dr ceuracle vegan kombucha tea essence

More Summer Empties | Skincare & Makeup

It seems like I go through phases of not emptying anything and just letting it all accumulate up, followed by periods where the empties back seems to explode seemingly overnight. So before I even think about writing about anything else, I want this overflowing bag out of my life. Now, let’s get onto the good stuff:

An aside: How on earth have I used up to many skincare products??? I must have had a bunch of near empties…

Banila Co Clean It Zero Purifying Cleansing Balm ($32.64 CDN | 100 mL)

I really enjoyed using this cleansing balm and it lasted a while. It had a subtle spa scent that came from synthetic fragrance, which means it did not irritate my skin or sting my eyes — some of us have a tumultuous relationship with essential oils — and did a great job of melting down makeup and then emulsifying to a milk. It sometimes left a film in my eyes but these cleansers all tend to but it didn’t sting and worked on more tenacious makeup. In terms of extra ingredients, it contains antioxidant-rich plant oils and soothing extracts including centella, which made my skin always feel a bit calmer after. I’d purchase again and I have given it as a gift to several people.

Cerave Hydrating Cleanser ($21.99 CDN | 355 mL)

I can say with full confidence that I have never paid full price for this cleanser, and likely wouldn’t, as it’s always on sale somewhere; the issues occur in terms of it actually being in stock, as its gotten popular. I have enjoyed using this non-foaming lightweight lotion cleanser for years, although I will say it can sting if I’ve overdone it on the acids/active ingredients and it is not a intensive makeup remover. It’s a gentle staple for me that I often keep in the shower as a second nighttime cleanse, and it’s great for not drying your skin out while cleansing. I will say when I repurchase, it’ll either be on sale or be one of the house brand varieties chains are coming out with. It contains ceramides, barrier-reinforcing ingredients and hyaluronic acid, along with gentle cleansing agents.

Kate Somerville Goat Milk Moisturizing Cleanser ($60 CDN | 120 mL)

Despite lasting me up to or around six months, I seem to have accumulated two empties of this cream cleanser. It’s my favourite but it’s expensive so I try to stock up when I see it on sale. It’s a great treatment cleanser for dry sensitive skin, never burns and has lots of great quality plant oils to soothe and moisturize, lactic acid, honey and hydrating goat’s milk. It removes makeup well while being super gentle and has a rich cream texture that leaves my skin soothed and generally happy afterwards. It would take something spectacular or just generally more affordable to knock this out of its place. It does not leave my skin dry or tight after use, even with nothing applied after.

Fenty Skin Fat Water Hydrating Milky Toner Essence ($46 CDN | 150 mL)

This milky essence-come-toner is seriously moisturizing, soothing and loaded with beneficial ingredients including squalane, niacinamide, apple fruit extract, hyaluronic acid, natural moisturizing factors and plant oils. There’s something in it that can sometimes be slightly sensitizing but nothing major — it’s probably the amount of fragrance it contains and one of the plant extracts — but I still adore it; the other thing to note would be that it needs to be applied on pretty wet skin or it can start to pill products applied afterwards. I loved it in the drier cooler weather and I love it now, seeing as I repurchased it.

Dr Ceuracle Vegan Kombucha Tea Essence ($51.27 CDN | 150 mL)

I finished this essence/milky-toner hybrid late in spring and I missed it tremendously, but I did wait for myself to finish the other milky toners I was working on before repurchasing. It has a cool consistency that kind of emulsifies when shaken into something super creamy. It’s great for replenishing the skin barrier and adding hydration, moisture and replenishment after cleansing, especially on my dry sensitive skin that is eczema-prone. It contains multiple probiotic ingredients (kombucha and saccharomyces) that are both soothing and function as antioxidants, along with plant oils, sodium hyaluronate, xcentella and a replenishing ceramide. It’s fragrance free and super calming.

Paula’s Choice Resist Advanced Replenishing Toner ($26 US | 118 mL)

This is another favourite milky toner of mine, but with more hydrating and barrier-reinforcing ingredients and less plant oils. I’ve repurchased it many times over the years and it’s a good one, but it’s easy to go through quickly. It contains glycerin, fatty acids, sodium hyaluronate, numerous antioxidants and skin soothers. I’m sure I will pick it up the next time I make a Paulas Choice order. It’s great on sensitive or compromised skin as its fragrance and fairly irritant free. It’s very plumping and is a god-send for binding moisture to the skin.

Tarte Knockout Tingle Treatment Toner ($53 CDN | 150 mL)

This is not an acid toner for the faint of heart but I enjoyed it as a seasoned acid exfoliant user, even if I couldn’t tolerate using it as often as I could with gentler exfoliants. Its an approximately ten percent complex of lactic acid, citric acid, gluconolactone, malic acid, phytic acid and salicylic acid, formulated at what likely is a quite low pH (thanks to the vinegar and other ingredients) so it’s a bit zingy, but it gives good results, especially with the niacinamide so high in the ingredient list. I’m inclined to say that one of the plant extracts I find kind of irritating when used too often but otherwise it really helps with congestion and skin texture and leaves my skin bright and glowy.

Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Ampoule ($56.99 CDN | 50 mL)

I think this was my second empty bottle of this serum and I repurchased when it was on sale for a great price and I think I’d buy again. It’s a great non-active-lead serum that contains niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and not much else in that kind of concentration. It contains numerous fermented probiotic ingredients that tend to act as humectants but also help with the skin barrier, which is always a focus for me and my dry sensitive skin. It contains some antioxidant ingredients as well but the highlights are really the niacinamide and the probiotics. It contains some essential oil derived fragrance but it doesn’t seem to be an issue in terms of skin sensitivity for me and actually seems to make my skin feel stronger and generally happier.

Beekman 1802 Milk Drops Ceramide Serum ($45 US | 0.95 ounce)

I really enjoyed using this ceramide-infused and barrier-restoring humectant serum, but it’s kind of a pain to get ahold of regularly so I don’t think I’d make the effort to repurchase. I was lucky enough to find it at a discount from a FabFitFun sale and the ingredients intrigued me enough to try it. The goat milk derived ingredients are interesting and soothing/hydrating, the ceramide is promising, and I quite enjoyed the rest of the formula as well, made up of probiotic bifida ferment lysate, sodium hyaluronate, squalane and honey. It was a humectant serum that did more that I really enjoyed using, especially when my skin was visibly stressed and I had visibly overdone things.

Kate Somerville Squalane+Hyaluronic Hydrate + Plump Serum ($98 US | 30 mL)

This is a really sophisticated and well-formulated hyaluronic acid based humectant serum but it’s very expensive for something I tent to go through quick; it’s one of those skincare things I enjoy but only purchase on a good sale. It’s a super juicy hydrating serum in a milky vehicle, with squalane, glycerin, panthenol, adenosine and multiple forms of sodium hyaluronate. It’s a super gentle, non-stingy and non irritating formula and tends to give me hydrated plumped, juicy looking skin.

Drunk Elephant Protini Resurfacing Serum ($111 CDN | 30 mL)

This serum is expensive but might just be worth the money for me because of the results it gives me and the good six months (or more), it lasts with typical use. It’s 10% lactic acid that does double duty as a chemical exfoliant and a nice humectant serum. It features squalane, some lovely plant oils, numerous peptides and skin-identical ingredients to fortify the skin barrier. I love how it contains nothing irritating and easily fits into my routine a few times a week. It’s pricey but I’ll repurchase after I’m done playing with the current exfoliants I have on the go because I do miss it. It really helps with texture and keeps my skin looking generally plump and bright.

Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence ($33.70 CDN | 100 mL)

This “essence” is my favourite humectant serum — honestly don’t know what makes it an essence compared to a serum but I won’t complain as you get a lot of product for your money –, mainly consisting of barrier-repairing and healing snail secretion filtrate, but has sodium hyaluronate and allantoin thrown in there too. It’s great for plumping up the skin and holding onto moisture and minimizing irritation and dryness. I even repurchased multiples last time I ordered this. It’s my go-to.

L’Oreal Revitalift Filler [+Hyaluronic Acid] Eye Cream for Face ($25.99 CDN | 30 mL)

I’m kind of shocked that I haven’t really seen any coverage on this value-sized eye cream, considering how delightful it is. It’s great for a sensitive eye area, as it’s fragrance-free and doesn’t really contain common irritants. The pump packaging is super efficient and lets you easily get all of the product out without compromising the stability with any of the antioxidants or other ingredients, and it lasted me ages. The fourth ingredient is a fermented extract, known for functioning as an antioxidant and skin-soother (fermented black tea and saccharomyces ferment), and it’s followed by shea butter, pro-xylane, a cell-communicating ingredient, caffeine, another notable cell-communicating ingredient, sodium hyaluronate and ascorbyl glucoside. My experience in using this eye cream were plump, bright and non-irritated under-eyes. I primarily used as an eye cream and I will repurchase after I finish what’s in my stash.

Cosrx Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream ($37.28 CDN | 25 mL)

I finished my second bottle of this snail secretion filtrate based eye cream and happily snagged another when I saw it on sale. Again, it’s a really well formulated eye cream, formulated without fragrance or any sketchy extracts. It contains the super repairing snail, along with brightening niacinamide, arganine, sodium hyaluronate and peptides that function at the very minimum as humectants. It never burns or stings and makeup wears nicely on top of it.

Anessa Perfect UV Sunscreen Mild Milk SPF 50+ ($40.47 CDN | 60 mL)

This is a great sunscreen in terms of both UVA/UVB protection, sweat/humidity resistance and is both easy to tolerate and cosmetically elegant. It’s both drying alcohol and fragrance free, while still being super lightweight and dries to this soft-focus velvety finish on its own. The matte finish isn’t my favourite on myself because it tends to cling to dry patches and just leaves me feeling more dry and heavy than I’d like — but I’m someone who prefers dewy formulations with drier skin to begin with as a preference. It’s a combination sunscreen with some of these newer generation potent filters that are available in Asia and it has a minor and manageable white cast. It never runs into the eyes or stings during workouts or heavy sweating, I will say. I finished it, using it for sweaty yoga practices on my chest neck and shoulders but i also enjoyed it for the occasions when I was sweating heavily and needed serious sun protection. I would be curious to try a different formulation from the brand.

Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Cream Moisturizer ($30 CDN | 20 mL)

Looking at the ingredient list for this moisturizer, I was pretty meh, as it includes squalane super high on the ingredient list but not much else of note, other than hyaluronic acid, allantoin, beta glucan, a ceramide and lactobacillus ferment lysate, all at the bottom of the ingredient list. However, once I tried it, I couldn’t stop using it. It has a subtle spa scent that does not come from essential oils — so it agrees with my skin — and it has a really nice cushioning cream texture that soaks into the skin and leaves it hydrated and plump. I’ve already repurchased.

Summer Fridays Cloud Dew Gel Cream Moisturizer ($61 CDN | 50 mL)

This is a great water-cream moisturizer that I’ve heard fantastic things about and wasn’t too expensive, but it’s just not rich enough for my dry skin. I actually used it up on my chest and neck and loved it that way but won’t be repurchasing. It contains multiple forms of hyaluronic acid, glutamic acid, numerous amino acids, ascorbic acid and a ceramide but does not have that cushioning-feel and emollients/occlusives my eczema-prone skin craves. I will note that it’s fragrance-free and non irritating.

Kate Somerville DeliKate Recovery Cream ($103 CDN | 50 mL)

This moisturizer is as expensive as I am comfortable spending — and I always shop around and try to stock up when its on sale — but it’s been my go-to since early quarantine era. It has a great whipped balm texture that feels lightweight while adding comfort to dry tight skin and is fragrance free and is formulated without those plant extracts that can sometimes be an issue for me. It has shea butter, ceramides, peptides, honey, a few cell-communicating ingredients and some soothing plant extracts. It is concentrated enough that it lasts forever, is great under makeup and is great for healing a damaged skin barrier without any risk of stinging.

Paula’s Choice Omega+ Complex Moisturizer ($37 US | 50 mL)

This moisturizer has a texture that is similar to the Kate Somerville, which may explain why I love the two so much, but is even more whipped and cloud-like in airless pump packaging. It’s also about half the price. It too is fragrance free and formulated without anything that I’ve ever experienced irritation with and does not sting. It’s loaded with omega-rich plant oils, fatty acids, ceramides, squalane and a bunch of barrier-repairing ingredients. I never know when the product is empty until it is, which is my only complaint and I always repurchase when I place an order.

Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 in Tuluum ($65 CDN | 30 mL)

It’s so rare that I finish a foundation-class kind of product but I’ve been reaching for this sheer-to-light coverage tinted sunscreen for the last year or two as my go-to. It applies pretty well over dry patches, has a dewy finish, always makes me look a bit better and is sheer enough that I’m actually using enough to get sunscreen coverage. It’s fragrance and alcohol free and has shea butter, niacinamide, squalane and sodium hyaluronate for skin benefits. I’ve repurchased already, as it suits my everyday base needs, and it has such an impressive colour selection for a sheerer product.

L’Oreal Bambi Oversized Eye Volumizing Mascara in Intense Black ($15.99 CDN)

I typically love L’Oreal mascaras but this spin-off of the original Bambi mascara was not a favourite. As someone with sensitive eyes, looking volume, separation and a little bit of drama, this brush was a little too spiky and I didn’t enjoy the comb-like brush. The formula seemed quite wet and didn’t do anything special after it dried out any. I also have never used a lash curler so I obviously do not need to be chasing a lifting mascara. It did offer good length, definition and separation. I didn’t find it that volumizing, either.

L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara in Mystic Black ($13.46 CDN)

This is the drugstore mascara that I measure all other drugstore (and non-drugstore) mascaras against. It’s a fairly dry formula — but even so, I prefer it once it starts to dry out — and the packaging tends to be a mess, smeared with old dried mascara but it gives great volume, some length and curl too with minimal product. It does not irritate my eyes or feel heavy on my lashes and gives some drama and the large natural bristle brush is great. It gives some volume, is conditioning and adds some drama that is definitely buildable. The only downside is it can be kind of difficult to remove, despite not being waterproof. I have used many tubes of this and given many tubes to friends as gifts.

L’Oreal Bambi Eye Mascara in Extra Noir ($15.99 CDN)

This is another drugstore mascara that I’ve repurchased and I really enjoy using. Like the others, it does not irritate my sensitive eyes and actually does feel pretty conditioning and lightweight. It’s a happy medium between a dry and wet formula, has a plastic brush that does not have that stabbing-your-eyeballs feel. It has a football-shaped brush with short bristles that really does give like a thickening wide-eyed effect while adding some length. It does not clump easily and is a great everyday mascara that removes easily and even works when I’m dealing with seasonal allergies. It’s buildable too but I don’t find it to be the most drama-inducing mascara in the world.

L’Oreal Brow Stylist Micro Ink Pen in Dark Brunette ($13.28 CDN)

Another thing L’Oreal does super well is brow products, as they come in great typically-ashy shades and have sophisticated formulas while remaining fairly inexpensive. I really have come to love using their brow pens as an everyday brow staple. They pull super natural and read as actual hairs for the most part and work to fill-in more sparse areas of the brows for a more uniform look, which suits my needs well as someone with a lot of brow hairs but definite sparse areas. They wouldn’t work as well for someone looking for a full-on defined brow or someone looking to dramatically alter their brow shape. I quite liked the darker shade for the outer half of my brows but I think I prefer the light brown shade overall, which is what I’ve repurchased.

What have you finished lately?

The Empties | Fall 2022

Recently, I had a comment (which I love, don’t be afraid to reply to any of my posts) about my earlier curly-wavy hair product posts, asking if I was still doing them. I certainly am and even when I’m not actively posting about hair products, I’m compiling lists and thoughts. However, I wanted to get my reviews of the products I finished out of the way first (and the bag of clutter out of my life additionally); I find these posts particularly valuable as a consumer because it gives longer-term feedback about products that were valued enough to be finished. These certainly will invariably include a selection of hair products that I finished, many of which would be put in the favourites category:

Curlsmith Super Slip Pre-Biotic Primer ($37.99 CDN | 355 mL)

This was/is a slippery pre-shampoo detangler, rich in fermented rice water, some bond building ingredients — totally not advertised — and prebiotics to help with scalp flora and microbiome. By this, I mean that is protects against drying, tangling, friction-inducing effect of shampoo. This slippery product works well but is not crucial for me, because I can use a conditioner in its place to detangle and protect against shampooing. Luckily these days, my scalp health doesn’t necessitate using something with these microbiome-supporting ingredients.

Curlsmith Multi-Tasking Conditioner ($35.99 CDN | 237 mL)

This is a great lightweight conditioner in its own right but it’s my favourite leave in conditioner because of how light but moisturizing it is, the slip it provides and the bit of protein it contains (protein really boosts the uniformity of my waves and curls on my head). It serves as a great base for brush styling on my incredibly tangly hair, lending smoothness to the finished style without weight in combination with my hold products. It contains castor seed oil, babassu kernel oil, jojoba seed oil, murumuru seed butter and shea butter without any heaviness and pumpkin seed extract, hydrolyzed hemp sed and hydrolyzed rice protein for strength and structure. When I started using it last winter, I noticed it was particularly amazing in dry winter weather in the tangly fragile underlay of my hair that’s constantly being aggressed by scarves, coats and precipitation.

Curlsmith Post-Biotic Calming Conditioner ($37.99 CDN | 355 mL)

This was a nice lightweight conditioner without silicones or a lot of butters and oils (but it does contain shea butter and castor oil halfway down the ingredient list), enriched with menthyl lactate for that soothing cooling sensation, tea tree oil and peppermint oil and humectant plant extracts, The essential oils and menthol derivative weren’t irritating on my eczema prone scalp but I found the conditioner a little light for my hair needs. The slip was moderate, but I think I benefit from some more oils and butters. My favourite way to use this conditioner was probably as a co-wash, and I didn’t mind using it in any way. It’s not for me but it’s a great lightweight conditioner for those who struggle with build-up and are looking for something featherweight.

Ouidad Vitalcurl+ Tress Effects Styling Gel ($31-36 CDN | 250 mL)

This gel sits between medium to strong hold for me — but keep in mind I have high porosity hair that seems to absorb the hold of products so it might be stronger for some — that’s quite moisturizing without being heavy in the slightest but lacks a lot of humidity resistance. By this, I mean that in my humid climate, I find it frizzes and loses definition in muggy summer weather. It contains barely any protein, some film-forming humectants, film-forming polymers and a variety of plant oils. It performs much better in cooler weather on my finer high porosity hair and humid environment, not that I wouldn’t use again, but there are other Ouidad gels I prefer.

AG Haircare Curl Fresh Definer ($28 CDN | 178 mL)

This sleek tube houses a cream-gel that’s marketed more as a cream but offers light-medium hold on its own (and adds some hold when you put a gel on top), adding volume, grit and some curl enhancement. It has a rather strong scent of cake batter, combined with essential oils and is not uber moisturizing (thanks to the somewhat drying but pattern-enhancing magnesium sulfate), but regardless, it’s a potent but lightweight styler. I don’t find this to be the most clump-enhancing cream but it definitely tightens up some of my pattern, adding volume, texture, hold and control. I would definitely consider repurchasing after I use up some of the creams and curl enhancers currently in my stash.

Curlsmith Curl Defining Styling Souffle ($52-$55.99 CDN | 473 mL)

This gel gives me the closest thing to my soul hair that can be achieved through natural means (and if I play my cards right can even beat curling iron curls), which should not shock any regular readers because I’ve talked about this many times before in empties posts and favourites posts. It’s very moisturizing, — especially for being a gel — light to medium in weight but has flexible medium-strong hold; it gives me clumpy bouncy ringlets that lasts through sweaty workouts and humidity for days when styled correctly, without feeling or looking product-y in the hair. It contains lots of humectants, film-forming humectants and sealing oils. It contains irish moss and flaxseed extract to really enhance my 2c-ish waves and curls.

Curlsmith Bouncy Strength Volume Foam ($34.99 CDN | 222 mL)

Despite the fact that I love every other product in the Strength Recipe line, my first foray into mousse/foam in years has not been love at first use. Unfortunately, I find that when I use this in any amount on my wet hair, it destroys my curl clumps. My theory is that the grit it adds tends to do this in my unique hair. It can work for me, used in moderation in my roots, for some lift especially at the crown where my hair likes to fall limp when left to its own devices. It contains a few proteins in the first few ingredients on the list and a bunch of extracts that I normally love, but I think the gritty texture it adds tends to break apart ringlets in my wet hair, without adding any hold or curl enhancement. The good news is that it’s actually a great refreshing product on dry or damp hair after detangling on day 3-4 hair; it’s just not a day one all-over hair product for me. I do want to experiment with more products of this type, especially for refreshing and some help at the crown/back of my hair that is much looser than the front of my hair.

ESPA Soothing Bath Oil ($46.75 CDN | 100 mL)

My eczema usually does not get along with essential oils at all but I actually really enjoyed using this essential oil based bath oil. The scent was super calming and spa-like with sandalwood, myrrh and rose and the oil really helped to combat the transepidermal water loss from soaking in a tub full of water, leaving my skin with a little bit of moisture afterwards. I was lucky enough to snag this in a Fab Fit Fun sale and would probably repurchase at a discount again.

Aveeno Creamy Moisturizing Oil ($14.99 CDN | 354 mL)

Throughout the humid summer, I happily was using this as a body moisturizer daily after bathing. It was good for combatting my dry itchy legs when my eczema was not flared up — it’s an entirely different story now unfortunately –, and actually locking moisture into the skin. It’s described as an oil but in my experience, it’s more of a oil-based moisturizer (as the sesame seed oil, sweet almond oil and oat kernel oil is blended with glycerin, dimethicone and oat kernel flour) or a body oil-moisturizer hybrid. It has a subtle calming scent — that is synthetic and generally not irritating — and is lighter weight than a traditional cream. It wouldn’t be enough for me on it’s own for my eczema-affected areas but I’m tempted to pick it up again.

Drunk Elephant Slaai Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser ($45 CDN | 110g)

I love using cleansing balms in general because of how soothing and nourishing they are and the ease that they dissolve makeup and sunscreen with, and I really enjoyed using this essential oil free balm cleanser. It’s also fragrance-free, just smelling of the sweet almond oils and the other rich oils that the formula contains. In terms of balm cleansers, it’s very rich and dry-skin friendly. It really annihilates makeup, even of the waterproof or sweat-resistant variety, and emulsifies with water, leaving the skin with a nourishing film unless followed with another cleanser. It’s concentrated, but expensive, yet repurchase worthy.

Clinique Turnaround Revitalizing Lotion ($53 CDN | 200 mL)

Completely unbeknownst to me, Clinique has had this Asian-style essence-toner in their repertoire for years and I didn’t even know it was a thing, and it’s good. It has a water-light kind of jelly texture and features saccharomyces lysate extract, centella asiatica, caffeine, bifida ferment lysate, acetyl glucosamine, lactobacillus ferment, caffeine and sodium hyaluronate, to help soothe, brighten and hydrate the skin with a wide variety of humectants. It left me with plump skin that was calm and even and contains the probiotic ingredients that intrigue me. I tend to prefer richer toners and essences with more oil content but I enjoyed this.

Dr Ceuracle Vegan Kombucha Tea Essence ($42.90 CDN | 150 mL)

Speaking of milky essence-toners, this one is my absolute favourite. In the summer, I finished my second bottle and I miss it tremendously, especially as the weather is getting warmer and my skin is getting drier. I’ve been trying to hold off on repurchasing, making myself finish what I’ve currently got on rotation first but it’s a losing battle. Regardless, it’s a beautiful milky essence-toner, especially for dry sensitive skin, looking for some barrier support. It’s fragrance free, contains tea extract, saccharomyces ferment, green tea, sunflower oil, sodium hyaluronate and centella asiatica and absolutely nothing irritating. When I use this, my skin is calmer, dewy and plump and generally less angry.

Paula’s Choice Defense Essential Glow Daily Moisturizer SPF 30 ($33 US | 60 mL)

Paula’s Choice has definitely moved from being a fairly affordable brand, just a little more expensive than your traditional or quintessential ‘drugstore’ brands to more of a midrange or premium drugstore brand. However, there are still a good number of their products that I find to be a good value for money; their well formulated sunscreens are some of these products. This one is a mineral sunscreen that is moisturizing, luminizing and doesn’t accentuate dry patches and texture like most mineral sunscreens do. Basically, it overcomes many of the cosmetic shortcomings of mineral sunscreens and it’s great for dry, sensitive skin. It has a grey-tinge that translates to a slightly blurring finish without a white-tinge for those with fair to medium skin. The dewy and luminous finish is not ideal for those trying to achieve a matte look or those on the oilier side of things. I have and would buy again.

What products have you finished?

Fall Empties | Skincare

As much as I want to gush about and play tribute to the products that have gotten me through this transition into fall, I think I’m going to lose my mind if I have to stare at this full overflowing bag of empty products for much longer… and this is just the skincare empties to start with.

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm ($44 CAD | 125 mL)

This is the gentlest balm cleanser that I’ve ever tried and suitable for every single skin condition that I can think of (and trust me I’ve suffered with a few) and absolutely annihilates makeup and sunscreen without irritating any part of the face or eyeballs. It doesn’t really use traditional oils that some report as clogging, so it would be appropriate for those who are oil-hesitant, has a super minimalist ingredient list and doesn’t include fragrance or anything irritating. I’ve actually been venturing out from using this one because it’s gone up in price, the fact that I love the balms with more traditionally oily and nourishing textures and the variety of balms on the market that I want to experiment with.

The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm ($13 CAD | 150 mL)

This is another uber gentle fragrance-free cleansing balm, but it has packaging that has its limitations and it is nourishing and soothing in ways the Clinique is not. I’m quite a fan of the tube packaging for ease and sink-counter storage but it can be an absolute pain to squeeze out at times — but I don’t have really have significant issues with that and seem to actually have the determination to get the product out. It features sweet almond oil, oat kernel oil and a plant-derived wax to melt down makeup and and these in combination with the oat kernel flour leave the skin hydrated and calmed. It isn’t quite the makeup annihilator that the Clinique is but it will remove mascara and waterproof eye makeup with a little bit of patience. It does emulsify but many will find the film kind of unappealing and likely due to the tube packaging and the oils it contains, the mixture can come out kind of separated — but melts down with ease in the way that coconut oil and shea butter does. I have a fresh one to start on after I go through the cleansers I’m working on and currently have in my stash and will likely particularly enjoy during the winter.

Kate Somerville Goat Milk Moisturizing Cleanser ($53 CAD | 120 mL)

This cream cleanser was one of those things that I didn’t realize I loved until I was at the very end of the tube. I was lucky enough to be able to purchase two backups on sale, which speaks to how much I’ve grown to love this cleanser. It’s a real treat in cleanser form. There’s enough oil content that it melts makeup well, but doesn’t remove tenacious eye makeup with quite as much ease as a cleansing balm or oil. The cleansing agents are really gentle, the grape seed oil, jojoba seed oil, avocado oil and coconut oils are high enough on the ingredients list to really nourish the skin and the honey and lactic acid add a boost of humectants to the formula. It’s scented but not with essential oils and after I use it, my skin always feels soothed, comforted and less dehydrated afterwards.

Neogen Real Ferment Micro Essence ($49.99 CAD | 150 mL)

I adored this watery first essence in the summer when it was beyond hot, humid and muggy as anything, and I finished it at the tail end of the summer. However, the water-light texture wasn’t ideal for my thirsty easily irritated skin, especially as things got cooler and my skin did its temperamental thing. Ingredients-wise, this essence relies on the probiotic-rich bifida ferment lysate, soothing humectant saccharomyces ferment, green tea, a variety of amino acids, replenishing ingredients and barrier-supporting niacinamide. It was rich in humectants, soothing ingredients and antioxidants but I’m not sure the texture was for me. It was super refreshing in the summer, without the irritation of essential oils or menthol or anything among that variety. I’m not sure the water-like texture is for me, however.

Dr Ceuracle Vegan Kombucha Tea Essence ($43.69 CAD | 150 mL)

If the Neogen was a product that’s great but not the ideal product for me, this essence exemplifies the kind of essence essentially for me. It’s a more traditional essence to be used later on in the routine but is also a milky moisturizer on steroids simultaneously. It contains emollients, glycerin, green tea, saccharomyces ferment, sunflower oil, sodium hyaluronate, cocoa seed extract, centella asiatica and ceramide np. It’s a kind of separated liquid consisting of tea and separated emollients that becomes a beautiful milk when shaken before use. It’s gloriously soothing, hydrating and moisturizing, even on compromised and irritated skin. It’s wonderfully anti-inflammatory and plumping and doesn’t even require a separate moisturizer. I often used it without a moisturizer over the top and I’ve already ordered a backup.

Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Probio Ampoule ($37.29 CAD | 50 mL)

This “ampoule” quickly became my favourite gentle daily non-active serum. It’s currently in the mail from Stylevana and the name is changed but the ingredients look identical. It does contain niacinamide but not in a ridiculous percentage that could lead to irritation and rather helps support the skin barrier. I would guess that it contains somewhere in between 3-5%, which is the sweet spot for many of its benefits. It also contains bifida ferment lysate, ten different probiotic ingredients and extracts, glycerin, panthenol, sodium hyaluronate and some oils including essential oils, which oddly enough don’t bother my skin whatsoever — but they are towards the end of the hefty ingredient list. I love this serum because it’s a great humectant, supports the skin barrier in a variety of ways and is instantly soothing. It helps that it never stings over a thoroughly pissed off skin barrier. It’s the perfect serum when you don’t want to come near your face with anything irritating and want to nourish and rebuild it instead.

Dr Dennis Gross B3 Adaptive SuperFoods Stress Rescue Super Serum ($96 CAD | 30 mL)

Thanks to the 2020 Caroline Hirons Summer Kit, I was able to try this pricier serum. I used it primarily last year but then I kind of left it towards the back of my skincare organizer, only to finish up recently. I really enjoyed this milky serum and the ingredients worked for my skin concerns but unfortunately some of the essential oils the formula contains irritates my skin around the mouth and cheeks with consistent use. It contains barrier-supporting niacinamide as the fourth ingredient, sweet almond oil, squalane, a bunch of antioxidant rich plant extracts and fatty acids. It’s a shame really but the essential oils were just not suited for my skin.

The Inkey List Brighten-I Eye Cream ($12.99 CAD | 15 mL)

This eye cream was a great everyday one for my sensitive dry under eyes, especially in the mornings under makeup and around tired eyes. It doesn’t sting like the majority of things do around my sensitive allergy-prone eyes, and the metal tip felt very soothing and awakening in the morning. The subtle cosmetic brightening effect was great for brightening dark circles. It contains glycerin, mafura seed butter, a man made antioxidant, mica, ginseng and centella asiatica. It was brightening, laid amazing under makeup, was soothing and affordable.

The Ordinary Caffeine 5% + EGCG Depuffing Eye Serum ($6.70 CAD | 30 mL)

I’m not sure why I slept on this product for so long; the ingredient list makes this one of the most robust and sophisticated formulas that The Ordinary has produced. My eyes are a problem area, being sensitive, dry, suffering from dark circles and prone to creasing with any kind of makeup, but I do not suffer with puffiness which is the primary concern this product corrects. I enjoy the thick gel texture that doesn’t migrate, adds substantial moisture with its oilier texture and doesn’t make my eye area burn randomly. It contains a number of antioxidants, glycerin, hyaluronic acid and lactic acid. Caffeine and the green tea derived antioxidant both are potent antioxidants with anti-inflammatory activity and have some research to support that they help with dark circles. I would repurchase because it actually has helped with the appearance of my under eyes and I enjoy it in the way I have enjoyed the Niod Fractionated Eye-Contour Concentrate at a fraction of the price. It doesn’t have the same sophisticated formula of peptides and amino acids but I get the same experience using it, especially when being incredibly sleep deprived.

Belif The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb ($50 CAD | 50 mL)

This was an awesome moisturizer especially in the warmer weather months because of the cushiony lightweight cream texture and kind of refreshing feel it leaves behind. It contains a bunch of antioxidant-rich plant extracts including a number of fermented extracts, macadamia oil, panthenol and oat kernel extract. It’s really plumping, soothing and moisturizing and really helps with dull potentially flaking skin. I normally shy away from jar packaging but I’m willing to look beyond it for this product. It’s not fragrance free either but it didn’t irritate my skin and I would happily use again. It’s great for skins with dryness and irritation that helps without feeling suffocating.

What products have you finished?
Maggie, x.