Goddess Granny is henceforth naming this Summer 2012 as the "Summer I sat on my hands a lot!" I gave up my artificial acrylic nails a few weeks ago and let me tell you,it's been an eye-opening experience! I've worn the fakes for years on and off because my own nails simply aren't one of my more outstanding features but after hearing "So sorry" one too many times as the hastily-applied drill was burning my nails, nipping into my tender cuticles, and having the general feeling of nastiness no matter which salon I visited,I figured it might be time to try just ONE more time to grow a set of chic, short, healthy nails on my own…no small feat! 

At first, my nails were literally jello-like: soft, uneven, and just plain unattractive.I tried to fake it with lots of filing and topical treatments, polish looked too amateur when I tried to apply on my own so kept them as light and clean and non-obvious as possible! THEN I got the bright idea (and many have great luck with the process and results!) of getting the new "gel polish" applied when I was in San Francisco and yes, they looked "better" for a couple of weeks until I had to remove the color: OMG…after soaking my hands in pure acetone and filing and buffing, my nails were yet again BURNING, swollen and red! Not thinking that pure-acetone for any length of time is my BFF? The UV light also caused me more burning and itching and I was left with hands than not only had regressed to the initial pathetic state but that also felt horrible…

I decided then and there that I would dedicate the entire Summer to the health of my hard-working nails and hands: I protect them with sunblock, treat kindly with creams, and am happy that my hands haven't yet let me down in the war against aging but my nails needed a break from all the chemicals and drilling, the harsh formulas of some polishes and that devil acetone for sure! I resigned myself to nightly warm olive-oil soaks and gentle chamois buffing and figured it was my punishment for falling prey to the lure of nail salons for so long!

Browsing "Country Living" magazine one afternoon in hopes of a paint inspiration for my guest room, I noticed a little article about "Scotch Naturals": in 2009, stay at home Mom, Ginny Cardenas' two young daughters loved to "dress up" like we all do but when Ginny actually noticed the ingredients of even "play" nail polish, she was appalled at the toxins and chemicals her sweet little girls were painting on their fingers so she designed a line of nail color for KIDS names "Hopscotch Kids" and using her MBA skills, was able to develop and market this niche-product with amazing results to many high-end kid's stores! She realized many adults were also impressed with her water-based, totally non-toxic shades and were buying them for themselves so her "Scotch Naturals" line of AMAZING natural nail colors and treatments was born! 

An eco-friendly alternative to traditional nail color, Scotch Naturals is TOTALLY with the usual "3-free" ingredients but they're also without ethyl acetate,butyl acetate,have metals, they are gluten-free and vegan and contain no ACETONE and are TRULY non-toxic! What drew me in was the formula, which rivals the highest-end salon quality shades in 34 of the most stunning, original, outrageously-chic, and gorgeous colors I've even seen offered in a nail color! Everything about this nail color is elegant: the bottles are perfect, the brush is flawless, and again, the colors and formula are brilliant and make me WANT to take care of my tender nails in the best possible way by wearing only these shades! Application and removal is simple: buffing your nails with a drop of oil prior to application and taking a bit of time soak in warm water prior to removing without any irritation! 

Where did May go? Seriously Goddess Granny here feeling like I blinked and it's now almost Memorial Day! I guess it's been a "good Spring" but it honestly feels like it's all becoming one big blurry-balll that is rolling at a rapid pace and I'm trying to run behind it in my stilettos! Everyone I know seems to be feeling the same way as well as the stress and I'm not sure when it all even got this way but I'm trying to roll along with it as long as I can…traveling a lot which is always hard because "they" have made it that way and not eating in my zone or getting in my workouts also tends to ruffle my feathers a bit.

I keep saying I'm going to "downsize" and AM trying but the more I want to do, the more "stuff" it seems to require. Every class or hobby or self-entertainment project I indulge in "needs" something to insure I'm properly outfitted and prepared to make it happen! I have a drawer for yoga-wear, a drawer for burlesque-ensembles (my alter-ego hobby) a drawer for dance and sporty fitness wear, and a closet that I like to think has what I need at this point to keep me dressed in style for most situations and climates! Add my overflowing vanity and various drawers of cosmetics and products, my hair and nail accessories, the pile of bling real and faux on my dresser that is my finishing touch and I'm STILL underwater when it comes to my "stuff…" Something has to give.

I have, however finally discovered a product that has yet to let me down: I can be exhausted, over-heated, or stressed to the max and this luscious liquid transforms my face into a glowing, smooth, canvas in minutes: Koh Gen Do "Aqua Foundation" is my new right-hand product and it's truly one that's worth a million! For 25 years, this company has produced an incredibly pure and ridiculously effective line of GORGEOUS products that until now,were only available to "insiders" of the movie-biz or those in the inner circles of beauty! Founded 25 years ago by Ai Saotone,an actress who needed to preserve and protect her own stressed and overworked sensitive skin, the Koh Gen Do brand has been the darling of THE finest makeup artists in the world for years! Recently the line has expanded and made available to all and we can also now share in the secret that's been behind the most notable and beautiful faces in over 200 films! Using herbal medicinal treatments and leaving out any fragrance or harsh ingredients, this HD foundation manages to provide THE most amazing skin-finish even though it's 45% water! 

Is there anything that's really "simple" anymore? Goddess Granny truly is beginning to believe that the "older" I get, the less I know! Most things have become more complicated and time-consuming as well as more prone to drama than I would have ever believed! Now I am not saying I would be ready or able to give up things that make my life basically livable. I will say that fewer choices and things that work for me have become my goal: think of it as editing it all down to what matters, what is possible, and what you enjoy and then amplify and dream big from there! One perfect designer or custom-tailored dress works well because you KNOW you'll look and feel amazing in a pinch every time you put it on…then you might consider adding another in a different color and so on until you have created the closet (and if you're lucky!) and life-style of one's dreams! No more throw-away clothing you end up spending more on that fits you terribly and there is much to be said for "keeping it simple" but it's NOT always that easy to do! 

I have a long way to go but what I'm not doing anymore is adhering to my notion that "more expensive must be better" because lately I've noticed that prices are soaring while quality and content are diminishing! I'll tell on myself and admit that recently I spent a ton of cash on an extremely "exclusive" skin care line: the packaging was glass and elegant, the products were extremely pure and "endorsed/used" by a woman who is basically flawless, and because my skin fights me daily, I wanted to see if a line of this renowned quality would truly make a difference. It did not.

Lovely to use, I felt fancy applying, but other than a bit of reduction in dryness, my skin really didn't achieve that gilded-glow I had hoped for! 

I am continuing to sample skin care products that are "pure": if you know me "natural" isn't a notion I hold onto to for the most part. Some things can be improved upon in many cases but pure in the sense that chemicals and nasty ingredients are not involved or minimized and that what's inside contains ingredients that will WORK even if they're not expensive! Since 1960 (even I was young then!) "Simple Skincare" has reigned as the UK's "number one" line of skincare products and was designed to care for even THE most sensitive skins without any ingredients known to cause adverse reactions of any kind! No perfumes, no colorants, no chemicals fillers,no fancy packaging…just simple products that cleanse and care for skin and that women love to use and can afford! 

Goddess Granny on the fly yet again has found a little something something to share that is REALLY a cool little product because If you make me wait too long in the checkout line and if there are are cute little bottles and items especially if they are unique in shape and color,I will pile them into my basket and you product-designers KNOW this! This was on a "shop and grab" run to Ulta and I found gold among the glitter! 

I adore red lipstick but hate to see it being worn on lips that need some solid moisture and maybe a bit of TLC before it's applied because then it juts isn't pretty: you need a bit of prep to insure that your lips are plum and pillowy and THEN your knock em' dead red will get the looks of lust! Some lip balms are too waxy and others too sticky and it's hard to create a "base" for glam lips that adds to the effect and doesn't cause it to slide off or end up on your teeth! I hate that so when I picked up this sassy little I don't really know what you'd call it shaped hybrid tube with a rollerball of MAGIC lip fixit,I was ridiculously pleased…

OWN is a unique little company with a very straightforward philosophy: natural, effective, efficient and affordable: what's not to like about that? I love their packaging and intend to order up some of their products I haven't seen in retail locations yet because their "Nighttime Lip Therapy" is absolutely AMAZING!!! I just love this funky little deep-blue tube/rollerball that allows the product to seep and ooze perfectly onto every little corner of your lips when you glide it on at night,it feels smooth with a bit of a sugary taste and scent that goes away quickly but what remains is the most incredible moisture-barrier and wake me up beautiful plump lips ever! 

It rejuvenates, it rehydrates, it feels sexy and luscious, and it WORKS: I wake up with a pouty-plump pair of lips ready to smooch or to paint to perfection! It's a luxurious mix of oils and shea-butter that will have you using it a lot more often than at night,so feel free to indulge because it's not pricey so you can apply with glee! I have paid a ton of money for products that insured lush lips but can honestly say that when you apply this as directed at night you get incomparable results with no fuss or muss! This is a truly fantastic little item and I suggest it to anyone,whether you love lipstick or not because you'll be able to feel and see the difference the first morning after you try it! 

PLEASE tell me this has happened to you too? Goddess Granny is on the go these days and in an effort to get out the door on time and it isn't always easy or pretty! Have you ever pulled yourself together and put on your makeup,done your hair,threw on clothes and accessories and then after tossing your purse and phone into the car got half way down the road and glanced in the rear-view ONLY to notice you look dead? Not a foundation faux-pas although that can happen and i'm often guilty of not applying enough blush but no…you have literally forgotten your mascara,the single beauty- item that promises to pop open your eyes even if you haven't yet gulped down your morning beverage of choice?

This has happened to me twice lately, a sure sign I need to slow it down? Sometimes I do have a sample sized mascara in my bag if TSA hasn't made me toss it but last week I was doomed as I even forgot my favorite little "Hello Kitty" purse cosmetic bag altogether! No gloss, no liner, and certainly no mascara! This was NOT going to be a good day and it was early in the am so I immediately started thinking of "what might be open" on the 50 mile drive from my ranch into civilization…not much,I was probably going to have to stumble through Walmart in my 5" heels and LBD looking all the world like I was doing "the walk of shame" and trust me, you do NOT want heads turning in the Walmart closest to the direction I live in unless you want to be followed to your vehicle and propositioned! Doomed I tell you…

I pulled into Starbucks thinking at least a latte might improve my mood and saw a sweet girl balancing her beverage as she unlocked the door to the "Sally Beauty" next door: was I in luck? Were the makeup goddesses hearing my silent pleas for help? YES!!! I explained to her quickly that I was in dire need of "something to swipe on my lashes" as I was en route to a meeting that mattered and she truly came through for me and handed me a bright red tube, decorated and flashy in a cool box and said,"You're going to LOVE this!!!" I liked the packaging and handed her a $10.00 bill to pay for the product and another $5.00 for a "refill on her coffee and thanks for helping me out pre-store hours" and off I ran! 

This was a day to remember: the  product my makeup-angel handed me was "Femme Couture XXL Mascara" and let me tell you,product-snob that I can be sometimes,this is a WOW of a mascara! We all know "Sally Beauty" since 1964 as the "largest retailer of beauty supplies in the world!" and if you don't,you're missing out! You can find amazing products for every part of you from head to toe including "that" organic "Olive Oil Spray" for ethnic-hair that smells amazing and that SO many stylists use to make their client's legs GLOW in photos! (Organics Africa's Best Olive Oil Shine) as well as every shade of nail and hair color and just some of the best brands for "do it yourself spa" pampering ever! I go in there with my "Rewards Card" and come out with a huge bag of fun for $25.00 when I feel the need to splurge on the cheap! 

Back to my life-saver mascara: the first thing you notice about this product (besides the very flashy tube which I love!) is the brush: it's like NO other I've seen, sort of like a "smooched mascara wand", sort of flat in the middle but with substantial bristles and size: when you apply the mascara,you quickly discover that the genius is in the "flattened part" as it REALLY lets you get that  mascara on FAST and evenly! Then you just swipe the brush though and are amazed at the VOLUME and DEPTH of your lashes! Seriously this mascara rivals my much-loved HG "Diorshow" mascara at a substantially lower price! It doesn't flake or smear and comes off easily when you're ready to remove (I use Cetaphil) and I cannot rave enough about how GREAT this "Femme Couture XXL Monster Lash" really is,you get BIG lashes fast and it's "application in the rear-view" approved by me (don't' do this if you can help it, LOL!) 

I am here to admit that when it comes to certain things, I am a snob: Goddess Granny couldn't care less about the label on my jeans anymore because I've actually found less expensive brands that make my butt look better and my huge tub of "Queen Helene Cocoa Butter Creme" makes my skin so nice that someone actually told me I "had a glow" recently and it's very inexpensive at any drugstore! I care about things like quality food, plush towels that you can cuddle into and most recently lingerie that makes me feel extraordinary regardless of what's on top! (Obsessed with anything Marleis Dekkers creates and swear to replace every item in my drawer with her pretties! )I'd rather wear a bit of bling a favorite gal-pal gifts to me than pricey jewelry without meaning and I'd rather enjoy a good movie at home with popcorn than to fight touchy-feely hands in an overdressed and overpriced crowded club for sure!

Little things seem to make me the most content lately and I have decided that what I wear on my nails "matters": I am not a small girl and built like a Barbie on steroids so my clothes tend to be simple and mostly neutral in color therefore I add my own touch with color on my nails and I never fail to receive compliments: nothing is "off limits" when it comes to toes and I'm not a fan of "nail art" (although I admire it on others!) and my fingertips are usually painted with a shade that makes me "seasonally" happy! I have three favorite brands and all are in my opinion, the "best of the bunch" because I have tried SO many and keep coming back to and paying a bit more for these: Deborah Lippmann, Rescue Beauty Lounge and Butter London. All three endlessly satisfy me with new and unique to the market shades and all three have NONE of the nasty chemicals like formaldehyde or toluene! The formulas are rich and some are even resin-based which add to the wearability and I love all three brands equally depending on which color I'm feeling at mani/pedi time!

Since 2005, UK based "Butter London" has translated current and very high fashion runway trends into shades of nail lacquer that are not only cutting edge but actually designed to compliment and become a part of a great outfit or look! Their "fashionable friends" like Betsey Johnson, Victoria Beckham,and Rachel Zoe among many others rely on Butter London to translate their designs into TRUE fashionable shades so that Butter London's clients actually do get to experience their sensational fashion-sense in a small but important way!

Their lacquer's are "3-free" of chemicals and their unique "waterless formulas" (now available as well!) were created for backstage high performance use where water isn't an option when it comes to quick spruce-up of a model's nails! Details "matter" people and I believe that even if you're in a white t-shirt,jeans,and flip-flops that if your nails are flawless and colored in a gorgeous shade, you've also nailed what being "well presented" is all about!

I am in love…no…I'm over the MOON about one of the newest Spring/Summer Butter London shades named (and I giggle every time I say it!) "Trout Pout!" If you don't get the cultural reference,that's okay: it's slang used to describe women who've OBVIOUSLY had WAY too much "filler" injected into their lips, usually the upper one as many derma-docs are afraid to line the lower as well and the result is…..a "trout pout!" Some of the names Butter London uses to describe their nail lacquers are so entertaining and even a bit cheeky at times and I love when a brand can laugh at itself,when you're this good you can! "Trout Pout" is a creamy, opaque, like NOTHING ELSE OUT THERE rather 60-70's retro shade of cantaloupe-pink that is SO pretty and feminine on it's breathtaking! It's got this old-school Playmate kind of vibe and I cannot tell you how many compliments I've had since I put it on last week,men love it and women want to know what it is! The ultimate girly- shade for Spring 2012 in my book and I'm not changing it any time soon!

Goddess Granny is out the door en route to cool temps and warm hearts but I snagged a little something last week I simply cannot leave without sharing with y'all because they're amazing!  If you don't know who Kate Moss is, I seriously would be surprised as she's been one of THE most influential style and beauty icons of the past decade and beyond because of her quirky glamour and indisputable sensuality. The girl can make anything she wears or sells look HOT and that has been a seriously bankable asset to her! She is a bit of a bad girl in a good way and I'm a huge fan so when I heard that yet another mass-market brand of distinction, the UK based line "Rimmel" teamed up with their "face." Joined together to create some of THE most gorgeous and in my opinion BEST lipstick shades currently on the shelves, I of course, scrambled down to see what all the fuss was about…

These are NOT the typical greasy, smells like butter out at the picnic, non-performing lipsticks that line many shelves at the drugstore and supermarket: these are so close to the "couture" brands in both presentation and formula that I was shocked! A beautifully designed and hefty matte and shiny black tube embellished with Kate's own signature in red houses the five GORGEOUS shades worthy of her name designed by Miz Moss herself! The scent is divine and chic, not unlike "that" high-end designer lipstick brand that hovers at the $30.00 price point and the shades are fabulous! I was able to snatch the last #1 and #12 from the display, and the #1 has been on the lips and blogs of MANY top makeup artists lately because it's "that red…" you know,the one that EVERYONE looks perfect in???

The formula is designated as a "lasting finish" but these slip on with no dryness or pull and TONS of pigmented intensity! If I didn't have the drugstore bag on my vanity I seriously would have not been able to tell these from MUCH higher priced lipsticks and the lasting creamy- color-payoff was simply perfection! I will go as far as to say that #12, a pinky-coral-red may just be THE most PERFECT shade of red ever on a redhead! You know the one that Christina Hendricks wears to gala events and they say it's some name brand. When I go to find it, it looks nothing like the photo in the tube! It's probably a hybrid created by a color genius with a brush and like 17 tubes of color swiped on her lips?

Have a safe ride home Whitney.

Hate this time of the year: post Holidays, pre anything exciting and weird weather/people that seem to be affecting us all! Goddess Granny likes to know what the day ahead holds in store although I do consider myself flexible, I'm just really ready for fresh and fun to begin right about now! It's too early to pop on a flowered sundress and too late for lace up wooly-boots so I guess I'll have to be content with changing up my nail and lip color in hopes of entertaining myself and inducing a little bit of wow for now!

I also hate all these "Flash Air Fare/Cruise Sale" emails that almost force me to click on them in hopes that this MAY be the one time I actually nail one of the two available "lowest price ever!" deals they announce: nothing like a change of scenery to pull you through the dull-times and one of these days I'll be the girl who nailed that all-inclusive for $49.99 a night! Although I embrace the pasty most of the time, I can honestly say that my poor complexion could SO use a bit of dare I say "warmth and evening out" because it seems like the effects of central-heat have me scrambling to make pretty in the am lately with lots to hide...

Do you know there are groups dedicated to "finding beauty in the disrepair and decrepitude" that defines the term "Urban Decay?" Well we here at Megsmakeup.com already KNOW where the beauty lies and it's in every single incredible product they create! Y'all already know they are one of my favorites and that I embarrass my friends when we go to Sephora because I go on and go about the liners, the shadows, the pencils and ALL of the darn products on the shelf! Not sure there is much more I personally can own BUT leave it to this iconic brand to come out with JUST the thing to pull us through until warmer breezes and pink cheeks again prevail: their new "24/7 Concealer Pencils" yet again owned me from "Hello Beautiful!"

Available in an unheard of range of 8 shades, these chubby little handfuls of amazing "eat your heart out Crayola" pencils glide on like all of their sisters in the "24/7" range of products with precision and smoothly-perfect coverage and set to a flawless matte finish that lasts like no other! No more pots and brushes, dabbers and tubes, fingers and sponges: you simply uncap your choice of "24/7 Concealer" and dot, draw, highlight or conceal wherever and however, blend effortlessly and there you are! You already know the formula is vegan and pure because i's Urban Decay and I just LOVE The fact that it's portable and airplane-friendly and fabulous! You could actually get by just using this on a good day and if you use a shade lighter to highlight and a shade darker to contour? You might well be on your way to impressive!

"A woman who doesn't wear perfume has no future…" Coco Chanel and Goddess Granny who also believes that a woman simply must stand for AND smell like "something" at all times! There are a lot of things I will go without and/or sacrifice but even when I'm at my very worst, usually in the middle of a bout with the flu or totally ticked off but even then,a spritz of an amazing scent revives, restores, and re-creates the "me" who I need to believe is always at her best even when I'm not!

There is something about scent that creates amazing sensory imagery and that has SUCH powers to invoke and excite: I can't think of anyone who doesn't have a certain scent they associate with a person, place, times in their lives, or memory: it's what defines those we love most and that we avoid when heartache hits!

I adore perfume: My first “real” perfume was presented to me by my Mom on the occasion of my first “grown up dance” in a cellophane wrapped pink and gold cameo- embossed box that held a small spray vial of the heady floral, “White Shoulders”by Evyan which was and remains HER favorite scent! Money was tight but I knew she intended this unexpected gift to signal the arrival of things to come and hoped that they might all be “sweet.” I don’t remember if I actually loved the scent myself but I do remember my first spritz and how it made me feel.This scent remains very associative for me and I still sniff shabby bottles of it which can be found on discount store shelves, cast aside for newer, more modern scents by the next generation...

I could not remain faithful to a scent for most of my “formative years” and preferred to dab and dose with whatever seemed appropriate for the day or event! I went though most of the “classics” in record time and when I worked in fine department stores, I was allowed to sample whatever was taking the fragrance world by storm at the time! Estee Lauder’s “Youth Dew” (1953 as a bath oil/fragrance) remains one of my most memorable scents ever because it literally lasted for hours on me AND on my dates, my first "naughty girl" non-squeeky clean scent…

In 1992, while visiting Hong Kong, I stumbled upon the fragrance launch in progress near my hotel that would define me for years to come: “Angel” by Thierry Mugler. It literally smelled like heaven on me with notes of chocolate, vanilla and fruits and I wore this scent, which at the time had not yet even launched in the US for almost 15 years at a rather staggering price-point for the time. It was MINE and all who knew me knew my scent, men swooned, women begged for the name! Then as with most things that begin as original and amazing, it became mainstream and a bit diluted by overexposure so day that I caught a whiff as one of the few women in the world I truly dislike walked by, I knew my crystal blue-star bottle needed to be buried deep, never to be worn by me again  I do still admire it on others however for their impeccable taste alone!

I mourned the loss of this reliable friend and today, I continue my scent journey with perhaps less abandon but with a renewed sense of wonder! There are SO many incredible scents to choose from but my taste still drifts towards the also-rans, the divas in fancy bottles, and the ones that few either dare to wear or cannot readily find...I scour, I read reviews, I beg far-traveling friends to “bring me back a bottle” of this or that but recently and for now, I have again settled on a scent that once worn, knocked me to my knees, the incredible “Tubereuse Criminelle” by Serge Lutens. Until VERY recently, this deadly female, show stopping creation of one of the most sensational perfumer’s in the world was ONLY available in Paris! It was not to be exported to us mere mortals outside of the hallowed Palais Royal until one of my very favorite vendors, “Luckyscent” brought it to the US. It immediately sold out while I was fumbling to get my credit card out of my wallet! I snagged it on the first re-stock and everything whispered about and even hated by some was true: this is a floral like NO other and I have been complimented, cursed, or accused of seduction every day I’ve worn it since it arrived at my gate!