The Skincare Check
- My Current Product Rotation
Late last year, I began experiencing a series of acne breakouts like never before. And believe me, that is not the business when you are in your late 20′s. My skin is very oily and it can be quite sensitive to product, so trying to find So I ramped up my beauty product even while ramping up the product junkyism, I had to be careful about ingredients. I tried special potions that were specifically tailored by an esthetician to the super affordable Neutrogena brand. I tailored my diet and upped my water intake (which helped alot) and took vitamins such as Zinc and Fish oil.
My skin has finally cleared up somewhat in the past couple of months. I credit most of this to the vitamins and it’s also in its best form when my diet is completely clean. After much trial and error with products, I think I’ve finally found an arsenal that helps to keep my oily skin in check. Here are the skincare products that I use daily (or semi-daily):
Bioderma Sebium Purifying Foaming Gel
Ole Henriksen Grease Relief Face Tonic
Uriage Hyseac Masque Gommant Doux Gentle Exfoliating Mask for Combination/Oily Skin
Mario Badescu Oil-Free Moisturizer SPF 17
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20–Oil Free
My routine with these products is as follows:
- Morning: Wash my face with Bioderma Sebium Purifying Foaming Gel and wipe my face with the Ole Henrickson Tonic using a cotton ball. I then follow up with the Mario Badescu Oil Free Moisturizer.
- Evening: Wash my face with BiodermaBioderma Sebium Purifying Foaming Gel and then using the Ole Henriksen Tonic. Then I applythe Ole Henriksen Vitamin Plus Moisturizer.
- Twice a Week: I apply the Uriage Hyseac Masque and let it sit for 2 minutes. It’s a great exfoliator as well as a mask, but I prefer to use it as a mask.
Individual Product Assessment: the products I feel are the “most important” to my current beauty routine are as follows:
Bioderma Sebium Gel Moussant Purifiant: I teetered between ordering this and Bioderma’s other cleanser, the Crealine H20 Ultra-mind Non-rinse Face and Eyes Cleanser. I’ve heard that the latter is super gentle on oily/sensitive skin and cleans really well. However, I’m still skeptical of any facial cleansers that you don’t have to wash off, so I went with the Sebium Gel Moussant Purifiant. After using this cleanser for two weeks, I can’t say that I’ve seen a remarkable difference. Unless you count not having any new breakouts as a success? I’m going to continue using the cleanser until I finish the bottle and perhaps I’ll move on to the non-rinse cleanser to see if I like that better.
Uriage Hyseac Masque Gommant Doux: I bought this mask from the same online store as the Bioderma cleanser and decided to give it a shot since I was in the market for a new mask. This mask is really gentle and has tiny exfoliating beads, so you can use it everyday as an exfoliator or twice a week as a mask. As a mask, you only need to keep it on for 2 minutes and then wash it off. The result is smooth, glowing skin that you want to run your hand over again and again (but you don’t). Also, for those in the oily-skin club, I’ve found that the skin is mattified nicely after using this mask. Now, I’ve only used it twice, so only time will tell how well this product really works.
Mario Badescu Oil Free Moisturizer: Mario Badescu. The old standby. For months, I’d been trying to find a decent oil-free moisturizer with an SPF above 5, and came up with nothing. I was happy with Mario Badescu, but I guess I wanted to see if there was anything better out there. I’ve written about Mario Badescu before, and how I love his products because they are affordable and effective. The consistency of this moisturizer is thick, but it somehow feels lightweight when you put it on your face. Add in the fact that it’s SPF 17, and I say it is a winner.
Any skincare products that you swear by?
Summer Playlist
Call me crazy, but this unbearable heat really makes me miss Chicago’s snowy winters. Don’t get me wrong, I am enjoying the short summer season, but the heat can be a bit too much. In any event, I do love a good summer playlist. A few days ago I signed up for Spotify, whose US launch I have been anxiously awaiting, and began working on an ideal summer playlist.
While I’m still getting used to the service and the features, I am loving the ease and availability of my favorite artists and songs right at my finger tips. I call this my summer playlist, but I love these songs during any season. A good mix of genres and a couple of dance tunes, I tried to keep it as light as possible. If you download, I hope you enjoy!
Track List:
- Paradise Circus–Massive Attack
- Little Bit–Lykke Li
- Why–Donna Regina
- Elephant Woman–Blonde Redhead
- 20 Dollar–M.I.A.
- I Wanna Be Your Lover–Prince
- Dark Fantasy–Kanye West
- Electric Feel–MGMT
- Since I Left You–The Avalanches
- Satin Chic–Goldfrapp
- Karma Police–Rockabye Baby!
- I Don’t Know Why–Stevie Wonder
- Sinnerman–Nina Simone
- How I Got Over–The Roots
- Oh Yeah–Daft Punk
- Summertime–Nina Simone
- Teachers–Daft Punk
- MoneyGrabber–Fitz and the Tantrums
- Breathe Me (Four Tet Remix)–Sia
Download my 2011 Summer Playlist
Still looking for a Spotify invite? I still have three invitations left! Send me an email or comment and let me know if you would like one!
Don’t Call it A Comeback
*please excuse the grainy photo. Camera is in the shop, so I’m phoning it in these days.*
I realize that it has been nearly 11 months since my last post. If anyone still reads this blog to come back to the last updated post from September 3rd, 2010, I apologize.
So much has happened since that last post, it feels like that was a million years ago. Just to get you a little up to speed on the extra long blogcation: I entered graduate school in September and juggled that with working extra long hours. In December, I decided to take a new direction in life and I finally went on a self-imposed break for the last six months.
During the break, I began to question if I should even blog anymore. I started this blog as an outlet to get me writing again and about things that I was passionate about. I never wanted to become too serious about blogging and I’ve never wanted to do this for any money or statistics.
There are so many fantastic fashion and beauty blogs out there, and it’s easy to feel like you are being caught up in the masses. If you don’t really have any specific direction, you begin to feel like you are all over the place. Or at least this is how I felt.
In the past couple of months, I’ve logged in to my blogging dashboard and prepared myself to write a post, but the words never spilled out. Many times, I’ve thought of just letting this domain expire and forget about blogging altogether.
But I’ve decided to give it one more go. I’m not saying that I’ll update as frequently as I did (pre-hiatus) or where my focus will be, but I’m just going to start from the beginning.
Friend Friday: Copycat Fashion
This week’s Friend Friday, brought to us by Modly Chic, discusses copying in the fashion industry, knockoffs and designers “borrowing” ideas from one another. Quite the meaty topic and an issue that I can see both sides on.
1. Which side do you take… Copycat designs are a way for the average consumer to stay current and wear runway styles without breaking the bank OR Copycat designs take business from the designer and cheapen the value of their work. Explain.
Honestly, I can see it both ways. I don’t necessarily care for copycat designs, but eventually, every trend starts from higher up and trickles down to the “lower” chains. And if the average consumer sees something that they like and admired on the runway, but can’t afford it at all, can’t they buy a more cost-friendly version of that particular piece? Plus, many designers are inspired by trends, particular time periods and cultures as well. I think the line is drawn when inspiration crosses over into just plain old copying.
2. Sometimes we do things, even if they are unethical or illegal (downloading music for free, watching full movies on YouTube). Do you think it is unethical for a designer to copy a vintage piece, make it current and sell it?
I don’t know if I would call it unethical or not, but I do think it’s not very genuine. If your specialty is copying vintage and making it current, then just say it, but don’t try to pass it off as your own.
3. Would you buy an items that is a very well done copy of a runway garment if it fell within your budget?
You know, I probably shouldn’t say no. Last year, I bought a pair of the Jeffrey Campbell 99 wedges that were a pretty darn close substitute for the Acne Atacoma wedges. In all honesty, I really did just like the style and the Jeffrey Campbell shoes were right within my price range.
4. According to the fashion laws, at least in the US, apparel design is seen as too utilitarian to qualify for copyright protection. Would you think this is detrimental to the industry or beneficial. (Check out this video on The Taxonomy of My Wardrobe to get a better idea of this concept: http://taxonomyofmywardrobe.blogspot.com/2010/08/fashion-and-copyright-laws.html)
Hm…I think it can go both ways. I appreciate and admire the taxing time, energy and innovation many designers put into their work. To see their work ripped off and reproduced by retail chain X, without as much as a nod to all of the creativity and energy the designer has put forth has to be frustrating. Plus, the quality fabrics and details of design are hardly ever perfectly replicated.
However, after watching the video, I can see the point of view on how copying designers establish trends. The “trickle down” effect booms throughout throughout the retail industry from the big wigs to the street style chain stores. Is that not helpful for the industry overall with the growth in sales? It can be that it’s not that people aren’t interested in fashion–you can look on Chictopia and Lookbook.nu to see that, it’s about accessibility and the lines of exclusivity in fashion are becoming more blurred.
5. Own up… share the things in your closet that is a knock off. You know those things you got in China Town, on the streets of New York, or where ever.
I just have this faux-Chloe bag that I bought online a few years ago:
And I knew that it was faux-Chloe, but I really just liked the shape of the bag–Chloe or nameless designer. I’ve never tried to pass it off as a real Chloe bag and if someone asks, I’ll tell them that it’s a “faux-Chloe bag”. Other than that, I really don’t go out looking for copycat designs or fakes. I really try to just find clothing and accessories that fit my budget from lower-priced lines or independent designers.
Glasses
A couple of weeks ago, I was forced (well, almost) to stop wearing my contacts after a nasty eye infection from…well, wearing my contact lenses too frequently. I guess after a solid 3 year run, the jig was up. Now, I’m still learning how to navigate while wearing my glasses and feeling comfortable about wearing them.
I bought a pair of cheapo geek glasses a few months ago that had no prescription, but I loved wearing them because they gave off a different look.
Now that I am forced to wear glasses, I long for my contacts, mostly for the comfort and ease they provided. However, since I am ever the browser for anything slightly relevant, I have found some wonderful frames from Warby Parker. Honestly, these frames have me second-guessing my whole anti-prescription glasses stance.
Here are a few of my favorites:
(all photos from Warbyparker.com)
The best thing? Their frames are only $95 dollars, and that includes prescription lenses. That sounds pretty sweet, especially if you know how expensive one visit to the eye doctor can be. I’m still doing some “browsing”, but I am seriously thinking about buying one of these frames.
What’s your stance on glasses? Love em? Hate em? Don’t care?
Counting on Fall: Shoes
It’s finally beginning to feel like the first signs of fall are underway. The weather in Chicago is not smoldering hot, the final “final” sale racks at retailers are almost empty with leftover summer clothing and a trip to Target is more hectic than usual with kids buying their back to school supplies.
I’ve been contemplating my Fall wardrobe and slowly but surely planning everything out. The catch is that I’m not going to be buying much of anything this fall and I feel like I’ve already gotten everything that I set out to buy. I’ve been planning on cutting down my fall wardrobe drastically. I’ve bookmarked an article in the New York Times about people who are making an effort to have a more minimalistic wardrobe and put an end to the conspicuous consumption. While I’m not necessarily going to pare my wardrobe down to 6 pieces, I am looking to only have a few key pieces and accessories for the Fall/Winter and use what I already have. My goal is to make this a complete lifestyle change.
So what is a better way to hold myself accountable? Documentation, my friends, is everything.
I began this season with shoes as I was pretty sure of what I wanted to buy this season: 1 pair of boots, 1 pair of oxfords and 1 pair of flats. I began a passive search a couple of months ago, but it wasn’t until pre-fall sales started popping up in my inbox that I was able to really capitalize and get what I wanted for a reasonable price. After receiving an email from Steve Madden with a great sale price on their fall shoes, I decided to buy 2 pairs of shoes from their store. I have not bought anything from Steve Madden in a long, long time and I remembered it was because the fit could be quite unpredictable. So I decided to go ahead and give them a try.
I’ve been looking for a nice pair of oxfords for the longest. I knew I wanted a them in a nice, brown color. The verdict is still out on these since I’ve only put them on once. They are a little narrow, so I want to see how they will fit once I break them in more. I plan on doing a lot of walking in these shoes, so comfort is key.
The boots! I think I’ve become obsessed with finding the perfect “granny” or “combat” boot. I wrote a past last winter about finding a perfect pair of boots and while these are not among my wishlist candidates, they will do. The price was perfect and I while it might sound like a weird detail, I love the larger laces. I was happy when I opened this pack until my mom had to burst my bubble with:
“Wait, didn’t you buy a similar pair of these shoes last winter?”
“Um…I don’t think I did…”
“Look in your closet and see. You bought them at that huge, loud store (Zara) and you got all giddy about those, too!”
So I went home and put the shoes side by side.
Well damn. Well, I can say that the Zara boots are taller and they have a zipper on the side. Plus, I see the Zara boots as more “combat” style and the Steve Madden boots as “lace up” style. Could that be right?
The only other thing I’d like to find is a nice, durable pair of flats. I mostly wear flats year round and I buy 1 good pair each year. With these purchases, I also bought a pair of Delman flats, but they were way too narrow. So the search continues…
Have you bought any new shoes for fall? Any shoes on your wishlist?
A Breakfast (Lunch) at Tiffany’s
Holly Golightly: Well, when I get it the only thing that does any good is to jump in a cab and go to Tiffany’s. Calms me down right away. The quietness and the proud look of it; nothing very bad could happen to you there. If I could find a real-life place that’d make me feel like Tiffany’s, then – then I’d buy some furniture and give the cat a name!
I admit that I didn’t watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s until I was an adult. I didn’t feel underwhelmed after watching it, but I definitely wouldn’t call it my favorite movie. These days, if I watch it again then it’s because it’s on TCM on a weekend and it’s a good movie to curl up on the couch and watch.
A few days ago, I’d just left a doctor’s appointment and I went to grab lunch while waiting for my ride. I sat on a bench outdoors to eat and when I looked up, I noticed I was having lunch–or breakfast, since it was my first meal of the day–at Tiffany’s!
I ate in silence and looked at the storefront and the beautiful items inside. Instantly, it made me think that Holly Golightly might have been on to something after all.
Friend Friday: Conspicuous Consumption
1. Do you think fashion blogs are often just conspicuous consumption? Are some?
I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I didn’t think that some fashion blogs displayed great amounts of conspicuous consumption. I mean, many fashion bloggers really like to shop, right? However, I don’t judge or point fingers at anyone in how they chose to spend their own money, if they have that money to spend.
2. As bloggers do we have the obligation to explain our personal financial status, how we pay for the things we showcase, if we have debt, etc…
I personally don’t think so. I know that many other bloggers are much better off than I am and I accept that. No one has to explain where they got their money from or how they make their living, from my POV. I do wish there could be more open dialogue in the blogosphere about accruing debt for clothing and accessories, because I do feel like it’s a trap that many can fall into if not careful. My feeling is, if you go broke or into debt trying to maintain your fashion blog, then it might be best for you not to have one. It’s just not worth it.
3. Critics often say that fashion bloggers should use their money to support more worthwhile causes than clothing themselves in a different outfit daily. What’s your reaction to this? (here you can reveal charities if you’d like.)
I don’t think it’s fair to judge or determine how someone else should spend their money or tell them where and how to spend it. I do support my local Goodwill and I am seeking to support another organization in my area within the next couple of weeks, but that is because I want to. Would it be nice if fashion bloggers put the money towards an organization? Of course! It’d be great! However, it is up to said person on whether they want to do so or not.
4. Since you started blogging, do you spend more money on fashion and beauty products?
I wouldn’t necessarily say that I spend more money; but I spend my money on fashion and beauty differently. Since I’ve began blogging, I’ve bought more vintage clothing and sought out many wonderful independent designers. I’ve gone by recommendations of other bloggers and through my own research, I’ve found some great gems. I’m not so sure that I would have done so if I didn’t begin my own blog.
5. Life is about more than what money can buy. What are the things that top your list of what life is all about?
A long time ago, I came to the conclusion that I will probably never be rich or have a lot of money and I am totally fine with that. To me, life isn’t about money, material possessions or flaunting. It’s about giving back to others, experiences and happiness. For me, that’s when I know I’ll be fulfilled.
Revisiting Goals
(Image via We Heart It)
As my birthday nears, I keep reflecting on my previous post about the tasks/goals I set for myself at age 26. If I wanted to be pessimistic, I’d say that I did pretty well in failing to achieve even half of these goals, but I’m not going to go that route. Instead, I’ll think of what goals I did achieve and what I’d like to work on more. In the meantime, I made a list of more “realistic” goals that I think can be achieved over the course of a year:
1. Take a long vacation by myself overseas.
2. Write at least 1,500 words per week.
3. Become a better photographer.
4. Run a half marathon.
5. Master the art of wardrobe minimalism
6. Start taking dance lessons.
7. Scale back drastically on the meat eating.
8. Become a better blogger.
9. Complete rock my first year of graduate school.
10. Find at least one thing to smile about each day.
Friend Friday: Size
I have decided to participate in the weekly Friend Friday Q&A sessions, provided by ModlyChic. I thought the topics were stimulating and opened up wonderful dialogue. This week’s topic deals with size, which in a discussion can be polarizing in itself. Here are my thoughts on size, the term “plus size” and my own size struggle.
4. Should the mainstream fashion industry be showcasing more plus size models?
I think the mainstream fashion industry should showcase more models of all sizes, ethnicities and backgrounds. The mainstream fashion industry without any varied cultural representation and instead remains hegemonic has been influential for years. The thing is, when you start to see the same “type” displayed in magazines over and over again, it’s easy to ignore everyone else as if they don’t exist. Only recently has fashion become democratic to allow “other” groups participate– women of color, plus-sized, etc, but still not as a regular occurrence. I hope that instead of having a “very special issue” of some magazine, it becomes more commonplace to feature models that are plus-sized and skinny alike next to one another without creating a big hoopla.
5. For you personally, how do you view your size, the struggle with it through the years, your ideal size, etc…
Personally, I have had my own struggle with my size and working to get myself back down to a comfortable size. I’m not ashamed of the fact that I’m larger nor do I try to hide it, but I do know that I’m not as comfortable in my skin as I used to be nor am I as healthy. Instead, I am taking it one step at a time and not worrying about the numbers associated with my size, but the my overall health. I can lose X number of pounds, but am I healthy? Did I go about losing the weight in a healthy way? Those are the concerns that I must focus on.
My Instagram
