5.06.2021
Pink Unicorn with Rainbow Hair Amigurumi
I used Big Twist yarn. Size E hook. 20mm Safety Eyes.
Eyelid pattern:
use the same hook as body
Chain 8.
Skip 1, sc in 7 chains across.
Skip 1, Dec 1, sc in next 2 sts. Dec in last.
Dec twice.
Hair pattern:
I did dark pink, light pink, orange, yellow, light blue, and lavender for the rainbow hair. I made about 4 pieces of each color.
hook E
Chain 46.
Skip 1, sc across. Turn.
Sc across.
Twist each strand for the curl.
Rose pattern:
hook D or E
Chain 31.
Row 1: Skip 1 chain. Chain 2, skip next chain, sc in next chain. *Sc, chain 2, skip 1, sc in next ch* repeat across.
Row 2:
-Chain 1. *3 hdc, ch 1, sl st* in ch-2 space.
-Sl st in next ch-2 space. *ch 1, 3 hdc, ch 1, sl st* into the space/hole.
-Sl st in next ch-2 space. *sl st, ch 1. 3 hdc, ch 1, sl st* repeat across until last 2 ch-2 spaces/holes.
The last 2 spaces you want to repeat the above but increase the 3hdc to 4hdc then 5hdc for the last.
Note: I made a matching rose headband by making 3 extra roses and attaching it to a chain of about 80.
Wings (make 4 pieces):
Chain 16
1. Starting from 2nd chain from hook, sc in each ch across.
2.Ch 1 and turn, sc in next 14 sts. Chain 3 and turn.
3. Start in the 4th st from hook, sc in next 10 sts then decrease 1.
4. Ch 1 and turn, sc in next 9 sts. Chain 3 and turn.
5. Start in the 4th st from hook, sc in next 7 sts then decrease 1.
Turn the piece to crochet into the corner and along the side (edge where chains are)
6. Decrease twice, sc in the side corner in next 2sts. Sc across the side (where the chains are)
Leave a long tail for sewing 2 pieces together. Whip stitch edges together.
12.12.2020
Updated: Fungal Acne Skincare Routine
It's been about 6 months since my skin has been mostly under control. I wanted to share a list of my favorite products to help fight fungal acne. Sulfer and Nizoral weren't the best choices for me. My routine has changed and I've tried a bunch of new products.
Moisturizers:
Hada Labo Premium Lotion
Hada Labo Gel Cream
COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in one cream
Occlusive:
Cerave Healing Ointment
EltaMD Intense Moisturizer
Cleansers:
Vanicream Facial Cleanser
Happy Cappy Medicated Shampoo
Swan Mineral Oil
Body Wash/Shampoo/Face Mask:
Happy Cappy Medicated Shampoo
Head & Shoulders shampoo
Selsun Blue shampoo
Conditioner:
Pantene Pro-V Daily Moisture Renewal Conditioner (*contains fatty alcohols)
Sunscreens:
DRMTGLY Broad Spectrum 45
DRMTGLY Universal Tinted Moisturizer SPF 46
Cotz Face Natural Skin Tone SPF 40
EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46
Note: EltaMD clear is safe and the tinted sunscreen is NOT safe. A tinted dupe is supposedly DRMTGLY Anti Aging Tinted Moisturizer SPF 46.
Retinol:
Retino A 0.025% (Tretinoin, not FA safe)
Differin
Retinol Routine:
First 6 months, starting with Differin- At night, I would wet my face, apply Hada Labo Premium Lotion all over and use Cerave Healing Ointment under my eyes, sides of the nose, and sides of the mouth. Apply a dime-size amount of Differin immediately. Optional: applying moisturizer before bed. I used Differin twice a week.
Tretinoin- Same application but wait for the moisturizer to dry for at least 30 minutes then apply a pea to a dime-sized amount of Tret. Wait at least an hour or before bed, reapply moisturizer and a layer of Cerave Healing Ointment on top.
Apply sunscreen in the morning and reapply if necessary.
Now: I try to use Differin daily and throw in 1-2 days a week of just Tret. I’m using a nonsafe Tret for anti-aging purposes. If I got a purge or breakout then Differin takes care of it. I’m still in my first year of Tret and I’m working my way up to being able to use the safe product: A-Ret Gel 0.1%
Note: Retinol usage and results will vary. Decrease the number of days if you experience any discomfort or burning. Apply water, moisturizer, and healing ointment on dry areas. Heal first before using it again.
I developed Angular cheilitis at both sides of my mouth. It looked like a patch of dryness. I treated it by applying Monistat 7 twice a day. It went away in a week or so. You can use Monistat 7 or any other anti-fungal cream to treat this dryness. Discontinue use after it’s gone. This is also something I’ve used to stop fungal acne outbreaks from further spreading (like the bad case on my ear lobe). I don’t recommend this as a daily treatment.
Shower Routine:
I apply shampoo to my dry skin on my problem areas: face, neck, and chest as a 5-minute mask. I also apply it to my scalp and upper shoulders as a ‘barrier’. I apply conditioner and try to keep it off my neck/shoulders until I rinse.
Diet
I briefly considered going on the candida diet but it’s really restricting and not sustainable. I always thought dairy was a trigger for me but after reintroducing that into my diet- I had no noticeable reaction. It turns out gluten makes me break out the most. A day of pizza really helped me pinpoint it and any time I ever had beer had caused breakouts. Cutting back on that has helped keep my skin clear.
Fungal acne safe sunscreens for darker skin tones with supposedly no white cast*:
DRMTGLY Broad Spectrum 45
Cotz Face Natural Skin Tone SPF 40
EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46
Robot Skin Lab Gokujun UV White Gel (or Hada Labo UV White Gel)
Nivea - Sun Protect Super Water Gel SPF 50 PA+++
Missha - All Around Safe Block Essence Sun Milk- (GREEN CAP ONLY)
*These were recommendations I found throughout reddit
DISCLAIMER~
As always!! I’m a regular person, not a dermatologist. I went on the Simple Skincare Science blog to learn about fungal acne and chose products from the massive list. You can ask me questions about any of the products I’ve used but anything else that’s not listed...I’m not knowledgeable about it. I also can’t tell you if what you have is fungal because bumps are bumps. The ONLY way you can figure out if it's fungal is by eliminating products and only using FA safe products.
5.27.2020
Retinol for Fungal Acne
I no longer get bad breakouts especially on my neck, back, or chest. I can't completely avoid that because it thrives off the humidity and sweat.
I used it every 3 days for the first month. I wet my skin, applied Hada Labo premium lotion and Cerave Healing ointment to the thin areas (corner of eyes, sides of nostrils, and corners of lips). I applied Differin immediately on top. I would apply moisturizer either the same lotion or Hada Labo Gel cream plus a light layer of Cerave healing ointment over it before bed.
I was shocked at how well behaved my skin became. There was a small purge for me but it was nothing terrible. My skin was tolerating it fine. No dry patches or peeling. I eventually stopped applying the extra moisturizers afterward. I still use a buffer before applying it.
I noticed a difference with texture as soon as 2 weeks. Very soft, smooth, and glowing. Scars were fading faster than usual. I never kept up a skincare routine before. It made me realize how dull and dry my skin was.
I've been using retinol for almost 4 months now. 5-6 weeks were just Differin then the rest have been Differin and Tret. I split it up across the week. At least one day in between each application. I do Differin, Tret then back to Differin.
It's obviously not a cure but my skin has become a lot more manageable. I'm careful with the products I use on my skin now. I have more clear skin days than anything else. I still get breakouts occasionally because of the humidity/sweat issue but one application of retinol takes care of it.
3.04.2019
Alter Ego Temptress Palette Review
Packaging: The palette was in a bubble wrap sleeve and wrapped in black tissue paper. The box was put in a gold bubble wrap mailer.
After Hours also has two swatches to show off the buildability.
The brush set includes a shadow and blender brush. Since my eyes are too small, I was only able to use the large brush to apply a base color down. The smaller brush I used for creating a higher crease for my slightly hooded eyes. Both were surprisingly soft! Now to comparing... The smaller brush has a shape similar to my Hakuhodo eye brushes but is twice the size. The larger one is similar in size to ELF's Flawless Concealer brush but it's flatter. It's just too big for me to use to put down any crease colors.
The eyeshadows applied more pigmented with a brush. I used my finger for some of the metallic shades but Fix+ really made it pop. I used both of the brushes for all my looks including smaller eye brushes.
I did a test of what I hate doing on myself. I can never pull off the blending for those silver dark looks. It always looks messy. These shadows made it easy for me to control. No annoying patchiness. I was really shocked since I always go overboard with the outer v portion but it built up nicely. I didn't want the black to be super pigmented so this is a super wearable look for me.
Wear Test:
I applied my makeup at 10am and wanted to see how long it would last at work. I was running around in a warm building for 5+ hours. Sometimes my makeup melts off. My eye makeup didn't budge or smudge for my whole night. It was still pigmented at 11pm.
If you need some reference to compare quality for dupe palettes. I prefer this Alter Ego palette over my Bad Habit ones. I don't want to have to fight to get shades to blend especially the matte ones. This palette will work for a beginner or someone who lacks techniques (like me!)
I really hope in the future, they will come up with their own color schemes and more brushes (smaller please!!!)
-
1.25.2019
Style: Dear Darkness Doll Dress
Killstar's size chart is here. I've heard mixed reviews about their sizing. My measurements fall under a size small but I decided to go with a medium instead. I would recommend sizing up to be on the safe side! It's a perfect size and I'm able to put it on over my head since I'm a lazy.
I was drawn to the lace, keyhole chest and ribbon tie. I haven't owned a satin dress before so this is very different to wear casually. I randomly wore it one day and my boyfriend told me I looked like a witch.
Isn't that the best compliment???
1.14.2019
Fungal Acne Products (Part 2)
De La Cruz 10% Sulfur Ointment
Sulfur is an effective treatment against conditions like dandruff, eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, etc. People have shared successful results with it so I decided to try it out. I applied it and left it on for 10-20 minutes. Obviously, this stuff smells but I don't particularly notice it.Hada Labo Skin Plumping Gel Cream
I've bought this about 2 years ago and loved it. This gel-cream contains urea and squalane. Urea is known to treat skin conditions, it's very hydrating and inhibits fungal growth. If you remember my earlier post, I mentioned that squalene is a trigger. Squalane is actually the safe one! Most Urea creams contain esters so Hado Labo is a good option.If you like Neutrogena's Hydro Boost Gel Cream then switch over to this.
Noble Formula 2% Phyrithione Zinc Bar Soap
I've used this in the past out of Curology's recommendation. Just don't choose the acne triggering one: Cocoa Butter. This soap has helped my neck/back. Noble's soap contains oils which could trigger fungal growth so YMMV!Some people have used this to apply to their face but it's very drying. You will feel squeaky clean. I wouldn't recommend this as a daily treatment.
Stridex Pads Maximum Strength
I apply and leave it on for 20-30 minutes. I used it every other day to treat. This drastically changed the way my skin looked after one day. Salicylic acid is recommended to use since it's not as drying as Benzoyl Peroxide. It doesn't increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun either.First-time users: Use it once a week then eventually move up to 2 times a week. I've used this product enough to know my skin. I did have sensitivity and dryness when I first started. Now I could use this several times a week with no tightness.
Hada Labo Hyaluronic Lotion
I've used this for over a year. It's a hydrating toner that most people use after cleansing or chemical exfoliants. I liked to put on my regular moisturizer first and then pat this lotion on top of it. It's super moisturizing. This version's consistency is a thin, liquid that you only need to use a small amount of. I don't find it sticky but some people do. There are 4 ingredients in it that are humectant moisturizers.
Hada Labo Premium Hyaluronic Lotion
The reason why I got the premium version is that it has 5 ingredients types of hyaluronic acid and urea. Since it's not easy to find safe products that contain urea, I'll take whatever I can! The consistency is thicker and you only need 2-3 drops. This lotion is also known to be a bit sticky for some people.Nature Nate's 100% Pure Raw & Unfiltered Honey
I was inspired to try out raw honey due to this post: [B&A] I cured facial sebhorreic dermatitis using a raw honey mask!I was desperate because my skin was extremely dehydrated, red and swollen. I left the honey straight on my face for about 3 hours. I was really shocked at how much my skin improved. I used this the next 2 days for about 2-3 hours. Redness was gone and bumps were disappearing.
Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser
This is my favorite cleanser. It reminds me of Cerave's Hydrating Cleanser. It has a gel-like consistency. It's really gentle and lathers up better than Cerave! It removes any remaining makeup and leaves my skin feeling soft.
Monistat 7
I had found out through research that some people were using this product to clear their skin. My fungal acne was spreading rapidly to my neck and one of my earlobes. The bottom lobe was red, covered in tiny bumps and swelled up. It was also spreading behind my ear. I used Monistat 7 on my neck, ear and all over the face. My skin wasn't as inflamed and it helped it stop from spreading further. Only used this a few times and recommend it for those that have tried everything. I wonder if any anti-fungal cream could do?-----------
It's crazy how different my skin is after making all of these changes. I never once thought I even had fungal acne since it looked hormonal. The huge difference is the lack of itchiness I have on my face and neck. I had these breakouts going on for nearly 2 weeks straight then cleared up immediately within 2-3 days.
The products that helped me the most:
Moisturizers: Hado Labo Gel Cream and Premium Lotion (both contain Urea)BHA: Stridex
Treatments: Raw Honey and Sulfur Ointment
Neck/body: Zinc soap
I noticed a drastic improvement by using Stridex and Raw Honey within 2-3 days. I alternate between those two and the sulfur to prevent breakouts. I love Hado Labo products so I'm not even mad about giving up my other moisturizers.
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