Hello Queen,

Is your skin struggling right now? Mine is going crazy right now and it’s time to get it together. We are entering that weird time of year when the skin is going from oily to dry and I’m trying to minimize the number of breakouts all over my face. This is also when my skin really becomes combination skin. I will have dry cheeks and an oily chin. I don’t know what’s happening to my face but she is not happy in the fall. 

To avoid my skin breaking out and getting any more irritated than it already seems to be I like to keep my skincare routine simple. I focus on a few things to make sure my acne-prone skin stays healthy. Let’s discuss. 

What to Focus On

Moisture is key. Not only on the surface of the skin but internally as well. Now I know we all want to indulge in the season’s pumpkin lattes and specialty drinks but remember water is king. Your skin, hair, and nails are a mirror into what’s happening inside the body. So if your body is dry(ashy) then so will hair and nails. Alternatively, if your nails aren’t brittle and your hair isn’t shedding your skin will be moisturized as well. 

 You want moisturized skin, start from within. I’m thinking of moonlighting as a rapper now lol.

Cleansers That Work

The creamier the better. Acne-prone skin is usually sensitive to a ton of medicated facial washes. So instead of focusing on medicine-based products, I shift my focus to creamy formulations. I find the creamier the product the less likely it will aggravate my acne. They also tend to be less drying on the skin. This is essential if you are acne-prone. 

Oil Vs Creme

The decade-old fight. Can you use oil on your skin if you’re acne-prone? The answer is, sometimes. If your products are made noncomedogenic then yes. This means they are made to not clog the pores and if you are lucky enough to find an oil that you love then go for it. I happen to have a few I love. I typically use oils on my skin once a week after my deep cleaning. My routine consists of facial steaming, a clay mask to remove buildup and dirt, then eye creams and facial serums, oil, and or cream.

Day to day I’m typically using creams on my skin. They absorb better into my skin and depending on the makeup I decide to wear they provide a priming layer for a smooth application. Because I am extremely sensitive, creams work best during the fall and winter months to protect me from the cooler weather. I fell in love with the It Cosmetics confidence cream. To the point, I’ve purchased it multiple times and that is extremely rare for a beauty blogger. Here are a few other creams I love.

Get Those Eyes In Check

Eye cream is a must, PERIOD. From the lack of sleep to the dark circle’s eye cream is something I’m just not willing to go without. I tend to gravitate to products that have retinol in them. They help fight fine lines and wrinkles. However, lately, I have completely fallen in love with vitamin C. The benefits of endless, see my previous post HERE. 

During the fall I like to double up on eye cream. I like to use vitamin c eye cream during the day and retinol-based creams at night. 

My Secret Weapon

By far the best product I’ve used on my skin that helps with acne. Steaming my face was a game-changer. It helps to cleanse, detox, tighten, and hydrate. 

Noticeably, I have seen the biggest difference in how my serums absorb into the skin following my facial steaming. It also helps when applying facial toner.

I’ve noticed that there are times I can double cleanse my skin and it still feels like there is buildup left behind. This is when I will steam my face then apply any serums or oils all over the skin. Once done my face is visibly brighter and again, the products following absorb into the skin like butter and this prevents my acne flare-ups. I also am a huge fan of the jade face roller. After a warm facial steam the cool jade stone helps to calm the skin. I also use it to get better absortion of my facial products. I try to limit how much my fingers touch my face due to bacteria. Jade rollers are also know to tighten the skin and help produce blood flow for healthy looking skin. You may also want to checkout my previous post where I share how I removed my acne scars, it’s a must read.

My skin products change quite often so be sure to bookmark this page to stay updated on my favorites. If you ladies have any favorite body butter, I would love your recommendations as well.  

Lashes are a must have in everyone’s beauty routine and mine is no different. As a pageant queen they are essential to my day to day life thus, I go through quite a bit of them. 

I do try and reuse them as often as I can but depending on the eye makeup and quality sometimes it’s not worth the hassle. And to be honest I’m too lazy to clean eyelashes. I just don’t want to do it. 

I was on Amazon, per usual and found a variety pack of individual lashes and decided to give them a try. They are 3D mink lashes in 10 different styles. I came across a few Amazon eyelashes but these are by far the best I’ve used. They are only $24 dollars and come in a pack of 30. You can’t beat that deal. That’s less than $1 per lash. 

The great thing about these Amazon eyelashes are they are a variety of different styles to choose from. Even better, I love each style in the pack. Ranging from 10 mm to 19 mm. Since I’m a queen, pageant queen that is I love the dramatic look the 19 mm gives me. 

I recently went to a pageant and the makeup artist touched up my makeup and complimented me on my lashes. When I told her Amazon she wanted the link immediately. So I thought maybe you all would love them too. For the past few weeks I have used these lashes for my photoshoots and pageant appearances so I can attest to the quality and longevity. They are just so pretty. 

Another thing I want to mention is how easy they are to apply. They are not cheap and flimsy by any means and I average 6-8 wears per lash before I toss them out. The band is a bit on the thicker side however, the lashes are dense. If you have hooded eyes like myself these are great for enlarging the eye without feeling too heavy. 

By far one of the best items I’ve purchased from Amazon and one that I get the most usage from. Certainly a lot of bang for my buck. 

You won’t believe the deal I scored on my latest niche perfume. I’ve found a way to score up to 30% off niche perfumes online from a REAL store we all shop at. Yes you read that right. I just found a $325 perfume I’ve wanted from Sak’s for months online for 30% off. Wait until you see who sells it. I’m in complete shock right now. 

A friend of mine was kind enough to give me a ton of perfume samples from his collection. This included scents of Tom Ford, Baccarat Rouge, and many more. I fell in love with a few, including one from Parfum De Marly called Delina. 

Delina is one of their signature fragrances and retails for over $325 for a 2.5 oz bottle. I was going to wait until the yearly sale on Sak’s.com. They usually have a black friday sale or after the holidays however I was getting antsy. So I did a little digging. 

I remembered a few years back when I first started collecting perfumes that I found a few designer perfumes online for a heavy discount on Target.com. So I decided to see if there was a possibility they would have niche perfumes available as well. I didn’t have any luck on Target’s website but I did find it somewhere else. 

Niche perfumes are perfumes that are made by actual perfume companies. In contrast to fashion houses and brands that make scents and name them after celebs or the brand. Example, Gucci is a fashion brand that also makes perfumes, cosmetics and more. Niche brands solely make perfumes so they are typically made with higher quality ingredients by professional perfumers.They also tend to use scent profiles not available in other perfumes on the market . They are one of a kind, unique, and expensive because of it.  

Now where did I get this amazing deal… 

WALMART!

Can you believe it. I was able to get Delina which is one of the most coveted niche perfumes for women 30% off at Walmart.com. They also have Parfums De Marly Delina Exclusif which is also a best seller.

I also came across a few other niche brands on the site. I mean I am really in shock because this is an amazing price. I just placed my order and I will probably do an updated video via Instagram or TikTok. For now I’m going to enjoy the savings and create my list of perfume must haves. Head over to Walmart if you’re looking for scents from Parfums De Marly and more. If you have your eyes on anything you may be in luck, I found quite a few on my list. Below I listed a few other options I was looking into as well. Just for price comparison. As you can see the discounts are amazing. Remember, research everything you purchase online. Money does not grow on trees and we need to be sure we are saving as much as we can.