Spring Skincare
Some hair stuff too.
Spring is usually the time of year when I try out new products and finally replace old ones that aren’t working. Some of these are gifted from the company, but most I bought on my own — and all I have been using for a little while now, so I can give you my honest opinion.
Earlier this year I went to get a facial (at Face Facial Bar) because my skin was feeling dull and a little congested. And $100+ later I didn’t feel there was any significant difference in my complexion. So I decided to buy a couple new products I could try at home, specifically targeting minor things I wanted to address: fine lines, under-eye bags, dullness, redness, and bumpy texture.
Ordinary’s Argireline — this, combined with their Matrixyl serum, is often described as “Botox in a Bottle” and since I’m not doing Botox right now (though I’m thiiiiiis close) I decided to give it a try. It’s nothing drastic but I feel like I see a subtler amount of expression lines when I use it, almost like it’s temporarily blurring out my forehead creases and crow feet.
Inkey List Azelaic Acid Serum — This squeezes out grey! Like, literally it is grey serum. Which at first freaked me out but now I kinda like that grey goop, which I guess is supposed to counteract redness. I used it when I had a little hyperpigmentation post zits that I wanted to get rid of, and it definitely worked in fading those scars. But I don’t have rosacea or anything too red on my face, so I can’t speak to that... apparently azelaic acid is very gentle (NOT A DOCTOR) so I didn’t have any concerns just throwing it into my regular skincare routine.
First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads — I definitely have noticed a huge brightening difference using this, similar to what I see when I use the Dr. Dennis Gross peel pads. These are supposed to be a lot gentler (and they’re a ton cheaper) so I have been using them more often, almost every morning. But I just bought the Sephora brand Glow Peel Pads which are EVEN CHEAPER. Will see if they are just as good.
Dieux Forever Eye Masks — I have been wondering about these for years (espeically during the pandemic when they reached their hype height) and finally got them at Sephora. And I love! I get why people take a ton of selfies in them, which is exactly why I did so, too. I put these on top of eye cream (or just regular serums) and have been really impressed with how they just stay sticky and don’t move around. I also like that you can keep them on as a guide for an easy cat-eye eyeliner look. All you have to do is wash, dry, and you can reuse them. Feels so much better than constantly throwing those little under eye pads out!