#I had so many empty skincare and makeup containers

[sasukesofficiallawyer]

I finally cleaned my depression hole excuse for a bedroom! I found out I had 10 math books, 3 grammar books, 5 binders, 22 folders, 28 notebooks, 11 sketchbooks, 17 dictionaries, 20 handfuls of pencils (regular and colored), 13 handfuls of pens and markers, it looks like I raided an office supplies store. I think I was accidentally a hoarder. I also found my first fanfiction and fanart, which were in my old elementary school binder.

[keerysfreckles]

Maybe luke having a skincare day with aphrodit!reader? I’m in love with your stories 😭😭😭💕

rosy — luke castellan

pairing: luke castellan x aphrodite fem!reader

warnings: use of y/n and she/her pronouns

a/n: the og mean girls musical soundtrack >>>

masterlist !

꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱

winter at camp half-blood couldn't be described easily. it snowed all around the camp, but never inside the barrier. yet somehow it was still cold. the snow pillowed around the barrier of the hill, and the white clouds just stayed just above the camp.

most campers went back to their homes after the summer, sometime in august. very few stayed. either to train, or just using camp as an excuse to stay away from their un-goldy parent.

nothing was different this year as most campers went home. some would say even less stayed at camp this year. three out of the twelve cabins were completely empty.

y/n l/n, daughter of aphrodite, made the choice to stay at camp this year. she couldn't take another year of her younger mortal brother bugging her 24/7 when she was home. her step-mother wasn't a cash prize either. she would always critize y/n, mostly for her looks and mannerisms. yes, y/n, daughter of aphrodite. the prettiest most breathtaking goddess' daughter, was being critized for her looks.

y/n knew she made the better choice once she found out luke castellan was staying at camp as well. the hermes cabin was always full, all year long. so luke found himself inside y/n's cabin more than his own.

this didn't change as luke was currently walking inside the cabin. he was always mesmerized by it. the whole cabin was light pink, with matching pink columns on each side of the porch. it was a taller cabin, having two stories. there were many engravings of cupid and hearts all over the outside walls. it was so different from hermes' all wood, traditional looking cabin.

luke enters the cabin, being met with even more pink. the two couches in the room where white, along with all the other furniture. the cabin was full of mirrors and more engravings of cupid.

"love?" luke called into the cabin. he knew y/n was at camp, he just wasn't sure where.

"upstairs!" y/n yelled. she was sitting at one of the vanity's upstairs, the one she claimed as her own in the summer. it was full of her own things. makeup, trinkets, jewelry – everything really.

luke walked up the short stairway and his heart warmed at the sight of his girlfriend. you heard right, girlfriend. the two camp counselors started dating in the summer of last year. luke protected y/n a bit more than the other campers when she was unclaimed. they didn't drift apart once she moved cabins either, which both were extremely grateful for.

luke took her out on a very cheesy picnic date at the end of summer, before y/n went home. he was nothing but a gentleman the whole time. of course he had to end the date with a kiss, which leads the couple where they are today.

"why aren't you outside with the others? all the apollo campers are putting on a play right now," luke drags an empty chair from another vanity and brings it towards y/n's.

the girl finishes wiping her face, removing the makeup she had on earlier in the day.

"i just wanted a self care day," she answered honestly, "everything just got so overwhelming after lunch."

luke nodded as he undertsood. he knows how loud the camp can be sometimes, even in it's deserted state.

he rested his head on y/n's shoulder and watched through the mirror as she put a green substance all over her face.

"what is that for?" luke asks curiously.

"it's a face mask, it helps clean your pores and help with wrinkles and ache," y/n responds, while rubbing the green mask on her forehead.

"let me do it with you," luke offers.

y/n turns with furrowed eyebrows, "what? why?"

luke shrugs, "it's something cute couples do, isn't it?"

"well, yes i guess so," y/n pauses to smile, "here, sit up straight."

luke does as she says, while the girl grabs the container and stands in between his legs.

luke finally notices she's wearing one of his shirts he must've left in the cabin in one of their many sleepovers. he thought it looked way better on her than it did on him.

the mask was cold when it touched luke's warm skin, making y/n mutter out a few sorry's before continuing. luke had his hands placed on her thigh's gently rubbing circles on her exposed skin. he never understood why she wore shorts as pajamas in the winter.

"why are you looking at me like that?" y/n wonders out loud. she's done putting the face mask on her boyfriend. she sets tge container down and wipes her hands on a towel, before placing her arms over luke's shoulders.

"what? i can't stare at my absolutely gorgeous girlfriend?" the two of them laugh. "i got lucky with you."

y/n blushes, and she swears luke's can see ut under the mask covering her skin.

"and i got lucky with you," y/n tells the hermes boy. she watches his smile only grow.

she then leans down to kiss luke's lips. they're as soft and as warm as ever. she wondered how they were always warm, especially in the winter. her fingers threaded through the curls at the base of his neck, earning a small moan from him. moments pass and y/n's bottom lip was now being pulled between luke's teeth.

y/n pulled away, knowing what luke wanted. she couldn't help but giggle at the whine coming from her boyfriend.

"we might have to get this mask off if we want to go any further, huh?"

y/n only giggled more as luke was quick to run to the cabin bathroom to wash the face mask off his face. y/n was quick to follow and once both of their faces were clean, luke pulled y/n to her bed.

"i love you," luke says in between kisses.

"i love you too," y/n stares at the boy for a moment, with nothing but adoration, before pulling him in for many more kisses.

[havetheavengersdoneanythingwrong]

An Interlude — Warmth Under the Covers

The Master of Chaldea — Ritsuka Fujimaru — checks in on his allies, only to find them slacking off yet again.

What’s a Guda to do?

[POV-Ritsuka]

—

I am a Master of Chaldea.

That is what I am — nothing more, nothing less.

The guy operating the summoning system most of the time — one of the two guys who keeps the contracts between the Servants that Chaldea summons.

Mash’s Senpai.

I’m a Cause, and so is my coworker.

“...That’s right. That makes me a badass now, sort of!”

I can feel my fingers run through my hair as I wink at the mirror before me. Comparing my two options to figure out which one I preferred in the Combat Uniform, I ran over my daily routine.

Step one, of course, was figuring out how much I wanted to do myself up in the morning. The Chaldea bathrooms had the perfect lighting to check my face and skin, ensuring my skincare routine was up to snuff. Making sure my eyes weren’t bloodshot from the two hours’ sleep — making sure the bags under my eyes were concealed with a little bit of makeup.

“It’s like every day, Suzie’s training becomes a little more useful.”

That’s right — a closer look, and my cheeks were smooth as a baby’s bottom — my eyes as normal as they could get, considering their bright orange shade. At least the curtains matched the windows — always something that did bother me about my other look, that my hair wasn’t blue.

“...Then again, that would look awful with the uniform.”

The thought made my spine shiver. Like a genderswapped Rei — not bad, but not exactly the visual I liked seeing.

Truly, it was preferable to have that set form — anything else would be nauseating to even think about.

“...That should do it.”

Yes, truly — I looked perfectly fine, now. Care had to be taken to ensure I looked like my best.

That, of course, was easier than worrying the others.

...

...The bathrooms led to the Chaldea halls, just as well as they led to my quarters. Why the creators did this always confused me — even moreso, that the doors were one-sided, and were flush with the wall, so you couldn’t even get back in.

“Goddamned mages and their one-way bathroom door magic.”

Adjusting the plugsuit that never failed to get bunched up near my arm, and trying to imagine the map of Chaldea in my head, I put one foot in front of the other and started course to the cafeteria. Simply a hop, skip, and approximately twenty-five different hallways that look exactly the same away — my only saving grace being how many times I’ve made this journey before.

That, and the burning Olive Garden due east of the Cafeteria, whose smoke signalled the food area from a mile away.

And for much of the trip, it was the same as it always was — simply my footsteps echoing in an empty hallway, the only accompaniment being the odd intercom message from Da Vinci letting the staff know of a Singularity that had only recently cropped up.

“Just calling to let you all know that we will begin our scheduled Rayshift in four days~! Prepare yourselves for it!”

...We never really had a break. Even walking down these empty, empty halls, my footsteps served only to momentarily break up the endless thoughts of what came next.

‘A mystery Singularity. Is that what it is? I’ve never heard of it. We had the four Pseudo-Singularities handled already. There shouldn’t be any Pillars left! On top of that, we still don’t know the first thing about its location, and even if we did...’

Tap.

‘...It’s not like we can do anything to stop it. All my research, and nothing about this makes any sense at all. Maybe a Foreigner could do it, but—‘

Tap.

‘—Why? There’s no reason to make a Singularity anymore. No Demon Pillars left. The Lostbelts are already destroying mankind. There’s nothing left to do. And—‘

Tap.

‘...We need a break. We need a break from this — from ALL of this. Cadence needs a break, and that’s to say nothing of myself. Can’t we have a moment to sleep..?! Can’t we have even a second to rest our eyes, snooze, and..?!’

The smoke overwhelmed my thought. Against the harsh fumes of a burning building, and the strange smell of spice, rational thought was impossible to maintain — and the growing headache of a nightmare-riddled sleep wasn’t exactly helping matters.

Tap.

It wasn’t far now, surely. Another step forward, and —

...

...Between the tables of the cafeteria, there lay a kotatsu.

I made it with Da Vinci’s help just a few days before. A little wooden table, at least compared to the surrounding cafeteria tables — a red blanket sort of thing, and a heater underneath that Da Vinci cleverly placed carefully to avoid burning oneself. It could sit, I reckoned, four people on a good day —

—I didn’t account for Gorgon, clearly.

Finally directing my gaze to what was coming out of the blanket of the kotatsu — and moving forward as to get the damned Olive Garden smoke out of my eyes — I was met first with the ever-clear figure of Gorgon. Eyes just barely shut, a hand positioned to form a makeshift pillow, and a tail surrounding something out of view, she drew a figure much unlike what I’d previously seen — only made a little more curious with the resting Lobo just behind her, which made its resting spot close to her in order to be as warm as possible. Hessian, for what it was worth, was still awake, sitting at a table nearby — offering me a wave of recognition as I returned my gaze to the table.

Jeanne Alter lay — more accurately, sat — at the kotatsu, almost as if she were awake, her hand still gently grasping a bag of chips that had by now spilled across the oak surface of the table. If it weren’t for her loud snoring, and her face smushed against the table, she would’ve had me convinced she was still awake.

Circling around, I found an Artoria that seemed quite familiar — Lancer, clad in a black turtleneck sweater, dark grey jeans, and her esteemed headpiece, resting her head on her hand and looking almost wistfully at whatever Gorgon had wrapped up in her tail. Even as I approached, she didn’t even look back in recognition — as if I never existed at all, or as if she were staring through a window that wouldn’t accommodate for anything Ritsuka-shaped.

And as I followed her unshifting gaze, I found —

—Wrapped in Gorgon’s tail, a young lady, sharp black hair tied up in an impressive style I couldn’t quite describe. Her face, uncovered by a mask I’d grown accustomed to seeing, seemed at peace — eyes gently shut, arms wrapped around...

“...Cadence, you motherfucker.”

The careful, wistful gaze of Lancer Alter, the comically tight squeeze of a sleeping Gorgon, and the gentle hold of Ushiwaka, all contained a cowardly Master that somehow bonded with the most hateful, evil beings alive.

In a sense, it would bring about the ultimate safety, being around those that would always fight to protect that which they care of — even if their ultimate fate is to burn all that lives, surely some safety remained in keeping close to those who would protect you from anything they hated most.

“...This guy claims he’s a one-on-one sort of guy, yet he ends up like this.”

...It wasn’t like I had any right to complain — I did have Mash, and that was utter perfection, so I supposed he had the right to find a portion of that.

“...I’m never letting him live this down.”

“...Ritsuka.”

...I glanced over to Lancer Alter, who seemingly only now clued into my existence — her almost hazy eyes, as if overlaid with a world both like and unlike reality, gazed both at me — and through me.

“What is it?”

“...Rest well. Your journey will not end so easily — you would do well to follow his lead.”

...Her gaze moved back to Cadence, who hadn’t moved a muscle. If not for the subtle sound of his breath, I’d have presumed him dead — though he wouldn’t have much room to move, the way he was.

“...I don’t think I can rest that well, Lancer. He’s got two ladies keeping him warm, and a third keeping an eye on him. Can’t tell me I’ll ever rest like that.”

...At that, the Lancer only smirked.

“...It shocks me as much as any other, Ritsuka, that this has happened. But... You have your own who would be all too willing to provide, no?”

I could hear myself let out a snort in a desperate attempt not to laugh.

“Only one with Ritsuka cuddle privileges is Mash. Serenity gets a pass, but the others terrify me.”

“...So be it. Find those two, and rest. If that is how you rest best, then so be it.”

...Keeping a close look at her eyes, the fog faded ever-so-slightly as she kept watch over the other Master. I reckoned it was probably due to the contract being transferred to him — though Cadence did always have the strange habit of bringing Alters down to earth. If he weren’t so scared of the others...

“...You do the same, Lancer. Don’t watch over the guy forever. If you wanna get in there, Gorgon could probably fit you, too.”

As I briefly procured me phone to snap a picture of the scene before me, to tease Cadence with later, Lancer only laughed back.

“I am already dreaming, Ritsuka. I have no need to rest.”

“Right, right.”

Even as I turned around, and began setting foot outside the cafeteria with a wave Lancer’s way, my eyes remained on the photo of Cadence.

A lot had changed — a lot would still yet change.

Friends had been made in unlikely places, enemies made of friends, and friends of enemies.

But in all this, even a guy as paranoid as Cadence found time to rest — he found company with Avengers, and those more evil than he could even hope to be, and he found safety in their loyalty and affection, so it seemed.

...

“...I guess I don’t need to worry about him, hm?”

...It was best to listen to that Lancer while I still had time —

—while, instead of the ceaseless nightmares, I would dream instead about teasing the coward that remained so affectionately in such a silly place.

...Perhaps it was time to dream.

[holdenintr320]

Naturie Hatomugi Skin Conditioner Toner

Appropriate hydration as well as balanced moisturization are key to achieving a healthy skin, even if your skin is oily. Residing in the ancient city of Kyoto, been in Wonect for 3 years sharing the very best Japanese products available! Adverse evaluations are additionally important to get both sides of the tale, so we can have a more precise expectation for any product. Naturie Hatomugi Skin Conditioning Gel is presently racking up a 4.8 out of 7 with 4344 evaluations on @cosme, which means it is considered an above average item in the @cosme community. As always, I'll share a few of the pluses and minuses from the evaluations, due to the fact that I believe both to be vital. If cost is the top top priority on your listing, after that the balance between rate versus advantages is going well in your favour.

My face has less irritation, smaller sized pores and also whiter/brighter skin. [newline] I additionally, sometimes, use this in the evening or perhaps after going out or if have inflammations from dry skin, hot weather or after exercising. It soothes my redness, brightens my face in addition to tightens my pores. Naturie Hatomugi (Job's Tear) Skin Conditioner improves the permeability of your skincare and also hence improving the performance of your skincare. Hold the hot flashes after sunburn, it tightens up the pores and it has cooling/refereshing impact on skin to soothe irritation/s. Leaves a feeling of freshness, lightness, comfort as soon as it touches the skin. Assists lock in wetness without relying on oil-based components like conventional creams.

Improve skin tone brighter, boost dark places day after day, assistance tighten skin, reduce skin aging process, boost skin indicators.

The name Hatomugi itself really indicates Job's Tears, the extract that's used in the item.

While highly moisturizing and beneficial for rough, completely dry spots, it does not leave the skin feeling sticky or oily.

In addition, Hatomugi extract, when put on the skin, it has a reliable action on appeal such as hydrating as well as bleaching, so it is created in skin treatment products.

I will certainly be sharing in this testimonial exactly how this gel executes in regards to skincare as well as cost, what assesses it has actually gotten, and also what it can do for you.

We at The Yoku Glow, count on a globe where individuals feel their best everyday, throughout, independent from societal pressure.

Ideal for all skin types, men and women and is recommended for oily, dry, and delicate skin. I keep in mind the first time I was familiar with about the Naturie Hatomugi Skin Conditioning Gel. The shelf for the moisturising gel was empty except for a couple of containers of Naturie Skin Conditioner Lotion.

Hatomugi makeup cleaner oil emulsifies well, as well as does not cause oily skin after usage. About the incredibly excellent hydrating feature, after applying the lotion mask for 3 minutes, I really feel that the skin is especially moisturized and plump, with a remarkable healthy luster. A lotion mask is simply understood as an immediate moisturizing action for the skin, aiding the skin to be plump, healthy and intense right away.

Client Care

The convenient push-pull shape removes the need to hold the bottle and also turn it up. On top of that, the style of the press nozzle also aids to make sure the health of the item, restricting bacteria from going into the interior, impacting the high quality of the cleansing oil. Assists control oil, has an anti-inflammatory ability, protects against skin from sunburn, helps to enhance completely dry skin promptly. Hatomugi face wash has a velvety appearance with a compressed milk texture.

Jbeauty Routine: Naturie Skin Conditioner & Skin Conditioning Gel Testimonial

It promotes moisturized, soft, smooth, and also clear skin without acne. It has a non-sticky fresh texture to make sure that you can use it on a daily basis without worries. This Hatomugi skin conditioner is suitable on the face or any type of other body component such as legs, hands, and also arms to maintain them moisturised for long hrs. I have acne prone skin and also actually sensitive to great deals of skin care item. I've been attempting many creams as well as none of them appeared benefit me. This cream is quickly soaked up and also does not create any type of negative response.

Kiehl's Calendula Deep Cleaning Lathering Face Laundry 230ml

Despite all the layering, I still obtained a good 80% of my container. I certainly recommend this for everyone, particularly those with sensitive skin that can not use anything with fragrance or any annoying active ingredients. I still have not tried to use this as a face mist, yet that will certainly be on my to-do list without a doubt.

However, you ought to not be as well worried about that since the dosage in the item has been carefully measured as well as safe. Furthermore, the product goes to the TOP in the Japanese skincare market and also rates by numerous women. Created with a pure white shell, the outside is published with the product's logo design, details and components. Make it simple for users to discover info, get and also utilize it. The tube has a pop-up cap, so you can easily readjust the quantity of cream to utilize.

There is almost no inflammation, so it can be made use of even when the delicate skin and also pre-menstrual severe skin. I have used it prior to morning make-up because it has a fresh feeling of use. It really did not be sticky also if I applied a great deal, so it is very valued that I might make use of pleasantly even my oily skin. The normally awesome liquid was fairly a shock once it touches the skin.

Obviously, I depend on this liquid for that function alone, A LOT. I can use it every evening straight for a week if it's necessary as well as I have actually done that sometimes in the past. I can not tell you how Hatomugi had actually saved my skin countlessly throughout these adversities. Helps balance the pH of the skin and works to secure in the moisture when used prior to moisturizer. Naturie Hatomugi Skin Conditioner Cream is extremely reliable http://www.THATGLOW.com.au in hydrating as well as conditioning of the skin. It is available in a huge tube that can last for months, making it among the most economical printer toner around. This deserves it with such big quantity it has that you can utilize throughout your body.

[elsiesmith672]

5 Ways to WOW with Sustainable Packaging

How To Keep Your Designs Insta-Friendly and Earth-Approved

Upon learning that I am a packaging designer, a kind person once said, “Oh, so you design garbage.” #Ouch. Harsh words for sure—but this comment brings up a very valid point that we all need to consider when we’re creating packaging: The real end user is the earth.

THE NEW NORMAL

As the health and wellness movement grows, people get more conscious about the ingredients in their products. They care more about the environmental and social impact of producing, packaging and distributing these products. Today’s consumer demands transparency, and her choices are completely reshaping the CPG industry.

Sustainable packaging isn’t just for the crunchy brands at Whole Foods anymore. The once-niche trend of “going green” has hit the mainstream—and companies simply can’t afford to ignore the new higher standards. Luxury, lifestyle and mass brands are all jumping on the solar-powered bandwagon.

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY

Starting now, it is the responsibility of branding and design agencies to present sustainable options.

Many of our clients are in the beauty space—meaning they want their packages to be sparkly, shiny and flashy. And generally, the processes used to add the glam are anything but sustainable. We need solutions that give the customer the awesome, instagram-able unboxing experience without the heavy cost on the planet.

Here are 5 trending ways that brands are effectively (and not so effectively) moving towards a more sustainable packaging and production approach.

TREND 1: LESS IS MORE

The single most effective way to eliminate waste is by not creating it in the first place. In our CPG world, this means being creative about ways to use less material, while still fulfilling the fundamental purposes of packaging: 1) to protect the product and 2) to convey information about the product.

One great example of this approach is the box for Allbirds shoes. The box functions as a traditional shoe box to transport the shoes from store to home—and doubles as a shipper box for online orders. With most online shoe purchases, you’d receive your shoes inside of a shoe box that’s inside of a shipper box. Seems like overkill, especially for a product as durable as sneakers.

Several grocery stores are taking this concept to the extreme. A Berlin-based grocery store called Unpacked aims to have zero packaging in the store. All items are presented loose or in bulk. And customers are expected to bring their own vessels or rent ones from the grocery store to transport the items home. I really love this idea—even though it threatens my job security.

You can’t always blame the packaging designers for excess packaging. For online retail, one of the biggest ways to cut down on waste is to streamline shipping process and materials. I love when I’m shopping online for multiple items, and I get the option during checkout to wait a little longer for one box rather than speedier, separate shipments. We’ve all had the frustrating experience of ordering a vegetable peeler—and receiving a giant box full of paper wads and bubble wrap, with the tiny little little product tucked in one corner (ahem, Amazon Prime).

TREND 2: DESIGNING THE BEST GARBAGE

Once you’ve minimized the amount of packaging, the next step is to select materials that won’t end up in a landfill for hundreds of years. Recyclable is great; biodegradable is even better. I’m very much into paper pulp boxes because they look cool, and they’re just begging to be composted.

Pangea Organics takes it to the next level by embedding seeds into their pulp clamshells, so consumers can compost and be rewarded with a little patch of basil.

Saltwater Brewery knew that plastic six-pack rings often end up as ocean pollution and can harm sea creatures. The company developed a biodegradable (and edible!) six pack holder made from the leftover barley and hops in the beer-making process. It breaks down and can actually provide a snack for our undersea fish and turtle friends.

TREND 3: ONE MAN’S TRASH IS ANOTHER MAN’S LUXE RUM BOTTLE

Upcycling is all about finding ways to make something useful out of a material that would otherwise be waste. One recent example that was particularly beautiful is this rum bottle by Fitzroy—with a cap made of melted down Coca-Cola labels (aptly named ‘From Waste to Wasted’). Truly impressive that they were able to turn those yucky old labels into such an artful looking cap.

Method, an early bearer of the eco-friendly torch, launched a collection of soaps packaged in bottles made from collected ocean pollution.

TREND 4: INNOVATIVE MATERIAL CHOICES

How the packaging can be disposed of is important. But it’s equally important to look at the entire supply chain, starting with where and how raw materials are sourced and the ways in which they are processed.

In order to meet these standards, companies are looking to new types of materials and processes that haven’t been used before in packaging.

Biossance is a biotech-backed skincare company that used sugarcane to recreate the body’s natural moisture molecule. Sugarcane is particularly sustainable because it doesn’t require irrigation or harvesting. Inspired by the eco-friendly nature of sugarcane in their formulas, we used sugarcane paper stock for the brand’s outer boxes. The tree-free stock is printed with vegetable inks. It can be safely composted. And it’s pretty.

Another fascinating example is the recent trend towards mushroom fiber. It’s compostable, durable and sustainable to produce. We’ve been seeing it pop up in packaging, shipping material and even furniture.

I had to include this super cool futuristic water sphere made with an edible, algae-based exterior membrane. There are some immediate questions that come to mind about the feasibility of this product in real life, like “how could this be displayed in a store?” and “how do you protect against contamination without a layer of packaging holding the sphere?” But I’m going to put those questions aside for the time being, because it’s so fantastic looking and I want to eat (drink?) one right now. It may not be able to totally replace water bottles, but even replacing some water bottles at events would be a huge win.

TREND 5: REUSE, REFILL OR SHARE?

Packaging a product in a reusable vessel isn’t good enough anymore. Packaging design puts the burden on the consumer to find a way to reuse it, and maybe she doesn’t want another cosmetics bag or shopping tote. Especially when they’re made out of non-earth-friendly materials. Smells like landfill to me.

In theory, refill and return programs sound like a good option, but very few people actually utilize them. I love how these refillable makeup compacts from Kjaer Weis look. While no one uses an entire eyeshadow—new season means swap for a new color.

Burt’s Bees Recycle On Us program offers free pre-paid mailing labels to ship back empty lip product containers. But again, many people won’t take the extra time to do this. It puts too much of the burden on consumers.

A great example of reusable packaging is Rent the Runway’s garment bag shippers. They use the heavy fabric bags over and over again, and the only the label has to be reprinted. They are also cutting down on waste in the fashion industry by giving consumers the opportunity to borrow instead of buy. We’re all about it.

[gracefulchildbeauty]

Beauty Favourites of 2017 Part I - Skincare + Goals for 2018

2017 was a great skincare year for me! I’m proud of my skin progress year after year. I’m close as I can ever be to having healthy, clear skin free from blemishes and hyperpigmentation. I’m in my mid twenties and when I look at past photos of my teens to early twenties, it’s notable how my skin has improved since then. I went from having uncontrollable hormonal breakouts and an uneven skin tone to now barely any PMS related acne and my hyperpigmentation has cleared up and faded. And of course I’m loving the feedback I get from friends and strangers of how I look younger than my current age.

I have tried out many products so I want to note some skincare that resonated with me in 2017. Most of the products listed are currently active in my skincare routine until spring comes rolling in. Some products I will mention I won’t go into great detail because I wish to reserve the talk with its own dedicated blog post so keep in mind this is a list of highlights. Please! Bear with me, hear me out and get through my skincare rambling. 

I want to outline all the products mentioned are at various price points (most under $120) and I understand we all come from different walks of life and may not afford all these products. Skincare and make up is my hobby. So yes, it is my choice to spend my hard earned coin on skincare and beauty related items. I view it as a form of self care, a daily ritual for me to focus on myself. My values are to think of others first but self care has improved how I feel about myself and my own confidence. 

Long story short, this is my experience with skincare and I don’t encourage others to buy what I use. I recommend to always do your RESEARCH! The internet is a great tool and resource to learn how to care for your skin. Skincare is YMMV and I, myself, extensively spend time reading articles to figure out what works for my skin type (dry/normal). I’m sifting out ingredients and formulations that could help my targeted concerns such as uneven skin tone, hyperpigmentation, maintaining a healthy skin moisture barrier and preventing breakouts. Invest your time into learning and understanding what you are spending your money on so you make informed choices and avoid buying based on impulse and hype. I myself enjoy reading and watching other people’s best of posts and videos and learning about what they are loving.

So without further ado:

Note the following abbreviations: (D) -Day, (N) - Night, YMMV - Your mileage may vary, DE - Drunk Elephant, CAIS - Copper Amino Isolate Serum

Favourite Discovery in 2017: Drunk Elephant

A solid line of skincare products that the brand formulated to suit most skin types. Results were not immediate when I first used their serums but I saw a visible difference in my skin after 1 month. I own the following:

C-Firma Day serum (D) - Helped brighten my skin by lightening my hyperpigmentation and improve the overall tone of my skin. Used it twice in the week after toner, in the morning with a 15 minute wait time before the next product.

T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night serum (N) - 1 - 2 times a week at night. After applying NIOD’s CAIS serum, I apply one pump all over the face and wait 20 minutes before applying my next product. Benefits I seen are a more evened out skin complexion and smoother, less textured skin. My t-zone gets oily from time to time in the summer and this helps minimize the oiliness and my pores appear less visible.

Lala Retro Whipped Cream (D/N) - Great moisturizer for my dry/normal skin. Reserved this for the winter as it’s a bit heavy in the summer. I would wake up in the morning and my skin wouldn’t feel dehydrated.

Hydration Gel (D) - I can summarize this as a shot glass of hydration for the skin. I treat this product as a serum because of the lightweight gel texture but it’s not hydrating enough to be a moisturizer for my dry/normal skin.

Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil (D/N) - Used only during the winter because of the Canadian air being colder and drier. I would add two drops of this to my moisturizer. It’s rich in fatty acids, moisturizing, and absorbs well into the skin without the oiliness feel.

Shaba Complex Eye Serum (D/N) - Doesn’t help with my dark circles (mine are hereditary so sleep is the best solution) but it doesn’t irritate the eye area. I prefer eye serums over eye creams because of the irritation I would experience from the weight of the product on my eye area. Quickly absorbs in this delicate part of the face and keeps lines softened and hydrated. I had a good experience with copper peptides in my skincare so love that the ingredient is in this eye serum.

Old Faithful Brand I remain loyal to: Deciem’s NIOD

Since discovering Deciem and their house of brands a few years back, I discovered, tried and fell hard for two key products from NIOD that continue to keep my skin healthy and in tip top shape:

NIOD’s Copper Amino Isolate Serum 2:1 (Formally Copper Amino Isolate Serum 1.00%) (N) A few thoughts about what I noticed in terms of results: The speed at which my skin regenerates after minor breakouts is quicker (my recovery time from a fresh acne breakout is from 3 - 5 days instead of a week) and how my skin maintains its firmness after going through various seasons of humidity and dryness. I used up my last bottle of CAIS 1% and started using their new reformulation CAIS 2 this month so I currently seeing if there is any notable difference. I still have 5 - 6 empty bottles of this stashed away to testify my love for this product. I can’t tell you how much I love CAIS so look out for a dedicated blog post on this!

NIOD Contour Eye Concentrate (N) - While I have a few eye wrinkles, I like how the serum prevents further exaggeration. It hydrates and softens the lines and surrounding skin. Doesn’t help with dark circles (mine are hereditary) but as a wearer of eye makeup almost everyday, the skin around my eyes remain healthy looking, plump and youthful. My eye area gets swollen and painful from stress (hormones, irritation, crying) but it doesn’t look swollen or inflamed even though I feel it. This helps maintains the firmness of the skin around my eyes.

Favourite Breakout brand: Deciem’s The Ordinary

The offerings of this brand are formulations that are simple, pack a punch and at affordable pricing for the masses. I tried out mostly serums and an exfoliant and hope to try out more in the future:

Buffet Serum - water based, improved skin health with various peptides to diminish wrinkles, improves elasticity, promotes a healthy skin barrier, contains hyaluronic acid to hydrate.

Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA - brightens the skin, treats and fades hyperpigmentation, takes time to see results, not super dramatic

Lactic Acid 10% + HA 2% - chemical exfoliant (AHA) to improve skin texture, evens out skin tone

Ascorbyl Tetralsopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F - oil based serum containing vitamin c, doesn’t irritate but not sure if it is making a difference

Resveratrol 3% + Ferulic Acid 3%  - results are not immediate, good for anti aging over time

EUK 134 0.1% - great antioxidant serum, calms skin, reduces redness, don’t mix with acids

Notable Products I Enjoyed Throughout 2017: (Various Brands):

I make sure I have the following type of products in my skincare routine: low ph cleansers, acid toners and sunscreen. While targeted skincare treatments have done wonders for my skin, all of that can be undone if I don’t properly cleanse, tone and protect my skin. Here are some specific products I enjoyed using throughout 2017:

Sulwhasoo Snowise EX Cleansing Foam (N): I rotate through five low ph cleansers because skincare is fun and I like to try different brands and formulations. But the cleansing foam from Sulwhasoo has to be my favourite hands down. After oil cleansing, I would go in with this gentle foam cleanser. It lathers heavenly and cleanses without tightening/drying out my skin. Skin is left baby soft and oh, it has a nice, light, hanbang scent. Formulated at a ph level of 5.5, a good ph level that is important for maintaining your skin’s moisture barrier. I do have a back up of this but I’m reserving this cleanser for those nights I want to pamper my skin (even though my skin is pampered every night with an extensive night time routine).

Pixi Glow Tonic (N): A decent acid toner with 5% Glycolic Acid. Soaked this into a cotton square and swipe gently all over the face and neck. No alcohol and suitable for all skin types. Helps prep my skin for my AHAs/BHAs. No irritation and contains aloe juice, witch hazel, horse chestnut extract, ginseng root extract.

Son & Park Beauty Water (D): I would best describe it as a cleansing toner. I don’t use a cleanser in the morning so I would instead take a cotton square, soak it with the beauty water and lightly swipe my entire face and neck. This contains notable ingredients such as rose water, witch hazel, papaya extracts for a bit of exfoliation and helps remove any residues from the night before. Does contain alcohol, but it’s at the very end of the ingredient list. My skin has not experienced any irritation or dryness from the alcohol.

Makep:rem UV Defense Me Capsule Sun Gel Spf 50+ PA+++ (D)

This was unlike any other sunscreens I have tried and let me tell what made me buy 3 back ups of this after trying it for a week. It is a chemical sunscreen that applies with NO whitecast or greasiness. It is lightweight, like a gel and spreads like a serum. It is surprisingly moisturizing for my dry skin and applying a moisturizer feels too much on my skin with this. In the summer I can skip the moisturizer and just use this as my last step. I use the recommended amount (1/4 tsp = 3 pumps) to cover my entire face. Wait 10 minutes for it to dry down before going into makeup application. Decent product size (75mL) at a fair price ($24). From translations I found (COSDNA), the UV filters in this product are Avobenzone, Octocrylene and Homosalate for UVA and UVB sun protection.

Notable skincare trend:

7 Skin Method: I first heard about this through reddit forum AsianBeauty and online k-beauty retailer Glow Recipe. It’s a popular skincare trend that emerged from South Korea. Apparently thinly layering and patting in a hydrating toner or essence 7 times will maximize skin hydration. I tried it and wow it is seriously a game changer. They recommend to use a dime sized worth and best tapped in with your fingertips and wait until the product absorbs (when skin is no longer wet) before applying the next layer. I love using this method with Earth Recipe’s Energy Boosting toner. I tried it with a fermented essence and developed a rash of whiteheads so I’m steering clear of fermented essences for this method.

Goals for 2018:

Placing myself on a low buy for three months. I previously mentioned on my instagram I would be on a “no buy” and that clearly failed in the first week of January lol (I couldn’t pass up on a great deal on cotton squares). But in all seriousness, I’m on a tighter budget for a couple of months so as much as I want to indulge, I’m committed to avoid buying any new skincare, makeup, hair or body products. 

Becoming more active on social media and creating content I’m happy with. It may mean many things but I want to post what I’m interested in and hope to discuss and share my interests in beauty. I’m also fascinated by skincare and makeup technology emerging from Asia and their developments. I understand daily posting is key to building and attaining more followers but my goal is to connect with like minded individuals who share the same interests as myself. At the same time, I want to put out something I can be proud of and I want it to feel authentic to my creative vision. As an artist, it’s a long process to create a new series of work but it’s important to connect with others for feedback and insight. We’ll see how this goes being the introvert I am but I’m optimistic. 

Maintain and build this beauty blog for a year. It’s been a long two weeks writing and editing my first post and putting it out late January. I have full time job so this blog is a part time gig but I feel compelled to do my best to contribute what I learned and help others enjoy what has helped me.

And that’s it for now! Thanks for reading and look forward to the next post!

[essentialoilsfhlx036]

10 No-Fuss Ways to Figuring Out Your puracy natural body wash, sulfate-free shower gel and daily cleanser with citrus and sea salt

Best Organic Shower Gel

Mustela puts Avocado Perseose and Schizandra to work protecting your skin’s protective barrier. Olay’s Sensitive Skin unscented wash has been tested by dermatologists and more than 8,000 women a year. It’s designed to cleanse dirt and oil while leaving the skin supple.

Weleda 2 in 1 Gentle Shampoo and Body Wash

When it comes to ingredients you don’t want in a body wash or shower gel, you should know that many of them are in many different personal hygiene products. On the other hand, body washes tend to be more watery and less gel-like. Though that often has to do with the amount of water in the formula, it may also have to do with added oils that are used to moisturize skin. Of course, body washes also have detergents and surfactants, and may also have fragrances and dyes added to them.

These oils are very effective in hydrating your skin even if you had a hard day at work and it also rejuvenates your skin as well. In 2007, another good brand was introduced and they offer active care products for both men and women. The name of the brand is Fiama Di Wills and their collection of body wash includes Lemon Grass, Blackcurrant and Brazilian Orange.

How To Build A Steam Shower DIY

Powerful ingredients in this body wash body cleanse walmart include tea tree oil jojoba oil, olive oil, coconut oil, rosemary oil, vitamin A, vitamin E, peppermint oil, oregano oil, vitamin D, eucalyptus, and aloe. The body wash has no harmful chemicals, and it moisturizes your skin while removing bacteria and fungi.

Perhaps you still use a bar of soap, and that’s okay, but some people prefer the liquid variety. Using a body wash is much more efficient, as you can lather up a body scrubber with the wash gel to make sure you cover every spot. However, it can be a pain to pinpoint a well-blended body wash with just the right ingredients to keep you fresh.

Alba Botanica Shower Gel

Out of the three we listed above, Organic Men’s Face & Body Wash easily stand out as the most complete product. Some products that are lacking in other departments we talked above may come bundled with two or more soaps or body washes in the package.

For soap dishes, the best woods to look for are oak, cedar or bamboo because they are rot-resistant. Before making a purchase, you should consider that any wood soap dish is likely to get water-logged or moldy over time. Bar soaps tend to be cheaper than liquid soaps because you aren’t paying for the water and processing used to make the liquid soap. They also tend to last longer, because it’s not as easy to overuse bar soap as it is liquid soap, and you don’t have to worry about plastic packaging or finding a bulk store that sells liquid soaps.

Shaking does not properly mix a product containing oil and water without a surfactant to emulsify it.

And the hidden gem is The Crown Choice unscented body soap.

It is available in multiple natural scents such as lavender.

Organic bodywashes are infused with all-natural ingredients that effectively cleanse without using chemicals and other unnatural additives found in generic products.

You’ll appreciate the simplicity of the ingredients in this soap as much as we do. You’ll find organic coconut oil, organic olive oil, organic hemp oil and more in this wonderfully unscented body wash for men.

However, each one contains 100% natural dead sea salt, to deeply exfoliate, and a blend of aloe vera, jojoba, argan, and almond oils, to soften and smooth your skin. This body scrub smells amazing from the moment you scoop it out of the jar (no matter what scent you decide to choose). Even better is, there are no artifical perfumes or fragrances added.

For aromatherapy effects that rival the fanciest spas, lather up with Aveda's creamy oil body wash. The vegan and cruelty-free formula made with USDA-certified organic plant oilsenvelops your shower with the calming aroma of lavender and clary sage essential oils to instantly relax the senses. Body wash is a product most of us use every day, but sudsing with the right one can make the difference between a so-so shower (and skin!) and one that's pampering and silkening. So for a next-level spa-like experience and healthier, more hydrated body skin, don't just grab any old soap off the shelves. If you’re looking for ecologically friendly, then Burt’s just might be the brand for you.

Johnson’s Baby Shampoo

Using a bidet is cleaner than just toilet paper and means you’ll use a lot less paper in the long run. Facial soap is an excellent replacement for traditional makeup remover and p.s.- this soap dubs as a replacement shaving cream. Another zero waste option is to usecoconut oil, although some people experience sensitivities with this. Although it really pains me to put the empty plastic bottles in the recycling bin, I justify it by telling myself that the quality products I use (from The Body Shop) go a long way. Please note that “saponified” means that sodium hydroxide (lye) has been used to turn the oils into soap.

32The Honest Company Shampoo & Body Wash in Sweet Orange Vanilla

Jack Black has dedicated its life to creating the best skincare products for men and this body wash is just one in a long line of high-quality products. Loyal customers love it because of its convenient packaging making it easy to use in the shower. Overall, it offers a great lather and a subtle yet pleasant scent for even the most sensitive skin.

Obviously, water is an important part of the product, but I was interested in what happened if you simply combined the ingredients without water. Activated Charcoal Powder is used in cosmetic formulations to help adsorb excess oil and remove impurities from hair and skin.

Opt for natural scented products or unscented ones which you can add essential oils in to give them fragrance. Once you’ve found a body wash you like, support your skin’s health by applying a moisturizer as soon as you’ve dried off after a bath or shower. An ideal moisturizer for older skin will have active ingredients like peptides, retinol, and antioxidants, which help boost cell growth and protect the skin’s vulnerable moisture barrier.

[tcobeauty]

Confessions of a Beauty Hoarder: When #TreatYoSelf Goes Wrong

So I had been planning to do another Beauty Spend Freeze in April, following my failed 60-day freeze effort (I made it 45, which I thought wasn’t too bad, right?) in January/February. I’ve been hyper-aware of my seemingly never-ending and always-expanding stash lately, and I’ve been wanting to calm things down and streamline my routines for a while now, so just out of curiosity and because “TCO” doesn’t just stand for “Taking Care Of,” it’s also a business term that means “Total Cost Of” (the more you know, my beauties), I decided to go back through my 2016 spending and see just how much I dropped on beauty and skincare in a 12-month period.

You all, I spent more than $5,000 on skincare, makeup, and beauty products in 2016. That’s almost five mortgage payments. That’s a credit card I could have paid off, one of several across which I spread all that money to try to fool myself into thinking I wasn’t actually spending all that much (and clearly it worked). That’s 5/8 of the oral surgery I had back in January that I had to get a healthcare-specific line of credit to be able to afford, and that’s with both dental and health insurance through my employer. And because I’m a total masochist apparently, I decided to plow ahead and see how much I’ve spent so far in the first quarter of 2017, and I’m already at $1200. 

I am not a professional beauty blogger (obviously). I don’t get PR samples and free stuff to review–everything I buy and review and rate comes directly from my own wallet. And while I am a lot more privileged and in better shape financially than a lot of people in the world (I’m employed in an office job full-time with benefits, I don’t have a car payment, I don’t have student loan debt, I’m relatively healthy, etc.), I simply cannot justify spending that much of my income on products that are not tried and true and tested for me. Especially not with the increasingly mountainous hoard I’ve accumulated over the last several years of my beauty box subscription adventures and my lately discovered and constantly growing love of Korean skincare products. My beauty habit has proven to so far be continually innovative, interesting, and above all, effective, of course, in addition to super fun. But how long can you continue to spend money you don’t really have on things that you love and that ostensibly make you happy before it defeats the purpose of those things? What’s the cost/benefit of a love of beauty products versus deepening credit card debt?

There’s a line of undiagnosed but deeply obvious hoarding that runs on my mother’s side of the family. My great-aunt filled up an entire house with stuff, built a new house to live in once her stuff overtook her and her husband’s living space, and took to her bed for a week to mourn her stuff when some meth-heads burned down the stuff-house and reduced it to ashes and a chimney. No one was hurt or harmed, but her hoard was reduced to rubble and she had to go on tranquilizers in order to deal with it. The bathtub in her living-house is now unusable due to dozens of pairs of shoes piled up in it. The medicine cabinet cannot close due to crusty, separated bottles of nail polish that are probably older than I am. 

My grandmother, her sister, keeps a tidy house for the most part, but two back rooms are mostly stuffed to the gills with flea market finds, clothes that don’t fit and never did or never will, books that might get read when there’s time (and there never is), my late grandfather’s clothes and belongings, tucked away where they are not painful reminders of his absence, but reassuringly still there, just in case. She’s always kept Cool-Whip containers and McDonald’s straws to reuse until they fall apart. I always thought it was part of rural life, of being born and raised in the aftermath of the Great Depression, but somehow it seems like there’s always something more to it than that.

I’ve always held on to things for longer than I should, specifically beauty products. I’ve always been searching for new things to try, as much as I have already established a routine and system that clearly works perfectly fine, it’s never enough to just stick with that. Something else out there could be better, more effective, more tingly, more luxurious. Something could be a better deal and getting better rewards so I can get more products, more often.

I see shadows of this need to collect, to have too many things because you never know when you might need them, to be prepared just in case I need this one thing that I tried once and was okay but might come in really handy at some point in the future. There are murmurings of it in my own excessive and overflowing bookshelves with dozens of books I’ve bought with best intentions but haven’t looked at in actual years, my hopeful closet of pants with the tags still on them and shoes I love but that literally cut my feet apart with blisters that maybe I will figure out how to wear the right way someday, and my multiple cabinets and drawers and boxes of beauty products that aren’t really arranged or sorted in any way, shape or form but that I somehow manage to know where everything is without thinking twice. 

So this April spending freeze is pretty much indefinite for the foreseeable future. I need to use up this massive stash. I need to throw old and expired things out. I need to use the things that I know work. I need to try the bajillion samples I already have before I keep adding to them and trying to justify them by figuring out how ostensibly valuable they are. I believe in the power of beauty as a tool to define oneself in a world that seeks to define us in tiny boxes based on arbitrary rules and kyriarchal systems of oppression, but I cannot let debt as a result of this effort define the rest of my adult life, no matter how I claim to be able to couch it in terms of resistance or justify it as part of my feminism.

I believe in the importance of self care, the fun and specialness of #treatyoself, of the meditative elements of skincare rituals and customizing them to match your mood or the weather or how your face is feeling at that particular moment, but I also believe it’s important that we be honest with ourselves in terms of prioritizing things, no matter how much we tell ourselves that it’s for our own good, our self-improvement and self-image, for our health both physical and mental. I believe it’s important to examine the culture around beauty products both domestic and international, how we’re still conditioned by society to want to be “beautiful,” and even though those parameters have evolved somewhat, how they’re still cisgender, heteronormative, able-bodied, Eurocentric, and fatphobic. And I believe it’s important for us to take a hard, honest look at what these parameters are costing us, both financially and emotionally, on a daily basis and in the long run. 

So while I have a few backlog haul posts and beauty box reviews yet to post, the direction of this blog and of my own focus is going to evolve somewhat over the next few months. I’m still going to be posting regimens as I run through my stash, but look for more empties posts as I make an effort to use things up and reduce my hoard. There will be much fewer haul posts as I continue to keep my spending on lock in an effort to get my finances in order and focus only on making absolutely necessary purchases over the next few months. I’m going to try to do more reviews of products I know and I love and have been using for years instead of the latest fad or trends, and I’m going to be focusing more than ever on the real value of these products, how the packaging and the branding and the messaging can be interpreted (because yes, that shit matters), and how we can think about holding the beauty industry accountable and becoming more aware ourselves on the prices we pay to feel beautiful, and whether those prices are actually worth it. 

I started this blog so I could write about beauty products, something I know and love and use daily, and called it TCOBeauty because I personally like to take care of business, and I like beauty products that do the same. I started looking at the Beauty ROI of my beauty box subscriptions to see if I was actually getting my money’s worth on all this new stuff, and I started tracking my hauls to see if I was actually getting as good of a deal on these products as it felt like at the time (spoiler alert: not as often as I thought). The cost of beauty has never been more crystallized for me as it has at this point in my life, and I’m going to continue to be as up front and honest about it as I can. 

More to come, my beauties, as always.

[yahjiji]

Two days ago I bought life insurance.

About 3 years ago, my parents asked me to buy it because I could no longer be on their policy. They set everything up for me and all I had to do was call the lady and confirm everything and set up the recurring payments. I kept saying I would do it but I never had any intention of going through with it, because if I died, who even cares? I’m dead. Throw me in the ground or burn me, whatever. I’m dead anyway, I won’t be aware of how my body eventually got disposed of. 

But last week, we had a seminar about our new life insurance policies. The company I work for offers free life insurance coverage up to a certain amount as long as you work there. And then they offer pretty competitive voluntary life insurance that you pay for yourself and that you can take with you even if you leave the company. I bought that one. Not because I decided to care about what happens to my body after I’m gone, but because I realized my loved ones have to continue living and I would like to make sure that just because I’m gone from this Earth, they’re still being taken care of. So I bought it. My sister is the 100% beneficiary of my policy. I couldn’t put my mom because I don’t think she’d give anything to my boyfriend. I couldn’t put my dad, well because I didn’t want to and I’m not close to him and I didn’t want him to have any power or decisions over what would happen to me. Because we basically have little to no relationship. I couldn’t just put my boyfriend, but that’s another story entirely. 

Anyway, so I bought some life insurance. I’m starting to feel like an adult. I feel good. What’s a $12 monthly decrease in my paycheck anyway? Whatever. Peace of mind is worth it. 

I got my new Yves Saint Laurent cushion foundation that I’ve been trying to buy for over a year. I love it. It makes my skin look radiant and it doesn’t rub off or fade away easily. I’m basically walking on sunshine these days. 

I walk into work this morning. I woke up late because I’m sick. I’ve had a fever and a runny nose for over a week now. I can thank my boyfriend for getting me sick. He’s pretty much all better now, but I feel like I’m getting sicker. I almost skipped straightening my hair this morning so I could leave on time, but I did it anyway. I go through my entire skincare routine and tuck my makeup bags into my purse. I’ll just put it on when I get to the office. I go to the kitchen to grab some toast and jelly on my way out. I completely burn part of my toast. I cut off the black part, throw some jelly on it and run out the door. I don’t even put my tennis shoes on all the way. I pull into the parking lot at 7:47AM. I feel stressed because I feel like I’m late already. A guy from the factory forgot his badge and calls out to me to ask me to hold the door for him. I do. I put my bag down on my desk and clock in for the day.  7:49AM for the 3rd time in a row. I joke with my coworker how it’s fate that I clocked in at exactly the same time 3 days in a row. I grab my makeup bags and excuse myself to the restroom. As I’m walking by my coworker’s desk, he stops me and says, “I don’t mean to sound like creepy or anything but your skin looks really good today! Not like it doesn’t look good other days, but it’s really glowy today.” Yes, he actually used the word glowy. I thank him and say that I’m going to put on makeup anyway. As I’m finishing up my makeup, my boss comes into the bathroom. She’s also running late. She throws on some makeup and straightens her hair. We both laugh over the fact that we’d rather be late than not wash our hair because of our recent trauma with our most recently terminated employee. (Her hair was just not clean at all. It also kind of smelled.)

I try to concentrate on work but I can’t because my computer isn’t working. I have to reboot it twice. It’s 9:14AM. I notice the date. March 24th. It’s the 5th year anniversary of when my boyfriend sent me the text “I love you!!” (It’s a funny story for another time.) Shit. Yesterday was our actual 5th anniversary. I completely forgot. I sent him a late text message. Of course, no response. He’s probably mad. I was asleep last night when he got home and he woke me up. I got annoyed, ignored him and went back to sleep. Shit, our anniversary sucked for him. My coworker asks me to approve something in our system. I try to concentrate on work, but my mind is just not there today. I’m basically just watching the clock for lunch time. 

My boss sends a message in the chatroom that contains just me, her and our other coworker (I’ll just call her Bell, it’s not her name, but whatever.). She asks if we want to sneak away for a girls lunch. Of course we do. We leave first in my car and she follows around 10 minutes later. Over lunch we talk about whatever and basically just gossip and enjoy each other’s company. She asks me “Gwen, is anything going on in your life differently? These days you’re so happy and your skin just looks really great! Anything going on?” Bell chimes in “Are you pregnant?” Unfortunately, no I’m not pregnant. I attribute the good skin to the new makeup to which my boss counters, “But I saw your skin before the makeup and it looks so bright and clear!” Thank you, thank you, but nothing really is going on in my life that’s any different. I’m just very content with my life. I’m happy with where I am in my life right now and I decided not to let stress affect my mood. I’m happy. I’m in a good place and I’m enjoying my day to day activities, even if nothing has changed. My coworkers both say they’re happy for me. That they haven’t seen me this happy or bright in a while and they hope it can last. Me too. 

We get back to the office. We’re a little late. No one mentions anything about it. I grab my toothbrush and toothpaste from my desk and quickly head to the restroom to brush my teeth. I go back to my desk for like five minutes and then I go bother one of my coworkers. I return back to my desk around 1:30 and try to concentrate on my work but I can’t. My phone vibrates at 1:41PM. I got a text message. I re-read it twice before replying. Kat passed away. I can’t wrap my head around it. Is this a joke? I check her FB. It’s real. I read her husband’s post. I excuse myself to the restroom. I cried in the bathroom for almost 30 minutes before I could regain my composure and return to my desk. For the rest of the work day, I text back and forth with my best friend reminiscing on the past and remembering her. I don’t get any work done. I try to get into my myspace account to see our old pictures but I can’t get the password right. I get more upset and more frustrated. I leave work without saying goodbye. I pull into my apartment parking space. I cry in my car for another 30 minutes before finally going inside. Somehow, my apartment feels more empty. 

A few hours ago, I was feeling really good about my life. I was in a good place, I was feeling happy and optimistic. I never would have imagined that I would hear that kind of news less than an hour after my declaration of how happy I was. If my life was a play, I think that would qualify as dramatic irony and my buying life insurance as foreshadowing. But my life isn’t a play and it isn’t dramatic irony or foreshadowing, it’s just tragic news that happened to come on what should have been a beautiful day. 

I came home to my happy dog but I wasn’t happy. I sat down on the bed and stared at the wall for a while. Then I got on my laptop and continued to try to get into my myspace account. After a while I succeeded. By the way, it’s changed so much now it took me quite a while to figure out how it worked. I looked for our pictures. There weren’t really any. All the wall posts were gone. There was nothing there to comfort me, to drown me in our memories. I signed into my photobucket, there were only a few pictures. I remember having so many more pictures. I’m a little more honest with myself now. I’m sad, I’m hurting, I feel guilty. I can’t even remember the last time I talked to her. Did I even wish her a happy birthday last year? I can’t remember. I don’t think I did. I didn’t think that it would be her last birthday. My last chance to wish her. 

If I’m being super honest with myself, we haven’t talked or been real friends for a while now. I feel worse because I’ve always thought in the back of my head, if I wanted to be friends again, we could be. All I have to do is say “hi”. She’s such a friendly, loving, forgiving person, if I just say “hi” eventually we’ll end up being just as close as before. I can go back anytime. We could be friends again anytime. But there is no more time. I lost all my chances. She was one of my best friends. She was there for me at one of my lowest points in life. When I felt alone, helpless, powerless. When I was depressed and hated myself. She was there, loving me, spending time with me, making me laugh. I needed her more than she could ever imagine. I’m so disappointed in myself. The feelings that she helped gradually remove from my life, I probably put them into hers. When she was so sick and laying in her hospital bed, not knowing if she’d make it back home or not..when she was feeling alone and powerless...when she couldn’t do anything to help herself...when she posted the hospital pictures...Instead of feeling annoyed and thinking to myself that she wants attention, I should have just given it to her. I should have comforted her. I shouldn’t have left her alone in her hospital bed. I shouldn’t have let her feel like she was alone. I shouldn’t have put so much distance between us that she no longer even wanted to try to reach out to me. And now I can’t take it back. I can’t un-close the door. 

I’m not a crazy superstitious person, but when I was in elementary school I read a book. “The Best Bad Thing”. In the book it states that the Japanese believe that bad things happen in threes. Right after I heard she passed away, I kept replaying all the bad things that happened today in my head. 

I woke up late. I burnt my toast. Kat passed away. (I know those things aren’t on the same level, but call me superstitious. I believe in reading the signs.)

I clocked in at the exact same time 3 days in a row. I joked about it being fate. 3. I’ve worked at my company for almost two years and that has never happened before. 

The first two bad things, they weren’t horrible. Just inconvenient. In its own way, I feel like Kat’s passing was my best bad thing today. Even though I’m sad, even though I feel guilty, even though I won’t ever get over my horrible behavior towards her the last few years, it’s still a good bad thing. She’s no longer suffering. She’s no longer sick. She doesn’t have to spend her days alone in the hospital. She doesn’t have to mourn the loss of her dad anymore. She doesn’t have to get endless surgeries and treatments. They don’t have to keep opening up the same incision every few months for another treatment that won’t last. She doesn’t have to put on a brave face anymore. She doesn’t have to be strong anymore. She doesn’t have to keep telling people she’s fine and not to worry about her, when she’s not fine and she’s worried about herself. She doesn’t have to spend any more holidays in the hospital. She can just rest easy. 

And that is what I’m the most thankful for right now. Even if she died hating me (which I doubt, because I don’t think she could ever truly hate anyone), I’m so grateful that she could finally find some peace. 

And in repentance for all the wrongs I have done to her over the years, all my prayers before bed will include a prayer for her family. They have suffered so many losses the past few years. 

[muachronicle]

Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day!

For some, this holiday signifies a much needed three day weekend. For others, it tells us that summer is unofficially over and we should start drinking pumpkin spice lattes. Few of us truly know the origin of Labor Day and I’m here to tell you it’s not all about the deals. On September 5, 1882 protestors marched down the streets of New York to advocate for labor rights and worker protections. At this point in history, the average American was working six days a week at 12 hours a day. This was the catalyst that began to change how we think about labor in America.

On September 3, 1916, the Adamson Act was passed, establishing that a full time employment schedule would be 8 hours a day for five days of the week. After this, the first Monday of September became Labor Day to remind use of the battle for work-life balance. It is a time to commemorate self-care and mental health in relation to the work we do. So on this long weekend, I hope you take up meditation, go shopping, or do something else that can ease your soul before heading back into your work life with gusto.   

If you’re couch surfing today, shop some of the brands on this list, which were founded in and are still being manufactured in the United States. I’ve highlighted some of the greatest products from each brand for you to shop easily from this site. These were chosen carefully for their formulations, their feedback, and popularity (continuous spray sunscreen with antioxidants and light floral scent, yes please).

If you shop retail, just remember to be nice because retail associates have to work even longer hours on Labor Day due to the influx of sales. Oh, the irony!

Check out this list of American-made beauty companies and remember to support your local communities.

This list is by no means inflexible or exhaustive - companies are always changing leadership or new brands are being founded. If there’s a female-founded brand you love that hasn’t been mentioned, comment below!

* product photos courtesy of respective brands.

Bliss

Based In: New York, NY

Bliss launched in 1996 as a premier skincare brand used and sold exclusively in spas. Last year, they rebranded everything about themselves - new labels, entirely new formulations, and a new range of prices (nothing over $25). With the recent shift in consumer behavior we’re seeing educated customers and demand more transparency and less harmful fillers. Their website claims that all of their products are “PETA-certified, cruelty-free and blissfully-free from parabens, phthalates, SLS, SLES and other bad stuff you don’t want on your skin or body”. If you have any questions about their ingredients, you can check out the brand’s Ingredient Glossary.

Juice Beauty

Based In: San Rafael, CA

Juice Beauty has been featured on this site many times before and it’s with good reason. When Karen Behnke started the brand in 2005, she knew that she wanted to create natural and organic beauty products without compromising on luxury. This was the first kind of line to hold such high standards across the board and set the standards for every natural brand that would follow. The team at Juice Beauty has worked with PhD level chemists as well as physicians and microbiologists to guarantee the greatest caliber of formulation in every product. The goal was simple, to make products that would not only do what they promised but have, at their core, antioxidant and vitamin-rich organic juice (hence the name). The brand and its products have won many awards and caught the eye of Gwyneth Paltrow, who collaborated with the brand and made it the first one sold on Goop.

Pacifica

Based In: Portland, OR

Another brand to launch in 1996, Pacifica has looked at natural beauty in slightly different terms than its colleagues. It was all about making natural and organic beauty all encompassing (body, skincare, makeup, and fragrance) and always accessible. It’s currently sold in stores like Target and Ulta with no individual product being priced more than $30. In addition to formulating clean and sustainable formulas, Pacifica has partnered with Preserve to recycle all of its containers and protect our oceans. With this program, you can send your empty containers in a pre-paid envelope to Pacifica and they reward you with 100 loyalty points. You can also accrue loyalty points with every purchase you make. 

Mario Badescu

Based In: New York, NY

We’ve all seen the face mists and bi-phase pimple creams that have made Mario Badescu social media famous. The brand, which was founded in 1967, saw a resurgence brought on by the influencer age. Mario was born in Romania, just like his fellow entrepreneur Anastasia Soire, when he came to New York to practice giving European style facials in his eponymous salon. It was in his small apartment that the dream of a product line was realized. The use of his products during facials for celebrities and the New York elite catapulted Mario to become a household name. While some products in the line have flared up in controversy lately for being irritating to some skin, the ones I’ve chosen to highlight had flocks of diehard customers when I worked at a beauty counter.

Dermalogica

Based In: Carson, CA

In 1983, Jane Wurwand brought her UK aesthetician techniques to the United States. She quickly set up the International Dermal Institute (IDI) to educate others on the technique, an education that is one of the most respected to this day. In 1986, the Dermatologica product range came alive. The UK has always been more strict with the ingredients it allows into beauty products and it comes as no surprise that this was the attitude that Jane brought to her line. Formulated without common irritants like lanolin, SD alcohol, mineral oil, artificial colors and fragrances). Not only is the brand certified cruelty-free from both PETA and Leaping Bunny but they are almost completely vegan. They have also pledged to have 90% of their packaging be recyclable or bio-degradeable by 2020. 

OPI

Based in: Sanford, North Carolina

The popular nail polish brand did not have a linear path getting into salons. It started out as Odontorium Products Inc, making dental supplies when it was bought by George Schaeffer in 1981. He was then joined by an artistic director by the name of Suzi Weiss-Fischmann and together they worked with a biochemist to create an acrylic nail system that George sold door to door at salons. As the brand continued to grow, they began manufacturing their nail varnishes to be sold to salon professionals in California. What allowed OPI to flourish is their partnerships, working with a variety of entertainment and business accounts to create collaborative collections that have included Coca Cola, Ford Mustang, and a variety of films and TV shows. Over ten years ago, OPI reformulated their polishes to remove the chemicals DBP (dibutyl phthalate), formaldehyde and toluene, harmful additives that have been used in nail varnish formulations for decades. In 2016, it was announced that OPI’s new owners (Coty) would move manufacturing of the polishes to the North Carolina factories - making it still American-made and hinting at its massive upcoming expansion.

Stila Cosmetics

Based In: California

In 1994, makeup artist Jeanine Lobell created Stila to bring her innovative products to the masses. The brands’s lipsticks were first packaged in paper tubes - something that no other brand was doing and before the current sustainability movement in beauty. The brand was also the first to bring lip palettes and cream blushes to the market. Even though the brand was acquired by financial tycoon Lynn Tilton in 2009, the integrity that they bring to each product has remained. This was evident when the brand ceased selling their products in China in 2018 due to the fact that the Chinese government’s requirement of animal testing did not align with the company’s values.

RMS Beauty

Based In: Charleston, SC

Rose Marie Swift has also been featured in many a post. Her crusade to change the conversation and ideology around “clean” beauty has launched a thousand ships. It took her own personal health scare to educated herself about the ingredients in common cosmetics products. Exposure to certain ingredients regularly over time (Rose Marie has been an in-demand makeup artist for decades) led to them compounding in her system and making her ill. Once she began her education, she went on to educate those around her. Ten years ago, this knowledge was funneled into RMS, the cosmetics line that had high standards around the non-toxic state of their ingredients without compromising on any luxury. The brand continues to grow and expand while Rose Marie continues to change the conversation around ingredients and formulations.

Coola

Based in: Los Angeles, California

Chris Birchby moved across the country in search of waves. The longtime surfer moved from Long Island to Pasadena, California for graduate school where he achieved an MFA in design. It was when both of his parents were diagnosed with melanoma that Chris rethought his future. He began working with various labs in Los Angeles in order to formulate organic sun protection products that would be effective for athletes like surfers and the average person and anyone in between. Once his parents recovered, he also traveled the world to research people’s habits when it came to sun exposure and protection. In 2007, Coola was born and places integrity just as high as sunscreen. The organic (some with added antioxidants) products are made sustainably in a “Farm to Face®” philosophy that guarantees to be non-toxic to its users. Coola also sources ingredients locally whenever possible to bolster nearby communities.

Enjoy the long weekend responsibly (use sunscreen)!

Cover photo by Victor Lozano.

[sincerelyskin]

What’s the Deal With Walnut Scrubs?

Last week I talked about confidence in relation to our skin, and how our mental health is ultimately impacted by conditions like acne. In times where I’ve felt hopeless, I turned to educating myself further on my own skin and the products that could help me. Understanding the products we use and how they can affect your skin can ultimately save you from both harming your skin further and wasting your money. There’s been countless times over the years where I’ve purchased a product and was so hopeful of it improving my skin, but in the end I saw no changes and I had spent my money for nothing. Through the trials of using natural oils, niacinamide serums, or exfoliants, I grew to know the feeling of disappointment after using a product for a whole month and not having my expectations met. It was easy for me to feel hopeful about a product after watching one YouTube video about it, or reading a couple good reviews here and there. Once the product was in my hands, I felt excited to start using it right away––maybe this was the next miracle product I’d been searching for. I had used the product for one week, two weeks, three... but I saw no real difference in my skin. For a while I’d feel in denial––maybe I still hadn’t been using the product long enough to see results. It wasn’t until the bottles were empty that it would really hit me that this was another failure. It was yet another instance of false hope. Nowadays, I make sure to research a product more in-depth, look at the ingredients, and see if I can find reviews by others who have personally already tried the product. Armed with the right information, I’m able to make more conscious skincare decisions that make my skin feel and look better. I encourage you call to do your own research. 

Introducing Kylie Skin

This week, I want to shed light on a particular product that has been under fire on social media. On May 22nd, Kylie Jenner launched her new skincare line, Kylie Skin. The 21 year old billionaire has already released a successful makeup line, Kylie Cosmetics, and has stated in her Instagram post announcing Kylie Skin that “skincare and makeup go hand in hand and Kylie Skin was something i dreamt up soon after Kylie Cosmetics.” 

Her new skincare line includes six relatively affordable products: Foaming Face Wash, Vanilla Milk Toner, Moisturizer, Eye Cream, Vitamin C Serum, and the product most under fire––Walnut Face Scrub. Altogether the set costs a combined total of $125. The products claim to be cruelty free, gluten free, sulfate free, paraben free, vegan, and dermatologist tested.

Expectations and Reactions

When I first saw that Kylie was dropping a skincare line, I wanted to be hopeful. With such a large platform, Kylie has a large audience following her and interested in the products that she sells or promotes. Many young girls look up to her and take inspiration from her. Because of her massive influence and privilege to access resources many of us can’t, I genuinely hoped she did her research to put out products with great ingredients and market them honestly. However, in the first video I watched about her skincare line, the way in which she described using her walnut scrub immediately came off to me as dishonest.

In the video, she says “My walnut skin scrub is my secret to a fresh face.” Considering Kylie is in a privileged position where she has access to the most expensive products and treatments, as well as links to top rated dermatologists and professionals, I somehow doubt her secret to her smooth glowy skin is a $22 face scrub. Also, I was appalled to hear her say that the product was gentle enough to be used every day. Physical exfoliants can easily irritate the skin if they are used too frequently, and you can end up damaging your skin further as opposed to helping it. I’ve experienced this with my own skin after I used my physical exfoliant every other day for a few weeks. My skin eventually grew sensitive and would burn any time I applied any of my regular skincare products. In general, considering the negative reputation that walnut face scrubs have, her words appear even more realistic to me. 

This negative reputation of walnut face scrubs was clearly manifested in the tweets replying to the video. Tweet after tweet, numerous individuals––and aestheticians––voiced their disapproval and concern over the marketing of this product. 

This Sounds Familiar...

Clearly, many people aren’t happy with the scrub due to its potential to harm your skin. Some individuals even compared Kylie’s products to yet another infamous face scrub––the St. Ives Apricot Scrub. The St. Ives scrub is said to be too abrasive on the skin, and some dermatologists have voiced their concerns. An article from The Atlantic shares insight from dermatologist Annie Chiu, she says “The problem [with scrubs] is that with over-zealous or too often use, they can irritate and cause more inflammation.” And here’s a fun fact: two women sued St. Ives for $5 million as they claimed that the product has the potential for damaging skin and its “dermatologist tested” label is suspicious.

Figuring Out the Formula

Evidently, walnut face scrubs have a bad rep. But how can these products actually harm your face? What should we be wary about? 

In its list of ingredients, Kylie’s Walnut Face Scrub includes some seemingly-beneficial ingredients that claim to benefit you skin. 

However, the problem lies within the “walnut” part of the face scrub. Walnut scrubs are quite self-explanatory––they contain crushed up bits of walnut that then serve to exfoliate the skin from dead skin cells. This kind of scrub is a physical exfoliant (as opposed to a chemical exfoliant). Physical exfoliants involve some type of granules like sugar or walnut shells (these face scrubs look like they have little “beads” in the formula) and you literally use them to “scrub” away dead skin cells when you wash your face. Chemical exfoliants, on the other hand, involve acids––like glycolic, salicylic, or lactic acids––and are found in serums, toners, or peels in order to gradually dissolve dead skin cells as the product seeps into the skin. Board-certified dermatologist Mary P. Lupo describes more in depth how you should choose the right exfoliant and how often you should use it.

Remember the Risks

Using a walnut face scrub comes with its risks. This exfoliant is prone to irritating the skin and can actually leave micro tears in the skin as you are literally scrubbing it with physical granules. Joshua Zeichner, MD, states that “Walnut shell scrubs have traditionally been considered to be harsh on the skin,” and, “The issue was that if the powder wasn’t finally ground up enough, sharp edges may disrupt the skin barrier.” If used too often and too abrasively, walnut scrubs can work on your skin like sandpaper instead of an effective exfoliant. This problem is also not necessarily exclusive to walnut face scrubs, as other kinds of physical exfoliants can also become abrasive if used often and harshly. Such aggressive scrubbing and everyday use of walnut scrubs can not only contribute to micro tears in the skin, but can lead to broken capillaries in the face.

A Second Opinion

In addition, I found this video tweeted by Hassan Sayyed, who created his own all natural skin and body care called Haus Urban. He explains well the idea that using scrubs like the one in question can essentially pierce the skin instead of exfoliating it. His warning reflects those of other voiced concerns as he depicts that using products like this one without the proper knowledge can result in more harm than help. 

Cassandra Bankson, who I mentioned in my previous blogpost, made a video talking more in depth about the walnut scrub and also addressed the rest of Kylie’s products from her skincare line. She describes further the benefits and concerns revolving the ingredients inside these products. 

What Are the Alternatives?

There are plenty of options out in the world of skincare that serve the same purpose as Kylie’s scrub. I’ve looked into two other kinds of exfoliants that may produce satisfactory results with smaller risks. But, it is important to note that you shouldn’t just take my word for the products you want to buy. Everyone has different skin and different needs. Everyone’s skin will react differently to the same product. My goal here is to provide you all with a place to start looking. 

The two products I’ve found are chemical exfolinats. As I explained above, chemical exfoliants are found in a variety of products and include different kinds of acids (glycolic, lactic, salicylic, ect.). These products dissolve dead skin cells gradually as opposed to having them scrubbed off with physical exfoliants. I have personally turned to using chemical exfoliants because they are less abrasive on my skin. 

The first product is the T.L.C. Framboos™ Glycolic Night Serum from Drunk Elephant. This night serum is packed with a blend of AHA acids such as glycolic and lactic acid that help smooth, even-out, and brighten the skin. In addition to the acids, this serum includes several beneficial ingredients that contain antioxidants and are soothing. Raspberry fruit extract, cactus extract, and horse chestnut are just a few of the many ingredients packed into this small bottle. However, this serum is on the pricey side, as it costs $90 for a 30 ml bottle. 

A more affordable alternative is the Skin Perfecting 8% AHA Gel Exfoliant from Paula’s Choice Skincare, priced at about $25 for 3.3 oz of product. This gel naturally helps to shed dead skin cells as it evens skin tone, smooths out fine lines, and improve the skin’s surface. While this product may not have as many ingredients packed into it as the Drunk Elephant exfoliant, there are still many great ingredients inside the bottle. Chamomile, green tea, and Sodium Hyaluronate are a few of the skin-soothing and antioxidants in the ingredients list. I’ve personally been using this product for the past couple of weeks, and so far it hasn’t irritated my skin or dried it out. I’ve also been experiencing less breakouts, but I’m not positive if this is due entirely to the exfoliant itself. In general, I’ve been liking this product so far and hope to see if it helps reduce any of my hyperpigmentation as I continue to use it. 

Think Before You Buy

Kylie Skin has just barely emerged onto the market, and I’m interested to see what other information we receive as people get their hands on the product. The entire web-store sold out soon after the products launched on May 22nd on kylieskin.com, and I wonder how positive or negative the reactions will be once everyone’s packages arrive in the coming days. However, considering what we know about the walnut scrub at the moment, I hope this cautionary tale illustrates how we should be careful with the products we use and are curious about. Sometimes we end up taking harmful risks blindly if we are not educated on the skincare products we use. That being said, I encourage everyone to do their own research on products before using it themselves. Consult a dermatologist, conduct research online, read reviews by those who have tried it, find out your skin type, and pay attention to key ingredients. Everyone’s skin is different––what ultimately works for one person may have little to no effect for the next person. Understanding what your skin likes, and discovering what ingredients can benefit your situation the most, will ultimately lead to smarter and healthier skincare expenses. Buying products just because we know the name or our favorite celebrity promotes it does not mean that we should be spending money on them. You know your skin better than Kylie Jenner or anyone else.  

[boxyladies]

Today is a special day because it’s the four-year anniversary of Boxy Ladies! I honestly can’t believe we have kept it up this long. I think both Jill and I fully expected this phase would end after a few months, but somehow, we’ve kept it up for FOUR YEARS. It’s a lot of work, but we both agree it’s fun and worth it. Besides – we have a LOT of opinions, so we definitely need a platform to share them, duh. So cheers to us, and cheers to you, our loyal readers. Sometimes I feel like my mom is our only reader but I KNOW there are more of you out there, and we love you all. Tell your friends about us, too! We are fun girls, they will probably like us.

And onto the topic at hand – Part 2 of dumpster diving through Lauren’s trash! If you missed Part 1, click here to see my empty skincare, makeup and hair products! Today we are going to discuss makeup removers, random body products, sheet masks and nail products.

Makeup Removers

Yes to Coconut Hydrate & Restore ($4.29): I started keeping these in my car for a few reasons. The packaging is nice, so they don’t dry out like the ones with just the sticky plastic strip. But mostly I keep them in there because when I get up at 4:30 a.m., it’s nice to be able to sleep in those extra 5 minutes it would take to wash my face. So I’m able to use these wipes in my car on the way to spin. I like these in particular because they are moisturizing as well, so I feel like this sort of takes care of two steps in one. I don’t like putting on a heavy moisturizer right before I work out anyway, so this is really nice. I also will use these after spin, to wipe away the sweat while I am in transit to my shower. I don’t like the feeling of sweat on my face, so I like having these in my car for that reason as well.

Honest Beauty Refreshingly Clean Makeup Remover Wipes ($9.50): I got these in a box and honestly did not really care for them at all. I don’t feel like they were wet enough for what I like in a makeup remover. Plus they are kind of expensive.

Kleenex Eye Makeup Removers ($14.99 for Starter pack and refill): I like these little tiny eye makeup removers when I am actually applying makeup. I don’t need a whole makeup wipe necessarily, but sometimes, I’ll squeeze out eyeshadow primer or swatch some shadows or liners on the back of my hand to see what colors I want to use, so I like to use these little baby removers to get that off. I bought the main starter pack awhile ago, so now I’m working my way through a few of the little refills. I’ve bought again and will continue to buy again. It’s a little hard for me to tell if Kleenex is still making these but they are still available on Amazon.

Up&Up Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes ($3.89): I actually linked the fragrance-free version of these but I prefer the regular version that you can get in-store, next to the Neutrogena ones. I actually recently got the fragrance-free Neutrogena wipes and I think I actually hate them. They aren’t as wet, and it’s much harder to remove my makeup. But the original Up&Up dupes that sit next to the Neutrogena version are the bomb.

Body

Bausch + Lomb Bio True Multi-Purpose Solution ($15.99/pack of 2): I used to use the Up&Up Target brand for contact lens solution because… I don’t really want to spend money on contact lens solution. But I have to admit that the Bio True really makes my eyes feel better and less irritated on a regularly basis. I like that each box comes with a new contact lens case, so even if you aren’t the best at keeping your contact lens case super clean, you get a new one every time. (Recycle the old one, duh!)

Dove Dry Spray Invisible in Sheer Fresh ($5.59): This is my favorite anti-perspirant/deodorant. I know I should probably be using natural deodorants by now but… I’m not there yet, and this is my journey. I love this stuff because I can put it on before I get dressed and not get white stuff all over my clothes. I’ll be honest the spray isn’t quite as good as a regular stick deodorant in terms of wetness, so I make sure to put on a little more than I think I’ll need, and I’m good to go.

Up&Up Five Blade Disposable Razors ($8.29): I absolutely love these razors because I hate having to use a separate shaving cream, I just want to get the job done, you know what I mean? I think Jill was the one who told me about these in the first place. They are comparable to the Venus Embrace razors which are way more expensive. I think these are great for my gym bag, but I’m lazy and I use them at home, too.

Olay Cooling White Strawberry & Mint Body Wash ($4.99): I really love this stuff because it smells like a strawberry Starburst. If you know me, you already know that’s really the biggest selling point to me. I’m a big fan. I like smelling like a Strawberry Starburst while eating Strawberry Starbursts. I have the full-size of this in my shower.

Quip Mint Anti-Cavity Toothpaste ($5): I spoke about this toothpaste in my last empties blog, so as you can see, I’m still using it. I don’t have much more to say about it that I didn’t say then, but it’s my favorite, and I love both the toothpaste and the Quip Toothbrush itself, and I highly recommend both!

Jergens Natural Glow Wet Skin Moisturizer (Medium to Tan) ($8.49): As I mentioned in my last blog, I love this stuff. I have no idea how many bottles I’ve purchased, but I’ve bought it over and over again and will continue to do so indefinitely.

Masks

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KNC Beauty All Natural Collagen Infused Lip Mask ($25/5): I was incredibly skeptical when I received these in a box. At first, I thought these were a glorified chapstick until I realized they were really great for the areas AROUND the lips, which are becoming a problem for me with my love of drinking iced coffee out of straws. These are basically little jelly-esque masks that fit on and around your lips comfortably, with a slit in the middle that allows you to talk. I don’t know if I will buy these, as I do have a few left. But I now understand why they exist, and I would definitely recommend them!

Sulwhasoo Snowise Brightening Mask ($130/10): I was hoping this mask would change my life like The Shins did to Zach Braff in Garden State, but it did not. Just felt like a regular sheet mask. Shrug.

Flashmasque Illuminate ($30/5): I only had one mask to try so I don’t know what the effects would have been if I had used it more than once, but it was fine. Felt nice and my skin felt brighter the next day.

BioBelle #IWokeUpLikeThis mask ($3.99): This is similar to the Flashmasque Illuminate – it felt nice and my skin felt a bit brighter the next day, but I haven’t repurchased.

Bonvivant Botanical Mask Pack Aloe (can’t find this for sale anywhere): I used this mask when my mom was in town and was pleasantly surprised when it was more flesh-toned than a regular stark-white mask. It is apparently made out of “botanical fiber” rather than paper. I honestly do not know what that means since I think trees/paper are also a botanical fiber? But this one stuck to my face really well, and I think it was fine. I am not said I can’t get this anywhere, it was just fine, I wouldn’t have bought it again.

Too Cool For School Egg Cream Mask ($6): My mom actually used this one when she was here. It looks nice, they sell this brand at Sephora. She said that her skin felt nice and soft after using it, so that’s a pretty good review.

L’Amour Exfoliating Foot Mask ($16.99/set of 5): I am really into the “Baby Feet” Foot exfoliators. For the uninitiated, you put these little chemical-exfoliator booties on your feet for an hour and about 4 days later, your feet start peeling. About a week later, the skin on your feet will have completely come off – pain free. It’s a little gross, but your feet feel soft and new.

Feel Brilliant Bamboo Charcoal Sheet Mask ($35/4): I am trying to remember how I felt about this because I used it months ago (I will take better notes next time) – I don’t typically love this kind of mask because I mostly go for moisture when I’m wearing a sheet mask but charcoal does the opposite – it pulls gunk OUT of the skin. The mask didn’t dry my skin out, which was nice, but I will use these kinds of masks more often when my skin is a bit more “troubled” than it is now.

Nails

Julep Ta Da! Quick Dry Drops ($18): I really like to use these every time I do my nails. I feel like these drops help my nails dry just a bit faster than they would without it. I’ve repurchased and I will repurchase again!

Julep Clean Slate Polish Remover Pads ($14): I think I bought these on a whim one time but I really ended up liking them! They are essentially a small piece of felt that is soaked in polish remover. The felt helps you get off very stubborn nail polish, like glitter. But I liked that these were individually wrapped because I could easily pack them with me on trips without having to worry about packing a whole bottle of polish remover.

Miscellaneous

Ritual Essential for Women ($30): I thought I would include a mini-review of the Ritual vitamins because they are all over insta and social media for being the “prettiest” vitamins – and I have to admit, their aesthetic really appealed to me – but do they work? I’ve been taking them for going on three months now and I honestly feel like they are helping in a positive way. I’ve been feeling overall better lately, and while I can’t attribute all of that to a vitamin, I really do feel like it’s been helping with my energy level a bit. I like this vitamin because it contains the ingredients that you probably don’t already get from food. One thing that I really like about these vitamins over others is they smell and taste a bit minty (as opposed to fishy or weird) because they have this rubber minty tab in each bottle which basically infuses the vitamins with the scent without having to add anything extra to the vitamin itself. Genius. Is this as cheap as a vitamin you can get from the drugstore? No, obviously. But it’s definitely not as expensive as some other vitamins either, so I’m happy to pay for it. The first month they sent it to me, they included this little calendar card with stickers you could put on it for 21 days to help you create the habit. I mean… I love stickers. I was in.

[line]

And that’s it for this round of trash! I hope Jill will let us go dumpster diving into her trash sometime soon, but otherwise, I’ll come back at the end of Fall and share all of my trash with you again. You’re welcome.

xo, Lauren

Purchased; All opinions are my own Post contains affiliate links

Lauren’s Trash – Would I Buy Again? Part 2 | Empties Summer 2018 Today is a special day because it's the four-year anniversary of Boxy Ladies! I honestly can't believe we have kept it up this long.

[vanityfairness]

March 2018 Empties

Sorry for the late post! I’ve been quite busy with some duties lately and haven’t gotten around to taking the photos for this post plus editting. But I am finally posting it now!

* = disliked the product - would not repurchase ** = liked the product - would not repurchase *** = liked the product - might or might not repurchase **** = loved the product - would repurchase *HOLY GRAIL!*

1. The Face Shop The Solution: Soothing Face Mask source: bought myself thoughts: I absolutely love this mask. So far I haven’t found any other soothing mask that can beat the price and effectiveness of this. I had a very bad breakout in the beginning of the month and this has greatly helped reduce the redness of it. I love this so much that I stocked up on so many of these during Black Friday and the Christmas season. rating: *HOLY GRAIL*

2. Jayjun Cosmetics Baby Pure Shining Mask source: bought myself thoughts: This was okay not my favourite mask. But it is very moisturizing. rating: *

3. Oriental Herbal Skincare Premium Mask Pack: Silk worm (Whitening type) source: beauty event thoughts: This mask surprisingly doesn’t smell weird or anything, smells just like most of the other face masks out there. I do like the texture of these masks as they are very light and is like a weaved/ netted texture, so it’s more breathable. This was also very moisturizing. I really enjoyed using this mask. I’ve never seen these masks before, but they are cute. I’m pretty sure a google search will tell me where to get these in the future. rating: ***

4. The Face Shop The Solution: Smoothing Face Mask source: bought myself thoughts: This is also one of my favourite mask and it contains BHA (beta hydroxy acid). I do notice that my skin is slightly softer after using this. However, it’s not a mask that has shown like amainzg results but I do like having a few on hand in my stash. rating: ****

5. SNP Fruits Gelato Soothing Mask source: bought myself thoughts: This mask smells amazing but it’s nothing special. It says it is a soothing mask that calms irritated skin for a healthier look. I actually find that The Face Shop one does a better job still. rating: **

6. COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch (24 patches x 2) source: bought myself thoughts: These are my HOLY GRAIL. I’m always using these and sometimes I go through them like crazy. This has definitely helped me from picking at my pimples/ breakouts. rating:  *HOLY GRAIL!*

7. Nature Republic Bath & Nature Body Wash: Peach  source: sample w/ purchase thoughts: This sample actually was enough to use all over my body. The texture was similar to jello, and spread/ foamed up nicely. The scent definitely smells like peachs and is fairly strong. I didn’t notice much of a lingering scent on my skin, but during the use it was definitely there. rating: **

8. Racinne Ultimate youth Power Eye Serum (10 ml/ 0.33 oz) source: bought myself thoughts: I bought this on a whim. I’ve tried Racinne products before and wasn’t a big fan from what I remember, it was neither dislike or like for me. But when I tried this on my hand it felt so nice and the area I tested on it felt so soft and smooth. Hence, I just bought it. However, when I used it around my eyes it was only okay. It wasn’t that moisturizing compared to the belif one plus it does have alcohol denat in it which is supposedly a drying type. It does spread on nicely. It also does have a fairly strong scent to it. I also bought this eye serum because of the applicator. I thought it would be similar to the ones with the metal wand but I was wrong. I just ended up using my fingers to spread the serum because the applicator actually tugged at my skin. I actually regretted buying this after I got home and used it. I’m like why did I give in and bought this in my mind, cause I knew I wasn’t a big fan of the brand. I also didn’t see any difference. rating: *

9. COSRX Clear Fit Master Patch (18 patches) source: bought myself thoughts: I actually found these weren’t as affective as the acne pimple version. However, these are thinner and a little less noticalbe. But I don’t think that really matters because when they suck the impurities you will notice it, since it turns white and is not clear anymore. These are also more expensive and you get less compared to the acne pimple version. These are all one size and removing them from the plastic is easier as they have designed it so that you tear a strip/ part of a strip to get the patch. Honestly, for me it doesn’t really matter as I wouldn’t wear them out in public anyways, but I feel like these stay on better as they are thinner so it’s harder to remove them. rating: ***

10. O Hui clear science soft peeling (1 ml) source: sample thoughts: I don’t know how I feel about this since I only used it once. All I can say is that you don’t need to put too much pressure in order to see the peeling/ removing the dead skin. It is similar to the belif scrub I had before. rating: ~

11. The Body Shop Hand Cream: Mango (30 ml/ 1 oz) source: bought myself thoughts: This was okay not very moisturizing. I had to reapply this quite a lot in order for my hands to not feel that dry. I also wasn’t a big fan of this scent, compared to the other ones I’ve emptied. Now I only have one left, which is the Bristish Rose. rating: **

12. L’Occitane Hand Cream: Shea (10ml/ 0.3 oz) source: sample thoughts: I love receiveing these free gifts/ samples from L’occitane. However, now they don’t give it out for free anymore but you have to spend a small amount in order to get it. I think it’s also because I haven’t made a purchase, hence I’m not really getting those free perks anymore. This hand cream is fairly good but kind of pricey for the quality. It’s just a little better than The Body Shops, in my opinion. rating: ***

13. The Face Shop Herb Day Cleansing Tissue (70 sheets) source: bought myself thoughts: I don’t know what to say about this product anymore. I’m always buying them because they are really good at removing my makeup. I also like that it doesn’t contain a lot of ingredients. These are always in my stash. I can’t revert to any other ones, and when I do try new ones they just don’t compare to these. rating:  *HOLY GRAIL*

14. Kao Steam Eye Mask: Fresh Rose source: gift thoughts: This was my first time using a product like this. It was very nice, it’s similar to going to the spa/ when you’re getting a facial and the esthetician would place a warm towel over your eyes. I slept wonderfully when I had this on. The scent is quite strong, it’s the same as the rose scented origami paper if anyone has bought those before. I’ve actually purchased 2 others ones from different brands and can’t wait to try those out. But I do see why people use these on airplanes/ when they travel. rating: ***

15. SNP Animal Panda Warming Eye Mask source: bought myself thoughts: This fit my face better, but I found that it didn’t work as well as the Kao version. It took a while for it to warm up and even when it was warmed up it wasn’t as warm as the kao version, for me anyways. But this is really cute because it has pandas on it. rating: **

16. Dear, klairs Toner mate 2 in 1 cotton pad (120 pads) source: bought myself thoughts:These came with 60 compressed cotton pads and 60 sponge pads. Both of them were nice. These remind me of the miniso ones I got where they had compressed and regular ones together, but these were definitely better quality. The price of these are steep as they run about 6 bucks a box, but they are worth the higher price tag. I feel like these are unneccessary for my routine, but it was nice to try them, plus they are very durable.  rating:***

17. The Face Shop Mini Pet Baby Hand Cream: 01 (30 ml/ 1 oz) source: gift w/ purchase thoughts: I’m not sure what the scent is as it’s in korean, but it smells like baby powder. This cream actually did make my hands feel nice and soft, as well as moisturized. I really enjoyed using this and I would definitely purchase this again once I deplete my hand cream stash. rating: ****

18. Dear, klairs Rich Moist Foaming Cleanser (100 ml/ 3.4 oz) source: bought myself thoughts: I do like this cleanser. It’s light and seems to cleanse well, but I do only use this in the morning when my face is pretty clean already. I did notice that as I got close to the bottom it started to smell a little weird like plastic. However, I didn’t detect a scent throughout. This lasted me about 3 months. rating:***

19. Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner (200 ml/ 6.8 oz) source: bought myself thoughts: This was okay. Nothing about it really stood out. It took quite a few layers for it to make me feel as if my skin was really moisturized. It also took a while to absorb into my skin even though it was so liquid, like water. I do like that this product contains minimal ingredients and I didn’t have a reaction to it. This bottle lasted me 2 months.  rating: ***

20. Illume Mission Fig Soy Candle (310g/ 10.9 oz) source: bought myself thoughts: I wasn’t expecting too much out of this scent but I do like this. Not my favourite scent out of the 4 candles I’ve bought so far, but it is in the middle. I don’t like how this candle burns though, because I do see a lot of wax left over and feel like it’s such a waste. Compared to BBW’s candles there isn’t much wax left and they burn very nice and even. rating: **

[angeforemanbobier]

These are all the beauty and home fragrance products I’ve used up in October.  I’ve grouped them into Bee Shopping recommendations, Positive BUZZ rated and BUZZ Off (don’t bother).  Each has my thoughts and opinions.  What product have you used up lately?  Leave it in the comments.  ** some products are PR samples, some have affiliate websites and some I purchased myself**

These products get a BEE Shopping recommendation from me.

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John used up this Axe Anarchy 2 in 1 Shampoo and Conditioner. He’s already requested we buy more so I’ll probably put it on his Christmas list. I like how it smells as well.

We both love the Herbal Essences Wild Naturals Rejuvenating Shampoo. I think we used up the conditioner last month. We will be repurchasing the set the next time we need hair care.

I am so into these exfoliates from Ingenium Naturals. We always have one in our shower. I use this a couple mornings a week and so does John. This one is the Rejuva-Net Papaya Exfoliate. I’ll be getting more of these next time I place an order with my affiliate promo code. According to the tube, Papaya is known for rejuvenating, skin lightening, skin repair, and anti scarring benefits. High in antioxidants Vitamin A and C. I enjoy the softness of my skin after each use. https://www.ingeniumnaturals.com/?Click=1065 Here’s a one time use promo code for my followers: beauty15 (allowing for a 15% reduction on your purchases, as well as free shipping for all orders over 50$ USD

I took the Plexus VitalBiome Intensive Gut Microbiome Support for a month but I’m not sure if it made a difference. I think this is something you need to use for a longer time to make a decision on. I will repurchase and do a 3-4 month commitment and keep better track of how I feel. Here’s my website to order https://plexusworldwide.com/angelabobier/home

I have enjoyed the Ingenium Naturals Revita Purifying Citrus Cream. My skin was brighter, smoother and hydrated. I will be purchasing this again with my next affiliate promo order. https://www.ingeniumnaturals.com/?Click=1065 Here’s a one time use promo code for my followers: beauty15 (allowing for a 15% reduction on your purchases, as well as free shipping for all orders over 50$ USD

This is my go to brow product from Benefit Cosmetics. It’s the GimmeBrow! Unfortunately right now it is under recall because if it gets in your eye it causes irritation. I have never had an issue. I will get another one once they solve this issue.

My lip liner dried up before I could use it all. This is Bound from ColourPop. I will order this again knowing that I have to use it more frequently. Bound is the perfect pink/mauve liner and goes with so many lipsticks. ColourPop is also an affordable brand.

I’m currently attempting to melt my stock of waxes. I highly recommend the Blackberry Boudoir from the Forbidden Fruits line of Partylite. Here’s my consultant’s website http://www.partylite.biz/sites/aromasoflife

Scentsy Bars are also fantastic and this Simply Nashi Pear smelled yummy. Try it out.

I’m still using my Plexus Slim pink drink each morning. Here’s my website to place an order https://plexusworldwide.com/angelabobier/home

These get a Positive BUZZ rating.

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Que Bella Bath & Beauty Relaxing lavendar aromatherapy mask contains enough to pamper your skin with one use. This was good. My skin was soft after washing this off.

e.l.f. Hydrating Water Sheet Mask with purified water and aloe was good. My skin looked hydrated after use. I’d try these out again.

I’d use this Avocado Face Mask from Fruits and Passion again too.

I cannot remember where I got this Colour Combos Skincare Oatmeal mask. It might have been in a blogger swap. I liked it but not enough to go searching to repurchase.

I’ve used up one of these deluxe sample of this Clinique Smart Custom Repair Serum before. My skin felt and looked good; I enjoyed the texture of the serum and would use it in the future, but I have serums I like better to spend my money on. There’s nothing bad about this serum so give it a try.

This Weleda Calendula Intensive Skin Recovery I used on my psoriasis and it helped keep the spots from drying our and cracking. I’m so glad I have another tube ready to go. This is a thick cream. 100% certified natural. Free of synthetic preservatives, fragrances, and colorants. Free of raw materials derived from mineral oils. No GMOs. This was a PR sample.

I only got one use of this tube of Soak it Up Moisturizing Conditioner from North American Hemp Co. This is an all natural formula. Gluten, paraben and DEA free. I would need to use this more to see if it warrants a BEE Shopping rating, but it was good.

Lancome Creme Radiance Clarifying Cream-to-Foam Cleanser is for normal and combination skin. This has a very perfume scent that not everyone would like. I do not recommend this for someone with dry skin because it does clarify the skin and I think it would cause drying. My skin was squeaky clean for sure. The foaming action is fun. I need a more nourishing and hydrating cleanser now so this isn’t something I would repurchase, but I would use it again if it came my way. It removes makeup very well.

If I didn’t have so many body washes right now I would look for a holiday value set of Korres Shower Gels. I loved the Guava invigorating blend of tropical fruits. Luckily I still have the matching body lotion. This is 91.4% natural. No mineral oils, Paraffin Wax, Silicones, Parabens, Propylene Glycol, Ethanolamines, PEG, ALES, Synthetic Dyes, Phthalates, Polycyclic Musks, Retinol, Alcohol, Nuts, Animal by-products, or Animal Testing. There is SLES, fragrance, ph-neutral, wheat and is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

These products get a BUZZ off rating.

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I didn’t think these Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels did anything. Under my eyes didn’t feel like any serum had been there at all. I’d try another set just in case this one was a dud, but I wouldn ‘t buy these. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

I got this 50:50 Balanced Conditioner by Giovanni Eco Chic Hair Care from a hotel I stayed in. My hair felt like straw afterwards so I wouldn’t use this again.

This smelled really bad. The Dove Advanced Hair Series Serum-in-Oil regenerative nourishment sounds like a good idea. I have dry hair issues due to scalp psoriasis but I didn’t like this oil on clean damp hair or as a conditioner. Skip this product and try the shampoo and conditioner instead.

  My October #beauty #empties are up with opinions. #bblogger #bbloggersca These are all the beauty and home fragrance products I've used up in October.  I've grouped them into Bee Shopping recommendations, Positive BUZZ rated and BUZZ Off (don't bother). 

[bbsclinic-blog]

BBS Clinic

With more and more people living for longer periods, anti-aging is becoming big business. This article looks into what causes premature aging and gives advice on how to keep looking younger for longer.

 The latest research shows that around seventy-five percent of skin aging is caused by an overexposure to the sun. This is a huge figure and one that has to be taken seriously for anyone who is looking at ways in delaying the aging process.

 In my opinion, this is actually common sense as when anything becomes burnt it tends to shrivel up and become all wrinkly. This is what can happen to peoples skin, it may not happen straight away but after maybe thirty years of this overexposure to the sun, wrinkles are likely to appear.

 For people who enjoy spending time sunbathing as it makes them feel good and they like looking tanned, I would advise a strong sun cream. This should be used regularly as per the instructions and if you start to feel your body burning up this is the time when you should be looking for some shade or to cover up.

 It is also important to ensure we get enough sleep. Research suggests that people who only average around six hours sleep per night will age in looks far quicker than people who average eight hours.

 Again this is very logical as if you have a period of a couple of weeks when you do not get enough sleep, bags can appear under your eyes. If you have a really good nights sleep you tend to wake up not only feeling fresh and awake but also looking fresh and healthy. My advice here for people who have developed these bags under their eyes would be to use a good eye cream or to gently massage their eyes every day.

 Smoking can certainly speed up the aging process. To quit smoking is not easy however but it is a must for people on a quest to delay the aging process. There are of course many other reasons to stop smoking, therefore be brave and look at ways to quit smoking today.

 I have often heard people refer to somebody with a comment such as he looks as if he has had a hard life. This is often referred to somebody who looks far older than they actually are. They look like they have not been looked after or that they have not had enough love in their lives.

What I think has happened is that they have had a stressful life. What we, therefore, need to do is to attempt to live as much of a stress-free life as possible. This, of course, is not that easy. What we need to do is to think in a more positive and pro-active way. We need to start to like ourselves and be happy with who we are and what we have. Thinking in this way will certainly, in my opinion, help you in your quest of anti-aging.

 If you’ve ever tried to find a skincare product to deal with the skin care concerns of aging skin, you’re probably as confused as the average person. There are so many products and ingredients that tout ‘increase in this’, ‘decrease in that', ‘revitalized this and revitalized that’ and on and on and on. Many empty promises or over-hyped formulations. However, if you are in Malaysia, there's a Korean Clinic Selling Korean Products. BBS Korean Aesthetic and Anti-Aging Center provide

 In order to understand what anti-aging skin care products are intended to do, you have to first understand what the aging process is for the skin. Aging skin has the condition where the structural proteins that bind and support the skin, collagen, and elastin, lose their resiliency and cohesion, causing the skin to wrinkle and/or sag. The body's ability to produce new collagen and elastin also diminishes with age while the cells in the various layers of our skin decline and thin, losing the ability to adequately maintain moisture. Without proper hydration, the healing mechanisms of the skin cease to function, adversely affecting the skin's ability to receive nutrients and repair itself. The result is rough, loose wrinkled skin.

 Of course, we all want to have the best skin possible at any age and are searching for solutions to maintain our skin’s youthfulness. In our quest and with the constant marketing and advancements in skin care, it can sometimes be difficult to find an affordable and effective solution for great skin care.

However, what you need to know is that it doesn’t have to be that complex (as many of the product names suggest!). What you should consider is that what any skin care program should be is simple. That’s it, just simple. The results that we all want are simple: soft, smooth, clear, radiant, younger-looking skin.

Too much of the time nowadays, skin care marketers are trying to convenience consumers that they need formulations that no average consumer can understand, or day and night products, or formulations that highly successful, well-known personalities would use. If you think about it, how many products do you currently have in your storage that were purchased because of these marketing strategies?

With these types of advertising, there are so many re-touches and questionable representation of the product effectiveness because the personality also receives so many other types of services and procedures that impact the condition of the skin that you really cannot know the true results that the highly marketed products will bring. However, if you are in Malaysia BBS Clinic sell high-end Korean Products and Treatments. If you are looking for quality you can go there.

 The positive side of the situation is that there are constant and ever-evolving advances in skin care and we all have the option for our skin condition improving with age.

 If you are looking for a skin care program, there are some guidelines you may want to consider when making your skin care choices:

Protect your skin while you are in the sun and extreme weather. Use proper protection.

  Drink lots of water. It’s so important for proper skin hydration and keeping your body clean from toxins and other chemicals that could cause adverse reactions in your skin.

  You should know what you are using on your skin. If you can’t pronounce the majority of the ingredients or there are more than 5 or 6 ingredients, then it may be too complex for what your skin actually needs. Skincare that uses these types of formulations is full of fillers, coloring, preservatives, and chemicals that are not beneficial for your skin and come with a high price where the consumer is paying for the filler more so than the active ingredients. These types of ingredients are only needed to fill up the bottle and make it appealing to smell or touch. Sometimes products will contain multiple active ingredients but in order to formulate these ingredients, it requires that other ingredients be added. You end up paying for something your skin cannot use. The cheaper ingredients are filling up the bottle. Try a similar approach to how you would choose your food (skin is ‘live cells’ and needs nourishment). Watch the labels and choose products with skin healthy formulations where the active ingredients are 80% of the ingredients.

  You should use a good and effective cleanser. This is the most important step in your skincare process. Many cleansing products do not leave your skin feeling smooth and deeply cleansed. Find a product that goes deep into the pores, provides light exfoliation and conditioning and does not leave any residue. Applying moisturizers and treatments on top of skin that is not completely clean will just make the problem worse by clogging pores and showing a rough, uneven skin texture.

You should be able to adjust your program to meet your skin’s daily needs.  If you can’t adjust the use of the products to match what your skin needs on a particular day, are you really getting what you need? Your program should be able to hydrate, heal, and renew your skin. You should see this gradual improvement every day and not have to wait 30 to 60 days for results. It’s like watering a plant. A plant that needs water as a critical nutrient will respond immediately to the water being absorbed through its roots and perk up within a few hours. Watch your skin for a week or so and you’ll know how effective the program can ultimately be for your skin care needs.

  You should be able to quickly go through your regime. It should not take more than 5 minutes. A skin care program should include the steps to cleanse, exfoliate, treat and/or moisturize. You should be able to pick and choose what you need based on your skin’s current condition for that day.

  You should not be able to feel the product on your skin. In order for skin care to really be effective, it must penetrate the skin cells. Product sitting on top of your skin is the product that is not penetrating the skin layers. Products with fillers and other unnecessary, complex formulations will not get deep or directly enough to provide the treatment and results you are looking for. You should not know that you are wearing your skin care.

  You should feel comfortable with makeup optional skin. If your skin care is really working, your skin will improve and you will not want to put makeup on it if you don’t have to. Most skin problems are correctable to a large degree. You should be able to go out feeling confident that your skin is at its best (with minimal makeup) no matter what your age is. Also, by using makeup-less, you are giving your skin more time to repair and restore itself without the interruption of other product chemicals on your skin.

 Karen Reiter is a certified, advanced skin care specialist who works with a number of skin care companies and has her own client based. She is recognized for her consistent service and skin care advice for improving skin conditions. Karen Reiter provides consultation for skin care rejuvenation. If you are looking for an effective natural skin care system that delivers what it promises, consider the Natural Treatments for Skincare Rejuvenation at Comforts of Home Spa on http://www.comfortsofhomespa.com. These products deliver fast, effective results for dramatically

improved skin. It features some of the most intensive and pure formulations for hyaluronic acid, Argireline, oxygen serum, glycolic acid, Vitamin C, squalene oil, and Vitamin E.

The very first question most people have when exploring the realm of anti-aging skin care is, “What skin rejuvenation products have been proven to be effective”?  

Accurate information regarding the multitude of anti-aging treatments flooding the marketplace is the best way to make informed decisions for developing your own skin rejuvenation regime which incorporates the anti-aging skin care techniques, strategies, and treatments that best address your personal aging skin issues.

 The basics of effective skin rejuvenation begin with the facts on anti-aging skin care treatments. There are several active ingredients that have been clinically proven to be effective skin rejuvenators.  One of the most effective treatments is vitamin A derivatives such a retinol or retinyl palmitate.  

 The Retin A or Renova vitamin A treatments are the strongest although the most irritating treatments of the vitamin A options and are only available by prescription. If your skin needs major rejuvenation attention, ask your Doctor if you are a candidate for the prescription vitamin A treatment of Retin A or Renova.

 If not, including one of the other retinol alternatives in your skin care routine is an excellent strategy.  The concentration of over-the-counter retinol products can range up to 1%.  The basic rule of thumb is, the higher the concentration, the stronger the treatment.  Be forewarned though, read the directions carefully because the stronger retinol products can be quite irritating to the skin.  Starting slow and gradually working your way up to higher concentrations will allow your skin to adjust to the treatments better.  The vitamin A derivative, Retinyl Palmitate, is the less irritating of the Vitamin A options and is considered to have quite effective rejuvenating qualities.

 The next most beneficial anti-aging skin rejuvenation treatment is a chemical exfoliant such as an alpha hydroxyl acid (AHA) or beta hydroxyl acid (BHA) product. The most popular of these acids is an AHA glycolic acid. Glycolic acid should be used in concentrations of 8% to 15% depending on your skin’s sensitivity. Start out with a lower concentration and gradually move up to a 10% then 15% concentration depending on your skin’s tolerance in order to avoid irritation.

The last consideration is including an antioxidant to contain the skin-damaging free radicals as well as to encourage overall skin repair. Products containing Vitamin C Ester, Spin Trap, or CoQ10 are all good options to explore.  Then, of course, there are other viable anti-aging treatments which can be incorporated into your regime depending on your particular skin rejuvenation needs which include DMAE, Kinerase or Kinetin, and GHK Copper Peptides.   Learn more about  Anti-Aging Skin Care  at the Skin Care e-Learning and Resource Center.

 Finally, the most critical and essential aspect of any successful skin rejuvenation regime is sunscreen, at least once a day, each and every day! BBS Clinic does sell high-end Korean Sunscreen.

[khadeza-s]

Finally, my most requested post is live! I didn't want to release it until I was completely happy with all the products I was using so I could comfortably recommend them to you all. This will be a lengthy post but I’ve included lots of images so you don't get too bored just reading. Grab yourself some snacks as you might be here awhile!

Please bear in mind that everyones skin is different, something that works well for me, may not work well for you. You have to experiment with different products to find the right one for YOUR skin. Anything I refer to is specific to my experience and my skin. All products are linked - just click on the product names :).

Feel free to ask me any questions regarding products or anything else! Enjoy ♥.

DAYTIME SKINCARE ROUTINE

All of the above products are part of my current morning skincare routine, I rotate them around every other week but I like to remain quite consistent with certain products to give my skin time to get use to them. It also allows the product to be effective. I find changing products around too often can make skin worse and you’re less likely to learn what suits your skin type. If you don't have a skincare routine and you're looking for one, I highly recommend trying one or two products at a time (one cleanser, one exfoliator, one toner etc). This way you're more likely to find one that suits you, and if something is causing you to breakout it’ll be SO much easier to notice which product it was and stop using it.

A “typical” morning skincare routine may consist of: Cleanser Exfoliator Toner Eye Cream Serum/Oil Moisturiser SPF

You dont HAVE to follow this routine, everyone has their own style of routine and some people may feel this is too much or like me you may not have time for all of this everyday!

CLEANSERS

NIP+FAB - Glycolic Cleansing Fix

I LOVE the NIP+FAB products so much and I’ve written a whole post on them here. I use this cleanser for those mornings when I still have traces of makeup on my face or when I have more time go through skincare steps (weekends mostly or my days off). This also helps fade away blemishes and really cleans the face well.

GARNIER - Pure Active 3 in 1

This product was purchased purely on recommendation (@mary.s.khan)! Maryam has the most beautiful skin and she said she had been using this for years. I was quite skeptical as I’m not keen on 3in1 products as I find they don't work well in all that they claim however this has surprised me and I find its so convenient for those morning where my skin needs that extra step that I just don't have time for! This is a wash, scrub and mask! Pretty impressive, huh! The only thing that I dislike about this is the smell, its not terrible but its not appealing either. It works really well and leaves skin feeling super soft and refreshed.

EXFOLIATORS

Clean&Clear - Skin Brightening Daily Facial Scrub

I have been using this product for the longest time! I always take a break from it after about 6 months of continuous use and then return to using it again. The reason I do this is because I feel if you use a product for too long it just stops being as effective as your skin gets use to it. Its such a gentle scrub so for me its more like a face wash than a scrub/exfoliator which is why its perfect for everyday use. I honestly don't have much time in the morning to complete a longggg skincare routine but I use this as much as I can and it makes me feel super awake and refreshed. I noticed it really did brighten my face over time, blemishes faded away and my skin looked so much more clear. The is one of my all time favourites and its so affordable. I will do a separate review on this if you’d like me to, let me know!

NIP+FAB - Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing Pads

These are great, especially if you're on the go or don't have much time in the morning. I usually use these after cleansing my face with the clean and clear mentioned above. Then while getting dressed or rushing around I use one of these cleansing pads! It will gently exfoliate your skin and contains glycolic acid which is great for those of you with pigmentation, uneven skin tone or acne prone skin.

TONER

La Roche-Posay - Serozinc

Ive been wanting to try a new toner for ages and I saw this used by a lot of bloggers and mentioned on Instagram stories too. But then I saw it on Kaushal’s Insta live (@kaushalbeauty) and she spoke about how amazing it is. I HAD to purchase it, she is one of the sweetest most beautiful bloggers/youtubers, literally my favourite. Im so glad I got this, it sprays on perfectly with a generous amount but not drowning my face. It also dries really quickly too so you don't have to wait ages before applying the next product. Another lovely instagrammer (@zbeauty158) mentioned how she had gone through several bottles and had purchased backups after trying this because she loved it so much! Ive been using this for weeks now and would highly recommend this! OR empty rose water into a spray bottle to use as a toner!

EYECREAM

The Soapery - Organic, Unrefined, Raw Shea Butter

So since Sophia (@phosbeauty) mentioned Shea butter I had been thinking of purchasing it. She did a whole Instagram story on it! And I'm pretty sure most people that follow her purchased this! She can convince you to buy anything. Obviously I had to purchase this..I have been also been using Shea Butter as an eye cream since Rehma (@rehmabeauty) mentioned it! Go check out her Instagram and her blog too where she mentions using Shea butter! It doesn't smell very nice as its raw :( it did put me off however I use the smallest amount for my under eyes as its SO moisturising. My concealer glides on like a dream after applying this first! It melts so easily as soon as you work it into your skin. If you have any small sample pots or old eye cream pots you can use these to fill up with shea butter like I have here!

MOISTURISERS

Lacura - Caviar Illumination Day Cream

I have a separate post on this moisturiser here, but I have been using this for months now and absolutely love it! So many of you purchased this after I recommended it on my Insta, I hope you all love the cream as much as I do!

Charlotte Tilbury - Charlottes Magic Cream

I have so many of these as my bestie works at CT and theyre honestly briliant. I do feel the full size pots are very over priced but you are getting what youre paying for. HOWEVER, there are just as great products in stores that cost way less. Lacura for example, is very luxurious without the hefty price tag and works just as well!

SPF

GARNIER - Ambre Solaire Face and Body Lotion

Im not going to lie, im really bad with SPF! I know you skincare addicts are probably thinking OMG WHAT and you most likely want to tell me off! BUT i know, and its SO SO important to wear SPF. ESPECIALLY if you're using acids in your skincare routine but you should be wearing SPF regardless! I get really lazy and think if my moisturiser and foundation have SPF i can skip this step (oops). When I DO wear SPF I change them around, I have one from no7 and a few from other brands. This is the one Im currently using from Garnier. It sits really nicely on the skin and makeup applies well on top too without it looking a weird colour.

B. Confident - Hyaluronic Acid Spritz

Ive been spraying this on my face before makeup and some days after makeup. I havent been using this religiously everyday as I was a little wary at first in case it broke me out! I have very sensitive skin but so far it has been OK. It is a little drying for the skin if used a lot but for the girls with oily skin this is great for you! The girls with dry skin, I wouldn't recommend this for you at all. It really does make your highlighter pop when sprayed on top! However I think I prefer the NYX setting sprays.

You’ll notice I haven't included a serum for my morning skincare, I honestly just don’t have time on a normal day to day basis as I’m ALWAYS in a rush! When I have time I use the serum which is included in my nighttime skincare routine below.

NIGHTTIME SKINCARE ROUTINE

I spend more time on my skincare routine at night as Im not in a rush like I am in the mornings! Cleansing your skin at night is very important. Your skin will repair overnight whilst youre sleeping so these steps are JUST as important as your morning skincare. Everyones nighttime routine differs but mine typically consists of:

Cleanser (pre cleanse/cleanse) Exfoliator (acid) Toner Eye Cream Serum Moisturiser/Oil

CLEANSERS

Pre-Cleanse

Garnier - Micellar Water (Oil-infused Cleansing Water)

Micellar water is great for removing makeup, especially eye makeup. Eyeliner can be very stubborn and I find this works perfectly using cotton pads. I remove my eye makeup first and then the rest of my makeup on my face too. I then go in with wipes.

Simple - Cleansing Wipes

These are amazing! They are slightly more expensive then your standard wipes but my skin absolutely loves these. I use one wipe all over my face after micellar water and this removes any makeup I may have missed. These wipes are also great if you have breakouts. Simple is such a great brand for sensitive skin!

Cleanse

Lush - Ultraband Facial Cleanser

You definitely need to be double cleansing if you have been wearing SPF and makeup all day. Just micellar water/wipes aren't enough and once you start double cleansing you'll notice why! I love Lush products and this cleanser has been amazing. It leaves my skin baby soft and so moisturised. Sometimes I don't want to apply anything on my face after using this as it feels so so soft! This product is so creamy and melts into the skin, after applying it all over my face I wipe away the cleanser with a damp face cloth. Ill be writing a separate review on this cleanser! Let me know if you've tried this.

EXFOLIATOR

NIP+FAB - Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing Pads

I use these pads twice a week maximum as they're VERY strong. But I feel like they're really effective for my skin. Full post on this here.

TONER

Ayumi - Rose Facial Toner enriched with Glycerin

You can get this without the glycerin in too as just rose water which is great as a toner aswell. I have been using this for quite some time and I love how it leaves my skin feeling so plump and moisturised. The glycerin works as a humectant which is why it attracts more moisture onto the skin. So if you have dry skin this is great for you. Its also great for acne, wrinkles and fine lines.

EYECREAM

The Soapery - Organic, Unrefined, Raw Shea Butter

Same as my morning skincare routine, I also use this at night! LOVE Shea Butter ♥.

SERUM

NIP+FAB - Dragons Blood Fix Plumping Serum

One of my favourite serums, it will leave your skin feeling so plump! Review here.

MOISTURISER

Lacura - Caviar Illumination Night Cream

You can read my thoughts on this here. I am still loving this cream, its nearly finished now :(.

OILS

Ayumi - Almond Oil & Castor Oil

For the days my skin feels really dry or the days when I've had heavy makeup on from a photoshoot, I drench my skin in almond oil! And OMG, it feels and looks amazingggg in the morning. Try it, you'll love it! I also use castor oil at night on my eyebrows and eyelashes to help them grow and I've seen a big difference. You have to be patient! I made my brows way too thin once and used castor oil every night and they grew back so much quicker than I expected! I don't feel like it helps with thickness but it definitely helped with length. Almond oil is also great for your under eyes if you suffer from dark circles, but again, you need PATIENCE. It won't happen over night.

Hope you all enjoyed reading about my skincare routines! I was going to add the masks I have been using but its already so lengthy so that will have to be a separate post!

For everyone that managed to get this far, THANK YOU for reading ♥.