I mentioned in an earlier post that I’m going through Chalene Johnson’s 30 day challenge this month. So a couple of days ago the challenge was to do something uncomfortable. The first thing that came to mind was “post pictures of myself on my blog.” AUGH! I did not want to do this. I hate selfies. I hate any kind of picture of me. I’m not photogenic. It’s self-centered. It’s stupid. I’ve got a million reasons why it’s uncomfortable.
I know I need to do this. I’ve been recently inspired by Crystal Paine’s post HERE as well as Brene Brown’s book, Daring Greatly. Maybe it’s time I start showing up on my own blog.
SOOOOO. Let’s talk about make up for hot and flashy girls like you and me! I did not coin that catchy phrase – Angie did. She’s got a YouTube channel called Hot and Flashy where she posts reviews on skin and hair products as well as product and application advice for women in their 40s and up. I spent some time this past week watching some of her videos because I was in the market for a new foundation. It was easy to get pulled into the makeup vortex, let me tell you. (Her video Best Anti-Aging Skin Skincare tips is about as practical as it gets. After watching it, I now sleep on my back.) I collected some great ideas for new products to try when my current ones run out. (Maybe I should casually leave some of them out for the 3 yo to discover?)
I also found this article helpful:
21 Beauty Tricks for Makeup Addicts in Training
Totally random, I know. It’s just one of a gazillion trillion beauty articles out there.
OK, I’ve been putting this off, but now it’s time to show my face. I did not doctor these photos up. I did use PicMonkey to sharpen the images (that only makes all the flaws show up more, well, sharply) because they were taken with my phone. Of course.
The other thing I need to say from the get-go is that I did this in June. Yes. I took all these pictures of me putting makeup on – and then I couldn’t bring myself to post them. But while I’m forcing myself to take the plunge now, I can no longer remember what makeup parts I had applied with each new picture, so I’m going to guess. Here we go:
Me with nothing on my face:
Oh my word. Is that really me? It’s so SCARY close!
Primer?
This is the kind of dorky stuff I do when I’m nervous. I think I just put primer on in this picture and I’m giving a look that says, “WOWSER BOWSER – NOTHING LIKE A LITTLE PRIMER TO MAKE YOU LOOK LIKE A MILLION BUCKS.” I discovered face primer last year, and while I don’t use it for everyday, it sure is amazing stuff for when you want your makeup to look extra nice. It creates a smooth, matte surface for applying your foundation, and it helps give it staying power. But I don’t think you can actually see a difference at this point. Besides the bug eyes.
Foundation
Here I put on my foundation which I actually don’t like. And that’s what I’m trying to tell you with my face. WOOPIE DING DONG. It’s not the right color, and I don’t like how it goes on. It’s Face Atelier Ultra Foundation. Stay away from it. Hot and Flashy Angie recommends Estee Lauder Double Wear Light or Invisible Fluid. I’m planning to go to Nordstroms and have a makeup person help me find the right one and the right shade for me. I had to learn the hard way NEVER to buy makeup like this online. Can you even tell a difference in any of these pictures, for crying out loud? What’s the point of makeup if you can’t tell the difference? I should be looking WAY better by now – but I look exactly the same. The hot and flashy lady looks amazing as she goes along. Must be the Estee Lauder.
Cheeks
I found a great cream blush for cheeks and lips by MAC. I like the cream better than a powder now that my skin is getting more dry with age. I use a flat kabuki brush to apply it, and it goes on nice and easy.
Lips
The older I get, the more I don’t want a dark red lip. It makes me look like my grandma, and I’m not ready for that yet. I like natural with a bit of color so I don’t look dead. Enter Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey. Here’s what Sephora says:
Not quite a gloss, and not quite a lipstick, this transparent formula merges with the unique, natural tone of your lips to create a look that’s all your own. Its sheer, emollient-rich formula glides on for easy layering.
Eyes
I discovered gel eyeliner a few years ago, and I’ll never go back to pencils again. I’m currently using MAC’s Fluidline formula in Dipdown, a dark brown color. I apply this with a special angled brush just for applying this type of eyeliner. The gel goes on smooth and stays and stays and stays without smudging or fading or crumbling. I use a thin line just to give my eye some definition.
My favorite eye shadows hands down are the Urban Decay Naked Palettes 1 and 2.
I haven’t found the perfect mascara yet, but Hot and Flashy Angie recommends Cover Girl Clump Crusher.
Mother Daughter
This is me with my 15 yo daughter. My oldest daughter. We kind of look alike. As I’m looking, I see I put too much blush on, and I also have a crooked nose. Interesting.
And that wraps up my uncomfortable post. I hope you got something out of it besides an upset stomach.
U r–and always have been–gorgeous, Natalie! And mother & daughter look like twins! I’m like u & have never worn much more than the basics, as far as make-up goes. I do, however, like trying different mascaras. Sephora usually offers several different mascara ‘samplers’ during the holidays. I love to buy them to play around w/the various choices. After lots of experimenting, my favorite mascara is Tarte’s ‘Lights, Camera, Lashes!’ & for a little less volume, Urban Decay ‘Super Curl’. Clinique ‘High Impact’ is also nice, as well as any of the Lancôme choices, including Definicils. Thanks for sharing ur new-found knowledge w/us, ur readers.
Thank you for the recommendations, Kerrie!! I’ve liked Clinique’s mascara too. Since writing this post, I have tried the Cover Girl clump crusher mascara, and it is terrific. For anyone looking for a quality mascara that is also a bargain – that’s it. I will be sure to check out Sephora when the holidays come around again.
You are gorgeous!
You are too kind.
Why do we do that to ourselves? You are so lovely! Your hair is so pretty and thick looking. And you have gorgeous eyes! Have you seen the Dove soap commercials where they have a woman describe herself to a sketch artist and then have a stranger who met her describe her to a sketch artist? So convicting!
I Googled it – here’s the one I watched: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpaOjMXyJGk
Very powerful. It made me cry. Thank you for telling me about this! I’m going to share it on FB now.
What a great post, and I love your choices of makeup. One tip about mascaras: my daughter and I have absolutely loved Too Faced’s “Better Than Sex” mascara. It really, really plumps and thickens lashes and lengthens them, too. Try it out!
And the name is just, well – I have no words!
1. You are very pretty, even without make-up. 2. Your daughter DOES look just like you! 3. My nose is crooked between my nostrils too. 4. I just love how real and funny you are.
Here’s to crooked noses! Heh heh. I didn’t even know I had one until I took that selfie. See what selfies do? They reveal our true selfies! OK, I’ll stop now.
Oh, my! I loved seeing the real you! You are so bright and true!
Isn’t it funny this thing that we do to ourselves?? WE put all this gunk on our faces to cover … what? Who we are? Our history? Our laughing lines? Our sad eyes? Why are we so busy covering up who we really are?
After I had children I stopped using make up altogether. Before I only really used eye liner and mascara and lipstick. Never really liked covering my face with foundation or powder. Do you know what happened? People in church (usually the ones that used lots of make up) would stop and say “Look how beautiful you are. And you don’t wear any make up.” Now I’m beautiful… just like you. I got freckles, and acne scars, and red spots, pregnancy and sun spots, wrinkles… don’t we all?
I think what these women were saying was “Look at you: being yourself and not hiding.”
I lost 40 pounds in the last 4 months and I’m dressing better and even bought me some make up: eye liner and mascara.
I have used it about 3 times to go to church. My kids cannot understand why I am putting this black stuff around my eyes. 
So I stopped using it. I don’t need it. The people that want to see me can SEE me without all that gunk.
You are beautiful! I also have a crooked nose and moles!!! hahahahahha 😀
Wish we could have coffee together sometime. So I’m curious – what did you do to lose 40 pounds in 4 months? That’s wonderful – and you must be feeling like a million bucks. The downside to losing weight is having to update your wardrobe. Oh wait – that’s an upside…
Natalia, would love to sit and talk to you too.
Well… my weight loss is a long story, but I’ll try to keep it short. Our whole family embraced a whole food plant based diet, sometimes known as vegan (without the religious aspect of it). We eat fruit, grains, legumes, vegetables, nuts and seeds all we want (no calorie or portion control). We use NO oil and NO animal products of any kind (meat of any kind or dairy).
Being from Brazil, I already cooked mostly from scratch and we always ate lots of veggies, legumes and fruit. But, at first, it was hard for my kids and hubby to go without meat, but my husband was having health issues (kidney stones, high blood pressure, fatty liver and high blood sugar). I read a ton on the subject and the evidence was just too great to ignore that a whole food plant based diet can reverse disease. So we embarked on this journey together a couple of weeks before Easter.
We both lost 40 pounds each. He got off the blood pressure meds in a month, his blood sugar is now normal, his kidney stones are dissolving, his liver is no longer fatty. HE feels like a million bucks!!!! 😀 Because we believe the Bible, we still eat meat, but it’s a treat meal for us. Once a week, I will prepare the meal of choice: roasted chicken, hamburguers or roast… whatever the kids and DH want. WE will enjoy it and then we are done. The meat is no longer the center of a meal, just another dish.
I feel great. I was having so many hormonal issues. I tried Vitex for a while but it didn’t really regulate my cycles or my mood. Now I have NO PMS!!! My headaches are gone! My bleeding became light. I have energy all the time. No more afternoon slumps. We are in such good shape that we got pregnant!!! (we weren’t trying. I’m 43 y.o.) Yes, I found out I’m pregnant 4 weeks ago. But don’t tell anybody yet!! 😀
I feel great. If you want to find out more about it go to:
https://www.drmcdougall.com/
He has a talk on YouTube called The STarch Solution which summarizes it all. There’s a book also by the same name with recipes and success stories. You can also check out Dr Esselstyn website http://www.dresselstyn.com/site/ He has helped people reverse their heart disease. Also NutritionFActs.org is a great site to learn more about how nutrition can cure and heal.
Just to add, we ate animal protein 3 x a day. I have always been a health nut but we ate too much dairy and fat. Most Americans do and don’t realize it. We also tried the Paleo diet previously to adopting this new lifestyle and it did not help us.
As for new wardrobe… I am buying teenage sized clothes now (the odd numbered clothes). How weird is that!?? After years of wearing plus size clothing that looked like potato sacks, I am now trendy! Ha!
Oh MY WORD! THAT IS AWESOME! Congratulations!!!! I’m so excited for you! I will pray all goes well with your pregnancy. Keep me posted! What an interesting story you’ve got. You have to send me a picture of you sometime, OK? It’s only fair!!!
Sent you an email with photo.
I think all of your photos looked great, but my favourite is the first.
I don’t wear makeup, so I guess bare skin resonates with me!
You’re sweet.
You are blessed to have nice, thick hair. Mine is not anymore, so I try various things. Am attempting more natural solutions, so was led to your business site. So far some success.
At present I only wear SPF 15 moisturizer and lipstick. I have dermatitis on both eyelids (grass pollen), so eye makeup is out. Once the grass goes dormant I may resume wearing color on my eyelids.
Black Honey is my favorite lipstick as well! I have been wearing it for 18 yes when it used to be called raisin. I enjoy reading your blog, thank you for transparency.