I’m sure I wasn’t alone in it, but I did indulge in a lot of skincare this year… partially just because Ulta’s Platinum event was just too good and there weren’t many color cosmetic deals I could take advantage of. There was also a lull in eyeshadow releases from the brands I normally cover, so I used that as an opportunity to try some indie brands (which are often eyeshadow-heavy!).
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SUNSCREEN! I’ve developed a love affair with some Asian sunscreens, and I’m going through them like water. Purito Centella Green Level Unscented SPF 50, and Keep Cool Bamboo Soothing Sun Essence SPF 50, both are so nice that I would use them as lotions, even if they didn’t contain SPF. But they have to be ordered ahead of time (I’m in the US) and so I buy them 2 and 3 each at a time, and reorder frequently. I’ve kissed many frogs and now I’ve found not one but two princes!
unsurprisingly, tons more eyeshadow! mostly from pat mcgrath, colourpop, and sydney grace. i used to wear it often as a teen and in my 20s and have been delving back in big-time since covid/mask life. it’s been really fun to learn new techniques and particularly to see just how far eyeshadow formulas have come since the last time i used them regularly.
Skincare…and really focused on my hair this year!
Also, my project pan became a big focus. I want a health, curated stash I genuinely love.
Hand cremes! Gotta replenish all the moisture lost from all that hand-washing. I’ve been buying nice handmade soaps, too. If I’ve got to use them a lot I might as well have a luxurious scent.
I’m not purchasing more of anything. I was already due diligent with my skincare, washing and moisturizing hands, having hand sanitizer with me. If anything happened, it’s that I make sure I have back-ups for everything more time in advance, just in case things go crazy again.
I am buying more hair care products. I discovered during the shutdown that my hair was pretty dried out, which was not apparent when I could get frequent trims. I am buying more deep conditioning treatments and protective styling potions and I bought a scalp scrub as well.
I’m investing much more in skincare: moistourizer, cleansing gels, facial scrubs etc, facial mist… My skin care used to be very basic, since I’d never experienced any particular issues before… Now the masks are destroying my skin, so I’m forced to try product I never used before.. but for now the only relevant effect regards my wallet, not my skin ☹️
The one and only thing that saw an uptick in buying may have been skincare and haircare? Idk, but this whole pandemic, first with the 2-3 quarantine, then masks when I do go out and about has definitely put a damper on my color cosmetic purchasing. Add to that a few other life factors, and I’m just buying considerably less.
Nail polish! I’ve been on a real bender lately, too. The only trouble is that since I don’t change polish as frequently as I change makeup looks, I’m getting a backlog of new colors and brands to try out.
Definitely more hair care products. I have purchased several new shampoos, conditioners and leave in products aimed at helping my thinning hair, easily damaged hair. I also have purchased a lot of shower gels!! I was on a real kick there for awhile and now have shower gel to last the rest of my life!
Skincare products – the mask wearing has been breaking me out like crazy!
Eye Products – I’ve been having a hard time with mascaras again with the raccoon eyes, even old favorites. Tested a lot of drugstore brands and high end ones – still raccoon eyes! Decided I have to suck it up and order the Glossier tubing mascara again. Seems to be the only thing to work.
Body butters and shower gels, especially with the holiday season being here with the deals and the gourmand scents I love.
We’re expecting our first snow of a deep winter that typically lasts until late March soon, so I need to really just bathe in moisturizer and hydrators until spring.
I also purchased a lot more skincare products these past few months as there were not many cosmetics that I actually liked. I took advantage of the sales here in Aus to stock up on a few items and try a few other brands.
I am also compiling my annual Christmas skincare and cosmetics bag for my daughter in law that I give to her every year too. It’s quite a fun thing for me to do for her. I also like to try the skincare products I give her first to make sure they are right for her. She has her favourite brands too and I give her quite a lot of those.
What an amazing and delightful thing for you to do! Will you be my MIL? 😉 I hope she enjoys your treats as much as you enjoy doing it for her.
K-beauty staples like essence toners and spf lotions from Yesstyle.com. Plenty of Purito Centella Green Level Sun Safe in spf 50, It’S SKIN Power 10 serums, Pyungkang Yul essence toner, and Benton Deep Green Tea toner. The part of my routine that has stayed the same for the last 3-4 years is me using L’Oreal’s Revitalift night cream and a vitamin C derivative from The Ordinary.
The first part of this year, blushes, as I felt my eyeshadow, lip, and highlighter collections were pretty complete. I’d never been very into blushes until this year, but I think some really nice shades and formulas have been coming out. As mask wearing lingers, I’ve backed off somewhat again.
Since spring, new-to-me indie brand eyeshadow/pigment pressed palettes. It’s been fun to feel excited about eyeshadow again.
Skincare, because of aging. I turned 51 last week, and I swear my face has aged more in the last six months than in the 10 years prior. The laugh lines are permanent now, y’all. Or maybe that’s just the effects of 2020 in general. Either way, I’ve been stepping up my skincare game even more. Plus, now I have full-blown rosacea and have to treat that.
K-beauty, since western beauty is getting so boring. YesStyle is great fun.
Trying to find non-irritating and fragrance-free haircare and skincare products to combat the acne, dry skin, and allergens. I’ve been stressing out lately what with the wildfire, smoke, and pandemic and showing on my skin in the form of acne and dry skin. There is a huge dearth of fragrance-free hair products and my straight hair is relatively low maintenance compared to most. I wish there were more options.