Does Size Matter?

After years of reading it, and even reciting it as a sales associate at a clothing store, a little part of me remains unconvinced that size doesn't matter.

Clothing size, of course.

The topic came to my mind over lunch this weekend. I was sitting in a casual restaurant across from a 30-something couple with two young children. The littlest was probably no older than 2 and still in a stroller. Dad looked fine, but mom was squeezed into clothes that looked like they were pre-maternity.

She wasn't heavy-set, just looked like a woman who'd recently had a baby and hadn't yet dropped all the weight. I probably wouldn't have noticed her if not for her outfit: a boxy-yet-clingy floral shirt and flimsy gray cargo flood pants (the kind that look good on almost no one) that were clinging to her hips within an inch of their life.

Well, I really noticed when she turned around to wrangle the kids and flashed a foot's worth of her back, love handles spilling over her pants in full-glory.

Clothes are understandably not the first thing on a mother-of-two's mind. And I don't know anything else about this woman's life or budget. But what I do know is that this is a look I've seen before -- women of all shapes and sizes squeezing themselves into clothes that are too small. (I know oversized is also an issue, but that's a blog for another day...)

Sometimes clothes shrink in the dryer. Sometimes you gain weight. Sometimes your body changes along with hormonal changes, like after having a baby or hitting puberty. Sometimes your size doesn't change at all, but one company's "small" is another company's "large."

Size doesn't matter, it's what looks good! Whatever the reason, when you're poking through your closet or out shopping, you really shouldn't fall victim to thinking a lower number is better. Frankly, no one knows what size you wear unless she looks inside the label! So if you want a number to be concerned with, focus on reaching a healthy Body Mass Index. And leave the clothing to what fits and what flatters your body.

Next time I have the little size voice pop up in my head, I'm just going to try remembering how foolish I could look in overly tight clothes and how uncomfortable they would be...and find something in whatever my size is that day from that particular brand. :)

Forget Mascara: Grow Your Own Longer Lashes

"Your eyelashes will experience real measurable growth." That's the claim made by Latisse, a new product from the makers of wrinkle-erasing/muscle-paralyzing Botox.

Pharmaceutical company Allergan got FDA approval in late 2008 for Latisse, whose active ingredient, bimatopost, has been used for several years in a product called Lumigan that treats glaucoma.

"The company began studying the potential of using a lower dose of topical bimatoprost to stimulate eyelash growth after Lumigan users developed unusually lush lashes," according to a Scientific American article from Dec. 29, 2008. "It's specifically being marketed as a once-a-day med to treat eyelash hypotrichosis, or lack of hair growth."

Of course, it's also of interest as a beauty-enhancing product. Latisse is expected to be available for prescription in March and cost $120 for a 30-day supply.

So there's real science behind Latisse, but is it worth it for the price?

"David E. I. Pyott, Allergan’s chief executive...suggested that many women would not blink at spending $120 for a one-month, three-milliliter supply of the drug," according to a New York Times article from Jan. 13, 2009. "He compared the cost of longer lashes to a daily cup of coffee.“If you think about it in terms of luxury, it’s four dollars a day,” he said. “We think this is fairly acceptable to a large segment of people even in these times.”"

Keep in mind, the lash-enhancement is not permanent.

"Because the drug works by keeping hairs in their growth phase -- the phase during which hairs become longer, thicker and darker -- lashes return to their normal, genetically determined length within a few months after discontinuing the drug," according to an ABC News article from Dec. 29, 2008.

Reported side effects include itching and red eyes or darkening of the skin by the lash line, where the drug may come in contact with the skin. There's still more extensive testing to be done, though.

On a cool side note...the NYT article linked above quoted a fellow D.C. beauty blogger:

"Jennifer Nobriga, one of a pair of stay-at-home mothers behind the Web site beautyinreallife.blogspot.com, said she intends to stick with plain old mascara rather than splurge on the eyelash drug.

“It would not be at the top of my list,” said Ms. Nobriga of Woodbridge, Va. “I would rather spend the money on a good under-eye cream.”"

So what do I think?
It's an intriguing scientific development that I'm curious to learn more about. I think it has great potential, especially for people who've experienced hair loss or lack eyelashes. But it's not going to be joining my beauty arsenal any time soon.

As a young professional, I definitely don't have the cash to spend on Latisse! (Or a $4-a-day latte habit, though when you think of it that way it seems more reasonable.) Plus, I'm lucky to have naturally long, full lashes to begin with, and the suppleness of youth in my face, so I'm probably not the target audience for this product anyway. (I don't mean to toot my own horn too loudly, it just happens that I consider my eyes one of my stronger features.)

I definitely understand its appeal, though, and would probably try Latisse as long as I was confident in its safety. It's not injecting botulism into your face, so to me, it seems a tad less extreme than Botox.

But yeah, I'm going to keep unnecessary prescription treatments away from my eyes and stick to my Maybelline Full 'N Soft.

I'm curious what you all think!

Time to Say Goodbye

To some yucky old lip gloss. Ew.

Specifically, Maybelline LipPolish in Sweet Blush, a shimmery light pink. But see how nice the tube from the company's Web site looks (obviously not my color)? Yeah, my tube doesn't. I opened my temporary makeup case today - what I used to transfer stuff when I moved - and it stuck out like a sore thumb. The package is faded, the product color looks a bit funny, and sure enough, it smells kinda nasty. It's definitely a couple of years old and mostly empty, plus a lot of the remaining product won't even come out.

There's no sense in keeping it since I have no intention to put it anywhere near my lips, especially in light of my recent NYX lipgloss purchases. So long, lip gloss!

I have a bad habit of keeping cosmetics for way longer than recommended. But I've always wondered if they really spoil in such little time, like three months for mascara. Something to research for another day...

Protect Your Pout: Sticking to Lippies with SPF

My greatest beauty weakness is lip gloss. I love trying new colors, textures, scents and tastes... plus it's so easy to sneak in a purse or pocket and touch up on-the-go! I almost bought a cheap, cookie-scented chapstick yesterday, till I remembered my new goal of sorts: seeking lip products with SPF.

You likely heard the fuss a few months ago that SPF-free gloss may increase your chance of lip cancer by making it easier for UV rays to penetrate the lips. The linked ABC News article (May '08) has several doctors explaining the roots of this belief. But it also points out that the lack of "large, targeted studies proving or disproving this theory....[makes the doctors quoted and the] American Cancer Society reluctant to draw fixed conclusions."

So, it's currently a theory. A scientific theory, of course, not one out of nowhere. And it seems to me to have an obvious logical basis - oil on your skin encourages burning, so why wouldn't shiny, oily gloss on your lips? But who knows to what degree does gloss have an impact, if any? I don't. That's why there are specialists to do clinical trials on these things!

Either way, it's important to protect your skin and especially your precious lips from too much sun exposure.

"Lips don't produce sebum, or oil, like skin does, and that leaves them particularly susceptible to sun damage -- in the form of wrinkling, loss of volume, and, of course, skin cancer," wrote dermatologist Leslie Baumann MD in the Miami Herald (July '08). "...even if you can't abandon your favorite glossy gloss, it's crucial that you apply a layer of lip balm with SPF first." (Clearly, that's only one doctor's opinion -- authoritative, but not gospel.)

How am I acting in light of all this? Well, I'm not yet giving up my favorite lipstick shades or stopping myself from testing the latest hues. I usually wear lipstick at night or indoors anyway! However, I'll go for products with SPF when I can...particularly when an SPF and non-SPF product are equally attractive before taking the protection into account.

Thankfully high-end and low-end companies alike are producing a slew of lippes with SPF nowadays. Thus, in the case of my cheap cookie balm, I knew I could find something as good or better with the added protection.

In fact, I already have. Here are three products I own -- off the top of my head, I probably have more -- that are SPF friendly.

--Tarte's 24/7 Lip Sheer in Tea Time ($14, SPF 15) This is my newest HG product, and really my first HG balm/tint. I love the color though it gets a bit dry. I prefer applying it with something more moisturizing as a base. Active Ingredients: 7.5 percent Octinoxate, 6 percent zinc oxide. **Recommended

--Sephora's Operation Smile Lip Baume ($5, SPF 15) This was a gift from my sister and I think an LE product, which makes me sad because I've had it for at least two years and am starting to run out. It's a clear balm with petroleum, lanolin, beeswax and a bunch of oils. Active ingredients: octyl methoxycinnimate, octyl silicylate (sp? for octyl salicylate), benzophenone. **I've read conflicting/unclear info about this formula for sun protection, but I'm just telling you about products currently in my stash and encourage you to read more...maybe even educate me if you have links to definitive info.

--e.l.f. Super Glossy Lip Shine ($1, SPF 15) Proof that for the same price as my cookie chapstick I could get something with sun protection. I picked this up at a dollar store in NYC...have only tried it a few times, it's a tad sticky for my taste but a decent gloss overall, especially for the price. Active ingredients: 2 Hydroxy 4 Methoxy Benzophenone, Octyl 4-Methoxy Cinnamate, Titanium Dioxide **Yes, I know there's nicer glosses with SPF. I wanted to cite this one since it is the same price as the cookie balm (which was on clearance! and this is only a buck regularly).

Will you go out of your way to get lippies with SPF? Are there any products you'd recommend?

A Girl Can't Live Off Cheetos Alone

Though sometimes I'd like to.

Yesterday my boyfriend and I seized the rare opportunity to drive to the supermarket by hitting up a Safeway about a mile away from his northwest DC apartment. (Normally neither of us has a car but I drove down from my family's house in NY to go on job interviews this week.) I'm not a big soda fan and shouldn't indulge his habits, but I did...for the sake of an awesome sale. Buy two 12-packs of soda, get three free. Yes, buy two, get three free. I've never seen a promotion like that. So as long as he's going to drink soda we might as well get it for a bargain price. And without a car there's no way we could carry five 12-packs plus groceries back to his place!

We got four Coca-colas...and one diet root beer for me. :) I also had a coupon for a free Frito-Lay product, but alas, there were only crunchy Cheetos and not puffy ones. Puffy Cheetos are probably my favorite junk-food indulgence. (Cheez Doodles are probably my all-time favorite bright orange cheese puffs though. I mean, in case you were curious.) So I resigned myself to a salad, seltzer, champagne grapes and part of a rice crispy treat for dessert. Tasty and healthier than cheese puffs!

What I really wanted to discuss though is living healthy. The past few months - largely since I took an interest in reading beauty blogs - I've become more conscious about caring for my body. And far from just superficially, especially since I don't think cosmetics and products can be well showcased if you're not taking care of the canvas on which you put them.

Less stress has probably helped my body too. During college I didn't sleep much and was always busy working or studying. I never took 'me' time to nurture my mind and body. However, I probably exercised more then than I have been in the past few weeks by virtue of being car-less and walking two miles to-and-from work five days a week. So maybe it balances out. And then last month I started taking some medication that made my face break-out -- yuck! (It's thankfully subsiding.) Even still, in the past two weeks or so I've woken up and been surprised by the way my skin glows.

As you saw with my recent facewash post, I've been trying to be vigilant in cleaning and moisturizing my skin. Combine that with sleeping enough and trying to stay hydrated/eat healthy, and I think I've found a decent formula for pretty skin. And more energy. It feels good to take care of myself.

Hopefully I'm not jinxing myself! And who knows what will happen when work starts full time in early September?

Anyway, I am going to try hard to complete my care-transformation by trying to eat healthy and exercise more. (Hopefully I'll live close enough to my job to walk most of the time.) So I figured I'd share with you this *brief*, interesting New York Time's guide to "The 11 Best Foods You Aren’t Eating." Beets, cinnamon and canned pumpkin make the cut...Oh, and I'd love to hear any suggestions you have for tasty, healthy foods. I'll be back with more soon.