Cosmetics Clean Out

I don't know about you but the beginning of the New Year always inspires me to do a major clean out of the closet, the kitchen, the office and of course, my makeup drawer.

There are three piles that I create when doing a clean out; keep, toss and not quite sure yet. When it comes to cosmetics, however, it is a bit easier due to the varying shelf life of products.

Rule #1: if you can't remember when you bought it or got it, it is probably a good time to toss it.

Here is a list of life span for your products.

Oil-Free Foundation: 1 year
Cream or Compact Foundation: 18 months
Concealer: 12-18 months
Powder: 2 years
Blush and Bronzer: 2 years
Cream Blush: 12-18 months
Powder Eye shadow: 2 years
Cream Eye shadow: 12-18 months
Eyeliner: 2 years
Liquid eyeliner: 3-6 months
Mascara: 3 months
Lipstick: 2 years
Lip liner: 2 years
Lip gloss: 18-24 months
Nail Color: 1 year

So, ladies open those drawers, makeup bags and vanities and start chucking, even those discontinued colors you've been holding onto since 1983.

Nesting

When the temperature turns cold and I can feel the holidays in the air, I don't want to do much but live in my sweats, sip tea during the day, red wine at night, light a candle, watch my husband light a fire, make comforting home-cooked meals and nest.

So, when I went to my aunt's beach house yesterday (only in LA, as my East Coast friends braved 14 and snow) for an afternoon of friends, food and presents I was more than delighted when I received the Nest Votive Collection.

The fragrances of each are unique and delicious and the presentation gorgeous. If you still need a gift this is one anyone will love and they don't have to be candle obsessed.

When I returned home, after changing into my sweats and UGG slippers and cozying up under a blanket, I placed the box on my lap and opened to inspect and take in the scent of all 12.

As I write twelve, I realize how much more perfect the gift is 12 candles, 12 days of Christmas and for us Jewish girls 8 nights of Hannukkah and 4 fun extras, because every girl loves a little extra.

I am waiting to burn them so as not to disrupt the beauty of a full box and I'm not quite sure which to reach for first.

OOH LA Lashes!

A few years ago I had a terrible experience with eyelash extensions, think spiderwebs, so when Novalash offered to have me try a set, I was a bit hesitant.

I jumped back and forth from past provoked fear and a burning desire for the glamorous look without having to apply mascara daily. The mascara doesn't bother me going on, but taking it off...Ugh.

Knowing that Novalash is physician formulated, American made and pharmaceutical grade, I decided to take my chances.

I visited People in Beauty, a new distributorship located in Encino, CA to meet Andrea, a licensed esthetician and Novalash educator. When she asked me if I ever had lashes before, I hesitated and told her my story.

Andrea eased my nervousness and promised that this time it wouldn't be like that.



I laid down, Andrea applied gel patches to hold down my bottom lashes and got to work. An hour and a half later, with only one slight interruption (bathroom break) on my part, I had a set of sensational lashes.

Before

After

Post application, Andrea gave me a take-home after care kit. Here, another fear. Adding even one more thing to my getting ready for bed routine is painful, between the teeth, the night guard, the skin care, the contacts...but I have to tell you taking care of these lashes albeit one more step has not caused any pain. In fact, it is totally worth it.

For every time I look in the mirror or get a compliment on my lashes (often!) the moisturizing makeup remover pad seems oh so trivial.

And, I haven't worn mascara in over a week!

Me Day

From my lack of posts as of late you may be able to assume I was in dire need of a ME day. When my consulting gig meeting was rescheduled, I turned a day of rushed, desperately needed grey coverage and a race to a meeting to a day of beauty and fashion that was all about me!

As my hair color was processing in my colorist Marco's chair, the call came from heaven...meeting cancelled.

That left me time to flip through a mag while waiting patiently to process as opposed to tapping my foot, looking at my watch, anxious as to whether I would be done quick enough to make it to my meeting on time.

It also allowed for a blow dry by Marco's assistant Vicky, who may well be the best blow dry this side of the 405, and chicken soft tacos on the porch of Marco Pelusi Studio.

From there, I visited my friends Kristin and Natalie, the Glitz Girls for an eyebrow shaping and girl gossip. Both may I say were much-needed.

Hair to eyebrows to what else nails! A mani was the next stop. My cuticles were happy.

I thought I had struck gold already until I met my friend Kathy in the TREASURE CHEST!

Fashion Therapy on 23rd Street and Wilshire Blvd. in Santa Monica houses some of the most beautiful designer clothing, shoes and bags you have ever seen and what's better the price tags albeit are not Forever 21, are drastically reduced from what Giorgio, Oscar, Marni and Coco usually ask.

Owner Ethel Shon is a veteran fashionista, brought to LA by Mr. Calvin Klein and was Mr. Armani's first rep on the West Coast. Ethel knows her fashion which makes the picks in this gem of a designer resale boutique fantastical and the experience personalized and the way shopping should be.

Unbeknownst to my husband I walked out with a Marni dress and an Oscar de la Renta cashmere sweater and this girl IS on a budget.

What do you do when you need some ME time?