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filing this along with other posts that i thought i’d have done by now (candlespost, favorite triangulations, chaebol theory) but ummmm better late than never. unfortunately i’ve been wildly inconsistent with my skincare for the past year (to year and a half) up until like maybe last august.. but i feel like it’s made a bit of difference? which is to say i still have my off-days/occasional breakouts but i think they’ve gotten less frequent, which is a net positive. i know consistency is really key but sometimes skincare really does feel like my very own hellish rube-goldberg machine => And then nothing even happened. also this post is 90% “omg this smells so good” sorry for loving scents and smells that’s my fucking problem.
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the hellish rube goldberg machine in question
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- CLEANSER: water - winter is so dry around here so i usually don’t find it necessary to use a cleanser in the morning unless im doing a full face. sometimes i'll use the innisfree cherry blossom dewy glow jam cleanser (thank u jo for the rec) if it feels like i need it. smells really good and gets the job done/doesn’t strip my skin dry.
- TONER: laniege cream skin - it’s been taking me forever to use up this shit… i can’t tell if it’s really doing anything that beneficial but at least it’s not breaking me out.
- ACTIVE: glow recipe watermelon glow niacinamide dew drops - SMELLS SO GOOD. i've been adding a few drops of it to my base/tinted moisturizer/concealers/whatever i've decided to use on days i want coverage for extra moisture and glow. i feel like it does work but maybe i am prone to bias bc it smells good and feels nice...
- SPF: skin aqua tone up uv essence happiness aura - this smells so good. and doesn’t have white cast and has a very nice texture when it dries down. and the packaging is pretty i love shiny + ombré. i do use skin aqua uv super moisture gel gold on occasion if i know i'm going to be in the sun/outside for longer. it also has a more hydrating formula.
- OIL CLEANSER: kose softymo deep cleansing oil - so i’m not exactly in love with this…like yes it does get my make up off but at the cost of being extremely hard to wash off. And i have so much of it left like the bottle is literally 80% full and i can’t bring myself to toss it [gun emoji][skull emoji] also this is not the viral pink tiktok one that i'm kind of being baited into considering bc it has pretty packaging + allegedly better performance but i am hesitant to trust them again T_T i also use loreal dermo gentle eye and lip remover for heavier makeup days. or if i just don't want to deal with the softymo.
- CLEANSER: innisfree cherry blossom dewy glow jam cleanser / etude house soon jung ph 5.5 foam cleanser - both are good, i use the soon jung one if im starting in my skincare in the shower, and the cherry blossom one otherwise. i was previously using herbivore’s pink cloud jelly cleanser, which is honestly one of the best i've used but it’s also at a higher price point and has mildly heavy duty(?) packaging; that’s not inherently a bad thing and actually i do like the glass bottle bc it feels more weighty but i’m always afraid it’s going to shatter in the shower and it’s annoying to travel with.
- TONER: laniege cream skin
- ACTIVES: ever since hopping on the skin cycling train i alternate between days of retinoid -> exfoliation -> recovery using the following products - murad retinol youth renewal serum -> the ordinary glycolic acid 7% toning solution -> the ordinary niacinamide 10% + zinc 2%. i like the murad, which is unfortunate for me because it’s going to cost a lot to replenish when i’m done with it :’). the ordinary’s products are pretty standard ie i can never tell if the niacinamide is actually working but again at least it is not actively causing me breakouts. i’ve been using the glycolic acid for my scalp as well tho.. wonder product. i’ve been thinking about switching to herbivore’s bakuchiol serum as a retinol alternative just to see what works as i happen to have a sample of it…it’s also half the price of the murad :hopeful:
- SERUMS: krave beauty great barrier relief - this smells like nuts which makes sense bc i think macadamia nut oil is one of the ingredients but it really caught me off guard when i first started using it lmao. i use this on recovery nights along with the niacinamide, it is fairly effective to me :) i've also been using the ordinary caffeine solution 5% + ecgc under my eyes on and off for the past year or so. who can say if it's been effective or not... i feel like i have to accept at some point that i am just meant to look as dead as i feel at least partially at all times. zombiecore <3 girls who look like they are corpses <3
- MOISTURIZER: recently made the switch to clinique moisture surge thanks to sephora generous 50% off deal... im hoping i dont like too much bc it's going to be terrible to rebuy but uhhhh so far it seems like it's working and my skin likes it so :') </3333. before that i was using mamonde calming hydro sleeping mask as a moisturizer. the scent is supposed to be calendula but it smells like straight up HONEYYY so i always want to eat this shit. it's decent but i think it might not be thick enough for winter dryness. i’ve been going through it pretty quickly which is unfortunate bc i think it was discontinued, or at least i can’t find it on their official website anymore. i got it discounted a while back at ulta anyway so i wasn’t really expecting to use it regularly in my routine but…things happen i guess..
- MASKS (2-3x/wk):
- my beauty diary aloe vera / black pearl - tried and true. i love mbd masks bc they're so thin that they stick to the skin really well... and they're relatively cheaper which is always good for my wallet
- mediheal n.m.f. aquaring ampoule mask / hydro nude gel mask - the ampoule mask is my go to, but i don't think it's like significantly better than the mbd ones or anything... the nude gel is fun to put on but also i don't see too much of a difference in effect.
- abib mild acidic ph sheet mask aqua fit - i liked this. kinda want to try out the other abib ones too, particularly the heartleaf one!
- SPOT TREATMENT: prescription clindamycin toner + hydrocolloid patches + differin gel on rotation
- LIP CARE: laniege lip sleeping masks (berry/sweet candy/peach iced tea) - all delicious.. berry kinda outsold tho which is why it's a little distressing that i cannot find her rn. 2nd is peach iced tea and then sweet candy. i've also been using the creme shop x cinnamoroll peach mousse lip balm but we all know i got that for the packaging and not anything else. it's okay i guess, i've used worse/better. hesitating on whether to put the milani fruit fetish lip oil here bc idk if that counts more as makeup or skincare but uhhhh i like it! smells good keeps my lips hydrated, the strawberry melon scent delicious. also elf lip exfoliator - brown sugar changed my life, flakey lips are a thing of the past <3
- UP NEXT + products i’ve been wanting to try:
- tatcha dewy skin cream - if fsr moisture surge doesn't work out (doubtful) i have a travel size of this to get through as winter nighttime moisturizer
- herbivore’s aquarius pore purifying cream - the only thing really holding me off from this product is the packaging + formulation… not aesthetically bc aesthetically herbivore’s packaging is amazing, but hearing one too many horror stories about their moisturizer packaging being a breeding ground for bacteria bc they're ~clean beauty~ (no preservatives) is really making me have second thoughts. like preservatives are good actually. But also pastel blue cream in glass jar pretty…
- saborino sheet masks pack - feel like this would be nice to keep in the fridge, maybe economical alternative for sheetmasks when i run out of my current stash from last asia trip. i have my eye on the peach one.
- dr jart cicapair color correcting treatment - ok tbh i saw horror stories about this giving people rashes so now idk that i want to try it that badly anymore... i think my current concealer + tinted moisturizer combo is actually doing pretty good of a job on the redness front so like. maybe not necessary anymore?
- innisfree daily uv defense sunscreen and ahc natural perfection double shield sunstick - i have so much sunscreen from my last trip to get through that these will probably have to wait until at least fall, but i did want to try the ahc sunstick after seeing jus use it!
- kind of want to try roundlab / beauty of joseon to see of either of them are worth the hype, coincidentally also want to try more essences/serums/ferments so maybe smth from any of these two brands..
- i want a new hand cream. i don't need one but i want one.
- DNR👎
- paula's choice bha broke me out so bad... emailed customer service was told there was a purging period but girl 3 weeks????? it's sitting half used tucked away in my bathroom cabinet i hate to see it i hate to look at it.
- KOSE SOFTYMO DEEP CLEANSING OIL (see above)
- i keep debating whether to put my current rotation of fragrances here as well but i feel like that goes more with makeup categorically. but then that would mean committing to another separate makeup post so.... um..... well....
- in the same vein just realized i do have haircare products/a haircare routine as well... ummm well.
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