i saw some other personal websites where people detailed their skincare routines, and i thought that seemed like a fun idea for a page! probably my most capitalistic trait is that i'm a skincare junkie. i have very sensitive combination-type skin, and i've always been prone to acne and eczema, so taking good care of my skin is very important to me. plus, i love the ritual aspect of putting all my little potions on my face... but there really is no excuse for how i started my first full-time job and immediately started spending so much money on it, haha. nevertheless, i enjoy inhabiting a contradictory personality; our inherent contradictions are one of the last lines of resistance we have against the increasingly oppressive social forces of alienation and conformity. so, yes, i'm an artsy hipster who programs and uses linux, and i'm a hairy-legged feminist with an eight-step skincare routine. you'll meet weirder.
this page includes my face routine, my body products, and a few notes on makeup. for my personal convenience, because i try to buy in-store rather than order online where possible, most of the products listed are available at sephora. i've marked anything i buy elsewhere with an asterisk.
cleanser: caudalie vinohydra moisturizing cleansing gel. i used to swear by farmacy whipped greens, but they have a new formula and only one of the cleansers is oil-free, which made me leery and i wanted to try something new. i switched to this one and i just love how it smells, like hotel soap, so charming. i also vibe with the shorter ingredients list.
toner 1: glow recipe watermelon glow pore-tight toner. at this point i don't care if this toner works, i love how it smells and feels on my skin.
toner 2: fenty skin fat water. i used to use this selectively as a serum, but now i use it all over my face because i cut niacinamide as a separate serum.
serum: caudalie vinoperfect serum. i don't know what black magic they put in this and i don't want to know. i used to use vitamin C for dark spots and hyperpigmentation, but this works even better. it seems prohibitively expensive, but the bottle is relatively big for a serum, and a little goes a very long way.
eye cream: alpyn line-filling eye balm. i use bakuchiol for my eyebags, the one aging thing i'm vain about. my skin is too sensitive and pale to even consider retinol, and the science on resveratrol is still pretty incomplete. so since sephora have discontinued herbivore, i'm switching to alpyn; it seems more precision targeted for eyes so i am hoping for good things.
moisturiser: caudalie vinoperfect dark spot niacinamide moisturizer. another thing where i'm switching away from farmacy after the formula changes. caudalie's vinoperfect serum was such a game changer for me that i have decided to trust them with the rest of my face too.
bonus moisturiser: la neige water bank hyaluronique bleu. i need something heavy duty in winter for patches of my face that get extra dry; i basically only use this four months of the year, and because it's so strong you don't need to apply a whole lot, so one tub lasts literally forever.
serum: free sample moisturiser mixed with spearmint essential oil*. i got this hack off r/PCOS and i have to say the girlies know what they're talking about. spearmint is a natural antandrogen, meaning it suppresses testosterone production. by applying this to the patches of my chin where dark black hairs grow in, i've noticed that the hairs grow far slower (making plucking more manageable and giving time for my hyperpigmentation to fade), and there are fewer overall; i'm seeing a lot more white hairs come in. you need to mix the essential oil with moisturiser because alone it can be too strong for your skin. it does sting a little but in a pleasant minty fresh way! highly recommend for all my hairy queens. get that sephora membership and use your points on free samples so you don't waste your good moisturiser on this.
sunscreen: supergoop mineral unseen sunscreen SPF 40. i love this sunscreen because it's got a matte finish, and it's the perfect thing to put on as a final layer. plus i only use mineral sunscreen, which limits my options. supergoop consistently tests well for actual SPF in clinical trials.
mask: caudalie vinergetic C+ instant detox mask. i don't mask often, and i never do it over my whole face. still, the ritual of a mask is very soothing, and if i've had a particularly sweaty day it's a great way to instantly get rid of grease. i mainly use it on my chin, the problem area. this is a clay mask with a satisfying texture.
exfoliator: soft services buffing bar. this has actually saved my life. i'm prone to kp on my arms unless i exfoliate, but too many exfoliators come in tubes or bottles where it's impossible to use all of it because they're so thick!! plus i don't use anything that has AHAs because i'm prone to sunburn, and i was getting so angry that everything seemed to either have AHAs or be impossible to squeeze to the last drop. i use this once a week and it does the trick.
moisturiser: isle of paradise brilliantly bright body moisturizer. i think niacinamide in a body moisturiser is kind of gimmicky, but this is another one where i got a free sample and loved it so much i switched it for my main. idk, it makes me feel smooth.
bonus moisturiser: skinfix eczema+ dermatitis relief balm. i ordered this by mistake once but it's really good so i've kept it up. doesn't instantly get rid of eczema the way hydrocortisone does, but i've been trying to avoid steroid creams, so i would consider this the next best thing.
hands: skinfix eczema+ hand relief cream. i am literally an evangelist for this stuff. i used to get severe hand eczema, including on my fingers, which needed extreme-strength prescription cream to heal. then i tried this on a whim and my hands have been clear and smooth ever since.
hair: briogeo curl charisma. i have very long, very thick type 2B/C hair and this is the only thing i've found that successfully stops my curls from falling victim to gravity.
lips: tower28 SOS lipsoftie. thank me later. i have been through eczema hell trying every lip balm under the sun. this is the holy grail.
temple balm: lush dream time temple balm*. as a teenager i was obsessed with this crime show whitechapel, where the main detective carried around a tin of tiger balm for his temples to rub in whenever he was stressed. i see this in my future. for now, i just use this stuff at night. smells like lavender. zzzz!
i've put a lot of effort into minimising my makeup use. i used to do full layers, foundation, lipstick, etc. then i went through a period of using a lot of bold eye makeup. i still have all my old products, but nowadays i only bring them out for costume parties. i think doing a full face every single day was pretty much a crutch for insecurity, to hide how much i hated my face. now my only crutch for insecurity is concealer to cover my zits and dark spots (lol), and the rest of my makeup is aimed at accentuating my features: mascara to make my eyes pop, and highlighter to show off my high cheekbones.
concealer: tower28 serum concealer. obviously you want something that doesn't cake, but on top of that i have abnormally pale neutral-undertone skin, which is almost impossible to colour-match in most brands. this is currently my best match. if i have one criticism, this moisturises too well. i need to find something that dries my skin out.
mascara: rare beauty perfect strokes. possibly i am filling my eyes with microplastics but this just applies so evenly and stays on so well. it only runs when i cry! lol
highlighter: milk makeup cream highlighter stick in "turnt". a nice subtle champagne-toned glitter. i spread it with my fingers and rub the extra on my forearms for some bonus sparkle. i also like milk's holographic stick highlighter, but it smudges much more easily, so i only use it ocasionally.
remover: farmacy green clean. because my makeup is so minimal, i usually just remove it with cleanser when i wash my face before bed. but on days when i get home late and i'm too tired to do my full skincare routine, this is what i use. but i get so confused because they have two types and one is scented, and it's never the one i think it is. i don't need fragrance in my makeup remover!!