#all my photos for the last 2 years have been retouched and weird | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

armyandvipforever · 5 years

Text

[Episode] BTS Debut day 130613

6th June 2013: [ The day of BTS’s debut performance ]

The camera shows different members who are preparing to stop on a girl who is doing the last makeup retouching. On her right , there is a young man who starts talking on the camera.

[Suga] : “Hello, we are BTS” The young man smiles and goes to the girl to hug and comfort her.

[ The members are organizing their introduction before going on stage]

They listen carefully to their two leaders to be ready but the girl is very nervous.

[Jimin]: “Right Now, we are in the wainting room. Jungkook, shizuka, The Camera is here”

[Shizuka]: “Hello, Army”

[Jungkook]: “We are going to lose weight.”

[Jimin&Shizuka]: No ....

They start laughing nervously and Shizuka kisses Jimin’s cheek.; Jimin wanted to tour the wainting room with Shizuka and Jungkook is very chic!

[Jimin]: Right now I am going to lose weight. Yeah !!^^ I’ll do my best to lose weight so I can show good abs.

Shizuka smiled and passed her arms around Jimin’s neck to give him a hug. Suddenly a jealous boy approaches the little duet It’s J-hope. J-hope is behinh Jimin and wondering what Jimin and Shizuka are doing.

[J-hope] : What are you doing?

Shizuka & Jimin are going to try to tour the wainting room with J-hope hyung this time.

[Jimin]:Before we go into rehearsal, ...

[Shizuka]: We are going to dress up cool outfits. It just look like

[J-hope]: Bling-Bling Yeah!!

Jimin &Shizuka talked for a long time and now they are quitly looking at Hope hyung.

[Jimin]: Hyung, when you are in front of the camera, I become very shy.

[Shizuka]: Poor Jimin.

The two olders start laughing.

[J-hope]: Why?

They are both not used to being in front of the camera. Shizuka takes the camera and tries to pull Jimin’s shirt to show off his abs. Jimin becomes shy in front of his Noona’s camera.

[Jimin]: Whats? This is a secret. You shouldn’t film thing like this Noona. You’re too pure and innocent.

Shizuka laughs and continues to film Jimin for the fans' pleasure. Shizuka takes the camera and turns to Namjoon. Namjoon a.k.a The leader Rap Monster practice one more time. While Namjoon practiced, Shizuka practiced her dance. They copy , after watching them. To get the attention of his Noona, Jungkook teases his hyung by copying Namjoon. J-hope began to laugh.

[Rap Monster]: I hate him! ( jungkook) . Try to do it properly .

The Maknae tries again to impress his Noona and his Hyung.

[Rap Monster]: It’s not similar!

Namjoon sulks and goes to his Shizuka to to give her a cuddles.J-hope begins to declare by mocking Jungkook.

[J-Hope]: If you tell Jungkook, to do something, He can’t do it.

Following the remark of J-Hope, Shizuka and Namjoon began to laugh and Namjoon passed his arm around the young woman. Behind, Jimin was watching and he wanted to try it.

[Jimin]: I’m sorry It’s was bad.

[Shizuka] :No, it was pretty good.

She hugs him to comfort him.

[Namjoon]: Shizuka is right. You did it the best.

Finally, They leave to go to a rehearsal and pre-recording. They start the rehearsal wearing shirts with their names.

They start dancing and singing. Shizuka is very happy because They complete the pre-recording of her song “No More Dream” safe and sound. They are very tired but full of energy to sell.

[Suga]: It’s so hot!

Shizuka feels like Jin hasn’t been doing very well since the performance. He is very tired. He tells his misfortune to Shizuka. She takes towels to wipe all her sweat.He begins to cry and Shizuka takes him in her arms to comfort him. Thanks to Shizuka’s hug and the comfort of the other members, he calms down for the sake of the performance. They chant “BangtanBangtan BangBangtan!” whenever they need strength. This is We are bulletproof PT.2 Live Perfomance. They go back on stage and it’s going pretty well for all the members. Everyone is happy to have finished and they all hug.

[jin]: We did a good job Noona! First Broadcast.

Shizuka smiled and raised her arms up to clap her hands.

[Shizuka]: Yeah Well done Jin oppa!

[J-hope] : Success!

The members are happy because they finished the performance they have been wainting for. Happy, Shizuka throws herself on Namjoon to hug him and celebrate their victory at the same time.

[Rap Monster]: We will do much better in tomorrow’s performance!

[Shizuka]:You are absolutely right! You will see tomorrow the performance will be better!

Jin makes the same remark as his two leaders by saying that he will make a better performance. He has determination! Shizuka smiles and she is very proud of him. Suddenly, we call them to order.

[Staff]: Are You ready?

[Bts] Thank You !!

After the broadcast, they take pictures to show the fans!

[Photographer]: 1.2.3

Shizuka is between Taehyung and Suga. She makes a heart with her hands.

[Photographer]: Now Free Pose! 1,2,3! Good!

Like the others, Shizuka made a free pose!

“NEXT DAY AT THE MUSIC BANK”

The camera turns to see a very happy V and a Suga.

[Suga]: I am Suga. Do you see this?

He pulls his shirt to show the fan.

[Suga]: We wear this when we do dry rehearsals.

After that, They nervously do the dry rehearsals since this the second time. For Shizuka, the performance went pretty well. She didn’t make a lot of mistakes. She just had to see some parts of her rap. Jimin made a small mistake during the Kicking portion of the dance. Shizuka stands next to Jimin training on his part.

After returning to the wainting room, they doesn’t rest but practices ! and practices! Suga join them, he is practicing the dance step by step . V does it over and over again!

[V]: I need to do well. We only have one chance!

Jungkook sprays Rapmon hyung’s throat spray. The Maknae is trying a lot of new things.

[Jungkook]: Do I have to drink water with this?

[RapMonster]: What?

[Jin]:Hi! I did a shy introduction in the beginning. I’m still shy right now.

ZZZ 17 years old Jungkook is falling asleep.... BagelMan Jimin will not stop practicing with Noona Shizuka. The members warm up individually.

[J-Hope]: You’re amazing ! Syub Syub ... You actually danced.

[Suga]: I usually show my dancing to shizuka.

[J-Hope]: You’re so cool! Shizuka is Lucky! V, You should show us a dance too!

[V]: Show What?

[J-hope]: That’s part!

He starts dancing oddly. Suga puts her hand on V's shoulder to comfort him. Suga hyung defends V. J-hope goes to V to hug him.

[Suga]: Yeah, the truth is, V doesn’t do that part.. I’m nervous because we have a pre- rehearsal recording soon.

Jin and J-Hope don’t care about Suga’s interview so they fool around. Shizuka has finished training and is going to see Jin and J-hope to give them a hug. They start making faces behind Suga .

[Suga]: I am in trance these days because I am nervous.

Seeing Shizuka, he takes her in his arms to give him a hug. He kisses her on his cheek.

[Suga]: Shizuka's cuddles are the best, they give me strength for performance. I will do my best. Please Watch over us!!

Jin and J-hope continue to do anything behind Suga and Shizuka. Shizuka laughed. Finally, they leave to do the pre-recording! They are very happy and Shizuka is saying hello to the camera. The performance is going well and Shizuka was able to show her talents in gymnastics and rap. After they finish, the member greet the director and the fans.

[BTS]: Bangtan! Thank You ! We will work hard!

[RapMonster&Shizuka] Thank you for coming!

Rap Monster and Shizuka are the first to come out of the scene.

[Rap Monster] : We finished on the first try! What do you think Shizuka?

[Shizuka] : Well all the members did their best !! I am a proud mother!

[Suga]: That was scary!

[jungkook]: So-So-So ..

[J-Hope]: The End!

[Jin]: We did well!

Jin waved at the camera. Jimin releases tension after the pre-recordings are over.

[Jimin]: I’m scared of that red light the most. It always makes me wonder what I should say.. You’re such a bad kid and Shizuka is like an angel!

He laughs and leaves to join his noona sitting between Jin and V. Jin’s showtime toward the camera! V is giving a weird look to the oldest hyung!!!^^ Shizuka begins to fall asleep and puts her head on Jin's back. She is exhausted!

Right before they go on a live performance! Shizuka and Namjoon gave the latest instructions and shizuka made a kisses and hugs for everyone.

[Jungkook]: wow I am so nervous but thanks to noona I am better.

They clear their second debut performance! Everyone enters the room and starts greeting the camera.

[BTS]: Great work everyone!

[Shizuka]: Bangtan is the Best!

Everyone greets ! The Bangtan members have a photo time since their performance is over . We will keep running harder from now on ! Show BTS lots of love!

Author's note: I am very happy to introduce the debut of BTS. It's been three weeks since I worked on this imagine. In this imagine, you can see the birth of ship as: Jimin / shizuka / Jungkook Jin / shizuka Namjoon / Shizuka.

Please liked and review! 😊😊💖💖👏👏✌!

#BTS jimin #BTS jungkook #BTS suga #BTS jin #bts namjoon #Bts Shizuka #8th member of bts #bts imagines #bts debut #bts v

4 notes · View notes

jennphotoblog-blog · 5 years

Text

Q&A 4

Finally, we will end with some answers from me. A little about me…I am a beauty/product photographer based in Los Angeles. You can find me at jenn-collins.com or @jenncollins on insta

-How did you get started?

J: When I was about 16-17, my parents gifted me with my first DSLR, a Nikon D40. Since I lived in Arkansas at the time, I started taking images of flowers and landscapes and light-trails for fun. I submitted these images into the county fair and won first place on a few of my images which really motivated me to pursue photography a bit more in-depth. I began taking my classmates senior photos in highschool, then took a dark room class in community college, then decided to enroll at the Academy of Art University online in 2011. Shortly after, I got my first set of studio lights and had no clue what I was doing for a good 6 months (no, seriously. I left the modeling light on and used them as continuous lights because I didn’t know what a strobe was…so embarrassing.) After a couple of years of practicing shooting friends and family in my parents garage (and learning how to properly use strobes), I decided in 2013 to move to Los Angeles with my boyfriend, Jeff. Once I moved to LA, I met my best friend Jessica (yup, the girl above in the interview!) and she took me under her wing and showed me the ropes of how to get my foot in the door to commercial photography. I began testing with models and doing more basic images to catch the attention of agencies. I met with professional makeup and hair artists and started to grow from there. Fast forward to now and I’m STILL learning and growing every day!

-What were the 3 biggest lessons learned when you first got started?

J: I think the overall biggest lesson learned was to find myself in my work. I kept trying to replicate what I saw in magazines/online and it never felt like my own work. Once I let go of trying to be someone else, I was able to really tap into a wealth of creativity. Another lesson would be to keep experimenting. It took me a few years to find my style (and I still feel like I’m evolving into it), and up until almost 2 years ago to find that beauty is my niche. The only way you are going to find your style is by practicing and learning by what does and doesn’t work for you. The last lesson would be to be a nice person. There are some real assholes in this industry, but don’t let the job jade you. People will bring you down and judge you and mock you, but continue to be nice. Honey attracts more flies than vinegar :)

-What is your favorite lighting setup?

J: My favorite has been my white PLM (parabolic umbrella). This 7′ umbrella really allows even, clean lighting that is perfect for beauty. My setup is pretty simple, so I usually just position my PLM a couple of feet from my model and bounce with a white card.

-Do you retouch your own work or do you outsource it?

J: I retouch my own images only because I am a control freak who likes to do it herself, but I also really enjoy retouching. I think that I would easily outsource my work if the workload was too much or if the client was willing to pay to outsource, but in the meantime I’m going to keep enjoying retouching :)

-Wardrobe stylists are hard to find. How can I get better ones on my team?

J: It really is just networking (reaching out to stylists you like and seeing if they are up for a trade) or finding someone you like and growing with them. You can’t expect to get the very best right out of the gate, so I am a firm advocate for teaming up with someone who is reliable, professional, talented, but is also starting out and is interested in testing, and growing with that person. I have several members on my team who have been with me since I started in LA just shooting weird conceptual stuff, and now we all have an understanding and appreciation for each other’s tastes and know what the other person expects out of the shoot. That is just not something you’re going to get from a team member who you just started testing with, so it pays to grow with someone!

-I am always low on studio space to shoot- how can I find places to shoot without breaking the bank?

J: Here’s a fun tip about my work: I have been shooting in my apartment since forever. Yes, the space is small and there isn’t much room to do crazy angles or full body shots…but the space that I have is intimate and usable. Since I shoot beauty, its easy for me to work with limited space. With that said, if you absolutely must shoot with lots of room, I would suggest finding a small studio that you can rent out. Most cities have some sort of arrangement for $50-$100 a day, or more for the bigger studios. If all else fails, try moving some furniture around and getting creative- it’s amazing how much more room you have when you move a sofa out of the way! ;)

-What are the essential gear pieces I need to be a beauty photographer?

J: I feel like this is a tricky question because it differs for everyone. I personally totally break the rules when it comes to gear + beauty photography. Most people will encourage you to get a 100mm lens as that is the best focal length to minimize distortion in the face. I ignore this and shoot mainly with my 50mm 1.4 or my 85mm 1.4 and fix distortion in post. I enjoy being closer to my subject to help direct, so I feel that wider lenses (I wouldn’t go wider than 50mm) allows me be close enough to the model to tweak her pose a bit if needed. A big light bank will be your best friend for clean beauty, so I suggest a PLM or large softbox with diffusion to help soften the light a bit. But…like I said, I’m a rule breaker so my advice may not be the best in this realm. LOL

-How many photos do you usually deliver to your team?

J: Since beauty retouching is so time-consuming and detail oriented, I usually deliver between 6-8 images per shoot. This doesn’t sound like a lot, but I am a believer in quality over quantity. I want to make sure my work is perfected rather than just delivering a buttload of images that aren’t 100% clean.

-What is one piece of advice you can share with a photographer starting out?

J: KEEP. TRYING. This job is demanding and mean, but if you love it, then dammit keep trying. You will get more “no’s” than “yes’” starting out, but that just makes you appreciate the opportunities even more. As the old saying goes- Nothing worth doing is ever easy. Just keep shooting :)

0 notes

shortsrifle7-blog · 5 years

Text

Best Workout Leggings for Women

The best workout leggings for women all in one place! We set off to find the best workout leggings, and tested all of these doing yoga, HIIT, running, and everything in between. Read on for our top 3 best workout leggings + honorable mentions.

Best Workout Leggings Video Review

“What workout leggings do you recommend?” is a question we get from our readers all the time, so last year, we decided to turn it into a blog post —> and try on a bajillion pairs of leggings to find the very best. Well, we’re back for round 2! We set off on an adventure this summer to find the best workout leggings on the market after asking YOU which brands we should try. We hit up some of the most popular, top of the line athleisure stores (such as Lululemon and Athleta) as well as budget-friendly stores (such as Target and Gap) and many of your recommended online brands (such as Outdoor Voices and Ptula) to hunt down a variety of amazing leggings perfect for all types of bodies and activities. We tried on over 20 pairs of workout leggings each, did various workouts in our top 10, and then narrowed it down to our top 3, which we’ve been wearing on the regular since this summer.

Before we jump right in, we wanted to give you the low down of how we chose our favorites for this year’s Best Workout Leggings post. We’ve worked out, traveled, lounged, and everything in between in each of these pairs of leggings. And things we took into consideration include:

fabric

quality

fit

price

versatility

stretch

wear and tear

other (ie: do they give you a camel toe? Or get super see-through when you squat?)

Since we each have different body types (and likes and dislikes when it comes to workout leggings), there are a few different styles of workout leggings that we wound up loving, but overall, it came down to 3 clear brand winners. Athleta, Lululemon and Ptula.

Athleta

Salutation Stash Pocket

Talk about the softest pants I’ve ever put on my body! Athleta is one of my favorite athleisure brands and I absolutely adore their workout leggings. If I had to choose a favorite from Athleta, it would be the Salutation Stach Pocket Pant. I’ve been doing more yoga lately and I specifically like this pant for yoga because they’re moveable and breathable all at the same time. I love the high-rise fit and have I mentioned how soft they are? It doesn’t even feel like I’m wearing pants! The pock detailing is also clutch for more of an athleisure-wear because you can stick your phone right in there. -Lee // 5’8″

Savasana Macrame

I’ve been a long time fan of the Salutation tight with Lee and have them in multiple colors and lengths, but recently fell in love with the Savasana tight. They are my absolute favorite workout leggings for yoga. They move with you so well through a yoga flow. Don’t ride up or down, and are incredibly buttery soft. And I love love love the fun little macrame pattern on the back (thinking I’ll need to add the macrame sports bra to my collection, too). One thing worth noting is that I don’t loveee these for running. They feel a little too soft and slide around on my waist so much that I find myself tugging at them throughout the entire run. But if you’re looking for a perfect pair of workout leggings for yoga or bopping around town, the Savasana is your gal! -Emily // 5’8″

Elation

These high wasted workout leggings are one of my absolute favorite workout pants AND go-to athleisure pants. They are sturdy pants that are made with a thicker fabric, so they are great for outdoor running when its a bit chilly or for those of you who like to be held in nice and tight. They also look great with boots or tennis shoes.

These work out leggings ride high and stay put. I am 5′ 3”, and I’ve got wide hips. Generally, when I try on yoga pants they are too long. So long that it looks like I am wearing leg warmers over my pants. The Elation pant in 7/8 rocks because they hit me right at the ankle. I also appreciate that these elation workout leggings are a true high rise pant that holds everything in when I am in a forward fold. -Linley // 5’3″

Wunder Under Hi-Rise

Not only do Lululemon’s Hi-Rise Wunder Under Pants come in ridiculously fun patterns and colors, but they go high enough on my hips and waist where I am comfortable no matter if I’m doing crunches or sitting in half pigeon. And they don’t fall down when you’re on a run BOOYA. They are breathable and come in multiple lengths (Lee prefers the 21″ length and I prefer the 7/8s). Lee and I both have multiple pairs of these and wear them to workout, run, and throughout the day with boots or tennies. While these are the highest priced pant on our list, we’re firm believers that they are worth every penny. Keep your eyes peeled for sales at Lululemon, sometimes you score big and find a pair of Wunder Under’s on sale! -Emily // 5’8″

Hi, it’s Lee! I couldn’t not say something about the Wunder Under Hi-Rise pant because they are the workout leggings that I compare every other workout leggings to. Time and time again I go back to Lululemon for their Wunder Under Hi-Rise (both the pants and crop) and am never disappointed. I love that there is no seam down the leg, the high-rise fit fits my long torso perfectly and I promise you once you try these on, you’ll ask yourself why you own anything else.-Lee // 5’8″

Align Pant

Lululemon is always a favorite here on Team Fit Foodie. They know what they’re doing when it comes to workout leggings. I do also love the Hi-Rise Wunder Unders. They are reliable and so comfortable. However, this year I found my new favorite Lululemon workout legging–> THE ALIGN PANT. If you can imagine a workout pant that is silky smooth like butter, but structured enough that it holds in all your lady-bits just right, the Align pant is exactly that!

I love wearing the Align to yoga or during high-intensity workouts. The Align Pant is also a high waisted workout legging (let’s be real, I don’t wear anything else anymore) and is incredibly breathable and they hit me in just the right place! -Linley // 5’3″

Alainah Allure

Yay P’tula! P’tula is a newer brand that the team found due to this research and I’m so glad we did! Emily and I both love the Alainah Allure crop/pant. I’ve done both yoga and strength training in these pants and I do have to say…they remind me of my all-time favorite pant from Lululemon, the Wunder Under Hi-Rise. I am a big fan of soft fabric, but also fabric that is thick enough to hold everything in. The high-rise fit is perfect and the color selection is on point! Lastly, the price point is totally there! At $65, I’d say these pants are for sure more affordable than other big name brands.

Desa’ree II Swift

The Desa’ree II workout legging is the first pair of crop pants that I have LOVED. I never dilly dally with workout crop pants. I am an all (long pant) or nothing (shorts) kind of girl when it comes to workout leggings. Because I am on the shorter side, I always feel strange in crop pants. I feel like they cut the little length I have in my legs in half. When I wear crop workout pants it usually looks like I bought pants that don’t fit me.

I love the Desa’ree workout leggings because they hit me exactly where a crop should fit me. The fabric is thin, breathable, very stretchy. When I first received my Ptula pants, they looked like they were made for a 5-year old. They looked so small. Low and behold they stretched out and fit me perfectly! -Linley // 5’3″

Other Workout Leggings We Love

Beyond Yoga

If you are a yogi, you MUST check out Beyond Yoga! They high-waist leggings are my all-time favorite. I love how soft their fabric is and TBH, most of the time I wear these just lounging around!

Crane & Lion

A new one for us this year, Crane & Lion came highly recommended by Lindsey Blomgren of Nourish Move Love. We tried the 7/8 tights, and loved them for cycling class — they were thinner, breathable, but didn’t ride up and give the camel toe look (ain’t nobody need that).

JoyLab

This Target line of leggings is new to our list this year, and came highly recommended by all of you. We tried the high rise seamless leggings, and would recommend these for athleisure (or a brisk fall or winter walk!), but they were a little too thick and warm for anything high intensity.

Zella

This Nordstrom brand has been one of our faves for a long time. They come in so many fun styles and colors, and are always a great price point. While they didn’t make our top 3 this year, you’ll still find us wearing Zella leggings for yoga, HIIT and athleisure.

Nike

We’re big fans of Nike’s high waisted leggings (ESPECIALLY the Nike Sculpt Lux) for all things high impact. We run in these tights and do HIIT workouts in these tights. They stay up and don’t give that dreaded camel toe effect.

Senita

Senita also came highly recommended by all of you. We love the playful patterns that Senita currently offers, and love that they’re true high rise workout leggings, but don’t pinch in weird places and give that muffin top feeling.

Outdoor Voices

We LOVE Outdoor Voices sports bras, and their coordinating leggings are just as amazing. Plus, this brand continues to feature a wide variety of body shapes and sizes to model their clothing, AND never retouches their photos. Cheers to you, Outdoor Voices!

GapFit

GapFit came in as one of our favorite brands of workout leggings last year, and this year was no different. The GFast High Rise workout leggings are SO breathable and I feel like i can do anything in these – yoga, circuit training, coffee shop sitting, and everything in between. They also look great with tennis shoes OR boots.

So there you have it, my friends! Hopefully, we helped you hunt down some new amazing workout leggings without the hassle of having to try them on all. Let us know in the comments below which pair are your favorites. And if we didn’t cover the brand you <3 in this post, let us know what we should try next year!

Disclaimer: some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase an item through one of these links, we will get a monetary kickback. Some of the brands in this post provided us product, but we were not compensated.

Source: https://fitfoodiefinds.com/best-workout-leggings-price-ranges/

0 notes

viralhottopics · 7 years

Text

I Decided To Start Actually Taking Care Of My Skin After 15 Years Of Terrible Acne, And Heres Whats Actually Worked

I have a confession to make, internet.

After years of writing online, a couple of books that detail some of the more personal parts of my life, going viral, doing Facebook Lives, and everything in between, I’ve still never beenas vulnerable online as I’m about to be. This articleis about to be the scariest thing I’ve ever posted, the most raw, the most honest, and reveal my maybe, number insecurity to the masses.

I am about to show you all pictures of myself with no makeup, no filters, and no retouching.

Talking about skincare, beauty regimes, and makeup in general is something that is either SUPER fun for you, or something you completely dread.

For me, I was in the latter half for a long time.

And that, friends,is because since I was about 12/13, I have had really terrible, awful, no good, very bad skin.

My first memory of acne is when I was about 12. I was in a school play and my mom was helping me apply my makeup prior to the show starting and I had a massive, angry zit right on the bridge of my nose. Now to me, this was slightly embarrassing, but I was a preteen and a tomboy and frankly, didn’t really care. But then, all of a sudden, my mom started to squeeze my nose between her two index fingers.

“What are you doing?!” I remember yanking back and looking at my throbbing nose in the mirror.

“You have a pimple,” my mom explained calmly, tissue in one hand and a makeup spongein the other. “I’m trying to get it to pop so it won’t be as big.”

What followed for the next 15 years was an all out battle between me, myself, and my skin. To give you an idea of what I’m working with, this is me:

Feeling very 90s and not at all stressed out.

A photo posted by Kendra Syrdal (@kendrasyrdal) on Apr 28, 2016 at 2:52pm PDT

I am super pale, have pores that suck everything up, have oily to combination skin with bouts of eczema, breakout like crazy from certain types of makeup and skincare lines, breakout during my period, am working on my struggles with dermatillomania and anxiety, wear makeup almost every day out of insecurity, and lemme tell you! It’s been a

I have tried l i t e r a l l y everything.

Proactiv? Tried it. It took a layer off of my skin and I looked like I had suffered a chemical burn.

Birth control? Tried it. It did nothing for my skin but did kill my sex drive and make me gain 10 pounds.

Regular facials? Tried it. They absolutely are lovely and therapeutic and help but they’re expensive and not regularly maintainable.

Every drugstore product under the sun? TRIED EM TRIED EM TRIED EM.

At this point I bet you’re probably wondering,

And fair question, bud! I But for as shitty as my skin was, it was never cystic (thank gawd), and never bad enough that I reached the point of wanting to pump my body full of medicine for something that arguably could be cured with the right skincare regime. There are crazy side effects with medication, and if they could be ultimatelyavoidable, I would very much like to avoid them.

So! That brings us here.

In 2017 I set out to actually, for the first time in over a decade, really truly take care of my skin. I consulted with my friend Cristina (a literal goddess with no visible pores who also has a great Twitter account – follow her), a super sweet lady at the downtown Seattle Sephora named Eileen, and some lovely people at Sunday Riley who had some great suggestions. And with that dove headfirst into the skincare swimming pool.

And here’s how it’s going and what I’ve been using.

Buckle up kids, it’s going to be a bumpy (pun intended) ride.

What I’m Using That Has Worked

Cleansers

Soy Face Cleanser by Fresh

Fresh’s products are lovely. That’s the best way to describe them. They’re all natural, suuuuuper gentle (which is a MUST for sensitve skin like mine that panics at the sight of too thick a moisturizer), and remind me of what I would envision throwback skincare to be like. The Soy Cleanser is gentle enough that it doesn’t shock my skin in the morning, but still does enough that I feel like I’m getting a good cleanse in the AM, and will dissolve anything that held on overnight. It’s not a super frothy cleanser, which took some getting used to, but I really like it. I also like to (as I have found out) keep a travel sized version in my purse when I’m flying so I can wash the recycled air and neighbor breath off of my face when I’m flying. This is my morning cleanser or my “just need a refresh” cleanser.

Checks and Balances by Origins

I’m an Origins fan. I feel like their products actually do what they say they’re going to do and come at a pretty reasonable and fair price point. Checks and Balances was my go to even when my skincare regime was “wash face, go to bed” and that was it. It’s thick, it’s creamy, it gets all of my makeup off. It leaves my skin feeling exceptionally clean, which is what I want from a cleanser. I recommend this. Keep it in your shower or just around. It’s my must have. I use this at night before everything else to give my skin a great clean before diving in with anything else and honestly, I would be hard pressed to find another staple cleanser. I love it that much. I cut my last bottle of this open to scrape the rest out. Seriously. Notexaggerating. With scissors and everything.

Ceramic Slip by Sunday Riley

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sold on this cleanser at first. It’s a very slippery, almost watery consistency and it doesn’t take makeup off as well as I would have expected from a $45 cleanser. BUT, that being said, it is a life when I’m breaking out. The clay works its way into your pores and helps with angry spots and reduces them almost overnight. That’s no joke. After getting all of my makeup off when I’m having a tougher day or week, I wash my face with this at night and it helps immensely.

Serums, Creams, and Oils

Good Genes by Sunday Riley

So if you want to know what’s been saving my skin, it’s this. Does it smell like a dentist office? Little bit. Does it make me cry when I have to buy a new bottle? Yep, sure does. But does it work? 100% absolutely no questions asked. Good Genes is solely responsible for helping to fade the marks that every zit leaves behind on my skin, helping my skin retain elasticity, making my overall complexion brighter, and so much more. I am just mad at myself for not biting the bullet and trying this stuff sooner. It is basically gold in a bottle. My skin is sensitive, like I mentioned, so I only use this once per day. I like to use it in the mornings, but may try it at night for a week to see how it goes. But regardless, this is a new staple for me. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Luna by Sunday Riley

The idea of putting OIL on my already OILY face honestly made me want to vomit. I initially just got a tester of this because I was certain it would make me breakout like crazy and force me to rethinkall of my life choices. And at first…well, it did. As with any other major skincare regime shifts there was an “it gets worse before it gets better” period that made me so frustrated I cried. But then seemingly in a matter of days, it got better. Now at night when I put on Luna I can feel my skin cells rolling around like they’re in a rap video being rained on and in it. My skin drinks this stuff up and is so so grateful.

Pep-Start by Clinique

I am 27, okay? Even thought I don’t fully know what eye cream does and thankfully don’t really deal with puffiness and dark circles, I should still be using it…right? Anyway, Clinique products have always been around me since I was little (my mom was a big fan) so I’ve been giving this a try for the last few weeks. And honestly, I like it! It gives me a little bit more of that “I’m up!” look in the morning, which is what I assume eye cream is supposed to do.

Masks

Cosmetic Warrior by Lush

If you aren’t impressed with the smells from Good Genes, you’re really not going to be into this mask. Comprised of garlic, eggs, honey, and tea tree oil, she’s not exactly the belle of the ball. The consistency is real funky, the smell is bizarre, and it can leave a film on your face if you don’t rinse thoroughly enough. BUT I have it in my fridge at. all. times. Because it Garlic and tea tree oil are natural bacteria fighters and cleansers, while the eggs and honey don’t leave your face so dry that you feel like you’re in a desert. It works. Your face is happier after using it. Plain and simple.

Ten-Minute Rescue Mask by Origins

I have never met a zit this couldn’t punch in its zit face. What I mean by that is that I have never used a mask that so effectively calmed and healed trouble areas. Not Proactiv, not pure tea tree oil, nothing. I leave this on while watching YouTube videos on trouble areas or while I’m soaking in a bath and then just rinse before finishing my night routine with Good Genes and Luna. It’s ridiculously effective. I will absolutely always have this on hand at all times moving forward.

TonyMoly ‘I’m Real’ Sheet Masks

Sheet masks are admittedly, kind of weird. You sit there looking like Leatherface for 20/30, and leave with some goo still there only to pat it in? Like I said, But they’re so hydrating, and can be basically customizable based on what skin issues you’re looking to solve. My favorite thing about the TonyMoly pack is that there’s a mask in there for Breakouts? Check. Just need some extra hydration? Check. Pore shrinking? Check. Plus they’re really cheap. I like to toss them in the fridge for a little cooling action on top of the mask. Super ~* luxurious. *~

Face Wipes

Sephora Collection Wipes in Rose

Not gonna lie, I tried REALLY HARD to stickto a strict skin care regime for almost 2 months. But I like wine, and I stay out late sometimes, and sometimes I just binge TV shows and don’t WANT to do 4 steps before sliding back into bed. In the past? I would’ve paid for that by having 6 new zits by morning. But these wipes are actually incredible. They cleanse without drying, they brighten and hydrate, and they didn’t cause me to breakout. I have a pack on my nightstand, in my bathroom, and in my bag. I love them.

And On The Next Page We Have The Unfiltered Results!

The results!!!!

Now that you’ve read for almost 2000 words, you’ve earned these. Here’s how using all of the aforementioned products and seriously overhauling my skincare routine actually went.

Here’s a TLDR recap of my routine:

Morning: Cleanse with Fresh’s Soy Cleanser Sunday Riley’s Good Genes Clinique Pep-Start (I’m stillsearching for a day moisturizer I like. Will report back.)

Evening: Cleanse with Origins Checks and Balances Cleanse with Sunday Riley’s Ceramic Slip during a breakout Use some sort of mask from either Origins, Lush, or TonyMoly Sunday Riley’s Luna

Please be kind.

First Week of December, 2016.

One week into using the regime.

As you can plainly see, the right side of my face was having a FIT. I had a couple of things batting against me. Travel (I had just spent a week in LA with my best friend), a bad highlighter (fuck you NYX’s cream highlighter. you’re hateful.), and stress (hi work and the holidays). But basically, I was breaking out horribly. I cried about it this week; I remember. This was my “purge” week with skincare. And it REALLY SUCKED. I felt like everything that was hibernating underneath my skin was coming out and it was coming out ANGRY. I honestly almost gave up after a week because I was so frustrated, but I powered through.

Second Week of December, 2016.

Yep. This is after just two weeks using those products. This is partly why I really didn’t want to go to a dermatologist. I knew that my problems, as annoying and frustrating and self-esteem killing as they were/are, were not medication worthy. A good routine made that much of a difference in two weeks. You can see some residual redness on one side of my face from the initial reaction of Good Genes – that’s how sensitive my skin is if you were curious.

Third Week of December, 2016.

This will account for the first of many selfies in this hoodie. I love to wear this hoodie in bed. It’s stupid cozy. I’m wearing that hoodie writing this. ANYWAY. As you can see on the upper part of my right cheek there’s a little dick of a zit popping out (and my hair looks awful) but for the most part, so far so good. My skin is still prone to redness and it’s not my favorite thing in the world, but it’s way better than it was. You’re also seeing that my pore size is getting smaller and are less prominent, which I’m 10010% okay with.

Fourth Week of December, 2016.

This was actually the day after New Year’s Eve and I’m SUPER HUNGOVER! (Also look at my roots. Dear. God.) So I was feeling puffy, dehydrated, a little let down, and sort of just crusty. Thus the last selfie. That being said, I do feel like the lines in my forehead have gone done, and the over all texture of my skin was improving. Even after I abused my body with a ton of champagne and beer pong to ring in the new year.

First Week of January, 2017.

There wasn’t a ton of visible difference in my skin this week but I could feel something evil and hateful brewing underneath and I was scared. Which leads us to…

Second Week of January, 2017.

I broke out like crazy!!!!1! And I was really upset. I felt like after weeks of being diligent and drinking more water and spending all of this money on skincare it was for NOTHING. That I was still going to breakout no matter what I tried and that I would never have skin. It was really frustrating and humiliating and humanizing and all of these adjectives. But really? It just made me feel like this.

I’m still trying to figure out how to combat the breakouts I get around the time when I get my period. But what I’ve learend and ~accepted~ is that skincare isn’t a one-stop-shop. It’s really a lot of trial and error and it takes time.

Third Week of January, 2017.

Not only did I take care of the mop on my head and go full platinum (bye roots, bye yellow) but we’re doing okay with the skin as well. I think that fighting old marks/scars is going to always be a challenge,and I’m probably always going to have some redness thanks to my super Scandinavian genes. But it’s MUCH BETTER. And for that, I’m actually really happy. The smoothness of my skin is way better and more consistent, I feel like lines I never worried about have diminished, and I feel like have someover my skin and what I was up withisn’t a surprise each morning.

SO.

From me to you:

Take care of your skin. It’s worth it.