Allow me to give my opinion on what I liked for 2024. There are items I used that will not be repurchased. It isn’t because I despised the, it’s simply they didn’t work for me. There are a couple of reasons for not repurchasing products. If I find something is lackluster and very expensive but doesn’t work wonders, it will be a one-off. If a product doesn’t live up to the hype, I won’t repurchase. If I find the product just doesn’t work for me despite what Instagram and Social Media influencers promised with their filler-filled and filtered visages, I won’t purchase; or, if I foolishly spent money on said product(s), I deserve to feel like a fool.
LOL! I’m spending this gray and freezing Saturday enjoying writing this post. Dressed to the nines in pajamas!
2024 was the year I started to wear less makeup. I didn’t take a cue from the gorgeous Pamela Anderson, I just realized that at my age of soon-to-be 70, less is more. Heavy makeup and foundations can look caked-on. The foundations will also creep into those wrinkles and crevices making you look older. NO foundation, despite what influencers or social media ads pontificate, is going to make a 50, 60, 70 and older year-old woman look 25 or thirty. Truth. Stop being delusional!
2024. The year I decided that less (makeup) is more!
Foundation is a naught for me I rely on skin tints to give my skin a bit of an extra “oomph.”
Contour? Never got fully into it. I do like a bit of a bronzer—especially in winter when I am vampire-pale.
Let us just get into my recommendations and other opinions.
Skincare: As a firm believer of a good night’s sleep, protecting your face from the elements, and washing that makeup off every night, skincare is basic for me. Not loyal to many brands when it comes to caring for my skin, I cannot exist without Albolene makeup remover. It is, as I have said in the past, lard for the face. It has been around for years and on an average, I will pay ten bucks for a substantial tub full. I think this is my fourth mention over the years of this wonder product!
This image is from a past blog post. I cannot ever run out of this. It is my holy grail of makeup remover!
It does have a balm-like texture and when I see brands and influencers yapping about the greatness of any new balm, I chuckle. They are overpriced and over-scented. Gimme unscented Albolene any day. It is the greatest makeup remover out there.
I also love Jergen’s body lotion. The original scented. The one that smells like cherries and almonds. I slather this on all year. The scent reminds me of days gone by. Decades gone by. And, it does the job.
Legs, arms, neck. Jergens original scent is the one moisturizer I have used since childhood!
Inasmuch as I love Albolene, I follow up by cleaning my face with water and…whatever facial scrub is within my reach. Skin cleansers all do the same job. Apply, work it in with H20 and rinse. Two dollars to Thirty dollars. When you are finished—your face is clean. Kudos to those using a washcloth. You are my people!
I buy this in bulk at Walmart. Cheap and when they get extra grimy from mascara I trash them.
Toners? I’ll use the ones I have on hand (i.e. Fragonard’s Fleur d’Oranger) and mostly in the summer when my skin gets sweaty. In the winter I tend to leave my skin alone because toners can be drying. At least for my very dry skin they are. I love the Fragonard toner because it is so light and my face never feels taut after application. The price in the USA is about $21 per bottle but I purchase cheaper in France. I very much recommend this.
Best toner out there. And the scent. Orange Blossom. Warms my heart!
Serums? I will admit, I do like the snail ones. I was thrilled to see this in the stocking that Jake, Roman and Oona had in my stocking this Christmas. I’ve purchased this on repeat and it’s the one serum I always return to.
I’m also subscribed to this serum on Amazon. I save a dollar or so by subscribing
Guerlain’s Abeille Royalle Skincare Line: I received three full-sized products from this line from Influencer. I received it to write a review, which I did and post a picture on Instagram, which I did.
The items I received were: The Fortifying Lotion with Royal Jelly, The Double -R Serum, and the Advanced Youth Watery Oil. This trio retails for $285. There is no way I would repurchase unless I won a few million bucks in the Lottery. To be perfectly honest with you, this trio is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. I received it in early Autumn and the Serum and Watery Oil are both almost finished. The Fortifying lotion is ¾ full. Based on the two items alone, one would have to repurchase at least one time during the year, making the products pricier. Not gonna lie, I noticed that my skin had a glow to it after a couple of months. Wrinkles were still there. Redness was too. However, my skin still really looked better.
These products are great but way out of my price range.
It’s too bad that the products are so expensive. My recommendation on this trio is—if you are the one percent and can afford it with no thought that it is pricey—buy it. If you are retired and on a fixed income, or working to make ends meet (as many of us Boomers do), do not go into debt for it. Ask for it for next Christmas!
Of Note: The one brand that I did get hooked on in 2024 was Typology. The skincare products are excellent, albeit, not cheap. Not as pricey as the Guerlain. The products can be purchased online at: Typology.com I could kick myself in the ass because the only store the products are sold in is Printemps. I cannot believe that I was in that store, shopped there and wasn’t aware they were sold at that location.
Some serums and creams from Typology. The Face Balm and Moisturizer will definitely be a repurchase.
Anyway……in 2024, I started ordering the products. The serums are good but I’m not sure about repurchasing. What I will repurchase from the brand’s skincare line is the Lipid-Replenishing Face Balm and the Nourishing Moisturizer. The Face Balm is great for applying before heading out into the winter weather. It is a great product for daytime use. The Nourishing Moisturizer, I use at night (among other products).
These “limited editions” really bother me. I keep this face scrub at my bathtub because I love to use it while taking a bath. Now it isn’t available. I’m pissed.
I really loved the cleansing face scrub but it was limited edition and no longer available. What I suggest is trying out the products before deciding on which work for you. I ordered their Discovery gift set which has ten products. Many of which I have but I love the smaller sizes for travel…
Lots of mini-goodies in this Discovery Set. I haven’t used anything yet because it arrived last night!
…..I ordered the Travel Set and it worked perfectly when we were in Paris last month. I was able to put the products, in the pouch they came in, in my carry-on and had no problem. The sizes are TSA-approved!
This travel set is perfect. And the sizes are TSA-approved which means you can put them in a carry-on or purse!
They arrived in this pouch which you can throw other products in as well!
These French skincare products:
I wrote about these in my last post regarding our Paris trip. The A313 is something I would not repurchase. The hype is ridiculous. I’ve read reviews that women saw a difference in one application. That is bullshit. The Biafine is something that I would repurchase though. It’s pretty darn good!
And, as usual, I cannot be without my Embryolisse. Picked two more tubes in France. If you can’t make it to France, buy it from Amazon! * Full disclosure. Any links to Amazon, I receive a minute commission. I am not an affiliate of any other site.
Makeup: Let us talk about it. Since I am wearing less these days.
I’ll show you which products I used go get from point A to point B! Without a TON of makeup!
Skin Tints: Coming back to Typology, I am absolutely loving their face tint. Because I am no longer working in Corporate and am at the State Hospital, I don’t wear face makeup every day. However, when I am going out and about and, on those days, when I want my skin to look not as winter-sickly, I will use the skin tint. This is the bomb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is undetectable since it doesn’t cake up and doesn’t slip into wrinkles. It works wonders to tone down the redness yet it is as light as a feather. Like a second skin. It stays put all day as well. I cannot say enough great things about this. And yes. I have two of these and will absolutely repurchase.
The skin tints and the shimmering dry oil. I honestly have no idea what the difference from T 10 to T 12 is. They both work the same. The shimmering dry oil is fantastic for just a tiny glow up. The bottle will last forever.
I know the lighting is weird but look at the photo on the far right. It was taken before adding the skin tint. See how blotchy and red my skin is? The Typology skin tint evened out everything . Wrinkles are still there. So is my skin texture but my redness is gone!
It’s akin to Brylcreem because ” a little dab’ll do ya”!
Glossier also has a face tint that I’m quite fond of. It is lighter in weight than the Typology and doesn’t cover the redness as well, but still—it is a wonderful skin tone. I have a backup and would repurchase.
Glossier is another “mature” skin friendly brand. The Futuredew gives a nice glow under the Glossier skin tint! And the concealer is wonderful!
MAC Cosmetics as a “Face and Body Foundation” that is not a foundation—it is more of a skin tint and it is good. I would not repurchase simply because I’m ridiculously happy with Typology.
Although deemed a foundation, the MAC body and face “foundation” is more of a heavier skin tint. I also used the Merit lip oil a lot in 2024.
Concealers: I am hooked on Glossier’s concealer and have been for a few years. It isn’t for everyone because many deem it “greasy.” If you have dry skin, such as mature skin, this concealer is wonderful. It comes in a pot and I apply it with a mini blender sponge. It works as both an eyeshadow primer and brightens the undereye as well as conceals.
The Glossier concealer. Works great for super-dry skin!
Eyebrows: Ugh. The older we get; the eyebrows disappear and make their way to the chin! (Have a tweezer on hand at all times). There was a time when I had thick brows. No more. My eyebrow pencil or pen, of choice for 2024 was the same as previous years. e.l.f. has the best brow pencil. It is downright cheap, it has a spoolee at one end and product on the other. It works. It fills the brows in and that is what you want. One does not need to spend a lot of money.
Used regularly through 2024 as you can tell from the marks on the pencil.
The brow gel that I use to keep them in place? I have a few. The one I like the best and used the most in 2024 is the Typology. It has a good amount of product in the tube and you need but a light hand to keep those brows in place. It isn’t the cheapest in price on the market but it works.
You can see this brow gell has been well-used!
Eye Shadow: I don’t like colors in eyeshadows. A bit of glitter? Yeah. But, no color except for neutrals. Although I have way too many neutral eye shadow palettes, these were the ones I used the most in 2024. The Mally palette was discontinued a long time ago but I found three of them on eBay so I’m good for a while. The Kat Von D palette has also been discontinued. I’ve had this for years and the shadows work well.
I’ve hit pan on three of these palettes. What can I say? I’m a fan of neutrals because I feel they make the eyes more awake and attractive!
The Jones Road palette is the only one not discontinued. And it is very good.The MAC palette? I made it myself. Purchased individual shades and can replace them as needed.
There’s not much more I can say on this subject because a neutral is a neutral is a neutral. My personal thoughts are neutrals work well for the mature woman.
Mascara: OMG! I LOVE mascara! I’m that one who also loves a bit of a clumpy mascara because they make the lashes look fuller—especially from far away! I use a lot of mascara. A LOT!
I use all of these mascaras. They make the lashes look thicker!
Every mascara pictured is a repurchase except for the yellow tube by Nocibé. I’ll repurchase on my next trip to France. It was purchased last summer in Theoule. Our lashes thin out as we age and I can’t stand a weak mascara. I’ve also learned that not wearing eyeliner and mascara only makes the lasher look longer.
Lips: Okay. Back to Typology. Their lip oils are wonderful for my perpetually-chapped lips. The Powder Pink shade is gorgeous and the Ruby Red when applied very lightly is nice for dressing up! Suffice it to say, I am NOT a red-lip person, but this lip oil isn’t a harsh red. The Luminous Glow lip oil is my favorite. I use it every day and will be repurchasing into 2025! The staying power isn’t great but sets the tone for a hydrated kisser!
2024. The year of the lip oil for me. I’ve read pros and cons regarding these oils but in my opinion, I think they work well for the woman of the mature demographic. Granted–they don’t last long but they give a good base for hydration.
My go-to’s and most go back past 2024. Lip stick and gloss! Loreal’s Number 165. A beautiful pink, I’ve been wearing this shade for years and I have multiples for various purses. Guerlain’s Kiss Kiss Rose Glow is another balm with color that works well. Again, not as harsh as a deeper lipstick, my preference these days is balms. Jone Road Cool Gloss. This squeeze tube is great for a bit of a glittery glow and shine. Chanel Coco Baume in Dreamy White. Plain. Simple. Basic. Hydrates lips beautifully.
These are all in a pouch that is in my everyday purse.
Here are the shades. 165 is the prettiest pink ever!
Here’s the finished face. I applied too much of the Jones Road gloss as you can see. But. This is the face of age. And that skin tint is far better than any foundation!
Bronzer and Blush: During the summer, the people at Boom got in touch with me to see if I would like to sample their Boomstick Bronze. Naturally, I accepted the offer but, what happened was I never received the bronzer, in error I was sent the Boomstick Parisian Red blush stick. I did get in touch with them to let them know of the error and the bronzer was sent.
These sticks by Boom are a 2024 treasure!
Let me tell you, I have not used any other blush since receiving this. It was, hands down, the greatest error ever sent to me. I use it every day. I love it. The “red” is more of a pink on my skin and blends so well with my natural skin tone.
The bronzer is also quite nice. I use it almost daily to add a bit of depth and to warm up my face. Sometimes I’ll use it alone and sometimes over a skin tint. I apply it by rubbing a brush over it then lightly brushing on my face.
I apply each product with a brush instead of applying from tube to face!
At $28 per stick, I think this is a fair price—especially considering you don’t need a lot of product.
That’s about all folks. My skincare routine is simple. I don’t spend hours mulling over taking care of my skin. I follow a basic routine.
As far as makeup goes, I don’t wear as much as I used to. In addition, if something “drugstore” such as e.l.f. works—I’ll buy it. I don’t mind spending money on other items but I have a limit. As much as I loved the Guerlain trio, I simply cannot justify the price.
Done! I took these photos by the window where the light is brighter. I’m no makeup artist but for the most part, all of these products work well….
AND, for those who cannot bear to see an ageing face…
Here is “fake” face me. The kind that makeup and skincare companies use to entice older women to buy products. They foolishly believe makeup will make them look 25 again. Ain’t happening. Embrace your age. It sucks at times but overall, be glad you’re around!
Thoughts welcomed in comments. How much would you spend upwards on skincare and makeup? Are you wearing less or more as you age? What tips to you have and what favorites?