How to get rid of back acne at home

Hi lovelies!

I don't know about you guys but the weather where I live has been misbehaving these days! But let's set this bipolar weather aside for now and dig into our topic: BACNE!!!

What ?!?

Yes, I'm talking about back acne! For those of you who don't have to suffer from it, lucky you! However, it's almost impossible to find any one who was born to have a naturally perfect skin from head to toes :-s Well, I don't know about you, but not me! Our bodies are all different; some people have acne on their faces, some have on their backs, and some have on ...somewhere else :"> 

But stay calm, I share the same problem with you! I used to have severe back acne before and it became worse and worse since I didn't take care of it :( I was very shy and tried to avoid wearing any clothes that could make my back skin exposed! However, as soon as I was aware of my problem, I started to pay more attention and take care of my skin and body more seriously. 

After one month of consistently treating my back skin well, I've noticed how amazing it works and I just want to share it with you guys, whoever are suffering from the same problem as I was! My back feels much smoother now and at least 95% of my back acne has gone! I can barely feel any when touching my back. I only notice some scars that are gradually fading away as I look in the mirror and check it out, which is unbelievable! So, here is how it works :)

Always hydrate yourself with water

I know you are all bored of hearing this; however, drinking at least 8 cups of water a day really does the job! Honestly, I usually consume more than that because I like taking a water bottle with me every where I go just so I can fill it up when it runs out. Sufficient water does not only help you get rid of acne on your skin but also purifies your whole body!

Make sure your clothes are always clean

No need to explain, right? :D

Avoid contact with chemicals

A common mistake happens when we spray or use hair products on our hair while our skin is not covered. The chemicals that are in hair products are not made to give us a beautiful skin; in contrast, they make the situation become much worse. 

Use just a right amount of detergent

Trust me, surplus detergent may cause a counter effect. You want to make sure that your clothes are clean, yet minimize the amount of chemicals that might interact with your skin in all situations. For those whose skins are as sensitive as mine, try it and you'll see how it helps!

Use bathing products that are made for acne treatment

If you haven't done it, switch your body wash to something that is formulated specifically for back acne. My favorite one is from Neutrogena with pink grapefruit added. I started using it about a month ago and have just purchased it again! I'd recommend it to anyone that hasn't tried it before because it does make a huge difference on my skin <3 They're a little more pricy than normal drug store body wash; however, $7 is inexpensive for a great result!

Use clarifying body spray

If your budget allows you to go a little further, I'd highly recommend trying the Clarifying Body Spray from Murad. It's pretty expensive; however, it's so worth the money! I purchased the first one two months ago and I guess I still have half of it now; so, somewhat it's not that expensive! Also, it helps in clarifying my back skin tremendously and I use it every day right after showering. The best thing I like about it is that it's a spray so I don't have a hard time applying it on my skin. Also, I don't have to use my hands to touch on my back either because I'm always afraid that the bacteria in my hands might cause more acne.  

Personally, I don't like scrubbing my skin with lemon as many people recommend. My skin is very sensitive, so I tried doing it a couple times and usually it just made my skin condition become worse. I hope you find this post helpful, give it a try and let me know if it works for you! 

Stay beautiful everyone! <3

My Little Ville

Summer essential (Part 2) - $5 and under ! ! !

Hi guys,

It's me again! This time I'll show you my next 5 favorite summer purchases of the season. I'm a little too excited about it because all of them are just as low as under $5 so let's just get started now!

(Etude House Easy Brow Pencil - $4.99)

First of all, I want to use the top of the top spot to talk about my "what-I-feel-naked-without" little powerful thing! :"> It's not an exaggeration for me to say that this is one of my best secret to make my face look slimmer and more youthful (There are simple tricks to make your face appear slimmer, let me know if you want a post about that!). But yesssss! Here I'm talking about my sweetie Etude House Easy Brow Pencil!!

I've been using this product for 3 years in a row so trust me, you can't go wrong with it on a daily basis! It can stay on your face pretty long if your skin is not too oily---I only apply it on once a day before going out and it stays there until I got home! The price is really what makes it stand out the most. I usually got it from Vietnam for just nearly $4, but luckily, you can also get one (or more) with a comparable price here!

My everyday shade is Dark Grey. Just because I'm Asian and my hair root is black so this color can make my face look more natural. However, you can choose any of the 4 colors that match you the most (Black, Black Brown, Brown, Dark Grey), totally same quality!

I'll make a separate post on how I do my eyebrows everyday if requested. Otherwise, you can also learn more about it from YouTube 'cause I know many of them have already done great tutorials. However, there are some more tricks that I haven't heard any talked about, which I kinda learned from myself, so feel free to let me know if you're interested in =D. For me, it's a one minute that can totally change my whole face!

(e.l.f Studio Eye Brow Kit - $3) 

Enough talk for the Etude team, moving on to my second best favorite eyebrow kit (yeah I guess you're thinking I'm such an eyebrow-obsessed girl now, so guess what, you're right!) You can easily find an e.l.f Studio Eyebrow Kit for just $3 in drugstores like Walgreens, in Target or on other Internet websites. The color works well for most (it comes with dark brown gel and light brown powder). I like using this one after I lighten my hair to colors such as brown, reddish brown, blonde brown, etc.

However, the reasons why I prefer Etude brow pencil are because they're easier to carry with, faster when applying and matching with my hair root better most the time since my hair grows super fast!!! (Let me know if you want a post for growing hair faster :D) The second thing that I don't like much about this one is its brush. If you're lucky, you'll get a kit with a nice one, otherwise, it's only recommended if you already have your own brush! 

Anyway, plus points for great colors and best price for an eyebrow kit (those downsides are so forgivable)!!!

(NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream - $5.99, buy one get one 50% off)

The runway continues with my sexy loving NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream ladies!!! I'm sure that most of us are too familiar with these popular creamy NYX already! But Ulta is featuring by one get one 50% off is a different story!! So I guess if you get any two (like me), it'll also count as under $5 products for each! I got myself one Antwerp and one Amsterdam (take this one in consideration if you love the gorgeous Ruby Woo from MAC but can't afford $15, note that NYX Amsterdam has a pinker undertone when applying)! Addis Ababa is also another great choice if you love Girl About Town from MAC, so on and so forth ;)

(Panama hat - $4)

Next turn is dedicated to my Panama Hat! I'm pretty sure that many of us have one on the hanger now, but admittedly this is not the style that you usually see in me! Well, let's say I just want to have something irregular in my closet??? Hmm... But yes it's casual chic, easy to carry with because they're smaller than other summer hats, also more importantly, it helps protect my face from exposing to the sun! But most of all, a $4 Panama Hat that I was offered in a street shop is really a deal to go!!! (I'd been looking in Chinatown and Street Fairs in NYC, they all set price from $8 to $10 each). Alternatively, you can get the same one here, price is comparable after adding shipping cost! So yep for me it's really a Win-Win-Win case: great price, sun protector and style transformer! <3

(Baroque Sunglasses - $4)

Don't make you have to wait anymore 'cause I save my best surprise for last!!! My Retro Inspired Baroque Round Sunglasses aka my Baroque Prada-like sunnies have just registered to my collection! I DON'T recommend anyone to get cheap sunglasses just because of the price (!), but let's make an exception for these sexy babes! Why? Because they're different! We all agree that there are certain times we get bored with our regular sunnies, so why don't we just take a break from them and switch to something exotic that we've never tried before?? These also help re-frame your face, so have fun with it! The ones that I own now was from a random jewelry shop in NYC but I got it 50% off to $4.

Don't get me wrong, I had purchased a lot of cheap sunglasses in the past due to my tight budget but finally ended up with a good pair because I no longer want to harm my eyes anymore. However, I don't have money to get these from Prada for nearly $300, not to mention that they don't go with all of my outfits...Yike! So here's an advice for you who are on a budget like mine: get a good pair of sunglasses that match your overall style to protect your eyes from the sun on a daily basis, besides treat yourself with some other lower-quality but freaking-cool ones like something you can occasionally wear or something you can have fun taking pictures with! ;)

The ones that I own now were from a random jewelry shop in NYC but I got it 50% off to $4. However, if you're patient enough, you can get similar ones here, the deal is better even after adding shipping cost! Yay for the research! (y)

Keep calm and Go shopping guys xoxo,
My Little Ville

Summer essentials (Part 1)

Hi guys,

I don't know how you can function in this crazily hot weather but I am definitely not a summer person! However, I still can't live without moisturizer even when the temperature reaches its highest. I know some of us might think that it's not necessary to use them during summer time because we suppose the sun already does the job! Well, in fact, it's still recommended to moisturize our skin daily regardless of the season since moisturizing can help stabilize your skin moisture and soothe skin better.


Currently, I'm pretty happy with two of my favorite purchases of the season! Both of them are limited edition moisturizers from Sephora, however, each features a different function!

(Now $7 - Originally $12)

The first one I got is Philosophy Snow Kisses Body Lotion. Just because it's summer doesn't mean you can't go for something "snowy"! The original price is $12, but luckily, I got it on sale for only $7 (yes, I'm absolutely a sale goer)! It smells fresh just like snow, a perfect choice to calm you down from the heat. It also does leave you a soft and moisturized skin after applying. Non-greasy and long lasting are also some characters that I'd like to describe about this product.

I love Philosophy products because they always offer high quality but sadly, their prices are usually a little too high for my budget! However, Sephora was able to solve my price tag problem when they marked the price of this fancy down to a drugstore price! It's only available online though (I think that's why its price is much cheaper than others of the same collection!). Give it a try and I'm sure you'll love it just as much as I do!

(Now $5 - Original price $16)

Another great product that I'm satisfied with is Sephora Moisturizing Bronzing Body Lotion. The original price is $16 but it's on sale now and is just as low as $5! It might not be the most perfect bronzing lotion if you're looking for something that can transform your skin to an absolutely tan-tan complexion, however, there's no doubt in my mind that its marked-down price is unbeatable! It does absorb quickly, last long but doesn't leave a greasy feeling to your skin or stink like other tanning products. Instead, it gives you a naturally radiant glow and shimmering complexion under the sun! The lotion is nicely scented just as how you like other regular moisturizers. If you don't have an even skin tone like me, this product is your great way to go. (My skin is literally ombré from head to toes because my face is the tannest spot on my body while it lightens downwards---I know it's like magic, right?). 

So yes, this baby is recommended to those whose complexion is from medium to fair. It makes no difference but gives me a shimmering look when I apply it on my arms (because they're already so tan!) but does make a big difference when I apply on lighter skin areas (like how it changes my leg complexion to make my skin tone look more even and match with other parts on my body!)

Here is a picture I took so that you can compare!

(I had to cut the background because it's way too messy!)