"In an ideal world, we would all be secure and confident all the time. We would eat what we want, and exercise simply to be healthy and strong. We would link arms and take to the streets in the Prettylution declaring, "I AM PRETTY! I ROCK! SHUT UP!" We wouldn't need anyone or anything to reinforce that for us, that's how confident we would be. In an ideal world."--Doom Song
"UPDATE: Stila finally just got back to us, and they say that they're "not going bankrupt" but "refinancing". We asked what that
means, and they said it means that they're "reassessing their funds"… on the original Fashionista post.
In today's economic climate who knows? Eddie Bauer is on the cusp, too, last I heard. It may be that they're having to restructure credit. Stila used
to be owned by Estee Lauder, but is now owned by some outfit called Sun Capital Partners. Looked 'em up on Hoover's and here's what they are: Sun
Capital Partners is a ray of sunshine for struggling companies. The private investment firm, which has about $10 billion under management, specializes in
leveraged buyouts of companies that are leaders in their respective industries; it also acquires minority interests in bankrupt or underperforming firms. The
company does not specialize in any particular industry; its portfolio companies include restaurant chains Bruegger's Bagels and Garden Fresh; hydraulic
hose maker Europower Hydraulics; bath and kitchen products maker American Standard Brands; and retailers ShopKo Stores and Marsh Supermarkets. The company has
interests in some 60 companies; target investments have $50 million to $500 million in sales.
So, was Stila a leader? Or was it underperforming when Estee Lauder sold it off? This could've been a long time coming...
I'm cracking up over Graden Fresh. My dad work there for 8 years and my sister was the receptionist for a year or so out of college. The place drove her to
Xanax.
I feel like I've asked this somewhat recently but maybe the answers have changed and I'm too lazy to go double check: What daily moisturizers with
sunscreen around the SPF 30 level are people using these days?
I've been using the Cetaphil with spf 15 but saw they had one with spf 50 I think. I also just got a sample at sephora for the Bliss Skintentions
moisturizer with spf 15. Neither of those options were spf 30. I've also used the Aveeno before, but was annoyed that the spf 30 had less amount of product
that the spf 15.
I was using Neutrogena for a while, but got tired of having to apply it first to keep the shine down. More recently, I've been using Eucerin, which is
totally physical block. Takes a bit longer to blend, but I can put it on top, and it doesn't leave me shiny. The Eucerin is not a moisturizer, though. But
it might be enough for you. This is it.
I recently purchased Paula's Choice Pure Mineral
Sunscreen. It's only SPF 15, but I was looking for an unfragranced, physical block for both Will and me, and they are hard to find! So far, so good.
I think I'll give the Paula's Choice one a try, along with a few of her other sunscreen. I love that you can buy sample sizes from them which will be
much better than buying 4 different full size products like I did last spring!
Neutrogena has started to make me really shiny too. I think they've chanced something.
I'll give a plug to the Aveeno Radiance stuff, which is spf 30. I'm not using it much lately, though, as I've discovered that the Jergen's shea
butter body lotion works equally well for my face, and if I'm going outside, I'll add the Coppertone oil-free 50 spf body stuff.
I tried out the L'Oreal Beauty Tubes mascara yesterday--it's a knock-off of the Kiss Me stuff that I think Roo uses. I liked how it
looked, and there was no flaking or smearing at all. But when I went to take it off, with my usual vaseline, it didn't come off at all! My liner
came off, but I had greasy Tammy Faye lashes. Turns out that when they say "removes easily with warm water," that's a command, not a suggestion.
It was so weird pulling clumps of tubes off my lashes!
I have to post a rave for the Sephora for OPI nail polishes. For no particular reason, I had been wanting a nice pale blue nail polish for a while, but never found anything
even close. Regular OPI has had a couple of dark cobalt blue, but I wanted like a robin's-egg-blue. But in the most recent Sephora catalog I saw several
blue options and picked up "Lagoon-a Beach." Two coats, with no topcoat, has lasted on me for 3 days without a single chip, which is totally unheard
of for me even with regular OPI. This is even with 2 kid baths a day, as well as showers, dishes, and my own innate clumsiness.
OK, girls, I need SERIOUS help. The circles under my eyes are radioactive purple. I swear, I never had bad circles before having a baby but they're
outrageous now. My usual Stila tinted moisturizer/YSL Touche Eclat combo helps minimally. I need something else. Something good. I will pay ANYTHING.
(I am not kidding - it actually looks like I have black eyes when I have no makeup on and minimally better when I do.)
I'm not sure I can be much help with this. I have always found that I hate the look of concealer (on me, on other people it somehow looks normal) more than
I hate the dark circles. That said, I have had some luck with Clinique's All About Eyes concealer, and Bobbi Brown's Creamy concealor (which comes in
many more shades than the Clinique stuff).
I was using the Clarins version of the Touche Eclat (or however it's spelled), but I just ran out. I had the T.E., but it MOLDED after I had only had it
for two weeks. That probably doesn't help much, though, since it works pretty much the same. But I need to replenish my supply -- I look so tired! Well,
probably because I AM so tired.
I've been using the same tube of some Mary Kay concealer for 5 years, because apparently in my old age I cannot be bothered to conceal. And also probably
because it isn't that effective (I used some on Sunday and had a hard time telling which eye I had done first). I should go test some!
I have been more preoccupied with the skin itself - I've been using some Juvena eye cream for years (it seems I haven't switched anything up since I
moved to Vermont). Well, now it's discontinued. I had to order it from a Canadian place most recently, tried to order two jars but they only had one left.
So I'll be needing something different in a couple months. In the meantime, I've had different eye stuff in my gym bag, some Alba eye gel which I liked
for its cool pump and green tea. That ran out, and the store I got it from didn't have any more, so I got a different tube of eye cream from some other all
natural organic blah blah brand. Used it this morning at the gym, and there was a freaking burning sensation! That's not right! I think it puffed my
undereyes a bit, which seemed to accentuate the wrinkles somehow. So it looks like I will be trying something else soon.
In better news, I have an appointment on Monday for an eyebrow wax and eyelash dye! Woo, bring the beauty! Wikimister has an end-of-the-year department party
on Wednesday, and they have moved the location to the country club, no kids allowed, so I feel like I have to be presentable.
