Vintage Hair Help

New Beauty for Old

You know how every so often you just want to scrap the way you look and start over? You decide that none of your products are working and you need to replace them all? Well, I've had that itch lately. Paula Begoun at http://www.cosmeticscop.com/ recently gave a list of the best inexpensive beauty products, which spurred me on.

So, with the guidance of Paula and More magazine, I've purchased some new things lately with hopes of better results.

Body lotion:

Former: Aveeno Active Naturals Skin Relief Moisturizing Lotion with Soothing Oat Essence
New: Olay Quench Body Lotion Active Hydration with Green Tea and Vitamin Complex

Aveeno is the best I've found so far, but I still tend to get pretty dry in the winter, so...

Concealer:

Former: L'oreal Infallible 16 Hour Concealer: 676 Fair/Light
New: L'oreal True Match Super Blendable Concealer: Fair/Light W 1-2-3

I've been happy with the L'oreal Infallible, which comes in a stick, until recently. Now it does not seem to blend in well. It sits on my dry skin and calls attention to it.

True Match is a liquid formula that applies with a brush. I'm not sure that I think it covers well enough, but I need to get used to applying it before a true judgement.

In order to help out with the dry skin, and per an article on concealing in More, I also bought some Ulta Professional Foundation Primer, to put under the concealer.

Blush:

Current: Milani Powder Blush #08 Luminous
Newest: Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush: #25 Rose Petal

The Milani is great. A peachier shade than I'm used to, but very pretty. The Dream Mousse is a lovely color and I'm hoping it will work well with my skin as it becomes drier this winter.

Mascara:

Although I was happy with my Maybelline XXL (see previous post), I had to try new Maybelline XXL Extensions.

So, these are my foolish new hopes. After I've tested them out for awhile, I'll let you know how they do for me.

Here are some basics for you, for comparison. I am very fair skinned. I tend to be dry in winter and I also tend to break out around the side of my nose, if I do at all. I have brown spots on my face and under my eyes that I want to cover. I have dark brown hair and hazel eyes. I like dramatic lashes and red lips, with neutral shadow. This is not often reflected in my daily look, but I'm trying to bridge that gap. I like vintage beauty looks, especially the 1940s. So, there you are.

Marchen perfume!

Prunella flower from: http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/species/prvu.htm

Thrillingly, Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab is now making perfume oils inspired by fairy tales.

They have some favorite old tales and some that are new to me, such as "Prunella".

The perfume is described as: "Ripe purple plums, wildflowers, and cream." Yum.

Find the story here: http://www.blackphoenixalchemylab.com/marchen-prunella.html

See their Marchen line here: http://www.blackphoenixalchemylab.com/marchen.html

Here are some of my past favorites:

• Kitsune-Tsuki:

Kitsune-Tsuki are malevolent Japanese spirits, akin to western werebeasts: women are possessed by the spirits of foxes, who compel them to perform acts of wickedness and mischief. Asian plum, orchid, daffodil, jasmine and white musk.

• Alice:

Curiouser and curiouser.

Milk and honey with rose, carnation and bergamot.

• Perversion:

The perfect scent to wear to your next bondage ball, dungeon adventure or sojourn to your favorite pleasure dome.

Smoky rum and black tobacco with a whisper of steamy leather with a splash of crystalline chardonnay, layered over a sensual, sweet, and deceptively magnetic base of tonka.

New Mascara

Last night I went out and bought myself some Maybelline Intense XXL in Very Black, and so far, very good. It went on well, made my lashes look VERY long, and my audience really likes the look. He said, "There aren't even any clumps; how'd you do that?" When I get done with work tonight, I'll see how it held up, if there was any flaking or smudging.
I also tried out some eyebrow stencils from Ardell to see if I could get my brows shaped up. The four shapes included are classic, elegant, delicate and glamorous. I went with glamorous, and using the stencil was not easy. If you had thin brows and you were just filling in with brow color it might be one thing, but I have thick brows, and I was trying to figure out how to prune.
I couldn't follow the stencil exactly, but I was happy with the results. I would really like to splurge and go to an eyebrow expert to be done. I've been waxed before, but I would like someone to teach me to fix them up with the tweezers.
Further, I'm tired of my hair again. It's time for fall beauty restlessness.

Quest for the perfect mascara

Me in falsies

Like always, I'm looking for that amazing mascara that will make me look perfect. Sigh. It's an impossible request, but I still persevere. My desire was further spurred yesterday when my fine husband, Knobs to my Cleery, suddenly asked me if there are any "daily wear" false eyelashes, less trouble to apply than ordinary ones. Ahem. Not that I know of. But, eager to please and ready for some autumn glamour, it will be back to the store with me after work today.



I've been wearing L'oreal Voluminous Naturale in Blackest Black. Maybe the natural part was a mistake. I want to look better than natural. I want to feel the breeze when I bat my eyes. So, I haven't been too pleased with this mascara. On me, it clumps. Quite a bit. And the change to my lashes is not worth it.