Babbles Nonsense
Welcome to my verbal diary where I want to discuss any and all things that is essentially on my mind or have wondered about. Sometimes I will be solo and then other times I will have some amazing guests to bring all different perspectives in life. The ultimate goal is to hopefully bring some joy, laughter, inspiration, education, and just maybe a little bit of entertainment. Don't forget to like, rate, and share the podcast with a friend!
Babbles Nonsense
Babbling about Self-Tanners and Life Updates
#173: Summer's approaching, and for those of us blessed with fair skin, the struggle to achieve that sun-kissed glow without damaging UV exposure is real. As a redhead who spent years pursuing the "perfect tan" through harmful methods, I've become something of an expert on self-tanners – from the orange disasters of decades past to today's sophisticated formulations.
This episode dives deep into the world of self-tanners with honest reviews of two leading brands: my longtime favorite Tanologist and the viral sensation Peta Jane. I break down everything from application techniques and development time to longevity and the dreaded DHA smell that can linger on everything from your sheets to your dog. If you're pale-complected and looking for a safer alternative to tanning beds or sun exposure, this comparison might save you both money and disappointment.
Between beauty reviews, I share the hilarious story of my 10-pound Chihuahua who decided to chase geese (with predictably terrifying results), heartwarming interactions with patients (including a 97-year-old WWII veteran with the sweetest advice about teeth), and an update on my ongoing journey with filler complications and the importance of ultrasound-guided dissolution procedures.
You'll also hear about my late-to-the-party obsession with Real Housewives of Atlanta and previews of upcoming interviews with Light on Yoga in Huntsville and Needles with Natty from the Collective on South Jefferson. Whether you're here for the beauty tips, healthcare insights, or just enjoy listening to someone babble nonsense while you multitask, this episode offers plenty to smile about.
Have questions for our upcoming guests? Send them through our Instagram question box and tune in for the interviews in the next two weeks!
You can now send us a text to ask a question or review the show. We would love to hear from you!
Follow me on social: https://www.instagram.com/babbles_nonsense/
What is up everyone? Welcome back to another episode of the Babbles Nonsense podcast. Today is going to be just some more babbling. We are going to talk about my dog, some more self-tanner reviews, watching Real Housewives and my oculoplastic surgeon update on what he said about my eyes and some work info. So, yeah, stay tuned. All right, all right, guys. Welcome back to another babbling episode. Short and sweet solo.
Speaker 1:I do have some upcoming interviews. I know I keep saying that, but we had to push the dates back just due to scheduling conflicts. So I have an interview scheduled for this coming Saturday and next Saturday, so hopefully the next two weeks, as long as nothing happens. Schedule wise, we will have some interviews on the podcast, one being Light on Yoga here in Huntsville and the other being Needles with Natty, who is now the owner and founder of the Collective on South Jefferson in my hometown of Winchester, tennessee. So we will have those two interviews coming up for you all and, of course, I will always put the question box up on Instagram if you have any questions for those two.
Speaker 1:I don't know why every time I sit down to record, my dog wants to bark. She never barks, but here we are Speaking of her. I know y'all all had a few laughs last week about her dental surgery where she had a tooth pulled and dogs on anesthesia. Also, by the way, my friend told me about like going down a TikTok rabbit hole, of watching dogs on anesthesia it's the funniest thing. So if you want a good laugh or you just need to laugh look up pets on anesthesia, it's the funniest thing. So if you want a good laugh or you just need to laugh, look up pets on anesthesia on TikTok and it is hilarious. But so I live near, so I live kind of on the outskirts of town and there's like pastures near us but it's all being developed. So that'll go away soon, which is sad because I really bought the house because of part, partially because of that. It just kind of reminds me of home, but it's still close to town but it makes you feel like you're out in the country even though you're not.
Speaker 1:But my dog, who's a little 10 pound Chihuahua, started to chase some geese because I have a creek behind my house so there are some geese back there and they were sitting in my neighbor's yard just sitting there and we always she always likes to go over to my neighbors cause she loves my neighbors and there was two geese sitting there and if you know anything about geese, they are not the nicest like, especially if you're coming, coming after them. Um, so my dog just beelines it. Fortunately these geese just fly away, because I was like terrified that they were just going to peck her to death. I just knew it, like what am I supposed to do? I can't fight a goose, a geese, whatever, because they are terrifying. They literally terrified me. But fortunately everything was fine. They flew away and she knew better. You know sorry about that. My phone was ringing because my aunt called and we had some things to talk about.
Speaker 1:But anyways, moving on from the cricket situation, I just wanted to briefly say something funny. So I'm in health care and I was seeing this demented patient last week and he has the cutest little thing and he's not like like badly demented, he's just mildly demented, so he just gets mildly confused at times. So he's pretty with it, like he's pretty alert and oriented, and so he's 97, I believe I think that's how 97, 98, something like that. And I saw that he had like a World War Two hat in his room and I was like, oh, wow, I was like you served in World War Two. I said that's awesome. I said I bet you got some good stories and he literally said, yep, none I want to talk about. And I was like, all right, you definitely deserve that right.
Speaker 1:And it just made me think, because you know I work with veterans to like a lot of our Vietnam vets, they just really want to tell you about everything that went on. And I've been reading some books on Vietnam and stuff like historical fiction books and it's just that was one of the eras where which I didn't realize until I started reading the books because I just really hated history in school. I just really hated it because mainly because it was the way it was presented I think it was just presented as facts and not like a story. I guess. And I've just noticed, like with Vietnam vets, like they truly want to tell you their story. They want to tell you about like things that happened overseas and stuff like that. And that is one of the more populations that will. And I just wonder if it's because that the Vietnam vets were just treated so poorly when they returned home and especially while they were over there, as if that was their choice, as if they started this war, as if they wanted to be there when there was a draft and all this other stuff. So I just wonder if it's because they want that recognition that they never got?
Speaker 1:Um, obviously I'm not going to sit down with a Vietnam vet and be like, hey, so why do? Why do you want to tell stories? Because then that seems a little rude, like you don't want to listen. But it's just interesting, out of all of the veterans that I do work with, like in the different eras, like the Persian Gulf War and you know, the Iraq and Afghanistan Gulf War and stuff like that or Desert Storm they don't really just open up about stories unless you ask. Versus the Vietnams they'll just start telling you stories, like you don't even have to ask. They'll just start telling you everything, which is cool because it's like they, they just served a long time. So it's really nice to hear like someone's perspective who was actually there. But you don't really run into a lot of World War II veterans, obviously because it was such a long time ago. But it's just interesting the difference where he was like no, I don't want to talk about it, versus a Vietnam vet who did. But you know, to each their own, I'm going to respect their privacy.
Speaker 1:Um, but then got through with that, got through with his evaluation, and I turned to walk out of the room and I smiled at him, you know, and I was just like, well, you have a good day. And he goes. You know what? You have a very beautiful smile. You got some beautiful teeth. And I was like, smile, you got some beautiful teeth. And I was like, well, thank you. And he was like you just better, hold on to him as long as you can. And I just busted out laughing. I was like you were the most precious human being I've ever met. Like that, I mean, obviously, good advice, right, hold on to your teeth as long as you can, because he knows, he knows what it's like to have, you know, dentures and stuff like that. And I just, I just thought it was hilarious.
Speaker 1:Sometimes patients say the cutest things and it just gives you that little spark of like. This is why I do what I do. It's just those little moments, kind of like when they used to have that show. Kids say the funniest things, like there's just these little moments, even though it like, you're like why would that bring you joy? It's just those little moments when you're having a rough day or it's a very busy day and then you have a patient, just say the most random funny thing and you get to laugh with them. It just reminds you why you do what you do.
Speaker 1:But anyways, I just wanted to share that on the pod, the biggest thing that I wanted to kind of like just talk about today, because summer is coming up and this is for my girlies who use self tanner, because we're all trying to, you know, age less a little bit, because when I was younger the whole thing was like be tanned. We didn't embrace our pale skin. And you know, if you know me, I'm redheaded and I'm pretty fair skinned, pretty translucent. Honestly, if you ask me, I don't even know if my skin color is a color, but it was just always embarrassing growing up because everyone had tans that I, you know, hung around. My sister tanned very easily, my mom is very tan, and then here I am, just very pale, complected freckles and whatnot, and that wasn't considered, quote unquote, beautiful when I was growing up. So I did everything I can lay in the tanning bed, you know, lay out in the sun, which, for a redhead, I actually can tan pretty well just because I guess my mom genetically just tans very well. I just couldn't hold the tan. So I had to tan like pretty much every day and it was like my life goal to try to be as tan as my friends.
Speaker 1:And at the time, like when I was growing up, self-tanner just wasn't readily available and it just wasn't good, like it just turns you orange. Because I remember I accidentally picked up my friend because she had a tanning bed one of my oldest and dearest friends so my mom would take me over there and I'd use her tanning bed and her sister had some self-tanner by the tanning bed and I thought it was tanning lotion for the tanning bed and, um, I just remember being so orange and it was so embarrassing and I was just so mad about it and I was always like, oh, I will never use self tanner. But fast forward, 20 something, maybe 30 years, not 30. I wasn't in the tanning bed when I was seven, like 1520 years. Self tanners just really come a long way, especially for like someone who's really pale, like I think self tanner looks more natural on someone who does tan naturally. But I will say I have come across some really good self tanners.
Speaker 1:I've used so many different brands I'm trying to think off the top of my head I've used I don't know, I don't know all the brands I've used but my two favorite brands, which my tried and true that I've been using for probably a little over a year, is the tanologist from um it's either tanologist or tanology from target and I started using the like clear self tanning mousse that doesn't have a color. It doesn't have a self tanning guide in the medium shade Cause I always start with medium because the light's just always too light anyways, because what's the point? You know you're trying to be tan, so I started using that. But then, you know, because it doesn't have a color guide on it, it's kind of hard to know where you put it. So then there was a little bit of streaking and stuff like that. So then I started going to their website and they had a dark version.
Speaker 1:Because I always with the medium like once you get, once you get a little bit more versed in the cell tanning world and you know what you're doing and how to like blend it a little bit better, it's easier to then try darker colors because then it's not going to look, as you know, bad or whatnot, and so I would always layer two layers of the medium to make it darker. And so I was like, well, let me just go get the dark version. So then I think I want to say either get the dark or the extra dark. But I got the one with the color guide, which was so much easier to see where you're putting it.
Speaker 1:But the reason why I call it my tried and true and why I love it so much is because this one actually, like, fades so beautifully. It's not splotchy when it fades, it doesn't really. It's not orange, it's very, you know, bronzy. And then you don't have to wear it that long. I think it's because it's an express tan, so you just have to wear it like one to four hours and then you wash it, rinse it off and then you get to. I mean, obviously it's going to develop over the next 24 hours, but it just does beautifully, like, obviously around the wrist and the ankles and stuff like that. It can kind of tell that it's a self tanner. But most of the time I just get compliments on it. But what I have recently tried and I'll say I've only tried it one time and the reason but but that's why I was like I really need to do a review on this on the podcast, because I'm sure you know, like I said, it's getting closer to summertime.
Speaker 1:We have some fair skin people or just people that are trying to just be more skin conscious and self-aware, because, yes, the sun is good for you when it comes to like vitamin d and stuff like that, but we don't want to just sit there and bathe in the sun all the time without sunscreen on and if you are pale, complected or you have a hard time getting and maintaining a tan, then self-tanner is where it's at. You know what I'm saying, or you know what embrace your, your pale skin. It is coming back around as beautiful whatnot? Because definitely trust me when I'm saying that I'm now seeing the sun damage, which is something I didn't listen to my parents about when they were like you really don't want to do that, because you don't see the sun damage right away. It takes years for it to pop up, like every other day. I'm like now I need to go to the dermatologist and get this checked because I have had several precancerous lesions frozen off my face and my neck and my chest because I mean, I did put sunscreen on my face, neck and chest, but I'm sure I didn't apply the appropriate amount and all that other stuff. But anyways, I you know, on TikTok see the PETA Jane, peta, jane, PETA Jane I don't know how you say that Viral, viral self tanner and I was just like I'll give it a shot.
Speaker 1:So I got the medium because you know I always start with a medium, because you just don't want it to be too dark and look unnatural. You want it to be that sun kiss glow. That's going to be a natural color for my skin tone and it is a mousse. So, like the tanologist and all the other self-tanners out there, yes, it's a mousse, it's like a pumping bottle, but this one is like a mousse, like you put in your hair or like a whipped cream kind of mousse. And it's just interesting because you know when it comes out. It comes out really fast and you're just like oh, wow, now with the other ones, like the pump mousses, like I got used to knowing like, okay, four pumps for my lower leg, four pumps for my arm, like you knew how many pumps to evenly apply it. Well, this because it's new, I didn't. So, like it came out, like I was like, oh my gosh, this is so much self-tanner Like. And then you're like applying it all over your leg and this stuff dries so fast, so fast. And I was just like, oh my gosh, like, because then it was a little bit darker around the ankles and the wrist and I was like, oh, this is not good, like this is going to turn out real awful, but anyways, like, put it all on and I was like, okay, and then this one you do have to wear between six and eight hours depending on how dark you want it to develop, and then then rinse it off.
Speaker 1:Most people sleep in their self tanners and then just rinse it off in the morning. I'm weird, I don't like the way the DHA, the stuff that makes you tan, smells. It's like a chemical reaction on your skin and even though it's not like quote-unquote stinky, it's just you can. Self tanner just has a distinct smell and you know, and every self tanner out there claims this, one one doesn't smell, this one doesn't smell, they all smell, they all smell Because it has to create this chemical reaction on your skin to make the self tanner. Obviously which you know is another thing it's like I'm trying to get rid of toxins, exposures, but it's also, you know, you just got to do what you got to do, but anyways, I digress.
Speaker 1:Anyways, I got this on and, like I was supposed to wash it off at a certain time and I was running behind at work and I was like, oh my gosh, and it, when it's developing on with the color guard, it looks extra dark. And I was looking like a bodybuilder at that point and I was like, oh my gosh, what have I done? What have I done? So go and rinse it off and then, once I've rinsed it off, and'll say this with other, uh, self tanners, like you do your rinse or whatnot, and you would think that dh smell would go away because you've rinsed the self tanner off. No, it's still developing over the next 24 hours, so that smell is still there even though you've rinsed off.
Speaker 1:And it's a whole process, like my dog likes to lay up against me and then she smells like self tanner and then you know you have to wash all your sheets and all that stuff to get that smell to go away. But um, but this one, when you rinsed it, the dha smell pretty much goes away, like it's hardly there, like you could barely, barely, barely smell it, unless you just have a really strong nose. So that was like I was like immediately impressed with that. I was like, okay, maybe that's what they mean when they say this doesn't really smell, because it wasn't horrible on. You could just tell after about a couple hours and it started processing that it had that DHA smell. And then when I rinsed it off like all those darkened areas around the ankles and the wrist that I was like super terrified was going to be like splotchy and no, this literally like blended so well and I was super shocked by that.
Speaker 1:So the positives of the PETA Jane that I really liked was that the DHA smell was not that strong. It pretty much virtually went away after you did your first rinse, um, and then it blended so nicely, even though it kind of looked darker in some areas because I had a little bit more self-tanner in those areas, just because I'm not used to the like the way it comes out as a, as a, like a mousse, like a, if y'all know what I'm saying. And then it dried so fast, which I was worried about at first, because when I initially applied it I was like, oh my gosh, this is drying too fast, like I can't blend it in, but by some wickedness it definitely blended well. Now the negatives that I'll say about the medium version it's not as dark as I thought it would be like based on the people who are showing it and advertising it on TikTok. So I did just recently purchase the dark version. So once I try that one out I'll let y'all know.
Speaker 1:But I also purchased their gradual self tan because a lot of people had mentioned that you could just wear it for like a week and then you would have the color. Like you wear it forever how long to get the color? And then you can then wear it just a couple times a week to maintain the color. So I was like, let me just try this and see what this is, because I've used the gradual self-tan with Jergens before, but this was a long time ago in high school and I hated it. It looked orange, but again, that was like 15, 20 years ago. So maybe that's improved as well, because it would really be nice in the summertime to not have to do these steps.
Speaker 1:And it probably doesn't bother anyone else. It bothers me because I'm a super clean freak and I like everything to smell nice in my house and look nice all the time. So, like, um, like, if I do a self tanner, it's like a whole day's process. The next day it's like I gotta then bathe my dog because she smells like self-tanner. Then I have to wash all my bed sheets, my couch sheets, to make sure they don't smell like self-tanner. Nobody comes to my house, it's just me, but I'm just like, I'm just weird about it, I don't know.
Speaker 1:So that's my recommendations on self-tanner. But also, don't shoot the messenger if it doesn't work for you, because you do need to be experienced in applying self tanner. But I do think this is a good one to start with, other than the like I said, the other than the way it like comes out, like honestly, you barely need to squirt the little thing because it's like a mousse for your hair and how it's like foamy and it kind of like egg whites, like when they're whipped. You know what I'm saying. That's what it kind of looks like, versus a pump bottle where you know how many pumps to put on each part of your body once you kind of get used to it. Still, love a good spray tan. Love Glow Co here in Huntsville. They do an amazing job to make it look pretty natural.
Speaker 1:I have had some spray tans where you can tell it's a spray tan around the wrists and ankles and stuff like that because of my skin tone. But other than that, like I've learned some tips and tricks from Caitlin, from Glow and Co. So, like, if I use self-tanner I still have the powder Burt's Bees Baby Powder that I wait for my self-tanner to dry and then I apply the powder in the creases of, like my arms, my neck, underneath my breast, behind my knees when else would I apply it? Like anywhere that's going to crease so that it doesn't stick to each other. Although the pita chain, I say like it does not get sticky and it drives so fast. But with other stuff that's what I, you know I do, and then put on your loose clothing, wear it. I always start when I'm trying a new self-tanner with the minimum time of the processing, because you just don't know how dark it's going to get, and then I increase my time. Then you can double layer if you want it a little bit darker.
Speaker 1:I'm trying to think if there's any other self tanners that I've used that I, the tanologist, is the one that I really love for the longest time, until I got this pita Jane and then I've been wanting to try I think it's called earthbound, off Amazon. It's like a natural organic. It's supposed to have like no toxins whatsoever and I believe it is the yucca yucca yucca app and the EWG app certified saying that it's pretty healthy to wear. So I've been wanting to try that to see how natural it looks. But the reviews are very mixed online saying that some people are saying it looks very natural and other people are like no, this is very orange. So I don't know about that one. But I also want to try. What is it called? Everyone loves it. I can see the bottle Loving Tan, I think. I think it's Loving Tan that I want to try, because those are also pop fan favorites.
Speaker 1:I guess the only other con I'll say about the Pita Jane versus the Tanologist because they do pretty much pretty well. Oh, another negative about the Pita Jane is that it did not last very long, but it also did not splotch. It went away quickly, very naturally, but it just didn't last long. I think it lasted like four to five days, where my tanologist truly lasts like literally a week, like seven to eight days. Um, obviously it's not as dark. It gradually fades but like you have a good color for the majority of the week and then it starts tapering down, probably by day six. I would say Um, and tanologist is just very inexpensive. I think it's like 15 to 18 dollars versus the pita jane where it's like 50 dollars. So just depends on kind of what you're going for there. Pros and cons to both, um, but yeah, that's my review on self tanners. I'm sure the men love that. They're probably like okay, um.
Speaker 1:But also I have started watching Real Housewives of Atlanta. I know I'm way behind on the trend. Initially I was like I don't know if I like it, I don't know if there's enough drama for me, because I just love Real Housewives just because you get to see a lot of rich people, you know, and what they buy and you get to live vicariously through them, like because like I'm never going to live that way. I'm never going to, never gonna. You know, well, I shouldn't say never, we should never say never. But you know, it's just interesting to see how people with money live and the things that they buy and the trips that they get to go on, which we know it's reality tv and there is some storylines and stuff like that, but it's just interesting. Um, I think I'm on season seven right now and I just love it. I think there's so much drama I it.
Speaker 1:So if y'all and the other franchises of the Real Housewives that I love, I started with Beverly Hills, obviously, because it's in LA, there's celebrities on there. I think a lot of people start with like Beverly Hills and Orange County in New York, those are like the three. But I started with Beverly Hills and then when Salt Lake City came out, I was like, okay, I'll start with that one because it's brand new and I don't have anything to catch up on. And then it's usually when there's like lulls in TV shows, usually like in the summertime and stuff like that, that I'll just pick up something that has a lot of seasons so I can just kind of zone out. It's more shows that I like to be on, so that I can either be working when I'm watching it or be on my phone when I'm watching it, because you don't really have to pay attention. I mean, obviously some things you'll be like wait, what? What did I miss? But for that, for the most part, and then I was like, okay, well, let me try this Atlanta one because everyone says it's very dramatic and stuff like that. So then I tried that one. So I've only watched three different franchises of it, but I'm loving it so far, and I'm only on season seven, so I'm really behind. So y'all, don't spoil it for me, but highly recommend. If you like dramatic shows and you haven't watched it, it's pretty good. You just got to get past the first season, which I think anything in reality TV the first season is always kind of like how's this going to go? And then the drama comes out, right, right, all right.
Speaker 1:Last thing I want to update you on I know I talked about my eye last week and I'm going to see the oculoplastic last week to see if there was any more filler that come back. And he ultrasound in my eye and there was some more filler under the left eye and that was the first time in the 10 years that I've been dealing with this that I was like when he came into the room he was like, oh, you're back, you know. And I was like yeah, and then I was like I will never say this, but I hope you find filler there. And he was like he just started laughing. He said, well, how, why is that and I said because if you find filler there, that means it's fixable, if you don't, that means it's not fixable and we're stuck with this swelling. And he just laughed. He said no, that makes sense, which you know. Like I said, he explained to me last year that this could come back because the way it works is, you know, you dissolve it, it breaks it down and then there could still be some there and then they're like little particles all all spread out, but over time they kind of migrate towards each other and make a bigger blob, if you will, and then you can see it easier on the ultrasound.
Speaker 1:And the reason why I recommend going to someone who uses ultrasound guided dissolving is because you don't. If they're not the original injector who did it, then they don't know the technique that the other injector used, the person dissolving it. They don't know the technique, the product, how much was used, what tissue layer they put it in, was it done appropriately? They don't know any of that because they weren't the original injector. So when you have ultrasound guided dissolving, you can see exactly where it is. You can watch your needle go into the area and dissolve it on the screen. So that's why I recommend it. It is a little bit more expensive because you're having to use the ultrasound guided technology, but honestly, well worth it, because you don't want to blindly go in there dissolving tissue and you may not even be in the area that it's at and then you've just wasted your money.
Speaker 1:It's not dissolving and this machine can tell you if you got it all. So I have my two week follow up Not this week but next week to see if he got it all or if there's still some there. I'll say it's 75% better already. It's kind of like it was last year 75%. Then it came back. So who knows, this could come back again in a year and y'all are just gonna have to hear me talk about it. Who knows? But I'm just happy that there was some there. I've never said that in the 10 years. I've always been like sad and upset about it. But it just means it's fixable and that's what matters the most to me is that it's fixable. So I'll end it right there.
Speaker 1:I know that was a lot of babbling about some nonsense that y'all probably don't even care about, but hopefully y'all will tune in to the next two weeks when I get to interview these wonderful ladies in their businesses, especially light on yoga, where we're learning about aerobatic practices. Hopefully I said that right Cause I've always been interested in aerobatic practices aerobatic, aerob, ayurvedic I don't know, I think I'm saying it right and then, of course, needles with Natty. She's just a she's just. She's just a fabulous person. I know I've talked about fillers and injectables and aesthetics on here a lot with different people, but I just love hearing people's perspectives on how they open businesses and why they got into it. It just very interests me. That interests me. That's why that's why I'm interviewing them and I have a few more people in mind that I'm going to reach out to and I have been reaching out. So hopefully, get some more interviews for you guys. Again, it's always just scheduling conflicts, but until next time, guys, thanks for listening. Bye, thank you.
