On our first day in Gatlinburg, we discovered that the rivers to go White Water Rafting are dam-controlled and that we could not raft on Thursdays. Determined to find some other kind of outdoorsy thing to do, we opted for the next best thing, Ober Gatlinburg. Ober Gatlinburg is perhaps a German-based "amusement park", best known for its snowflake logo and its tram, which goes to the top of one of the mountains. My sister in-law Abz and I decided to go there because we wanted to Alpine Ski.In order to prepare for the day, I would need serious sunscreen, eyebrows that lasted all day, some light foundation to even out my skin and some kind of lip protection. Considering my average day includes 23 products, NOT INCLUDING SKIN CARE, this is asking for me to leave out quite a few things I consider essential. But back to Ober Gatlinburg.In order to Alpine Ski, our goal in going to Ober Gatlinburg, you have to trek fairly high into the mountains. The first leg involves taking a 15 minute tram ride up one part of a mountain. The tram ride itself was terrifying because it:1. Held too many people.2. We saw a bear, so3. Everyone rushed to one side.
4. It goes so high off of the ground.Once you get to the main section of the park, you then take a ski lift to a higher section of the mountain, in order to dry sled down again. Abz and I considered backing out of this Alpine Ski because it looked like it started at the top of the mountain, which was so high we couldn't really see it. We both realized we were more afraid of heights than we thought. However, we convinced younger sis-in-law, Jojo to go with us. We got in line for the ski lift and then almost chickened out again because:1. The ski lift was an open car.2. It went too fast when it started.3. Your legs dangled a schmillion feet off of the ground.Once we got on the lift, me by myself and Jojo and Abz in their own car, I defaulted to singing L'cha Dodi, a shabbat song. I had hoped my fearless sisters in-law would join me in voice from the next car and calm my nerves. Alas, they just yelled, "Why aren't you waving back?" My eyes were shut as I sang about the bride of shabbat and hoped this leg of the trip would be over.When we finally reached the top, hopping off at our stop, we grabbed our Alpine Ski Sled and waited nervously to go down hill. Since we could control the speed, it felt very safe. Indeed, it was. The 8 year old with one arm in a cast went down in the sled next to mine. I could no longer view this as a "challenge of wills". In fact, it was a semi-slow ride down a concrete channel in the side of a mountain. Oh well.After my terrifying ski lift ride and not so terrifying dry sled down the mountain, how did I look?My eyebrows stayed in place, despite my furrowed brow and constant sweat wiping, thanks to Tarte's EmphasEYES Brow Pencil. The color looks more natural than the powder I was using, and the tiny pencil strokes looked totally natural, especially when I combed them out with the brush on the other end. My brows are very thin at the ends and this beefed them up without looking fake. This held up all day so, considering it's the one thing I will never leave the house without, yeah brows!My Jan Marini Antioxidant Waterproof SPF 30 protected my face from the sun all day, which is ultimately the most important thing you can do to stop aging in its tracks. The formula is really light and non-goopy. It has one of the best sunscreens available to combat UVA and UVB rays, Parasol 1789, and it dried quickly to an oil-free matte finish that worked well with my tinted moisturizer. Plus, it's waterproof and perspiration proof. I am not sure I can go back to using any other sunscreen!The tinted moisturizer I decided to put to the test on this trip was Tarte's Smooth Operator. This tinted moisturizer, provides a 20 SPF (but please don't count on your foundation to protect you!) in a creamy, slightly tinted base. This tinted moisturizer is sheer, but provides a little coverage - I had the Evangeline Lilly radiance I was hoping to achieve. It also stayed on and looked fresh for about 8 hours. Not too shabby for all of that activity.Finally, I turned to Tarte again for their 24/7 Natural Lip Sheer to protect my lips. The color it added was nice and bright and the SPF 15 protection was great. This isn't glossy, so if you are looking for a glossy balm, this isn't for you. If you are looking for a lightly colored balm to help your lips retain moisture while you're outside, then this is your stick. I wore this all day and it had great staying power and superb lip protection.Check back tomorrow for one of the coolest things I have ever done (and can't wait to do again!).Subscribe and never miss a thing! Copyright 2009, Gouldylox Reviews. All rights reserved.
