“Why Won’t My Skin Get Better?”: Common Skincare Mistakes You Might Be Making

You buy the expensive products. You read the various articles online. You even might have seen your local esthetician for advice, and still NOTHING has helped. “WTF?!” you scream into the mirror after many days/nights of using your $200 regimen that was sold to you with the promise that your skin would look better; only to find your skin looks the same…. if not worse. Sound familiar? You’re not alone! Hello there, your friendly online (and real life) esthetician here to help you with yet another skincare crisis.

If you haven’t figured it out by now (and it’s likely you haven’t, due to the fact you’re reading this), it’s HARD figuring out your perfect skincare routine. Not one person’s skin is the same, and we all have unique needs. That being said, I’ve noticed many trends among people who seem to struggle with skincare issues that can be easily changed or avoided.

It’s an unfortunate matter of either hearing the wrong information about your skin or just not knowing, and neither are your fault. That’s where I come in. Now, I’m not saying that if you change these things about your regimen your skin will magically turn around. Some (and most) skin issues are caused by internal factors (hormones, diet, water intake, stress levels, etc.) in which case you should consult a physician if you’re really unsure. However, these changes in your regimen could make all the difference!

To make this easier to navigate, I’m going to organize it into sections for specific skin types. If you want, just scroll to the section that best fits your skin description! There is also a general section at the bottom that could also apply to you.

 

OILY SKIN (acne prone, large pores, excessive oil production)

“I have oily skin so I don’t moisturize because I don’t need it.”

Um, yes. You do. Strangely enough, you will get the opposite effect if you go by this logic. If you have oily skin and you don’t moisturize, your skin will react and actually create MORE oil. Potentially creating more breakouts and more sadness. If you’re oily and for this reason you dislike moisturizers, opt for something very light and absorbent. Aveda’s Botanical Kinetics Hydrating Lotion is a great lightweight option.

“I use a salicylic acid cleanser every day for my acne.”

This is *generally* a bit excessive. Using too much of an acid can be detrimental to the skin, because it strips you of the natural oils your face NEEDS to be healthy. Not all oil is bad people! Plus, if you have TRUE acne (not just breakouts on your chin when it’s your time of the month, or a breakout when you sleep in your makeup) you should be consulting a dermatologist or medical esthetician for your skin’s needs. Opt for a gentle gel or foam cleanser (my favorite is Aveda’s Botanical Kinetics Purifying Gel Cleanser) and use a spot treatment for breakouts. I like using The Ordinary’s Salicylic Acid 2% Solution directly on blemishes before I go to bed!

DRY SKIN (dry, flaky, tight-feeling, and lacking oil)

Not incorporating a hydrating serum into your regimen

I swear by hyaluronic acid to combat dry skin. Moisturizers are obviously fantastic (and necessary) for dry skin, but the molecular structure of a serum (like hyaluronic) is so much smaller than a moisturizer. This allows for the product to penetrate into the skin instead of just sitting on top and just masking the dryness. The Ordinary has a great Hyaluronic Acid, especially if you’re ballin on a budget.

“I don’t exfoliate because my skin is already so dry and I don’t want it to get drier.”

Exfoliating doesn’t mean you’re drying out your skin! Using BHAs and other products that strip the skin can be drying, but those are also typically formulated for more oily skin anyways. If you don’t exfoliate and you have dry skin, your dead skin cells will just pile up on your skin and any moisturizing products you try to use won’t moisturize your skin properly. It’s like trying to put sunscreen over your clothes. If you’re dry, try using a mechanical exfoliant instead to help slough away the dead skin cells. I enjoy Aveda’s Botanical Kinetics Radiant Skin Refiner or GlamGlow’s FLASHMUD Brightening Treatment to keep my skin exfoliated and luminous!

“I just use coconut oil.”

No offense- but literally, cringe. Please refer to my Coconut Oil is Ruining Your Skin blog post in regards to this.

COMBO SKIN (a combination of dry and oily qualities, primary oily t-zone and dry cheeks)

Only treating one part of your skin

Multi-masking is a blessing my friends. Instead of always using drying products that combat oil, or vice-versa, and making one condition worse, try treating both! I consider my face combination skin and I’ll make it a point to use detoxifying masks on my t-zone (forehead, nose, chin) and hydrating products on my cheeks and neck. For my detoxifying masks I really love the GlamGlow SUPERMUD Clearing Treament or Aveda’s Botanical Kinetics Deep Cleansing Clay Mask. For hydrating, Aveda’s Botanical Kinetics Intense Hydrating Mask or GlamGlow’s THIRSTYMUD Hydrating Treatment Mask. Are you seeing a trend here? I definitely have favorite brands. There are definitely other options but these are what I use and love the most!

NORMAL SKIN (not necessarily dry or oily, a good balance of both)

“I don’t have anything wrong with my skin so I don’t do anything to it.”

Although people with normal skin are generally very blessed (also we all hate you), you still need to take care of your skin. Cleansing, exfoliating 2-3 times a week, moisturizer, and SPF during the day are the bare minimum steps you should be doing. Just because you don’t have skin problems now doesn’t mean they can’t arise later, and an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. AKA take care of your skin now so you’re not a leathery mess later.

GENERAL MISTAKES IN ALL SKIN CARE

1. Not letting your products dry before you apply the next one: You need to give your skin a chance to absorb each product you’re trying to use. Each serum and moisturizer goes in a specific order to allow for optimum absorption. Rule of thumb: thinnest to thickest. So serum to moisturizers.
2. Not washing your face in the morning (or in general): It seems genuinely insane to me that I have to remind people to wash their face. Or wash their face with something other than bar soap. Now, if you don’t know… I won’t judge you, but now you know. You have no excuses. Washing your face at night is usually a given to most people…. but during your slumber you sweat, your hair touches your face, hands touch your face, your pillow cases can be dirty, etc. So in the morning it’s essential to wash your face so you’re not applying makeup over the crap you’ve slept in. And if you don’t wash your face at all, please don’t be surprised if your skin isn’t happy.
3. Not cleaning your makeup brushes/phone: I think I say this in just about every blog post I write but you haaaaave to clean the things that touch your face the most. Phones and makeup brushes are the highest up there besides your hands, which should also be cleaned too, please. You wouldn’t believe how many people I ask if they clean their makeup brushes regularly and they’ve almost NEVER done it. Bacteria loves to live in dense places like brushes! I make it a point to clean mine every Sunday with a gentle detoxifying shampoo. As for your phone, keep a couple of Clorox wipes handy and wipe it down every so often!
4. Not getting a proper skincare analysis: Before I went to esthetics school, I couldn’t tell you anything about my skin. It kind of felt normal, but I still got breakouts, and my makeup would slide around, but I was still flaky… etc. So I really had no idea what products to use on it either. Just because your favorite beauty blogger uses a mask, doesn’t mean that’s right for your skin.  Get a professional to help you assess your biggest concerns and give you the true 411 about your skin type. They can also usually set you up with products that are catered towards your specific needs instead of just what’s “popular”.
5. Sleeping with your makeup on: DON’T. EVER. STOP DOING THIS. PLEASE. I can’t even begin to describe the detrimental effects doing this has on your skin.
6. Not cleansing properly: Cleansing is more than just slapping some soap on your face and wiping it off with a washcloth. If you wear makeup regularly, you should take the time to remove the bulk of your makeup with a makeup wipe, and then cleanse the rest of it off. If after you’ve cleansed your skin you can wipe a wet cotton pad over your face and there is still residue, you need to cleanse again. Make sure to get next to your ears, into your hair line, and your jawline as well. Also make sure if you’re using a washcloth to dry your skin off afterwards that it’s gentle enough to be used on your facial skin. I like bamboo washcloths that you can get relatively cheap off of amazon. (Please also make sure to clean these regularly too!)
7. Washing your face in the shower: Generally speaking, shower water is too hot for your face. You can cause capillary breakage, plus you can’t see if you’re cleansing everywhere properly. You should be taking the time to wash your face with lukewarm water at your sink.
8. Using random skincare products just because they’re “natural”: I love using naturally derived beauty products. I think some are really great and a lot of people are leaning towards more natural products these days because we’re a greener generation. However, just because it says “natural” and “organic” on the bottle, does NOT mean it’s natural and organic. It also doesn’t mean it’s good for your skin either. Taken from the FDA Website, “FDA has not defined the term “natural” and has not established a regulatory definition for this term in cosmetic labeling.” So basically a company can slap “natural” on just about anything, because there’s no set definition for it. Just because it’s from Whole Foods or your local Co-Op doesn’t mean it will work, and you are still responsible for the ingredients you choose to put on your skin. I thoroughly research brands before I use them on myself, as should you!

 

All of the above “mistakes” I’ve listed are just what I’ve seen and heard of the most in my time being in this industry. I use the word “mistakes” loosely because in my experience it’s just because people aren’t aware, and that’s okay! I, as well as other people who are trained in this profession, are here to help those of you who maybe aren’t as ~*~*current*~*~ with the do’s and don’ts of skincare. There are obviously other factors that go into your routine as I stated earlier, many internal, but with these changes in your routine I hope you find some of your concerns are taken care of.

Any questions? Still feel clueless? Leave them in the comments section! I love to help you guys out as well as hear feedback from my readers.

 

Peace, love, and moisturization to all

xoxo, Shelby

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Festival Inspired Makeup

With it being festival season and the infamous Paradiso rapidly approaching, (major jealousy and FOMO I’m feeling right now you guys, I wish I could go!) I figured what better post to give you all than to inspire you to make sure your makeup is totally Tumblr post ready.

Big shout out to Marina for the idea, Haley for her photography skills for without which I would be using my iPhone 6+, Syd for bangin out some rockin’ hair styles, and Kendal, Jordie, Micaela, and Emily for lending me your gorgeous faces to paint!

For the looks that have colored face paint, I used Ben Nye’s aqua paints. The palette I have looks like this:

They’re available online at naimies.com for $28 retail, but I got mine at my local costume makeup store in the linen district. It comes with all of the primary colors, white and black, and they threw in green to make our lives easier. You can mix these however you would like, so it’s extremely versatile for a great price. I prefer the aqua paints over others for face/body because they’re easy to work with (all you need is a paint brush, water, and a little bit of inspo) and they stay on ALL. DAY. Big plus, they come off easily with makeup remover wipes (perfect for festival camping, due to lack of running water and also we all know you’re going to be too drunk anyways).

The rest of the products used I will include under each look.

I hope you enjoy these looks as much as I enjoyed creating them!

Emily’s super simple look was created using the ben nye paints for the design. I used a sigma E30 to create the red dots. Her face is Too Faced coco powder in Medium, Too Faced chocolate soleil bronzer, and Becca Cosmetics Opal highlighter. Her eyes are a cocktail of shadows from the Tartelette palette, CoverGirl Lash blast mascara, and the eyebrows were shaped using Anastasia Beverly Hill’s dip brow pomade in Blonde.

Her flower crown was something I made for my halloween costume last year using a thick headband, hot glue, and fake flowers from hobby lobby.

Micaela’s look was created using rhinestones (you can use any you have, I got a giant tub of them from Hobby Lobby for 50% off) and the rhinestones were adhered using Ben Nye’s spirit gum. If you don’t have access to spirit gum, you can use lash glue, but make sure the area you’re applying it to is relatively free of makeup otherwise it won’t stick. Her brows were shaped using Anastasia’s Dip Brow pomade in the color “Chocolate”. Using my finger, took the eyeshadow pigment “Fantasy” by Colourpop, and swiped it straight across her lid and outward. These shadows are SO pigmented, and only $5 on their website colourpop.com! I kept her face natural with just a couple swipes of Too Faced chocolate soleil bronzer and Colourpop’s blush in “Pie”.

Kendal is rocking a geometric pattern with Ben Nye’s yellow and white aqua paint. I feel like these types of face paint look best with that “painted” effect to them instead of perfect, neatly drawn lines. I added in some accent dots for fun with a sigma E05. Eyebrows are ABH Dip Brow in blonde.

This flower crown was purchased at my town’s Hyde Park Street Fair about two years ago, and I can’t remember the name of the company. If I find them I will link it here asap! but you can purchase crowns like these on etsy for relatively cheap.

Syd’s makeup was kept very mellow with color choice, but bold with pattern. Using the ben nye aqua paints in white, we went with a “tribal” vibe to achieve her look. Eyebrows are ABH in the color “Soft Brown”. Eyeliner is Makeup Forever Ink Liner in Black.

Glasses and flower crown both purchased at Forever 21 at random times.

and lastly, Jordie’s look was created using the Ben Nye paints in white and blue. I made solid paint lines and went back in with a smaller brush to create a rough feel instead of making everything symmetrical. Eyebrows are ABH in “blonde” and eyes are a mixture of colors from the Tartlette palette.

Here are some more shots and angles of each look. I hope you find inspiration in these pictures! If you have questions regarding the looks, feedback, or any questions/comments, feel free to let me know! Happy festival season and happy face painting my loves!

Xoxo Shelby

Instagrams:

myself: @shelbymorgan.blog

photography: @haley.loraine

hair: @hair_by_sydneyallison

models: @emilyggrasmick // @kendalstopherr // @micaelalunsfordd // @jordiekay

Irresistible Me vs. Bellami Extensions

Hello my loves! Sorry I have been on hiatus for a minute or two… Life has been a little crazy with work lately and throw in some sleep deprivation and barely enough time to wing my eyeliner and you’ve got an anxiety-ridden borderline psychopath. Totally kidding. Kind of. Anyways moving right along to why you’re here…. EXTENSIONS! I’m talking about my two favorite brands today and the differences between the two. I’ll be going into weight, coloring, length, and overall wear. So who should you purchase from? Hopefully you’ll be able to decide by the end of this post!

Now I know there are many other brands of extensions out there to review but A. I’m not made of money and B. I did my own research long before purchasing either of these and I found the most information on these two brands… and ultimately liked what I found. It’s not to say there aren’t ones that are just as good but I’m not a walking Wells Fargo (tragically). I first looked into extensions when I chemically damaged the ever-loving hell out of my natural (very thick) hair. If I could give you any advice it would be to not bleach your hair, color it pink, then blue, and then back to blonde in the span of like, three months. I am now living with my mistakes, but you can prevent these horrible things from happening. I had to cut a lot of my dead hair off and was left with short hair that I HATED. (shoulder length is short to me)…. but luckily we live in a day and age where I can fix this problem pretty easily. Anyways lets move right along into what you actually care about….

First lets start off with the Bellami Bellissima Extensions ($209.99)

Coloring:

The set that I have are the Bellissima 22″ 220g in Ash Blonde. When I originally bought these extensions they weren’t as “ashy” as described, so I washed them once (I didn’t condition them because I hadn’t even touched them with heat yet) with Aveda’s Blue Malva shampoo and that gave me enough of the blue undertone I was looking for instead of a more golden shade. If you can avoid toning them I would. Other than that I haven’t had an issue with the coloring, it looks very natural. They’re also not just one color. They claim to use a “multi-tone adapt coloring system” and as far as I can tell, it works. I have since colored my hair dark so I’m not wearing these extensions currently but when I decide to go back blonde I’ll use them again. Bellami has a wide range of other colors as well, ranging anywhere from jet black to bleach blonde to vibrant red. They also have partnered with Kylie Jenner, Guy Tang, Samantha, and Eva Marie to bring you even more brilliant, fun shades to play with. Teal, lavender, fire engine red, and even grey are the colors you have access to through Bellami. Too fun.

PS word to the wise, if you’re ever buying extensions and they’re not light enough…. return them and get a new shade. It’s not worth bleaching them. Most, if not all, hair extension sets that you buy online will have many hair swatches (and even videos) that you can look through on their website. Also when you order them there will be one big package with the bulk of the hair that is sealed off, and a smaller package that you can open and compare your real hair to. IF YOU OPEN THE LARGE SIDE AND BREAK THE SEAL, YOU CANNOT RETURN THE EXTENSIONS. That’s why they include a tester weft so if it doesn’t match, no harm no foul. You just package it all back up and ship it and you’re golden.

Length:

Obviously when I say 22″ referring to the length of the extensions. Let me just tell you, this is a LOT OF HAIR. Like, a ton. Like I have to adjust it when I put on my seatbelt, throw my purse over my shoulder, change my clothes…. It’s really fun to have all of that length and feel like Rapunzel, but unless you’re willing to deal with the high maintenance of them, I would stick to something shorter. Bellami offers extensions in 18″, 20″, 22″, and 24″. You can also cut them if you so choose (please go to a professional if you do this) but if you’re going to pay around $200 for extensions you probably don’t want to waste a ton of the hair. Just my opinion, but I also don’t have money to just throw away. They also offer braided headbands, pony tail clips, and bang extensions if those are something you’re interested in.

Weight:

When referring to the weight of a set of extensions, it’s usually measured in grams. My Bellami set is 220g. Once again, this is a LOT OF HAIR. I don’t/can’t even wear all of it because 1. I don’t need it and 2. If I wear all of it I legitimately get a migraine because my head is trying to hold up a pound of hair in addition to my huge brain. It’s a tough life, I know. But seriously there are 10 wefts total, and I wear seven of them. Two of them are four clips, another two are three clips, two smaller two clip wefts, and then four of them are one clip wefts. (I wear one 3 clip, 2 four clips, 2 two clips, and 2 one clips, if you care.) Another great thing about Bellami is that their extensions are the same thickness throughout the entire weft, so you don’t have gross thin straggly hair at the bottom. There is nothing worse than wearing extensions and everyone is like, “Ew. Look at her extensions.”

Overall Wear:

These hair extensions are made with 100% human hair and can be used with heat tools! When I wear mine I almost always curl them with my hot tools 1″ curling wand. I feel like if you curl your hair/extensions when wearing them it makes them blend 1000x better. As far as having them clipped into my hair they stay very well. I don’t ever find myself having to adjust them or cover a weft (if I clip them in properly). Jaclyn hill has an awesome tutorial on clipping in/curling her Bellami extensions so you should check that out if you want a visual at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P4Ron3pc18 🙂

The only downside I see to the Bellami extensions are the options of lengths and the options of weights to buy. 18″ might still be too long for some people, and they cut the weight size almost in half when they go down in length. Not a huge deal for myself who already doesn’t wear all of the wefts, but if you really want that thick voluminous look without the length down your back, then you should look elsewhere. The cost is also a factor for most, these babies are 209.99 and the most I’ve ever seen them discount anything is about $5. Doesn’t even cover the tax, but okay. I’m willing to spend the money, because there are some things you just can’t skimp on. (They do sometimes offer a free gift with purchase, like a carrier or a brush. They’ve also recently partnered with NailHur, which offers long lasting temporary manis, so sometimes they’ll throw a free set of those in with your order.) Other than that these are amazing extensions, top quality, and I get compliments on them wherever I go. Legitimately I have had people tell me I look like a mermaid, and who doesn’t love that?! I’m thinking about investing in the Lavender ombre ones…. Stay tuned to see if my bank account or my heart wins that challenge.

Irresistible Me Royal Remy Extensions ($189)

Coloring:

I purchased the Irresistible Me Royal Remy extensions 14″ 140g in the color medium brown. Let me just tell you, it is 7 million times easier to color match your hair when you’re dark compared to light. I also feel like dark hair you can hide your wefts better because of the depth that dark hair usually has. I definitely feel that way with my mine anyway. The medium brown color was absolutely perfect and exactly what I was looking for. I took them into my stylist and told her that I wanted my hair to match them exactly and she did an amazing job. It’s always easier to buy them and take them to your stylist than trying to do it the other way around, so if you can buy them beforehand I definitely recommend it.

Before I decided to go dark I purchased the Irresistible Me extensions in Platinum Blonde, just to have a shorter length when I didn’t feel like wearing my 22″ Bellami’s. Uuuuuum, when I think platinum the first thing that comes to mind is like Barbie, right? Wrong. This color was almost yellow… honey, golden blonde. NOTHING like platinum. I was really annoyed at first, but the return process was super simple and I got my money back within the week so I didn’t worry too much. When I went back to look at the reviews online about the platinum color it seemed as everyone else gave the exact same feedback about them being too yellow/golden. However, I could not be happier with the medium brown. They also have depth woven into them so they’re not all one uniform color (this allows them to blend easier). Just make sure that you look online at real people wearing the extensions without any filters, and they have a nice video comparison as well. The same process with having one extension in a small bag to color match with applies to Irresistible Me extensions as well. So if they don’t match, return them! I know it’s a hassle for some people but it’s better than wasting almost $200.

The only downside to the colors in comparison to Bellami is that they don’t offer the funky colors such as lavender or teal. However, if you like to stick to the natural colors then you needn’t worry.

Length:

What I absolutely love about the Irresistible Me extensions is the options they have for length. I purchased the 14″ ones because it’s going into summer and I didn’t want to have to deal with the hassle of the super long hair. They offer 14″, 16″, 18″, 20″, 22″, and 24″. The shorter lengths are especially good for people who just want that extra volume within their hair. Longer lengths are obviously going to be for those who want that length and want to be able to style it a certain way (think Elsa braids). I am in love with the length I chose and it’s perfect for what I was looking for. It doesn’t take me forever to style them in the morning (and for the most part they just hold the curl until I decide to wash them) and I am allllllll about speed and efficiency when it comes to doing my hair. My little sister is the cosmetologist in the family, I stick to what I know with makeup.

Weight:

Another awesome option that Irresistible me offers is you get to choose the weight for your length. The weights they offer are 100g, 140g, and 200g. I knew from past experience that the 220g Bellami’s were a LOT of hair, so I opted for the 140g weight and I’m so glad I did. It has 8 wefts instead of 10, and I even leave out a three clip weft for the most part, and I still have so much volume. The price is obviously going to increase with the longer/heavier you go so just make sure you’re aware of that. What’s also different about the IM extensions is that they offer three different kinds of extensions all together. The Silky Touch, the Royal Remy, and the Volume Vixen. The silky touch extensions thin out at the ends like our normal hair would. The royal remy are the same volume all throughout, and the volume vixen ONLY comes in 20″ and 260g. I like how the royals are the same thickness from top to bottom, so I personally recommend those. The only weird thing about the wefts is that one of them (the four clip weft) has a thick woven part attached to the clips, I don’t know if it’s to make it so it stays in your hair better or what… but none of the other clips have it. It doesn’t bother me, I just thought it was out of the ordinary.

Overall Wear:

Same with the Bellami, you can use the IM with heat tools. I wear these ones curled as well, but even straight they blend incredibly well. I’m never having to cover my wefts, ever. I even went to my own mother’s house and she was feeling my hair and had no idea I had them in. If your own mother can’t tell, they’re damn good. Another really awesome thing about the Irresistible Me brand is that they ALWAYS offer a 20% off deal! The extensions I got would normally be $189, and I got them for $150. $40 makes a huge difference in the long run, and it’s obviously way better than a $5 deal from Bellami. The 20% off is site wide, so you can buy multiple sets if your bank account is into that sort of thing.

And that’s a wrap! 

I hope I helped and could answer some of the questions you had about extensions and these two brands in particular. I always recommend doing your own research and reading as many reviews as you possibly can before you make any beauty investments. Especially with hair extensions, because they’re not cheap (the good ones anyway) and they’re going to last you a long time. Something that works for one person won’t always work for someone else. If you have any questions or comments leave them below! Or any other posts you would like to see 🙂 have a wonderful weekend my loves, stay beautiful!

XOXO

Shelby