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I'm a wife, mother and grandmother. I'm opinionated. I contradict myself frequently. Most of all, I love my kids. I believe in them. I fight for them. They're weird and wonderful. If you want to know more, here's a bunch of other stuff from my old site.

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Archive for the ‘Beauty’ Category

Oh, No. Not Again!

Just when you thought that Michael Jackson had fallen off the face of the earth and disappeared for good, he resurfaces with yet more insanity. Surely, this is Jackson’s attempt at manipulating the media and generating hype. Surely, no physician on earth would take a knife to this guy’s face again. Please tell me this is a joke.

TMZ has posted pictures of Jacko’s face covered with bandages. Pictures of his kids are there, too, but they look normal. So far. Why does he still have those children? And where is his REAL face?

Skin Deep

One of the worst things about being a teenager, at least for me, was having acne. All I wanted back then was to have clear skin. Of course, I knew very little about acne or what caused it so I spent most of my time trying to cover it. Until I allowed a doctor to talk me into having a surgical microdermabrasion procedure done.

Dermatology sure has come a long way since then. For those who never heard of this or are too young to remember, the plastic surgeon basically used an instrument that resembles an electric sander to get rid of the top few layers of skin. Afterwards, my face looked like ground meat. Eventually, my face scabbed over, the scabs fell off, and my skin was very pink. And all the acne scars were gone.

Today, microdermabrasion is a much more gentle procedure, usually done with crystals over several office visits. It’s a gradual process that leaves your skin soft and radiant. How sad that it wasn’t available back when I needed it!

So far, my own kids have been very fortunate to have relatively clear skin. They’ve all had a pimple here and there but nothing major. I’m not sure why that is. Perhaps it’s the excellent skin care products they use. I make them myself, you know!

My Teenaged Beauty Princess

Back when I was 14 I was buying my makeup at Murphy’s 5&10. I thought that buying brand names like Cover Girl was a big deal. It wasn’t until I was out of school and earning my own money that I even considered buying high end makeup.

My own daughter is 14 and while she’ll pick up some makeup now and then at a discount store, she’s been asking for some name brand stuff. This weekend she showed me an ad in Allure magazine for Jane Iredale foundation. I advised Maggie to save up her Christmas and birthday money for it. I’m evil like that, you know.

Self Improvement Thoughts

  • by Marisa
  • September 26, 2007

I’m on a roll here, I guess. I’m just kind of excited about finally finding an eating plan that is working for me. Each time the needle on the scale moves down a notch, my self-esteem rises and my determination gets stronger. And my mind begins turning, thinking of more ways to improve myself.

Tonight I mentioned to Brian again that I’d like to have lasik surgery on my eyes. I’d love to not need contacts. I also mentioned that I’d like to have botox for that annoying “11″ on my forehead between my eyes. I hate those two wrinkles!

What I didn’t mention to Brian is that I wouldn’t mind having a little body sculpting, too. I doubt we could afford it right now but it is something to think about and maybe save up to get in the future. I know someone who had Breast Enlargement and she looks fantastic now. The only thing I like about being overweight is that I finally have some cleavage. I lose weight, and I shrink on top. I hate that.

One of the most difficult things about any cosmetic surgery is finding a reputable doctor. I’ve heard of doctors who will perform any cosmetic surgery, whether you need it or not. I’d love to find a place like Great Britain’s Make Yourself Amazing. According to Gemma Soames, a reporter for Times Online, MYA was the only facility where a doctor actually told her she didn’t need the procedure she’d requested. I like that they were honest about her expectations rather than just interested in making money.

I know some people (like my mother!) think cosmetic surgery is superficial and vain. I disagree. Sometimes having that little boost of self confidence can make a huge difference in your outlook on life. Maybe I am superficial but I always feel better when I look my best. I’d love to have a consultation at Make Yourself Amazing to find out about the various procedures. I can’t help imagining not having to buy push-up bras. I can vaguely remember when my “girls” were perky, not saggy. Wouldn’t it be great to be perky again?

You know, the more I think about this the more I’m inclined to like the idea. Sure would make the “clothing optional” beach on Kauai a little more fun!

Laser Hair Removal As A Reward

  • by Marisa
  • September 25, 2007

I’ve been doing quite well on my diet and I’m trying to come up with an interesting reward for when I reach my first mini goal. I like non-food rewards, of course, and usually something to do with pampering or beauty. Since I was thinking about going back to Hawaii looking so much better than I did last time, I naturally thought about laser hair removal. What could be better for a few weeks at the beach?

I’ve tried waxing and creams that you get at the drug store. None of them work as well as advertised. It’s true that the Laser treatment is more expensive but after several sessions, the hair follicle is destroyed and you never have to worry about hair growth in that area again. Considering the cost of my razor blades, the cost of 6 treatments is a bargain!

Now I just have to start saving up for my reward. I think I’ll set my first mini goal at 25 pounds. Who knows? Maybe I’ll reach that by my birthday and throw in a massage and pedicure, too!

Daughters!

I realize that I did not listen to my mother when I was young. I just didn’t think she had a clue – about anything! Honestly, though, I never thought that my own daughter would feel the same way about me.

Maggie is getting little breakouts on her face. Instead of following my advice about the types of makeup she should use, namely mineral makeup, she insists on the gooey gloppy drugstore stuff. UGH! Then, when I stear her toward natural skin care products instead of the harsh stuff that simply doesn’t work, she rolls her eyes as if I know nothing.

Why must teenage girls be so difficult?

One More Thing

I just realized I forgot to mention something really important. My new 10x mirror – WOW!

I have a 3x mirror and a 5x mirror. I love them both. But this 10x mirror is something else completely.

First, it’s small which is good since there’s really no reason to have a large magnifying mirror. If I wanted my whole body to be magnified, well, I just wouldn’t. Anyway, it has two suction cups on the back and it sticks really well to my regular makeup mirror on my vanity.

Oh, but the best part is the mirror itself. I can see every singer eyebrow hair perfectly. I saw strays that must have been there for months. It was totally amazing. I thought I’d been doing an excellent job tweezing my brows but I’ve missed all kinds of hairs.

I can’t help wondering if my brows are just bushier, if I’ve spent the past 30 years with really crappy brows or if my eyesight has truly gotten that bad in recent years. I hope it’s just the eyesight because I don’t want to think of the state of my eyebrows being so horrendous. Yes, I’m a little fanatical about my brows.

Whatever. I love my 10x mirror and I love my cleaned up brows.

Nail Polish Update

For those who may be interested, the Sally Hansen nail polish purchased for $2.50 is holding up just as well as the more expensive Opi polish.

One difference, though, between the two brands is the consistency of the polish and the ease of application. The Sally Hansen polish is thicker and more difficult to apply. The Opi goes on so much smoother, making self-application easier. Of course, this may be due to the fact that I purchased the Sally Hansen polish at store that may stock older merchandise. I suppose I should pay a little extra for a bottle that I know is fresh if I decide to do another experiment later.

Nail Polish Ponderings

Last week when Brian and I stopped by the mall on our anniversary, I picked up two bottles of Opi nail polish. For those who don’t know about Opi nail polish, it’s a high end brand. Two bottles came to around $16. I love the colors and they seem to stay on well.

Today when I went to Krogers for groceries, I ran into Family Dollar for a new 10x magnifying mirror. A bottle of Sally Hansen Hard as Nails nail polish caught my eye. Champagne Frost, but it’s almost a coral color. That cost $2.50.

And guess what? The color is just as pretty as the Opi polish. From what I remember, Hard As Nails polish lasts pretty good, too. I’ll probably get a manicure next week so I think I’m going to do one hand with the Opi and one with the Sally Hansen and see which holds up better. Should be an interesting experiment.

My Favorite Things

I love reading magazines. I love freebies. I love cosmetics and girly things. Put all that together and I’m just giddy with delight!

Now, keep in mind that I’m sharing all this with you because I like you. I could just keep this to myself so I have a better chance of getting more stuff. But I’m not like that, lucky for you. :)

If you haven’t yet picked up the August issue of Allure magazine, get to the store now and grab your copy. It’s the “Free Stuff” issue and it’s jam packed with a month worth of giveaways. After you’ve read through the magazine (and you do want to read through it because it’s the best beauty magazine on the stands) flip to page 238 and check out everything that Allure and their sponsors are giving away. Can you believe it?

I’ve marked at least one thing I’d like to login to get every day but I really have my eye on that great Coach bag. I love Coach. I love Coach more than Prada. Their bags are just perfect! And the one Allure is giving away is very different than the other two I have. Besides, my black Coach bag has seen better days so this would be a great replacement. (If you love me as much as I love you, you’ll try for the Jimmy Choo bag instead and leave the Coach for me.) ;)

There’s so much more on those pages but I’ll let you look it over and make your own list. If you happen to win a few of the great giveaways, just remember who let you in on the secret. ;)

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