hello, my fellow lovelies!

okay i've never posted before-- just lurked around the threads (btw, you all have helped me so much with makeup even though you don't know, so thanks a lot!).

my complexion is NW50 (for all the people who can tell color by mac shades, lol), and my nose gets really oily within a few minutes of me washing my face and/or putting on makeup, and the rest of my face follows within a couple of hrs. my face was so oily once, my brother took a picture of me once and looked at it and thought i was sweating!

i also have discoloration, which are very dark marks on my temples, and my whole face isn't really one color. the texture has gotten better since i got glycolic peels in high school, and have exfoliated every day since then but overall, i'm still not happy. let's just say concealer is my best friend.

i am having a hard time finding good skincare products. i don't know if it's really a matter of color, but quite frankly whenever a product tells me that one of it's main points is to "take away the redness," i just end up going (O_o)

i currently use Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating Daily Scrub which is GREAT for keeping my skin clear. my mom made me use Nadinola for the discoloration, but it doesnt work.

i REALLY wanted to try Rx for Brown Skin, and ordered it off the website. i was so excited, but when the purchase didnt go through, they didnt return my emails, and no one answers the phone, i gave up on obtaining it (and no, there isn't a Sephora in the area that sells it). with all of that, i decided not try to purchase it from the Sephora website, because i don't think that's how a business should be conducted, and i am forever deterred.

okay, so basically all of that was to ask you guys
WHAT SKINCARE PRODUCTS SHOULD I USE?!
i am not looking to be 10 shades lighter or anything, i just want good, clear, smooth skin that's reasonably one color.
is that so much for a girl to ask? :-(

sorry that was so long, but thanks in advance for any help you can offer :-)

My recs are to use products with some form of retinol: they help fade discolorations and gently exfoliate. Products with retinol are usually marketed as wrinkle creams.

My routine:

wash with Garnier or Olay cleanser
Neutrogena Healthy Skin Antiwrinkle Cream SP15 (morning)
Roc Retinol Actif Pur Antiwrinkle Treatment Night (evening)

I use each of the following once or twice a week:

Origins Clear Improvement Mask (helps soak up oil)
Body Shop Vitamin C Cleansing Face Polish (heavier exfoliation)

This is pretty much all that I do. I'm NC50, like yourself. I tend to have an oily nose that somehow manages to be flaky at the same time, LOL. And dry patches on my cheeks that get kind of red and itchy at times. And an increasing tendency towards hyperpigmentation as I get older.

This routine keeps my skin in good shape, and it's relatively inexpensive. My face is probably about as uniformly one color as is possible for a WoC; there are a lot of days when I don't wear makeup.

__________________
"Be yourself, everyone else is already taken."
Oscar Wilde

I'm NC50 too, combination skin type with quite dry cheeks and I use Origins products...they're quite expensive but so worth it. I would recommend...

-Checks and Balances Cleanser (the best facial wash I've used minimises oily t-zone without drying out my cheeks)
-Modern Friction Scrub (it fades any type of discolouration and you see a noticeable difference straight away, it makes my skin so smooth, soft and glowy)
-Clear Improvement Mask (already been mentioned but does wonders for soaking up oil!)

I personally use A Perfect World Moisturiser because I find it's not too heavy for my t-zone but moisturises my cheeks, you may want to go for something like the Have A Nice Day SPF Lotion which is lighter but still quite nice.

__________________
Lipgloss Junkie

Select Tint: NC50

I suffered like you for years with the same super-oily problem, and finally got it beat with a combination of Paula's Choice (Cosmetics Cop) and Peter Thomas Roth products. My current routine:

AM:
1) PC One Step Cleanser for Oily Skin
2) PC 2% BHA Liquid
3) PTR Oil Free Moisturizer (Clinique Turnaround Concentrate works OK too)

PM:
1) MAC Cleansing Oil (removes makeup)
2) PC Skin Balancing Cleanser

3) Alternate between
a) PC 5% Benzoyl Peroxide (keeps blemishes at bay, especially at THAT
time me of the month)
b) PTR 10% Glycolic Acid Hydrating Gel (to gently fade hyperpigmentation
The above routine has been my HG for about 2 years now, and for the first time EVER, I can actually go out without foundation because my skin is clear. It isn't perfect, but at least there are no dark spots or blemishes. I sill get a bit oily, so to combat that, my makeup routine is
1) Shiseido SFP55 sun protection lotion (sunscreen is critical with the glycoloc acid, and the Shiseido also absorbs mattifies)
2) Estee Lauder Doublewear Liquid foundation
3) Mac Blot powder

Final tip: As gorgeous as all those IPPs etc. are, stay AWAAAAAY from shimmer on face. I only use the lightest sweep of MSF or low-shimmer blush to gently highlight my cheeks, and make sure that the rest of my face is matte to contrast, otherwise I just look oily/sweaty.

HTH!

Oops, double post

sunscreen. it will help to fade dark marks on your skin and keep them away.

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NC45/50 + MSFN: Dark
MUFE: HD - 173 + 177
MAT VELVET - 75
SALE!!

I am a big fan of the Mario Badescu glycolic line. I use the cleanser and toner. They work a little bit slowly, but really helped even out my skin tone. I also use Dermalogica's Mirco Exfoliant and Dior's Abrasion Anti Rides exfoliant (soo worth the $$$!!!)

I used to have really bad pigmentation. And the only thing that really helps is being gentle and time. Always use a sunscreen, because you don't wanna go back out there and undo all your hard work! And just remember that sometimes you need a more gentle approach.

I think that darker skin (or mine atleast) tends to mark more easily, so you want to really be gentle to avoid creating more marks.

Oh, also I've just started to use rosehip oil at night to help moisturise. Just one or two drops massaged into my face..and my skin is sooo smooth when I wake up. I think I'm going to try and see how it goes

question: do you use the PC liquids strictly for blemishes, or does it help with other issues with your skin (texture, oil, etc)?
since i hardly ever have an issue with blemishes, i just want to know all it helps with before i decide whether or not i want to get it.

thanks in advance.

^^sorry about the late reply but I was really busy this week

Anyway, I use the Benzoyl Peroxide for blemishes, so if that isn't a problem for you, you can prolly skip that. The salicylic acid (BHA) and glycolic acids (AHA) are for exfoliating, texturizing and evening tone so you might want to stick with those, along with sunscreen (essential if you want the dark spots to stay away) and moisturizer (in case the BHA dries you out too much).

TBQH, I have not found any 1 magic item that helps with the oil, however, what I have noticed is that the combo above has been very effective in making my skin generally healthy, and that healthiness includes not only fewer blemishes and a finer texture, but also far less oil production.

I recommend that you check out the paula's choice website, or go to Sephora and look into the DDF or Peter Thomas Roth lines. All three carry virtually the same products, but PC is much cheaper, although only available online. I find PTR and DDF to be almost identical to each other, but a little more elegant than the Paula's Choice and a lot more $$.

Lmk if you have any more ?? Happy to help!