confessions of a colorescience addict

as i mentioned in a previous post, i've been pretty much letting aesthetician rhonda guide my makeup decisions. and since i promised, i'm writing about a couple of other products she's recommended that i now cannot live without.

first up: chocolate mousse. your nose will tell you immediately that this product actually has chocolate in it. it's touted as a primer and "bronzer," but i've found it to be an excellent tinted moisturizer that works great under foundation. and yes, i did love the smashbox photo finish, but this multi-tasker does so much more for me, i was pleased to make the switch. while creating an excellent makeup canvas, it's designed to moisturize oily/acne-prone/problem skin without clogging pores--i use this alone as my moisturizer in the summer months. it also does a bit of camouflage by evening out skin tone imperfections and imparting a healthy glow. on my skin, it seems to keep makeup lasting far longer than any other primer i've tried (even after a mild workout--i'm not kidding.) even my mineral blush doesn't need a touch-up at the end of the day. it's got antioxidants, rice peptides and other whatnots that protect skin and fight signs of aging. best of all, according to rhonda and cleise, you can sleep with it on since it's actually good for your skin. goes on velvety smooth and smelling just plain yummy. love love love it.


next up: suncanny foundation brush. i'm not new to mineral makeup, but this is the first one i've tried with SPF--and since i normally have poor reaction to products w/SPF, i was so pleased to find one that works just fine for me. a bit of background--apparently the lady who started bare escentuals is the same lady who is now behind colorescience. not sure what happened there, but supposedly, she brought all her expertise and love for "healthy" makeup products to this company. anyway, i couldn't be more pleased with the foundation she's come up with. besides color being a perfect match, it's weightless (i use it very sparingly and get fantastic coverage) and long-lasting--again, even through a moderate workout. though you won't find me in the pool, it's supposed to be waterproof for up to 6 hours, too. applicator seems to dispense just the right amount of product, and it's easy to clean. another love--i highly recommend.

though i get both products at cleise spa, a number of online purveyors are google-able.

Prime Eyes

(Hey, we're on a little bit of a roll here with the new posts, gals! Thanks to Mee for getting it started!)I've been using this eye shadow primer for a few months now, and I absolutely LOVE it. It truly does what it's supposed to do, which is make your eye makeup long-lasting! Most, if not all, of my shadows are are department store brands, which usually are long-lasting to begin with, at least longer-lasting than drugstore brands tend to be. But I was noticing that by the time I got home from work there was very little color left on my lids. Not good.

But now that I'm using Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion, my color stays put. My eyes practically look the same as they did in the morning! I've also noticed significantly less creasing. Sweet.

The applicator is great, no mess, no fuss, just dab a little on the lids and smooth with fingers. No drying time to factor in either. At $17, it's a great buy.

the bomb-diggity

do people say that anymore? as a soon-to-be-mom, i think i have an excuse for improper use of "hip" (or passe) phrases. at any rate, this product deserves the attention that any superlative can offer--and then some.

after every bi-monthly facial, aesthetician rhonda does a light application of color on my face (including brows and lips) so i don't look like i just wrestled with a sandpaper turtleneck. i'd liked and purchased a few of these products along the way, so it was just a matter of time before i got around to picking up the super-long-lasting lip gloss she uses on me that seems the perfect color for my complexion.

"isn't it great? if you use it regularly, it will minimize the lines on your lips," she replied when i inquired about purchase.

"what lines on my lips?" i asked. after all, aren't lips supposed to have lines?

"just watch. trust me."

how could i not? after all, she does a great job w/my facials (have you seen my face recently?! i'm like 12 again!), and the products that she's recommended for me have all been fantastic. (don't worry, i do plan to list them all here.) so i bought, and, like the packaging (btw my product comes in a pot, not a wand-type decanter as pictured above) says, i used it day and night. and yes, i did feel a little strange about using a color product before bed, but the upside is that i never had to re-apply lip moisturizer through the night, no matter how dry it was in my room. bonus!

before long, i reaped the benefits. sure, i've still got vertical lines in my lips, but they're noticeably faint compared to my pre-advanced-nutri-lip days. and others have also noticed. or at least they facilitate the illusion. yes, i know $25 is steep, but well worth it for this product. try it. just watch. trust me.

Preliminary Analysis

So I'm always window shopping online for handbags, etc and these are my latest interests. I think I'm currently in the market for a big shopper tote (leather), a cross-body bag (hands free for travel) and hobo bags of course.

This Marc Jacobs bag totally appeals to my obsession with work appropriate bags, although I don't even work from an office anymore. I think I just like conservative, yet updated black handbags. I'm forever looking for one to replace my old Kenneth Cole that I love but has become too worn out to carry.


Here's another MJ bag that looks interesting because it's a cross-body bag and hobo, but I'm sure there are other ones that look better - please post if you have recommendations! Actually, I wonder if the longer strap is long enough to carry cross body. hmmmm.




This is the last bag that I am fond of. I think I'm also very much drawn to the cognac color - really rich tan/brown. I think my obsession with red handbags has been replaced by this cognac one.

I have many more shopping pages to peruse. I did purchase some patent leather Coach bags (I get these 15% off discounts from them, so it's hard to resist shopping there) that I really like and that have been very practical.

This is the bag in green, but I have it in a stunning purply-magenta.


Now I need to look at shopper totes :)

Counter: Favorite Concealor

The T. LeClerc fluid concealor is currently my favorite one. I use 03 fonce right now - seems to work well with my coloring.

I think the best thing about this concealor is that it's not cake or tacky. It's a very smooth liquid that blends very nicely in my skin. Lately, I've had combination skin (oily and dry) so I really needed to find something that wouldn't just sit on my face.

I've also heard that some of the Benefit concealors are good too, but when I tried them at the Macy's counter, I found them to be too sticky and cakey.

Anyway, been a while since I made a post - mostly I just lurk on this blog. I plan on posting more of my favorite things soon.