MY SKINCARE ROUTINE FOR ACNE SCARRING/BREAK OUTS

Unfortunately, I was not blessed with great skin. I envy those who can walk out of their house without some extra concealer or powder! In my teen years I struggled with acne which has now carried into my adult years with the ever so lovely acne scars or hyperpigmentation. It seems like whenever my face breaks out a lovely dark mark decides to stay for awhile. Here is my current skincare routine that has worked for me to eliminate acne and scarring as well.

LOREAL GO 360 CLEAN: I love this face wash for several reasons. It doesn't break me out. It's cheap and it comes with an awesome scrub tool for your face. I use this face wash to remove my make up (which by the way it does a great job at this!) The scrub tool is amazing at removing clogged pores and any dry unwanted skin on my face. This face wash makes my skin feel extremely refreshed after using it.

CLEARASIL ACNE+MARKS FACE WASH/MASK: I don't use this every day because it's an extremely strong formula that can make my face feel dry if used as a daily cleanser. Once a week, I put this on my face in the shower and let it sit on there for a minute or two. I feel like this face wash has definitely helped with eliminating acne as well as lightening my acne scars. 

CLEARASIL ACNE+MARKS SPOT LOTION: I've been using this spot treatment for a really long time and I love it. Although it is a spot lotion, I pretty much just use it as a toner all over my face. The only thing I don't like about it is the extreme smell but honestly I do think it has helped my skin tremendously. It has helped lightened acne scars as well as redness.

NEUTROGENA ON-THE-SPOT ACNE TREATMENT: Best thing ever. My face doesn't break out as bad as it did in high school but occasionally I do get a pimple here and there. I usually combine this spot treatment with the Clearasil when I break out and it dries up the breakouts in literally a day. 

I am no dermatologist but this is what works best for my skin. Acne scarring is annoying and I've found the best way to eliminate it/clear it is by making sure that you take your make up off every night and allowing your skin to breathe.

REVIEW: COVERGIRL OUTLAST STAY FABULOUS 3-IN-1 FOUNDATION

I was due for a new foundation so while shopping yesterday at Target I picked this up. I'm a devoted viewer of beauty videos on YouTube and I have been constantly hearing rave reviews about this foundation. I was kind of skeptical as I have always used Revlon foundations but decided to give this a try since EVERYONE was raving about it.

Just for reference: I have dry skin opposed to oily and have heard this foundation works great for both skin types. I purchased this foundation in the shade buff beige. It wasn't too difficult to color match unlike Revlon's Color Stay Whipped foundation which is also a foundation I really do like a lot. I recommend holding the foundation up to your wrist which is what I did and I think I color matched pretty well. (This foundation was $9.50 at Target).

ANYWAY, AMAZING foundation. Seriously. Definitely my new favorite and I will give you some reasons why:

1. This is a medium-full coverage foundation. Personally, I like full coverage as I've said previously I have acne scarring. This foundation does exactly what it says: it woulds as a primer, concealer, and foundation. What other foundation can do that?

2. I didn't need to use concealer. It saved me so much time to just put the foundation on without having to worry about blending out concealer too. My acne scars were covered amazingly: no need for the concealer I normally use which is such a plus.

3. Blended amazingly. I don't think I've ever used a foundation that was so easy to blend. I used a flat top brush and I feel like it took seconds and I was done. (Also a little bit goes a long way!)

4. It stayed on my face. All day. I went to work and came home and looked in the mirror and my face still looked great. No acne scars or redness peeking through.

5. THE PUMP. It makes applying foundation SO much easier. I like being able to control how much product I use opposed to the Revlon foundations where I would always pour out too much and waste a lot of it.

CONSENSUS:
MY HG FOUNDATION! I hate to say it but this foundation for sure beats out my Revlon Color Stay foundations. So if you're looking for a great foundation that can be built up to full coverage: I definitely recommend this.

TOP 5 FAVORITE HAIR PRODUCTS

So I have a love/hate relationship with my hair. It's way too thin and gets knotty so easily. It keeps curls well and grows quickly. I can never win. Here are my top five holy grail products that work for me!

1. My favorite shampoo EVER is of course way too expensive for my liking. Redken's All Soft Shampoo is probably one of the best shampoos I've ever used. It's worth the money, I swear. I've never used a shampoo that made my hair feel so soft and healthy. I don't wash my hair every day and this shampoo still keeps my hair soft for 2-3 days after washing. It's no miracle product: it doesn't eliminate split ends but if you have chemically damaged hair like myself, I highly suggest shelling out the money for this.

2. I cannot begin to tell you how tangled my hair gets, it's insane! Dove's Therapy Detangler works miracles. It doesn't make my hair greasy even though I spray heaps amounts of it when I get out of the shower. It smells great and definitely helps detangle my hair. It's cheap too which is always a plus.

3. TRESemme Heat Tamer spray is amazing for so many different reasons. It works great at protecting my hair but not only just that. My hair is dull and flat and I feel like this heat tamer gives my hair more body and keeps it straighter for longer if I use a flat iron. I don't know, maybe I'm crazy.. but I've had people tell me my hair looks different/awesome when using this stuff. It also smells awesome and the packaging is perfect for what it needs to do. Another cheap hair product I could not live without!

4. TRESemme's Rejuvenating Mud Masque is something I've been using for years now. Once or twice a month I like to really give my hair a deep conditioning and this is what I always grab. It smells amazing and a little bit of it goes a long way. It makes my hair feel refreshed and extremely soft. I don't like to overuse it because I've noticed my hair gets used to it if I use it more than once or twice a month.

5. Last but not least, a wide toothed comb! I know, random. But seriously- I love used this when I get out of the shower. It doesn't pull out my hair like a paddle brush does and I feel like it helps get knots out easier. Mine is from Sally's Beauty supply and it was like 2 bucks!

IPSY: February Glam bag REVIEW!

So I've been MIA for a little bit but I'm back with another Glam bag review! I feel like this month's Glam bag was eh. Definitely not my favorite and I'm kind of starting to consider canceling as I've noticed that I don't really use all the products I get each month. It's only 10 bucks but still.. I'd rather use that 10 bucks towards a product I know I like.

THE BAG: Not a fan at all. It's like a fake pleather material that just FEELS and LOOKS cheap. I've been with Ipsy for four months now and this is by far my least favorite bag. One of the things that drew me to Ipsy was the cute bags their make up samples came in. Prior to subscribing I saw bags with cute designs and since I've been subscribed (November) every bag I have received has been boring and plain.

COASTAL SCENTS MINI PALETTE: Out of everything in the bag this month, this is my favorite product. The shades I received are wearable and extremely pigmented. I only did a few swatches but I was definitely pleased with how great these shadows are. BUT this sample is EXTREMELY small. I was shocked to see how small it really was. Still, it's a product I can actually see myself purchasing in a full size in the future.

LASH CARDS: Cool concept, DOESN'T WORK. These lash cards are supposed to block mascara from getting on your eyelid when applying. Awesome idea since that's a major problem I have whenever I apply certain mascaras. The thing is - it's a fail. I used one and still got mascara on my eyelid. I thought maybe I was doing something wrong but after watching a few of the guru's who endorse Ipsy use these lash cards and end up with mascara on their eyelids as well, I realized they're not good.

PIXI FLAWLESS AND PORELESS: This is like a face primer that I'm pretty sure you can find at Target. Awesome because I love drugstore products that are affordable. I can always use a face primer!

POP BEAUTY MASCARA: Just your normal, average mascara. I have other mascaras that work way better but it's okay.

MICABEAUTY GEL LINER: I don't really use gel liners (I've tried before but I prefer felt tip/pencil) but this is a really good one. The consistency is buttery and it slides on really great. It's dark and perfect for winged eyeliner. I can see myself occasionally using this.

CONSENSUS: 
I really hope Ipsy steps their game up a little bit or else I may cancel. I feel like the bag could have been so much cuter with it being Valentine's Day.. so I'm hoping next month we actually get a printed bag. I'm sick of the mascara's we keep getting: I have way too many. I do think Ipsy is better than a lot of other subscription services out there but I feel like something is missing. I'd love to get a lip stain, blush, or any Urban Decay products. I guess we will just have to see about next month!