Hehe it's been two weeks. So I'll provide a fun update.

I've updated all of my skincare junk. Got new products and I also got a spiffy new chemical peel on it's way. It's very light in that it is only 35% lactic acid and 25% glycolic acid which is pretty light to start with. I plan on using it as soon as I get it :D Anyway my new skincare routine is simpler than what I had up before and it includes utilizing 5% glycolic acid (will eventually move up to 10% and then 20%...although I think they are buffered in cream form so not as potent as a straight up chemical peel).

I totally fell off the food bandwagon and need to get back on :\ so no update on that lol.

FASHION

Below are the five outfits I wore and when I wore them (from like 2-3 weeks ago). Those days that I skipped I literally lounged around. I will say that since my sleeping habits changed it was hard to follow this, but I think it will be easier once I readjust. I lasted only five days:

Nov 4: black dress, brown pullover, black tights, black boots

Nov 3: oversized black graphic tee, black shorts, gray boots, brown pullover sweater

Oct 30: black mockneck top, oversized light brown sweater, gray skirt, black boots, dark denim jacket

Oct 28: black mockneck, black shorts, black tights, black boots, oversized light brown pullover sweater.

Oct 26: black dress under the black oversized graphic tee, black tights, gray boots, jacket

I keep trying to restart but my schedule is still waaayyy out of line. So I will try to start this properly on Monday. Here is what my wardrobe will consist of (I've included pictures of some of the items!):

3 tops: black cardigan, brown cashmere sweater, long sleeved dark teal tee
3 bottoms: 1 dress, 1 skirt, 1 pair of jeans
1 jacket: oversized pullover or jacket



The second photo looks like some bloomers but it's a skirt lol.

I'm not going to worry about trying to only utilize 2 pairs of shoes, so I've tossed out that idea. And since I'm limited on jackets/sweaters I've just made them both my own little mini-staples.

SKIN/BODY

The goal for my skincare is of course to maintain acne-free skin, as well as reduce scarring, even skintone, and maintain my skintone (i.e. avoiding tanning). The goal for the rest of me is to even out skintone and maintain that. My arms are MUCH darker than the rest of me.

I forgot my start date. but I've got it written down.

Products I'm using (not including cleanser and toner): Reviva Labs 5% Glycolic Acid, La Roche-Posay Anthelios 60 Melt-in Sunscreen Lotion, Glycolix Elite facial cream (fortified--lots of goodies in it), Nature's Gate Aqua Block SPF 50 (for the body), Reviva Labs Skin Lightener Body Lotion, and Likas Papaya Whitening soap (for exfoliation)

HAIR

My hair has grown soooo much. I have 1 month, 1 week, and 5 days until my 1 year anniversary and I'm on time I'd say with the hair growth. The average hair grows 1/2 an inch so I should be over 6 inches in most areas (at the most 7 inches). I used Mizani Coconut Souffle but I wanted to cut down on costs so I got something $10 cheaper. It's...made by Cantu (forgot the name) but it's a leave-in treatment that feels so nice in my hair ^_^. And when I put it in it doesn't frizz. So that's a huge plus.

But that's all I think...I need to get back on the ball!

Oh yes I forgot. I'm opening a store on etsy but more on that later.

It's not even worth putting what I ate yesterday because I kinda want to forget about it. However, I DID have an outfit yesterday lol.

Yesterday: oversized black graphic tee, black shorts, gray boots, and I carried around my brown pullover sweater because it was a little chilly later in the day.
Today: black dress, brown pullover, black tights, black boots

I'm going grocery shopping today. Yay!

1 bowl of Whole-O's with almond milk
1 bowl of gluten-free pasta
1 bowl (about 1 cup or more) of brown rice

No veggies, no fish, no tea. :\

Forgot to put up what I ate yesterday:

Halloween, October 31 (might be out of order):

1 Chicken-flavored ramen
1/2 of a Caramel nut brownie luna bar
1-2 servings of gluten-free pasta with spaghetti sauce
1 Berry Blend Vruit Juice

Sometime way past midnight
2 bowls of Whole-O's with almond milk


Very bad day :\ Might be because I woke up at 4pm. It's currently 6:06am...as we speak...haha

Today:
a few nibbles of tilapia with about 1/2 cup pinto beans
5 or so gluten-free crackers
1 cup cooked brown rice

I'll probably drink green tea before I go to bed, since I haven't any.

At 3:30am I had some tortilla chips with salsa

But during the daylight hours up until now I have had:

Some tilapia with pinto beans
1 Berry Blend Vruit Juice

1 Arby's Market Fresh sandwich...Roasted Turkey and Swiss.

I told my bro's gf that if I broke out I'd know it was something on that sandwich...more than likely the bread.

Went to the BSS again and bought 4 more 3-in-1 headband/scarf things in dark pink, orange, black, and bright blue. I was also looking at the fake nails because I've recently gotten into them. And I will be trimming my real ones soon. My thumb nail split and I can't cut it off because it's like below where the skin is so I have to wait for it to grow out a few more mm. And I don't want to cut it down because I'd have 9 long nails and one short one. They seemed to have increased the amount of fake nails they have because I found a lot of really cute designs I'd like to try. I get my inspiration from Japanese nail magazines and gyaru because before I would not have even considered fake nails. My nails grow very fast (like my hair! even more so since I am natural!!! tons less breakage) so I've always been a little concerned about whether or not they would work for me.

Outfit: black mockneck top, oversized light brown sweater, gray skirt, black boots, dark denim jacket

At the end of this, I will put all of the outfits together in one post ^_^

It's almost the end of week one for my studying of the first 5 lessons from the Korean textbook I am using. And I have to say I'm amazed at my progress (still). I love this textbook and kinda want to show off my skill....soo here we go. 

한국어:

제는애드리안입니다.이것제일기입니다. 저눈미국사람입니다. 한국어공부합니다.

English translation:

Korean:
My name is Adrienne. This is my journal. I'm an American. I study Korean.

I've been doing the exercises as well so here is an example of something I wrote (an exercise) from lesson 2 (과2)

1)
가: 이것은책상입니까?
나: 아니오, 책상가아닙니다.
가: 이것은연필입니까?
나: 네,연필입니다.

1 cup green tea
1/2 tilapia
about 1/2 cup of pinto beans

1 luna bar: Caramel nut brownie

1-2 bowls of Whole-O's with almond milk
1 Apple Carrot Blend Vruit Juice
1 1/2 cup grapes


I'm at the stage where I'm watching for skin reactions, I got a very minor breakout on my forehead that cropped up today (I rarely breakout on my forehead).  I've got some redness on my face too, and discoloration as usual. If I can keep breakouts to a minimum (instead of the usual painful irritations) I will consider that a success. But I will see what goes on throughout the month of November to see if it's still effective. I'm might further restrict my foods by not allowing any slips (cheese, wheat, etc even though I don't eat these as much as I used to), to see if that is what is causing the minor breakouts. If that isn't it I will start looking at the products I use and my regiment all-together.

I also used Veet on my underarms and legs. I'm not saying this for a particular reason except so I can remember when I did it so I can see how long it takes for the hair to start growing back.

Also no outfit today. I didn't go anywhere today :D

Less than ten whole white corn tortilla scoops with organic mild salsa, and  a little cheese
1 Berry Blend Vruit Juice

1 bowl of gluten-free pasta with some expensive pasta sauce, chicken sausage, and parmesan cheese......zomg it was good :D

1 cup green tea

1 cup grapes
1 luna bar: caramel nut brownie

late at night (like after 3am!) I had a bowl of Whole-O's with almond milk

*To be updated


I went to the BSS (beauty supply store) today. The one over by the Kroger is like perfect. I happened to find some new headbands that were only a dollar. I got three of them. Two are 3-in-1 headbands so they can also function as a headscarf. They work very well for my hair, especially as it's gotten thicker and longer (and puffier lol). The only thing was I had to put back some of the colors I liked. I'm not a big fan of bright colors on myself because they make me look even more sallow. I've got yellow undertones and on a bad day I look sickly! I made my brother's girlfriend laugh when I described myself as a "pale black person" which she thought was funny because it's a bit of an oxymoron :D.  Edited to add: Actually have skin that can look sickly isn't really a good thing, so I think I should add brightening/revitalizing to my list of skincare things I'm interested in. Really because it's NOT fun. Now I'm interested in determining how to avoid looking sallow...if you've got yellow undertones.

But anyway, I also took a trip down the skincare aisle to see what sort of weird junk they had. I found a facial bar that had neem oil, which is supposed to be good for the skin. I didn't buy it, but I'm keeping it mind. The BSS also had plenty of different oils (jojoba, grapeseed, olive, shea butter, carrot seed, etc) and I got a tube of raw shea butter oil for one dollar to use for a hot oil treatment.  The BSS also had lots of colorful tights and leggings for cheap. I also couldn't help looking at the makeup and the nail polish. I love spending my time in there.

Anyway, my intention was to go to Kroger but the BSS called my name. At Kroger, I restocked on my Vruit juices (I was having withdrawals lol), green tea, vegetables, and luna bars. I also found some healthy instant miso soup that is gluten-free, MSG-free, and organic. Unfortunately, it has 1170 g of sodium. Fortunately, there are 3 servings which means one serving has only 390 g of sodium.

My Daily Outfit: black mockneck, black shorts, black tights, black boots (these weren't my part of my 2 chosen shoes but I forgot that lol), oversized light brown pullover sweater. Granted the only reason why I wore tights is because I need to shave :D.

Before diving into this long ass post, I wanted to share my skin type and current regimen so you know where I stand.

Skin type: Combination, acne-prone; prone to dryness in colder months. Scarring from previous breakouts although not as much or as obvious as it used to be thanks to wonderful new discoveries in the science field ^_^.
Current Skin regimen:
Night: if wearing makeup double cleanse with Kose Seikkisho Perfect Cleansing Oil and then a foaming or cream cleanser (Philosophy Purity Made Simple or Aubrey Organics Natural Balancing cleanser) if no makeup then just one of the three cleansing products; I tone with Olay refreshing toner or Caudalie Beauty Elixir; For moisture I apply Kevin Beautymaker Hydrating Serum and sometimes after it I add Aubrey Organics Natural Balancing moisturizer; I also use Kevin Beautymaker Hydrating Eye Serum.
Day: Tone with Caudalie or Olay, apply Kevin Beautymaker Hydrating Serum, and then Reviva Labs Sun Protective Moisturizing cream and Kevin Beautymaker Hydrating Eye serum.
Exfoliate: once a week (what I use is listed in what I wrote below)
Masks: Usually once or twice a week and usually an anti-blemish mask by Cettua or Kuan Yuan Lian



I've been doing a lot or reading to understand the causes of problem skin and how to combat it. Because when you know that, then you can decide on the next step to prevent, control, and eliminate breakouts. My general goal for myself is to understand what acne is, what causes it, and how to eliminate and prevent it. I had it bad growing up. It's genetic and it was chronic. There was no such thing as a "good skin day". However, for about the past year and a half, I have had really good days and weeks where my skin has been generally clear (not perfectly since I'm battling scarring!). I've been to dermatologists and have at one point taken birth control pills. I know there is a lot of controversy surrounding whether or not your diet worsens or causes acne. And while I'm not 100% sure myself, I know having a bad diet can have negative impact...unless you are one of those lucky few with perfect skin who also have horrific eating habits and have a skincare regimen of washing your face whenever you remember to. LUCKY YOU. For the rest of us, maintaining good skin takes some effort. And when I mean good skin, I also mean not having fine lines, wrinkles, age spots, uneven skintone, and things of that nature.

One of my favorite bloggers/youtubers is all about prevention even though she has PERFECT skin. Just because her skin is pretty perfect doesn't mean she relaxes about her skincare. She's rather religious about it. So while I'm combating acne, I'm also trying to prevent things that age me significantly.  Now there are those who read beauty magazines and listen to their mom's, doctors, and friends about good habits--but quite frankly I maintain a heavy dose of skepticism. This is especially true for all of those commercials regarding skin care products targeting acne. I actually avoid brands like Neutrogena, Clean & Clear, and whatever else like the plague. They didn't work for me and many times I don't care for the ingredients. I have also used higher-priced products including Murad and Proactiv (the latter I hate very much so), as well as products with more natural ingredients like Reviva Labs and Aubrey Organics. I've used European products and Asian skincare products although I am neither. Essentially, I've grown more concerned about the ingredients in a product than the product itself...although I do like pretty packaging :D.

I ignore products that say "oil-free" or products with ingredients like BHA and a salicylic acid. But I am quite tempted to try products with mung bean or green beans in them :D. So yes, I'm quite willing to experiment with the new and unfamiliar whether it comes from the local beauty supply store, Sephora, or Taiwan.

So anyway, the first question is what causes acne? I know what acne is so I'm skipping this part (plus it's a fairly easy question to answer if you don't suffer from other skin problems like rosacea). Here is what I found:

1. Excess oil/sebum production. From what I have read the skin can naturally do this (having oily skin) but it can also mean that the skin is dehydrated and is compensating for that by producing more sebum. Some people say drying out acne is good, I disagree ESPECIALLY if you are prone to oily skin. Don't dry your skin out, keep it hydrated!
2. Dead skin cells. Those with acne-prone skin produce more dead skin cells. They can clog your pores and trap all sorts of things (including bacteria) in your pores/follicles. That is why regular exfoliating is good. But if your skin is inflamed and irritated, I'd either avoid exfoliating until your skin calms again or use a VERY mild exfoliant. Either way take care because you can further irritate your skin. I exfoliate once a week. Sugar and salt are excellent for exfoliating, and even better when used with an oil (I like using olive or grapeseed oil). I also use, as I said in my previous post, Aubrey Organics for the cleanser with mark (by Avon) go with the grain exfoliating beads--which has rice bran and adzuki beans. There are also chemical exfoliants that I like such as fruit acids, lactic acid, and glycolic acid.
3. Bacteria- Some sources say this is a cause, others don't. But that's why some dermatologist's prescribe antibiotics. I don't have an opinion on this. But I do know picking at acne is a good way to further inflame/infect your skin...so don't.
4. Hormones- a lot of women suffer from pre-menstrual acne (mine seems to be POST-menstrual lol), for that they recommend birth control. To me this is a very last resort. Although I think acne and menstruation go hand-in-hand I think so for other reasons that I don't have ready evidence for and are only from experience. Essentially, it's my own little hypothesis and I won't know for sure until I do a little more digging research-wise and experiment.   Right now I'm experimenting and researching if there is a connection between your zinc, iron, folic acid, and other vitamin/mineral levels around the time of your period. Because whatever sort of breakout I get during that time of the month, it is awfully inconsistent. I didn't keep track of the foods I ate and my vitamin/mineral intakes unfortunately. Sometimes I have NO break outs (before, during, or after) and other times I have really bad ones.
5. There are other things too like sunlight (overexposure), birth control, some prescriptions, smoking, ingredients, things you are allergic to, diet, and so forth....out of all of these I think perhaps the products you use, not wearing sunscreen, and your diet tend to help or hurt your skin the most. Although I say, one of my annoyances is not being able to find a good sunscreen that does NOT break me out. :\

Anyway, that is all I will say for now. These are just my thoughts,  ideas, and conclusions from research. I think I will do a little series. Like, go through the list I made one at a time and go into more detail about research I've found and what might help. This is a little journey of mine as well, so more than likely if I write about a product or an ingredient more than likely I have used it myself. I'll also include resources where I've found information with the next couple of posts. Beside acne, other issues dealing with skin that interest me are: anti-aging, lightening products, evening skin tone, and dry skin.

I woke up at 3pm today because I went to sleep at 7am! Sometime between 3am and now I ate a luna bar so I count it for today:

1 luna bar

Spinach and Mushroom Risotto
baked scallops (my version made with olive oil, ginger, and garlic)

Handful of lightly salted chips
1 cup green tea (trying not to fall off the bandwagon!)

1 multi-vitamin
1 1/2-2 cups grapes (I ate a lot of grapes!)

1/2 banana
1 Luna bar: Iced Oatmeal Raisin--> I had a salt craving I tried to make go away with sugar it only made the salt craving worse...go figure.
1 cup green tea
1 chicken-flavored ramen- yeah yeah a bad food. Oddly enough for a food that has three things in it that are "bad" I haven't had a negative reaction. Ramen in moderation perhaps? lol.


So at 5am I decided to take a shower and wash my hair. I shampooed, conditioned and detangled. And afterward, put my hair in bantu knots and slept on those. I'm not going anywhere today so I'm leaving them in.

I put on comfy lounge/sleep clothes so I didn't get dressed meaning I have no outfit from my capsule. :\

My Korean is coming along nicely since I changed to an ebook version of this book I found. It's the first in a series, and I plan to buy the second one once I finish with this one. It also comes with a workbook and audiotapes/CDs.  Anyway, I do 5 lessons a week (1 a day) and review on the weekends. With my Japanese, I take a different approach since the writing system is different and the resources used are different. Right now, I'm in the middle of recalling hiragana and seeing what else I remember (which, surprisingly, is a lot while I tend to forget some of the details). I have a hard time wanting to learn katakana, although now that I see it quite a bit in the magazines I read/look at I'm starting to want to out of necessity. Luckily, I have a textbook given to me by a friend that focuses on the Japanese writing system. It teaches you katakana first, then hiragana, and then goes into some kanji. The only thing I don't like about it is when it uses romanization it's awkward. For example instead of saying "shi" (which is how the hiragana character し is pronounced) it says "si". But I guess since I know the difference it will just be a minor annoyance. In the process of learning the kana and kanji you do pick up vocabulary so that is a plus.

So my language goals for this week are as follows:
Japanese: Get through the first five lessons, which is katakana
Korean: Get through the first five lessons

I also have some other things that need my attention, like my WGD 201 class, and my novel. LOL. For my class, I have 2 assignments, some readings, and a couple of posts I have to make. For my novel.....I've got the summary, the plot, the themes, the conflicts, and the major characters. I don't have the minor characters spelled out straight. So here are my objectives for this week:

Novel: Make a list of major and minor conflicts and define characters (not including the main characters) and their relation to the conflict

This will help me be able to solidify everything and perhaps even to start seeing the story unfold in terms of scenes. I have the most trouble with scenes. Not how to write them but choosing the best scene for the situation. It hasn't clicked yet. But I know the problem is that although I have concepts and ideas for the conflicts I need to make them real and I can do that by defining the characters in more concrete terms.

I exfoliated tonight...well before midnight :D