Hello Ganic, It’s time for mid week masking

As you know I am trying to whittle down my collection of sheet masks, determining which ones I want to purchase in larger packs and which ones just need to be cleared out before they go bad. At this point I have to admit that a lot of the sheet masks left in my collection are rose infused or rose scented.

While I don’t mind rose, I am picky about the type of rose that I like. You can give me pretty much anything rose scented from the brand Nuxe or even Dior and I am fine with the scent because it is light and tends to smell more like skincare that was placed near something rose scented for a while rather than actually infused with the rose scent.

When I went into the sheet mask box today, I found that because I tend to avoid the rose scented masks, I have a lot of them. I wasn’t feeling rose today so I dug through the box and came up with a non-rose scented sheet mask. And then I saw that it was a pore refining mask and I got happy. A lot of the masks left are also hydrating, and while I like hydrating masks it is nice to have a change so double win today.

Well win if I like the mask.

This is the Helloganic 1 a day Grain mask. Finding information about it was interesting. There were a couple of UK Sites that offered it The only place I could find it for sale in the US was on Amazon so that is where the links and product information are from. If you are reading this outside the US you may have better luck finding it. So according to Amazon…

Vegan Certified : HelloGanic is a 100% vegan green market and lifestyle beauty brand that brings healthy energy to everyone with carefully selected fresh raw materials and refreshing imagination. Eucalyptus sheet : Sheets are made from eucalyptus trees. Since eucalyptus grows well in the tropics and dry plains, we focused on an idea – “Tree that gives life.” We have developed products that provide a feeling of freshness and moisture. Strict quality standards : Each mask is produced according to very strict quality standards and excellent technologies such as a natural preservation system and low-temperature aging method. Full of GREEN ingredients : Just as a daily nutrient is required to maintain our health, Helloganic masks are filled with freshness and nutrients from green food needed for our skin every day.
Amazon

I really like that these are made with eucalyptus sheets. It feels like cotton and to be honest, I thought it was cotton. if they can make wood feel like cotton power to them. It even says eucalyptus sheet on the packet although any UK sites I looked at claimed it was cotton. Since what is on the package says Eucalyptus I will go with that as the mask material.

Don’t you just hate when there is conflicting information?

Regardless, the mask lays across the skin well and adheres to all of the cures of the face without bunching up or sticking out. which is the goal regardless of base material. The scent of the mask is interesting. While the sheet mask lists Adlay Black Bean as the main ingredient it smells vaguely like oatmeal to me. Perhaps it is that I do not know much about the Adlay black bean.

A quick search for the Adlay Black bean netted me information about the ingredent…Adlay traditionally has long been used in China for the treatment of warts, chapped skin, rheumatism, neuralgia, and inflammatory diseases. – National Library of Medicine

All of the other searches listed teas and even black bean burgers.

So it smells a bit like oatmeal and a bit like skincare. Which is fine for a sheet mask. I like both oatmeal and skincare. The mask is juicy when it comes out of the pouch and I did have to wipe a bit of serum off of my hands and neck After that it didn’t seem inclined to drip.

As I wore it I could feel a cool tingling over my skin. It wasn’t unpleasant but it was a noticeable thing. I wore the sheet mask for fifteen minutes while sitting at my desk answering e-mails. After fifteen minutes I returned to the bathroom to remove the mask. The part of the mask under my nose dried down and I could tell it was not cotton. When dry it simply didn’t feel like cotton.

The rest of the sheet mask was still damp but it was clear my skin absorbed most of the serum. What little remained I patted into the skin. My skin felt very chilled. It actually felt as though I had been standing in front of an open fridge peering into the depths for the last fifteen minutes. The coolness remained for a full ten minutes after the mask was removed. It was well after the serum absorbed in and my skin was dry. It still remained cool to the touch.

As often i will use cool things like jade rollers to calm inflammation and irritation down without recourse to actual items from the medicine cabinet, I think if I had been suffering from any irritation this would have significantly reduced it merely through the cooling effect. beyond that my skin felt really soft and smooth. The serum was a little sticky before it dried down and was fully absorbed. That took a few minutes after I removed the mask to fully soak in. If you can put up with the slight stickiness for that length of time then there is a nice pay off of soft nourished skin.

I enjoyed this mask far more than I expected to. I honestly wasn’t certain what sort of effect beans would have on my skin, but in this mask it works. I will happily repurchase this Helloganic sheet mask.

The Depology Travel Set

A while ago Depology sent over several product for me to try out. They had some really great eye patches and really good chin lifting items, but the item for me that was the mega winner in the collection was the Matrixyl 3000 Collagen Boosting Serum. The bottle of serum they sent lasted six weeks and and I really saw a fantastic improvement in my skin texture while using it. It was amazing in reducing my fine lines.

In case you have never heard of Matrixyl 3000 it is …formed from two peptides that work synergistically to restore and maintain the skin’s youthful appearance by signaling to cells to produce more collagen. This serum combines this with Hyaluronic acid which I think you all know my skin loves and aloe which is not only a fantastic skin softening ingredient but it also soothes skin irritations.

When i used this serum I really enjoyed it.

Now Depology has come up with a travel set. This is the Depology Matrixyl Travel set to be precise For just ten dollars more you can get one full sized bottle of the Matrixyl 3000 Collagen Boosting serum along with a travel sized bottle. For me this is an amazing thing.

I love my skin care, I know you know this by now. And I love having multiple steps in my skincare regime. I know a lot of people really prefer the one or two multifunctional items to simplify and streamline. I get that, but that isn’t really me. I have noticed over the years that many multifunctional items only to one or possibly two of the things they claim to do well. The others they are listed as performing they are only so so with. If given the option I will choose three separate products that each do one thing really well over something that is okay with three things.

Plus I like options. I like to be able to target issues. If my skin is looking a little dull, maybe this is the day to lean into the Vitamin C brightening serum. Those fine lines looking a little deeper than I like? maybe today is the plumping serums day to shine. I like to be able to look at my skin, see what issues I want to address and then address them directly.

It is however a problem when traveling. I have had enough travel mishaps with tossed about luggage, bathrooms with no counter space or shared with someone who is a little less careful with glass bottles than he should be to not like traveling with full sized bottles of certain products. With Serums I will especially reach for a travel size or even a sample when packing rather than a full size. I love having that option. I am going to be rotating this full sized bottle into my routine as I am in need of a serum at the moment. While I usually host Easter, this year there is a schedule mishap so while there will be a small Easter celebration at my place, the following weekend we are travelling down for a large scale family thing this year.

I will still be cooking the family meal, I will just be using someone else’s kitchen to do it. One the weekend after actual Easter.

Which means that this travel set comes at the the most opportune time. I can start the regular sized bottle in the line up and then just rotate in the travel size when i pack to hit the road. For me, that makes this Depology Travel Set of Matrixyl 3000 Collagen Boosting Serum a winner.

For more information about how to use Matrixyl 3000 this is an excellent site to visit and for a full run down on what benefits Matrixyl 3000 is supposed to provide for your skin you can read more here. I personally love knowing what a product is supposed to accomplish before I go testing it out I like to wallow in all of the little details and I find these sorts of informational posts helpful to read through.

The Skincare Line Up: March 17th, 2023

Good morning my darlings. It is time once again to look at the skincare used this week. To be honest, there weren’t a lot of changes this week, however three of these products are now completely empty and will need to be replaced tonight. So changes are coming. Shall we see where we stand and how everything performed?

The Daytime Line Up

Cleanser: Byroe Kiwi Detox Gel Cleanser

Serum: Bare Minerals Long Life Herb Serum

Eyecream: Byroe Truffle Eye Cream

Moisturizer: First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

There is just enough liquid in the Bioderma bottle to remove the last of my makeup tonight. Technically it should have been in the night time line up, but for some reason I put it with the day time crew. it is a good micellular water and worked really well at getting the makeup off. It was a very gentle way to cleanse mascara from lashes as well. there was nothing harsh about it.

While I have been going through my sample items to clear them out, I looked but did not find a sample sized cleanser. I’m sure I have some, i just couldn’t find it on the morning my last sample ran out. This Byroe cleanser was the smallest tube of cleanser i had in the wings so I went with it as my option. It is a good gel cleanser. It doesn’t smell of kiwi which is slightly disappointing as I think that would be a lovely refreshing way to start the morning. It has little beady bits like kiwi seeds in it. There are enough to be noticed but not really enough that it feels like an intentional exfoliating option. I’m not entirely sure they do much, but maybe time will tell.

The Byroe Truffle Eye serum is still doing well. It doesn’t clog the pores and it has a skin softening effect. I think I have been using it long enough that I should start seeing results soon. it is thus far a good eye cream. Not my favorite, but a good cream.

This was the last use of the bareMinerals Serum. It was a lovely herbal scented serum that absorbed well and made my skin feel soft. Beyond that I didn’t really see any results. The serum I had lasted two weeks and typically you need thirty days to see real results so I may have to use it longer. I am not opposed to trying it out for a longer period and i probably will at some point because I like bareMinerals products in general, but there is nothing that made me want to immediately go out and purchase it.

I was going to pick out a different Day cream but a I have a night mask in the line up that I am using a couple of times a week, I figured this would be good for both day and night use and I could limit the number of products open. I really like this First Aid Beauty moisturizer. It is actually one of my favorite FAB products. I’ve used it before and I will certainly use it again. I really do enjoy it for both day and night time use. I do have to add that we are going through a cold snap right now. I think it might be a little too hydrating for me to use in the day once the weather warms up, but even then as a night cream it works really well.

The Night Time Line Up

Makeup Remover:Bioderma Purifying Cleansing Micelle Solution

Cleanser: Byroe Kiwi Detox Gel Cleanser

Toner: Perricone MD Face Finishing and Firming Toner

Serum: Replenix Age Restore Night Time Therapy

Moisturizer: First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

Sleeping Mask Omorovicza Midnight Radiance Mask

Lips mask: Tatcha Kissu Lip mask

The Perricone MD toner is really a nice gentle exfoliator. I am on the lower end of the product now with maybe a week or two left of use and I have really enjoyed using it. It is definitely something I would get again. It is kind of interesting that when I first started to use it there was a lot of gunk on the toner pad when I was finished as it exfoliated all the dead skin cells. As time went on there is less gunk on the toner pad. Not because it stopped working but because it is routinely taking them off as they arrive and so there is no build up. It is a good product that bears consistent use.

The Replenix is almost completely out of product. Actually I say that to make myself feel better. It was sputtering last night when I applied it and I know I will press the dispenser tonight and there will be little to nothing that comes out. I will still try though as it was a really good serum. It absorbed quickly and my skin felt like silk when it was on. I would love to get a full size and see how it performs over time. It is certainly on my list of full sized future trials.

I am 100% certain I never pronounce Omorovicza correctly, but I will still always try because I adore the brand’s products. This sleeping mask is used twice a week and there is only a little needed to cover the entire face. It is a gel formula that feels very lightweight on the skin. I love the way it makes my skin feel. It is an extra boost of moisture but it also seems to perk my skin up so I wake up looking better than I did when i went to bed. And isn’t that always the goal? If I had my way I would never run out of this cream.

And then as always we end with the Tatcha Lip mask. The divot inside is deep, but there is still plenty of product. I am actually quite amazed by how long this has lasted. I am also really glad it came with a small spoon. while the spoon wasn’t really needed at first I am getting to the point where it is easier to use it to get out the product. So I am glad I have it.

So for now, this is the line up. I will need new serums and a new makeup remover at the very least for next week’s line up. I can’t wait to see what I pull from the samples box to try out next.

It’s Face Mask Friday with MZ Skin

It feels as though I have not managed to get to do a face mask on a Friday for a really long time. For some reason things seem to happen on Friday afternoons. Things like wind storms knocking down powerlines and sending trashcans rolling down the street and emergency projects that people forgot to tell me about. And deadlines.

Seriously, who thinks putting a deadline on a Friday is a good thing? They are best placed on Thursdays so that you can spend Friday doing any clean up work post deadline on projects you had to let slip to meet the deadline. Then after they are cleaned up you can have a restful weekend.

At least that’s how I’d arrange things. Unfortunately the universe declined my offer to be the universal scheduler and so I have missed my fifteen minutes of down time on Friday afternoons.

These packets came to me in a Cohorted box. There are five packets of the same MZ Skin Radiance and Renewal Mask …

A deeply exfoliating face mask that instantly brightens tired, dull skin.

What it does: It’s formulated with an 8.5% concentrate fruit acid complex that helps stimulate cell turnover, refines pores and helps to eliminate pigmentation to brighten and restore luminosity. Your skin is left smooth, revived and glowing.

How to use: Apply generously onto a clean face and décolletage. Leave for 15 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with warm water. For best results, use twice per week.
MZ skin

The full sized mask comes in a tube and is 3.38 oz. It retails for $173. So it is a bit on the pricy side. I don’t know if the packets are ever sold individually. I will say that the mask that came out of the package was exactly the right amount to cover my face, neck and upper chest. The pack contains 0.06 oz (2 mL)so by simple math you would get about 56 uses out of the tube which comes down to $3 per use which isn’t that bad all things considered. It is just the initial cost right there that had me backing up.

If you want to try it for a little less, Dermstore has a 20 mL tube for sale for $30.59.

And yes this is how i convince myself to puirchase expensive skin care which should give you a little ppoiler about how I feel about this mask.

The mask in my hand was white with a little bit of pearlessence to it. I don’t know if that came across in the picture but it kind of shimmered in my hand. It actually made me think of the old infomercials you used to get on late at night for Pearl Cream. (Which it you remember the infomercials it is the secret of the orient and why Asian women never age. I don’t know if anyone else remembers them but I watched a lot of Up All Night with Gilbert Gottfried and that was an oft repeated ad. Here is the link to the version with Nancy Kwan in case you want to see that ad for yourself and journey into my insomniac childhoond.)

So I was thinking Pearl Cream as I was applying it. The pearl essence really just made my face very shiny once it was on the skin. No pearly skin for me. It just looked wet. And actually it looked wet even after fifteen minutes. It didn’t feel wet. It felt as though it dried to a hard shell, almost as if I shellacked my face.

While I was wearing it there was a bit of a tingling sensation. The sensation was mild and kind of pleasant. It was also only there for the first five minutes of wear. After fifteen minutes I rinsed it off and then patted my skin dry. When my skin was dry my skin felt soft and fresh. I don’t know if there is much physical difference. However about ten minutes after I dried my face, I found that ii had a few clogged pores that were kind of driving me a little crazy rise closer to the surface. they are actually so close to the surface now that i think a good facial scrub tonight will actually help clear them away completely.

I really enjoyed this face mask and will happily use it again. The mask can only be used about twice or three times a week. I expect with repeated use there would be a lot more visible signs of improvement. For now I have the relieve of a couple of clogged pores ready to move out and really soft skin. The price of the full size is a bit high, but the 20mL sized bottle is more affordable and will give me a full ten uses so I suspect that is where I would purchase first. Whatever the size, This MZ Skin Radiance and Renewal Mask is a winner and certainly something I will love to use again.

Up to 65% savings on the Best of Dermstore!

The Skincare Line Up: March 10th, 2023

That’s right it is time once again for the skincare line up. Are you ready? I know I am because I really enjoyed my skincare this week. But seriously when do I not enjoy talking about skincare? So off we go.

The Daytime Line Up

Cleanser: Glow Recipe Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser

Serum: Bare Minerals Long Life Herb Serum

Eyecream: Byroe Truffle Eye Cream

Moisturizer: Beauty Stat Universal Pro Bio Moisture Boost Cream

This morning I used the last of the Glow Recipe Cleanser. It is a good cleanser and if the full size manages to dispense product more easily I would consider using it again. While it was good it wasn’t my absolute favorite cleanser. I don’t feel the desire to run out and replace it right away, but I would certainly use it again.

This was the first week of use for the Bare Minerals serum. As you can see the first week of use managed to use up about half of the serum. The serum has a bit of an herbal scent to it. Not an herb I can actually identify but a generally herbal scent. If I had to guess I would say that lemon verbena is somewhere in the mix though. The scent faded as the serum dried. It took a moment to dry down and absorb into the skin. In the morning I generally found my self applying it and then brushing my teeth. Once they were clean it was time to move on in the routine. As there is still half a tube left, I will continued using it next week.

The Byroe Truffle Eye cream is good. I like the way it feels on the skin and absorbs. I haven’t seen the same sort of results I saw with the Tea Time from Byroe but it is still early days yet so there is plenty of time. For now I like that it is at least not the sort of formula that clogs the pores around my eyes. The skin around my lower orbital bone is prone to that. So that is a victory.

I am still hoping for results with the fine lines.

And finally with the day time we go to the Beauty Stat moisturizer. What can I say, I used it, I loved it, I now hate that it is empty. And I cleaned that little jar out. it is squeaky clean. Not a drop remains. It was an interesting formula. It was white and creamy and somehow felt like vasiline on the fingertips yet melted in like a dream I was very impressed with it. it was also my first use of anything from this brand so I will definately be search9ing out more from them as a result of using this crea,

In the morning line up only the Serum and the eye cream will continue. Tonight I will try all new products to fill in the morning time gaps. But now we enter the night…

The Night Time Line Up

Makeup Remover:Bioderma Purifying Cleansing Micelle Solution

Cleanser: Glow Recipe Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser

Toner: Perricone MD Face Finishing and Firming Toner

Serum: Replenix Age Restore Night Time Therapy

Moisturizer: First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

Sleeping Mask Omorovicza Midnight Radiance Mask

Lips mask: Tatcha Kissu Lip mask

This week I used the Bioderma as my only makeup remover. It worked well and I am hoping to finish it out this week. I did find that with the Bioderma alone there were more traces of makeup on the toner pad when I used it than I would have if I backed it up with a makeup remover, but by the end I was satisfied my makeup was removed and face clean. I would definitely make this part of a two step makeup removing process though.

The Perricone MD toner was fantastic. I like it just as much now as when I started. the only thing I wish is that it had some sort of regulator cap on the inside instead of being an open bottle I almost knocked it off of the counter this week and only a last second save stopped it all from going down the drain. i am quite prod of my last second save though.

I have already added the Replenix to my list of products to purchase in a full size. It worked really well to help make my skin smooth and hydrated. I would love to spend longer with the formula to see if it does more. There is still some product left in the bottle but as it is solid plastic I am not sure how much. I am hoping it lasts the week. I want to use this as long as I can.

The FAB moisturizer I have used in the full size before. it is a really good moisturizer and in fact one of my favorite products from the brand. It is why I kept this travel size ready to go in my travel kit. However I felt it had been in there too long so I rolled it into use. It is a full tube so it will be here for a little while, which I can’t say i am mad about. I think it needs to stay at night moving forward though. In the driest of winter i can use it both morning and evening, but we are edging into the separate products for day and night time use zone.

This week I did at the Omorovicza sleeping mask. I have no idea how to pronounce it but it is glorious. Anything I havetried from the brand has been utterly amazing. I have always tried sample sizes and always been left wanting more. This Sleeping mask is designed to be used only twice a week so i used it Monday and Wednesday this week and was left with th softest most hydrated skin when I woke up. This is one of those brands that I wish I could afford to buy more from on a regular basis. As it is I watch like a hawk for sales and any form of discounts. Occasionally Look Fantastic puts things on sale from the brand and I pounce like a skincare ninja. It is just such an amazing brand.

Also amazing is my tatcha lip mask, but I forgot to put it in my picture today and didn’t realize until just now. <y lips are back to hydrated and the dry bits I tend to pick at are all gone so they can continue to heal properly.

Over all my skin is fantastic this week and I am really please with it. There are a few deeply clogged pores but as I have an AHA based mask for this afternoon i am hoping that will help clear things away. Fingers crossed.

St Patrick’s Day Sale – Spin To Win Up To 30% Off Your Order!

Mid Week Masking Glam up with Revitalizing Japanese Sake

Don’t worry I haven’t taking up drinking at first light. I am still working through my accumulated sheet masks and today it is time for the Revitalizing Japanese Sake Sheet mask from Glam up. For some reason the only place I could find these for sale was Amazon. They do sell a ten pack for $11.48 should you be interested. Amazon also has a variety of products from Glam up even though I can find the brand no where else either.

The details are pretty bare bones. It is a revitalizing mask in the shade Japanese Sake and the scent Cherry. According to the listing. The mask itself lists it as being Japanese sake and to be fair there is a slight floral scent to it that dissipates pretty much as I put the mask on. It has that slight cherry blossom scent with a back note of something that I think smelled fermented.

It is oddly a very clean skin care scent.

This mask is very juicy. There was a lot of extra serum that came out with the mask and unfortunately I do mean came out with the mask. I pulled the mask out of the foil packet and it was as though I released a gusher. I did open it over the sink though so it was less of a mess than it could have been. The sheet mask itself is of that thin cotton cloth like material.

I personally really love the masks that are made of this because I find that it is easier to get them to adhere to the skin. Plus they sort of seem to dry as my skin absorbs the serum so it makes me feel like I can see it working. I know a lot of it is just the make being released into the air, but it makes me feel good.

This mask however wouldn’t dry off If I wore it for a few hours. It is well saturated. I wiped a few drips off of my neck when I first applied it but after that I didn’t really have any issues with it dripping down my neck. To be honest, I was a little surprised by this as it is quite juicy. But the serum didn’t run. The mask adhered well.

While the initial scent, whether cherry blossom or sake, didn’t stick around long, by the time my timer went off and it was time to remove the mask, I sort of got a put of a soapy sort of scent from the bit of the mask that was under my nose. I don’t mind that, I just thought it interesting as I thought all the scent dissipated.

while I am scent oriented, it isn’t the most important thing. The way my skin feels after this mask is. So I niffed the soap scent until the timer dinged and then went to remove the mask.

As you can see it was still quite juicy when I took it off (I had it on for 20 minutes, mostly because as my timer went off an e-mail came in that I had to answer. I did and then took off the mask.). There is quite a lot of serum left on my skin. I patted it in and let it absorb. I was surprised that it wasn’t sticky. Usually the remaining serum is sticky until it dries. This was not, it just felt like water and after it absorbed in my skin felt extra hydrated.

I will also say that I do feel refreshed. My skin feels hydrated, but I feel more awake and ready to go on with my day than I was before. To be honest that is one of the reasons I love revitalizing or energizing sheet masks. I don’t sleep well, and while nothing is really a good substitute for sleep, a sheet mask like this in the morning before I get on with the rest of my day really does help me wake up and feel brighter and more ready to face the day.

Also I do notice that after a session with a sheet mask, my makeup does apply a lot more smoothly. even the foundations that tend to settle take longer to settle than usual because things are temporarily plumped.

While I couldn’t find much information on Glam Up as a brand, I think I will certainly put this Revitalizing Sake mask on my repurchase list. It is inexpensive and a great morning pick me up for mornings when I am feeling a little draggy. it is like a shot of caffeine for my skin, without actually having to brew the pot. Over all two thumbs up.

Trying out the MZ Skin Hydra Bright Gold Eye Mask

I was very excited that this was part of my Cohorted box in February. The only item I have tried from MZ Skin is their eye cream. It was a very nice eye cream and it made me want to try out more from the brand. And in February’s Cohorted box I not only received these eye masks but a few sample packs of their Radiance and Renewal mask which I will be trying out soon.

I know I do get excited about trying out new things from a brand.

And I do love eye masks. So let’s look at the MZ Skin Hydra Bright Gold Eye Masks…

A gold infused, anti-ageing eye treatment mask saturated with a complex of active ingredients to smooth and minimize the appearance of fine lines. Contains collagen, hyaluronic acid and seaweed to brighten dark circles, reduce puffiness and restore hydration. Improves elasticity and firmness around the eye.

These eye masks sell in packs of five. Dermstore has the five pack listed as $105. Which means each set is $21. So they are on the pricier side for eye masks. I love that they feature hyaluronic acid in their mix as my skin really does well with that. The eye masks themselves are that gold gel like substance. I like the fact that they are not all that heavy. They are a thinner material than many of the gel like eye masks.

I really like that as they are lighter weight. Sometimes these masks can be a little heavy and will start to slip as you wear them. I often find myself touching this masks so that I can keep them form slipping, and then i get the serum all over my fingers, and then I have to constantly wipe my fingers down and as I generally wear eye masks at my desk I end up putting sticky fingers on the keyboard. Which makes clean up a little bit more of a hassle.

With these, they were light enough that there was no slipping at all. Also while they were saturated with serum, there was no dripping. if you are looking for something neat and tidy to wear at the desk, these MZ skin eye masks do work well for that sort of wear.

As I wore them there was a cooling effect on the skin.

What I found interesting is that while there wasn’t a lot of change in the under eye area, the formula of this eye mask did really well with the lines on the side of my eyes. I think my crow’s feet look a bit more reduced than I expected. I was actually quite pleased with that as a result actually. And to be honest, given the allergens in the air, there was always going to be a minimum of under eye reduction. I have some heavy allergy meds trying to help me breathe so I knew the under eye lines wouldn’t be going anywhere. I was hoping there would be some noticeable hydration, which there was. It is the crow’s feet reduction that was the pleasant surprise.

For that alone, I would say that these under eye masks are worth picking up. I’m sure if it wasn’t allergy season my under eyes would show more improvement. I do feel more awake and the skin is really soft and hydrated. I know that my under eyes are what i usually focus on with these eye masks but seriously I can’t get over the fine line reduction. Pricy or not, I will be picking up more of these eye masks in the future. I also am extra excited about trying out the face masks. We are sitting at two products tried, two products loved. Way to go on the Hydra Bright Gold Eye Masks MZ Skin. I hope for a three product sweep. Stay turned to find out…

The Skincare Line Up: March 3rd, 2023

Welcome back once again to the weekly skincare line up. Here I get to look at all of the products that I am using and how they are working as well as working with the other items in the line up. I am winding up a couple of items and starting a few new. At the moment I am also trying to work through accumulated samples so i can clear out some space. I tend to go in waves with samples. I love trying them out and seeing what products I want to try out in a full size. And then I will switch and try out items in the full size and let the samples pile up. Then when i think I have enough sample sizes to fit every category of skin care I will decide that it might be time to clear them out again. The ones I like will then go on a list for full sized purchase and later testing. It is a strange cycle but it works for me. At the moment I am in a mostly sample size testing phase. Mostly because i really havint gone through skincare samples in a while and really needed to. So, tat’s where we are.

Although saying that, i am starting with two full sized products. the makeup removers.

Beekman 1802 Buttermilk Makeuep Melt

Bioderma Purifying Cleansing Micelle Solution

As you can see there are two I am using the Micellar water to take off eye makeup, mostly because the Beekman doesn’t do the greatest with mascara. And the bottle was open and I felt I needed to use it up. In general I like the Beekman 1802 cleansing balm. It works well and is gentle on the rest of my skin. It just isn’t the greatest at removing mascara and so it needed a companion. I also use my Makeup eraser with the products so I can get as much of the makeup off. This is the last week for the Beekman though. The last little bit in the container will be taking off today’s makeup and then it will go to the empties bin. It was nice, and I wouldn’t mind using it again, but i can’t say it was my absolute favorite.

The Day time Line up

Cleanser: Glow Recipe Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser

Serum:

Eyecream: Byroe Truffle Eye Cream

Moisturizer: Beauty Stat Universal Pro Bio Moisture Boost Cream

This week I forgot to roll in a new serum when the Babor was finished. I just kept forgetting. I would make a note of it being missing in the morning, but then the day would get busy and i would forget until the next morning. And so I never rolled anything in and went sans serum this week. I will be pulling a serum out as soon as I finish posting this to rectify the situation,. I just forgot so it was a very simple routine this week.

The Glow Recipe is nice. I still think the exit hole for the product is a bit small making it difficult to use. I am willing to say that that could be the fault of the sample size though as it looks like a bigger pump in the full size. The cleanser has a faux blueberry scent which is nice. In general that is my word for this cleanser. Nice. Not fabulous, not horrible. It is just middle of the road nice.

I liked the Byroe Truffle Eye cream a little more this week. I think part of that is because I have some distance from the Tea Time Eye Gel from Byroe. That eye cream i loved. This one I like. I enjoy using it, but to me it isn’t as good as the other one. with some distance I can see it for itself instead of comparing it. I like it more this week than I liked it last week, but I am going to wait a bit longer before I pass judgement. it isn’t instant love as it was with Tea Time, but i like it enough to keep using it and to give it a chance.

and then we have Beauty Stat. I love this cream. Flat out love this cream. It has an odd texture that makes me think Vaseline when I touch it with my fingertips even though it is a white cream. i am not entirely sure why. it doesn’t apply like Vaseline, it is a moisturizer that melts right into the skin and is a beautiful non-greasy formula. Yet something in the texture has my fingertips thinking Vaseline. This is my first Beauty Stat product and I am so going to have to look more into the brand. Even though this is a sample, so little product is needed that it has lasted. This week I used it as both day and night cream because I wanted to see how it performed at night and if i would need more when i used it at night. I didn’t. I used the same small amount at night that I did during the day. As a result I still have a little bit of product left. Now that I know how it works at night I am going to switch back to using this just in the day and roll in a different cream at night. I think I might actually make it through the week with the last of this cream if I do that. This is definitely on my repurchase list.

The Night time Line up

Cleanser: Glow Recipe Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser

Toner: Perricone MD Face Finishing and Firming Toner

Serum: Replenix Age Restore Night Time Therapy

Moisturizer: Beauty Stat Universal Pro Bio Moisture Boost Cream

Lips mask: Tatcha Kissu Lip mask

I used the same cleanser and moisturizer as I did in the day and they performed the same at night a they did in the day so i won’t repeat my thoughts here. The Pericone toner is doing well. It is a gentle exfoliating toner. I have noticed that the longer I use this toner the cleaner my toner pads are. I think that it is just taking off the dead skin cells and other junk as it arrives each day so here is no build up. I think the initial dirty toner pads were because of whatever was built up. Now the build up is gone and it is just a daily gentle exfoliation. this actually makes me happy as it means I am not over exfoliating while continuing to use this product. For me that is a relief. I am growing rather fond of this exfoliator.

I am in love with this Replenix night serum. it is light weight and my skin drinks it in. I like to wait a moment or two before applying moisturizer over it, but my skin feels just soft and fabulous after it. This is another brand that is new to me and I am very much going to have to look into more products from the, I have a second sample of one of their products in my sample basket. It isn’t the same product but I think it is for night time use as well. I will probably try to dig that out and roll it into use soon just to look into the brand more. For a first product to use for the brand this is a really good one.

And of course I used my Tatcha this week. I am happy to say my lips are feeling much better. They were dry and when they are dry I pick at them and cause more problems. I know I shouldn’t but it is something i do when not paying attention. So the best thing for me is to make sure they never dry out. The Tatcha lip mask has really helped heal the damage more quickly than I thought it would. I have been using this lip mask for a while now and even though it looks the same from the outside there is now a deep divot in the product. I will still be able to use it for a while, but it is now noticeable that the lip mask has been used It is something that I will replace as soon as it starts to look empty. For a night time lip treat is it one of the best products i have tried.

And that my darlings is the skincare for this week. I will be rolling in a few new items to start the week and I will be finishing up several of these samples this week as well. And to be fair I think that any of the samples that manage to last this week will need to be replaced at the end of the week. It isn’t long enough to see massive effects from the products but I have certainly found a few items i am interested in trying out in the full size and in addition there are two brands, Replenix and Beauty Stat that I want to investigate further as well. And as finding new products and brands is why I use samples in the first place, that is a very good thing.

Delicious Hands with L’Occitane

I know L’Occitane makes many fabulous products but for me, I will always think of them as first a hand cream specialist. I have used their various hand creams off and on for years. The one ounce size is almost always the version I get. In some scents/types it is listed as a mini and for other creams it doesn’t have the word mini attached to it even though it is the same size.

Whether they are actually called mini or not, this is the size I prefer as it fits perfectly into my bag and is easy to grab on the run. For me I almost always get the shea butter version of this hand cream so I am thrilled to try out another version of the hand cream. I tend to get into a routine with buying replacement products. If I know I like one a lot I tend to buy that version and forget to try out other things from the brand. It is one of the reasons I love subscription boxes. The boxes don’t always send the one item from the brand I always buy bit others I have never tried. This Delicious Hands Amande from L’Occitane came in a Cohorted Box.

So what is Delicious hands supposed to do?

This silky-smooth cream melts into your hands leaving them soft, moisturized, and scented with the most mouthwatering aroma. Cuticles feel softer and nails look shinier. Enriched with almond milk and sweet almond oil, this fast-absorbing hand cream offers delicious 24-hour hydration* without any greasy residue. Enjoy the unforgettable scent of fresh almonds and warm vanilla as it fills the air and envelops your skin in the most indulgent experience.

And wow does it deliver. The scent is lightly almond. And it is a more natural almond scent, very light and not artificial smelling. Personally I love the scent of almonds so that is a big draw for me. even better is the speed at which it absorbs into the skin and the non-greasy feeling.

This is a cream you can put in your bag and when you are running around splashing hand sanitizer all over your hands in an effort to decontaminate yourself you can use without worrying about your hands being too greasy to drive. A little peas sized amount covers both my hands and my forearms. I have this tendency to pour out too much hand sanitizer and then use it on not just my hands but my wrists and arms so it will dry faster and not pool on my hands. And then i have to rehydrate that skin as well. if you don’t go crazy with the hand sanitizer then you will need a little less cream.

one thing i really noticed about this cream is that it is really hydrating on my cuticles. It is listed as a hand and nail care item, so I shouldn’t be surprised but I just found it especially good on my cuticle areas. For me once my cuticles start drying i will absently pick at them. i know I shouldn’t but I will. hence my eternal love affair with cuticle oils. Admittedly when using this, I didn’t feel the need for cuticle oil.

I really liked this hand cream and to be honest, i like it better than the shea butter version. I think it was the scent that got me, but even without that, The speed that this absorbs and the fantastic hydration it provides means I will be purchasing this Amande Delicious Hands cream from L’Occitane in the future.

A week of Babor’s Perfect Glow

In the February Beauty Fix box from Dermstore there was this Ampule concentrate series from Babor called The Perfect Glow. It is a seven day ampule set with each ampule being broken open each day for morning application. Oddly enough I couldn’t find the set for sale on Dermstore but i could find it on Lovely Skin (the other on-line skincare store I frequent). It is actually on sale as well so if you are interested you can get it for a little less.

According to the website…

These ampoule face treatments rejuvenate skin’s healthy glow with elicate glow pigments and precious ingredients. Together, they give skin a picture-perfect appearance with a lasting glow effect and renewed radiance. Pullulan provides an instant lifting effect, Vitamin E provides antioxidant protection and Sunflower seed oil provides lasting moisture

The concentrate is in little glass vials and there is a tool included that you snap open the little ampules with. It works well, there was no accidental glass breakage or any issues and a part of me does like that it is glass as opposed to plastic filled ampule capsules. However I can’t say I got used to breaking the glass each morning while using this serum set. Each time I braced for some sort of mishap. It never happened, everything worked perfectly well. I was just entirely comfortable with the morning glass breakage.

There is another reason I dislike the glass ampules. The fact it I adore this serum concentrate. I would happily use it ever morning and I think my skin would love it. However I can only find this serum in the seven day sets. Apparently I am only allowed to use the serum for a week at a time. I don’t know if there is something in the serum that makes it incapable of surviving in a larger pump tube and must there for be put into little sealed one dose vials. The ingredients list didn’t look too volatile to me, but I am not a chemist.

I really like the way this serum works with my skin. I have seen a decided improvement in the past seven days. The texture of my skin is firmer and it is less dull as well as being more hydrated. It is a very good serum. while the dose in the little tubes is the perfect amount to cover my face, neck and upper chest, I am fairly sure that if it were in a larger bottle i would be able to dispense it myself.

I think that is the frustrating part of this serum/concentrate. I can only have it for a seven day set. It is a serum designed to be used every day but in order to use it everyday I would have to purchase at least four packs to get through a month. To me that seems like a lot of waste.

In the end there is always the final question. would I purchase this product again. The truth is that Yes I would purchase the Babor Ampule Concentrate series again. it is a lovely product. I would love to have it in a form I could use every day. However since that is not really feasible without creating a lot of waste, I would look at picking this up to use a week before I had an event I had to go to so that my skin was looking it’s best. A week of this Perfect Glow from Babor before a major event would help my skin look and feel fabulous. All told it is a good product that does improve the skin’s texture and appearance over the seven day period of use. It is just a pity it can’t be used everyday.