My Sephora Birthday Mini-Binge, or, when Whoop! becomes Woot!

For the last day of NaBloPoMo, I'd like to move the subject away from dieting and working out. But you deserve a progress report on my fitness level before I discuss important subjects like makeup, shopping, and shameless self-indulgence, so here you go:

The Pie Report

On this last day of November, I tip the scales at a sylph-like 172.6, which, although not great, is slightly better than I deserve, considering the mountains of pie that have taken over my house. (Seriously, my son's girlfriend came over for our Thanksgiving dessert buffet bearing a freshly-baked apple pie, which means we had a total of five pies between eight people. But isn't that adorable?)

At any rate, with regard to pie, I am like the gentleman who, when asked why he climbed Mount Everest, answered "Because it is there." As in, why has Poppy eaten so much pie? BECAUSE IT WAS THERE.

Also, the gym has not really been my thing of late, because my daughter has contracted Pertussis WHOOP! which is the fancy way of saying she has whooping cough. WHOOP! And has been barking like a seal for almost a week. And this means that the entire family is on antibiotics, and I couldn't go to the gym today, WHOOP! because I'm quarantining myself.

So I went on-line shopping. I was determined to use the $20 off a $50 purchase gift card that Sephora sent me because I'm a V.I.B. (I can't remember what those initials stand for. But I think it means I spend too much money at Sephora.)

Anyway, check out the cornucopia of crappe Sephora will be sending me!

This is what I actually bought.

 

Behold the magnificence of the Too Faced Sweet Indulgence Palette ($52.00)

Too Faced Sweet Indulgence Palette

Not that I need sixteen eye shadows, two Blushes, two bronzers, a highlighter, an eye shadow primer, a brush and three instruction cards. But Too Faced's Natural eye palette is one of my favorites, because the colors and textures are gorgeous. So I decided it would be fun to try some more of their products. (My thoughts on the Natural eye palette are here, at the bottom of a long post in which I argue that you really only need four shades of eyeshadow. Irony in action, people!)

The palette costs $52, which got me just over the minimum to use my gift card and qualify for free shipping.

,
Then I cashed in 500 of my Sephora VIB points to get

Sephora Beauty Insider 500 Points--All Day Makeup Set

Which is a collection of various primers and has trial sizes of a few products I've been wanting to try, like Lancome's eyelash primer and Smashbox's face primer. 

And then, because my birthday is next month, I got

Birthday Gift--Fresh Sugar Kisses Mini Lip Duo

and then, using Sephora's LITTLELUX coupon code, I got this

Kat Von D Pouch + 14 samples

 

Plus three more free samples which you can grab every time you check out at Sephora, and really, why stop now?

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

 

LADY GAGA FAME

MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Microperfecting Primer

All for $35.25.

It's obviously going to be a Sample-o-rama around here! W00t!

Two reds

This is what I mean when I say I'm a Christmas-themed-outfit dork of the purest dye. I just had to find a way to action some red today.

I ordered these Banana Republic cords in a fantastic mulberry color and was delighted with them. I don't think I'd bought a pair of cords since the manufacturers started adding a little spandex to every pair of pants being manufactured. Years ago, cords sagged and bagged and even worse, shrank horribly when I put them in the dryer. Either my legs have gotten shorter, or manufacturers have figured out to add a little extra fabric to factor in shrinkage. This is straight out of the packaging, and there's actually almost too much fabric breaking on top of my foot--hallelujah!

Banana Republic skinny corduroys in Saucy Red
Tory Burch Simone cardigan in black with gold buttons
Lafayette 148 white cotton shirt
Jimmy Choo Youth motorcycle boots

Inspired by Une Femme's recent post about red lipstick, I also decided to deploy some red lipstick, as that would be fashion-forward and not at all Christmas-season-dorky, no sir.

Boots No 7 Restore and Renew serum (discontinued; similar)
Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45
Maybelline Age Rewind concealer (discontinued)
Benefit Dandelion blush
Lancome Definicils mascara
Chanel Holly lipstick (discontinued)

What I wore today--featuring Stuart Weitzman Arlington Boots

Confession time: I read a lot of preppy style blogs, but I'm not really the Southern Prep/All Lilly All the Time/Pink and Green type. I'm more the "High WASP" type that LPC blogs about.

I grew up in New England where you wore Lilly in the summer--maybe because it reminds you of family vacations to places where it's warm all year round. You would break out your sun dress printed with monkeys drinking piña coladas and your husband would wear four-paneled Brooks Brothers "Fun" pants. You were on vacation, and this is how you signaled to the world that you knew how to enjoy yourselves.

But my people did not live where it's warm all year round. We deal with serious amounts of winter weather. The verb "to summer" only has currency in places where summer is a brief respite in an otherwise chilly climate. And therefore, I have an atavistic love of cotton turtlenecks worn under wool sweaters, plaid, camel hair coats, duffle coats--basically, the whole L. L. Bean-cum-Brooks Brothers vibe.

I try to fight it. I try to be Prep With an Edge, as blackbird puts it. But as soon as it gets near Christmas, all bets are off. I pull out my Christmas socks, jewelry, and scarves. I go mad for plaid. I even start trolling the internet for the Winter Wonderland prep wear of my childhood. Does L. L. Bean still make Norwegian sweaters? Where are the Tyrolean jackets and Fair Isle sweaters d'antan? Mostly gone.

Which is maybe just as well. I went to a holiday boutique recently in Lake Forest, Illinois, which is the epicenter of preppiness in these parts. And I ordered myself a pair of these.

Needlepoint loafers by By Paige

And in my internet trolling, I came thisclose to ordering myself a pair of these

Beachcomber Corduroys at Castaway Clothing

And if I had, I probably would have worn the loafers with the cords. No, really.

But then I noticed the cords were bootcut. Pffft! I might have standard boring preppy taste in preppy holiday attire, but I draw the line at buying a pair of bootcut cords, because hello? Out of style. OK, I realize I'm being ridiculously inconsistent.

Anyway, today's outfit was an attempt on my part to show you my new boots, which meant wearing a skirt. And I picked out one that is plaid, and warm and cozy, because this morning, it got below freezing for the first time this season. And then--well, I tried to rein in this Christmas-crazed tradition-loving northeast prep part of my personality, I really did. You can let me know whether you think I succeeded.

Fuzzy black watch plaid skirt, Talbot's last season (similar), navy cotton Bailey cardigan, Vineyard Vines, gray scoop neck t-shirt, Gap, gray wool blend tights, Vermont Country Store, black nappa boots, Arlington by Stuart Weitzman

Here's how Talbot's styled the skirt last year.

See how fuzzy?

Gold pendant and eBayed Hermes bangle. Hey, at least I'm not wearing pearls.

Here's a back view of the boots--sorry about the graininess. I was trying to show the elastic.

For outside, I added my Brooks Brothers leather trench and some Nordic glittens (what J. Crew calls fingerless glove/mittens) I found these in Lake Forest, which means they're preppy.

It's not every day you see a Chanel bag combined with mittens!

Sigh.

I've come to the conclusion that if I think I've escaped my roots? I'm sadly mistaken.

Shopping for boots when your calves aren't a standard size ... and how I found a pair

I don't know why, but I've never been that crazy about boots. This seems odd, because I tend to be completely nuts about anything ridiculously expensive, and the average pair of boots is ridiculously more expensive than the average pair of shoes. I can't really explain how I overlooked this opportunity to blow wads of cash. It might be because I have muscular legs, and once I put on a few too many pounds, most boots refuse to zip over my calves.

Anyway, a few days ago, J. Crew was offering 25 percent off everything on their site. I decided to forgive J. Crew's stylists for the insane combinations of crap they put together for their catalogs and actually buy something. Maybe.

So I asked whether anyone out there on the internet had anything to tell me about J. Crew's wide calf boots. And answer came there none, except an inquiry from blackbird, who, like my friend Joke, likes to remind me from time to time that I am not actually deformed and should perhaps not abandon hope of fitting into something in a normal size. (Joke is usually referring to The Balcony, but the point stands.)

So then the J. Crew sale was over, and I was ready to abandon hope all over again.

But then I got an email offering me some great savings at ShopBop, a site I'm usually not even aware of. But they had these Stuart Weitzman boots.

Stuart Weitzman is a brand that sort of flies under the radar. The shoes are very high quality, and they do narrow and wide widths. I've had good luck with Stuart Weitzman shoes in the past. The last seems to suit my foot, even when I buy the normal- rather than the wide-width styles.

I'd heard that Stuart Weitzman's 5050 boots (the shaft is half leather, half elastic) had a lot of fans. The Arlington boot also has some elastic in the back. Not as much as the 5050, but enough, I hoped, to get around my calves.

So I ordered them, and they showed up today. I got my normal size, a 9M, and they're wide enough across the metatarsal. And the calf fits perfectly. And the black elastic is is NOT HIDEOUS, I swear.

Stuart Weitzman "Arlington" knee boot

I'd show you the boots on, except as soon as I tried them on, I fell madly in love, and now it's too dark to get a decent picture of them. But imagine me sitting with my legs straight out, crossed at the ankle. From time to time I move my toes or flex my feet and hear that lovely creaking sound that new leather makes.

The back view, showing the elastic

So if you have difficulty wearing knee-high boots, whether your calves are too narrow or too wide, I'd suggest you check out boots like this.

I also suggest you shop at Zappos. I say this because Zappos includes a lot of helpful information about the boots they sell, including the shaft height and circumference. And there are helpful reviews--in the case of really popular styles, like Stuart Weitzman's 5050 boot, 72 of them. 

Also, quite a few of the Stuart Weitzman boots are currently on sale.

My complexion is on a diet, too.

About four weeks ago, I got this monster zit on my temple, and freaked out. Partly because this kind of thing doesn't happen to me all that often--it didn't even when I was a teenager, and it sure as hell doesn't happen now. And partly because I couldn't figure out why it had happened.

Was it the workouts? Or was it the products I was using? Was my new hair heat-styling lotion to blame? I had been testing various sample-sized serums and cremes--could it have been one of them?

I decided to pare things down to the absolute minimum. Instead of switching products around, I decided on the bare minimum to keep my skin moist, protected, treated, and clear. I decided for a month, I would only use one foundation, so I settled on a Beauty Balm for  moisturizing, SPF, coverage, and treatment during the day. At night, I was going to use some kind of acid to keep my pores from getting clogged.

Results are in, and my skin has been perfectly happy for the past month.
 This is what I've been using:

Pre-gym, or first thing in the morning

All I do before I head to the gym is cleanse with an Olay wet face wipe.

Post-gym

After my post-workout shower, I apply a silicone-based anti-aging serum as a primer. I'm not trying to do any heavy-duty moisturizing at this point. After I work out, I don't really feel that I need to, what with my circulation being all full of youthful vim and vigor and all. The idea is to get my skin ready for foundation--and if the silicone-based primer also contains wrinkle-fighting ingredients, so much the better.

I'm currently using Boots No 7 Restore and Renew serum, but Boots has apparently discontinued it. I'm sure Olay's Regenerist Regenerating Serum or Boots's Protect & Perfect Intense serum would work as substitutes.

I let the serum sink in for a minute, then apply Dr. Jart's Beauty Balm. Beauty Balm replaces moisturizer, sun screen, and foundation. For it to work, though, you can't apply it too lightly. I use a blob about the size of an almond.

Evening

If bare-faced (and this happens more frequently than you'd believe, considering how much makeup I own) I cleanse with Cetaphil alone.

If wearing a full face of spackle, I double cleanse. First I remove my makeup with DHC Mild Touch Cleansing Oil

Then I wash with some kind of sudsing cleanser--Clearasil, Chanel, or Cetaphil--and Clarisonic Mia.

Then I apply Garnier Skin Renew Dark Spot Overnight Peel.

This is a glycolic acid peel which claims to

• Fade dark spots 
• Even skin tone 
• Brighten skin 
• Smooth texture

I can't say that I've noticed any fading of my dark spots. On the other hand, my skin isn't clogged or breaking out from the Dr. Jart's Beauty Balm. I believe I have my cleansing routine and the glycolic acid in the overnight peel to thank.

Extras

Now that it's getting colder out, the heat is on. My skin feels much dryer, so I'm adding eye cream

and moisturizer.

But that's it.

Pretty sad that I feel like I'm being this amazing minimalist--and I'm still using about 10 products on my face!

My Sunday Worst

Worth dress in Deep Flint, ancient Caligarius black kid Chanel-style slingbacks with black patent toes; Chanel bag; Hermes bangles (eBay); Chanel necklace

Here I am in my Sunday-go-to-meeting best, except ... not so much.

What we're seeing here is the problem of picking out dresses by trying on other styles in the size you'll need. That's what you have to do when you buy stuff from a friend who is selling clothes for The Carlisle Collection, Doncaster, or Worth New York, and doesn't have the dress in your size.

I mean, yes, it fits. My hips, tum, and bum are all adequately covered. There are no unsightly bulges.  But the combination of the jewel neckline, the color, and the fabric makes the Balcony All Too Apparent.

To divert attention from The Balcony, I piled on tons of high-end accessories and jewelry, but they fail to disguise the failure that is this dress on me. They are, at best, a stop gap. What this dress really needs is a cardigan. Maybe even a coat.

Oh, and by the way. My legs are bare. See what I mean about pantyhose? I'm so pale, I look frostbitten. I went without hose because I was going to be wearing a choir robe, and I thought I'd get too hot with hose on. I carried a pair with me, but I never got around to putting them on, which was too bad for innocent passersby.

Not an Arm Party; more a chance meeting of like-minded friends. Ebayed Hermes bangles and my old Baume & Mercier watch.

Here's a close up of the Hermes bracelets, which I eBayed a while ago in two separate auctions. See how they go together? Let me tell you, finding two coordinating bracelets is quite a coup.

The moral of the story? Even when the Balcony is a matter of deep concern, the way Hermes coordinates the patterns on their printed bracelets continues to be a great satisfaction to me.

Balcony or no Balcony, we'll always have Hermes.

My Christmas list--so far.

In my ongoing project of spreading sweetness and light through the internet, I've decided to share my Christmas and/or Birthday list. I printed this list up and distributed to the members of the Buxom household. My birthday is December 12th, and it is never too early to get the word out about What I Want.


1). Shower gel. Philosophy always has nice ones. I haven't smelled this particular flavor, but if spiced clementines smell like oranges stuck with cloves, you'd have difficulty getting me out of the shower.

2)  A new shower cap. To go with the new shower gel. One must do one's best to preserve one's do.

3) Colonial Candles. The eight inch classic tapers. White or cream or this gorgeous shade of red.

You can get them online.

 3) A new gym bag. My canvas boat and tote bags aren’t big enough, and the open tops are awkward. The REI Balance gym bag is narrow enough to fit in a locker, and has dedicated places to stash gym shoes, car keys--even a yoga mat. It's $59.00.

Here it is in Jungle, zipped up and tidy.

And in use. Would I actually do yoga if I had a place to put a yoga mat?

Who knows. But I might actually remember to pack a water bottle.

4) Big cream colored pillar candles for my TV-watching pleasure. I like the ones from that store on Elm Street … across from the park, a little west of the town parking lot? But if you're getting the tapers on line, you could get these from Colonial Candle.

 5) Flowers—red roses, poinsettias, Christmas-y arrangements—it’s all good!

6) Shearling-lined slippers with rubber soles. L. L. Bean Wicked Good moccasins are the classic. In the past, I've always gotten brown, but that was in the old days, when you could get Wicked Good slippers in any shade you wanted, as long as it was brown.

Now they come in a rainbow of shades! OK, six.

So how about a fashion-forward chocolate brown?

(And for anyone who objects that this blog is supposed to be about beauty, allow me to assure you that I am far more beautiful when my feet are cozy.)


7) Wool socks. Cable knit knee socks are available at Vermont Country Store.

Fancy ones can be had at Gorsuch.

See above remarks about cozy feet.

8) Clé de Peau Beauté Palette de Voyage for Holiday 2012. I've heard great things about their products but have only popped for a foundation. This palette has an eye quad, a sample-sized mascara, lipstick, cheek color, and eyebrow and eyeliner color. It's available at Neiman Marcus and costs a dazzling $180. But it's so cute!

9) From Hermes.com: L'Ivresse de l'Infini Silk twilly. It costs $140, which is a ridiculous price for a scrap of silk. But look at the colors!

10) If we're really reaching, Hermes “New Libris” Cashmere and silk stole with jacquard weave in comes in violet and costs a mind-boggling $860.00. But it's a jacquard weave, people. 

Talk about a pop of color!

10) Caviar. Beluga or Sevruga.

Or a jar of that La Prairie caviar eye cream her friend Audrey swears by--it's just as expensive. And Audrey's skin looks amazing, so there's that.

Also? Less fattening.

I swear, it took less time to get ready for my wedding.

I spent the evening sitting around with Mr. Buxom. We watched some Netflix DVDs. We drank red wine and ate cheese and crackers and I polished off a few more Thanksgiving leftovers, leaving him breathless with my ability to pack in calories.

To do this, I wore cords, a white shirt, my (inevitable) Tory Burch Simone cardigan, and woolly socks. To chauffeur my children, I added my (just as inevitable) motorcycle boots and Purple Prada Purse. Oh, and the inevitable black leather jacket.

Hey, I repeat stuff a lot, which is one reason I don't include a lot of photographs.

The other is knowing who's really sharp around here.

Tuxedo, Joseph Banks; shirt, cummerbund and tie, Brooks Brothers; studs and cufflinks, c/o Mr. Buxom

Dress, Aidan Mattox; necklace and shoes (invisible) Betsey Johnson, hair by Tony at Pascal Pour Elle; nails by Lucy at Pascal Pour Elle, makeup by Poppy Buxom