Best of 2023

Where did the time go this year? Feels like it was just Christmas last year. This photo was actually take on the night before Christmas Eve 2022. 2023 was the year I finally took the most time off social media for myself. It’s been almost ten years since I started this blog and I used to feel bad if I was absent a long time–but this year it just had to happen. So yes there weren’t many reviews on here or on Instagram. A lot of my content lived in 24H stories the most.

I took some time to see my mom in Colorado earlier in 2023 to help her with her Hysterectomy surgery. It was nice to have that time off and see snow again. Ella loved Colorado. Taking a week off gave me a little reviving energy. The first half of the year was filled with a bathroom remodel. It was the best thing ever–I love it. Next is the kitchen and the floors in the majority of the house. Maybe by late 2024 it can begin.

2023 was a year of great personal struggle for me. Work was very challenging in August/September, we had a few personal issues and family drama that took up the rest of the year (and is still ongoing). This affected my drive to post and lowered my creative energy this year. I had a great time with family in Arizona right before Christmas last month. I did a ton of art projects (like my reindeer card for Ella) which really helped me start to get my creative juices flowing again. I’m starting to feel a little bit of that energy come back now. My time off social media and blogging last year was about six months split up. It was very needed and well deserved. I don’t feel guilty anymore (I did at first), so thanks for putting up with me and sticking around.

While I had those personal struggles time wise, I grew personally and felt more empowered to show my real, non-makeup skin online more than ever–even when having massive rosacea flares. I wanted to track my skin journey in my stories more from Sente pigmentation to rosacea flares to droopy eyelids and wrinkles. I wanted to post more routines with recommendations and get back into more education about topics I’m passionate about–like dry skin awareness, rosacea, aging and helping others realize that we all have skin struggles and no online person is ever perfect.

Sometimes the staged effect of Instagram gets to be too much for me–I miss the days when it was more real feeling and less staged for likes/views or trying to get brands attention to become a full time content creator. I stopped doing as many product reviews, I was done just churning them out because I received a product. You’ll see it eventually if I really like it–trust me. And lets face it–no one makes those pouty faces when trying on lip color in person–let’s get back to good old arm swatches. Me switching my content style to go less video will give me more time as it’s easier for me to manage on top of a full time job and my 8 year old. I do want to try to get back into doing empties videos for ya’ll though–give me some time to catch up in life. My only goals this year content wise are more blog reviews and getting empties videos back.

I stayed very loyal to some tried and true products. These are my holy grails you see me mention all the time. Once I find something that really works for me, I find it hard to replace it unless something is way better. My LED masks are definitely one of my most used and treasured products. Great for inflammation and redness, plus lines and wrinkles. Best skinvestment I’ve made. Reviews HERE, HERE and HERE. 100% recommend. I have rosacea and LED/NIR therapy has really helped me reduce my flare numbers per year. That combined with consistency, not trying every new viral product on the market and cutting out irritating things to my skin. I do have a code for 15% off Currentbody–MICHELLE. Shop HERE.

There were definitely some great new discoveries and lessons learned even further about my skin and what I really wanted out of my products and routine. I stayed pretty true to using NIOD and The Ordinary like usual. I’ve been using these brands for almost ten years now and many are staple products in my life. They had some great launches last year like the Multi-Peptide Eye Serum, Soothing & Barrier Support Serum, NMF + Phytoceramides Moisturizer and the Glycolipid Cream Cleanser. Survival 0 and Modulating Glucosides will always be in my arsenal. I also really love NAAP for gentle non-acid exfoliation. I think I also turned a bunch of people onto ‘B’ Oil this year which is the best cheap facial oil blend on the market. Love that oil. This recent Deciem favorites post HERE will go over all these in detail and link you to full reviews.

Cleanser wise I really went creamy or oil based only this year minus two exceptions–Twelve Beauty Dara’s Water and Geek & Gorgeous Jelly Joker. Dara’s Water is like a micellar water but it’s not. It water thin, but uses natural sugars and humectants to cleanse instead of surfactants. It’s great in the morning and never dries me out. Jelly Joker is a thick non-foaming gel cleanser that is non-drying. It’s one of two gel cleansers I can actually use right now. I like to use it in the shower.

I also stopped double cleansing unless I was outside for hours in the summer heat sweating like crazy. I no longer need the effects from double cleansing to keep my skin clear–it’s so dry I couldn’t break out if I wanted to. I found a single cleanse is just as effective at night for my makeup and it’s less drying to my skin. I tend to use the creamy cleansers in the morning. Ferver Fermented Black Tea Cleansing Face Milk was my favorite lightweight creamy cleanser for non-winter weather. It’s cheap and the texture is a runny milk. Sente Daily Soothing Cleanser and Stratia Velvet Cleansing Milk remain my top two cream cleansers for now–until something beats them. I did enjoy the Naturium Multi-Calm Cream Cleanser but there’s something I like about Sente and Stratia a bit more–they almost have a hint more of a gel edge to them. VOTARY launched the Super Seed Sensitive Cleansing Cream which is a richer creamy cleanser. If you like a luxe creamy cleanser this one is great. It’s more a typical cream cleanser than Sente or Stratia which have that hint of a gel texture to them.

Deviant Cleansing Concentrate will always be my first love for a cleansing balm and I constantly have it on hand. This year I got into the La Belle Lune Wicthing Hour and the new TATCHA Indigo Cleansing Balm the most. Those were my two new favorites. La Belle Lune is kinda similar to Deviant but a little thinner, with a hint of more scent from an essential oil. It’s not strong scent wise and if Deviant is too heavy you might like this one more. The TATCHA took me a little while to get used to before I really liked it. I think the top layer felt more oily but once you get below that first layer it’s really this soft textured balm. It’s soothing with no fragrance and rinses clean. I have almost powered through my tub. Krave Makeup Re-Wined remained my top favorite gel-oil balm to date. Think gel texture with the cleansing power of an oil. Rinses clean and smells like heaven (light natural grape scent). Review HERE.

There were a few other good new launches in this category as well. Renee Rouleau Better Than Balm is a nice thin gel, not quite as thin as Krave but pretty close. It has a hint of a rose scent. I personally had hoped for a more cucumber/fresh scent, but I can handle rose it doesn’t irritate my skin and it’s very very faint. Harborist revamped their cleanser so it’s thinner and easier to remove. What I like about this one is that it’s thin and doesn’t have any fragrance so it’s great for sensitive skin. I did not expect to fall for Bloomeffects Royal Tulip Cleansing Jelly but it’s fabulous. Has a nice gel-oil balm texture and this almost sweet, kinda nutty scent. It’s very faint and only from the natural ingredients–no added fragrance.

Makeup wise honestly nothing has changed for me. I still love my eyeshadow sticks, cream blush, dewy light skin tints and brown eyeliner. Give me hydrating lip products and I cannot wait for the matte lip trends to die a long harsh death. My favorite cream blushes are still Nudestix Nude Buff, Westman Atelier Mimi, Cle de Peau Perfect Peach, MAC Glow Play in Blush, Please and Victoria Beckham Playground. Eyeshadow stick wise it’s By Terry Bronze Moon, Bobbi Brown Golden Bronze and Trish McEvoy Topaz for the win for me–they never crease. I still use a couple SUQQU, Natasha Denona and other powder shadows on occasion. I did dabble a bit in some new duochromes by Cliohand Cosmetics. I hope to swatch them soon for you.

I’m still really into the FitGlow Beauty Lip Serums and Naturium nude collection tinted lip balms are thick and great. They’re sold out currently–but I hear they’re coming back. I dearly miss Tom Ford’s Lip Color Sheers. There was nothing like spending $200 every Black Friday for a bunch of mini Boys & Girls lippies. Such a great hydrating formula with some shimmer. Why does everything have to be so non-shimmery now lip wise? I hope that trend comes back soon. Sheer, color tint, some shine plus shimmer. In a lipstick not just a lip serum or balm. The two new Fresh Tinted Lip Balms in Sugar Dewy Daisy and Sugar Lily Luster were nice this year. A hint of shimmer and not just a gloss/serum. They’re limited though. I’m also still true to Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder foundation. Lots of people launched skin tints but they just aren’t quite as good as that one. It was the OG skin tint IMO. Came out almost ten years ago ahead of it’s time. Charlotte Tilbury is not as oily as Summer Friday or MAKE Beauty, plus it sits on the skin better than the YSL Nu tint that came out. It’s either CT or I reach for Surratt Dew Drop foundation. Two drops gives me just enough color and the bottle lasts forever. Such a seamless finish skin like foundation.

Other than that I’m still using Surratt Concealer, their brow pencil and the Hourglass or MILK brow wands. The new Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Concealer is pretty nice too. Doesn’t crease and I don’t need to set it with powder. I’ve been reaching for this new one a lot this year. I gave up powdering my face completely to help my dry skin stay comfortable in the day. That was a good lesson learned. I also gave up primer mostly cause I really just want to get ready with makeup in five minutes–I’m so over a long get ready in the morning routine. I love seeing the minimalist makeup trend getting more traction. I’d like to see contouring and all that technical makeup die as a trend as well. No one has time for that every morning. Well, I don’t. To each their own.

There was one really good new launch this year–the Nabla Beyond Jelly Lipsticks. These are a glossy, buttery lipstick that’s moisturizing. They have medium pigmentation. I grabbed four shades and Luz is my absolute favorite. Luz is a neutral nude pink rose. My second favorite is Sublime a warm nude. These are online at Ulta now as well, but they’re always sold out. It’s only $2 more to buy them off their website and they have sales now and then so if you can’t get it at Ulta look at their website–that’s where I ordered mine from.

I have a few cheap brands that really stood out to me this year. Geek & Gorgeous launched in the US and the line is all fabulous. Review HERE. Really nice products for a decent price. Their retinal is the cheapest on the market and it’s really good. Lots of great products and I can’t wait to see how they expand one day. I also found Minimalist an Indian brand last year. I didn’t like everything they make but these these two moisturizers, cleanser and their peptide serum are great. If I only had to pick two it would be the gel cream and the peptide serum. Those two rock it. Review HERE.

Stratia stayed high in my rotation this year as well. The new Lipid Gold eye cream was a good launch and I was more steady using Velvet Cleansing Milk. Review HERE. Interface was a great peptide gel cream launch. Well worth looking at. I really only found one main new sunscreen I liked this year. I stayed true to EVY and Riemann P20 Sensitive obviously but this Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Moisture Airyfit Daily Sunscreen is perfection. It’s a creamy texture but it goes on non-greasy with a satin finish and it’s not drying at all. It’s great for summer and winter for me. I think it’s utter perfection in a sunscreen plus it’s around $15 depending where you get it from. I linked their official Amazon site, you can shop YesStyle as well. I only ever use the official brand Amazon site for buying sunscreen, never buy it from a third party Amazon seller. Eucerin Skin Balance Day Cream and Vanicream Moisturizing Cream remain my top drugstore choices for moisturizers. Nothing beats them. Everyone who tried the Eucerin loves it. Nice lipid rich yet light day moisturizer, and Vanicream while not the most elegant cream formula texture wise is so freaking good. It lasts all night and for $8 is the best if you have dry skin and need a cheap night cream that lasts and works.

I also rediscovered how much I love Indeed Labs Microbiome Essence. I have gone through tons of bottles of it this year. This became my favorite essence this year. I also really like their squeeze lip balm as well. I repurchased that and it’s almost gone. Saro de Rue launched an essence with Gothamista. I met her once back in 2018 at a NY New Beauty event. She’s so sweet and I love her videos. This essence is a higher end one, made with black ginseng and it’s just a lovely product all around. If you like an essence and want something special–give it a go. Peach & Lily launched their Copper Peptide Pro Firming Serum. It’s really more like a nice hydrating essence with amino acids, peptides and kiss of copper peptide. It was a nice launch.

Hair wise I skipped out on my K18 for a few months cause I thought I didn’t like it but then I missed it. I think it just had a learning curve and took me a while to get used to. Original review HERE. I started AREY as a hair journey and stopped dying my hair. I’ve been seeing a little improvement in my grey level but It’s going to be a long haul journey. Stay tuned. I discovered Adwoa hair this year and OMG is this line just delicious. The Blue Tansy Treatment Serum is a hair oil is to die for scent wise. It has a similar texture to Ranavat but it’s way cheaper so if you’re looking for an alternative that smells amazing try this one. I also grabbed their new Melonberry Frizz-Fighting Hair Gel and it’s just so good. The scents are so addicting and they’re nice products. I need to get into their blue tansy shampoo and conditioner line some time soon after I use up some stock in my bathroom. That’s another thing for me the last two years, but even more especially the last year–I have been really good at not getting FOMO or impulse buying. I’m using what I have first then trying something new. I still can’t help myself now and then, but I’ve been way better than years back. I finally tried Vegamour as a brand. I really loved the HYDR-8 line for dry hair. The scent is fantastic as well.

I did try a few new things for pigmentation this year. I started off with Cyspera then moved onto Sente Cysteamine HSA Pigment & Tone Corrector. I have a ton about my journey in my Instagram stories saved as a highlight if you’re curious. I will get to the review soon I promise. I was able to use it daily for the full 16 weeks and it made a huge difference in my skin pigmentation. It really lightened it. Even melasma. Impressive. I would have continued on with my journey and used it monthly for maintenance as directed–However, I seem to have developed an allergy to it. When I use it now I get red itchy patches like eczema all over my face and it’s just not worth it. So I moved onto Pillow Talk Derm next. I really liked the serum and the gel cream. They worked well together for me. The texture are nice and they did a pretty good job at lightening some pigmentation for me. Review HERE. After that I moved onto Medik8 OXY-R Peptides serum which has been fantastic. It’s water-light and it’s been really effective for me so far without irritation. I’m almost done with bottle two (it comes with two) then I’ll get a review up. I would most definitely buy it again. It uses stabilized 1% oxyresveratrol and brightening peptides.

I did get into a few new pricier products this year. I tried Plated and DefenAge finally. I normally have a couple more expensive products I want to try every year. I typically like to test these kinds of products well–meaning I like to do them for three months at least, if not six months. Plated was gifted to me by the brand. I did two of the Intense serums in a row then moved onto the Daily serum for two bottles. That was about 5 months I think. Plated uses human derived growth factors from platelets. So far the only other ones I have tried have been epidermal, adipose or mesenchymal. I used them twice a day and I really enjoyed them. I will be doing a review as soon as I can. DefenAge is something I have been wanting to try for years. I finally caved and used this for a little over a year now. I hate that I love it–only because it’s expensive. However, it has made a huge difference for me. I’ve been able to be off retinoids and all actives (acids, vitamin C) and manage to keep my skin the same–if not in better condition than before using just DefenAge and my LED mask. Review HERE. DefenAge could really replace my need for growth factors overall as it targets all stem cells–not just specific ones from the cell they’re derived from.

I also tried a whole year using DNA repair enzymes. I started with one bottle of Priori DNA Recovery Serum, then did three full size bottles of Photozyme and two minis. What are DNA repair enzymes? They’re enzymes that are supposed to help repair sun damage. They recognize and correct physical damage in your skin’s DNA caused by UV radiation, light or oxidative stress. Think of them as supplementing intrinsic DNA repair mechanisms. The idea is that it may help boost what your body should do naturally. There is some research where DNA repair enzymes were studied in pts prone to skin cancers and saw a reduction overall. The basic idea is UV radiation can cause DNA damage, which can then cause gene mutations, then cancer in some cases if it’s a malignant transformation. If you try to correct the damage before it goes to the end step you might see a decrease in photoaging and potentially risk for skin cancer. It definitely needs more research, but it sounds promising to me. I got three bottles during the Black Friday sale at 40% off and it lasted me a year so that’s not bad. I think of it as adding and enriching my antioxidant use. I only use it in the morning.

Do I think DNA repair enzymes work? Honestly, I don’t know. It’s easier to see what happens after using a product for almost a year then not using it or switching to a new product. I liked the texture and ideally it should help with pigmentation and photodamage, also potentially helping with lines/wrinkles. It’s almost like antioxidants–you don’t really see how they affect the skin daily. The changes are almost imperceptible. It’s like faith that antioxidants have an effect helping with photodamage. The only way you would have concrete proof is to use antioxidants on one side of your face only for years, possibly decades–then compare. No one will do that. Photozyme is not the most expensive one, and it does contain the three major DNA repair enzymes: photosome (plankton extract), micrococcus luteus (from bacteria) and arabidopsis thaliana (from mustard plant). I loved the texture , it’s light and easy to layer. Both Priori and Photozyme use liposomal encapsulation systems for their DNA repair enzymes.

I did finally get to dive into Alumier MD as a brand a little more. I grabbed two moisturizers and a creamy cleanser. SensiCalm is similar to Sente and Stratia texture wise. That creamy cleanser with a gel texture hint. It has a slight scent–nothing major. It’s not from essential oils, just the plant extracts. Honestly, I don’t know why I don’t reach for it more–I need to make an effort. HydraRich is my favorite of the two moisturizers. Very glossy, smooth and rich. Think like Dieux Angel but richer. Makes a great winter day cream. HydraDew is a bit light for me–more like a lotion. I have to layer it so it’s not in my repurchase list. I finally grabbed Regimen Labs to try. I didn’t them first round but when they did their second versions of Wave Serum and CREAM I grabbed them both. I like them both, they were a good purchase. Wave serum is a super thin hydrating serum with 10% glycerin and some newer style hydrators. CREAM is a lotion with petrolatum. Great if you have dry skin. It’s not a nigh cream level for me–but it’s become a day time favorite. I just repurchased both during the Black Friday sale. Prequel was a great new brand launch. The Skin Utility Ointment is my number one. It’s kind of like Aquaphor but a bit thinner so many may find it more texturally pleasing. Gleanser is a glycerin based cleanser. It’s actually not drying for a gel cleanser–there are very few that are not for me. It’s also great to shave your legs with. The Barrier Therapy Cream is great for dry or sensitive skin. It could work as a face moisturizer for some, maybe less dry types. It wasn’t enough for me on my face–but it’s a great body product. Not too heavy or greasy, not too light it lasts.

Naturium launched their Multi-Peptide Serum and that was their best launch of the year. Think encapsulated copper peptide with Argireline Amplified peptide. It’s only $25 as well which makes it super affordable. The texture is creamy but light. I am almost done with my third bottle–I’ll be doing a review after I finish this bottle. I plan to go back to Medik8 Liquid Peptides after this one is gone as I have a few bottles to use up. Medik8 is one of my favorite peptide serums for a mid-range priced product. Ferver Fermented Prebiotic Glow Serum was a great budget find for me this year. Super lightweight textured serum with Diglucosyl Gallic Acid and fermented plant extracts for an extra kick of antioxidants. I have yet to see another cheap serum on the market using DGA. I love DGA, it’s great for brightening without being as harsh as ascorbic acid on the skin. I used multiple bottles of Flawless Canvass Quantum Lift this year again. I really need to review this fully. I stop using it, then go back to it. Every time I go back to using it my redness is reduced and my skin just feels so much more resilient. My code BEAUTYENDEAVOR for 15% off.

Uriage is the other major brand I’ve gotten into this year. They use their own mineral rich waters just like Avene and La Roche-Posy but their products are so much cheaper. Way more affordable. I have a serious love affair with some of their products. The Xemose Face Cream is glossy and such a great day cream. They have a Bariederm Fissures Stick which is fabulous under the eyes or on my cheeks when I’m outside and it’s cold, or if I get dry in those areas during the daytime. It’s like the ultimate moisture stick for the face. Think avocado oil and shea butter with their P2P Polymer technology that forms a film on the skin. I love that it’s not greasy like the Vaseline body stick–it has more of a satin finish. You can use it on your body as well. Their Bariederm Repairing Cica-Cream is just like Avene Cicalfate but cheaper, and better than LRP Cicaplast which is less moisturizing for me. The Uriage Power3 Deodorant is the best I’ve ever used. If you suffer from being sweaty or are going through menopause this deodorant is life changing. I will never use another until I die or this is no longer made. They also make a Bariederm Ointment Fissures and Cracks. This is heavy duty stuff. Think thick paste with mineral oil, shea butter, oils and their P2P polymer complex. This is not for those who break out. This is for those who are super dry if you use it on the face instead of Vaseline. This baby stays all night long though. It can also be used on feet and the body.

Other random things I tried this year that I liked was the La Roche-Posay Lipikar Eczema MED. This saved me when I was getting those red patches on my face after using the Sente pigmentation product. Supposedly it has this patented ingredient that targets one type of staph bacteria known to trigger eczema through inflammation. it’s worth trying if you have eczema. Allies of Skin launched a lip balm and it’s fabulous. This Peptide & Ceramide Lip Balm is lipid rich but not greasy or slippery–it lasts well enough. Not like an overnight balm, but a great weekend or day balm. I really enjoyed and and I’m sad I left it on the plane and lost it in December. Shani Darden Hydration Peptide Cream was a great launch. Such a lush juicy thick gel cream great for layering. Their new Peptide Eye Cream is also fantastic. A peptide gel cream texture. Delicious. I really loved the Vaseline Advanced Repair lotion that launched this year. It’s light and absorbs quickly, non-greasy and lasts due to the petrolatum so it’s nice for dry skin or even all skin types.

Jordan Samuel Skin came back into my life again more this last year. I’ve been using The Performance Eye Gel every weekend for about 18 months. It’s a thick eye gel that really lasts. It’s so much longer lasting than any eye gel I’ve ever tried. If you like reusable eye masks it’s great under them. Hydrate Facial Serum got revamped this year. It’s now in a pump and thicker texture wise than before. It used to be thinner, but now it’s almost like a gel texture–I find it longer lasting than before which I really like. It was a great upgrade formula wise.

You know I’ll never stop using my favorite face creams at night: OBAGI Medical Hydrate Luxe, Biologique Recherche Vernix, Jan Marini Age Intervention or Dr Sam’s Flawless Revival Mask. Those will be constant for me until there’s something better. Same goes with facial oils and balms for me. I’ve stayed pretty consistent with VOTARY Super Seed and Super Boost Night Drops forever with LIVE Botanical Sanctuary Barrier Balm as my main trio. Aveeno Calm + Restore Skin Therapy Balm was one of the best occlusives I used this year. It was a great addition to my arsenal. It’s thin, not greasy nor heavy. This petrolatum occlusive forms a thin film on the skin without being too thick like the others. It’s the thinnest of the occlusives, and it lasts all night. I will always constantly use and recommend Atrac-tain Cream with 10% urea and 4% AHA for feet calluses. I’ve had so many who say this changes their life. It’s a hospital med meant for diabetic feet, but sold over the counter as well. If you have dry, rough feet–this is for you.

Happy New Year everyone!