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http://estycare.wordpress.com

Haul :)

Did some running around today after work... 

Stopped at Sally's.. The China Glaze was on sale... And the two from Orly were just perfect spring & summer colors that I couldn't resist! I was looking for a nice nude but am SO picky with nude polishes, so no luck with that.

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Next stop was Hobby Lobby... My first time here and I wanted sooo many things but I only got a few, and had two 40% off coupons so I saved quite a bit!

I got this sign, it was 50% so I got it for $7! And the second picture just shows where its home is for now... Not sure if I'm going to hang it somewhere or not, but I thought it looked cute with the jewelry holder.

I also got these two office supply things.. They work great with palettes and will be on my vanity. In the two smaller spaces of the bigger one - I'll keep makeup brushes. And the letter holder is great for my naked palettes since I use them pretty much daily and need them easily accessible. 

I also got two really pretty, super sparkly black holders for my makeup brushes as well but the sparkliness (is that a word...? sparklyness? eh, whatever) didn't show up enough on camera so I figured I'd just mention them. They are gorgeous!

Lastly, the reason I went to Hobby Lobby in the first place.... I saw this in Melmphs youtube video (she's one of my favorite youtube gurus) and I fell in love with it... It was originally $40 (yikes!) but I used the other 40% off coupon, otherwise I would have never bought it... I love it though and now her home is the corner of my vanity :)

If you are looking for an affordable face mask - Queen Helene’s Mint Julep Masque is great for all skin types. It is a deep cleansing clay based, green and minty smelling mask that helps to dry up blemishes and rinses away open comedones (blackheads). After cleansing, pat dry your face and apply once your face is dry. It is green, very thick and has a minty smell - it can be tingly, which some may not like, but it isn’t uncomfortable in my opinion - after a few minutes, it dries and can be washed away using your hands or a washcloth. After removed, apply a toner and then follow up with your moisturizer.

Some of the ingredients include Kaolin and Bentonite, which are both clays (clay based masks are great for acne prone skin), Zinc Oxide, and Sulfur (also great for acne). I highly recommend this mask for anyone with acne prone skin, however it is gentle enough for all skin types and shouldn’t dry your skin out if you have a normal skin type. **Dry skin types may want to choose a more hydrating mask instead.

This mask is great as a weekly treat for your skin, a preventative measure towards future breakouts, or can be used as a spot treatment.

This mask can be found at many dollar stores, drugstores, some beauty supply stores, as well as online. It is around $2-5!

Beauty Tip:

Moisturize!!

It's a common misconception that if you are very oily you don't need to use a moisturizer, or that using one will make your oiliness worse.

However, if you do not moisturize daily (A.M. & P.M.), your skin will overcompensate and produce even more oil!

Why use a toner?

One question I get asked a lot is what a toner is used for and if it is really a necessary addition to your skin care regiment… Although toner isn’t absolutely essential in your daily routine, it can be a great addition and within only a few weeks or so, you may ask yourself how your skin was surviving without it!

To put it simply, a toner is a second step in cleansing (along with a few bonus benefits).. A toner will remove anything your makeup remover and cleanser may have missed. There have been many nights I scrubbed my face sure it was spotless, used my toner and to my surprise found makeup residue still left over.

A toner will help control oils (great for those with oily skin) and it will help to tighten and close your pores after cleansing to prevent any excess oil, dirt, dust, air borne anything from getting into your pores - and in some cases, pores can be diminished with regular usage of toner.

Toner also helps in balancing the pH levels within your skin. You have a natural acidity level to your skin and the acid mantel helps to protect your skin from the outside elements. For many different reasons, your pH levels can become too low or high (cleansing, medications, UV rays, pollution, etc.) and naturally, your acid mantel can take hours to return back to normal. So a toner can help a lot with returning your pH levels back to good ol’ 5.5 :)

There are many different kinds of toners with all different kinds of ingredients. While shopping for one you will want to keep in mind what skin care concerns you have. Some toners contain alcohol, salicylic acid, witch hazel, benzoyl peroxide… Typically you will want to avoid any that contain alcohol, however it has been argued that in cases of severe acne, the alcohol will help to dry up the breakouts. —- My recommendation is to AVOID one containing alcohol. —- Salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide are great for acne. Witch hazel has many benefits - it is a natural astringent, can help with acne and can also help heal blemishes faster. There are also many toners with lavender, rose petal water, aloe vera, vitamin E, etc… These ingredients can be very soothing and gentle for sensitive skin.

My favorite brand of toner is Thayers:

These are wonderful, work amazingly and one bottle will last you for months. In my area, they are around $7-10.. You can get them at health food stores, The Vitamin Shoppe, and online (I’m sure there are other places that carry these as well). These are very gentle, soothing and work like a dream!

To apply: after cleansing, gently pat dry your face. Squeeze some toner onto a cotton ball or cotton round and apply it to your whole face. If you have a current breakout, you can apply a little bit more to that area and the toner can help it to heal faster. Once you apply, it will dry quickly and once it does, moisturize!

*In case anyone was wondering, I use the lavender witch hazel one - I have combination skin and have always had problems with acne. This toner has helped to prevent breakouts and the few that I do get now are gone in only a few days (before I started using toner, it would take a week or more for a blemish to heal!)

Well, this was officially my first skin care related post… I hope that this was informative enough and has helped someone (anyone!) with any questions about toners. I hope to spread the word about this blog and help people along the way while I expand this and make it the way I imagine it to be in the future.. Thank you for reading! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me and I’d love answering!

With love, Marie <3