Look Good Feel Better - Index

Look Good Feel Better - magazine - Index

INSPIRING WOMEN
“Before I got
cancer, I never
used to spend a
lot of time on
myself. I hadn’t
worn makeup for so
long that when
I left the workshop
I looked better than
I usually did” RAY DIAS
Judy McKinnon (back) and Ray Dias
self-image. Women see themselves looking good and can’t help
but feel better.
Women who attend a Look Good Feel Better workshop also
receive a take-home kit of cosmetics and personal-care products,
courtesy of the member companies of the Canadian Cosmetic,
Toiletry and Fragrance Association. But that’s not all they
leave with. Seeing how other women are coping with their own
cancer experience can be both comforting and uplifting. The
apprehension that women arrive with is replaced by a renewed
sense of hope for their future.
We caught up with four women who recently attended a Look
Good Feel Better workshop. Here’s what they had to say about
their experience.
A little lipstick goes a long way
When Judy McKinnon, 49, arrived at the Look Good
Feel Better workshop, she remembers feeling nervous.
“The woman sitting across from me was halfway through
her treatment,” says Judy, who was diagnosed with breast
cancer in 2006. “She had lost all her hair and had what she
described as ‘chemo mouth.’ I couldn’t stop staring at her. But
then the most amazing thing happened. When she put makeup
and a wig on, she lit up and started to cry, and I went
from being scared to watching her transform. It
was so empowering. Every woman with cancer
should go to this workshop.”
Judy credits the workshop with giving
her an element of control back by providing
her with the tools she needed to look good
during treatment. “I learned how to use
concealer for the fi rst time in my life,” says
Judy. “The volunteers advised us all about
wigs. And they gave us a guide with tips on
makeup application and hair alternatives. I
referred to it all the time. It gave me one less
thing to worry about.”
Encouraged to attend the Look Good Feel
Better workshop by her daughter, Ray Dias, 64, was
surprised to learn that makeup can resolve many of
the challenges related to cancer treatment. “I found
out that there are special creams and fragrance-free
products you can use during treatment to help care
for sensitive skin,” says Ray, who was diagnosed
with ovarian cancer in 2006. “And I learned how
to draw in eyebrows using a mix of gold and
brown pencils.” >
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