Wet head and cold nose

[clevermanka]

Thanks to gamera_spinning for the heads-up on this movie. It looks amazing. "The first Iranian Vampire Western ever made, Ana Lily Amirpour’s debut basks in the sheer pleasure of pulp. A joyful mash-up of genre, archetype, and iconography, its prolific influences span spaghetti westerns, graphic novels, horror films, and the Iranian New Wave."

I woke at four this morning (yaaaaaaaaaaay), admitted defeat at 4:30, got up, took a leisurely shower (shaved! washed hair!), and am now bundled up on the couch with some tea. Really hoping my hair dries before I head out for errands at 9:00. Brrrr.

Today is Get Shit Done Day. Errands (grocery, dry cleaner), then (assuming fall squash is still on sale) roasting and pureeing my bodyweight in pumpkin, butternut, and acorn squash. While the roasting happens, I'll work on my due South Sekrit Santa piece. Also laundry.

Hey, so, my skin needs a break from my beloved Paula's Choice exfoliants and moisturizers. I plan to go back to them, but I've noticed a diminished quality to my skin lately. It just looks a little dull. Which could just be age, but I figured I'd try a couple months of a different product to see if that helps. I need soy-, paraben-, fragrance- and sls-free products. Anybody got recommendations? I'm a-ok with hippie-dippie make-your-own stuff if it's a tried and true recipe from a friend.

Okay I am freezing and I think I need to go blow dry at least the top part of my hair, damn it. God, I hate cold weather.

Comments

[write-out.livejournal.com]

Have fun Getting Shit Done! That is me today too. What do you do with the purees?

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I use them in soups and curries. Acorn squash puree is surprisingly effective as a base for curries that you don't want to be too sweet. I also make carrot puree when I wind up with a bunch of carrots going wilty in the fridge. Great for adding a bit of moisture to a ground beef/vegetable mixture.

[msmitti.livejournal.com]

you have the best cooking ideas.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I think it's because I love to eat. Like, I really, really like food, and my eating options are pretty limited. So I gotta be imaginative with the things I can have.

Also, it helps that I was in charge of preparing the food for myself and my family since I was 16--and from 11 to 16 I was responsible for helping my gramma make the family dinners.

Someday I'll write a post about my positive relationship with food. I tend to focus on the negative (allergies, disordered eating), and neglect the wonderful side of it.

[hdsqrl.livejournal.com]

This past week, I've switched my face stuff to just coconut oil mixed with some essential oils. Can you do coconut oil? I've heard you can also do this with other oils (almond, jojoba, etc.) if coconut isn't right for you.

My mix right now is leaving my skin pretty dang soft. From memory, I think the oils I have in there are frankincense, geranium, lavender...uhh...seems there are at least 2 more, but I'm drawing a blank. I've done the frank+lavender oils by themselves before and they leave the skin really soft, so it's likely those oils versus the coconut that are working, though. So I dunno if the carrier oil by itself would do something or not. :\

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I eat, drink, and sleep coconut oil, so YES. I already have lavender oil, so I can pick up some frankincense at Natural Grocer while I'm getting squash and give that a try. Thanks!

[hdsqrl.livejournal.com]

I think I used about a quarter cup of the oil, just barely melted in the microwave, plus 10 drops of frank and about 8 of lavender. Stirred well, and allowed to solidify back up. Then it just takes the tiniest smidgen of the solid, melted between your fingertips, to cover your whole face. YMMV, of course. I hope it helps! :)

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Awesome! I'm gonna make it today! Do you use it just as a night moisturizer or does a light application work under makeup, too?

[hdsqrl.livejournal.com]

I've been using it morning and night, both. Just have to not be really heavy handed with it in the morning. :)

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Used it twice yesterday--in the afternoon just after I made it and before bed--and my face feels SO GOOD today. Thank you!

[hdsqrl.livejournal.com]

HOORAY!!!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_luaineach/]

Late to this party but seconding the coconut oil and frankincense. So good!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

It's FANTASTIC. So happy!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_luaineach/]

Frankincense is pretty magical stuff. We use essential oils for pretty much EVERYthing, especially for diffusing in the air. So wonderful smelling, even if you don't buy the health benefits.

We use Young Living essential oils and if you ever want to buy any, I am a distributor (https://www.youngliving.org/ladarna). Which I only signed up to be because then you get ~25% off and you don't HAVE to ever buy anything else or anything, and we use enough oils that the 25% makes a difference. But if you ever want any YL oils, buy them through me! :) They are on the more expensive end of oils but I think they are worth it. The quality seems much higher to me than some of the health foods store brands (like NOW) and so you use much less. Plus YL has a whole hippy dippy Seed to Seal (http://www.seedtoseal.com/en/seedtoseal) good practices thing going on.

(and if you ever decide you'll want to use a lot of oils frequently and want to be a wholesale member your own self, let me know because every month I get various coupons to give to people to use for their initial wholesale member sign up order (which is good because it comes with a whole starter kit and a great diffuser))

anyway, short version: essential oils for the win!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Cool, thanks! I think, though, that hdsqrl also does Young Living and she's local, so..... But I appreciate the offer!

[seascribe.livejournal.com]

Ohhh man I need to see that movie.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Ohhhhh man I bet you do!