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the Rite of Aging…early

~ Navigating Rheumatoid Arthritis through Beauty and Nail Art

the Rite of Aging…early

Tag Archives: Johnson’s

October Favorites (Caution: Word-Heavy)

07 Thursday Nov 2013

Posted by MonicawithRA in Reviews

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C.O. Bigelow, Gillette, Johnson's, Purpose, review, St. Ives, TopShop

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When the weather gets cold I cover my head. Hats are my thing. I bought quite a few in my favorite cut? from TopShop. They are thick, warm, soft, and so cute with the little bobble at the top. I already look very young. People think I am 15 years old and these hats just fit: my style, my personality, my look. People always laugh and say “Monica, if anyone could pull off the puff, it’d be you!”

Strangely enough, I hate gloves. I do not like covering my fingers, but my hands get super cold and dry. My happy medium is the fingerless glove! Love love love it! On top of that, my nails always look cool so why cover them up! I only have one pair right now but I ordered a few more and I hope they are what dreams are made of.

My eye make-up remover is Johnson’s Baby Oil with Aloe and Vitamin E. I prefer it over the original formula because of the aloe. It is harder to find as I only get it at Giant Food Store. Before, I applied it to a cotton round and gently rubbed the eyeliner/mascara diagonally down towards my cheekbones. There was too much tugging and I was not removing the eyeliner wedged between the lashes. This technique made my eyes puffier. Now, I apply the oil directly to my fingers and, in a circular motion, rub until all the makeup has run down. There is more slip and my fingers do not tug at the skin.  My eyes are less puffy in the morning, they are less dry and I have no residual makeup! The condition of my eyelashes and skin are better since I am rubbing the oil into that area.

Purpose Cleanser is my in-shower face wash. Whenever I take a shower I always remove my make-up and wash my face. I just want a general plain cleanser to take care of “day-dirt”. I use this on my eyes without stinging but it is not great at removing makeup. I have turned quite a few people on to this cleanser. It is the definition of “non-irritating”.

St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub is part of my routine. I use this for body exfoliation every four to seven days. I love this scrub. It is simple and effective. I only need a little amount per limb. If I use too much product it scratches at my skin but the ratio of cream to scrubbing grains is good. I do not care for the smell but it does not linger. I love the idea of fancy scrubs but for a product that stays on for a couple of minutes, it just seems a waste.

There was a sale at Rite Aid so I decided to try Gillette Satin Care with a Touch of Olay. W.O.W.!! My legs are soft and smooth, even without moisturizer afterwards. I can barely see my pores! It foams nicely and I do not need a lot to cover my legs! The smell is non-offensive as well, very fresh. I do not need to press hard for a close shave and older razors do not drag!

Even before I go outside, my first clue to topsy-turvy weather are my lips. In one night alone they crack, peel and harden (Is it sad the first thing I thought about was the Pokemon, Kakuna???). Nothing fixes them and I have to wear Aquaphor like a second skin to keep them from bleeding. I slather on C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint and it not only protects my lips but repairs them as well! It is a life-saver at work (the climbing gym is not ventilated and the massive amount of hand chalk zaps all moisture as well). The tints come in different colors but there is very little difference between them. However, the lighter color (Magenta Mint) seems brighter when on. The balm is very sticky but does not budge. It is also amazingly shiny and I do not need a lot to coat my lips. By the way, it smells and TASTES awesome. Most of the time I am licking this stuff right off. Beware, there is a bitter aftertaste!

A lot of these favorites are part of my regular routine. I just re-kindled my love for them in new ways!

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

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You’re Ill? Part Two: Facial Regime (Caution: Very Word-Heavy)

19 Monday Aug 2013

Posted by MonicawithRA in Reviews, Skincare

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Bobbi Brown, c.Booth, Johnson's, LUSH, Neutrogena, Pond's, Purpose, skincare

Read the first part of “You’re Ill?” here!

Nobody ever thinks I have dealt with any traumatic experiences. My eyes are bright and crinkle when I smile. My smile is wide and shows off my teeth. My hair is shiny and strong. When something upsets me I grin and bear it. 

Since I do not want people to know that I have an autoimmune the above come in handy. I do not sleep in my contact lenses. I wash my hands and face when I come in from outside. I never go to bed with my make-up on. I keep a schedule for when I exfoliate and use a mask. This might sound extreme but it pays off. In fact, I have been told I seem to be aging backwards. 

The last thing on their mind is that I am hiding an illness.

First off, I wash my face two to three times a day. My favorites: Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Power-Gel Cleanser and Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash. 

Purpose and Neutrogena

I have extremely oily skin so I use Neutrogena Power Gel in the morning and the evening. The other Acne Stress Control products are too drying for my skin. The Gel Cleanser is perfect for keeping my acne at bay all year round.

I use the Purpose Cleansing Gel for mid-day washes. I love this cleanser because there is no fragrance so it is great for sensitive skin and I can use to take of my eye makeup. I always take off all of my make-up after I come home. I live in a very polluted city and all that gunk gets stuck to and under my cosmetics. I never mind re-applying make-up.

Speaking of taking off make-up…

Johnson’s Baby Oil and Pond’s Wet Cleansing Towelettes

At the end of the day I always use Johnson’s Baby Oil with Aloe & Vitamin E to remove my eye makeup. I have tried so many makeup removers and they always leave a nasty residue and dry out my skin. The baby oil dissolves waterproof cosmetics in seconds which means I do not have to use a lot of pressure to remove them. It moisturizes and when I wash my face most of the oily residue comes off. Just a note: I only use this to remove eye makeup.

Some evenings I am too tired or too lazy or too flared up to go through the motions so I use Pond’s Wet Cleansing Towelettes as a quick all-in-one. I always carry two or three in a ziploc baggie in my travel tote. The only thing I do not like is that they do not remove all my make-up even with constant rubbing.

And that insane schedule of yours?

Bobbi Brown, c.Booth and LUSH

Even though I use salicylic acid regularly I still get the occasional acne breakout. I find that if I keep to a schedule instead of treating after the fact, I can lessen the problem. Once a week I use c.Booth’s Deep Cleansing Volcanic Mud Mask. It is very fragrant and can be a little over-powering. I do not mind the smell and it has to be the best mask I have tried. Most mud masks are extremely drying and make my skin flake. This mask dries in about fifteen minutes and does not irritate my skin. This is kind of cool and gross but I can see the oil being drawn out of my skin. At least I know it is working! The only downside for me is that it takes a little muscle to take off. The product gets caught in my hair and I have to splash my face with water a couple of times to loosen it.

Every four days, I exfoliate with two different products. I love LUSH’s Ocean Salt Face and Body Scrub. It has a high fragrance that gives me a headache, but it is so yummy like margaritas! A lot of reviewers say it is a harsh face scrub but I do not agree with that. The salt granules quickly dissolve with the water. I continue to rub the product into my skin because of the oils and lemon. The lemon does an awesome job of brightening my skin because it absorbs immediately into the fresh layer of skin. I also love Bobbi Brown’s Buffing Grains for Face. This is a great exfoliator because I use it with my face wash. It is very easy to regulate how much product I use. The grains get caught in my eyebrows and my hairline but extra splashes of water fix that issue. 

I am not going to lie. When I first started this skincare regime I was pretty wishy-washy. I would not always wash my face or exfoliate on time and some weeks I skipped the mask all together because I did not want to sit for 15 minutes. I could tell the difference in my skin which was exacerbated by my general lethargy and pain level.

When I am in really bad state not even the best skincare regime can hide it but when I can manage a semi-normal state, everyone asks “you’re ill?”. 

 

Hi, I’m Monica and I have RA.

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