26 Best Beauty Products of All Time

The March 2014 issue of Real Simple magazine features 26 beauty products that have stood the test of time. Three hundred experts, including Real Simple readers, editors and industry pros have chosen the winners.

Why? "Because they are wonderful -- and they work."

Take a look at the list and if you have opinions on any of these products, please share them in your comment.

1. Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair
2. Calgon Bubble Bath
3. Q-tips
4. Dove Beauty Bar
5. Vaseline
6. ChapStick
7. Oil of Olay Beauty Fluid
8. Pond's Cold Cream

9.  Aquaphor (healing ointment)
10. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
11. Clinique Facial Soap Bar
12. Biore Strips (blackhead remover)

13. AquaNet (hairspray)
14. Dippity-do (styling gel)
15. Johnson's Baby Shampoo
16. John Frieda Frizz Ease
17. Clairol Professional Shimmer Lights Shampoo
18. Aveda Shampure (shampoo)
19. Herbal Essences Shampoo

20. Coty Airspun Face Powder
21. Chanel No. 5 (perfume)
22. White Diamonds Elizabeth Taylor (perfume)
23. MAC Cosmetics Lip Pencil in Spice
24. Maybelline New York Great Lash Mascara
25. Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage (concealer)
26. Dr. Pepper Lip Smacker (lip gloss)

The items in bold are ones I've used -- many of them, such as Oil of Olay, Herbal Essences Shampoo,Clinique Facial Soap, AquaNet and Dippity-do -- years ago.

Q-tips, Dove Soap, Vaseline, Aveda Shampoo and Chanel No. 5 are the items I currently buy/use.

I wouldn't mind trying the MAC lip pencil and Laura Mercier camouflage.

It's an interesting list; most of the products are quite inexpensive.

I don't subscribe to Real Life but occasionally pick up an issue. They have interesting articles. You can check them out online here.

Do you see anything on the list you like or use? Are you tempted to try any now they are rated so highly by Real Life?

What are some of your favorite magazines? Are you a subscriber or just occasionally purchase a copy?

Just a Few Items Found on Shopping Day

Love going into those discount stores -- warehouse stores, really -- where you find a variety of food and other items at very cheap prices.

I stopped in because I've in the past found Pellagrino mineral water, 6-oz. bottles, for 25 cents each. I didn't find them this time but came out with the following: (Isn't this the way it always goes? You pop into a store expecting to spend a couple of dollars and walk out having spent $30?)

These were the find of the day. Never heard of them, but I'm always up for trying new products. I've now tried these sponges and the best use so far is on soap scum in the shower. They really work, unlike so many other products I've used!

Not an unusual product, per se, but at a good price. Love shortbread and this brand is the best. On food items you just have to check the dates.

Never heard of the Bromley brand of tea but we've tried it and it tastes fine -- as good as the more expensive brands. Twinings Earl Grey is one of my favorites. Sun Leaf Family Size bags for iced tea hasn't been tried yet.

A few canned goods. I love deserts made with this sweetened poppy seed filling.

Again, just good prices on a few of my favorite items. Maille is THE best Dijon mustard.

King Arthur is a good flour but I've never bought white whole wheat. Used it in a quick bread and it works about the same as all-purpose.

Golden Raisins at the grocery stores are more than twice the price I paid. I use tons of golden raisins because I use them in quick breads such as pumpkin and broccoli salad.

A few of these in a tossed salad makes a huge difference. Love the oily, vinegary taste.

Have you found any good bargains lately?

Einstein's Riddle: Can You Solve It?

It is said that solving puzzles keeps our brains exercised and young.

I happen to like puzzles of every variety. This is one I ran across recently and last night I attempted to solve it.

I have to tell you that I could not! I worked on it for about an hour and came close. Perhaps if I'd stayed with it I could have filled in the missing parts. However, I just gave up and decided to share it with you.

If you decide to try, here's a hint: You must chart it out and use the process of elimination to fill in some blanks. I knew this because I have a similar puzzle, not attributed to Einstein, that I have kept many years and I solved that one by charting it out.

If you're curious and want to know the answer, find it here.

If you solve it, congratulations -- you are said to be among two percent of the people who can solve it.

Also, if you Google "Einstein's Riddle," you'll see there are other versions out there.

Good luck!

Credit: themetapicture.com

Don't Put Away Your Winter Coat Just Yet

It's almost March, and I thought surely the worst was over -- that the coldest ever winter was behind us -- and I could safely clean my warmest coat and store it away until next year.

The weather warmed into the 70s over the weekend, and I enjoyed time outdoors.

Found a few daffodils emerging from among the leaves. They are almost two months behind their normal blooming schedule this year.

The goldfish seem to have survived the freezing temperatures unscathed. All 10 fish were spied swimming happily about after a completely frozen over fish pond a few weeks ago. They are fat and active.

Taking advantage of the nice weather yesterday, I potted up five rosemary cuttings I kept in the kitchen window all winter.

And having taken the cuttings last fall was a very good thing, as all my many rosemaries planted in the ground are dead after 5 degree temperatures a few weeks ago. It's a chance one takes -- planting them in the ground in our Zone 7 -- but it's a chance I take. I can count on having to start over again every 10 years or so.

It is now predicted that we'll get a new blast from the Polar Vortex this week, with temperatures dropping into the teens once more. Possibility of snow as well.

So I'll dig out the scarves and mittens once more!

Winter has been a challenge for most of us this year, in one way or another. So we'll just have to look at the bright side of things and enjoy what we can.

For me, that means enjoying the early morning and evening sky, as in this photo from yesterday.

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant."

-  Anne Bradstreet

Enjoy your week! How is YOUR weather?

Lagniappes

Lagniappe

A small gift given to a customer by a merchant at the time of a purchase (such as a 13th doughnut when buying a dozen). More broadly, something obtained gratuitously or by way of good measure. (The word entered English from the Louisiana French adapting a Quechua word brought in to New Orleans by the Spanish creoles. It derived from the South American Spanish phrase la yapa (referring to a free extra item, usually a very cheap one).

This word has not always been a part of my vocabulary. One hears it used primarily around the Gulf Coast in the United States - places such as New Orleans, Mobile and the Florida Panhandle.

But it's a good word. I like the sound of it. And while the definition doesn't strictly fit the contents of my post, I'm using it anyway. Because these are a few small gifts I gave to myself today.

*****

At times, one must be frivolous, even (or especially) in the small things. Like buying a few stems of lilies because they are so beautiful and you need a bit of cheer inside until winter passes.

Such was the case when I saw these gorgeous white lilies. Of course, the added benefit -- and perhaps the main reason for bringing them home in the first place -- is their divine fragrance.

Place a vase of lilies on a table and they'll perfume an entire room. What could be better than drifting off to sleep breathing their intoxicating fragrance? 

And then there's tea. Finding and bringing home a new one you haven't tried before is an experience to be savored. I enjoy rooibos teas very much so getting this one was a no-brainer. The vanilla enhancement makes it swoon-worthy.

Frames. I need to buy several new ones. Finding the perfect one can be a challenge. This one seemed just right.

These gadgets might have been around for awhile, but it was only today I became aware of them. What a novel idea, if you'll pardon the pun!

 Here's how it works:

And I happen to have a picture that fits my new frame perfectly! Our Valentine from Katie!

How do you reward or treat yourself? Chocolates, a new lipstick, book, movie? Oh, there are so many and I'm guilty of most of the ones mentioned. But life is short. Enjoy it!

Big Fish

"Remembering a man's stories makes him immortal" - Edward Bloom

Today's book for discussion at my book club group was Big Fish.

Here is a description from the book cover:

"In his prime, Edward Bloom was an extraordinary man. He could outrun anybody. He never missed a day of school. He saved lives and tamed giants. Animals loved him, people loved him, women loved him. He knew more jokes than any man alive. At least that’s what he told his son, William."

This is not a book I would have chosen to read on my own, and I can't say I thoroughly enjoyed it. But it was interesting and innovative.

It's about a son (William) trying to understand his elusive father (Edward), as the father is dying. Using the few facts he knows, William re-creates Edward’s life in a series of legends and myths, through which he begins to understand his father’s great feats and his great failings. The result is hilarious and wrenching, tender and outrageous.

The book has been made into a movie and is also a Broadway play.

What interesting books have you been reading?

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

Quick, name the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

How many did you remember? (I only got two correct!)

How can it be that something we once knew can be forgotten?

Here's the answer:

The Great Pyramid of GizzaThe only ancient world wonder that still exists.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon
A 16th-century hand-colored engraving by Dutch artist Maarten van Heemskerck with the Tower of Babel in the background

Statue of Zeus at Olympia
A fanciful reconstruction of Phidias' statue of Zeus, in an engraving made by Philippe Galle in 1572, from a drawing by Maarten van Heemskerck

Temple of Artemis
This model of the Temple of Artemis, also known as the Temple of Diana, in Istanbul, Turkey, attempts to recreate the probable appearance of the first temple

Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
Scale model of a reconstruction of the Mausoleum, one of many widely differing versions, in Istanbul.

The Colossus of Rhodes, as depicted in an artist's impression of 1880.

Lighthouse of AlexandriaA three-dimensional reconstruction based on a comprehensive 2006 study.


The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World 
was the first such list to be compiled
 and was based on guidebooks popular among Hellenic sightseers
 and only includes works located 
around the Mediterranean rim.  The number seven was chosen
 because the Greeks believed it represented perfection and plenty.
Many additional lists have been compiled 
from antiquity to the present day, 
to catalog the world's most spectacular
 natural wonders and man-made structures.

Various other lists include landmarks such as Stonehenge (England); Colosseum (Rome); the Catacombs (Egypt); Great Wall of China; Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italy); Taj Mahal (India) and others.

Images and information from Wikipedia

Were you made memorize this list in junior high school? I was, but I suppose it didn't stay with me very well!