Just an Update

Hi everyone! I'm sorry I haven't posted in quite a while, I have been so busy with school! Thanks for all the comments and support--it means so much to me!

Tomorrow I will be filming a project for English, and I will be doing stage makeup on all the girls in the project, so I will try my best to snag a few photos! Most of them will be playing older characters (old men in particular), so it will be interesting to see how this goes.

On another note, I was devastated this whole week due to the breakup of My Chemical Romance. They were the first punk-rock genre band I had ever listened to, so I am very grateful for their music, and I love them very much. I've been listening to them for so many years, it just blows my mind to know that they're finished! Even so, I can't wait to see what the band members will do individually, and I know that they are all very talented people!

Finally, a friend got me a new necklace from Korea that I am totally in love with! It has somewhat of a steampunk sort of feel to it, I will make sure to show you all in my next blog post!

Until then, thanks for all the support! 

<3 Momo

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At-Home Skin Remedies Using Natural, Cheap Ingredients

Hey everyone! So today's post is a little different. Today I will blogging about some easy, at-home skin remedies that can be made with simple grocery store items from your pantry! (Sorry, no pictures today)

*NOTE: I am not a professional. Everything on this blog post is what has worked for ME personally. Do I guarantee these will work for you? NO. Also, for many of these you have to continually use them for some time before you start to see results. I recommend a LOT of patience. Good luck with your skin! :D

I have combination skin, and I often suffer from acne or hyperpigmentation from acne scars. I used to spend lots of money at Walmart or at drugstores trying products like Neutrogena, Acne-Free, and Clean & Clear. None of them really helped my skin, so I started looking up alternative methods, which is where I got the idea of using more natural products for my skin, rather than harsh chemicals like salicylic acid. 


First of all, let's start with a CLEANSER!

I am currently using Quaker's Oats (just the cheap kind you can find in the grocery store!) to wash/gently exfoliate my face. I started this after watching a video by Bubzbeauty. This doesn't prevent/help acne much, but it is a great, natural way of cleansing your skin, and it is CHEAP. 

Like I said before, it makes me feel 10x better when I know that the things I put on my skin are edible food, not scary chemicals. 

This has honestly helped reduce hyperpigmentation, and given me smoother/ brighter skin overall. 

I've been doing this for about 2 weeks, and I'm not going to stop anytime soon! The only cons are that it is REALLY messy, especially if it gets in your hair...

Next, let's talk about toners/astringents. 

I have been using Heinz Apple Cider Vinegar for as an astringent/toner every night after cleansing my face. It's a very strong acid, so I would recommend 2 parts Apple Cider Vinegar to 1 part water or green tea (which is also great for skin!).
Apple Cider Vinegar has made such a difference with my acne, and again, I'm relieved that I don't have to put chemicals to be soaked in my skin!

I also have used just green tea as a toner, it works really well and tightens your skin very nicely! For the green tea method, I usually make a cup of green tea, and then pour that into a jar to use. Then, I will pour a little bit into a cotton pad to apply to my face every time I need it.


Next, I want to talk about MOISTURIZER. 

Just recently I realized that all the exfoliation and astringents were making my skin very dry and irritated. So, I decided to start using moisturizer right after I did my skin routine, and it has made my skin much happier! Yes, for this step I DO use a drugstore moisturizer, my favorite is Cetaphil! For the days that I want extra acne/blemish protection I like to add a few drops of tea tree oil to the moisturizer before applying to my face. Tea Tree Oil is a natural antiseptic, so it clears bad bacteria from your skin, preventing/helping acne.

Also, if you want to go the all-natural route, I have heard of people using jojoba oil as a moisturizer. Jojoba oil is generally thought to be so close to the human skin's oil (sebum) that it tricks the skin into thinking it has enough oil, and therefore regulates excess oil on skin which reduces acne!


AT-HOME MASKS/FACIALS
Also, if I want to moisturizer or help soothe dry skin, I usually juice some cucumbers to make a relaxing toner/mask. Once I have my juice, I will cut a mask out of paper towels, fold it up, and saturate it with the juice. I then leave it for 20 minutes before taking it off, waiting for it to fully dry, and then moisturizing. Cucumber is great for skin, which is why it's used in so many facials!

Another mask I do is an easy anti-acne facial made out of yogurt and honey. To make this, I put a big spoonful (trust me, you do NOT need much) of plain Greek Yogurt in a bowl. Then, I take two spoonfuls of honey, and mix the two together well until it creates a smooth consistency. I apply this to my face with my fingers (make sure they are clean!)! 

Yogurt has lactic acid (a gentle form of alpha hydroxy acid), which is great for skin brightening and helping your overall complexion. Honey is also commonly known to have anti-acne properties and it kills bacteria!

I hope you enjoyed this post, and thanks for taking the time to read it! Good luck with your skin, and let me know if you try anything! Thanks!

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Let's Talk About: Fingerless Gloves/Armwarmers

*Note: Sorry about the bad quality... I had to take these indoors in the nighttime and my lighting is terrible! ): Also I only took pictures of one hand, even though I wear them on both, because I have to hold my camera with the other...
I promise over the weekend I'll be able to take better pictures, and they might actually be outside! I have plans in mind for a full outfit blogpost, but for right now I'm waiting until I have time (and someone to help me take pictures...).

One of my favorite accessories for everyday wear is the fingerless glove or armwarmer.

I only own 2 pairs, but I wear them pretty much everyday! They are both dark-colored, so they go well with any outfit. I actually have never seen anyone else (in my school, at least) wear them (as everyday wear), which adds more to their appeal for me because I feel as though they are a part of MY personal style.

Both of these have a "punk rocker" feel to them, but honestly I love wearing them with anything.


The first pair was from Spencer's, and it cost around $8. They are Nightmare Before Christmas (I'm a Tim Burton fan!). They're more armwarmers than gloves, and are made out of thicker, sweater-y type material. They have Jack Skellington's face patched on top! 

The next pair was a Christmas gift from a friend, and she purchased them at Claire's. I do believe she got them on sale, but I don't know how much it really cost. Again, sorry for the quality.

These gloves are shorter than the armwarmers, and made out of a thin, cotton fabric rather than the knit fabric of the armwarmers. The design on this glove is a pink metal skull-and-crossbones charm with a pink chain connecting to a zipper! And no, unfortunately the zipper isn't a pocket... it's just a design.

And that is all! Thanks for reading and putting up with the quality! I promise better pictures and a more interesting post next time! (:

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My New Knee-High Converse!

Hey everyone! Sorry for the late blog post! 

Yesterday I received my knee-high Converse in the mail! They are purple Converse XX-Hi sneakers. 

They are a fantastic and gorgeous color, and I am so happy with them! 

I was originally going to get black, but I decided to get these vibrant raspberry-purple ones instead, and I'm glad I did!

Can't wait to style new outfits with these!

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Remington Wet 2 Straight Hair Straightener Review

Hey everyone! 

Today I want to review the 2-inch Remington Wet2Straight flat iron! I got this yesterday at Target for $27.99. (You can also find the 1-inch version at Target for $25.99)

I was really excited to get it because I haven't straightened my hair in forever (since my last flat iron stopped working).

I tried this yesterday night after I came out of the shower on my wet hair. I set the flat iron to level 20, because I didn't want to damage my hair too much, but I wanted it to dry my hair. It took me about 12 minutes to do half of my hair, and my roots were still a bit damp. However, since I have very thick hair, it dried my hair pretty fast. 

In the morning, I woke up and did the other side of my hair (I let it air-dry), and touched-up the side I had straightened the night before. To straighten dry hair, I set it on level 5, which worked fine. It took me only 5-6 minutes to finish the side, and I also did a few touch-ups and my bangs/sideburn fringe, which altogether took about 15 minutes, counting the time I took to spray heat protectant, as well (I use Not Your Mother's heat guard from Walmart, $5). Also, I did this without sectioning and separating the layers in my hair.

All in all, great product, and I would totally recommend! My hair feels silky and soft for a change. I would recommend a heat protectant spray because any flat iron can really damage your hair. Be sure to limit heat if you want your hair to stay healthy! 

(awkward pictures of me, haha)

(Yes, that is my real hair! It's gotten so long! :D) 

Thanks guys!

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Review: e.l.f. 32 Piece Eyeshadow Palette

Hey everyone!
Today I will be reviewing the 32 cool color eyeshadow palette from e.l.f. (eyes lips face). You can find their website at http://www.eyeslipsface.com My friend got me this palette for Christmas, and I absolutely love it! She got it for $5 at Urban Outfitters. 

I totally love it, especially because I am a huge sucker for bright colors, and the first two rows of this palette are dedicated to beautiful blues, greens, pinks, and purples. 

In the following two pictures, I am swatching my favorite color from the palette, it is a gorgeous yellow green with a tiny bit of shimmer in it. 

I don't have any pictures of me wearing the eyeshadow, but I will probably post some up later because I absolutely adore this palette and I'm sure will be using it all the time! 

I've found the colors in this palette to be quite pigmented, some more than others, but I'd suggest using a good eyelid primer so the colors can stick better and show up more vibrantly. I found that without primer the brighter colors (the first two rows) tend to not show up very well (and my skin is not dark).

That is all I can say! It's a great palette! The only thing I wish was different would be some more bright colors instead of the greys and browns, but overall it has a great color choice!

Thanks for reading!

(All of these pictures were taken by me with my Nikon D200).

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Welcome!

Hi,

Welcome to The Alternative Muffin, a blog for alternative punk rock fashion and beauty! My name is Momo, but you can call me Monsterkitty.

Here you'll find a wardrobe that might be a little crazy, a little rocker, but 100% fun and genuinely me. I have a crazy imagination, and that'll definitely show in this blog!

Can't wait to get to know you all!

Momo

P.S. I'm a little strange.

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