I Started Physiotherapy

As of last Thursday, I officially started physiotherapy! I am excited to finally be making this step forward, but it also makes me realize just how much work I still have to do. Luckily because of the severity of my injury, they got me in very quickly. My surgeon told me I could start walking when I saw him last Monday, which I was SO ecstatic about until I actually tried doing it and nearly fell down had Kelly not been there to catch me. So we quickly got a cane, and I hobbled around for a couple of days with a lot of pain and a LOT of difficulty, and ended up pulling my Achilles tendon.

Luckily I got into physio and my therapist quickly assessed that my body wasn't ready to be walking, and demoted me back to crutches for a few more weeks. Which I was partially happy about as it is much easier for me, but also sad as it felt like a step backwards. She showed me the damage done to my foot through this whole ordeal, which never would have thought of considering my injury was more upper tibia/knee. My muscles in that leg are also completely non-existent! Hence my difficulty in trying to walk.

So I have been doing a ton of small exercises to build up my quad and glut muscles to help me balance the leg, as well as stretching the calf and hamstrings, and working on gaining my full range of motion in the leg which is proving to be the most difficult. I'm still missing a few degrees to get it straight. Also since the tendons and muscles in my foot and ankle have been compromised, I've been doing towel gathering with my toes to strengthen the arch in my foot and drawing an imaginary alphabet in the air with my toes to get mobility in my ankle.

All these things I never thought of with my injury! I was looking very "big-picture" about the whole thing. Assuming the bone would heal while I waited, then when the time was right I would walk. It's all SO much harder than anticipated! At least I am getting somewhere. Gotta stay positive!

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Secret Skin Saviour

This one is for all of you sensitive-skinned itchy people out there! I get dry and extremely itchy legs, and I've tried a LOT of products that were supposed to cater to this issue from Aveeno, Eucerin, Vaseline, Vichy, Biotherm, Clinique.. you name it. None of them have helped as significantly as La-Roche Posay Lipikar Baume AP. It's unscented, thick, but absorbs easily when I apply it after I shower. They do make it in a lait (or milk) version for those who like something with a lighter texture, although I've always gotten the balm version and loved it so I've never tried the milk.

I slather this all over my legs and body right after I hop out of the shower, especially after shaving, and my skin is left comfortable! Hallelujah! Most lotions work temporarily, but I find in no time my skin is parched and tingly or itchy. And the best part about using the La-Roche Posay cream, is my skin is left hydrated for 2 days without me needing to re-apply any lotion, and with NO itching.

It is great for those with eczema, and is highly recommended by the Eczema Society/Foundation for both adults and children who suffer from itchy skin.

Give this a try! One of my product staples!! (If i am out I actually would, and have purchased this full price, gasp!)

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My Current Wish List

I was up late and found myself browsing my favourite makeup shopping websites (what else is new!) and thought I'd share a few of the things on my current wish list. Maybe you'd want to check them out!

I love the brand Bobbi Brown, especially because they make great foundations for pale people like me, yay! They've come out with a new translucent loose powder called "Retouching powder" that looks and feels just divine, so soft and has a really wonderful blurring effect without being dry or chalky. Another loose powder I am dying to check out is the "Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder" by Nars, this one has a slightly more glowy appearance but not too much, enough for any skin type to use.

I've also been dying to try out the Hourglass Mineral Veil primer, the only thing holding me back is the price (yikes! $60) It's got some sun protection, a smooth feel, mineral base, all that wonderful makeup prolonging ability that primers have. People seem to go crazy for this specific primer, hence my curiosity!

I've heard that the Lise Watier "Ombre Souffle Supreme" eyeshadows are very very similar to the "Illusion D'Ombre" by Chanel (which I own, and love!) I've played with them in store, but I am dying to bring a couple home to play with and wear, especially if they can be a slightly cheaper version of the ones from Chanel. They have kind of a cream-mousse texture, lighter than most cream eyeshadows I have, and a gorgeous almost metallic finish. Crease-free too of course!

I think Kevyn Aucoin is a fabulous makeup artist, I own his book and absolutely love it! I've been looking for a particularly good contour powder. His "Sculpting Powder" has been highly recommended! It's a cool-toned shade, giving it a more natural shaded look than using a bronzer, and is of course matte as all contour shades should be. 

All these items are definitely on my list, and there some cheaper products I want to check out like those from NYX! They make a blush colour called "Taupe" that I've read makes a great contour shade. I also enjoy their eyeliners, and are looking to pick up a nude-colored one and "Pale Pink". Now that the makeup brushes by Real Techniques are carried at Walmart, I'd love to try their "Travel Kit" and "Eye Kit". These brushes were created by the sisters of Pixiwoo on youtube, how cool!

Lastly, I read that the "Microdermabrasion Kit" by Olay is VERY similar to the kit of the same name by Philosophy, which I have tried and liked but has a steep price tag so a cheaper alternative would be exciting. 

Whats on your wish list? I love suggestions!

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A Few of My Favourite Sunscreens

Being as pale as myself, it's no secret I've always been a big advocate for sunscreen. Skin cancer is on the rise, and sunscreen should be SUCH an important part of our lives by now. I thought it might be helpful for me to share a few of my favourite sunscreens, since they are definitely not all equal in quality and especially texture.

La-Roche Posay makes my most consistently favourite sunscreens, with their fluid facial sunscreen being my top pick! It's incredibly light (very liquidy) with an almost matte finish which wears wonderfully under makeup, and offers a high SPF. None of their sunscreens feel overly greasy, or flake off in white patches as many other brands tend to do on me. They offer a great stable broad-spectrum protection, can't argue with that!

Vichy makes a sunscreen body oil, genius! It feels lovely to wear on dry skin, or when going to the beach, or if you just want a nice glow to your skin with a pleasant smell. Rubs in easily, and NO whiteness whatsoever which I know a lot of people will appreciate. And with an SPF of 30, thats not too shabby in the protection department either! Plus I don't mind re-applying this one at all.

If you are looking for something a little more inexpensive, these sunscreens by Hawaiian Tropic feel like body lotion and have a summery scent as well (I actually get compliments on how I smell when I am wearing this!) I wouldn't recommend them for the face as I would imagine they would be pore-clogging, but they feel like as a lotion-sunscreen combo. I would skip the SPF12 though... and go with at least a 30!

I couldn't talk about sunscreen without also mentioning a couple of my favourite after sun products! For the body I really enjoy the Korres After-Sun, it has real greek yogurt in it to soothe and help repair the skin and a refreshing scent. I don't apply this one on my face however, I find the smell a bit strong and the gel a little rich. They do make a Yogurt Face cream though which I haven't tried other than swatching on my hand, but the texture is lovely and contains the same soothing properties as the body gel. 

The 98% Aloe Vera gel from Jason actually gave me faith in Aloe once more as after sun care. All your usual Aloe Vera gels you find these days are sticky, smell terrible, and have almost NO Aloe actually in them!  (Check the ingredients, you'll be baffled. I know I was!) This one from Jason feels almost silky, and contains almost all real Aloe Vera (thank goodness), and I've used it on my face and body without any problem.

Last but most certainly not least, this SOS balm by Vichy is an incredible option for those really bad sunburns. You know the ones... They peel, and hurt, and are oh so very red. I burned my nose so badly one summer it was peeling like you would hardly believe,  and within only a couple of days this product made it ALL go away and I was only a little pink, amazing!! I was especially grateful because I had a big event to attend 3 days after this burn happened, and there was no way I was hiding it with makeup. I always keep some of this on hand, because you never know!

Some great tips if you do happen to find yourself out in the sun, is of course drink LOTS of water and wear a hat or remember to sunscreen around your hairline and part (don't forget behind the ears!) Don't forget to RE-apply your sunscreen throughout the day! Rule of thumb is if you are outside, do it every couple of hours and more often if you are in and out of the water because NO sunscreen is waterproof. Find a sunscreen you like to apply, and it won't be such a chore. I promise they've come a long ways in their formulas, and you're certain to find one you don't hate eventually. Many companies provide an SPF in their moisturizers now for face and body! If you have found yourself a little burnt, take an Ibuprofen (or Advil) as soon as you realize. This helps to take down swelling, lessening redness, and preventing some of the nasty damage that causes peeling. 

I could go on about sunscreen all day, but I won't bore you. ;) I'm sure I'll eventually do a follow up. If you do have any questions, leave me a comment! Or I'd love to hear what your favourite sunscreens are! 

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First Post!

Let's call this an introduction, shall we? I've always been an avid lover of all things beauty related, and my employment in the cosmetic industry over the last 5 years has certainly fed this obsession. I'm no stranger to having a blog, although it was a number of years ago and was certainly not devoted to my love of cosmetics. Instead of restricting myself to one area, I plan on also including my life, my animals, and other random enjoyments of mine into this blog. Because why not, it is my blog after all!

I am currently laying in bed, crutches beside my bed (yes... crutches) nursing a broken leg that required a fairly complicated surgery back in MARCH. So I've been unable to walk for 3 months now, and it's not looking hopeful that I'll be walking in my recent future so I figure, what better time to get this blog going! I can't work, or drive, and spend a large amount of time at home by myself. Might as well take advantage of it I would say.

For those now curious about what happened, I fell off horseback riding in and managed to land alllllll wrong on my leg, it made a horrendous noise, excruciating pain follows and I am rushed to the hospital where I am dosed on heavy painkillers until they got me into surgery the next day. Basically I fractured my fibula, and fractured my Tibial Plateau (top of the tibia, which is the large bone in the lower part of your leg). This fractured 2/3 of my tibial plateau got jammed 2cm INTO the bone (ouch!), hence making my whole break more complicated. I now am the proud owner of a big metal plate, 8 giant screws and a bone graft holding everything into place. Definitely not the easiest injury. It left me in the hospital for 2 weeks, bedridden for a month, barely moving for another month, and now slightly more mobile (hopping around on crutches) finally in June. Fingers crossed for speedy recovery!

I'll leave my introduction here, but expect to hear more soon ;)

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