If I am nothing else, I am loyal.  Loyal to family, loyal to friends, loyal to ideas and on the simplest but not least important level, loyal to “beauty” products.  My attitude about make up is find what works for you and stick with it.  The same is true of who you buy them from. I used the honest advice of a woman named Rose at a department store in a mall near our home for over 25 years. When she retired, she passed me on to Barbara who is now my trusted advisor.

Both Rose and Barbara are about my age, and don’t represent a particular line of products, both of which I think are key to getting valuable help in this department.  I am also a fan of well-known established lines.  Nothing is more frustrating than having a favorite item–lipstick, blush, nail polish–and then having the company drop it, or disappear itself.  Then you have to start over from scratch, going counter to counter, aisle to aisle, website to website, wasting time and more importantly–money– finding a similar item to fill the void in your make up bag or medicine cabinet.

Now don’t get me wrong, I  don’t march through make up departments with blinders on, eye on the prize, credit card safely in my wallet.  No, I can be as Snow White glazed-over as the next girl, succumbing to all the wicked witches peering over their shiny glass counters offering their gleaming red apples; promising youth and immortality. On a rainy day or when my self confidence or jaws are sagging,  I give in to the irresistible urge to stop and take a bite of the forbidden fruit. If I am lucky, I walk away with a bag of samples and on weaker days, a shopping bag.

But on the days I keep my wits about me, or leave my purse locked in the trunk of my car, I have collected long term staples in my “make me beautiful” regimen and they have never let me down. Even after a two day crying jag or one glass too many with the girls,  these get me going and ready to face the world no matter how long the day or week has been.

For make up itself, I am a Trish McEvoy fan.  Have been since she opened shop.  She is the wife of a renowned dermatologist so that validates her for me. She uses less mica and frosty shimmers in her shadows which I think age you and they irritate my eyes. Her eye, cheek and bronzing colors are all soft, muted and becoming to any skin tone.  And as pictured, she has these great little portable, packable purse-sized cases that hold all your shadows, blushes, bronzers and even under eye concealer–all in one compact.  I also LOVE her brushes, especially the ones I have included here:  an all over eye fan style (#45)  for blending over the entire lid, a windshield wiper one (#29) for the crease and a big fluffy bronzing/powder brush. They are made of the softest natural fibers I have ever felt and they wash easily. Last for years.

Bobby Brown has and does very similar stuff and I like her neural, less is more attitude.  She also makes no fuss compacts that carry everything in one and I love her travel, no handle bronzing brush.

So before I drone on with all my specific make up magical solutions, I’ll just give you my favorites by category:

Eyes:

Concealer–I have tried them all, in all price ranges and I love glo minerals under eye concealer.  It has two sides of color, one lighter, one darker so you can use them alone or blend as needed.  Doesn’t crease or seem too thick or dry your under eye skin. Even has healing minerals, or so they say.

Regular Mascara–Hands down, best I have ever found for thickening, lengthening without irritating fibers is Eyes to Kill by Giorgio Armani.  It ain’t cheap but eye doctors cost more for all the junk that is in the stuff that is. I use black.

Waterproof Mascara–Laura Mercier in black.

Knock ’em dead evening mascara—Chanel Inimitable in purple.  (Not kidding. Purple and you would never know it. Looks like soft false eyelashes. Incredible.)

Lash fortifier–I am not a Latisse fan since it can change blue eyes to brown so for a safer,more natural alternative, I like B. Kamins eyelash fortifier.  I use it on my lashes and brows at bedtime for a month or so and take a break until I start looking like Sissy Spacek and then I start up again.

Liners–I like pencil liners and use them on the inside of my lid, not across the top.  I have used Lancome’s Kohl pencil liner in black coffee for ions.  Takes forever to get to the end and I like you can sharpen it as often as you want to keep it clean.  For a softer look, I love Estee Lauder’s Eye Pencil Duo.  It is a soft liner on one end and a smudger on the other. Both ends are refillable so a trick I have learned since I don’t smudge, is to put two different colors on each end, one lighter, one darker for day and night.

Lips–I have tried many different types of lip glosses and lipsticks but the one I could not live without and would take camping (like I would ever do that) or to the moon (as if I would do that either) is Chanel’s Glossimer stick lipgloss in natural (03). I carry one in every pocket.

Wrinkle eraser/skin brightener—Yves Saint Laurent’s Touch Eclat is a staple in many famous make up bags and is worth honorable mention here. This item is in a class of its own and I have used it off and on for many years.  It’s a twist out creamy concealer that can be used under eyes or all over the face in any crevice you think needs lifted.

Zits— Nobody does zits better than Clinique.  Their Acne Solutions spot healing gel and clearing concealer can cure or hide anything you get.  And in a matter of minutes or at most a day or two.  Origins makes a close second to the healing gel.

So there you have it, my secrets to being a “natural” beauty.

And if you were wondering about the Prada make up bag, I bought it on the street some place for fifteen dollars.