I evidently broke all my rules about how often one should start new products this month — I usually say no more frequent than once per week. But this month saw a lot of old favorites for me (Krave Beauty, Versed, Inkey List, Good Skin Days) and my skin has been really thirsty and more resilient lately, so it’s mostly all been fine except for the week when I decided to also use up a bunch of moisturizer samples (I have several blemish-shaped regrets about that).

iUNIK Propolis Vitamin Sleeping Mask

This sleeping mask came highly recommended, and so far it’s living up to the hype. This is definitely a slightly thicker sleeping mask, so some skin types might find that it works as a stand-alone moisturizer. For my dry skin it’s been working well to protect against the cold, dry Colorado night air, even as I experiment with moisturizers and layering underneath.
Price: $16 USD / 60 mL

Pyunkang Yul Mist Toner

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this mist, beyond that it shouldn’t be irritating because it’s from Pyunkang Yul. So far I’m really liking it. The mister puts out a LOT of product, so it really requires one, maybe two, spritzes to cover face and neck. It feels incredibly refreshing, and if you like a damp skincare routine it’s really great for ensuring that your skin stays that way throughout. One caveat: the pump occasionally gets finicky.
Price: $19 USD / 200 mL

Then I Met You The Giving Essence

I’ve been interested in trying this for ages based on the inci list alone, but the price per mL always stopped me. So when I had a chance to try it not new, but new to me, I went for it. It’s so pretty — the pink at the bottom of the bottle is the product itself showing through. I’ve been using it as a first essence due to its light texture, and while so far I haven’t noticed any differences in my skin, it does make me feel fancy.
Price: $50 USD / 100 mL

Versed Doctor’s Visit

I’ve become quite a fan of exfoliating wash-off masks lately, as it was a great way to fill long, dark evenings. This particular mask touts glycolic and salicylic acids, as well as fruit enzymes for exfoliation. They recommend just keeping it on your skin for 2-3 minutes, and I agree with that assessment — not because it feels tingly and strong, but because it’s actually quite stripping. I find that I have to use a hydrating mask afterwards, or my face feels pretty dried out throughout the rest of my routine. It does seem to be helping with my PIE, though.
Price: $18 USD / 50 mL

Versed Press Restart

This is my second time using this retinol, and it’s definitely a good one. At least on my skin, it’s gentle enough for nightly use, even on the more delicate skin of my eyes and neck. Highly recommend as a starter retinol, or for the sort of person who, like me, finds keeping track of a rotating schedule of actives to be a royal pain.
Price: $22 USD / 30 mL

Good (Skin) Days C’s the Day

My second bottle! So glad I had this in my backstock, because I opened this as soon as I emptied my old bottle. I find this serum to be truly wonderful, and a great motivator to do my AM routine (beyond sunscreen itself, of course). At 10% ascorbic acid plus other brighteners, it makes a great starter vitamin c for someone wanting to make the move away from derivatives.
Price: $26 USD / 30 mL

The Inkey List Bakuchiol Moisturizer

Opening up this moisturizer felt like coming home, and not just because of its earthy bakuchiol smell. This lightweight lotion was my go-to AM moisturizer last summer. Bakuchiol’s fantastic because it has some of the benefits of retinol without the sensitivity, so you can use it day or night. I’ve been using other AM moisturizers lately because winter, but when I ran out of my PM moisturizer I decided to bust this out and layer with a variety of moisturizer samples I had.
Price: $10 USD / 30 mL

Krave Beauty The Beet Shield

This sunscreen needs no introduction, and is yet another case of me being thankful for my backstock — I bought ten of these during Black Friday lest I run out, since it’s known for being out of stock. Truly a fantastic daily sunscreen (SPF 50, PA++++).
Price: $20 USD / 50 mL

Naturium Niacinamide Cleansing Gelée 3%

I’d been planning to end this to France for a friend, and then my husband spotted the bubbles and got excited about a cleanser for the first time in his life. I am pleased to announce that he’s now used it quite a few times, mostly in the shower. I am slightly ashamed to announce that I’ve stolen a fair few pumps to use as a quick face mask, as they recommend. Really nice texture and super convenient that it comes in a pump.
Price: $18 USD / 210 mL

Etude House Soon Jung pH 5.5 Relief Toner

This is a hugely popular toner for the seven skins method, so I’m pleased to finally try it. It’s watery but slightly moisturizing, making it a good one to use for this in colder months. I don’t feel like it’s as deeply hydrating as the Cosrx Cica Toner — that one really feels like it penetrates deeply — but it’s still truly lovely.
Price: $16 USD / 180 mL

RNW Der. Concentrate Ceramide Plus Serum

I’m a sucker for ceramides, and I’ve really been enjoying ceramide serums as a way to give myself that extra bonus. Like collagen, the number of ceramides in the skin start decreasing with age, so I figure it can’t hurt even if they’re not as effective as the ceramides the body naturally makes. RNW specializes in ceramide products and this inci list looked particularly promising (it’s got niacinamide, peptides, oils and plant extracts) so I was excited to try. It definitely has that gloopy ceramide texture so it’s nice to cocktail with a hydrating serum.
Price: $30 USD / 30 mL

Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm

While I love the Banila Clean it Zero Cleansing Balm, I felt it was time to try another kbeauty cleansing balm. Compared to Banila, this one seems to have a smoother, more milky texture, which you can tell when it emulsifies — it’s even less stripping. It comes with an internal lid and a very small spatula, but because of that texture it still scrapes up product easily. Unlike Banila this does have added fragrance and it’s a bit of an dd scent — really reminds me of a French laundromat I once hung out in for a couple hours. Seems to work really well, though! Once I contextualized the smell as laundromat I started liking the whole experience much better.
Price: $27 USD / 80 g

Primera Clean Berry Lip Mask

This is a pretty popular lip mask but so far I’m not really seeing the appeal. It’s quite waxy, so having long nails has been handy for getting it out of the container. We’ll see if I come around to it, but so far it doesn’t have the hydration and emollience I look for in a lip product.
Price: $20 USD / 17g for the full size; shown in the travel size that comes in their sampler kit

I’m From Ginseng Serum

I’ve been interested in trying ginseng for a while, and the Beauty of Joseon one was going to take 21 days to ship on Yesstyle, so I thought I would give this a try first. Buyer beware if you don’t do fragrance, because this serum is fragranced and smells delicious — has a warm sweet smell a bit like holiday cookies. I haven’t been using it long enough to see any effects, but I figure well-aging products are a more long-term play.
Price: $29 USD / 30 mL

BONUS ROUND: Haircare, Body Skincare & Single-Use Skincare

Some By Mi Cica Peptide Hair Loss Treatment

Like many of us this past year, I’ve lost a fair bit of hair due to stress. Occasionally after bathing, there would be a whole ring of hair around the tub, which is relatively hard to achieve when your hair is as short as mine. So I bought this on a whim, and it seems to be working — there was less hair in the tub after two uses. This has quite a strong fragrance to it, but I actually enjoy fragrance in my hair products and find this one to be pleasant.
Price: $8 USD / 50 mL

BATHCLIN Onsen Bath Salts

I’m an avid bather, and I’m also obsessed with hot springs, so when I discovered that there were onsen-themed bath salts I was sold and had to try them all. Shown here is the “Nyuto” onsen, which of the eight it’s my favorite fragrance and the nicest on the skin, though let’s be real there’s a good chance I’ll repurchase every version I can get my hands on. Each box contains five packets of bath salts.
Price: $12 USD / 30 g

Derma B Mild Moisture Body Lotion

I’ve been wanting to try Derma B ever since Kelly Driscoll recommended it in a video. This lotion spreads well and leaves the skin feeling nice and buttery. Seems to work well regardless of if my skin is wet or dry, which is always tricky. I love it so far!
Price: $19 USD / 400 mL

Pixi DetoxifEYE Caffeine & Cucumber Depuffing Eye Patches

A lack of sleep got to me this past month, so I decided to finally invest in some eye patches to see if I could beat back some eye bags. That said, I’ve honestly found these difficult to use. I don’t want to use them mid-routine because the rest of my skin may dry out. I don’t want to use them at the end of my routine because then the product doesn’t sink in. So I’ve occasionally just been using them before I start my routine, or mid-day and they’re … fine? I’m sure I’ll get through all 30 uses, but I need to experiment more.
Price: $24 USD / 60 eye patches