Trying to get myself looking good for a modeling career is a bitch. I can do the working out, taking care of my hair, getting enough sleep, etc--in fact, I even enjoy that--but my skin is the worst. I am cursed with awful, oily skin, and despite doing the cleansing/drinking obscene amounts of water every day/facial masque/toner/astringent bullshit routine all the time, the best I can do is a relatively clear face that's always shiny. It is, in fact, the only thing in my life that I ever remotely worry about. I've taken everybody's advice on things; I have resorted to actually applying baking soda to my face in order to dry it out sufficiently (also, the particles are small enough to clean inside your pores unlike most of that shit you buy at walgreens, you'd have to be retarded to believe that little pieces of apricots are going to clean out the near-microscopic holes in your skin), and it seems to be improving my skin's condition. And no, before you say it, that does not, as they say, overdry my skin. Nothing does. I cannot fathom dry skin as actually being a problem for a human being, nor can I think of worrying about something so minute as skin texture when all I'm trying to do is make it all look the same color.

Of course, I'm at a handicap, I suppose, or several--I'm seventeen, a hormonal wreck, I work outside in the dirt, and it's blazing summer. I'm thinking I actually won't have much of a problem once it gets cooler and drier outside, and I also won't be working as much, but it still pisses me off.
I really don't want to see a dermatologist about it, as that would cost me a shit lot of money, and would keep costing me money, as I would have to pay for some strong prescription that might work, but would also have side effects such as depression, temporary worsening of acne (WTF), and suicidal thoughts. I'm not even fucking kidding, go look up Accutane or something similar, it's really bad stuff.

I'm to the point where I'm not even embarrassed about it anymore. Tell me, is the problem with my skin that noticeable, or should I just go ahead and hire a makeup artist and a photographer for my comp card shots?