30th Birthday Diaries: Feeling Older Shoe Haul

Hello there!

It is my birthday month and this month, I am turning the big dirty 30, flirty 30, thirsty 30 - whatever you would like to call it.

As it comes, I embrace it...but I think subconsciously I am freaking out.

1. Going [dirty] blonde
Why?? I think it is just a phase because this thought only came in early April and it's starting to exit my brain. A good friend of mine told me that when she turned 30 a few years ago, she dyed her red in a "30 life crisis" moment. I think I am starting to understand. Haha.

This is what I'm thinking:

But this is what I don't want - having half natural color and half salon color as it grows out. I am not high maintenance when it comes to my hair. I've only dyed the bottom layers of my hair so that when roots grow out, no one can see. I'm too lazy and can't afford constant touch ups and special maintaining shampoos. And then I wonder, do I have to lighten my eyebrows?! So much work. Decisions, decisions.

2. My first white hair
My friend pointed it out on 4/24/16. At that moment, it did not phase me. She told me I should cut it off because it's really noticeable as I have a white hair very distinguishable from my jet black hair. I was fine with it. Hours later at home, I freaked out and went to the bathroom and cut that sucker off. Dang. It's happening.

3. Old lady feet
When I was younger, my mom would tell me that as you get older, your feet do not like flat shoes anymore. Shoes have to be soft with a meaty sole for support. I thought she was just making silly talk, but dang! She was right. In the past year, my feet has not been liking those ballet flats. Oh no, oh no. Especially since I work in a hospital, I am on my feet for a long time, walking around or standing, sometimes 3 - 4 hours at a time. And oh my word, my feet hate me after all that. 
I decided to bite the bullet and go on a mini spree to buy shoes that would provide comfort. I call them, and please don't take offense, "old lady shoes." Shoes with a chunky sole. 
Here's what I purchase:

Modellista Miranda Ballet Flats

Andrew Geller Wilmot Wedge Pumps

a.n.a. Sicily Ballet Flats

I purchased them all from JC Penny and all were on sale. I've worn all three and the first two are so comfortable!! It's like walking on pillows!! Why did I wait so long to choose comfort instead of enduring pain?

The nude pair is comfortable at the heel. The picture does not capture the true cushion at the heel, but there is a nice little pillow. The toe area is a little more flat.

My purchases look boring as they are just simple black and nude, but honestly, black and nude go with everything.

My current flats are trendy, colorful with shimmery stones at the toes. They are cute, but not always practical and sometimes difficult to match.

Here's to being a grown up with foot pain, white hair, and to professionalism and no twinkle toes.

Cheers to my upcoming 30!

xoxoxox

Product Empties #2

This is another installment of my Product Empties (read my first one here!) I probably won't be doing Product Empties posts too often as I tend to not venture out too much when it comes to products. 

I'm one of those people who stick to what works. I'll try new things here and there if I am not 100% satisfied or if I'm feeling adventurous. This post will include a blend of mostly staples and new tries. 

H A I R :

It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in Plus Keratin (sample) 
<3 I received this 4 fl oz sample during one of the big Ulta sales in April.
<3 The verdict? I LOVE it. Like LOOOOOOOOVE. I have repurchased my second bottle. My hair is very dry and unmanageable when it dries. My hair is pretty lioness in its natural state. This product has made my hair manageable. I never knew that was possible to achieve outside of a salon.

Organix Hydrating Macademia Oil Intensive Moisture Mask
</3 I bought this product after seeing it in YouTube's ThatsHeart favorites a while ago. It worked for her, but definitely did not work for me. 
</3 It did not add any moisture to my hair. It actually made my hair feel drier after using it. And to top it off, it had a funky smell. Double whammy. 

F A C E :

Aveeno Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturizer
<3 I have been using this for 3 - 4 years. I love it, but I am itching to try something new. Any recommendations? I would like to stick to a tinted moisturizer for every day use. I'm not looking for heavy coverage, just sun protection and an even tone. I've heard Neutrogena and Sonia Kashuk are good options. I'm even considering a BB cream. HELP?

Rimmel Stay Matter Powder
?? I'm not quite sure how I feel about this. Women rave about it on YouTube. I have another one that I'm finishing off since I did buy it BOGO 50% at Ulta..
?? Maybe it is just summer and I tend to get oilier, but this did not make my face "Stay Matte." 

L'Oreal Revitalift Moisturizer
<3 I love this moisturizer. It's a bit greasy, but it does make my skin feel soft. With added anti-aging elements, it's a plus! 

E Y E S :

Maybelline Falsies Volume Mascara
<3 This is my staple and I love it. I will most definitely continue to repurchase.

Maybelline Line Stilleto
<3 I first tried this liner a few years ago and I didn't like it. I assume I got a bad batch because it dried up really fast. 
<3 I rediscovered this product on New Year's Eve 2013 when I forgot my liner at home. I was going to a friend's home to get ready. I stopped by a CVS. This liner was on sale and I thought, WHY NOT?
<3 It was amazing!! New found love for this product. I am on my third one since New Year's Eve!

NYC Eye Pencil
<3 I used to buy these so often for my brows. I haven't really been using pencil lately. I bought a new one after I finished this one, but haven't used it since. There's nothing wrong with it. I just found a new routine (e.l.f. Eyebrow Kit)

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser, Brightener
</3 Oh this is awful. It had a pink undertone which does not work well with me at all. This product did nothing for me. I love the neutralizer from this line and will stick to that. 

And that's a wrap! I know my pictures aren't the greatest. I'm trying to figure out what camera will work best. I shall see :)

L I P S :

Maybelline Baby Lips
</3 This didn't leave a long lasting moisturizing feel. It always felt like I had product on my lips even after one swipe across my lips. I would apply before I went to bed and still feel it in the morning. It was just sitting on my lips. Gross!
</3 I bought this at Ulta BOGO 50% off so I have another one I am looking forward to using up so I can return to my holy grail of chapsticks: Soft Lips. Oh Soft Lips, I'm sorry I left you a minute or two. My bad, my bad.
</3 The only things I do like about this balm are the scent and light tint it adds to your lips


<3<3<3

Growing up, Growing Old: Parent Edition

I came across the photo above a while ago. I take no credit for it. My classmate from grad school had posted it on the infamous Facebook. When I saw it, it resonated deeply with me. It's something we all know, but sometimes it doesn't always register completely with us. As we rush to get older and be our own person, live independently, and do our own thing, our parents get older and older, possibly sicker and frailer. We become so busy living our own lives, spending time with our own friends that we forget that our parents are still there, getting older.

I remember the first time I realized my parents, specifically my dad, was getting "old." One evening during dinner, I walked behind my dad at the dinner table. I saw a section at the center of the upper back of his head that was thinning out. My first thought was, "Dang, he's getting old." And yeah, yeah, this may not be considered a marker of "oldness" to some of you as some men (or women) have thinning hair at an early age. BUT my dad has (or had?) ridiculously thick hair. To be dramatic, this balding spot was an indication of his youth becoming evermore distant from the present. And I must admit, it made me sad, very sad. His thinning hair reminded me that with each strand falling, the older he was getting. With each strand falling, he was getting farther and farther away from man who I knew was able to do everything from opening jars, to fixing the roof, to being able to fix nearly every problem for me. It's difficult to think of him and see him in any other way.

Yesterday, I was having dinner with my parents. I typically sit across from my dad. Since my family is socially awkward with one another, dinner conversations are minimal to nonexistent. I looked up and saw my dad's mustache. There were white hairs. And again you may say that white hair does not necessarily correlate to old age, but hey! It does for most! Again, my little heart broke a little at the thought of my parents getting older and life getting possibly "harder" for them. As a social worker working with the 65+ year old population (since 2008), I see the good and the bad. In my line of work, I see a lot of bad. [That story, I shall leave for later. Stay tuned ;) ]

Lastly, the SADDEST of them all is this which I am about to share. It's normal, but it still breaks my heart. We were having dinner last week (HAHA, everything happens at dinner, doesn't it?). My mom had said, "We [mom and dad] went to the lawyer today. We put the three of you [my sister, my brother, and I] on the deed for the house. When we die, you have to take our death certificate to the [insert place of which I forgot] so that they can put the house under all three of your names." Do you know how much that broke my heart?! It still makes me sad just thinking of it. I know my parents will not be here forever, but the preparation for it all is heartbreaking. Don't get me wrong, preparation is the way to go, but it's still so depressing.  

I want to be able to grow older (just a little bit), but not have my parents grow older. Why can't that be possible?

So LOVE YOUR PARENTS. WE ARE SO BUSY GROWING UP, WE OFTEN FORGET THAT THEY ARE ALSO GETTING OLD.


<3<3<3