I Feel Pretty: The Beauty Thread

[isadora]

I was loving all my soft pants but they are doing me no favors the longer this boring fucking pandemic life continues.

[LaaLaa]

If you’re still looking for leggings that aren’t workout-y, Old Navy had velour leggings for around $11 each after stacking all their ridiculous coupons and I bought them in every color. They’re my fancy work pajamas.

[vanessa]

Thanks - I am going to buy one of Elations and maybe Delaney and Sweaty Betty and see what works with my very pear-like shape.

[IssieCol]

Athleta! They have some of my favorite leggings and I've spent the past year and a half basically only wearing either leggings or scrubs. If you're really only doing black or navy under tunics and dresses, their regular ones (the Elations) are actually great because you can wear them under stuff and then work out in them too. And they make some that look more like work pants if you need that (the Delancey). They wash so well, the high waisted ones actually stay up when you're working out, and they are super soft.

Also Sweaty Betty makes fantastic leggings. Same quality as Athleta, but I don't remember the names of their different kinds. I have a bunch of black and navy and don't pay super close attention to whether they look like traditional workout gear since I'm always in athleisure anyway so it doesn't matter much. I tend to avoid ones that have mesh or cutouts so that they don't stretch out or tear after a lot of washes and those styles look more "workouty" to me.

[vanessa]

I don’t know if this is really beauty, but I couldn’t find a fashion thread, so I will try here. Where do you buy leggings - for wearing under a sweater dress or a big shirt, not for workout? I am trying to get my fall/winter wardrobe together and the leggings situation in my closet is not great.

[isadora]

Mosquitos love me. And I hate them. They swarm me every time I step outside and we have an unusually high infestation.

My "secret" is that I take a goddamned fan around with me and have it blowing on me in the backyard white trash style. Mosquitos are not great fliers and get very blown off course by a strong-ish breeze. I use a bit o deet as well.

[LaaLaa]

Appreciated! Mosquitoes are the one thing I’m allergic to, so I usually spend most of the summer indoors or bathed in insect spray. Our tour guide in Mexico swore by Off! lotion and it allowed me spend a whole glorious day nearly bite-free, but I don’t think they make it anymore. Also looking to find Lantana. It’s a weed that needs to be contained in a pot, but it’s supposed to be crazy effective.

[ophy]

Skeeter recs!


I saw isadora complaining about mosquitos on twitter and that reminded me that I have a Two Part Defense against skeeters to share.

Part 1 I figured out entirely by accident, but it's the important one. I've been taking B2/Riboflavin as part of my anti-migraine vitamin stack and noticed that a couple weeks after starting my stack, I was getting fewer skeeter bites than usual (and I live in a swamp, basically) and so looked into it and HELLO IT MIGHT BE THE RIBOFLAVIN/B2.

No scientific studies for B2 specifically, I don't think? (although it looks like people have tested B1 and B12) but tons of anecdotal stuff online about people getting fewer bites with one kind of B vitamin or another. I have no idea if it works for everyone, but normally by this time of year I have at least 20 or 30 bites to deal with -- and right now halfway thru summer I have zero active bites. (I do have like four old ones from earlier in the summer, though.)

Part 2 is that I also bought Earthkind Stay Away unscented picardin spray, although I've only used it three times so far when I know we are going to be walking the dog across a specific creek where you can see swarms of the buggers. They did, indeed, Stay Away, so . . .

https://www.amazon.com/Stay-Away-Picaridin-Mosquitoes-Repellent/dp/B082BGW7VF

[vanessa]

Tonight I am watching videos on how to cut your own hair, because this crap is making me crazy. I have thick curly hair and it grows really fast and I just haven’t trusted my stylist not to be swimming in germs. I have accepted that the results will probably be sub-optimal, but desperate times. At least it’s just a basic long cut, so that should be better than me trying to make a bob or something.

[IssieCol]

I've been on a search for an effective aluminum-free deodorant for years. I think I started trying out different ones maybe as far back as 5 years ago? And man, there are a LOT of them that don't work at all. They wear off or they smell weird. I need something that can last through a workout (I am not someone who perspires, I full on SWEAT when I workout). Over the past few years, I've probably tried like 7 or 8 brands. So for the past couple of years, I've been using the Thai crystal stone deodorant and it WORKS, y'all. It's odorless, leaves no streaks on your clothes, and lasts all day. Plus, the stone itself lasts over a year and in comparison to some of the other natural deodorants like Agent Nateur, it's cheap. I've only had to buy 2 ever since I started. I use the stone, not the spray so I can't speak to how well that version works, but over time, using the stone has like basically eliminated my BO. Over the past year, I've noticed that when I don't use anything, my pits don't get stinky unless I'm working out and even then, it's not super noticeable. Anyway, this shiz is legit and I rec it.

[vanessa]

It really does work! My heels can no longer cut through skin. It's freaky though, and you want to do it earlier in the year than I did, because I am wearing sandals and skin is flaking off and probably going all over the place. Luckily I don't care.

[ophy]

I am sure Ophy will tell me it's super bad for me, but I don't care because soft feet.

I don't love the ingredient list! And it's always a concern when they tell people not to use it if they are nursing or preggers! I mean, if the stuff in there is harmful enough to babies that it requires a warning, then it's probs harmful in general.



But! It's not a product that you are going to use every day over a long period of time, so I guess your exposure is kinda limited?


I really wanna know if this works, so I say GO FOR IT.










(actual footage of vanessa at home.)

[LaaLaa]

I bought it for the Mr. last year, but he still hasn't tried it. Now we have to wait until winter so he doesn't have to worry about his feet peeling in the middle of a pool party.

[vanessa]

Have we discussed Baby Feet yet? Because a coworker talked me into trying it and it's almost-miraculous. The first time I did it about 3 months ago, I only had so-so results, but this time, I soak my feet every evening, and the skin is coming off in big sheets. It hasn't gotten completely through all of the hard scratchy skin on the back of my heel, but it's almost there. Another treatment in a few months, and all of that will be gone.

I am sure Ophy will tell me it's super bad for me, but I don't care because soft feet.

[emmaleigh]

Oh! Totally trying the silicone brush and the Bamboo Fiber Full cream. Those are totally within my 'nothing to lose' wheelhouse. Thank you!