Skin Deep

“Be patient. Your skin took a while to deteriorate. Give it some time to reflect a calmer inner state. As one of my friends states on his Facebook profile: "The true Losers in Life, are not those who Try and Fail, but those who Fail to Try.”   Jess C. Scott

Sandwich white blouse

Zara beige skinny trousers

 

I ain' a beauty blogger.  I can't remember the last time I bought any sort of make up apart from cover for my skin.  All my eyeshadows, lip glosses, nail polish have either been gifts or been stolen from the other females in my family.  Only recently after holidays have I got into a routine of putting on a body moisturiser.  But when I posted a facebook status at the end of June seeking help about my skin, I had an overwhelming response.  It seemed that everyone had problems with their skin.  People who I hadn't spoken to in years were giving me advice on what they used or tips on what to do.

I had gotten really down about my skin to be honest.  I have the attitude hey! they are only spots, you could have a lot worse but after coming back from holidays and seeing that my skin hadn't cleared up in the sun, it had simply gotten worse I was determined to get my ass in gear and do something about it.  I knew it wasn't my hormones, or my pill or my diet.  I had great skin all of my life, even as a teenager but just something set it off when I hit 24. Maybe it was the fact I started to date a guy with the mental attitude of a teenager or maybe I had finally hit puberty (no sign of my boobs yet) or maybe it was karma, I have been so happy with the rest of my life & situation that something bad had to happen to make sure there was a balance.

This is not something any girl wants to do, show the world her face without any slap on.  Really up close photos of her face.  Where you can see every crevices, blackhead, pore, puffy eyes. But here you go. This was my skin on the 23rd of June 2013.

 

This was the day that I had had enough.  I put up my FB status asking for opinions on products, dermatologists in Northern Ireland, 70 people replied to that status though private messages, comments, texts messages.  You can see how inflamed my face is, how spotty I am on my forehead, across my cheeks, my chin.  How discoloured my face is.  Half red, half white. Go on, zoom in. Actually I don't know if the photo does it justice. I am standing facing the natural light so it was more red.

 

Then I had a text from an angel.  Mr Paddy McGourgan. I had been booked to model at his make up academy on the Sunday the 30th of June and I thought he had seen me walking around town and was texting to be like oh God, there is only so much photoshop can do! But no, he had text to say that he had seen my FB status & he had got this new brand into his make up shop on Royal Avenue & he wanted me to try it.

 

Now I was a bit apprehensive. I had tried every product over the last year.  Dermalogica, sent me in a rash and completely dried my skin out.  Eve lom didn't get rid of the big whiteheads I was getting.  I tried natural products, toners, oils, good old plain soaps and water, facials.  You name it, I had tried it. But I thought why not.  Give myself to the end of the summer and if that didn't work or improve my skin, I would then go to see a dermatologists.

 

Now enters Mario Badescu.  What a legend.

 

When I went to Paddy's to model at his Make up academy, he gave me samples of the Mario Badescu range.  The Acne Facial cleanser and the Gylcolic Foaming Cleanser, I was to alternate each night. And then he gave me the oil free moisturiser as I have oily skin to begin with.  This is the progress over 2 months,  I took a photo every 2 weeks to just show how my skin has calmed down.  I am so happy.  The change in my skin is unbelievable.  I am less red across my cheeks and forehead.  My spots have nearly all gone.  Granted I have a few stubborn blackheads but I am thinking of getting microdermabrasion to get rid of those.  Before that I would have been too scared incase it made my skin worse. My skin doesn't look as tired or as inflamed or dull.  I am back to hardly wearing any make up.  All I am using at the moment is the Loreal CC cream.

 

 

 

This is me today.  Same light, same time as the first photo was taken.  Except that it is 2 months later and I have lovely skin. The one above is fresh faced, no make up & the one below is with my CC cream on.  I took that photo cause I want to show you that I am not that scary! Ignore my sleepy puffy eyes, they usually go by afternoon! I can't recommend the Mario Badescu range enough, I love it.  It isn't that expensive either and there are hundreds of products to suit your skin needs.

 

If you would like to try the range, check out the website Mario Badescu to read reviews or pop into Paddy McGurgan's Make up Pro Store & the lovely peeps in there will help you get the right products to suit your skin.

 

Paddy McGurgan Make up Pro Store