Something's Gotta Give

Yesterday and today, I was out shopping and doing some errands.  The weather was especially hot and humid, even though it's only the middle of May.  So I had on a t-shirt and capris (yesterday) and a t-shirt and shorts (today).

I walked past a mirror (yesterday) and a store window (today), and it stopped me in my tracks!  Both times, I looked like a street person, or someone who had been ill for a long time.  Granted, on neither day did I go out of my way to get fixed up, but I figured I looked OK.

Now I don't spend an inordinate amount of time obsessing over my appearance, but these two things just really rattled me.  I expect to look awful if I've been exercising, gardening, or if I am in fact recovering from some illness.  But not when I am just walking around.

Recently, I have been reading the book The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, by Marie Kondo.  I have found it both amusing and interesting, and have been slowly working my way through things applying the principles in the book (our house isn't big enough, and I don't get enough stretches of long time to pull out everything in every room each time, as she suggests).  I've made real progress, which feels good, but I also now realize that it's not just my closet, or the kitchen cabinets, or places here that need to be tidied up - it's me as well!

So it's time to make a plan, and try to get my person in order.  I know it will make me feel better, and give me more energy.  I've been making a concerted effort to find something positive in each day, and maybe this little push is just what I needed.

I'm giving myself a few days to think about the what/when/how of getting myself "tidied up" because I would like to do this in a systematic way.

It can't hurt, and it might help - right?

(Not me, of course, but I do wear hats in the summer ...)

*image borrowed from here

Product Review - My Face Is Happier Than Ever

I don't know about you, but at this time of year, and then as it gets even warmer, I am a sweaty mess.  I don't "glow," or "perspire" - I SWEAT.   And it means that putting anything on my face that is lotion-y or creamy is a) a mess, and b) a waste of time, since it seems to sweat right off.

So when I saw commercials and ads in magazines for this product, I decided it was worth a try.

And I am now in love.  

To paraphrase Stefon, of "Saturday Night Live" fame, this product has everything:  a light feel, a cool feel, virtually no scent, hyaluronic acid, and you only need a small amount to cover your face (and your neck if you get a little carried away).  

Seriously, this is exactly what you need if you are like me.  Though it is a gel, it's a very light gel, liquidy but not runny.  It feels invisible on your skin, and application is a breeze.  But most of all, it immediately sinks in to your skin and your face feels cooler.  As I mentioned above, it has the slightest of scents and does not in any way sting or feel like it is shrinking your skin - you know, like products with alcohol content can do.

Of course, since it contains hyaluronic acid, it is good for anti-aging, but also means that you need a good sunscreen if you are using it in the daytime.  But whether you put sunscreen or foundation or powder - or even all three - on top, you never feel like you are adding a layer.

Also, since it is a Neutrogena product, you can find it in your local drug store.  I got mine on sale at our local CVS, for under $20.00.  I have a feeling it's gonna last me a nice long time, since you need the tiniest amount for full face coverage.  So there is a better than usual chance that this will do well on the BMST.

This gel has not caused any extra redness, breakouts, or other problems with my sensitive, rosacea-ed skin.  I really feel like this might be one of the best things that Neutrogena has come up with - or that anyone has, for that matter!

My face and I are both happy.

In Which I Make An Amazing Discovery

And not just amazing, but a discovery about myself!

A couple of nights ago, I went into the bathroom to wash my face before putting on my pajamas.  I looked in the mirror, and realized that I do look different.  In that, I look older.  This is because - well, I am older!  But though I look in the mirror a bazillion times in any given week, this was the first time in a long time I really thought about what I saw or whose face it was.  I won't lie, I was a little surprised.

I still have rosacea.  It's under control pretty well, thanks to my amazing dermatologist and effort on my part.

I still have freckles, though they are not as noticeable as they used to be.

I have creases on my forehead, and between my eyes at the top of my nose.  Partly I'm sure due to aging, but also because I do have a tendency to frown or furrow my brow when I'm thinking hard or trying to figure something out.  Or when I'm annoyed (read: frequently!).

My skin is in really good shape.  This was not always the case.  Between the rosacea, sunburns as a child, and teenage acne, my skin used to be in pretty sad shape.  But now, it's actually healthy-looking, if not perfect.  I'll take it.

My eyebrows are thinning.  They were never that full or dark, anyway.

I have some crows' feet, and some undereye bags, and some plain old wrinkles.  Not terrible, but there nonetheless.

But you know what the most amazing discovery was?  I realized that it was all OK with me.  I think because my skin is in better shape now than it ever was, any flaws or signs that I am no longer a kid are just not a big deal.  Yes, I use face and eye products that I feel give me the best result for what I am paying, but except for sunscreen, I could give them up if I had to.  And I wear makeup, both because I think it's fun and because it evens out my skin tone, but I don't wear a lot of makeup - and there are days when, if I'm just hanging out at home, or not really going anywhere, I don't bother with makeup at all.

I'm OK with my face, and with the signs of age that you can see on it.  I think I look good, and not haggard and worn (though some days I feel that way).  I cannot imagine a scenario where I would get something like Botox, or get any kind of surgery.  Mostly because I am not that worried about it, and prefer not to have someone putting needles or anything that cuts in, on, or near my face.

I'm getting older.  I look like I'm getting older.  It really truly is OK with me, because I still look like myself to me.  This was an unexpected and comforting discovery.  But definitely a good one.

Face Time

It's gotten to the time of year where everyone thinks of spring cleaning, and lightening up their wardrobes and makeup routines.  Since that is all a form of organizing your life, I'm completely for these activities, as being organized - or at least attempting to be - is one of my favorite things to do/be.

One of the things I have wanted to do is find a new foundation.  I have ones that I know I like, but I also like trying new ones (new to me, not new to existence).  When the weather gets warmer, I am even pickier, since I sweat (not perspire, not glow - SWEAT) big-time, and it frustrates me to put on a foundation that almost immediately melts off.  I've had some luck finding ones that stay on, but am always looking for the best one.  As with everything, I want it to do what I want, the way I want it.  Completely reasonable, right?

So yesterday, I walked over to Sephora, because it was a nice day, and they have so many choices.  This was largely because so far, I've had no luck with the foundations I've tried from the drugstore, so I figured I'd see what the possibilities are for a little bit more money.  Since I had some of my extra money from Rosie's, I was willing to splurge a little bit.  Sephora has this thing where they take photos of three different places on your face, and the computer spits out recommendations.

The person helping me asked a lot of questions about my routine, what kind of coverage I wanted, etc. and then led me to this one:

According to the Sephora person, and the description of this product, it is water-based, and stays on longer even if you sweat.  Since Sephora has an excellent returns policy, I figured it's worth a try.  This will be the first time I've tried anything from Make Up For Ever, but I know that for a lot of people, this brand is the best.  This particular product has excellent reviews for my age group on Makeup Alley, so I figure it might be worthwhile to use it more than just one or two times before deciding what I think.  It sounds as if it has a slightly different consistency, which takes some practice to get what you want for your own look.

I have promised myself to try it for at least an entire week before deciding what I think - particularly since it has such favorable reviews.  (A lot of times after once or twice, if something isn't PERFECT, I give up and return it, or just stop using it.  Not reasonable, but I'm gonna try to change that, starting with this one.)

The other nice thing is that, even if I don't like this and decide to return it, I have the results of the scan with the other suggestions of things to try.  That in and of itself might be worth having.

I'll keep you posted.  In the meantime, if you have suggestions - as long as they are not overly expensive - let me know.  I've had many favorites over the years, both inexpensive and somewhat pricier, and inevitably once I find something I really like, they change the formula or discontinue the product.

We'll see.  ;-)

Random Beauty and Fashion

I keep coming across random beauty and fashion things - shows, articles where I don't expect to see them, and products that seem just plain weird, though I know they are popular.

We don't have cable.  Yes, we are quite possibly the only people on the planet without it, but such is life.  But our local networks have other high-definition secondary channels with additional programming.  Recently I came across two TV shows that I never knew existed.  One is Mirror Mirror, on something called the LiveWell Network (who knew such a think existed?), which - based upon viewing 1 1/2 episodes, seems pleasant enough, and somewhat approachable.  There are several segments, each about 8-10 minutes, so it is snippets of information.

Then there is Anna & Kristina's Beauty Call, which - based upon viewing approximately 20 minutes of one episode - appears to be two women who try to help others with specific issues like finding the right thing to wear for their shape and size.  It also seems OK, though the partial episode I saw also included a "fashionista" who seemed like a PITA.

Weird.  I guess if I was someone who paid closer attention, I might know these shows existed, or have a clue who the people were.  But to come across them sandwiched on channels that have other unknown shows shouldn't really surprise me I guess.

Then earlier today, I was reading an article online (of course now I don't remember where I found it) about Richard III's reburial, and the writer briefly commented on the topic of eye makeup.  Maybe I missed something?

Finally, I don't understand Wen Hair Care.  I mean, I do understand that it is a group of products that are supposed to give you lovely hair, without being a regular shampoo, but frankly, seeing the guy who is the founder would not inspire me, hair-wise.  Though I give him props for making people want to to use his products when, as far as I'm concerned, his hair is less than impressive ...

It amuses me to come across things like this on a random basis.  Of course, I have not delved deeply into any of them to have an educated opinion, but they all came to my attention just in this past week.  Which seems completely random.

Does this kind of thing ever happen to you?

Birthday

Yesterday was my birthday - YAY!  Unlike most people, I love to celebrate my birthday.  Because no matter how you slice it, having a birthday is better than the alternative, right???

Though this year, it's hard for me to realize that it will be the last year I am in my fifties.  That just seems incredibly weird to me.

I had a truly lovely birthday, and received wonderful gifts.  I even received a gift that I was planning to review for you - so no time better than the present, right?

And here you are - Sephora brand Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover.  I received a large bottle of this from the kitties and Dug.  :-)

Now, I have never been a big fan of products that were specifically touted as eye makeup removers.  The ones I have tried have been too greasy, too ineffective, too expensive, too likely to get in my eyes and sting ... well, you get the picture. And for a long time, I just tried using whatever I used to wash my face to get rid of eye makeup - and would not buy waterproof eye makeup, since it wouldn't come off.

Then I read about an eyeliner I wanted to try (that's another review altogether), so when I bought it, I also bought a small bottle of this to try.

This stuff works!  And it works without having any of the negative qualities listed above.  It's very gentle, very effective, and not expensive at all.  I was actually planning to buy it again, and get a bigger size.  But The Tim said that every time he reached for his deodorant, he would see the one I already had, and noticed it was getting to the point of being empty, so I "must use it."  So he decided that it would be a good gift from the pets.

I would say that even if it is not your birthday, you should give this a try.  It has worked really well for me, and I was going to replace it myself, never thinking it would be done as a birthday gift.

(For the record, The Tim is not necessarily a "noticer" where beauty products are concerned, so this was a *real* surprise!)

The Results of Being a Slug

... even for a few months.  Ugh.

As you may recall, I was completely out of commission for a few months after my kidney surgery.  Towards the end of November, my surgeon said I could go back to some low-impact, low-key exercise.  Well, the holidays were coming, and I decided to wait and start again in January.

But then January came, and it was cold, icy, icky, and I changed my mind.  And that all followed me into February.  Towards the end of last month, I decided that I was NOT going to continue my slug-like existence, in March, because a) it was not helping anything, b) exercising helps in so many ways other than just keeping me fit, and c) I was beginning to gain more weight than I should have on my person.

I signed myself up for a barre class at my gym on this past Sunday morning.  I wanted to try it at Pure Barre Philadelphia, but they were filled up for Sunday classes, and I did not want to wait and give myself any excuses.

The good news?  I followed through, showed up for the class, and did the best I could, notwithstanding my overall poor physical shape and endurance, and the fact that I am an exercise spaz.  The bad news?  The instructor was determined to "really work you guys to EXHAUSTION, and not be easy!", and as of today, I am still in a lot of discomfort.  Mostly it's my legs, since I used muscles that I have not used in a long time - or maybe even ever at all!  But I also have some back and shoulder pain and stiffness.  It's definitely easing up, but wow.

As a result, I have decided that  I will change a few things.  First of all, I'll work a bit at home, and a little bit at the gym on working up to more exercise.  I'll do my Pilates and other PT-related workouts to get back into basic level shape.  And then, if I decide to try a barre class again, I'll actually go to Pure Barre to try it.  My reasoning is that maybe since that is all they do, they do it better, and would be more attentive to my limitations.  Who knows?  But I figure it's worth a try.

In the meantime, Tylenol and I have gotten really close ...