I have running conversations in my head about everything. Generally they seem to kick-start my mornings, and this morning was no exception. This morning's topic?
Skimping. Financially, I mean. We all want to look our best, but if the budget's tight, you have to be willing to cut, cut, cut. And so I started analyzing my own cuts--Where are they? How big are they? Are they effective?
I began pulling out my skin and hair care products onto our bathroom sink. Talk about all over the map! I have everything from Neutrogena purchased at Target to hair care items my sister-in-law (my hair stylist) recommends from Beauty Supply stores (the really good stuff!) So I separated skin care from hair care and gave everything a good once-over:
I'm not too unhappy with what I see here, I gotta say! My mother-in-law is an esthetician, and she turned me onto Dermalogica products. I now officially cannot live without the Dermalogica Active Moist moisturizer. When I try (I have tried, because it's pricey considering I'm not working at the moment), my skin sinks into a deep, dark depression. Then I have to get my m-i-l to give me a facial (it's like Prozac for my skin!) and things get on the right track again. I hate to sound like a commercial, but Cetaphil really is recommended by dermatologists (and my mother-in-law!) The pH levels in other department store cleansers (read: cleansers in my budget) are usually too acidic. Since I started using it, my skin is soooo much better! Speaking of Cetaphil--if you go to their website, they have $1 off coupons toward any of their products! (www.cetaphil.com)
The only skincare item I have that didn't come specially recommended to me is the Clean & Clear Morning Burst scrub. I found that little gem all by my lonesome, and I love it!
The most frivolous skin care item I have? That would be the bottle of Mystic tan spray on the left. My spray tan applicator? Mr. Wonderful himself. Somehow with that bottle of self-tanner in his hand he develops a french accent. This truly is a splurge for me. I don't have to buy it that often, but when I do, it's painful! The truth of the matter is, I don't have that pretty fair skin some people have. When I don't have any kind of a tan, I just look like I'm getting over the flu! So in order not to scare small children on the street, I tend to keep a bottle of Mystic around. :)
My haircare products were a simpler assessment:
My hair. A lifelong battle, uphill all the way. I am not exaggerating--I have the thickest, coursest, most unruly hair of anyone you know. I know this, because every hair stylist I have had over the years has made multiple comments about it. They've called out to their coworkers "Hey, Jane--come look at this girl's hair." They dread seeing me come in, because they don't want to have to stand over my head for 30 minutes with a hair dryer. Yes, that's right. It can take that long. Finally years ago I began to have pity on them, and unless it's freezing out, I say "Never mind, I'll just let it air dry." You can see the relief in their faces.
I can honestly say that the only time I ever feel good about my hair is when I am walking out of my sister-in-law Jenna's salon and she has just dried and straightened it. Then I feel like a million bucks. The other 99% of my life is spent in getting up in the morning, seeing the tangled mass on top of my head, sighing, and pulling it back in a bun. On the occasions when we are going out, I spend a lot of time on my hair, but only feel somewhat satisfied with the result when I'm finished. Something that's definitely helped is the U-Smooth straightening iron you see above. This thing is an industrial strength straightener. Where there was thick, fuzzy, wavy and unruly, this little gem leaves my hair shiny, smooth and relatively flat. Jenna turned me on to it when even a CHI did nothing for my hair. It was a Christmas present this past year and I treasure it! When used in combination with my Kenra heat styling spray...I almost feel as good about my 'do as when Jenna's just done it. (Almost, but not quite!)
And of course I have to mention the Unite 7 Seconds conditioning spray. When you have hair that likes to tangle like mine, this product is truly a miracle. Even with the use of a good conditioner my hair is a tangled mess when I step out of the shower. I spritz my hair with Unite, and literally seconds later, the tangles just...fall out. It's incredible. My arm used to get so tired fighting tangles that I wanted to give up and walk away!
It did make me laugh a little this morning because I learned something: I am so much more willing to spend $$ on hair care products in an attempt to tame the beast on my head than anything else in my regimen. I go without manicures for months (they are now relegated to special-occasion only), only shop sale racks for clothes and have never been that into shoes or handbags. But somebody would have to pry my U-Smooth straightener out of my cold dead fingers before I'd give it up!
So, tell me: What's in your medicine cabinet/closet that you can't live without? Where do you skimp when it comes to your beauty regimen?
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