🐌 Fantastic Skincare: Vanities Are The New Shelf Porn

[botemp]

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For those who are taking a peek and wondering what this all about, we mostly discuss a bit of advanced skincare here with a perspective of seeking out the right ingredients (rather than the latest new shiny product and all its empty promises) for our particular skin needs. Distinguishing the acid toners from the actives whilst avoiding the truly unimpressive and harmful ingredients with a hope to achieve a bit of anti-ageing, alleviate irritation and sensitivities with some idle chat in between. Newcomers are always welcome but please note the following:

Questions and asking for help on this thread is encouraged, however, we can’t give you a specific routine to follow and hope it works out for the best. There are no overnight miracles in skincare whether it be in the form of products or techniques. It’s about perseverance, understanding your skin, assessing its needs and responding to that in a diligent manner.

These threads were created to help those who want to learn for themselves. We’re a group of interested and invested skincare nuts happy to offer tea and sympathy and dole out advice. Everyone’s journey with skincare is different, what is universal and binds us is that through actually learning about the different active ingredients it helps us get to know our skin and help us adapt as it will change many times throughout our lives - with seasons, hormonal changes, ageing, genetics etc. It's in everyone's best interests to get to know their skin and to keep reviewing those changes with the confidence that comes from the gathered knowledge here. We really encourage you to spend the time reading through previous threads and linked info sheets that the many contributors have taken the trouble to share.

By no means are we experts, we're only a bunch of amateurs that can only respond by suggesting what we would do in your place, for any severe conditions please seek out professional help.

Ahem, and finally a little note on spending. I'm well aware these threads cause many to reach for their wallets and spend with wild abandon. There can sometimes be a bit of a frenzy surrounding the excitement around a newly discovered product or on the back of great improvements when someone reports back. This is all great, it doesn't however, mean everything that's a sudden miracle for one will be it for you. Usually, it's a light bulb moment for connecting the right skincare ingredient with an individual experiencing a specific problem. Take your time to mull over decisions and question whether it's right for you too. Skincare is highly individual, it's a slow game that should cost mostly in patience, input, education, and perseverance. Please don't make it cost you financially needlessly.

I am very slowly working on consolidating the gathered information from previous threads into easier to read formats but it’s slow going. I would suggest reading thread 1 and at the very least the following info sheets (provided they apply to you):

Where to Start

Basics of an Actives Routine

Skin Types vs. Skin Conditions Info Sheet

Anti-Ageing Info sheet

Adult Acne Info Sheet

Understanding Which Sunscreen(s) to Buy

Do I Really Need to Wear Sunscreen Every Single Day of the Year?

A Damaged Skin Barrier - Now What?

So You Want To Buy A Retinoid - A Guide

MAY 2020: We're in lockdown and it's doing weird things to our faces

Thanks, I think I'd just use the brown one very sheered out 😂 very pretty though.

Just popping in here to say thank you, ClientQ - I have just ordered that palette to scratch a Pat McGrath itch! The 20% code would not work for me but I found a 10% one so almost as good.

Hope you are all well, I have not been here in a while but I will be back soon with my current routine, which is working very well for me.

What was the 10% code, please, Miffy. I was eyeing the eyeliner pen but it's over tax exemption without a code.

Hope you're well too

Hey botemp :)

It was: PMGFRIENDX10

Thanks

Apologies in advance for all the questions, I’m learning so much on these threads but then more questions arise!

I’ve been using Elemis cleansing balm for a first cleanse which is fine, nothing special and definitely not worth the money. It’s close to running out so what can I replace it with? I was going to try DHC but I really struggle with the texture of oils.

Eye creams - for the last year I’ve been using up various samples and I’ve just started on Clinique All About Eyes which is just ok. Reading the previous thread a few people were using Verso Eye serum, would you recommend? I also liked the look of Kiels avocado eye cream. I’m a bit unsure of what I actually want it to do. I don’t have many lines but at 45 they can’t be far off but concealer never sits well under my eyes so I think I need something quite moisturising. Plus I struggle with insomnia so always have huge bags. Is there one miracle product or would I be better off with a more moisturising, soothing product for mornings and something like Verso for evenings?

Finally, is INCI Decoder a good website or would s there a better place to look? A huge thank you in advance.

Do you want a balm again Tattie? The dhc is not that 'oily' as in facial oils, it spreads a little easier and lighter but maybe that's exactly what you don't want? If you keep an eye out on their UK website they often have good introduction offers, and it also exists in a travel/baby size which lookfantastic carry (shipping is free in the UK).

Eye cream, if you want something for under makeup, specifically for under concealer, the Kiehl's avocado is really good for that. You could get the Verso serum for evenings but you could also go simpler with a caffeine serum if it's just putting you want to deal with and not anti ageing, Retinoids do thicken skin slightly so it should make bags a little less voluminous as there's more resilience in the skin but not if it's a genetic thing. What I would keep in mind is using something light (so serum over cream, or a really light gel) in the PM as creams tend to puff up eye bags overnight.

INCI decoder is definitely a helpful one as is CosDNA, beautypedia is really good as well for reading up on individual ingredients. However, I think what you have to keep in mind is that they all follow certain philosophies, eg. Beautypedia is very strict about declaring anything in a jar as unhygienic and therefore useless. Science doesn't really back that up, products are formulated specifically for jars in such a way that they're not unhygienic.

It's not so much the basic information that's wrong on these sites, it's the conclusions they sometimes draw from them and propagate as 'fact' thereafter. I'm personally not a fan of the 'icky' label on INCI decoder, I'd much prefer it to just say common irritant or potentially irritating and I've found some statements in their explanations that weren't entirely correct either, not enough to be damaging. In short, use them for the ingredient breakdown but don't put your faith in them blindly.

Tattie if you want a balm cleanser Clinique Take The Day Off (TTDO) is hard to fault. I'm on about my 6th tub and I strayed away from it during the last few months but I've just come back to it and remember why I like it so much.

There's also one from The Body Shop that people rave about but I can't remember what it's called. I think it contains chamomile.

Oh and I've got two eye gels: The Inkey List caffeine one and the Curel one. I keep both in the fridge.

If you're after another cleansing balm then No7 Radiant Results balm in a pot is very similar to the Clinique but cheaper. I've got another pot of it ready to go when my Elemis runs out. The Elemis is too highly fragranced for me.

Thanks for all the suggestions for cleansing balms, I'm going to investigate them now and good shout to try a mini DHC oil and see how I get on with it. Annoyingly, Look Fantastic sent me a code this morning that would have got 20% off TTDO and DHC but it expired after 3 hours!

Thanks for the eye cream / serum tips @botemp. I think I will give Kiehls a try for mornings and then try a retinol serum at night. Is Verso one of the better ones and if so, is there anywhere online that you can get a sample to try first?

Tattie everyone is different but eye creams are the emperor’s new clothes for me as I’ve never found anything that makes the slightest bit of long term difference. I now just use a gel (alpha h) which is nice and cooling and gives instant cosmetic results in blurring fine lines but doesn’t have any lasting effect that I’ve noticed.

Pupsie your hair looks really similar to mine, I think from what you’ve said mine is thicker/coarser though. I did try curly girl ages ago but it didn’t work for me, I have kept some aspects though like leave in conditioner and hair wrapping/plopping. I love the colour of yours, I’m trying to get mine to go that cool brown shade - what do you use or is it normally done by the hairdresser?

I bought some niacinamide serum from revolution (didn’t want to pay Paula’s choice price in case I didn’t get on with it) & it definitely helps with tret face when I add a couple of drops to Cerave.

In other news I’ve had a massive purge of makeup and skin care the tip near me is open now but only for certain things and the queues are enormous, so I had the bright idea of shoving everything in a suitcase that I’m obviously not using at the moment then it can all be tipped once things are a bit more back to normal. Next purge - underwear and socks.

Thanks Sallie. It's pretty much my own colour. I have a hairdresser do the roots every 5 weeks nowadays because it's probably 20-30% grey. She pulls the colour through once or twice a year, but it's designed to match my own colour.

I definitely need to rethink colour. The grey is so high maintenance. I'll probably go lighter. I need to give that some serious thought. I've always been brown haired/brown eye girl.

Sallie I posted a pic of my hair colour on the hair thread but it's not really a cool brown. The other pic is a much better likeness. It's got quite warm, red undertones.

TattiePants, I have the Kiehls avocado eye cream and like it a lot.

Mineral 89 also has an eye version with caffeine but I don't think I will re-purchase. Don't notice any difference from the normal mineral 89.

I can see the warmer undertones in that pic Pupsie, it’s lovely and definitely the colour I’d like to get to but I’m quite a bit darker than you. I really wanted to lighten up this summer and maybe have highlights or Balayage but I am absolutely not brave enough to tackle that myself so will have to wait.

My main reason for going lighter was also because of greys but to my surprise I don’t seem to have that much yet, some horrid wiry ones round my hairline and a flash at either temple but that seems to be it so far and they can all be hidden with my fringe.

Sock drawer now purged, good Lord but I had a lot of socks I think they’ve been breeding...

@tattie The DHC cleansing oil is fab. I bought it on the recommendation of someone on another thread.

Oh interesting why caffeine eye cream in fridge? I didn't know that was a thing...

I use Kiehls, Inkey caffeine and Kate Somerville. The KS one I have to say feels very weak but came as a gift with my moisturiser s.
I am getting some pretty noticeable fine lines now so googled the Verso one but the price is pretty steep!

I prefer the cooling effect, and it may help with puffiness. I always think it's like putting an ice pack on a swelling/injury. I also keep Vit C in the fridge to help it last longer.

Second Dermatica arrived today: 0.05. I still have some 0.025 left as I've been using it every other night. Wondering whether to go every night with that first or use it up with every other and go for the 0.05 every other night. Will probably go to every night for the 0.025.

Tattie, Verso does do samples. It used to be quite common for posters on here to send each other decants. I don't use it anymore for the first time in years as I now use Tret in the area instead (okayed by my Derm, it's not for everyone and against instruction) but I kind of miss it and might get it again 😬 anyhow, I can't offer but if someone else on here is willing to offer, please do volunteer.

I think places like eBay and Depop people often sell samples on, Skincity are a really great company, really helpful CS they may be able to help out with a sample if you ask (it's often on offer there too). Feelunique also carry the brand and they do have that whole sample shop.

A bottle is twice the normal size of an eye cream and a little goes a long way. It lasted about a year though with about half a pump for both eyes (press lightly basically). The verso is also cheaper in the EU, the price is really inflated in the UK. I never paid more than €60 for it and that was with little or no discount.

And just for clarification, it's the eye serum I adore. The eye cream is newer and I've never tried it. It's smaller and I'm not a big fan of creams anyhow.

Thanks as always @botemp. I was looking at Skincity yesterday, it’s full price on the UK site at £80 but is only 52 Euros on the Swedish site, even with delivery it only comes to £55 so I might give that a try. If anyone does have a sample I’d be most grateful. I had no idea Feelunique has a sample shop, how did I miss that! Off to investigate.

I've used the Verso in the past but not for about a year and therefore have none. As Bo said it lasts a long time.

Feelunique’s sample shop is closed for now so I’ll have to remember to take a look in the future. Pupsie you’ve reminded me, I need to delay my second Dermatica as it’s probably due in the next week or so and I’ve only use the first one 3 times so far.

Did they automatically increase your tret? My first is 0.025 just wondering will it go up from there

Thanks for the tip re fridge I will try that too!