Finding Forty, Day 104; Wrinkles and Wisdom

For my birthday, the big one I just had in May, my friend R sent me a gift certificate to Sephora.   I love stores like that.

While not a girly girl, I do love to look pretty and I love to play in make up.   Ironically, I'm more apt to not wear anything than to "put on my face" before I leave the house.  I'm a concealer, lip gloss and mascara person, so a store like Sephora with a billion and one choices really throws me into a tizzy.

Having money that I get to spend on frivolous perks is fun, but also overwhelming at once.

Upon entering the website, I'm bombarded with choices.   Do I want make-up?  Hair supplies?   Tools like brushes or gear?    How about a fragrance or something for bath AND body?  Hmm...where does a simpleton begin?

In the past, I think I would have splurged on some exotic sounding make up.   This is very, very tempting.

It's called The Love Set and  comes with blush, lip pencil, and a gloss.  Anything with a blush included called Orgasm has GOT to be good.

Except, I don't need a trio called Love Set.   I lived that all last year and into this one.   I'm done with that.

Being part of "The Love Set" has taken a huge toll on me physically (see last night's post) and my face is really showing it.

Forty year old skin isn't as forgiving as it once was, say, six months ago even.   Apparently the salt from tears really, really wears out a groove under those old eyes and does nothing for crow's feet.   You know, that's cruel.  It would be awesome if I cried tears that included lipid enhancing qualities or Retin-A.

Which leads me to the Skincare section of the store.  Surely here I will find something to change my life or at least change the lines I wear like battle scars around my eyes.

The thing is, it's hard for me to shop because I become so mesmerized with the labels on everything.  What an amazing job it must be to get to come up with fun, fresh names for products.

After careful consideration and an equal mix of random clicking on things I liked, I've narrowed my top choices down to these.  It's going to be hard to choose.

Truth Serum.   Love it!   Wouldn't it be awesome if I could dab a bit on my skin and instantaneously I'd have to tell the truth, no matter how hard it would be?   I mean, I certainly make a stab at it now, but fear holds me back.   Their tag line could be "Remove the lines AND the lies!"

Here is a similar product.   "Express the Truth" is a wrinkle resistance face cream.    I've heard it said that 'the eyes don't lie'.   Maybe with this, the slogan could be transformed to "I don't lie'.   I'm not sure.

I think Philosophy nailed it with this one.   "Help me".   I've been squeezing off this tube for longer than I care to confess.     And on a totally random tangent, this product reminds me of one of my favorite movie scenes.   I'll add it because it definitely brings a smile to my face.

Help me...


These last ones are compelling too.

Okay, actually, this one cracks me up.   "When Hope is Not Enough".   Wow...the story of my life lately, both with my heart and on my face.  Seriously, this one might just be the front runner by default.

And yet the optimist in me can't just pass these by.

I can only imagine that if Lennon and McCartney could do it all over again, the lyrics would read, "All you need is hope, all you need is hope, all you need is hope, hope...Hope is all you need."    They could have further profited from their name with a line of women's beauty products. 

And lastly, we come to this one.

I'm totally digging the "hope will set you free" part, as what I'm craving in so many ways is freedom.  Freedom to be me,  free from the heartbreak and pain, free from all the yuck.   I just am not sure I can buy this set because of the Purity label.   Certainly, there's nothing pure about me anymore.

As you can imagine, shopping with me is exhausting.   Just ask R.   The first time she ever met me, we stopped at a liquor store to buy something and I was overwhelmed.  I'd never really been in one before and I went into sensory overload and almost shut down.

It's how I am with any decision, be it face cream or my next move in life.   At least with the beauty products I can return what I don't like or stop using it if it doesn't work or causes me to break out.   In life, choices aren't always that convenient.

But, much like the present R sent me, I have been given the gift of life, the gift of choice.   I plan to spend wisely.