Let's Face It

At the risk of sounding vain I am just going to go ahead and say it: I want to look cute forever. And at the risk of sounding full of myself I am just going to say this: I don't even want to live in a world where I am not adorable. Having been the biggest girl in the room for my whole life, my million dollar face has been the one thing that has gotten me a seat at the couple of tables I have been invited to. You would think my personality would be the show winner but, believe it or not, a lot of people don't take to loud overweight girls that enjoy having open and honest conversations about vaginal hygiene at the dinner table. Go figger. 

Where is this all coming from? Well, I have talked to you all before about how worried I have been about my skin since I turned 30. Gone are the days of me having an effortless complexion. My pores are getting larger, and I need a moisturizer like a fat kid needs cake. On social media, girls that I went to high school and college with are looking ten years younger than they did when I met them. And since I am not ashamed to admit that my face is the one good thing I have going for me you know, outside of my brain, I can't afford to let it go. Let's be honest,  I let my body go in the 3rd grade happily and without effort once I started wearing a bra. Since I am not really excited about getting things injected into my face or having appearance altering surgery, I have to keep this face tight and right. 

Tortilla has great skin, but she uses those trillion buck Korean skin potions you can order from Sephora. I am currently using a scrub that I got out of a gift bag. I like it though, it smells like sweet potatoes! But it is going to take more than sweet potatoes to keep my skin on the up-and-up. I watched a Youtube nighttime skincare tutorial that included seven products, so I guess I have to step it up. I guess I was naive for assuming I could keep my face from cracking off of shower gel and Vaseline. 

At this moment, I would just like to express how pissed I am at men. They can look like something the cat dragged in and women will still be beating their doors down as long as they have a good paying job and health insurance. What is a poor girl like me to do? Home chemical peels with hot bacon grease and a plastic knife?

Well, I guess there is nothing left to do but enjoy my face while it is still here. Beyonce said that pretty hurts, but she forgot to tell us that it also fades. But there will be no fading over here, not yet, as long as I have my bacon grease. 

Your Summer Skin Fix: Sand & Sky Brilliant Skin

You may recognize Sand & Sky's Brilliant Skin from social media. All the influencers are in LOVE with this new Australian product that includes Australian Pink Clay. This formula is non-drying, and helps to shrink pores. A deep cleanser, Brilliant Skin also helps to brighten your complexion. It also serves as a skin detox. 

Need more info? Visit the Sand & Sky site here.

Review: MyChelle Dermaceuticals Gentle Cleansing Wash

My whole life, I have enjoyed a bright, healthy complexion. However, since turning 30, I have gotten breakouts that you wouldn't believe! You would think that I was a teenager the way that I have been experiencing breakouts out of nowhere! And to be honest, I never considered myself a vain person. I am not one to spend hours and hours in front of the mirror before I leave the house. However, having pimples was making me self-conscious. I found myself examining my face in any surface I could see myself in. Plus, the fact that I have sensitive skin and can't use a lot of the products that I researched that are acclaimed from getting rid of zits only added insult to injury. Luckily, I came across MyChelle Dermaceuticals Gentle Cleansing Wash.

The MyChelle Dermaceuticals Gentle Cleansing Wash is unscented and mild, which is great for my skin. It is free of gluten, parabens, and sulfates, and reduces redness and irritation. It also includes the MyChelle DermaCalm Complex, which is made of Blue Daisy and French Oak extract that helps to moisturize skin. So far, this cleanser is helping me to keep my skin under control, and it is affordable at only $16! 

Learn more about MyChelle Dermaceuticals and this product here.

My Favorite Skin Products

I can't tell you if my skin is normal, dry, or oily. I feel like it can be any of the three at any given time. I often try different facial products to review and possibly include in my daily regimen, but I found the below three to work perfectly on my skin, no matter what condition it is in.

Garnier Clean + Balancing Daily Exfoliator for Combination Skin, $5.99, Target.com
I do not use this scrub every day, only 2-3 times a day when my skin is lacking luster and can use a pick me up. I get dry skin patches around my nose, and this scrub is perfect for helping with that. I was scared to use it originally because the acid from grapefruit has broken me out in the past, but the grapefruit, in combination with the pomegranate, doesn't break me out in the product. It smells amazing and gives my skin a bit of an afterglow.

All Things Pure Cleanser, $35, Pure.Bioelements.com
I use this cleanser daily as a facial wash. It is very mild, and lightly scented. It is made with plant extracts to calm the skin, and I find that this helps me with the redness that I sometimes get around the corners of my nose (I guess my nose is a problem area, lol).

St. Ives Oatmeal Facial Scrub, $3.89, Target.com
The St. Ives Oatmeal Scrub is great for all skin types. It is gentle on the skin, and I use it as a facial mask- applying it to my skin and leaving it on for 10-15 minutes. I use it only once or twice a month to hydrate my skin if it is beginning to look blah. It is my favorite product in the winter and leaves my skin smooth and refreshed.

Review: Garnier Clean+ Skincare Products

After being scared straight by an old classmate that looks 30 years older than me now, I have been on the hunt for the best skincare products for me. I have taken many of my beauty cues from my grandmother but sadly, I can not follow in her footsteps when it comes to this. For over 60 years, she washed her face with rubbing alcohol, something that the beauty world has made clear to NEVER do. As you read previously, I have found a friend in the St. Ives Nourished and Smooth Oatmeal Scrub + Mask, but I needed something that I could be comfortable using daily.  Then I was sent the Garnier Clean+ Combination Skin Collection .

 

As with everything meant to go on my face, I was initially afraid to use it because it includes grapefruit and pomegranate, fruits that make me break out when I eat them. However, it was very gentle, did not cause any irritation, and it smells AMAZING!

 

Since I do have combination skin, I will also be trying the Invigorating Daily Scrub for normal skin and the Nourishing Cleansing Oil, which I plan on using as a light moisturizer and make up remover. Stay tune for the review!

 

$5.99-$7.99

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Written All Over My Face

When it comes to describing the past month of my life, I don't know which word to use: dramatic or traumatic.
My grandmother used to tell me when I was a kid that I was a drama queen, that I made things seem worst than they really are. So for a split second, I thought that maybe this has been the case of late. So what if I am technically homeless. I still have my health and I'm not dead, right?
This is what I told myself as I laid down to sleep on the floor of the motel that my family is currently staying at. And I have to say I even felt refreshed as I got up to go to the bathroom. Then I looked in the mirror.
MY FACE LOOKS LIKE A PIZZA!
I swear to you that I almost screamed. My face is soooo broken out! Not to toot my own horn but toot! I usually have good skin. The few instances that my skin has ever looked this bad has been when I was really stressed.
I remember having Pizza Face in the second grade when taking my ITBS Test. You know, that whack placement test they give you in elementary school that more so grades the teachers than your abilities. That doesn't stop the teachers from pressuring you to tears to pass. And of course, I had Pizza Face right before I went to Xavier. Ah, when I had little non-problem problems.
So back to my face. It looks horrible. And on top of that, I have lost my Afro pick and my hair feels like a rug. I do not look cute. I need to get myself together ya'll.