The Beauty Files: share the beauty (week four)


Another week and another topic for our Share the Beauty party that I'm taking part in with Lauren and Leonora is here!  Have you had a chance to link up? Let me tell you straight up.. you should!  You get to share some of your favorite beauty products with us each week based off chosen beauty themes we have conjured up. Plus linking up gives others an opportunity to find you when maybe they woudn't normally aka potential new blog traffic for you!


Having PCOS has probably been one of the hardest things I've faced over the years.  Let's just put the whole 6 years of trying to conceive aside and get real.  Pretty skin + PCOS = good luck, not gonna happen.  As a woman that not only suffers from the infertility & weight symptoms of this condition that can genuinely affect my day to day life, let's throw in skin issues just to make it fun mmkay?

For those of you that have a little blemish here and there and you think its the end of the world, I can only wish that was my world.  So please count yourself lucky that you do not suffer from acne.  Not only has it affected the way I get ready everyday or even to the places I go -because of the lighting- it also makes me think about the way I hug people -leaving powder marks on their shirt is embarrassing!- and even the way my day to day mood will be... yep if I'm not having a good skin day then pretty much my day is crap.

I guess I could thank having skin issues for giving me good skills with makeup, not having a single wrinkle on my skin (thanks oily tzone?) and finding amazing lighting for when I take photographs.  You might not see blemishes in my photos & I very rarely edit them out.. but believe me they are there and I'm conscious (every minute, every hour, every day) of my skin.. and its not fun.
{it might not look like much, believe me this was a good day with my bff concealer helping out! and my friends and family in real life know exactly how hard and how real this struggle is.  I really don't want to share the no makeup photos!}

It's not fun when you know you wash your face and treat it, but people think that because you have skin issues that you might not.  Its not fun when you are having a great day and a Mary Kay or Avon rep comes up to you and tells you they want to give you free products (aka that means they want to help you with your ugly face), thanks that great day is now shot.  It's not fun to have to tell people that you can't control it because PCOS is causing it and then having to explain what PCOS is. <-- I linked that on purpose in case you had questions! It's not fun to look around a room full of girls and realize that clear skin is a normal thing to have and that you will never in your life know what that feels like.  Basically this not fun list could go on & on...you get the idea, yeah?

I've tried lots of different things and really I actually have found that for me, occasionally switching up my routine with things I know work actually helps.  So I'm going to share a few products that have helped and that my dermatologist actually approved of.

CLEANSER


I would classify my skin type as oily t-zone & super sensitive jawline/cheeks.  The best cleansers I have found for my skin are actually bar soaps and depending on the time of year (summer/winter) I use either Dove Sensitive Skin or Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing.  Because my skin is so sensitive and I still use makeup the cleansing needs to be as gentle as possible so that I don't get burnt or dried out.

MAKEUP REMOVER
This is some old school stuff right here!  I only use Albolene to remove my makeup before washing my face when my skin is super dry (like during winter) because it provides lightweight moisture.  Its rad for removing mascara too!  Dry skin on elbows, heals or even cuticles can benefit from this.  Also I'm a huge supporter of having no makeup lines so before makeup I occasionally will dab a tiny bit around my neckline just so my makeup blends more evenly.

BLEMISH BANISHER


Personally my skin goes through phases where Benzoyl Peroxide, Salycilic Acid or Sulfur tend to work best, lately I've noticed that the sulfur creams have been better so I'm using Adult Acnomel on the spots that need help.  What sucks is that the acne I do tend to get sometimes never comes to the surface, they end up being a nodule (cystic acne) then they just go away.. its horribly annoying and so very noticeable =(

Believe me I have tried everything under the moon from internal cleanses, water diets, vitamins, prescriptions, cheapie stuff, natural therapies and expensive luxury brands.  Some things help and some have caused disasters, right now this is what works for me.  I occasionally use toners, I do not use sunscreen and because I have higher levels of testosterone (another pcos lame-o symptom) the breakouts I do get are very irregular. 

Since this is such a sensitive subject, if you suffer from the same thing I would love to know how you handle it.  Its a emotional roller coaster that I wish more people understood about me, but they never will.. and thats ok because I would never wish this upon anyone else!  Thanks for letting me share something that affects my self esteem everyday, it's something that no matter how hard I try to control it I can't and now I just sort of adjust my life around it and make the best of what I have.. which is awesome boobs! Ha jk =) or am I?

NOW ITS YOUR TURN!

PARTY RULES
Make sure you link to your Share the Beauty Post NOT your blog domain
 Please have the post you link up to be about "Sharing the Beauty" 
not a giveaway or a product promo. 

Please do not post anything that is unrelated to this weeks topic of:
 FACE CARE

Anyone linking posts that are not related to our party will be deleted.
You can link up here, with Leonora or Lauren and your link will show up on all of our blogs!
You can also grab this button and share the love!









NEXT WEEKS PROMPT

We thought you guys would like to know ahead of time what prompts you can contribute to! Here is the list of future Share the Beauty Party Topics! We will be going in this order:

Week 5- Eye Make up: Eye shadow, eye liner, eye primer, mascara etc
Week 6- Foundation: Concealer, Powder, Liquid Foundation etc
Week 7- Face Beauty: Blush, Bronzer, Face Primer etc
Week 8- Lip Beauty: Lip stick, lip exfoliator, chap stick, lip gloss etc
Week 9- Make Up Brushes

Week 10- Scents: Deodorants, Perfumes, Body Splashes etc
Week 11- Body Care: Razors, Shaving Cream, Body Lotion, Sunscreen etc
Week 12- Nails: Nail Polish, Nail Polish Remover, Clippers, Techniques etc 

14 comments:

  1. I also suffer from PCOS and struggle on a daily basis with my weight and my acne. I have tried many things and have recently found what works for me. My sister-in-law introduced me to the ARCONA line of skin care products about a year ago. I have been using the raspberry acne bar for about that long and have had great results except for a few blemishes here and there. My husband bought me a clarasonic mia (I have been wanting it for some time) for my birthday. The combination of the acne bar and the clarisonic have made a significant difference. I hope this helps.

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  2. i love this new series!!! totally joining in. will post and link-up tomorrow :) super excited.

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  3. heather i know you personally (& no i'm not telling you who this is!) and yes i know you have skin issues but i want you to know that your personality, your confidence and your genuine kindness overshadow any skin issue you may ever have love you hun!

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  4. Did ya see Dana's post on the Arabellas products i sent her? You should see if mayybe they could help your skin. ill hook ya up. :)

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  5. Awesome idea for a linky party. I've added you to our Linky list at www.blogguidebook.com

    Good luck!

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  6. I have been following (cough cough stalking) your blog for a little while. Prior to reading your blog I did not know much about PCOS. Sometimes you see people and you judge them (like those various Avon reps did to you), without really knowing what that person is going through. I have often wondered why you do not post many pictures of yourself on here. I think I now have a greater understanding. You seem like such a beautiful person inside and out. I am glad that you shared some links where more information about PCOS can be found.
    Caroline

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    1. I just don't do the fashion blogger thing and I can either take pics with my remote + tripod or wait to be included in pics to post haha I'm the photographer so I'm always behind the lens ;p

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  7. Amen Sista! I totally feel your pain! I would have never thought I'd be 30 and still dealing with this sh*t. I go back and forth with the Dove sensitive skin and Proactive. Even when it helps my skin is always dry...like super dry. I can't find a lotion that I can use without a total break out. Thanks for this post!

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  8. Although I do not have PCOS I have suffered with my skin ever since my teenage years. I know how hard it is to deal with acne and have people stare at you. I have never successfully learnt how to apply make-up to cover blemishes/scare/blotching but I will not leave the house without wearing make-up. It's not bwecause I'm vain, its because I know how bad my skin looks without it. I would love to be able to go without make-up and have flawless skin!

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  9. I so appreciate that you posted this. Skin issues are so hard to talk about because, however anyone else feels about them, it's an emotional issue for those of us who are struggling. I'm not sure whether I have PCOS - it's something I've wondered about - but I've had acne since I was about 12, and now I'm 31. I've been on every type of medication - oral, topical, over the counter, prescription. Everything, including accutane. Now I take birth control and spironolactone (a prescription). I also did a round of isolaz laser treatments this year that I do think have helped. I use a mild neutrogena cleanser and sometimes use retin-a. I've been considering getting the clarisonic mia that one of the earlier commenters mentioned. My skin is better now than it has been in a while, though that seems to require that I stay on birth control, which I don't love and will have to stop eventually when I want to start having babies.

    At any rate, no answers here, but just wanted to say thanks.

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  10. Thank you for your bravery in posting this! Cystic acne runs in my family, and I dealt with it for a long time. For me, birth control took care of 90% of my problems (although I waited until 27 years old to get on it!). Aside from that I only wash my face once a day in the morning(I find that twice a day is too harsh and makes it all worse) with Philosophy Purity, then I use Neutrogena On the Spot cream all over my face, followed by a mild moisturizer. I use BareMinerals make up, which I think helps my skin stay clear and less oily.

    What a lot of people don't appreciate is how painful acne is. Those damn little nodules hurt! Aside from the physical discomfort, it is right out there for everyone to see. Ugh.

    Good luck with your struggle, and know that you are not alone!

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  11. thank you for posting all this information. i didn't know much about PCOS, but i'm glad i do know a little more now. my skin has been acting up a lot over the past few years, and it can really affect you (emotionally) more than you want it to :/

    i really look forward to linking up to share the beauty each week. i can't wait to see your make-up posts in the weeks to come!

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  12. Hey,
    My name is Brittany and I also have PCOS. It sucks! I have also developed endometriosis which for random periods out of the month I am doubled over in pain because of my cysts and the endometriosis, I have actually had a cyst in my ovary burst (it was worse than my natural 24hr labor OUCH!) I also have been problems with cystic acne that has developed in the last two years (when I was first diagnosed with PCOS). I have also not been able to lose weight. I spent a year working with a trainer 5 days a week and eating healthy and only lost 25 pounds! I also have insanely sensitive scene and have not found a cleanser I can use every day, but thanks to your post I have some new options. I have gotten my oily t-zone under control thankfully. I know you mentioned trying to conceive so I wanted to share with you what my doctor shared with me, he said if I choose to have more children (I am divorced now so not going to happen) that he would put me on a vegetarian diet and metformin which is a diabetic medication he says he has helped many women get pregnant who have PCOS. Anyway, if I get some miracle info or treatment about PCOS I will surely let you in on it!
    Facebook: Brittany Bascos

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  13. I also have awful skin. I am also poor, so I don't have money (or can't justify spending what little I have) on products that will actually help but are pretty expensive. I stick with cheap drugstore brands that only help the tiniest amount. I also only started using makeup a year ago (I'm 20) so I haven't figured out how to do my makeup to conceal my acne. My other problem is that when I'm super broken out, makeup just makes it worse. I may have to splurge on some sort of skin-clearing foundation soon. I just try to make my eye makeup and lip makeup really bold so it distracts from my poor skin. It also doesn't help that I have social anxiety (diagnosed with social phobia) so some days I just don't leave my house at all, usually when I'm really broken out because I just feel so self-conscious. Luckily, I do have some pretty great Photoshop skills, so I can edit out the worst of it for pictures.

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