Colonial Christmas

Our trip to Williamsburg yesterday was a lovely idea, but didn't turn out quite as well as I hoped... the outlets were ridiculously crowded, and the selection was not what we expected. Frustrated, we grabbed lunch and headed toward the historic district and walked around for a grand total of 5 minutes before it started pouring (the forecast was a 20% chance of rain and a high of 60, neither of which were true) , but that gave us an excuse to go in some of the adorable little general stores. I was incredibly impressed with my point-and-shoot Canon SD1100IS (the story on why my Kodak died this summer is funny in retrospect, I may have to share that later) ...I am so excited that I'll be able to finally blog with pictures!! Plus, I have the least steady hand in the history of photography, and it was cloudy, but the pictures turned out quite well! The decorations there are just darling, and will definitely be a source of inspiration for future Christmases. Some of my favorites:

I celebrate the day...

Merry Christmas everyone... I'm heading to Williamsburg Virginia with one of my best friends for shopping/exploring the colonial district tomorrow, and there will be PICTURES because I got a Canon Powershot for Christmas!!

13.1

I'm trading in my ballet flats.... for running shoes.

Let me tell you, this is no small feat. I haven't ran since.. sophomore year of high school, and that was just for a fitness test. Seven years. Plus, I never exercise except for dancing. Huge deal for me.

I'm not sure what inspired my best friend Dana and I to run a half-marathon next November. Maybe it was the fact that my BMI recently and officially hit the overweight category (yeah, that's probably it), or the strong desire I've had to make a lot of positive change in my life, and to use this time in my life when I'm single and not obligated to much... whatever the reason, I am quite determined to do this. =]

Goal: Running first a 5k, then the 13.1 mile OBX half marathon on November 9... time is not an issue at this point
Current BMI: 25.0
Goal BMI: 19.1

I'm going to avoid making weight loss my focus, which is why I'm using my BMI stats instead of weight... I don't need to be obsessed with the number on the scale. I'm so excited about this new adventure, and so blessed to have the support of a best friend doing this with me and my wonderful friends to motivate me.

The Verdict Is In

In a fit of procrastinating studying for exams (which are now done... it's officially Christmas break, hooray!!), I came through on my promise to research the best of the cosmetic industry in order to avoid wasting any more money on finding, well, the best. I did a little internet browsing but books proved to be a more trustworthy source, given the lack of advertising or bias toward a sponsor company (even though it often seemed like it given the rave reviews of Clinique I continually found). I'll skip the scientific mumbo-jumbo and the detailed reasoning behind why these are so great (usually has to do with other products being too irritating or not having better ingredients than their less expensive counterparts) and just give you the rundown of the best products, especially for combination to oily skin.

Top 5 companies:
Clinique
MAC
Estee Lauder
Neutrogena
Prescriptives
(I know... I was very surprised to not see La Mer, Chanel and the like topping the list as well, but pricey plus good marketing does not always equal the best for your skin).

A few top products:

Makeup
Makeup brushes: Sonia Kashuk (thanks Target!)
Foundation: Clinique Perfectly Real or Dewy Smooth Anti-aging SPF 15 (Almost Makeup tinted moisturizer is also a great option if you don't need the coverage)
Concealer: Mary Kay Signature concealer
Blush: MAC powder blush, sheertone or shimmer
Mascara: Clinique Lash Doubling or High Impact Mascara
Lips: everything in the Bobbi Brown line

Skin care
Cleanser: Clinique Liquid facial soap mild
Moisturizers: Clinique Dramatically Different Gel in tube, Continuous Rescue Antioxidant Moisturizer, and Moisture-in-Control Oil-free Lotion; also Acne Solutions Clearing Moisturizer for acne-prone skin like mine
Scrub: Most recommended not using a scrub, insisting that cleanser on a soft washcloth will do the same thing, but if you must... Olay Definity Pore Refining Scrub
Spot Treatment: Mary Kay Acne Gel
Pore Treatment: Clinique Pore Perfector

Many of these are already in my makeup drawer... Clinique is definitely my go-to brand. Every time I try to stray away, lured by pretty packaging (I am SUCH a sucker for it) and the grass being greener (literally... Burt's Bees natural skincare is great but many products are not effective), I always end up deciding I like Clinique's line much better.

I also found this incredibly helpful product report from Beautypedia... perfect for those who aren't too keen on department store beauty and are having a little wallet trouble lately (along with the rest of America).

Recession Proof Beauty

Ciao!

Volcanic Activity

Blemishes, pimples, zits, Vesuvius... no matter what you call acne, it SUCKS. I dealt with acne all throughout my teenage years, but figured that once I hit college it was supposed to go away... now here I am in my early twenties, with acne just as bad as ever and wondering when wrinkles are going to start showing up so I can have a lovely double-whammy of skin problems. On hormone pills or not, I have continually had light to moderate acne that nothing seemed to be helping, until now - my doctor (not a dermatologist) decided to prescribe Differin gel for me - worst idea EVER. My mild case has now turned into a monstrous disaster that has left my face looking something akin to a volcanic island. I can't decide whether I should just suck it up and go to a dermatologist, or continue to try (read: waste money on) new over-the-counter deals. Luckily, on my stress-relieving Barnes and Noble break tonight, I came across a beauty encyclopedia of sorts. Written by Paula Begoun, "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me" is an entire book full of reviews on seemingly every product on the market, from drugstore to upscale/ridiculously overpriced (Paula addresses the issue of luxury makeup pricing in the first chapter). Armed with this information plus a bit of online researching, there is going to be a serious overhaul of my skin care and cosmetics drawer during Christmas break. (St. Ives, you will be the first to go... Clinique, you can stay. For now.)