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I tend to plan my reviews several weeks in advance. I mean, I have to make sure that I am not trying to introduce two different brightening serums at the same time and in general prevent my face from falling off. And if you ever over exfoliated your face, you know that “face falling off” is a very accurate description of what happens!
It means of course that I also plan my purchases several weeks in advance, and that is hard on my wallet! All the pretty parcels arriving make up for it though, and it also makes it easier to lump everything together in one huge haul video.
After all you need to see which reviews you can expect over the upcoming months, don´t you think?
Sunscreens
I wear sunscreen all year round, but of course use more of it in the summer, as I do not tend to reapply in the colder months. If you have any specific questions in regards to sunscreen, let me point you here where I answer the most common questions.
I do have indoors and outdoors as well as summer and winter sunscreens, depending on if I expect to get a lot of sun exposure, for example on a hike, or if I am spending the majority of my day at my desk. In the summer my skin is more oily, in the winter I want more hydration, and all that combined leads to me having several different options to pick from.
The latest additions are the Heliocare 360° Water Gel SPF 50, which came recommended on Instagram and seems to be a great water resistant option for oily skins, and the Garnier Ambre Solaire Anti-Age Super UV SPF 50 (50 ml/ 9,95 €), which seems better suited for more mature skins. While the Garnier option is readily available here in Germany at the drugstore, I had to buy Heliocare from an online pharmacy as it doesn’t seem to be in stores.
The next option is one that I had shipped over from the UK, it is the Ultraviolette Supreme Screen Hydrating Facial Skinscreen SPF 50+ (50 ml/ 39,10 €). The brand is actually Australian and it comes with high praise from Michelle aka LabMuffinBeautyScience, which is why I ordered the corresponding lip sunscreen, the Ultraviolette Sheen Screen Hydrating Lip Balm SPF 50 (15g/ 18,40 €) as well. So far I only ever used one by Labello, but to be honest, it is neither a pleasant color nor texture nor does it offer a really high protection factor – let’s see if I like the version from Ultraviolette better.
I also have one product that comes from even further away, and even though the package was due to arrive yesterday, it has not arrived yet. If you ever ask again why I don’t like ordering from Yesstyle – the shipping to Germany always takes FOREVER! That being said, I am awaiting the Thank You Farmer Sun Project Light Sun Essence LSF 50 (40 ml/ 11,79 €), one of the Korean Sunscreens that did pass independent testing earlier this year and a crowd favorite. I am hoping to replace my winter indoor favorites that failed the testing with that, so wish me luck!
Geek & Gorgeous and Yes Style
Back in January I received my first order of the Geek & Gorgeous C-Glow Serum (30 ml/ 10.95 €, full review here) and a few other bits from the brand, and as you can tell from my reviews, I fell hard for it. So I bought three more of the C-Glow Serum, one for each of my sisters and one that was meant for me, but that my mother claimed already, and their Retinal-Serum in 0,05% (30 ml/ 12,50 €) and 0,1% strength (30 ml/ 18,50 €), both of which will after a testing period go to each of my sisters as I use Tretinoin for my adult acne.
To make up for my mother claiming C-Glow, I added the Timeless Skin Care 20% Vitamin C + E Ferulic Acid Serum (30 ml/ 35,95 €) to the Yesstyle order – I figured I’d have to pay shipping anyway, so I might as well make the most of it. Just like the sunscreen it has not arrived yet, and the same is true for the Dr. G – R.E.D. Blemish Clear Soothing Cream (70 ml/ 25 €). I first heard of it on Odile Monodes YouTube channel – if you don´t know her, she really knows a lot about Korean Beauty and that is a topic that I am trying to learn more about. She recommended this cream, I am experimenting with different Centella products, the shipping was already paid for… you see, I basically HAD to add it to my basket!
The Inkey List skincare
I mentioned before that I ordered stuff for my sisters, both of which approached me in April asking for a tailored skincare routine, which I was of course happy to provide. You see, my skin is oily and I have adult acne, the second has normal skin that leans towards being sensitive and wants to address signs of premature aging and the youngest refused to wear sunscreen for the longest time and smokes, which is why for her hyperpigmentation is the main concern.
So the second one gets the before mentioned Vitamin C, Retinal in the lower concentration, The Inkey List Niacinamide Serum (30 ml/ 7,95 €) and The Ordinary Buffet + Copper Peptides (30 ml/ 28,90 €, full review here), the youngest one also gets Vitamin C, Retinal in the higher concentration, The Inkey List Niacinamide and The Inkey List Tranexamic Acid (30 ml/ 13,95 €).
And yes, I will try to talk them into appearing here on the channel with me so they can provide feedback, but no promises!
PR or gifted products
I have yet another Vitamin C product to show you – the Purito Pure Vitamin C Serum (60 ml/ 15 €). It contains 5% Ascorbic Acid, which is pretty low for my personal Vitamin C preference, but it might be helpful if your skin is sensitive and reacts to higher concentrations. On first impressions the serum is pretty rich, borderline oily, but I will use it more often and then report back. Purito also sent over their Plainet Squalane 100 Oil (30 ml/ 11 €). Squalane is an oil present in the skin, which is why it is often recommended for irritated skin or skin with a damaged barrier function (you can read more about a damaged skin barrier here). To be honest I rarely use face oils anymore, but maybe this one will make me fall back in love again. If not on my face – it says multipurpose, so the possibilities are endless!
Hair Care
You know I am a fan of Olaplex (I talk about it here), and after finally getting my hair done again in April I decided it was time to try the new addition to their line. No. 6, the Bond Smoother (100 ml/ 27 €), a styling cream, No. 7, the Bonding Oil (30 ml/ 32,40 €) – not going to lie, my first thought was: That is really tiny for the price! – and No. 8, the Bond Intense Moisture Mask (100 ml/ 27,45 €). These will probably take the longest to review, so don’t expect a video before fall comes around.
Makeup
Yes, I do occasionally still buy makeup. A mascara, the L´ Oréal Air Volume (8 ml/ 10 €), which has exactly the wand that I like, but right now is still a little too wet, then the Essie nail polish (13,5 ml/ 7,95 €) in “Free to roam” that I already showed you in my favorites – it needs two coats and lasts a week with minor chipping, and then of course a red lipstick. This is a matte red one from the MAC Black Cherry collection and is called Moody Bloom (21 g/ 23 €).
Did I need another red lipstick? Absolutely not. But it is pretty and I wanted it and that is ultimately what counts.
