FACIAL PRODUCTZ

Hey! Someone, somewhere asked me to do a post about beauty products. Since I am lazy and still (still!) busy setting things up around here, I thought I’d just write really quick and dirty about my skin care “regime”.

There exist a number of catch-22s that one comes across when “trapped” in the “misogynist” “prison” of “performing femininity”. Your skin has to be dewy, nubile and soft while keeping a matte, porcelain texture and somehow not showing any signs of oil or pores. Your hair has to be full, thick and voluminous without being dull or frizzy.  Here you have three choices; you break free from your shackles and exist on the fringe in a community of likewise people, you live your life in horrible bondage attempting to live up to an arbitrary beauty standard that doesn’t actually exist anywhere. Or you shrug and deal with whatever solution is “good enough” and go on being the girly, product/style-obsessed individual that you are (while still being aware of your role of supporting a system of fascist beauty standards).

Whatever, I’m a ball-biting feminist, but I like having “enhanced” femininity; pretty skin, pretty hair, pretty clothes. I define what pretty is for myself, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t shell out major dollars for anything with tasteful packaging and empty promises.

My skin is OKAY. It exists in this wonderful “transition period” where it’s still slightly acne prone and oily, but starting to wrinkle-up and become dry in certain areas too. Also, did I mention it’s sensitive? It’s sensitive, too. I smoke, I often don’t get enough sleep and I drink coffee. So my skin is just OKAY. Nothing short of a miracle (hint: they don’t exist) will change this.

I’ve been using my current ~regime for over a year now. It’s not miraculous, but every aspect of it addresses a specific issue without exacerbating another one. If that makes sense. Also, for the most part, these products last a good while if I exercise moderation when using them. I use all the cleansing/acne products + eye cream before I go to sleep at night, and I just use the jurlique cleanser and Bobbi moisturizers when I wake up.

(from left to right, clockwise)

1) SHU UEMURA CLEANSING OIL - Usually I use the pink one (balancing), but that was sold out when I went to replenish, so I’ll be using the purple one (brightening) in the interim. These work really well at getting rid of every last smidge of makeup on your face (and I use a pot-eyeliner that’s essentially grease paint), without ravaging the delicate skin around your eyes. They leave behind a slight film of moisture too, which I believe protects you from getting too dried out when you cleanse.

2)JURLIQUE BALANCING FOAMING CLEANSER - This is really gentle, yet it does a good job of minimizing oiliness. I read a good review of it once, and I’ve been hooked ever since. This leaves your skin feeling really refreshed and clean without stripping it and leaving it taut and dry.

3)PROACTIVE 3-STEP SYSTEM - You’ve seen the commercials. This is the only thing that keeps my mild adult acne at bay. It’s not perfect, but if I stop using it, I break out. Nothing else has worked so well. Usually I skip the toner because I find it a little too drying, but I’ll use it if I’m PMSin’ to try and reduce the amount of breakouts I experience during that ~special time. 

4) BOBBI BROWN HYDRATING FACE CREAM & HYDRATING EYE CREAM - These are probably my most prized facial products!! Previously, I had a lot of trouble locating a face cream that moisturized enough without making me break out. I had a really bad experience with Creme de la Mer, where my face wound up covered in tiny, angry bumps, and I had to give it to my mother. Basically anything that has mineral oils in it causes me to break out terribly, and unfortunately a lot of old lady creams are chocker-block full of mineral oils! Bobbi’s creams are MAGIC! Honestly! I know I said no miracles, but these are. Almost. The face cream is really rich and super hydrating, but at the same time almost acts as a primer (I haven’t found a single primer that hasn’t also caused me to break out big time), giving you a bit of mattification and plumping up your creaks and cracks. It also won’t cause your makeup to slide off your face midway through the day. The eye cream soaks right in and completely obliterates that “crepe paper” look that my eyelids have been sporting lately, without irritating my eyes and making them water all day, which basically everything else does.

Also, wear sunscreen (I use a foundation with SPF built in), drink lots of water and eat your fruits and veggies! Taking b vitamins, fish oil/omega 3 supplements, and antioxidants doesn’t hurt either. My morning tablet collection is enough to choke even the most seasoned pill-popper, but I truly believe in the power of supplements.

So there, to whoever asked, I hope that helps! I know everyone is different, but this is what (mostly) works for me.

PS: Speaking of quick and dirty, I did an embarrassingly hasty re-design of the blog. I’m still tinkering with it, so I hope it doesn’t offend you horribly! I’m also working on setting up a twitter specifically for thefullnilson, so add me if you like! I hope to get it off the ground later tonight. I’m hoping to eventually move to wordpress, but that’s a future future future project ^_^