Makeup Alley

I will admit that I love reading magazines like Allure, where they talk about various beauty products, and often rate them according to a panel of experts in skincare and beauty.  I also enjoy other magazines where I can drool over clothes and shoes, but I can very seldom afford to try those items (or even find them, where I shop!).

And I do enjoy blathering on about various products (hence this blog), and I have a couple of friends who also do, so we do a lot of e-mail exchanges about various products and topics (neither lives nearby, so I seldom get to see them in person).

A few years back, one of them told me about Makeup Alley.  Do you know it?  It's an online site where reviews of different products have been contributed by members.  All ages, all price ranges, all personal opinions - and a great place to get a feel for things you might want to try.  You can even filter the reviews by your skin type, age, etc., which can be particularly helpful.

Like most things in the universe, I like to form my own opinions in the end.  But this site is really wonderful for giving you an idea of what "real" people think, as opposed to marketing and beauty editors whose raison d'etre is to get you to buy the products.  There are also forums where you can ask questions and get specific answers to them from various members.

If you have never visited, you should check it out.  It's free to join, and other than a monthly "What's New" e-mail newsletter, they never bug you with other messages/spam.  If you do decide to join - or even if you are already a member - you can even avail yourself of my reviews!  My username there is Gitte, *and I think I have approximately 20 reviews that I've contributed.

Please note that this post is my opinion only, and I have not been asked to write it by Makeup Alley or anyone associated with it.  I just wanted to tell you what my experience with it has been.

Enjoy!

*One of the e-mail friends referenced above used to call me "Brigitte," and then shortened it to "Gitte."  It's a useful username, since it's usually not already in existence.  :-)

The Great Purge Is Coming!

No, this isn't my closet - but my closet isn't too far off.  Like most people, I switch my clothes at the change of the seasons, and so [theoretically] my closet is cleaned out twice a year (warm weather vs. cold weather).  In reality, it usually has to get really bad before I am willing or even interested in doing a thorough job.

On top of which, I tend to keep things even if I don't wear them, "just in case."  Which is stupid.  And it's one thing if you have two items in that category, but over the past few years, I've accumulated quite a collection.  So I have decided it's time to purge the closet, not just switch the seasonal clothes.  And I'm hoping to work on that this coming weekend.

I've read a lot of articles and and blogs about taking charge of your closet, and am familiar with things like Project 333 and Dress with Less.  I'm not sure at the moment that I can whittle things down to ____ amount of items for the next 30 days or whatever.  Mostly because I have not really taken the time to prepare, and I get itchy after so long, going through stuff.

So I'm going to try and apply those overall principles to my work this weekend.  I'm going to just donate things that are still wearable, but that I don't wear, or that no longer fit.  I'm going to get rid of things that are just plain worn out.  And I'm gonna confess that there are things I just no longer like.  This is hard for me, because I get attached to my clothes, and I also hate feeling that I wasted money.  Which is why being able to donate unwanted clothes makes me feel a bit better about the whole thing - I'm hoping most things will fit into that category.

And I'm also only doing one group of clothes at a time, rather than all of my clothes.  A few years back, I very conscientiously purged my winter clothes before putting them away over the summer.  Which was fine, except I forgot that there were things I wanted to buy to replace some of them.  Needless to say, I had  couple of challenging weeks, with one pair of slacks, and cardigan and a blouse to wear!

I like clothes, and I have also been trying to buy things that will last for a while, and very often, that means I've had to save up to buy them.  Which as you can imagine, makes it really hard to let them go down the road.  But you know what, keeping things that you don't/can't wear, or that you no longer like, or that are too worn out to actually wear, is just a waste of space, which leads to a waste of time when you are trying to decide what to put on during any given day.

I'll keep you posted.  I think because I am feeling especially motivated, I might be able to take more care on this project.   I hope so.  I really do not like having a messy closet, and just having extra stuff around.

As my sister says, "White man's troubles."  :-)

The Burn and The Cure

It's been a long time since I burned myself.  I used to do it all the time, and I don't know if I use fewer items that provide the opportunity, if I've become more careful, or a combination of both.

All of that changed two weeks ago though.  On a Monday morning, I was fixing my breakfast, and reached across the teakettle just as steam was coming out of the spout.  I quickly realized that OUCH that burns, and pulled my arm away.  I could tell I had actually burned myself, as opposed to just a quick warning.  I put ice on the burn while I ate breakfast, and went on with my day.  By the end of the day, I had a huge burn blister.  That evening, it burst, and the open wound started oozing.

It didn't get much better from there.  I put ointment on it and a bandaid during the day so that it wouldn't a) gross people out, or b) keep hitting it on stuff (it was on my left forearm).  I realized that it was actually a much more serious burn than I had originally thought, but since it was slowly healing, I knew it was just a matter of time.

Enter my next-door neighbor, helping her husband unpack the car from their vacation in Maine.  I was taking Dug out for a walk when they got started, and they were telling me about how wonderful the trip was, when she said, "Oh my God, what happened to your arm?!"  I explained what happened, and she said, "Oh I have something for you.  It works for burns, and also avoids scarring."  And she went inside, pulled out something from her cosmetic case, and handed me a sample-sized jar of this:

I've heard of this cream, and how amazing it is supposed to be for your face.  My neighbor told me that it is just the best thing in the world for your face, but also is great if you have a burn or a cut.  It heals it quickly, and leaves no scar.

Well, she was right.  I would put a little bit on a Q-tip, and then pat it on the burn each night before I went to bed, and even after the first night, there was a really noticeable difference!  It looked much less inflamed, and the scab was reduced considerably.  I've kept using it, and now other than a very red blotch on my forearm which will probably be there for a while, there is virtually no sign that anything happened.  And that scab was pretty big and harsh-looking, let me tell you!

I'm guessing that if I had started using the stuff right away, my arm would not have much evidence at all that the burn ever happened.  And after a week, there is still a lot left in the teeny jar, so if something like this happens again, I'm set.

Now you are probably wondering what kind of neighbor I have who can afford to use $200.00 face cream for things besides her face, right?  Well, she is the director of regional public relations for Neiman Marcus.  So she probably gets a pretty good discount on the stuff.

Sadly, I probably wouldn't be able to afford it, even with a discount, which of course I don't have, and they don't offer (of course I checked!).  

But I still have some left in that teeny jar.  :-)

No More Trauma ... For Now

Well, I have survived both the trauma of my hair and the saga of my hair.  Earlier in the summer, I thought I had finally found someone who "understood" my hair issues and desires. And overall, she did.  The problem was, that she insisted that the couple of times I went to her, I *needed* additional products or services - you know, a gloss, or some special styling product.  Even though (at least during the summer) I keep my hair very short and don't blow it dry, so it never really has a "style."

I got really frustrated, and when I went to make my next appointment, the person on the phone asked me what "additions" I wanted.  Now, I'd noticed that it wasn't just my stylist, but it appeared to be the M.O. for the salon.  I said I wanted a cut and color only, but she kept insisting.  So did I, and eventually she gave up.  A few days later, the stylist called me, explaining that there would surely be things besides just a cut and color that I needed, and after a brief discussion with her, I just said I wouldn't be returning.

Then I was faced with the problem of just where to go.  After some thought [a ridiculous amount to be honest], I made an appointment someplace I'd gone before, that I decided needed another chance.  I even found a picture that showed the cut and color I wanted, so I figured if the stylist didn't get close, I'd know that I should try yet another place.

I handed her this photo.  She said, "Oh that would be great!" (good sign), and got started.  Now don't get me wrong, I like this woman, but I'd gone to her a couple of times before, and though my hair was always OK, it was never exactly what I'd hoped for.  But the salon is really close to my house, and though not inexpensive, it is reasonable for this area.  And I actually first met this stylist when she was a customer at a yarn store where I worked part-time.  So I figured she had first chance to get another shot at things.

The result:  Except that I do not have the face or neck of the woman above, I have her hairstyle and color.  EXACTLY.  And I mean exactly.

I am so happy and relieved!  She was thrilled with the results as well, so I think we might have really hit that happy balance between stylist and customer.

Now I just have to make sure that she doesn't move away or something ... :-)

Have a lovely Labor Day Weekend!

Meet the BMST

I don't remember where I read it, but I remember reading a magazine article that said if you wanted to keep track of how old your makeup/skincare is, you should mark the container with the date you started using it.  That way, it's easier to know if you have really and truly had something for too long.

I thought that was a great idea, so I started doing that.  But then - because I get obsessed with some things quite easily - I decided to take it a step further.  I mark things with the date I start using it, and then when it's used up, or I'm ready to throw it away for whatever reason, I calculate the approximate cost per use.  Then I can compare it to similar products to determine - all other things being equal - which product is actually less expensive in the long run.

I have explained this many times to friends, some who find it just weird, and others who have started doing the same thing or a version of it themselves.  My friend Lisa christened this the BMST, or Bridget's Mathematical Spending Theorem.

Let me give you an example of an actual comparison between two products.  A few years back, I treated myself to a [somewhat] high-end foundation that was supposed to be good for people who have rosacea (which I do).  It was $40.00 for a 1-ounce bottle.  I generally use foundation every day that I go to work, so for the sake of argument, say that I used it approximately 250 days over the course of the year.  That turned out to be $.16 per use.  Pretty good, right?

Well, then I bought a drugstore foundation, which was $12.00 for a 1.7-ounce bottle.  Certainly that is a better deal, right?  Well, it was gone after 5 months (approximately 100 work days)!  Turns out that I had to use more of it to get the same coverage I had with the other stuff.  (Basically I like my face to look evened out once I put on foundation, to give you an idea of how much I do/do not use.)  That turned out to be $.12 per use - which appears to be a better price, but - I had to buy another bottle to finish out a year, so that's nearly$.24 per use, which means that it was actually more expensive.

I have to tell you, I was really surprised to learn this!  It proved to me that cheap is not always cheaper all around.  And expensive can be more economical.

Granted, there are some things where the result is even.  There are also some things that I use that even if they are slightly more/less economical, I stick with them for other reasons, i.e., they work the best for me.

If you are trying to figure out where your money is well-spent, though, you may want to give the BMST a try.  I'm willing to bet that you are in for a surprise, or at a minimum, a better awareness of how you are spending your hard-earned money.

**The first year I belonged to a gym, I would mark on the calendar each time I went for a workout.  Then at the end of the year, I was able to determine how much I was paying for each visit, and decide if I wanted to continue.  (Yes, I need a life ...)