Living Up to the Hype!

Hello fellow interweb friends!

If you are like me and watch beauty YouTube videos almost religiously, you may have heard of the Michael Todd True Organics skincare line. So here's the dealio, I decided to give in to the hype and ordered a trial set. When I ordered it, I used Glamlifeguru's (Tati) discount code link and got 20% off all purchases for an entire year, so I pretty much got a really good deal on my set of skincare products. At first, when I checked out the website, there are so many packages that target different skin types/problems, so I wasn't sure what to get, but I thought about it, If I just keep my face clean, then I can also deal with my acne problem, so I decided on purchasing the set targeting normal/combination skin, since that's my skin type. The set included a facial cleanser/toner, an exfoliating/hydrating scrub, a pumpkin mask, eye cream, and an antioxidant serum. This set usually goes for about $151, which is quite a lot of money, but it is currently discounted to only $75, and since I had an extra 20% off from the discount code link, I jumped on the deal right away! On top of skin care package, I also ordered the Eye-o-Sonic, which is a neato little tool to apply the eye cream to make sure it soaks deeply into your skin to get the full effect. 

Anyways, I've been using this set for a little over two weeks now and YES, I definitely see an improvement in my skin tone, coloration, and texture! My skin feels so flippen smooth and and I even notice, this on top of my Origins Charcoal Mask, my black heads are getting lighter! The best thing is the serum does not make my skin oily whatsoever because oily skin is what tends to break me out. As for the pumpkin mask, all I have to say is WOW! It smells delicious, feels great, and your face will definitely appreciate it after a few uses. As for the scrub, that thing smells like tropical heaven and it exfoliates without making you feel like you're scraping all the skin off of your face. Pretty much, it is gentle but gets the job done as if it's any other scrub!

If you are feeling splurgy or see your skin as an investment, I'd say get this set or which ever one is more targeted towards your skin. You don't have to get a full sized set like me because there are also smaller sizes too, but for the price, this package is perfect! The best thing is, when you receive your order, you also get small samples of other products to use for one time. Even though it's only one time, it's still nice being able to try out different products before buying it. I think this line of skin care is pretty fail-proof since it is mainly organic ingredients, plants and fruits and vegetables, so it already is naturally giving your skin good nutrients, so there's really no harm in trying!

Until next time,

With love,

Uyen

Skin Care Necessities

Hello fellow interweb friends!

So being a girl, I have a whole lot of skin issues and body image problems, which is never fun, but thank goodness, there are products out there that an help/improve my problems and issues! First is my face! My main problem is the black heads on my face. I have quite a bit of black heads, which automatically darkens my face and make it look not as bright as it is. My black heads mainly gather around my nose and chin. Those areas not only darken, but it leaves some kind of a shadow on my face, making other areas look darker than what it actually is. I started using Origins "Clear Improvement" charcoal mask. I usually put this on 2-3 times a week, depending how much make-up I wear during the week. The more I wear, the more I'll use the mask just because it does a very good job unclogging my pores and clearing up my skin. 

Usually, after I use this, I will use Origins' "GinZing" moisturizer as well.The GinZing moisturizer has all natural ingredients, just like all other Origins products. The one thing I really appreciate about this one is it does not leave my skin feeling oily or heavy at all! To me, it's like I slathered loads of water on it. My face feels nice and fresh when I put it on after the mask, and when I wake up in the morning, my face just feels nice and smooth! So right now, I'm only using a mini sample pot just because I wasn't sure if my skin will react well to the moisturizer, but now that I know my skin loves it, I will be going back soon to get a full sized one. And of course, who can forget about the lips, definitely not me! So after I put on my moisturizer, I also put a bit of my Dior "Creme De Rose" on and leave it over night. This lip balm, though expensive, really does the job! It leaves my lips feeling soft an smooth all day long! I usually only need to put it on once a day and my lips already feel amazing, so imagine the wonderful results after masking it all night?!?!

Another one of Origins' mask that I thoroughly enjoy is the "Drink Up Intensive Mask." This one, in spring and summer, I will only use once a week just to replenish the moisture in my skin since I am out in the sun a lot and probably use a lot of make up. If you read my previous post, you know I have a bit of oily skin, but still, there are dry spots and after I use a lot of make up during the week, I definitely feel my skin getting a little weird. This mask is perfect to use once a week just to get the nutrients and natural oils back in my skin to replenish it. I use it once a week because I have oilier skin, but for those who have drier skin, I would suggest doing it twice a week. You definitely feel a difference when you wake up in the morning, especially since this is a leave-on mask and you can just wipe it off in the morning when you get ready. Once again, I'm using a small sample pot to try it out on my skin, but I am for sure getting this in a full sized one to use at home but also a travel sized one for when I go to Vietnam. I definitely do not enjoy the gross, dried-out feeling of my skin when I'm sitting on the plane for 18 hours straight, so this shall keep my skin feeling nice and smooth and moist!

So besides bad facial skin, I also have bad body skin! Even though I've never had kids or gain major amounts of weight, I deal with stretch mark problems. It is definitely not the most pleasant problem to deal with, especially since I'm barely 20 something with no kids and all the girls my age are looking nice and smooth in their two-pieced bathing suits! I've learned to embrace my stretch-marks, or my "life-stripes" as I'd like to call them, making it sound ferocious like tiger stripes. Still, I want to minimize the stripes appearance, so I use Palmer's "Tummy Butter" and then also later on lotion specialized for stretch marks. I usually put these one everyday after I shower, but before doing so, I make sure I exfoliate my tummy area well so that all the moisture and cocoa/shea butter and vitamin E can soak in to give me the best results possible! These products aren't like MIRACLE WORKERS, so I'm not expecting all my stripes to go away, but I definitely see improvements. All I can ask for is to lighten my stripes, so I don't feel like a complete fatty next to all these smoothed-skin-skinny girls in the summer! Since I know my body and my issues, you will rarely catch me in a two-pieced bathing suit because of this, but I still enjoy one-piecers that have a little cut-out and what not, so I am definitely appreciating these Palmer products that are making my skin look a little better in my bathing suits!

So of course, it is important to keep your body completely moisturized, so I never miss a day of lotioning my skin after I shower! And hand creme and foot creme are a must too just because no one wants flaky/cracked/dried out hands and feet, especially during the summer time when we're all out and about in our sandals and flip flops!

That's pretty much how I deal with my body issues, still working on the mental issues, but hey, a girl can only do so much at a time right?!?! If you guys have any other suggestions for stretch marks or my "life-stripes" please do share!

Until next time,

With love,

Uyen