

No!! I’m going to remedy this crisis and ask you to help me. What eye pencils do you like? What’s your favorite? I need one that stays put, that glides on nicely and that sharpens well!

Can you help me? Please?

On another note, I went beyond hitting pan earlier this evening.

When I arrive home from work, I like to relax in a soothing and hot bath. It is my “me” time and it’s better than drinking. I save my aperitifs for the weekend.

Last year—or maybe the year before, Oona took a trip to Mackinac Island in Michigan. ( My daughter has become a Mid-Westerner with Northeast political ideals!) I think she went to Wisconsin too. Regardless—she brought a jar of body scrub home for me. I’m a huge fan of body scrubs because they really do an excellent job of exfoliating the skin.

Anyway, I always had a jar of Bath and Body Works Orange Ginger Body Scrub on hand until they changed the thing to “Energy” and rebranded it and it became more difficult to find it in the stores.

Upon her return from Mackinac and Wisconsin, Oona gifted me with a jar of Cinnamon Clove Organic Body Polish by a brand-named Trillium.

This stuff lasted for a long, long time and was excellent. It didn’t even smell of Cinnamon (not my favorite scent) but it smelled lightly of clove. Very relaxing and really made my crepey skin soft. I hit to bottom of the jar tonight and am going to order a jar from the site. It’s great stuff and you don’t need a pencil sharpener to enjoy it or reap the benefits.

I also didn’t need shaving cream for my legs with this stuff. I need a refill!!

It bothers me when a product doesn’t live up to what it should live up to. Pencils need to be sharpened. Why then, would a cosmetics company create a pencil that is near impossible to sharpen without wasting over half the product away?

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all our crises were as “critical” as an eyeliner pencil? Our world would be remarkable now—wouldn’t it?

It would be even better if we could solve world issues with eyeliner pencils and sharpeners. The country who gets the most wear out of the pencil without sharpening it would be the winner.

It’s a thought!

The eyes turned out very well today. Even with the plateau tip!!

Here’s a cool song “Lazy Eye”—Hmmmm it must’ve been written about me and my lazy eye! Silversun Pickups. Maybe it’s a song about underperforming eyeliner pencil!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Aging, Beauty, beauty over 50 | 51 Comments

Observant Observations from An Older Observer

Posted on May 14, 2017 by Catherine

It started with an Instagram post that I saw yesterday morning. A lovely ensemble showcasing my kind of sweater. The sweater read “jolie”. It’s beautiful. The “jolie” sweater is from the Maison Scotch & Soda website.

I want that sweater! It spoke to me. It told me that I’m “jolie” brunette!

So, I went on the Maison Scotch & Soda website and clicked on “women” in the menu bar. There were no women photographed. The correct verbiage should have been “young women” because throughout the entire site there was not one photo of an actual “woman”—you know, a lady over 30 or 40 or older. In fact, I never see any older women on hip clothing sites. We are still thought of as old farts.

This is a woman according to Scotch & Soda..

So’s this…

…and this. They are girls. Women are older. Stop advertising “women” when you don’t show older women!

I’m observing more and more these days that surveys are for fools! Another moronic survey showed that women should stop wearing jeans at the age of 53. 53!!! What idiot came up with the idea of that survey anyway? I’ll bet that it was someone very young who looks awful in jeans—one who has an older aunt or mother who rocks the jeans. Jealousy is not a good thing. Don’t hate on the older woman because she is more beautiful or because she wears the tighter denim better! I’m proof. I wrote about it here!

62 year old mommy rocks the jeans.

And no matter what kind of jeans you wear…Happy Mother’s Day!!!

This morning while I was getting ready, I had an “aha” moment. Why do they call it “putting on my face” and “doing my hair”?

In my case, it’s “doing my face” and “putting on my hair”. I much prefer my way!

Hi there! I just did my face. ….

…and I put on my hair! It’s so much easier to put my hair on rather than “do” it these days!

Why are the lines in our face called “wrinkles”? Clothing gets wrinkled. It gets wrinkled because of the way we move and sit and sweat and all sorts of things add to wrinkled clothing.

Excuse me? I don’t have wrinkles. My clothes have wrinkles and I iron them out. My face has lines of wisdom!

Our facial lines are “earned” over the years. They should be called “lines of wisdom”. Don’t you think that is much more “aging friendly” than wrinkles? “With age comes wisdom” as the saying goes—and so, with age comes wisdom lines!

Why do the French women get all the credit for fashion? I like to take a few fashion tips from French men! Many Frenchmen wear their suits just a hair short of being too small, and the fit is incredible. My tomgirl looks are inspired by both Frenchmen and French military looks!

Yeah. That’s right! I like to take my fashion tips from Frenchmen instead of French women. Gaspard Ulliel can rock the scarf in that suit. The middle guy–I dunno who he is but the sweater with the suit….and Romain Duris in that tweed is making me want winter back. Notice how none of them are wearing ties!

I saw this military ensemble at Invalides in Paris. I’m inspired by Military Fashion. This is an actual uniform that the other Bonaparte wore. I wanted to steal it out of the display case. My Bonaparte walked away from me when I tried! I would wear this and I would wear the hat too!

How come every fashion blogger is obsessed with looking down at their pigeon-toed feet. I’ve observed this horrific trend too many times. Note to bloggers. You look ridiculous with the pigeon-toed pose. Turn your damned feet out and stand like a normal person for chrissakes! No female over the age of two should pose like that. Not now. Not ever. Never!

Oh! Look At Me! I’m so bashfull-0f-myself and demure–that’s why I take photos of me in dopey poses like this and display them all over the blogosphere! Let me get a better look at my feet turned in as though there is something wrong with them. Damn. I think I just killed a ladybug with those turned in toes!

I’ve also observed that I will refer to those little chin whiskers as “displaced eyelashes”. It sounds better. And perhaps I can save up enough of those little “displaced eyelashes” on my chin to make a strip or two of fake eyelashes. Then they won’t be “fake” eyelashes but real eyelashes that can be placed back onto my eyelids with glue!

These aren’t lashes. They are chin hairs that I had made into eyelashes. Just kidding!!! But I’m thinking that maybe I should collect those “displaced” lashes and do this!!

Yesterday I was at Michael’s Arts and Craft’s store. Two women were in front of me and were given “Senior” discounts. When it was my turn to pay, I asked if I could have the Senior discount. The guy didn’t believe me and I had to show proof of age. While I was a bit happy about it, I started to think about that discount. “Seniors” are students. They are usually in high school or college.

I’m not a senior. The name should be changed from “Senior” discount to “Life Earned” discount. We earned that discount from all the trials and tribulations we’ve been through during our lives. At a certain age, we shouldn’t be called “Senior” Citizens. We’re citizens like everyone else. Stop labeling.

This illustration is such a pathetic insult to all men and women over the age of 60. We all aren’t gray hairs with ill-fitting clothing. This literally makes me ill. Ageism at it’s worst! And the older women that I DO know with gray hair have it styled very chic and current!

Why is organ meat called “offal” when it’s really delicious and quite good? It isn’t offal—it’s delicious!

Yum. Yum. I make kidneys in a Cognac Cream Mustard sauce and they are delicious. Why is it called offal when it’s offally good?

I’ve also observed a lack of kindness and compassion toward each other lately. I’m not going to get political here but you know what I’m talking about. Let’s start by signaling when you are moving from lane to lane in your car.

That is so true. Be considerate of others. Be a kind driver and USE YA BLINKAH!!!

Or saying, “excuse me” if you need to pass someone by who may be standing in front of a store display and pondering whether to buy something. It’s the trivial things that count.

Ellen is correct–but lately, I have not observed this and miss it!

Let’s try to observe more kindness!

What have you observed lately? Tell me, please!

Another thing I’ve observed is that the May weather hasn’t been that great so far. I was back to heavier clothing this week. Have an observation on what I wore during the week!

Monday I wore my Frenchman tomgirl look. Unfortunately within three seconds of getting dressed I stained my white shirt. Do Frenchmen stain their shirts?

Tuesday was cold but sunny–I don’t know why I took a photo of my sunroom but it was back to wearing cold-weather pants.

On Wednesday, I “springed” this look by getting rid of the black tights I wore during the winter. I love this look with bare legs. My two girls, Dorothy and Ruby are always with me!

Thursday was lady-dress day. A dress that didn’t fit for a long time is now fitting nicely..

Jeans Friday had me honoring all college graduates by wearing a UT Longhorn tee. My oldest son, Jake, is a UT graduate. Let me tell you, this tee is Oona’s from when she was in middle school and this shirt was way too small for me. I wore a blazer over it! Like my makeup case???

Observing and looking. Here’s a great song from the very underrated Robert Palmer who left us too young. And I must say, he may not be a Frenchman, but he looked mighty fine in a suit!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Fashion, french fashion, observations | 46 Comments

He Wants Me!! Macron Really Wants Me!!????

Posted on May 10, 2017 by Catherine

Since January, I’ve been trying to whip up schemes that would get me across the Atlantic and living in France for the next four years. I begged Bonaparte to call our real estate agent, put our Chateau on the market and buy a small farm in the French countryside. Paris is too expensive. The Cote d’Azur is too dangerous for my pasty white “already-had-skin-cancer” epidermis. What could be better than to own a farm and grow cows and raise semolina? I’m a natural!!

I can grow cows. This is a group I made friends with a few years back while driving through Burgundy!

Bonaparte’s views on becoming farmers are somewhere between not now, not ever, and “jamais”!!

There was no Plan “B” until now.

The new President of France, Emmanuel Macron (not to be confused with “macaron”) has made a video reaching out to Americans.

Please do not call President Macron, President Macaron. I made these and I think it is high time I whip up another batch soon in honor of Macron!

He is inviting Americans to work in France! The only problem is that he is seeking out scientists. I don’t exactly qualify for the position.

However, I would make a great ambassador of sorts. A new position could be created just for moi. My job would be connecting incoming American scientists into French culture.

Why would I be a great candidate for this newly created position? Here are a few reasons!

I respect the flour. Did you see the news videos of François Fillon getting pelted with a sack of flour during his campaign? What self-respecting Frenchman or woman would do that?

What self-respecting Frenchman or woman would waste good flour like this?

I respect the flour. I use it to bake brioche and other bread, pain aux raisin and other delights. I would never waste good baking ingredients.

Pain aux raisins….

…my annual Buche de Noel–just a couple of ways I respect the flour!

My ability to make a superior sauce is a talent the French would love and appreciate and would make them welcome me with halfway open arms. I can teach the new American hires that a real sauce isn’t poured from a can or a jar.

It takes a good two hours to make a silky sauce like this!

I hang my laundry all over the house to dry. Just like the French. I never use my dryer.

And THIS is how I dry our clothes when we are in the South of France! The washing machine is in the BATHROOM!!!

This practically makes me French. I could explain to the new ex-pats that nobody has a laundry room like in America. In many cases, the washing machine is also the dryer and most clothing is air dried. I can also teach the Americans not to behave like the bozos on House Hunters International!

Don’t cry because the washing machine is in the kitchen. Look on the bright side–you can wash your dishes in it too! That’s ’cause there’s no dishwasher!

Somebody needs to explain that the French can’t dance. They save their rhythm for L’Amour!

The French may not be the greatest dancers, but..

Ohhhhh! So THAT’S why the French smoke so much!! Oh lalalalala!

I can teach the Americans not to try too hard to have French style. Either you got it or you don’t. Be yourself. Dress with your own style—that’s more French.

Um..nobody wears a beret that way. A tie is not a scarf. France is not a British Day School.

I know where to go shopping for the goods.

City Pharma. The only store the newly transplanted American will ever need. You are quite welcome!

I know how to work the big events!

Yours truly was invited to the Paris premiere of Hugo Gelin’s “Demain tout Commence”. OK. So I went as Bonaparte’s guest–but I’m still self-important!

You want to learn how to really be French my fellow Americans? Just shrug.

I can teach how to have an entire conversation without knowing how to speak French. Just shrug through every question!! It’s very Gallic!

Macron needs someone like me to show Americans how to perfect the fine art of cutting ahead in line!

My special talent kept Bonaparte and me from missing a flight from Dublin to Paris. I can teach the fine art of cutting ahead better than any French man or woman can!

Let’s get our potatoes straight. It’s frites. Not fries. OK?

..and worse never, ever call them freedom fries!

You need someone to explain to Americans that religion is no big deal to the French. All those churches and cathedrals are merely beautiful old buildings.

The French are so cool about religion that even Rabbis give the sign of the cross! (Shameless plug. Bonaparte’s cousin was in this film “The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob”–it’s one of the funniest movies ever!

It would help if I took Americans on little off-the-beaten-track tours on weekends!

Every American moving to France needs to take a weekend trip to pay their respects to American troops who died for them. Never forget. I will take you there.

I may not know the words to La Marseillaise, but I do pretend to know all the words to “Pour un Flirt”! Lalalalalalalalalalala…

I can teach Americans about all the great pop songs of the 60’s and 70’s!! I know them all. It’s a great way to learn the language!

It would also help if I could explain to the Americans that jumping into bed with a relative of your better half is no big deal!

As you can see, Dany, Bonaparte’s father was having the time of his life with me! This is very French–even for the French!

Somebody needs to explain that foods like frog’s legs are old-school home-style and not disgusting!

It’s ok. You will not be hopping around after digesting these delicious little limbs!

And that Chocolate is sacred.

That pretty much sums it up!

And cheese, baguette and wine are the French equivalent of eggs, bread and milk. Think about that one!

Cheese…

Baguette…

And wine will get you through any storm better ‘n eggs, bread and milk!

Please hire me Monsieur President, so that I explain the importance of good manners upon entering and leaving an establishment!

Remember. ALWAYS say “Bonjour” when entering an establishment…and

“Au Revior” when leaving. I love Omar Sy!

And at the end of the day, we can all admire the world’s most iconic symbol of France!

Such a beautiful sight!

Whaddya think? Ya think I would do a great job??

The President of France extended his invitation and I would like to leave you with a beautiful song that is a love letter to France–Michel Polnareff’s “Lettre a France”

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged #Humor, Emmanuel Macron, France | 34 Comments

The Transformation of the Mature Woman. Into The Dolce Vita!!!

Posted on May 8, 2017 by Catherine

Sometimes we can get into a cosmetics rut. I’m not necessarily talking about going out and purchasing a ton of new cosmetics. No. Not at all. I’m talking about a rut with how we approach cosmetics.

Perhaps some of us are too light-handed and conservative in our application. Some of us may be too heavy handed (Guilty!!). And some of us may just simply be afraid to experiment!

Remember the last time I went very heavy-handed and tried to turn myself into a Kardashian? (Click the underlined to find out)

For me, I know what I like—dark eyes and a light lip.

The rest is up for grabs. It’s always fun to learn a new way to apply foundation or new makeup tricks to enhance our features. And as we age, it’s always good to change things up a bit.

Trust me, I’ve had horrific experiences with some in-store makeovers because it sometimes seems that the sales assistant isn’t listening to you and only wants to make a sale or they insist on making you up to look like either a jack-o-lantern or a twenty-year-old.

Yes. I HAVE come home crying from in-store makeovers because nobody listened to me!

It’s daunting!

When I worked in the Handbag department at Nordstrom, the Cosmetics department was close by. There always seemed to be a crowd where one particular young man was working. He wasn’t only a sales assistant but he was a young makeup artist. His name was Jochy and he was incredibly talented. When I got bored (which was often), I would walk over to the counter where he worked and would watch and study him. I had never seen any woman leave his chair without looking spectacular.

This guy. Jay. The Master Jay. Makeup Artist Supreme! Look at the lipcolor he’s wearing! I want it! And those brows!!!!

But the other thing is—Jochy was just such a nice and sweet guy. He was never in a foul mood (like me), he was always kind and always helpful. I wished Jochy, or “Jay” as he is called, had done my makeup. But I just never had the time.

Until now. I ran into him a couple of times and ran it by him that it would be great if we could get together and do a blog post about a transformation on me, the “older” woman. Would he be up for the challenge? He was all about it!!

And on Sunday I had the pleasure. I was very afraid that I would scare people as I exited my car without a stitch of makeup on. I didn’t even have Chapstick on! My brows—well, let’s just say the hair on my upper lip was probably darker and thicker—ok?

Not a stitch of makeup. Just wait till you see the photo of me like this in department store lighting. I was scared of me!!!

Jay is working at Charlotte Tilbury these days and has been for quite some time. Tilbury started out as a makeup artist and worked her way up to being a successful, very successful businesswoman with her cosmetics empire.

But this is about the transformation. What I love about Jay is that, even though he’s young, he absolutely adores working with women of all ages. His motto is “I want to make women of all ages beautiful”. And I will vouch for that. When he was making me over, I was his main focus. He wasn’t looking around the counter for prospective customers. He was attentive, patient and worked his magic while educating me.

Here’s Jay with co-worker Allison. Is she adorable or what? I was surrounded by beauty, I was!

Here’s how I went from ghastly to beautiful:

I came in naked—which was a pretty profound step for me—but it’s important to be real and to show you what I really look like when I’m not posing for one of my at-home or car selfies. This is hard-core, unforgiving department store lighting. And it is the ugly truth!

I swear to God, I have NEVER seen a worse photo of myself than the one of the left. OK, this could be the second worst. The first worst was my eighth-grade graduation photo. I looked like boy. I’m not kidding. My mustache gave me that handsome look! But look at the photo on the right! Yeah. Same person! Can you believe it? And my eyes don’t even look crossed! How did Jay do that?

First, Jay made sure that my face was cleansed from any residue (like how did he know all I did to wash my face was to splash cool water on it?)

Then he massaged Charlotte’s (I’m not being sponsored. I’m mentioning all the products that Jay used on me. It’s cool.) Multi-Miracle Glow into my face. I’m telling you, it was so soothing that I almost fell asleep! It was having a mini facial. J massaged “Angel Wings” style. Down and out and up, and kept massaging and massaging the cream in until my skin felt hydrated and supple.

I smelled rose and when I asked, he said that rose hip oil was one of the ingredients. I have to admit that my skin felt really nice after this was applied. At $60 for 100 ml, it was a pretty generous sized jar. I was going to make the purchase but Nordstrom ran out of stock. I’m going to say that it must be a pretty decent product for Nordie’s to run out. I need to do more research on this.

Next step was the Clay Mask. Ok. Not gonna lie. This is pricey! $70 for a tube. However, a little goes a long way. He applied what looked like a very small amount but darned if it didn’t cover my entire pasty face! Surprisingly the mask didn’t dry to the point my skin looked like the arid desert.

What a sight! The clay mask was a huge treat. Relaxing and hydrating.

I relaxed while Jay took care of a phone call from a customer and ten minutes later it was time for him to take the mask off.

I asked when he started to become interested in makeup and cosmetics. He told me that as a child he was fascinated with the makeup his mom used and he would gravitate towards the makeup whenever they went shopping.

I’m having a hard time believing Jay ever had issues with his skin. It’s in great shape now!

As a teen, he had bad skin (who didn’t—right?) and when he “discovered” foundation, it was his “aha” moment. He went on to explain that his first foundation was one by Maybelline and he practiced, practiced and worked it until his skin looked much better. Foundation was his defining moment!

From there on, he played around with cosmetics and took them seriously. He’s completely self-taught. I have an incredible amount of admiration for him because, let’s face it—how long have we all tried but couldn’t perfect?

He works hard and earnest. And his goal is to become a makeup artist for celebrities one day. Let me tell you, if I was a celebrity, Jay would be doing my face on a regular basis!

Is Jay re-thinking about the transformation? No. He is deep in thought about how to work magic on me!

Ok. Back to the canvas known as me!

After the mask, Charlotte’s Magic Cream was applied. Again, the floral scent of rose was so mesmerizing and pleasant. This is another product that is not inexpensive. $100 for 50 ML. I was also informed that Tilbury’s company was founded upon the success of this cream. It plumps and hydrates and feels good on the skin.

He explained that if you are going to spend money, spend it on skin care products before you spend it on the cosmetics. You can’t get a great look without preparation first. He’s right about that. And I loved his honest approach as well. Point well taken!

The point is that, as we age, or since we already have aged, we need to take care of our skin more importantly. And, we can find a plethora of skin creams that run the gamut from inexpensive to pricey. It all depends on your budget.

Up next Jay applied Wonderglow, it’s a primer, but it is a bit more. It gives the skin a bit of a glow and can be worn alone. I have this and don’t use it every day. It costs $55 so I save it for special occasions. And in all honesty, I use it more for a glowy look than a primer.

I purchased this from Jay back in November and wrote about it–and how I use it as more of an illuminator rather than a primer. It’s good stuff!

And speaking of primer, he believes that in many cases, moisturizer works as well as a primer and can be used as a primer.

Now it was time to move on to the transformation of a browless, pasty-skinned, 62-year-old woman into a beauty queen!

Tilbury is a marketing genius. She sells different looks and specific products to achieve that look. The look we went with was “The Dolce Vita”. I decided on this look because I loved the dark and smoky eyes. It’s a great look for going to an event or a wedding or big gala. And yours truly never gets invited anywhere—I have no friends. So I decided to make my own event! Look. That’s what makeup is for. It’s the stuff experiments are made of. Let’s do this!

This is the look we went with. No. I did NOT end up looking like HER. I still looked like me, but a more va-va-voom version! Tilbury is a marketing genius. She has various “look” and cards that show you the end result. On the back of the card are the products used and she sells the coordinating kits. Oh if only I was an heiress!–the stuff I could buy!

He started with the brows. I’m lucky he could manage to find the remnants of the brows that once were. Here’s where it gets good. He used brow pencil. I always use a powder because I’m too heavy-handed. His touch was so light and feathery. He gave me the brows I had when I was younger.

He’s a huge fan of brows. My God. I wish I had Jay’s brows. They’re perfect!

They may have been thick, but they looked so natural! These were the brows I had in my ’20’s and ’30’s. Now I’m used to no brows so It took me a while but I loved them! There’s no way I would be able to dupe this brow look!

He’s also a fan of “eyes first” because there is always the chance of the elusive fallout from shadow or a smudge from liner or mascara. You don’t want to wipe good foundation and concealer off after applying. Best to leave that for the end.

A bit of Smashbox primer for eyes to keep the shadow in place and then Tilbury’s “Bette” cream eye shadow. This shadow has a nice golden sheen. It looked great and I’m going to say that it would look fantastic for an après beach dinner or event.

Next up was the shadows from the Dolce Vita palette, which I ended up purchasing. At $53, it’s a pricey little quad, but the colors are wonderful and heavily pigmented. Plus, it’ll travel well (another item for my travel bag—right?).

I’m looking at this now and am still amazed at how well-blended this is. I LOVE the liner and the shadows…and the brows!

I asked how to apply shadow or liner to the bottom lid without looking hard or harsh. He did it!! He ever-so-lightly, barely touched my bottom lids with shadow giving me a defined look that was softer. I learned something!!!

When the eyes were done, foundation was next. Magic Foundation in Number 4, Fair was used. He applied with a brush. I asked him if he liked the spoon brushes (that I adore) and he wasn’t a fan. He’s very particular about his brushes and he had some good ones. He’s also a fan of Sigma Brushes. I gotta check this out.

He stippled, stippled and blended, blended, blended. I think he got a bigger workout blending the foundation on my wrinkly skin than he would have by going to a gym! Same with the concealer. He applied and blended up and out. Up and out lifts the skin a bit. You know I’ll remember that!

I’m starting to look like very hot stuff rather than a hot mess!

Bronzer was next, and he used it as contour. O.M.G!!!! What a difference when a professional sculpts your face!!! I was in a state of shock. It looked like a natural shadow and unlike anything I do when contouring! *Please God. Please let me win the lottery so I can hire Jay to do my makeup every day. Amen*

Look how sculpted and glowing my face is! I’m stressed just thinking about how I could do this by myself. Jay–can you come over????

When he approached me with the face powder I balked? I can’t wear ANY powder because it makes my face cakey.

Um. He used such a light touch I didn’t even realize the powder was there! And it wasn’t cakey!

Ugh. My camera sucks. This is the bronzer Jay used. Filmstar Bronze and Glow in Light to Medium.

A little bit more bronzing with the Beach Stick in Ibiza. I looked very dark but went on a lot lighter. I wanted to purchase but I’ll have to wait to do so because, just my luck, they ran out of stock.

A few of the products Jay used on me. The Ibiza Beach Stick is on the far right. I wanted this so badly. I was bummed that they ran out!!

Lip liner and one of the most beautiful lipsticks I’ve ever seen. Penelope Pink (I bought it. As if I need another lipstick). A satin lippie that, surprisingly, is very long-lasting!

Penelope Pink. This is a beautiful lipstick. Beautiful!!!

This is the Penelope Pink in natural light and not department store light. It’s even more beautiful!

Mascara, setting spray, and J had not only met the challenge, he freakin’ mastered it!

More before and after. Look at how large my eyes look! My skin was absolutely glowing and is so dewy and hydrated! I honestly felt gorgeous. And confident. Some women may pooh-pooh cosmetics as we get older but you cannot deny that the use of cosmetics ENHANCES what you already have–or once had.

Poor Jay. I just about attacked him I was so happy!

There’s no love like selfie love–now is there?

I was so happy I didn’t want to take my makeup off when I went to sleep.

Another pic in natural light. Jay knows his stuff. The cosmetics not only looked fantastic in store lighting but looked so naturally pretty in natural lighting. I can’t say that’s ever happened before! I really love this look!

I may have taken my synthetic hair off my head, but I just could not part with the makeup that Jay did for me. I slept with it on! I KNOW, I’m disgusting!

Here’s the disgusting thing. I didn’t take it off. I slept with the full face. I couldn’t help it. I wanted to go to work with my face on! And I did! I slept on my back. In the morning, all I had to do was wipe a bit of smudge from under my eyes and then reapply some of the shadow.

And it looked great the day after!

Was The Dolce Vita a look that I would wear every day? No. It would take forever for me to duplicate the magic that Jochy performed on my face. But I will remember the “up and out” way to brush my foundation. And I will apply foundation after my eye makeup. And I will spend a bit more on skincare. I realized that after looking at my skin naked. It looks awful. I’ll also practice with the brow pencil!

I also learned from Jay that I can still have my dark eyes with a lighter hand. I use liquid liner and I learned that I can “soften” it by going over with a smudgy pencil and tightlining in between the lashes to create a more wide-eyed look.

Thanks to Jay, I received a lot of compliments on my skin (which I never do), and my eyes (which looked less crossed) and my makeup.

Thank you Jay!!! I give you another kiss!

All it takes is the magic of a great makeup artist. Nordstrom and Charlotte Tilbury are very fortunate to have the Jochy Rodriguez working for them. Something tells me that one day, he will be a celebrity make-up artist. And I’ll have bragging rights!

Thank you so much Jay for turning me into a more mature version of Cinderella!

One of the perks from my days at Nordstrom was meeting Jay! I’m truly happy I had the opportunity to have been transformed by him! If you are ever at Nordstrom King of Prussia, stop by to see him!!

Sometimes, we all need that transformation. Are you up for the challenge? Get your fierce on and go get that makeover! Show the world that we older women are beautiful and we love learning about what makes us feel good and look great! Because sometimes you just need to do something special for yourself!

Joe Cocker. You Are So Beautiful. Because YOU are!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Beauty, beauty over 50, Cosmetics, Makeovers, Transformation | 41 Comments

For Mature Couples Only: Dinner For Two–A Saturday Evening Feast!

Posted on May 7, 2017 by Catherine

On this Saturday morning in May, the weather is pretty crummy. It is cloudy and way too cool. We can’t take a drive to the beach yet. And I fear purchasing Geraniums for the deck because we could still get a frost.

Last year’s flowers were already “decked” out at this time!

And at some point, the hot weather will arrive in earnest. In a few weeks, our Saturdays will be filled with outdoor activities. We will be beaching it and doing day trips.

And today, I will spend a good part of the day doing what I normally do on a Saturday during cold and cool weather times.

Preparing our Saturday Evening Feast.

OK. So it isn’t Thanksgiving. But I enjoy whipping up a feast for any ocassion. Even if just for two!

It’s funny because as I age, I find that I enjoy this “routine” more and more.

When the house was filled with kids and their friends, and the hustle-bustle of every activity under the sun, there wasn’t much room for dining routines. It seemed that we were eating on the run and when we did manage to have dinner as a family, it was rushed because a game or practice would be starting within moments of that final bite.

This was a typical saying at the Atypical60 household when I was in my atypical30’s, 40’s and 50’s! “Hurry up and eat–gotta go!”

Don’t get me wrong. I actually miss those busy days. I miss the enormous amount of fun that I had when the kids were younger. I miss being a stay-at-home mom. But, I have great, great memories that I can play over and over in the theater of my mind!

And with age comes a certain appreciation that you have when you do get the time to spend with your better half.

Our Saturday evening dinners together are now a ritual. It is the time when Bonaparte and I can just unwind and enjoy each other’s company! During summer months, we will dine on quick meals served on the deck.

Summer dinners are out on the deck and extremely casual. I don’t like to turn the oven on in the heat..but I do like the aperitif!

Tonight, we will dine indoors at the dining room table.

As I write, the dining room table is my office, but toward evening it will be transformed into a lovely setting for mature audiences only. No. I won’t be performing a lap dance. Nor will I serve myself to Bonaparte on a plate.

Ahhh. The dining room table as office. When the kids were younger the dining room table was the homework area, the project area, the sewing area…but only for dining durinig holidays! Am I the only one???

Instead, this table will be set with good china (well, as good as it gets), table linens and we will enjoy the setting and partake in mature conversation—that is until I go into a rant about the current healthcare vote. But Bonaparte will calm me down by pouring wine in my glass!

Still casual but with a touch of chic and Provence! Empty nesters–treat yourself to a beautifully set table and you will feel as though the evening is special!

This is one of the perks of being an empty-nester. There is no time for baby-talk or having to clean up spilled milk (although I am prone to spilling wine). It is merely two older, wiser and mature people enjoying an aperitif, a starter, the main plate and because I’m trying to drop a few pounds, no dessert.

No cheese either. After consuming two cheese quesadillas this week, I’m on the wagon until we get to France!

It’s a lazy-day routine that lends itself to working leisurely to achieve a delicious result!

How did I do it? Here you go:

First of all, I wore a new wig to run errands! But–had to take her off when I started cooking because…

Synthetic hair will melt and I certainly did not want melted fake hair all over me or our food! I’m clumsy enough!

We loaded up on the fresh flowers while running our errands. We always have fresh flowers in the house–it’s an inexpensive way to add color and beauty!

On the menu this evening was: Fresh Baked Bread and Country Pate, Tomato & Hard Cooked Eggs with Parsley and Basil, Cornish Game Hen, Spatchcocked with herbal butter, cherries and Rosemary, Cognac Cherry Sauce , Cubed Potatoes sauteed in Duck Fat and Wilted Spinach. Bonaparte policed my bread intake which meant I had one small piece so he could eat the rest!

First things first. Making the bread. While the yeast (above) is blooming, I gather the dry ingredients. Bonaparte loves home made bread. I bake a Pullman loaf every weekend: The recipe I use is from an article in the Chicago Tribune. Check out the link-but be warned there’s a ton of ads before you get to the recipe–it’s worth it though: Pullman Bread Recipe

And I must say, the bread was a great batch!

Next step is the preparation of the potatoes. Trust me. Preparing well in advance makes it easier when the time to cook the dinner comes around. I call it preventative dining stress.

I’ve written about these potatoes before but they are so freakin’ good! They are inspired by the potatoes at restaurant Chez Paul on Place Dauphine in Paris. Bonaparte assists me. He peels the potatoes because I hate doing that chore! I use butter potatoes because they are nice and creamy. I cube the peeled potatoes and par boil them for 9 minutes. Then I drain, cover in paper towels and place in the fridge until I’m ready to cook them. When ready to cook, I saute in duck fat-about 20 minutes until the outside is browned and crispy!

Next step: Preparing the hen.

I use a blend of Rosemary that I’ve ground with mortar and pestle, and stalks of Rosemary and a bit cut up with a scissor. I can’t get enough of this stuff!

I grind Herbes de Provence into softened butter. Hey. Anyone going to Paris anytime soon? If you do, drop by E. Dehillerin –it’s a treasure chest of cooking supplies! I purchased this little grinder for next to nothing and it has become an invaluable tool in my kitchen. It grinds very well!

The skin of the hen is lifted and the herbed butter smeared under the skin and atop the skin. Covered with stalks of Rosemary. Cherries soaked in Cognac come later. Into the fridge with these two until it’s time to cook!

Sauce prep comes next. Dried cherries are soaked in Remy Martin Champagne Cognac (top right). Shallots are sweated in butter then chicken broth is added and reduced to less than half. Then more cognac is added. Then reduced. Then the cherries are added with Rosemary. It all cooks down. Then heavy cream is added. Notice the photo on the bottom right. The sauce hasn’t emulsified yet. This is brought to a boil and stirred and babysat and simmered. It takes a while but I’m telling you a great sauce doesn’t need flour. In the end, I add a bit of frozen butter to make the sauce silky.

And the end result:

And tonight–for your dining pleasure I bring you..

Fresh-baked bread and country pate..

…a few toasted slices..

Tomato and egg –very healthy…

Cornish Game Hen, roasted to perfection...

A silky Cognac and Cherry creme sauce…

Some good red wine….

…and let’s not forget the spinach!

Here’s the thing. I really have to watch what I eat. I didn’t have sauce. I ate only a portion of my hen. I didn’t have potatoes. I did have a half slice of bread.

And even though it was cooking for two, the leftovers will be used for Bonaparte during the week. The potatoes reheat very well and can be saved for up to five days. The leftover hen can be transformed into salad. The bread can be frozen or slices can be cut up into thick chunks and made into croutons. The sauce will last over a week–the Cognac is a natural preservative.

It’s all good!

After dinner, we watched one of our favorite movies. (Click on the link for some serious Cathe/Bonaparte entertainment): This was the first m0vie we saw together and it has something for everyone. It takes place during WW1 in France but it one of the greatest love stories ever and is a lesson in never giving up hope.

If you see this in a store, by all means grab it and run home to watch it!

A Very Long Engagement. Watch the trailer closely. You will see a fleeting moment of Marion Cotillard who has now become an Oscar-winning actress. The film is a visual beauty—but what else could you expect from the man who brought us Amelie? Jean-Pierre Jeunet is a great filmmaker and story teller. I was fortunate enough to see it on the big screen 14 years ago!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Cooking at home, Empty Nesters, French Film., The French Dinner | 16 Comments

What’s In My Travel Beauty Bag?

Posted on May 6, 2017 by Catherine

I’ll tell ya—not much! I haven’t assessed all the travel beauty items in a long time and many of them have been used up. It’s time to refill or at least make an attempt at organizing. ( I hate my effing laptop so much. I need to to go back and edit all the errors due to this friggin’ keyboard)

And since it’s all of six weeks until we leave for (click on shameless link to my post) our annual summer trip to Theoule-sur-Mer, I need to start packing stuff now. OK—maybe not clothing yet, but I need to get the important stuff out of the way. The items that help to make me look human especially since everyone along the Mediterranean has a tan, olive skin, is incredibly thin from all the tomatoes they eat and the cigarettes they smoke and they all have hair!

Smoking keeps the French thin and the nicotine gives their skin a permanent tan. I need to try a bit harder.

But now, let me concentrate on what’s in my travel beauty bag and what isn’t.

I have two travel cosmetics bags. One is really old and filthy. Actually, I’m ashamed to let you see just how disgusting the black and white one is.

This is the black and white travel cosmetic bag from Thirty One. It looks really pretty from this side….

But from this side it is a filthy mess. I’m a disgrace to all bloggers everywhere! Who saves old paper towels??? Who puts old, used paper towels in their travel kits?? I do.

No, I’m not. It’s from Thirty-One, a company that has all sorts of cute totes and boxes and all things to make you think you are organized–when in reality the only time you are organized is when you first make the purchase and bring the items home with you and look at them and within two weeks, you are back to being completely disorganized!

When I was working at Healthways, one of the nurses was selling this Thirty-One stuff. I felt obliged to buy something because of my constant ability to annoy her with hypochondriac questions. I settled upon a large tote that is now in the garage and a hanging organizer that I use as a travel beauty bag.

We will return to THIS bag later..

But let’s take a look at my red oriental themed cosmetic case and what I have in here.

We all know I have a “thing” for red. But in all honesty, this travel organizer or whatever it is, is my favorite for lugging cosmetics around when traveling.

This is what I really need to assess. As you can see it looks pretty much empty

That’s because everything is crammed into this one zippered compartment!

I’m pretty bad with trying to organize. It’s been a complete Pinterest and blogger fail for me. But–I still manage to try. Look what I have. Do I keep or throw away?

Urban Decay Basics Palette. This is a great travel palette because it is compact and the choices are matte and neutral. I purchased this back when it was $27. as opposed to the now $29.00. The little “spots” you see aren’t glittering drops of water. It is where Chippy decided to snack upon the palette…

Note the lower right-hand corner. I dropped this and the mirror broke. Luckily shards did not get into the shadow. I’m keeping it. Damaged and all. It’s staying.

The hot mess on the left is some sort of highlighter/concealer from Benefit cosmetics. I have no idea how old it is. But–it is still pretty creamy. It’s a keeper. On the right is a travel-sized Yogourt face sunscreen by Korres. This is a multi-tasker. If I get hungry on the plane I can eat this. It’s yogourt after all–it’s just spelled in a fancier way!

Will ya look at this? iT cosmetics has outdone themselves in being “World” friendly! A French spelling for “cream”, made in China and distributed in Jersey City, NJ. Why did I buy this.

This is the “creme”. Does my pasty white face REALLY need this? No. It does not. But just in case this is the year that I get that natural tan and need a glow, I’ll throw it into the makeup case!

Thank God I decided to do some assessment. After all the years of travel, I am at the bottom of the barrel. Back to the bareMinerals shop for yet, more, Well Rested this weekend!

I have NO idea what this is but it looked like salted caramel frosting and I was tempted to eat it.

It didn’t match my skin tone and didn’t taste that great either. Yes. I did. It’s a toss! I still have no idea what this is!

A perfect little example why samples are great. I forgot about this. Lancome gave this out as a promo and it’s a great little gift-with-purhase. I’ve used it to give my evening eye a little “oomph”. It stays!

Now that wigs are a staple for me, I can use this powder SAMPLE as a way to make the parts in my wig more realistic. The things you learn on YouTube! Keeper!

Only two Q-tips? I need to get more–actually I do not. I found a bunch of them as I started to edit this post. The Toppik—I’ll keep the travel sizes just in case I feel like wearing my bio hair in a bun. I doubt it though.

I can’t believe I had GOOD concealer in my travel stash. No. This stays home. I got this in Paris for a “deal”. Daniele’s maid’s cousin was working for Chanel and I loaded up on the good stuff for next to nothing. I know people. Are you impressed yet that I know people in France no less? I have no American friends except Marybeth. The French love me! Actually they probably just think I’m a silly American,

Mascara, eyeliner, brow pencil, eye shadow, bronzer. I’m good to go.

I’m pretty much set with the exception of cleaning my brushes and packing Chapstick. It’s funny because I really don’t war that much makeup when I’m on vacation. I let mother nature take over, but I still need my stuff.

Back to the filthy Thirty One organizer. I ended up washing it in the kitchen sink..

This was the best I could do. But, I can store the skincare and toiletries in it.

…such as more fake tanner, sunscreen and more lip product!

Who am I kidding???? I’ll just buy more makeup and skin care products when I get to France!!!

It’s true. I’ll run around Chateau Bonaparte “gathering” more beauty products, shoving them into both travel bags because I have to have!! Then we’ll take a trip to my favorite store of all time–Geant Casino Hypermarche in Mandelieu La Napoule to load up on the groceries and when Bonaparte is over in his favorite area–the wine aisles, I’ll be in my favorite area–skincare and beauty! And I’ll be “sneaking” every product that I can get my grubby manicured hands on into the shopping cart!

Bonaparte’s favorite aisle at Geant!

THIS, is my favorite haunt. I”m obsessed with this hypermarche and will be loading my travel bag with necessities and unnecessities!

And so the preparations begin. Tell me. When do you start thinking about packing for a trip or your vacation? Are you like me? Are you a last-minute packer? Do tell!

Anyway, I am not ready to weigh myself. This week was bad for me. I’m really stressed–especially over the healthcare situation. But that means really reassessing what I’ve been eating because moving forward I’ll have to eat to live. I’m thinking of becoming vegan–but only maybe two or three days a week. I need more kale in my life. In the meantime, here’s what I wore this week.

On Monday I wore this little number that I found in the garage. Remember? I paired it with a very lightweight dotted scarf because the top of the dress is a bit on the low-cut side and I bend down a lot at work–from picking up things I clumsily drop! Notice the hair, I’n wearing wigs every day now and I LOVE IT! I don’t have to bother with how dry and craggy and thin my bio hair is anymore!

Tuesday’s ensemble was an homage to menopausal dressing. I wore a sleeveless shirt. Note the pom-pom trim. This is from last year. I’m fashion forward, I am! J. Crew pants from the year of the flood, the ruffled chambray Regent blazer from J. Crew (one of the very few purchases made this season) and an old lightweight striped scarf. My messy bun is made with the assistance of a Tony of Beverly topper (ok. I lied. I didn’t wear a full-on wig every day). Red ballet flats add a bit of oomph!

Wednesday’s outfit!!! I was so ‘eppee to wear this dress again! It was in the garage and I’m thrilled that I never trashed it. This dress is by Cos. I purchased it at Galeries Lafayette in Paris on my thinnest trip. That was many moons ago. It fits again and I cannot begin to tell you how much I love this dress. The top is knit. The botton is cotton and has pockets and I just love this so much. The length is perfect for the office and it is comfortable as all get out. Bonaparte just took it to the dry cleaners because I didn’t have a tissue handy so I used my dress to….clean my eyeglasses and got makeup on the dress. What can I say??? There are no words! I felt very French as I wore my Repetto ballet flats and carried my nat et nin bag!

Thursday’s outfit was my favorite this week–I couldn’t believe the compliments I received! Dayum!! I felt good! The dress? From Loft and it is so old I cannot even remember buying it. Which means it hasn’t been worn in years! The higher neckline is perfect for a mature neck if you know what I mean!! The length is so lady like. I could bend down all day in this getup! To make the outfit a bit happier, I wore red heels and carried my red Longchamp bag. Hahahaha. One of the clients said he couldn’t stop looking at me because I looked so nice!! Zowee! What a compliment. My boss even complimented my look! (Wait–does that mean I look like crap every other day?)

Friday’s ensemble. What better way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo than with a French-language tee? I’m wordly–I mean WORLDLY! This was a fun Jeans Friday Look. The blazer was lightweight to wear in the cool morning, but by the time I left the office, I didn’t need it. I love that plaid blazer. It was purchased sometime last year or the year before during a huge sale at J. Crew.

And that rounds up my week! Not too exciting but nonetheless, it was fun!

Seems like I’m on a bit of a Frenchie kick this week with the preparations and the clothing.

Here’s a pretty song by Les Innocents “Colore”. I have this on a CD and always press “repeat”!

Have a great weekend! XOXOXOXO!!!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Beauty, Fashion, fashion over 50, France, Travel | 9 Comments

More Greatness of Makeup Samples, Some Lip Cents and More Stuff for the Mature Ladies!

Posted on May 2, 2017 by Catherine

It started out simply enough. I ran out of Well-Rested. If you’ve been following my misadventures, you know that bareMinerals Well Rested is a Holy Grail cosmetic product for me. As soon as I get to the bottom of the barrel, I make a beeline to the mall to replace it. I won’t even dare take the Well Rested that I have in my travel bag out to use as a replacement out of fear I will forget to place it back in its secure little travel home.

My beloved Well Rested. I’m very territorial with this stuff. Even Chippy knows better. Note the face cloth I have under the product. I protect my little vanity! Note the tweezers for the chin hairs!

I also had to run to J. Crew. Last month I ordered a cute off-the-shoulder dress. Vacation is coming and it looked like a great little frock to wear after pool and beach time. The dress, in a Medium, was just too big. I wasn’t wearing the dress—the dress was wearing me. The dilemma was exchanging for a smaller size or just returning the dress.

The dress. I love it but it was wearing ME!

Naturally, Bonaparte had to accompany me because he is my spending police—or rather my non-spending police. He lives in a fog of stress worrying that I have secret credit cards stashed into the C-cups of my bra or tucked into a secret compartment of my wallet.

So off we went.

I stopped at J. Crew first and ended up trying on a few things before deciding to size down in the dress. And with some left-over money from a gift card, purchased a cute tee.

I ended up purchasing the “Salut” tee–it’s going in my suitcase for vacation. I tried on the white pants with the tiny stars and they were too transparent for my taste and looked a bit like pajamas. I LOVED the orange dress but the fabric is just too heavy for this time of year. I sized down in the off-the-shoulder dress. I really like it!

Next stop. bareMinerals Boutique. I could have gone into Sephora, but I happen to like the service of this brick and mortar bareMinerals shop. And while making the transaction for my beloved Well-Rested, I glanced at a display for liquid gel foundation.

As much as I love Well Rested, I’ve never been able to wear the brand’s mineral foundation. My skin is very dry and the fine powder just never worked for me. My crossed eyes almost uncrossed at the surprise that BM was now selling a non-powder foundation.

The BareSkin foundation costs $29.50. Not bad considering what I usually pay for a good foundation. The spectrum of shades was impressive. But not taking any foundation for granted, or having it be a complete fail which translates into a waste of money, I asked if samples were available.

The sales assistant told me she could prepare a sample and chose the shade Bare Natural 07 for me. She also made it a point to tell me that I should not apply the product with a blending sponge. A brush is needed to apply. It was a humorous moment as I told her that my dog, just a couple of days earlier, dined upon the fourth beauty blending sponge that I had.

My little goodie bag. I’m telling you, I’ve been wearing Well Rested for over five years now. I love this stuff! LOVE it!

She also gave me a couple of samples of other products and off I went.

Who doesn’t love a mask? Even better when it’s a sample you never expected! I haven’t used these yet–but I will use them real soon!

I tried the foundation when I returned home from work last night. I wanted to write about it but I also wanted to try the foundation in its “bare” state. Without a primer on my face.

The sample really had enough for two full applications. Chelsie was very specific in her instructions too! I appreciate that!

As instructed, I shook the small sample very well. When I squeezed it onto my hand, the foundation felt more liquid than an actual gel. It didn’t feel too thick but the color seemed very dark and more yellow than what I’m used to.

Yikes! It doesn’t match my skin tone at all!

The application process with the brush was fine. The foundation didn’t feel cakey or heavy, but certainly was not full-coverage as I was told.

When I looked in the mirror, the color looked uneven. But more disappointing was that it made my skin appear dry and every single line in my face was more visible than ever.

I KNOW, my lips are chapped. I was biting them while working on a project. But the color is “off”..

It gave a very matte look, not dewy and, in my case, not moisturizing.

See how dry my skin looks? I’m wondering how much or how little a primer WOULD work? I really like a foundation with a more dewy, luminous finish.

If you inspect closely, you can see the makeup falls into little lines and the color really is uneven. It also could have been because the color was just so “off” for me.

All is not lost though. I’m going to go back for another sample. This time for a much lighter foundation and I’ll apply primer first. I will make my final assessment with the next sample.

But that’s the important thing. Ask for a sample before you purchase a good cosmetic. Oddly enough the $6.00 elf Flawless Finish Foundation I have gives better coverage. But the point is that samples are priceless. Having a sample will allow you to really try the product on your own terms. And don’t ever be afraid to ask for a sample—you are thinking about an investment for your face!!!!

The bareMinerals shop was very generous with the samples. Sephora is very generous with samples—always has been. Nordstrom is also excellent in their generosity with giving samples. I try to purchase cosmetics in sample-friendly establishments!

Foundations need to be chosen wisely. Some have a great tendency to oxidize. Others end up drying your skin and others can feel like a ball of grease. Samples will save you money and aggravation.

Hey. Have you heard of LipSense? This long-wearing lip product achieved a cult status! There’s a lot of hype about it. And supposedly can only be purchased from a distributor but I saw it on Amazon. It’s friggin’ expensive! And I am not one who likes to spend money on lip products because none of them wear too long.

$25 for this tube! It promises to keep your lips moist. Look–I can use all the goop, grease, oil and whatnot on my lips and they STILL chap. I think if you have a tendency toward chapped lips on a continuous basis, nothing will help. I’ll pass on spending this kind of money on a lip color. But that’s just me….

If you want a long-lasting lipstick that isn’t as expensive. Might I recommend Cover Girl Outlast lipstick?.

I’ve purchased Number 550 three times and am very happy with it. I wrote about this lip product twice before because I think it is an excellent product. And a less expensive price than the expensive long-lasting lip products!

I wanted to see just how long this product would last. I started this experiment earlier in the week when I wore the orangey-red from the All-Day Custom Red collection.

This peachy-redish-coral color is Number 800. I wore it in the photo above and the color lasted through most of the day. It was applied at 6:45 in the morning and Lasted well into the afternoon. I took this photo around 2 PM–almost 8 hours. I cannot complain.

On Sunday, while after doing my roots and giving myself a roller set, I decided to see how long this color would last…It’s another mauve, which I like a lot..

Because my lips are so naturally pigmented, I added a bit of concealer. Mind you, I had NO other make up on at all. I gave my face a rest!

Here we go–about 10 in the mornin’!

Around noon. Moments before my green shake!

About 1:30. This stuff ain’t goin’ nowhere!

3PM and the color is still where it should be. You like the toilet paper covering my rollers? I’m a class act. The paper absorbs the moisture from my hair and gives more volume when I take the rollers out. It’s kind of a joke these days because I just plop a wig or topper over the just-set hair. Oy vey!

4 o’clock and it wasn’t off yet. I would say it wore off after my second aperitif! But the point is–this lipstick really DOES last!

This is $7.49 at Walmart and worth every cent! And this stuff has been around for at least 12 years but doesn’t seem to get the love it deserves. Oona wore it to Irish Dance competitions when she danced because the stuff didn’t transfer onto the very expensive dance dresses she wore. It really does stay put. I my not have had the most active day on Sunday but I did finish a green shake, a banana and chewed some gum and the color stayed on.

OK I’m also late to the show here. I worked long and hard on that wig post from Sunday. But-I have some good news for the ladies who are thinking of a wig purchase. Divatress sent me the news that they ship internationally. You can get an estimate when you place items into your cart. In addition, I received some coupon codes for this month. For new customers use NEWDIVA10 –it’ll get you ten percent off your purchase. The other coupons are SPRING5 off an order for $70 or more and SPRING10 for orders of $100 or more. I think I’ll use one of these coupons.

Anyway, here’s a “sampling” of the clothing choices that I wore last week. I’ve had these clothes for years so they are as “long lasting” as the lipstick I just wrote about!

This was last Monday’s outfit. The weather was crummy. I didn’t feel like dressing up much and I decided to wear this dress that hadn’t fit me in years. Gap. On sale. Very simple look..

I wore this last Tuesday. Another bad weather day. I love the Tory Burch tunic. I got it during a huge internet sale. 75% off. This is a size 10 and didn’t fit me for a long long time. Her tunics run very small and I’m happy to say this fits very nicely now. Some tunics can be a bit loosey-goosey but the fit on this one is very flattering!

Wednesday (on second thought it may have been Thursday) was my “homage to Air France “flight attendants day. The navy dress. The scarf. The fake hair pulled back. Another simple look and very professional!

Hands down, this was my favorite outfit last week. Navy pants. Navy blazer, orange Repettos, the orange and blue scarf I stole from my daughter and an orange Longchamp bag. I really LOVE this look.

Casual Friday. I dressed up a torn jeans and sneakers look with a lady jacket. I paid twenty bucks for this jacket about three years ago at Nordstrom Rack. It FINALLY fits. All in all, every item I wore last week was years old with the exception of the jeans, which I purchased last November and the sneakers which I purchased in March (or was it the beginning of April). That lipstick I’m wearing–I applied it Thursday morning–ONLY KIDDIN”!!!

Speaking of long wearing and long lasting, here’s a “sample” of one of my favorite songs that has been long lasting in my world. James Brown’s “Hot Pants” Uh!!!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Beauty, beauty over 50, Fashion, fashion over 50 | 29 Comments

Atypical 60

Some Five-Minute Reviews and a Note on GREAT Customer Service!

Welcome to Crazytown. I’ve Begun to Pack for Our Trip Back to France.

OMG!!! It’s a Crisis!!!!

OMG!!! It’s a Crisis!!!!

Observant Observations from An Older Observer

He Wants Me!! Macron Really Wants Me!!????

The Transformation of the Mature Woman. Into The Dolce Vita!!!

For Mature Couples Only: Dinner For Two–A Saturday Evening Feast!

What’s In My Travel Beauty Bag?

More Greatness of Makeup Samples, Some Lip Cents and More Stuff for the Mature Ladies!

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