Ask The CI: Grownup Zits (It's Friday so I'm doing it budget beauty style.)

Oh MEG! For your birthday I am writing about your zits! Happy Birthday Week!

One of my big stupid harp on it themes is moisturizer. And when you are having breakout you probably use less, which makes your skin produce more oil, which then gets caught on the uneven surface and makes more zits. Awesomeness. SO!

1. Keep it clean. Wash morning and night. Put some face wipes next to the bed so you do it. I like Ponds Orginal Clean Wet Cleansing Towelettes or Ponds Clean Sweep, Micro Dermabrasion Wet Cleansing Towelettes (for adult acne these are genius.)

2. Exfoliate. Like twice a week with a grainy scrub, or mask, or hell, use the Ponds Clean Sweep, Micro Dermabrasion Wet Cleansing Towelettes that I mentioned above every night. Or: Neutrogena Acne Stress Control, Power-Clear Scrub.

3. MOISTURIZE! Day and night. Without fail. Skin loves habit....if you are consistent with treatment, your skin will be consistent.Aveeno Active Naturals Ultra-Calming Daily Moisturizer SPF-15 is a great one because it has calming in the name and a little spf.

4. Spot Treat. Put something on those bad boys the minute you feel the itch of a new zit. You could try Neutrogena Rapid Clear Acne Eliminating Spot Gel or any clay mask. But for the clay mask just put it on the zits....NOT ALL OVER. It will dry you out like crazy. I use an Olay Clay Mask that I have had so long it doesn't exist anywhere on the web. It's blue and in a tube and I'm pissed if it's discontinued. Oh, well. Just make sure it has the words "clay" and "acne" on the tube.

Ask The CI: Lip Flaker!

I have taken this question on before, but honestly if I had a good answer my lips wouldn't be peeling as I type this.

So instead, I'll mention how awesome it is that the asker of this question became a mom on April 29th! Yay! Mary did her best to make it dramatic, but mommy and new Vivienne are home and happy and being awesome.

Sorry to divert the blog with cuteness. It will happen from time to time.

Oh and Mary's other question: Why don't I do a whole week of budget beauty? Because I honestly don't use that much drugstore stuff and so I can only invest once a week in new things from Stabby Target. I don't want to talk about stuff I haven't touched, sniffed, eaten, etc.

Ask The CI: Why is your face so red? Why are you so embarassed?

My sister and my aunt are the askers on this one, and as someone who has tried to make their skin not red I am at a bit of an impasse. I have tried and failed with you hookers before, but I have found some new shit that also should be tried.

Eucerin Redness Relief Daily Perfecting Lotion

Eucerin Redness Relief Soothing Night Creme 

My friend Violet says Clinique Instant Relief Mineral Powder is awesome! And it's Mineral. Look at me recommending a mineral powder!

Use it after Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream  or for Mollie who has wicked out-in-the-sun-all-the-time issues Clinique Redness Solution Daily Protective Base SPF 15.

The other thing I should probably mention is The Dermatologist. Roseacea is a tough nut to crack, but there are really nice prescription products like Metro Gel that people swear by!

Ask The CI: Mineral Makeup: Bullshit or Awesome?

Ugh. First off, I hate mineral makeup. I think it is mostly hype and scare tactics and generally looks like crap on the skin. Unless it's fake mineral makeup, then it looks somewhat better but you might be losing all that "natural" goodness. Basically mineral makeup takes out the talc, the parabens, the perfumes, and some of the binders or colors that can irritate the skin. Good for you, mineral makeup. Usually this comes in a loose powder form, applied with a brush (better wash that brush everyday...there are way more scary things that can grow in a dirty brush than talc.) which makes skin look dry and ashy. If it has a crushed pearl finish and looks ok, that is one of the ones that is a fake (that pearl finish is man-made). The real stuff that is good for you sucks. And PS there are some people like me that are sensitive to titanium dioxide and zinc oxide (the basis of a lot of these guys) so who the hell cares if they are anti-inflammatory. And they reflect the shit out of a camera flash so I hope you want to look like a ghost!

I found this article that is a little bit more polite and informative.

DUDE! Talc has been around since before Jesus! Get the eff over it! Ok. I promise to calm down.

Stuff that looks good and has some of the qualities of true mineral makeup:
Laura Mercier Mineral Finishing Powder 



All the Mercier mineral stuff is the best I've come across....they have shadow and blush and some pretty sparkle powder too. The Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Loose Powder Foundation ain't too shabby either.



Maybe I am just a defensive bitch, but every product I put into the cosmetics database freak out site came out with a hazard quotient of like 6 out of 10. Pretty impressive. Some of it was mineral stuff too. Now, I do have to admit Jane Iredale stuff came up between 1 and 3 on the OMFG-I'm-gonna-die scale. So if you are concerned, ignore me and visit Jane. She will make you feel better.

Big Ups to Pat for the question. Sorry Pat, you got me on a rant! Put a quarter in me and I'll just go on and on.

Questions for The CI: Exfoliation

Thanks, Mom for bringing up this topic. Everyone should exfoliate once a week to make sure that your skincare doesn't have to seep through leather to get to the place it needs to be to work. I never do it. But my thin pale skin rarely needs it. When I do it I use Cle de Peau Translucency Mask which you put on, let dry and peel off. Results: Baby Ass


Clarins does a great job with simple exfoliation. They have Clarins One Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser (everyday use for a normal skin type) and Clarins Gentle Exfoliating Refiner (once a week grainy scrub) and Clarins Gentle Facial Peeling  (another peel away mask, once a week, all skin types.)






Now, I do advocate massive amounts of  body exfoliation. It helps with shaving and if you use Jo Malone Vitamin E Body Scrub or  Fresh Brown Sugar Body Polish you won't even have to use lotion.