Victory Is Mine!

So, remember back when, fueled by childhood memories of my mother's post-shower winter ministrations, I went on that quest to find mineral oil and was completely stumped? Not in the Big Box Store. Not in the drugstore. Not in the lotion aisle. Not in the baby aisle. I even tried a couple of hardware stores, just in case. No dice.

Well, the other day I dropped into a Rite-Aid on my way from Meeting A to Meeting B to pick up some sunscreen, and I stumbled upon a new product from Nivea called Smooth Sensations Body Oil. Main ingredient? Mineral oil. Second ingredient? Some kind of triglyceride. Third ingredient? Avocado oil. And that's it. Victory! If I can't find just-plain mineral oil (and I apparently can't), a product that is approximately 99% mineral oil is the next-best option.

And, y'all, I completely love this stuff. It soaks in to my skin right away, and holds in all that shower moisture still on my skin after toweling. It smells like mineral oil (and maybe a hint of rancid avocado, but it goes away quickly), not like chemical fragrance. My skin is still soft the next day, even! I swear, I've been having fantasies that this must be what having normal skin feels like. My skin is pretty much as smooth and happy as it's going to get. Ever.

My one beef is with the cap on the product: there's a little too much packaging-spillage for my taste. After all, I spent all that time and effort and gasoline looking for mineral oil: now that I've found it, I don't want to waste a single precious drop!

Still, though. I'm thrilled. Now to figure out what the heck a tryglyceride is, and how exactly that's good for my skin.

Scraping and Scrubbing

Back in Ancient Greece, bathing was a social ritual. It wasn't so much about getting clean, because baths were public; it was more about the see-and-be-seen phenomenon that we now experience at swimming pools and beaches. Getting really clean, though, happened after all that soaking in the pool. Getting clean involved rubbing olive oil all over your body, and then scraping off the oil (and the dead skin and toxins!) with a special scraper called a strigil.

Sometimes I wish the oil-and-strigil method were still the order of the day. I love me a good scrubbing, the kind where you can feel that top layer of dead skin scraping off. But since my skin is also painfully dry, the water's inevitable removal of my natural oils is a rather unpleasant side effect of any bathing/showering/washing activity I do.

So I've found a compromise. First I scrub, then I oil.

I know you're not supposed to use scrubs that have big pieces of shell in them because they are too abrasive and actually can scratch your skin... but I really don't care. Because good ole' St. Ives Apricot Scrub feels so good -- so scrubby -- that I use it on my face every single time I shower. My face doesn't feel clean unless I scrub it, gently (not like I'm trying to scratch myself!), with the St. Ives goodness. And even though I've been using this stuff for years, just this morning I noticed a little bit of a sweet-citrusy smell that really helped me to wake up and feel more energized. I checked the back of the tube for ingredients and found some kind of flower extract oil, but I'm not quite certain if that's the source of the deliciousness. Still, it's nice to have a bit of aromatherapy (and refreshing that it's not marketed as an aromatherapeutic product and priced accordingly!) to start off the day.

When I'm feeling really splurgey (maybe once every couple of weeks), I also use Sephora Super Stars Body Scrub (which apparently isn't out anymore, but this link goes to something like it). The scrub has a creamy which smells amazing, and has giant jojoba oil beads and sugar and a ton of other good stuff that gives you a very scrubby-but-not-scratchy clean feeling.

After I've gotten all washed and scrubbed, I have to replenish those lost oils immediately. My solution has, for the last several years, been Aveeno Shower and Bath Oil. I love this stuff. I love the way it feels, I love the way it smells. I love that one bottle lasts for a very long time, and makes me feel like I'm really getting my $7 worth. But I don't so much love the way it gunks up the floor of my tub, and so I think I am ready to start looking for something else. I'd love to hear your suggestions and recommendations.

Baby It's Cold Outside: Response

I've been wanting to do a full-on Lotion post for quite a while, and then Jennie posted about dry skin first. There is just not enough room in the comments for what I need to say on the subject. My dry skin merits its own post, and maybe even its own post label. So, it begins.

I have had a dermatologist since I was eight years old. My skin is crazy-dry everywhere -- flaking off like snow from delicate places like my face and arms, and cracking big ugly caverns in rough parts like my heels and hands. And my lips! With the constant splitting and flaking at the same time! It's not fun.

Anyway, as a result of being dermatologically challenged, I have always been freakishly careful about my skin and its moisture content. I aim to drink twice the recommended eight glasses of water per day (hydrate from the inside!), and I am still constantly dehydrated. I have four bottles of lotion on the back of my toilet (above) -- and more in the medicine cabinet, the cabinet in the other bathroom, a bottle next to my bed, a bottle next to the couch in the den, one in my purse, one at work, one next to the kitchen sink, and more in various other locations throughout the house. These lotions are of various brands, thicknesses, and moisture levels, but they all have two things in common: (a) the a main ingredient is Dimethicone, because that's what the derm said I need, and (b) they are all unscented (I've told you that before).

I also have a little pot of Burt's Bees Hand Salve in my knitting bag, and a tube of store-brand Vitamin A&D Ointment for the really harsh days. You can find "A&D" (as we lovingly called it in my parents' household) in the diaper aisle, because its primary use is for diaper rash. I mostly just put it on my cuticles, but it also comes in handy for minor cuts and scrapes. And one tube of this stuff (approx $3?) lasted my mom twenty years. (And I inherited my skin from her. Thanks a lot, Mom.)

The other product recommendation I picked up as a result of inheriting my mom's dry skin issues is mineral oil. Slather it everywhere you can reach. It doesn't sound very glamorous, but it works better than anything else. Unfortunately, I've been living in the South for five years and have not been able to find mineral oil in the stores anywhere. I've looked. I've made special trips. I've searched various unexpected sections, like the baby section, and the automotive section, and the do-it-yourself-plumbing section, all to no avail. Apparently they don't believe in mineral oil down here.

One thing that has been nice about living in the South is that winters aren't nearly as harsh as where I come from (the Midwest) or where I'm moving next week (Vermont). It mostly just rains here in the winter, and "winter" doesn't even start until mid-January anyway. But my skin freaks out every mid-November anyway, because somehow my body just knows that it's time. I am such a Midwestern gal at heart.

This morning was the first time I'd showered in at least three days (hot water is drying! and I always smell like roses anyway). I took extra-special care to pay attention to my skin routine, so I could share it with all of you. So here you go:

Normally, I use a washcloth to exfoliate, but I forgot to grab one before I got in the shower. That's okay, because I'm trying to use up my Store Brand Apricot Scrub before I move anyway, so I scrubbed lightly with that (careful with this stuff, walnut shells can be really harsh on skin if you rub too much). After I rinsed off, I turned off the water and put on my Aveeno Shower and Bath Oil. I took the opportunity to clean the shower a little bit, then rinsed and patted dry, just like the directions say to do. I put about a fingerful of Pond's Dry Skin Cream on my face.

Then came the real moisturizing. I always begin by lotioning up my hands thoroughly, so the skin on my hands doesn't absorb all the lotion I want to put elsewhere. This time, I used Vaseline Intensive Rescue Moisture Locking Lotion. Again with the using up products before moving. I like this stuff probably better than any other moisturizer I have right now, and the ginormous bottle is so close to empty that I've taken off the pump and have to whack it against my hand to get anything out. I'm committed to this stuff.

Today I started the moisturizing process with my legs (I usually do, but not always). I squeezed a generous dollop (about the size of a Pocahontas Dollar, maybe a little bigger) of Jergens natural glow Daily Moisturizer (for Fair Skin) into my hand, and slathered it all over my right leg. Then I took another generous dollop of lotion for my left leg. By the time I finished my left leg, my right was completely dry again. So I repeated the process, right leg, left leg, generous dollops for each one.

Then it was time for arms and torso. Four full pumps of Jergens Skin Smoothing Cellular Renewal Moisturizer each. About four more pumps for my front torso. Three for my back (since I can't reach the whole thing anyway). Two more for each arm, and a extra one just for my shoulders and neck... and by then my legs were bone-dry again, so two more full pumps for each leg. And three more for my front torso again; two more for my lower back.

I'm not kidding. I am that dry.

I put about one and a half pumps of Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15 all over my face, ears, and neck.

I sat down on the bed and did my feet: one nickel-sized blob of Curel Fragrance Free Moisture Lotion for each foot, twice (because by the time I finished my left foot, my right foot was dry again, of course).

Finally, I washed my hands (they'd been footified) and relotioned them, using Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion. And drank a glass of water (hydrate from the inside!).

I'd say the entire process took about 40 minutes. And people wonder why I'm late to everything. They don't believe me when I say "I was putting on lotion." So yeah, I get my own label for that.

Do Good While You Travel!

I'm not a person who travels much.

Don't get me wrong, I love to travel. I'd travel all the time if I had the time or the money. And there have been times in my life when I did have those things, but the last five years or so have not been those times.

But I have been traveling quite a bit lately. I've flown up to Burlington, VT twice in the last month, because I was being courted for a job up there (which I've accepted, and I'm moving in 3 weeks!). I've stayed in a lovely local hotel up there, and in an, um, acceptable Days Inn. Each trip was three or four nights at a time. On someone else's dime, thankfully.

(Side note: that Days Inn put two "eye makeup remover towelettes" in my bathroom every day, but there was no iron in the room. Makes me wonder who they think their customers are. And I was counting on having an iron, dang it. No, I did not try the towelettes.)

I am one of those people who does not use the hotel toiletries. I prefer to travel with my own, even though it's a pain in the neck these days. Three-ounce bottles, one-quart zip-top bag, blah blah blah. Grrr! Still, I'm not inclined to leave my hair to the hotel toiletry fates when I'm traveling for a job interview. That's just not smart.

But I still take the hotel toiletries home with me.

That's right, I stockpile them, even. I squirrell them away in my suitcase so the maid has to replace them. I sometimes stop by the front desk and ask for extras, even though there are usually more little bitty soaps in the room than I would ever need in the first place. I bring my own toiletries and use them carefully so I can throw away the container the morning I'm heading home... in order to make room for the hotel toiletries I'm stealing.

See, those tiny soaps and bottles of shampoo, while I'm not going to use them, can be used by somebody. My church collects them to donate to a local homeless shelter, to go into "toiletry kits" for people living on the streets. It's possibe to donate directly to a shelter and bypass the middleman, but my church makes it easy: I'm going to church anyway, whereas I'm not necessarily going to go out of my way to swing by the shelter as I'm riding back into town. And voila, I've done something good for someone who needs it, all by saving something I wouldn't have used otherwise.

If you are a person who travels a lot, or you know someone who does, do a little research about resources for the poor and homeless in your area. Find a church or community center that makes it easy to donate your unused hotel toiletries. If you belong to some kind of House of Worship, ask whoever is in charge of outreach/mission work to do a little research on the congregation's behalf, and put out a collection bin every week to accept donations.

Use your traveling to do some good for your fellow human beings. Everybody needs to wash their hair. Not everybody has the money for a giant bottle of shampoo -- or a place to store it. I went to Burlington, VT this weekend, and bought a house. And now there will be three more people in Atlanta (without houses) who can, at the very least, wash their hair a couple of times.

Damn The Man and His Ploys! Or, I hate buying deodorant

I will begin by saying that I am a very bad blogger and I just-plain FORGOT to take pictures for this entry. I had all good blog-journalistic intentions for my mission, thinking up fun and interesting things to say about my experience of shopping for deodorant, and completely forgot to take any photographs until I was in the check-out line -- at which point, it's a little awkward to say "I'm sorry, I forgot to do something" and run back to take surreptitious cell phone pictures of the deodorant aisle. I think that kind of thing might get you kicked out of your friendly neighborhood Red-And-White-Vaguely-Archery-Themed Big Box Retailer.

With that in mind, I would just like to say that shopping for deodorant can be a mind-numbingly frustrating experience. It makes you forget the things that are Really Important. Like taking pictures for your blog.

Okay, the thing about deodorant is that... well, let me back up. The thing about underarm stink is that there are actually two completely separate sources of the smell we associate with the Dread Monster Body Odor. The first Source of Stink is our own pheromone-y sweat, which our body produces in times of hormonal "high stress" like when we're having sex. There's really not much we can do about this source, unless we want to stop having sex. Or hormones. And really? Anybody who's that close to you shouldn't have a problem with that smell, or they have no business being that close to you in the first place.

The second Source of Stink is the bacteria that live in our armpit skin. Yeah, it's too gross to think about much. But the bacteria is what you're combating when you put on deodorant. Deodorant doesn't actually kill the bacteria, it just prevents the bacteria from producing odor as quickly as it normally would (this is why you smell by the end of the day, no matter how much deodorant you've put on in the morning). So, like all kinds of bacteria, eventually the little guys living in your armpits (ew) get used to your deodorant, and the product becomes less effective.

This usually happens when you're about two-thirds of the way through a stick. Deodorant companies know this. Don't think they don't! They totally package their product so you buy more than you can use before it stops being effective. And then you throw it away because it "doesn't work anymore," and you go out and give the deodorant companies more money. Deodorant is made by The Man!

The solution, of course, is to go out and buy a different kind of deodorant. The little bacterias get all confused and stop being stinky for a while, until you're about two-thirds of the way through the new stick -- and then you can switch back to your old deodorant, which you didn't throw away, thereby beating The Man at his own game.

So there I was in the deodorant aisle. Not only had my armpit bacteria gotten used to my current product, but I had also maybe dropped said product in the toilet. I could not remember which brand I currently use, except that it's blue and starts with an S (which could be Secret or Suave, you know). I started looking at everything that wasn't blue and/or started with an S, and there were still a LOT of options.

Okay, so I like Ban a lot. But there were no Unscented sticks to be found. And HI! I have sensitive skin and I'm not putting fragrance on it. And also? Why in the world would I want to smell like Powder Fresh or Summer Rain or Baby Puppy Fuzz or something like that? It's not any better than smelling like Underarm Bacteria, and Underarm Bacteria is what my underarms actually smell like! I want the Dread Monster Body Odor to go away, not to morph into the Dread Monster Some Other Kind of Chemically-Manufactured Odor.

The Degree section had the same problem. Too smelly. Am I strange for thinking that a product whose sole function is to make smell go away shouldn't smell?

The Dove section looked particularly attractive. But, at $3.44 for one (or a two-pack for $7 -- do retailers think we're actually stupid enough to pay MORE for two wrapped together than we would for two individually packaged? When we know the product will stop working when we're two-thirds of the way through the first one?), it's not the best deal. There are less expensive options out there. AND! There is a new Dove product, called Pro-Age ("Because Beauty Has No Age"), and as far as I can tell it's the exact same product as their regular deodorant (same exact ingredient list, except that one product is in a slightly different place in the order, which means there's a little bit more of it). Marketers seriously think older women are going to buy this product just because you wrap it in burgundy plastic instead of white, and give it a different slogan? Also, it was the same price as the regular Dove, and I'm not going to encourage The Man in His thinking that I'd buy it because it's a different color package. Duh.

My eye wandered. To the very bottom shelf. To the Tom's of Maine. Ohhh, beautiful "natural" deodorant. How I do wish I could afford to spend nearly $5 on a product that promises to be completely ineffectual.

And then? I found it. Right next to the Tom's of Maine. The $2 version of the same idea. "Natural" deodorant. Aluminum Free. Paraben Free. And NOW Alcohol Free! Really, I'm pretty good about taking care of my health, but my deodorant is one place where I'm generally a shirker. And given the recent links between Alzheimer's and a high aluminum content in the brain, going aluminum-free can only be good for me. There is a tiny bit of fragrance, but it's not a generic Horrible Deodorant Fragrance, it's just a mild aloe-y fragrance, because there is actual aloe in the product. And vitamins A and E! Because there's nothing like absorbing your vitamins through the skin of your underarms. And the company's website makes them look like they're one part homegrown hippie co-op and one part Sketchy Pyramid Scheme. (And the product is $2 in the store, but $6 on their site. Hm.) I'll let you know if it works. If not? It was only $2. I don't feel like The Man is really taking advantage of me if I only use $1 worth. Besides, The Man didn't make this one, some other guy did.

Meet Diversey!

Finally, my introduction. I'm Diversey, of the long-dormant Diversey Stinks. I'm sure the entire readership knows my real name, but really, what's the point of having a blog if you can't go by a fun nickname?

I'm not high-maintenance by any means. I just love product. I'm also a sampler, and my tastes change as often as my socks. It's more expensive than product loyalty, but also much more fun.

My current rituals and rotation are:

Face: My skin is probably combination, possibly sensitive. I occasionally get breakouts, but I'm more concerned about the enormous and constantly clogged pores on my nose. They're not particularly ugly or bothersome, and I can spackle over them with some primer with no ill effect, but I'm still fixated on figuring out how to ungunk them. I've put everything on my face from apple cider to milk of magnesia (olive oil is next), and in the meantime I entertain fantasies about tiny vaccuums and microscopic construction workers with minuscule shovels to dig the stuff out.

Until I find a product with magical pore-digging powers, I am using Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Anti-Blemish Cleanser on some days, and generic Cetaphil on other days, not because I like it but because it's what I happen to have with me. I wash my face only once a day, twice if I really need it, and I don't currently do much in the way of scrubbing or toning. And, although I know it's a beauty crime, I haven't been moisturizing either. I apologize. But when I do moisturize, I have used JASON 5,000 IU Vitamin E Creme every winter for years, and I use Aveeno Ultra-Calming Daily Moisturizer in all other seasons.

Body: I usually have at least six shower gels and soaps in rotation in my shower at any given point. My only requirement is that they smell good; I prefer shower gels because the scent doesn't fade. For all-purpose, moisture-style washing, Olay Ultra Moisture Body Wash works well for me. Instead of scrubby gels, I use this thing that looks like a toilet brush or bath gloves; both are fantastic. I can't tolerate shaving my legs with anything with less than 3 blades from Gillette. Seriously, I've tried everything else.

I keep swearing never again to buy lotion with a strong fragrance, because sometimes you need lotion but not stinkiness, but occasionally I falter. The greatest lotion ever is Gold Bond Ultimate Healing, though I do really like The Body Shop's Brazil Nut Body Butter. Scented dry oil sprays and Lush massage bars are excellent for getting soft and fragrant right after a shower.

Hair: I try to do as little with my hair as possible. Unfortunately, this often means I am three months overdue for a haircut. My ends tend to dry out, and the roots of my hair are almost always darker than the ends, even though I haven't dyed my hair in over a year.

I swear by Suave products, particularly the Daily Clarifying Shampoo and the Professional series conditioners. They work as well as anything else I've put on my head, and they're dirt cheap, which is important if I'm going to dump a handful of conditioner on my head every other day. If I feel like a splurge, I like Redken All-Soft Heavy Cream (which, like Jennie, I also will use as a daily treatment) and Rusk Sensories, particularly Full shampoo and Calm conditioner. Clinique used to make a shampoo that I loved, and that smelled amazing despite being fragrance-free, but it's discontinued and I miss it.

I never blow-dry and I dislike styling, but if I have to I'll bust out a ceramic flat iron and whatever silicone anti-frizz product happens to be the cheapest, because they're all essentially the same. My current bottle is from Got2B, though I think Garnier makes a good product, but really, just go poke around the drugstore and compare ingredients and prices and volumes.

Make-up: Oh lordy. I own so much of it, but rarely wear it on a daily basis. For my face, I like tinted moisturizers with SPF; Neutrogena and MAC both make ones I really like. Maybelline Pure Makeup offers a little more coverage, but still looks natural. I'm still searching for the perfect heavy-duty full-coverage makeup that doesn't make me look chalky.

I don't use primer very often, though I own both Smashbox Photo Finish and Laura Geller Spackle. Since I don't wear heavy foundation, I don't see the need for it.

I do, however, love Clinique Pore Minimizer Instant Perfector for filling in those aforementioned nose pores. Often I can get away with just this and no makeup.

And this is another one of my crazy household tricks, but I swear that a very light dusting of plain cornstarch is just as good as any translucent powder for matteness. If you look at the ingredients list of something like Bare Minerals Mineral Veil, you'll see that cornstarch is the first ingredient. See? I'm not crazy, and I just saved you eighteen bucks.

I don't use blush particularly often, since my cheeks are pink enough anyway, but like just about everyone else in this world I own Nars Orgasm and have to admit that I like the way it looks on me.

Lipstick never lasts particularly long on me, so I prefer stains. A tiny dab of LORAC Sheer Wash does the trick for me. I prefer lip stains to be water-based rather than gel-based, and closer to brick red than pink red, so it's hard for me to find a stain that matches my specifications. If I need something less sheer, I'll go for one of those long-lasting lip products that have the tube of special gloss included. You know what I'm talking about. Cover Girl is as good as anything in this field. I own about eight hundred lip glosses and balms in various colors, so I'll skip that entirely. That's an entry for another day.

Eye makeup, however, is my true weakness. I own, at last count, at least thirty MAC eyeshadows, though if you're looking for a cheap bit of color I recommend Milani or Sally Girl shadows. Larenim makes some gorgeous, sparkly eye colors that have to be seen to be believed. Ben Nye and Kryolan are also fantastic; look for them in professional costume supply stores, or check out the lovely Shrinkle on Ebay for Kryolan products and fabulous false eyelashes.

If you are going for a look using a lot of eye color, Urban Decay Primer Potion is a must. I used to think, "eyeshadow primer, pfft, just another product I don't need," but believe me, it really is a must. Colors are much brighter and stay put much longer. If you prefer a more subtle, natural eye, you can skip the primer, but if you do have electric blue shadow and want to do it justice, get the Primer Potion.

(Though if you're the type who just wants to dab something sheer on with your finger and be done with it, you will be very happy with MAC Rubenesque Paint Pot. I love this stuff.)

With all the eyeshadow I own, you'd probably think I go for insane ultra-lengthening-thickening mascara, right? Not quite. The same DNA that has given me embarrassingly dark arm hair and straggly hairs on my toes is responsible for my naturally long eyelashes. They just need a little bit of darkening, for I have the same blond lash tips as Izzy Willy-Nilly. (Come on, you totally read that book in middle school.) So, for the one-legged teenager in you, Neutrogena comes through once again with their Clean Lash Tint. I'd recommend a thicker mascara, but do you guys really need one?

Eyeliner has usually taken a backseat to eyeshadow for me, but I still own plenty of it. I like a gray, bronze, or burgundy shadow for subtler looks, and reserve black for bolder looks. I have no brand preferences for eyeliner pencils, though I far prefer the twist-up variety to the traditional kind that needs a sharpener. If you're handy with a brush, try MAC Fluidline, which stays on for days, or Urban Decay Liquid Liner. Or just get a skinny brush and try one of your eyeshadows wet.


Fragrance: Suffice it to say I own a lot, and the details of my entire collection will certainly emerge in posts to come. My current favorites are Frederic Malle Lipstick Rose, L'Artisan Dzing!, Demeter Lychee, Arrogance Mix Litchi Almond, Kiehl's Original Musk (the oil, not the EDT), and Creed 2000 Fleurs.

I'm also a fan of body sprays from Bath and Body Works and Victoria's Secret. What can I say? Old habits die hard.

...And I've only scratched the surface. There's more to come. Lots more.

Meet HolyKnitter!

Hi. For now, my name is HolyKnitter, but in another month or so I can tell you my real name. See? I already have you on the edge of your seat!

My skin is insanely dry. You have no idea. Insert future post here.

My hair is fine, but it grows in thick. It's naturally big-curly, but also easy to straighten (I'm the luckiest woman in the world in this one area). Not color-treated at the moment. Fairly frizzy, but I'm learning how to "encourage" the frizz to join the rest of the curl, and it seems to be obeying me pretty well now that I'm finding the right product routine. I shampoo every 2-3 days in the summer, and every 4-5 in the winter.

My daily routine looks like this:

Face: in the morning, Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15; at night, Ponds Dry Skin Cream.
Eyes: Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado

Lotion: oh, darlin', I buy whatever's on sale. I probably have 20 bottles and tubes of lotion in my house. Like I said, it's its own post. I'm partial to Aveeno, Curel, and Vaseline Intensive Care, but also have some Suave and Lubriderm and Jergens in the mix. The two common elements are (a) Dimethicone is a major ingredient (future posting); and (b) they're all fragrance-free. Smelly lotion makes me feel nauseous (nauseated? I can't remember which one is correct) and irritates my skin.

In the shower: I don't use soap. I do use a washcloth. I use St. Ives Apricot Scrub on my face, sometimes my feet and elbows, too. In the winter I finish up with Aveeno Shower and Bath Oil. I shower as little as possible, and I take a bath about once every six months, if it occurs to me.

Hair: I begin with a dandruff shampoo (me! dry!), either Neutrogena's scary-looking orange T/Gel Shampoo, or Head and Shoulders. (Neutrogena also makes a H&S equivalent, T/Gel Daily Control, and that's what I'm actually using right now. I had a coupon. I would definitely buy it again for full price.) Then my "rinse and repeat" 'poo is Pantene Colour Expressions Red Shampoo. I've got really strangely-colored hair, but there is some natural red in there and I like to bring it out. Also, the scary Neutrogena stuff smells bad, and the Pantene smells good! For conditioner, I use Pantene HydraCurl, which apparently isn't on their website, so I'm wondering if they still make it (eek! not the Search for the Perfect Conditioner again!), and glad I bought an extra bottle last time it was on sale. Occasionally, I use Bumble and Bumble Deeeeep Conditioner, but I usually forget it's there. Ideally, I'd remember it about once every 3 shampoos. After I'm out of the shower, I use Kiehl's Panthenol Protein Hair Conditioner Softener while it's still wet, and comb through once with a big pick or a wide-toothed comb. If I've showered before bed (this is ideal), I just go to bed at this point, and in the morning I use a combination of John Frieda FrizzEase Secret Weapon Flawless Finishing Creme and Bumble and Bumble Brilliantine (maybe with a drop of Bumble and Bumble Anti-Frizz serum, too). If it's morning, I either leave it alone after that (the I'm-in-a-rush option), or I use Bumble and Bumble Curl Creme and use roller clips to make pin curls and let my hair dry curled up. I do not blow dry. Blow-drying is Of The Devil for curly hair like mine.

Makeup: I subscribe to the "if you don't put it on, you don't have to take it off" school of makeup. IF I wear anything at all, it's usually:

Eyes: Neutrogena Weightless Volume Wax-Free Mascara in Brown Black; one of several brown eyeliners; one of several highlighting eyeshadows; Eliza's Eyes Eyebrow Shaper/Gel.
Face: BareEscentuals Mineral Powder; when I'm feeling especially fancy, BeneFit Dandelion blush
Lips: Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Lip Therapy. There's more here, but this is also a post in itself. Maybe several.

I take it all off with Kiehl's Supremely Gentle Eye Makeup Remover. And water. And a washcloth.

A washcloth, you ask?
What can I say? I'm an old-fashioned gal like that.

Meet Jennie!

I have dry skin but my face likes to break out anyway (not to mention the fine lines that are starting to appear).

My hair is also dry, color treated, and frizzes easily. I only wash it every other day.

Sweet things smell rancid on me.

I love a good bubble bath.

My daily favorites:

Face: Liquid Neutrogena, Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle, Anti-Blemish scrub, Clean and Clear Persa-Gel 10, Olay Age Defying Anti-Wrinkle SPF 15 Lotion, and Olay Age Defying Anti-Wrinkle Replenishing Night Cream. (Both the Olay moisturizers are oil-free but super hydrating. Perfect.)

Lotion: Vaseline Intensive Care Active Firming. (Not sure if the firming part works, but it makes my skin soft, smells good, and is affordable.)

Make up: I haven't settled down on things yet, but, I like Covergirl TruBlend, Covergirl Original Pressed Powder (smells like my mom) and Colorstay 12 Hour Eye Shadow (it comes with a diagram telling you wear to put the different shades! I need that kind of help!)

Hair: Redken Color Extend Shampoo, Redken All Soft Heavy Cream (yes, I know this is a deep treatment. Yes, I use it daily. I told you my hair was dry.) When I use product, it's all about keeping things sleek: Redken Ultra Straight Balm, Redken Vinyl Glam, or Giovanni anti-frizz. (Their website is weird.)

Perfume: Chanel No. 5 but when I need something lighter, GAP White (do they still make that?)

In the tub: Anything from Lush that's glitter free (stay tuned for that story).