Showing posts with label Essence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Essence. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

August 2026 Empties

All my monthly trash on display for you to see. :P

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1. Veleasha Lashes in Sunny T-4 x3: These are a really cute spiky lash, which I tend to like because I feel like they make my eyes look larger. I know for some folks these lashes might seem dramatic but to me they're on the smaller side, I almost wish they were larger - meaning just longer with bigger spikes. My  issue is that not only are the lash bands thick and plastic-y so it takes them a while before they bend to the shape of the eye nicely but they tend to separate from the lash clusters when I pick glue off them, and I'm typically quite gentle, so they don't hold up too well over multiple uses. I have to be careful with them.

2. deal worthy Fresh Scent Body Lotion: As you know, I liked this lotion and found it to be a good basic body moisturizer that lasted me quite a while because the bottle is large. I'm kind of annoyed because, as its name suggests, this was affordable and now it seems like they've stopped making it. 
 
3. Skinfood Facial Water Vita C Cream: This was a really nice moisturizer for the face. It is a gel cream texture so while it provided moisture, it was also lightweight and refreshing which was great during the summer heat.
 
4. COSRX Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence: This is just a holy grail serum product for me and one I constantly repurchase. I feel like it makes my skin feel so smooth, hydrated, supple, and bouncy. I never want to be without it.

5.Children's Soap with Celandine: In truth, I love this soap very much! It leaves my skin feeling very clean but also soft and hydrated without triggering any eczema flares.  It's also got a very silky, frothy foam to it which I enjoy. Frankly, in Soviet culture, celandine is considered a calming and cleansing herb so it makes sense that my skin is good with it. 
 
6. equate Tropical Mango Shea Sugar Scrub:  I love how gritty this scrub is. This has a really yummy sweet, juicy, ripe mango scent to it. It leaves my skin feeling very soft and smooth, and is great for shave prep.  

7. Cococare 100% Natural Peppermint Oil: During this time of year I sprinkle this oil all over my carpet nightly to deter any critters from coming to my room.
 
8. inm Out the Door Topcoat for Nails: Unfortunately this top coat is running low and has become goopy so it's time to bust out my new bottle. 
 
9. Bath & Body Works PocketBac Island Margarita Anti-Bacterial Hand Gel: I love this scent so much, it's just nostalgic for me at this point. It has a very yummy sweet margarita scent to it.
 
10. equate Green Apple Shea Sugar Scrub:  I love how gritty this scrub is. This has a really yummy juicy sweet-tart apple scent to it. It leaves my skin feeling very soft and smooth, it's also great for shave prep.  

11. Children's Soap with Bur-Marigold: I love this soap very much! It leaves my skin feeling very clean but also soft and hydrated without triggering any eczema flares.  It's also got a very silky, frothy foam to it which I enjoy. 
 
12. BEAKEY Triangle Powder Puff: I really love these triangle-shaped puffs! They're plush, soft, and because of their shape they get into tight areas like underneath the eye or around the nose easily. They're great for cleanup work for contour or around the eye area as well. 

13. beauty blender BLENDERCLEANSER Solid Charcoal Brush Cleanser:  I  am just absolutely gutted that I'm done with this because it appears that they've discontinued it in the jumbo size. I feel like this was such a good deal and, as you know, I love the solid cleanser for deep cleaning brushes that I use for liquids or creams. I'm so sad that I can't outright replace this. That said, they likely discontinued it because this chunk of soap would last me over a year even with weekly brush deep cleaning, so people weren't replenishing on this size much. 
 
14. Green Pharmacy Rose Water and Almond Oil Facial Toner: As I've mentioned in the past, I like to use this as my daily toner because it is lightweight but leaves my skin feeling hydrated and replenished. 

15. Kose softymo Deep Cleansing Oil: I absolutely love this oil for removing my makeup - or at least helping to break down most of it before I go in with my Makeup Eraser cloths. I feel like this is deeply cleansing but, because it's an oil, it also leaves my skin soft, nourished,  and hydrated. 
 
16.  IVON Cuticle Trimmer: I feel like these do a good job of removing excess dead tissue along the sides of my nails and around the cuticle area. That said, they can be sharp so it's important to be gentle and careful with them not to take off too much skin. 
 
17. Misc small flat-top blending mermaid brush: I received a set of these brushes for my birthday a few years ago and they're cute but unfortunately this started to fray and fall apart. 
 
18. Shiseido Prepare Dermaplaning Razor: I like to use these once weekly to really get any stray hairs on my face due to my PCOS.  It's about time to replace this razor, as it's getting a bit dull. 
 
Disclaimer: I purchased all of the products mentioned above with the exception of the mermaid brush which I received as a gift. All opinions are my own. 

Tuesday, June 3, 2025

May 2025 Arrivals

Ok folksickles! I'm back to replenishing on things that I'm running out of and buying mostly just necessities.

1. Arencia Fresh Cloud Body & Scalp Scrub in Black Tea & Yuzu: I purchased this specifically with the intention of using it as a scalp scrub because I ran out of mine. This smells really sophisticated and almost expensive in a way that I wasn't expecting. 

2. Green Pharmacy Face Scrub in Honey & Coffee: I'm running low on my facial scrub so I decided to give this one a try since I liked the toners I got from Green Pharmacy in the past.

3. MIZON Multi Function Formula Snail Repair Eye Cream: Since this has been my favorite of the eye creams I've used lately, I decided to pick it up to have on hand when I run out of what I'm currently using.

4. COSRX Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence: I ran out of this entirely and being that I love it so much, I had to go ahead and replenish.

5. Biore UV Aqua Rich Water Essence SPF 50+ PA++++: Honestly, the last time I was at my local Teso they did not have this in stock, so I decided to pick it up when ordering on YesStyle because I might as well have a backup.

6. L'Oreal Paris Voluminous Panorama Mascara in 701 Blackest Black: It was time to replace my mascara and I decided to give this one a try because I usually like mascaras with Christmas tree shaped brushes and plastic bristles so this seemed like it would be up my alley.

7. Physicians Formula Eye Booster Waterproof Ultra-Fine Liquid Eyeliner: As you know, this is my holy grail eyeliner so when my old one started drying out, I knew I needed to go out and get a fresh one.

8. KISS Lash Couture Super Strong Strip Lash Adhesive in Clear: Since my lash glue got all old and goopy, it was time for a replacement. I decided to give this one a try since they were out of all the clear brush-on DUO glues at my CVS. 

9. ColourPop Haul: I was running low on both my Colourpop Shadow Stix in Honey BB and Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Color Stick in Mint so I decided to pick up some shadow sticks to play around with:
Shadow Stix in Walk of Fame

Disclaimer: I purchased all the items listed above myself with the exception of Chirp, which came as a gift with purchase. All opinions are my own.

Tuesday, January 3, 2023

December 2022 Arrivals

Ok folksickles! Look at me for a change, pretty much only buying essentials but also a few fun things to play with.

1. ColourPop Mini Haul: I needed to get some skincare items and decided I'd try the ColourPop ones and pick up these two palettes that caught my attention while I was at it:

2. Juvia's Place I Am Magic Concealer in J21 x2: Since I really like this concealer I decided to pick it up on Black Friday since it was 50% off. Juvia's often has sales especially on their palettes but I hardly ever see the concealer being on sale.

3. YesStyle Mini Haul: I've been running low on some skincare and decided to hop on and replenish on things I've been needing:
SKINFOOD Buckwheat Loose Power in Clear
SKINFOOD Peach Cotton Multi Finish Powder

4. Anastasia Beverly Hills Mini Haul: My friend Donna is always going on and on about how incredible these palettes are and since they were 50% off and I managed to score an additional 20% off my total order I decided to just go for it. I got the following:

4. OPALHOUSE Scented Soy Candle in Sparkling Yuzu: My friend Jolty got me this as a holiday present and it smells delicious, the scent reminds me a bit of the Trader Joe's Mango Tangerine Scented Candle. I'm excited to burn this!

Please let me know if you have any comments or questions.

Disclaimer: I purchased everything listed above with the exception of the OPALHOUSE candle.

Thursday, December 29, 2022

Essence Review: COSRX Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence

Hello folksickles. Today's review will be on the COSRX Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence.


Availability: This product retails at $8.50 for a 1.01 fl. oz. travel size and anywhere from $12 - $25 for 100 ml (3.38 fl. oz.) and is available at ulta.com, iHerb.com, stylevana.com, amazon.com, yesstyle.com, target.com, and cosrx.com.

Would I buy this again?: I can see myself getting this again at some point for sure.

What is this product designed to address?
According to cosrx.com this is what the product is and what it does:
Enriched with 96.3% skin boosting ingredient snail secretion filtrate
Light- weight essence which absorbs into skin fast to give skin natural glow from the inside. This essence is created from nutritious, low-stimulation filtered snail mucin to keep your skin moisturized and illuminated all day.
BENEFITS
• Fades dark spots
• Improves skin texture
• Anti-aging
• Intense hydration
TARGETS
• Dull & rough skin
• Soothing damaged skin
• Dark spots & scars


Does it contain any special/beneficial ingredients?
Once again, according to cosrx.com:
• 96.3% snail secretion filtrate :
deliver rich nourishment through quick absorption
• 1,000 ppm sodium hyaluronate :
plumping and soothing care, infuses hydration
This also contains:
Allantoin: Has hydrating properties that are meant to help smooth the skin's texture (helps reduce rough, dry patches); has ant-inflammatory properties.
Arginine: Has hydrating and anti-oxidant properties.

What is the texture like?
This feels like a watery gel, I know the pictures make it look tacky like honey and it will have that funny-looking pull to it due to the snail mucin but this is by no means sticky or tacky the way honey would be. It absorbs readily into the skin. 

Is it scented?
This has an extremely faint, perfume-y floral scent that some snail products can have but given how light it is I don't really smell it when I use the product. 

My overall experience/comments on the product:
The reason I purchased this is because of that eczema patch I constantly complain about in my moisturizer empties and the fact that my skin was just very dry and irritated from having been sick when I ordered this. Originally I was going to just go for a hyaluronic acid serum but I was on yesstyle.com and I was thinking that every time I've used snail products in the past they've really soothed and hydrated my skin so it sounded right up my alley. I've been using this consistently for about two weeks now and while the eczema patch stubbornly remains, this product really does feel very hydrating and refreshing going onto my skin. I would purchase this again just because I really like the way it feels.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Disclaimer: I bought this myself.

Friday, February 11, 2022

Essence Review: COSRX Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence

Hello folksickles. Today's review will be on the COSRX Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence.

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Availability: This product retails anywhere from $16 - $24 for 100 ml (3.38 fl. oz.) and is available at ulta.com, iHerb.com, stylevana.com, amazon.com, yesstyle.com, and cosrx.com.

Would I buy this again?: Probably not.

What is this product designed to address?
According to cosrx.com this is what the product is and what it does:
Multi - acting enhancer for dull, rough skin!
What it is: Formulated with 95% Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, this essence helps nourish and hydrate the skin, and over time making it appears more radiant and clear.
WHY IT'S SPECIAL:
Brightening & Hydrating properties:
Galactomyces ferment filtate is the key ingredient that helps brightening tired and dull looking skin while delivering hydration and antioxidants to the skin.
Adds extra moisture to your skin:
Hyaluronic acid and panthenol also maintain the skin hydrated and smooth by holding moisture inside the skin.
The lightweight serum:
Texture absorbs quickly into the skin, leaving the skin smooth and supple without feeling greasy.

Does it contain any special/beneficial ingredients?
Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate: Has brightening properties.
Niacinamide: Helps reduce redness and regulates oil production in the skin, making pores appear smaller.
Glycerin: Attracts moisture to the skin.
Sodium Hyaluronate: Hyaluronic acid holds up to 1000x its weight in water, helps hold hydration in the skin.

What is the texture like?
I'd describe the texture as being ever so slightly thicker than water. 

Is it scented?
This has an extremely faint, fermentation-type scent but given how light it is I don't really smell it when I use the product. 

My overall experience/comments on the product:
Technically this product is meant to be a more wallet-friendly version of the SK-II Essence but given that I have never had enough of the SK-II to use on a daily basis (I only had samples and wasn't swayed into paying the money for it) I can't say how they compare. The reason I purchased this is because I wanted a toner-type product that would be hydrating, given that my skin has been feeling dry and a bit rough lately. I love products that brighten and hydrate so this was really up my alley. Thus far I've been using it for a little under a week and have been enjoying it thus far. I can't say my skin is particularly clearer or brighter but I definitely feel that little boost of hydration when I put this on my skin after cleansing and I really appreciate that. It gives me that nice boost without being heavy and lays down nicely under other products like serums, moisturizers, and SPF.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Disclaimer: I bought this myself.

Monday, May 10, 2021

April 2021 Empties

All my monthly trash on display for you to see. :P

Sheet Masks Galore:
papa recipe  Bombee Black Honey Mask Pack: Frankly I think I like these even better than the original honey mask! This smells just as delicious but it leaves my skin even more radiant, hydrated, and smooth. The mask itself feels more silky and luxurious. The only downside is that the masks themselves are somewhat small and I feel like they're designed for someone with a smaller face. 
A by BOM Ultra Royal Glow Queen Royal Mask with Honey Energy From Garden: I remember this mask being really hydrating with a light, floral scent. I wish it smelled more like actual honey. 
A'Pieu Air Pocket Sheet Mask in Banana Milk: This is a really hydrating mask that leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth. It definitely has a prominent banana scent. 
A'Pieu Air Pocket Sheet Mask in Green Tea Milk: This is a really hydrating mask that leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth. It definitely has a nice, refreshing, green tea scent. 
Candy O'Lady Holiday Candy Mask: As I've said before, these masks are just alright and I'm not super in love with them because they tend to be floppy around the upper lip and chin areas and don't stay put too well.
Beboe Therapies High Potency CBD Sheet Mask x3: I bought these really wanting to love them and frankly found them to be just OK. My main issue is that the masks are a bit small for my face and that they have a thick, kind of buttery serum on them. I personally prefer more of a milky, creamy serum rather than buttery because that buttery-type serum is too thick to really be absorbed by my skin. I didn't really notice any effects from the CBD other than my skin being hydrated. 
goodal raspberry infused honey mild sheet mask: This one is a mask that I really enjoyed, it left my skin feeling super supple, smooth, an hydrated. 
goodal blueberry infused water mild sheet mask: Like the mask above, this is a really hydrating mask that leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth. I really liked all the goodal masks I've tried and will definitely look into picking up more. 
innisfree Jeju Root Energy Mask in Ginger, Beet, Yam, Potato, and Burdock: I bought a set of these masks and frankly I have to say I genuinely enjoyed every mask in this series. I wouldn't say they differ much mask-to-mask, the main difference being that some have a more cream-type serum whereas others have a more watery, essence-type serum; some also have an ampoule serum but personally I didn't feel a difference between the ampoule and the essence-types. All of these masks add beautiful hydration to the skin, give the skin a nice radiance, and leave my skin feeling like a baby's butt for days! For the sake of not repeating the same description for each individual mask, I've grouped them all together in this description area. 

2. m-61 PowerGlow Peel x2: I really like these for a gentle exfoliation that I can use several times a week. They give my skin a noticeable radiance and help reduce any texture issues.

3. Caudalie Instant Detox Mask x2: I really love that this is a mask designed to clear out pores and that although it does get a bit tight, it doesn't leave my skin feeling dry or uncomfortable once I rinse it off. My skin feels a lot cleaner, this is fantastic for unclogging pores and reducing oiliness (if you're on the oilier side, but it won't dry you out either).

4. Tata Harper Clarifying Mask: Frankly I am not a fan of this mask. It felt ok on my skin as I was using it but afterwards my skin felt really dry, uncomfortably so. 

5. Glow Recipe Banana Soufflé Moisture Cream: If you want a moisturizer that smells like bananas, this is it. I found it alright for my skin and I liked its texture along with how quickly it absorbed, but personally I feel like my skin needs more hydration. 

6. Tata Harper Crème Riche: Speaking of needing more hydration, this cream delivers. It's ever-so-slightly thicker than my personal preference but I find that it hydrates wonderfully. 

7. Natura Bisse Essential Shock Intense Cream: As its name suggests, this is extremely hydrating and I personally felt that the texture of this moisturizer is somewhat too heavy for my skin. 

8. Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser x2: I love this cleanser so much! It leaves my skin feeling super clean and gives me such a gorgeous glow. I can't really justify its price point but if I was to ever want to treat myself to a pricier, high-end cleanser this would be it. 

9. Tata Harper Hydrating Floral Essence: This gave my skin a nice boost of hydration.

10. Tata Harper Repairative Moisturizer x2: I really liked this moisturizer from the Tata lineup, it was hydrating but wasn't too heavy. 

11. skinfix barrier+ Lipid-Boost 360 Eye: I really wanted to love this eye cream because I have been getting eczema on my eyelids lately and was hoping this would help, because I love their eczema balm so much. That said, it was nice in terms of being lightweight and hydrating but it wasn't enough to get rid of my eczema patches. Perhaps if I used it long-term, that would've been the case as even the eczema balm takes a while to clear my eczema patches up entirely.

12. Trish McEvoy Correct and Brighten Beta Hydroxy Pads Daily Exfoliator : Personally I found this to be a weaker version of the m-61 PowerGlow Peel. As in, I know they're supposed to exfoliate but I didn't really notice much of a difference. 

13. Trish McEvoy Correct and Brighten Professional-Strength Weekly Peel x2: This is another situation of I know it's supposed to exfoliate but it was just ok. For something professional-strength I was expecting to feel at least a little bit of a tingle with these but I didn't feel anything. They did exfoliate my skin but I personally wouldn't spend the money on them. 

14. Overtone Extreme Teal Daily Conditioner: I used this conditioner weekly and it really did help to refresh the teal color I had in my hair at the time. It didn't really do anything to cover my brunette regrowth but it did tint the parts of my hair that were bleached. 

15. skinfix eczema+ targeted body balm: I literally swear by this stuff to clear up my body eczema - the reason I say body specifically is that, being a balm, this stuff is super thick. I don't mind its consistency on my body as I typically get eczema patches on my groin or on my elbows and find that this is really useful in that region whereas it's too thick for me to use on my hands. That said, the groin is an absolutely terrible region to develop eczema patches and I'm so glad this helps to clear it up and keep that area comfortable. 

16. Trader Joe's Oatmeal & Honey Soap: Now, this is something that I swear by to help me with my hand eczema. It's very moisturizing, soothing, and inexpensive so I highly recommend it. 

17. patchology POSHPEEL PEDI CURE: This stuff is absolutely fantastic for getting rid of dry, rough foot skin especially in areas that are stubbornly dry and rough but not thick enough to cut or file the way a callus would be. 

18. Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara: If you're looking for a mascara to genuinely give you a dramatic lash effect, this is it. I found it to be very volumizing and lengthening. That said, it was very clumpy at first and it tends to smudge so I won't be getting it again. 

19. m-61 Hydraboost Collagen + Peptide Water Eye Cream: I really liked how lightweight this eye cream is and how well it de-puffed my under-eye area. That said, I didn't find that it was hydrating enough and it would sort of irritate my eyelid eczema patches instead of hydrating them.

20. Indie Lee Whipped Body Butter: I really love this body butter! Despite being whipped, it has a very rich texture that is quickly absorbed by my skin, leaving the skin hydrated and silky. This also has a light lemongrass scent that's nice and refreshing. I wish it was less pricey so I could maybe treat myself to the full size every once in a while. 

21. Glamglow Thirstycleanse Daily Treatment Cleanser: I feel like I wanted to love this more than I ended up liking it in practice. I found that I needed quite a lot of cleanser to get it to foam and move around my face the way that I liked and that, because it's a mud cleanser, it ended up drying out my skin a little bit. It smells delicious but that's about its only redeeming quality in terms of making me want to buy it. 

22. Tata Harper Resurfacing Serum x2: This is another Tata product where I noticed a significant radiance to my skin after using it. 

23. Tata Harper Nourishing Oil Cleanser: I found this cleanser to be just ok. I typically reach for oil-based cleansers to remove more stubborn, long-lasting makeup like my eyeliner and this didn't do a very thorough job of breaking the eyeliner down. 

24. Colourpop Faux Mink Lashes in Kitten: I think these lashes are really pretty. They give my looks some oomph and are that good balance between spiky and wispy. 

25. Colourpop Faux Mink Lashes in Wifey: I think these lashes are fairly natural-looking while having a nice length to them.

26.Colourpop Faux Mink Lashes in Babette: These are my favorite pair in the set! They're a nice combination of spiky and wispy while also being long and dramatic, 

27. Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask: This is a refreshing gel mask that leaves my skin feeling very soft and smooth. As its name suggests, it's great for smoothing out the skin's surface and reducing textural issues from pores and dryness. 

28. Tata Harper Rejuvenating Serum: This serum gave a nice, lightweight boost of hydration to my skin, 

29. Tata Harper Purifying Mask: This mask left my skin feeling clean and smooth but I find that the Caudalie mask I reviewed above does a better, more intense, job of purifying the skin. 

30. Tata Harper Hydrating Floral Mask: I wasn't really a fan of this mask - it's really milky and sticky the same way that condensed milk is and it has the sugary scent sort of reminiscent of condensed milk if you also threw flowers into it. Now don't get me wrong, I love condensed milk but like... as a sauce on my French toast, not on my face. It left my skin feeling ok, but still somewhat sticky - and due to it being sticky, it was difficult to wash off. Overall it's ok at hydrating but I don't like its texture. 

31.Tata Harper Illuminating Eye Crème: I really liked this eye cream - it did a nice job of providing instant brightening, due to its illuminating pearl; and it felt really hydrating without being thick or sticky. 

32. Trader Joe's 100% Australian tea tree oil: As much as I dislike the way that tea tree oil smells, I use this for cleaning purposes mostly for my air conditioning units - as this is both antifungal and.  antibacterial. In the unfortunate instance where I suffer from athlete's foot I like to use this when soaking my feet as well. 

33. m-61 PowerSpot Clear: As you already know I absolutely love and swear by this as an acne spot treatment. I find that it really draws gunk up to the surface and helps my acne clear up quicker. 

34. Mario Badescu Rose Body Soap: This smells so delicious, in fact, that I bought it in a full size. As you know I love sweet rose scents and while this one is a little more on the fresh side it also has a little sweetness to it which I think is really pretty.

35. Dove renewing peony & rose oil Nourishing Body Wash: Another body wash that smells really delicious. I really like to use these Dove body washes for shaving as they provide a nice, smooth glide for my razor and leave my skin feeling soft and silky. 

36. Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover: I really like this stuff because, as its name suggests, it really helps dissolve extra cuticle tissue quickly without actually damaging the cuticle the way a cuticle nipper would. It really helps me push away any excess dead skin so that I can have nice looking manis and pedis.  

37. Tata Harper Water-Lock Moisturizer: This has a really nice, refreshing, gel-cream texture that I really like but I found that it's not hydrating enough for my skin. 

38. Fourth Ray Beauty Avocado superfood nourishing Mask: This is a hydrating mask that's nice in the sense that it doesn't just merely hydrate. I think there might be a bit of clay or mud in here that helps to draw out impurities in a very nice, gentle way. 

39. Skinceuticals Tripeptide-R Neck Repair: So unfortunately the retinol in this neck cream was too much for my skin, in that it caused a rash that went on to develop into an eczema patch which took almost two months to clear up. It was so bad, in fact, that I didn't even use up the whole sample. If you're sensitive to retinol products this is definitely a skip. 

40. Tata Harper Revitalizing Body Oil: Personally I found this to hydrate very nicely, especially when I mixed it in with my body butter (to help both go further) but I can't get past how earthy and musky this smells. Just due to the scent alone, I wouldn't go out and buy this. 

41. Bath & Body Works Cactus Blossom Scented Candle: This candle smells absolutely delicious! It's a sweet, floral, slightly musky (in a sexy way) scent that I personally think is just beautiful as both a home fragrance and as a personal fragrance.

42. Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub in Moroccan Rose: I don't think I have to repeat how much I love these body scrubs because they're perfectly scrubby and intense without being too much. This particular one has a beautiful sweet yet fresh, clean rose scent to it. 

43. Bath & Body Works Cranberry Woods Scented Candle: This candle, although it definitely reads very holiday, also reads very warm and cozy. Definitely a nice one for chilly nights. 

44. Tata Harper Restorative Eye Crème: This is a really nicely hydrating eye cream that has a very similar texture to the illuminating one. Honestly I prefer the illuminating one to this one because it also has the added brightening benefit.

45. Sol Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream: I feel like I always jump on these samples whenever I can get them because I love the way this stuff smells but I'm too cheap to go out and buy it in the full size.

46. Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum: Honestly because this has such a low level of C (I believe it's around 5%) I just found it to be a lightly hydrating serum that didn't really do too much otherwise. Given its high price point I was really expecting to be blown away and that wasn't really the case.

47.GlamGlow GravityMud Firming Treatment: I really like this mask because it has a slightly firming, skin-tightening effect but is gentle and doesn't irritate my skin. I do find it kind of hard and messy to remove though because it peels off but also is difficult to wash off in the areas it doesn't quite want to peel from. 

41. First Botany cosmeceuticals Arabica Body Scrub: I feel like I wanted to love this scrub in theory more than I did in practice. It smells intensely of coffee, because it's coffee grounds and I'm not usually one to complain but the coffee scent is intense and there's nothing sweet to kind of cut through its intense acrid acid scent. It's very scrubby due to it being coffee grounds but it's also very messy... due to it being coffee grounds. I also think it's pricey for what it is so I won't be getting it again. 

48. Bath & Body Works PocketBac Anti-Bacterial Hand Gel in Frosted Coconut Snowball: This is a little too sweet for my liking but it did the job as hand sanitizer and you can't have too much of it nowadays so I'm not mad at it.

Disclaimer: I purchased all of the above with the exception of the m-61 (with the exception of PowerSpot Clear), Caudalie, Tata Harper, skinfix (the eye cream specifically), Trish McEvoy, Glow Recipe, Indie Lee, Skinceuticals, Sol Janeiro, Dr. Barbara Sturm, GlamGlow, Bath & Body Works (the hand sanitizer specifically), and Natura Bisse products. 

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Essence/Serum Review: dermalogica redness relief essence

dermalogica redness relief essence

Availability: This retails at $21 for 1.7 oz. or $42 for 5.1 fl oz. and can be purchased at bluemercury.com, macys.com, ulta.com,  sephora.ca (just the Canada website though) along with their physical store locations as well as dermalogica.com and dermstore.com.

Would I buy this? Most likely not. 

What is this product? What is it supposed to do?
Product info according to sephora.ca:
What it is: A redness-reducing essence that calms and restores balance to sensitive skin.
Skin Type: Normal, Dry, Combination, and Oily
Skincare Concerns: Dryness, Redness, and Dullness and Uneven Texture
Formulation: Lightweight Liquid

Does this contain any special/beneficial ingredients?
Once again, according to sephora.ca:
-Piperonyl Glucose: A new molecule that helps reduce skin sensitivity due to changes in climate and dietary related stress, and visibly reduces persistent skin redness.
-Colloidal Oatmeal: Helps calm redness, and forms a physical barrier on surface of the skin to provide moisturization and hydration.
-Aloe Vera: Soothes, calms, and hydrates skin.


What is the texture like?
This has a watery lotion texture.

Is this scented?
This has a very faint, kind of clean scent. 

What has my experience with the product been like?
Unfortunately I didn't find this to have much of an effect on my redness. It boosted my skin's hydration nicely, which I appreciate, but I don't feel like it has its intended effect on my skin.

Please let me know if you have any comments or questions.

Disclaimer: This was provided for testing purposes, I am not receiving any type of incentive or compensation for writing about it on my blog. 

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Essence/Serum Review: Caudalie Vinoperfect Essence

Caudalie Vinoperfect Essence

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Availability: This retails at $54 for 5 fl. oz. (150 mL) and can be purchased at bluemercury.com, macys.com, sephora.com, and jcpenny.com along with their physical store locations as well as us.caudalie.com, dermstore.com, and skinstore.com.

Would I buy this? Most likely not. 

What is this product? What is it supposed to do?
Product info according to sephora.com:
What it is: A natural brightening essence powered by glycolic acid to remove dead skin and grape water to hydrate, revealing brighter, smoother, and more even skin.
Skin Type: Normal and Combination
Skincare Concerns: Dark Spots, Dullness, and Uneven Texture
Formulation: Lightweight Liquid
Ingredient Callouts: This product is vegan.
What Else You Need to Know: Instantly brighten with this essence, packed with powerhouse ingredients: glycolic acid and organic grape water to exfoliate and hydrate, and white peony extract to reveal luminous and radiant skin. Add this to any regimen and skincare will work better, faster, and stronger.
Clinical Results: In a clinical test/self-evaluation on 33 volunteers, after 56 days:
- 91% of volunteers found their dark spots were lighter
- 91% of volunteers found their complexion was even
Clean at Sephora
Clean at Sephora is formulated without a list of over 50 ingredients, including sulfates (SLS and SLES), parabens, phthalates, and more. For the full list, check out the Ingredients tab.

Does this contain any special/beneficial ingredients?
Once again, according to sephora.com:
-Glycolic Acid: Brightens and exfoliates.
-White Peony: Brightens and evens complexion.
-Organic Grape Water: Moisturizes and soothes.

What is the texture like?
This has a watery texture.

Is this scented?
This has a very faint, yet unpleasant, note of grapes that have soured. 

What has my experience with the product been like?
I find that this doesn't do too much for my skin - my skin does feel a little smoother and looks a bit more radiant after I use this, which probably comes from it having glycolic acid, but I don't find myself enjoying the product enough to want to go out and purchase it. 

Please let me know if you have any comments or questions.

Disclaimer: This was provided for testing purposes, I am not receiving any type of incentive or compensation for writing about it on my blog. 

Friday, July 17, 2020

June 2020 Empties

All my monthly trash on display for you to see. :P
Sheet Masks:
Innisfree My Real Squeeze Mask in Acai: As you all know this is one of my absolute favorite sheet masks and one I always like having on hand. It's got a hydrating milky serum that isn't super heavy yet it makes my skin feel super hydrated and silky. It smells nice too.
look At Me Aqua Moisture Racoon Face Mask: I am so impressed by these gift-with-purchase masks that yesstyle gives out because they're really good and just some random freebie. This made my skin super soft and felt refreshing without being heavy. 

2. lune+aster Hydrabright Concealer : Honestly I don't feel like this concealer is worth the money - I'll explain. Overall I bought this because I liked using it on people who wanted the look of concealed imperfections that still looked like skin - in other words, this has fairly light coverage and looks natural. Now y'all know, if you have seen any photos of me on this blog that... that's not the look I go for. I don't want my makeup to look cake-y but if it's fuller to the point of covering every last flaw I am here for it. This concealer just isn't at a coverage level that I personally prefer. I find that the wand wiper on it causes it to dispense very little product; removal of the wiper did help some but I ran out of product quickly and due to how thin the tube is, I can't get to the bottom of it to scrape out the very last bits of product. 

3.Dr Teal's Pure Epsom Salt Soaking Solution in Balance & Calm with Matcha Green Tea:  As you all may know, I'm a big fan of matcha and I was excited about the prospect of this salt bath but unfortunately it just doesn't smell like matcha and only has a very faint green tea scent.

4. Skinceuticals Metacell Renewal B3: This was definitely a nicely hydrating product. It left my skin feeling very smooth and silky. I think it's rather pricey though.

5. dermalogica Invisible Physical Defense: I will admit that ever since finding out that this has cordycepts in it, I was grossed out and didn't quite want to use it. Alas, I've used it up. It has a nice hydrating texture but I wouldn't go out and get it. 

6. que bella pore minimizing facial mud mask: This was a nice mud mask in the sense that it made my skin feel cleaner but it didn't actually do very much to clear out or minimize my pores.

7. Walgreens 100% Acetone Nail Polish Remover: My coworker gave me this last year to help remove my gel polish and while that was still quite the effort, ultimately, this worked. It does a fantastic and quick job of removing nail polish and I personally didn't find it any more drying than typical nail polish removers.

8. LUSH Pink Bath Bomb: This is a slightly hydrating bath bomb with a floral scent. I think the most fun thing about this is how it leaves your water a pretty shade of hot pink and has lots of fun glitter in it. It's very mermaid-y and magical.

9. Dove rejuvenating pomegranate and hibiscus tea Nourishing Body Wash: I really like to use these body washes for shaving because they hydrate the skin and give my razor a nice glide but because I am lowkey a hairy beast they last a month, unlike shaving gel, which lasts a week so I'm happy to use them and have them. This has a really nice slightly sour, refreshing scent - I wouldn't say it's a true representation of either pomegranate or hibiscus tea but nevertheless it's a nice scent.

10. Alterna Miracle Multiplying Volume Mist: I'll be honest with you all, I feel like this maybe adds a bit of a texture to my hair but it doesn't really add a lot of noticeable volume. I'm unsure if this may be because I air-dry my hair and it might be designed for blow-drying, a lot of styling products are meant to be heat-activated but because my hair is so fine and I'm trying to have it in shape, I try not to heat-style it.

11. Figs & Rouge Nourishing & Soothing Hand Cream in Mango Mandarin: I've had this hand cream for a while and carried it around with me but unfortunately it's gone off and smells really odd and gross so it's time to toss it.

12. Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub in Passion Fruit & Guava:  You all know I love these and have been using them for years - my #1 body scrub because it's super scrubby but isn't oily so you won't be slipping and sliding all over your shower or tub. This has a nice, sweet yet tart scent.

13. Dr. Barbara Sturm Calming Serum: I liked the texture of this serum - it was very hydrating and felt soothing. That said, it honestly didn't do much more for my skin when compared to my beloved squalane and given how pricey this is, I just can't justify picking it up even though the texture on it is great.

14. Kiehl's Glow Formula Skin Hydrator: I really liked this moisturizer, it had this odd scent that I really enjoyed, felt hydrating without being heavy, and gave my skin a pretty glow.

15. Clarins Paris Defining Eye Lift: This is a really hydrating eye serum - I can't say much in terms of the "lift" function due to me not having any issues with loose saggy skin at this time. I felt like it was firming though just in terms of how it left my skin feeling.

16. m-61 Hydraboost Eye Cream: This is a nice, lightweight, yet hydrating eye cream. I think it's rather pricey for what it is but if I did enjoy using it.

17. Colourpop Faux-M-G Falsies Faux Lashes in Mami: These lashes are absolutely beautiful! They're pretty, fluttery, and they make my eyes look gigantic. They're super flattering for my eye shape. The band is a pain in the behind to get glued on correctly but given how beautiful the lashes are I'm willing to put up a fight.

18. Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate: This gives the skin such a lovely-feeling boost of hydration - I absolutely adore it. It makes my skin feel very smooth and silky. Unfortunately it's just too pricey for me to invest in.

19. berkley jensen Unscented baby wipes: As I've mentioned previously, I don't use these for a baby, I used them to wipe down surfaces, especially those of my makeup collection, and to wipe off hand swatches when I take blog photos. These are great! They're well-saturated and a package lasts forever!

20. Bath & Body Works Ultra Shea body cream in mango Mandarin: This is a really beautifully scented body lotion. This is one of my favorite scents that they make because it's fruit, citrusy, and sweet yet a little tart. Definitely great for the summertime.

21. Urban Decay Sabbath Glide-On Eye Pencil:  Unfortunately mine is completely dried out. This is a beautiful deep navy and I'm sad to let it go.

22. JulieG Nail Color in Santorini: If you have been following this blog for any length of time you know how much I LOVED this nail polish. Unfortunately mine is... out to the point where it's difficult to paint my nails with the remainder of it. I'm sorry to see it go as it was such a pretty color.

23. thisworks in transit camera close-up: This is a fantastic hydrating primer - although you can see it as a standalone moisturizer or sleeping mask as well. I found that my makeup stayed put really well with this under it and this felt very hydrating and refreshing to apply. That said, due to its hydrating nature I do find it to be a tad heavy for the summertime. It's definitely better for cold weather conditions.

24. Christope Robin Volume Conditioner with Rose Extracts: I've had this in the past and I find that it makes my hair look slightly more volumized while providing really nice, lightweight hydration. It also has a nice, floral rose scent.

25. Urban Decay 24/7 Legend Waterline Eye Pencil: As you know, this was my go-to black eyeliner for a long time, it's smooth and well-pigmented but unfortunately mine dried out.

26. Makeup Geek Full False Lashes in Elegant: These are beautiful somewhat spikey looking lashes. I really enjoyed wearing them and thought they looked nice on my eyes.

27. innisfree Brightening & Pore-caring Sleeping Mask: I really like how this mask made my skin feel really soft and smooth while being lightweight. That said, I don't find that it did anything to help with the size or appearance of my pores nor did it make my skin any brighter or more radiant.

28. Natura Bisse Diamond Cocoon Ultra Rich Cream: I really liked how hydrating this cream is without being super heavy to the point where my skin won't absorb it. It's intensely hydrating however, as its name suggests. I just think it's super pricey for what it is.

29. Chantecaille Jasmine & Lily Healing Mask: I used this as a sleeping mask and I found that it was very hydrating.

30. m-61 PowerSpot Clear: This is an acne spot treatment - I don't love the packaging for it because it being a doe-foot invites a great lack of hygiene into the use of this product. However, I find that it really does work healing acne both in the aspect that it draws puss and impurities to the surface but it also helps reduce the redness and swelling that are usually associated with acne pustules.

31. Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub in Tropical Mango:  You know I love these and have been using them for years - my #1 body scrub because it's super scrubby but isn't oily so you won't be slipping and sliding all over your shower or tub. This is always quite the nostalgic scent for me because it's the very first one that I ever used, it has a nice, sweet tropical scent.

32. Moroccanoil Treatment: As I've said in the past, I really like this treatment because it hydrates my hair without weighing it down or making my hair greasy. While I really don't like the scent of this product, I am willing to deal with it because it genuinely makes my hair feel great.

33. Youth to the People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Mask: I absolutely love this mask - it makes my skin feel super smooth and hydrated plus it smells incredible! It's got a nice, sweet, berry scent.

34. bumble & bumble Thickening Full Form Soft Mousse: I am so sad to have used this up, you  know this is my favorite mousse because it genuinely makes my hair feel thicker and fuller while giving my hair nice volume. It is meant to be heat activated but I find that using it when I air-dry my hair works just fine.

Disclaimer: I purchased all of the above with the exception of the look At Me, Skinceuticals, dermalogica, Walgreen's Acetone, Alterna. Dr. Barbara Sturm, Kiehl's, Clarins, m-61 (with the exception of the Power Spot treatment),  Shiseido. Christophe Robin, innisfree, Natura Bisse, Urban Decay (the Legend shade), Chantecaille, Youth to the People, Moroccanoil and que bella  products.