Lush Sexy Peel

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Sexy Peel

Lush Sexy Peel Soap, $6.95

It’s been a minute. Life caught up and it had to be the priority. Frankly, it still does, but for the first time in a while I had some inspiration so I wanted to capture it.

TL;DR: I switched soaps to Lush Sexy Peel soap and have been using it for about a year. As I age, my skin seems to be inching closer and closer to pickiness. For some reason, my skin started to be less of a fan of Dove bar soap. This was a disappointment, because it is inexpensive, accessible, clean and neutral smelling. It worked for me for ages! I started down the Lush rabbit hole a few years ago, dipping my toe into bath bomb land but have come to appreciate a few other products of theirs since. It is, in a word, wonderful.

At the end of June 2019, I headed to Lush to treat myself for my then-upcoming birthday. My haul consisted of a few things, most notably Lush Sexy Peel soap. I plucked this unassuming-looking orange-scented one from the shelf and whisked it to the register with me. The friendly Lush employee wrapped it in a piece of thick paper (recyclable, yay), packed it with my other purchases, and sent me on my way.

Assumptions

At the time, it was a frivolous, novel purchase – like basically everything I bought there – and I didn’t have high expectations for the soap. I assumed that as a largely natural product it would not last very long and that. I also assumed that, although it smelled nice, it wouldn’t do much for my skin.

Bzzt, wrong.

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Manicure Monday – 11/11/2019 – OPI I’m Not Really a Waitress

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OPI I'm Not Really a Waitress - GelcolorOPI I’m Not Really a Waitress – Gelcolor – Two Coats

My boss often says, “You never get tired of the classics.” Usually, this is a response to a joke or movie reference that makes him laugh; I find it to be true for nail color and cosmetics just as well.

An Old Flame

When I was a sophomore in high school, I grudgingly agreed to attend Homecoming with my group of friends. Generously, one of my friend’s moms carted us off to treat us to manicures and pedicures. It was the first time I’d gone to a nail salon; faced with a wall of choices, I plucked OPI I’m Not Really a Waitress from the wall and had it applied to my fingers and toes.

Soon after, I bought a bottle of it. Back then, spending $8 on a bottle of nail polish was unheard of to me. But I’ve purchased countless bottles in the time that has passed.

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October 2019 Favorites

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October 2019 FavoritesOctober 2019 Favorites
1. Becca Backlight Priming Filter, $39 / 2. Pointed Cotton Swabs, $3 / 3. The Ordinary 7% Glycolic Acid Toner, $9
/ 4. The Ordinary 10% Lactic Acid + 2% HA, $7 / 5. Makartt Nail Drill, $58

It’s been six months since I made a favorites post. Ayeee. Just in time to take advantage of the November Beauty Insider sale, though, if the prestige items intrigue you! Let’s jump into it.

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Worth it? elf Wow Brow Gel

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elf wow browelf wow brow gel, $4

I was browsing through Target’s beauty aisles – as a basic white girl is wont to do – seeking NYX Milk pencils. En route, I happened to spot elf Wow Brow gel. The name is reminiscent of a Benefit product, but this does not phase me. For $4 per 0.12 oz pop, I decide to try this fiber-containing formula even though I’m not currently in the market for brow products (currently using Anastasia Dipbrow Gel ($9-18) that is SO NICE and yes I still need to write about it).

Packaging

Like all elf products, elf Wow Brow packaging is unassuming in a black cylinder. Some people want to be seduced with packaging – and don’t get me wrong; I swoon over Hourglass like the rest of ’em – but I’m comfortable with simple and practical. The spoolie housed inside does not beat benefit’s in Gimme Brow and Gimme Brow+ but for the price difference, I’ll live. (Hell, I may be able to clean a Gimme Brow+ spoolie and use it if I must).

Color Selection

Examining the five shade selection, I couldn’t decide what I needed; I grabbed two. As it turns out, elf’s interpretation of Taupe differs both from my understanding of the shade as well as most other brow product manufacturers, so I grabbed it and what they deem Neutral Brown. Neutral Brown seems closer to what I expect from a Taupe shade.

Here they are in real life.

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Manicure Monday – 10/14/2019 – Red LED Gel Lamp

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Red LED Gel Lamp

Red LED Gel Lamp

I ultimately bought this incredible red LED gel lamp (and a bunch of other stuff ?) from The NaiI Hub. It isn’t clear who the manufacturer of this lamp is; it lacks branding, and I’m not entirely sure if The Nail Hub is claiming this as one of their products. Either way, frankly, I don’t care because it is excellent. My experience has been nothing but positive since I started using it in July.

Curing My Gel Manicures

For years, I’ve been using Sensationail lamps to cure my gel manicures. They’re what I started with! Eventually, I added their newer model lamp to my nail tool collection. After a couple bad cures with good formulas, though, I started to wonder if it was time for a change. I suspect the LEDs weren’t getting enough power, and here could be plenty of reasons for this:

  • The micro USB cable I used to supply power to it could be bad.
  • The AC adapter could be bad.
  • The power relay in the lamp itself could be bad.

Rather than asking my husband to embark on an electronics teardown for diagnostic purposes, I decided to upgrade my lamp game. (I might still ask him for help with that, though – for science, for a backup, for a small travel lamp etc).

Why Red?

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Laser Hair Removal

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Laser Hair Removal - Lumenis LightSheer Diode Laser

“I really enjoy hair removal,” said no one – ever.

Two things:

  • Maybe some people derive questionable satisfaction from the process of certain hair removal processes (i.e., maybe its fun for some to look at the contents of a spent wax strip like it is a pore strip [which you don’t. freaking. need.]). But if that’s you, it isn’t because removing hair is fun, its because of the fascination.
  • Not here telling people they need to remove hair if they don’t want to. What you do isn’t my business. I, however, choose to because I feel more physically comfortable that way, all else be damned.

Moving On

A few years ago, I purchased a Silkn Flash n Go Freedom home-use IPL hair reduction light. After some consistent use on underarms and bikini for a while, although there was a reduction, I didn’t see the level of results I wanted as fast as I wanted. As a result, my adoption and consistency-of-use plummeted. I still have it, it still works. I’m toying with the idea of using it on my legs; shaving my legs doesn’t annoy me nearly as much as underarms and bikini, so if it doesn’t yield the results I hope for, it won’t be upsetting.

I spent over a year as a client of European Wax Center. I liked it at first, but ultimately broke up with EWC.

What I Got

For my birthday this year, I decided to treat myself to the real deal and get legit laser hair removal. At a med spa. By a professional. With badass professional equipment.

I opted for both underarms and brazilian treatment because I hate dealing with those the most. Legs aren’t as annoying.

Cost

I’m comfortable divulging and will if there is interest – but it varies so much depending on:

  • The market (area) you live in/COL
  • Spa (because overhead varies)
  • Market saturation
  • Number of Treatments*
  • Other Value-Adds

For me, buying a round of six treatments (which is the typically-stated average it takes to do the job) entitles me to endless touchups/revisits for the next two years. Six treatments was not enough to obliterate everything in my treatment areas, so – good thing my med-spa offers that program.

It’s also worth noting that most providers are calling this a laser hair reduction or permanent hair reduction now rather than removal. There is a chance that over time some growth could return, so it’s a legal/CYA thing.

What’s Laser Hair Removal Like?

Let’s break it down.

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