My Current Skin Care Routine

 I know, I know. I'm not a beauty blogger, nor will I ever be. But I've decided to write this post with my past self in mind. 

Also, a lot of people ask how I'm keeping my skin so clear, so this post is for you guys, too!

Most of my middle school and high school years consisted of my face being so full of cysts and pimples that it was a red and purple color. There are very minimal pictures from this time because I just absolutely hated myself and mostly my skin. 

I was on all type of medications for my skin, including cream and birth control that was solely for the purpose of clearing my pimples. I tried ProActive and Murad systems and that did nothing for me. I couldn't go on Acutane because of the terrible side effects, so I was stuck. All I did was wash my face and put on face cream that peeled my skin 24/7 (SO embarrassing).

I finally got put on an oral medication that did wonders and cleared my skin during my senior year of high school. Of course, I still had some acne, because I didn't know what a "skin care routine" was at that time. 

Fast-forward me being in my late 20's. My skin has cleared of most pimples (besides when I get my time of the month...then my skin hates me again) but if you look close to my actual face, there is SO much of my skin that is not clear, including blackheads and huge pores from having cystic acne. But pimples on a day to day basis? 

THEY ARE GONE!!!

I wanted to share what skin routine had changed my LIFE. I didn't think I would ever be this confident in my own skin (literally). I DO have to put a PSA here that everyone's skin is different and what worked for mine, might not work for yours. But I promise you that you'll find what you need via the company I'm about to talk about! 

Cocokind

That name was brought up to me when my friend and I were talking about how my pimples were coming back and I had never had an actual skin care routine before; should I try one? He practically yelled at me that I need to try Cocokind. He told me it is a vegan skin care line and about how they really care about their products.

So of course, I looked them up online. Then ordered right there on the spot. I didn't know exactly what I was looking for (skin care newbie here!), but Cocokind's Instagram had a few posts on what product is good for what skin type and what goes first on the skin!

I did once make a video on Instagram about what Cocokind projects I use, but I have an update on that, so this post is the most up-to-date Megan Hubrex Skincare Routine. I tried taking pictures of me WHILE doing skin things, but they turned out weird, so I'm going to just post pictures of my actual products I use. 

So let's dive deep into my very non-professional way of taking care of my skin (you read that, right? I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL! I am a very simple person who just likes my skin to be clear.)

1) Cleanser

I use Cetaphil.

 Cheaper than Cocokind cleansers (I have never tried them, though!) but also it has worked for my skin for years now. It never dries me out, so I stick to it. 

2) Toner

Rosewater Facial Toner by Cocokind.

I get out a cotton ball, spray 3 pumps of toner on the cotton, then run it from bottom to top on my face, making sure I get the side of my nose by my nose ring. Make sure to let it dry on your face before the next step (it doesn't take long). 

3) Oil

Organic Facial Repair Oil by Cocokind. 

I used to be a huge face lotion fan. Except, I could never find one that wouldn't dry after an hour. I just used lotion because I though that was all there was. INTRODCING: OIL! I use this exact oil and I honestly think it's what has kept my pimples at bay. It also makes my skin smooth for HOURS.
After the toner has dried, I only use ONE pump of the oil because it spreads easily. I rub it between my fingers, then in circles, rub it all over my face, getting in every crevice. 

4) Moisturizer

Matcha Face Moisturizer by Cocokind.

If you're close to me, you know I shave my face and neck (darn PCOS!) but I ALWAYS get rashes and scarring on my neck. I never knew if it was due to my razor or lotion that I put on it. Which, by the way, most lotions would STING when I put it on a newly shaved area, so I never had luck with good lotions there. But along comes the Matcha face cream and my neck has a new life (minus the scarring that will always be there  *sad face*). I want to warn you that it is a very heavy cream! I use very little of it on my neck and it takes away all the rash and all the dry spots. Even my boss who dislikes everyone said my skin looked "really good"! 

P.s. I also use just a dot of this moisturizer on the sides of my mouth and in between my eyebrows because those are really dry spot on my face.

___

I do want to put down 2 other products that I own and I don't see them working (on me at least!)

-Pore Refining Concentrate by Cocokind. It's suppose to make pores look better. Apparently, nothing makes my huge pores better, because I haven't seen any improvement with this product. 

-Revitalizing Eye Cream by Cocokind. I bought this right when it came out because I have dark circles. REALLY bad dark circles. They said it won't cure dark circles, but I wanted to see if it did anything to improve them. Nope. I have used it in different ways (AKA I patted it down, I rubbed it, ect) under my eyes and nothing has come of it. I'd don't have actual bags under my eyes, just circles. Maybe that's what is making it...not work? I don't know. 

**I DO OWN THE SPF BUT HAVE NOT USED IT YET, SO I CAN'T SAY IF I LIKE IT!**

*ALSO: I'm not getting paid for this! I actually got denied to work with them (LOL), but I still love them!*

Here are some places you can buy Cocokind Products:

Target
Whole Foods

Ulta

(There is a store locator on their website here: X)

Their Website: X

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Bikini Bottom Has Raised the Bar

 In the bustling downtown of West Dundee, Illinois, there is a delicious coffee and donut shop, a cool retro arcade, and bars. A whole area of bars. They're all different in the fact that some younger people go here to sit outside, some people go there to sing karaoke, and some people bar hop to a lot of them since they're so close together. 

My personal favorite bar out of all of them?

Bikini Bottom Bar.

On this blog, I do quite a few reviews and not once have I gotten paid or had been given any free things because of it. So here on out in this review, my own opinions and experiences are written about. I didn't get a free apple pie shot out of this (I promise).

I came across this bar about 2 years ago, when a friend of mine and I decided to go because it was close to her house and the only bar that she hadn't been to yet. 

I'm 27 years old and I've been to my fair share of bars, but there has only been 1 bar I REALLY liked (at the time.) Bikini Bottom was all new to me and I'll admit, I had never heard of it, even if it was located at on the main strip of the downtown. 

I got dressed up and headed via Uber to Bikini Bottom with my friend one winter weekend. There is a front door and a back door at the bar, and I suggest going through the back door, near the parking lot. There are the bathrooms just inside and for first timers, it's good to know where they are!

My friend and I entered the back entrance and noticed one thing right away that other bars didn't have: room. My goodness, it was spacious. The bouncer at the door checked out our ID's and was given the go-ahead to go in. 

Little did I know how much I'd love the place. 

I won't go into a long boring story of each time I've been to Bikini Bottom (because that would take multiple posts...I go there a lot...) but I want to write about what I love about it via bullet points. Everyone loves a good bullet point. 

*The drinks. I get something called a Liquid Marijuana. It's mainly pineapple juice and rum and is an awesome green color. It's VERY sweet (which I love, but some people don't!) If you'd like to try it, they have the recipe in their drink book now and I highly suggest it. The bartenders have made me a mean Mai Tai before. Oh, and the apple pie shots? I'll get to them at the end of this post. You WON'T want to miss that part....

*The bartenders. I have never been to a bar with nicer girls serving me delicious drinks. I see some girls more than others but every time I see one I don't remember, I've come to expect how generous they are. I'll be at a table with some friends and a bartender will come up and ask me if I want more to drink or any water and honestly, I feel very appreciated there. 

*The interior. I told you guys it there was a lot of room in this bar, but there's also tons of pool tables and a place to play bags (which, by the way, Bikini Bottom is the place where I learned I was GOOD at bags!) They have a punching bag machine, slots, and a small little dance floor that I have occupied once or twice in my life. It's an all around fun atmosphere. 

*A fun place to meet up. I have introduced so many people to Bikini Bottom by simply inviting them out. Granted, I'm a very outgoing person, but a drink on the weekends with some friends? Invite them to this bar. It helps Bikini and it gets your friends out for a fun time. Also, if you don't drink alcohol, they have coke and things of the sort! 

*Food. They don't serve ANY food, but always feel free to order food to the bar! But just remember, no drinks are allowed. 

*Kim. She needs her own bullet point. No, she DESERVES her own bullet point. Kim runs Bikini Bottom and has gotten to know me. She is someone who looks out for your best interests and CARES about her customers and employees more than a lot of people can say. During this pandemic, the bar has been closed 47% of 2020. That's hard to handle for any business. Kim loves this bar so much that she dipped into some of her personal funds to keep it alive and well when it was time to open again. She has been applying for help from the state big grants (and beyond) and keeps getting denied. Now that it IS opened to the public again, snow storms keep popping up and it's been rough, but Kim doesn't show it. 

During Thanksgiving, I wanted to help Bikini Bottom and Kim out. This bar is famous for their juice-like apple pie shots. Kim makes them with her own secret recipe (she won't share; I've asked before...) and during 2020, she started selling apple pie quarts for $25 because I KNEW it was worth it. I put a post on Facebook saying "hey, Bikini Bottom is selling these quarts and the proceeds are going to helping out her currently unemployed employees."

I had no idea that post would go locally viral. 

I then decided to take some orders from friends and then personally deliver jugs to those people's houses a couple days before Thanksgiving 2020. I organized it with Kim, and set off for a very long day delivering apple pie goodness. 

With the rest of the people who wants jugs, they contacted Kim and the money she made from those? All went to her employees. I was floored by her selflessness and her love for her girls. 

Now, like I said, I am not getting paid to do this. It really isn't even a review because I just put how much I love it there. But this pandemic has been hard for small businesses, including Kim and Bikini Bottom Bar. Now that they're open, I would love to see this place thrive again. I would love to hear new people came in and loved it as much as I do.

Of course, masks when walking around are mandated, but the 6 feet apart rule is great at this place because it IS so big. 

If you read this write up, tell the person serving you that Megan sent you. That would put a smile on my face :)

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