It may have been an unseasonably warm November in Colorado — we still haven’t gotten any meaningful snow in the Front Range, and I even had the windows open this week — but the wind and low humidity is hitting hard. I’ve specifically been finding my skin drying out during the day, so while many of my openeds were simply to fill newly opened slots in my routine, many of them were specifically picked to provide an extra boost of moisture and comfort during the day.

Exfoliants

🍓 I Dew Care Berry Groovy Brightening Glycolic Wash-Off Mask

If you’ve ever wanted to rub raspberry ice cream onto your face and have it exfoliate your skin, look no further than the I Dew Care Berry Groovy Brightening Glycolic Wash-Off Mask. This is a creamy pink wash-off mask with strawberry seeds in it. There is some physical exfoliation in here, technically, due to said seeds and some walnut shell powder, but it’s really about the fruit extracts for exfoliation (this includes a mere smidge of glycolic acid). Because of the cream texture, this is suitable for more sensitive, drier skin types that aren’t bothered by fragrance and some physical exfoliation. I’ve used this size twice so far, and think the next use will empty it out for me, so the full size would last quite a few months.
Price: $25 USD / 100 g; shown in the 10 g sample size from the Mini Scoops set

🤍 Paula’s Choice 8% AHA Gel Exfoliant

Paula’s Choice is most known for their 2% BHA, but they have many other exfoliants, including this surprisingly gentle 8% AHA Gel Exfoliant. Unlike many exfoliants higher than 5%, this one is not a mix of multiple acids — it’s just glycolic acid. But thanks to the chamomile, aloe, green tea and panthenol, this isn’t irritating like some higher percentage glycolic acid products (I’m looking at you, The Ordinary 7% Glycolic Acid Toning Solution). This has a more serum texture, but when I use it I use it on dry skin, directly after cleansing and before any toners or essences.
Price: $30 USD / 100 mL for the full-size; $10 USD / 15 mL for the travel size shown.

Toners, Essences & Mists

💦 Dear, Klairs Fundamental Ampoule Mist

The Dear, Klairs Fundamental Watery Oil Drop is a staple among the Skincare Fanatics Modmins crew, and I enjoyed it immensely myself, so I was interested in trying their Fundamental Ampoule Mist. Like the watery oil drop, this mist includes green tea, rice extract, kelp extract and the obligatory ceramide. But while the serum promotes skin barrier repair with peptides and probiotics, this is all about hydration and calming, with cucumber extract, mugwort extract and okra extract. The mister is satisfying — not as much of a blast as the Pyunkang Yul Mist Toner, not as light a spray as the Peach & Lily Glass Skin Veil Mist — and I find that it takes me about three sprays to rehydrate my skin between steps.
Price: $27 USD / 125 mL

🍃 COSRX Pure Fit Cica Toner

If you’ve been reading my content for a while, you know that the Cosrx Pure Fit Cica Toner is a holy grail for me, so it’s coming back into my routine for the … fourth time? Like the entire Cosrx cica line, this includes seven different centella asiatica derived ingredients, making it a powerhouse for antioxidant support, anti-aging and skin-soothing. This is a very watery toner and I find it to be deeply hydrating. As my skin has been feeling drier during the day, I’ve been enjoying using three layers of this in the morning to keep my skin satisfied.
Price: $22 USD/150 mL

💧 Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water

Beauty of Joseon is getting to be a pretty popular brand online and in my own skincare stash, so I was excited to open their Ginseng Essence Water. This includes several compounds from panax ginseng, the specific type of ginseng endemic to Korea, China and parts of Russia, including ginseng root water, ginseng berry extract, ginseng root extract and, intriguingly, lactobacillus/ginseng root ferment filtrate — you know I love a ferment. I haven’t used it long enough yet to see particular results, but I’m hoping the antioxidants in the ginseng, plus the niacinamide, will bring some nice brightening benefits.
Price: $18 USD / 150 mL

Serums

🍒 Good Skin Days C’s the Day Serum

I had an empty of Good Skin Days C’s the Day Serum in November, so of course I had to have an opened. This bottle had been living in my fridge to keep its 10% ascorbic acid from potentially oxidizing from sun and heat prematurely, and I can attest that despite not being the newest bottle, it’s just fine. I love how non-sticky and gentle this is, and how the niacinamide, licorice extract, camu-camu extract and mushroom extracts hydrate and brighten my skin.
Price: $26 USD / 30 mL

🐣 Rovectin Clean Forever Young Biome Ampoule

It’s taken me a while to get around to trying Rovectin, but I was really interested in trying their newly released Clean Forever Young Biome Ampoule. Probiotics are becoming increasingly popular in skincare for replenishing the microbiome of the skin barrier (apply the tiny critters, eat the tiny critters, become the tiny critters), and this ampoule includes multiple lactobacillus and bifida ferments. It’s a gel serum with plenty of body, and my biggest gripe at the moment is simply that, due to Rovectin’s stripped down packaging, it doesn’t have one of those little plastic dropper guides at the opening, so I find that some of the serum goops onto the package as I withdraw the dropper. I’m glad I haven’t added any of their cute stickers to the package, because I definitely need to be able to wipe this bottle down.
Price: $36 USD / 50 mL

🎈Kate Somerville Kx Active Concentrates Bio-Mimicking Peptides Serum

I don’t usually go for mid- and up-market Western skincare due to the price point, but the Kate Somerville Kx Active Concentrates Bio-Mimicking Peptides Serum got such rave reviews from friends that I picked it up last year (yes, it’s been in my stash that long, oops) on sale. In my opinion, the Western market tends to price gauge for peptides, but this product does include some very nice ones — sh-Polypeptide-1, sh-Oligopeptide-2, sh-Oligopeptide-1, sh-Polypeptide-9, sh-Polypeptide-11 — all of which are cell-communicating peptides, meaning they’re some of the few peptides which actually do signal your skin to produce more collagen. This also includes a combination of fruit extracts (mango, banana and whatever spondias mombin is) known as Exfo-Bio, which is very lightly exfoliating. Exfoliation and peptides in one serum, you ask? Yeah. It’s interesting. My guess is that the pH is high enough that the peptides don’t actually break down in solution. As it is, I make sure to always use my exfoliants a few steps away from this serum, just to ensure I don’t break them down necessarily.
Price: $98 USD / 30 mL

🐝 By Wishtrend Polyphenols in Propolis 15% Ampoule

I’m a sucker for propolis serums, and the By Wishtrend Polyphenols in Propolis 15% Ampoule has gotten so many rave reviews (mostly by Youtuber Kelly Driscoll, if we’re being honest) that I finally gave in and tried it. Unlike the propolis serum I usually gravitate towards, which have propolis at 60% or higher, this has the stated 15% propolis, and feels significantly less gel-like than other propolis serums accordingly. Instead, this ampoule has 59% houttuynia cordata, or heartleaf, extract, which is great for calming, as well as multiple plant extracts for that antioxidant polyphenol boost. My initial take is that this is a propolis serum particularly formulated for those who want propolis for acne fighting — in part informed by the inclusion of zinc PCA and the exclusion of honey and royal jelly — rather than moisturizing and brightening.
Price: $32 USD / 30 mL

Creams & Emulsions

🥛 Etude House Soon Jung Centella 10-Free Moist Emulsion

At long last, my first emulsion! I enjoyed the classic Etude House SoonJung pH 5.5 Relief Toner, so I was interested in trying their new cica line and its Soon Jung Centella 10-Free Moist Emulsion. Emulsions are a product category fairly unique to Asian beauty — they’re functionally a toner/moisturizer hybrid, so they’re perfect as a moisturizer for folks who don’t like moisturizer, or as an extra layer for those, like me, who just need a little bit extra moisturizing support during this time of year. Two pumps of this cover my face, neck and chest nicely before using my other moisturizers, or more moisturizing sunscreens.
Price: $20 USD / 130 mL

🖋 The Inkey List Bakuchiol Moisturizer

I used The Inkey List Bakuchiol Moisturizer as my AM moisturizer all summer during 2020, but it’s been a minute since this moisturizer, or bakuchiol itself, has been in my routine. This lightweight lotion has bakuchiol, considered to be a plant-based alternative to retinol, at its clinically effective percentage of 1%, and despite that seemingly low percentage it really does have the loamy smell of bakuchiol. Because it has (some of the) effects of retinol without being actual retinol, it’s safe for AM use, or using multiple times a day. Last summer I did notice some faint wrinkle reduction using this, but right now I mostly just wanted a lightweight, comforting AM moisturizer.
Price: $10 / 30 mL

☀️ Hyggee Vegan Sun Cream

The Hyggee Vegan Sun Cream is part of the new generation of Korean sunscreens which are SPF verified (this one is confirmed to meet its SPF 50+ PA ++++) and use the latest and greatest Korean chemical filters. Korean sunscreens generally are easy-to-wear and elegant, and this is definitely a lightweight but moisturizing, so I was excited to re-introduce it into my skin as the weather got cooler. In addition to SPF filters, this formula includes a variety of antioxidants to enhance its protective benefits.
Price: $24 USD / 50 mL

Body, Lip & Eye Products

👀 Fourth Ray Beauty Chill Sesh Hydrating Eye Masks

Eye masks are an absolute gimmick, but I’m really coming around to them as a quick pick-me-up at my desk, so during one of my recent Colourpop orders I picked up the Fourth Ray Beauty Chill Sesh Hydrating Eye Masks. These are the least expensive of the eye masks I’ve tried, but I think they’re actually my favorite. Many eye masks have serum that tends to pill up like mad, making them unwearable during a routine and frustrating during the day. These do not, but still provide some nice cooling hydration to the under-eye area, so I actually feel like I’m getting the benefits of the chamomile, aloe, peptides and hydrolized collagen because it doesn’t immediately rub off.
Price: $15 USD / 30 pairs

👁 Etude House My Lash Serum

I don’t consider lashes to be part of skincare, but we get enough questions about lash care in Skincare Fanatics that I thought it was worth mentioning the Etude House My Lash Serum. This formula uses panthenol, ginseng extract, dogwood berry extract and swertia japonica extract to stimulate hair growth. The spoolie on this basically looks like a trimmed-down pipe cleaner, which isn’t the best, but given the price I suppose high spoolie expectations are unreasonable. I have sensitive eyes and do find that this can get in my eyes if I apply it too early in the evening (I use it in my PM routine), but doesn’t bother me nearly as much as many mascaras.
Price: $5 USD / 9 g

🍵 Rohto Mentholatum Melty Cream Lip Matcha Lip Balm SPF25 PA+++

After the untimely demise of the Water Lip Color Balm SPF 20 PA++, it was time to try the Rohto Mentholatum Melty Cream Lip Matcha Lip Balm SPF25 PA+++. While the former had no distiniguishable taste or smell, this is definitely matcha-forward. I find this to be a bit distracting for daily use, but if you’re all-in all the time on matcha, you’ll love this. It is definitely a creamy texture and, despite my initial concern, none of the green color of this product transfers.
Price: $9 USD / 2.4 g

🛁 Neutrogena Body Oil

I can’t seem to get bottles of Neutrogena Body Oil to last too much more than a month, and that’s because I love it, and baths, too much. This body oil can be used as a cleanser for dry skin (hello, fellow humans who cannot use normal body washes lest they turn into a dried out husk), as a post-shower moisturizing treatment, or, in my case, as a bath oil. Because I take too-long baths, I find some oil in the tub to be critical. The surfactants in this make it miscible in the bath water without breaking the oil down so much that it can no longer moisturizer. I don’t care for the fragrance of this version, but the un-fragranced version is not as readily accessible.
Price: $13 USD / 250 mL