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My Aging Eyes

I've been wearing glasses since I was 11 years old, and contact lenses since I was 13. I never had problems with contact lenses and find them quite comfortable; I much prefer them to glasses and only wear glasses at night before going to bed. I am nearsighted and my vision has been steady at between -4.00 to -5.00 with the left eye being slightly worse for the past twenty years or so. But this year, I thought my vision must have gotten worse because I was having trouble reading certain things, especially when trying to see small writing or detailed objects. When I saw my eye doctor, I brought up these concerns and after the examination, she told me that my...

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Anna Sui Gel Foundation Primer Review

A couple of weeks ago, I received a deluxe sample of the Anna Sui Gel Foundation Primer with my order from Beautylish. I know I've said multiple times in the past that I don't need a primer because I'm perfectly happy using my beloved Saint Jane sunscreen as a primer. However, the jelly-like texture of this new (to me) primer was intriguing and the reviews I read online were promising...

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Site Redesign

My blog has been around since 2006 and has gone through many redesigns since. But the last design was created in 2012 and hasn't been updated since. Although it looked a bit dated, I had no reason to change it because I liked it and didn't blog as much as I used to. But due to the ever changing nature of the web, I finally hit a stumbling block. My theme would no longer work with newer versions of PHP, and the Wordpress plugins that I relied on to keep it running were constantly breaking with updates too. Last year, my web host had kindly allowed me to run an outdated version of PHP so that I could keep my blog...

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My Recommendations for the Sephora Savings Event

In ten short days, Sephora will host its biannual Savings Event. This means that starting 10/31-11/10, Rouge members can get 20% off their purchase, and from 11/4-11/10, VIB and Beauty Insiders can get 15% and 10% off, respectively. As someone who's been a Rouge member for almost 10 years straight and regularly redeems the $100 Rouge Reward, you can definitely say that Sephora is one of my favorite stores and I can surely make some recommendations for the upcoming sale. The first item I would recommend is the Sephora Collection Best Skin Ever 16 Hour Natural Finish Liquid Foundation ($22). When I read that they reformulated this foundation, I was reluctant to try it because I liked the old formula a lot and...

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Simplified Skincare Routine at 44

I'm turning 45 in December. I no longer have the time or patience for a 10-step skincare routine. I've found what works well for me, and I've stuck to it for the past year. And my skin still looks pretty good for my age — very minimal fine lines and the occasional breakout. The biggest thing I've stopped using is prescription tretinoin. Or any type of retinol at all. I know it's the #1 ingredient against aging skin, but my skin has gotten more sensitive over the years and I couldn't even tolerate the lowest 0.02% dose. Over-the-counter retinol dries out my skin and I get flaky. I've also developed mild rosacea so I need to be very mindful about potentially irritating...

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