Update on my Trip to Senna

I had to leave LA this morning to head to a four day company retreat where I unfortunately will be without email access! I'm taking the red-eye home on Sunday. For all of those who inquired about my blog sale, thank you SO much for your interest! The items have all been sold to a wonderful reader whom I hope really adores them!

After the not-so-hot experience I had at Senna Monday, I decided to give them another shot to see if anyone else could help me make the concealer and brush that I purchased work for me. It goes on cakey and very creamy, and I'm getting more of a smeared mess than flawless coverage. A different, very sweet person was working today and gave me some application tricks, and told me that this is the right concealer for me but that it really does need to be set with powder. I was torn between the new new Mineral Eye Lift Powder and the Secret Set Mineral Buffing Powder. The Mineral Eye Lift ($20) is an HD powder with a slight yellow tint that really brightens. I could see from just applying it on my hand how illuminating it is. The Secret Set ($26) is ultra-sheer and colorless.
I was very tempted by the newer one (I mean they actually call it a non-surgical eye lift!) but it really is a heavier powder and thus accentuates fine lines a bit more than the Secret Set. I'll take a less bright smooth undereye over an illuminated crepey one any day! I also purchased a brush with which to apply the powder, the 15 Feather ($20). Two things to note: The Secret Sets comes in a mini size (which the makeup artist did not tell me about--I would have gotten that size instead) and the website recommends the Baby Face Brush ($26) for setting concealer, not the brush I was sold which turns out to be an eye shadow tool. Go figure! Here is the Baby Face for comparison:

The makeup artist also tried the Barely Base Sheer Mineral Makeup SPF 20 on me in Fair ($36). I'm lucky to be blessed with nice skin and never wear foundation or tinted moisturizer (just a bit of sheer powder to absorb shine) so I was a bit hesitant, but I have to say I really like it! It's very sheer, has non-chemical SPF 20 and is oil and fragrance free. She gave me a sample to try for a few days I can always call back and order it. I would consider using this for flawless skin on special occasions. One tip she gave me was to use this under the eyes to provide just a bit of coverage before concealer since my circles are super dark.

Finally, the makeup artist recommended using a primer under my eyes in addition to eye cream and the tinted moisturizer to help concealer go on smoother and last longer. She recommended the Silky Primer ($38), but between moisturizer and sunscreen I'm not sure if I want to incorporate another layer into my routine. It's definitely on my "to think about" list though.

I'm very glad that I went back and gave the line another chance. The second makeup artist couldn't have been nicer and it was such a nice experience. Many of the eye shadows and lipsticks were beautiful and I wish I had even more time to play, but unfortunately I had to run. I did take a brochure and wrote some product names down for my wishlist. Please let me know if you have any favorites from the line!

Hopefully the hotel where I'm staying for my company retreat has a spa and I can explore the products for sale there!

I Did Do Some Cosmetic Shopping in LA!

I did manage to make purchases in LA that weren't cupcake or noodle related (thank goodness for my diet)! As I said before, aside from the STAT cleanser refill, I was determined to stick with items I can't buy directly in NYC which is no small feat, but I was up to the challenge! I did peak into all of the usual spots (Barneys, Saks, etc) just to make sure I wasn't missing anything, though. What if a super limited edition product came out between my flight yesterday and this afternoon? I have to keep up on these things!

One place I visited was The Organic Pharmacy. I have seen this UK-based line mentioned in a number of beauty magazines, read some celebrity raves and was intrigued. I try to stick with organic and natural products for skincare just because that's what I'm most comfortable with personally. For me it has nothing to do with right or wrong, good or bad, but this line goes way beyond, actually directly calling various cosmetic ingredients carcinogens. I don't necessarily agree with their harsh, almost militant stance regarding ingredients, but I have read raves for the products and wandered in. First of all, the line is NOT cheap! Expect to pay upwards of $75 for a moisturizer (some over $200) and $40 for an eye shadow. A blush will cost you $50, the body cream $300. They also do not have samples but sell small sizes of some of their products for a lesser charge. I wanted the Antioxidant Face Cream but since that was not sold in trial sizes, I purchased the Double Rose Rejuvinating Cream, the line's best seller. It was .23 fl oz for $12 which I thought was reasonable, especially for a little 'out of town' splurge. The cream claims to "bring instant relief to thirsty skin. Enriched with Ginger, Rosehip and Rose, Light but hydrating action protects and stimulates circulation, restoring elasticity and radiance. The result: an instant glow." Since I don't think I can fairly judge a product with the stress of traveling, I'm going to start using this when I get back on Sunday.
I also went to Senna, one of the few lines I cannot get back home. I was so excited when I saw the boutique I practically skipped across the street! Unfortunately, inside it was pretty dark and the only girl working was pretty sour. Had she been nicer (or seemed like she cared) I probably would have browsed for quite a while and bought more, but it seemed like she could wait for me to leave and so I did, with only the new concealer palette and a brush with which to apply it. The concealer is called HD Hydra-Cover and was $38. "High tech HD light diffusing pigments, Hyaluronic filling spheres, and collagen stimulating Malachite create this unparalleled wonder working total face concealer. This silky, light as air formula uses light reflection instead of opacity to diminish flaws as it brightens skin, fills in wrinkles, and boosts skin renewal. Licorice extract helps firm up puffiness. Three corrective shades cancel under eye darkness, facial pigmentation, redness and blemishes. Brush included."

The brush it comes with is pretty dinky so I purchased Multi Brush 24 ($20). I frequently buy concealer brushes and then decide I prefer to apply the product with my fingers, but I'm tryin gto change! I had to both sign AND initial 3 times when making the purchase, not only for the credit card charge but twice acknowledging that they do not accept returns, only store credit, only for products not services, only within 10 days, only with orginal receipt etc. I think I signed fewer times renting my apartment!

Finally, I received a hand cream sample from Jigsaw Organics, another Brit brand with an LA outpost. The hand cream has a lovely herbal scent, sank in right away and provided a healthy dose of moisture for my dry hands.

Tomorrow I'm going to try and check out the hotel spa and see if there's a gift shop!

Greetings from LA!

Wow! Coming from the freezing, windy cold of New York City to the sunny, warmth of LA has been a very plesant experience, I have to say! I got in last night and prompty went right to the Century City Mall before they closed. It's a good thing it's within walking ditance of my hotel since my much-beloved Nude Skincare Facial Cleansing Wash leaked on the plane and I'm loathe to go without it. I picked up a spare at Sephora.

My shopping rule for this trip was to only buy things I am unable to get in New York, or are at such a good price I am required by the "shopping code" to buy them immediately. The shopping code kicked in last night when I found a pair of Via Spiga patent flats in my size at Bloomingdales marked down from $165 to $45.

Today I spent the afternoon walking around Beverly Hills. Before I left for LA I asked everyone what I absolutely HAD to do out here and the consensus was A. Sprinkles Cupcakes and B. Garlic Noodles at Crustaecean. I was hesistant about Sprinkles since I'm such a fan of Crumbs Cupcakes but I have to say, the Sprinkles are delish! I had a banana with dark chocolate frosting and a lemon with lemon vanilla frosting. Yes, I ate two and I never do that! They are that good! The garlic noodles are also yummy and when they say garlic, they mean it! Wow!

Two observations: First, no one walks around here. No one. I walked to the mall last evening and was literally the only person I saw on the sidewalks at all. This morning, I asked the concierge if it was possible to walk to Beverly Hills and he looked at me like and had two heads and responded "It's over a mile and a half!" I walk that distance just to and from the subway to get to work in the morning so I thought that this was pretty funny! I also noticed that no one crosses against the light here at all, and jaywalking is practically the official sport of NYC. I got quite a few looks crossing the street against the light today!

I did pick up a few cosmetic items that I can't easily get at home (the Nude cleanser doesn't count!) and will post about them in a bit.