From skincare to makeup to hair/body, here are my top beauty discoveries from this past year.
The truth is that if I just did a regular 2018 favorites, I’d be repeating most of the products from 2017. I was very fortunate to have tried a ton of products last year, some great, some good, and some not so good. Of all everything I’ve tried, the following have really stood for me.
Paula’s Choice Defense Hydrating Gel-to-Cream Cleanser*
Of all the cleansers in my collection, this is the one I reach for most. PC doesn’t f*** around when it comes to ingredients, and this is full of antioxidants, skin-soothers, and gentle surfactants. The gel to milk formula feels comfortable on the skin and leaves it feeling clean and balanced. My only complaint is actually that it’s unscented so it’s not as fun to use, but otherwise this is about as perfect as cleansers get for me.
$18 at Paula’s Choice, $17 at Amazon
Joanna Vargas Miracle Bar*
I never thought I’d love bar soap this much but here we are. First of all, this is high pH so I don’t recommend using it regularly, but as an occasional deep cleanser it is amazing. Skin feels really clean and fresh as if I just did a mud mask, but it’s not drying. I love pairing this with a sheet mask for some serious glow that lasts all day.
$22 at Nordstrom, Dermstore, Free People
AMOREPACIFIC Treatment Enzyme Peel*
I’m all about gentle exfoliation and this peel really hits the mark. It’s easy to use (just add water and it lathers ever so slightly), non-irritating, and leaves my skin silky soft instantly. While peeling gels deliver similar results, the balls are kinda messy and occasionally I’ll find some still stuck on my skin even after a lot of rinsing. A little goes a long way with this, so I’d recommend the travel size (available in sets) over the full-sized product.
$60 at Sephora, Nordstrom; $22 for the mini at Sephora; $108 for a set at Sephora
AMOREPACIFIC Essential Creme Fluid*
I reviewed this in detail, but in a nutshell it’s a beautifully formulated lotion that’s moisturizing without being heavy. The way they source and process their green tea (the key ingredient here) is just incredible, and taught me that a product’s efficacy is more than just its ingredient list. This leaves my skin plump, hydrated, and velvety soft, plus it comes in a chic pump bottle that just oozes elegance.
Tunemakers Concentrated Moisture Lotion
I reviewed this already, and it’s tied with the Klairs Supple Prepration Toner as my hg toners. I love the simple research-proven ingredients and how they’re the ideal ratio to hydrate and nourish the skin. It also feels very comfortable on the skin, lightweight and non-sticky, and is a product all skin types will enjoy.
SK-II Genoptics Aura Essence
Guys, the glow this gives my skin is insane. Not that shiny glow you get from oils, but a translucent, lit-from-within glow. No wonder it’s called the “lightbulb serum” in Asia! It puts the 4 previous brightening products I’ve mentioned to shame (actually it works in synergy with the FTE) and I’ve already repurchased it. So good and worth every pretty penny.
2020 update: The Neogen Real Ferment Micro Serum works just as well and is so much more affordable!!
Venn Age-Reversing All-In-One Concentrate*
I’m usually not a fan of all-in-one products because jack of all trades, master of none, but Venn did it. This All-in-One Concentrate works best in a minimal routine, as it’s meant to replace your serums and moisturizer. It’s full of excellent ingredients like peptides, amino acids, and green tea extract, and despite the lightweight texture, it’s enough to keep my skin moisturized during the dry winter nights. While I don’t think I could ever stop using my serums and creams, I would highly, HIGHLY recommend this to anyone who wants a no-fuss routine. Just cleanse and apply this (plus spf in the mornings), and you’re good to go.
$185 at Venn Skincare
Nivea Creme
I already raved about this $1 miracle in a tin, and while there are definitely better moisturizers out there, you honestly can’t beat its value. When your skin is feeling extra dry, irritated, or a combination of both, a thick layer of this will do wonders. As for whether it’s a dupe of La Mer, I think La Mer is still superior, but guys, this is ONE DOLLAR.
$0.99/1oz at Ulta and Target; 13.5 oz at Amazon ($6.73), Target ($7.29), and Ulta ($9.99)
Klairs Soft Airy UV Essence*
While I love Japanese sunscreens, I do find a lot of them too dewy, even for my liking. This sunscreen has high UV protection (spf 50+, PA++++) using stable filters, and it’s hydrating without the shiny finish! While I’ll still rely on my La Roche Posay Antihelios XL for outdoor activities, this is now my favorite daily sunscreen, by far. I’m not a fan of the silver label rubbing off, but minor inconvenience I’m willing to overlook for a winning formula.
RapidLash Eyelash Serum
If you have sad short lashes like mine, are patient, and are willing to use this religiously everyday, it will deliver results! I started using it around July/August and by October I noticed that my lashes were significantly longer. Like if I curled them and applied a layer of my hg Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Mascara, it looked like I had falsies. Bad news is that if you stop using this, your lashes go back to being sad and short, so make sure you stick to it!
$50 at SkinStore, Ulta, Costco (for 2); $53 at Look Fantastic
Luvmilk Goat’s Milk Body Lotion
I love supporting small businesses and am thrilled to discover Luvmilk and their amazing collection of gourmand scented bath & body products. Each jar is freshly made and full of skin nourishing ingredients like oat extract, aloe, and of course goat’s milk. It’s moisturizing without being heavy, and the scent really lasts. Rabbit Cafe smells like a blueberry donut, and Magical Girl (another scent I bought) smells like creamy marshmallows!
Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Cream
I thought I loved the Luvmilk ones more but I can’t get over how fast this cream absorbs and how silky it makes my skin feel! This is even more lightweight than the Luvmilk lotion, but is equally hydrating and has some skin firming ingredients as well. Scent wise it’s not as strong, but equally pleasant!
$20-45 at Sephora, Dermstore, Cult Beauty
Prose Personalized Hair Mask*
It was between this and the Olaplex 3, and while the latter is magical for my dyed hair, it’s a pain to apply and doesn’t work for non-chemically treated hair. But since Prose is customized for your unique hair type, it will work specifically to tackle your hair issues! Mine is formulated to restore moisture and shine and it does a fantastic job at that.
$38 at Prose
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder
I never thought I’d love a pressed powder until I tried this darling. It’s everything I want in a pressed powder – weightless, translucent, blurring, and just mattifying enough to not suck all the glow from my foundation. I do wish it came with a it’s own brush for touching up on the glow, but otherwise this is about as perfect as pressed powders get.
$45 at Nordstrom, Sephora; $35 at Cult Beauty; $33 at Net-a-Porter
YSL Vinyl Cream Lip Stain
I actually don’t remember when I bought these, it may have been late 2017, but I’ve used them so much in 2018 they absolutely deserve a spot here. These have a glossy finish initially, then dries down to a beautiful stain that lasts through drinking and eating. 407 is your classic dusty rose that’s flattering for everyone, and 416 is a muted red that’s one of my fall/winter lipstick picks.
Sundays 10-Free Nail Polish
Raved about them on Instagram already, but I love the minimal design, the beautiful selection of shades, the non-toxic formula, and how easy they are to apply. Just a single layer and I get an opaque even coat that lasts up to 8 days! My favorite shade is No. 25, which is a beautiful dusty rose that should flatter all skin tones, but I also really like No. 02, a sheer baby pink for nude nails.
$18 at Sundays, buy 3 and get 20% off
I’ve also started using a few products at the end of 2018 that I’ve really been enjoying, and while I haven’t used them long enough to qualify them as a favorite discovery, I still want to give them a shoutout here:
- Biologique Recherche Lotion P50 W – I gave into the hype, and while I did purge initially, I’ve moved past that phase recently and I’m starting to notice smoother and brighter skin. Jury is still out on this, but it looks very promising!
- Lily De Mai Bliss Mist* – I just reviewed this on Instagram and I’m seriously impressed by both the product and brand. With how things are going, this might become one of my favorite mists.
- Huanjisoo Pure Perfect Cleansing Oil* – Also briefly reviewed on Instagram. I can usually figure out after the first use whether or not I’ll enjoy a cleanser, and lets just say the first few impressions of this cleansing oil has been excellent.
Thanks so much for reading, as always, I know I can be ridiculously verbose, so kudos to you for getting through my ramblings! I hope your new year is off to a great start, and I wish you guys all the best in 2019!
Also if you’re in the US, don’t forget to enter my Formulate personalized shampoo + conditioner giveaway! You can read my review here, but in a nutshell, their shampoo was my favorite out of the 3 personalized hair care brands I’ve tried. Highly recommend them if you struggle with finding shampoos that work for your finicky hair and scalp!
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Those candles are so pretty! I love the designs on them. That’s too bad the macarons one was your least favorite because I like the design on that one the most. The Peches & Creme one sounds so nice! I’ve been wanting to get nicer candles for home decor, so I may check these out :)
I know! My favorite design was the macaron one as well, but the scent just isn’t what I had hoped for. Maybe I got a bad batch? People seem to rave about this scent from the reviews I’ve read :(
WOWWWW THESE ARE STUNNING!!!!! I’ve never seen candles designed so elegantly before!! When it comes to candles, I would like floral scents. They just are so calming! Also, I love the redesign of your review tab. It’s so neat and clean and so much pink!
I agree, floral scents are quickly becoming my new favorites as well! So glad to hear you like the new review tab! I’m always tweaking things here and there, so it’s awesome that you noticed the change :D
I love Voluspa!! I have a hard time buying any other brand. Is the ceramic style new? I haven’t seen these yet!
I’m not sure Sarah! I did notice that the ceramic styles are only sold in certain places. Maybe it’s a discontinued style?
wooow! I had no idea that there’s another brand with similar looking Birkins and Kellys!
The more commonly seen as look-alikes birkins are from Mac Douglas in France.
Absolutely love your Kelly! It doesn’t look preloved at all. It looks like it’s all brand new! So happy for your purchase :D My friend was telling me to save up for one too, seeing how the value increase and the quality! But well— All the distractions that I’m seeing in Paris. I doubt I’d ever save up enough to get even a handle of Kelly, ha ;P
Omg. I think you may have changed my freaking life. The company you bought your Hermes bag from has an AMAZING collection of authentic bags online. Thank you so much!!!
That bag is absolutely gorgeous. I’ve heard of the Teddy Blake bags and thought about purchasing one, but it has always been a hard decision. My favorite brand of bags are TheSak and Kate Spade.
I’m not really good with flatlays and using props. Oh, I hope I’d be able to learn more about it. My photos right now are life, more plain and bland. Thanks for sharing. I learned a lot. I’ll be sure to stock up and put them all in one area so I could grab them when needed.
Thanks for reading lovely, glad you found it helpful! Photography is definitely something that gets better with practice, so just keep taking more flatly and they’ll definitely get better!
This post just reminds me that I need a cat ? I suck at using props, so I sticker my photos with bald men. Almost as classy as Megan Hess art. ?
Props are super important when it comes to taking staged product photos for blog! These are all great recommendations for them!
Rae | Love from Berlin
Fantastic post. I love reading about blogging tips in general and especially taking photos. Blog props definitely do help the photo look more professional. I love using artificial plants and plant stems as well as cute notebooks in blog photos.
http://www.themakeupaficionado.com
https://www.instagram.com/themakeupaficionado17/
https://au.pinterest.com/bernadette_95/
OMGOSH your kitty just loves being photographed ;) he is so so beautiful! I noticed the props in your grams and was always wondering what was bringing them all together into your elegant style, so this post answered my questions! Also that marble contact paper really got me, that’s gotta be the best idea ever!
Thank you so much for this post Jenny! I’m actually in the process of moving from Blogger to self-hosted WordPress and this makes me so excited for all the new possibilities I’ll soon be able to play around with!
You’re welcome Andreanne! There’s definitely a lot more you can do with WordPress, the possibilities are literally endless :D Best of luck with the blog move!
That “Comments Not Replied To” plugin is a good one! I’m installing that right now. This will help me keep track and ensure I reply to all my comments.
Yep! Now I just need to make sure I reply to people in a timely manner! :P
nice tips! this could optimize a wordpress blog for the better. i know i no longer use wordpress but i’ll note this down for future reference.
the SEO i used was Yoast too and i saw quite an increase in the number of people who visited my blog (and in return, i get to discover more cool blogs too) which is why when i migrated, the yoast SEO was the plugin i missed the most.
Thank you! I’m curious, does blogger have any built-in SEO configurations or are there any comparable plugins? I would imagine because blogger is owned by Google they automatically insert all the necessary meta tags and markups?
Would you consider doing one of this post for us who are on Blogger? I know WP seems to be the popular choice for many but I’m happy with Blogger…or more likely I really couldn’t be arse trying to learn new things at WP. LOL!
Jenny, such a great post! Very educational and informative. I tried to leave a comment just a moment ago, but I’m not sure if it published or not. So there it goes again…
I’m not currently using any of the plugins you recommend but I will definitely be looking into all 5 of them. I am using Yoast SEO and really like it but I think I would like to explore other options as well.
Great post Jenny! I’d like to read more articles such as this one!
~ Cat L.
http://www.CatsDailyLiving.com
Sorry Cat, not sure what happened with my comment system and why it thought you were spam! Silly Akismet. So glad you enjoyed this article! I’m not sure how many of my readers actually use WordPress or are interested in these more “geeky” posts, so this feedback really helps!
Your blog is so beautifully designed and organized, I wish I had the knowledge you do with web developing! Over the years I’ve managed to figure out some basic things, but I’ve still stuck to Blogger because self-hosting on WordPress always seemed daunting. I really like the way you have your review page set up like a table of contents, I’ve been trying to set up a page like that for my reviews as well but I can’t figure out how. I’d love to see more posts on HTML coding that can be used on any platform, if possible. I still remember the first time I visited your blog and I was shocked by how flawless it looks!
Hmm! I’ve been considering changing from Yoast for a while after reading that NG post but haven’t really made the jump! I’ve recently installed Disable XML-RPC Pingback as well – oh man! The little things make such a difference! Your ingredients list is exemplary – kudos to you for keeping such a meticulous track of this information ;-)
I’m excited to transfer to WordPress and have these plugins soon!
x, Kat of Nested Thoughts
You’ll really love how flexible and powerful WordPress is! Good luck with the transfer!
Umm I NEED number 2 and 3 in life omg! Thank you for sharing these. I always get overwhelmed when I can’t tell if I’ve replied to a comment or not. I have anxiety about missing comments haha. And I totally agree that the category thing is so ugly. I am totally going to go install these now. :)
-Emily http://www.coatandcoffee.com
Excellent post and some great plugins that I’ve never thought of using. I will check out a couple of these that you suggested. Thanks for this article. xx
Ann-Marie | http://facetocurls.com
Glad you found it helpful! I don’t see these plugins getting mentioned a lot so I figured they deserve a shoutout :)
Thanks you sharing these plugins. I agree with the previous comments, your blog is beautiful and easy to navigate, your pictures are also pretty. Do you use a theme or did you make it from scratch?
Thank you so much Loren! I built my theme from scratch, and I’m actually creating premade WordPress themes that’ll be available in the near future!
I should look into the category plugin LOL I, too, am not fond of the /category/xxxx thing, but I just sucked it up and lived with having it, but now I may look into this one!
Thanks for sharing your plugin choices! I agree that there are so many plugins out there, that it’s hard to know what is good and what you need. I try not to use too many plugins, though, because too much isn’t good either.
You’re welcome Tara! I’m always trying out new plugins so hopefully I’ll have another plugin roundup soon (^∇^)
Great post as usual jenny! So helpful. I’m going to look into switching from yoast as I agree, it’s bloated. Also I get so annoyed when it gives me a red light on readability. I like to use elevated language when I damn well please and and I’m not gonna dumb it down for a stupid robot.
You have an amazing collection.
Love the photos.
xx
https://theonethattravels.wordpress.com/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_zn7IqrAY1I44bRuN6dH-Q
Thank you so much Zorica!
Interesting thoughts on these candles! I have to admit, I was really excited to read this, especially the part about Diptyque. I always wonder if they are REALLY worth it. I have some candles at home, and I forget what brand they are, but I think they sell at Urban Outfitters. They are a little pricey at $18 a piece, but not TOO bad. And omg, they smell the ENTIRE house in minutes. They are the most bang I’ve ever gotten for my money. Totally worth it, just wish I knew what they were called! I am going to check out a few of these others now, as I’ve never heard of them!
-Emily http://www.coatandcoffee.com
Oh Jenny, I am a self-proclaimed candle hoarder so this post is right up my alley! My favorite candles are from Jo Malone and of course, Voluspa (nothing beats their packaging). I have tried Diptique in the past but somehow I can’t seem to warm up to and appreciate their strong scents. I also purchase the occasional Bath & Body Works (Balsam Fir is a seasonal favorite of mine) but their scents do have some synthetic hints to them. Great post Jenny!
~ Cat L.
http://www.CatsDailyLiving.com
Yay, so glad to hear you enjoyed it Cat! Oh my goodness I just visited Jo Malone for the first time yesterday and their scents are incredible! How is their throw? I’m super weary now because of my bad experience Diptyque :( I agree about the Bath & Body Works candles, they definitely smell more synthetic than other higher end brands.
You have quite the collection!! Diptyque candles are my favorite! Great post! xx
Beatriz // http://www.beatrizcarvajal.com
Thank you Beatriz! Diptyque candles are beautiful, it’s not surprising that they’re so many people’s favorites!
TJmaxx is like Winners for Canada and yes, I agree about the candles from there. I bought two duds too, literally nothing, not a whiff. I’m not familiar with most of the brands you mentioned here, the ones I know are Yankees, BBW and Diptyque so thank you for the introductions.
You’re welcome! Hopefully your experience with Voluspa and Illume will be nothing but positive (if you ever decide to try them!). As for those dud candles, makes you wonder how long they’ve been sitting on the shelves at TJmaxx/Winners :/
every time i see candles, i will definitely without a doubt be reminded of famous fashion, beauty and lifestyle bloggers. i don’t know but candles are something they always, ALWAYS be addicted to, isn’t it? Lol. sorry for the generalization but there have been proofs surrounding this ….theory :P
i’ve always wanted to have candle in my room too just because i’m curious about why people are so addicted to having candles. i have pretty sensitive nose and am very picky about fragrance but some of these caught my attention. for instance, i’m not a fan of drinking coconut water but coconut milk scent? dang, that thing must have smelled divine!
the voluspa candles have such pretty packaging omg! diptique candles look really sophisticated too imo. after watching quite a few beauty / lifestyle youtubers, i see that almost every single one of them will have at least one diptique candle haha.
i wouldn’t think of myself as anti-candles. but i’m a clumsy person and i have quite a lot of things in my room. plus, i don’t have lots of space so having a candle might actually lead to fire LOL
p.s: i can’t stand bath and body works store at all. i can’t stay in there for hours because the scent is too overwhelming. everything smells floral-ish and so intense (sometimes intensely sweet) that i just can’t take it.
Lol, Diptyque candles are all over Instagram and blog photos, though to be fair they make beautiful photo props :P I honestly wonder how many bloggers/instagrammers buy a few just to try it out and then save the container as props, haha.
The coconut milk is amazing, and I think it really comes down to picking the right scent, and you can get a pretty good idea from sniffing the candle. Though it’s really hard to tell how strong it’ll be once you light it, that really depends on the brand. BBW candles are super strong, and are definitely better for large spaces!
I used to feel the way about candles, but they’re not as scary as I thought. As long as it’s on a stable surface and you don’t have a bunch of flammables right next to it, you’re totally fine :P
Your collection is beautiful! I guess you could say I’m currently in the anti-candle stage, for the same fear of burning the house down 🙈 Although now I’m tempted to get a Voluspa candle, the packaging is so pretty! What are some of your favorite scents from them? Floral isn’t really my thing but otherwise I love most scents that aren’t overwhelming (ahem Bath and Body Works). Thank god Diptyque isn’t on the favorites list- I adore the packaging but the price is ridiculous. I can kinda see why your husband lost his mind 😂
Thank you so much Gloria! <3 For Voluspa, I really loved Creme de Peche, but I think they discontinued it :( Another fruity option is Santiago Huckleberry and it's not too sweet. I tend to lean towards floral scents, so I don't have many non-floral options, sorry! I'm going to try burning the limited edition Diptyque candle next and see if it has better throw, I wonder if they vary by scent.
I’ve only ever bought Yankee candles. Never really tried anything else. I’ll definitely try some of your recommendations!
I have to say I am banned from buying candles for a while, I am obsessed favourite high endish are Jo Malone mid range and all time favourite is neom candles, the white company every now and again when I find a scent I like. I also top up every now and again from TK Maxx. Even though I love dyptique fragrance I am not a fan of the candles as the scents I like are not available in the candles. The rest of the candles you mentioned I am yet to try.
I love the new Bath and Body Works marble candles! I find with B&BW you have to find subtle scents so they’re not overpowering. They are the most affordable with the biggest selection I can find around me.
http://www.thinkingofmakeup.com
That’s a great idea about BBW candles! I’ll keep that in mind next time I go, I do love how large their selection is and how they’re always coming out with new scents!
I am not fond of candles because I also feel like I’ll burn the house down LOL I much prefer the flameless candle like Scentsy! I did have it for a while, but I guess candles — with or without flame — are just not my thing. Or maybe it’s because my parents aren’t too into it. Maybe if I have my own place, my mind may change :)
Lol, I feel like that’s the number one reason people don’t burn candles, though I think the chances are a lot lower than you think :P I used to use Scentsy as well, but I think I’ve outgrown the look of my burner. Maybe I’ll find a nicer burner as I do love how strong the scentsy bars are!
Oh man, candles are a bit of hit and miss for me. I can’t justify spending the $$$ on candles when it feels like I’m just burning cash. So like you, I was the biggest anti-candle user ever! I started getting into them through BBW (I haven’t been there in a while but their marble candles are SOOOOO beautiful!) and bought the Voluspa one recently.
I’m trying to stick to more soy based candles as they burn better and is less harmful to breathe in in general. I’m (really) glad to hear that Dyptique is not all they’re cracked up to be. I’m sure they’re wonderful but for the price!??? I’m sticking to diffusers these days to keep my area smelling nice and clean!
I love having candles around, so this post was perfect in reviewing different brands! You definitely nailed the description on Bath & Body Works candles – fun scents, great throw, but also almost sickening if you burn one too often, LOL. One of my favorite candles is actually from Target. They just seem to be good at everything!
Kathryn • simplykk.com
I just went on DIPTYQUE’s website to look at their candles and IT’S SO NICE!!! Their design is so elegant and the packaging has got me blown away. Must be why the price is skyrocket high. The only candle we have in my house is a Yankee Candle … I definitely feel cozy when my mom lights it up but it’s been there for years and there’s still so much left!
Haha, I think the look of their candles might be an even bigger selling point than their scent, at least it’s definitely that way for me :P I have a Yankee candle in the Christmas Cookie (something like that) scent, and it’s a super cozy scent too. And they really do last forever!
You have such an amazing collection! I love love candles. I literally have candles in every single room in my house, including bathrooms and kitchen. The ones currently on my wish list are the Jo Malone and Diptique candles. I need to try those badly. Lovely post! xo
Ann-Marie | http://facetocurls.com
I love this post! I just started growing an insane love for candles this year and Illume sounds like something I’ll really enjoy (kinda sucker for all things coconut)! I love Diptyque but can’t really justify the price either, so I’ll def look into the Illumes.
– le jolie
Thanks so much Susan! Definitely recommend the Coconut Milk Mango from Illume, you won’t be disappointed :)
wow, this is impressive collection :) I love using candles on winter x
Laura
Pink Frenzy
Thank you Laura! I love using candles all year round :)
I’ve yet to try Diptyque, but have been really tempted to get some of the limited edition scents. I’ve also been suckered in by Fresh candles (love the simple packaging). Thanks for the introduction to Ilume and Voluspa – I definitely want to try both!
Diptyque’s limited edition candles are beautiful – both packaging and scent-wise! Though I didn’t have the best of luck with Diptyque I’d love to try other French candles for the very reason you stated!
Hello,
Love your blog! I came across Teddy Blake on Pinterest and I loved his bags. Me too love the Birkin bag but can not afford it. I purchased the Vanessa bag, I love the fact is leather. I not stuck on name brands I just love a good leather bag!! Thank you again for the history!!
How funny Jenny, our timing is in sync! I just clicked publish on my Althea Korea unboxing and review too! Agree with many of your points. Shipping was a little longer for me and I found the website loaded slow, but for the amazing variety they have available at the great prices, I’ll definitely be ordering from them again too!
I love that they’re constantly adding new products too! It seems like the shipping can be a hit or miss, but I still think it’s better than regular k-packet or register mail…those literally take months to get!
I am an absolutely newbie when it comes to Korean makeup and skincare! I’ve never heard of Althea before but I will have to bookmark it in case I’m looking to try new products out!
Korean beauty products can be really overwhelming just because there are so many products to pick from, but I like that Althea curates what is currently trending in Korea on their site :) Definitely makes deciding what to buy a little easier!
I loved reading this Jenny, it sounds like a really good K beauty site! I’ve been experimenting with a bit of K beauty lately, and I think I’m going to check out Althea! x I’d love to see you looking like C3PO; that would be funny hun! x I do agree with you though, some of the sheet masks I’ve purchased just haven’t been a good fit at all! x
Lots of love,
Marina Rosie xx
http://marinawriteslife.blogspot.fr/
Thank you Marina! Haha, the foil masks were interesting but let’s just say I don’t make a very good C3PO :P Hope you’ll find something you love on the site, and if you do I’d love to see what you haul!
This sounds like a great site to order K-beauty products :) Though I do wonder about the server’s location, though. I am in Korea and I visit a lot of sites based in the US (my own blog included LOL), and it’s not slow? I guess it depends on the quality of the server more! I’ve never heard of this site, so thanks for the heads up!
You’re welcome Tara! They just launched the US site so hopefully it’ll only get better as time goes on. You’re right about the server location, it’s probably more than just that that’s affecting the site speed, and hopefully it’s something they’ll address in the future.
Girl, thank you for this article. I have seen so many deluded comments on YT complaining that there’s nothing original about Hermes and I was like beech? Hermes was around way longer. And obviously these people have never own or touch anything from Hermes, the quality is like nothing else in the world. Not even LV, not even Chanel. I am happy with my Kelly 40 and that’s that!
Thank you for the honest review on this site, Jenny! I’ll check them out!
Happy shopping, and if you do get anything I’d love to see your haul! :D
This sounds so awesome!!! Great review :)
xx Sofia | SOFIAADOT
Thanks for reading Sofia!
Wow I’d love to try them!
With love,
Dasynka
http://dasynka.com
It’s definitely worth checking out, they add new products each week!
Never heard of this, but it looks like great products! Thanks for sharing.
http://www.myclusterofthoughts.com/
They do carry some really interesting products and brands!
Oh my! Sounds amazing, I totally need to buy my k-beauty products there! ♥
http://www.heresometimes.com
Happy shopping! They’ve added a lot of new products since this post :)
I really like the sound of some of those masks xx
http://www.GemmaEtc.com 💕
They have some really interesting ones that are worth checking out!
I have yet to venture in the workd of k-beauty, but if I do (still so many European brands to explore…) I know where to start. Free return is a huge plus, I always look for it. Even though if I remember correctly I never yet returned a beauty product.
Linda, Libra, Loca: Beauty, Baby and Backpacking
Good for you for never returning a beauty product, I wish I could say the same but I think I’ve been spoiled by Sephora’s generous return policy. K-beauty can be overwhelming with their sheer number of products but luckily Althea does a good job of curating what’s currently trending in Korea :)
I haven’t heard of K Beauty but will definitely be checking them out now. Thanks for sharing,
Jaz xoxo
http://www.thelifeofasocialbutterfly.co.uk
K beauty is short for Korean beauty, and Althea does a great job of curating some of the trending beauty products in Korea!
You picked out so many great products! That’s a shame that the apieu sheet masks fit awfully. I saw them in multiple people’s althea hauls. On the plus side– your skin loved them! I was also really happy with my shopping experience– would def shop there in the future :) I also hope their site gets faster in the future.
Mili | Sharmtoaster
Thanks Mili! Sheet masks fits are always a hit or miss, and having the foil on the mask definitely makes the fitting more difficult. I just placed my second haul (had some leftover credit) since they added more new products! :D
I’m still very new to K beauty and honestly had no idea there were so many retailers offering amazing products!! I will have to try Althea next time I need to stock up. I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that I only knew about Peach + Lily and Sephora!
xx, Amy
http://www.theluxilook.com
Peach + Lily was one of the first sites I went to when I started with K beauty, but once you go down the rabbit hole, you’ll find that there are so many retailers and so, so, SO many products it’s actually overhwhelming! While I love the US based sites for their great curation and faster shipping, I find that Korean-based retailers offer the best prices by far :)
Overall they sound like a decent company to buy from! I’d rather have fast shipping and a slow site haha. Your comment about C3PO made me laugh. ;p
-Emily http://www.coatandcoffee.com
Never tried these brands before. I just love the packaging and your review on these is wonderful. It is fun to be on the hunt for some new products for summer time :)
http://www.bauchlefashion.com/2017/04/the-chic-memo-summers-new-hue.html
Thank you Heather! Totally agree, love discovering new products each season :)
Love the fact that they ship fast and covers return shipping charges.
❤️ http://theblushingpink.com
Thanks for reading Amy! It’s definitely rare to see a Korea-based retailers with these characteristics, so it’s awesome!
I’ve heard a lot of reviews about Althea and to be honest, I am quite intrigue. Thanks for sharing this.
http://www.engineerxeph.com
Thanks for reading Xeph! Hopefully your experience, if you do end up buying from them, will be just as positive!
You picked up so many great products! I have been so tempted by KBeauty brands, honestly since I first started my blog and Instagram! Althea sounds like a great destination that would allow the opportunity to browse and become familiar with a lot of these brands. Will definitely have to check it out!
~ Cat L.
http://www.CatsDailyLiving.com
Thank you for reading Cat! Althea is definitely a great place to start with KBeauty – they have all the popular brands, several smaller but upcoming brands, and they do a great job of curating what’s trending in Korea right now!
Never heard of this. My hubby has a business in Korea so he travels there quite often and he always brings me back lots of Korean skincare but this sounds amazing.
Ann-Marie | http://facetocurls.com
Lucky you! The prices are incredible when buying locally in Korea and they always have generous gifts with purchases!
I just have a question why Hermes don’t do anything to stop Buti to replicas and sell is in it lawsuit will be the righting to do to stop all of this rumors and the competition of it right.
Honey do you have nothing better in life than to insult ? I have stage III cancer and I pay 22,500 per month to stay alive. I’ve always wanted a Hermes Kelly bag, but given the choice of staying alive or having the purse, I chose life. Please don’t make me feel bad because I can’t afford the real thing. Don’t be so cruel or evil. It hurts and pain is not something I need more of. Trying kindness and love the world needs it
I’m sorry but how does my post make you feel bad? I simply stated the truth, that the Hermès was the original designer of the bags, not Teddy Blake. I never said anything bad about the Teddy Blake replicas, other than to point out these false rumors people have been spreading. Never did I belittle anyone who can’t or won’t buy an Hermès.
If you’re going to feel bad about not being able to afford a bag, take ownership of your own feelings and don’t blame them on others, and don’t use something as serious as cancer to justify your childish behavior. I would think something so life threatening would make you realize there is more to life than material goods, and to learn to appreciate what you have, not go griping at people on the internet about what you don’t have. I truly feel sorry for you.
I love Althea! Almost all the products I review in my blog are bought from their site because they’re prices are competitive and fast delivery, as you mentioned. :)
xx Alyssa // STYLE VANITY
Great review! Both powders seem to perform well, but I love the packaging of the Althea powder.
http://www.millievyse.blogspot.co.uk
Thank you Emily! I agree, the packaging of the Althea powder is much prettier! 💕
It sounds like a winner, I hope I can get it in the UK xxx
ALittleKiran | Bloglovin
I think Althea does have international shipping, though I’m not sure what their rates are, hopefully reasonable!
I just added your blog to my reader! YAY! So, I have to try this powder. I spent like 40.00 on this tiny little pot of the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder which I burn through like crazy if I use to set my whole face. This is a MUST try for me. I haven’t heard of this line before. SO INTERESTING!
http://abeautifulwhim.com XO Janine
Wow, this is such an awesome and very thorough comparison hun, I really appreciate all the photos included!I haven’t actually tried either of these but the Althea one sounds fantastic, especially for the price. I have tried a couple of expensive powders in the past and really wasn’t impressed especially compared to the more affordable options, that work just as well. Thanks for sharing this lovely review! xoxo
Kay
http://shoesandglitter.com
I actually try to be more sustainable as much as possible. I wish The RealReal is available in my country. But right now I embraced the minimalist lifestyle when it comes to clothes, I only buy what I need. And I stick to basics as much as possible so it’ll last more than just one season :)
xx Alyssa | STYLE VANITY
I love Jo Malone! I have quite a few of her products. The Lime Basil & Mandarin shampoo and conditioner is brilliant. It leaves your hair smelling amazing for days. Atleast mine.
As Perfumes go:
Dark Amber & Ginger goes amazingly well with Woodsage & Sea Salt. Makes a really mellow, rich, warm smell
Woodsage & Sea Salt with English Oak & Redcurrant makes a really nice fresh scent.
Nectarine Blossom & Honey with Wild Bluebell is also very nice.
I used to be the same: No SPF, hours in the sun, burn before the tan and all these things. I pay the price not so much in dull skil, but in hyperpigmentation. Now I wear SPF every day and in the summer use selftanner and bronzer. And the klairs mask, which I love! Another product that worked really well for me is the Instytutum Serum.
Linda, Libra, Loca: Beauty, Baby and Backpacking
I paid the price in hyperpigmentation as well, as you can see from the spots in my photo that stubbornly refuse to go away. But it did happen with years of damage, so I’m sure it’ll take just as long to see significant improvements there. I definitely need to try that Instytutum Serum once I finish my current serum stash, it’s been on my wishlist ever since I heard about it from you!
Beautifully written Jenny. I also don’t like what tan does to my skin (be it my face or body). At the moment I look like 50 shades of beige lol so will make sure to try some of these! Thanks for the recommendation xx
Thank you so much Naya! And yes, 50 shades of beige is definitely how I would describe my post-tan complexion as well!
I totally agree about affordable make-up products, if they’re good – they’re freaking good! Love the packaging of this powder and glad to hear it is a good one!
Such a great, in depth review! I’ve wanted to try the SK-II essence for FOREVER, but it’s hard to justify the price. I’ll try and get my hands on a travel size like you recommend.
http://www.millievyse.blogspot.co.uk
Thank you Emily! Honestly even though the SK-II works really well for me, I still find the price a bit insane. I might consider investing in their huge pump bottles which have a better value (albeit still super expensive!).
lmao @ operation restore dat glow. I’ve heard that drying alcohols just really depend on your skin type, some people are sensitive to it and it burns and some are okay with it. Personally I try to avoid them just because my skin is dry. My sunscreen has alcohol pretty high up and I’m trying to lie to myself that it’s okay because I have a lot of skincare underneath LOL but I’m trying to find a replacement!
hoooLY crap I was hoping you wouldn’t mention the SKII essence. It’s so pricey for what it is, but so many people swear by it. There’s so many times I’ve wanted to order those little sets that have the essence in it just to try it out, my heart flutters but my wallet says no :(
Are you familiar with the skincareaddiction subreddit? I know sun care is important and all, but they take that shit to a whole other level. I went there for help asking if I should use SPF for a certain body product I used once a week (it contained aha or bha), saying that I usually don’t because I don’t like how it feels even though I know I should, and the first comment was “you should always wear sunscreen” like okay I KNOW I ALREADY MENTIONED THAT. Just a lil rant hahaha, but anyway my point is that they used to do this thing where it’d be lighter skinned people comparing themselves to friends or family that tanned/didn’t use sunscreen and they were like, “look how light I am compared to so and so!” Then someone called all of that out, saying that it’s an inconsiderate thing to do since not everyone is born with a light skin tone.
and holy crap, your skin changed so much!!!
Just curious, do you notice any dryness with your sunscreen? I’m in the boat where if I don’t notice any issues with certain debatable ingredients on my skin (eg. alcohol or parabens), I’m fine with them being part of the formula. But if it does dry your skin out then yes, time for a new sunscreen!
Trust me I didn’t want to mention the SK-II essence either, and I’ve tried several other dupes like the Missha one before in hopes that my skin would like those better. I did like the Naruko one, but it’s brightening/skin-refining abilities just pales in comparison the SK-II. I know a lot of people have had success with these SK-II dupes, so maybe try those? I’m starting to think my skin just has expensive taste now, haha
I used to frequent the reddit skincare subs, but honestly some people in there are such fucking pricks that I’ve stopped. Most people are nice, but the few with a holier-than-thou attitude about skincare really rub me the wrong way. Comparing skin tones with other people is the perfect example of this crap, like you said, everyone is born with different complexions, and honestly you can be pale AF but still with worse skin than someone who’s naturally tan.
And yeah, I don’t really notice it myself looking in the mirror daily, but when I took these comparison shots I was surprised myself!
I am one of the them who are not a fab of SK-II Treatment Essence, it does nothing for my skin to be honest and I guess I am lucky that my skin doesn’t like it. Lose is a huge brand back in Malaysia but I don’t read about it much here in Canada or on beauty blogs. I’ll have to look into the brand again and see where and what I want to try.
ps: And I noticed you are using Disqus! Why the change?
Shireen⎜Reflection of Sanity
I haven’t heard of any of these before, but they seem amazing! You can’t argue with the results, as your skin looks so good!xx
Hannah | luxuryblush
I like Klairs and will have to use more of that brand. I did not favour the SK II, although my sister loves it so much. My skin can get very tanned up to like seven shades darker in summer, but I use sun protection pretty much everyday. P.S. I love Disqus by the way. It’s also helpful since do blogging mobile/tablet and you can keep up with comments easier.
FASHION TALES
All these products look great!
https://styledwithamanda.blogspot.com
I don’t buy clothes much, just when I need new ones. I’m so bad at buying just because “hey that’s nice!”, so I usually don’t have much to donate or sell. But when I don get rid of clothes, I always donate them to somewhere. But that RealReal sounds so good with high end clothing! Sadly it doesn’t work in my country.
Heidi ✨ | Heidi’s Planner
wow your skin has really brightened and looks amazing! I love the the SKII essence, such a classic x
Sam Hodgett || Beauty, Food & Lifestyle
Oh Jenny, me too! And I totally regret all the time I spent in the sun without proper sun protection to this day O_o I feel like I always have some sort of brightening product in my routine to correct my past sins LOL Currently I’m very high on a Cailyn Vitamin C serum and a retinol oil which I will be introducing on my blog soon. most of my sheet masks are usually geared towards brightening. The SK-II FTE is one of my faves and I need to get back to it at some point. I really wanted to try the Klairs mask after your glowing review of it. Great point about not over exfoliating. That is such a slippery slope.
I definitely need to start wearing sunscreen everyday! I’ve been told by so many people to start, but I always forget! I now only buy foundation with SPF in it so at least there’s some sort of protection there! x
Georgia Megan
It took some time for me to get used applying SPF as well, but the results were totally worth it, and some SPF is always better than none :)
Love the way you have compared two products to give a better explanation! Althea Petal Velvet Powder looks amazing plus the price is also great! :) Will check it out!
xx
Shivangi
http://www.outoncatwalk.com
Wow, I do see the difference. I’ve heard great things about all of these products. Definitely saving this post and will try them. Thanks for sharing your experience.
http://www.averysweetblog.com/
Glad you enjoyed the post, and I hope you’ll get the same great results if you do try these products!
I am the WORST with remembering to apply sunscreen. It’s not so bad in the winter, but in the Summer it’s not good at all. I don’t tan, I burn haha! Pretty impressive to see the difference these products make!
http://www.sustainablysavvy.ca
I forget to apply SPF on my body as well sometimes, and the resulting tan looks extra silly because it’s so much darker than my face. Oops!
I don’t really like tanning myself but like you, i can definitely relate 100% – If tanning was an Olympic event, I’d win gold. The difference is clear Jenny, although you had stunning skin before as well! xx I apply sunscreen everyday in order to protect my skin and quite frankly reap the benefits, as it’s a lot less patchy than it used to be. I love to exfoliate from time to time – works wonders! xx
Marina xx
https://marinawriteslife.blogspot.fr/
These are all new products to me but they sound really great. I’m not good with skincare and I’m trying to learn more. I’m also not the best at remembering sunscreen.
Jennifer | Mrs Q Beauty
Maybe you can try a day time moisturizer with SPF built in? I usually prefer at least SPF30 or higher, but some SPF is always better than no SPF :) Thanks for stopping by Jennifer!
I reallyyyy want to try the SK-II one. I’ve heard a bagillion good things about it. I actually have never heard of anyone hating it. But damn does it look harsh on the bank account. The rest I haven’t heard of. Currently I am holding out for the Sephora VIB sale, I think it’s next month? It’s so hard to not buy anything until then!
-Emily http://www.coatandcoffee.com
I actually hated SK-II when I first tried it a few years back, not because it was horrible per se, but that it didn’t do much for my skin then despite the ridiculously high price! I’m thinking of getting another bottle at the Sephora VIB sale as well, along with a bunch of other stuff, haha. You’re right, this waiting period is the hardest!
Such a great post Jenny! I love the SK-II essence as well. It is pricey but my skin seems to really enjoy the benefits. I would also like to try the Klairs Vitamin E mask. I don’t think I’ve ever tried something similar to it before, but love all the ingredients.
~ Cat L.
http://www.CatsDailyLiving.com
Thank you so much Cat! I agree, you can’t put a price on great skin, so I’m willing to pay (albeit painfully) the high prices for SK-II. The Klairs mask is wonderful, I think you’ll really enjoy it! :)
All of these products I frankly haven’t heard of, but gosh, the results are amazing. In our country, everybody’s obsessed about brightening their skin, mostly because we are a tropical country and everyone’s naturally tan. Can’t stress enough the need for SPF though.
Joy to the World
I haven’t tried any of these products yet but OMG! I love how your skin brightened :) I may consider to try some of these you featured :)
xx Alyssa | STYLE VANITY
It sounds like you and I are both recovering sun worshipers! I’m SO horrified to admit that, it’s awful! I’ll have to try all of these products, I have some sun damage as well that I could definitely stand to fade.
Better late than never though right? ;) I hope you’ll get the same great results I do if you do use these products! Thanks for reading Kasie!
Skin brightening is such a necessary thing for me! I’m always picking up products to help with my acne scars. I’ll have to try some of these. PS new site, Jenny?! Love!
x,
S | Je M’appelle Chanel
Aaah you picked amazing products! haven’t tried the Mask though! I’m definitely going to!
X Merel
http://www.andathousandwords.com
I used to not wear sunscreen a few years back but this has changed now, I cannot leave the house without applying some and it’s became a habit of mine. I really need to get my hands on the Klairs Vitamin E mask!
Yiota
PinkDaisyLoves
I have used apple cider vinegar (and liked te results) when I was at home with the kids. Now I have to second your statement on DIY anything: Ain´t nobody got time for that. At least not with kids, job and blog.
Linda, Libra, Loca: Beauty, Baby and Backpacking
Was the ACV diy solution difficult to mix? I wonder if it’s possible to premake a batch rather than mixing it each time you want to use it, because that just sounds like way too much work D:
sometimes i think about all these products for our skin, body and hair and i’m just so…baffled by the amount of variety there is that i cannot help but feel these are just marketing gimmicks from brands. a scalp toner sounds sensible though and tbh, this post made me go, “bless the ‘lifestyle’ cashcow brands for releasing something that might actually work!” you know? xD
also, when i first saw the title, i immediately think about the classic old hair tonic. i thought, if they invented hair tonic and marketed it so well back in the days, it’s not surprising to see brands coming out with ‘scalp toner’ despite how fancy it sounds. how would you compare this to a hair tonic? i used to use hair tonic but i wasn’t diligent about it. i slowly stopped using hair tonic because laziness turned into a habit and i don’t really believe in tonics. BUT, i DO believe in healthy scalp. i don’t think my scalp is well taken care of though, even though i use stuff like conditioner, mask and thermal protector diligently :))
i used to think that the only way to remove residue from my scalp is to use a clarifying, sulfate free shampoo but apparently, not all sulfate free shampoo products are lovely. some makes me feel like my hair isn’t cleansed thoroughly and gah, i hate it!
it’s also funny how the packaging has a pump because like you said, i can’t imagine a toner (tonic?) with a pump! now that’s oddly interesting. i think it’s also very practical to avoid spill (speaking from personal experience of over spilling hair tonic in my scalp years ago lol)
i personally don’t feel like i’m buying the whole hair toner thing – or maybe that’s just an excuse i tell myself so i don’t go on a shopping spree. theoretically, it makes sense to me but a part of me is still so skeptical! still, i enjoyed this review though and it’s nice to know that the product works for you. in fact, this kind of sort of makes me wanna try the innisfree green tea mint fresh scalp scaler which, i think, is sort of like a tonic / toner kind of thing (i might be wrong though.) whether it really does work or not, i think having that minty sensation in your scalp is just A+. i love that tingling feeling!
similarly, i never used apple cider vinegar. in fact, i don’t really ever use natural DIY products for my skincare. i tried using coconut milk for my hair once but ugh, i think it was too much protein that my hair felt greasy and limpless even after shampooing twice. i know natural ingredients is great and all but i just can’t be bothered haha
LOL at your ‘bless the ‘lifestyle’ cashcow brands’ comment! I agree, sometimes a product just sounds gimmicky and ridiculous, so it’s nice when they release one that makes sense. About hair tonics, I never really understood what they were. Are they for the hair or for the scalp? I tried one from Bumble & Bumble and ended up returning it because it actually made my scalp greasier D:
I try to keep my shampoos sulfate-free as well, but you’re right, some of them do a horrible job of cleansing the hair. I think they’d work for those with dry scalp/dry hair, but for my normal/oily scalp/dry hair combo it’s horrendous. I think that’s why the hair toner worked for me, it addressed my scalp issues without stripping my hair dry the same way a clarifying shampoo would. But this is definitely a YMMV kinda situation, so I can see scalp toners not being for everyone.
I had no idea Innisfree had something similar, though now I’m curious, what’s a scalp scaler? I do like both green tea and mint, and you’re right, the cooling sensation would feel great on the scalp!
These products look amazing!! Love it <3
X Merel
http://www.andathousandwords.com
I need something like this as I hate product build up and it plays havoc with your scalp x
franklyflawless.com
It’s definitely a gentler alternative to clarifying shampoos, and I like that it nourishes the scalp at the same time too!
woah, who knew there were so many products for the scalp?! i literally just use shampoo+conditioner, haha. i’m pretty sure shampoos do leave residue, though – nourishing ones especially. i’ve used ACV before with the no ‘poo method, dunno if it actually did anything haha. plus i didn’t like my hair smelling like vinegar every time it rained or every time i sweat a lot!
becky @ star violet
Right?? There are scalp serums too, so I guess it was only a matter of time before someone came out with a toner, haha. I heard ACV is supposed to make your hair really shiny, but yeah, the strong scent would bother me too, so good thing this one doesn’t smell too strongly! 😅
I love the sound of the clarifying one – it’s a shame they don’t ship outside the US! x I had no clue you could get this type of product for the scalp but I’ll definitely need to try something similar with apple cider vinegar in it. I love apple cider vinegar for my face masks in skincare but it seems to be useful across the board. You made me laugh with the running water part – I don’t BUDGE once I’m under in fear that I’ll get hypothermia haha! x
Marina xx
http://marinawriteslife.blogspot.fr/
Hopefully they’ll make this available globally or other brands will release something similar soon! It seems like ACV is a great all-around beauty ingredient, I heard it can make your hair really shiny too!
ooh, I like the way the clarifying one sounds for your hair! although a hair toner sounds cool, I don’t personally think I need one, so I’ll skip on it, but I’ve been intrigued by the apple cider vinegar! apparently it’s amazing for everything – body, skin, hair. I guess it’s not surprising that the one with acv felt like it was actually doing something!
sam / My Beauty Cloud
I’ve heard a lot of good things about ACV as well, I used to mix a bit in my water and it’s great for the digestive system! I’m definitely curious to see how using that would compare to this product!
Oh clarifying is such an awesome word.
I really hate that feeling of product left on your skin when a cleanser doesn’t wash off properly.
I have used a few cleansers that do that.
So I agree; I think the fact that you had such good results means your everyday shampoo is sticking around.
I also condition before I shampoo because I don’t like my hair weighed down.
These products sound great!
What shampoo do you use normally?
I use Akin – a natural australian brand.
Kiri
Set to Glow
http://www.settoglow.com.au
You got me on the word clarifying! This is actually the first time I heard about scalp toner and it sounds great because most women uses a lot of products in their hair and some are not actually getting remove by shampoos especially if the products they use have silicons. This product sounds amazing, I wish they’re available in my country :)
xx Alyssa | STYLE VANITY
Hopefully they expand to more countries in the future, or other brands come out with something similar! And I agree, I double shampoo sometimes, but then I feel like that strips my hair too much. The struggles are real!
Yes I totally agree that a healthy scalp = healthy hair. Scalp toner is something new to me though I do use an apple cider clarifying rinse on my hair every other week to remove buildup. I guess this is a similar concept. Glad to hear it’s worked out well for you Jenny! TBH I think a healthy scalp starts with not overwashing your hair and allowing the natural oils to regulate. It was such a revelation when I cut back my hair washing to just 1 – 2x/week.
i try not to wash my hair too often as well, though I remember telling a girl that I didn’t wash my hair everyday and she had the most horrified look on her face 😂 I’m curious to try the apple cider rinse though to see how it compares with this product, I heard it’s great for making your hair shiny too!
I agree. It start with scalp care and I’ve only recently started taking care of mine. These sound great and I know I would enjoy incorporating these into my hair care routine.Thanks for a thorough review xxx
UmmBabyBeauty
Thank you for reading Sal! It’s exciting to see more brands focus on scalp care, so hopefully we’ll have even more product options in the future!
This is such an interesting product. I am not yet sold on scalp scrubs, but toner? Wow, keep going haha Just like you, I am very cautious about scalp, but since I am a swimmer who spends a lot of time in chlorine – I would probably use a product like this to make sure that there is no nasty residue left on those follicles. Will try to find this range in Dubai, wish me luck! x
What an peculiar product, I’ve never tried scalp exfoliators or toners and perhaps that’s the reason why my hair looks pretty dull so will check into this more!
Sam Hodgett || Beauty, Food & Lifestyle
This is so true! I use a Tea Tree Shampoo once or twice a month to help with my scalp and product buildup. I would love to try this. Very interesting. Great post Jenny!
http://www.averysweetblog.com/
Can’t get over your site Jenny, it looks amazing! This sounds like such a fascinating product, I’ll have to try it sometime!
x,
S | Je M’appelle Chanel
It was so sunny when I walked out the door today and I was like “darn I wish I wore sunscreen.” It’s a bad habit I got to stop! I definitely want to try the Vitamin E mask and the Sekkisei Lotion!
I really need to get my hands on this product! Sounds amazing!
X Merel
http://www.andathousandwords.com
I have a few affordable products I swear by as well, the Bioderma one and the klairs ne among them. Other than that I like quite a few bits of Aldi skincare, Lacura. Very affordable, but good ingredients.
Anne|Linda, Libra, Loca
I just repurchased Bioderma Hydrabio and La Roche Posay Thermal Spring Water and both are my holy grails. Other affordable products that I swear by are the same Klairs mask and WishTrend 5% Mandelic Acid Prep Water. I can’t be without both too.
Shireen⎜Reflection of Sanity
Oh yes, I totally forgot to include my exfoliants in this post! The By Wishtrend Mandelic Acid Water is amazing!
Wow Jenny – your photography is simply stunning every time! xx Fabulous post as usual – I love to keep my skincare routine fairly affordable, so this has been bookmarked because there are some lovely bits I HAVE to try! x The La Roche Posay Thermal Spring Water sounds amazing! x
Marina x
https://marinawriteslife.blogspot.fr/
Aww thank you so much Marina! The cost of beauty products can definitely add up so it’s nice to have affordable options in the mix. The LRP thermal spring water is so refreshing, I think you’ll really like it!
Yazz for Bioderma cz i’m using it for years and it’s so amazing to clean up the face. Nice picks darling!
xx,
http://www.kikokim.com
It really is, cleans so well and is so gentle!
Thanks for sharing your list!! I’ve been wanting to expand my skincare and take better care of my skin!By the way, your photos as always, are incredible <3
Stephanie | theFantasia.com
Aww thanks so much Stephanie! Hopefully you’ll find some real winners in here!
I used to be really bad with sunscreen (even though i live in a place with strong sun all year round??) but i’m starting to repent now. LOVE the inclusion of the Sekkisei Lotion – I incorporated it into my skincare regime about 6 months back, but within 2 weeks I already could see that it worked wonders for my skin, it looks brighter and smoother. I pat it on first with cotton pad, and then a second layer using my hands.
I find that it works wonderfully when paired with the Sekkisei serum, or the DHC P2H4 Watergel. Until today I’m not exactly sure how the Sekkisei Lotion works, but it works and it’s become the core of my holy grail skincare regime.
Tempted to try SKII, but I doubt whether my skin can accept ferment. Since it’s so pricey anyway, I might hold it off for a bit longer…
I have a sample of the Glossier milk jelly, but I haven’t used it yet! I don’t have a lot of skincare products because I’m afraid to experiment too much and mess with my skin, and it takes a long time to see if there are any real good results, lol
Hannah
Floraful
I definitely recommend trying that sample, it’s such a great cleanser! I try not to use too many skincare products at once as well, otherwise my skin breaks out!
Affordable skincare has really come a long way! I love the options. Excellent skincare system :D
http://www.averysweetblog.com/
Thank you! I don’t use everything in here in one routine, but I do like mixing these with my more expensive products! :)
thank you so much for your indepth review!
I think most people’s skincare routines have a mix of high and low priced products. We share some of the same favorites like the Bioderma Sensibio and DHC Face Wash Powder. I share the latter with my husband and it works just as well on his oily skin as on my dry skin. I was in love with the Glossier Milky Jelly when I first got it but lately it’s fallen out of favor because I really like how the Lancer Polish and Cleanse have been making my skin look in the morning. Another cleanser I love is the Lagom Cellup Gel to Water Cleanser which is $17. It’s like a hybrid double cleanser and it’s great for morning use.
i have to be honest though, these are def not affordable for me hahaha but then again, stuff are always cheaper in the states than when imported to asian country. every time i walk by la roche posay counter, i can immediately hear the echo of my wallet crying so…yeah, i’m not interested in them at all. klairs, however, i’m interested. still, it’s interesting to read about some brands i never knew before – like iunik, andalou and trilogy. i’ve said this before but imma say it again, i like how your blog introduces me to brands i didn’t know before because i’ve never seen other beauty bloggers mention them :))
Thanks! I try to introduce under-the-radar or up-and-coming brands as much as possible, as I’m sure there are tons of reviews for those well-known brands already 😅 Unfortunately a lot of “drugstore” brands here are in a similar price range, and the ones that are dirt cheap, just plain suck 😕
Aww yay! I love so many of these too and the rest you’ve mentioned I’m adding to my wish list ;) I love the DHC powder cleanser and am really enjoying the Glossier too. The Klairs toner is one that I can’t live without xxx
UmmBabyBeauty
So glad to hear that! :D The DHC powder is such a great cleanser, and so underrated!
Such great picks and a reminder that I should rediscover La Roche Posay, I’ve been stuck on the Avene thermal spray and recently got a bunch of Uriage Skincare to test out, but after that I will definitely have a look at some of these
Sam Hodgett || Beauty, Food & Lifestyle
yesss, milky jelly cleanser is my favorite! it’s so good for dry skin like mine since it cleanses without making me feel too dry.
i really love the ordinary for their affordable oils and serums – they’re super no-frills and even though it’s simple, it’s less expensive to buy what your skin needs rather than buying something that’s kind of like an all-in-one. i’m also a fan of the cerave cream in the tub – it’s super basic and no-frills, and if i need something a little more hydrating i’ll just mix in a few drops of oil in there. i think it’s fair to say that my sister didn’t really like it though, since it leaves the skin a little tacky.
becky @ star violet
I really need to check out La Roche Posay, and Glossier products. Great picks!
Jennifer | Mrs Q Beauty
Thank you Jennifer! I hope you’ll love those products as much as I do!
This sounds like a great list of recommendations! You just made me want to try Glossier cleanser and Klairs toner. Been contemplating if I’ll buy those or not.
xx Alyssa | STYLE VANITY
The Klairs toner has been a long-time favorite of mine, and the Glossier cleanser is definitely making my 2016 beauty favorites! Can’t recommend them enough if you’re on the market for a new toner or cleanser!
I been on antibiotic for a year on and off, but i know being on them for too long is not good for you. Now that i ran out of antibiotic im breaking out again. i suffer from cystic acne, around my chin area. I wonder if anyone with the same problem has used this
Great picks Jenny! I love La Roche Posay, they have such a beautiful product selection, not just for the face but also for the body. I want to try that thermal spray now; wish we had Klairs here, seems like such a good brand!
Thank you Naya! I haven’t tried LRP’s body range yet, but their moisturizer sounds wonderful for dry skin! If you order from Wishtrend, they deliver worldwide with free shipping for order over $69! They’ll probably have their Black Friday deals coming out soon too :D
These are really great picks! I love La Roche Posay for how effective they are, and decently priced. And the Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser is one of my holy grails. Literally. I use it in the shower to remove my makeup every night. LOVE it for that.
-Emily http://www.coatandcoffee.com
It is joyful to know that these products are affordable. I am thrilled with the $13.00 facial oil. You are right, it is a little costly.
StyleSprinter Blog by Katya Bychkova
I haven’t actually tried any of that. They’re not locally available in the Philippines, but I bet some online shops have them. I’m interested to try out rose oil or rose-based products. They seem to be quite a hit, not just here in the Philippines, but also in other places since I just spotted 2 (?) in your list. :D
xoxo,
Gelleesh.com
I love rose based products, the ingredient is very soothing/hydrating and it smells wonderful too :D A couple of the Korean products mentioned should be available online with free worldwide shipping!
Loved this round up! It was a great reminder of how many awesome products are out there for a reasonable price! I really need to try that Andalou oil, it looks so amazing!
Camilla // Gracefulface.com
Thank you Camilla! I want to try more from Andalou Natural, especially their 1000 rose line, the scent is incredible!
Truly such great post, very inspiring, I love it, the pictures are stunning too. The products seem amazing, would love to try one of them soon, thank you for sharing!!!
xxx
http://www.instagram.com/modelonamission.com
Thank you so much Nora, appreciate the kind comment!
So many great picks! After watching Gothamista’s video I’ve been meaning to come up with my own take on it as well. The bioderma micellar water and LRP mist are two of my fav mists as too! Interesting to note that so many of these are Korean and French products– the American drugstore really needs to up their game!
Mili | sharmtoaster
Thank you Mili! You bring up a great point, the only American product in this list is the Andalou Natural oil, I didn’t even realize until now! Sadly I feel like a lot of Amreican drugstore products are overpriced, especially when you consider the ingredients/formula D: I’d love to read your take on this topic!!
love that blue door in the first photo. can you tell me where you found it, please. thank you!
Hi Lesley, it’s the Carlyle House in Old Town Alexandria!
Ooooh! This looks like something I would like to use on my own scalp! Thanks for introducing this to me! I will definitely keep this in mind for future purchases ^^
Me…I am so guilty of no. 1! Just today I am so tempted to order Becca Aspres Ski Eye Light palette even though Temptalia gave it a D- rating and I have never seen such low rating from her before. Why I wanted it? It was on sale… I managed to resist though but that’s after talking to another blogger whom I trust. LOL!
Shireen⎜Reflection of Sanity
Haha, I was tempted by that palette too when I first saw it, but when I think about all the palettes I already own that was enough for me to pass on it 😅 Glad you were able to resist!
Oh my gosh! So many amazing and invaluable tips. I will be coming back here to remind myself of these constantly before I purchase something on a whim! You are so right though…all of these! Sometimes I will spend more just to save more. Ludicrous xxx
UmmBabyBeauty
I was just typing my own version of this sort of a post.. Instead of re-writing the same tips I might just link your article. I’ve been on a beauty no buy since August and now the sales season is tempting me so badly. I don’t have an access to a Sephora, but I know the Black Friday is coming sooner or later and I can feel it in my wallet (lol). Keeping a track how much you saved by not buying is a great idea! Happy weekend!
xx Laura / Laurantaina Beauty Blog
Thank you Laura! I know I said this already but I loved your post on this topic, you were so honest and that’s always refreshing. I’m not sure if I can ever do a cold-turkey no buy, so all the power to you for keeping it up since August! ❤️
I’ve never read an article like this before, these tips truly helped me double think my decisions for when I will be shopping the Sephora Christmas sale! Thanks for writing this, it is very useful.
Catherine, https://lavishreviews.wixsite.com/website
#1 is such a good point! there’s been so many times in the past i’ve scoured the website just for something i can buy because it’s on sale. I’m super picky with value sets for the same reason; i know i’m interested or i’ll only get use out of less than half the products in there, so there’s really no point in getting the entire thing.
becky @ star violet
Thanks Becky! Honestly that was me up until last year, and it’s such a dangerous habit. 99% of the time I end up with products I don’t even like that much :(
This is so well written Jenny, I have stopped buying if I have a good products that need finishing up, I have also been luck enough to have PR companies that keep replenishing my stock. And I always think if I am
Continually buying what time to I have to try them. Great reminder that I am forwarding to my sisters and daughters.
Esnath @ http://www.prettypeachblossom.com
Thank you Esnath! I agree, as bloggers we are very fortunate to get enough PR samples to keep our stash full at all times, so for me it’s all the more reason I should be mindful of my spending. Like you said, we only have one face to try out all these products! 😂
Awesome post!!! Love this concept especially at this time of year when it’s so easy to get suckered in!
Thank you Livia, so glad you liked the post!
This is such a great post! I hate shopping with my mum because she is so guilty of the first one, and she’ll always try and convince to me to get something simply because there’s money off! Such a good point about value sets too, it’s such a shame to see half of the set wasted xx
Hannah | luxuryblush
Thank you Hannah! My mom is totally guilty of #1 as well, and I blame her for getting me sucked into sales when I was younger! 🙈
This post is everything Jenny! I always do the price per use, but I always know I don’t need it if I have to sleep on it or ask five friends if I need it haha. Most times they tell me no haha
x,
Chanel | Je M’appelle Chanel
Thank you Chanel! Asking friends is a great tip as well, I sometimes do that or I ask my husband, and his answer is usually no! 😂
I love these tips! I’m so guilty of overspending during sales season, even on things I don’t really want just because it’s such a good deal. I usually end up regretting and feeling bad afterwards.
Joy to the World
I love the packing of the Milk Jelly cleanser. It just sounds like it’s good fro your skin! Thanks for sharing such a great list! So many affordable picks.
THE FASHANN MONSTER life + style
Glossier included stickers in the order so you can customize the products yourself! Hope you found something you loved in this list!
Such great tips Jenny! I agree its so hard to avoid sales this time of year but I like to focus on what I have and use before buying new things, which is hard sometimes but I normally end up forgetting all about that offer or set so Its normally the right call xx
Agree with all of these. The sleep on it is a winner for me and also only buy if you would buy it at full price. In the past I’ve bought so many things in the sale only to never use them x
franklyflawless.com
Wonderfully written guide Jenny! I kept nodding all along. I only buy things that I have wanted for a long time, but couldn’t justify the price. 20% is not too bad after all xx
All very helpful tips to share and definitely a few that I need to work on! Overspending is so easy, though for me I hate online shopping so I will likely buy it in stores which at times can be a lot more dangerous than it seems, swatching the products, thinking in the back of my mind that I probably don’t have that specific lipstick colour yet and always adding way more in the basket once in the queue to check out. Will have to work on those tips!
Sam Hodgett || Beauty, Food & Lifestyle
This is such a timely post since holiday shopping usually kicks into full force for most people around now. After massively decluttering, I adopted minimalism of sorts this year so my spending especially on beauty has been kept to a minimum this year as I’ve been actively working down my stash. I haven’t even qualified for Sephora VIB status for next year yet and it actually makes me happy. People really need to assess whether it’s a “want” or “need” when they buy something because most of the time it’s the former. What you said about not buying anything on sale that you wouldn’t want at full price is so on point!
Number 1 is definitely my favorite and SUCH a good point. I wish I would have read this earlier, because I am totally guilty of buying something I wouldn’t buy full price haha. At first I thought I disagreed with this (being honest), but as I started thinking about it, it’s totally true. I think what happens is you basically then end up buying something just to buy it, and you might not be 100% in love with it. I did that with a Fresh bundle I think. Anyway, enough about me! These are super great tips! I love this post as opposed to a haul or recommendations. I think we all tend to go a little overboard during the sale (I actually didn’t this year which is amazing). :)
-Emily http://www.coatandcoffee.com
Like Emily, I 100% agree with number 1, despite the fact all of these tips are amazingly accurate. xx I always tend to pick up new bits to try primarily because of the price drop which I know I shouldn’t do – in future I’ll only pick something up if I really need it! x Haha, I don’t set a good example either as, going along with your example, I own a lot more serums than I require right now! x Fab post! x
Marina xx
http://marinawriteslife.blogspot.fr/
Hey I hope you feel better now! SUPERHUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGG!
Love,
Gin
Aww thank you so much Gin! I’m feeling better now :)
This is such a helpful post! The struggle is definitely real, especially when it comes to sales!! I totally agree with you on value sets and typically steer clear. The one value set I did purchase during the Sephora sale was the Tatcha set. I love every single one of the products minus the facial mist which I find makes my skin look sweaty but hopefully I might like it in the winter months. Thank you for sharing this post, Jenny!
~ Cat L.
http://www.CatsDailyLiving.com
Such an informative post Jenny. I love La Roche Posay and Bioderma and typically stock up when the Dermstore has a sale. I haven’t tried anything from Klairs but I keep seeing this brand in your posts. They’re on my list now!
~ Cat L.
http://www.CatsDailyLiving.com
Thank you Cat! I try to stock up on LRP when there’s a sale as well, but sometimes they don’t have the mist which is probably my favorite product from the brand!
Firstly, I love the new post layout! (not that the old one was bad) & about body care – I used to be the same way where I just used body wash, and that was it. But I really wanted to get through all my lotions and exfoliate my body, so I started taking better care. My skin is so smooth now! I’m actually leaning towards no scent in my lotions, just because I want to get through my perfumes, and I don’t like smelling like five contrasting things. However, I love scents for after my shower! I’ve been using the body butter from Pistache skincare and I LOVE it. It’s so buttery and smooth, but sinks in right away, and smells like pistachios!
Sam / My Beauty Cloud
Aww thank you Sam! Haha, a small part of why I’m starting to take better care of my body is because I have products to use up as well, plus I feel like body care products always smell so good! For me my moisturizer’s scent always disappears a few minutes after applying it, so that’s probably why I’ve never had a problem with it conflicting with my perfume, but that’s a very valid point! Will need to check out Pistache skincare, their products sounds so lush and yummy! :D
One of my beauty resolutions was to be better with body care as well…and I haven’t really succeeded with that for the most part XD That’s such a good idea to use that naruko moisturizer that you didn’t like for your face, for your feet! Usually I use them on my chest/ arms but I think I’ll start using them on the rest of my body soon. It’s a win win since you use up products and the rest of your body is more moisturized! I love honey scents so I’ll have to pick up that body wash and the kiehl’s creme at some point ;)
Mili | sharmtoaster
I feel like my feet gets neglected a lot, so I try to save the good stuff for it, haha! It’s honestly the fastest way to use up products I don’t like :P
I have to comment on the new post layout cause that the first thing I noticed. It’s really well organized and looks great Jenny! I have to say I use so many products on my face that I generally like to keep it simple with my body care. We did switch to clean beauty products a few years ago and to streamline the routine I actually share the same body wash and moisturizer with my husband. We’ve been using SheaMoisture African Black Soap Body Wash and Alba Botanica Very Emollient Unscented Body Lotion which we’re very happy with. I also use Profoot Heel Rescue Foot Cream and a revolving door of hand creams. I agree that scent and texture are key in body care and finding unscented products can be a challenge. My routine must be super boring to you LOL ;p I totally indulge and go all out when it comes to my weekly detox baths :D
Aww thank you Rowena! Haha, I swear my body care routine isn’t as complicated as it looks! I only try to use 1 moisturizing product at a time, so the variety is just there to keep me from getting bored of any single product too quickly :P Once I finish the Naruko souffle I’ll need to invest in a proper foot cream, so thank you for the recommendation!
Oh my goodness! I think I need to try out a few of this – I’m trying to figure out which one! If I can only pick up 2-3, which ones would you trying out recommend first?
Stephanie | theFantasia.com
Sorry for the super late reply, but of all these products I would recommend the Crabtree + Evelyn ones for just overall quality and usage experience! Plus they released several new scents, so I’m sure you’ll be able to find one that you love :) The Face Shop hand cream is also really nice if you’re looking for something cute, affordable, but still effective!
That Honeyece product sounds awesome! I love Soap & Glory products I’ve tried a couple of their face washes but I’ve never tried any body products. They have a lot of sets at Target for Xmas. I have a couple on my XMAS list! Thanks for sharing Jenny!
x,
Chanel | Je M’appelle Chanel
Ooo I’ll have to check out Target now to see which Soap & Glory sets they have! Thanks for letting me know!
When I was in New York I saw Rituals stores everywhere and I’m kinda regretting not getting anything! I got a sample of the kiehls Creme de Corps and that stuff is amazing in making winter skin super smooth!
There’s a Rituals store in NYC? 😍 Will need to visit when I’m in the city as I’ve always wanted to try out their other scents!
Thanks for sharing all of these products. It’s important to look after all of your skin, so it’s great you have made an effort. :D The Mini Pet hand cream is so adorable! :D
Glad you enjoyed the post! Korean brands really know how to lure us in with their packaging, haha, but I’m glad the hand cream wasn’t just some gimmicky product!
My bodycare routine is super simple, at least compared to my facial routine. I do try the odd PR sample, but without them I´d forever be stuck with my The Body Shop Shea Butter Body Butter, I have been using it for years now and rarely stray.
Anne|Linda, Libra, Loca
I actually tried The Body Shop Shea Butter Body Butter years (more than 10 now!) ago, but I remember it being really hard to scoop out of the jar, so I never repurchased :( Not sure if I got a bad batch but I do want to try TBS’ almond milk + honey range!
Some of them are harder to get out, especially if it is cold. After a shower my bathroom is warm enough to not have any problems there.
that hand cream is too adorable! what is that packaging even!
ugh, i’m so done with nivea. none of their stuff worked for me. i bought their lip balm, it didn’t work. tried their spray deodorant and it sucked so bad it made my armpit so wet (gross i know) and then i tried their cleansing milk which isn’t bad i still prefer my face shop green tea cleansing balm better. last but not least, i tried their nourishing lotion body milk, the one in blue bottle and it smelled so. damn. strong! like perfume level of strength that sting my nose! ugh, i can’t stand it — which sucks because i kind of like the texture. i gave up with nivea, lol. also for some reason, when i see nivea, i remember dove and feel like both of them are quite on the same level. i prefer dove so much more!
i smelled soap and glory’s sugar crush line from sephora once and uh, it’s too sour for my liking, probably because of the lime. i like fresh, citrus scent but when i guess lime is too much. BUT, i do love their butter yourself body butter – it’s the perfect citrus scent for me! i still have their smoothie star body butter but i don’t use it that often because the scent becomes too much for me to bear…which is weird because when i first got it, i was kind of obsessed (it smells like cake and nothing else) but i guess S&G is like that – always so intense with their scent.
my favorite body/skin moisturizers are the body shop’s almond milk & honey (both the lotion and the butter!), shea, satsuma and strawberry and innisfree’s cedarwood and peach hand cream. i recently discovered my love for St. Ives body lotion in orchid & coconut and is currently waiting for the Shea & Oatmeal one in the mail. i also like cetaphil’s daily lotion for baby lol it smells like baby powder and i oddly love it :P
Right?? Ugh I swear Korean brands get me every time with their cute packaging. The funny thing is I never use any of Nivea’s other products except for this brightening lotion, and only because it’s the only brightening body lotion I know of. This one isn’t heavily fragranced so maybe you won’t hate it as much? 😅 Though it sounds like my preference for scents lean towards “the more fragranced the better”, so you might want to take my descriptions with a grain of salt 🙈
The TBS Almond Milk + Honey products have been on my wishlist ever since they came out, but I’m like molasses when it comes to using body products, aka slow as fuck. Hopefully sometime next year I’ll finish off my current stash so I can justify buying new body care products!
HAHAHA that’s exactly how i feel when i do full glam makeup on my face and it’s bright and even and when you look at my neck/decolette/arms it’s all dull and uneven!
that body wash sounds delicious! i actually don’t use shower gel often anymore – i have perpetually dry skin and one day my bf suggested that i try *not* using shower gels or soaps unless i really need it. i’ve been doing that for about half a year and it’s been working like a charm! my skin only gets dry every 3rd or 4th shower. plus it also means i can spend a little more on my body wash/lotion and not feel too bad about it, haha.
crabtree & evelyn is SO NICE. i used to use their hand creams a while back and they were just so luxurious – i actually prefer them to the loccitane ones! i’ve forgotten about them for a while though, gonna pick up a tube when i’m finished with my current hand cream!
funnily enough i didn’t like the scent of creme de corps! maybe it was just a bad tester, but for me it was far too… heavy smelling? soap & glory is one of my favorites too, though i love their scrubs even more. i’m the same with you – i like having nice packaging and nice smelling things and using drugstore items just isn’t the same for me. totally is a first world problem, though :p
becky @ star violet
Oh god I know! Thank goodness it’s winter now so most of my body is covered up anyways, haha! The honeyce shower gel has a cream version as well, and from what I remember that one smelled better (stronger), but was a bit too rich for Tokyo in humid June weather.
I’ve never actually tried L’occitane products, and while I’ve always wanted to, I don’t feel like I’m missing out as much anymore, haha. I’m just glad C&E came out with new scents as some of their previous lines smelled like grandma 🙈
Lol! Its a dire situation indeed when the husbands are doing more than us hahahaha! ;) I’ve been enjoying shaking up my body care this year too instead of sticking to only the same things. You have some wonderful sounding things here. That body wash, honey, oil…mmm it sounds absolutely lush xxx
UmmBabyBeauty
That’s when you know you need to step up your game! 😂 Having a variety of products definitely helps me from getting bored, which in turn helps me commit to my body care routine!
You are profoundly correct. What’s a beautiful smooth face with rough body skin? Quite a turn off I suppose. The honey oil body wash looks like something that I am willing to use for ages.
StyleSprinter Blog by Katya Bychkova
Definitely recommend the honey oil body wash if you’re looking for something refreshing without stripping your skin dry!
This is the perfect set of reminders, especially for this sale heavy season. It’s so funny how easily we can convince ourselves to buy something because it’s on sale, even though we may not want it at full price. Usually I just try to stay away from shopping online this time of year for that very reason. Thanks for the great post!
Kathryn • simplykk.com
So glad to hear that Kathryn! It’s definitely tough because this is the time of the year when sales happen, so I try to do most of my shopping now, but at the same time I’m very tempted to overbuy things I don’t want or need 🙈
I have that soap and glory body butter cream – it does have such a great scent! :)
I haven’t tried any of the other products though. I often skip moisturiser in summer for my body – I definitely need it in winter and use it every day, but it’s so easy to forget in summer, I need to be more regular with it :)
Hope you are having a lovely weekend :) Cold and wet here, a bit unexpected after our warm week!
Away From The Blue Blog
Aw thank you Mica! I definitely use less moisturizer during the summer time as well, so I try to keep a lighter lotion on hand for the warmer weather that won’t make my skin feel too sticky :)
Rituals and Crabtree&Evelyn are some of my favorite body care brands! I have used their products for years and always repurchase. I am very intrigued by that Honey Oil Body Wash. It sounds so nice and I bet it smells heavenly! Great roundup Jenny!
~ Cat L.
http://www.CatsDailyLiving.com
Thank you so much Cat! Both brands make such fantastic products, and the usage experience for both are luxurious yet their prices are still reasonable!
I have heard a lot about Rituals. Although we don’t have them in Australia – I should probably get some on amazon.
You are really lucky to receive a pre launch sample of the Seed Phytonutrient. What an interesting name!
Kiri
Set to Glow
http://www.settoglow.com.au
I hope you’ll be able to find their products on Amazon, and hopefully the prices are still reasonable! I’m really excited for the launch of Seed Phytonutrient, their quality is definitely comparable to brands like Crabtree & Evelyn!
The bodyshop butter cream is amazing! The Naruko souffle sounds amazing what with the dry weather here making my hands go really dry x
Velvet Blush
I use the Naruko souffle on my hands sometime as well, and it works wonderfully!
Amazing products! Thanks for sharing.
X Merel
http://www.andathousandwords.com
Thanks for reading!
Love your new post layout! I’ve always been very diligent with body care especially the lotion and scrubs because my skin is just so dry and it’ll start flaking if I skip it for a day but I always try to keep it on a budget. The Rituals brand is something I rave about as well, but I can’t get it in HK so had to find alternatives. Having tried 101 different body lotions at different price points, I still stand by my Nivea Firming Body Lotion, do give that one a go if the whitening one finishes. It’s a great, fast absorbing and moisturising lotion for every day use (not sure about the firming part though!). I haven’t really explored the Kiehls brand yet, but that body butter definitely intrigues me, will have to get my hands on it!
Sam Hodgett || Beauty, Food & Lifestyle
Aww thanks Sam! I guess my skin used to be on the normal side, so I’ve never felt the need to take extra care of it until now 😅 I’m actually curious about the Nivea Firming Body Lotion myself, I think I’ll pick it up the next time I’m in Taiwan!
I love Kiehl’s Creme de Corps too but the standard version. It’s such a great product – non fussy but does what it says with moisture that lasts x
franklyflawless.com
I just picked up the standard version last week in a set and I’m curious to try it now!
The packaging on that one hand cream is way too cute; I would purchase it solely for that as well. Glad that it works though! I guess it’s a good point that if you take care of your face, you really should give your body the TLC it needs (I often neglect to as well.) Thanks for sharing some of your favourite products!
http://www.sustainablysavvy.ca
Haha this post just made me realize how I absolutely do not take care of myself well. So many products I’ve never heard of, but thanks for sharing! I might try some.
http://myclusterofthoughts.com/
Hope you’ll enjoy these products as much as I do! :)
I adore the layout of this post, Jenny! And I do like Nivea body lotion, haven’t tried the others in this post though.
Shireen⎜Reflection of Sanity
Aw thanks Shireen! <3 I just wish the Nivea body lotion was sold in the US!
Wonderful product selection here Jenny! I agree about body care, I tend to neglect it too lol I heard great things about Kiehl’s bodycare range and that little kitten hand cream – I need one! xx
Thank you Naya! The Face Shop has these hand creams in all sorts of cute packaging, definitely recommend checking out!
Great selection of products! I have been loving experimenting with skincare just recently, so I’ll have to try some of this out too. Thanks for sharing xx
Hannah | luxuryblush
Thank you Hannah! If you do try some of these products I hope you’ll love them as much as I do!
I kept AMEN-ing all of your tips, because they are so true! I skipped both VIB Rouge sales, because I truly didn’t need anything. I was sent a lot of skincare this year through PR and I plan on using it up through the new year. I use REN skincare and it’s only good for 6-9 mos. I think more bloggers are paying attention to the labels on products now. Product can go bad. I do place things in my cart or wishlist and think about it before purchasing. And sometimes a deal is not always a deal! You really have to weigh whether or not a deal is a deal. Excellent post
http://www.averysweetblog.com/
I swear by Soap & Glory’s Sugar Crush Body Buttercream! I keep it stocked in my beauty cupboard. I’ve heard amazing things regarding Kiehl’s Creme de Corps. I’ll have to get a jar. A blogger gifted me that cute mini pet hand cream. I will have to give it a try. I love the Rituals brand! I will have to try that scrub.
http://www.averysweetblog.com/
I definitely want to try out more of Soap & Glory and Ritual’s products, everything they carry look and sound amazing! <3
The Nivea is the only one I tried from this list, but that I want to try that Face Shop mini pet shop handcream because of the packaging! :) But it’s great to know it is also a good product :D
xx Alyssa | STYLE VANITY
Yes! I had very little expectations for it but I’m glad it greatly exceeded them! :D
Those ingredients sound right up my alley! As for the puffiness, have you tried a jade roller yet? I feel like my face in general is less puffy after I roll it around (I don’t know if I’m doing it right, but it feels good) and it seems to get my circulation flowing!
I haven’t tried a jade roller but I’ve been meaning to add one to my routine! Do you have a particular seller/retailer you recommend? There seems to be a lot of options on Amazon but some of the reviews said they broke after one use! D:
This is a great post Jenny! I’ve been introduced to quite a few new things. I know the Naruko AM+PM Super Triple HA Hydrating Souffle and it was too rich for my face and I think it also broke me out. I never thought of using it on my body. Anyway, I passed it on to my Mom and se loves it. x
Ann-Marie | http://facetocurls.com/
Thank you Ann-Marie! I had the same issue with that product on my face, but I’m glad to hear that it’s working well for your mom!
That claim is so true! It still is my holy grail eye cream, and after I have run out of it and started using another one I do miss it so much it only confirms that.
Anne – Linda, Libra, Loca
I’m so glad I learned about this eye cream from you Anne, you’ve saved my eyes from fine lines! (for now at least…haha)
OMG, now I want this eye cream. I am using their lifting cream and serum and I am so in love with them. Also started using the Flawless pads and they’re amazing too. Thanks for sharing hun! x
Ann-Marie | http://facetocurls.com/
Ah I want to try their serum, I heard that was amazing as well! Honestly it’s incredible to see a brand release consistently impressive products!
I will have to try this eye cream. Do you feel it’s hydrating as well? I have dry skin. I currently love Kiehl’s Avocado. I love Anne’s in-depth reviews.
http://www.averysweetblog.com/
I would say it’s hydrating, but I do layer a hydrating serum + facial oil under the eye cream as part of my standard routine, so I’m sure that helps increase the overall hydration of my eye area. If you like the Kiehl’s one, you’ll probably like this just as much, if not more :)
Anne likes this eye cream a hell lot too and it’s already in my list to buy! After this glowing review from you, I will definitely be buying it!
Shireen⎜Reflection of Sanity
Ahh I hope you’ll like it as much as we do! I just picked up a replacement during their 30% off sale!
I’m usually not into eye creams myself, but I’ve been trying to help my dad find one that will work for him! Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a problem with fine lines so much as the puffiness and bags, but it’s great that this ended up working so well for you!
Sam / My Beauty Cloud
From reading comments from fellow bloggers I’m starting to think that massaging with something cool like a jade roller might work better for puffiness. I plan on incorporating it to my routine to see how well it’ll work :)
Awesome tips and I was agreeing to everything. I only always purchase things I know I will use, not for the hype because everything is so darn expensive. xx
Ann-Marie | http://facetocurls.com/
Thank you so much Ann-Marie! I try not to buy new releases anymore either for the same reason, it can get extremely expensive when you’re constantly trying to keep up with the hype!
Oh gosh. It sounds amazing. The blurring effect is so visible so thanks for that demo. Its just the small matter of price tag now..haha! xxx
UmmBabyBeauty
It really is!! They have a 30% off sale now which makes the price point a little more tolerable, haha
I’m trying this out right now so I’m excited to see if I love it as much!
xx Sofia | SOFIAADOT
Fingers crossed for you Sophia! <3
This eye cream seems legit. I need to get my hands on this!
x,
S | Je M’appelle Chanel
O it sounds so good! Too bad that it didn’t do anything for your dark circles though.
Marije | thegfguide.com
This would be a 10/10 if it did! I’m not too disappointed though, hopefully with massaging and more sleep the dark circles will get better!
Oh my this looks so good.. Though I also need something that helps with puffiness considering my over consumption of salt on the daily ( but I have accepted that my dark circles will never go away :( ) I’ll definitely be tempted to give this a try once my current eye cream is out
Sam Hodgett || Beauty, Food & Lifestyle
Can’t recommend this enough! I’m going to try massaging my eyes with a cold jade roller per @camilladesigns:disqus’s suggestion and see if it helps with the puffiness :)
Wow, that is quite a high rating for an eye cream! I’m always on the hunt for a fabulous new product and this one fits the bill. Thank you for sharing!
The whitening lotion looks awesome. I’ve got to look for that on Amazon!
Hopefully you’ll be able to find it!
I actually need a good eye cream, starting to worry about fine lines now. Geez, I’m only 23. Haha. And you gave it such a great rating!
Joy to the World
Oh, so many new to me products. I really need to look into more body lotions.
Jennifer | Mrs Q Beauty
Hope you’ll find something you love! :)
Daaang. This sounds great! I am totally sold because of this review haha. I know you don’t too often give these high scores, so to have a 9.3 is fabulous! I feel like eye creams are always so iffy too. Most claim all these crazy things, but then under perform. OR, you cannot wear them under makeup. This one sounds amazing!
-Emily http://www.coatandcoffee.com
This sounds like a really good product! I want to start using anti-aging products to help combat the fine lines that I know are already forming LOL. Although this isn’t 100% natural I may have to suck it up and give it a go (I don’t think there’s too many natural brands that really have anti-aging creams?)
http://www.sustainablysavvy.ca
The result’s you’ve experienced with this eye cream sound amazing and the ingredients in the formulation are certainly favorable. The only thing that would keep me from purchasing it is the jar packaging. I made a vow to give up eye creams in jars earlier this year and I’m trying hard to stick to it. I’m currently testing a few products from Instytutum and so far so good. I get why you love their Triple Peel now Jenny :)
I think the pros outweighs the cons. Thanks for sharing your review on this. I hope I can find this somewhere online in the Philippines because I sure do want to give it a try. :)
xoxo,
Gelleesh.com
I believe Instytutum ships worldwide, so I’d recommend checking their global shipping prices if you’re interested :)
Great review, Jenny! My eye area is one of my trouble spots! I suffer from dark circles and fine lines. Love the sound of this cream. Anything with peptides and Vitamin C has got my attention. I’ve added it to my list of things to try!
~ Cat L.
http://www.CatsDailyLiving.com
Thank you Cat! <3 I can't recommend this eye cream enough for fine lines, hope you'll love it as much as I do if you ever try it!
This sounds amazing, and fab review as always! It definitely seems like the pros outweigh the negatives xx
Hannah | luxuryblush
Thanks so much Hannah! This product isn’t perfect, but it’s definitely one of the best in the category I’ve tried to date!
Thanks so much for this briliant review. I have heard of this but have not used this eye cream. I haven’t found a holygrail eye cream but I have a few favourites. This is a pretty good rating, I just wish it was more travel-friendly., packaging-wise. <3 /Madison
FASHION TALES
I haven’t tried any of these and belong to the fraction of people out there that actually don’t enjoy sheet masks that much. I just feel like I get more out of regular masks? But every now and again I slap on one and enjoy the hydration.
Anne – Linda, Libra, Loca
As one who has dry skin, I appreciate this post Jenny. I’m really interested in the “snotty” LOL (I couldn’t stop laughing) one and the Hello Skin Jumiso Woah Woah Soothing Mask. Also thanks for suggesting the lululun one white mask. I usually have problems with anything skin brightening, so it’s good to hear this one is gentle.
http://www.averysweetblog.com/
I don’t have dry skin and I am still steadily working away at my Tony Moly sheet masks but these sound so great, my sister would love to try them all! Might get her a selection for Christmas so she can look extra good in 2018 haha, thank you for sharing! Xxx
ALittleKiran | Bloglovin
So well written, Jenny! I am currently testing an exact same product and although I have a slightly different experience, I am so happy to hear that it worked for you. I am convinced many readers will find this article incredibly helpful. P.S. (I have terrible dark circles and have yet to find a cream that can fix it).
Thank you Naya! Aw no, sorry to hear that you’re not getting the same experience :( I’m curious to read your thoughts on this though!
The cream to end all creams! DAMN I need some.
I think you might want to shove a frozen tea spoon on your eyes and then rub in the cream for puffiness?
Your reviews are so great because you talk about the ingredients and then what that ingredient does.
I have never actually heard of this brand too! I learn so much!
Kiri
Set to Glow
http://www.settoglow.com.au
That’s a good idea Kiri, though I have a feeling I’ll end up forgetting the spoon in the fridge, haha! So glad you like the reviews, always happy to share new brands and products with you guys!
It sounds like a great product
Wonder Cottage
I have enjoyed every Klairs product I have purchased. Thank-you for the opportunity to try even more Klairs products! Congratulations upon being named the brand ambassador for Klairs. That’s a lovely accomplishment.
Happy holidays!
Aww I loved this post, I could tell it was so heart felt and I loved reading it. Congratulations on becoming a Klairs Brand Ambassador, very well deserved. I will have to check out these brands, especially that Instytutum Eye Cream you’ve been raving about! I hope you do continue to blog as the years go on regardless of the numbers, as I, for one, take great joy in reading your posts!!
Sam Hodgett || Beauty, Food & Lifestyle
jenny!!! i only wish i discovered your blog sooner! you’re literally the definition of geeky posh, i’ve learned so much from you in the short time we’ve been friends!
HAHAHA i was actually surprised that klairs “wasn’t” on the list at first! so happy you’re a brand ambassador for a brand you truly enjoy – there needs to be more things like this! people should be brand ambassadors because they truly love the products, not because they have millions of followers, you know?
my sis loves the marc jacobs pencil liners too, i’ve tried them (never shelled out the $$ for em though) and they’re even more creamy than the urban decay ones, but they set so nicely too.
thanks so much for the giveaway! can i give a copout answer and say all of your posts are my favorites?! but hmmm, if i had to narrow down, i’d say something that reviews a product in depth – i don’t have an understanding of *everything* you write about, but i enjoy learning little things and about the ingredients!
becky @ star violet
ALSO sorry i tend to forget that bloggers have instagrams too LOL i feel kinda bad because it feels like i’m following you purely for the giveaway .___.
Congrats on everything, girl! This post was so refreshing to read and thanks for introducing so many new products I’ve never heard of!
http://www.myclusterofthoughts.com/
congrats on being appointed as klair’s brand ambassador! you really deserve it! also, i’ve said this before and i’ll say it again: thank YOU for geeky posh because i learned a lot of skincare stuff from you and i get to know indie brands too. i am also thankful that you managed to convert me to use sunscreen religiously ♥
Such a lovely post. And yes the year has gone by so quickly but in some ways I’m glad. 2017 was a mixed bag and a lot of clearing out the old. I’m looking forward to the fact that in 2018 some things in my life that just weren’t serving me are well and truly gone. x
franklyflawless.com
Thank you! And I agree, a new year is a new beginning without the baggages of the past year!
Congratulations on everything, and I can’t believe you have been blogging since 2002! I’m happy you kept with it and started Geeky Posh, as I’ve learnt so much from you. I hope everything with Cooper is okay now too, he is adorable! A huge congratulations on being appointed as Klair’s brand ambassador too, that’s massive!xx
Hannah | luxuryblush
Thank you so much Hannah! Haha, I can’t believe how long it’s been either, and it’s been fascinating just seeing how blogs went from personal journals to become what they are today. Cooper is all better now, and we couldn’t be more grateful for a second chance with him :)
This is a beautiful post Jenny! I just started following you, the middle of this year and I’m always so impressed with your reviews. Congratulations on being a Klairs Ambassador. I’ve learned a lot about them through you. I definitely want to try them and the Instytutum line. Your Instytutum reviews really impressed me.
http://www.averysweetblog.com/
Aww thank you, so glad you enjoy the reviews, I’m always worried if people would find them too long and wordy 😅 I can’t recommend the Instytutum line enough, I’ve really enjoyed all of their products so far!
Such a great post Jenny. Indeed this year seems to have flown by way quicker than others. Perhaps it’s just me, I’m just getting older.
I remember the time when Cooper got sick and I am SO happy that he made a fast recovery and is back to 100%. I really enjoy connecting with you here and on Instagram. Your posts are very inspiring and I always learn something new from you. Excited to see what the future holds.
~ Cat L
http://www.CatsDailyLiving.com
I love the sentiment behind this post and am so happy to hear that 2017 has been such a special year for you. I’m also happy to hear that Cooper is better! There is nothing worse than a furry friend going through something scary medically!
Thank you so much Kasie! Yes, Cooper being sick was definitely one of the toughest periods in my life, and I’m just so glad for a second chance with him ❤️
Klairs is an outstanding brand that has a lot of great feedbacks. Great discoveries of amazing brands. 2017 has been so good to you.
StyleSprinter Blog by Katya Bychkova
Klairs really is a great brand, I hope to see their line expand more in the future! 2017 had its ups and downs, but overall I can’t complain!
Congratulations, and a happy 2017 ending to you too. I love coming here to read your reviews and reflections (and to check out the pretty pictures :) ) Thank you for spreading positivity, yet keeping things honest. Keep it up, and have a fruitful 2018!
Thank you so much for your kind words! So glad you like the reviews and the photos!
Wow, that a lovely giveaway! I would love to get my hands on these goodies. <3 Thank you so much for sharing it with us! Also, I agree with you, 2017 went by so quickly! It has been a good year though, I think. Also, I have to say I absolutely love the aesthetics of your blog. Your layout and photos are so gorgeous, neat and very inspiring. xoxo
Kay
http://shoesandglitter.com
Aww thank you so much Kay, that means a lot! I do think in spite of a few hard moments, 2017 has been a good year overall, and hopefully 2018 will be even better!
Ook! Everyone is going on about Klairs. What am i missing? Really need to get onto the train. Haha
http://www.glitsxgrace.com
For me Klairs hits the sweet spot of being affordable, but effective – especially if you’re looking for something gentle and hydrating! I’ve had really good experiences with most of their products and repurchased some of them several times!
Love reading your year end recaps. I hope you will continue with your blog. While I like Instagram, I thoroughly enjoy reading blog posts…maybe I’m just old school. Thanks for a wonderful giveaway.
So glad to hear that Sarah! I will definitely continue with my blog as I enjoy writing long posts (I’m quite opinionated as you can tell..haha 😂 ), so I’m glad you guys like reading them!
I love your skincare reviews. Have been a silent reader for quite some time. Not that I follow your blog but it always appear when I search for skincare reviews lol. I like your review on Skin Actives: http://geekyposh.nogbcgugjh-eqg35pyl14xn.p.runcloud.link/5-top-picks-from-skin-actives/. I’m interested in the ELS serum but it seems to have comedogenic oils. Do you use it every day? Are you prone to clogging?
Thank you Melody, I’m always happy to hear from readers! Hopefully my response to your question on the Skin Actives post answered your concerns!
Do you keep the collagen serum in the fridge?
Hi Melody, I don’t because I find it too much of a hassle, but I do keep it on my vanity in my bedroom away from heat, sunlight, and humidity. Hope this helps!
Beautiful post Jenny! I love this year in review, so many great highlights!
x,
S | Je M’appelle Chanel
Thank you so much Sonia!
What a beautiful and thoughtful post Jenny! I remember keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for Cooper’s recovery, that photo of him is just too precious. You should frame it (if you haven’t already!). Also congratulations on being selected as a brand ambassador! Smart brands see quality, not quantity and there is plenty of it on this website! Hugs xx
Thank you so much Naya! You guys were so sweet and supportive throughout the Cooper’s sickness, I can’t express my gratitude enough. And yes, I really should print out some photos of him and Shelly to frame!
Ahhh this is an awesome giveaway! I remember you mentioning this brand a few times. Would love to try it! I never do these but I am totally entering. The posts I enjoy the most from you are just undiscovered brands. I always find new brands because of you!
-Emily http://www.coatandcoffee.com
Yay so glad to hear that Emily! I do love sharing new brands with you guys, hopefully 2018 will be a year of even more discoveries!
Wow, it’s so nice they offered to reformulate free of charge! I agree, I think this would be perfect if you had a more minimal skincare routine, something I wish I had. Currently, mine is just… a bit erratic, lol. My foray into the skincare world is relatively new, and boy did I jump in, so I’m just figuring out what works for me. Love that it doesn’t leave that stickiness behind, something my current hydrating serum does!
Sam / My Beauty Cloud
I’m really hoping to discover more skincare next year. I have a lot of learn about skincare, but I have dry skin and really want to find out what works best for me.
Jennifer | Mrs Q Beauty
WHOA! You can create custom, bespoke serums!? Now that’s a skincare idea I can absolutely get behind! I did my first laser facial today and I feel like I want to get all the best skincare possible for my skin :) I’m glad this serum is much more in line with what you’re looking for. It can be super tricky to find something that works and I’m glad it eventually worked out for you especially when it was offered out of a gesture of goodwill!!
Stephanie | theFantasia.com
Even though I am not a big skincare freak, I would love this because I want my skincare routine to be super simple. I love how you can customize this too! Thanks for pointing out that it takes a month, because I tend to be really impatient and left wondering what is improving my skin vs. what isn’t working (which is why I am not huge on skincare, lol)
Hannah the Mad Dog
That really is an impressive ingredient list. I wouldn’t want to miss on your customized actives, especially the high content of niacin amide makes it worth splurging. And in the mornings a multipurpose product is very welcome. I do love layering but when I need to get myself and two kids ready and out the door, something needs to give…
Anne – Linda, Libra, Loca
This sounds like the perfect combination of ingredients and really a all-in-one serum for when you don’t have time or don’t like many steps in your routine. I love the packaging too which looks super chic though that side spill from pipettes is always so annoying. My hands aren’t steady enough haha! I would definitely assume this isn’t an overnight miracle worker but rather a maintenance and protection product and I am so glad to learn about it xxx
UmmBabyBeauty
This does sounds like a great all in one serum but the price though. I am one who loves layering my skincare and use different products daily depending on how my skin feels so I’m giving this a pass.
Shireen⎜Reflection of Sanity
i think a lot of people don’t account for skincare needing time to act! myself included, lol – i think i’m just spoiled by masks where you can see and feel instant results, haha. agreed that the price isn’t for me, though – but when i have a disposable income, i’d probably zip right to this since i love me some customizable beauty.
becky @ star violet
You already piqued my curiosity about Activist when you first introduced the brand here. This has definitely kicked it up again :D After trying a more minimal routine earlier this year that actually worked I think I might be open to switching it up between a pared down routine and multi product one just to give myself a break every so often. I saved so much time. Even if one doesn’t go for a custom serum the roster of ingredients they use sounds impressive. And honestly I wouldn’t mind paying a little more for a product that really works ;)
I never heard of this before. I defiantly like the sound of it especially if it agrees with sensitive skin. Since I tend to always read labels and watch what I tend to use :) http://www.bauchlefashion.com/2017/12/the-dos-donts-for-christmas-shopping.html
Very expensive but it looks like it is worth it!
http://caitlinpaigexox.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1
Expensive but I have to say, skincare is extremely important which I only realised recently after gettng a but of adult acne. I guess I was taking my skin resiliency for granted. Your review is very detailed and helpful!
http://www.talesoftwoblog.blogspot.com
Sounds like an awesome year for you! I hope your cat is doing much better too!
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Marc Jacob’s products as well, but so far most of them have been a hit for me, even when it comes to mascaras which I’m super picky with!
I enjoy most makeup and beauty reviews on your blog.
I love YSL’s Touch Eclat! It’s been a favorite of mine for years. I will have to try that primer. It sounds glorious Jenny. I love Marc Jacobs Highliner and MAC’s Fix+ is a staple in my collection. Happy 2018 Jenny! Wishing you the best in the New Year.
http://www.averysweetblog.com/
Thank you Rashmi!
Thank you! YSL really has some fantastic face and lip products!
So many amazing beauty faves!! I’m especially obsessed with those brushes. I’m looking for a new set so I should totally check them out!
xo,
H
http://firsttimethings.com/
What happens if you stop using curology?
I’m not sure what the case would be if you were dealing with acne, but in my case (anti-aging and brightening), you’d no longer notice any continuous improvement to your skin, but it shouldn’t regress to the previous state. However I’d recommend asking Curology directly to confirm :)
Hi Jenny! Modesty aside may I know how young are you? (It’s ok if you can’t tell me) :) Just want to know if this will work for me too..Btw, I’m on my 50’s..and may I know the rest of your skin care routine after this serum? Thanks a bunch!
Hi Maria! I’m 29 almost 30, and I typically layer a hydrating/antioxidant serum, a facial oil, and moisturizer after this product. Hope this helps!
I got myself a bottle after reading your review and boy, i agree with you. I love this oil and will put it on whenever i feel like it. I am now hooked and want to try the whole Jing Cheng range! Thank you for sharing this great review, Jenny!
I’m so glad you like the oil!! The essence is also quite nice if that’s something you’re interested in, I liked it better than the brightening enhancer which I also tried, but I’m not a fan of.
$1?! You really can’t beat that price, I have to pick it up the next time I’m at Target. I’m traveling to Iceland soon too, so I feel like this would be a great moisturizer to try since it’s going to be so much colder than I’m used to!
Sam / My Beauty Cloud
Great post Jenny! I tried it a couple of years ago and really liked it too, except that it does smell like a grandma, but in a kind of nice reassuring way though? Thanks so much for going in-depth and looking at the ingredients, so useful!
Brilliant post! I have tried this actually on my hands but never on my face. Now your post makes me think of trying it again. I surely go to the chemist soon to pick up a tub or two.
http://www.busyandfab.com
And now we will say it all together: “Mineral Oil is not evil!” It is indeed a great occlusive.
Anne|Linda, Libra, Loca
Its so weird to see this cream making such a scene now because its one that we’ve had in our lives forever. But I am happy to see it getting attention because its an absolute classic! My mum used to use it on us and I now use the Soft version on my girls during the winter after an oil. You’re right…it locks everything in and soothes like nothing else. xxx
I don’t even get what’s with all the backlash with Mineral Oil. Anyway, that product sounds A-MA-ZING! It’s so easy to find and sooooo affordable!
xx Alyssa | STYLE VANITY
I have really oily skin so prefer lighter creams and lotions compared to the thicker ones. A very thorough & detailed review. Thanks!
http://www.glitsxgrace.com/2018/02/21/get-to-know-me-all-your-questions-answered/
I love love love how you break this down girl! Your reviews are bomb! And definitely going to have to look into this given it’s price :)
xx, mel
http://melinspired.com/inspired-in-mexico/
Ooh my Gosh, seriously???. I have dry/combo skin, drier in the winter and I am so buying this asap.
This sounds amazing though. I must admit, I was scared when I saw the mineral oil but that has never stopped me from purchasing something because of that ingredient. xx
Ann-Marie | http://facetocurls.com/
Wow! I didn’t expect that! Usually the cheap products are terrible. I hear amazing things about Nivea though! So I’m not surprised!
Raindrops of Sapphire
I’ve never tried this before, but I love the moisturizers from Lush!
Beauty & Colour | Vegan Lifestyle Blog
Wow it’s amazing how this cream has done such wonders for your skin. I’m pretty sure I had a tin of this around a few years ago but I think I ended up using it on my hands/body more than my face. It’s good to know that it works so well to deeply moisturize. You can’t beat that $1 price tag and the tin looks travel friendly too ;p I ended up going off creams and moisturizing with oils this winter and I haven’t seen one flake.
This sounds really interesting given it’s such a simple product. I’ve seen it a thousand times but never thought to try it. But one thing came to mind, over there was a news article recently about all the people who have literally set themselves on fire from using daily skincare containing paraffin for something like eczema. Crazy! It had seeped into their clothes though so we’re talking large quantities. I’m going to pick this up the next time I’m at the chemist to see if it can help my dry patches!
Amy – ambeautyedit.com
It is a great product for a lot of people, I am glad you like it. I compared them, La Mer and Nivea, for a post (in Spanish http://blog.lindisima.com/2012/02/creme-de-la-mer-y-nivea-son-lo-mismo-o.html ) years ago. Both of them gave me pimples. So I stopped the experiment. I really dislike Nivea’s fragrance. The German Nivea is the one that is almost identical to La Mer. A lot of people love Nivea and it is great for hands and feet. It is always nice to read your posts.
Hm sounds like an interesting product! I mean it’s stood the test of time and still around so it must be a favourite for some – actually I think the packaging is pretty nice and simple. I like that it’s so minimal. Great review!
http://www.sustainablysavvy.ca
This is so interesting! I mean, for $1 I guess it doesn’t hurt to try it – my skin does get so dry this time of year. I’d be nervous that it would break me out though if used on my face. Either way, thanks for sharing this!
Kathryn • simplykk.com
I’ve been waiting for this post, because Nivea is such a “childhood” brand for me. I am familiar with the scent 100%, it is one of those things you never forget. My dad used to use this same cream religiously. I actually have a small jar of it in my gym bag; I am a swimmer and a combination of chlorine and dry skin is never a good idea! So I always (always) carry my cheap Nivea with me, pop it on right after my training and my skin feels baby smooth. Yes, the scent is not very luxurious, but the stuff works and with your very detailed ingredients’ list breakdown (THANK YOU!) it makes perfect sense why. I now feel like getting an extra one to use on my drier areas overnight, what a genius idea! I love algae too, so I will check out both Snails & Sea Kelp Coral serums now. I laughed so much at the Mozart comment – is that true?? I did not know they played music to plants or skincare ingredients, but now I am eye-rolling so hard – I practically see the back of my brain! xx
Oh wow, I’m so curious about this now! The price point is definitely an incentive to at least give it a go haha, and how incredible it’s working so well for your skin – even after 2-3 weeks! You’ve also reminded me not to go overboard with exfoliating to avoid damaging the moisture barrier (thank you!). Hope you’re having a lovely weekend so far Jenny :)
Gabrielle | A Glass Of Ice x
My mum used to use this for hand cream, and I’ve been having issues with dry hands lately, maybe I need to give this a go! I am wondering a little if it’s quite so cheap here, I can’t think of anything that’s a $1, but I will hunt it out and see! :)
Hope you had a great weekend. We had a quiet one with all the wet weather!
Away From The Blue Blog
Ok now I’m really considering trying this. Actually, I don’t know if it’s this exact product but my grandma has used the same Nivea face cream for years and she has really lovely soft skin.
Julia // The Sunday Mode
Really helpful tips in this, I’m definitely no expert when it comes to taking pics for my blog so I love reading things like this… I’ve recently ordered some faux flowers and wallpaper samples to get me started though. Now to find some magazines lol! X
I also prefer walking into stores. First, I love the cute bags that some brands give you haha. When I order online I always throw away the boxes and the cute paper bags can be recycled most of the time. When I buy a perfume I also go to the counter first and try it on a piece of paper, when I like it I spray it on my wrist and walk around the mall to see how the perfume changes on my skin. I wish I had more time to go to the store, but most of the time I also check a lot of reviews to make the decision to get it or not!
Loves, An – https://thebeauparlour.com/
Fragrance is definitely such a personal thing — even when everyone raves about a perfume I need to go sniff it in person before buying!
Camilla || Gracefulface.com
You brought up some excellent points! Especially with scents and color. It can go totally wrong when trying to figure out online. Also foundations! OMG’d LOL
http://www.averysweetblog.com/
I totally agree with your points most especially for scents..vi’m not a huge fan of online shopping cos I would rather want to walk into the store
Glowyshoes’s blog
I always check the reviews. And if it’s a new product I’ll wait a while. I prefer online shopping but some things you just can’t. Fragrance for sure. Also nail polish. I made that mistake a few weeks ago…
Sxx
daringcoco.com
I have the Oskia Restoration Oil and absolutely love it. The Super 16 Serum is also something I would love to try too and generally this is a brand that never disappoints me x
franklyflawless.com
Why oh why do you have to feature that Oskia serum? It has been in my wish list since last year or maybe even the year before but I couldn’t bring myself to hit ‘purchase’. LOL! It’s so pricey! Is there anything remotely similar to it but for a smaller (make that very much smaller) fraction of the price?
Shireen⎜Reflection of Sanity
Love your picks Jenny! The Shiseido gel cream at first spoke to me, but not so much if it pills :/. Love your posts as always!
Happy birthday my dear and what a wonderful selection of skincare! I must say that I am going to get that Klairs toner for sure, especially now that you’ve mentioned that it is even better than the original. Moisture mask sounds fab too! Thanks for the inspo xx
These are all so true! When it comes to beauty I prioritize hitting the stores!
http://www.desiringsme.com/desiring-monochrome-01/
Oh wow hun, this post is incredibly informative!! You’ve done an amazing job and explained everything so well and clearly! :) I am not expert on this stuff at all so it was great to broaden my knowledge a little, so thank you. :) I remember using a Vitamin C cream before and I was surprised that it didn’t do anything, turns out it just reacts with air in a way that makes it more ineffective. Perhaps I need to try a different type! Thanks for sharing lovely xoxo
Kay
http://shoesandglitter.com
This is a very thorough post and I need to bookmark this for reference! :) I love using vitamin c to lessen my dark spots but I haven’t found one yet that doesn’t feel oily or heavy. Does such vit c sreum really exist? :) I just got a Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution as a PR gift, I haven’t started using it yet and base on your short review here, I’m not expecting much now.
xx Alyssa | STYLE VANITY
Yes to all of them. I prefer to buy new products that involves scents and textures in the physical store! Once I know that I like the product and know how it feels and smells, then I have no problem ordering them online. Even with handbags or clothes, I do prefer to see them in stores! But when it comes to books or games, I’m fine with ordering them online ^^
This post was so helpful, thank you for sharing! I had no idea that there were so many different types of vitamin C. I got a serum, instead of my normal one they suggested I try one with the added vitamin C and it was TERRIBLE for my skin! I just assumed I’d have to avoid that ingredient, great to know that’s not the case! :)
Hope you have had a great weekend! We had a quiet one to recover from being unwell last week. Hoping for a quiet week this week too!
Away From The Blue Blog
Please don’t quit! I enjoy reading your posts and reviews a lot!
Thank you, it means a lot to hear that :)
Yikes on the sheet masking every day, I did that for about a year back in 2016. I do pay attention about ingredients so I’m good there and yes, I have been using sheet mask after serum too so yay me! Jenny, I wish I have words of encouragement for you about blogging and social medias but I have none. It would break my heart if you quit because I learn so much from you but on the other hand it would be hypocritical of me to say stay when I am toying with the idea of quitting myself. I do hope you stay or at least stay active on Instagram, maybe try micro-blogging?
Shireen⎜Reflection of Sanity
I used to do the same but after I heard what the derms said I figured better be safe than sorry so I’ve dialed it back a lot 😅
Aw no, you’re thinking of quitting too? 😱 I do hope you get that new job, and as always, real life comes first so I can understand where you’re coming from. I actually enjoy writing the long posts more than micro-blogging, so if anything I might quit IG first, but vacation first, decisions later!
The less than impressive ingredient list is why sheet masks are rare in my routine. I have only found a few that I love ingredient and result wise and those are pretty expensive.
Your post is a refreshing and honest take on a trend that has everyone running around with their faces covered, and blog posts like this are the reason why I would say: Please don’t quit! I do care if you blog, and I would miss your posts a lot.
Enjoy your holiday and hopefully come back refreshed and inspired.
Anne – Linda, Libra, Loca
WHERE WAS THIS WHEN I FIRST STARTED MASKING but either way I learned a lot even though I think I’m a pretty seasoned masker! I used to sheet mask almost every day the winter before this one and honestly it did my skin so good?? But that being said, I do have superdry skin that flakes off, and I noticed that my skin wasn’t flaking when I was masking *that* regularly. Of course the downside is the $$ and not really being able to eat/drink/talk during that time haha :p
I totally get what you mean with blogging – I’m in that position right now too! I haven’t posted since weeks ago, though I’m still (kind of) regularly commenting – I enjoy reading and interacting with bloggers, but just the whole getting things to be perfect thing on my end makes it not as enjoyable. It’s very much an on and off thing for me though, I’ve always gone through months of consistent posting followed up by months of very sporadic posting.
Love the new design!!
Really information-packed, clear and useful post! I personally sheet mask quite often as it’s also me-time as well. I have dehydration-prone skin so I like the extra oomph of moisture/hydration I get from sheet masks. I’ve discovered many affordable yet easy-fitting and effective masks, so personally I don’t feel it’s necessary to drop +$10 to one-use sheet mask. I really enjoy your blog and I hope you keep posting whenever you feel like it. <3
xx Laura / Laura Loukola Art & Beauty Blog
That’s such a great and interesting post! I used sheet mask more often but lately I’m too lazy for them, I might go back to them soon but still you’ve posted lots of interested tips.
Damn something has happend and it seems like it didn’t post my comment. That’s such an useful post! All the tips are amazing and I agree sheet masking everyday would cost a lot. Oh don’t quit, just take a break if you need but believe me stay on blog – literally thanks to your blog I’ve learned so many interesting facts about skincare, even today I’ve shared your post on Vitamin C with a friend :)
I think everyone feels like that from time to time and ultimately you have to do what is right for you. That said, I love your blog and it is so informative x
http://www.franklyflawless.com
I would care if you quit your blog, Jenny! I never fail to learn something new whenever I come on here.Hope you enjoy your vacation!
This post has so much useful information! I don’t do sheet masks all the time but when I do, I usually do them before applying my serum, I definitely won’t be doing that again. What ingredients would you advise me to steer clear of when it comes to masks?
Coco Bella Blog
Please don’t quit blogging! I care and would be sad if you quit. I really like your blog, I hope you’ll find inspiration to continue writing, but do what is best for you.
Oh this is such a great post! I think I probably made all of these mistakes when I first starting using sheet masks. I used to always try to multi-task when I would have my masks on and end up leaving them on for much longer than I should. But I stopped doing that as soon as I saw a few interviews with some Korean stars with amazing skin who said that they would use sheet mask but never leave them on for too long. I do love my sheet masks and notice a difference in my skin when I use them regularly but I do try to be conscious of the ingredients now.
I’m so sorry to hear about your recent frustrations with blogging and social media Jenny :( I for one would definitely miss you. It’s obvious yu put much effort into your posts and they’re always so informative and helpful. I can understand if you don’t feel the joy from blogging anymore and that you may need to step back. I hope that your vacation will be a good break and maybe renew your interest in blogging again. I love the new look btw!
I honestly had no idea that there were so many varieties of vitamin c! This is so informative thank you, hopefully my skin will be in excellent condition soon :)
Rosy | Sparkles of Light Blog
This is really helpful! I thought I already nail sheet masking, but it turns out I’m doing one thing wrong. I use sheet masks after I apply an essence but when I’m lazy I use it right after cleansing which happens a lot of times already. I used to be guilty of taking it off longer too but I stick to what the label suggested now :D
BTW, I love the new look of your blog :)
xx Alyssa | STYLE VANITY
This was one great post, Jenny! As always so informative and full of interesting details that are new to me. I must say cotton and foiled masks are my least favourite – the latter one in particular makes my skin itch! I also do this stupid thing with tacky sheet masks – I wash my face right after wearing them. I know it is dumb, I am washing off the serum, but I feel like whatever’s left on the surface is just a product excess and the rest is probably deep in my skin already. I guess I am wrong! Always confused whether I am doing the right thing! Love the new design btw! xx
Oh nooooo! I love your posts so much, please don’t quit!!! I love how informative your posts are and I’m always happy to see a new post of yours! For example I had no idea that it’s better to use a sheet mask after my serum! Thank you so much for this informative post, I loved it! I’m really looking forward to your next post!!!
Love,
Olga from Myme
I never was really interested in vitamin c, but learning what it actually do for the skin and because I am getting up in the age, I have considered it. However, while choosing which product is best to use, I am concern about the cost. I almost wish there was one that could be used that doesn’t have to break the bank. This article did help, though. If I do decide to splurge, at least I have some idea on what products to look into.
I don’t know why because this sounds rather cringey but I feel like I was genuinely laughing at those shit/sheet puns – how immature am I! x I love a good sheet mask, they feel so good on the skin! But, yes, I agree, you really have to pay attention to ingredients to know you’re not just putting sheet on your face (mine was rubbish, I know) but I never knew that the best time was after your serum – totally going to be doing that! x
Look, jenny, I know sometimes it can be really frustrating and difficult to handle blogging (I’ve taken literally months off because the pressure is rather a lot) but look at how many people you’re inspiring. You were one of the first people to ever comment on any of my blog posts – you symbolised hope for me, hope that people were actually reading what I put out. And, still, nowadays that hasn’t changed – you’re basically my blogging idol Jenny, the one I look up to. It would be a real shame to lose you because you always keep it real and you inform as well as entertain, which is actually rather a difficult thing to do.
Chin up princess,
Marina Rosie xx
https://marinawriteslife.blogspot.fr/
wow that is a lot of great information. thanks for sharing. I haven’t started to use sheet masks as often as I’d like but these are some great things to keep in mind when I do.
http://www.henatayeb.blogspot.com
This was a great read – had no idea I needed to apply serum before a sheet mask! I do love my sheet masks but will look much closer at the ingredients list and type moving forward!
https://covetedbeauty.blogspot.ca/
So interesting! Thanks for the tips
P xx
http://www.phoebemw.co.uk
The research behind this and ingredients are quite impressive. I would love to try it but as you also mention, the price point is a little steep. I will definitely get a sample from Sephora and see how it fits in with my routine. Great post Jenny. Your reviews are always so informative.
~ Cat L.
http://www.CatsDailyLiving.com
Such a great post Jenny. Love the title! :) I’m a fan of masking in general and have only recently started incorporating sheet masks in my routines. They are game-changing!
~ Cat L.
http://www.CatsDailyLiving.com
Sounds like such an amazing lotion! I really wish it were cheaper! Thank you for posting such an insightful review!!!
Love,
Olga from Myme
Well Jenny, I’m gonna turn 23 in October. So you can get it for me for my birthday :D. Because my, my, that is quite a price. Also, I have rlly dehydrated skin, so I need that oil. Although yes, the packaging is beautiful. On another note I checked your drama list, lol– you been watching some Japanese stuff I see. Have you heard of Terrace House? I’ve been hooked recently.
http://cynicalduchess.com
Hope you’re having fun in Taiwan Jenny! This fluid sounds right up my alley (except the price tag), but I’m very intrigued by the benefits and your hand afterwards almost looked like it had a filter. I haven’t tried any thing from Amorepacific yet but this products sounds like a great place to start!
Sam Hodgett || Beauty & Lifestyle Bits
Nice to know about the use of this product, you really write detailed and informative reviews.
http://www.busyandfab.com
Okay, this product sounds REALLY nice. I’m using facial oil right now and I like it but I never really like the finish on my skin. When you said this absorbs instantly in your skin and leaves a velvety smooth finish, I’m sold! :)
xx Alyssa | STYLE VANITY
This was a really informative post because I want to try some more sheet masks but I don’t know where to start! Also, I would have probably gone for the more affordable ones, but now I know that may not be the best choice. I honestly was starting to think people sheet mask every day going by some youtube videos I watched, I was like wow that must be expensive! Anyway, I’m rambling, great post and I’m off to read on your sheet mask recommendations x
Velvet Blush
Yes I am all about quality over quantity when it comes to pretty much everything these days and that includes skincare! It’s really much better to have a handful of products that are really effective and work well for your skin than thirty things that just work okay. The concept of Tunemakers makes so much sense especially since it comes with the option to customize based on one’s specific skincare needs. That’s very appealing in itself and to hear how the booster essences contain proven actives without the fillers makes me want to try this line now. Thanks so much for the introduction Jenny!
Okay, this is a completely new brand to me but wow, the ingredient list is so short and I am really impressed. Sounds like a must try and the liquorice extract is the one that intrigued me the most. I wonder if Amazon.ca carries it or I’ll have to search through eBay.
ps: Did you change your blog layout?
I am so new to both the brand and these skincare products, but your reviews always get me so excited! I want to try both products as they sound out of this world amazing. I also agree about a more minimalistic approach towards skincare regimen; I certainly need to audit mine that tiny bit! Great review Jenny :)
p.s. love the look of your website now – is it just me or you have changed something? In any case I am a fan! xx
My favorite Vitamin C is ascorbic acid although it’s also not the most stable form. However, the SkinCeuticals formula C E Ferulic is my absolute holy grail of all time. Ever. Can’t live without it. Not to sound dramatic but the world would come to an end if I couldn’t have it. LOL. The smell is something one needs to get used to but it truly is an outstanding C serum.
Excellent article and research! Thank you so much!
Wow I love the sound of this system. Such a good idea! I’ll have to check out this brand. Thanks for the great recommendation as always.
https://amyevans.co.uk – Amy 💘
Great post! I can get overwhelmed with skincare because I really don’t know much about it. I enjoyed the informative post.
Jennifer | Mrs Q Beauty
Just tried the water test on both my suncreams (avene anti ageing and sunsense ultra)that i use religiously even in winter and i live in Scotland im ust somewhat sun cream obsessed, and both passed the test. Every year I do loads of web searches for sun cream and always stick with what I use and love. A very interesting post
That’s great news! A sunscreen is only as good as the frequency you apply it, so if you find one you love wearing definitely stick to it!
Love the packaging.
Great review.
xx
https://theonethattravels.wordpress.com/
Seems like a nice cream though it’s quite pricey.
Thanks for sharing your honest review
Much Love,
Jane | The Bandwagon Chic
I can never wrap my head around just how awesome and thorough your reviews are, hun! You cover everything anyone would want to know about a product! :) I would love to try this one, THE PRICE THO!! Pretty expensive although to be fair ,skincare is one of those things that I believe is definitely worth investing in, since it has such an impact. I am always sold by anything with green tea extracts, I love green tea in my skincare, I find that it really works wonders. :) Thank you for sharing, beaut, I hope you are well. <3 xoxo
Kay
http://shoesandglitter.com
Thanks for this article. I googled Buti handbags and saw this article. Really interesting.
Ok I am hearing about these brand for the first time and I am blown away! Concentrated essence and boosters plus customizable options is what I am living for! My skin has a mind of it’s own, some days it’s dry and some days it decides to be oily! This custom option is great for people like me! Love the less ingredient list idea, I always prefer minimal skincare rather than slathering on 10 products and not knowing which one is working for me and which one really isn’t.
You got me all excited about this brand, thank you for introducing it to us! I am recently realizing there are hidden gems in Japanese skincare ranges but sadly no word out there! Like why aren’t Japanese skincare brands easily available?!
I am back after a month long hiatus, hope you’ve been well! Missed reading your posts! :)
xx
Ankita Bardhan | Real Girl Talks
http://realgirltalks.com/
Hi Jenny! I’m tempted to try the Tunemakers Ceramide 200 after reading your reviews, it sounds so interesting and i wonder how should I incorporate it into my routine. Do you have any suggestions on how to use it and on the frequency of usage? According to how I understand it you’re supposed to use it before toner right after cleansing. I’m a little worried about overusing it. Also do you recommend using it before/after exfoliating with AHA? I love your content so much and really appreciate all the info that I learned from your blog!
Hi, can this be used as eye cream alternative?
You can use this around your eyes, but this won’t help lock in moisture. So if your eye area is really dry, I still recommend using an eye cream.
Hi Jenny,
I’m using La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF50+ Fluid Ultra-Light based on your recommendation.
I’ve noticed a shine to my face when wearing this sunscreen. Is there any type of product you can recommend to combat this shine?
I tried the anti-shine version of the sunscreen but find it leaves white marks and doesn’t feel that good on the skin.
So i was hoping you could recommend something that a male could use perhaps on top of the sunscreen so my face isn’t so shiny?
Thanks!
Wow I can really tell the difference! Your complexion looks so fresh and even more beautiful. Thank you for the insightful post, I love how beautiful yet “nerdy” and in-detail your content is always. Have a lovely weekend! Looking forward to your next post!
x Laura / Laura Loukola Beauty Blog
That’s so cool that you tried the PicoWay laser treatment Jenny! I love the way you detailed your treatment and post recovery process. Even though some of the effects have worn off, the visible improvement of your skin from last year to this year is impressive. I just had my first Clear + Brilliant laser treatment this past week and I wonder how it compares to the Picoway. I committed to 3 treatments and I will write about it when they are complete. My skin is finally getting past the whole sandpaper phase and I’ve been applying Weleda Skin Food around the clock.
I have been curious about the treatment ever since I saw it on your Instagram stories, thank you for sharing more. It sounds like a treatment I would benefit from, as I have quite a bit of sun damage on my temples and my cheeks. How much did it cost?
Anne – Linda, Libra, Loca
Wow this was really interesting. The results are insane!
http://amyevans.co.uk – Amy
The facility looks so chic and lovely. The results are incredible you have such lovely skin :)
http://www.bauchlefashion.com/2018/07/fall-preview-rise-of-ankle-boot.html?m=1
Ooh, I’d never heard of this treatment before now, though it really does sound to have been effective – especially as the scabs fell off after just 1 week. Also, you truly do have the MOST beautiful skin ever, wow!
aglassofice.com x
Your photos…. I can’t!!! They are so crisp and immaculate, please teach me your ways!! :D
Anyway, I LOVE anything green tea, something about it always works for me, plus I adore the refreshing scent. This one sounds absolutely fab, and I’m tempted to check it out for sure. Do you know if this brand is cruelty-free? :) Thanks for sharing as always, beaut! xoxo
Kay
http://shoesandglitter.com
I see your empties post as a collection of mini-reviews which is always interesting to read for me. Occasional Instagram posts would be nice as well. :)
I was going to purchase the Anessa next time but maybe I should just keep using my current favorite (Kanebo Allie). Everyone seems to like the Anessa Aqua Booster so I was curious. Good to know!
I prefer them on the blog, I just cannot read quick enough on Instagram Stories to really take in all the details, and I probably wouldn’t bother clicking through to the full review on there too.
Oh, and the Thermal Cleansing Balm, though I don’t mind the wash cloth, was not my cup of tea either.
Anne – Linda, Libra, Loca
I used to love Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm but have since found so many that are better and cheaper. I finished my Klairs serum too and my skin misses it sooooo much, definitely will be repurchasing soon! And I prefer empties on the blog, easy for me to read and refer back to.
I think it’s been almost a year since my last empties post so you’re definitely keeping it at it better than me Jenny ;p I also prefer these type of post on blog form just for a readability. I feel the same as you about the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel and Oskia Super 16 Serum as both have worked wonderfully for my skin and just feel so luxurious. I didn’t realize how expensive the Super 16 was because I had received a PR sample but I would consider repurchasing it as well.
Oh, no! Please keep your reviews on your blog. At 64, I don’t Instagram. I buy some of your favorite items and find that I am also a repeat buyer on several items that seem to be pretty awesome products.
Smoother, softer and brighter skin? Yes please! Thanks for the introduction to this product, I’d not heard of it before! Hope you’re having a fabulous week so far :)
aglassofice.com x
I think the rose would be one that I would try. I use rose buds and rose geranium concentrate in my skincare routine. I probably could not use the green tea since it has kava in it. Thanks for such a good review. <3 Madison
I like the color of your dress! :) it looks good. . .
Great list of empties! I don’t think I’ve really tried these products. I’m hoping to try more skincare products. I feel so out of the loop.
Jennifer | Mrs Q Beauty
Instagram | Follow Me
Hi, blogwalking here. Love from Althea Angels :)
https://messarah.blogspot.com/2018/08/altheas-real-fresh-skin-detoxer-review.html
This is definitely a great review. What I haven’t tried doing yet, is mixing the toner with a face oil. Very interesting idea I have to say and I might do that when the colder season arrives here in Germany. Now I’m curious to test Klair’s unscented toner as well to see if it’s worth the hype or if I can easily stay with the original version.
xo, Lu.
I have just started using thia cream as itbhas reached me just today since my t-zone area pore is so terrible im using it to combat the pores and to soothe the redness/ inflammation after popping out the blackheads around this area…since the feedback from most of the users are pretty positive im hoping it helps…im having the most sensitive skin and im using it on top of vit c serum at night..hope this is the right way to use this cream…
Hope this helps for pores and post inflammation due to extraction of blackheads esp around the nose
Thank you honey ❣️
hi ! i would like to know if i hasnt used it for 2-3 month will it dried up ? i actually bought mine and i pressed little bit but i didnt remove the plastic cover on it . just wanted to know if i didnt use it for 2-3 months will dried up without i even using it ? really hope you can reply this ! thankyou
I don’t think so, mine lasted 6-7 months with regular use, so you should be ok!
Thank you for a very intelligently and thoughtful publication re: the Hermes brand and some of their most iconic handbags. It still remains a mystery to many why the price-tag is in the 4-5 figure range-my husband is an aerospace engineer with NASA and Lockheed Martin (and he is one of the senior engineers building Orion Rocket Program heading to Mars!) – yet the quality thing is something he cannot wrap his head around. Thank you again for such a beautiful presentation of the history, the craftsmanship, and ib BUILDING the VALUE as to why we are so intent on the real deal!
It does pill over certain things but I find this the case even with PTR water drench. With this my culprit was Tula urban defense mist, absolutely made it horrible. If you put oil on your hands and then pat it on after the moisturizer that helps to avoid pilling. I googled about it and this was the first that popped up. I had pilling with water drench moisturizer when I used the ordinary buffet but not with Matrixyl. Shrug. The most pill free day creams are “lotions”, like the algenist in the pump bottle.
I got a kit on qvc, so it came with the night cream, which actually doesn’t pill. Now I don’t know why or what the difference is since it feels similar in texture. Neither product helps with Retin A flaking. Disappointed and probably will return if it won’t work with DDF serum which hydrated well actually. The only cream I have had that never pilled on me no matter if I put on 3 serums, a lotion, and oil, was algenist genius cream but I simply cannot afford it anymore. Lol. Need a dupe for that, it also has the ceramide. Water drench did not work well but for daytime but is soooo nice going on (also I’d run through a jar in a month just using it during the day, so costly).
I have been searching a makeup remover for my oil skin. I’ve tried cleansing oils but it gave me so many pimples. Now I am using MICELLAR WATER, it seems perfect for me. I would like to know, if cleansing oils really can cause pimples? Or it was just depends on some other factors?
Thanks,
xoxo
We would love to send you DermaNew Microdermabrasion for your review!
Best,
Amby Longhofer
Founder/DermaNew
This was very helpful , thank you!! I purchased the Teddy Blake Caty bag.. I am hoping it will hold me over while I stank my coins for a Birkin… I have to crawl before I walk ..
I’m not an expert but how do you know who you can believe buying online? Please help!
Thanks for the review on this essence. Would like to know whether you could recommend any other more affordable hydrating serums that does the same jobs as this essence as mentioned in this post? Thank you :)
hi..i got this mask after seeing your post about 4 products that brightened the skin (kose,sk2,circcell,klairs mask)….i know this works better with vitc serum but i have a bad experience in the past with vitc serum(clinique)…my skin tanned unnaturally within a couple of days (though i used sunblock n al)…then i read about the oxidation process..maillard reaction or something like that…so,i m hesitant to use any vitc serum…any suggestion?
Sorry to hear about your bad experience. Just curious, which sunblock did you use? A lot of western brands don’t list PA/PPD so there’s no way to know how good the UVA protection is. In order to prevent tanning i would recommend at least PA+++ (ideally PA++++). It’s also important that you actually apply enough to get the labeled protection, about 1/4 tsp for your face. I have a sunscreen guide with more information on how to get the most out of your sunscreens.
Also because vitamin c does oxidize, it’s best to use them as soon as you buy them, or purchase ones in opaque/airtight containers. I would recommend reading my vitamin c post for more information on which serum to choose, I’ve listed all the ones I’ve tried there.
I use the biore watery essence sunscreen and the thing is i still have the vitc serum-it has not oxidized-its clear as water…but when i applied it -i tanned unnaturally-then found out it was because of oxidation after scrolling reddit posts.I m going to buy timeless serum after reading your vitamin c post-hoping it works out with klairs mask *fingers crossed*
Would love to hear your thoughts on the Youth to the People Vitamin C you note you had just started at the writing of this. I have just started it and I love that it disappears instantly into my skin and is matte but not sure if it’s worth the $62 price tag.
Brilliant gift guide and congratulations for such a huge opportunity working with Westfield Montgomery! You husband could become a blogger too, his selections are as brilliant as yours.
Thank you so much for your candor. Really the only thing I can say I’ve liked about it so far is that its sucked right into my skin and leaves the matte finish. Otherwise in the week I’ve been using it, it’s a bit drying. Otherwise I don’t really have any feelings toward it so I’m thinking it’s a no for me.
I am an experienced online shopper, especially since I had the kids. I used to love going to malls like this before though, they are such a pleasant place just to spend some time.
Anne – Linda, Libra, Loca
Amazing gift ideas Jenny! I think you have really nailed your selection, I would be delighted with any of these, especially the super cute Llama. Such a nice idea to include a gift guide for him too, as I always struggle with that to get the men in my life xx
Violethollow.com
I love that you made the recommendations for the ladies and your husband made the recommendations for the gents! You both made some terrific suggestions and it’s great how your picks cover a range of tastes. That Huggable Llama Cooling + Heating Pad is the cutest. I so want that for myself now :) It will be the perfect companion to the acupuncture mat I just got LOL Your hubby has expensive but good taste! My husband has those gloves and he really likes them.
Gorgeous gift guide love yours picks xx I’m hoping for switch and hubby can play xx
Hugs
Hayley (http://www.ourdubailife.com)
That scarf with the pom poms on it is gorgeous! I would love to find that under the tree! x
Kate Louise Blogs
this is so good
xx
http://closettostreet.com/2018/12/17/lets-get-real-with-dry-skin/
My goodness, you rock these so well Jenny! I used to be such an earrings fan; the bigger – the better. I also must confess that I haven’t worn earrings in almost two years now :-D Seeing these gorgeous designs was a good wake up call! xx
Naya
partyparrotblog.com
I had no clue you had your own boutique, the pieces that you showcase there are adorable! I pretty much stopped wearing jewelry when the kids were small, as they would tug on everything, but it is about time I start again.
Anne|Linda, Libra, Loca
Great picks! I’m getting the Cascading Geometric Pearl earrings for my mom’s birthday
You have such a cool collection of geometric and statement earrings Jenny! I generally prefer more minimalist styles when it comes to earrings but depending on what I’m wearing, I like to mix it up with more eye catching styles from time to time. I’ve been watching this K-drama Encounter where the lead actress has the most gorgeous earrings and it’s inspiring me to wear my statement earrings again :)
Geometric earrings definitely seem like they’re very “in” right now… all of my friends are starting to wear them lol. Thank you so much for recommending some great options to get in on the trend :)
I have a new found appreciation for these sort of earrings after reading this post. You look amazing with every pair! Honestly I never bat an eyelid to these earrings whenever I see them but I will definitely pick up a couple of pairs soon.
I’m in agreement with you, I prefer minimalist earrings because of their versatility when it comes to different outfits.
Such great gifts. I bought a couple David’s Tea gift sets for my friends and they loved them!
S | Je M’appelle Chanel
Apa ini oily?apa ini cocok untuk kulit kombinasi?
Jenny! Lovely post on 2018 review! More to add on to my wishlist this year! So many amazing products to try and test! Love your blog, very pleasing and inviting to explore. XO to Shelly and Cooper! Best, Vicki
Aw thanks for stopping by and reading Vicki!
this is amazing
xx
http://closettostreet.com/2018/12/31/best-moisturizers-for-dry-skin/
The nail polish looks pretty and I’m interested in the Klairs sunscreen.
Hello, I am did some research on how to build a skin care routine but I am stuck on this one question.
Its better poised as a story example. Lets say I am oily and have one skin concern, acne. This is easy, you get products made for oily skin that will help with preventing and healing your acne. But many people should have more than one skin concern or desire. So lets add, pore size. Should all 3 products have tightening, cleaning, and controlling oil ingredients in them? Or should the cleanser have tightening, the serum have controlling and tightening, and moisturiser tightens? Pore size is related to acne to some extent which makes it easier but lets try a different one, like anti-aging. Oh is it the ‘less is more’ rule? As long as one of your product has a ingredient for you skin concern, you’re good to go? Its like there are a few primary skin concerns&desires but endless ingredients/ products that address them thus causing my confusion.
I hope you’re getting the gist of what I am trying to figure out here. How to build a skin routine for 2 or more skin concerns/desires or start with one skin concern routine. #overwhelmed. Thanks, Happy New Year!
I only share products that were new to me in 2018 in my favorites too, otherwise it would get really repetitive over the years. And the SK-II Brightening serum is really worth the money? It is a hefty price tag for sure, but if you love it, I am tempted!
Anne|Linda, Libra, Loca
I love the Klairs sun cream and Nivea is one of my favorite basic creams, too. I remember also that I liked the products from tunemakers. BTW, the goats milk lotion sounds intriguing.
Such amazing products!
x Lisa | lisaautumn.com
What a great wrap up! It seems like you tried a lot of sweet products – not only do I love the variety but I always appreciate the way in which you review them. Thanks for sharing this list!
Kathryn • simplykk.com
Brilliant list, Jenny and I couldn’t agree more with CT powder, I love it so much and as much as I force myself to use my other powders, I keep going back to it.
Ahh yes! I love that Klairs sunblock too <3 and I am so curious about that Amore Pacific enzyme wash, I keep hearing good reviews about it.
xx Alyssa | STYLE VANITY
I’ve been wanting to try the SK-II Genoptics Aura Essence ever since the first time you mentioned it but I haven’t been able to work down my stash enough yet to get it. I have to to say I’ve had a pretty good experience with SK-II products in general. They seem to agree with my skin ;p I tried Rapidlash but it didn’t do much for my lashes. Neulash was another story. I don’t even have to use mascara anymore because of it.
That Joanna Vargas Miracle bar looks really interesting to me. Gotta check that out. Thanks dear!
Jessica | notjessfashion.com
I’ve been wanting to try that CT powder for the longest of times but I’ve never really justified the price considering it is just a powder. But, I am very tempted to purchase it as it is so luxe.
Charlotte / Charlotte’s Picks
Great post! Lots of things I agree with you and so glad you love (ie CT powder) and a few things I just may need to try this 2019! – Kelly xx
Wow, some really amazing brands and products here, some of which I’d never heard of before! I’ve heard great things about Paula’s Choice and I’d love to try Rapidlash. Thank you for sharing such an informative post! Angharad x
welshandwonderful.com
I loved the Bum Bum creme as well, and adore the scent. will have to check out some of these that I’ve not tried at all. I have used Nivea before in the past, but it was too oily, I wonder if the formula has changed over the years because a lot of bloggers that I follow lately seem to really love it! Thanks for sharing and thanks so much for your comments in 2018. Happy New Year! /Madison
http://fashiontalesblog.com
I really want to try Biologique Recherce, will do some more research on it! Damn, the SK-II product sounds like a dream but wow, that’s one steep price tag haha. Probably worth every penny though! Yep, you definitely put me on the Nivea Creme and it’s awesome. Thank you for sharing! xx
Coco Bella Blog
I agree with you.. i’ve been using this product for 4 mos now and it’s perfectly blend to my skin. And i can see the result straight away, no drama.. I just use it in the night time coz I’m saving it, bit pricey 😊 but worth the money.. girls! you should invest in this product and stick to it.. you won’t regret it.. i am purchasing another bottle next month..
Great post, dear! Looks awesome!
Hugs ♥
Thanks for sharing your favorites! Those all sound like amazing products, but the YSL Vinyl Cream Lip Stain really got my attention. The packaging is gorgeous and to know that the formula is great too, I’m going add it to my wishlist!
I love these posts, it’s so great to hear about new products, that other people love! :)
TheNormcoreRebel
What a great list of products! That YSL lip stain looks gorgeous! Thanks for sharing & Happy New Year! :)
melissakacar.blogspot.com
I didn’t tried even on of these brands! I need to fix it, and I wanna try so bad the YSL vinil lip! Thanks for sharing :)
Have a lovely New Year, full of your dreams!
xx Dasynka
http://dasynka.com
love this amazing
xx
http://closettostreet.com
I’ve heard so many good things about Glossier’s boy brow but it always seems so expensive when I go to put it in my cart! I didn’t get along with the Caudalie detox mask either it dried my skin out soo badly and made it red
Charlotte / Charlotte’s Picks
Wow I love that you have a clear idea of what you recommend and what not! Loved to read all the single explanations. You helped me a lot.
lots of love, Miri
http://www.meetmiri.com
I recently got a perm and need to find some hair products, so I need to give Bumble & Bumble a try! And yessss, I love Glossier’s Boy Brow! I haven’t been super impressed with their other products, but this one works great and is very affordable compared to some other similar items at Sephora.
These are all such wonderful discoveries! I smiled when I saw that you have included that little Nivea gem and I am also a huge fan of Bum Bum cream (have you tried the Acai version? it is so nice too). I am curious about the lash serum; while my lashes are long, they lack in the volume department and I only wonder if this serum has any side effects? I’ve heard that some people develop dark undereye bags or their eyes get irritated (I don’t know what brands they’ve used though, probably not this one) xx
Naya
nayatilly.com
I have not tried the Açaí version yet, though right now I have my eyes on their latest Coco cabana version! About the lash serum, I’ve only noticed a difference in length, not so much in volume. I haven’t experienced any irritations or dark bags either, whew!
hi may i ask, do i need to take note the absorption proof of other products too? or only sunscreens?
I am putting the Sulwhasoo overnight vitalizing mask on my list – thanks for the recommendation! I actually ordered and used the green tea serum you recommended previously while in frigid NYC and my skin felt great and always looked hydrated (followed by Drunk Elephant lala retro cream). I’ve had decent results with la roche posay UVIdea cream (no white cast on me). But it’s been a while so I wonder if it’s different or the formula here is a bit different?
What a shame about the Pixie Glow. This has to be the first review I’ve seen of someone not overly content. I already have one or two chemical exfoliating products so I might give this a miss for now.
Sxx
daringcoco.com
Thanks again for these recommendations! I’m aiming to try the Charlotte Tilbury powder this year though I’m still auditioning good foundations though. Biologique Recerche has been on my list forever so I have to try that as well. The YSL lip stain looks great! I like the light moisturizing of their rouge volupte, but want something longer lasting so this fits the bill.
Love them all ♥ Very nice selection◝(ᵔᵕᵔ)◜
Blog de la Licorne
Its just a bag. Get over it. Not everyone can afford it and if some can, some would rather invest their money on other things that matter.
I really want to try the Boy Brow, sounds so good!
Anika | anikamay.co.uk
So many good products! I’d like the to try the green tea cleanser.
http://www.busyandfab.com
Amazing choices hun and the RAPIDLSH sound amazing – must try and find this here in the UAE
Lots of inspo and I’ll be picking up the YSL dusty rose on my next trip to Sephora x
Hugs
Hayley (https://www.ourdubailife.com)
Oh I so have been wanting to try that Boy Brow. There is even a Glossier store here in NY. I HAVE to get it and when I do I am getting the Boy Brow for sure.
Allie of
http://www.allienyc.com
I’m a massive fan of everything in the Sol de Janeiro range. Everything smells incredible! Xx
Gemma Etc. ❤️
Most people who are in the market for a Kelly or Birkin or are even vaguely familiar with Hermes know that Teddy Blake sells a replica. No need for a history lesson- let the ignorant stay that way.
Oh, Jenny that intro made me laugh! Days of chronological order on IG are long gone, but hey – at least we know what to do with unwanted skincare products. Personally, I use a lot of serums and creams (that for whatever reason do not work for my face) on my neck and decolletage. Everything else goes to friends or donation. I need to try that sheet mask trick next! Thanks for all the tips xx
Naya
nayatilly.com
YES YES YES! Great ideas girl
x Lisa | lisaautumn.com
I love this post Jenny! We all have those beauty duds that just don’t work for us but don’t want to go to waste. Buying less and saying no to samples has help me cut down a lot but I still end up with things I don’t want at times. My friends will come to me if they need something just to see if I have anything that might work for them and sometimes I do end up using products on my body. I’ve never thought to use sheet masks on my feet though and I may just have to give that a try now.
Great suggestions… I usually regift products I don’t use…using sheet masks on feet and cleansing for brush cleaning is such a brilliant idea..thanks for sharing…❤️
http://www.geniusenough.com
Chronological feed, seriously!!!!! I don’t know a single person who doesn’t prefer a chronological feed. I want to go to Instagram and ask them WHY. I’m very curious about their intention and would be curious to see their data supporting non-chronological feeds… Anyways… these sustainability tips are so great! I know that college communities often have Free/for sale Facebook groups where people sell their items, so that’s a good way to “regift” a product and make some extra cash. -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey’s
I am a beauty item hoarder and I also have sensitive skin, so a lot of the products I use end up not working out for me. I’m actually putting together a box of stuff to send my brother’s girlfriend since she’s always happy to take these items off my hand and they don’t go to waste :)
Mai // https://www.maidoesthings.com
Wow so many amazing tips I loved thispost thanks for sharing
jadieegosh
I always pass on unwanted skincare to my husband or friends too! Or use it on the body like you suggested. Great tips, I totally agree with not being wasteful!
http://www.sundaydahlias.com
Really handy tips!
Sheena
https://afashionstudentsdiary.blogspot.com/
This is such a brilliant idea for a blog post babe; you’ve answered a question I’ve been asking myself for ages! I often gift beauty products to friends/family if they haven’t worked well with my own skin, however also using face products on the body if they don’t agree with your skin is a genius suggestion. Thanks babe!!
aglassofice.com x
Such great suggestions Jenny! I always struggle with that to do with products that I don’t love. I have donated a few but using them on my body instead is such a good idea. xx
Violethollow.com
Wow, these tips are all super helpful. Most times, if a product doesn’t work for me and has zero adverse effects on my skin, I just keep using it till it runs out. I give it out to family or friends sometimes as well. I’ve never thought about using it on a different part of my body or using harsh cleansers for my brushes. Those are brilliant tips, thanks for sharing Jenny. xx
Coco Bella Blog
Such clever ways to make use of unwanted items. I like the idea of using it on the body instead.
http://www.busyandfab.com
These are great tips. I love the idea of reusing to clean brushes. Or using product over the body. I’d never contemplated using serums or face creams elsewhere but why not?! Beats giving away samples to friends who don’t want them either or my mum who doesn’t end up using it too
Sxx
daringcoco.com
These are great ideas dear! I’d love to try these, using sheet masks for feet sounds a good way to reuse them. Thanks for sharing!
Jessica | notjessfashion.com
Cleaning makeup brushes with a cleanse you don’t like is such a genius idea!! xx
GemmaEtc.com
Is it oil free? my skin does not tolerate any oil so if am going to buy it, it has to be oil free..
Such a great post! Thank you for idea for using sheet mask on feet! I need to try that! If I notice that some products don’t work well on my skin I give it my sister, mom or friends!
New Post – http://www.exclusivebeautydiary.com/2019/03/anastasia-beverly-hills-liquid-lipstick_15.html
Giveaway MAC Velvet Teddy Lipstick – http://www.exclusivebeautydiary.com/2019/03/mac-velvet-teddy-lipstick-giveaway_1.html
Luckily I don’t ever get irritated or sensitive skin. It takes a strong retinol to really irritate my skin haha. These are super great tips though! One day I’ll be able to afford some beautiful La Mer.
-Emily http://www.coatandcoffee.com
Great skincare tips and recommendations! I also do a skincare detox if I feel my skin is over-cared or exfoliated. Usually, I limit myself to only three basic products. And leave out makeup.
I definitely don’t miss those episodes with irritated/angry skin. I actually used to resort to washing my face with actual whole milk to soothe it. Really works btw :) La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 is one of my go to products as well. I’ve also found snail products to be really soothing and Weleda Skin Food is one of my faves no matter the condition of my skin.
Great write-up! I currently use Boots UK’s Soltan sunscreens, which all have 5-star boots ratings. I find it hard to believe they’re more UVA-protective than the major famous brands like La Roche Posay and Bioderma. Now I’m regretting my new La Roche Posay purchase that’s in the mail. Especially since the 5 star Soltan one I use most only has Avobenzone and Tinosorb S as its UVA filters (whereas LRP uses both of these plus Mexoryl). What’s the deal there?
I like your post because It has very unique ideas and useful information.
Thanks for sharing .
Hi there love love love this blog! I haven’t ever found such a comprehensive review on uva in Sunscreens with extra added tidbits of sunscreen wisdom in haha. I follow labmuffin though and I’m surprised your blog went a little over her stuff :). Good work! The only one thing I reckon would be inaccurate is the sunscreen absorption stuff. Apparently most things don’t absorb into deeper levels of skin that easily. Even nano particles have studies showing that they likely only go into the upper levels of skin. Anyway, should absorption not only be dangerous if the ingredient is dangerous (worst offenders are avobenzone I think, and another one I can’t recall), thereby the other chemicals are fine (assuming they do absorb into deeper skin levels and somehow enter the blood (unlikely, according to studies).
All this induces anxiety am I right lol.. Use sunscreen, fear potential absorption ans cancer. Don’t use it, fear cancer. An interesting topic all in all though!
And also, the spritz tests seem to suggest that the sunscreen has an occlusive layer to it (waterproof/oily), I’m not sure if that means non absorption. Feel free to prove me wrong! Havent done science in a decade. PS all studies I mentioned are from labmuffins blogs/videos.
OMG. All these afterthoughts. Sorry for polluting your nice blog with comment on comment stacking Hahah. But I’m wondering also what your thoughts are on the alcohol content in anthelios? I’ve heard nothing but good but the alcohol thing turns me off. I’ve got dry skin and all that older fearmongering about alcohol got to me, and how it’s an ingredient that like damages or thins the skin barrier so as to get active or nourishing ingredients in (hence why often high in the ingredients list in some Korean face masks Eg innisfree, used to be high in western toners/serums)
I’m definitely on the hunt for better hydrated and moisturised skin and so this sounds like a safe bet! I love your read your excitement about this; look at that high score, wow!
aglassofice.com x
This sounds so nice!!
Jennifer
Effortlessly Sophisticated
Thank you for this wonderful review, Jenny! I have pretty much stop sheet masking so if this product can give me the same chiok chiok effect, I am game! Into my Sephora love list it goes.
Shoot! I just check Sephora and it’s not available there! I’ll have to check eBay! :-(
You’ve totally sold this to me! It sounds incredible. I’ve never tried any of their products before xx
GemmaEtc.com
Non ho mai sentito parlare di questo prodotto
This sounds wonderful. I’m glad you enjoy using it.
Nina’s Style Blog
Ooo I love laneige products! Such a plus that it doesn’t have a scent. Some products have way too much fragrance in them.
http://www.sundaydahlias.com
I love love your skincare products review! So glad that located your blog and read the informative review. I always skip toner as I feel they don’t really work on my skin. But after read your review, I am going to give it a try. Laneige Cream Skin Refiner sounds like a miracle in a jar. Thank you for sharing!
Xx
Ting
https://www.tingmystyle.com
Wow, Jenny! Now I am seriously curious about this toner, you had me at serious moisture! I am currently running out of my beloved Grown Alchemist toner, so this could be a perfect replacement. Thanks a lot for such a thorough review xx
Naya
http://www.nayatilly.com
I love toners in my skincare…Laneige cream skin refiner sounds great with wonderful ingredients and I am impressed that you gave it 9.6 rating… would love to try it… thanks for wonderful review…❤️
http://www.geniusenough.com
I can’t recommend it enough, it’s one of those rare products that my skin instantly loved and showed results!
A great post! I love your blog < 3
I am following you and invite you to me
https://milentry-blog.blogspot.com
I gotta say, I love hyperbole, or best ever reviews – they always draw me in lol.
Thank you for the great review as always. I’ve been considering a different toner so this is perfect timing. Although I don’t follow a glass skin routine, I’ve been curious about it and it seems maintaining good moisture is a big part of it. I love how you break down the efficacy of the ingredients. Also I am honestly considering going to Korea and going wild on skincare products though I have no idea what to start buying lol. I will have the husband pick up some Tunemakers as well on his next trip to Tokyo!
Glad this toner is a winner for you. Looks awesome!
http://www.fashionradi.com
Stunning post !!
Jadieegosh Instagram
Hi,
Your article is one of the best I’ve read in a long time, so thank you for this. A quick question then. I’ve read that chemical sunscreens turn energy from the light into heat on the skin.. which in turn lends itself to create pigmentation. Is this true?
Lastly, independent reports in Australia, US and UK indicated that they could not recommend one mineral sunscreen where zinc oxide and titanium dioxide were the only actives, as they failed to provide the spf as indicated
Now I’m confused. Please advise.
Anticipated thanks
Derek
What a fun new series! I haven’t been to Cancun since my college days. I bet it’s changed so much. The resort you booked sounds amazing! Yes just the act of booking a vacation is exhilarating in itself :) We watched Terrace House last year. The only one we could get into was Boys & Girls In The City. Some of the people on Opening New Doors just annoyed me to no end that I couldn’t watch.
this looks beautiful!! i need this!
Jadieegosh Instagram FacebookBloggerGroup
Oh that nail polish sounds wonderful, I am going for a mani today. And oh yes with 3 indoor cats and 4 outdoor cat I have lots of fur hugs to go around.
That book sounds interesting. Ugh IG I have a love/hate relationship with it. But lately I am really getting fed up and burnt on it. Sometimes I think of deleting it and not bothering anymore.
Allie of
http://www.allienyc.com
I truly adore the neutral, soft tones of the nail polishes – every single one of them would be ideal for spring/summer! I hope you’re having a lovely weekend so far babe :)
aglassofice.com x
Love your favourites Jenny! the Londontown nail polishes look amazing, I love the soft neutral tones. I agree pets are the best, my dog is responsible so much of my happiness :P Cancun looks beautiful, I hope the view is as spectacular as it looks xx
Violethollow.com
Oh I love the colors of the nailpolish!
x Lisa | lisaautumn.com
Small things sometimes give more joy. The nail polishes are very pretty and your cat is so cute. The book and the show sound interesting will check them out. Even I sometimes feel lost when it comes to IG. Absolutely love the feeling when we have booked a trip and have something to look forward to.This July we will be visiting US as usual but will be doing a short road trip from Seattle to Yellow Stone National Park. I am so excited. :-) Loved this post.
Via | http://glossnglitters.com
Too many empties… love to see products which are well loved by others… I see many of my favorites whereas many I still want to try.. thanks for sharing Jenny…❤️
http://www.geniusenough.com
Such a lovely post… sometimes small things Bring big joys… cuddling with my kiddos, nature, watching a movie with family and many more small thing bring joys to my life. thanks for sharing…❤️
http://www.geniusenough.com
Oh I love these posts! So much more informative than just a favorites post :)
x Lisa | lisaautumn.com
Oh my gosh that hedgehog holder is so cute. Really want to try rapidlash but it’s not in my price bracket. I haven’t tried any of these products before!
Charlotte / Charlotte’s Picks
I have a deluxe sample of the Christophe Robin Regenerating Shampoo and I can’t wait to try now after hearing it worked so well for you Jenny! I actually love the Oskia Renaissance Mask and am on my third go with it. I like using it before events for a little extra radiance. The Cosrx BHA Blackhead Power Liquid is part of my husband’s routine and when he doesn’t use it, we definitely notice a difference.
Great post, Jenny! I must say I also am a fan of that Prickly Pear Shampoo; the mask from the same line is also amazing (a bit pricey though). I am so curious about lash serums! But as someone, who had problems with the vision in the past, I am really worried that it might irritate my eyeballs. My main concern is volume, so I will probably start using a good old castor oil and see where it goes! xx
Naya
http://www.nayatilly.com
That Givenchy mascara didn’t do much for my lashes at all. :-( And yes to RapidLash! i used it for many years and it worked wonders!
what in the world… this is so interesting! why can’t dove also release these worldwide? sigh. do they contain artificial or synthetic fragrance though or is the fragrance only from essential oils? i’d personally picky coconut too just because i love the scent. and maybe argan as well if it’s more moisturising.
Rose and argan? Well I may have to try it!
I’m not very picky with my body wash at all. As long as it doesn’t cause me to get an allergic reaction, I’m fine with whatever. Recently, I’ve been using the tea tree body wash from Trader Joe’s! It’s really affordable and has a nice tingly sensation.
Mai
✰ maidoesthings.com
Based on this post, I took a chance on ordering from Althea. I was most concerned with how long the products would take to ship. I ordered a couple of products and the shipping has been waiting in “label created status” for more than a week now. I followed up with their customer service and received the following response:
“Delivery typically takes 35 business days from the moment you place your orders. It is normal for the tracker to not have any updates for a while so, there is nothing to be worried about. There will be a short “blackout” period on the tracker while the parcel is in transit from the airport until being received at the destination warehouse. This blackout period depends on various outside factors such as the availability of freight, volume and customs clearance process.
We would advise patience while waiting for the parcel. You can continue to follow up the whereabouts of your parcel via the tracking information provided. Once the parcel is successfully handed over to your local courier, the tracker will be updated accordingly.”
Had known this I would have ordered directly from the product’s site instead of Althea.
Dear Jenny,
Thank you for such an informative post. What are your thoughts on The Ordinary sun-care range and Ultrasun? I am always hesitant when I see ‘once a day’ sunscreen.
Hi Jenny, this article is amazing, so thank you! I have just one question that I hope you can answer.
I’ve been looking around for different places to get La Roche Posay Anthelios XL SPF50+ Comfort, and I keep coming across something that is more readily available in the USA (where I am) and that seems very similar: Anthelios XL Ultra Sensitive Eyes Innovation Cream SPF 50.
One website indicated that the two creams are the same but just with different names, and La Roche’s website kind of implied(?) that the Ultra Sensitive Eyes cream has fewer ingredients, maybe? Below are links to the creams on La Roche’s website, but the ingredients aren’t actually listed. The Sensitive Eyes version is much easier and cheaper for me to get. But if it’s not as good, I’ll go for the good stuff!
Thank you again, for your boundless dermatological wisdom.
https://www.laroche-posay.com/products-treatments/Anthelios/Anthelios-XL-Comfort-lotion-SPF50-p24079.aspx
https://www.laroche-posay.com/products-treatments/Anthelios/Anthelios-Ultra-non-perfumed-cream-SPF50-p24044.aspx
Is this safe for pregnant woman
Hi Jenny,
Thanks for writing this guide on sunscreens! I’m in Taipei right now and as someone who absolutely does not sweat gracefully like most Asians – I’ve been drenched in sweat for the last few days with literal beads dripping down my nose – I really need a sport level sunscreen like the Anthelios. Do you know where I can find the Anthelios sunscreens in store? My Shiseido Anessa has let me down – I have definitely tanned to my dismay – and I don’t have high hopes for the Biore UV Perfect Milk that I just bought. I haven’t seen any though in any of the Watsons, Poyas, or Cosmeds I’ve been to.
Thanks again for your blog! It’s wonderful to find an English-language blog about Taiwanese fashion and beauty.
Hi Justine, thanks for reading my blog and glad you find it helpful! La Roche Posay in Taiwan is kinda weird in that they’re sold in pharmacies and clinics only. Their official site has a list of all the stores that carry their products, as well as official online distributors: https://www.lrp.com.tw/Channels/Location
Hope this helps!
Hi Jenny,
Thanks for responding so quickly to my sunscreen crisis! I visited the SOGO stores in Da’An and didn’t see it. It looks like the closest option under “flagship stores” is the Zheng Kang Le Ju in the Zhongzheng district. Fingers crossed, because the third option is in Chiyi.
Hopefully online shopping won’t be too difficult. I’m not sure how receiving packages when not home works here in Taipei.
Nice article! What’s the rating in PA would you consider “broad spectrum”? Since you mentioned that “PA+/PA++ isn’t even worth”
Does it mean sunscreen with PA+++ and above is broad spectrum?
Very helpful post but how do we use the sunscreen simulator when most sunscreens don’t mention the percentage of the uv filters?
This is a pretty garbage review if the product lost points for being unscented, fragrance is terrible for the skin and it should be avoided as much as possible. Also skincare reviews that include packaging should be based off of whether the packaging works for the product and gives a sanitary experience, this product for example has a pump which is perfect for an oil cleanser and makes it easy to use, and you don’t contaminate any of the product while using it, sounds like 10/10 packaging to me. How it looks shouldn’t matter too much. If you want your skincare routine to be exciting you’re not quite doing it for the right reasons, besides a nice oil cleanser IS exciting! It’s a unique way to cleanse and get lots of dirt out of your skin, I don’t know what could be more exciting than that! I think this product deserves at very least a 9 it works beautifully and does it’s job wonderfully, it clears my pores and leaves my combo skin so smooth and soft!
Fragrance can be irritating and should be avoided by those with sensitive skin. However for many people, including me, light fragrance can add aromatherapy benefits and enhances the usage experience, especially when it’s something like cleansers that are only on the skin temporarily. Also news flash, every oil cleanser comes in a pump because it’s what makes the most sense. I’m comparing it to other oil cleansers, some that come in more aesthetically pleasing containers, which is why DHC’s basic bottle is a 7.5 in comparison. If cleansing oils came in a jar or any other packaging trust me, the score would be much lower. Sounds like you love this cleansing oil, and good for you. But sorry to burst your bubble, not everyone is going to agree with you because guess what, people have different preferences when it comes to skincare products. As someone who has tried a lot of cleansing oils, I stand by what I said about the DHC one being reliable but boring. You don’t need to agree, but to call someone else’s opinion “garbage” because they feel differently is just rude.
Hi, may i know which sunscreens are good,safe and cost efficient to use? further, is it reasonable to just use a normal face cleanser to wash off sunscreen?
I’m all about sustainable and ethical!! Those boots are so chic!
Jennifer
Effortlessly Sophisticated
Would this leave you looking dewy as a moisturizer? I have dry skin. 😊
It does have a shiny finish initially and can feel a bit sticky, but it goes away after a few after a few minutes. If you have dry skin you might need to layer an oil over or under this!
This is absolutely true, in skincare expensive doesn’t mean great quality. I remember starting reading all the ingredients in products after listening to a podcast of Estee lalonde where she was having this conversation with a dermatologist.
from that moment, my skin really improved because I learned to look at ingredients suitable for my skin type not at the brand only.
Cate ☾ 35mm in Style | Photography + Blogging
Cute kitty!! These all sound good but I agree not all expensive products are that great.
Jennifer
Effortlessly Sophisticated
O wow amazing results! I been dying to try this brand :)
Wow that’s got to be the most impressive before and after photo I’ve seen. There’s no denying how much the treatment has helped, and I totally need it in my life! Thank you for sharing xo
Makeup Muddle
Your results look amazing! I definitely have trouble with pores on my nose, so I will have to try these products out.
Emily | emthaw.com
Rose, bitter orange peel, carageenan, witch hazel, ginger…NONE are good for the skin. I am sorry, but are you a dermatologist?
Are you? I never claimed to be one, nor did I claim any of those ingredients you listed are good. The only thing I’m doing is sharing my experience with this product. Also love how you’re ignoring all the other beneficial ingredients and focusing on the essential oils which are all in concentrations of less than 1%. If you’re so offended by EO’s, go find something that’s fragrance free, it’s not that hard.
Lastly I’m not sure where you got the idea that carageenan is bad for the skin because it actually has water-binding properties: https://www.paulaschoice.com/ingredient-dictionary/plant-extracts/carrageenan.html
Some more skincare knowledge for you, ginger extract is actually good for the skin too: https://www.paulaschoice.com/ingredient-dictionary/skin-soothing/ginger-extract.html
No offense was meant. The general consumer doesn’t have access to the actual percentages of ingredients, so it was my oversight on the low percentage of the essential oil blend — although seldom are these good for the skin.
As a physician, carrageenan is an ingredient I ask people to eliminate given the untoward effects on the gastrointestinal tract and it’s link to certain cancers.
I love Paula Begoun, but she is not a physician. And I don’t mean to diminish in any way her monumental empire she has worked so diligently for, but her research has been limited solely on dermatologic care. Depending on use of these products with other skincare techniques, like microneedling, you can achieve some systemic absorption of carrageenan, which may increase the body’s risk of inflammation.
Lastly, be mindful of what evidence we DO have. Seldom will people sign up for studies where risk is known =).
I appreciate your honest reviews. I ordered items from this Naruko brand (sheet masks and your “liquid gold”). I was hopeful to see someone as science drive would have loved Saint Jane, as it was a product I was considering in the use of my entry level facials.
Great review. I just ordered this and expect it on Monday. I did get the drop vitamin c serum and beauty oil from saint Jane website, a bundle sku, priced at $180 with welcome discount, value of $215. I will see how it goes. My plan is to wear them through September solely with 2x week exfoliating.
I must try this!!
Jennifer
Effortlessly Sophisticated
What a huge shame, Jenny and thankfully I didn’t experience dryness. I do like this sunscreen however I much prefer the original.
Wow what glowing review. I love how you break down your reviews, they’re so helpful. It’s so hard to decipher product claims sometimes, but you’ve totally sold this to me and $12 a month is really quite reasonable for such noticeable results xo
Makeup Muddle
I used the version from The Inkey List and liked it, but my acne needs tretinoin to really stay under control. I am sure it is great especially for those with sensitive skin though.
Anne from Doctor Anne
Jenny, I love and hate you for the price breakdown because now I feel justified to buy this despite the crazy price. LOL!
This is actually super helpful!! I never know what order to do. I’ve always done thinest to thickest.
Jennifer
Curated by Jennifer
Does this moisturizer exfoliate at all? I’m trying to find an everyday moisturizer that doesn’t exfoliate. When I called the LRP customer service, it said the Niancinamide was for soothing. But when I see that ingredient in other skincare products (from all different brands), it ranges. One skincare product said the niancinimde exfoliated. Another skincare product said their niancinimide soothes. So does it work in differently in different percentages? Thank you!!
This was so helpful, thanks so much for sharing. I tend to just apply things haphazardly, but an order of application makes perfect sense! xx
http://www.GemmaEtc.com
That’s disappointing because it sounds like it should be amazing!
Jennifer
Curated by Jennifer</
I haven’t heard of NeoGen before, but I cannot get enough of essences in my skincare routine – especially in the summer. These two products sound really lovely, and I love the clinical super sleek packaging too xo
Makeup Muddle
Sorry that it was underwhelming!
Jennifer
Curated by Jennifer
The history of the Birkin and Kelly that you explained was very well written and informative. Even though I’m not a fan of Birkins and Kelly’s, I think it’s stupid that many would still like to make blatant lies and accusations about Hermes and their bags. However, I feel that the title of this article was a bit misleading since comparing the two of them would take more research on the aspect of the Teddy Blake bags. It just doesn’t make sense to say in your article that you’re comparing the two of them when it’s really just thorough research on one side but minimal research and assumptions on the other.
I started on curology with the same formula .05 tretinoin, .04 niacinimide, and .04 azaleic acid. This formula was too strong so my provider reduced the treinoin to .012 and left the azaleic acid and niacinimide the same. Is there a reason your derm gave for only adding azaleic acid if tretinoin was at .05?
Your reviews are such a pleasure to read, always! So informative and educational. I feel like running to the nearest drugstore to get my paws on that Avene sunscreen hah! It seems perfect. I also love La Roche Posay. Their formulas work so well for my sensitive and dry skin xx
Naya
http://www.nayatilly.com
I really need to try this!!
Jennifer
Curated by Jennifer