miceandmakeup

[miceandmakeup]

Week 4 was fraught with more technological issues than anticipated, and was thus delayed 3 weeks in posting! Yikes!

The end results of this experiment you can see below.  I’ve included images of my hair (so grey) and my nails.  In this fourth week, I received a few compliments on my skin–which rarely if ever happens.  I was thrilled in my little vain feminine heart.  However, there have been issues that might represent side effects that make me slightly less enthusiastic about continuing.  Ultimately, I’ve decided to next to a 30-day wash-out period during which I keep everything consistent, but stop taking the Halo Beauty supplements.  At the end of the 30 days, Ric has kindly agreed to create a composite photo set with Day 0, Day 28, and Day 58.  If we cannot tell the difference in a randomly-ordered set of images, then the supplements had no impact.  If one image stands out as better or improved, and it corresponds to the Day 28 photo, that represents evidence that the supplements work and that there were noticeable improvements in my skin.

I will not be posting weekly updates during the wash-out month; they don’t appear to be necessary and mean increased work at the end of the semester when I honestly cannot afford to take more time to blog.

Hair and nail images do not contain before photos; for hair, you are seeing approximately 8 weeks of regrowth.  Thus, the midline of the grey represents the dividing line before and after Halo Beauty supplementation.  My nails grow approximately 1 mm per week (fairly normal rate) and the attached nail bed portion on my index fingers are 11 mm in length; thus, the half centimeter or so nearest the cuticle represents the portion of my nail grown with Halo Beauty.  In the meantime: here are the 4-week progress shots:

Full face-D28

Forehead-D28

R eye-D28

L eye-D28

Mouth-D28

R nails-D28

L nails-D28

Hair-D28

  Halo Beauty Supplements: Week 4 FINAL RESULTS Week 4 was fraught with more technological issues than anticipated, and was thus delayed 3 weeks in posting!

[miceandmakeup]

Week 3: not quite more of the same.  There were some good things this week.  Technology has not been one of those things: my blog did not like the physical dimensions of the images (I will have to change layout for Week 4); my cat broke my camera tripod, and my smart water bottle was not-so-smart for a while.

Those challenges aside, there were good things, too.  Spoiler alert for my readers: I got a compliment on my skin (on Day 23)!

Full face-D21

Forehead-D21

R eye-D21

L eye-D21

Mouth-D21

  Halo Beauty Supplements: Week 3 Check-in Week 3: not quite more of the same.  There were some good things this week.  Technology has not been one of those things: my blog did not like the physical dimensions of the images (I will have to change layout for Week 4); my cat broke my camera tripod, and my smart water bottle was not-so-smart for a while.

[miceandmakeup]

My First Garden-Part 1

My First Garden-Part 1

This post is for my Dad.  This is the first garden that I’ll plant and grow myself in my new home.  For part of my birthday gift, my parents let me go rather crazy with the seed catalogs… and I ordered a bunch of stuff from Burgess Seed & Plant Co.  A starter pack of vegetables and a starter pack of herbs, plus asparagus, a set of 4 dwarf fruit trees, a blueberry bush, as well as butterfly and…

[miceandmakeup]

I’m now two weeks into taking the Halo Beauty supplements.  I’ve got some good and some not-so-good, but it’s largely up to you to decide whether you think there has been improvement.  Honestly, I’m only partly objective-of course I’d like to see improvement!  Do I really think so, though?  That’s harder to tell.

Full face-D14

Forehead-D14

R eye-D14

L eye-D14

Mouth-D14

Halo Beauty Supplements: Week 2 Check-in I'm now two weeks into taking the Halo Beauty supplements.  I've got some good and some not-so-good, but it's largely up to you to decide whether you think there has been improvement. 

[miceandmakeup]

Weekend Project: Baking Bread

Weekend Project: Baking Bread

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Make Dinner with Me: 4 Years of Cooking with Plated

Make Dinner with Me: 4 Years of Cooking with Plated

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Halo Beauty Supplements: Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol)

Vitamin D3 is normally made by the body when sunlight, particularly UVB, triggers the conversion of cholesterol into the more active form of the vitamin.  There are actually several forms, but it is generally agreed on that D3 (cholecaliferol) is the most biologically relevant.   Most of the research that is done on this vitamin focuses on increasing levels of D3 circulating in the bloodstream…

[miceandmakeup]

I’ve been taking the Halo Beauty supplements for a week.  My thoughts and opinions on how things have gone so far are basically in the video above, and before-and-after photos are provided down below!

Full face

Forehead

R eye

L eye

Mouth

Halo Beauty Supplements: Week 1 Check-in I've been taking the Halo Beauty supplements for a week.  My thoughts and opinions on how things have gone so far are basically in the video above, and before-and-after photos are provided down below!

[miceandmakeup]

Halo Beauty Supplements: Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)

Halo Beauty Supplements: Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)

Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) Vitamin C is well known by this point in time as an antioxidant. It has been incorporated into daily multivitamins, single vitamin supplements, cold/flu prevention supplements, and topical skincare.  For this research, I’m not focusing on the health effects of vitamin C.  Many others on the internet and YouTube are doing so; I do not need to be redundant.  Similarly, I’m…

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Yesterday (Day 0), I established the plan for evaluating the Halo Beauty supplements.  Today, I provide the BEFORE video and photos that will be used for evaluation.  I will try to keep lighting conditions, time of day, etc. as consistent as I can with my equipment.

Initial thoughts: the supplements did not upset an empty stomach for me, so one concern has been alleviated!

All photos and videos are unretouched.  The only editing performed on the photos is cropping to a 4×6 ratio for facial images.

Full face-before

Forehead-before

R eye-before

L eye-before

Mouth-before

Product Review: Halo Beauty Supplements Day 1 Yesterday (Day 0), I established the plan for evaluating the Halo Beauty supplements.  Today, I provide the BEFORE video and photos that will be used for evaluation. 

[miceandmakeup]

Initial thoughts

I purchased the Halo Beauty supplements on March 2, 2018 (the day they launched).  They arrived by mail on March 15, and I will begin taking them on March 25.

The intent of this project is to look at the science of skincare behind the ingredients and to evaluate the efficacy of the product (within limits; I’m one person).  I will endeavor to keep many things as consistent as possible throughout this project, including nutrition, hydration, activity, and skincare routine.

There are a few things I cannot evaluate.  For example, I have premature greying so I color my hair at this point.  I will not be able to tell if this has any hormonal impact, as I also have premature ovarian failure and I’m not getting bloodwork done for this.

I will, however, post weekly updates and photos!

What am I worried about?

Two things immediately spring to mind.

I know that I cannot take my daily multivitamin on an empty stomach (i.e. in the morning) so I am concerned that the B vitamins in this supplement might cause some nausea.  Updates on Day 1 after taking the supplement..

I have a known sensitivity to Vitamin D.  Too much, and my skin erupts into pustules.  It’s an actual allergy and it’s uncommon.  This supplement, combined with my daily multivitamin, will double my vitamin D intake.  I guess we’ll wait and see!

The Routine

Nutrition: 1700 kcal/day; no more than 1 alcoholic beverage/day.  Will continue taking magnesium supplement and daily multivitamin as well as 2 prescriptions.

Hydration: monitoring using my Spark 2.0 water bottle (gift from a friend!); this typically seems to vary from 48-72 fl. oz. per day (6-9 glasses).

Activity: 30 min walk + daily Yoga with Adriene (these are generally around 20-40 minutes).

AM Skincare: wash in shower (Philosophy body wash), Shiseido Ultimune serum, Liz Earle Eye Bright, 100% Pure coffee bean caffeine eye cream, Neutrogena Ultra Sheer liquid SPF 70.

PM Skincare: Neutrogena eye makeup remover (as needed), Liz Earle cleanse & polish hot cloth cleanser, Liz Earle Instant Boost skin tonic, Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturizer.

Weekly: exfoliation with Tatcha Polished gentle rice enzyme powder, face mask (user’s choice), Sunday Riley Tidal brightening enzyme water cream.

Product Review: Halo Beauty Supplements Day 0 (Unboxing) Initial thoughts I purchased the Halo Beauty supplements on March 2, 2018 (the day they launched).  They arrived by mail on March 15, and I will begin taking them on March 25.

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MUST BE SUBSCRIBED TO ENTER! :D www.youtube.com/grav3yardgirl www.youtube.com/bananapeppers

WATCH THIS VIDEO TO SEE RULES/PRIZES! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRWA5HbNebk

[miceandmakeup]

MUST BE SUBSCRIBED TO ENTER! :D www.youtube.com/grav3yardgirl www.youtube.com/bananapeppers

WATCH THIS VIDEO TO SEE RULES/PRIZES! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRWA5HbNebk

[miceandmakeup]

#platedpics #meatlessmonday Yummy (if 2 weeks late)!

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#WinterStormHelena pics from our back-to-school blizzard! #snow #winter #blizzard (at Norfolk, Virginia)

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Winter Storm Helena: January 2017 If you know me at all, you know I get ridiculously excited about snow.  Little-kid excited.  If we have a snow-day school cancellation, my students get extra credit for playing in the snow! 

[miceandmakeup]

My 9 best moments from 2016

My 9 best moments from 2016

I’ve seen this a lot on my friends’ feeds, and figured I maybe should participate (if late).  2016 was not a kind year for many of us, and I had difficulty identifying three things that went well in the year.  I started reviewing photos, and found 6 more!  Here goes my list:

April 2016: Won the BigBlue Healthy Kitchen Wars cooking competition at ODU with the Faculty/Staff team.

May 2016: I got to…