Last week I had a birthday and while I’m not afraid to say I turned 36, I am beginning to realize that my choices to ignore my skin and hope for the best are probably not going to do me any justice as I get older. A while back I was sitting with my boy and he asked me why I had lines across my forehead like a granny. Having a (then) 4 year old tell me that I needed to do something about my wrinkles was pretty eye-opening, to say the least. I decided it must be time to take care of the skin on my face, but I needed help. I heard about a beauty consultant being available at Walmart to give expert beauty advice so I took my shy and make-up ignorant self over to see what I could find out.
I found Brandi {aka the most amazing beauty consultant ever} near the Olay facial care and beauty items. She was helping several people at once and she seemed so sweet. I instantly felt like this was going to be an easier task than I had previously envisioned. After a short wait, she was free for me to approach and tell her that I needed some serious help.
I have not worn make-up many times in my life. My first real experience with make-up was for my best friend’s wedding in Missouri. I was her maid of honor so I had to look good. She and I went to a department store for one of those fancy schmancy make-up counter consultations. We were told about all the different products that we needed to use before make-up, all the colors and layers of products we needed to wear the make-up and then no less than five steps that we would need to take to remove and clean the make-up. I believe that we each walked away spending over $400. I wore that make-up and completed that routine one time…one…time… I did use a small amount of the make-up at my own wedding a few months later, but I ended up giving the other products to my friend because we had bought much of the same products.
In any case, I didn’t go into that long story with Brandi, but I did tell her that I don’t wear make-up regularly although I’m not completely opposed to the idea. When I wear small amounts of color on my face, I get lots of compliments and I look and feel more alert. I don’t have lots of damage to my face from years of products, but I have wrinkles and worry lines and they are hanging around even when I’m not worrying.
I could tell that she was listening very intently to my concerns, but at the same time, the wheels were turning and she was evaluating just the perfect products for me. I told her about my son’s wrinkle comments and my concerns about the worry lines and (gasp!) my wrinkles around the mouth from smoking (I know, ugh!). I also told her that I have been struggling with a lot of dryness lately. I am taking an appetite suppressant as part of my weight loss routine, as well as increasing the amount of allergy medicines that I take, both of which dry me out even more. We started with a base product that seemed like it was all in one.
Brandi said we should start with Olay CC Cream Total Effects 7 in One – Tone Correcting Moisturizer with Sunscreen. This product is pretty much my dream come true (when it comes to make-up). This cream will provide an overall coverage, similar to what my mom tried to teach me about “base” or “foundation”, along with a moisturizer and sunscreen, as well as fight all of my wrinkles that my boy is so concerned about growing on my forehead. I might just dub this “Make-up for Dummies”.
Total Effects fights 7 signs of aging: Fine lines and wrinkles: Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Uneven Tone: Balances and helps even out tone. Age Spots: Reduces appearance of age spots. Gentle Exfoliation: Improves surface cell turnover. Dryness: Provides nourishing moisturization. Moisture Barrier: Strengthens skin’s natural defense against moisture loss. Luminosity: Recaptures youthful luminosity
She rubbed some of the darker color on my hand for me to see and while it was a shade darker than I would need, I could tell that it had a smooth moisturizer in it. This was step one and I was already happy.
Brandi also talked to me about Olay Regenerist Advanced Anti-Aging Micro-Sculpting Cream Moisturizer. She said I would use this at night or on days when I didn’t wear make-up because let’s be honest, I’m not going to do it every day right away. Unfortunately, the store was out at the moment, but I wasn’t near my home Walmart so I told her that I would definitely pick some up when I made it back home.
Regenerate tired, aging skin with the Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream. The anti-aging cream features a signature amino-peptide complex that firms, smoothes and evens your complexion. The wrinkle-reducing complex reduces the appearance of lines as it hydrates and smoothes. By smoothing and restoring your skin’s elasticity, Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream delivers a firmer and youthful complexion.
Brandi rubbed some of this cream on my other hand and it was so smooth. I actually continued to feel the smoothness several hours later, even after washing my hands several times.
Next, we headed to the CoverGirl aisle for some color. I had to share Brandi a few times off and on with other customers here. I found it fascinating how she could so easily transition from person to person and had some great beauty advice for each one. I may have even witnessed her turn someone away from a competitor lip gloss onto CoverGirl products. This lady fought hard, too, and talked about how she had tried different glosses and lip colors, including CoverGirl, but Brandi pointed her in the direction of a color and gloss that would solve all of her concerns. It was so cool!
Brandi and I talked about eye color and she showed me how she applies her own eye shadow. She pointed out each area that I would apply each shade and talked about why I would want to apply it that way. It turns out that we have similar eye shades so I bought the same colors that she normally buys. Brandi told me about the CoverGirl Outlast Lipcolor which comes with a moisturizing top coat that would help with my dryness. I tend to lick and chew on my lips a little too often when I’m nervous or when I have dry mouth. She said this color would stick with me and I would just reapply the moisturizer from time to time. She mentioned that I wouldn’t even need a mirror because the top coat is clear – very nice!
CoverGirl Outlast Lipcolor is a 2-in-1, long-lasting lipcolor that will last for up to 16 hours. An all-day color coat and a moisturizing top coat are included in this CoverGirl All Day Lipcolor set. This CoverGirl Lipcolor is food-, kiss- and workout-proof for your convenience. Available in over 40 colorful shades, CoverGirl All Day Lipcolor is the smart choice for busy women.
At this point, Brandi looked at me and very gently said that she noticed I had some darkness under and around my eyes. I actually found this quite funny because I am told on a regular basis that I look exhausted and have huge bags under my eyes. Not many people are as gentle as Brandi was when mentioning this. This is why I am in love with Brandi.
She and I talked about concealer and she found a great CoverGirl Olay concealer in my shade. This way, I would have something to cover up the dark circles and even more moisturizer around my eyes. She also pulled out the Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting & Lash Serum Duo. She talked about how it would help with the dryness around my eyes and firm and lift the skin, as well as how it would help my lashes and eyebrows grow and look more full. I have issues with allergies, which is part of the darkness around my eyes, but also causes me to rub my eyes often due itchiness and watery eyes.
Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting & Lash Serum Duo – Smoother lids, softer lines and thicker lashes – With hydra-firming complex – Younger-looking eyes that are brighter and firmer in 1 week
The most amazing thing happened here and it is just too good to not mention. Brandi and I were in the make-up aisle when we were talking about the lash serum duo and I asked her to show it to me over by the Olay products. She stopped me here and gave me a heads up that this product was about the same price as the Olay CC Cream (just over $20) and she wanted me to know before we looked at it. Umm…can you believe that a beauty consultant was worried about me spending more money?! After my last experience of spending over $400 on products I used once, this was a great experience. You can find more pictures of my shopping trip in my #BeautyScoop Google Album.
Check out my haul! I felt renewed and excited about heading home to try all of my new products after having such a great experience with Brandi. I knew that each of these products would be the right products for me and I didn’t walk away feeling like I spent too much or bought something I wouldn’t use. For some of you who wear make-up daily, I know this may not look like a lot, but this was the perfect amount to boost my confidence and make me feel like I could actually do this!
I just can’t say enough about how wonderful Brandi was to me. She even stopped halfway through our consultation and said she would love to see my “after” pictures. I gave her a card to check out my blog and she gave me her personal email address in case I had any further questions. She was so amazing!
This picture is for Brandi. A small peek into my “after” look.
I decided that since I was preparing to start un-aging then the perfect time would be on my special date with my husband for my birthday. He knew I was doing something “different” but he wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I snuck off to our guest bathroom and started putting everything on. I was amazed at how quick and easy it was with Brandi’s advice. I loved how smooth everything made my skin feel and I didn’t feel like I was weighted down or had make-up caked on. I even felt inspired to straighten my hair a little so I looked completely pulled together. (you all just don’t understand…I normally shower, brush, and go)
Hubby was speechless. When I came out with my mini-makeover, dressed and ready to go out on the town, he just stared. I believe the last time he saw me with make-up was over five years ago at our wedding. He continued to stare at me through dinner and the rest of our evening. He said I just looked more awake and beautiful than I have ever been. He always says I’m beautiful, but there just aren’t many times that he stares and can’t keep his eyes off me.
What expert beauty advice would you seek from a beauty consultant at Walmart?
The post Expert Beauty Advice & Special Date Night {for my birthday} first appeared on travel.
