MAC Makeup

MAC Fafi: The Things I Do For Love

February 10th, 2008 by Karen 137 Comments

“…you see, I’m a beauty writer, and I’d like to share pictures of the MAC Fafi display and some swatches on my blog.”

“Yeah, well, I’m sorry, but you can’t take pictures in here.”

“Please, is there any possible way? These are die hard, loyal MAC fans, and I’d really like to let them see color swatches of the line. They are so excited, and most of them intend to spend a lot of money on it. I could give a special mention to your store…”

“Sorry, NO! It’s policy. I can’t let you do that.”

Note to file: ’tis usually a BAD IDEA to tell a journalist “no” because come hell or high water, she’ll find a way to get what she wants. Behold, the forbidden MAC Fafi display:

Approaching the MAC store yesterday my spider sense started tingling. I knew deep in my veins the powers-that-be would not let me get swatches and take pictures of Fafi without a fight. I had El Hub, my getaway driver and co-conspirator, circle around the block a few times, with me ducked down in the passenger seat beside him, so I could case the joint before embarking upon the mission. Peering into the store as we circled the block, I could see what I’d be up against.

Inside were four makeup artists busy with six customers. I contemplated my Fafi swatch strategy and decided I had two options:

First, there was Option 1, codenamed “Guerilla Warfare.” I would enter the store and immediately start snapping pictures and then play dumb the moment the employees shut me down (“My bad, I didn’t know I couldn’t take pictures, sorry!”).

Option 2, codenamed “Smooth Operator,” would require better timing and more finesse than Option 1. I would enter the store, introduce myself, make nice, and then charm my way into being allowed to take a few snapshots. I’ve pulled this one off many times before; it’s harder work, but when executed correctly can pay off in the end. You know the drill: you get more bees with honey.

For this mission, I chose Option 2. El Hub double parked the getaway car in front of the store, we said our goodbyes, and off I went.

Unfortunately, it didn’t quite work out the way I’d hoped it would. After being told three times that I couldn’t take any display pics, I took out my trusty camera and shot hella pictures of the display when nobody was watching, ha!

When I asked if I could swatch the products, I got shut down yet again. Undeterred, I meticulously applied color swatches to my arm. I could tell a few of the makeup artists were on to me. “I just want to see what the colors look like against my skin tone,” I replied with a smile. “Aren’t those Paint Pots to die for?”

After I finished swatching the entire Fafi line (with the exception of the nail polishes) onto my left arm, I waited until all of the makeup artists were busy with customers, and then calmly walked out the front door.

Outside, I spotted El Hub behind the wheel of the getaway car and booked it!

Without further ado (drumroll, please!), below are the forbidden Fafi swatches.

The pics are kinda ghetto, I know. The James Bond-like conditions weren’t ideal, but I did the best I could!

MAC Fafi Paint Pots from left to right ($16.50 each): Cash Flow, Perky, Layin’ Low, Girl Friendly, Nice Vice, Rollickin’

MAC Fafi Eyeshadow Quads from left to right ($36): Fafi Eyes 1, Fafi Eyes 2

MAC Fafi Lipglasses from left to right ($14): Squeeze It, Sugar Trance, Cult Fave, Totally It

MAC Fafi Powder Blush from left to right ($17.50): Fashion Frenzy, Hipness
MAC Fafi Iridescent Powders from left to right ($21): Verve-Acious, Sassed Up, Belightful
mac-cosemtics-fafi-powder-blush-iridescent-powder-final.jpg

MAC Fafi Lipsticks left to right ($14): High Top, Strawbaby, Not So Innocent, Flash-n-Dash, Fun ‘N’ Sexy, Utterly Frivolous

Ahhhh, yes, MAC Fafi. The things I do for love…

The MAC Cosmetics Fafi Collection drops February 13th, so check your MAC Counter or your favorite free standing store. Just don’t tell them you’ve got a camera on you, yo!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

If you liked this post, check out MAC Makeup Tips: MAC Does Makeup for Music, Too and A Kryolan Makeover, aka Adventures in Theater Makeup. 🙂

Au Revoir Fashion Week: Thanks for the Super-Blended Eye

February 8th, 2008 by Karen 22 Comments

I love NY Fashion Week as much as the next girl, but it feels weird lusting after fall looks in the middle of winter. One look that has warmed my winter heart this year is a variation on a classic.

The NY runway makeup gods have decreed that we all must bask in the glory that is the smokey eye! The variation I’m referring to is called the “super-blended eye,” and, according to MAC VP of Makeup Artistry Gordon Espinet, we should expect to see a lot of it in all our favorite magazines come fall.

The super-blended eye at the Monique L’huillier Ready-To-Wear show this week

“There hasn’t been a lot of hard lines [on the runway] in terms of how eyes are done,” says Gordon. In a super-blended eye, colors and lines are blended to perfection.

It takes the right brushes to create this layered, seamless look. Gordon suggests MAC’s 219, 224, 252 and 242.

The trick is layering products with different textures. Gordon usually begins by rimming the eyes with a dark pencil, which he then covers with a layer of matte shadow.

On top of the matte, he adds a product with sheen, like one of MAC’s pigments. “From there you take a soft blending brush like a 242 and blend all the edges all out,” says Gordon. Play with blending and mixing different colors, like navy blue and purple, or maybe purple and brown.

Ultimately, what you’re striving for is a smooth transition from one color and texture into the next, like what you’d see in the iridescence of a peacock’s feathers or the coloring on the back of a scarab beetle.

Are you feeling this? Yea or nay? I think it’s pretty.

How has your week been? Are you ready for the weekend? I’m excited about getting my roots done this afternoon. They’ve been tow up for way too long.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Fashion Week Runway Tips: Smokey Eyes 101

February 3rd, 2008 by Karen 42 Comments

Smokey eyes are all over the frickin’ place at NY Fashion Week. Check it: warm brown smokey eyes and neutral lips at the Boy By Band of Outsiders show.

Le sigh… I both love and hate this at the same time. Love it because it’s really pretty and sexy (and dare I say, smoldering); hate it because for the life of me I can’t get it right. I’ve got two left feet (hands?) when it comes to doing smokey eye looks. I aim for “stylish rave vampire” but end up more “barefoot Britney walking into a gas station restroom.”

There are times when I feel like your friendly neighborhood beauty addict won’t ever prevail over the elusive smokey eye. She’ll be forced to hang up her brushes to live a life of smokey eye-free debauchery.

Despite my proclamations of klutziness, Gordon Epsinet, Vice President of Makeup Artistry for MAC Cosmetics, insists that just about anyone (even me) can do a hot smokey eye.

How to get the look

“To do a beautiful smokey eye you must start with a fabulous dark pencil,” says Gordon. “You have to have MAC Smolder [eyeliner]. “It blends beautifully together with shadows and cream colors and MAC paints as well.”

“Start with lots of black pencil on the eye,” says Gordon. “Apply the pencil around the rim of the eye first, then blend it with the #219 brush, which looks like a fat little pencil.”

“You’re going to blend that, smudge it in a bit, so it looks like a smokey stain.”

Next, blend a dark brown eyeshadow into the black liner to create a mix of brown and black colors. Blend the brown shadow over the black pencil stain you just created. Gordon suggests using…

MAC Espresso

MAC Brun

MAC Mystery

For this I chose MAC Brun, and here’s what it looks like after I blended it on top of Smolder.

Gordon then suggests using a MAC #224 brush (a soft, fluffy, tapered brush), to blend a lighter eyeshadow into and above the dark brown layer you just created. His favorite colors are…

MAC Kid

MAC Soba

I have a MAC #224 but find it gets shadow all over the place, so I ended up using a Billy B Paint Brush #6 to apply Soba over the Brun/Smolder mix.

Ultimately, says Gordon, the final look should have the darkest colors at the lash line, and the colors should transition into lighter colors the farther you get away from the lashline.

And here I am in the final look. The only thing missing from this picture is a black beret and a copy of On the Road.

Okay, okay, this wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be. With a lil’ bit of practice, I think I’ll be able to get the color transitions to look more subtle and smoother. Come fall I’ll be ready to rock it with the other trendsetters.

Speaking of smokin’, the other night I watched Donnie Darko for the umpteenth time and was reminded of how totally unfair it is for Jake Gyllenhaal to be so hot. Why doesn’t he call and ask me to make out with him?

Of course I’d say no (married, hi), but it would still be nice to be asked.

Anyway, if you’re hunkered down in front of a TV watching the Superbowl, I’ll be with you in spirit. Besides the tight pants and the prospect of eating profound amounts of junk food, I don’t care much for the big game, so I’ll be out and about running errands today. Eat a hot dog for me!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Your weekend ain’t over yet! Here are the best posts o’ the week from the Beauty Blog Network…[Continue reading…]

Fashion Week Runway Tips: Achieve a Perfect Dark Lip

February 1st, 2008 by Karen 42 Comments

It’s NY Fashion Week, ya’all, and rich lips and smokey eyes have already made appearances on the runway.

Don’t be scurred to wear a dark lip in real life. With a little help from Gordon Espinet, Vice President of Makeup Artistry for MAC Cosmetics, you can pull it off.

How to get the look…

Begin by lining your lips with a lip-colored pencil. If you’re tempted to use black liner (LOL, like I did in the early 90s), resist. “You’ll have a monster of a time trying to blend it away,” says Gordon. “Use a lip pencil that’s the natural color of your lip but slightly darker. I always recommend something like MAC Spice or Stripdown.” What you want is a neutral, forgiving color that’s easy to work with.

Choose a dark burgundy or brown lipstick like…

MAC Photo – Golden brown
MAC Film Noir – Intense brown
MAC Diva – Intense reddish burgundy

What’s Gordon’s favorite dark lip color? “There’s one lipstick that I absolutely adore,” he says, “and it’s called Paramount. It’s one of those lipsticks that got parked for awhile there because browns and dark lips fell out of favor.” But Paramount is back with a vengeance!

Use a lip brush. The lip brush is your best friend, especially when doing dark lips. Gordon advises against applying directly from the tube because it creates the tendency to over-apply. “If you have on too much dark lipstick it can look, well, threatening!” Gordon’s lip brush of choice? — the MAC #316.

Start brushing from the center of your mouth, right where your lips touch. It’s where you’ll want the strongest color. To avoid harsh lines, spread the product from the center of your mouth, up or down, fading toward the lip line.

Take care not to build an overly dark lip outline, says Gordon. “You know you don’t want to look like a goth vampire. It’s really about having a mouth that may be dark but still sensual.”

Ultimately, the look you want is somewhere between matte and shiny. If you’re struggling with excessive shine, blot with a tissue to take it down a notch.

Straight off the runway! Just kidding… more like straight from my living room!

In the pic above I only used one layer of MAC Paramount. If you want a deeper lip, you can always add more layers to intensify the color.

What do you think? Sexy or scary? Discuss.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

NY Fashion Week Exclusive: MAC VP of Makeup Artistry Dishes on What to Expect

January 31st, 2008 by Karen 24 Comments

New York Fashion Week starts tomorrow! It’s a little weird for me to think about trends for Fall 2008 when I’m itching so badly for spring to arrive, but, alas, makeup and fashion wait for no one.

MAC Cosmetics is doing the makeup for the shows this year. Earlier this week I spoke with the fabulous Gordon Espinet, Vice President of Makeup Artistry for MAC Cosmetics, to get the skinny on the big makeup trends we’ll be seeing on the runway. Gordon really knows what’s up.

What big makeup trends can we expect to see on the runway for Fall 2008?

“All the elements of beauty that we think of in classic glamor are definitely going to be playing a big key for the whole beauty story for the fall,” says Gordon. Picture the classic Hollywood film star look — think Rita Hayworth and Lauren Bacall.

French film noir actress Simone Simon — Look for her look on the runways!

Pretty, yah? Are you feeling de ja vu/vu ja de? Yes, we’ve seen this look before. Over the past few seasons, dark lips, smokey eyes and flawless matte skin reminiscent of classic Hollywood glam have been huge trends on the runway, but they featured more greys and blues (which will still be big this spring). For fall, however, Gordon predicts a subtle shift away from cooler neutral colors to warmer earth tones — shades of burgundy and brown.

Rich, dark lips

Sorry, lipgloss lovers, gloss won’t be staging a comeback any time soon. “Everybody is moving definitely towards lipstick,” says Gordon. Look for lots of bold reds like burgundy, and brown lipstick colors like…

MAC Paramount (holla!) – Reddish brown
MAC Photo – Golden brown
MAC Film Noir – Intense brown
MAC Diva – Intense reddish burgundy

As far as matte lips, the looks you’ll see won’t be as extreme as the dark matte lip look of the 90s, though. “It’s really about a natural matte lip,” says Gordon. “It’s matte, but definitely much more wearable.”

Smokey eyes

Guess what kind of eyes we’ll see paired with these rich, dark lips? Why, brown smokey eyes, of course, so keep an eye out for lots of browns and burgundy.

Matte skin

Flawless matte skin rages on! — skin that looks perfectly groomed, elegant and glamorous.

“We’re defintely not going to be seeing a lot of shiny glossy skin,” says Gordon. “If there is sheen it’s going to be very specific — not all over the face, but maybe a touch of sheen on the top of the cheekbone, or on the center of the bridge of the nose.” Note: Applying sheen to specific areas adds dimension to a flawless matte skin look.

Lashes

You can’t have old Hollywood glam without big, larger-than-life lashes. Mascara and false lashes will be falling from the sky, yo!

Brows

The film stars of the 40s were famous for highly arched, overly-tweezed eyebrows. Thank jeebus that isn’t something that Gordon thinks we’ll see this year on the runway. “We’re definitely moving towards a natural-looking brow,” says Gordon. Expect well groomed (but not necessarily dark) brows that aren’t too thick or too thin.

Cheeks

Don’t expect a lot of bright cheek colors (boo!). “It’s much more about a sculpted cheek,” says Gordon. “So colors like MAC Taupe blush are a must have. It’s really about shading the cheek bone versus adding color to it.”

Stay tuned for more Makeup and Beauty Blog coverage of NY Fashion Week, on location in rainy San Francisco, yea!

And how are you feeling about these fall looks? I am so excited about the return of browns and burgundy lipsticks! After I did this interview with Gordon I went to the MAC counter and purchased a tube of my first MAC lipstick love, Paramount. The last time I wore it was in 1998 (omfg, that’s a decade ago)! I have so many memories connected to this lipstick because I wore it throughout the 90s, during my formative college years. Do you have a lipstick you feel a special connection to?

I hope your Thursday is going well. Hold on, ya’ll! We’re almost there!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Makeup Tutorial: Russian Red, an Ode to Madge

January 22nd, 2008 by Karen 77 Comments

I’m not shy about my obsessions — Christian Bale (marry me!), the MAC 266 brush and the Terminator series (more on this later) — but by far the deepest of my frivolous obsessions is for our Madge-esty almighty, Madonna, an obsession I’ve harbored since the tender age of eight.

When I finally got my hands on MAC’s Russian Red lipstick from the MAC Originals collection, I had a minor Madonna fan freak-out moment. Madge rocked the Russian Red in her late-80s Blonde Ambition era. Remember the Express Yourself and Vogue videos? I taped them on MTV and replayed the sh*t out of both until my mom yelled at me to “turn it off!” Parents just don’t understand.

For Madonna’s Blonde Ambition Tour, Russian Red accompanied all the over-the-top costumes designed by Jean Paul Gaultier.

I remain 1,343,555,432,543 degrees of separation from Madonna, but at least I can wear her lipstick. So, in honor of my favorite pop star of all time, here’s a tutorial of a look I did with MAC Russian Red lipstick, along with other products from the Originals Collection (Daisychain eyeshadow, Ochre Style eyeshadow and Melon Pigment).

Here’s the finished look (complete with mole)! I call it the “Ode to Madge.” LOL!

Step-by-step tutorial: “Ode to Madge”

First, grab your brushes, your products and find a nice spot to work. [Continue reading…]

Be Brown, Not Boring, with MAC Originals

January 15th, 2008 by Karen 55 Comments

What can brown do for you?

If I had a nickel for every time I rocked the brown eye shadow back in the day I’d be a rich woman. Even though I’ve recently ventured into brighter colors like blues and greens, I’ll always have a place in my heart for my first eye shadow love — beautiful, basic brown.

Brown may be neutral, but it doesn’t have to be boring. Brown doesn’t mean you can get away with yawn-worthy makeup, young lady. The face of the day below, inspired by the Avarice face chart from MAC’s Originals collection, shows that brown can still be fun.

Get the look…

Eyes

Brows – MAC Concrete eyeshadow
Browbone – MAC Bare Canvas Paint and MAC Daisychain eyeshadow
Lid – MAC Groundwork Paint Pot
Outer corners – MAC Clue eyeshadow
Crease – MAC Ochre Style eyeshadow and MAC A Little Folie eyeshadow
Upper lashline – MAC Coffee eye pencil
Lower lashline – MAC Clue eyeshadow
Lashes – MAC Plushlash in Black

When I wear different shades of brown at the same time, I choose browns in the same tonal family (cool browns with cool browns, warm browns with warm browns) that don’t have a lot of contrast between them. This makes them easier for me to blend.

The only semi-difficult part about this eye look was getting the darkest brown, A Little Folie, into the crease with a MAC 219 brush, a brush I have a love/hate relationship with. Used to apply a fine line of color in the crease or underneath the eye, the 219’s pencil tip-shaped brush head doesn’t always distribute color evenly. It could be faulty design, but more than likely it’s because I haven’t discovered the brush’s sweet spot yet. Using the 219 well takes a lot of practice.

Despite the range of products I used for this look, the whole thing took about 10 minutes because there wasn’t any complicated layering or lining of the waterline (which for me can take SO MUCH TIME).

Cheeks

Cheeks – Shu Uemura Glow on Blushes in M Brown 73 and P Gold 93D.

The original Avarice face chart called for Raizin blush (a gold reddish-brown matte) and Reflects Blackened Red Glitter, but I don’t own Raizin, and Reflects Blackened Red looks terrible on me, so I opted for two Shu Uemura Glow On blushes instead.

Lips

Lipstick – MAC Rozz Revival
Lipgloss – MAC Avarice Lipglass

I’m a total klutz, so it took me forever and a day to get this red lippy going. My biggest issue? I couldn’t get the Rozz Revival to apply evenly, and because I didn’t use a lip liner the Rozz was revival-ing all over the place. I resorted to applying two layers of it and one layer of Avarice Lipglass with a MAC 316 covered lip brush. Next time I’m going to use a lip-colored pencil, like MAC Pink Treat Cremestick Liner, to make it easier!

Don’t miss…

Clue eyeshadow. When I first swatched this I wasn’t moved, but after I got it on my eye I totes fell in love. A mid-tone dirty grey with silver pearl, this eyeshadow has a pretty finish, soft texture and is very easy to work with. For a simple, subtle grey eye, I use Groundwork Paint Pot over the entire lid and then swipe Clue from the lashline into the crease. I give my lashes a quick curl, add two coats of mascara and I’m done!

Rozz Revival lipstick.When I think of red lipstick I usually think of sophisticated and serious looks, but Rozz Revival is a fresh, young and fun twist on red. With a high shine, lustre finish, this watermelon reddish pink lippie would look great with a tan! I can’t wait for summer!

Coffee eye pencil. This pencil is a fantastic deep brown with no red or orange tones. Even though it isn’t a Technakohl, I love it because it’s soft and easy to blend.

Are ya rocking the browns today, or did you go crazy with color?

I’m in the middle of my first cup of coffee and the caffeine is starting to work its magic – wheeeee! I hope you’re Tuesday is off to a fantastic start!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Moisturelush Cream: Say Buh-bye to Dry

January 13th, 2008 by Karen 30 Comments

Lately, my skin has been drier than the Sahara. In my 20s (*ahem!*), I never thought about moisturizing. I had oily skin. To protect against sun damage, I would apply a layer of Oil of Olay Complete SPF 15 in the morning, but that was it.

Now, however, I’m in my early-30s, and dry skin, especially on my face, is one of my top skin concerns. Turns out that as we get older, skin tends to get drier. The glands that produce oil under our skin don’t work as well as they used to; that causes skin cells to clump together in flakes and scales (oh, joy!) and dulls our complexion.

Everyone’s skin changes with age, but for women dry skin strikes earlier than it does for men. Guys experience moisture loss in their skin later in life than women do. A woman’s skin tends to become considerably drier after menopause. Thankfully, there’s moisturizer.

How to spot dry skin…

Ordinary dry skin is known as xerosis. It’s not serious but can be seriously not cute to look at, especially when it causes fine lines and wrinkles. The severity of one’s dry skin problems varies depending on age, hydration (drink that water, ya’all!), overall health, genetics, the climate where you live and the amount of time you spend outside.

Typical symptoms of dry skin due to normal aging are…

Skin tightness, especially after showering, bathing or swimming
Skin that looks dull or dehydrated
Skin that feels and looks rough
Itching
Slight to severe flaking, scaling or peeling
Fine lines or cracks
Unusual redness

Frequent causes of dry skin…

Some people inherit dry skin problems, so if mom and dad are always slathering on the lotion, chances are you’ll eventually find yourself in the same boat.

And a lot of people don’t realize that dry skin can be a worse problem in winter than it is in summer. The closer temps get to freezing, the lower the amount of moisture in the air outside, but indoors, central heating and air conditioners, wood-burning stoves, space heaters and fireplaces also lower indoor humidity and make dry skin even worse.

It’s raining moisture, hallelujah!

Here in NorCal, it’s chilly outside and the heater is on 24-7. Lately, the skin on my face has been so tight and uncomfortable, and I’ve developed a few red, dry patches that not even my tried-and-true Clinique Moisture On-line moisturizer was able to heal.

I was nervous to try MAC Moisturelush Cream because I had a bad incident with MAC Green Gel Cleanser last spring that left me with a less-than-stellar opinion of MAC’s skin care products. Lord knows I loves me some MAC, but I wasn’t a believer in their skin care line. Since “the incident,” I’ve been hesitant to try anything new from them.

But I sucked it up, took a chance, and I’m sure glad I did. Both Moisturelush Cream and its eye cream counterpart deliver the goods. Both have made a huge difference in my skin, and they haven’t broken me out (…yet, knock on wood!). If you need heavy duty moisturization with no anti-aging bells and whistles, then run — don’t walk — to your MAC counter and snag both of these moisturizing miracles ASAP!

Product: MAC Moisturelush Cream
Price: $30
Use: As a hydrating cream for face and neck
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+

Official Moisturelush Cream Product Profile:
A densely hydrating face cream that helps to moisturize and protect facial skin. This new formula provides immediate moisturization while creating soft and luscious skin. Provides rich lasting moisture, moisturizes dry, chapped skin and maintains skins natural barrier. Glides on easily with a a silky application and ample playtime. This comfortable, non-drying formula helps create an even surface for smothh, more perfect makeup application. Apply to face, morning and night, after cleansing.

Moisturelush Cream is half way between a face lotion and a face balm (thicker than Clinique’s Moisture Online, but thinner than Creme de La Mer). Because it’s thicker than a typical face cream, I have to spend a minute working it in. It has a light floral scent and feels great as it sinks in, so I don’t mind spending the time. Unlike most heavy-duty moisturizers, Moisturelush is smooth without being sticky, which means I can use it on my neck too!

My skin feels drenched in moisture after using it. Just a tiny bit of this on my face and neck and my skin feels happy.

Product: MAC Moisturelush Eye Cream
Price: $28.50
Use: As a hydrating eye balm
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+

Official Moisturelush Eye Cream Product Profile:
A densely hydrating eye cream that helps to de-puff while it lifts and firms the area around the eyes. This new formula provides immediate cushion and luminous optics provide a rejuvenating glow. Opthamologist and dermatologist teseted. Non-Acnegenic. Apply to clean, dry skin under and around the eye, morning and night.

Moisturelush Eye Cream also really surprised me. I put it to the test by applying it to a dry, red patch that I’ve had on my left eyelid for the past two weeks. Within two days of using this the dry patch disappeared.

Moisturelush Eye Cream is thicker than the regular Moisturelush cream and more like an eye balm (which is thicker) than an eye cream. Because it’s so dense, I have to spend even more time working it into the skin than I do with the regular cream, but, like the regular cream, it has the same light, floral scent and soothing feeling, so I really don’t mind. Also like the face cream, it doesn’t leave a greasy film yet is still intensely hydrating.

A few heavy duty eye creams have left me with pimples on my eyelids, but so far my eyes have remained zit free. I haven’t noticed any de-puffing, though, but my eyes weren’t that puffy to start with, so that’s not a big deal for me.

I’m really hoping that both of these products continue to work as well as they have for me. If you have dry, sensitive skin like I do, I think you’ll love ’em both.

They’re moderately priced for department store creams, and because I only have to use a little bit of each, I’m guessing one jar of each will last at least eight months. If you’re on a budget and need to decide between the two, then go for the eye cream. It’s slightly more moisturizing than the face cream, and you can use it to spot treat dry areas like around the nostrils and mouth.

Thank you all for your well wishes while I was sick. I’m feeling sooo much better now, and I’m extra psyched today because the sun is shining and all I see are blue skies!

Hope your Sunday has been moisturized and mellow.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen