This post is LOOOONG overdue – you asked me to do this two months ago, but better late than never, right? After two months of testing out 10 beauty products I’ve been gifted by brands, I finally got to see which ones worked wonders, and which ones didn’t work at all. So, at last, meet my Beauty Likes and Dislikes of April (I promise I’ll try to do this monthly now!).
Beauty ‘Likes’
1 – Skinceuticals Retinol 0.5
I had already tried previously the Retinol 0.3 from Skinceuticals. Last month, I stepped it up and started trying out the Retinol 0.5. I was, in the beginning, a bit scared it would be too aggressive for my skin, since Skinceuticals’ products are always so focused on efficiency and strong concentrations. I started out applying it every day and realized it was a bit too concentrated for my skin, so it started to peel a lot very quickly.
When I spaced it more and started to use it every other day (instead of every day), I could explore the potential of this product so much more, and experienced a complete transformation on my skin. It is a bit pricy, but I’ll tell you: it’s totally worth it.
If you’re a beginner to retinol, I recommend you start out by applying it twice a week, then advancing to every other day before applying it every day – just to see how your face reacts.
2 – NARS ‘Exposed’ Cheek Palette
From all the palettes I was gifted over that past couple of months (including other ones from Nars), this one was the most complete and versatile.
The pigmentation is, in my opinion, perfect, and it has the darker shades I like to use to contour, gorgeous peachy/pink blush shades, plus a super pigmented highlighter. It’s my go-to palette to bring with me whenever I’m traveling.
3 – Kevyn Aucoin Glass Glow Highlighters
I’m definitely a highlighter kind of person, and when Kevyn Aucoin launched this new Glass Effect Highlighter, I was the first one to run and try it. It is definitely a product you want to be careful with, since the effect is indeed very dramatic. For me, it worked wonders and added a dewy effect on my makeup, which I love. I also love to add it to my foundation and apply it to my whole face (don’t be scared!).
4 – Eve Lom Mask
This mask is, by far, the best face mask I’ve tried in a while. You can choose to use it either for just 20 minutes or overnight, and it’s really transformative. My skin was going through a very ‘dull’ moment, and it really made me GLOW afterward (it also moisturized and plumped it). Super recommended!
5 – Dermalogica Prisma Protect Sunscreen
As a person who has oily skin, I’m constantly battling to find the right sunscreen texture that will offer high protection at the same time, given that I apply highly concentrated skincare products at night.
This one from Dermalogica was a winner for me! I 100% trust the efficacy of their products, and their texture is just so lightweight and easy to apply – so different from other sunscreens from renowned skincare brands.
6 – Boscia Super-Cool De-Puffing Eye Balm
This product from Boscia really changed my life. It is so hard for me to find eye creams that have the instant effect I need in the morning, so this was really a game changer.
It is a stick, so I can easily carry it around in my bag, and you can feel the cooling sensation right after you apply it, which gives me that extra ‘wake-up’ feeling in the morning and actually de-puffs my eye area almost instantly.
Beauty Dislikes
1 – Humankind Bar Shampoo
Humankind is a brand I REALLY wanted to love! It’s a brand that came to disrupt the way we consume beauty products and is revolutionizing packages and the way the products are presented. I gave this one a try twice in a row.
Although it didn’t really work with my hair, I have also heard that this is usually how it works with natural products: you need to use it for a while and make your hair go through a whole ‘detox’ process until it gets rid of the chemicals and gets used to natural ingredients only. I’ll keep on trying it, but, for now, it didn’t really work 🙁
2 – Humankind Deodorant
Once again, I wanted to love this deodorant! I decided to give it a try in one of the most hectic days of my year: day 1 of NYFW (lol!). The product, unfortunately, didn’t live up to my expectations and stained my brand new Balenciaga shirt 🙁
I will also try to give this deodorant a second chance and wear it for a week in a row, but I’m not sure how much I’m willing to risk it during the Summer months. I’ll definitely have to wait a bit, but I still love the brand’s values and everything it stands for. If you don’t sweat a lot and/or are used to all-natural deodorants, I totally recommend you try! (let me know how it goes!)
3 – Cuvée Haircare line
Cuvée is definitely a haircare brand with a lot of hype, so I can’t deny I had high expectations before trying their products. It’s also really tough to put it on my ‘dislikes’ list, since I had the opportunity to meet the founder over coffee last year and really admire her as a female founder.
However, since my number one duty is to be 100% honest with you, I have to say that Cuvée’s products didn’t work at all with my hair. I have damaged hair that is oily near the roots and very dry towards the ends, and the products left it very stiff and rough to the touch.
After using it, though the line would be great if you’re styling your hair for a special event right after and need the stiffness (it happens!). I wouldn’t recommend the products if you’re looking for something to wear on your day-to-day life, though.
4 – Umbra Sheer Physical Daily Defense – Drunk Elephant
I’m absolutely obsessed with Drunk Elephant’s products, although I must say that this one didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I also have mixed feelings about physical sunscreens, since I’ve read many articles in my pharmacy college years saying that they can make skin oxidation happen – however they’re very necessary when more invasive skin laser procedures are done.
Whenever I choose to use physical SPFs, though, I usually go for the SPF 50 from Skinceuticals, which has an amazing texture. When I tried the Umbra Sheer from Drunk Elephant, I expected a similar or better texture (thinner), since its SPF is lower, and when I saw that the texture was heavier, I was a bit disappointed.
Although I really trust the product’s efficacy in protection, I have to say that the texture really disappointed me – and that’s why it made it to my beauty ‘dislikes’.
I really hope you guys like this post and let me know if you’d like to see those kinds of list in here more often!
What do you think?