#best moisturizer for summer skincare

[softlifespot]

COMMON SKIN DISORDERS IN SUMMER SEASON

Contents:

1. Expert Tips for Sunscreen Application

2. The Evolution of Sunscreen Technology

3. Remarkable benefits of sunscreen in your daily routine

4. A Note on Sunscreen Allergies

5. Some Debunked myths about sunscreen

6. Recommended Sunscreen Brands by skin experts

7. Face Sunscreen vs body sunscreen

8. Best sunscreen lotion for women

9. FAQs on Summer Skin Disorders and Sunscreen Usage.

https://softlifespot.com

[naturalsplash]

Summer Skincare Tips

Read This blog will explore some of the best Summer Skincare Tips that you can adopt to protect your skin from the sun's harmful rays and keep it hydrated and glowing.

[wonnieaura]

THE ULTIMATE SUMMER GLOW UP GUIDE

Wanna glow up this summer? Here are some few tips I’ve put down for y’all to help everyone of y’all have the best summer ever. You’re welcome girlies 🥹💗🫶🏻

Skincare

1. Hydration

- Drink plenty of water.

- Use hydrating serums and moisturizers.

- Apply a hydrating mask weekly.

2. Sun Protection

- Use broad-spectrum SPF 30+ daily.

- Reapply sunscreen every 2 hours.

- Wear protective clothing and hats.

3. Cleansing

- Double cleanse at night.

- Use a gentle, hydrating cleanser.

- Exfoliate 1-2 times a week.

4. Targeted Treatments

- Use vitamin C serum in the morning.

- Apply retinoids at night (if not too sensitive).

- Incorporate a hyaluronic acid serum.

Haircare

1. Hydration and Protection

- Use a leave-in conditioner.

- Apply a heat protectant before styling.

- Wear hats or use UV protection sprays.

2. Styling

- Embrace natural textures.

- Avoid excessive heat styling.

- Use lightweight, non-greasy products.

3. Maintenance

- Get regular trims.

- Deep condition weekly.

- Use a clarifying shampoo once a month.

Nutrition

1. Hydration

- Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.

- Consume water-rich foods (fruits and vegetables).

- Limit caffeine and alcohol intake.

2. Balanced Diet

- Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

- Incorporate lean proteins and whole grains.

- Limit processed foods and sugars.

3. Supplements

- Consider taking a multivitamin.

- Use omega-3 supplements.

- Incorporate probiotics for gut health.

Fitness

1. Cardio

- Engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio per week.

- Try activities like swimming, running, or cycling.

- Include interval training for variety.

2. Strength Training

- Do strength training exercises 2-3 times a week.

- Focus on all major muscle groups.

- Incorporate bodyweight exercises like squats and push-ups.

3. Flexibility

- Stretch daily or after workouts.

- Consider yoga or Pilates classes.

- Focus on full-body stretches.

Mental Wellbeing

1. Mindfulness

- Practice meditation or deep breathing exercises.

- Keep a journal for reflection.

- Spend time in nature.

2. Stress Management

- Engage in hobbies or activities you enjoy.

- Set aside time for relaxation.

- Connect with friends and family.

3. Sleep

- Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night.

- Establish a regular sleep schedule.

- Create a calming bedtime routine.

Fashion

1. Wardrobe Essentials

- Invest in versatile summer pieces (e.g., sundresses, shorts).

- Choose breathable fabrics like cotton and linen.

- Opt for light and bright colors.

2. Accessories

- Use statement sunglasses and hats.

- Incorporate light scarves and jewelry.

- Carry a stylish yet functional bag.

3. Footwear

- Wear comfortable yet stylish sandals.

- Opt for breathable sneakers.

- Ensure proper foot care with pedicures.

[foreverisntenough]

- YOU’RE MINE -

Summary: While you daydreamed about his face an ocean apart, he had no idea what yours was about to do to him. With a twist of fate and the heat of summer, a new relationship would completely ransack his heart - Everyday heavy with the thought of one another, neither of you were going to let the unexpected love of your life go. You were going to be his, you were his, and you were going to stay his.

Warnings: This series contains fluff, suggestion, smut (unprotected sex,) pregnancy, love bombing, occasionally sad, kind of angsty, alcohol consumption - not sure what else really… if i miss anything please lmk!

Note: I hope you like it! THE FINAL CHAPTER 🥺 Start reading ‘Ours’ the sequel of this fic! It will chronical what happens in Trent and Y/N’s lives after this part!

INDEX

Chapter 30 - ‘You’re Mine’

The sun bathed your room in morning light. You yawned and opened your eyes slowly pulling Trent’s pillow over for you to hug. It was early but you had a plan to run to the shops before he got home. You felt absolutely exhausted yet again despite copious amounts of sleep so you hopped in the shower to help yourself wake up. Even just picking up products made your arms ache. Your limbs barely moved so you ended the shower with 30 seconds of cold water. Jesus, did that wake you up. You stared at yourself naked in the mirror before wrapping yourself in a towel. As you looked at your slender frame you couldn’t help but wonder what was going to change. How much would change? You tucked the towel moving on from your introspective questions and washed your face. You started your skincare moving slow through serums and onto a moisturizer, product after product. It felt good to take a moment to take care of yourself. You felt like you had to look good today so this was a good start. Trent probably preferred you with no makeup but makeup made you feel more confident so you did some, applying blush, mascara, all the things that made you feel just the best version of yourself. You moisturized your whole body before spraying a Le Labo perfume you had been loving recently and made your way to the walk in wardrobe. You didn’t know what to wear though so you made a mess pulling everything out, trying to figure it out. You combed through piles of clothes and rack more it felt endless but you were getting tired again. You landed on a light pink sweat set. It wasn’t exactly groundbreaking but it was cute.You didn’t want to be in real clothes and you didn’t really want to be anything close to sexy so this worked. You meticulously cleaned your closet back up, putting each item exactly where it belonged. You grabbed a pair of Louis Vuitton sneakers to throw on before you left the house but needed to pick up the bedroom a little before you headed downstairs. Once you did you slipped on your sneakers and grabbed your car keys to exit out through the garage. You jumped into one of the big blacked out cars in there and made your way into town. To get started on your long list of errands to do to prepare for Trent’s arrival you began at a stationary store then off to the bakery, and into a few more shops. The more things you pulled together the more excited you got. For the first time since you found out you actually were excited to tell him. Although, you wanted to keep the way you told him simple. That was your vibe, calm, easy, so you grabbed a little something you were planning to place the pregnancy test in and some cardstock for a note. You went and got food to eat in hopes for after he took the news well and you snuck off to some more luxury stores for something fun you’d give him a little later but that would be a surprise all depending on what his response was. It felt like your car was full by the time you were heading back home. Trent let you know he was coming home around noon so around 11:30 your anxiety really began to hit. You felt like you were shaking as you held a pen over the nice piece of cardstock you got. You wrote a simple note and left it on the kitchen island for him to find when he came in.

‘Come upstairs, daddy xx’

It was humorous and ultimately would be cute once he found out why you said that. In retrospect, the word was really what kickstarted the whole conversation about the possibility of a baby. It was around 12:15 when you finally heard the front door open. You heard his bags drop by the front door the way that drove you crazy but you pushed it aside for the moment unable to focus on anything but listening to his footsteps deducing where he was in the house. Your heart began to race, your mind shifting into overdrive.

“Babyyy?!” Trent called out loud from downstairs but you didn’t respond. You let him find his way. He eventually went to the kitchen and saw the note. He knew you were home, your car was there, you said you would be so he picked up the card you had left and smirked. In Trent’s mind this was a cheeky welcome home. He read the card as an invitation to go upstairs to have some incredible sex after he had been gone. A sort of congratulations he scored a great goal. It wouldn’t have been the first time you’d done something like this but boy was he wrong. He didn’t even click that the word ‘daddy’ wasn’t even remotely there sexually. He jogged up the stairs eagerly chuckling to himself excited for what was going to happen. His mind was jumping around trying to imagine what you’d be wearing, what he’d ideally want you to be wearing. He felt greedy like a little kid in a candy store imagining all the different bits of lingerie you’d worn over the years. He pulled himself together a little bit trying to act cool and suave before he opened the door. God, he hoped it was that pink one but his hunger was dulled. Everything slowed as he looked into your bedroom. The room was warmly lit, all the lights on, it was clean and organized, cream and white colors that made the space comfy and homey, the bed was made perfectly and to further his confusion there he saw you sat crossed legged on the boucle bench at the end of your bed. You had stayed in your light pink sweats and the soft light almost managed to illuminate you. You picked your head up and thought your heart could fall out of your chest. You gave him a soft but very nervous smile. You couldn’t shake your anxiety but there was a part of you that also couldn’t help but feel a little excited seeing him. Just him being back home was enough to make you giddy but this was a new emotion you didn’t know and it was overwhelming you. You stared up at him trying to fight back tears you could feel building. You almost forgot how beautiful he was, you could only dream your baby looked just like him. That face started to make you nervous about what it would fall to because you were about to change his life. Contrary to what he thought, Trent wasn’t even disappointed you weren’t in some lingerie on the bed to be honest. You looked absolutely ethereal sitting there. His angel. Your one hand hiding a little white box behind your back, the other anxiously pulling at the bottom of some strands of hair. “What’s going on…” he hesitantly asked, stepping into the room. You gestured your head to the side signaling for him to come over to you and so he did. Albeit, incredibly slowly. He stood in front of you looking down. You remained quiet. You thought if you spoke you’d start crying immediately so in an effort to not do that you pulled the box from behind you and handed it up to him. He took it and inspected the blankness of it and then looked back at you inquisitively with a smile. He held the sturdy but small white box wrapped with a white ribbon having no idea what was inside of it.

“Go on…” you managed to quiver out in a whisper. At that moment, you were pretty sure the world stopped turning. He pulled the ribbon untying the bow, holding onto it while he lifted the lid off agonizingly unhurried. You felt your leg start to bounce with nerves awaiting his reaction. You watched his face intently for any sign of emotion. His mouth was agape a little, his eyes batted trying to make sure he was actually seeing what he thought he was. He looked into the box completely unexpressive. Inside the little white box laid a comforting bed of thin white and metallic shredded paper with the positive pregnancy test resting a top of it. In slow motion you watched the box fall from his now shaking hands onto the floor. The neat and carefully filled box now scattered on your carpet.

“Are you serious?” He said sternly with no emotion on his face. You thought you might pass out starting to think he didn’t want this anymore now that it was real but you nodded anyway telling him that this was in fact happening. This was very real.

“There are two more positive ones in there.” You pointed to the bathroom sheepishly. Trent dropped to the floor falling into a crouching position. He squatted leaning back on his heels. With his head in his hands you could hear him start to sniffle and his breath start to deepen. “T… I.. I’m” you tried to talk but honestly you were petrified and had no clue what to say. Should you apologize? But before you could come up with something he picked his head up to look at you. His eyes all wet, he gave you the sappiest closed mouth smile that almost had the look of a pout to it.

“Oh my fucking god, Y/N… Y/N” He whined with the deepest set puppy dog eyes that broke your heart. You could see tears roll down his face, he got on his knees and crawled over to you wrapping his arms around your waist dropping his head into your lap. “Sorry, Jesus” he laughed a little, shaking his head, nuzzling into you. “I just didn’t… oh my god, baby… is this for real?” He whimpered out kissing your covered stomach. You were taking his physical actions as a positive but had to know for sure, his words weren’t exactly concretely assured.

“You wanted this right? Like me pregnant? Like we are having a baby” You cooed, giggling a little. It was the first time you had said that. ‘We are having a baby.’ You felt a few tears roll down your own cheeks as you stroked your hand over his hair comforting him as he clung to you.

“You have no idea baby.” He muffled into your sweatshirt top before raising it some. He beamed looking at you. He kissed the warm bare skin of your stomach. “Holy shit, I’ve never been so happy in my entire life.” He continued kissing you. “This is fucking insane.”

“Yeah?” You kept giggling. He pulled off your stomach and looked into your eyes. He held your hands and squeezed them tightly .

“C’mere” he whispered. You watched his perfect lips you were praying your baby inherited from him move closer to you. His lips pressed into yours. They were warm and soft. Warmth blossomed in your chest. Your lips brushed over one anothers. The smell of him, the smell of home was dizzying. You leaned further into the kiss as his lips felt somehow even impossibly softer than before against your own. You both started laughing in delirium though having to pull away. You let go of his hands and cupped his cheeks holding his face some distance from yours to really look at him. His big brown eyes had fallen into deep pools. You wiped your thumbs underneath them, wiping away the tears that had fallen. He looked at you like no one else in the world existed. Trent stared into your eyes and felt that no one else existed in the world, in fact you were his entire world and he was most definitely yours.

“Gonna take care of you forever. This is unreal. We’re having a baby. Jesus, You're perfect, beautiful.” Trent just kept yapping away stunned and so you let him ramble on and on as his hands caressed all over your body. He picked you up and sat you up on the edge of the bed before he came and crawled over you. You laid back with a big childish smile. He looked down at your face and exposed stomach and his heart faltered. His hands pressed into the mattress next to you letting his arms prop him up over you. He dropped his head to come in for another kiss. And another kiss. His lips feeling absolutely addicting. You started to makeout and his body pressed down onto yours. He didn’t know when he got so hard but you weren’t going to call him out. Things started to heat up but he got nervous. “Can I do this?” He said pulling away from you a little sliding his hands under your sweatshirt over your stomach and up towards your boobs. You nodded with a little giggle. “I promise I’ll be so gentle with you, baby.” He whispered. You could only laugh.

“T... it’s okay, we can.” You looked at him ferociously innocently. He never felt more in love with you. He almost felt lightheaded. He was so happy with the news and then now the fact that you were carrying his child, god, he was so turned on.

“Okay… still gonna be gentle with you though. Precious cargo, no?” You both giggled before you pulled him down to you. The space between you vanished. He pressed his lips to yours. His one hand cupped your cheek, gently as promised. He moved you up the bed and sat back taking his shirt off. Your eyes gazed over every inch of him. He was heavenly looking. His body was just drool worthy but you snapped out of your lust when you caught the soft smile on his face looking down at you.

“Help, baby.” You cooed cutely pulling at your top. You sat up some and he helped you take the sweatshirt and your shirt with it off over your head. You laid back and lifted your hips up some for him to then pull your joggers off. He left you in your bra and panties, which okay, this morning you made a conscious effort to pick a particular good set that you knew he liked. Trent couldn’t help his eyes from racking over you greedily. He couldn’t even count the amount of times he had seen your naked body. It was infinite but this felt like the very first time. It was nothing like the time years ago in New York though, this was different, this was love in its very purest form. He absolutely worshiped your body. It did so much for him before, his brain was confused how you possibly were able to do more I.e. carry his child now but also how it was physically possible for him to be any more attracted to you, and yet here he was. His pupils dilated looking down at you. He pulled his sweats off leaving you with the perfect view of his hardened cock’s bulge in his boxers. Both of your heart rates speeding up. He got on top of you again as you began to kiss more and more, hotter and heavier. He dragged his fingers over your body while he moved away from your kiss to come whisper in your ear. His hands gently slipped into your panties and in no time he was slowly pumping his fingers in and out of you purposely rubbing his palm against your clit rhythmically.

“Oh god T… Trent fuck, baby. T…” You moaned trying to push yourself up into him for more friction, for him to go deeper.

“Keep saying my name, baby. Such a good girl f’me, gonna make you feel so good like you deserve.” His warm breath hit your ear sending a shiver down your spine. And, boy, was he determined to make you feel good. He kissed down from your ear all the way down to your core. He pulled your soaked panties off as he continued with his fingers. His name still falling from your mouth. He worked quickly and buried his face into your wet pussy. His tongue toyed with your clit as his fingers diligently worked in and out of you. You were a mess. You couldn’t think straight but it was all so smooth, so caring, so soft, so intentional. It definitely was intentional, he knew exactly what he was doing when you felt the tight knot in your stomach snap pulsating around his fingers. “Did so good.” He muttered into your pussy. The vibration causing you to flinch at the overstimulation. He pulled his face covered in your slick away kissing the inside of your thighs letting you come down for a moment. It wasn’t long before he was fucking into you nice and slow. He filled you up and you felt every single inch of him sliding in and out of you.

“Baby… I’m so full. Oh my god. I love your cock so much.” You moaned beautifully and he smirked. Your words were starting to almost slur from the amount of pleasure you were in as his hand reached down to rub small circles on your already sensitive clit. Your pussy dripping onto the sheets below you as he continued to carefully roll his hips up into you. Trent affectionately yapped away, continuing to spill out how much he loved you, how good you were doing, how beautiful you were all falling from his lips nonstop as he enjoyed the feeling of you. “I want you to fuck me like this forever.” You babled back words muffled by moans and kisses. Your hands came and gripped onto his muscular arms. Your hands pressed back into the pillows feeling fuzzy, blanking out everything but the feeling of him inside you. “I’m gonna cum, T” you cried out “I’m so close.” You felt the know in your stomach tighten again. Your breathing getting heavier. You moved your hands up to his face pulling him into a passionate kiss and then letting your manicured fingers gripping onto his hair, enough to make him whisper at the sensation.

“Cum for me, baby” he cooed between kisses as his hard cock pulsating inside of you. “I love you so much, baby. Keep fucking me. Doing so good.” Your sweet moaning of his name pushed him closer and closer to his own edge. “You sound so pretty, baby” Trent smiled down at your face. You looked up at him mouth agape, watery eyes and were taken aback by how beautiful he looked above you. God, he really was perfect. He kissed you again. The drag of his cock in and out of you made you each for anything to hold on to. Switching between the sheets, his hair, then to his muscular back. His hand found its way to your tits. he caressed it, playing with your nipple while fucking you.

“Ah T… you feel so good. Too much.” You whined feeling him pressed deeper and deeper inside of you. Slow and languid you said it but you didn't want him to stop at all. He knew that too.

“You’re doing so good. Such a good girl” he praised, starting to feel overwhelmed by the pleasure from your pussy. He was close now. To be fair, he had been close to cumming since he ate you out. Watching you orgasm with his tongue on your clit was just the perfect sight. “Cum with me, baby, yeah?” His movements were getting sloppy compared to the perfect pace he had kept at as his abs tensed. His lips parted in deep breaths as his eyes rolled back.White hot pleasure flashed behind your eyes and Trent’s lips pushed against yours as he fucked you through your high. His hips finally stuttered and he paused letting him cum fill you, making sure every drop of him was inside of you, where it belonged. He quickly resumed pushing his hips into you though with a groan of your name. His cock twitched inside you, spent. It was intoxicating, everything was, the way your arms were wrapped tight around his shoulders. Pulling him close, running soothingly along his skin as he collapsed onto you with a final, fucked-out thrust. He traced his fingers lazily along your side, neither of you having enough strength to bother moving. All is quiet in your little haven, and you could almost fall asleep. You laid stuck to each other's bodies for ages. Trent’s hands continuing to slowly caress your body as you cuddled up to him. Your head rested onto his shoulder. He looked down at you and smiled.

“How did you get so perfect, hmm?” He cooed with his hand coming to rest over your stomach. You giggled and looked back at him. His smile made your heart beat a little faster than it already was. “Just so pretty all the time, it’s insane.” He kept talking while he squeezed your waist. “Going to be the most beautiful mummy.”

“Stop…T” You feigned embarrassment. “Well, you can say goodbye to all this now I guess though.” You drudged out waving your hand over your naked body pressed into his. It kind of stung thinking about how much your body was about to change. You had a lot of issues with your image from the jump so to imagine things changing and potentially getting worse than they were now freaked you out.

“Baby, baby, baby… don’t do that. This is so fucking amazing. You’re going to be beautiful before, during, and after, you’re so fucking beautiful.” He cooed again, dropping his hand sliding down to palm your ass. “Trust me, if anything you’re only about to get even sexier.” He squeezed your ass cheek saying that.

“Yeah, yeah you say that now.” You groaned. “You’re just excited for when my tits inevitably get bigger.”

“I’m not just saying it! I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little excited for that, you're right….But baby, it’s not about all that. It’s the fact that you’re beautiful for carrying our child, you know how insane that is?” You nuzzled your face into his body hiding feeling a little shy. You laid there while he ranted on and on about how beautiful you were and you listened patiently until he asked you a question. “So what do we do now?” He started to chuckle anxiously thinking about what was next.

“I don’t know, I’ve never been pregnant before.” You joked equally as nervous.

“Same.” He cooed with a straight face. You couldn’t not laugh looking at him. He always managed to be unintentionally funny and simultaneously very cute in serious moments.

“Okay, well seeing that neither of us have been.” You kept giggling and poked at him. “I made an appointment for tomorrow but if you can’t make it, I…” Trent cut you off before you could finish your sentence.

“I can. Baby, I am here for this whole thing. I will be there. I will never not be there. This is the most important thing to me, you are the most important thing to me… this baby is the most important thing to me.” His face kind of dropped saying his last sentence. It was all becoming very real.

“Oh my god like this is mad…” you looked up at him with a scared expression on your face..

“I’m here for you. You’re mine, right baby? Gonna take such good care of you both.” He cooed and your heart shattered at how sweet he was. It was unbelievable you were about to start a family.

“Yeah.. I know” you sheepishly retorted. He held up his pinky towards you and your heart skipped a beat. He was so fucking cute. “Oh so you really mean it, huh?” You teased him.

“Absolutely. You’re mine forever.” You locked your finger around his and he used the moment to pull your arm and subsequently your body to fall into his into a sweet kiss.

“Do anything for you, beautiful.” You pursed your lips and hummed thinking of all the things he already did for you. What more could you possibly want

“Can you hold me closer, T.” You cooed, batting your eyes at him.

“Yeah, he laughed. “I got you.”

The next day you woke up to a large Trent cuddled up so closely on top of you, you could barely breathe and you liked it this way. You had an inkling this was the way this would go. He was going to be so attached to you the second he found out you were pregnant. You slid up to sit against the headboard. He hummed as you moved, clinging to your stomach tighter, pressing sleepy kisses against your bare skin.

“I can’t believe we’re going to be parents… I feel like I’m 18 most days.” You spoke into the quiet room stroking over his hair guiding your hand down to his back to scratch it gently. He purred feeling your nails. He turned his head on your stomach to look up at you. The feeling of his stubble rubbing and tickling you.

“I guess we gotta grow up.” He cooed with a smile.

“Maybe.. we’ll still be cool parents though right, T?” You giggled as your other hand came to pinch at his cheek.

“Yeah, baby. The coolest. Just adding a new baby best friend to the fam, that's all.” He cooed imagining the two of you, the dogs and the new little baby.

“That’s really cute, T.” You pouted thinking about how adorable the sentiment was. The fact that you were really going to have this baby was sinking in moment by moment. He hummed acknowledging you but returning to his task of kissing your stomach.

Your appointment at the OBGYN was later that afternoon so you and Trent got dressed and were ready to head out. He held your hand walking to your cars but looked at you confused when you let go and walked to the drivers side of yours instead of the passengers side of his.

“You can’t drive…” he looked at you and you started to genuinely laugh.

“What? Why?” Shocked, you asked muddied in a laugh. His face didn’t move. “T… I am pregnant, not like unwell.” You tried to reason with him. He just stepped towards you, slipping his hands around your waist. He tucked his head into the nape of your neck, pressing his lips to you.

“Baby… I need you to be safe, can you just come with me? I want to take care of you.” He whispered. He puckered out his bottom lip, giving you his devastating puppy dog eyes. He was committed to convincing you and it almost worked but you were not caving this time. You held your ground against their allure.

“You always take care of me. I am safe. Also, T, be realistic, we can’t be seen driving together going there right now. I want this to be our moment. Hmm?” you cooed. Your hand came to caress his cheek trying to assure him you were okay but also remind him that your pregnancy getting out to any news source or the general public getting wind would be a nightmare and would destroy any opportunity to have privacy for the next 9 months. He finally agreed and you made your way there.

“You’re only about 6 weeks along.” The nurse spoke softly, looking between you and Trent. “If you and your husband want, we can go ahead and schedule the follow up when you’re at 12 weeks. By then we should be able to find out the gender as well.”

“He’s not my husband.” You patted Trent’s thigh.Your words kind of stung him so he placed his much bigger hand over yours pinning it down. Prompting him to lean over and whisper in your ear.

“Not yet, baby.” He cheekily said and it raised goosebumps all over you. Eventually, you looked back to the nurse and so did he. You could see Trent’s brow furrow a little in your peripheral. He was trying to do the math. “Right so she’ll be 12 weeks that’s…” he paused thinking.

“3 months, baby.” You giggled teasing him squeezing your hand above his knee.

“When is it usually most safe to tell people?” Trent asked inquisitively. This was going to be like everything else, he was going to need to know absolutely everything he could. It was incredibly cute and it was incredibly Trent.

“The fetus is typically fully formed after 12 weeks, that tends to be when people feel comfortable but it is up to your personal preference, your discretion what you’d want to do.” The nurse cooed back.

“So in a month and a half, T.” You giggled again looking at his face continue to struggle.

“I’ll get there, I’m gonna like read or I don’t know, will figure it all out.” He babbled nervously. You smiled sweetly at him squeezing your hand again to reassure him just happy he was with you. He didn’t need to be nervous or do any more. He was doing great. He was amazing already. You left the offices and you clung to Trent in the car park. You swayed back and forth in his arms pressing little kisses to his lips. This was scary and new but at least you had him. You finally said your goodbyes; he went to training and you went home. He went the whole day beaming. Everyone at AXA was so confused by his outwardly cheery disposition but he couldn’t not smile anymore now that he knew he was going to have a baby with you. Later that night, Trent came home when you were in the kitchen beginning to make dinner.

“Nah, nah, nah, I was going to make dinner for you, baby.” Trent's voice almost made you jump. You turned around to see him coming down the hallway holding a big bouquet of pink flowers. You rolled your lip at him and ran over to him giving him a tight hug, abandoning the boiling pot of water on the stove. He wrapped you in his arms and kept you there, even as you cooked. When you were finally done cooking you sat with Trent on the couch eating bowls of pasta sitting unnecessarily close. Your legs draped over his lap. His one hand rubbing up your back.

“I think we should keep this relatively quiet for a little, don’t you? I want to make sure the baby is healthy and I want to share some of this time with just you until we let everyone else know.” You babled stabbing your fork mindlessly into some noodles.

“I understand, agree with you, beautiful. I just want you and the baby healthy so we’ll take it slow. Will keep you two close with me. Make sure everything is okay” He cooed, pressing a kiss to your cheek, squeezing your side. The plan to keep it quiet was great except for the fact that you had to continue on with everyday life carrying a massive secret. It was only mere days later when you had to face the task head on. You sat anxiously at an away game down in London next to Dianne and Tyler. They couldn’t possibly have known but you felt like they somehow did know. It was stressing you out the whole game. You didn’t hide much from his family so this felt wrong. As the final whistle blew you milled about and mingled until Trent was able to come out and meet you after. He beelined directly through a group of people to you, wasting no time with niceties to anyone else in the room. He grabbed you by the waist and his thumbs stroked over your stomach in a coy effort to be subtle. He smiled silently and you couldn’t control the way your heart lurched. You’d think over time his charm would lose its effect or wear down but somehow it only seemed to grow. Him being so sweet about the pregnancy was making it continue that way at a rapid pace.

“We’re so proud of you, daddy.” You cheekily whispered, pulling him into a tight hug. You draped your arms over his shoulders. Trent's heart faltered hearing your words. The word ‘daddy’ had carried way too much weight in your relationship lately. Hell, it got you to this very point but it was a little fun to throw it around now.

“This is the best secret I’ve ever had to keep.” He cooed equally as quiet into your ear. “Love you both so much.” You only giggled in return, beginning to quickly look around the room to make sure no one had heard either of you.

After the game, you all went out to dinner in London. You stood waiting at the bar for your table. Everyone ordered drinks. When the bartender came to Trent, he ordered his quick off the cuff before he turned and looked at you for what you wanted. You gave him a knowing look. He raised his eyebrows at you realizing you couldn’t drink. He leaned over the bar and he spoke quietly to the bartender. He returned and handed you a club soda with a lime. Clever, no one would know it wasn’t your usual tequila soda if they didn’t ask. You smiled cheekily and threw him a wink. You started to talk to Tyler as Trent was talking with his mum. His eyes glued to you. You unintentionally turned your back to him continuing your conversation stirring the little straw around in your soda. Trent watched you over his mum's shoulder. Dianne laughed as she tried to hold his attention. He loved how close you were with his family, how you integrated so quickly. He loved how you were with Tyler and Marcel. It was so important to him that you cared about what he cared about.

“She makes you happy, huh, Trenty?” Dianne cooed watching his gaze soften fixed on you. He shifted in his stance not responding to her. The smile on his face was telling her the answer. He moved around his mum slow squeezing her arm to not totally disregard her and started on his way over to you. You felt his hand come from behind and push your hair off your shoulder. You shuttered under his touch. The feeling of his fingers glide over your neck sending a shiver down your spine. You tilted your head to one side to try to look back at him knowing it was Trent. You watched Trent’s lips turn upwards. His eyebrows rising in smug satisfaction at the hearts that filled your eyes. You turned back with a cheeky grin into him. He pulled you to him and leaned into your ear. He started whispering all sorts of filthy things to you. You shut your eyes and licked over your lips. You pulled away looking at him. You weren’t drinking but you were certainly drunk on love, completely smitten and certain he was the man of your dreams.

"Behave yourself” you giggled, slapping at his chest praying no one could’ve overheard him. Tyler ignored you two immediately the second Trent’s hands were on you resorting to return to Dianne. You sat at dinner bashful and happy. It was such a happy couple of days. It was stressful to have to hide this secret but in general, you and Trent were so happy about the win but ultimately the baby. He was already so touchy with you to begin with but the pregnancy was bringing the affection to a new level. You let him have his way, keeping his hands on you the entire meal. You didn’t mind. You liked it. It made you feel safe. Trent was so protective of you. He kept you close to him instinctively but now, he held you closer with a watchful eye on your stomach. It made you melt and gradually over the night, really horny. When you got home personal space wasn't a thing for you anymore. You hugged his arm, squeezing his bicep, walking back into your house. You were all over Trent. Batting your eyelashes up to him, pressing your boobs against his side as you made your way to the living room.

“You’re not subtle…” he laughed as you tried to convince him to fuck you. You didn’t have to do much, in fact you really didn’t have to do anything at all.

“What do you mean, T?” You giggled feigning innocence climbing on top of him as he sat down on your living room couch. Your boobs subsequently teasingly pressed in his face.

“Alright, I’ll bite, baby.” He laughed. His hands started to caress your body and then swiftly to massage your tits. “You’re very convincing.” He teased you but you just gave him a ‘come on’ look because you knew you were. “Did you know you’re very very hot?” He cooed with a cheeky grin. You sat down on his lap and poorly attempted to reign in the horniness that was washing over you. “Like so fucking sexy.” His words didn’t help that effort. His hands kneading your tits brushing his thumbs over your hardening nipples. The more his hands were on you, the more you thought about your body, the way it was aching for him, and then suddenly, rapidly, you felt yourself tense.

“Hey… you okay?” Trent’s hands slowed in you. You felt emotion rush to your eyes. All at once, your feelings of fear about your body about to change massively came over you. One of the things Trent loved about you was your body and it was about to be gone.

“I’m just scared.” You sugarcoated your emotions for him. His hands fell from your boobs and ghosted down your sides before they settled onto your hips.

“C’mere please” he pulled at you and engulfed you in his arms. “Does it make you feel any better if I tell you I’m scared too?” He said muffled into your neck. His hands rubbed up and down your back comforting you when you least felt it. His honesty did make you feel better.

“Really?” You sheepishly asked. He laughed, pulling you off him to really look at your face. He stared into your eyes. You could feel your heart thumping in your chest.

“Baby… this is massive but you know what else?” He cooed, bringing his hand to caress your cheek. You shook your head softly giving him a ‘no.’ “We have each other in this. We’re doing it together. Hmm? You have me forever, sweet girl. I’m not going anywhere.” He spoke, brushing his thumb over your skin. Your heart warmed. He managed to settle your fears for the moment. He was so reassuring that he would never leave you. You could see it in his eyes, you could feel it under his touch. You cuddled into him. He held you close.

“I love you, T.” You gently spoke, squeezing him a little before resting your head on his chest. You stayed there for a while. The feeling of his heart beat started to lull you to sleep. You tried your hardest to keep your eyes open, to stay awake and in the moment but his loving hold making it incredibly difficult. He pressed a kiss into your hair.

"Go to sleep, baby. I’m gonna be right here forever.” He whispered and you nuzzled further into him. The feeling of being in his arms putting you ever at ease. The vibrations of his voice only pushing you closer to falling asleep. Finally your eyes falling closed. When you woke up the next day you were neatly tucked upstairs in your bed. He always took such good care of you, you never had to ask for anything. You shifted your body only to find that you were alone in the big bed. Your legs moving under the covers some before they bumped into something on the bed.

“T…?” You sleepily whispered out. Rubbing your hands over your eyes. You tried to clear your blurry vision to see where he could’ve been. To no avail, your eyes fixed on the foot of the bed seeing what you presumed to be a gift from Trent.

“Oh you’re up! Morning, pretty girl.” Trent muttered out in a hushed tone, his voice cutting into the room as he rushed over to you. He sat on the edge of the bed and handed you a cup of tea. You raised your eyebrows surprised with a tired smile. You scooted up the bed to lean against the headboard.

“Wow… good morning to you. What’s all this, baby?” You chuckled. You reached out and rubbed your hand up and down the arm he had outstretched on the bed to rest on. He shuffled on the bed though to come sit next to you. He grabbed four boxes and pulled them into his lap. He wrapped his free arm around you, smushing a kiss to your cheek. He pulled you a little closer to him before plopping the first box over on your lap. It was an ambiguously wrapped box so you gave him a curious look.

“One for you.” He cooed and you giggled.

“What’s this for?” You asked pausing before opening the gift: he shot a stern glare back at you so you continued on. You peeled off the paper and saw a familiar orange box you knew well. You opened it slow. It was a pair of Hermes Finesse diamond earrings. You bopped your head back and forth with a big cheesy smile on your face staring at them.

“So pretty, T.” Grabbing his face for a quick peck. You placed the box down onto your comforter after inspecting them for a little while. He plopped the next box in your lap. You rolled your eyes at his childish rough nature so early.

“One for the baby…” he said softly rubbing his hand over your stomach. It was a much larger box than the last. You opened it slow again to find another orange box. You smiled lifting the lid to see an adorable Hermes teddy bear. You pouted your lips at him. You felt like you were gonna cry before he plopped the next one on you, stopping your flooding emotions. “Keep moving along, baby. Have more to open.” He laughed, waving his hand to continue. “For you.”

“You know the baby seems to be getting bigger presents than me, is that how things are going to be?” You teased squeezing his arm. It was his turn to roll his eyes at you. You opened a third orange box. You unlatched a jewelry box to see three stackable rings.

“One for each person in our family now.” He looked into your eyes. You melted thinking of him picking out something so thoughtful. You slid them on and held up your hand to look at the three rings wrapped around your slender finger.

“I love them… I love you.” You collapsed your head onto his shoulder wrapping your arms around his waist.

“You like them, baby?” He spoke before pressing a kiss into your hair. You nodded as he slid the last box over to you. You peeled the paper again slowly to reveal the final orange box. “One more for them” you opened the lid taking your time and your heart slowed. You felt the room close in. You stared down at a cashmere Avalon blanket. You took it out of the box to get a closer look at the detailed lettering embroidered ‘Baby Alexander-Arnold’ That was the tipping point for you. The tears started pouring out. “Oh. C’mon shhh.” Trent pulled you into him. He squeezed you so tight.

“I love you.” You sniffled out. He hummed. You stayed like that for a while. “Wait, wait, actually I got you something too! I didn’t know when to give them to you but now seems good.” You scrambled out of bed messily. Trent laughed at your sleepy body moving without the grace you usually carried.

“Baby, didn’t have to get me anything.” He said as you ran into the wardrobe hearing his voice fade getting further from him. You came out with three bags giddily and jumped on the bed playfully. You took his hands in yours after placing the bags in between you. He gave you a disapproving look for buying him anything.

“Just open it! Please!” You begged childishly pulling on his arm. You shoved one bag over closer to him. He reluctantly grabbed one bag. “Hold on! This one first!” You swapped the bags and he shook his head. He ruffled through the bag and pulled out a baby Liverpool kit.

“Nah… honestly.” He held up the top and turned it around to see ‘daddy’ written across the back with a 66. He looked at you with a sappy smile. Trent felt like this was the first time he really felt like a dad, like this was not only just a baby but his kid. You pecked his lips unannounced. You couldn’t look at the tiny jersey the put getting excited. The idea of bringing your baby to their daddy play was a dream and you knew Trent felt the same. You pushed the next bag at him. He fumbled through the bag again and pulled out a pretty chic, in your opinion, black Prada baby bag. “It’s actually really good.” He laughed unexpectedly, pretty impressed with it. You felt a little relieved he wasn't freaked out by the baby-centric gifts. You picked up the final bag and placed it in his lap. He pulled out a matte all black Prada football. His eyes widened and a big grin pulled across his face.

“Cool dad, no?” You giggled as he threw the designer football up and down. You stopped him when you pulled his face to yours with his cheeks in your hands. His laugh breaking out mid kiss halting it.

“Massively. Thank you, baby.” He cooed muddied in giggles, pressing a kiss to your lips. You hummed. You sat in your bed surrounded by spontaneous baby gifts. You stroked your hand over his high cheekbones. There was nowhere else you should’ve been. This is where you belonged; with your Trent; and that’s just what he was… yours. Trent’s words cut off your moment of reverie. “Not just for these. Thank you for giving me our child.” He spoke softly, rubbing his hands up your sides.

“Ours” you whispered sealed with a kiss.

•

Thank you for reading! Please like, comment, or message what you thought of the chapter / series … 🤍 This was so fun to write and I really hope you enjoyed it.

Go read the first chapter of the sequel series ‘Ours’ xx

[reallyromealone]

Young and beautiful 2

Pairing: prince charming x male reader

Fandom: shrek

Warnings: innuendos, gay, fluff

Notes: I made this as a easter joke and here I am

☁️🐟☁️🐟☁️🐟☁️🐟☁️🐟☁️🐟☁️🐟☁️🐟☁️🐟☁️

(name) was always busy, running a kingdom and his parents bitch about an heir was grating on his nerves, it was never ending for him it seemed.

"We got married a year ago" (name) was confused at his husband's want for a second honeymoon but Charming knew (name) wouldn't so easily go on vacation, not without the blond dragging his tall lover to do so "it would be romantic! And we can see that play you love!" There it was, (name)s attention as he perked up just slightly at the mention of the play "and since we are Royals we get the best seat in the house"

(Name) Walked into the couple's summer home, something her purchased for the honeymoon with the intent to visit again as per requested of his husband who seemed giddy to be taking this vacation as he dressed in a nice loose poet's shirt and tight pants and expensive boots "it's quaint!" The blond remarked as if a ten bedroom country home with a pool and a massive estate yard was quaint, (name) remembering when he was in the royal military and his sleeping quarters were smaller than a pantry in this place, his father wanting him to be manlier.

"(Name)! Are you even listening to me?!" Charming said angrily with a hand on his hip, (name) glancing down at the other bemused "of course darling" he said simply before leaning to kiss him "now what is it that you wanted to do first?"

The play wasn't until tomorrow night so (name) was pleased he could relax poolside as charming worked on his tan, (name) ready to take a nap in the warm summer heat "you're like a cat" charming would often tease the king who would fall asleep in a sun beam if given the chance.

(Name) Glanced at his husband, specifically his ass "stop staring at my ass" charming said teasingly and (name) smirked "you didn't have a problem with me giving attention to your ass ye--""oh shut up!"

Though th two were very different, they both made effort stop be apart of each other's interests, charming loved self care and skincare and (name) loved being lazy when he had the chance to do so, a rarity but he loved just letting his husband pamper him occasionally though he would never admit it.

Charming knew (name) often didn't care for himself in ways that needed to be done so took it upon himself to give him some TLC via bubble baths and face masks, (name) though grumpy and brooding let his husband do as he pleased-- even letting him put on makeup occasionally.

He nearly fell asleep as charming put oils and moisturizers on his face.

"It smells like raspberry..."

"That's because it's raspberry moisturizer"

"Hn..."

(Name) Hauled charming to bed and held him close, sleepy and wanting to just pass out without any worries and charming just huffed as he enjoyed when his husband was soft and sweet like this.

When it was time for the play, the two were dressed in their best as they were royalty after all, (name) keeping calm and composed but Charming knew he was excited to see the play, theatre being something they both deeply enjoyed "maybe some day you can go on stage" (name) said in a rare moment of sweetness as they sat down, charming smiling at the fact (name) remembered everything he told him.

(Name) Watched the play with rapt attention, a blank expression but charming knew him better than that, he was deeply invested.

The two spent two weeks on vacation, no need for reigniting their love as (name) just kept throwing oil on the flame, by the end of the trip (name) was chill as he could be and Charming had a new wardrobe and a limp.

[aaalanasblog]

the ultimate guide to glowy, clear skin

so your skin looks great with and without makeup for your summer glow up 🫶🏽

things you should never skip:

- double cleansing at night

- SPF 50 during the day

- spraying a mist before applying hydrating ingredients

- getting 6-8 hours of sleep every night

- washing your hands before touching your face

- washing your pillowcases, hair wraps, and bedding once a week

- using paper towel to dry your face

the main way to have glowy skin? maintaining the skin barrier.

Find everyday products with the following ingredients:

- prebiotics + probiotics

I always use the Axis-Y Biome Radiating Essence

- fatty acids, cholesterols, and ceramides

I always use the Stratia Lipid Gold Serum/Lotion and Aestura Cream

- hydrators: Glycerin, Hyaluronic Acid, Betaine, Panthenol

I always use the Hada Labo Hyaluronic Acid lotion and Mediheal NMF Ampoule Mask

- anti-inflammatories, antibacterials and antifungals: Propolis, Heartleaf, Centella Asiatica, Cica

I always use the Cosrx Propolis Ampoule and Abib Heartleaf Essence

the other part of having glowy skin? minimal texture, radiance, and clear pores.

These are things you’d use 1-2x a week:

- a surface exfoliator: Lactic Acid (darker-skin friendly; is also hydrating), Glycolic Acid

I always use the Paula’s Choice Lactic/Mandelic Acid exfoliator

- a deep exfoliator: Salicylic Acid, EX-07 enzyme, PHAs

I always use the numbuzin no.4 Pore Zero toner pad

- Vitamin A derivatives/alternatives: retinol, tretinoin, bakuchiol, resveratrol

I always use the 23 Years Old Bakuchiol A cream

You can use your surface and deep exfoliators together, but never mix an exfoliator with Vitamin A!

The biggest help to your skin being healthy and clear? Your diet.

EAT YOUR SKINCARE INGREDIENTS (not literally)

What’s going on inside your body reflects directly on your skin - from constipation, to period cycle stage, to lactose intolerance, and more.

The essentials:

• Collagen and Vitamin A

- BB LAB Collagen powder (also has hyaluronic acid and vitamin C)

- Grass-fed Gelatin Gummies

- Country Farms Super Reds

- Leafy Greens, Carrots, Pumpkin, Cantaloupe, Mango

• Prebiotics and Probiotics

- Country Farm Super Greens

- Seed Daily Synbiotic

- Kombucha

- Kefir

- Yogurt

• good ole H20 :)

- at least 64 ounces (8 cups) a day

Wanna keep your skincare routine simple? You’ll only need 5 things.

1. Oil Cleanser (PM only)

2. Gel/Milky Cleanser

3. an all-in-one toner (hydrates, nourishes, calms)

4. a great moisturizer (preferably with fatty acids and ceramides!)

5. SPF

Just make sure your diet, exercise routine, and sleep routine are the best they can be! 💘

[differenteagletragedy]

Our Life headcannons

-- Cove has at least one child who is autistic and nonverbal. He becomes a master at communicating with this baby, and whenever they are able to use their words he absolutely loses his mind. The first time he hears an "I love you"? Crying, screaming, flat on the ground, bawling his eyes out. Let someone in public try to make any kind of remark if the kid has a meltdown. They will not survive.

-- Derek asked you to prom "as friends." He asked you what you were wearing so his tux could match you, and he got you a corsage too, "as friends." Did it seem kind of like a date? Of course it did, he'd had a crush on you for years. But he was very insistent on the "as friends" part and even if you had a crush on him too, it kind of made you think he couldn't ever see you that way at all.

-- Going to watch a movie with Baxter? Lol, no you're not. Boy runs his mouth trying to be cute and you can never follow the plot because he's sitting beside you with that little smirk, trying to make you laugh and look all adorable. If you really want to see something, leave him home or at least learn how to tune him out -- even if you do he'll keep going.

-- Cove doesn't like to drink but when he does he will not. Shut. Up. He's not like Movie Baxter, he just keeps saying whatever comes to mind, no filter. No real memory on how to properly structure sentences either. He just really needs you to know literally every single thought that pops into his head so please just listen to him, hey, are you listening?

-- Do you want a dog? You better if you end up with Derek, because y'all are getting a dog. It doesn't matter what kind it is, he'll be taking that dog on runs with him, he'll be doing research to get it the best kind of food and to figure out what kind of environment it thrives in. Did he just get another subscription box for the dog even though he already gets one? Yup. That's his dog.

-- Do you like makeup? Cool, Baxter likes you to put makeup on him too, thanks. Not to go out, that's not really his thing, but it's a nice relaxing activity to do at home. He gets you all close to him (once you get back together he's not gonna let you go lol), and he gets to feel pretty. Don't skimp on the mascara, he likes his lashes, and be sure to play up his best features. Maybe try a dark lipstick this time, he'd like to see how that looks. And when you're done having fun, you better get to thoroughly removing everything and then following up with his skincare routine.

-- Sorry, let's double up on Baxter while we're here -- do you have a skin routine too? Because that's a shared interest and he's gonna want to talk about it. What's your favorite cleanser? Do you want to do face masks together? There's this new moisturizer he's interested in that's stupid expensive but he still wants to try it, want to split it? You share a Sephora rewards account so you can get more points. Oops, you accidentally put on too much of your lip mask and your lips are all goofy -- just give him a kiss, he hasn't put his on yet. It's weird how much I could go on about this.

-- You can also put makeup on Cove, but maybe stick to powders so he can rinse it all off easy after. And you can do whatever to Derek, he doesn't care, he's just happy to be there.

-- Everybody makes a big deal about Baxter's dancing, but this is actually another case of Derek Erasure, because he can do stuff too. His dad taught him and his brothers how to properly dance with a partner, and he was too shy to do it if you took him to the Summer Soiree, but if you end up with him? He can hold his own for sure.

-- If Cove doesn't end up with you, he ends up with Xavier. That's it. That's how it goes.

-- Not one of the main boys, but if you and Cove have babies then Cliff absolutely thrives on his GILF status. He tells everyone that he's a grandfather, literally every single person, and he's def proud of Cove and loves his grandbaby to bits, but also, like, look at him. Crazy hot grandpa, right?

[nardo-headcanons]

Sunagakure Worldbuilding Headcanon

My last post on Kirigakure made me think of some Sunagakure Headcanons. Here they are! This is very long, but I hope you enjoy!

People and Culture

The wind realm’s population is rather decentralized, so there are a lot of subcultures, accents and customs that have developed over time. The people of Sunagakure are very intelligent and hard workers and don’t take shit from anyone. They value their independence but also recognize the use of unionizing to achieve their goals. They use rather few words to communicate amongst each other in public, but in private they can be very poetic. Also, they secretly don’t mind the stereotype of tumbleweeds rolling around everywhere in the village, because they can relate. To outsiders, they seem secretive and mysterious, but they are in reality very friendly and hospitable. Once you make a friend in Suna, you’ve made a friend for life. Gift giving, especially in the form of food or other self-made goods is always appreciated. Suna citizens are hopeless romantics, and most soap operas and sappy romance books are produced there. They love to make music and sing together. Most instruments originate from the wind realm and its citizens proudly call themselves the creators of all music in the shinobi world. The wind realm is the country with the richest culture in the shinobi world.

Politics

Recently, Suna has been plagued by an economic crisis, as the wind realm daimyo has preferably hired Konoha shinobi to get missions done. This has raised the distrust in the wind realm government and made the people more loyal to the kazekage than the daimyo. The shinobi have started to prioritize the mission over the lives of the shinobi fulfilling it, however they make sure to give their teammates a quick and painless death if they get into that situation.

Clothing and Cosmetics

Most Suna Shinobi wear long sleeves and cover their head, to protect their skin from sun damage. It’s also very common to cover your face in layers of fabric, as the Suna sandstorms can be ruthless. Light brown, grey, white and black are the most popular colors, as they allow you to blend in with your surroundings and not get detected by enemy shinobi. All people, including kuniochis, keep their hair rather short, cover it or tie them together in some kind of way. There are a lot of unique hairstyles to deal with the strong winds, as can be seen by Temari, who wears four ponytails because the winds would otherwise just destroy her hairstyle if she wore just two. For festive occasions though, Suna clothes are vibrant and colorful, with very intricate details. The most preferred fabric choices are silk and cotton. Before the recession, Suna also had a booming beauty industry, with the best moisturizers, sunblock and body wash originating from there. There is an ongoing feud between the wind realm and the water realm about who has the better skincare products. Wind realm citizens are known to always smell good and take great care of themselves. They use bidets and shower frequently. The women are rumored to be the most beautiful in the shinobi world, however many of them have to deal with orientalism and exoticism from foreigners.

Nature

Flora

A fact that a lot of foreigners get wrong is that Sunagakure is covered completely in desert wasteland. Quite a bit of vegetation is savannah and what we call mediterranean. Still a rather hot country, it is characterized by agonizingly hot summers and barely existing winters. The actual deserts of the wind realm are sprinkled with oases, around which many settlements have formed. The terrain around those oases is very fertile and most of the country’s produce is grown there. Sandstorms are not a rarity here and during these storms there are self-imposed curfews as Suna citizens know that once you get buried in a sandstorm, there is no way anyone will find you buried under all that sand. Only a few nomadic families actually travel and live outside of the oases.

Fauna

The deserts that surround Suna are filled to the brim with the most dangerous, savage animals known to the shinobi realm. The snakes especially must not be underestimated, as their venom can kill a grown shinobi within minutes. Many marionette wielders therefore use it against their enemies. The rivers of the wind realm are full of crocodiles and freshwater fish. The fennec fox is seen as a symbol of good luck and suna nin believe their mission will be a success when they see one. Aside from other cats of prey like lions, cheetahs and leopards. Other mammals include hyenas, hyraxes, macaques, gazelles, oryxes, camels, hedgehogs and sheep. When it comes to rodents, you can find desert rats, porcupines, armadillos, meerkats and gundis. Suna also has the largest spider population in the shinobi world, and you often must check your toilet and shower for any venomous spiders hanging out there. At night you can see bats flying through the sky. The wind realm sea is a home to many kinds of saltwater fish and sometimes you can visit the dolphins, that are particularly friendly to children. Mosquito stings are nasty here, and many diseases, for example those that we call malaria and dengue fever are endemic here. Wind realm citizens have a natural immunity against them and sleep them off in a day, but there are vaccinations available for foreigners.

Food

Stew and other slow cooked gravy dishes The absolute staple of any Suna nin are stews. They’re elaborate and take the whole day to cook. Every family has its own recipes (and thinks theirs is the best) it’s useful to just cut up veggies and meat, and then slow cook it until it’s done. Stews made in Suna include gumbo, adobo, maafe, and many curries. Spices Wind realm citizens have the greatest spice tolerance in the shinobi world. The greatest variety of spices is produced there, from cumin, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, pepper, chilli, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, bay leaves, tumeric and a myriad of other herbs and spices. Suna food is very spicy for two reasons: many spices they use have a disinfecting effect, and the accelerated production of sweat helps cool down the body. Most spices are sold dried to increase shelf life. Many outsiders travel to Suna to acquire spices directly from the source, thinking they’ll get them for cheap, however, the vendors charge foreigners at a hefty margin. Sunagakure is the greatest exporter of all things spices.

Legumes Legumes play a very important role in the local eating pyramid. They serve as a satiating source of carbohydrates and protein. Beans and lentils can be turned into tofu, stew, mashed or baked, peanuts are often used as a base for stew and sauces in the form of peanut butter. Roasted and salted peanuts are a popular snack in Sunagakure. The biggest buyer of Suna’s exported legumes is Iwagakure.

Cassava This starchy root is soaked and then cooked for a long time to make mash, in stews, or fried. Cassava flour also serves as a gluten free flour alternative and many Suna nin use it to thicken sauces and stews. There’s also tapioca starch which is exported into other countries. Olives In the moderate climate regions, many olive trees are grown, which are then used to make olive oil, the preferred fat source of Suna’s people. Dairy It can often be purchased from nomad families, who sell it in the form of milk, yoghurt, kefir, butter and cheese. The preferred dairy variant is goat’s dairy; however, sheep and cow’s dairy are also available. There’s a possibility that the concept of fermenting milk to make yoghurt and kefir was once brought in by Kiri immigrants, however most wind realm citizens are too proud to give this possibility any thought or think it’s just a myth. Meat Just like dairy, meat can be purchased from several families that travel though the wind realm, or on bazars. It is dried often to increase shelf life. Sweets The best chocolate comes from here. The wind realm has a few islands where cocoa beans are produced, and Suna chocolate is known globally for its rich, earthy, fruity taste. Suna Nin are also the only people that regularly take coffee with them during missions. Most foreigners don’t like the bitter taste, but Sunagakure’s shinobis have realized that the caffeine within coffee beans is useful during missions where you must stay aware for long times. The most common sweetener is cane sugar and used to make coffee candy. Wind realm citizens don’t discriminate, and even children are allowed to have them. Another sweet food, especially popular amongst children are dates. On special occasions, Baklava are offered to the guests or given as a gift. Most foreigners find them way too sweet, but just can’t say no because they recognize the effort and craftsmanship that went into making them. The most popular fruit in Suna are: pomgranate, various kinds of citrus fruits, apples, grapes and green almonds. Ripened almonds are used to make marzipan, which is another one of Suna's culinary prides. Those who try persipan, a localized version from Kirigakure, think that it is a lesser version of their beloved treat.

[celestiallymar]

How to glow up: physically and mentally *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

• Physical Glow-Up

Hydrate: Drink plenty of water to keep your skin hydrated, reduce bloating, and keep your hair healthy.

Skincare Routine: Develop a simple routine—cleanse, moisturize, and apply sunscreen daily. Tailor it to your skin type. For dry skin you should Exfoliate 1-2 times a week using a gentle exfoliant and focus on moisturizing. For oily skin look for products with salicylic acid or niacinamide to control excess oil and minimize the appearance of pores.

Exercise Regularly: Aim for 20-30 minutes of movement daily—walking, yoga, or a workout you enjoy. It boosts both mood and fitness.

Eat Nutrient-Dense Foods: Focus on whole foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Your skin, hair and body will thank you!

Sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep. Rest is crucial for your body's recovery and your mental sharpness.

Dress for Your Body Type: Choose clothing that complements your body shape. Whether you're pear, hourglass, rectangular or any other body shape dressing for your body type can accentuate your best features and boost confidence.

Color Palette: Discover your seasonal color palette (e.g., Dark Winter, Summer). Wearing colors that complement your skin tone, hair, and eyes can make your features stand out. For example, deeper shades like burgundy or navy might suit Dark Winters, while softer tones like pastels might bring out the glow for Summers ( this includes makeup too! ).

• Mental Glow-Up

Set Goals: Set small, achievable goals, whether for personal growth or career, so you can feel accomplished and continue to push yourself to be better.

Learn Something New: Stimulate your mind by learning new skills, reading, or picking up a hobby that excites you ( This can be one of your goals ).

Surround Yourself with Positivity: This includes unplugging and spending less time on harmful social platforms. Spend more time with people who uplift you and avoid toxic environments that drain your energy.

Declutter: A clean and organized space can help clear mental clutter and give you peace of mind. Get rid of things that are taking up space or you don't use that much and stop making excuses to keep them.

note: be happy, be kind and most importantly smile. You don't have to do all these things at once, take it easy and take care of yourself.

[sarafinaparvez]

The Ultimate ˎˊ-

In this post I share every single step you'll need in order to create a proper skincare routine for both the day and nighttime; as well as extra tips for a variety of skin needs, while also bringing attention to certain steps that may just be optional and those that are necessary for everyone.

Starting with your daytime routine :

Step 1 “Cleanser” :

Cleansing the skin in the morning with a cleanser is *actually* not always necessary (though a good idea in some cases such as if you use hair oils/hair products at night and have acne prone skin) OR in the case of having a lot of residual skincare from the night before, that is sitting on the surface of the skin in the morning. Otherwise it's fine to just rinse the skin with water and pat dry.

Step 4 “SPF” :

The only “mandatory” skincare for the AM is adequate application of Sunscreen. No cleanser or moisturizer necessary (as mentioned above). When applying sunscreen however you want the spf to be able to absorb and penetrate the skin directly as chemical sunscreen filters need to touch the skin to be most effective (it absorbs UV and converts it into heat). This is also why if you do choose to use a moisturizer before sunscreen in the AM (Step 3) it’s best to use one that also contains spf or, pick a moisturizer that is highly absorbent (such as a water based moisturizer) compared to one that is highly occlusive; so that it’s not interfering with the sunscreen penetrating the skin. Reapply as often as needed especially if out doors or in contact with sun exposure (like indoor windows). Every 2 hours is suggested from day to evening.

As for Step 2: “Vitamin C“ :

Is also optional, and most dermatologists I have researched or spoke with generally say to “decide’ for yourself whether or not you want to add it in your routine. This is due to the fact that it’s quite difficult to “prove” the efficacy of the L ascorbic acid with aiding in sun protection and even skin tone complexation etc. (This is ingredient your looking for to get the benefits of what Vitamin C products claim to do on the skin). This questionability is due to various factors that contribute to the Vitamin C product being “stable” and effective. I myself am not currently using a Vitamin C product in my routine (but have in the past) and will update this page on my previous/new experiences when I do reintroduce it. I will recommend that you only purchase a Vitamin C that firstly has “L ascorbic acid as its main form of vehicle. (This is the most reliable stable form of Vit C) and, that you also purchase it from a ”Derm Brand” which may make it an expensive purchase. (More info below in my personal products and recommendations section of this page soon).

Other Tips and notes for skincare in the AM:

Avoid SPF sticks and sprays as they do not nearly have enough coverage to protect you from the sun and remember that makeup containing SPF (though better than makeup that doesn't) does not contain nearly the amount of “Sun Protection Factor” to protect your skin as a regular sunscreen lotion would typically. Although I love makeup I try not to wear it very regularly in the summer if not an event; just so that I can apply SPF instead. Also keeping hand sanitizer with you is a good way to disinfect your hands if you do not have access to a wash station/soap/water etc.

If your short on time in the morning just apply spf after rinsing the skin with water and/or take your spf bottle with you! Remember to keep your sunscreen out of hot cars, humid bathrooms or freezing environments to keep the product effective.

For the Nighttime :

If wearing eye makeup treat this as Step 1, and remove with micellar water first (or product of choice) and cotton pads. Hold cotton pad to eye for about 15 seconds minimum and swipe across gently back and forth to remove makeup. This avoids harsh tugging of the skin which may effect skin elasticity or cause irritation. I like to take an extra cotton pad after, fold it in half and drench the “outer fold” to remove makeup from the upper and lower lash line diligently. Ignoring this area can encourage old makeup to enter your eyes. The reason why I prefer having this step in routine, as opposed to just using the same cleanser or balm as I would my face to remove eye makeup is because it’s more thorough in removal, requires less effort and is less messy which makes me more inclined to do my skincare routine on time when I need to. (That’s important!) But if you don’t tend to wear a lot of heavy eye makeup that requires some effort to remove it’s definitely fine skipping this step.

1. Cleanse rest of the face from sunscreen/make up/lotion/daily dirt and grime as need be with any making removing oil or balm cleanser. Make sure to double/triple cleanse as needed. I will often use cotton pads and micellar water to remove my first layer of makeup just as I did with my eyes and then follow through will the oil/balm cleanser as the second step. If i’m not wearing makeup, I don’t use micellar water on my face and just my cleanser of choice once or twice.

2. Apply serum/hydrating product all over face, neck and eyes. I consider this “the supplementary skin step”, similar to taking a supplement, you can choose to add extra serums, toners, essences etc. to aid in extra hydration, or even introduce products that may address certain skin textural issues etc. There’s a boat load of products you can choose for this step but you will never go wrong with a hydrating serum or essence to give your skin a boost that will make a visible difference than just using your moisturizer alone. Some choose to layer multiple products in this step and if you do the thinnest is generally what you would use first. Overcomplicating this step is common; especially for skin care lovers which may lead to various issues such as irritation from too many products. I left more details on my skincare page in the section below where I touch of various products causing irritation if you want more direction or tips on how to choose the right type of serum/essence/toner for you based on the intended outcome you are trying to achieve.

3. Apply a small amount of eye retinol to the under eye area only.

4. Apply moisturizer all over face neck and eyes (lightly dab over the eye area too, where you placed the retinol (optional). Dabbing is important so you do not move around the eye retinol. Alternatively, you can use eye moisturizer first and eye retinol on top. I prefer the way around, as eye-retinols are quite gentle on my under eye area so I benefit from that direct retinol-to-skin contact.

5. Apply Tretinoin/other related product everywhere *except* the eye area (both the under eyes and lids). Be careful not to bring the tretinoin to close the eye area where you may have spread the eye retinol product out so that you are not layering multiple retinoids on top of one another. Use cautiously around sides of nose, chin and mouth as these area tend to be too sensitizing of a location for many people to tolerate the use of this product. Any area that has repetitive dryness or flakiness (long-term) past the initial “purging adjustment” stage is too sensitive to tolerate the product. Using tret/other in these areas may be causing inflammation of the skin or barrier damage.

*** Optional Step apply an extra layer of any simple occlusive face/body lotion over the entire face if you’d like to seal in the hydration (optional)- when implementing this step after retinol its considered the “sandwich method” (moisturizer, retinol, moisturizer) which some claim helps the skin better tolerate retinoids but I use just to help to keep the skin’s hydration sealed overnight; particularly in the winter season when my room is blasting hot air throughout the night. I also found it helped when I was previously on 0.05 tret (a concentration that I felt was a bit too sensitizing for me at the start).

6. Always remember chap stick & Vaseline for the lips. Any petroleum jelly product ontop of chap stick of choice can be applied for extra protection. Petroleum jelly is optional but the chap stick is recommended.

Other tips and notes for skincare in the PM :

If you find a night in which you are tired before bed just cleanse and moisturize. This is the only mandatory step of your nighttime routine as the skin regenerates and “builds” itself during sleep and simply needs to be kept clean and protected. Just as failure to not address adequate sun protection in the morning with lead to premature aging and other potential complications- so will not sleeping with a clean face at night; so both steps need to be done committedly. Even if you chose not to wear sunscreen in the daytime (though I doubt someone taking that option is reading this page) washing your face at night is a basic hygiene practice if anything just as taking a shower is. So don’t be disgusting. 😂

In essence, products that will makeup your routine include :

* Moisturizer

* Cleanser that can remove makeup & be gentle on your skin

* Eye makeup remover (if you need it)

* “Hydrator” (essence/ampule/serum etc.)

* Night Active for FACE (Retinol/Retinoid/Tretinoin/Vitamin A derivative of choice etc.)

* Night Active for EYES (Retinol/Retinoid/Tretinoin/Vitamin A derivative of choice etc.)

* Lip Balm

* Lip SPF (non drying)

As mentioned above, for the entire detailed and thorough guide where I touch on :

My Favourite Products/Recommendations

Acne Prone Skin

Starting Retinol

Korean vs French vs Japanese products

Seasonal Skincare Tips + More!

Follow this link below to be Guided to my Skincare Site :

Please reblog, like, and share this post if you found it helpful at all 💖

Love, Sarafina

[naturalsplash]

Summer Skincare Tips To Beat This Hot Summer

Natural Splash brings best summer skincare tips with summer special moisturizers & more skincare products to keep your skin healthy in the scorching sun.

[thediaryblog]

THE SUNDAY GUIDE!

🎀⭐️ pin: thediaryblog 

hii guys, this is guide to help you curate a day of relaxation, self-care, and setting the tone for the week: (remember, the key to a Sunday reset is to prioritize self-care, relaxation, and setting positive intentions for the week ahead.)

1. Morning Meditation and Stretching:

- Start your day with some gentle stretching or yoga to awaken your body and mind.

- Follow it up with a short meditation session to set positive intentions for the day.

Healthy Breakfast:

- Prepare a nourishing breakfast that will fuel your body and mind.

- Opt for whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and proteins.

Declutter and Organize:

- Spend some time tidying up your living space. Decluttering can have a calming effect and help you feel more focused and organized. (plus who wouldn’t want to start their week with a clean room!)

Nature Walk or Outdoor Activity:

- Connect with nature by going for a walk in the park or spending time outdoors. (I’m so excited for the summer bc so nice to go outside and relax in the sun)

Skincare Routine:

- Treat your skin to some pampering with a skincare routine. Cleanse, exfoliate, and moisturize to keep your skin looking and feeling its best.

(you don’t have to have expensive products to have a Sunday reset)

Digital Detox:

- Take a break from screens and digital devices for a few hours. Disconnecting from technology can help you relax and recharge.

Self-Reflection and Planning:

- Set aside some time for self-reflection. Think about your goals, aspirations, and what you hope to achieve in the coming week.

Plan out your schedule and to-do list for the week ahead. Having a clear plan can help you feel more prepared and organized.

- d

[kxowledge]

What's your skincare routine currently?

I actually spent the other week taking stock of how my current routine was working and deciding if I needed to change anything, so I have a lot to say on this

AM:

Wash face with water

(extra step for wintertime) Avène thermal water

Serum with antioxidants and niacinamide: just switched from facetheory Colloidal-C Anti-Redness Toner, which I got in hope of reducing redness (did nothing for me) back to facetheory’s Cera-C Pore Reducing Toner, which actually makes my skin look great. It has 5% niacinamide and a vitamin C derivative, which is what I want – I just would like extra perks (anti-redness). An alternative I’m considering is the Isntree Onion Newpair Gel cream.

(extra step if my skin is feeling very dry i.e. what I use during winter) hydrating serum: I’ve just finished Avène Hydrance Serum which I found very hydrating though too light weight (i.e. not good for winter for me) and honestly it lasted so little that I won’t buy it again. My go to instead is snail mucin: Mizon’s Snail Repair Ampoule (best formula but not so much product, what I’m currently using); or COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Essence (best bang for your buck, though my pump was really bad)

Alpha-arbutin: most recent addition to my skincare & it seems to be making a difference when it comes to discoloration (PIE). I’m using Beauty of Joseon Glow Deep Serum, mostly because this was the only product I could find here in Norway.

Caffeine for my undereye: I’m using The Inkey List Caffeine Eye Cream – while I can say it’s infinitely better than what The Ordinary offers (because why would you use a dropped for something that goes around the eyes!!), I can’t tell if I’m seeing results or not, despite using it for almost three months. Maybe?

Moisturizer: Eucerin 5% Urea Repair, my holy grail of all time. I buy this by the litre. Since I entered my mid-20s, my skin has turned dry. Combined with drier winters and the heating I have to put on to survive winter, this is the only thing that makes my skin stay intact.

Sunscreen: probably controversial, but I actually don’t wear sunscreen everyday, as the amount of light I get is ridiculous (though I do in the summer or if there is snow). Over the past year, I tried several ones and my top two choices are Beauty of Joseon Sun Relief (cannot fault a single thing and I found it to be good value for money based on how long it lasted me) and Isntree Onion Newpair Sunscreen (jury is out on whether the onion extract actually helps me, but I found the texture to be perfect for me and it actually ensures I apply a proper amount since it’s not too runny)

Dr.Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment: amazing!! This has been so far the only thing that helped with redness. I haven’t worn foundation in a year and it’s only because of this. I don’t even think it’s that expensive because I spent 30£ for a 50 ml jar which lasts me six months of daily use. Love it.

PM:

My routine is the following:

Double cleanse: I’ve been liking a lot the Beauty of Jonseon Cleansing Balm – so far the best cleansing product I’ve tried. Micellar water is a no for me, as I don’t like using cotton pads. Oils are mostly ok as an alternative, with iUnik Calendula Complete Cleansing Oil being my failsafe (but it doesn’t remove 100% of my mascara).   Next, I use a foaming cleansing gel. My go-to used to be Neutrogena Clear & Defend, but it keeps being sold out, so I’m now using  CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser. It works fine. My main criteria here is price tbh.

facetheory Exaglow serum: the daily base, with tranexamic acid, liquorice root, and a vitamin c derivative, this in combination with whatever active follows has helped me reduce my hyperpigmentation so so much

An active (see below)

Moisturizer: Eucerin Urea repair, again.

Actives is when things get more complicated, because I rotate weekly between (combinations of) them

Differin (adapalene): game changer, I tolerate it very well and I recently increased it to three times per week  + Azelaic acid: I love it and over the years I tried so many different products (available in Europe). I find that for me 10% works just as well as 20%. Usually, a higher price tag gets you better texture (i.e. less grainy) but not better results. Isispharma Metroruboril was very smooth, but a more basic one works just fine for me – hence why I keep going back to The Ordinary’s 10% one. It’s not an area where I feel like I should be spending a lot.

Kojic acid: I’m using Dermaceutic’s Radiance, which works fine in combination with my overall routine. + Retinol: bit of a controversial combination, but because I’ve been using retinols for so long, this works fine. I’m using A313, which is v gentle. I bought it in Paris and it has a too thick texture in my opinion, so once I finished the tube I’ll go back to my fave L’Oreal Revitalift (amazing fragrance, great texture, very hydrating too)

An exfoliant: while some of my products have small percentages of lactic acid in it, so I never felt the need to have a dedicated exfoliating step up. However, I thought I could benefit from it and started using  facetheory’s Glycolacsal which has glycolic acid (8.5%), salicylic acid (1%) and lactic acid (0.5%).  I use it twice a week and it’s really good.

In addition to all of this, twice a week I do a face mask with benoxyl peroxide in the shower which helps tons to keep acne at bay BUT is infinitely better than using the cream, which has bleached all of my towels. The cream used to be a must in my routine but now that overall my acne is under control, I don’t need to use it as often.

This ended up being extremely long, but I love skincare and I feel like I learnt so much about my own skin and how to work with it and what products work in the past few years. I’m testing new things but in a calculated manner. And I don’t know. Skincare is nothing static and the whole process of figuring things out can be fun (and necessary).

[potofstewie]

Night Routine

Order-002

A/N: This one is for @cybercandy1, sorry it took so long boo, the last week of my summer program was hectic as well as this week but I'm finally back home and have time to write! I hope you enjoy this one Mirah, I for one did. Idk, I just really like writing body worship.

W/C: 0.5K

Pairing: Eren x Reader

C/W: Suggestive, body worship

Eren loves his nightly routine, it’s his favorite thing to do simply because it revolves around you. Brush his teeth with you, do your lengthy yet rewarding skincare routine with you, turn on your favorite show and watch it with you. All of that and more he enjoyed, but there was one crucial step he loved above the rest. The part where you’re fresh out the shower, him watching you change from your shared bed; his green eyes sometimes holding lust or simple admiration to his sweetheart. The part where you go over your lotion collection and carefully select which one to use for the night; the selection reminding Eren of those Bachelor shows you’d watch but less dramatic. 

With your chosen bottle of the night, your trusty cocoa butter, you walk over to him and hold it out; having this moment done so many times that words weren’t needed. Eren, per usual, takes it from you with lazy glee and as you finally got yourself comfortably positioned, he’d begin to work your body like a masseuse. His large hands glide across your warm brown skin, spreading the fragrant moisturizer up your thighs as you lay on your stomach. His hands slid up to the undercup of your behind; the part between his pointer fingers and thumb hidden under the mounds of flesh. With a soft sigh, you felt his fingers turn inwards, feeling his thumbs travel from your inner thighs to just the edge of them. His hands would then journey up to your waist; muscled arms straightening out as his digits found refuge on the small of your back. 

Eren absolutely loved seeing you practically melt into a cocoa butter scented puddle under his rough fingers. He enjoyed seeing you twitch periodically as his hands lathered lotion in between your legs; fingers grazing your core. He loved peppering your neck with soft kisses as his hands gave your sides attention. But his most favorite moment within the shared ritual was when you laid on your back. He loved watching your face morph into different façades of anticipation and bliss over what his hands would do next. Running his hands over the pudge of your stomach to under your breasts, he enjoyed every bit of it. His fingers would encase your breasts and begin to knead them; doing his best and ensuring they would be lathered as well. 

Eren reveled in your soft coos and whimpers while his fingers gently plucked and went over your hardened nipples; thumbs even tracing your dark areolas. On occasion, the nightly routine would stop here; lust grabbing both of your reins. The rest of the night would be filled with intimate dancing between silk sheets and the music of a discarded tv show playing softly in the background. This night would be no different. As soft rain began to kiss the windows of your bedroom, your lover’s lips began to kiss the cocoa butter scented skin on your neck, allowing its taste to enter and settle in his mouth. 

Eren truly loved his nightly routine, from the moment you left the shower all the way to you laying on the bed at his mercy. But he absolutely loved when the routine would transform from that of a couple’s mundane night, to an intense and passionate worship of his lover’s body.

ᴘʟᴇᴀꜱᴇ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴛʀᴀɴꜱʟᴀᴛᴇ, ꜱᴛᴇᴀʟ, ʙɪɴᴅ ᴏʀ ʀᴇᴘᴏꜱᴛ ᴀꜱ ʏᴏᴜʀꜱ. ᴀʟʟ ʀɪɢʜᴛꜱ ɢᴏ ᴛᴏ ᴘᴏᴛᴏꜰꜱᴛᴇᴡɪᴇ™ 2023

Got an order for me? Here's how to place it

[hollyhomburg]

The dress looks beautiful 😍 🤩 but I got distracted and zoomed in on your skincare stand🫣🫣

Bun drop your skincare favs 🥺🤌🏻

oh god skincare is my only other non-bts hyperfixation. my skin is a hot mess express these days, i tried a new foundation that made me have an allergic reaction and then of course i went in with stuff that was too harsh so my barrier is a little fucked at the moment.

i use the cosrx snail mucin on it almost every day, it doesn't always work the best but at least it doesn't aggravate my allergies. I also really like the inuk brand of moisturizers- the tan one for winter and the green one for summer, just be careful of the blue one because it can cause you to break out if you use it too frequently.

as for eye creams- the ONLY ONE i think personally that is worth the money (and i have tried almost every single korean eyecream avalible for purcahce via yestyle, i will show you my empties. is the good molecules yerba mate eye gel. it's literally unparalleled, and it's so cheap i use it all over my face sometimes!

As for sunscreens the beauty of joseon really is as good as they say and fantastic for dry skin under makeup! and for sheet masks, it's literally Nature republic > innisfree >>>>>>>>> all others. you can find both occasionally for pretty cheap at tj maxx!

i could go on and on and on

[boxingcleverrr]

So with the mind-boggling hilarity of people feeling the need to defend taking care of their skin, I wanted to do an update of my original skincare post. That I of course can't find, presently, as the search function on this site is still useless!

First of all, come to terms with the fact that you are walking around with a giant organ on the outside of your body (ahurhurhur).

Yes, preventing skin cancer is priority one when it comes to your dermis. Sunscreen isn't the only defense, having skin with a healthy moisture barrier is part of that prevention as well. ALSO, one thing a lot of those posts desperately yelping "It'S nOt BeAuTy StAnDaRdS!" leave out is, uh, the scary shit that can happen to your skin when you're elderly. Your skin WILL get thinner, that's just aging. Taking care of it now (keeping it stretchy and moisturized) gives it a better chance of not being paper-thin, to the point that the person taking care of you has to be mindful not to freaking tear it off of you just helping you get dressed.

If you have a strong stomach, go ahead and read some stories from hospice and other types of elder care workers. There's a whole contraption for lowering people down slowly if they're about to fall, all to prevent skin splitting or sloughing off.

Age spots are beautiful. Care-worn wrinkles and laugh lines are beautiful. Your arm skin sloughing off like a glove is not.

Fucking moisturize.

Is a side effect of that care often fewer of those lines? Sure, MAYBE, sometimes. It also doesn't at ALL require 18 expensive steps. Even before I left my job I was mainly using the best I could find for the least amount of money. Almost everything listed I've been using for over a year at least! Aldi-brand skincare is amazingly quality, as you'll see.

Washing:

Lacura Foaming Gel Cleanser: Super gentle and nice for a daily face wash. When I want to use it as a makeup-remover, I'll pump it into a super-soft sea sponge so I can scrub a bit more, albeit gently.

I don't get big breakouts much at this point (regular cleansing and moisturizing will usually chill your skin out eventually re: feeling the need to over-produce oil). But I do keep some Neutrogena Face Wash around for when I get breakouts anywhere, maybe a handful of times a month.

I don't know how much benefit I REALLY see from toner, as far as my pores. They seem fine! Mostly I just loooove the feeling of swiping it on fresh from the fridge, and the coolness does calm down the skin and sooth any puffiness. I still make my own Rosewater Toner with wilting discount grocery store roses and a few drops of lavender oil.

Goops:

Lacura Day And/Or Night Creams: These are SO AFFORDABLE (I'm using Amazon links for ease of reference, they are WAY cheaper directly from Aldi) and make your skin feel like butter. After washing and toning one or the other is what I glop on next, and a little goes a long way. Night cream is important because the skin under your eyes especially is so super thin, it needs that protection as we get older. But eye creams tend to be STUPID EXPENSIVE. Lacura is around $4 at Aldi and I legit see very little difference between it and the unsustainably expensive ones I've tried in the past.

Ponds Dry Skin Cream: The old reliable. I have used it since I was 19 and Oprah said it was good, lol. If you use nothing else on your face, use this (but also sunscreeen, dear gods). After Day or Night cream, this comes next.

A good rule of thumb for all moisturizers is that you don't want it to disappear into your skin immediately OR stay too greasy. As I've gotten older, this one sits on my skin longer, so I tend to only use it at night in the summer. Once it gets cold and dry out, though, morning and night baby.

Vaseline Cocoa Radiant: For the all-over-rest-of-me, you really can't beat it. After every shower or bath, all over everything, damnit. LUBE YOUR DERM.

Oil:

Olive Oil Squalane: My last step of the night is topping my face with a good Squalane before bed. My old job discontinued the one I swear by, pictured above, which, I have no idea why? It feels soooo nice and I saw such good results in the winter especially. I bought up a bunch of bottles from work before it disappeared, haha but there are soooo many options out there for a lot of different prices. Basically you want the main ingredients to be Olive Oil & Herbs, usually Rosemary.

Treat Yourself Tier:

Innersense Harmonic Treatment Oil: I was given a gift card to them for my birthday last year, and yeah they're reeeeeally wom-wom and a little insufferable in their marketing, and they're expensive. HOWEVER, this stuff is infuriatingly great? Nothing was helping my dry scalp until this. I use it instead of the Squalane maybe once a week on my face as well, and it definitely clears up any redness or irritation right away. How dare it be good and also $25 an ounce. But if you can treat yourself, why not!

Dead Sea Mud Masks: Masks are FUN, damnit. If you can ignore all the annoying "detoxing" claims and blah blah, it is a fact that mud masks can really flush out those pores. And they feel nice!

General Habits:

Wash Your Pillowcases: They're full of your face goo, skin cells, and slobber. Not only good for your skin, but just nice. Wash your sheets/bedding more regularly in general, if you're like me then I know you're not doing it enough. Make the change to fragrance-free detergent now if you haven't already, that shit could start bothering your skin at ANY time. My mother never had a problem with good ol' Tide, until she turned 60 and suddenly ANY fragranced soaps made her skin explode.

Wash Your Makeup Tools: Same as above, I regularly gross myself out watching all the GUNK that's stored in the pretty pink makeup brushes.

Wash Hats, Headbands, Etc: Hopefully the pattern is sinking in. If it touches your skin regularly? It should be washed regularly. It's easy to remember that your clothes do, of course, but there's so many other things as well that are fulla your skin cells, various products, pollution, and sebum. Scientists could probably clone you with access to the inner band of your favorite hat alone.

SUN SCREEN: EVERY TIME YOU GO OUT IN VIEW OF THE FIRE ORB. Sensitive face/skin? Baby sunscreen. I know texture is a big thing for people, but there are lots of different brands out there that have lots of different textures, ingredients, scents, etc. Don't give up on it just because Coppertone makes you break out, you owe it to yourself to find the thing that works for you. Skin cancer is a bitch that spares no one, not even Hugh Nicest Man Ever Jackman.

Drink Water: You know it, I know it, same as above, find the way to get regular hydration in that works for you. I personally like making my own fruity flavored syrups to dash in things. Hydrated skin begins from within, blah blah blah.

Vitamins: Take a multi-vitamin, get your vitamin D. The sun is not BEAMING VITAMINS INTO YOUR PORES, it synthesis it. A quick google will tell you that 8-10 minutes in the sun A DAY is all you need. So don't let anyone tell you BUT YOUR VITAMIN D!!!!!!! when you're layering on your sun screen. Take your vitamins, get a teaspoon of sun regularly, and then GOOP UP.

I'm no expert, just someone with a mother & grandmother who greatly regret/regretted their lack of skin care as younger women. My mom is 75 and she has lines and spots, and she's beautiful! But her skin can tear after a clumsy trip into a door frame. She's listening to her dermatologist now to the letter, and I too would like to avoid that as much as possible! We all deserve to like how our spongy flesh prisons feel.