As all of you know, I turned 30 at the end of March. Sigh.
While I’m actually really excited to be another year older, there are some changes I have really noticed about myself that just plain stink. For starters, I can no longer eat whatever I want and not gain weight. Truth be told, I began to notice that very fun fact around 27. If I want to have a case of the skinnies, I really have to watch what I eat or else.
The second thing I’ve noticed a difference in is my skin. I’ve always tried to be pretty good about staying out of the sun and drinking lots of water and that helps for sure, but the fact of the matter is that I am indeed getting older. I notice it in small ways - like when I smile, the little lines around my mouth are still there after I’m done smiling. Or my face just doesn’t feel quite as radiant in general.
So, when I was given the opportunity to review some products from Darphin Paris, I jumped at the chance. First of all, I love anything having to do with gay Paree and secondly I’ve ogled Darphin products from afar for a little while now. I was psyched when the Darphin peeps sent me some products to specifically address my concerns about aging. Here is what I tried out and what I thought about them:
Wrinkle Corrective Eye Contour Cream – First of all, let me just say that I have never been a regular user of eye cream. Sure, I know I should use it, and I have a stockpile of partially used and probably expired eye cream pots, but I just seem to always forget to apply it. Is that also because I’m getting older? Oy vey. However, after a few days of regularly using this eye cream, there was no way I would forget to use it. This stuff is awesome! I swear I look more rested when I wake up in the mornings and my eye makeup lasts much, much longer. I attribute this to the fact that my eye skin (the technical term, obviously) is more moisturized and revitalized. This product is really great.
Age Defying Lip Balm – A year or so ago, a friend of mine introduced me to La Mer’s lip balm, and I’ve been rationing the single pot of it that I splurged on since then. This Darphin balm is a slightly less expensive alternative and I honestly can’t really tell much of a difference between its performance and the La Mer. It’s the bomb dot com. I’ve been using it before I go to bed to soften my lips while I sleep, and I also like to apply a dab of it just before applying any lipstick as it really helps the lipstick go on ultra smooth. That’s super duper important for bright colors and also to prevent lip skin flaking while you’re wearing lipstick. I know you know what I’m taking about. Grody.
(Don’t mind me. Just taking a picture of myself trying to look cute in my robe while applying lip balm.)
Azahar Cleansing Micellar Water – I’m sort of meh on this product. The directions tell you to use a cotton ball soaked in this stuff and wipe it all over your face until makeup is removed. And while this does a great job of removing makeup, it takes a lot of the product until I feel my face is really clean. Plus, I love using my Clarisonic and this isn’t really compatible with that since it’s cleansing water and literally has the consistency of … well… water. However, I’ve been using this as solely an eye makeup remover and for that purpose it’s been really great.
And one other product Darphin sent me to try was their Denblan toothpaste. It’s one of their best sellers and I can see why. It’s got super glam packaging for toothpaste and the reason it’s not pictured is because I actually keep it at work to freshen up in the ladies room after lunch or coffee or something. I’m pretty sure my coworkers are jealous of my sexy toothpaste.
Now you can enter for a chance to win Darphin products valued at a minimum of $100 and the possibility of making your coworkers jealous, too. Just leave a comment telling me what Darphin product you would be interested in trying and why.
Plus, Darphin has a special offer (one of their best!) just for readers of this post: Get a free Age Defying Dermabrasion Deluxe Sample, Dark Circles and De-puffing Eye Serum Deluxe Sample and Spa Headband with any order at Darphin.com through 5/31/12. Use code BLOGGER at checkout.
Sweepstakes Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 4/23 – 5/24
Be sure to visit the Darphin brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!
With temps pushing 100 and humidity of one trillion bajillion percent, I’ve been embracing all sorts of hair dos that are chic but keep my long hair off my neck. Y’all know all about the hair braid headband, but today, I had to pull out the big guns hence the side braided bun. Give it a whirl and if you don’t get at least three compliments on your hair, I’ll give you your money back.
In the interest of full disclosure, I was actually trying to do my hair in a fish tail braid for like the thousandth try. It was a total failure - again - and I wound up with some sort of mutant twisty braid thing. Instead of undoing it all and starting over, I just decided to twist it around into a low side bun. I love the end result!
Hot Pink Nails for Summer: Essie in Flirty Fuschia - a highlighter pink with a nice matte finish
Ask and you shall receive!
Coming to you straight from my guest bathroom: A hair headband tutorial to achieve this look.
Enjoy!
Don’t lie. You’ve seen some recent pictures of me and thought, “My, Julie. Your face looks extremely refined and poreless these day.” It’s okay. Everyone thinks it. They would be real idiots not to spend their free time thinking about and admiring my skin. Real idiots.
But it wasn’t always so. The other day I was staring at my face in the mirror and practicing smiling with my eyes and there they were. PORES ALL OVER MY NOSE. Pores that I could see. Pores that I had never noticed before. And given that it was the end of the day, my makeup had settled into nice little oily, flesh toned pools inside my pores. GROSS!
So, I hightailed it to Target where I promptly picked up Magic Perfecting Base from L’Oreal. I’ve been using it for a few days now, applied after moisturizer but before makeup, and I am astounded at the difference. My makeup goes on perfectly and there are no little pore pools for my makeup to swim in. In fact, by the end of the day, my makeup still looks awesome!
I highly recommend it. Here’s a dramatization of my before and after:
(close enough)
With spring about to bust through the front door in all in sunshiney, bird chirping, sun dress wearing glory, there is one thing at the forefront of my pale legged brain… GETTING A TAN!
I’m absolutely 100% opposed to tanning the old fashioned way (laying out and tanning beds) because they are bad for you, cause cancer and wrinkles, and I for one freckle very easily so the more I’m in the sun, the more freckles I get all over my face.
(cue entrance of my beloved self tanner)
I have seriously tried pretty much every faux tanning product under the sun and have endured more than my fair share of streaky legs on the never ending quest for the perfect faux glow. I’ve done everything from a mystic booth to a professional spray down to a DIY at home. Getting into my skivvies in the presence of a total stranger while they mist my body with bronzey goodness is my preferred method of acquiring a glow but more often than not, budget constraints dictate that I get my faux glow at home.
And here are my favorite products for doing just that.
L’oreal Sublime Glow Micromist (about $10 at your local drug store). After showering, I towel off, mist this all over, wait a couple minutes for it to dry, moisturize and go about my business (which is usually sleep since I shower at night). When I wake up I have a nice little tan going on.
Bare Escentuals Faux Tan ($18). I keep this product on hand when I need a tan; I need it fast; and I need it to look natural. This comes out a super dark brown color but when you spread it on your skin it turns into the perfect shade of light gold. I especially love this one because it is glitter free (hallelujah!). In addition to giving you instant tan gratification, there is a self tanning component that builds over time. Win-win! However, make sure to wash your hands after using as they’ll be nice and brown, too.
Clarins Delicious Self Tanning Cream ($42). The pièce de résistance of my self tanning arsenal is this product from Clarins. It has a light caramel color to guide application, leaves my skin feeling super duper soft, and has an amazing scent which most self tanners lack (Jason once told me I smelled so good after using this product… He had no idea that it was self tanner). The resulting color is 100% super believable, too.
There you have it. These products make up the bulk of my summer beauty rotation (in additon to sunscreen!). You also always want to make sure to exfoliate before applying any of these products to ensure an even steven application. I’ll usually just mix a few spoonfuls of salt with enough olive oil to make a paste and slough away.
Today my manicure is a week old and there is nary a chip in sight. If you live in Raleigh, you must get your nails done at Lee Spa Nails at North Hills and ask for Mary. She’s a bit quirky but girlfriend knows what’s up.
(color is OPI You Don’t Know Jacques)
I have a confession. I am inept when it comes to styling my hair and doing make-up. My beauty cycle go something like this:
- Find a look I like and stick with it for years
- Get bored of said look. Shop like a madwoman for new “it” products. Try out new products for a week or two. Realize I have no idea what I am doing with them, and end up going back to old, faithful look.
This leaves me with more beauty products (and wasted money) than I know what to do with.
So, I was extremely excited to get an e-mail about the launch of a new site called ReLOOK TV. The premise of the site is that you can learn how to create trendy hairstyles and fabulous makeup looks from the experts - French makeup artists and hairstylists.
After watching a few of the videos, I am hooked. I’m not sure if it’s the accents of the makeup artists/hairstylists that get me or the fact that the tips and techniques they teach actually seem like something I could do myself. Here’s a few I plan on trying over the holiday season (because if you ever need an excuse to get dolled up like a french glamour girl, the holidays are good one):
This ‘60 beehive ponytail takes 11 minutes to learn how to do. So, that means that in 11 minutes, you’ll know how to get the best hair in the room. For the holidays, swap out the flower with your sparkly hair accessory of choice.
I have always wondered how starlets make their long hair magically appear short on the red carpet. Now, I know. This is a great idea when you want short hair for just a night.
If there ever was a perfect evening look, I think this, a smoky cat eye with a nude lip, is it.
I el-oh-vee-eee this natural look. I love the idea of a grey eye shadow paired with a rosy lip. Perfect-o!
Now, go forth and find your favorite looks and spend this holiday season a little bit prettier. Consider it your present to yourself.
muah!
I’m super in love with my new red lip color! It’s Nars velvet matte lip pencil in Cruella.
According to the girl at Sephora, Cruella is a true red, so it looks good on virtually every skin tone. If you are on the hunt for the perfect matte red for your pucker, I recommend!
Woohoo! Fall, here I come!!!!
