Ways to Control Rosacea

   Rosacea is a problem I've had to live with since I was very young. Every time I went outside and there was wind blowing, my face would turn -red- and become blotchy, not to mention itchy and puffy. It scared the neighborhood kids; hell it scared me half to death.

   My parents are practical people and external afflictions were not a concern to them. After much begging and pleading from me (a seven year old me), they sought alternative Eastern medicine which did nothing to ease my condition. What it did was traumatize me because the treatments were brutal.

   Once they forced me to take large circular pills made out of snakes (skin or meat I don't ever want to know) which I couldn't even swallow because they were the size of marbles. Marbles! It stopped when my parents declared they had no more money to help me. How could you tell a 10 year old you don't want to help with a skin condition because you would rather buy a house with your money?

   Ever since then, I've been on a quest to find treatments for my rosacea on my own. There is no cure, and the research is not as extensive as what has been presented for acne. Often those suffering from rosacea and even dermatologists will mistake rosacea for acne since rosacea can present bumps and breakouts along with redness. Always get a 2nd opinion on your skin and don't trust 1 person's judgment.

   Dermatologists in the past diagnosed and treated me for acne. Now my skin is discolored from the Retinol products AND red. I probably added 10 years of damage to my liver by taking the cycline medications (tetracycline, and some others).

Since I can't cure it, I try to ease it with certain products.

Eucerin Redness Relief Soothing Night Crème, 1.7 Ounce combines a redness easing ingredient with a green tint in the lotion which helps to cover up the redness. This lotion is non-comedogenic, has SPF 15, and is oil-free.
This is a great choice for anyone who doesn't wear makeup or foundation. It does make my skin a bit pale, but I use loose powder over it and it works.



There is also a Eucerin Redness Relief Soothing Night Crème, 1.7 Ounce . I prefer the day lotion when my rosacea is at its worst, but use this once in awhile. The reason why I like Eucerin's products are because they're affordable (not as expensive as other rosacea targeting products) and they're great for sensitive skin.

Another redness relief product is Eucerin Soothing Cleanser, Redness Relief, 6.8 oz. This cleanser is very mild. I use it during winter months when my skin is very dry. It doesn't dry out skin or gives you a tight skin feeling.

Always apply SPF before going out in the sun. The exposure to sunlight can make rosacea worse.

Vitamin D can ease rosacea so be sure to include this in your daily diet.

It is difficult to pinpoint why rosacea develops, but anything can be contributing factors. Weather, diet and exercise, stress, and skin care products can play a major role in controlling your skin.

What is your experience with rosacea or skin redness? Do you often feel judged or embarrassed by this condition?

Korres Face Primer Product Review

Sephora had a sale a few months ago that offered 2 Korres face primers for the price of 1. I stocked up enough to last me in case I get robbed. At least I'll have my dignity and well-hidden primers. Nothing more dangerous than a robber who likes to look good on your dime.

I love this primer because it's silicone-free, is 99% natural, and is formulated with antioxidants and vitamin E. If you have sensitive skin like me, ANYTHING will break me out. Silicone primers feel disgusting and greasy. They make my T-zone shine like bright lights in a football stadium. Except my T-zone doesn't look as exciting.

If you wear mineral, powder, or liquid foundation, primer is a MUST. The Korres face primer's formula is not thick or oily. It's more of a lightweight cream and almost resembles a moisturizer.

Apply this primer over your moisturizer or sunscreen. Some beauty experts also suggest that applying face primer at night over your moisturizer or night treatment helps seal the product so your skin will absorb it more.

A must have for anyone with sensitive or dry skin, skin that's prone to breakouts, or anyone who wants a natural primer that doesn't have parabens, synthetic dyes and fragrances, sulfates, Tryclosan, PPG, MEA, DEA, TEA, and Formaldehyde Donors --> these pose potential risks to your health. 

I'm not sponsored for this review and I bought these primers out of my own pockets.

What's my rating?

4.5 out of 5  (minus .5 for the price, but primers are usually expensive anyway)
One tube will last me 4-5 months

Check out the Korres face primer here

Beauty Giveaway - CLOSED -

Who wants to win some free stuff? Well here it is! For my first giveaway, 3 lucky random winners will be picked for:

                                                                                


1ST PRIZE:   Macy's Shiseido free complimentary facial service gift certificate + 
                    Shiseido Bioperformance super corrective serum sample

2ND PRIZE:  20 samples in a BareEscentuals makeup bag

3RD PRIZE:  15 samples

Samples include Fekkai, Ole Henriksen, Clinique, Clarins, Bareminerals, John Frieda, Aveeno, Garnier Fructis, Nexxus, and many more!

To enter:


1. Follow this blog or like my Facebook page (info. is on the right side of this site)

1 entry per household per day


 Contest Rules and Disclosure: Open to all U.S. residents only. One contest entry allowed per household. Contest starts October 25, 2011 and ends November 2, 2011. Winners will be picked November 4, 2011. Any information you enter is confidential and will not be shared. By submitting your information, you are entering this giveaway only and are not signing up for any email lists. Administrator will pick 3 winners by using random.org to generate winning numbers. Your submission will be attached to a number in the order it was received. The process of selecting winners will be fully documented and posted on youtube.com/delphik77. By entering this giveaway and all future giveaways, you agree not to hold administrator of these giveaways responsible for any legal actions. Winners will be contacted via email and must respond within 5 days to claim prize. 

This contest is not sponsored in any way by the products in the giveaway. Samples and products have been obtained by administrator from each company included in the giveaway.

Ebates.com, A Site That Pays You Back for Shopping Online

We all turn to online shopping for great deals and to save money.
Ebates is a site that pays you back a certain percentage every time you click on a store link through Ebates.

Sign up for Ebates - You get a $10 gift card or a $5 Ebates credit for signing up.

How it works:

• Click on the website you'll be shopping in Ebates - JCPenney, Target, and Best Buy are a few examples

• Each site offers a different cash back amount - Most stores offer 1-8% cash back, but there are others who offer even more than that.

• After you make your purchase, your cash back will be credited to your account within 1-2 weeks. If you don't see it during that time, contact Customer Care and your cash will immediately be posted to your account.

So, sign up, click, buy, save! How easy is that? Get cash back for the apparel, baby stuff, electronics, kitchen appliances, basically anything you would have purchased anyway!

There is a Tell-A-Friend program that rewards you with money or prizes such as an iPad for referring new members to the site. Once new members make their first purchase through Ebates, you get money or prizes. 

Earn $5 for every qualified member you refer (they must sign up for an Ebates account and make their first purchase totaling $5 or more)
- Refer 10 people, get a $150 gift card
- Refer 20 people, get a $300 gift card
- Refer 50 people, get an iPad2 or $750

What are you waiting for? Go sign up now and put more money back in your pockets!

Here is my Ebates referral link. You can always go directly to ebates.com to sign up too.

What is Swagbucks? How to get started

There are several sites where you can earn money or gift cards in exchange for a few minutes of your day. It's like saving up spare change to spend on great prizes.

One of my trusted sites is Swagbucks.com. It's a free site where you earn points to redeem Paypal credits, gift cards, and an assortment of random prizes. You can earn points for taking daily polls, by using the search box (like Google or Yahoo search), or completing special offers like watching short video clips. Points are called Swagbucks. I'll explain the site step-by-step.

Earn: The 'Earn' tab lists all the various ways you can earn points.

Coupons - 10 points for every coupon you print and redeem. You can also add coupons to your grocery or rewards card so no need to print.

Daily deals - These are similar to Groupon or Livingsocial deals. You get points for your purchase of a deal.

Daily Polls - Earn 1 Swagbucks point for every day you answer the poll.

Games or Swagbucks TV - Earn points for playing games or watching short video clips

NOSO (No Obligation Special Offers) - Click through the offers, respond no to them to earn 2 points per day

Search - Use the search box as though you are doing a Google or Yahoo search. Points vary from 5 - 50, sometimes more.

Special Offers - Stick to the free offers that consist of watching video clips.

Tasks - These are job tasks that pay you with Swagbucks points. You will often perform searches or categorize images. Note that these tasks can be tedious and time consuming depending on which one you choose to complete.

Trade in your old electronics or books in exchange for Swagbucks points

Trusted Surveys - take surveys for Swagbucks. I generally skip this entirely since it's time consuming.

There are often Swag Codes that offer points. They expire in a short period of time, and you would enter them on your main Swagbucks.com home page. www.sc-s.com posts these codes if you can't find them.

In addition to redeeming your points for gift cards or prizes, you can enter contests to win expensive prizes.You can also donate your points to certain charities listed on the site. I like to redeem my points for Amazon gift cards (450 = $5).

Earning gift cards or making some money from this site only takes a few minutes of your day. Gift cards take 1-2 weeks to be fulfilled, and prizes are mailed within 4-6 weeks. It may seem like a long time, but those gift cards quickly add up.

Free Stuff Tips

Yes, there are things in life that are free. No, I'm not talking about hugs.

For those of us who are students, unemployed, or stay at home parents, finding freebies, earning gift cards, and winning prizes becomes an adopted lifestyle. There are a lot of scams out there and too many sites that are looking to spam your email. One legitimate site I use is www.freestufftimes.com. I've received plenty of free things over the past year and even won prizes from many of the contests.  
 www.slickdeals.net lists freebies as well as great deals on products from various sites like Amazon. To protect yourself from spam:

Create a new email - Prevent your current email address from getting constant spam by creating a disposable one that you do not need.

Create an online voicemail phone number - Freebie giveaways often require a phone number and it's not a good idea to give out your primary one all the time, unless you trust the source that's giving away free things.  

www.k7.net gives you free access to an online voicemail number. In order to keep the number you must receive at least one message per month. Otherwise, the company cancels the number and you have to create another one.

There are many giveaways on Facebook, but when you use your account the company or brand giving away free stuff wants access to all your personal information, including friends list. Create a new Facebook profile that is specifically used to enter Facebook contests or giveaways. 

Keep a list of free things you have requested. That way you'll know if you are getting your mail or if your mail is being taken or is missing.

*Never give out your personal information like credit cards or SSN for freebies. *

Hope this helps. Happy freebie hunting!

Top 3 Legitimate Survey Sites to Earn Money

-Update-
I originally had three sites listed, but they have all gone downhill. The only one I still trust is Pinecone.

Taking surveys requires some time and effort in order to earn incentives such as checks, amazon gift cards, or prizes. Don't believe any site that claims members will make $1,000+ per month or sites that want you to pay them to access surveys. Below are sites that I have used and have found to be legitimate:

1. Pinecone Research

I have been taking surveys with this company for two years. They send you surveys, you take the survey, and you are paid $3 per survey. You can cash out via Paypal immediately. They also have a gift catalog now.


If you're not sure about a survey site's legitimacy, www.surveypolice.com lists reviews and complaints by users. Taking surveys won't replace your monthly income, but it can provide some extra cash along with opportunities to test products and influence products sold in stores.