Illamasqua Be Illin', Son

As I make an ever-increasing effort to pare down the clutter in my life (i.e. clothing, shoes, books, dishes, knick-knacks, unused beauty products, un-played-with toys [sorry, kids]), I have once again spring-cleaned my makeup bag.

These are the goodies I have been using on the daily, and have been getting compliments on my, and I quote, 'Glowy and flawless' skin. I find that comment extremely fascinating  given that my skin's natural state is dry around the cheeks and mouth, oily about the nose, and I have earned the lovely fine lines and wrinkles one gets in her early thirties.

So. Here is my spring/summer skin care/makeup regimen for 2013 :)

I cleanse with Ponds Dry Skin Cream:

I got the idea from my nana. She has been using this since she was a teenager, and though she is in her late 70's, her skin is smooth, y'all. Smooth and flawless. No dry, crepe-y wrinkles on this lady. Plus, she looks like Sophia Loren, so thank God for the good genes.

Technically, this is a moisturizer, but it is SO heavy it doesn't truly sink into the skin. Like, EVER. So I recommend massaging it in and then wiping off with a towel. Your skin will feel like silk. This is also an awesome makeup remover.

Buy it here for less than seven bucks.

So now that we are all smooth and soft and you can't stop touching you skin: GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF. We have only just begun. 

Next, I have been moisturizing with Yes To Blueberries Age Refresh Overnight Hydrating Cream:

It is packed with a bunch of natural goodies, and besides, it works, my friends. I slather it on before bed, and I also put just a dab on in the morning after I wash my face. It is VERY dense, so a little goes a long way. My skin feels comforted and pampered through out the day, never tight or dry. 

I think I will say yes to blueberries.

Buy it here for less than $20. Worth it, yo.

After the Blueberries, I pat on a dash of Aveeno Active Naturals Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturizer:

It evens out the skin, brightening the inevitable exhausted eye and reddend nose and such. If your skin is not as dry as mine, you could probably skip the Blueberries I mentioned above and go straight to the Aveeno tint. However, the tint has very little moisture in it. And BEWARE: DO NOT GET IN YOUR EYES. This stuff is like acid. It must be the sunscreen, but man, no product has ever burned my lil peepers quite like this Aveeno tint. Alas, it works, so I will continue using, albeit carefully. The SPF is another reason I use it. Otherwise, the Lord knows I will not use sunscreen. I have found it's harder to convince a Latin or Black person to wear sunscreen (and an Islander doesn't even know what sunscreen is), when we all figure we have our natural melanin built-in. Oh well.

Buy it for under twelve bucks here.

Finally, the fun part!

Such a powerful thing to come in a tiny package.

This foundation is incredible. The consistency is super thin, but the coverage is mighty mighty. I love it so. This is the foundation I was wearing when I got the 'glowy and flawless' compliment. I spent a good five minutes convincing my good friend Tina (who is all glowy and flawless in her own right) that I did not come by my complexion by chance. It was all you, Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation. It costs $42, which is pretty typical for the good stuff. I suggest you go to Sephora and try it on yourself. They have a large array of colors:

I use 7.5, which is great for my yellow winter skin, but I may have to mix it with a different color for my Mexican Beaner summer skin. I also read reviews where people complained that it was hard to apply; I have had no such problem, but then, my skin is a super-moisturized canvas before the foundation even touches my face, so I suggest you moisturize.

Buy it here.

Almost done, folks!

I pat on Dior Diorskin Nude Perfecting Hydrating Concealer ($30) on my naughty under eye circles and around my nose:

But, in a pinch, the Illamasqua Skin Base works very well as a concealer.

I pat on this Illamasqua Creme Blusher in Laid:

It looks really very dark and pigmented, doesn't it? Well, it is! However, the texture is extremely slick and with a few well-placed dabs on your cheekies, you look ALIVE. By far my favorite blush of all time, and I have tried them ALL.

$26 bucks here.

Night Mascara:

Givenchy Noir Couture 4 in 1 mascara gives you a wide-awake look. My favorite of all time and space. Very dramatic. I have been known to wear it in the day, but for night it is pretty awesome. But don't cry or swim in it, or you wil look like a HOT HOT MESS.

$32 dollars here.

Day Mascara:

Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara, $19 here. This is a nice, 'natural' alternative to the vampy doll-eyed mascara mentioned above. Lashes are soft and dark, and you can cry (a little) in this mascara. Quite lovely.

And for fun:

Luckily enough, I have a sexy husband who will endure this torture with me. There are very few things so satisfying to me than to pull, nay, RIP, those blackheads from my pores. So we do it once a week, at most. 

Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips, 8 buckaroos here.

Okay, go play with your face.

t.

How To Wrap It

Best. Skirt. Ever.

Growing up, I was short and skinny. Not just thin, but bone-y and pointy and I am sure I could've been wielded as a dangerous weapon in a street fight. Then I BECAME WOMAN. I had kids, and BECAME MORE WOMAN. The time arrived when I had to learn how to dress myself in a figure-flattering, I-DO-care way. 

Lesson #1: Low-rise skinny jeans are the enemy for most, unless you are Kate Moss or a teenage boy.

I have spent many an hour berating my thighs and hips for not squeezing just so into a tiny and unreasonably confining area. No more. I am done-zo with that crap.

Lesson #2: After 30, wear a short skirt at your own (and anyone who happens to be standing behind you's) risk. After a certain age, and certain amount of children, things tend to ... flap ... and ... sway ... in a different manner. Clothe yourself accordingly. For me, that is a form-fitting skirt hitting slightly below the knee at the shortest.

Lesson #3: Only buy if it's love. If you try a piece on and you would like to elope with it, then by all means, buy it. Buy in multiples. 

Now, perhaps my fellow thrifters are gasping and shaking their heads right now. However, if something makes you feel great, looks sublime on ya, and you would actually wear it often, I suggest you get it whilst the getting is good. Budget for it. There are other corners to be cut. You are not a corner to be cut.

Lesson #4: Wear the awesome stuff you buy. Wear it all of the time. Going to drop off or pick up the kids? Throw on a comfy silk dress. Sound ludicrous?  Maybe it is. But you will feel like the best version of yourself, and that leads to happier momma and happier babies and happier world.

IN LIFE

So, my happy place is a pencil skirt, like the J. Crew versions, shown above. They are classy (with a 'c' and not a 'k') and quite versatile.  They look pretty awesome with a tucked-in silk top and a thin patent leather belt, or all 90's-like with a destroyed tee. 

Either way, I will wear them with J. Crew Valentina kitten heels, which I find for the fraction of the price on Ebay:

They make me feel special and human. I am at the age and stage in life when I am pretty much done with flats because I look squat in 'em, and so a small pointy heel doth appeal to me much. 

And that's what I wear when teaching or church-ing or performing or dining with friends.

IN PLAY

When I am knocking around with the little ones at home, or on the go, I prefer a silk dress like this:

Delicate? Sure. Machine wash and hang dry? Absolutely. Sooo worth it. Billowy and cooler than cotton in the unforgivingly sweltering Phoenix sun. When you bend over, no boobs pop out. Long enough to scoop up a little nino without a blinding flashy-flashy. Sleeves. Most importantly: you can run after (or away from) children in it. Pair with a leather sandal, like these from Asos:

IN LOVE

Three cheers for date night!

I love me a pencil dress with sleeves and a bit of length. Form-fitting without being too revealing. Gotta leave a bit (or bits) for the husband to discover later. Covers up the troublesome upper-arm issue, all the while highlighting the high waist and voluptuous thighs and behind. 

And it makes yo man happy. 

So, love yourself. Love your body and enjoy it today, right now. The Lord made it, and He said it is good. 

It's all good, honey.

t.

Wonderful World of Motherhood

Today I read about a momma earthworm that feeds her own skin to her young.

I can totally relate.

As a fellow momma, there is not one thing I wouldn't do to benefit my own little kiddo earthworms, be it in the fun decisions (summer theater camp!) or in the not-so-fun ones(the if-you-want-a-car-then-get-a-job scenario I envision embarking on in the not-too-distant future). And yes, sometimes it feels as if they are sucking and gnawing the life-force right outta ya. 

Only sometimes...right...

However many mistakes I make in raising my children, loving them too little will never be a problem. 

Plus, how neat would it be if your little newborn could just suck away 20+ pounds of post-baby fat from your mama thighs and buttocks? 

Oh. Breastfeeding. Right.

t.