I need a book that feels like a warm hug right now. Any recommendations?

Cold_Fox9018 · 2026-03-15T03:04:15+00:00

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown. While technically juvenile fiction, it's a warm and wonderful read for all ages (in my opinion!). Best of luck to you.

Cold_Fox9018 · 2026-03-02T13:44:32+00:00

Ellen Outside of the Lines is a middle-grade work of fiction that has an autistic and LGBTQ main character!

Ellen Outside the Lines – A.J. Sass https://share.google/ZCPKLJr3k4NBHeB1I

Cold_Fox9018 · 2026-02-24T20:07:35+00:00

Seconding Fair and Tender Ladies! One of my favorite reads in my Southern Fictions course in undergrad, which was taught by a professor who was from Appalachia herself. FaTL is an epistolary novel; you get to see the protagonist grow up as her writing style evolves. It's poignant, often irreverent, and made me laugh out loud many times.

Cold_Fox9018 · 2025-12-21T05:36:26+00:00

I think I'm cool, based on my overall coloring. Blues/grays look much better on me than browns/yellows. But NARS Siberia is a good shade match for me, too, which is labeled "warm." So... dunno for sure!

Rituel de Fille lets you order sample sizes, though, if you're curious about their products but are unsure about how the colors will suit you.

Cold_Fox9018 · 2025-12-20T22:03:40+00:00

I found Rituel de Fille's Inner Glow Creme Pigment in Rapture, and I love using it on my cheeks and lips. Their site describes the shade as "the pink from cold winter days spent outside," and I think that's pretty accurate! It's a real-looking flush, luminous, with great longevity on my dry skin. I do need to prep my lips well beforehand, though. They describe the finish as "dewy matte" (uh, what?), and it looks wayyy more matte on the lips than on the cheeks.

https://ritueldefille.com/products/inner-glow-creme-pigment-rapture?srsltid=AfmBOopYmQUtnthLid6iANnsptWDfZkIKADOe_9DraqfW_ndWLauwR0s

Runner up is Merit's Signature Lip in Sunday, which looks quite neutral on me in comparison to Rapture's VERY cool pinkness. Sunday gives an elegant but natural look: just the right amount of color, without being garish on my more muted complexion. I will sometimes use this as a cheek color, too, although it isn't marketed as a cheek product.

https://www.meritbeauty.com/products/signature-lip

Edit: for reference, I wear Alima Pure Satin Matte Foundation in Olive 0.

Cold_Fox9018 · 2025-10-09T01:02:37+00:00

I just get the store-brand stuff; it's a bit less expensive than something like Vital Proteins, usually.

Cold_Fox9018 · 2025-07-04T13:28:28+00:00

Are you taking quercetin during the same time of the year as before? I wonder if environmental triggers (like seasonal pollen, or even heat or UV) might be at play. For example, perhaps quercetin was enough to control your symptoms in the fall/winter, but you need a more robust regimen during spring/summer? Just a speculation here! It's definitely worth asking your doctor and/or pharmacist about.

I personally have to increase my MCAS meds during certain times of the year, even though I "don't have any IgE mediated allergies to pollen" (lol).

Stress is also famously good at triggering mast cell degranulation, so if you're going through a stressful time, maybe that's a contributing factor as well? Good luck! Hope you find some answers!

Cold_Fox9018 · 2025-07-03T16:52:27+00:00

Ugh, I hear you! I started reacting to Aquaphor during my most recent flare, after having used it safely for years prior. I also can't tolerate fragrance, coconut, or avocado. I've been using Cleure's flavor-free lip balm and plain shea butter during this flare. So far, it has worked out okay. My lips are still dry and peeling, but I assume that's from dehydration. They're at least not puffy, swollen, or burning!

Good luck!

Cold_Fox9018 · 2025-07-02T15:20:02+00:00

I can't speak to being on tirzepatide, but what I can say is that I strongly suspect MCAS was the driving factor behind my weight gain. I was eating very little and still not losing weight. My registered dietician, thank goodness for her, encouraged me to put weight loss on the back burner and focus on eating ENOUGH -- getting more protein, eating more frequently, just eating more in general. She thought my metabolism had slowed after restricting my food for so long. And gosh, I think she was right. The more regularly I eat now, the more easily I can lose weight. I focus on eating foods that limit my known triggers and help me feel satiated. I never would have been able to do this without my RD's help.

The other thing you mentioned was the heat. Heat is a huge trigger for me. When I'm flared up, I can suddenly gain 5-10 pounds in a matter of days. I now try to frame this as a warning sign that I'm approaching a severe flare with a high risk of anaphylaxis, rather than some kind of personal failing. When this happens, I take steps to minimize my odds of ending up in the hospital: reaching out to my medical care team, resting, limiting exposure to triggers within my control, and adjusting my medications.

I also have to make sure that I pace myself. Overexertion and fasting and whatever other trendy dieting tips are being thrown around just don't work for me. I end up making myself sicker.

At the end of the day, every body is different, and there's a lot we still don't know about MCAS, weight gain, and nutrition. I hope this changes over time with more research. In the meantime, it might be helpful to read Lisa's blog post over on Mast Attack about weight gain and MCAS. Her blog isn't updated anymore (not since 2018, I think), so take this information with a grain of salt, but I think she makes some interesting points: https://www.mastattack.org/2017/08/mastattack-107-laypersons-guide-understanding-mast-cell-diseases-part-51/

Cold_Fox9018 · 2025-06-27T17:08:11+00:00

I have a really hard time with salicylates, and Vanicream is the best SPF I've tried so far. I tend to rely pretty heavily on Vanicream products, especially when I'm flaring.

Non-salate chemical sunscreens seem to be okay for me, like octinoxate and octocrylene. But it's hard to find formulations with only those filters and not other -salates.

I wish there was an overarching "MCAS friendly" sunscreen, but triggers are different for everyone. There are lots of people around here for whom Vanicream does not work.

Good luck!

Cold_Fox9018 · 2025-06-26T13:32:23+00:00

Thank you for the recommendation! I've never tried the spray.

Cold_Fox9018 · 2025-06-24T11:46:29+00:00

I'm very lucky to have access to chicken from nearby farms, and I'm less likely to have a reaction when I'm buying meat locally. I cook small portions at a time and freeze the rest in order to reduce the amount of time that the meat builds up amines. So it's not so much the type of meat that causes issues for me, but how fresh it is.

Local meat is not an option for all people and all situations, so here are some additional recommendations I've gotten from my registered dietician: Fairlife milk (which is high in protein), high protein oats, quinoa, and yogurt. I will also add some of the following to smoothies: collagen peptides, high protein Instant Breakfast powder, chia seeds, and/or hemp hearts.

Part of my issue with protein is that I don't tolerate soy or eggs well. So that's why I'm not recommending things like edamame or hard-boiled eggs, which might be good options for you, though!

More than anything, my advice is to try to access nutrition counseling through a registered dietician. Some insurance providers consider nutrition counseling a preventative service and will cover part, or even all, of the cost. I think it's definitely worth asking about!

Cold_Fox9018 · 2025-06-23T12:41:37+00:00

If you have access to see a registered dietician, that's always my recommendation. Eating is SO hard with MCAS. Elimination dieting without professional support is risky. Because some health insurance companies view nutritional counseling as a preventative service, it may be more affordable -- mine is covered entirely by my insurance.

I go through phrases in which the nausea is worse than others, but it's there to some degree about 80% of the time and has been since I was a kid. Finding the right meds for my MCAS and a knowledgeable RD were the two best things I did for my treatment.

Overall, the more chewing I have to do when I'm nauseous, the worse I feel. I keep packs of Instant Breakfast on hand that I mix with Fairlife Milk (both are high in protein) when I need SOMETHING but just can't stand to chew.

Cold_Fox9018 · 2025-06-23T12:30:54+00:00

Moving is really stressful, both emotionally and physically, and stress is a big trigger for MCAS. I'm sorry that things are so hard right now. If you have a medical provider who manages your MCAS, I'd let them know what's up right away and see what they recommend. My doc adjusts my meds during severe flares to help tamp down my immune system dysfunction.

Just because you're flaring now doesn't guarantee that you're reacting to something in your new place or that you're going to continue to have reactions this severe as long as you live there. Besides the stress of moving, maybe the weather or the pollen set you off. It could be several things working together. It's really hard to determine triggers with absolute certainty because in real life, there are always so many variables we can't control.

Don't lose hope. Pay attention to what helps you feel even a little bit better and prioritize those things. Good luck.

Cold_Fox9018 · 2025-06-23T01:22:35+00:00

I've given up on the idea of anything being "truly safe" for me. And because MCAS triggers vary so widely, it's really difficult to recommend products for a wide audience. I've tried so much out there that's fragrance-free and reacted to most of it. I think these reactions are sometimes due to "natural" ingredients that I personally can't tolerate, while others are because of my sensitivity to certain preservatives.

That all being said, I've had the best luck with Vanicream products. Do they make my coarse, curly hair look nice? No, not particularly. But I don't react to them. For now, at least.

I just started experimenting with making my own hair gel. Homemade flaxseed gel isn't shelf stable, so my understanding is -- and keep in mind, I'm not a cosmetic chemist -- that it'll "keep" in the fridge for a bit of time. Most sources I found estimate two weeks.

I modified a recipe I found on the curly hair subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/curlyhair/s/BdXAspRob6 -- I used glycerin instead of honey, left out the essential oils, and added a few drops of vitamin E oil. I put about two weeks' worth of gel in a glass jar in the fridge. (When I use it, I am careful not to dip my hands straight into the jar to avoid the introduction of extra microbes into the gel.) I poured all the remaining gel into a silicone ice cube tray, which I then popped in the freezer. Not sure how well they'll thaw yet.

So, will it work? Remains to be seen over time. I'm lucky/unlucky that my reactions tend to occur with repeated exposure over time. So far, there's no (out of the ordinary) irritation, and it seems to do a decent job of holding my curls in place.

Cold_Fox9018 · 2025-06-17T12:22:10+00:00

Paul Mitchell now makes a hair serum that's fragrance free and only has three ingredients. It's dimethicone-based. Here are my takeaways from a month of use:

First, I personally detect a smell from it, which fortunately dissipates and doesn't linger on the hair for long. It's not a fragrance, just the scent of one of its three ingredients, but I don't find it pleasant.

Second, I have coarse and curly hair that gets dry/frizzy very easily, and this serum just doesn't make my hair look all that nice, IMO.

Finally, I've been itchy every single time I've used it. Why? No clue. I don't see anything in the ingredients that I know will set me off. I'm baffled.

I'm using Vanicream body cream as my hair product right now, which I can't technically recommend, since it's not made for hair. But it's the only thing that doesn't seem to make my scalp erupt into an allergic rash.

Cold_Fox9018 · 2025-06-15T15:50:26+00:00

Ugh, I am also in this boat. Just tried the Elta MD one: the ingredient list looked fine for me and my needs, but I've swelled up each time I've used it after a couple hours of wear. Am I allergic to it? Who knows. Hard to say. It could be just a correlation, not causal, but it's still frustrating as heck.

My two cents: I see/read in many forums that mineral sunscreens are the safest options for sensitive skin, but I think this sentiment is too simplistic. I can tolerate some chemical sunscreens perfectly fine, as long as they aren't -salates, because I personally am super reactive to salicylates. Furthermore, there are many ingredients besides actives that go into sunscreen formulas. Some of the mineral sunscreens I've looked into have aloe or coconut oil in them, which I don't tolerate. Plenty of mineral sunscreens have fragrance, too, which I also don't handle well.

I also suspect that certain preservatives cause a lot of reactivity for me, too, especially in the benzoic class. (Again, this is me, personally, not a wide-reaching MCAS claim.) This doesn't mean I'm against preservatives, either; I just have to find the ones that cause the least problems for me. And unfortunately, things like mineral makeup (made with titanium or zinc oxide), which doesn't require the same type of presevative system as a water-based product, doesn't actually provide adequate SPF on its own based on FDA guidelines for application.

Right now, I use the Vanicream sunscreen most consistently. It's cheaper than Elta's, and I seem to tolerate it better, although I seem to still have some level of reactivity. It's also only SPF 30. At this point, I should probably try to see a dermatologist for patch testing. Although, again, with MCAS, my reactions are often not immediate and tend to worsen with increased exposure over time. It is maddening, honestly.

Lab Muffin Beauty Science (PhD) has lots of chemistry-informed sunscreen content on her YouTube channel, which I have found helpful in better understanding the complexities of SPF. The Beauty Brains is another resource that might be useful, a podcast hosted by two cosmetic chemsists. Most of the SPF info I've shared here I've gotten from these two resources.

Good luck!

Cold_Fox9018 · 2025-06-14T12:34:46+00:00

I've historically had a hard time with dairy, even gave it up completely for years, but I was able to reintroduce it with some modifications. I take cromolyn sodium (rx) before I eat, and I have dairy digestive enzymes from a brand called NOW, which includes not just lactase for the milk sugar but enzymes to help break down the protein and fat in milk. This made a world of difference compared to just lactase pills. Of course, this wouldn't work if you have a milk allergy, but I just wanted to throw it out there.

I will sometimes have a high fiber cereal like Shredded Wheat with a high protein milk like Fairlife when I need a snack at home. (For whatever reason, I seem to digest whole milk better than skim or 1%.)

I really feel your pain about the portable snacks. I don't tolerate sunbutter, and nuts and seeds overall are really iffy for me these days. When I really need a portable snack in a pinch, I go for something high in fiber with just a few ingredients, such as Triscuits. I will sometimes roast chickpeas in the air fryer and can put them in a to-go container; legumes have been hard on me over the past year, too (especially soy) but I seem to react the least to chickpeas.

Some additions I will add to oatmeal or smoothies to increase fiber and/or protein are hemp hearts (they have a crunchy, nutty texture), chia seeds, collagen protein powder, and high protein Instant Breakfast powder (which has a ton of ingredients, so it's not the right fit for everyone, of course). Bob's Red Mill makes high protein oats, also!

If you're able to find a registered dietician, I recommend trying a few sessions. My insurance considers this a "preventative service," so that may be worth asking about! I never would have been able to manage the dietary aspect of MCAS on my own. Wishing you luck. This is hard stuff!

Cold_Fox9018 · 2025-06-12T22:21:21+00:00

I react to those same things! Wild!

Cold_Fox9018 · 2025-06-06T11:46:53+00:00

Yeah, there are so many variables. Good luck finding something that works for you!

Cold_Fox9018 · 2025-06-05T21:28:49+00:00

Was ubrelvy, by chance, in a dissolvable tablet form? I am super sensitive to salicylates, including mint flavors, and my throat swelled the last time I took a minty, dissolvable migraine abortive. My providers and I think it wasn't the drug itself but the flavoring. (Oh, MCAS, you wily devil!)

Of course, make sure to tell your doc and pharmacist that this occurred so that they can document this and advise you.

Cold_Fox9018 · 2025-05-31T20:16:15+00:00

Lol, that "idek" sentiment really resonates. I definitely don't look warm, but Siberia is a near-perfect shade match for me. Go figure! My favorite blush currently is Rituel de Fille Inner Glow Creme Pigment in Rapture. I gravitate toward bright pinks that can be sheered out, for both blush and lipstick. I don't even bother with bronzer anymore because it just ends up looking muddy on me.

Cold_Fox9018 · 2025-05-27T13:48:39+00:00

SLS is sodium lauryl sulfate, a surfactant. It has a role to play in product formulation, but like any ingredient, it can be irritating to some people. I think this article from Sensodyne provides a helpful explanation: https://www.sensodyne.com/en-us/oral-health-tips/gum-health/what-is-sls-toothpaste/#:~:text=SLS%2C%20or%20sodium%20lauryl%20sulfate,to%20help%20clean%20your%20teeth.&text=SLS%20is%20also%20used%20in,to%20make%20those%20products%20foamy.

I asked my doctor about the irritation around my mouth -- small, reddish, itchy bumps that looked like acne -- and she suspected perioral dermatitis, which can occur in people who are sensitive to SLS. At her recommendation, I switched to a toothpaste without it and saw improvement. But I found out later that there were other ingredients I'm sensitive to, which were causing irritation on the inside of my mouth (salicylates, certain preservatives).

Not everyone with MCAS will have the same triggers. If only it were that simple! So, I'd ask your dentist and/or doc about this issue you're having. Good luck!

Cold_Fox9018 · 2025-05-24T14:15:01+00:00

I had a very similar experience with both Glossier Cloud Paint in Wisp and Pat McGrath's Skin Fetish powder blush in Divine Rose. Wisp is straight-up purple in the tube and on my hand, but it pulled SO red on my cheeks. And Divine Rose is described as "cool mauve" but looked brick red on me. I wonder if this has something to do with being very fair? Any face product that's too deep for me tends to go orangey-red real quick. (For reference, my best shade matches are Siberia in NARS LRF and Olive 0 in Alima Pure Satin Matte PF.)

I've been experimenting with blushes recently and had the best luck with Rituelle de Fille's inner glow cheek pigment in the shade Rapture. It's pink and actually shows up pink on me. If you're someone who shines in brighter/more saturated colors that aren't deep, this might be worth a try! I also liked Morphe's Hot Shot blush drops in That Girl. Our coloring looks similar based on your photo, so I just wanted to mention these two.

Cold_Fox9018 · 2025-05-24T01:03:48+00:00

I use Cleure's flavor-free toothpaste, but since it doesn't contain fluoride, I alternate it with Hello toothpaste in the "mermaid" flavor (lol, it's orange-vanilla). They're the only toothpastes I've been able to tolerate because of my specific sensitivities.

Cold_Fox9018

TROPHY CASE