Makeup Forever Smoky Extravagant Mascara

One of the most loved high end mascaras on the market, how does this actually compare to other high end brands and drugstore brands?

Most Used Summertime Faves... Oldies!

Some of my favorite summer staples aren't new things I purchased or received; in fact, I actually took a break from buying new makeup. So my only option is shopping my stash and finding a lot of gems I would have otherwise forgetten :) 

For the past few months, I've been adorning pinks. It's such a bright color for the summer and so appropriate for any day of the week, and especially with traveling. 

Goals for September

Having come back from Vegas just a day ago, it is really hard to get back into the grind of things. Thus, goals.

1. Organize my closet, dressers, shelves. I've got a ton of potential space that I could utilize if I just get rid of stuff I haven't worn. I'm looking at you, strapless corset dress.

2. Makeup purging. enough said.

3. Gym time. I'm lucky enough to go to the gym before or after work without having to drive there bc it is right there, centrally located in the work campus. I'm hoping to take more yoga classes. Maybe a Zumba lesson here and there.

4. Travel frequently. Plan in advance. One of my most desirable things to do on weekends is to staycation. I love taking day trips, or packing an overnight bag to stay somewhere 2 hours away. 

5. Work hard, play hard. Life is too short to not enjoy the little things around you. I am so fortunate that I have a job where they care about work/life balance. I will try to pace things out and work efficiently without overwhelming myself. Set work goals weekly! 

Cleansing Lotion and Cleansing Oil: back to basics

This summer I have been using different kinds of facial cleansing oils to counteract...OIL. It sounds contradicting, doesn't it? It is actually quite nice, because the oils melt away any sebum on your skin and keeps it looking hydrated and youthful.

I had a few bad months of crazy skin, and the one thing that really helped my skin was going back to basics. I stopped using my Shiseido Future Solution Cleansing Foam because i suspect that it actually made things worse for my skin because of the richness of the wash. 

A good friend of mine gifted me with a facial cleansing lotion from the Face Shop, a Korean skincare retailer that sells affordable Korean skincare. I'm wondering if they sell a lot of Korean drugstore They are popping up all over in several cities I've been in and in malls as well.

Skin Update: La Roche Posay Effaclar Review

A couple months back I started getting cystic acne around my jaw. I thought it was due to hormones but it kept getting progressively worse. I figured I'd let it do its thing and wait for it to go away naturally while i spot concealed them. It didn't get better. In fact, it was pretty painful and my face got really rough and dull looking. I had bumps and lumps everywhere. After washing my face, they would become inflamed and red, I had to conceal them pretty desperately during work and even that made me self conscious. At the end of a day, a lot of the cysts looked bigger and white heads were sporadically popping up everywhere. I also had some scarring on my jaw area from popping the zits. Within the span of 2 months, I went from a clear face to that. I thought it might be my hormones (and it could well be) but it wasn't getting better even after the time of the month.

Eventually, about a week or so back, i purchased the 3 step acne kit from La Roche Posay's Effaclar line after reading much positive reviews.

To start, I've never had sensitive skin so I wasn't too concerned with what treatments to use. 

Here was my face before.