So I got a little excited when it came to waxing my upper lip today. The little bits of fuzz have always bothered me because I can see them so I decided to remove them today via wax strips. I know there’s the old rule about never waxing the same spot twice. Well, I forgot alright and it looks like I have a cut and two little spots on the left side of my mouth. I’ve dabbed some ointment on it for it to heal and damn, after all I’ve gone through, I still missed some spots. :( So remember people, don’t mess up like I did. Even though I didn’t get a second-degree burn or rip off half of my face like a lot of people out there have done, I suggest you be careful. You may not be as lucky as I’ve been.

I apologize for not updating in so long but I’ve been pretty preoccupied. I landed a seasonal job at Macy’s as a cosmetics sales associate and I got the job strictly because I was tired of being at home all day like I’ve been doing so for the past year. I know a lot of people are thinking, “The economy is bad and you should be lucky to have a job!” I guess I could be but I’m just going to have to say, “No,” on this one. What is so great about having a job for a month or so? I highly doubt that in one month, I will acquire enough money to meet all of my financial goals. Plus, I only got to work a day before I started feeling ill. Damn, Macy’s. The day after my first day at work, I start feeling iffy with the chills and a fever. Next thing you know, I wake up one afternoon feeling like I got beat up in my sleep. A day later, I deduce that I’ve gotten the flu. Are you serious? That makes it twice this season. Of all the people in the world, it had to be me to get the flu twice. I hope they still have flu shots at CVS because if I don’t get one now, I’ll get the flu again in January or February. So I made $100 and I got Peter a watch, at least something good came out of seasonal work.

Also, I am writing a first-person POV on my first day so when I get that done, be on the look out for it. It’s super funny!

I’m thinking about getting Invisalign. Peter thinks that if I get the traditional ones, it’ll cut my time with braces in half and the price, too. I understand that but I hate having to thread my floss. I have enough issues flossing already. I guess I could get the air floss but I’d rather try something new. Okay, so I tagged along with Judy to the orthodontist and I got curious and excited. I’ve always wanted to straighten my teeth but I never took the initiative to go and find out about it. After Judy got her molds and all, Dr. Farrah checked on my teeth and told me it would take about 12 months.

I was so ecstatic. Honestly, I wasn’t happy because of the amount of time for I could wear them four years and equally be happy. It’s just that I’ve never had an orthodontist evaluate me before. Vanessa at the front desk said that worst-case scenario, it’d be $6,900 without insurance and no discounts. I have insurance and hopefully a discount will show up. So if it takes 12 months, I’m not looking at too much, am I? Yay!!!

I’ve been making my own skin care products and they seem to be working for me. I got tired of my exfoliators/face scrubs not exfoliating so I made my own. I didn’t feel like going to LUSH to get another Oatifix fresh face mask so I made my own, too! Also, LUSH claims to be natural and vegan but they include parabens and several chemicals in their products, too. I mean, we can’t go all natural but if we can limit things, we should. Goodbye, Laura Mercier!

Anyway, here is my recipe for the facial scrub. Because of the similarities of ingredients used in my facial scrub and my facial mask recipes, I can definitely tell you that they go well together in one’s skin care regimen. Please try it out and let me know if it’s worked for you. I will be posting the recipe for the facial mask this weekend so you all can get your New Year’s Eve partying started with awesome skin.

Moisturizing Facial Scrub

Whenever I use a facial scrub, I always feel like it hasn’t done its job in giving me a “fresher face”. My skin still looks dull, dark, and unrefined. When I rinse off the product, my skin feels dry and raw, as if it’s in worse condition that what I started with. With this moisturizing facial scrub, you can scrub away dead skin and impurities 100% naturally without hurting your skin. Sugar crystals glide across the epidermis like the diamonds from a spa-quality microdermabrasion yet it has enough traction to lift dead skin cells from the surface of your skin. Honey naturally disinfects and balances out the chemical and acidic irregularities on your skin. It reduces inflammation and irritation from blemishes, sensitive skin, acne scars, and acne while its moisturizing properties self-adjusts to the needs of your skin. And lastly, extra virgin olive oil (the key ingredient to healthy skin, hair, nails, and a good singing voice) contains squalene, a natural self-adjusting and self-regulating moisturizer that minimizes sebum (the greasiness of the skin) while depositing rich antioxidants, vitamins A & E, and moisture where it’s needed. Olive oil leaves your ski plump with a healthy glow because of its anti-aging properties while it works to heal the surface of the skin. This scrub is perfect for all skin types and conditions due to its self-adjusting properties. And don’t be afraid to try this out too, guys!

What you’ll need:

• mixing bowl
• honey
• extra-virgin olive oil
• sugar
• a spoon

1. Combine 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, and 4 teaspoons of honey in your bowl.
2. Mix until honey and olive oil are combined. Don’t worry about your sugar not mixing in thoroughly. It will look like a paste. You can add more or less olive oil/sugar for your desired consistency. You want to be able to scrub it on your face, but not have it so runny that it’s dripping off. (Sorry for the bad photo, I got lazy.)

Application:

1. When you’re satisfied with your scrub’s texture, pull your hair away from your face, wash your face and leave it damp (not wet). Damp is getting some water in your hands and patting the water onto your face. Overdo this and your scrub with run. Not enough water and it won’t move.
2. With clean hands, take a quarter-size amount onto your fingertips and work it into your skin vertically from the center of your face outwards for five minutes. Be sure to stay away from your immediate eye area. The skin around your eyes is not the same as your face. It’s much more sensitive, thinner, and prone to wrinkles from tugging and rubbing. Also, as you scrub your way through, you might need to re-wet your hands just a little if the scrub starts to thicken up. It’s your dead skin coming off that’s making it harder to scrub!
3. After you’re done scrubbing vertically, scrub in circular motions from the center out for five minutes. The difference in the scrubbing motions is the first part works to effectively bring out the dead skin cells and the second part with the circular motions helps to refine and brighten the parts of your face where light naturally hits and to finish off any missed spots part one didn’t get earlier.
4. Rinse your face with lukewarm water to loosen the scrub and sugar crystals.
5. Splash cold water on your face.

You can cover your scrub with a plastic wrap or scoop it into a jar. It’ll be a month to three months before each batch expires. And each batch gives you enough product to use twice a week for a month. You tell me what your skin feels like. :D It should feel smoother, plumper, brighter, and a whole lot softer. I hope you had fun creating your own scrub and that it has worked for you. So forget about spending $15-$45 for a month’s supply of facial scrub that doesn’t work when you can create years and years of this facial scrub for under $15.

Happy holidays everyone and may the best be with you!