FYI "We have had people looking at this and..." may be offensive to your audience

This morning I was happily driving along listening to NPR and along comes a local story about prop 1 on the August ballot (the parks district one). This was a follow up story to a debate a few days ago. The No side went first and that was fine, then came yes on prop 1... and in he started with "We have have people looking at this..." to which I had an immediate negative response. Oh really "a lot of people" who are, what? Smart than me, and therefore can tell me how to vote. Eventually it became clear that what he really meant to say was that the measure has many endorsements from local groups. But it just came across so wrong that I couldn't get past the initial impression of the statement.

SO, don't use the statement "We have had a lot of people..." because you are essentially telling your audience that they don't really have the right to question you or that the people in question are some how smarter than your audience and thus their lead should be followed. And that might not go over well. It might not go over even when they are smarter because the tone has that authoritarian ring that isn't terribly popular.

And for the record I haven't decided how I am voting on prop 1.

Oil cleansing... not just hype.

So I have been oil cleansing; well creamy oil cleansing. Specifically, I have been using Ultrabland from Lush (here) since the week after Christmas and I have to say hurrah for oil. I have heard the hype for a couple of years but thought "Not for me" because I have always been acne prone. That said, ever since I swung north of 35 my skin seems to be getting drier each year. My solution has been heavier and heavier creams, which was really was only sort of working. We are talking a day cream labeled "intense moisture" followed by a BB cream. Still my face would be feeling tight by the time I got to work.

The very helpful and not pushy sales person at my local Lush store (which was way less choky-stinky than I remember) suggested the Ultrabland after having a feel of my skin. I have to admit I was skeptical but I thought what the hell might as well try it. Love. I am not only using the BB cream as my moisture in the morning, but also I need to buy a new night cream because my current one is to heavy. Basically my skin isn't really all that dry; I was stripping my skin and it just isn't necessary.

I will admit that at first I was using the Ultrabland twice a day and at the two week mark I started to notice a few white heads popping up. My solution was to add in a more soapy but not all strippy cleanser in the evenings (when may face is most funky because makeup, urban dweller, gym, life) then the Ultra in the AM only. Also every couple of days I use Let the Good Times Roll for some gentle exfoliation (again AM only). The only down side of this is that my very expensive (was a gift) Clarisonic brush is sitting unused at the side of the shower. I just don't need it.

So my new routine:

• AM: 
• get up, pull hair off face, wash hands then get a small amount of Ultra on my fingers by swiping them over the top of the tub. 
• Massage between hands (just using finger tips) to warm up, then massage on face for bit (I sing happy birthday to my self twice which is about 30 seconds. Yes, really. Happy birthday.). 
• Wipe off with a wash cloth wet with warm water. Dry, & lotion up. 
• Get on with morning having not splashed water everywhere while washing my face. 

• PM
• Get home from gym and take a shower. Wash face in shower with more conventional cleaner (Ok, I use Purity from Philosophy. I am too lazy to find a link, but you can get this all over the place). 
• Get out, lotion up. Need a way less emollient cream than I have, but use it anyway and then be annoyed that my face is all shiny-sticky-greasy because the cream doesn't soak in all the way because it is too heavy.
• Get glass of wine, relax.

That is it. I swear I even look a little younger because my skin is all moisture-y nice. Totally psychosomatic, but who cares.

A couple of product notes:

• Ultrabland has a distinct smell. Not a scent that is added, there is none of that. It smells like what it is - oil. I have gotten used to it, but I didn't love it at first. On the flip side there no fragrance and thus I use it right over my eyes.
• My Ultrabland is clearly going to last forever because you need very little of it. Makes it a really good value for money.
• Let the good times roll smells like a cookie. This was charming at first, but I have come to hate it. I will be buying something different for my exfoliation the next time around. Which will be ages from now, because again, don't need much of this either. 

Buy Nothing

So buy nothing has become a thing - Check it out!

I suck at this - you may remember my month of not buying things. You know, where I failed to not buy things I don't actually need. While did get some emotional insight into why I shop and impulse buy, did I bought all kinds of crap in the end. Possibly I am not trying hard enough, or maybe I just needed a group to make me serious about it. So yeah, check out the buy nothing project and find a group. It is pretty cool.