Parabens are bad

So, I haven't been blogging much and there is a reason... A legit one. My face has been terribly irritated and I have had a bad breakout of acne. I finally decided to go to the doctor and she blamed it on my PCOS and hormone embalances,  which was of no surprise to me. She gave me a couple of topical creams to use and said I may have to come back and the way it is looking going back is a very good possibility. Anyway, I obviously have not wanted to try new products that might further irritate the situation, because it has been pretty painful. The acne is deep and hurts and my skin gets red, itchy and dry. No fun. So, I looked up information on dermatitis and found that parabens in make up,  shampoos and facial washes often further irritate sensitive and inflamed skin. Now, I was not going to try anything new but like I said, it hurt and the medicine the doctor prescribed made it even more dry so I decided why not go paraben free for a while.  I did some research and found Yes to Carrots. I had heard of it before and knew my niece liked the products. I went to Target and bought Yes to Cucumbers for sensitive skin. I bought their cleansing wipes, facial wash and lotion. I bought Yes to Carrots shampoo and Yes to Blueberries chapstick and some Yes to Tomatoes acne cleanser for use once or twice a week (sometimes I just use it to wash over the acne prone areas). I also bought Physician's Assistant blush and Organic Wear tinted moisturizer. I later purchased BareMinerals from Sophora, which cost me a small fortune. I am seeing small improvements but overall the biggest change I have found is that my face is less itchy and irritated. I am still breaking out and I try to use the Yes To Cucumbers lotion to balance the dryness of the medicine but I still have flaking. At first after I bought the BareMinerals, I stopped using the Physician's assistant products but today I added them back and found I have better coverage. I think the shade I purchased is too light so putting the tinted moisturizer underneath also seems to warm my face. I may still exchange it. I have until this weekend to decide. Overall, I rate all of these products as products worth trying whether you think parabens cause breast cancer or not. Even if you have no fear of acne scars or irritation, they are worth the money because they smell nice and work great,  plus they have less chemicals than other products. That's my tip on looking lovely for today. Have a great Wednesday.

Disney Villians

Yes. I am five. I had to have it and I am excited to use it. Do not judge me! They have awesome nail kits, fake lashes and make up bags as well, but I didn't want to go too overboard. I shall report back on how awesomely evil this makes me look! :)

Great Product for Hard water Hair

New favorite shampoo and conditioner. I have hardwater at my house. Like rotten egg sulfur grossness and it dries the crap out of my hair and makes it look dull and yucky. A co-worker of mine who does not have hardwater at her house suggested this product and I had to try it. She said it wasn't drying and was amazing....and well, it is! You can order it here:  http://www.malibuc.com/products/cn/9612/Hard-Water-Wellness-Kit

E.l.f. Palette

This is a $5 E.l.f. palette that I have been using and I love it. The colors stay on so well. Thirty-two shades of awesome. 

P.S. Sorry for being M.I.A. I will try to do better. :)

Rimmel Glam Eyes Day 2 Night

One of my favorite new finds is Rimmel's Glam'Eyes Day 2 Night. 2 in 1 Defined Length and Volume Mascara.  Yes, there are two mascaras and two brushes in one bottle. As you know many mascara tutorials suggest using two mascaras in the first place, but who REALLY has time for that?? (Says the woman who owns at least 6 mascaras if not more.... hey, I am "trying" them for you... It isn't about me. It is all about helping out the general public I swear!! I am a beauty humanitarian... o.k. maybe that went a little far). Anyway, this masacara really really makes your lashes look awesome and you don't have to really use the Medieval torturing device (eyelash curler) to get it to work.  I love using it when I want to look like I tried without trying, which, let's face it, is almost everyday. Great product that's definitely worth the money! Maybe I will post some pictures late to show you how great it works but for now the picture below shows what the bottle looks like.

Big ol' Makeup Haul

I will review these products at a later date.  I had not bought a lot of new items in awhile because my face was breaking out so bad. But, I had a list of things I wanted to try so I went for it and I found some real gems. I will report back on what I loved or hated shortly.

Beware of icky acne

O.k. No one likes to talk about it but we all probably have experience with it, acne. Yuck! It is so gross, so embarrassing and even sometimes painful. This summer my hormones and the weather have not helped me avoid having my own battles with acne, but I do have a secret weapon. A product that isn't even advertised or sold as an acne medication but it can work miracles... It can move mountains!!! (At least the ones on your face). What is this miracle product, it is sold by BeautiControl, which is at home beauty spa company.  They sell some detox products.  One of which is their Deotxifying Clay mask. It looks scary when applied. It is grey and as it dries, it will turn white, that's where the impurities are being pulled from your skin and it really truly works.  Sometimes I use it like an acne spot treatment and just put it on the little irritation. This is probably one of the best products that I have ever found and I would highly suggest it to anyone fighting acne.
In the picture below, on the left, I have shown what the product looks like in the bottle and on the right (sorry for the grossness, but I said it worked, not that it was pretty), is a picture of how it looks after it has dried and drawn the impurities from your skin. I have left this on spots overnight and the whole mask on as long as an hour or more. The key is to allow it to dry thoroughly so it has plenty of time to work its magic.