Fashioning My Cyber Microcosm: Of Life And Buys

I was debating whether this would've been better suited for I Heart Good Buys, but this is mostly just a review of how these products are working thus far... and some randomness.

I know that these past posts haven't exactly fit the bill of goth, in fact they're very regular sort of posts-- this one isn't much different, hehe. I'm not that gothicly creative when it comes to my face, and I know that there are many out there like me who have a difficult time trying to wriggle our way into that aspect of our image, and it's just so damn hard trying to figure out where to begin adorning with make up and such, despite the myriad of make up blogs in the blogosphere. 

Personally, I love reading/watching reviews-- I know I probably don't come off as financially conscientious, but I would rather spend good money on a product I felt had a large chance of success, then to keep wasting money on micro purchases that in the end don't work at all; as my husband puts it, you spend $1 a hundred times that's $100. 

Enough jibber jabber!

There are some products that didn't make it into my previous post of buys because they require a little more time to consider a proper result. These are my new skincare products:

On the left we have the Fresh Farmacy cleanser bar courtesy of LUSH Cosmetics. On the right Hydrating Light Moisturizer brought to you by Simple Skincare.

To recap, 'good' and 'moisturizer' is a mythical combination that for a while now has become the perfect enemy and never fails to foil my skin happiness time and time again. Even in my first face routine post, I was not very happy with that moisturizer. Knock on wood, but I think I might've found it.

Maybe it's luck, a fluke... whatever, but in the full week I've been using this (bought this before the beauty haul) I didn't have any complaints. No news is good news, right? It doesn't leave my face glazed looking or feeling, and is able to properly moisturize despite me using tea tree oil.

One thing that personally doesn't affect me, but may with someone else is that it contains mineral oil. I hear that this has the possibility of making breakouts worse or cause reddening, in some people.

But other than that it's uncomplicated; no perfumes, no colorization... zip! It's just what it is-- simple.

Now, I had been previously raving about Lush's Angels on Bareskin cleanser. It smells great, it works well... I've been using it for about a year. The smell alone was what prompted me to try it and eventually keep buying it. Unfortunately, that love has finally become too little to ignore the increasingly annoying part about this cleanser: the application and wash off. It's super crumbly, and at first I didn't mind it... until I've been picking pieces of it from my hair, and many times finding the pieces in my mouth; probably snuck in from the corners... I resorted to just cleansing while I shower, so I can just wash it all off in one go. But this wasn't entirely viable since there are mornings where I cleanse to start off my day, but don't need a shower because I had one the night before. On a note, I had previously tested/used fresh farmacy, and it works just as well as A.B.S. ... except that it doesn't have a pleasant aroma.

I figured that since it was a bar and not a roll of mush you buy, it'll be much more user friendly. I just didn't like the smell-- it's not that it's gross, but it just doesn't smell at all like something you'd put on your face; the active ingredient is calamine, afterall. As you can see, the consistency is a lot more conducive to cleansing.

My gripe about this, other than the smell, is that LUSH does not make containers for their cut bars. If enough water hits the bar, you'll probably be losing precious pricey product, not to mention dust and bacteria getting on the exposed bar. I used a food container to alleviate this; one that is deep enough to fit the bar, while being small enough to put on my bathroom shelves and in my toiletry bags.

This next review is fun... and stupefying. I really wanted to see how my 99 cent Wet And Wild lipstick measured up to my $30 Lise Watier lipstick. Both bright red. I put my husband up to the Lipstick challenge, and asked him which of these swatches is which!

Normal application

Thumb smudged.

After a 2 hour power nap... that mostly ended up on my face...

Can you tell the difference?

And now... some obligatory kitty photos of my husband's beautiful fur demon. (bribed with demon treats... my arms and ankles)

Fashioning My Cyber Microcosm: The Face Routine Part 1

In this my second post and part of my steadily forming "Foundation" series, I share my obligatory 'days in the life of me' cleverly titled "Fashioning My Cyber Microcosm" whereas you get to live and learn vicariously in my status quo. So onto the show!

This is my face the minute I wake up:

Not pleasant at all. Note the haggard expression and reddened eyes

My face, just like anything else in this life, requires attention and patience-- lest I wallow in self-loathing in front of a mirror pinching, picking and poking.
I have combination skin; meaning at any moment it can transform from dry and cracked as the dessert, to greasy, lumpy and uncomfortable.
It's hard times finding a happy median for this external organ.


This is what I use to fend off grease, gunk and other junk that accumulates on a daily basis:

Just add water; preferably hot.

 The first thing I do is open up my pores to allow for thorough cleaning and susceptibility to any other products and/or medication I will apply during this whole process. The key is in the hot wet towel which I leave on my face for about a minute before continuing onto cleansing....

About the only expensive item in my facial repertoire is my cleanser at a whopping $13 for the little container of Angels On Bareskin by LUSH Cosmetics. It took a lot of convincing and crying over breakouts to finally make me pay that much for something I go through, well... on a daily basis.

All you need is a pea sized amount; this is just slightly more than that

But I don't believe that after trying this I'll be so quick to try the newest thing yet! It has helped my skin pull itself together more than cussing and begging has ever done. You don't really use that much, and as such the little tub turns out to be more than enough to last you a few months of daily washings. Plus you can't beat that earthen lovely lavender scent. My only gripe is that it's tremendously crumbly and will leave crumbs and residue if not rinsed thoroughly. 
 As much as I wish this was enough, it isn't so. After said cleansing is done I must confront any breakouts that for me are aggravated by abrasive touching AKA: washing.
I feel that as a precautionary measure, I must warn you that this next step is not for the faint of heart... or skin.

Many have told me of the awesome rejuvenating powers of tea tree oil. Ridding ailed skin of blemishes and other attack-on-the-eyes on your skin. But like I am warning you for the sake of it, I too was warned only to use it in a diluted form.

While my skin is still dripping wet (which also means pores are still open) I apply tea tree oil onto a cosmetic cotton pad and dab the ailing areas on my face; my cheeks, jaw, and forehead.Working quickly while the skin still feels spongy like after a shower.

After finding various diluted ways and not reaching the potency I wanted, I decided to say 'what the hell' to all those warnings (I am in no way advocating that you do the same!) and use it in its purest 100% state. And let me tell you... it burned like mentholated gel!
But once my vision was restored (I jest) and the initial burning had died down... sweet clarity! Sweet bliss, could it be? In just minutes my skins reddening was less than before and my breakouts were visibly shrinking!

Alas, all things are too good to be true... for in drying out my breakouts with the tea tree oil, I essentially dried out my skin. It was visibly dry like a sponge that was left out in the sun if I didn't apply the moisturizer before the tea tree oil gets soaked into the skin. When your skin is normally dry and tensions are normal, it means that your pores are closed and not much will be all that effective.

To this day, I haven't really found a lotion that cooperates with my regime as I want it to.
 For now I use this lotion that my mother gave me from a mail order company called Yves Rocher.

Still not completely convinced about this product

I've normally had a lot of success with Yves Rocher and their hair and perfume lines, but this the first time trying some of their skin care products and I must say I am underwhelmed. It's not bad, but it's not good either.

But anyway, there you have it; my facial routine and my battle for skin bliss.

Refreshed and eager!

P.S. As a rule I only wear t-shirts to bed and to hang about the home... but since this is post not pertaining to fashion but personal care, I chose to go the easy way and just wear the atrocity.