Neutrogena Gets With the Program

If it isn't obvious by now, perhaps some of my audience will note that I don't buy mainstream drugstore products, for the most part, because I seek "healthier" ingredients.

Americans are becoming increasingly more interested in such a market, and Neutrogena has caught on.

Now available is Neutrogena Naturals skincare, such as Purifying Facial Cleanser and Purifying Pore Scrub.

Boredom has a Place

So says this NYTimes article by Peter Toohey.

The closing arguments:

Boredom makes our lives run more smoothly and even more happily. That’s if we heed its warning and try to remedy the deleterious constraints of a Santino-like existence.

Boredom should not be abused, exploited, ignored, sneered at, rejected or talked down to as a product of laziness or of an idle, uninventive and boring mind. It’s there to help, and its advice should be welcomed and acted upon. That many of us suffer from it should be no cause for embarrassment. Boredom deserves respect for the beneficial experience that it is.

Yet we don't allow ourselves to get bored in the first place. Therefore, it is a blessing that we have Shabbos that limits our activities and permits the brain to get creative.

That's why I am so annoyed at this "half-Shabbos" texting phenomenon. Nu, so you're bored. It's a part of life, it's good for the brain, stop whining.

Tisha B'Av

Tune in here for Rabbi J.J. Schacter's Web Cast.

No Blessing Needed

There was a man who had four daughters. While visiting Rav Moshe (THE Rav Moshe) on another matter, he asked for a bracha. 

Rav Moshe asked him: "Do your daughters want to marry?"

"Yes."

"Does your wife want them to marry?" 

"Yes."

"Do you want them to marry?"

"Yes."

"So why do you need a bracha from me for? Hashem wants them to marry, too!"

The man left, blessing-less. 

This story was heard back from the man himself, and I use it often as a source of validation. 

Is there any story in Tanach about an unmarried woman pining away for a husband, or vice versa? People plead to God for health, for children, for salvation, but I can't recall if ever for a spouse. (Leah cried that she didn't want to marry Esav, but not for a replacement. Hashem gave her one anyway).

Shouldn't that mean something? 

So much of our survival as a people involves the family unit. We are programmed as souls to desire a helpmeet, and God does provide. He sculpted one specifically for Adam, for pity's sake.

There are many things in the world to worry about. I try to concern myself with the things in my control, only. When it comes to shidduchim, that is out of my hands. 

I do my hishtadlus, which according to the print that I could find involves dressing up. I have been burned by actively seeking shadchanim, so I don't bother. Segulos is not my family's thing (Rabbi Yisroel Reisman isn't a fan either). If someone is redt to me, I usually end up going out with him, not bothering with references. References in the end don't know what the caller is looking for, and all sorts of misinformation can emerge as a result. 

I just do what I gotta do, and no blessing is needed.  

Pearls Ain't Pricey No More

I have always been a fan of pearls. They add a pleasing glow to the complexion without being the most expensive jewelery available.

I have been purchasing for insanely low amounts pearl bracelets and necklaces on Ebay from China. While "freshwater" was in the description, I figured they were fudging the actual authenticity. 

Yet, according to NYTimes, they may not have been. 

Apparently China, yet again, is edging out other pearl providers with a more affordable product. Rice patties are being converted to pearl farms, and the quality is pretty amazing. 

I think China is starting to grow on me. 

No pun intended.  

Sunscreen - That I Like!

After researching my mineral powder sunscreen for blog post-purposes, I became concerned that, perhaps, maybe I should be applying something with a little more kick underneath. 

Quandary: I cannot stand, I repeat, cannot STAND lotion sunscreen. No matter what they burble on the label - "oil-free," "non-comedogenic,"  "will not cause breakouts" - my skin feels ugh and I am smitten with blemishes. 

I began to search on Amazon, basing preferences on the amount of positive reviews. It became obvious that I would have to spend more on the sunscreen I was looking for, so I stopped bothering with an under $20 cap. 

I settled upon the Eltamd UV Clear SPF 46. With a good amount of reviews awarding it a 5 star rating, I decided to have a go. 

Oh, my. 

The consistency is unlike anything I have come across before. It's not goopy; it blends perfectly into the skin without much rubbing, spreading easily. Unlike other sunscreens, my skin feels light and airy after applying, not as though it's been wrapped in cellophane. And in terms of blemishes, so far, so good; it has not caused any breakouts. If anything, I think it has even prevented them. 

I mix it with my tinted moisturizer, and it leaves a shiny finish,  I buff the mineral SPF on top. Powder can also take care of any lingering shine.  

This sunscreen is great for sensitive skin, and it treats the skin as well as protect it, reducing signs of damage. 

Eltamd also has a number of other sunscreens for other skin types and concerns.

This one is geared more for skin aging concerns; it contains hyaluronic acid to treat wrinkles. 

This one is a moisturizer as well as a sunscreen, targeted for dry skin types and can be used all year round. 

My sister was visiting and saw the bottle on my shelf, and asked why I got it. Apparently, her kids' pediatrician is selling Elta MD from his office, highly recommending it to his patients. Another pro: doctor approved. 

Before You Buy

I seriously research and compare before purchasing a product, whether it be makeup or skincare. Often, when typing a name into Google along with "reviews," the first link will be to Makeup Alley.

In Thursday Styles of NY Times, Makeup Alley is being hailed for informing consumers. The reviews are submitted by actual everyday buyers, and the rating makes it easy to decide whether to buy it or drop it.  

While one can see snippets of reviews while not being a member, it is easier just to become one. I know it was a useful tool for me in my "research," and makes the whole selection process simpler.

Homemade Manicure

I have had one manicure in my life. While traveling in Europe and so being away from prying eyes, the manicurist talked me into having crystals put on.

Not like this, but I'm kind of tempted.

My aversion to professional manicures stems from  financial and health concerns. 

Professional manicures, which are usually done weekly, can really add up as an expense. With less than the price of one manicure, I can buy a bottle of color that will last me months, if not years. 

There are also enough stories how dirty tools were used and someone lost a toe or finger to gangrene . . .

As for health, I had one winter when I would regularly paint my own nails, not taking the polish off until the next homemade manicure, to the point that they were cracked nearly halfway through and stained beyond belief.


I now do my nails every Thursday night for Shabbos, then take them off on Monday mornings, allowing them to "breathe." The stained color has time to work its way off, and my nails don't crack the way they used to. If I paid good money for a manicure, obviously I wouldn't remove it after a paltry three days, so it just doesn't pay for me.

Another objection to professional manicures is how some individuals, who make no other effort on their appearance, rely on manicures as though they were equal to an actual outfit. 

If one is put together, the nails are just not noticed. Manicures are the cherry on the sundae - it's a nice added touch, but it's not the focus. The ice cream is. No one cares about the cherry. Trust me. 

One day, I will probably succumb, but in the meantime I try to distance myself from temptation. 


For those interested in homemade nails, the  needed basics are: basecoat, two coats of color, topcoat.

The basecoat strengthens the nail and lengthen the color's life, and the topcoat provides a protective shell. The brand I currently own for both these purposes is Barielle, as sometimes one hits the jackpot in T.J. Maxx or Marshalls and can get them seriously reduced. I've also found them on Ebay costing much less than store prices. 

Barielle supposedly does not contain some of the other "poisons" that can be found in other nail polish brands. 

I have tried and liked: 

Nail Rebuilding Protein (basecoat)

Ultra Speed Dry Manicure Extender (topcoat)

No Chip Speed Dry (topcoat)

Battle of the Bulge: Vindication

It would seem that, unwittingly, my way of watching weight is actually scientifically sound. 

The NYTimes Science Section featured an article by Jane Brody, containing some of my own eating commandments: 

1) Watching calories aren't enough. The calories have to be from healthy foods rather than unhealthy, even if eating a small amount of the unhealthy. 

2) Exercise doesn't make a major difference in weight. Exercise is good for health, yes, but relying on it alone will not lead to healthy weight. The biggest factor for weight control was the types of food eaten, not physical activity.

3) Too little sleep hurts the weight. 

4) Packing on the pounds doesn't happen overnight; it creeps up, adding a few pounds per year. 

5) TV watching doesn't cause weight gain; rather, the barrage of fast and processed food ads do. 

6) White flour slows down the metabolism while whole wheat doesn't.

To quote Kevin James (as Doug Heffernan), "Sweet vin-di-CAY-shee-awn!"  

Freak Out

An easy way to get through a secular college is by playing the freak card. Being frum, that's not too hard. 

"So, when you date, do you, like, have to kiss him?" 

Blink. "Um, no, there's no physical contact at all."

"So, like, you have to marry him?"

"No, we don't do arranged marriages, it's more like blind dates."

Wide-eyed horror? Or is it fascination?

I raised my hand once in class to expound on my experiences in a girls-only school. Thirty heads swiveled around to focus on me.  C'mon, a dinky girls' school excites so much interest? Nobody was paying attention when I said I had seen the Mona Lisa (feel free to skip it; it's small and mobbed by tourists).

For professors, it's not much different. 

For a creative writing class, I fictionalized brother Luke's shidduch dating experiences. Easy A. 

I wrote a paper on the significance of the moon in Judaism. Easy A. 

I did my presentation on English language on the current state of Yinglish. Easy A.

And so on.

Everyone relishes hearing about the freakish day to day lives of nuts. Proof? The success of Jersey Shore. A clip of a drunk Snookie falling off a bike was replayed over and over and over on serious news shows. Pathetic, but that's where the money is. 

But it is not a recent phenomenon. Anyone who looked different in a community in the times of, say, the Middle Ages, was guaranteed (if they were lucky) to be driven out of town after narrowly escaping being burned at the stake.

At least fascination with the freak has evolved past, to quote Shrek, "Get your torch and pitchforks."  

 

My one theory is that the freaks make everyone feel better about their lives, while being entertaining. 

"Those Orthodox Jews are something else, y'know?" 


"Get a load of that Snookie; I'm not that stupid or drunk." 


"Check out that ogre! Man, is he bad looking. What's up with the green skin? Be a dear and hand me the pitchfork." 


Perhaps the preferred reaction should be compassion, rather than self-congratulation; empathy is the called for emotion. 


But then again, maybe Snookie has it coming.