LIPSTICK | Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy in 333

Heard about this from my favorite Chinese Youtuber, it's a red toned carrot shade. I have been into reds but recently want something a bit more understated, so I am looking at other shades. The texture of the lipstick is pretty nice, would recommend if you like their shades. The cap is magnetic.

Price: $32 for 0.12 oz / 3.5 g - I got it on sale at Nordstrom

 

Cleansing Balm | Then I Met You

As you can tell I am almost out of this. For a few years this brand never went on sale, but this year it was 20% off on Sokoglam (maybe bc the economy isn't doing too hot this fall?).

For me, Then I Met You the best cleansing balm I've ever used, the packaging, texture, emulsification and faint scent are all perfect. The only "problem" is the price. I have used Shu Uemura (post here, it's good but too expensive and fragrance is very strong), Clinique (post here, texture isn't as buttery but it works), Eve Lom (not a fan of the scent, also requires a muslin cloth which is too "high maintenace" for me), Omorovizca (post here, does not emulsify and very overpriced, I actually didn't even end up using the whole jar). 

I know the Farmacy one is quite popular, I never tried it bc I still prefer cleansing oils but I do have a deluxe sample of I will use at some point. Banila is also very OG for cleansing balms, apparently a lot of formulas are similar to this - possibly the same manufacturer.

On my list to try next: Kim True (about $20 for 3 oz). I saw Neutrogena and Cerave have came out with cleansing balms recently, but the ingredients aren't as intriguing for me.

If you don't mind spending a bit more on cleansing balms, I would highly recommend this. I personally have been enjoying more affordable products under $30, but I will probably repurchase this again at some point, or as a gift for others.

Ingredients

Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, PEG-20 Glyceryl Trii-sostearate, PEG-8 Isostearate, Cera Microcristallina (Microcrystalline Wax/Cire Microcristalline), Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Ceresin, Synthetic Wax, Orbiignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Diospyros Kaki Fruit Extract, Aniba Rosaeodora (Rosewood) Wood Oil, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Rosemarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Ethylene/Propylene Copolymer

Price: $38 for 3.17 oz / 90 g

 

LIPPIE | Jill Stuart Rouge Lip Blossom in 103

 

Creamy texture, softer

Jill Stuart is a Japanese brand with an American designer's name - as you can see on the label it's owned by Kose. Not sure if they're super popular outside of Japan, I saw it being sold at the Hong Kong airport, not sure where else. I also have their powder foundation and blush (post here). I heard about this brand years ago (like 10+ years?) from a Youtuber who was really into high end Japanese beauty. For me, Jill Stuart's main selling point is the crystal like packaging. The product is decent as well, but I don't think it's super worth buying unless you're a packaging fanatic like me. If there is one product actually worth getting, it's the powder foundation - it has pretty good coverage and looks good on the skin.

The texture of Rouge Lip Blossom is nice, 103 is a nude that's more wearable and feels comfortable. I prefer more pink nudes, this is more of a tan nude that goes well with darker eye looks or a "no makeup" look. In China this would be called a "milk tea" color.

I purchased a Jill Stuart lippie a year or 2 years ago (post here) but the color was an unflattering pink. 

Price: $24 for 0.12 oz / 3.5 g (I got it for 50% off during their holiday sale)

Best Acne Cleanser: Zapzyt Acne Salicylic Acid Wash

 

If any of y'all had acne, I'm sure you've had your fair share of acne washes over the years. In my teenage years up until now, I've used the Neutrogena oil free pink grapefruit one, probably one of the Clean & Clear ones, some Korean/Japanese ones, none of which I really enjoyed. Recently, I've tried some other ones including the Cerave SA cleanser, Cetaphil acne cleanser, and SkinFix 2% BHA cleanser that also has azelaic acid and an acne body wash from Pacifica just to see if they perform well. Cerave SA I didn't like how my skin felt after, so I returned it. The Cetaphil I also returned right away, bc it is hard to squeeze and slips out of my hand easily when trying to lather. Most of these have 2% salicylic acid but are usually quite drying. 

The Zapzyt is the best 2% salicylic acid cleanser I've tried, it has a short list of ingredients, including aloe and chamomile which are soothing which I think helps with the non-drying quality. It lathers well but not as creamy as some Japanese cleansers. What I love most about it is after using it a few mornings in a row, I actually see a huge improvement in my blackheads, which nothing really helps other than clay masks which is a super temporary solution. 2% salicylic acid cleansers can also be a good way to mildly exfoliate even if you don't have acne, since the PC 2% BHA is quite popular (I've used 2 bottles of it but it doesn't make a huge difference on my skin? At least with blackheads, it does give you a glow)

On top of everything, it is also affordable at only $5.99 at Walgreens (or $9 ish on Amazon currently) for 5 oz. If you're in the market for an acne cleanser or a gentle exfoliating cleanser, this one is my top pick. Walgreens shipped my cleanser for free - didn't even need a minimum purchase $$.

I found out about this cleanser from Dr. Dray, it has very plain packaging - I hope everyone who has a need can find this cleanser bc it is amazing!