Real Talk // The cure for oily skin

I'm starting a new series called "real talk."  This series is going to cover beauty myths, the latest products, so called "Pinterest hacks," and all the tips and techniques we hear about, but never really know if they work. 

I'll be giving honest reviews and the low-down on my personal experiences with products and techniques.

This series isn't going to be weekly or anything, just when I try out new things and decide to let you guys know how they are working out for me.

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This time I'm going to discuss my newest love in skincare/makeup:

Milk of Magnesia

I know, you all are thinking "seriously, that's so weird," but trust me on this one.

As of the last month, my skin has been so oily- like, it's been bad. I'll put my makeup on in the morning (including a shine control primer), and by mid-afternoon, it is sliding off and my face is excessively oily- not a cute look. After I talk on the phone I'll look and there will be a print on it from my makeup and oil (TMI, sorry guys). But you get the point. I like oil blotting sheets, but they tend to remove some of my makeup, and I don't like putting more powder on, because it just makes me look cakey. I have tried different primers, but have never found one that has truly kept my oil under control- until now.

I had heard about using Milk of Magnesia as a primer for a while, and I kind of brushed the idea aside because it sounded so weird and gross. But, I recently read more into it and heard somewhere that makeup artists used Milk of Magnesia on Victoria's Secret models to keep shininess to a minimum. That's what pushed me to try it, and I don't think there's any going back now.

I've been using a bottle that we already had in our house, and it's mint scented/flavored, but it doesn't smell minty after a minute or two. I have fairly sensitive and acne prone skin, but I've been using Milk of Magnesia  for about a week and haven't noticed any irritation whatsoever. 

So here's how I apply it-

I wash my face and moisturize, then apply a very thin coat of the milk with my fingers, only on my t-zone. You can use a cotton ball, but I find that I'm able to control how much I put on better with my fingers. You want a very thin layer, or else your skin will have a white cast. I wait about 2 minutes for it to dry, then proceed to apply my face makeup as normal.

Normally (without the Milk of Magnesia), by the end of the day, the majority of my makeup will be gone and my face will be super shiny, but with the Milk of Magnesia my makeup stays intact and I just look slightly dewy- a totally acceptable look. 

This "primer" has been a total game-changer for me, and something I'm definitely going to keep in my routine.