Last Week of the Year: My Year in Review

Wow!! Today is the last day of the year and I'm wondering "how did we get here so fast"? This year went by as quickly as a blink of an eye. Some days it even felt as though we were on a roller coaster ride with all of the peaks and valleys we lived through. But we made it through and was even able to earn a few achievements along the way. While I am not completely sure we lived up to last years motto "Make it Shine in 09" I do believe we made it Glimmer.

Looking back on the year 2009, I will remember it as a hallmark year for the company we were able to earn a few mini achievements, however, personally I will remember it as a year of major loss. This year my family lost a beloved family memeber, the world loss the King of Pop and I lost my beloved dog Simba. Although they are no longer with us their light continues to shine because of the hugh influence they've had on my life.


Looking back on the year what will you remember most about 2009?

Last Week of the Year: Did You Make it Shine in 09?

The question of the day is "Did You Make it Shine in 09?". Since we are in the last days, actually, hours of the year I want to do something a little differently on the blog today. I want you to share with the other readers of this blog how you were able to make it shine in 09. What were your accomplishments, what great people came into your life, what no so good people did you let out of your life (this is another way to make things shine...LOL). Please share and feel free to forward to others so they can post as well. My goal today is to let others inspire others!!

Please post your comments. We want to know how you made it shine in 09!! I will post a follow up to this post tomorrow detailing the reality of my year in 2009.

Happy Holidays

Happy holidays to you and yours from Nidasii.

Going Green Wednesday: Coconut's Triple Threat

Hey Everyone!! I hope you all are doing quite well today. It's Wednesday so if you've been following this blog you know I try to give you all little tid bits on being/going "Green" and my experiences trying to be environmentally responsible. We all know that's a daily struggle for someone like me that loves convenience. But, I hope you all are enjoying these posts. Please let me know your take on these Wednesday posts. You know I love your comments!! Hope you enjoy today's GGW tid bit..

Not so long ago my mom was informing me of the many health benefits coconut water is said to have. It was then she told me there's a saying that coconut can feed, shelter and clothe you. When she mentioned this I immediately thought of bamboo. Today bamboo is touted as one of the most sustainable materials for a number of products. It's so popular some designers promoting sustainability are using it in thier designs. I guess long before the world discoverd the resourcefulness of bamboo there was coconut.

What are your thoughts?

Four Men Doing Big Things

Today, I'm taking a break from the usual banter of this blog to introduce you to the four men of Cilli Puddie. Take a look at thier Promo video to learn more about them and thier clothing line. Oh, did I mention one of them is my Cousin, hey Amaarii. I know it's a shameless plug, but, what can I say it's family. So please stop by thier YouTube channel and show them some L.O.V.E.!!

Going Green Wednesday: Eco-Chic Designs

As you all know by now sustainability is vital to the existence of the planet and we all have to do our part to help preserve it. As a person that has a deep admiration for fashion I was happy to see that designers are also taking heed to this call to action by creating "eco-chic" designs. So, when I came across this video I felt it would be great to post for "Going Green Wednesday".

What are your thoughts?

Nidasii Needs a New Home

Well, I guess it's official the business has taken over my life, and I mean that in the best possible way. But, lets face it, we are still a small company that is experinecing steady growth. But, when your an Indie company you usually don't have big time investors or loans from banks to cover your over head expenses so you start where you are and grow from there. Nidasii started in my apartment kitchen and has grown into a small work space. Infact, we have outgrown the space so much that my living room has been converted into our official shipping department. So, now my big question is where will I put the Christmas tree. The path I cleared to go from the door to kitchen surely isn't wide enough for a tree.....Oh decisions, decisions...LOL.

The photo above is a space I looked at last week. What are your thoughts?

Going Green Wednesday: Magazines Going Digital

A few weeks ago I tweeted a link to a Folio article and I got a lot of feedback expressing mixed emotions about popular print magazines possibly going digital. Less paper being used would be great for the earth, but, I must admit I love the tangibility of print magazines. I like to dog ear pages or rip them out and post them on my board, fridge or just stick it in my note book.

What are your thoughts? How do you feel about traditional print magazines going digital?

Cyber Monday Sale

I hope you all enjoyed the long holiday weekend!!! Doesn't it feel great to have time off to just relax and take a load off.

Well today is Cyber Monday and we have some pretty great deals going on today at Nidasii. Today our Cruzan, Cocoa Commotion & Mango-go body butters are $3.00. Our Cruzan, Cocoa Commotion & Mango-go Sugar Rush bath scrubs are $5.00. Please remember the sale ends at 11:59 pm November 30, 2009. This would be a great time to stock up on your favorite fragrances.

Happy Shopping!!!

What Makes You Feel Fab?

Yesterday I posted a comment on my FaceBook page that had some of my friends laughing and I decided to share it with all of you. My post yesterday read "It's official I've been diagnosed I suffer from "Prince" syndrome. Symptoms are love of the color purple & 4 inch heels..."Of course I mean no disrespect to Prince or the artist formerly known as Prince, he's a musical genius!! But, we do share some things in common like love of the color purple, four inch heels and not to mention that we are both not the tallest. I'm a tiny gal that clears at 5'0". I really don't wish or dream of being taller it's just that a good stilleto heel is like lip gloss & mascara to me. They are simple things that don't take much to take a look from drab to fab with out much fuss at all. Not to mention that a nice heel makes legs appear longer and leaner. And trust me after spending an afternoon in them trolling the city running errands and dodging cabs, trust me they will be!!!

What are your thoughts? what makes you feel fab?

Going Green Wednesday: Which Bag are you using?

This video states, according to the Wall Street Journal Americans use 100 BILLION shopping bags per year!! Now that's a lot of bags that will still be here after we are long gone. Luckily there are tons of cute, what I call "Chi-eco" (Pronounced sheeco) friendly bags in various shapes, sizes & styles to choose from. which one will you use?

PS: If you need a bag I could probably send you one....LOL. Take a look at my stash!!

Things are a changing

Hey, I hope all of you are doing well this Monday. It's a new week so make it your greatest. Well, Im trying to make this blog greater by switching things up a bit and adding a new weekly feature all about curly hair. Yes, I'm trying to break away from some of the humbrum blogging, yes, I said humdrum. Before I became a Product Junkie Entreprenuer, I was and still am a Clinical Researcher. So, by nature I love to do research and share knowledge. I hope these new Kinky Curly posts will inspire conversations regarding all forms of tightly & loosely coiled curly hair. I even plan on breaking down the ingredients commonly found in these products and what effects they actually have on the hair. The purpose of these posts will be to inspire conversations and share knowledge!! As always, this blog is all about the beautiful people that take a minute or two out of thier day to read what's going on with or at Nidasii, so please send us any questions you may have

What do you think about the weekly "Kinky Curly" posts? Is this something that interests you?

Going Green Wednesday: How We're Reducing Our Waste

If you're a frequent reader of our blog you may have noticed, over the past few weeks, we have sort of dedicated Wednesday's to issues regarding the environment and "Going Green". This week I want to share with you how we here at Nidasii are trying to reduce our carbon foot print. As an indie company being green or going green is a challenge and while we have not declared ourselves a "green" company we are constantly thinking of ways to lessen our carbon footprint. For starters, all of our products are packaged in recyled plastic containers. These days plastic is definetly an ugly word but we recently started posting a little note asking our wonderful customers to please recycle just beneath our thank you note. The second most important thing we do is use shredded paper to package our products.

How are you reducuing your carbon footprint? Please share your tips and ideas we would love to hear from you!!

Watch Out Rocky!!

Hey Everyone!! I hope you all enjoyed your weekend. I know you all have your stories of the funniest Halloween costumes you saw this weekend. But, I'm awarding the best costume award to my nephew.He's too cute in this costume. I had the best laugh when I saw this!! Don't you hear the Rocky theme music playing in the background?

Whipped Goodness!!

Are you looking for a treat your body will love? If you are, then I think you will enjoy this months special. This month Cocoa Commotion Body Butter is on sale for $5.00. We think your body will really enjoy this jar of whipped goodness. Fall is here and we recognize that cooler temps and dry air can leave skin with a little less moisture. When you add the long hot showers that I am so guilty of taking (the worst thing you can do for skin period) to the mix that's a recipe for radically dry skin. So, feel free to stock up!!!

Have you tried cococommotion body butter? If you have let us know how this product has worked for you. We would love to hear from you!!!

Going Green Wednesday: Just Throw it in the Bag

Not to sound so stereo typical, but, one of my all time favorite things is shopping!! Whether it's clothing, shoes, home decor, food....I think you get the point, I just love it. But, your probably wondering what my love of shopping has to do with going green? Well, the truth is, now when I know that I'm going out to shop for clothing or anything that requires a bag I try very hard to remember to bring my own re-usable bag. Over the summer while doing a bit of shopping in Soho I noticed a lot of the bigger brand retail stores were offering re-usable bags and that really made me take notice. I've been using my own bags when I go to the grocery store for months now why not for all purchases that require a bag? The pic above shows my oh so chic Target (I'm pronouncing it Tar-jae)bag. What? You didn't know I'm a frugalista fashionista....LOL. The icing on the cake for me is that Target gives you a credit of 5 cents every time you BYOB (bring your own bag). It's a nickel, but hey, I am a frugalista ;-).

What are your thoughts on this? How often do you BYOB for your purchases?

Breast Cancer Awareness

I found this inspirational video and I thought I would post it as a reminder for all women to perform monthly self examinations. I have to admit that I am guilty of not doing this on a regular basis and I should because I have a strong family history. My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997 and her mom, my grandmother, was diagnosed in 2007.

Going Green Wednesday: Trashless Lunch

I found this video on YouTube and thought it would be great to post. What are your thoughts? Will you consider a trashless lunch?

Nidasii Beauty Tip: Glowing Skin

Here's a beauty tip for any of you beauties out there running low on your favorite facial exfoliator.

Let's face it. Winter is here and the colder days are sure to leave many of us with dull, dry skin. It may even cause some of us to delay our trips to the store to purchase our favorite beauty necessities. So, if you're in need of a facial exfoliant, however, you've run out. Try taking a scoop of your daily facial cleanser and mix in a few pinches of granulated sugar. Apply the mixture to a damp face in upward circular motions and in minutes you will have glowing skin.

Do you care to give this beauty treatment a try? If you do post your comments we want to hear about your results!!

Going Green Wednesday: Do You Have This Issue?

These days I’m trying just as hard as everyone else to do all I can to lessen my personal carbon footprint. I must admit that I am proud of myself because I am doing better than I expected. You see, I am a person that loves convenience some of you may call it being lazy, but, I prefer the term “personal convenience”. I am, wait a minute let me rephrase that. I used to be the type of person that would send shirts to the dry cleaners just so I wouldn’t have to iron. Please don’t judge me I went to Catholic school and my mother made me iron five shirts every Sunday; so you feel my pain now? So when I decided to seriously take my responsibility for the excess waste I was creating , I decided to eliminate or cut back on many things and dry cleaning was one of them. Don’t get me wrong I still send items like my winter coats to the dry cleaners. But by cutting back on this one convenience that made my life so much easier, I’m eliminating the use of the extra plastic that is used to cover my clothing.

Rolling with the Punches

I posted a tweet about a half hour ago stating "September has been a real beast". It seems with every great opportunity that has come our way this month we have encountered an equally great challenge or minor set back. But, hey, that's the life of an entrepreneur, especially a small business entreprener. The important thing is that we were able to roll with the punches, stayed focus and made it through. As for me, I'm starting my days much earlier.

How do you roll with punches when challenges or adversity come your way?

Nidasii Product Preview

We are making a lot of changes to our current line at Nidasii. I've spent a few months creating new products and adding new fragrances to our current product line. Besides that we'll also be doing a bit more video. Here's a clip of our latest video "Nidasii Product Preview".

What are your thoughts? Please leave your comments!!

Why Nina?

Since yesterday I have received quite a few direct messages and texts after Donna Maria, founder of the Indie Beauty Network, tweeted that I named my iphone "Nina". Well those of you that are familiar with my wonderful family and friends will not be surprised to hear most of them had jokes for days while the other half felt the same as me , lost, when they realize they left it home or have forgotten it somewhere. So, to answer your questions of why I #1 chose to give it a name and 2nd why Nina? Here's your answer.

Honestly, I decided to give it a name because it's always by my side and secondly whenever someone asked me a question (like directions, temperature, time, translations...you name it) and I did not have the answer I always said let me ask my assistant (referring to the iphone & me being funny of course). So I got tired of saying "let me ask my assistant". Now, if anyone asks me a question and I do not have the answer I now say "Let me ask my assistant Nina"...LOL. I must say it's truly an instrument I use to conduct business on a daily basis. Especially as a "Small Business" owner it helps me tremendously when I am able to stay connected to all forms of social media like Facebook and Twitter when I'm in front of my laptop.

When I decided to give it a name Nina was the first name that came to mind without much thought. I then, remembered a verse in a song where they say "I keep my Nina by my side" and decided that pretty much summarized how I felt about my iphone

I'm also happy Apple finally addressed one of my biggest wishes and finally created a device that allows you to record video. Here's an excerpt from one of my previous blog posts.

"As with any product there is always room for improvement. So I feel the iphone should be upgraded to record video".

I hope you enjoyed this post! Do you have an iphone? Does it help you run your business or manage your time efficiently? What are your thoughts?

Why I've Been M.I.A.

I know I have been M.I.A for a few weeks now. And, yes there is no excuse for not posting for several weeks, but, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes at Nidasii. I have decided this blog is the best place to keep you informed of the latest happenings. For starters, we just moved into a new space and we're making much needed updates to the website. I must say a lot has changed in the last three years and its time we stepped up our game. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the new look and updates to the website. I’m even working on a few video posts. Yes, the person (me) that likes to stay in the background and work behind the scenes is stepping in front of the camera because I want to stay connected to all of you.

As always this blog is for you so please leave your comments.

Just When You Thought You Knew Everything About Mouth Wash

Mango-go Smoothie

Hey Guys,

Yesterday I created the official mango-go smoothie. Well, after my let down when I went to get a mango smoothie and they were all out. I decided to make my own and after I slucked down two cups and was mad that I made such a small batch I had a eureka moment and decided to call it my Mango-go smoothie!!! Here are the ingredients I used to make it. Watch out Rachel Ray, I'm thinking about making my own 5 minute video tutorial.....just kidding...maybe



Frozen Mango Pulp


Mango nectar


I used vanilla yogurt because that's what I had available, but, I'm sure it would taste the same or even better if plain yogurt was used.

Nidasii Beauty Tip: Milk & Sugar Bath

For me there is nothing more Fab than bathing in milk. Honestly, it’s one of the best treats I give myself and my skin. The great thing about milk baths is that you can be as simple or as decadent as you want because the recipes are endless. If you take a look over to the column on the right and you scroll down to the section titled “ Home Spa Recipe” you will find my basic Milk Bath recipe. But, today I’m going to share two of my decadent recipes with you. I hope your enjoy them!!!

Cocoa Fab

If you’re a chocoholic , like me, I’m sure you will adore this luxurious bath treat. First you will need

• Powdered Goats Milk
• 1 quart of milk (I know we’re in the middle of a global recession & you may not want to pour an entire quart of milk in your bath. This is fine you can use a small portion or skip it all together. This is just one of the ways I make this bath recipe decadent)
• 100% pure unrefined cocoa powder
• Exfoliant of your choice

Pour one cup or desired amount of powdered goats milk and cocoa powder into warm bath. Swish bath water with hand to ensure even distribution of the powdered ingredients. Next, pour a quart of whole milk into the bath. The only thing left to do now is chillax!!! I can sit in this bath for at least an hour, but, sitting in this bath for at least a half will allow the lactic acid to soften and slough away dead skin. At the end of my bath I like to use Cocoa Commotion Sugar Rush to gently exfoliate, cleanse and hydrate my skin. This is my favorite winter bath because the lactic acid in the milk sloughs away dead skin while the pure cocoa powder detoxifies.

Cinnamon, Vanilla, Almond, Rose, etc…..You Make Your Choice!

This next milk bath recipe uses the same ingredients as those listed above with the exception of cocoa powder. Pour one cup or desired amount of powdered goats milk into warm bath water. Next pour a quart of whole milk . Swish with hand to ensure even distribution of powdered and whole milk. Since this is more of an aroma therapy bath add the fragrance of your choice. During the winter months I like to use fragrances like vanilla, cinnamon and almond while during the spring & summer months I like to use mango and guava fragrances. The huge amounts of lactic acid is what makes these two recipes decadent and luxurious. They leave skin feeling soft and velvety smooth.

Did you enjoy this Tip? Will you give this recipe a try?

Thank You Troops

This Memorial day I want to say Thank you to all of our troops that are currently serving and protecting our country as well as those who have served in the past. While our leaders may make decisions to go to war it is our troops that get up and fight the fight. This Memorial Day I want to take a moment to honor my dad, John Perkins, who as a very young man, answered his call to duty and fought the fight in the Vietnam War. I am grateful that he made it back to his family and a few years later became my dad!!!

Who will you honor this memorial day?

Nidasii Sun Protection Tip

OK, the warmer weather is finally here and no one is more happier than me. It's no secret that I'm absolutely not a fan of the cold, ice, snow, sleet, freezing rain…need I continue? I think you know were I’m going with this . While it may not be the 80 and 90 degree days of summer that I love. Its definitely warmer and many of us will be running to the beaches and pools to enjoy the summer days. But, while your out there don't forget to protect your skin with the proper sunscreen. Here are a few tips to keep your skin protected and healthy.

Why Protect Skin From the Sun?

My mother has told me countless times to stay out of the sun. She of course knows the damage it can cause. But, she also knows that I will be the first one out the door basking in the sun because she knows my equation for summer fun (summner sun = summer fun)!! For years my response to her has been the "sun is not bad it helps us create vitamin D" while this is true its only for the first 15 minutes of sun exposure. Although I love the sun I also realize that I need to take steps to protect it from harmful rays for the following reasons.

The sun produces harmful invisible rays known as UVA & UVB. UVA contributes to the aging of skin (fine lines & wrinkles)and UVB contributes to burning wich can lead to sunburn, suntan & leathery textured skin.

It's also helpful to refrain from extended sun exposure during the hours of 10AM - 4PM when sun rays are strongest and the most damage can occur.

How Does Sunscreen Protect Us?

The use of sunscreen prevents signs of aging, sun damage and reduces the risk of skin cancer.

Broad spectrum sunscreens protect skin from UVA & UVB rays. So, when purchasing your next bottle of sunscreen make sure it protects against both UVA & UVB rays.

Ideally, sunscreen should be applied 30 minutes before sun exposure. Then reapplied every two hours to ensure continuous coverage.

The higher the SPF number the greater the protection from sun rays. However, this does not extend the time skin can be exposed to the suns rays. Sunscreen must be reapplied every two hours to ensure continous protection.

Read Your Labels!!

Check your bottles of sunscreen for the following ingredients.

Sunscreens that block UVB rays usually contain some of the following ingredients: Padimate O, Homosalate, Octyl Methoxycinnamate, Benzophenone, Octyl salicylate, Phenylbenimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Octocrylene.

Broad specturm sunscreens add oxybenzone or avobenzone to block UVA rays.

Mexoryl is another chemical that blocks against UVA rays and allows sunscreens to be created at higher SPF numbers like 70 & 80.

Natural Protection

Of course you know I could'nt publish this post without informing you of the natural ingredients that can block sun rays.

Shea Butter, zinc Oxide and Titanium Oxide are natural ingredients that can block sun rays however the level of protecion has not been determined.


What's your take on sun exposure & the use of sunscreens. Truthfully, I don't think that I will become a hermit to the sun anytime soon, but, I will be more diligent about reapplying my sunscreen throughout the day. I have noticed some brands have created sunscreens with SPF's as high as 70 & 80. What's your take on this topic?

Kinky Curly Tip #4

Todays Kinky Curly Hair tip was supposed to be about protien. But, after yesterdays scenario, I'm going to switch gears and write a quick post about coconut oil. I hope you enjoy it.

Yesterday while I was out and about, OK I was really at the gas station filling up my tank and buying gum, when the woman standing behind me said "your wearing a lovely fragrance; it has a soft hint of coconut". At the moment I instantly became emabarrased because all I could think about were the days when my mom would braid and grease my hair then send me off to school with my entire head smelling like a jar of hair food!! Some of you reading this post know just what Im talking about. But, I remembered my manners and thanked the woman for her kind compliment. Little did she know that it was the EVCO ( Extra Virgin Coconut Oil). The night before I applied the EVCO to my hair and scalp with the intentions of washing it out the following morning. However, the following morning I was running a bit late so I pulled my hair into my favorite hairstyle....the pony tail....LOL...and proceeded with my day.

Here are 4 reasons why I use EVCO:

1. Hydrates hair and scalp
2. Defines my curls
3. Absorbs quickly into hair locking in nutrients
4. Excellent oil to use for Pre-poo (application of oils to hair & scalp before shampooing)


Is EVCO part of your haircare regimen? If so let me know. Do you hate it or love it?

5 Things About Me

Well you know I'm passionate about the products I create and you know that I am a true product junkie, it's how I got started creating my own products. But, here are 5 things you probably did not know about me.

1. I love drug store beauty & hair aisles
2. Infatuated with the color purple
3. Addicted to lip gloss
4. Love to sleep when I can….which is almost never
5. I enjoy pampering myself

Why it Works

I recieved two questions about yesterdays blog post "Nidasii Kinky Curly Hair tip #3". Although they read the post they did not leave the comment at the blog. Instead, they sent me a Direct Message on Twitter. They both asked the same question. They wanted to know "why/how" the glycerine & water mixture makes the hair soft.

So here it is. I explained how it works, now here's why it works. This tip works because glycerine is a humectant, that abords moisture from the air. When glycerine is mixed in a soloutioun of water and sprayed into the hair it's quickly absorbed into the hairs cuticle making it plump and juicy. When the cuticle is hydrated in its natural curly state defined curls are sure to follow.

Do you have any questions? Please keep sending your questions and comments wether it's here on the blog or on Twitter keep sending them!!

Nidasii Kinky Curly Hair Tip #3

Did you know water and vegetable glycerine can give you plump and defined curls? Here's how. After washing and conditioning hair wrap hair in towel for five minutes to absorb excess water. When done,mix three parts water to one part vegetable glycerine. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and spritz the entire head. When done dour curls will be amazingly soft and plump.

This Kinky Curly tip works best during the humid days of summer. It can also be used as an activator to revive/reset dry curls. This tip can also be used during the winter months, however, for best results I would recommend doing this regimen in a steamy environment like a bathroom.

Care to give this regimen a try what are your thoughts?

First Lady Michelle Obama

Have you seen the March 2009 issue of Vogue Magazine with First Lady Michelle Obama on the cover? How historic is that? The first African American First Lady is on the cover of one of the worlds most infamous fashion publications. I was lucky enough to get one of the last copies at Barnes and Nobles last week. I know I'm late, but, like the saying goes better late than never. I'm happy to have my own copy to add to my growing collection of Obama articles and photos.

Cruzan Butter Bailout

It's cold out and many of us are awaiting the warmer days of spring. If your ready for a change never fear Nidasii is here to give you a Butter Bailout to relieve your tired dry skin as well as your pockets. This week our Cruzan Body Butter will be available for $5.00 at Nidasii.com!!

Socially Connected

I know its been a while since the last post to this blog. But, I’m happy to inform you it was for a great reason. We have been extremely busy creating new fragrances and products that will allow you to get more with out paying more. I think everyone will be happy for that.

Another change we are making here at Nidasii is how we reach our valued supporters. This year, its our goal to reach out to you through all of our social network outlets like Twitter, Facebook and Indie beauty.com. We want to create valued connections with all of our supporters. So please stop by any of our social networking outlets. We want to build more than a network we want to build community.

You can join any of our groups by clicking on the links in this post.

Lets stay connected!!!

My Eczema Trials & Tribulations

Well I got some really bad news from my dermatologist a few weeks ago. Here’s how it all started.

Back in early November I came down with a minor outbreak of my good ole eczema. Now, ever since my early teens every few years I will get what I call an eczema patch. Usually in the bend of my arm, back of my knees or somewhere on my thigh. When this happens I would normally cut out all the acid and dairy in my diet for about two weeks. For me that means no citrus juices, tomato sauces, ketchup, milk (Cow milk) and eggs. In the past if I stuck to this diet and applied my ointment concoction to the affected area I would be OK in no time. But, you got it, this time it was different. Instead of breaking out in one area I developed three patches that seemed to be getting worse instead of better. The affected areas became slightly inflamed and the itching intensified. So this when I broke down and decided to schedule an appointment with my dermatologist.

On the day of the appointment I got dressed and reluctantly headed out to the appointment. Don’t get me wrong I love my dermatologist. I visit her once a year for my annual skin cancer screening. But, I was convinced all she would do is pull out that prescription pad and start prescribing all kinds of topical steroids. But as I sat there in her office and explained the details of my most recent breakout, she of course opens my chart, jots down her notes, takes another look at my arm and looks back at me to say “ Nicole, it’s like I’ve told you before it’s the fragrances they are irritating your skin”.

Call me melodramatic or a drama mama, but, tears started to well up in my eyes. So of course I sat there quietly listening to her babble on. But in my mind I was fuming. I kept thinking to myself “what does she mean no more fragrances? Is she really serious? Does she not realize I am a scent-o-holic?” Everything I apply to my body (except for my face) has a fragrance. Wait a minute, let me re-phrase that everything in my life has a fragrance attached to it and that means everything from body creams right down to the air in my home. At this very moment the air in my home smells like a tropical fruit basket. As you walk from room to room your senses are greeted with aromas of mango, guava and papaya that pleasantly blend together.

But, getting back to my Doc. She knew that I would be reluctant to give up fragrances forever so she did recommend that I go the “fragrance free” route on my body creams, soaps and laundry detergents for at least a month. And she did prescribe a topical gel that is hydrocortisone in a base of aloe vera gel. I was extremely happy about that. Especially since the patches seemed to disappear within two days of using the gel. She also made it clear to me that when I experience these breakouts I must not only watch what I eat, but, stay away from all allergens or irritants to the skin.

I have to admit I am the worst patient when it comes to medication. I never filled the prescription for the medication. I only used the samples she gave me and miraculously I had enough to heal the irritated patches. I also tried going fragrance free with my body creams and soaps for about a week. However, since I make all of my body care products I just replaced the fragrance oils with citrus essential oils. In case your wondering why citrus? It’s because my skin is sensitive to floral and some herbal based essential oils. Most of my products contain a blend of fragrance and essential oils. As for the laundry situation. I’ve been sticking to the fragrance free detergents, but, tonight I will perform my own little experiment on what I call “B Class” laundry (old Cathedral H.S. sweats, tees, pajamas….you get the picture) by adding my own blend of fragrance oils. I will let you know how it goes.!!!!

I hope my little episode has been helpful to anyone with eczema. What’s your story? In case you didn’t notice I had to shout out my High School, Catherdral in NYC. I saw one of my BF’s from high school over the weekend in DC!!!! All Catherdralites feel free to post your comments….LOL.

MY view of Miracle on the Hudson

By now many of you may have heard about the miraculous landing of US Air flight 1549 on the Hudson River. Oddly enough I was in New Jersey headed back to the city when I first heard that a plane crashed into the Hudson River. The report was so vague at the time because there was limited information. When heard the news report I assumed it was a helicopter that crashed into the river, it never occurred to me that it could have been a commercial aircraft! Helicopters are part of the natural day to day in the city. If you spend an afternoon in Manhattan your sure to see or hear a few buzzing around. But, by the time I arrived at the Holland Tunnel more information had come in and it was confirmed that a US Air plane had crash-landed into the Hudson River.


Emergency Crews on the scene

My heart immediately fell to the pit of my stomach. I started to think of all the fatalities that might have occurred. As I came through the tunnel and made my way uptown on the west side highway I saw all the police and Emergency vehicles on the scene and I got my first glimpse of the aircraft, submerged, in the frigid water. It was the oddest sight. By that time it had been confirmed there were no fatalities. Yesterday was one of the coldest days. The temperature was about 23 degrees but it felt like 15 degrees. I can’t imagine what the actual temperature of the water must have been. As this story continues to play out I’m sure we’ll here the heroic stories!!

New Year Cupcakes

I hope you all had fun ringing in 2009. Well I spent the first hour and a half stuffing my face with these yummy cupcakes. Actually, I really ate the chocolate cupcakes but they did not stay on the table long enough to get a pic. What can I say I'm a chocoholic!!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year Everyone!!! Wow we made it through 08 and we did our best to make it great. Now we were blessed to make it to a new year so lets make it shine in 09.

Happy New Year!!!
Nicole ;-)