The Paris Excuse

I've had pretty great skin my entire life. However, once I hit my mid-twenties I was hit with adult acne. Every time my skin seemed to clear up, my hormonal acne would kick in once a month and start it up all over again. But because I've never had a problem with acne before, I never treated it or addressed it properly. Sure, I'd go to my monthly skincare/dermatologist, but I wasn't really taking take of my skin on the daily, yano?

Lately I've been on this skin craze, applying masques, not drinking (that's been a huge one for my skin), testing out different cremes, reading up on the various ingredients, absolutely obsessed. So I thought I'd share my findings! And without further adieu, here is my target/sephora haul from last: part skin care part beauty.

1. Activated Charcoal: After seeing activated charcoal surface around some beauty blogs, I was immediately curious. I dived right into some research and found that activated charcoal is regular charcoal that's basically been heated to expand its pores to trap toxins, which is why it's great for blemishes and acne. I used it last night, and it left my skin feeling "squeaky" clean, literally. I used to love this sensation after washing my face, it left me feeling ridiculously clean and under the impression that I had indeed removed all impurities from my face. However, I recently learned that, THAT is not a good sign.When your skin is left feeling tight and dry, it usually means that it's not only been stripped of all its toxins but also its natural oils and all that good stuff. Unfortunately, I am emotionally biased and still prefer this squeaky clean feeling (what a rebel!). I will say though, I woke up this morning and my skin was noticeably clearer. Previous scarring appeared lighter and 3 soon to be pimples had noticeably reduced. However, that was just 2 cleanses. Will check back in after a week and see results then!

2. Eyebrow Gel: I've been a long time fan of the thick and dark brows. Some would even say that in the past my brows have been too thick and too dark. Over the years I have definitely learned to color my brows with a less heavy hand, resulting with a much natural flare. BUT! I realized last night that I have been confused for so long. I didn't want darker/thicker brows, I wanted bushy and hairy brows! Yes, I said HAIRY. It wasn't until I played around with some gels that I realized this is what I've been trying to accomplish. For years, I have been admiring the bushy brows of Bambi Northwood-Blythe, Taylor Hill, Lily Collins who all have brows reminiscent of an early Brooke Shields (albeit slightly more symmetrical). But I had mistaken that love and fallen victim to the trend that followed Cara Delevigne's infamous brows: dark & thick. But I have seen the light and vow to never go back. I'm a hairy brow convert! I love this look because it looks so incredibly natural. It's not so perfectly filled in and shaped that it looks "made" up. When I noticed Marykate & Ashley rocking these furry brows, I should have known it was achievable (if one was not naturally endowed with a hairy set), but I just assumed they had a really great makeup artist. Well secret's out kids, eyebrow gel is here to save the day.

Last night I was initially started playing around with Benefit's "Gimme Brow" which sparked my brow enlightenment process. I really liked how light and natural it was. I was able to apply coat after coat without it ever getting un-naturally dark. I also loved that the brush was small allowing the tinted gel to be applied only in areas that I wanted it to go. Mess free, fuss free. But then, I stopped by MAC to stock up on items that I had run out of and out of curiosity tried their eyebrow gel. This had all the same great attributes the Benefit "Gimme Brow" had except the color was much stronger, giving my brows a fuller look. So I went with the latter and so far, so good! Again, I will check in after about a week to weigh the pros and cons with more experience withit :)

3. Makeup Forever Rouge Artist Natural: I've been meaning to try this product for a while. I saw it on a video for Emily Ratajowski's must have makeup essentials a while back and ever since then its been lodged in my brain. Well I finally tested it out last night and I can't believe I've never tried any of Makeup Forever's Rouge Artist lipsticks. Its incredibly moisturizing and the color intensifies with more coats, but also is just a nice tint with a single glide. The color is very natural as it is so aptly named. I've always been a lip balm/chapstick kind of girl just because I not good at up-keeping any colored lipsticks. But with this, I get the best of both worlds: color, hydration, and fuss-free.

4. Bulletproof Coffee: What is a bullet proof coffee? It's Upgraded Coffee, grassfed unsalted butter, and coconut oil (or some version MCT "medium chain triglyceride oil) blended together and today I tried it for the first time! I didn't use the Upgraded Coffee, but whatever that was brewing at work. I was intrigued by the concept because a couple of months back I heard that healthy fats are brain hydrators and upon further research I found this to be true. I've also been looking for new ways to incorporate healthy fats into my diet and this seemed to fit the bill so I made it, I blended it and I enjoyed it! I actually loved it to be honest, I wanted to make another cup as soon as I had finished my first. I will say though I added a splash of vanilla extra and Splenda. It was so good, so creamy, so rich. It wasn't as filling as I expected but it was satisfying enough. I felt alert/sharper with much more mental clarity than most mornings!

As cautionary advice, I will say that this drink is high in fat and not meant to be consumed if on a high carb diet. Please research!