Pebble Penn

The Perfect Canvas.

This is about the fifth time I have typed out this post, there are so many important messages I want to convey, but I realised that cannot all be done in one post.
I am on a Bare Face Challenge, it is something I have challenged myself to. It is not the traditional bare face challenge, where you have to go through X amount of days without make up a week.
I am well aware of the self-esteem issues and need for women to portray the images they see in media - the need women feel to be perfect. However, my Bare Face Challenge is not associated with that.

I am seeking a better canvas. Make up works best on a blank clean canvas. That canvas is your face, everyone possesses something amazing and unique (yes even twins do!) We all have different skin types and what works for you, my not work as well for me.
I love make up because, it is fun, a chance to portray a certain feeling, mood and style. I love it! However I have found it doesn't matter how many times or how many amazing products I seek to conceal, cover or contour, it is just not the same if my face is full of pimples, or dry, flaky and bumpy.

So I have put myself on the challenge, to seek a perfect canvas.
I am not changing my facial structure to conform to society's view of "perfect", I am aiming to perfect the canvas I have. In turn I hope, I will become more confident with going bare face, and that I will have a better canvas to work on with make up.


Here is the battle plan. The Bare Face Challenge. 

1. I will be more diligent with my skin 
The moment I arrive home, I will change out of my suit and wash my hands and clear all the make up and dirt off my face from the day.
Skin is wiped of make up, and cleansed with Phillips Visa-Pure facial cleansing brush.
Did you know? 
- Make up clogs pores
- Environmental pollutants will damage your cell structure
- May decrease collagen production
- Can cause premature wrinkles.

Picture attached is from www.dailymail.co.uk, where a women experimented with not removing make up for a month. Look how drastically it has changed! From flawless to irritated skin and deeper wrinkles! All credits to DailyMail UK.



























2. Bye Bye Pimples 101. 
It really is a never ending battle. They are on my cheeks and I am determined to get rid of them.
From my last post Pimples vs Penny the pimples have been contained well, no spreading on my forehead and chin and nose are an all clear!
Now the efforts have been focus on ridding it off my cheek and thats it! (Fingers Crossed.
Here is what has been happening. Selfies are bare-faced and no filter was used.

          Left is Day 01 of pimple flare.                                  Right is Day 02 with pimples but less flare.



Did you know?
- Hydration is very important when you have pimples!
Drinking at least 1 litre of water per day, and coming home and putting on moisturiser and sheet masks as required. *Handy tip, when you sit down to watch tv, study or being lazy pop on a mask it only takes 2 mins!
- Do not touch your pimples. Don't let hair, fingers or anyone touch your face, more than likely those things are dirty and can inflame your pimples.


So here I am committed to my Bare Face Challenge, where I will have a better face canvas.
Not only will it allow make up to go on nicer, but it will in turn make me feel better and have more self-esteem to just walk out and have bare face on those lazy days.

Updated photos will be posted soon! Fingers crossed for better skin!


xoxo
Penn

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