{ Beauty } Muds and Masks

 I'll admit, among the piles of worries I have for the big day, one of them is my skin. I have combination skin and it's been an issue all my life. As a teen, I had breakouts all the time. My skin and I were not on speaking terms. I begged my mom for foundation to help hide the blemishes and blackheads... and when she finally gave in, it only made it worse. More oil. More breakouts. UGH!

It took a long time and a few years of Proactive use before I finally got it (mostly) under control. I still wrestle with my skin, mostly once a month (damn you, Mother Nature!). I still have oil issues and I hate how big my pores are... So I'm trying out a new regime.

Image Source / Drugstore.Com

Mint Julep smells delicious. Mud smells like... well, mud.

Washing morning and night (shouldn't we anyway?), oil-free make up, and I just started using Queen Helene masks... Never used a mud mask before, but apparently they shrink pores and dry up oil. Worth a shot! If the works, maybe my wedding worries of having to touch up my face every three minutes will be for naught.

I've been trying this routine in preparation for our engagement photos today and so far the results have been nice! At least for a day or two, my skin is less oily and it is silky smooth. My make up goes on smoothly and lasts longer... I think we've struck gold!

Did you try out any new beauty routines in preparation for your wedding or engagement pictures? Do you have any tried and true techniques?