Beverage of the day: Peet's Jasmine Green Tea
Rave - ELF Studio Brushes
Rant - MAC 224
Anyways, I FINALLY washed my new ELF Studio brushes and I have to say, only ONE hair shed out of all the ones I washed (which was around 15 brushes or so). That is pretty impressive because I also washed my MAC 224 and about 3 hairs shed from that brush. The 224 I've had about 2 years and finally started using it with my BB cream. It sheds almost every time I deep clean or spot clean it, and I've had 1 or 2 hairs shed while I was using it.
Rant - Neutrogena AHA
On another note, about two weeks ago I decided to try Neutrogena's AHA lotion. I have used it before and it made my skin red and flaky. I used this lotion three times, every other day. It made my cheeks red AGAIN!! Not only that, there were small bumps along my jawline. It wasn't visible but it felt so ICKY. The redness was so noticeable that my parents asked me what was wrong with my face. They knew it was a lotion that did it too!
I know that you're supposed to stick with AHA because your skin has to get used to it. But, I couldn't go around with my face looking like this. I was using BB cream to cover up the redness and while I don't really suffer from acne, I just wanted BETTER skin with no wrinkles. Not that I really have wrinkles.... I just wanted really good looking, magazine cover skin.
I went OFF it, and now my skin's a lot better. I don't know if I want to try AHA again for the third time, it's probably best if I threw it out now so I don't get tempted to use it again.
A few days after I stopped using it
Below is my "Skin Profile" which will tell you what kind of skin I have to give you more info on whether or not you want to use AHA.
Routine
Morning: No cleanser (on most days), Olay SPF 15 Moisturizer
Night: Clarisonic* on medium for 1 or 2 minutes using a NORMAL brush head, with L'oreal 360 deep cream cleanser, followed by Dan Kern's moisturizer.
Exfoliate (once a month, I would like to exfoliate twice a week): I switch between Clinique's Pore Minimizer Thermal Active Skin Refiner with SkinFood's Black Sugar Scrub, and a home-made aspirin mask (two tablets of aspirin with honey).
Skin Type
Combination skin - oily T-zone with dryness around mouth & nose, and cheeks
Sensitivity - I am allergic to nickel and am prone to rashes for unknown reasons. I am not allergic to most cleaners (Biore's Pore Unclogging Scrub made my face bumpy and rashy in L.A., but does not do that to me in San Francisco) and lotions. Seems like my skin can tolerate different products in different environments.
Sun Burns - On a "normal" day when I don't use SPF moisturizer, I don't burn. I don't burn most days in the summer, unless I'm in another city and in the sun the WHOLE day. I used SPF 4 lotion on my legs to suntan, and I don't burn there. I haven't had a sunburn in a long time, and I try to practice "safe sun" by wearing SPF lotions.
Allergies - I am allergic to: nickel, MOST mascaras (Covergirl LashBlash, Maybelline Full N Soft, L'oreal Voluminous). I am sensitive to falsie lashes glue. My eyelids will be swollen, red, and itchy after I use these products. I have learned to use mascara once in a while and only at the tips of my lashes. It will still irritate my eyes, but you know the saying.. no pain, no gain :) I am NOT allergic to any foods or drinks, which is quite awesome.
*I will do a seperate review for the Clarisonic at a later date. I want to use this for a couple months first to see what it does to my skin. I have been using it for about two weeks and haven't noticed any VISIBLE differences in skin texture.
So... in conclusion, Happy Lunar New Years, Happy Valentines, I've had skin issues, I might have had pink eye, a sore throat for five days (and counting), started developing a cough, infected my boyfriend with a sore throat, and getting ready for a second job.
-Boudoir Beauty
