Friday, August 28, 2009

Glamping Day Three: The Hike

    As mentioned, I don't like outside. I like inside. Where there is air conditioning, snacks, my dogs and television. However, my super active brother- and sister-in-law joined us and wanted to "see the Park". I understand this as a reasonable thing to do, but I had yet to make good use of the screening room in the lower level of our swanky house.

    Resolved to being outdoors all day, I needed to up my SPF game. I am in the middle of fading some serious melasma (brown splotches from sun damage) on my face and I try to stay out of the sun as much as possible. The products I am using to erase my sun damage are finally working, so I don't want to risk a thing.


    I was told we would be hiking up a portion of a mountain, to a waterfall and then back down. The beauty of this is (sadly) lost on me, but I used it as an opportunity to seriously test out some products. My products would have to withstand the sun, sweat and brow wiping for an extended period of time.

    Here is what was on tap for my hike:

    Jan Marini AntiOxidant SPF 30
    Tarte Smooth Operator SPF 20 Tinted Moisturizer
    Tarte Eco Cheek Natural Cheek Stain
    Tarte Four Day Stay Lash Tint
    Tarte 24/7 Lip SPF
    Frederic Fekkai Marine Summer Hair Zero Humidity Frizz Control

    Halfway up the hill, we found this sign, which made us laugh at my mother-in-law, who was panicking and constantly asking us to practically walk on the side of the mountain trail that wasn't the edge.


    I was laughing so hard at Abz, I accidentally snorted in a fly, only half of which came out of my mouth. Hilarity ensued. Also, it was gross.



    We finally reached the small area where the waterfall was located. It was pretty. I don't know about the rest of the country, but in Baltimore, we have railings everywhere to make sure we don't fall off of things. On this park trail, at the waterfall, there were only faded signs asking us to step back. One woman fell three times, on slippery rocks where there was falling water. As klutzy as I am, I took this as my clue to go back down the mountain.



    So how did my products fare after hours of sweating in the great outdoors?Jan Marini AntiOxidant Face Protectant kept me looking positively pale. I love this stuff! Plus, it never felt thick or looked white-ish, which is a huge plus in my book. And it's waterproof and sweatproof to boot!


    Tarte Smooth Operator Tinted Moisturizer assisted in my SPF goals and truly made my skin look radiant and glowing. I love how fresh my skin looks with this and it held up pretty well, despite the fact it isn't waterproof or sweatproof.

    Tarte Eco Cheek Natural Cheek Stain gave me that perfect Evangeline Lily creamy cheek flush I was hoping for. This color is gorgeous, dries down nicely and lasts and lasts. Plus, it is a build-able color, so you are in control of how soft or bright your cheek color can be. It has a nice sheen that isn't too much, but isn't too subtle. Perfect!
    Tarte Four Day Stay Lash Stain didn't run or flake. My lashes were not crunchy and didn't look like I was trying too hard, which is a good thing when you are in the wilderness, even if you are glamping.Tarte 24/7 Lip was lovely as ever, its bright color a nice change from my usual no-color lip protection.


    Frederic Fekkai Marine Summer Hair Zero Humidity Frizz Control is a complicated product. I spent a lot of time researching a product that used a real sunscreen to protect my locks. Apparently, it's illegal for hair products to list an SPF rating for hair products, so I had to do some real research to find a product that had an actual proven (to my satisfaction) SPF ingredient (in this product, it's Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, which is listed as the fourth ingredient). My hair color did not suffer, but I am not sure I can suggest this product wholeheartedly. While it did protect my hair, it also made it crunchy. My hair protectant quest continues.

    Check back tomorrow, for my last day of Glamping, where I met a bear.


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