Until I get off my lazy butt and start a second blog for cosmetic product reviews, you’ll have to suffer through these now and then. Trust me, I only speak up when it’s something stellar. I have always hated the idea of “beauty secrets” and so I share for the sake of all womankind.

Today’s review is for skincare by Kinerase. After hearing about it from different sources, most notably my dermatologist, I decided to try them on my next visit to Sephora (aka Mecca for beauty junkies). They let me sample first, and I later purchased Lotion and Eye Cream.

Now, the active ingredient in these products is called N⁶ fufuryladenine, and from what I understand, it’s a plant-derived growth factor, similar to the compound which keeps rose petals soft and supple. In human skin, the effects are reported to be similar (and in some cases superior) to those achieved with retinol.

But what did I think about it?…

Continue Reading 13 comments November 14th, 2005

12 comments November 13th, 2005

Today I enjoyed the most amazing fantasy. It happened within a span of two minutes, while driving up Wilson Avenue on the way back from the gym. But it was so vivid and detailed, that I had to get it down on paper (okay, electrons) so that I’d never forget.

It started when I asked myself the question, “If I ever get to travel to India, what would I want to do?” and the ideas came flooding in… Only a few of which are actually feasible, but it was at the very least a lovely mental journey — Namaste.

Here is my imaginary itinerary:

Continue Reading 9 comments November 12th, 2005

The next time you feel overwhelmed by how hard it is to lose weight, take this tale into consideration. I happen to be one of those people with a sincere uphill battle. Doctors say my metabolism is functioning within the acceptable range, but if so… That is one wide spectrum! My body holds on to fat with a death grip, much like how Whitney Houston holds a crack pipe.

You know about my progress with circuit training, spinning, and dealing with food issues. But today I’m going to give you a glimpse at what it takes, on a consistent basis, for my body to start melting off the lard. If the average young lady were to adhere to this regimen, I bet every dime I own that she’d end up a heck of a lot more slender than the overly curvy size six I must fight hard to keep. Check this insanity…

Continue Reading 19 comments November 11th, 2005

Worse, actually… I did something so convoluted that only I could come up with it. Somehow I decided I was too sexy for my dreams… They weren’t aspirational enough for me.

Admitting this for the first time just now doesn’t make me feel any better, either. More like I need to do something about it… Which sucks.

At one point, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my career, but I never shared the details with anybody. Least of all my family, who would completely freak out once they stopped laughing. After all, my father’s sole interest in me from day one involved making sure I would not remain a financial burdern to him.

So I judged myself and ruled that my desires were lacking… That this ambition was frivolous, and that pursuing it would be admitting to something my mother accused me of so often: Sitting on my brains. Psycho to English translation: I’ve been blessed with an extra measure of intelligence, and should therefore use it to its full potential.

Maybe they’re right, I thought. After all, I had to make a living and survive in this big, scary, adult world. Money doesn’t grow on trees, and fun jobs don’t pay much… Right? Where was Joseph Campbell when I needed him? Wonder where I’d be today if I had followed my bliss instead of those transplanted fears.

The good news is that I didn’t stray far. Although at one point I was an Accounting major (right on track for a future in alcoholism and suicide) eventually I couldn’t resist the allure of something better aligned with my natural aptitudes, and with some luck a career developed.

I’m a lot closer to my dreams than I deserve to be…
But it will take one more leap to get there — Yikes!

14 comments November 10th, 2005

Working for a giant corporation while finishing college, I remember being overwhelmed by the politics. About the only thing that made me feel at home at first were the droves of silly little emails that people would circulate. They felt like the workplace equivalent of offering someone a cookie from your lunchbox in elementary school.

Although it doesn’t take long to grow tired of all that nonsense, now that I’ve been removed from that world for a while, I’m finally starting to miss those chain letters, syrupy slideshows, urban legends, and lame poetry. In a way, it makes me feel bad about how I deleted scores of them, unopened, once I had been assimilated.

Years have gone by without a single cheesy email crossing my inbox, but today that changed. This silly diversion somehow wrangled its way past our spam blockers. It reminded me of those cootie catchers from back in the day. Much to my surprise, it cured my secret longings.

INSTRUCTIONS: [Approximate time required: 3 minutes]
First, get a pen and paper. When you actually choose names, make sure it’s people you actually know and (this is the most important part) go with your first instinct… Don’t read ahead or you’ll ruin it!

1. First, write the numbers 1 through 11 in a column.
2. Then, beside 1 and 2, write down any two numbers.
3. Beside the 3 and 7, write members of the opposite sex.
4. Write anyone’s name (friends or family) in 4, 5, and 6.
5. Write down four song titles in 8, 9, 10, and 11.
6. Finally, make a heartfelt wish.

And now the key to the game…

Continue Reading 8 comments November 9th, 2005

Would you rather…

• Shave your eyebrows & head or have black teeth for 2 weeks?

  In my lifetime I’ve only had hair that could be described as short for one month, and I hated it completely. Also, my expressive eyebrows are my pride and joy. I think I would rather avoid smiling for a couple weeks. I’ve had some practice, so black teeth it is.

• Be able to talk to the dead or see ten minutes into the future?

  You’ll probably later convince me I made the wrong choice, but for now I’m picking the latter. I’d like to know what’s on the other side, but I can tolerate the mystery. Seeing into the future could be an invaluable help. At times I think I’ve already experienced something similar through the phenomenon of deja-vu… And it’s fun!

• Get hit on the head with a beer bottle or across the chest with a tire iron?

  I’ll go with what I know Alex, and take the beer bottle for $500. It is with great shame that I admit: Many years ago, at a particularly low point in my life, I was involved in a bar brawl. Some evil whore clocked me in the back of the head with a lowball glass. She ended up with a broken nose. My noggin hurt a lot less than my arms did… Kept resisting the bouncers’ attempts to pry me off of her.

• Constantly have a flower growing out of your ear or tears running down your face?

  Is this even a quandary? I’d find a way to make that flower work.

10 comments November 8th, 2005

MrLemurBoy hooked me up with a little easter egg from the Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith DVD… Rather than searching around to uncover it yourself, here is the video clip for your viewing pleasure:

23 comments November 7th, 2005