Cosmetic things that worked for me - sharing girly stuff

mimi791

How about melty-face from hot flashes?  Does anyone have a foundation that doesn't melt away with the sweat?  I have tried mineral, liquid to powder and I really like MAC cream foundation, it covers the changes from the chemo fabulously, but again...I put it on and the first big hot flash.......poof......gone.......  I too now use moisturizer like never before. I like Origins with SPF 30, so it goes on in one process, and I don't have to use multiple products.

Ossa

shore1

You can get food grade coconut oil in any vitamin or health food store. It is solid in container, but melts in your hand (unlike m&m's) I use a very small amount, rub it in my hands then on my face.. Bought it initially to use during radiation, thought I would try it on my face. Very impressed with result. I have sensitive skin, so want to use natural products

Cyborg

I get mine at Trader Joe's and health food stores.

lago

I got mine at Whole Foods. I think next time will be Trader Joes. I shop at TJs. Only time I'm in WF is if a friend drags me in. They are too $$$ for my blood.

apple

i think i bought my last bottle at TJ's I think their price was 5 bucks.. at WF - i think they were 8,   I did buy a jar on sale at my local grocer's ONCE for 5. (4.99)  My whole foods store is pretty awesome and I have no need to for the individual servings at TF's.. plus they are about 12 miles from me.. bummer

remember, if you end up not liking coconut oil for moisterizing, it is an awesome oil for sauteeing.. the flavor is superb.  I think I've mentioned this before.. coconut oil is great for the dreaded 'dry mouth'.  1/2 tsp. a few times a day.. helps keep you regular too.

artsee

We have a great store here called 'Olivu'. They make everything for your face and body with a concoction of olive oils. It works great on the face.

Has anyone here have a home microdermabrasion machine or know of someone that has? I have gone to professionals and it feels wonderful when your done. But it does get costly and one for home sounds enticing..

crystalphm

I have been reading this tread and it is really getting my thinking process going in a more positive way. I was supposed to have a facial today at the cancer center, but the woman didn't show up...but it feels good for me to even be interested in something girlie like this again.

I fine I am wearing more color, I am wearing some of my 'good" clothes every day and it is just so helpful to talk about things like this.

I need to deal with my eyebrows, it all seems intimidating to me. I will ask the facial woman when I do get an appointment. Has anyone ever asked a woman at a counter (clinque or estee lauder...or Ulta) for eyebrow help?

lago

crystalphm I was so worried about my eyebrows (not my hair) falling out that I ask the gal at Ulta about 4 weeks before my BMX (9 weeks before chemo). That's when she suggested the Anastasia Brow duo (info posted on page 2 of this thread). My eyebrows thinned a little on chemo but not too bad. Fell out 5 weeks PFC. They grew back but fell out again. Still thinner than before, and even thinner on chemo but the Anastasia stuff works great. You just can't tell. Very natural looking.

onvacation

Lago, did you use stencils with the anastasia brow duo or just free hand it?

lago

onvacation I'm a designer (and now an avid bc.org forum poster ho ). I did free hand. The looks good feels better site give some tips on drawing eyebrows if you want to try freehand.

http://lookgoodfeelbetter.org/beauty-guide/makeup-step-by-step  

kltb04

ROFL lago...if I would spend as much time writing creatively (which I have always wanted to pursue and now have more than enough time to do so) as I do posting on bc.org, I would have a novel by now!

I went yesterday to the LGFB class all nervous about having to socialize with women I didn't know.  Well, no worries, I was the only one there!  Since it was just me and I was already wearing a full face of makeup, she just went over her little guidebook with me and gave me some tips about the eyebrows.   I received some nice things in my grab bag so I suppose it was worth the trip.  

My eyebrows are still totally intact but my lashes are looking thinner....may be my imagination.

Had to run into a couple of stores today (despite my less than stellar 2.9 WBC this week) and did full makeup with a scarf and embellished cap.  So much more comfy than the wig.  Oh and my huge hoop earrings.  I need more big earrings; I find big earrings to be helpful

onvacation

Love earrings!  I think they are distracting to everything else going on!  A little bling is always good too!

kltb04

Kim - that's what I love about my Dollar General hats that I was talking about on the chemo thread (y'all probably think I am the biggest hick around but I promise they are more just like a small Wal-Mart than a dollar store) - they have bling on them! 

And I just ordered my halo from tlcdirect.org.  Finally decided on the style/color and they take returns so if I hate it I can always send it back. I have procrastinated so long I had to pay extra for express shipping because I want it to be here in time for youngest DD's field trip next week!

apple

after a while, you learn how to put on those eyebrows.  i have a kit with wax, which i embellish with pencil, powders and such.. they look pretty good, but it takes a while to become adept.

onvacation

kltb04 - going to have to check out Dollar General!  No, I don't think you are a hick! 

Thanks for all the tips, shopping on the list this weekend! 

NCbeachgal

I am now 15 hours PFC! I had DD AC x4 and DD taxol x 4. Of course the hair is gone but for now my eyebrows and lashes remain intact. I was discouraged to hear that Lago's brows and lashes deserted her at 5 weeks PFC. I think that may be worse than losing my blonde locks. Just at the point of feeling better, I'm going to start to look sick with chemo face? Well hell! My nurse navigator told me that a few make it with their brows and lashes, but it seems more of an exception than the rule. I will get the Anastasia eyebrow kit but I can't imagine wearing false eyelashes and a wig. I'm in medical sales and the last thing I want to do is show up to present clinical information to a physician group looking like a hoochey mama.

I'm glad chemo is over! I will be glad when I can consider other more pressing issues other than facial hair, head hair and my overall appearance. I've always been someone who can throw myself together and be fine. It seems like I have to consider my appearance more than ever and it's exhausting to me.

Angie

lago

Angie they grow in pretty quickly especially the eyebrows. I wear eyeliner. If you wear eyeliner you really don't have to bother with the lashes. No one will notice.

Anonymous

Hello ladies - I am more of a lurker then a poster but I had to finally post.  Coconut Oil - it is like manna from heaven.  Both my son ((22) and I are hooked.  I slather it everywhere, LX scars, face, disgusting feet as I can't get pedicure while doing chemo, my bald head that was showing dry patches and for my son - his elbows.  when I told him it is also ok to eat and cook with he was hysterical.  Couldn't believe a $9 jar of something could do all that.  Gotta say my face and feet are awesome and my itchy patches on my head are all cleared up.  Can't wait to use it for radiation.  Thanks for the tip and apprecaite all that everyone shares on these boards.

(((Hugs))) 

Anonymous

Mthrdee, why cant you get a pedicure? I did regular manicures and pedicures all through chemo, just didnt let them cut my cuticles.



I love cocunut oil too!

edot

I had the best nails during taxol. Maybe because I didn't do any work, but they were strong and my cuticles weren't dry. Now back to crappy fingers. Oh well.I'll take the crap fingers.

But anyway....

All my hair fell out on the AC, but started to come back on T - looked like I had 5'oclock shadow on my head for a while. I'd colored it for years before, but it's come back about 50% grey and curly!!! So it's ok. Always had straight hair.

If you want some other dye options....an amonia free dye is probably best. But some people think that even those have harmful chemicals. My favorite is goldwell colorance. You might be able to get some from a beauty supply - it's a professional product. Clairol also makes amonia free dyes, and i imagine so does l'oreal - you have to go to a beauty supply though, like sally (in the US) or maybe online.  I loved colorance  - used a medium neutral brown as a base and then added in a golden brown and an orange red for my dark brown with red highlights. But I needed the neutral to cover gray.

Also, herbavita, which you used to be able to get in whole foods and also online, and naturtint. These are all deposit colors, they last for a about a month (if you wash your hair daily) and they won't lighten your hair.

I got my first real post-chemo haircut in January (6 months after chemo) and they told me that it's better to wait to dye it for 18 months after chemo. My oncologist said that if I really wanted to dye it, it was fine, there is a slightly higher risk of lymphoma but if dyeing my hair was really important, it was ok. 

I drank a lot of stinging nettle tea to help with the puffiness. Still do sometimes, though it's mostly gone. The worst skin thing that I had was horrible redness. It just went away over time. 

I've always been a dark eyeliner, pale face, darkish lipstick person. And I still am. During chemo though I wore a dark brown rather than black, and I used almay mascara while I had eyelashes. I My wig had long bangs, and I wore a lot of hats when my eyebrows were scant. 

Since I live in Europe, I don't have access to the same products as you, but I think that maybelline kajal or kohl pencils are pretty good. Lancome le crayon kohl is also good, as is MAC. I'm rather found of a new line called Rituals, from the Netherlands...they have great makeup, pencils and mascara.  I also like Nivea naturals - and nivea mascara isn't irritating. If I can smell it, I can't wear it. 

L'occitaine is great, although I had one of their immortale face creams and my husband thought the smell was hideous. I've since discovered lush (do you get that in the US?), lots of hand made, chemical free stuff. Very nice, great smells.

I don't wear a lot of makeup anyway, just eyes and a little lips, maybe some foundation if my cheeks are too pink (rosacea). My skin is pretty good for 57 and it's recovered well, I think. 

I use moisterizer that my doctors prescribed. I have an enormous bottle that will last me for years....

I'm definitley looking at a manicure and pedicure in the near future. Also a nice massage.

apple

i've never had a mani, pedi or massage cure.  That would be nice.

nice to meet you edot

I am amazed how long it takes me to put on my makeup so i look like i am not wearing any.

MariannaLaFrance

This is an awesome thread! I will definitely bookmark as a favorite. I never fancied myself a beauty product junkie, but with the onset of middle age, fatigue from raising 3 children while working, and then the Dx, I am now very interested in beautification!!!

I have to give another accolade to the wonder that is coconut oil.  I use it morning and evening, and my skin positively glows. I've had complete strangers stop me to comment on my skin, and --- believe me--- that never happened to me before using coconut oil.  I struggled with cystic acne when I was younger, then patchy, uneven skin during my late 20s and 30s. It's ironic that I discovered vitamin supplementation only now, and it has helped my acne enormously.

I also had patchy eyebrows. No, I did not do chemo, but for some reason, my eyebrows almost completely fell out during my radiation treatment (or possibly prior to that, I don't really know, as I was malnourished).  I take 5,000 IU daily of Biotin, and I have new baby hairs sprouting up on my hairline, as well as thicker eyebrows. I was always a "Brooke Shields" kind of eyebrow girl, and my face needs a "strong brow", or I look unbalanced. So, it's been hard on me to have wispy, patchy brows.

Another thing that seems to make my face glow (I use this probably every other day) is Apricot Kernel Oil. It seems to even out my skin tone and provides a nice glow as the coconut oil does. I use it in my hair as well, about 2 hours before I wash, 2 X weekly. It keeps my long hair from being brittle.

Foundation... hmmm, always wore the high coverage from Lancome, and have not found much that covers like Lancome to be honest. I currently use Smashbox, and it's okay. Not stellar, but it does not have the parabens and additives that many have.  I was going to buy Korres, but was so freaked out when I saw the list of ingredients in the US version vs the European blend...... about 3X the ingredients, and all chemical names that I couldn't pronounce!! YUK!!

Anyway, thank you Day, for starting this thread!! Very interesting!!! 

apple

there is a product that goes under foundation that makes your skin very smooth.. and the makeup then glides on perfectly.. I had a sample.. anyone know what it is?

SpecialK

apple - it is foundation primer.  I use the one by Smashbox but I think most of the cosmetic lines have a version, mine is kind of a clear gel and makes a huge difference in the way the foundation looks - gets rid of all the fine lines and makes my skin look really smooth.

For eyebrows I use a tinted gel from Anastasia, kind of like mascara.  I have enough eyebrow hairs but they don't seem to have much color so they disappear.  The colored gel gets them all going in the same directin and darkens them.  I have also had trouble with mascara as my lashes have grown back (and then fallen out again just lately!) so many mascaras seem to be clumpy as if the lashes are rough in texture - any thoughts?  I like the line Tarte because it doesn't have too many baddies in it.

For those who have trouble keeping foundation on through hot flashes try Bare Esentuals mineral makeup - it is mineral and waterproof, and doesn't contain bad stuff.  It rates well on the Skin Deep site.

edot

Apple - I think it might actually be made of silicone...it's a clear gel. Smash box, maybelline, Mac all have them.

lago

I have a new love for silicone. I seem to be wearing and cooking with it so much these days

GramE

Weird question - does coconut oil smell like coconuts?    I try to stay away from smelly stuff.

kltb04

I am thinking I need to check into a primer - my skin is still the same as it has always been, no real problems but mild dryness and ruddiness (nothing so red as to think rosacea or anything just my skin tone).  So I use a quite a bit of foundation and the primer might help it go on more smoothly.

Edited to add:  even though I haven't lost my lashes yet, I am having the clumping mascara issue - it just doesn't seem to "go on right" - or come off for that matter.  Odd issue that is hard to explain.

MariannaLaFrance

For mascara--- it's not "organic", but I use Maybelline Great Lash. Most stylists use this brand. It's cheap and it really works well.

MariannaLaFrance

And, as for the scent of Coconut Oil. Well, it has a slight odor, but it's not bad. It certainly is not a chemical odor, nor would you smell like a freshly baked cake either.

I would, however, use it at night so you don't get it on your "daytime" clothing.  I use it on my face only in the daytime.