Using the same format as my last post here (exactly one year ago!), this time with 1-sentence reviews, but I can’t shut up, so they’re run-ons! First photo is the family portrait, second photo is of the great and several HG products, third photo are the good to mid products, fourth photo are meh to pure loathe pans, and fifth photo are my mom’s pans she wanted to share. Sixth photo is the bonus chaotic family photo.
Skin type: Normal-dry, reactive, eczema-prone | Climate: Mediterranean (SoCal)
Photo 2 | Greats + HG
- Etude Soon Jung pH 5.5 Relief Toner (Value size & small size): Calms and hydrates my skin and can easily be layered. HG – already repurchased refill.
- Etude Soon Jung 2x Barrier Intensive Cream: Said it before, will say it again: I love this stuff because the simple ingredients provide day- and night-long moisture whilst soothing my skin. HG – already repurchased.
- Shiseido Anessa Perfect UV Milk SPF 50+ PA++++: This is the one for me, folks – it’s easy to use, blends without whitecast, and plays well under makeup and atop of any skincare I use + amazing for outdoor exercise. HG, RP.
- COSRX Centella Water Alcohol-Free Toner: Very gentle, so I could use it whenever my skin was red with irritation and sometimes as the only step at night, love the sprayer and will reuse bottle. WRP.
- Lion Pair Acne Cream: Good stuff that I used at night on any acne spots that were inflamed or painful. RP – got the 2x size one.
- Bare Minerals Strength & Lash Serum-Infused Mascara: Not sure about serum aspect, but as a mascara-hater, I really liked this one and the interesting spoolie shape for my longer lashes. WRP.
- Salt New York Sneaky Balm (N08 – in a repurposed blush container before they sold single compacts): Some good goop here – very good warm olive-undertone shade that matched me exactly during the summer months. HG, RP in N09 and N08.
- isoi ACNI Dr. 1st Speedy Spot x2: Used it at night with the Alive:Lab Centella powder to soothe any spots I picked (🫣 I know) and clear up small, non cystic acne. HG – already repurchased the 2x size one.
- Alive:Lab Centella Powder: Very finely-milled centella powder that mixed in easily with isoi Speedy Spot, and if used alone was a good skincare mattifying powder for all over face. HG – already repurchased.
- Got2b Brows & Edges Gel: Really good at keeping my stubborn brow hairs up and in place while being easily removed by water. HG.
- Cos de Baha Azelaic Acid 10 Serum: Oh beloved old formulation, super soother and drastically improved my skin texture and PIH. HG – have 1 backup that I’m using now 💔.
- Skindinavia The Makeup Finishing Spray (Bridal): Lasted me 2 years 😭😂 and was incredibly effective, nicely dewey, and not irritating at all. HG.
Photo 3 | Good – Mid
- Flow Uz Eye Opening Liner (Black): Liked this for crisp, shiny, black eyeliner looks that I didn’t want to budge. WRP.
- Sioris Drops of Omija Calming Mist: One of my favorite mists because it’s gentle and smells just like tea. WRP.
- Physician’s Formula Eye Booster Liquid Eyeliner (Black): This actually belongs in the previous photo because it’s amazing and applies well, stays ON, and strengthens my eyelashes (when I used it consistently, my lashes fell out less frequently). HG – already RP the brown one).
- Stila Stay All Day Dual-Ended Liquid Eye Liner (olive green and apricot/orange): Wasn’t a fan of the felt tip black marker, but the sparkly colored sides were fun and fairly pigmented on my med/tan skin! MRP.
- Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner: I liked it and took it to use on a weekend trip because it was pretty hydrating and didn’t irritate my skin. WRP.
- Banilla Co. Clean it Zero Makeup Remover Balm (Tri-Peel Acid and Original): Didn’t notice a difference between these two except for the scent, but they are both effective at removing durable makeup and wash away quickly without clouding up my eyes. WRP.
- Glossier Stretch Concealer (G6): Phew, this was an oldie but a goodie and I liked it more as a spot concealer on my face rather than for use under the eyes because the peachy tone of this shade worked better for that. WRP.
- Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Eye Sleeping Mask: Was pretty good at keeping my undereyes moisturized overnight, but if I used it nightly, would make the skin slightly drier? WNRP.
- Glossier Ultra Lip (Trench and Cranberry): These were my former reigning favorite shiny lipstick/balm formula because it’s hydrating and adds a good amount of buildable pigment, but I didn’t like the easy-to-crack lids. WRP.
- Lily by Red Bloody Liar Coating Tint (Indifferent Fig): One of my favorite lip tints because of how nicely they apply, smell, create a shine, and last on the lips. WRP.
- Naming Shine Lip Gloss (Not Red and Not Pink): A superior version of the Glossier Lip Glosses imo, but they’re discontinued which is sad because the silicone applicator was a favorite as well as the plush, almost lip oil-like formula. WRP.
- Glossier Lip Gloss (Cranberry): Your classic sticky lip gloss, but this slightly shimmery Cranberry shade made it worthwhile for me and I enjoyed using it. WRP – looking for a dupe to the shade.
- Laneige Bouncy & Firm Lip Treatment: Has little beads in there that are supposed to provide more hydration, this was a sticky lip mask that I liked but didn’t love because it didn’t last overnight like others I’ve tried. WNRP.
- Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High (Black): Was even better after it had dried out after a few uses, made my lashes super long and fluttery, while being easy to wash off (yay tubing mascara). WRP.
- Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara (Black): Pretty good volumizing mascara that smudged minimally throughout the day, didn’t irritate my eyes, and was easy to wash off. MRP.
- I’m from Vitamin Tree Water-Gel: Very lightweight gel moisturizer that was perfect for the warmer months when a non-sticky, water-based moisturizer was preferred. WRP.
- Sunday Riley Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment x2: This is the stuff that taught me my skin loves lactic acid as an exfoliator; it made my skin nice and soft after one night’s use, and after finishing both tubes, I noticed my texture was improved slightly. WRP.
Photo 4 | Meh – Loathe
- Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer: Big nope, this was just not for me, my skin, nor my preferred foundations and did not make my makeup last long or look nice. WNRP.
- Caliray glazed & infused lip gloss (Taco Tuesday): Started out okay, but I just wasn’t terribly impressed and have other glosses I love more that are nicer. WNRP.
- Makeup by Mario MoistureGlow Plumping Lip Serum (Rosewood Glow): Was not a fan of the tingle nor the milky look it created on my lips, despite the beautiful shine and smoothed look. WNRP.
- i’M MEME Lip Silhouette (05 Street Chili): Nice color, but texture was super slippery, drying, and did not last very long on my lips. WNRP.
- The Inkey List Ectoin Hydro-Barrier Serum: This was quite nondescript on my face skin, and I ended up panning it as a body serum which I preferred more. WNRP.
- Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil (Delight): As we know, this is more of a tint than an oil, but despite that (and despite loving lip tints), I wasn’t impressed nor was I a fan of the minty taste (but I liked the color). WNRP.
- Laneige Bouncy & Firm Eye Sleeping Mask: This was good under the eyes, until it became kinda plasticy in texture and wouldn’t spread out easily. WNRP.
- Sephora Collection big by definition mascara: An average washable mascara that was ok, but clumped my lashes in a way I’m not fond of. WNRP.
- Tower28 Make Waves Mascara (Black): Don’t come for me 🫣 for all the love it gets by others, I thought this was just ok? It applied better once it dried out a bit, but didn’t do much other than defining my lashes with the color. MRP.
- ACURE Brightening Vitamin C Jelly Mask: A decently hydrating mask, but apart from that, did not notice any brightening. WNRP.
- CAY Skin Isle Lip Balm SPF 30 (Bad Gyal Berry): So I actually love this stuff and the shade is beautiful without any SPF taste to me, but the squishy applicator was forged in the seventh ring with how it clogged, got dirty, and eventually ejected a chunk of the silicone itself??? WRP – only because they have since redesigned the applicator!
- Merzy The First Gel Eyeliner (G05 Rosy Burgundy): I couldn’t really use this as an eyeliner because the shade was too light (burgundy, where?), so used it as an all over lipliner instead and it was meh but over quick. WNRP.
Photo 5 | Mom Pans
- Saturday Skin Rise + Shine Gentle Cleanser: Mom loves cleansers (she’s going through a phase lol) and this was a hit because it foamed nicely but wasn’t stripping. WRP.
- The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%: She said this was a decently hydrating serum, but didn’t notice any brightening and therefore WNRP.
- Estée Lauder Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator: So she doesn’t recall from whence this is from but she finished up the bottle last week and liked the glowy way it left her skin looking – she called it the ‘grown up Glossier Futuredew minus smelling like a rotisserie chicken’. WRP.
- Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Face Cream: Mom loves this rich, plush moisturizer because it hydrates her skin very well and she likes the rose smell of it. Mom-HG, RP.
- Perricone MD Cold Plasma Plus Moisturizer: This was a meh product for my mom, who ended up using it on her elbows after finding it too greasy for her face. WNRP.
- Glow Recipe Watermelon Niacinamide Dew Drops: She’s a fan, folks, what can we say, mom does love a good glowy product, especially when it wears well under makeup like this one did for her! RP the full-size.
- Estée Lauder Resilience Lift Eye Cream: A tried and true for my mom, who says this keeps her under eyes hydrated well overnight. WRP.
- Shani Darden Retinol Reform: This was a bit too strong for my mom’s skin without sandwiching between a layer of moisturizer, but she said she did like how it made her skin look after using it once a week for a month. MRP.
- Ouai Body Cleanser: Mom liked how great this smelled and that it was pretty gentle on her skin. WRP.
by -defenestrating