The Mother-Of-The Bride Dress Saga Continues or, I Don’t Get Mad. I Get Even

Posted on March 10, 2019 by Catherine

With Oona’s wedding four months away, it was kindly suggested to me that perhaps I needed to get off my butt and start looking for a dress!

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Oh..and might I add that after watching what I’m eating BEFORE the wedding, I’ll eat her entire wedding cake the day OF the wedding!

Now, you know how I feel about “Mother-of-the-Bride” dresses.  They are beyond ugly.  They are downright “fugly”.  I’ve written about this in the past and trust me, things haven’t changed.  Click to read:  Why Are Mother-of-the-Bride Dresses so Freaking Ugly?

The rag trade continues to visualize mothers of brides (and grooms) to be frumpy, matronly and completely void of any style.

No.  Dusty Rose is not a flattering color and  even on the much-younger model, the dress is wearing her.  Not a good look!

My objective was to find a short dress that would suffice for my daughter’s wedding.  In my mind, I had a vision.  Very Audrey Hepburn, 1960’s with a bit of Jackie Kennedy thrown in.  Oona mentioned that maybe a long dress would be more fitting of the occasion because her bridesmaids are wearing long dresses and her dress is more on the formal side of bridal attire.

Mommy’s stubborn. I knew that somewhere out there was a dress for me.

I even went as far to order a dress from Overstock.com.  I found an Alfred Sung dress and when I showed my daughter, her reaction was that it was better left for the rehearsal dinner.  Don’t get me wrong—she liked the dress but felt it was a bit too…………………………basic for her wedding.

This is the dress I purchased from Overstock.com  The one I ordered is black and I’ve heard the dresses run small so I’ll be sure to count WW points!

No big deal because in October I’ll be attending the wedding of one of her friends and I can wear the dress I ordered. (And by then I’ll finally fit into the dress if it runs small!)

The online search was getting me a bit stressed to say the least and so, I marked this Saturday off to search for a dress.

Now, on Friday night Bonaparte and I attended a performance of the Opera, Don Giovanni, in Philly.  We got home at midnight and, well—you know the Frenchman…he insisted on sitting down to aperitifs and a store-bought roast chicken dinner. At midnight!  Since it’s Lent, I was concerned about eating meat on Friday, but I realized that after midnight is actually the next day!  And so, I considered the drinks and chicken to be my early Saturday breakfast!  By the time we went to bed it was almost two in the morning.

This version of Don Giovanni was chock-full of talent but the costuming left much to be desired! I want full-on traditional Mozart costumes!

And I woke up at 7 AM.  Giving me approximately five hours of sleep.

My first inclination was to just roll back under the covers and sleep for another three hours.  Then I realized that I needed to start that dress search because it could take a massive amount of time and weekends!

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Yeah. I just wanted to stay in bed–but I had a mission!!!!

I prepared well.  Into my large tote bag, I placed two wigs.  Yes.  I need the right hair to match the right dress!  Also packed into the tote was a pair of three-inch heels.  Since there will be plenty of standing before the shoes come off, it was a pragmatic choice. Next item into the tote—padded bra inserts to assist in making my titties stand at attention if need be.  And last of the essentials was shapewear in the form of long-line panties.

Mother-of-the-Bride shopping essentials:  Additional hair, pointy-toed heels, shapewear and bra inserts!

And it all fit nicely into my tote bag!

As this was to be a serious mission, I wore very comfortable jeans, a white button-down shirt, a navy blazer and Converse low-top sneakers.  My makeup was perfect for this task and I chose a wig that could be worn in an updo.

Comfort is key!!  I’m NOT wearing heels to traipse around the mall!

With Bonaparte in tow (the poor man thought I was nuts for carrying so many essentials), we were off to the King of Prussia Mall!

Many women have told me they lucked out at Nordstrom so I was feeling very positive and excited that a dress would be found there.  We arrived just a few minutes after the store opened, and I knew my chances could be great to have an expert sales assistant assist me.

First stop–Nordstrom! I was so excited and anxious at the same time!  Would I find my dress?

That was not to be.

The “Special Occasion” dress area is located on the second floor.  We headed there first.  Bonaparte found a seat because he assumed, he would be sitting for a while as I looked around.  Already, the department was lively with many women around my age perusing the racks.  I found a sales assistant, a woman of mature age, and I felt confident.

As I approached her, I said my obligatory “Excuse me…but…” followed by “do you have Mother-of-the-Bride dresses that aren’t as frumpy and matronly as the ones on the floor?”  “Or do you have any Alfred Sung dresses?”

After looking at the likes of dresses like THIS at Nordstrom, I was justified in my choice of wording to the “Mature” woman sales associate!

After she figuratively threw darts at me, she curtly replied “No” and turned around and walked away. Perhaps it was my assertive approach and my absolute honesty about the inventory that made her not want anything to do with me.

That’s pretty-much the look I received when I asked if there were any “nice” and “up-t0-date” Mother-of-the-Bride dresses!

But—as a mother-of-the-bride, it is my duty and, I owe it to my daughter, to get a nice dress.  People remember two things at weddings.  The beauty of the bride, and, if the Mother-of-the-Bride has a hideous dress—they remember that as well!  The objective is to not take anything away from the bride and that means not wearing a dress so matronly, so awful, so unstylish that it does take away from the bride because, trust me—people will be noticing the ugly dress more!

And here’s a sampling of washed-out dresses for the MOB! 

Another woman who was standing close by started to laugh and told me that “…. you won’t find anything here!”  “I’m in the same boat as you are”. And she laughed again.

Not only is this shapeless but the sleeves are absolutely atrocious to the mature woman who’s arms may have become a bit flabby!  Who designs this anyway????

Now here’s the thing. And what I’m about to write does not apply to all sales assistants. Please—if you work in retail, realize that I’m only speaking about a small percentage—ok?  I’m not a fan of many “mature” sales assistants.  A number of them are what I, and some of my ex-coworkers from Nordstrom, used to call “sharks”.  They are out for one thing and one thing only—commission.  Their job is to move inventory at a cost that is beneficial to them.  They will find the ugliest, priciest dress in the department, insist you try it on and tell you that it is YOU!  Meanwhile, you are thinking you wouldn’t even put your worst enemy in the dress.

That woman checking out the dresses is the one who had a good chuckle at my inquiry.  The dress on the right–are you kidding me?  They only human to look fabulous in brown was Ronald Reagan. OK?

This type of sales assistant avoids customers who know what they want, are aware of their body shape, and have specific tastes.  Basically, the sharks of the retail business aren’t fond the knowing customer.  That makes it difficult for me to get the assistance I need, when in reality, there are times when a little assistance can help.  Remember this for later on in the post!

Beware the retail sharks!  They will hunt the vulnerable customer down and sell you anything to make commission!

After a quick look-see at the rest of the department, I was so disgusted because the sales woman lied by telling me they didn’t have Alfred Sung dresses.  These dresses are in the Wedding Suite at Nordstrom.  And so are bridesmaids’ dresses.  She  didn’t even suggest  that I even try looking at The Wedding Suite.  It’s this lack of customer service that leaves me wondering why Nordstrom pontificates on great customer service when, in fact, it is severely lacking in some circumstances.

Though not my personal style, this is closer to what a MOB dress should look like–and Nordstrom has dresses like this in the store’s Wedding Suite.  I should have gone there but I was just too disgusted.

As we left, I suggested we head to Lord & Taylor.  I’ve always heard that the store had great dresses and I hadn’t shopped in that store in a dogs age.  By this time, I was experiencing full-blown MOB anxiety.  I felt bad because I wished my daughter was with me, I was upset at the lack of help and selection at Nordstrom and I started to tear up.  Thank God I had my husband to remind me we had only been looking for a half hour!

Lord and Taylor.  It was high time to revisit!

As we approached the cocktail/mother-of-bride/special occasion dress department of Lord and Taylor, my spirits lifted.  The selection was stellar!  Short dresses, long dresses, fancy dresses, fancier dresses all sorts and I was hopeful.

Then it happened.  I headed up to the department’s cash register.  There were not one, not two, not three, but there were four sales assistants.  All women around my age (gee—what a surprise).

And when I asked about Alfred Sung, kind of Jackie Kennedy mother-of-the-bride dresses, shorter length dresses for the mother, three of the women ignored me and one gave me the once over and said.  “We have nothing like that.”  She then turned her back on me and proceeded to talk to another sales assistant.

 

Oh honey, the same can be said for some sales associates!

Is it me?  Was it the fact I was in jeans and ultra-cool Converse low tops with a J. Crew Schoolboy blazer that turned these women off to me?  Was it my nasal, Long Island/NYC Borough Girl accent that disgusted them?  Perhaps it was my crossed eyes or the fact I speak loudly that may have seem as though I had the plague.

..or perhaps the sales associates thought I was a working girl if you know what I mean….

Whatever the reason, I was now two-for-two with the mature lady sales assistants.  I would have fared better getting assistance by a college co-ed at Forever 21!

The saving grace?  Lord & Taylor’s spectacular selection!  Honestly, the choices were overwhelming—and in a rather underwhelming category of dresses, this was good.  Oh yes—this was very good!

I headed to a dressing room lugging my tote bag of essentials and about a dozen dresses.  With no help from a mature sales assistant, mind you.  Absolutely. No. Help!

Once inside the dressing room, I took my clothes off, changed into my shapewear, decided to change my hair and put my Sage wig on and hit the dresses.

…and a change of footwear and hair!

Let’s take a little peek at a few of the dresses I tried on.

This sheath dress by Guess. I absolutely loved it.  The 8 fit beautifully.  It had stretch, making it comfy to be on the dance floor.  Bonaparte liked it but wasn’t bowled over.  Thank God for cell phones because I took a pic and sent it to Oona.  She was “meh”.  I kept it in the “maybe” pile.

I stinking LOVE this dress!  I can’t help it.  The fit, the cut of the dress–everything–and I’m not a “lace” person but this dress….

There’s nothing about this dress I don’t love! But is it Mother-of-the-Bride kind?

Next dress was by Eliza J.  Neon Pink!  I picked up a size 10 because there were no 8’s and it was large in the bust area. Nonetheless, I loved the dress.  The drawback was the fabric.  Oona’s wedding is in July and the polyester fabric was very heavy.  My husband really liked this one too. Oona really did but said that the color was too loud.  Then I realized she was correct because her bridesmaid’s dresses aren’t a bright color.  Gotta think of the photos.  She asked if the same dress was available in a muted color.  It wasn’t.

What would I tailor on this dress?  The length. I would cut one inch off the hem to make it perfect!

A small slit and a one-shoulder cut.  Out of my normal range of style but I loved this!!

The size 10 was just a bit large in the top..it wasn’t a good thing when I bent over!

Next dress was a great frock which I really loved.  A knit top attached to a Dupioni skirt.  It was fun and flirty.  This was the one I had to go up two sizes and it was still a bit tight.  WTF is with the inconsistency in sizing anyway?

I. Love. This. Dress.

The “issue” with this dress?  It was too short.  At first, it didn’t seem that short, but when I bent over to test, I bent over in front of Bonaparte.  He said “NON!”  it was inappropriate for the wedding especially since I would be spending a good amount of time on the dance floor!

From a distance you can see that it is a bit too short for a MOB.  But it’s more about bending down when a dress is that flouncy at the skirt.  

Still, I think this makes a lovely party or date night dress!

Next up, a Fit n’ Flare deep blue dress with silver embellishments.  The 8 didn’t even zip up past me waist. Neither did the 10 or the 12.  Inconsistent sizing is not good for the ego.  That dress went in the “never” pile!

On the hanger, this dress had great potential–but the sizing was ridiculous!

Just for ha-ha’s, I selected two long dresses to try on.  Oona kept hinting around that a longer dress would be preferred. But in all honesty, I’m just not a long-dress person.

Regardless, I tried a black and gold-embellished number on and adored it. In fact, when I left the dressing room to show the husband, a woman came up to me to compliment me on how great the dress looked.  And still, no sales assistants approached me!  But customers did!

Another dress I absolutely loved and so did Oona.  Bonaparte hated it. 

Look!  I’m Angelina Jolie!  

Unfortunately, the top was huge–which meant sizing down!  Was this THE dress?

This was the dress that was too large.  Bonaparte didn’t like it because he said it made me look older—even with the slit!  It was daughter-approved and I had to find it in a smaller size.

The next dress was one that I figured nobody would like because it was just way too simple.  A Calvin Klein.  And it was the simplicity that drew me to it.  A long dress—surprise!  A high neck but sleeveless and a slim cut.  A built-in bra because the back was low—but still, very simple.

Basic.  Simple. Calvin Klein.  And this dress fit perfectly…

The back of this dress is beautiful–all that’s needed is a fake tan!  You can see the woman who took my photo.  She was going crazy over the dress!

Overall–a gorgeous dress and fit–but is it worthy of MOB status?

When I walked out of the dressing room, two more customers approached me to comment that this dress was absolutely stunning.  One of the women actually asked me if I wanted her to snap a pic –which she did and she also gave suggestions for jewelry!  And still—not one sales assistant approached me!

Oona thought the dress very simple—and I reminded her that the day belongs to her and not me. I would rather blend than stand out!

As I headed out of the dressing room to put a couple of the dresses away (Yes. I’m also that customer who puts clothing away. I may be loud and demanding but I’m obsessive about hanging the clothing back and putting it in its proper place), I passed to of the sales assistants who didn’t help me.  They were deep in conversation.

Then it happened.

One of the assistants turned around to say that the dress looked absolutely gorgeous on me.  I thanked her profusely then went in for the kill.  After thanking her I said …”and no thanks to you. All of you refused to help me when I asked for it.”

Hey—I call it like I see it.

Allow me to reiterate.  Nobody deserves to be ignored.  If a customer needs assistance, and the S/A’s are busy, it’s only normal and polite to wait your turn. I understand that. If the S/A’s are not busy then they shouldn’t hover around the cash register—they should be out on the floor.

I’m not going to tell you if I purchased a dress specifically for the wedding.  (I want it to be a surprise and the search continues) However, I did make a purchase of a dress that I could use.   And I did not purchase the dress in the department I was in.  I went elsewhere.

When the cashier told me that I could pay in the dress department, a can of worms was opened.  Without going into further detail, I explained why I was at her register.  She, Linda, being of sound mind and a pro at customer service, called the store manager over.

The outcome?  I was able to air my grievances to the manager.  And trust me, I also mentioned that Lord & Taylor has a great selection of dresses—especially for the mother of the bride or groom.

Ravi, the Lord & Taylor store manager.  He was very much the listener–which I appreciate and Linda knows her customer service!  Might I suggest looking for her if you are ever in the King of Prussia Lord & Taylor and need assistance!

I highly recommend going to Lord & Taylor’s online site to check out the selection of their dresses because it’s excellent and the in-store selection doesn’t fail.  Even better is that Ravi, the store manager explained to me that they are expanding on these dresses!  Smart move for Lord and Taylor—especially given that there’s a larger variety of “pro-aging” dresses that other stores lack.

Look—some of you may think I was overreacting and being a total ba-zitch. But I want to stress a point about customer service. These days more and more retailers are suffering the effects of online shopping.   It’s easier for those who don’t want to travel to a store.  It’s easier for those who work weekdays and are too spent to shop in the evenings and weekends.

Then there are those who want to see the goods first-hand.  Those are the ones who do in-store shopping.  And the more sales assistants (NOT ALL—JUST A PERCENTAGE) judge customers, or become picky about who they assist, the more customers will be drawn to online shopping.

And so, I don’t get mad—I get even.  Nobody in the dress department received commission on my purchase.

And it is a big mistake to ignore customers and not assist them.  I realize there are horrible customers out there but for the most part–all they want is to be treated fairly.

Tell me your thoughts.  Please.  Do you think I was being too much?  Have you ever been ignored by a sales assistant—and a mature one at that?  I’m really curious!

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More Skinny on The Skincare–Live Skincare With Me!!!

Posted on March 7, 2019 by Catherine

Isn’t it funny how we’ll discuss fashion and beauty in the form of makeup?  We can talk hairstyles, hair cuts and even wigs—but how regularly do we really discuss skincare?

Ahhhh….my wigs–this is my beloved Finn…

And one can never have enough eyeshadow palettes!

It’s more than slapping SPF on your face—but please.  Do make sure to use sunscreen!

I’m admittedly late to the skincare party.  It wasn’t until a few years ago that I became serious about my skin and over the years I tried a plethora of products.  Some great but at this stage, too expensive.  Some so-so.  And some not worth mentioning.

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True dat!  I may be late to the skincare party–but now I’m in full swing!

And with the onset of blogging, I’ve been very fortunate to receive skin care products to test out and review.

This is something that I enjoy because I get to discover products that are relatively new to the market within the past couple of years—i.e., the ever-popular serums.

Overall, my skin isn’t bad.  It’s merely aging.  And with age comes lines—some deeper than others.  We also acquire spots on our faces that aren’t the adorable freckles and we also experience dryness and redness.  And to tell you the truth, I don’t think any of us have really bad skin.  We’re just going through changes.

My naked skin–and YES, I’m in my pajamas because they are my “at home” uniform!!  Seriously.  My skin isn’t that bad–some freckles–some redness –some blotchiness but it’s not in dire straights!

Anyway, I received an email from Live Skincare asking me if I would be interested in testing out a few of the brand’s products.  They knew I wasn’t going to review overnight and I would take my time in trying the products.  And they were aware I would be giving my honest opinion.  So here goes ….

Before testing the products, I went on to Live Skincare’s website.  The website isn’t fancy.  It’s a rather simple and pragmatic one and easy to navigate.  But I balked when I saw the term………….” Anti-Aging”

Yeah.  Beauty companies expect you to believe you’ll turn back the clock to your youth.  I don’t wanna!  I just want glowing skin!

When will these companies learn?  I mean, really??? If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times— “Anti-aging” is such a vulgar, negative, demeaning, and unnecessary term.  It’s insulting to the mature woman.  You anti-age the moment your heart stops beating.

From the moment a baby leaves the womb of the mother, the aging process is in effect.  Aging is a great privilege because so many don’t get to experience true aging.  Seriously, man, anti-aging is an offensive term.

Oh yeah.  This guy is going to anti-age real soon–when he breaks his neck from trying to anti-age!

That being said, it was a strike.  But I fault the beauty industry as a whole for this term. Live Skincare isn’t the only company to use this.  The term runs rampant!

The website also doesn’t go into the minute details about the creator, Tamy, of the brand.  The products are developed by dermatologists but I want more deets on who they are.  Forget curious—I’m downright nosey!  I really wish the website would go into more dish about this.

OK, now that my rant is out of the way, let’s concentrate on the actual products.

Four products were sent to me:

The Live Skincare Radiant Cream Day and Night Moisturizer and three serums—The Hydration Serum, The Regenerate Serum and the Glowing Serum, a Vitamin C. Serum.

The Hydration Serum, the Regenerate Serum, the Radiant cream and.

And the Glowing Serum (Vitamin C) were sent to me.

All products are cruelty-free and fragrance free.

Each serum serves its own purpose.

The Hydration Serum comes in a 1-ounce bottle with a rubber-tip dropper.  It isn’t a thick serum at all.  The consistency is a liquid but not watery.  It glides on nicely and I’m going to tell you right off the bat, I’m now on my second bottle.  I use this in the morning before putting on a light moisturizer and primer.

The Hydration Serum..Good to the last drop!

The last drop was used yesterday morning.  This is very good stuff. It is very hydrating and no scent at all!

As you can see from the dropper, the serum is a clear and lightweight liquid–and there isn’t even a hint of fragrance!

The Glowing Serum –on the website it states that this helps to fade spots.  I did not put much faith in that.  But—let me tell you something.  I have this dark spot on the left side of my face.  It’s always covered with makeup.  Last week I noticed something.  I didn’t notice the dark spot.  The spot didn’t disappear, but it did fade. It faded quite a bit too.  I swear to you—I was shook! Shook!   And guess what?  Bonaparte has a few of those spots so he started using it!!  Truth.  This comes in a 1-ounce bottle.

I’ve circled the “age” spot that’s on my face. This was a lot DARKER before I used the Glowing Serum regularly.  I’ve been using it faithfully at night and sometimes in the day since January.  I was shocked that it faded.  Surprise!  It works!

The Glowing Serum.  And may I add that the packaging and labeling is very “no-nonsence” and sensible.  And even though I’m a sucker for cute packaging when it comes to makeup–skincare is different.  I like a more sensible label–it means it’s serious!

The Regenerate Serum is a serum that contains 2% Retinol.  I’m very cautious with serums containing Retinol.  I have a stronger Retinol Serum from another brand and my skin peels from it if I use too much.  This serum is a gentler one—most likely because the percentage of Retinol is less.  I apply this only at night and on the average three times a week.   My skin isn’t that sensitive to the elements but if you have super-sensitive skin, I would do some research on Retinol before purchasing any serum containing Retinol.  As with the other serums, this also comes in a 1-ounce bottle.

Many high-end moisturizers and creams come in 1 oz jars for a price that’s higher. the 2 ounce jar isn’t bad!

Radiant Cream Day and Night Moisturizing Cream. This is not your silky, lightweight cream.  No. This moisturizer is serious.  It’s the strongman at the circus. It is a thick moisturizer but not drying.  A little goes a long way and I use this at night.  Even though it is both a day and night product, I chose to apply at night.  The reason?  I wear a full face of makeup each day.  That means primer, foundation, concealer, contour, highlighter, blush and whatever else strikes my fancy. A lighter moisturizer for day is more suitable to my needs.  However, I bring this out at night and let it do it’s work whilst I’m in dream land!

And………………….it doesn’t irritate my sensitive eyes!  In fact, none of these products were irritating to my eyes.  And that’s a great thing!

I’ve used this much since the beginning of January.  Every night.  

As you can see, it’s a thicker cream…

A small amount goes a long way. I dab this amount on each cheek and blend into my skin.

So, overall what do I think?

Well, I’ll tell you, I didn’t put much thought into it until I went to get my face waxed (those pesky lady whiskers) and Kim, the technician who does my nails and face, said that my skin was looking great.  She asked me if I was using different products.  That’s when I had my “aha” moment about these products.

Under this fully-made up face, there are no dry patches–which makes the makeup glide on.  So I can’t complain about what the Live products do.  I DO want to add a caveat.  The Retinol serum is stated as getting rid of dark spots but I digress–it’s the Glowing Serum that did the job!

My husband also mentioned that my skin was looking very nice.

Natural lighting. No filter.  This was taken yesterday morning.  The Frenchman has been admiring my skin so much that he took off with my Glowing Serum.  I’m off to order more when I finish writing this post!

Then I realized that during the months of January and February, the skin on my face wasn’t as dry as it usually is during the winter months.  I had no peeling (Retinol notwithstanding) and even when I was bare-faced, my skin didn’t feel dry.  That was impressive.

 

The pricing?  It’s fair.  The moisturizer is sold on the site for $39.99.   This isn’t drugstore pricing but it isn’t department store, luxury brand pricing either.  It falls smack in the middle.  For the 2-ounce jar, it’s a decent price because a small amount goes a long way.  There’s still plenty of product in my jar!

The pricing on the serums is very good.  You can order the Hydration and Regenerate serums for $49.99 each for a three-month supply.  The Glowing serum can be purchased at $26.99 for a three-month supply—which is really good!

This three-step PROAGING kit retails for $79.99 on the Live website.  I would rather see the Glowng Serum replace the Regenerate Serum in a kit–but that’s just me!  

It’s funny because every woman has a different need in her skincare regime.  Some are very brand loyal and others like to try different brands until they find one that works.

For me, I like to rotate brands.  My favorites from Live Skincare are the Hydration Serum and the Radiance Cream with the Glowing Serum coming in third.  Since I’m on my second bottle of the Hydration Serum, I’ll be ordering a three-month supply when I hit the bottom of the bottle.  I’ll definitely be ordering the Glowing Serum—especially since the husband has started to use it.

CAVEAT 2–I  am NOT receiving any kick-backs from this brand.  I’m recommending it because I like the way the products work.  Mind you–you won’t see a difference overnight but you will notice a change in your skin over the course of a month or so.  

If you would like to see more—I did a video review—it’s got some fun to it so I hope you enjoy! Chippy joins in on the fun AND there’s a story about my father trying to cure my acne with Ting–a product he used for Athlete’s foot fungus!

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The Dress You Need! Seriously!!!!

Posted on March 2, 2019 by Catherine

Ok.  It’s been a while since I’ve made any clothing purchases.  I covered that in my recent blog post last week :  Basic Me. Why I Hardly Bought Any Clothes This Winter

But now that Spring is due to arrive soon (even though we are experience winter snow and freezing temperatures in the Northeast), it’s time to start looking for warmer-weather clothing.

I love winter

Yeah–Yesterday was March 1st and this was the view when I opened my front door!

And with that, comes dresses.  If you are a regular reader of this blog, then you are aware that I am a fan of dresses in the spring and summer months.  I dig one-step dressing.  Layers and separates are cool-to-cold weather dressing for me.  Once that temperature change takes place, it’s dresses, fake tan and, when not frolicking barefoot, sandals!

Favorite summer looks.  Dresses, sandals, fake tan, fake hair!

I found a dress that not only suits my needs, but it’s perfection!  And it was less than $25 on Amazon!

A little peek at this perfect dress.  For more details, read on!

Let me tell you the story. OK?

Now—Amazon, for me has been very hit-or-miss in the clothing area.  I once made a dress purchase that seemed too good to be true and when I received the dress, it couldn’t even be worn as a shirt.  No kidding! It was horrific. The thing went right into the trash!

On the other hand, I had luck with one dress –ONE dress that I really liked but hardly ever wore!

Honestly, I really like this dress but it was just never worn often. I may wear it to work next week though, because it is very comfy!

Obviously, my “dress radar” with Amazon has been less than stellar.

But a while ago, while perusing through the Amazon site, I was drawn to a certain brand’s dresses.  The brand is Floerns.  I’ve Googled this brand to find out more and my efforts were fruitless.  My instinct tells me it’s a “made-in-China” brand sold exclusively on Amazon.

And yes, I am very wary of these brands sold on Amazon but every now and then, you discover a gem.

A gem of a dress and there’s more to show!

This dress is the gem.  At under $25, I am blown away.  Let’s take a look.

It was delivered yesterday and upon arriving home from the office, I tried it on. Boy was I pleased!

As skeptical as I was, I still went ahead and ordered the dress.  Based on the many reviews, it seemed that the purchase would be a decent one.  Also based on the reviews, I ordered the dress in a size Large as it was cautioned to size up.

Here’s the stats on my body.  I am, in bare feet, 5 feet 5 and ¾ inches—making me closer to 5 feet 6.  With heels I’m around 5 feet 7 to 5 feet 8 inches.

The dress comes in sizes ranging from XS to XXL–and the stretchy fabric makes it very wearer-friendly!

My current weight is 150 and as you know I’m on a weight loss journey to go down to around 138 – 140 pounds.

I’m also noticing that as I pro-age, I’m searching for a slightly longer length in my dresses.  Don’t get me wrong—I’m still a fan of the shorter length, but for the office and for social occasions, I’m beginning to veer toward a knee length—given the proportions of the dress.

And that bottom hem comes just mid-knee!  The perfect length!

I’m tired of going to department stores because the sales assistants are more interested in their commission and will tell you any cheaply-made, overpriced frock is YOU! Ummm…no it isn’t!  I am very specific in what I like and what I’m looking for. Besides–I’ve seen pricey dresses with shoddy construction and I’m not paying for that!

Far be it from me to discover I found that perfect dress on amazon!

The dress, white with a deep blue, but not quite navy-blue design, is a winner.  The white fabric is completely opaque.  Testament to this is I tried the dress on straight out of the package when I was wearing black underwear—the black is undetectable.

Here’s a photo from yesterday.  I tried the dress on while wearing black underwear.  This is truly and opaque dress!  You can’t see the black!

The fabric is polyester but is lightweight making this summer-friendly.

The dress zips up the back.

And might I add-that zipper is long in length!  The back of the dress is also quite nice!

The silhouette is stunning.  It puts the curves in the right place giving a very feminine hour-glass appearance.

The dress’ silhouette is extremely flattering–putting the curves in all the right places!

The waist is higher and although comes up under the bustline, isn’t a true empire waistline.  What it is, is friendly to the women with long torsos because the natural waistline isn’t cut off.  If you are long-waisted (as I am) then you know what I mean and you know who daunting it can be to find a great fit.

As you can see the waist is higher but not an empire–it’s as though there is a built-in cumberbund!

This is not a fit-n-flare dress and isn’t a shift.  It’s like a relaxed Bodycon dress if you size up.  The description is pencil dress and I would say that’s a very fair assessment.

Stop the presses!!!!  I just found out that my daughter, Oona, unbeknownst to both of us, ordered the same dress four days ago!  Grown up Mommy and Me dresses!  Another point that is is a dress for all ages–not just the mature woman!

The sleeves are a genius length and one that I do not generally see on dresses.  The sleeves on this dress fall just below the elbow on me.  If you are blessed with long arms, then they will fall slightly higher.  But the point is that these sleeves are ridiculously forgiving.  Let’s face it—we proage and our upper arms get a bit flabby.  This dress hides the flab!

These sleeves though…could they not be any more perfect?

More on the design.  I noticed from the side view in my video review (I’ll add it to the end), that the design somewhat disguises my gut.  From the side.  From the front, I would wear shapewear to suck the gut in.  However, I am going to order a size Medium in another dress to see if the stretch from the dress will suck the gut.

I gotta gut sticking out but the design from the side does a good job in playing it down!

Sit-ability.  This dress is very sit-friendly.  Have you ever been at a function or work and your dress rides up—inching and inching up until you are constantly tugging at it?  Yeah—I hate when that happens.  Because of the length, you can sit very comfortably without having to put a drink or plate of food down to “fix” or tug at the dress.  I’m a huge fan of that.

And that’s as high as the dress rides up–making this a VERY sitable dress!

A most pragmatic party dress. You can enjoy a plate of food resting on your lap and you won’t be worrying about the dress riding up your thighs!

I’m excited about the way I sit in the dress. Chippy is bored!

And more on the length.  On me, the dress comes mid-knee almost a hair above the knee but not quite.   It’s a very “ladylike” length and given the silhouette, it’s a very body-lengthening dress, giving you the appearance of being taller.

Seriously–what’s not to love about this dress?

The darts in the top of the dress are another figure-flattering quality.

Check out the darting!  So old-school!!

Overall, this dress has everything.  Style. Sophistication.  Wearability (and by that, I mean from office to special occasion).  Comfort.  Flattering to all body types.  And the price is ridiculous.

Look—I realize that I could be debated on this dress given where it’s made and given the price point.  But—it’s affordable.  And the average woman doesn’t have the $100 or $200 to spend on a dress under normal circumstances.  I’m a big believer in a great deal and bargain, as well as value for the money and this dress hits all those points.

Did I mention that I love the design because it is just so India-inspired?  And…even though this is a multi-generational dress, it’s also a wonderful and flattering choice for the Mature demographic! BTW–I’m wearing Freetress Equal Swami wig in these pics.  A very affordable wig!

And so, if you are over 50, 60 or in the mature woman demographic, this is a well-needed and very lady-like frock!

For a better view, here’s the YouTube video I just uploaded and you can also get more information on ordering from my Amazon List:  My Atypical60 Amazon Influencer List.

And that’s my honest view.  I love this dress so much that I ordered another one in Black and white with slightly longer sleeves in the same Large size.  And it was $19.99 from the same brand!  Just a heads up!  Let me know what you think–have you ever ordered clothing from Amazon?  Were you happy or……………….like me with the dress that was more like a shirt, did you trash it?

 

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They Shall Not Grow Old……But A Few Lucky Ones Did

Posted on February 24, 2019 by Catherine

We went to the movies yesterday.  What we saw was not an entertaining movie.  It wasn’t a RomCom nor was it a fantasy.  It wasn’t sugar-coated.

No sugar-coating or Mary Poppinsing with yesterday’s movie!

It wasn’t a story either.

As much as I loved this book and cannot wait to see the movie–what we saw wasn’t a Hollywood version of a story!

What it was—was history and a history that is slowly fading. We saw “They Shall Not Grow Old”

Despite the smiles–and over bad food at that–this documentary was somber and frightening.

This is a somber, sometimes eerie, sometimes absolutely horrific and well-needed documentary about The Great War—World War 1.

Posters like this had men and teens as young as 15 who lied about their birthdates to enlist in the British army.

Directed by New Zealand Oscar Winning Peter Jackson it’s dedicated in part to his grandfather who fought in that war.

Forget another Oscar–this guy needs a friggin’ Pulitzer Prize for “They Shall Not Grow Old”

Like Jackson, my grandfather, Thomas Wynne, also fought in that war.  One of my great-uncles also fought and was killed.

My grandfather, Thomas Wynne Sr.  from County Roscommon.  He fought when he was 19 years old and we are thankful he returned!

My grandfather said little about his time fighting in this war.  In fact, as children, all we knew of it was a photograph of his division (sorry I don’t have a photo—my aunt has it), his old WWI helmet and his gas mask.

I have no idea who in our family has his old helmet but we all took turns playing with it.  

And we were all too familiar with these alien, monstrous looking gas masks.  I don’t know how well they protected because my grandfather lost a lung due to the poisonous gases.

He also lost a lung as a result of the effects from the mustard gas, I believe—it was one of the gases.  But the man was strong because he lived to be a very old man.  With one lung.  Smoking Chesterfields and drinking a boilermaker a day.

My grandfather must have had great genetics to have one lung, smoke non-filtered Chesterfields AND drink a boilermaker a day.  

Other childhood memories of his days in the Great War were  listening and singing songs like  It’s a Long Way to Tipperary” “K-K-K-Katie” and “Mademoiselle from Armentieres” which we dubbed “Yinky Dinky Parlay Voo”

For some strange reason, I thought everyone on earth knew this song.  I grew up singing this thanks to my grandfather!

It wasn’t until I was older that he mentioned life in the trenches was the worst experience he ever had.  He said it was the only time, as an adult (actually late teens) that he shit his pants in fear.  This was in The Somme at the Battle of the Verdun.

My grandfather never spoke of life in the trenches.  My guess is he didn’t want to be reminded.  But Peter Jackson gave me a better understanding of what my grandfather and others went through.  It was horrible.

He was lucky.  He survived. And though one of his major organs was removed.  He remained ours.  And he was one of my favorite people.

But back to the film.  Jackson focused on the British troops during this war as he was commissioned by the BBC and his grandfather was one of the troops.

Four years into the making, the footage was restored in color—a painstaking process.  But the film goes from black and white into the color making the effects of this war even more realistic and horrifying.

From black and white to color–and it gave a more harrowing, realistic aura of this awful war.

Voice-overs from men who fought this war and survived were taken and used for describing the War.

Faces of young soldiers and listening to the voice overs of those who fought were beyond moving. It was downright sad.

Some of the scenes were so god-awful, I had to look at the movie out of my bad eye and in one moment of the film, one of the men used in the voice-overs states that ……he passed a boy (soldier) with an arm and leg blown off—his eye hanging down to his cheek calling for his mother.  He shot the boy to put him out of his misery—and his voice shook—years later.  Can you possibly imagine?

This is a very subdued photograph of the casualties of day one in the Somme.  The movie showed more graphic visuals that I just can’t even post.

There is no romanticism in this movie.  It is what it is.  It showcases the horrors, and also the “off-time” from the trenches.  Men and teenaged boys being what they are—boys.

There is nothing romantic about war in this documentary. It is what it is.

This is one of the saddest photos.  Jackson, in the commentary mentioned that the men in this photo–it was possibly their last 30 minutes alive because they were sent into a battle in which all the men died.  Look at the fear in the soldier’s face. 

God knows how they were able to shot a gun with these masks on….

The part of the movie that did me in, though, was the ending credits.  The song, Mademoiselle from Armentieres was being sung over the credits. And at that moment, it all came back to me.  My grandfather singing that song to me.  And I remembered the lyrics and sang along.

It was a very touching part of the movie and I wanted my grandfather back so I could really talk to him about his life in the trenches and understand more of what he went through.

After the movie ended, a 30-minute commentary with Peter Jackson was shown.  If you see this movie, you have to stay for the commentary because it makes the film more precious.  He mentioned all the countries and colonies who fought in the war.

The colonies were among those mentioned in the commentary…

…as well as the Americans

He also mentioned that we could be the last generation who had a relative who fought in that war and asked to talk about it.  Chances are that more people had a relative who fought.

You know it isn’t a proper blog post of mine if I don’t mention clothing.  The Scots had THE best military uniforms.  Kilts.  And they managed to fight a good battle in them..

Now you know one of the reasons I love my kilt skirts so much!

And he was so correct.  Personally, I naïvely thought everyone had a grandfather or great uncle fighting in WW1. It was also my thinking that everyone was well-educated about The Great War.  It saddened me to find out that its history is fading.

War is stupid.  War is dumb.  War is humanity at it’s worst.  People think I’m an oversensitive liberal.  I’m not.  And I’ve had some people tell me I’m a lousy American because of my views on war.

An African-American infantry on their way to The Verdun.  We forget about our men of color who fought in this war.  They should be a big part of Black History Month!

But here’s the thing.  Every time I’m in France.  I visit an American War Cemetery.  Vincent and I drove up by the Somme some years back to look for my great-uncle’s grave and we think we may have found it but weren’t sure.  In any case, I make sure to pay my respects for all the men who fought in France during WW 1 and WW2.

This is the American Cemetary in The Somme.  We may have found my uncle’s grave but we weren’t sure. Either way, I went down on my knees and paid respect to these men who fought for the world.

It doesn’t get more patriotic than that.  So, to those who think I’m a lousy American.  I challenge you to do the same and I say don’t judge me. Not now.  Not ever. Never.

Two years ago I was here. It never gets old for me and I will continue to pay my respects for those who fought in The Great War and WWII.

My thanks to Mr. Jackson for bringing back a piece of history that is fading.

Here’s the song that broke me.  From the ending credits of  They Shall Not Grow Old.  (I grew up thinking it was “Yinky” when it’s actually “Hinky”–oh what we learn when we grow old!). The commentary gives a nice background story to the men singing this song.  And it’s an uplifting ending to the credits!

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Basic Me!!! I Hardly Bought Any Clothing This Winter….

Posted on February 20, 2019 by Catherine

Oddly enough, the “aha” moment struck yesterday morning.  After hearing the sad news about my favorite fashion designer, Mr. Karl, I thought about fashion and clothing and then….I had an “Aha Moment”!

Oh Mr. Karl.  I will miss you.  And I’ll miss your signature pony tail. I only wish you had worn a man bun!  And I’ll miss your white shirts!

I hardly made any clothing purchases from the fall into this winter.

No scarfs were purchased.  Nor was any outwear.

This toasty nugget?  Two years…or perhaps three years old!

Is there a reason for this?  Kind of…

My closet has plenty of clothing.

Plaid among the pants hanging in the closet

If my skirts get any older they, as am I, will be placed in the “mature” demographic!

My blazers to not need another buddy hanging out with them.

The blazers are getting a bit cramped in there! And there’s about two-decades worth!

In all honesty, I’m happy with the clothing I have.  I either really love every article of clothing or I have a tremendous like for others.

I blame Catholic School for my over-abundance of white shirts–but the fact is, I love a white shirt–it’s a very crisp look!

And I think a lot of my not having to purchase is simply because I purchase clothing that doesn’t go out of style or fashion, if you will. As a member of the pro-aging group and as I’ve gotten older, I realize that I don’t need to follow the trends.  And when I do follow, I think hard if that trend will be around for a few seasons!

I got on the Camo trend train late last summer and I love these jeans–I call them “classically trendy”…

Two years ago when I purchased this leopard-print skirt, I really thought I was following a trend.  Two years later–it’s a new neutral and this is my most worn skirt.  All seasons.  I love this..

I…..am…..a……….BASIC!  Yes. A basic.  In most circles being a basic is dull and boring and yawn-inspiring.

And yes!  I LOVE being basic.  I’m a very proud basic!

However, in my mind, being a basic simply means that you have clothing that is—well….basic!

There are enough white tee shirts to last me from now till kingdom come.

I kid you not.  I have an entire drawer devoted to white tee shirts.  When they get old I use them as cleaning rags.  I love a good multi-tasker!

During the winter, I rarely wear dresses.  In fact, this winter I never wore a dress once.  I love the illusion of a dress by wearing a monochromatic theme.   One of my favorite’s is a navy shirt, navy short sleeved shell and navy shoes.  Everyone thought this was a dress!

A navy knit pencil skirt, a navy short-sleeved shell sweater and navy shoes.  It’s not a dress-it’s “basic”ally separates!

I love this look simply because I love my clothes!  If I fake tan the legs on Sunday, I can wear this Monday to work!

Let’s take a look at what I’ve been wearing –trust me most of it isn’t new

Yesterday’s outfit was inspired by the great Karl Lagerfeld and his penchant for the black and white suiting.  The pants are from Gap from about six years ago–maybe more.  The blazer around the same from J. Crew.  The scarf?  I have NO idea how long I’ve had it. It’s old…and I wore a plain black tee that I think I may have purchased in 2016.

My beatnick look–again, same GAP pants, an old turtleneck and the boots I picked up in November (You’ll see more about that later in the post)

More old clothes. More old boots. More old hair! Nothing in this photo is new!

The Weejuns–are from 1999 or 2000.  I’ve had them resoled and sewn up a few times but they are my old reliables.  The sweater was purchased back in November and I’ve worn it constantly throughout this winter.  The jeans–I  believe were purchased back in September making them newer moreso than older! I love this look so much I could wear it every day!

Navy suiting–suit-not-suit! All separates.  J. Crew Schoolboy blazer–I think this is one of my older ones from maybe eight years ago and J. Crew pants that were purchased a few years back.  Basic white tee and the scarf I stole from my daughter.  Basic. Basic. Basic!!!

You’ll see this skirt below in the purchases I made this past fall/winter.  I’m wearing it with a neon pink Tippi sweater from J. Crew–this has gotta be a 7 year-old sweater and old metallic heels that are really ready for the trash but I just can’t!!

A Saturday basic look.  On winter Saturdays, I cook and bake and write and keep basic.  White tee and jeans.  Is there anything more basic?

I wore this to work today.  Lucky for me, I was able to leave work at 2PM due to the snow but I have to make up the time.  Don’t even get me started on THAT!  Anyway, I’m wearing old leggings I picked up at Loft some years ago.  The boots are from many moons and the sweater from this season at deep discount from J. Crew.  You know–I love the sweater but am slightly disappointed at the way the bottom of the sweater is stretching out–I tug at it because of my long-waistedness.  Why don’t companies make clothing for the long torsoed?

Now let’s look at what I bought this past winter (and I mean fall into winter)

I did purchase both the pants from J. Crew and the velvet tee from J. Crew Factory this year.  Both items were on HEAVY discount.  The pants will be around for a long time. I love the ankle length, the subtle plaid is perfect for work and the velvet tee can dress up any outfit–it’s also a great holiday item!

Two sweaters I purchased.  A yellow roll-neck from J. Crew and an olive crew neck from J. Crew Factory. I have to say…the olive green sweater is probably my most-worn from this winter.  In fact, I need to get it cleaned!

 

I know I mentioned I didn’t need another blazer–but when I saw this navy one on J. Crew Factory’s site for a grand total of $45.  One can never have too many navy blazers.

Another J. Crew Factory find–and under $19.99.  I loved these khaki pants so much I ordered a second pair.  I’ve worn these quite often and they are three-season pants.  The fit is beautiful!

I must say, J. Crew Factory knocked it out of the park for me this winter.  Yet another factory find.  I love—LOVE this skirt!!

This large yellow bag was purchased in November when we were in Paris.  I used this so much since I bought it.  Yellow–it brightened my winter!

Another Parisian find.  They weren’t inexpensive but didn’t break the bank–and  I got a discount at Galeries Lafayette because it was Black Friday….

…these booties by Geox were a very pragmatic purchase.  They are comfortable as all get out and they are very basic in the best way!

Being a savvy clothing shopper means making that purchase that’ll last a few years. I also purchased a leopard neck wrap/scarf in 2016 for $7.00 that has been keeping me toasty this winter.

This seven-buck leopard collar scarf is the toastiest thing on earth!  I love this so much and for the ridiculous price it’s the best value ever!

It also helps to be on the lookout for basic items that aren’t frumpy or aging to us.  We want a modern vibe with a bit of an edge but we don’t want to look as though we are trying to capture our youth—know what I mean?

Okay. Allow me to explain.  The kilt skirt, worn with tights and a textured turtleneck sweater is youthful–but I don’t appear to be making a desparate attempt to capture my childhood days.  At least I don’t think so–lol!!

Here’s basically what it comes down to.  Buy clothes you love.  Stick within your affordability.  Purchase clothing that’ll be in style (not necessarily fashion  but–style).  Buy classics but give them a modern edge!

We may be “mature” but it doesn’t mean we have to dress old, frumpy and unstylish–and you don’t have to spend a fortune.  My clothing is purchased at discount.  Sales are my bff’s.  Full-price is not for me!!

How were your clothing purchases this winter?  Did you end up making many purchases—fewer—none?  Let’s talk!

Posted in style over 50, style over 60 | Tagged , , , | 21 Comments

Ain’t Too Proud To Beg Sweet Darlin’–But I Need Your Help!

Posted on February 16, 2019 by Catherine

It’s true.  It’s true!  I’m asking for your help and assistance.

The thing is, I have issues asking for help.  It’s weird but I’m breaking down now and am in almost “beg” mode.

You see, I’ve applied to be on the SephoraSquad.

Yes.  I’ve applied but I don’t have much hope!

Why have I done this?

I’ll be honest.  I’m sick and tired of the mature woman being ignored.  Ohhhhhh….the beauty industry is constantly tapping themselves on the shoulder for their *cough* inclusion and diversity.  But…they exlude the older woman.  Over 50.  Over 60.  Over 70 and Over 80 +.  We all want to look our best.

Over time I’ve come to write many blog posts about makeup, skincare and wigs.  And it is a mission and passion of mine to include the mature woman.

MMMMMMakeup!

Wigs!!!

Fake tan!  Some of my favorite subjects!!

This is my opportunity but I don’t really have much hope.  My Instagram account isn’t 37K plus.  It’s just over 5K.  My YouTube channel is but a mere drop in the bucket.  And that’s fine because if I can just reach a small group of women and be of any inspiration then I’ve done my job.

I don’t buy followers.  I don’t buy subscribers.  No filters. No fillers.

The only thing fake on me is my tan, my nails and my hair.  I’ve stopped with the lash extensions!

So what say you–can you help me out?

Here’s the link to click for you to add your testamonial if you would like : ATYPICAL60 SEPHORA SQUAD TESTAMONIAL LINK

If I get this, I will be forever thankful.  Gotta go now because I’m working on a blog post for tomorrow!

Again, thank you–it’s so difficult for me to ask for help but, I want this!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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I’m Blushing Over My TJ Maxx Makeup Finds!

Posted on February 13, 2019 by Catherine

Shopping for makeup can be a daunting chore at times.  Let’s face it.  When we go into a department store, at our age, we can be ignored.  And, if we are unsure of what we want, we can be patronized.

Thank you but I KNOW what I want and it isn’t to look like this –so don’t patronize me!

Then there’s the garbage we need to deal with when we know exactly what we want and the cosmetics sales person, who is salivating over commission, will tell us what we should have and what we need.

Trust me I have not one, but two Trish McEvoy cases to prove this point.

Over ten years ago, I was suckered into spending a small fortune and I’ve kept them as reminders to never allow this to happen again!

and although the concept of the create-your-own palette is a great one, the shadows are not the greatest quality.  You can get the same at MAC for half the price!

“meh” blush and bronzers–not very pigmented…

Oh yes. I was suckered into the whole kit and kaboodle.  

….this brightening pen was the worst.  It oxodized into an orange that would make a certain politician jealous at the hue!

Forget Ulta—I swear the Ulta Corporation goes out of its way to find the rudest and most ageist sales assistants on earth.  But I keep going back because the store sells both higher-end and lower end cosmetics.  It’s like a supermarket for makeup and beauty products!

Ulta has everything except mature-woman friendly sales assistants!

And as much as I love me my makeup, there are times when I dread going in-store to purchase.

I’ve been making quite a few on-line purchases from Amazon, Tarte, Beautylish, and The Ordinary—but there’s a certain thrill of touching and looking at a product IRL before buying.

The other thing is that in my pro-aging, I’m becoming more price-savvy.  Or perhaps just more frugal.  I not longer want to spend a fortune on one makeup item but on the other hand, I still enjoy a higher end product.

What to do?

Get to TJ Maxx.  Get to Marshalls. I am absolutely shocked in the best way possible with the makeup finds I’ve acquired since last November.  And although I’m big on drug store and lower-end cosmetics (if the quality is there), I still enjoy the higher-end!

Anyway, I’ve had blush on my mind.  Sure—I have quite a few but I was in the mood for more.  After all, I love to rotate my wigs so why not rotate my blushes?

And I hit pay dirt with two blushes.

This–THIS was a great find at TJ Maxx!

The first, by Too Faced.  Peach My Cheeks blush in the shade “So Peachy”.  What intrigued me about this is at first, I thought it was a cream because it’s so buttery—but its the softest powder that acts like a cream!  And for a powder, it isn’t ashy or powdery at all.  It’s a nice coral/pink blush that comes in the most adorable packaging ever.  It retails on the Too Faced site and in stores for $30.  The price at TJ Maxx? $10.99.

It’s called a “melting” powder blush and boy–that’s a great description!

Here I am wearing this peachy blush.  Very soft and subtle!

 

Here’s a closeup of the blush.  See the sheen?  No powder I’ve ever seen has a sheen like that!  It’s really a beautiful product!

The second Blush—Pool Party by Anastasia Beverly Hills.

Comes in a palm-sized compact…

Very pigmented but the color payoff is really nice…

Vegan and cruelty free–but I notice some clever verbiage.  Rather than say “Made in China”  it reads Made in PRC (People’s Republic of China).  Very interesting….

I’m sweet on the brand’s dipBrow brow gel and the Subculture eyeshadow palette.  So, when I saw this for $7.99, I grabbed it.  Three shades—one slightly bronzed, one shimmery and one a deep coral.  Despite the pigmented hues in the pan, on the skin, it comes off much lighter and gorgeous.  This is a great “occasion” blush due to the shimmery shade.  In other stores, this also retails for $30.00

 

Here I am (from yesterday) wearing Pool Party on my cheeks–although the weather was nothing like a pool party–wishful thinking!

And on the same day I picked up the blushes, I ran across this single eye shadow by Lancôme.  This shadow retails for $22.00 and the price I paid?  All of $2.99!  This is a great little neutral and don’t let the name “rust” fool you.  It isn’t rusty at all.  It’s very subtle.  I’ve been using it quite often.

Honestly–for $2.99 how could I go wrong with this neutral??  

The shade is nowhere near what I would figure a rust to be–it’s just a soft light brown!

Now—not all discounted makeup is created equal.

I picked up a bareMinerals foundation—I think it was $6.99 –the retail price is…$30.00.  Thirty bucks seems to be the going rate with a lot of this makeup!

There was so much to be disappointed in with this.  First of all that pour spout is ridiculous.  Then–get this–the plastic bottle–it’s flesh colored so if you DO happen to like this you never know when you hit bottom.  The bottom photo on the right is how it poured into my steel palette.  It looked fine but on the skin….

Anyway, it was horrible.  A serum foundation is supposed to hydrate and blend into the skin.  My The Ordinary Serum foundation is a go-to and this bareMinerals foundation was an absolute fail.  From the awkward opening at the bottle to the ridiculously matte and drying appearance.  I followed the directions to shake the bottle but it still didn’t work.  There was no oxidization but boy—my skin felt like a desert!  Proof that sometimes the deeply discounted is deeply discounted for a reason!

…This serum foundation was absolutely awful.  I like a foundation that blends into a second skin.  This just stayed on my face like a dried out mud mask.  You can’t win ’em all!

I’ve written about the Kat von D Shade and Light palette that I purchased a few months back—before Christmas.  For $20 I picked up the shimmer palette and after Christmas I picked up the regular palette for the same price.  These palettes retail for $48 each at Sephora and on the Kat von D site. I purchased the two for less than the full price of one.

The Shade & Light Eye Palettes

The top palette is the shimmer and the bottom is the matte.  They are divided into three quads.  Neutral. Cool. Warm.  It’s supposed to be more of a contour for eyes and it delivers perfectly! At the price of $20 each it was more than worth it.  After work I stopped by Target and saw in the Target drugstore makeup, eyeshadow palettes from drug store brands as high as $19.99.  With the rising cost of drug store makeup–I’ll take TJ Maxx!

These neutrals are right up my alley and the shadows themselves are well-pigmented and stay put!

And since I purchased the Anastasia Beverly Hills Subculture palette—for a deep discount, I’ve been wearing the shadows regularly.  Here’s a more in-depth review of the palette for you to read: A High-End Eye Shadow Palette at a Bargain Price!

The infamous Anastasia Subculture palette.  Man oh Manechevitz I love this palette!

My eyes are wearing Subculture here!

Over at Marshalls and during holidays while Bonaparte and I were shopping I noticed an eyeshadow palette.  It was by Cargo and brought back fond memories of this cosmetics company.  I used to wear quite a bit of the brand’s makeup back in the late 90’s and was happy to see the company was still around.  I picked up the palette “Chill in the Sixth” and spotted another one “Emerald City”. Each palette was $6.99.  The company makes these particular palettes anymore–I think they were limited editions;  but on the Cargo website similar palettes retail for $34!  So, I think I got a great deal!

Cargo’s Chill in the Sixth on top and Emerald City on the bottom.

These two palettes–how great thou art!   The incredible thing is the price was so low on these–I’m still in shock.  The shadows have beautiful pigment.  No fall out and the color pay off is great.  If you ever see Cargo eyeshadow palettes at Marshalls–grab them and only let them go if you are giving them out as gifts!

It’s like finding a treasure when you spot a higher-end cosmetic that’s been discounted.  But it’s also a way to discover different brands and to find out what may or may not work for you.  And even when something doesn’t work—it isn’t like you broke the bank.

I’m going to see if my daughter wants the bare Minerals foundation.  I doubt she will because she is very brand loyal to the foundation she wears.  Clinique and she also loves that Estee Lauder Double-Wear.  She’s also aware that I boycott Estee Lauder.  The brand used to be geared toward the mature woman –now the brand is jonesing for youth.

Here’s a few looks.  The February winter is playing some serious games.  We’re in the midst of an icy, wintery mix right now.  At least I’m toasty inside.

Baby, it’s cold outside but I’m going barelegged!

I dressed more weather-appropriately yesterday!

Today’s outfit. I should have worn boots!  But they are so cumbersome!

Guess what my preference is?

Have you found any great deals on makeup lately?  Are you tired of spending a ton of money on certain products?  Head to TJ Maxx and Marshalls!

OOPS!   I DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FORMATTING BUT THERE IS A BIG SPACE BETWEEN THIS AND THE BOTTOM.  JUST BLANK.  UGH!

MY APOLOGIES!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in BEAUTY FINDS | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

A Lighter Shade of Pale……. LIPS!

Posted on February 10, 2019 by Catherine

Bright lips are everywhere.  And again, and again and again, I see ads for red lipstick.  And again, and again and again I read and hear how all women can wear red or burgundy or dark lipstick.

Kardashian selfie time!

Me–with the big, bright lips from my blog post of three years ago Makeup Me A Kardashian!  You have NO idea how long it took to get those lips to look like that.  Red lips are too much of a hassle.  And that was my bio hair before I lost most of the crown.  Lots of Toppik!

It’s a fallacy. It’s a non-truth. It’s a downright lie!  And it seems that lies are becoming the new normal.

Dark lipstick and red lipstick do not look good on everyone.

These women are young.  And even though the photos are filtered, I can guarantee there are no deep ines or wrinkles around their mouths.  Girls better enjoy this look now because their dark lippie time is limited!!

Pro-aging does have some drawbacks—let me explain.  Certain features don’t age as well as other features do.

Some of us may find that our eyelids are drooping and we don’t appear as awake and bright-eyed as we did when we were younger.

Some of us may ask where our eyelids have gone?

We may have jowls. We definitely have more lines and wrinkles.

…and some of us have jowls (I hide mine with layered wigs!!)

And for a number of us, our lips have turned into the most unattractive feature of our face.

That would be me–ol’ fish lips!

I can tell you that when I was in my twenties, I had a great mouth.  My lips were as what the beauty industry calls “bee stung” lips.  Full—very full and very nice, to be exact.  Those bee-stung lips of mine collected quite a few drinks in bars back in the day!

It also helped that youth was on my side because there were no lines around my mouth at all.

I wore brighter lipstick back then—and although I did wear burgundy and wine-colored lipsticks back then, red just never did it for me

And as I’ve aged my once-bee stung lips have morphed from the insect colony to more of the aquatic life.  I have fish lips.  Fish lips are rubbery, almost shapeless and rather unattractive blobs of flesh that have taken the place of a proper set of lips.

Did photographer Richard Austin try to find a fish with my lips?  Although I do like the color of these fish lips!!

Like Don Knotts in the film, The Incredible Mr. Limpet—just call me Donna Knotts!

Yeah—just call me Donna Knotts!

On the plus side, the fish lips were made for smiling because they do give off quite a sweet grin!

Talk about a paradox–fish lips may not be the most attractive, but they create a very nice smile!

But here’s the thing.  These lips are not made for the dark lipsticks and these is where the beauty industry errs.  The reality is these lips look better in a paler shade and I don’t understand why paler shades of lipstick and glosses aren’t given the love or recognition they so deserve.

I’m a fan of the paler shades of lip colors.  The Frenchman is always telling me to go with more color when I film my YouTube videos. And he’s correct because my mouth always looks washed out.  But the truth is, I kind of don’t care because I love a pale lip!

Yesterday I hit Ulta in search of some pale lippies and was successful in my endeavor.

Here’s what I purchased.

My lippie purchase from yesterday.  From top clockwise.  NYX Candy Slick; Tarte Glide & Go Buttery Lipstick; Essence Shine, Shine, Shine Gloss and Colourpop Ultra Glossy lip.

Tarte Glide & Go Buttery Lipstick in “Bare Bud”.  It appears warmer than it goes on the lips but this is a buttery lipstick that is very hydrating—and due to the hydration effect, it isn’t a dry matte.  I applied this at around 8 this morning and it lasted without reapplying for a few hours.   It is flattering to the mature face!

This really is a beautiful pale neutral..

Here I am, old sweats, and Bare Bud on my lips.  It’s a beautiful shade!

Colourpop Ultra Glossy Lip Gloss in “Snow Day”.

Colourpop Snow Day..

Shiny, glittery and a hint of color to swipe over a lipstick.  

A pretty pale pinky shine! 

I love a shiny gloss.  I can’t help it.  Worn over lipstick it just makes the lips feel and look better.  This sparkly almost clear gloss delivers.  And can be worn over a slightly darker lip color to make it a bit lighter in hue!

NYX Candy Slick in Sugarcoated Kiss.

I’m a huge fan of NYX lip products.  The Butter Gloss is fantastic!!!  So I HAD to try this and I’m happy I did!

Very similar to Tarte’s Bare Bud in color but in a gloss!

 

Again—another gloss that appears more on the warm side than it applies.  This goes on very natural and has a nice pale coral color.  With glosses, they never wear as long as lipsticks but over a lipstick, they work well.

Earlier this morning–in the kitchen with pearls and an apron–I’m the epitome of class–LOL.  I’m wearing the NYX Sugarcoated Kiss over the Colourpop Snow Day!

Essence Shine, Shine, Shine.

This is my fifth tube of this gloss.  I love the clear because it gives a great shine!  My other tubes of this gloss have acquired more color because I wear this over practically every lipstick I own. At $3.99 it’s a fantastic value and a great product!

My natural lips are very pigmented so when I wear this, it’s always over a lighter lipstick!

What I had on hand.

Buxom Dolly gloss.  This neutral shade is one of my favorites.  It more of a cool almost flesh tone and I am just about to repurchase.  My sister purchased this after seeing it on me. It really is a universally flattering gloss.

Buxom’s Dolly is one of the greatest shades of lipgloss ever–and it stays on for a long time!

Dolly is a beautiful neutral pale shade!  I need to buy more!

Guerlain Kiss Kiss Number 560 Pushy Pink.

This is my favorite pale coral pink. And has been discontinued.  It may have been renamed—I’m not sure.  But—when I get back to Paris, I’m headed to the Guerlain boutique to find out if A it was discontinued or renamed.  It upsets me to no end that this perfect shade of pale with a hint of color is no more.  Just. My. Luck!

It is beyond me as to why Guerlain would ever discontinue this PERFECT pink/coral shade.  I’m flummoxed over this.  Hopefully they have renamed it!  

A word of caution though.  Not all pale shades are created the same.  Find out what pale shades work with your coloring.  Some pale lipsticks look horrific on me due to my pink undertones.  But I will say that paler shades are definitely easier for the mature woman to wear than the darker ones!

Out and about earlier today with a pale lip and dark eyes.  I love that combo!

What’s your preference?  Have you found that as you age, your mouth and lips have changed?  Do you still wear dark lipstick?  Share your faves in the comments!

Have a few laughs at my YouTube video addressing my fish lips!!

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 20 Comments

So What Are You Watching on TV?

Posted on February 9, 2019 by Catherine

Back in the day, when I was a kid, TV was a big deal.  Seriously—it was.  The family gathered either in the finished basement, or in the family room to watch, what is now considered to be a very small screen, TV.

No wonder we all wear eyeglasses!  And no remote!  How did a family of seven ever sit around this console to watch an evening of TV?

We had our week planned by the shows that would both entertain us and be the topic for animated conversation at school the next day.  TV Guide was literally, a programming bible.   And every Saturday when my parents went food shopping, the Guide was just as important, if not more so, than the bags of groceries that came home to feed our family of seven!

The covers of TV Guide were always great photos..but..

…..it was what was INSIDE those TV Guide covers that was really interesting!!

We would argue on which show to watch if times were conflicting and usually one of the parents, rather than the children won. 

On school nights I looked forward to Patty Duke and dreamed of what it would be like if I had a twin cousin with a British Accent.

When I was in third and fourth grade, I wanted a British twin cousin so bady.  I had to settle for a sister that was two years younger instead.

On Saturday evenings, I would pretend that my bedroom was a Genie’s bottle—just like Barbara Eden’s in I Dream of Jeannie!

Who cares HOW sexist this show was. Barbara Eden was super-cool and her digs were even better.  I would take that bottled real-estate any day!

And on Sunday’s, that one hour of Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color was the best way to end the weekend and look forward to the next one!

I loved the way Walt Disney would have his little speech before the segueway into the hour-long show.  And the color was so bright!

We didn’t need a clock to tell us when bedtime was because while the ending credits of The Ed Sullivan Show were displayed across the TV screen, we were already on our way upstairs to brush our teeth and go to sleep.

Who could ever forget this????

…and look at the marquee–‘Topo Gigio and Alan King!!!!

Family programming meant watching Ed, and The Hollywood Palace, Carol Burnett, Tom Jones and Dean Martin—all had great variety shows.

The infamous Gone With The Wind parody on the Carol Burnett show is, quite possibly, THE funniest skit in the history of TV!

Booyah!  Tom Jones with Janis Joplin–what a duo of voices.  I’m still crushin’ on Mr. Jones!

And I must admit. I wanted to be one of Dean Martin’s Golddiggers.  Hmmmm perhaps this is what started my love for wigs!

And back in 1967 or was it 1968, Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In caused a comical stir and had everyone repeating catch-phrases such as “You Bet Your Bippie” in everyday life.

…one ringy dingy!  Lily Tomlin ROCKED Laugh-In!

Do you remember the party scenes on Laugh In?

In my opinion, this was one of the greatest TV shows of all time.  I need to Google to see where I can get a set of the series!

As I entered my teen years, activities and a social life—along with more homework and studying, cut down on the TV time.  But—the TV was my babysitting buddy as I watched Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart, Saturday Night Live and, if it was a really late babysitting night, SCTV!

I felt as though I KNEW MTM and the rest of the cast because I spend many Saturday evenings with these guys!

My son Roman may work for SNL these days, but my heart belongs to this cast!!!

But truth be told,  I preferred SCTV to SNL–I laughed more at the cast.  This show was epic!!

And in the late 1970’s through 1980’s I don’t think I ever missed an episode of Cheers.  Or Taxi.  And when Seinfeld made his debut, Thursday nights were spent glued to the antics of the New York circle of friends—and if I was busy, I could record the episodes on the VCR!

CHEERS, (l-r): George Wendt, Nicholas Colasanto, Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Rhea Perlman, 1982-93, photo: Robert Phillips / Everett Collection

I was lucky to find this photo of the original cast of Cheers–where have all the adult network shows gone?  Ohhhh to Netflix–that’s where!  

Taxi’s Jim Ignatowski remains my favorite TV character of all time.  After giving birth to my son Jake, who, at ten pounds, made me sore–I watched an episode of Taxi in the hospital and laughed so hard that the nurses had to give me Tylenol because I was in such pain from laughing so hard!

elaine benes dancing GIF

And this—remains one of the funniest Seinfeld scenes of all time!

Then a strange thing happened along the way—Cable TV was created.

I remember where I was when I saw MTV for the first time.  I was at a friend’s home and we were astounded at the concept—I mean…who would sit in front of the tube watching music videos (Answer-Me!!!)

Was a time when the video premieres were a very big deal!

music video 80s GIF

My favorite music video of all time–Men Without Hats.  The Safety Dance.  This guy was meant to wear a man bun!

And then came The Food Network—which, back then may have been a simpler and more basic channel but it was far superior than it is today.  TFN today is nothing but reruns of food shows, I love The Barefoot Contessa but I’ve seen every episode around thirty-five times; lame food competitions and the annoying Guy Fieri.

The Food Network was worth viewing when Two Hot Tomales were on!  Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger proved that women could be serious chefs.  Now we’re stuck with Guy Fieri..

..and his backward’s sunglasses.   He’s become a parody of himself.

Don’t even get me started on Network TV these days.  Maude would be deemed politically incorrect and offensive.  Archie Bunker would be arrested and Sanford and Son would be called exploitation.

Norman Lear’s Maude covered topics such as menopause and abortion in only a way that Bea Arthur could add humor..but in today’s “overly sensitive” and “offended-at-anything-and-everything” world, Maude would be banned!  I can’t stand network TV!

Archie Bunker–fuggetaboutit!  He’d be banned too!  We’ve lost the ability to laugh at people we know who were like Archie!

Today’s overly-politically correct, self-righteous and non-offensive network programming is boring and bland and the comedies aren’t even funny.

I know that I’m in the minority but this show but Modern Family is so friggin’ ridiculous and contrived.  And I can’t stand when TV shows have overly-precocious kids.  Ugh!  

And this one about the harried and stressed housewife.  I can’t even…

I want The Jeffersons back–it’s better family programming!

I’m sick of police shows and hospital drama.  Cable networks leave much to be desired because I can’t stand the freaking commercials.  The advertising is mostly for pharmaceuticals, specialized hospital centers for life-threatening diseases—and only those with stellar healthcare can afford that, and various non-profit entities begging for donations.

I am a hypochondriac.  I refuse to watch medical shows.…

And I refuse to watch these hour-long commercials for prescription drugs that announce all the BAD things the drugs can do for you…yeah. Lyrica isn’t for everyone and neither are these sickening and lengthy ads!

I can’t watch CNN and MSNBC because I get too upset with that orange thing that they refuse to stop focusing on simply because of ratings.

So, what’s left? Netflix and Amazon Prime!

We’re bingeing on the cold, frosty evenings watching our favorite series.  Among them that I highly recommend:

Grace and Frankie—Fonda and Tomlin. On Netflix. Is there anything else to say?  Now in Season Five, I can’t wait till this weekend to binge! If you aren’t familiar with the premise, Grace and Frankie, complete opposites and frenemies, found themselves the unlikely roommates after their husbands divorced the women only to marry each other!

The show is hilarious and, at long last, finally a well-written, witty and spirited series focusing on the older woman!!

Grace And Frankie

My girls–Lily and Jane!  Best comedy due since Martin and Lewis!  I love these two!!

Dix Pour Cent—In English “Call My Agent” Another great Netflix series.  This is a French comedy/drama set in a talent agency in Paris.  You don’t need to speak French to love this series—read the subtitles!  The ensemble cast is perfect and every character is so well-defined that by the end of the second episode of Season One, you feel as though you really know the characters’ personalities and their nuances.

If you are familiar with French film, you’ll recognize many of the guest stars playing themselves.  Who knew Isabelle Huppert had such a great sense of humor!

Season Three just ended and we are eagerly awaiting Season Four!  This is my favorite show!!

Hands down!  THE best French import since my husband!  This show better be renewed for at least ten more seasons!

Remember this name–or in English, ” Call My Agent”.  A MUST SEE!!!!  I DEMAND IT!!!

The Kominsky Method—Netflix is really hitting it outta the park with intelligent and mature programming.  Michael Douglas plays a rather curmudgeonly acting coach and Alan Arkin his best friend.  It’s a comedy and it’s not a comedy.  It faces some serious subject matter such as death but the show is just so well-written and the dialogue is so true-to-life.   This show made me a fan of Douglas and Alan Arkin is always a good idea! Not as funny as Grace and Frankie but the subject of aging is addressed in a very entertaining way.

THE KOMINSKY METHOD

A new and improved version of grumpy old men–and intelligently funny!!!  These guys are great!

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel—If you watched House of Cards (and after Kevin Spacey left, the show stunk), then you are familiar with Rachel Brosnahan as the ill-fated Rachel Posner.

As Midge Maisel, Brosnahan plays a rather—privileged Jewish, New Yorker who literally falls into stand-up comedy.  She goes through divorce.  She gets a job.  There’s a lot going on and it’s done so well. This series has everything.  Set in the late 1950’s, the clothing is freaking phenomenal.  It’s like a visual fashion history lesson.  The cast is crazy great.  Remember Tony Shaloub from Wings?  He plays Midge Maisel’s dad and he’s fantastic!  Mad TV’s Alex Borstein—she of incredible talent, plays Midge’s manager, Susie Myerson.  Season Two is what we are currently watching and we’re taking it slow because we don’t want it to end!

This show has everything–including great clothes!

So—what are you watching?  Share your faves so we can all discover new TV shows!!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 32 Comments

Everlashting Beauty—An Extension of My Love for the Fake!

Posted on February 3, 2019 by Catherine

Fake tan.  Fake Hair.  Fake Nails.  No fake boobs because I don’t think they are healthy.  What else is left?

I’m a vision of fakeness—but at least I’m honest about it and keep my fakeness real!!

Eyelash extensions!!!!!  As you are aware, I am unable to wear false eyelashes because the glue bothers my eyes.  In addition, the Frenchman hates when I wear falsies—usually because I’ve done a lousy job applying them and I look like I’m ready to do the Walk of Shame after a shameless evening!

Anyway, a lash studio, Amazing Lash Studio,  opened up in the shopping center near my office.  I was intrigued.  My lashes, which used to be so lush that even Elizabeth Taylor would have been envious (Ok—maybe not).  But over the years my once-lush and full lashes have fallen out and I’m left with sparse little bird lashes.

Image result for elizabeth taylor lashes

It’s true–back in the day, I had lashes that even Liz would be jealous of.  I used to be asked if I was wearing fake lashes!  But I wasn’t!

When I had a very well-paying career I bought Latisse and enjoyed it but I no longer use Latisse because I’m no longer well-paid!

Trust me, this stuff worked!!  In the hot summer, people would stand in front of me because when I batted my lashes, it cooled them off–that’s how long my lashes got!

Mascara?  You know I love it because I go through it like a newborn goes through diapers.

But the thought of lash extensions kept creeping into my mind.

Nevertheless, I decided to make an appointment.  Oona was thrilled because she thought it would be a good idea for her wedding.   That’s right “Mommy-as-guinea-pig”—and I’m always happy to oblige.

And so, yesterday Bonaparte drove me to Amazing Lash Studio King of Prussia (even though the location is in Wayne), to get my lash extensions.  By now you’re most likely asking “Why didn’t she drive herself”?  Yeah.  The reason is that The Frenchman doesn’t trust me near any grouping of stores.  With Oona’s wedding approaching and the trip to Paris he booked (next November—our Thanksgiving tradition), I’m on a strict spending budget.  I’m just going to refer to my husband as Monsieur Ricky Ricardo!

Image result for ricky spanking lucy

And just as Ricky questions Lucy about spending…guess who also gets questioned????

It was, however, with trepidation that I decided to get these extensions.  Oona mentioned that when she lived in Manhattan many of the women she knew had them and it was obvious when they had a bad job done.

Then I read that if you get extensions to not get clusters and make sure you have individual lashes applied.  The upkeep can be pricey so there was a lot to take into consideration.

My biggest thought was—is this a thing for the mature woman whose lashes are scarce.

With no mascara and minimal eye makeup,  I was ready for my lash extensions!

Since the lash studio opened only a day before I was a bit nervous about any glitches.  But I marched on in anyway.

I simply could not pass up the Grand Opening Special!

Immediately, I knew this was going to be a fun experience because the women working there were genuinely nice, friendly and very welcoming.  It’s an amiable place with no snobbery.

Desiree and Leah of Amazing Lash Studio.  Could they be any cuter????  And so charming and fun!  Half the positive experience is the staff and this staff couldn’t have been better or more professional!

And if you are familiar with any part of Philly’s Main Line—it’s not the most welcoming area!  Especially if your hair isn’t blonde! And you don’t drive a Beemer, Mercedes or Land Rover! Or if you seriously think you are Tory Burch’s twin sister wannabe ! Seriously. The staff is remarkable and adorable and not at all “Maineliney”!

Seriously–every woman and her mother–and daughter on Philly’s Main Line think they are the Main Line’s own Tory Burch.  (Whose namesake store, BTW, is the snottiest store ever–and for what–cheaply made goods..)

I was handed a tablet to enter my information, and the types of lashes offered were explained.  I went with the “cute” lashes.  Not only are they cute but they are incredibly natural looking—more on that in a bit.

I went with the “Cute” style pictured on top.  I think for the wedding I’ll go with Sexy!

My appointment, for 11:00 was punctual.  It would take approximately two hours to have the extensions applied.  That’s not a big deal for me because that’s the timeframe to get my nails and a pedicure done.  Beauty takes time ladies! You can’t rush beauty!

Charlene was my lash technician.  I warned her ahead of time that I had garlic the previous night so my breath probably stunk—and she was a great sport!

 

Charlene immediately put me at ease and any concerns were erased.  She applied my lashes beautifly AND she was fun to be with!

The end result?

I was flummoxed!  When I looked in the mirror, I was shocked at how natural the “Cute” lashes looked.  And for a moment, I was sorry I didn’t go for a more dramatic lash—then I realized how much my lash extensions looked…. well, just so natural!  Like the lashes I used to have—and I was thrilled!

It’s so dang difficult to take a decent photo with my not-so-smart iPhone.  But–take a look at the lashes and check out the length–they are so natural!

Let’s back track here and get on with the procedure and review—shall we??

I was led into a private room, where I met Charlene.  She explained the procedure and I laid down on a very comfortable table/bed with pillow and cozy, fluffy blanket!  Soothing music was playing in the background and I thought I would fall asleep from the relaxation quotient!

My eyes were taped semi-shut; the tape was placed below my eyes and on my lid.  This wasn’t uncomfortable in any way at all.  In fact, with my conversations with Charlene, it was almost impossible to feel anything!

It might look uncomfortable but trust me–it wasn’t at all!  The lashes were taken off the strip and placed individually.  It was a “lengthy” process but the time flew by quickly!

The individual lashes were placed among my natural lashes.  I have no idea what kind of glue was used but it worked like a charm.  My sensitive eyes didn’t have a reaction. There was no irritation and the procedure was painless and to tell you the truth, it was very relaxing—like a massage for my eyes.

When the lashes were set in place, a mist was sprayed over the eyes and that was it.

The tape was taken off and I was able to head to the mirror to see the result.  Unfortunately, I can’t see without my eyeglasses so I had to put them on and I was completely surprised at how natural the lashes looked.

The only adjustment I needed to make was to shift my wig back into place–but I was so happy with my lashes that I overstepped my boundaries once again and..

gave Charlene a kiss on the cheek!

It was literally impossible for me to tell the extensions from my natural lashes. And the big test was when I got in the car and showed Bonaparte.  He was blown away.  In fact, last night while we were enjoying our Saturday night aperitif, he took a closer look and wanted to know where my natural lashes were!

The lashes–no mascara just lash extensions that look much better IRL because my iPhone camera doesn’t do any justice!

Now for the rest of the details:

I asked if this was, in fact, a good idea for the mature woman who has lost her lashability over the years.  The answer was a solid yes.  The lash extensions can be made to give you an appearance of thicker lashes.  Some women may want a cluster or two or some may want individual lashes.  It all depends on what you want.

There’s no long-term damage because the lashes fall out on their own.  The lashes are individual.  However, if you prefer to have clusters for more drama, they are available.

I also asked if mascara or eyeliner could be worn with the lash extensions.  Only if it is a water-based mascara and a water-based eyeliner (Note to self—get to Target later this afternoon to buy water-based liner and mascara).  Oil based products will break down the glue.  Amazing Lash Studio does sell their own mascara BTW, but I’m cheap when it comes to mascara!

The “setting” timeframe is 48 hours.  No water near the lashes for 48 hours.  This is difficult, for me, at least because I’m a nut about cleansing.  However, I used Micellar water on wipes and that’s how I took my makeup off.  I’m looking forward to the “after 48 hours” timeframe! I was able to apply my face serum and moisturizer with no issues!

You can’t sleep on your stomach for the first 48 hours.  This is no biggie as I can sleep standing up for cryin’ out loud.  If you are very used to sleeping on your stomach—try your side—sleeping on your back is preferred.

I was having a “moment” while cutting shallots for dinner last night because my eyes started to tear up and I was afraid to mess the glue.  But it turned out fine.  In addition, we watched the last episode of Season Three of “Dix Pour Cent” and I started to cry—but held the tears back because of the extensions!

Dix Pour Cent–a sometimes hilarious series about a Parisian talent agency. I was crying at the season finale because I knew it would be a year till next season.  Thank God my lashes weren’t damaged!

When I woke up this morning, there had been no lash fallout.  And I again, “washed” my face with Micellar water and about 25 wipes and applied very light makeup today.  I am surprised that I really didn’t need mascara (but, you know, I’m extra so I will buy the water-based stuff).  My lashes look great!

My lazy eye needs extra time to wake up but I swear my lashes look better today than they did yesterday!  It’s like cold lasagna–it tastes better cold and after a day or so.  My lashes looked great this morning! (ugh. I’m sooooooo cross-eyed)

Other information you need to know.

OK…and this will be my only constructive criticism.  But let me reiterate on how wonderful the staff is.  Honestly, I would bake cookies for them and hang with them because they were that nice!  My criticism is with Amazing Lash Studio as a corporate entity and not with the products they offer or staff.

There is a membership.  This is not my thing and I’ll tell you why.  I have commitment issues. There is a minimum of a 1 year service contract with no cancellation. And if you upgrade there’s also an additional charge—albeit you do pay member prices as opposed to non-member prices.

Now—if there was a month-to-month membership, I would be all about that. But the one-year commitment doesn’t sit well with me.  I’ll be very transparent about my feelings—in the past, I’ve had issues with gym memberships and other memberships—remember Curves?  Yeah.

I’m so on the fence about this because for the price of the $119, you get two lash refills per month and that’s not a bad price but I just cannot commit. I’m currently mulling over the $69.99 per month…..

CAVEAT!!!!!  GOOD NEWS!!  I JUST FOUND OUT THAT A MONTH-TO-MONTH MEMBERSHIP IS NOW OFFERED.  THIS IS A GAME CHANGER FOR ME!!!!!!!!  IT MAY BE FOR YOU TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But—I know me.  And I know that stuff happens.  After a day at the office I’m in no mood to take the time out for a regular appointment because I just want to get home.  Trust me, I’m the person who waits until my nails lift and break before getting a refill.  For the price of a membership, I don’t think I would be on top of the refills.

I’m not saying the membership isn’t a good thing—I’m saying for me it isn’t conducive to my behavior!

I have made an appointment to go back for a refill in three weeks and I’m definitely keeping the appointment but I honestly don’t know what will happen after that–although I may do the $69.99 a month. I just don’t know–and I hate when I’m indecisive!

What I do know is that I definitely will be going back for lash extensions before Oona’s wedding and I’ll get a bit more drama added.  And—I will be going back for lash extensions before heading to Paris for our annual Thanksgiving trip.  I think these extensions are travel godsends! And the less time it takes for me to get ready in the morning and before heading out to dinner—the more I get to hang in my favorite City!

That’s it on the membership. And I think Amazing Lash Studio as a corporation, should consider addressing a month-to-month.

The other “Other”.

The introductory price of $69.99 was absolutely one hundred percent worth it!  Absolutely!  But—I ended up spending more money on the maintenance kit bringing my total price to $140.00.  The kit was Seventy bucks. Was I suckered?  Nope!  I made the decision to purchase and here’s why:  I want my lash extensions to last as long as possible.  And…since I plan on returning for special occasions and travel purposes, I want the accessories.

What did I buy?  Take a look!

My goodie bag with the goodies I bought!

My purchases.  Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I’m such a sucker for cute packaging and this is so stinkin’ cute!!!  The red matches my nails!

The eyelash foaming cleanser which I can’t wait to use.  One more day!  I have to be careful though because the bottle resembles shaving cream so if I don’t have my glasses on, I might shave my legs with this! 

The lash coating gell to protect my extensions–I’m all about this–especially since I just noticed its made in Korea–I love me my Korean beauty products!  This is used twice a week!

This lash comb is to make sure the lashes don’t stick together from the glue.  I love this thing!

I used it this morning! 

My overall thoughts are that the lash extensions are a great asset to the mature woman.  Menopause and aging take away our brows and lashes—it’s a fact.  We have thinning lashes and the thickness we once had fades—as an alternative to wearing false lashes, I think the extensions are a great thing.

But with everything—there’s things that need to be brought to mind.  Amazing Lash Studio is impeccably clean and orderly.  The staff is knowledgeable and professional and I can say that the staff at the King of Prussia location is great!

My only trepidation is the membership–I’m really on the fence about this because I didn’t take the offer yesterday so I don’t know if it’ll be offered when I go for my refill–it’s the chance I have to take!

I’m still slightly shocked at how natural these extensions are!

That’s my review and, as always, I try to be as transparent and honest as all get out.  I highly, highly recommend Amazing Lash Studio for special occasions, pre-travel preparation—especially if you are going to be away for a week or so.  If you are of the “mature” demographic, I recommend this. And if you are diligent about keeping commitments, the membership may be a good thing for you.

I’ll be back in three weeks–and I’m sure three weeks after that because it’ll be close to St. Patrick’s day….then my birthday…then when I fly out to Cincinnati at the end of April…then…..

Have you tried lash extensions?  If so let us know in the comments?  Are you traveling soon?  Special Occasion coming up?  Thinking about trying them?  Add your thoughts!

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