teenage.me

I, like everyone else, had crazy bouts of acne when I was a teen that plagued me for, well, years. Even in my early twenties, my skin was pretty unpredictable. My derm at the time prescribed Retin-A for me and, while it took me a while to get used to (the trick is to still moisturize the skin while you’re on it: otherwise your skin, especially if it’s super-sensitive like mine!, can get red and flaky), now I am totally hooked. I recently got a plethora of interesting acne facts from the folks at Retin-A Micro (which comes in a handy pump dispenser so you can’t glob on too much, as I used to be prone to do) and thought I’d share. Enjoy!

• Nearly 100% of adolescents have at least an occasional whitehead, blackhead or  pimple…regardless of race or ethnicity.
• 70% of teenagers say that they feel pressure about having clear skin
• 80% of teenagers with acne report disguising acne in many ways including: Popping pimples (69%), Wearing cover-up or makeup (35%), Wearing hair differently to cover their face (24%)
• 90% of dermatologists agree that people with acne are treated differently in society than  those without
• Among those who use medication to treat acne, only about 1 in 2
  (52%) teenagers with acne say they follow their skin treatment plan
  exactly as they should
• 91% of dermatologists say that patients
  often discontinue treatment for acne if they do not see results right
  away; yet, they say the average length of time needed for acne
  treatments to show real improvement is almost 8 weeks!

The moral of the story: you’re not alone! And give whatever product you’re using time to work!

The other day, I went to the Christian Louboutin sample sale and I was sorely reminded of why I vowed never to go to sample sales again. The lines to get in. The elbows, as people scramble to find stuff. Ugh! And I didn’t even buy anything! Double ugh! That’s why I was so chuffed to discover HauteLook, a new website that brings the sample sale to YOU! It sells current designer merchandise for 50-75 percent off the retail. Today, they have Mike & Chris’ gorgeous wares on sale! And tomorrow (5/27), they’re doing a sale of James Jeans, Cartier watches (sigh!), and a designer sun extravaganza that’ll include Gucci, Dior, Marc Jacobs! Register now at HauteLook.com.

Chrissie Miller is living the dream! With a posse of supercool friends and a cult favorite clothing line, Sophomore, under her belt, this NYC native is a real life Jenny Humphrey. In fact, Dove recently featured her in their go fresh <a href=”http://www.cwtv.com/thecw/dovegofresh”>Gossip Girl: Real NYC Stories Revealed miniseries! I love her laid back attitude and am seriously coveting pretty much every piece from her line (I really think I need that double tank dress), so I was thrilled to chat with her about her personal style and her experience growing up in NYC.

1. How did you get involved with the Dove go fresh series?
Dove was looking for women that grew up in NY like the characters on the show Gossip Girl.

2. Which character from Gossip Girl are you the most like?
I’m close to the “little Jenny” character because we both grew up in Upper East Side private schools and we both make clothes.

3. How did you start your line?
I started Sophomore with graphic t-shirts. I made some shirts for some friends and my friend Charlotte Ronson sold them at her store. A friend of mine wrote about them and we got lots of store orders, so it became a job. The company grew really organically, we expanded as we could afford to. I always wanted to experiment with making more then just t-shirts. I wanted to make sweatshirts, dresses and just really well made affordable basics. Everything out there was really girly + pink! So once I got an office, I hired a designer to help me create this line.  I met Madeleine von Froomer, who was designing at Proenza Schooler at the time. She was a perfect fit.

4. What’s the funnest part of what you do?
Making my own hours.

5. What’s the hardest part of your job?
I’m not good at being at the same place everyday at the same time.

6. What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced?
Being my own bookkeeper. I am not good at that! Much better to hire someone that knows how to do it!

7. What do you keep in mind when you’re designing?
I keep in mind if I would want to wear it, if other people will want to wear it and if its something I’ve never seen before.

8. Who are some designers who really inspire you?
Isabel Marant, Proenza Schooler, Adam Kimmel, Margiela

9. Where else do you look for inspiration? What looks/eras do you like to reference?
Lately we have been looking a lot of vacation/beach photos from the 70’s. I usually go back to the 70’s in general, to me it has the most flattering silhouette.

Yay! Another free blowout opportunity! To celebrate their Nourish+ haircare line (I’ve been using the Volumize collection, I love it!!), Aveeno is conducting free blowouts in three cities– Boston, Minneapolis and Seattle–next Wednesday, May 27th from 10:00 am - 7:00 pm (5:00 pm in Boston).

Boston                           
James Joseph Salon
First 200 women
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Minneapolis
Level
903 Washington Ave. S.
First 100 Women
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Seattle
Haven
5810 24th Avenue NW
First 100 Women
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM

If you don’t live in any of those three cities, visit hairwithlife.com for a free sample of the AVEENO NOURISH+!

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