Whatever Things are Pure, Whatever Things are Good...

Over the past month, I've realized that I need to quit being a stubborn ass.
Sometimes, certain things just don't work for me, and yet I have a hard time parting ways and admitting to myself that something's just not right.
No matter what the tell tale signs are, or how many times I get frustrated, I end up running back to the culprit.

No, I'm not referring to a man in this blog.
But if the shoe fits, wear it, I guess.

Actually, I'd like to highlight my skin dilemma, because about a month ago, I quit using my MAC Studio Fix foundation. Two years of using that foundation, and I developed breakouts more than a teenage boy. It was frustrating to say the least, and I got to the point where I hesitated taking my makeup off in front of Mr. Big. After all, even Sarah Jessica Parker looked semi-decent in front of Mr. Big on SATC. And she was in her late thirties.

I was humiliated when I finally went to Sephora and was nearly in tears, begging my esthetician to give me a referral for a product that would clear up my skin.

"Lorraine, you have GOT to quit using MAC. It is the source of all your skin problems. And, you need a new skincare line. Try Philosophy."

Of course, I'm a sucker for cute labels and packaging. So switching over was easy. I loved the quotes (I'm such a quotes person, it's insane!) but I was skeptical what the line would really do for my face.

I could honestly endorse Philosophy for a living, and if Christina Carlino herself asked me to do an infomercial for her products, I'd not only do it free of charge, I would be her personal assistant for an entire month free of charge just to sing the praises of this amazing skin care line. It not only saved my skin, it gave me my confidence back.

Purity Cleanser takes off every trace of my makeup, which, now that I've left MAC Studio Fix in the dust, is not difficult to remove.

Sometimes, it's hard to leave behind the things we grow accustomed to, things we feel comfortable with or attached to. But the thing is, when there's something that's life-changing waiting around the bend, why hold on to whatever is just not working?


To buy Purity Cleanser for yourself, visit www.Philosophy.com, as well as your local Sephora, Macy's, or Nordstrom stores nearest you. My favorite Philosophy store happens to be located at Dana Park Village on Val Vista and Baseline in Mesa, Arizona. My girls at that location are knowledgeable, friendly, and always helpful.

If It IS Broke, Fix It...

I’m a fan of the mantra: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” When I go to my favorite restaurants, I always spend at least five minutes reviewing the menu carefully, as though it’s the first time I’ve ever studied it, but in the end, I will inevitably order the same exact dish I’ve ordered twenty thousand times before. I will be particular about how it is prepared, and I will drive the waitress (and my dinner guests) insane ordering my food. At the end of the day, it’s the same thing I’ve always ordered. When I grocery shop, I buy the same products that are tried and true and that I believe in. When I purchase jeans, I look for similar cuts and washes if I know they’ll work for me. Yes, it’s true: when something works for me, I stick with it. I am loyal and true. If there’s one area of my life where I really believe in remaining faithful, it’s makeup and skincare.

I love MAC to no end; I think they had me at hello. But for the past year, their Studio Fix foundation has made me break out so frequently, it’s made me reluctant to even apply it everyday, except that I need foundation to cover up my blemished skin. As a woman who’s never struggled with her complexion, and has always had really good skin (all over my body…yes, I’m blessed) I knew it had something to do with the foundation and concealer. (That, and my esthetician mentioned that I needed to switch products, because it was clogging my pores. Hey, some discoveries, you just can’t make entirely on your own.)

Lo and behold, I visited the Barney’s New York store at Scottsdale Fashion Square, one of my new favorite places, and while sipping bubbly, had my makeup applied by one of my favorite NARS reps, Raquel. She was showing me the line of skin care, concealers, and bronzer, but perhaps the best product I walked away with that day (and yes, there were several) was my foundation. It left me with a perfect canvas, flawless finish, to then apply a great bronzer or blush, like my tried-and-true fave, NARS’ Orgasm. (And with a name like that, who doesn’t love it?)

Sometimes it’s hard for us to try something new. But when something really is broke, you’ve gotta fix it before it gets worse. To try the foundation that fixed my skin, visit your local NARS counter at Barney’s New York, Neimans, or Sephora, and pick up the foundation for yourself today. I have a feeling you’ll be loyal, too.

New...& Exciting...& Exotic, exclusively at MAC

One of my must-have products in my cosmetics train case? (That's right, my makeup is organized in a train case. And I still have more in organized drawers in my bedroom.) (Don't hate. I did this shit for a living, people.) Back to my beauty must-have: MAC Mineral Skinfinish Bronzer. Why? Because it is lightweight enough to be gentle on the skin, give you a glowy, bronze look, and still add color and definition to your cheekbones while making you look like you stepped off a runway or like you spent a summer in the Mediterranean.

You may not have gone anyplace exotic, but you can always look and feel exotic, for a fraction of the price.

Hey, we're all recessionistas these days, right?

Pick up MAC Mineral Skinfinish today at MAC counters nationwide or online at www.maccosmetics.com.