- Cetiphil mouterizer
- Lancôme Tinte foundation w spf (occas. with Tarte concealer)
3.swipte of Nars Orgasm stick on cheeks
- L'oreal (?) long lasting lipstick
5.Fancy smanchy brow filler-inner
6.eyelid concealer as sub for eyeshadow (really really cheap $1 brand, can't remember the name)
- My mom's old standby Maybelline liquid eyeliner
- Lancôme Definicil mascara.
I can go from bed/pj’s to car in under 15m (minus the two hours of walking the dog and drinking coffee) once I start. But, I am very easy going about my hair, I usually curl the ends but will “take” whatever it comes up with…flipped up, flipped out, wavy, whatever. I have virtually never “redone” my hair or make-up.
@collage1 , I just use neutrogenia soap in the pump and it seems to work for me. Start out slow with the Retin A. Just a pea size for the entire face. I’d start off using it just once every 3 days for 2 weeks. See how that goes. If all is OK, up to every 2 days for a couple weeks before using more. I find that it really dried out the skin area on the side of my mouth, so don’t use it there often. Once I had to back off for about a week before continuing. It took me about 2 months before i could use it daily without it bothering me.
The first time you start peeling, don’t be alarmed. Your skin starts sloughing off in the shower. When you get out and look in the mirror, you swear 10 years just came off you have such glowing even toned skin!
These past two days I have been examining the faces of everyone I meet. What I’m noticing on closer inspection is that most women of a certain age who I have come into contact with have a “fresh”, basic, no-nonsense look but it does involve some type of enhancement. Even the women who go gray and have nearly fresh scrubbed faces do a French polish or subtle pink manicure or a bit of something to brighten up the eyes or a sheer pink gloss or something. It’s not a heavy done up look but like what people have listed above - themselves only a bit brighter and more awake looking.
Thanks for the advice, conmama – will do! Do you apply the retin A to your entire face (OK, not lips and eyes!) but, for example, to the crows feet by my eyes?
Also, I have neutrogena cleanser in the pump but that doesn’t seem to get all my make up off either (a white towel reveals all…). I’ll check out the origins one – thank you, MOWC. I have a toner but laziness gets in the way and I prefer not to use it – I’d really just like to find a good cleanser.
@collage1 Have you tried using makeup remover before cleansing your face?
Ha! My hair will never take 5 minutes to do unless I put it in a simple top-knot. Generally, hair takes about 10 to who knows how long depending on what I’m doing.
I highly recommend the tips on makeup and skin care from this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Forever-Chic-Frenchwomens-Timeless-Substance/dp/0847841499
Better skin care = less makeup needed.
What exactly does retin a do? I have a derm appt next week for my annual skin check and I want to ask her about something to improve my skin. I have large pores and still get pimples even though I’m 50! I also have a lot of blackheads. I just feel like my skin is looking dull. Luckily I have few wrinkles due to genetics and good sunscreen use my whole life.
My current routine:
Wash with a neutrogena face wash
Glycolic AHA lotion by alpha hydrox
Olay moisturizer with SPF
Cover Girl powder foundation swiped on shiny nose and cheeks
Clinique eye pencil
Maybellline mascara or Clinique if I got a bonus 
Clinique stick blush or Cover Girl powder blush
Clinique chubby stick lip color or tinted Burt’s bees. I look sickly with no lip color
For important meetings or events I use the Clinique instant pore perfector which is amazing and their pore minimizer foundation. A taupe eye shadow. I used to use a Laura Mercier eye primer only on my eyes on regular days but I can’t seem to find it. I think they changed the formula.
To answer your question about Retin A:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/30/fashion/30skin.html?pagewanted=all
It is a pretty good summary.
@collage1, the Neutrogena fresh foaming cleanser removes makeup very well. After cleansing, I use Clinique clarifying lotion and there’s hardly any makeup residue on my cotton ball.http://www.amazon.com/Neutrogena-Fresh-Foaming-Cleanser-Ounce/dp/B00027EG9C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1433959086&sr=8-1&keywords=Neutrogena+Fresh+Foaming+Cleanser
Years ago I read somewhere you should rinse your face well after using cleanser. I do it about 10 times using a wash cloth.
Thank you @BunsenBurner ! I see minimize pores and prevent blackheads, so I am going to ask the derm about it.
I also see it listed as the name of some very expensive acne meds my kids were on! If only I’d known at the time to steal a little
I find that Retin-a doesn’t wind up being all that expensive. My tube ($70 at the derm) lasts a year. You really do use tiny amounts. If you start using it on your chest (good idea, but I haven’t done it yet) you will use more.
Someone told me yesterday that you can get it at COSTCO for less, but you need a prescription. My derm gives it to me there, but has to do a brief talk (short apt at the cosmetic part of the derm practice) with no charge once a year for me to get it.
I use witch hazel after I wash my face. That should take off remaining residue.
I don’t usually need eye makeup remover, I use coconut oil or other oil instead.
I haven’t used retin A for years, but after a comment from Pizzagirl(I think) on another thread, I am using salicylic acid on my face. I had been using a scrub but this feels better.
http://www.allure.com/skin-care/2014/what-you-didnt-know-about-lactic-salicylic-citric-glycolic-acid-creams#slide=2
What I need is a good mascara, that doesn’t have too much filler and wax in it, cause I don’t want my lashes to be thicker or longer, I just want them to be darker! ( I can’t really use tints, as I have dry eye and they get easily irritated)
But not black!
My hair is strawberry blond and my lashes and brows are blond. Black or even dark brown mascara, looks really harsh, as my eyebrows look odd when they are too dark, and I like my lashes and brows to match.
( unless I am using colored mascara, haven’t tried violet or cobalt eyebrows- maybe I’ll start a new trend)
@collage1 …definitely crows feet! It definitely minimizes those. It takes time to see the difference there,probably 6 months to a year. But if you don’t use it, they will just get worse. They will not go away, but they will be better and definitely slow it down. You will learn what part of your face is more sensitive. My cheeks, crows feet, under my eyes towards my nose where pores get large are never sensitive now and I can use it in those area every day. 2X/wk on forehead and between nose. Very rarely beside my mouth and never on chin. You sort of squeeze the pea size on your finger and dot around, then smooth it out. Sometimes I take a teeny bit more for my crows feet, but don’t do that just yet.
Like I said, one day you will be in the shower washing your face and feel your skin peeling off, in little increments all over. Don’t be alarmed, just softly rub your face until it’s all off and you will have soft, beautiful new skin underneath. I’d say about a month after continuous use.
I love Lancôme’s Definicils mascara…you can check out the reviews. The “defin[e]” part is exactly what you are looking for IMHO.
Are you guys talking about Retin-A as in prescription Retin-A? I hate to admit this, but I just googled and found out that retinol (as in my RoC) is not the same thing as a milder version of Retin-A. I thought it was. Just goes to show what I know!
Retinol (vitamin A) and Retin A (retinoic acid) are related, but they are not the same compound. Retinol will get converted into Retin A in the body, so it will have a similar cellular effect, but you will need a higher dose (retinol is also very unstable - it decomposes rapidly upon exposure to sunlight and oxygen). Too bad I no longer work in the field - I would have been able to run a small “stability study” of your Roc cream in my old lab.
I like to use an enzyme such as Visionnaire under everything. Don’t skip the night cream either.
Posting this here - what some “mystery ingredients” in your beauty creams are and what they do (or don’t do):
http://www.m.webmd.com/healthy-beauty/skin-care-products
I met with my derm last week for my annual mole check. I brought up something to make my facial skin look less dull and clear up what I see as blackheads. She said my skin looked great for my age (yay sunscreen!) and she could Rx something at a compounding pharmacist. He will make up a mix of Retin A in a light moisturizer that she said will go on smoothly and be way less expensive than a tube of Retin A. And I remember when my kids were on tretinoin it was about $200.
So I will be giving this product a try this week.
My tube of Retin-A is $75 and lasts a year.