And just like that, it’s a new year and…I don’t feel any different. As the lockdowns continue and we wait for our turn to be vaccinated, 2021 so far feels like 2020, part two. So, I’m keeping busy as best I can and that means working through my stash of skin care.
My beauty empties this month include some brands that were new to me and some that have been on my radar for a while. I wish I could say I was sticking to my plan not to add to my collection, but, oops. Maybe next year?
Here’s what I used up last month, my first round of beauty empties for 2021:
Repurchase:
Equi London Supplements — I am VERY picky with the supplements I take. I wrote product descriptions for a supplement e-retailer for a few years, so I know my way around a nutrition label. While I didn’t love that the Lean Formula from Equi was a powder at first (it still doesn’t dissolve as well as I’d like), I was so impressed with the formula I stuck with it. Taking the multivitamin, which has a mild pineapple flavor, along with the Beauty Oil Edition as part of a healthy diet and exercise program helped me lose five pounds last month. And while my skin did have a small purge, it’s had a serious glow ever since and I’ll be sticking with both of these products for the foreseeable future.
Yon-Ka Paris PHYTO-CONTOUR (gifted) — Eye cream is a staple of my routine. I know the reason my eye area still looks as smooth as it does is because I’ve been using one eye cream or another for more than 15 years. I think they’re better for prevention and can provide some improvement, but they aren’t Magic Erasers. This one from Yon-Ka Paris has rosemary as its key ingredient to firm and smooth the eye area. It also provides some tingle. This eye cream was just rich enough to hydrate without feeling heavy and didn’t burn my eyes. It definitely helped me look more awake and I love that it’s in a tube instead of a jar to keep it fresh.
Phyto Phytoelixir Intense Nutrition Shampoo — If you have dry, damaged or just bleached hair, you can’t do much better than this shampoo. Loaded with oils and botanicals, it gives your hair serious moisture without weighing it down with buildup. I started using it after noticing London’s hard water was wreaking havoc on my unnaturally blonde strands and, after one use, I noticed a major improvement. My hair was less frizzy, blew out more smoothly and felt softer. My only gripe? The metal bottle, which makes it hard to dispense.
iS Clinical Body Complex — Body acne has always been an issue of mine, which is why picking body lotions is tricky. I don’t like anything with an artificial scent, since those tend to break me out, and I like added ingredients like exfoliants. This one ticks both boxes for me, helping improve eczema on my hand and reduce the appearance of KP on my arms thanks to ingredients like salicylic acid, fruit acids and aloe vera. I haven’t met a product from this brand I didn’t like yet.
Pass:
Algenist Blue Algae Vitamin C Dark Spot Correcting Peel — I wanted to love this after seeing it absolutely everywhere. It has a nice texture and warms on application, which I enjoyed. And after a couple of uses, I thought I did love it. My skin looked brighter and felt smoother. But then, nothing much else happened. Hyperpigmentation (post-inflammatory) is my biggest skin issue and this peel (used on a weekly basis) just didn’t budge my spots as much as I was hoping for.
See what else I’ve used up here.
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