Beauty Favorites: Worst Season Edition
Call me crazy but I'm positive time moves slower in winter. It's the only way to explain why winter feels 3x longer than any of the other seasons. Here are the beauty products I've been loving over the past nine three months.
P.s. sorry for the lack of photos in this post. Even the ones I included are less than stellar. I took the photos on a snowy day and didn't have the time to retake them before publishing this post 🙈
Ingredients: Water, Carbomer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Arbutin, Adenosine, Beeswax, Egg Oil, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Germ Oil, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sorbitan Olivate, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Monostearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Aronia Melanocarpa Fruit Extract, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Propolis Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Extract, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil
Most of the time a moisturizer's texture is a pretty good indicator of how moisturizing it's going to be. Lighter gel moisturizers usually aren't as moisturizing as thicker creams. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. This cream by Soroci is on the lighter side yet it still manages to hydrate and moisturize my skin just as much as some of my thicker creams!
Texture wise it's soft and airy. If you jiggle the jar, the cream is displaced (if a cream stays in place when it's jiggled, I consider it to be T H I C C.) It melts into the skin almost instantly. But it doesn't instantly dry up nor does it leave my skin greasy. Instead, my skin is left soft and nourished. I'm quite picky with which moisturizers I use at nighttime in the winter, and this is one of the few that meets my standards! Paired with an oil, it keeps my skin hydrated all night long.
It's also one of the few moisturizers that layers over itself quite well. Usually, if I try applying two or three layers of moisturizer (because #extra and also #lazy) I end up with a ton of pilling. But there have been nights when I'm too lazy to pat in 7 layers of toner, so instead, I just pat in two thinner layers of moisturizer instead. And it works! Although I do have to wait 20 minutes or so in between the layers to make sure the first one really sinks in.
It also wears well under oils, over oils, under sunscreen and makeup! One of my favorite winter skincare "hacks" so to say is to make an oil sandwich-- aka one layer of oil, one layer of moisturizer, and another layer of oil. This is a great oil for the oil sandwich method. It does contain dimethicone in the ingredients list but it's about halfway down, so it doesn't have that slippery siliconey feel and it isn't prone to pilling.
Other ingredients of note are arbutin which is brightening, adenosine which is soothing, and rice germ oil which is moisturizing and said to have anti-aging benefits. Here's the cosDNA breakdown of the ingredients list-- nothing has a safety or irritating rating of over 2 👍
It does have a light lavender scent thanks to the lavender essential oil present in the formula. I like the lightness of it; it isn't particularly powdery.
Ingredients: Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Salvia Hispanica (Chia) Seed Oil, CoQ10, Hippophae Rhamnoides L (Sea Buckthorn) Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract (Rose Extract), Citrus Aurantium (Neroli) Oil
By this point I assume everyone to know of my love affair with squalane. If you don't, shame on you!! My favorite part about squalane is how light it is and how well it sinks into my skin. I didn't think I could love any oil as much as I love squalane. But I think I've found a pretty good contender with this Herbivore oil.
It is on the heavier side but my dry skin just drinks it right up! I actually think my skin absorbs this better than their Lapis oil, which is supposed to be lighter. Because it sinks in so quickly, it doesn't leave me greasy or with a film on top of my face. As I've tried more oils, I've learned that part of the reason oils didn't work for me in the past is because a) I was over-applying and b) I expected them to sink in very quickly. I think this is an oil that my oil-hating past self would have loved because it's one of the quicker sinking oils.
Ingredient-wise it has a bunch of nourishing oils as well as CoQ10! I've been using a few products with CoQ10 over the past year and have learned it's an ingredient my skin really likes. It's soothing and helps with skin regeneration! Which is key if you're like me and suffer from acne and make things 10x worse for yourself by picking at it 🙃. If you're interested in learning more about the ingredients I recommend heading over to the Herbivore site because they break down the benefits of everything in the oil, one by one.
It doesn't have the best scent but it's something I stopped noticing. It wasn't off-putting but it wasn't particularly pleasing either.
Ingredients: *Aloe Vera Leaf juice, *Jojoba oil, †Marula Seed oil, *Evening Primrose oil, *Hemp Seed oil, *Borage Seed oil, *Almond oil, *Grape Seed oil, *Sesame Seed oil, *Sea Buckthorn oil, *Goji Berry, *Ashwaganda, *Calendula, *Black Cohosh, *Dandelion, *Fo Ti Root, *Alfalfa, *Bilberry, *Rosemary, *Turmeric, *Elderberry, *Raspberry Leaf, *Burdock, *Chamomile, *Rose Hips, *Eyebright, *Beetroot, *St. John’s Wort, * Hawthorne Berry, *Chickweed, *Licorice, *Coriander, *Horse Chestnut, *Lavender, *Red Clover, *Olive Leaf, *Sage, *Thyme, *Vitamin E, *Guar Gum, *Gum Arabic, §XanthanGum, §PotassiumSorbate, *VanillaExtract, †YlangYlang essential oil, †Rosemary essential oil, †Eucalyptus essential oil, †Bergamot essential oil, †Carrot Seed essential oil. *CERTIFIED ORGANIC Organic Wildcrafted NON-GMO Plant Sourced
This was featured in last week's empties post so I wan't talk about it too much. Thankfully I had a mini as a backup from the Detox Market's best of 2017 set 😏
Since it's a mist and it's in my favorites, it's safe to say it's hydrating. Looking at the ingredient list you might be worried that it would be a greasy mist, but it's not! The mist is not the finest out there, but it is fine enough that you can easily layer it over makeup! It doesn't irritate active acne or open acne wounds. All around it's a 10/10 from me.
One of these days I'm finally going to write a post all about my favorite mists and you better believe this mist is making the cut! I
Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Ethoxydiglycol, Niacinamide, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Rosa Mosqueta (Rose) Hip Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Seed Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Fruit Oil, Panthenol, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Squalane (olive-derived), Cetyl Alcohol, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Disodium EDTA
When I first got into Asian skincare this was one most talked about products (despite the fact that it's actually American.) The reason it was so popular amongst the AB crowd (besides for the fact that they make amazing, gentle, and effective products) is because the line was founded by an AB blogger-- the Acid Queen! To go off on a short tangent-- I think skincare bloggers are killing it with their lines. Stratia, Holy Snails, Krave Beauty, and Alkimi Skin are all brands founded by skincare bloggers and they're all kicking ass. The products and lines are well thought out and the time and energy put into formulating the products is obvious. The products aren't selling because they have a famous name attached to them, they're selling because they're legitimately good products. In comparison, I feel like the makeup being put out my bloggers is... less than satisfactory. Usually, when I hear of another youtuber makeup collab I think, oh, another youtuber makeup collab. NEXT. But that's just me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
This wasn't moisturizing enough for me to use as my sole moisturizer but it worked as an excellent serum! I mean, look at that ingredient list. Sea Buckthorn, rosehip, squalane, ALL THE CERAMIDES. I was on the verge of over-exfoliating my skin once or twice this winter and this saved my skin every time. It doesn't sting or burn, it just sooooothes.
My one complaint is that it's hard to get out the last bit of product. I have to do some sort of dance with my hand while holding the bottle to get out the product at this point. It's a bit of a pain but something I'm willing to deal with because I like the stuff that much!
How have I been sleeping on this serum for so long?
There are plenty of hydrating serums on the market but there are very few that are both affordable and reliable. This one is also free of mineral oil, dimethicone, essential oils, and fragrance! Instead it has plenty of soothing and hydrating ingredients like colloidal oatmeal, green tea extract, collagen, licorice root extract, aloe juice, panthenol, and hyaluronic acid.
This is another serum that does not irritate my skin no matter what! I used it in that same period of time as the Stratia, when my skin was on the verge of being over-exfoliated. It didn't induce any stining or burning sensations. In fact, it was actually sort of cooling.
In comparison to the Stratia, this has a much lighter and thinner texture. While the Stratia might be too thick to be used as a serum on those with oilier skin, this isn't. It's very lightweight and easily melts into the skin. It's essentially a clear gel.
I also like the packaging! You can never go wrong with an airless pump in my book. Plus it comes with a cap that really stays on tight so it's travel-friendly too.
As it's free of fragrance and essential oils, it's not shocking to hear that it doesn't smell like anything either. It's one of the few skincare products that I could really say is scent free.
If you have an Ulta account and are interested in purchasing this, I would recommend checking out your bonus offers as they're offering 5x the points on First Aid Beauty producst at the moment!
Despite the dryness of my face, my eyelids are on the oily side. As such, a lot of cream eyeshadows crease very quickly on me. But this one doesn't! It does crease after a few hours of wear, but if I wear it over the Urban Decay eyeshadow primer then this wears really well all day long.
I'm not even sure how to describe this color because it's so unique and complex. It looks different depending on what angle you're holding it an and light you're viewing it in. Officially it's described as an "iridescent copper" but I'm not even sure if that description gives it justice.
The formula is quite soft and almost squishy. While you could take the time to artfully blend it in with a brush, I just use my fingers to easily apply a wash of color. You can build it up or sheer it out depending to your tastes. While it does eventually dry down, you have a reasonable amount of time to spread and blend it out to your liking. I'm a minimal makeup kinda gal, but sometimes I like to add a little pizzaz to my makeup look without exerting a lot of effort. Enter: this eyeshadow.
I struggled with getting a good swatch photo, but here is the best one I took with my phone. I recommend going over to the Beauty Lookbook if you're curious to see an accurate swatch! I'm also wearing it in this selfie I posted on IG.
P.s. sorry for the lack of photos in this post. Even the ones I included are less than stellar. I took the photos on a snowy day and didn't have the time to retake them before publishing this post 🙈
1. Morning Drizzle Calming Cream (Take Good Care PR Gift)
$18.52 via Take Good CareIngredients: Water, Carbomer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Arbutin, Adenosine, Beeswax, Egg Oil, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Germ Oil, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sorbitan Olivate, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Monostearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Aronia Melanocarpa Fruit Extract, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Propolis Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Extract, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil
Most of the time a moisturizer's texture is a pretty good indicator of how moisturizing it's going to be. Lighter gel moisturizers usually aren't as moisturizing as thicker creams. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. This cream by Soroci is on the lighter side yet it still manages to hydrate and moisturize my skin just as much as some of my thicker creams!
Texture wise it's soft and airy. If you jiggle the jar, the cream is displaced (if a cream stays in place when it's jiggled, I consider it to be T H I C C.) It melts into the skin almost instantly. But it doesn't instantly dry up nor does it leave my skin greasy. Instead, my skin is left soft and nourished. I'm quite picky with which moisturizers I use at nighttime in the winter, and this is one of the few that meets my standards! Paired with an oil, it keeps my skin hydrated all night long.
It's also one of the few moisturizers that layers over itself quite well. Usually, if I try applying two or three layers of moisturizer (because #extra and also #lazy) I end up with a ton of pilling. But there have been nights when I'm too lazy to pat in 7 layers of toner, so instead, I just pat in two thinner layers of moisturizer instead. And it works! Although I do have to wait 20 minutes or so in between the layers to make sure the first one really sinks in.
It also wears well under oils, over oils, under sunscreen and makeup! One of my favorite winter skincare "hacks" so to say is to make an oil sandwich-- aka one layer of oil, one layer of moisturizer, and another layer of oil. This is a great oil for the oil sandwich method. It does contain dimethicone in the ingredients list but it's about halfway down, so it doesn't have that slippery siliconey feel and it isn't prone to pilling.
Other ingredients of note are arbutin which is brightening, adenosine which is soothing, and rice germ oil which is moisturizing and said to have anti-aging benefits. Here's the cosDNA breakdown of the ingredients list-- nothing has a safety or irritating rating of over 2 👍
It does have a light lavender scent thanks to the lavender essential oil present in the formula. I like the lightness of it; it isn't particularly powdery.
2. Herbivore Botanicals Phoenix Oil
$28.00- $88.00 via Dermstore, Nordstrom, & Herbivore Botanicals | $88.00 (full sized only) via Sephora & the Detox MarketIngredients: Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Salvia Hispanica (Chia) Seed Oil, CoQ10, Hippophae Rhamnoides L (Sea Buckthorn) Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract (Rose Extract), Citrus Aurantium (Neroli) Oil
By this point I assume everyone to know of my love affair with squalane. If you don't, shame on you!! My favorite part about squalane is how light it is and how well it sinks into my skin. I didn't think I could love any oil as much as I love squalane. But I think I've found a pretty good contender with this Herbivore oil.
It is on the heavier side but my dry skin just drinks it right up! I actually think my skin absorbs this better than their Lapis oil, which is supposed to be lighter. Because it sinks in so quickly, it doesn't leave me greasy or with a film on top of my face. As I've tried more oils, I've learned that part of the reason oils didn't work for me in the past is because a) I was over-applying and b) I expected them to sink in very quickly. I think this is an oil that my oil-hating past self would have loved because it's one of the quicker sinking oils.
Ingredient-wise it has a bunch of nourishing oils as well as CoQ10! I've been using a few products with CoQ10 over the past year and have learned it's an ingredient my skin really likes. It's soothing and helps with skin regeneration! Which is key if you're like me and suffer from acne and make things 10x worse for yourself by picking at it 🙃. If you're interested in learning more about the ingredients I recommend heading over to the Herbivore site because they break down the benefits of everything in the oil, one by one.
It doesn't have the best scent but it's something I stopped noticing. It wasn't off-putting but it wasn't particularly pleasing either.
3. Josh Rosebrook Hydrating Accelerator (the Detox Market PR Gift)
$22.00- $35.00 via the Detox MarketIngredients: *Aloe Vera Leaf juice, *Jojoba oil, †Marula Seed oil, *Evening Primrose oil, *Hemp Seed oil, *Borage Seed oil, *Almond oil, *Grape Seed oil, *Sesame Seed oil, *Sea Buckthorn oil, *Goji Berry, *Ashwaganda, *Calendula, *Black Cohosh, *Dandelion, *Fo Ti Root, *Alfalfa, *Bilberry, *Rosemary, *Turmeric, *Elderberry, *Raspberry Leaf, *Burdock, *Chamomile, *Rose Hips, *Eyebright, *Beetroot, *St. John’s Wort, * Hawthorne Berry, *Chickweed, *Licorice, *Coriander, *Horse Chestnut, *Lavender, *Red Clover, *Olive Leaf, *Sage, *Thyme, *Vitamin E, *Guar Gum, *Gum Arabic, §XanthanGum, §PotassiumSorbate, *VanillaExtract, †YlangYlang essential oil, †Rosemary essential oil, †Eucalyptus essential oil, †Bergamot essential oil, †Carrot Seed essential oil. *CERTIFIED ORGANIC Organic Wildcrafted NON-GMO Plant Sourced
This was featured in last week's empties post so I wan't talk about it too much. Thankfully I had a mini as a backup from the Detox Market's best of 2017 set 😏
Since it's a mist and it's in my favorites, it's safe to say it's hydrating. Looking at the ingredient list you might be worried that it would be a greasy mist, but it's not! The mist is not the finest out there, but it is fine enough that you can easily layer it over makeup! It doesn't irritate active acne or open acne wounds. All around it's a 10/10 from me.
One of these days I'm finally going to write a post all about my favorite mists and you better believe this mist is making the cut! I
4. Stratia Liquid Gold
$24.00 via Stratia SkinIngredients: Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Ethoxydiglycol, Niacinamide, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Rosa Mosqueta (Rose) Hip Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Seed Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Fruit Oil, Panthenol, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Squalane (olive-derived), Cetyl Alcohol, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Disodium EDTA
When I first got into Asian skincare this was one most talked about products (despite the fact that it's actually American.) The reason it was so popular amongst the AB crowd (besides for the fact that they make amazing, gentle, and effective products) is because the line was founded by an AB blogger-- the Acid Queen! To go off on a short tangent-- I think skincare bloggers are killing it with their lines. Stratia, Holy Snails, Krave Beauty, and Alkimi Skin are all brands founded by skincare bloggers and they're all kicking ass. The products and lines are well thought out and the time and energy put into formulating the products is obvious. The products aren't selling because they have a famous name attached to them, they're selling because they're legitimately good products. In comparison, I feel like the makeup being put out my bloggers is... less than satisfactory. Usually, when I hear of another youtuber makeup collab I think, oh, another youtuber makeup collab. NEXT. But that's just me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
This wasn't moisturizing enough for me to use as my sole moisturizer but it worked as an excellent serum! I mean, look at that ingredient list. Sea Buckthorn, rosehip, squalane, ALL THE CERAMIDES. I was on the verge of over-exfoliating my skin once or twice this winter and this saved my skin every time. It doesn't sting or burn, it just sooooothes.
My one complaint is that it's hard to get out the last bit of product. I have to do some sort of dance with my hand while holding the bottle to get out the product at this point. It's a bit of a pain but something I'm willing to deal with because I like the stuff that much!
5. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Hydrating Serum (PR Gift)
Ingredients: Aqua (Water, Eau), Glycerin, Soluble Collagen, Methyl Gluceth-20, Colloidal Oatmeal, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Chrysanthemum Parthenium (Feverfew) Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyethyl cellulose, Allantoin, Panthenol, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium PCA, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Maltodextrin, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Nitrate, Disodium Phosphate, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Phosphate, EDTA, GlyoxalHow have I been sleeping on this serum for so long?
There are plenty of hydrating serums on the market but there are very few that are both affordable and reliable. This one is also free of mineral oil, dimethicone, essential oils, and fragrance! Instead it has plenty of soothing and hydrating ingredients like colloidal oatmeal, green tea extract, collagen, licorice root extract, aloe juice, panthenol, and hyaluronic acid.
This is another serum that does not irritate my skin no matter what! I used it in that same period of time as the Stratia, when my skin was on the verge of being over-exfoliated. It didn't induce any stining or burning sensations. In fact, it was actually sort of cooling.
In comparison to the Stratia, this has a much lighter and thinner texture. While the Stratia might be too thick to be used as a serum on those with oilier skin, this isn't. It's very lightweight and easily melts into the skin. It's essentially a clear gel.
I also like the packaging! You can never go wrong with an airless pump in my book. Plus it comes with a cap that really stays on tight so it's travel-friendly too.
As it's free of fragrance and essential oils, it's not shocking to hear that it doesn't smell like anything either. It's one of the few skincare products that I could really say is scent free.
If you have an Ulta account and are interested in purchasing this, I would recommend checking out your bonus offers as they're offering 5x the points on First Aid Beauty producst at the moment!
6. Chanel Chanel Illusion D'Ombre Long Wearing Eyeshadow in '97 New Moon'
$36.00 via Nordstrom, Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus, Barney's, & Violet GreyDespite the dryness of my face, my eyelids are on the oily side. As such, a lot of cream eyeshadows crease very quickly on me. But this one doesn't! It does crease after a few hours of wear, but if I wear it over the Urban Decay eyeshadow primer then this wears really well all day long.
I'm not even sure how to describe this color because it's so unique and complex. It looks different depending on what angle you're holding it an and light you're viewing it in. Officially it's described as an "iridescent copper" but I'm not even sure if that description gives it justice.
The formula is quite soft and almost squishy. While you could take the time to artfully blend it in with a brush, I just use my fingers to easily apply a wash of color. You can build it up or sheer it out depending to your tastes. While it does eventually dry down, you have a reasonable amount of time to spread and blend it out to your liking. I'm a minimal makeup kinda gal, but sometimes I like to add a little pizzaz to my makeup look without exerting a lot of effort. Enter: this eyeshadow.
I struggled with getting a good swatch photo, but here is the best one I took with my phone. I recommend going over to the Beauty Lookbook if you're curious to see an accurate swatch! I'm also wearing it in this selfie I posted on IG.
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