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Wednesday, March 18, 2009

My Beauty Product List and a Request

A couple of my friends have posted lists of beauty products they love on their blogs. I wanted to do the same only I couldn't come up with a top 10 list because when it comes down to it there just aren't a lot of products I am passionate about. To be honest, I didn't expect this to be so hard for me because I love beauty products. I know I spend a small fortune each year on cleansers, creams, and makeup but it is because I am constantly on the search for what is going to work best for me. I am still searching for the perfect foundation that provides just the right amount of coverage and lasts throughout a day at work and the perfect cleanser to help my 30-something breakouts. I am not great about sticking to a routine either. It is no big deal for me to go to bed without washing my face and I rarely if ever use moisturizer or eye cream. So on that note I am going to post my 5 most loved products (in no particular order) and ask (no, beg) for more suggestions on products to check out.

1. Aveda Hand Relief Lotion
I was originally given a sample size tube of this lotion after a massage at an Aveda salon and I was hooked instantly on how wonderful it was. Now I am not a huge lotion wearer and I am not a big fan of heavily scented lotions because I don't like smelling them on my hands later in the day but this lotion I love. It is thick without being greasy and the scent is pleasant but not overwhelming. I keep a big tube in my bathroom at home and a small tube in my purse (airport friendly) because I always apply lotion after washing my hands to remove that just washed driness feeling.

2. Chapstick 100% Naturals Lip Butter

I don't even remember the original reason I picked this product up in the store the first time. I think it was because of the lavender color on the label. But whatever the reason, I am glad I did. This chapstick moisturizes my lips without leaving that waxy feeling behind. I alway have a tube in my purse and I think you can find 2 or 3 tubes in various locations around my house. I loved this stuff so much that I gave it to my co-workers as part of their Christmas gift this year (along with a small tube of the Aveeno Hand Relief and some other goodies).

3. Clarins One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser

I decided to try this product after seeing it on the Clarins website and it just seemed too good to be true. This cleanser truly is gentle enough to use every day and is one of the few cleansers I have found that I still love after more than a couple of months. It smells great and really does a good job of leaving my face feeling clean and smooth.

4. Aveeno Baby Calming Comfort Lotion


Now I know the first thing you are thinking is that I don't have any children so how could I know anything about baby products. That is true. I don't know if this product is any good for babies. I just know it does wonders for the dry skin on my heels and feet. I typically apply this before going to bed at night and wake up with soft skin in the mornings. My sister-in-law introduced me to this product because she liked it for the same reasons I do. It isn't greasy and the scent is lovely. Plus it works.

5. Hello Flawless Custom Powder Cover up with SPF 15


This is my newest find and I am beginning to wonder how I functioned without it. After a recent facial, I ran in Sephora to apply some makeup so I didn't look like death warmed over. I decided to try Hello Flawless thinking there was no way a powder would work to even my skintone. I was wrong. So I purchased it still thinking that it couldn't possibly last long enough to make it through an entire day. Again, I was wrong. This powder has pleasantly surprised me in many ways. I love the coverage it provides and because it is a powder, it feels like you are wearing nothing. I still can't believe that it lasts as well as it does. I have spent a fortune on foundations in the past that made me look like I haven't even applied makeup an hour after I put it on. This stuff is great.

So there you have it. A few of my favorite products that you will always find laying around my house or in my purse. Now it is your turn...what should I try? Also, if you love any of the products I have listed above or if you try them as well, let me know.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Lonely Hearts Club

I was searching for an email in my sent items folder at work today when I came across something that caught me off guard: tons of emails between myself and J that basically chronicled our entire relationship. It reminded me of how we use to write back and forth all day sharing the mundane details of our day or trying to decide what our dinner plans were for the evening. There were also the emails from the stupid fight over the baby gate which led to J ceasing all contact with me. It was all there much to my surprise since I thought I deleted those emails 9 months ago as part of the process to try to move on and purge J from my life, my mind, and my heart. And there I sat, reading all of them. Soaking up every word. Remembering every detail. Reminiscing about how happy I had been and how happy we were and how confused I still am about why it all ended. Realizing more and more that I am still heartbroken and still in love with a man who doesn’t want me to be part of his life.
I have never been through a breakup before that was as hard or as painful as this one. The mere thought of him still brings me to my knees. I believed when he said he need time to process his feelings over his divorce. Imagine my surprise when he was in a relationship again a mere 4 months after our breakup. I should have expected that though because J is a serial monogamist. I was, after all, the 3 person he had dated in the 6 months between his separation and divorce. Still it rocked me to the core to know he had moved on so quickly when, a year later, I can still barely get through a day without thinking about him. Was I that easy to forget? Had I not meant as much to him as he had meant to me? I can’t imagine how I would react if I knew he was engaged or worse, married. Yet, I wonder if he ever thinks about me or misses me. Is it possible that there is still a place for us in this world and that the timing was just bad? A girl can dream. I still hope for my movie moment and long for the opportunity to feel what I once felt again. But for now all I can do is try to move on and try to pretend it doesn’t hurt anymore because the reality is that he isn’t there anymore and all I have is some old emails hidden away in my sent items folder at work.