John,
I bought some glitter recently and I want to wear it to a couple of Christmas parties. But whenever I try it, I can’t tell you what a mess I make! I have glitter everywhere but on my eyes. I vaguely recall reading somewhere you telling either another reader or in some article how to get it to stick, but I can’t seem to find it. I don’t suppose you can save me from looking like a broken disco ball and help me to keep the little rascals where they belong? Thanks and I hope you and everyone at handbag have a wonderful Christmas.
Cheers,
Christa
Christa,
I think I wrote something as well but you are not alone in not being able to find it! I am getting old. LOL. I always make a mess with glitter as well, so here are some tried and true ways to keep from looking like a drag queen the morning after the Christmas Ball. With all glitter products, you need something to stick the glitter to. If you touch it onto your lids without some sort of adhesive/sticky medium, it will fall under and into your eyes before you hit the door. One of the best ways to get it to stick on your lid is to get your eye shadow and other eye makeup on as desired, and then touch a little bit of a sticky lipgloss over your eyelid – without blending or wiping. Pat the gloss on sparingly. Then pat the glitter over the top of that and you have a super sparkly eye that should hold fairly well. Remember though, if you don’t have a large visible lid space between the lashes and the crease of your eye, this is going to crease up as the night goes on, so expect it. I know a make-up artist who swears by patting the glitter over an eye cream – so you might want to practice with that as well. Now if you are thinking glitter like Strictly Come Dancing, you will want industrial hold. For that I suggest a little bit of eyelash glue. Again, apply your make-up as normal and then touch the glue onto the lid, or as an eye line, without smearing all of your hard work, and then touch the glitter onto the damp glue. You will need to keep your eye closed until it sets and do one eye at a time. This will feel a little strange and stiff, but you will get used to it. When the evening comes to a close, lay a warm damp flannel over your eyes for several minutes and then roll the glue away. The glues are sort of like rubber cow gum glue and are perfectly safe. But I tell you what, this application will let you look every inch the pop star and everyone will be peeking at your peepers!
Cheers and cheerio back to you,
John
Hi John,
OMG this cold has made my skin look and feel like a complete lizard. I swear I look like I have dandruff all over my entire body – especially my legs. I have a couple of New Year’s Eve parties to go to and I don’t want to be the only one in opaque tights. Any suggestions to give me some moisture, take away the itch, and that is affordable?
Thanks so much,
Britt
Britt,
To tell you the truth, there are more lizards walking around out in the British cold than there are in the London Zoo! Here are a few suggestions and you will be pleased to know that none of them are expensive. You need to start off by exfoliating the dead dry skin away so whatever moisture you add can actually get to the skin that needs it. If you don’t have one, mix one up by talking about a teaspoon of either olive oil, almond oil, or one of the bath oils I am going to suggest together with about the same amount of ordinary coarse ground salt from the supermarket. Don’t go too large a grain, what you would use in a salt grinder is perfect. If you don’t have that, regular table salt will do in a pinch. Blend it together in your hand and use it on either damp or dry skin depending on how sensitive you are. The oils will start to melt the salt and as you rub it over your skin you will be polishing and nourishing at the same time. Concentrate on particularly dry areas and mix up more as you need it. Once you are done, rinse as usual. Avoid harsh soaps as these will cancel out all of the hard work you just put in and perhaps replace your usual washing product with something like E45 Emollient Bath Oil. This also works great for the aforementioned scrub. This is really inexpensive and turns into a milk when water hits it.
Once your bath or shower is finished, apply the E45 or another light bath oil like the fantastic Bio Oil or Alpha Keri to damp skin. By applying to damp skin you will trap in water with the oil and get a little extra moisture in the bargain. Pat dry with a towel rather than rubbing the skin. And then slather on a moisture barrier cream like Udderly Smooth. It was originally made for cow’s udders to keep them from cracking in the cold and they noticed the farmer’s hands stayed soft and moist even in the cold American Mid-Western winters. It is such a great product and is now recognized by the Eczema Society for those with chronic dry skin. The cream is only £3.75 for a large 4oz tube, or you can get a huge 12oz tub (much easier for slathering after a bath or shower) for only £10.50. The smell is gorgeous and won’t conflict with other fragrances and you can be really generous. This is what I have both of my sons using on their eczema and it has worked wonders. You can get it at department stores or on their website udderlysmooth.co.uk. I do hope that helps – it has certainly worked in our family! Enjoy the party season and remember to maintain this routine all year round.
Best regards,
John
Dear John,
I always log onto handbag.com when I am at work and have found so many great products at your suggestion, but this may be beyond you! I am in my early ‘50s and though my skin is still in pretty good condition, I am afraid I am guilty of not having taken care of my neck and upper chest, as I probably should have. I have a huge party coming up to celebrate my birthday, anniversary, and the dress I have chosen is a bit lower in the neckline than I normally would go for. I love the dress and I must say I feel fabulous in it – until I look at my crêpey neck. My friends tell me it isn’t that bad, and they are probably right but I am really self-conscious of it. Is there anything you can suggest that will smooth the skin considering I only have about three weeks to get it done or am I clutching at straws? Please be honest. I don’t mind paying for a product that will work, but I also don’t want to waste money if it won’t. I would rather you tell me that I am stuck with it and I will try to ignore what I guess I have ignored for 50 years already.
Sincerely,
Marjorie
Marjorie, Marjorie, Marjorie,
Don’t you know that there is nothing I like more than a challenge? So not only am I going to solve your problem once; I am going to solve it twice. If it were me? I would go and get both of these products and know deep in my heart of hearts that you and your neck are going to look absolutely stunning for your big event. I understand you not wanting false promises and I will not lead you down the garden path. The first product is Bliss Spa Thinny Thin Chin . This one is £32 and is a cross between skin care and an optical illusion. This gets used as a daily neck, throat, and décolletage cream and will instantly tighten and smooth the skin. Apply twice a day from the jawline to “the girls”. Remember to use it all the way round the back of the neck and up behind the ears. Many of you forget those two places but they are the only part of the neck and throat that is connected to bone. And then to enhance and beautify the skin, get a tube of PerFekt Body Perfecting Gel . This is the secret of every TV and Film make-up artist and was originally made for the horrors of high-definition cameras. This is a cross between make-up and treatment and – I kid you not – will make your skin look so smooth you will not be able to believe it. It can also be used on arms and legs and is not only water-resistant, but won’t transfer onto clothes or partners, and is both heat and sweat resistant. You might be interested to know that they use one full tube per actress per day on the set of Desperate Housewives! To apply you press/pat it onto the skin and allow to set. Don’t apply it over another body moisturiser – you don’t need it and the product will not be as transfer resistant. You can get this at better department stores and the tube costs £40. I hope you have a wonderful time celebrating and I am sure you will be an absolute knockout!
You go girl!
John
Picture - Micheal Kors, spring/summer 2010
Do you have a beauty question? Then email John at johngustafson@ukhandbag.com Please note, John's answers will be published on the site weekly as he cannot reply to emails personally.
