What was the deciding factor?

For me, $60 is more than I'd spend on any skincare or makeup at this moment, and most of these makeup items don't suit my preferences.

If you passed on this Picky Box . . .

I requested these on a whim, but now they're finally being accepted!!!

I'll be doing a review of the original MyoLift QT and the Stop Vx. But available for purchase is the MyoLift QT Plus and the new Stop Vx 2.

Picky is allowing skin device reviews!

For me, it feels like I'm always trying to find the next toner to try or more cleansing oil.

The products I take the longest time using up are cleanser and moisturizer.

What product do you finish quickest?

What do you think about it??? 
I actually really like it! The formulation is so thin and soft, and it doesn't leave a dry powdery finish. Sooo nice to come away a bit from all the uber creamy sunscreens as well as the SPF  with the matte powdery finish. This is still quite moisturizing, but doesn't come with that heavier consistency.

📝I wrote a full review here and on my IG if anyone would like to read it. ☺️

I've also been reviewing a handful of other sunscreens on my IG: @PaintedMonolid

Skin1004 Hyalu-Cica Sun Serum is so nice!

What's holding you back?

💕

For me, I would really like to try the new Laneige Cream Skin product. But it's pretty expensive and I'm skeptical of how it's different to the original product in the glass bottle (same bottle as Ceuracle Kombucha Tea Essence and Mary & May Blackberry Essence).

The Blackberry Essence actually also looks nice to me, but I've heard there's no nice scent, which makes me a bit sad 😅

I also maaaybe want a vitamin C product . . . but I'm scared my skin won't like it. I didn't have a good reaction to the last vitamin C I used. 😖

If you're thinking of making a purchase . . .

20% off Romand

Skincare Devices, Storage, & Makeup

❌Alcohol
❌Perfume fragrance
❌Essential oils, several plant extracts

There are so many things in this that could trigger a bad reaction for sensitive skin. Many of the positive ingredients in this product that are meant for excessively oily skin, are not going to be okay for dry/sensitive skin. It actually wouldn't make sense for those skin types to use this product. 

So, even though it says it's a pore product, it's not a pore product like niacinamide pore products are, which do visibly minimize the size of my pores somehow.

[Purpose] per theskinhouse.net

* Removes Excess Oil
* Pore Tightening
* Sebum Control
* Provides Deep Hydration



[Key Ingredients]

✅Aloe Vera - soothing
✅Green tea - soothing, antioxidant
✅Tea tree extract - antibacterial
✅Hysoppus officinalis (mint) - antibacterial
✅Lotus flower extract - antiaging
✅Chrysanthemum Indicum Callus Culture Extract - soothing, antiaging
✅Allantoin - soothing
✅Leontopodium alpinum extract (Edelweiss) - soothing, antioxidant



[Price]
If you tap "Buy Now" on The Skin House website, it takes you to their amazon listing for $23 USD. Pretty affordable for a serum with this high quality of a component.


[Packaging]
Beautiful glass bottle, pump works well and can be controlled for dispensing less product or more, and the cap lock is perfect. No spilling/leaking whatsoever.


[Scent]
There are a couple ingredients in here that contribute to scent, including perfuming ingredients, as well as natural plant extracts. But the scent is quite a powdery, floral scent that is rather pleasant. It is on the stronger side, so it may not be something you like if you have sensitive skin or a sensitive sense of smell. The scent does fade away.


[Texture/Finish]
Slightly viscous and gel, but it is thin and does slowly slide down the hand. A little goes a LONG way. It has great slip that glides over skin very easily. It feels cooling and hydrating, but doesn't stay dewy. It settles down to a matte finish, but does not feel drying.


[Conclusion]
✨I like this product. It's not a waxy primer that blocks oils from coming out at all, but it really does seem to help control how oily my skin is after sleeping and in hot temperatures that causes excess sweat and breeds bacteria within skin. I did not notice any visible change in my pores. I use this all over my face.

*I received this product for free from Picky and The Skin House in exchange for my honest review.







. . . It is so hard to completely rinse clean from the skin! My friend who has dry/resilient skin said the same thing (she just gave away the cleansing oil because she disliked it so much). I suspect the more occlusive ingredients, like olive oil and the silicone and some others, really try to keep an amount of this oil on the skin, even through cleansing.

The second step of an oil cleanser is emulsification, which is when you massage a bit of water in with the cleansing oil that you first applied to the skin. When you massage around this milky water-oil combination, it smooshes out all the gunk and melted sebum within pores that then rinses off easily. It should, anyway. But this just runs down my face, I don't have the ability to actually clean out my pores with emulsification.

That means this is faaaaantastic for dry skin and perhaps even those with eczema. But for oily skin, it's a no from me. I actually have to use hot water to really get all this off, and that's not what a good oil cleanser will need.



[Conclusion]

For my oily and acneic skin type, these ingredients are red flags to me:
❌PEG-8 glyceryl isostearate
❌olive oil
❌cyclomethicone
❌safflower oil
❌shea butter

These ingredients are not necessarily comedogenic (although the isostearate may be slightly), but they're very occlusive, which means the pores are physically blocked off to lock in hydration and moisture. The ingredients themselves may not cause acne, but their function can result in acne. 😑

❌And the other big negatives for me are poor emulsification, and it is hard to clean off, even with a second cleanser.

I would only recommend this to very dry skin types. I personally will not be repurchasing.


[Description]
Kose Cosmeport is a leading brand of primarily Japanese Skincare and Hair Care. Softymo is their skin cleansing line. This Speedy Cleansing Oil is meant to quickly break down makeup for quick and easy cleansing.


[Price]
I purchased mine off of Amazon for $13.90 USD. I received it on May 17th and it is now August 11. With at least morning and night uses of one full pump of oil each cleanse, I am nearly at the end of it. I think it'll last me through the rest of August.


[Texture]
Very thin, very slippery, very oily. There is olive oil, sesame oil, safflower oil, shea butter, vitamin E, sunflower oil, jojoba oil, and corn oil in that order.


[Eyes]
This formula does not cause foggy, blurry eyesight, nor does it sting my eyes. I think what I'm cleaning off can irritate my eyes, makeup/sunscreen, but the oil itself does not cause stinging.


[Removal]
This does absolutely break down makeup very easily and very quickly.

But . . . 







❌Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Water

This is basically a diluted amount of lavender essential oil. That does mean it won't be as potent as pure essential oil, but if you are sensitive to this ingredient, I don't know that I'd risk it. Lavender flower water is second on the ingredients list.



[Description] per yesstyle.com

>Founded by an experienced dermatologist in 1995, Korean skin care brand Carenology 95 develops safe and efficacious products with natural, plant-based ingredients to maintain healthy skin. Embracing the motto of “Listen to the skin,” the brand aims to strengthen and rejuvenate skin from within to reveal beauty that defies time.

✅no alcohol
✅no silicone
✅no fragrance
✅no added colourants



[Key Ingredients]

•Lavender Flower Water - activates water channels in skin to boost the efficacy of following products in a routine 

•Sea Holly Extract - self-generates hyaluronic acid

•Hydroxyethyl Urea - effective moisturizer and humectant similar to glycerin, but more elegant in texture

•Ceramide NP - a.k.a. ceramide 3, a particular type of ceramide, that synergizes well with ceramide 1 in maintaining a strong moisture barrier and proper hydration

•Sodium Hyaluronate - a.k.a. hyaluronic acid, a polymer that retains a huge amount of water

✨Sea Holly is a very resilient wild herb that retains impressive moisture levels in extreme environments. It has shielding and anti-inflammatory effects that can survive free radicals.

✨Carenology95 Sea:Holly Plumping Toner contains 100% undiluted callus culture. These callus cells contain active ingredients with regenerative and anti-oxidation effects, effective even in small amounts.

*My bottle came with a sticker on the bottom that includes the expiration date. Mine says 2023/11/09.




[Price]
I purchased this from YesStyle when it was $21.44 USD, an amaaaazingly low price!!! As I'm looking at YesStyle currently (9/19/2022) I see it for $26.80, $26.35 on Jolse, $35 on amazon (this actually is the price I was seeing a month ago online, so it may be closest to msrp).



[Packaging]
This product came in a beautiful box and I love, love the glass component. Sooo much! It feels lux with good weight, and the cut of the glass bottle has beautiful reflective facets that show the depth of the lavender color of the product. It's stunning on my vanity.

The pump isn't my favorite, due to how thin and watery the toner is, but I think it is probably the most functional method of dispensing. The pump works well, I can slightly control the amount I want, but just fully depressing the pump works best to prevent it just sliding down the side of the pump. ✨Definitely tip the bottle over when you dispense toner.



[Consistency]
Very thin in texture, very watery. It does not feel oily, does not feel viscous at all. 



[Finish]
It really, really leaves skin so hydrated and very plump with the smallest amount! It's actually incredible. It doesn't feel like it makes my oily skin somehow oversaturated like the Beplain Ampoule, it just feels like I don't need to layer toner (7 Skin Method) like I have been for the last 5 years. I am shocked. 

It leaves my skin feeling slightly tacky (not sticky), but in the good way! That feeling of my skin being healthy and happy and optimally hydrated. I usually get this result after several layers of toner, my acne treatments, and moisturizer. This skin condition was achieved with 2 pumps of this Sea:Holly Toner . . . 😶



[Scent]
This has a very light lavender scent, but overall is very fresh and clean with a touch of floral. I really enjoy it and find it adds to the experience of using the product.



[Conclusion]
✨ For me, this is Holy Grail good. I'm actually already sad at the lowering level of product in my bottle! I really like patting a small amount on my lips before balm. So, so hydrating!! I just find this so effective in providing my oily skin with the level of hydration I need. 







•fragrance (lighter than the original Black cushion formula)
•lower SPF (In-Vitro tests often show higher protection)
•stearic acid (slightly comedogenic)
•silicones (most cushions contain silicone)
•price (luxury brand means luxury pricing)

However! Despite these downsides, this is still the very best foundation product I have ever tried (you can look through the list of cushions I have tried, though there are a couple discontinued cushions that are not in Picky's database).

[Description] per Hera's official site
>NEW Layerless Matte. Super blendable Layerless formula. It applies in a thin layer of full coverage that imperceptibly blends into the skin and sets into a flawless matte finish.

>24H Highend Stay
It ensures the four properties of coverage—seamless blending, full coverage, non-caking matte finish and color without darkening— for over 24 hours to give the perfect lasting makeup look.

>*94% effectiveness of foundation not being transferred to face masks (transfer-proof effect)

>Asian Skin Fit Shade
Shades specially designed for Asian women’s skin tones and foundation formulas flatter the natural skin tone the most.


[Price]
I purchased my cushion and refill from luxiface.com for $45. If you leave a review, they'll send you a coupon for money off your next order. I thought the customer service was great, email updates about shipping in addition to tracked shipping, and I honestly couldn't find it for a better price for the turnaround time. It's a luxury brand, so the price is going to be much more expensive than your average cushion.


[UV Filters]
•zinc oxide - physical
•titanium dioxide - physical
•ethylhexyl methoxycinnimate - chemical


[Component]
The new 2021 Black Cushion got updated packaging for a more sleek magnetic closure. The logo is also their gold "H" symbol, rather than their brand name "HERA." It also contains a new, twice condensed cushion applicator puff that is thinner and meant to better adhere product to skin rather than absorb product and be the typical antibacterial puff material.


[Texture]
The formula is thin and smooth in apllication. I don't find it ever leaving imprints from the puff, but the edge of the puff can displace product and leave an arc of foundation, but that is easily blended into the skin. It's a a very seamless formula that is much more moisturizing than the original formula.


[Scent]
The fragrance still exists in this formula, like it does in many luxury brands, but it is very light and fresh and I actually think it enhances the experience. If you know fragrance is something your skin is sensitive to, I would tread very carefully as this cushion is pretty pricey.

There is a mini size of one or two of the lightest shades that could work for some skin tones, so that would be a good option if you'd like to first test the formula.


[Shade Range]
I am 100% Korean born in Busan, but I'm more tan for a Korean, so I'm typically a 25 in Korean foundation. 25N1 is a really good shade for me in this Hera cushion, but from other reviews comparing this shade range to the old Black Cushion formula, the shades seem to be a touch lighter/brighter than the original shades. 
My shade 25 goes on bright then does calm down in tone, so I think it does slightly oxidize. Unfortunately, I do not know where you can find the deepest 27 shades to purchase.
There are cool (pink) and neutral/warm(yellow) shades:
13N1 • 17C1 • 17N1 • 21C1 • 21N1 • 23C1 • 23N1 • 25N1 • 27C1 • 27N1


[Coverage]
This is a medium to slightly buildable coverage foundation makeup. Given it's so thin, I do not soak the puff, I only take what I need, slightly pressing to get a controlled amount, so I can add where I need it. This is not at all a cakey product.

This formula makes my skin look the most perfect I've ever seen, even on pores. The more I press with the puff, the more coverage it imparts and the more flawless it looks!

It maintains its finish through naps, 90°F weather, and looks really nice with oils in skin. It reapplies over itself really nicely, but I find I don't really need to for how long I wear makeup, nor do I set with powder. I think you would get greater longevity with powder or primer, but I don't usually bother.

*also, Picky always really stretches out my videos, so if I look strangely distorted, you're right. The app distorts the video ratio lol








There isn't anything necessarily offensive in this formula, but there are quite a few oils (including olive oil and safflower) as well as emollients and fatty acids (sorbitan stearate, stearic acid). I've heard safflower is actually rather comedogenic.

I just think this is too heavy for my skin. I've noticed I wake up rather oily after nighttime application, which is odd. But  this lotion did not cause me to break out the few times I used this on my face, so I think I might be better off with it in drier weather, which is often my oily skin's issue.

[Description] as per Atopalm's site

>Soothing Gel Lotion, a light, non-greasy, quickly absorbed, translucent gel type lotion.

>Fortified with Neopharm’s MLE skin barrier protection formula with the an addition of Ceramide-9S ™ providing a protective layer to help relieve irritated skin.

>With Hyaluronic Acid and bamboo derived water to provide hydration and also cooling , it helps calm reddened skin caused by over-exposure to the sun and stresses of the environment.

>For moisturization this light weight gel lotion contains oils from naturally derived ingredients, Grape Seed, Safflower Seed, Evening Primrose, Jojoba Seed, Sunflower Seed, Sage and Sandalwood.

>This cooling gel lotion spreads easily, absorbs quickly and leaves no sticky residue. Making it the ideal product to be used all over the body where needed.

✅ no fragrance
✅ no silicone
✅ no alcohol

[Price]
This Lotion is valued at $20 USD by Picky and by Atopalm, but Atopalm has this for $16 USD on their site. For the 4.0 fl oz size, $20 is reasonable, which makes $16 sound even better. I do think this is good value for money. 

[Texture]
Very gel in texture with some opacity to the formula. It's actually a bit similar to the Pyunkang Yul Acne Cream, but with the heat of skin, this Atopalm lotion starts to melt down immediately. You can see in the media that it slides down my hand pretty readily. 
It goes very thin as I massage it in, spreads and absorbs very easily and quickly, and leaves skin feeling - not tacky - but as if the skin has been treated.

[Scent]
This does not contain added fragrance, but it does have a scent (bisabolol and oils?). Very subtly chemical in scent, but mostly quite pleasant and fresh smelling. I like it.

[Conclusion]
Would I purchase this myself? You know . . . I think I would! Not really for my face, though it does work better during the day than at night and I'd love to see how it does when the weather gets cold and dry, but I honestly LOVE love this for my body! 
It's also perfect for hands. It's not greasy at all, doesn't leave a slippery layer of oil, doesn't leave skin shiny, it just sinks in immediately.

🙋🏼I actually really want my husband to try this. He hates the feeling of product on skin, so this may be exactly what his dry, acne-prone skin needs! 

👍I also think this would be a good one for combo to normal skin.

*I received this product for free from Picky and ATOPALM in exchange for my honest review.




