Symptom-free from Acne Rosacea

I mentioned in my last post that I wasn't going to talk about my work much because I didn't want that conflict of interest on here. However, I believe this is important enough to share. I thought if I was seeing results like this, that maybe others with Acne Rosacea could get similar results too. I'll make this quick. Here are the facts:

• I have Acne Rosacea, diagnosed by my dermatologist.
• I do not use any prescription medication to treat or control my Rosacea.
• I am the Counter Manager for both Clarins and Elizabeth Arden at my Younkers store.
• I am not being paid to make this post.
• I will not benefit in any way from this post unless you buy products specifically from my counter.
• I use Elizabeth Arden's Prevage Anti-ageing Daily Serum in the morning and Clarins Double Serum at night.
• Neither of these products actually claim to treat any form of Rosacea.
• I have been symptom-free since I began using these products.
• No one believes that I have Acne Rosacea anymore, unless I show them my "Before" photo.
• My symptoms begin to return when I discontinue use of these products, and fade when I resume use.

Please excuse the corny header and footer, I made this graphic to display at my counter.

That's it. Do with this information what you will. Regardless of how you feel about this post, I wish you the best of luck in solving your own skin care concerns.

"Where the hell have you been?!"

I’m getting that question a lot and for good reason- it’s been a few months since I’ve updated the blog and several weeks since I last posted anything on Facebook or Twitter. Rest assured there’s nothing tragically wrong with me so no need to worry.

The first thing that happened is I got a job in early September. I started The Dragon’s Vanity when I was unemployed and looking for something to fill my time while I was waiting to hear back from potential employers. Staying busy kept me sane. But once I got a job, it demanded more of my time than I had realized.

I am the Counter Manager for both Clarins and Elizabeth Arden at my local Younkers store. I had never used any products from either of those brands before (I had never even heard of Clarins before). This is my first retail job, my first sales job, the first time I’ve had someone working under me, and my first cosmetics job. Needless to say, I had a LOT to learn in a short amount of time.

Clarins sent me to Chicago for 2 days in October to learn about their product line, and they had several online training courses to go through to learn further. I had been hired on just after the last Elizabeth Arden training class, so the Account Executive stopped by my store to give me training on their products, gave me training material to review on my own, and they also recently got some online training courses up and running.

I was studying and learning both brands on the fly while also learning how to sell products in a retail setting and manage a part-timer under me. I spent many nights doing ‘homework’ on the products and brands I was responsible for selling. It’s been a lot but it’s also been very rewarding.

My skin care and makeup routines have changed now that I get Gratis from the brands I sell. I don’t think I will talk much about work or the products I use because I don’t want that conflict of interest here, suffice it to say my Rosacea is happy and my skin looks great.

The other thing that’s taken some of my time is Major Depressive Disorder and Anxiety. If you know anything about these illnesses, you know they can be terribly debilitating. Even a crowbar can’t get me out of bed some days. I spent most of 2010 in ‘The Danger Zone’ of this illness and have been working with professionals to manage and control it.

After 3 years of coping with this, I can now manage and control it without medication during the summer months. I use meditation and self-talk techniques that were taught to me by my Psychiatrist and Therapist. I also spend an hour each day in direct sunlight. I can’t put sunblock on for these therapeutic sunning sessions because that prevents the UV rays from penetrating the skin to produce natural Vitamin D, which is the whole point of this for me. Since I’m a Ginger and burn very easily, I break my hour up into 10-20 minute chunks.  I also take a daily Multi-Vitamin with 1,000 IUs of Vitamin D.

But from mid-November to mid-April, all of that just isn’t enough (and it’s too damn cold to sit outside in a t-shirt for an hour). I need medication to chemically balance me. It took almost a year for my Psychiatrist and General Practice Doctors and I to find the right combination and dosage of medications to restore the balance in my brain. Every person’s own chemistry is different, and that’s why there are so many drugs on the market that work differently to treat the same things.  It takes time to get it right.

The solution we finally found was a combination of Sertraline (Zoloft), Buproprion (Wellbutrin), and Buspirone (Buspar) every day, and a low dosage of Propranolol (Inderal) as needed.  The first 3 balance and maintain my mood, and the last one is literally my “Chill Pill” for when I feel an Anxiety Attack coming on. It’s actually a blood pressure medication, but when prescribed in low-doses as-needed for Anxiety it prevents the heart from racing and therefore stops the panic before it gets out of control.

In late-October I start easing myself onto the medications. I take ½ the normal doses I am prescribed to get my system used to the effects. Most of the Serotonin receptors are actually in the stomach. These medications increase the activity in the stomach, thereby increasing acid production. If I jump right in and take the full doses I’m supposed to, I get so much acid in my gut in just a few hours that I have to throw it up. It literally feels like I’ve swallowed battery acid. Not fun. So after the ‘transition’ period I step up to the full doses. I do the same when I come off them in the spring- for the last several weeks I take ½ the amount of medication before stopping altogether for the warm, sunny months.

This year I started my transition a bit later than I should have due to financial concerns. This week I finally stepped up to the full doses of medication, but of course these things take time to build up in the system. While I haven’t been back to ‘The Danger Zone’, I haven’t been functioning in day-to-day life either. Luckily my manager understands the challenges one faces when dealing with MDD and Anxiety, so she has been working with me while I readjust for the season. I wish more people were that understanding.

All that to say I’ve been working, and lately, depressed. I decided to go in to all that just in case it can offer hope and help to anyone else out there battling this.

Anyway, I haven’t done much nail art, though I still do my own clear acrylic nails and color block manis and pedis. I also do my mom’s clear gel manicure every 2 weeks. I’m slowly looking in to possibly going to school for my Nail Tech license, but finding funding for it has been challenging. I’ll keep you posted if/when anything develops on that.

I have been working on a post on my new hair style and the products and tools I use to maintain it, but I can’t guarantee when that will be up.

Thanks for sticking around. Regardless of what goes on in my life, The Dragon's Vanity will always be a part of it. I hope you all have a great holiday season. {Hugs}

Koi Mani

Koi Mani

Hi folks! I'm out of town for the weekend, but I'm so excited about this manicure that I couldn't wait until Monday to feature it.  Its inspired by Koi and the various markings each breed has.  I've always thought Koi were beautiful creatures and their colors are perfect for this transitional period between Summer and Fall!

I used this photo for inspiration and reference.

Left Hand
Pinkie = 8
Ring = 13
Middle = 17
Index = 19
Thumb = My own creation

 
Right Hand
Pinkie = 32
Ring =  18
Middle = 35
Index = 21
Thumb = 7



Oranges
Zoya - Kyle2;  Starrily - Walking On Fire;  Zoya - Kate

Whites
JulieG - White Orchid;  Zoya - Ginessa

Blacks
JulieG - Black Sheep;  Starrily - Flight of the Bumblebee

Top Coats
Zoya - Hurry Up Fast Dry Drops*;  Zoya - Chloe;  Sally Hansen - Diamond Flash


I started with a coat of JulieG - White Orchid on all of my nails except my right middle finger and right thumb.  I followed the white with a coat of Zoya - Ginessa.  For the bare thumb and finger started with a Jelly Sandwich of Zoya - Kylie2, then Starrily - Walking On Fire, then Zoya - Kate.

From there, I used a dotting tool to make the patterns and markings on the nails, sometimes overlapping colors (like on the left Index finger).  The more imperfect it is, the better it looks- it reminded me of doing leopard print in that sense!  Anytime I wanted orange in places I followed the same Jelly Sandwich process to keep the look congruent.

For the black areas, I kept the Flight Of The Bumblebee sparse, and overlapped onto the white just a little to get a few of the tiny black glitters to show up. I did the same in a few places with Walking On Fire, just to add to the 'scale' look.  I added Zoya - Chloe over each nail before topcoating.  Chloe really shows off her magic over dark polishes, and in this look she adds a slight 'scaley' texture to the black areas without adding color.

My left thumb ended up with a Gradient/Jelly Sandwich combo, which I think turned out really cool.

Direct sunlight

I tried a more simple, abstract version of this before removing it and trying for more realistic markings.  I think this lovely too and perfect for someone who wants this look but isn't confident in their nail art skills.  Its just layering glitters over base colors!

Abstract Koi markings achieved by layering glitters.

For this I used:
JulieG - Black Sheep
JulieG - White Orchid
Zoya - Kylie2
Starrily - Walking On Fire
Starrily - Flight of the Bumblebee
Starrily - White Noise
JulieG - Cleopatra's Cobra
Zoya - Chloe
Sally Hansen - Diamond Flash Top Coat

You could also change this up by doing the solid orangey-coral color on all your nails and doing a Koi Pattern on an accent nail if these are too busy for your liking.


So there's some ideas for a different animal print to try out!  You could use any orange, black, or white polish, and several brands make Mylar top coats now, but I must say that Starrily's glitters** are fabulous for this look!

If you decide to recreate these looks, please share some photos with me at thedragonsvanity@gmail.com or on The Dragon's Vanity Facebook page!  Have a great weekend everyone!


*There are a LOT of layers in this look so the Fast-Dry Drops helped ensure each layer was cured before the next layer went over it.  You could probably do this look without them, but it would take forever for it to dry.

**No, I am not being compensated for mentioning Starrily, I just really like their products and believe in supporting small businesses.

I still have faith in Batman

Yeah, how d'ya like them apples?

Batman is my absolute favorite superhero.  My first exposure was Batman The Animated Series on Fox.  I used to rush home after school so I could catch the full episode.  Since then I've loved everything Batman.  Batman is a total badass regardless of the incarnation, but as a character, an idea, he's had some ups and downs. (Who hasn't?!)

The recent news that has fans and critics foaming at the mouth is that Ben Affleck has been cast to play the Dark Knight in the upcoming Superman/Batman movie.  The popular consensus is that this is a horrible idea and that Mr. Affleck will ruin the whole movie.

Two people taught me valuable lessons that apply to the current Batman/Ben Affleck/Batfleck nerd crises on the intarwebz.

1) Christopher Nolan has taught me not to put so much weight on casting choices.  I questioned Christian Bale and he turned out great.   I questioned Heath Ledger and he turned out amazing.   I questioned Anne Hathaway and she turned out great.   Here's a few other controversial casting choices in just the comic world alone that turned out fine:

Michael Keaton as Batman

Henry Cavil as The Man of Steel

Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man

Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner

Kelsey Grammer as The Beast

I'm more interested in the director and writer.  Here's the math as I see it:

[Great Acting] + [Terrible Writing/Terrible Direction] = (more often than not) Awful Movie.

[Terrible Acting] + [Great Writing/Great Direction] = (worst case scenario) Tolerable Movie.

You can have the best acting in the world, but if the story is shit and the direction is nonexistent  you'll be watching a hot mess on-screen.  However if the acting is sub-par but the script is gold and the direction is on-point, then at absolute worst-case scenario you'll get an okay movie at the end; Most often it equates to acceptable and somewhat entertaining.  By this math, the acting doesn't have near the weight as writing and directing. 

No one is going to know for sure what this particular movie's formula is until its actually complete and we all either pay for insanely overpriced tickets to see it in the theater or break the law and stream it into our living rooms on our laptops.  And this leads me to the second person & lesson:

2) My mother taught me 'Don't judge a book by its cover.'  That advice can easily be modified to fit many circumstances, like 'Don't judge a makeup product by its price,' 'Don't judge a person by their clothes,' and 'Don't judge a movie by its lead actor(s)/actress(es).'

No one knows how well this thing is going to turn out until its actually turned out.  So STFU internet... and wipe your chin, you still have a little foam there...

It doesn't matter who plays Batman, who writes the story, if the next incarnation is a graphic novel, an animated series, or a live-action, if its a reboot, prequel or sequel, and regardless if it blows my socks off or sucks ass...

I still have faith in Batman.

PS:
To those of you who say 'Daredevil,' I say 'Good Will Hunting.' :P

Is Your Makeup Gross? Clean Makeup Series Part 3: Testers

In a previous post I talked about easy ways to clean your makeup brushes.  In this series, I've covered Expiration Dates and Sanitation of your own makeup.  Today is the 3rd and final part of my Clean Makeup Series, and its something that really grosses me out: Testers.  Let me start with a little Public Service Announcement:

FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING YOU HOLD DEAR 

DO NOT

PUT ANY PRODUCT FROM A TESTER 

ON ANY PART OF YOUR FACE 

UNLESS YOU HAVE AN ASSOCIATE 

SANITIZE IT FIRST!

Various testers at my local mall

I'm completely serious.  You have no idea what kind of germs the last person who used it left behind.   Would you like to get pink eye or a stye?   No?   Then keep tester eye products away from your eyeballs!   You're just asking for a cold or a cold sore when you use a tester lipstick straight from the tube.  At least 80 people rubbed their grubby little fingers all over that sample makeup brush before you picked it up wiped it all over your face- remember that when you wake up to a breakout tomorrow.

The ideal scenario is that you flag down an associate, politely ask them to sanitize the tester so you can use it, and they sanitize it again when you're done with it.  I know we do not live in a perfect world.  So lets pretend there isn't an associate available who can sanitize this product for you; How do you figure out if the color will look good on you without putting it on your face?

• If you didn't bring any alcohol or tissues with you to sanitize the product yourself (who does that, anyway?!), then just swatch it on the back of your hand and hold it up to your face to get an idea of what the product would look like on your skin tone. 

• If that doesn't cut it, just buy the dang thing and try it at home.   If you end up hating it you can simply return it.   ANY returned makeup gets shipped back to the manufacturer so they can dispose of the used product and recycle the packaging.  You never have to worry about buying 2nd hand makeup at the store.

• One last thing about testing Mascaras: If you read the product description of any mascara, you'll notice that at least half the hype is about the design of the mascara wand. But if you want to hygienically try it out you have to use a generic disposable mascara wand. This means you are really only testing 1/2 the product. 

• The best way to test a mascara with its original wand is to apply the mascara to your arm hair. No, it isn't the same as applying it to your lashes, but you can get an idea of what the formula and wand combo have to offer you without any unexpected yuckiness near your eyeball. 

• And again if this doesn't cut it for you just buy it and try it at home. You can always return it if it doesn't work for you.

I hope this last post has opened your eyes to the risks involved with Testers and how to avoid those risks while still finding the right product for you.  I also hope this 3-Part Clean Makeup Series has helped some of you with keeping your makeup clean and keeping your face healthy. Thanks for reading and enjoy your clean makeup!

Part 1: Expiration Dates
Part 2: Sanitation
Cleaning Makeup Brushes

Is Your Makeup Gross? Clean Makeup Series Part 2: Sanitation

Hello again, and welcome to Part 2 of this 3-Part Series about clean makeup practices! If you missed Part 1, be sure to check that out for important information on Makeup Expiration Dates.  

Part 2: Sanitation

I sanitize my own personal makeup every few months.  If I'm doing someone else's makeup, then EVERYTHING gets sanitized before it touches someone else, including the makeup brushes.  When I'm done, it all gets sanitized again before I use it on myself.  I don't want their germs any more than they want mine.

I use the following products when I sanitize my makeup:

• A little spray bottle of 70% isopropyl alcohol.  Higher concentrations evaporate too quickly so they don't do as good a job of sanitizing.  Its all about the science, baby!

• Paper towels.  I prefer them over tissues because they leave less lint behind.

• My pencil sharpener.  

Potted or Panned Creams or Powders

Wipe the surface of the product off with a clean paper towel, then spray with alcohol.  Allow the alcohol to evaporate before closing or using. 

Traditional Pencils/Sticks 

Use your makeup pencil sharpener to shave off the top layer of product.  Spray with alcohol & allow it to evaporate before closing or using.

Automatic Pencils/Sticks & Lipsticks

Twist up a little of the product, gently wipe off the surface of the product with a clean paper towel/tissue.  Hold the product upside down and spray with alcohol.  This keeps the alcohol from running down inside the packaging and compromising the integrity of the creamy stick of product, thus reducing the risk of breakage.  Allow the alcohol to evaporate before closing or using.

Pumps, Bottles, Squeezy Tubes, & Sprays

Wipe off the nozzle/opening with a clean paper towel/tissue, spray with alcohol & allow it to dry before using.  Remember to do the same to any caps before closing the product back up.

Lip Glosses, Liquid Lipsticks, Pen or Inkwell-Type Eyeliners, Clickey Pens, & Mascaras

You can't really sanitize these products due to the nature of their packaging and applicators.  If you suspect your product has been compromised, just be safe and either pitch it or recycle it.  If you plan to use one of these products on someone else, there are a couple rules you should follow:

• If you've already used the product on yourself, open a new one to use on the other person.  They don't want your germs any more than you want theirs. 

• If you're going to use the applicator that came with the product, just give the other person the newly-opened product once you're finished.  You won't be able to safely use it on anyone else, including yourself, because it can't be sanitized.

• If you're keeping the product, DO NOT use the applicator that came with the product to apply on the other person.  Instead, use a disposable applicator or Q-tip to fish some product out onto a palette or the back of your hand first, and then use a brush or Q-tip to apply.  NEVER DOUBLE-DIP; If you need more product get a fresh disposable applicator or Q-tip to fish some more out.

That's all for Part 2, be sure to come back Friday for Part 3: Testers!  And if you missed them, be sure to read Part 1: Expiration Dates and my Makeup Brush post for brush-cleaning tips.

Is Your Makeup Gross? Clean Makeup Series Part 1: Expiration Dates

Recently I put up a post about my Makeup Brush Collection.  In that I talked about how I spot-clean and deep-clean my makeup brushes and how often I clean them.  That got me thinking about the cleanliness of my actual makeup, and how just as with makeup brushes, a lot of folks don't realize they need to clean their makeup too.  So I thought I would put together this series of posts explaining how I know when to throw out my makeup, how I keep it clean, and how to handle makeup testers in stores. 

Part 1: Expiration Dates

The primary thing to be aware of, as with anything that expires or goes bad, are your senses.  Has the smell, texture, (in some cases, taste) or color of the product changed since the day you first opened it?  If so, get rid of it.  I don't care what the expiration date on the package is, I don't care what the general rule of thumb is, and I really don't care if it was limited edition or how much it cost!  If any of those things change its better to be safe than sorry and assume it has gone bad.  The only exception is if you JUST got the product- if it smells weird or is too clumpy or something like that, consider returning it and getting a replacement from a different batch/lot number.

The second thing to be aware of is that makeup does actually have an expiration date, and it is printed on the product's primary packaging.  It looks like an open jar and will have a number & letter in it.  24M means 24 months, 3M means 3 months, etc.  This tells you how long you can typically safely use the product from the first time it was OPENED.  This means the date you actually opened the product, not the date you first used it.  So for example if you got something for Christmas and swatched it right then, but didn't actually use it until July, you're already 6 months in on your expiration 'timer.'

Expiration Dates printed on various products

So how do I keep track of when I need to throw a product out?  I'll be honest, I don't even bother tracking eye shadow and other powder products because they last so long and they're very easy to sanitize.  Until recently I relied more on the sensory ques than the printed expiration dates.  It was all very vague and full of guessing: 'I think I got this on my birthday so that was how many months ago?" 

But now that I have a Brush Cleaning Calendar, I'm going to use that same calendar and write the name of the product on the date I opened it.  This way I can easily see exactly when its time to throw a product away.

What if the expiration date isn't printed on the product,

 or what if it rubbed off? 

What follows are industry generalizations on expiration 'timers' for different types of products.  I got these generalizations from Koren of EnKore Makeup.  Again, the expiration date stamped on your product trumps these generalizations, and the sensory ques trump all.

Cream Products: 1 year
gel/ cream eyeliners & eye shadow bases
cream shadow sticks
eyeliner & lipliner pencils
lipsticks, lipstick crayons, lip glosses, & lip balms
cream foundations, blushes, highlighters, & bronzers
primers
moisturizers

Sprays: 1 year
refresher, setting, and finishing sprays
spray-on foundation
spray-on bronzers

Powders: 2-3 years
loose, mineralized, pressed or baked foundation, blush, bronzer, highlighter, & eyeshadow

Liquid Foundations: 6-8 months
liquid foundations in pumps, tubes, or bottles

Liquid Liner and Mascara: 3 months
liquid eyeliner pens/markers
inkwell-style liquid eyeliner
any mascara

A Note About Recycling

When its time to chuck that mascara please consider aiming for a tote destined for a makeup counter rather than your trash can.

Several brands are now accepting makeup and beauty empties so they can properly recycle the packaging and reduce the amount of waste going to the landfill.  Some companies like Aveda, MAC, and Lush will only accept their own packaging, but Origins will accept ANY cosmetic brand's empties!  I'm sure there are others out there too, feel free to do your own research if you don't have an Origins store or counter near you.

Return to Origins Recycling Program

That's it for Part 1 of this series, be sure to come back on Wednesday for Part 2: Sanitation- Keeping Your Makeup Clean!