Make-up hints

BethNY

Can we say, no pain no gain??? LOL.  I'm feeling much better today then yesterday.  Last night wasn't particularly fun either.  My PS told Matt that I'd be very happy with my new nipples.  I can take the bandages off tomorrow (but I won't be able to see really through the steri strips- and then I have to re-gauze them every day till I see him Tuesday)  but if he said I'll be happy-- then I know they look awesome.

He didn't take too much from my back-- he said that if he took too much fat I'd have saggy skin- to which I replied, cut it off, and take more fat, and he veto'd, saying he's not giving me an unecessary scar.

On to the hip...so after my original stage two revisions in 06, I had this big dog ear on the right hip, and he used it to make the nipples, and it never healed evenly to the other hip.  As I gained so much weight this year, the area got even bigger, so he took a nice chunk of change out of me.  I can feel the gauze and stitching under the binder, and the bruise on my butt looks like a map of the United States. 

Of course, I got my period right before surgery, which is always fun.  For day two I'm feeling pretty good though.  Can't wait to shower tomorrow.  I'm gonna stick out wearing this binder for as long as I can take it without going crazy over the next two weeks.

Marin reading about your tan body is making me insane, and I don't think I can take it anymore.  I want to go tanning so bad, especially before my engagement party-- I think I may bite the bullet and go back in a few weeks.

Back to the beauty stuff: PRODUCT ALERT. DO NOT BUY burts bee's sunblock.  It's chemical free, and SPF 30, so I said what the heck? I'll give it a go. 

It's like rubbing yellow wax on your body.  It cakes up, and smells.  I strongly do not recommend it.

Is the airbrush legs the spray can of tanner?  If it comes off that easy, I'd be so afraid it would run if I got sweaty-- like in the 96 degree weather we're having right now.

Anonymous

Does it cover scars, freckles and veins? Does the color show up right away instead of gradually like fake tanner?

~Marin

Anonymous

It's not a tanner ...  It is like foundation but, Beth, it's water resistant you need soap to get it off.  It hasn't gotten on my clothes or hands and I keep crossing my legs and rubbing my legs with my hands.  It is awesome.  Marin, it kinda "mutes" your freckles and veins.  Two thumbs up from me and one of the work gals!

abbadoodles

Beth!  So glad to see you up and at 'em.  I'll bet you are happy to have this all behind you, no pun intended.

Rocktober, thanks for the rec on the Sally H. stuff.  I had seen that in CVS and wondered about it. 

You girls that have different kinds of fake nails:  Do they wreck the real nails underneath?  Are the silk wraps healthier?  Do they stand up to hard use?  By that I mean barn chores (working with metal wire, etc.) and hands in water a lot?  I am tempted to try something but am worried about just making things worse.  Also, need to find a decent salon to do it, not one of those places with the doubtfully trained foreign workers.  I just don't trust them to be as clean as they should be, having heard some horror stories. 

Raye, I did  not use a dryer on my hair at all, so no diffuser.  In this warm weather, I just wash, condition, comb, run some AnGell through it, fluff with fingers, and let air dry.

Raye99

Beth - so glad you checked in Girl!  Sounds like everything went very well with your surgeries. Terrific.  

I've never had any fake nails put on, Tina, but have heard some horror stories about them - as you mention- weakening of the real nail beneath, infection. I don't know if tips would do that or not. ?

I did buy a new hair product yesterday and I love it. It's called Alterna Hemp Texturizing Glaze. Makes my curls defined and shiny like  Tina's. I also ordered a hairdryer by Conair called a pancake hairdryer - it's like one big diffuser. I can't go to work with wet hair and I'd have to get up hours in advance for it to air dry in time, so I hope I like this dryer.

Tanning - I am going to go again, just here and there. Living on the edge...

Raye

abbadoodles

Raye, I just googled the pancake dryer and it looks perfect.  I suggest using the fingers attachment and holding your curls down with it as you dry.  Keep the heat setting fairly low or you will burn your scalp.  Keep moving it around.  I find holding down the curls, literally, maintains their shape and prevents them from poufing up, making me into a current-day female, white version of Richard Pryor!

Raye99

haha - Tina, you are as funny as Richard Pryor but we don't want his hair, do we? I've been using the regular dryer on low and yes! holding down the curls to keep them in place.

Anonymous

Oh, Tina, I'd love to see you looking like Richard Pryor...before you re-fix it!

DO NOT EVER do your own fake nails, whatever you do! I bought some great nails about a year-and-a-half ago, applied them myself and just loved them. They looked awesome and held up really well...until they didn't. It was an awful day when I removed them and saw the wreckage they had left to my real nails. I've always had strong, quick-growing nails, even during chemo, but these fakes absolutely RUINED them and, to this day, they're weak and split and peel constantly. I haven't found anything to help and even the biotin that I take isn't working the wonders it works on my hair. So even though I've never had a pro nail job, I'd warn you to be cautious about gluing fake nails on.

Now only you girls can appreciate how ecstatic I was when I was shopping in WalMart yesterday and happened upon the Pinch-Me blush that i love. I'm down to the last few drops and was getting ready to order more online because not one store in my area carries it anymore. WalMart had only two left, so I bought both and can now hold off on ordering it. Yay!

~Marin

BethNY

The extra dry time for curls is ridiculous.  I've had curls my entire life, and now that my hair is as long as it was pre cancer, I'm back to my old routine. 

I get in the shower 2, yes 2 HOURS ahead of time, then get out, and put PJ's on, and let my hair air dry for at least 30 minutes with product in it.  Then, I flip over with a diffuser for about 10 minutes of drying, then go back to airdrying, while I put my makeup on.  Then I flip over with the diffuser again, and use hairspray, then get dressed, then back to the hair with some glossing finishing product, one more shot with the dryer, and I'm out the door.

YUP-- that's the routine if I want my hair looking va va va voom, over the top...

I used to do this for work every day pre cancer.  Awake at 5 am, just to be glammed up by 8 am.  As I sit here, (in this binder, all stitched and gauzed up) I'm laughing at myself. 

I can't believe the things we do for beauty.

And I'm totally going to the tanning salon since Raye and Marin are too.  Whatever.  I'm using peer pressure as my excuse.

Tina- as for nails.  I have silk wraps over my real nails.  My nails are very brittle, and I am tough on my hands-- cleaning, typing all day, and just about everything else I do.  The silk wraps involve no acrylics, or tips- as long as your nails are long enough.

The danger of nail salons is in the tools, and especially the cuticle cutters.  You can nip this problem in the bud by purchasing your own tool box, that most salons store at the shop for you.

 Silk wrap nails are tough, and the polish lasts for 10 days to two weeks and still looks very shiny and fresh, whereas a regular manicure lasts 3 days before it chips.

I keep my nails relatively short (I hate long, fake nails... just gross in my opinion) and having the silk wraps ensures that my hands always look good.  Between being in a prfessional setting, and flashing my ring at the world, I always want my nails looking even, well shaped, healthy and strong.

If you've never done any type of wraps or tips-- and  know we've been talking about brittle nails- you may want to start with a gel or glue manicure, to see if you can get your original nails stronger without the help of wraps.

Anonymous

You need more peer pressure?  Just remember Laura and I laid out in the hot sun in Vegas ....  we got 2 days of sun.   And I lay out by my pool at least one hour a week ...

Sierra

Hi Abba:



I now see your hair colour



Very pretty, mine is similar

but I think a tad warmer

hard to tell from px



PS.. I am going to check out the Clinique

for a few products



I have noticed the darkers shades

make my fine hair appear thicker

as soon as I get too many h lites on it

it gets.. porous looking on the ends

from the bleach.. and thinner

yes I take good care of it.. but

I just like a swish of blonde in the front





Thanks Gals..



That is a v. pretty shade

Roctobermom has )

abbadoodles

Has anyone seen or tried the new Chanel bronzer?  It's supposed to be, according to Domino mag, very good.  At $45 a pop, I am hesitant to try it.  Maybe I will go to the mall today and check it out.

http://uma.chanel.com/product.php?chsetdefgnavdiv=13&chnprd=MAFMU340

Now that I have gone and bought a boatload of new moisturizers, the weather has turned hot and humid and I don't need to use any of them.  Well, I suppose I can put them in the fridge until the fall.

abbadoodles

Update:  Didn't like the Chanel bronzer beause it was too yellow/orange for my blue skin.  Found another one I *do* like: Clarins bronzer.  Not as expensive but not cheap.  However, for something that does not turn me orange, I'll pay the price.

Was too cheap to buy the Clarins nail polish for $17.00 and went to CVS for some of that Orly stuff.  I'm returning it because it doesn't cover (doing my toenails) and looks streaky/puddly and takes forever for a coat to dry.  $5.99 but not worth one penny.  Thank goodness for the CVS money-back policy on makeup.

Raye99

Tina - glad to hear the Chanel bronzer sucketh, as I do not want to pay that. eeks.

Try the Zoya nail polish - I don't know how much it is; got it at a salon last year when I got my 2007 pedicure (I try for only one pedi a year - I can do the rest once they lay the groundwork). It stays on very well and covers nicely.

Raye

abbadoodles

Raye, I looked online for the Zoya and it's available from bebeautiful or something like that but not in many colors.  I tried a search through the Zoya site for salons but came up with nothing.  Maybe I'll order through amazon.  They have a couple of shades.

Raye99

Tina,

Here is a link that has many colors of the Zoya nail Lacquer. I just looked at my bottle and saw that it is a Cleveland company - perhaps that is why the salons here have it?

http://www.fornaturalnails.com/zoya_nail_colors.html

Raye

abbadoodles

Raye, I went online and bought the Zoya from Iforgetwhom.  Ordered four shades of polish as I figured there would be at least one that worked.  I also ordered the base coat and the topcoat.  I'll let you know how my toenails look.

Raye99

Is that the name of the company or you don't remember where you ordered it from?

I hope it works for you, as I was a bit shocked to see that online the Zoya didn't have formaldahyde in it, but mine does. Yes, the F is bad, but makes for strong nails.

Received the pancake dryer, which works really well, but I think my curls are going, not straight by any means, but not the defined, bouncy curls like I want.

abbadoodles

Egads, this is the place.  http://www.artofbeauty.com/scrpt/scr.dll/cat?brand=2

Of course, I ordered enough to get the free shipping.  I'm a sucker for that.

How long has it been since chemo for you, Raye?  I forget that, too.  I'm curious because I am looking for clues on how long my hair will be curly.  I do believe that it's straightening at the root ends now and I'm afraid to cut it in case it's just straight but with ends that stick out all over the place.

Raye99

he, I was just teasing you, but thanks for the link.

I finished chemo on 12/29/06, so eh about 18 months. Momentarily, I will take my hair down and take a pic and post it so you can see what it looks like (EGADS!!), although it will be straighter since I've had it up all morning.

Raye

abbadoodles

Oh boy, I received the Zoya order today.  I love it! 

Painted my fingernails with the primer, two coats of polish and the topcoat, then the quick dry stuff (HurryUp, I think.)  The polish spreads and levels very well and very quickly.  I was able to do all four coats within a half hour, maybe less, then the Hurry Up.  Let dry for 10 minutes and I was good to go.  It's been over an hour since then and it has NOT gooped up or been imprinted with anything.  You know what I mean.  This is lookin' good.

Thank you, Raye!

BethNY

Light, summer heat appropriate eyeshadow palette from Calvin Klein

| Posted Jun 20th 2008 1:10PM by Cat Lincoln
Filed under: Cosmetics

Wearing makeup in the heat can be a real drag. Hot, humid days take away even our urge to cake on the turquoise eyeshadow and coral blusher. Don't even mention sticky lipgloss. Ugh.

Still, there are occasions in the heat of summer when you need a little something to make your face to look finished: weddings, graduations, baby showers, even the company picnic. For these light-wear days, we're loving CK Calvin Klein Shimmer Palette in Urban Luster.

Continue reading Light, summer heat appropriate eyeshadow palette from Calvin Klein

BethNY

Neutrogena with Helioplex: The sun doesn't stand a chance

| Posted Jun 20th 2008 8:03AM by Whit Honea
Filed under: Skin Care, Soaps & Salves, Reviews

Neutrogena has developed a sunblock with the super ingredient Helioplex that takes skin protection to a whole new level (one that has considerably less peeling).

According to the website: "Helioplex^TM delivers unbeatable UVA protection. It works better to help prevent damaging UVA rays from penetrating deep under skin's surface. Dry-Touch technology absorbs excess sunscreen oils, leaving a clean, lightweight, non-shiny finish."

Continue reading Neutrogena with Helioplex: The sun doesn't stand a chance

BethNY

I'm grabbing up both of the above mentioned products...

abbadoodles

Beth, I bought some of that Neutrogena Helioplex sunscreen last year in two different forms, tube and spray, and they work great and are not offensive if feel or smell.  Two thumbs up.

Anonymous

I like moisturizers that feel cool when you put them on and not too thick. I really don't like the  night time ones ... feel like pancake mix on my face!

Anonymous

Thought I'd report on a most "successful face" today on my date! Especially the Rimmel white liner on my bottom rims made me eyes look pretty fabulous (thank you, Mz. Beth!)! Even the PhotoFinish seemed to effect a glow. So even though we walked around in the driopping heat and then got caught in a rain shower, I never "lost face" !

~Marin

abbadoodles

Does anyone have a good method for cleaning hair out of your hairbrushes?  I am a big shedder and everytime I use my brush there are gobs of hair in it and it's darned hard to pick them out or comb them out.  I remember Fuller Brush or someone had a brush cleaning tool.  Do they still?

NarberthMom

Tina -- I haven't had to use a brush yet, so no advice here.  My hairdresser and I have agreed that I should stick with fingers for styling in order to maximize the curls, which we are both loving!

 But I do have a question.  Lately, the skin on my eyelids has been very dry, chapped, and peeling. I had been using Pond's Clean Sweep towelettes to remove eye makeup, and Clinique's All About Eyes Rich at night. I'm in the process of checking to see if one of them was the culprit by using other products. Has anyone ever had this problem?

 Thanks ...

Hillary 

Raye99

Rocktober - love the new avatar!

Marin - I think the glow may be coming from somewhere within as well.

Tina, glad you like the Zoya nail products. Like Hillary, I haven't used a brush for years - I always use a wide tooth comb - so I can't help you there either.

I wonder if you have a bit of dermatitis on your eyelids, Hillary.

Here are a couple of hair shots from the back (very difficult to take BTW) and side. I've been using the Hemp Alterna product and my new pancake hairdryer, and the frizzies are not as bad as before (you may all beg to differ...).

 back, whoa is that big or what.I have NO blonde in my hair -what's up with that.

 

side view.