A beauty salon is an establishment providing services related to beauty.
Anyone who has spent a meaningful amount of time with me knows that I have a fascination with personal care products: its usage, the packaging, and the industry. Who else's childhood hobby was collecting product brochures from the Estee Lauder Company's line of brands? Some people are members of EMACS usenets, I look forward to receiving Heather Kleinman's Cosmetic Connection newsletter in my inbox each week.
This idiosyncrasy drew me to Vicky, a great friend and essential fashion reference. Jen and I, beyond serious discussions of Taiwanese politics, also share a yen for beauty care. I used to think every guy knew how to apply a mask till my freshman year in college, when Kuo goggled at me as I walked around the entry with a mask. I then realized that Galen, my younger brother, is wise in the ways of skin care because of my influence.
I remember cornering him when he was four, educating him about the importance of lip balm and trying to apply it to his lips.
My skin tends to be oily. Thankfully, I no longer have to deal with acne as often as I did during adolescence. Five years of living in Boston also contributed to my first experience of dry (!) skin. My skin has been on a roller coaster of behavior since I moved to Taiwan last September-but change is good because it challenges by forcing one to pay attention.
I don't skimp on facial skin care. That said, I don't believe in using expensive cleansers. The product is usually on your face for less than a minute-will that ten times more expensive per ounce product really make that much of a difference? I don't think so.
Somehow, I've never really spent that much time or money on the rest of me. I rarely comb my hair and I never blow dry. My fine hair has withstood nearly nine years of competitive swimming and done just as well or better with inexpensive drugstore brands than specialty brands. I remember to moisturize my body when my skin itches from dryness.
More (as in harder scrubbing, layers of products) is not better. Simple and gentle is best.
beauty salon
Sunday, April 21, 2002
I haven't had time to write anything lately, although the next entry will be about color. However, since I don't have a comments feature, I'll just enter (actually, cut and paste) what Maggie is currently using:
in terms of makeup, i'm not using anything exotic, but good stuff: apricot scrub from st. ives alpha hydroxy lotion from st. ives hyper real foundation from mac club satin eyeshadow from mac (i use a wet q-tip to apply) hyper lipstick from mac
Wednesday, April 10, 2002 The power of samples. The fact that I am using Shiseido Pureness Cleansing Foam as my cleanser may seem to contradict my philosophy of not using expensive cleansers. However, here is the story:
I came to Taiwan knowing that in wamer, more humid weather, my skin tends to get more oily. So I brought Jane Cleanzing-to-Go, which I used successfully throughout late spring and summer. This product is cleanser in stick form, encased in a portable roll-up container (it sort of looks like deodorant). The stick has a pleasant grapefruit scent and comes with little granules to provide some exfoliation. Unfortunately, after a few months the cleanser was too harsh for my unhappy skin, which had started flaking and peeling.
What to do? I wanted to find a product which I had used before -- this was not the time to start testing a new product. I had used a sample of the Shiseido cleansing foam before and liked how gentle it was on my skin. Sogo was having a beauty special, with items available for purchase at a discount. End of story.
I also occasionally use Origins Clearance Time when my skin is feeling particularly oily. This is another product I would not have bought if not for the sample I used at my cousin Pei-Pei's place. Pei-Pei always has a bounty of beauty products, so when I spend the night at her place, I don't bring my usual supply with me because I know I can try something new!
At the gym, I am using samples of Fresh Soy Face Wash and Chantecaille Flower Harmonizing Cream. I don't find the Fresh Soy Face Wash all that special (the smell doesn't do anything for me), but I do love the Chantecaille cream. I admit, I have been tempted to shell out US$68 for that cream. It's very moisturizing without being too oily, is soothing, and you only need to use a little bit. This is my second sample -- the first tiny sample pot lasted for months, and I was so happy to receive another sample when I purchased some Chantecaille at Neiman Marcus last spring! I highly recommend the Neiman Marcus Spring Beauty Event, by the way. This year's has already passed, unfortunately.
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