Don't Lose Faith In Me, Guys!

I'm currently working on a review of the Patricia Wexler, MD products that I bought at Bath & Body Works a few weeks ago. (concisely, they suck. but more on that.)
And I bought a Lumene Cooling Eye Stick at CVS yesterday, because spring makes my eyes so incredibly puffy. I'm not loving that either, Mary Kay has a cooling depuffing eye gel that works a lot better and I don't think it costs twenty bucks, either.

I had a discussion with my friend Heather at work yesterday about why I haven't posted here: it takes a lot longer than writing the blom mog. With SAHMGQI I can sit down and whip something off in anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes. I can usually get my family to leave me alone for that long (but not always).

And right now this thrilling explanation of my slothfulness is being interrupted by a little girl who wants to go pick flowers! Oh well, gather ye irises while ye may, the pollen is a-flyin'.

My Name Is...Mud

I had a chance to visit the Terressentials website briefly this morning before work (ah, beloved internet access, how I miss your sweet url at work!) I was positively charmed by the prices and by what they had to say, particularly that when I wash the hair mud down the drain, it isn't befouling our water supply. Along with a shower filter, this is definitely one for the Easter basket! They recommended Fragrance Free hair mud for straight hair so I will try that. Also, how excited are my kids going to be about smearing mud in their hair? I can only imagine! Lord knows they love to dig in it, WASHING with it might entice them to mominate me for Mother Of The Year!

Beauty Books

I'm reading a new beauty book--I love beauty books. My habit began young, back in the eighties I started with such potent fare as Color Me Beautiful (I admit, I still own a copy!) and Morgan Fairchild's SuperLooks (an eBay find as alas, my copy was lost long ago). The latest shot in the arm for my beauty reading addiction is The Truth About Beauty by Kat James, this was originally published in 2002 and her last update was in 2007, that is the issue I am reading. I saw this online in a beauty blog, unfortunately I don't remember whose, but I requested it from my local library (gotta conserve dinero somewhere so I can afford shoes!). I haven't been able to just sit down and read it, more like snatching bits and pieces here and there, but I did take special notice of her section on hair and the washing thereof. She recommends a shower filter as new research and studies are showing that chorine has some nasty affects on our insides and outsides--Allie just bought one and has been pleased with what it's doing for her hair and makeup, I think I am going to ask my mom to put one in my Easter basket. Kat also recommends nonstripping cleansers and conditioners for the hair, such as Clarifying Shampoo by Avalon Organic Botanicals and nonfoaming hair cleansers like Wen Conditioning Cleanser by Chaz Dean at www.chazdeanstudio.com that's for dry hair, for oily hair, clay-based hair washes by Terressentials and Logona. am off to their website to check out details and prices!

DermaDoctor, Hail To Thee

I visited my local Sephora last Sunday to purchase a foundation primer (to wear instead of foundation but give my face a more polished look--which it desperately needs--than powder alone). I went to their website and did a search for primers before I left, as the gold standard according to the internet seems to be Smashbox facial primer, but my favorite styleblogger Allie has used it and doesn't think it makes much of a difference, but she is a fan of Napoleon primer. And, last but CERTAINLY not least, I was on a budget. On their site, I found Clinique Super City Block with SPF 40 for 16.50. At the store, a really nice girl named SaraBeth helped me find that and also gave me samples of 3 DermaDoctor products, a cleanser called Ain't Misbehavin' Medicated AHA/BHA Acne Cleanser, a clear serum for my hormonal oiliness, Ain´t Misbehavin´ Intensive Medicated Blackhead Treatment, and a cream for my rosacea, Calm, Cool & Corrected 2N1 Rosacea Tx. I've used up all three samples and frankly, if I could afford it, I'd be back at Sephora RIGHT NOW buyingthe full size versions of ALL THREE, but particularly the cleanser. I really felt that my skin was softer and more exfoliated using these top-shelf products, and I do plan to purchase them--so far none of the three have shown up on eBay at a more affordable price, but I still have the search saved and eBay emails me when new DermaDoctor products are listed.
With the heat and humidity of summer right around the corner, I think DD may be the solution to my skin, which can easily grease up a blotting paper every hour on the hour during the hot months.

Breaking the Sephora Fast

My Reluctant Paparazzo

Showing his joy at being on the other side of the lens

I went to the mall yesterday with my daughter, we had so much fun! She will be five in late May, and has already developed my obsessive love for shoes and lipgloss.

I wore a maxidress from Old Navy's spring 2007 line, she wore a denim Old Navy miniskirt and a tshirt that proclaimed her to be "Mommy's Little Sidekick."

I saw this dress on the Old Navy website, it sold out quickly but I picked it up later on eBay. The Victoria's Secret website has several different styles of maxidresses this spring, I'd like to get another. They are so comfortable. I wore flipflops, so did Bookey.

I have a convertible bra from Lane Bryant, my breasts really need the support but between me and the DH, neither of us could figure out how to convert it so I just went without.

At Sephora, I bought Clinique's Super City Block with SPF 40. Review and pictures tomorrow!

How Often Should You Wash Your Hair?

Lately I've read, online and in magazines, advice about NOT washing your hair every day. Apparently this is very drying for your hair and leads to a lack of luster as you age--the lady that sits across from work is in her fifties and her hair certainly subscribes to this theory (I haven't asked her how often she washes it, but I believe that it is daily). As someone with an extremely oily scalp, I get dandruff if I go too long without washing, so I was skeptical about going a day or two between shampoos. On the other hand, the idea appealed to me. One of my goals in life is shiny hair, and if all the products I have in my bathroom to create such ACTUALLY WORKED, you would be able to see my hair reflected in satellite photographs taken of Earth. Unfortunately these companies' advertising agencies appear to be much more effective than their lab scientists who formulate the stuff, thus my continual search for glossiness (and no that Clairol Natural Shine stuff was a bust for me too). SO. I started to experiment with not washing. At first I did get my usual dandruff, and rather than starting back on my regular washing regime to regulate the flakes, I picked up some Head & Shoulders at Walmart. Lo and behold, one application and I didn't have to worry about wearing black shirts and sweaters. Now I regularly go 2-3 days between shampoos and boy howdy has that freed up a LOT of time for me. I am one of those shave everything, fall into meditative reverie, and use a minimum of eighteen different products until the hot water runs out kind of gals so deleting every day hair washing has totally worked for me.

perhaps not so much TODAY, when my locks could best be described as LANK, but boy has my hair gotten a LOT softer over the past 2-3 weeks as I've been playing around with this concept. Considering how much dinero I've shelled out over the years (particularly before I cut my hair, back when it was down to my butt) in conditioner, it's great being able to just wash. My natural hair oils, brushed through my hair on a daily basis, are doing a better job of softening and conditioning my hair than any product or salon service I've ever shelled out for.