The Difference Between BB Creams & CC Creams

May 3, 2014 by oldageisnotforsissies54 Filed Under: Beauty

I use a CC Cream from time to time and I have tried several BB Creams; but I have to admit that BB Creams and CC Creams are beginning to confuse me, especially when you compare them to those from eastern countries.

Here is a good link to the blog “Musings of a Muse”. She explains it well.

What’s the Difference Between BB Creams and CC Creams?

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The One Concealer That is Affordable and Travel Friendly

March 6, 2014 by oldageisnotforsissies54 Filed Under: Beauty

Are you always looking for the next best concealer? Well, you certainly are not alone!

Ladies, I found a new concealer that covers well without being obvious. If you read my earlier posts, you remember that my favorite concealer up until now was made by Hard Candy and was called Glamoflauge Concealer by Hard Candy. I bought it through Wal-Mart. I still have a tube of it, though; because it is the best thing for covering some broken capillaries on my right thigh.

My new best friend, though, is made by L’Oreal; and you can probably find it at Wal-Mart, though I bought mine at CVS for about $8. It is called L’Oreal True Match Crayon Concealer. That’s right! It is a crayon, but it goes on so smoothly.

In fact, I just pat mine in. It glides easily over my under eye circles and hides the little barely-visible scars from my plastic surgery. No tugging on the delicate skin there. It covers beautifully without looking cakey. It comes in different shades, and I found one that matches me perfectly.

The My new BFF is also easily packable, as it is a short, chubby pencil. It fits in my purse, in my makeup bag, and anywhere else I need it to travel. It comes in a twist up design so you don’t need a sharpener. That means less to carry around.

Other Concealers

Most of the makeup crayons up until now haven’t been my favorite products, but I guess I need to go back and try some more. This concealer glides on so smoothly. Maybe, they’ve figured out the formula for blendability. Blendability? Is that a word? Probably not, but it fits what I’m trying to say here.

I’ve read some of the reviews from others, and some of them say it is not good for dry skin. I’m glad I bought mine before I read these particular reviews, because I may have never given it a try.

I go a long way to make sure I stay hydrated, so that may be why this concealer works so well for me. I also think the secret is in patting it in instead of rubbing. It covers well.

Love, love, love this product! Oh, and just so you know. No one sent me a trial or is paying me for this post. When I find something I like, I just like to share the news.

The Ultimate Guide to Skincare for Older Complexions (part 2)

November 13, 2013 by oldageisnotforsissies54 Filed Under: Beauty

Last week I talked about my bedtime skincare routine, but his week I would like to share my morning routine. It isn’t written for thirty-somethings; instead, it is written for all the rest of us–the forties, fifties, and sixty-somethings!

Didn’t you just love the fact that because most of us are baby boomers, it seemed that all the world was focused on our needs and well, it is no longer that way!

Pick up almost any magazine, and it is focused on our children. Mine are in their thirties, and all I remember about my thirties was…not much. I was too busy raising children, trying to maintain a good relationship with my husband, and working on my career. Too busy living to worry about much else, I certainly wasn’t worried about my skin, other than a little makeup, some mascara, and blush.

Well, those days are certainly behind me; and my skincare routine is so important now.

My Morning Skincare Routine

Upon waking in the morning, I first use a baby washcloth to wipe the sleep from my eyes, then I use my eye makeup remover to remove anything that might show up after sleeping all night. Because I use a waterproof mascara, sometimes I fail to remove all of it the night before. Afterward, I use a cotton disc saturated with a toner called Derma-e Firming Toner with DMAE, Alpha Lipoic and C-Ester to remove anything else left behind.

I have always loved the way toners leave my skin. I know that most say that toners really aren’t needed. Well, maybe so; but I just like the feeling of them on my skin, and it does a good job of cleaning up any residue.

A Great Skincare Book

Years ago, I read a book that made me a believer in DMAE, Alpha Lipoic Acid, and C-Ester. The book, “The Wrinkle Cure” by Dr. Nicholas Perricone, was one of the best books I’ve ever read. It basically changed my cleansing routine, my diet, and my lifestyle.

Dr. Perricone also does a good job of explaining why these three ingredients are important. I get the DMAE from my diet, take alpha lipoic acid in capsule form and get C-Ester from a serum which I’ll describe later.

I probably should go back and reread this book, as one tends to drift away from good advice. I am no exception to this rule. If you haven’t read this, you really should. Dr. Perricone is one reason my complexion is so clear and still without much wrinkling.

Next, I apply another Arbonne product. I cannot find this anywhere else, and I really like it, though I doubt I would have had time to use it back when I worked. They say it is botox in a tube, and I agree with its temporary toning of my skin. I just think it helps for my skin to use this.

This Arbonne product has Copper Peptides. Copper is something that exists naturally in our tissues, but as we age it decreases. It is an anti-inflammatory. It works by suppressing inflammatory cytokines.

You can read more about it here.

And we have all heard that increased inflammation brings about aging. Copper also promotes collagen and elastin production. It, too, is an antioxidant. I have already begun using with good success a decolletage cream from Arbonne with copper peptides, and I’ve been trying some of their other RE9 products, too.

By the way I have already begun using with good success a decolletage cream from Arbonne with copper peptides, and I’ve been trying some of their other RE9 products, too. I’ll let you know how it goes.

After waiting about 10-15 minutes, but Arbonne says you only have to wait 2-3 minutes, I then apply a serum. By the way I use the 10-15 minutes to sit down and read a book. I love my morning routine since I retired.

As for the serum, if you’ve read my blog much, then you know that I’m always out for the “cheapest” product. This one qualifies. I use Oil of Olay Regenerist Regenerating Serum because it contains hyaluronic acid which helps my skin suck up moisture. It helps my skin stay hydrated. There are much more expensive products on the market, but this one gets my vote.

The older we get the drier our skin feels, because it is thinning and is simply dry. This helps reverse some of this process. Also, this product is a great eye serum, so put it all on your face, eyelids, under eye areas, neck, and decolletage.

Last, I apply to my face, neck, and decolletage Estee Lauder’s DayWear Advanced Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant Creme with SPF 15, but there are some other products that are cheaper to use,

such as Lumene Complete Rewind Recovery Day Cream, which is thicker so I use it in the winter.

I also just discovered Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Anti-Sun Damage with SPF 28. It is a total bargain at $7.19. I am trying it out as both my antioxidant and my sunscreen (which I talk about later in this post). I’ll let you know how it goes.

So this first step of my morning makeup regime is complete. It begins with eye makeup remover and toner, it continues with a serum and eye cream, and it ends with an anti-oxidant with sunscreen. If I don’t do anything else, my skin is protected.

I usually go downstairs and eat breakfast. Showering and the rest of my makeup routine come later. Eating breakfast is my most important dietary meal of the day, so I never, ever skip this step. I’ll talk about that in a later post.

The Most Important Cream in My Toolbox

After I shower, I apply my absolute, most important product. It is my sunscreen. I never skip applying sunscreen.

It is the most important cream in my tool box. I live in a lower latitude, so sunshine is a blessing and a curse. Luckily, my family has been in this area for about eight generations; and the women in my family provided me with good lessons in skincare.

One of my grandmothers grew up in a very controlled atmosphere. As a young girl, she was not allowed to go outside without coverage for her face and her arms. Ranny was born in the 1890s, so everything else was almost always covered anyway. She continued to practice this her entire life. She lived until I was in my early 30s, and I noticed how translucent, clear and beautiful her skin was, even though it was wrinkled. After all, she was in her 90s when she passed.

My Grandmother Roe at 91

On the other hand, my other grandmother had skin that looked like wrinkled leather with spots. Neither of them smoked, but this grandmother loved to sit in the sun and never worried about her skin. By her late seventies, she had had to have several cancerous spots removed from her face, arms, and hands. The liver spots, which we now know are actually sun spots, were unsightly. She was able to cover it with makeup, but the makeup itself seemed aging.

I had two role models in my life. They taught me about sunshine and skincare.

By the mid to late 80s, all the wonderful sunscreens came into being; and I began to apply them religiously. In my 40s I was wearing them daily in and under my makeup. By the way, I also don’t use tanning beds nor do I lay in the sun.

Today, I wear L’Oreal’s Revitalift Triple Power Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen. It wears well under my foundation. I also apply a generous amount of this sunscreen to my neck and decolletage, by itself without any foundation. It is not the only sunscreen I apply, but that is done elsewhere on my body and I’ll try to talk about that later in another post.

Thanks to my grandmothers and to Dr. Perricone’s confirmation of what they taught me, I believe sunscreen is my best weapon against aging skin. (By the way, I also try to remember to reapply sunscreen again about noon if I plan to be in the sun much that day. I keep some in the glove compartment of my car.)

Eye Creams Make Good Lip Creams

Finally, I would like to talk about my lips. Both of my eye cremes can be applied to my lips, and I always use the traces of these products left on my finger. I read once that your lips are comparable to the delicate tissues around your eyes.

There is, however, a great little peptide lip therapy creme made by PCA skin. It hydrates and is an antioxidant that is very useful during the wintertime when my lips are dry. Click on the Amazon box below, if you are interested in this product. Dr. Perricone also makes a good lip therapy creme with alpha lipoic acid and DMAE. Both of these products are good antioxidants, and I probably should use them more frequently.

Well, there you have it. A skincare routine that is not for our youthful kids. This one is for all of us.

Now my face is ready for some serious camouflage.

The Ultimate Skincare Guide to Older Complexions

November 8, 2013 by oldageisnotforsissies54 Filed Under: Beauty

I am constantly working with my skincare, but my husband calls it fraud. He says that I commit fraud every day. I tell him that women know two things–good bait and camouflage. He fishes and hunts so I’m using terminology that he should understand.

I’m talking about my face. At 63 it is sliding down my facial skeletal frame, and I keep applying every control that I can find. I guess the controls are what he calls fraud.

So let’s talk about what I do or have done in the fraud department. Maybe, it will help some of you with your choices. Maybe, you will have an even better idea! If you do, I hope you’ll share it in the comments below.

Before and After Facetune

This post will be in several installments. I’ll talk first about my evening cleansing and skincare routine, and later I’ll post about my morning routine and the more invasive procedures I’ve tried.

In a final post, we’ll get to the camouflage part. I’m in the middle of trying to figure out how to apply eye shadow at this step in my aging process and what products to use. I’m finding that my old shadows are looking too harsh. Something needs to change, but I’m still not sure how to proceed.

Cleansing & Sloughing

Eye Makeup Removal. I use waterproof mascara, so I begin with a good eye makeup remover designed to remove waterproof makeup. I use Arbonne’s Easy on the Eyes Make-Up Remover. This formula is perfect for old eyelids like mine. It goes on easy and leaves behind a little bit of softness, which is needed for our dry eyelids.

It isn’t greasy, though it seems to be when first applied; it quickly dries. You can find Arbonne’s eye makeup remover here. If you need an Arbonne consultant, try my daughter Jamie Sheehan. Just click on her name to find her email address. She’ll get you set up.

Why do I use waterproof mascara? Because like so many older women, my eyes water. It all began when I was about fifty. All of a sudden I couldn’t go out in the winter without my eyes watering. It is so bad that now I wear waterproof mascara and only wear it on my upper lashes. I’ll try to remember to write another post about this problem as I’ve tried several things to cope, and I’ve had some successes and some failures. I’ve lived with this about ten years now.

I’ll try to remember to write another post about this problem as I’ve tried several things to cope, and I’ve had some successes and some failures. I’ve lived with this about ten years now.

I found that there are several eye makeup remover products that will do the trick. I used to buy the least expensive, but this Arbonne product is the best I’ve found. I apply it with a cotton disc. I like these because they leave no pieces of cotton behind nor do they tug on my eyes. The discs can get expensive, so I buy them in bulk at Cosco’s. Cotton balls leave threads behind, and tissues tug.

Sloughing. First, I don’t slough every night, but I wanted to begin here. After removing my eye makeup, every fourth day I add sloughing to my cleansing routine. I prefer the Ageless Collection at I Image Skincare. I use two of their products for sloughing.

For that fourth night, I use I-Image’s Ageless Total Resurfacing Masque. I wet my hands, put a dime size amount in my palm, add another dime size amount of their Total Facial Cleanser, mix the two with my finger, apply the mixture, massage my face for about a minute, and wait about 5-10 minutes. I just sit down with my latest book. The Resurfacing Masque is gritty, so I actually massage my face while initially applying it.

Sometimes if I’m having trouble with skin sloughing, I use a cleansing brush. I never went for the Clarisonic brush system, but instead bought the Olay ProX Advanced Cleansing System. If you have followed my blog very long, you’ll find that I’m just cheap like that. Instead of massaging my face as explain above, I use my brush. It gets deeper into the layers.

Then when my face is dry or almost dry, I use a baby’s washcloth to remove it. More on the washcloth routine later.

A Secret Serum. One secret of my complexion is that I use a sunless tanning serum about every fourth night, which is also my sloughing night. My face is cleansed, sloughed, and gets a break from all the peptides and retin-A creams (that I’ll explain later) because I apply a tanning serum.

Why a sunless tanning serum? Well, I’ve found that tanned skin looks younger. More camouflage. Just ask our current President?

Next, I apply my eye cream which I’ll describe later. Then I apply L’Oreal Paris Skin Care Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Serum. Yes, you heard me right. I apply it on my face.

I do this not only for my face but also my neck and decolletage. The serum is in a pump bottle and I use only about three pumps on my face, about two more on my neck and about three on my decolletage. I blend it evenly into each area before moving on to the next.

The secret is blending and blending until it begins to dry. Then I just go to bed. I don’t add anything else, except make sure it is washed off my hands, well. It will stain your palms. By the way, if I let it dry, it does not stain my clothes.

Cleansing. On the other three nights when I just want to cleanse, I only use good old Noxema. Again, I apply about a dime’s worth and massage it into my face, neck, and decolletage. Then I remove it with a damp baby’s washcloth. This leaves my face better than all the other cleansers, and it is a bargain.

You might be asking why I have Baby Washcloths in the house? No, I have an empty nest, but here’s why I still have them.

I love the sloughing action it gives, plus it dries quickly. We live in a hot, humid climate where some times of the year a regular wash cloth will not dry before it sours. Also, these little guys are thin and easy to use. They hold just enough water, but not enough to drip.

It is like using one of those make-up removing towelettes. I use a washcloth a day and throw all of them in the wash about once a week. I keep about a dozen of them, and they sit in my towel closet in a little stack. Love my little wash clothes. I hate splashing water on my face because it isn’t convenient.

Eye Cream. So let’s talk now about eye creams. I apply one every night. My mother had huge bags under her eyes; and by the time I was in my mid to late 40s, mine were making me look like I never got any sleep. I always slept well back then and tried to get at least eight hours, so that wasn’t the problem. I think my problem was hereditary and stress. At the time I was in a high-stress job. I slept soundly because I was exhausted.

I tried every eye cream and concealer known to womankind. The best cream I found and still use today is an eye product called “Eye Doctor” by Cosmedix. It is extremely pricey for my pocketbook, but I keep going back to it. Plus the tiny tube lasts almost a year. It takes only a little bit of the product. You can find it here.

They have another product that I believe is almost as good. It is called CoxMedix Opti Liquid Crystal Eye Serum. It is about half the cost of Eye Doctor.

Moisturizing Cream. I am over sixty, and a couple of spots and cell build up are a problem. Apparently, I had some cell damage before I became so conscious of sun damage. So the cream I use at night is vital to my routine. I apply it sparingly to my face, neck, and decolletage.

I use a Tretinoin Cream USP .025% which I get from my dermatologist. I don’t use it every night, as I don’t have to do so. In my four day cycle, I use it the first and third days, which means I use it about every other day. I have only been using this for about a year. I had to actually ask my dermatologist for it. She didn’t mention it first. Boy, am I glad I did. It is an amazing miracle skincare cream.

On the second day of the four-day cycle, I use again another I Image Skincare product called Ormedic Balance Bio-Peptide Creme. I love the way this feels on my skin, and I can also use it on my neck and decolletage. Sometimes I apply this, too, on the fourth night just before I apply my sunless tanning serum. I make sure I use it sparingly, though.

However, my decolletage is looking more slack, so I began using a new cream from Arbonne called Age-Defying Neck Cream. I think it is helping. You can find it here.

So that is my nightly skincare routine. It runs on a four-day cycle. It is the same for every day except for the night creme and sunless tanning serum. Day one and three, I use the Tretinoin Creme, day two and four I use the Bio-Peptide creme and day four I also use the sunless tanning serum.

One Savvy Way to Tackle Chin Hair

September 28, 2013 by oldageisnotforsissies54 Filed Under: Beauty

I’ve been hoarding a little secret about how I take care of my chin hair. I’ll share in this my first ever blog post; but first, why am I starting a blog now?

Why not now! As I move through this stage in my life, this stage that others call “senior”, I learn something new every day. These are minor things that become moments of great revelation for me because I encountered them for the first time such as what to do about chin hair. So for about a year, I thought I should be sharing. It is my hope, too, that you will share your little secrets in reply.

I lost my Mom and Dad over a decade ago before I entered this senior stage. So most of what I have to go on came from my grandmothers who both attained a ripe old age, one 92 and the other 99. Unfortunately, I was young then and lived under the veil of perceived immortality. I’m afraid I wasn’t paying much attention.

Today, here I am, treading water and looking for answers to help me find my way through this, and yet just another, stage in my life.

Me and my Granddaughter Ava

Crap, I got Chin Hair

So what would I like to share first? Well, this morning I looked into my magnified mirror (10X); and there they were again. Six black hairs on my chin, sprouting here and there with no rhyme or reason. It is my mother’s mother’s chin. I remember looking up at my Grandmother at those hairs. Certainly, these six are not mine. Of course, I know better, because I have been dealing with them for about a decade.

Many Different Ways to Tackle Chin Hairs

First, I plucked them for a while. That was when I could still see them with no magnification. I was always on them like white on rice. No way was I going to let anyone see those hairs, and back then there were about twenty of them. So why are there only six now? I’ll explain later.

Second, I had them waxed, along with all the fine fuzz that began to form around my jawline, upper lip, etc. I went in about once a month for the waxing and plucked the twenty that grew faster in between the waxing.

Third, I even tried depilatory creams.

Fourth, I started making more money in my career, so I went to see my plastic surgeon about having laser hair removal. It was supposed to be five to six sessions at about $150 per session. This was quite a few years ago. I think I’ve been somewhere between ten and twelve times now, and these six remain. Where there were about twenty, now there are six. I gave up, especially since nothing will take care of the blond fuzz elsewhere.

But there is a fifth way that I found that works better.

First, an explanation; because what I do may surprise you.

My Dad passed away over a decade ago. My sisters and I cleaned out their home, and we divided their possessions between ourselves and the grandchildren. What was left were many items that no one seemed to want, including a brand new electric shaver.

I was familiar with this shaver. Earlier, while fighting cancer he needed one, so I went out and bought him a nice one recommended by “Consumer Reports”. I was so optimistic at the time, but the shaver was all of three months old when Dad’s cancer unexpectedly came roaring back with a vengeance. He passed very quickly.

Since I owned the family home, I sifted through the remaining items and kept the shaver, thinking my husband may want to try it. Finally, after it set around our own home for several years, I decided to try it on my legs.

Here is what I learned. Within a couple of months, the hair on my legs became soft and non-stubby. I use it twice a week on my dry legs, and it works great for me.

So what do I do now? What is my secret?

So what does this have to do with the six stubby hairs? Well, I take my electric shaver; and I lightly go over them and the peach fuzz, as well. Problem solved. I have been doing this for about two years and they softened over time and became non-stubby.

(Note: This was written in 2013, so it has been almost seven years since I began using an electric shaver for my now grey chin hairs. There’s only five of them left. One stopped growing. The electric shaver still works great.)

My husband knows nothing about this. I’m also too vain to let anyone else in my life know, until now. But now you know and my secret is out!

And that is why I now have a blog. I’m tired of keeping all these little secrets, which probably aren’t all that secret anyway.

I’m pretty bold and naïve to try just about anything. I’ll share both the successes and the screw-ups.

More later!

PS. Please sign up for my blog. All you have to do is add your email to the top right of the page and click on the subscribe button. I only post once a week unless I’m traveling so you only get an email a week at the most. For travel, it may be different, though. For example, I posted daily from Peru and China.

Thanks for reading!!

Are you a woman who suffers with chin hair? How soon did you notice yours? How do you remove yours?

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