I’ve heard it can be super effective for rosacea, too! (And some of the prescription azelaic formulations ARE marketed specifically for rosacea.) The one from The Ordinary might be terrific for that purpose, BUT ONLY IF you don’t also have acne and/or are sensitive to heavy silicones. <3

TRUE TRUE TRUE. And your SPF should def be broad-spectrum (with a PA++ etc rating in addition to the usual SPF). Most US sunscreens only list an SPF, which may mean they ONLY protect against UVB — the rays that cause sunburns — but NOT NECESSARILY against UVA, the rays responsible for most photoaging and also cancer.

Oh man I need to try this with the matte black ColourPop pressed shadow I just got!

I really want to try Retin-A, but only the “Micro” version — it’s supposedly like a “time-release” formula, so it’s generally less irritating/drying than the regular stuff! There’s also Differen (adapalene), but only the low-dose is available OTC and I swear to god it made my breakouts WORSE (and the higher-dose is…

I’m pretty impressed with it, tbh! (Their little liquid eyeliner pen, however, was kinda a fail for me.) <3

As a 45-year-old who also still battles acne — have you tried an azelaic acid cream? It needs to be 15-20% to be functional against acne bacteria, and there’s nothing commonly sold in the US (including the one from The Ordinary, which is both too low and also contains acne-aggravating silicones). BUT. If you’re brave…

Your skin can SEEM oilier if it is or has been dehydrated! Or if you’ve used an aggressive cleanser (something with SLS/SLeS) which strips away the oils in the epidermis. Your face needs water to feel firm and plump and healthy (watery or water-retaining hydrators like glycerin and hyaluronic acid) but it also needs…

e.l.f Shadow Lock is pretty good — it improves wear vs bare skin for sure, AND it doesn’t irritate my crazy-sensitive eyelids like UD and Too Faced primers do. But! Wet N Wild’s Photo Focus eye primer (which I just got a week or so ago) is LEGIT REAL GOOD and also doesn’t irritate my eyes. And it’s five bucks!

I don’t see why not! Hyaluronic is just a humectant, not an “active” acid, and plenty of vitamin C product include hyaluronic acid! Just know that both of those things will add moisture to your skin (and hyaluronic helps your skin retain water), but they don’t [usually] have any kind of barrier — so if you’ve got dry…

Exactly, the prices make me want to try EVERYTHING.

I like their Niacinamide serum! The Matrixyl didn’t seem to do a lot for me, but I don’t hate it. Some of their C formulations are pretty good too!

I have (have always had) the thinnest, shittiest, weakest nails — they peel up in layers at the tips, constantly broke, and manicures lasted maybe two days without chipping. I tried probably a dozen different treatments that promised to fix this, and they were all garbage. 

Oh I have one of those brush-cleaner things! Mine’s a Docolor (from Amazon) and it actually does work pretty well — better than rubbing on a paper towel or tissue etc, anyway. The main downside for me is that obvs it’s best for powder shadows, not creams, and I use a lot of cream shadows.

Oh hey squalane oil is LEGIT, tho! I got the teeny samples from Biossance, loved them but went “lollllllll” at their price, and ordered a 4oz bottle of Timeless brand from Amazon for like, twelve bucks. It’s ACES! I bet the Ordinary’s is great as well! But I’m pretty sure that’s one thing that doesn’t need a fancy…

Dude, if you’re in Europe, stock up on azelaic BEFORE YOU LEAVE. You can’t get a good version of that shit over the counter here — it’s all either a shitty too-low % (like the Ordinary’s, which also has a silicone that broke me out like a mofo) or a $$$ prescription. SKINOREN FOREVER. I have to order from -New…

Oh man I was (am?) so close to falling for the NIOD [lab-coat-clad hand-waving] and buying the copper peptide eye shit. :| Agree, I think you’re right, and I dislike that about them — but I still buy some of their stuff, because they offer a lot of simple, and silicone-free formulations of good actives at pretty…

So true! Mine was never terrible, but it went BANANAS at like 42-43. I signed up for Curology’s online dermatologist spiel, and had great results from azelaic/niacinamide ... annnnnd then my skin decided clindamycin = lol dermatitis. SO, I use OTC azelaic acid and niacinamide products now, sans antibiotic, and it…

Omg I did not know that! Hell, I live just on the other side of the bay — I would’ve been tempted to show up and assist with the heckling efforts.

This is EXCELLENT and VERY WELCOME information! My [previous] understanding was that niacinamide shouldn’t be used with l-ascorbic C formulations because it would “neutralize” the C or otherwise decrease efficacy — because that’s what The Ordinary’s website says! (Specifically, “will affect the integrity of l-ascorbic…

RIGHT? Like, I need to make a damn flow chart or something to figure out what to do when. This one can’t be used at the same time as that one because they’ll interfere, this one I’d like to use in the evening but I can’t because I HAVE to use THIS thing and they fight, and then this one I want to use in the day but…