Update: Outlet Shopping

I was right-- I enjoyed browsing the TJ Maxx store very much (nicely lit, very clean, well staffed) but there wasn't anything I really had to purchase. A couple of Armani perfumes, Devi Roa jewelry, and Clark flats caught my eye; nothing came home in my bag. I also stopped by Kohl's and saw a fantastic Dana Buchman tunic (pictured) that really would be worth purchasing, but the only one left in store was much too large for me.

Wardrobe Matters: Outlet Shopping

I've got a little bit of time today, so I plan on perusing the closest (less than an hour) TJ Maxx. I can't decide whether or not outlet shopping is truly worth my time or not.

When I read fashion/beauty newsgroups, I'm always amazed at what people are able to find at stores like TJ Maxx (or Ross, et. al). I think I'm probably most envious of those lucky shoppers who score beautiful bags, jewelry, or shoes at good prices-- those things really last a long time, so it strikes me that it might be worth it to get them at an outlet price if possible.

I'd say that in the last year I've only bought one wardrobe item at an outlet-- a pair of ballerina flats, made in Italy, of apple green suede. They have a sort of Gucci-ish horsebit trim on the vamp of the shoe that has small (I'm not a sparkly girl, mind you) rhinestones. I probably paid about $25 for them. Worth it, in my opinion, since I'd never buy flats in that color at full price and I'm coming to the conclusion that cheap ones (Target has some really cute flats every season) generally aren't worth it for my feet that I've bashed up through a combination of age, working out, weird foot genetics, and standing up most of the day at my job. I haven't worn the flats a ton (I live in a cold climate) but I also don't feel bad about them getting bashed up for the price I'm paying.

I've also experimented with perfume from outlets with varying degrees of success. I've got a bottle of Balmain's Jolie Madame that I think I paid $5 for-- very worth it as it's one of those lady like perfumes that's perfect for every situation and in most kinds of weather. Recently I bought a bottle of Cabotine (de Gres) which I like a bit less-- it's very sharp at the opening and dries down on me in an odd powdery/astringent way. For $10, though, I'm not out much, and I will continue experimenting with it as our weather warms up.

I don't live near the outlet mall anymore, but I did enjoy stopping there years ago. My husband and I were young and broke, and the outlet Gap and outlet J Crew formed the basis of much of our work wardrobes. While the clothes didn't hold up quite as well as pieces made specifically for the chain stores, they were pretty good and probably the "best" we could afford at the time.

So-- is the outlet mall stop worth it? Probably, but only if you really have the time and enjoy the "hunt". I enjoy browsing through stores but I'd wager that I won't come home today from TJ Maxx with anything. What's really more cost effective is to decide whether or not an item really will work for you.

Building the "Perfect" Wardrobe

I've been editing my makeup bag for the past few months and feel pretty good now about the amount of makeup I own-- I'm wearing most things quite regularly, which I prefer. The cost per wear of a Chanel lipstick, for example, is negligible if you actually use it up (something I have done in the past). I can actually also see a good sized dent in my NARS Penny Lane blush, something I never thought would happen-- although I've had the blush for somewhere between six and eight months.

I'd like to edit my wardrobe in the same way-- it would be great to have only items that I loved and were worn consistently. So far, I've got a couple of pieces that truly get both a lot of love and a lot of rotation.

One is a pair of J Crew cords, in red. I actually bought these in-store (for the discount, which tends to be better come sale time). The style pictured is accurate. The awesome thing about these cords is the color (a perfect medium true red, goes with everything and can serve as a neutral even though it's also a bright pop of color). The other great thing about these pants is the texture-- the fine wale of the corduroy means that the pants are appropriate nearly year round (I'm in a cold climate) and as versatile as blue jeans.

My other favorite purchase is a Land's End cashmere cardigan in black, bought from their outlet store-- there's nothing particularly fancy about the sweater-- the buttons are actually quite plain, but the heft of the sweater is decent and it's kept me warm during some fairly cold days at work. It's a plus that it is black, although I suppose that any other shade might be just as versatile if it worked in your own wardrobe.

Now shoes? I'm not there yet. I'd love to try Lanvin flats (Sue London or Bloch is probably more realistically in my price range). I'm not a heels wearer, so something with only a tiny heel is really more appropriate for me and my lifestyle. Suggestions? The perfect black flat (no details, no trim, just very high quality leather) would be an excellent addition to my spring/summer wardrobe.

LORAC: New Foundation Sample

I really like the idea of sampling, whether it's a slice of cheese at the grocery store or one of those fragrance test strips in magazines. It's good to know that you'll actually like/use/enjoy something before you spend your hard-earned money on it.

In a recent beauty.com sampler pack was a test vial of LORAC Breakthrough Performance Foundation. Usually, I don't have the chance to try these out, because the color is normally too dark and too pink (are you listening, Clinique?). I've used LORAC products before, though (the moisturizing foundation is nice) and the shade was 2-- the shade I normally am in most products.

The sampler box advertises this as "Science meets beauty with this innovatively new weightless foundation combining pre-aging, anti-aging, hydrating, and smoothing ingredients along with antioxidants to help skin appear youthful, rejuvenated, and alive." The product also has something called SMS Complex and spf 14. According to the loraccosmetics.com website, SMS complex is intended to increase cell turnover and collagen production.

Worn over a lotion with spf, this foundation is excellent for light to medium coverage; the oil free texture also means that it doesn't run or slip under other creamy products like blush or concealer. Although it appears from the web site that shade 2 isn't yellow toned (nice to see that the site has them marked), I'd say that this is a neutral to yellow product. (I'm pale yellow olive, so it isn't easy to match my skin tone.) It has been quite easy to cover light sun damage on my face-- and better still-- the product doesn't seem to oxidize at all (are you listening, MAC?). Additionally, the foundation is easy to remove with a balm based cleanser-- no need to scrub your skin or double cleanse.

You can see from the picture that the bottle is also designed to be travel friendly. While I'm still on my generously sized sample of the product, I definitely intend to purchase a full bottle when it runs out. At $38, it's also slightly less expensive than other great foundations (Bobbi Brown comes to mind), and I believe it will be excellent for warmer, humid weather.

It appears that there aren't a great number of shades for this product (seven)-- but if you can find one that works for you, this is an excellent foundation.

Cosmetics companies: give us more samples! Many consumers would be glad to pay for them, and we'll become fans of your latest and greatest products when we can try them out!

Lately, What I'm Getting From Magazines

I get a lot of magazines at home. A LOT. I read a bunch of fashion and beauty magazines (Lucky, More, and Allure are my favorites), plus a number of others (Vanity Fair, Harper's, The New Yorker). My husband loves Discover magazine, Science, and a number of car and fix-it magazines (Family Handyman has been a useful subscription for us.)

One of the things I've noticed about magazines as I've gotten older is that I'm less tempted to buy "stuff". I like to look- but I recognize that I'll never be a "femme fatale" or the bohemian princess I'd secretly like to be. Also, I get so many different magazines that the prices often seem ridiculous to me- I know, finally in my 40s, that there's no such thing as the "perfect" $40 t-shirt when practically the same piece can be had at a place like Target for a fraction of the price.

What I'd like to be able to do? Be more minimalist about my wardrobe (I'm getting better) and find a thrift store in my area that has a great supply of clothing. I read a post recently on a newsgroup about a person who looks for second-hand jeans-- finding a favorite vintage fit that's already broken in and past that "will it shrink or won't it" stage. I suppose, though, that magazines wouldn't stay in business if they subscribed to the "minimalist" theory.

Lucky has an especially interesting feature on minimalism sometimes, which shows a month's worth of outfits with just a few pieces. It's one of my favorite columns and I wish it ran on a month-by-month basis. Thank goodness for blogs!

Favorite Things

I'm not sure that my makeup was so great today, but I was wearing one of my favorite sweaters. From J Crew (actually a cross between kelly green and forest green), it was perfect for St. Patrick's Day and made me feel good about how I looked overall.

The color of my sweater is pretty much the top right hand corner of the Pantone color chart. I like green because it brightens up my coloring without being too over the top (something my husband would say that I worry too much about.)

As I've gotten older, I generally like shopping for makeup, skin care products, and bath products more than clothing or shoes. I don't have a "lot" of clothes, and a lot are bought for very specific occasions.

I have many more "favorite" pieces of clothing these days-- my Dad's old camping jacket, pieces that my husband has bought me (including an acrylic sweater that's lasted 25 years), and things in my favorite colors- the green I've already mentioned, and that mustard yellow that's so popular right now.

To those of you that celebrate, Happy St. Patrick's Day!

An Ode to Tinted Moisturizer

As a woman of a certain "age", evening out my skin tone has become a necessity as part of my daily beauty routine. I've used a number of products, but tinted moisturizer is my current favorite. Why? It is goof-proof. Since I'm pale yellow olive, finding matching foundation shades is a real challenge (I've yet to find a truly great drugstore product, although L'Oreal has such a wide range of shades in their True Match Line I need to give them another try).

Moisturizer is meant to enhance the skin, not cover it completely-- therefore, if the color isn't completely perfect, it's still okay, as long as the undertones of the tint are correct (more on that later).

Tinted moisturizer comes at all price points now. I remember a day when this product was a luxury-- something you could only find at a department store counter. Now, even Cover Girl and Wet N' Wild offer tinted moisturizers as part of their product line.

Tinted moisturizer is "skin friendly". A lot of these products seem to offer skin enhancing ingredients (Neutrogena comes to mind, with products that include otc retinols and salicylic acids.) Most have some form of sunscreen, although it isn't truly protective (my favorite has spf 20).

Tinted moisturizer suits today's "natural" aesthetic. I don't like a lot of makeup on my face, and I don't like to look like I'm wearing a "mask" at the end of the day. An extra pop of moisturizer-- as opposed to powder foundation or mineral powder-- seems to make me look "younger" and "fresher" without being overly made up. I also like that it's quick to apply and quick to remove. There's definitely no need to double-cleanse with a product like this.

So what's my current favorite? Laura Mercier, in the oil free formula for spring/summer and the regular formula for autumn/winter. Laura Mercier's shades suit yellow toned skin like mine (as does Bobbi Brown-- try Dior or Clinique, in my experience, if you're pink-toned). The LM has sunscreen but just tint in the formulas I use (no extra illuminating particles, although that's also an option).

While the product is more expensive than many others at $42.00, I don't experience any irritation (a fun part of getting older), it looks natural, and it's still on my face at the end of the day. Laura Mercier products are available at many department stores, Sephora, and on-line at a number of locations including the company's own web site.

Natural Wonders: Dr. Hauschka Lipstick

It’s a banner day for me when I find a little known, but nevertheless outstanding product. Dr. Hauschka- known for great natural skincare- has lipsticks that are moisturizing, long lasting, and natural looking. Score!

Rosehip extract is touted as a primary “care” ingredient of this product—rosehip is high in vitamins A and C, and also purportedly has both soothing and antiseptic properties. I like Burt’s Bees skin care products with rosehip oil, so I thought I’d give these lipsticks a try.

My first purchase was 01 (Amoroso), described on the Hauschka web site as a “soft coral”; on my pale olive skin tone, this description rings true. It is deeper than my natural lip tone, and looks fine with NARS Penny Lane blush, a staple in my cosmetics bag.

I next purchased 09 (Dolce), described as “iridescent bronze”. I like this one even better! This shade reads on my skin/lip tone as “Penny Lane in a tube”.

The shimmer in both lipsticks is very fine—I’d call it more of a gleam. While they aren’t the cheapest products out there at $23.95, I can easily see using both of these shades up, making the cost per wear negligible. I’ve had the first shade since last summer and the tube is approximately half-used. How many cosmetics can I honestly say I’ve used half of? Not many, so I must really like this product!

Dr. Hauschka has web shopping—the products are available at a number of brick and mortar sites (I’ll need to try 03—Giocoso-- when Whole Foods has them on sale next) and at web outlets (drugstore.com, garnethill.com).

Scentimental Over Perfume

I'm feeling very wistful today for perfumes I used to love-- Avon's Sweet Honesty in middle school, Paloma Picasso in high school, and Cacharel's Lou Lou throughout my college years and early 20s. Only Lou Lou is discontinued, I think, but I'm not positive. None of them still smell the "same" to me/on me, although I'd be hard pressed to describe any of them right now. I think it's that fragrance captures memories in a different way than other cosmetics.

As an "oldish" woman, I've been looking for a classic scent that I can wear all the time (my minimalist tendencies seem to demand it, and my budget certainly does), but I haven't found "the one" just yet. My husband loves Angel on me, and while it's certainly a spectacularly unique fragrance, there's something off-putting about it that's preventing me from living with it every day, even applied with a light hand. I actually also have a bottle of NR for Her edp right now, too-- could the two be any more different? The NR for Her is very comforting to me for some reason but just "meh" to my husband.

I'm truly hoping that I'll find a classic Guerlain for me-- none of the Chanels have quite worked out, although the cool green of No. 19 was very pleasing in the late spring and throughout the summer last year. Mr. Caroline doesn't like Mitsouko on me (although I love the peach) and he thought there was something oddly chemical about L'Heure Bleu. Maybe Jicky? L'Apres Ondee? It may be just that I like the idea of wearing a Guerlain as opposed to something created by a "celebrity".

Reading perfume notes, if anything, makes it even harder to try scents as I think you really need to give them time. I've just marked a Daisy Fuentes scent at Kohl's as one to try-- jasmine and peach seem like they may be a great combination for summer.

One thing that web commerce has gotten right in regards to perfume is the number of fragrances available to purchase for trial-- I'm happy to continue sampling (for a fee) from great sources like Luckyscent as a way to truly discover what's "me". I also think I need to do more reading about perfume-- the more I read, the more I am intrigued about this most personal of cosmetics.

Color Theory: Are there truly universal products?

I'm a product of a redheaded father and a brunette, medium-olive skinned mother. I got the fair skin but the olive undertone, which has always made it difficult for me to determine whether or not I should be wearing cool or warm makeup colors.

Some articles suggest that looking at your veins is a good way to tell if you're warm-toned or cool-toned-- green veins mean warm, blue or purple veins mean cool. I, of course, have both (predominantly large veins are very green, small veins are blue). I would guess that might make some call me "neutral", but I definitely need a very yellow foundation (Bobbi Brown's products are a very good match for me, and I've always used the yellow-orange shades at Prescriptives counters).

On the other hand, I definitely need a cool toned blush. Benefit's Dandelion is fine on my complexion, but Georgia looks quite unnatural. The same is true for the infamous NARS Orgasm blush- it starts out seeming okay, but quickly turns an unflattering shade of orange on my skin. NARS Sin, however, is fantastic; on a good day, I wear this blush and feel like I've become 25 again. Sin, often described as berry or plum toned, would certainly seem to fall into the "cool" category.

Because my pocketbook won't permit lots of makeup errors and I tend to favor high-end products, I've been experimenting with shades deemed "universal"-- and found some that I believe are very useful for coloring like mine. NARS Penny Lane blush, for example, looks like rose brass to me in the pan-- and applies similarly, like a soft pink/peach/caramel shade. I seem to be able to wear this color regardless of what appears to be predominant in my skin that day. MAC's Viva Glam V lipstick is a very flattering accompaniment to this blush-- it's also a caramelly pink on, and seems to suit me no matter what.

I've failed with other "universal" products-- I'm a bit too long in the tooth for things like cheek stains, as they seem to highlight every flaw in my "oldish" skin, and I think that many lip/cheek products are similarly too pink for my yellow coloring.

So the bottom line seems to be this-- if you aren't sure what shades may suit you, look for blushes and lip products that blend both cool and warm tones. While it seems as if they might not suit anyone, they definitely have worked for me.

Inspiration!

One of my favorite sources of inspiration for beauty and fashion ideas is popular fiction. I'm especially drawn to characters that seem to have a minimalist style-- Robert B. Parker's Sunny Randall is a tough private detective, but she cares about how she looks, works out, and loves to do her hair and makeup. Another character I'd love to emulate, although from television, is Mariska Hargitay's Detective Olivia Benson on Law and Order SVU; she's got a similar kind of minimalist cool. Maybe I just want to be tougher?

Natural Wonders: Burt's Bees Pomegranate Lip Balm

I've been addicted to "natural" food stores ever since I discovered the food co-op while attending college. My husband and I were newly married and really, really broke-- Taco Bell was a big restaurant meal out for us. One of the most fun parts about the co-op was the beauty aisle. Today, it isn't so unusual to find an "organic" or sulfate free beauty product at your local grocery store; but back then, it was really unique.

Burt's Bees is one of my favorite lines, and the pomegranate lip balm is one of their best products. This lip balm has a thinner, less waxy texture than the peppermint original. Pomegranate is high in antioxidants; and in my opinion, wearing this balm regularly has improved the smoothness of my lips and helped both glosses and lipsticks to apply more evenly. It's the sheer red-pink color of the balm that's really sold me: I can wear it without any additional lip color and my face still looks "finished", even when I'm wearing other makeup.

Because this balm is loaded with natural oils, really sensitive skins may not be able to wear it; also, beeswax means that it isn't a true "vegan" product. If you like natural products, though, and want to try out a wearable bright pink for spring, this balm probably is for you!

Burt's Bees has their own website, and the product is widely available-- even the rural grocery store in my hometown has a Burt's Bees display.

Choice Serum: when hope is not enough

Now that I'm in my forties, a serum no longer seems like a luxury, but an essential part of my daily skin care routine. I like to apply serums in the morning. My reasoning? Most experts seem to suggest that an antioxidant rich serum is important to boosting sunscreen's effectiveness, and I'm already seeing evidence of sun damage. (Dad's a redhead, even though I'm not.)

One thing I dislike about many serums is a silicone base-- the texture seems heavy to me, and tends to clog my skin. Philosophy's when hope is not enough lists water as a first ingredient- perfect for my needs. Vitamin c, e, peptides, and soy are also part of the formula.

What I've noticed over time (and ALL over the counter skin care products take time to work, I think) is a softening of sun damage and fine lines and a generally improved texture to my skin- pores seem minimized, skin on my neck (where I'm very dry) seems soothed, and what I call "lizard" skin (charming, I know) is gone.

Philosophy products are also widely available- I've purchased this in-store at Sephora and Macy's, you can also buy them on-line at many retailers including drugstore.com and philosophy.com. Worth trying if you want the benefits of a serum but not the sticky finish of silicones!