Miracle Skin Transformer !!

I was really lucky to have been sent samples of two products that I love, love, love. I have given them a try for a solid 10 days and in that short a time (most products ask for 6-8 weeks before results), I have noticed quite a difference.
The company is called Miracle Skin Transformer (MST) and I tried the Miracle Skin Transformer SPF 20 and MST Treat & Conceal.



Love this product and let me tell  you that it applies like a dream ! It leaves a velvety texture on your face, so nice to apply your make-up on. It hydrates, enhances skin tone and protects against UV rays and does it with natural anti-aging ingredients like:

Saw Palmetto Extracts to moisturize and soothe

Passion Fruit that is rich in Omega-6 fatty acids which penetrates your skin to hydrate

Co-Enzyme Q10 increases elasticity and firms skin while increasing cell renewal

Vitamin A helps reduce the dark circles, redness and broken capillaries

Vitamin K exfoliates and renews skin cells

This is just the short list of natural ingredients. There are others that enhance your skin tones and even more to protect against UVA & UVB rays. I love the feel of this product, it is light and oil-free. I was excited that after only one week, my skin looked more even toned. My broken capillaries are faded and there are no red patches on my cheeks. I am using less mineral make up to cover those spots, that's for sure. Now, with my larger pores, I would prefer to use the translucent version. There are many tint colors, one to match any complexion. I highly recommend this product and hope you will go on line at sephora.com to purchase. It will soon be in Sephora stores, too. But don't wait, buy now !!

Now, let me tell you about Treat & Conceal. This is the best concealer I have ever used. I am using it all over my eye, under for circles and on the lid as a make-up base. I am patting it on all kinds of bumps and spots all over my face. (Remember when you are applying anything to your eye area that you use your ring finger. It is the weakest of our fingers and the eye area is sensitive) Again, because it is tinted and my pores are on the larger size, I am patting this on rather than smoothing. It is amazing. I guess that is why it is named Miracle Skin Transformer. What I have found is that is stays put. Even after a long day, I get home & my under eye .. still covered. My little spots ..still covered. This coverage lasts. And once again , I am using only one light application of my mineral make-up.

Treat & Conceal is a silicone based concealer that corrects, protects and transforms your skin.

It will help reduce fine wrinkles, reduce darkness under the eye, reduce the look of age spots and discolorations. It covers and heals ! Right now it is available on line at Sephora.com and soon will be in the Sephora stores.

Stay tuned to Queen Bee's Buzz for up coming reviews on skin care products and make-up.  I am hoping to start up with giveaways before the end of summer !!

For the ladies.......

It is never to early to start good skincare habits and hopefully never too late. By now we know everyone should be using sunscreen. This is not a luxury, it is an absolute necessity even on  a cloudy day. But we women of a "certain age" need more than sunscreen..We need a good moisturizer and some retinol, too. Retinol increases the rate of skin turnover and boosts collagen, a real winner for aging skin. If you use a product with retinol, you absolutely must use sunscreen because retinol will make your skin more sensitive to the sun. For almost two months now, I have been using a product that I am very happy with: ROC brand Multi Correxion 4-Zone Daily Moisturizer. It contains a daily moisturizer, a sunscreen with SPF 30, and retinol. A triple tonic for the skin !! I have noticed an overall evening out of skin tone, some of my splotches from sun damage are actually looking lighter and smoother. I do have some age spots that still defy lightening but overall I am happy with what's  happening. My skin is definitely softer and more supple. So, a real thumbs up on this product from ROC. It works and the price is right, retailing for around $26.00 for 1.7 oz bottle.
When I started with the ROC product, I also bought  Olay Professional Pro-X Eye Restoration Complex and began using it on my lid and under eye area. I must say that I am not overly impressed with this product. I think it is a good moisturizer but I did not see a big change in the under eye area in skin tone or wrinkle improvement. I have now begun to use the ROC 4-Zone lotion under my eye and after two weeks I have noticed a change for the better. I will continue to use the Olay on my upper lid until the bottle is finished but with a price tag of $42.00 for .5 oz, I will find another less expensive cream for my upper lid and stick with ROC brand products for the under eye area.
A month ago a saw a gadget on QVC that I thought I might have to try and now I say  how did I live without it. It is called The Bellabe Facial Hair Remover by Gemini Group. It is a tight spring, small in diameter about 8-9 inches long with a plastic handle on each end. You hold an end in each hand, bend the spring in an upside down U shape and roll it over your skin. Now, this is not for the sqeamish, it pulls hairs out from the root, and there is a little prickly sensation as you roll it over your face. Start slowly, start on your upper lip & chin area. As you get more proficient with the holding and rolling trick, move to other areas on your face..wherever you have peach-fuzz. Once your face gets used to it, you will not notice the prickles but you will notice your smooth, hairless skin ! No more waiting for the upper lip strays to appear before heading to the salon for waxing. Sit down, watch some TV and roll away the strays !
After I use my Bellabe, I take out my trusty bottle of witch hazel , sprinkle a bit on a cotton pad  and smooth and soothe my face. I have been using witch hazel as a "toner" for years. Witch Hazel is a shrub whose bark is processed into a liquid concoction that is a great astringent. It is also PH balanced so that my face never feels oily or dry/tight after use. Before bed I use a soaked cotton pad as a makeup remover, too. Works great and you can't beat the price.
For an over all body lotion, I have been using Olay's Quench for a few years. Shortly after it came out I saw that O Magazine gave it a good rating and decided to try it. I use it from my neck to my toes. They started with just the daily moisturizer and now have many new products. I now use the Daily with Firming Lotion. I want to try the one with shimmer for summer..why not? These lotions are pretty reasonably priced and if you go to their website, there are coupons available.
So ladies, be good to your skin..it has to last a lifetime !!

C'est tellement simple, l'amour.....

I have been reading some great books lately. My daughter-in-law publishes a terrific blog ( Reviewed by Mom ) and sometimes I get to review some books for her, which is so much fun for me. I read The Most Beautiful Walk in the World by John Baxter, which is a pretty witty "travel" guide to Paris. Paris of the 1920's & 30's. The times of Gertrude Stein, James Joyce, Sylvia Beach , F Scott Fitzgerald and Papa Hemingway, all ex-pat writers living in Paris. As he walks the streets of Paris on his literary tour, you can really get a feel for what is was like to live back then, right after the war. I was taken with the era. That book lead me to my next, which was The Paris Wife by Paula McLain. This is the story of Ernest Hemingway's first wife, Hadley Richardson, she was one of four wives of
"Hem ". What an interesting life she lead married to one of the world's most famous writers. They moved to Paris after they married and lived in a tiny apt over a dance hall. He was not well known, and was writing for periodicals. He was just being introduced to the other published authors living in Paris. Jazz-Age Paris was a pretty wild place back then, very bohemian and Hadley was just a regular girl from the American Mid -West. I loved this book and it lead me to A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway. This is Hemingway's account of life in Paris at the time he was married to Hadley Richardson. I don't ever remember reading Hemingway and it is quite a treat. All I ever heard about him was his wild and wicked ways with women & drink. But after having read these books, I see that as a young man, he was kind and loving to his wife and son. He was ecccentric, no doubt, and he fit right in with life in Paris at the time, but he was truer to his wife than I expected. Once his writing was taken seriously and he began to get published, it was clear he would leave Hadley behind but I get the feeling  that he probably regretted it the rest of his life.
I wholeheartedly recommend all three books for summer reading. It is all very romantic and dreamy, just right for the beach. You will find yourself wearing a bathing suit with a French beret !! Peace.

Rain, Rain, Go Away......

OMG. For a full week, we have had fog, mist, drizzle, spring showers, soft spring rain, rain and torrential downpours. What is up with this weather? And we are all affected by it. Here we are at the end of this wet week and everyone I see or talk to, is hanging on by a thread. Years ago after another of these wet springs, I remember saying to someone "what a lousy day". They were quick to inform me that it was just lousy weather, that the day was fine. Well, since then I have always used that phrase when people say "what a lousy day", I always fire right back  that the day is just fine , it is just the weather that is lousy. Well, after a week of this stuff, I have earned the right to say " what a lousy day" ! What a lousy week. It is nothing that a vitamin D capsule will help, and you could never drink enough fortified milk to cure it. We are all over-sleeping , under-sleeping, grumpy, weepy, clingy, headachy  (starting to sound like the 7 Dwarfs) and just plain miserable.
The forecasters are predicting a better week next week. I will believe it when I see it. I think they are just plain afraid to say otherwise. Until then, I have stocked up on Lindt Chocolate Truffles, they will do in a pinch. Peace.

I have been watching some good old movies on these dark & stormy nights, Far From the Maddening Crowd w/Julie Christie and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice with Natalie Wood. Two of my all time fave actresses.
I have Net Flixed two more good ones, The Other Bolelyn Sister with Natalie Portman and The Girl with the Pearl Earring with Colin Firth. Looks like a good weekend to catch a movie.

Mommeries.......

Mother's Day. I immediately think of  huge bunches of dandelions that we used to pick in the field across the street and bring home for our moms. Yellow stained hands and clothes. Big smiles. My dad would take all of us shopping (all 6 of us) and buy bathrobe & slippers and we would do our best to behave on Mother's Day.
My mother was always a young, hip mom. I don't ever remember going to the dept. stores to pick out clothes. I would come home from school and there on my bed would be some new, really cool clothes that she had picked up for me. Always loved them, never had to return anything. I had whatever was in style..beatle boots, mini skirts, ruffled bell bottoms, just like Cher wore.
Mom was a great cook, too. We had a "big" dinner every night. Steak with handcut fries, stuffed pork roasts, and her pasta & sauce were heavenly. That was usually saved for a Sunday, when a really big dinner was planned. Every Sunday night however, we kids actually looked forward to a light meal..soup & sandwich and Lassie on TV.
After we all grew up & moved out, she had plenty of time to cook and she would cook as if we all still lived home and pop up at our houses with all kinds of great food. Some of the best Christmas presents from her were baskets filled with cookies & cakes and all kinds of jellies and breads. Delicious. And always there was a little something tucked in there especially for me. A pin or a little antique something that she knew I would like. To this day, when we are at a family gathering, my brother -in -law J will just up & say " I miss Evelyn. Boy, she could cook" My son T has made it a mission to make sauce , just like Nana's. It is never the  same, I don't think any of us will ever get it exactly right, but sometimes we get it close. There was just something, she had " the knack".
Growing up, our house was always impeccably clean and very stylish. I can remember lovely furniture, mostly early amercian style growing up. Then when we moved to a bigger city, into a more modern house, we all came home to find a pink nubbly curved sofa and orange crushed velvet chair with lovely oriental rug. WOW !!
Her hair color also changed on a whim. My mom was a natural light blond. She had very fine hair and mostly kept it short and would pin curl it up with bobby pins and then brush it out. So the style mostly stayed the same..the color was another matter. She went from platinum to black one day while we were at school. Oops !!Next day she went back to the hairdresser and they tried to strip out the black and she ended up with red hair for a few months. Very adventurous and I must say it has rubbed off on most of us girls. I seriously would think nothing of going lavender tomorrow.
My mom also gave us some great laughs in our adult years and it never fails when we all get together, someone will end up using one of her funny words. She called Zinfandel wine-"zymphony" wine. She always served it in a "caraf-a". She always said "pa-sketti" for spaghetti and when my sister B got married , she thought the priest was a hunk. So she sidles up to me & my sister R and says.."did you know that he is married and has kids?? I thought priests had to be "cele-brate" " So it never fails that when we hear the song "Celebration" at a wedding, we always start laughing uncontrollably and think of mom and the priest.
Sadly, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996 and died a year later. Not a day goes by that I don't think of her.
A mother's job is tough, the toughest.
So today, I honor my mom and all the great & funny things about her. She was taken away from us way too soon. But, every time I smell my sister B's pasta sauce, I catch a glimpse or every once in a while my sister R will turn her head a certain way and there she is.... and always, she will be in my heart.

STUFFED !!

Spring cleaning. This year I am doing more than cleaning, I am cleaning out. Seriously, there are times I look around my cozy little place and realize that I don't have room for another thing. But, I find yet another thing that I absolutely love and I end up fitting it in somehow. I have a little plaque on my fridge with a quote from George Carlin.."Home is where we keep our stuff, while we are out getting more stuff."..Alas, I am a collector, but I am not a hoarder. Believe me, I have seen those hoarder shows and realized (with relief) that I am not that bad. Not saving butter containers yet. Although, at one point I had way too many paper bags saved! So, I have been "going through my stuff". Now, I do expect this to take quite a while because some of this stuff I haven't seen in years. I really have some great stuff. The decision to keep or pass it on is not an easy one. I have read & re-read the book by the guy who had that program on HGTV, Clean Sweep. He explains in his book that we attach a huge emotional value to our stuff and that is the reason we keep things. He mentions that most of the stuff that is stored in rented storage containers, that people continue to pay rent on month after month, is very rarely taken back out of storage. Most stored stuff is never again visited by it's owners. I can sympathize. When I downsized after my divorce, I had like 75 totes of stuff in my new basement. (I got rid of about 150 totes of stuff when I moved to the new place). I had two or three yard sales after I moved into the new place, and when I went down into my last week, I was back up to having 75 totes of stuff again. How did this happen? I ahve vowed to cleanout the basement once again. This time I have enlisted the help of some friends who will help me get beyond the emotional attachment to my stuff. Or so I hope.
Last night I was looking at a mirror that I have on my bedroom mantle, it was my mom's. It is nothing that I particularly like, I would like it more if it was in a frame, I guess. The frame was very cheap and fell off about 5 years ago. It is just a large, very sharp edged mirror , with a Japanese geisha engraved on it. I have hung onto it all these years because it was my mom's, for basically no other reason. I asked about getting it framed at a local craft store and they said it would be about 150.00, so back it went on the mantle unframed. It is my emotional attachement to it that keeps it there on the mantle. I have to let go of the thought that somehow that mirror is my mom. In reality , it is a mirror that hung in my mom's house. If she was still alive, there is a chance that maybe she would have tired of it and sent it packing anyway. Now, I have to be brave enough to let it go.
And it is surprising, when I packed up two bags of stuff for Goodwill two weeks ago and got it right out the door, it felt good. When I went through my desk last weekend and cleaned out a lot of old paperwork, it felt good. This weekend, I am "going through stuff" in the kitchen. I probably have 25 kitchen gadgets that I haven't used in years. I know I have a bag of cookie cutters that haven't been pushed into cookie dough for 10 years anyway. My grandchildren & my niece make cookies, I bet they could use them . They can cut out forms in play dough with them, too. Way better than sitting in a draw in my kitchen for the next ten years and I knwo I will feel good about it .
So, here's to Spring Cleaning-Out! I am really having fun with it this year. Peace.

You gotta have friends........

Where would I be without all my great friends? I would very well be up the creek with no paddles..up the creek with no water, too. "They" say people who have plenty of friends live longer and happier lives. I have no trouble falling for that bit of info. I chat on the phone with at least two or three friends a day and make plans with friends at least a couple of times a week.
I haven't always had so many people in my life. There was a time when I felt alone and thought I had no where to turn. Those were very scary days. As life started to rebound for me, about 10-12 years ago, I started gathering these precious gems that I call friends. And I must mention that not all my friends are gal-pals. I actually have a bunch of great guy friends in my life that I do treasure. Mostly, they are husbands of my pals but still if I needed help, they would be there for me. The real test of friendship. I  have a couple of ex-boyfriends who now fall into the "just friends" category. A real testament to my picking "good" ones now.
They are all soooo different from each other, personality-wise, a  very eclectic bunch. BUT they also have a lot in common: like being supportive, sharing big laughs, caring when times are tough, gently critiquing a new haircut or new jeans, sharing desserts at dinner, having shoulders to cry on, helping out with a home project, helping to pack boxes for a big move......all the wonderful things you believe a friend would be.
So today's blog is meant to be a SHOUT OUT to all my friends. I am not naming names, you know who you are . I would not be able to make it in this life without you.
 I must mention here, too, that I have four great sisters and a brother who I include in this bunch of friends. Could not imagine life without them, love them all very much.
So, today for me is Appreciate a Friend Day. I hope I never forget to appreciate them everyday. Peace.