Author: Liv D.

Wild. My beloved mom called me a wild child when I was young. And brave. I would say that's true but I'm also fairly shy, fun and a sometimes (borderline a lot) feisty woman with many interests! I've run the gamut of tackling, braving and mostly succeeding in many different arenas in my 50+ years. Some of my jobs and careers have included: a pizzaiola, a grocery store cashier, an AE for graphic design/ad firm, a wedding consultant, a copywriter, a personal shopper, a clothing organizer, a fine jewelry consultant and for the last 10+ years, manager of our family auto repair business. Amazingly, I've never been a bartender cuz I can mix a mean cocktail! Yes. I know. I've been all over the place. But I have NO regrets. I've learned so much from each job and person I've met along the way. And I've learned a TON about myself and what I love to do and what I don't like so much. Isn't that what life is all about? The journey? I've always had an affinity for fashion, make-up, photography, movies, music of all genres (except country ;)) and beauty products. I love gift giving more than receiving and have been told I have a knack for finding the perfect gift. But my true passion has always been 2 things. Writing and researching. I'm the one that scours the internet to find the best product, perfect place to stay, restaurant to try, cool shop to frequent. It truly makes me happy to suggest a recommendation and know that the recipient loved it. And putting my feelings into words and hoping it made someone laugh or tear up or just relate. That is why I wanted to bring back my blog and tweak it for this new wild world we are currently living in. Liv, pronounced "Leave" means life in Norwegian. Have I've lived my best and truest life so far? Yes. I believe so. I hope so. Yes.

Peri-what?

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Perimenopause. Good times.

Somewhere between the ages of mid-30’s to 40’s, women have a lovely transition right before menopause. Perimenopause. I questioned friends. What in samhell is that?! “Are you extra moody?” Yes.” Are you feeling more bloat in the tummy on the regular?” Yes.” Are you having a hard time sleeping?” Yes. “Are you having more migraines, regularly.” Yes! Well, you’re on your way to graduating to menopause which officially marks the end of your reproductive years. Who knew there was a pre-hell before the real hell?

There are a lot of symptoms that are the result of the body’s decrease in estrogen. You can have some (hopefully not all) of these: hot flashes, changes in mood, sleepless nights, day and night sweats. I think most of us knew about those. But there’s a list of other strange symptoms. Your body odor can change to a more musky smell. Your urine can emit a more ammonia smell (?!), bone loss. The list goes on and on according to friends and too much reading I did one sleepless night. And it’s extra fun if you’re dealing with any of this during a pandemic and your child is also going through changes in their own body-puberty! My one girlfriend said the bright side to all of this is for her is, NO MORE PERIODS/PADS/TAMPONS. No more pregnancy scares. And she feels a sense of being in a good place, emotionally in her early 50’s.

Hmm, I’m not fully convinced. For some reason it makes me sad. This last stage. Not that I am wanting to have another child. But I guess just knowing that I can’t, soon enough. I don’t like not having control of my own body. Something “telling me how it will be,” you know? But we don’t really have a choice. I guess it will be nice not having to deal with the periods, monthly. I guess.

For further more technical reading: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/perimenopause/symptoms-causes/syc-20354666

Thoughts by: Liv D.

Words Matter

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Perfume application

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From the goddess herself:

 “I never spray scent directly on my body. When I mist a fragrance, it spreads out in a big plume and you can’t control where it goes. So I use a foundation brush. Spritz your scent on the bristles, then sweep it on your skin wherever you’d normally spray. This pushes the fragrance into your skin and helps dry out the alcohol, so you get a truer scent that lasts longer.”

-Jo Malone as told to Victoria Kirby

A fab mascara

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I found a FAB cruelty free, water-proof AND vegan mascara. You will never guess how much I paid on Amazon. $4.99! 🤯🤯 This is me with 1 good coat. Essence | Lash Princess False Lash Princess False Lash Waterproof Mascara: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TMKPXJ7…

Cozy chic for winter

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I am not hating this. I like Katie’s style and if I can wear sweats AND dress them up, I will do it. Who wants to wear jeans after all this S.I.P? Pre-pandemic, I would never go out in public in sweats. Now, sweats and jogger pants are my bible. I’d add a statement necklace to this look for a little extra something. Or wear a bright top for a pop of color with my Adidas.

How to properly apply eye cream

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I hope you all use eye cream! It is essential for helping with crows feet and wrinkles. Just say no to saggy eyes. This is a great, quick tutorial. ALWAYS use your ring finger. The one thing I would change is to tap the eye with the cream from top of the brow bone down. That is the better way to apply as it goes against “gravity.” Also, there is so much back and forth if you should apply cream to you’re eyelid or not. I would say if it’s hypo-allergenic, then yes to the eyelid. Too many chemicals is a no no as you don’t want it to seep into your eye. And as for my favorite eye cream? I’ve tried ALOT and always go back to Shiseido Benefiance. https://www.sephora.com/product/benefiance-wrinkle-smoothing-eye-cream-P448203

Toner

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Do you use a toner after you wash your face? I absolutely love a toner. It just seems to further take away the days grime. I think I started with Seabreeze products (anyone else remember that brand?) when I was like 12 years old. Anyhoo, my longtime fav is by a brand called Alba Botanica. It’s a Hibiscus toner and has tropical flower and fruit enzymes along with cucumber, aloe vera, honeysuckle and guava to name a few. It smells lovely and this line does not test on animals. Ranges in price from $12-15. You can find it pretty much everywhere.

Sweaty feet

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This was one of my 1st posts on my old blog. It was a popular post.

Topic: Sweat. Did you know each of our feet have over 250,000 sweat glands? I received a question, randomly about suggestions for shoe brands that help thwart sweaty feet. Yes, there is a brand I know of, Geox but they don’t come cheap. Here are a few things you can do if you don’t want to drop serious cash on fancy shoes. Don’t wear the same pair 2 days or more in a row. They need to breath about 24 hrs. If you’re wearing socks, stick to cotton, definitely no nylon or wool. I know a lot of socks these days are made of polyester. That’s ok if it’s a blend with cotton. Not 100% poly. Try to only wear real leather, not man-made materials. And yes, it might sound strange, but try a deodorant! You use it under your armpits, I hope! If it works there, it will work for the feet.