4chixpost

Reverse Lipliner

While on a girls weekend right before Thanksgiving, some of the chix wandered into Sephora. I am always looking to turn someone new onto bare minerals makeup, and one of the chix had heard about a prodcut called reverse lipliner. The theory is, you put it on and it keeps ypur lipstick from feathering into your wrinkles and helps to make sure it stays on all day.  The kind we tried was made by DuWop, and yes, we are  both pleased to say, it really works! Especially if you use a true red or other prominent color and need it to stay in place in order to not look like you lost a fight.  While here over the holidays, DM (dear Mother) saw mine and wanted to try it because she has worn Revlon true red for 45 years and was thinking maybe she needed to heaven forbid, consider switching because of the feathering. She liked it too, and we went of to search for some on Christmas Eve.  Nordstrom doesn't carry DuWop, so she bought the MAC version. I double checked with her on the phone today and she likes hers too, so seems like we have indeed found a product that really works!

Nike Free 4.0

These are the best cross trainers I have ever worn - the velcro straps allow for great fit and since there is one on the heel (not shown) it solves the problem of the fact that I have a very narrow heel compared to the width at the bridge of my feet. I have had many more expensive sneaks that were not nearly as comfortable. I also have a "low heel" so lots of expensive shoes come up way to far on the back of my heel. They feel heavy, and blister. Not these! I am having a little trouble finding them - I bought them last year from nike.com after reading about them (mine are pink) and after deciding that I love them so much I need a second pair, saw that they are already out with the 5.0. They all seem to be laceups, but I have found a few online sources for them on sale for $59 (marked down from $85). Happy feet!

Not your Daughters Jeans

OK, if you are looking for a nice pair of jeans that aren't up under your armpits (the SNL "mom" jeans) or barely over your you know what, these might be for you. Advertised as the "tummy tuck" jeans that will make you look one size smaller, I am not sure that is the case with me but these jeans are comfy, and have just the right amount of give in all the right places while still holding you in where it counts. http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2873070?Category=&Search=True&SearchType=keywordsearch&keyword=not+your+daughters+jeans+in+All+Categories&origin=searchresults

I got mine at Nordstrom, where they come in regular, petite, and plus. A couple of things: these sit just below your natural waist, so depending how you are built, you may not be able to wear one size smaller. If you have a defined waist you probably can. They are long - I got the petite (read: short) size and will still have to get them hemmed, but they are the first jeans I have bought in a long time that I thought both looked OK and I could move in them. I also like the "buttermilk" wash - nice and dark but soft to the touch. I paid $108 for mine which I think is high for jeans but the woman in the store had on a pair that she says she wears hard, and they have survived the washer and the dryer. So, if you are in the market for a pair, you might want to give them a try!

For Chix Who Travel

SInce the new travel restrictions have been in place a few companies have come up with innovative solutions to make flying a little easier and convenient. Enter the Xubaz. What's a Xubaz? Basically it is looks like a scarf but it also has places for your wallet,iPod, lipstick, keys and boarding pass.

There are also a couple of clips that you can attach to your belt or outfit so that when you bend over to deal with your luggage your Xubaz doesn't go flopping all over the place. The Xubaz can be easily rolled up and stashed went not in use.

You can have your own Xubaz, (a $60 to $80 value depending on the model) at www.xubaz.com.

I love my weightless body spray!

I really love Graham Webb Thick Infusion -- Weightless Body Spray. It's so new that it's not even on the website yet -- but my hair guy had it last week and was swearing by it.  I'm with him.  My hair is very fine and even though it's short, I like for it to have a little body.  I've tried every thickening, volumizing, root-lifting, body bosting, styling spray/mouse/gel/paste....from Bumble and Bumble to Phytology to Dove to Kiwi to Aveda to Bed Head to....well, you get the point.  Graham Webb has GREAT products that smell yummy.  This morning DH asked if I had a new perfume -- but, no, it was my Weightless Body Spray (it does NOT have a scent after it dries on the hair, so no fighting with my Isse Miyake perfume).  If you need a lift toward the end of the day, just spray again and it doesn't feel like you have product build-up on your hair. If you have a really bad morning with NO time to do the hair wash (not that that would EVER happen to moi), just run wet hands through your hair, re-spray and there's STILL no gluey-feeling build-up. And unlike so many of the other products that leave your hair looking spiky or poofy and feeling like Elmer's on your hair, this one's truly....weightless.  How do they do it?  I don't know, I don't care.  But I really, really L-O-V-E it.

I love my...Jergens Natural Glow!

Love this stuff. It is a daily moisturizer that gives your skin a natural looking glow. When it first came out, J LO said in some magazine that she used it, and there was a run on it - it was going on EBay for as much as $30 a tube! I pay less than $6 at Target.

It's non greasy, and it's not a self tanner,  so nothing icky on your hands and no bad smell. It is very subtle, and I only use it once or twice a week. I am constantly being asked if I tan. I have, but not since I have been using this. They have now branched out and have product for different skin tones and one specifically for the face. I mostly use it on my arms and legs.

Here's a link to it at Jergen's http://www.jergens.com/products/index.asp?action=viewProduct&id=15 but you can buy it anywhere. For less than six bucks, I suggest you give it a try. Did not irritate my very sensitive skin, and will give you a nice boost of "glow!"

I love my...Spanx!

I first heard about this revolutionary shape wear from my friends at hystersisters.com. They were touting it as a solution to the post hyst condition known as swelly belly. I won't bore you with the details of it here. Suffice it to say the name pretty much describes the condition.

Invented by Sara Blakely who sought to reduce the appearance of her own VPL's (visible panty lines) under a pair of white pants by cutting the feet off a pair of pantyhose, spanx first gained notoriety on Oprah about four years ago. Now Sara is rich. It is a great entrepreneur story if you want to read it, or order any at www.spanx.com.

In addition to the undergarments, which really are comfortable and make me able to wear ONE SIZE SMALLER, I am a proud owner of the Bra-lleluja! to wear and pass through metal detectors while flying, and pieces of the new shape wear outer clothing line, called bod - a- bing. I have a pair of pants that I love to work out in and two shirts that I wear under my business suits to make the line neater.

I have bought all mine at Nordtrom's. I have comparison shopped, and the prices seem to be consistent wherever they are sold, including the spanx website. I have never seen them marked down, though I have seen them on eBay. I still have my original pair that have held up fine for four years. I wash them in the machine on the delicate setting and air dry them.

I can highly recommend spanx to anyone, even if you do not need the control factor. They are comfortable, breath well, and help your posture because of the support. It's a product that really works! Plus, you gotta love the name!

I love my.....

Oil of Olay vitamins! I am not kidding. I am one of those who reads all the women's magazines and rips out articles like "Vitamin E is good for your skin" or "selenium is good for your hair" and then try to remember to take them with me when I am shopping so I can buy the right vitamins. For one thing, I always forget. For another, you would be taking a ton of vitamins.

So, Oil of Olay got the brilliant idea to create a "beauty vitamin" with all of the stuff in there that is supposed to help your skin, hair, nails, weight, bone density, etc. and put them into one vitamin. I have been taking them for about a month now and can really tell the difference. Especially in my skin. Even my mom noticed it, and I have her on them. It has the right kind of calcium, and the anti-aging supplements, all rolled into one dose per day. They weren't very expensive at the drug store either.

Oil of Olay is an interesting brand. I remember when I was little, my mom told me to use it every night so I wouldn't get wrinkles. I think I started in fifth grade...Now they have branched out into all types of skin care products and I think they stack up pretty well to their higher priced competition, if you read the ingredients. Worth a try. After all, as one ad exec once put it , what they are really selling us is hope!

I love my......

Bare Escentuals makeup! It remains today the only thing I have every purchased from television - QVC to be specific. I started wearing it five years ago after a dermatologist had recommended it to me. As you know if you read this blog, some of the chix have very sensitive skin. On top of that I am a klutz with makeup.

Dermie had suggested this makeup becuase it is unique in that it is the only makeup on the market that does not contain talc. Apparently, talc is a major skin irritant. Even really nice and expensive versions of the "bare minerals" makeup available at Nordies, Benefit, and others contain talc. Do not be fooled!

The specific brand of makeup you want is still sold on www.qvc.com. I suggest you start there if you are interested, because they often have really good prices or combo offers that include brush sets or other GWP's. That's "gifts with purchase" for you newbies out there. At minimum, try the foundation and the mineral veil.  I also use the bronzer. It is good for your skin, and OK to sleep in - sometimes I brush it on my arms and legs to give me a pick me up and notice that it actuallys improves my skin. Did I mention it is also a natural SPF 15 sunscreen? Perfect!

You can also buy it at Sephora, including www.sephora.com. Don't be fooled. Don't buy an imitator. You want Bare Escentuals’ 100 percent pure mineral makeup, i.d. bareMinerals. If you are a channel surfing insomniac, you have seen Leslie Blodgett talking about her product and the "swirl, tap and buff" method. It really is easy and a klutz like me who is always running late in the morning can put it on in seconds, I'm telling you! Wish I had thought of it, but I am glad she did!

OK, ladies......swirl......tap..... and buff away!

Jurlique Calendula Cream

Several weeks ago, I got a facial especially designed for sensitive skin at the Grand Floridan Resort in Orlando. The aesthetician used all Jurlique products that are made from natural ingredients only and contain no chemicals of any kind.

As a moisturizer, I used the calendula cream. Love it! Good for redness, irritation, breakouts, dry skin, you name it, it really works! I even put it on a cut on my arm and it healed it right up! Bonus points:  does not feel greasy but light and smooth.

Buy it at a discount at www.spalook.com - more about this great website later!