Dear A&E: Please don't make me go to chapstick rehab!!!!

I am an amateur beauty junkie and will buy anything and everything if it's either a pretty color or if it gives the promise of being fabulous in one way or another. I have a constantly wandering eye when it comes to beauty products. I am fickle.

I've realized - FINALLY - that I only trust certain brands because of their higher quality and ability to meet my needs and desires. So why do I constantly buy a bunch of inferior quality drug store brand junk?

I need to focus on buying and using only what works.

I've made three Beauty Resolutions that I will work on BEFORE the end of the year. You guys need to hold me to these. I don't want to be on a special crossover episode of Intervention and Hoarders where my ginormous stash of lipgloss is shown to shame me into going into rehab where I will only be allowed one plain chapstick.

That would be my definition of hell.

And I don't want to go there. Yet. (heehee!)



These seem simple enough:

Needed: Monogamous relationship with MAC

1. Halt all random makeup buying. Start replacing (almost) everything with MAC. Must include admitting to self that the 'Kristen amuses herself by trying and reviewing makeup' blog is never gonna happen. Why should I propagate buying crap makeup just because it's MY crutch? The true drug store brand gems are too few and far between to make it worth anyone's while. (Side note: The post of my favorite cheapo products is forthcoming - and those have been the same for several years now.)

2. Get away from spending hundreds for prescription skin care every year (sorry, Dr. Hirsh!) and go back to using Arbonne. Arbonne always made my skin look and feel so healthy. Skin prescriptions make my skin feel horrible and dull. This may be a total pipe dream, but worth a shot. (I have painful cystic acne. I know it doesn't look like it. But trust me. Just trust me. I dread flare-ups.)

3. Stop thinking other shampoos will work as well and just use Frederic Fekkai. My hair never feels healthier. The pink Color Care line is what I use.

So how do I start? By stopping the buying cycle. No more buying makeup or hair care products. I need to use what I have right now in my stockpile and then start slowly replacing it with the quality products above.

It's up to YOU to keep me out of chapstick rehab. I'm counting on every single one of you.

Fall Classics

Each fall and each spring, the fashion pundits come out with their lists of what the hot trends will be for the coming season. After being part of that game for so many years, I started rolling my eyes when the same clothing, accessories and colors made the list again and again and again. "Bright colors are big for spring? Oh reeaaalllllly?"

Obviously, certain clothes just go with certain seasons. 

If you want to make a few smart wardrobe investments, instead of going with whatever flights of fancy the designers sent down the NY Fashion Week runways for Fall 2010, why not buy a few wardrobe staples that will be equally hot every year?

 

Structured military jackets  ⁞⁞  Menswear-inspired pants, vests and blazers  ⁞⁞  Leopard print accessories  ⁞⁞  Deep shades of purple, plum and aubergine  ⁞⁞  Long scarves