As this month comes to an end, so does this year and this challenge. To say I finished triumphantly would be a lie. This past week I have been depressed about a number of things, mainly this blessed holiday season. With that depression and added stress, I have broken out horrendously and I have been picking a lot. I couldn’t help myself as Saturday morning arrived and I realized that I was having my first Christmas away from my parents and my plans for it were to go out drinking with friends. I ended up doing a thirty minute spree of popping everything and anything leaving my skin blotchy, bleeding and incredibly tender. I did make the best of that night, and on Sunday spent time with other ex-patriots commiserating about how much we wish were home and how much it sucked that we would be working on Monday. Also, in South Korea Christmas is considered as a couple’s holiday, so trying to find a restaurant to go to is incredibly difficult. It makes you feel extra alone and missing the ones you do love. Read More »

Good old Aunt Flow has come to town, so I have a wonderful display of acne. This acne however is not on my face, I had some small break outs but nothing like the usual  volcano-like zits and white heads. I have had an increasing number of breakouts on my back, legs and chest these past few days, which is something I am not unfamiliar with, but is just as uncomfortable. Because really, who wants to have a zit on their boob? Or a bunch of black heads on their butt? Or a white head sticking out and rubbing against their bra strap all day? Really, this is just getting ridiculous and not being able to pop these suckers, ones no one will see of course, it shouldn’t matter? No, I with held and didn’t pop one, except accidentally the zit that was rubbed open by my bra strap, but that doesn’t count.

This week has gone a bit more smoothly and not nearly as bumpy as I expected it to have been. I worked very hard at not touching my skin and trying to get more sleep in then I was previously. I did though start reading The Hunger Games and that kept me up late for the past couple nights until I finished all of them. Even with lack of sleep I feel that my skin is becoming softer and smoother. Even though I do have a number of black heads around my hair line due to working out and having a head band, the number of zits is not as much as I would usually experience during my period.  I am hoping that not popping and not touching my face helped out a lot with keeping my break outs down to a minimum. Read More »

Your skin type makes a huge difference in what products you should use. Skin problems and makeup woes are oftentimes caused by using the wrong products for your type. So I’m making it simple for you. Here are 3 basics for oily and dry skin.

Oily Skin

First you need to confirm that you do, in fact, have oily skin. Most people have oily t-zones (that’s the forehead and nose area) but to have truly oily skin, your cheeks and chin will be oily too. If you have large visible pores, that’s another sign you fall into the oily category. So for you oily chicks – here’s a few things to pick up.

Murad Pomegranate Foaming Facial Cleanser ($25 sephora.com)

This fab cleanser dissolves dirt, makeup and most importantly – oil – in one easy step. Best of all, it won’t over-dry your skin. One pump of this cleanser leaves you feeling fresh and clean.

Clinique Dramtically Different Moisturizing Gel ($11.50 clinique.com)

This ultra light moisturizer is oil-free, so it won’t cause breakouts. It absorbs instantly so you can layer on more to get just the right amount of moisture. Perfect to replenish moisture if you are using acne treatments which can dry you out.

Boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens ($10 sephora.com)

These handy little papers are perfect for absorbing oil throughout the day. The best part is they are oil free. Believe it or not, most brands of blotting papers (i.e. Clean & Clear or Sephora Brand) actually have mineral oil in them! Defeat the purpose much? Stick with Boscia.

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