Burned a Hole in my Wallet Haul!

I don't haul anything besides groceries nowadays. And a trip to Sephora and Ulta was damaging to my wallet. But I am happy with my purchases!

I ran out of my Shiseido Cleanser and decided to try a different one! This Boscia Cleanser is a Cleansing Oil-Gel. I've always wanted to try one! Will do a review! And I always I ran out of my Shiseido Softener a couple weeks ago. I thought I was fine without one but realized of course, I still have breakouts every now and then and this Softener really gets rid of my acne within a few days! So I had to buy a new one. :)

Here is what the Boscia Cleanser looks like. Such a cute bottle!!

Sigh* This did some damage on my wallet. T_T I bod the Mind and Body palettes from Stila. My first Stila purchase!

 Left: Body / Right: Mind

 So beautiful. *_*

The next purchase is my first Kat Von D palette! I'm not in love with the palette so that could be why I haven't bought any palettes from her brand until now. I just wanted to try it out and some of the colors did attract me.

Kat Von D Inner Stellar Pallete

My last purchase was from Ulta and I went a little lipstick crazy! And I've been wanting to buy the NYX waterproof eyebrow gel for a LONG time! I needed this stuff when I was deployed in the desert! My eyebrows would be gone by the middle of the day because I'd sweat so much! But oh well. Now I will have perfect eyebrows FOREVER! hahahaha The three products to the left (IT cosmetics eyeliner, Lorac lipgloss, and Tarte shadow) were free samples. :)

That's it for my haul! Let me know if there is anything you are interested in seeing my review! 

No Poo Journey (Four months shampoo free so far!)

Hello!!! I have been waiting a long time to FINALLY post about this experiment that I started back on September 06, 2014. And I believe I can finally talk about this! I am at the point where my hair has completely adjusted to no shampoo so we will start from the beginning!

Questions:

What is No Poo?
The No Poo Method is basically giving up shampoo and conditioner and using alternative products (normally more natural products that do not contain chemicals) to cleanse your hair. There are many different methods to go no poo! I've heard of people using Baking Soda in place of shampoo and Apple Cider Vinegar. I've heard of people just going cold turkey all together and not washing their hair for a whole week and only washing once a week with just water. There's different ways to approach this, but the main thing is giving up shampoo and conditioner all together.

Why did I go No Poo?
Many reasons.
1. I have a very sensitive scalp. It does not matter what kind of shampoo I use, the shampoo gave me terrible dandruff and my scalp was ALWAYS irritated and sore. I even tried baby shampoo because it is supposed to have less chemicals and be more gentle. That didn't work. I have been struggling with dandruff for years and just assumed that it was just "normal" to have mild dandruff  now and then and I absolutely had to wash my hair every other day or my scalp would get so oily. But after washing, my scalp and hair would become extremely dry and hurt. I hated what I have been going through and decided to just go without the products.
2. Save money. Who wouldn't want to save a couple dollars here and there?
3. Same time in getting ready! I feel that maintaining your hair should not be that complicated and just easy.

What Did I do to go No Poo?
I started off with trying to go one day, then two days, then three days, etc without washing my hair. (It was really hard to do by the way) and also looking for other ways to "shampoo" my hair. I tried a honey shampoo with water and honey and some other products but those weren't the best methods for me. So when I eventually did get my Apple Cider Vinegar in the mail (I was deployed with I started my No Poo Experiment) I switched completely to just using the ACV with water. And that worked the best for me.

***I actually kept a log of my journey. I started a day by day log, and then switched to a weekly log, and then switched to whenever I felt was necessary to log! So if you are interested in reading every detail and what I went through, go ahead and scroll down after the Q&A section and read that!***

What was the worst part of going No Poo?
So the first couple weeks are by the far the WORST weeks that I had to go through. My scalp felt extremely clogged and so oily! It was so hard to me to NOT use shampoo. I did use shampoo one or twice after starting the experiment to cleanse my scalp but I IMMEDIATELY regretted it afterwards because I basically started all over again with the sensitive scalp and dry hair and dandruff! So it was such a struggle getting over that hump of an oily/gross feeling scalp/hair.

How long did it take your scalp to completely adjust?
So I THOUGHT I was good after one month of no poo because I no longer had any issues with dandruff. Around the 6th week, I suddenly had a lot of dandruff pop up and my scalp was SO dry! And dumb me, thought that I could fix it by using the ACV/water mixture. So I did that and I know I used too much ACV and all it did was irritate my scalp even more and dry our my scalp and cause more dandruff!! It was TERRIBLE. I didn't know what to do! But then I thought about it and went to the Shopette and bought this Parnevu T-Tree Creme that is supposed to be good for your scalp. I started rubbing the creme on my scalp and massaging it every night and after a week, my dandruff was completely GONE! It was amazing! And my scalp was being kept moisturized now because I had the creme.

How often do you wash your hair now?
Depends how much product I use in my hair now. But I can go an entire WEEK without washing my hair! It's awesome! I no longer have issues with dandruff and oily scalp. My scalp is just like my normal skin now. It's super dry. LOL!!! So when I do wash my hair (once a week with water/once with ACV every 2-3 weeks) I immediately massage creme in my scalp, and some other oils on the ends of my hair and wrap it up that night. The Second day, I will massage some hair lotion in my hair/scalp. After the 2nd day, I don't touch my hair at all for the rest of the week. I'm pretty much good! My hair is pretty much low maintenance now.

That's all the questions I could think of. If you have any questions for me, please let me know! I'm sorry I did not take any pictures throughout the entire process, but here is an image of my hair now!

September 6, 2014. I have been struggling with my hair and scalp for four months now. My scalp has just been hurting and itchy and I have had so much dandruff for these past four months! I don't know why this suddenly became an issue. It may be due to my drastic change in environment and I don't know what other things could cause my scalp and hair to become so extremely sensitive. I have always had a sensitive scalp anyways but it's just gotten worse. Because I got so tired of this issue, I started washing my hair less and then trying to reduce the amount of shampoo I use. I still had the issue and then decided a month ago to try just cowashing (washing with conditioner). I still had the same issues! 

So Sept 6, I decided to just completely give up shampoo and conditioner all together and go No Poo forever! I have thought about trying the baking soda shampoo but they don't have any available here and I think with my sensitive scalp, it would not be a good idea to use. I'm just so tired of my scalp hurting.

September 5: washed hair with shampoo and conditioner that night.

September 6 (Day 1): Frizzy/fluffy hair in the morning. Very itchy scalp. Hair felt soft. But had to spritz with water in the morning to let it sit correctly. A lot of dandruff! Washed hair last night with just water and scrubbed. looked at scalp and saw dandruff. Scalp was very itchy all day and could not stop scratching.

September 7: Morning: hair sat very flat on head. Not itchy. Used a bit of coconut oil to get back hair to stay down. Doesn't feel oily but scalp is tender from constant scratching from days before. Scratched head in the afternoon and had a lot of dandruff under nails, but it isn't as bad as before.

Washed hair with honey/coconut oil and water shampoo. Took less than a pea size amount of coconut oil and a small squeeze of honey in warm water in a small travel size bottle. shook it up and washed scalp with it. 

September 8: hair is calm. scalp feels fine. i see no dandruff right now and scalp is not itchy or tender. hair is super thick on top of my head e__e Hair feels very soft and moisturized, not oily or heavy. My hair density is just thick! 

September 9: calm, non-itchy hair all day! feeling a bit gross by night time though and couldn't help but scratch scalp to get rid of the dandruff and brush it out with a comb. It was gross, but not itchy. Just gross feeling.

September 10 (day 5): Washed hair in the morning because my scalp felt so clogged and needed a quick rinse with water. Used only water and scrubbed head to get dandruff off. Dried hair with a towel and then got a tiny bit of coconut oil and rubbed on certain parts of scalp that felt the itchiest. My hair feels much cleaner now. It's shiny and my scalp is a bit tender from the scratching. I'm hoping the dandruff stops soon and itchiness! Waiting for my oils to get here already! (I had to order them on Amazon.) Hair feels silky smooth and has a nice shine and not greasy. Not dry either.

September 11: washed hair last night with just water and felt fine in the morning. Not itchy. Combed hair and scratched head and saw bits of dandruff still. NEED MY OILS SOON! Hair is calm, normal, looks healthy with healthy shine. Scalp feels fine. There is still that regular itch and dandruff on the crown of my head but just need my oils.

September 12: Washed hair last night with warm water, honey and coconut oil. scrubbed scalp. Thoroughly dried scalp with towel and then wore head wrap. Next morning, scalp is feeling fine, but still have traces of dandruff. Hair is normal, not dry. No frizziness. Flat, calm hair. Scalp is not itchy.

Sept 17 (day 12): Received my ACV and baking soda yesterday! Decided to not use Baking Soda in my hair because it's an alkaline and will damage hair. DID however use the ACV last night in a small bottle with water and put in hair. Scrubbed my scalp and let it sit in my hair for a good 10 minutes and then thoroughly scrubbed it out. Hair smells like vinegar the next day and it's not lovely. I didn't wait for hair to fully dry before wearing my hair cap though so that's probably why I smell. But my scalp isn't itchy and feels much cleaner and haven't seen any dandruff yet! Checked after my shower last night and did not see specks of dandruff. Hair is very soft and not as calm as it has been because it did strip the dirt away from my scalp so I have some alfalfa flying around. But scalp feels better and hair feels soft. Not frizzy!

Sept 21 (day 16): still only washing hair with water. After the ACV wash, did use a mix of tea tree oil and water in hair and it felt alright. I haven't had bad dandruff since the ACV day. Just very very little specks of dandruff here and there and my scalp feels clean. (Got my oils a few days ago. Been spritzing hair with rosemary and sage mixture in water every morning to keep it moisturized and it feels soft and clean. Need to massage coconut oil in scalp tonight (and maybe some castor oil).

week 1: Sucked! Gross feeling hair for the entire week! Tried to go two days without washing and I could not do it. My scalp had so much build up of dandruff and oils and could not stop scratching my scalp. Hair is much calmer though. Not frizzy nor fluffy!

week 2: Alright. Still itchy and have dandruff and I need something that will get rid of my dandruff! Water alone isn't helping it go away so I have to wait for either my ACV or essential oils to get here. While waiting, did scrub scalp with just water and after showering, would rub coconut oil on scalp where it hurts the most and massaged scalp. Finally got ACV on day 11 and used it. Such a miracle! Scalp isn't itchy (only when using that stupid headset!) and did not see any specks of dandruff at all after shower! Hair/scalp feels clean and not oily and gross.

week 5: Oct 15: Hair is fine. Scalp has dandruff/buildup after two days. Not oily feeling at all! Hair feels soft and super thick and shiny. Been using a rosemary and sage water mixture in a spray bottle on hair for a few weeks now. Dandruff is larger pieces? Not sure if that means anything. But it isn't even a lot as it used to be. Not a big build up of oil/skin on my scalp anymore. Just a little bit of dandruff and that is it. Really white scalp too! Not irritated. Not very itchy either. I only scratch it to get rid of some of the dandruff but it isn't bothering me throughout the day. I did use lavender oil on my scalp last night. I took a few drops on finger tips and rubbed throughout scalp.

Week 6: October 20, 2014: grrr I have been dealing with big chunks of dandruff now! It's SO much now! My entire head has these big flakes of dandruff!! I think the ACV might be too much for my scalp and I think it's the reason my scalp is getting so dry and causing the big flakes. It's not so itchy honestly because it doesn't bother me all day but once I start to scratch I just don't want to stop and it's mainly because I want to scratch all the dandruff off my head! I think this is a dry scalp issue honestly. So I bought Parnevu T-Tree Growth Creme. Supposed to restore the scalp and promote hair growth. It smells amazing and feels nice on the scalp. I just rubbed some all over my scalp and put my headwrap on. I washed my hair earlier with ACV and water this morning and I was still scratching my head and seeing flakes so I hope this helps. My scalp no longer has an oily build up issue. Now I have a dry scalp issue. grrr!!!

Hair looks amazing though. My hair is growing in really thick and fast. Hair looks healthy and is not frizzy. Calm and has a natural shine. My only issue is my scalp. I hope I find a cure soon. My hair is super soft and smooth now and the ACV really makes it soft and smooth and feel so clean. But my scalp is suffering so we will see if the cream and rosemary/sage water mixture heals it. I haven't been using the rosemary/sage mixture for a couple weeks now bc I've been trying to save it bc I didn't have a lot left but I refilled it and hopefully it will last me the next month! Will use it more often now and the creme every night. 

Oct 20: used Creme  that night before bed. Put on finger tips and massaged into entire scalp. And then put headwrap on before bed.

Oct 21: Used Creme that morning. My scalp was less itchy and less dandruff but there was still a lot (mild amount compared to day before)

 Oct 30: Been using the Parnavu T-Tree Oil for 9 days now and my dandruff is gone! It finally went away a day ago. It took a week for the dandruff to go away. Every night I would scratch my head to get rid of as much dandruff as I could before showering and putting on the creme on my scalp. I would use my comb and lightly scratch my head to prevent irritation. Also, the water is much colder now so I think that has also helped in making my scalp heal. Before, the water used to be so hot because of the heat and I'm sure that was a contributing factor to the dry scalp and dandruff. I'm actually a bit wary to continue using ACV and it has been over a week since I've used it because I think that also made my scalp super dry and contributed to the dandruff. erk. I haven't gone a day without the T-Tree creme but have bought a leave-in conditioner by Parnavu and a hair growth cream Profectiv Mega Growth with a lot of great ingredients in it that I tried last night and liked a lot! I think I will continue to use the T-Tree creme until I run out and then just use what I have left. Maybe I just need a reg moisturizing creme for the scalp and it doesn't specifically have to be the T-Tree creme. Not like I didn't like it though. It was less than 4 dollars for a decent size tub! It smells super amazing and isn't greasy or heavy or oil on the scalp. Love it! ;) hehe but anyways, will continue experimenting!

Also: no more buildup on scalp, no itchiness. Hair and scalp feel moisturized and healthy. Hair feels silky smooth and scalp feels clean. Been just moisturizing hair at night and washing hair every two days with just cold water.

Nov 10, 2014

Hair update? 9 weeks now shampoo free! So I skipped a day without massaging the t-tree scalp treatment in my scalp one day and I regretted it because my hair and scalp were so dry! grr! never again! I saw little flakes of dandruff! But BARELY. Still doing the same thing. Wash every two days and the first day after washing, I just use the T-Tree and then the second night I do that and add in the mega growth butter on the rest of my hair focusing on the ends. I can't use it two days in a row because my hair gets too oily. Other than that hair is fine.:) No more updates until I get back to Utah and there is a diff to my hair bc of the water and climate.

Nov 19, 2014

I finished my container of Parnevu T-Tree creme two days ago... been just relying on the Mega Growth butter and it's actually not so bad when using by itself. My hair feels soft and moist for the day and I just have to not use a lot when I do apply it into my hair. Works better when I use it on my damp hair. It's much easier to spread around on my hair. ^__^ Won't be applying it before I travel tho. eck. e__e 

Test Shots

I wanted to post a couple test shots that I did when I just got my Studio lights! My goal wit these test shots was to see how to set up my lights, my camera, and application of my makeup. The pictures turned out alright. The background ended up being too dark but I have fixed that issue since this shoot! And my makeup has gotten better as well. But here are the pictures for your viewing pleasure!

Let me know if you have any critic or comments please!

You see how dark the background is?!?! I had the lights too high and too far away. So for my later shoots I positioned the lights at my eye level ish and much closer to me so it's almost blinding me. hahaha! And also, I am only using two lights at the moment, but once I get my third light fixed up, the images will be much crispier! ;)

Update! New Lights, New Diet, No Poo...

I'm back in America! I've been back for over a month now actually, but I have just been so busy with settling in my new apartment and adjusting back into "normal" life. So I just wanted to give an update!

I bought some new Studio lights maybe two weeks ago! So get ready for some better images! hahaha! I have taken some new photos that I will post on here after this blog! I have been working on some makeup looks so I will post them as I create them.

I am also thinking about posting some more cooking blogs and other stuff I have been into lately. I am going to post a No Poo Experiment on here soon! (Maybe today is I have the time)

I also just recently became Pescatarian/Vegetarian. So I will also post about my journey on that as well if anyone is interested. If no one is, I'm still going to post about it. hahahha!

That's really all I have for an update! ^_^

Happy New Year!

Imomoko Haul!

Yessss! FINALLYYY!!! I have been waiting for this package to get to me for a MONTH! Usually, my orders get to me in 10 days! But for some reason, this package took an entire month!!! But I think it's worth it! :) I'm pleased with the products I got (so far, huhu. I will have to do reviews later!)

*big heart eyes*

• 3 Concept Eyes (3CE) Honey Face Chiffon Fluid #002 (There were two colors available and I got the darker/warmer tone)
• 3CE Creamy compact Foundation in Light and Medium Beige
• Mediheal Kiwi Apple Face sheet x 2
• Leaders InSolution AC- Dressing x 2
• Leaders In Solution Coconut Gel Mask with Blueberry/ with Tomato
• Hanaka Black Rose Mask x 2

*3*!!!

hehe I am so excited about everything!! 

Close up Pictures!

Hanaka Black Rose Mask. I think this is used for getting rid of black heads. This is the back side with ingredients in case you are curious about that.

 Front

Leaders InSolution Coconut Masks. I can't wait to try these!

I bought the Mediheal Kiwi Apple sheets because although I did not like the pumpkin one, I wanted to try these out! I might like the smell better and these ones are for cleansing your pores. I bought more AC Dressing sheets for acne as well.

  

Back of Mediheal Package

My super favorite part! The foundations! So Since using the Maybelline Cream Foundation I have been in love with cream foundations! That foundation makes my skin look so smooth. It doesn't even look like I have foundation on! I hope I get the same results with these! And I hope the colors match!

Medium Beige & Light Beige

The cute puff has a purple side! It's so soft too! ^3^

So it is hard to tell the difference between the two, but once you rub your finger in there you can tell the difference because the color changes.

#002 Chiffon Fluid! There was one other color (#001) and it was much lighter.

(left to right) Cream foundation Medium Beige, Light Beige, Chiffon Fluid #002

 Flash

So cute! *3*

So for the foundations, I have done a little test on my chest for each one and the #002 Chiffon Fluid matches me the best! The other colors I could still use though. I was thinking of using the lightest one for highlight under my eyes.

What do you think of any of these items? Would you try any of these? I plan on doing reviews soon!

My Favorite Sheet Masks!

Since being here in the desert I've taken such great lengths to ensure my skin maintains its condition and prevent it from getting worn out and damaged from the weather and environment. I've tried quite a variety of masks while here and wanted to share with you what I have tried and what my top 3 masks are!

Here is my collection right now:

I've used soo many in the past few months though so this is what my box looks like currently (and I have some more on the way!)

And here are all the different brands I have right now:

Left to Right Top Row: Otaku, Leaders Insolution, Beauty Clinic Mediheal, Innisfree, My Scheming
Bottom: My Scheming (again, oops), Dr. Morita, Pure Smile, Tsiao

Here is a full list of all the masks I have tried (not in any order):

My Beauty Diary
Pure Smile
Dermal
Freeman
Otaku
Leaders Insolution
Beauty Clinic Mediheal
Innisfree
My Scheming
Dr. Morita
Tsiao

I've tried a lot of different masks as you can see. But! I do have a top 3!! I didn't want to do a top 5 or top 10. Just a top 3 that I would definitely keep purchasing!

1. Leaders InSolution
- My skin feels great and looks great after using these! When my skin went a little crazy a few days ago (break out and redness) I put one of these on and my skin cleared right up the next day!

2. Tsiao
-Feels good and smells great! My skin looks so good the next day. I was glowing and my skin looked so calm and smooth. The one in the picture is the Firming Mask. How cute is the packaging?:)

3. Innisfree
-Love the variety this brand has and again, my skin just loves this brand.

Runner Up: My Scheming. This is a runner up because although I do like them (and will purchase them again) my skin feels like it can not breathe with the mask on for more than ten minutes! My skin looks great afterwards but it's such a waste for me when I can not use it for that long and the masks are drenched in serum! I am pretty much wasting most of it. I feel this brand would be great for the winter and for those with really dry skin.  So oily skinned people, be aware of this! (And I also wanted to add that this brand is similar to the My Beauty Diary  masks. Just food for thought if you do like the MBD ones! Go ahead and try these!)

So that is my Top 3! I do like a majority of the masks in the list above, but there are just a few that my skin just really works best with and I would keep repurchasing!

What are your favorite masks? Would you recommend any to me? My skin is currently oily and acne prone here in the desert. In the U.S. it is very dry and sensitive. (Depends on the environment, really)

Unwind with me! [On my day off! Deployed]

Hello! I was in a picture taking mood today! So I thought, "Why not share what I do on my day off with the world while away from home?"hehe I only have one day off a week and on my day off, I normally sleep the majority of the day away. I can't help it. I don't get a lot of sleep during the week so my body makes up for it on my day off. So I can't really blog about what I do through the entire day because the majority of the day is spent sleeping. haha! So I though an unwinding blog would be more reasonable.

I decided to go for a run, jump rope, and flip tires tonight so I was outside at the track and got super sweaty from the humidty. So fun...e_e

 Sorry it's dark. There was only one light at the track. e_e This was after my workout. Drenched in sweat!

In the community bathroom brushing my teeth. hehehehe I actually wore makeup today! I don't normally wear a lot of makeup because I don't have the time and I don't feel like it when it's so hot! But today, I wasn't going anywhere and was in the mood to play with make-up. ^_^

My face wash stuff! I use the baby oil to remove my eye make up. I'm still using my Shiseido face wash as always and the Innisfree jelly softener I have had for two months now and I only use it maybe once a month, so that is why I never featured it before. I just felt like using it tonight.

Goofing off in the bathroom. My roommate was giving me this look like, "what an idiot." LOL!!!

I only wash my brushes on my day off and when I actually use them (like twice a month at most LOL!)

I just use a regular bar of soap. Nothing fancy lol

The community shower. I use a specific one that isn't all moldy and gross. LOOL! I get upset when someone is using it. hahaha! The showers were just cleaned tonight before I went in the bathroom. hehehehe

This is my caddie. Full of junk. I don't know why I took a pic. hahaha! Like my dirty looking towel? I put it in the same laundry as my colored clothing in the washer because there was only one available. Now, it's fabulous. lol!

I hand wash my clothing that I can wash really quick in the shower and just hang dry overnight. The only clothing I take to the laundry room is my uniforms and towels. 

After showering, I will do my night time skin care routine (softener, face masks, moisturizers, etc.) And then just chill on my little bed until I fall asleep! ^___^ So to the left of the image are the clothing that I hand washed and hung on the bunk bed over me. lool I feel like I live in a little cave. LOL!!

That's it! I just wanted to share that! I though people would be a little interested on deployed life, so here is a little snip of it! I don't want to talk much about my work life. Work is work. So yea, time for bed for me!! :)

My Acne Story (Long Post with Pictures and Advice)

So I have been waiting for this post for a while! It's been about a whole year since my acne began and I think that now would be an appropriate time to write a post. :) I just wanted to share my story with everyone on how it started and what I have done to take care of my skin and have clear skin again.

**Note: This is going to be my experience with my recent acne experience. I have struggled with acne when I was in high school, but that is a completely different story! And that was about 7 years ago, soo...but if anyone is interested in that story then let me know!**

So let's begin!

Last summer, on 01 July 2013, I was put on birth control by a doctor at Women's Health because she said that I had a hormonal imbalance that was affecting my mentral cycle. (It was really off, I must admit.) So, on July 1st, I started the pill. (I have no idea what brand I was taking. Sorry! I can't remember which one I was given.)

The very next morning, I had a break out on my chin. When I say break out, I don't mean a little pimple. I mean it was a huge, throbbing and angry pimple! And this continued every single day for the entire month. I had a new pimple on my chin and along my jaw line for the entire month. After I finished that one month, I stopped taking the birth control completely; however, my breakouts did not stop immediately after stopping the birth control. My hormones took a while to get back to normal. I would say it took between3-5 months for my hormones to finally get back to normal and my break outs to calm down.

So you can imagine that I had constant breakouts for a while!  Not only did I break out a lot, but the acne was big, they throbbed, and my skin was very, very sensitive! I did not like touching my face!

Once I started getting the acne, I wasn't quite sure what to do to take care of it! Mainly because there wasn't much I could do to prevent the breakouts because the cause of my breakouts was mostly hormonal and not because of any outside sources (such as my diet or products I use on my face). I just had to wait it out, basically.

Although there wasn't much I could do to prevent the breakouts initially, I didn't know of a way to calm down my acne and an effective way to get my skin to heal faster. (When I break out and the pimple finally goes away, it leaves a red spot that takes about two-three months to disappear.)

Here is a timeline on what I did to take care of my skin:

July- Aug 2013

The first couple months were the most sensitive months.I had a simple skin care routine. I did not include any heavy exfoliating in my routine because my acne hurt too much for that to happen! At the time I was using H20 products on my skin because it was nice to my skin. I used the liquid cleanser and the gel moisturizer day and night. That was pretty much it.

*By the time I stopped the birth control, my acne moved from my chin/jawline area to my cheeks! They never made it up to my forehead.

July 25, 2013

 Aug 02, 2013

The photos are only one week apart! See how badly my skin got in such a short time?

At this time, I was vlogging about my skin, but I didn't take any pictures with my camera. So these are screen shots from my vlogs.

September 1st, I bought a microdermabrasion system. I felt that it was time to have an exfoliant for my face because my skin wasn't as sensitive and did not hurt to the touch. And because I was wearing heavy foundation, my face felt so clogged by the end of the day! I really needed to start exfoliating! I decided to buy the Neutrogenia Microdermabrasion System. I used it about twice a week. It left my skin feeling so soft! Immediately after using it, my skin was so smooth and I saw my acne calming down. I actually kept using it up until April 2014. (I didn't bring it with me when I deployed.)

November 2013

I think this was the time that I discovered face masks. I bought a face mask out of curiosity from Ross one weekend. I was skeptical to try anything new on my face for fear of my skin breaking out. But I thought I would give it a shot. The results turned out great! My acne wasn't as red after using my first face mask and my skin looked so much calmer.

After this discovery, I decided to do research and bought asian face masks. I still use face masks to this day. I started off with My Beauty Diary Sheet masks. Now, I just try anything. haha! (If you're curious though, I have found the best results from the Innisfree It's Real masks. hehe. I might just do a review on my favorite sheet masks in the future. ;) )

**By this time, I still had a lot of acne scars but a lot less acne and the acne was mostly on my cheeks. The acne was still big and angry looking too. I no longer had any on my chin but had the ocassional pimple on my jawline.

**At this point, my skin care routine included the face masks, the same H20 cleanser and moisturizer and the microdermabrasion system. And honestly, I did see the scars going away faster, but I was still breaking out! Something was missing! Although I wasn't breaking out like crazy as I was at the beginning, I was still breaking out often enough to make me wonder what was wrong. Because by this time, my hormones were pretty much back to normal. I needed something to completely stop the breakouts!

April 2014

By this time, I decided to take a chance and start a whole new skin care line. I went to Ross one day and bought the Shiseido Pureness line and bought the Foaming Cleanser, Balancing Softener and Matifying Moisturizer. This is what changed my skin drastically. My acne was literally shrinking before my eyes within a few days! The change was amazing! The cleanser cleans my pores so well, especially since I was still wearing heavy makeup. I think I would have to give majority of the credit to the Softener though. This product balanced out my skin (my skin was never dry and flaky ever again!) and the more I use this stuff, the more my acne just disappears! My skin loves this stuff!

**My acne scars faded significantly by this time! And I just had a small clutter of pimples on one of my cheeks.

May-Present 2014

My skin care routine still includes the Shisedo products, the face masks, and I decided to buy a face scrub to exfoliate my skin. I have completely switched from the H20 line to Shiseido (Mind you, H20 is a great brand as well! It was good to me for the past three years! But I needed a change due to my acne crisis!) I don't want to get too indepth in my skin care routine because I did a separate blog on that. :-)

**The results? Right now, I have one pimple randomly appear on my temple a couple nights ago (I think I was really stressed at the time and didn't get enough sleep), and I have one by my ear. So two pimples?! That's amazing!  My hyperpigmentation is almost gone! Right now, it's just about time. My hormones are back to normal and my skin care routine is on point, so now it's just about waiting it out and sticking to my skin care routine! I noticed I still have one or two random pimples appear on my face around my period, but it's expected and not a big deal to me. For the most part my skin texture has stayed smooth and even and I have a nice glow to my skin. I have gotten quite a few compliments in the past couple months at how nice my skin looks. Such a big boost to my self esteem!

November 07 2013/ January 27 2014/ August 08 2014

Right Side

November 07 2013/ January 27 2014/ August 08 2014

Left Side

My feelings throughout the experience?

At the beginning, I didn't care too much because I knew it was a result from the birth control, but once it started to hurt and left so many scars, that was when it really affected how I felt about my looks. It was such a hassle just to buy foundation too that would cover up well enough and for a long time. I never wore foundation every day until I started breaking out like this. I did not feel good about myself and my joy for playing with makeup turned into being a chore for me to do every morning getting ready for work and anytime I wanted to leave the house. I did try to make it fun for me though by trying different kinds of foundations and reviewing them, but still it's not very wallet friendly.

I became very self conscous about my skin and my looks once I started breaking out. I don't like that at all because even though my skin has gotten a lot better over the year, I am still self conscious and still will not go to work without foundation on my face. I have taken some baby steps since being deployed because I actually do not mind walking around outside without makeup when I'm not going to work, but still need that comfort when I do have to go to work. Baby steps, though! I am working on it!

After seeing how far I have come, it has boosted my confidence significantly. And since experimenting with skin care products, I did finally find a routine that works for me! So those are the good things about this experience!

My Advice:

• Know your skin type! That is the first thing you need to find out! You can do some research online on the different skin types and just pay really close attention to how your skin reacts throughout the day and in different environments.
• Don't be afraid to try new skin products. Once you know your skin type, many products will describe what skin type they are suitable for.
• Do research. I did A LOT of research on EVERYTHING that I have tried before really trying it on my face. I look up reviews to see what skin type the products are more suitable for and what other people think about the products.
• When trying a product, once you see a breakout or if the product irritates your skin or you don't see any significant change (in a good way), get rid of the product! I never gave products that did not work out on my skin a second chance. I bought a product before by the Body Shop (I did a review on it already. It was tee tree foaming cleanser.) and it broke me out and I immediately returned it!
• Do not pick your face! I know it can be disgusting to see a huge zit on your face about to pop but don't break the skin intentionally! Let it dry out on it's own and it will less likely leave a nasty mark on your face.
• Have a skin care regime that includes the following:
• cleanser, exfoliant, balancer/toner and moisturizer. Your skin will love you, especially when you include the moisturizer! 
• Get to know your skin. This step will take a while. You will really have to pay attention to what your skin's needs are on a daily basis! I don't do the same steps every single day because my skin feels differently each and every day! That is why I have a couple different moisturizers and buy different sheet masks.
• Never be rough with your skin! When I exfoliate my skin I am extra careful when I scrub my face. I only scrub hard enough to get the dead skin off my face without irritating it and having my face turn red. I also stay away from products that burn my skin.
• Massage your face. I do this when I wear face masks and applying moisturizer. I do this step before bed. Your skin will feel so relaxed. Be kind to your skin. :)
• Be patient. Your skin takes time to heal. You will be happy in the end! :)
• Stay confident! It isn't permanent!

So, that's it! I would be surprised if anyone actually read this whole post! hahaha! I hope you got something out of my story. I don't know if it will help anyone, but I've waited a long time to write about this post because I thought my advice and experience and an example of my skincare routine (Check out previous post!) would help someone out there. That is my hope! I want to help someone out there! If anyone has any questions though, don't hesitate to ask! I won't bite. :) And if you have your own story you would like to share, I would like to know! :)

Skin Care Update

Hello! It's been a while! For the past few months, I haven't been playing with make-up or buying much of any because I don't have the time and there isn't any reason for me to wear any here! But, I will do an updated makeup routine (just be aware that it is pretty basic) but I thought I would share what I am using out here in this hot weather! But anyways, back to what I wanted to talk about in this post. I have been more focused on my skin care since being out here for many reasons:

I work long hours and I do not get enough sleep! My schedule is pretty exhausting and I get only about 4-5 hours each night until I finally get a chance to catch up on my rest on my day off. And I just sleep the entire day away! So because of that, I know my skin is taking a beating and I don't want to look so tired!

The heat, dust and wind here is brutal! When I'm outside for a while my skin will begin to burn just by how hot it is outside. The sun doesn't bother me much though because my hat protects me from the sun as well as my foundation. So that's no issue! But everything else does take a toll on my skin. Some days when I am outside for only 10 minutes and come back indoors and look in the mirror, my cheeks are bright red and look irritated.

Because I only have one day off, I wear foundation 6 days a week for up to 17 hours each day. I know it's not a good thing for my skin but like I said, I work long hours, so that's why I wear foundation for so long. But by the end of the day, a good majority of it has already sweated off my face anyways. hahahaha!

So I feel pretty bad about my skin after a long day at work. When I get home the first thing I want to so is of course take care it! 

**I just thought to add this! My skin type is dry, sensitive skin. Well, since being here, my skin has been a little oily but just around my T-zone and it's really not that bad. It's just from this heat and occasional humidity. Okay, back to the routine!**

This has been my routine since I've been here (with new additions!). 

**Note: These are the products and steps I take at the end of the day. In the mornings, i just rinse my face with water and then apply the Balancing Softener (mentioned in Step Two). :-)


Regular Routine:

Step one: Cleansing

Shiseido Pureness  foaming Cleansing Fluid: This has been my face wash for a while now (about four months). I have posted about this line before. I am still using it and love it! I am currently using this liquid form, but once I run out of this bottle (which will be soon) I will use the foaming cleanser (which I already have in my locker. Ready to go!) I can't go a day without using this stuff!

Miu Color Facial Cleansing Exfoliate Brush: I use this with the cleanser. This helps to make the cleanser foam up really well and is so soft on the skin! It just feels so nice. I wouldn't say it exfoliates my skin. It just
does a good job at cleaning your face from debri and makeup.

Step Two: Toner

Shiseido Pureness Balancing Softener: After patting my face dry with a towel or paper towel, I put two pumps of this liquid in my palms and pat this all over my face and neck.

Step Three: Moisturizer

Depending how I feel, I will then put on a face mask. I normally use a mask up to 2-4 times a week, depending on how dry or tired my skin feels. I use a variety of masks! I buy a lot my masks from imomoko.com. If you would like me to write a separate job on reviews on different masks, let me know. ;)

Last step: Shiseido Pureness Matifying Oil-Free Moisturizer. I don't always put this moisturizer on. usually after using a face mask, my skin is pretty hydrated, but sometimes my skin needs a little more moisture. It really depends on how dry my skin feels, but more often than not, I do have to put this on before bed. And I have to use a lot! My skin is just so thirsty before bed!



Days I Exfoliate:


I don't exfoliate my skin that often. Maybe once a week and just when needed. When my pores feel so clogged  up or I just feel a build up of dead skin on my face, these are the products I will use:

Freeman Facial Charcoal and Black Sugar Polish Mask: for removing dead skin
Freeman Feeling Beautiful Facial Clay Mask, Chocolate and Strawberry Mask: for deep cleansing

The sugar polish mask is great for exfoliating your skin! I enjoy it because of how effective it is as well as the fact that I don't break out and my skin does not get irritated. 

The Clay mask smells amazing. It smells like chocolate. No, I have not actually tasted it so I can not tell you if it does taste like chocolate or if it just tastes gross. haha! You will have to try it yourself. hahaha! But I will use this when I need a deep cleaning. It is cooling on the skin and I do not experience any burning. It does clean pretty well and I would recommend using this when you are about to shower to make it easier to wash off. If you don't want to do that, just be very careful when washing the mask off because it is a bit messy and you wouldn't want brown spots on your shirt. hahaha!

So that is my routine! That is everything I have been using for the past three months! I do have two new additions to my skin care family and have started using the products just yesterday!

New Additions:

Left: Shiseido Aqualabel Whitening AC Emulsion (when I bought it, I thought it was a toner. oh well.) I decided to buy this and use it for days my skin decides to break out (usually only around the time I get my period.)

Right: Shiseido Aqualabel Gel Cream. I actually only use this on my eye area. hehe It's super thick!!

I will do a review on these when I have used them for a while. :)

So, what do you think about my routine? Any recommendations? What does your skin care regime consist of?:)