Others could sleep in their eyeliner or spend their pocket money on cheap makeup and their skin would remain unchanged. My beauty routine looked very different. I made a beeline for the most clinical products the high street had to offer, placing all of my trust in stripping ingredients, like witch hazel and high-strength acids. They did nothing but I still held out hope. When skin care failed me, I thrust myself into a grunge phase. I cut a fringe to hide more spots, started buying Kerrang! magazine, and packed on thick makeup, using full-coverage foundation and vampy lipstick in a bid to draw the attention away from my skin. Makeup kept me in the loop with most of my friends, but it never felt like fun. Instead, it was more of a necessity, as were concealing filters on apps like Retrica, FaceTune, and Photo Wonder.