So today I have something to share with you that will again touch upon a topic that is a struggle that I've been dealing with for quite some time now: ACNE. I know many of you may think that acne is something that only teenagers deal with but it's actually something that has been very up-and-down for me (mostly down) for the last 16 years. It may seem like I have very nice skin in my videos but there is a lot that can be said for lighting and glow, the latter coming from meticulously taking care of my skin since I was young, throughout the good and bad.

Hello hello and happy 추석 to all my Korean readers. I hope you are having a lovely Korean Thanksgiving holiday!

Today I would like to share with you a very highly requested video, my updated skincare routine. I checked and it looks like the last time I posted my skincare routine was about 1 year ago so it's about time I refreshed you all with what I've been doing to keep my skin in order.



Products Mentioned:
Re-10 Wash (generic prescription for Ovace wash)
Elisha Coy BB All In-One Cleanser
Eucerin Everyday Protection Face Lotion SPF 30
Josie Maran Protect 40+ Sunscreen
Mario Badescu Vitamin C Serum
Juju Aquamoist 100% Hyaluronic Acid
Differin .1% (I'm now back to using the .3% which I like better)
Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream (large tub I have is here)
Clarisonic Mia in Pink with Sensitive brush head
Vitamin E oil capsules (Bio-Oil can be used similarly, or liquid form here)

As you can see my update isn't drastically different than what it was last year. (If you'd like more info on my skin history please read up on my past skincare and acne posts.) I'm still using pretty gentle products although I have somewhat "weaned" myself off of my prescriptions containing antibiotics. That being said, my skin is still really breakout-prone! Especially in the last 2 months my skin has been very unpredictable.


Since recording this video, I have actually gone back to the dermatologist so I am now again using Differin .3% which, as the name implies, is three times stronger and it seems to keep my acne at bay better than .1%. I am also trying out a new daytime prescription called Finacea (azelaic acid gel, 15%) which is apparently very natural and gentle enough for even pregnant women. So far since starting it I've had zero skin purging! I'll keep you guys updated on how my skin progresses but I will say that I'm very happy to be on a prescription skincare regimen that contains no antibiotics. As of now, my skin has improved from 2 weeks ago. :)

Now I need to go and finish packing for my trip to Paris tomorrow! Eeeeeek, I'm so excited! Has anyone been to Paris before? Any packing tips or experience on what to bring would be excellent. Blog posts and video uploads will be put on hold until I get back but I promise I will take tons of photos and video footage to share with you when I return! Wish me luck!

Ahh, May 14th, I remember you so fondly for all of the laughter and tears from last year's post and video. The post I am talking about was my first Heart 2 Heart where I recorded myself with my bare face, telling you guys about how I struggled with acne for half my life.

In lieu of the anniversary of this very open, very beautifully vulnerable holiday I wanted to record another Heart 2 Heart speaking about a topic that has been pressing upon my heart lately: Body Image.

Last year's video here:

I didn't intend for all of my Heart 2 Heart episodes to be without makeup, but somehow I think it keeps me and the audience more honest. In a way, it does take some bravery to put yourself up there in front of thousands of people just waiting to get hit by a bunch of twisted comments reiterating all the things you are self-conscious about, but I think it's also cathartic too.

I'm not the type of person who seeks out tons of admiration and it really turns my insides when I see comments from girls who seem to put bloggers and youtubers up on some kind of pedestal, as if they are idols, and stating how sad they are about their own lives, bodies, faces, or situations. Obviously it is very difficult to show people in 5 or 10 minutes who you truly are as a person. We do put up our best faces for our videos and pictures so it's easy to be fooled by the smoke and mirrors. At the end of the day, we are all human with our imperfections.

In terms of body image, I've mentioned this a bit here and there but my body size has made it very difficult for me to find clothes and shoes that fit... on top of all of the mean comments I've been called for it throughout my entire life. If I had a dime for every lewd comment a guy made about my height, or a snarky person saying I need to eat a burger, or cruel girls who tell me I look anorexic, I would be a very rich lady.

Somehow in our society it is completely unacceptable to tell an overweight person that they should "lose weight, fatty" but to say "you look so bony, eat a sandwich" it's totally okay. Why is that? It's a popular message to say that women are beautiful at any size except when they are skinny. I'm sure you've heard women themselves complaining saying, "Who wants a woman with no curves?" and "Women with no curves look like 12 year old boys." I'm not saying one or the other is right, I'm just saying for goodness sakes, can we just accept who we are, whatever our size?

It's so easy to put others down because of our own insecurities but the answer is not in pointing fingers and degrading others, especially for things they can't change. Instead we need to stop and take a good look in the mirror and accept who we are today, just as we are. Only then can we use the fun stuff like makeup, hairstyling, and fashion to honestly express who we are and not just what we want others to think we are.

Yes, I know I am skinny. I used to feel insecure about my spine looking like a stegosaurus. I hated wearing tank tops because my shoulders were bony. I hated how my wrists and knees looked because of how pronounced they are. But the thing is, is I don't actually weigh any differently than when I felt that way in middle school. The only thing that changed is my perception about my body and that if I am healthy IT'S OKAY!

Alright, onward marching with my bare-faced pics. No tweaking, editing, photoshopping, etc except to add my watermark.

Hi everyone! So today's blog post is going to cover a topic that is probably one of the most-requested subjects that I get: BB Cream.

To explain quickly, BB Cream or "blemish balm" is sheer foundation-like, multi-functional cosmetic that is purported to be good for your skin. It was initially developed in Germany as a healing cream with coverage properties to help patients who have undergone plastic surgery or other cosmetic procedures. The Korean cosmetics industry took that idea and ran with it, creating various different "bb creams" that usually have skin benefits such as SPF, whitening, anti-wrinkle, and nutrients to help improve the health of your skin.

I've entrusted my friend Hannah to help me review 9 different BB Creams to show their effectiveness and shades on varying skintones and skin types. :)

For reference, Jen is MAC foundation shades NC25-30 and combo-oily to normal skin, and Hannah is NW15-NC15 (NC15 is slightly darker than NW15) with eczema and dry skin.


(For those asking, Jen's headband is from Urban Outfitters, necklace is from See Jewelry, and cardigan is from Banana Republic. Hannah's hair was curled using the Remington Air Wave which I did a tutorial on in this blog post. ^_^)

BB Creams reviewed:
Skin79 DermaRX BB Cream
Skin79 Super Plus Triple Functions BB Cream (hot pink)
Lioele Beyond the Solution BB Cream
BRTC Gold Caviar BB Cream
Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream No. 23
Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream No. 21
BRTC Jasmine Water BB Cream
Skinfood Ginko Green BB Cream
Hanskin Super Magic BB Cream

Skin79 DermaRX BB Cream
Consistency: light like tinted moisturizer
Shade: oxidizes to NC30, greyer
Benefits: fades acne scars (contains arbutin), SPF 15, softens skin texture
Oil-control: Medium. I had to powder in summer, in winter I can just wear this alone.
Bottom line: Best I've tried for acne-prone skin. Fades acne scars, but coverage is light so it doesn't fully cover hyperpigmentation.








Bottom line: Basically just has sheer coverage. No SPF and no noticeable moisturizing or skin improvement.




And here are the very-important comparison swatches:


As you can see from the swatches, most of these bb's look very grey. Thankfully they tend to blend in better after oxidizing but it's definitely something to keep in mind if you apply it heavily and it looks off at first.

In the Summer, I tend to match Missha M #23 and Skin79 DermaRX best but they do tend to both lean grey/pink at first and are lightweight. For winter at my lightest I will probably go for BRTC Gold Caviar or Hanskin Super Magic. Currently, I've been using Skin79 Hot Pink and it's been working out great. :)

Hannah likes the Missha M #21 a lot and will probably also use the BRTC Jasmine Water more through Winter. She is also going to look for the new Missha color #18 which is supposed to be super fair! We learned about that one from reading the Youtube comments. Speaking of that, there is also a darker tan Missha color #32 that I'm quite curious about since it apparently matches NC35-40 and leans very yellow. Maybe I could mix that with my Missha 23 to make it less grey? Hmmmm...

One last note, I do want to emphasize that BB Creams ARE makeup and you must remove it at the end of the night just like regular foundation. There is a possibility that some BBs can break you out like any other makeup and everyone's body chemistry can react a little bit differently to each one so it's helpful to try samples if you can. I believe they do contain parabens so if you are hesitant about that sort of thing then be sure to watch out for it.

Alright, I hope that was helpful for those of you who are wanting to try out BB Creams but don't know where to start. It sure took a long time to put together! Also, HUGE thank you to Hannah for helping me with these videos and swatches. You reviewed for the first time like a pro! <3

Let me know if you guys have any more questions in the comments and I'll try to answer to the best of my knowledge. I haven't tried any other BB Creams yet but maybe some of you can add your own knowledge there as well, so go ahead and comment about your favorites too. :)

Disclaimer: BRTC BB Creams were provided by a representative of the company. Lioele Beyond the Solution was provided by prettyandcute.com. Skin79 hot pink was provided by Pinky Paradise. All other items mentioned were purchased by ourselves because we are crazy maniacs obsessed with bb creams.

I feel like this skincare post has been the most requested one out of anything I could possibly post about, even if I posted just pics of puppies and squirrels. And we all know how popular the last squirrel post was. Oh yeah, super mega popular.


Products mentioned:

Re-10 Wash (sodium sulfacetamide 10%)
Eucerin Everyday Protection Face Lotion SPF 30
Duac Topical Gel (clindamycin 1% & benzoyl peroxide 5%)
Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair
Lioele Active Therapy Ampoule
Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Cream
Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream
StriVectin-SD Eye Cream
Differin Gel (adapalene gel .3%)



Sadly, no cute squirrel shots this time, just my 'ole mug. Apparently people think my skin is pretty nice although I pretty much always have one or two breakouts at any given time. Despite my being baffled at this contradiction, my excuse is that I have fairly good skin texture. This comes from a combination of good hydration, sunscreen, and proper exfoliation which could be either from a physical scrub or something like the Clarisonic, or it could be from a chemical like a retinoid (like Differin) which is what I use.

I really believe there's no magic to achieving your ideal skin, but it is really important to exfoliate, moisturize, and protect your skin. As I mentioned in the video, everyone needs moisturizer. Some people may say that they don't but I promise you, every single lady I've applied makeup on (even teens and women in their early 20's) who don't wear moisturizer, I can tell. Your skin may not feel dry but there will be wrinkles appearing on the forehead and around the eyes. Those wrinkles form through a combination of inadequate hydration and sun damage.

Thankfully, there are really inexpensive products that work well like my HG Eucerin Everyday Protection which is oil-free so it won't break me out. It also already contains spf 30 so it protects against the evils of wrinkles and hyperpigmentation.


Post-acne dark spots or what some people call "scars" are actually exacerbated by exposure to the sun so if you are someone who has battled hyperpigmentation and wonders why it takes so long to go away, consider that you may be able to avoid it getting as dark in the first place with this 1 small step! I won't completely prevent the spots but they do seem to not get as dark and they fade faster as well.

Sometimes it's really the simple things that work the best: products that don't have too much extra junk in them, sticking with a consistent routine, and living a healthy life in general. It's hard to see if something really works for you if you use it less than a month or on and off, and also hard if you aren't getting enough sleep or water.

Enough of my little rant, here is my daily regimen:

Morning

• Wash face with Re-10
• Moisturize with Eucerin Everyday Protection
• Apply Duac (pea-sized) in trouble areas

Evening

• Wash face with Re-10
• Maybe apply a serum (Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair or Lioele Active Therapy Ampoule)
• Apply StriVectin Eye Cream if I feel like being awesome
• Moisturize with Vanicream
• Apply Differin all over (half-pea sized, dotted on face then spread in)

So I've heard online today that May 14th is Bloggers Without Makeup Day (via: this blogher article) based on a feud with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb on the Today Show vs. Rosie O'Donnel who accused them of plastic surgery. The challenge? To do their show with no makeup.
I found the video clip quite refreshing and liberating. I feel that we as women are expected to be this platform representing grace, elegance, and being beautiful with no signs of stress or difficulty and let's just be honest. Who is really like that? Every model you see in a magazine, everything you see on tv, every billboard or advertisement is a falsification for what we think is expected of us. If we don't live up to that standard than we are categorized as boyish and less feminine. Even in the working world, we are expected to paint our faces, wear stilts, and suck in our tummies to be worth listening to. What a difference "professional" means for men!

This is a fascinating topic to me because I personally didn't wear makeup on a regular basis until I was 21, a junior in college. Don't get me wrong, I love makeup. It's an artform and it does make me feel confident and expressive. I'm not going to say that my bare face is loveliness... quite the contrary actually. I'm rather plain and my high school and college years were right at the worst of my acne problems and I was grandly overlooked by classmates. BUT what I learned was to be okay with myself for who I was inside and let that define me as a person, not my face.

It's strange to now be in the world of youtube and blogging because so many people out there see your face before they bother to read your words or listen to what you have to say. There are snap judgements made and I think people get offended if you don't look how they want you to look, talk how they want you to talk, or apply makeup how they think is best. Isn't that just the most bizarre concept? But we all do it without comprehending why, or considering what that person is going through and feels.

So yeah, I just wanted to write my two cents. I'm not saying it's easy to love yourself with a bare face but I think it is important to love who you are as a person, disconnected from your face and body, first. And we should also love others with no makeup too. From doing makeup on other people, I get the joy of seeing lots of beautiful women with no makeup on and I'm always delighted to see the potential in their canvas. This woman has gorgeous green flecks in her brown eyes, and this woman has wonderful rosy lips. This one has beautiful dark eyelashes, and this one has delicate hairs on her face which act as a natural mattefier. No woman isn't beautiful.

On that note here is me with a deep breath *gulp* showing my bare face.

Photos without makeup, straight from the camera. Not even lighting correction. Just resized and watermarked. (Ahhhhhhh!)


Bravery always feels a bit naked. ^.~

Here's to No Makeup Day!

I've been meaning to do a bit of a skincare update recently since I haven't for quite a while. Not a lot has changed since I last posted my Summer routine here except that I've been using Dove Deep Moisture Facial Lotion and Re-10 facewash, day and night. I can't use oil-free lotions during the Winter because my skin will get flakey from dryness. I've also started using the Differin Gel 0.3% instead of my previous 0.1% cream, which is a decision made after the dermatologist visit a couple months ago since my skin never quite struck a good balance after going back to Tri-Sprintec birth control from Yaz.

A lot of you have been asking me about BB Creams and if I've tried any before. For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, BB Cream or "blemish balm" is a type of makeup that has swept Asia the last couple of years. It is similar to liquid foundation but is touted to have medicinal benefits and apparently was developed to help heal and conceal patients' skin after laser treatments and surgery.

I'm not sure how much of that has trickled down into mainstream bb creams, but it was enough hype to warrant at least trying it, right?

I bought mine from an ebay auction and got the type DermaRX from Skin79. I've heard that this one is good for acne-prone skin and is a bit darker than others, as well as having fairly good oil control. One bad things about bb creams is that they usually only come in 1 or 2 shades and as you will see, this is a bit grey on me.

I wanted to show the BB Cream size for comparison. This is a China Glaze nailpolish next to it. Pretty small tube, plus it is flatter on the sides.


Skin79 DermaRX Beblesh Balm (beblesh because "blemish balm" was copyrighted), MAC Studio Sculpt foundation NC30, Sugar Tinted Moisturizer


Swatches: DermaRX is a bit grey, Studio Sculpt is closest but a bit too yellow, and Sugar is much too dark and orange. This is natural light.


Indoor light.


Skin79 DermaRX on my face.



Again, it's a bit light and grey on me. Not that bad though, and it does seep in more and match better after a few minutes. I thought the coverage was nice, light to medium applied with a foundation brush but you can layer on areas you need more coverage. I didn't find the oil control to be awesome, but I seem to get oily with any liquid foundations so it wasn't a surprise. Added benefits are that it has spf 20, tea tree oil for acne, and arbutin for whitening. Overall though, I find that I do prefer mineral foundation for everyday use as this still feels like liquid foundation to me.

Off and on lately, I've been mixing my facial moisturizer with a bit of DermaRX and the sugar tinted moisturizer to get my own color match and it's been working out quite well. After topping with Everyday Minerals Finishing Dust, coverage lasts longer than mineral makeup.

Too bad I'm just not a liquid makeup fan. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad. I'm just too busy to apply it and mix-and-match everyday! I bought 2 tubes so I'll probably list the unopened one in my blog shop soon.

So, let me know in the comments. Have you tried bb creams? Which ones? What are your favorites? I may not give up completely on bb creams just yet if I can find a really good one that matches my skin better. :)

Hey All! I've been getting a lot of requests for my updated skincare routine. It honestly hasn't changed much in the last year, but there are a couple of products that I throw in the mix sometimes. I still get the occasional breakout or two but it's all pretty manageable. What's 1 breakout, compared to years of suffering anyhow? Nothing! :)

For the record, for people asking about how to achieve perfect skin, trust me I am not one of the bloggers to claim that they have perfect skin. I have enlarged pores on my cheeks, I get the occasional whitehead and cystic acne (I have one now on my cheek. Ouch!) And my cheeks always have some hyperpigmentation from healed acne that appears and fades. I guess the biggest thing I focus on is the health of my skin over the appearance of it, which is what will help you long term.

It's funny, when I went to the dermatologist a couple years ago shortly after my acne started healing, he mentioned that I have really good skin texture and I thought, "YES!! See? I WAS taking good care of my skin underneath. I did NOT have acne because I was dirty or wasn't taking care of my skin!" I'm sure a lot of you acne sufferers can relate. Nobody needs to be on their high horse for having clear skin and nobody needs to feel like trash for dealing with something so temporary hurting their face. In today's world, there are seriously SO many ways to treat acne that nobody should need to suffer. GO to a dermatologist and stick with a single regimen for at least 4 months. You will not regret it. I only regret waiting so long.

Ok, now that my big rant is over, here is what I am currently using for my skin.

Morning:

Clean and Clear Cream Cleanser for Sensitive Skin
-I don't love this, it's just okay. I don't feel like it cleans as well as my prescription wash.


Clean & Clear morning burst facial lotion
-Oil-free with SPF 15. Love it!


Duac
-Prescription zit zapper! LOVE it, plus not as harsh as over the counter benzoyl peroxide meds.


I may or may not put on mineral foundation after this. Usually I just use finishing dust to put the oilies at bay and use blush on my cheeks. Blush helps camouflage discoloration enough for just a typical day. My skin motto is less is more! I reserve liquid foundation strictly for photoshoots, and I never leave any foundation on overnight.

Night:

Re-10 Wash
-My favorite face wash. Prescription and super gentle. I get a huge bottle for $10 with my insurance, so it turns out to be cheaper than OTC (over the counter) face wash!


For moisturizers, I've been switching around a couple different ones.
Olay Beauty Fluid for Sensitive Skin
-Light weight and very basic. No smells, no dyes, and feels nice.

or

Clinique Moisture Surge Extra
-Oil-free gel. Nice for hot weather when you don't need serious moisture.


Differin Cream
-Prescription retinoid cream. I use the CREAM not the gel. It's still a gel consistency though. This is what keeps my skin looking young and healthy. LOVE this stuff. The doctor said I can pretty much use this forever, and it will help keep wrinkles away because it helps to regenerate skin quicker. Hello, fountain of youth anyone?


I also take birth control, which I started for my acne and now just use because I'm married and don't want kids yet. Previously, I took Yaz but decided to switch back to Tri-Sprintec (generic for Ortho Tri-cyclen) a couple months ago. Boo to birth control transitional acne, that's probably where this cystic one came from, but hopefully Tri-Sprintec will be better for me in the long run.


That's it! See? Very basic. Face wash, moisturizer, topical cream. I avoid toners because my dermatologist said it's mostly a gimmick that makes you FEEL like you are extra clean, but can actually dry out your skin because of the alcohol content. I also use an eye makeup remover (Lancome Bi-Facil) at night but the facewash cleans the remaining residue off.

Current skin, no makeup, no photoshop, no special lighting. Quite imperfect, but healthy at least. :)



I'm pretty comfortable with my current regimen. It's easiest on your skin when you don't change things around too much and it's been working for me. Hope that helps and best of luck!

Your skin is one of the most important organs that your body has. Not only is it the largest, but it protects what is inside and reveals the health of what is internal as well. Because of this, it is very important to take care of our skin because that is what we show the world each day.

I suffered from really bad skin from age 12 to 22. I'm going to be very honest with you guys, it is an understatement to say it was a very difficult experience. To be sure, I have always been very hygienic and took good care of my skin but as genetics and horomones took over, it just wasn't enough. After having a traumatizing experience with Retin-A nearly burn my face off in Jr. High, I was quite hesitant to go back to the dermatologist. A few more years passed of trying over-the-counter medicines and failing to improve, when a friend of mine let me sample his prescription topical medicine Benzaclin. I began to see improvement and decided that one more trip to a dermatologist wouldn't hurt.

As anyone else trying for a second round might be, I was skeptical but hopeful as well. The doctor examined my skin and told me that it was only moderate acne and many of his patients are far worse. (I was thinking, are you KIDDING me?! I thought my skin was terrible!)

He prescribed this list of meds for me:
* Ovace face wash (I use the generic called Re-10)
* Duac - a topical antibiotic + benzoyl peroxide, similar to Benzaclin (morning)
* Differin cream - a retinoid, but not as harsh on me as Retin-A (night)
* Clindamycin - oral antibiotics (2x per day)
* Tri-Sprintec birth control

The first 3 months after I started my derm regimen my skin got REALLY BAD, which was expected. The medicines need to get used to your skin and things need to re-balance. My worst skin was at 2-3 months into the new meds, even worse than anytime throughout when I regularly had acne. Then, at around 4 months, my skin started to rapidly and magically start clearing up. The actual acne goes away quickly but I had acne scars that took around 3 months to fade from when I got them. With good concealer it helped a lot but I'd say my skin started to look very much more improved with no makeup at around 6 months and only improved from there.

After sticking to this regimen for about a year and a half, I reduced the amount I took of the oral antibiotics and eventually stopped altogether this past Spring, in preparation for the wedding. (Oral antibiotics can lessen birth control's effectiveness.)


This is my current regimen:

Morning
- wash with Re-10
- apply moisurizer (I like Clean & Clear Morning Burst spf 15 facial lotion)
- apply Duac

Night
- take Yaz birth control pill
- wash with Re-10
- apply moisturizer (I like Clinique Moisture Surge Extra for night because it's light)
- apply Differin

Pretty easy, right? I don't use toner because my derm said the alcohol can dry your skin and it doesn't actually clean much. The Differin is great for warding away wrinkles and aging because it helps renew cells quicker as well as helping acne, better than anything you will find over the counter. Yaz also helps fight horomonal acne too. It's all about finding the right balance to heal you acne, not to abrasively dry it out or scrub it out, which can actually make things worse. Just find a good dermatologist and a good moisturizer, which is 75% of the battle.


Here is a before and after, no photo retouched:

Soooooo sad in Dec 2006 (2 months after I first started meds.) This was WITH makeup! :(


YESSSS fist pump for clear skin now!!!


Good luck to those of you who went through or are going through difficult skin. I just want to let you know that it's okay, there is hope, and it's not your fault. Really. I know how you feel. :)

Here is the video tutorial for a simple aspirin and honey mask inspired by ricebunny's xanga. It's good for making your skin soft and smooth, as the aspirin particles exfoliate well improving the texture of your face. I only use it about once or twice a week.

Ingredients:

1. Uncoated aspirin
2. Honey
3. A clean plate to create mixture
4. A couple drops of water to dissolve the aspirin



You can used coated aspirin, but you'll need to dissolve the coating first and generic aspirin is cheaper anyway. I'd recommend just buying some. Also, if you have super sensitive skin, test this out on a small part of your face first. If you start to get any irritation, wash it off right away. Anyway, here's the vid. Try it out and let me know how it goes!