Kiss and Make-Up

Although this is a perfume blog, I feel that I should mention some of my favorite cosmetics from time to time.  I've been wearing make-up since my early teens, and I've tested quite a few brands.  When I was young, drugstore products were good enough for me, so I tended to spend my allowance money on Cover Girl and Maybelline.  In high school, the mother of one of my friends sold Avon, so that was my standard for those four years.  It wasn't until I was in my 30s that I realized that it was ok to spend good money on makeup and began frequenting the MAC and Chanel counters at my local Nordstrom.

I'm 41 now, and still have basically the same predominately oily combination skin, but now with dry patches.  I never had to moisturize as a kid, but now I do it religiously, every day.  Still no crow's feet, so it must be working!   My usual moisturizer is Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle cream with SPF 15. It does the trick and doesn't clog my pores, so I haven't yet upgraded to a designer brand. At night, I've been using Paul & Joe Eye Treatment Cream.  Most eye creams make my eyes burn and tear, but I can put this one practically in the eye with no adverse effects.  Plus it smells deliciously of orange.

My current favorites:

Face
Chanel Double Perfection Fluide Teint Mat Eclat Matte Reflecting Makeup SPF 15. A medium-coverage formula that controls oil and shine. I love the matte-ness of it, and it really keeps me from looking shiny.  I have my favorite Chanel SA, Terry, to thank for recommending this product.

Benefit You Rebel tinted moisturizer with SPF 15. Clever girl that I am, I avoid the sun in the summer. This creamy moisturizer has just enough tint to make my pale skin look healthy. It's a bit heavier than my usual moisturizer, but it still doesn't clog my pores. It has enough coverage that I skip foundation and just apply a little concealer to red spots and under my eyes.

Speaking of concealers...Laura Mercier Undercover is a compact including both Secret Camouflage and Secret Concealer. I use the drier Camouflage for red areas like between my eyes and my nose; the Concealer is creamier and works great to hide the slight dark discoloration around my eyes.  I've tried many brands, but this has been my favorite for the past seven years.

Cheeks
Paul & Joe Face Color When I was in Bergdorf's during Sniffa, the Paul & Joe SA suggested that I could use some color and swirled a bit of #06, a bright peach with pink, on the apples of my cheeks. It brightened my face immediately, so I bought it. I've been using it ever since, sadly neglecting my Nars Orgasm blush. The color is very bright, so a little goes a long way, but it looks great over You Rebel. And...when I get home from work, my cheeks are still blushing! That's never happened before with any other blush product. They usually disappear within a few short hours, but Paul & Joe is tenacious and keeps me pretty all day long.  I may never go back to another brand.

Eyes
Le Quatre Ombres de Chanel Quadra Eye Shadow is four coordinated shades that look great dry or wet. The powder is silky smooth and glides over my lids without any drag. The colors are deep and luminous, and last all day. I have Spices, but really like the set in this picture too. Not cheap, by any means, but long-lasting and the quality is excellent.

Chanel Aqua Crayon Eye Color Stick This waterproof and crease-resistant liner goes on smoothly to create a somewhat hard line, and smudges easily after application to achieve a more muted one. It literally stays on all day, although it does fade a little bit by the time I get home from work. Other liners tend to smudge into the creases below my left eye for some reason, but this one stays put. And...it's an automatic/swivel-type pen, so there's no sharpening!

Avon Astonishing Lengths Waterproof Mascara No matter the formula - waterproof, smudgeproof, both - mascara smudges and runs on me. Except for this Avon product, which sticks like glue and doesn't budge until I remove it in the evening.  And it comes off easily, with Ponds facial cleansing cloths (the kind that don't require water). Unfortunately, I think this mascara might be discontinued, but I have a stash of it at home.

Lips
MAC Lipglass The stay-put-inist gloss ever! Shiny and somewhat thick, but not goopy or sticky, Lipglass is very long lasting and moisturizing too. Possibly my all-time favorite lip product.

MAC Cremestick Liner The pencil formula was great, but this non-sharpening/automatic version is even better. It's very long-lasting, goes on smoothly like buttah, and comes in umpteen shades. I use it to line and fill my lips before applying gloss or lipstick.

Other products I use regularly include Sephora All-Over Skn Compact Foundation (as my pressed powder) and various Sephora lipsticks (love the smell).

What are your favorite cosmetics?