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Keep reading if you want ridiculously soft, hydrated, and healthy-looking skin.
The biggest selling point of this essence-like sunscreen is that it doesn't have the texture of a traditional sunscreen (aka, greasiness, tackiness, etc.), and it really does feel more like essence than sunscreen and if you know me, I looooove my essences. Mere seconds after rubbing this into my skin, my skin doesn't look or feel any different than its pre-sunscreen state — and it's prepped for makeup! I've also become a believer in chemical sunscreens (which convert UV rays into heat, which is then released from the skin) as a whole because of their thinner textures and lack of white cast. They might not be the best bet for super sensitive skin or skin with a damaged moisture barrier, so do a patch test to make sure it's alright for you! My skin is prone to some sensitivity, but I haven't had any problems. I never leave home without this.
Get it from Amazon for $16.91+. (I've read that new/slightly different formulations are very common, but I've cycled through all of the 2017–2019 versions and haven't noticed a difference.)
(For dry skin types, it works as a lovely serum that you'd follow up with a heavier moisturizer.)
What makes something truly game-changing for me is how often I use it — aka, if I consciously (and subconsciously) reach for it after I wash my face. Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Glow Juice Moisturizer is one of those products, and its gel-like formula is the definition of lightweight, quick-absorbing, and cooling. It's the PERFECT daytime moisturizer for those reasons — it's undetectable post-application and foundation or BB cream applies so smoothly on top of it.
Most importantly, it makes my face feel hella soft, visibly hydrated (it doesn’t just disappear), and just the slightest bit bouncier. I can't trust any moisturizer without hyaluronic acid as one of its main ingredients. And watermelon has major soothing properties, which is clutch whenever my face decides to flare up with redness after a particularly thorough cleansing sesh. Never stop making this, Glow Recipe!
Get it from Sephora or Glow Recipe for $21+ (available in mini and standard sizes).
One of my favorite liquid eyeliners ever. The tip is precise, not too thick or thin, and also not so harsh that it feels like I'm dragging a sharp edge across my eyelid (trust me, I've felt this before). It's super pigmented and doesn't end up in splotches by the end of the day, so it checks off all of the boxes. Plus, it's called 'Kill Black,' which makes me feel badass as hell.
Get it from Amazon for $15 (available in black and brown).
When I saw that there were 1000+ Amazon reviews for this ~bb~, I knew it had to be good — and I was right! First of all, I love the bottom pump format because it keeps things easy and clean. My shade looks a little gray out of the tube, but it oxidizes to a perfect color match after a few minutes. You can definitely ~feel~ this formula — meaning, it's slightly on the thicker side, so it takes a little more time and effort than, say, a tinted moisturizer to completely blend out, but it's totally worth it for the end results — and it also means one pump is enough for my whole face! I pretty much look airbrushed after just one layer!
Get it from Amazon for $7.80 (I wear No. 23 Natural Beige, but it's available in six shades for varying prices).
I also reviewed other BB creams, but Missha wins in terms of affordability.
Ok, I know the price tag is super steep on this one, but if I could only own one skincare item, it'd be this. Because it's so lightweight, I can layer up as needed and I sometimes forgo moisturizer as a result, especially when I'm running late in the mornings. Nothing feels as luxurious as patting this into my skin, and my skin drinks it up — I really believe it's helped clear up my skin and keeps it feeling extra soft. I wear it all year, no matter what the weather (and you **bet** it helps my skin heal during the colder months).
Get it from Sephora for $95.
I'm not perfect at it but I try my darndest to double cleanse every night, so I'm always searching for a gentle water-based cleanser that doesn't leave my skin feeling tight *after* a thorough oil cleanser.
I love the entire Peach & Lily line (literally every single product, including the Glass Skin Serum and Matcha Pudding Antioxidant Cream), but I think I love the Power Calm Cleanser **the most**. By the end of the day my skin is usually feeling pretty rough, but this cleanser leaves my skin feeling buttery soft and unclogged — which, I repeat, is incredible *after* I've already gone in, like a solid minute of massaging, with a heavy-duty oil cleanser.
It comes out like a clear gel but foams up a little as you rub in into your face — foaming isn't absolutely required, but I just love how it emulsifies and feels on my face. #satisfying And it really does "power calm" my face, since they are lots of soothing ingredients like camellia, chamomile, and centella asiatica extracts — apparently, there were over 1,000 iterations of this cleanser before they landed on the final version, so you know this is GOOD for your skin and well-researched. I tend to hop around from cleanser to cleanser, but this one's absolutely a keeper and I'll be using it to the very last drop. And then buying another.
Get it from Ulta or Peach & Lily for $28.
We haven't reached hot weather in NYC quite yet, but I do feel a slight cooling effect when I wear Make P:rem Blue Ray Sun Gel (which is very, very often). I learned from Gothamista that for every one degree increase in your skin, it produces 10% more sebum — umm, no thanks!! I already have combo skin and I'm not trying to make my T-zone even more of a problem.
This sunscreen also leaves a slightly dewy finish, which is my kind of jam. Because it's also hydrating and contains some of my favorite soothing ingredients like niacinamide, centella asiastica, and chia seed, it's a sunscreen that blends in with and feels 100% just as important as my other skincare steps. I lovelove the milky-ish formula, and one pump is all I need for my whole face.
Get it from Amazon or Glow Recipe for $32.
Since I love liquid lipsticks and they're typically very drying (even creamy lipsticks are drying when you wear them every day), I use this Laneige lip mask as a compromise of sorts. The strawberry-banana smoothie smell alone was enough to sell me. 🍓🍌 I look forward to getting a good whiff of this stuff right before I go to sleep. It comes with the tiniest, most adorable pink spatula to fetch the product with, since it's quite thick.
The container might appear small, but you only need a TINY bit (trust me, it spreads well and fast). As soon as it touches my lips, I feel like I'm doing something really good because it's *that rich* in moisture. I only use it two to three times a week (though come winter, maybe every night), but every time I do, I wake up with pillow-soft lips devoid of all cracks, and that's all I can ask for. I love any overnight products that do heavy lifting, and my lipstick also applies more smoothly than usual the next morning. 🙌
Get it from Sephora for $20 (available in two scents).
I'm also a fan of their newly-released Glowy Lip Balms, which are basically daytime versions of the sleeping mask.
Over the years I've started to appreciate moisturizers muuuch more (Can you believe I used to think they were boring??), and that appreciation started with Missha's Ultra Waterfull Clear Cream. I'm OBSESSED with the texture. You see that wave-like suspension through the bottle? Shake it all you want and it doesn't move, but when you go in to grab some, it instantly slips and slides on your fingers. So fun!
The best part, though? It takes what feels like seconds to absorb. It just melts right in, gives my skin a serious ~plump bump~, and it's so satisfying to apply. And because you can barely feel it once it's on, it's one of the few moisturizers I actually *enjoy* wearing under my makeup. Is it really there? Yes, but it doesn't feel like it. My skin is a flip-floppy combination mess and this "cream" (that's more like a gel) deeply hydrates without clogging my pores or generally upsetting it.
It's also slightly cooling, which makes my skin feel extra soothed and pampered, and you only need a small amount of it to cover the entire landscape of your face. It has baobab tree extracts and glacial water to enhance moisture retention and white birch and Camellia flower extract for extra conditioning. So. Good.
Get it from Amazon for $23.
I've used this low pH cleanser on and off for almost two years now (not the same bottle, of course!) and it still holds up. Even though it's a gel, it does foam up! Which I love! I like to rub it in my hands before applying it on my face. It's super light and easier to work in and go to town with a lil' massage than, say, a creamy cleanser. Yes, it smells kinda medicinal, but I stopped caring after the first few washes — and trust me, I've given up on a few products in the past because of super strong smells.
One bottle lasts you forever since you just need a lil' pinch of product. And at just over $10, that's a steal. The betaine salicylate and tea tree leaf oil help keep my pores clear in check and prevent breakouts from popping up. Plus, I swear my other skincare products and foundation apply more smoothly.
Get it from Amazon for $9.50. And I haven't tried it yet (stay tuned tho!), but the newer Low pH First Cleansing Milk Gel seems promising too — love ~milky~ textures.
I first discovered this Blithe pressed serum a year ago and I'm still OBSESSED with the texture. I don't know how, and I'm not sure why, but this serum has legit been a game-changer for my skin — and I don't say that lightly. Ever since I incorporated this into my routine, my blemishes are basically invisible and I feel comfortable going out without foundation on! And I'm a *diehard* foundation user. I love the balm-to-liquid consistency as I work it into my skin, and I like that it can do double-duty on days I don't feel like I need an extra moisturizer.
Get it from Jet for $36.76 (originally $48.99) or Sephora for $49.
My hair's been bleached for almost three years at this point and this is one of the products I still have around. Yes, I know the price tag is pretty hefty, but as in any review for a slightly pricer but amazing product, a little goes a long way. You saw that coming, didn't you? Seriously, I just need two pumps of British M's Organic Annatto Hair Oil for my usually long hair — or I use just one pump if I'm only applying to my ends — and voilà, my hair is smoothed out and looking much less frayed. It absorbs quickly, doesn't feel heavy, and doesn't make my hair look limp and greasy after the fact. (And this is coming from someone who has a slight phobia of oil-based products that *stay* in my hair or skin.)
So the proof that this hair oil ~werks~ lies in the day after. I've always hated the way my hair looks and feels the day it's washed — it's kinda poofy and unruly. I've tried a few leave-in conditioners and mists, but they haven't done much. But after using this oil, my hair is SO DANG SOFT. I can't stop touching my hair because it's feathery light, smooth as silk, and — *drumroll please* — there are no knots! The formula's organic pumpkin seed and argan oil also help give my hair an extra boost of shine, plus added protection from the sun (a main culprit behind faded, dull color). Say it with me, it's possible to have healthy-looking bleached hair!
Get it from Costco for $42.99 or Soko Glam for $67.
If you're looking for a cheaper option (totally gotchu), I use Mise En Scene and it's great as well.
Soko Glam was my first introduction into K-beauty when I moved to NYC some 3.5 years ago, so it's no surprise that Then I Met You, which is Soko Glam co-founder Charlotte Cho's newest foray, would make my favorite cleansing balm to date. I find myself taking more time to thoroughly massage/work it in because it just feels so delightful. But! It also gets **everything** off, so it's not just for treating my senses. It really works.
The oils are super gentle and don't leave my skin feeling stripped or even the least bit tight. Scent isn't super important to me (most balms I've tried don't really have one) but since my skin *isn't* hyper-sensitive, let me tell you — this smells so good, but not in an overwhelming way at all. It's also totally natural, and I think it's due to the persimmon extract, rosemary, and grapefruit in it. It's also free of parabens and artificial coloring (the color comes from the seaberry/sea buckthorn oils). What's not to love?
Get it from Soko Glam for $38.
Even with some of the best cleansers in the biz, I still sometimes emerge from furiously splashing my face with water and peer into the mirror to see that, YEP, some of that super tough, waterproof mascara is STILL THERE T___T. Yes, I know it creates an extra step that you normally wouldn't even think of, but this lil' mascara remover makes all the difference. It works just like a normal mascara wand, so you just go to town and coat your lashes with the clear formula, and then it somehow breaks down your most stubborn, clumpiest, waterproof formulas. I wait about 30 seconds to a minute before very gently swiping the remover off with a cotton pad, and then follow up with my usual double cleanse. DONE.
Get it from Amazon for $10.99 (note: my photos are old and the product has since been repackaged!).
Is there anything more satisfying than rolling your face? I think not. I love my dedicated facial rollers but I love multitaskers even more, and this Innisfree green tea eye roller comes with soothing green tea serum sooo...safe to say it's a winner in my book. My eyes frequently look puffy from lack of sleep and this roller diminishes the appearance of that "Hello, I'm a walking zombie" look, coupled with its star ingredient, hydrating green tea seed oil (which also has 16 amino acids, wowww). It's the wake-up call I need and I also keep it handy for mid-day rolling breaks, tbh.
Get it from Sephora for $20.