Any FOF who doesn’t have a vanity, sink top or drawer full of unused makeup is a truly remarkable FOF. I am not truly remarkable. My “vanity” runneth over with shadows, shimmers and blushes, not to mention creams, lotions and tonics, that might very well have fungus growing on them from age and lack of use. So when makeup artist, Jennifer Snowdon, offered to analyze and organize it, I said: “Come on in!” Jennifer works with professional organizer, Ann Sullivan, to get you straightened out ASAP.
STEP 1 ASSESS
STEP 1 (ASSESS): Jennifer transfers all the makeup on my vanity to my dining table.
STEP 2 SORT
We'll keep this
STEP 2 (SORT): She segments everything according to where it’s used (eyes, lips, skin) and puts each group of products into a plastic bin. As the organization progresses, it’s easier for me to throw out products I don’t use, such as dried-out mascara, lipstick that feels like sandpaper on my kisser and blush that would look better on Clarabell (a clown, for those FOF friends who didn’t watch Howdy Doody in he fifties).
STEP 3 ACTIVATE
STEP 3 (ACTIVATE SYSTEM): Jennifer transfers the remaining products to a multi-compartment, lucite carry-all so they’re all in one place and easy to access. Eye cosmetics go in one compartment, lip products in another, blushes in a third, etc. She also puts the larger bottles and jars for hair care and skin cleansing (shampoos, conditioners, facial cleansers) in a separate basket.
STEP 4: PRESERVE
STEP 4 (PRESERVE): Jennifer leaves behind 10 Tricks of the Trade to keep your makeup in tiptop shape. Here are a few to whet your appetite:
1. Put pencils in the freezer before sharpening to prevent excess breakage. Sharpen them regularly to keep them clean.
2. Use rubbing alcohol to repair broken powder, blush or eye shadow.
3. Clean your makeup brushes monthly using mild shampoo or facial cleanser. Gently lather and pat on a towel. Let dry with brush heads slanted downward. Jennifer loves Cinema Secrets Brush Cleanser.
Jennifer is an artist with makeup. This is the "after" me.
Now for the fun part: My makeup analysis and lesson. Jennifer gave me real sensible advice, based on my skin tones and texture. A few of them:
1. I should wear under-eye concealer with orangey tones to erase brown or blue under my eyes; concealer with yellow tones works best on red or purple under the eyes.
2. An oil-free, liquid foundation covers red areas (around the nose, for example) and evens out the look of the skin better than mineral powder foundation.
3. Lining the lower eyelids with light pencil opens up the eyes.
Jennifer has kindly offered a free Shop Your Vanity Drawer lesson for one lucky FOF. It has a $250 value. If you live in the New York metro area, or want to come to New York to see Jennifer, submit a comment here for a chance to win. I love what she did for me!
I feel terrible for Elizabeth Edwards. Her breast cancer, diagnosed in 2004, has spread to her liver, and her doctors say further treatment would no longer be beneficial. She is 61, she’s lost a child, she will leave behind three other children (two of them under 15), and her husband is a bad man. I hope she’s at peace and can spend her remaining time comfortably, both physically and spiritually. When I muse about how quickly I became sixty-three, I stop and take stock that am lucky I got this far and pray I’ll have the chance to go keep going. I heard on the news that Elizabeth’s cheating, narcissistic hubby is by her side. Perhaps she needs to forgive him to be able to move on. She is undoubtedly discussing with him who will play a part in raising her young son and daughter. She’s got to be thinking about the woman who was (is?) his mistress and the mother of his fifth offspring.
My thoughts are with Elizabeth and her children.
PS After I posted this, I found out that Elizabeth Edwards died today. May her soul rest in peace.
Elizabeth Edwards and her two youngest children
I was a wallflower at dances when I was growing up. I always had loads of friends, but when I got to a party, I felt like a klutz, maybe because I was usually taller and bigger than all the boys. Anyway, I never learned how to dance well, although I sure love seeing couples twirling around a room in sync. My mom and dad took ballroom dance lessons in the sixties and could rumba and samba their way around a banquet hall with grace. I even remember them sweeping across our tiny living room. I’ve thought about taking lessons throughout the years (remember Richard Gere in Shall We Dance?) but have never gotten beyond the thought.
Some other things I wish I could do:
Speak fluent French. I took lessons for a while but my accent is horrendous.
Eat only one little cookie, drink one martini, or have one piece of bread, then quit.
Sew my own clothes. I took clothing shop in eighth grade, and actually made a suit (skirt, jacket and blouse), but that was the extent of my haute couture experience.
Spend three months of the year in Paris, three in New York, three somewhere in the Caribbean and three in Malibu).
Be an actress. I am, anyway, but I don’t get paid for it.
Play tennis. My dad made me take tennis lessons when I was around seven, but I hated them.
Play the harp. I actually did play the harp when I was seven to seventeen, but quit when I started college. I often fantasize I’ll start again, but a harp costs $25,000.
Maybe I’ll do one of these things next year.
I stopped sleeping through the night when I was in my twenties. I’d wake up around 2 a.m., usually worried about something to do with work, and would toss and turn for hours. After months of this routine, I gave up fighting, and would get out of bed to edit stories, write, read or watch TV. I had a couple of friends in California whom I could call. I’d usually be able to get back to sleep around 5 for a couple of hours. Interestingly, I hardly every felt drained the next day. I’m fortunate to have loads of energy.
I decided to try sleeping pills about five years ago and my doctor readily prescribed them. They haven’t been a panacea, but they’ve generally helped me to have a better night’s sleep. I’ve taken Ambien, Ambien CR and Lunesta. I’ve heard that some sleep aids can be addictive, but I haven’t done any research on them, nor have I tried to stop. As with any drugs, these carry a laundry list of warnings, from doing things you won’t remember the next morning (driving a car is one of them, but I don’t have a car, so that’s not possible) to thoughts of suicide. The most severe problem I’ve had is occasionally feeling a bit draggy the next day (ironic!)