A New Journey

Unfortunately for a while I won't be doing make up. Or at least I will try not to.


Although I do not have an acne problem currently I had two terrible 2 cystic acne and dealing with acne scars lately. So I went to see another doctor for it. 


Because she knows our family history she told me it's genetics and I have inflamed cystic acne triggered by congested pores due to cosmetics products. I exactly know what she is talking about; Bare Escentuals Mineral Lose Powder. 


She gave a pill, a mask that you do by mixing three different ingredients, and a gel to use for a month. I got the first pill last night, and you might think it's crazy but my skin looks calmed down and one of two active acne I have already deflated. 


Although I will try not to put on any make up not to slow down the process of treatment, I cannot give up on my eyeliner and my lipsticks. 


Currently my favorites are Revlon lip glosses and Maybeline summer colors. Swatches are coming up...  

My Make Up Collection

*I have high end and drug store products in my make up collection,

and believe it or not some of my favorite products are not the expensive ones, but the cheap ones! :)

I thought I didn't have too much products, especially eye make up products, 

but it turned out that I have quite a lot of make up products.

However, I am glad I don't have as much as some people (eg:Youtube Gurus)

It shows that I have just what I need, 

I am not buying just for the sake of feeling happy.

I am not using all the products I have,

because I am either bored 

or not happy with those products.

I plan to get a BB cream,

because I know how amazing it is (my Dermalogica beautician used it on me onces)

and I want a good tinted moisturizer

and a liner that will stay on my water line,

then I can join the Project 10 Pan

('do not buy any new make up products until you finish 10 products' challange)

all my make up products before organized.

I collected these in four years since I moved to the States.

I have some more at home in Europe.

Foundations and Powders:

Revlon, Maybeline, Neutrogena, Smashbox, Almay, WetnWild, Jergens, Organics, Laura Mercier

my favorite at the moment is Laura Mercier oil free foundation

and

FYI

Organics tinted moisturizer smells weird

Bronzers:

Elf Bronzers, Physician's Formula, Body Shop, Tarte, Rimmel

Blushes:

Elf, Body Shop, Neutrogena, Tarte, Maybeline, Physician's Formula, Heidi Klum by Victoria's Secret, Hard Candy, Rimmel

Concealers:

Garnier, Benefit, Sonia Kashuk, Hard Candy, Elf, Smashbox, Neutrogena

(I love Sonia Kashuk concealer palette and Neutrogena blemish pen)

Eye Make up:

Dior, NYC, Rimmel, Sonia Kashuk, Sephora, Avon, Mac, Urban Decay, L'oreal, Physcian's Formula, LaSplash, Anastacia, Elf, Tarte, Victoria's Secret, Tarte, pix!, Hard Candy, Revlon

(I am loving L'oreal Voluminizer mascara)

 Lipsticks:

Dior, Avon, Estee Lauder, Body Shop, Maybeline, Clinique, Benefit, Lancome, Fantasy Makers by WetnWild

(My all time favorite is Benefit Rocket Pop - you can only find it on their website not at Sephora or Ulta)

Lip liners: Mac, Avon, Elf, Maybelines, Pupa

Lip exfoliator: Body Shop

(love Elf lip pencil!)

Lipstick and Lipgloss together: Maybeline, Avon

Lipglosses:

Estee Lauder, Urban Decay, Tarte, Victoria's Secret, Avon, Sally Hansen, L'oreal, Clinique, Hello Kitty

Lip balms:

Carmes, Blisstex, Wegmans, Lotta Luv, Hello Kitty, EOS, Lip Smackers, Nivea, Body Shop, Biotherm

(I love my EOS and Hello Kitty Apple balm)

 Primers and Make up Setting Products:

Elf, Maybeline, Tarte, L'oreal, Smashbox, Bare Escentuals, Urban Decay, Philosophy

(Currently I have Urban Decay make up setting spray for combination skin,

but

I love oil free all night long make up setting spray more

and

my favorite primer is Smashbox oil free primer,

second best and a cheap alternative can be

L'oreal)

Sets:

Claires, Hello Kitty, Dior

(I love Hello Kitty's packaging,

but

not so impressed with the eyeshadows,

I plan to get the Spring version of it,

and

I love the powder foundation in my Dior kit)

Finished products:

Body Shop, Clarins, Benefit,

Mac (Half and Half - expired not finished)

After my concealers organized

After lipsticks are organized

After all make up products organized

Make up products that I use daily:

Laura Mercier, Smash box, Elf, Physician's Formula, Hard Candy, Urban Decay, EOS, Hello Kitty, Sonia Kashuk, L'oreal, Benefit, Maybeline, Tarte, Garnier, Rimmel, Neutrogena, GeoGirl.

These can also be considered as my favorite make up products at the moment.

*Holy Grail Products List is coming up shortly...

(Posted on May 16, 2011)

Losing my healthy skin...

I think I was really naive when it comes to make up knowledge. 

No, not in terms of my make up skills, 

but I never thought actually some make up products can cause me to break out. 

Recently, I remembered one incident... 

Because I changed my skin care products at that time I blamed the new guys in the collection for the break out. 

However, it was the mineral loose powder I used. 

I remember wanting to itch my face like crazy, and kept getting blemishes all over my face, and my combination skin dried out and I had no idea why. 

So,

...the Oscar goes to I.d Bare Essentuals Mineral Loose Powder for the worst loose powder EVER!!!!!!!!! award. 

Their powder has an ingridient called BISMUTH OXYCHLORIDE. 

Ladies and gentlemen, this ingridient is not your friend! 

Cosmetics companies use this product, because it gives you a nice pearly glow. 

Screw the glow, it's allergenic!, and according to researches most of the population is allergic to this ingridient. 

The common signs are itching and blemishes on the skin and cystic acne.

Guess who got acne like thirteen year-old at the age of 20?!

Which is funny, because I never had acne before even when I was a teenager up until I used this product, and I thought poor Dermalogica caused this. 

I started using Dermalogica again, and let me say this Dermalogica is a kind angel! 

It cleared out my acne almost completely in two months. 

Deja Vu

I had the same itching like crazy feeling when I used Maybelline Dreammatte Mouse. 

I Googled the ingredients in this product and I found out that this one is also formulated with bismuth in it. 

All this time I thought I can't tolerate drug store products, because they are cheap, but the problem was one of the ingredients. 

If you have sensitive skin like me stay away from powders that has bismuth oxychloride in it. 

Bismuth oxychloride is a natural ingredient found in the majority of mineral cosmetics. It is the main irritant in some brands of mineral cosmetics that often causes itching, rashes and mild to severe cystic acne. If you choose a mineral cosmetic that includes bismuth oxychloride it may cause additional irritation. If you have had a reaction to mineral cosmetics in the past it is likely because of the bismuth oxychloride in the product. (http://www.carefreebeauty.eu/sensitiveskin/bismuth)

You can google Bismuth Oxychloride allergy for more information... Personally I haven't heard Afterglow cosmetics other than a girl talking about it on youtube. (AndreasChoice) Recently, I went to Ulta, because I wanted to get a mineral loose powder for light coverage and a natural look.  Finally, after feeling frustrated, sad and depressed about the way my skin is, I am taking care of my blemishes, and acne scaring.  I will talk about the products that made miracles on my skin later,  but now it's make up time.  Powders... So, it was time to get out of the closet and show some skin....I mean my face. Lol  So, me and the seller girl spent a good 15 minutes to find a product that does not contain bismuth in it.  Never thought it was going to be this difficult.  The only one we could find was Smashbox Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder.  Although I have combination/oily skin this product is good enough for me.  However, it's extremely expensive, even more than Dior.  So, I ended up getting a smaller size, but it's a set, so I got the primer, concealer, foundation and the loose powder in the set, Complexion Perfection.  My previous powder Lorac was oil-free, but still it was not helping my T-zone.  So, I decided to try something else after I ran out of it.  After all there are so many products out there and since we are mortal, we have limited time on this planet. Lol My next mission is to find out why my eye make up products are irritating my eyes as if I suddenly develop a pink eye for few hours.  It must be something in the products! By the way did I tell you I am still dealing with the cystic acne that bismuth oxychloride in the my make product caused for years ago!  It's sad!  I never had more than one small zit at a time until I turned 20 and used BE mineral loose powder and then 2 years ago Maybelline Dreammatte Mouse.  They screwed up my skin! (Posted on March 20, 2011)