Okay, not exactly a news flash but worrying about your looks is pricey.
I’m not the type who can’t leave the house without makeup, but I do like to have the option of putting in some effort. And that’s getting expensive.
So far, I’ve avoided the anti-wrinkle cream trap. I’m 34, and I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to start those emollients at age 16. So, since I’m screwed anyway, I’ll just wait until there’s actually something to fix.
But I’m going to do a temporary color to cover the grays, which have finally (after 15 years) gotten to a point that annoys me. The beauty school I go to is having a 40% off special, so I took it as a sign from the universe.
The bigger issue here is breakouts. My skin has gone crazy with the high summer temperatures, which makes no sense because I’m indoors almost all day every day. Ugh.
I’ve tried several things, and nothing will tame it. And past a certain age, you start to worry that people will think less that you’re broken out and more that you’re broken out with a herpes flare up! Or maybe I’m just paranoid.
Point being, I finally broke down and am trying Proactiv. It’s $30 for a month, it has a 60-day guarantee, and frankly I’m willing to try anything right about now. It does help that I’m getting 25% back through Mr. Rebates.
It’s annoying to me to have to spend this much (which I know isn’t actually that much) on face care.
Then again, it’s more annoying for me to go to the trouble of putting on makeup and still being self-conscious about the bumps that concealer really only does so much about.
Plus, with my skin being so crazy, the makeup cakes on anyway. Ugh.
I balance a lot of this out by not spending much in the other superficial arenas. I haven’t bought new clothes in about a year (and then it was new pants because my old ones were tight). I have purchased exactly three pieces of makeup in the past year and a half — and they were all replacements for items I’d run out of. And I only buy maybe one hair care product every 6-9 months.
Still, I feel like a sap. Advertisers have convinced us to be self conscious about gray hairs and visible pores (?!) and all sorts of other ridiculousness.
Should I really give a damn that my hair is frizzy? No. Do I? Little bit, yeah.
So I’ve bought into a lot of this hype. I guess as long as it’s reasonably priced hype, I’ll live.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Well, I definitely want you to live!–don't worry about all that hype stuff. No one likes to have a broken out face! Nothing wrong with being concerned about that! I am wondering if this is related to some med that you are taking? You probably can't stop taking the med, but maybe you would feel better knowing what is causing the problem. My opinion (should you decide to accept, Mr. Phelps) on spending money on things you want: Be happy and grateful that you HAVE some money to get what you want. Isn't that why we HAVE money–to buy things. Since you write a frugal-blog, aren't starving or going bankrupt, it is unlikely you will go hog wild on frivolous crap. So go for it, girl. Get some stuff for the frizzies while you are at it. Cheers (yer mom's blog-friend, Reta)
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Hmmm…Hope you have better luck than DD2 did …. actually that stuff made her acne worse AND we had a heck of a time getting them to honor the guarantee. Then she got a prescription from the Doc….no luck. Then a friend suggested she drink more water…like a lot more….dab her face with apple cider vingegar after she washes it and then when she sleeps at night to put a terry cloth towel over her pillow AND change the towel EVERY night. The results have been pretty remarkable…might work for you….but "your mileage may vary"….Good Luck.
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I know that this is the last thing you want to hear, especially after your post on salt touched on how hard it is for you to eat healthy, but what you eat plays a HUGE role in skin. If you're able to get your processed foods down and your fresh foods up you'll probably notice a huge difference right away. Good luck with the Proactiv though. It's hard to see those commercials and NOT buy in!
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My niece had success with Proactiv so I thought I would explore it for my daughters when they were breaking out in their teens. I went to Kijiji,( the Canadian equivalent of Craig's list) I was ablle to purchase three brand new sets, still sealed of all the products for $25.00.
My daughters went through two of the boxes, decided they dryed their skin too much so I donated the last sealed packageI do see sealed packages listed fairly frequently. I have gone into the history and sent emails to sellers of this type of product even weeks after the posting and I have been able to still purchase and at a lower price:)
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If your face is breaking out, you should take care of it. Don't feel guilty, nobody likes breakouts. Also, you're in your 30's and hormones like to go wonky in your 30's. Trust me, I remember! ;o)
And cover the gray if you really don't like it. I don't and I get hi-lites when I need them. I think most people, male and female, don't look good with a lot of gray hair. It's just not a flattering look.
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I am a a fan of the Cetaphil bar which costs 3-4 dollars at the drug store. When I get a very painful pimple, I use Mario Badescu to treat it. It’s $18 at Nordstrom and worth every penny. Ive had one bottle for at least a year and have only used half of it. I used my sister Proactive and it made my skin worse, but she loves it.
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If the ProActive doesn't work for you (it didn't for me), you might try Origins brand Zero Oil Deep Pore Cleanser. It is the first product I've tried that actually made a difference in my acne and its recurrence. It's a little pricey (+/- $20), but a tube lasts a looooong time. Bonus: If your Macy's has an Origins counter like mine does, you can use gift cards to get it for free. Win-win! Good luck…I definitely feel your pain.
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I have friends that have had luck with Proactiv. Also, a few of them swear my Spectro-Gel, so maybe try that one next if you're still not having any luck? It's cheaper than Proactiv too. Also, drinking lots of water and eating fresh foods should help as well !! And don't worry about spending money on it, having acne and buying face wash is not considered frivolous spending at all ! Good luck
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