....First entry of 2010....

So it's been TOO long! So much has changed. I will be putting a pause on the beauty stuff. I am going through a lot personally right now but I am thankful for all the lessons learned that God is allowing me to go through. I have found a loving, fulfilling and ever personal relationship with God that has me thinking differently about EVERYTHING and EVERYONE and I love it.

This blog will take on a more personal direction I guess - maybe. However, beauty etc. is always an interest of course.

I will be trying my best to update as much as I can. Kinda hard as I don't have internet at home but at work I do so maybe during my breaks.

Miss you guys A LOT and boy do I have some reading/catching up to do!

Stay Positive ♥

Breezy

...BUSY BUSY BUSY...

Hello bloggers!

It has been a CRAZY ride since I last updated. I have been so busy preparing for my VERY FIRST WEDDING!!!!! 11/28/09 which is around the corner! Things will definitely die down after and I will be updating much more. Sorry for the hiatus :(

WE ARE SO EXCITED TO BE GETTING MARRIED!!!

Mr. & Mrs. Franco to be.....

It's been so long....

I missed you guys!

It's been so long since I last updated but I have been super busy interviewing and applying for work. Some things look promising so crossing fingers at this point! The babe landed a new job opportunity - yesterday was his first day and it felt so weird not having him around :( but I am glad he had a great first day of work.

I, however have been thinking about some new things to bring to my blog on a weekly basis aside from the "A New Me" journey I am taking. I been jotting down some ideas that I think would be great n sharing. I will def let you guys in on what that is all about :)

I will be back soon...I PROMISE and I apologize on my HIATUS.

On another note, have you smelled this thing?????

And yes that is the lovely Miss Scarlet Johanson (might of misspelled her name) I need to have it like NOW! LOL I first found out about it from my Cosmopolitan mag (September issue) Fell in love the minute I took a whiff - this is sooooooo my new fall scent!!!!

Until then - stay beautiful!

Lady Breezy

XOXO

...It's a COMBO world for me...

So when I woke up this morning my skin felt pretty comfortable. Not tight at all or flaky. However, I did notice that to the touch some areas were oily - especially the t-zone area. I normally sleep with an eye mask on but I didn't just to make sure I didn't overproduce oils or something....lol

So after analyzing my skin and how it felt and looked in the morning, I have come to the conclusion that I have combination skin.

Combination skin is when the skin feels comfy but its oily (especially in the t-zone area shown below) which is the forehead, nose and chin while the cheeks tend to be more dry. Knowing this will now make it easier to choose products for my face that will work just for me from cleansers to makeup etc.

However, this isn't the last stop for healthy skin. The use of cleansers and certain products should not be the only way to maintain or get better skin. Diet, exercise and enough sleep are factors as well. Check out this amazing article I found online while googling on how to take care of your skin from the inside out! I thought this article was quite informtive - let me know what you thought!

Taking care of your skin is important not just for your good looks, but also for your health. Caring for your complexion means less risk of skin cancer and other skin related diseases. Healthy skin is about more than just using healthy skin cream and cosmetic products. You also have to take care of your skin from the inside, which means picking out healthy food for you skin. Your diet, whether you know it or not, affects your complexion in ways that definitely show. Here are ten different foods that will give you healthy and beautiful skin.

The Good Fat

Essential fatty acids keep your skin feeling soft and smooth. They can be found in oily fish as well as in seeds and nuts. Fatty acids are said to diminish the effects of skin conditions like eczema. They also reduce inflammation and prevent DNA damage.

Water

Your skin needs moisture! Nutritionists across the board recommend 6 to 8 glasses of water each day, throughout the day to keep your skin (and your body) healthy. However, avoid too much caffeine or soda. Alcohol is also a no-no, as it actually dehydrates you. Also, don’t drink too much water before going to bed, as this will result in morning puffiness.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants fight premature aging and diseases that cause damage to your skin. You can get your antioxidants from blueberries, black grapes, cherries, papaya, and tomatoes among other foods.

Citrus

The bioflavonoids and vitamin C in citrus fruits helps keep your skin firm and young by supporting your skin’s collagen.

Iron

Iron-deficiency can cause anemia, which manifests in sickly pale complexions and dark circles under the eyes. So make sure to get your healthy dose of red meat, seafood, eggs or high-iron vegetables like spinach.

Green Tea

The benefits of green tea are many. It has tons of antioxidants, protects against UV ray damage and contains polyphenols, which help fight off aging. Incorporating green tea into your daily diet is a definite must. Seep tea for no more than 2 ½ to 3 minutes.

Cereals and Wheat

Cereals and whole grains, as well as mushrooms, molasses and wheat germs all contain a good amount of selenium, a chemical that, along with vitamin E, helps keep your immune system healthy and fight against free radicals that cause aging.

Mangoes

Mangoes are extremely good for your skin. They, along with other orange fruits, contain beta-carotene, which the body uses to make Vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential to keeping your skin looking healthy and clear. Dermatologists often recommend eating mango to patients suffering from severe acne. Mangoes can provide you with 80% of the daily required dose of Vitamin A. Vitamin A is said to even repair dying skin cells to give them a little more shelf-life.

Baked Potatoes

Just one baked potato will supply you with 75% of the copper you need to have in your daily diet. By working together with zinc and Vitamin C, copper builds elastin fibers. These fibers prevent your skin from sagging and keep it looking firm and strong.

Avocados

Avocados are a great source of Vitamin E. Other foods that contain Vitamin E include peanut butter and sweet potatoes. Vitamin E helps your skin keep its moisture and prevents pale complexion and acne, and it also helps prevent premature wrinkles.

So there you have it. I'm going to take all those thigs into consideration as I begin my journey on figuring out what products work best for me both inside and out that will help keep my skin looking FABULOUS!

So did you take the morning challenge on figuring out your skin type? Let me know what you discovered ;p Or if you already discovered your skin type how did you find out?

Stay tuned as I try to figure out which is the best facial cleansing routine for me and what products should I be using.

Also, do you have any questions? Feel free to leave a comment! I don't proclaim to be a pro but I would love to help out in any way that I can! I love to do research :)

Until then...

Stay FABULOUS ;P

Bre

Give it up two times for Skin Care!! ;p

If your anything like me you used to wear makeup when you were between the ages of 14-19 which most likely consisted of foundation, neutral eyeshadow, lip gloss and that's it. Also, you might of applied eyeshadow with your fingers as well as the lip gloss etc. Then at some point after 19 you went to college and well you lived off your college hooded sweater, pajama pants, addidas sandals with funky socks and your hair was always in a ponytail or bun and you had no makeup on...lol You only went all out when you went clubbing (which primarily happened during your freshman year due to the instant freedom you received from the parental units) and as time went by you became used to no makeup with the occasional lip balm! lol

I have to laugh when I look back because WOW that was sooooo ME. At some point, I lost touch with makeup and all things that made me feel...well, FABULOUS! And now I look back and see that even when I was doing some type of makeup I was doing it wrong too! lol

So now I have been on this new journey. A "New Me" journey. I have to thank all the lovely people who have inspired and helped me along the way on Blogger and Youtube. This has been and continues to be a fun and great learning experience.

I have decided to share with you my journey of learning this all over again the right way! lol And not just makeup but fashion, hair, beauty care, fitness and health and nails too! I sort of started all over the place but now that I have done the research and continue to do so, I want to share the basics and continue to do so as I get better and better. I hope to reach out to people that have been in my same position and want to do things for themselves again - whether your a recent mommy, college student, in high school, or your a person that has let yourself go it is never too late to get back into things that make you feel BEAUTIFUL and HEALTHY!

**THIS IS ALL MY PERSONAL OPINION - FEEL FREE TO SHARE DIFFERENCES AS WE ARE ALL HERE TO SHARE AND LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER**

So from what I have gathered, the single most important thing to do before even getting into makeup is getting to know your skin. Your skin has its own characteristics and react to things differently as other skin types. You must first determine what type of skin you have:

"Is my skin Oily"?

"Is my skin Dry"?

"Is my skin Normal"?

"Is my skin a combo of those"?

Here's a lady from Expert Village on youtube on determining your skin type due to your skins characteristics:

I thought this to be a great video on how to determine your skin type. Since I was younger, I always thought my skin was oily and it just might be but then again I never tested my face in the morning. Ijust assumed it to be oily but then again that was years ago when I had "Acne proned" skin. I will be testing my skin tomorrow to figure out my skin type. This will make it easier for me when it's time to determine the type of products I will need to care for my face. After all, skin is the single most important factor here. Your makeup can be flawless but it will still look shitty if you don't takegood care of your skin.

Are you going to put yourself to the test? Let me know what you figure out and if you want to take this journey with me come right along! Also, if you have done this before and know of any other ways to determine your skin type, please share your thoughts I would love to hear form ya!

Until next time!

Bre

XOXO