The Fountain Of Youth

Beauty is skin deep, or so they say. I personally believe that having beautiful skin is the first step in your own self confidence. So I took this selfie this morning and next month I will celebrate 48 years young. Crazy right? So you know I have an identical twin, and he looks nothing like me anymore. Sure we look related but not identical twins. So what happened? Well I have a skincare/beauty routine, and he doesn’t. There actually are millions and millions of people who do NOTHING to preserve their beauty and youth. I mean, take a look at all the old farts in congress. Yeah, pretty bad. Crows feet, dark puffy bags, hard smile lines, and hyper-pigmentation like crazy. Years and years of UV damage and abuse. You could take a sharpie and connect all the dark spots. And if you were to ask them how many of them actually use sunscreen, the number would shock you. It would be like getting republicans to vote for a credible bill for once. Dream on.

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When strangers find out my real age, usually they don’t believe me, and then they want to know what it is I am doing to look so good. Is it a secret skincare product? A magical bean? A lotion or potion? Please tell we want to know. I can’t say it is just one thing that I do to keep my skin looking young and clear. It is a lifestyle of things. I’ve never really documented or written down what I do, and I figured now is as good as any. I mean, if it works for me, then in theory it should work for you, right? First off, do I take a special pill or vitamin? No. I do take a collagen supplement, and I just finished off a month supply from Dose & Company. Khloe Kardashian endorses it and it has good ingredients. Oh how I would love to have skin like Khloe. It is a powder and I put it in my coffee daily. Gorgeous hair, skin and nails. I seriously have to cut my nails almost weekly.  I also drink about a gallon of some variation of water every day. Hot days, even more. Coffee, tea, Welch’s cherry flavored water, and sometimes a coke. No alcohol, and I try to stay away from processed sugars. If you follow my Instagram then you know I eat really healthy and make almost everything myself, including my own hard shell taco shells. Did you know restaurants put “things” in their fryer oil which make them not so great. So I love french fries, but I can cut up a potato and fry it in peanut oil with no added chemicals. McDonald’s, love your fries, hate your poisons. Stay away from fried foods as much as possible. That grease goes right to your face. Yuck.
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Speaking of, you should develop a consistent routine of cleaning your face, morning – mid-afternoon, and before bed. Sweat, dirt, toxins in the air, all kinds of shit gets on your face, clogging pores and making your skin red, irritated and not so pretty. I actually use the K-beauty (Korean) techniques and double, triple wash my face. What? Start with a make-up wipe, use an exfoliater cleanser, then a hydrating something (I use a goat milk version), and THEN a ph toner. That sounds like a lot of work. Nah, I can do it all in less than 60 seconds. My face feels fresh, smooth, clean and young. From there you can use an eye cream, a serum, and finally some moisturizer.
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Am I going to give you product recommendations? Well, I actually have a TON of beauty skincare products. 111SKIN is a brand out of London, Harley street, and is super expensive. I have gotten a lot of their expensive products at significant discount with my Ipsy membership. I highly recommend trying some of their magical products if you can afford it. Rianna and Khloe both love them, and so do I. I also am a big fan of Sunday Riley, and with both of these companies I have had terrific results. There is a company called “Fresh” and I have tried their products and I really like their face masks. I have found that masks are a “spa like” experience, especially if you use an ultrasonic face roller.
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With summer beating down on us, it is a really great idea to use sunscreen. I like SuperGoop, SundayRiley, and SOL Janeiro bum bum oil. The SOL is probably my favorite as it smells so good. It comes in a spray so it’s easy to apply. These are face sunscreen, not something you slather all over your body before you hit the pool. If you do any of your own research you will find all kinds of research that shows the UV rays are damaging to your skin. Ironic how our younger years it is most susceptible to long term damage, and yet, those are the years we think we can “lay out” and “work on our tan”. If you are young, don’t. Protect your biggest organ as if your life depended on it. Wear sunscreen.

 

These product endorsements were not paid, and all products were purchased with my own hard earned money. In all fairness, I was introduced to the Brazilian bum bum cream from Sephora as my free birthday membership gift and I have been addicted ever since. Vanilla caramel pistachio. It’s heavenly.

 

 

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Eye Accessories

Say what? Okay, .. 4 eyes, spectacles, sunglasses, shades, … glasses. Oh, yeah, now you get it. We all have them in one form or another. If you are like me and have bad eyesight then you might be slightly attached to one of these items. So I am going to divert from resumes and hit up on getting your eyes checked. I had no idea just how bad my eye sight had gotten in the last few years. When you have plenty of glasses and over a years worth of disposable contact lenses, getting your eyes checked isn’t a huge priority … until you can’t read anymore. Signs on the road, text messages on the phone, even the digital speedometer is out of focus. Yeah, that doesn’t work with a cop as an excuse for speeding.

So I am a glasses guy AND a contact lens guy. The easiest way to change your look is to do it with some sort of eye accessory. Most people use sunglasses. Some of us use transition lenses that change our glasses into sunglasses. I know that is kind of nerdy, but I think it is genius. How many pairs of sunglasses have you scratched, lost or broke? Right, me too. And if you wear prescription glasses or sunglasses, can you say the same? Exactly. Why is that? Because those damn things cost more than a car payment. Why? Why do they cost so much? They are simply 4 screws 2 arms, the frame and 2 pieces of plastic lens (they aren’t even glass anymore). Total cost, less than $10. Yes seriously, I watched a YouTube expose on Luxicorp (the eyeglass giant) that owns most of the brands out there. So, you didn’t figure it out yet, I got my eyes checked, prescription updated, and new glasses and contacts on order. Big deal. Yes it is. And there are millions of people out there just like me. So, as a reader once told me, I do all the work and you reap all the valuable data .. i.e. WWAD or WWAB what would Aaron buy. I got my exam at Target, again a good experience, but I was not going to fall for their promotion. Buy $100 of contacts and get 40% off a full frame/lens pair of glasses.

Do you buy them at your local doctor, discount retailer, membership warehouse, or online? And if you do buy online, where do you go that is the best deal? It doesn’t matter what stage you are in life, everyone wants the best buy/bargain possible. So why would you pay more when you can find it less? Exactly.  So this is a shout out for Bausch & Lomb, for their Bio True disposable lenses that came out to a retail price of $90, so $1 a lens for a 3 month supply. Not bad, but I think we can do better. Wait, why do I like these lenses? Well, they are available as bifocal for starters. They get rid of the halo around lights at night, you an wear them for 16+ hours, they have a newer slimmer profile that allows more oxygen for the eye to breathe. They are super comfortable and I don’t notice I have them in. So long story short, (too late), I found them at contactlensking.com for $26.99 a box, instead of $90 a box. Wow. Of course dozens of other sites had them as well for a myriad of different prices. Same contact lens, totally different prices. I ended up getting the non bifocal version at half the price. It was $50 for the special contacts that I didn’t feel really worked for me.

Whew, so we got that out of the way, and I ordered 2 pairs of eye glasses. One pair is with the bifocals so I can see things up close. The other pair, not bifocals, only single vision, but with the new updated prescription. While the prices at Target and other eye doctor’s offices ranged from $300-$500 after options. Why? Mark up. Profit. They know you and other people will pay it. Most people use some crappy job vision insurance. It actually breaks out better to not get vision and pay for it outright.  So the first bifocal pair have transitions and blue light upgrades and came to about $200. The single vision, do not have transitions and came to $125. After I declined blue light for $49, they offered it to me right after check out for $19. Sold. So the thing that most eye doctors won’t give you, is the PD number. The pupillary distance between your eyes. I was lucky and it on my former prescription that I used at glassusa.com, which is ultimately who was the best value/money. How can you beat $145? So if you need new glasses, or an updated prescription, be sure you get that PD measurement otherwise your lenses won’t line up right and it will make seeing harder. I think I need a part time job at an optical store so I can get a discount and upgrade all my glasses. One time I lucked out and Europtics called me and said the tech who was working on my order accidentally made an extra set of lenses with my prescription and they wanted to give them to me at cost and just use an older pair of frames. So they HAD to tell me their cost. I joked that the tech must have been stoned or something and the manager laughed and said that actually was probably the case.

If you are working on a new resume, you need to start a page that lists every job you ever had. This is the page you never show anyone, but your copy of accurate dates, starting salary, … the things to be verified. Also list your supervisor, his/her phone number. Later you will use this as part of your work history (paid and unpaid).

 

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Sephora, Ulta, or Discount Store

If you have ever walked into a Sephora or an Ulta store you know that it is full of highly priced beauty products. Women (and now men) spend thousands of dollars in these stores, all with the goal in mind of looking pretty, or younger. As you glance around the store, almost all the customers are pretty and the salespeople look like they walked out of a magazine. After all, if you are selling beauty products then it should look like you are using them. I used to think that these two stores were basically the same store, selling the same products. But after doing a lot of research, and shopping I have come to a clear decision on which one I like best. AND since a lot of people wonder what I think, telling them where I shop can be advantageous. After all, as one friend said, I have already done all the leg work of doing the research.
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Now if you don’t care about your looks, getting old, or attempting to be somewhat attractive to the eye, then you might just be a straight male republican. Hahahaha. Seriously, my twin brother doesn’t have a skincare routine, and he doesn’t even wash his face at night. And he wonders why I look younger. Kim Kardashian doesn’t just wake up looking gorgeous. So the difference in the stores, from which I can tell, deal with the kinds of brands each of them carry. As you may know, there are literally hundreds if not thousands of brands and products. How do you decide on which ones to spend your hard earned cash? You do want to look amazing for the rest of your life and you can’t do that without some help. As I told a friend, in all honesty, if someone is exfoliating, using a serum, moisturizer and spf, he/she is going to look good. Not knocking any brand, so if you got it at Target or at Sephora, something is better than nothing.
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Sephora is more high end and is going to carry more expensive brands. Ulta will have middle of the line, and maybe some luxury brands. Target, Walmart, Dollar Store all have make up and skincare but they may not be the highest quality. Of course, if/when you find a brand you love, you can buy directly from their website. BUT if you want to make life easier, you can buy online from Sephora and get free shipping, free products, and tons of free samples. They have a $35 minimum to get some of the samples, but if shipping is free, I just make multiple orders and get all the samples. They know what I am doing and combine them all into one box. Twice a year they have a beauty insider event. You give them your email and they track your purchases and then you get a special discount event. So that super expensive _____ that you wanted, you can get it on sale. Some of the skincare products are really pricey, so getting samples of those products is a bonus. If you aren’t signed up, head over there now and the next event for 10% off is this week. I am addicted to “Sunday Riley” skincare, which they sell on Sephora and Ulta. But you don’t get a discount or free shipping at Ulta.

Go pamper yourself with some skincare products. When your skin/face looks good, you feel good. And let’s be honest, no one gives a hoot how tan your face looks. You can use make up bronzing to give you a healthy beautiful glow without damaging your skin. I like to use Natasha Denona’s contouring powder to enhance my dark skin tan.

(I was not paid to endorse any of these companies). Sephora, Sunday Riley & Natasha Denona are “Aaron Approved”. 
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Life is short. Pamper yourself.

As a seasoned veteran in the sales arena, one of my favorite techniques to  manipulate customers was the “pamper yourself” technique. I don’t think I invented it, but I never – I repeat never – have ever seen another sales person use it effectively on a prospect. So what exactly IS this magical technique that I would apply ever so carefully? Well, first of all, buying and selling is a relationship activity. Anyone who is paid an actual commission, and no base salary understand how important it is to really connect with that prospect. Depending on what you are selling and who you are selling it to can make a huge difference. Sure anyone can “close” a sale, but can you maximize your new friend to spend twice as much? I can.

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So I think  my favorite place that I used this was working in the jewelry store. I wasn’t REALLY on commission but I had an aggressive sales goal that meant I could not rely on impulse purchases to get there. I sold over $200k in my first month. And that is a heck of a lot of diamonds. And we all know that a “No thanks, I’m just looking” really means, “Hey salesman, convince me to buy something I totally don’t need, but really want.” Don’t you just love a challenge? Yeah, me too. I think “Oh, it is ON.” First of all, no one just browses when they really want to buy. Oh sure we would all LOVE to have whatever and just buy it. Guess what? Some people have a shitload of money and a grand here or there doesn’t even budge the needle on the stress level scale. So ask your prospect a simple question that will get the wheels turning. “When was the last time you spoiled yourself or bought something nice?” Good one huh? For some reason it is a simple question that people don’t ask enough, of their prospects, new customers, loyal patrons, friends and family. I actually had a salesman who worked for me when I ran a Cingular store and he used to say “Treat yourself.” And he would sell more accessories than anyone. Nifty trick. Like a $130 bluetooth headset was an ice cream cone or something. Now obviously if you sell something like insurance, you probably won’t get the same results.

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My other closing sales line was “I usually buy what I want since my significant other is not a mind reader and if I hate doing returns/exchanges.” That usually got a good laugh. Or maybe the “Hi, I’m fucking awesome and no one gives me a holiday or special day.” Sometimes people just need someone to approve of their expensive purchase and say it is okay to actually spend money on yourself. I do it all the time. Every day is a celebration when you don’t have kids (to pay for things), a mortgage, a car payment or student loans right? With the current state of … the world, I guess you could say “Hey I am spending money on me because I was screwed out of every holiday/celebration/wedding/birthday because of COVID. Think of all the money you would have spent on gifts and airline tickets alone! There are literally millions of people who got a stimulus check that weren’t directly affected, but who wouldn’t take free money right? We all want to win the lottery. Some people act like this small check of $1400 is like a winning scratch ticket. Funny right? My dentist took mine and it wasn’t enough. There is such a big push on affordable healthcare but no one gives a shit about our teeth. Love my dentist but I feel like I am financing a car. I’m afraid to go in for a cleaning as it always ends up being more than just a cleaning. Sure, I need some new laser procedure for my gums. No, it is not free and not covered by insurance.

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And the trial for the murder of George Floyd is fucking ridiculous. He was murdered. End of story. Terminate his killer. Congressman Matt Gaetz is a disgusting pedophile (which hasn’t been stated anywhere in the media) and should be imprisoned. I guess since he isn’t the president and doesn’t need 60 votes to convict him, he is gonna get it. I’m sure Liz Cheny is laughing her ass off now. I told you they turn on each other. White republican … sorry white entitled republican. Karma is a bitch and in one of my future books, the karma angels are going to finally have their day in the spotlight.

Go buy something nice, cool or awesome for yourself. There are millions who saved for a rainy day and never got to spend it. I’ve been buying expensive face masks on Ipsy that tighten my skin and make me look even younger. I’ll be 48 in July but I still get carded at every casino and bar. My favorite mask is by Generation Clay, the pink clay one. And since you know I don’t take bribes, I am not sponsored by them or anyone. If you try it, get the one on Amazon, it is cheaper.

 

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Hair Expert

If you know me personally, or you have been following my social media — back to the days of MySpace, then you know I have had short hair most of my life. In fact, I taught myself how to cut my own hair — with clippers, and I have also been cutting hair, unofficially since I don’t hold a license to use a pair of scissors. Crazy right?

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One thing that has remained true my entire life it that my hair grows super fast, at in incredible rate. If I had to pay a barber or stylist to cut my hair I would literally be paying thousands of dollars a year to keep my “high and tight” military haircut. Even when I would go on base, it was $10 for a haircut, and I would need one every week. I had to cut my hair as frequently as guys had to shave their beard/face. So when I approached my 40’s, like most men out there I started losing my hair. Mostly on the top and not at the back or sides. Why is this? There HAD to be a logical, scientific reason why this happened to billions of people. Men, women, teens, kids … no one was immune to hair loss. So, … what are some of the causes of hair loss?

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Well, I am not going to bore you with all the research that I have done, but I will give you one piece of really good advice. Oh yeah? What is that you wonder? Stop washing your hair with hot water, and take better care of your scalp. Hot water as we all know, causes the pores of your skin and scalp to open, making it very vulnerable. When you drown those pores with shampoo, conditioner, hair spray, styling products, you essentially are slowly killing your hair follicles. It’s not your fault. When you were a toddler sitting in a bathtub your mommy put “baby safe” shampoo on your head and let it soak. And then you continued to do that for your entire life. After so many years of abuse, your hair just gives up and dies.

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A few years ago I stopped with the weekly haircuts and focused on letting it grow. My instagram has the latest photos of me, and I have some incredible hair growth pictures. There are many things I did to live a new lifestyle that included a high protein nutritional diet, exercise, lots of sleep and being very gentle with my hair. I would cover it in public, little to no product, and only carefully washing with cold water and never letting my scalp get any “poison” on it. There actually is a whole movement called the “No Poo”, which people have ditched shampoo all together. I actually use Kerastase products, a company from Paris, the parent company is Loreal. It is kind of expensive, but at this point, my hair is totally worth it. So why am I calling myself a hair expert? Well, if you look at my hair where it is now, where it was when I hit my 40’s, you would be asking what did I do? In addition, I have an identical twin brother who does NOT have my luscious locks of hair. I am 47 1/2  years of age, and I don’t look it. I actually am proud to share my real age with people. So, with my youthful appearance and long hair, it has motivated me to begin planning my YouTube channel. Sure anyone can hit the record button the their smartphone and then upload it to Youtube. After watching hundreds of … less than entertaining videos, I have determined that there are several things that makes a video successful. It has to be pleasant to listen to, as well as look at. With lockdown and covid, it doesn’t take too long and you have watched every video of your favorite YouTube artist and you are hungry for more. I know, as I have watched every video of some beauty bloggers/vloggers/artists. Just like you, I’m sort of bored at times, so I think that there are some of my own friends … and fans that would love to see/hear/learn what I have learned about hair, skincare and make-up. I have learned a TON of things that I know other people would appreciate knowing as well. Guys can wear make-up and not look like a clown. They can wear it to just look amazing, so people notice them, and not their flaws. Discolored, UV abused skin is a flaw. Redness, dryness, and wrinkles are not exactly poster child material. So what products do I use and which ones do I like? A lot. And I am not on any PR lists, so everything that I try/use, I buy with my hard earned money.

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I have been a content creator for a really long time. Some of my readers hit my blog daily on MySpace and Xanga. Yes, I know I was much more active writing back then. I have also contemplated using video to maybe read some of my book. It is the one thing that is copyrighted that I have the right to read without getting sued by someone. Maybe I will do different channels — storytime, beauty/hair, educational, HR stuff. I don’t know how other artists do it, but I would like to be organized and have like an outline of the things I am going to talk about and cover. I guess you could say this was sort of my next level of teaching. I used to teach at an online college. This blog probably teaches people in a different way.

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If you are an artist or creator, can you make something that you can sell on Etsy as additional income? I know I will be buying on Etsy as it supports individuals versus the big box Fortune 500 companies. For those from the United States, they will be celebrating Thanksgiving. The day that they stole the land from the native american indians. Yeah, I have mixed feelings about that too. I like to be thankful every day. Thankful my family is still alive and safe. Thankful I am healthy and happy. There are many people who are grieving and my heart goes out to them. Personally I don’t think that people are taking the pandemic as seriously as they should. Stay home. Stay safe. Don’t touch anything in public. I open doors when my butt now, so I don’t have to touch the door handle. Hey, maybe YOU could be a content creator too. Maybe you could launch a YouTube channel on something you know a lot about. Everyone has something they can share. Maybe you have an awesome Thanksgiving recipe you want to share. My sweet potato souffle is always a show stopper.

 

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Your voting dollars could actually be a lifeline for a family in need. Go buy something or a lot of things on Etsy today. Take one day of NOT going to Walmart or Amazon and instead go to Etsy. A thousand thank you’s from every artist. You can also buy gift certificates from you local small businesses as holiday gifts that will totally help that business make it through the pandemic.

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