It’s a shame y’all don’t have any opinions about makeup.
All I can say is if you have an hour or two to spare, the comments on yesterday’s post are SOLID GOLD. I don’t even know where to begin but I adore all the input. If I were Estee Lauder I would invite you all to my home in the Hamptons so we could discuss the pros and cons of various products all weekend long. Of course since Estee has gone to that big cosmetics counter in the sky, I guess I’d prefer to be her granddaughter, Aerin. My only regret is that I didn’t ask everyone to state their skin type so I’d know all the various skin issues represented. Live and learn. As Max Factor used to say, “The beauty business is tricky”.
(I have no idea if there was actually ever anyone named Max Factor or if he said that, but it sounds good.)
Last night I took the time to read each and every comment. I made copious notes. I clicked on links. I ate three small bags of M&M’s from the Halloween candy bag. I read reviews on websites.
It turns out that many, MANY, of you are big fans of Bare Escentuals. It was the hands down winner for the most shout outs.
I actually used Bare Escentuals for about a year and liked it. The problem is that I have dry skin. The kind of skin that would make the Sahara desert feel like a tropical rainforest. I ultimately decided that the Bare Escentuals products weren’t the right fit for my skin, although they did provide great coverage and I loved that it felt as if I weren’t wearing any makeup at all.
The bottom line is I’m planning to spend most of my Friday morning at Sephora. It’s all in the name of research. Selfless research. I kind of have an idea about some of the products I’m interested in but I’ll provide a full report on Monday.
In other news, the mighty Rainbows have their last game on Saturday and I’ll be coaching solo since P has some hunting obligations to fulfill down in South Texas. I was feeling pretty good about the whole thing until Caroline let me know her thoughts on the way to soccer practice yesterday.
Thoughts on Soccer from Big Mama on Vimeo.
I guess we’ve officially passed the stage where she thinks I know everything. If we ever went through that stage to begin with.
The important thing is I’ll be able to tell her all about the best products to have in your makeup bag and that’s SO MUCH MORE IMPORTANT AND LIFE-CHANGING than the difference between a corner kick and a goal kick.
The winner of the Tiny Prints giveaway is posted over on my giveaway page. Make sure you click over and check it out. There’s also a special offer for those of you who entered and didn’t win. Oh I do love a consolation prize.
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Very cute!
Sephora… Lord, help me to not be green with envy.
Your little girl cracked me up. So daddy knows, but not mama huh? Too funny!
There’s nothing like your children to keep you humble!!
I wanted to say that I switched to PUR from Bare Essentials b/c my skin was having the drying out issue also. The great thing with Pur is it is compact and still natural. They use a natural lotion to moisturize it. Just a thought.
If you have dry skin, then let me tell you the BEST foundation I have ever found! It covers well. Your skin will look even and “dewy” (ha!). It is made by Clinique. It’s called “Super fit make up”. I have used it for about 5 years and I will NEVER change! Also, the GREATEST eyeliner ever made is REVLON ColorStay. I live in Alabama, and most eyeliners melt off my face by noon during the summer. Not this, it stays on after going to the gym! But it’s easy to wash off, unline waterproof mascara! If you look at a picture of me, you notice that I love me some eye make up. I don’t feel dressed without eyeliner and mascara! That eyeliner is a soft crayon. Goes on smoothly and stays all day…then comes off easily. BEST. EYELINER. EVER.
Good luck at Sephora! But pick up some Revlon eyeliner at the drug store on your way home. If you hate it, you’re only out about $7!
More makeup….www.everdayminerals.com
They send you free samples of your choice and you just have to pay a small shipping fee. Been using it for a few years now and a great alternative to B.E.
Caroline cracks me up. “The whole soccer…YEAR…I’m totally cool, keep it cool guys!”
Oh the footage that her future husband will one day see! LOVED IT!
I was not among the endless sea of advice in the comments yesterday. But for what it’s worth, I have dry skin! Parched skin, rather.
I’ve been using Cover Girl make-up for a while now and have used it on and off since I was a teen.
I’m using Advanced Radiance. And honestly, I love it! I love it more than the bases I’ve used from cosmetic counters. I love it more than Mary Kay. I LOVE IT!
I tried Bare Escentials, btw, and they did not work for me, either, though my 16-year-old LOVES them.
As for moisturizers, I’m still on a quest for my fave. An old fan of Oil of Olay. And now they have a complete line of products that I believe are comparable to the pricier ones. I also use Noxema for make-up removal. I know–high maintenance!
I will say this–one of my very best friend’s in the world is 54 years old. She has amazing skin. She does take lots of vitamins and tries to eat healthy. BUT, she uses Vaseline for moisturizer. I do that on occasion, namely in the winter months when my skin feels as though it would crack if I smile, but have not managed to commit long-term to the greasiness nightly.
If I can get two seconds to email you a picture of her, you may be like me and determine to one day join her in using Vaseline as moisturizer. Just not there yet. Writing myself a note to email you.
I agree with Cindy above, I like everyday minerals much, much better than Bare Minerals/Essentials. They have many more colors to choose from for foundation and getting the samples like she mentioned helps you find which one works best instead of spending $60 on a BE kit that doesn’t work. I may be speaking from experience.
I have dry skin too. There’s no way I can use powder foundation. What I do is slap on a ton of moisturizer and put on my foundation before it’s dry. I’m really happy with Mary Kay!
I think I just went through like 800 something comments only to realize I must not have entered the contest. Sucked.
Cracks me up! You gave birth to that little thing and from the moment they can speak they’ll swear we don’t know what we’re doing. Maybe we don’t, who knows- but the ride sure is fun. Good luck Rainbows! Have fun at Sephora.
I have the most dry skin EVER. I finally found a foundation that I love- with the help of a Sephora foundation specialist….(didn’t even know they existed before I went to NYC!) I use Christian Dior Airflash and it is awesome! It is airbrush and it lays right on top of your skin and even if you have flakes, it doesn’t show! It is so easy to put on too…either spray on your face and blend with a brush or spray directly on a brush/sponge and apply. Stays on all day…..
She is hysterical!
PS – Thanks for the make-up tip.
And I have no doubt that the Lord will bah-less your Sephora trip
HAHAHAHA I just LOVE the videos of Caroline. I just LAUGH and LAUGH and LAUGH. She’s so random and funny
Well, I forgot to post yesterday, so I figured I’d post today and try and catch you before you went to Sephora. I totally recommend the Clinique line. I can’t really give you any specific products because I have super oily skin, but they have a wide array of products to omplement every skin type. And the women who work at the Clinique counter are so helpful, they’ll be able to tell you anything and everything about the products that work for you!
And one more thing. It happens to be gift with purchase season at Clinique! If you buy so much you get the most amazing gifts. I basically buy all my makeup during gift season and have twice the makeup from the gifts! Clinique is definitely the way to go!
Oh, I love that Caroline.
And the give-away? If I thanked you 400 times it wouldn’t be enough. THANK YOU.
She is totally cool and “look at all those birds over there”
The mind travels.
She is so adorable!
LOVE Sephora…I missed your post about the make up rec’s while your at sephora check out the too faced line of foundation the one in a tube with a brush LOVES it!
LOL “dont worry about it i am totally cool” line from the video your daughter is precious OMG she just told you that you don’t know what your doing…oh my i will be gigglin for hours!
TOO Cute!
I would be much less scared to procreate if I knew I’d get one of those!
She’s so cute!
Look! Birds!
I’m a consultant with Mary Kay so here are some of my tips – for dry or oily skin it’s esp important you use a cleanser & moisturizer formulated for your skin type, it will help balance your skin out & bring you closer to a normal skin type. The mineral powder foundation we have is ground finer so it won’t leave dry skin types looking more dry or there are liquid foundations made for dry skin. Also our mineral foundation is 1/3 the cost & lasts for 6 months and I don’t have any customers who have to blend colors. I love the products – one reason I signed up was for the discount and I love sharing them with others & teaching what I’ve learned about skin care.
I hope you find products you love!
I was just about to find a new foundation – I had been using Bare Minerals and have dry skin – until I discovered their moisturizing Mineral Veil…the only thing I don’t like is that it is another step and more $, but it does keep my skin moisturized and really keeps my skin flake free! I just haven’t found anything else that has such great coverage and such a light feel. I haven’t read through the comments yet, but I’m excited to glean some good advice.
That Caroline, what a doll!
Try the Korres products while you’re at Sephora, they’re loverly!
I have a real problem. I am addicted to the google. Here ya go: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Factor,_Sr.
Don’t you just love the honesty in kids?! Caroline is to funny!
Such a cute video of your little one! She is just precious!
On the subject of makeup…maybe you would like the Smashbox powder foundation better. One of the reasons I switched from Bare Minerals to Smashbox is because it has a moisturizer built into it. I know, it seems weird to have a “powder” with a moisturizer, but it really does work! I love it!
OK, didn’t get to comment yesterday…so here’s my input! I started using Arbonne about 5 years ago and won’t use anything else. I became a consultant because I was telling all my friends about it–we are all 30 somethings that are starting to see the fun signs of aging! The Arbonne makeup is wonderful and that is all I wear. ALso have tons of friends on it.
I love, love Arbonne’s makeup primer–it makes your makeup go further, stay on longer and smooths out your skin and makes your pores look smaller before you put your makeup on.
I also love their mineral powder foundations–they are made so that they will not cake up in any fine lines or wrinkles and they are light reflecting–which helps with the appearance of any lines or wrinkles. They also have SPF in them. I’ve never had anyone say they can’t use them because of dryness so I think you would love them. Love the bronzer as well–all year long for the face and/or body if you need a sun-kissed look.
If you don’t want to go with a mineral powder again, you might want to try a liquid foundation (but I think with the right skin care set, you could really help the dryness). The Arbonne liquid foundations have SPF as well as anti-aging ingredients in them such as GABA. My 2 favorite things, though, have to be the concealer (which also has anti-aging ingredients that help relax the muscles around the eye) and the anti-aging eye cream. Those are my 2 best friends in the mornings! =) Oh, and anyone can buy them on sale and they are all botanically-based and really good for your skin.
So, that’s my input! =) Email me if you want more info but those would be my top tips! =)
Yes, I would have loved hearing everyone’s different skin types as well! As I’ve hit my 30′s my skin has decided it absolutely hates me, and I break out constantly.
Hi Big Mama. Thought you may be interested to know that there really was a Max Factor. The only reason I know this is because there’s a whole museum dedicated to him in Hollywood. Fascinating stuff. (Not really, but there is a Hamburger Hamlet right next door that made the afternoon worthwhile.)
First, let me say that I miss the Texas accent up here in the midwest. I am counting the minutes until I get back to where people sound human again! Your daughter’s accent is part of her heritage…never let her forget that! And second, Friday morning, while you are in Sephora, please take a moment and remember those of us who are (even temporarily) out of range of an actual Sephora. Count your blessings and remember us less fortunate, okay?
I have the wonderful gift of combination skin. I get to deal with patches of really dry skin as well as the oily zones!
I did notice when I lived in Texas tho, that my skin was dryer than normal (and when I say “normal” I mean Minnesota “normal” which really should be an oxymoron).
I found and used this simple <a href="http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10293973&sourceid=1500000000000007346330&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=10293973" moisturizer
in Texas that helped keep my skin next to perfect! It’s on the shelves at Walmart for only $10!
I missed yesterday’s blog, so I am a day late and a dollar short with my makeup tip, but. . .you HAVE to try Dior Show mascara, It is absolutely, without a doubt the best mascara made. Trust me on this one. Eyelashes are my thing, and I have tried them all. Dior Show all the way!
I have really dry skin too and use the BE Matte makeup. It all depends on priming your face! I really love Estee Lauder’s Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refresher. My face feels like silk when I use it and then my makeup glides on! Try it!
BE is on QVC Friday night at 10:00 PM Central.
First time commenter, love the blog! I couldn’t let you go to Sephora without piping up! I use Bare Escentuals in the summer, when my sensitive dry skin is less dry. In the winter, when I need more moisture, I use NARS Sheer Glow. It is very natural looking and sheer (as the name implies!), and much more moisturizing than powder. Hope that helps!
That child just cracks me up! She’s in the middle of her comments and then oooh look at all those birds! That cracked me up!
I’m off to just keep it cool!
When you get to the mall go straight to Saks/Neimans and try the YSL Touche Eclat highlighter. It is a cover up for your eyes that is magic! It is the only thing in my makeup bag that I cannot live without.
Hope you had fun shopping today! I didn’t find a single thing at Nordstrom…..bummer.
Clinique makes a fantastic tinted moisturizer for those of us who are moisture-impaired. As I’ve just left the “late 30s” category, I find that regular foundation tends to make my wrinkles . . . er, smile lines . . . show up more. The tinted moisturizer works much better on my aging skin.
)
Children, you can’t live with em, you can’t live without them! Adorable! Good luck on the makeup quest, will be waiting to hear the verdict for sure. May want to search for some online coupons prior to departure, it may help ease the pain a bit…
One more thing, try Philosophy Hope in a Jar for some moisture. Too much for my oily skin, but my best friend can’t live without it!
Sephora!! I am only a little (a lot!) jealous. Our mall is supposed to be opening one…we’ll see if it happens.
I love how Caroline was in the middle of a sentence and made a complete transition into “hey do you see all those birds over there?”
“Keep it, cool” tonight.
I enjoyed the comments yesterday too. I am also out of foundation and I was trying to decide if I go with my favorite Bare Minerals or if it was time to try something new. After I read the comments, I recommitted to my love, went and got the new supply and added on a highly recommended mineral veil that goes on top. I bought and I will now try it out. I am intrigued. I love the foundation, the blush is my favorite (lasts for-EVER) and the eyeshadow. I am pumped about an addition. I can tell you I am also a fan of many origins products.
Go Mighty Rainbows and their solo coach!
The videos are my favorite.
I love her last sentence! “You don’t know what you’re doing but dad does” hahaha. classic. She is too much!
I totally missed yesterday’s post, but I can’t NOT tell you about the two most amazing beauty products. And this is coming from a woman who isn’t big on make-up at all. Both are made by Benefit- “Some Kind of Gorgeous” and “Benetint” (all their products have hilarious names). The Some Kind of Gorgeous is like a foundation, except much lighter, which I love, because it gives you the coverage and smoothness of foundation without it looking like you’re wearing makeup. Benetint is a berry-colored stain that you can use on your cheeks or lips, and it’s just this sweet, subtle pink that perks a tired complextion right up. LOOOOOOVE these two products! (I should be a saleswoman for Benefit, apparently!)
Loved the video- hilarious!
There was a Max Factor and his great grandsons introduced the world to Smashbox Cosmetics. Here’s a little tidbit for ya, they created their own make up line because they were photographers (and a bunch of other things like modeling agency) who didn’t like the cosmetics that were out in the world. So fashion forward men that they are, they created their own makeup to suit their photography needs. I.E. so that the models foreheads wouldn’t be too shiny or what have you…
I loved that she talks about the birds right in the middle of her talk on soccer. Now I know how people feel when they are listening to me!
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