Rite Aid & Walgreen's Haul

 I love my drugstores :) They make me happy. Also, I'm a shut-in for the rest of the day. Just got Metal Gear Rising yesterday and going to spend the whole day playing it. Playing video games & eating. My life's goal.

*Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips 6 count $5.99
*Biore Acne Clearing Scrub $0.00/ Free with coupon
*Studio 35 Natural Argan Oil $3.14
*EOS Hand Lotion in Berry Blossom  $1.07

My Skincare Regimen (Winter 2013)

  Skincare is more important to me than any makeup product out there. I try to take good care of my skin. Drink plenty of water, eat lots of fruits and never put things that will not benefit your health i.g. drugs, cigarettes, etc..

  As a ballet dancer who has worn her fair share of makeup during recitals (When performing on stage, it is crucial to wear makeup), the makeup that I wear be it daring & bold or soft & simple (depends on what role I am given) always gives the appearance of flawless skin. Think Barbie doll or a small child if you will and you get the idea.
  So as wearing makeup is part of my job and I wear it for long hours, skincare is definitely important. Should I not take care and wash my makeup off completely  it can result in more breakouts and could even damage my skin.
 Ironically in my personal life, I wear very little makeup (Mascara & lip color mostly). Think it's because I wear it so much to the point where it makes me appreciate my own skin.

  My skin type is oily/dry. I'm have oily skin on both cheeks and forehead, while I suffer from dry skin on my nose and chin area. I do get acne breakout but really only when I'm on my period. I have few acne scars from past years of picking at my skin.

  My skincare routine is fairly basic. The simple "Cleanse, Tone, and moisturize" I'm sure we all heard of. The best thing about the products I use is that they are all very affordable drugstore brands!

              Here's a picture by picture, step by step of what I do every morning & night:

 There are other skincare treatments that I use but not on a daily use. Sometimes I use them once or twice a week. It just depends on what I feel my skin my need at the time. But do use a Biore Pore Strip once or twice a week.

In the Mail: Clarisonic Mia 2, White (Pic Heavy)

  So I finally did it. I splurged on a Clarisonic Mia 2! It cost $114.00 but I also brought 3 extra Deep pore brush heads, which cost me $39.00. So in all, I spent $153.00. It was expensive but an investment.

  I first heard about the Clarisonic (the original) back in 2008 from a well known beauty blogger but when I saw the price tag, buying it was not happening! A few years later Olay came out with their Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System. Which was $30.00 and very much in my budget. I've been using it for two years and loved it but still wanted to try a Clarisonic.

  Fast forward one week ago, I had a little extra money set aside after I paid off all my bills and decided to just go for it. If I hated it, I could always return it. Well today it's here and I'm ready to try it. 
  I brought the Mia 2 version, Which basically does the same as the Mia but with a little extra. The Mia 2 has a two speeds & comes with a plastic traveling case. Which the Mia only has one speed and does not comes with a travel case. But the Mia is cheaper, I've seen it for as low as $95.00 on online shops. Click here to compare the Mia & Mia 2 for yourself.

Clarisonic Mia 2 Kit:
* Mia 2 in White
* Universal Voltage pLink Charger
* One Sensitive Brush Head
* Trial Size Cleanser; Clarisonic Refreshing Gel Cleanser
* White plastic travel case 

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 I purchased 3 deep pore brush heads separately. The Mia 2 has to fully charge for 24 hours before I can even use it. And the charger it comes with has a magnetic end that you attach to the bottom of the Mia. This to avoid any electric shock that could happen.

The Sensitive Brush Head (the black one) is very soft to the touch, perfect for every day use. While the Deep Pore head (the blue one) has thicker but still soft bristles. I'm going to buy some acne & normal head brushes later on. 

 The travel case is nice to have to keep your Clarisonic Mia safe, clean & dry. While your on the go or not. It's made of plastic which feels pretty durable to me but most say otherwise. 

 The Refreshing Gel Cleanser seem to have good reviews but I'll stick to my beloved cleanser; L'Oreal Paris Ideal Skin Genesis Pore Minimize Gel Cleanser. 

 That's all for now! Enjoy the extra pictures below ^_^ 

Stress

  I had a lot of recitals in the passed month and have even more coming up! And I've been practicing non-stop. I'm stressed out! I'm stressed out so badly that I'm breaking out, fortunately not on my face but my chest & arms! This makes me stress out more!

  But I've been playing video games and listing to a lot of music, taking walks with Sara Crew lately, which has helped. But the break outs are still there! I need a vacation.... But I'm to busy to plan one and money is kinda tight.

   So I'm going back home to Boston for a week and a half to be with my family. Before my recitals starts up again.

I don't know....but I'm so tired......

 P.S. I will not stop ballet because of this. As they say: "This too shall pass".

 

Target Mini Haul!

 So I needed to deposit some money into my bank account and then come straight home to get ready for ballet class. But unfortunately for me there's a Target right near my community bank. And I looked around and came back home with Biore & Aveeno....

I've heard and read about the Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips Limited Edition tin box. But could not find it at my local drugstores. So seeing it at Target for an amazing price of $8.49 for a box of 14 nose strips, I had to buy it.
 The cute blue design tin box is really nice. The flip top has a little mirror on the inside. But it's not big enough to fit ALL my pore strips. But that's because I have 50+ strips.

  As for the Aveeno Clear Complexion Daily Moisturizer. It was a bit out of my price range for a moisturizer but I like to splurge every once in awhile. It cost $14.99 and came with a sample size of Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion.  I was a little skeptical with buying this because on one hand I have read sooooooooooo many great reviews for this product. But on the other, I had a bad encounter with one of their products in the past. I did a review on it here.
 But I decided to give in a chance and if I hate it, I can always return it and get my money back.