Aesop's face oil

This is the other face oil I use. I've been using this one for months now. It's thicker than the Bobbi Brown one and thus takes longer to absorb or at least it feels like it. I do still like it though. My only complaint is the super strong jasmine scent. It's too much. I only use this one in the evening before bed. 

Bobbi Brown's Extra Face Oil

I absolutely love this product. I use it every morning and every evening before I go to bed. It smells like Asian medicine but I like that kind of smell. 

Mario Badsecu's Foaming Glycolic Cleanser and Toner

I absolutely love these two items! The duo does an amazing job of controlling my oily T-zone. With consistent use the pores on my nose and the area around my nose minimized. My only complaint is that it was hard for me to remember to use the cleanser 3 times a week. I'm pretty forgetful and I also like simple routines. Each item is under $20 and can be lund at Ulta. I love both items and will definitely repurchase- which is RARE for me!

Estée Lauder Optimizer Intense Hydration Boosting Lotion

I purchased this from CCO in Livermore, Ca. It was $25? I wanted a hydrating toner (despite the misleading name 'lotion' this is a toner) for my dry peeling summer skin and wanted to give this one a try. It's thicker than normal toners. It is very gentle and soothing to the skin. I pour a little into my palms and rub it all over my face- no cotton ball. I'm not a big toner user so this was a big addition into my skin care routine. So far it's been good for my skin. No more peeling skin! But is it worth trying or repurchasing in my case- no. It's nothing special. My husband loves it though so I may repurchase it for him. :)

No7 Protection & Perfection Beauty Serum

I purchased my bottle from Target for around $20 a little over a month ago. I purchased it because i read that this serum was voted as one of the best anti-aging serums by consumers. For the most part I have even using it every evening... On top of toner and underneath night cream. I should have taken a before photo but I'm still new to blogging and wasn't planning ahead. Prior to using this beauty serum, I have dry to normal skin and I'm starting to have crows feet and smiles lines. I was suffering from extreme dryness and some peeling on my nose and chin prior to starting this serum. After using 80% of the beauty serum my skin is "healthier looking" according to my husband. Honestly I'm not sure if I see a difference. The serum is smooth and when applied to the skin it leaves a smooth finish. It's pretty fast drying which is a positive because then layering with a moisturizer is possible. It's definitely affordable compared to other anti-aging serums out there if you want to try it!

Girl friends

Today is wedding of one of my dearest friend in the world. I've always call her my sister from a different mother because she understand me just like one of my sisters. I'm incredibly happy for her and her soon to be husband but I'm also incredibly sad as she will be moving across the country. So as I spend the day with her, I'm reminiscing about our undergraduate days, endless all nighters spent cramming, our quarter life crisis, tears of disappointment over academic set backs, and how far we have both come. Gosh, I really will miss her so much! Cherish your girlfriends and hold them close to your heart because good friends are so hard to find!

Jealousy

I'm obsessed with her skin! It's ridiculous! I'm sooo envious!

Her skin regime is something like... cleanse, tone moisturize every morning and night .... do a mask 2-3 times a week, exfoliate 2-3 times a week... eye cream every morning and night....a few drops of rose hip oil in the evening...




 

Dry skin solution!

I have discovered something that works for my dry skin!! After you shower, apply body lotion (Jergen's Ultra Healing) everywhere THEN grab your favorite body oil and layer it on top! I don't know why I didn't think of this before because I layer my face oil on top of my moisturizer. Silly of me really. Anyways- it works! It really does. I did this for three days straight and saw a huge difference in my skin.


I have really dry skin. My legs are scaly and my elbows and knees feel like sand paper. I've used body lotion for months before without seeing much of a difference so I started to use body oils. Oils I have tried include baby oil, coconut oil, castor oil, and the one I am currently using bio oil. I hate baby.Baby oil doesn't absorb/ dry well on me. I end up going to bed (I shower in the evenings before bed) wet and slippery. It's so gross. I have even tried the "gel" form of baby oil because it's suppose to be better than regular baby oil- same conclusion: I hate it. I sorta like coconut oil. It definitely absorbs better than the baby oil but I don't like the smell coconut so ya. I don't like castor oil either. It's too thick! I can't get past it's viscosity and also has a weird smell to it. Bio oil absorbs like the coconut oil but minus the coconut smell so I'm liking it so far. 

A little about me

My skin started changing about a year and a half ago and I think it's because I am approaching 30 soon.  I've always had very dry skin. So dry that I'm constantly peeling. It's not just really gross, it can actually be painful. It took me years and years of reading product reviews and testing out beauty products to finally get a skin care routine that works for my skin... and now I have combination skin?!? It's very frustrating. I've never had oily skin before and am completely clueless about managing/ taking care of it. I've also notice a horizontal forehead line/wrinkle, more expression lines when I smile, and sun/age spots.

I sound obsessive and that's because I sorta am. I have a tendency to mirco-analyze my skin (and everything else in life truthfully). I think this came about as a result of my near sightedness (can't see far away objects well). (I've had glasses since the second grade.) I take off my glasses when I wash my face (duh) and they remain off when I look at myself in the mirror AND because I am so blind (no joke I really am) I have to get really close to the mirror to get a good look at my skin thus bringing to my attention all my flaws. You will never know how big you pores are until your face is an inch from the mirror. Sad but true. It's been like this for decades.... so it's impossible to stop noticing now. 

This blog will document my beauty trials as I try to find something that will work for my oily/combination/dry/aging skin.