Summer Staples Part.1

Hey kids!

I made another vid for you guys! It’s the first of a three-part series on Summer Staples, meaning the tried and true (+ extras goodies) products I ALWAYS take with me on vacation. I hope you like it and if you have a suggestion/question/comment, please share! I’m always excited to get feedback! Especially since video in such a new format for this blog…

I’ll see you next week for my everyday summer make up look, and the week after for a lookbook, and a 2 months favorites video.

On a side note, I just saw a Youtube vid complaining about the fact that Michael Todd sent a bunch of products to a bunch of Youtubers, and asked them to sign a contract binding them legally to not say shit about the products. I won’t get into it, but I’m sure you can imagine that I wasn’t offered any products. My blog and channel are tiny, and I don’t mind that fact actually. I love the process of filming, editing etc. and that’s the reason I do it, not to be a super star. Even if I had been offered the opportunity to try products from a brand, I would never lie to you guys, just because it’s not worth it. The process would be “tainted”, and the process is precious to me.

I still stand by my love for this skin care line, and will keep buying from them, because it’s good for my skin, but will not be bought, because it’s not good for my soul.

End of sidebar.

Now, the links if you’re interested in any of the products I mentioned in the video!

Vichy Capital Soleil SPF30 Face Emulsion Dry Touch

Sun Fluid Matifiant 50+, Eucerin

Kiehl’s Skin Tone Correcting & Beautifying Bb Cream SPF 50 – Light 1.35oz (40ml)

LDN : SKINS Tone 1 Gradual Tan Lotion Light

LEONOR GREYL Serum de Soie Sublimateur, 75ml

Kerastase Soleil Aqua-Seal 125ML

Byredo Palermo Shower Gel 225ml/7.6oz

Acqua Di Parma Blue Mediterraneo Mirto Di Panarea Eau de Toilette Spray, 2.5 Ounce

essie® Nail Color – #884 Carry On

The Goldfinch

Grace: A Memoir

Leuchtturm Large Hardcover Lined Cornfl0Wer

Mac Miller Best Day Ever Mixtape

My full skincare routine

Hey kids!

So I talked about Michael Todd, but he’s not the only player in my team.

I made a little video about everything that I use, as I can get over chatty in writing. It’s just a little video, so don’t expect I’ll Michelle Phan your asses, I just talk about shit I like. If you ever need extra info, you know I’m here!

xx

2 months on a strict Oil Cleansing Method

I’ve done it! Two full months of washing my face EXCLUSIVELY with oil. Ok, I lie I’ve washed my face thrice with a traditional foaming cleanser, when I was sleeping at my parents’ boyfriend’s house. (And I didn’t like it).

I want to give you my opinion about it. I read so many tales about this method, and all were either 100% positive : “my skin cleared up for good”, “I cleared up my acne in 2 weeks”, or plain horror stories : “my skin completely freaked out”, “I have the most sever cystic acne now”, “my face hasn’t gotten over it, and it’s been a year…”. I’m firmly in the middle.

My thoughts/My skin.

Well well. Does my skin look better? Yes and no.

My skin first looked AMAZING : I fell in love first (waiting for my iHerb package) with rosehip oil, thanks to a bottle that was lying randomly in my bathroom stash. I began with that, and my hyperpigmentation disappeared. Vanished. I kept with this routine, refraining myself from posting about it, because of the horror tales found on the internet. And that was a good instinct. 2 weeks after I started, my temples, and chin got super spotty, and these are place I never get acne, NEVER EVER. I never believed the concept of “purging” and still don’t, I still don’t know what happened there. It wasn’t major, just a clear freak out.

I then thought “time to use castor oil!”. I used it in combination with jojoba oil. I started having pimples on my left cheek; wich was clear before. At the same time, my problematic area, my right cheek, started clearing. Weird. I still got a few pimples on my temples, and forehead, again, areas of my face that never were of concern. They didn’t clear up that quickly, which made me realize that the ocm wouldn’t be a proper “acne miracle cure”, at least not for me.

But at the same time, a lot of friends complimented my “glowing skin”, and “amazing complexion”. Sure I still was, and am, wearing a full face of make up, but even I noticed how nice the application felt, and how soft my skin was.

The weird thing is, my face got spots, and I think that as pimples go, the OCM isn’t for me, but the rest of my skin, the “healthy” parts of my skin, felt healthier, plumper… happier? To top that, my very oily skin, became close to normal! Still on the combination side, but really less shiny, more manageable, etc…!

What to take from the experience?

For me, again, it’s my experience, and I don’t think it can apply to everyone, skin is more complex than that, it really made me understand that gentle was the way to go, but that I had to pair a nice, nourishing and mosturizing method, with something else, glycolic acids, chemical exfoliants etc…. Well, clearly reconsider my whole regimen, and research my skin care better, stop with “easy”, traditional acne-skin targeted products, etc… And that my friends, is already amazing.

I did all that, and NOW, I have a crazy good regimen (next beauty post), that actually cleared up my skin (this, paired with a tad healthier lifestyle). I have found some amazing products, which I can’t wait to share with you!

How can you use my experience?

Keep that in mind if you have very oily skin : oil treatments could be very beneficial for you, even as masks every other day! If you suffer from hyperpigmentation due to acne scars, try rosehip oil, I still swear by it!!

Stop harsh cleanser and anything with synthetic fragrance and artificial foamers in. You should treat acne prone skin as you would sensitive skin… Even essential oils should be used with an extremely light hand.

Using a muslin cloth is the nicest and most effective way to cleanse. If you’re scared of oils, or, like me, tried them but are not 100% down, than maybe a balm could be good. That’s what I did, and I love it. I use oil for masks only now, and I’m glad I discovered this!

Do you have tips and tricks for good skin? Do you know things about oil we don’t? Please do share!

xx

Holy Grail Routine for Acne Prone Skin (Part 1)

I never was a skin obsessed gal. That was until a trip to Barcelona when I was 18 (with baby skin) during which I had a crazy strong reaction to the sun. My face went mad. I got super red and pimples the size of a baby fist appeared. I wasn’t that worried, and just let the situation be. My face calmed down when I went back to Paris, but there it was : acne had found a nice home on my cheeks. It was under control, then, every excuse was good enough for a pimple to appear : stress, that time of the month, a new moisturizer, looking at a glass of milk… I started losing control over the situation. When I was 20, after 20 years of a very Parisian no make up regime, I had to start wearing full coverage foundation.

Trips to dermatologists, antibiotics, drying creams, zit creams, masks, exfoliation, I did it all religiously, nothing helped. My skin still had acne and just got crazy oily, AND dehydrated.

A few months ago, I started a new routine, sans dermatologist. And I don’t know what happened, but guys, it’s gone. GONE. I still have scarring, my skin still has the occasional blemish, but it goes away super fast, leaving no trace of being there in the first place.

It’s been one month and a half basically, and my skin has cleared so drastically that I feel it’s only fair I’d share.

Crazy good face routine for combination to oily skin acne prone skin

I’m by no means a beauty gourou or wannabee beauty gourou, although it looks like fun, I have to say. I actually don’t like trying a whole bunch of things on my face, I’d rather find the right stuff and stick to it. And, guys, I think I found it! And, gosh, I just HAVE to share.

My skin’s a mess (well, getting better now) and I have a very mild treatment for acne, wich very rarely, but still, can make my skin completely dried out. I’m talking white with little tiny flakes of skin coming out, all over. Yikes. It makes it difficult for me to put make up on and look normal, because I can’t just slap a crazy amount of moisturizer on, since it makes me break out, and my T zone can’t handle that.

I was in crisis mode, when I found NéoBio de Peau. It’s on the slighty expensive side and organic. It doesn’t smell very good and the consistency is not very creamy, nor fresh, nor appealing. But people, this shit is amazing. I’ve been using this for 1 week, and my skin is crazy good. Clearer, smoother, I think I dropped a shade of foundation, wich is weird but, I think it’s from getting rid of all the redness. I told ya : CRAZY GOOD.

And for the first time in my entire life, my make up stays on and my skin doesn’t get oily for 10 hours straight. I told ya : CRAZY GOOD.

So, here it goes, the face routine that changed my life and, I hope, will change yours :

I start with the infamous Bioderma Crealine. Don’t use the blue one, the one for oily skin, it’s not as good weirdly, I didn’t believe my dermatologist who told me to ditch it, I kept using it for 6 months, I changed 2 weeks ago… Sorry Miss Dermatologist, you know better. Sorry.

Je commence avec le célèbre Bioderma Crealine. N’utilisez pas le Bioderma Sebium, celui pour les peaux grasses, il est bizarrement moins bien. Ma dermato me l’avait bien dit, mais j’ai refusé d’écouter pendant 6 mois. Je viens de changer et … désolée Madame Dermato, vous savez mieux que moi ce qui est bon pour moi. Désolée.

I apply 1 pomp (you don’t need more!!) of NéoBio de peau (the packaging changed now, same formula) and work it into the skin. It’s filled with AHA, Aloe Vera and lots of good stuff that lightly exfoliate, heal and mosturize your skin. It reduces pores, calms redness, controls oil… I could go on, just know it’s all in one and it does what it says!

J’applique une dose (pas plus!) de NéoBio de Peau (il ne ressemble plus à ça, mais la formule reste la même) et le travaille sur la peau. Il contient des AHA, de l’Aloe Vera et pleins de bonnes choses bio qui exfolient, réparent et hydratent la peau. Il réduit les pores, calme les rougeurs, controle le sébum… Je peux continuer un bout de temps, mais en gros, c’est un produit tout en un qui tient ses promesses!

For extra moisture and great make up base, I lightly spread a pea size of Effaclar M. It sinks into the skin beautifully and dries in a weird smooth powdery way.

Pour plus d’hydratation (oui, même sur une peau grasse!), j’étale avec douceur une dose taille pois chiche sur le peau. Le produit pénètre très bien et laisse la peau presque “poudrée”, c’est étrange et juste parfaitement mat.

If I’m going out I’ll put Studio Secrets Professional smoothing resurfacing primer. It’s really when I want something perfect and super long-lasting, but I don’t feel the need to silicone my face on a daily basis.

Si je sors, j’applique un peu du Sercrets Professional base lissante resurfaçante de chez L’Oréal, si j’ai vraiment envie d’un look parfait et longue durée, mais j’évite de me siliconner la peau tous les jours.

Follows Healthy Mix Serum, I tried it a few days ago and it kicked out the classic version and radiant version out of my bathroom. It’s so fresh and feels so good on my skin, stays on for ever, etc… Don’t believe the “it’s more for dry skin” shtick, it’s just a better, lighter version of the classic formula. That’s it.

Je continue et passe au maquillage avec le Healthy Mix Serum que j’ai essayé il y a deux semaines et qui a définitivement viré la formule classique et la formule Radiance de ma salle de bain. C’est tellement frais et confortable, avec une bonne résistance au temps, ne croyez pas le grand truc : “c’est plus pour les peaux sèches, le classique s’adresse aux peaux grasses, etc…” c’est juste faux. C’est juste la formule classique en mieux, en plus léger, point.

Apply powder. I love this one, but I don’t think it’s a miracle product, it’s just the one I like at the moment.

C’est le moment de poudrer. Choisir sa poudre préférée et voilà! J’utilise celle ci, je ne sais pas si c’est un produit miracle, mais c’est celle que j’aime pour l’instant…

Finish your make up and your good for the ENTIRE DAY. I swear.

Finissez le maquillage et vous n’aurez plus besoin d’y toucher jusqu’à  la fin de la journée! C’est une promesse.

What is your face routine/secret weapon? Tell me tell me!

Et vous? Quelle est votre combo magique/arme secrète? Dîtes dîtes moi!!!