2/25/18

My New Makeup Vanity

Happy new week, everyone!  Can you believe how quickly we've moved through February, and now have only 4 days left?  I know some of you have been literally "snow plowing" your way through these Winter months and are anxiously awaiting Spring.  Even sunny Arizona is getting some very chilly weather (36* at 8 a.m.) here in the valley desert and lots of snow in the high country...very happy skiers!  Well, enough about the weather...Mother Nature seems to be playing a cruel game of "Guess What's Coming Next!"  How about some pretty pictures and a lot of my rambling...up for that?

Today I wanted to share my new makeup vanity where I store and use all of the new makeup I talked  about in my last post HERE.  I rearranged and The Man created a vanity where I can sit and do my makeup.  Below are three pics from my 2014 Barbie Dream Closet reveal.

This is where I did my makeup for several years....standing here, using my vanity mirror, and storing my "most often used" supplies in the top shallow drawer.

                                                      
I grew weary of this setup and started thinking about using the top of the dirty clothes bins....I mean, just look at all that wasted real estate!

   

I was just going to move everything over here and use
a small stool to sit on.  The Man's wheels started turning
and came up with something much better......



Wait for it...

Is The Man smart or what!

He also cut down my magnifying mirror to the perfect height.


I made a cover for this little stool and also for the bench you see at 
the upper left...good old drop cloth!  I just tuck the stool back in the corner
when not in use.

         
 This acrylic organizer (HomeGoods) is the only new piece
I purchased.  I already had the other organizers.
I keep some tools, sponges and pre-moistened wipes (to clean makeup off my hands & brushes),
in this 3-drawer unit.

 
I've been using this lipstick tray for a few years but recently added this glass dish ($Store)
with small crystal filler (originally from Michael's) to hold glosses and such that were always
falling over.

Originally, I stored folded sweaters in this glass cabinet above the makeup vanity, but I decided it was 
a much better place to display some of my purses.

Pretty and colorful!

The previous makeup area is now home to jewelry and perfumes.


I really like this tiered bracelet holder...HomeGoods a few years ago.

Jewelry and......
More jewelry in the top 2 drawers, and....

Surplus supplies and such...let's just call it an organized "junk drawer," shall we?

So what do you think?  I love it!  The Man made such a nice area for me to sit and work some cosmetic magic....well, at least I try.  And before you even ask, he is all mine and you cannot borrow him!
He is just as sweet as his smile indicates!

Hope you have enjoyed this post.  I'm having fun kind of mixing up what I post about, so who knows what will be on the agenda for next time!  Please come back for a visit any time.

Warm hugs,
Carol

I hope to be joining some of these lovely ladies this week:

Cindy at Dwellings--The Heart of Your Home for Amaze Me Monday
Maria Elena at Our Home Away from Home for Tuesdays at Our Home
Marty at A Stroll Thru Life  for Inspire Me Tuesday
Suzy at Worthing Court for The Scoop
Carol at The Red Painted Cottage for Share Your Style Party
Richella at Imparting Grace for Grace at Home





2/18/18

My Opinion on Makeup

Hi everyone!  In an effort to make my blog posts a bit more interesting, I've decided to occasionally share some "shopping hauls" of various things from personal care to home decor.  I may even share my opinions....oh, GHASP...what?  Today I'm sharing a makeup haul and my opinion about using makeup, so let's get started.

I had never been inside an ULTA store until we moved to our current home;  and at first, I found it rather intimidating and overwhelming.  I thought the store was all high-end, expensive cosmetics that were out of my price range.  Wow, was I wrong!  Once I allowed myself to slowly peruse the store, I found the inventory was all across the board in brands and prices.  Now it is my only place to shop for my cosmetic needs!

This was my most recent haul.    
                                                  
Let me just say, I have a love-hate relationship with mascara.  I have tried several different kinds over the years, but non of my faves have worked very well since my eyelashes finally started growing in after cancer & chemo....my lashes are pretty pathetic and thin.  Not willing to give up, I decided to give this one a try. 

This Loreal mascara is a game-changer!

I have to admit I was skeptical when I saw the brush, but this is seriously the best mascara I have ever used!  It isn't clumpy, and this strange little brush lets you get to all those tiny little lashes.  I'm actually having fun putting on mascara!  My opinion about mascara:  As you get older, use a lighter hand with mascara...one good coat on the top lashes and light on the lower is usually all you need.

I'm really liking how light this setting powder is....anything heavy likes to sink into the wrinkles and make them really stand out!  That is not something someone in my age bracket wants to do!

I've been using this product since my hair finally grew in enough that I could style it.  The fact is, chemo causes your hair to fall out extremely fast, but Mother Nature can take her own sweet time letting it grow back.  Even then, it does not grow back evenly, but this fill-in powder is great.  It also covers up some of those silver streaks you may not be ready for.  
There are several colors to choose from.

This was an impulse buy, but I've already found them to work better than Q-tips in certain areas.

I do like the softness of these over some that I've gotten elsewhere.  I use a mixture of Dawn and white vinegar (or Peroxide) in water to clean my sponges.  After thoroughly rinsing and squeezing, I pop them in the microwave for about a minute to sanitize them...careful, they are hot!

One neutral lip pencil, gray and black eye pencils, and a white eye pencil.  I'm not sure about the white pencil, but I am liking the NYX brand.  My opinion about eyeliner:  As you get older, the "less is more" rule is good.  And, unless you want to look older, do not line your lower lid!

This was a "Gift w/Purchase," and I really like how creamy and easy it goes on.

My eyebrows are a pain that I deal with every day, but I'm liking the soft pencil end of this one.  The spoolie end is filled with a colored setting gel that's suppose to make your brows look more natural....I used it once and looked like Groucho Marx....just look him up on the Internet if you don't know who I'm talking about!  

I've heard this type of brush referred to as a "flat-top," and it's great for blending your foundation all around your hairline and neck area.  It's also good if you prefer to use a brush to apply your foundation.  I really like this tool!  I keep some cleansing wipes in my makeup area, and clean this type of brush after each use.  For routine cleansing of all my brushes, I use the Dawn & vinegar (sometimes Peroxide) mixture and lay them out on a towel to air-dry.  My opinion about makeup brushes:  Learn to use them, they are great tools!  I've had some expensive ones, but "eco tools & e.l.f." make some that are equally as good and inexpensive.

This e.l.f. Mineral Infused Face Primer was not part of today's haul, but I wanted to share my thoughts on this product.  I Love It!  There are several different e.l.f. face primers, but this is the one  that works for me and my dry skin.  It's kind of a clear gel that I blend in all over my face, and the result is the silkiest facial skin you can imagine.  I allow it to dry and soak in just a minute before I apply my foundation.  I've been using this product for a year or so.

This was my big splurge of the day and is a product I've really been wanting to try.  CC+ is a moisturizer, foundation and SPF 50 sunscreen all wrapped up in one package.  I really like it and think it will be my go-to foundation for our warmer weather because it's light.  It glides on and blends beautifully after I use my face primer (above), and I'm thrilled about the SPF50.

This is a new brand to me and is not carried at ULTA yet (soon, they say), so I bought it on Amazon.

I like eyeshadow palettes, because they have taken all the "guess-work" out of blending colors.  I was very interested in this palette because it does not have any shimmery colors.  My opinion about eyeshadow:  As you get older, avoid shimmery ones.  They make the crepey skin in our eye area pop, and we really do not want to call attention to those kinds of things!  For some, this might be a cool palette, but it is a very neutral one for my skin color.  

My opinion about wearing makeup:
I've been wearing makeup since I was a young teen, 55+ years, and there are very few days when I do not wear some makeup.  For me, it's always been part of my "getting dressed" morning routine.  I like the way I feel "pulled together," and when I see myself in a mirror (as I'm cleaning the bathroom sink), I feel good about what I see.  A hard and fast rule for me has always been to cleanse my face thoroughly at night...never go to bed with makeup on!  I plan to do a separate post about my cleansing routine and the products and tools I use, and a post about some changes I've made to My Barbie Dream Closet!  Fun stuff coming your way!

As some of you know already, I celebrated my "69th" birthday last week.  I'm feeling pretty good about how this "old girl" looks!

I hope you enjoyed this post or maybe just found it amusing!  If you have any questions about any of the products I use or my opinions, feel free to ask.  I certainly am not an expert, but I have had lots
of experience!

Hope you have a lovely weekend!
Carol


I hope to be joining some of these lovely ladies this week:

Cindy at Dwellings--The Heart of Your Home for Amaze Me Monday
Maria Elena at Our Home Away from Home for Tuesdays at Our Home
Marty at A Stroll Thru Life  for Inspire Me Tuesday
Suzy at Worthing Court for The Scoop
Carol at The Red Painted Cottage for Share Your Style Party

Richella at Imparting Grace for Grace at Home