One of my friends swears by her all-in-one, which (if you’re like me and had never heard of this before) is a wide tube of makeup that looks a little like an overgrown lipstick.  She says it works for eyes, lips, and cheeks, and for some reason, this totally works for her.  I don’t know how she pulls it off, but somehow this “all-in-one” manages to look different on all different areas of her face, and it’s not like she’s trying some weird monochromatic runway experiment.

Intrigued, I decided to give the all-in-one a try, so I went to Sephora for a test-drive. First problem:  I’m pale, and I’m not exactly sure what color is going to suit me the best, even though most of the products claim to be appropriate for “all skin types.”  While true in theory, I found the practice of this to be a little touch and go: for instance, if I use nothing but pink on my face, am I going to look like Tinkerbell?  Why do some of the all-in-ones have glitter in them?   Do people put glitter on their faces to go out in the regular world now?  Where have I been?  Why don’t I have olive skin like my friend, for whom buying makeup is so delightfully simple?  I swear she uses one of these sticks and an eyebrow pencil, and walks out the door looking great. 

I spent some time experimenting with a number of different popular all-in-ones, and was glad to find one that did a decent job of acting as blush and lipstick on me.  Maybe it’s because I’m pale and blonde, but I think I would have a hard time actually using something that was pink as my only eye shadow without some kind of brown base over or under it.  So, even though this is arguably the most popular “all in one” product, and technically it’s just supposed to be used to “brighten, highlight, and contour,” I would still say I need an “all in one, plus a few more.” 

Final verdict:  I think the “all in one” can be used if you’re pale like me, but it has to be combined with other products.  However, it does look great on my dark-haired friend, so this is just one blonde’s opinion. 

Eyebrows are some people’s thing, right?  Gwen Stefani seems like she gives her brows a lot of attention,  Brooke Shields is famous for hers, and I have some friends who cannot go a day without plucking.

I went through a (very) brief eyebrow phase at the end of college, when skinny, barely-there brows were all the rage.  As I recall, I spent a great deal of time over plucking, then drawing a tiny line back in.  Finally, my mother talked some sense into me, and after some months of “patchy, growing-in brows,” I returned to the normal-looking, blondish-brown brows of today—in other words, somewhat boring and barely noticeable.  I’m pretty sure they’re not unsightly or detracting from my overall aesthetic in any way (I have some friends who are very honest in these types of situations, and one of them would have told me to regulate, if you know what I mean).   But—I wonder sometimes—is there something more I could be doing?

Before you even mention waxing in order to give them some more shape, allow me to add that I am horribly allergic to wax, and that the mere mention of brow waxing causes me to break out in an unsightly rash unsightly.  I’ve had a professional eyebrow shaping/ plucking once or twice in my life, and while I was thrilled with the overall result, the money spent and pain level pretty much ruled that out as a long-term option.  Why, might I add, does it hurt so darn much when someone else plucks your eyebrows?  Yowch!

So, for some time now, I’ve been thinking about how I can better utilize the face-framing power of the brows.  I believe I’m going to try a brow-archer to guide me in my (minimal) plucking efforts.  I figure, more shape can’t be a bad thing, right?

So—what about you?  Are you a brow-care junkie, or still not quite sure to what to do with that part of your face?  Do you pluck/ wax, then pencil, or do you have some other cool thing I’ve never heard of? Please, don’t be shy!

I got my twice-yearly haircut recently, and my hairdresser-lady told me something so shocking, so foreign to my ears, that she could actually have said “wash your hair with applesauce” and it would’ve made more sense to me.

What shocking thing did my hairdresser say, you might ask?

She told me to stop washing my hair so much.  

Now—ok.  Am I wrong here?  When you’re a kid, aren’t you taught to take a shower and wash your hair at least once a day, for personal hygiene purposes and so you don’t scare your classmates?  Isn’t daily hair-washing de rigueur?  

Apparently not.  Because, I kid you not, the minute I switched to every other day, my hair has literally never looked better.  Apparently waiting at least one day in between washings gives your hair a chance to redistribute its natural oils, and makes your haircut last longer.   Apparently for curly-haired people, frequent washing is what causes frizziness.  In fact, my hairdresser told me that I could go MORE than a few days, just putting conditioner in my hair, and it would probably look even better.  I have yet to try this for more than two days, because by the third I just feel….gross, you know what I mean?  While other people may not know how long it’s been since I thoroughly washed my hair, I know.

So—is this a huge secret?  Are all of you washing your hair every three days and not telling me?  Am I the only one who’s been faithfully washing away my hair’s cuticles every day?

Do tell!  I am shocked!

Well, it’s been three long months, but after many false starts, lost water bottles, and some time spent figuring out where all the restrooms are in my neighborhood and office, I think I’ve finally done it—I’ve actually managed to reach the coveted goal of “drinking enough water,” which, in my case, is about 100 oz. per day.  Shocking, I know!   Now, bear in mind, my “magic water number” might be higher than yours, because I work out every day and drink a little caffeine, but here’s how you might find your “number”—divide your weight by 2 (for your eyes only), and use this as your water “baseline.”  So, if you weighed 130 pounds, your “baseline” would be 65 oz of water per day.  Then figure out how much caffeine and / or alcohol you drink, and try to drink at least that much water per day as well.  THEN drink more for exercise.

Feeling waterlogged yet?  Once I got the hang of it, I started noticing the subtle benefits—more energy, better digestion, I can think more clearly, and generally I feel better.  Also, my skin looks the best its looked since I was in high school, I’m sleeping better than I have in years, and I seem to be less hungry overall.  I also got a few comments from friends, to the effect of “you look great!  What’s your secret?”  

I feel a little silly admitting that the fountain of youth was literally my (filtered water) faucet, but I have been extolling the virtues of increased water consumption ever since I officially “joined the club.”  My husband, a longtime water drinker, and I have now gotten my mother-in-law into it, and soon I will convince my caffeine-obsessed lawyer friend to take the water challenge as well.

So—what about you?  Are you getting your daily water requirement, or are you chronically running low on hydration?  This is one of those things you have to really put the time into to see the results, so I will throw this out there now—start drinking more water from now until the end of the year (less than two months away!), then come back to report the results!  Form the healthy habit now, and by January you’ll already have accomplished one of your New Year’s Resolutions!

I’ve mentioned before how I’m on the eternal quest for the perfect concealer—during this many-year trial and error process, I’ve managed to amass a sizable collection of different products that meet my different concealer needs at different times.  I know, this sounds crazy, but sometimes different problems need different things to conceal them, right?  Blotchy skin due to cold weather is a completely separate animal from dark undereye circles, and both of them are different than, say, an out of control acne flareup.  Plus, your skin is different colors at different times of the year, so what might be a great cover-up during the winter is way too light during summer when your face is tan, and so on.  Different strokes, people!

Anyhow, recently I was looking in my makeup drawer, thinking about how if I could invent one beauty product, it would be “smart” concealer—you know, self-adjusting, always the right consistency and color, and never wears off.   I don’t think this Miracle concealer is too much to hope for—after all, we’ve made so much progress in the past hundred years, right?  People in space, the internet, amazing advances in medical technology…..can my Miracle concealer be far behind?

This got me thinking, though—everyone’s miracle product is different.  One person’s Miracle concealer is another person’s Perfect Foundation that Never Wears Off, is another person’s Product That Keeps My Face From Being Shiny, and so on.  I’m curious—if you could invent the perfect beauty product, what would it be?  Has anything ever come close, or do you still have a drawer full of different products for the same thing?  

What is your list of Beauty Products for the Future?

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved perfume.  My mom wore Giorgio, my grandma Chanel No. 5, and I always remember thinking perfume was a sign of being a real grownup woman.  I started experimenting with it during high school, mostly with fruit-scented sprays, as I recall, and as I got older, I’d always ask for perfume for Christmas.  I tried a lot of them, and was this close to finding my signature scent when….

I met my husband, who is so allergic to perfume of all kinds!  Just walking by a person who wears any can cause him to sneeze violently for several minutes.  This problem is so bad, I even have to tear the perfumed strips out of magazines and throw them away while I’m reading them.  No perfume in my house, ever!  Never!

Hmmm…what to do?  Obviously, this wasn’t a deal-breaker— I married him and have been perfume-free ever since.  Occasionally I get nostalgic and put some on at the makeup counter at the mall just to see if he notices, which he always does—in the form of sneezing.   I still like smelling all the different scents, though, and sometimes I go to my friends’ houses and hold the different-colored bottles up to my nose wistfully.  

So—what about you?  Do you have any parts of your beauty routine that have been compromised by outside influence?  For instance, do your kids not like it when you wear makeup, or have you stopped wearing makeup because you’re busy with kids, or does your family want you to wear more?  Does your significant other prefer long hair, dark eyeshadow, or red lipstick?  When you really think about it, much of our beauty influence comes from the outside anyway, in the form of our parents, peers, and advertising.  But—do you have any others?   

I have a very important question for you-- what do you do when you get a BIG pimple right before that big presentation or the big party?  I thought I was past the age where acne should still be an issue. I drink enough water, avoid chocolate, and do whatever else I can think of to keep myself as pimple free as possible, but sometimes there are just not enough preventative measures in the world to stop a pimple from cropping up.
 
I will admit right now, I am 100% in the “pick it” camp when it comes to acne of any shape or size.  I know, I know—it’s bad for your face, it leaves scars, you shouldn’t touch it at all—but, does this stop me?  No way!  I have tried to compensate for this weakness of character by changing my habits enough so that I don’t get acne very often anymore, because I know if I do, I won’t be able to resist temptation. Even though I know it’s bad, I can’t seem to just leave it there, and go out knowing that other people are looking at what I perceive as a mountain on my face and have them wonder if I know about it (you get the picture!). 

So – what do you do when acne rears its ugly head?  Can you resist the temptation, or do you find a way to pick?  Do you run to the dermatologist at the first ache of a big blemish?  Do you use one of those fancy extractors, put toothpaste on it, or—do you have ANOTHER secret weapon that we should know about?  We’re all friends here, so do tell—what do you do when acne flares up?

I moved to a new house last year, and one of the things I like best about it is the fact that for the first time in my adult life, I have my own bathroom!  It has four drawers, a medicine cabinet, and an under-the-sink area, ALL FOR MY STUFF.  Actually, I didn’t even know I had that much stuff until we moved in, and now—fascinating!  I find I can tell what I use all the time by what ends up in the top drawer (in other words, the drawer that I end up sweeping all the stuff into when I’m getting ready to leave).

So, the other morning, I was straightening up, and happened to start counting the products I was keeping in that drawer.  I was rather surprised to find out that I’m not quite the “makeup minimalist” I thought I was—that drawer is pretty full!  In my defense, I have been acquiring a lot of new products recently as I’ve been trying to “expand my horizons.”

So-- here’s what I’ve got in there at the moment—bear in mind, this is only the “first tier” stuff that I’ve actually used recently.  Drawers Two and Three also contain products that I’m either trying out, or trying to use up (because I hate wasting stuff).

Foundation:  I’ve got two of these going at once—one for “oily skin” days, and one that I have to remember to wear with sunscreen.  Hey, nothing works every day for every person, right?

Lipstick:  Right now, I’m alternating between three lip liners and two lipsticks, although one of them is a little on the brown side and is about to be moved to Drawer Two as soon as I find another one.

Eyeshadow:  In rotation currently is a palette that I’m playing around with, trying out new colors, and three different shades of brown.  

Eyeliner:  I went a little crazy for eyeliner over the summer (as you might have noticed), and now am alternating between blue, brown, or gold on the bottom, and liquid black on the top.  It’s actually my most favorite part of my beauty routine right now!

Mascara:  Four kinds.  Yikes!  I need help.    

Powder:  I was back and forth on powder all summer.  Sometimes I like it, sometimes I think it makes my face break out, and sometimes (gasp), I think it might make me look older.  This is more true of pressed powder than loose, so pressed recently went into Drawer Two for strategic phasing out.  

Also in the “First String” drawer:  tweezers, an eyelash curler, and a bunch of hair bands.  Oh my gosh—I think I’m officially high maintenance.  

To put me out of my misery, tell me what’s in your “top drawer,” and reassure me that I’m not the only one who’s stockpiling and rotating products. 

My friends, Halloween is over, and yet—black lipstick is making a comeback.  No joke! Vogue is reporting that Yves Saint Laurent’s new Gloss Pur Black completely sold out in something like ten minutes!  Black lipstick was on display at fashion week, and now some celebrities have picked up this trend.

Maybe it’s just me, but I’m not sure this looks good on anyone but THE most fashion forward and despite my beauty open-mindedness, I think I’m going to have to put “black lipstick” on the list of trends that I can safely say I don’t believe would work for me this season. That, along with those rolled at the bottom “boyfriend” jeans we keep seeing on Katie Holmes, and the pair of half-boots I’m trying out that keep falling off my feet while I’m walking.

Sparkly blue eyeshadow, I was willing to try.  Gold eyeliner didn’t look great on me, but I took it out for a test drive.  If you’ll recall, I even went WAY outside my comfort zone and wore red lipstick for a few days to see if it would “change my life” like it does for some people.  But…black lipstick?  I just can’t do it.  I can only imagine the anxiety it would bring me: “Is it smudged?  Is it on my teeth?” I would love to hear about anyone out there that has managed to incorporate this trend into their beauty routine!  

Now that we’re clear on my anti black-lipstick stance, I’d like to hear about YOUR beauty and fashion no-nos. Have you seen any beauty trends recently that you’re positive would never work for you?

Can you believe how fast this year has gone by?  It literally seems like just yesterday we were talking about “summerizing” your beauty routine, and now—bam!  November!  Now, granted, I live most of the time in Los Angeles, where you’d be hard-pressed to tell what season it was just from going outside, due to the consistent 75 – 80 degree temperatures.    The consistent fair weather is nice, but it does have one side effect—when I travel to other states that have actual seasons, I am always woefully unprepared, and end up with dry, chapped skin from the cold, puffy eyes from the internal heating, and static-y hair that will not be pacified.    I’m not talking about snow boots and heavy jackets, people—I’m talking Winter Beauty Preparedness 911!

This seemed easier to adjust to when I was actually living in cold temperatures—or maybe I was just so used to it, it didn’t faze me.  Now, I have to pack a separate bag of winter-related beauty products, just to keep myself looking halfway-decent in the colder climates.

Just so I can prepare myself for the holiday travel and the havoc it’s going to wreak on my beauty routine, please share!  What are you doing to “winterize” this season?  Here are some places I’m going to start, but I’m totally open to suggestions!

•    Dry Skin – Even in Los Angeles, as the air gets colder, the moisturizer comes out.  My husband (king of dry hands) has already broken out his heavy-duty winter lotion.  I stick with what I usually use, just increase the frequency.  Also, I’ve noticed that I drink more water as it gets colder (perhaps to help hydrate from the inside?)

•    Static hair – During very cold winter months, I am always that person whose hair is standing straight up from static electricity.  My hairdresser recently told me to try leaving a little conditioner in my hair (at least on the ends), to help keep it from drying out during the winter.  I have tried this a couple of times, but am still getting used to the “moisturized” look because it makes my hair look a little weighed down and heavy.  Another trick I’ve also learned to de-static hair is to rub it with a dryer sheet. This totally works! I now carry them around with me during the winter when I travel to cold places.  

•    Color – I’m starting to see “winter” hues in stores, and even though I live in a perpetually tan and sun-drenched environment, I want to make sure I’m prepared.  I’m thinking smudgy gray eyes and light lips are going to be my winter staples.  Are you switching your pallette over?  

Winterizing tips, please!  

So, did you watch the Emmys this year?  I always watch at least the pre-show, to see the dresses, hair, and makeup.  This year the red carpet seemed positively filled with red lips and smoky eyes; there was barely a neutral face in the bunch!

Who were the standouts?  I thought America Ferrara from Ugly Betty looked great this year, in a black strapless gown and red lipstick.    Mary-Louise Parker was also rocking the red lips (with a pale blue dress).

I’m so curious about this, actually—do you tailor your makeup to complement your nighttime outfit, or do you just apply the tried and true “make it a little heavier” standard if you’re going out at night?  Since (presumably) we don’t all have makeup artists at our beck and call, this is a topic where I need some guidance.  I travel pretty often and have to attend dinner functions, some of which are dressy.  While I have my evening attire (little black dress / black suit) pretty much figured out, I feel like I flounder on the right “nighttime makeup,” and always end up doing the “more of same.”  For example, I use a little more eyeshadow and make my lips a little darker, but essentially, I look like daytime-self, with a little extra.  Is that wrong?

So—anyone have a special night-time beauty ritual I should know about, or is everyone just doing the “put it on a little bit heavier when the sun goes down” trick?  I mean, do you wear eyeliner on special occasions, or do you have special perfume?  

I’m serious—in this area I am almost totally clueless, so please let me know if you consider glitter eye shadow an evening staple, or if there’s a special store for nighttime makeup.  I’m lost! -- Edited by loriculwell at 11/06/2008 1:22 PM PST

Have you noticed that Katie Holmes’ hair is getting shorter and shorter, seemingly by the month?   With celebrity sites speculating that she’s trying to look more “mature,” in three short years Holmes has gone from long-haired Joey Potter on Dawson’s Creek to pixie-cut Broadway Star and Mrs. Tom Cruise.  But—the real question is, what do you think of the hair?   Honestly, I’m still on the fence about Holmes’ new ‘do.   I mean, she looks great and always seems well put together no matter what, but in my opinion, I think she looked better with long hair!  

The “celebrity pixie cut” is not a new thing—Halle Berry, Sharon Stone, Mia Farrow, and Winona Ryder have all been making this look work for ages.  But now it’s kind of resurfaced, with Selma Blair, Michelle Williams, and Victoria Beckham on the bandwagon.  But—I wonder:  This cut is so hard to grow out—how do they know it will look good? And more importantly what do you do if it doesn’t look good?  I mean, sure—celebrities have a team of stylists who can essentially put all their hair back on with hair extensions if it doesn’t look good, but where does that leave the rest of us?

I tried short hair once—only once.  I was in grade school and desperately wanted the “Dorothy Hamill” cut that was all the rage.  It looked great on Dorothy Hamill, and I was all excited to experience the same perkiness.

What I didn’t bank on was the fact that my hair is straight—really straight.  So straight that when cut like Dorothy Hamill’s, it laid flat to my head and made me look like a boy.  As soon as the hairdresser was finished, I knew I’d made a terrible mistake, and have never looked back.  I am just not one of those people that looks good with short hair, and I know it.

So—is it short hair by degrees?  Katie Holmes did the medium length, then the bob, THEN the pixie cut.  Anyone have any experience with going cold turkey with the pixie cut?  Did you try the “virtual makeover” software first?  Or, have you always been a short-haired person, like my friend H, who squirms when her hair reaches her neckline? Do tell!   I am dying to know; since I have to live vicariously on this one, I would love to hear the story of someone who “cut it all off” and loves it!

I recently received the Vanity Fair that was dedicated to Marilyn Monroe—in reading the articles, it was interesting to me to see just how many of our current beauty icons were in some way influenced by Marilyn, whether the red lipstick, the hair, or just the overall “Marilyn-ness.” Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, and even Lindsay Lohan have all expressed admiration for Marilyn at one time or another.

Marilyn was certainly a beauty icon, as were Audrey Hepburn (famous for her simple, chic style), Grace Kelly (whose cool blonde beauty inspired the late Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Sharon Stone), and “Warhol Girl” Edie Sedgewick, whose bohemian trends no doubt influenced the likes of Kate Moss, Sienna Miller, and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.  

Since I have the long blond (ish) hair and favor the neutral colors, I definitely favor the “Grace Kelly” look.   I think this direction could also be called “simplicity,” because I really like classic colors and styles, and tend to not pay too much attention to trends (unelss I’m “trying new things” on purpose).  My friends are really a mixed bag of styles, though—my (pregnant) actress friend is doing the “boho chic” thing and is wearing that very well, and I have a friend in New York who is never without her “Marilyn” lipstick and curled hair.

So—who are the style icons of our age?  Can a person change from one “icon” to another, or do you think your “look” is set?   For instance, Angelina Jolie seems to have changed from a more “goth” or bohemian look to a definitely classy, Grace Kelly/ Jackie O style, after she became the mother and humanitarian we know her as today.   Kate Moss has always been a bit of a bohemian, and you must admit that Victoria Beckham is always innovative with her fashion and makeup choices.  Whose style are you emulating?

Wow—the days of summer are long gone, and we are now well into fall!  Where does the time go?  I’m happy to say that with the conclusion of the “Red Lipstick Experiment,” I am officially done with my “things to try” list for the summer season.  

What I’m keeping from my “Summer Experiments” list:

•    Blue eyeliner looks great to line bottom of eyes, when combined with black liner on top.  I get tons of compliments on this new look!

•    Brown/ red nail polish:  definitely a keeper.  Looks really good on pale skin (yes, I gave up on sun-less tanner).

Since new and interesting beauty experiments seem to hit the magazines and airwaves all the time, it’s time for a new list!!!

Here’s what I’m interested in/ trying out right now:

1.    Gray eyeshadow:  For a girl who’s been using brown eyeshadow since the 9th grade, these “different color eyeshadow” experiments are a stretch for me, but I’m always willing to try new things in the name of beauty journalism.    I have acquired a small “mixed grays” palette, and will let you know how I make out.

2.    Brights:  As in, bright green, bright purple, even bright yellow (though I find this one quite scary) eye colors.   Most professional makeup people will tell you to only go “bright” with one feature at a time, or risk looking like a clown.  I’m still trying to decide which one of these I’d be brave enough to actually go outside in, or if this one is better left on the runway.  

3.    Blush:  Some kind of blush or bronzer is obviously necessary as we approach the non-sunny months and the glow wears off.  Usually I stick with the traditional pink to avoid looking washed out, but this year I’m seeing the “red cheeks” becoming popular and wondering if I can pull this one off.  

What about you?  Are you trying any of these trends for fall, or do you have some of your own?   Do you do any ‘summer cleaning’ of your makeup bag as the seasons change? 

I read this article recently about the virtues of red lipstick….it mentioned the regular die-hard red wearers, like Marilyn, Gwen Stefani, and Madonna.  And….this was really interesting to me….the woman who wrote it said she’d first discovered Red Lipstick when she was in junior high, had started wearing it in high school, and had never looked back.  She said she wore it about 300 days of the year, that people commented on it all the time and that she felt naked without it.

Wow!  A whole world of new perspective that I never knew about.  I mean, I’ve had friends that wore red lipstick, but this is more of a Red Lipstick Lifestyle!  I felt sort of intimidated just reading about it!

But, then again, “red lipstick” was on my try new things list—in fact, it’s the only thing left on the list I haven’t tried yet.  And so, with this inspirational attitude and the dedication to my list in mind, I set about investigating the Red Lipstick Lifestyle.

Where to start?  At the drugstore, of course!   I was pretty sure I didn’t want to spend the big bucks unless I knew I was definitely going to start using red lipstick all the time, so I bought a few of the $1 type reds and went from there (because I also read that it takes a few tries to find the right one).

Did I mention I’ve never worn red before?  Never brave enough, I guess.  It did seem very bright.   So—try # 1 was a little shocking, and I couldn’t really tell if it was the “right” red for me.  But, I gamely put it on and went out.   Contrary to the Red Lipstick Lifestyle lady, I did not feel as “at home” with the red lipstick.  In fact, I felt downright self-conscious.  Is it on my teeth?  Is it smudging?    Are people noticing?  Do they think it’s weird?  I also was not getting the comments that Red Lipstick Lifestyle lady mentioned.

Try # 2:  Much the same.  The lipstick itself looked better (less bright), but I was still totally self-conscious all day, looking into every mirror I saw to see if The Lipstick Was Still On.  

Verdict:  Red lipstick might look good, but I don’t think I’ll ever become one of those Gwen Stefani-types who wears it every day.  Too much maintenance, or it could just be that I’m too neurotic.  For whatever reason, I cannot see myself as part of the Red Lipstick Lifestyle.

So—are you a Red Lipstick Wearer?  Did it take awhile for you to adopt the customs, or were you hooked right away?  Do you think I need to give it another try?