For those of you who are regular readers of Icaria's, you probably already know that at the moment my Husband is in the hospital fighting to get better. This past week I haven't been able to concentrate and I am sorry for not having posted any new entries. The same goes for the many emails that I've received and haven't answered. Let's just say that I'm a overwhelmed by the situation and I am more than worried. You can read my first entry here.
Last Thursday night, Valentine's Day, Hubby was transferred to another hospital for testing in hopes of an eventual liver graft. This is a first victory!
His condition, cirrhosis of the liver brought on by a blood disorder called haemochromatosis (iron overload). His blood doesn't eliminate iron the way it should. If not controlled it can cause several serious health problems including the current one.
At the moment he is fighting hepatic encephalopathy. This was likely brought on by a major fluid drainage done the weekend before. 16 litres of ascites where removed from his abdomen. This is the fluid produced by the liver.
Since Sunday, with the medication, he is slowly coming out of that state. As soon as he calms down, they will start the tests to see if a graft is possible. Right from the start of this whole ordeal, his doctor has always said he was a good candidate for the procedure. The previous hospital did 3 rounds of tests and all came back negative for cancer or any other underlying conditions. Hopefully all this will be confirmed within the next few weeks.
Last Tuesday it appeared he was doing much better but Wednesday and Thursday there was a lot of sleeping, a little fever and less reaction from his part. My daughter and I are extremely worried for he's been in that state for 2 weeks now.
We need all the prayers, good vibes, good energies you can all send us.
Catherine & Hélène
_____________
Jeudi soir dernier, le soir de la Saint-Valentin, André a été transféré à l'hôpital St-Luc dans l'espoir de passer les tests en prévision d'une greffe du foie. C'était une première victoire!
La ciirhose du foie a été en partie provoquée par l'hémochromatose, une maladie du sang. Le fer n'est pas éliminé normalement. Il a donc besoin d'une greffe.
Pour le moment aucun test n'est possible puisqu'il est dans un état d'encéphalopathie hépatique. Mardi dernier il semblait aller mieux mais mercredi et hier il n'y a pas eu d'amélioration.
Dès le tout début de cette épreuve, son médecin a toujours maintenu qu'il était un bon candidat pour une greffe. 3 rondes de tests ont été effectuées pour confirmer cet énoncé. Jusqu'à présent, aucun cancer ou autre condition n'ont été détectés. Ce qu'il faut, c'est qu'il sorte de cet état, qu'il combatte cette infection qui a fort probablement été causée par une énorme ponction de 16 litres d'ascite effectuée les 9 et 10 février dernier.
Catherine et moi sommes extrêmement inquiètes puisque cela fait maintenant 2 semaines qu'il est dans cet état.
Nous avons besoin de toutes les prières et bonnes énergies que vous pouvez nous envoyer.
Catherine & Hélène
A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous. - Coco Chanel
Friday, February 22, 2013
Friday, February 15, 2013
Seche Vite™ Dry Fast Top Coat / Review
For years I didn't bother with top coats simply because I didn't wear colors on my finger nails. I always wore a clear or sheer nail polish to give my hands a clean look and that was it. These days my favorite color to wear is Essie Recessionista from their Fall 2012 collection, a dark red with prune undertones. It goes with everything and I just love the shade.
Although Essie's nail polish formula has good staying power, it does lose some of it's shine after a few days and this to me seems more obvious with dark colors. After the fiasco of Essie's no chips ahead chip free top coat, I was using Sally Hansen Mega Shine Top Coat which I already owned. This one did an honest job but I figured there must be something better out there. I was planning on trying another of Sally Hansen's offerings when I stumbled upon Seche Vite™ at one of my local drugstores. This one I had to try!
How does it perform? Beautifully!
I usually do my nails one evening, applying two coats of color and go for the top coat the following night. Somehow I was always afraid if I did all of it in one night, it wouldn't have time to dry hard enough to avoid ruining the finish during the night. With Seche Vite™ I decided to put it to the test and do it all in one night. I applied it over my two coats of Recessionista at about 10:00 p.m., went to bed at around 11:00 p.m. and woke up to perfect nails!
Durability and finish are quite good. My polish has chipped less than with Mega Shine and stayed shiny longer. I reapplied Seche Vite™ on the 4th day to give my nails an extra 3 days of shine. From Thursday night to Thursday night, my nails where good, in fact, I only had a little tip wear which is to be expected.
Would I recommend Seche Vite™? Yes!
If you don't want to have to redo your nails every 3 days or so, this will definitely help in protecting the finish. At under $13.00 for 14 ml (.5 fl oz) which is a little more than your average nail product, it's well worth it.
Seche now makes color nail polishes, I do hope they will be available soon. Given the quality of the fast drying top coat, I would think the colors would be pretty amazing!
Reviews:
Makeup Alley: 4 / 5 lippies for 1414 reviews.
Beauté-test: 4.2 / 5 stars for 64 reviews.
Picture from the companie's website.
Although Essie's nail polish formula has good staying power, it does lose some of it's shine after a few days and this to me seems more obvious with dark colors. After the fiasco of Essie's no chips ahead chip free top coat, I was using Sally Hansen Mega Shine Top Coat which I already owned. This one did an honest job but I figured there must be something better out there. I was planning on trying another of Sally Hansen's offerings when I stumbled upon Seche Vite™ at one of my local drugstores. This one I had to try!
How does it perform? Beautifully!
I usually do my nails one evening, applying two coats of color and go for the top coat the following night. Somehow I was always afraid if I did all of it in one night, it wouldn't have time to dry hard enough to avoid ruining the finish during the night. With Seche Vite™ I decided to put it to the test and do it all in one night. I applied it over my two coats of Recessionista at about 10:00 p.m., went to bed at around 11:00 p.m. and woke up to perfect nails!
Durability and finish are quite good. My polish has chipped less than with Mega Shine and stayed shiny longer. I reapplied Seche Vite™ on the 4th day to give my nails an extra 3 days of shine. From Thursday night to Thursday night, my nails where good, in fact, I only had a little tip wear which is to be expected.
Would I recommend Seche Vite™? Yes!
If you don't want to have to redo your nails every 3 days or so, this will definitely help in protecting the finish. At under $13.00 for 14 ml (.5 fl oz) which is a little more than your average nail product, it's well worth it.
Seche now makes color nail polishes, I do hope they will be available soon. Given the quality of the fast drying top coat, I would think the colors would be pretty amazing!
Reviews:
Makeup Alley: 4 / 5 lippies for 1414 reviews.
Beauté-test: 4.2 / 5 stars for 64 reviews.
Picture from the companie's website.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Valentine's Day Wish...
There have been several Saints with the name Valentine, several stories relating to the origins of Valentine's Day. The one I like the most is the one of Valentinus, persecuted by the Romans for performing weddings of soldiers who where forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians. During his imprisonment he apparently healed the daughter of his jailer and the legend states that before his execution he wrote her a farewell, "from your Valentine".
Valentine's day was first associated with romantic love at the time of courtly love in the High Middle Ages and by the 15th century it had evolved into a occasion for lovers to express their love by offering flowers, confectionery and sending love messages, greeting cards.
We are all familiar with the symbolism and the meaning that are now attached to Valentine's Day. For some, the ones who don't have a Valentine, it can be an "alone day" and for others a pretext for a romantic evening. Influenced by the merchandising surrounding the day, some will go to extremes while others will just enjoy each other's company.
On this Valentine's day, my only hope, wish, is that my hubby passes his evaluation. He is being transferred today to another hospital in the hopes that he will be put on the list for a graft or a transplant. His liver is no longer working properly due to a blood disorder. According to his doctors he is a good candidate. I pray they are right and that the team at this other hospital will see it that way for it's his only chance. I need him and my daughter needs him.
We have spent many, many Valentine's Day together and I hope we will have many, many more...
Valentine's day was first associated with romantic love at the time of courtly love in the High Middle Ages and by the 15th century it had evolved into a occasion for lovers to express their love by offering flowers, confectionery and sending love messages, greeting cards.
We are all familiar with the symbolism and the meaning that are now attached to Valentine's Day. For some, the ones who don't have a Valentine, it can be an "alone day" and for others a pretext for a romantic evening. Influenced by the merchandising surrounding the day, some will go to extremes while others will just enjoy each other's company.
On this Valentine's day, my only hope, wish, is that my hubby passes his evaluation. He is being transferred today to another hospital in the hopes that he will be put on the list for a graft or a transplant. His liver is no longer working properly due to a blood disorder. According to his doctors he is a good candidate. I pray they are right and that the team at this other hospital will see it that way for it's his only chance. I need him and my daughter needs him.
We have spent many, many Valentine's Day together and I hope we will have many, many more...
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
L'Oréal Voluminous Mascara Waterproof / Review
With the snow, the cold and the rain we've been getting I just had to get a waterproof mascara and since it's not something I use every day I didn't see the point in getting an expensive one. At the drugstore L'Oréal's Voluminous was reduced to under $10.00 so I figured I would give it a try.
I have used the regular Voluminous in the past and for a while was quite pleased with it. I stopped because there came a point when it didn't hold the curl as well. I don't think this was the mascara's fault but more my lashes. They have become quite stiff over time and tend to point downward. Lovely!
How does it perform? Nicely.
The brush is just the right size and the formula goes on easily. For me, one coat is enough for daytime and it dries quickly. Since it's quite stiff, it holds the curl. I haven't bothered with heating my Shiseido lash curler with the blow dryer so the curl is not that pronounced but again, suitable for daytime.
Downside...
It's hard to remove. The only way is using an oil based product. What I use most often is micellar water on a cotton round with a few drops of unscented baby oil. It works relatively well but I always end up with lightly irritated eyes. The same happens with Lancôme's Bi-Facil which I found a little less effective.
Do I recommend L'Oréal Voluminous Mascara Waterproof? Yes and no.
Yes if you don't mind the extra effort for removal and if you don't use a waterproof formula often. No if you need to wear it every day. My guess is overtime you could end up with irritated eyes. In my opinion it would be worth it to invest in a better formula.
Reviews:
Makeup Alley: 3.7 / 5 lippies for 615 reviews
Beauté-test: there are no reviews for this version of L'Oréal Voluminous Mascara.
I have used the regular Voluminous in the past and for a while was quite pleased with it. I stopped because there came a point when it didn't hold the curl as well. I don't think this was the mascara's fault but more my lashes. They have become quite stiff over time and tend to point downward. Lovely!
How does it perform? Nicely.
The brush is just the right size and the formula goes on easily. For me, one coat is enough for daytime and it dries quickly. Since it's quite stiff, it holds the curl. I haven't bothered with heating my Shiseido lash curler with the blow dryer so the curl is not that pronounced but again, suitable for daytime.
Downside...
It's hard to remove. The only way is using an oil based product. What I use most often is micellar water on a cotton round with a few drops of unscented baby oil. It works relatively well but I always end up with lightly irritated eyes. The same happens with Lancôme's Bi-Facil which I found a little less effective.
Do I recommend L'Oréal Voluminous Mascara Waterproof? Yes and no.
Yes if you don't mind the extra effort for removal and if you don't use a waterproof formula often. No if you need to wear it every day. My guess is overtime you could end up with irritated eyes. In my opinion it would be worth it to invest in a better formula.
Reviews:
Makeup Alley: 3.7 / 5 lippies for 615 reviews
Beauté-test: there are no reviews for this version of L'Oréal Voluminous Mascara.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Caudalie Vinexpert Riche Radiance Day Cream SPF10 / Review
After reading Mostly Sunny's review of Caudalie Vinoperfect Day Perfecting Fluid, which you can read it here, I figured I should write a review of the one I've been using recently.
Caudalie Vinexpert Riche Radiance Day Cream SPF 10
This moisturizer is indeed rich but not as much as I was expecting. Recently we've had some frigid temperatures recently and I needed a little more protection than the one provided by Avène Anti-redness, the tube I usually go to in the morning. As with all Caudalie moisturizers, the tube is on the small side. The good thing is, you don't need a lot since it's quite concentrated and so a little goes a long way.
Caudalie Vinexpert Riche Radiance Day Cream SPF 10
This moisturizer is indeed rich but not as much as I was expecting. Recently we've had some frigid temperatures recently and I needed a little more protection than the one provided by Avène Anti-redness, the tube I usually go to in the morning. As with all Caudalie moisturizers, the tube is on the small side. The good thing is, you don't need a lot since it's quite concentrated and so a little goes a long way.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Leave my stuff alone!!!
In the midst of all that's happening at the moment, Hubby at the hospital, spending time with my daughter, making sure she's all right and trying to figure out time to clean the house etc., it's understandable that I've been having a bit of difficulty concentrating on my blog. For now, knowing that he is stable and is being well taken care of is quite a relief.
Yesterday I wrote my first entry in a week and it felt good to do so and I sincerely hope that all my readers will return and will understand the reason for my brief silence, all except for one!
Yesterday I wrote my first entry in a week and it felt good to do so and I sincerely hope that all my readers will return and will understand the reason for my brief silence, all except for one!
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Nivea Lip Butter Vanilla & Macadamia / Review
These new Nivea Lip Butters aren't even on the Canadian website yet but can be seen on the American one. For a little over a week now other beauty bloggers have been reviewing them and I was quite anxious to try one myself. Ok anxious may not be the correct word here so let's just say I wanted to try one.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Just a quick word...
There will be no new entry for the next few days.
My soul mate is very sick and in the hospital. Our friends, family, our daughter and I are hoping for him to get strong enough so he can get an organ transplant.
Please keep us in your prayers and do know that if you leave comments I may not be able to answer back.
Thank you for your understanding and hopefully Icaria will be back soon!
xoxo to all, Catherine & Hélène
PS: I will update this entry as we get more news.
Mon conjoint, le papa de Catherine est présentement hospitalisé et nous espérons qu'il reprendra suffisamment de forces pour une transplantation.
Merci de nous envoyer de bonnes énergies.
xoxo Catherine & Hélène
2013-02-05
According to the information I received yesterday, he may get transferred today to another hospital for evaluation.
D'après des informations reçues hier, il est probable qu'il soit transféré aujourd'hui à l'hôpital St-Luc pour évaluation.
2013-02-08
He's stable and finally got a real bed after 6 days spent in the emergency ward. No transfer for now, I haven't been able to talk with any doctor so I have no idea if there will be a transfer soon.
Il est maintenant stable et a finalement obtenu un vrai lit après avoir passé 6 jours à l'urgence. Je n'ai parlé à aucun médecin et j'ignore donc si le transfer aura lieu sou peu.
My soul mate is very sick and in the hospital. Our friends, family, our daughter and I are hoping for him to get strong enough so he can get an organ transplant.
Please keep us in your prayers and do know that if you leave comments I may not be able to answer back.
Thank you for your understanding and hopefully Icaria will be back soon!
xoxo to all, Catherine & Hélène
PS: I will update this entry as we get more news.
Mon conjoint, le papa de Catherine est présentement hospitalisé et nous espérons qu'il reprendra suffisamment de forces pour une transplantation.
Merci de nous envoyer de bonnes énergies.
xoxo Catherine & Hélène
2013-02-05
According to the information I received yesterday, he may get transferred today to another hospital for evaluation.
D'après des informations reçues hier, il est probable qu'il soit transféré aujourd'hui à l'hôpital St-Luc pour évaluation.
2013-02-08
He's stable and finally got a real bed after 6 days spent in the emergency ward. No transfer for now, I haven't been able to talk with any doctor so I have no idea if there will be a transfer soon.
Il est maintenant stable et a finalement obtenu un vrai lit après avoir passé 6 jours à l'urgence. Je n'ai parlé à aucun médecin et j'ignore donc si le transfer aura lieu sou peu.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Revlon Colorstay Cream Eyeliner in Charcoal / Review
Sadly another disappointing liner. Looking through my makeup bag yesterday I found this for I had completely forgotten about it. I think I must have purchased it back in August or September and probably used it only a few times.
The color, charcoal, has a little shimmer to it. This makes it appear lighter than it should. The texture, on the dryish side. Hard to apply, if you take too much time it starts flaking. Long wear, not on me. After a few hours some of it was on my upper lid. Not a good look.
The color, charcoal, has a little shimmer to it. This makes it appear lighter than it should. The texture, on the dryish side. Hard to apply, if you take too much time it starts flaking. Long wear, not on me. After a few hours some of it was on my upper lid. Not a good look.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Rimmel Match Perfection Blush in Medium / Review
Again I tried to take pictures to show you this newest find. They came out horrible and weird. I will definitely have to wait for the weather to get warmer and try to organize a specific area to do this outside. The way my house is oriented I don't have direct sunlight coming in and so the colors don't turn out the way they should.
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