April 24, 2020
Dog products since you're probably playing dog groomer, another winning Beauty Pie order, quick fixes for waning lip filler and an update on my quarantine beauty journey.
What to do if you're playing dog groomer, too...
As more and more of us begin to take hair matters into our own hands (I took the clippers to my husband’s head this morning!), you might be eyeing your dog’s ‘do as well. I’m still letting my mobile dog groomer come to (not in) the house because if I don’t I’ll be taking the clippers to Nugget as well. She goes out naked (i.e. no collar or leash), and the groomer and I both wear masks for the hand-off and return. I wish I had a dog I could just bathe without having to blow-dry, and if I did these are the canine coiffeur products I’d be eyeing…
I couldn’t have picked better products for my Beauty Pie order
I placed my most recent Beauty Pie order on March 24, roughly 10 days into our family lockdown. Though my intention while picking products was to get skincare staples I was running low on, it turns out my selections were perfectly suited for this whole quarantine situation.
I didn’t realize then that extra self-/skincare would become part of my daily routine, and I picked the Wonderscrub Bio-Dermabrasion Face Polish because it’s blend of physical and enzymatic exfoliation ingredients seems eerily similar to a product I ran out of a few months ago (and it’s killing me that I can’t remember the brand of specific product). I use this is the shower only on days when I wash my hair so I completely rinse away the volcanic lavaspheres, and I’m getting a lot of use out of it since I’m shampooing more than usual—which brings me to the next product from my recent order…
Now that I’m walking (and sweating) daily, I’m also washing my hair every day. I’ve been working on finishing all of my mismatched shampoos and conditioners, but I knew I’d need a fill-in shampoo until I got through the conditioners. (Why does conditioner always outlast its coordinating shampoo?) I got the Super Healthy Hair Moisturizing Shampoo and it’s awesome.
I’m spending a bit more time in my office these days, and I always have a scented candle going. The Clean House Luxury Scented Candle has become my go-to, and I predict this will be part of my monthly order well beyond quarantine.
Of course I had to throw in one “want-to-try” item that I didn’t really need, and this time it was the Shine Up Lip Colour Balm Stick. In the few weeks I’ve had it, it’s become my lippie of choice for Zoom meetings because it doesn’t look too makeup-y, but it definitely adds a little polish to my minimalist makeup look. Think high shine, a wash of color and lots of moisture…
I’ve already started planning my next order, and I have cleansing balm and another candle in my cart. I still have about 10 days until my spending limit is replenished, so we’ll see what I find myself needing (or wanting to try) in the meantime…
What to do when you're lip filler wears off
It seems a new pandemic-related beauty problem pops up each week… First it was the nails (and trying to figure out how to get gel polish or a dip manicure off), then came the pedicure deterioration. From there, we started to bug about the Botox, and the latest quarantine quandary on my list is my lips.
Under normal circumstances I’d be going for my bi-annual injectable plump-up next month, and it remains to be seen if that will be possible. Although this isn’t very high on my personal beauty worry list (at the moment), quite a few of my friends have asked if there’s anything that can be done at home to maintain their lip filler—and yes, there is.
Conair’s True Glow LED Light Therapy Anti-Aging Lip Care and Lip Plumping Device uses perfectly-safe LED light to stimulate circulation and jumpstart collagen and elastin production, which can definitely improve firmness, smooth lines on and around the lips, and enhance plumpness. It can also help improve the look of melasma and other discoloration on the upper lip—and you only have to use it for three minutes a day. I have to emphasize that as with all at-home devices, you have to commit to using them regularly to see results. I’d say this would probably take four to eight weeks to see optimal improvement, but hopefully we’ll be able to get back to the dermatologist or plastic surgeon by then. Yet if that isn’t the case, you’ll still have a prettier pout!
This is the new normal
Saturday was a pivotal day of my quarantine-beauty journey, as this was the day I finally entered the “acceptance” phase of my personal-maintenance grieving. After thinking and talking about it for way too long (and using my pedi-extension hack twice), I took off my polish, cut and filed my nails and trimmed my cuticles. Then I hopped in the shower, said fuck it and shaved my thighs and bikini line. (You must understand that I haven’t shaved above my knees in more than 25 years with the exception of a handful of “emergencies” that usually involved a potential intimate situation before I got married or impromptu post-nuptial/post-child pool party.) I was due for a wax 4 weeks ago so use your imagination.
Yes, these actions served a real aesthetic need, but they were more symbolic than anything. As a reminder, the stages of grieving include:
Denial: [March 10]: “It’s fine, coronavirus is out there but I go for a Hydrafacial because my skin is freaking out.”
Anger: [Three weeks ago]: “I’m so pissed I didn’t squeeze in that wax last week.”
Bargaining: [Two weeks ago]: “If I’m going to be tending to my personal-care needs for the foreseeable future, I totally deserve to splurge on a few cute lounge sets.”
Depression: [One week ago]: “OMG, I’m going to look like a train wreck when this is all over.”
Acceptance: [Saturday]: “Let’s just get this over with and move on.”
In my particular case, I feel like the “depression” stage is going to be an ongoing challenge. My toes look pretty good (if I may say so myself), and my legs and bikini line are bathing-suit ready now, but once it’s time for the next DIY pedicure, I’m pretty sure I won’t feel as good about it.
For the record, while I may come across as very high-maintenance (which I am), this has all been part of my job for the last 20+ years—but those who really know me this isn’t ALL I’m about. (I backpacked across Europe after college sans pedicure, swapped dirty white tank tops with my bestie for 8 weeks and was just fine.) But right here, right now, I’ve come to realize that I need a pedicure or wax as much as I need to add another handbag to my collection when I’m not leaving the house. (I actually purchased a “Spring/Summer” bag early last month that never had a chance to see the light of day.)
My hair is a different story, but I haven’t reached DEFCON 1 as of yet so I’ll just put on a headband and leave that for another day. I’ll be OK, and we’ll all be OK. This is just temporary, and we’ll all be back to our usual personal-maintenance schedules eventually. Until then, we’ll do what we can—and I’m here to provide tips and tricks that can help all of us feel our best during this crazy time.