This week I thought I would talk about some old favorites, new favorites and rediscovered products. I guess that's every weeks post but I have no intro this week. I've been lazy binge watching Game of Thrones (yes I know I'm behind but I never watched it before a few weeks ago) and getting ready for the holidays. I always hate the mad rush of shipping cards and Christmas presents by what I now realize typing this is next week. I had purchased a few NIOD MMHC on sale a short time ago but finally got around to pulling it out to use daily. I completely adore this super light texture hyaluronic acid serum. It's not sticky, has multiple weights of hyaluronic acid and it sinks in quickly with no layering or pilling issues. Once you try the texture you'll see why it's such a good one. It's truly one of the kings of hyaluronic acid serums and easily one of my all time favorites. Review HERE. I love the little pebbles by Lilah B. They're so cute. I've been reaching for my b. dazzling Divine Duo Lip & Cheek all week. I love the creamy texture and sparkling rose gold champagne shade. It matches my skin tone perfectly. Review HERE.
This week on Instagram I mentioned Forest Rhapsody Dew Drops. I'm completely obsessed with gel-oil balms and this one is a great choice. It's got a really nice glassy thick gel texture. It's pure luxury to massage this into the skin as the texture is just really pleasant. A gel-oil balm is versatile as it can remove makeup yet rinses clean so it doesn't need a cleanser following it to remove the excess oil. They make a great non-drying morning cleanse, can be an only cleanse at night or either part of a double cleanse. You can use some of them as leave on treatment masks-apply, leave on, jump in shower and rinse. Dew Drops has some enzymatic action from papaya enzymes. It has a clear yellow hue and thick glossy gel texture. This reminds me of Jordan Samuel Skin The After Show Treatment Cleanser (non-sensitive style) it's just a touch thinner. I will be using every last drop. I prefer this as a morning cleanser.
I've been using the Luzern Serum Absolut Luminous eye serum for a while now. I love its super lightweight refreshing texture. It has a water light hydrating serum texture. It's great under an eye cream, this isn't enough for my dry eyes on it's own. I love the rollerball packaging which is new for the brand as it was recently repackaged. The rollerball is larger and really refreshing and cooling. It has peptides, niacinamide & Swiss extracts. I feel this gives my eyes a refreshed appearance and it's great at de-puffing. More to come. So I pulled out my La Mer The Soft Fluid Long Wear Foundation like I do every fall. I love it's long lasting medium coverage. It starts dewy and hydrating but sets to a more satin finish. It doesn't dry me out like most long wearing foundations do and it also doesn't get oily in the nose on me. I wear shade Beige. If I had to choose between this and the cushion I would pick the cushion. I probably wouldn't buy this one again (I like more sheer and dewy in general) but I'm enjoying it while I have it. Review HERE.
I can't believe I finally finished off my bottle of Vintner's Daughter Active Botanical Serum. I loved the lighter texture of the oil. It has a blend of 22 botanical and essential oils. The essential oils are fairly prominent in this one. They're not terribly strong but they're present. I love the glow this gives my skin and the texture is spot on. It's very expensive but not the most expensive facial oil I've ever bought. If it's in your budget and you like facial oils with a more herbal aroma experience then you will probably like this. I would say this is not for sensitive or reactive skin due to the essential oils. I also feel you get what you pay for with facial oils meaning the textures are better in the pricier ones pretty consistently. There are plenty of other facial oils I like just as much or more and they're not as expensive so I probably wouldn't buy it again right now. I never say never though but I just have too many right now to need a new one. If it was magically in my collection without me having to buy it I would continue to use it because I do really enjoy it. I also did finish the whole bottle up which is not true of that many facial oils (I tend to get rid of them for new ones fairly often). Review HERE.
This week I grabbed my Petite Histore Fields of New Amsterdam for a warm cozy scent. The natural fragrance brand has three scents that I love but I always come back to this one. It's notes: Top-Italian Bergamot, Black Pepper. Middle-Turkish Rose, Indian Tuberose, Jasmine Sambac. Base-Patchouli, Vetiver, Sandalwood. It looks as though this has been renamed Patchouli Vespéral as well as repackaged. Fields of New Amsterdam is your slightly smoky, rich scent perfect for winter. This is the one you want to wear when you cozy up to the fireplace or go out for the night. It’s warm and earthy with vanilla, vetiver and patchouli. Review HERE. I'm sure you've seen the Medik8 HYDR8 B5 Intense all over Instagram by now. It's for good reason-It's amazing. The texture is light and hydrating but not sticky at all. It sinks in well. I adore the purple glass bottle as well. This is a take on the original best seller HYDR8 but with added NMF (Natural Moisturizing Factors). This has sodium hyaluronate, sodium PCA, urea, allantoin, saskatoon fruit extract (antioxidants), black carrot juice, Lactic acid (NMF), trehalose & amino acids. If you like lighter hyaluronic acid serums that aren't sticky and stand out from the rest this is one to try. It should work for all skin types. More to come.
It's no secret I love Allies of Skin. The brand never disappoints and have really thoughtful well done formulas. The quality is always spot on as well. I finally started using the Mandelic Pigmentation Corrector Night Serum a few weeks back. It's been out for a little while but I didn't have it at first. I love mandelic acid which is derived from almonds. It's a larger weight Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) that is gentler on the skin and has less sensitizing effects. It also is really great for pigmentation. This has an 11% mandelic, lactic & salicylic acid blend. I always prefer the multi-acid approach to singular. It's powerful enough to work yet without the glycolic it's going to be more gentle and more skin types should be able to use this. This also has hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, rosehip & tamanu oils to hydrate and nourish the skin. It also has bakuchiol the "plant retinol alternative" and peptides to boost collagen production, reduce redness and inflammation plus inhibit melanin production. This also has rumex occidentalis extract a plant extract that limits melanin production. This seems to be a pretty promising extract for pigmentation. Overall it's a power house. I've only been using it three weeks so I won't go into results until after I empty a full size bottle but the reviews so far are great for this product. It can be quite strong so I do skip it on some nights. It has eliminated my need for a morning acid toner. More to come.
Top to Bottom-Lilah B., La Mer, Forest Rhapsody, Allies of Skin:
*Forest Rhapsody, Allies of Skin, Luzern & Petite Histoire gifted but all thoughts are my own.
