Makeup! Clothes! "Girly stuff" thread

[Vingle]

Building mass for women is a bit different but I agree. A trainer will help you a lot (especially teaching you correct form for lifting if you have never done it) and coming up with a solid routine.

I wouldn't say so. Women just have less muscle mass than men biologically. The thing about women being afraid of getting big and muscly, is dumb. Because diet and workout routine has to be at that point you're manic about it. Most men don't even get big if they don't really try, and I often see men lift surprisingly much compared to how skinny and lanky they are.
You may do more cardio than men, but don't become a cardiobunny. Bigger/more toned muscles use more energy.

I wouldn't dirty bulk eating a bunch of gross fast food because it just messes with your body honestly (and you're trying to get healthy) and I think only dudes can really get away with attempting to turn that fat into muscle since muscle building in general is just easier for them. Advantages of testosterone. For women I tend to think dirty bulking just gives fat where you don't want and it takes a bit more careful curating of your diet.

Dirty bulking is frowned upon at us men too. And like, it's really not hard to make a high calorie meal that is healthy too. Blend up your own shakes if it's hard to eat that much solid foods. Don't use weight gainer powders, ever. They taste nasty and are mostly just sugar (dextrose).

Still wish laser had worked for me. Painful results is still an easy choice over a lightly uncomfortable waste of time and money.

Laser where never a permanent solution. It can make the hairs more like peach fuzz, but that makes it hard to electrolyse.

 

[Aunt Carol]

Laser where never a permanent solution. It can make the hairs more like peach fuzz, but that makes it hard to electrolyse.

I know; I fell for the hype, years ago. It ended up being a good first step, though: after my time at the franchised laser place in the mall across from the Orange Julius, I was emboldened to set out for electro in some lady's garage conversion, pls don't let the goats out when you open the gate.

(Goats are great, but the vibe was more sketchy, in the murder sense, than the mall place.)

I think laser is probably meant for big areas, like legs, to lighten the hair and give the leg-owner time between shaving.

Even the troon surgeons recommend electro, not laser, hair removal pre-op, so their victims don't end up with neovaginal hairballs.

 

[gampboonerisms]

I have terribly thin nails. They bend like paper, they tear like paper, and I Just can't get any length on them when I'm working. Acrylic never stays on my nails cause I pop them off. I'm a nail worrier, I bite, I rub them over stuff, I run things under them, I work retail and deal with cardboard a lot so the cardboard sucks all the moisture out and I can't keep my hands moisturized. But recently, I found a nail salon that has a "Luminary Nail System". I'm so happy with my gel nails it's unreal. I have actual strength and they are at my fingertips! It's a gel hardener and the women in the shop are so awesome. I don't do girly things often, but my nails are my one indulgence. Seriously, if you can find someone with this luminary system, do eeeett!

 

[Vingle]

I have terribly thin nails. They bend like paper, they tear like paper, and I Just can't get any length on them when I'm working. Acrylic never stays on my nails cause I pop them off. I'm a nail worrier, I bite, I rub them over stuff, I run things under them, I work retail and deal with cardboard a lot so the cardboard sucks all the moisture out and I can't keep my hands moisturized. But recently, I found a nail salon that has a "Luminary Nail System". I'm so happy with my gel nails it's unreal. I have actual strength and they are at my fingertips! It's a gel hardener and the women in the shop are so awesome. I don't do girly things often, but my nails are my one indulgence. Seriously, if you can find someone with this luminary system, do eeeett!

Wouldn't wearing gloves be more effective and cheaper? I mean, you got your nail fixed. But what about the skin on your hands? I would put on some Cerave (the thick cream in the tub), good excuse to let them embalm in moisturiser.
It's pretty common for people in retail to wear gloves to.

 

[gampboonerisms]

Wouldn't wearing gloves be more effective and cheaper? I mean, you got your nail fixed. But what about the skin on your hands? I would put on some Cerave (the thick cream in the tub), good excuse to let them embalm in moisturiser.
It's pretty common for people in retail to wear gloves to.

I can't grab things well and they get too bulky when working in tight spaces, they slip on my knife and snag on light boxes and knock everything on the shelf over. I'm using lotion and gloves at night to help heal the worst damage, but everything else is holding up ok. My biggest problem is nail biting and just the hardener has helped to curb that impulse. My cuticles have healed up for the most part without me soaking them in spit all day.

random sperg of the day:
For super rough hands that need major healing, "O'keefe's Working Hands" is a miracle balm (and it has parabens). But I just tried something called "Bag Balm" and it's like vaseline, but it's a super healer too. I absolutely recommend these two for people who need to keep their grippy calluses but need to heal the cracking. Working hands = not that slippery, it's pretty comfortable to work with, but bag balm is pretty slippery and not that great at the job site unless you you it on the back of your hands and really rub the palms clean. It kind of feels like a waste to get your hands lubed up and then have all of it rub off in 10 minutes.
(Also, I'm trying to get away from products with the hormone disrupting chemicals. IDK why, it's a hobby to make my life as difficult as possible. I'm kind of surprised at Cerave, Vaseline lotion, and Cetaphil for not switching to a paraben/pthalate free formula. ewg.org/skindeep)

 

[NoReturn]

"O'keefe's Working Hands" is a miracle balm (and it has parabens

Looks like it's actually paraben-free now.

 

[Vingle]

I can't grab things well

I'm kind of surprised at Cerave, Vaseline lotion, and Cetaphil for not switching to a paraben/pthalate free formula. ewg.org/skindeep)

Use those with rubber for better grip.

TLDW: There's no evidence that parabens are harmful. It's propaganda by the green beauty brands. The newer preservatives cause more often allergies and irritation than parabens.

 

[gampboonerisms]

Use those with rubber for better grip.

TLDW: There's no evidence that parabens are harmful. It's propaganda by the green beauty brands. The newer preservatives cause more often allergies and irritation than parabens.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=r_CCf7-ySBU

Yeah the rubber dipped ones are the ones im used to. I still dont like them, personal preference. They do help with the nail biting lol.
I will look into more research about the preservative stuff. I kind of had a thought that the new preservatives must be like how the plastic industry got rip of bpa7 but now triton plastic, which is the biggest replacement for it, causes more endocrine disruption/cancer in rats.
Should i just give up and not think about this stuff anymore??

 

[Vingle]

Should i just give up and not think about this stuff anymore??

Yes, because we aren't rats. There is probably some paper on parabens doing harm on pig skin or whatnot. Well, chocolate is poisonous for dogs. In humans, not so much. Point is, humans and animals are very different and you can't apply animal studies on humans.

About the plastic, just try to avoid it in general and never heat up cutlery dishes in plastic, aside from washing.

 

[Polexia Aphrodisia]

I have terribly thin nails. They bend like paper, they tear like paper, and I Just can't get any length on them when I'm working. Acrylic never stays on my nails cause I pop them off. I'm a nail worrier, I bite, I rub them over stuff, I run things under them, I work retail and deal with cardboard a lot so the cardboard sucks all the moisture out and I can't keep my hands moisturized. But recently, I found a nail salon that has a "Luminary Nail System". I'm so happy with my gel nails it's unreal. I have actual strength and they are at my fingertips! It's a gel hardener and the women in the shop are so awesome. I don't do girly things often, but my nails are my one indulgence. Seriously, if you can find someone with this luminary system, do eeeett!

Hello friend. I've bitten my nails ever since I had teeth and they're about as thin and ridgy as a crimped piece of tissue paper. I compulsively bite, pick, peel, you name it, I fuck them up. Got me qualified for medical pot tho which is cool.

I had acrylic nails from early 2019 - April 2020, then again from about August 2020 to a couple weeks ago. I loved them, they made my hands look like human female hands and not like mental ward patient ogre hands, and I couldn't pick with them on.

Unfortunately my nails are so shit that the acrylics started breaking off with very little provocation, I also started doing some sport which led to them breaking as well. Cardboard was weirdly also my enemy, I broke nails off on cardboard boxes three separate times and twice on cardboard 12packs of soda water. So I just took them all off. Forgot how much difference it makes when I can't pick at my cuticles obsessively with my actual nails hahahahaha my fingers are so fucked pls kill me

My salon doesn't have that system but I'll try to see if one around here does. I bought some ORLY "breathable" polish but it literally chips off in a day, I'm not even joking.

But I just tried something called "Bag Balm" and it's like vaseline, but it's a super healer too.

My mum had a tin box of Bag Balm in her nightstand for my entire childhood. She swore by that shit, it's sticky and greasy as FUCK but it would probably be absolutely amazing for overnight treatment with gloves. I still remember the smell. Thanks for that little sensory flashback!

 

[Discourteous Discourse]

TLDW: There's no evidence that parabens are harmful. It's propaganda by the green beauty brands. The newer preservatives cause more often allergies and irritation than parabens.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=r_CCf7-ySBU

My autism is awake.

The EVIL PARABENS panic was quite the shit show. I remember beauty bloggers throwing away their shampoos, conditioners, moisturizers, lotions, concealers, powders, makeup palettes, entire bathrooms and vanities full of beauty products all because someone on Facebook said "cancer". Instead of big brands saying, "Wait, how is this ingredient suddenly an evil cancer that will destroy us all?" they just went with the panic mob so they could get good boy points and money for ditching the evil cancer preservative that was literally never a problem before.

P. D. Darbre, one of the researchers of the 2004 study (the one that people were upset over), responded after the media began to fan the flames in Volume 24, Issue 4 of Journal of Applied Toxicology stating that, “No claim was made that the presence of parabens had caused the breast cancers.” But people had already made up their minds; parabens=instant cancerous death.

The FDA says that there is no evidence of health risks connected to the amount of parabens used in cosmetics.

Cosmeticsinfo.org states that parabens/preservatives are safe and help prevent bacteria.

Cancer.org has stated that there are no clear health risks posed from the amount of parabens in skincare, cosmetics, food, drugs, and food. On that note, parabens are found in foods such as cherries, carrots, blueberries, etc. but no one was giving those up during the height of the fearmongering.

Even this European consumer safety opinion piece states that "underarm cosmetics" and breast cancer specifically were part of the 2004 study. Yet people were trashing their entire makeup and skincare collections instead of just questioning deodorants and antiperspirants.

And like Dr Dray said in her video and as @Vingle pointed out, most of these brands weren't completely ditching preservatives, they were using "problematic" options that aren't great for people with sensitive skin, eczema, etc. I fell into that category, and it wasn't a fun time.

Thank you for coming to my SPED Talk. Please enjoy these fluffy bois as compensation:

 

[PuffyGroundCloud]

@WhineMeDineMe69Me
So I just got back from the Salon.
Well, it’s not what I was expecting but the balayage is nice

Spoiler: Expectation

Spoiler: reality

Any suggestions for the color?

 

[Aunt Carol]

I'm using lotion and gloves at night to help heal the worst damage, but everything else is holding up ok. My biggest problem is nail biting and just the hardener has helped to curb that impulse. My cuticles have healed up for the most part without me soaking them in spit all day.

I've been doing petroleum jelly and gloves at night for years, for eczema. It works well, except when I develop the delusion that "oh, my hands are fine now; I can skip it."

It's easy to make petroleum jelly that smells nice, too: just float the Vaseline container in a sink of warm water until it's sloppy and stirrable. Then stir in a small amount of perfume oil or essential oil and let it set up again, in the fridge or just on the counter.

Petroleum jelly isn't very crunchy Earth goddess, so that tip's originally from fishermen explaining how to make stinky Vaseline to rub on your plastic bait.

 

[WhineMeDineMe69Me]

@PuffyGroundCloud
The highlights look really nice!

I'm doing a bit of looking around at color swatches for semipermanent color/toners/glazes that you can get without a cosmo license and could do at home. I found this tutorial from Overtone, it gives a little tutorial and formula for the colors of theirs that the person mixed to get this result:

Overtone is a great brand for at home color, nice and conditioning. Overtone also has a Rose Gold color but that might come out a bit too pink, cute but it might not be what you want.

Arctic Fox is another nice brand, they suggest here (the one towards the bottom of the page that says "smokey mauve" ) which is a mix of their colors Sterling and Ritual. That might be too dark for what you want but you could perhaps use mostly Sterling, but with just a touch of the Ritual color. Or dilute the mix with conditioner or Arctic Fox's own diluter.

In your inspo picture it looks like they maybe used a darker formula on the roots and a lighter formula on the ends, maybe foiled it and used a couple different colors, so using an all over toner all over might give a bit of a different result. But one of these I think would a somewhat similar effect because of how your highlights came out. If I think of anything else I will let you know!

 

[PuffyGroundCloud]

@PuffyGroundCloud
The highlights look really nice!

I'm doing a bit of looking around at color swatches for semipermanent color/toners/glazes that you can get without a cosmo license and could do at home. I found this tutorial from Overtone, it gives a little tutorial and formula for the colors of theirs that the person mixed to get this result: Ver archivo adjunto 2393039
Overtone is a great brand for at home color, nice and conditioning. Overtone also has a Rose Gold color but that might come out a bit too pink, cute but it might not be what you want.

Arctic Fox is another nice brand, they suggest here (the one towards the bottom of the page that says "smokey mauve" ) which is a mix of their colors Sterling and Ritual. That might be too dark for what you want but you could perhaps use mostly Sterling, but with just a touch of the Ritual color. Or dilute the mix with conditioner or Arctic Fox's own diluter.

In your inspo picture it looks like they maybe used a darker formula on the roots and a lighter formula on the ends, maybe foiled it and used a couple different colors, so using an all over toner all over might give a bit of a different result. But one of these I think would a somewhat similar effect because of how your highlights came out. If I think of anything else I will let you know!

Thank you for the info.
I'm planning to make another appointment with the hairdresser before she went for vacation.

 

[NotSoAceCatPartTwo]

Hi, newbie back again. I'm looking to get into a new skin and hair care routine (more like, trying a routine for the first time ever) Any recommendations?

The only thing I do now is just to wash my face with an exfoliant soap after shower and every day before going to sleep and just be really careful with my hair (washing with warm water, not boiling hot, being careful when drying and combing with a wide brush once it's dry)

 

[yasscat]

Hi, newbie back again. I'm looking to get into a new skin and hair care routine (more like, trying a routine for the first time ever) Any recommendations?

The only thing I do now is just to wash my face with an exfoliant soap after shower and every day before going to sleep and just be really careful with my hair (washing with warm water, not boiling hot, being careful when drying and combing with a wide brush once it's dry)

You actually only need to exfoliate a few times a week. Anything more than that and you're just damaging new skin. Make sure you pat dry, instead of rubbing dry with a towel, especially with your hair and face.

What I like to do in the shower is comb my conditioner through my hair with a wide-toothed comb to make sure my hair is saturated.

 

[Vingle]

I've been doing petroleum jelly and gloves at night for years, for eczema. It works well, except when I develop the delusion that "oh, my hands are fine now; I can skip it."

It's easy to make petroleum jelly that smells nice, too: just float the Vaseline container in a sink of warm water until it's sloppy and stirrable. Then stir in a small amount of perfume oil or essential oil and let it set up again, in the fridge or just on the counter.

I swear by greasing in my face with Vaseline (after skincare) every night, and I started it before I read it on plebbit. It really makes a difference, and I don't even have exceptionally dry skin or anything.

I just don't like anything with fragrance on my skin. Most people do tolerate fragrance just fine, but there is a truth that you can get an allergy over time and fragrance serves no purpose in skincare. Other than being an potential irritant, and some fragrance ingredients do dilate the blood vessels and make it redder.
So yes to boring and clinical, when it comes to the skin.

And yes, Dr. Dray has me shook. Even though fragrance not left on skin and wash-off products are fine.

Hi, newbie back again. I'm looking to get into a new skin and hair care routine (more like, trying a routine for the first time ever) Any recommendations?

The only thing I do now is just to wash my face with an exfoliant soap after shower and every day before going to sleep and just be really careful with my hair (washing with warm water, not boiling hot, being careful when drying and combing with a wide brush once it's dry)

Ditch the soap, use Cerave foam with salicylic acid or the hydrating cream cleanser.

Sunscreen, moisturiser, cleansing oil is all you really need. If you live in USA, you can get Differin over the counter. It's not just used for acne.

 

[WhineMeDineMe69Me]

Hi, newbie back again. I'm looking to get into a new skin and hair care routine (more like, trying a routine for the first time ever) Any recommendations?

The only thing I do now is just to wash my face with an exfoliant soap after shower and every day before going to sleep and just be really careful with my hair (washing with warm water, not boiling hot, being careful when drying and combing with a wide brush once it's dry)

Along with what @yasscat said, I would recommend finding a good moisturizer and eye cream. You can go pretty crazy with a skincare routine (my nightly routine has 6 steps....I double cleanse with a cleansing balm to remove makeup than an oil-free foaming cleanser, tone, serum, eye cream, and night moisturizer and a peel once a week and mask about once a week) but moisturizer is a good place to start. I have tried the vasaline thing like @Vingle suggested, it didn't work well for me (I felt like it clogged my pores, and I don't like the feeling) but a lot of people swear by it. Sunscreen is also your best friend during the day, prevention is key.

A great brand to try out that isn't too pricey is The Ordinary, they have a lot of good stuff. I use their AHA 30% +BHA2% Peel twice a week and I find I don't even need any other exfoliation. Some other brands I like are Fresh, Clarins, Drunken Elephant, and Glossier. Also a lot of the Korean brands are good. I hate to recommend reddit because that place sucks for the most part, but r/skincareaddiction has a lot of reviews and info for all types of skin and ages.

ETA: The Ordinary has a routine builder on their site that you can use to get personal recomendatons based on your skin concerns and stuff, might be a good place to get some ideas!

 

[Vingle]

I would recommend finding a good moisturizer and eye cream.

Cerave in the tub, and eye creams are just glorified moisturisers. Just use a normal moisturiser under the eyes

I have tried the vasaline thing like @Vingle suggested, it didn't work well for me (I felt like it clogged my pores, and I don't like the feeling)

It can't go into the pores. The molecules are too big. There is a catch though, some can't handle occlusion at all, but then you can't handle dimethicone or so either. Either that or it's the skincare underneath, because Vaseline is just a layer that don't let anything out. So naturally, having irritating ingredients underneath is going to wreak havoc on your skin.
There is a reason why dermatologists love it.