The Cystic Acne Toolkit

I've mentioned having to deal with cystic acne before. However, I'm dealing with it much more effectively after much trial and error. My medicine cabinet looks like graveyard for Sephora products before I finally starting honing in on products that work. Finding products that work for adult acne is somewhat difficult. While pursuing the skincare section at Ulta not too long ago, I had the following conversation with an employee:

Uber-Chipper Ulta Employee: Have you tried salicylic acid acne products? They're really effective for treating hormonal acne.
Me: I've been dealing with acne for 18 years. Salicylic acid has never worked for me.
UCUE: Are you sure? It's the most popular treatment for acne.
Me: If that crap worked for me, I wouldn't be standing here looking for something else.

After probably three years worth of research, I've put together the following toolkit to help keep my giant red inflamed pimples at bay:

1. Mario Basescu Buffering lotion, $18 | 2. St. Ives Blemish Control scrub, $4
3. Sephora Lance/blemish extractor, $18 | 4. Sephora Three-in-One Blemish extractor, $22
5. Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask, $4 | 6. Olay Pro-X Facial Brush, $28

1. Mario Badescu's Buffering Lotion is the best pimple drying lotion I've ever used. The first time I used it, I had an enormous pimple that was the size of a pencil eraser under my left eye. I could look down and see it. I tried to pop it a few times with no luck. In desperation, I went to Ulta and just wandered around for probably two hours researching before I ended up in front of the Mario Badescu display. After reading the label, I squirted some out of the tester bottle onto a cotton ball, held it said giant pimple for about 15 minutes and left. The next morning, the pimple had gone down probably 75 percent. It was gone by three days later and didn't scar. I went back to Ulta and bought a bottle. If you're at wit's end trying to treat stubborn pimples, try this lotion.


2. For me, exfoliation is key to helping control acne. My cystic acne is hormonal, but I get smaller pimples when I'm not staying on top of exfoliating. This St. Ives scrub does have salicylic acid in it, but I like the texture of the scrub when I really need a deep clean.


3. When my pimples hit a certain size, they get a giant white head and I get antsy by trying to be a good girl and not pop them with my fingers. With this lance, I can gently touch the pustule, let it start to drain, and then use the extractor end to press most of the gunk out.


4. I don't have this particular model of extractor, but I have a similar one. This model has a flattened wire extractor at one end, with a sturdy wire loop at the other end. I use this model on my smaller pimples and blackheads.


5. In the summer when my skin gets super oily and congested, I use this Mint Julep mask to help control oil and help battle sweat-induced pimples. Sometimes it helps with the cystic pimples, sometimes it doesn't.


6. The Olay Pro-X brush, next to the Mario Badescu lotion, has been the most effective in helping to keep any acne at bay. Again, most cystic acne is hormonal, but exfoliation can help keep them from getting any bigger or worse, double-decking. A double-decker pimple is what I call a pimple with two heads, or two pimples touching. This is gross, but I noticed with my double-deckers that if you popped one head, pus and liquid would gush out, but the other head would pop out dirt and debris. I'm guessing when the one pimple forms, it becomes much easier for nearby pores to get clogged quickly.

If you have any helpful tips, products, etc., please feel free to share in the comments!

 

They're Going Fast: The Target/Neiman-Marcus Designer Collection

Last December, Target & Neiman-Marcus teamed up with a slew of designers to come out with a limited-edition collection. This collection was released just in time for the holiday shopping season and fashionistas and regular women alike were chomping at the bit at the Target/NM website on the eve of December 1.

Instead of the lines both companies expected, the line really hasn't sold well. Those looking from the NM side thought the products were "cheap looking," while those on the Target side thought the prices were too high. I understood both sides. I thought the product quality or details on some of the items wasn't up to par with the name of the designer, and other items I laughed and then thought 'WT#" at the price.

However, the entire collection is on sale now, and there are several pieces that are worth picking up if you can find them:

Clockwise from top:
rag & bone Men's cardigan, $21 | Lela Rose lace top, $21 | Marc Jacobs scarf, $21
Oscar de la Renta bag, $18 | Tory Birch thermos and lunchbox, in stores only
Marc Jacobs pouch, $21 | Jason Wu slippers, in stores only| Lela Rose dress, $30

I have several items from this collection already, such as the ODLR canvas bag, which will be perfect come spring & summer. I also received this Altuzarra martini shaker and glasses for Christmas:
These are also on sale, the shaker is $15, and the glasses (a set of four) are also $15.

I'm also highly considering getting the rag & bone cardigan above. I almost bought it in stores, and I'm wishing I had. Even though it's for the gentlemen, any woman would be happy wearing it. I'm also considering getting this adorable Alice + Olivia carry-on luggage ($53). It's not that I really need a new carry-on, it's the fact that I'm that woman who sits and stares at the baggage carousel because I keep forgetting what my boring luggage looks like. No joke, I've watched my suitcase go around several times before realizing it was mine.

If anything really catches your eye, I'd buy it ASAP. Now the collection has gone on sale for roughly 70% off, people are snatching up it pretty quickly. Hang on to the receipt, because the original return date deadline was January 5th, and now I believe it's the 15th. I'm not sure why Target/Neiman-Marcus has such stringent return policies on these items, but if you end up not liking something you may end up stuck with it.

How to Dress for Winter Sorority Recruitment (Rush)

Last fall, I gave advice on what to wear through fall sorority recruitment, which used to be known as rush back in the day. When I set out to make my boards for this post, I had to really think about what's appropriate and attractive and wouldn't cause frostbite. A lot of outfits I put together I'd later deem frumpy, which is easily done in winter. Even though every college is different, most schools who conduct recruitment in the Spring semester are less formal than Fall rushes. This allows for some breathing room so you probably don't have to run out and buy an entirely new wardrobe. The women in the houses are going to know it's only 15 degrees outside, they're not going to expect you in a sundress.

A bit of a rant: I've been reading a few blogs run by other 20-something women who are also giving advice on what to wear through recruitment. However, these women were not members of a sorority. I'm pretty sure they mean well (or at least I hope they mean well), but I find it utterly wrong to give advice on something you don't know.



I'm going to be blunt: DO NOT wear dark jeans, a sweater, flat boots, and a black peacoat. You're going to blend in with all the other women going through recruitment. It's like wearing a Lilly Pulitzer sundress through Fall recruitment, everyone else is wearing the same thing. The left side of this board shows more casual outfits, while the three outfits on the right are for dressier recruitment events. Your recruitment counselor will be able to give you a breakdown on what to wear each day.
What to take from this board: Don't be afraid of color! Color will help you stand out. Patterns such as the tweed pants are also great attention grabbers. Luxe fabrics like velvet or herringbone are also eye-grabbers. A little bit of sparkle can also go a long way.

You can still wear skirts and dresses, just be sure to wear tights. As a general rule, match your tights to either your skirt or your shoes to add the illusion of a longer leg. The skirts I put on this board have a lot of memorable detail, and the dresses have a lot going on for them. Each of these dresses is a knockout, and would great in your wardrobe even if you're not in college. The black and white dress is very graphic and could be accessorized in so many ways. The cable knit dress has lots of texture, and the gray dolman dress has the most amazing shape. This is the second time I've featured this dress and I'm hoping it goes on sale soon so I can snag it.

Ok, I said to avoid flat boots, but I put them on here anyways because they may have to be an option. If there's snow and ice on the ground, I would choose safety over style and would reach for them myself. But avoid them if you can. When choosing shoes, think about the weather before you think about the outfit. I'm a huge stickler for safety and I don't want you to get hurt because running around in heels in an ice storm is a really bad move. If it's just going to be cold, you should be able to get away with any shoe, so long as it's not sandals.
Hint: carry a travel size package of baby wipes to wipe salt off your shoes. You can also buy leather wipes to wipe salt off leather shoes.

Coats are a tricky thing when it comes to winter recruitment. Some houses may have coat racks, others you may be holding if not still wearing your coat. This is the reason I'm telling you to avoid black peacoats. Each one of these has stand-out details, but a brightly colored peacoat from Old Navy work just as well. Make sure to have your coat cleaned before recruitment, or at least try to take a Shout wipe to your dirty white puffy coat. A dirty coat = huge no-no. If a friend has a great looking coat, ask if you may borrow it. Your local vintage/thrift/consignment shop may also have some amazing coats so give those a try. Are you stuck with your black/brown/navy peacoat? Make sure your accessories are top-notch.

Like any other recruitment, my advice is always find an accessory to help you stand out. It could be a brightly colored scarf, detailed gloves, or a great hat. My biggest recommendation is find knock-out jewelry. Sparkly and colorful earrings will really help you stand out (they're going to be looking at your face), or a collar necklace. Another suggestion? A brooch. You can pin this on your coat, but can take it off in a blink and pin it to your clothes. Your grandmother probably has some you could borrow or you can buy one at any Goodwill for a song.

And as always, a list of what you should not wear:

Clockwise from the Uggs:

• Uggs: EVERYBODY is going to be wearing them. Your goal is to stand out, not blend in


• Uggs with a button: No Uggs in any style, shape, form, or material


• Body conscious dress: Bodycon is best left to the club, not sorority recruitment. If you would wear it to the club, don't wear it to sorority recruitment


• Tube top: Tube tops and/or anything strapless shouldn't be worn. It gives the impression you don't know how to dress for occasions, which is one of those things sororities are picky about


• Shorts: I shouldn't have to explain this. It's just too cold to wear them


• Sandals: Again, not season appropriate


• Stilettos: Again, best left for the club and not recruitment


• Boatshoes: You could probably get away with these at very casual rush events, but unless they're clean avoid them. Wear flats instead.


• Leggings: No. Just no. Even for a very casual recruitment, step up your style game a notch. Even if all the sorority sisters in the house are wearing leggings to watch The Bachelor and eat ice cream remember you're a guest, not a sister.

When it comes to hair and makeup, again look at the weather. In the winter, my hair turns static-y and limp even with the best of products, so I'd probably wear my hair up. I'd also take care to exfoliate and moisturize so my skin doesn't look flaky. Don't forget to wear blush/bronzer and lipstick. A lot of people get really pasty in the winter, and a little color will go a long way. Notice I said lipstick, not lipgloss. It looks really weird to be running around with super shiny lips in the winter, it's like inviting chapped lips. This is also not the time to try the latest in hair styles/make up looks/nail art from Pinterest.

At the end of the day, don't forget to be yourself. The best wardrobe will rarely cover up the complete lack of personality.

Welcome to 2013!

I'm back, and ready to continue into my second year of blogging.

I already have two months of blog posts planned out and I'm feeling on top of things.
At least as long as I continue taking that ginko stuff I picked up at Drug Emporium.

This year is going to have some changes. Firstly, I changed the named of the blog from The Mountaineer Fashionologist to
West Virginia Fashion, which is what I use on social media. I kept getting tired of writing out "mountaineer fashionologist" and also because a lot of people had no idea what I was talking about.

I'm also contemplating hiring a web designer to makeover the blog. I'm going to see if I can do it first, so the blog may look like crap for a few weeks. If I can't get it where I want it, I'm just going to break down and hire someone who knows what they're doing, AKA not me.  I've already been looking at some designers with impressive portfolios so I may go ahead and just hire them already and save my sanity.

I've also found my old Adobe textbooks from college, so there will be better graphics. It's amazing how much you forget over the years.

I would also like to include more of my own photography, but I have a few setbacks. Namely, I suck at photography. I can set up gorgeous scenes but when I go to shoot them, the photos look like crap. I even took photography in college so it's a bit frustrating on my part. I also don't own a fancy DSLR camera like all the other fashion bloggers. I've decided to save up to buy a house (or to move, depending on my career) and I'd much prefer to have $600 in the Katie-Liz-Wants-To-Own-A-House fund than a camera I would seldom use.

My resolutions for the new year of 2013
I really don't make resolutions. I never have, because I know damn well I'm not going to keep them. I've also thought it dumb to make resolutions at New Year's. Why make resolutions at just the turn of the year? Why not make changes tomorrow? Or start today?

However, I do forgive those on my sh!t list at the beginning of the year. So I guess that's a sort of resolution?

Clutch Hits

For a long time, when I thought of clutches I thought of the bland little purses that I used to carry my disposable camera and lipstick to prom. I had a silver one that I used for most of high school that I think my mom still has somewhere. I also remember shawls being a thing, even though nobody ever used them.

Clutches have been in and out of fashion for well over a hundred years. They've always been plain or fancy and made of almost any
material you could imagine. While bags have always tended to be somewhat more plain, clutches have let us embrace
all that is beautiful and/or gaudy.

This is a small collection of some clutches that I love. Thankfully, most of them come with chain straps so you can carry them on your shoulder after a long night after the bar. After tossing back a few, your abilities to hang on to anything become suspect.

unfortunately, the clutches above are well out of my price range. Stores like Charlotte Russe, Wet Seal, Forever 21, etc., all carry adorable clutches for around $20. If you can't find one you like, buy a plain one and decorate it to your heart's content. Don't be afraid to bedazzle/paint/feather/deck it out to whatever you want. There's no wrong way when it comes to clutches.

A Winter Pink Polish

For the past few weeks, I've been on the lookout for a shade I call "winter pink." The best way I can describe it as a pink that doesn't have any orange or coral in it, or a pink similar to a ballet toe show but more deeply saturated. The closest shade I've seen is Julep's Susan, which apparently is discontinued. Julep describes Susan as a "cheery rose pink crème," which is better description than mine. I wanted a pink polish that was happy and cheerful, but not too summery, which pretty much describes most pink polishes.

I was in Walmart's grocery section one day with my mom, and she fishes out a nail polish from behind several packages of bagels. "This is a really pretty color," she told me and handed it to me. It was that pink I'd been hunting for.

The polish is Sinful Color's Soul Mate:

It's cheerful, rosy, but doesn't scream summer. This is the first color I've ever bought from Sinful Colors so I wasn't sure what to expect. Most of what I've heard about the brand has been mostly positive which is always nice. What's really nice about this polish is that it's only $1.98. You read that right, less than two bucks and the line carries an extensive range of colors.

The brush runs sort of narrow and doesn't seem to carry a lot of polish on it. This polish applies streaky and I have three coats on in the picture above. I have to apply it on the thick side to avoid the worst of the streaks. It also chipped fairly easily even with a top coat on but the chips weren't huge. All in all, for a two dollar polish, I'm pretty satisfied. I love the color and it met my expectations for a cheap polish. Walmart and Target both carry a small selection but Rite-Aid and Walgreens have a lot of colors to choose from.

Introducing Pantone's Color of 2013...Emerald

When I woke up this morning and read that Pantone has declared Emerald as the color for 2013, I was elated. Green has rapidly been filling my closet and really, I don't need to add reason to add the rich color of emerald green to my closet.
Well, when I actually read the press release, I realized I was wrong on emerald. According to Pantone, their shade of emerald is more of a...turquoise? Teal? A turquoise that leans more green than blue? A dark mint green? Whatever shade of green emerald is supposed to be, it's not the rich jewel tone I had envisioned. I like it, I'd buy stuff in this color (heck, I already think I have stuff in this color), but how horribly excited am I about this color? Not very much. I do think it's a nice year-round color though. This is the color you're going to see everywhere in 2013, just like orange (ok, Tangerine Tango) was everywhere this year. Orange is one of my favorite colors and I actually got sick of it.

What's really getting to me is that everywhere I go, the swatches are looking different. Above, going off some information I first found, emerald leans towards green with a lot of blue. But when I look at this swatch:

It looks like there's isn't that much blue in it. I'm confused.  This is why I miss my giant 50 pound CRT computer monitor.

I started digging through my nail polish collection, then searching online for a similar color. The closest I've come is Sally Hansen's Fairy Teal, and while it is a teal leaning towards green, it's a shade or two darker than emerald. My other guesses are Zoya's Bevin and Essie's Turquoise & Caicos even though it's too light. At a stretch to match the swatch above, OPI's Jade is the New Black.

When I swatched them, Sally Hansen still looks the closest but needs more green. I think OPI's looks the closest to the large swatch above, and the Essie reminded me why I didn't buy Essie forever; the formula for Turquoise & Caicos is one of the if not the worst polish formula I've ever used. I'm sure there are polishes that are a much closer match but I just don't feel like driving to Ulta right now to track them down.

-Not sure who or what Pantone is? Read my post from 2011 describing the organization dedicated to color (and you can also read about the color of the year for 2011, Honeysuckle).