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.

Well Hello-ooo, Dollface

As a teenager, and even during college, everyone would compliment my skin. I remember a guy named Jerry I went to school with, a good friend of mine, telling me that I had “skin like a doll.” In other words, it was porcelain: I never got blemishes, and when I did, I would freak out because I had one tiny pimple, usually when it was that time of the month.

When I turned 27 this past year, my skin went haywire. I don’t know exactly what is to blame for my breakouts; it could be my hormones, it is VERY likely all the stress in my career and professional life; and it might just be a change in my body’s chemistry. Or maybe it’s payback for always having flawless skin when I was younger. I have tried literally everything to get rid of the blemishes, short of laser therapy or microdermabrasion. Since I really don’t’ want to do anything too invasive, I’ve been very cautious about what I use on my skin.

My Aunt Patsy, ever the Oprah fan, recommended Mario Badescu to me a few months ago, because it was one of “Oprah’s Favorite Things.” Well, hell, if it worked for Oprah, it has to work for me, I thought. (Honestly, that’s not exactly what I thought, but at that point, I was willing to try anything to improve my skin.)

I bought the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion at Ulta, knowing this was great, because previously, you had to order the products online or hope to find it at Nordstrom. Mario Badescu is not sold mainstream: you can’t run to Walgreen’s or Rite-Aid or Long’s and go purchase it on a shelf.

Lo and behold, after a few nights of using the drying lotion, my blemishes started to heal. My skin started to improve. And even though I experience the occasional breakout even now, I know my skin’s on the way to recovery, and I’ll be a devoted Badescu follower from here on out. Soon enough, hopefully, my skin will look like that of a porcelain doll…once again.

To find Mario Badescu’s products, visit your local Ulta store, or the website: www.mariobadescu.com, or your local Nordstrom, or online at www.nordstrom.com

Baby Love

Lorraine’s Beauty Must-Have #1: Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Lotion (The Original is my FAVORITE) has always been my go-to lotion when I want my skin to feel sensational, soft, and silky. Since I suffer from horrible migraine headaches which are sometimes made more severe when I am exposed to scents that bother me, I have to use very light fragrances, if anything at all. Some days are worse than others, but the one lotion that never fails to make my skin glow is Johnson’s Baby Lotion. You can always find coupons in the Sunday paper that will save you up to $1.50 off the price of the lotion, which can sometimes bring the total cost down to $1.50. You can get a whole month or two worth of lotion for yourself, keep your skin looking gorgeous, and still smell beautiful while also sticking to your budget. While I consider this one of my beauty must-haves and one of my best kept secrets to baby soft skin, it is a tried and true industry favorite and something I think you should definitely add to your shopping cart, whether at Babies R Us, or your local Target store. Good skin is priceless, but thankfully, you only have to spend a couple bucks to get luscious, inviting skin from head to toe.

www.target.com for stores near you, and www.babiesrus.com to order online or find a store that’s closest to your home.