Paris in Four Days—Part Three. Mucha Do About Nothing but a Great Exhibit!

Posted on December 6, 2018 by Catherine

It’s Saturday already and tonight we will go to the apartment of my husband’s cousin, Jean-Denis and his wife Marie.  But we do have an interesting day planned.

As usual, it seems that whenever we are in France—there’s something going on.

Image result for taxi strike paris 2017

I was here for the Taxi strike.  It was not pretty.

We were in France for the infamous Taxi strike a couple of years back, an Air France strike that had us teetering on the edge of having to rent a car to drive from Nice back to Paris.

Pilot_Strike-muteage

And yeah–I was in France during this Air France strike too.

This year, it was the Manifestation of the “Yellow Jackets” A large group of right-wingers who came into Paris from all over France to protest the rising tax on gasoline.  I’m not going to get into French politics here but it seems that the middle class is affected by rising costs throughout the world. It’s a global thing but this manifestation went too far.  Luckily, we weren’t affected.

And this year–I was in Paris for the Demonstration of the Yellow Jackets!  (Shhhh–don’t tell anyone but it’s more dangerous here in the States where you can be shot at any time by a crazed gun owner!)

However, the sad thing is that it did affect shoppers who traveled into Paris to do some Holiday shopping. I’ll leave it at that.

Anyway, we woke up at ten in the morning—which I almost freaked out from oversleeping.  But my husband assured me that I was being very American and that I should just go with the flow.  And by this time, he wasn’t even thinking in English.  He was speaking to me in French and thankfully, I can understand the language.

france humor GIF by Fizzdom.com

Oui, oui!  My husband forgets that English is my first language and speaks to me in French when we’re in Paris–it’s because he stopped thinking in English!  Oh Merde!

With news on TV of the manifestation, we had to think about our route to the cemetery to visit Danielle. I was willing to walk but a certain someone was a bit chilly and so we cabbed it to Montparnasse.  And, get this—the man who never forgets anything forgot to bring his money!  Luckily the cabs are well-equipped to take credit and debit cards.

Another rainy morning–I was willing to hoof it but we ended up in a cab!

Montparnasse Cemetery, for some odd reason, is a very relaxing place for me.  There’s something very soothing about being in the center of the souls from centuries and decades past.  Row upon row of crowded headstones and sculptures –it’s almost akin to an outdoor exhibition.

Perhaps it’s the time of year but I find this place to be a very comforting and soothing one.  The French cemetaries are much different than ours.

With signs like this, it’s easy to find your way around..

From the old ….

….to the modern–it’s like an art exhibition!

A spigot with water and a watering can for those who need to water the flowers..

A war memorial.  Those little jars are candles.  I thought they were tomato sauce but Bonaparte explained what they really were. 

But this time, as we entered through the iron gates, I felt tears running down my face and it wasn’t from the cold and rain.  It was because for that moment, I wished that Daniele hadn’t died.  I wanted her to still be around—perhaps I was being selfish but I really felt that emptiness and just wanted her to be next to me so we could go arm and arm to her cabinet, grab a botte of Porto and giggle and laugh.

I had a little conversation with her after I tidied up and kissed her goodbye.  I know she saw us.

I cleaned up some leaves that fell on her and her husband Yves’ grave and pulled a few weeds just to make things tidier.  Bonaparte was unusually quiet as he walked over to his cousin Zazi’s grave.

Bonaparte spent time with his cousin–in reality they were more like brothers.

And then–we left.  Just like that.

And then we made our way out to take a glimpse to see what became of the art gallery that Daniele ran on the side.  It’s a mosaic shop now.

It’s hard to believe that this little Mosaic shop was an art gallery –if those wals could talk..

Things change so quickly.

We walked up Blvd. Raspail — my husband was starting to come down with a cold so we stopped at a pharmacy and let me tell you something–those French pharmacists are like doctors.  It’s a hypochondriac’s dream.  If I lived in Paris every single pharmacist would know me personally!

One of my favorite boulevards for wandering..

Decorating the awnings…

Looking festive!

More Christmas trees—and these were huge!

I was tempted to buy all of these at the pharmacy!

Christmas wreaths!

We found an ATM and took respite from the cold and damp by enjoying a nice hot cup of Café Crème.

Always a good idea for a cafe creme and a croissant!

Wandering around, Bonaparte had the idea to stop at Dalloyau across from the Jardin du Luxembourg. We’ve been going there regularly for years and a mid-afternoon pastry would hold us over till dinner.

I was so upset that Dalloyau closed I couldn’t steady my phone!

It was closed.  Things change so quickly.  I don’t know why that location was closed because the shop was always busy but I guess it’s the way things are now.

The police were placed all over the city because of the demonstration.  Those police may look like little nuggets of law but they are as tough as nails and in great shape!

I swear to you, I’ve never seen the streets in Paris this empty–not even on Sunday morning!  That demonstration made it great for anyone who wanted to walk around the city streets!

All was not lost though, because we decided to catch the Alphonse Mucha exhibit at the Musee du Luxembourg.  The line wasn’t long when we arrived and the twenty-minute wait was well worth the treasures that were inside!

I was thrilled that we got to see the Mucha exhibition!!!

He was mucha talented!

The way he showcased women was so gorgeous and ethereal..

Illustrations.

And more

Posters.

I’m completely mesmerized by Mucha’s style

I saw this bust at an exhibition at Petit Palais a few years back and was happy to see it again!

I purchased a book with posters to be framed!

Art Nouveau may have been a fleeting movement in the art world, but I love everything about it.  Especially the illustrations and paintings and this exhibit was everything and more!  It didn’t surprise me that it was incredibly crowded either and by the time we left the small museum, the line was outside the museum, outside the gate and down the street!

More walking–back to the hotel.

But first–I must stop to look at Christmas Ornaments!

I would not mind a bag of the real stuff!

The mist turned into a light rain and we got our exercise by walking back to the hotel—just in time for a nice rest before heading out to dinner at Jean Denis and Marie’s.

Sorry I have no pictures of our dinner but I left my phone at the hotel.

Bonne Nuit!

Sunday had a more ambitious schedule ahead.  Stay tuned for Part Four!

Jolie Sapins!  Carli Bruni sings a French Christmas Song for you!

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Four Days in Paris 2018- Part Two Our Rebellious Thanksgiving Dinner and a Most Busy Black Friday!

Posted on December 4, 2018 by Catherine

I left off where we were getting ready for our Thanksgiving Dinner.  But wait.   I need to backtrack a couple of things.

Given the fact that the hotel’s lighting was horrific (I’ll be writing about that later), I managed to clean up nicely for dinner.  I’m wearing the Chloe by Envy Wigs that my husband gave me for my birthday and a $7.00 faux leopard collar from Forever 21!  

First—I’ve gotten a couple of inquiries as to who Daniele was.  She’s the husband’s aunt who was his second mother—in my case, she turned out to be my French mother—the two of us hit it off and remained very close to each other until she passed away. This will give you a background  click the link please to read “Paris Without Daniele”

Secondly, while we were practicing the fine art of “flauneuse” or, in his case “flaneur” by roaming the streets, we were discussing our dinner plans for the next three evenings.  On Saturday and Sunday, we would be having dinner with family so it left Friday blank.

Allard Restaurant–now owned by Alain Ducasse–recipe creator of the Gourgeres that I make!

We were having this conversation as we passed by the restaurant “Allard” and Bonaparte suggested we call for reservations.  Me, being the aggressive, assertive American suggested walking into the restaurant and making reservations on the spot.  With my husband telling me in his extremely heavy accent that was now becoming increasingly more difficult to understand told me “Eezz jus’ not don—ou ‘av tew cawl zhem”

I opened the door to the restaurant and he followed.

And we made reservations, on the spot, for the next evening at 8:00 PM.

Score one for moi!

Now we can get back to Thanksgiving!

We had dinner at Restaurant Paul—which is nestled on Place Dauphine.  This is our neighborhood place.  In the summer, it’s quite lively with seating outside so diners can catch a glimpse of the goings on outside and keep a mental score of the boule games that are a constant.

The restaurant was quiet on this Thanksgiving–then again, we made early reservations at 7:30 by the time we left, it was garnering a crowd.

It’s a quiet and welcoming restaurant during the winter.  Very cozy and warm and the food remains consistently good.  The menu isn’t a large one—which is a good sign.  And so, we sat down to our Thanksgiving Dinner of ….

When dining out, we have Kir rather than the Kir Royal–simply because the restaurants don’t use good champagne and when they do, the drinks cost a fortune.  Frugal travel tip!

After a round of Kirs, I started with my favorite appetizer.  Squid and Mushroom in a foam sauce–this is the third time I’ve had this and it never fails.  I hope it never disappears from the menu.

He never strays from the pack of snails.  The husband enjoyed some escargot

And yes–my rebellion was combating turkey with Steak Tartare!  And it was heavenly!

Bonaparte went with something fancier than my steak tartare.  He had some sort of steak and a fancy potato.  I was too involved in my raw meat!

The restaurant always adds a dish of their small cubed potatoes which I’ve adapted and make at home!

No pumpkin pie to finish off this meal.  Instead a dark apple tarte which was divine!

Happily satisfied with dinner, it was time for a stroll along the Seine to Pont Neuf and back to the hotel!

With a slight mist in the air, the view of Pont Neuf appeared even more ethereal and mystifying. There is something on the spectacular side when strolling through the streets of Paris in the evening after and during a light rain.  The city shines and the reflection of the buildings from the street lights makes it all look like a dream…and it’s the perfect preparation for slumber.

Pont Neuf at night–I can’t count the times I’ve crossed this bridge over the  past 13 years..

The lighting is mesmerizing..

And I love the view across the river of Daniele’s old apartment building.  I’ve got nothing but wonderful memories of my time spent there and I’m still pinching myself  to validate that it was never a dream!

Black Friday in Paris is Crazy—but first a little stop.

Oh the discounts were heavy!  Up to 30 percent off but before we go shopping….

My husband had an appointment with the Donation Jacques Henri Lartigue, the National Foundation for his grandfather’s photographs.  We woke up and had the French version of a Continental Breakfast at the hotel and called an Uber to take us to the far reaches of Paris where the Donation is housed.

Our little table at the hotel…

A very inviting and quick “help-yourself” breakfast. I felt right at home…

Most likely the healthiest meal I’ve had in months.  Why–even that little pastry was filled with apple!

TIP:  In Paris?  Make sure you have the Uber (they pronounce it “Ew-Beahr”) app on your phone.  I love me the G-7 Taxi cabs but you can get an Uber quicker and every driver we had was great!

The meeting lasted about an hour with Monsieur Lartigue and the woman from the Donation discussing business.  Luckily, when we left, it wasn’t raining yet but it was a bit damp.  For me, it was perfect because I love walking around on a gray day—there’s no sun to bother the eyes.

The Donation Jacques-Henri Lartigue is in the far stretches of Paris but it is nestled in a quiet and charming area..

Check out the potted palm trees.  I thought I was in Morocco but when a cold gust of wind hit me I realized I wasn’t!

While Bonaparte and this woman were discussing business, I was having a look-see…

Renee Perle,  the muse of my husband’s grandfather.  I don’t know who had more beautiful hands–Renee or Barbra Streisand!!!

A quick walk to the Metro and we rode to Galeries Lafayette.  I wanted to see the Christmas Decorations.  Galeries Lafayette on Haussmann is one impressive department store. And the Christmas Décor never fails to please.  Although, I have to admit, the decorations from two years ago raised the bar higher than any year.  Still, the lights, the decorations and the fun didn’t fail!

Another break from the rain as we left the Metro and headed up to Galeries Lafayette.  Take a look at what Parisiens are wearing please. Nothing fancy just very pragmatic outerwear choices!

Here we are at Galeries Lafayette on Haussmann!  Home of some truly magnificent Christmas decorations!

View of the “tree” hanging from the domed ceiling..

It’s hard to see but there’s strings of tiny lights and IRL they looked beautiful!

A view from a lower angle..

Looking down at the cosmetics area.

This line was the most astounding sight I saw at the store.  This line stretched from that back wall through the length of the store. Note the woman with the beverages.  The entire line was Asian people–men and women and it made me remember that the movie “Crazy Rich Asians” is on my must-see list! It was astounding.  There is no way in hell I would wait on a line to buy a bag.  That’s crazy.  Period. C.R.A.Z.Y! Hmmmm what was my husband looking at?

Time to look at more decorations!

But first–lets take a look at the shoes!  These shoes. OMG. If only I could afford a pair of Dior shoes, these would be mine!  Toile we meet again….

As we walked around the shoe area, the husband asked me if I needed a pair of shoes.  Excuse me?  You ask me that question and I’ll never say no!  Stopping by the Repetto area, the sales had diminished any ballet flat I liked in my size.

See those black booties next to the black pumps?  Those are the ones I got and at a 30 percent discount.  

This young woman thought of everything.  She knew I was traveling and replaced the shoe box with a shoe bag.  I like that!

But I did manage to get a pair of pointy-toed, black booties which my shoe wardrobe was lacking. And might I add, the Geox area employed the greatest sales assistants.  In my broken French, I managed to get a smile and great help and off we went, with my boots in hand!

That billboard ad is greatness–you would never see it here because I’m sure it would offend someone! *eyeroll*. 

The windows at Galeries Lafayette were a hit with spectators this year..

A bit of window entertainment and a spot of sun peeking through made for a pleasant walk to a taxi stand.  And we were off to the office of Zazi Films.

And in my most humble opinion, this could be, quite possibly, THE most beautiful window display I’ve ever seen in my life.  Shoes.  I almost fainted! This is a stairway to shoe heaven!

Zazi Films is the office of the film company Daniele and her husband Yves Robert create d.  Situated off the Champs Elysees, the office is in a building just feet away from the busting avenue.  It always appeared to be small with rooms in the back that were empty except for boxes of memorabilia. Bonaparte’s cousin, Hugo Gelin, now a movie director had a vision to open up the offices and make them light, airy and modern and boy—did he do a fantastic job!

It was cold but I had a wooly scarf and my Wren wig to keep me warm.  And minimal makeup.  When in Paris…..

Bonaparte taking a walk down memory lane and onto the offices of Zazi Films..

Ahhh..the infamous Zazi logo…

The renovation of the office is remarkable–it’s so light and airy and a bit youthful now–the new regime…

Bonaparte’s cousin Hugo had a tremendous hit with this movie–we  were lucky to be in Paris for the premiere!

And it was nice that some old touches were left …

A stop at Monoprix to pick up some essentials and a few stocking stuffers and once again, we were allowing our feet to lead the way back to the hotel for a bit of rest before our dinner at Allard.

 

Walking along the Champ Elysees to Monoprix.  The crowds were out for Black Friday!

 

I have to add—and this is important.  Please don’t ever be intimidated by the “smoke and mirrors” that you see in many blogs and Instagram photos of Paris.  Women do not prance through the streets in fancy clothes.  They don’t walk in picturesque poses throughout the day.  And I swear, I see more designer bags in the US than in France.

Note how people are dressed.  They are freezing their tiny French behinds off!  Lucky for me I have an ample American butt with more fat–so I wasn’t as cold as them!

There is a pragmatism in the way the French dress.  It’s now late fall into early winter and the biggest trend I’ve seen is the donning of puffy coats and jackets.  I honestly cannot stress this enough.  Parisians have style, yes—they do.  However, most of them are dressing for warmth and comfort right now!

These little sacs from Monoprix are a great stocking stuffer or small gift to hand to friends.  Throw them in your purse and they open up into a reusable shopping bag and for a few euros, the price couldn’t be better!

And that’s what makes me happy.  I didn’t have to drag a “wardrobe” with me.  I stuck to the same basic theme.  Black with a touch of camel or jeans.

I stuck to the same outfit I wore the night before. Who the heck was going to see me anyway?  Trust me, when you are traveling for a short jaunt, you don’t need to pack a ton of clothing!

Dressing for Allard, I stuck to basic black.  The vibe in the restaurant was very casual.  It was homey and the atmosphere was welcoming and staff friendly and cordial.

Time to check the menu…

Our Amuse Bouche was Alain Ducasse’s Gougeres–can you believe it?  I make them all the time…and

…little nuggets of cucumber in a light dressing!

Bonaparte started with a Pate en croute which he loved so much that I only got but a morsel!

I had foie gras with a jelly and toasts and I ate every last crumb!

Not one to play it too safe when it comes to a good dinner, I ordered the beef cheeks and they were incredible.  I can’t say I’ve ever had anything quite like them.  The texture was smooth and they were soft as buttah—and the sauce.  The. Sauce.  The second I put that sauce in my mouth I had an instant memory of a beef stew that my mother made because I swear the sauce tasted the same and it was so comforting to me.

I ordered the beef cheeks–old school French comfort food and boy was this comforting..

I would order this again and again and again…it was that good! 

Bonaparte had the steak a poivre and ……. he’s become a bit spoiled by American beef.  The steaks in France are a bit tougher but tastier and he likes his beef more tender.  Still, he loved and ate every morsel.

Bonaparte’s Steak au Poivre–and he said the sauce was out of this world fantastic!

Dessert was Floating Islands and it was, hands down, the best floating island dessert I’ve ever had.  Ever!

I would love the chef’s recipe for this insanely delicious Floating Island!  

I do recommend a dinner at Allard if you are in Paris and want a comfortable place with great food!

This was a great way to end a rather busy and ambitious day—don’t you think?

What will Saturday bring?  I’ll let you know in Part Three…..

Here’s a little ditty from the window display at Galeries Lafayette!

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Four Days in Paris—2018 Part One—On the Way and Carine Roitfeld Hates Me!

Posted on December 2, 2018 by Catherine

A big whew before I get into the post.  And I’ll tell you why.  I took a ton of photos and it took quite a while to edit them—and trust me, editing photos is not my forte.

My Longchamp carryon is ready–four days of clothing stuffed into this bag!

Also—we both returned from Paris with horrific colds.  We were traipsing the streets of the City of Lights with umbrellas and wet feet.  It rained the entire time we were there.  But—it didn’t dampen my spirit in any way.  Personally,  I don’t mind a rainy day in the City.  I loved NYC in the rain and I love Paris in the rain—there’s a certain romanticism about it.  But the romanticism stops when all you do is cough up phlegm and blow your nose to the point where you could, in fact, be a substitute for Rudolph the Red Nosed-Reindeer and guide Santa’s sleigh.

Let’s make the nose red.  Ugh.  I can’t stand a head cold!

Let’s start at the beginning of the trip—shall we?

All smiles in my Finn wig–I wore this wig for most of the trip.  She looks even better after being worn a lot!

The drive to JFK was, surprisingly traffic-free.  In all the years of driving on the Belt Parkway, I’ve never seen it so empty of traffic—and on the day before Thanksgiving no less!

Heading over the Verrazano bridge I was almost creeped out by the lack of traffic….

But THIS!!  The Belt Pkway.  Empty.  I thought we were in the Twilight Zone for sure!

All moved along swimmingly until we reached the line for the TSA.

OK—let me backtrack a little.  I have two fake Goyard tote bags.  Both were purchased on Amazon.  And yes.  I am fully aware the totes are faux.  But here’s the thing.

My first fake Goyard…led to this…

I thought this would look less fake.  But I couldn’t fool a certain former editor of French Vogue.  Sorry not sorry.

As fake as they are, I happen to like the design of them.  I like the functionality and these totes are huge and hold a truck-load of stuff!  And when I’m traveling overseas, I like a tote that’ll hold a ton of stuff! Truth be told, I thought about not bringing the fake tote because—after all, it’s a French brand and I was going to Paris.  On the other hand, my intent was to only use the bag on the plane.  I packed my brown leather Longchamp bag (which also holds a ton of stuff) to use while in Paris.

Back to the TSA.  As I approached the little conveyer belt to put my stuff on, I noticed the woman behind me who was chic personified.  Her fur coat was so inviting I just wanted to put my head into it and fall asleep.  Her boots were killer.  Pointy and high.  Then I saw her face.  The woman was Carine Roitfeld.  The Carine Roitfeld.  The former editor of French Vogue.  She of the documentary that I loved –Mademoiselle C.   She was right behind me.  She saw my fake Goyard bag.  I swear she gave me a stern stare after she saw it.  (IRL I know she didn’t because she could care less about me but I love the drama of exaggeration)

I’ve always admired Carine Roitfeld because of her laid back, undone look.  She’s even better looking up close.  I wish I could have stalked her into her buying me a drink in the rich-people’s lounge!

All I could think of was that this could only happen to me.  Yes!  How many women have fake designer bags?  This tote is the only fake I’ve ever purchased and I got caught.  Not caught by the police or by the designer-do-gooders but I got caught by one of the most influential women in the fashion world.  I wanted to stalk her to ask her why the fashion and beauty industry excludes our age demographic but she made a quick-bee line into the “important people” lounge after passing through the TSA.

The best I could do was to snap this pic of her as she practically ran away from me and to her flight!

Please Carine. Don’t hate me because I’m a fake…

Can I have your coat when you tire of it?  Think of me as charitable fashion!

Surprisingly our flight left on time!  We made the trip in an Air France Airbus.

The faces of happiness when you realize that your flight is on time!

With plenty of room to get comfortable, the pilot announced that our flight would be slightly over six hours—which is pretty quick.  So, I sat down to read Becoming by Michelle Obama.  By the way, the book is a great read.  She’s so freaking normal that it’s refreshing and she’s also one smart cookie!  Back to the flight.  We had awful airline food, for which Air France should be ashamed.  France—the home of gastronomical wonder and delight and the country’s airline serves disgusting food.  That just is not right!

I don’t think Michelle Obama would be annoyed at me for carrying around a fake luxury brand tote.  She’s just like you and me–only smarter and was a former First Lady!

But—the in-flight entertainment did not fail.  I watched two movies and they were great!  The first one—Coexister, was a comedy about a failing record producer who gets a “last chance” by his boss to come up with a successful act. He ends up with a musical trio of a rabbi, a priest and imam.  And some of the scenes in this movie are laugh out loud funny as all get out!

This movie.  I swear I laughed so loud that angels on the clouds heard me.  And Bonaparte was laughing too.  I highly recommend this movie–and it’s subtitled in English!!

The other movie was Comme des Garçons (Let the Girls Play) -not to be confused with the clothing line.  The film was about the start of the first-ever women’s national soccer team, Les Bleus, in France and was a rather “feel good” kinda movie.

This movie was a great surprise.  I never realized that the French National Women’s soccer team went through so many obstacles in the beginning!!!

The flight, needless to say “flew by” …. pun intended!

A very foggy morning welcomed us.  Very foggy.   I was very impressed with the Air Traffic control at Charles De Gaulle Airport!

Going through customs and getting our baggage was quick and easy.  I guess since it was Thanksgiving Day, there weren’t as many American tourists flying to France that day!

The wait for the luggage was no longer than two minutes.  Yes. I timed it!

Thanksgiving morning at CDG Airport–business as usual!

I prefer this time of year for travel because it isn’t as crowded as the summer! 

We did arrive early but traffic into Paris Centre was pretty tough.  It took a very long hour-and-a half to get to the city by cab, but it didn’t matter much because once we passed into the Paris City Limits, I felt happy to be back.  I would say that the novelty of being in Paris has worn off but it’s been replaced by a familiar feeling of comfort that’s grown into love.  I get this feeling when I’m there that’s like being at home.  I fit there—and it’s a very warm feeling to experience.

Always happy to be back in Paris!!

After dropping our luggage off at the hotel, we headed over to Café Bucci for a well-needed cup of Café Crème.  And a croissant!

I wish I could get coffee like this at home!

A welcome breakfast of a tasty croissant to accompany the coffee!

We also decided to walk to City Pharma so I could make some very necessary purchases!  And City Pharma did not fail me!

Ahhhh…the Mecca of beauty and skincare.  CityPharma.  On the corner of Rue du Four and Rue Bonaparte.  It was great getting here early before the crowds arrived!

And those bins loaded with treasures…

….and more treasures.  I swear if I had a full head of hair I would have purchased some of this shampoo!

A decent haul, I must say!

I don’t know what was more amazing–an empty Belt Parkway or these empty cash register stations at CityPharma!

TIP:  If you are in Paris for the first time—you have to make City Pharma a must-go-to.  The prices are ridiculously user-friendly.  It’s affordable Paris and double up on the goods!

My CityPharma haul!  Ohhh..this was a good one!

After City Pharma, we walked over to St. Sulpice Church.  I had a couple of special intentions that warranted lighting candles.  It’s such a Catholic thing to light church candles but I’ll tell you that I much prefer St. Sulpice to Notre Dame.  And while I realize that Notre Dame is the cathedral to visit, it’s always too crowded.  St. Sulpice smells like old church.  And there’s a primitive and rustic feeling about it that I love.  Let’s put it this way—if I lived in Paris, St. Sulpice would be the parish that I would join (if they have parishes in Paris) and it’s where I would go to Mass on Sundays.

I really love this church.  It’s a place I always go to for comfort and a feeling of ease while in Paris…

Candles were lighted…

…and a few moments of quiet reflection (which made the husband happy because I was quiet)…

With plenty of time to spare before checking into the hotel, we headed over to the Marche St. Germain.

The Wallace Fountain at St. Sulpice…

The French love their Objects d’Arts!  And I love looking at the shop windows–walking in Paris is never boring!

I fell in love with this skirt.  The shirt–not so much but this skirt–it reminds me of a club tie!  It’s so beautiful!

It was fun because we had many memories of shopping here for meals we had with Daniele but this time around the Christmas goodies and trees were ready for sale!

At the Marche St. Germain!  The displays are so inviting!

This oyster bar though!
Apologies to my Vegan friends but this meat is calling my name!

And speaking of meat..Daniele had one of these in a frigo she kept outside of one of her windows in the apartment…

All this seafood is making me dizzy with delight!

Lets go back to Christmas displays!

Why don’t we sell real trees like this with the little built-in stand in the States?  This is pragmatic Christmas!

Next stop—Rue de Rennes.  This street is great for shopping and for reasonable shopping. It’s really important to me to tell you about the places to shop that nobody mentions in their blogs or even in magazines.  Paris isn’t all designer boutiques.  Yes.  It’s the home of luxury fashion, but the average Parisien or Parisienne isn’t wearing Chanel or Prada unless they are wealthy.  Most shop at neighborhood boutiques or Galeries Lafayette or BHV, two department stores.  Anyway, we stopped at FNAC to pick up a few things.  Bonaparte wanted to shop for books in his native language and lo and behold, I discovered a Proust book with a photograph that B’s grandfather, Jacques Henri Lartigue took!  It was very exciting!

Look what I found at FNAC!  Bonaparte’s grandfather’s photo on the cover….

Look what else I spotted at FNAC!  Daniele!!!

At another one of my must-go-to shops, Sophie Sacs, my husband picked out a great satchel bag for me—in yellow leather! Score one for me!

The bag that my husband picked out is perfect!  I added an inexpensive and fun keychain charm from a souvenier shop!

Did I mention that the foggy morning made way for a rainy day?  The rain didn’t bother me but it was that dampness that cut right through my blazer and trench coat and it felt good to get back to the hotel and get a few hours of sleep before heading out for Thanksgiving Dinner.

 

Oops!  It’s getting dark and I’ll be writing about our Thanksgiving Dinner in Part Two!

And stay tuned because Part Two will be about the Thanksgiving Dinner and more fun stuff!

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Pragmatic Packing For a Short Trip To Paris and Getting My Flâneuse On!

Posted on November 28, 2018 by Catherine

This gallery contains 16 photos.

I’m revisiting blog posts that parallel our recent trip to Paris. Why? You might ask? Well..after four days of walking around Paris in the rain I have a massive cold and I’m going up to bed to sleep it off. … Continue reading →

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Not Your Norman Rockwell’s Thanksgivings!

Posted on November 20, 2018 by Catherine

When I tell you, it’s been crazytown around here, I’m not kidding.

The Lady Parts Exams are all finished. Let me tell you.  I had a mammogram set for last Friday, the 16th. This is always the one exam that causes the most stress and anxiety for me.  Anyway, I was told that I would receive the results between two to three business days.  That meant by tonight.

I couldn’t relax.  The phone finally rang and results were fine so now I feel no stress leaving for Paris tomorrow.  But man, stress can be a killer.  My skin check is in two weeks but I’m just going to have a good time for the next few days!

Image result for atypical60 bra

I’m happy. My girls are happy.  My fancier bras are happy.  

In our neighborhood, many homes are already sporting Christmas lights and decorations. In fact, on my way home from work, I spotted a lighted Christmas tree through a window.  And I wonder—is it me?  But I cannot wrap my head around the fact that Thanksgiving is the lost holiday.

The tree won’t go up until the first or second weekend in December!

It just seems lost with all the focus on Christmas.

My lone 2018 Christmas Snow Globe!  Every year I treat myself and the Eiffel Tower seemed appropriate!  I’ll decorate when we return.  But first I have to clean. It’s a process!

But I’ll tell you—tomorrow as we drive from Philly to JFK, and we hit the PA and New Jersey Turnpikes and the infamous Belt Parkway, we’ll hit the Thanksgiving traffic—the busiest travel day of the year!  And I’ll be saying very naughty words in connection with this holiday!

traffic GIF

Unfortunately the traffic on the Belt Parkway won’t be moving this fast!

Back to Thanksgiving.  It’s just not my holiday.  Growing up, it was a bit weird because there were many Thanksgivings when my dad was working—he was a NYC police officer so we spent quiet Thanksgivings—even on the ones he was home.  And we spent it with my grandparents and aunt.  I can’t say I ever remember my mother every cooking a turkey because she had the deli across the street make it.

 

thanksgiving eating GIF

True dat!  When I was in my early twenties, I would have rather spent Thanksgiving being my own turkey!

And then as I got older, Thanksgivings were just that holiday that was more of a chore.  Being young and single and living in NYC, I would rather spend the holiday with friends or by myself.

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I must admit.  I’ve never experienced a Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving.  Although I must admit–Cathe Lartigue Christmas’s are pretty darn epic!

When I was married to my ex-husband Thanksgiving was a very dysfunctional holiday.  My mother-in-law was a control freak and stressed everyone out with the timing of the cooking.  Nobody could help.  Then on Thanksgiving morning the menfolk would go to the local and legendary football game between two rival high schools.  The men would come back drunk but for the most part, happy drunk.

thanksgiving dinner GIF

Oh Dear Lord!  Some of the most dysfunctional Thanksgivings were spent at my in-laws.  But I have to say, my father-in-law was a ton of fun!

Then my mother-in-law would get all bent out of shape because the men were drunk.  And she would be scowling for the afternoon.

Then it was time to eat and most times her eldest son would be celebrating Thanksgiving with his wife’s family—I longed to be spending it with them too.  So, my MIL would sit at the table and cry because her oldest son wasn’t there.  Forget the fact that her other two sons and their families were there.

demi lovato stress GIF

It was during these dinners that I would excuse myself to go to the bathroom.  But in reality, I would go upstairs to the attic where my mother-in-law kept all the baked goods and I would give myself a five-minute stress eat!  Yummmmmmm Yum!

And one year I did it.  I got so annoyed that I announced at the table.  “For God’s sake, will you just be happy that everyone else is here?”  I believe she got up and walked out of the room.

Thanksgiving stress and yelling just made me feel all warm and toasty inside!

I didn’t mention.  With all the prep work my MIL did, the act of being at the Thanksgiving table actually eating dinner lasted all of twenty minutes.  Then there was the stress of her telling everyone to leave the room so she could clean.

a charlie brown thanksgiving GIF by Peanuts

Yeah. I swear this is making me laugh because it’s pretty-much how my mother-in-law served Thanksgiving Dinner when her oldest son wasn’t in attendance!   It’s so real!!

And then when my kids got slightly older Thanksgiving became a different kind of holiday.  When Oona began to compete in Irish Dance at the regional level, we would head to the Oireachtas in Philly.  On Thanksgiving night.

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From the time she was eight years old to this photo in high school…

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…and up to her Senior year in college.  Every Thanksgiving weekend was spent at the Oireachtas in Philly!  Those days were fun!!

During these years Thanksgiving was a more chill meal.  Sometimes we had guests.  Sometimes we didn’t.  But after enjoying a long and relaxing meal, Oona and I would head to Philly for the weekend while my ex-husband and the boys enjoyed a weekend of football.

Then there were the years going through my divorce and thereafter.  Those Thanksgivings were spent at my sister’s home in Long Island and were, for the first time, truly enjoyable Thanksgiving meals.

With Vincent and I, Thanksgiving is more of a relaxing day.  The kids are grown, two live out of state.  The last Thanksgiving we were all together was three years ago.  Both boys were living in New York City and Oona was living in Cincinnati for the first time (she moved back due to a transfer and is now back in Cincy) and flew in to spend a few days with us.

We all had Thanksgiving Dinner at Claudette Restaurant in NYC’s Greenwich Village.  And we had a blast.

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Our Thanksgiving dinner here at Claudette was on of my favorites because it was just me, Vincent and the kids!

And so, as you can read, Thanksgiving doesn’t go down as my favorite holiday.

Christmas is mine. I own it!

And this year with Jake in L.A, and Roman in NYC and Oona in Cincinnati, Vincent and I will depart for Paris tomorrow.

Our Thanksgiving Dinner will be spent on Place Dauphine in the First Arrondissement of Paris.  Neither of us will have turkey.  But whatever we have, it’ll be good!

Image result for atypical60 claudette restaurant

We’ll be enjoying Thanksgiving Dinner here at Restaurant Paul on Place Dauphine.  We’ve had many great meals here with Daniele before she passed away and we will toast to her memory!

My bags are packed.

Everything is in this Longchamp carryon.  I want my stuff near me!

I have my reading material.

I cannot wait to read Becoming by Michelle Obama!  The flight is seven hours.  The book will be finished by the time we land!  And for comic relief!  Sebastian Maniscalco–he’s hysterical!!!

And I’m looking forward to my return to the City of Lights.  We’ll be spending time with Vincent’s family and just relaxing for a few days.

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I love me some 6th!

And when we return home,  I’ll be posting all about it!

I know that lately I haven’t been on target about posting what I’m wearing and my *cough* supposed weight loss journey.  Truth be told—I was really scared about my health. It was affecting me in some very anxiety-ridden ways but I’m back to normal and will be posting more about clothing, etc.

So, I wish you all a great, great Thanksgiving.  Whether it is stressful or not, just sit back and enjoy.  Even the bad holidays are cause for some interesting memories!  Enjoy the turkey and the trimmings.  And enjoy the official start of Holiday Season 2018!

Best to you and your families!

In the meantime, here’s a look at some of the outfits I’ve been wearing!

Feeling festive last week at work–and happy because my clothes still fit–tightly but they still fit!

Casual Chic–heels, skinny pants and a sweatshirt with my roots!

I wore this today. An old gray sweater. Gray Pixie Pants, a scarf I stole from Oona and inexpensive Over-the-Knee boots.  So many compliments that when I took the outfit off this evening I packed it for the trip!

Burgundy velvet pants, a black top and burgundy plaid flats.  A nice casual office look!

Black velvet pants and a black vevet tee–I’m wearing this to dinner on Thursday. Oh my–don’t look at my nails!  I had them done and now they look pretty!

Those jeans.  I’m wearing them on the plane!  

Wanna see more about how I packed?  Here’s a litte video!  Enjoy!

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The Cosmetics Brand You Need to Discover!

Posted on November 18, 2018 by Catherine

And now—for some good cosmetics news.  A brand that’s quite new to me and may be to you as well.

Kristofer Buckle.  He’s a makeup artist and is Mariah Carey’s makeup artist—but that’s neither here nor there.  One of my Instagram friends told me that he used his 77-year old mother as a model on QVC.  I nearly fell in love!

Take a good look and remember this face.  It’s Kristofer Buckle and his makeup line rocks!

But, one of my favorite YouTube Beauty Guru’s, EmilyNoel83 featured a foundation of his on her channel.

I let my fingers do the walking over to QVC and started wandering through the beauty items.

Lo and behold I found a 5-piece set of Buckle’s for under $28.00!

Kristofer Buckle’s Vanity Collection Volume 2.  This is epic ladies.   Epic!

In the set is the stick foundation, a mascara, face powder, a lipstick and gel eyeliner.

Foundation. Mascara. Gel Eyeliner.  Mascara.  Loose Powder.  All under $28.00!  WOW!

But wait.  Look at how the set comes packaged—it’s so adorable that I can’t even!

This.  I can’t even because it’s so packaging adorable.  I can’t wait till my backup arrives!

But how do the products hold up?

Hmmm. I’ll bet you’re wondering how this stuff holds up–huh?  Don’t worry!  I’ll explain

GREAT!!!!!!  I’ll explain:

The foundation—EmilyNoel83 was right—this foundation stick is fantastic.  It isn’t the dry-stick foundations of the past.  Recently I reviewed a foundation stick by Makeup Revolution that is really really good and is part of my regular rotation.  But Buckle’s stick foundation takes it to another level.  There’s a little circle in the middle which is a built-in blur—genius, right???  The stick is so creamy I wanted to lick it!

Check it out.  You can see from the photo that the stick is super-creamy. And that little circle in the middle?  It’s a built-in primer/blur.  It gets better!

The shade I ordered was Fair Warm because there was no Fair Cool so I took a chance.  Truth be told when I applied it, I was a bit nervous because it looked yellow but after applying it, the foundation blended beautifully and any trepidation I had was gone.  It blended into my skin tone.

OK. So here’s the Fair/Warm Stick Foundation on my face. I dotted it and it looks slightly yellow but after blending….

And I blended with the large Eco Tools 360–dense and perfect for blending stick foundations!

Now another thing.  My skin has a tendency to get a bit red and blotchy in the cold months and this foundation covered everything.  It’s more of a fuller coverage but isn’t cakey and it stays hydrated.

This stick foundation blends in beautifully!

I love the foundation so much that I ordered a backup set!

The powder—OK.  I’ve started using powder every day to set my makeup—mostly concealer under the eye area.  I don’t bake because loading a ton of powder on a wrinkled face does not an attractive look make.  However, a light dusting of powder to set and then brush off works wonders.  His powder is excellent!  It’s white and after you brush everything away it’s colorless.  The powder is incredibly finely milled and—this is genius—there’s a built-in sifter!  Can you believe it?

The translucent powder is white but the color disapates on the skin–there’s no white flashback either.  It’s finely milled and wonderful to set makeup with….

…and–great day in the morning!  There’s a built-in sifter for the powder!  Genius!

The mascara—you know I love a good, working mascara.  And as my eyes pro-age, they become more sensitive.  I can’t wear falsies because the glue really bothers my eyes.  And so, I depend on mascara.  This mascara is a keeper!  The product itself is very clean. By this I mean it isn’t all clumpy when you take the wand out.  It also doesn’t smudge. It stays put on the lashes without flaking during the day.

Are you like me?  Sensitive eyes mean no false lashes because of the irritation from eyelash glue.  And you need a decent mascara.  This mascara pulls no punches. It makes the lashes thicker in a very clean way!

The bristles of the wand are spaced nicely so that you are getting a decent amount of mascara on the individual lashes.  Is it lengthening?  No—it just makes the lashes look thicker and fuller.  That’s all I need.

The mascara. No-nonsense.  It gives thicker lashes. But the wand is the bomb!

The eyeliner—a gel liner is included in this set.  Smudge proof and stays put.  The first time I used it, I couldn’t get it to tightline well but the second time was a charm.  In addition, at one end is a rubberized smudger in case you want to go for a smokey eye look.  This is another winner!

The liner. Easy to use because you have control of how much product comes out.  It stays put and the rubber smudger at the opposite end works if you want a smokey eye look!

The Lipstick.  Well…..here’s the thing.  It’s difficult for me to find a lipstick that isn’t a nude or a lighter pink.  It’s because my natural lips are very pigmented and many lipsticks oxidize.  Unfortunately, this happened with the lipstick that was included in the set. I believe the color is Cashmere Slip. My eyes are really bad so I couldn’t see the printing.

When I first applied the lipstick, I loved it!  It applied as a deep rose mauve but within 15 minutes oxidized into an orange color.  It’s too bad but perhaps if I had applied concealer to my lips it would have worked better.

 

The lipstick was gorgeous when first applied but within 15 minutes that color turned orange.  What a bummer!

Overall how do I rate this?   Every item with the exception of the lipstick is an A +.   The lipstick was a fail for me—and I think it’s due more to my overly pigmented lips.

The only disappointment was the oxidation of the lip color!

The set gets an A.  Had the lipstick been more of a pale/neutral shade to flatter every tone, I would give it an A +.

Seriously. Might I suggest this set for your Holiday shopping?  Gift yourself!

Honestly.  This set would make a great Holiday gift for you or anyone in your radar who loves makeup.  I don’t know how long Buckle has been in the cosmetics industry but I hope his brand sticks around.  That foundation is epic.

Here’s a few pics of me from the past week wearing this foundation and mascara and liner–and set with the powder!

I have to say that my “over 60” skin looks pretty darn good–the foundation is everything!

Yesterday’s look with the same foundation…

…and the same foundation today!  This IS great stuff!

Here he is with his mom—she’s freaking 77 years old!  And the fact he includes her makes me love the brand even more!

 

 

 

Buckle’s mom–at 77. There’s something to be said about the man to use his pro-aging mom as a model.  I love this guy and am a fan of the brand!

I hope you enjoyed this honest review of a new brand’s items.  Are you familiar with the brand?  His makeup can be ordered from QVC and they are selling his stuff for a great price!

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The Eyeshadow Palette You Should NOT Buy!

Posted on November 13, 2018 by Catherine

Now that the elections are over, and I am, for the moment, not receiving any annoying emails begging me for donations–thank goodness!  I can focus on the stuff I love.  Makeup. Food. Clothes. Travel.  And, naturally, pro-aging!

Image result for atypical 60 paris

Ye Ye!  Guess where I’m gonna be shopping next week?

Tonight, I’m going to focus on something that’s been bothering me since I received a beauty set of a double-ended eye brush and an eyeshadow palette from QVC.  Through no fault of “The Q”, I purchased what could, quite possibly be, the worst eye shadow palette ever made!

Be prepared for what you are about to read in connection with this palette!  

Always in love with the iT Cosmetics brand’s brushes, I’ve started a decent collection.  I’ve written about the brands brushes in the past and they are nothing short of great.

Three of my newest brushes from iT cosmetics.  I have many more but these were the only ones that are clean!

It’s a different story when it comes to their makeup products.  I’ve a few iT cosmetics that I love—the Je Ne Sais Quoi Lip and Cheek colors are wonderful—it’s part of the brand’s lip vitality line.

The Je Ne Sais Quoi products look colorless in the tube but turn into such a gorgeous shade of pink.  I’m a fan!

Their skincare line is awful for me.  The products dry my already-dehydrated skin out more than it is.  And this, I find surprising since the brand touts itself as anti aging.

This is the brand’s Celebration foundation.  I tried it and it was DE-hydrating.  And with that anti-aging term, they certainly ain’t celebrating the aging process.

And  the brand insists on using the vulgar and mature woman insulting term anti-aging! Yet, despite this, the brushes are so absolutely amazing that I can’t stop using them.

Any who…. I was perusing through QVC two weeks ago catching up on some online stress shopping –because I have my lady-parts exam and my skin check coming up and I’m also stress-eating and the husband isn’t too happy with my bad habits.

I’ve been stress eating up a storm.  My pants are tight.  My tummy is expanding and I’m beyond the pregnancy years.  This photo is from my office potluck luncheon last week and I swept through this like a Hoover vacuum cleaner!

And during this time, I saw an eyeshadow brush with eyeshadow palette by iT cosmetics and I clicked to purchase.

Yeah–this was the palette and brush set.  Take a good look because it appears to be an excellent buy!

The palette seemed like a good one.  The shadows neutral with two highlighters—it could be a decent palette to use if I want a soft look or if I’m just out and about.  A good weekend eye look, if you will.

And when the mail was delivered, and my husband gave me the Larry David suspicious face because another package arrived, I gleefully ran upstairs to open the goods.

This is how Bonaparte looked at me when I told him I had no more makeup arriving in the mail!

The brush was all I expected.  Here’s a look:

This is the brush.  A four-in-one.  The top end of the brush has an element that you can pull down or up to change the shape of the shadow brush–making it a great travel tool!

The brush was well-worth the money!

Here’s a better look.  I love the pragmatic use of the larger brush.

Overall, the brush gets an A from me!

Now to the eyeshadow palette.

First of all, I have a thing about packaging and I have a “thing” about eyeshadow palette cases.  I like plastic or a similar hard composition.  I’m not a fan of the cardboard case.  Exception to the rule is the Anastasia Subculture Palette I wrote about last week—My Subculture Review.

The Superhero By Day Palette is encased in the cheapest, flimsiest cardboard ever.  Chippy got hold of it for two seconds and ate clear through the corner.

Chippy got hold of this and snacked on the edges.  But look at all the scratches and marks on this cheap cardboard case!

So, what does the low quality of the cardboard case tell me?  It says this is a disaster waiting to happen.  This is so flimsy that if you have it in your purse and it starts banging around—you’re gonna have a huge mess.

Chippy was basically telling me “I told you so….”

The other thing about the case is that it won’t stay open.  It’s so poorly constructed that I needed to use my cushion foundation as a palette weight.

My Korean Cushion Foundation is now multitasking as a cosmetic paperweight on this cheap palette that won’t stay opened!

On to the actual product. The shadows.  They are absolutely awful.

In the palette the colors look beautiful. Slightly shimmery.  Slightly satin.  They are, in fact, in appearance, the perfect neutrals with that pop of the University of Texas Burnt Orange shade.  There are also two highlighters.

Close up, the shadows really are nice looking and with the exception of the burnt-orange Empower, it’s a cool-toned palette-just what I was looking for!

I also had very high hopes for Brilliance and Visionary–the highlighters/base shadows.

Look at how they swatched on my fingers.  Can you find the color?  Where’s the pigment?

Although Empower has the most pigmentation, it was incredibly patchy.  The rest of the shadows–where’ the color?

The highlighters have more pigment but wait—they are ashy as all get out.

While these swatched with pigment on the fingers, they were ashy and on the lid just disappeared!

When I did apply the shadow on my lids, I saw that the shadows went on very chalky—and this is the irony of the “anti-aging” that iT cosmetics pontificates.  The chalkiness of the shadows actually aged the look of my eyes.

Sorry the chalky consistency didn’t show up in this photo but I DO have the shadows from this palette on my eye.  You just can’t see them because there’s no pigmentation!

I also put a dent in one of the shadows from pressing too hard to try to get some lift-off of color.

Follow the yellow arrow to see where I dented the shadow!  I tried to get more color but it didn’t work!

All was not lost after I took out my trusty Tartlette in Bloom palette.  A better neutral collection of shadows.  Tartelette in Bloom came to my rescue with the pigmentation and satiny finish I was hoping to achieve with Superhero by Day.

Tartelette in Bloom to the rescue!  I ended up going over the entire iT eye with shadows from this palette. I used Charmer, top left as a wash,  Funny Girl on my lid and in the crease a light application of both Smokeshow and Activist.  

Thanks to Tartelette in Bloom, I was able to get a nice neutral eye look!

As a consumer, I don’t want to be had. The only reason I didn’t return the palette was because Chippy snacked on it.  But how can a company that makes stellar brushes be so inconsistent with their makeup?  The brand makes products that I love–their concealer. And I use the bronzer almost every day as a contour! I just don’t get it!

But this eyeshadow palette is atrocious and iT Cosmetics should be ashamed by selling this garbage. I’ve purchased better in Dollar Tree and Five Below.

Cheaply constructed, won’t even stay opened and horrible shadows.  It’s a complete fail!

Overall how would I rate this?  An F.  Honest to God, I’ve never given such a bad review on a product and I’ve never had an F-rated product.  There’s always another way to use a product.  I’ve used bronzers as contours and contours as shadows.  I’ve used concealers that were too yellow as eye shadow bases and too-dark lip colors as blush.   But this palette—there’s no hope.

iT Superhero by Day on the left and Tartelette in Bloom in the right.  Which do YOU prefer?  I thought so!

And the other thing is, when you wear eyeglasses you NEED a shadow that’s well-pigmented!  I’m glad a have many darker shadows in my possession! Another Tartelette look!

Look—this may be a harsh review but you know I don’t lie.  If I love a product—you know it.  If I’m on the fence—you know it.  If I don’t care for something—you know it.

I just don’t like iT!!

And I love you too much to allow you to make the same mistake I did.  I’m telling you, do not buy this palette.  You will waste over $30 and for that kind of money, you can go to MAC cosmetics and create your own palette with four high-quality shadows! Or buy the Tartelette in Bloom palette for a few dollars more!

Image result for atypical60 mac eyeshadow

I created all three of these palettes at MAC–and the middle palette, I already hit pan on all four shadows!

So that’s it.  If you want to see more of my thoughts on this palette—here’s my YouTube review! And I’ll have more reviews coming up (one really good one too)!

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The Frenchman and My Wigs—A Husband’s View And Then Some…..

Posted on November 11, 2018 by Catherine

There was a time in my life when I had quite the head of hair.  As a child, my mother would curl my thick, black tresses and with the natural wave pattern, the hair that I had always received compliments.

 

The curls and thick hair were a way of life for me!

As I hit that awkward age, and my mother tired of fixing my hair—most likely due to the fact that she had four other heads to watch over, my thick hair was cut into a pixie.  This was the most awkward stage of my life.  And I hated both my mother for cutting my hair and I hated my hair for misbehaving.

Quite possibly the most awkward hair moment in my life.  I’ve never forgiven my mother for that! But everyone goes through that awkward stage!

A couple of months later and the hair is STILL at an awkward stage. And yes. I twirled a baton! With the St. Patrick School Marching Band!

Then as I entered the teen years my hair grew out.  Still thick but very unmanageable and so I wore it pulled back most of the time—especially in the humid summers.

Back in the day–with a full head of hair, no wrinkles and I didn’t need glasses 100 percent of the time.  Where did my chin disappear to? A rainy afternoon on the NYC Subway system!

Then I came to terms with the head of hair that I had and accepted the waves and the thickness.

Big hair moment during the 1980’s in NYC!  I loved that color too!

And I grew to appreciate the hair that I had.

With Oona at Chesapeake.  You can see in the front that I’m starting to lose a bit of hair!

And throughout all this, I pulled my hair out when I was stressed, and even worse—I picked at my scalp and I won’t even go into those details.

But—I was lucky that my hair was thick.  At the time.

At Sydney’s Taronga Zoo with a Zookeeper.  I ended up having a blast with this guy later on a bar crawl!  But look at that little “spot” in the front of my head!

At Trenton’s Waterfront Park–lots of baseball time spent there and lots of hats to cover the start of a loss through my own doing!

And when I met my present husband, the effects of the damage I had done by pulling and picking began to show.  I now had a “spot” on the back of my head to match the one by my front part.  And normal shedding became abnormal. And where new growth occurs—it didn’t with me because I damaged my scalp.

 

This picture always makes me think.  I was adept at the comb-over because the hair was really shedding and falling.  I was stressed because I lost my home through divorce and was living in a crappy apartment.  Jake was away at college but I still had Roman and Oona to keep me sane and happy.  Little did I know that a Frenchman would enter my life shortly!

At this time, I started using Toppik, which was a life-saver. I can’t pinpoint the exact moment when Bonaparte realized my hair loss began to be a big thing but, him, being the very honest and critical Frenchman, would point out where I needed to cover the loss.

My sigh of relief was that I could depend on him to go through this with me.

Suffice it to say, the loss became greater—hair stopped growing and eventually I began to wear toppers and then wigs.

The last “nice” photo of me in my bio hair.  Adam, the hairstylist extraordinaire knew how to blow my hair out and cover the loss and he was an expert at applying my Toppik!

Anyway, in a random moment last Sunday while we were enjoying the weekend’s end with aperitifs, he mentioned that he loved the way I look when I’m wearing wigs.

Surprised by that comment, I must’ve given him the cross-eyed, side eye because he went on to further elaborate.

He caught me competely off guard!

He said that when I started wearing wigs, he was a bit concerned because those first ones were a bit “wiggy” looking.  They weren’t good wigs (He was right. My first foray into wigs was a trial and error thing).  He thought some of the wigs were a bit too shiny.

And he went on to tell me that with the research I did, and learning to customize wigs, I did such a great job that he prefers me in wigs these days and………………………………. here’s the best part!  He said sometimes he has to remind himself that I’m wearing a wig because they look natural.

Here I am wearing Chloe in Chocolate Cherry–the wig my husband gifted me with for my birthday!

 

That’s a nice testament coming from my Frenchman.  The French can be appear to be very critical—but it’s more because they are just being honest.  And honesty is the best policy.

My Frenchman.  I’m damned lucky to have such a supportive man!

You have no idea how great my husband made me feel during that part of our conversation simply because he supports what I do.  He never thought I was odd because of my hair loss or the way I dealt with it because he’s part of my team.

It’s difficult when you begin to switch over to the world of wigs for the first time. It’s that time when we wig wearers all make mistakes.  It’s that time when we are at our biggest learning curve in how to handle the hair we wear.

The wigs I wear now are looking much better than the ones I wore when I began my journey!

Through research and instinct, we learn what works for us.  And when we have a husband, or significant other, family member or friends who support us—we’ve gotten the best gift we can which is support.

Because with support we gain confidence and courage and I’m thankful that my husband has given me that support to be confident and courageous in my journey from my bio hair to my fake hair!

I created a slide show for you that I ended up putting on my YouTube channel.  Have a peek at my various hair looks and let me know what you think!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend and take it easy as we begin to enter into the holiday season!

 

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A High-End Eyeshadow Palette at a Bargain Price. Subculture!

Posted on November 4, 2018 by Catherine

Hi Everyone!  For the last three days, I’ve been using a new eyeshadow palette that I picked up earlier this week at TJ Maxx!  I’m telling you, don’t overlook TJ’s for good values on makeup.

The palette I purchased is the Subculture eyeshadow palette by Anastasia Beverly Hills.

Subculture.  Even the name is quite intriguing!

The thing that I’ve found quite intriguing about this collection of shadows is the so-called “controversy” it’s stirred.   Following YouTube beauty gurus and the like, I’m always on the look for products that can be “mature-woman” friendly—even though the products are 99.9 percent of the time reviewed by big-time YouTubers and ones that are under 30 years old!

Anyway, this particular palette has gotten quite the number of negative reviews.  Some reviews complain that the shadows have too much fallout.  Others complain that the shadows have bad pickup making the palette really messy.  And others complain about the quality of the shadows.

Image result for anastasia beverly hills subculture gifYeah. Uhh Oh is right!  Many well-known experts weren’t crazy about the palette!

Naturally, all the negativity made this palette all the more interesting to me.

Hmmmm..all that dissing is making me more intrigued!

Except that the retail price is $42 and I wasn’t wiling to pay that.

Until I spotted it at TJ Maxx.

And I purchased it!

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This was pretty-much my reaction when I spotted the palette!

So, lets take a look at the palette and talk some more!

We have some luxe packaging here ladies! The faux suede makes this seem very special!

The packaging is luxe. Faux Suede with gold lettering.  the palette itself though is that heavy cardboard with an enamel gloss that so many brands are using these days.  There’s a nice sized mirror included and if you have great eyesight is a plus.  I need magnifying so those mirrors don’t help me. However, it looks to be a good quality mirror.

See the shine?  It’s that nice enamel gloss covering over the cardboard–which I do believe is more enviornmentally-friendly!  Overall. the packaging is very attractive!

The mirror is also a decent quality.  I didn’t take the plastic protective covering with the logo off.  I kind of like the way it looks!

The colors are very well-pigmented.  The exception being the glittery Electric and Adorn. Both need a wet brush to apply, but once moistened (Ugh. I can’t stand that word), they apply beautifully.  The shade Cube is stunning. It’s holographic!

The shadows are very pigmented –left to right:  Adorn (and I didn’t wet it); Destiny, Dawn and Cube.  The matte colors don’t go on ashy either!

The greens in the palette are fantastic.  I’ve always loved green shadows but none have ever worked for me until I purchased The Wants palette and now, Subculture.  The lighter Destiny goes on almost brown and Untamed is a gorgeous deeper green.

Take a look-see.  Destiny and Untamed are stellar greens!

Mercury is a neutral kind of taupe and the very unusual New Wave and Edge shades both work well with a light touch.  Axis is a deep teal that is also beautiful when applied as is Rowdy.  I haven’t used Roxy or All Star but Fudge, as warm a brown as it looks, is a great color.  I’ve been using it on my lower lids.

We got some nice shadows here ladies.  And they work to blend into a neutral or colored look!   Despite what “experts” say, this is the palette after three days of use.  It’s remarkably clean!

And the thing is—all these colors are very buildable.

Yes. The shadows are extremely soft and buttery but with a super-light touch, barely touching the shadow, these shades apply wonderfully.

Eye see you!  Check out this look–it’s subtle and very neutral!

The brush.  Under normal circumstances, brushes that are included in the palettes aren’t really that great.  This brush is actually pretty decent.  Soft as al get out—it’s definitely a better quality than the usual.

The brush isn’t too shabby!  Let me put it this way–if you took this palette on an overnight trip and realized you left your eyeshadow brushes home–this brush would suffice and suffice very well.  The bristles are soft and at one end you can apply and the other blend away!

Here’s how the shadows look on the eyes!

Friday’s office look.  A very light touch with a bit of dark on the outter corners and the beautiful Electric on the outer lid.  The blendability is excellent!

We had dinner guests last night and Subculture was used on the eyes! I’m wearing Estetica Designs Wren in the shade R4/6

Today’s look.  A wash with Dawn. Then in the crease, Destiny, Untamed and Edge.  Fudge was later used in the middle of the crease and on the bottom lid to line.  Untamed was at the outer edge.  A nice look!  And a light touch.  It was buildable!

The finished look with all shadows from the Subculture Palette.  I’m wearing Envy Wigs Chloe in Chocolate Cherry! 

I give this palette a solid A.  The pigmentation is spot on.  The colors are soft and buildable and I love the unusual (for me at least) color choices!

OH.  BTW, I need to get a manicure. OK?  I don’t wear nail tips but I do have acrylic over my bio nails to stop me from picking and pulling.  For some reason, the acrylic makes the ends of my nails dull so it’s no fun to pick.  It truly helps me.  Anyway….I broke a nail and decided to polish the nail with OPI’s Big Apple Red, which is the only nail color I use.  I have a bottle that I keep “for emergencies”   I applied the polish and went heavy handed.  look what happened!!!!!

How did the nail polish drip onto a finger that didn’t have the broken nail?  I’m still trying to figure that out!!

I had no nail polilsh remover in the house either!  I had to scrub the polish off with a nail brush and it took over 10 minutes.  I’m so imperfect it isn’t funny!!

Actually, it IS funny!  Can you believe it???

And that is it for today!  Below is the YouTube review I did on Subculture!  Enjoy it and have a few laughs on me!

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Calling a Spade a Spade. Let Me Make Myself Clear…

Posted on October 31, 2018 by Catherine

Yesterday’s blog post seemed to cause quite a stir with a few commenters.  They didn’t get the big picture of the post.  Instead, they focused on the minute words about the president—who wasn’t even an integral part of the post.  Hatred and anti-Semitism toward Jews was the subject.  (In case you haven’t read it:  (What Has A Jew Ever Done to

You?)

Now—lets get one thing straight here.  This is my blog.  And in the time, I’ve been blogging, I’ve managed to keep it fun for the most part.

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Don’t make me go all Daffy Duck on you.  It’s my blog and I write what I want.  

I love and enjoy getting my deeply shallow on.  Writing about makeup makes me happy.  It is a subject so near and dear to me—especially as I age because I realize that cosmetics are enhancing what was once very visible and now disappearing among the wrinkles.

And yes.  You CAN wear highlighter when you are over 60, 50, 70 and older!

And who doesn’t love shiny lips?

And I love sharing new products—and old products and tips of what works and what doesn’t with you.

Come on now!  These interchangeable heel shoes by Mestrae–what a fabulous new product!!!

I also love writing about clothing and style.  Especially since others have this idea that as we grow older and wiser we should dress in elastic-waisted pants and Velcro sneakers.  Not on my watch ladies.  Not on my watch.

Let’s wear fancy pants instead!!!

Travel is another subject that I find to be uplifting and entertaining.  Especially my misadventures in France with my very proper husband—something of which I am not.  I’m not proper.

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Three more weeks and we’ll be visiting the namesake street of my husband’s grandfather!

And that’s what it comes down to.

I’ve never pontificated how perfect I am.  I’ve never turned my blog into a showcase of “Shop my style” or turned it into a ton of clothing links without a detailed review.  Even when I shill my Amazon page you know that I’ll be writing about every product and item I’ll shove in your faces!

Amazon has me hooked on Korean Skincare and Makeup:  Shameless Shill

But the other thing I love about this blog is the sense of community that we’ve all become a part of.  I think if it more like a neighborhood.  We get along.  We cry together.  We laugh together.  We share ideas.  We can, for the most part, even disagree with each other.  And that’s a great thing because we do it respectfully.

However, I am no pushover.  If you come here to tell that I “denigrate” our president.  The meaning of denigrate is to disparage or criticize unfairly.  I do believe the man in the white house does that at least a dozen times a day when he Tweets.

Do not come to my personal space that I’ve spent time, and a good amount of time to write a heartfelt post to tell me that I am “out of line” on my own blog.

You can tell me I’m out of line or have gone too far by posting a pic of me in my bra (BTW, I did a YouTube video on this bra)..but don’t tell me I’m out of line by defending women, jews and others when the POTUS debases us and encourages hatred.  No.  Just No!

Here’s the thing—I read quite a few blogs.  Some are blogs that I enjoy and at times don’t like what was written but out of respect for the writer, if I really, really disagree I don’t comment.  That’s it.  I just don’t comment.

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If I read your blog and am really offended by what you wrote, I won’t pull a self-righteous Dr. Evil.  I’ll just move on and let it slide…………for now.

There have been many, many comments where people have disagreed with me—and in a respectful way. And that’s because this little community is respectful.  If you cannot be respectful then don’t click “send” button.

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Let’s give a cheer for being respectful–even when it hurts!

 And as far as politics go.  For those who label me a “Liberal”—you obviously don’t know me and you obviously did not read my post “Don’t Call Me a Liberal”—Allow me to refresh your memory. Don’t Call Me A Liberal–I’m a Humanist!!

And I will not stop writing about my politics.  I am not a woman who will sit in a corner and nod my cute little wrinkled head up and down and remain silent.  I have voice.  And at times that voice goes beyond the makeup, the clothing, the wigs, the humor, the food, the travel and whatever else enters into the empty space between my ears.

If I think people are being treated unfairly, I will say so.  I will not stand silent while a man and his cronies in Washington try to take my healthcare away or try to raise the cost because I have a pre-existing condition.  I will not shut my yap because I deserve my Social Security when I reach that age.  I will not be silenced because of anti-Semitism, or racial hatred.

America is a Melting pot.  A stew, if you will, that is made up of the following ingredients.  Jews. Irish. Italians. Arabs. Chinese. Japanese. Africans. Creoles. Spaniards. Latin Americans. Brits. Welsh. French. German. And too many ethnic groups to even name.  We have assimilated.  Some more than others.  We all need inclusion.  We all need to be treated equally.

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All rolled up into one and you have the American Flag!

A couple of commenters stated that I hurt them with the words I used against the president.  Wait. You’re a woman and your ok with the fact he calls other women “fat”, “horse face” and speaks publicly about his conquests and calling them by the genitalia?  That’ ok to you? It’s acceptable to you to listen to a man speak of how he would date his own daughter?  And you find me offensive?  Your views toward your own womankind are more hurtful than any words I can muster up!

You know, I could never quite wrap my head around the thought that there are women who do not support women and the proof of women who support a man and a party who think women are second-class citizens is unacceptable for me.  There is no difference between these men and those in third world countries—their views on women are the same.

So that’s about it.

I have some new makeup I’ll be writing about and am waiting for new hair.

I’m awaiting for another Justine.  She’s such a great head o’ hair and I’ll tell you all about her.  Again!

I’m back on a diet for the fifteenth time since August and stressed out as ever.  The Fall/Winter wardrobe is in full swing.  I forgot to get Halloween candy and ended up going this morning to just about nothing left of which I have already eaten 8 Kit Kat bars and one Peanut Butter Cup.  The diet is going very well!

I’m so moved.  A few Trick-or-Treaters told me I had GREAT candy!  Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups!!!

So, have a great Halloween evening and that’s about it.

I just wanted to call a Spade a Spade.

And I wanted to thank all of you who enjoy everything I write about—even my political rants because I ain’t stopping!

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