Making It Up

One of the first items that prompted me to consider documents/blogging about a more mindful life were the products I use on a daily basis. Inspired by my friend Sarah, makeup was on my list of items to reevaluate. So for the past year I've been trying to get through my existing product so I could replace them. After a few false starts, I finally reached a point where I realized a few things.

1. I can't completely run out of everything at the same time

2. I really need to start wearing make up like a grown up, you know a "real" professional.

3. I am completely intimidated by make up, skin care and the women who work at stores that sell them, e.g. MAC.

So I started searching for a consultant that wasn't affiliated with a specific brand. I wanted a translator for the vast world of product. This should have been an easy endeavor, but lacking any direct referrals I had reached a dead end. Then I randomly came across the handy Washingtonian Reader Deals, and voilà Princess Street. 

Megan, the brains behind Princess Street, offers a straightforward service. She'll come to your place and evaluate your current products; make a list based on what you're looking for; go shopping with you to pick out the products; and come back to your place to teach you how to use it all. It's fun and idiot proof. Perfect. Flat fee for her expertise and you buy the products selected based on the budget you set out.

So this past Saturday, I spent my afternoon shopping with my new personal makeup expert for a whole new look. The headline? I really have no idea about make up, but M was super friendly and helpful. Most importantly, she answered the questions that elude me. What's worth a splurge, and what can you just pick up at the drugstore?

So armed with the goal of getting more natural, professional make up we headed out. In retrospect, I was ill equipped to really know if the products we finally selected really fall low enough on the Skin Deep scale to be a true improvement, but I'm going to go through the process of typing the products (the ones not in the database yet) to get an overall rating. Another post for another day.

We hit four stores: MAC, Sephora, CVS and Blue Mercury. I'm also heading to Target to pick up a couple things we couldn't find. 

The list of new products (photos later):

• Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer spf 20 (porcelain)
• Make Up Forever Palette 5 Cremes de Camouflage No. 1
• MAC Mineralize Satinfinish spf 15 Foundation (NC20)
• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural (medium light)
• MAC Powder Blush (Dame)
• MAC Powder Blush (Prism)
• MAC Eyeshadow Four Palette (need to look up the color names) 
• MAC Technakohl Liner Eye-Liner Kajal (earthline)
• MAC VivaGlam 6 Lipstick
• MAC Mystic Satin Lipstick
• Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (eden)
• Cover Girl Lash Blast Mascara (very black)We also picked up brushes, more later, as well as a few skin care basics. Day two of trying out the new scheme-- referencing the handy face guides M made for about what to use in what order-- I am slowly thinking I might eventually get this down. But, since I'm starting with a steep learning curve, this could take awhile. So not sure if I hit it out of the park on the natural side, but hopefully I've not purchased a make up bag full of toxins and I might look a bit more put together in the weeks ahead. Well, at least from the neck up.