Tuesday, June 21, 2011

LiLash Review

Menopause has wide-ranging effects on a woman's body. With the attendant decrease and fluctuations in female hormones, some amount of hair loss is common and can affect hair not only on the head, but hair all over the body. Fluctuations in hormone levels can also cause an unwanted increase in facial hair. It may affect eyelashes and eyebrows as well as hair on the scalp. Oh joy, another fun fact about menopause!

In the past year or so, I have noticed I have thinning eyelashes and eyebrows. My eyebrows are about half the width they used to be but I can fix that with an eyebrow pencil. The eyelashes are a bit more difficult to correct.

So, I started doing some research on eyelash enhancers. I began reading about Latisse but decided I didn't want to go to the trouble and expense of finding a Dermatologist to prescribe the prescription. I searched on-line for over the counter eyelash enhancers and found LiLash eyelash serum.

LiLash claims that it is "the world's most popular purified eyelash serum, giving you the sexy lashes you have always dreamed of." Wow, was I ever excited about that! No doctor appointment, no prescription, AND the sexy lashes I have always dreamed of. I did some research on LiLash, reading a lot of reviews, watching a lot of YouTube reviews and I didn't see many negative comments or reviews on it. So, I decided to give it a try. LiLash can only be purchased on-line from http://www.lilash.com/ and has a 90 day money back guarantee. It's rather expensive, at $139.97 a tube.

 

It comes in an eyeliner type bottle and the instructions for use are:
1.Apply once a day, morning or evening, to clean dry skin. Allow LiLash to dry for 2 to 3 minutes before applying other cosmetics.
2.Remove the applicator from the tube and carefully wipe off any excess product on the inside of the tube.
3.Apply the applicator to the skin of the upper eyelid along the lash line from inner to outer corner of the eye.
A single application stroke is all that is required. LiLash is highly concentrated so little is needed for your best lashes.

Some of the side effects include and are not limited to: irritated, itchy or red eyes, and a slight darkening of the skin on the eyelid where the product has been applied. My side effects have been blood shot eyes the following day and my eyelids have darkened a bit in small patches. Looks like my eyelid has freckles. LiLash claims these dark spots will naturally fade with discontinued use of the product. The directions say you'll start seeing results after using the product for 30 days. When you stop using the product, your lashes will fall out as they normally do, and will grow back to the original length they were before using the product.

I have been using LiLash nightly since April 1st, and I have to say my eyelashes are a little longer and fuller, but they are NOT the "sexy lashes I have always dreamed of". Is LiLash worth the time and money? I don't know, I guess the jury is still out on that. It does bother me that my eyes are so blood shot. Blood shot eyes are not attractive no matter how long your eyelashes are. If you have really short and thin eyelashes, it might be worth trying. For me personally, I doubt I'll purchase it again. I've started researching the Tarte Cosmetics multiplEYE natural lash enhancer. Their website says, "Achieve a 152% increase in the appearance of lash length with multiplEYE, a natural lash enhancer." I like the idea of a "natural" lash enhancer. No nasty chemicals and it's a lot less expensive at $65.00. The product has good reviews on it's website from people who have used it. See it here:  http://www.tartecosmetics.com/

Oh, if you don't want to fill in your eyebrows with an eyebrow pencil, the makers of LiLash also make LiBrow specifically for eyebrows.

Take good care of yourself.....

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Clarisonic Mia Review

Clarisonic Mia Review

Pores, pores and more pores.  As I’ve gotten older I’ve noticed the pores on my face have gotten much larger.  My skin looks dull, I have oily spots, dry patches, and lines.  My skin just looked old and tired!  So I got online and started doing some research for products to help with these skin issues.  What did I find?  A Clarisonic Mia!

My Mia did not come with the blue brush head, I purchased it later.
I read about what the Clarisonic could do for the skin and I read a lot of reviews and tutorials.  Not many people had negative things to say about it.  So, I went to www.clarisonic.com and purchased the Clarisonic Mia.  I’m a very skeptical person but there was a 100% money back guarantee, so I figured I didn’t have much to lose.  It was $149.00 and it came with the charger, a trial size of the Gentle Hydro Cleanser and one “sensitive” brush head.  The Mia comes in 10 different colors, I got white.  It holds a charge for at least a week, longer if you only use it once a day, as I do.  Great for travel!!
 
I started using the Clarisonic and I have to say, within a few days there was a noticeable change to my skin.  My skin feels firmer, the lines aren’t as pronounced, it has reduced the appearance of my pore size, and my skin just looks and feels better, even a little younger.  Yahoo!

The directions say that it can be used twice a day but I only use it in the evenings.  I remove all my makeup first, then I use the Clarisonic.  I rub it all over my face with light pressure.  It will stay on for 60 seconds then will shut off.  The inner circle brushes of the brush head rotate while the outer, taller brushes don’t move at all.  They are to keep the cleanser from splashing in your eyes.  I haven’t tried the Gentle Hydro Cleanser  yet, I use the Estee Lauder Soft Clean Moisture Rich Foaming Cleanser.  I cleanse my skin with the EL Soft Clean Cleanser and make sure all my makeup is off. I wet my skin again, put a little more cleanser on my hands and apply to my face.  Then I use the Clarisonic all over my face.  The directions say to put the cleanser directly on the brush head, but I find that it uses a lot more product then if you put the product directly on the face.  I go through 1 ½ or two cycles, splash my face with water and pat with a dry towel.  That’s it!  My skin looks and feels soft, clean, and wonderful (as wonderful as can be at this age, anyway).  I’ve noticed my skin care creams seem to work a lot better, too. 

Clarisonic says to purchase a new brush head every 3 - 4 months.  I’ve had mine for four months and I can just now see the bristles getting a bit out of shape.  Sort of like a toothbrush that’s been used for awhile.  I purchased a new “Deep Pore Cleansing” brush head for my Clarisonic at www.skinmedix.com and got it for $18.00 plus free shipping (It’s the blue brush head in the picture above).  Clarisonic sells it for $25.00 or you can buy two for $40.00. 

Since I don’t use the Clarisonic in the morning, I use the Purity cleanser by Philosophy on my face in the morning when I’m in the shower.  It is a nice cleanser and is very gentle for the skin.  I just think the Estee Lauder Soft Clean Moisture Rich Foaming Cleanser is a more robust cleanser for removing all the makeup before using the Clarisonic.

Purity in the morning, Estee Lauder in the evening.
So, if any of you out there want a change in the appearance of your skin, I highly recommend the Clarisonic.  Check out their website to learn more about it.  Search for YouTube videos on the Clarisonic, there are a lot of reviews there.  You can also Google “Clarisonic Mia” and might be able to purchase it at a different store using an online coupon code.  I think Ulta and Sephora sell it as well.

Take good care of yourself….

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

My First Entry


So...this is my first blog entry.

A little bit about me. I'm happily married and 48 years old. Seriously?!? The last time I looked in the mirror, I was 28 years old. Where did the time go??
I started this blog because I wanted a place where I could write about being a woman who is going through all things middle aged. Things like menopause, wrinkles, sleepless nights, going from a size 4 when I was 28 to a size 10 now at 48. Things like why it's so hard to lose weight at this age and why the heck is it so hot in here!?! :)

There are hundreds of blogs and YouTube vidoes regarding makeup and skin care products, but I haven't run across many that are for mature skin. Most of them are for young women in their teens, twenties and thirties, who wear dark smokey eyes, glitter eyeshadow, can create "cat eyes" with their eyeliner, wear a size zero and have bigger makeup budgets then I will ever have. When I was that age, Cover Girl was my "Holy Grail" (a term they use in their vidoes when they've found the ultimate product).

This blog will review makeup and skin care for "mature skin". I'll discuss makeup tips and products that I've found that help with fine lines and wrinkles. I'll discuss exercise, vitamins and supplements, and even some tasty and healthy recipes (yes, I used tasty and healthy in the same sentence).

So, please join me in my journey through middle age and join in the conversation. I think we'll have some good conversations and some good laughs along the way.

Take good care of yourself....