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.

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.

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The January 2023 Empties

I have to say this looks like far more product than I expected. It feels like I haven’t gone through anything, but I have worked through a bunch of sample sized products. In many categories I am trying to clear out a bunch of the sample sizes before I switch to the full sized versions. A lot of what I have worked through are hair and body products. I had really good luck with this run of hair care products actually, so we will just start there.

There are two Christophe Robin products. The first is one of my all time favorites, the Cleansing Purifying scrub. It is one of my favorties and I have used it many times. I have a full size waiting for me in my hair care drawer. I also have at least one more sample size to use up before I open it. For me I use it once a month to really get my hair clean and fabulous. It takes the remnants of all products out while leaving my hair soft and fabulous.

The second Christophe Robin product is the Hydrating Melting mask. It has a very Aloe like scent to it and it is majorly hydrating. I liked the mask, but I think it is one of those masks that works better for my hair in the winter when it is dry. It might be a bit much in the warmer months but in the winter it is fabulous and I will probably repurchase this for winter use.

The Sachajuan hair mask was also a very good mask. It made my hair clean and soft, but it isn’t as heavily moisturizing as the hydrating melting mask. It is good for a weekly pick up for my hair. It is definitely somethin I would repurchase just for everyday use.

The Amika Dream Routine Overnight hydrating treatment is another winter fabulous hair product. I think it might make my hair a little overly hydrated in the summer time, but in the winter it is fantastic to help counteract the dry winter hair. I tend to pick a day where I don’t have to go anywhere to use this mask because I just don’t like sleeping with a hair mask. I love the results, I just can’t sleep with it in my hair. It also has that fabulous AMIKA hair product scent.

There were three Ouai products in my empties this time around. All three are from the Melrose Place Scent line. It smells like a very expensive rosy scent. I personally enjoyed it. I enjoyed it more in the hair care products than I did in the body cream. In the hair products it is intense in the shower but once the product is rinsed out it is a soft and subtle scent. With the body cream the scent is more intense and because it doesn’t get washed out, the scent remains. the three products I use were the Detox shampoo, the Ouai hair and body scrub and the body creme.

I adored the detox shampoo. it really cleansed my hair. It does need to be paired with a deep conditioner. I paired it with the Sachajuan hair mask actually and that worked fantastically well. The Ouai scrub worked well. It really got down to my scalp and cleansed while rinsing away clean. It too needs to be followed with a strong conditioner or hair mask. I found when i didn’t my hair needed a really heavy does of detangler. It is good for hair and body but personally I found using it as a body scrub to be a waste. It is much better with the hair. The body cream was absolutely fantastic, however its scent is very intense. I can wear it, but I can only wear it when I am not going to be spending time with people who are scent sensitive. But it is a fantastic creme so if you like the scent, go for it. I will definitely repurchase the detox shampoo, the other products I might repurchase if there is a sale. I would use them if they showed up, but the shampoo is the one I would go out of my way to purchase.

The Cake Milk Made hand cream I really like. The scent is very vanilla but the shea butter really soothes the skin. It is one of my favorite post hand sanitizer creams. I tend to get the small tubes of this just so that I can keep it in my purse. I have had several and will probably pick up several more as I really enjoy it.

There were two First Aid Beauty body products. One is the Bump Eraser Body Scrub and the other is the matching body lotion. The body scrub is fantastic. It is very finely milled and rinses off easily after providing a gentle scrub. It also leaves a bit of a sandy residue in the bottom of the shower you have to rinse away. It isn’t the most attractively scented product, but it works well. The matching body lotion has the same not so attractive scent. Unfortunately it doesn’t have the fantastic function of the body scrub. The scrub I will use again despite the scent because it is fantastic. The body lotion is just basic lotion with a not great scent so I would give it a pass.

The ESPA Refining Skin Polish is more of a facial exfoliator than a body one and I have lost track of how many of these I have gone through. I have used it in the sample size and then purchased the full size and then got several sample sizes in subscription boxes. This is a fantastically gentle exfoliator and I will no doubt use it again. Actually there hasn’t been a product from ESPA that I have tried and not loved. They are a really good brand if you are looking to create your own spa like event at home. I also pick up things from them for my birthday home spa each year.

The Wishful Clean Genie cleansing butter is a really good makeup remover. I would use it again. It melted every type of makeup that I used. From the deepest red lip stains to the most waterproof mascaras, it took down it all. I do wear contacts though and it did leave a film of oil over my contacts. It washed right away with a little saline solution, but just be aware if you wear contacts and remove your makeup with them in, you will need to clean your contacts after.

There were two moisturizer samples I finished at the very end of last year. One is the Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream. I adored this and will be looking at picking up a full sized version this year to test out. I also used the It Cosmetics Beauty Sleep Night cream. It was good, but it wasn’t anything spectacular. It is a product i wouldn’t mind using, but I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to repurchase.

There are two cleansers in my empties bin as well. Like the creams, one I would repurchase, the other I wouldn’t. For me the Medic8 Micellar Mousse was fine but not fabulous. It sort of smelled like furniture polish. You know that sort of lemon industrial scent? Yeah not my favorite. It was a decent clean, but not my favorite. However the Milk Wash from Beekman 1802 was fantastic. You apply it to your face dry and then add water to massage it and rinse off. It is n exfoliating cleanser and it is super gentle and just really takes off the last of the makeup. I thought it was absolutely fabulous and was very sad when it was empty.

Finally we have one empty makeup item. I did finish out a couple of items in my use up box, but we’ll get to that when we look at the use up box in a later post. This Milk Makeup Kush Mascara was a sample and I used it. I really enjoyed it. I would happily use this mascara again. I think, if i am honest, if I were to go to Milk to put in an order I would purchase the Rise Mascara before I would pick up the Kush, but I really enjoyed using the Kush masara.

And that my darlings is the empties bin from January. This month I actually had a lot more than usual because I am working my way through many of the sample sizes that have lingered in the drawers. I think that as I get through the samples, there will be a smaller number of items. Personally I really enjoy seeing the empties and thinking about how I feel about the items now that they are gone. This month I had a really good run of muck. Here’s hoping the next group of products I try out will be as good.

A FAB Duo…

I’ll be honest, I have received several items from First Aid Beauty that were labeled KP. For those of you who have seen KP on things and wondered what on earth it was, according to the May clinic the official definition is….

Keratosis pilaris (ker-uh-TOE-sis pih-LAIR-is) is a harmless skin condition that causes dry, rough patches and tiny bumps, often on the upper arms, thighs, cheeks or buttocks. The bumps usually don’t hurt or itch. Keratosis pilaris is often considered a common variant of skin. It can’t be cured or prevented.
Mayo Clinic

They have sample images to show what it looks like in case you are wondering if you have it. I don’t which is why I always passed on anything labeled KP on to someone else. When I looked at the FAB website though The Bump Eraser Body scrub just looked like a body scrub and the Smoothing Body Lotion looked like a body lotion. And after a brief walk through the ingredients list I decided to give it a try. The Bump Eraser Body Scrub is described as…

A body scrub that sweeps away dry, rough bumps associated with KP, strawberry skin and booty bumps to reveal healthier looking skin that feels exceptionally smooth. Safe for sensitive skin, this fast-acting body scrub uses Glycolic & Lactic acids, at a combined level of 10% AHAs, to help resurface skin’s top layer + Pumice to physically exfoliate, helping improve skin’s texture and smooth away bumps, roughness, and scaly areas, also known as chicken skin + buttne.
FAB

I took the Body scrub into the shower with me. The Tube contained enough for three showers worth of body scrubbing. I went with an every other day approach which is what I generally do with body scrubs unless they are intensive, then I go once a week or even once a month depending. This was designed for sensitive skin so the every other day approach worked well.

The scrub itself is like a very fine grained sand. It scrubs well and rinses off clean. It does leave a scrim of sandy matter on the bottom of the shower. It actually feels a bit like you have just jumped into the showier after spending a day at the beach. it does a good job exfoliating your feet during the rest of the shower, but I did have to rinse out the rest from the shower floor after I was finished showering as there was some that didn’t get swept down the drain. That could be because of my drain, but the end result is that these are not dissolving particles. They remain once the scrub is washed away.

Personally I really liked the scrub and I felt it did a good job. It is not a moisturizing scrub so I knew I was going to have to have a moisturizer after using it. Luckily I had the First Aid Beauty Smoothing Body Lotion to go with it.

I decided to use it after my shower as I would any body lotion. It is a thinner white cream that takes a little bit to absorb, but absorbs tolerably well. It is an okay body lotion. There was nothing I noticed about ti that was special or really memorable aside from it’s scent.

And the scent wasn’t pleasant. To be honest it had a scent that was a little like standing water. That sort of slightly musty scent that standing water gets. That is the closest thing I can think of as a description. The tube was sealed and it has no expiration date on it. I don’t think it has gone off. I think that is the scent.

The body scrub has the exact same scent, but the difference is that the scrub does not remain on the skin. It is there and the scent is lighter, but it also leaves as the scrub is rinsed off. The Body lotion remains. It is not a strong scent, it is very light. It is just no pleasant. If the body lotion were spectacular, then I would be able to get over the scent as it does fade away after about an hour. But the body lotion is just a general body lotion. it is fine, but not really something I would reach for or get excited about. And so the scent doesn’t make me want to reach for it.

The scrub on the other hand, I don’t mind the scent so much, partially because it does wash away pretty quickly, but partially because it is a really good body scrub. If you do suffer from KP then you might have different thoughts. If you are just looking for a really good, gentle body scrub I think this First Aid Beauty Bump eraser is a really good one to reach for, And while you will need a moisturizer after a good scrub down. I would recommend getting a body lotion other than the First Aid Beauty Smoothing Body Lotion. There are much better ones out there that you could pair with this fantastic FAB Body Scrub.

A different sort of Line up for the Skin: September 22nd, 2022

if you are looking at the picture above and thinking, that seems like there are some duplicates, you aren’t wrong. in the above photo I have the products I have been using and I also have the products that will be going with me when I leave tomorrow morning. Tonight i will use the products going with me and if there are no issues they will be packed and taken for two weeks at my mother’s house. Currently in rotation Are…

Cleanser: Avant Blue Volcanic Stone Purifying and Antioxidizing Cleansing Gel

Toner: Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner from First Aid Beauty

Serum: 35% Vitamin C Perfecting Serum from Allies of Skin

Eye cream: Kat Burki Nutrient C Eye Cream

Moisturizer: Volition Yaupon Tea Glow Awakening Moisturizer

Lip Mask: Tatcha Kissu Lip Mask

while there is probably over a week’s worth of cleanser in the Avant, there probably isn’t two weeks worth and I don’t want to pack two cleansers. So I will be taking the Alpha H Balancing cleanser with me. I wanted to try it out and I have two other Alpha H products to try so they will be going with me. One I know I like (the Liquid Gold Toner) and one I haven’t tried. But I will get to that below.

The FAB toner won’t be going with me because there is very little product left and it is a big bottle. As the Alpha H toner can only be used every other day, I have added in the travel sized bottle of the Byroe Toning essence. I’ve use it before and it is both a fantastic toner and a great essence. I will use it on the days I am not using the exfoliating toner.

I did pack a physical exfoliator as I really like exfoliating once a week. I am taking a travel size of the ESPA Refining Skin Polish because I have used it before and absolutely love it. I am sticking with the allies of skin serum since it has a locking pump and I am keeping the Volition moisturizer in the travel line up. This week i did use the Elemis Super Food Midnight Facial a few nights and it really worked well with the volition to give my skin the moisture it needed so i will be keeping them paired up for the trip. As I felt I had enough glass bottles and jars I traded out the eye cream for a tube of the Alpha H eye cream. It not only goes along with the other AlphaH products but it is a smaller tube.

Over all I was rather pleased with the products I used this week and I am happy with the ones going with me on the trip. While I am gone, there will be no skincare updates so tonight I will make sure there are no skincare reactions and then I will report back on the skincare in motion once I return from my trip.

Traveling with me are…

Cleanser: Alpha H Balancing Cleanser with Aloe Vera

Toner: Alpha H Liquid Gold and Byroe Bitter Greens Toning Essence

Serum: 35% Vitamin C Perfecting Serum from Allies of Skin

Eye cream: Alpha H Liquid Gold Firming Eye Cream

Moisturizer: Volition Yaupon Tea Glow Awakening Moisturizer

Night Mask: Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial

Exfoliator: ESPA Refining Skin Polish

Lip Mask: Tatcha Kissu Lip Mask

And so my darlings, those are the products I will be taking with me. I look forward to putting them to the test and reporting back about how well they worked and how well they traveled. I also can’t wait to tell you all about it when I return. Until then…

The Skincare Line up: September 16th, 2022

That’s right it is time for my favorite post, the weekly skincare line up. This week there were a few changes.

Cleanser: Avant Blue Volcanic Stone Purifying and Antioxidizing Cleansing Gel

Toner: Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner from First Aid Beauty

Serum: 35% Vitamin C Perfecting Serum from Allies of Skin

Eye cream: Kat Burki Nutrient C Eye Cream

Moisturizer: Volition Yaupon Tea Glow Awakening Moisturizer

Lip Mask: Tatcha Kissu Lip Mask

Okay let’s talk about those products that have been in motion for a while. First the Kissu mask from Tatcha. My lips love it and continue to love it. I adore wearing it to bed at night and I enjoy the light scent of it. It is a keeper in the line up and as so little is used each time i use it, this little jar is sticking around a while.

The First aid beauty toner is fine. It is an oat based toner and works well especially after a day in the sun. I like it and wouldn’t mind using it again but it isn’t on my repurchase list.

while I have had one clogged pore under the eyes with the Kat Burki eye cream I haven’t had another one so I don’t think it is a problem. The cream absorbs well and it has a light fresh scent.

the Avant cleanser doesn’t have as light of a scent as I thought it had for the first week. I think it was just lighter than the previous cleanser. There is something about the scent that i find vaguely cloying. Not enough to make me stop using it, but I don’t think i would buy this again. Well to be honest as the cleanser costs $110 I doubted I would be buying it again in any case, but a part of me hoped it would be knock me out of my socks fantastic. I actually tried a lip balm from Avant that was that good and (almost) made me think it might be worth the price. A part of me hoped this cleanser would be the same. It is not. It is good, but not fabulous. And certainly not $110 fabulous. It would be good for $35, great for $25. There is nothing wrong with it in other words, it just isn’t good enough to justify the cost.

There were two new products this week. The first was the Allies of skin Vitamin C serum. The Depology serum did last until yesterday morning so last night and this morning I used this serum. I love the glass bottle and I really do like the fact that the pump locks down. I had several serums to choose from and I did choose this one primarily because the pump could be locked. Next Friday I am leaving town and if I was starting a serum I wanted one I could take with me. with the locking pump, I can take this one with me.

I found it interesting. You have to shake well before each use. The serum is listed as having a waterless base so my guess is that it separates as it sits. It comes out looking and feeling like an oil. it is a dry feeling oil but it will leave you shiny until it absorbs. once it absorbs there is no shiny factor or greasy look. There is a slightly citrus note to the serum. while two uses isn’t enough to give any kind of detailed notes, I did like how it felt on my skin. It also seemed to pair well with the moisturizer.

The moisturizer is a Volition moisturizer. I have tried Volition products before. Their sunscreen is one I stock up to use consistently. I use it year round, but they generally have sales both in the spring and over the Black Friday shopping season so I tend to buy six month’s worth at a time. (each tube will give me about a month and a half’s worth of product plus a little bit extra so it is four tubes each sale if you are doing the math. It is well worth it.). I also enjoy their snow mushroom serum. This is my first use with the Yaupon Tea Moisturizer.

Yaupon is a type of holly native to southeastern North America (Yes i had to look it up). There is a light, almost floral note to the cream but it is one of those scents that if you stick your nose in the jar and inhale it seems strong but the scent dissipates very quickly. It almost reminds me of jasmine tea actually. mostly it just has that skincare cream scent. which i am fine with. The cream is a light one that is almost a water cream but not quite. When applied to the skin it does go sort of liquid-y as though it was melting into water. It absorbed well because of the consistency and I found it to be a good light cream. I am somewhat let down by it at night. It is a great day cream but I think that a few times a week I am going to have to roll in some form of night mask. I actually don’t mind that. i am perfectly fine with having a separate day cream and night cream. And I think the Volition is, for me, a really good day cream. it just needs a little help at night.

And that is my line up this week. At the moment things seem to be rolling right along. I am happy to keep this line up for the coming week.

The Skincare Line Up: September 9th, 2022

It is time once again for the weekly skincare line up. Here slowly but surely i work my way through products in my routine. For me I find this sort of thing exciting. I like the first use posts because there are interesting first impressions and of course I like the end of use posts where we see if there are any actual results, but I really find the in progress line up to be the most fun. Not only do I get to think about an array of skincare, but i get to think of it working in conjunction with other skincare. Does this product work better if I incorporate a facial oil into the routine or if I leave it out. Does this take longer to absorb and thus better left for evening use when I have more time in my skincare regimen than I do when i am racing to get my day started? These are the sorts of thigs I really do find interesting to know. So let’s see what we see with this week’s line up.

Cleanser: Avant Blue Volcanic Stone Purifying and Antioxidizing Cleansing Gel

Toner: Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner from First Aid Beauty

Serum: Depology Matrixyl 3000 Collagen Boosting Serum

Eye cream: Kat Burki Nutrient C Eye Cream

Moisturizer: Korres Santorini Grape Poreless skin cream

Lip Mask: Tatcha Kissu Lip Mask

This week there is only one new product but we have two products that are reaching the end of their life. This week I started the Avant Gel Cleanser. Avant is known for having both extremely long names on their products and for being rather expensive. This cleanser for example is listed at $110. which in my opinion is far too much to pay for a cleanser. All of the Avant products I have tried have come to me via subscription box. Which I like because while I love trying new products and in all honesty don’t mind spending money for good skincare, I am not going to spend a lot of money for something I haven’t tried before. Which is partially why I love samples. The reason is because skincare can be very subjective. Some products that work well for someone else’s skin type can work less well for you. I’ve also moved a lot in my life and to be honest there are some products that I’ve used in some places that simply don’t work with my skin when i moved to a different area.

that being said, this week i tried the Avant cleanser. It is a gel cleanser and it has a light fresh scent. I have to say that is actually just a pleasant relief. While my skin worked well with the BFF cleanser, the highly perfumed scent was starting to get to me. By contrast this was light and fresh. It is slightly on the perfumed side, but it is far lighter in scent and it leans into the clean scents rather than floral ones. It will be interesting to see if i continue to think it is light and fresh as the use goes on. Mostly because it is kind of on the edge and I think I might be giving it a bit of a pass since it has less of a scent than the Bff. Beyond that it is a nice, decent cleanser. It doesn’t seem to be doing anything spectacular. But it also doesn’t seem to be doing any wrong either. Again this will be interesting to watch as time progresses.

The First Aid Beauty toner is still working well. it is a good toner. I don;t mind using it and wouldn’t mind using it again. It isn’t one that I will feel the need to repurchase, but there is nothing wrong with it.

The Kat Burki eye cream is interesting. This week I had one clogged pore in my under eye area (left eye). i did some spot masking to draw it out and it cleared out well. I have had no other issues with my under eyes (and they are prone to clogged pores) so it may or may not be related to the eye cream. It is thus far the only one so I will watch it as time continues.

The Depology Serum has just completed it’s fourth week of use (the full review post will go up next week.) and I have to say i really liked this serum. it absorbed well and I can really feel a difference in my skin tone. My skin feels soft and hydrated with an improvement in texture. I will continue using this serum in the coming week. I don’t know how far into the week the serum will take me but i will be using every last drop. It will also be repurchased down the road.

The moisturizer I have been using is also reaching the end of the line. I will be able to use the last of it tonight and then I will need to roll in a new moisturizer. In general I enjoy Korres products and while I can’t say that i saw a reduction in my pore size throughout the use of this cream, I can say that it was the perfect level of moisture for my skin at this time of year. It wasn’t too heavy and it wasn’t too light. I used a little more at night than i did in the day, which is fairly typical for me. This summer it has been rather difficult to find moisturizers that weren’t too heavy for day time use, but this worked out well. It is a light cream and absorbed well. It did take a little longer to absorb in the mornings than I liked, but part of that might have been the humidity. There were very few days this summer where the humidity dripped below 80%. That this one took a little longer to absorb but didn’t just slide right off, was quite impressive.

And then finally we had the Fantastic Tatcha Lip mask. While only a little is used at a time, the mask is starting to show a dip in the center. I still think it will last quite a while, which i am pleased by. It is a fantastic lip mask to wear to bed and let absorb over night. I would happily repurchase it, but i am just as happy to have it last a long time before i di need to repurchase it.

And that my darlings was my skincare for the week. there was only one new addition, but next week, there will be two new products to join the line. I can’t wait to see how they perform.

The Skincare Line Up: September 2nd, 2022

Welcome once again to one of my favorite posts of the week. It is time for the skincare line up. Her I get to talk a little bit about each product and how it is working out on my skin, not only on it’s own but in conjunction with the other products in the line up. So let’s see what products we have in motion shall we?

Cleanser: Best Face Forward (BFF) Purifying Cleanser

Toner: Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner from First Aid Beauty

Serum: Depology Matrixyl 3000 Collagen Boosting Serum

Eye cream: Kat Burki Nutrient C Eye Cream

Moisturizer: Korres Santorini Grape Poreless skin cream

Lip Mask: Tatcha Kissu Lip Mask

This week I did finish up the Wander Beauty Glow oil that I had open last week. It was a great oil and one I will be ordering again. I had it in use partially because of the cleanser. The BFF cleanser is designed for skin prone to break outs. I had some problems with break outs when I opened the cleanser and while it was handy to have, and took care of my break outs, I have combination skin so the cleanser helped the breakouts and the oil, applied mostly to my dry spots helped them out. I didn’t add in an oil because this morning I used up the last of this BFF cleanser. So I will be switching to a non-salicylic acid based cleanser.

As for the BFF cleanser. It worked well and was gentle on the skin. The part I didn’t care for was that it is pretty heavily fragranced. It is far too perfume-y for me. while I don’t mind scent in my skincare, with cleansers I am a little picky. i want them to smell clean and if the fragrance is to strong it can make me feel like my skin is not as clean as it really is. I like knowing that I could use this when my skin is breaking out and that it works well, but I would only purchase it for that specific reason because of the scent.

The wild Oat Toner is going strong. It still has plenty of product for the moment. It is a good toner and feels nice after too much time in the sun. It isn’t my favorite toner though and once it is used up I probably wouldn’t use it again.

I am loving the Depology serum and I think I am starting to see small improvements in the fine lines around my eyes and mouth. This is the end of week three so the signs are minimal, but even if I am mistaken, this serum does make my skin feel really good. It is a fast absorbing serum that hydrates well and leaves my skin soft. It is a little sticky before it absorbs fully in but once it does it looses all stickiness and just feels great on the skin.

This was the first full week for the eye cream. I rolled it into the line up at the end of last week. Thus far it is performing well. It isn’t greasy and it hasn’t clogged any of the pores around my eyes. They are prone to bumpy clogs so that is nice. I also like the fresh clean sent of the product. it just has that clean skin care scent to it. I have no other name for it. We’ll see how it performs over time. And since it is a pretty big bottle i will have plenty of time with it. the trick seems to be not dispensing too much with the pump since only a little product is actually needed. thus far, I like it.

I am almost at the end of the Korres Poreless moisturizer. I have really enjoyed it. It is light weight and was perfect for the summer heat. I did end up using more at night than I did during the day. But i didn’t actually need a night cream. I think in the future though I would probably use this as a day cream and use something heavier at night.

And then finally there is the Tatcha Lip mask. So little is needed that it will last a while and I really enjoy the light scent and the way it melts into the lips over night. It is a definite winner that will be used until there is not a drop left and then repurchased.

And so my darlings that was my skincare line up for the week. Tonight I will have to pick out a new cleanser to try I think I have enough of the Korres to make it through this week, but I suspect by next Friday there will be a new moisturizer joining the line up as well. And yes, I am excited about going into the skincare drawer and seeing what products I can try next. I know a small thing to be excited about but i do get excited selecting the items to try.

The Skincare Line Up: August 26th, 2022

Once again it is time for my favorite post of the week, the skincare line up. This week we have one new item, a couple of items facing down their last week and a few who are still rolling on. Shall we take a loom at them?

Cleanser: Best Face Forward (BFF) Purifying Cleanser

Toner: Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner from First Aid Beauty

Serum: Depology Matrixyl 3000 Collagen Boosting Serum

Facial Oil: Wander Beauty Glow Ahead Illuminationg Facial Oil

Eye cream: Kat Burki Nutrient C Eye Cream

Moisturizer: Korres Santorini Grape Poreless skin cream

Lip Mask: Tatcha Kissu Lip Mask

I brought the BFF cleanser into the line up when I was having some skin issues and it really helped. while it isn’t causing any major drying issues, I can feel the drier parts of my face beginning to not be as happy with this cleanser as my skin was before. I only have about a week’s worth of product left and if I continue to pair it with the Wander Beauty Glow Ahead oil I should be fine. For me this is a cleanser that works well when I am breaking out and isn’t too drying, but really should be set aside once my skin has stopped breaking out. Which is good to know. Many cleansers designed to help break outs I can only use one or two days in a row before my skin starts to get flaky dry patches. this Has been less damaging than most and I will put it on a list to be ordered next time I do have need of a break out friendly cleanser. At this point in my life though that isn’t all that often. I generally have problems after I’ve been sick or around the holidays when my skin reacts to over indulgence. But I do like knowing what cleanser to call.

The Facial oil has been key I think to helping balance out which parts need more moisture. I concentrated the facial oil on my traditionally drier spots and blended out which really helps me. I really like this oil in general as it gives my skin a nice glow without clogging pores. It just did doubly duty paired with the cleanser.

The toner is nice and I will use it until it is gone, but I probably won’t buy it again. It feels good in the summer months but to be honest I haven’t seen it work better than my usual toners. And I kind of miss my Thayers with it’s which hazel.

The Depology Matrixyl 300 Collagen Boosting serum is something that my skin really loves. It smooths on well and absorbs easily. I do have to make sure my skin is dry or it will foam a little on the skin and feel momentarily slightly soapy (it goes away as it absorbs but still makes me think I missed rinsing off my cleanser). I have noticed an improvement in the texture of my skin as I have worn it. There is still plenty of serum to go and I will happily continue this trial.

The Korres Moisturizer is getting low in the jar, but it is a moisturizer I will pick up again. It has been a really good summer weight moisturizer. In general I like Korres products as my skin usually reacts really well to this. I can’t say I’ve seen a major reduction in my pores, but I can tell there are fewer clogged pores and my skin feels fantastically hydrated.

The Tatcha Lip mask is a permanent favorite. I love using it and will happily repurchase repeatedly.

This week’s new to the line up product is the Kat Burki eye cream I rolled it in Thursday morning so it is very new to the line up. It has a gel moisturizer like texture and a light fresh skincare scent. I love the glass bottle and the pump. It absorbs well and in the last day it seems to work well with my skin. I will keep an eye on it as I move forward, but it looks like it is going to be a good product.

And that my darlings is this week’s skincare. In the coming week I will finish out the cleanser and possibly the facial oil. I think I’ll have another week with the Korres and another two with the serum. Which for me is the perfect spacing for products. I like to space out the new arrivals so that I can monitor the effects on my skin and determine what product is doing what and make sure to deal with any interaction issues. So for me, things are rolling ahead nicely.

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The Skincare Lineup: August 19th, 2022

And so another week has gone by. My skin is much less freaked out not that I am not trying to recover from the freeze/thaw cycle. I kept the same line up from last week though, I am going to start adjusting soon. For one thing, My eye cream is almost empty and a new one will be needed. But first let’s look at the products in motion.

Cleanser: Best Face Forward (BFF) Purifying Cleanser

Toner: Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner from First Aid Beauty

Serum: Depology Matrixyl 3000 Collagen Boosting Serum

Facial Oil: Wander Beauty Glow Ahead Illuminationg Facial Oil

Eye cream: Verso Eye Cream #5 Extra Nourishing

Moisturizer: Korres Santorini Grape Poreless skin cream

Lip Mask: Tatcha Kissu Lip Mask

The purifying cleanser was very interesting this week. I did a full post about it which you can read here if you are interested. The basic summation is that it works well but as my nose if finally working again I realized it has quite the perfumed smell to it. I am not enjoying that aspect. I have about two weeks left of product in the tube so I will be using it up, but as nice as it is the scent makes me not want to repurchase.

The wild oat toner is fine. It is gentle on the skin. I find I miss the witch hazel of my usual toners and while I wouldn’t object to using this one again, i am not certain I would seek it out. The main reason being simply that I have other toners I like better. Most of them have witch hazel in them. It is a good toner though, just not something on my must buy list.

I am really liking the Depology Serum though. My skin soaks it up like a sponge and I think I am seeing some improvement in the fine lines. It is still early days with the serum but My skin feels soft and hydrated and there is no delay waiting for it to absorb. It sinks in quickly and I can continue with the rest of my skin care.

I do like the extra layer of moisture the Facial oil provides. Plus I like the little bit of glow I seem to be getting from the Wander Beauty Oil. I think it is helping to balance out the salicylic acid in the cleanser as well so that nothing is dried out. I do concentrate my oil use on the parts of my skin where I tend to get drier patches. And that seems to help.

The verso eye cream alas is no more. I thought I had an extra sample size socked away but alas I do not. I really like the brand Verso in general. I have tried several products from them and I have never had a problem with any of them. When their products are good they are excellent. when they are not so good they are still better than average. Which is not a bad thing to say about a brand. if I don’t like it, then the product is probably targeted for an issue I don’t have. I think I tried something from them (a moisturizer) designed for really dry skin and while it was too much moisture for me, I still used it as a night mask every couple of nights and it worked out really well.

Speaking of moisturizers, the Korres moisturizer is still working out well for me. I use a little less in the day time than I use at night and that seems to be the right level of moisture. I really like that the scent is slightly grape mixed with skincare. It is an odd scent for skincare but I really like it. The scent is stronger in the jar than it is applied to the skin and fades fast. I think I have about two weeks left of product in the jar and I will happily continue using it. I will also consider repurchasing it. I’m not entirely certain it is doing much pore reduction, but it hasn’t caused any break outs and has helped tame the ones I had. It is a moisturizer that I really enjoy using.

I also enjoy using the Kissu Lip mask from Tatcha. I think I will be using that for a long time. I love it, it works well and so little is needed that the small jar will last a good long time. I really like a pre makeup application to get my lips hydrated before I put on any lipstick and it is also fantastic as an over night lip mask. The amount differs and I put on slightly more for the overnight use. In the morning it is absorbed where as pre lipstick i wipe whatever hasn’t soaked in away (which usually isn’t much). As I tend to pick at my lips when they are dry, keeping them hydrated is a big thing for me.

And so my darlings that is my skin care for the week. The products are the same as last week. Next week I will have a new eye cream rolled in but everything else is still in motion. I think I have one more week of the Wander Beauty oil (it was not an unopened tube when I brought it into the line up and I hit it hard post exfoliation binge. It will also not be my last tube. In fact I think I have an unopened one in my skincare drawer. I will try to delay reaching for it until after I have tried out some of the other oils waiting testing). So one week left on the oil and two weeks left on the cleanser, serum and moisturizer. And so we continue forward and hope for fabulous results. Have a great Friday everyone.