January 2022 Arrivals

Ok folksickles! Look at me for a change, pretty much only buying essentials. 

1. DECEIM Mini Haul: So I have a friend who came to me speaking of her skincare woes and honestly I knew The Ordinary would have something for her but while I was on there ordering her Christmas gifts I decided to pick up some things that I've been meaning to try myself:

The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG - My friend Donna swears by this and I want to try it as a booster serum for my Trader Joe's Supreme Hydrating Eye Cream because, while I love the texture of the eye cream and that it hydrates, I feel like this will give it depuffing and brightening qualities.

The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane - Ok the reason I went with the 0.5% is because my skin tolerated the Maya Chia The Straight A Advanced Gentle Retinol Treatment Facial Oil with no problem and while I'm unsure of the retinol concentration in that one, I figured 0.2% might be a tad bit low and the 1% might be too high given that I haven't used retinol in a few months since my Maya Chia ran out. But as you folx know I love my The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane so I figured this would be a good marriage of the two. As much as I loved the Maya Chia it's not in my budget right now so I figured I'd try a more budget-friendly option.

The Ordinary Buffet Serum - I hear great things about this serum and I remember when I tried it out on my hand once, my hand felt like a baby's butt so I've been meaning to try this for years. I figured it would make a great daytime serum in conjunction with the retinol at nighttime.

2. Physicians Formula Eye Booster Waterproof Ultra-Fine Liquid Eyeliner Review x2 : Quite frankly I needed to replenish on eyeliner and this is my very favorite at the drugstore so I had every intention of looking for it but when I saw they were having a buy one get one deal, well, I just knew I should grab two because what a deal! I feel like I lucked out.

3. Duo Brush On Adhesive: So I typically replace my eyeliner and lash glue (and mascara) at the same time just to remember to switch all those eye products I use frequently at the same. Hence I picked up another tube of this. The brush on my current one is starting to fray a bit so I'm excited to use this new one.

4. Kosassport Chemistry Deodorant in Serene Clean: I'm running low on deodorant and one of my friends suggested I give this one a try. Frankly I am a little afraid of this containing AHAs mostly because I shave my armpits and I'm not looking for my poor pits to burn when I put deodorant on. That being said, I decided to give it a go. It smells really nice!

5. Garnier green labs Smoothing Milky Wash Hyalu-Melon: Cleanser is another thing I've been running low on so I decided to give this a try. 

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

Disclaimer: I purchased everything listed above. 

January 2022 Favorites

Hey folksickles,

Alright, all the goodies I've been enjoying in January :) 

1. ColourPop Super Shock Shadows in Banana Daiquiri and Special Delivery: I took my Super Shock Shadows out to play with earlier in January and really loved this two colors in particular. They're such beautiful aquatic shades and so much fun to play with. I think they with contrast my eye color in a really complimentary way.

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

Disclaimer: I bought these myself.

January 2022 Empties

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

1. Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub in Moroccan Rose: As you all know I really love these scrubs. They have a nice, intense scrubby feeling that wakes me up and helps to smooth my skin. This one has a nice rose scent that's a bit of a combination between being sweet and green. 

2. Trader Joe's Watermelon Facial Mist: Ah I am so sad that this has come to an end as I really do love using it as a toner and overall boost-of-hydration refreshing spray. Alas, toward its end it began to smell a bit musky so I think it was really time to part ways (although my bottle is empty). Hopefully this makes a comeback this year. 

3.  BYBI Super Greens Purifying Face Mask: I'm really sad to have fully used up this mask. It did a nice job of leaving my skin feeling deeply cleansed without being harsh or drying. I can't say that it did anything to significantly change the appearance of the sebaceous filaments on my nose, which is truly what bothers me most outside of my redness but alas, I still really enjoyed using this mask.

4. wet n wild Breakup Proof Waterproof Eyeliner in Ultra Black: Overall I found this to be a pretty decent brush-pen style eyeliner at the drugstore. That being said, it doesn't give me the precision that I like right off the bat and had a bit of a learning curve when I first began using it. It's fine and I'd get it in a pinch but it wouldn't be my first choice.

5. Eminence Organics Mangosteen Revitalizing Mist: This mist smells absolutely delicious, feels refreshing, and leaves my skin feeling soft. That being said I bought this because it allegedly is made to be pore-refining and I was hoping it would make some sort of difference with the sebaceous filaments on my nose but alas, no such luck. 

6. Duo Brush-On Adhesive with Vitamins: It was that time for me to replace my lash glue, I like to do it every three months because my eyes get dry and crusty, especially with all the weather changes of hot inside, cold outside so I figure changing products I use around the eye area frequently is a good idea. The brush on this is fraying also. 

7. L.A. Girl lash building Mascara in Brown: This is a good basic mascara that gave my lashes really nice length and volume. That being said, if my eyes got even a little watery this transferred and smudged all over my under-eye area. I mean the mess was easy enough to remove with a little water but overall this was just ok.

8. beauty 360 Original Nail Polish Remover Pad x2: I purchased these to use on my feet since my local CVS, unfortunately, was closing and out of the liquid remover. These work fairly decent and do a good job of removing my nail polish. I'm able to get both feet done before it dries. That being said the pad is a bit thick which, overall, is not bad but it's difficult to get it around the cuticle area to remove nail polish there. 

9. OVERTONE Purple for Brown Hair Coloring Conditioner: Overall, out of the "for brown hair" coloring conditioner, I found this to be the most ineffective. The only time I saw that this made my hair purple was under direct sunlight and only a few strands. I genuinely think you need to be medium to dark blonde at the darkest for this to show up purple. If anything, I found that this left my hair cool-toned. I wish that my hair really would have been the purple that the formulation is because I really wanted purple in my hair again. Alas. 

10. now essential oils in peppermint: There are multiple reasons I really like this oil. Firstly it helps keep my sinuses open. I got really sick toward the middle of January and using this in my diffuser was really helpful. In addition, rodents really dislike the scent of mint so if that's an issue for anyone out there, periodically sprinkling your living space with peppermint cannot hurt. 

11. Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub in Tropical Mango: As you all know I really love these scrubs. They have a nice, intense scrubby feeling that wakes up me and helps to smooth my skin. I'm not really sure if this one was a little bit off but its scent was really intense to the point of making me a little bit sick. I'm unsure if the scent the use was merely undiluted or what. 

12. Fourth Ray beauty body milk in Avocado: Honestly I am glad to have used it up. While I really enjoyed the fact that this smells like an avocado shake, I really feel like it doesn't provide enough hydration. Especially for the wintertime. 

13. dermalogica Nightly Lip Treatment: I found this to be just alright, especially when used as a lip balm. It feels more like a cream vs something meant to hydrate the lips themselves, which makes sense because it's meant to treat lines around the lip area as well, but its texture isn't hydrating enough for the lips themselves in my opinion.

14. KORRES Renewing Body Cleanser in Cashmere Rose: I am so sad to have used this up and so glad that I have another bottle because this just smells absolutely incredible! It's such a warm, cozy, comforting sweet rose scent. One I highly recommend rose scent enthusiasts try. It does a great job of leaving my skin feeling cleansed without feeling stripped, tight, or dry.

15. Eylure London x Jasmine Brown in Jaybee: I really love how these lashes strike a balance of being intense yet enhancing both my eye shape and the eyeshadow looks that I do.

16. it Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores: I only had a sample of this and honestly it wasn't enough for me to tell you if it does anything to minimize pores or sebaceous filaments. That being said, this is a 10% glycolic solution and I haven't used glycolic acid in a while so it stung quite intensely. I would say the sensation of it stinging dissipated within a few minutes but it wasn't fun putting it on my face. Overall my skin did feel softer after I used this but I wouldn't go out and get it.

17. KORRES Santorini Grape Velvet Skin Drink: I like that this gave my skin a hit of hydration but it left my skin with quite a strange texture that other products wouldn't go nicely on top of.

The following products all developed and off-scent and hence don't have further explanations as to why I'm discarding them. 

18. Colourpop Hallucinogenius Jelly Much Shadow: 

19. Colourpop Just Your Voice Jelly Much Shadow: 

20. Colourpop Super Shock Shadow in Coconut: 

21. Colourpop Strawberry Jam Jelly Much Shadow: 

22. Lorac The Royal 3D Liquid Lustre Set : 

23. Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadow in Sunset Cove: I'm so sad about this, it's such a pretty color!

24. Fenty Beauty Stunna Lip Paint in Uncensored: This is another one I'm very sad about because it's BEAUTIFUL but it smells like urine now so... that's not right.

25. Colourpop Just A Tint Lip Crayon in A Go Go: I'm sad that I finished this because I love these lip tints but alas, it is fully finished.

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

Disclaimer: I purchased all of the above with the exception of the  L.A. Girl, it Cosmetics, Korres, and dermalogica  products. 

Cleanser Review: GARNIER green labs Smoothing Milky Wash Hyalu-Melon

'Ello folksickles. Today's review will be for the GARNIER green labs Smoothing Milky Wash Hyalu-Melon

Availability: This retails anywhere from $8 - $10 and can be purchased at cvs.com, target.com, and walmart.com along with their physical store locations that carry the brand (you might want to call before showing up there if you really want this specific item) along with garnierusa.com. 

Would I buy this again?: No.

What is this product designed to address?
According to garnierusa.com:

For dehydrated skin, fine lines

Removes makeup and impurities for smooth, glowing skin without the tight skin feel for bouncier skin over time.

Garnier Green Labs Smoothing Milk Wash is a gentle milky facial cleanser. This soft and indulging formula, with Watermelon and Hyaluronic Acid, removes makeup and impurities, and works to improve dehydrated skin and fine lines for skin that is smoother and bouncier. This vegan facial cleanser is suitable for all skin types and skin tones, allergy tested & dermatologist tested for safety and suitable for sensitive skin. No sulfates, microbeads, parabens, or dyes.

Does it contain any special/beneficial ingredients?

Glycerin: Attracts moisture to the skin.

Hyaluronic Acid: Is able to hold 1000x its weight in water, helps increase moisture in the skin by binding water.

Watermelon Fruit Extract: Watermelon contains Vitamins A, B, and C which aid in giving the skin a glow. It is also rich in water and has a hydrating effect.

Coconut Acid: Has antimicrobial properties.

Salicylic Acid: Exfoliates the skin, helping create a smoother texture.

What is the texture like?

Despite this being called a "milky" wash I'd describe its texture as being that of a soft, hydrating gel that foams up lightly.

Is it scented?

This has a slightly sweet, fruity, yet clean scent. I'd say it smells like an aloe-scented item mixed with a watermelon-scented item.

 

My overall experience/comments on the product:

Despite only having used this twice so far I have to say I wanted to be more impressed than I am. This doesn't foam up a lot, which you all know is a thing that I don't love in cleansers and thus I feel like I have to use more product than I normally would to produce a foam that I like. Generally speaking, it is alright and leaves my skin feeling clean and soft after use but I will not be going out to purchase it again.

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

Disclaimer: I purchased this myself.

Serum Review: The Ordinary "Buffet"

 The Ordinary "Buffet"

Availability:  This is available at ulta.com, sephora.com, and deceim.com along with their physical store locations. It retails at $16.80 for 1 fl. oz. (30 mL) or at $30.20 for 2 fl. oz. (60 mL). 

Would I buy this again? I'm not sure yet.

What is this product? What is it supposed to do?

According to sephora.com:

What it is: A multi-peptide, lightweight, water-based serum that targets multiple signs of visible aging at once and is great for those looking for solutions for signs of aging and supporting visibly healthy skin.
Skin Type: Normal, Dry, Combination, and Oily
Skincare Concerns: Fine Lines/Wrinkles, Dryness, and Loss of Firmness/Elasticity
Formulation: Serum
Ingredient Callouts: Free of parabens, formaldehydes, phthalates, mineral oil, oxybenzone, coal tar, and sulfates SLS & SLES. It is also vegan, gluten-free, and cruelty-free.
What Else You Need to Know: This product is vegan, cruelty-free, and formulated without alcohol, silicone, nuts, gluten, and fragrance. The total concentration of these technologies in the formula by weight is 25.1 percent.

Does this contain any special/beneficial ingredients?

Once again, according to sephora.com:

-Matrixyl 3000 and Matrixyl Synthe-6 Peptide Complexes: Help to reduce the look of lines, wrinkles, and surface irregularities.
-Hyaluronic Acid: Supports hydration and acts as a delivery system to enhance skin exposure to actives.
-Syn-Ake Peptide Complex: Improves the look of lines and wrinkles.

What is the texture like?

This has a lightweight, watery feel to it. 

Is this scented?

I'd describe the scent of this as being lightweight and just ever so slightly sweet, kind of like a very diluted sugar syrup. I don't notice a scent when applying it to my face.

What has my experience with the product been like?

This review is a first impression of the product given that I've been using it for under a week. I'm running low on serum and have been wanting to purchase this for a while now. In addition, I wanted something I could use during the daytime without any AHAs or irritating ingredients so this seemed perfect. Thus far, I feel like it gives my skin a nice boost of hydration and leaves my skin feeling soft, smooth, and supple. As I always say, I'm glad to do updates if you'd like, or I will do a full update whenever I finish it up in an empties post.

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

Disclaimer: I paid for this myself.

Serum Review: The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane

The Ordinary 0.5% in Squalane

Availability:  This is available at ulta.com and deceim.com along with their physical store locations. It retails at $7.50 for 1 oz. (30 mL). 

Would I buy this again? Honestly I think I would be safe upping to perhaps the granactive retinoid 2% in squalane going forward.

What is this product? What is it supposed to do?

According to deceim.com:

This water-free solution contains 0.5% pure Retinol, an ingredient that can reduce the appearances of fine lines, of photo damage and of general skin aging. While Retinol has been studied extensively, it is irritating to the skin and newer technologies exist that mimic the visible effects of Retinol without causing skin irritation.

Caution: Retinol can cause significant irritation, redness and peeling, especially around the eyes and mouth, in the early stages of treatment while skin builds tolerance. If you have not used high-strength retinol formulas in the past, we strongly recommend that you start your retinol regimen with our Retinol 0.2% in Squalane and adjust to higher strengths of Retinol 0.5% in Squalane and Retinol 1% in Squalane as your skin builds tolerance. You will achieve the same end results without the unpleasant redness and peeling along the way.

Note: Water can affect the stability of retinol. Additionally, plant oils in retinol formulations can trigger lipid peroxidation and can impair retinol integrity. This formula does not contain water, silicones, plant oils or alcohol.

Does this contain any special/beneficial ingredients?

Outside of the Retinol this also contains:

Squalane: Squalane has anti-inflammatory properties, is lightweight, and helps smooth the texture of skin. 

Jojoba Seed Oil: Has hydrating, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties.

Tomato Fruit Extract: Has anti-inflammatory properties.

Rosemary Leaf Extract: Has anti-inflammatory properties.

What is the texture like?

This has a lightweight, oily feel to it. 

Is this scented?

Despite having no citrus ingredients, this has a citrusy scent to it.

What has my experience with the product been like?

So just a heads up, this product is meant to refrigerated after opening which is written in tiny print on the bottle. Initially I went for this because I didn't realize that the granactive retinoid solutions came in squalane and are more stable, so I will be trying those going forward. Additionally, this review is a first impression of the product given that I've been using it for under a week. I'd like to say that I am impressed that this is formulated with so many anti-inflammatory ingredients to keep the retinol from irritating the skin. I have been able to use it nightly without any redness or irritation. I instantly felt a change in the texture of my skin the day after I used this and honestly I feel like I can attribute that to the squalane as, you all know, I adore squalane and the way my skin feels when I use it. That being said, I was breaking out before and my skin has stopped breaking out so  I feel that's a sign the retinol might be working. Although, my spot treatment might also be working... it's too soon to say. Given that I don't have too much in signs of aging my main hope with this product is to help reduce how frequently I've been breaking out (which is partially due to me taking hormones and adjusting, so they're a bit all over the place) and sebaceous filaments on my nose.

 

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

Disclaimer: I paid for this myself.

Eye Serum Review: The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG

Hello folksickles. Today's review will be for The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + ECGC.

Availability: This product retails at $7.50 for 30 ml (1 fl. oz.) and is available at sephora.com, ulta.com, target.com, kohls.com, and deceim.com along with their physical store locations.

Would I buy this again?: I think so.

What is this product designed to address?

According to sephora.com this is what the product is and what it does:

What it is: A concentrated serum with high-solubility caffeine and green tea cathechin to visibly reduce eye-contour pigmentation and puffiness.

Skin Type: Normal, Dry, Combination, and Oily

Skincare Concerns: Dark Circles, Puffiness

Does it contain any special/beneficial ingredients?

Again, according to sephora.com:

Caffeine and Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG): Help to reduce the look of puffiness and dark circles underneath the eyes.

What is the texture like?

I'd describe the texture as a gelatinous, viscous liquid that feels refreshing when applied. 

Is it scented?

I will preface what I'm about to say that I only smell the product when I smell it from the bottle or the back of my hand; I don't smell anything when I apply this to my eye area. That being said, this smells truly bizarre - I'm getting a coffee bean scent, which is expected, paired with a scent that I can only describe as being that of a shoe repair shop - they all have a very distinct scent and I cannot tell you if it's leather, glue, shoe dye or some sort of combination but I get that note here and it's... odd!

My overall experience/comments on the product:
I've only used this consistently now for about a week so I would consider this review as more of a first impression and nothing super thorough although, as I've said many times in the past, I am happy to come back and give an update if anyone wants one. If not, an update will show up whenever I'm done with this in an empties post. Also, this has shockingly low reviews on sephora.com but at this being a mere $7.50 for a whole ounce of product I was willing to try it out. Personally, it works for me, at least thus far. I notice a reduction in the puffiness of my eyes and they appear somewhat brighter to me. That being said, I don't have significant under-eye circles so the brightening effect might be more of a placebo affect. That being said, puffiness is something I do frequently contend with and I find that this does a good job of minimizing mine. In addition, this feels refreshing when I put it on but I like to layer an eye cream over the top of this just to give me that extra hydration. In my opinion this is a nice companion to an eye cream that might be giving you the hydration but not the anti-puffiness and brightening effects you're after. 

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

Disclaimer: I purchased this myself.