**REVIEW** They're Real (Push-up eyeliner by Benefit Cosmetics)

I'm so very happy that we finally have an Ulta store in Anchorage. Of course, I found this little gem at the one here in Texas! LOL

Usually, I see stuff like this and go, "Bet it won't work the way it says it will..." And, usually, I'm right. However, this stuff is excellent.

Because I am have really bad fine motor skills (I once almost put my eye out with an eyeliner stick back in high school!), the tip of this eyeliner is perfectly designed.

Now, keep in mind that the tip is not the eyeliner itself. The eyelining gel dispenses from that tip. It just sort of glides perfectly onto the lid, right where you want it to go. You know, instead of all over your eyelid or into your eyelashes (don't judge me) so that you get an even and well-stroked line.

The one thing that drove me crazy when I first opened and tried to use this was that I had to turn/click the push-up end so much. My niece actually counted the clicks/turns and it was something like 68 twists. Oh - and there is a little orange sticker thing inserted that you must remove before first use. (Yeah, I was trying to use my new eyeliner without reading any instructions..)

So... just a quickie little review in case you've seen this in the stores and was wondering if this was worth it. And, actually, the product was cheaper in the Ulta store ($24.99) than it is on Amazon ($29.40).  The Benefit site has the liner for $24.00. Also, if you want to try the brand's makeup remover and mascara along with the eyeliner, Ulta had a kit with mini-sizes of each for around $25.00

Since I do like wearing eyeliner a lot, and since I do have problems wearing it properly, this is a reasonable price - IF this lasts a while. That's going to be the deal breaker. If this ends up running out on me in a couple of weeks, forget it. I can always use a spoon to guide my regular old gel liner...

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Miss Jessie's Leave-In Condish

Yes, I know. I have had very poor results with a couple of Miss Jessie's products. Very poor. In fact, the only reason I decided to give yet another Miss Jessie's items a try at all was because I cannot believe such a successful brand is all bad.

Let's recap the instances I've had my feelings hurt, hopes crushed, and hair (and wallet) left in need:

• There was the time I tried "Pillow Soft Curls" only to discover that the 'pillow' referenced had to be a stone one from Wilma Flintstone's bed... (although, as a conditioning treatment, P.S.C. worked better.)
• Then I mentioned (or ranted) about the high cost of such products.
• Latest was when I obviously wanted to believe in Miss Jessie's the way I once believed in a bad relationship... Yeah. Pillow Soft Curls didn't teach me nothing; I just had to try the "Jelly Soft Curls" because, you know, "Baby, I swear I won't_____ anymore." (And you can fill in that blank with whatever the last lie is that you were told...

And, by the way, falling for the lies of that dang Miss Jessie didn't teach me quite enough. I rebounded by running into the arms of Miss Jessie's less well known cousin, "Aunt Jackie". sigh.

If this were a history of my past romantic entanglements, I'd be swearing off men and entering a convent. Really. Seriously. HOWEVER... I might have a cold heart when it comes to certain men, but I'm warmer blooded when it comes to my hair. Which is why I did pick up the "Leave-In Condish".

 Also, the 8-ounce bottle was cheap. And I'm on write-cation. And I can spend $10 on a hair product when I am on write-cation and not really writing as much or as well as I thought I would be. So there.


I picked this up for about $10.00 at a Target here in Texas. I've never seen this item in Anchorage stores but, no doubt, the price would go up by two or three bucks on those shelves.

As usual, the first thing I did when I got the product was to smell it. It smells like that plain old bath bar soap that you get when you stay in cheap motels. Just so plain and funky that you automatically think that it's either really cheap stuff or that it will strip all the sebum right out of your skin and hair.

Maybe the mix of ingredients???


Of course, the smell had me thinking that I was about to be disappointed once again... But, nope. Once I got past the smell to give the product a try, it wasn't half bad.

I think I already mentioned that the air here is extremely humid. I have been calling it "no-lotion" weather. The thing is, it's great for my hair and skin but it also makes my hair resistant to styling. The only way I can get my hair to hold a nice twist-coil wave is to wash it. That's because my hair tends to dry out when I wash it (which is why I am careful about using the right shampoo).

Since the Leave-In Condish is to be used on damp (not wet) hair, I did a co-wash with the cleansing conditioner I told you about yesterday, then I let it go from wet to damp. I applied the Leave-In and waited for that to dry.

Result: quite stiff.

I then used a spray bottle to fine-mist on some water that I massaged into my hair.

Result: much better. Actually, my hair felt quite soft and moisturized.

Next, I did my twist-coils and let them dry.

The final result was not bad at all. My hair was not stiff or sticky at all, though it was a little bit over-dry. Since it is so humid here, I expected better. However, I do have very dry hair after washing.

Overall, I have to give this Miss Jessie's product a 9 out of 10. I'd even give it a 10 if not for that icky, soapy odor. (I will resolve that by adding to my water mister a touch of the yummy-smelling Pomegranate Cleansing Conditioner, or some of my Vanilla Grapefruit Fragrance.)

Also, please notice what is not in this particular product: sulfates and other no-no's for (especially) natural hair.

So, yay to Miss Jessie's for finally having a product that lives up to the labeling & goes easy on the average wallet.

At some point, I will compare the results I'm getting with products here to the ones I get in Alaska's drier climate.

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Sweet Pomegranate Cleansing Conditioner (by Renpure Solutions)

Just because I am on a little "write-cation", it doesn't mean that I'm not going to keep up on the reviews.

I actually picked up this product in a Target here in Carrolton, Texas. I sure do hope that I can get the Anchorage Target to order some for the future.

Renpure site also has different fragrances

The main reason I decided to purchase this (even though I had never even heard of the brand before now) is because of the delicious smell. Oh, my GOODNESS!!! This is the nicest scent I think that I have ever smelled in a hair product! When I was trying to think of how to describe the scent, I asked my niece to help. We both decided that it's like a very sweet and juicy pomegranate. Or, as my niece said, "I'd drink it." Oh-kay!

There are a lot of ingredients (not all as healthy-sounding as I prefer), but notice the things that are not included. (Sorry for the crappy photo. I'm having camera issues.)

As far as how well it works, I give it an 8 out of 10. For one thing, it does a great job of cleaning  the hair, but the moisturizing could be a smidge better. Here in this part of Texas, my hair and skin are already super spoiled by the humidity. I haven't had to use nearly as many oils for moisturizing as I do back in Anchorage. I have a feeling that this conditioner is going to need a boost from some of my other products when I use it in that drier climate. In this moist climate, it does alright, but I did have to use some moisturizing curling gel after my hair dried.

The smell alone makes this worth using (even if I have to add another conditioner) and I only used the size of three quarters to do my hair in the shower. And the entire bathroom smelled amazing afterward.

No kidding, I actually wish I could find this same exact scent in perfume or lotion.

The price was nice on this (at least at the Target down here...). I paid $6.99 (plus tax) for the 16-ounce bottle. I checked Amazon and found it as a Prime "Add-on" item for the same price. The Renpure site just sends you to other retail sites for the products.

I did have a moment of surprise when I noticed the back of the product:

Co-washing started, I thought, as a thing that black women did to protect their natural hair growth. Whatever.

I'd love to hear what women with different hair textures have to say about the product. Maybe the reason it isn't as moisturizing for my kinky/curly hair is that it wasn't formulated for this texture??? So, if someone with a different hair texture has tried this, please let me know what your results were. I bet we can all agree about the yummy fragrance.

This is a good price for decent results on my normally very dry hair. I imagine it will work much better for hair is that is less problematic.

Peace

--Free

"He Said, She Said" (part 1 of a short story)

[This is a short story I am working on. Don't get too involved. I'm writing it on the fly and in pieces. Who knows how - or even if - it will conclude! Part 2 is here.]


He said, "You changed when we got married. You don't look, act, or love the way you did before."

She said, "You changed too. You don't say the things you did before or seem to care the same about how I look, act, or love."

Him: "How can you tell what I say? You don't listen."

Her: "I stopped listening when the sound of your voice started to annoy me."

Him: "See? You never talked to me like that when we were dating."

Her: "That's because you didn't annoy me the way that you do now."

They glared and stared, then walked off in different directions to let the silence heal the fury.

After some hours, She came into the room where He was watching television.

Her: "Are you calm enough to talk decently to me now?"

Him: "If you are calm enough to listen decently."

Her: (Taking on the suffering that she supposed being married required and managing to let this remart pass unchecked or, at least, only slightly checked with a tired sigh.) "You know, that's your problem. You're too bossy."

Him: "Well, hello there, Pot. My name is Kettle. Nice to meet you."

Her: "Is that how this conversation is going to go?"

Him: (Taking on the suffering that he supposed being married required and managing to let this remark pass unchecked or, at least, only slightlychecked with a roll of the eyes.) "I apologize."

Her: "Good. Now, first thing is, we need to get back to where we started. You know, back when you were courting me."

Him: (Having a momentary brain freeze because he had no recollection of a courtship. Fortunately, the freeze was brief. Unfortunately, the melt extended to his mouth.) "Courting you? Is that what you call your mother convincing my mother that you were such a great catch that the two of us should really get together?"

Her: (Giving Him a look that could have either started a new ice-age or melted the entire region of Siberia.) "What are you trying to say?"

Him: (Realizing that further words melting out of his mouth might cause a flood of damage that no mortal insurance would protect him from.) "I'm just trying to keep the story correct and true to history."

Her: "Well, let's stay true and correct to the fact that you obviously had no problem asking me out - not once, not twice, but three times before I even accepted." (She thought it was very mature of her that she managed not to huff with indignation at the end of this statement.)

Him: "Wait. What?"

Her: (She only bothered to answer his confusion with a patient look. Cold, but very patient.)

Him: (Almost defending his confusion with more objections, but remembering he was still without damage insurance and deciding not to write checks with his mouth that his body couldn't safely cash.) "I, uh... I just don't remember it exactly that way."

Her: "I not only remember, I can go through my journal if you want dates, times and content of the specific conversations."

Him: "Uh..." (And here is where he had to decide if he wanted to test the female skill in perfect recall of any event of romantic history - written, electronic or otherwise. He wisely chose not to.) "That's not the point, is it?"


Her:(Giving him a long and very meaninful look)

Him: (Realizing that the look is meaningful, and being a little frightened by the mystery of the possible meaning.)

Her: "Is it?"

Him: "Okay...." (He is still uncomfortable and unsure of where he might be venturing, but decides on the safest way to explore the landmines.) "So... What is the point?"

To be continued..

"Somewhere Over Seattle" (a quick-short story)

(I've been writing some short stories. I plan to write more while on this vacation. It's hard for me to share pieces of my writing that haven't been edited and re-written and picked all to pieces by my insecurities, but that is what I am going to do here. It's going to be my own little exercise in bravery!)

Somewhere Over Seattle ©

by Trudy M. Conway

Life is made up of time, but all the things that make life real is made up of moments.

The moment that you actually hear the meaning in someone's voice, instead of just listening to the words they happen to be saying.

There are times when you lost everything you had, only because you didn't realize how important the moment was. You didn't know that you should have apologized or admitted or repented or just reached over and touched the hand that was being held out to you.

Moments of extreme joy are only revealed as joyful, sometimes, when that moment is old and faded and gone to dust.

We didn't choose our lifetime, but we can choose our moments.

The longest moments - those that seem to stretch out for eternity - are ones that make up a life being born, a future begun,  or a life ebbing away... That kiss between two people who have just made promises of loving, honoring, cherishing. The tear that is sitting in your eye and waiting to fall while someone you love is taking in the breath that will be their last. The looks between you and the stranger who could become part of the reason for your lifetime.

Moments make up lives and lifetimes.

Time means nothing to the moment. Time stops with moments.

A moment is an inhale of a question -

"What might this be?"
"What does this mean?"
"Does it really matter/"
"Who is this person?"
"Should I do this?"
"Do I walk away?"
"What now?"

- and life or a lifetime is the exhale of an answer.

Somewhere over Seattle, my soul was asking questions, and I'm still waiting to breathe.

Peace
--Free

Blogging the Travel (Leaving ANC for DFW)

I want to blog this little getaway of mine for a couple of reasons. The main one is that I'm hoping to clear my head and jumpstart my plans for the future. I've been extremely frustrated with this because I think that my situation is so misunderstood. I'll talk more about that later.

One of the reasons I have had so much anxiety about traveling is my problems with memory. For days before leaving Anchorage, I had night (and day) mares about wandering around lost in some strange airport. I'm serious.

I have made it to Dallas safely and I even mangaged to enjoy some of the travel here. I met a few really nice people and all the crew and staff of Delta was more than pleasant.

Alaska was freezing on the morning I was leaving. Nothing like last year's "non-winter" winter! The day before I left, I had 2 appointments - one early morning and one later in the afternoon. I was totally stressed out by the 2 mile drive to the first appointment just because of the icy roads and maniac drivers... I had to cancel the afternoon appointment that was clear across town. My nerves just couldn't take that.

Since I was to travel from Anchorage to Dallas, I decided to layer clothing for the plane ride.

I started with jeans, boots and a sweater over a shirt.

Went out to my car to get a phone charger and almost passed out from the wind that blew up the back of my jacket, so I added a vest!

Then, because my shirt was kind of heavy, I changed to a lighter one. Much better.

When I took this photo of myself, I stood in the mirror for another few minutes, having a random panic attack. I seriously thought about postponing my trip for a few more days. It went through my mind that I could just crawl into bed and hibernate in the dark until I had more energy. Then I went and sat in the garage and had a good cry. This is what my moods have been like for several weeks.

Everyone in the house is sleeping while I am praying and trying to get my anxiety under control. Just before I have to go and wake my niece to drive me to the airport, I check the weather. This is what Anchorage looks like:

And this is what Dallas weather was doing:

 That was motivation.

Ever since my memory and confidence got so bad, I found workarounds to help make life easier. When I drive, even around my own town, I use Google Maps. Sometimes, I have no trouble, but there are times when I can get mixed up on the way to or from a familiar place. This gets worse, depending on my stress levels. Traveling alone is extremely stressful for me, so I do a couple of things that I will share in case someone else needs to know:

Always download the app for whichever airline you are using.

I've used Delta and either United or American. I like American's app better, but Delta's was bearable. You can "check in" and even pay for your baggage before you get to the airport.

When you do a mobile check-in, you also get to bypass some of the hassles of going through aiprot security. At least you don't have to remove your shoes. That's worth it right there.

Your boarding pass will be electronic/mobile. There's no extra piece of paper to keep track of. Best of all for the nervous type like me, I can refer constantly to my travel information: flight times, gate changes, layover times, etcetera. It just feels so good to have everything right there on the phone.

Limit what you carry around.

I keep only the very essential things on my person, and any carry-on is something I can attach to myself. I use a backpack and a very small messenger type purse. This way I'm less apt to leave something behind in an airport or on a plane. I have a good attachment clip on my phone so that it's always hooked onto my clothing or one of my carry-ons. On one of the flights, someone turned in a passport they found on the floor under the seat in front of them. A passport! 

Put snacks in your carry-on

I always do a Walmart run and grab some granola bars. Thank goodness I remembered this time. For one thing, I had such short layovers that there was no time to get decent food at the airport. For another thing, I couldn't afford the food that was available. (One snack bar offered a tuna sandwhich with lettuce and some condiment packages for a mere $8.00. I'm not kidding.) I did fork out about $7.00 for a muffin and some juice at one point. I could have bought pack of six bigger and better muffins at Costco for that price. #ripoff)

Use the bathroom at every layover.

Even if you don't have to go. You probably will anyway. It gives you the chance to freshen up and check your purse in privacy. I usually rinse out my mouth and puff some baby powder under my clothes. No need not to smell somewhat fresh while sitting next to strangers in the close quarters of an airplane, right?

This wasn't a bad trip. I was so tired anyway. And I had great seatmates all the way. One of them was super-sweet and I sure wish neither of us had been so shy. Makes me want to go to Denver and look for him!

I woke up long enough to get some photos of wherever we happened to be flying over. Can't sort them out now...



I'm SO glad that I layered my clothing. The planes were always chilly so I could keep on my jacket at least, and I used my vest for a pillow at one point. When I got into Dallas, it was muggy but my niece was there to get me so...

I've got to say how proud I am of +Gabrielle B . She navigates this city like nobody's business. I just admire her for her independent spirit. It also makes me feel a little weak and silly. There was a time when I traveled the States to writers' camps and conferences, and even went solo to England before I was out of my teens. I was always so confident and adventurous. Last night, as we left the airport, found a Whataburger for dinner, then headed for Gabby's place, I kept thinking how terrified I would be out there on my own.

When Marla made me smile with her compliments about my travel-ready looks, she hadn't seen these photos!


My evil niece took this when I just passed out sleep on her couch

Lovely, yes? LOL

Notice that her puppy, Kenai, has decided that we are new best friends! If you can see him at all. He's jet black and has the most beautiful coat of hair. I'd steal him if I could. He's such a cute little booger.

"I'm gonna just rest here in the crook of her knees!"

And... I'm not looking so hot here. Around 6-something this morning before Gabby heads out to work. I'm still tired and still wearing my twist-rows. I don't even fully remember twisting up my hair before I passed out last night!

Too early to care!

That last photo is to send to my little Boo-Boo (DJ). I miss him, but, boy, it was real nice to wake up and just enjoy my coffee in peace and quiet this morning!

Since I do have time to rest my nerves and pull my thoughts together, I'm going to do some short-story writing (and maybe post some?), and try to examine my life. Hopefully, when I get back home, I will be able to go to work and sort out some of my life tangles.

Peace
--Free                                  

**REVIEW** Deluxe Botanicals Castor Oil

This 100% pure & organic castor oil by Deluxe Botanicals surprised me. Pleasantly.

It's not the first castor oil I've used, of course, but it's the first "clear" castor oil I've used since I was a kid and my Mom and one of the Grands would make us kids eat a spoonful everyday. Ick.

This one is not for ingesting. It's for the hair, skin and nails.

See?

When I got it, I noticed that unlike, the castor oils I've been buying locally (black ash oils), this one was in a bottle with a dropper. I love having a dropper for oils because they make it easier for dispensing and adding to other bottles.

Where this oil surprised me right off the bat is with how freaking thick is is!

The other castor oils I've used are not thin or watery, but this one is so thick that it reminds me of corn syrup. And that is part of the beauty of it.

Because the oil is thick, I thought it would be too heavy for using as a moisturizer. I don't want a thick, greasy mess left on my hands, and I really don't want to use anything like that on my face, right?

No worries. I did test it on my face (and neck) and it really didn't bother my pores. I just rubbed some water and a drop of the oil in my hands and patted it onto my face and neck before bedtime. I think it helped a lot because the house is really dry with the heat turned up for winter. Ugh!

Of course I mainly wanted to test this on my hands and nails. The Deluxe Botanicals goes on thick, but not too sticky and, after about 2 or 3 minutes (maybe less), it has absorbed completely. I mean completely. My hands (and nails) were very nourished without any sign of greasiness.

When I tested the oil on my body (legs and feet), I got the same results. I just let the castor oil absorb before I on clothing.

Because thisi is a 4-ounce bottle, I'm not going to waste it using it full-body. I added several dropperfuls to a bottle of the lotion I'm taking with me on vacation and left it at that. I'm saving the rest to use on my hair and nails (and my feet).

When I'm not sponge-curling my natural hair, I like to do a 2-strand twist of cornrows overnight. Tonight, I did my twist-rows, then used the castor oil on my scalp in between rows. I want to see how my scalp feels tomorrow when I take my hair down. I will let you know at the finish of this review.

My pre-bed look:

Looking like Celie! LOL

I just oiled my scalp bewtween the twist-rows

This oil is also supposed to be good for acne treatment, but I can't test for that. I do know that when I remembered to try it on my lips it felt great. (If your lips are currently chapped and peeling, apply the oil and let it set for a minute, then do a mild cloth or sugar scrub. I noticed that this worked excellent with some sugar for a scrubbing.) There isn't a strong taste to it, thank goodness. I'm going to try using it a few minutes before I apply lipstick because, for some reason, some lipsticks suck all the moisture right out of my smackers.

Finally, the $14.48 Prime price seems reasonable to me for the 4-ounce bottle because I will be adding this to other products and saving some for direct application. This works well enough to add to my oil purchases in the future and I'm glad that I got to try it out.Also there is a 30-day guarantee. If you don't see results, you get your money back. Good deal.

I checked out Deluxe Botanicals Facebook page and noticed that they share some nice tips and hints. I especially like the "Essential Oil Conversions" chart.

Peace
--Free

DISCLOSURE: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Let's Talk About Lipstick (Dark Ladies Editon)

I've threatened before to blog about lipsticks because I have such a hard time finding shades complimentary to my, um, deep shade of dark! I don't even want to think about the time I spend searching out foundation.

Next time, I will focus on foundation. For now, let's talk lipcolor.

Any woman who buys cosmetics know that prices aren't a great indication of quality. I've spent up to $20 for, say, lip color that was no better than the $2 and under selection at a beauty supply store. I think the main thing any of us want in our makeup is basic:

• A complimentary shade - or at least one that doesn't indicate we should be wearing a rubber nose and comic shoes.
• Something that sticks. To our lips or face and not to our teeth or clothing.
• A decent price.
• Availability.

I have the best luck finding good shades of lip and face color at those little neighborhood beauty supply stores. Unfortunately the neighborhood is usually in a zip code that requires I buy a plane ticket. The best blusher I ever found was in a shop right down the block from a niece of mine who lives in Arizona.

Online shopping is only an option for replenishing shades you've already tried. A shade that looks perfect on my computer screen is not always even close to what I get when USPS delivers the package.

Here are some of the lipsticks that I have used (or tried to). 

The shades are:

• Rose Desire #3229 (by Black Radiance Illusions)
• Amethyst #045 (Maybelline)
• Sultry Sable (Revlon)
• #61 Fatale (Chanel Rouge Allure)
• Jezebel (Pur Minerals)
• Dominatrix  lipstick & gloss (Lorac)
• Shame (Urban Decay)

 Black Radiance

 Chanel

 Pur Minerals

 Lorac (lipstick)

Lorac lipstick only

Lorac (gloss)

Lorac gloss only

Lorac lipstick and gloss

Maybelline

Revlon

Urban Decay

My fave!

See what I mean? All of those are great colors, but not all of them work with my skin hue. I lke to put on my liptick once I'm outside in whatever light there is. So far, my favorite is Urban Decay's "Shame". I like it for whatever time of day it is because it makes me feel fierce. Seriously, I just have a thing for very deep reds.

Though they look very similar by sight, Urban Decay's "Shame" is a much deeper red than the "Dominatrix" from Lorac. "Shame" is a deep color even when applied with the lightest touch. plus it stays on longer than any of the other shades. If I need to tone it down a bit, I can use just about any of the lighter glosses. (Too bad about the name of my fave shade!)

Because I just recently got the Urban Decay lipstick (and it's the first ever time I've tried a U. D. product), I will be checking that brand for other cosmetics. I like that it's great quality and will last me a while - cos I don't have to use so much to get an effect that lasts a long time. 

Like I said, this post is just for lipstick (mostly because I got tired halfway through taking the photos!), but we'll get to foundations one day. 

One last thing about the subject: In the case of lip color, you can sometimes tweak one shade by adding another shade or product. With foundation, that can be a disaster. You might get a better matching shade but usually you end up looking painted up rather than prettied up. I prefer wearing all-over color that looks and feels natural. If I didn't mind being plastered with goo, I could get a great look all the time.

Do other women struggle as much as I do with the whole makeup issue? I hope not. I mean, I've just written a whole blog post on the subject...

Peace

--Free

* I might not have purchased the items shown from the same sources.