#or how the product effects other treatments you have/use

[sexc-snail]

I hope and pray that one day the skincare industry will lose its grip on us.

"Celebrity X uses product Y!" They're literally rich and make money off of being pretty and I'm supposed to believe they use a $35 product that was invented four months ago?

Hollywood is a cesspool of looking as unnaturally attractive as possible while maintaining that this is just "how I look normally" because no one can know you had to work for your looks (because that somehow makes you less attractive?)

They use vitamin A supplements or some expensive treatment, or they get plastic surgery and like about it because they've been taught to be ashamed. And that's if their skin isn't already perfect, because;

It's all genetics!!!! That's all it is!!!

Yeah acne begins with puberty and is heightened during - because your hormone are out of wack! But if you have acne beyond puberty you'll probably have it for a while. I had acne so bad I would regularly get abscesses in more humid areas (re: my coochie and armpits). Once it got so bad that I have to have two drained and it was too painful even under local anaesthetic so I had to go under general anaesthetic. I got put on vitamin A supplements, which dry out your skin, which was the best my skin was for a while (at the cost of cracked lips). And while it was less severe after puberty I still have acne!!!

Don't get me wrong, skincare is good for you. But everyone's skin is different in thousands of small ways! The chances that the hot new product on the market is what exactly matches your skin are slim to none! Especially when most of the products are for one type of problem and people have more than one type of problem. Now why could that be? (hint: it's because they want you to buy more product)

All in all, short of literally altering your hormones (which is why the pill helps some people) skin products won't do much for acne. They can still help if you have dry, oily, etc. skin, and even help with acne (but not to the extent of completely clearing it unless your acne is bacterial/environmental), but your goal shouldn't be clear skin it should be healthy skin.

Don't trust the Hot New Product, try different things and see what works for you to get a personalised routine.

And use SPF!!!!!!!

[thoughtportal]

Opinion Here’s how to get free Paxlovid as many times as you need it

When the public health emergency around covid-19 ended, vaccines and treatments became commercial products, meaning companies could charge for them as they do other pharmaceuticals. Paxlovid, the highly effective antiviral pill that can prevent covid from becoming severe, now has a list price of nearly $1,400 for a five-day treatment course.

Thanks to an innovative agreement between the Biden administration and the drug’s manufacturer, Pfizer, Americans can still access the medication free or at very low cost through a program called Paxcess. The problem is that too few people — including pharmacists — are aware of it.

I learned of Paxcess only after readers wrote that pharmacies were charging them hundreds of dollars — or even the full list price — to fill their Paxlovid prescription. This shouldn’t be happening. A representative from Pfizer, which runs the program, explained to me that patients on Medicare and Medicaid or who are uninsured should get free Paxlovid. They need to sign up by going to paxlovid.iassist.com or by calling 877-219-7225. “We wanted to make enrollment as easy and as quick as possible,” the representative said.

Indeed, the process is straightforward. I clicked through the web form myself, and there are only three sets of information required. Patients first enter their name, date of birth and address. They then input their prescriber’s name and address and select their insurance type.

All this should take less than five minutes and can be done at home or at the pharmacy. A physician or pharmacist can fill it out on behalf of the patient, too. Importantly, this form does not ask for medical history, proof of a positive coronavirus test, income verification, citizenship status or other potentially sensitive and time-consuming information.

But there is one key requirement people need to be aware of: Patients must have a prescription for Paxlovid to start the enrollment process. It is not possible to pre-enroll. (Though, in a sense, people on Medicare or Medicaid are already pre-enrolled.)

Once the questionnaire is complete, the website generates a voucher within seconds. People can print it or email it themselves, and then they can exchange it for a free course of Paxlovid at most pharmacies.

Pfizer’s representative tells me that more than 57,000 pharmacies are contracted to participate in this program, including major chain drugstores such as CVS and Walgreens and large retail chains such as Walmart, Kroger and Costco. For those unable to go in person, a mail-order option is available, too.

The program works a little differently for patients with commercial insurance. Some insurance plans already cover Paxlovid without a co-pay. Anyone who is told there will be a charge should sign up for Paxcess, which would further bring down their co-pay and might even cover the entire cost.

Several readers have attested that Paxcess’s process was fast and seamless. I was also glad to learn that there is basically no limit to the number of times someone could use it. A person who contracts the coronavirus three times in a year could access Paxlovid free or at low cost each time.

Unfortunately, readers informed me of one major glitch: Though the Paxcess voucher is honored when presented, some pharmacies are not offering the program proactively. As a result, many patients are still being charged high co-pays even if they could have gotten the medication at no cost.

This is incredibly frustrating. However, after interviewing multiple people involved in the process, including representatives of major pharmacy chains and Biden administration officials, I believe everyone is sincere in trying to make things right. As we saw in the early days of the coronavirus vaccine rollout, it’s hard to get a new program off the ground. Policies that look good on paper run into multiple barriers during implementation.

Those involved are actively identifying and addressing these problems. For instance, a Walgreens representative explained to me that in addition to educating pharmacists and pharmacy techs about the program, the company learned it also had to make system changes to account for a different workflow. Normally, when pharmacists process a prescription, they inform patients of the co-pay and dispense the medication. But with Paxlovid, the system needs to stop them if there is a co-pay, so they can prompt patients to sign up for Paxcess.

Here is where patients and consumers must take a proactive role. That might not feel fair; after all, if someone is ill, people expect that the system will work to help them. But that’s not our reality. While pharmacies work to fix their system glitches, patients need to be their own best advocates. That means signing up for Paxcess as soon as they receive a Paxlovid prescription and helping spread the word so that others can get the antiviral at little or no cost, too.

{source}

[dumbass-fae]

✨️🪞Glamour Magick🪞✨️

Glamour magick is a spell that you cast on yourself to change how others perceive you. 

The key to this working is to manifest your intent. It's a placebo effect. If you believe it is real, it will become real (in a sense). 

Normally glamour magick is preformed while getting ready for the day, night, or an event (school, date, outing exc. exc.) Which means it blends into the mundane. 

You can create oils and blends anything your heart desires, even magickly infused foods and drinks, or you can use what you already have: shampoo, hair brush, makeup, moisturizer, toothpaste exc exc.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

A good place to start is with:

color magick/correspondences

♡Red- confidence, romantic love, strength 

♡Pink- self love, kindness, platonic love, softness 

♡Orange- creativity, energy, sucess

♡Yellow- happiness, joy, positivity 

♡Green- luck, healing, money manifestation 

♡Blue- peace, calm, clairity, communication 

♡Purple- imagination, intuition, peace

♡Brown- friendship, security, stability 

♡Black- protection, banishing

♡White- clensing, peace, truth

♡Silver- healing 

♡Gold- sucess, wealth

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Moving on, we will get into more correspondences/enchantments in glamour magick. 

Bath/Body 🛁

• Shampoo- clenses negativity 

• Conditioner- restores positivity 

• Body scrub- removes negative energy

• Lotion- (varies by scent), softness

• Hair oil/ leave in conditioner- protection 

• Deep conditioner- restores positive energy 

Skincare 🪞

• Facial cleanser- removes negative energy 

• Facial scrub- clenses negativity 

• Moisturizer- protection, restores positive energy 

• Serums- (varies by ingredient), locks in good energy 

• Spot treatments- conceals what you do not wish to be seen 

• Eye masks- clairity

• Lip masks- sweetens your words 

• Suncreen- protection 

Makeup 💄

• Mascara/eyeliner- see through lies, enhance your eyes beauty 

• Lip products- people will listen when you speak, sweeten your words/influence

• Eyeshadow- (varies by color)

• Concealer- to hide what others should not know 

• Highlighter- to apear more radiant/glowing 

• Blush- to appear innocent and soft 

Other 🐚

• Toothpaste/Toothbrush- clense negativity

• Hairbrush- remove negative energy 

• Nail polish- (varies by color) 

• Glasses- to see what others cannot 

• Hair- Braid your hair with your intentions 

• Perfume- (varies by scent) 

• Clothing- (varies by color) 

• Jewelry- (varies by intent) 

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Remember, affirmations and enchantments are key to glamours 

• say or think corresponding affirmations while doing your skincare or makup 

• enchant everything you use with intentions, you could even put sigils on them 

• enchant your jewelry for a specific purpose

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

This is from my personal grimoire, thus my own opinions on glamours.

you can reblog with other glamour related tips and tricks 💕

[angelicgirlmj]

simple skincare routine (+ product recommendations based of skin types)

hi angels! skincare has been a big passion of mine since i was around twelve and began to develop some hormonal skincare issues. these really made me insecure and i still struggle with my skin. but being consistent and developing my routine, working out my skin type, eating with my skin as a focus and trial and error has got me to a place where im much much happier with my skin - and id love to share some tips and products with you!! remember your skin is exposed to so much and such a delicate part of your body, treat it with the love and respect it deserves. ˚₊‧꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

firstly: figuring out your skin type

im not exaggerating when i say the basis of a good skincare routine is knowing your skin type. it makes it easier to buy products, work out what your skin needs and how to achieve the look you want.

dermatologists agree that there are four skin types:

oily (skin produces more oils and sebum).

dry (produces less oils and sebum).

normal (produces a normal amount of oils and sebum).

combination (areas of skin which are dry and areas that are sebum heavy/oily).

so…

how do you work out your skin type?

well there are two easy at home methods!

watch and wait (requires cleanser): wash your face with a gentle cleanser and pat dry. wait for half an hour or so and observe your skin. shiny all over = oily. tight and perhaps flaky = dry. shine in t zone = likely combination. hydrated and comfortable but not too oily = normal.

blotting sheet method (requires blotting sheets and cleanser): wash face with gentle cleanser, pat dry and waist for half an hour or so. press blotting sheets to chin, cheeks, forehead etc and examine the oil left on the sheets. lots of oil = oily. almost no oil/no oil = dry. oil mostly in t zone = combination. minimal all over face = normal.

˚₊‧꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

secondly: building a routine

now youve worked out what skin type you have it’s time to build a routine! i personally have combination skin that verges more on the dry side.

my am and pm skincare routines look like this…

am: cleanser, ice face, oil face and do gentle gua sha routine, moisturiser and spf. applying facial sanitising spray regularly throughout the day.

pm: double cleanse, ice face (only if feeling puffy/sore), moisturiser, 1 - 2 spot treatments and sanitise face.

am products:

cerave hydrating cleanser.

corsx moisturiser (great for dry and spot prone skin, little goes along way).

la roche posay spf 50+.

jojoba face oil.

vital baby face spray.

pm products:

la roche posay effclar duo.

avene hydrance aqua cream.

two over the counter spot treatments.

you may need to cleanse your face more/less, use less moisturiser etc. developing your skin care routine is through trial and error, just be observant of your skin and take notes on any effects or changes a product seems to have.

˚₊‧꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

thirdly: product recommendations

here’s a list of some product recommendations! some i have personally tried (they will be starred), others are popular ones based of your skin type loved by many.

cleansers

dry: cerave hydrating cleanser ⟡

oily: la roche posay effclar duo cleanser ⟡

combination: neutrogena skin balancing purifying gel cleanser

normal: paulas choice perfectly balanced foaming cleanser.

toner

dry: laneige cream skin toner

oily: body shop tea tree toner ⟡

combination: innisfree green tea toner

normal: la roche posay toner

moisturisers

dry: corsx moisturiser ⟡

oily: glow watermelon pink juice moisturiser

combination: byoma moisturising gel cream

normal: la roche posay cicaplast baume B5+ ⟡

spf

la roche posay spf 50+

black girl sunscreen

supergoop unseen sunscreen

˚₊‧꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

thank you for reading angels! feel free to give any skincare product recommendations or reviews. im planning on doing an in-depth personal skincare routine post soon. hopefully you enjoyed!!

love, m.

[prissygrlsorority]

everything you need to make your own personal beauty binder 🎀

disclaimer: this post is heavily inspired by @tomb-of-ligeia and @daphne-dauphinoise, and early 2010s beauty youtubers. it’s always kind to credit your inspo <3

inspired by the lookbooks and makeup charts used by makeup artists designers at high fashion runways shows and childhood bratz coloring and activity books. the law of attraction is at use heavily with this binder (writing down goals and wishlists)!

you should be keeping diy recipes you find in here.

*you don’t need a physical binder. some people function better with digital mediums. i prefer anything physical and concrete. but you can do all this in something like a notion, or your notes app, etc.

why? 🎀

a cute girly hobby (esp for type A, anal retentive, or analytical personalities/extremely creative, hands on people) to keep track of your routines, motivate you to keep yourself maintained, and figure out what works best for you. it’s nothing too serious, just a girly pastime for people that maybe buy too many products, slip up on routines, or don’t what looks best on your features. have fun!

what to record in your binder? 🎀

an intro sheet 10 different topics divided by tabbed sections: your personal features, makeup, body, fashion, skincare, hair, fragrance, nails, treatments/procedures, salons/spas/referrals/contacts 🎀

intro sheet 🎀

here, you should keep your goals, desired look, and how you want to perceive yourself.

your personal features

a chart of your color season. mine is cool winter. you can use color season for whatever, i choose to apply it to my makeup.

your natural body shape. this will help you choose the best clothes to flatter your silhouette.

a close up, unfiltered clear photo of your bare face. note your skin type, color, undertone, and any other things that stand out to you.

note what you wanna enhance and what you wanna improve. this will help throughout your binder.

makeup

put on a light layer of every lipstick/lip gloss/etc. you have and make kiss shaped swatches in your binder. note the shade, brand, and finish. then the mood/occasion in which you’d wear it.

swatch all your lip liners, again leaving the details of the product.

swatch your foundation shades. note the finish, name and brand.

make a sheet dedicated to all your “holy grail”, essential products.

swatch your eyeshadow palettes. i have all my shimmer pigments swatches and it’s the prettiest thing to look at.

do you have any go to makeup looks? your casual look, going out look, no makeup makeup look, etc.? do these looks and take high quality pics. make personalized face charts by printing them out and noting the steps and products you used.

take c*nty pics of your lashes after trying on all your mascaras/falsies. note the effects and when you would be most likely to wear them.

print out any pics of interesting makeup looks and products you wanna try.

try on lip combos and kiss swatch them. i’m doing this because i do amazing lip combos all the time but i forget which products i used, and it’s hard to replicate the look.

body

take a stick figure-esque picture of yourself and print it out. any outfit you want to buy, print and clip it out first and see if it’s something you’d wear and actually like.

are you experiencing any skin issues on your body and trying any products? keep track of the issue and how the products are doing.

if you don’t already have one, brainstorm workout routines and general wellness/fitness goals.

what are your fav body products? what products did you buy, and hate? TRACK THEM!

any detoxes/diets you’re doing should be recorded in this section.

record “beauty enhancing” foods and drinks here. mine include matcha, lemon water and acv shots.

fashion

outfit planning! take pics of pieces you already have and clip them out. (i’m doing this currently and keeping them all in a little pocket in my binder).

make a moodboard of your personal style(s). how do you want your closet to look? try to see what details, colors, additions are consistent throughout. when shopping, these are what you should keep track of.

print out your signature clothing color palette if you want to have one.

dedicate a page to accessories you have/want, and how you’d style them.

*this can be expensive but the fashion girls will prob love this* go to the fabric store and buy little swatches that you like. take note of what the fabric is and why you like it.

dedicate a page to all your signature details. all the little specific things that scream YOU and NO ONE else! that means do not write pink, girly, etc. here. that is not exclusive to you, hun.

skincare

take a current filter free photo (make it glam! tie your hair up in a ballerina bun and put on some cute earrings) of the state of your skin. if your skin is perfect, i’m jealous and how does it feel to be god’s fav? if not what problems are you experiencing?

log your current skincare routines and how they’re working.

make a page for your skin type, how it feels when you wake up and how it feels and looks by the end of the day and research tips to deal with your personal skin type.

skincare wishlist! list any products you wanna try and what they are for. sample them from ulta or sephora if it’s possible.

dedicate a page to the skincare ingredients your skin loves the MOST! mine are retinol, bha, and vitamin c.

i have a page for all the extra cute little skincare devices i want. on it there’s a stainless steel gua sha, an ice pack, facial steamer, and pink foreo.

hair

what’s your hair type, density, porosity and curl pattern?

write down any hair goals you have. mine is frizz free tailbone length caramel brown hair with honey blonde highlights by the end of this year.

what’s your signature hairstyle? do you have a signature? brainstorm here.

clip out hairstyle inspo from pinterest and insta and try to recreate all the looks!

what are your fav hair products? i keep track of the best curling creams and leave in conditioners for my hair personally.

take note of any trending products you wanna try.

fragrance

make a moodboard of how you wanna smell. after this, research notes and how they work together.

now track your fav perfumes, your most complimented, etc.

note what fragrances go with what occasion and how they make you feel.

make your perfume wishlist! my fav part!

nails

swatch all your polishes. label them and their finish.

what’s your signature/go to nail look?

do you have any pics of your fav mani + pedis? print them out and write the details you loved the most.

write down your at home mani and pedi routine and it’s frequency.

write your fav colors and styles to wear on your nails. mine are glittery pink, pale pink, white, cream, french tip and pink frenchie. a hyper girly twist on the classics.

treatments/procedures

take note of any surgeries or procedures you want done and what they do.

anything you leave the house to have done regularly, keep track here.

don’t limit yourself! forget your budget! what are some high maintenance treatments you wanna experience? manifest it.

references

write down the sources of which you find great info for beauty and fashion

keep addresses of your fav salons and spas.

keep business contacts of your fav estheticians, stylists, nail techs, etc.

use my branding yourself guide to assist in your beauty binder! so much inspo and so many good resources! 🎀

[wombywoo]

Hello!!

I wanted to ask if you would be willing to share how you go about finding the references for the injuries you depict in your work? Your pieces where the CoD boys are sporting injuries, fresh and old, are always so lifelike and to my untrained eye seem entirely medically correct.

I have been trying my hand at drawing the boys retired and resting as well, but I’m finding it difficult to decide what work injuries to add and how to find the respective references.

How do you decide what injuries to portray? And how do you go about finding the reference material?

Your huge fan, amustikas

Oooh ok ok! I'm gonna post my answer publically because I think others would find this interesting too!

To preface, I am definitely NOT a medical professional, and as such, a lot of the stuff I choose to depict in my art is not so much..ah, medically accurate as it is....aesthetically pleasing 🤭

I'll start with scars, as a lot of us enjoy slashing up Simon's face with them, lol. Generally, I'll do a cursory google image search for the type of scar I'm looking for (be warned, these can be graphic) with searches like 'burn scar' 'surgery scar' etc. But I find that for things like cuts and lacerations, real-life scars are a bit innocuous and lame 🤷‍♀️ Unfortunately not everyone's skin wants to retain that perfect slash look™️😔

So what I usually end up referencing are costume prosthetic scars ✨

As you can see, they're pretty gnarly:

And you definitely don't have to go this intense, but I find that the dramatic, carved-like appearance of these translate better to art than a realistically healed wound 🤙

The other thing to consider is the prevalence of injuries in the military. From what I've gathered, the most common will be back/shoulder/limb injuries, just a general fucking up of the whole musculoskeletal system in general due to constant overuse 🤕 Hearing loss, shrapnel/blast/burn injuries are also common, as well as all the negative psychological effects :') goooood times (not)

I think it's neat to look up real-life examples of these things, but it can get a bit intense if you're squeamish...

SafeSearch is OFF, the horrors are REal 😳

So yeah...I tend to tone things down, all things considered...😅

For this particular piece:

I researched broken humerus injuries and treatment 👍 Poor boy 🥺(Yes, I am aware that I consumed entire articles and did a shit ton of research about this just to go ahead and put a female's x-ray in this fucking picture sdfghjkl rip💀😭)

But here you can see the actual process for applying the brace for this particular injury:

Neat, eh?

When I draw Johnny with a knee brace, it's usually a real authentic one you can buy on amazon:

Product placement blast!!!💥✨ Bezos, where is my cut?? 🫰

As for ones like this:

I tend to just...scatter some wounds around and patch them up accordingly, lol. Bruising around the eyes is common with any head injury, and surgical stitching will offer a nice puckered skin effect mmm 👌 (I swear I'm normal abt this)

I'm sure the medical malpractice lawsuits are stacking up for me now, but again--it's usually more about the ✨visuals✨

My parting advice would be--go nuts! Feel free to maim and mutilate and mangle to your heart's content 🥰

Thank you for the question, Amustikas! I love your art as well 💗🫶

[robertreich]

How Amazon Is Ripping You Off

Shopping on Amazon? Stop! Watch this first.

Amazon is the world’s biggest online retailer. This one single juggernaut of a company is responsible for nearly 40% of all online sales in America. In an FTC lawsuit, they’re accused of using their mammoth size, and consumers’ dependence on them, to artificially jack up prices as high as possible, while prohibiting sellers on Amazon from charging lower prices anywhere else.

They’re accused of using a secret algorithm, codenamed "Project Nessie," to charge customers an estimated extra $1 billion dollars,

If this isn’t an abuse of power that hurts consumers, what is? So much for all of those “prime” deals you thought you were getting.

Project Nessie isn’t the only trick Amazon has been accused of using to exert its hulking dominance over the online retail industry — leading to higher prices for you.

Much of the FTC’s antitrust lawsuit centers around the treatment of independent merchants who sell items on Amazon’s online superstore — accounting for 60 percent of Amazon's sales.

Amazon allegedly uses strongarm tactics that force these sellers to keep their prices higher than they need to be. Like barring them from selling products for significantly less at other stores — or else risk being hidden in Amazon’s search results or having their sales stopped entirely.

And Amazon is accused of engaging in pay-to-play schemes and charging merchants excessive fees that end up costing you even more.

Independent sellers are effectively forced to pay Amazon to advertise their products prominently in search results. If they don’t fork over cash, then their products get buried underneath products of companies who do. This hurts sellers but also harms shoppers who have to parse through less relevant products that may be more expensive or lower quality.

And to be eligible for the coveted “Prime” badge on their items — which is considered crucial for competing on the platform — independent sellers are pushed into paying Amazon for additional services like warehousing and shipping, even if they could get those services cheaper elsewhere. If sellers forgo trying to qualify for Prime, their goods apparently become harder for customers to find.

When all of these extra fees are added up, Amazon takes around a 50 percent cut of each sale made by a third party. It’s projected that Amazon will earn around $125 billion from collecting fees in the U.S. in 2023, most of which get passed on to you.

By charging all of these extra fees and stifling independent companies from selling their products for less elsewhere, Amazon is using its dominance to essentially set prices for all consumers across the internet.

And when you combine Amazon’s control of ecommerce with all of the other industries it has entered by gobbling up companies — such as Whole Foods, One Medical, and MGM — you’re left with a behemoth that simply has too much power.

This is all part of a much larger problem of growing corporate dominance in America. In over 75% of U.S. industries, fewer companies now control more of their markets than they did twenty years ago.

The lack of competition and consumer choice has resulted in all of us paying more for goods because corporations like Amazon can raise their prices with impunity. By one estimate, corporate concentration has cost the typical American household $5,000 a year more than they would have spent if markets were truly competitive.

This power isn’t just being used to siphon more money from you. A giant corporation has the power to bust unions, keep workers’ wages low, and funnel money into our political system.

It’s a vicious cycle, making giant corporations more and more powerful.

But under the Biden administration, the government is making a strong effort to revive antitrust law and use its power to reign in big corporations that have grown too powerful.

We must stop the monopolization of America. This FTC lawsuit against Amazon is a great start.

[max1461]

This has mostly disappeared from my corner of the internet over the last few years, but it used to be the case that every once in a while some story would go around about a corporation or a government doing some fucked up shit in pursuit of their self-interest, and people in the comments and reblogs would act utterly aghast that said government or corporation would do such a thing.

This was always baffling to me, and I have only ever been able to interpret it as a sign of profound naivety. Of course, I too think it is awful, sad, and unjust when people are exploited, killed, abused or so on by the institutions of our society. But "aghastness" is not synonymous with these things, to be aghast is to be (or present yourself as) in some sense surprised. And surprise is wholly unwarranted here.

I suppose this is part of my worldview that feels very fundamental, it feels deeply obvious, and I struggle to figure out how to talk productively with people who did not get the memo: exploitation and abuse of others in pursuit of self-interest is in some sense the natural behavior of agents in any kind of competitive context. It requires a lot of effort and coordination to mitigate this behavior. We do not feel "aghast" when someone is bitten by a dog. Dogs bite people, idiot! And corporations exploit their workers, lie, cheat, and steal, unless you work very hard to prevent them from doing so. And governments exploit and neglect their citizens, and go to war and kill and maim, unless you work very hard to prevent them from doing so. Individual humans, as members of a social species for which cooperation is paramount to survival, have quite a lot of specific programming whose purpose seems to be to discourage us from doing these things (empathy, loyalty, etc. etc.), and yet very often we still do them!

I have relatives who have a hard time believing in US atrocities abroad, on the grounds that "Americans are the good guys, and the US just wouldn't do that". This is very stupid! Do you think the US got where it is today without cracking some eggs? Bullshit. There's never been a government or a military in the history of humanity that "just wouldn't do that". I sometimes see posts on here from tankies, defending Chinese or Soviet atrocities on the grounds that these things must be Western propaganda, a socialist government just wouldn't do that. Again, I find this so obviously false as to be essentially beneath engaging with. We don't live in a just world! Often, a very effective strategy for achieving whatever it is you're trying to achieve will involve treating people like shit. It is what it is.

I'm not trying to play defense for injustice here. Obviously I think we should do as much as we can to prevent these abuses. But I think that doing so must start with basic recognition of the following: it is the nature of institutions—being as competition between them is essentially unavoidable, and being as their decision processes are unavoidably removed from the face-to-face social context which is so load-bearing in motivating respectful treatment between individual humans—to abuse people in pursuit of their (perceived) self-interest. This behavior is mundane and expected. It can be mitigated in various ways, ideological and structural, but it will probably always be with us to some degree. To look at it and express shock in any capacity suggests a completely misguided understanding of how the world works.

This is the first and most important thing I ever learned about politics or society.

[i-want-men-i-cant-have]

Got impatient waiting for Min Ho fan fiction so i made one in a minute

I hate it. I want it to burn. But here 🥰🫴

No pronouns used

Gif by @showgifs

Imagine trying to find some skin care products your friend recommended so you go to the nearest beauty shop by your dorm.

You walk in and look around for the skin care for a while staring at the link your friend sent you. Your gaze flickers from the photo of the cream back to the shelves wondering if it was even at this store. The workers asked you if you were alright but you nod and give them a smile saying you were fine.

After thirty minutes of loitering you decide to leave thinking you were unlucky in choosing the location. Before you could step out you feel a tight grip on your wrist and you turn back to see a handsome stranger in a white hoodie and some gray jeans. He seemingly glares at you looking you up and down and muttering words in Korean under his breath.

Before you could even understand what was happening he started dragging you throughout the store mumbling things under his breath like, “This can help with acne,” while placing seemingly random products in your basket. “Best treatment for blackheads and pores,” a nose strip gets placed in.

You protest trying to pull your wrist away and try to explain you won't be able to pay for the basket that seems like it could overflow if you keep walking with him. “Stop complaining. You're going to get wrinkles.” He grabbed an anti-aging cream this time and turned around to look you up and down again. You felt self-conscious under his gaze wondering if you should have tried harder with your outfit even if it was the weekend.

“Did you even try waking up in the morning?” He asked you with a tone that sounded like you woke up just to annoy him. You tried to hold back a scoff and discussed face at his words.

You can't even respond before he drags you to the cashier and looks at you with a raised brow.

“I’m sorry, but I can't pay for it.” You apologize for looking at the two zeros after the $34. “It’s too expensive anyways. I’m sorry for wasting your ti-”

“Stop apologizing.” He scoffs, flipping out his card from his wallet. He doesn't bat an eye as he places it in the register.

“No-! You really don't have to do that. Let me repay you somehow.” You tell him but something in your gut told you to let him pay for it and run with all the skincare you had no idea how to use.

“Who said I wasn't going to let you repay me?” He replied with a snarky voice. The cashier placed the jars, tubes, small cardboard boxes, and any other products he bought for you in a bag.

“It could take a while but I can get you the money-”

“7:30 pm tomorrow at the new French restaurant. Don't be late.” He turns around and starts to leave the shop. “I’m Min Ho. You don’t need to be afraid to follow me on insta. I have that effect on people.” You can hear a cocky laugh leave his lips as the automatic glass door closes leaving you staring at his retreating feature.

Maybe you should go shopping for a cute outfit today as well.

[nenelonomh]

how to properly wash your face

this post is a bit of a spinoff from my last post, 'how you can reduce acne'. read it here.

now, properly washing your face has many benefits, such as:

removing buildup washing your face clears away dirt, oil and other unwanted debris, preventing clogged pores and acne breakouts.

boosting hydration regular cleansing can help to maintain proper hydration levels, which keeps the skin smooth.

maintaining clear skin it helps to manage the production of sebum and supports proper pore size, contributing to clearer skin.

enhancing the effectiveness of products clean skin allows for better absorption of skincare products like moisturizers and treatments.

promoting healthy skin by removing impurities and maintaining hydration, face washing contributes to overall skin health.

here's some steps, how to properly wash your face:

start by removing any makeup with a gentle makeup remover or micellar water. it's important to remove makeup because clean skin absorbs skincare products better, making them more effective. never, and i repeat NEVER wear makeup to bed. this will lead to breakouts and acne. your skin needs time to breathe.

2. wet your face with warm water. using hot water can strip your skin of natural oils and cold water isn't as effective at cleaning.

3. use a gentle, non-abrasive cleanser suitable for your skin type and apply it to your face in a circular motion. make sure to be gentle. avoid scrubbing your skin harshly as this can cause irritation.

4. rinse off the cleanser completely with warm water.

5. pat your face dry with a clean towel. i use a face washer (which is like a tiny, thin towel) and change it every 2-3 uses. do not rub when you are drying your face, as this can irritate the skin.

6. apply a moisturizer suitable for your skin type to keep your skin hydrated. personally, i only use moisturizer in the mornings, mixing it with my sunscreen. at nighttime, i prefer to just wash my face and if i have pimples, i will apply a spot treatment.

(images are from pinterest)

[ronearoundblindly]

Which of the guys would be open to participate in a self care/spa day with you? 🛁🫧💅

This one I separated into categories for who genuinely enjoys, stands it for you, or only allows it when a daughter wants to play (and no, that's not with you, but 'he' just needs worn way down to allow it). No warnings but I bet you'll find some surprises...

Truly Finds Joy In Self-Care

Ransom Drysdale, Johnny Storm, Jake Jensen, and Lloyd Hansen

I think we all know that Ransom and Lloyd are preening, pretty bois, so this should come as no surprise to anyone. Ransom is more private with his beauty regimen, but he's not above paying good money to visit a fancy spa. Lloyd has entirely too much fun showing off how callus/indifferent he is by, ya know, ordering people's death by phone while a clay mask detoxes his pores, etc. He is also heavily critical of what products he will use again (i.e. if grittiness stuck in his mustache or if an exfoliant irritated his fresh shave).

Johnny and Jake are playful about it; Jake likes the process of relaxing more than Johnny. Jake nerds out on the chemical properties of ingredients. Johnny teases you about the frou-frou-ness of it all the whole time, HOWEVER, he is also the one who enjoys a foot massage more than any other character. Falls asleep within two damn minutes. It's bizarre and sort of endearing.

Would Do It To Please You

James Mace, Curtis Everett, and Steve Rogers

Curtis can make do with a bar of soap and a hot bath; that's really the pinnacle of indulgent care to him, but he knows you love the various face masks and lotions. He is highly amused by cucumber slices on his eyes but hates cucumber water (any infusion really, just drink some juice ffs). La Croix is better used to get blood out of this clothes than to drink. He thinks it's nasty.

Like Jake, Mace will dissect what ingredients will actually be beneficial and which products are just snake oil. He takes pride in helping you choose the best things to use or spend your time on. Mace is, unfortunately, the most practical man, and he will flat out refuse to indulge you if he has something else he needs to focus on.

Steve is a bit strange about this one. He love, love, loves for you to pamper yourself, but he will participate very reluctantly. He grew up being fawned over like a delicate doll, received treatment after treatment--often to no effect,--and even resorted to some of those far-fetched, home remedies for various ailments. Yes, his mom was a nurse and a woman of science. Yes, he did follow doctors' advice whenever they offered a useful solution. But also, yes, he was so sick with so many things for so long that he tried everything.

Steve associates a lot of self-care 'treatments' with being ill...which he is not...not anymore. Please, do not get him started on essential oils. You think he lectures as Cap? Hoo boy...

Begrudgingly Is A Daughter's Palette

Jimmy Dobyne, Ari Levinson, and Bucky Barnes

For Jimmy, there's just some stuff you do for your kids simply because they're your kids, and playing with makeup or face mask, nail polish or hair clips, and even every product around the rim of the tub is one of those things.

Ari and Bucky get roped into plaiting practice since they have some length of hair to braid, but these two do not sit still well. They each find sneaky ways to let their girls enjoy spa stuff while they do not have to. Your daughter can get a little manicure while he gets a haircut or shave. That's about the extent of their 'enjoyment.'

As for why they won't participate with you specifically? Jimmy, Ari, and Bucky all consider spa/self-care to be a thing you should do with your girl friends (or your daughters, hint hint). These three place a heavy value on you keeping up those fun relationships with others. They also know that when the ladies do a spa day, the men folk are free to meet up for something else, like sports or drinking or both.

Thank you for asking!

[Main Masterlist; 'Who Would' Ask List; Ko-Fi]

[johannestevans]

hi, unless i’m imaging things i think you’ve mentioned having written an article about different treatments for vaginal atrophy. do you have a link?

Hey there, Anon!

I have a big, exhaustive guide to vaginal and vulvar stimulation, and I do discuss the impact of vaginal atrophy and a few options toward treating it, but it doesn't go into specific detail.

Vaginal atrophy is caused by decreased estrogen production, and effectively what happens is that the soft, wet tissue on the inside of your vagina - the parts that are formed of mucous membranes - become thinner and dryer. This can lead to pain during sex, difficulty getting sufficiently loose or lubricated for penetration, and it can make the skin there tear a lot more easily, because when it's thinner it's less flexible and has less support from the surrounding tissues, not to mention the increased friction from lack of lubrication.

It's important to remember that while we're at our wettest during sexual arousal, the inside of the vagina - much like the head of the penis inside the foreskin - should always be a little bit wet. That wetness is really important to the vagina performing its regular activities, keeping itself clean and healthy, and not receiving too much friction just from things like walking around.

Even your rectum has important mucous inside it to keep things running a bit more smoothly and to ensure it's never too dry, and this is why too many enemas in a short period can be bad for your anal and rectal health, and your anus is a lot more closed naturally than your vagina, you know?

While more lube during sex is often the first thing people bring up in response to vaginal dryness, that's actually only one facet of potential issues - for people who are on T, for people going through menopause, for people who for whatever reason have an E deficiency or insufficient E in this area, it can cause other problems too - your vaginal canal might get a bit shorter, muscle weakness in the area (especially of the pelvic floor) can make you need to pee more often and more urgently, you might have some spotting, abdominal pain, uncomfortable or burning sensations when urinating.

In combination with the fact that vaginal atrophy can make you more prone to injury, your bacterial flora can be thrown out of whack by this process too, and these are really really important to maintaining a healthy vagina, producing appropriate amounts of discharge, but also to fighting off infection - vaginal atrophy is also associated with recurrent UTIs and other infections.

So, what can we do?

Firstly, pelvic floor exercises are unbelievably helpful, and everyone should be doing them regularly, regardless of gender or genital make-up.

Here's an NHS guide """for women""" but it mostly doesn't use any gendered language for your actual body parts:

These exercises will help strengthen your pelvic floor, and strengthening these muscles will not only help with stuff like potential urinary incontinence or give you a tighter grip that you can better control during penetration (more control in this area can also help you if you're prone to reflexive tightness under stress, e.g. with vaginismus), but when those muscles are stronger and have more density to them, they provide more support to the surrounding area, which can help blood flow and give more structure to the tissues we're trying to support.

Secondly, as well as good lubricants, there also exist vaginal moisturizers - depending on the extent of your atrophy and how much it's a problem (it might be worse, for example, at some points of the month than others), these might help - you apply them every few days and they help your vagina maintain its lubrication.

If pelvic floor exercises and lube and moisturizer isn't helping, your next step is different forms of estrogen - your medical provider will need to tell you what's available in your area and to you particularly, but there's honestly all sorts.

You can get topical estrogen gels and creams that you smear inside the vagina, you can get suppositories that you insert and are then absorbed, you can get rings that you insert and then stay in place for a few months, slowly releasing E over time.

If you're using testosterone, it's more likely that your medical provider would suggest these latter than taking E orally - the great thing about these topical applications is that the E stays very localised to your pelvic region where you need it, much like when you get an IUS and the progesterone stays relatively localised. Taking E orally, you're introducing estrogen to your whole system, and depending on your current hormone cocktail, it might be harder to figure out dosage and effect, especially over time.

If your medical provider hears you're experiencing vaginal atrophy and, if you say that lube and moisturizer aren't sufficient, they immediately suggest moving to vaginal dilators or pain killers, or if they talk about easing your "discomfort" during sex (especially with a presumed male partner) without talking about pleasure or satisfaction, or especially if you've brought up vaginal atrophy for reasons other than sex and their priority immediately jumps to the imaginary partner they want you to be satisfying, I would recommend getting a new medical provider as soon as possible, and probably telling that one to shut the fuck up.

Many doctors, as we know, are scumbags, but some particularly cunty ones' automatic focus for someone with a vagina is that you're providing sex to your (cishet male) partner - they automatically focus less on your pleasure or satisfaction, let alone your health, and more on the idea of reducing pain you're experiencing enough that you'll let that partner fuck you as much as they desire to.

This is not a medical provider that has your best interests at heart, and if they don't afford you humanity in this area, I would have doubts as to others.

If you're having difficulty with a medical provider, I would always, always advise:

Bringing a chaperone with you. You're entitled to a chaperone, you can always bring one, a lot of the time they'll want to say a chaperone can stay out of the room "for your comfort/privacy" but for your comfort and safety, you can also bring them in with you. A chaperone might be a friend or family member or partner, and they don't even need to say anything a lot of the time - just having a witness there can make a medical provider think twice about bullying a patient. I've served as a medical chaperone for quite a few friends, especially because I'm a thin white man, and even as a faggot, doctors humanise me slightly more than they do friends of mine who are perceived as women, who are POC, who are fat, etc.

Ask your doctor the reasoning behind denying a course of treatment, and ask them to document that they are refusing treatment at this time. Once they write it down, it becomes something that's documented and that they can't deny in court, which tends to make them a bit more flexible.

Don't be afraid to go into the doctor having done a bit of your own research. Doctors will tell you not to google things as many doctors have fragile egos and become nervous at empowered patients - with particularly egotistic doctors, you can always phrase your research in the form of questions to make them feel like you're appropriately aggrandising them. "Are there suppositories for this, or creams? Could my UTIs be related to my vaginal dryness? My mother mentioned vaginal atrophy during her menopause, but I didn't really understand what it was. Could you explain? Could that be me?"

Cisgender women are generally better doctors than cisgender men (statistically, despite being underpaid and underrepresented), but obviously cisgender people are often... very cisgender, and cisgender women can be even more painfully cisgender than cisgender men. Most providers won't bat an eyelid at you requesting a female doctor over a male one for a gynecological concern, but you can't go around asking for the most clocky doctor they've got in the back.

What you can do if you're having trouble at your GP is look for your local GUM (Genito-Urinary Medicine) clinic, and see if they'd see you and talk to you about vaginal atrophy - I know several trans people who work as nurses and practitioners in the GUM field, and in general, GUM practitioners will be way more chill about this field.

Unlike your GP, there's no chance of them getting flustered, nervous, or religiously conservative about sex or genitalia, and GUM practitioners are often more chill about queer, trans, and intersex patients because they already see us a lot more, whether because queer people are more on-the-ball about STI testing, or just because many of us enter sex work, and they're more likely to see sex workers. The benefit of this, though, is that you're almost certainly not going to be their first or only patient with x or y element of your body or identity, which can mean they humanise you a bit better and are generally less shit.

I hope that helps, Anon!

[black-lake]

astro observations 6

Heyyy, here's another observation. ☆ This is a lighthearted one, I hope so. I've done so many hard aspects/healing observations ik, and so lets have fun with this one! This post focuses on the ascendant and physical traits, but anything that comes to mind really. 🦚 🦚

Highlights: ascendant, virgo, gemini, leo, aquarius, pisces, all risings, moon, saturn, neptune, uranus, pluto, celebrity ascendants, degrees.

------

🐉 If something happens to your teeth or jaw, check your Saturn transits or solar return. You may get braces or aligners during a significant saturn aspect transit. Check the transits if any bones you have start acting up. You may feel like getting cosmetic treatment, surgery or anything of that kind. Stepping up your aesthetic game. I got my aligners during multiple saturn conjunction transits, a pain in all aspects of life lol, wasn't expecting less from it. It's a good time to break and restructure solid things in general, in your life, body, and mind, it will have a lasting effect.

🐉 If you have ascendant-pluto aspect transit or in your solar return, especially ascendant conjunct pluto, you may change many things in your looks/aesthetics. You could fix something you wanted to fix in your appearance, change your wardrobe, your style, dye your hair, or go through a major glow up. You could also change the way you express yourself and show up to the world. Any aspect of your ascendant will undergo some kind of transformation, even the way you view yourself.

🐉 Virgo risings are easy to spot for me, they have small features that are defined but soft, think Emma Watson, Timothée Chalamet, Chris Jenner, Kurt Cobain, and Emma Chamberlain (which I believe is a virgo rising not approved, but the vibes are strong). They kind of have a perfect look yet they don't care about it, cuz idealists ya know. They are effing beautiful. They want to appear natural, remember. Sometimes I notice they talk about doing the least to their appearance and keeping their natural hair/beauty, even tho it is so evident that they take good care of themselves and that takes effort and time. But they also do it effortlessly. If you compliment their natural beauty you are a keeper. Never tell them they're trying too hard, ouch. They care about using natural/vegan products, and encourage others to do so. Again Mercury influence does give off a swag vibe, wether in how they dress or appear, cool girl next door, fast talker, intelligent af, sweet but honest, hard worker. They dress in a professional, comfortable and clean way.

(I can't decide, but it might be my fav rising, y'all win).

🐉 Gemini risings look much like Virgo risings, their features are small and elf-like. But they are harder to spot imo. They have morso a fluid look, not giving too much feminine nor masculine energy or mannerism. They can be soft, but can be many other things at once. Their skin looks youthful. They have charming smiles. They are easy to spot not in the face but with how much long and flexible their body is, especially hands and feet lol. (trust me I'm a Gemini rising, hypermobility at its finest). They move kind of effortlessly fast. Their vibe is childlike, dechated, swag, quick, nonchalant, noncommittal, and intelligent. They can and want to change their aesthetics, but the quick wit and youthfulness are always there. Their fashion style is casual, trendy, may like to wear silver jewelleries and chains. The way they match their clothes and create completely different looks everytime makes them trendsetters. They dress in the way they want to talk, like their communication influences their style. They move their hands a lot and they may get compliment on their hands. 

🐉 Leo risings of course, with the typical hair like a lion's mane, thick and beautiful. But I noticed it doesn't have to be that, there's just something striking about it for no reason sometimes, like the hair is brown but never boring brown, it's shiny or has many shades in it, either way it catches attention. They have noticeable and gorgeous smiles. With the Leo Aquarius axis, their looks can be very individualistic, like there isn't something particular in the face that give it away, their features are simply just them. But with the Sun influence, it brightens an aspect of their physical looks, like bright hazel eyes, natural sun-kissed highlights or skin, warm complections. They like to appear confident and in charge. They want to be seen for whatever they value. They dress in a glamorous, colorful way, depending on other placements of course. e.g. Blake Lively, Vanessa Hudgens, Justin Timberlake, Selena Gomez.

🐉 Other risings that are easy to spot for me are Capricorn, the sharp jaw, bone structure, big straight teeth, and prominent collarbones. Their model-like features and calm unbothered aura makes them trendsetters. Aries, very bold but in a youthful and childlike way (whichever is dominant depends on other placements), athletic bodies, something masculine about them. They dress in colorful or sometimes just dark clothes. The way they match clothes makes them different, bold trendsetters. Scorpio, the darker hair and shadows in their face, their gaze, overall intense vibes. They can have the dark aesthetic look, tights, skirts, bold makeup. The way they give off the idgaf look and also their sultry energy makes them trendsetters. Cancer, round face, full feminine bodies, dimples. They dress comfortably, baggy clothes and comfy fabrics, light-colored clothes, feminine dresses that compliment their bodies. They can be trendsetters with the naturally cute vibes they have, but if other outer planet aspects support it, like uranus and neptune.

🐉 Now Aquarius and Pisces risings are tricky, sometimes I get them right sometimes I'm surprised to find out. Aquarius can have a distinctive look and features that are just simply them, so it would be hard to guess based on just that. The hair, face shape, spaced-out and bright eyes, distinctive features, lean body and sometimes brighter skin can stand out. But again rather than features, it's the vibe and mannerism that I notice right away, they can be unconventional in the way they dress. They of course set the trends with their originality. It's so easy for me to spot aquarius placements in general, but rising is tricky. They appear intelligent and friendly, sometimes rebellious and too individualistic or both. They have an innocent and nonchalant charm. 

🐉 Pisces risings are somewhat easier to spot, because their features tend to be noticeably dreamy, watery, big and again very spaced-out eyes, even looking high lol. Can have downturned, sanpaku eyes or a striking eye color. They have milky smooth skin and small teeth. They give off a flirty yet innocent look with their slow but smooth expression. They kinda look like they've been daydreaming for the past 7 hours. Now the way they present themselves is the tricky one for me, even the way they dress, it can be changeful and meld into other inner placements. Like they might dress boldly if they have aries or fire somewhere, or dress casually and trendy if they have air. Whatever they dress like, it's always unique and inspiring. Major trendsetters because they give off an immaculate and irreplaceable vibe. They can also look like anyone's dream, or create their own dream appearance that becomes iconic, especially if they have neptune-ascendant aspects. 

🐉 The harder ones to guess for me are Sagittarius and the Venusian risings, Libra and Taurus. I don't know whether it's because I don't have these signs in my chart or that I haven't met many venusian people in general. Taurus risings have this natural earthy beauty, that doesn't seem to age. Their face has a glow, full lips, healthy looking skin, naturally beautiful hair, distinctive face shape. Their style is comfortable but luxurious. They choose their fabrics with attention. Natural expression, giving the I don't have to try hard. For Libra they tend to look kind, treat people well and smile a lot I noticed. They again don't seem to age. They have balanced features that just work well together and create a beautiful look. They like to dress in a girly and classy way. They want to appear likable, so they look like they're extra, trying hard. Not the type to create trends but follow them but won't go unnoticed. Sagittarius risings dress in whatever way makes them feel free, positive and alive. Their style can have bright colors, flowy clothing, suits that are never boring, and accessories. They have unique hairstyles and hair colors and they change their style a lot.

🐉 A reminder that you won’t look 100% your Ascendant ever, other placements and aspects do influence the look a great deal. Sometimes the ascendant isn't even apparent in your physical look or expression because other placements are dominant in the mix, especially if you have planets conjunct or oppose the ascendant, major aspects to personal planets, or you have a stellium in a different sign. Your venus and mars and their degrees are especially important. e.g. Kendall Jenner gives me strong Scorpio vibes in the way she expresses herself and dresses, even though she only has sun in scorpio but has Aries moon and ascendant, and a lot of sagittarius. She has venus conjunct pluto and venus, pluto, and mars 10° in the 8th house so scorpio and pluto is the dominant energy for her. Her style is a mix of scorpio, capricorn and aries. She has a minimalistic but polished style, prefers daker/neutral colors (scorpio sun and capricorn mc at 8°). But she still has the aries and sagittarius playful influence, yet not as strong. Even her house gives me strong capricorn and scorpio vibes and a bit of aries. 

🐉 Another example is Ariana Grande, she doesn’t dress so much like a Capricorn rising. She has taurus venus in 4th, libra moon, neptune and uranus conjunct ascendant, scorpio MC with pluto 10th, mars 8th, and cancer sun and mercury. All of this influences the way she dresses, but the venusian signs, cancer, scorpio, neptune and uranus influence is strong. Let's break it down. Her style is comfortable and girly, oversized sweaters and heels, pink and lavender colors (taurus venus in 4th, sun and mercury in cancer, libra moon). Flirty dresses, short skirts and knee-high boots, wanting to appear sexy in her video clips and many of her looks, her social media having a dark aesthetic, (scorpio MC, pluto 10th and mars in the 8th). The way she expresses herself is very known to the public, the iconic long high ponytail and long boots style being her brand which many people try to copy (neptune conjunct ascendant at 0°). Again her aesthetic is distinctives and unique (uranus conjunct ascendant at 0°). Her style wouldn’t be a big deal if she didn't have major outer planets influence. Now the capricorn ascendant still comes out in the way she works extremely hard, cares about her money and reputation, is professional with people, knows how to lead and make good business decisions. And of course, her face shape, sharp long jaw, prominent teeth and collarbones scream cap rising. 

🐉 Moon conjunct Saturn can give downturned or sleepy eyes. Now this is especially true if there are other earth placements, especially moon, or other strong saturn aspects. Wise looking eyes, mature look, commanding respect because they earned it, they likely went through a lot. Grounded and down to earth, trustworthy, hard working and serious. e.g. George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Emma Chamberlain, Timothée Chalamet. 

🐉 Moon conjunct/opposite Jupiter is a great manifestation aspect. Of course if you are aware of it, work on it, and develop it continuously. But there are other manifestation aspects I noticed. Jupiter and Neptune aspecting NN, Mercury conjunct/opposite Jupiter/Saturn/Uranus or Neptune. Venus aspecting Moon/Jupiter/Neptune especially conjunctions/oppositions. Sun or moon conjunct/opposite Jupiter/Saturn. Pallas or Vesta conjunct/opposite inner planets or Neptune and Uranus. Doesn’t mean that individuals with these aspects get things easily, it just means that if you are conscious and make efforts things are very possible. 

🐉 One aspect I wish I had is Mars or Mercury conjunct/opposite Uranus and Neptune. The artistic talents these aspects give, man it's a huge blessing if you have it, work with it. Two magical and colorful outer planets (neptune and uranus) joining your mind and body personal planets (mercury and mars) is a huge blessing imo. Could give talents in dancing, performing, writing, acting, inventing things, many varieties. And actually it makes the individual multi-talented. I do have mars square both uranus and neptune, and mercury sextile neptune, but the conjunctions are so powerful. 

🐉 A cardinal sign at 0° is an important placement. I heard Pam Gregory once say that a 0° of a cardinal sign and within two degrees of both sides (28°, 29° mutable and 1°, 2° cardinal) is on the world axis or a critical public point. How this will manifest depends on the planet and the house it's in. I have a 0° aries Mercury in the 11th and I find it fascinating to observe because when I think about it, it already went through Pisces the last sign of the zodiac and 29° the last degree of the cycle, it ended both the sign and degree cycles and it's completely new, it's really interesting!

🐉 You won't feel like the planet acts completely like the sign it's in. The 0° doesn’t just have the fresh energy of the sign but the wisdom of the previous sign and remembers it vividly, because the cycle wrapped not long ago. It's not like "new" and "unadvanced" at all. It has an important thing to share with the world, but it's on a new journey of discovery with the sign it's in. So in my case, it needs to develop the qualities of that sign (aries) in order to share the wisdom it already possesses (pisces) with the new attitude it has (aries). I felt like I grew into my 0° aries mercury eventually, saying exactly what's on my mind without hesitation. At first it felt like my communication style wasn't discovered yet, I would hesitate, until someone pisses me off then I go off on them lol. My words become honest and cut throat. But it does feel like I have some of that pisces mercury energy sometimes, speaking with metaphors and symbols, being compassionate, talking softly, and in two minutes I'm already screaming, like fight me lol. The aries energy can act on impulse when angry, I can cut people off if they hurt me, thinking I don't need no one, this is where we work to develop the sign. 

🐉 The way I think about it in general, 0° of a sign means that just before you were born, the planet already ended a 29° cycle of the previous sign. You gained wisdom through trials and errors and now have the new energy of the current sign. You have to share what you learned with the world. In the 0° cardinal example, and within two degrees both sides, it's more public, like the information can spread widely. It should develop and use the assertive energy of the cardinal sign the planet is in (aries, cancer, libra, capricorn) and initiate action somehow. Keep in mind that you will have similar energy with the mutable 28° and 29° (gemini, virgo, sagittarius and pisces) since it's almost already the end of a cycle, it's like going through your final test, so time to use and share your talents and knowledge. The difference here is with the 28° and 29°, you need to use the energy of the sign the planet is in fully and wisely. But with the 0°, 1°, and 2°, you need to develop the new energy as you go and share what you already know using that new energy. Now of course the sign the degree represents should be taken into consideration, e.g. with 28° embodying cancer energy (a caring, nurturing but assertive way), and 29° embodying leo energy (confidently ruling and shining). With 0° you have a lot of freedom to embody and create your own values, still working with the sign it’s in. 

[judasbreed]

sorry for sending a double ask :( i had more ideas for my franco x reader - reagent reader has an odd infatuation with Franco, but they’re not sure why, it’s an itch in the back of their brain and they swear they recognize him from somewhere, maybe reagent reader is from NY too? Easterman always tells us to “forgot any familiar faces” that we see in the sleep room, saying that “they’re a new person now.” I think this has been engraved into our reagent and now our reagent has a blurred line between familiar faces and new faces- hence why they linger around Franco so much because they’re torn between what they’re being conditioned to forget, and their very real memories.

this is so neat! thank you for requesting :D! i deleted your first ask on accident, so if this isnt quite what you wanted please let me know!

Franco Barbi with an Infatuated Reader

Ever since your first trial together, you hadn't been the same. He had pulled you in like a moth to the flame, and dug his way in to your head, Planting a question which echoed in your brain like a mantra. "Where have I seen him before?"

"Him" referring to the newest prime asset, Franco Barbi. Not any less deranged than the other prime assets- but there was something different about him. Perhaps this was a side effect of the treatment, or something Murkhoff had planted in you when you first arrived, but it had been haunting you for weeks. You had met him before... you could swear it. By design, therapy had left your memories a jumbled mess. Any remnants of your past came to you in short spurts, and you weren't even sure those where real, but Franco... he was so vivid. Something so simple quickly became an obsession for you, and Franco took notice. You where following him around like a dog- weren't you supposed to be running from him? He didn't get it. At first, Franco assumed you had it out for him. He thought you where destroying his product for fun. You'd volunteered for his trials so often, he thought you where just making fun of him. He'd notice how you liked to stare at him, and it'd drive him mad. "The fuck are you lookin' at with that smart fuckin' mug! Do you think you're better than me?" he'd cry, making quick work of you with his lupara. However, Franco wasn't too dumb. Eventually he'd become suspicious. You didn't even try to complete the trial anymore, you just followed him around. To him, this could only mean one thing- You had the hots for him. He wasn't shocked, but it only made him want to toy with you more. He was convinced that you where totally obsessed with him (which wasn't too far from the truth). You'd give anything just to talk with the guy, Surely he'd have the answer for you, but that task was about as difficult as it sounds. Any attempt to question him was met with anger, filth, or the barrel of his lupara. He wasn't taking you seriously. The most you'd gotten out of him was info about his father, but that was only when he was trying to intimidate you. Your obsession would prove to be your demise. Your grades in trials suffered, and the doctors where growing more concerned of your progress, but you didn't really care. Nothing was more important to you than figuring out that whiny manchild. Where have you seen him before?

[ideasarestuckinmyhead]

Caregivers for age regressor Listener HC's

Was wondering if you could do some hcs of the boys (Charlie, Alphonse, Seth and Auron) being caregivers to their age regressor listeners?

When I started this I sent it to the person who asked! So I was able to see if I did it correctly. I hope this post does the ask justice!

Alphonse

Tries to not give in and give you snacks when you ask everytime. Bc you already ate so much but you ask so nicely and he crumbles

Your on a candy limit bc one time he accidently gave u too much in your little space. Hearing you whine about the tummy ache made him feel bad

Color pencils are at his house, and yours. Tries to find cute color pages online if you wanted a specific one when your in little space.

He's right next to you watching the kid cartoons while your snuggling up to your favorite blanket he got u.

Since there isn't a lot of shops in town he gets most of the toys u own online. Making sure to get your input!

When you try and speak in little space you messing up while saying a word has his heart.

He's sitting there trying not to giggle as he watches you whine. Bc you didn't want to take a nap. (But you ended up taking one bc u were sleepy)

Seth

Is panicking if he is doing his part correctly. But chills pit when you tell him he's the best

Is good at telling you no if you kept asking for more snacks after eating too much. Says you'll turn into a snack monster and get tummy aches.

Seth was able to get some plushies for you! There's one you really like and it's a mothman one. You use that when you take a nap in your little space.

Finds weird coloring pages online. Makes sure to stock on coloring utensils bc u make lots of drawings for him. He keeps a lil folder of them.

When putting on cartoons he uses that time to go and prep your snacks for tomorrow. Tries to be productive bc last time he didn't and u cried bc he didn't have the snacks ready.

Loves listening to you ramble about your day. Then go off on how u saw a butterfly and thought of Seth. You messing up your words makes him smile bc it's so cute.

He actually made you a toy one time! It was a wooden one and was happy when you said u liked it.

Charlie

Charlie was lowkey suprised when you trusted him enought to be your caregiver. Now he's panicking trying not to accidently give u a snack u hate. (The long story short? You gave him the silent treatment for like 5 minutes)

Another one who folds when you ask for more snacks. He's trying but the puppy dog eyes are a critical hit to his heart

Has playful arguments with you, one time u told him he was mean (he didn't give u another snack) he said well ur short. You got offended and ignored him for 2 minutes. Then at a later time he gave u gummy bears and u forgave him.

Has a lost of shows u like om his phone. Ranked 1 to 5 bc your fans changes every so often. One time u whined that I didn't want to watch that one the OTHER one! Charlie was searching for 20 minutes and then finally found it.

You have a big hoodie he bought, it's soft and it's your favorite. One time u threw a tantrum bc Charlie had to wash it.

You threw yourself on the couch and cried for a little. Then Charlie gave it back saying 'see? I only needed it for a little I'm sorry honey.'

He tries to get lots of different things for u to play with. You really liked playing cars with him, bc he made silly sound effects for when they crashed.

Auron

Will say no. Don't try puppy eyes he's immune (in his head he's saying don't fold they'll get a tummy ache) he's strict on what he gives u.

Has to be careful on what to buy for u or he says fuck it and buys a lot. So he buys a few toys at a time, like if he's scrolling online and sees one you'll like he'd buy it.

Speaks softly to you bc he knows his voice sounds like he's pissed off 24/7. If you do act bad or get sassy he raises his voice a bit.

Enjoys having you draw on the floor as he gets a couple things done. Complements your drawings as he adds it to a wall he has for u. One of the rooms in the penthouse is a play room for you.

Reads to you when u don't know what to do. His voice sometimes lures you to take a nap so he does it at a specific time. Ends up being a little scheduled for you and if you don't take it you get cranky.

Has a limited screen time for you, since at work your staring at a screen a lot. So he tries to give you like 2 hours, then let's u play with your toys.

When ur in little space ur always clutching on one of his shirts. He had to spray a bit of cologne on it bc 'it needs to smell like youu!' You whine when it doesn't smell like him anymore. He finds it cute and makes sure to resent it at a certain part of the day.

[scientia-rex]

If you don't mind, I saw your post about smoking while on hormones recently and I have a couple questions.

Obviously quiting smoking is better for you in general. But are the adverse effects while on hormones the same for testosterone and estrogen?

Secondly, is this mostly about the nicotine in cigarettes (generally what people mean when they say smoking) or is it about smoking anything at all (weed, vapes, nicotine vapes, etc)?

Thanks!

Good questions and unfortunately I have to say that we don’t have enough solid data for great answers on either.

Testosterone raises risk of heart attack or stroke, in part because it causes an increase in red blood cell production. You might be familiar with blood thinners that can be used to prevent heart attack or stroke; blood thickeners do the opposite. However, this data is nowhere near adequate in the transgender population. I cannot tell you much at all about how dose, method of delivery, duration of treatment, or T levels during treatment affect this long-term risk, especially over decades. The best response to this uncertainty is for trans men and transmasc people on T to protect their cardiac health from all other risks as much as possible.

Which then leads to the question of type of smoke. I would love to be able to offer you conclusive answers on that, but the Feds made it virtually impossible to study marijuana until a couple of years ago, so I can’t tell you whether marijuana is as dangerous as tobacco or not, or whether mode of intake matters. I can tell you that tobacco is bad but that people consistently underestimate the risks of nicotine by itself. Nicotine is the insecticide component of tobacco. It will cause your small blood vessels to contract, decreasing blood flow to critical areas of the body and heart. Nicotine impedes healing—smokers are notoriously bad at healing after surgery to the point where I know multiple surgeons who will literally do a blood test for nicotine metabolites before doing higher risk surgeries. They don’t trust patients to tell them whether they smoked, and they have reason to distrust. You want top or bottom surgery? Quit smoking. Now.

I had an attending once describing to me watching what happened to a woman who had fingers reattached. He warned her that if she ever smoked again, she would lose the fingers. She didn’t believe him and thought just smoking a little would be fine. The fingers necrosed—died—immediately, because those small blood vessels are critical to healing a process like a reattachment or transplant. So then she had open wounds with gangrenous fingers attached to them. Great.

We don’t have long-term health outcomes data on vapes yet but for my money they’re going to turn out to be really bad for you as well. Nicotine is a poison. Your lungs don’t love poison delivery by any mechanism. The combustion products of tobacco are also REALLY FUCKING BAD for creating cancerous mutations in your cells, but don’t inhale poison if you want to live a rewarding life where you get to enjoy doing things you want to do, like fucking. (Erections also depend on blood flow and healthy blood vessels. Treat yours with kindness.)