Happy Hump-Day All!  The sky here is gray and the weather is bone-chilly, but I’m pumping sunshine on this particularly productive day!  Errands and chores are completed and I’m looking forward to my Wednesday evening with my Mob Wives!! That’s right–I’m always entertained by my girls Drita, Renee, Big Ang and Karen!  I have to admit, those women are a bit…um…..rough around the edges, and some of the stuff that comes out of their mouths would make a sailor blush!!  But the one thing I am enamored about is their make up!  Half the time I don’t even hear what they are saying because I’m too busy staring, open-mouthed, head to the side, eyes wide opened, just gazing at the perfection of the application of their eye liner, shadow, brows, lashes and lipstick. Fuggetabout the blush..those eyes–those lips!!!  I secretly hope that my cousin who lives on Staten Island, Annmarie–well, I hope her daughter Andrea gets married soon. This way I can have my makeup done at Drita’s LadyBoss Makeup Studio and walk into that reception looking just “Beauty-ful”!

Speaking of beauty, I wanted to share some of my “Atypical60 Beauty-ful” essentials with you.  I’ve got some tools that I am never without and some skin prep items that are always in steady supply.   Here’s they are!

 Whoa–as we women age, it seems that we lose the hair on our heads and strange little hairs start growing on our chinny-chin-chins. Am I right?   That’s where two magnifying mirrors come in handy. One, a larger mirror for your vanity and a smaller one for your purse.  I also keep one tweezer in my vanity and one in my purse.  Sometimes it is just easier to tweeze those little unsightly (and obvious) hairs in the car—for some reason, car lighting works very well. Just make sure the car is parked when attempting to tweeze.  It’s funny–but when I was younger, I had to pluck my brows every day, and now I only wish the brows were as lush as they were many years ago!

Due to the thinning of the eyelashes, I find that an eyelash curler (doesn’t have to be pricey, I use a Sally Hansen curler that I bought at Target for three bucks) does a great job in prepping the lashes for mascara or falsies!  Lastly, a double-layered teasing comb which I use for lift on my thinning hair.  These are my holy grail everyday beauty essential tools.

The skin prep items: No longer at that age of dewy, nubile, smooth skin, I need a little help from my friends in order to get the makeup application just right. First off, I cannot clean my face with anything else except Albolene moisturizing cleanser–it is lard for the face. This stuff cuts through layers of the strongest mascara and liner in one fell swoop! It literally melts on your face–like Mr. Miyagi of the Karate Kid, I wax on–wax off! Then I rinse my face off with warm water, pat dry with a towel, and smooth  old-school Olay lotion on my face. At $5.90 for 6 oz., this is a great value and works just as well, if not better than more pricey lotions! When I know that I’ll be outdoors, and especially in the warmer weather, I faithfully apply Peter Thomas Roth’s Max Sheer All Day Moisture Defense Lotion SPF 30 to my face. It’s the one pricier item I cannot be without–I’ve been using it ever since I had MOHS surgery on my face for skin cancer. It is non-oily and stays on all day even when you get sweaty. Also, it lasts forever so the $40.00 cost is well worth it! Primer is next.  The clear gel type works for me and I switch it up between Smashbox Photo Finish and Maybelline’s Instant Age Rewind Primer. I’ll tell ya, for about seven bucks, the Maybelline Primer is fantastic but really tough to find!  My other skin essential  is Jergen’s Natural Glow. I hate wearing pantyhose and I’m a fan of the bare-legged look. My fish-belly white legs need color and this is a safe way of giving them a tanned hue and moisture at the same time!  Now for the last and final prep:  That’s right! Chapstick! Sure, I use it on my lips, but did you know that this waxy balm works wonders to fill in little lines around your mouth and eyes? This little multi-tasking rascal is a steal for less than $2.00!

My methods may not be typical, but they work so well in a most “Atypical” way!!

XOXOXO–and have a most enjoyable evening!!!!!