First Impressions| The Ordinary Skincare Part 1: Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%, the 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil, "Buffet", and the High-Adherence Silicone Primer

The Ordinary has been a huge buzz in the beauty community since its launch in September of 2016 by Deciem. My enthusiasm has been revived after a long hiatus from makeup and skincare. Imagine my surprise when my non-makeup obsessed friend mentioned the brand to me! Have I been living under a rock?

While this Toronto based brand's overall image is fuss-free, I find that the more knowledgeable skincare enthusiasts will appreciate buying products based on active ingredients rather than fluff (marketing, packaging, luxury appeal, need I list more?) For beginners- fear not as there is an extensive online guide for your specific skin concerns.

Imagine my glee when I found that I could pick from a variety of Vitamin C derivatives, retinoids, acids, serums, and oils!

Edit| The Best Primer That Wasn't: Urban Decay Naked Beauty Balm

I was having a rough day and took myself to the mall to throw my wallet to the woes of material hoardings. To my surprise, I connected with a very sweet SA from Macy's who worked at the Urban Decay booth. She had an amazing vamp to red ombre lip + smokey warm brown eye look that had me nodding yes enthusiastically at everything she put on my purposely bare face.

See, I'm not usually a fan of mall makeovers. They make me squirm, want to blurt out obscenities, and run as fast as I can away from dirty brushes and unsanitary test products. But this gal made me feel happy to spend in exchange for a little TLC from a stranger.

In any case, I walked away from the counter with their Revolution Matte lipstick in Bad Blood and the Urban Decay Naked Beauty Balm in Naked Medium ($34).

*screeeeeeeetch* Hold up. Isn't that the one product everyone hated and rates lowly and thinks is the laughing joke of all BB Creams? I had these nagging thoughts in the back of my head. Was I just pressured into buying? Do I truly love this? Yet, my smooth/poreless/lineless/perfected but not made up skin in the mirror spoke to me.

I remember this product coming out in 2013. Everyone and their mom got a press sample and even then they all bitched and moaned that it wasn't a true BB Cream. There just wasn't enough coverage for it to even be considered a shoddy tinted moisturizer. I had chuckled back then and gone back to my Asian BB Creams that had plenty of coverage and oil control, even if they were all beige and grey as death.

(PS: It Cosmetics CC Cream in Light is the HG of all BB/CC/ZZ/whatever creams for me. It's olive-yellow, medium coverage, SPF 50, and as moisturizing as it should get for the summer.)

Now, I just wanted something to simplify my morning routine: a base prep that could be worn alone or with a full coverage foundation on top. This stuff has SPF 20 (decent, not phenomenal) and definitely lives up to the claims of skin smoothing and blurring. The orange tint of Naked Medium disappears on my NC30-35 face, but I could see it being a little warm for when I'm NC25 or lighter.

It feels like the Maybelline Baby Skin primer which did nothing to prime my skin but blurred it and held down flakes and dry spots like a champ. This primer also doesn't feel like a thick silicone like the Smashbox Pore Minimizer primer and can be applied to the entire face without giving a slight pasty white cast. It's much more liquid than the Benefit Porefessional as well and should be used in sections. In fact, it feels like the Laura Mercier original primer which has always helped prolong wear time with colored base products.

I use half a dime size for each side of my face and work in sections to make sure that the product glides evenly onto my skin.

Sure, unless you have minimal (or no) redness you won't see "perfect" skin right away but the effect! The effect! My skin has never felt or looked smoother. It really helps to push down flakey skin and glides over dry spots. I was also surprised that underneath any foundation it helped prolong the wear of any foundation or blush for 9 hours. Many primers may help with textural problems or wear time but never both at once with such ease.

My skin looks pretty darn good after a solid 10 hours at the office as well. It prevents liquid foundation from sliding around and pooling on the skin, settling into lines and pores, and helps the base product GRAB onto my skin. As an added bonus, my skin feels extra velvety and doesn't over-produce oil in the t-zone area. Such win.

It also works well as a primer for powder foundations. Powders seem to love clinging onto this base...but not in a bad way! Instead of getting clumped up into little sections, the Beauty Balm seems to help it glide and stick. As an added bonus I can also skip my usual moisturizer in the warmer months and slap this on after rinsing in the morning. There's promises of skin improvement ("DNA Repair") just for the BB hullabaloo but I don't have high expectations.

Urban Decay would get tons of sales if they re-labeled this as a primer rather than keeping it an artifact of their rushed venture into the market of BBs. It's effective and decently priced. Or, they could go the other way and expand the (practically translucent but suspiciously orange) shade range into Fair/Light/Medium/Tan/Dark and make buttloads of monies. They've already expanded into an Illuminating and Bronzing version, and I bet you the Bronzing version is great at evening out your skin tone for the summer.

I've been using it consistently as a primer/moisturizer/SPF every morning before I walk the dog. Here's a FOTD with it and a powder foundation (MAC Studio Fix powder in NC35.) The primer helps the powder "grab" and adhere onto the skin without patchiness.

Here is the primer with the MUFE Ultra HD stick foundation on top. 

Finally, the primer also works well with very full coverage foundations like the Marc Jacobs Remarcable Foundation. 

 It's a lovely product that only took me 2 years to understand. Yet another lesson to go against the grain and test makeup for yourself since it varies so much from person to person.

xo Be

Edit| The Best Hype in Skincare: Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Facial Oil

I often leave reviews of skincare products for months and months after I first begin using it, but the Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil ($105) is blowing up the blogosphere, especially by British bloggers/vloggers. Sephora carries the line.

Yes, the price is yonkers steep. Is it magic? What's inside? I've never purchased a high end product before, even if it promises to grant me super soft fetus skin. There's almost always a drugstore equivalent, and I rely on SPF, AHAs, and hyaluronic acid to minimize damage to my skin and prevent wrinkles. 

The claims? Youthful and healthy skin that's thicker and reduced pore size. 

Because the retinol is suspended in oils, it's a very soothing and non-irritating formula, at least for my jaded crocodile skin. Beginners should be wary and use 2x a week at first and build up to nightly if they want. For me, I like to cycle Vitamin C and retinol on different days for maximum effectiveness. 

I apply at night as a topper to the rest of my skincare routine, using two to three drops. I often like to use my AHA lotion (12%) underneath after removing my makeup with an oil cleanser and then cleansing my face with something mild like the Cerave Hydrating Cleanser. The blue tint in the product is to make sure you massage it deeply into your skin. You don't want precious oils sinking into your pillow instead, do you? 

It smells...polarizing. My husband has smelled it on my face several times with different reactions each time. Sometimes it smells like green tea ice cream, sometimes it smells like eucalyptus oil, and sometimes "OH GAWD YOU SMELL TERRIBLE." Take that how you want, but it smells slightly medicinal and not overpowering or lingering to me. Still, you might want to give it the ole sniff test in stores (if possible) to see if it's off-putting to you. 

The first three days, I definitely noticed a huge reduction in surface redness (around the nose, under the eyes, and on my chin) upon waking. It's been several weeks, and I have also noticed that my pore size IS reduced. I don't have very large pores, but they aren't inflamed or swollen with whiteheads anymore. I no longer have to use a pore-filling primer on the sides of my nose. 

I have used many *strong* retinol products before from Avene and Neutrogena, and none of those have made a difference in the crater-like dimensions of my laugh line. I feel as if the Sunday Riley version is more effective because my foundations don't sink into textural issues like before. My forehead did purge whiteheads for several days when I first started using this product, but I have less whiteheads forming on my t-zone in general with consistent use. 

Reduced loss of skin elasticity? Check. My skin feels more "plump" every morning.

Treating inflamed and irritated skin? Check. There's much less surface redness. 

Plumping fine lines? Check. The change is minimal but I hope to see results over time.

Regulate Sebum? I don't have very oily skin and can't attest to that claim.

This is a holy oil for me. My surface redness is significantly reduced, meaning I can forego foundation and concealer. I find myself using less base products on a daily basis and reaching for a tinted moisturizer doesn't feel like blasphemy.  If you have very severe problems with acne scarring, I don't think this would be as effective as a prescription retinol. Although a skincare product's success wildly varies from person to person, I still think it's great at providing moisture to the skin. 

xo Be

Haul| Massive Cumulative Haul

You might think this is a huge haul, but thanks to a dedicated round of blog sales, returns on new products sitting in the back of my closet, and a little bit of store credit. I still managed to hit my low buy budget of $50 a month after this cumulative haul over several months!

I keep a stash of favorites, new products to try, and a variety of eyeshadows and lip choices at the office and do my base at home. Here's what I've been hauling and keeping close.

L'oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Bronzed Taupe- These are getting discontinued...but why...?? The best formulation for drugstore eyeshadows....that's fine...take them away... I'll just go cry now.

Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow in Pale Barley- The "discontinued!" hype is very real. I enjoy my old formulation of Rosewood (buttery!) and wanted to pick up this cult favorite before it was reformulated. This color is a very subtle taupe brown on my lids: perfect for a quick wash of color.

Chikuhodo Passion Series Eye Shadow brush- Ergonomically designed with a flat side and pointed tip...perfect for multi-tasking. 

MAC Mineralized Blush in Dainty- I can see why this is hyped. It's a lovely pearly sheen of a baby pink that actually stays pink on my cheeks. It swatches a little frosty but isn't so on the skin.

Chanel Rouge Coco Lipstick in Madamoiselle- I need all the shades. Now. This is the most moisturizing lipstick ON ITS OWN. I toted it around Vegas and reapplied religiously sans lip balm and my lips didn't crack, chap, or peel.

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Beso- A nice true red that seems a tad more blue based and deeper than Lime Crime Red Velvet Velvetine. Review coming soon.

ELF Eyebrow Kit in Medium- Cheap and long lasting, but the powder leans very red. Review coming soon.

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette- A repurchase! I had been pressured into a bad swap and said goodbye to the older clunky packaging version. This new one fits into my work stash nicely. Old review here.

There's also been products hauled out of curiosity, frequent trips to the mall, and blog sales. Hm, priorities.

The Body Shop Honey Bronzer in 04-  Review coming soon. This stuff looks great with "no-makeup makeup" especially if you're heading outdoors to look cute on a hike or fishing trip.

Koyudo Kumamon Brush- Because who doesn't like Kumamon, the creepiest bear ever? 

MAC 159 Brush- Simple duo fiber blush brush that hasn't shed on me and blends out cream blushes without disturbing the makeup underneath. Magical. Expensive, but magical. 

LORAC Unzipped Gold Palette- Review here. GOLD AND COPPER AND ALL TEH DUOCHROMES.

Bite Beauty Lipstick in Cava- A supposed dupe for the elusive Lime Crime Velvetine in Cashmere, this lipstick isn't as drying as other Bite Beauty colors. It is, however, zombie-fying on the lips in a very fun and mod way. Who woulda thought a pale lilac grey would work?

Laneige Water Tints in Peach Coral and Scarlet Red- I was curious of Korean lip products with a jelly finish, but my first impression of this product is that it's a very close dupe of the Revlon Moisture Stains. Review coming soon.

I've also picked up quite a few things in terms of skincare and base products. My skin is irksome lately: dry spots around the nose and yet I still have an oily t-zone. My cheeks are riddled with bug bite scars and hyper-pigmentation. Such is life.

HABA Fair Lady- Repurchase! Review here. After an unsuccessful stint with half the bottle of Ole Henriksen Truth Serum, I've had to go back to this miracle worker. It just works.

Sephora Airbrush Foundation in Fawn- A repurchase in a different shade. Medium was a tad too dark and orange for me, but Fawn seems to match NC25 very well with strong yellow tones. Old review here. If I wanna look flawless for events, photos, what have you, this stuff will wear like iron. 

Giorgio Armani Corrector #2- Another repurchase since it's soon to be discontinued. Thin in consistency and crazy thick in opacity, it's perfect for covering up dark circles without the product settling into fine lines. However, unless you have very dark circles, I would advise you put another concealer on top of it to neutralize everything/ not look like a red panda.

Maybelline Master Conceal in Light- I hear it's a good drugstore dupe for the MAC Prolongwear concealer. It's neither creamy or drying, meaning it doesn't settle into my fine lines or transfers off after a few hours. It's not great, but good enough.

Laneige BB Cushion refill in #23 Sand Beige- This stuff is perfect for when I've rolled out of bed 15 minutes late and I need a good face before clients start pouring into the lobby. It's fast, medium coverage and provides a whoppin' SPF 50. I love it so much that this is a 4th repurchase.

BareMinerals Complexion Rescue Gel Cream in Buttercream- Review coming soon. (Pst, this stuff is GOOD to dry skin.)

The Body Shop Vitamin E Cleanser and Night Cream- I hauled this out of desperation for a moisturizing product ( I was visiting a friend in Central Valley of CA and the heat is insane!) but both are very kind to my skin. I probably won't reach for the cleanser again until next winter, but I like using the night cream once a week.

Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Lotion- Review coming soon. I've heard a lot of good hype for this lotion/toner and it's under $15 per bottle. Beautiful hydrated skin, here I come??

Neutrogena Pore Refining Face Wash and Toner- This stuff works to minimize pore size, but I use it to reduce whiteheads and sebaceous filaments that frolic on my nose, chin, and cheeks. It's not too drying for me and has tiny little beads that won't scratch up the skin.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in 52 Vanilla- This is the first foundation I've used up an entire bottle of, so it's safe to say it's an HG. I probably won't get as dark as 53 this summer so I opted for 52 instead.

Phew! That was exhausting. Have you been hauling in the past three months or abstaining yourself in repentance of the holiday shopping crazy? I'm slowing down, paring my stash, and repurchasing what I know I will use and love on a daily basis.

xo Be

Haul| LUSH Skincare

Just checkin' in to show you a little haul from LUSH that I've made last month. Reviews will come up soon, but by that time I've already tried everything for about a month. 

Mask of Magnaminty ($12.95 for 125g) is a clay mask/exfoliator that's famous with oily and acne prone skin types. I read up reviews that claimed this mask helped reduce redness in existing whiteheads, drew out blackheads, and calmed oily skin in general. While my skin is bone dry, my nose still has remnant blackheads and awful little whiteheads in the T-zone. I'm hoping this will be a cheaper dupe for GlamGlow. 

The Sacred Truth ($6.95 for 60g) is a fresh face mask that needs to be refridgerated and has a shelf life of only 3 weeks. I wasn't sure which face mask was the best for dry skin, so the SA recommended this one to me. I'm certain that masks don't do much for the skin in the long term, so I chose something that smells nice and would feel pampering as a spa treatment. 

I also picked up Breathe of Fresh Air ($9.95) which is a facial toner that can be used to refresh your skin. It smells very faint, unlike many toners I know loaded with fragrances. I wanted to purchase a sample size so I could keep it at work for when the air conditioning wants to break up my foundation. 

Finally, I suckered a sample of Ro's Argan body moisturizer from the girl at the counter. I keep hearing holy grail raves for this in shower moisturizer, but the price tag is steep! If this goes well, I'll be purchasing a full size. 

I'm finally turning into my hippie Asian mother; the transformation is almost complete. LUSH products work so well for how simple and fresh they are and every product has a lovely scent. 

xo Be

Review| Philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleanser

Face wash is one of those things that are taken for granted half the time. Do you have dry skin? Go with creamy. Do you have oily skin? A foaming lather won't hurt you. For me, I make sure to remove the bulk of my makeup first with an oil based remover and makeup wipe. Then, I go in with a creamy or non-foaming face wash to cleanse again.

So why did I splurge on Philosophy's Purity Made Simple cleanser? At $35 per 16 oz, you could probably run to the drugstore and buy any cleanser in bulk at the price. However, I've heard very mixed reviews about Purity and decided that I wanted to try for myself. Philosophy designed this product to cleanse, tone, remove makeup, and lightly moisturize your skin in one simple step. For some, it's devil piss in a bottle while others claim that it's their holy grail. I've been using Purity for the past two months and can definitely offer my thoughts on it now.

I appreciate the simple packaging and easy push top dispenser, but since I got the monster size, it's a little cumbersome to be on my bathroom sink. It would be even better if they had a soap pump type of dispenser. The scent of Purity is similar to plastic lemongrass, but fainter, even though it claims to be fragrance free. You're not going to gag like I did with their "Hope In a Jar" due to an overpowering plastic scent, but it's still the norm for Philosophy products to smell completely unnatural. It's not a deal breaker for me since the lemongrass is semi-pleasant.

Philosophy claims that their Purity cleanser can deep clean your skin and unclog pores. The consistency of the cleanser is similar to a thin but waxy lotion that suds up when you apply water. Unless you were using a face brush or Clarisonic, I don't see how this can be "deep cleansing", though it cleans very well without leaving skin squeaky feeling. It does not lather to a high foam and rinses off nicely.

The best part is that it's excellent as an eye makeup remover, meaning you can work the slight suds into the lash line to get rid of leftover mascara and it won't sting or burn. I love MAC Cleanse Off Oil, but it can make my vision blurry afterward. You can probably take this on a cotton pad if you'd like and use it only for this purpose to save money.

I have not had any allergic reactions, clogged pores, or major skin dilemmas that can be attributed to this cleanser. On the other hand, my pores are a little tighter and there is no residue eye makeup when I wake up in the morning. It's not a miracle worker (it is a face wash after all people...) but does a great job of multitasking for when I'm too tired to take the separate steps. While my Neutrogena Gentle Cleanser works just fine, it still doesn't take off my makeup as well as this one.

Do I think it's worth the price? No. Would I repurchase? Perhaps, if there was an option to buy in bulk for less.

xo Be

Edit| Sephora Samplers and Sets

After accumulating (nay, hoarding) a thousand points from Sephora for years I finally decided to spend them on new skincare samplers. I picked up the Fresh set which includes their famous Soy Face Cleanser, the Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream, and the Seaberry Moisturizing Face Oil. I have no clue how much these products cost retail for their full size, but the samplers seem to be enough for a month's usage!

As for the Origins set of Ginzing, Modern Friction, and Clear Improvement...courtesy of the VIB Rouge program. A smart move for once, considering how their past perks sold out in seconds and weren't all that impressive in the first place. (Really, a mirror? I've spent a grand on you guys in the last year...) That's another set that will last me a month. I remember it took me a year to finish my a full sized version of the charcoal mask, so I'm really happy that it was included.

While Sephora does include three samples with every online purchase and I have free shipping for Rouge, I generally dislike using samples in flimsy packaging. In fact, I have a huge bag of just samples I've acquired in the past six months or so. I go through and sort them out, but never get around to using them because of the mess that's inherent with them. You  try to just rip a corner of the sample packet but in a few days it falls over and leaks product all over the vanity. Um...no.

Do you cash out your points often or like to save them until you see something truly amazing? I've seen makeup sets come and go, but the Fresh set was just too good to pass up.

xo Be