What is Wrong with My Mirrors?

April 23, 2012 at 8:42 pm | Posted in Beauty, The Real Housewives | 4 Comments
Tags: beauty, housewives, style

Is it just me, or does everyone get dressed, look in the mirror and think they look pretty good leaving the house, only to be shocked by their later reflection in a door or window that gets them thinking, “Do I really look that fat today?” or “My pants are too short!” or “These shoes totally don’t go with this outfit!” or “Why does my hair look frizzy?”

What is wrong with my mirrors?? Why don’t I see that before I leave the house? Is there some “thin magic” in my mirror that prevents me from seeing that those pants paired with that top make me look like a kumquat? Do I think that just because I can see the bottoms of my pants that this means they are actually falling below my ankles? And does it really take just a whisper of wind to completely destroy my carefully coiffed hair? I just don’t get it.

I suppose trying to keep up with the looks of the ladies of the Real Housewives of You-Name-the-Place isn’t helping my self-image, either. Those chicks must spend 40 hours a week in the salon/spa/dentist/plastic surgeon’s office. It must be a full-time job to maintain it all. I think I’m high-maintenance, but I can’t hold a candle to those girls. I even got some veins done in my legs last year (I just couldn’t stand the look of a large varicose vein on my right leg – thank you pregnancy – so I had it removed along with a few smaller ones) and the damn things are coming back!! Those ladies must either slather their legs in make-up (spray-tans appear to be mandatory in California) or they are seeing their vascular surgeons on a weekly basis.

It’s disheartening. We’re all supposed to keep up with the Kardashians but really, who has the time? Besides, those girls give new meaning to the term “falsies”. Fake eyelashes, lips, hair, boobies and both sets of cheeks. How are the rest of us supposed to ‘keep up’?

All that said, I’d like to share a few of my favorite beauty products – some new finds, some old stand-bys. Not that I’m so fabulous, but I do work hard at this stuff and hey, I’m always looking for new ideas and recommendations, so perhaps you are, too. Feel free to add your own tips in the Comments section 🙂 .

• I always love a good Spanx foundation garment. They are the savior of many a dress and pair of pants in my closet. But let’s face it, you can’t wear those puppies every day, and sometimes not even all day. But I have finally found a Spanx product I can wear all day and love. It’s called “Bra-llelujah”. And it is. A wonderful, stretchy, yet supportive full-coverage bra that actually holds the girls up while feelin’ fine and lookin’ good. Love it. Getting some more.
• Bare Minerals Make-up. My love affair with this mineral foundation and eye shadow began 6 years ago when I was up in the middle of the night nursing my first-born and watching infomercials. By the way, that’s also when my love affair with the Real Housewives started, as the OC was in its first season and there were midnight and early a.m. re-runs. But I digress… It takes a little time to learn how to apply this foundation, but once you get it right it is flawless. And GOOD for your skin! So many make-up products have so much artificial and harmful junk in them, but not Bare Minerals. I am also in love with their eye-brightening eyelid foundation product called “Well-Rested”. Makes you look wide awake and alert, even when you’re not. And we all know that those of us with small children and/or high-octane careers more often than not, are not.
• Vitamins, fish oil, and other healthy stuff you put in your body. Ok, I’m a junk-food junkie, I admit it. It is a daily battle for me not to live on Double Dutch chocolate muffins and pizza washed down with diet soda. I try to put the good things in as often as possible, but I still eat way too much sugar, salt and melted cheese. SO, I try to balance this out by taking excellent vitamins and other supplements, among them MSM (joint health and inflammation – too many falls of my horses over the years!), Coenzyme Q10 (heart & cell rejuvenation), fish oil (Omega 3’s, etc.), and spirulina (a blue-green algae with TONS of health benefits).
• While it is important to work on beauty from the inside out, don’t skip the sunscreen and moisturizer, ok?
  

  This looks good, right?

Try a few of these things and I promise you’ll look even better than you already do. Or at least my magic mirrors say so.

xo