Back in junior/senior year high school, I would only really wear mascara, and strictly only during the weekends (also a function of being in a conservative, all-girls school run by nuns). When I got to college, suddenly you were free to wear however much make-up/whatever nail polish color/dye your hair whatever color you please. So, I went crazy (as expected) and got into the whole powder foundation + concealer + blush + bronzer + mascara + lipgloss shebang! (You can probably also tell that this is when I started collecting make-up.) Yes, I wore all that, every day, every single day, in the humid Ateneo heat with rarely any airconditioned classes. (Currently cringing at the thought.) Then, fast forward to my first job 2 years ago (has it really been??), the stress from work made my hormones go CRAY and I had wave after wave after wave of acne - and I'm talking about severe acne all over my face that just wouldn't go away (I was told by my derma that it was stress-related, i.e. hormonal, therefore any topical treatments wouldn't really help since it's internal.) I don't think I ever got to experience a clear face for almost 2 years (No exaggerating, I pinky swear you!) I think my face resembled a Pinoy cheesebread. Below is a picture for your viewing (dis)pleasure:

As you can imagine, it did take a toll on my self-esteem (especially since I had never, again not exaggerating, experienced an acne breakout like that in grade school, high school, or even college; fear not, I'm not about to get all dramatic on this. I am stopping here.) As a response, I went even crazier and piled on heavy foundation and heavy concealer on top of my usual face routine. A year and a half into that routine and I realized it was not helping my skin's condition at all - it's like my skin couldn't breathe! That's when I decided to cut back on the make-up (also partly because I just got tired of it.) Now, I have a new daily face routine which is super easy, and super low-maintenance!

I love my:

Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer SPF15

Just your regular moisturizer with SPF. This is kind of thick though, so I do put on just a thin layer. It does also have that sunscreen-y scent, so if you don't like that, then this might not be the one for you. The good thing about this is that it doesn't break me out. Other facial sunblocks usually do. My derma would be proud!

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer

For under my eyes and to spot treat any blemishes. Given that this is not full-coverage, some blemishes do still peek through, but that's okay.

3W Clinic Powder

For a very light dusting over my T-Zone and in places where I've put concealer.

MAC eyeshadow in Espresso

I use this as a brow powder to lightly and quickly fill in my brows. Brow powder really is the way to go because you can never, ever overdo your brows with it. (Using a brow pencil when you're in a hurry can get really ugly, really fast!)

Ever Bilena lip & cheek tint

Just a quick dab, dab on my cheeks and lips. Literally just takes five seconds.

Mascara (Currently Using: Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill)

I give my lashes a quick squeeze 1-2-3 each and put on a coat of black mascara

Thankfully, my face has since started to clear up and right now, I'm just trying to clear up the remainder of some acne scars.

To anyone who is going through a rough time with acne, I'm sending you a BIG virtual hug. :) Drink lots of water, get enough rest, and eat healthily. Hang in there, it gets better. :)