stealth fighter

Current Mood: procrastinating (how utterly common)
Current Music: Malaguena (how utterly AMAZING)

I've decided to post again, mainly to keep momentum going for this thing. I don't really have a good idea of something to write about today, so I'm going to steal one from Bradley.

Jenny's Shower-Going Odyssey

I mostly stick to stuff that has been given to me or provided for me by the Mom. At some point, probably due to some members of my family having somewhat dry/sensitive/easy-allergic skin, we added shower gel and a loofah to the soap selection. Yes, loofahs are poofy and girly, but they do a much better job of scrubbing a little as well as soaping you up, and I happen to very much like the plethora of options when it comes to body washes. My family generally uses Oil of Olay's Sensitive Skin body wash. This stuff foams up, doesn't smell like much of anything, and makes my skin soft. Currently, I've taken a break from the Olay to use some Victoria's Secret "luxorious shower gel." The scent (Pure Seduction) is lovely, and if you use more than about 3 drops, the foam becomes too much to handle; the bottle will surely last me at least through the summer. It's definitely luxorious and I very much like it (thank you). :)

As for other skin products, I use about half of the ProActiv regimen- not sure how well it works. My skin would surely be better if I actually did the 3-step process twice a day plus the mask twice a week, but I think anyone who washes their face that well that often is going to have bad skin, no matter what the product. Apparently unlike Jessica Simpson, I have better things to do. Stray makeup is removed with any kind of Clinique makeup remover, because I've found nothing that works better annnd it doesn't hurt my eyes (a big plus). I also use various types of lotion on occasion, notable favorites including Skin Milk (the bottle looks like an old-fashioned milk bottle; smells a little funny but makes my legs shiny and soft), skin-silkening body lotion in Pure Seduction (it makes my hands uber-soft), Bath and Body Works Body Cream or Lotion (either work fairly well, and there are a thousand scents to choose from) and Olay body "quench" body lotion (a soft but pleasant smell, and even a little bit of shimmer). Deoderant wise, I've always used Secret just because it's what the Mom has bought for me, but specifically Secret Platinum's Glacier Mist seems to both work and have a nice scent, so that's my favorite.

(I've just now realized that a girl's shower-going odyssey is probably a bigger undertaking than a guy's. And I'm realizing that this probably isn't exactly the stimulating, entertaining type of writing I planned to put in this blog, but I've written too much to go back now. Continuing!)

Shaving! I stick to my Venus razor, which is sooo much better than the old disposable razors my mom used to get. The disposable tips are easy to use, and while they're kind of expensive, Sam's Club sells them for cheaper. I also use Skintimate shave gel stuff (I currently have "Melon Burst"), which foam up to make shaving smoother and help me know where I've already shaved, so I don't cut myself too badly, forget a spot, or get razorburn very often. The aforementioned lotions being applied after shaving also help with that (the razorburn, not the cuts- oh man, lotion in cuts will earn you nothing but pain! and doesn't help if you forgot a spot either).

As for my hair, I'm fairly low-maintenance. I suppose that's both my personality (I just plain would rather not mess with it most of the time) and my hair type (boring and straight, but at least that doesn't call for tons of mousse or frizz-control products). Suave shampoos seem to work well for cheap. Currently, I use Suave Kids Hair Smoothers in Strawberry Swirl. I don't care that this is obviously meant for kids. It smells like a strawberry smoothie, a nice compliment to the Suave Kids Go-Go-Grape Conditioner Plus Detangler (which I like for not only the great smell and smooth, easy-to-comb hair afterwards, but also the cute frog on the bottle). I know some people don't use conditioner, but it makes hair *so* much more manageable and soft. When I've had to go without conditioner, it really drives me crazy. Shampoo-plus-conditioners are better than nothing... but it's not quite the same. Really, use conditioner. It doesn't take that much longer, and it's sooo worth it, especially if your hair is at all long or hard to control. I also use a bit of pomade or hair spray to keep my swoopy bangs going to the side, if necessary, but for the most part I'm just lazy.

And, finally, we come to teeth. This may not appear to be a part of a shower, but sometimes it is for me. One less step, it seems... it's more convenient, at least when I don't have a sink in my room (grr dorm bathrooms). Anyway, I have to use little floss threaders to get through the built-in retainer on my bottom teeth, so I don't bother with flossing every day. I know I should. My toothpaste of choice is Crest Whitening Plus Scope in Minty Fresh Striped. I'm really sort of afraid to try the whole citrus thing. I suppose that would solve the problem of not being able to have orange juice with breakfast if you've just brushed your teeth, but really, I'm not sure how that can feel very clean. For now, I'll stick to mint. I like the Scope-ness of my toothpaste because it feels like I'm doing two steps in one. :) In a pinch for breath freshness, I love Life Savers in Spearmint (with the added bonus of a breathing hole if you choke on one!), Oral-B Brush-Ups (it feels a little like brushing your teeth with your finger, except it actually kind of works), and Trident White in Spearmint (haven't noticed whitening, but it makes me feel minty fresh!). If I go for mouthwash, it's Scope- Listerine's just a bit too strong for me, and my grandma Fran always used Scope.

Well, this was crazy long, and probably not particularly interesting, but there ya go. :)