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Woohoo! Happy you had a great first date! And that you found some skincare that works for you. Would also love updates if you feel like sharing ’em.
@Rangerchic Right now I can only tell a difference when I put on mascara. But my natural eyelashes are not dark, so that’s always been the thing to make a noticeable difference in my eyelashes to me. I’ve thought about doing a lash lift and tint before. Maybe this summer.
Our neighbor across the hall travels a bit and on two occasions has gifted us his HF boxes when he’s forgotten to cancel before leaving town. I’ve liked the meals we’ve gotten through him quite a bit and portions are generous.
I felt embarrassed the entire time we were in Playa del Carmen. Like I just wanted to drink fruity cocktails, read my book in the sunshine, and relax. Which I was able to do, but with Pitbull playing in the background while Chad from Ohio did his best to win the push-up and belly flop contests. The boyfriend still has status with the hotel we were at from all the travel he used to do for work, so we were at least granted access to the quieter “honors member” areas of the beach and pool. I’d go back to Mexico in a second, just not the corners Americans feel most comfortable.
Sooo here to report back on international travel, in case anyone was curious.
Our main destination was in south central Mexico and we barely managed to get there. There aren’t direct flights and we were supposed to connect in Dallas. But Dallas couldn’t deal with the snow/ice a couple weeks ago, so our flights were canceled two days in a row. We ended up canceling and rebooking using points on another airline through Houston. That leg of the trip was great. There were definitely other tourists, but they don’t go there en masse the way they do the coastal areas, and everyone was fantastic about COVID precautions.
On the way home, we did a quick stop in Playa del Carmen and omg just no. Not great. The last time I was in Playa del Carmen was like a decade ago and at the time was quieter — went with my mom and we literally had an entire pristine beach to ourselves. It’s changed a ton since then and just wasn’t for me. We stayed at an adults-only all-inclusive and maybe it was our hotel, IDK, but it was basically all the kinds of people I’ve been trying to avoid here. I am likely going back in a few months for a family get-together and hoping that the family member who is planning it, who lives in that area, picks a hotel/area that caters more to Mexican tourists or that is overall quieter. Because yikes. And the COVID test went deep enough to make my eyes water but was a fast, maybe five-second, one-nostril-only swab.
For anyone curious, it’s been about a month of using the Essy lash serum and I can definitely see a difference. I used to have nice, long lashes but in the past year or so noticed a difference in ’em… and on my right eye, I noticed that in one spot my eyelashes seemed to break off. Anyway, they look like they used to at the moment and I’m pleased.
Anyone doing anything fun for Valentine’s Day? We aren’t big Valentine’s Day people but never mind an excuse to eat chocolate or go to dinner. We just got back from Mexico, so we have nothing planned and are both eager to eat a bit more balanced than our vacation selves, haha.
I like pave bands, or at least the idea of them. My mom also just wore a gold wedding band (they never did the engagement ring thing), which may in part be why I am not particularly concerned with engagement rings. A friend I had as a teenager was already talking about how she knew she’d want a ring upgrade when she and her future husband afford more. (I think she’d seen her dad do this for her mom.) After she got engaged a few years ago, I saw her around the holidays and was admittedly a little surprised that she hadn’t opted into a larger center stone since she had very strong opinions on rings well before she’d even had a boyfriend… though she didn’t miss a chance to tell the group that the halo makes it appear larger. To each their own!
@ktfran I’d kill for a nook! LOL. I was working from the living room until the summer, when I finally got a desk that folds up into a hutch that’s mounted on the wall. I now work out of the master bedroom, and while it’s not ideal, it’s way better. We’re making it work.
@hfantods What style did your fiance buy? I am also not that person who dreamed of wedding stuff. Not the actual wedding day, not the ring. Up until a conversation with my boyfriend’s SIL and his cousin’s wife two summers ago, I would’ve said I didn’t care. I’m not a big jewelry person. But then they pointed out it’d be the one piece of jewelry I’ll be wearing often if not daily and I should have a say, which I do think makes sense. So from what I’ve seen online and on friends’ fingers, two things I think I’d like are: a round solitaire and a skinny band. That’s about as much thought as I’ve given it. I know there are different settings and whatnot but I know very little. So next month I will get tipsy at Tiffany and learn. And like I said, I think I’d want a lab diamond. I’ve seen headline about how millennials are destroying the diamond industry and I guess I’m part of that trend.I have a friend who usually wears just her wedding band, she has a very dainty one, and I can see myself wanting something similar.
He bought the place we’re in together now. Living together has been great! And we finally, after a year and a half, ordered curtains for our large living room window situation. Ha! We’re still home together all day everyday, which I don’t think either of was anticipating to still be the case, but have figured out how to make that work. Had we known, maybe we would’ve gone for a bigger place, but we’re both pretty happy with this place for now.
Oh, also a dating-related update that’s not really an update, but: The boyfriend and I made an appointment at Tiffany to look at rings next month after our trip. This is not where I’d want to buy anything and I’m increasingly thinking I’d be a lab diamond kinda person, but a friend and her fiance went while they were looking at rings and said it was fun and includes champagne. So mostly going for the novelty of it all. And the bubbly.
Oh yeah! I definitely remember wearing eye shadow colors in HS that I’d never wear now. And in HS and into college, we all heavily rimmed our eyes with black eyeliner and had thin eyebrows and very glossy lips. It was trendy, we all thought we looked great! I finally learned how to do makeup watching YouTube videos, probably in my early 20s around 2010-ish, but have learned on TikTok how the kids are now applying makeup, though I don’t really care, trends like those feathery eyebrows or highlighted nose tip just aren’t for me. I think I look good the way I pull myself together, it helps me feel like I’m putting my best foot forward and that’s the whole point!
Eh, my mom was never into these things, but I am. Granted, it started as an attempt to find skincare that helped alleviate some side effects of the bajillion acne treatments I tried in my youth and makeup to help me even things out. But everyone is different. My sister wears makeup, too, but I don’t think she’d say she’s into it, her only goal is to look a bit put together for work. Not everyone thinks skincare/makeup is important, or they just have whatever routine/products work for them and that’s a-okay. It’s really more about everyone finding out what works for them and makes them feel confident. I have a friend who used to wear really bright, wacky colored eyeliners. Not a look or routine for me, her mom used to tell her it looked bad, but if she likes it and that’s what makes her feel good, I say have at it.
I use The Ordinary’s hyaluronic acid serum at night and like it. It was under $10, a price point I was happily surprised by, and my little bottle has lasted a good, long while. I’d definitely try other products.
@TheLadyE I’m sorry you feel so down on where you are in life right now. I’ve been there. Try not to compare yourself to others (if this is something you are doing). And if you do get discriminated against because you’re “old,” well… there are laws for that. You also don’t need to be doing anything specific when it comes to skincare (except, I’d argue, sunscreen), especially if it just adds more stress to your life. Or you can do what I’ve done over the years which is to integrate just one thing into your routine at a time (also a great way to make sure your skin doesn’t freak out). If it helps, here’s Dr. Shereene’s link to retinol for beginners: https://www.pillowtalkderm.com/shop-my-shelf/.
