Thursday, April 4, 2013

Makeup addiction

Before I met Jedi I used to wear makeup every day.  I actually enjoyed wearing make up, it was fun to find new products and colors... but it did take awhile to put on-- probably 15-20min a morning.  Not terrible but.... I admit, my desire for sleep won out over my need to look pretty.

Also, the biggest factor was how often Jedi would tell me I didn't NEED make up, and how pretty he found me wearing none (not true-- there is a HUGE difference between the makeup and non-makeup me,  but hey, who am I to argue?)

So, slowly by slowly, after we got together, I started wearing less make up and then finally none at all. That snooze button was just too enticing, and also, I was at that point working in an office where I saw very few "grown ups" throughout the day --(and the students certainly didn't care what I looked like.)  So, I got lax (ok, laaazy) and gave up make up all together for a couple years.

Jedi meanwhile came to regret his previous "no-makeup" stance and would complain that I no longer dressed up. Heh. Be careful what you wish for buddy!

Well, I'm about to embark on a new phase of my career at this point, and I'm going to be working in a professional hospital setting.  I figured I should probably look back into this whole "dress to impress' thing.  However, sleep will definitely be at a premium as I'm going to be driving several hours a day, and let's be real-- I'm not so great with time and I know I'll always be in a rush.

I needed a solution-- something to brighten my face, give me a pick-me-up (get rid of those dark circles, and hopefully be an all-in-one solution to my makeup dilemma.

Enter BB creams (Beauty Balm.)  I'd been hearing about these for awhile, but didn't really know too much about them  Evidently they were formulated in Germany to help burn victims-- it's a salve that is supposed to help heal skin and correct imperfections.  They have a very light (but dense) tint, which means it can act like a foundation, it's a moisturizer, concealer, and SPF 30... All in one!

These have been used in Korea since the 80's and they are apparently all the rage there.  They have slowly been making their way to this side of the pond in the last year (though apparently you can also order them from Korean sellers online.)

Sounds too good to be true? Right?

Well, there IS one small caveat-- that is that they are definitely lacking in options for darker-skinned people. Most of the shades are very pale (probably because they were developed in Korea? I don't know...)  But that is a bummer.

Howerver, I'm a super pale-almost-redhead myself, and I usually have trouble finding shades that are pale ENOUGH for my pasty skin.


I decided to check out Clinique's BB cream (in light), and I can say that so far (2 days) I LOVE it! (I use Shade 1)


A little of this stuff goes a loooong way. Like, a pea-sized drop covers your whole face.  Which is good because it's pretty pricey (well, for my small budget anyway. $37)

It's very lightweight, makes my skin feel dewy, and gives me a nice, healthy, well-rested glow.  I like that I can also dab it on a bit thicker in places where I need extra coverage (like under eyes, zits...) to use as a concealer.  It makes a good eyelid primer too.

This is the kitchen sink of beauty products, quick application with my fingers after the shower and I'm good to go.  Then a bit of mascara, lipstick, and it almost looks like I made an effort! Awesome, right? LOVE IT. 

(I promise I was not paid or given a free sample to write this... but if anyone from clinique reading this would like to bribe me with a lifetime's supply, I'm more than happy to accept!)

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