Pebble Penn

There is an art to finishing products.
I know alot of girls are like me. They see a new foundation, or their friends recommend a new face cream or you see amazing blog reviews online and decide you just have to buy whatever-product-has-been-reviewed… and then unknowingly you abandon your existing products and move on to your new ones.

I have been consciously trying very very hard to stop buying new things and to finish off the existing products I have at home. I went on a slight ban on online shopping and real-life shopping for make up and skincare and amazingly I have started to finish my existing products!
It actually feels like quite an achievement, because I cannot remember when the last time I finished a product was?!

So here is goes!!

Daiso Brush Detergent Cleaner 100% will repurchase, at $2.80 its a bargain!

Bioderma Sensibio H2O 100% will repurchase, still the best make up remover I have had so far.

The Face Shop, Chia Seed Lotion Maybe will repurchase. Not hydrating enough for the harsh Melbourne winters, but performs well during Summer and Spring seasons.

Those products were used to death! Fell in love with them all over again. From Left; Fresh Sugar Lip Balm in Tulip, Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse, L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic

Fresh, Sugar based lip blam in Tulip. Purchase in the USD Sephora. If I could readily buy this in Australia I would. It was hydrating and the colour was amazing. Not very long lasting though, but not marketed as a long lasting lipstick anyway since its a balm!

L'Oreal, False Lash Telescopic, Waterproof (always!!) About the 10th time I have repurchased this. The brush is amazing on my stubborn short stubby lashes. Magically makes them long and unclumpy. What more can a girl ask for in a mascara?

For those of you who know me, the Pimples vs Penny saga has gone on for more then a decade.
I thought I had won after high school before uni and my complexion was amazing and skin was clear.
However unfortunately I am here to tell everyone the war is not over!

So I stopped eating healthy as often as I should, stressed from work I stopped sleeping at appropriate times and I got lazy with my routine because my skin was ok! But this time, the pimples have surfaced on my untainted cheeks! *cry* I personally think pimples on the cheeks are so much worse then on the forehead because skin on the cheek and around the eyes are more delicate, and its also more obvious.
If you look at my last posts, I had a pimple just near my eye and it was so obvious and annoying and could not be covered.

So here is my battle plan!

Strike 01 - Drink Massive Amounts Water.
When I say massive, I mean lots and lots and lots and lots... you get the idea!
I believe water flushes out toxins in your system, and keeps you looking hydrated. At least there wont be dry flaky skin peeling off the face.
So what I do now is wake up and drink a full mug of warm water prior to getting dressed and doing my skin routine.
Then during the day, everyday, I haul around my massive glass 800ml VOSS water bottle. Purchased from speciality grocer Thomas Dux at The Glen for approx. AUD $6.
side note; i dislike plastic bottles because sometimes if you have left it out in warmer weather, there is an unpleasant "plastic" taste in the water. Might just be me.

• My Choice of Weapon; 

VOSS. glass 800ml water - AUD $6



Strike 02 - Clean Hands. Clean PillowCase. Clean Hair. Clean MakeUp Brushes.  
This is a matter of behaviour and control.
I love putting my hands on my face to hold up my head. And I liked to touch pimples just to see how pimply I was (stupid - but everyone does it). And my hair use to fall on my face.
But that all has to stop. Because your hands, your hair may have touched a million dirty things prior to making contact with your face.
So I try not to touch my face at all now and keep my hair out of my face for everyday wear and on night outs I might have a side fringe where the hair may possibly touch my face.
I also clean my brushes and pillow cases periodically. I never realised how often I was putting not-quite-clean-but-not-dirty things against my face.
End note - Clean Everything that comes in contact with your face.

• My Choice of Weapon; 

Crabtree & Evelyn. Rosewater Antibacterial Hand Gel 250ml - AUD$250 [I purchased this on sale for AUD$5 - tip is to go on boxing day! ]
Daiso. Brush & Sponge Cleaner - AUD$2.80




Strike 03 - Remove MakeUp Religiously. 
I used to have very tiring days at work where I often came home for dinner at 8pm? 9pm? and I just wanted to eat, and plop on the sofa and sleep till the next sunrise.
But research has shown that your pores secrete sebum which moisturises and protect skin by removing dead skin and irritants. However, with make up on, pores clog and sebum can cause acne. Not letting skin breathe also causes your skin to age at an increased speed!
There was one time where I came home at 5am and I just fell on the bed and I slept for about half and hour and woke up from a nightmare about getting horrible pimples and I pulled myself together and went to wash my face. I love my Skin Conscience.

• My Choice of Weapon;

Strike 05 - Spot On. 
Sometimes sore pimples and scars need that little bit of attention. For ages I used antibacterial eye ointments prescribed by my doctor from my eye infection, that I left in the fridge and dot it on my pimples. Ok Ok, I am not recommending old eye ointments, but it worked! I am guessing because has antibacterial properties, and also because it created the barrier.
So for everyday going to work no-one-is-really-looking-at-me look, I put no my Moisturiser, my Vichy Spot cream for a protective layer over my pimples so it doesn't come in contact with dirt, and then my BB Cream.




Strike 06 - Mask It. 
I love face masks. It hydrates and sometimes its the quick fix that you need before a night out.
When me and le bf went to Korea, we purchased around 60 pieces of facial masks from Lotte World Etude House! Little bit cray cray.
However recently I have taken a preference to tubs of gel masks. I would recommend ones that are not too harsh and does not make your skin sting on application. A stinging sensation probably means your skin is too sensitive for the product. Leave it for another try or swatch a bit of your face. If not, then you and that mask were not meant to be. Pass it onto your gfs, maybe it is the perfect mask for them!
I find that frequent uses of not too harsh gel masks can minimise white and black heads on the face, the strips of blackhead removers we all use to use as kids, is a harsh and very immediate way of removing the blackhead, however it leaves your pores exposed and enlarged. Which means, more dirt will go in and the process starts again.
Now, what I require from masks are a little bit different, I don't mind small results each time, where over time it will have an overall improvement.






The Saga continues! Will give an update on how the battle is going in a month or so!

I want to consider purchasing a face wash machine, either Phillips or Clarisonic. Does anyone have any particular recommendations?

xoxo
Pebble