From: "jeannette" <jeannette777@yahoo.com>
To: <burningman-bcwa@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2002 7:32 PM
Subject: [burningman-bcwa] Princess' Playa Tips For Girls (and boys)



> Princess' Playa Tips For Girls (and boys)
> From Toes to Tresses
>
> You've done your research, or you're a BM veteran. You've read or
> re-read the required reading
> (http://www.burningman.com/preparation/event_survival/). You already
> know you need to consume ridiculous amounts of water and wear enormous
> amounts of sunscreen on the playa, and that ziploc bags and zip-ties
> are the remedy for almost any logistical ailment there. You are
> sitting in a pile of playa preparation, but you are still wondering,
> "How do I tend to my vanity and creature comforts when I am at Burning
> Man?" Well, Princess is here, with years of vanity and tending to her
> creature comforts under her belt, to answer that question.
>
> Toes: -Get or give yourself a pedicure before you go to the playa.
> Having softer, tended, moisturized feet to begin with will make it take
> longer for your feet to get totally thrashed. Extra points for toes
> painted shiny, pretty colors.
> -You can also re-pedicure on the playa if you bring the right stuff.
> -Moisturize your pretty tootsies EVERY day. My favorite lotion for
> hands and feet is Neutrogena Norwegian Formula. It's especially for
> superdry skin.
> -Wear socks as much as you can. Only you can make the important
> choice between fashion and footcare, but the more your feet are
> well-covered, the better they will fare. If you buy peds (you know,
> those superlow socks with no cuff), they don't look as foolish as
> regular socks if you are, say, walking around naked, or wearing
> lingerie. But you know, if you want to run around naked wearing orange
> converse and black ankle socks, that's really ok too. You can do
> whatever you want. That's the whole point.
> -Shoes. A serious business indeed. Deeply personal. You and you
> alone should make footwear choices for yourself. But here are some
> qualifications: 1)You should have at least one pair of shoes you can
> walk endlessly in. Even if they're less than fabulous. You will walk
> miles and miles. 2) If you are, say, going to walk around naked, or
> wearing almost nothing, you should have shoes the color of your skin or
> the playa to wear. Or black boots with 4 inch heels. 3) Sneakers go
> with slips.
>
> Legs: - If you can bear the trial of growing your leg hair out, and the
> pain of the experience, get waxed before you go. I am a delicate
> flower of a girl, and avoid such physical discomfort at all cost. As
> such, I use Nair the night before I hit the playa. Slows hair regrowth
> a little bit. If you have never used Nair or whatever depilatory you
> might chose, make sure you do a patch test.
> - You'll be wearing sunscreen, but bring regular lotion to actually
> moisturize with at least once a day.
> -You can shave with 1 cup of water: Get 1 cup of water, regular
> lotion, a razor, and a fruity cocktail. Sit in shade with leg in front
> of you and cocktail beside you. Lightly slather leg in lotion. Thin
> with a little water if needed. Run razor along leg in your usual
> fashion. Rinse razor in cup of water. Sip cocktail. Repeat as
> needed.
>
> Koochie:
> -That's right. I said koochie. Boys, if the perfectly normal
> and natural experience of a woman's menstrual cycle, which there is way
> too much stigma associated with, and far too much tip-toeing around,
> freaks you out, skip to the next bulleted item (which, while under the
> heading of koochie, definitely applies to you too) now. Really. Ok.
> First of all, pack feminine hygiene products, just in case. Second, the
> only feminine hygiene product that is playa-appropriate is the tampon.
> Everything else produces way too much waste, and you can't put that
> stuff in the port-o-potty. OB tampons are the best -- no applicator
> means half as much waste.
> -Condoms. You should use them, but you should not use the ones with
> spermicide. In the high heat Nonoxynol can cause rashes. My condom of
> choice for the desert? Durex Avanti, non-latex, superthin
> polyeurethane, with a non-spermicidal lubricant. If you don't mind
> latex, Beyond Seven and Kimono Micro-thins both have non-spermicidal
> options.
>
> Bum: -If you bare your beautiful bum, put extra sunscreen on it. This
> skin is whiter and more delicate than other skin. You have to sit on
> that ass all week. Take care of it.
>
> Belly: -Requires very little tending, as long as you don't get it
> pierced before you come out. Don't get it pierced before you come out.
> Do permit the kissing of it, and if necessary, use it for a body shot.
>
> Bosom: -If you bare your beautiful bosom, put extra sunscreen on it.
> This skin is paler and more delicate than even your bum. Sunburned
> boobies are a buzzkill.
>
> Neck: -Your neck is pretty. Show us your pretty neck.
>
> Face: -3-in-face wipes rock. They require no water, they clean your
> face, remove make-up, and your skin feels soft and hydrated after using
> them. They're also really great for the road trip portion of your BM
> journey. Lots of companies make them. Not to be confused with
> disposable face wash cloths like Oil of Olay Daily Facials, and others
> of that ilk, which require a little water, but less than regular face
> wash, which I am also bringing to the playa this year. There is a
> trade-off -- while these require less water, and are really convenient,
> they do create waste that regular face wash doesn't. Trash you have to
> pack out with you.
>
> -Bring a regular moisturizer in addition to whatever sunscreen you
> wear on your face. Even the best sunscreens clog pores (although my
> Neutrogena spf 15 moisturizer is the best of the bunch, and I really
> recommend it), and once night falls you should wash it off, but will
> need to remoisturize with your regular one.
>
> -Make-up on the playa: Make-up can do neat things. It can make your
> eyes look scary, your lips look unnaturally red, or your skin shimmer.
> But if you have a regular cosmetic regimen, it may be hard to maintain
> on the playa. Make-up there serves better as art and beautiful
> presentation than as a daily salve for poor self-image. But if you do
> feel a need to perform some regular cosmetic routine during the day,
> know that a lot of stuff you might normally wear will slide right off
> your face in the playa sun. Use a powder rather than a liquid
> foundation, and put your lipstick somewhere it won't melt into a liquid
> pool.
>
> Lips: -Wear something on them to protect them from sunburn and prevent
> them from chapping. Soft lips are kissable lips.
>
> Eyes: -Wear contacts? I do. I have a lot of friends who find wearing
> them on the playa really difficult or even impossible. Delicate flower
> of a girl as I am, I still have no such problem. I wash my hands free
> of dust as much as is possible, then I do not foolishly dry them on my
> dust covered towel, then I take my contacts out in my tent, with the
> door closed. In the morning again: wash well, don't dry, apply in
> tent. Bring at least one extra pair, and your glasses. Also, you may
> be able to scam a free pair or two of those two-week,
> leave-in-all-the-time disposables if you inquire with your eye doctor.
> Those guys are into trial pairs of contacts.
>
> Tresses:
> -I'm not here to tell you how to style those lovely locks, I am
> here to say only one word about hair: leave-in-conditioner. Makes for
> better hair protection, and much less gray-water. You will need a
> deeper conditioner than you normally do.
>
> Other stuff:
> -Bring an air mattress. Sleeping on the ground is for cavemen.
> -Bring long-johns. Sure, it'll probably be hot, and sure, it was hot
> as hell last year, but remember in '99 when it was 35 goddamn
> degrees(f) at night? You wanted long-johns then, didn't you? And you
> just never know about the weather.
> -Bring an emotional comfort item from home - a favorite book, your
> favorite tea. Or your teddy bear, you big sissy.
> -Bring more than one towel, stored in ziploc bags.
> -Don't forget your pillow and earplugs.
>
> Well, that's all, mes chers. This is anything but comprehensive. Just
> some of the things that make being inside my own skin better for me in
> the desert.
>
>
> My love for you lingers like a conversation on a summer night,
>
> Princess
> VP Grub, and more importantly
> Kissing Facilitator
> Costco Soulmate Trading Outlet