Hooked on Sephora – My Current Obsessions

Hooked on Sephora – My Current Obsessions

I am a make-up and skin care junkie who is always seeking the Holy Grail of cosmetics.  That means I have no absolute loyalty to a particular line. I’ve known some women who will buy nothing but Lancôme or Chanel or Clinique or Estee Lauder. But I prefer to experiment, try new lines and new products. Really, there are few ways more delightful to spend an afternoon of leisure than to visit a cosmetic store or counter and explore.

With regard to foundations BB creams or CC creams, I’ve tried so many. My current favorite, that my change in the spring, is the Tarte BB cream. It is sheer; it has light coverage and sunscreen, and blends well. Before Tarte I gave both Smashbox and  Too Faced a try and while not bad, these products did not make my heart sing. Nor did the Dior Nude foundations. But the Tarte fit the bill for my winter needs and I’m still quite the fan.

With regard to eyelash curlers, my use has ebbed and flowed over the years. However, the beauty gurus who give advice to women of a certain age have opined that curling one’s lashes is essential as one ages. If I am to curl my lashes, I want to use a fabulous curler. No ordinary stainless steel for me. I’m currently loving the Sephora rainbow colored special edition curler and  I love it!

I’m still loving the Urban Decay NAKED and NAKED 2 shadow collections. There is now a NAKED 3, but I haven’t felt compelled to buy that yet. (okay – it’s been out of stock or I would have bought it) However, the collections consist of amazingly buildable neutral colors that are easily blended and work beautifully for we women of a certain age who want to be current but not over-the-top trendy.

For eyeliners, I’ve reverted to the Bobbie Brown gel liner. I loved it but decided to try to some pencils because they are easier to apply (if you want a fatter line and don’t mind sharpening the pencil, losing the top, re-sharpening, etc.). The gel line with fine tip brush goes on smoothly with a fine line and stays all day.

Over the years I’ve tried multitudes of lipsticks, tints, and glosses. But if you’re looking for a moisturizing lipstick that is reasonably priced, my favorite remains Clinique Butter Shine.

For skincare, I also prefer Clinique clarifying lotion and the redness reducing moisturizer. I have rosacea and need to keep the red down. This cream is cooling and slightly green tinted. Perhaps if I gave up the wine, I wouldn’t need it- but that will not happen!

The mascara of my year: Benefit “They’re Real”. Great mascara! Try it!

And the most critical skincare product: Dr. Brandt “GLOW” with 2% Retinol! Fabulous! It is expensive, but if you don’t have a dermatologist that prescribed a Retinal product, this is it! The Holy Grail!