Real Girl Resolves To...

Happy New Year!
Pretty New Year!
Healthy New Year!

Now let me break it down for you.

I am not a girl of will-power. Have I confessed this to you before? During this last year of drawing attention to all my flaws? Because, yeah, I’m not one for New Year’s Resolutions. If you’ve been with me a while, you might remember how I kept it real last year by talking about all the brilliant self-improving tasks I was going to COMPLETELY FORGO.

And all the scrumptious, shiny, glossy, sparkly, satiny, luscious products I was going to COMPLETELY GO FOR.

I am such a star at making resolutions….

A year later, I am smarter about this whole beauty shebang. I’ve been edumacating myself these past many months. And let’s hope we all benefit from it!

This is my favorite Real Girl Beauty post. My absolute fave one to do. I’m all tingly about it in my tummy, as if it’s a new boy I’m going on a first date with. Oh, and he’s really cute and knows about manscaping. Here’s the time when I tell you EVERYTHING I WANT TO TRY THIS YEAR. And when you BRILLIANTLY tell me what you’ve already tried on the list (and how it produces) AND also what products YOU are currently DYING to try. OR what products you think I need to try. Clearly this post requires MANY MANY CAPITAL LETTERS.

(I’m adding an additional feature here based on timeliness. Real Girl has a very BIG, TRAUMATIC birthday coming up VERY SOON. To make her feel better about it, she’s adding special stars to products that her friends and family should feel perfectly free to—and yet perfectly unobligated to—buy her for her BIG BIRTHDAY coming next month dear God help me please.)

Wheeee!

Skin Care
General and Night Creams
*Clinique Repairwear Deep Wrinkle Concentrate for Face and Eye
*Patricia Wexler MD MMPi Skin Regenerating Serum
*DDF C3 Plus Serum (Vitamin C and Peptides! Oh My!)
*Skinceuticals C E Ferulic (I star this only for the millionaire long lost relative I don’t yet know I have.)
*Eau Thermale Avene Retrinal Cream
*Green Cream High-Potency Retinol Level 6
Elizabeth Arden Prevage (Idebenone is supposed to be the new most powerful antioxidant, but ain’t nothing powerful enough for me to shell out $150. Still, I’d love to sample!)
Dermalogica Daily Resurfacer
*H2O Plus Sea Results Overnight Perfecting Peel
*Peter Thomas Roth Max Anti-Shine Mattifying Gel
L'Oreal Dermo-Expertise Transformance Skin Perfecting Solution
*Kinara Lactic Acid Hydrating Serum
Replenix Serum

SPF Sunscreens/Moisturizers
*Patricia Wexler MD Oil-Free Hydrator SPF 30
DDF Matte Finish Photo-Age Protection SPF 15 or SPF 30 (Non-oily, with antioxidants!)
Propoline Suncare SPF 30
June Jacobs SPF 20 Sun Stick (It’s purse-sized for touch-ups, and that’s just cute)
Dr.Hauschka Sunscreen Cream SPF 20
*Clarins UV Plus SPF 40 (With white tea! Whee!)
*DDF Organic Sunblock, SPF 30
*Neostrata Exuviance Essential Multi-Defense Day Fluid SPF 15

Eye Creams/Treatments
Neutrogena Healthy Defense Daily Eye Cream, Light Tint
*Lancome Renergie Microlift Eye Cream
Nivea Visage Multiple Results Eye Cream
Shiseido Future Solution Eye and Lip Contour Cream
Apivita Express Eye Zone Mask with Ginkgo Biloba
Olay Total Effects Eye Transforming Cream
L'Oreal Dermo-Expertise Wrinkle De-Crease Eye
Earth Therapeutics Rejuvenal-C Orange Eye Pads

Body/Nail Stuff
*Stila Petal Infusions Retexturizing Scrub
*Lush Volcano Foot Mask
Sephora Whipped Body Delights (in Marshmallow Fluff)
Crabtree & Evelyn La Source Nail & Cuticle Therapy
Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover
Bliss Foot Patrol
*Laura Mercier Luxury Soap in Crème Brulee (I have smelled this soap, and it is soap heaven.)

Makeup
Mascara!
*Lancome L'Extreme Instant Extensions Lengthening Mascara
Maybelline New York Lash Discovery Mascara
L’Oreal Voluminous Volume Building Mascara
Prescriptives Beyond Long Maximum Length Mascara
Fresh Supernova Mascara
Estee Lauder Lash XL Mascara
Max Factor Lash Perfection Mascara
Givenchy Eye Fly Lash Extender Mascara
Maybelline Illegal Lengths Mascara
L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara

Lippy Lip Lips
Avon Shine Supreme Lip Color
Dior Addict Lip Fluid
MAC Pro Longwear Lustre Lipcolour (Supposedly one of the best long-wear lip colors)
Smashbox Tinted Treatment Lipstick
Goldie Lip Gloss in Brownie
Lorac Gloss Stick in Sheer Berry

Concealer
MAC Studio Finish SPF 35 Concealer
Benefit Lyin’ Eyes Concealer
Neutrogena Skin Soothing Undereye Corrector
Giorgio Armani High Precision Retouch Concealer
Dermablend Smooth Indulgence Concealer
Laura Mercier Undercover Concealer
Lancome Photogenic Skin Illuminating Concealer SPF 15

Eyes
Sally Hansen Professional Kohl Liner
MAC Eye Kohl in Teddy or Costa Riche
Stila Smudge Pots
Christian Breton Eye Shadow in Night Club (For bright colors.)
Estee Lauder Artist’s Eye Pencil in Opalescence
Clinique Kohl Shaper For Eyes (With a sharpener built into the cap!)
Elizabeth Arden Color Intrigue in Bronze
MAC Eye Shadow

Foundation/Tinted Moisturizer
Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer SPF 20
Clarins True Comfort Foundation SPF 15
Estee Lauder Individualist Natural Finish Makeup (Foundation)
Prescriptives Flawless Skin Foundation
Nars Oil-Free Foundation

Bronzer, Highlighter, and Powder
Dr. Hauschka Translucent Bronze Concentrate
Stila Sun Highlighter in Shade 2
Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Highlighter
Clarins Sunshine Powder Compact
Lancome Star Bronzer
Cover Girl Cheekers Bronzer in Golden Tan
T. LeClerc Loose Facial Powder
Neutrogena Healthy Skin Blends Natural Radiance Bronzer, Sunkissed 3

Nails
Essie 3-Way Glaze
Nars Nail Polish in Boccacio
Sally Hansen Nailgrowth Miracle
Essie Nail Polish in Mademoiselle
*Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat
Orly Top 2 Bottom

Tools
*Stila #13 One Step Eye Liner Brush
Talika Heated Eyelash Curler
Sephora Makeup Eraser Pen (For those localized boo-boos.)

Hair Care
Which I don’t feel like sorting into categories
L’Oreal Technique Heat Control Moisture Protect Serum
*Jonathan Product Creat Volume Thickening Foam
*Bumble & Bumble Grooming Creme
*Bumble & Bumble Creme de Coco Conditioner
*Bumble & Bumble Thickening Spray
*Bumble and bumble Curl Conscious Curl Crème
Bumble & Bumble Curl Conscious Fine To Medium Hair Conditioner
Matrix Biolage Fortifying Conditioner
*Samy Curls Define & Extend Cream
*Kiehl’s Climate-Proof Shine-Enhancing Non-Aerosol Spray
Aveda Control Paste
*Kerastase Radiance Enhancing Milk
Kerastase Expanseur Extra-Corps Thickening Spray
Redken Straight 05 Balm
Ojon Conditioning Shine Serum
Revlon RV440C 1200W Ionic Hot Air Brush Kit
Graham Webb Stick Straight (To tame frizz)
Dove Smooth & Soft Anti Frizz Cream
John Frieda Sheer Blonde Spun Gold
*Aveda Be Curly Curl Enhancing Lotion
Aveda Brilliant Emollient Finishing Gloss
Aveda Phomollient (For volume)
*Philip B Detangling Finishing Rinse
L’oreal Vive Smooth-Intense Masque
Joico Silk Result Sheer Gloss
Sunscience Renew Shine Serum
Tigi Bedhead Cocky Thickening Paste
Lush Rehab for Hair
Physique Frizz Control Curl Cream
Phytospecific Intense Nutrition Mask
Infusium 23 Leave-In Conditioner, Complete Healthy Body Treatment
Redken Body Full Plump Treat
Finesse BeautiFULL Volume Conditioner
ISO Bouncy Crème
Tigi Catwalk Camera Ready Shiner & Defrizzer
Tresemme Anti-Frizz Secret
Prive Shine Serum
Charles Worthington Amazing Volume Finishing Cream
Frederic Fekkai Wave Creating Spray
Halo Illuminating Color Protection Shine Therapy
*Aveda Volumizing Tonic
Rene Furterer Fioravanti Clarify & Shine Rinse
Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum

I resolve, here and now, to try as many of these products as my body, pocketbook, and moxie will let me. In the words of a certain lovestruck cowboy, Beauty Products, “I wish I knew how to quit yew.”

Except I So. Totally. Do not.

Make me proud! What have you tried? What are you dying for that I haven’t listed? What are you dying for me to try? Share all your favorite products and let us know which ones are crap on a stick!

This is the closest thing RGB has to a de-lurking day, so raise your voices and let me know I’m your,

Real Girl
xx

P.S. Today, The Muse sent me a lovely email with yummy product recommendations that I was going to include in my list, but honestly? If I have to look up one more link this week I might pass out. So hopefully she’ll comment and share her fabu recommendations with us! As hopefully you dolls out there will too.