Product Review - Disappointment

I am a big fan of most of the Trish McEvoy cosmetic and skincare products that I've tried.  I can't use them as much as I might like, because they are out of my price range, but occasionally, I'm willing to splurge.

My latest splurge was on a tube of Lash Curling Mascara.  The sales person at a nearby Nordstrom convinced me that if I liked other Trish products, I would like this one.

As I said, I've really liked any other products from this line that I've tried, but unfortunately this one didn't fit into that category.

The price point was not as high as other high-end mascaras ($31.00), and I've had some good luck with some of those when I've tried them.  But - at least the one that I have - this one is not the kind of mascara I like to use.  From the first time I've used it (a few weeks ago), until yesterday (my most recent use), the brush came out of the tube with way too much product on it - and it was not in any way pumped by me before I pulled it out.  Even when I would wipe it with a tissue, it deposited way too much mascara on my lashes, and was extremely clumpy.  No matter how little I tried to use, I always ended up with too much on my lashes.  And trying to remedy the problem with a lash brush, trying to separate the lashes, made little to no difference.

I cannot recommend this product.  It's really too bad, since the other Trish products are excellent.  But this is the one I won't be trying again.

Giving Thanks

There are only two ways to live your life. 

One is as though nothing is a miracle.  

The other is as though everything is a miracle.

-- Albert Einstein

May you be thankful for all of your miracles today.

Ready Set Go!

I truly love this time of year.  I love the weather (yes, even though it's 27 degrees today), the anticipation, and the fact that - in spite of what everyone on TV and in the media want to tell me about calories - this is the time when some of the best and most special foods are painstakingly prepared, and happily received on the table.

Our season starts slightly earlier, as this past Monday was The Tim's birthday, so there was cake, presents, and a day off work.  Some years, we have barely finished the birthday cake before it's time for pumpkin pie, but this year there was enough time difference to savor one and look forward to the other.

One thing I don't love though, is how people have begun to let the holiday shopping season encroach on Thanksgiving.  Maybe it's because I am  not usually interested in the things that are marked down on sale, or because shopping at any time in a big crowd is not appealing.  One of the reasons  I have always loved Nordstrom's (even though I can seldom afford to buy anything there), is that a) they do not decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving (which if I were in charge would be the law!), and they stay closed on Thanksgiving.  It was bad enough when a lot of the "big box" and/or discount stores started opening in the evening - and now many of them, much earlier - on that day, but this year Macy's has joined in.  So very disappointing.  One of my friends posted this link on Facebook, and I think it's a very thought-provoking piece.

However, I am an expert at ignoring things like this, as well as places that start playing Christmas music or put up decorations way too early, and now - it's Thanksgiving time!  It will be here in just a few days.  I can already smell the stuffing, and the baking pies.  I am already thinking how nice it will be to have a day when the only real expectation is that it will be cozy and relaxing.

Only after Thanksgiving weekend will it be time to gear up for December.  But as far as I'm concerned, it's all good .... REALLY good.  :-)

Sick Sucks

I realized the other day that I haven't done too well with my fitness goals for this year.  I was blaming it on laziness and no motivation (which is part, but not all of it), and then I realized that a lot of what it was, was just that I'd been sick a lot.  Not a cold or sore throat, since a regular run-of-the-mill one of those doesn't necessarily knock me out, but being I'm-staying-in-bed-sick, which often takes longer to recover from than it lasts in the first place.

Last January, I got really sick for several weeks, and for an entire week was not able to get out of bed and get around at all.  Pneumonia.  And then for a month or so afterwards, my doctor wanted me to take it easy, and even if he didn't, it took a really long time for me to get any of my energy back.

My motivation suffers greatly in the summer when it's hot, and so I seldom did anything.  This is the laziness factor, because the heat takes a lot out of me in the first place, and once I get home from work, the idea of doing anything else at all seems draining.

Then this past September into October, I had shingles.  Extremely painful, and the doctor told me to stay as still as possible.  The initial rash/sores/whatever you want to call them went away after a couple of weeks, but I still had a lot of pain for a month or so after, and was advised to take it easy.

As a result, my fitness has suffered, and my endurance is pretty low (not that it was ever that high).  Today I woke up and it was hard to breathe, and as the day went on, I felt worse.  I am hoping that over-the-counter drugs will help nip things in the bud, because the ultimate insult is to be sick at holiday time.

Reason #97766219899 that being sick sucks.  Wish me luck in my attempt to prevail!

The Season of Itch ... And Something That Helps

I don't know about you, but as the weather gets cooler/colder, I become a happy camper.  I'm one of those people who loves it, and does not mind that it gets dark early (it's supposed to!), or that you need to wear more layers, or that you want to cozy up under the covers in bed.

One thing that is a drag though, is that this time of year is when my skin starts to get really dry - not necessarily on my face (that happens, but fortunately I deal with it pretty successfully), but everywhere else.  So dry that it sometimes cracks and bleeds, and at a minimum has that crepe-y, dried out look that you see covering tomatillos at the grocery store.

My dermatologist gives me a prescription for Lac-Hydrin Lotion 12%, which definitely helps, but it is pretty strong stuff, and can't be used everywhere on your person, and is really geared towards use right after you have bathed or showered.  So I was always on the lookout for something else.  I tried many different products, but they either really seemed not to do anything, or they were too greasy, wouldn't absorb, etc.

Then, I read a post on the blog Girls of a Certain Age, where she talked about some of her favorite drugstore products.  She recommended Curel Itch Defense Lotion.

I figured it was worth a try, and at the time, had a $5.00 coupon from my local CVS, so I bought a bottle to try.  And I have to tell you, after a little more than a year of using it, I really like it!  It was pretty reasonably priced (even without the coupon, it was $8.99), it has a pump top (which I like, since you can even use your arm to get some product if your hands are lotion-y), and lasts a long time - both in the bottle and on your skin!

When you first pump some, it looks and feels like it's gonna be one of those thick lotions that either stay on top of your skin all day, or take forever to rub in.  But it goes on smoothly, and your skin drinks it in right away.  For maybe a minute at the most, your skin still feels a little too moist to get dressed, but after about a minute, you just feel soft and your clothes/socks/tights/whatever go on without a problem.

It doesn't leave your hands feeling greasy, or even slippery, which is a bonus as far as I'm concerned.

So if you are looking for something for dry, itchy, wintertime skin, you might want to give this a try.  I have no personal affiliation with the product or the company that makes it, nor do I profit in any way if you try it.  I am just a person who feels like it is a good product, and wanted to let you know.

Have a good weekend!