Sarah and I did an episode last year on “superficial things” — hair, make-up, clothes, etc. It remains one of our most popular episodes. So this week we decided to revisit the topic!
Some of this stemmed from our weight-related posts about a month ago. I posted about wanting to lose weight, which I have done. Thanks to some serious strength-training, Sarah is feeling great on the body-image front (yay!).
We transitioned from that discussion to talking about clothes. Both of us are kind of taking a break from trunks, bento boxes, etc. Though we did need to buy new swimsuits. I wound up going with two identical (except for color) Kenneth Cole one-pieces. I have yet to buy that rash guard, and listening to this episode again reminded me to go do it!
We spend a while discussing Botox, and the benefits thereof. It’s been a while since I’ve done this, but I was impressed with the outcome when I tried it in September and January. Definitely more effective than wrinkle creams!
In the Q&A section, we answer a listener’s question about planning fatigue. We’ve discussed this in the past, and at one point Sarah claimed she never suffered from it. Then…it hit. There are several things you can do. One obvious one: just don’t plan things. If a few weekends just go as they go, so what? You can also delegate certain tasks to others — spouses, children — though then you need to recognize that it might not be what you’d plan. Which leads to another option: reframing. The upside of planning is that you can lean toward things you want to do. Sometimes that little mental reminder of the planner’s power can help a lot.
Please give the episode a listen!
I’m always on the hunt for a good mineral sunscreen. I didn’t catch the full name of the one that Sarah recommended in this episode. Could one of you provide the name of it? Thanks!
@Colleen – I think it was EltaMD, but I’ll have to double check 🙂
Yes! I love EltaMD Pure!
Thank you!
This was a great episode, really enjoyed it.
I especially liked the emphasis of doing things for you, rather than other people.
On the lipstick front, I sometimes use the Stilla stay all day lipstick, and it is really good at staying. But the look of these lipsticks tends to be very dramatic, even when using a shade that really shouldn’t be. For a more subtle look, but with staying power the best I found is MAC cosmetics.
I have been wearing MAC lipsticks for >20 years (yikes!). I splurged on them in college because I realized they were one of the few brands back then that worked for women of color and just sort of stuck with them afterwards because I love their makeup. I find their “matte finish” lipstick is super long lasting, but not great for dry lips unless you start with lip balm and that makes them last slightly less longer. The shinier/glossier the finish, the less they last. But their color selection is amazing. And if you return 5 empty tubes to them you get a free lipstick!
I love a good beauty chat. Re: lips chat, I recently refound Clinique Black Honey and I love it! I am intrigued by Dior Lip Glow, so much that I recent texted a friend to ask “Would $34 lip balm spark $34 of joy?” She told me that a $5 balm and 2 $15 bottles of wine would spark more joy (and I have to agree!). I compromised on a WinkyLux flower balm ($14) which satisfied my frivolous lip fancy and I enjoy. I am mostly need products I can apply imprecisely, preferably with my fingers, but I don’t mind paying for good ones that fit that bill!
I’d love a good self-tanner recommendation!
Major planning fatigue here! “Just don’t plan” has been my approach – it’s expensive (we’re getting a lot of takeout) and sometimes counterproductive (spending 15 minutes looking for a pair of shoes because no one is cleaning up). No big deal, I’ll be back on track soon after a little break. And if any of my family members aren’t happy with the way things are going, they are always welcome to take over.
Can Sarah post a link to the sunscreen for bebes? I just tried to look on Amazon and was overwhelmed by all the options….
I recently bought lipstick for a speaking event and wanted something that stayed on. I got the Sephora cream lip stain and I LOVE it… It’s turned my into a more regular “lipstick wearer.” It’s got great staying power and doesn’t dry my lips out… only about $14-15!
I love a good Superficial Things episode. You guys don’t make it scary like the YouTube makeup divas who talk about things I don’t understand 😀
Laser hair removal is hands down the best beauty “investment” I’ve made. I no longer have to shave legs or underarms and it makes me happy every time I’m in the shower and remember that. But I have dark hair and need to shave daily in the summer, so I do feel like I’m saving a ton of time now. Also no more weird razor bumps, cuts, etc.
I also appreciated the sunscreen mention of women with darker skin 🙂 It seems like such an insignificant thing but made me happy to feel included 😀 Especially with beauty chats when specific colors are discussed, it’s typically not applicable to me. But Clinique Black Honey and sunscreen that rubs in are universal 😀
I’m a Cover Girl mascara lover – I like it more than the expensive one I bought from Sephora. And I do change it out every 3 months because I’m paranoid about stuff that goes on my eyes. One more eye makeup reco is Marc Jacobs Highliners eye pencils. They are sparkly and come in fun colors. I don’t wear any other eye makeup besides these and mascara so I love that I get to play with a little bit of color. They’re $25ish, but Julep (sold at Nordstrom) makes a gel pencil eyeliner that’s almost as good for about $17 but doesn’t come in quite as many fun colors.
Not as powerful as Botox, but a good “long game” option for skin tone: Retin A. Derms pass out the script like candy; it’s a super-cheap generic; and it’s stronger than any OTC retinoids in fancy face creams. After about a month of use, I started getting complements about smoothness and “glow.”
After tracking my time last year, I realized that I was spending far more time getting ready in the morning than I wanted. I identified two ways to reduce that time and have been SO happy with the changes. I got laser hair removal for every place I had to deal with hair growth – upper lip, under arms, legs, bikini. I absolutely love never having to think about shaving or waxing ever again. Plus, time saved. I also started getting Japanese hair straightening, so now I can wash, comb and go. No more blow dryers, no more straighteners, no more piles of hair products. I wish I had done this ten years ago. To make my remaining time more productive, I now listen to all my podcasts and audiobooks (at 2x speed) during that time.
I like these episodes too. I have done Botox twice, about 6 months apart. I will definitely keep it up and definitely don’t think it’s embarrassing or shameful. It is definitely for me only. I also have done fillers (Voluma) twice above my cheek to fill the space under the eye, 18 months apart. I definitely recommend this! Also just for me, and totally vanity.