Question for ya: Have you arrived at that point in life when you don’t care if the world sees the weird things you do to bend your hair to your will? Although I’m not quite the lady at the supermarket with the giant pink curlers in her hair yet (because she don’t give an eff what people say when she’s buying frozen breakfast burritos!), I’m almost there. I’ve taken to wearing these long hair clips when I’m chillin’ at home, or driving in my car, or taking a walk around the neighborhood. I use ’em on wet hair, along with half a pound of flexible hairspray to smooth and flatten out my roots (which are getting progressively more wiry and untamed with each and every new gray hair) as they air dry. El Hub says I look a little crazy, but I’m like, “Hey, man, you gotta do what you’ve gotta do.”
Trader Joe’s alert!
Speaking of the shameless things we do in the name of beauty, I was waiting in line at TJ’s last week when I noticed the woman in front of me had four bottles of this lotion in her cart — and absolutely nothing else. No food, no Joe-Joe’s cookies, NOTHING. Of course, then I asked her to watch my wagon so I could run to the beauty section and grab a bottle of my own.
They’re only $3.99! For a big 16-oz. bottle! I may or may not have done a victory dance in the middle of aisle. 🙂
I have lizard lady skin, but a few pumps of this lotion makes my legs look and feel smooth and moisturized without making my skin feel slick or greasy. Even my heels are happy!
Heads up: Even though the label says it’s unscented, I think it smells a little like a kale, spinach and apple green smoothie…which I don’t mind at all.
This is IT
And that wasn’t the only new thing I tried last weekend. I also took this It Cosmetics foundation for a spin.
The foundations in the It Cosmetics line are famous for doing a little bit of everything and then some, and their CC+ Color Correcting Full Coverage Cream lives up to that multitasking rep. The It crew packed seven products into one tube — a full-coverage foundation, a physical sunscreen with SPF 50, a brightening color corrector, a hydrating anti-aging serum, a pore-less finish primer, a dark-spot concealer and a moisturizing day cream. Plus, a tiny bit goes a long way.
The trick is to find the right amount to suit your needs. It Cosmetics recommends 1-2 full pumps, but I think that’s way too much for me (I like more of a naturally perfected finish). I use about half a pump, and I blend it in with a wet sponge or a damp skunk brush. That small amount is enough for me and doesn’t feel thick or heavy on my skin.
When I do this with the Tan shade (which is closest to my NC42 skin), my cheeks, where I like the most coverage, look like I took the time to carefully layer a pore-busting primer, a concealer, a demi-matte powder and a full-coverage foundation. This product is full coverage, so you can easily camouflage every freckle and pore in sight.
Alright, friend, onward to the rest of this beautiful Tuesday! — but before I leave ya, here’s a song to jump-start your morning (or afternoon or evening, whenever you’re reading this!).
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Kim says
I’m going to take your word for it but, I had to look really hard to see even a tiny diff in your before/after It pics. So, your skin already looks fab without anything on it! 🙂 That’s too funny about your clips. My aunt used to scotch tape her bangs flat. I don’t believe she tooled around town like that but she was definitely outside and around family, etc, with the tape until her hair dried. She might still do it; I’ll have to ask her now. HAHA! My bangs are a huge series of cowlicks but I need all the volume I can get so I definitely wouldn’t be flattening.
Lily says
Right? If I had Karen’s skin, I wouldn’t ever wear foundation! I do like IT CC. I’ve purchased it a few times.
Lisa says
I have to agree you don’t look like you even need foundation in the before pic!
FeyFrau says
I MISS TJs. I remember I had a bottle of that in my desk at work and it lasted FOREVER. I add a few drops of grapefruit essential oil, mix it up, and I’m good to go (as long as I don’t expose myself to the sun; citrus tends to be phototoxic). I’m pretty picky about the scent of my lotion; I like it to have an actual scent but do not want to smell too scented.
Going to cosmetology school, duck clips, single- and double- prong clips were EVERYTHING.
I hesitated to go with it. I think your MAC foundation routine (with the Minerlize Skin Finish Natural) is still super lit.
kellly says
OMG that moisturizing cream is awesome. I have a bottle of it sitting right in front of me on my desk. I love how it smells, too.
RedHedd says
Oh yeah! I’m a crazy clippy hair gal too. I get them @ Sally’s Beauty Supply. Only wear them at home to keep my hair out of my face, but I have slipped up occasionally. Oh well ….
Suzanne C says
I saw that lotion on my last TJ’s run and almost put it in my cart. How great is that name? The only thing that stopped me was the insane amount of things already in my cart. Maybe I can get back this weekend.
Most men just don’t understand the pure Werk beauty takes. Go on with your crazy clips, girl- you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to keep those fly aways under control.
Jennifer says
Yes, I have arrived at the stage. You should see me driving to work in the morning. I’ve often got a clip in to smooth out the part and a couple Princess Leia buns to add volume on the drive in. I don’t care what anyone thinks!
Thanks for the TJ’s tip. My skin, especially on my lower legs, reminds me of my mom’s alligator bag. Seriously.
Thanks for the tip on the IT cream. I’m not in love with it because it feels heavy to me. But then I’ve been applying at least a full pump. I’ll try half a pump.
Hildy says
Karen,
You are the best friend I’ve never met!! Hairclips? Yes! I am in month 9 of letting the grey grow in and they are my allies in taming these locks!
Thanks for the tip on the TJs lotion. This Bay Area weather makes me so dry. I will have to test it out.
x,
Hildy
Barb says
The first thing I do when I get home from work is clip my hair out of my face. I can’t stand it, especially in this heat. I need to get to TJ’s soon and I’m definitely going to look out for that lotion. Sounds like I need a bottle on my desk and another on my nightstand. I wish I could get the cc cream to work for me. Every single time I’ve worn it, it looks horrible on me. I’ve tried using less, tried using a brush, tried using a sponge, tried different primers. No matter what I do, I can’t get it to look good on me.