<p>Booyah, SBmom! It's a great way to start the year, and good for him. :)<br>
[quote] ...all my fellow parents looking like Grateful Dead roadies and wal-mart employees...SBmom
[/quote]
Lol, they do! I'll tell you, it is surreal not having a kid in high school this year. I find myself paying attention to things that fell off of my radar around 1984, like Fashion Week in New York City. A year ago, we were still trying to figure out sluggbeast's weighted and non-weighted GPAs. We were resorting to complex factorization theorems, hoping that the right numbers would magically appear. </p>
<p>My most recent humiliation had been at registration when I spazzed out in front of a couple of teachers after learning that he had signed up for Calculus (again) and two more AP's, plus Honors English. Then, I skulked around at Back-To-School Night like the Black Spy in MAD magazine, as if I were part of a secret underground of parents whose youngest kids were graduating from high school. This year, I'm watching the morning news and paying attention to advice from the fashion editor at Glamour Magazine. </p>
<p>Like it or not, my closet is a shrine to Eddie Bauer baggy fit jeans and no-iron shirts. I use my wardrobe to publicly embarrass my 22-year old daughter. I still own a pair of black, velvet chukka boots. (Hey, they were cute with corduroy overalls and plaid flannel shirts!) I have a bunch of dresses with humongous shoulder pads. I'm pretty sure that the four extra packs of Donna Karan nude panty hose I bought last century were recalled due to the fact that they explode upon leaving the package, and they were designed to fit only plastic mannequin legs.</p>
<p>I find myself browsing through new makeup. For 20 years, mascara has been my enemy, because the last time I wore it, it had the consistency of asphalt, and I never had time to put it on without getting some of it underneath my eyebrows. Then, I'd try to quickly rub it off, and I'd end up leaving the house looking like Groucho Marx. I used to wear waterproof makeup and sandblasting that stuff off of my eyelids every night was not fun. Now, I can talk about makeup with my 14-year old niece, and she does not try to slowly back out of the room. :cool:</p>
<p>A big booyah to SBMom's little dude. And a spritz from the lavender-scented misteeing template. And I guess a big booyah to SBMom for knowing when to hold em and knowing when to fold em in the what to do with S saga. I am not doing so well myself in that department.</p>
<p>After my D gave me a strict talking to about the way I am handling S's academic career, I told my S last night two things. One, "S, I do not need you to go to any college in particular. I am only thinking of you and trying to make sure you go somewhere where the kids are smart and the teachers are good. So you are challenged." Two, "S, I only have been bugging you about doing your homework and laying off the Magic card forums because I thought it would help, as I too am prone to procrastinating work due to addicting Internet forum...." hehe. S nodded. No idea how much I have been driving him crazy and no idea whether he believes I am capable of laying off.</p>
<p>Now we just see if I can borrow Carolyn's duct tape and cease to say anything to S about his grades and his homework. Let him make his own way, since so far his own way does not include drugs or failing to attend classes or even any grades less than an A-. I am not always the mother I wish I were. But I won't stop trying. I truly do feel like I need to deserve my kids, gifts from the spirit of Burning Man as they are, as all kids are. Mostly I can remember that. Sometimes not.</p>
<p>So like I said, SBMom, special booyah for the meds when required and special booyah for letting him go without when he must have felt ready. And Slugg, keep us posted on the doings of SluggS. Somehow the thought of SluggS helps me remember not to be such an a**, given that I look forward to reading about SluggS's wild successes of many sorts in life - whether via Sluggposts or the newspapers who knows.</p>
<p>One more Booyah! from across the ocean--or Bula! in Fijian....</p>
<p>Personally, I think testosterone is the great focus drug for boys. Unfortunately, testosterone is not always fully distributed in time for college applications. Doesn't matter. Wait and see what a jump start these boys get.</p>
<p>Current favorite is Nars. You are in the Bay Area. Wend your way up to Saks Fifth Avenue. Call in advance. Ask if Robert still works there and make an appointment to have him do your makeup. An actual to god makeup artist vs. someone who gobs orange stuff on your face...</p>
<p>And you probably only have to buy like one mascara at $22 or whatever.</p>
<p>Who else has favorite beauty products? Why am I afraid I am the only one so shallow? Why am I having such a self-esteem crisis this afternoon? Don't know. Must be sunspots:).</p>
<p>Sunspots? What about those weird brown spot things that I'd like to pretend are freckles but which I know are actually not freckles, which have been appearing on both my arms for the last few months? They sort of look like when you have a suntan and it starts to fade and some chunks peel off but some spots remain? Yeah, those.</p>
<p>Except these don't seem to peel, no matter how much I pick at them. (sigh...)</p>
<p>Alu, I thought you said "snotspots," and even though I had no idea what a <em>snotspot</em> is, I was about to send you to the drugstore for some Sudafed. It seems as though my mom reflexes are still intact, despite my double lobotomy! :)</p>
<p>Shallow, schmallow...I found a half-eaten bag of Bugles in the back of my closet (next to a pair of gold high heels with clear toes). They're from 1983, but we can wash them down with copious amounts of beer and talk about our favorite beauty products. Off to the orange booth... :cool:</p>
<p>Favorite Perfume: Chanel Chance (best combined with dinner out and a good bottle of Italian wine)
Favorite Handbag designers: Kate Spade and Charm & Luck (only for Vegas, Baby!)
Favorite New Hair Product: TreSemm</p>
<p>I don't wear much make-up, not out of a lack of vanity but out of the realization that I'm not very attractive either way. I use lipstick because of the lip cancer benefits. Have lost said lipstick and need to replace it - gah!</p>
<p>For beauty product, All I can add is deodorant and hair product: pomade, like George Clooney in "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?" One of the hundreds of similarities between George and myself.</p>
<p>There is an OTC concealer that's about $10 that is unreal. Something like Maybelline or Cover Girl. My D discovered it. I will have to go look at it to tell you...</p>
<p>Robert from Saks does eyebrows as part of this process, as he cannot cannot cannot stand to see unruly caterpillars dancing across his canvas...and I do believe he would prefer to be your girlfriend. He has the longest most lovely braid down his back, covered in, hold your breath, pomade!</p>
<p>Concealer, huh? Can I put it on my thighs? Oh, wait you mean the other kind of concealer...</p>
<p>Face lotion: Olay Regenerist - drugstore
Face wash: Epicuren Discovery Herbal Citrus blah blah blah - only available in groovy spas
Body lotion: Shikai lavender - drugstores
Shampoo - Pureology
Conditioner - Pureology
And hordes of other little products for this and that whenever I have a moment. Used to spend scads at department stores, then once I figured out I couldn't wear the jars on my head I got wise and went mostly drugstore...</p>
<p>Except for Nars. Ah. Nars. Oh, except mascara by Dior.</p>
<p>And Aries - no lipstick self-esteem crisis! Aveda makes a great lightly colored lip balm that I think has sunscreen....smells good too.</p>
<p>Hmmm...so TheDad looks like Depp and m&s looks like Clooney? tsdad looks like Brad Pitt, I suppose?</p>
<p>So that I don't frighten the clients, I've started wearing make-up and blow drying my hair. The hair dresser had to teach me how to do it--the year before last. All those years without doing a thing! Then I noticed that my face was 'fading' in photographs. Since then, I've been using eyebrow color and lippy and even a bit of foundation--which I NEVER thought I would do! <em>Sigh</em></p>
<p>Clinique makes a great bronzing lotion for fair skin types.</p>
<p>Gatineau face cream </p>
<p>Gatineau Lily Make up remover (for daily soap)</p>
<p>MAC lippies</p>
<p>MAC brushes</p>
<p>I wanna try the La Prairie Caviar range because I have a friend who used to be a model in New York and she uses it and her skin looks like Meryl Streep's skin and she's two years older than me.</p>
<p>FWIW I think my hubby is usually the cutest guy in the room, bar none. He's always the funniest guy, that's for sure.</p>
<p>I've spent $25 on mascara, and bought it at Walgreen's, but have yet to find one I love. Natural lashes are thick, but short. I wear contacts, and can't wear waterproof.</p>
<p>amdgmom -- I like Cover Girl Triple Mascara. L'Oreal tends to glop up on me. :::flitter flutter slugg lashes::::: Pardon me, I must go straighten my crown.</p>
<p>m&sdad -- We can appreciate a man who wears pomade and deodorant. MonsieurSlugg's choice (aka sluggbeast/sluggJr/sluggboy): Murray's Superior Hair Dressing Pomade; Royal Crown Hair Dressing; Clubman Mustache Wax. Don't ask.</p>
<p>ariesathena -- Goddesses are naturally beautiful! ;) </p>
<p>TGIF. Here's what Phyllis Diller had to say about her mother-in-law, aka Moby Dick: Moby Dick's dress size is junior missile. We didn't have a sunken living room until she arrived. When she takes her girdle off, her feet disappear. Someday I'd like to slit that girdle open and watch her spread to death....Talk about old -- her social security number is 2! The only reason she wasn't on Noah's Ark was because they couldn't find another animal that looked like her....God, she's ugly! When she blew her nose downtown, the construction crew broke for lunch....You should hear her sing. She hit high C and spayed the dog.... :D</p>
<p>I wear Dior Maximeyes. You can get it at Sephora. First mascara I have ever really been fond of:). Lancome is always supposed to be the best - blah. Smudge and glop everywhere. Then Clinique - what's the point, doesn't look like I have anything on my eyelashes. When I am feeling responsible, however, I buy Maybelline Curling Mascara, it's a good second best.</p>
<p>BTW, Sephora has this great thing where they have their recommended mascaras in a special display and then they code them to tell you what they are good for.</p>
<p>Let me confess. Until the age of 40, when I went back to fulltime corporate work, I did not really wear makeup, except for a few years when I lived in Manhattan and was focused on getting someone to marry me. Certainly as a stayathome mom for 4 years I wore none. Then during the years of consulting, well, if I had to. But when I went back to work, it was dotcom time, and everyone was 26. So I started to wear makeup. Then once I started, I became amazed at the degree to which technology had improved the stuff from my days as a would-be bride in Manhattan.</p>
<p>From there it was a slippery slope to cutting off all my light brown/used to be blonde hair with the broad gray stripe that used to fall below my shoulders. Now, yes, I confess, I highlight. I have a hairdresser in the city. I aspire to be Carly Fiorina from the forehead up.</p>
<p>Aries - I am dying to return to my former goddess state one day - no more shaving the legs, no more highlights, no more blow drying (ugh I hate holding my arms over my head, it hurts). However, even if I do have the good fortune to one day return to Olympus, I will probably bring my Maximeyes with me.</p>
<p>I was successful in the pursuit of that goal.</p>
<p>SBmom.</p>
<p>Man I love standing ohs but for what? <em>she asks blinking her eyes</em> Perhaps for admitting that I don't like standing in the shower scraping petrochemicals off my legs and dreading the moment when a chunk of my flesh follows suit?:)</p>
<p>BTW, m&s, booyah to you for venturing into this Alley of the Women. I can only hope that any dads on the sidelines get the same kind of comfort from this discussion that I used to get from hearing the noises of banging dishes from the kitchen as my mom loaded the dishwasher.</p>
<p>So... do I get a little bit of a standing oh for admitting that I haven't either scraped or razored anything off myself for over 30 years? And if I do say so myself, it hasn't hurt my allure one little bit. (Thankfully, I am light-haired.) Nor have I applied makeup in those 30+ years, except for theatrical productions. Ah well, those who love me, do pretty much love me as I am, even if it's nothing resembling "typical girly". I'm thankful for that. :)</p>