Returning

Do you think it’s urban legend that stores flag customers who return lots of things?  I hope so.  Why do I bother spending any time thinking about such a thing?  With the advent of online shopping and it's BFF, free shipping, I no longer go “shopping”, I go “returning”.  Truth be told, I never really liked spending hours meandering through a shopping center gathering items I may or may not need.  It turns out I do enjoy a strategic, targeted, efficient return sequence that I can execute in under 13 minutes.  When I’m having a paranoid moment, I worry my moves are being tracked by some covert mall association that employs unshaven techies to stare into their computers and frantically report into their headpieces:

“She’s back.  Nordstrom.  Beauty section.  Seven Lipstick returns?  Moving to Active Wear.  Pants made her butt look wide.  And....onto shoes.   Lost her ….wait, she’s left Nordstrom.  Located in J Crew.  Sweater looked different online.  Now Lululemon. Tank was impossible to figure out with strappy bra insert.  And she’s gone.  I repeat, she’s left the mall.”

Now, instead of wasting time in the mall, I waste time in the comfort of my home or car (usually near a baseball field), where I have the luxury of reading 102 reviews of a prospective lipstick/blush/foundation/jean/flip flop that just might be “the one".  I rationalize this waste of time by calling it "research" instead of "shopping".   Who doesn’t love the thrill of a new lipstick that may, at long last, end the search for all others?  On the flipside, who doesn’t dislike the feeling of too much crap in the house?  So, we order exciting items and return what we don’t like.  Am I the only one who’s kitchen turns into a satellite UPS store at the push of a button?  I hope not.

Below is a list of some of the purchases I decided to keep.  Maybe one day I will do a list of the things I returned, although that would be a much, much longer post.

Shine-On Lip Screen Broad Spectrum SPF 50

It is RARE to find a lip product with an SPF this high.  The more exciting part is that this is a gloss, not a balm, so it gives a fancy finish in addition to the sun protection.  It also gives a pleasant tingling sensation.  Come on summer!!

Oz Naturals Facial Toner

If you like beauty stuff, I’m sure you’re aware of an uptick in the facial spray category.  There are a ton of new sprays on the market that claim to do everything from from setting makeup to adding moisture to “refreshing” midday makeup.  Like most beauty products, you can pay an appalling amount for them (Tatcha) or a reasonable amount for them.  I have been using this one ever since I fell in love with the Vitamin C Serum I hope you’re all using.  I spray it on my face before the serum as a toner.  It feels good.  This is one of those products that you can’t really tell if it’s making a huge difference, but I like to believe it does.  You can also use it once your makeup is on to “set” it or anytime you want a thrill throughout the day.

EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46

If you have read my sunscreen post, you know that I have been using the Skinceuticals sunscreen for my face.  I'm not sure why I rarely leave well enough alone when it comes to skincare/beauty items.  Even if I have a favorite, my eyes tend to wander.  This sunscreen always makes the list when magazines do a "best sunscreens".  I felt it was time to try it. I have loved it!  My cheeks are super dry and I have hormonally enraged chin skin.  It handles both without being greasy or tacky.  I also like that the SPF number is 46.  Makes it seem more legit. Favorite sunscreen purchase in a long, long while.  

LORAC Alter Ego Lip Liner in Goddess

I am normally not a lip liner person because it seems too fussy.  I don't know what possessed me to try this, but this has been a great addition to my ridiculous, vast lip product collection.  I don't wear it as a lip liner, I wear it as a color.  It is the perfect cool toned mauve that doesn't make me look too Goth.  When it's on, it looks almost like a matte lipstick, but it doesn't feel drying.  It has a satisfying about of creaminess that doesn't feel like a scratchy lip liner.  A true delight.

I hope you've all ordered your One Two Lashes, as they will be changing the lash world!

Happy Returning!

Keely

Lashes for Days

I have a product recommendation that will seriously, no joke, thrill all lash lovers in the world.  But first, a word on Prince.  

Like many of you, I’ve been super bummed out about the death of Prince.  Other major icons have passed away, but Prince’s death seemed a lot more, I don’t know, personal.

Prince entered my awareness at a time when I may have been jamming to “Borderline” and making it my job to master the moonwalk, but those artists were quickly becoming a bit cotton candy for my taste.  It’s hard to understand how a man who stood at 5’2, weighed 110lbs (soaking wet, maybe even holding a bag of hammers), favored crushed velvet bell bottoms and fluffy pirate shirts and was not afraid to rock a high heeled boot could captivate my attention so completely.  Especially when my enthusiasm for the opposite sex typically leaned toward preppy athletes in studyhall.  

His lyrics were so grown up at a time when I thought grown up things were an increasingly better fit.  I mean, I was a freshman in high school after all.  My passion was ignited by Purple Rain, but I quickly scrambled to find more where that came from.  So began many a Prince music deep dive.  What made his albums even more delicious was how carefully I had to conceal them from my parents.  I don’t think my Dad could ever knowingly get on board with his daughter listening to Sexy Motherf@cker, Do Me Baby and Erotic City.  Oooooo, “Dirty Mind”?  I think I have one of those, Prince!  God bless 1980’s parenting and Walkmans.

Like every great musician, Prince’s music had a way of making you feel like you had some unique connection to him.  Like he was just yours and if you happen to meet, it would become clear to Prince that you were meant to be together.  Keely Elecktra.  Knowing that artists in the business thought highly of him and that he could SHRED a guitar with the likes of Eric Clapton and Lenny Kravitz made you feel like a music insider by virtue of the fact you liked him, too.  Seeing Prince live was an experience to be cherished and bragged about.  No one’s concert resume was complete without Prince’s name on it.  Prince was a touchstone to many of our youths as well as an artist that our souls instantly recognized as an authentic, other-worldly talent.  What a bummer.  RIP Prince Rogers Nelson, you will be missed.    

In the American tradition of filling our emotional holes with stuff, let’s shift the focus to an eyelash product you have likely not heard of, but will instantly want in your makeup collection once I tell you about it.

Introducing…….One Two Lash!  The false lashes that do not require glue!  You read that right!

A company called One Two Cosmetics, founded by CEO (and Midwesterner!) Katy Stoka (aka my neighbor Annie’s brilliant college roommate), has developed an eyelash that adheres to your existing lashes using a patent pending magnetic technology.  The lashes do not require glue and are reusable.  They come in three styles:  Original, Bold and Accent.  Check them out for yourself at onetwocosmetics.com.  I love the packaging.  It feels substantial, luxurious and satisfying.  Here is a picture of mine.  I ordered the original: 

Essentially, each “lash” is comprised of what is actually two pieces, a top layer and a bottom layer.  Once applied, these layers are secured at the base by magnets, creating the look of one strip of lashes.  Miraculous!  Here is a picture of mine.  There are two sets.  One is wider: 

Random details:  You can wear them with or without mascara.  I have only tried them without mascara because it is my dream to have luscious lashes without having to put mascara on. Set aside a 15 minute stretch all by yourself (or with a supportive friend) because they do take a minute to figure out how to get them on. The instructions that come with the lashes are great, and they have two videos you can watch to help you get the hang of it.  Check those out here.  Once you do, they feel light and lovely!  Here is a picture of me wearing the lashes (it is not filtered and it is SO CLOSE, but hey):

I have a feeling these lashes are going to catch on like wildfire.  I also love supporting a new  business with a truly ingenious new product and a female founder/CEO!   Another thing to love is how committed the company is to getting it right by listening to feedback.  I just received an email asking about my satisfaction and experience with my lashes.  Awesome!  One Two Lash!!  I think you're going to be hearing a lot about them!

Go get 'em!

Keely 

Sun Stuff

Back from Spring Break! How’d it go?  I hope that each one of you experienced ease and joy this Spring Break, whether you traveled to a sunny spot or stayed local.  And if your children experienced joy and ease at any point?  High-five yourself because I know that it doesn’t just happen. 

Obviously Southern Charm, The Americans and Girls all on my weekly TV roster has made the transition to real life more palatable.

If you’ve ever had little kids and decided to travel to a beach, you can relate to calling a “vacation” by it’s real name, “climate change with character building”.  The labor intensity, sleeplessness and general emotional and physical difficulty has brought many a parent to their knees.  I still have an emotionally charged relationship with sand.  Now that the kids are older, Florida actually seems like a vacation.  I still do laundry, but even that seems more fun because my standards are lower and I have a stomach full of fries, an ocean breeze, and I slept 10 hours the night before.

As someone who regularly gets basal cells burned or surgically removed from my face and body, vacations can seem like a dance with danger.  I am nothing if not heroically diligent with my sun safety strategies.  Here are some things I was psyched I had this vacation that also may be of interest to you as we get ready for summer:

Shiseido Glow Enhancing Primer SPF 15

Granted, an SPF of 15 just seems kind of sweet and cute in our world of SPF 100’s.  My approach is to layer sunscreen on top of sunscreen because, why not?  So after my Skinceuticals Physical Defence Sunscreen with SPF 50 that I talk about here, I would apply the Shiseido.  It gave a nice glow to the skin that wasn’t too greasy.  I would wear this alone if I was planning on a swim, or as an actual primer under a light foundation if we were going to dinner. 

Shiseido Sun Protection Eye Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 34 Sunscreen

I love my regular Shiseido eye cream that I talked about here.  Again, in the spirit of “why not?” I tried this eye cream with sun protection a few years ago and liked it.  I just feel like it helps out with keeping that delicate part protected when you’re going to be in the sun for a long time or will be exposed to intense sun. 

Giorgio Armani Maestro Glow Nourishing Fusion Makeup SPF 30

I have made my love of Giorgio Armani foundations abundantly clear.  I have tried and loved, each in their own way, every Armani foundation formulation.  I first recommended the Maestro foundation for those looking for light, matte coverage here.  I was so psyched when I saw they came out with a glow-y one because I am determined to light up my face up like a Christmas tree.  This is worth a try because it gives medium-full coverage, but it looks like your skin, only glow-y-er.  Don’t let the “oil” part freak you out, this will not break you out or look more shiny.  Stop by the Armani counter and get to the bottom of it for yourselves-you won’t be sorry!

**Side note**  Because my DNA restricts my ability to do anything but burn and freckle, I have to create my own vacation skin that others get easily from the sun.  I start out my vacation fake-tanned and bronzy but by the end I have tiger stripe tanner and french fry belly.  To keep my dignity, I wear light foundation and bronzers on my face.  If you tan, obviously skip the foundation!

Peter Thomas Roth Powder SPF

I mentioned this stuff in my sunscreen post.  Worth mentioning again.  And then again.  If you use chemical sunscreen you are supposed to reapply it every two hours.  This stuff feels so good on the skin, never looks to cake-y or powder-y even though I use it all day long over what I already have on.  If you’re serious about sunscreen, get this.  If not, still get this.  

Kevyn Aucoin Lipgloss in Lillium

Surprisingly (or not), I impulse bought this when I was at the store and really wanted a purse.  Seemed cheaper.  Figured I might return it.  Whoa.  I love this stuff!  This one has a kind of metallic-y look, but more sophisticated than the Silver City Pink days.  It feels so good on the lips.  I have been leaning towards lipsticks lately because I dislike the old “hair in the wind, stuck in the gloss” aspect of glosses and we all know the matte finish is popular right now.  I have 100,000 lip products I work down to a minimal 17 for vacations and I reached for this one every day on vacation.  If Kevyn Aucoin is a brand that is new to you, check it out.  They have a lot of products that are reaching “Cult” (ie. hard for me to resist) status in the beauty world.   The contour powder is a favorite and well as the Celestial Light. 

San Diego Hat Company CHL5 Floppy Sun Hat

Great hat.  Wide enough brim to block sun.  Great balance between floppy and manageable.  Packs really well (ie. you can squish it).  Stays on during windy, windy days.  Also, pretty cheap as hats go and better than anything Athleta ever showed me.

If we focus on summer, will it get warmer sooner?  Hope so!

Keely

Skin Regimen and a Deal

As I have become more of a grown up, I have made it my mission to abandon the “being good/being bad” cycle when it comes to caring for myself. Who among us hasn’t enjoyed a Nacho Bell Grande with a cool-down burrito on Sunday followed by a guilty bag of broccoli and the treadmill on Monday?  Luckily, somewhere along the line my body cried out for mercy and I decided to listen.  It took awhile, but I now can say that I value consistency more than the binge.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m still not afraid to eat a cool down burrito, but now it’s made with grass-fed beef, organic lettuce, black beans and I probably worked out beforehand.  Or I crowded it out with some leafy greens and a kale smoothie.  Because I am human and often driven by my id, I am still capable of I having several brownies in a sitting.  I’m not proud, but I don’t totally freak out, either.  I trust in the consistency of my daily program to get me through Sundae Sunday.

I have long believed that what I do each day trumps what I decide to do on a manic two-week stint before vacation.  The biggest benefit of this theory shows up in the form of mental free time.  For example, instead of enduring an entire day obsessing over how I should have worked out, I just spend an hour working out.  That’s a good trade.  What I learned in the process is I love a regimen.  I have a workout regimen.  I have a sleep regimen.  I have a nutrition regimen.  And, my most favorite of all, a skin regimen.  I employ the same theory as workouts when it comes to my skin.  I do it everyday, even when I don’t want to, with the vague faith that there will be a payoff down the road.  With exercising, the pay-off may be that I don’t panic if someone invites me to a mid-winter pool party.  When it comes to my skin, the pay-off may be that I have one less wrinkle or basal cell when I’m a grandma.

Below you will find my skin-care regimen.  It’s a lot, but it calms me.  It’s obvious I am not an expert, just an enthusiast, so this is just a peek into things I like.  It’s fun to hear what other people use on their skin, so let me know what you like, too.  For the record, I could also be dazzled by a conversation based on what you like to buy at Costco, Target and Trader Joes.  So much to be learned from one another.

WAKE UP:

-Rinse with water.  My Derm said that you don’t need to wash your face in the morning, provided you washed it the night before, which I’m sure you did because it’s super gross not to.  So, no cleanser for me until after my workout, just H2O.  

-Sunscreen.  I don’t set foot out of the bathroom unless I have sunscreen on, rain or shine.  First thing.  I use Skinceuticals.  I just like it.  Sunscreens are very personal because we each have different goals and needs-some folks need moisture, some need oil control.  I need both, and this one seems to do the trick.  See my sunscreen post for more recommendations.

POST WORKOUT:

-Proactiv in my t-zone.  I keep trying to stop this step because it feels a bit juvenile to need proactive as a grown woman.  However, currently I am fresh off of a 6 week no-Proactiv stint and my chin looks like it is going to set fire and free itself from my face.  The pain.  The swelling.  I wish my chin would jump off my face and run screaming into the night once and for all.  At any rate, for me, I’ll be using Proactiv in my t-zone until I’m 97 or something. 

-Arbonne Calm Cleanser.  My face feels clean, calm, treated gently.  You can purchase it on my friend Gabe’s website.

-Oz Naturals Vitamin C Serum.  I have a very smart friend who knows things about science and skin.  Unfortunately for her, she was trapped in a group setting with me for several days, where I pumped her for information like a sergeant on a cop show.  I would just pop out of bushes with a quick question about radiance or whatever occurred to me.  It was great.  For me.  She recommended this serum because Vitamin C has been proven to do the best tricks when it comes to skin radiance and evenness.  You may be familiar with the Skiceuticals C E Ferulic serum.  It’s 160 bucks.  This one has the same concentration of Vitamin C and is only 23 dollars on Amazon.  Thank you Jodi.  

Note on Serums:  They are a concentrated bit of love for your skin, they are not the same as moisturizers if you’re looking for moisture.  You take a couple of drops and push the liquid into your skin, gently.  Serums go before anything else (unless you use toner.  Then it would go after toner).

-Sometimes moisturizer on my cheeks, usually on cold, winter days.  I have used a bunch of different kinds, usually whatever sample Sephora gave me. I only use it on my cheeks and my cheeks are not a break out zone for me, so I’ve had good luck using whatever happens to be on hand.  You don’t need your daytime moisturizer to do a bunch of extra tricks-that’s for nighttime.  Any salve will usually do the trick.  I like the Bobbi Brown hydrating cream.  For drugstore, CeraVe, Neutrogena.  Avoid retinols until nighttime because they make you more sun sensitive.  

-Sunscreen again.  See above.

-Shiseido Bio-Performance Eyecream.  I love this eye-cream.  When you are a product-phile, it’s easy to get roped into believing there is a better one out there.  I have been lured by pricey eye creams, natural eye creams, drug store eye creams.  I ALWAYS go back to this one.  I don’t know if it’s doing anything long-term, I just know my eye skin looks plumper and fuller and happier when I use this.  And I don’t get those little white bumps around my eyes.  A little goes a long way.  Use your ring finger to gently tap it in.  I also use it on my upper lip line because I am really interested in never having lip injections.  Nothing wrong with injections, I am just a wimp and a) think it might hurt and b) have seen it go really wrong.  I have also seen it go really right, but my fear of pain keeps me using eye cream on my lip line.  

That’s it for my daytime regimen.  Easy.  Fast.  Followed by makeup, depending on my mood and how French I feel.  

NIGHT TIME:

-Remove makeup with Arbonne cleanser and my Clarsonic.

-NuFace while watching a quick show after the kids are in bed.  Notes on NuFace:  As I stated above, I love a regimen.  I don’t even mind if it’s long.  If I commit to doing it, then I do it.   If you’re not familiar, the NuFace is a device that does two things, depending on the attachment you use.  The first is a “wrinkle reducer” that has LED lights.  You hold this on various parts of your bare, lotion-free face and the light penetrates your skin and helps build collagen and elastin.  Here’s the official info.https://www.mynuface.com/pages/light-therapy

The other attachment is the micro-current.  For this you need a gel-based conductor fluid so you don’t feel little electric shocks.  The gel is not that pricey.  The device is painless if you have the gel on.  With this attachment, you glide it over parts of your face in an effort to stimulate the muscles and give more of an energized, lifted appearance.  Here’s the official info on that:  https://www.mynuface.com/pages/microcurrent

I like that you can customize the program based on how much time you have.  If my family hasn’t had a million practices and meetings, I can chill and do the full program:  the wrinkle reducer and both the large and small micro current attachments.  If I’m in a hurry, I can just do a quick big attachment.

Results:  I have been using it every day (except for 2) for 60 days.  I feel like it has made a difference, but because I was too lazy to take a before picture, I can’t prove it!!  What I know to be true-I hold all my stress in my face.  I’m pretty sure I sleep with my face squished in an “I taste lots of lemon” expression.  Before the NuFace, I would always wake up with the muscles in my face a little sore.  Now I don’t!  That alone is worth it.  I also feel like my skin (other than chin skin) is smoother.  My jawline also looks a little more defined.  I really like it!

Give it a try!!  

**DEAL ALERT**  If you are interested, I have a friend who can get you some money off of your NuFace.  She got me a GREAT deal.  If you’re interested, message me on Facebook and I’ll give you her information!

Tatcha Classic Rice Powder Exfoliator.  About 3 times a week, now that I’m using the NuFace.  I love this stuff for removing dead skin and I think it preps the skin well to absorb all the nighttime cream-goodness.

-Vitamin C Serum again.

-Retinol cream prescribed by my Derm.  Retinol or Retin-A is vitamin A.  Some folks are afraid of this product because it can cause some redness when you first use it.  I never had any side effects.  If my magazine, internet and grilling-my-Derm-type research are accurate, Vitamin A is one of the only proven ingredients to help fine lines.  The one I get from my Derm is $50, but lasts about 7 months.  You can get drugstore retinols at lesser concentrations, but it might be worth it to get a prescription.  

No matter what you choose, before bed is the time to use your most hopeful creams.  The magic happens while you sleep.  

In winter:  Egyptian Magic over everything to lock in the goodness.  Also as an eye cream!  See my previous post for more details.

Happy skin!! 

Keely