Author: savvynotionsbeauty

While acne is a small part of most people’s teen years, it has played a significant role in my teen years and even continued on into adulthood. Acne is something I have never felt I could hide from, and because my acne was raised and so red it seemed impossible to conceal. When you meet someone, the first thing you look at is there face, and I feel very self conscious when I feel people can see my breakouts. It has a very negative effect on my self-esteem, sometimes to the point of not wanting to leave the house.

My journey with acne began in middle school. Like most other teens i was breaking out. But unlike most other teens, my acne was all over, large and painful, and seemed unaffected by treatments. By the time I was in eighth grade I had tried five different topical creams as well as two different oral antibiotics to treat my developing cystic acne. With no success I was fourteen and beginning my first round of Acutane.

For those of you who don’t know, Acutane is a very serious drug for acne that has significant side effects and consequences that could potentially be lifelong. Acutane is an oral medication in which the dose is dependent on severity of Acne and what your dermatologist thinks is right for you. My dose was two pills, twice daily for 6 months. Because of Acutene’s harsh side effects (extreme drying, increased cholesterol, severe birth defects if becoming pregnant while on Acutane, anxiety and depression just to name a few) it requires monthly blood draws and well as monthly doctors appointments to be monitored during the course of treatment.

Thankfully, after the six month treatment, Acutane had eliminated my acne and I had no lasting side effects. I was feeling so much more confident about myself as I entered into high school. However, fast forward two years and my acne was back and worse than ever. I was so frustrated, embarrassed, and disappointed that I had to deal with cystic acne again. So my dermatologist and I decided to go on Acutane once more.

The second round was a lot harder on my body. I ended up having drying of my joint fluid which made it difficult to exercise. Unfortunately my joint fluid has never fully returned. I also struggled with anxiety during my second treatment and at the end my skin was left with a lot of acne scarring.

After the completion of my second treatment I was acne free and praying to the skin gods I would stay that way.

I thankfully never repeated Acutane, but still use prescription topical cream to treat my large hormonal acne that likes to pop up. I also have found great skincare and tips and tricks along the way that have helped keep breakouts under control. Overall I do not regret taking Acutane, but I do wish I would have done more of my own research before taking it so young.

If you struggle with Acne then I would highly suggest making an appointment with a dermatologist to learn more about what options are out there and making the decision on what is right for you under medical supervision and guidance.

Want to know what products I use now to keep my acne under control? Check back tomorrow for part 2 of my acne story.

Hi, my name is Kelsey and although most of you only know me through the inter web, if you saw me in person, you might describe my skin color as “shade vampire”, “almost albino”, “glow in the dark”, “pasty”, “porcelain”, or “paper white”.  I have very fair skin due to my Scandinavian lineage and tend to burn after about, umm 3 seconds in the sunlight.

Okay, That might be a little dramatic, but there is no such thing as a tan for me, except the kind that comes in a bottle. But regardless of your melanin levels, sun protections is extremely important. While we all love that bronzy glow, exposure to the sun can cause premature wrinkles, discoloration, and skin cancer. SPF is the best way to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays and I have found what I believe are the best for your buck products on the market.

Face

It is extremely important to use a daily SPF when exposing your face to any type of daylight. My favorite is the Dermalogica Solar Defense Booster. It has SPF 50 and can be worn on it’s own, under makeup, mixed into makeup, or mixed into your daily moisturizer. This SPF won’t clog pores or change the texture or color of any products you mix with it. I use this every day by mixing it with my moisturizer and cover my entire face and ears. All of Dermalogica’s SPF line is amazing, but this one is my favorite because of it’s high SPF and versatility.

Body

The best body protection is the Sun Bum SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion. This brand adds good-for-you ingredients to their line, and leaves the more harmful ones out. I love that it has SPF and prefer the lotion formula to the spray. While the spray seem’s convenient and less messy,  if you’re on the beach and breeze comes by it may redirect the spray of SPF in a direction that does not hit your body. Then you could potentially end up looking like you have sunburn zebra stripes all over. Speaking from experience, it’s not worth it!

Even better, Ulta is having a BOGO on all Sun Bum products plus a special gift with purchase for the SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion. No excuses, go get your SPF!!

Travel

If you are wanting something that is portable, TSA/travel friendly and works for both face and body then the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Face and Body Stick is the best out there. This is SPF 70 and comes in a convenient clear, deodorant like formula. It is non-messy, isn’t sticky once it dries, and is small enough to put in your purse. It also has an amazing scent that resembles a perfume more than your typical SPF.

I carry this stick in my purse with me so I always SPF. For those of you who don’t know I have a very beautiful tattoo on the forearm. Whenever I am going to spend time in the sun, even just a quick recess with my school kiddos outside I will quickly put this over my tattoo to keep it protected from fading.

What SPF is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below!

If you have ever been to any Hawaiian island, you know it is one of the most beautiful places on earth. And also very humid. And if you are anything like me then you will spend 95% of you time in the water. I also prefer my vacation makeup to be very light and dewy. Think mermaid skin. This mean packing a makeup bag can be a bit of a challenge.

After being lucky enough to travel to Maui, Hawaii, Oahu, Kaui, and Maui again in a couple weeks I have been able create the best list of makeup to travel with for any tropical vacation.

Foundation

There are two foundations I love traveling with. The first is my ride or die Estee Lauder Double Wear. This is pretty obvious at it is my most used, most loved foundation. The second is the L’Oreal Pro Glow.  For most days I add the Estee Lauder to my t-zone where I tend to have makeup melt off the soonest, and then the Pro Glow to my forehead and cheeks. This combo is long-lasting and very skin-like.

Concealer

For days when I want a my-skin-but-better situation I will use the Catrice Liquid Camaflouge Concealer to cover any dark circle or hyperpigmentation. It goes on so smooth and blends out very easily, however once set, this concealer is budge proof. It is also a waterproof product so it lasts through an entire day flawlessly.

Powder

Face powder is very important part of your makeup routine if you want your look to be long lasting. My most traveled with is the Too Faced Sweet Peach Mattifying Setting Powder.  The other powder I travel with is the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder . I use this powder to brush off my bake and it give my skin a very subtle glow, but it reflects light in just the right way to make skin look flawless.

Brows

I have sparse eyebrows, and the hair I do have is VERY blonde, so it basically looks like I have no eyebrows. Being that I spend a lot of time in the water, I need something to last through all the snorkeling tours. The best eyebrow product I have found is the Model’s Own Full Face Brow Tattoo Kit. It is a cushion brow product, but is completely water proof and I am able to add hair-like strokes with my normal eyebrow brush to create a very natural looking full brow that lasts through all the elements. And tip for you all, DO NOT buy the kit labeled “blonde”. It is very red-toned and very unnatural. I am blonde and the brunette works great for me as well as my brunette sister.

Bronzer

Two bronzers I will be bringing are the Model’s Own Sulpt and Glow and the Physican’s Formula Butter Bronzer. The Model’s Own is a cream to powder so I apply using a beauty blender for a very  glowy  bronzed look. The Butter Bronzer smells like paradise so it only seems natural to pack it. It also is great to set the Model’s Own bronzer with for a longer lasting, slightly more dramatic bronze.

Highlighter

There are so many highlighters I love, but my favorite to take on trips is the Amrezy x Anastasia Highlighter, however because this one was limited addition and no longer available a great dupe for it is the J. Cat You Glow Girl Highlight in the shade Moon Light. This is a baked highlighter so it had a similar texture to the Amrezy collab, and the shade Moon Light is very flattering on a wide range of skin tones as well.

Setting Spray

Probably one of the most important pieces to my tropical makeup routine is setting spray. I use Mac Fix + in between each layer of powder products to help all the face products meld together and look as skin-like as possible. To finish everything off I spritz some Gerard Cosmetics Slay All Day setting spray all over to keep everything is place for a day’s worth of adventure.

Let me know in the comments what your must have makeup to travel with is. Also let me know if you would like to see a tutorial of my everyday vacation makeup look.

Is it just me or does it seem like Mother’s Day just sneaks up out of no where? If it feels that way to you, and you need some last minute gift ideas, then you have come to the right place. Below are five gift ideas for many different personalities and price points.

Glassybaby

Glassybaby’s are hand blown glass votives with a percentage of the proceeds of each votive going to it’s own charity. Each votive is one-of-a-kind, and the real magic happens when a candle is lit inside. Votives retail for $45-$90 depending on the style.

If you are local to the Seattle area you can purchase them at the Glassybaby store in University Village. If you are not, they can be purchased off their website, glassybaby.com.

Sephora Gift Sets

Sephora has some amazing gift sets for sale right now. My favorites include the Stila Glitter On The Go Liquid Eye Shadow Set for $25, the Peter Thomas Roth Meet Your Mask Set for $25, and the Clean Rollerball Layering Collection for $20. All of these are so great, I may or may not have purchased them for myself.

Fitbit

Fitbit’s a great health and fitness tracker backed by amazing customer service. And now through mother’s day they are having a sale saving you up to $50 of select Fitbits. Also if you use a cash back site like Ebates you could get up to 5% cash back on your purchase.

A Good Book

I know my mom loves to read in her spare time, and especially as she travels for work. A couple books that come highly recommended include An American Marriage, Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress, and A Long Way From Home. These can all be found on Amazon, or at your local bookstore.

Succulent Subscription Service

Sign your mom up for a Subscription plant service. They begin from $9.99 and up and have everything from air plants, small plants, and succulents. You can find more information about difference subscription services at cratejoy.com.

Tell me what you bought for your mom this Mother’s Day in the comments below!

photo credit: womenshealthmag.co.uk

Are you getting your makeup done for a special event, prom, or a wedding? Well here are the 5 things most makeup artists want you to know before sitting down in our chairs.

1.How you prep your skin is just as important as how the makeup is applied.

The NUMBER ONE thing to do in preparation of your skin is remove your makeup and cleanse. If you do nothing else please remove your makeup and cleanse your skin. Applying makeup on top of a face with various build-up will only inhibit success of the final look.

Another important step in preparing the skin for makeup is exfoliating. You want to remove any oil, build-up and dead skin from your face to ensure a smooth application, especially if you have any dryness, texture, or excess oil. Check out my, But First, Skincare post to see my skin care routine, and favorite skincare products.

2. Full-coverage, but natural isn’t really a thing.

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard, “I want to look like [insert full-beat-glitter-highlight-contour-the works-glam Instagram photo], but natural.” Ladies and gentleman, this is not a thing. While you can make full glam look beautiful, and non-cakey, you will still be able to tell you are in-fact wearing makeup.

3. “I want a full-coverage glam, but I don’t want to feel any make-up on my face” also is not a thing.

If you want the full beat, contour, highlight, and a long lasting look, you will feel the makeup on your face. Creating a makeup look that will photograph well and be long lasting requires adding very thin layers of multiple products. Each layer has a purpose and effects the final outcome, and your face won’t feel like their “isn’t anything on it”. That being said, I also aim to make each layer as thin as possible, and the makeup comfortable to wear.

4. Makeup isn’t plastic surgery.

Keeping your expectations of makeup at a realistic level is important. If you have a photo of a long, dark brown-haired beauty with a gorgeous vampy look and you have blonde hair and blue eyes, I will still recreate that vampy style for you but I cannot change your features to look identical to the photo. Trust is my ability to take elements from a look and apply them in a way that is flattering to your unique facial features and coloring.

5. If you have recently had pink-eye or a cold sore, please let your makeup artist know.

As someone who currently works in a pool of germs (in the form of 8 toddlers running in circles) I have seen it all. Pink-eye and cold sores will not gross me out, but please let me know! I use all sanitary products and practices, but I will go as far to use disposable alternatives to my brushes if I know of the concern ahead of time (and I promise your look will turn out just as great) and this way I eliminate any and all opportunity to pass your fate onto others.

Is there anything else you want to know about what it’s like to get your makeup done, and things you should share with your makeup artist to ensure that you are happy with the final outcome? Leave a comment below.

Photo credit: The Perfume Expert

Just like food and pharmaceuticals, makeup also has an expiration date too. Makeup that is expired can reek havoc on your skin, and many people don’t even know where to find when a makeup product will expire. If you have some makeup you think might even be questionable, keep on reading.

Makeup will eventually change in consistency and effectiveness overtime. For example once a product that has SPF in it has expired, the effectiveness of the sun protection can no longer be guaranteed. The same concept applies to makeup with any active ingredient in it. These products include acne fighting ones with ingredients like salicylic acid, as well as anti-aging products with ingredients like retinol.

Expired makeup can also harbor bacteria. This bacteria then get’s transferred to your face when applying the makeup and can cause something as minor as a skin irritation, or rash, to acne, pink eye, or other more serious infections. So makeup lovers, you’ve been warned.

To find an expiration period on a makeup product, look for a little symbol similar to a jar with an open lid. It will have a number inside next to an “M”. The “M” stands for months. See below for an example.

The example above is from the Becca under-eye primer. As you can see it has a “12M” meaning the product will be good for 12 months following removal of the initial seal and first use.

As a guide, mascara typically lasts 3-6 months, eyeliner is 6-12 months, foundation is 6-12 months, powder products last for 1-2 year, and lipsticks can last up to 2 years. For me personally, I go through my makeup every 6 months and toss out anything I know I have used longer than what is recommended, or that I haven’t used recently.

What’s the longest you have held onto a makeup product for? And what makeup product was it? Leave a comment below.