TELL ME YOURS, AND I'LL TELL YA MINE!!!

Soooooo, I have been looking and looking at a lot of product lately and there is just sooooo many different picks out there.......a little overwhelming actually ........and EXPENSIVE!!! I want to try it all!!!!! I have my favorites and I would love to know yours! So please indulge me and let me know your true blue, can't live without, would die without and could and would probably kill for products!!!!!
O.k......here's mine !!!

~ Starbuck's CAFE VIENNA java!!!! I know it's not make-up but I do love it and would most definitely kill for it!!!! I'm the JAVA NINJA!!   For real!!

~ Two Faced Glamour Gloss in "Barely Legal" @ Ulta

~ Smashbox Photo Finish Primer in "Adjust" @ Ulta

~  All of my wonderful, fabulous MAC Makeup brushes!!!! @ MAC

~  Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes Waterproof Liner Pencil in "Black" @ Sephora

~ Lancome's Definicils Mascara in "Deep Black" @ Lancome Counter/Macy's & Sephora

~  Lancome's Cils Booster Lash Primer @ Lancome Counter/Macy's & Sephora

NOW TELL ME YOUR FAVORITES!!!!!

WHAT A PRETTY PUCKER!

Morning Ladies....huh um, and some gents!  Hope all is well this fine Thursday!  I was pondering on what topic to dive into today and I kept thinking about our lips!!  I am not a bold lip person, I always feel like I have a blinking light on my face when I do a full lip, I am more the bold eye, soft lip kinda girl!  Problem with that is a soft lip for me entails more of a lip gloss finish which does not have too much staying power, which means a lot of reapplying.......which gets really old, but I gotta do what I gotta do.  So, I thought I would give my recommendation on how to get your lipstick to stay a little longer and to keep it from fading!!!

~ Like I have said in the past, prep your surface......and that means your lips too!!!  So exfoliate with a lip scrub, or wet your lips with warm water and gently rub with a warm wash cloth or toothbrush as to remove any dead flaky unwanted skin. (Exfoliating encourages old cells to slough off and replaces them with smoother cells underneath which again aids in the reduction of the unwanted "Feathering" appearance) I use and LOVE....

This is *FRXtion Sugar Exfoliating lip balm from Tarte*, it has a sugar scrub on one side and a wonderful lip balm on the other!  Also has a little mirror in the lid.......SWEET!  You can find this product at your nearest Ulta store and runs around $15.00!!!  LOVE ULTA!!!

~ Apply a lip primer, rub your lips together and let it get into your skin and absorb. I currently use and LOVE......

This is a "Prep & Prime" by *MAC* and runs around $15.00 as well and can be found at any MAC counter or online!

~ Use your lip liner pencil of your choice and lightly line and fill in your lips, this helps with lipstick feathering and will assist your lip stick color to stay on a bit longer! (The pigment in your pencil needs to be of a higher grade, try Chanel or Mac brands, better pigment also aids in the reduction of "Feathering")
~ Take a makeup puff or powder brush and apply a light dusting of powder over your lips.
~ Now apply a coat of lipstick over the entire lip area, I like to apply my lip stick with my finger or with a lip brush.  You get it into the lips a little better and have more control over where you want it!
~ Blot lightly and reapply a second coat.

~ If you prefer a pouty lip then apply a bit of gloss on the middle of your bottom lip








Photo is compliments of *Inspired By Christy* and a pair of over 40  lips!

WHY THE DARK CIRCLES???

Good morning beauties!!!  It's going to be a great day, I can feel it!!!  Or it could just be the 3 cups of java I have consumed this fine morning?? Well either way, some of you have asked me the divine question of how to get rid of, or cover up dark under eye circles.  I have been reading and scouring thru articles trying to find that one perfect, miracle product or idea to cure your ills.  BUT, there are sooo many so called cures and cover ups so I thought I would list for you the things that I have found and let you decide your plan of action.

Unfortunately as we age along, the evidence of time is never more apparent then under the eyes, the hands and our necks!  UGH!  The most common evidence of this is the development of dark circles underneath the eyes, puffy under-eye skin and the formation of fine lines and wrinkles as we lovingly refer to them as the dreaded crow's feet!  While it is possible to change or alter our lifestyles to counteract these developments such as getting more sleep, relieving stress(as I bust out in laughter), and stop indulging in unhealthy behaviors such as smoking and excessively drinking alcohol, the truth of the matter is that there are many other reasons why these condition develop.
For example:
* Those ole family genes, if your momma has em, guess what baby?
* If you have congestion problems and or allergies
* Too much times worshiping that great and lovely sun
*  Poor Diet
* Extreme Weight Loss
* Chronic Sinusitis
* Lack of Vitamin K
* Engorged Blood Vessels
* Broken Capillaries in the Skin
* Dehydration
* Fluid Retention(Puffiness under the eyes)
* LACK OF SLEEP......When we rest and are less stressed, our skin enters its growth and repair cycle, without this time our skin tends to become paler and a reduction in the blood circulation begins which causes the blood vessels to become more visible through the skin.

NOW, here are some at home treatments that may be able to help and are "Do-able"!!
* Do a hydrating facial mask a couple times a week, it may help to reduce the puffiness and discoloration.
* If the dark circles are due to swelling and fluid retention, some as simple as applying cool tea bags or cucumber slices under the eyes may bring relief.  (Cucumbers are rich in water that help to reduce the puffiness and refresh the appearance of you skin, they have a very soothing effect on the eye)Apply for ten minutes to closed eyes!

*Applying an eye cream every day is essential!!  Look for a product that treats dark circles, most eye creams designed to treat this condition will contain retinol, Aloe Vera, Vitamin K and alpha hydroxyl acid.  It's NEVER TOO LATE TO START USING AN EYE CREAM!!!
* Wash your face with cold or lukewarm water in the morning and in the evening if you suffer from puffiness, the cold water calms the skin and constructs the blood vessels.
* Drink plenty of water which of course helps your body stay hydrated and improves circulation.

* And my final tip......CONCEALER!!!  Of course cleanse and moisturize your face first and foremost!  Apply your concealer lightly to the under eye area, using your ring finger which is the lightest.  Always dab, don't rub!  Choose a concealer with a yellow or peachy undertone and a shade lighter than your skin tone to neutralize the blue and the green colors in the under eye circles.

WHAT A GREAT WEEKEND!

As I awoke this fine Monday morning, I finally feel rested and somewhat peaceful!  I looked out our back windows and watched two dear  meandering around our wooded field, I heard the call of the Whippoorwill bird which always means rain is here or is soon approaching, and then I saw a big beautiful Hawk flying from tree to tree in all it's fine feathered glory!  Seriously, it was like I was in the movie "Bambi", I love mornings like these!

Anyway!!   On Saturday I joined a group of beauties at a little, quaint spa in Centerville, Ohio by the name of
*AYURVEDA SPA*.........GLORIOUS!  We had reserved this establishment for the night to celebrate a dear friends upcoming baby bliss, and in return got to choose from 4 different treatments!  So, I choose the most fabulous, fabulous of all.....get this; I got an Organic Arm Exfoliation, Healing Scalp Massage, Herbal Dough Arm and Leg Message!!!!  OH MY LOVELY LORD!!!!!!  Can I just say that I heard the "Hallelujah Chorus" during the dough message.....SERIOUSLY!!!  I have never had anything like that, nor did I know that anything like that even existed!!!  The beautiful lady who owns this spa is from Indian decent, she studied in India and the Unites States and uses all kinds of oils and scents and really has a passion for her work and it is just fantastic.  She gives "healing touch" sessions for free to anyone who is going thru Chemotherapy, which is such a gracious outpouring of her kindness.  But back to me, o.k., I LOVE to be rubbed on, who doesn't right, so I was in "Rub Love" and truly enjoyed every single minute of my sessions!  She also does the eyebrow threading, how cool THAT was to watch!  And one of our lovely guests requested and was in dire need of a waxing, in certain areas, the picture explains everything..............She said it was the best waxing she had ever gotten and did not hurt at all, we didn't even get a chance to make fun of her cries of pain as the hair was being ripped from her body....dangit!!  So if you can get a free hour, go visit this little spa and experience some awesome, awesome relaxation time at a very reasonable cost as well!!!

We moved our baby shower parta to Bravo's to finish off the night in high fashion,........ basically pigging out.  So as we were all sitting around listening to our beautiful almost 40 mom to be, talk about her pregnancy, the issue of age came up.  Well, come to find out.......get this.........I WAS THE OLDEST CHICK AT THE STINKING TABLE!!!!!!!  ME!!!  THE OLDEST!!!!!!  Unless I have been at the kids table, I don't think I have ever been THE OLDEST CHICK AT THE STINKING TABLE!!!!!!!  And I will now quote Forrest Gump........"that's all I have to say about that"!

SOMEBODY STOP ME!!!!

HA HA, I've got video fever ya'll !!!  Bare with me as I find out how I want to present these little snipits, I want to be interesting as to keep your attention, and I want to be informative as well and stay on track as to why I'm doing this.......Makeup Rainee, Makeup!!!  So, like I said.....BARE WITH ME!!!

And Here are some funny things I have come across that I THOUGHT were cute.....I PROMISE, we will get back to makeup talk this week!!!!!  Just feeling funny today!!

 Was there a fool moon last night?????????? 

 

(EVER DO THE ABOVE AND GET BUSTED??  YEAH, ME EITHER..... AND I'M TOTALLY  LYING!)

O.k., enough...I'm done

MY VERY FIRST BIG GIRL VIDEO POST!

O.K., So I have this extremely complicated video camera by Sony that has a hard drive and it is literally like trying to break into a Swiss bank vault to get a video downloaded......get this.....with sound?!!  Seriously???  Yes, I'm serious!!!  So I tried to do video on my MAC using  photo booth.........and...........this.........is.........it.........!!!!!  WOO-HOO!!!!

...........See I told ya, I am so technologically challenged, I can not even get THIS to play!!!!  Well, just imagine if you will, that I had the answers to all of your life long beauty questions and I had found the fountain of youth and was getting ready to reveal to you it's location, blah blah blah blah blah !!!!  I PROMISE, I will figure this out......sooner or later!!!  

NOTE TO SELF ~  The built in web cam's are NOT the most flattering!  

MY FIRST BIG GIRL PEEL!! WOO-HOO!

O.k., so I bit the bullet of pain and had an herbal peel done yesterday morning.....and I must say......IT WAS NOT BAD AT ALL!!!  I should have been doing these about 5 years ago but was always too big of a sissy to do it!  Man, you get alotta nerve and backbone after you hit 40, got my first tattoo and facial peel....good Lord what's next????  Anyway, I went to the cute, swanky, lovely little salon in Fairfield Township called *Master's Touch*, and the name totally encompasses what they  stand for!  A group of Christian women that love the Lord and live what they believe, it's like a breath of fresh air when you walk in!  The most beautiful, honery, and tells it like it is girl has the job of taking care of my tresses, God help her!!  Her name is Leah Ivy and she is just wonderful, I can't say enough great things about her work, I highly recommend giving her a try if you are looking for a new stylist, believe me, if she can make me happy........she can make anybody happy!!!!  Woo-Hoo!

So back to the peel!!  O.k., a beautiful lady by the name of....and this is such a cool name.....Derevaun Pham did my herbal peel.  She is a doll!!!!  Loved her!!!  She explained everything so well and took great care beings it was my first peel.  She did a little micro abrasion which I loved because it kinda plumped out the lines (laugh lines) around my mouth which I am so self conscience of anyway, so that was way cool!  The cost was $65.00 and well worth it, I would like to go maybe every 3 months if possible, she recommends once a month.  I took my good camera for her to take some shots of me during the peel, but brainiac here forgot to put the SD card back in so she took a picture with her phone and emailed it to me so you could get an idea of what goes on.  O.k., I cannot and will not show you the picture.....I LOOKED LIKE AN ALIEN, even my BFF laughed at the pic, so vanity must keep me from showing you all the photo.....see, my word "vanity" from my last post is ringing true!!  
Ahhh, who gives a woo-hoo...Here it is!!!!  

I have no shame

What are your words?

My husband purchased for me, for Valentine's Day, a book, titled "The Naked Mom" by Brooke Burke.  You can only imagine my thoughts when I saw the title, but he quickly explained his reason behind this most thoughtful gift.  He had seen a review of this book and said that it reminded him of me and my struggles to "find" my nitch, to find myself outside the title of "Mom" and "Wife" and to find that place where I feel accomplished and fulfilled.  Very good choice hubby, thank you!  Anyways, the first page starts with her listing a whole paragraph of words that she thinks best describe her, so I wanted to do the same, if for no one else than myself.  So here it goes ~~~~


Dreamer,  wife,  mother,  daughter,  sister,  animal lover,  peacemaker,  cook,  maid,  taxi driver,  jokester,  friend,  confidant,  counselor,  nurse,  giver,  taker,  villain ( at times),  hero (at times) faker (NO, not THAT kind!),  shy,  mouthy,  vain (ouch!) ,  singer,  insecure,  referee,  grudge holder (another ouch!),   best friend,  dictator,  rebel,  awkward,  laugher,   listener (if it's not about something BORING), creative,  strong willed,  weak,  forgiving,   a handful,  absent minded and half witted!


So, that pretty much hurt......but dare to do the same?  Comment back to me and let me know....

"What are Your Words"?

Lovely lashes

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!!!!

Well, I have been sorta busy lately, haven't posted in a couple of days......YA MISS ME???? Woo-Hoo!!!! I have some info that I thought I would share from my vault of endless knowledge and wisdom that flows from this fountain of mine............or from an article that I spotted in the great awesome book of *Sephora*.........Whichever!  Here are some tips for proper mascara application, and little tricks and treats!

TIP #1) If you get too much mascara on your lashes, douse a toothbrush with a little eye makeup remover and gently go over the lashes. If there is any runaway mascara on the lid, use a Q-Tip that's been hit with a little remover and gently dab the area marred!
Tip #2) Never ever curl your lashes when there is mascara on them, the lashes are drier and very breakable.
Tip #3) When you apply your mascara, set the mascara wand at the base of your lashes and wiggle it back and forth through the lashes. You want the biggest deposit to be on the lash line and not the tips.
Tip #4) If you have one, immediately comb lashes out with a lash comb, the key is to get in there with the comb before your mascara dries.
Tip #5) Always use a primer for them lashes girlies!!

A favorite find of mine: I purchased a product from a friend who works at a plastic surgeons office and I'm sure you have seen it magazines and commercials, it's called Latisse. It claims to aid in lash growth and I am here to tell you.....IT ABSOLUTELY, TOTALLY WORKS!!!!!! If I could afford it, I would keep purchasing this awesome miracle liquid! From what I know, it was created by a husband who's wife had gone thru chemotherapy and had lost her eyelashes and he wanted to make something to help grow hers back........which makes this product that much sweeter! It made my eyelashes grow so much that they were actually annoying me when I would wear my glasses because they were rubbing on the lenses when I would blink!!!! I WAS IN LASH LOVE!!!!!! So, if you can save some moo-lah and try this awesome product, I highly encourage you to do so, or if your loaded and can lay approx. $125 down for Bout 3-4 weeks of Latisse then more power to ya sista!!!! WOO-HOO!!!!!! Here's a quick pic of my Latisse outcome......use wisely..........and bring your hedge trimmers!

SIDE NOTE~ ....the reason we always open our mouths when applying mascara is because when your jaw drops, your eyes open!.......

So there you have it, a plethora of knowledge from this over 40 makeup blogger!!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!!!!!

LOVE THE FEEDBACK!!!!

I just wanted to tell all of you who facebook me, text me, email me and see me in person and let me know how much you love this half wit blog!  For real, THANK YOU!!!!  I would LOVE to have MORE COMMENTS!!!!!  It's like getting a package in the mail, I lay awake at night and stare at my computer screen (well, not really) waiting, and waiting, and waiting for a COMMENT,  then I see the little cute note that say's..."You have a COMMENT to be moderated"....I LOVE THAT, it makes my heart go pitter patter!!  I accidentally deleted all of my old COMMENTS from my loyal followers.......OOOOOOOPS, to you who left them, I AM VERY SORRY!  But  as you read in my profile, I am technologically not right and sometimes get trigger happy with the buttons.
But again, I just wanted to say a huge thanks for all the great feedback, and to encourage  you all to leave some COMMENTS!!!!  See a trend here????  hmmmmmm?  Woo-Hoo!!!!!

Don't Fret!!!!

Soooo, hope all is well with all you beauties!!!!  I found this excellent video on helping to pick the right "Type" of foundation.  I reckin finding the right, perfect, couldn't of asked for anything more perfect foundation, to trying on bathing suits.......OMG, are you kidding me????????  Yes, I think it is THAT hard!!!!  Anyway there a few things to figure out when trying to find that right, perfect, couldn't  ask for anything more perfect foundation!  Hope this helps!
First is COVERAGE~
Sheer:  This is subtle with a little bit of luminosity so that natural things like freckles can show thru.
Medium:  This coverage is more natural, but covers things like blemishes, redness or any other imperfections you are wanting to hide.
Full:  This coverage is full force, it will cover anything you wish to conceal.....hmmmm, wonder if they make foundation that will cover up my back side????


Second is FINISH~ (The texture that foundation leaves on your skin)
Satin:  Very luminous and has a "Dewey" sheen to it.  Many cat walks and fashion magazines us this finish a lot.
Natural:  This is the balance between shine and matte, very good finish for everyday use.
Matte:  No shine finish, oil control and is good for very active, very busy lifestyles.


Third is SHADE~ (Speaks to how light or how dark your skin is)
To find this perfect shade, you will need to match it to your skin color.  The best place on your face to find your perfect shade is from cheek to neck/jawline. Your PERFECT shade will disappear into your skin, you should have no huge color changes from face to neck!


And last is UNDERTONES ~ (Refers to the tone of your skin)
Most of us will probably fall under the Golden Olive tone, if not then you fall under the pink tone.  Here's how you can tell.........If you tan, you are going to be more of the olive tone, if you burn then you are more likely to be more of the pink tone!

As we strive to be as beautiful as we humanly can, remember that there is no perfect women, no perfect face, no perfect body.  The photo's of women(who have  professional make-up artist spend hours making them flawless) we try and mimic.......are made so by the creative editing talents of a well trained photograher....God love em!!!  
So be easy on yourself..... see what I mean!!

Oh, that hurt....

So, this totally has nothing to do with make-up WHAT SO EVA, BUT I was doing a little on-line ordering and you know the part where they may or may not ask for your date of birth? O.k. So I was at that point of my checkout and you have to scroll down the list of years to find the year in which you were birthed into this world.......I did not realize HOW DESPERATELY FAR DOWN THE LIST I HAD TO GO TO FIND MY BIRTHDATE????? That hurt!

THEN, I was sitting in my SUV waiting on my teenage daughter to get out of basketball and was listening to a station tagged as "oldies" right, well low and behold a song came on that I used to shake my groove thang to back in high school and beyond!!! SERIOUSLY???? Wasn't it just like a couple of years ago that the oldies songs that were played on the oldies stations were like Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Gladys Knight and the Pips (or whatever) and ELVIS!!!!! Surely time has not passed so quickly that the songs we once ........
Cruised to; "Livin' on a Prayer"(Bon Jovi Baby), "With or Without You"(U2)
 Danced to at our school dances;  "Mony, Mony"(Billy Idol) Sidenote; I was not one who sang the teenage version and changed the  words thank you very much.....wink, wink! :)
Maybe kissed a boy(or 2 ) to; "Alone"(Heart) AND "I Just Died in Your Arms"(Cutting Crew)
have NOW become this generations "Oldies".......say it isn't so Lord, say it isn't so!!!!!!!

So If you graduated in the 80's, specifically 1987, check out this website(Highlighted in red below) and try to remember all of the culture....... way, way, way back yonder!
THAT HURT'S!!!!!!
Oh yeah, any of my fellow 1987 Sycamore Grads remember our classes "Tag Line" !!   I will give you a hint:

"Love is fun___________________________??????? WHAT were we thinkin????  Ha Ha Ha Ha

Prime that pretty puppy!

Well, since I am on a "fix my face" regiment, I wanted to pass on to you the importance of wearing primer under your makeup!!!  Think of it this way....you have the best room in your home, the room that everyone see's whenever they come to visit, the one you want to make look exquisite but you notice the paint is looking like it needs a little VaVaVOOOM!  You decide a fresh coat of paint would do the trick, but seems that there are a lot of little cracks, bumps and a lot unevenness on the walls surface........WHAT DO YA DO???  You go to your nearest paint supplier and purchase a great PRIMER!!  One that will fill in those cracks, crevices and bumps on the wall, one that, when you put that perfect shade of paint over it, it goes on like melted butta baby!!  Sooooo, what should be ANY different about your beautiful face?????  I will not put my foundation on without my primer, I currently use *Smashbox* "Photo Finish" Correcting Primer in ADJUST!

ADJUST is the green toned primer and aids in the reduction of redness.
BLEND is the apricot toned primer and it aids in evening out skin tone and counteracting discoloration and dark spots.
BALANCE is the lavender toned primer and aids in brightening dull or sallow skin.

The average price for the above primers is running about $32.00 - $38.00 and I find mine at *Ulta*...did I mention I adore Ulta?!!
There of course are cheaper products on the market, I looked at the reviews for:
"Cover Girls Simply Ageless Serum Primer" which runs an average of $13.00 and they were not the best, only 40% of the users would purchase this product again.
L'Oreal makes "Studio Secrets Professional Color Correcting Primer" and this one faired quite well with an average cost of $12.00.  You can find BOTH of these products at Ulta as well!!!

So humour me on the "Fix My Face" mission and "Fix Your Face"!  Us beauties over 40 need to be diligent and use a little extra sompin~sompin to look like we did 15 years ago, of course every smile line and crow's feet we see, only means we have really enjoyed our lives immensely; smiling, laughing, being joyfull......and then there are the big fat lines on our fore heads, the frown lines, which for me spell out only one thing..........                 

M~A~R~R~I~A~G~E

I'm just kidding!!!!  I love ya honey !!  

Here's to almost 20 more!!! 

Can you say.... Botox!

So many different finishes, so little time....

I found a great article by *MAC Makeup* and wanted to pass it along to you all, it really defines the differences in Eye Shadow finishes, which will be great if you lay in bed and ponder on the decision of ............
 What type of shadow shall I wear tomorrow????
MATTE ~ Matte shadows are a flat color; no shimmer or glitter and are best if you are going for a more natural, neutral look.
VELVET ~ Velvet shadows have a texture similar to the fabric; the color payoff is much softer than how it appears in the pan providing a subtle, muted look.
SATIN ~ Satin shadows have an overall shine similar to how silk looks when light reflects off of it; the finish is more of a general sheen, rather than shimmer/glitter.
VELUXE ~ Veluxe shadows are soft and superfine, providing minimal shimmer; these are the toned-down-versions the "Veluxe Pearl".
VELUXE PEARL ~ Veluxe Pearl shadows are metallic looking; they are ultra shimmery shadows, but apply very easily to the lid. These shadows are great for looks you would want to wear for a night out on the town baby!!  *Do we even do "nights out on the town" anymore?*
LUSTRE ~  Lustre shadows have superfine shimmer throughout, giving then a "glittery" appearance.  The shimmer is not chunky like glitter, but rather provides a frosty look; these are great for some toned down evenings out! 
FROST ~ Frost shadows have small glitter pieces throughout which give it an overall shine; the shine has been described as "how the sun reflects off of the snow".....and Good Lord knows we here in Ohio know what the heck that looks like, compounded with ice!!!  GEEZ!

Hope this helps your search for the best shadow finishes to suite your every mood!!!  Muah!

Cure for the "Redface"...How? (Get it...How, Indian, Redface?)

So, I have chronic red splotching on my cheeks, hate it with every fiber of my being!  I am getting back into a really good, really regimented a.m. & p.m. taking care of my face program!!!  I have added some more items to my course of action; one is a

Pumpkin Enzyme Peel by Peter Thomas Roth, sold at *Sephora*...I haven't received this yet but it says that this pumpkin smelling peel gently dissolves dead surface skin cells and stimulates cellular turnover, which to me sounds like all the cell phones we go thru in this house of 4!!

Another thing I have added is the *Clinique* Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle & UV Damage Corrector, LOVE this so far!!  My skin truly does feel and look a lot smoother just after 1 week of use.......signs are good for this one!  Woo-Hoo!

*Clinique* carry's a REDNESS SOLUTIONS REDNESS REGIMENT, and in that is an "Instant Relief Mineral Pressed Powder", you use this before and after foundation where needed and the reviews on this are great, I will be purchasing this in the next few days and pray it does what it says, or it's going back!!!  I will let you know how I fair!
~If any of you beauties have this same problem and have found some great solutions... PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR FEEDBACK~  OR If you suffer from Rosacea, I would LOVE to know what you have tried that helps, I have a  friend who is in need of some solutions for this problem and is seeing a dermatologist, I passed on to her the Clinique Redness Line to give her some idea's of where to go, but if you know of something tried and true, I know she would appreciate your input!

By the way......You ladies have been so very supportive of this blog and if you only know how much I adore  your input, thanks so much for taking your time to read my some times humorous, sometimes rambling ideas......it means a lot.

~Not so shameless PLUGS & SHOUTOUTS~

O.k., so I'm up.  Schools are cancelled, I've got the perfect cup of joe *Starbucks' Cafe Verona/Whole Bean*  in my favorite Christmas mug and feeling very shameless this morning!  Woo-Hoo!  I've gotta tell you about two of my absolute most talented, gifted, beautiful and loyal peeps on the planet, lovingly referred to as "The Ponytail Brigade" which is only appreciated & funny to the three of us.
We first will start with the ever so skinny(hate her), looks like she's a teenager every day of her life(again, hate her), mother of 4, self taught photographer *Christy*.  To see the talent that she holds behind the lense of some honking big cameras is inspiring, I'm quite jealous actually of her ability, but must thank her for all the great photo's she has taken of my family!  Be nosy, go check out her *web site* and you will see that  the proof is in the pudding as they say, book your Spring session quickly though, she is getting flooded with senior pictures, family sessions and some boudoir requests....yes you read correctly, she does boudoiur photography and it's AMAZING!!!!! WOO-HOO!!!!
So my next peep that I adore is *Teresa Napier*, a.k.a. "THE QUEEN"!  What do I say about The Queen, well I don't think she has ever left the house not completely decked out and looking fine(hate her).  From the top of her head(great hair), to her very rarely wears gym shoes feet, she is a true beauty, one of those who don't need a stitch of make-up(seriously hate her)and can light up a room with her amazing ability to communicate and make every single person she speaks with, feel like a million bucks.......and she means it, she has a heart of gold and it shows in everything she does.  She is an amazing *Image Consultant*, her mission:  To encourage and educate women who are searching to define their unique style.
I hope to partner with these two beauties in the future as a free lance make-up artist, and combine all of our unique talents and abilities to further each other's dreams and ambitions...WOOOO-HOOOO!!!!!     Gotta love your girlfriends!!!!