BB Creams- COMING SOON

So I have been getting a lot of people asking me what BB creams are good for them, what kinds I've tried, and which are the best etc. 

Let me start out by saying I am no guru (yet!) and don't know every type or what will be best for you. I also don't have an unlimited budget to try all of the kinds and don't want to confuse my skin. It also all depends on skin type and personal preferences. 

So I have a few tips for right now:

1. research! look up youtube videos of people trying and swatching different kinds. Also look on google for any helpful articles (this is exactly what I did)

2. Take into account your skin type (dry, combination, normal, oily, acne-prone, sensitive)

3. Make a hard list of what you want out of a BB cream

4. Look at the ingredients (you don't want to be putting weird chemicals into your skin.

Also I will be doing a ton of research for you and putting it in a post soon! What I recommend for dry, combination, normal, oily, acne-prone, or sensitive skin. 

this requires a lot of research and I still may not have perfect answers for you if you have different personal preferences. I will list different BB creams that do a certain thing (cover, heal, protect, etc.)

I promise to try my best!!

xx

aBBey


note: apparently swatching is not a word, how silly is that!! Oh english language how you confuse me.... 

Skin Care - Plane

So I thought since I was traveling I would take the opportunity to describe skincare for the plane

This is one of the subjects that even I have trouble with, and I've done so much researching online and every time I travel I hate what the plane does to my skin

finally I feel as though this time I did something right on this trip!!

Ok, so the plane obviously has recycled air with little to no moisture content, so it pulls ALL (and I mean all) of the moisture out of everyone's skin, which results in dry, angry skin and sometimes if you are blemish prone a whole mess of spots. 

so some of you may be thinking wait... if you said it draws out moisture why would that cause breakouts? Well your skin responds to the dryness by producing MORE oil and therefore clogging your pores. Seems like we just can't win!

Some people say to bring a small spray bottle with water to replace the moisture, DO NOT DO THIS!!! It will only make the plane draw out more moisture and make a big mess of everything. 

Also do not wear any makeup, it will only clog your pores and dry out your skin even more. I do not have fantastic skin but I do not wear makeup on the plane. The only thing that would help would be an ultra moisturizing BB cream, which I did wear on the last flight because I did not want a completely bare face. 

So what I did on this trip is brought two different types of moisturizers (Sisley Flower Gel and Naturopathica Lavender Moisturizer)

I applied the flower gel right away on the plane and reapplied a more generous coating once the first layer had soaked in. I would periodically feel a patch of my skin and determine whether I needed more moisturizer (this will vary from person to person) and for this I used the Naturopathica moisturizer. I also had blotting papers to get the excess off (after a few minutes) or any oil produced by my face during the flight. 

For the second half of my flight I brought a moisturizing mask, this is an actual mask that you buy pre-packaged from any Asian store. Sure I may have looked a little strange with a black cloth mask on my face but it's worth it if I don't have to deal with super dry blemished skin after the flight. Confidence is key, I really didn't care what I looked like and if you care that much bring a sweatshirt and put the hood up. I use the Kracie brand and sometimes I will branch out and try another mask if it looks good. These masks work because they have hyaluronic acid which is uber moisturizing. 

So I definitely did the regime right this time around because my skin was not too dry and did not break out at all, yay!!

I really hope this helps you guys :)

xx

Abbey

Sorry! + Clarisonic Discovery

So I was at the lovely Coachella all weekend, hence the absence of posts.

Anyways the late nights definitely helped me realize a few things about my extensive skin regime

1. Using the Clarisonic every day is NOT good (at least for my skin)
it actually was causing a lot more irritation than I thought and causing unnecessary breakouts because it was stripping my skin of all it's essential natural oils 
I will now use it every two to three days

2. LESS IS MORE
Do not for one second think that you should use 5 billion products to make your skin do this or that or stop doing that thing you hate. It will probably cause more issues, stick to a few products at night 

If you use toner in the morning you do not need it at night, also avoid anything with sunscreen because you don't need it, also invest in a lighter moisturizer that will not make your skin too oily at night

Just a few tidbits of advice :) 

xx

Abbey

Makeup- BB Cream vs Foundation

Ok so I've given a lot of advice on skincare, but it takes a really long time to change a regime and your skin. This is where the makeup comes into play 

First BB cream versus Foundation 

Most would say this is no contest (in favor of foundation) however I say different!
Personally I have never used foundation in my life, I've always been an advocate of tinted moisturizers. That is, until I found BB creams (basically the holy grail)

First a BB cream is short for blemish balm or beauty balm, it's somewhere in between a product, a foundation, and a tinted moisturizer. Traditional BB creams (Asian and German) were intended to treat, repair, and give light coverage. However the American interpretation is basically a foundation with no added benefits (my opinion)

I use the Aura Luminous Goddess BB Cream (Korean) and I love it! I think it does a good job of healing, moisturizing, and giving pretty good coverage (evening out skin tone without covering your natural "glow")

Now I do not have perfect skin, no where NEAR perfect. So all you skeptics out there saying there is no way it will cover anything trust me it works. I also use this with a cover up (for spots which I will discuss later so it's not like it's the only thing I am using. 

I did A LOT of research to find my "perfect" BB Cream and I would suggest you do the same. Different kinds work for different people depending on what your main concerns are, however I would definitely recommend you guys look into the Asian BB creams because I think the quality and benefits are overall better than the American versions of BB cream. 

If anyone has combination skin like I do I would definitely recommend the one I am currently using. 

xx

Abbey

Confidence

My blog is mostly about Skincare and really getting your complexion in a better place. However, this will take time, even I'm not totally happy with my own skin yet (and it's been years). 

I thought I would do a post about confidence, it is the greatest product you can ever have. You have to be confident in the skin you're in, even if YOU think it isn't pretty. Sure products can help but I think what makes this industry terrible (sometimes) is that it preys on your lack of confidence so that you will buy their products. 

If I could tell my younger self anything it would be to have confidence and don't try every product out there in order to fix minor imperfections, because honestly it probably made my situation a lot worse. 

Please please PLEASE listen people, whoever is reading this please take it to heart. You are all beautiful you just need the perspective to see it.

xx

Abbey

Skincare FOR GUYS

Ok so I realize my blog is MOSTLY directed towards teen girls, well that's going to change 
girls actually may have some idea how to manage their skincare and of course makeup but I've talked to a few guys and they said that they had no clue and needed guidance 

so here goes!

First off I want to tell you guys out there that I am not going to be telling you all sorts of complicated things to do, because honestly skincare isn't supposed to be like that for ANYONE 

What I'm going to recommend is simple and natural, perfect for guys

Ok it's the same for everyone, your skin care will depend on your skin type 

If you have normal skin and have never really used products I would suggest to start out by actually WASHING your face (with a washcloth with warm {not hot} water) morning and night

However if you suffer from blemishes you might want to invest in a simple face wash, the one I use (unisex) is the Naturopathica Aloe Cleansing Gel. Guys will like it because it does not smell girly or fruity. It is designed for normal to oily skin. 

UPDATE: There is also a mens wash now available through Naturopathica

If you have dry skin I would recommend washing your face (with warm towel and such)and investing in a moisturizer. Sure all of you should be using one but let's face it guys are lazy with their skincare, even some girls are. I would recommend a sunscreen moisturizer, I use the Elta MD one and I like it (also good for people with blemish prone skin) 

UPDATE: Naturopathica has a moisturizer for men, also sunscreen CAN break you out

If you find you need something more effective for your blemishes I would suggest the brand Jack Black (no its not the actor {at least I don't think so}) they seem to have really good products and you can get them pretty much anywhere. Yes this will involve going out and getting the product (or amazon)

Now a lot of guys are really unsure when it comes to popping your spots, there IS a right and a wrong way and there is a time to DO it and NOT to do it. When it is at the head and super disgusting looking (you know what I mean) you should get a warm towel and press around the spot, BUT if it is way underground and just inflamed it will only make it WORSE if you try to pop it SO DO NOT TRY. 

Hope this helps! 
Comment any questions :)

xx

Abbey