I airbrush my skin.
Yep, I said it.
I smooth my face over in pictures to remove every blemish because my skin is something I’ve always struggled with.
I don’t get angry breakouts like some people, but the odd blemishes and redness get to me so much that I tend to smooth out every picture that I post of myself online. Not over edited, but enough so you can’t tell that I’ve got a few little bumps.
Hopefully that’s all about to change..
Lets talk about my skin because.. well, isn’t that what this post is about?
Throughout my teenage years there was barely a blemish on my face but as I got older and my stress levels grew in university - so did my breakouts. My problematic areas are my forehead, across my cheekbones and down into my jawline with little bumps popping up in groups and making me unhappy. I used to put them down to hormones but there was a lot more reason which we can get into in a minute.
These pictures below might not be the most flattering of images but they show my most recent breakout which happened to be one of the worst I’ve had. The breakout started when I got back from Croatia and seemed to peek two weeks later while I was in Barcelona. Its quite sad to admit that I cried my eyes out over it. I was so unhappy that I didn’t want any pictures going on social media without my skin being edited. I even had a meltdown trying to find a way to edit my skin for my Barcelona lookbook (which is actually not edited).
The other set of pictures were taken on the day that I started ProActiv+ and you can see there is a lot of redness around my forehead, cheeks and neck. Admittedly, I’d picked at my blemishes but this was my face pre-ProActiv+. Not the worst its been, but certainly not the best it could be..
ProActiv+ is a skincare that I’ve always seen on TV and wanted to try but for some reason, never had until now. As of last week I’m on a little trial with ProActiv+ to test their 3-step system alongside a couple of other products to share my experiences with you. I hope to keep you updated every step of the way!
My trial began over breakfast at the trendy London restaurant, Bronte. At 8am we sat down for smashed avocado (how typical of me) and endless cups of coffee to chat about our skin, the range and have a one-to-one session with a dermatologist. I would really recommend getting a dermatologist because honestly, she helped me so much.
I received plenty of advice on everything from diet to birth control. The main recommendations were that I drink more water to hydrate my skin properly and to switch up my birth control. I’m currently using Natural Cycles but we discussed a pill that would work to help my skin if I wanted to use one again. We also talked through the entire ProActiv+ range and decided on the best products for my skin: the 3-step core system, purifying mask, repairing concealer quad and eye brightening serum.
Honestly, I couldn’t wait to get home and scrub all my makeup off because I’m so desperate for clearer skin. I want nothing more than to see pictures of myself or to look in the mirror and see no pesky breakouts.. so lets see how it goes!
On first impressions, the products are fab. They aren’t heavily scented and a little goes a long way. Using the smallest amount of each can cover my whole face easily. I especially like the pore treatment as it spreads easily and dries really quickly. The purifying mask is also great because its applied to damp skin - so I hop in the shower with it on and rinse it off at the end (great if you’ve got a leg shaving day or fancy a long hair mask).
If you’re liking the sound of ProActiv+, I’m also documenting the process on my YouTube channel starting soonwhere I try the products on camera and talk you through everything! Keep check on my twitter to find out when the first video will be live!
My skin is awful at the moment - so many lumps and bumps. I’m really intrigued to see how this works for you! I think your skin looks lovely but I know how it is to feel insecure about it. I wear makeup everywhere, it’s like a comfort blanket! xx
Jessie | allthingsbeautiful-x