The Forehead Diaries 1

My skin is terrible. For a week, it looked decent - then when I decided to sleep at 5 am - subsisting on tea, coffee, cola and biscuits - it dies on me again. So I've decided to try to monitor what I put on my face by creating The Forehead Diaries. Just like a journal, it might not be 100% accurate - I can't promise to write down what I've put on my face everyday, but I'll do my best, so I can see what's going on with my skin. It might also motivate me to put all the stuff I'm supposed to.

All pictures taken with the webcam of a mac. No flash but at different locations so the lighting can be very different..

Let's start with a picture of right now, Day 0.

That was a picture before my nightly/early am (it's 4 am) routine. Sorry for the bad pictures!

So, yeah.

Evening

1. Neutrogena Deep Clean Facial Cleanser
2. L'oreal White Perfect Whitening Toner
3. It's Skin Facial Therapy Essence Skin
4. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion
5. Stieva-A 0.05% Tretinoin
6. Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque - not used regularly, only when there's a really big zit.

Yes, I know I have oily skin and am supposed to be using the DDM Gel instead of the DDM Lotion. Unfortunately, this is the only moisturizer I have on hand right now. I'd also like to finish it since I'm sort of hoping to finish some of my stuff before I buy anything.

Morning

1. XX Sulfur Soap (I've forgotten the brand since it was there for a while, but it was very cheap)
2. VMV Superskin 3 Toner - once every 2 days
3. It's Skin Facial Therapy Essence Skin
4. VMV ID Lotion - once every 3 days
5. Neutrogena Ultrasheer Dry-Touch Sunblock 45 SPF

I didn't take a picture after Day 1. For Day 2, my skin was feeling sensitive so I replaced Morning 4 with Evening 5.

Urgh. Skin - why you so bad? The lighting is diffrent, since I took it in different places. You can see new zits on the right side of the picture and the middle. Since I was very busy for a week, my next picture is on Day 9:

I still have new zits popping out and up, most notably right between my eyebrows. I've noticed that zits don't tend to stay as long, though still pop up as often. Healing time is also quicker. There's less hyperpigmentation once the zit is gone. I have a feeling my sleeping habits are the zit producing factor.

After Day 9, my schedule went to EFF again. Some nights, I'd live with 1.5 - 3 hours of sleep. Sometimes I got so tired I just washed my face and left it at that. I've also had to use heavy foundation and removed it with the last of the old Elianto - it's gone now. I don't know how I feel about that. My skin got worse. Since I haven't been following the regime, I wouldn't call it a day exactly (more like a crossover study), but I feel that I should show how my skin looks like right now before officially closing TFD 1.

Moral of the story: Stick to a regimen! Also, sleep and relaxation are just as, if not more important than a good skin care routine. I found this round's morning and evening routine more effective than a wash alone. Unfortunately, less stress (or at least 6 hours sleep) is necessary for me not to turn into a pizza-face: I believe the TFD1 regimen might be effective if done religiously (and if I increase the VMV dosage). I do like VMV. Since the toner is a year old, I think this is the one I should be focusing on finishing (and reviewing), but I don't know what I'd buy afterwards: I'd rather not use an antibiotic on my face all the time.

Since I will be transferring to a new location with much less space, I'm going to have to revise my regimen to something simpler (or at least something that will take up less space). Once I've settled down, I'll see if I can make something else. I might post a review or two of some of these products once I've used them again.

LRT adventures + Starbucks Musings

I am reborn! I am a phoenix! I am Jean Grey!

I'm just a redhead as a treat to myself for the school year. Here's to maintenance - I'm sure it'll be a b*tch.

Also, I'm poor now. I had it done at a reputable-(ish?) salon.

Anyway.

I was commuting yesterday and I could kick myself because I had forgotten:

1. Not to wear slippers on the train - your feet will be bruised and smushed by the stampeding feet.

2. Discipline means delay - the horde of people who don't know what a line is will force you out of your place as they cannot wait for passengers to disembark before surging forward as a mob. Although on the bright side, the EDSA line had crowd control - passengers couldn't enter the waiting area unless the place isn't that crowded. A bit annoying, the waiting, but better than being suffocated by a mob.

3. That I had a stored value card - and bought another one. T_T

It was a trying couple of hours. I even went on a jeep which thought they could fit 8 butts in a 7 person bench. They succeeded by having 6 + .5 +.5 butts on it. I was one of the lucky 6.

At the end of the day, I ended up in a Starbucks. Their Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappucino is really good! I noticed two people, separate parties, who entered Starbucks and never ordered. The first one, a male, stayed for a good 30 mins, charging his phone. The second one was an elderly female. She stayed for over 2 hours, charging her phone and occasionally napping. She even asked me to watch it as she went to the bathroom. Afterwards, she asked for a glass of water.

Now while I do know that in emergency situations, it could be excused for someone to charge a phone or use a bathroom or ask water. However, two hours by a lady who obviously had the means (she spent a lot of time on the phone talking business and was wearing jewellery  to "pay for her use of the space" is not really excusable in my book.

There may be people who do that, and are proud to do so, but I think it's very rude, and unfair to the cafe. If all people acted like this, then Starbucks would close down because everyone would use electricity and water with no income to offset it. But the thing is, if you see something like this happening, should you tolerate it?

It seemed easier to hold my peace - and I excused it saying that maybe, she would order in a few more minutes (as if waiting for another party member). But am I part of the problem?

June 2, 2013

Okay, I may hate the fact that in a few hours, it will be JUNE again. That means school will start soon. Eurghhh. However, I am looking forward to Sunday, June 2, 2013. Why?

1. The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf will have an Open House this Sunday from 10-11:30 am, introducing their Anniversary Blend and Scottish Breakfast Tea Latte.

2. VMV Hyperallergenics is having an Armada Sale - 20% on the Armada line. I am ambivalent, as I already have a lot of sunblocks... but I am looking at their lipblock....

3. The last day of the fashion sale at Megatrade Hall, SM Megamall.

4. The last day of the sale at Robinsons' Department Stores.

May: Finished!

Things I’ve Recently Finished: *

1.     Suave Juicy Green Apple Shampoo and Conditioner: Two very meh products when used together. I bought it because I like green apple, and apple scents in general. I liked the shampoo because it cleaned my scalp well, as well as providing a nice rich lather. Unfortunately, the conditioner was a bit too light for my hair. While they're nice to use in the shower, the scent dissipates in one to two hours under normal weather conditions. I did not use these products separately. 
2.     Neutrogena Hydro Boost Essence: Same as February's post, the short review is here. I did like it, but I think my skin might be better served by something else.
3.     Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo: I like this shampoo because I could use it to remove build up every 10 days or so, or whenever I used an oil treatment of my hair. It has a nice, clean scent with good lather, even when using a little product. Since I didn't use it everyday, a shampoo with a price tag of less than P200 lasted for more than a year.
4. Vaseline Healthy Hands and Nails Lotion: I haven't noticed my hands and nails getting any stronger, but it does moisturize them well, and sinks in pretty quickly. My only problem with this is that the tube is a bit fat, so it's a bit awkward to maneuver on-the-go. I end up leaving it at home. 

I've been going through bars and bars of Nivea and Dove creme soaps. I much prefer the Dove soaps by virtue of their shape, smell and lather. I tried the Dove 7-day challenge on my face and ... no. It really doesn't work on my poor acne-prone face. Creme soaps melt quicker than the usual bar soaps. While it is not necessary to use a sponge to trap excess moisture on the soap, especially considering its price, make sure that there are no puddles anywhere near your soap dish.

-SS

*No pictures. Lack of decent camera woes, as usual. Plus I’m lazy (see my name).