#GrowingUpHispanic : Vick’s IS The MIRACALE HEALER

Hey, all! There are plenty of memes out there about Hispanics believing that Vick’s Vapor Rub cures everything, especially Hispanic grandparents. It reminds me of the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” because the main character’s dad believed Windex cured everything, ha! Anyway, I’m here to tell you that Vick’s IS AMAZING!

My grandma and aunt are obsessed with Vick’s, along with some of my other distant relatives. They apply it on their face and chest daily, whether or not their sick. I personally have only used it for when I’m sick. A few days ago, my face was severely misbehaving. I was having major breakouts! My grandma told me just to apply Vick’s and it will go away. LO AND BEHOLD IT DID! It even made my bacne go away, overnight! It flattened all the acne. I also use it for body aches and it works like a charm! Needless to say Hispanic grandparents know what they’re talking about, haha!

I honestly think you can use Vick’s Vapor Rub for plenty of different topical uses, except on your privates obviously and obviously don’t eat it! If you’re having skin issues, definitely try it and see what happens!

Hit or Miss: Too Faced Born This Way Foundation

(via sephora.com)

Don’t think that the Emmy’s made me forget about “Hit or Miss” Mondays! Let’s jump right into this product review.

So many people have been raving about it and how natural looking it looks. The online description states, “Born This Way is an oil-free foundation that masterfully diffuses the line between makeup and skin. For coverage so undetectable, you can’t see the makeup or the imperfections—just a natural-looking, luminous, flawless complexion. The revolutionary formula is infused with a potent combination of coconut water to naturally replenish moisture levels; nature’s resilient alpine rose to brighten the skin’s appearance and promote elasticity; and hyaluronic acid for a smoother, more youthful appearance.” Anything that oil-free is something worth trying so I picked up a sample 3 weeks ago in the shade Honey.

Ideally, I wanted to use this foundation for about a week before sharing my final thoughts but after 3 uses, I already know how I feel. First off, the shade matched my skin fairly well but it just a smidge more neutral. Th coverage is medium to full and the consistency is on the thicker side. The first time I put it on, I was little taken aback by how my faced look. It looked like I hadn’t put any makeup on but I had a glow. I know that sounds weird, but I felt a little off haha. However, once I finished my full face, I liked it. The natural finish was great and it did look like your skin. The second time I used it, my oily T-zone was just not having it! The foundation was looking greasy and was breaking me out!. I tried it for the last time and noticed even more breakouts and it also faded after about 10 hours of wear. That’s not too crappy as far as longevity goes, but I prefer long wearing foundation. What bugs me the most is the fact that it has caused breakouts on my skin! My skin has been at its best for the past 2 months and I only get a blemish when my period is coming. My skin isn’t sensitive at all. So, I knew it was the foundation’s fault.

Needless to say, I was disappointed by this foundation. I really did want to love it but it’s a MISS in the books for me! If you still want to try it, pick up a sample first. The full price at Sephora is $39.

All The Deets: New & Improved Skincare Routine

Hey all! I’ve been a real skincare snob these past few months and I figured I might as well share with you my new skincare routine. It’s definitely a bit more time consuming but I find that it’s the only way my skin stays at its best! I used to be fairly low maintenance with skincare. I would literally just use a makeup wipe, rinse, and hit the sheets! That’s a HUGE no-no, especially is you’re a frequent makeup wearer. I noticed that my makeup was just looking crappy and that was ultimately because my skin was crappy. It wasn’t covered in acne or anything but it was just dull and blah! You could just feel it when your skin isn’t in the best shape. So, I became a skincare snob and I have been following this regimen religiously because consistency is key!

In the morning, I don’t do much because I’m not a believer of OVERWASHING your face. Yes, there is such a thing. I keep it simple. I rinse my face with COLD WATER to wake me up and since I’m not using any product it doesn’t matter if my pores are open or not. Then, I use my Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control toner all over my face. Once that’s dry I do my primer and makeup as usual. I’m on the oily side so I don’t moisturize in the day. Call me crazy but that’s how I roll.

At night, I use my all time favorite makeup wipes which are the Neutrogena Hydrating Makeup Wipes. These are the wipes in the teal packaging. Out of all the Neutrogena wipes I’ve used, these take off makeup the best in my opinion. After that I use my Mario Badescu Acne Facial Cleanser which is heaven in a bottle. The only thing I don’t like is that it’s not a foamy cleanser but hey as long as it works! I massage that all over my face with my Clarisonic. If you don’t have a Clarisonic, INVEST IN ONE!  It’s a truly amazing tool that deep cleans your skin and REALLY takes out all the gunk. Washing your face with your hands doesn’t compare. I stopped using it for about 4 months and my skin was just garbage. Needless to say, I’m never doing that again. Also, when I wash my face I start with lukewarm water and then turn it to the colder side when I’m fully done. About 2-3x a week, I exfoliate with my Murad Skin Smoothing Polish. I hate to admit this but I never really exfoliated my skin until now and now I realize all the goodness my skin was missing out on. For more info on the product, check out my review here. After cleansing, I sometimes use my PMD. However, I only use it once a week and if I only cleansed my skin that day. I don’t use it if I exfoliated as well because I feel like that’s overkill. For more info on the PMD, check it out here. After all that jazz, I use my toner followed by my VMV ID Anti-Acne Oil-Free Lotion. This ish right here is no joke. You have to use it little by little otherwise it won’t work. Also, it is one the greasy side which is funny to me because it’s oil-free but whatever. Also, for the occasional Aunt Flow crater pimple, I alternate between VMV Monolaurin Gel and Kate Sommerville’s Eradikate.

Tips and Tricks

Always pat dry your face, never rub. Nobody wants premature wrinkles.

Never use a towel to dry your face because you’re just putting the bacteria back on your skin. Instead, use a paper towel to dry off.

Always exfoliate weekly. Don’t be a fool like I was.

Cold water closes pores. Hot water dehydrates skin and opens pores. Lukewarm water is best but cool water to finish off is my personal preference.

There you have it! I hope you find this information helpful.

Hit or Miss: GlamGlow Supermud Clearing Treatment

Hey beauties! It’s time for another review on Hit or Miss Monday and we’re gonna talk skincare! I’m always on the hunt for products that will help my oily skin out, especially during the summer months. I’ve been eying GlamGlow products for a while and have heard a lot of great things about it. The only issue was that I didn’t want to dish $70 and end up being disappointed. Therefore, on my recent trip to Sephora I grabbed a sample of the GlamGlow Supermud Clearing Treatment.  Keep in mind that there are 4 GlamGlow masks, I got the clearing treatment one. There is also an exfoliating one, a hydrating one, and a dualcleanse one.

According to Sephora, this specific treatment is supposed to heal your skin, prevent breakouts, and visibly draw out all the gunk from your face. It’s also supposed to minimize your pores, soften and brighten your skin. Now, the sample actually lasted me a good 4 days because this product is very thick. I use a flat foundation brush to apply it all over my face because I feel like if I use my fingers, I’ll be wasting more product. I ended up using it 2x per week. The question is did I see any difference in my skin? The answer is YES.

As you can see in the picture, the mask goes on a dark charcoal color and then dries up into a light gray color. I keep the mask on for about 20 minutes. As the mask is drying, you’ll literally see the dirt and oil being sucked out of your face. EXCUSE MY HUGE PORES but as you can see the pores around my nose are MASSIVE. Also, those dark spots around my face are the oils and dirt being sucked out. Crazy and gross, right? Keep in mind this was AFTER I washed my face with my Clarisonic. It’s like your face can never get clean enough! Anyway, after I rinsed my face with warm water my skin felt soooo clean! The pores were visibility smaller on my nose too. So needless to say this product is a HIT & I will be picking it up from Sephora ASAP.