What I'm thankful for this year...
You may have noticed I’ve been MIA for the past few weeks—there’s been a lot going on. Aside from the fact that November and December are my busiest months of the year work-wise (between the endless stream of Black Friday/Cyber Monday marketing emails and clients wanting to squeeze every last drop out of their 2021 budgets), I had another boob scare. I didn’t tell anyone other than my husband and two or three other people, simply because I didn’t want to be having that conversation and worrying everyone all over again. (Honestly, I also couldn’t process the idea of potentially having to go through some sort of repeat of that whole situation.) As my mom used to say, “Denial isn’t just a river in Egypt.”
After waiting two weeks for an ultrasound (and seeing my breast surgeon for confirmation), the two pea-sized lumps I felt under my left nipple is completely harmless fat necrosis. In a nutshell, a mastectomy doesn’t get every last bit of tissue out, and in my case some fat was left behind. Without normal blood supply from my breast tissue (which is all gone), the fat basically died and hardened. Apparently this is very common, and poses absolutely no threat to my health whatsoever (although my breast surgeon will do another ultrasound when I see her for my routine check-up in six months). Major phew.
So you can probably guess what I’m most thankful this year… Yup, my health. I thank my lucky stars every morning when I open my eyes, countless times throughout the day and every time I look in the mirror because frankly, I’m really happy with my reconstruction results (although getting to this point was a harrowing journey that I wouldn’t wish upon anyone).
I know you come here for the beauty intel (and not necessarily my other musings), so of course I have a list of skincare, haircare, makeup products and more that I’m also beyond thankful for this year. And I hope at least one of them will make you happy, too!
Keep It Anchored: This regimen of pre-cleanser, shampoo, conditioner and scalp serum finally stopped my hair from falling out. I saw real results within a month and will be sticking to this regimen forever. I am eternally grateful!
Saie Slip Tint and Super Glowy Gel: I’ve never gotten so many compliments on my skin, and I’ve turned quite a few ladies onto this “clean” dynamic duo.
Dr. Steven Fagien: My go-to expert interview source for almost two decades (OMG) and one of my favorite surgeons/people ever, I didn’t see Dr. Fagien for a year between quarantine and COVID running rampant. I so missed our time catching up on all the latest in the aesthetics world (because he knows it all), and I wouldn’t let anyone else come near my face with a needle. We are back to our standing every-three-month dates and my results after last week’s appointment are perfection—just in time for my 45th birthday next week!
Alex Marroquin: I’m pretty sure my colorist Alex wanted to kill me during and after quarantine. I repeatedly begged her to come to my house, asked if she could drop off a single-process color until I felt safe to go back to salon, and I even inquired if a temporary pink or purple dye would help cover my roots (or kill my color). After a year of stretching my appointments as long as I could, I’m seeing her every six weeks because my hair is growing back, baby!
Retrouvé: This budget-be-damned skincare line makes me look forward to my morning and evening skincare regimens. My skin has never looked this plump, juicy and radiant!
SkinCeuticals Advanced Scar Control: I am very, very lucky that my mastectomy scars are limited to the crease beneath my breast (similar to a standard breast augmentation but slightly longer). I’ve been massaging my scars with this silicone gel daily and have noticed major improvement in their color and texture.
Tooth bonding: I’m the first one to admit I have dental dysmorphic disorder (although you can see exactly what I was seeing in my bonding before-and-after pictures). This easy, inexpensive cosmetic dental treatment got my teeth exactly where I wanted them to be.
Epionce Daily Shield Tinted SPF 50 Sunscreen: With broad-spectrum SPF 50, antioxidants, a bevy of skin-loving natural botanicals and the perfect amount of coverage for every day—my hunt for the perfect daily sunscreen is officially over.
VERB Energizing Drink Mix and Energy Bars: Whether before working out or in the mid-afternoon, I can always use a little boost. Fortified with non-tweaky green tea-derived caffeine, the 90-calorie bars are delish and the 40-calorie drink mix gives you (and your skin) 5 grams of collagen to boot.
Believe me, I know full-well that there’s so much more to life than products and treatments—but I’ve come to learn that the little things can make everyday life just the slightest bit better. What beauty and wellness products are you grateful for?
