The Most Important Beauty Product

I love beauty products.  I am sure I have done enough research about beauty products and makeup to earn a Ph.D. on the subject.  I could spend all day in the beauty store and only come out to eat.  However, when I find an excellent product I can stick with it unless something changes, unlike many cosmetics junkies who one day claim to have found the holy grail and less than a week later are on to something else.

The most important beauty product hands-down is sunblock.  It is imperative to use sunblock every day because it prevents skin cancer, hyperpigmentation, burns, and the breakdown of skin cells that leads to permanent wrinkles.  If you don’t want to look like a troll someday, you have no choice but to wear sunblock daily unless you never go outside.  But I HATE sunblock!  It smells bad, it is too thick and greasy, or, in the case of the nice mineral ones, leaves a chalky white cast on brown skin.  I have exotic brown looking but normal/combination sensitive rosacea-prone pale red-haired Northern European acting skin, which is hard to protect from the sun.  For YEARS I had been satisfied using Purpose Redness Reducing Moisturizer SPF 30, except at the pool or beach because it is not water resistant ( I have a different, thicker SPF 45 for that).  All of a sudden this past fall this same product began to break out my skin with a crunchy red itchy rash.  I stopped using it for a while since it was winter and my day job prevented me from seeing the light of day anyway.  But now with spring arriving and longer days I tried it again, hoping maybe my face forgot about the abuse it took from that sunblock before.  But no, the itchy rash is rearing up again, dammit!  I asked my dermatologist(s) to recommend a sunblock that is:

• fragrance free
• lightweight and easily absorbed
• broad spectrum
• portable and sanitary–not packaged in a jar
• moderately priced
• gentle but not zinc or titanium oxide-only (because of the white chalky film)
• does not leave a shiny sheen
• SPF 20-30
• doesn’t burn eyes or stink too badly
• water resistant (ok- wishful thinking)
• can be worn under makeup

but they seem to find this topic way too boring.  All they say is find an SPF 30 that I like.  But here are hundreds of them!!!!  Even the ones with the best reviews are horrible. Now I am hunting again.  According to my research this time, which consists mainly from reviews by Paula Begoun, I have 3 good viable choices:  Neutrogena Age Sheild SPF 30, Neutragena Active Breathable Sunblock SPF 30, or Ultra Dry Touch Sunblock SPF 30.  I am headed to the drugstore today to smell, feel, and read the lables of the products.  I am not in any way promoting these products.  I am promoting the use of daily facial sunblock.  I encourage everyone to find the right sunblock for themselves.  I do however, recommend my most reliable beauty product information resource, Paula Begoun aka “The Cosmetics Cop”.  Check out her website and books for  comprehensive objective information on hundreds of makeup and skin care products.

On a Mission

This is my third week on the plan with the weight loss doctor.  Just like before, it’s working.  I am exercising too.  On my way

So here's my BEFORE photo--Hahahahaha!

to the exercise class I saw some free books on a stoop, which is a fairly common thing where I live.

I spotted the Perricone Prescription book and scooped it right up.  So many times I have contemplated buying that book but just never did.  (Thank you, neighbor!)  I had used some of the concepts from my previous shape-up a few years back when I got into the best physical shape of my life, since I was about 20.  The eating plan I followed was  basically the South Beach Diet with some Perricone ideas thrown in.  I am never an advocate for silly faddish temporary “diet” plans.   These are sensible guidelines for eating for great health, enhanced beauty, and reduced fat stores.  The book provided a little inspiration.  It provided another resource for my quest to be fabulous.  It was a sign to keep going, I’m on the right track.

In less than a year I’ll be 40 years old.  I don’t feel apprehensive about it the way I did about turning 30.  I freely own my age thanks to the wisdom and authority is has brought me.  I know everything.  (At least that’s what my husband says).  I do what I want and don’t give a rat’s ass what others think about it.  I don’t feel any pressure or worry at all about turning 40, it is just another year.  But just knowing how people typically react to a 40th birthday makes me want to start a new (well maybe not) project.  Fabulous at 40.  I think it will be so much fun to do my own mini extreme makeover. There will be NO surgical face lift and NO liposuction and I won’t be changing my style to look like a wannabe supermodel.  It’s gonna be authentic Lisa, new and improved, and sustainable!  YEAH!  Of course this means I’ll have to have a party.  Any reason will do.