What I've Been Up To

Hey guys! I'm not even going to mention how long it's been since I've posted because it's really embarrassing and I'm actually pretty ashamed of the hiatus! I've had a lot of life changes the past year including a job promotion to a manager at the boutique I work at! Yay! Growing up is funny because every year it feels like a major life change is happening, and every time it feels so overwhelming and new, and then you get through the year and life throws another curve ball.

One of the curve balls that I started to deal with last June was getting really bad stress-related acne. It all started when Ryan lost his job in February and we were still living in our Lakeview apartment which was too expensive for me to pay on my own for the 6 months of him being unemployed, but I still somehow managed to get by. Anyway - I was constantly worried about money and it was finally starting to show on my face. It started out on the sides of my cheeks, so it was super easy to conceal but also easy to ignore because other people couldn't see it. It was around the time that I stopped posting on this blog when it got really bad. I've had a lot of great outfit-post opportunities but I haven't been able to get past my skin to post anything.

I was approached by Simone France back in November to do a product review of their skincare line. Perfect timing, right? They ask you to fill out a form on their website before ordering any product for a personalized analysis of your skin type, what you're currently using on your face, and their understanding of how your skin is reacting to it. This was extremely informative and eye opening! I learned so much about the product I purposely bought for my acne and how it was effecting my skin. After hearing back from the skin care experts, I was recommended certain products and received them all at the beginning of December.

My regimen is this: I start off with what they call "The Sandwich": Lovely Glow (moisturizer), Refining Scrub, and Soap. Once I've layered each product to my face, I wipe it off with one of their cleansing cloths and splash 15 splashes of really warm water, and then 15 splashes of really cold water on my face. I lightly dry off my face and apply Light Moisture Cream. At night, I use their Rich Milk to remove any makeup or oils from the day, and I wipe that off with a cleansing cloth, and then I add a few drops of Refreshing Toner on a wet cleansing cloth to my face.

It was a slow start, but my breakouts (which at this point covered cheeks, chin, and some underneath my face.) gradually slowed down and my skin got REALLY soft (and remain crazy soft). This has to do with Lovely Glow, their moisturizer that was recommended to me. I initially used Lovely Glow as my moisturizer after using the Sandwich, but since I was still breaking out pretty bad after a couple of months, the skin care experts switched me to Light Moisture Cream. I cannot stress enough how sweet and informative these experts are! They answer any and every question you have in an effort to give you stellar results.

To sum up my experience: Simone France has a quality product that improved my skin. After 4 months of consistent use, my skin is still not where I want it to be, but I know it's getting there. I went from literally almost hundreds of bumps and blemishes to the smoothest cheeks ever with scarring that gets lighter every week. For two weeks I didn't have any blemishes on my cheeks, but a few days ago, I finally got one on each. It's really frustrating and at this point, I honestly don't think my break outs have anything to do with the product. I haven't had a day where I don't have a blemish on my chin, so I'm thinking this is all hormone-related. I will try to keep you guys updated on my progress.