Last Minute Halloween Ideas

Hey everybody! 

There's about a week left to Halloween, and if you haven't chosen a costume yet, here are some last minute ideas for you! 

1. Chick magnet - create a big black box, label the ends as north and south, then glue some baby chicks on the front. Not live chicks, of course. 

2. Three holed paper - don a white button down shirt and glue three black circles vertically to the side of your stomach. 

3. Honey Boo Boo - dress up in a black and yellow shirt, carry around a jar of honey, and stick on some band aids. You best redneckonize! 

4. 50 Shades of Grey - wear multiple items of clothing all in the different shades of grey. 

5. Morton Salt Girl - wear a yellow dress with matching shoes, a yellow umbrella, and tote around a canister of Morton Salt. Bonus points for using a platinum blonde wig. 

6. Nickelback - cut out a large circle, write 5 cents on it, and stick it on your back. 

7. Mitt Romney - put on a baseball glove, and stick empty bottles of rum on your knee. You are now Mitt Rum-Knee. Added points for also carrying around a binder full of women. 

8. Tickled pink - wear pink from head to toe, and hold a feather. Proceed to tickle everyone in sight. 

9. Iron Man - hold an iron and take out the wrinkles in everyone's clothing. 

10. Apple pie - write pi on your shirt, and carry around your iPod or other Apple products. 

I hope this has helped! 
<3 Lucero 

Song of the Day : the Monster Mash 

5 Tips for Clear Skin

Hi everybody! Over the past couple of years, I've struggled with acne and my skin in general. Some of it had to do with hormones and other uncontrollable factors, but some of it had to do with my skin care habits. I've compiled a list of tips that have improved my skin and made it more manageable. 

1. Drink Water. This is a very popular tip, and was one that I often overlooked. I heard it time and time again, but didn't really believe it until I tried it for myself. I started drinking more water this year, and when I first started, I noticed a difference within a few days. The texture of my skin was a lot smoother, and the inflammation around my nose and chin had gone down a bit. If you're having difficulty drinking water, try adding calorie-free flavor packets to add some pizzazz. 

2. Exfoliate. The exfoliation process helps remove dead skin cells and improve the overall texture of the skin. I use the Clairsonic Mia (shown below) to exfoliate every other day. It gently scrubs away all of the dead skin cells, and leaves my skin feeling clean. It helps any acne cream or other lotions work more effectively. Alternatively, a warm washcloth with your daily cleanser will also work. Just remember to go in small circles and avoid scrubbing too harshly. 

3. Wash your pillowcases often. This tip I totally didn't follow until I started breakout out on the right side of my face. I typically sleep on the right side, and I started getting small red bumps on my cheek and jawline, where I usually don't break out. The inflammation on that side of my face was also more aggravated compared to my left side. I recommend washing your pillowcases at least once a week, and alternating pillows every couple of days. 

 4. Cleanse your face twice a day. This is a part of my daily routine that I never, ever, ever skip out on! Even when I'm tired, there's always enough time to wash my face. Especially if you wear makeup, simply using a wipe isn't enough to get all of it off. Using a cleanser will not only remove makeup, it'll also lift off the day's dose of dirt, grime, oil, and other impurities. One that I enjoy is the Aveeno smart essentials cleanser shown below. It's got a lovely scent and is very gentle. 

5. Don't skip out on moisturizer. This tip follows the previous one, because a moisturizer should always follow cleanser. Even if you have oily skin, use a moisturizer! A moisturizer will hydrate your skin, and keep the texture smooth. Just because your skin is oily, doesn't mean it's hydrated. In fact, it can mean the exact opposite. If you're worried about becoming an oil slick, one great mattifying cream is one from the Body Shop shown below. 

If you're doing all of these things and still have stubborn acne, I would recommend seeing a dermatologist. Sometimes, the cause of acne or other skin issues has much more complicated underlying issues. I, for example, deal with both acne and eczema which means that my skin is so dry that certain parts of my face produce oil to compensate for it. The fact that I have eczema also means that my skin is super sensitive - no proactiv for me! So, my dermatologist prescribed me a cocktail of creams and lotions for both acne and eczema along with allergy medication, and my skin is miles better than I could have achieved on my own. 

I hope that these tips help those of you out there suffering from acne. Even if you don't have skin issues, I highly recommend following the tips, so that you're in the habit of having healthy skin. 
<3 Lucero 

Song of the Day: Strangers Like Me by Phil Collins