The Beauty of Friends

After a much talked about beginning to my beauty blog life took a quick and drastic turn for the worse. A health issue took me by surprise and took over my life for the next 6 months. Maybe I'll blog about it one day, maybe not. As I get further and further away from it I'm slowly seeing the bigger of picture of why things happen to us and maybe one day soon I'll write a moving and very grown up blog about it! But today I'm going to praise the beauty of friends.

Anyone who has experienced depression knows its a roller coaster ride. One moment you're ready to hang yourself with a christmas tree garland and the next moment you're on cloud nine thinking "what's the big deal? why was I so sad?". I'm not talking about normal day to day depression that comes about from gaining a pound or 2 or having a fight with your boyfriend. I'm talking about when life hits you with a situation that you can't find a solution out of. Where everything you know about yourself and your reality is questioned. This is when the cliche questions come into play, "how could this happen to me?" "why am I here?".

Anyone who has gone through a time like this knows the only thing that can turn around your moment of sadness is a friend. The friends who listen to you patiently cry about the same thing over and over but always manage to give you new and profound advice. The friends who always seem to call you right at that moment when you're feeling most alone. They remind you that life isn't all so bad. And they especially remind you of who you are. That your moment of weakness is temporary and the real you is still there. As one friend told me when I was feeling particularly low, "I see the hope in you, even if you don't". You know a friend really cares for you when they don't give up on you.

According to the enlightened ones out there we're in a time of extreme change. I see it everywhere. Some are living charmed lives while others' are crumbling. I'm surrounded by people who are suffering, and sometimes they don't even know why. All we can be sure of is the love we share. Forgive my moment of sappiness but sometimes you have to give in to it. Because memories are what make us "us" and it's the people in those memories that matter.

So I'm saying a great big THANK YOU for all the phone calls, emails, hugs and for just being there. To all the old cherished friends and the new friends that have come into my life the past months.We are here together, bouncing ideas and love off one another.

MY TOP 3 FOUNDATIONS

# 1 LAURA MERCIER SILK CRÈME FOUNDATION

Ok let’s talk liquid foundation. For people with scars or any hyperpigmentation finding a liquid foundation that covers can be nearly impossible. Layering only results in b

lotchiness and the dreaded “cake face” is often the final result.Unless you’re on a Broadway stage under heavy lights, that look just isn’t cute. But here to save the day is this incredible silk cream foundation by Laura Mercier. Introduced to me by my friend Jacqui who never looks like she’s wearing any makeup, but alas this is one of her secret weapons! It’s a s

mooth creamy texture foundation that feels like a lotion when you apply it. BUT a little goes a long way! If you want serious coverage without the cake this is your baby. And even for us oily skin girls, this is a true winner. While hydrating enough for dryer skin types, this never seems to slide off or change color on my oily complexion. The one con that I must admit to: the lack of colors. Laura Mercier needs to rethink her color schemes a bit because for my light-medium skin it was very hard to find a good color match

(as well as for my fair skinned friend Jacqui). We both ended up buying two colors and mixing. The colors were either too pasty or too yellow for me separately. With that being said, for a special event, photo op or even day-to-day wear, this foundation at the moment is unbeatable. It lasts a long time because of its creamy texture and makes the $42 cost worth it.

Last word: *Dewey finish with micro-crystals that catch the light and decrease fine lines, but watch out for using too much.

# 2 JOPPA MINERALS

I’ve tried them all. You name a mineral foundation and my poor skin has probably had to endure it. All the big names- Bare Minerals (made my skin itch, too yellow), Jane Iredale (um…where was the coverage?!), Everyday Minerals, Neutrogena, blah blah blah. No luck. They all left me cakey and yellow and seemed to just highlight the fine lines and creases. Then on a skin site I stumbled upon someone’s rave review of a small company in Indianapolis called Joppa Minerals. Much cheaper than Bare Minerals and without that itchy culprit Bismuth, I decided to give it a try. That was 3 years ago and this has been my main go-to mineral powder foundation ever since. It’s free of parabens, bismuth, sulfates and is %100 natural. And the price is great at $12 per foundation. I use the full-coverage in light #2 or medium- light #2 and wow does it cover! A little goes a LONG way and the coverage is really unsurpassable by any other mineral makeup. BUT sometimes it can look a little dull because the coverage is so good, so a bronzer is sometimes needed for highlight. But this seriously is the makeup I use in dance class, hot summer days if I’m breaking out, and normal day-to-day usage. It’s also great for stage because I rarely look shiny when using this. It actually can be a little drying. Joppa offers different types of foundations for all skin types:

Full Coverage- Normal-Acne/ Oily Skin

Soft Coverage- Same as above but lighter coverage

Simple Radiance- Normal-Dry/ Aging

Morning Dew- For all skin types (foundation and bronzer in 1, gives you a glittery glow)

Yes it can be annoying to find the right color and combination of finishes and bronzers over the internet but believe me it’s worth the trouble. They also sell samples kits that you can put together yourself. Also, Joppa customer service is wonderful and the owner of the company is sometimes the one who picks up the phone to help you. It’s nice to actually talk to the creator of a product once in a while!

Last word: *With a little work to find the right color, this makeup could be your lifesaver when you don’t want to put on a heavy “face” but still need to cover that pimple or two. And it’s SAFE for your skin. WWW.JOPPAMINERALS.COM

# 3 LA MER

We have come to the grande dame of liquid foundations. You may have heard about the infamous Crème De La Mer but may not be aware that there is also La Mer makeup. The La Mer Treatment Crème Foundation. So does this makeup live up to the hype of the brand? Well yes…and no. This foundation is in one word…awesome. And it better be considering the hefty price of $85! The coverage and finish are beautiful (even on my oily and slightly scarred skin). You apply it with a soft brush (also very expensive at $40 yikes) to give you a smooth velvety finish. It’s super pricey but worth the money in coverage. I only had to put on one layer. And as a bonus, it has a SPF of 15. BUT let’s get to the not so good. The smell. I wore this for a theater event and while I felt beautiful and knew my skin was glowing, I was acutely aware of a weird smell on my face. Not very sexy is it? This foundation contains algae, marine and plant actives, which probably are responsible for the odd smell. Also, it’s feels a little heavy on the face. You know you’re wearing makeup and it feels a little like a mask. The scent and feel may not bother some so if you’re looking for a full coverage foundation with somewhat anti-aging ingredients, this may be the one for you.

*For a very special event, this is a great product. But definitely not for everyday use.

Welcome!

Why to blog? I’m a native New York girl who has turned into a beauty product junkie. But where’s the proof that these products work? What are we really putting on our skin? I’m one of those people that buys and then researches afterwards (my return rate is very high!) and my dressing room gal pals are always privy to my weekly reviews of current products and how most of them don’t work or just aren’t worth the money. They’ve always said, “you should write a blog”. So why not? How often have you looked at a product in Sephora and thought I wonder what this really does? Does it really make those wrinkles disappear? Wouldn’t it be nice if you had a panel of people right there that could tell you exactly what it does? Hopefully this blog will help some of you in choosing makeup etc., make you chuckle a little and maybe save you some money or save your skin! And they’ll be some fashion anecdotes thrown in for fun! Responses are always welcome!