Other

I ended up making a fairly impromptu road trip to Dallas on Tuesday and spent Tuesday night with my friend Jamie. P needed a purchase picked up and I selflessly volunteered to make the drive to Dallas in a car all by myself and spend twenty-four hours with one of my dearest friends. None of this required packing a lunch or driving soccer carpool or cooking dinner. However, it did confirm that I-35 continues to prepare people for what heaven will be like in that it has been under construction for ETERNITY. Seriously. How long does it take to finish a highway? My best guess based on I-35 between Austin and Dallas is A SWEET FOREVER AND SEVENTY-FOUR DAYS.

Anyway, I mentioned my bathroom cabinet clean out in my last post and several of you wanted an update on the Mizon snail repair perfect cream. I have only been using it for about four days and so it’s way too early to report any skincare miracles. But I will say that it is not at all “chewy” as the description stated, although I have been tapping it into my skin to make sure it’s being absorbed. It doesn’t smell bad, it’s not too thick and it doesn’t gross me out and that is saying something because I am easily grossed out. So all that remains to be seen is, you know, if it actually does anything.

In the meantime, I thought I’d share the products that I have decided are definite keepers and the ones I plan to buy over and over again. My only request is that you share any of your own great finds in the comments because I now have all this extra room in my bathroom cabinet to store new miracles in a bottle. Or a tube. Or a jar.

1. It Cosmetics CC+ illumination SPF 50

This has easily become a new favorite. I love that it has built in SPF 50 because it eliminates a step in my morning routine and it is great coverage that doesn’t feel heavy.

2. BigBoo Hummingbird Farms gift box

I’ve talked about this so much, but this is the best lotion ever. I slather my hands with it every night and it keeps them so soft and from cracking in the winter when it’s so dry.

They put together this Big Boo Box because Sophie and I rave about it so much and it includes the new Heavy Cream Trio of 3 oz. tubes of Lavender, Lavender Citrus, and Unscented, a 3 oz. travel tube of the Lavender Lotion No. 145, and Lavender Mint Shampoo and Conditioner in 8 oz. tubes. It’s a $110 value for $75.

And it’s totally enough products that you could keep some and give others away as gifts.

3. R + Co Badlands dry shampoo paste

I love a spray dry shampoo if I’m attempting a braid or a ponytail, but this paste is amazing when I wear my hair down. It’s really like a paste, but when you rub it between your hands it becomes a weird texture that you can rub in at your roots and it gives you incredible volume that lasts. I’ve had the same jar for over a year so it lasts forever because you only need just a little bit.

4. l’oreal feline voluminous mascara

This is still currently my favorite mascara.

5. naked matte basics eyeshadow palette

I bought this over a year ago and it’s the best. I love the mix of colors and the matte texture works for my eyes that may not be quite a firm as they used to be.

6. anastasia brow wiz mechanical pencil

I love this eyebrow pencil because you can fill in your brows as light or heavy as you’d like and it looks very natural.

7. stila smudge stick waterproof eyeliner

This is my favorite eyeliner because it glides on easily and stays put all day, but you can also smudge it if you don’t want a line that looks too precise.

8. oribe styling cream

This is a little pricey but I’m still using the same tube I bought a year ago because I only use it on the days I need my hair to look really good and not just days that call for a ponytail. It’s lightweight but gives my hair so much volume and shine and helps with frizz.

9. kenra platinum blow dry spray

I’ve used this forever because it absolutely shortens how long it takes to dry my hair and also helps with frizz.

10. tresemme thermal creations heat tamer spray

This is a total steal and the best thermal protectant I’ve found. It helps protect my hair when I curl it or straighten it and helps it holds it shape for a long time.

11. kevyn aucoin eyelash curler

If I only do one thing in the morning besides put on sunscreen, it’s curl my eyelashes. This is my new favorite eyelash curler because it never pinches or causes a weird kink at the corners like some others do.

So what about you? Any favorite, must-have hair, beauty, makeup products?

This has nothing to do with anything but we just watched the weather forecast and it’s going to be 87 degrees here tomorrow. I don’t even understand what is happening. But if it’s 87 degrees on February 6, then what hope do we have for July?

The irony is that we spent most of Saturday in freezing cold drizzle watching Caroline play soccer. Because soccer is apparently a game that is either played when it’s burning up hot or freezing cold. There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of middle ground. And in all fairness, it wasn’t really freezing so much as it was about 55 degrees but there was no sun and it was drizzling which made it feel approximately 28 degrees.

I spent Friday night in Austin, but got up early on Saturday morning to meet my people in Canyon Lake for Caroline’s soccer games. She scored a great goal in the last three minutes of the first game, but went for the ball just as the goalie raised both her fists in an attempt to punch the ball out of the goal and instead hit Caroline right in the stomach as Caroline kicked the ball into the goal. And so I had that moment as a mom when you look on the field and wonder, “Who is that just lying there in the goal? OH! THAT IS MY CHILD JUST LYING THERE MOTIONLESS IN THE GOAL!”

Caroline has taken some hits over the years and she always pops up like a Weeble Wobble, so I was really worried it was something serious. But after about two minutes which felt like thirty minutes, she got up and walked off the field while her teammates cheered loudly both because she had scored a goal and was alive. It turns out she just had the air knocked out of her and couldn’t catch her breath for a minute. She also has a pretty nice bruise on her stomach to show for the whole experience and I have seventeen new gray hairs.

(That picture is actually from a game earlier in the month because I didn’t take any pictures on Saturday because it was too wet and drizzly. I know you’re wondering what I charge to come take action photos of your child’s sporting events because this is stellar. We have about 750 photos of Caroline playing soccer that basically just show the back of her jersey.)

We made it back home around 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. I picked up barbecue for dinner on the way home from the soccer games and P built us a fire in the fireplace because we’d all been cold and wet since 8:00 a.m. and were in need of being drying and warm. We were all in our pajamas by about 6:00 that night and in bed by about 10. (You’re welcome for the timeline of our lame Saturday night. I don’t know why I feel like that was necessary.)

On Sunday morning we had church and my book editor was in town so she was able to join us which was so fun. Then after church I had some burst of unexplained energy and decided to clean out my bathroom cabinet, shelves and makeup bag. It had become abundantly clear as I packed for my last couple of out of town trips that I was holding on to way too many products that I don’t use anymore. There was also an unfortunate incident where the dental floss in the bathroom cabinet got all tangled up in my hairbrush because I had ceased to have a proper dental hygiene/hair product boundary in my toiletry organization system. And when I say toiletry organization system, you need to know that my system is basically rummaging for what I need and then throwing it back in the cabinet because I’m always running late and don’t have time to put things away in a neat fashion.

(Note to self: Maybe the reason you’re always running late is because you have to spend ten extra minutes each morning looking for the mascara that’s buried under sixteen free samples of various skincare products that you can’t bear to throw away, yet have never used.)

I threw out mascaras that never lived up to their promises, various tinted moisturizers that didn’t work out, eyeliner that I realized I’ve owned since 2010, and assorted hair care products that seemed like a good idea at the time. Ultimately it was almost a full trash bag full of hopes and dreams for a younger, more vibrant version of myself with flawless skin and lashes that make me people wonder if I was born with it or maybe it’s Maybelline.

The good news is it totally paid off because I currently have a makeup bag and a bathroom cabinet full of only the products I actually use and I didn’t have to spend time tossing aside all the blushes that never gave me the youthful glow they promised and instead made me look like I was hiding a case of jaundice. And maybe I’ve learned my lesson about getting suckered into buying beauty products that promise all kinds of fabulousness.

I can’t even type that with a straight face.

But at least I’ll have plenty of room for new contenders for greatness in my bathroom cabinet.

And no dental floss tangled up in my round hair brush.

1. dara vegan leather jacket

I bought a jacket that’s almost identical to this one last year when it was on sale and I think it may be one of my best purchases ever. It goes with everything from dresses to jeans and feels like real leather.

This is on sale for $99.95.

2. serengeti top

I bought this top in the fall and wore it last night to speak and several people asked where I bought it. Well, here you go. It’s currently out in the black (which is really more of a dark gray) but still available in the brown. I love how loose and drapey it feels, almost more like a silk top but more durable.

3. atley peasant top

I’ve had my eye on this and was waiting for it to go on sale. Today is that day. It’s now $69.95. It’s the perfect transition top for this time of year and I love the gold buttons.

4. AG Stevie mid-rise ankle jeans

These AG jeans are my absolute favorites. They fit like a dream and they never stretch out. They are on sale for $139.95 which may sound high, but if you wear jeans like I do then you’ll more than get your money out of them.

5. gingham off the shoulder dress

All dresses at Anthropologie are 25% off right now.

When I was in college, Gulley and I both loved this red gingham dress from Gap that I think I stole from my sister when I was home for Spring Break that year. (Sorry, Amy!) Any time one of us had a big date or a night out, we wanted to wear that dress. Looking back, gingham seems like an odd choice but it was the early 90s and the odd choices in my life were plentiful back then.

However, maybe I am true to myself because I think this gingham dress is precious. I think I may be past the point of actually wearing it, but one of you on the south side of forty-five should totally get it because it is the cutest.

For the rest of us, I really like this brindisi lace tunic dress

It would look great with boots now (Rodeo time for you San Antonio and Houston girls!) and sandals later. But there are some really great dresses at Anthro right now so you should look around.

6. old navy embroidered tank

I love the dress version of this at Old Navy, but I also love this tank. It comes in yellow and white, blue and orange and this black and white. It’s on sale for $16.

7. articles of society skinny jeans

I believe I mentioned I’m on the hunt for a new pair of white skinny jeans and I’m intrigued by these because they 80% cotton, 18% rayon, and 2% spandex. I’m thinking the rayon may make them feel a little lighter than all denim which is nice in a white jean since you wear them most when the weather is warm.

8. born malena driving loafer

I know. It’s a loafer. Loafers are making a comeback. Back in 1986 I had a pair of silver penny loafers. I wore them to my high school’s Bruin Bash along with a Guess miniskirt and a white fringe t-shirt with silver bedazzling. I’ve never loved myself more. And now fashion may be lining up so that Caroline may also want to own a pair of silver penny loafers.

Or maybe not.

However, I do love these pink ones. They would be so cute with cuffed jeans for spring. And they come in several different colors if pink isn’t your thing.

And these are straight up bass loafers. I had a pair of these in navy. But how cute are these?

That’s not your mama’s penny loafer.

9. j.crew factory crosshatch tunic shirt

This is the shirt I would wear with the aforementioned cuffed jeans and pink penny loafers. It also comes in white and a cute gray stripe. I kind of want one of each.

10. gap fitted embroidered shirt

Gap is killing it with the embroidered shirts for spring. I love this one. It’s longer than it looks if you don’t tie it.

And I adore this denim embroidered blouse. It looks so good with those white jeans.

11. be my girl top

I saw this top online earlier this week and just think it’s really cute and perfect for spring and summer.

12. bp ruffle front tee

Ruffles are a huge trend for spring and they scare me in some forms, but this tee totally works because it’s a little more subtle. This would also look cute with some white cuffed jeans and pink loafers.

That’s it for today.

Have a good Friday.

So if you listened to the latest podcast, you know that I mentioned that I’ve been tempted to try a product called Mizon All in One Snail Repair Cream after reading about it on a beauty website. And, yes, it is made from 92% snail mucus extract.

I don’t blame you if you need a minute to process this information.

After talking about it on the podcast, I went back and looked at it on Amazon and read all the reviews and decided to pull the trigger. By this time tomorrow I will be the proud owner of not only a jar of Mizon All in One Snail Repair Cream, but some Mizon Snail Repair Intensive Anti-Wrinkle Formula. Because if you’re going to go with snail mucus, then go big or go home. Plus, it was only about $20 for both products and what do I have to lose other than possibly my breakfast when I think too much about putting snail mucus on my face?

The online instructions actually say: “The texture of snail cream is differented from other general creams which is very chewy like snail slime. To have more effective absorption, it is important to have tapping after applying.”

First, I appreciate that they went with the word “differented” which isn’t a real word at all. Even more, I wonder about my own discernment in choosing a product where they can’t even use real words.

Second, “which is very chewy like snail slime”. Is “chewy” the right adjective here? Also, I just dry-heaved.

As I went through the routine of washing my face and exfoliating my face and moisturizing my face earlier, I thought about the timeline of my skincare habits.

Birth to age 12: Basically thought about my skin as much as I thought about the air I was breathing. It was flawless. Perfect.

It never even occurred to me to wear sunscreen because this was the 1970s and sunscreen wasn’t a thing unless you count Hawaiian Tropic Deep Dark Glow with SPF 2. Our parents were way too busy smoking cigarettes while making us bologna sandwiches on white Wonder bread slathered in Miracle Whip to be bothered with the application of sunscreen. Ozone? Nobody even knew what that meant. Why are you talking about NASA and the space program?

I did go through a stage of wearing colored zinc on my nose but only because all the cool teenage lifeguards at the pool wore it. I didn’t realize it served an actual purpose other than upping your cool factor. You know what else would have upped my cool factor? Not wearing my swim team one piece racing bathing suit to the pool every day.

I remember being excited to see some freckles show up on my nose because I felt this made me more like Ramona Quimby, Holly Hobbie, Laura Ingalls, or Kristy McNichol. Now I realize those freckles were basically a harbinger of early sun damage.

Age 12-18: The glory of puberty and hormones. This is when I learned that you have to wash your face every night. Especially if you enjoy slathering on Cover Girl foundation covered with Bonne Bell blush. Noxema was my favorite because all that menthol and the white coating really made me feel like it was working. I was also a big fan of Sea Breeze astringent. I used it so much that I sometimes wonder if it’s why my skin is still so dry to this very day.

My philosophy was if it’s stinging like hell fire then it must be working. I also used toothpaste on exceptionally bad breakouts. Thanks, Seventeen magazine, for that tip.

I still didn’t use sunscreen unless you count baby oil. And I was a lifeguard almost every summer. I weep for my stupid life choices.

Age 18-24: It’s hard to remember to take off your makeup when you stay out until 2 a.m. every night either partying or studying.

Okay.

Just partying.

Yet my skin was resilient. It was like the Winona Ryder of skin. Just when I thought it couldn’t possibly make a comeback, it did.

Age 24-35: These were the years of a steady routine of basic skincare products. I discovered Cetaphil which is still perfect for washing my face every night. I also learned that I had dry skin (Thanks, Sea Breeze astringent!) and so used some sort of rotation of Oil of Olay or Neutrogena moisturizer. Nothing fancy. Just whatever I happened to see at Walgreens or CVS that looked like it could do the job.

Other than an unfortunate year long period at age 32 after I gave birth to Caroline in which I had post-pregnancy related melasma that was the exact shape of a mustache over my upper lip, it was a good time for my skin and me.

Yet I still never wore sunscreen unless I was specifically going to the pool or the beach. I’m not sure why it never occurred to me that the sun is, in fact, everywhere.

Age 36 to present day: It was right around the time Caroline turned four that she looked at me one morning and said, “Mama! I can see you brains on you forehead.” It wasn’t my brain she was seeing, it was worse. It was two deep wrinkles that seemed to appear overnight. I realized it was time to step up my skincare game.

Since that day, I have used countless products from countless different brands. I’ve tried things that are supposed to erase fine lines, reduce the appearance of dark spots and basically perform miracles all in the privacy of your bathroom. And the truth is I’m sure most of it works okay. I don’t know because I can’t remember what my baseline face was at this point.

I just know that I spend more and more time every night before bed applying all manner of creams and lotions as I hum “If I Could Turn Back Time” by Cher to myself and P yells out from the bedroom, “Are you ever coming to bed?”

But I think the truth of it is summed up in the words of Truvy in Steel Magnolias, “Honey, time marches on and eventually you realize it is marching across your face.”

I had a friend tell me the other day that she’d looked into getting Botox but the question is once you start all that, when do you stop? I don’t really know the answer, but I’m sure it has to be at the point your face becomes so frozen that you can’t drink through a straw or chew your food properly. These last few years feel more and more like I’m at the Alamo and I’m trying to make sure the landscaping looks nice. It’s a battle you can’t win.

Yet I continue to try new things like Frankincense, Retin-A, Vitamin E, and fasting and prayer. I slather on SPF 50 sunscreen even if I have no plans to be outside.

And now I’ve turned to snail mucus.

Maybe that’s a bridge too far. I’m sure the snails think so. Although I have been assured that no snails are harmed in the making of the snail cream.

And really, maybe the snails don’t care because they look so young and vibrant that they are as happy and carefree as a twenty-year-old girl who never remembers to wash off her makeup at night and thinks sunscreen is just for people who can’t get a tan.

This is going to be quick because I’m in Dallas and it’s late and I just don’t have much to say.

But here are some cute things I found this week:

1. blue striped ruffle blouse

This darling top is perfect for spring and summer with white jeans. Or even with regular jeans and booties or boots now. Even better? It’s only $18.

2. gap skinny ankle jeans

Speaking of white jeans, that’s what these are. I wish I could show you but I couldn’t get the picture to work. But, rest assured, they are white skinny jeans from Gap. I tried them on this week and they fit really well. Best of all, they have nude front pockets so the pockets don’t show through the pants.

3. gap fit breathe side tie tee

This comes in black, pink, aqua, blue and gray and is great for working out, but is cute enough that you could totally wear it with jeans and sneakers.

4. marc fisher adalyn espadrille wedge sandals

I loved these all last summer and never ended up buying a pair. But I’m getting them this year because I love the tall espadrille wedge. They also come in black, olive and orange.

5. tiered lace tunic

I’ve shown this in white, but I love it even more in black.

6. free people thunder canyon tunic

This is sheer so you’d have to wear a tank under it, but I think it’s so pretty. And it’s on sale at Free People.

7. henley boyfriend sweater

This sweater is oversized so it’s perfect to wear with leggings. And it is so soft.

I also love this jayvees thermal top because it looks like the kind of thing I’d thrown on for every Saturday soccer game from now until it gets too hot to wear it.

8. madewell central shirt

I have a shirt that’s similar to this that I bought at J.Crew last summer and it is one of my favorites. It looks great tucked in or worn out and the stripes are super in for spring and summer.

9. fringed chambray button down tunic

It’s almost rodeo time in San Antonio and I think this would be perfect with a pair of cowboy boots. And it’s on sale at Anthropologie.

10. adidas gazelle sneakers

I haven’t bought a pair of Adidas because it seems like they are what all the teenagers are wearing and, well, I am not a teenager. However, this gray pair may push me over the edge because they are a little more sophisticated and would go with everything.

I also love these new balance for J.Crew. Look at that gold. Love.

That’s it for today.

Have a good Friday.