"Chubby Stick" - Comparison

It's no secret that a lot of companies make their version of the "Chubby Stick" but is the expensive ones from Clinique better than the ones from the drugstore? In this post I wont pay attention to the possible color dupes since a lot of companies carry very similar colors, but I will focus on color pay off and lasting power.

Revlon offers good color pay off as well as a stain which mean they will last hours, if not all day, on your lips. The darker colors provide a longer lasting stain than the lighter colors but for the price you pay I think they are very good and I get a lot of use out of them. 

Bourjois offers more of a shiny finish to their sticks, and as far as I know they don't have as many colors as either Revlon or Clinique. They do have a decent color pay off but since they are quite shiny I find that they wear off within a couple hours. As a drugstore product they are nice if you want a pop of color and some shine to your lips.

Clinique offers a ton of different colors and a shiny finish to the lips. The color pay off isn't that great, they are all pretty sheer and leaning towards being a tinted lip balm. These last maybe an hour at best on my lips.

Compared to the other sticks I think you pay more for the brand name than the actual product with the Clinique sticks and I'd much rather have more pigment and longer lasting power than a stick with a fancy name on it. The drugstore "Chubby Sticks" takes the trophy this time!

~Kira

Intensive acid exfoliation

I've been using this trio treatment every time my skin has been looking worse for wear, and every time I felt like I was breaking out too bad. I do this treatment about once a week maybe two if I've had a bad skin week, but mostly once a week is enough. 

Origins - Clear improvement charcoal mask: Any mud mask would do the trick really. I use a mud mask to get the impurities to the surface of the skin, so the exfoliation will catch all the nasty spot the mask brings to the surface.

Paula's Choice - 2% BHA liquid: This is my everyday night time toner. I use it after the mud mask because the BHA exfoliates the skin deeper into the pores which makes it great for getting rid of blackheads and spots in general.

Alpha h - Liquid gold: This is a treatment that can be used every other day at the max. It is an AHA exfoliant which means it exfoliates the surface of the skin but doesn't go deep into the pores like the BHA does. This acid will also help heal the spots quicker. 

You can choose to clean your skin and then use this trio combination and then leave your skincare for the night at that, but if your skin feels like it needs moisture then go ahead and put on a serum and/or moisturizer.

I hope this trio combination was helpful. I notice a difference in my skin the morning after I do this treatment, where I wake up with smoother, less bumpy and less red skin. 

~Kira

Rosehip oil - Comparison

I love using rosehip oil on my skin, and since using it I've noticed that my scars and redness fades quicker than before and making my skin look more even in tone.

Pai - This oil has a very strong earthy herbal-ish scent. I don't really like the scent but it doesn't linger on the skin for too long so I can live with it. This oil also has a very strong color, it doesn't make your skin orange but I would avoid getting it on your clothes or towels just in case it could stain them.

Trilogy - This oil is pale yellow and has no scent at all. I really like that it has no scent or color but I would still avoid getting it on clothes and towels.

Both of these oils sink into the skin really fast and they don't leave a greasy residue. They feel similar on the skin in terms of moisture and how fast the sink into the skin. I haven't noticed one being better at fading scars than the other, so besides scent and color they are pretty similar.
In terms of price Pai gives you a little more product for your money, however if you haven't tried rosehip oil before Trilogy makes a 10 ml bottle which I think is ideal if you just want to try it out without committing to a full size bottle. 

~Kira

Acne update

 

I have finished my 3 months of antibiotics about 10 days ago and here's an update on how my skin is doing.

During the months I took antobiotic I would still break out once in a while, but the spots would heal very quickly and the breakouts weren't as bad as they were before I started the treatment.
Before the antibiotics treatment I was also on birth control pills that would control my hormones in case my hormones were the reason I was breaking out. I'm still on the same birth control pills just because I could start breaking out from stopping or changing brand.

A few days after I stopped the antibiotics treatment I broke out like crazy. Normally my trouble areas were my chin and cheeks, but I broke out all over my face. I was doing my normal skincare routine and freaked out that the breakouts might be back again, so I did an intensive acid exfoliation ( I will make a post of the treatment I did and what products I used). The day after this exfoliation I noticed that my skin was looking a lot better than the night before and I've continued with my normal skincare routine since.

Today my skin is looking good, there's still scaring that needs to heal but I haven't had a breakout for a while, only the odd tiny spot here and there.

~Kira