Effortlessly flawless skin? A first look at INSTYTUTUM skincare
As much as I love having options, I’m also easily overwhelmed. So when I see a skincare brand with 20 different lines and 15 products in each line, my brain just shuts down from the options overload (is this how men feel about a woman’s ability to multitask?). Even though I agree that our skin is unique and has different needs, overwhelming the consumer with a billion products is not the way to address these needs! In today’s beauty industry where lots of brands are screaming “MOAR!“, Instytutum stands out with their single range of just 10 products.
Beauty empties #10 feat. Odacite, Smashbox, and Sulwhasoo
My skincare empties posts have become a quarterly feature now, not on purpose, but rather I just seem to use up a whole bin’s worth of products every 3 months. Surprisingly this quarter’s empties actually contains some makeup, which happen about as often as solar eclipses, though we did have one just this last month, so there you go. Anyways, time to judge these empties for what they are: amazing, a-ok, or just plain awful.
Customized eco-luxe serums with Activist Skincare
Skincare by nature is very personal. Everyone’s skin is unique and has different needs, yet beauty companies try to fit us into a single category like “dry” or “oily” or “acne-prone“. Luckily there are brands out there that recognize and respect the individuality of our skin and understand that there’s no one-solution-fits-all product. One such brand that I’ve had the pleasure of discovering and working with these past months is Activist Skincare.
Burned out: restoring balance and finding joy in everyday life
It happens to the best of us, where we feel like we’ve lost our energy and our motivation to keep going. We’re exhausted, frustrated, and just want to curl up in bed in hopes that all this bad juju will go away. No matter what the cause of the burn out is, I’ve found that the common denominator is a lack of balance in life. Life will give us lemons, but it’s our job to make sure we always have sugar & water ready to make some lemonade. Here are a few ways I’ve found to bring a little more sugar (i.e. joy) in my life…
The AHA moment: 13 exfoliant for baby smooth skin
Bad pun aside, acids like AHAs and BHAs are my go-to when my skin starts looking dull and feeling rough. But not all acids or exfoliants are made equal, so similar to my wash-off mask roundup, today’s post breaks down 13 different exfoliants by skincare needs. Ready? Let’s go!
Effortless anti-aging boost with the Klairs Midnight Blue Youth Activating Drop
I have a love-hate relationship with anti-aging products. Love them because I’m getting to that age where my skin needs them, hate them because brands seem to think anti-aging = rich and heavy *rolls eyes*. So when one of my favorite skincare brands, Klairs, released their new Midnight Blue Youth Activating Drop, I kept my fingers crossed that this was the one.
The non-sheet mask roundup: 10 masks for every skin situation
I’ve professed my love for sheet masks countless times, but there are times when these sheet masks won’t cut it and instead I reach for my jar/tube masks instead. So today, I’ll be sharing the masks I have in my rotation, what they’re used for, and of course, my thoughts on them, because if you can’t tell by now, I’m pretty opinionated when it comes to beauty products.
Pamper & soothe your skin with the Darphin Intral line
I love pink, I love all things French, and I love skincare products that promise to soothe the skin. So when Darphin kindly sent me 2 products from their redness relief Intral line, I was ecstatic. I’ve heard a lot about this line from Taiwanese beauty bloggers, all great things of course, so I couldn’t wait to see what the hype was about.
PA? PPD? Broad Spectrum? The ultimate guide to understanding and choosing the best sunscreen
Sunscreen is one of my skincare obsessions, partly because I deeply regret not slathering this on when I was younger, but also because it’s a guaranteed anti-aging product. Diligently (ie. everyday, rain or shine) applying sunscreen is one of the most effective ways of preventing wrinkles and pigmentation. Now the question is, does your sunscreen actually live up to its UVA/UVB protection claims?
Glow on the go: the YSL Touche Éclat Cushion Foundation review
It’s pretty obvious that YSL is one of my favorite makeup brands: I adore their Rouge Volupte lipsticks and their Touche Éclat foundation has been my go-to for years. So when YSL released my favorite foundation in a gorgeous gold cushion this past May, I immediately bought it. After 2 months of using this baby, I’m ready to share my thoughts, and of course, pictures!
All actives, no fillers: my 5 top picks from Skin Actives
Of all the skincare brands I’ve tried, there are a few that really stand out for me, and you’ll recognize them because I mention them repeatedly on the blog. One such brand is Skin Actives (which I reviewed previously) and I’m a big fan of how their product ingredients and formulations are all backed by scientific studies and testing…
Discover to your new super anti-aging sunscreen
Hello Naruko AMPM RX10 Peptide Total Defense Sunscreen SPF50, why must you have such an obnoxiously long name? But unlike the previous Naruko sunscreen I tried, this one works fabulously (spoiler alert) so I’ll forgive the long name annoyance.