my skincare routine

for most of my life, i was plagued with bad skin. i was acne prone, my skin dried out really quickly and lotions didnt help, and my skin was also uneven and i would even get acne on my back. So through research but mostly through testing out bazillions of products till i found the right ones, i finally developed a routine that made my skin smoother, softer, clearer, and all around more healthy. so now I will share it with you.

1: DONT TOUCH YOUR FACE. seriously, do not bring your fingers to your face, dont scratch or pick or pop anything. it will only make things worse

2: a good facial cleanser. At the moment, I found a wonderful one: L'oreal 360. It comes with a scrub that you apply the cleanser with, and its really soft on your face. it is gel-like but turns into foam on contact with water. I also recommend the aveeno brand if you cant get this one.

3. use a toner daily. I use the l'oreal hydrafresh toner daily. a toner serves to remove dead skin on the surface of your face, as well as smooth the skin. I have seen a noticeable difference since I started using it, and it also will last you a very long time.

4. bare escentuals i.d. bare vitamins skin rev-er upper. this is a cream that my mom bought me when i started out with skincare. it helps with the complexion, smooths the surface of your skin, and adds vitamins to it so it gives you that healthy glow.

5. moisturize: i use cetaphil moisturizer, but there are an array of lotions and potions available from drugstores or bath&body works.

6. REMOVE ALL OF YOUR MAKEUP EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. Leaving makeup caked on is bad for your skin and gives you wrinkles and spots.

7. a specific acne treatment. Every once in a while when i feel i really need it, i use Neutrogenas acne wash. I dont like to do it too much because it dries out my skin, but its good like once a week or so. you can use other acne washes like marc bedescu or clean and clear.

hope this helps!

product review: aveeno face wash

i just finished my aveeno facial cleanser, and decided to give you a review, in case you were looking for a face wash or thinking of buying this one. advice: DO IT. This bottle lasted me a very long time, many many months. The cleanser was foamy and soft on the skin, and left my face feeling refreshed and picked clean of any dirt or oil.

"This instant foaming cleanser with moisture-rich Soy extracts and salicylic acid, a blemish-fighting ingredient, helps improve skin's tone and texture and clears up blemishes without over drying, leaving skin soft, smooth and even-looking. This mild, hypoallergenic, oil-free formula won't clog pores and is gentle enough for everyday use." the aveeno website.

I am now using the L'oreal 360 facial cleanser. When it runs out, I will write a review letting you know which cleanser worked better.

mercedes helnwein

mercedes helnwein is atm my favorite artist. she is a writer as well, and I thought I would diverge from my usual fashion post to show you a little of what she does that inspires me:

this is what she looks like, and i think shes lovely:

here is a bit of here writing:

"Frank

That damn freak who lived on the other side of the fence with his reindeer sweaters and the coffee mug has finally met his maker the other day.
To begin with, that fence is mine and everything on my side of it is likewise mine. I painted it white on a sweltering Sunday afternoon when I could have been doing any number of pleasurable things. But no, I stuck to my pride..." to read more go here: http://www.mercedeshelnwein.com/writing/

DKNY sequins and Donna Karan

Donna Karan, the founder of DKNY, is one of my personal heroes. She worked with Anne Klein, my all-time favorite classic designer, does many charites such as Urban Zen, etc. The DKNY line is actually designed by Janet Chueng, and I love their classy looks. I only own one jacket from the fall line :[ but hope to acquire more. Right now, I am obsessed with their sequined clothing. Take a look:

Pierre Hardy for Gap

Pierre Hardy is a footwear designer who has previously and continously designed shoes for Gap. I love Gap, and if you have a chance you should check out William Sledd on Youtube; he is a guru who works at Gap. I am especially obsessed with Hardy's wedges...thinking about acquiring some of my own...take a look:

cocktail party fashion!

this Tuesday, i was invited to a literary cocktail event, its a nice event with shrimp and the whole shebang. I thought that it might be appropriate to make a post for those who did not know how to dress appropriately for cocktail parties. first of all, satin is a good fabric. ruffles are also nice. make sure the dress doesn't go past your knees, and it is okay to show shoulders. i recommend the classic Chanel bag. cocktail rings are best with the crystal gem rather than a colored stone unless it matches your dress. shoes should be platform pumps, optional peep toe, either patent leather or solid black. pearls are a good jewel to wear, and hosiery is a must.

orly gener jewelry

Orly genger's jewelry creations are probably the most interesting pieces of art I've ever encountered. these necklaces and bracelets are made out of interesting materials such as climbing rope/cord and metal. they range in price from about 60-400$, but are handcrafted and definitely make statements.

interesting eyewear

i love sunglasses. I own a whole collection, from aviators to heart shaped plastic sunglasses, etc. This collection of eye-wear, by Ralph Vaessen, is a thing of beauty. These are buffalo horn sunglasses, no metal and frame used. these beauties are works of art.

muicci prada 2010 collection

one of the cellections that i loved this spring was prada. i love the model's look of the messy pigtails and red glossy lips. they look sexy but fashionable. i like the use of whites and metallic colors. the fabrics are lighter and more feminine, producing a nice silhouette on the prada woman. the outfits are hig tech and well tailored. Well done mr. prada.

grooming your eyebrows.

Im probably not the only one who has unruly thick eyebrows. It's my Jewish heritage. Well, I recently bought something ive really been wanting-the Ardell Brow Trim and Shape from Target for about three dollars. You get three razors angled and fitted for eyebrow shaving. Here are some tips and guides on how to use this:

STEP ONE: use an eyebrow brush to comb your eyebrow hair straight up.

STEP TWO: using eyebrow trimmers, (scissors) trim the extra long hairs that are sticking up.

STEP THREE: apply some kind of lotion (preferrable cocoa butter) to eyebrows in order to avoid irritation

STEP FOUR: use the razor to shave any stray hairs in between your eyebrows

STEP FIVE:using white eyeliner, draw the point above your eyebrow where you want the highest point of your arch to be. when you trim/shave, make sure you never shave that point.

STEP SIX : use a white eyeliner to indicate either a)the shape you want, by drawing the shape, or b)where you want there to be less hair

STEP SEVEN: shape your brows by using the razor HINT-DO NOT shave the end points of your brows or they will look boxy

STEP EIGHT: brush your eyebrows in order to keep them looking clean and groomed.

STEP NINE: apply brow color if you think you need it.

STEP TEN: apply clear mascara or brow gel, to keep your brows in shape all day.

I hope this helped!

curling your eyelashes with E.L.F.

So, I bought an E.L.F. New and Improved Eyelash Curler from target. I decided i should do a step by step tutorial on how to curl eyelashes and why it's important. I love E.L.F, because it's so affordable. 1$ curler?? yes please.

curling your eyelashes makes them longer without looking like fake lashes.

STEP ONE: always keep your eyelash curler clean. I disinfect mine with krogers hydrogen peroxide topical solution.

STEP TWO: heat your curler with either a blow dryer or hot water. this makes the curling processes faster, easier, and last longer.

STEP THREE: open the eyelash curler by squeezing the two blag prongs together, and make sure you have allof your upper lashes in the slot available. Repeat this and then do it on the other eye.

STEP FOUR: apply two coats of mascara to the curled eyelashes, making sure you always go the same direction of the curl.

STEP FIVE: comb your eyelashing using an eyelash double sided comb, to prevent sticking and clumping.

-make sure your eyes/eyelashes are clean before curling

-replace the pads on your curler every three months. the ELF curler comes with an extra pad.

i hope this helped!

ross haul!

I love Ross. I find awesome shoes for ten dollars, and clothes under ten! next door to ross is an amazing smoothie shop, and their mango blast is delishh. today has been an awesome day, went hiking. being healthy never felt so good! im hoping all this working out will make my legs toned so when i wear my skirts i will look really good =]

here's what i got:

this skirt is so cute for eight bucks. it is grey with satin ruffles and a black waistbands. i love skirts with these kind of waistbands because i can make them high waisted for at my hips.
i adore the color combination on this skirt. its called colorblock. forever 21 had a cute colorblock dress with the same colors, but i no longer shop their because of their practices. this skirt also has the same kind of waist bands. eight bucks!

I finally got a romper! all the ones i wanted from urban outfitters were out of my budget. but for twelve bucks i could totally afford this denim looking jersey material romper. it has cute pockets, ties at the waist, is a tube tope, and has a rainbow stitch at the top. so cute.

i love these shoes. they are black shiny patent leather wedges from Nicole, ten bucks at Ross! they are peeptoe. i bought them for prom, but theyre not gonna work because i have to wear socks with them. even though im an 8 and theyre 7 1/2 theyre a little loose/big.

these gladiator flats are perfect for summer, and its really starting to get hot here. its march and almost 90 degrees F ! my last pair of gladiators broke at the zipper, so these are a good replacement. only ten bucks as well ! i love the diamond detailing =]

broomberg and chanarin

the internation center of photography! j'adore photographie !
these are the founders of ecotopia the second icp triennial of photography and video.
they have a portfolio of photos from israel which are fantastic.
my favorite of their works is the prison series called "unconcerned but not indifferent"

i took a liking to it because i'm interested in prison life.

st. pattys day!

i love st. pattys day. who doesnt love green brew, pinches, and small people?! here are some cute things I loved. the first thing is a green plastic watch. i love plastic colored watches, i want to find a baby blue or light pink one...they have them at Urban Outfitters, but theyre like forty bucks or something. So we'll see.

this is a nail polish from hottopic. i have the black one. its actually really good quality, and pretty cheap, like a few bucks.

these are what i call "spring break" sunglasses, and I want a pair of ray ban ones in black. these are green, duh :p

i want some fake lashes so bad! but i havent learned yet how to apply them so im waiting :/ these are super cute, and they have little green feathers attached. i always see girls at the raves wearing them.

BOONDOCK SAINTS!! i havent seen the second yet but i will tonight for St. Pattys day!! so excited.

i want a clip wallet like this one, not green zebra stripes but the same style nonetheless. hottopic.com.

isnt this girls hair so cute! i love the cute and it looks so soft. like tegan and sara. im super into bows recently, i lost my pink one :/ bow shopping this weekend? i think yes!

flogging freaking molly guys. theres a concert in fifteen minutes featuring them. but it was forty bucksish so my wallet said no :/

:cutest. tank. ever. curtesy of Urban Outfitters. my new favorite store at the mall!

cheers !