Dresser Diaries: Volume I | A Little Bit of Everything
And here I start yet another series 🙈
Welcome to Dresser Diaries! My goal for this series is to share my first impressions (aka at 2 or 3 weeks of use) on some of the products I'm testing at the moment. I've really been enjoying sharing mini reviews on Instagram, so why not carry it over to le blog. While it would be cool to review every single product I ever use, I know that isn't feasible. Hopefully through this series I can chat about more products I'm excited about!
I'm currently in a blogging/ photography funk so I keep looking for ways to get my creative juices flowing again and this series is definitely helping 😉 One of my blog resolutions for 2017 is to stress less so I'm not going to overthink this.
I've been testing all the products I'm chatting about today for about 3 weeks.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum
$80.00 for 1 fl. oz/ 30 mL; available via Sephora, Dermstore, & Drunk Elephant (20% off if you shop through my referral link!)
This was the first full-sized Drunk Elephant item I ever bought and I still remember how hyped I was at the fact that I snagged it on sale (thank you, Dermstore!) Despite my initial excitement, it took me over 4 stinkin' months to start trying it because I had so many other skincare bits on my testing docket.
I've never tried a vitamin C serum before but I still decided to splurge for the Drunk Elephant serum. From what I read, vitamin C isn't the most stable of ingredients, especially when it's suspended in a liquid. Many cheaper vitamin C options end up oxidizing within months so I figured instead of spending $50 dollars on 2 or 3 different vitamin C serums that I end up tossing after a month or two, I might as well put it towards this Drunk Elephant one which is said to last much longer.
This serum contains 15% L-ascorbic acid which is supposed to be the most effective form of vitamin C according to the Internet (and the internet never lies.) It also contains ferulic acid and vitamin E which are supposed to help stabilize the vitamin C. Last but not least, the serum is packaged in an opaque, airless pump bottle. Basically they do a lot to make sure it doesn't oxidize. There has been some confusion about what color the serum is supposed to be-- you can check out Gothamista's video to learn more about it.
Because I bought mine back in November, I was afraid that the color would be off because Drunk Elephant recommends buying the serum between 4 to 5 months of using it. Thankfully it was a-okay! The first thing I noticed when I first started using it is the awful smell, but after a few weeks of use I no longer notice it. The serum has a very light, runny consistency but I don't find it hard to spread at all. I'll usually use a half pump at a time on each half of my face. If I go overboard and apply too much it does create a sticky, film on my skin. But even when there is the film, it doesn't pill when I layer the rest of my routine atop it.
The main reason I wanted to start using a vitamin C serum is because vitamin C is helpful at fading scars and combatting inflammation and redness from current acne.
Because vitamin C takes a few weeks to work, I'm hesitant to say whether I've seen any effects from this serum or not. What I can definitely say is that this serum has made my skin feel more plump and firm after my first few weeks of use. Because I have a chubby face and am only 23, loss of firmness isn't really something I'm concerned about but it's still nice to know there's room for improvement. After googling around a bit, I've learned that vitamin C can stimulate collagen synthesis so perhaps those are the effects that I'm feeling.
I'll definitely do a full on review on this serum after I've used it for another 2 or 3 months!
Heimish Artless Glow Base SPF 50 PA+++
$22.00 for 1.35 fl. oz/ 40 mL; available via OhLolly (10% off with my referral), Amazon, & Yesstyle
I picked up Heimish's all clean balm at the end of last year and it's quickly become one of my routine staples. Because I've seen Mika and Renee chatting about the brand, I was curious to try more from them. K-beauty makeup is something I'm always a bit hesitant to use because they're usually targeted towards people with a much lighter skintone so instead I went for a quasi-makeup item-- their artless glow base which is a sunscreen and makeup primer all in one.
I'm so used to using glowy bases like the VDL lumilayer primer and Becca backlight priming filter, it didn't even cross my mind that this sunscreen could be glittery until someone asked me if it was. While this does have some glitter, it's very subtle. In fact it's so subtle, sometimes I question if it's even there. Am I imagining it? Is it from another product? Is this real life?
Overall it creates a nice, luminous base. Because it isn't really dewy, I would say it's safe to use it even if you have oilier skin!
It layers well over my other skincare products and underneath my makeup. Like most other Asian sunscreens, it's lightweight and doesn't leave my skin feeling greasy. Despite the fact that I have a tan complexion, this doesn't leave any sort of white cast on my face. Because it doesn't contain any alcohol, it moisturizes my skin as opposed to leaving a dry finish (which inevitably leads to dry patches for me.)
If I'm being honest I would say this is more of a glittery sunscreen than it is a primer with sunscreen in it. When I use this sunscreen under my makeup, I can't say that it elongates the wear time of my makeup. I'm actually happy about that because I'm usually wary of makeup that has SPF in it as it usually isn't sufficient on its own.
Lately I've been trying to remove silicones from my skincare routine because I'm afraid that my cheeks breakout from products with high levels of dimethicone. This sunscreen has become one of my go-tos because it's free of -cones!
Alima Pure Lip Tint in Dahlia (PR sample)
$14.00 for 0.12 g/ 3.65 g; available via Alima Pure, Free People, & Credo Beauty
While I've jumped head first into the world of green skincare, I'm still slowing dipping my toes into the pool of green makeup. Last month I received a PR package with some Alima Pure goodies, and I'm happy to say my first venture into green makeup has been a success! I'm still testing out all the products but one that has become part of my everyday makeup look is their lip tint in the shade 'Dahlia.'
Even though it's called a lip tint, I would say it's more of a tinted lip balm. And it's the longest lasting tinted lip balm I have ever tried! Other tinted lip balms-- like the Clinique chubby sticks or Jordana twist & shine moisturizing balm stains-- have a more glossy finish. The Alima Pure lip tints are more pigmented, longer lasting, and somehow still moisturizing! While I love the two lip balms I mentioned up above, they provide superficial moisture whereas the Alima Pure one seems to sink in like a proper lip balm.
The pigmentation is sheer but buildable, and it always manages to look very natural. Somehow it manages to blend in with my natural lip color and give that "I just ate a bowl of fruit" look that I love so much. The shade 'Dahlia' is described as a sheer raspberry color.
For a little bit of background on the brand, check out their about me pages. What I was really impressed to read is that they're a carbon neutral company and have been so for 7 years!
And that's the end of my first dresser diaries! I've been testing a whole lotta shit lately so volume 2 will be coming pretty soon...ish 😉 Have you tried any of these products? How do you like them? What are you testing at the moment?
Welcome to Dresser Diaries! My goal for this series is to share my first impressions (aka at 2 or 3 weeks of use) on some of the products I'm testing at the moment. I've really been enjoying sharing mini reviews on Instagram, so why not carry it over to le blog. While it would be cool to review every single product I ever use, I know that isn't feasible. Hopefully through this series I can chat about more products I'm excited about!
I'm currently in a blogging/ photography funk so I keep looking for ways to get my creative juices flowing again and this series is definitely helping 😉 One of my blog resolutions for 2017 is to stress less so I'm not going to overthink this.
I've been testing all the products I'm chatting about today for about 3 weeks.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum
$80.00 for 1 fl. oz/ 30 mL; available via Sephora, Dermstore, & Drunk Elephant (20% off if you shop through my referral link!)
This was the first full-sized Drunk Elephant item I ever bought and I still remember how hyped I was at the fact that I snagged it on sale (thank you, Dermstore!) Despite my initial excitement, it took me over 4 stinkin' months to start trying it because I had so many other skincare bits on my testing docket.
I've never tried a vitamin C serum before but I still decided to splurge for the Drunk Elephant serum. From what I read, vitamin C isn't the most stable of ingredients, especially when it's suspended in a liquid. Many cheaper vitamin C options end up oxidizing within months so I figured instead of spending $50 dollars on 2 or 3 different vitamin C serums that I end up tossing after a month or two, I might as well put it towards this Drunk Elephant one which is said to last much longer.
This serum contains 15% L-ascorbic acid which is supposed to be the most effective form of vitamin C according to the Internet (and the internet never lies.) It also contains ferulic acid and vitamin E which are supposed to help stabilize the vitamin C. Last but not least, the serum is packaged in an opaque, airless pump bottle. Basically they do a lot to make sure it doesn't oxidize. There has been some confusion about what color the serum is supposed to be-- you can check out Gothamista's video to learn more about it.
Because I bought mine back in November, I was afraid that the color would be off because Drunk Elephant recommends buying the serum between 4 to 5 months of using it. Thankfully it was a-okay! The first thing I noticed when I first started using it is the awful smell, but after a few weeks of use I no longer notice it. The serum has a very light, runny consistency but I don't find it hard to spread at all. I'll usually use a half pump at a time on each half of my face. If I go overboard and apply too much it does create a sticky, film on my skin. But even when there is the film, it doesn't pill when I layer the rest of my routine atop it.
The main reason I wanted to start using a vitamin C serum is because vitamin C is helpful at fading scars and combatting inflammation and redness from current acne.
Because vitamin C takes a few weeks to work, I'm hesitant to say whether I've seen any effects from this serum or not. What I can definitely say is that this serum has made my skin feel more plump and firm after my first few weeks of use. Because I have a chubby face and am only 23, loss of firmness isn't really something I'm concerned about but it's still nice to know there's room for improvement. After googling around a bit, I've learned that vitamin C can stimulate collagen synthesis so perhaps those are the effects that I'm feeling.
I'll definitely do a full on review on this serum after I've used it for another 2 or 3 months!
Heimish Artless Glow Base SPF 50 PA+++
$22.00 for 1.35 fl. oz/ 40 mL; available via OhLolly (10% off with my referral), Amazon, & Yesstyle
I picked up Heimish's all clean balm at the end of last year and it's quickly become one of my routine staples. Because I've seen Mika and Renee chatting about the brand, I was curious to try more from them. K-beauty makeup is something I'm always a bit hesitant to use because they're usually targeted towards people with a much lighter skintone so instead I went for a quasi-makeup item-- their artless glow base which is a sunscreen and makeup primer all in one.
I'm so used to using glowy bases like the VDL lumilayer primer and Becca backlight priming filter, it didn't even cross my mind that this sunscreen could be glittery until someone asked me if it was. While this does have some glitter, it's very subtle. In fact it's so subtle, sometimes I question if it's even there. Am I imagining it? Is it from another product? Is this real life?
Overall it creates a nice, luminous base. Because it isn't really dewy, I would say it's safe to use it even if you have oilier skin!
It layers well over my other skincare products and underneath my makeup. Like most other Asian sunscreens, it's lightweight and doesn't leave my skin feeling greasy. Despite the fact that I have a tan complexion, this doesn't leave any sort of white cast on my face. Because it doesn't contain any alcohol, it moisturizes my skin as opposed to leaving a dry finish (which inevitably leads to dry patches for me.)
If I'm being honest I would say this is more of a glittery sunscreen than it is a primer with sunscreen in it. When I use this sunscreen under my makeup, I can't say that it elongates the wear time of my makeup. I'm actually happy about that because I'm usually wary of makeup that has SPF in it as it usually isn't sufficient on its own.
Lately I've been trying to remove silicones from my skincare routine because I'm afraid that my cheeks breakout from products with high levels of dimethicone. This sunscreen has become one of my go-tos because it's free of -cones!
Alima Pure Lip Tint in Dahlia (PR sample)
$14.00 for 0.12 g/ 3.65 g; available via Alima Pure, Free People, & Credo Beauty
While I've jumped head first into the world of green skincare, I'm still slowing dipping my toes into the pool of green makeup. Last month I received a PR package with some Alima Pure goodies, and I'm happy to say my first venture into green makeup has been a success! I'm still testing out all the products but one that has become part of my everyday makeup look is their lip tint in the shade 'Dahlia.'
Even though it's called a lip tint, I would say it's more of a tinted lip balm. And it's the longest lasting tinted lip balm I have ever tried! Other tinted lip balms-- like the Clinique chubby sticks or Jordana twist & shine moisturizing balm stains-- have a more glossy finish. The Alima Pure lip tints are more pigmented, longer lasting, and somehow still moisturizing! While I love the two lip balms I mentioned up above, they provide superficial moisture whereas the Alima Pure one seems to sink in like a proper lip balm.
The pigmentation is sheer but buildable, and it always manages to look very natural. Somehow it manages to blend in with my natural lip color and give that "I just ate a bowl of fruit" look that I love so much. The shade 'Dahlia' is described as a sheer raspberry color.
For a little bit of background on the brand, check out their about me pages. What I was really impressed to read is that they're a carbon neutral company and have been so for 7 years!
And that's the end of my first dresser diaries! I've been testing a whole lotta shit lately so volume 2 will be coming pretty soon...ish 😉 Have you tried any of these products? How do you like them? What are you testing at the moment?