Tag: women

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Vitamin C Does The Skin Good When It Come To Aging

vitamin c

When it comes to skincare, Vitamin C is not just about fresh oranges or a taking a lot of it when you have a bad cold. Skincare companies have found a way to add Vitamin C to products to help with anti-aging. Vitamin C helps to prevent the signs of aging by keeping the skin firm and youthful.It’s incredibly essential for creating and maintaining collagen. Vitamin C is so powerful that it helps to reduce the appearance of brown spots and sun damages. Because Vitamin C is water soluble, our bodies don’t store it which is why daily intake is highly important when using it. Here are 10 skincare items that your face will love. See the skincare products I shared with Connecticut Hearst newspaper here. 

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World Lupus Day Is Over But I’m Not


World Lupus Day really motivated me to be a better advocate for lupus. How can I ask others to help if I don’t bring awareness to the disease. I blog about it but now I’m going to shout on the mountain top. All my tweets & Instagram post will have a hashtag #LetsBeatLupus If I want more research, better meds, more educated doctors then I have to go get it myself.

I also came up with a few ideas that I’m not ready to share yet until I get an attorney but know it will be good for us lupus warriors. 

#LetsBeatLupus

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World Lupus Day Has Come To An End

Tonight WORLD LUPUS DAY has come to an end and I asked for support from family, friends, social media friends and followers to wear the color purple today then hashtag #worldlupusday to show your support by wearing purple any of these way; makeup, hair, clothes, nails, or wearing a purple ribbon. Only 7 new people in my life came through for me. No I didn’t think I would won’t break the internet with this request but it would have meant a lot to me if more people would have participated!

brandy gomez-duplessis in hospital cuz of lupusShowing support will help bring awareness to lupus and all of us lupus warriors. That means better doctors, better meds with hope that our disease go into remission so we can live a healthy life. If I could see #WORLDLUPUSDAY trending that would be a start. If lupus warriors could get the love and support that cancer patients receive it would be a wonderful thing. I’m not the first person in my family to be diagnose with lupus. We were first introduced to lupus when my mother twin sister died from the disease. She was diagnosed with lupus to late so her complications was to strong for her body to handle. Doctors didn’t know what she had and didn’t have the right meds to give her. I’ve been living with lupus for year and it took many many trips to the doctors office and ER before being diagnosed. I was told so many things, that I didn’t look sick, I must be depress, that my symptoms could not be true because I was African American, that I need to make friends, that my job stressed me, my lifestyle of traveling with my job was the cause, that I was fat and getting old, and that they just couldn’t help me. The list of insults went on in on from doctors. So I lived in pain for years because those doctors weren’t educated on lupus.

My real foundation
This is really my foundation

img_4941Every day I feel like I have a horrible flu that’s just one feeling. I feel like I’m on fire a lot especially during the summer. I feel like I’m about 90’s year old. My bones are so delicate when it’s cold or the AC is on my bones feel like their breaking. I have blood clots if I sit to long in my legs. I have chest pains daily, it hurts more when I walk to fast, pick up my makeup kit or walk upstairs. I have kidney problems, an enlarged heart, my arms, wrist, back, knees, and feet are swollen daily that’s another type of pain especially if I’m standing. By 7pm my body start to shut down. I suffer with hair loss in you know how vain I am that it messes with me when I see my hair on my pillowcase in the morning or I see clumps of it when I shower. Now I’m having problems with my lungs. Last year I was told that I have asthma so I use my inhaler almost every day because my lungs are weak. My bedroom look like a hospital with so many breathing machine I need to use. Then recently due to taking prednisone for too long I had an ulcer. The medicine was eating my stomach lining so I am now off of one medication but was given another. I am so happy about that because prednisone was making me look fat, you know that sick swollen look. I was doing treatments every Monday and now I’m no longer so I am blessed for that. I could barely drive myself home all I wanted was to crawl into bed. It was rough but I did it. I do freak out a lot when I’m doing makeup on a sick person, the funny thing is lupus warriors are not contagious but unfortunately you are to us. Our bodies are so weak that it can fight off those viruses so it usually lands us on bed rest for days or the hospital.

brandy gomez-duplessis blood clots

I’m going to continue to fight in bring awareness to lupus by writing on my blog, talking to the media, speaking at events, writing a book about living with lupus, you name it. All lupus warrior’s doesn’t have the same symptoms and lots have it worst then me. We shouldn’t have to be a celebrity or a reality personality to get support for this disease especially from family and friends. Let’s show the government the power we have by talking about it, or tweeting about it. I need your help, we have to start from somewhere. So that’s why I asked everyone I know to support by wearing the color PURPLE for me! One day I will see purple everywhere on World Lupus Day.

brandy gomez-duplessis on world lupus day
No, I don’t Look Sick but I am…look pass the hair & makeup

Thanks Everyone

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Happy Mother’s Day To All The Amazing Mother’s

I started my morning very early had to be up for 6am to get ready to go to Sephora to coach a Beauty Class. After the class I only accepted 1 appointment because it was a very sweet client who trust me to do her daughter makeup for all her special events. Angie shared with me that she has never gotten her makeup done before. So I had to treat her on Mother’s Day.

By 1pm I was home celebrating with my family doing everything that I enjoy doing daily especially when I’m feeling well.  My son told me everyday is Mother’s Day because we all spoil each other. That is so true, I try to raise the kids to be good everyday to one another not just on holidays. I love been home for holidays entertaining with the family. I hate going out to eat or celebrating with a lot of people. We all like the intimacy of being home celebrating (eating & drinking) together. The weather started out very nasty with a rain storm, by 2pm I was outside enjoying the lake in eating crawfish outside while sippin on prosecco. We had a fantastic dinner then movie time. I only made to 1.5 movies, crashing before 10pm. I was so grateful for my day that I used up all of my energy.

Thanks Family for a nice day! I hope everyone spoiled their mom’s yesterday.





My daughter order me crawfish cuz she know how much I miss it. We like ordering from Louisiana Crawfish Company. Always fresh and nice size crawfish

2 treats that I can never get enough of: Mionetto Prosecco  & crawfish 

may 10th lupusday

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It’s Certification Day At Sephora Today

 

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Angie P makeup artist from Sephora created this Tri-Color makeup look

Today was such a good day at Sephora. As you know I’m a Senior Artist at Sephora and one of my job description is certifying the cast to do makeup at the beauty studio. Today’s cast member is someone that I have been spending a lot of time with observing and coaching her for this day. During the 2 hours certification the participant has to do two makeup looks; Natural & Tri-Color. To see her do both look and the growth in her work made me so happy & proud..Yes she passed!

may 10th lupusday

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I’m Having A Lupus Flare And It’s Not GLAM

Today in Connecticut the spring weather is so nasty, it’s 21 degrees and it’s snowing & raining.  This is day two of horrible spring weather so if you know me then you know I’m home having a lupus flare up.

If you just started to follow my blog you will find that I also speak not only about beauty products, glam invites & assignments but I share the ugly side of my life, living with lupus. I’m not sure if you know what lupus is and what it does to my body. I can work through it and for the most part I can put on makeup, do my hair, and put on a fake smile that you will never know that I’m hurting really bad. If anything you will think I’m getting over the flu. But if you know me you can look in my eyes and know today is not a good day. The great thing is doing makeup, and writing beauty articles makes me feel better, it keeps my mind off the pain and challenges.

When the weather is cold /raining this cause me more pain than I can bear. My body seems to require the temperature between 72-78 degrees. If not, then my body is in constant pain day and night. My joints will feel like they were struck with a baseball bat, my body going numb and burning like I’ve been given a shot in the same places over in over and salt water was in the needle. When I’m good because the weather is good I’m a loud, I’m the life of a party. My husband and kids normally have to calm me down because by the end of the day I’m exhausted, lol.

Lupus causes my joints to swell and burn in both hot and cold weather. In the summer I burn like I’m on fire. So I have to stay out of the sun and sunlight which sucks because I luv the beach, the water, and gardening. After going through a flare up it will leave my body needing rest from the pain so I’m exhausted and achy days will follow. Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect many different parts of the body like other autoimmune diseases. Lupus occurs when your body’s immune system malfunctions, attacking your tissues and organs causing damage to the skin, joints, kidneys, lungs, blood cells, heart, and brain. That sometimes it’s referred to as the “great imitator” because symptoms of lupus often resemble those of other illnesses.

Lupus can cause damage to many parts of the body, potentially leading to the following complications. I placed check marks next to some of the complications I’ve had.

  • Kidney failure
  • Blood problems, such as anemia (low red blood cell count), bleeding, or clotting √
  • High blood pressure √
  • Vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels) √
  • Memory problems √
  • Behavior changes or hallucinations
  • Seizures
  • Stroke
  • Heart disease (enlarged heart)  √ or heart attack
  • Lung conditions, such as pleurisy (inflammation of the chest cavity lining) or pneumonia √
  • Infections √
  • Cancer
  • Avascular necrosis (death of bone tissue due to a lack of blood supply)

Lupus isn’t contagious the problem is your more contagious to me. Also it isn’t a form of cancer, but having the disease may increase my risk of developing certain cancers.Treatments for lupus and cancer sometimes overlap.Therapies for lupus may include medicines that are also used as cancer chemotherapy drugs. You might even remember that I was going through treatments because nodules were found in my lungs. Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that happens when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues. Signs and symptoms of lupus may develop slowly or start suddenly. My body slowly starts to shuts down by 6pm that after work it doesn’t allow me to do a lot of partying or having girls night out. I have to plan accordingly if I am going to do any late activities. Everyday it’s like playing cards I don’t know what hands I’m going to be dealt. That’s why I don’t do spontaneous things anymore that I live on a schedule with what I do. I can go from feeling good to felling bad real quick, like in seconds. So, if I say NO don’t take it personal. I need what ever little energy I have left to get home safe.

Some of the common symptoms of lupus that I deal with daily include:

  • Fever
  • Miagraine
  • Fatigue
  • Stiffness, swelling, and pain of the joints
  • Muscle pain
  • Skin lesions that may worsen with sun exposure
  • Sensitivity to the sun
  • Shortness of breath when walking fast and/or walking up steps
  • Chest pain
  • Dry eyes
  • Fingers and toes turning white or blue during cold or stressful periods
  • Hair loss
  • Swelling in the legs, wrist, arms, back, and face 
  • Swollen glands

That’s enough info that hopefully you have an idea of what I’m going through. Plus, I’m tired…nap time. See ya bye luv you mean it!

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How Do You Pamper Yourself When You Get Home Early

 When you get off early due to a snow shower, what do a girl do after getting home? I took a shower put on my waffle robe poured myself a glass of prosecco and grabbed a few skin care items to pamper my fatigue face. I want to look fresh and brighten for my busy weekend at Sephora. Ok, gotta go because it’s all about my ME TIME!

Lancome Energie De Vie The Cleansing Oil is a A lightweight cleansing oil and makeup remover in one. This fast-acting cleanser contains powerful antioxidants from Soy seed, Gentiana Root, and Tamarin Fruit to combat skin fatigue.

Lancome Energie De Vie Dullness Relief & Energy Recharge Daily Lotion is an energizing lotion that acts as a moisture magnet while relieving dullness and revitalizing the skin. It’s infused with three root extracts inspired by traditional Chinese rituals. One of the most active parts of a plant, roots hold an extraordinary reserve of life.

First Aid Beauty Eye Duty Triple Remedy Overnight Balm is  an eye treatment that counteracts key visible signs of aging for both the undereye area and upper eye lid.

Cover FX Custom Infusion Drops in Hydration: F + Neroli: The hydrating blend is infused with neroli oil and vitamin F. Neroli oil conditions and soothes, and vitamin F contains sodium hyluronate, which works to deeply nourish and hydrate skin.

Sephora Pomegranate Eye Mask: Reduces signs of fatigue, awakens, and tones the eye for a rested, energetic look.

Mionetto Prosecco Brut D.o.c has an intense fruity bouquet with a hint of golden apples. It is very dry, fresh, light in body and well-balanced.

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Is Your Skin In Need Of A Polishing Mask

ole henriksen truth sugar glow polishing mask

Sugar to polish. Honey to hydrate, See your skin glow with  Ole Henriksen truth sugar glow polishing mask. It’s normal during the winter for your skin to look dull and swallow. This sweet botanical blend energizes the senses and imparts a healthy glow. It’s perfect for all skin type so know need to worry that your face will miss out on this luxurious treat. It deeply cleanse, smooth and brighten with sugar, honey and pomegranate. This decadent complexion polisher deeply cleanses and smoothes to instantly reveal a glowing complexion. Just leave on for 15mins and it can be used 3-4 times a week if needed. So now, your on your way to a naturally brighten and radiant skin.

 

ole henriksen truth sugar glow polishing mask 1