New Year New Tricks

Happy New Year! We will pretend that I had a fabulous post at Christmas that included pictures, videos and how to lessons on Christmas decor as well as mouth watering recipes. Let's just come clean and confess I was just to busy enjoying all that to actually take the time to sit down on my snail mail computer and share all that. I am sure we all had a wonderful Christmas - especially those of us that had a very special Christmas Day snow delivery that turned our world into a winter wonderland. But, by now that is all old news and today's topic is New Tricks!!! 

*NEW TRICKS DISCLAIMER* By sharing the following I do not intend to steal credit for these tricks. Due to my love of beauty products and my magazine addiction there is usually a REALLY good chance that I will not be able to give credit where credit is due. I apologize to any that may be offended. I repeat your ideas in the spirit of sharing with all. Here are my latest favorite things....

1. Newest Nail technology - NEXGEN NAILS!! I love mine and I got them from Tony at Serenity Nails on Eldorado...If you live in McKinney you know where to go - if not check out the website nexgenails.com  to find a location near you that is up to date on these nails. Mine look and feel natural - so much better than traditional acrylics and pink & whites...And they are better for your natural nail beds. LOVE THEM!!

2. Chewy Vitamins - seriously! Genius idea - especially for those of us that hate to swallow...a lot of supplements every morning...I have found chewy multivitamins (Alive ), B12(Vitafusion) and Fiber Well (Vitafusion) I save them for last and it's a treat to take them - almost as good as Swedish Fish. Almost. I even saw a chewy fish oil supplement today but, I think I'll pass on that one. I finally found one that goes down and stays down. Nordic Naturals Omega - 3 is the one for me.

3. Thanks to Wonderman flipping late night channels one night I have a new skin care line that I really love...even if I'm not crazy about the name...Meaningful Beauty by Cindy Crawford. Personally, I'd have left off the Meaningful. Anyway, he was watching the infomercial and before I knew it, I was receiving my Mean Beauty Products in the mail. I admire Cindy and all she has accomplished and I know she has been a patient of the Doctor behind the line for many years. I really like it and it's easy to follow.  Yes, Wonderman got bonus points for encouraging my beauty quest.

4.  My new best friends at Neiman's Willowbend gave me and my partner in Beauty Crime a really fun day of beauty....of course this is all my Beauty Crime Partner's fault. She and many unnamed others love the La Mer line of skincare. She has been sharing and raving about the eye cream for awhile. And I have been avoiding this line of skin care for the last 30 years. Why? Cause I am a cheap beauty whore. I have been telling myself for years that Ponds is THE MIRACLE CREAM. And it is a really good one even if it falls into the less pricey category. There has never ever been any doubt in my mind that I wouldn't absolutely love and look amazing if I too used the La Mer line of skin care. I've just been waiting to win the lottery in order to do so. Fast forward to our day of beauty. She signed us up /twisted my arm, drugged me & dragged me - for a facial from La Mer last week. Now due to the drugs and arm twisting I agreed to go and let the wonderful ladies work their magic. And yes, it was heaven. So here is the skinny - I'm happy with my Mean Girls Beauty stuff from Cindy. I can get a shipment of about 10 beauty products every 3 months for less than one La Mer product. However, I was interested in their BODY product. Now I read, that Mariah Carey uses La Mer on her babies bottoms. That is CRAY CRAY.  But, I am always looking for something to help the skin I have stupidly ignored the last twenty years. Pretty much everything from the chin down. If only I had taken the time to protect my neck, chest, arms, hands and knees. I could pass for 49!!!Since I kinda didn't - I just tell everyone I'm 79 and I LOOK AWESOME FOR THAT! But, even 79 year old women are still hoping for something to help and that is why I am telling you about La Mer's Reparative Body Lotion. It is so good for anti-aging powers that they tell you NOT to use it everyday. WHAT?? Either brilliant marketing or ....THIS STUFF MIGHT WORK!! I'm hoping it's not just marketing. I figure if I use it once a year this bottle will last me forever. Got to be less than a penny a day. SCORE. CHEAP BEAUTY WHORE IS HAPPY....Okay, every other day or so and here's the best part...these wonderful ladies load you up with ALL KINDS of samples!! I now have eye creams and face creams and if I'm really careful I can make these samples last awhile!! Now I'm not going to being slapping it on any babies bottoms that is for freakin sure. But, I'll be using a touch of La Mer at night over my Mean Beauty Stuff. JACKPOT!!

5.  After my La Mer facial my new best friend at the YSL counter graciously offered to give me a makeup touchup... I kinda looked like a drowned rat. Now I have been using YSL's - for beauty newbies that is Yves Saint Laurent -Touche Eclat. That is fancy smancy for beauty junkies illuminating magic beauty wand. It pretty much erases all signs of ugly. You just use it anywhere you are not happy with on your face. How's that for awesome marketing? That was all me - I really should have majored in marketing. Guess what -  now they have a foundation - Le Teint Touche Eclat Illuminating Foundation.....Still thinking not bad for 79??? Girlfriend has lots of tricks you don't even want to know :))  Anyhoo,  I just asked for a little Touche Eclat touch up and she gave me the works, without any pressure to buy anything. Very nice. And probably the only time I have ever liked what someone else has done with my makeup. Now she did try - even knowing I'd hate it, and I did - a bright teal liner on my eyes. And Graciously changed it back to dark brown, when I was honest. I prefer to see my eye color over eye makeup color. Big difference. She did amazing things with my eyebrows - who knew- I'd been doing it all wrong. Thanks to Latisse I now have eyebrows and now I know how to make them look better. Eyebrow pencil #3 on TOP edge of them. Loved the foundation/base - it covers without looking heavy and yes, age spots and veins need covering. The really fun thing she showed me was with lip liners - always kinda thought they were pointless and unnecessary -  they give you a color base to hold the lipstick or gloss and they can make different color combinations. Now - this is probably better for make up junkies but let's say you buy a lipstick and get home and it just isn't quite right. Been there? Okay, liners can bring it back to where you want it. Just know if you like more pink or orange base colors on you. Use the liner to get you there. I like more pink usually, so with that liner even an orange or peach lipstick will look better on me. Glosses work the same way. And my new fav YSL product is without a doubt the mascara - Volume Effet Faux Cils Noir Radical...key word RADICAL...as with all lines there are several and they may all be fab but I have used this one and LOVE IT...sorry Stilletto's by Maybelline...I'm moving on :) She also told me that anytime a mascara gets too thick and this has always been my pet peeve with pricey mascara's - Just run really hot water over the outside of the tube (not into the tube) and it will heat up and liquify the product again. Air causes it to get thick and clumpy. I hate clumpy.

6. One more thing  now - Latisse vs. RevitaLash....been using Latisse for two years. Due to cost and feeling like it wasn't giving results anymore,  I switched to RevitaLash  and love it. More product for the buck and better lashes. Both work on eyebrows. You can Google it to find sellers.

7. Find a Wonderman - the one that thinks you are so amazing and beautiful even when you know you are probably looking a little old/silly/bare/ natural/happy/sad/tired/ you - one that goes "Wow!" everytime he sees you. And is smart enough not to ask, "What did you buy at Neiman's?" Find that guy. I love you John!!

As usual, I'm all over the place and still have so much soooo much more to share - let's do this again real soon (I promise) ....I can't wait to share my new love for Lush products (OMG - another huge thanks to Beauty in Crime Partner!!) , Coconut Oil - you will love too!!! and Hair Stuff!!! Come back!!!! Please :))) Oh, and for the love of God - DO NOT DRY YOUR LEVI'S MID RISE SKINNY JEANS IN THE DRYER!!! You will lose 1 1/2 inches off the length and forget about the waist!! Next time !!