Beauty treatment
I never thought I'd be the sort of girl to have a 'beauty treatment' ritual, and yet, I do.
When I bike in to work, I arrive sweaty. It doesn't matter that it's all down hill, or that the morning is chilly - I am always somewhat sweaty when I arrive. This is why I never bike in work clothes, and also why I have a small washing kit in my desk drawer.
I wash my face and hands and apply perfume every morning in the bathroom between undressing from my bike clothes and putting on my work clothes. It's a ritual.
My favorite product is Burt's Bees Orange Essance Facial Cleanser. It looks and smells like orange juice concentrate, but it cleans my face without leaving any residue. I'm a big anti-residue gal. It does, however, stain washcloths. I used to use cotton balls to wash - one cotton ball, moisten, wipe face over with water, add dab of orange goo, wipe face all over, rinse cotton ball, wipe all over again.
Brian argued me out of buying more cotton balls - not environmentally sound, compared to bringing a washcloth from home. Though the wash cloths are a bit of a problem. I have to lay them out in my cube to dry them, and as I said, most of our washcloths have orange stains now.
After giving my face a good scrub, I wipe it all over with toner, largely because of my fear of leaving soap on my face. I use Burt's Bees Rosewater Toner. I like the smell, and I perhaps unnaturally assume that wiping yourself down with alcohol will catch anything the soap missed. I admit, after my face is done, I wipe my armpits with the alcohol.
Then I apply my perfume. I use myrrh oil. Mmmm Myrrh. At home I also use rose oil, and for a while I had a lovely mixed oil called Jaffar that was made by Celtic Rose Perfumery. Need to get more of that. It had the sweetness of myrrh with some spicy something.
When I get back to my desk, I tidy my hair and re-braid if needed - it usually needs it. Then I put Burt's Bees Blemish Stick on any zits, BB's Royal Jelly Eye Cream on the corners of my eyes, and a dab of their moisturizer on my cheeks and hands.
The moisturizing is a new thing, added this summer because I kept feeling so DRY after my washing.
I feel incredibly pretty and smell good well before the time I'm supposed to be 'at work'.
There. I have shared my beauty secrets. I admit it sounds somewhat like an ad for Burt's Bees. What can I say? I'm a fan. I bought some travel-size bottles and re-fill them from the big ones at home. I carry my 'beauty kit' to the restroom in the old bag from the cotton balls. And I admit, I save the cotton from my medicine bottles because, gosh darn it, a cotton ball delivers toner so much better than a corner of a washcloth.
So - what do you do to stay fresh and pretty?
When I bike in to work, I arrive sweaty. It doesn't matter that it's all down hill, or that the morning is chilly - I am always somewhat sweaty when I arrive. This is why I never bike in work clothes, and also why I have a small washing kit in my desk drawer.
I wash my face and hands and apply perfume every morning in the bathroom between undressing from my bike clothes and putting on my work clothes. It's a ritual.
My favorite product is Burt's Bees Orange Essance Facial Cleanser. It looks and smells like orange juice concentrate, but it cleans my face without leaving any residue. I'm a big anti-residue gal. It does, however, stain washcloths. I used to use cotton balls to wash - one cotton ball, moisten, wipe face over with water, add dab of orange goo, wipe face all over, rinse cotton ball, wipe all over again.
Brian argued me out of buying more cotton balls - not environmentally sound, compared to bringing a washcloth from home. Though the wash cloths are a bit of a problem. I have to lay them out in my cube to dry them, and as I said, most of our washcloths have orange stains now.
After giving my face a good scrub, I wipe it all over with toner, largely because of my fear of leaving soap on my face. I use Burt's Bees Rosewater Toner. I like the smell, and I perhaps unnaturally assume that wiping yourself down with alcohol will catch anything the soap missed. I admit, after my face is done, I wipe my armpits with the alcohol.
Then I apply my perfume. I use myrrh oil. Mmmm Myrrh. At home I also use rose oil, and for a while I had a lovely mixed oil called Jaffar that was made by Celtic Rose Perfumery. Need to get more of that. It had the sweetness of myrrh with some spicy something.
When I get back to my desk, I tidy my hair and re-braid if needed - it usually needs it. Then I put Burt's Bees Blemish Stick on any zits, BB's Royal Jelly Eye Cream on the corners of my eyes, and a dab of their moisturizer on my cheeks and hands.
The moisturizing is a new thing, added this summer because I kept feeling so DRY after my washing.
I feel incredibly pretty and smell good well before the time I'm supposed to be 'at work'.
There. I have shared my beauty secrets. I admit it sounds somewhat like an ad for Burt's Bees. What can I say? I'm a fan. I bought some travel-size bottles and re-fill them from the big ones at home. I carry my 'beauty kit' to the restroom in the old bag from the cotton balls. And I admit, I save the cotton from my medicine bottles because, gosh darn it, a cotton ball delivers toner so much better than a corner of a washcloth.
So - what do you do to stay fresh and pretty?