And, she's back......

I haven't touched this blog in ages. I lost track of it as so many things require my attention. Much more important things.

In the time I've been gone I've been diagnosed with some ugly things, things that are taking a direct toll on my appearance. And more. But since this is a fluff blog about beauty, that's what I'm sticking to!

I've had to change my skin care, hair care and entire make up routine. I'll skip the long winded drama and delve right into what's working and why I needed it. Surely, I am not the only person battling disease while trying to look good.

I've been on Obagi's NuDerm line for a while now. I cannot say anything negative about this line. I use the whole line though I'll be honest and admit I often skip step 2, the toner. It's been keeping my face pretty smooth and even which is a massive feat considering I've been on hormone replacement meds and have CHANGED meds 3 times in year. It's wreaked total havoc on my skin but I do credit Obagi with maintaining it as best as can be expected. Without NuDerm, I suspect I'd be a complete mess.

Due to my health issues and probably due to the stress associated with it, I haven't aged well this year. For the longest time I've looked 15 years younger than I am with once a year Botox injections between the brows. It's all been catching up with me, though. I have developed crow's feet. Dreaded crow's feet! The lines between my brows have also deepened and have gone beyond the 'Tox. I have gotten my doctors' (not my plastic surgeon, the endocrinologist and the like) approval for fillers and the like and will be exploring that next month or even within the next few weeks. I need to smooth out my forehead, erase these crow's feet and overall, get my 'glow' back. I also have creases and dark patches under my eyes that just appeared this past summer. I will be looking into getting rid of that.

My hair has also been an issue. For several months I was in a medication that has a wicked side effect of hair loss. Boo! I should not whine much considering it's only hair, after all but like I said, this is a blog about vanity so I'll just say that I shed a lot of tears in the last couple of months watching my thick, shiny blonde locks become thinner, dull and lackluster. I have a few patches here and there where hair loss is rather evident. even half an eyebrow fell out! That still requires very steady skill daily wit various products that I'll get into later.

Luckily, I'm off those meds and onto a different level of treatment so the hair loss has stopped and I can expect to regrow it all back right away. However, something had to be done to deal with the thin, dull pale locks. So, I now sport auburn hair. It's a medium, nearly light brown with a good deal of golden red to it. I've been using Hair Glaze by Fekkai to keep up shine and brilliance. It's working. The darker, warmer color makes my hair seem denser, fuller. It hides much of what was lost. If you didn't know me before, you'd never know I've just lost about 1/4 to 1/3 of my hair. But to me, this is temporary! I think it looks way better than thinning hair but I don't feel like me under this hair! I miss my blondie blonde hair a lot.

I'm not yet used to adjusting my makeup to this darker hair, either. The usual colors and palettes I reached for everyday don't quite work as well now with this warm hair. (My usual color is a very cool light blonde, like wheat). I think the warmth in the auburn makes my skin look rather ruddy so I am working on that. But I will say that it makes my blue eyes bluer so that's a plus. I need to make a visit to a good make up artist this weekend and learn some tips from a pro about adjusting to this hair.

Who knew it would be this hard?

Product I'm addicted to right now: Tarte LipSurgence in Swank and Glitzy. Blonde or Auburn, they just look damn good.

Product I need most: a mascara. I have been a DiorShow addict for ages but my lashes are thinned out from hair loss and I have new growth coming in. I need to find the right mascara that will thicken but not clump bu NOT lengthen because I have long, long lashes as it is.