I Confess: I Love Aquaphor

I Confess: I Love Aquaphor

If there was one product I don’t think I could live without, it would be Aquaphor ointment.  So simple, yet so versatile, Aquaphor works for almost any skin problem.

Oh, how many uses there are for Aquaphor!  Let me count the ways...

Chapped lips: No problem, Aquaphor to the rescue.  I have a travel size with me at all times.

Cracked heals:  A little Aquaphor under my socks before bedtime does the trick.

Rough elbows:  Rubbing on Aquaphor softens them up in minutes.

My weary eyes:  What better under-eye moisturizer for my irritated eyelids.

Brittle nails and rough cuticles:  Aquaphor on the fingers before bed puts them in tip-top shape by morning.

Not only can I use it for me, but it is perfect for my baby too. What better product can I use on his bottom? With every diaper change, a little Aquaphor helps keep him rash-free.

Be it a tub or a tube, as you can imagine, there’s a little Aquaphor hiding in almost every room of our house.

I say, when all else fails, put a little Aquaphor on it!  :)

I Confess: I Can’t Live Without My Primer

I Confess: I Can’t Live Without My Primer  

A dewey complexion is one thing.  A shiny face is another.  There is nothing worse than that oily skin feeling and knowing that you are going to look like a grease ball in every photo you take.

I’ve been wearing makeup since my teens, and as I am sure many of you have experienced, before the night is over it ends up doing a disappearing act.  It washes away with sweat, smears, drips and ends up in a different place than where you originally put it.  

One humid mid-summer’s night, after seeing my shiny face in photos from a party I went to, I was finally fed up. How could all the celebrities keep a clean face all night? (Well, I guess they may have makeup artists touching them up, but whatever...)  There still had to be something I could do.  

The Sephora makeup ladies had always suggested I use a primer, and I thought it was a load of bologna. But I caved. I bought one.  And I’ve never turned back.  It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever put off making.

Primers help absorb oil and give the face a matte finish.  By putting it on before applying foundation or powder it not only helps reduce shine, but also helps keep the makeup on longer.

There are bunch of primers out there, and as you can imagine I tried a lot of them.  Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer Light tops my list.  It my go-to before putting any makeup on.  If I use one in the morning (whether I am putting makeup over it or not) the La Roche Posay Anthelios 50 Daily Anti-Aging Primer with Sunscreen is my choice.  Who wants to look shiny in the day, even if I am not wearing makeup?

I love my primers.  I can’t live without them.  But here's the only downside...  Since the makeup stays put for longer, it takes more time wash it all off at the end of the night!  C’est la vie!

I Confess: I've Supersized My Lips

 

I Confess:  I've Supersized My Lips

I hate that when I smile, my lips pull a disappearing act. I can pretend to be zen about it, but I’m really not.  Lip plumpers and makeup tricks only go so far.  Who am I kidding?  They are never going to do what I really want them to.  So what’s a girl to do? I took the plunge and plumped those suckers up!

McDonalds is not the only place you can go to for a supersized deal.  Your Derm can supersize you too, with fillers that is.  In a matter of minutes, you can go from losing your upper lip to actually seeing the color of your lipstick when you smile.

Angelina Jolie may have been blessed with a plump pout, but not all of us are that lucky.  That’s where Restylane comes in.  A little numbing cream and a couple of pinches in the lips later, and your lips can fill out in ways you’ve never imagined.  It’s not totally a walk in the park, but no pain no gain.  Plus you can end up with a little black-and-blue mark in your lip (but that's why they invented dark lipstick).  The fillers only last a few months, so unfortunately you need to go back for more.  But it’s worth it.

Big lips don’t fit every face.  And huge lips look fake.  But a little extra volume never hurt anyone, right? When done right, nobody would even notice you’ve had any work.  A little, natural-looking filler goes a long way.  This was reinforced in my head, when at Sephora trying on lipstick, another shopper complimented my beautiful lips.  Who gets compliments on their lips?  I thanked her, but admitted to her my secret.  They’re still mine even if they are enhanced, right?

I Confess... I Love Dermatology Meetings!

I Confess... I Love Dermatology Meetings

To all my fans out there in Cyberland:  Sorry I missed my post last week!

Twice a year, the American Academy of Dermatology holds its big meetings.  This year, the summer meeting was up in Boston.  While my husband goes to give lectures, I come along so see all the new skin care products (and of course, get some freebies!) 

Picture yourself at 10 years old, in a candy store where you have whatever you want for free.  Or, it's like walking through the Bloomingdale’s cosmetic department and being able to take what you like without all the annoying sales people squirting you with perfume.  Aisles of Dermatology booths line the conference center as far as your eye can see.  Each of the booths has a different cream or new makeup to try out.  There is enough moisturizer to keep a small village hydrated.  Plus, many of the products haven't even hit the stores yet, so I get to try them out first.

We flew to Boston, and for such a short trip we did not check any bags.  So here's the catch . I only brought back with me the creams that were less than 3 oz.  I love my samples, but my husband put his foot down.  I was not allowed to love anything that would make us check a bag.  It's ok.  The only thing I lost out on was a bottle of a new shampoo and tub of moisturizing cream.

Now you may think that the samples are the best reason to come to the meeting, but I've found another one too:  the fashion.  Not only do the female Dermatologists' faces look flawless, but so are their wardrobes.  There are more Birkins at the meeting than you would see walking down the street on the Upper East Side.  

For now I will concentrate on keeping my skin flawless and look forward to admiring the Birkins and  getting the freebies at the next meeting!

I Confess: I Love Long Eyelashes... And Lots Of Them!

I Confess: I Love Long Eyelashes... And Lots Of Them!

For some things in life, less can be more. While I’d love to eat a whole bag of peppermint patties, only eating one is really better for my waistline.

Moderation is key most of the time, well except when it comes to my eyelashes.  Longer and fuller is unquestionably better.

I remember my very first time. It was my wedding day... These lashes were totally fake and individually glued on. I immediately fell in love.

Now how was I to achieve this without the help of a professional? Oh what a dilemma! It really looks a lot easier to do than it actually is. I watched many a youtube instructional video, and I don’t get how these women do it themselves.

My feeble attempts to enhance my lashes left me literally with one eye glued shut. Totally embarrassed, I was forced to admit to my husband what I was up to in the bathroom for so long. After calming down from his hysterics, he pried my poor eyelid open.

So individual lashes were a big bust.

It was time to turn to the heavy hitter - Latisse. It is by prescription only, but I had to try it. The box is pretty big, so I was surprised to see only a tiny little dropper of medicine. The rest of the box is filled with applicator brushes. I was super motivated. Each night, I put one drop on the applicator then brushed it along my upper eyelid. After a month, I definitely saw a difference. My lashes were longer. 

I knew that I had to use Latisse for a few months to really see the benefit.  But I am a lover of instant gratification.  I can't lie.  I gave up after my bottle ran out. This was an extra step in my evening beauty routine, and it hit the chopping block. I wanted longer lashes and didn’t want to wait.

So what’s a girl to do? For those special occasions (or sometimes just because) there’s always Sephora. For just $10, my friendly Sephora makeup artist fixes me up. After 5 minutes, my lashes are long and luxurious.

Will I go back to Latisse when I have more patience in the future? Probably. But in the meantime, I’ll stick to my lash extensions. They are temporary, but I can always get more!

I Confess: I Love to Exfoliate!

I Confess:  I Love to Exfoliate!

A positive attitude goes a long way. But I don't care what anyone says about the power of positive thinking, it doesn't do a thing for my dull complexion. Now exfoliating on the other hand, that makes my skin glow (and that certainly makes me happy on the inside too!) I get such such satisfaction in knowing that all those dead skin cells are gone. Shine on, my new, fresh skin...

There are tons of options out there, so what's really the best way to exfoliate? Scrubs, Peels, Microdermabrasion, Brushes? Ultimately, they all do the same type of thing. And I have tried them all.

Scrubs are over the counter, so you think they are harmless.  Well, guess what happens when you leave enthusiastic me at the sink unsupervised with a face scrub?  Yup. You guessed it.  Red like a cherry tomato from over-scrubbing.  Overdoing it is no good, and I learned the hard way.

Peels.  Love them.  They hurt like heck, but it’s just for a few minutes. Depending on the peel you get, you may be hiding from the world for a few days or will experience a light shedding for a day or two.

Microdermabrasion.  Love it too.  I haven’t gotten my hands on any of the home microderm kits, but there’s no way they can be as good as the real deal in the dermatologist’s office.  It gently scrapes and sucks away the dead cells leaving you smooth.  Plus, there’s no down time besides 15 minutes of looking rosy.

So what am I actually doing at home right now? I am loving my Olay Pro X Facial Cleansing Brush.  Twice a week, I give my face a little buff.  After 5 minutes I am silky soft, and I haven’t gotten irritated yet.  Plus, who isn’t up for a little face massage in the shower? 

I Confess:  I've Had Botox... And I Love It! 

What is the difference between being in your 30's and and your 20's?  One big thing my dear: crow’s feet!  

How can lines so small annoy me so much? I’ve used all the eye creams imaginable and put on enough cucumbers to make a salad that could feed a small village.  But nothing touches these suckers.  Well, nothing except for my faithful friend, Botox.  Oh, how I love you.

With just a few pinches in the skin, which you can barely feel, I know those little lines will be gone in a week.  No more squinty eyes, and it does more for my eyebrow arch then even the best brow expert could give me.  (I admit it, I went to one once.)

Now, I am not talking joker eyebrows.  I am talking a natural lift that even my friends have commented on.  The lift literally gives me more space on my eyelid to put on eyeshadow.  I am one of those people who is cursed with small eyelids.  You could barely see eyeshadow when I wore it.  But not anymore. 

(Oh, and for all you guys out there, FYI, you can reduce your crow’s feet without arching your eyebrow.  It all depends on how the Botox is given.)

Up until now, I have only confessed this secret to my closest friends, but I guess I just let the cat out of the bag...

So ladies (and gentlemen too), those crow’s feet are caused by muscle movement around your eyes. The only way to really prevent them or get rid of what you already have is to turn to the dark side.  Botox.