The Skincare Line up: February 10th, 2023

Good morning my darlings. It is Friday once again and you know what that means. Its time to talk about skincare! And yes i just pictured Kermit the Frog waving his arms ecstatically in the air as he opened The Muppet Show in case you are wondering, so please read the words with the appropriate enthusiasm and don’t make me use all caps. No one want’s the yelling of all caps. But hopefully we are all singing the Muppet show theme song now (unless it is just me) and it is time to see what products were used this week.

Makeup Remover: Beekman 1802 Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm

Cleanser: Elemis Pro Collagen Energizing Marine Cleanser

Toner: Perricone MD High Potency Face Finishing Firming Toner (sent by BzzAgent for review)

Essence: Missha Time Revolution The First essence (currently 30% off on the brand site)

Serum: Elemis Pro Collagen Renewal Serum

Moisturizer: ESPA Optimal Skin Pro Moisturizer

Eye cream: Byroe Tea Time Eye gel

A lot of this should sound familiar to you if you tune in each week. You may notice that the Kate Somerville Retinol is not in the line up this week. I like it and will keep using it, but it does not react well with the Perricone MD so since BzzAgent sent the Perricone toner to me to try out and review, I set the Kate Somerville aside so that I can keep using it.

As a toner the Perricone is working great. It also provides a really light exfoliation that I like. the rose scent is a little strong, but it does dissipate pretty quickly. If there was one thing i would change is the bottle. It just has a cap and an open top so often i will find myself dispensing more product than I actually need. I think if there was a small regulator to dispense it in smaller amounts I would like it a little bit better. However over all it is a really nice, gentle exfoliation.

The Missha Time Revolution is one of my favorite Essences. I feel like I can practically feel my pores opening up and begging for skincare products. The bottle is a little more than halfway done (I probably have another 2-3 weeks left of use in it) and I will continue to use it until it is gone. and then i will purchase it again.

The Beekman 1802 makeup remover is working well. It is a bit crumbly. I like it and would use it again. but I can’t say that it is my favorite formula. I just prefer a creamer consistency in the makeup removing balms. I like this enough that I would probably purchase it again if it was on sale and I was on the Beekman site picking up one of the products they make that I think are super fabulous, but I wouldn’t go looking for it. It removes makeup well, but leaves a film over my contacts. A little saline clears it up so that is fine. It isn’t the best makeup remover with mascara, regular or waterproof. but over all it does a good job. it is more the crumbly texture that makes me not love it. but I do like it.

The Byroe Tea Time eye gel is fantastic. Or I guess I should say still fantastic. So little is used that I will be using this for quite a while yet. The gel texture really helps it absorb quickly into the skin and I am starting to se an improvement in the fine lines around my eyes. While I thought the cap was a bit much at first, and it probably is, the shape of it is really easy to grip and turn, making opening this really easy, even with wet hands.

I am absolutely in love with the Espa moisturizer. it is just past half way down and I am already regretting the day it is used up. It is a fantastic formula for both day and night time use and it provides enough moisture without going overboard. I use slightly more at night than in the day but it is a very small difference. The scent is clean, sweet and fresh. It feels thick until you apply it and then it feels weightless. it will leave a little bit of white on the skin until it warms up but as soon as it warms to the skin it all absorbs right in.

The Elemis Pro collagen Renewal serum is doing well with my skin as well. My skin feels soft and hydrated and And I think applying it after the exfoliating toner and Missha essence have prepped the skin really helps it just dive beneath the surface. I am not sure if there are specific elements that I can say are directly related to this serum, but it is working well with all of the other elements in the line up. There are no break outs and the bumps I had are slowly disappearing. Which I think is due to good exfoliation paired with good products following.

This week you may notice there is a sample sized cleanser in the line up. I was using the Dr. Brandt Pores no More cleanser. It is fabulous, but it is a cleanser I only really need when I am breaking out. I set it to the side and decided to clear out one of my sample sizes. Looking at the Valentine’s day box from Glossy Box I thought about my samples and decided to use this one. I was surprised to find it was a gel. I somehow wasn’t expecting that. It has the same pro collagen scent all of the products in this Elemis line have. Personally I like it. it is slightly sweet and slightly sea like. It doesn’t really foam a lot, but it rinses off clean and it does a really good job of cleaning the skin. while i like it and wouldn’t mind using it again, I find the cream texture and sent of the Lime Blossom Cleanser just a little more suited to me. Would I use this cleanser again, in a heart beat. It is really good. It is only the gel formula and scent preference that make it not top f the Elemis list for me. I would go for their lime blossom cleanser first because i simply like the scent of lime blossoms.

And that my darlings is this week’s line up. over all the items are working well together. I finished up my last physical exfoliator and won’t replace it until the Toner is finished and I am skipping the retinol too for the time being. So things look slightly more streamlined. This sample cleanser will last a few more days but I will probably roll in another sample to clear out once it is complete. I’ll see where I stand with the samples after that. For now, I am pretty pleased with how my skin looks and feels. And so the line up continues. Have a Great Friday my darlings.

The Skincare Line up: February 3rd, 2023

Welcome once again to the weekly skincare line up. Here we take a look at all of the products I am currently using in their natural habitat. Actually it is more of talking about how well they play with others. Because let’s face it, I simply don’t use a single product in isolation. I am using it as part of a routine. So let’s look at the items in the routine shall we. Oh and for those you you tilting your heads, the shelf is straight, I just tilted the camera to try and get the best angle. I didn’t realize quite how off kilter it was until I sat down. Hopefully it doesn’t knock anyone off balance.

Makeup Remover: Beekman 1802 Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm

Cleanser: Dr. Brandt Pores No More Pore Purifying Cleanser

Toner: Perricone MD High Potency Face Finishing Firming Toner (sent by BzzAgent for review)

Essence: Missha Time Revolution The First essence (currently 30% off on the brand site)

Serum: Elemis Pro Collagen Renewal Serum

Retinol: Kate Somerville Retinol Vitamin C

Moisturizer: ESPA Optimal Skin Pro Moisturizer

Eye cream: Byroe Tea Time Eye gel

Okay we have some continuing favorites and some new additions, let’s just go through the list. First, the Beekman 1802 Makeup Remover. It is really good and gentle on the skin. It does make my contacts cloudy if it gets in the eyes but the cloudy film is easily rinsed away with a dash of saline. I meant to add an eye makeup remover to the mix but forgot. Still it works well and I like it.

The Dr. Brandt Pores no more is a fantastic cleanser. It smells very medicated (salicylic acid). I was worried that it might be a bit drying because of that but thus far that hasn’t been a concern. i think because I was already worried about dryness from the central heat I took steps to add enough moisture that it hasn’t been a problem. i think that If I wasn’t using such a really good moisturizer than I might need to alternate with a different cleanser and to be honest i am thinking of trying to use up some sample cleansers by using them in the morning and this at night. I may do that this week if I remember. I think I have about four sample sizes that I want to clear out. I’ll double check later.

For now, since I already mentioned it, This ESPA moisturizer is fantastic I don’t need much because it is a rich moisturizing formula but that does mean I will be using it for quite some time. It has been a little over a month now and I am not quite halfway through the container. I will happily use this for as long as it lasts and then mark it for repurchase. it is a thick formula that feels light on the skin. It needs to warm up to melt in so there are a couple of white streaks when you first apply it, but the white fates almost immediately as it warms to skin temp. And it smells like a fresh sort of candy. It is just absolutely delightful all around.

Okay the essence is also fabulous. this isn’t the first time i have used this essence and it won’t be the last time. It really opens the pores up so they can make the best use of the rest of the skin care. And even though we are way out of order on the products, I will add that the Byroe Eye cream is one of my favorite products as well. it is one of the best eye creams I have tried in a while. The gel formula absorbs well and I am seeing a reduction in my fine lines.

I know it all sounds fabulous. And it is, but now I want to talk about Kate Somerville and Perricone MD. They have been a very interesting pair. Individually I am really enjoying them both. The Kate Somerville Retinol is something i used twice a week. I’ve gone with Tuesdays and Thursdays and when I use it, I really enjoy it. my skin sucks it in. I apply it, wait a few hours and then just before bed apply my moisturizer over it, because it just isn’t quite enough moisture for my skin. If your skin is more on the oily side you may not need a moisturizer on top. For me at this time of year i do.

the Perricone MD Toner is new. It is an exfoliating toner. It as actually quite nice. My skin feels very fresh after using it, but the rose oil in it is very soothing so unlike other exfoliating toners my skin doesn’t feel extra naked and stripped. it feels clean and ready to move into other skin care. It does have AHAs which make my skin red for a moment after application. the red then fades in less than a minute and I am good.

The Kate Somerville Retinol also makes my skin red for a moment. it takes a little longer to fade, but it does and then my skin looks great.

on their own both are great products. If I try to use them both on the same night, no matter how many products are between the application of the toner and the retinol, my face gets really red and slightly prickly. It feels a little hot. While the feeling fades and my skin calms down, I do not care for it. So on the nights I use the Kate Somerville, I don’t use the Perricone MD. If I separate them than my skin is fabulous and I get the benefits of both. They just don’t want to play well together on my skin. that was the only issue i had with any of the products. On their own everything on this list is proving to be something my skin enjoys. But Kate Somerville and Perricone MD are not playing well together so I am separating them. thus far that has been all it has taken to get them both to settle in and work fabulously. Hopefully, that will continue. It will be something I monitor moving forward. And so the skincare line up proceeds for another week. I will see you back here next week to see how things progress. As we are just passing the 30 day mark for most of these products soon there will be updated results, with luck. Stay tuned my darlings and have a fantastic Friday.

The Skincare Lineup: January 27, 2023

And so we reach the end of another week. And it is time once again for my favorite post, the skin care line up. While I do like posting about the individual items, this post is all about how the items i use on my face work as a team. Because let’s face it, I don’t use just one item in isolation. Many of my items are approaching the 30 day mark of use and soon I will e able to look at actual results. I love skin care, but it isn’t a magic potion. It takes time and consistent use to show results. And generally you only start seeing changes after 30 days. So, soon sooooon… But until then, we have mostly the continuing products and one brand new cleanser. I have also put a picture of my face sans makeup because honestly, I think my skin looks fabulous this week. Even with the baggy allergy eyes. So lets get into it shall we?

Makeup Remover: Beekman 1802 Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm

Cleanser: Dr. Brandt Pores No More Pore Purifying Cleanser

Exfoliator: Elemis Blackcurrant Jelly Exfoliator

Toner: Elemis Superfood Fruit Vinegar Toner

Essence: Missha Time Revolution The First essence (currently 30% off on the brand site)

Serum: Elemis Pro Collagen Renewal Serum

Retinol: Kate Somerville Retinol Vitamin C

Moisturizer: ESPA Optimal Skin Pro Moisturizer

Eye cream: Byroe Tea Time Eye gel

Lips: Tatcha Kissu Overnight Lip Mask

Okay let’s start from the top. The Beekman cleansing balm is good. It takes very little to actually remove the makeup. It is a bit crumbly so the spatula isn’t used to you don’t contaminate the product with your fingers but an actual necessity for getting it out of the jar. And luckily it has it’s own holder on the top of the jar so it is less likely to get lost. while i like this cleanser and how the crumbly bits melt to oil, I don’t like it to remove my eye makeup. It tends to make my contacts a bit cloudy. It rinses away with a little saline solution but i think next week I am going to try an eye makeup remover separately. I have a couple in the drawer as well as a few micellar waters so I might try one of those.

I was using a sample sized cleanser and it is finished. I pulled this Dr. Brandt one out of the drawer to try next. I seem to have a lot of cleansers waiting to be used. I think there was just a run of them from subscription boxes for a while. I don’t mind that actually as I do go through them pretty fast. While I did like the clean I got from this Dr. Brandt, I think I am going to have to watch it. It smelled medicated when I tried it and after I washed my face, I looked at the tube. The smell alerted me but the label does mention salicylic acid and white willow bark, which was I was smelling. Sometimes that can dry me out. I have been using this for three days at this point and there is no signs of drying but it is something I will monitor. Thus far it is just a really good clean.

I am almost out of the Black Currant Jelly exfoliator. I have loved using it. I just don’t think it will last the week. I tend to use a little more product than I should but it is now at the six week mark of use so I can’t really complain. I really like this daily exfoliator.

The Elemis Toner is slowly but surely being used. I am just past the half way point in the bottle. It is kind of funny but with the toner, essence and the Elemis Serum not a lot of product is used with each use so it takes a while for it to show that it is being used and then all of a sudden you see it. I really like this toner. It smells a bit like fermented cider and I kind of dig the scent. It also takes care of any stray makeup bits that the cleanser might have missed.

I really love having an essence in my routine and this Missha one is a good one. It makes my skin feel like it is open and ready to receive skincare. Which is sort of the point of an essence.

The Elemis serum is making my skin feel soft and simply fabulous. I know, I tend to be a big fan of Elemis products and have been for a long time. This is a good serum thus far. My skin looked bright and clear and i am seeing a small reduction in some of my fine lines. plus the soft skin it leaves behind is amazing.

I have the Kate Somerville Retinol in my line up and I have been using it on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This week I have to confess, I didn’t remember to use it. Tuesday got crazy and then all day Thursday I somehow thought it was Wednesday. So it is in the line up, but this week, I just didn’t reach for it.

the more I use the Byroe and ESPA products the more I like them I am approaching a month of use with each of them and they will be with me for quite a while. The ESPA is not even half way empty and so little of the eye cream is needed with each use that it will last a long time. I have a sample of a different Byroe eye cream that I may pause this at some point to try out, but I really want to see what this eye cream can do. I am already seeing small improvements and I think with further use I will continue to do so. I did remember to take preliminary picks so in another week or so I will do after photos and we can do a side by side comparison, but at the moment I am loving the way my skin looks and feels. and honestly that is the best think i can say about any skincare line up. This is a winter moisturizer for me, so I did start using it at the prefect time. I love it when a skincare line up just works, don’t you. I don’t mind drama elsewhere in my life but I don’t care for it in skin care unless it is , Wow I think my skin looks great. And at the moment, that is the kind of drama i have because at the moment I do feel that wow, my skin does look and feel great. Let’s hope it continues.

The Skincare Lineup: January 20th, 2023

Welcome once again to my favorite post of the week. That’s right my darlings it is time to talk about skincare. Today I left everything on my bathroom skincare shelf instead of moving it to the desk so I apologize if not all of the labels can be seen. The Kate Somerville is especially hidden. But I’ll list everything out below and we’ll take a look at how everything is performing in a group setting. so….

Makeup Remover: Beekman 1802 Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm

Cleanser: Medic8 Micellar Mousse

Exfoliator: Elemis Blackcurrant Jelly Exfoliator

Toner: Elemis Superfood Fruit Vinegar Toner

Essence: Missha Time Revolution The First essence (currently 30% off on the brand site)

Serum: Elemis Pro Collagen Renewal Serum

Retinol: Kate Somerville Retinol Vitamin C

Moisturizer: ESPA Optimal Skin Pro Moisturizer

Eye cream: Byroe Tea Time Eye gel

Lips: Tatcha Kissu Overnight Lip Mask

My Crest toothpaste seems to have also made an appearance. The Deep clean is my favorite and to be honest the only toothpaste I really use. I get samples of toothpastes and I will try them out, but I none of them perform like Crest so I always return.

The Beekman 1802 Makeup removing balm is paired with my Makeup Eraser to get all of my make up off. It is a stiffer balm than I am used to and really needs that spatula to remove the product. It melts into a more oil consistency as you use it but it is a bit crumbly when first taken out so the spatula is needed. The scent is going for unscented I think. It smells a bit aloe-y. All said, I’m not a huge fan of the scent but it works well enough.

The same can be said for the Medic8 Cleanser. It works well enough but isn’t my favorite. Luckily for me this was it’s last week of use. It is a fine cleanser. Foam isn’t my favorite application for a cleanser as I like to be able to see where I put it and the foam isn’t very good at that. It also smells a bit like furniture polish. It is the scent that is harder for me to get over. it is a good cleanser and I am glad I tried the sample, but I am also glad the sample is now empty. It isn’t going to be a repurchase for me.

There are three Elemis Products in the line up. I adore the blackcurrant exfoliator. It is the perfect gentle exfoliator for day to day use. It smells like nothing but works like a dream. The toner is also fabulous, It smells like fermented cider which I like. I also like how it removes any scrap of left over makeup. The Elemis Serum is entering it’s third week of use (i rolled it in just before the first post in which it appeared for those of you looking at the calendar). it feels good and only takes 5 drops to cover the face. I am hoping to see signs of effectiveness soon.

I love this Missha essence. In the summertime I tend to lean towards their Artemisia Essence because it is soothing after being in the sun, but this one is just fantastic for opening the pores to receive more skincare. I can always feel the difference when I leave it off and always love when I go back to it.

The Kate Somerville Retinol is a Tuesday Thursday product. I do get a little red flush after I apply it but the flush fades after a few minutes. It does claim to be a moisturizer but I find if I don’t moisturize after my skin feels really dry in the morning. I think that might be the retinol (and the central heating). I tend to apply the Retinlo and wait about an hour or so and then go in with my moisturizer just before bed.

The ESPA moisturizer is perfect for this time of year and perfect with the retinol. It provides just the right amount of moisture for me. I suspect in warmer months I would use it as a night cream but for this time of year it works both day and night. It also helps keep the retinol fry drying my skin.

I adore this BYROE eye cream. for me it is interesting. I love the bitter greens toner they make but everything else I’ve tried from the brand has been okay but not my favorite. this eye cream joins the short list of items I will always pick up from Byroe. The tea time eye cream and the bitter greens essence toner ae the only items on the list, but two is plenty.

And as always I wrap up with my chapped lip savior, the Tatcha Kissu lip mask. With this as a nightly lip mask I have not had any chapping of my lips this year. I love the jelly texture and will happily repurchase this anytime my level drops too low.

And that my darlings is this week’s skincare line up. Plus toothpaste. As everything is still in motion from last week it isn’t a big surprise. But we are nearing the thirty day mark for a few products so that is exciting. And next week we have a whole new cleanser to try. For now things are chugging along and honestly I am rather happy when my skin cae has no drama.

The Skincare Line Up: January 13th, 2023

Welcome once again to my favorite post of the week. Here I get to talk about all of the products I am using in my line up and how I feel about them. While many of these products will end up with their own individual posts, here is where we see how they perform as a team. Shall we look at the starting line up? Fabulous, let’s dive in.

Makeup Remover: Beekman 1802 Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm

Cleanser: Medic8 Micellar Mousse

Exfoliator: Elemis Blackcurrant Jelly Exfoliator

Toner: Elemis Superfood Fruit Vinegar Toner

Essence: Missha Time Revolution The First essence (currently 30% off on the brand site)

Serum: Elemis Pro Collagen Renewal Serum

Retinol: Kate Somerville Retinol Vitamin C

Moisturizer: ESPA Optimal Skin Pro Moisturizer

Eye cream: Byroe Tea Time Eye gel

Lips: Tatcha Kissu Overnight Lip Mask

Okay this is the first week for the Beekman 1802 makeup remover and this far it is doing a really good job. It takes off makeup well and has very little scent. It leaves my skin feeling hydrated. I have been using it with my Makeup Eraser an hour or so before I do the rest of my skincare and my skin feels fantastic.

The Medic8 Cleanser is a travel size and I find it to be an okay cleanser. I like foam cleansers. Well I like one foam cleanser actually. (and yes it is from elemis) but over all I find them more fun than functional. This cleanser gets my skin clean but I really prefer seeing where I’ve put my cleanser and then going back and rinsing it off. that is a personal preference of course. The scent is also a personal preference. This smells a little like furniture polish. It is a good cleanser and i think I have about one more week’s worth of product in the container, but I don’t think it is a product for me. I think I will use it and then not repurchase.

The elemis Black Currant Exfoliator has already gone on my repurchasing list. i know exfoliators are an easy sell for me since I love them, but this is gentle enough to use everyday which you don’t get form a lot of exfoliators. I wish it smelled more of black currants but it has no real scent to it and that is a minor thing. And really just because I like black currants. I do find that on the days where i use the Kate Somerville Retinol I don’t use this exfoliator. I think it is too much. with the Kate Somerville I am using it twice a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) and I think that is quite enough for me. It makes my skin red for the first five minutes after i apply it and then the red goes away. while it is a retinol moisturizer it is not enough moisture for my skin so on the nights when i use it I apply it and then read for an hour or so before bed and then add my moisturizer just before bed. That seems to work best for me.

While we are on moisturizers, holy cow do I love this one. This Espa Moisturizer smells fantastic and feels fantastic. i warm it up by rubbing my hands together before applying it. There is a little white for a moment and then it just gets sucked in by my kin. there is no greasiness at all and I am able to use it both in the morning and in the night with no issues. I might use a little less during the day, but on the nights where I used the Kate Somerville I do find that I use a little more than I do on other nights. I think that is just because of the retinol.

I know I normally try to go more or less in order of use but this week i sort of got a bit muddled and went free form association a bit. Let’s see what did I miss. The elemis serum. I only need five drops and it absorbs well. It has only been a little over a week with this serum and I am just starting to see a glimmer of effects. The really fine lines are looking a little less firmly etched on my skin which I love. I am hoping for increased results as I continue.

The Byroe eye cream i am absolutely adoring. The more I use it the more I love it. the gel texture absorbs well and I have had no clogged pores since using it. As I am prone to clogged pores around the orbital bone this is kind of a minor miracle. I am so glad it takes so little so I can keep this jar around for a while. I plan to use every little scrap of it.

And finally we round out the list with one of my favorites from last year. I picked up this Kissu Lip mask just to try and I fell in love with it’s texture and results. I use it most nights just before bed and I have to say this is the least chapped winter I can recall. My lips are hydrated and feel fantastic. And when they are not chapped my lipsticks go on more smoothly. Plus I can wear darker colors which I love. Darker colors tend to show the chapped bits a bit too much. I love dark lipsticks and I love healthy lips so it is a win/win for me.

And that my darlings is the rundown of this weeks skincare products in motion. Most of them were rolled in during the first week of January so they are just beginning to hit their stride. Right now it is more about feels and making sure there are no reactions form ingredients than it is about results. It takes about thirty days before results really start to show so we have a bit of a wait. Right now I am hopeful, especially for the elemis Serum. But so far nothing has caused a calamity so Forward we go into the next week of skincare. Have a great week.

The Skincare Line up: January 6th, 2023

Good morning my darlings and welcome to the first skincare line up of 2023. The Toner (Elemis) and the Eye cream (Byroe) were in use prior to this week and as other products emptied I rolled in the new ones for a nice fresh line up for the start of the year. It did end up a little Elemis heavy as my order arrived as i was thinking about products to roll in. Some of these products have only been open a could of days so I am still getting the feel for them, but thus far it is a pretty good line up. Let’s dive in.

Cleanser: Medic8 Micellar Mousse

Exfoliator: Elemis Blackcurrant Jelly Exfoliator

Toner: Elemis Superfood Fruit Vinegar Toner

Essence: Missha Time Revolution The First essence (currently 30% off on the brand site)

Serum: Elemis Pro Collagen Renewal Serum

Retinol: Kate Somerville Retinol Vitamin C

Moisturizer: ESPA Optimal Skin Pro Moisturizer

Eye cream: Byroe Tea Time Eye gel

For the first week of the new year I decided to go with an almost completely new line up. The Elemis Toner remained because I liked it and had barely made a dent in the product. I felt bad opening a new one when so much of this one remained. Plus I really like it. The scent is like a slightly fermented apple cider and it really gets the last little bits of makeup and dirt off my face. This is a heavily Elemis line up because a couple of products that I ordered came in and I really wanted to use them right away.

The Black Currant exfoliator is a daily exfoliator and I am finding it is not too harsh to be used every day. I have had many ‘daily’ exfoliators that I tried and then decided they were really more of a once or twice a week exfoliator. This one said daily and it meant daily. It leaves my sking feeling soft and for a first week of use it has performed fabulously well.

The other Elemis product is the serum. I love the little button on the top for the dropper. I don’t know why but I really just like that. Which of course has nothing to do with the actual product. The recommended does is 5-6 drops per use and use is both morning and night. It is a serum with no scent and it absorbs rather quickly. I have only used it a week and while I do like the feel of it on my skin, I can’t honestly claim I have seen any results. My skin seems to like it and I am hoping that as I continue to use it I will see more results. Mostly because I really like the way it absorbs in and works with my other products.

I sort of skipped over the Medic8 Cleanser. I am not entirely certain how I feel about it at the moment. It is a deluxe sample size so I will get a few weeks of use out of it, so I’m sure I will come to a conclusion at some point. It is a foaming cleanser and it does clean well, there is very little of anything left for my toner pads to clear out. The scent is somewhat industrial though and I am not too fond of that. And while I can use really good products with not so great smells I have tried plenty of fabulous cleansers where the smell wasn’t an issue for me. This has a scent I don’t care for and while it is a good cleanser it might not be spectacular enough to get over the scent.

I am very happy to rotate an essence back into my line up. For a while I was including an essence and then I stopped, mostly because i didn’t have one on hand. I saw this one and remembered how much I liked it so I picked it up again. And I have to say I am very glad that I did. There is no scent to it but when I apply it to the skin I can practically feel my pores opening up and my skin getting ready to receive the upcoming skincare. Which is sort of the point of an essence. I can use my skin care without one but I find my skincare just works better when I do use the essence.

I am really enjoying the ESPA moisturizer. I had several potential night creams lined up to use in case this proved to be a day cream only but thus far they are not really needed. This ESPA moisturizer feels really thick on the fingertip but once on the skin absorbs quickly so there is no delay time and it provides a good amount of moisture for both day and night time use. Quite Honestly I am just really enjoying this moisturizer.

And the final product I have in my line up is the Kate Somerville retinol and vitamin C moisturizer. It is designed to be used no more than once every other night. I went for Tuesday and Thursday this week and so far it is doing well. (I did test it out on my inner arm, especially after I had a reaction to another product. I also tried layering it on my arm with the other products in my line up to see if it reacted when it came in contact with any of the other products I am using. I’m fairly certain that was the problem last time. There was no reaction and there has been no adverse reaction on my skin either. I haven’t used it enough to see any results yet. At the moment all that has happened is that I need to use slightly less of the ESPA moisturizer on the nights when I use the Kate Somerville Retinal cream. I thought since it said moisturizer on it that I would be able to skip the moisturizer layer all together. I don’t know if it is because it is winter and I am drier than usual but my skin needs just a small dose of moisturizer after the retinol.

And that is my first week of 2023 skin care. I know my line up got a little twisted in the replay here but I think I covered all of the elements. I am still topping off my skincare with the Tatcha Kissu lip mask. Especially at this time of year,. The cold and cutting winds have arrived and they pull moisture form my lips like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat. I will try other lip masks, because I can never resist trying out a lip mask, but for now this is the top favorite and the lip mask I will use consistently.

I hope you enjoyed this list. As most of the products are new I find this an exciting time. For now it is just appearance scent and how they feel. But there is also hope. Hope that these products will perform as advertised. As most of them feel quite nice, my hopes are high.

The Skincare Line Up: December 23rd

Welcome to the Friday before Christmas. This afternoon I will be heading out so next week will be interesting, but lets see what got used this week shall we?

Cleanser (day time): GlamGlow Supercleanse Clearing Cream to Foam Cleanser

Cleanser (night Time): Milk Wash Exfoliating Jelly Cleanser from Beekman 1802

Toner: Elemis Superfood Fruit Vinegar Liquid Glow

Serum: Ole Henriksen Truth Serum

Out with the old, in with the new! Sale on Sale – Take an Extra 25% Off Sale Items!

Eye cream: Byroe Rose Tea Eye Cream

Moisturizer: Drunk Elephant Protini polypeptide Cream

Night Cream: IT Cosmetics Confidence in your Beauty Sleep And Wander Beauty Do Not Disturb Overnight Repair Concentrate

Lip Mask: Tatcha Kissu lip mask

Okay there were a couple of items that I ran out of last week and so I reached for products I already had in use. To replace the empty Skin Inc Serum i went for my trusty Truth Serum from Ole Henrkisen. I have lost count of the number of times I have used this serum and I will no doubt pick it up again when this bottle is done; It is a really great vitamin c serum that doesn’t make your skin sun sensitive. I am a fan.

I am also a fan of the Elemis Superfood Fruit Vinegar toner. I know, I love most Elemis products. There is something about this scent that I just love. It is like fermented apple cider. It also works really well.

And then we have the two cleansers. They are a fabulous power couple and I adore both of them. I will happily use both of these any time.

Returning also is the Byroe Tea time Eye cream. It is fantastic. The gel texture has it absorbing really well and my skin is absolutely loving it.

Having said that all four of these products are too big for me justify packing in my bag. This Christmas is going to be a shorter visit than usual as I spent two weeks at my mom’s in September and then we went down for longer over thanksgiving. And so the smaller bag is packed. Plus I need space for the box of gifts we are adding. So as much as I love these products I will have to leave them home and know that they will be waiting for me when I return.

This week the It Confidence in a Beauty Sleep cream finished on Tuesday. I like it. It is a good cream and I think that for the duration of a jar of cream i could tolerate the scent of it. It is strong and not my favorite scent. But it works well enough that I would be willing to ignore it for the duration of the jar. I would probably be very happy to finish the jar when i am done,. but I do like the cream enough to use. For me it is a thicker cream that works well in the Winter but I think might be too heavy at other times of the year. If you have drier skin then it may be for you for a longer part of the year, just know it is highly scented. Even though i suggest you test most moisturizers before you use them full size, I would definitely recommend trying this first just to see if the scent is for you before picking up a full jar.

Since it ran out, I rolled in the Wander Beauty Night Concentrate. I have used it before and absolutely loved it. So it was really nice to have it in my list up again. While I could probably make space in the bag for it, the type of pump it is doesn’t make it ideal for travel, so I will leave it home and then start using it again when I return.

As for the Drunk Elephant, I scraped the bottom of the sample sized container this morning. I used every drop of this and as far as samples go, it did it’s job. I definitely wast to purchase the full size of this moisturizer. it wasn’t large enough to see results but my skin felt so soft and hydrated after I used it that I am definitely willing to put it on the list for a full sized trial. I loved this sample. It had almost no scent to it, absorbed well and felt fantastic. It moisturized well and I am looking forward to a longer trial sometime in this upcoming year.

Tatcha Lip, always fabulous. And going into the travel bag before i leave.

And that my darling is my skincare for this week. While most of the items were super fabulous, they will be staying here and waiting for me when i return from Christmas. It will be nice to return to them, but it will be a sample sized Christmas.

Also this week I will be skipping the Friday Face Mask since I will be on the road. I suppose I could put one on while i’m driving but I really think that might be a bit much for my fellow travelers. I will probably put on a face mask with my mother tonight, but that won’t make it to a post. I hope that whatever you are up to this year, you have a fabulous vacation and some well deserved down time if nothing else. Merry Merry and I’ll see you back here next week.

Advent Calendar: Day 12

Day 12: Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm

Our No.1 best seller transforms into 3 unique textures for the ultimate cleansing experience. It nourishes as a balm, easily removes makeup as a cleansing oil and hydrates as a cleansing milk. The mineral oil-free formula also infuses Rose and Mimosa waxes with Elderberry, Starflower and Optimega™ Oils. Its unique blend of 9 essential oils including Lavender, Chamomile and Eucalyptus smell like heaven in a jar to invigorate the senses. Skin is left feeling deeply cleansed, soothed and supremely soft.

I know this Cleansing Balm from Elemis appears in many advent calendars and I for one will never get tired of seeing it. I have the full size and have gone through more of these cleansing balms in multiple sizes than I can remember. This balm melts the makeup off and doesn’t irritate my skin. They have many different scents that all work just as good as this one if you prefer a different scent. In the end I will use this cleansing balm in any scent and any size. This one will be in my travel bag for Christmas so I don’t have to take the full size with me. It works so well, I am always happy to have another.

It’s a Holiday Mask for Face mask Friday

Since I went and used the Santa and Candy Cane Masks for My mid week masking moment i decided to round it out with the third holiday mask I picked up, the Hot Cocoa Revitalizing Mud Mask from Que Bella. You know I love mud masks and I figured this was a self contained one that would have one, maybe two uses and then I could move on to my using up the open masks of my masking drawer plan. Actually I have been using those periodically on days other than Friday to clear them out, so I feel less badly about dipping into a holiday mask.

According to the brand this is…

Perfect stocking stuffer, Contains nourishing cocoa butter, Dermatologically approved, and New for 2022 & exclusive to Target

Yeah not the best description, I know. There is also no ingredients list which I didn’t realize until after I applied it. I was so excited about the holiday theme I got ahead of myself and didn’t check things out like i usually do. This mask retails for $2 in case you are wondering. And I picked it up because of the holiday theme and because I love mud masks.

Normally i am pretty easy going with masks. Some I like better than others clearly, but over all I am generally willing to think of one time use masks as a moment of relaxation. if I use them more than just once it is because they have skincare benefits I like, but the one time use products are more a mental health break or designed to target a specific issue I only need temporary assistance with.

Having said that, I did not like this mask. I cut the pouch open and there was only enough product for one use. I did apply it in a thicker layer than most people but still, if I thinned it out there were maybe two uses. After using it once the bit of mask left behind I had no interest in saving. But I am getting ahead of myself.

First, the scent. It smelled vaguely of cocoa but also vaguely of something slightly industrial. It actually smelled a bit like an unscented candle. but not a soy or beeswax version, something not entirely natural. That kind of waxy candle scent. It reminds me of the red tapered candles that my parents used to get when I was a kid. The kind that were unscented but smelled like red dye and industrial wax when burned. Which is why I went to the website to look at the ingredients. Which they didn’t have on the site.

My skin didn’t react to the test patch so I went ahead and applied it to my face, waited the fifteen minutes and then rinsed it off. There was no tingling or reaction of any kind while wearing it and the mask didn’t really dry down at all in the fifteen minutes which is not typical for mud masks. Still there are a couple of mud masks that I love that don’t dry down so this wasn’t that big an issue.

When I washed it off there was an odd waxy layer left on my skin. It didn’t feel hydrated or really like anything had been done to my skin other than a waxy layer added. It was like the waxy layer was put under the mask and the mask was just for show. To remove it I ended up using a physical facial exfoliant. The one I currently have on hand is the Elemis Skin Buff (I highly recommend it as it is fantastic). It did a lot more for my skin than the mask did.

In addition once the mask was removed I had to clean upo the sink. Not only was there mask residue but my skink had a waxy layer on it where the water was beading up on top of it. So I had to get an exfoliant for my sink as well. (let’s hear it for old fashioned Comet). Over all, I did not enjoy this face mask and quite honestly $2 is far more than this mask was worth. If you are inclined to add small face mask packets to your shopping cart while in Target (which I am inclined to do) give this one a pass. It really isn’t worth it.

The Skincare Lineup: November 18th, 2022

Good morning my darlings and welcome to the Friday Skincare line up. Here we discuss all of the products in my line up and how I feel about them. As you can see we have a couple of changes but most everything is still in motion from last week. Let’s dive in and see how all the products are playing with each other, shall we?

Cleanser (day time): Glam Glow Supercleanse Clearing Cream to Foam Cleanser

Cleanser (night Time): Milk Wash Exfoliating Jelly Cleanser from Beekman 1802

Toner: Elemis Superfood Fruit Vinegar Liquid Glow

Serum (night Time): Ole Henriksen Truth Serum (night)

Serum (day time): Beekman 1802 Collagen Electric Daisy and Peptide Booster (day)

Eye cream: MZ skin Eye cream

Moisturizer: OGEE Velvet Botanical Moisturizer

Lip Mask: Tatcha Kissu lip mask

I know a lot of this looks similar to the week before but there were some exciting changes this week. Forst let’s look at the cleansers. The Glamglow has been in for a few weeks at this point and I really like it. It’s strength is pulling clogged pores to the surface. It’s weakness is leaving gray charcoal film all over the sink so that it needs to be wiped down after every use. (I wipe it down while I am brushing my teeth actually and it works well, just don’t let it dry).

but for every clogged pore brought to the surface, an exfoliator is needed to send it on it’s way. This week I rolled in the Milk Wash From Beekman 1802. It is an exfoliating Jelly cleanser. And it is a really interesting product to use. It dispenses like a clear jelly and you apply it to a dry face. I remove my makeup pat my skin dry and let my skin dry off completely before I go in with this cleanser. As I take my makeup off after dinner and don’t wash my face until bedtime it works well for me. The cleanser feels almost like a light Vaseline on the skin. It foams up a but when you add water and wash it off. Th9is was it’s first week of use but I can feel that with the one two punch of clearing cleanser in the morning and exfoliating cleanser at night my face is clearer.

You know I love Elemis and you know I love this toner. It works well and I think the scent of it is just fabulous. It’s a bit like a fermented apple cider. So perfect for the time of year and yet still fresh feeling.

With the serums I suppose I could layer them but i tend to like my Vitamin C serums in the night so I just reach for the Collagen serum in the morning and the Truth Serum at night. Even when there is sun out, this Truth Serum is fine for me to use during the day. I’ve used it before and had no sun sensitivity from it. the collagen booster is helping to lock in moisture during the day. It is slightly stick even after it sort of dries down but applying a moisturizer right after it has had time to settle ends the stick factor so that it isn’t a problem. the truth serum doesn’t have any issues with stickiness. It also smells like freshly squeezed orange juice. I suppose that should make me want to use it in the morning but there is something nice about using it in the evening. Both serums work well with the moisturizer I am currently using.

This week I finished up the night cream I was using so I used the OGEE for both morning and night time application. It worked well until about Wednesday. And I think the reason things changed was the central heating. Until now it has only kicked on a few times a night. Starting around Wednesday it kicked on repeatedly during the day and then ran most of the night. The more the heat kicks on the drier my skin becomes. The OGEE moisturizer is a fantastic day cream and I can continue to use it as a day cream, but i am going to need to bring in a night mask at least twice a week if I am to continue using this as my full time moisturizer while the heat is running.

I don;t mind that actually. I am perfectly fine having a day cream and a night cream. In the warmer months it isn’t that big a necessity. It is only in the winter when the temperatures drop and the indoor air becomes dry that I need a day time and night time moisturizer. It is a split that occurs pretty much every time the seasons change. So I will be rolling in a Night mask a couple of times a week until I reach the end of this moisturizer. other than that, I really enjoy the OGEE moisturizer. And I love that it is clean skincare.

I can’t say that I love the MZ Skincare eye cream. It is okay. It isn’t too heavy and I haven’t noticed any real clogging of the pores where I apply it (for me that is an area that gets clogged pores easily) but I haven’t really noticed too much in the way of line plumping of the crow’s feet either. it is still early thought. I am just at the thirty day mark with this eye cream so maybe I will wake up on day 31 with baby smooth skin. It is doubtful of course. I will keep using it until I get back from Thanksgiving (because it is open, small and easy to travel with). After that i will do a bit more of an evaluation.

And then finally we have the lip mask. The Tatcha Kissu lip mask is still working fantastically well. I am trying to finish out the Sephora lip scrub. It is less fantastic. It is one of those products that is okay and if I was trying to get my order up to get free shipping I would add to the cart, but it isn’t something I would specifically go to Sephora to order. It is fine to use if you come across it, just not worth seeking out.

And so that is my skincare line up this week, the good, the not so good and the forgettable. There really wasn’t anything bad, but there were a few fabulous items and a couple I can’t want to see continue on to hopefully show results. And now we dive into the work day that is Friday. I hope you have a fantastic one.

Black Friday 2022