Beauty Reviews: Winter Skin Help.

Because of my current situation (recovering from foot surgery and not being able to use my right foot for literal months, etc) I had really let things go. Showering is a WHOLE STUPID PROCESS and deeply un-fun with a cast so I decided to buy some things to make it less stressful and more enjoyable. Also, my skin was so gross and dry and there's no excuse for that. So:

This Nécessaire kit is such a great way to try these products. They're generous travel sizes (not minis) and I've been quite happy with all of them. The serum and lotion are both unscented but feel very nice. The body serum isn't something I felt I was missing in my life but it's really just a nice hyaluronic acid treatment gel. I put it on my neck, chest, and shoulders right out of the shower. It feels nice and dries down well - not sticky at all. Does it "do" anything? That remains to be seen but it's a nice product. 

The body lotion is also great - thick and moisturizing.  I do wish it was scented because it's got that weird "unfragranced" smell, but it certainly feels elegant and does the job. Will it replace my inexpensive Aveeno lotion? Probably not.  

The body wash is delightful - it has an invigorating eucalyptus scent which is probably not for everyone but I love it and it wakes me up. It's just body wash, though. It smells great and will get you clean but it won't change your life. The body exfoliator, though, is special. It's the hero of the kit and my favorite of the four. It's super moisturizing and has little black scrubby bits in it (bamboo charcoal, apparently.) It doesn't feel like it's doing much when you're scrubbing away but my skin felt so soft afterward. It's just a really nice product that smells and feel luxurious. 

I also got my Allure Beauty Box (I subscribed through Amazon because it's easier to cancel) which included a few products that I am so happy with! The EltaMD Skin Recovery Toner has been a happy surprise. I use it after washing my face in the morning and my skin just drinks it up. It's full of peptides and calming ingredients and it's not super expensive! I'm currently using Tretinoin which is drying the hell out of my face, so I'm hoping this stuff will help keep my skin barrier healthy. It might eventually replace my Skinceuticals Phyto Corrective Gel which I love but is expensive. 

The other thing I got in my box that was a lovely surprise - a full size tube First Aid Beauty KP Smoothing Body Lotion with 10% AHA. Now, this lotion is neither fancy nor elegant but it will smooth out the bumpy skin on the back of your arms and legs (or wherever you're lizard skin lives) and you will feel like whipped cream. It's seriously kind of amazing. Now, I should warn you that it's unscented and smells...not great. I have been applying a thin layer, waiting a few minutes and then putting my usual lotion over it and that seems to work well for me. 

Beauty Review: A Few Recent Purchases.

It's been a little while since I talked about makeup and stuff, so here are a few recent purchases that I'm pretty into:

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat High Cover Radiant Under-Eye Concealer
This was an in-store impulse purchase and I expected it to disappoint because I've tried the original Touche Éclat a few times (yes, I bought it more than once expecting a different result) and it never did much for me. But now they have a version that's actually a concealer but it also has brightening qualities and y'all, this stuff is GOOD. Its stupidly priced for what you get, but a little goes a long way and it brightens and conceals beautifully. I like to use a light hand and especially hit all those spots that need a bit of light - the corners of my eyes, the top of my cheekbone, under my bottom lip and my cupid's bow. On days when I don't care about looking made up, I just use this and some mascara and call it done. It works WAY better than the original formula and the finish is lovely. 

Jones Road What The Foundation
I posted about ordering this recently and it arrived and I'm...medium on it. It's feels very comforting on the skin but it's thick and you really need a light hand or it starts to feel cakey and heavy. When applied correctly, it disappears and feels quite moisturizing. It's a nice non-foundation foundation if you have dry skin (I do) and I've been using it daily to see how it wears. One surprise - it has a strong (but not  unpleasant) scent that I wasn't expecting and it takes a while to dissipate. Not a dealbreaker but it seems unnecessary. 

Dior Addict Shine Lipstick in Pink Bow

I finally just caved and ordered another color of my favorite Dior Addict Shine lipstick - this one is called 628 Pink Bow and it's the perfect "your lips but better" shade on me. I'm assuming it's popular because it was sold out in both Nordstrom locations I tried. It's just a lovely, moisturizing and glossy lipstick with beautiful packaging. If you're looking for a lipstick splurge, this is a good one. 

Method Aluminum Gel Hand Soap - Vetiver + Amber

Okay, this one isn't for everyone but if you love interesting warm/woody scents (think Aesop and Le Labo) I highly recommend this hand soap. It smells expensive and is such a nice change from the usual thing. I personally love woody, earthy, amber notes so this is definitely up my alley and the aluminum container looks quite nice. (But why no refill, Method?) The first review on the product page is like, THIS IS DISGUSTING which made me laugh and also just makes me like it more? I'm ornery. Anyway, I also love this one which I talked about a while ago but again, you have to love an amber note. Don't yell at me if you're a floral person, just leave a bad review on Target. Ha.

Beauty: Our Skincare Routines.

 It's been quite a while since we posted our skincare routines, so here you go:

Adrien:

The last beauty routine I posted was in 2020, a few weeks after the world shut down. Before that, it was in 2019! A lot has changed, as you can imagine. My face is still crazy reactive but I'm also seeing changes in my skin that only retinol can tackle, so recently I signed up for a trial set of products from Agency, Curology's aging line. (With my own money! This is not a sponsored product and there's no referral link.) 

Now, my skin doesn't do well with a ton of products (or change) so before I signed up for Agency I'd simplified things a lot:

Evenings: A double cleanse with DHC cleansing oil and Cerave hydrating cleanser, my beloved Skinceuticals Phyto serum (more on that in a minute) topped with my Avene moisturizer. For actives I was using Differin twice a week and The Ordinary's Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% maybe once a week. My evening eye cream is Fig.1 Pro-Retinol Eye Cream, which I talked about recently.

Mornings: I rinse my face with warm water and apply Phyto, Avene moisturizer and my favorite Japanese sunscreen. My morning eye cream is Clinique Repairwear Anti-Gravity, a recently purchase which I freaking love. It brightens without any kind of annoying shimmer and plays well under concealer. 

I am going to do a separate review of the Agency trial because I have a lot to say about it but so far, I'm really impressed. Tretinoin is the shit, you guys, and the cream oil cleanser is really good. More on that soon - I want to wait until I get the full sized products. 

Other than Tret, my favorite product is the Skinceuticals Phyto Corrective Gel. It's expensive, but a little goes a long way. I bought it in September and just finished the bottle, so I got five months of daily use from one bottle! I love this stuff - it's soothing and moisturizing and when I have an allergic flare-up it's one of the few things I can put on my face that actually feels good.

Marianne:

Okay, I feel like I have to give a disclosure before I get into this, in only the way someone can feel preemptively defensive about their VERY EXPENSIVE face cream. I know. I KNOW. How on earth could I possibly justify a skin cream that costs $280 for a mere 50ml? Well, the sad truth is it freaking changed my skin unlike anything else I have tried in all my almost-45 years. Yes, friends, I hate to say it but the Augustinus Bader Rich Cream is worth the hype. 

My skin is glowing, my pores smaller, skin texture and color is even, and it’s all because of this stupid cream. Have you ever tried something expensive and kind of hoped it wouldn’t be good? I did, and the joke's on me because now I’m a fan for life. If you want to try it I would advise starting with the 15ml bottle, which lasts me about 5 weeks. But I warned you, okay? 

Other than this ridiculous cream (oh, and I have a 15ml bottle of the regular cream to try when it warms up, in case the rich cream is too heavy in the summer. So. That’s going to end well.), my skincare is pretty simple. 

Evening: I double cleanse with DHC cleansing oil and then non-foaming Cerave face wash. I apply a layer of The Ordinary Niacinamide and then a little Differin on my chin where I do still get the occasional hormonal pimple. I am currently very into this weird carrot eye stick, so I swipe that under each eye, and then the Bader. Usually 3 pumps will do. I let that soak in and then top with a layer of The Ordinary Rosehip Oil to seal everything in. I truly look like a glazed donut by the time I leave the bathroom. 

Morning: In the morning I’ll splash a little water on my face, pat in one pump of the Bader if I feel dry and another swipe of the carrot eye stick, and that’s it! SO LOW MAINTENANCE.

That's it! Let us know what you think and what's working for you right now.

Review: Dyson Airwrap for Short Hair.

As I mentioned recently, I managed to get my paws on a secondhand Dyson Airwrap styler which I was dying to try even though it's not really meant for my hair. I was pretty sure, in fact, that it would make me cry. My hair is legitimately short*, straight and fine and I don't generally do much to it aside from a quick blow-dry and some flat ironing of the ends. But, I recently got a haircut I didn't like, so I decided the Airwrap couldn't make things worse. I was right! 

The Dyson Airwrap seems advanced, but it's surprisingly easy and fun to use. Trust me, if I can use it without ending up having to cut it out of my hair, you can totally handle it. For hair as short as mine curls/waves aren't yet a thing (I'm growing it out because I'd love to achieve this look) but I can get crazy volume with it, something I was never able to achieve with a regular round brush/hair dryer. 

The set comes in an enormous fancy box with a handle and a bunch of attachments: a pre-styling dryer, a volumizing round brush, firm smoothing brush, soft smoothing brush, and two sets of curl barrels. 

If I'm in a rush I'll just dry it a bit and use the round brush attachment which gives me very good results. But, when I have a bit more time I pull out the barrels to get crazy volume and shine. Here's my process (please note that it's impossible to do mirror selfies without getting crazy eyes):

First, I spray a little B&B Tonic on my wet hair and then some product - lately I've been loving R&Co Rodeo Star mousse. I use the pre-styling dryer to get my hair mostly-but-not-quite dry. The dryer attachment is pretty powerful, though if you have a lot of hair, it probably isn't going to replace a regular hair dryer. (In my case it does because my beloved Super Solano finally died on me last week. RIP, Super Solano.)

Then I hit my bangs with the firm brush because they dry quickly and I want to avoid bang wonkiness.

Then I section off the bottom layer of my hair and and use the large barrel on it, section by section. The styler kind of sucks your hair onto the barrel which is scary at first and then it's fun. Also, hello crazy eyes.

Please note the insane curl action on the bottom! I then use the barrel on the top in sections and then repeat this process on the other side. I use the round brush attachment on the back because it's too short for the barrels. All of this seems complicated, but it takes less than 15 minutes. After the barrel action, I'm left with this:

This is...not great. I know. I KNOW. But please take a moment to notice how freaking shiny my hair is:

Still, that bubble bob is not it so I give my hair a few minutes to relax and then as a final step I use my flat iron and straighten the ends. Here's the final style in much more flattering light:

So good! So much more volume than I ever though I could achieve on my own. Here's the other side: 

I still have some growing out to do (all those stupid little layers!) before I can achieve some bouncy waves, but overall I'm really impressed with the Dyson Airwrap. It's fun and not hard to use. I honestly didn't think I'd keep it but now I don't know how I managed without it? This is dangerous. Anyway, if you have really short hair I am not saying you should go out and drop this kind of money on a styler but if you've been thinking about it for a while, maybe treat yo self. It's well-made and fancy af. (Plus, I don't know about you but I could use a little fun these days, even if it's from a weird hair tool.)

From what I can tell it's backordered (to ship in Feb) or sold out pretty much everywhere but I have seen them pop back up for sale a few times, so keep your eye out! Or, don't give in to this nonsense and keep doing what you're doing. You look great. 

*The Internet needs to understand what short hair is. Please, I beg you, stop calling your hair "short" if it's long enough to put in a ponytail. THAT IS NOT SHORT HAIR. What you have is MEDIUM LENGTH HAIR. I can't tell you how annoying it is to go looking for short hair Dyson Airwrap tutorials and finding folks with hair below their shoulders calling their hair "short." IT IS NOT. 

Quick Review: Ilia The Dusk Set.

I know I just posted about buying Ilia the Dusk Set but it arrived and I slapped it all on my face and y'all, this stuff is SO GOOD. A quick note: being a makeup blogger is not for the weak -of-heart. Nothing breaks your spirit quite like a selfie closeup, amirite? Ugh. Anyway:

This was my first photo attempt (of, like, a million) wearing all of the products in the kit, plus the Super Serum Skin Tint, which is fantastic. I'm wearing the Color Haze Multi-Use Pigment in Before Today on my cheeks and its quite subtle and very pretty. I don't generally wear a ton of cheek color so I like that it looks natural. 

I'm also wearing the Balmy Tint Hydrating Lip Balm in Wanderlust and it's the prettiest berry color! It feels just like a lip balm and is surprisingly pigmented. One layer is sheer but you can layer more on for a stronger color payoff.  But, you can't see my favorite thing, which is the Liquid Powder Chromatic Eye Tint in Dim. I love a purple-grey color for my brown eyes but they're hard to find and this one is so good. Fine, here's a close-up:

I promise I'm not mad at you, I just can't smile and also show you my lids! But y'all, this eye tint is so nice - it dries down quickly and so far hasn't budged. I have oily, hooded eyelids which makes most eyeshadow a challenge. My eyeliner, which pairs great with it, is the delightful Mushroom by Urban Decay. 

I'm also wearing the Limitless Lash Mascara from the kit, which I've tried before in the mini size but I like the double-sided brush much better full size. It's not life-changing but it is a good lengthening mascara that shouldn't irritate your eyes. 

All in all, I am super happy with all four items in this kit and it's a killer deal. Both kits have well-chosen universal colors (Dawn is warm toned, Dusk is cool toned) and I just don't think you can go wrong. 

Beauty Stuff Marianne Likes: Ilia Set

 Marianne recently bought a bunch of Ilia products (including the Super Serum Skin Tint) and I am here to translate. 

She bought this set which includes four full-sized items:

Limitless Lash Mascara
"I love the Ilia Volumizing mascara so I'm excited to try this one." 

Color Haze Multi-Use Pigment in Waking Up
"It's called Waking Up which is exactly what I need on my cheeks but you can also layer it over the Lip Wrap for sheer lip color."

Balmy Tint Hydrating Lip Balm in Runaway
"This is GOOD. I'm going to keep it in my purse."

Liquid Powder Chromatic Eye Tint in Sheen
"A nice wash of color that doesn't crease." 

She put most of these products on her face while talking to me in a Marco Polo video and y'all, she looked beautiful. I mean, she always does but these are really lovely, subtle products. Your face, but better type of products. She also bought this Lip Wrap Overnight Treatment:

"I really love the lip wrap hydrating mask. I use it as a heavy duty lip balm and it's the only lip mask that doesn't break me out."

Of course now I want all these products because that's how it works around here. The kit above also comes in The Dusk Set with more intense colors and I want that tooooo. Oof. 

Stuff I Like: Hair Edition (Plus: sunscreen bonus!)

My makeup game has been pretty lame lately but I have been using some new hair products because I a) got a new stylist and b) ran out of everything all at the same time. Love it when that happens. Boo. Now, my hair is at an in-between point (am I growing it out? Who knows? Not me.) but my new stylist introduced me to the following:

I historically love Davines products (that link will get you $20 off your first order! Full disclosure: I also get $20 credit) but she told me the Oi shampoo/conditioner are too heavy for fine hair and gave me samples of the Replumping shampoo and conditioner. I loved it so much I bought a set - FULL SIZED EVEN. I never do that but this set doesn't come in travel size so I just went for it. I love that it gives my hair a some lift and oomph and, like all Davines products, it smells fantastic in a non-floral way. My friend Kate said it smells a little like cola bottle gummi candy and I think she's right, which makes sense because I love cola bottle gummies. (Trolli if you can find them but Haribo is also nice.) 

Just a note: I still use Hairstory New Wash Deep when my color is fresh because reds fade so fast. Once it's past the point of mattering, I use my Davines shampoo/conditioner once or twice a week. I also use my beloved scalp massager thing with all of it because there's no going back! 

When I got my first haircut from my new stylist she used Cult + King Jelly for styling and though I was a bit dubious about a salt product, y'all. I was IMPRESSED. I've got a small bottle of the Cult + King Set Spray and like it but I LOVE the Jelly. It's kind of a gel, not a spray, and it does magical things to my fine hair. I try not to use it every single day because I know salt can be drying but so far I've only had good experiences with this product. It just somehow gives me just the right amount of volume and hold without being sticky. Plus, their packaging is beautiful, it smells good, you can get refills, and they have mini sizes! I love everything about this company.

Finally, I got a travel size of this Oribe Flash Form Finishing Wax Spray and I love it for a bit of piecey separation. I do not love how fragrant it is but it dissipates pretty quickly. You just spray it on and then get in there with your fingers to create a bit of separation. It's way less heavy than a traditional wax pomade and I am enjoying it. 

Non-hair bonus: I've been searching for an easy way to touch up my sunscreen and I bought this little brush-on mineral sunscreen (with HSA money!) and also the Marianne-recommended Super Goop Defense Refresh mist (check out this kit which includes a mini!) Between the two, I always have a quick way to make sure my face, shoulders and scalp are protected. I don't know how cost effective the power brush will be but I love how compact it is and it's refillable! 

Beauty in the Time of Quarantine: An Update.

 I think all of our beauty routines have changed a lot this year and I thought maybe it would be a good time for an update from this post I wrote at the end of March.  

These days I wear a lot less makeup but I still do my face most days because it makes me feel good. Generally it's CC cream, concealer, mascara and brown gel and sometimes I'll add eyeliner and brow pencil if I'm feeling fancy. I only wear lipstick for blog pics and some video meetings and I rarely wear blush anymore. 

Because of masks, I don't see the point in doing much to my lower face these days but I love a dramatic eye/brow combo if I'm going out in the world. I've linked my current products above but wanted to mention how much I like my current mascara:

I got this in an Allure box and it's quite good. It actually holds a curl and is a reliable, non-clumpy volumizing mascara. It's not super messy and it doesn't flake. Yay! Speaking of my lashes, I haven't given an update on my GrandeLash serum progress! Here are some pics comparing June to September:

I mean, damn. I actually have longer lashes! They aren't crazyballs long, but they are definitely longer and a bit thicker and I am pleased. The other day I walked by a mirror late in the afternoon and was surprised that I could actually SEE my eyelashes still. Some of this is because my Wander Beauty mascara actually holds a curl but also, GrandeLash works, y'all. 

As well as wearing less makeup, I've also fine-tuned my skincare game. One thing I wish I'd gotten a photo of is my face before I started using Differin every night. I know I've talked about it a few times but, you guys, nothing else has ever made such a visible difference in my skin. I still have melasma (though it's lighter) but the overall clarity and smoothness in my skin is visible. It's inexpensive and it works - can't ask for more than that. I'm also still using my Avene moisturizer and the occasional serum from The Ordinary. 

One new product I've added is Topical C from Nue Co. It's a powdered form of vitamin C that you mix in with your moisturizer or serum. I've been mixing it with The Ordinary's Marine Hyaluronics which seems to work well. I just started using it recently so the jury is still out, but so far, so good. 

Your turn! What's changed in your routine? What products are working for you right now?

Marianne: I was Influenced and Bought Custom Hair Products

Hey friends, Marianne here.

There are many, many things that follow me across the internet, whispering in my ear to buy, buy, buy. Countless (seriously) giant house dresses, fancy candles, low carb cereal, meal boxes, all the bralettes in the world, but one that I clicked on over and over again was Prose custom haircare. BTW, this isn't sponsored, but you know...call me. 

ANYWAY like a lot of us, my hair has been on a real journey in these weird AF times. I still have to look pretty put together for work (yes, even from home), so I am still heat styling my hair like a chump, but for the past couple of summers I got a keratin treatment to help battle the heat and humidity. Obviously that didn't happen this year, so I've been struggling with my hair. Enter Prose. 

After filling out a fun questionnaire, I picked my scent (I went with Perle--white lilac, bergamot, and musk, but you can choose unscented!) and waited a bit for it to be made and shipped. I went for the pre-shampoo mask, shampoo and conditioner, but I skipped the styling oil because I have some pricey products from my salon (this hair serum and this hair oil spray) that I love. I did the mask before showering, then washed and conditioned like usual. Y'all, let me cut to the chase, my hair looks incredible. 

The morning after styling my hair, someone asked on a Zoom call if I had gotten a haircut. Later that day, someone jokingly accused me of getting blowouts during a pandemic. NOPE. Just Prose. Not only did my hair look great that day, it stayed shiny and smooth and held a wave for the next few days. I had a work project outside, in the middle of August, for 8 hours and at the end of the day I didn't have a BIT of frizz. It's truly a miracle. 

Now, I will say the products are pricey and the bottles are small. I have a lot of long, thick, hair so I need 6 pumps of shampoo and conditioner to get the job done. However I also only wash my hair 1-2 times a week, so it will last me a while. And honestly, I've been using Costco shampoo and conditioner for years, so I felt okay treating myself. 

If you want to try it out, I would love it if you used my link--it saves you $10 and gives me a credit so I can continue to maintain this habit! Have you ever tried custom hair products? I have to say I was skeptical but this has proven to be such a treat. 

Beauty Review: Differin Gel is Amazing.

I know we've mentioned Differin Adapalene Gel on the blog before but I recently had an epic skin INCIDENT and finally just decided to really give it a try instead of just using it as an occasion spot treatment (which is not how it's supposed to be used but whatever.)

Now, I don't know exactly what happened but last month I just started breaking out like crazy. Maybe it's the mask-wearing or stress hormones or a reaction to my CC cream or a combination of all three, but I started getting acne like I'd not experienced for years. It was...not great. I had been using my excellent Murad retinol products twice a week but had slowed down since I tend to spend more time outside in the summer.

However, this breakout required immediate action so after realizing my current tube of Differin Gel had expired (like, um, last year) I bought a new one and decided that no matter what, I was going to use it every night for a month and see what happened.

I am on week three and my skin hasn't been this clear in AGES. Marianne said this stuff is fantastic and y'all, she was not lying. You can get it at Target or Ulta and the small tube is under $15! I am so impressed. It immediately cleared up my initial breakout and now it's starting to fade the red spots and even seems to be helping with my brown spots! Differin Adapalene Gel is a retinoid and is specifically for acne but it's still a retinol product so it also fights the classic signs of aging: fine lines, dark spots and dull skin.

I generally have had issues with using retinol (sensitivity, peeling, etc) and I know you really have to stick with it, but so far Differin has been really gentle. I have otherwise taken a break from lot of the actives I'd been using, so right now I'm not using acids or my vitamin C serum because my face freaks out if I do too much at once. I am, however, still using my new favorite hydrating serum - The Ordinary Marine Hyaluronics and I also use The Ordinary Buffet serum in the morning under my favorite Avene moisturizer.

Oh, and I use my Murad retinol eye serum every night as well. It's such a luxury and helps with the lines around my eyes (which is not a job for Differin.) Overall I'm really happy with the way things are going and I will report back again in another month. Fingers crossed!

Beauty Talk: A Tale of Two Serums. (And a tip!)

I have been pretty careful with my skincare lately because my face was doing that flare-up thing again (rosacea? Who know?) so I backed off everything for a few weeks. Once it settled down, I got back into a routine, but one that's more simple.

Before I tell you about it, though, I want to share a tip. I wish I could remember where on the Internets I read this, but somewhere I read that we aren't washing our face long enough. Like, you should be working that cleanser in for a full damn minute before rinsing it off. I decided to try this with my favorite balm cleanser by literally setting a timer and spending a full minute massaging my face with it. I can't swear to it, but I think it helps. My skin is clearer and the massage part helps to de-puff. I only do this at night, by the way, I'm not a monster.

NOW, serums. I have been using my Ghost Democracy Lightbulb serum consistently every night (I talked about it here) and I am starting to notice that it's working! I am looking slightly more glowy and my skin seems happier overall. In the morning I'm using my usual The Ordinary Buffet followed by the Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%. (Then moisturizer, sunscreen, etc.)

Because the weather is warming up and I'm spending more time outside, now is when I tend to back off retinols. I'm intrigued, though, by bakuchiol as a more gentle retinol alternative. My vitamin C serum has a small amount in it but I've been thinking maybe it's time to add a bakuchiol-specific serum into my routine. The one I'm most interested in is the Herbivore Bakuchoil serum but it's sold out everywhere. Has anyone tried it (or another bakuchiol serum?) It is available in this tempting set at Anthro but I don't really need all of those options, it's just too overwhelming.

What's your skincare routine been like lately? Do you give no fucks or are you leaning into a more complex routine?

Review: Credo Beauty & Heretic Dirty Lemon

This originally was going to be a review of the perfume I just bought but then it turned into something else, which seems to happen around here a lot. Months ago my friend Kate sent me a link to the Heretic Parfum site because she was really intrigued by the fragrance descriptions. I got her a discovery set for her birthday and she tried them out, passing along a few that didn't work for her. One of those was Dirty Lemon which I fell completely in love with.

I'm not going to attempt to describe it like one of those perfume reviewer sites (god, some of those descriptions are WEIRD) but I will say that it's unlike anything else. It starts out with a lemony citrus thing and then dries down into a warm, woody delicious scent that makes me snuffle my arm repeatedly. I also love that it's natural rather than synthetic because it doesn't trigger headaches (for me) and isn't super strong. I am really weird about scents but this one really works for me.

I finally decided to buy it but damn, the Heretic site wasn't giving me anything. No codes, no free shipping, nothing. They will give you 10% off your first purchase, but I'd used that on my order for Kate. That's how I found Credo.

Credo is an online retailer of clean beauty and they stock quite a few Heretic fragrances. I was super happy to see that they offered free shipping on $50+ and three free samples! And they gave me 10% off my first order for signing up for emails.

While I have mixed feelings about the Clean Beauty movement I do really like that I can shop an entire site of products that are cruelty and animal-derived-product-free. Credo carries some brands I love, like Indie Lee, RMS Beauty, and Tata Harper. I ordered my Heretic Dirty Lemon, picked my samples and placed my order. You guys, they shipped the same day. I ordered on a Friday and my package was on my doorstep by Monday. I was floored. And, the box wasn't gigantic and all the packaging was all paper! Check this out:

I know! I was really impressed. Also, I smell fantastic today. If you're interested in ordering Heretic or other clean beauty products, you can get $10 off your first order by clicking through my link. (Full disclosure, I also get $10 in credit.) I was really impressed with my first order with Credo and it won't be my last.

Stuff I Like: A Lot of Words About The Ordinary.

At some point in the last few months I hit Peak Skincare. Like, I just couldn't handle trying to figure it all out anymore and I started to get really mad about how crazy expensive everything is. I've been using tiny samples of this and that for a while and wondering why my face wasn't happy. One thing I'd been using consistently, though, is The Ordinary's Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% (reviewed here) which seemed to be helping.

Then I bought the Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2% because someone on the Internet liked it a lot. Then I bought the Lactic Acid 10% + HA 2% as a cheaper alternative to Good Genes. Then I bought the Buffet peptide serum because Kate liked it. Then I started reading up on how to use this stuff together and I wanted TO CRY. So, I did what Kate suggested and I emailed them and asked them to design a regime for me. AND THEY DID. Amazing!

The Ordinary is great in providing simple, active serums at a low cost but, because many of them are single note, you can't just be slapping all this stuff on at the same time - some of it doesn't play well together and, let's be honest, it's A LOT. My face can't handle it.

So, they made some recommendations based on what I already had and suggestions for what to buy (I wanted to try retinol again for the winter) and here's what I'm doing:

🌞 MORNING::
“Buffet”
Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA
Sunscreen

🌜 EVENING:
100% Organic Cold Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil
Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%
(I add my Sunday Riley moisturizer)

🌛EVENING 2:
Lactic Acid 10% + HA 2%
Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
100% Organic Cold Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil
(I add my Sunday Riley moisturizer)

🌜 EVENING 3:
“Buffet”
Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion
100% Organic Cold Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil
(I add my Sunday Riley moisturizer and sometimes skip the first two serums)

If I bought all seven of these products at once the total cost would be less than $60. Seriously! Less than the one stupid tub of Sunday Riley** Ice moisturizer I bought last month. (Which I really like, tbh.)

Now, looking at that routine you're probably like, holy shit that's a lot. And it is, but I'm only doing the evening routine every other night, and on the off nights I just use moisturizer and facial oil. So, my face gets Vitamin C, retinol and lactic acid each on one night per week, depending on the rotation. That's it! I might eventually take the retinol up to two nights, but not yet.

The Niacinamide + Zinc and Buffet both get used every day in the morning (and sometimes at night) but I really don't need to be doing all of it every day. I've been following this plan for about a month and my face is looking better than it has in a long time. I still have melasma (anyone try lasers for this?) but my weird little breakouts have mostly stopped and I'm looking smoother and brighter overall*.

This all sounds great right? Well, THERE IS ONE THING. One thing that I do not like about The Ordinary. All the tubes and bottles look exactly the damn same and the writing is SO TINY that I have to squint angrily at each bottle to make sure I've got the right thing. I need to color code them or something.

That's pretty much it! I am by no means an expert but if you have  questions, please ask. The Ordinary website also has a ton of info about each product and a regimen guide but if you contact them they'll tell you what to use and in what order and all that. So nice.

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*Full disclosure: I have also been getting a facial with dermaplaning every six weeks. Y'all, dermaplaning isn't a life necessity but it does help all those active ingredients sink in better and it's so nice to have a smooooooth face. Plus, it's super relaxing.

**A word on the scandal: It's...not great. But also, it was so unnecessary! Sunday Riley products are quite good and fake reviews help nobody. That said, I think fake reviews are everywhere - Amazon, Sephora, Beautypedia, beauty influencers, you name it. Please remember that the founder of Drunk Elephant (or one of her employees) hounded Marianne for giving a less-than-glowing review of WonderBar on our dinky little blog. It's just ridiculous. I tend to trust the reviews on Makeupalley because it's mostly just folks like us, but who really knows. Just take it all with a grain of salt.

Weekend Shopping Report: Hits and a Miss.

I did a little bit of shopping this weekend! Not much, just a little. On Friday I went to Sephora to get a sample of Kosas Tinted Face Oil and, apparently, to buy the new Sunday Riley ICE Ceramide Moisturizing Cream. Oops. I have a lot of points so I got a few 100 point rewards, including a mini of the Tatcha The Silk Canvas Protective Primer. 

First, I'll talk about this primer. Mostly I think primers are a bullshit extra step but... it also sucks to have your makeup disappear right off your face by the afternoon. It's a struggle. I love Tatcha products and this stuff is next level:

Aside from the beautiful packaging, this primer glides on like nothing and really help gives a flawless look. I've used it two days in a row and it is definitely helping my foundation stay put but also just makes my face look crazy smooth. Highly recommend. (Also, this little kit has three of my favorite Tatcha products, including this one, if you're tempted.) 

Honestly, I didn't mean to buy this. It's just that once I had it in my grubby little hands I couldn't let it go. It is is super luxurious-feeling and smells kinda weird in that Sunday Riley way but so far my face loves it. Also, the glass jar with it's own little scooper tool makes me forgive the tub packaging. It's early days, so I'll report back on this one. It's definitely a moisturizer for dry skin and cold weather. 

The jury is still out on the Kosas Tinted Face Oil but I think maybe it's not for me. I was skeptical about a tinted face oil and it definitely feels like a face oil going on, but it has a sheer, dewy coverage, which I like a lot. However, it never seemed to set, it just sat on my face all, I AM OIL HI HI HI! It also doesn't play well with chemical sunscreen and moisturizers with silicones - I really think this is meant to be put on bare skin. I am not going without sunscreen, so I don't think this is a win for me. 

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I also went to Madewell this past weekend and checked out a few items that I've been obsessing over /linked on the blog recently. To start, the Abroad Shoulder Bag:

Ugh. Love. I can't really justify this as a purchase right now but y'all. It's so good! It's minimal in a vintage Coach kinda way, the leather is really nice and it's just the right size. I am definitely keeping an eye on this bag.  I also tried on the Stovepipe Fatigue Pants I've talked about recently:

They only had the faded olive green color in store, which looked pretty casual/summer to me. I personally like the look of the dark red for fall so hopefully they'll go on sale soon. I think they'd look really cute with flats or ankle boots. I also tried on the black version of my favorite jeans and, surprise, I totally love them. 

Spoiler alert: I did buy them, but on Poshmark. I am the worst. They're the best, though. Super black with no distressing and they fit perfectly. (At least, the pair I tried on did. Who knows what I'll get from Poshmark...)