My skin has basically been a disaster ever since I moved to Chicago for this internship. I think its a mix of the crazy wind and the stress of a new job but honestly I look in the mirror and its just dry patches and random breakouts everywhere. I literally have about $50 to my name for this month's beauty budget so I need to be super smart about what I buy before my skin just gives up entirely. Right now I am just using some old Neutrogena wash I found in my travel bag and it is definitely not doing the job anymore.

I am stuck between two different ways to go and I cant decide which makes more sense for a beginner who is broke lol. Option one is going the full The Ordinary or Inkey List route. I could probably get like five different things—cleanser, niacinamide, moisturizer, maybe even a caffeine eye thing—for under my $50 limit. But honestly the names are so confusing and I am scared I am gonna mix two things that shouldn't go together and accidentally burn my face off or something. I also dont really know which ones are actually essential and which are just hype.

Option two is just sticking to the classic drugstore stuff like CeraVe or maybe Vanicream. I could get the big hydrating cleanser and the tub of moisturizer and a basic SPF. It feels safer and simpler but then I wont have any actives to actually fix the acne and the dullness. Plus those big bottles are kind of expensive upfront even if they last a while which eats into the budget fast if I need more than two things.

Im also looking at a couple things from COSRX because there is a K-beauty shop near my office but I dont know if they are too fancy for what I need right now. I really just need something that isnt gonna make me break out more but actually hydrates. If you had fifty bucks and had to start from scratch tomorrow which way would you go? Like do I buy the 5 cheap tiny bottles of chemicals or the 2 big bottles of boring lotion...