Hola, my beloveds! Musette here, with New Year Resolutions – Beauty Style!
Here’s what is on my Tiny Little Beauty Mind these days. Let’s start with Hair and Skin. Here’s what I am in love with:
1. Biotin. Yep. Biotin (B-7). Along with a regular B-vitamin. Holy mackerolies. Who knew? Vogue knew (I would link you to the March 2012 article but in truth I would have an easier time linking you to the Lost Ark). 5 years of stressing over my business, along with menopause and generally Angry Hair? Honey, that stuff was leaping off my head like it was on fire! In less than 3 years I lost half my hair mass. Yikes! Biotin and that extra B (big on 6 & 12, don’tchaknow) ? I have a nearly full head of hair again. Yahoo!!
2. Hair Stuff. Now that I have my hair back, I have to take care of it, right? No more harsh icky stuff (though it still gets colored. I’m not going grey and you can’t make me!). When I was in NY for Sniffa I chatted with Mindy Yang of MiN New York about their MiN line. She talked about Detox. I was intrigued. I put it on my birthday wish list. My BFFFE got it for me. My hair LOVES this stuff. Click on the link and read the scary info on DHT! Yikes! And hey! Detox has Biotin!
3. Hot Oil . Another ‘must’ for my extra-curly, extra-dry/damaged hair. Easy peas. I use Organic Coconut Hair Oil or Virgin Coconut Oil. I slathered a whole buncho oil on my wet hair (It doesn’t work well with dry – at least not for me) ….but I couldn’t find a shower cap (I KNOW! 47-‘lebben of them from every hotel in the world…but you can’t find one when you need it)….so I did the plastic wrap. Except! I am a moron..who cannot gauge basics like HOW MUCH SARAN WRAP. So I ended up with this little mantilla of a piece of plastic on my head (like the little lace head-veils I used to have to wear to Mass )…luckily we have tons of plastic bags…sigh. sucks to be a moron, let me tell you. But the Coconut Oil is da bomb, baby! What IS it with the Coconut Oil, anyway. 3 years ago I knew nothing about it..except, maybe, you weren’t supposed to eat it/fry with it/breathe around it? Maybe I was under a rock and missed it?. Now I can’t shake a stick without hitting something Coconut Oil. Erika Lyremark at DailyWhip extols taking a tablespoon for its warming capabilities (and she lives in Minneapolis, so she knows from being cold). Seems its the new Wonder Oil!
Skin: So much of what I touted above works on skin as well. Biotin has really helped strengthen my nails (which are considered a form of skin, right? Or is it bones. Either way, it’s working!). And guess what? Doing my nails has helped my self-esteem. Yeppers. Yah, I know. I used to do ALL this stuff but 5 years in a corn silo can really take it out of a girl. Getting back to basics, like hair, nail and skin care…..well, it really does make a psychological difference. I believe that if you take decent care of yourself, you will feel better about yourself…it’s a self-fulfilling care-philosophy)
The Best Cream Ever: MiN’s Complex. Mindy talked about this awhile back in one of the ‘creams’ posts I did ..and I was intrigued….so again with the Sniffa/MiN yappage, we discussed, I got a jar…..wowzers! It takes awhile to get going but once it does….well, my skin is happy as hell! It smells lovely. And it’s blue. I love blue. My skin loves this stuff. It’s lightweight but makes my skin look and feel really smooth without feeling greasy.
Another Great Cream: Whipped Cream Dream from Camille Lee’s Soyphisticated Candles. It’s the perfect topper for winter, replacing my old standby, Prescriptives “Insulation”. I screamed like a 3rd grade girl when they discontinued Insulation. WCDream fills that slot nicely. For $10. Can’t beat that with a stick.
Trappings: I think I said this before…One of my biggies: No More gym clothes, unless I’m working out. It’s little things, like wearing ‘real’ pants, wearing a splitz of lipstick, taking 2 minutes to hit my hair with a curling iron, drinking my coffee from a china cup….little things like that tell me I matter to me – and it makes it easier for me to feel like I matter to others…
Beauty on the Inside:
Settle Down. Yep. It’s a fact, babies, that nothing beats a calm mind. Patty turned me on to Deepak Chopra’s 21-Day Meditation Challenge . The first thing? I did the Moron Thing – again. I spent so much time worrying about the fifteen minuters that I could’ve meditated TWICE! LOL! In all seriousness, it took awhile to get in the groove but once I committed to it (and who amongst us doesn’t have 15 minutes? I waste that much time on Facebook each morning, without fail) it was an amazing journey. Not saying you have to do this particular program, or even meditate. This was my ‘thing’ and it worked for me (and thank you Patty!) but do find SOMETHING that is just for you! That 15 minutes is the one thing that is solely mine. Find something that is solely ‘yours’ and stick with it. You’ll feel a whole lot better, trust me.
Loving Myself. So trite. So true. RuPaul says it best: “If you don’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?” And that’s the whole point of beauty, outside and in. For me, feeling good about myself physically makes it easier for me to want to continue to do things to feel better about myself, which helps me feel confident about having the chops to help others! I have no idea if that makes sense but there ya have it.
You say you want a Resolution…but don’t let Resolutions make you crazy. I thought about starting a running regimen today – because it’s 1January in Illinois! Doesn’t everybody start running in single-digit weather? Especially people (me) who HATE to run? ROFL! After I got up off the floor I realized that the best thing I could do is what I’d planned to do all along. Do a few little things every couple of days to improve my own outlook, and…continue to look outward – nothing makes you look better than feeling better. And helping someone else, even in little ways, makes you feel beeeyouuteeeful! And watch those fashion rags. January is a beast when it comes to judging yourself against others. I spent most of December sitting on my pooter, eating Hershey’s Kisses. And I’m an old broad. So I am unlikely to look like Iman, come 2January – and I’m okay with it. Don’t let the rags make you crazy. No crazy diets. No sudden marathons, when you’ve been on the sofa for the past year. Start small, take a walk, maybe some yoga (my fave). Drink an extra glass of water. Raggedy hair? Get a trim. Fluff up a little but make sure you love YOU. Nobody looks like Iman, not even Iman!! Just do a few things that makes YOU feel better about YOU!
Get some rest. Sleep is the New Sex. I carved out an extra 15 mins for an evening meditation and I swear to Floyd, it makes for a great sleep prep. I cut it out my FB time, figuring the meditation is more important than reading about other people getting things done. Whatever works for you and your time constraints..take a few minutes at the end of the day to unwind and prepare for a good night’s sleep. And a good night’s sleep helps prep you for whatever the world throws you. You’ll thank me in the morning!!!
So those are my resolutions which, come to think of it, are just extensions of my ongoing attempts to live a healthy, productive life that makes me feel good about taking up space on this planet. What do you have planned for YOU, going into 2013???
ooh! forgot the disclosures: this is all my own stuff. The MiN Complex was a gift from Mindy but was absolutely NOT given in exchange for a review. I yarked about all this stuff because I love it. Just like I love myself! Thanks Ru!!!!!
Thinning hair is my bane, so I’m resolving to try Biotin. (I’ve had my thyroid checked, and that’s not it.) Thanks for the tip and hope you and all the Posse have a great 2013!
Hiya, darling A! You’ve got some great beauty recs up there; I need to get on the stick and try some. Thanks! Sending a big New Year hug your way, along with many, many thanks for your sweet generosity!
Hey, babygirl! I hope you had a wonderful New Year’s Eve, red lips and all! Wishing you and yours a wonderful 2013!!! xoxoxoA
Hi Ladies!
Just a thought for those of you losing hair – you might want to get your thyroid checked just to be sure that’s not contributing to your problems. Thyroid issues can cause major hair loss. It’s relatively easy to check and correct.
Happy New Year everyone!
thanks for the 411 on that, Kandice! Happy New Year to you, too! xoxoA
Hi, Kandice, thanks for mentioning that. Thyroid problems too often go undetected. Always a good idea to get it checked at least every other year or so.
Great post to begin the new year, Musette. Have you ever heard the saying, “Begin as you mean to go on” or something like that? Well, that’s what I’m trying for. I’ve started off trying to drink more water, more green tea (which I already love), make sure I get some fruits and veggies every day…all that good stuff that we all know we’re supposed to do. I happen to already take a bunch of vitamin & mineral supplements in the hopes that they will prevent migraines and/or other health problems, and I find that my hair grows very fast. My combo is: Fish oil supplement full of omega 3, CoQ10 supplement, Calcium with Vitamins D and K, Magnesium, and B complex with vitamin C. I’m in total agreement on the meditation thing. My version includes intercessory prayer for others. Things that I’m a fan of but don’t do a lot: yoga, exercise, massages. My aim is to try and increase those. And of course…sniff more scents, try more samples. etc. 🙂
Lofty goals, in a Very Good Way. I’m a fan of intercessory prayer, too. I don’t think meditation works when it’s all ‘me,me,ME’ centric – but that’s just my opinion. Chopra talks about the collective consciousness a lot. I can’t imagine not wanting the same abundance,health,happiness for others, as I wish it for myself.
I have a bottle of CoQ10 supp in the fridge. Need to crack that dawg open!
Happy New Year!!! xoxoxoA
Zits.
I need y’all to tell me how to deal with these mutha fu……these gawt dam…….. er, these doggone ZITS.
I am 49 freaking years old and breaking out like a teenager on my neck and chest and even on my face so bad! A ginger with acne is not a pretty picture, my friends. I really don’t think it’s rosacea, either. I’m sure it’s a last hurrah from my hormones ( I also seem to keep eyeballing these fine brawny 20 year old country boys), but WTF do I do for it??
Help me, Obi-Wan Posse, you’re my only hope!
PS: I was diagnosed with pernicious anemia about 9 months ago and take 2500 mcg of Biotin daily, as well as 1000 mcg of B12. It hasn’t helped with the male-pattern baldness I already had, but it definitely regrew what I lost from being so B12 deficient, and my hair has grown about 6 inches! The straw-like texture I got from having hypothyroid has improved somewhat as well. (Why yes, 2012 was quite interesting health-wise, thank you for asking) My nails are also growing quickly, even though I have always had good nails.
PPS I strongly suggest y’all get your B12 and Vitamin D levels checked next time you have a physical.
Happy New Year to us all!
Hey, tammy! Have you tried blue light therapy? Like many trendy skin solutions, it seems to have a lot of anecdotal positive reviews, but not much in the way of clinical studies. Anyhoo, I’ve got an extra LED doodad (don’t make me explain why I have two of these devices). If you have any interest in checking it out, I’d be happy to send it off to you. Shoot me an email at lisadarty at hot mail dot com, and I’ll give you the low-down dirty details.
Happy New Year to everybody at the Posse!
Holy Cats and Crackers, Tammy! You had a hella year, healthwise, didn’t you! Yikes! I’m awash in B-Vites and will continue to awash meself, thanks to your story! Can’t help with any of this, but Lisa D has some ideas above/below (depending upon where this comment lands)
xoxoxoA
Wow! I am going to buy some B-complex and biotin today. My 54 year old complexion and hair do need extra help. Let’s see, my New Year always seems to begin near my birthday which is in October. Since then I’ve been working out once or twice a week in a gym with a personal trainer. And, because of Alyssa Harad’s book, I became interested in perfumery and in making my own. I have been indulging my inner chemistry nerd by experimenting with essential oils and other stuff. In fact, I followed the Level One workbook by Mandy Aftel. I now have a lot of respect for perfumers because it is not easy to “whip up” something interesting AND beautiful. Following the Perfume Posse and other blogs has been a new form of play for me and has provided a connection I never knew I was missing. The perfume community is very generous with materials and information. It’s been lovely for me. I smell better than ever, too! Well, I’ve got to get ready for work. Best wishes for 2013!
Wow! You went Big in 2012, didn’t you! I tend to do the resolution thing near my birthday, too. Alas, I’m a month older than Jesus so it doesn’t give me much of a head start! Love that you indulged your inner chem nerd. Glad you are enjoying our company – we’re thrilled to have you!
xoxoxoA
Musette, I totally love you.
Coincidentally I started taking B-complex with biotin because I’m having the same issues. My hair is just falling out in clumps. No one else can tell because I have wavy/curly hair on the rare good day and frizzy hair on all the rest. Frizz can hide a lot. I’m pretty sure it’s a combination of stress and hormone hell but I’m hoping things start to balance out and the vitamins kick in. I’d love to get a new hairstyle but until it stops falling out I don’t want anything I need to brush and play with any more than I do now. I too, have been in a bit of a rut and like you I’m trying the baby step plan to get out of it. I was considering trying meditation and now I think I will give it a go. I stopped wearing sweatpants out of the house unless I am going to work out or work in the yard. Which reminds me, it’s been an awfully long time since I’ve seen the gym.
I hope 2013 is good to you and yours.
Poodle, I love you more (and I love that gorgeous glasses-wearin’ dog!). If you have a few simoleans, try the DHT/Detox stuff (they have small sizes, which makes it easy to try). I was asking Mindy and Chad about their hair (each of them could easily lose 50% of theirs and not miss it! LOL!) That’s when she started telling me about the whole Detox line. The biotin is great! The meditation, too – I think it gives the body defense against stress, which is a known killer of hair, among other things….so it’s all good!
Wishing you a marvelous, healthy and happy 2013!!
xoxoA
I don’t make any real New Year’s resolutions. My only real one has been not to order any full bottles of perfume around Thanksgiving or Christmas. It held up pretty well until the day after Christmas when I got $100 worth of gift cards for Amazon. I ordered a 1.7 oz bottle of Lyric for women. The 3rd party seller (I ordered them through Amazon before and was very happy with my order) called me on New Year’s Eve to tell me that they ran out of the 1.7 oz Lyric but could ship me the 3.4 oz and not charge me the difference. I took them up on their offer. I am still confused on why on Amazon listed it as shipped on the 29th and yet the 31st, I was notified. I’m on pins and needles, waiting for this to arrive, not only because I love Lyric and excited to be getting a huge bottle of it, but I am wondering what carded samples that are coming with my order. Sorry to bore everyone with my story.
BORE? Are you kidding? I’m leaping up and down with delight, on your behalf. Report back!!!
xoxoxo
Me, too! I love hearing about things like this!! Not boring at all.
Oooh, very, very cool! Do let us know how it all works out — we’ll be eagerly awaiting your report!
You lucky woman!
Isn’t she? I would’ve fainted dead away..