The life of a tired college students... how to brighten up that face!

Hello everyone!!

Going into my second semester it has been more hectic that ever, and I literally have been getting an average of 3-4 hours of sleep. The fact that I have to work all the days I am not at school doesn't really help either. I shouldn't complain though, because working part-time really helps me to manage my time a lot better too and I don't procrastinate as much. If I were to stop working and have all this spare time to do my homework, I definitely would leave everything to the last minute. I know it is really boring, and every time I begin my new blog entries with a short complaint about how tired I am every day. A few weeks ago I met up with a friend who told me that he had been going to school full time, going to work basically full time, he was going to the gym for three hours every day AND he took up two martial arts lessons and one dance lesson. That made me re-think about my life, and maybe I should be doing something more and manage my time better. All I am doing is school and work.. and I am already complaining. I should at least start running a couple times a week to maintain a better health as well. Even lately my pimples have been coming back out again because of my lack of sleep plus stress from school. I really should start living life a little bit more positive (:

So with me being one of those super tired college students, I decided I'm going to teach you guys how to fake that awake look! Obviously I'll still encourage you to sleep lots to prevent those dark panda circles, and drink lots of water to keep that complexion hydrated. But... if you're super lazy and busy like me, here are instructions on how to fake it!

So with all that dull skin around your eye area and in your whole complexion, the concealer is honestly going to be your best friend. You can either use a brightener or an under-eye concealer to brighten those dark circles to give yourself a more refreshed and awake look. I am currently using my Nars creamy concealer in custard. Go and read my previous entry on it if you want to know how it is like. It is an eye cream and concealer in one, and it comes in 10 shades!

The second thing I like to have is a BB cream (Beauty Balm). I am currently using the Clinique BB cream with an SPF of 30 and comes in three shades. The reason why I would avoid a full coverage foundation is because being so tired and stressed all the time, my skin is already getting all that bad emotions from my body.. I really shouldn't shock it even more with a foundation. Even when I go to work, right now a BB cream is already good enough to help even out my complexion. The concealer is already good enough coverage for me to cover up any small blemishes. You can go ahead and use a more full coverage concealer if you need it. BB creams are also good because they help to hydrate your skin and gives you good sun protection, especially this Clinique one. Most of them are around an SPF of 10-15. The highest one I have seen so far is the Estee Lauder one which has an SPF of 50. I still haven't had the chance to try that one yet, but as of now the Clinique one is my favourite one. If your skin already is looking even and you don't need anything for your complexion, you should definitely still have an SPF. I can't stress enough how important sunscreen is, because UV damage is actually one of the biggest damages to aging skin. So you can say that sunscreen is probably the most effective antioxidant. Many people don't know how damaging the sun is, so now you know (:

Next is an eye cream! I think this is going to be your second best friend next to the concealer. I am using the Algenist eye balm. Even though coverage is important, helping to reduce and prevent is important too. Because the skin around your eyes is the most sensitive part, you must take care of it as early as possible. Even though I am still 20 and still don't have any signs of aging, I still put on eye cream that helps with dark circles, puffiness and wrinkles. An eye cream is also extremely important because it helps to hydrate the area around your eyes. Wrinkles are enhanced when the skin is dry. So keep that area moisturized! Even if you are using a concealer like Benefit's fake up and Nars' creamy under eye concealer, you should still add an eye cream to add that protection. More is never going to harm your skin (unless you're 20 and you're using anti aging products for 50 year olds, then you might be overdoing it a little...).

This is optional, but if your complexion still looks a little dull after you're done with BB cream or foundation, add a little bit of bronzer of blush to give that nice natural glow to your complexion. I am using the Nars orgasm blush. It is a beautiful pink/peachy blush with a orange undertone (which makes it look absolutely gorgeous on asian skin tones). It also has a little bit of gold shimmer in it that makes it act as a subtle and beautiful illuminator as well.

Lastly is something to help brighten your face, either a serum or a peel. I am currently using Dr. Dennis Gross' alpha beta peels. They are honestly the most amazing things I have ever used. It helps to brighten your whole complexion, helps with discolouration, black heads, wrinkles, pores, acne, acne scars, and literally anything you can think of to help your skin. It is super easy to use, it is a two step peel system. Step one is to help exfoliate and take off all that dirty build up that clogs your skin throughout the days because of the dirty air. Step two is to help neutralize the peel and stop it from eating away that dead stuff. I always say that no makeup is more beautiful than beautiful skin. After you use this, I swear it will change your life. It honestly is ok for all skin types even if you are sensitive to the bone!

Anyways, that is all my tips for a tired college student who needs a little bit of help with maintaining a healthier (or faking) look.

Armin Van Buuren was just here last week. Here is my makeup during the concert:

I am using Urban Decay's vice palette as usual and Hourglass liquid lipstick in "child." Also can't forget those falsies that I get in Taiwan for super cheap ^^~

Thanks for reading! I hope everyone is able to enjoy the sunny weather and not be stuck inside school and work all day long...

- Carol <3

#nowplaying: take the world on - 2NE1 ft. Will.I.am

The difference between dehydrated skin and aging skin.

A few days ago I encountered a very rude client who was very uneducated about skin care. She not only did not listen to me explain the difference between aging and dry skin, she argued with me using false facts. And that really annoyed me... because you do not have the right to call someone rude, when you are supporting yourself with false facts. Not to mention I was not rude at all. I remained calm the whole time, asking her to let me explain over and over while she rudely interrupted me and walked out on me. I've grown up being quite introverted and quiet, and never have I been called rude before. There really are people who are just stupid and rude ==.

I won't say what this person was like because I don't feel the need to let this person be exposed on the internet, but needless to say... I want people to understand the difference between aging skin and dehydrated skin, at least before you go and yell at someone for assuming that they said you were old. The reason why skincare brands separate their lines into different age groups, is obviously because someone who is 15 and someone who is 50 cannot use the same products. I thought that was common sense. When I tell you to use something that requires more hydration doesn't mean I'm saying your skin is old. As you get older, its natural for your skin to start to  deteriorate and lose its moisture. The lady was clearly in her 40's, and if you really think that using a product that is meant for teenagers and expect to get the same results, please dream on, because it won't work. It's almost like a 40 year old eating baby food and expecting to receive the same nutrients a baby would receive from it. Skincare does not work that way!

Dehydrated skin is caused by:

Not giving enough hydration to your skin, no matter how old you are, as long as you are 25 or over (which is the age women's skin sadly starts to deteriorate whether you like it or not). Usually when your skin is dehydrated... it'll go crazy and be oily yet dry. The reason why it does this is because due to the lack of moisture.. your skin starts to produce its own oils to try to replenish the moisture. But at the same time you feel dry, that means your skin is dehydrated. This problem can happen anytime depending on how you care for your skin. Don't tell me that your skin is "not that dry" when I tell you that a moisturizer meant for teenagers is not suitable for your skin. Nowhere in that sentence did I mention that you had old and aging skin. I am actually doing you a favour and informing you that the product you are about to purchase is about to do nothing to your skin and you will be wasting your money.

Aging skin is caused by:

Loss of collagen, sun damage, environmental damages, free radicals and capillaries in your skin breaking apart. This also will start happening after the age of 25 (yes, whether you like it or not).



So in conclusion, before you tell me that brands do not make products that split into different age groups, you are wrong, and when you try to use a product that is meant for someone who is 15 when you are 40 expecting it to give you the same results you are also wrong. Oh, and you were also wrong when you thought that brands make products for just one age group. I'm sorry you are so self conscious about your aging skin that you thought that when I was trying to educate you about your wrong choice of products that I was implying that you looked old.

Thank you for reading my rant, and I hope everyone takes good care of their skin and please be polite (:
When you are a kind person.. It gets you places.

Have a good day~~

#nowplaying: Apollo - Hardwell