Carol's Column: Elizabeth Arden Day Renewal Emulsion

By Carol (my mother)

Greetings Everyone!

In honor of Mother’s Day, as the mother of the Fabulous Amber, I’ve been invited by my daughter to write about anti-ageing [ed. note: my mother INSISTS on spelling aging the British way. I think it's a byproduct of reading the FT.] products and/or other products aimed at the "mature woman."

Since I’ve always thought of ageing as an inevitable decline in physical beauty (we’ll leave spiritual beauty out of this for the nonce), I was shocked (in a good way) recently when I encountered a woman at a party whom I hadn’t seen in at least ten years. Formerly, my strongest impression of her was her almost garish coloring, i.e., extremely black hair juxtaposed with bright green eye shadow and ripe red lipstick. For a "woman of a certain age" it was a bit much. Flash forward to the party. She is now 81 years old, bent, and walking with a cane. But she looked gorgeous! Her hair was now a soft, dark grey, her eyes delicately shadowed and lovely. Her make-up was perfectly applied, everything in balance. She looked beautiful and I told her so. Twice. Apparently, physical beauty can emerge at any age. That is truly inspiring.

...

I have been using Elizabeth Arden’s moisturizing products for years. I adore them. My current, everyday standby is Elizabeth Arden Millenium Day Renewal Emulsion Traitement de Jour, $62. It comes in a square, glass jar with an unusually narrow opening, totally unsuited for fingertips. Included, therefore, is a tiny, long-handled spatula or ladle. How cute, I thought, initially. Later it became a tad annoying - just another thing to lose. (Note to Elizabeth Arden – lose the ladle and widen the lid.) The cream itself is lovely. Ordinarily, I use a heavier cream in winter and a lighter lotion as the weather gets warmer. So far, I find I can wear this transseasonally. Another bonus is the scent. It is pleasant and subtle.

Happy Mother's Day!

Elizabeth Arden's Bronze Look 2008 Spring Collection

I am loving the EA spring collection, diva dollfaces. I'm so glad the brand has contributed to the world of gel liners with their new Color Intrigue™ Gel Eyeliner with Brush. It comes in two wearable shades: Bronze Pearl and Black Pearl. Each comes with its own eyeliner brush (memo to makeup companies: I think EVERY gel liner should come with its own brush!) and applies smoothly to create a subtle or dramatic look. I am loving the Bronze Pearl shade. It's a gorgeous jewel-toned streak of definition that lightens up my look for spring and yet still makes my eyes pop. The packaging is also to die.

The Collection:

Bronzing Beauty Kit for Face and Eyes

Four Eyeshadows Total .12 oz / 3.4 g 35.00

Bronzer and Blush Duo .11 oz / 3.1 g

Sun Goddess Bronzing Powder

Medium with a Kabuki-style brush

.3 oz. / 8.5 g 32.00

Color Intrigue™ Gel Eyeliner with Brush

Bronze Pearl and Black Pearl with eyeliner brush

.12 oz. / 3.5 g 22.50

New Elizabeth Arden Mediterranean Breeze

Eau de Parfum Spray

1.7 fl. oz. / 50 ml 47.50

3.3 fl. oz. / 100 ml 57.50

Body Shimmer with Puff

.63 oz. / 18 g 35.00

All is available for purchase on elizabetharden.com.

Q&A: Follow Up Q Regarding Mascara and Concealer

Q: The other important question I should have asked, besides guessing at the product categories, was what items should I apply, and in what order. Like, do you always wear foudation, blush/cheek, liner, mascara, concealer, lip gloss? And: shadows. Always wear, sometimes wear, etc. Concealer? or just more of the foundation?
Thanks! You're the BEST!
Beauty Wannabe


A: Unless I'm going to the gym or doing a "no makeup day" which includes VERY minimal makeup (just concealer, balm and mascara, BTW), I have a very specific product list. This is my everyday look, the one I rock to work and during the day on weekends. I rarely wear no makeup (unless I have a tan). Here's my everyday list, in the right order. I usually don't wear shadow unless I'm going out or if I have time.
Concealer (I apply at the beginning and a bit more at the end as well)
Tinted Moisturizer (I like Laura Mercier's) or Foundation, depending on how my skin looks
Either a Blush Stick or a Bronzing Stick (sometimes a combo of both)
Pencil Liner on the top lashes only
Non-dramatic, but effective Mascara
Balm or Gloss

We've gone over all components of this list except for mascara and concealer. Here's what I recommend. I've limited the selection to two per category for you although, obviously, there are SEVERAL I adore.

Concealer
One of my favorites is Laura Mercier Secret Concealer. There are others included in the list to which I linked that are also good.

Also great: Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish Maximum Coverage Concealer $18. Here's a review I did for it for TotalBeauty.com:

This tiny mirrored compact won't waste precious purse real estate. A yellow-based concealer, it erases dark circles and hydrates just enough to mask fine lines. Lightweight, yet full coverage with a matte finish that yields non-greasy, even-toned skin. Long-wearing but easily blendable product is best used for the undereye area – those with oily skin should avoid it for blemish camouflaging. Other imperfections (acne scars, etc.) run screaming when spackled with a bit of the product applied with a concealer brush.

Mascara
Prescriptives False Eyelashes Plush Mascara $19.50 has wowed me. It's not quite as dramatic as Diorshow, but does the job - I love how black the black is. I use it during the day because I like just a tad more drama at night, usually along the lines of Fiberwig or the aforementioned Diorshow.

L'Oreal Lash Architect $6 (pictured above)
Lash Architect launched while I was in college, I believe, but it's still one of my favorite drug store mascaras. The brush glides well and the formula is enriched with jojoba and Vitamin B5 so that "new mascara bottle" feeling last a bit longer. Is there anything better than that, BTW? New Mascara Day is right up there with New Sheet Day (although obv, the latter happens more often).

Photo credit: drugstore.com