#357 - No (Beauty) Sleep for the Weary

During the past year, I have tried a few new products to attempt to look less like a sleep-deprived mommy and more like a put-together young lady. Today, I tried Clean & Clear's Morning Burst Shine Control Facial Cleanser. This clear liquid soap has blue and yellow specks ("bursting beads") in it which are supposed to "burst with energy and vitamins" while the smell wakes me up. I didn't get this product to lather very well while I was using it, but after rinsing it off I did notice a tingling sensation on my face that lasted for a few minutes. I did like the fragrance, which had a hint of lemongrass in it. While I didn't notice any diminished shine during the day, at least it wasn't worse than normal (I do have very oily skin). I'll probably try it for the next week or so and see if I notice any other changes before making a final decision on this soap, but so far I like it.

#324 - Make-Up for Novices

I'll admit that we took it easy at our house this morning. So when it got to be time to get ready for our band gig this afternoon, the little guy was right in the mix of things, wanting to know what we were doing. So, I showed TLG all my different kinds of makeup and let him choose which colors I was using all along. He thought it was funny when I dotted on some makeup under my eyes and rubbed it in, and giggled when I "painted" purple eyeshadow and black liner. Once we were all dressed, we hopped in the car and headed out for the gig. TLG sat with Grandpa the entire three-hour gig, and I was so proud of him for being so good.

#314 - Do-It-Yourself

I've never been a girly girl. Over my lifetime, I've never really liked wearing skirts or dresses, I hardly ever vary my hairstyle or makeup choices, and I've worn two perfumes consistently in my entire life. So this morning, I gave myself a real do-it-yourself pedicure. After having two pedicures this summer, I was ready to imitate what they did, except that it is a work day and I had limited time. I let my morning shower substitute for soaking my feet, and I skipped the massage/lotion step altogether. But then after assorted trimming and filing (again, never tried to file my toes - that's tricky!) I was ready to paint. I ran out of time this morning so now that it's evening, I finished the job by adding flower stickers, a gift from a good friend who reads this blog (and knew of my unhappiness with my last professional job). The hardest part of the stickers was making them even on my toes... here's a photo of how I did, but keep in mind that the red lines on my feet are from the cute (but highly uncomfortable) shoes I wore today.

#310 - New Shampoo #2

In the continuing quest of the perfect curly hair:
This morning I tried Garnier Fructis Fortifying Shampoo Curl & Shine. And I have to say... I wasn't all that impressed. I liked the smell since it smelled like apple, but it didn't really do much for my hair. On purpose, I left all the other products I use on my hair the same. It seemed like my hair was stringy and crunchy all day and that's never a good look, so I will have to cut back on everything as I go through this bottle of shampoo.

#283 - Flowers

My sister talked me into getting flowers on my big toes at my pedicure this weekend. This is an indulgence I've never taken - mostly because I've worried they'd wear off too quickly and look yucky on my toes. At least if I have plain color it's not so noticeable when they chip... well, I was half-way right. My left toe continues to look very cute with the red sparkle in the middle of the flower! But my rebel of a right foot, well, the sparkle first moved around, denting the paint, then fell off. It's not noticeable unless you get up close to my feet (and who's going to do that?) but I know it's there. If I ever get flowers again, I'm sticking to no sparkle.

#256 - More Hair Fun

I hate to bore you with more details about my quest to get the perfect curly hair... but today instead of using the mousse I usually use to create curls, I tried a new product: John Frieda Collection Frizz-Ease "Dream Curls" Curl Perfecting Spray. You just spray it on damp hair and scrunch, then let your hair dry naturally (which I do anyways). I followed the directions exactly, and while I thought it looked a little "crunchy" as we were leaving the house this morning, that settled down during the day and for the most part I looked exactly as I always do today. Nobody seemed to notice that my hair was more-or-less curly than usual, so I think when this bottle is gone, I'll probably save my extra $$$ and go back to my normal mousse (which costs about half).

#255 - And I Pity Any Girl Who Isn't Me Today

I wore flowers in my hair to work today. It was nearly 100 degrees in Reno today and I'll admit this morning I didn't feel much like going to work after a wonderful holiday weekend. So this morning, when the little guy picked out a flowered clip from my hair drawer (from my bridal shower, years ago, the one-and-only time I've worn flowers in my hair outside of a costume) and insisted I wear it today, I thought: What the heck? I was amazed at how many compliments I received, not only from co-workers but from perfect strangers in the restaurant at lunch time. I did feel pretty, so maybe I was walking differently than normal, and it was a nice feeling.

#212 - Feng Shui

I've heard of Feng Shui before but never given it any thought for my own life. So today I researched Feng Shui and how it applies to my office and house. Apparently my hubby and I are both "Earth" and should be decorating our home in themes and colors that reflect that. Our house faces the wrong direction for my lucky numbers, so it's too late to change that. But in my office, the computer is in the correct corner to earn lots of money (!) and I do have a tall building outside my window behind me to help me stay strong. Interesting stuff.

#196 - Shampoo Experiment #1

I've used Pantene curly-hair formula shampoo for as long as I can remember. But in an effort to rejuvenate my flat hair and get some life back, I bought some new kinds at the store this morning. I tried Herbal Essences "totally twisted curls & waves shampoo" today. I did feel like I had more curl that I've had in a while, which made me feel better. Since I have to dress up every day for my new job, I want to have nice hair to match! Maybe this one will do the trick? Stay tuned.

#146 - Zits are the Pits

Thanks to a suggestion from my sister, today I bought and tried Neutrogena's On-the-Spot Acne Treatment. We've been under a tiny bit of stress at our house, what with my under-the-weather hubby (flu, sinus infection, ear infection, and odd pain in his side), still-recovering-from-surgery little guy, and me (changing jobs, taking care of everyone)... and for me, stress means acne. There, I admitted it. My sister tried this product while she was visiting last week, and said it worked very well. It's a vanishing cream with benzoyl peroxide, so I hope it doesn't stain my clothes, sheets or towels. I just washed my face and dabbed it on where needed, and will leave it 'till morning to see how it goes. Wish me luck!

#59 - I feel pretty

Dealing with an-almost-two-year-old who definitely acts like an already-two-year-old stressed me out this evening. So tonight I gave myself a mini-facial using a new facial scrub. I bought a tube of St. Ives Apricot Scrub that I've been saving for just such an occasion. The directions said to "Moisten face, apply with wet fingertips and massage into skin for about one minute. Rinse well and pat dry." Well, one minute is much longer than I usually wash my face, so I timed it to make sure I'd follow the directions properly. The scrub smelled good and once my face dried, it was smooth and soft and ready for a little lotion. *aaaah* I feel a little better now.

#30 - Bruised ego

A few days ago, I fell down a bunch of stairs in front of a group of people. On top of being totally embarrassing, I also bruised both my shins pretty badly. So to try to encourage my legs to heal faster, today I did some research on remedies for bruises. Did you know that some people put butter on their bruises, or drink apple cider vinegar to prevent them from turning black-and-blue? I guess they do. My favorite suggestion, though, was that you tie a bullfrog to the bruise - belly-down - in order to ward off the changing colors. Wow, people have some weird "helpful hints!" Since we don't generally have bullfrogs available at our house, I've included my own version of this remedy in the hopes that my legs will feel better soon. Enjoy.

#21 - Hair Creation

Since I was in 6th grade, my hair has been naturally curly. Last weekend I bought a straigtening iron for the first time ever. When my sister asked if I had tried it on Monday, I said "Is it the weekend?" And her answer was, "No, why should it be?" Of course my answer was: "I need time to practice!"

So today I attempted to straighten my hair for the first time. To get the entire make-over effect, in the first photo you'll see my hair as it is dried naturally (and I have no makeup on, just like magazine make-overs do). Photo number 2, well, see for yourself.

#15 - A girly post

Yesterday, the little guy accompanied me to the mall, where I picked up my annual Clinique GWEP (gift-with-every-purchase, pronounced "Gweep" in my family). Today, I got to try two new products: a new foundation and a new circle-under-my-eyes product called an airbrush. Am I supposed to have circles under my eyes at age 29? (Well, I do. And I'm not ashamed to admit it.) The new make-up seemed lighter than my old stuff, and for that I liked it... plus, I felt like it looked pretty good at the end of the day, too. For the sake of keeping you awake, I won't go into all the details. The little guy liked the mall, if only because there's lots of crazy people to watch when you're there. So it was a good trip for both of us.