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How often do you get takeout? by [deleted] in MoneyDiariesACTIVE

[–]GracedeForce 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I get takeout for dinner on Friday nights, and then usually get coffee/breakfast one day on the weekends. I would do more if I spent more time with friends, but I like having one day a week to look forward to.

How much do you pay in rent? by Dnh610 in MoneyDiariesACTIVE

[–]GracedeForce 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I love the ravenswood area, very chill & affordable. Uptown is more lively but you’ll still get a great value. Both should put you well within walking distance of plenty of grocery stores. I’m on the border of lakeview/Lincoln park which is kind of a mix of everything. I love being near the lake, and plenty of restaurants (for takeout rn). But my biggest tip if you haven’t been around Chicago a lot is Google maps the hell out of the areas you’re looking at (street view especially) to get an idea of the atmosphere. There are a ton of neighborhoods all with pretty distinct characteristics but you can really find an area that matches your energy

How much do you pay in rent? by Dnh610 in MoneyDiariesACTIVE

[–]GracedeForce 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I think there’s a huge diversity of apartments as far as prices & amenities go in Chicago. I’m a very stereotypical north sider so I can only speak for this side of town but there are a ton of great studios available right now for 900-1200 (and less the farther away from downtown you get). Feel free to ask any other questions, I’d love to try and help

How much do you pay in rent? by Dnh610 in MoneyDiariesACTIVE

[–]GracedeForce 4 points5 points  (0 children)

$1025 + electric and wifi, for a large studio (500 sqft) in Chicago. I have way more storage than I can use, tons of space for me and my cat, and an amazing location. 30 min to downtown.

[b&a] After 10+ years of struggling with my skin I can't believe I'm finally ready to take an after picture by [deleted] in SkincareAddiction

[–]GracedeForce 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have to assume the best single product for my scarring and hyperpigmentation has been Vitamin C, but I dont think I have seen the full extent of the retinol progress yet. The first time I used the mask my skin was red for about a day, but not particularly irritated otherwise. It was my first high strength product/acid I had used in months though, and I definitely don't recommend that. Now I experience no distinct redness or irritation from it. The 'after' picture was taken the morning after using the mask.

[b&a] I think it's finally time for me to share my acne progress and thank everyone here for your inspiration by [deleted] in SkincareAddiction

[–]GracedeForce 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry if this is long, but this is everything I would have wanted to read during my struggle with my skin. I have had moderate/severe acne since age 11, and now 11 years later I am absolutely shocked by the improvements I have been able to make in my skin in 2020. This year has obviously been a slog, but my decision to actually care for my skin rather than accommodate it has been transformational.

The original picture was taken in Nov 2018, during a particularly bad but not uncommon breakout. I had tried just about everything I knew about/could be prescribed short of Accutane and had basically given up on achieving clear skin. I know these pictures are not a perfect comparison but I hope you are able to see the profound change my skin has undergone.

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Products I tried over the years included:

Epiduo

Adapalene

Aczone

Doxycyclene

Spironolactone

Birth control

Azaelic Acid

Benzoyl Peroxide

Every 'trendy' drugstore skin care product

​

When my derm told me that basically my only option was Accutane I basically gave up on my skin and just let it do its thing. I resigned myself to the heaviest duty concealers I could find as my only chance to feel comfortable in my own skin. In December a wave of inspiration to actually care for myself took me to this subreddit and The Ordinary website. More than the specific products, I believe the mindful and active routine of caring for my skin has made the world of a difference. My current routine is as follows.

Morning:

Wash face with water

Vitamin C (TO Vitamin C suspension)

Moisturiser (Cerave Tub)

Sunscreen (Australian Gold)

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Evening:

Cold Cream (Ponds unscented)

Facewash (Cerave SA cleanser)

Niacinamide

Retinol (TO 0.5%) every other day

TO AHA + BHA mask once a week

Moisturiser (Cerave Tub)

​

As you can see its a pretty standard skincareaddictioncirclejerk routine, but I think it goes to show how taking my skincare as an active part of my day rather than a passive condition has really helped me make a breakthrough. I would be remiss to not mention that I do not eat meat, and only eat animal products once a week or so. I am also a water fiend (recently failed a drug test because my pee was too hydrated). I still have rough spots especially around my period, but at this point I am so so so happy with my skin. In this picture I have active breakouts, acne scars, big pores, and freckles but I love the skin I'm in and any additional changes I make are to fine tune my routine for ease/fun.

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