#clear clogged pores

[the-phrase]

Discover the ultimate serum combo at The pHrase. Our GlowClarify Blend targets hyperpigmentation, acne, and dark spots, offering a brightened, moisturized glow. Crafted with natural ingredients, it re-textures skin, clears pores, and reduces scars for a radiant complexion. Ideal for oily-combination skin types.

[georgeinamerc]

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[biscuitdolly]

easy hygiene tips ♡

to improve physical appearance , health and hygiene are a must.

water ♡

water. please , for the love of god , drink water. get up rn and go drink some water. water does so much , want clear skin? water. want to lose weight? water. want to feel more refreshed? water. ITS SO HELPFUL!! you really don't want to be dehydrated, it has so many negative effects.

i would aim for around 2 liters (8 full glasses) a day , but you can slowly increase your water intake over the span of a few weeks if you're not ready for that. if you like me and forget to drink , set alarms or reminders for when you need to.

apple cider vinegar ♡

okay , yes, it tastes gross, but it's so good for your PH!! just drink 2 teaspoons everyday (dilute with water first) , trust me it will make your body sweat and kitty smell (and taste) soo much better!! it can also help u lose weight , decrease waist size and is so good for your skin!!

easy oral hygiene ♡

brush your teeth at least 3 times a day. i normally opt for brushing my teeth twice in a row morning and night , and once during the day (yes , even if i'm at school). also , don't forget to floss!! most importantly u wanna b scraping/brushing your tongue, along with brushing your gums and the roof of your mouth!! If you're not brushing regularly and not brushing your tongue, your breath is gonna stink.

another tip - mints > gum. no matter how minty your gum is , if you're chewing it all day it's gonna make your breath smell bad. a sugar-free mint that specialises in good breath every morning helps so much for me.

shower/bath care ♡

please wash behind your ears and your belly button. every part of your body should be clean!!! you don't want build-up.

exfoliate before and after u shave. this will leave u feeling SO smooth and helps avoid razor bumps , if you have sensitive skin (like me) it can help avoid irritation (i get SO itchy and my skin gets covered in red bumps if i don't exfoliate when shaving). personally, i don't suffer from oily skin , but if u do, exfoliating afterwards helps remove any dirt from clogged pores and any residue build-up!

use different clothes depending on what part of your body you're cleaning!! use a softer cloth for your face and kitty , and use regular clothes for the main part of your body and bum. NEVER wash your face in the shower! you want your face to have its own personal time for you to clean it so you can really focus on it. also , hot water from the shower can damage your skin and make it dry. your shower head also probably has a lot of bacteria hiding in it, so please wash your face separately after your shower.

[emmaspolaroid]

I FIGURED OUT WHAT CAUSED MY FLARE UP AND THE CAUSE WAS ME, BEING A DUMBASS

[nenelonomh]

how to properly wash your face

this post is a bit of a spinoff from my last post, 'how you can reduce acne'. read it here.

now, properly washing your face has many benefits, such as:

removing buildup washing your face clears away dirt, oil and other unwanted debris, preventing clogged pores and acne breakouts.

boosting hydration regular cleansing can help to maintain proper hydration levels, which keeps the skin smooth.

maintaining clear skin it helps to manage the production of sebum and supports proper pore size, contributing to clearer skin.

enhancing the effectiveness of products clean skin allows for better absorption of skincare products like moisturizers and treatments.

promoting healthy skin by removing impurities and maintaining hydration, face washing contributes to overall skin health.

here's some steps, how to properly wash your face:

start by removing any makeup with a gentle makeup remover or micellar water. it's important to remove makeup because clean skin absorbs skincare products better, making them more effective. never, and i repeat NEVER wear makeup to bed. this will lead to breakouts and acne. your skin needs time to breathe.

2. wet your face with warm water. using hot water can strip your skin of natural oils and cold water isn't as effective at cleaning.

3. use a gentle, non-abrasive cleanser suitable for your skin type and apply it to your face in a circular motion. make sure to be gentle. avoid scrubbing your skin harshly as this can cause irritation.

4. rinse off the cleanser completely with warm water.

5. pat your face dry with a clean towel. i use a face washer (which is like a tiny, thin towel) and change it every 2-3 uses. do not rub when you are drying your face, as this can irritate the skin.

6. apply a moisturizer suitable for your skin type to keep your skin hydrated. personally, i only use moisturizer in the mornings, mixing it with my sunscreen. at nighttime, i prefer to just wash my face and if i have pimples, i will apply a spot treatment.

(images are from pinterest)

[leafington]

𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 '𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲. - kento n.

content warning !! - tooth rotting candy store opening cavity inducing fluff, domesticated!nanami, suggestiveness (nothing too explicit), blackfem!reader

thinking about doing skincare with Nanami who isn't all that familiar with it other than washing his face every morning. <3 (happy birthday nanamin!!!1!1!1)

"What do I do with this?" He reads the back label of the cleanser, paitently awaiting your instructions. "Put it on, silly." You take it from his hands, pumping the liquid into his large, calloused hands.

It's been about a year since Nanami's retirement from being a sorcerer, when he met you, he was determined to keep your future together safe, in the clear of danger, and with him. Once the both of you engaged after years of at-home dates, flower deliveries, and past bedtime nightcaps that usually ended in the both of you entangled in his silk covers, Nanami called up his insurance company for benefits and turned in his resignation letter a tad early, letting them know he wouldn't be working in this field anymore. Nanami firmly warned his now former higher-ups that he'd be expecting his monthly payment on the 15th. What were they gonna do to him because of his tone? Fire him?

Still being lost, he listens closely and smears the clear substance on his face. "Now what?" Nanami moves his hands in small circles on his cheeks. "Now, since you've sprayed and done that," You point to the bottle in his hands. "go 'head and put on the toner, then after that, some serum. Who knows what kinda clogged pores you have." He mock-laughs at your little joke, making you giggle in response. Spending time with you has definitely been one of his favorite things to do during downtime. If he's not idly watching you do this on your own, he sits to the side monitoring your every move in the kitchen, going on your morning runs, and accompanying you at the gym (the reasoning behind that being you texted him about some guys assisting you and refused to let you go alone ever since.)

"Darling, this smells... weird." Nanami stills himself while you apply serum directly under his eyes. "And was buying... 'Resurfacing Youth' serum necessary? Using your own would've sufficed." His words muffled from your hands squishing his face. "Baby, your eyebags are terrible. You wanna look 28 or 82?" Nanami sighs, he's too far in to throw back another remark.

Give or take ten minutes later, you're walking around with a Unicorn facemask with Nanami attached to you in a Mermaid one. "How long is this supposed to stay on?" He murmurs into your neck, pressing a gentle kiss right beneath your jaw. "'Bout 20 minutes." You give him one in return, only on the top of his blonde hair. Honestly, spending the rest of your life with someone who's willing to include themselves in your small habits isn't too bad. He figured the married life would be just for him, and he was right; if you're happy, he's happy. He'll ensure that he doesn't look a day over 50 to make you smile, engraving the routine you showed him into his brain and waiting for you in your spacious bathroom to do it with him.

©2024 leafington dont steal please!! :)

[nayoungs-archive]

𝐢. 𝗇𝖺𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗇𝗀'𝗌 𝗌𝗄𝗂𝗇𝖼𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗀𝗎𝗂𝖽𝖾!

disclamer! these tips are all from experience, they've been tried and tested by yours truly. please note that i am not a skin specialist, and if you have any major skin concerns, visit a dermatologist! always remember that you are beautiful just the way you are, and these tips are aiming to help you achieve a healthier overall lifestyle.

i. skin types: everyone's skin is different! so, the first and most important step is to find out what kind of skin you have. is it oily? is it often dry? is it sensitive to certain products? determining your skin type will aid you in finding products that work for you, making it a crucial step.

ii. drink more water: i know, you've heard it a million times! but i cannot emphasise how important it is to drink water! not just for your skin, but it benefits your overall health and well-being. dehydration can cause dryness, and oiliness- which can lead to heat boils and breakouts. drinking 2-3 litres of water every day can clear up your skin significantly!

iii. avoid oily and fried foods: health begins on the inside, so we must nourish our skin the same way! oily foods can clog your pores, and make your skin greasy. in general, processed and fried food is bad for your health as it is full of preservatives and artificial flavouring. although it is important to treat yourself from time to time, avoid eating these on a daily basis.

iv. stop touching your face: i understand how hard this might be for some of you because we end up subconsciously touching our face from time to time, but not touching your face is a crucial habit and you must train yourself to reduce the number of times you touch your face. touching your face with unwashed hands makes your skin oily and dirty. song jia revealed she only touches her face while applying basic skincare or washing her face. it seems impossible, but you can do it!

v. apply sunscreen daily: no matter what, you must include sunscreen in your skincare routine. regardless of the weather, it's important since the uv rays from the sun harm your skin, and pollutants in the air (especially in the city) can damage your skin significantly. i use neutrogena and it's super lightweight and gives your skin a glowy and clean look.

vi. weather matters: weather conditions play a big role in determining which skincare products you should be using. for example- if you live near the sea coast, you might not need to moisturise due to severe humidity, but if you live in a cold and dry country, a heavy moisturiser might be advisable! if you are interested in skincare tips for people living in tropical countries- comment!

vii. facewash usage: again, it depends on where you live. i personally live near the coast, so i end up washing my face thrice a day due to constant sweating. during winter, take a call on whether you need to use a facewash in the mornings. over-cleansing can strip your skin of natural oils, which does more harm than good. if the climate where you live is not too severe, i would recommend washing your face twice a day.

nayoung's note: hope these tips helped you! feel free to let me know how they worked in the comments.

[theambitiouswoman]

do you have any tips on hormonal pimples? or like teen pimples (idk what they r called) because i have so much of them but none of these toners and serums are helping.

Make sure to wash your face twice daily with a gentle cleanser. Avoid scrubbing your skin too hard, this can make acne worse.

Look for products that are labeled as "non-comedogenic," which means they won't clog your pores. This is especially important for makeup and moisturizers.

Products containing benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid may be helpful in treating acne. Start with a lower strength and gradually increase if needed.

Prescription strength retinoids can be very effective in treating acne, but they can be irritating to the skin. Talk to your doctor and start with a lower strength and use as directed.

Here are some product recommendations:

Cleansers:

CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash

Moisturizers:

Cetaphil Oil Control Moisturizer SPF 30

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mat Mattifying Moisturizer

Salicylic Acid Products:

The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution

Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatment

Benzoyl Peroxide Products:

Neutrogena Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Spot Gel

Acne.org 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide Treatment

Non-Comedogenic Sunscreen:

Neutrogena Clear Face Liquid Lotion Sunscreen SPF 30

EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46

Spot Treatments:

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion

Kate Somerville EradiKate Acne Treatment

The food you eat is super important for how your body's hormones work. Hormones are messengers that your body makes to control your growth, metabolism etc. They travel through your blood and tell different parts of your body what to do. Eating a good mix of healthy foods helps keep these hormones in check. Things like protein, good fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals help make and control hormones. For example protein is needed for hormones like insulin and growth hormone, while healthy fats help with hormones like estrogen and testosterone.

Also, when you're stressed a lot, your body makes more of a hormone called cortisol, which can mess up other hormones. Moving your body through exercise can help with hormones by reducing stress and making you feel happy. Also, sleep is really important. Not getting enough sleep can mess up hormones that control hunger and fullness.

So, eating healthy foods, managing stress, staying active, and getting enough sleep are all really important. They help keep your hormones in balance and make sure your body works well.

Most importantly, don't let acne affect your self-esteem. You are beautiful just the way you are! Pimples are very normal and they do not take away from how amazing you are <3

[homunculus-argument]

how to clear the gunk out of a clogged pore safely:

1. wash hands with soap and wear latex/medical gloves if you have them

2. wet a tissue or face towel with hot water and apply a hot compress to the problem pore

3. get up close in front of a mirror with good lighting

4. place both index fingers on either side of the pore, a few milimeters away from the pore head on either side

5. *very slowly and gently* massage the pore back and forth. you want to apply as little pressure as possible

6. if the gunk is still stuck, try bracing your fingertips a bit further apart. it may take a while for stuff to become dislodged, you just want slow, steady back and forth pressure

7. once the gunk starts coming out, wipe the area with a wet tissue or moist towlette. go back and keep massaging the pore until no more material comes out

8. once you're done, apply a spot treatment that contains salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. if you don't have any skincare stuff at home you can just grind up and aspirin and mix it with a bit of water to form a paste (salicylic acid is aspirin's active ingredient)

Thank you for writing this out, and I'm sharing it because it'll definitely be useful for those who have never had a clogged pore before and aren't sure what to do about it. My problem is that every single one of them is clogged, so my skin has the texture of an orange peel.

(imagine that, but in a greyish pale white people colour. WIth a face on it.)

So it's kinda like trying to painstakingly remove every single brick out of a brick wall, starting from the top left and working your way down to the bottom right. Except by the time you're finished at the end, they've grown back to the other end.

[lbibliophile-sw]

Hop to it

Also on AO3 [650w] @212thappreciation week 2024 - day 2: downtime/hobbies

The problem with war, Commander Cody knows, is that the life of a soldier can best be summarised as ‘hurry up and wait’. Brief moments of terror peppering a more usual pattern of alternating sheer drudgery and stultifying boredom.

In practice, this means that while the naval crews are busy sending venators careening across the galaxy from hotspot to hotspot, the ground troops are packed into said ships with nothing to do. There is the usual training of course, and additional cross-training, but this is far insufficient to keep occupied a battalion’s worth of energetic, creative young idiots.

So Cody and the other Commanders set about finding their men hobbies; such as they can with their limited space and access to materials. A rotation of sports games is organised in the larger training rooms for those needing to burn off energy. Music, both vocal and percussive, becomes a common background soundtrack. Their small library of holobooks and movies are pored over obsessively and added to when possible. Similarly, storytellers – whether of sagas or amusing anecdotes or choice gossip – are highly prized in any platoon. Cards or dice, and the associated gambling, make their appearance as a staple of soldiers everywhere. Crafts are less common, but whenever they can get access to yarn knitting circles pop up like mushrooms, while sketching supplies are more readily available.

It is this last hobby, combined with a certain children’s game they were introduced to on their last relief mission, that gives Cody the idea. He talks to his General, and the next supply drop includes several crates of chalk sticks. These are distributed to volunteer squads with strict instructions – not in the officers’ wing, not in main thoroughfares or maintenance corridors, and don’t be vulgar – and Cody sits back to watch the chaos unfold.

The first markings that show up are simple replicas of the hopscotch board they had seen on the planet, curious troopers gathering around as others demonstrate the rules. Then, almost overnight, it seems as though every second passageway has been overtaken by white scribbles. Some have the hopscotch grid simply extended or with other minor variations, but that quickly morphs into corridors with scattered markings for the troopers to leap between, even the occasional boot- or handprint on the walls to push off from. Other corridors have long meandering lines to follow along their length, or a patchwork grid of lines to avoid. Yet others leave a path clear down the centre, but fill the edges and walls with complex murals of varying degrees of skill.

Cody is amazed at how well his idea is turning out. No-one is obliged to follow the chalked guidelines, if they are busy or injured or just not interested. But more often than not, he sees troopers absentmindedly following the white lines or laughing as they leap their way down the hall. Some of the more popular routes even have clusters of troopers hovering in the intersections as they wait for their turn at the next section. Morale is at an all-time high.

This lasts for a glorious ten-day… until Cody is visited by their chief Environmental Engineer. Venators, he reminds the Commander, are carefully calibrated closed systems, and the Negotiator’s environmental systems are already working towards the upper end of their capacity with a full complement of crew and passengers. And chalk dust is apparently particularly effective at clogging their air filters. As much fun as everyone is having, he is sure that they would prefer boredom to not breathing.

Cody is forced to concede the point, and with much reluctance the chalk is washed away. The whole experience relegated to holos and fond memories.

(And if Cody overhears chatter about immortalising some of their favourite obstacles in paint, he just hopes that they have the sense not to do so anywhere that he has to admit to seeing it.)

[daughterofbearsandrivers]

Horror | 1.0 `yautja`

(<<) (>>)

Vague imagery of honey dipped college memories suddenly tainted with screaming and the indescribable sensation of hearing literal bodies being torn into pieces. The cracking of ribs so each bone snapped from the sheer pressure, flesh squished together as blood vessels burst and spewed out geysers of blood mixed in with their bodily fluids. The stomach lining, organs, soft fleshy innards not covered by bone was consumed like hard liquor on Saturday club night.

Being hit by a car or shanked for belongings in parking lot would've been considered a calculated mercy or bittersweet memory compared to the last moments of the town's population in the past forty-eight hours.

The faint scent of gasoline tingled her nostrils, sending a very faint high to her brain like the chemicals in the pools does. Resisting the urge to cough to flex the muscles of her body in the cramped space of the trunk, the female waited several moments in silence for the slightest shifting of movement or prowling seekers looking to harvest on the strength inept species. Feeling around for the latch on the backseat, bright midday sun poured in through the opening, she inched it forward as she paused every second or so.

'Goddamn it's bright.'

She noticed the torn edges of her emerald painted nails once she fully leaned the seat forward, stringy grime matted locks absorbed the rising heat in the car. Glints of other vehicles windshields momentarily made blackish spots float in her vision, she opened a water bottle once she slid herself out of the car's trunk. The milk spoiled, eggs overheated and bread crusty.

'Good morning America, today's going to be sunny clear skies, maybe chance of rain showers, highs in the whatever seventies and lows- oh shitzerdoodle.'

Leaning on her side to stay within the cover of the car's seat position, she peeked around the edges of the leathery seat, seeing a black mass creep by the front of the vehicle. Ducking down though avoiding on moving her weight around too much, the female stayed in that awkwardly tense angle until she heard it bash through a boutique's doorway a street down.

Sorting through the groceries, she salvaged whatever wasn't affected by the mid summer day heat. Collecting granola bars, a flashlight, screwdriver and some bullets, she found scattered underneath the driver's seat, into a fanny pack. Pressing the button for the window, it slowly slid down. Immediately the intense heatwaves of summer hit her skin, soaking into her body as her clothes suddenly felt too thick to wear at the moment once she eased herself out. 'In this heat I bet ice cream and water would boil. Why couldn't it be a hazy day of clouds.'

Crouching down a little she steered clear from fragmented and little clusters of splintered glass, her footsteps being silent as she could manage. Keeping herself fully aware to pause every few minutes to take a thorough survey of the area, ensuing she didn't have any creatures tailing secretly. Her eyes and top of her head peeking just over the edges of windows, hoods and tailgates of vehicles left stationary in the main street. The crevices of her body's figure little by little condensed with sweat.

Padding herself down a little, she silently lamented as she felt the grains of sand, smears of oil further clogged her pores. All that hard work going down the drain the longer she stayed in the heat and in these ripped and frayed clothes. Without notice her heartbeat sped up, an automatic nearly cemented reaction to the soft skittering of talons, menacing hisses and breathy snarls passing through frosted razor sharp teeth. She crouched down, doing a quick three sixty view of side to side, top to bottom. Seeing all the possibilities where her position made her vulnerable and potential to life ending choices. The vehicles were spaced enough for running and could be jumped across by anything. Though not many of the vehicles had high suspensions to crawl under. And several of the vehicles blocked her in, preventing her from crawling over the hoods from how big or sloped the hood is. Calculating the estimated seconds it would take to jump up, crawl onto the vehicle, run then do the same thing. Another raspy hiss, like sizzling acid in a softer tone. She flinched, her body contracting to still every nerve then slowly releasing to edge forward in a slight crouch.

They were moving by her, a mere vehicle apart.

A few feet away from her fate of being harvested and once again encapsuled in goop to be the fertilizer of an alien colony. She thickly swallowed, forcing back images depicting her chest being tore open from the inside, the sickening sensation of crunched bones. One step, the next and then her body responded in kind. Her fingers kept thumbed over the smooth fabric of her fanny pack, a small assurance against an illusion of control.

'My nails are so damaged and cracked. I should take them off.... though those charms are pretty.'

Her hands turned a bit red from touching hot asphalt. The shattering of a window made her heart burst into a flurry of emotion though she made herself keep stationary. Slowing peeking back over a window, she noticed they had rummaged through a van. More glass sprinkled to the ground. A bony black mass that showed every ridge of it's unnatural existence skittered then body slammed into a vehicle as they fought over scraps of a child.

'Damnit, that's so disgusting- don't, don't think about it. Keep moving.'

Hurrying in the most silent way possible, she crawled underneath a truck and stayed there for a moment to reassess the situation. Her heartbeat had calmed to a considerable pace without her having to manually breath slower. What she didn't calculate is the sudden crashing sound on the truck's roof, making it cave in as the vehicle itself sunk down a little from the weight. Seeing it's shadow on the asphalt, she realized it's the other creature.

He's crouched, his head swiveling around for a quick moment as it let out a roar. A shinking noise of a blade. Those spindly creatures screeched and lunged for him or a very few ran away.

Curled up beneath the vehicle, she felt it's weight shift and sway as the muscular thing fought. A couple vehicles exploded. Heat razed the ground, acidic blood dripped and splattered onto metal and paved rock. Melting it cleanly beyond repair.

'I can't stay here.'

The truck's undercarriage smacked against her head only solidified that thought. She let out a yelp then instantly felt her heart speed up, the accompanying blush and her mind working nanoseconds ahead. She turned her head and saw one of the black creatures hissing loudly at her while the two species created carnage just on her other side. It tried to reach it's talons inside, she fumbled for her screwdriver in the fanny pack.

Yanking it out, she hit the asphalt several times but got her few strikes in against the black alien, making it rethink it's strategy. Knowing it'll likely try to crawl in, she kept wildly swinging her screwdriver around while she felt around in the fanny pack for the few bullets.

The humanoid creature in weird armor slammed a black alien into a car.

She flinched as more acidic blood dripped down from it's broken skeleton. Finally pulling out a handful of bullets, she tossed the shells across the street and right by the burning vehicles destroyed by a plasma cannon blasts.

A roar and an answering screech, more limbs being cut and slashed into individual pieces.

Letting out a sharp exhale, she swung and frantically swiped at the black creature now joined by two more. One of their talons cut into her lower calf, nearly dragging her out before the tossed bullets ignited. They went off and ricocheted, startling the black creatures a few feet and making the beige colored creature snap it's attention to find the source.

Without hesitation she made a break for it, keeping ducked down as she rolled out on the other side of the truck, scrambling to her feet and sprinting hard. She vaulted, slid over the hoods of vehicles to the other side of the street. Noticing some other black creatures crash out of boutiques and whatever woodwork they came from, chased after her.

She wasn't from here though she did know which streets and areas had been the tourist hotspots. Bigger buildings, more hiding spots. Running barefoot on the hot streets of the town, she didn't look back and she didn't stop or veer off to hide. Pumping herself faster than ever, the female saw the distant shining chain link fence of the fair grounds. Darting to her right, she went down a sandy hill of pointed stones, passing by a few tall cactus before coming right up to the fence.

Jumping it, she crawled up and felt the links snag on her jeans to sharply pinprick her skin. Throwing herself over it to land in a puff of dust, she heard them crash into the fence and scramble up it as she continued to run.

She passed through the carnival, her feet sinking a little into the fine sand and feeling the gravel drag on the soles of her heel. Her sights settled on a merry go round, heading over to the controls, she bashed her hands against everything until the ride turned on and the music blasted out of the speakers. Every noise being amplified in her mind.

Their screeches raked her eardrums and made her body turn cold despite the very dry summer heat.

Running in the opposite direction, she went into a house of mirrors. Her figure reflected on the narrow figure warping surfaces. Taking a breath of air, she slowed her footsteps and moved deeper into the entertainment house. Her cheeks red and bright from exertion and anxiety, her heart thundering in her ribcage, she closely listened for any sounds of the black creatures as her breathing seemed to drown out everything else, even her thoughts.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧┍━☽【❖】☾━┑✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧*ੈ✩‧₊˚

A shift of movement as the female rubbed her upper arms, one of her hands keeping a hold on the flashlight she had. She stared at her reflections, the afterthought of an idling mind being how she needed a shower and change of clothes. As she still kept finding small pieces of that secreted goop on her person she'd been cocooned in only hours ago.

Rubbing away the crusted blood on her wrist, the female let out a silent sigh. Slowing getting up, she paused every few moments with her head slightly tilted and her body making minimal movement to determine whether or not she's safe to breathe.

Measuring her footsteps she walked to the exit that's aesthetically covered by a curtain, listening for another moment she heard nothing. Though her heart pounded a bit harder. Holding onto her flashlight, she noticed no sun shined at the bottom of the curtains or made the fabric seem thinner from it's light.

It must've been hours but at this point, hiding and waiting out for hours seemed to become her only source of exercise and constant state of what her life has come to. Peeking out, she drew the curtain to the side with the end of her flashlight's handle. The orange bulbed lights of the solar controlled lights were on, the sky completely black and the desert terrain standing still just like her.

As if the world now knew the events of what happened in the last five days changed the course of mankind's present and future forever.

The female gently tested her weight on the wooden steps before descending down the short staircase. On a last second thought, she took the curtains with her. Wrapping it around her figure like a jacket and dress, she quietly walked through the fair grounds.

Popcorn bags, cotton candy cones and some push toys laid on the dirt. Some lights of rides flickered like a dying candle running on the last threads of it's wick. Her flashlight in one hand and currently unlit, she went to a small gift shop. There was no phone or landline and no internet for the working iPhone she found dropped on the floor. Picking out a shirt one size smaller than normal, couple water bottles and some paper towels despite no one being around, she still went behind the cashier counter to change.

Uncapping the lids of the water bottles, she dunked the paper towels in the water, wiping it over her skin as she took most of the dirt off. Scrubbing and washing away the grime, blood, sweat and essentially the memories that came with the reason there's blood in the first place.

Sliding on the new shirt, hoodie, wrapping the curtains around her shoulders like a strap for future purposes. She found a water basin for apple bobbing, she dunked and shook her hair free what she could. A relief of one problem being dealt with settled her thoughts. Still no shoes to wear.

That night she opened one granola bar for dinner and slept in the cubbyhole of where they kept the extra plushies and boxes of other prizes.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧┍━☽【❖】☾━┑✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧*ੈ✩‧₊˚

There was no hurry to leave or go anywhere though one designation remained present in her mind the next day when she woke in the afternoon. Her family- well her grandparents had a place up in Alaska. If her memory served her right, which both fortunately and unfortunately did, there'd be enough canned food and natural resources for her to survive there without any worry. They hadn't sold the property but kept it as the ideal family vacation house in the winter.

With that her mind she gathered up four water bottles, dozens of granola bars, candy and some pop tarts from the fair grounds remaining food supply. Finding another flashlight, some batteries and a phone charger in the abandoned vehicles nearby. Apparently no one had kept extra shoes in their once day to day work life. Sliding on her backpack and keeping her fanny pack, she walked the cactus and brush ridden terrain.

SIDENOTE | reblog, comments and lmk if you wanted to be tagged for the next part.

[red-pill-to-swallow]

How to skin

Hey babes,

today I want to talk about skin. Our skin – especially the skin in our face – is one of the first things that we recognize in another person.

This is the reason why it is so important to have clean and vibrant looking skin. Your skin color doesn’t matter as long as it is healthy looking and free of pimples.

Clear skin is a universal sign for good health and it can elevate the look of a person completely.

Us humans tend to find other people more attractive if they have good skin – it’s something in our genes.

Personally, I’m blessed with good skin – I never had acne as a teenager, only some lonely pimples right before my period would start.

However, when my gynecologist put me on the pill when I was around 19 years old I suddenly developed acne and it was horrible. That’s when I started to take my skincare very serious and made a ton of research that I want to share with you.

Disclaimer: I am not a dermatologist. Those are simply my experiences and what I’ve learned over the years.

Why do we even get pimples?

A very short summary: we get pimples, because sebum is clogging our pores and bacteria starts to grow in the pore which makes it inflamed.

Is it my fault that I get pimples? Am I not clean enough?

Yes and no.

Yes – there might be people who are experiencing acne just because they don’t cleanse their face good enough. However that’s something that happens very rarely.

Most people with acne wash and clean their face more often and more thoroughly than the average person.

If you experience heavy acne, don’t try to treat it at home. Instead, seek out a dermatologist to see if the acne is fungal.

I would also recommend getting blood-work done to see if the acne is hormonal.

If you never had acne and suddenly get pimples all over your face it could also be because of your birth control, especially if your birth control is hormonal.

Like I said before, I suddenly developed acne after my gynecologist put me on the pill. The reason for that was that the pill had gestagen in it which is similar to progesterone.

Progesterone is basically stimulating the skin to produce more oils and sebum – pores get clogged more easily and pimples form.

Diet also plays a big part in acne. Personally, I don’t see a difference if I leave out dairy or gluten but some people almost see an immediate effect.

I wouldn’t recommend just stopping consuming gluten and dairy one day, please speak to your doctor beforehand.

Instead, try to limit your sugar and fat intake first before you start to take drastic actions.

My acne is neither hormonal nor fungal, what can I do?

Having a healthy skin-barrier is the key to having clean and vibrant looking skin!

Most of us fell victim to Clearasil and other harsh drugstore products in our youth. I remember slathering my face with a 3 in 1 face wash, face mask and peeling once and my skin was red for days. At that time I didn’t know that the products were simply way to harsh for the skin on my face and wondered why it didn’t work as good as in the commercials.

If you’re just starting out with your skincare journey, here are a few tips that you should consider when you pick out products and a routine:

- a healthy skin-barrier should be your first priority. Everything else can be addressed later on.

- all the products for your face should be fragrance free or contain very little fragrance.

- stick to your routine for at least one month before changing it

- introduce new products one after one and take your time to do so

How does a good basic skincare routine look like?

You don’t need thousands of products in the beginning, keep it simple and gentle.

A good routine could look like this:

am

Step 1: use a gentle cleanser to wash your face in the morning. Nothing too heavy. I like to use a foam cleanser for this.

Step 2: use a hydrating toner and apply it with your hands, so you get the most out of your product.

Step 3: while your face is still damp with the toner, apply a hyaluronic acid serum. Never put hyaluronic acid on dry skin, it won’t do anything.

Step 4: wait for the hyaluronic acid to sink into your skin and apply a hydrating face cream all over your face. Do this even if your skin is oily – it still needs moisture.

Step 5: apply sunscreen all over your face and neck. Sunscreen is essential, especially if you use exfoliants.

pm

Step 1: use a cleansing oil or cleansing balm in the evening. This is to remove your makeup and sunscreen from your face.

Step 2: use a gel cleanser and massage your skin for at least one minute. It’s important that you cleanse every small part of your face. Especially tricky is the skin around your nostrils and on your chin.

Step 3: again, use a hydrating toner and apply it with your hands.

Step 4: apply a thick face cream all over your face, best is something with panthenol.

What are the things that I should avoid?

- touching your face with dirty hands. Always wash your hands before you cleanse in the morning and in the evening. Avoid touching your face with your hands during the day.

- stop picking at pimples. I know – it’s frustrating, but the more you pick on your spots, the more inflamed they get. There also is a danger of you spreading around all that bacteria with your hands and possibly getting scars.

- Never ever use physical exfoliators in the face. They damage your skin with micro cuts that you can’t see with your eyes and damage more than they help. Always look for chemical exfoliators!

See you soon!

[tragedy-of-commons]

Congratulations on getting 150 followers, that's amazing!

Since you wanted some requests, I have one for you. You should write something Qingque related. I think it would be fitting, considering your blog is themed after her and this would be a good way to celebrate this awesome milestone!

Do whatever you want to with it, I have no idea what kind of style/story it would be. Take your time with it, I know you're busy with other requests right now. Finish those up and let me see what your awesome writing skills can do with your icon!

Have a nice day!

crash course

qingque & gn!reader | wc: ~850

Your coworker teaches you to relax.

tags/warnings: platonic, i love qingque, overworked reader, mentioned fu xuan

notes: hi sam! tysm for the request and kind words! your support means everything & i can't believe i hit 150. i hope you like what i decided to do with this! ^_^

“…and that's how you slack off!” Qingque punches your shoulder, mouth full of god-knows-what-kebab. (You’re scared to ask, actually, given that she has a preference for her food to be fried beyond recognition.)

“You know, I don't think I needed your crash course on the subject. It's pretty self-explanatory,” you point out. “Self-explanatory enough that I think Madam Diviner Fu Xuan is going to know exactly where we are and hunt us down.”

Spices Supreme houses the two of you perfectly, home to various colorful characters on their lunch hours, rushing their meals as if they don’t have all the time in their lives (well, for Natives, you suppose). Letting her drag you away from your post at the Matrix of Prescience an hour before your mandated break was a bad idea, and you can’t stop looking over your shoulder like a scared dog.

“Xuany? You worry too much,” she dismisses easily. “She’s let me off with nothing more than a few threats of termination. Not to mention, you’re her favorite! Just blame me if she finds us.”

“Yeah, I definitely will,” you deadpan, “considering it is your fault.”

Qingque puts down her stick and covers her ears obnoxiously. “Lalalalala, that is not what I want to hear from you! You’re learning to relax, remember?” To make her point clearer, she leans forward and pinches your cheek, ignoring the aggrieved squeak you let out. “I used to be like this too, you know, clogged pores, dark circles, miserable—”

“Hey!”

“—but then I learned to let go and live for myself,” she says, pride suffocatingly apparent. She doesn’t even react when you swat her grubby little hand away. “So, you definitely did need the crash course.”

Her smug smile is unbearable-but-loveable all the same. When you first started working at the Divination Commission, your wiser coworkers advised you to steer clear of Qingque, Slacker Extraordinaire. It seems like fate had other plans, considering she stuck to you like a magnet, slowly spoon-feeding you her philosophy since day one. 

However, what surprises you more is her little anecdote; had she really been a diligent overachiever like you at some point? Was something like that even possible? The look in her eyes right now makes you want to believe her, and the sparkle in them earlier today is what convinced you to shirk even the tiniest bit of responsibility. Perhaps she cares more than she lets on.

“Fine,” you acquiesce. “I’ll ‘let go’. What else is there to it? Is there some kind of initiation that I don’t know about?” you pick at your food, appetite subdued due to your still-firing nerves. 

Qingque gingerly takes your hands, solemn and foreign. “I’m delighted you’d ask… it’s… it’s…”

She leaves one of your hands cold and roots around in her pocket awkwardly, maintaining intense eye contact with you like the world is about to end as you know it. You take it all back - this girl is strange. When she finally procures a Celestial Jade tile of all things, you groan inwardly.

“Celestial Jade? Really?” you hum, unimpressed. “Wow, I never would have guessed! It’s almost like you just dragged me out here to indoctrinate me and then force me to be your game partner.”

She huffs, bottom lip jutting out into a pout. “I know what this looks like, but hear me out! As much as I’d love for you to play a game or two with me—that’s not what I meant. For me, Celestial Jade is a big part of ‘letting go’. It’s probably my favorite thing ever - what I put all of my heart into. You need to find your Celestial Jade.”

Qingque presses the tile into your palm. Five multicolored hearts take up the expanse of the brick, other details emerging such as its scuffed corners and its chipped paint; it is well-worn and likely seen hundreds of victories. While you stare, she continues to talk, familiar stars in the green-yellow of her irises.

“You work hard, and that’s cool. But I don’t think it’s making you happy… I thought bringing you out here today would be fun. I want everybody to have fun,” she laughs. “Also, I do want you to be my game partner, hehe.”

Yeah. She’s strange… and also totally right. You close your fingers over the tile, thumb caressing the surface pensively. Most adults let their jobs consume them, including you; the way you put all of your energy into going above and beyond for something that drains you was never your goal in life. It just kind of happened. You do need something - or someone - fun right now.

“Qingque… I think I’m starting to get it.”

“Aha! I knew you would!” she points at you like one would an endangered species, “Now, you shall face my wrath in tile mania!”

(You do end up facing off against her, but not before Fu Xuan drags you both back to the Divination Commission with smoke coming out of her ears in whorls. As Qingque takes the fall for you with a wink and a poor excuse, you thumb against the tile now resting in your breast pocket.)

Maybe your strange friend can be your Celestial Jade.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

hello!

I have a vulva and wore a bodysuit. I ended up with a bump near my pubic area not quite the inside of my leg, friend told me to not wear underwear with bodysuit to prevent that. Wore sweatpants during the weekend and it went away. Washed the suit and wore it during work with skinny jeans no less (wore skinny jeans 1st time too) and now have a bump just inside my vulva/vag area?? (Bodysuit is not a thong bodysuit as it looks like a regular bikini/gusset but I guess the little clips rubbed right up against me. Didn’t really feel anything wrong until end of the day and chalked it up to not wearing underwear)

wore it Monday and bump only hurts when I’ve pressed/inspected it during bathroom breaks. Now I think it’s bleeding… I have nexplanon and haven’t had a period since I got it so I think it’s the bump

should I be worried?

hi anon,

the most likely scenario here is acne, which can happen on your vulva and near your pubic area if a pore gets clogged just like anywhere else on your body, or an ingrown hair. tight clothing and subsequent chafing can definitely contribute to both, so it might be wise to retire the bodysuit and skinny jeans combo while you're ahead.

the bump will likely clear up in its own time. giving your pubic area a little more room to breathe (looser-fitting clothing, cotton underwear or no underwear when you can) and keeping it clean (wash gently with unscented soap and water, gently pat dry) will help to hurry the process along.

[magicalgirlmascot]

The Toa Inika are going to go from having only Takua as a mentor to having 2-3 experienced Toa/Turaga EACH all falling over each other to look after them and help them with their new powers. This dynamic ranges from fairly chill (Onua and Whenua are usually on the same page when it comes to teaching Nuparu, and have both agreed it's best not to watch when Lewa takes him for flying lessons), to Absolute Mayhem (What happens when you put four generations of Air Toa in the same room),

I went a little insane on this so in the interest of not clogging dashboards here

Fire: Jaller takes the whole thing Incredibly Seriously. He turns up at KNPS twice a week after school to practice combat training with Tahu in the gym and gets extremely annoyed if Tahu forgets and goes home before he gets there. Vakama is always there when Jaller comes, though, and he's always quite happy to spend time talking to him about anything and everything. He becomes something of a confidant for Jaller, and Jaller appreciates that he treats him like a young adult instead of a teenage boy.

Water: Hahli keeps trying to focus on how she can use her powers for combat and Gali has to gently redirect her towards other uses for them, like reading the weather or healing. It's not so much that Hahli is obsessed with fighting like her Hahli the Barbarian persona suggests, more just that she always wants to make sure she's being useful. Her training with Gali and Nokama tends to be a bit more relaxed and focused on meditation.

Air: Lewa is taking his role as Kongu's mentor about as seriously as he takes anything, which isn't much. He's very excited to show Kongu how to do things and only a little annoyed that he keeps getting zapped whenever Kongu uses his powers. Kongu is still extremely grumpy about not being able to fly, but between him, Lewa, and Matau they're working on a way to get him airborne. Grandpa Iruini is the one who helps him figure out how to handle his telepathy, because he's the only one of them who can sit still for long enough to come up with anything other than "just don't think about it." He posits himself as the Normal One/Grumpy Old Man of the bunch, but also can't help ribbing Matau about stuff.

Earth: Nuparu is very much into experimentation, which is kind of at odds with how slow Onua was to accept things initially. He keeps trying to ease Nuparu into things by focusing on his connection to the earth, like Whenua did for him, but Nuparu mostly works like "what would happen if I did x," doing x, and then documenting the results. Whenua thinks this is very funny, but also helps Onua redirect him to do things like help in the garden. Sometimes in the middle of Nuparu's training with Onua, Lewa kidnaps him to teach him how to fly. Unfortunately the way their flight works is very different so it's a bit of a weird one, but Nuparu loves to experiment and Lewa loves to fly so they get along like a house on fire.

Stone: Hewkii and Pohatu spend most of their training time playing sports and shooting the shit. Sometimes Macku tags along. Pohatu's sneaky, though, and manages to teach Hewkii about using both his stone and his accuracy powers through The Power Of Sports(TM). Onewa keeps trying to convince them both to use their powers to do shit like spawn uncut gemstones and make art, but unfortunately they're both way more into sports than art so he's outvoted. He grumbles about it but honestly he's glad Hewkii is in good hands.

Ice: Well, Matoro is related to two Toa of Ice so naturally he avoids learning anything from his dad and sticks to learning from Kopaka and Nuju. Kopaka isn't sure what to do with an apprentice. He treats it like he does work, planning lessons and giving clear, concise instructions. Pohatu thinks this is very funny and teases him about it when he's sitting at the kitchen table poring over lesson plans and teaching objectives. Nuju teaches Matoro more about theory than anything on account of not having powers anymore, and Whenua is always so excited to show Matoro the archive any time he has any questions. Kualus tries to get involved but Matoro tends to shut down when he comes into the picture, so he settles for needling Whenua for details afterward.

BONUS

Takua's "mentoring" style is very "I definitely know what I'm doing and am not in over my head at all haha." They're so excited that their friends are Toa now and very confidently tell them a bunch of stuff that winds up being completely off base because the Inika are Fucking Weird and don't work like normal Toa. Takua doesn't work like normal Toa either but in a different way. It's all a bit of a mess. They get them through the basics, though, enough to figure out what they are and what's going on.

Krahka doesn't have a mentoring style. Sometimes she shows up at school pretending to be a student and hang with various Toa on their spares/lunch breaks. Sometimes she makes things worse on purpose for her own entertainment. Very often she leverages the fact that she used to be their therapist to Do A Therapy on them when things seem like they're actually bad. She goes home and regales Onewa with tales of What The Kids These Days Are Up To.