Untainted Beauty

Pre-Accutane

2014-07-10T15:12:00.003-07:00

Follow me on my Accutane Journey. This is the intro to the series.

Before getting Accutane:

I have tried several acne products including Neutrogena, Murad, Differin, Tazorac, Retin- A and Minocycline (antibiotics). The antibiotics cleared my skin up, but several months after stopping them, my acne unfortunately came back. I have not tried birth control for my acne because my dermatologist told me that my acne was not hormonal according to my blood work.

My skin:

I currently have very oily skin. By the end of the day, I look like a greaseball - it's gross. My acne isn't as severe as many other people that go on Accutane, but sometimes it will be pretty severe and other times not that severe. It is hard for me to control.

I will post the process of getting Accutane from my dermatologist and pictures tomorrow on my first day.

Please leave any product suggestions and your story if you have taken Accutane!

Five Things That Mama Never Taught Me About Makeup Application

2014-05-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

When I was young, my mom worked a lot. As a result, I was often left home with two younger brothers to find something to do. I was never a tomboy so outside activities never suited me. On the other hand, color fascinated me. Therefore, I always found myself playing in my mom’s makeup for fun and to see how colorful I could become. Oh boy, did I get creative! By the time I was ten, I was wearing a full face of makeup just to sit around our house in the summer. Those summertime “play dates” taught me everything I needed to know about makeup.

As I went through my mom’s makeup, I gravitated towards the usual suspects, foundation, powder, eyeliner, blush, lipstick, and mascara. However, there were a few very handy tools that I was unaware of back then. It would have been nice to have mama guide me had she been there for consultation. I might have improved my makeup game exponentially had I known these tips. These are the top five things that I wish she had taught me:

Lash curlers are nifty little tools that actually work miracles. Thirty years ago, eyelashes weren’t all the rave like they are today. In fact, having long lashes meant you might actually be Bambi’s twin and that was a kind of a cool compliment…back then. Lash curlers, not only help to cure the wild lash, but can actually serve to extend your own lashes. When used properly, they can be a very effective tool. I saw them in my mom’s makeup bag years ago, but I never touched them until twenty years later. Now I just feel stupid that I never asked my mom. Likewise, I’m kind of irritated that she didn’t just teach me.
Lip liner serves more than one purpose. Back then, I didn’t use lip liner. I never understood why it was necessary. My mom had every shade that would match her lipsticks. She even had the dreaded “black” eye liner that she used as lip liner! I still have nightmares every time I think about it! Nonetheless, now that I am older I have learned that my lipstick would have stayed on longer had I used liner that matched my lipstick, of course. There would be less smudge and my lips could look fuller. My mom could have shared those tips with me and saved me the frustration of reapplying lipstick every time I looked in the mirror. Thanks, mama, for making my life harder!
Eyeliner creates the sexiest illusion with your eyes and it doesn’t matter what color you use or the color of your eyes! When I was younger, I thought putting eyeliner on my eyes made my eyes look too small so I stopped wearing it. It wasn't until I overheard a guy tell his friend at school that I had really sexy eyes on a day that I was actually wearing eyeliner. Ironically, I felt I should have been wearing these sexy, cat eyes all along! Now, I'm pissed because it could have cost me a man, Mama! Note to self: Create the illusion. Guys dig it!
Eye brows will make or break a makeup look. This is an important tip, ladies! You can easily clean up your look by grooming your eyebrows. My mama didn’t even bother to tell me, but she had about five different tweezers in her makeup bag. It took about twenty years for me to figure it out, but I did. Still, I would not dream of applying any makeup without having my brows professionally sculpted.
Natural beauty is beautiful, but natural-looking makeup is stunning! Go for stunning! It is a nice compliment to be told you are naturally beautiful, but to be called stunning is epic! Makeup should always be epic! Thank you, Mama, for all of these great lessons!

Ponchitta Lilly is the founder of Ponch Cosmetics, www.ponchcosmetics.com and her personal makeup blog www.ponchcosmeticsblog.com. She is currently working on her first book entitled, Confidence is More Than a Word, It’s an Attitude due to be released in the Fall.

Are You Unhappy With Your Body Type? Change It - Guest Blogger Nina Hiatt

2014-03-29T19:48:00.003-07:00

Image Credit: wikimedia commons

You’ve heard all of the clichés: “Everyone is different,” “Be your own kind of beautiful,” and so on. But as cheesy as these sayings are, they have a lot of truth in them. Women do have different body structures, yet every body type is beautiful in its own regard.

Lipstick for all - Guest Blogger Emily!

2013-12-22T15:51:00.000-08:00

Hi my name is Emily and I am a lipstick fanatic..... Applause? No? Okay I'll carry on anyway!

If there is one product that I can count on having in my makeup drawer, my handbag, car, work desk and work drawer, my gym bag or at myhome desk - it would be a lip product. A glossy balm for those dry lip days and a lipstick for every other day!

Bold berry, hot pink, coral, sheer tints, high end luxury and drugs store brands - I have them all!

I will share with you my 8 favorite lipsticks and I hope this will inspire you to rock a bold lip today!

OOTD #7: Ravinia Lily Dress

2013-07-28T13:33:00.004-07:00

I went to hear Lang Lang at Ravinia Saturday. The concert was amazing and packed. The entire lawn was filled with people and the pavilion was completely sold out. The weather was chilly, but I still wanted to wear my Lily Pulitzer dress.

Super Food: Kale

2013-07-19T22:29:00.000-07:00

This is a new series I am starting called, Super Foods. Each week, I will highlight one healthy food and recipes to go with it. This week is Kale. Read on to learn all the benefits of Kale.

Summer Ready Skin

2013-05-24T22:02:00.000-07:00

Now that Summer is right around the corner and the weather is warming up, you're skin is slowly transitioning. Here's some tips on transitioning your routine for the summer.

5 ways to improve your health

2013-04-14T21:09:00.000-07:00

Read on for 5 tips to improve your health significantly

Spring/ Summer Trends 2013

2013-03-15T19:10:00.001-07:00

OOTD #6:Turnabout

2013-02-14T20:40:00.001-08:00

My school had its turnabout dance this year. This is the outfit I wore:

Click for more pictures

Get Fit: Interval Training

2013-01-20T17:35:00.002-08:00

Stuck in an exercise rut? Not getting the results you really want? Well, your solution could be interval training.

Happy New Year!

2013-01-02T21:43:00.002-08:00

The new year has already begun. Here are my New Year's resolutions...

Oil Control: Milk of Magnesia

2012-12-30T11:08:00.003-08:00

Could Milk of Magnesia be your cure for oily skin?

Christmas Nail Ideas

2012-12-22T20:44:00.002-08:00

Cute nail Ideas for the Holidays

Yummy Yogurt Drops

2012-12-11T20:00:00.001-08:00

Saw this on Pinterest and thought it looked like a neat idea.

All About Skin Routines

2012-12-02T11:08:00.001-08:00

Many people already have a beauty routine that they follow religiously. This is a guide for those who may not have one yet or for those who want some insight on how to improve theirs.

Aussie 3-minute miracle review

2012-11-23T21:30:00.003-08:00

Review on Aussie 3-minute Miracle Hair Mask after the jump

Healthy ice cream?

2012-11-13T19:37:00.003-08:00

Is it possible to have healthy ice cream? YES! Read on to learn the secret.

Bronze Eye Look: video

2012-10-28T20:51:00.002-07:00

For a simple bronzy eye look read on!

The Secret to Youthful Skin

2012-10-21T19:41:00.002-07:00

Find out what the secret you've been waiting for is after the jump!

Acne: face mapping

2012-10-06T14:17:00.001-07:00

Always get acne in the same spot? See what your body could be telling you!

Click to read on ~

OOTD #5: Chicago

2012-09-29T20:26:00.002-07:00

I recently went to Chicago for a concert at Symphony Center. It was absolutely amazing. Anne-Sophie Mutter performed with the CSO. Riccardo Mutti conducted, unlike last year where he fell ill right before the performance.

This is the outfit I wore, but compared to the other people I looked pretty casual. There is another photo of the back after the jump. Sorry for the blurriness.

Splurge vs. Save: Beauty

2012-09-13T21:46:00.001-07:00

Ever wonder whether you should splurge on that new skin cream? In this economy, everyone is trying to stretch that dollar. Here's a guide to help you figure out when to splurge.

Find out after the jump

Bagel Bun Tutorial

2012-09-02T19:42:00.004-07:00

Check out how to do the Bagel bun with a sock!
Click to read more after the jump!

Get Fit : P90X or Insanity Review

2012-08-31T22:15:00.000-07:00