Lighten Up Already! It's Summer

Wow, don't we get into a rut easily with our make up and beauty routines? So often when I'm at work I see women dressed in gorgeous sun dresses and light, strappy sandals - and then when you look up from the cute outfits to the makeup, Yikes! The amount of makeup these women are wearing! You'd think they were going to their husbands' company Christmas party! Layer upon layer of primer, concealer, foundation, powder, bronzer, blush, 4 or 5 eyeshadows, 25 coats of mascara, lipliner, lipstick, lipgloss...

...don't get me wrong. I'm the QUEEN of makeup! It's been my industry for 30 years (yes, I started when I was 8). I love every step of makeup application! And I REALLY, REALLY love those skin care lines that consist of 10 or 12 steps: Daytime cleanser, night time cleanser, daytime toner, night time toner, day cream, night cream, day eye cream, night eye cream, Day serum, night serum. Gott a love all the pretty bottles! It's almost like buying fine jewelry - at least it's almost as expensive!

Let's try to develop a new Summertime habit! Just for fun! Just to be fresh and bold and unconventional! Just to be different and rebellious! Let's try this.

FIrst of all, wash your face with a bar of soap! WHAAAAaa???? Soap? Yes. Dove for about $1.89. Amore Pacific for about $30. Sisley for about $50 - I'm estimating the prices, but I want to illustrate to you that there are BARS OF SOAP FOR EVERY LEVEL OF PRODUCT SNOB!! It's fresh and clean feeling! You'll love the simplicity of it!!!

Next, unless you're using a special toner that is targeted for break outs or some other specific skin concern, SKIP IT!

Then, assess how oily you are. Pretty darn oily? Check out a serum. Make it oil-free. If you're pretty darn oily, that serum might be all you need!! Trish McEvoy's Beauty Booster Serum costs $125 and will last you all Summer! Oily people like me will not need a moisturizer over it even though it feels as light as water!

If you are dry and need a little more moisture, keep it light weight! Use a little more of a light weight product, rather than going with something heavy. The humidity level this time of year will keep you reasonably well hydrated!

SUNSCREEN! Don't leave home without it! Lots of companies make Sunscreen that is mixed in with your moisturizer! Some companies, like Laura Mercier and Chanel and Khiel's make wonderful sunscreens that are not oily at all and feel like exactly NOTHING on your skin. INVEST! It's worth it.

Then check out one of those cool mineral powders like the original one that everyone tries to copy and can't: Bare Minerals. Yes, it's messy, yes, you need to buy a brush to use it, stop whining. Go get your color. They have TONS to choose from. You will get all the coverage you need and your face will feel naked! NAKED and FRESH in the Summer!! FABULOUS!! If you really can't stand the thought of a loose mineral powder, Trish McEvoy makes a nice pressed one. Not great coverage, but light and in great colors.

If powder doesn't do it for you, get a lightweight tinted moisturizer. Clarins is FABULOUS. Lancome has one, too. Chanel does also. Again, a product for every price point!

Then, BRONZER! Use it as eyeshadow! WHAT????? Yes! Use it as eyeshadow! Use it as BLUSH! Use it to fake a tan because of course, you're tanning your body and NOT your face. Use your bronzer to catch up!

Mascara! One or two coats! Get one of those Lash Growth products. NeuLash works like a dream, but can be a little stingy. Trish McEvoy works well, too. Latisse works great if you are willing to risk the side effects. Best price point: Trish at $125. for a 4 to 6 month supply. In a few weeks your lashes will grow and you can go with out mascara altogether!

And last but not least: SKIP THE LIPSTICK. Put it in the fridge till Fall! Break out the gloss. Sheer, shiny or full coverage it doesn't matter. Just stay away from the super crazy drying "all day" ones. Really......how long do you need it to stay on anyway??? It takes exactly 2 seconds to reapply your lip gloss!! And Gloss will fade much more gently that lipstick will. With lipstick you can end up with that pretty Lucille Ball over the lip line after you eat. Gloss will never let you down like that!

START NOW!! START FRESH!! LIGHTEN UP!! Pare down your makeup bag and remember this:

If you're afraid to let your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife see you with out makeup, you're wearing WAAAaaaay too much!!!

LIGHTEN UP, GLAM GIRL!!

My Favorite Products of all TIME!

Why should you care what MY favorite products are? Maybe you don't, but that's ok. It's my blog, after all. I've been in the cosmetics industry for 30 years. I've worked for all the greats: Chanel, Trish McEvoy, Estee Lauder, Lancome, just to name a few! During this time I've had the opportunity to experience many many products and to learn why they work and why they hold a place on retailers' shelves! Here are some things to check out:

1. Body Cleanser. I love DOVE soap. If you're not a soap person, get the bath gel that matches the fragrance you wear. If you do not wear perfume, then get PHILOSOPHY AMAZING GRACE or PURE GRACE. Nothing but CLEAN!
2. Body Exfoliant: CLINIQUE SPARKLE SCRUB - Couldn't be more refreshing!!!
3. Body Lotion/Cream: NIVEA FIRMING BODY LOTION. Unless you're looking for a lotion to layer with the fragrance you're wearing, This is the way to go! FABULOCITY!!! Great Herbal scent and makes the skin look sleek and smooth!
4. Self Tanner. FAUX TAN from Bare Escentuals! Goes on brown so you can see where you're tanning! No surprises later!
5. Gradual Self Tanner. NEUTROGENA BUILD-A-TAN. Nicely scented! Just use it as your regular lotion until you get your tan!
6. Body Spray/All over scent. AMAZING GRACE or PURE GRACE from Philosophy. No one does this better!!
7. Nail Polish Remover. Well, I've learned that it's all so much alike, just buy what's cheapest! It will all damage your nails!
8. Nail Polish. OPI. Some colors are worth owning even if you don't like them just because the names are so great. If you can't find a color you love in OPI, you may have a problem! ;o)
9. Hand Cream. STUDIO GEAR BRIGHTENING HAND CREAM. Yummy and will lighten skin spots! Love it!
10. Foot Care! Save up and have a pedicure. No one will make your feet prettier than a pro. Go for the Parafin Wax - it feels AMAZING!!!
11. Face Cleanser: Trish McEvoy Glycolic Wash is amazing! Foams up like crazy and feels fabulous!!
12. Face Cleansing Lotion. If you can't take the bubbles, CHANEL CLEANSING MILK!
13. Facial Toner. ERNO LASZLO LIGHT CONTROLLING LOTION. If you're dry, the use CHANTECAILLE PURE ROSEWATER SPRAY.
14. Facial Exfoliant. CLINIQUE SUPER EXFOLIANT. Go lightly! Very effective. if you're super sensitive, TRISH McEVOY BETA PADS. Extremely gently Beta Hdroxy Acid Pads used 3 times per week will keep skin clear of those pesky flakes!
15. Facial Serum. TRISH McEVOY BEAUTY BOOSTER SERUM. Instant gratification. Hyalauronic Acid, Dual Action Peptides, Anti Oxident Vitamins. Food for the skin. Leaves skin smoother IMMEDIATELY.
16. Facial Moisturizer. CREME DE LA MER! All of them. Creme, Lotion. Oil control lotion. You can't go wrong here! Quite pricey though. If you need to mind the budget a little, check out TRISH MCEVOY BEAUTY BOOSTER CREAM WITH SPF 15. If you REALLY need to mind the budget, go for ROC products. All very well done.
17. Eye Cream. NATURA BISSE DIAMOND EYE CREAM. Great for puffiness, as well. For the budget conscious, check out Kiehl's Avocodo Eye Cream.
18. Lip Balm. TRISH McEVOY LUXE BALM. Not only can you use it on your lips, but on your cuticles, around your eyes when you're out in the cold, and I even use a little on the frizzy ends of my hair in humid weather!
19. Neck Cream. You DON'T need a neck cream. Just use everything you use on your face also on your neck! IF YOU INSIST ---Go for ERNO LASZLO DECOLLETE CREAM! It smells amazing and feels even better than it smells!!

That's it for skin care! Another time I'll talk about makeup! THAT will be fun!!! PLEASE PLEASE leave me comments on what your agreements and disagreements are!!!

Love
Donna

Loooooong day...

We actually had a really good day at work today, after all the sales were added up. We had a Trish training in the store for all of the sales associates and product specialists. Two sessions, one at 12:30 and one at 2:00. Our wonderful trainer Biviana facilitated the training. We learned and taught all kinds of new things and revisited some older Trish basic stuff. I had to take my makeup off in front of the entire group so Biv could put the new colors on me.

I'm just exhausted now! 11 to 7 is a long day. I learned today that I need to embrace the idea of Cosmetics Events at my Store. In the past I've been a non-event person. I want to see a steady, growing business on a regular basis. Day in, day out. But I'm learning that our business isn't going to work that way. Actually, it will, but my bosses will never be happy with that slow and steady growth. They want it to grow FAST and RIGHT NOW. The only way to do that is to host events where we can bring in large sales numbers on various days. So here comes "EVENT GIRL!"

Yuk is all I have to say. But it matters not what I think! I must do it. I must choose a date for an event and call my customers and invite them in for makeovers and to clean up their Trish planners. I can do it! I MUST do it. Tomorrow, I'll have my next 3 months of events planned. That's my goal. Yay for events. Yay for events. If I say that enough times, maybe I'll believe it!! Yay for events! Yay for $$$.

More tomorrow!!