Winter Blues

by MUA's Cavewoman

Every year around this time, after the holidays are gone, the New Year's Resolutions struggling along, and the decorations stashed in the attic for yet another year, you can see Ohioans trudging around in the cold, bundled up, heads down, with that resigned demeanor that means settling in for our worst two months of the year. January and February are miserable in Ohio. This is when we get our worst weather. And it's been a doozy already. From ice storms so bad that even churches were cancelling services, to dull dark gray overcast depressing days end on end, it's hard to keep the spirits up at this time of the year where we live. Any speck of sunshine is welcomed, and any day that it's not snowing is cheered. We come out of hibernation and run to have some fun.

So, on a sunny Saturday recently, Miss Blogdorf and I took off for Cleveland to hang out with our friends, have lunch, catch up on what's going on with each other, and hit the makeup and fragrance counters of our favorite stores. We went to all the usual places and we all found some goodies, ended up at a new restaurant for a lovely end to the day, and promised to do this again the next time we are all able to meet and the weather permits.

One of the sweetest little discoveries of the day is the little jar of blue in the photo. Magazines all showed this little bit of blue beautifulness in their editorial pages with photos of models being prepped for the Fall runway shows. I wonder if Paula Begoin saw these photos! The jar is none other than the elusive, exclusive-to-Sephora Shiseido Hydro-Powder Eye Shadow in a color called Proenza Schouler Blue, and was created by Shiseido's makeup artist Dick Page especially for their runway show. The Cleveland Gang are all huge fans of Page. He's a genius. I had scoured all of the Sephora stores in New York City in November and December, and never even saw a tester of this color. I think it sold out on their website in a minute. I did not even know what I would do with it, but it had great credentials, that's for sure.


And so, as the Cleveland Gang browsed our small Sephora store, I spotted the jar on the tester rack at the Shiseido display! It was dazzling-bright, pretty, and totally captivating. Of course there were none to be purchased, but at least we were able to play with the tester. Marianne dabbed it on her hand and loved how bright it was. I dabbed too, but then smoothed it out into the prettiest, sheerest hint of blue on my hand. As we all lamented the empty space on the rack behind the Proenza Schouler Blue tester, we went on to another store.


Later that evening, at dinner, we talked about how surprised we were even to find a tester of the shadow, and I commented that I would check the Sephora website later, to see if it were available again. But I didn't have to wait 'til I got home, one of the gang pulled out her iPhone (holy mackerel, that is some fabulous gadget) and checked the Sephora site right there at the table as we munched chips and guacamole. And there it was! In stock! I ordered the minute I got home.

Along with Annie's beautiful blue Zoya manicure, fresh that morning and a total hit with the Gang, I'm in love with these shades right now. They're the perfect antidote to the Ohio Winter Blues. I dug around to show a few more blue things I have in my makeup stash. And so, if you have a little bit of the blues right now too, I present a few goodies to cheer you up.


Shiseido Hydro-Powder Eye Shadow in Proenza Schouler Blue, Sephora By OPI Nail Enamel in Fancy Schmancy, L'Oreal Nail Polish in Blue Laguna (very close in color to Annie's Zoya,) and the Bobbi Brown Midnight Metallics Eye Palette (Platinum, Rockstar, and Midnight.)

As you can see, I haven't tried any of these things yet. But I will, soon, because they make me smile on dark dreary Ohio Winter Blues Days. If you're sitting there in a pretty, warm, sunny climate and you have no concept of what I'm talking about, check the other photo. That's what Ohio looks like these days, at least in my back yard.


We know that Winter won't last forever, and we're used to it this time of year, but a splendid day with good friends, lots of laughs, some tasty food, and a sweet little makeup treat, those go a long way to make the days go just a little bit faster.