Lights, Camera, Action!

If your over the age of 13 im sure you know what im talking about when im talking about acne. That daily battle raging on your face between the sweat, dirt, and natural oils that build up on your face, you can manage quite a breakout! I had my first "pimple" at about 9 or 10, and since then ive been imersed in a constant battle between trying dozens of products and methods, and just letting the acne run its course.
But over the past 2 years ive realized it wouldnt just "go away" without a fight, so since then ive tried several top of the line products including "Proactiv", "neutrogena", "Panoxyl", "Clear", and the list continues on from regular drugstore brands to higher more expensive, moisturizers, creams, and clenserser.
A few months ago i decided that enough was finally enough, and even though i didnt want to hunt down a dermotologist, i could attempt talking to my doctor about my acne. thankfully she didnt look at me like i was from another planet like i though she would, and prescribed me "Clindamycin Phosphate and Benzoyl Peroxyde gel".
I started using this gel about 2 months ago and have infact noticed my acne calm a bit more, as long as i remeber to wash my face 2-3 times a day and try not to roll in dirt or something ;) .
My Experiance with the gel so far has been mainly good, it doesnt over dry my skin, or create more oil, and as long as im careful it doesnt make the breakouts worse, so if you're having trouble with your skin and dont really know what to do next besides buy another "miracle acne cleanser" and hope it works, bring it up with your doctor and discuss with he/she if they either know of something that will help, or can recommend someone you can see about your acne.
XVI,
Bernadette
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(disclaimer: i am in no way trying to sell the products listed, nor harm their business, the experiences and opinions expressed above are merely my experience with the products, and please remember everyone's skin type is completely different, so what may or may not work for me may or may not work for you) The product displayed in the image above was infact Prescribed to me, so whether or not if is available in your area, and can be bought off the shelf, i am unsure. Please consult your doctor before attempting any high risk acne controller/medication.

Do you believe in magic?

Its absolute rubbish going through the store, any store for that matter, and attempting to pick a foundation with no information or other opinions on it.So when i decided to try out the "miracle" BB creams of the century i was sure i did my research first. I was able to narrow my options too three drugstore brands, and decided to purchase all three with the notion if i didnt like one i could add it to the "unwanted" box for an upcoming blog. and low and behold along with those two other BB creams that i most certainly did not agree with, came L'Oreal pair "magic Skin beautifier BB cream"!
Like i said at first i was sceptical with all the great things the BB creams said they could do, but what i found through trial and error, was that the L'Oreal Paris BB cream unlike the others didnt leave my face greasy, or sticky and i could wear it for up to eight hours with little maintanence. Unfortunatly one thing this BB cream doesnt have that most do is an spf, but that i can live with.
If you unsure about trying out BB cream in general ask yourself a few questions, how thick is your current foundation? (do you use liquid, powder, sheer, or heavy) and are you willing to let Some of your blemishes show? Because BB cream is not a fix all, ive found that it is sheerer than a liquid foundation, but covers practically all of my blemishes and acne scars. but on occassion a few do show through!
So overall here were my thoughs on L'Oreal pair "magic Skin beautifier BB cream".
It was easy to apply and fairly easy to match my shade of skin with, it comes decently priced at about 7-8 dollars ( depending on where you live) for how much product you are receiving. While it doesnt have an SPF its great for quick on the go make-up when im running late, or when im going to be outside weating alot because it doesnt tend to rub off easily, and last but not least it hasnt breoken me out....yet. thats not to say at some point i couldnt start breaking out from it, but as of this moment (an a months worth of use) it has yet to increase my acne levels.
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I know it was a bit longer for me to post this blog, but i got stuck in the undercurrent this week and had to fight or some free time to write, but i didnt forget you all!  So heres where i need all of your help, If youve got a second or two take a moment to comment on what you would like to see more on the blog, or if you're liking where its headed! And if you have any products you would like me to try and out and write a review for feel free to comment it below or email me at (elmontank@yahoo.com)
with love,
Bernadette

The Dead Sea

One of my biggest problems this year has been dry skin, from the cold winter, the tanning and the harsh winds my skin has been outrageously dry this year.

So after doing a lot of research and hunting for an affordable, and light moisturizer that wouldn't break me out, i stumbled across Avani Dead Sea Cosmetics. This moisturizer shipped from amazon and i started using it around december, and since then my skin has yet to be really dry again! While its not helping stop my breakouts its at least not CAUSING me to break out like a lot of other moisturizers tend to do for me.

Avani comes for different skin types (oily, dry, and combination) and is a white, creamy, lotion like paste. Its not thick so you can apply make-up about 5-10 minutes after appying the it.

One of the higher selling points for me was that it is made from almost all natural ingredients and has sea salt infused into it to help enrich your skin with nutrients.

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When choosing the right moisturizer for yourself i would suggest trying to find where you can get sample sizes of several different brands to try out. Every moisturizer is different and while one may be light and smooth, another might be a paste and feel rough against your skin. If you have problems with acne i would suggest looking for moistuizers that specifically target acne control, or say "will not cause breakouts" because several moisturizers can actually incress your breakouts! 

If you like to apply make-up on a daily basis, try applying your moisturizer around 10-20 minutes before starting your make-up to give the moisturuzer time to absorb into your pores and not be rubbed off when applying your make-up. And remeber that somtimes it jsut takes time to find the right moisturizer for you, it took me around 4 months to finally find a moisturizer i liked because, with some i just didnt like the smell or the way it reacted with my skin. Please dont settle with just a generic brand, and look for what will make you feel your best!

XVI,

Bernadette

Running with the Sun

Hey guys, this week has been crazy trying to get the blog up and organizing my make-up drawers! i went through this past week and looked through all of my beauty products and threw out all the products that are out of date or i know i wont use and no one i know will want to use it, so now its all ready to start the blog up. 
If you don't really know what this blog is for, its going to be a mixture of tutorials and reviews, and also some tips and tricks in not just beauty but health so you might occasionally get some work out or healthy eating tips in the blog as well. For now the posts will be about once a week until i know how compiled my schedule will really be for the next few weeks, when i find out about how my summer schedule will work ill get back to you all about it and plan specific days of the week i can sit down and blog! 

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Its that time of the year again when there a probably several 5K's coming to your area! Its been a long winter i know, and for those of you (dont worry im here with you) who didnt make the time to train for those 5k's during the spring are now frantically training in preparation, need a kick of motivation. My first suggestion is to check your running shoes! these are your most important tools in running because without comfortable shoes you will be full of aches and pains during and after your workout. Some tips for good shoes :

• Buy new laces for them every 3 months (old ones tend to stretch and trip you)
• Shoes with some type of gel insoles built in are the best for hips and lower back
• Made with durable materials
•  GRIPS on the bottom (There is nothing worse than slipping on wet pavement and falling on concrete)

Its also time to check and make sure you've got some good shorts, spandex (for shorter running shorts), t-shirts, and for women good sports bras! When it comes to water i just use a plain plastic bottle from Walmart, or a bottle of water, no need to have designer bottles for running unless you want to own one.
And the last step to a great run is a good playlist. My favorite training playlist this week is just a generic playlist i found on you-tube and actually liked! But if this playlist isn't exactly your style look some music up on you-tube or just look up running playlists, you are bound to find something to run to and get you motivated! 
until next time,
Bernadette