Full Coverage Tips For Blemished Skin

I was thinking that today we could play a fun little game: raise your hand if you enjoy breakouts...!  Come on....  Don't be shy...  Raise it...  Raiiiiise it....!!!  No? No one?

Ok fine, it seems no one likes breakouts. BUT life is funny like that and chances are you've had them or might even have one right now. What's that!? You do!? Yay, me too! We can be zit buddies today (or something less lame!).

Like any good friend, though, I am going to show you some tips and tricks I've picked up over the years to mask the little bastards. Yes, we all are beautiful, what's inside is what matters blah blah blah but let's face it: that doesn't mean that we want to walk around with a third eye. (Or maybe you do, I'm not here to judge!).

So first things first:

1. Make sure you clean your face properly: get into those pores and take out all the gunk they accumulate. 

2. Now start off with a good primer. There is no point in covering up a zit perfectly, only to have your makeup be gone half an hour later. On my last post  I also suggested using a makeup-setting spray, which is just as effective as a primer and gives a wonderful cooling sensation for when the temperatures are high. 

3. Use a full-coverage foundation. This DOES NOT mean putting eight pounds of it on your face! (which would actually be counterproductive). Start with a thin layer and build it up until you get your desired coverage.

4. Concealer! This is probably one of the most key parts of this tutorial, as what this is all about is concealing! So find a good one, and conceal the heck out of those little buggers. 

5. Another key aspect for me is to take as much focus away as possible from the culprits. So what I'll do is I will put on a bold lipstick and really play up my eyes. (Black eyeliner can do wonders for this!). There is a fine line, however, between having eyes and lips that steal the focus away from the rest of your face, and looking like a "lady of the night", if ya' know what I mean!  Oh, and if your breakouts happen to be around the cheek area, like mine, go easy on the blush. Again, we are trying not to bring attention to them!

6. Finally, don't take yourself too seriously. I used to get so miserable whenever I saw another pimple making its unwanted appearance, and I realized I was letting them ruin my mood way too often. Yes, zits still annoy me, but they don't control me anymore. And if you're like most women, you won't be able to escape them either. Kind of like your child when you are trying to go to the toilet in peace. So do what you'd do in those cases: ignore them and it will be over before you know it.


The photos above are the final look (non-photoshopped), and here are the products used for this tutorial:

- Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation in Medium Sand
- NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger
- M.A.C. Studio Fix Pressed Powder in NC42
- Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids Lipstick in Shocking Coral
- Tarte Lights Camera Lashes Mascara
- Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Pink Plum

Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil Review

Sometimes there are things in life that you lust after for ages (Ryan Gosling, anyone?), and then when you finally get your hands on them, they turn out to be an utter, devastating disappointment (not that Ryan would be, though!). Well, that's kind of what happened to me with the much raved-about Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil.

I'm telling you, that dude is big in the beauty community. Everyone uses words such as "luscious", "silky" and "wonder" when they refer to it. Me? more like "Oh no, you didn't!". Turns out, for some unknown reason, my skin decided to declare war on me when I put this on.

I need to say, this is the first oil I've put on my face EVER, because I produce enough as it is. However, anyone who understands skincare will tell you that putting the right oil on your face will actually stop your skin from thinking it's dry and overproducing oil. Fair enough. So i bit the bullet and got what I thought would be "the right oil". I put it on at night after my toner, a bit hesitantly but also quite smugly, thinking I was being so beauty smart.
The next morning my skin did have a lovely texture. That is, everywhere but those four zits that I had gained overnight. That's right: four. Up until then I had been feeling happy with my skin, it was (for once!) under some control, no zits in sight... and then comes this "oil" and all my hard work is gone all of a sudden... but such is life.

I was left heartbroken. My skin did feel amazing on the parts that weren't broken out, and I wanted so bad to keep using it. Not to mention I am in love with Tarte as a brand: their foundation is amazing, their lip tints are incredible, so are their cheek tints; they are an Eco-friendly brand full of good-for-you stuff, so why did the oil have to be so bad for me? I guess we'll never know...
My skin has started to recover but I still have some pigmented reminders of my short-lived affair with my first ever oil. However, I vow to remain a faithful Tarte consumer, I understand it was my skin's fault and not theirs. And I'm sure the oil won't be a waste either: my mom has rather dry skin, which I'm sure will love some of the "wonder lusciousness" that is this product.

Will I ever try another oil again? probably. There are still many my skin needs to come to terms with: tea tree oil, Rosehip oil and moroccan argan oil are next on my wishlist.

Updated Oily-Combo Skincare Routine

You know those people who are so uptight that whenever you change anything in their routine, they go ballistic? well, it turns out my skin is like that. Yes, it is a total a-hole. Whenever I see a product that sounds amazing, I'll be like "oh, good, let's try that one out!" and my skin will be like "yeah, nope". And if I dare do it, it will give me a nice little set of brand new breakouts. So I give in, and try to stick to the (very few!) products my skin will accept without throwing a huge tantrum.

So here they are, the products that have been working well for me and keeping that oil factory I have in my pores under control:

First off, I start the day cleansing my face to get rid of any gunk I might have accumulated overnight with The Body Shop Seaweed Deep Cleansing Facial Wash. This was a favorite of mine back in 2010 (I used it throughout my whole pregnancy) and I recently repurchased it. I can't believe I forgot how amazing it was, but I am so thrilled I rediscovered it. It is a very gentle everyday face wash that works really well for me even though it says "for combination skin" (don't tell my skin!).

However, two to three times a week I'll use a face scrub instead of the face wash to really deep-clean my pores. I tend to lean towards more abrasive scrubs. What can I say? the skin likes it rough, I give it rough. (okay, that might sound a bit weird!)
I am alternating between two at the moment: Alba AcneDote Face And Body Scrub, which is amazing when my skin is behaving badly (not to mention dirt cheap at $7), it makes my skin feel fresh and renewed, and keeps breakouts at a minimum. It is however on the more abrasive side of the spectrum, so be aware of that if you have sensitive skin. On days where I am looking for a gentler cleanse, I will use Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser, which is more mild. I finish off my morning routine with my Neutrogena moisturizer/sunscreen and done. Nice and easy.

At night, I will start by removing my makeup with The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter. Let me just say from the get-go that I would have never ever EVER gotten this for myself: I usually keep my face miles away from anything that says "butter" on it (!!!) but this was a gift from my mother in law, so I decided to give it a try because I was really intrigued by the cleansing balm craze,(and you know, you don't reject gifts from your MIL!). I was terrified of what I would see in the mirror the next morning. To my utter bewilderment, my face seemed to love it. The makeup comes off very easily with a flannel or cotton buds, and it doesn't leave a tight feeling (like the wipes I used on my last skincare routine did!). But perhaps most importantly for me, it didn't break me out at all. Needless to say, I am a cleansing balm convert and I'm already on my second one. Afterwards, I cleanse my face again with The Body Shop Seaweed facial wash.

Twice a week I will also love me a good face mask and LUSH makes my favorites. The two I alternate at the moment are Cupcake and Cosmetic Warrior. I would get the former purely for the smell (it's like a chocolate bar for my face, yum!), even if it wasn't targeted at my skin type but it just so happens that it is perfect for breakouts yay! The latter is a more comprehensive treatment for the face thanks to the egg white and honey, which help with breakouts, blemishes and blackheads while also moisturizing the skin. My face is always happy happy after one of these.

Like last time, I still like to finish off with my Clinique Acne Solutions Clarifying Lotion and let it work overnight on my problem areas (which can be many, let me tell ya!).

This routine has proven to be a no-fuss, straight-forward solution that is keeping my skin pretty happy at the moment, so it is not likely to change any time soon if I can help it. But who knows... My skin might decide it has had enough of any of these at any point. You just don't know with that girl!
Am I the only one with skin this mercurial?

My Nighttime Skincare Routine Plus Reviews

Finding just the right products for your skin is no easy task: for me it has been a trial-and-error process, and it can sometimes be very daunting and disheartening when I have high hopes for a product and the results are disastrous (LUSH Fresh Farmacy, I'm looking at you!). Right now though, I am pretty satisfied with these four gems, and although my skin is far from perfect, they are delivering pretty satisfactory results at the moment:

Let's start with the first one:

Neutrogena Deep Clean Oil-Free Makeup Remover Wipes: These and The Body Shop's Tea Tree Cleansing Wipes are the only wipes I have ever tried that do not break me out. However, I prefer the Neutrogena ones, as the Tea Tree Oil tends to burn my face slightly, for some reason my face reacts to them (not strongly, though). And considering they are half the price ($6.39 USD) I am likely to just stick with Neutrogena.

They are the first product I use: they get rid of the first layer of makeup, and I also remove all of my eye makeup with these as the other products aren't really suitable for the eye area. I wouldn't recommend using only cleansing wipes, as they really can't get rid of all the dirt and gunk, and the face just doesn't feel clean. 

Then, I use the Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser:

 It has a lovely, soothing texture and it continues to get rid of all the makeup the wipes left behind. It claims to help prevent breakouts thanks to the salicylic acid. I am actually neutral on that: I don't think it particularly prevents them, but it also doesn't cause them. Plus, its texture calms my skin and it is very good at removing makeup and dirt.

Then I move on to LUSH's Let The Good Times Roll Cleanser:

I just have to say that this product is Heaven sent! Being a huge Lushie, I had heard all of the hype surrounding this product: nearly every day someone would express their disappointment that it had been discontinued, and I kept wondering what could possibly be so darn great about it. Then they brought it back (this time permanently) around a month and a half ago, and I decided I had to see for myself.

I have to say here, that I was extremely hesitant to purchase it, as the description states that this is for "all skin types". Now usually, I would stay miles away from any product that is meant for all skin types, as my face has declared war on anything that isn't specifically for oily skin. But this time curiosity got the best of me, and I ordered the small pot (Now I wish I had ordered the larger one!). The first thing I noticed is its yummy scent: it smells of corn and caramel, but not in an overpowering or overly sweet way, it is very subtle. Then, I grabbed a pinch of it, just a little pea-sized one, as a little goes a long way, and mixed it with water to create a paste. I massaged onto my whole face, and was afraid it would break me out because it felt very moisturizing. When I rinsed it off, it did leave my face feeling soft and supple, but also squeaky clean. I have now been using it for around two weeks, and not only does it not break me out at all, but my face is softer than ever. I never ever put moisturizer on at night because my face would just go nuts, but with this product I don't even have to! I have now become one of the thousands that swear by it.

If it is starting to get really cold where you live, then run don't walk to get this! your face will be desperately needing some hydration, no matter your skin type, and this product will give it just that in the nicest possible way.

Using these three products leaves my face completely makeup- and gunk-free. For my makeup and skin type, this is the only way I feel truly clean.

Finally, I top off my routine with Clinique Anti Blemish Solutions Clarifying Lotion, a toner that unclogs pores and absorbs excess oil. Since I've been using it, I have definitely noticed a difference in the amount of oil on my face. It contains significant amounts of salicylic acid, so I don't recommend it for sensitive skin types, as it can be a little irritating (it does tingle a little when I put it on).

So far, my skin hasn't declared war on me with this routine, so I don't think I'll be changing it any time soon. Don't fix what ain't broken and all that, ya know?