i've never been a high maintenance girl, but as the years go on i feel the need to get more and more products to keep me looking decent. one major issue i have is with my skin, my pores are pretty big and my skin is oily on my nose, the bottom of my forehead and on my cheeks by my nose. my skin isn't horrible--i know it could be much worse. i could have chronic acne, really bad discoloration, or it could be really really dry. if you have oily skin, it's a pain now, but when you're older your skin will age better than your peers because oil supports collagen and elastin production which keeps our skin supple, plump, and looking young!
i have relaxed hair, meaning it's chemically processed to look straighter. although it's in a straighter pattern than my natural curl--it's still hard to manage because when my hair grows my roots grow in a curl pattern. so it's like i'm treating two different hair types at once! to prevent my hair from breaking too much, and looking healthy (thankfully my parents gifted me with thick, healthy hair) i use lots of conditioner. conditioning is key! often, we all use way too much shampoo and not enough conditioner.
my teeth used to be so nice and white, but then i started drinking loads of soda pop and sometimes i'd be in so much of a rush i wouldn't brush my teeth. i know, so so horrible (but at least i'm being honest here!) well, that behavior is a thing of the past. i've also gotten my teeth a bit lighter by using a certain mouthwash.
here are some of the products that i'm using right now and like. there might be better products out there for me, so share the products that you use and feel free to suggest anything!
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i bought this last month or two months ago, and it's been finished for a few weeks now. but i saved the bottle because i wanted to remember the name so i could include it in this post. it really helps to keep your breath fresh for the whole day, especially if you use it both day and night. you have to make sure to gargle it and rinse at full strength for 60 seconds. so keep it in your mouth for the whole minute. do not use it more than twice a day. it says that in 12 weeks of using it, you will notice a difference. 12 weeks is 84 days, and the bottle only has 32 days of usage in it. so...yeah, that doesn't really add up but i did notice a difference in the color of my teeth in the time i spent using it, and i will probably be using this product again.
i use these three products as well as a cvs brand pore scrub regularly on my face. i use the neutrogena clear pore cleanser/mask only as a mask twice a week. i just bought the burt's bees deep cream cleanser last week because i read that soap doesn't fully clean your face (only the surface) and that you need a milky cleanser to really deep clean your pores. so i was thinking--maybe that's why my pores are so dirty/big, because i've only been using soaps. i used to only use the clean & clear foaming facial cleanser, and i like it because it's pretty gentle and it keeps pimples at bay. now i use it before my mask or after my cream cleanser. i just use the pore scrub alone in the morning. i think i have a slight allergic aversion to the burt's bees cream cleanser but i feel good knowing that the cleanser i'm using is all natural. after i use it i get a few bumps from some slight irritation, but i think that's because my skin isn't used to burt's bees natural goodness!
to moisturize i use a covergirl tinted moisturizer with l'oreal's active daily moisturizer. both have spf 15. spf is important for ALL skintones, because anyone can get skin cancer--contrary to popular belief. and even if you don't get skin cancer, being exposed to the sun without any protection causes wrinkles to set in early and can also promote discoloration of your skin. i use a lacura eye gel to moisturize my eyes. it's actually a beauty brand from aldi. it's cheap, but effective. i don't have a real night cream, i use a therapeutic moisturizing cream from walgreens. i use a very little amount because it has a LOTTTTT of moisture, and i don't need too much, because my skin has no trouble making oil on its' own.
i never win contests. ever ever ever. i mean, like...giveaways. i have a better chance at winning contests where you have to show off a talent, or write something, but i don't get lots of freebies. whenever i do, i am amazingly ecstatic. last year was the first time i had ever gotten a freebie from a giveaway contest. i received african pride herbal healing shampoo and leave-in conditioner from www.afrobella.com. i absolutely love the leave-in conditioner. i will be purchasing it again, unless i find a better/cheaper one. it has 17 natural hebs in it, and lots of nourishing oils. it really keeps my hair manageable and keeps split ends from popping up.
after i wash my hair i like putting in garnier fructis melting masque from the strength & repair line for overly processed/damaged hair. it smells fantastic. it has avocado and apricot oil as well as a ceramide reconstructor. i leave it in for quite some time, and then rinse it out and it leaves my hair so soft! i recommend it for anyone. the leave-in conditioner is great for all types of hair except very oily hair or else it'll just weight our hair down.
i tried dionis body wash in this scent (love), and ohmygoshhh it smells AMAZING! i have an empty bottle on my desk and i can't wait until i can hold onto my money long enough to buy this gift set that comes with the body wash and lotion (each 8 ounces). it has goat's milk in it, which keeps your skin soft as well as some other natural ingredients. unfortunately, it isn't all natural...but i love it anyway.
what products do you use that work really well for you?
thanks for reading!
all pictures from google images
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