I started this post a couple of days ago. The weather was nice and cool and bordering on cold. Now we have the leaves falling and the temperature is rising. I hate that.

The leaves are falling and the temperature is rising. We are expecting highs of  80+ this week. Ugh!

The summer clothing is packed away. I went off a no-buy this weekend and bought a new pair of boots and a skirt. I wanted to wear both today but it got too hot and I ended up unpacking a tee-shirt dress.

Yeah. I bought this skirt at J. Crew Factory for 40% off and those boots were also a steal.  I really would have settled for wearing those black suede heels that are murder on my feet. I’ll have to wait a week or so until the weather gets cooler. Again!

But you know what?  I don’t care. I’m still going ahead with this post.

And you wanna know why?  It is simply because my skin has gone overnight from summer mode right into winter mode.  The first sign of cool weather and my skin goes berserk.

This is disgusting—but have I ever held back personal information from you? No, I have not. And I don’t plan on it either.  But—my skin is so dry that I have face dandruff.  Yeah. Little flecks of my dry skin are just flaking off. It’s so gross.   Honestly, my skin is like flaky pie crust!

You certainly cannot see the peeling skin from this unprofessional photo I took, but see where the blotchy redness is? See where that shiny strip of skin is?  It peeled off.

I’m a peeling—and it ain’t appealing!  But then again, maybe the wrinkles will peel off too!

My skin is dry as the Sahara.  Not just on my face either. ‘Tis the season to start slathering my body in the only body lotion I use—Original Scent Jergens. I’ve traded in the fake-tan Jergens lotion for the good old standby. The good thing about Jergens is that it doesn’t feel “filmy”–I hate that feeling under jeans and tights. Ewww!

I’m also using a ton of moisturizer on my face.  I’m cocktailing it with my  Vivant creams, Skin Actives and old-school Olay. Which reminds me– I need to order more of the Skin Actives Serum.

I kid you not.  This is my morning and evening ritual.  What a sight! This is 61!

And you know how they say to drink a ton of water to stay hydrated?  Well, whoever they are, I am drinking a ton of water!  This weight loss journey has me drinking water all damned day! And no matter how much water I drink, I’m still not hydrated enough! And I spend way too much time in the bathroom!

I’m winterizing me.

I’m also winterizing my makeup. The powders have been placed into hibernation until the Spring.

Let me explain.

I have various contour/highlighter sets. They are powders. I can’t do powders on my face when the  Fall and Winter weather dries my skin out.  This isn’t counting eye shadows. I’m talking about the cheeks, the nose—everywhere a contour would be placed.

This is a highlighter and contour palette by NYX (a company that does NOT use older women in their ads. I wrote to them and they did not answer me. Just sayin’!). I’m now using this palette as eyeshadow.

Instead, I’m using these palettes of contour/highlighter powders as eyeshadow palettes.

Marc Jacobs Highlighter/Contour powder duo. It is now an eyeshadow duo for me!

A shimmery highlighting palette from Wet n’ Wild. It is now going to be used as eye shadow for special occasions–like Christmas!

Both eye looks were done using contour and highlighter as shadow.  Creative cosmetics!

The lighting stinks but here’s a good view of contour as eye shadow in the crease of my eye.

No more bronzer till May or June. I do have to say, though, that the Guerlain Terra Cotta Bronzer lasts forever as does the Wet ‘n Wild bronzer.  A little goes a long way.  

I also have one powder blush that I use from time to time. It’s put away.

I’m not much of a coral cheek gal, but every now and then I’ll pull this out during the summer.  I’ve had this palette for years–and I’m sure the beauty police would arrest me for using such “past their expiration date” makeup–but this stuff isn’t cheap! I want my money’s worth!

The cream blushes and my Lip Vitality as blush are now in the front of the line.

I’ll be going through Chapstick and lip balm the way a “woman of the evening” goes through “Summer’s Eve”!

I use Chapstick as a blur (I’ve written about that more than once!) as well as a lip balm BUT, this lip balm that I’m holding is the best I’ve ever had in my life!  It costs less than one euro and I’ll be bringing a supply home if CityPharma in Paris sells it! I used the last of it today!

I pulled out the cream contour–well, I don’t really know if this is contour or a dark foundation stick but I’m using it as contour AND a make-shift bronzer.

Oh. It is foundation. It’s Maybelline FIT me! Shine Free + Balance foundation stick. The color is coconut or Number 355. Very smooth and creamy and incredibly blendable! Good for mature skin! (Even though Maybelline doesn’t SAY so!)

This is NYX Mineral Stick Foundation in MSF01. It’s very light. This is also extremely creamy but I would never actually use this as a foundation–it would be wayyyyy to cakey on my flaky face. Instead, I’m using it on my lips.  OK–let me explain. My lips are VERY pigmented and in the winter they become even more pigmented. I use this under lipstick/gloss to get a better finish..

See?  It’s my winter lip primer!  If you have a lot of natural color in your lips this is great to prep for lipcolor!

Here’s the finished look. All shadows are contours. The blush is the NARS Multiple Stick in Riviera.  I did contour with the Maybelline Fit and it blended beautifully.  I used the NYX foundation as lip primer and over that I have a couple of no-name glosses and finished it off with Lip Vitality! I’m going super-light handed on the foundation–just a bit on the cheeks. My skin is just to dry right now!

My hair needs to be winterized too! And I completely forgot about the Ouidad Shine Glaze Serum that I’ve been using on my hair for YEARS!!!

(Forgive my slob look but I just took my makeup off and changed into my slob clothing) I completely forget about this and I’ve been using it faithfully for years. Ouidad Shine Glaze Serum. I use it on dry hair–it tames any frizz, keeps hair manageable and I need to buy more! This is a great product to winterize your hair against the elements!

Let’s admit it. Humidity is a bitch for the hair, but is great for the skin! And I am sick and tired of balmy, humid days. I’m ready for crisp, cold air at this point.

Speaking of “winterizing”, I think Ballard Designs has gone too far with the winter theme. We were at the King of Prussia Mall on Saturday.  Well–I almost fainted when we passed Ballard–the entire store is Christmas ready. I’m sorry, Christmas is my favorite time of the year and I go nuts with the red pillows and the theme throughout Chateau Bonaparte, but to see this in stores when Christmas is two months away and the weather is friggin’ hot outside. No. Just. NO!!!!

I just could not believe this–talk about commercialism and rushing the season…..

Let’s winterize our music today with Vivaldi. Winter from the Four Seasons!