Tired of constantly blotting? Makeup not there at the end of the day? Remedies for Controlling Oily/Combo Skin under makeup

Products from left to right: Neutrogena Shine Control Powder ($11.97 at walmart.com), Equate Brand Milk of Magnesia ($3.57 at walmart.com) and Monistat Chafing Relief Powder Gel ($5.98 at walmart.com).

                                                              +

Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets $9.94 at walmart.com

Every girl with oily/combo skin can relate to what I am about to say. In the morning before you head out to class/work/wherever, you beat your face (slang for applying your makeup very well, for those of you who don't know) to perfection and walk out your house feeling mighty good about how great your makeup looks. But one hour in, your skin is already oily and by the end of the day, it is like you never applied makeup to begin with. The woes of having oily/combo skin.

Like most of you reading this, I have oily/combination skin. Every part of my face is normal besides my T-Zone area (nose, above my eyebrows, chin) and sometimes my cheeks. I've tried everything, from blotting sheets, to clay masks, toners that claim to control oily skin, foundations/powers that claim to be for oily/combo skin, primers that claim to control oily skin, you name it. And you know what? None of them  worked. 

For many years, I had heard about Milk of Magnesia and Monistat chafing gel being used to control oily skin under makeup but I had never thought to give it a try until this month. 

My verdict on this? 2 thumbs up, however you just can't rely on the milk of magnesia and monistat chafing gel. 

1. After washing my face, and applying toner, I shake the bottle of milk of magnesia and then open it and dip my finger in the cap and rub the product on my face (especially on the most oiliest parts). Make sure you rub it in well. If it dries white, don't worry. Your foundation will cover it up.
2. I let it dry, then I apply my moisturizer and let that dry.
3. After that, I apply a tiny bit of the chafing gel to my face as a primer.
4. Proceed to apply my makeup, etc, etc

Afterwards my face is good for the day, but sometime in the day I blot with half a  clean and clear sheet once. And then apply the Neutrogena powder. As I have noticed, I am not as oily as I use to be with this regimen, and it takes a while for the oil to come but it is not as excessive. Overall, I am happy with this regimen, and I hope it never fails me.

All these products were purchased at Walmart, but you can find them at just about any drugstore :-) In regards to the Milk of Magnesia, you can use just about any brand. Just be sure that you aren't using the flavored kind. I heard that isn't too good.

UPDATED: Skip the Monistat chaffing gel. I've found that just using the milk of magnesia on its own as a primer is more effective.

Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids: Swatches & Reviews (on darker skin)

     

Shades on the swatches (from Left to right): Brazen Berry, Hot Plum, Vibrant Mandarin & Fuchsia Flash.

As you can see, I do not have all the shades and do not plan on purchasing the others but these are the four shades that I have purchased and are apart of my collection. Previously, I had two color sensational lipsticks from the non-vivids line, and I love them. When I saw that maybelline had released a new line with more vibrant colors, I decided that I needed to try this. For a long time, I have been looking for lipsticks that pop. Overall, I love these lipsticks. Very soft, it has a strong smell but I don't mind it. Pretty much, if you own every other lipsticks from the color sensational line, they all smell the same. The packaging color is all the same. Which is a bit disappointing, because I wish they were different colors so that I can tell which shade is which instead of taking of the cap or looking at the bottom (yeah I am lazy lol).

Overall: I found only two out of the four shades I own to be Vivid and that was Vibrant Mandarin and Fuchsia Flash. The other two (Brazen Berry & Hot plum) are pretty much a dark-ish pink on me and sometimes I had a hard time differentiating which shade I had applied on me. 

Here are my  reviews (and with pictures, if I have them pictured)

• Brazen Berry: As you can see, in the swatches it looks like a dark purple but on my lips it is more like a dark pink. 
  
• Hot Plum: This is more like a  pink too on me.
  
  
  

• Vibrant Mandarin: Vibrant alright! This is a very bright orange! I was a bit scared when I put it on. I haven't worn it out in public yet because I am still trying to figure out what eye looks I can pair it up with.
  
• Fuchsia Flash: Now this one scared me initially too because of how bright it was, but I have come to love it. Haven't worn it out either but here is it pictured.
  
  

Initial Review: Triple Lengths Brazilian Virgin Remy Hair Extensions 18, 20, 22

 

I purchased these from an ebay seller named Triple Lengths ( triplelengths850). If you all have read from a previous entry, a lot of hair extensions sellers like to label all these hair with these "exotic" nationalities (Brazilian, Peruvian, Mongolian, etc), but when it comes down to it, it is all Chinese or Indian hair. To be honest, I don't care where the hair is from, as long as it doesn't tangle, matte and shed excessively.

 I purchased this hair early last month, because my parents and I are vacationing in Ghana in about a month and I assumed we were going to be staying for awhile so I wanted to get some extensions. However, I later learned that we would only be staying three weeks and I would be getting my hair braided there at the end of the trip so I probably won't be installing this anytime soon. 

Maybe early next year, but I wanted to do an initial review of the hair, since there isn't much out there about this seller (they also have a website). The lengths are 18, 20 & 22. Like I indicated in a previous entry, I wanted to be daring and try longer lengths. I think 22" is the longest I will do. I have had wigs that were longer than 22" and I always trimmed them because I think really long hair looks unnatural on me. The price all came out to 200 and something dollars.

 Straight out, the hair isn't shedding, or tangling (but they never do). I haven't washed the hair and sealed because like I said I probably won't be selling it until early next year, and sometimes I go back and forth on whether I want to sell the hair on my eBay account to make some money or not. However If I decide to install the hair, I will come back with a full on review :-) If anyone has ever ordered from this company, please let me know how the hair worked out for you in the comment sections :-)

Just switched accounts

Just wanted all my readers to know that I switched gmail accounts on this blog so that I can use the gmail that I check more often. Nothing to be alarmed about :-)

Selling stuff on Ebay

Hey guys!
Just wanted to let everyone know that I am selling stuff on ebay. This ranges from dresses, blazers, makeup cases, clip-in extensions, a guitar, a prom dress etc...

I went overboard with shopping these past couple of months/year and I came to the realization that I didn't need to do that so I am selling them. I also have to pay some bills so....

Take a look and purchase what  you like: My Ebay Store.

Long Hiatus

I don't remember the last time I updated, but I will be updating more soon :-)

So far in life, I've graduated with my bachelors (last month), accepted into graduate school which I will be doing online part time, and currently looking for a job so that I can work and go to school at the same time.

Everything is going fine so far :-)

My Extensions from AliExpress (Reviews)+ UPDATE

(Three bundles on the left are "Brazilian" hair and the four bundles on the right are "Indian" hair)
I put the quotations underneath the nationalities because I am pretty sure they aren't authentic Brazilian or Indian more so towards the Brazilian hair. I don't really care as long as the hair doesn't shed and tangle up a lot on me). As the title indicated I ordered all from Aliexpress.

"Brazilian" Bundles 16 inches 1B
This was my first order on Aliexpress back in March. It was from a seller called Caideng hair (http://www.aliexpress.com/product-fm/522264469-Caideng-wholesale-brazilian-virgin-hair-weft-high-quality-12-30-about-3-5oz-piece-wavy-body-wholesalers.html). I bought three bundles but I would have been fine with two because there is a lot of hair in one bundle. Got it in 16 inches, it all came out to 90 something dollars. Took me a few weeks to receive the hair. Initial thoughts when I received the hair? Excessive shedding. I was disappointed. Also originally this hair was a body wave (as you can see on the link provided) but after I washed it, it dropped to some weird wave. So i decided to wash it, do an acid vinegar rinse on it and then straighten it. The shedding has stopped initially but before I install it in the coming weeks I will be sealing the wefts with fray check to insure that the shedding won't be an horrible. There is nothing I hate more than shedding extensions, I have already been there with crappy ass beauty supply store hair Milk way. Also the hair had a smell to it but it wasn't bad and there were a lot of strings and odd colored hair colors within the wefts.  Overall I don't suggest you buy from this seller, I looked at their reviews and people complain of excessive shedding. Also funny enough the seller has jacked up the prices on this hair and is trying to pass it off as virgin hair. Stay clear! High quality my ass.

"Indian Bundles" 18 inches Color 1B
This was purchased more recently (http://www.aliexpress.com/product-gs/335840790-free-shipping-4pcs-lot-100-indian-human-hair-weaving-14inches-18-inches-24inches-28inches-wholesalers.html) from a seller called Guangzhou Hot Beauty Hair Products. I purchased it in 18 inches and it arrived within 3 days because it was actually on sale 40-50% off I believe. So I paid $50.40 for 4 bundles of hair which is now $90.40. When I first received the hair I was a bit shocked by how little was in each bundle. I have to open it to see that the four bundles would be enough. I think the four bundles is honestly an equivelent of two bundles/packs of the above mentioned Brazilian hair. It also has a bit of a smell to it but it isn't bad. The wefts are very strong and sturdy and when I ran my hair through the hair many times there was hardly any shedding which is a good sign. The hair is also very soft and there is no tangling. Overall I am very happy with this hair and though I won't be installing it till maybe the spring I will probably repurchase again from this seller.

**To end this is probably the first reviews out there of these two hair companies on aliexpress. I wouldn't go by what most people on the review sections on the site say because the website basically forces you to leave a review after they see that the item was delivered. Most of the reviews are basically on how fast the seller shipped/initial thoughts. You never really have an idea of how the hair behaves until you install it and have it for lets say a week or two and by then aliexpress doesn't give you the option to go back in and change your review.
      I will be making youtube videos or just writing reviews on here about these bundles after I install and have them after a week or two. Honestly the crappiest Beauty supply store hair can be on its best behavior after a day or two. I know, I use to wear milky way hair which was okay for a week then afterwards came the shedding, tangling and matting. I say do your research heavily before purchasing hair from aliexpress. Sometimes you don't find any and have to take a gamble.

UPDATE
So this update is on the Indian bundles (still haven't used the Brazilian). I wouldn't repurchase honestly. After installation it shed a lot and also tangles quite a bit. I went back and read reviews far back and realized why it was being sold for 50 dollars. According to the Vendor's reply to someone who had bad reviews, the hair was dipped in acid and was the bad bundles....figures. So once again I am back to trying to find another hair vendor who has decent hair. All I ask is for hair that doesn't shed, matte, and tangle excessively. I am thinking of being more bold and trying longer lenghths (max 22 inches). I have been playing it safe with the 14's and 16's.

Anyways here are some pictures from when I had the installation.

Texture after it was washed and air-dried:

Straightened:

Curly and wavy: