Retin A

Welp, I have officially freaked my face out. I got a little Pinterest crazy and tried this mask and that mask and this cream and that cream. So my face went a little, tad bit crazy on me. What? What:(

No fear. My doctor called me in another prescription of Retin A. I have used this before and it works really well if you can make it through the first month or so. Let me tell you why...

It flakes your face. It burns. And it brings out pimples that have been hiding under that skin of yours. Think the Mucinex commercial!! I have the strongest cream because that's just how I roll. Actually, that is the tolerance I have built my face up to. I started in the middle and worked up. I haven't used it since November so I am basically starting over. Retin A isn't only good for blemishes. It is a great cream for an anti-aging  that fights agains wrinkles and reboosts collagen. I am on week one and my face hurts. Literally. It is flaky, it stings and itches, and when I go outside it just burns (yes, I am wearing sunscreen).

Here is how I do my nightly routine using this:

Cleanse my face. I use a brush I bought at Sephora. After a few days it is SO important to use this brush sooo lightly because it will feel like you are ripping skin off of your face.

Next I wipe my face with a Neutrogena wipe. This just gets off whatever the cleanser missed. I let that dry for at least twenty minutes. You need a super dry face before applying the Retin A!!!

I then apply it. A pea size amount. That's it. Don't feel like you need more. PLEASE.TRUST.ME. I used to rub it under my eyes as well but I have been using a Bobbi Brown eye cream so I use that instead. That's it. Go to bed. For the first few weeks your face will flake and burn.

It will look worse before it gets better. It is basically a mini chemical peel. Everyday. In the mornings I gently wash my face and load on sunscreen and moisturizer. I avoid makeup during this month if I can or just wear Bare Minerals Powder. The less on your face, the better it feels.

I am not saying I hate the Eradikate or the Glam Glow or the little spice mask I made. I love all that stuff but my face just needed a little extra chemicals to help it settle down. So I am not breaking up with those, we are just taking a little break from each other.

Here are my Retin A tips:

1. ALWAYS wear sunscreen. Your face will burn and sizzle in the sun if you don't. Put it on before your makeup every morning. Please. If you don't, the sun will counteract the anti-aging the cream has.

2. Don't put too close to your lips! I put it on far enough away from my lips (I thought!) and my lips still got burned and chapped. Be careful and keep chap stick with you 24/7.

3. Start off a few days a week and work your way up. When I first started this cream in November, I did every other night for the first two weeks and built up to every night.

4. Don't stop using it because of the flakes, redness, and purging. It is a process. It will get better. Google others experiences with it and you will feel much better.

5. Be careful when washing your face. If you use a brush or Clarisonic, do NOT scrub hard. It will feel like death.

6. One night a week, usually Saturday, I take a break from it. I use this night to use my Argan oil, my moisturizer, and my Glam Glow hydration mask.

7.  Embrace your face. Take care of it. Treat it good. And drink a lot of water.

Lenci

DIY Acid Wash Shorts

Can you tell I love the rough look of denim? I am an 80's child so that could explain it! Anyways, I love baggy shorts (think boyfriend fit) and a tighter fit. I am a mom so I am definitely not wearing the same tightness I did ten years ago...

Here is a simple, fun, and no-fail DIY.

I wanted a really baggy pair of shorts. I went to Goodwill and bought a man's size jeans. They fit in the waist, were a little baggy but still fit, and cut them to fit just at my knees...Stay with me here, you will roll them up!

So, cut them to how you want them. I wanted to roll mine which is why I kept them at my knees.

My jeans after I cut them. The frays are fine!

Next, you want to distress them. If you like that look. I do. I used scissors and a cheese grater. You want to use the tiniest little holes on the grater. Make sure you are just doing the side of the jeans you want. Put your hand inside the pants up through the leg and rub it along the grater. Watch your fingers!!

You can also cut slits in the knees or where ever. They will look weird until you wash them and let them fray. But we aren't there yet!

Now you want to tie the jeans up. This is where this becomes totally experimental. Basically where the rubber band is, the bleach isn't. So bunch and tie them up how you want. I actually used a hair tie because my bands were too small. It worked fine. Here are the three ways I figured out you can do this process:

1. Band it up
2. Just dip the bottom ends or top directly into bleach
3. Use a rag drenched in bleach to wipe directly onto the spots you want bleached.

For this, I did the band.

After you have your denim tied up, you are going to fill a bucket with hot water and bleach. I initially put too much water to bleach. I recommend more water than bleach for sure but not so much water that the bleach is less potent to the denim. Luckily my laundry room has a sink so it is the perfect experiment lab.

Now that you have your bucket full, drop your jeans in there. I used a hanger to poke them around.

OK, now you wait. It will look like it isn't doing much at all. I ran upstairs for maybe three minutes and when I came back down they were completely bleached out. This was totally fine with me but if you want to keep some of the darkness, keep a close eye on them!!! After they are to where you want them, pull them out (don't get bleach on your clothes!) and rinse in cold water. Squeeze the water out and take of the bands. Admire your work and throw them in the wash. Don't wash with stuff you don't want to get bleach on!!!! I washed mine on the 25 minute cycle. After they were dry I roughed them up a little more and I was finished! Now start grabbing every denim thing you see and start bleaching away!!!

Pair these with anything!!! I love to put on heels for a more dressed up look or with gladiators for a more casual look.

Enjoy!

Lenci

Casual Day to Casual Gym

Because I don't care who you are...looking cute at the gym makes your workout that much better. If you are like me, I get my best workouts in the afternoon. If I go in the mornings I feel weak and shaky no matter how much I drink or eat. I would love to knock my gym out in the mornings but I just can't. So I always have to go from whatever I am wearing and change to gym clothes.

So here is an example of the transformation. Of course changing an entire outfit isn't a huge deal but I like to keep it simple. Spring break started here this week which means casual, relaxing days and lots of spring cleaning:) That's my fave!!

Monday I threw on some destroyed skinny jeans with a slouchy white tee with sandals. I braided my hair and put a headband on. So simple!

See?! Does that scream spring break or what?! Unfortunately, the jeans and shirt aren't recent. I found the jeans online at Target last summer...clearance for FOUR bucks! I got the light and dark but love the light much better. The tee is Miley Cyrus that I picked up at Goodwill years ago because who doesn't love a slouchy white tee? Even if it is a 'designer' who acts like a camel...Anyways, good news! The sandals are recent! I bought them at Old Navy so you know they are reasonably priced and cute. I bought these right here in orange sherbet. Ten bucks. Can't go wrong, really. And did you know if you order online they are always having sales that all you have to do is enter the code. Of course, free shipping only occurs after $50 but if you are planning on spending that anyways, it's worth giving it a shot to save some!

So, this was my day outfit. It came time for the gym so I threw on some Hollister sweats, tennis shoes, and a hat. And I tied up my Miley tee so it wasn't so baggy on top of my already baggy sweats. Voila. Ready for the gym.

If you are wondering about my choice of hat, it was my Poppy's. I wear it all the time and especially to the gym. It may be weird but when I am at the gym, in my zone, with my music playing, I have a chance to think deeply. Wearing his hat makes me feel closer to him even though he is gone. When one of the many songs come on that remind me of him, I look in the mirror at his hat and it makes my heart smile. Call me weird, but it is my coping method right now. Losing him is still so new. 

My sweats are super comfy and a recent purchase as well. These are the ones I bought but they have so many cute ones to choose from! And most are on sale!!

There it is. Day to gym. Easy and comfy:)

Lenci

Cinnamon, Honey, Nutmeg Mask Review

I know y'all have seen this "miracle" mask all over the web. It is a mixture of honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg. And you can add lemon...more on that in a minute.

Anyways, I have read it is awesome and since my face is in a breakout turmoil this week (thank you hormones. Shouldn't it be a law that after you are finished having children that your hormones can go on a permanent vacay?!) Anyways, I wanted to take a break from my Eradikate because I don't want my skin getting so used to it that it stops working. So, Friday night I mixed up a batch that I saw online somewhere. It called for 1 tablespoon of each honey, cinnamon and nutmeg. I found that unless you want to store this, that makes way too much for just one use. I decided to only do a spot treatment for my first try just in case I had a reaction. It wouldn't mix well so I squirted more honey to make it into a paste. I dabbed it on each blemish. And waited. 30 minutes later I rinsed. Voila. No burning or stinging like I read could happen. My spots were really red but I just figured it was irritation. I rubbed on my Argon Oil and eye cream and went to bed.

I woke up the next morning and the blemishes were not red and they were flat. Hmmmm, this actually kinda worked. So being the brave gal I am, I decided that night (Saturday) I would do my entire face. This time I used 1 teaspoon of each with a little extra squirt of honey. I put on my entire face. After about ten minutes my face got a little tingle to it. Nothing that made me want to take it off though. Here comes the scary part: after 30 minutes on, I rinsed it off. Rinsing it was torture. The water burned it so bad even though I was using cool water. OK, I can deal with that. I looked in the mirror and my cheeks were so swollen, I looked like a chipmunk storing food. Oh. my. gosh. I freaked. I immediately went online (because that's what people do when they think they are having an allergic reaction. Duh) and thankfully read cinnamon draws your blood to the surface and can cause swelling. I felt even better when I read some people use cinnamon oil as temporary lip plumpers and use it on their crows feet to plump the skin. Whew. I was normal. But still, my heart was racing. I quietly went to bed because I didn't want my husband making fun of me. Ha.

Next day it seemed as though my blemishes were more red. I was bummed. So last night I did the spot treatment again and all is much better.

Here's my advice if you choose to do this mask:

-Start off doing a spot treatment to make sure you don't react in a bad way.
-Don't leave on more than 30 minutes
-When rinsing, do NOT scrub it off. It hurts. Use cool water. Trust me on this one.
-You will need more honey than the powders. I guess unless your honey is super watery. Mine was thick.
-I read that it smelled so good you would want to lick it off your face. Not in my case. I think it smells gross.
-It is messy to make and apply. My bathroom looks like a bakery gone wrong.

About the lemon....I read lemon is great for existing blemishes and scars. I added 1/2 teaspoon (Do NOT add more because the lemon is very acidic). I just tried it with the lemon last night. It didn't burn or sting. I didn't see any difference in my skin but I do think this is a regime you have to be consistent with to see results. I plan on doing a week straight and taking a week off. I haven't found much info on how often it should be done but I think as just a spot treatment you could do it more often than if you were doing your entire face.

Let me know if you try!

Lenci

Acid Wash Shorts

Spring has sprung. I am lucky enough to live in Southern California where it always feels like spring. Well, we do get some hot months but overall the weather here is AMAZING. Anyways, I ran into Gap the other day because I saw a 40% off your entire purchase. What? What!!!

I ended up with a pair of acid wash shorts and a white tank because let's face it, those two paired together are awesome.

I paired it with some aviators and my black gladiator sandals. Let me tell you about these sandals. I got them from Target on clearance several years ago. They are my favorite pairs of sandals ever. I wear them so much so I have actually had to glue the bottom back on. I love them that much! Any other sandals I would have tossed but not these!

So, here is three different looks with the same shorts:

Gap Shorts. Target sandals. These are not the ones mentioned above or shown below. These are actually new! I bought mine at the store and couldn't find online but these are cute! This sweater poncho is Forever 21 that I bought a few years ago. And the tortoise glasses are Claire's or Icing. Are those the same store? Either way, they were 8 bucks! Oh, and messy hair because I just don't care. Sorry, had to!

Gap shorts and white tank. And here are my beloved gladiator sandals. Love them. Of course I bought these years ago but I am loving these from Nordstroms. I definitely didn't pay that much for my Target ones but these are cute! Here are some from Target here if you like the studded look. I like studs but not for an every day sandal!

So, same day shoot. I just threw on a boxy contrast tee. It adds color and covers up if you are showing too much in your tank. I purchased this a while back from Forever 21 for maybe 4 bucks? Not sure, but it is fun. Years ago I would have let my belly show in it but now there is no way so I put a tank underneath.  I am totally loving these! So cheap and so many color choices to choose from. I also love these. The stripes are so cute. And for under ten bucks, you can't go wrong!!

I bought my shorts at an actual Gap store and couldn't find online to share with you. But I did find these that are similar. And while browsing, found these that I love and will totally buy soon!

And that's it. One pair of shorts paired three simple, different ways.

Happy Spring!

Lenci

Sephora VIB. What? What!

If you haven't figured out from my posts lately, I am a Sephora junkie. There. I said it. That store is like my place of refuge. Ok, that is a bit extreme. But I DO love going there. But without kids. Cora can pull a tube of lipstick off the shelf and have it eaten in 2.5 seconds. Anyways, I have made VIB status. You have to spend a certain amount a year to be in this club. I didn't know that. My husband definitely didn't (still doesn't) know that. But I am here. I am a VIB. What? What!

It's really not THAT huge of a deal. If anything, it reminded me of how much of my "allowance" goes there. Anyways, I prefer Sephora over Ulta any day. The people are nicer (I can only speak for the three locations I have been to. Obviously not every Ulta has the same workers. Duh), they seem to have more choices, and I just like the atmosphere better. The other day when I was in there to try a new powder (reviews later...not loving it yet. Thankful for Sephora's return policy!), I used some of my points to get Clinique High Impact Mascara. See, I have always been a Loreal drugstore mascara type of girl. Nothing I tried could compare. Nothing. I tried the high end stuff at makeup counters and always resorted back to my cheap stuff. But I wanted to try this Clinique and I am SO glad I did. It goes on so well and not heavy and clumpy like some mascaras do. I will be buying a tube of this once my little travel size one is gone.

Anyways, try the mascara out if you are looking for something new!

Check it out here

Disclaimer: I am not paid by Sephora, Clinique, or any other company for these reviews. I just love Sephora that much. If Sephora wanted to pay me and or send me products to try, I wouldn't be mad at all. Just sayin'.....

I am giving away one tube of this mascara! All you have to do is 1. Follow this blog. It's super easy to do. 2. Comment that you followed. 3. This isn't required since everyone doesn't have Instagram but helps...follow me lencielizabeth

Winner chosen at random on Friday, 3/21/2014.

Lenci

Review!

Like I said in my earlier post, I have had a major breakout session going on this past year and currently. I swear it started when my last baby was born (she is now 2). But even then it was one or two and manageable. BUT when my husband deployed in June, we sold our house in September (after ONE day on the market) and I moved us to another house by MYSELF, it got really bad. I actually remember waking up the day after we moved having the worst breakout of my life. And the day we moved was SO stressful. So, I am sure between stress and hormones, my face is popping those things out to tell me something is going on. Anyways, I have tried this and that. That and this. I resorted to Retin-A cream. It really is awesome stuff if you are willing to go through the month of a red, flaky face. And it does make it worse before it gets better. I used it for a while and then stopped and when I started back up, it made my face really bad so I stopped again. Anyways.....I have tried a lot. The other day I went to Sephora to get the Glam Glow Mud (earlier post) and the lady said she had the perfect spot treatment for me. Sign.Me.Up. EradiKate. Awesome stuff. For 22 bucks a bottle, I bought it. I also bought the face wash, a toner, and a little scrub brush. She tried to sell me on the $150 Clarisonic but I wasn't willing to dish that out yet so I bought a $7 handheld brush that basically does the same thing.

I bought my goods and waited until it was time to scrub my face up. I washed it with my new cleanser. I was amazed at how much better my skin felt using that brush and not my hands or a rag. Then I did my toner. Loved it. Ok, here is the next thing I do to my face: Josie Maran Argan Oil. I have used this for a few weeks and LOVE it. You think oil on your face is bad, but not this oil! I put my oil on, my moisturizer over that and then my new spot treatment. It is sulphur and has a strong smell but it goes away quickly. I went to bed. I woke up and the three blemishes I put it on were flat and NOT red. I couldn't believe it. They weren't completely gone, but they were hardly noticeable. What?! What!? I am hooked. I love the Arcona face products but since I order online and was out I was willing to try something new and I am so glad I did! I will still use Arcona but will for sure use my new stuff too and will never stop using my EradiKate!!

So, just an overview of my nightly routine:

Cleanse with face brush and wash.

Tone

Argan Oil

Moisturizer

2-3 times a week Glam Glow Hydration

Spot treatment

I know in my last post I mentioned Glam Glow...still LOVE it and use it. These products are a 2-3 times a week use, not an everyday though!

You can read reviews and purchase here

This stuff is amazing, too. Check it out!!

Don't let the price scare you! It doesn't take much at all. I use it at night and in the morning before my makeup and moisturizer.

Reviews and purchase: here

Product Review Time! Let's Go!!!

Hey y'all. I got some reviews ready to be read. So let's get started....

*****First off, I do not get paid or sent any of this stuff. I buy it at my own risk, use it at my own risk, and review it for the world. Or whoever actually reads this.






Lemon Highlights Shampoo and Conditioner. Hate it. I don't know why this stuff has decent reviews on some other sites but it first off doesn't bring out any highlights in my hair (maybe because I already have fake ones) and that is okay with me. But when I am done washing and conditioning my hair and try to comb it, my hair is a tangled hot mess. The conditioner does not condition well and does not leave my hair manageable. I don't have thick hair but I have long hair and it can be hard to tame. Plus, the shampoo doesn't make my hair feel clean at all. I am glad it has worked for others but I won't be wasting my money again on it. BUT if you want to give it a go, you can buy it at Walmart (cheapest) or RIGHT HERE

Let's move on to something I love: SmashBox Primer. This stuff is the bomb. It isn't real heavy or oily and glides on your face perfectly. It is pricey but it last a long time. Sometimes I buy the $10 travel size just because. My face is sensitive to stuff and since I hit 28 my face breaks out if you look at it wrong. This stuff didn't break it out at all and for that I am in love with it. And my makeup stays on all day with this stuff...without it I am reapplying at least once a day and ain't nobody got time for that!!

You can buy Here!

Last up is some stuff that I have only tried twice but WILL be buying very soon: Glam Glow Super Mud. It came as a sample in my latest Sephora purchase and I was so hesitant to try it after reading a mix of reviews. Some said it was a miracle in a bottle. Some said it made their face break out ten times worse than it already was. Like I said earlier, my face started breaking out recently. It is mostly hormonal but those sons of guns like to set up tent on my face way past their hormonal time period. If ya know what I'm saying....Basically getting rid of them is a chore. And I am SO particular about my face-- me and blemishes do not mix well. Anyways, I got a sample of it. Ironically, a few days later two big blemishes popped up. I read a great review, then a bad review. I was scared. But finally I decided I would do a spot treatment rather than a whole face thing. I have noticed a few black heads on my nose so I put it all over my nose and dabbed it on my blemishes. It goes on dark and dries a light gray color. But get this....the nasty blackheads stay a dark color so you can see what it is pulling out. What?! It is so cool. You leave on for 15-20 minutes (I read doing the whole face burns really bad but my spot treatment didn't burn at all) and then wash off. You kinda have to pick some pieces off but for the most part it washes off easily. The coolest thing was that it made my pores instantly smaller. My blemishes were still there but the next day were better. My husband who hasn't washed his face a day in his life even wanted in on it. He had blackheads on his nose so I rubbed it all over and it was amazing what it pulled out! My 13 year old tried some and had great results. (She did say it burned a tad bit on her forehead but that was at the very end. Her skin might still be too sensitive so be cautious of this!) Anyways, it is very pricey but I read you can use a makeup brush to apply it that way you aren't using too much. I can't wait to buy the full jar. I have some of Glam Glow's other products that I will be sharing next week! Let's just say I LOVE these products!!

Now hurry up and go buy it right now, right here



Lenci