High Maintenance?

For those of us on a budget, it’s hard to go without certain things in our beauty regimen. When you are trying to cut back and save money, or just plain broke, it’s almost impossible to give up certain items. It would be so much easier to be a guy, I think. The average dude, on a daily basis use: a bar of soap, shampoo, cologne, deodorant, and an electric shaver, or shaving gel and a disposable razor. Some will use a little hair gel or hairspray, but not many.
I started to think about all the beauty products I use and can’t live without. It’s insane! Let’s start with the first steps to my day. I get in the shower and use a mild cleansing scrub such as Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle Scrub, $6.50. Then I move on to shampooing and conditioning my hair. I prefer a salon brand product such as Brocato (for you Parra), but usually end up using something from the store. I like L’Oreal Vive Pro Nutrigloss Shampoo and Conditioner, $4.99/a piece. For my body wash, I like Dove Body Wash Crème, $8.49. You have to have a loofah for that. You can pick those up for a $1.00. If I am shaving that day, I like the BIC Soleil razors, $6.99 for a 4 pack. My shave cream is Skintimate Moisturizing Cream Shave, $3.49. Now I must brush my teeth. I use Colgate Luminous, $3.49.
Now I’m out of the shower, with just shaved legs, I’ll use some lotion on them, or baby oil. I will only use lotion from Bath and Body Works or Victoria’s Secret. My favorite right now, Bath and Body Works Black Amethyst body lotion, $10.50. Baby oil is super cheap and is used for more than just freshly shaven legs. I also use it to remove eye makeup and keep the skin around my eyes moisturized and soft. I also use petroleum jelly for that (great for dry feet after a bath, too). Chalk up $2.00 more dollars for that. Now I put on deodorant. I love Secret Flawless solid, $4.99.
My face care is next. I am the girl who could go in Sephora (www.sephora.com) and spend HOURS upon HOURS. I love skin care and makeup. Oh, man this is where it all gets insanely tricky. Most of the time my skin is really acne prone and I’m forever battling blemishes. The only thing that seems to work is Proactive at about $30.00 for the cleanser, toner, moisturizer, acne mask, and oil control lotion. It’s a great deal, I think. But I have to take a break from it from time to time. I try to use just an oil free daily moisturizer like Neutrogena, $7.99. But now that I’m in my 30’s, I’m thinking about trying Bare Escentuals RareMinerals Purely Nourishing Facial Moisturizer, $32.00. I’ve heard it is excellent and I’ve used the cleanser in that line.
Makeup. Sigh. Love make up. My ultimate favorite that I can’t live without: Bare Escentuals. You can get a great “getting started kit” at Sephora for $60.00.
What this kit includes:
- 0.06 oz bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation in Medium
- 0.06 oz bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation in Medium Beige
- 0.06 All Over Face Color in Warmth
- 0.06 oz Mineral Veil
- Full Flawless Face Brush
- Flawless Application Face Brush
- Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush
- a How-to instructional DVD
- BONUS - Exclusively for SEPHORA : 0.05 oz Prime Time Foundation Primer
Fabulous, fabulous stuff. Their eye shadows, Warmth, Mineral Veil, and blushes last forever! The brushes are top of the line and awesome. Not a bad deal. My mascara is usually whatever sounds good. I change every time I buy something new. You have to figure about $8.00 for that, $7.00 for eyeliner. I don’t use much lipstick, just gloss. I like all the Victoria’s Secret lip glosses at 2 for $10.00.
Hair Care: Since I have blonde, highlighted hair, it tends to look dry at times. The first thing I put on my hair is Kenra Platinum Silkening Gloss, $14.45. I am addicted to this stuff and the smell is yummy. Next I use Brocato Volumizing Spray on my roots. I get this from sister so I have no price. I also use Brocato Hair Spray and a Shine spray when my hair is done. I’m sure these three products retail for around $25.00 or $30.00. Sometimes I use more product than this, but this is just an average day.
Now that my makeup is on, my hair is done, I might use some perfume if I don’t think my yummy Black Amethyst lotion is enough. Everyone knows a good perfume is anywhere from $45-$85. They usually last quite a while though.
After adding all that up, that is about $315.00 worth of products. If I had to start all over from scratch, I would have to go out and spend that much money just to get to the point where I can get ready on a daily basis. Does this make me high maintenance? I think of all the girls out there that get pedicures, manicures, nails, facials, massages, waxing, hair treatments and coloring, and go tanning. Not to mention Botox and cosmetic surgery! The price of beauty and feeling good about one’s self is not cheap! I haven’t even explored talking about clothes and they are just as much of part of our beauty as our makeup and hair. Shoes, jeans, dresses, shirts, bras, and panties, oh my!
I know I’m not that high maintenance. Not that I don’t want to be at times (who doesn’t love spending money on yourself?). I don’t know how women do it, honestly. No wonder husbands complain!

It will be as though I never existed....

Those words are haunting when I think about the actual story of New Moon. Edward must leave Bella, the love of his life, and these are the words he tells her. Sad. Tragic. Heartbreaking. But so not true.

Man, if only my ex-husband said those words to me when he left me for someone else! It would be great to never have to think of him! Who is with me? As much as we try to forget, are the people who leave your life every really forgotten? Can they be? (By the way, I can't get rid of him cause we share a kid, not because I'm still in love with him. Just wanted to make that CLEAR!!!)

Every person in your life is there for a reason and they all leave their own personal footprint on the path of your soul. I don't believe those footprints ever magically disappear. So this all leads me to another thought. What if you never get over someone who was a part of your life once? What if their impact was so monumental that you are never able to leave them behind you? Some of us suffer with this on a daily basis. We beat ourselves up wondering, questioning, hurting over the fact that maybe, just maybe, that one special person was not supposed to leave us.

People come and people go. But that ONE person never really leaves us. It is that one person that is the model for all others to compare to. How unfair is that? We pick out little things about a new someone that compare with the ONE. "He's just as funny as the ONE." When the new person doesn't live up to the ONE in someway, we find that we are disappointed. Living in the past, in what you see in your mind as perfection, is unhealthy, but it's reality. We never really forget the ONE.

Can we erase someone as though they never existed? No, but we can take steps to quit dwelling on them.
1. Get rid of anything left from them that keeps you holding on to them or hoping that they will come back. For me, at one time in my life, was a letter that promised that maybe someday in the future, we could get back together. I burned it. It was difficult. I held on to that letter for 8 years!!!
This also would include deleting text messages that were sweet and loving. You know the ones. Get rid of them.
Don't get rid of pictures though, but put them away if you have them some where you can view them often.
2. Try not to put yourself in that person's path in anyway. If they are married, not a good plan to try to see them.
3. Give up on the comparisons. Everyone is different. Learn to enjoy someone for the way they are. If you can't enjoy these things, or they make you unhappy, then it just isn't right! Don't force it.
4. Lose their number. Enough said.
5. It is great to stay friends, but if it sends you into a tailspin every time you see them, don't do it. If you can do it and not be affected, then obviously there isn't a problem.
6. If you are single and he/she is single, pour your heart out in a non-psycho way and put it on the table. You will get your answer one way or the other. If they still want you, they'll take you back. If not, there ya go. Case closed, move on.

Most people hold on to their first loves and not always do those situations work out. For one, you are young, practically undamaged by the brutality of relationships. You haven't been heartbroken and let down repeatedly. Everything is fresh, new, exciting. Safe. You are able to love in a way that at the age of 31, a divorce under my belt, and few broken hearts, I could never love that way again.

No one ever really leaves you. You just find a way of making them a memory and trying to smile when you think about them. Sometimes it hurts, but you never forget.

Spring is around the corner.....

You heard me right. Spring is around the corner. Okay, honestly, I really HATE winter. I wish I was a bear and I could just hybernate right on through it and pretend that it didn't exist. I don't like the snow, scraping the snow off my windshield in the mornings, shoveling the snow off my walk or driveway, or the fact that snow disrupts me sitting on my steps enjoying the evening or the morning. I hate being cold. I would rather roast to death than spend a minute cold. So yeah. I totally live in the wrong state.

I like to look forward to things to help get me through the winter. It is the only way to keep pressing on for me. So this is my thought for Spring 2010: I want to take a vacation. An awesome get-away somewhere fabulous. My ultimate dream vacation? IRELAND.

I would like any feedback anyone has. If you have been there, know someone who has been there, or any information about it. This is number 1 on my list. I'll continue on with the other places I've been thinking of.

What is this all about?

So to start off with, this blog is all about me, my life, and my interests. My likes and dislikes. My rants, and my raves. My silliness, and my seriousness. I want a place where I can post openly without worrying anything. My life isn't that exciting, lets just get that straight, but it is my life and I hope that somewhere out there, someone cares about my hopes, my dreams, my opinions, my loves.
I do have another blog site, but that is more for me and my son's life. This one will be different. And fun! And maybe even a little therapeutic!

Let the SHENANIGANS begin!!!