By Luna Vale Let’s get one thing straight: this routine didn’t clear my skin overnight. It wasn’t magical, aesthetic, or expensive. It took months of trial and error (and yes, a few ugly crying sessions in my bathroom mirror). But after years of painful cystic acne, products that made things worse, and being this close to giving up, I finally found a 5-step routine that worked for my sensitive, breakout-prone skin. I’m not saying this will be your miracle cure—but I am saying that if your skin has ever made you want to cancel plans, cry in the car, or scream at another $80 product that didn’t work… I see…

By Luna — who used to cry over breakouts and now smiles at her reflection (even when her skin’s not perfect) Let me just say it straight: this is not one of those “Get perfect skin in 7 days!” lies written by someone who’s never had a pimple or survived a bad reaction to a serum that costs more than groceries. This is for the girls who’ve picked at their faces in fluorescent bathroom light. This is for the girls who’ve canceled plans because of a breakout. This is for the girls who want to glow — not just in skin, but in spirit. If you give me seven days,…

By Luna Vale Let me paint a picture: I’m standing in front of my bathroom mirror, shelf packed with serums, essences, exfoliants, and moisturizers that promised me glass skin and gave me… emotional damage. My skin’s dry, angry, and flaking off like it’s trying to quit me. I’ve spent rent money trying to fix it. And yet, the thing that finally calms the storm? A $2 tub of Vaseline. Yes. Vaseline. The petroleum jelly your grandma probably used for everything from chapped lips to diaper rash. I used to think it was too old-school to actually work. Like, “bless her heart” kinda advice. But now? I owe her an apology…

Let’s be real—foundation shopping when you have sensitive, acne-prone skin feels like walking through a landmine field. One wrong move and boom—you’ve got clogged pores, a breakout from hell, or a rash that makes you look like you just lost a fight with a jalapeño. And don’t even get me started on how expensive those “dermatologist-recommended” ones are, only for your face to respond with a dramatic “absolutely not.” I’ve been through it. I’m still going through it. But over the years (and yes, thousands of dollars later—don’t judge me), I’ve narrowed down a list of actually tolerable foundations. If your skin is high-maintenance like mine, keep reading. I bought…

This post may contain affiliate links which means if you make a purchase through my link,i will get a small commission at no extra cost to you.i only recommended the product I love and trust. Okay, let’s just start with this: I did not expect to fall in love with a $12 drugstore moisturizer. I’ve been that girl who’s spent $80 on a cream that promised to make me glow like a K-pop star—only for my sensitive skin to scream, “Absolutely not.” So, when I first saw this budget-friendly moisturizer trending, I rolled my eyes a little. I thought, “Cute packaging, probably too heavy, probably will break me out, probably…

By Luna Vale You know that moment when you’re 17 scrolls deep into BeautyTok at 11:46 PM, and suddenly you’re convinced that slugging with raw honey or icing your face with a literal popsicle is going to change your skin (and maybe your life)? Yeah, same. I’ve been there more times than I care to admit—and I still fall for it sometimes. So in the spirit of “I did this so you don’t have to,” I decided to try 5 viral skincare hacks making the rounds right now to see what’s actually worth your time (and what your skin might lowkey hate you for). Let’s get into it. 1. Slugging…

Let’s rewind a few years. I was 25, miserable, and very shiny (not in the cute dewy way—more like oil-slick-meets-stress-sweat). My skin was throwing a tantrum on the daily. Cystic acne, redness, dry patches and flaking, all at once. I’d walk into Sephora with false hope, walk out with an empty wallet and another product that would make me cry two days later. Sound familiar? I have sensitive, reactive, hormonal skin—a combo that, frankly, feels like a curse sometimes. But after way too many bad decisions (looking at you, DIY lemon mask), I finally found a routine—and a lifestyle—that got my breakouts under control. This isn’t a miracle cure. It’s…