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Showing posts with the label beauty routine

What I’m Keeping Close: The Hand Soap that Doesn’t Punish My Hands

  I’ve become surprisingly picky about hand soap. I’ve also been cooking more lately, which means I’m washing ingredients, washing dishes, washing utensils and washing my hands approximately three thousand times a day. My hands noticed. Dry, uncomfortable hands became one of those small irritations I kept tolerating until I finally thought: why am I making something I do several times a day unpleasant? I already knew Dove soaps tend to work well for me, so when I saw this Coconut & Almond Milk Foaming Hand Wash, trying it made sense. So far, my hands approve. I’m getting the clean hands I need without that stripped, painfully dry feeling I’ve become thoroughly tired of. My hands are still dry. But they’re not so dry that they develop cuts.  It’s such an ordinary thing, hand soap. But that’s partly why I’m keeping this one close. Self-care isn’t always something we schedule. Sometimes it’s simply paying attention to the things we touch every day and asking whether they coul...

Part 2: Yes, I Used a Christmas Foot Mask Months Later

  Once I’d finally done something about all that dry skin, I decided my feet deserved the second half of the operation: moisture. Enter this extremely cheerful Christmas-themed rose nourishing foot mask . Did I use it at Christmas? Of course not. I only recently got around to using it because apparently this is where we are in my life now. I am so busy that even my seasonal beauty products have a backlog. 😂 Do you remember that I usually celebrate Christmas in January or February because of atelier work?  Apparently, it’s the same for my beauty routines. 😑 The little reindeer had been patiently waiting for its moment. The masks themselves were essentially little moisturizing socks. I put them on, sat there looking mildly ridiculous for a while, and let them do their thing. They felt weird. I’m neurodivergent, so being able to stick through the 15 minutes was a big deal  And afterward? My feet were happier. They’re not yet the ridiculously smooth, soft feet I want. We’re...

Part 1: I Finally Had Enough of My Dry Feet and Did Something About It

  I have been annoyed with my feet for months. Not because there was anything particularly wrong with them. They were just dry . Really dry. And you know I have a problem with dryness (hello skin, lips). And somehow, despite noticing this constantly, I kept doing absolutely nothing about it. The moment that gets me every time is when I’m waiting for my son at piano class. I’ll sit down, cross my legs, look down at my slip-ons or sandals and there they are. My dry, flaky feet. Then I become painfully aware that there are other people sitting beside me who can probably see them too. 😂 Every time, I think, I really need to do something about this. And then piano class ends, life resumes, and apparently my feet are no longer part of my jurisdiction. Eventually, I had enough. I found this Mond’Sub Chamomile Foot Peeling Spray at KKV and decided that my poor neglected feet were finally getting some attention. The process wasn’t glamorous. There was peeling skin involved. There were bits...

I Kept It Too Long

  I kept it because it was pretty.  Even when it started to hurt.  Even if it was already looking nasty.  No matter how hard I tried to clean it, some of the dirt just wouldn’t budge anymore.,  And the bristles.  A lot of them have lost their bristle tips.  And it hurt when I brushed.  And the empty tips were also pulling my hair.  But still, I kept it. Because it was pretty. Because it was glittery. Because technically, it still worked. And maybe because throwing something away when it can still be used has always felt a little wasteful to me. So I kept brushing my hair with it. And kept getting annoyed when it pulled. Kept wincing when one of those exposed bristles scratched my scalp. Until one day I thought: Why am I doing this? It’s a hairbrush. It’s supposed to make something as ordinary as brushing my hair feel good. And this one didn’t anymore. That thought felt strangely bigger than the brush in my hand. Because how many things do we ...

Just Flip

  For many, many years, I’ve avoided dual-ended brushes.  I don’t like it when the other end gets dirty and squished in the container.  And for many, many years, I’ve used individual disposable spoolies to groom my brows.  But since I’ve been busier, I started buying more brushes. More brushes means less time spent washing them frequently.  More brushes meant more eyebrow brushes.  However, the brushes at KKV only had these dual tip ones.  (I’ve stopped buying expensive brushes. Tell you why in a future issue.) So, I had no choice. I tried a couple.  And I was smitten.  Forget about crushes.  I’m committed.  I haven’t realized how much time I could save by using just this brush!  I know it sounds exaggerated.  But for someone who continuously refines her systems to shave 5 seconds here and there, this is a big deal for me.  Instead of drawing my eyebrows, putting the brush down, reaching for the spoolie, grooming my b...