Cartilage/Helix Piercing! Experience and Day 3

Hey guys!

So recently I just got my left cartilage pierced (on Nov. 16, 2K13). I thought that it would be an interesting idea to share this experience with you, and I also thought that this would be a lot of fun.

I got my cartilage pierced at a professional tattoo&piercings shop with a 16 gauge needle. I personally don't recommend getting your cartilage pierced at Claire's, Icings, or even Piercing Pagoda because they all use guns, and those are more traumatic for your cartilage than a needle. A hollow needle actually removes the skin and bone where your piercing is going to be, when a gun pushed the earring directly in your ear. Having your cartilage piercing done with a gun can and possibly will make your cartilage shatter.

My piercer marked my ear with a marker, and sanitized everything and pulled out a clean, new needle still in the packaging. The told me to breathe continuously and before I knew it, my piercing was done. Of course, I still had the needle in my ear, but that actually didn't hurt much. A part I clearly remember is feeling the needle go through the first layer of skin, the bone, then the last layer of skin. It didn't hurt too bad, but it was a strange enough sensation. I got a silver flatback for my initial earring - when he put in the earring, that was the worst part. I would say maybe a 2 out of a 5 pain scale, which really isn't that bad. It felt hot and a bit sore throughout the day, but nothing unbearable. Here's a picture of the piercing, right after it was done -

Cartilage piercings are notorious for being extremely irritable and easily infected. The healing period is a lot longer than a regular lobe piercing. You have to be very careful for the first several weeks to not pull or tug at it, and clean it vigorously. To clean it, I use H2Ocean (around 10 dollars from amazon.com) twice or three times a day. I spray a bit into a clean cup so I don't waste anything, and let a Q-tip soak it up. Then I push the earring to the back (VERY GENTLY) and clean the front part. Then I push it forward (ALSO VERY GENTLY) and clean the back. Then I make sure that the ball part is still screwed on tight (ALSO VERY VERY GENTLY). Then I leave it alone - try your best not the touch it! 

Something I realized really early on from having this piercing is that it gets caught on EVERYTHING. I'm going to have to wear my hair up for several weeks so nothing gets tangled up while the piercing is still fresh. I'm super careful when pulling on and off my shirts, and keeping my hair from the piercing at all times. The second day of having the piercing, I was just out of the shower and was putting my hair up with a towel, but it got caught in my hair and pulled so hard that I started crying. Holding your phone up to your ear while calling people is a problem too. I slammed my phone up to my ear once and I freaked out because it hurt so badly. The piercing is really sensitive so try to keep your hair pinned from it until it heals a bit. Here's a picture I just took of my ear - 

   

Yes, I did get my second holes done the day after my cartilage piercing. I got it done at Piercing Pagoda,where I got my first holes. Piercing Pagoda, unlike Claire's or Icings, use one-time use guns so there isn't any chance of other peoples' blood or anything getting on to you. I felt safe about that, and because I had good experience there my first time, I felt okay with going there for my lobes. But for cartilage, DO go to a professional place with a needle!

As you can see in the picture above, the redness has gone down significantly. It's been healing nicely, absolutely no problems at all. It's still tender to the touch, which is expected. I've had some crusties lately, but that's a sign of healing so I'm good with that. Overall, I LOVE my cartilage piercing and how it looks, can't wait until it fully heals (which can take up 6 mo-1 year). I'll keep you guys updated soon, and thank you for reading! :)

My Opinion About Miley Cyrus

There's been so much controversy and attention towards Miley Cyrus lately. What do you guys think? Leave a comment below! :)

Obviously, there has been a lot of comparisons to her being Hannah Montana a while back. But what I think is that Disney was the past for her, and I don't understand why it affects what she does now. She was discovered and rose to her first wave of fame through Disney, but she has accomplished a lot of different since then. Tons of people are saying that her fanbase is young, and she's losing a lot of fans for her "inappropriateness". She recently did an interview, finally stating that Hannah Montana is totally, completely gone. Hannah Montana had been gone for a several years anyway, the movie was finished, the TV show was canceled, and the tours eventually ended. I think it's unfair for her to be criticized  for her past and how she's living now.

I think of her as a strong individual, someone who's very open and unafraid to voice her opinions and ideas. That's an admirable quality, but I do think that swinging across on a wrecking ball naked was unnecessary. I don't question who she is now. I think that showing a personal side of her and giving a peek to her relationship with Liam was a very brave thing to do, and I'm sure she knew how much criticism she was going to get.

Some other people, who act and dress a lot like Miley, such as Rhianna, isn't frowned upon. So the aspect of Disney is really showing through here.

Also, I would like to point out something that gets overlooked very often. You can't argue that her voice is incredible. At the end of the day, she's a singer. Singing is what she does, and she is pretty damn good at it. I think if we were to look past the videos or publicity, I think many of us can agree that her voice is phenomenal.

REVIEW: Clean and Clear Advantage Acne Moisturizer

Let's go back with a little bit of a story.
I used the Clean and Clear Dual Action Oil-Free Moisturizer for about a year and half, going through about two or three bottles of the stuff. I would have called it my holy grail product, as it helped control my acne and was super moisturizing, and the superb packaging with the pump did not hurt. I still do love it. But the thing was, I was really oily. In the morning when I would wake up, there my face would be layered with oil. Not pretty at all. And at the end of the day, my face (mostly nose and the forehead) had a substantial amount of oil piled up.

I never knew that a simple change of a moisturizer could change that.
Don't get me wrong - the Dual Action Moisturizer is a phenomenal product, but I think it's geared a bit more towards to normal to dry skinned girls. I would still pick up the product, but I think I've found its replacement, and I think for the better.

The Clean and Clear Advantage Acne Moisturizer looks like this:


Packaging:
The packaging is a basic grey color with a purple pump. In my opinion, the bottle is supreme quality. The pump is very precise, it comes so that if you turn the pump, you can lock it so no product spills out. It's easy to grip and the pump is very easy to use.

Price:
I got mine for about 6.99 USD at Walgreens. I would say that that's a great price for 4 fluid oz. of the product. It will last you a long time, too.

The actual product:
The texture is very smooth, blends and soaks into the skin easily and quickly. It moisturizes very well but comes to a pretty matte finish. Even with the finish, the product is very moisturizing and the .05% salicylic acid does not dry out the skin at all (for me, at least). It does help control acne, in my opinion. I rarely break out much any more, but I think this helps me a lot with that. The scent isn't unpleasant, but it's not overwhelmingly delicious either. It's hard to describe the scent, but it does fade away quickly.

Do I recommend?
YES. I really do love this product! I think this would be a bit better for us oily girls (or guys) out there, and as I mentioned above, the Dual Action one for the dry to normal skin. It helps to control my acne beautifully, and for the price, you can't beat!

TAG: 100 Questions No One Asks!

Hellooo!
I'm really sorry about not writing for months now. I had a lot of time, but I just didn't get around to it. No excuses there...

My family and I are finally in New Mexico now, and I really like it here - it's a lot different than what I thought it would be. Everything is LITERALLY a 15 minutes' drive away, like Target, Ross, Albertsons, you name it. It's freaking fantabulous.

Anyway, I thought it would be awesome for me to do the 100 Questions No One Asks Tag just because it looks really fun! I saw yunging19 on YouTube do it (look her up, she's fabulous) and I was like "THIS IS CALLING MY NAMEE". Haha talk about cheesy.

1:Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed? CLOSED. Even if it's a tiny bit open I feel like some zombie thing is going to be peeking out at me when I wake up, so yeah...

2:Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotel? Sometimes, but I never use them because they're usually crap.

3:Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out? I don't sleep with sheets, just a blanket... It's too hot for that here.

4:Have you ever stolen a street sign before? Erm, no? Sounds fun though.

5:Do you like to use post-it notes? ABSOLUTELY NOTTT.

6:Do you cut out coupons but then never use them? No. I usually don't cut out coupons but if I do, they're ones of stores I actually go to, and I take careful measures to use them. Hahah

7:Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of a bees? Easy. Bear. Bugs (includings bees) scare the flying shit out of me. 

8:Do you have freckles? Nope. 

9:Do you always smile for pictures? It's a 50/50 between smiling or the Joker.

10:What is your biggest pet peeve? I have a lot, but when people next to me at school use those squeaky pencils? UNACCEPTABLE. JUST NO.

11:Do you ever count your steps when you walk? When I walk down down stairs I do.  

12:Have you ever peed in the woods? I think so?

13:What about pooped in the woods? No.

14:Do you ever dance even if theres no music playing? YES. All the time, but with my luck it's usually when I don't see the obvious crowd twenty feet of me and they stare at me like O.o

15:Do you chew your pens and pencils? Nooooooooo.

16:How many people have you slept with this week? Negative three.

17:What size is your bed? Twin, I think?

18:What is your Song of the week? WE CAN'T STOP BY MILEY CYRUS. 

19:Is it okay for guys to wear pink? Who cares? It's fine.

20:Do you still watch cartoons? No. I don't do animation except like Finding Nemo.

21:Whats your least favorite movie? STANDING OVATION. WTF WAS THAT.

22:Where would you bury hidden treasure if you had some? No, I would rather keep it in a shoebox.

23:What do you drink with dinner? Water or milk. Maybe grape or apple juice but we never have that.

24:What do you dip a chicken nugget in? Ketchup or sweet and sour sauce.

25:What is your favorite food? I don't know... I'll eat anything as long as it's food.

26:What movies could you watch over and over and still love? I Am Sam and Goodwill Hunting. 

27:Last person you kissed/kissed you? My imaginary hamster.

28:Were you ever a boy/girl scout? Nope.

29:Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine? ;)

30:When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper? When I was a camp. A month and a half ago.

31:Can you change the oil on a car? No... 

32:Ever gotten a speeding ticket? Not old enough to drive. But I probably wouldn't, I'm super paranoid on that kind of stuff. 

33:Ever ran out of gas? OOOH hahah I was like three, but when we lived in Korea we did, and this dude came and filled it up with a red bottle.

34:Favorite kind of sandwich? The Jefferson at a place called Bellair (I hope that's how you spell it) where I used to live.

35:Best thing to eat for breakfast? I've been eating a lot of cereal lately.

36:What is your usual bedtime? During the school year, 10'ish? Summer, like 1?

37:Are you lazy? Sometimes.

38:When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween? The classic witch. Super creative.

39:What is your Chinese astrological sign? I don't know what this is asking for but I'm a dragon and a gemini.

40:How many languages can you speak? Two, Korean and English.

41:Do you have any magazine subscriptions? Nope...

42:Which are better Legos or Lincoln Logs? I don't know. Legos?

43:Are you stubborn? Yeahhhh.

44:Who is better...Leno or Letterman? Letterman but they're basically the same.

45:Ever watch soap operas? Nope. Disney all the way. Hahaha

46:Are you afraid of heights? No, I love them.

47:Do you sing in the car? Yeah. Who doesn't? Sometimes I sing to random people on the street as we're driving by like "AS LONG AS YOU LOVE MEEEE".

48:Do you sing in the shower? Sometimes.

49:Do you dance in the car? Yeah. 

50:Ever used a gun? Nope.

51:Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer? School picture last year.

52:Do you think musicals are cheesy? I've only seen a couple Broadway ones, and they were magical.

53:Is Christmas stressful? We don't really do much on Christmas. We don't buy a lot of stuff. I usually get my bigger pieces of technology during then. So not really.

54:Ever eat a pierogi? What the hell is that.

55:Favorite type of fruit pie? Apple pie?

56:Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid? Popstar, doctor, surgeon, lawyer, FBI agent, all kinds of stuff.

57:Do you believe in ghosts? Not really, but stuff like "Ghost Busters" terrify me. At night, in bed, I'm just like... "Am I going to die tonight?"

58:Ever have a Deja-vu feeling? Once in a month or so.

59:Take a vitamin daily? Nah.

60:Wear slippers? Nope

61:Wear a bath robe? Nah.

62:What do you wear to bed? Shorts and a T Shirt.

63:First concert? No clue.

64:Wal-Mart, Target or Kmart? TARGETTTTTTT.

65:Nike or Adidas? Nikes. Did you know that Adidas stands for "All Day I Dream About Sports"?

66:Cheetos Or Fritos? Cheetos.

67:Peanuts or Sunflower seeds? Doesn't matter.

68:Ever hear of the group Tres Bien? No?

69:Ever take dance lessons? When I was like four. I took ballet but quit because I was bored of the repetition.

70:Is there a profession you picture your future spouse doing? Lawyer, doctor, maybe? But not one that has like 14-hour work shifts.

71:Can you curl your tongue? Yep. Just did it.

72:Ever won a spelling bee? No. I'm not very good at spelling.

73:Have you ever cried because you were so happy? I don't think so. I've cried because I laughed too much at once.

74:Own any record albums? No.

75:Own a record player? I feel like #74 should have come before this one.

76:Regularly burn incense? Nope.

77:Ever been in love? No.

78:Who would you like to see in concert? THE SCRIPT. OR ED SHEERAN.

79:What was the last concert you saw? Lol I don't usually go to concerts. I was like 100 feet away from Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift when they performed, I lived right next to the stadium.

80:Hot tea or cold tea? Hot tea.

81:Tea or coffee? Tea.

82:Sugar or snickerdoodles? Doesn't make a difference.

83:Can you swim well? Yeah, I guess.

84:Can you hold your breath without holding your nose? Yep.

85:Are you patient? Haha NO.

86:DJ or band, at a wedding? DJ.

87:Ever won a contest? I don't think so...

88:Ever have plastic surgery? Nope. I think the chance of the doctor screwing up will keep me away for a while.

89:Which are better black or green olives? Olives are disgusting.

90:Can you knit or crochet? Knit. Heehee.

91:Best room for a fireplace? Living room, where else?

92:Do you want to get married? Yep.

93:If married, how long have you been married? Not married. 

94:Who was your HS crush? I haven't hit high school yet, entering eighth grade this year...

95:Do you cry and throw a fit until you get your own way? No. It won't work.

96:Do you have kids? No.

97:Do you want kids? Yes.

98:Whats your favorite color? Blue and purple. 

99:Do you miss anyone right now? My fraaands. 

BONUS JONAS QUESTION: Something that happened in middle school? 
Considering that I'm not done with it yet, I think I'll come back and answer next summer.

Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this really long tag! Comment below if you want me to write about anything else!!!

TAG: My Perfect Imperfections!

I haven't written in a really long time and I'm lying in bed sick, so I figured why not do the Perfect Imperfections tag? I saw this going around  YouTube and I was like "THIS IS SO INTERESTING" so I'm doing one of my own, just with words, not a YouTube video.

So in case any of you don't know what this tag is, you list three things you don't like about yourself, and another three things that you do love about yourself. Ready? All right!

My 3 Imperfections:

1. Acne
If you've read my blog post on how I'm working on clearing up my acne, you know that this is one of my biggest insecurities. I don't really mind it anymore, but the scarring and redness is still there. I don't like using makeup because I'm just paranoid about breaking out even more and my skin being ruined from makeup. So I don't really cover it up, so it's out there for everyone to see. I suffered from acne ever since the fourth or fifth grade, and it's still here, and I'm nearing the end of the seventh grade. People judge from the first impression, and usually the first impression is of the face or the body, and acne is just not that great of a first impression. But I've learned to live with it and I know that it will eventually be gone!

2. My belly
Haha this is one I'm hesitant to put up, but I know a lot of people have this problem so I figured, why not? I'm a pretty muscular person, but I do have some extra chub on my stomach. I'm trying to lose it, but I mean, it doesn't bother me too much. I still look fine in shirts and stuff, just not tight things. I'm trying to start eating healthier and work out a little bit more.

3. My fingernails
I have a hybrid of my parent's fingernails. I like mine overall (their texture, strength, ect.),  I just don't like the shape of them. They're pretty circular, except my pinkies, so when I put nail polish on it doesn't look as beautiful as some peoples' who have really nice and shaped fingernails. This one was really random.

My 3 "Perfections"! I see more positive things within me rather than my flaws, so this is just a little bit easier to come up with.

1. I LOVE MY HURR
My hair is really low maintenance, I can just wash and condition and let it air dry and it would look just fine. Nice and straight with a little inward wave at the ends. I've been having some problems with oily roots but that's usually because of the summer approaching. It's so easy to deal with and it grows pretty fast. I have some natural highlights and it's golden brown on my black to dark brown hair. I love that. I used to hate it, but I really like it now.

2. My personality
I've been told to be funny and easy to talk to. I think that's a pretty nice quality to have and I like those qualities in other people, too. I can be myself with others, I don't cover up who I am. I used to be sooooooooooooooo shy, whether that be me dancing with my friends or acting. Now I'm just like BRING THISSS OOOOONNNNNNN because it's something I love to do. I love being crazy and acting and finding ways to expressive. I'm usually agreeable, but I can be stubborn too. I don't like being weak, vulnerable. I like taking charge but I follow too. I have flaws in my personality - tons of them- but I feel like I have enough positive sides of me to balance it out.

3. My shoe size.
I wear size seven to an eight (in the US) and I know that it's the average shoe size for women, but they're just really easy to find shoes for me that are flattering, The funny thing is that I've had the same shoe size ever since I was like nine or ten, and I'm twelve now (almost thirteen!)

I hope you enjoyed that, you know me a lot better now!!!