THE Only Travel Palette That You Will Ever Need!

Posted on September 3, 2018 by Catherine

Do you have an at-the-ready travel bag of cosmetics?  If you do, then you know what I’m talking about.

My travel cosmetics bag, which I’ve edited!!

If you don’t, might I suggest creating one and stashing it in a weekender or piece of luggage that you regularly use.  Why?  Well, because when you have that travel stash of makeup and skin care, it’s just one less thing that you have to think about before traveling.

Hmmm. Did I pack my blush, concealer, contour, mascara, foundation, skincare, deodorant……..

 

Bonaparte and I are spending next weekend in D.C.  We haven’t been there in a while and he thought it would be a good time to visit, have a nice dinner and peruse a few museums.  Besides—today is our Wedding Anniversary and Labor Day Weekend is just not the weekend to get away for a quiet weekend together!

The first weekend in October, I’ll be flying to Cincy to assist Oona in looking for a wedding dress and in November the husband and I will be in Paris for the Thanksgiving weekend!

Image result for a line wedding dresses

If mommy has her way, Oona will be walking up the aisle in something like this.  Ohhhh.  Wait. It isn’t about me–it’s about Oona!!!

Worrying about what makeup I’ll bring is the last thing I want to be bothered with.

I do have a travel makeup collection. It’s housed in one of those hanging cosmetic bags which comes in so handy.  All that’s needed is a door knob to hang it over.

And in that bag is a small eyeshadow palette.  This palette served me well for many years.  Chippy snacked on the edges of the palette.  The palette dropped and the mirror broke but I still used it.  I’ve hit pan on two of the shadows and just hit pan on a third.  But the issue is that it’s by Urban Decay and I purchased it before my “fallout” with the brand.  (Urban Decay sent me  a condescending email after I inquired about why their 24/7 pencil was so hard to sharpen:  OMG It’s a Crisis). What I loved about the shadows in the small palette is that they were totally neutral. And I’m a fan of neutrals.

Chippy must have thought this was a candy bar because he munched on the edges…..

The mirror broke, I’ve hit pan on two shadows and just hit pan on Venus–but I absolutely refuse to purchase any more UD items–and trust me, I LOVED this palette!!

Besides that, when I’m traveling I don’t want to lug a ton of cosmetics around with me.  I also prefer traveling with drug-store brands rather than luxury brands.  It is simply because if I leave a luxury brand behind, I’ll be angry with myself for a while.  I honestly won’t feel that bad if I leave a less expensive product behind. And I’m not saying this to be snotty because I love my less pricey makeup–I just will feel worse about the amount of money spent!

Anyway, lately I’ve even been trying to cut the amount of “stuff” I carry in my travel makeup bag.  Unless I’m staying somewhere for two or three weeks, there’s not much I need other than foundation (and in the summer I don’t even bring foundation along on trips), eye makeup, blush, contour/bronzer, lip gloss and a few skincare items.

As far as skincare goes, I’ve got a massive amount of samples that come in handy while traveling.

Keep those samples in your travel bag–they come in very handy!!!

But cosmetics is another thing.  I’m a fan of eyeshadow palettes and God knows I have enough of them, but I’ve never bothered with a palette that would give me a complete look.

Until now.

Makeup Revolution, an affordable brand, is a brand that I’ve liked for a few years now. The eyeshadows are a good quality and nicely pigmented.  Basically, I’ve never had an issue with any of the products I’ve purchased.  I did purchase their banana powder but the yellow didn’t work for me—and I’ll be giving it to my daughter Oona because it’ll work very well with her complexion.  But back to the palette.

Revolution’s Cream Contour Palette is incredible!  The shades are so cool-skin friendly and just blend so well…

Image result for atypical60 makeup revolution

One of the Revolution Palettes made my Best of List.  I’ve since hit pan on so many of the silky shades!

Emilynoel83 is one of the YouTube personalities I follow.  Like Wayne Goss and Tati Westbrook, I trust her.  Her reviews are honest and greatly detailed. If a product doesn’t work for her, she’ll let you know the cons without trash talking.   And it just so happens that Makeup Revolution collaborated with her to create two palettes.  The Collab is The Emily Edit.   The pallets are The Wants and The Needs.

This is the back side of  the box that The Wants palette comes in.  There’s a lot of color in this but I’m still intrigued!

The Wants is an eyeshadow palette which I’ll write about in another blog post.

The Needs is the palette the was so appropriately named because, I swear, we all need this palette. In fact, this should be the go-to palette for every woman who travels—whether it’s once in a while or on a regular basis!

The Needs—everything you need in one palette!

Let me show you and explain just why I feel so strongly about this.  First of all, the price point is phenomenal; $15 for a face-full of product.  She’s curated the products so carefully and selected them from other collections that Revolution created.  A rather pragmatic choice if you will.

The Needs palette measures 7 inches by 4 inches—making it compact enough to fit into your travel bag.

It fits beautifully into the bottom zippered section of my travel makeup bag!

The case itself is a sturdy plastic with a built-in clasp that is just as strong.  Open it up and there is one of those clear protection sheets which I happen to keep as it’ll make the mirror stay clean. And speaking of mirrors—this mirror is great!   It’s large enough that you can actually see what you are doing.  Believe me, if your eyesight is as bad as mine, you will appreciate that!

A full mirror and very good quality too!  I appreciate that! Hopefully I won’t break it!

The products are one highlighter, one blush which appears to be very warm but goes on peachier—making it pretty universal, and one contour.  We also have six shadows which are very neutral-friendly and there is also another eye highlighter.

Face colors on the left.  Shadows on the right.  I like the names of these too. Everything is just so well-thought out and curated!

The shadows are matte—with the exception of Passion, which has a small amount of glimmer, making it perfect for those evenings out—are well-pigmented and not ashy or chalky.

I used the palette yesterday to test it out and was so happy with the results that after my manicure, I drove to the Ulta in Collegeville to see if there were any palettes available.

I had my nails filed down too because  they were getting in the way of my tapping at the keyboard at work! OPI Big Apple Red–the only color I put on my nails!

I picked up a second as a backup and picked up The Wants as well.

A backup of The Needs was very much needed.  And I could not pass up The Wants.  And look!  I got a free gift!  A cute little palette!

OK everyone. I actually took my glasses off so you could see the subtle softness of the shadows from The Needs! Yesterday’s look…

Oh Sweet Lord–I feel more comfortable with my glasses on.  Here’s another look.  The contour, blush and highlighter were also used.  It’s just such a subtle look but if you want, you can build the colors up!

Today, on our First Wedding Anniversary, I decided to use the palette for a subtle look because The Frenchman loves a subtle makeup look!

My finished look for today!  I must say, this is a great palette for the “Over 50 and 60” demograph due to the subtle quality.  Very natural!  Don’t judge me for having Sriracha Sawse and a half-full bottle of wine on the counter.  I’m still nursing this vile cold that is now in my chest!!!

Here’s how I used it:

I first brushed Kindness all over from lid to browbone.  Oh..I have the snail pads under my eyes. They multi-task as protectors against falling shadow! Then I brushed the shade peace over that as a transition shade.

 

These colors are nicely pigmented and can also be built up!

The shade Hope was used in the crease and blended out with a Morphe blending brush.

Then I took this brush by elf–I paid a dolla for it–yeah–a dolla!  I lightly lined under my eyes with the color Hope. LIGHTLY!!!!!

Those little silicone pads are greatness as is this brush for lining the under lids!

A little Kindness under the brows….

Mascara and  a tightline,  foundation and we are almost done!

Contouring with the shade Courage and using a fluffy brush by iT cosmetics…

A hint of peachy color with Joy!  I topped it off with highlighting with Gratitude but was interrupted when Oona sent me this photo from Florence, Italy…

Oona and my future son-in-law, Sam, were enjoying fancy coffee and pastries laden with Pistachio nuts.  Now I wanna go to Italy.   

Back to my look:

Thank you Emily Noel for curating such a pragmatic, useful and beautiful palette that’ll go from everyday to weekend trips to across the Atlantic!  The Needs will definitely be seeing a lot of new places!  And thank you to Makeup Revolution for collaborating with an honest and thoughtful woman.  You and Emily are a great combo!

I’ve emptied out my travel case of a few items.

Bronzer, contour, shadows and a blush.  Products that are very good but take up too much room since I’m using one palette with everything!

That’s it.  A great palette that is now in my travel case.  I want to add two things. Sometimes a cream blush works better for me—especially in the winter.  This cream cheek color, Maggie by Thrive Causemetics is in my travel bag.  At one end is the product and the other is a dense brush—which means less brushes to carry!  It’s all about incorporating products that are handy while traveling.

I threw this cheek color into my bag because it comes with a built-in brush. I can also use it as a lip color!

And although I did use The Ordinary’s Serum foundation for my two looks, I will be throwing the Wet ‘n Wild Cushion foundation into my travel bag.  The foundation is compact, spill proof, hydrating and perfect for travel!

I loaded up on these cushion foundations during a sale and have five of them…

This is a great travel foundation because it won’t spill but there’s not much product so a few trips and you’ll run out!  Still is hydrating AF!!

What’s in your travel cosmetics bag?  Do you have one at the ready?  I’m curious because I’m not the most organized person in the world but with my travel makeup, I’m pretty obsessive!

I realize that I haven’t been that great with posting outfits that I’ve worn this summer but I’ve dont a ton of repeats.  I’m not purchasing new clothes either because Oona’s wedding is next summer and I want to save for her wedding.  In the meantime, here’s my Labor Day Weekend outfits!

Saturday started out rainy and cool I spent the day baking but before I did, I wore an 
All-American outfit of blue denim shorts, a classic white tee and saddle shoes!  I wanted a pair of saddle shoes just because.  Perhaps I was feeling nostalgic but I love the way they look!

Sunday was a camo tee and white shorts.  When I went out I wore a pair of  flip-flops because it got really hot.  

Today Bonaparte and I are celebrating our first wedding anniversary!  We’ve been together for 14 years but as Mr. and Mrs. Lartigue–for one!  I ordered this pair of 2017 sandals from a Jack Rogers sale because I wanted to wear them for our anniversary–this way The Frenchman will never forget the year we were married!  I’m also wearing a white shift that I should have been wearing all summer but didn’t.  And this is why I will not put my summer clothing away until the end of October. It’s still hot!!!!

Have a great Labor Day and I hope your weekend was a stellar one. I’ve got more makeup reviews coming up!!!!

 

Posted in Makeup Revolution, The Emily Edit, travel bag | Tagged , , , , | 19 Comments

It Looks Like $hit, But It’s the Best Fake Tan Ever—It’s Perfékt-shun!

Posted on September 2, 2018 by Catherine

Seriously, I’m a bit shocked at myself for waiting this long to write about this fake tanner.  I ordered it back in either late June or early July and have been using it regularly.

Nothing like a box of goodies–especially when you order them on sale!!

In fact, I never even got around to getting sprayed this summer!  It’s been an odd summer season, it has.  Between working and little weekend getaways, the summer has almost faded into oblivion.  And out of the entire summer, we made it down the shore three times.  Most weekends were gray and rainy.

I’ll tell you though, my legs managed to look like I was basking on the ocean’s front for weeks. And it’s all due to this body gel by the brand Per-fékt.

Forget about basking in the sun because we didn’t have many sunny weekends.  I basked in my makeup room admiring the color that this unusual body gel gave my legs!

One of the Instagrammers I follow @turtlelovesbeauty posted that the brand was having a sale and she had a code for ten percent off, and I hit the keyboard on my laptop and went perusing!

My purchases were a gold body illuminator that isn’t bad but the piece de resistance is the “body per-fékt matte body perfection gel” in tan.

Don’t even ask me what a ceramide is because I have no idea. All I know is that this gives a beautiful and natural color to the skin.

If you follow this blog you are well-aware how I love my fake tanners.  After having Mohs surgery for skin cancer on my face, I am now extremely cautious of the time I spend in the sun.  The days of roasting my body like a rotisserie chicken are over.

I’m no longer roasting my body although I’m pretty much stuffed at this time!

At the sale price on Per-fékt’s website, I couldn’t resist.  But just how did this product work?

Let’s take a look…

First of all, I was somewhat confused about this tanning product.  Is it a true self-tanner?  Is it simply body makeup?  Well…it’s kind of a combination of both.  I will call it an “instant tanning product” because it sounds more diplomatic.

Keep reading–you’ll understand my surprise!

When I first squeezed the product out, I was shocked because it didn’t look like any other gel I’ve ever had.  I was expecting it to be very gelatinous and somewhat slippery and shiny and blending into the skin.  But boy—did my eyes pop when I saw what made the exit through the small hole at the top of the tube.

Jesus, Mary and St. Joseph–just what WAS this anyway?  Didn’t look like any gel to me!

I was in such a state of shock that my naturally crossed eyes almost straightened out!

It looked like $hit.  I’m not kidding.  I was a cross between the kind of soft and slightly solid waste that you find in a baby’s diaper and what comes out of a smaller dog.  My initial reaction was “Caca de vaca”—what is this anyway?

And naturally, since I’m very clumsy and a total slob, some fell on the floor–this is NOT Chippy’s doing!!

I was a bit nervous about using this and I gather many others who purchased this had the same initial reaction as I did!

Then, as I went to spread it on my legs, it kind of morphed in front of my eyes to have the appearance of chocolate frosting.

Image result for atypical60 oona

I had an immediate of my daughter, Oona’s, first birthday.  I allowed her a piece of chocolate cake in exchange for this Kodak Moment and spent over an hour cleaning the cake and chocolate frosting from her face, hair and those folds of babies bodies!  I shoulda saved it as fake tanner!

Seriously.  It went from looking like something completely disgusting to a delightful chocolate ganache frosting of sorts–I was tempted to eat it!

Mesmerized, by this strange substance, if you will, I never heard the Frenchman as he opened the bathroom door; and he was aghast at what he saw.  You see, some of this stuff fell on the floor and he thought I had an accident.  This scared him terribly.

And he started speaking in French, while holding his hands to his head, Ricky Ricardo style.

Image result for ricky ricardo surprised

“Elle est Folle!!”  Is what my French Ricky Ricardo kept saying.  It transcribed into “She’s Nuts”!!

And when I looked down at the floor and saw the little mess, I realized it was bits of the gel tanner.  Things got worse when I bent down to pick it up with a tissue to show him it was just another beauty product—but he calmed down when I explained that I was just clumsy with the self-tanner!

The Frenchman was traumatized by the sight of my and the product that looked like an accident occured!  He won’t be a knockin’ on anymore bathroom doors anymore!!

He hasn’t barged in to any bathroom that I’ve been using in the house ever since!

But let me tell you more about this stuff!

After the initial shock of the appearance, I did rub it into my skin and regardless of the now chocolate frosting look of it, it blended into my pale skin perfectly.

The gel morphed into a very blendable substance and even though it’s matte, it doesn’t dry the skin at all!

It was an amazing experience!

The color was a true brown with absolutely no traces of orange. It never oxidized and it dried instantly! and when I say instantly, I mean instantly.

Both legs had a very even-toned color!  I did have to clean up a little bit of the gel that I dropped but other than that, it applied beautifully.  No streaks whatsoever and dried IMMEDIATELY!!!

No odor—and that’s the big fault with many self-tanners.  There’s a chemical and sometimes kind of dirty scent that’ll dissipate after a while, but the scent can linger.  This doesn’t smell.

The scent of no odor is a blessing because nothing will interfere with my perfume!!  Honestly there is absolutely no oder from this gel!

It does not, and I repeat, does not transfer onto clothing.  Today I’m wearing white shorts and I refreshed my legs a bit with this before I got dressed.  No product transferred.  Nada!  My white shorts are white!

I’m wearing white shorts today and not one trace of the tanner is on my shorts. And I didn’t even wait five minutes after I applied.  I lit-er-ull-ee applied, ran to my dresser and put these on!

I applied some yesterday too and nothing transferred onto my new Saddle Shoes!  Don’t you just love these shoes?  In my world it’s hip to be square!

It doesn’t come off unless you scrub it off.  Seriously.  I’ve shaved my legs while taking a bath without scrubbing my legs and it stayed put.  But if you’ve had it on for a couple of days and want to take it off, scrub off with body wash or soap and it’ll wash right off, giving you a new, clean palette for re-applying.

 

It even looks great on my feet and I’m generally pretty sloppy with applying any fake tanner on my feet.  I’m thrilled with Body Per-fekt Body Perfection Gel (or whatever it is)

I paid $14.40 for three ounces on sale.  I’ve since purchased another one for backup and have noticed that it is still available and still on sale I’ll be purchasing a third.

I’ve used quite a bit of this but it’s just so darned good!!  Luckily I have a backup and it’s time to order a third!

Per-fékt came up with a winner with this body perfection gel and I don’t know how they did it and considering what it looks like when it comes out of the tube, I don’t think I want to know.  All I know is this is a great, great product.

Other than getting sprayed, I don’t think I’ve ever had a tanning product that looked this natural or didn’t smell.

Whether you self-tan because you don’t want to sit out in the sun to bake your body or whether you want to make your legs look darker in the cooler or cold months because you hate wearing pantyhose (as I do), this is greatness.  A small amount goes a long way and the shade is just so flattering.

Here’s a photo of me from last summer–I got sprayed before we went to France and I swear the color of Body Per-fekt is just as good a match for my fair skin.  

Proof that one should never judge a book by its cover—or what comes out of the cover until you try it!

I’m gonna apply some to my arms tomorrow.  I honestly recommend this to all of you!

Have a trip to a southern climate or an island coming up this winter?  Might I suggest purchasing this and applying it to your body before getting on the plane—your skin will thank you!

And it works on mature skin too.  My legs have a bit of old lady crepe paperness to them but they still hold up fine with this product!

And with that, I give you a fun song from one of my favorite musical party groups. Joe King Carrasco and the Crowns.  From 1981, his song Caca de Vaca!   (I’m putting this song on Oona’s Wedding playlist for dancing!!)

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Can We Just Let Summer Be Summer? Please?

Posted on August 30, 2018 by Catherine

While sitting in my car on the commute home from work, in the long parking lot known as 422, the worst road in the Philadelphia area, I glanced quickly at the dashboard and noticed that the outside temperature was 96 degrees.

They say L.A. traffic is bad……………Route 422 is worse!

And it didn’t surprise me because we are in the throes of summer.  I honestly think that people forget that summer—especially late summer is generally very hot.

It’s hot and sweltering and I love it!!

It’s my kind of weather.

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m a four-season kind of gal.  Fact is, I love the seasons because each one has its own personality and each season has a special quality.

Image result for four seasons

I’ll take those four seasons–in due time!

Fall brings that first day of the year known as sweater weather.  There is something so glorious about the air that changes from hazy, humid and hot into crisp, cool and breezy.  It makes you feel alive and the colors of the foliage are vivid and bright and life is toasty.

Image result for atypical60 halloween

And Fall brings Halloween.  I’ll tell you, I loved making my kids’ Halloween costumes–it was my favorite thing about Fall!

Paris. Montparnasse cemetary. Another view of the falling leaves against the stiffs

In October 2015, Bonaparte’s Aunt Daniele passed away.  I remember the Fall weather being much cooler in Paris than it was here and even though this is a photo of the cemetary in Montparnasse where she rests, this is one of my favorite photos of Fall.

Winter brings us The Holidays!  My favorite time of year.  Days are short and hot chocolate and tea are plentiful.  Sleeping with a ton of blankets is very comforting and it’s time for the stick-to-your-ribs food and al those wonderful baked goods and good cheer and family and friends!

Best part of Winter!  Christmas!!!!!

Worst part of Winter–having to put a hat and coat on just to run to the grocery store!

Snow may be pretty as it falls, but it turns into a slushy mess after a few days–and I miss sitting out on the deck!

But Holiday Dressing Up is fun!

And just when we’ve had enough of sleet, snow and ice, Mother Nature gifts us with Spring!  I always get a happy, tingly feeling when I see that first sprinkling of trees in their Crayola Spring Green leaves!  The sun is warming up, flowers are blooming, people are out and about and happy that winter is gone for another year.

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And those April showers in the Spring–they don’t bother me that much becawz…..

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The grass turns green, we get to wear our sneakers outside without socks and the flowers start to bloom!

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And–as in Fall, it’s the other season where I can wear my beloved blazers as outwear!

When Spring grows up, she turns into Summer.  And she’s one hot ticket!  Now’s the time to get rid of the shoes and dress your feet with sandals and flip flops.  It’s the time when Life’s a Beach! No coats, sweaters or panty hose needed—its time to bare those limbs!!

Ohhhhhhhhhh summer!  Boats and the sea…

Tans (fake, of course) and dresses you can slip into..

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And Sandals…

 

And bare feet…

And resting beach feet!!

Oh yes. It’s true. I thoroughly enjoy each season for what it means to me.  So why, then, must we rush summer?  The other three seasons never seem rushed to me.  I’ll hear people saying that they can’t wait until Winter is over but not with the ferocity that they will complain about their hatred for summer’s end.

Why?  Why can’t we just let summer be summer? In three weeks, Autumn will be a knockin’ at the door and guess what?  It’s still gonna be hot outside!!! My cool/cold weather clothing will be packed away until the first true frost!!

Being home from work and nursing a cold yesterday, I read in the news that it was day that Starbucks released its infamous Pumpkin Spice Latte.  Sorry folks, but I won’t be ordering one any time soon.  I’m still in the Iced Tea/Lemonade frame of mind because it’s still summer!  I don’t even like pumpkin spice and everywhere I go from here on in, I’ll have to smell that artificial scent of pumpkin and those disgusting cinnamon-scented pinecones that give me headaches!

As much as I love Starbz (my “special” name for Starbucks),  I’ll stick to the Skinny Chai Latte.  I can’t stand pumpkin anything!

Wegmans has Halloween candy on full display.  Halloween is two months away—has anyone given any thought to the freshness of the sweets that’ll be passed out to the goblins, ghosts and superheroes?  It would make me feel so much better if the candy wasn’t put out for the public until at the least, September’s end.

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The worst thing is that if I bought this stuff now, I would eat it all!

Why is everyone talking about transition wardrobing when it’s this hot outside?  I am certainly not ready to make the switch from sleeveless comfortable swing dresses to long sleeves?  Please don’t even mention the heavily-textured fuzzy scarfs or boots yet.  My feet are enjoying being sensually bare or enjoying the freedom of sandals.

Here are some Fall 2018 Trends–and speaking of rushing the season, it looks as though this photo was taken early last spring–check out the foilage.  PS.  I am happy that I’m not this trendy!

The flowers—or rather the flowers I haven’t killed yet are hanging out in the sunny atmosphere.  My fake tanner is doing its job so pleasantly.

Our flowers are still enjoying the summer and they’ll stick around for a while!

As is the air conditioning in my car!

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I would much rather be in an urban setting where I can take public transportation.  But as long as the A/C in my car works–I’m happy!

Earlier I was aghast while watching QVC.  Philosophy was selling some of their many bath and skin products and each one of them had a fall scent.  Apple Cider and Cinnamon Buns among the products and the hostesses of the show were getting all orgasmic about the “fall” scents of Apples and Cinnamon and they could feel the cold.  I would gather they were feeling the cold because the studio where they film is heavily air-conditioned.

I had to take a photo of this because the women on QVC were going all porno-crazy over the apple cider and cinnamon bun scent.  Ugh.  Stop. Just. Stop it already!!!!!

Why rush the season?  Why rush life?   I think one of the worst things that could have ever happened was sending children back to school in August.  That’s one of the main culprits.  After all, back in the day, we started school in September.  After Labor Day.

back to school summer GIF by Look Human

You got that right.  I’m a firm believer that kids should go back to school in September!  Let ’em enjoy a full month of August!

People were still enjoying the last of the late summer days.  That last week in August was a time when families used to go on vacations.  Now they get ready to organize car pools for extra-curricular activities that the children will be taking part in.  Why?  Why can’t kids just be kids and enjoy the end of August doing nothing?

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Get back to the beach one or two last times!!

What is the point of sending a child to school when it’s 90 something degrees outside?  They should be swimming.  They should be reading a book under a shade tree.  They should be playing stick ball or continuing to play Capture the Flag or Manhunt at night.

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The hot summer nights were made for neighborhood kids getting together for a game of Capture the Flag or more fun.  Summer + Kids is a great equation!

This is the time when you can still enjoy the longer days and the hot weather.  You don’t have to put a heavy layer of clothing on just to run to the store to buy bread or milk or something that you forgot.  You aren’t stuck indoors because it’s too cold to go outside.  You can enjoy the scents of the great outdoors such as grass that is still being mowed or the scent of the ground after a rainstorm!

ladybug rainstorm GIF

Enjoy that summer rain the way this little ladybug does!

So, let’s not rush it.  Enjoy the next three weeks as we bid farewell to Summer 2018 and welcome Fall!

summer dancing GIF by Fandor

Do the happy dance because soon it’ll be too cold to go outside dressed like this!

Speaking of seasons—how’s about a little Vivaldi??

 

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Snailed It! A Look at Korean Skincare!

Posted on August 28, 2018 by Catherine

Skincare products.  Can we have too many of them?  As my skin continues to pro-age, I’m always on the lookout for hydrating products that don’t cost a fortune.

This is just one minisule sampling of the skin care products that are in the house…

Let’s face it.  The promises that luxury brands make can be so misleading.   $100 and up isn’t going to make that pricey cream stop the process of aging.

Crème de la Mer, 16.5 oz.

Forget the $100!  16 ounces of this costs $2,160 at Neiman Marcus–but you get free shipping! I would rather put the money in a savings account for a neck lift.

If it did, we would all be strutting our stuff wrinkle-free like Perma Prest clothing—and even Perma Prest needed to be ironed!

Remember Perma Prest? My mother would iron Perma Prest clothing on the lowest setting. 

At this point, the most important quality of any skincare product I use these days is hydration.  Having skin that feels a bit plump, soft and full of moisture is paramount these days.  Nothing is getting rid of my lines except a face-lift or fillers that I cannot afford.

And for what it’s worth, I use cosmetics to even out my skin tone and get rid of the redness.

I am also well-aware of supplements that are taken in capsule form or powder form and consumed because “beauty starts from the inside out”.  That’s why I eat vegetables and fruit.  I’m not putting any supplements into my body because who knows what the long-term effects are? I’ll take my chances with putting stuff on me instead.

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I know many believe in putting this stuff into their bodies.  Unh Uh not me.  I’ll eat pig’s feet for collgen and vegetables and fruit for vitamins.

That being said, lately, I’ve been intrigued  by Korean skin care products containing snail slime or snail mucin—the benefits that it is natural and moisturizing.

Would I let snails crawl on my face?  Of course I would!  But it’s more pragmatic if I just buy products containing snail slime!

So off to Amazon I went and I let my fingers do the shopping at a snail’s pace! (Caveat–the prices on Amazon are better than on some of the Korean brands’ websites some of which are not secure sites so I didn’t add links)

I did go shopping at a snail’s pace

Not wanting to overspend, I limited myself to three products:

All In One Snail Repair Cream by Mizon, a Korean beauty company

The All In One Snail Repair Cream

Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule, a serum also by Mizon

Snail Repair Ampoule–a wonderful serum!

Gold and Snail Hydropatch by Petitfee, another Korean beauty company

In this little jar lies the most fun…under eye patches!

All three products contain snail slime.  All three products are extremely affordable.  For the 60 eye patches, the price was $11.15 and for the two products by Mizon, I paid $15.44 and I will purchase again.

Let’s take a look at the products.

Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule, Ingredients:  Snail Secretion Filtrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Ethanol, Panthenol, Glycereth-26, Punica Granatum Extract, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Trehalose, Copper Tripeptide-1, Human Oligopeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Cornus Officinalis Fruit Extract, Nelumbium Speciosum Flower Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tropolone, Sodium Polyacrylate, Adenosine, Coptis Japonica Extract

It warms my heart to see Snail Secretion Filtrate as the first-added ingredient.  80 % in fact.  I’ll say that’s a darn good amount!

It’s a clear thicker liquid but very moist and spreadable!

The serum is a clear substance that drops out in a perfectly round little circle.  And that one little drop spreads all over your face evenly.  It does feel refreshing and hydrating.  It did not and continues to not irritate my skin.  It has no scent and dissipates quickly.   I’ve been using this before I add the…

One drop is all you need because…

It spreads beautifully and oh boy–it’s very hydrating!

Mizon All-In-One-Snail Repair Cream.  Ingredients:  Snail secretion filtrate, cetearyl olivate, sorbitan olivate, cetearyl alcohol, stearic acid, glyceryl stearate, hydrogenated vegetable oil, dimethicone, triethanolamine, carbomer, butylene glycol, peg/ppg-17/6 copolymer, polyacrylate-13, polyisobutene, polysorbate 20, sodium polyacrylate, caprylyl glyocol, adenosine, ethylhexylglycerin, tropolone, sodium hyaluronate, portulaca oleracea extract, betula platyphylla japonica juice, arnica montana flower extract, artemisia absinthium extract, achillea millefolium extract, gentiana lutea root extract, alcohol, camellia sinensis leaf extract, centella asiatica extract, copper tripeptide-1, Rh-oligopeptide-1, propylene glycol, rubus idaeus (raspberry) fruit extract, beta-glucan, palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, disodium edta.

There’s a ton of moisture in this small jar..

….slightly tacky at first but that feeling disipates and the moisture is sealed in.

It’s nice to know that this contains 92% of the snail secretion filtrate!  This feels so nice because it glides on.  Slightly tacky but very “wet” with moisture when it dries the skin feels soft.  It isn’t like other moisturizers in that they can sometimes feel “filmy”—this has no filmy feel whatsoever after drying.  A small amount goes a long way!

Again.  This is no miracle product where your lines will completely disappear.  But it does give your skin a softness and suppleness that comes from hydration.

Gold & Snail Hydragel Eyepatch. Ingredients :   Water, Glycerin, Calcium Chloride, Butylene Glycol, Ceratonia Siliqua Gum, Xanthan Gum, Carrageenan, Snail Secretion Filtrate, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ethanol, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, CI 77861, CI 77491, CI 77891, CI 77480, Disodium EDTA, Triethanolamine, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Artemisia Princeps Extract, Citrus Junos Fruit Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Fragrance.

The opened jar of the silicone eye patches.  They are floating in moisture.  These feel so freaking good it’s crazy!!

I was surprised to see that the Snail Secretion Filtrate was the ninth ingredient listed!  Considering water and glycerin as the first two ingredients added, though, made me realize why these patches are so moisturizing.  Do they work to get rid of wrinkles?  No. At least not for me they don’t.  But—they feel so freaking refreshing on the face.  And they do plump the undereye area up.

You can see from the photo that the patch covers a good area of skin under the eyes.  I’m telling you, I LOVE these!

Proof for me—I have a cold.  And a bad one at that. I woke up this morning and yesterday morning and my eyes were puffy in a very bad way.  My eyes looked like two little slots.  Very hooded and just sick looking.  I placed one under each eye and went back to bed to relax for a while.  After 15 minutes I placed the pads on the top of my eyelids and puffiness subsided.

Before and after.  I have a really bad cold and am home from work today.  When I woke up, my eyes were so affected by this cold that they were puffy and swollen.  I did use all three products today but I relaxed in bed for a while with those patches on my eyes and the puffiness went down as you can see in the after photo.  I also have makeup on but the makeup doesn’t get rid of puffy eyes!

These little silicone pads are also great at multitasking.  After using them for their original purpose, I reuse as “guards” when applying eye makeup.  They work wonders against shadow fallout and bottom lash mascara!  Of the three, this is my favorite simply because of the multitasking and the fact that my eyes feel great after using these.  I feel awake.  It’s a nice feeling!

We all like affordable.  We all want products that work to some extent.  I can honestly say that these products snailed it!

Seriously.  I’ve been using these products for almost two weeks now and I’m pleased.  

All of these products were purchased by me on Amazon.  I’m now waiting for the snail foam cleanser and the blur/primer to arrive.

Image result for mizon snail foam cleanser

Eagerly waiting for this cleanser to arrive!

Image result for beauty shot face blur

I’m interested to see how this primer works.  It isn’t expensive and hopefully it will do the job of being a decent blur product!

The price was right on both.  Have a look at my Korean Beauty Product Idea List to see some of the products and browse through Amazon to check out the products. It’s fun!!

You know–this whole aging skin thing can be somewhat daunting when you look in the mirror and realize that the face looking back at you has just gotten……well, old!  And we can’t erase the years away but we can still look our best!  We  need to work with what we have and try new items.  I have to say, I’m glad I hopped aboard the Korean beauty train.  The prices are right!

Have you tried any Korean beauty products?  Let us know in the comments!!!  And thank you!!

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Pro-Aging My Teeth By Whitening At Home!!

Posted on August 23, 2018 by Catherine

Earlier this summer, I received an email from Smile Brilliant, a company that created a tooth whitening system which can be used within the privacy of your own home.  And—it’s far less costly than whitening at the dentist’s office (and does  insurance even cover the cost of whitening your teeth at the dentist’s office anyway?).  They asked if I would be interested in trying out the Smile Brilliant Whitening System for review.

It was intriguing to me because as I’ve aged, my teeth aren’t as bright as they used to be in my younger days.  A lifetime of drinking tea (I come from an Irish tea-drinking family), decades of drinking coffee, red wine and just the nature of things have caused my teeth to fade into a lighter shade of yellow rather than a lighter shade of pale!

I’ll explain how I went from more yellow on the left, to a brighter shade of pale on the right!

But—the good thing is genetically, I’ve got strong choppers.  Other than a front capped tooth from opening a package of hot dogs with my teeth (don’t ever do that—I ripped the enamel right off my tooth), every tooth in my mouth is mine.

Regardless, I thought it would be a good idea to try the Smile Brilliant system out to see if it worked.

When my package came in the mail, I was both excited and apprehensive.  And the box was chock-full of materials to use along with reading materials and very specific instructions on how to use them in order to start the process of brightening my dull teeth!

Simple packaging but when opened…

It was Christmas for teeth!  I’ll admit it was a bit overwhelming–with the base paste, the catalyst paste, the trays for the molds, the whitening and desenitizing gels!  Would I be capable of using this?

These plastic trays would be filled with the putty made for taking impressions of my teeth…

These pastes would make the putty to take the impressions and Smile Brilliant gave a good amount of this!

And last but not least are the two gels that would bring brightness back to my dull, aging teeth!

The instructions were very clear and concise and definitely easy to follow.

The first step was to make the impressions of both my upper teeth and my lower teeth.  To do this, the catalyst past and the base paste are kneaded together until a blue putty is achieved.  The putty is then placed into a blue mold and then you put the mold with the putty in your mouth.  If you mess up, the kit comes with extra catalyst and base pastes.

I bit down on the cold putty that was in the blue tray and relaxed a bit…

Then I repeated the process on my bottom teeth.  You can see from this pic that my top teeth are looking a bit on the dull side..

I followed the directions, and when I took the mold from my mouth, I compared it to the photo of the “good” impression that came with the instructions.  It looked fine to me –and so, I placed the molds in the pink envelope that Smile Brilliant included and sent it off! I was trying to imagine what the clear custom fit trays that would be sent back would look and feel like!

I must say, I was impressed with my impressions!  For once in my life I followed instructions!!!

I filled out a little card, placed the molds in this pretty pink envelope and waited!!

There’s nothing like anticipation.  And I was really getting excited about the clear trays being sent back to me.  I was also nervous that I would get a notice that my impressions weren’t good and I would have to redo them.

Alas!  The trays for my teeth arrived and they were perfect!  They fit my teeth like a glove. I’m not kidding—but more on that later.

I was so excited to receive the envelope containing my clear trays molded to my teeth!!

The clear trays came housed in this cute little case.  My main objective beside bleaching my teeth was making sure Chippy wasn’t able to find this and snack on it.  He’s the dog who will eat anything in his path!

Here’s the trays.  They were molded beautifully!

The night before I planned to start the process I was eating pistachios and cut my gum on a shell.  Don’t judge.  Yes.  I was opening the shells with my teeth—you would think that after my hot dog package incident I would learn my lesson.

So, a few days later and I was finally able to start the bleaching/whitening process.

TThe first step is to line the molds with the Desensitizing Gel that comes in plastic syringes.  This is key for the comfort of your gums.  Following the instructions to snap open the cap of the gel, I filled the trays with the proper amount, fit into my mouth and kept it there for 25 minutes.  The instructions state from 15-20 minutes but I gave myself an extra five.

I lined the clear trays with a light coating of the Desensitizing Gel..

And waited 25 min.  YOU CANNOT TELL I HAVE THE TRAYS IN MY MOUTH!!!! The fit is THAT good!

When time was up, I spit out the gel and after wiping the trays from the desensitizing gel,  applied the whitening gel to the trays and popped them back in my mouth.

Next step–Whitening Gel!!!

I did a teeth-whitening Flamenco dance!  In place of a rose in my mouth, I danced around with the syringe!

Easy peasy and quite fun.  I’m just in love with these clear trays!!

Ain’t gonna lie.  I love the trays.  They feel so good and the way they fit is just so perfect.  You can’t even tell you are wearing them—I went shopping with them on.  A slight lisp was the only detection that I had them in my mouth.  The other great thing about these trays is that I’ve worn them without the gels because they are a great diet aid!  I don’t eat anything when the trays are on my teeth!  Smile Brilliant should only know that the clear trays are multi-taskers!  Add to that, when I slept with them on, I didn’t grind my teeth!

Oh and these trays are a great diet aid and keep you from grinding your teeth at night!  Now if they could only pick out a winning lottery ticket for me…

You can whiten your teeth anywhere in the window of 45 minutes to three hours.  It depends on your sensitivity level.  I’m about as sensitive as a moose in the forest during the middle of a snow storm so for me, I went the full three.

After the first session I did notice brightening on my top teeth, and were surprised that my bottom teeth were noticeably lighter.

First session over and I noticed a difference.

The second session had me admiring the job on my top teeth a bit more.

A lazy day with not much to do–but a great day for taking care of my teeth!

I even managed to film a YouTube Chat video with my clear trays intact.  I’ll be doing a video review on the teeth whitening sometime next week!

Getting brighter after the second session!

Now—I did an experiment during the third session.  I didn’t use the desensitizing gel.  Since I was reviewing, I wanted to be completely transparent and wanted to see if the desensitizing gel really worked.

It did.  Without prior application of the desensitizing gel, and straight to the whitening gel, my gums burned.  But not enough to make me stop the session.  The burn went away after a half hour. Still, I would not advise using the whitening gel without using the desensitizing gel first.  It really is a very necessary step.

The end result after four at-home sessions is that I’m very pleased.  I’ll definitely be using this before Oona’s wedding next summer.  Did my teeth become the pearly white chicklets that we see on celebrities, models, and Instagram beauties?  No. They did not—and I wasn’t expecting them to either.  Although my teeth needed brightening, I’ve never had pure white teeth.  They’ve always been more of a vanilla shade.  And the years have dulled them.  In fact, I’ve had my teeth professionally whitened when I was in my thirties and Smile Brilliant did as good a job if not better!

There are different kits to choose from with price points of $149 up to $189.  The kits come in a variety of strengths.   And it’s worth the money.  Another good thing is that the whitening and the desensitizing gels can be purchased separately without the kids.  I plan on getting more!

Overall, how would I rate this?  A solid A.

My rating is based on the comfort and ease in using the system and the fact it does what it says it will.

As we age, so many body parts change.  One of the changes is with our teeth.  Our enamel isn’t as strong as it once was.  Years of coffee, tea and wine stains can make our aging teeth dull and discolored.  Smokers have it worse.  And the other thing is that many are on fixed incomes and this is a more affordable way to add some luster and brightening to your teeth than to go to the dentist.

Toothcare is more than just brushing and flossing our teeth and this is more of a beauty product for your teeth!  And that’s a good thing because our pro-aging teeth should be beautiful too!

Like the rest of me my teeth are pro-aging.  And they have gotten lighter and brighter!   Enter the giveaway because you’ll have nothing to lose!!  I won’t steer you wrong!

Wanna try to restore your teeth to their youthful and brighter beauty?  Here’s a coupon for 15 % off your purchase. Copy and paste  atypical6015 to yourSmile Brilliant purchase!

And, for an additional burst of brilliance, there’s a giveaway!!! It ends two weeks from today–on September 6th!!!  And is open to all my friends in the USA, UK Australia and Canada!!!!!

Giveaway link: http://www.smilebrilliant.com/g

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Kat Von D “Lock-It” Foundation. Holy Cannoli This is a GREAT Foundation for Mature Skin!!!

Posted on August 19, 2018 by Catherine

Once again, I’ve been on the search for a foundation that is “mature skin” friendly.  I’m also searching for makeup that I can wear for the transition from summer to fall.

That’s right ladies!  I’ve been on the search for yet, another, mature-skin-friendly foundation!

Now, normally during the dog days with the heat and humidity, I try to keep away from foundation, concealer and contour.  The eyes and lips are enough—especially since I’m in front of a computer at work all day.

So, I did some research and kept going back to the Kat Von D “Lock-It” foundation.  Wayne Goss loves it and you know how I love Wayne Goss.  Besides, I think Kat Von D is a very pretty young woman and her cosmetics line is very intriguing to me.

Kat Von D.  She’s so pretty. I think we wear the same red nail polish.  We’re practically twins–many years apart!

Too lazy to head out to the mall because after working all day, I just want to get home, I headed to the Kat Von D Beauty website.  The good thing about shopping online is that you can usually get some kind of great deal.   Lo and behold, there was a special on the Lock-It foundation.  A foundation and brush duo for $42.00.  The foundation alone is $35, and the foundation brush is $24.  It seemed like a good deal.

Foundation Power Pair Set

I bought this. duo and it was quite the deal!  Allure likes it but more important is–do I like it?

The only conflict was choosing a shade. It’s difficult enough to choose the right shade in real life and online images can be cause for error!  I went with the “44 Cool Light” shade and crossed my fingers.

Here are the shades of the Lock It foundation.  Thank you  for doing this Beauty Professor.  I’m a huge fan of yours!

Delivery was quick and in three days the new foundation and the brush arrived at my door!

The foundation is housed in a long cylinder with a pump.  The pump is great because just the right amount comes out.  The brush is excellent. It blends well and even.  A beauty sponge also does a fantastic job of blending the foundation too.

I’m a sucker for packaging and I love the way the foundation is housed in this sleek pumped cylinder!

The brush is also very sleek!!

Skin primed, I dotted the foundation on and blended in.  This is touted as full coverage.  It is.  And one pump goes a long way.  The foundation does dry quickly and once it dries, it’s not going anywhere.  But when it dries, your skin is well-hydrated.

One pump is all you need!!

Let’s take a look at how this foundation worked—shall we?

My naked face.  Nothing–absolutely nothing but a bit of primer is on this.  Now you know why I love makeup so much!

Face primed and ready to apply the foundation.  Proof, though that this foundation ain’t going anywhere.  I turned my hand around and the foundation stayed put.

The little pump gives you just the right amount of product!

Just press down on the top of the cylinder!

No drip. No sliding off my hand. This stays put!

I applied with the brush…

…and then set in with a blending sponge.  This sponge from Real Techniques is my favorite!

I applied to half of my face so you could see that this is full-coverage!

After blending and buffing the foundation in, I was ready for the rest of my village–Um–I mean, CITY of products to make me look great!

Before and after.  Kat Von D’s Lock-It Foundation is a winner!

And when I wore the foundation to work this week–it stayed put until I scrubbed it off!

The foundation doesn’t cake up and doesn’t collect in the fine lines.  For a pricier foundation, this is great!

Yo. Kat–giving me the side-eye because you knew I would love this?

Overall, I rate this foundation A+.  Yes. It is an absolutely stellar foundation and I will be purchasing a backup very shortly!

I’ve been working long hours the past week and haven’t been able to post much.  But I am trying to get back on track.  Now that we’re at the “end” of summer (even though we still have a month until autumn officially arrives), with schools starting soon and whatnot, it can be that time when we get antsy about wearing our summer clothes.  I’m sorry but that’s not the way I feel.  I love not having to wear a ton of layers and I adore not having to load on the outwear.  Summer clothing is very comfortable and free to me.  Here’s a look at what I wore this week!

It’s rainy and damp today but I’m still comfortable enough to wear shorts!  I took this lightweight plaid shirt outta the closet to wear and realized that I should have worn this more during the summer! Those Palm Beach Sandals are so comfy!!

On Friday I wore my favorite ten-dollar dress that I got last year at Old Navy–worn with my Rondini bikini sandals I felt like I was back in St.Tropez.  Until I got out of my car and walked through the parking lot to the office!!!

Thursday I wore this because the weather was not that good in the morning and the A/C at work is always pumped so cold. It wasn’t until I left the building that I realized the weather had changed and it was hotter than haites out there!

My lips look like “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane”  but I love the simplicity of a white tee and black pants.  These shoes got a ton of compliments at work!!!

I’m not big on prints and I threw this skirt in the trash but retrieved it and I’m glad I did because it’s one of my favorites.  This is a nice summer office look

Sometimes you just don’t feel like shaving yur legs and that’s where maxi’s come in.  This one by Old Navy is a classic.  Another pair of Palm Beach Sandals that I ordered for $39.99 on sale (not to be confused with Jack Rogers).  They are so comfortable.  Ugh–I’m really not looking forward to the cold weather!!

I did a YouTube video earlier today reviewing the KatVonD LockIt foundation.  But–I also had a bit of a rant to the beauty industry.  Here it is.  It’s kind of long but I think women in our age demographic should see it!!

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Why Are Mother-of-the-Bride Dresses So Freaking Ugly?

Posted on August 15, 2018 by Catherine

As the “Mother-of-the-Bride” I’ve so much to do before my daughter’s wedding next summer. Like stick to Weight Watchers to lose 15 pounds.  And to find a Mother-of-the-Bride dress!  Oh yeah. And I need to help my daughter pick out her dress too.

I’ll stop eating cheese after Christmas.  Actually, I’ll stop EATING after Christmas!  I have to get in shape for the daughter’s wedding!

But let’s talk about me. To keep me at bay, Oona gave me the “go-ahead” to look at MOB dresses but not to buy anything yet until the bridesmaids dresses are decided upon.  I think she’s petrified that I will buy a dress like her bridesmaids.  And that’ll only happen if they wear short dresses!

I promised not to wear anything that will embarrass her…

And besides not wearing anything to embarrass Oona, I won’t embarrass her with my actions–although I’ve been known to sizzle!!

But I do need a dress that I can run around on the dance floor in..

That’s right–I need a dress that I can have fun in.  

Seriously.  In my head, I know what look I’m going for.  Very Audrey Hepburn.  Very Jackie Kennedy circa 1964.  And I have to look in the Bridesmaid’s section for the dresses I like because the Mother-of-the-Bride dresses are hideous!

THIS is the look I’m going after and THIS is the dress I want. And pockets no less! But I made a promise I wouldn’t buy anything before the bridesmaids picked out there dresses…

But seriously.  This type of dress, pointy-toed kitten heels and a wig in an updo is Mother-of-the-Bride perfection for me!

For those of you who aren’t at this place yet, I can only hope that by the time you are a mom of the bride, the fashion industry changes things because presently, the pickins’ are slim to none for a hip, chic, classy and timeless dress.  The fashion industry has, once again, placed the mature woman of a certain age in the category of “no style” “frumpy” “matronly” “granny” “farty” and “downright effing ugly” back of the room.

The fashion industry sees me as the meddling  mother in Bye Bye Birdie…

And stereotypes me and my demographic as this.I would actually feel better if the fashion industry saw the older woman like Julia Roberts before the infamous Pretty Woman makeover!

The fashion industry continues to exhibit a of preponderance of ageism! Why?  Why do they do this?

Image result for matronly woman

I’m surprised I haven’t seen this getup in the Mother-of-the-Bride section!

Adding to the actual lack of fashion the advertisers insist on using women in their 20’s to model these atrocious frocks.  Think about it?  A 25-year-old mother of the bride?  What? Is she a freak that got pregnant at three years old?  Now that’s some ageist food for thought!

These are Mother-of-the-Bride dresses.  And for formal attire, they aren’t THAT bad–but I wouldn’t wear any of them.  What REALLY gets my goat is the age of the model.  She ain’t no 50 or 60 year old!

Let’s take a look at what I’ve found.  Shall we?

What is that hideous broach for? It cheapens the entire look of the dress.  The sleeves are ridiculous. You eat at weddings, those loose sleeves are sure to either get soaked by a drink or fall into a plate of food.  There is just too much material on this dress.  The dress will wear the mother rather than the mother wearing the dress.  It’s all wrong and uncomfortable looking.

It’s bad enough the 20-something model is trying to look old and stern, but the color of this dress is like wallpaper paste. If this model looks washed out, the mother-of-the-bride will look like she needs a night in the ICU!  The length is so frumpy it is sickening and don’t even get me started on those shoes.  Just. Don’t!

What’s with the washed-out colors?  And the overabundance of fabric in the skirt?  You can house a family of six under that skirt!  The length–mommy will trip, fall, and end up with a hip replacement by the time the newlyweds come back from their honeymoon!

I take it this Mother-of-the Bride watches Game of Thrones–or thinks she’s Stevie Nicks from the 1970’s. Let’s try to eat and drink with that dopey cape.  And another dress to trip over..

This dress is a complete lack of style.  WTF is on her feet?  Hurraches??????

I suppose this is a Mother-of-the-Bride Kentucky Derby ensemble?  Whatever it is, it’s a costume!  First of all, if  MOB is wearing a chapeau such as this, an updo is more flattering.  And once again, nothing like a color that will wash you out.  Is the bland look popular or something?  The length is off–too long. It should be shorter.  And if she’s on the dance floor, those underarms are going to darken ten shades due to sweat!

The other thing that kills me is that I’m not going for an expensive designer look.  My goal is to spend as little as possible on the dress.  I don’t want to spend over $225.  That’s my limit.  Between the dress and the shoes, I am pretty sure I can make it come in for a lesser total.

I can do this look without breaking the bank—or falling over fabric and breaking a leg!

My daughter’s wedding day will belong to her—and it will be all about her; as well it should.  But all I want is for her to be proud of me.  And for her to think I look great for her.  I can do that!

Oh dear God, I don’t want my search to end with me saying this because I couldn’t find a great Mother-of-the-Bride dress!

So, what say you?  If you’ve been a Mother-of-the-Bride, did you have a challenge to find a dress?  If you are in the same position as me, how’s the dress search going?  Am I being too fussy?

Seriously though. I’m so happy for my daughter that if she asked me to wear a paper sack, I would!  And I can’t wait to go shopping for her wedding dress with her!!!

She’s given me permission to come up with a playlist for the DJ.  I want some good classics on the dance floor.  And we have to have this  song that Bobby Darin made iconic.  From Threepenny Opera…….

 

 

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The Shoes of Summer. Sandals, of Course!

Posted on August 12, 2018 by Catherine

It could seem a bit odd that I’m writing about sandals this late in the season but better late than never.  Besides—as much as I love shoes, during the summer months, I enjoy giving my feet respite from being closed in to tighter footwear, heels and boots.  It’s kind of like giving my feet the freedom they so deserve.

Image result for atypical60 barefoot

Like taking my bra off as soon as I arrive home from work, my feet need to be free of closed-in shoes at times!

The opportunity to be in St. Tropez to purchase another pair of Rondini sandals in person has passed me by for 2018.  However, the opportunity remains to order through their website. Rondini Website

Image result for atypical60 Rondini

I never miss an opportunity to get a pair of sandals from Rondini!

Let’s talk about what I love about these sandals.

They are custom made for the feet.  When you go to the Rondini Shop, your feet will be measured in both length and width.  Yes—whether your feet are wide or narrow—you will get the best fit for your feet.  The sandals will be constructed at the shop and will be made within moments-although my foot is so narrow that for one of the pairs I had to go back a couple of days later.

Rondini sandals from Left to Right:  Bikini; Pouche Tresse; Salome

L to R:  Sahariennes 2M, my first pair ever and the Tropeziennes–my second pair!

But the beauty of ordering online is that the sandals will be delivered to your door.  And for custom made sandals, the price isn’t much more than the higher-end sandals you can buy here in the U.S. of A!

The leather sole simply does not wear down. It’s amazing!

These Tropeziennes are about eight years old and have been worn every summer, many times and the heel hasn’t worn down either.  For the money, and the price per wear, these were a great bargain because they are worn year after year after year!

The sandals just mold to your feet…

..and over time, the leather builds up to a nice patina finish..

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This photo was taken last year but I’ve worn these a lot this summer..

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The Tropeziennes are the most comfortable sandals I own.

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Ain’t they purty?????

Speaking of the USA.  The next sandals I’m going to talk about are very “All-American”.  And the two brands have the same designed sandals.  But they are both different fits and different levels of comfort.

What’s more American than sandals with strawberries on them?  Ouch.  One leg is fake tanned darker than the other–how’d I do that?

The two?  Jack Rogers and Palm Beach Sandals.  Part of the preppy uniform.  Part of the American woman uniform.  Part of the Southern girl uniform.  And my girl Jackie Kennedy wore those Palm Beach Sandals all summer long!

I found this little comparison chart online and have to say, it’s pretty-much on point!

Palm Beach Sandals is the brand the Bonanno family created and created for Jackie Kennedy.  But somewhere along the line, Jack Rogers took over in popularity.

Image result for jackie kennedy palm beach sandals

Jackie in her Palm Beach Sandals.  My heart skips a beat when I see the way she dressed!

The difference between the two?  Well, in appearance—not much.  But in fit and construction.  Quite a bit.

Jack Rogers….

….or Palm Beach?  You be the judge!!!

Jacks have a synthetic sole and a leather upper, whereas Palm Beach Sandals are all-leather.

Synthetic sole….

vs. leather sole?  Hmmmmmm…

The Jacks, in the past haven’t had cushioning in the heel—making them very uncomfortable to wear until broken in.  Also—the Jacks have leather that stretches out to no end.

Look closely and you’ll see the outline of the cushioning in the heel of the Palm Beach sandals. 

My old Jack and no cushioning although my strawberry Jacks do have a bit of cushioning.  The brand may have tweaked the sandals a bit!

The heels of the older Jacks that I have are separating from the sole. Granted, these are old but not so old that this should happen on a quality sandal.

With the Palm Beach sandals—the upper sole is a bit wider than the Jacks, but the strapping across is made more with a better fit for a narrow foot.  There is cushioning in the heel area and my preference is that the Palm Beach sandals are a much better fit for me.  They are far more comfortable.

The upper foot area is slightly wider on the Palm Beach Sandals but the straps give a more narrow fit–which is perfect for narrow feet!

I’m definitely a fan.  The fit of the Palm Beach Sandals work better for me!

That isn’t to say that I abhor Jacks. In fact, I purchased a cute novelty pair of Jacks recently from Nordstrom Rack for $59.00 and they are pretty comfortable.

I have to admit, though, that I do like the style of these Jacks better than the other Jacks I have.  The strawberries are just so much fun and summery!

Both brands run in the $100 to $118 area for most models but you can find deals on them.  Jacks can be found at Nordstrom Rack.  I purchased the Palm Beach sandals for $39.99 per pair from Something You boutique on sale.  You gotta look around!

A few months back I ordered a pair of Tory Burch flip flops.  The Tory Burch company sent me a gift card for a pair of returned boots.  The boots were an awful fit and took years to break in.  The same thing with the Reva flats that I have from Burch. They were a bitch to break in!

Tory Burch Black Terra Flip Flops on the left.  My old pair of fancy Old Navy $4.00 flip flops on the right!

I gave the brand another chance when I ordered the flip flops.  (I believe the brand no longer makes these) All I have to say is that for the $79.00 or more that they retailed for, they are an absolute rip-off.  How can a flip-flop possibly be uncomfortable?  I can’t answer that but Tory Burch managed to do so.

They are only comfortable when I’m sitting down.  People pay for the TB logo.  Ugh.  What a waste of money–thank God I used a gift card!

The four-dollar Old Navy flip flops that I purchased many years ago and are still going strong are a million times more comfortable.

Birkenstocks.

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People love ’em.  And I know they are comfortable but this isn’t my cup of tea.

No. I don’t own any with the exception of a rubber pair I picked up last year or the year before.  They are comfortable enough but the way the sole is molded, the fit is just a bit off for me.  I know so many women who love Birks and I’ve tried the regular ones on and they are comfortable but they style just isn’t for me.   I may give them another chance though.

When I made the purchase the $19.99 price seemed right but the top of the foot doesn’t fit me 100 percent.  They are comfy though. I’m wearing these as I write this.

Whatever style you like or whatever your budget, sandals, in my most humble opinion are a great choice for summer footwear.  Let your feet breathe!  Let them loose because come October, those dawgs will be back to closure until May or June!!!

But remember—look for sales and make sure those sandals are comfortable because during these summer months we are on our feet a lot longer than in the winter months!

Make your feet smile the way you do!!  And enjoy the rest of the summer!

 

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Who Needs The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale When You Can Get The Goods At Nordstrom Rack?

Posted on August 7, 2018 by Catherine

That “N-Sale”. Everyone raves about it.  Bloggers abound as well as influencers get all warm and fuzzy over it. They rave about what you have to buy—mostly because they are getting a commission from that “N-sale.”  I’m actually happy the sale is over!

Whatever happened to the timeless, classic Nordstrom I used to know and love?  These days it’s all about what’s “On Trend.”  

Over the past couple of years, the sale has taken a serious turn from selling classic and timeless goods and has turned over to the young and trendy. Thank God for J. Crew sales is all I can say!  Don’t get me wrong—in the past I’ve gotten great buys on leather Longchamp bags and boots—but those buys are no longer to be found.

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Image result for atypical60 leather longchamp bag

These two leather Longchamp bags were great buys at past Nordstrom Anniversary Sales.  I did not see these at the sale this year.

 This year’s sale brought and bought forth for me nothing more than panties and a bra.  And I could have gotten the bra at Nordstrom Rack for a better price.  Oh well.

My big Anniversary Sale purchase.  A Natori Feathers bra and Hanky Panky panties.  I could have bought the bra for a lesser price at Nordstrom Rack!

Anyway, after perusing the Nordstrom site to see if any of my favorite brand of jeans, AG Jeans were on sale.  I did see that a few pairs were.  But they were still pricey.  So, me, being as frugal as my Frenchman would like, headed over to the Nordstrom Rack site.

AG Legging Ankle Super Skinny Jeans–$225.

This pair of AG Jeans was priced for Nordstrom Anniversary Sale at $168.

And not only did I find one but I found two pairs of AG Jeans.  Both around $70 each.  And they were well-worth the purchase! In fact, the two pairs that I purchased came in costing less than one pair of AG Jeans on sale over at the Anniversary price!

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I find myself shopping here more these days rather than at Nordstrom

Let’s have a look at the jeans I purchased.

The first pair I purchased was originally $215.  I paid $70. 

They are skinny jeans with a raw hem–which is as trendy as I’ll get with a pair of jeans.  But they are classic with an edge.

Here’s a better view of the hem.  I also like the color wash of these jeans.

The waist has a higher mid-rise cut, which I find to be the most universally flattering

The overall fit of AG is great.  The size 29 fits beautifully.  The brand hugs curves and if you are curvy AG is a great jean!

The original price tag from the second pair that I purchased–also around $70

A lighter wash and a skinnier jean.  This is the same 29 inch waist size.  

I got a little gut and the jeans stretch nicely over it.  Let’s face it–most of us don’t have 6-pack abs!

Overall, another great fitting jean.  I’ll be getting a lot of use out of them once the weather cools off!  It’s just way too hot for me to wear jeans now.  

Seriously—the point I’m trying to convey is don’t be taken in by all sales.  Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale has become iconic.  However, it doesn’t mean that because it’s an iconic sale that it’s the best sale around.  Because, quite frankly, I don’t think it is.  You can do better at Nordstrom Rack.  And you can also do better at end-of-season sales. And you can do better at online sites.

Just because it’s on sale doesn’t mean you HAVE to buy it!

The jeans that I purchased are my fall/winter wardrobe additions.  There are enough articles of clothing packed away for the upcoming cooler times to keep me well-clothed and stylishly clothed from October through next April.

I should have taken my own advice when it came to this Natori Feathers Bra. It’s $29.99 at Nordstrom Rack.  I paid $40 at the Anniversary Sale!

I wish you happy shopping and smart shopping! And with Labor Day approaching, you’ll be finding some terrific bargains as retailers make way for winter clothes and Holiday shopping!

……especially during the Holidays!!

Do you like Julie London?  I was listening to her in the car today.  I love her voice.  Here’s her version of “Cry Me a River”.  I think it’s the best!

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Do You Margu? I Sure Do! And Here’s Another Wig Review!!!

Posted on August 5, 2018 by Catherine

Are you admiring my poetic ability–LOL??  Let me tell you–things were not going as planned earlier today.  Another unwanted “update” on my laptop caused yet, another glitch that prevented me from filming much needed wig reviews on my YouTube channel.  And after running out of the house with my laptop, driving to Best Buy in this atrocious heat, heading to The Geek Squad counter only to find out I could not get an appointment until 4:30 this afternoon, I almost gave up.

But when I arrived home and glanced in the mirror, I saw a reflection of a great head of hair that held up in the sweltering atmosphere and I had to do something about that laptop.  So, I uninstalled the camera then reinstalled it and was finally able to make the video reviews.

Seriously folks. I ran out with no lipstick-NO LIPSTICK!!! And only eye makeup and when I saw my reflection in the mirror I said to myself “Who is that woman with the beautiful head of hair”–and it was me!

See what confidence a great head of hair can give you?  When your hair looks great, you can do anything—even fix a laptop’s camera!

laptop GIF

So true.  My laptop is such a cause for unwanted stress. I’m scared of it.  But with this wig–I was empowered to take it on!!!

And what great head of hair was this?  It was Hayden.  A spectacular wig from Henry Margu.  I was very, very fortunate to have the brand reach out to me and ask if I would be interested in reviewing a wig or two for them.  Naturally, I was curious.  I’ve seen many wigs by Henry Margu on sites where I purchase from and I was a bit familiar with the brand from watching reviews by Taz of Taz’s Wig Closet.  I also knew that the brand started out some years ago as a milliner and somewhere along the line switched over to creating wigs– but I didn’t have any of the Margu wigs.

So, what happened when Hayden arrived?

The wig arrived within two days.  I was so excited to see what awaited me…

When I opened the box and saw the color of this wig my heart skipped a beat.  The shade, 7H is a beauty! 7H is a medium to light brown with well-blended and subtle golden highlights.  I knew right away that this color would be flattering to women of all skin-tones.  It’s a universal color!

This 7H color though!  Wow!!!  Light brown with such subtle highlights–if you are looking to go lighter but don’t want to go full-on blonde, might I suggest the shade 7H?

The wig is very lightweight and the stretchability made placing it on my head very easy.

Here’s a few pics of how Hayden looks!

See how the waves are more separate and “piecey”?  OMG. I am so loving this look!

Not your granny’s bob.  This is a modern edgy, sassy bob with a kick!

I love the “pieciness” (if that isn’t a word—it is now!) of the style.  I’m a huge fan of the beach waves bobs and Hayden has more of an edge. The waves aren’t as softly curled but more separately pieced apart giving the wig a more “undone” look.  And when I use the term “undone”, I’m using it in the best way possible.  The unit has a natural and very relaxed vibe!  It’s a slightly messy bob and is a pleasure to wear.

She looks great with a clip in the front and check out that hairline.  Hayden also looks great smoothed down a tad!

She looks so natural!!!

Another look at this hairline…

Check out that wave pattern–woudja???

And another look!

Hayden is a great everyday wig.  She’s a great weekend wig.  She’s just a great all-around head of hair.

And the Frenchman loves Hayden on me.  This is big!!!

Let’s look at the construction:

She has a lace front—curved to the shape of your face.  There is also a thin, silicone strip which can prevent the wig shifting.

The curved lace front makes the hairline appear more natural.  That thin silicone band can actually stop shifting!

The full-mono top allows you to part the hair on either side or the middle.  And she’s hand-tied.

The hand-tied, full mono top not only allows for great multi-parting, but also makes the wig more comfortable!

The parting space is extremely natural.

That parting space–it’s better than a bag of tortilla chips!

The ear tabs are long and soft making it more comfortable—especially if you wear glasses!

Cushiony ear tabs–a must, especially if you wear glasses!!!

The adjustable straps are Velcro which also ads to comfort and the cap has a lot of stretch.

Comfy Velcro straps for adjusting!

A stretchy cap to hold the overabundance of intelligence that I have!!

Henry Margu makes a stellar wig—that’s for sure!

Another added plus is that the hair, as light as it is, is dense and full.  And you know how I love me some big hair!

This is not little hair.  It’s a nice weight. I am thrilled to be wearing Hayden!

At a weight of 3 ½ ounces, you can easily get on a scale to be weighed and not worry about extra poundage! (Um…I’ve taken wigs off to get weighed so this is important!)

The bang is 7”, the area around the ear tab is 9” the nape is 4”.  The strands at the layered top run from 5 to 10” and the layered sides run from 6 to 9”.  The layered back is from 4 to 9” and the overall length is 11 ½ inches.

I can tell you right now that Hayden is going to get a lot of love and a lot of wear from me.  She’s a perfect length for fall and winter clothing because the ends of the wig will not become tangled when wearing textured scarfs and sweaters.

Honestly.  If you are a regular wearer of wigs and are not familiar with Henry Margu—become familiar!  If you don’t wear wigs, perhaps now is the time to think about it and check out the other wigs that Henry Margu has to offer.

Wigs have become my accessory.  Of course, I can no longer go out in public without a wig because my hair loss has gotten worse and will continue to.  But it’s ok.  I have an artillery of wonderful hair and now I have a new addition to my family of wigs that give me my best looks on a daily basis.

If you do suffer from hair loss, no matter what the reason, it’s devastating. And sometimes that first step to wearing wigs can be daunting–but when you have a great and natural looking wig–it helps to make the transition so much easier!!!!!

I do.  I do. I do. Margu!!  Will you?

There are no cons with Hayden.  She’s really a fantastic unit.  

Please let me add that I’m grateful to Henry Margu wigs for asking a woman over 60 to review.  My age group is oftentimes ignored and we take up a large percentage of women who wear wigs so I’m very thankful.  Just wanted to add that!!!!

My computer was fixed–thanks to yours truly–and here’s another look at Hayden in my YouTube review!

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