Why Does It Seem Like I’m Always Sick?

I know it’s been since June that I was last under the weather, but it feels like yesterday.  A yesterday full of sore throats, congested heads, and general blech.

Tip Of The Day:  You know what you need when you’re sick?  Besides medication, fluids, trash magazines and chocolate?  Lots of makeup – to make you at least look pretty, even if you feel heinous.  I’ll share my fall makeup finds for under $10 with you, but not my nasty germs.  Promise.

Tip For The Weekend:  If you live in the TC, there are only 3 weekends left to attend the Renaissance Festival in Shakopee.  Tickets are not cheap ($20 a head), but the entertainment is free, at least.  And can you really put a price tag on looking at grown men in tights, up close and personal?  I think not.

Further Elucidation Of My Cheap Deal:  Yesterday morning, before the crud I caught dragged me down, I filmed my first appearance on The Morning Buzz on Fox 9.  And for those of you who wondered:

a.  No, I didn’t swear on air.

b.  Yes, my hands were shaking a bit, and not from the pot of coffee I drank.

c.  And yes, everyone was as kind and encouraging as could be.  Thank you Alix, Jason and Keith – plus all the other awesome people I’ve gotten to work with at the F-O-X – for making yesterday such a fantastic experience.

If you missed that first segment, never fear.  I still love you, and more importantly, I’m posting all the vital frugal information here.  However, if you miss next week’s segment (Thursday the 24th at 9:30 am), you may be out of the will.

Fall Makeup Must Haves and Top Tips:

1.  The big trend is dark, strongly-colored colors on eyes, lips and nails.  If you’ve never tried this look before, and are worried you won’t like it, start small.  By a single pot of dark color and mix it in with the shadows you already own.  I recommend Cover Girl’s single shadows for $3.39, or Mary Kay’s 28 shades for $6.50 each.

2.  You can try the trends for less with discount drugstore brands.  Wet N Wild and New York Color have all the hottest eye colors, for under $3 a pop.  Or, order online at eyeslipsface.com, where almost every product it only $1.  Do a big order with your friends, and save on shipping, too.

3.  Too nervous to try the hot new colors on your face?  How about your nails?  Pick up a purple, gold or bronze nail color, and be subtly trendy.  Wet N Wild and New York Color will run you about $2 a bottle.  Plus, their bottles are smaller, so you might actually use the entire container before it dries up.

4.  If you want to go whole hog and do the look right – dark, rich color on your eyes that really stands out – you’ll need a shadow with high pigmentation.  Your best bet is a shadow formulated for women of color.  Two great drugstore brands to try are L’Oreal HIP and Milani.  Their eye shadows are under $10, but give you the same intensity as more expensive brands like Urban Decay.

5.  Rocking the smoky, jewel-colored eye?  Then keep the rest of your look toned down.  You want to emphasize one feature, not all three.  However, toned down doesn’t mean nude.  You still need a hint of color on your cheeks and lips to balance out the strong eye.  I love tinted lip balm to give you flushed but natural-looking lips.  Burt’s Bees is fine, but I adore Mary Kay’s tinted balm in Natural for just $13.  Sure, it’s over $10, but it is sooooo worth the extra $3.

6.  The 80’s are back, apparently, and so are contoured cheeks.  If you want to try this look, seek professional help – in other words, ask a makeup artist to show you how.  Do NOT try it on your own, lest ye end up looking like a reject from Dynasty.

7.  Finally, do what you want to do.  The only real ‘rule’ for fall is to wear more polished makeup than you do in the summer.  Put away the glosses and tinted moisturizers and bust out your real makeup.  And remember, a little lipstick makes everyone look better.

Question for the ages – what makeup trend are you excited to try this fall?