Every now and then, I still get pimples due to hormonal imbalances. When that happens, this is what works for me. This 5% benzoyl peroxide treatment dries out those pesky pimples until they're gone and without over drying your skin.

The texture is light and creamy and works great under makeup or without any makeup at all. This formula is not meant to over dry your skin so you can use it 1 to 3 times a day. I like to pair mine with a light moisturizer and then a moisturizing bb cream in the am or pair it with a moisturizing serum and a night cream in the pm.

For more information and where to purchase your own Breakout Control, visit http://www.bioelements.com/breakout-control-products-48.php?page_id=87#.Vt93NkU8LCQ.

This facial mask helps clear out my nasty clogged pores on my nose and brighten my whole face. This mask sits on for only 10 mins and feels a little tingly during the first 5 mins on the skin.

​When I first purchased this product, I wanted to do an intensive treatment so I used it for 7 consecutive days. I now use it about once a week or once every 2 weeks, depending on what my skin needs and what products I'm using in between.

For more information and where to purchase your own Kerafole, visit http://www.bioelements.com/kerafole-products-37.php?page_id=424#.Vt9Y1UU8LCR.

Instead of emptying your pockets on pricey makeup removers, you can try using this multi-purpose product.....*drum roll*.....COCONUT OIL!!!!

Coconut oil is usually my answer to everything like Windex is to Gus in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Seriously, it's amazing. Using coconut oil as a makeup remover has removed more makeup off my skin than any other makeup remover I have bought in the past and it's so cheap! It leaves my skin smooth, soft, and moisturized and it even smells nice. I've had anywhere from a little bit of makeup on to really stubborn waterproof makeup on and coconut oil removed it all in less than a minute!

This tutorial is super simple and you only need a few things!
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• Coconut oil
• Washcloth
• Water (to dampen the wash cloth)

For this post, I purposely wore a lot of makeup to prove how well this works. In the photo below, I have on concealer, liquid foundation, brow pomade, brow gel, waterproof liquid eyeliner, waterproof mascara, lip stain, and I even contoured/highlighted my face and neck.


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Side note: my makeup looked heavier in person than it does in the photo.

To get started, grab a bit of coconut oil and rub it between your hands to melt it.

Apply it on your skin wherever you have makeup to be removed. Gently massage it well and watch the makeup start to slide off. Remember to be gentle around sensitive areas, like your eyes. Tugging on your skin will stretch and cause lines and sagging.

Look, it's melting off and I look stupid.

Dampen your wash cloth and gently start wiping away the makeup and oil.

Off my face and on the washcloth!

Continue wiping away and rinsing off the washcloth until your skin is clean.

Tadaaa! Fresh soft clean skin!

If you wish, you may use a facial cleanser afterward, or just follow it by
​your usual skin care routine (toner, serum, moisturizer).

Damn, coconut oil! Back at it again with those results!

Guys, I'm excited to tell you about this amazing line called 100% Pure. They are an organic, pure, vegan cosmetic company with some of the best products I've tried. To learn more about this brand, please visit www.100percentpure.com.


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In this post, I'll be bragging about their new BB Cream in the shade 10 Luminous.

If you don't know this already, I'm a huge fan of BB creams. I haven't been shopping for a foundation in several years(excluding Chanel's Aqua Vitalumière for my fall '15 wedding day, though it was very similar to a BB cream)!

Personally, BB creams work better for my skin and they are what I look for in a makeup product. They are usually light to medium coverage, brighten my skin complexion, and don't make me want to scrape it off with my nails. I seriously can't stand products that suffocate your skin, eventually causing breakouts. Eww!

When I received my 100% Pure package in the mail, I got the BB Cream 10 Luminous and 3 sample packets of nourishing body cream(2 honey almond and 1 vanilla bean). I've been using their body cream in lavender for a while now and it is phenomenal, moisturizing and not greasy or heavy. So I was excited to explore some other scents.

This BB cream claims to give you a glowing, flawless, illuminated complexion with full to medium coverage with SPF 15 to help prevent sunburn.

So I put it to the test!


The consistency was pretty sticky and I wasn't sure about it at first. I applied it on clean skin after my morning skin care regimen(cleanser, toner, moisture serum, eye cream, day moisturizer).
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I started applying on my forehead and realized how I couldn't blend it very well with my fingertips because of the sticky consistency. So I blended it with my beauty blender and finished applying on the rest of my face/neck with the beauty blender. The beauty blender definitely worked a lot better than my fingertips. The bb cream was distributed on evenly and it didn't make my face feel sticky and icky like I thought it would. The scent of it is very light and, to me, similar to Destin baby cream.

Honestly, from the first impression, I didn't think I would like this at all. But I gave it a go for a few full days before I rated it. And now I'm hooked!

The photos below show what I look like before the bb cream, and without any makeup at all vs after only the bb cream(and a little bit of lip balm because my lips were so chapped).

You can see the difference in the photos but it's actually a lot better in person. These photos don't really do well in showing the amount of glow I actually had. It was crazy!
My skin was bright and glowing and it appeared as if I spent a long time making up my face and highlighting. But in actuality, it took me about a minute!

​The coverage was more like light to medium rather than medium to full, which was perfect for me. Of course, you can easily build it up to full coverage by adding on more all over or just on spots needing more coverage.
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Side note: My skin was recovering from a freak out session due to a climate change. Sorry for looking so haggard in the photos! >.<

So in conclusion, here are my pros and cons.
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Pros:

• Glowing skin
• Great coverage
• Fresh look
• Not heavy
• Subtle scent
• Pure ingredients

Cons:

• Sticky application with fingers

If you are interested in this product, please visit www.100percentpure.com to purchase your own!

I've tried a good bit of skin care lines out there and finally landed on some products my skin is truly happy with.
I've been through popular brands like Chanel, Lancôme, Dermalogica, Philosophy, Pro Active, many drugstore brands, and some of the all natural vegan brands. As long as it works for my skin, I'll be happy to use it. But the thing is, those products weren't making my skin happy like I thought they were. Part of the reason why my skin wasn't happy was for the fact that I thought I was using the right products for my skin type, but I was wrong. Most of the reason why was due to the large amounts of horrible chemicals and artificial fragrances in the products. After much research, schooling, and experience, I have figured out what to use and what not to use on my skin. My skin has been so much happier with my change and so have I.
Your skin changes as you age so what I'm using today might not be what I'll be using 5 years from now. So today, I'm going to talk about what I'm currently using on my skin day and night.

Currently, I've been into Bioelements. I have been using this brand for about a year now and also use this brand on my clients in the salon. I have seen amazing results on myself as well as my clients. They have different products for all skin types and different skin concerns to meet your skin needs. They also supply professional products, such as chemical peels, for professional skin therapists to preform with. The peels Bioelements have created are such wonderful creations. The formulas they use brings your skin a brand new look. You leave your sessions looking bright and glowing and never peeling.

Because this is a professional brand, created by an esthetician, they do not have an "all products are for all skin type" claim like a lot of brands do. I recommend finding your nearest salon or spa that offers this brand of services and products to find out for yourselves!
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For more information on this brand, visit www.bioelements.com.

As of now, I have a combination skin type. In my early years, I had very oily skin but it has changed recently. I now have some oily spots and some dry/normal spots in between. My oily spots are usually at the t-zone.

I don't use one line(i.e. combination skin set) because we don't all have the same skin. I chose my products according to how my skin reacts to them, what needs to be catered to more, and what doesn't throw off my ph balance causing me to either get really dry or oily. Changes in the weather also changes how my skin reacts, so an entire combination skin set may not be ideal to me like it could be to someone else.

Jumping from one brand to another is also something that I have learned not to do. Not only being consistent to your daily routine is good, but being consistent with your brand is as well.
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I'll admit, I've been a product junkie. I saw something at a store and thought, "OooOooo...don't mind if I do..." If I can open a bottle and find out how wonderful it smells, sold! Without even thinking about what the ingredients are on the back or if mixing the brand I'm currently using will disagree with this new one, I'm throwing it all on with a large grin on my face. Of course that grin disappeared when my face broke out and I was left sitting there with a puzzled look on my face thinking, "But I thought I did good". No, self, you did a bad thing, a very bad thing.

So since I've finally figured it out, I'm proudly sharing this with you all in hopes you don't make the horrible mistakes(or anymore mistakes) I did.

The list below are the Bioelements products I'm currently using.


Cleanser - Decongestant Cleanser
Toner - Equalizer
Moisture Serum - Moisture x10
Acne Serum - Breakout Control
Eye Cream - Multitask Eye Cream
Day Moisturizer - Absolute Moisture
Night Moisturizer - Sleepwear
Exfoliator - Quick Refiner
Mask - Kerafole, Gel Therapy


I will be dedicating a blog post for each of the products listed, plus more, for more information on each one of them and why I love them. Stay tuned!

Disclaimer: This is not a paid advertisement for Bioelements nor do I work for the company. This post is about this brand only for the purposes stated above.

I hear friends, family, and clients asking me how I keep such a clean dewy glow on my face. They ask for my regimen, my secrets, and ask why they don't have skin like mine.

Dear Readers,
I made this blog for you. I'm sharing what I do to have a healthy glow and clear skin.

    1.   ​Understanding that every skin is different.

Please understand that everyone has a different skin type from one another. So what might work for me, may be too little for your skin, too much for your skin, or the right amount but with products your skin may not have any effect on or even a negative effect.

Although it is my job to suggest certain products to people and treat their skin, it's not possible for me to do the same without my hands literally on your skin. But, I can suggest products and steps for you to try out and see if your skin will like them or not!
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Genetics also plays a roll when it comes to skin types. A lot of people look at my skin and automatically jump to, "Oh, you have good genes". That's not the case with my skin. I went through a lot in my younger years fighting with acne, scars, and huge stretched out pores. What I've been doing regularly, at home, is what drastically changed my skin.

   2.    Be consistent with your skin care routine.

Using a facial cleanser or treatment serum a few times here and there isn't going to get you fast results or a happier skin complexion. You must be consistent with your steps everyday. This is the part I get people sighing or rolling their eyes at me. "It's too hard" "It takes too long" "I'm too tired or busy". If this is what you're thinking, forget having great skin! If you are serious about it, you'll make the time to do it and find enjoyment in it.

   3.    Understanding a balanced diet.

You may be going so hard on your skin care steps - putting so much effort in and not missing a single day -  and still wonder why your skin isn't looking its best. Have you thought about what you're eating? Would you say you're eating a healthy diet? Are you drinking a whole lot of water like you should be? Sometimes I forget to check my diet and binge on a high sugar diet accidentally(not really, I sometimes crave bad things...). I'll notice my skin looking poorly and freak out because I know my skin likes my products and steps(and I'm not on that monthly time). Then I have the face palm moment and think about what I've been eating. Oopsies!

So now you have them, my 3 main tips I suggest start getting accompanied by if you haven't already. They have helped me tremendously and I hope they help you too!

With love,
​Mindy

Stay tuned for more skin care information!
I'll be adding a lot more, including my favorite products.