The Beauty Thesis : skincare

Showing posts with label skincare. Show all posts

I've been watching Celebrity Big Brother, UK and there is a woman called Alicia Douvall and she really made me think.I look at her and wonder if she sees what I see. I see a woman who can barely move her face and whose eyes seemed surprised as a result of extreme cosmetic procedures. It made me really think when she revealed she had 18 breast augmentations and still needed and wanted more work done.
I wanted lipo for my thighs, and breasts but in the time it took for me to gather the courage, I realised that I was being selfish. Right now there is a woman who's just been told she has breast cancer and I'm worried about looking perky whilst naked. My breasts are small and they don't sit like they used to but I'm getting older every day, I've lost and gained weight and the elasticity in my skin has played a major factor in my flabby bits. If saggy breasts, loose skin and all my other flaws are my greatest problems, I am very blessed and shall quit whilst I am ahead. Sure I may not attract a celebrity or even someone physically good looking, but in the experiences I have had, high profile people and I don't work. All that glitters isn't gold and I would take a simple, humble relationship with comforts of simplicity, than the "you're only dating them because..." That's another post.
What worried me, was when Alicia stated she could not live without her breast implants. She wants to walk in a room and have people want to "f*ck her" rather than be powerful and "fear her" and that is really sad. She has to realise she's more than that; however, have you watched YouTube videos? The beauty gurus used to speak about confidence, embracing flaws, and using makeup to create new looks and feel pretty. Now there are so many young vloggers who are having several cosmetic procedures such as: nose breast, fillers, Botox, and rhinoplasty. There are predominately young gurus under age 30 and have a following of girls as young as ten who look up to them. It's not their job to parent other people's children, but it's hypocritical to promote natural beauty, embracing imperfections and partake in these procedures. If you are blessed with a platform where others are stating, "you're my role model" because you accept your flaws but in reality, you don't it's not fair to misguide others. There's no shame in owning your flaws and having cosmetic procedures, sharing that helps prevent deceit. It's fine to say imperfections are a part of life, but I had a procedure on my nose because I had been telling myself I was okay with it, but in reality each day it makes me feel self conscious. It isn't going to make me perfect, but I want to feel less preoccupied about my nose when meeting people or having interviews and not feeling like my nose is the focal point. I guess that women are our worst critics. We expect others to accept themselves but we comment on their flaws to feel relate-able. Then when they alter their appearance we call foul.
We can't stop ourselves from aging; but, the duck lips, frozen face, and encapsulated breasts make the process more difficult. It seems that it becomes its own addiction and women can't see how they really look. Think about what Big Ang would look like if she left herself alone.
Accepting flaws still has to be done in order to prevent this obsession from becoming a lifestyle. Not one of these women seeking fuller lips have obtained that Angelina Jolie bee stung lip. The more one aims at perfections the further their goal as it's a moving target. All the procedures in the world won't help until one accepts they will never be perfect and we all get old if we're blessed to live long enough.

xo

Beauty: Aging Gracefully

by The Beauty Thesis on 3:10 AM

I've been watching Celebrity Big Brother, UK and there is a woman called Alicia Douvall and she really made me think.I look at her and ...

I wish there was a way to discern whether or not products work prior to purchase. There are samples such as those in magazines, or offered when purchasing online. Sephora do this often; however, there isn't time enough for you to judge the quality and efficacy with a pea sized amount
Recently, I saw an advert on telly about the "beauty graveyard" which is similar to the "products I regret purchasing" for everyday people.
I'm struggling with dry hands right now and it seems that nothing I do is enough. I drink loads of water to the point it's disrupting my sleep; however, I've been using Vaseline, nursing creams, water resistant lotions, etc. They work, but I don't like that my hands look old. I know it's shallow and superficial, but I have long, thin fingers with visual veins, I am happy to have hands, but they look like they belong on someone else's wrists.

I was looking at a quite popular bloggers photos where she was showing her beautiful and luxurious handbag; however, I didn't realise that the hands holding the Celine, were hers! I was shocked as she's quite young, but her hands looked like they were those of the Queen.
Back to the point of this post. I have so many skin care products that made promises to plump, hydrate, minimise pores, eliminate sag, and I've got cleansers which proposed the same.Why not use these on my hands?
Think for a moment, they are mostly meant to be good for the face so they can't be too harsh, and if they are supposed to be meant to assist with the superficial problems with my face, why not try them on my hands?
So many people are using the fillers, injections, etc, but they aren't doing anything to their neck or hands which are tell tale signs of sun damage, dry skin, aging skin and other issues in the beauty realm.
I'm going to give it a go tonight by exfoliating my hands and then using one of my skin creams on my hands and checking back in a few.

xo

Beauty: Repurpose your Products!

by The Beauty Thesis on 10:22 PM

I wish there was a way to discern whether or not products work prior to purchase. There are samples such as those in magazines, or offered ...

great finish right?

I have been experimenting with some of the products I ordered for my skin. I have heard about this Sofina Perfect; however, it was "Sofina Lucent" I was searching for and didn't realize there had been a name change. I wanted a sunscreen that wouldn't add to the oil situation I already endure. I can't stop my quest for the product that will help mattify my skin. I had been using Shiseido, but I can't find it and am not sure if it's discontinued.

I ordered online from bobodave because he offered free shipping and since he's in Hong Kong, I thought that was brilliant as international shipping can get quite costly. To be blunt, shipping can make or break my decision to order online. I was quite impressed at how fast the shipping was. It sailed through customs and although I had done research, I envisioned a larger bottle.

I prefer this packaging over Shiseido's as it has a dropper type tip. That's a good thing because this stuff is like water. I applied it directly to my face thinking it would be similar to lotion. It slid down my face faster than I could retrieve it and didn't stop until it rested on my shirt. No worries, I get ready in my pyjamas. It has a ball which helps mix the product when you shake it. Everything about the product is in Chinese so I didn't read the directions, this was a decision based on reviews of the product on a skin board. It retails for $17.20, which is much less than MAC SPF 50 Prep and Prime and Shiseido SPF 55. With the Shiseido, I find when you wash it off, there is this wretched scent that hits you like a baseball bat, but this doesn't which surprises me as they seem to be identical products. It goes on really well, I put it on after my moisturizer and my skin looks matte, smooth and foundation (for oily skin) didn't skip when I applied it. Many times oil free foundations tend to dry as you're applying it but this went well. As far as keeping the oil away? Sorry but while it's better than many, I still had to blot by 9:00 a.m. just 3 hours after applying. Is it the product or me? Probably me, but that was sort of a let down since I read about people who are oily as well not needing to blot until after lunch when they touched up their makeup. Lucky girls, no joy for me.

Overall, I don't regret the purchase, but I can't say it's going to keep the oils at bay since that wasn't my experience. Again, the transaction was very smooth, this company has a Facebook, blog, and maybe a twitter, they have other products as well, which confused me as not only is there a name change but there are tons of other which might cause problems so I've included the one you want to pick if you decide to give this a go. I would recommend this product for girls who aren't very oily, and it can be used as a primer, but don't expect it to act as a virtual sponge in preventing oil production. Stay gorgeous!

This is the one recommended for oily skin

xoxo

Product Review: Sofina Perfect UV Lucent Sunscreen SPF 50

by The Beauty Thesis on 8:35 AM

great finish right? I have been experimenting with some of the products I ordered for my skin. I have heard about this Sofina Perf...

I think I'll pull my hair out strand by strand if I read, hear or watch another ill informed person tell people how to "eliminate their pores." I've heard it all.
Rinse with cold water to close your pores... Guess what? Pores aren't like doors, they don't open and close.
To seal your pores, use toner...Only if you have them painted on your face can you seal them. That would take polyurethane not toner.
I could go on, but I like to get right to the point. You cannot get rid of your pores without sandblasting your face!!!
There are things you can do to minimize the appearance, but stop buying products aimed at eliminating or reducing the size of your pores. Your pores are part of your skin, and they can be less noticeable if you keep them unobstructed. Your skin gets oily, dirty, etc. and your pores swell. Toners, lemon, apple cider vinegar are ways to give the illusion of shrinking them, but they are still there. There isn't any miracle over the counter product you can use to make them go away.
Don't cry, all hope is not lost. You know the strawberry nose epidemic? The blackheads that form on your nose giving you that strawberry like effect? Those can be eliminated, albeit temporarily. I don't recommend Biore strips. I used to love them until I started buying things from Asia. This is how it started. Wow! I didn't know there was stuff out there that existed, and good on Wendy for being brave enough to put her nose out there. I'm not about to do the same. Though I did try that product and loved it, it's a constant chore for me. Upon speaking with a dermatologist, I need ~~sandpaper~~ at least 2% beta hydroxy acid, salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide on a rotating basis. I was told to avoid these:

(just say no)

Those tools, if not handled properly, will only wreak more havoc on your skin and may lead to scarring. Great, pores, blackheads and scars.

I don't believe using those at home remedies will cause harm to your skin if used in moderation. What I don't want is for anyone to get their hopes set up on spending money to obtain results which aren't possible without a visit to the derm. It sucks, but oily skin is what it is. We produce oil and others don't. Instead of dry, flaky skin, we have a permanent shine and it increases which causes pores to adjust to the collection of sebum/oil. It's life, we all have flaws, but thank God we have ways to ~~photoshop~~ minimize the appearance.

xoxo

Pores no More?

by The Beauty Thesis on 12:52 AM

I think I'll pull my hair out strand by strand if I read, hear or watch another ill informed person tell people how to "eliminate ...

Grr... I finally opened this soap I purchased during the Christmas sale. I had kept it in the freezer because I was quite upset the sales assistant transposed my Honey I Washed the Kids with Sandstone. I wanted a small slice of Sandstone, to try, and a large bit of the HIWTK. I cannot believe I paid $15.05 plus taxes for this crap. I was sold this as a gentle exfoliator and specifically asked if it were gentle enough for sensitive skin. In addition, there was supposed to be a clean citrus scent. I didn't notice it at all. I was basically looking for something to help with dry winter skin sloughing. Well, this soap is like a gel/glycerin bar you see in many bath product stores, BUT, the lower portion is sand. It's not even soft sand, it's like granite. I have felt sand on my feet and this is not like that at all, it's like sand at the ocean. It's so hard on my skin it's painful. I have a right mind to throw it through the store window, ugh! What's more, I am not using it in my bath, but when I used it in the shower, it gave me a bruise, and left sand on my floor board. Great... Sand in the shower. I wouldn't even give this away, but I will cut the sand portion off and use the other 2/3 of the bar because it was so bl**dy expensive. I do not recommend this for anyone under any circumstances. I will also reiterate I buy my products on my own and am not affiliated with anyone; however, I cannot stress enough not to use this on your skin. I use a ped egg on my feet, and I used this after and it was still to rough and my feet are dry. I don't think LUSH should sell this to anyone, but maybe there are people who can benefit from this. I guess if I had to remove paint, or street art from a window, this may help, but it would definitely scratch the glass.