Complexion Smoothers

plus, unusual correspondence from one Val to another

Welcome readers, old and new!

Please hit the ❤️ above to discover what happens when bad things happen to good people (and good ingredients).

Today, after nearly 14 hours in the air, I am once again happily ensconced in my tiny Tokyo apartment on the windiest street in the world. On the flight I was gifted a code to WiFi service, which allowed me to read some of your many comments in response to my question “Who Are You, Anyway?” You may’ve heard about why people often cry on airplanes? Reading more about you had me weeping at the richness of our community, our vulnerabilities, and our shared intention. Thank you for introducing yourselves. You are as thoughtful, good-willed, and inspiring as I knew you would be.

🌬️ 🌬️ 🌬️

This morning my son had the brilliant idea that I surprise my granddaughter, M, at school drop-off—so as soon as I unpacked and gobbled down a couple of yogurts, I strode over to her school to wait for their arrival. “Oh, Grammie!” said M happily, before I gave her a hug and a shower of kisses. I asked to see her new teeth, as I always do, and then she stepped back and looked me in the eyes. Gently, she touched the back of my hand with her index finger, ET-style. “Touch,” she said, still looking at me. I kissed the top of her head. Yes, Baby, I thought, we’re here.

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Before we get to the beauty segment of our program, I want to share a bit of correspondence I recently had with a new reader. I’d noticed in her subscriber profile that she’s Ukrainian, so I used the similarity in our names as an excuse to send her a note:

Valeria—from one Val to another, I just want to say I wish you and your countrypeople peace and the opportunity for the enduring joys we all hope for.

Not long after, I received this response:

…The last few weeks have been especially hard. All the support—kind words, posts, protests, and donations—are truly making a difference for us, helping more Ukrainians survive and showing us that we are not forgotten…

…I truly believe aging is a privilege, and for me, staying forever young is a fear, not a goal. I dream of seeing my peers grow old, wearing our years proudly...

Can you think of a better reminder of the value of perspective?

Valeria also sent a list of organizations that support Ukraine and describe the situation there.

• Mariupol Drama Theater Spatial Archive: A project including a short film, witness accounts, and text to help people learn about the tragedy.

• News from the ground in English: The Kyiv Independent

  • (They also have a nice merch shop: The Kyiv Independent merch store)

• Merch store with production in Ukraine: Saint Javelin

• President's charity initiative: United24

• Trusted and oldest military charity in Ukraine: Come Back Alive

• Catalog of Ukrainian businesses and services: Spend With Ukraine

• Online cinema with Ukrainian movies: Takflix

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And finally, our beauty Q&A, in which a reader woeful about her skin wonders if there are impactful treatments to help reduce acne scarring.

After the paywall, complexion-smoothing solutions.

HNTFUYF is a payola-free, reader-supported zone. I get no cut from sales when I mention a product. My recommendations are offered without obligation, making HNTFUYF one of the very few places where you can get unadulterated beauty advice.

This post’s Q&A sits quivering with excitement behind a paywall. For full access to all posts and the extensive archives, please become a paid subscriber at the current rate of $40/year. Can’t afford a subscription? Write to me at valeriemonroe@substack.com and I’ll give you a comp. 🙏