Moonbeams and Make-Up

I belong to a few message boards, and the other day a lady on one of them posted a topic about make-up. She wanted to know which brands everyone preferred. That got me to thinking, and posting, about some of the issues I've had with products over the last several years, particularly hair and facial cleansing products.

I have always had oily skin, and because of that I have never been able to use a moisturizer. Yes, I know they make them for oily skin, but trust me, none of them worked for me. Over the years I've spend a lot of money on trying products, each one touted to be the best, and sales clerks assuring me that they would work like a charm. Were they guaranteed, so I could get my money back if they did not work? Of course not. However, I would dutifully shell out the bucks and take the products home, only to find that anywhere from five minutes to an hour after I'd used them, my face would look like I'd soaked it in a bucket of oil. One of the worst culprits was a very expensive dermatologist-recommended product, made specifically for extremely oily skin.

I gave these products a fair trial. I did not simply use them once then give up on them. I was well aware that it could take a week or so for my skin to adjust to them, so I would persist, hoping to wake up one morning to see my face radiating vitality, baby-smoothness, and shine-free perfection. All that happened is that I continued to wake up to skin that appeared to be oozing more oil than an Albert oil well. I would finally admit that the product of the month was not going to work, and I would honestly be relieved to go back to soap and water, which didn't produce quite so much oil.

Many years ago I found one brand that worked. Alouette. I loved it, but I have to admit that I eventually got tired of the steps involved, and stopped using it. A few years later I tried it again, only to find that the product had changed a bit, and was no longer working quite so well for me. So off I went on another round of fruitless searches. By this time, my sking was developing dry patches - while still being quite oily, of course. So it was becoming imperative that I find a moisturizer I could use.

My sister Judy had been raving about a new moisturizer she was using. I was reluctant to try it, because she had a problem with dry skin, whereas I was still battling oil, so I did not think it would work. But I figured what the heck - I'd spent a small fortune over the years already, what would another $10.00 hurt? To my astonishment and utter amazement, the moisturizer worked like a damn! I was overjoyed! Now, I know that everyone's skin has its own agenda, but I figure if this stuff works on Judy's dry skin, and my oily-with-dry-patches skin, then it ought to work for everyone! So I shall recommend it to all and sundry. It's Nivea Soft, and not only does it moisturize beautifully without causing an oil spill, it also smells heavenly. While I'm at it, I would also like to say thanks again Judy, for talking me into trying this product!

After all these years it's wonderful to have a routine that works for my face. I cleanse with regular Noxzema, and follow up with the Nivea Soft. Every few days I exfoliate with the Noxzema and a facial scrub pad. Works like a charm - when I do it, that is. I will admit that I get lazy and skip it at times, but those dry patches start cropping up and send my scurrying back to my beloved jars soon enough!

Another huge issue I have is with hair products. I have very fine, porous, curly hair. Now curly hair is dry, and requires a good conditioner. Fine, porous, curly hair can be a royal pain in the tush, because many conditioners tend to weight it down and make it go into the strangest contortions imagineable. Curly hair always does its own thing, thank you very much, but with the wrong products, it's a nightmare. I can't count the times I've heard each and every strand laughing demonically at me as I try to make it do something that will, at the very least, not scare small children to death.

When I was younger, my hair was very oily, so the conditioner issue wasn't quite as bad. However, as I got older, it became less oily, so of course any hair that was more than an inch away from the scalp became drier. I finally found a shampoo and conditioner that worked wonderfully, but it was hard to get hold of. My hairdresser moved away, and I could not find the product anywhere else, so I spent almost as much on trying different hair products over the next few years as I'd spent on finding facial cleansers and moisturizers. In that time, I also started developing allergies to many hair products. Consequently I have spent the last several years putting up with a scalp that is constantly itchy and sore. It always felt like there were wee little critters running around it, tickling and biting. And no, I did NOT have an little critters, thank you very much! Not only did my scalp feel like that, but also my neck, ears, and shoulders - wherever the hair touched.

Anyhow, a few weeks ago I decided I'd had enough, and did not want to keep spending more money on hair products that did not work. So off I went to the nearest hair salon to try and track down the stuff I used to get years ago. I ended up being referred to a hairdressing supply store that is right near my home. I never knew it existed, but boy am I glad I know it's there now! They carry every product imagineable, and while I was at first horrified to discover that my old favourite was no longer made, I ended up having a very nice chat with one of the ladies there, and she pointed me in the direction of my new love. Nioxin.

Nioxin is a line of hair products for thinning hair, but it's also a treatment line. It is often recommended for problems such as psoriasis, sensitive scalps, and allergic reactions. I had actually used it several years ago to clear up a very bad allergic reaction, but I thought it was only for treatment, and not to be used regularly. I have now discovered that it can be used regularly, and I am ecstatic to report that it works like a damn! No more itchy, sore scalp, ears, neck, and shoulders, and the conditioner is awesome. It's a tad pricey, but it's worth it not to have to be constantly going through the nastiness I've put up with for so long!

Now that I'm sure you've all been thrilled to pieces reading about the trials and tribulations of my skin and hair, I shall move on to other things, that no doubt will thrill you equally as much. Tomorrow is the full moon, and it looks absolutely beautiful tonight. There are wispy clouds rapidly moving through the sky, creating breathtaking views. If it wasn't so cold out there, I would be tempted to stand outside for quite some time just gazing at the moon and clouds. However, since it is rather frosty, I decided to simply haul the camera out and take some pictures. Here are some of them, for your viewing pleasure:







There! That was one hell of an exercise in patience, let me tell you! I figured out how to get two pictures per line (so to speak) easily enough, but I think Blogger was not too happy with me posting so many pictures at once! Every second or third picture would not work, and I'd have to upload it again. Ah well, it kept me out of trouble, and they are working now! Aren't they pretty?

I also managed to get a couple of shots of the tree at work, showing the star topper this time, and also showing the lights a wee bit better. I figured I'd just post one of them though, since you've already been tortured enough with all the moon pictures!



Since I have nothing else to babble about at the moment (okay, I heard that chorus of "thank God!"), I am going to shut this down and head to bed. It's going to be a long, busy day of finishing off the shopping for the Christmas party, so I'll need all the rest and energy I can muster! Sweet dreams everyone, and sleep well!