Morange!

Finally wore Morange out so I thought I'd post pictures! I am wearing my normal face makeup with Coppertone blush, and  I kept the eyes simple wearing only eye liner and mascara. This is such a gorgeous color, I feel like I will be wearing this color alot this. I did notice that it doesn't look that bright on me as it does on others though. When I purchased this I was also interested in Vegas Volt, but it was sold out. That or So Chaud may be my next Mac purchase. Not sure if Vegas Volt will work for my skin tone though. 

My Skin Care Regimen: How I treat my acne (before and after pics!)

This picture was taken today with nothing but moisturizer, ignore the swollen eyes, allegies suckk

(and there are tons of close ups of my skin all over the blog)

I have been thinking about posting this for a while but I hateeee these pictures so much. I also wanted to post because I have been getting a lot of compliments on my skin and it isn't naturally like this lol. I have been struggling with my skin for the past 3-4 years. I tried everything! Proactive made me horribly swollen and itchy, Retin A did very little, Minocyclin and Differin gel together worked great initially but did nothing after a year,all over the counter products failed, the Clairsonic Mia did nothing, and oil washing made it way worse. I really hated my skin and didn't even want to wear my makeup because i felt like it didn't look good and foundation can't hide acne or bumps.
       After doing some research I stumbled across Acne.org and I am so glad I did. If you have skin issues and have tried everything definately give this a try! It is so simple I really thought it wouldnt work, the 2.5% Bp is also way gentler on your skin than the 10% stuff in Proactive and most other acne products. I also like that you can use drug store products to follow the regimen. The website contains a list of products you can use, he sell products also.

Products I use:

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser

Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion

Acne.Org 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide Treament

** There are reviews for all of his products on makeupalley, the ratings are all great, esp for the BP!

The website is really detailed and it is important you follow the instructions so I will just post important links:

The Regimen

What to expect

Product Guide

Acne.org Products

I didn't have a camera at the time and I was having issues with my phone so I didnt take pictures after I started. I did notice improvement a few days after I started and was pretty much clear in 2-3 weeks (It is different for everyone).Here are the pictures of my skin right before I started in October. I still get a break out or two occasionally but nothing like before. These pictures are poor quality because I used my phone my skin actually looked a lot worse. I am not even sure why I took these because I did'nt have a blog at the time lol.

I was wearing makeup in this picture and it did nothing, I also adjusted the contrast some so you could see the acne better :( 

Berry Haute-FOTD!

Hello Ladies! I did this look yesterday. I kept the eye simple and wore one of my favorite lipsticks! I'm pretty sure Berry Haute is the first lipstick I ever purchased about a year ago and it is a close dupe to Mac's Up the Amp. Hope everyone had a beautiful weekend!

Face:
Mac Mineralized Skinfinish in DarkMake Up Forever HD Foundation IN 175

Rock & Republic Shameless Blush

Nars Albatross highlighter

Make Up Forever HD powder

Eyes:

Loreal Voluminous mascara in Carbon Black

Mac Spiked Eyebrow Pencil

Coastal Scents concealer to highlight under eyebrows

Mac Tete a Tint (lid)

Mac Arena (Brow  bone highlight)

Mac Romp (crease)

Mac Bronze (Outer V, Crease)

Loreal Telescopic in Carbon Black on upper lashline

Lips:

Revlon Berry Haute

Transitioning Tips + Pictures of My Journey to Natural!

Before actually being successful, I tried to transition and then failed at 8 months post. I think getting that last relaxer really help me, because after that I didn't look back! I transitioned for about 16 monthsish, I did a mini chops every couple of months until I was all natural! I didnt do too many styles. I wore my hair straight, braidouts, Senegalese twist, and in the winter since my bangs were natural i would wear my bangs out in a wash and go and wear the back braided under a hat. Transitioning is truly a journey and different for everyone, but here are a couple of my tips!

1. Don't look at only one hair type for inspiration unless you are 100% sure you know what your natural hair looks like. One of the biggest mistake I see people make is going natural because they like the way another persons hair looks or going natural thinking or hoping their hair will be a certain way. Unless you were completely natural before as an adult there is no way of knowing so you should be ready to embrace and work with what ever texture you have. On the hair forums I see so many naturals trying to get their hair to mimic things other peoples' hair does natural. Whether you wash and go hangs or coils up, Embrace it!

2.Heat doesn't have to be bad! I know many frown against this and many recommend not to use heat, I believe it depends on your hair. I have never had a problem with heat and still don't. I blowdried and  flat ironed for the the first 8 months of my transition probably every other week and saw no damage. Straightening made it easy to blend the two textures and lasted longer than other styles. Of course it is ideal not to use it , but if you need to go ahead. Just stop once you notice any signs of damage. Also, make sure to deep condition and only flatiron clean hair, use a heat protectant and minimal products, and not to use heat daily. 

3.Protective style! Especially around month 8+ dealing with the two textures can be a hassle. I learned that long term protective styles like weaves and twist or braid extensions were extremely helpful in keeping me out of my hair and keeping it protected. The more you mess in your hair and get frustrated the more likely you will relax. One thing to remember with these styles it to not get them too tight and not leave them in too long.  I got Senegalese twist a couple times during my transition and I loved them because I was having issues looking the way I wanted with my transitioning hair, but  I was still able to look presentable with these! Wigs are also good for some because you can hide your hair, but you are able to get to it whenever you need to care for it.

4. If you don't want to use fake hair there are many ways you can style your own hair. Most of these style require a good amount of manipulation but can be preserved for a couple of days. These styles include braid outs, flat twist outs, straw sets, bantu knot outs, etc. If your hair is long enough you can also cowash and wet bun often. What ever style you do be very gentle with your hair. 

5. I wish I could offer product suggestions.I washed my hair weekly and deep conditioned after each wash. I am pretty sure I used Biolage shampoo and conditioner whenever straightening and any drugstore shampoo and  conditioner otherwise. I also like Cantu Shea Butter leave in and Hawaiian Silky 14 in 1 to moisturize my hair.  I also liked to experiment with whipping my own butters to use to seal and on my skin, need to start doing this again. I don't like giving product suggestions any way because what works for my hair may not work for yours. I used so many products that worked for others and hated them! Moisture is a big problem for a lot of naturals so find products that keep your hair soft and moisturized.

6. Research! There are so many tips and style ideas out there don't just look in one place. Also there are so many people sharing their journeys and inspriation. 

7. Don't cut of your relaxed ends until YOU are ready. For most people it is a mental transition as well!

Oxfords and Lace Tights!

I don't post many of these but I thought I would today!

I went to my little cousins' birthday party and felt like wearing a skirt slice it was kind of pretty outside.

It was too cold for bare legs though :(.

The warm weather needs to hurry!

***I don't remember where I got my skirt or t-shirt from, but the cardigan is from H&M

Rings and Braclet: H&M

Shoes: Steve Madden; Tights: New York and Company

Another Braid Out!

Hiiii! Hope everyone is having a great weekend. I am tying to ween myself off of straight hair lol, so I did a braid out this weekend on blow dried hair using Oyin Handmade Hair Dew and Ic Fantasia gel. I loved the results and how my hair felt. i did about 10 cornrows for this I purchased the Hair Dew, Shine and Define, and Honey Hemp Conditioner from Oyin Handmade. I will post a more detailed review once I use the products more. I also decided to wear my Mac Impassioned lipstick today! I wish I took more pictures today but it was so rainy I didn't even feel like it.

Lipstick Haul: Freckletone, Morange, Impassioned, and Milani Rose Hip!

Left to Right: Freckletone, Morange, Impassioned, Rose Hip

Hi Ladies!!! I picked up four new lipsticks yesterday. Three of the lipsticks were from Mac: Freckletone, Morange, and Impassioned, and I picked up Milani Rose Hip from CVS. Freckletone is a Lustre formula and is described as a "neutral peach" this is a nice nude for darker skin tones. Morange is an Amplified Creme formula and is described as a "loud mouth orange", this is a true orange with no red or coral. Impassioned is an Amplified Creme formula and is described as a "amped up fuchsia", this color is very bright and looks slightly coralish to me. Milani Rose is is also a very bright fuchsia pink and almost appears neon. These colors, especially the three brights, are great for the spring!

Swatches

Left to Right: Freckletone, Morange, Impassioned, Rose Hip

not the best pictures of me lol, but they show the lip colors

Mac Freckletone

Mac Morange

Mac Impassioned

Milani Rose Hip

Wash and Go Puff!

I wore puffs pretty much daily last spring and summer. I haven't wore one in a while so I tried one today so I thought I'd post pictures!

Revlon Orange Flip!

So this is the last of my Corally/Orange lipsticks and I think I am obsessed lol! I want more. In these pictures I am wearing Revlon lipstick in Orange Flip, this lipstick is a true orange compared to the other two. next I think I will pick up Morange and maybe another coral color. These are a nice alternative to red in the spring and summer. I also like to keep the rest of makeup very nuetral and simple with these colors and dont wear eyeshadow at all.

**I am also wearing my ring and earring from my forever 21 haul posted here.

Left to Right: Kiss Me Coral, Coral, Orange Flip

Pictures wearing Coral

Pictures wearing Kiss Me Coral

Forever 21 Haul!

Although it doesnt feel like it, It's spring! A couple days a go I did a little online shopping on forever21.com. I was a little nervous because a lot of times thier clothes are too big for me. But luckily everything fit! Now I just have to wait for it to warm up :(. I hate using stock photos, but I am too lazy to take pictures right now. I loveeeeee my floral shorts and polka dot dress! I also purchased a cheetah print top but couldn't find it on the website again. Here is what i purchased: