UPDATE OCTOBER 26, 2024 My previous review and opinion remains intact towards this serum, and I’d like to add a few additional positives that made me like this even more! A Bit of Background on Dear Klairs’ Maple Energy Infusing Serum: - A goopy yet non-sticky serum - Contains 30 ml / 1.01 fl. oz. - Purpose: To deeply nourish and moisturize the skin and leave a dewy, bouncy glow I’d like to compare this to the mixsoon bean essence as that is the closest product I can find for comparison to this, and I thought I would swear on the mixsoon bean essence but that has changed for me. This one blows the mixsoon bean essence out of the park and I find that this works better for my skin type (oily/combo skin). So for this review, I’ll be using the overhyped Mixsoon bean essence as a point of reference. Here are some of the reasons I’d rate this a 5/5—possibly even higher if I could break the scale (and I’m NOT one to gloss over brands just because I got it for free; my criticism knows no bounds): 🍂 Ingredients Comparison: The ingredient lists between the Mixsoon Bean Essence and Dear Klairs Maple Energy Infusing Serum are vastly different—Mixsoon has only four ingredients. Surprisingly, I prefer the longer list in Dear Klairs because I want preservatives to ensure product longevity. “All-natural” ingredients aren’t a priority for me here; I save that focus for my diet. 🍂 Clean Ingredient Profile: Despite the longer ingredient list, Dear Klairs contains zero unwanted additives, making it superior to most other serums I’ve tried. 🍂 Shelf Life and Scent: While this serum has no added fragrances, it still smells noticeably better. I’ve used it for just over a month, while I used Mixsoon for six months. By the third month, Mixsoon started smelling odd, likely due to its lack of preservatives. So, Dear Klairs wins this category. 🍂 Immediate Glow: I love how the Maple Energy Infusing Serum leaves a healthy glow, brightening my skin immediately after use—something Mixsoon doesn’t offer.  🍂 Consistency: Both have similar textures, though Mixsoon is a bit more watery and feels slightly goopy upon application, drying down to a matte finish. Dear Klairs, in contrast, is a touch less goopy and dries to a dewy finish, which I prefer as it enhances the look of my makeup. Overall, I love this serum and am grateful for the chance to try it, thanks to Dear Klairs! #pickyreview #gopicky #pickyxklairs #klairs ___________________________________________________ ORIGINAL REVIEW SEPTEMBER 17, 2024 Lowkey, I don’t think I’ve ever obsessed over a serum until I came across this one. From the packaging to the formulation, it hits all the right notes. I’m so thankful to Picky and Dear Klairs for sending me this beautiful item. The Dear Klairs Maple Energy Infusing Serum is designed to deeply hydrate and nourish your skin while maintaining its bounce. It's a great choice for those looking to prevent premature wrinkles and aging, keeping their skin youthful and vibrant. Here are some of the reasons I’m obsessed with this serum: 🍁 Have you seen the packaging?! I wasn’t expecting it to feel or look so luxurious until I held it in my hands. It has a nice weight, and the matte closure is stunning. 🍁 The formulation is one of a kind. It may look sticky, but trust me, it’s not. It feels a bit goopy when you dispense it, but once applied, it dries down to a non-sticky, dewy finish. 🍁 This serum is packed with skincare goodies and contains absolutely zero icky ingredients. Some of the standout ingredients include: ⁃ Glycerin (moisturizing) ⁃ Betaine (moisturizing) ⁃ Squalane (emollient) ⁃ Shea Butter (emollient) ⁃ Mango Seed Butter (emollient) ⁃ Adenosine (cell-communicating) ⁃ Rutin (antioxidant) ⁃ Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and 7 (cell-communicating) From the ingredient list, you can already tell it works on a cellular level to hydrate and repair your skin. 🍁 As someone with a sensitive nose, I didn’t notice any scent. Overall, I’d give this a solid 5/5.

This is my first time trying this brand, and I’m excited to share my honest thoughts. While this brand has been buzzing all over social media, I approached it with some skepticism. One thing that initially confused me was the numbering system on the products. For example, I saw the number 5 on the concentrated pads and had no idea what it meant. After doing some research, I found out that the numbers correspond to different product types. Honestly, I think it’s a genius way to differentiate between skincare items and their uses. As someone who’s always preferred math over literature, I find this numbering system much easier to remember and identify the products I’m using. Here are my thoughts after testing the product for a few days: 🌤️ Though these pads are advertised as being niacinamide concentrated with a side label indicating glutathione, the actual concentration of glutathione is only 0.3 ppm, which is incredibly low. ⁃ To put it into perspective, that's just 0.00003%. For glutathione to effectively reduce melanin production, you'd need at least 2-5%. This was really disappointing. It seems like the niacinamide, which is the second ingredient, is doing most of the work here. So, if you're looking for niacinamide benefits, this might still be a good option for you. 🌤️ I haven’t seen an immediate brightening effect yet, but I’ll keep using it to see if anything changes. For now, I’ve noticed a nice glow and some added hydration. 🌤️ The scent is gentle. It doesn’t have an overpowering fragrance—just a subtle, airy, citrusy smell, though I can’t quite put my finger on it. 🌤️ I absolutely hate the packaging. It leaks everywhere. For a brand like numbuzin, I expected better product design. It spills as soon as I touch it, which is really frustrating. Overall, I’d give this product a 2/5.

I previously shared my thoughts on the Numbuzin No. 5 Concentrated Pads, and I wasn't impressed, which lowered my expectations for this product. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up liking it and would actually recommend it. As a WOC, I struggle with dark spots, especially after a pimple. I typically use niacinamide to help fade those post-pimple marks, but I sometimes feel it’s not strong enough. This product contains glutathione, which is known for brightening the skin and reducing excess melanin production—exactly what I need. Here’s why I ended up liking this product more than expected: ▫️ The first thing I checked was the concentration of glutathione. While it’s not at an ideal level for fighting hyperpigmentation, it contains 100 ppm (0.01%), which is significantly better than the pads that only had 0.3 ppm (0.00003%). Though standard skincare uses about 0.5-2%, this lower concentration makes it gentler for sensitive skin. ▫️The dropper came in a sealed package, ensuring product sterility. I found this to be a thoughtful touch for skincare users. ▫️ The texture is more opaque than clear, which I believe indicates it’s packed with active ingredients. Upon closer inspection, you can see microparticles of beneficial skincare components. ▫️ In addition to glutathione, it also contains panthenol for soothing, niacinamide (which works well with glutathione), and other powerhouse ingredients like tranexamic acid and alpha-arbutin. ▫️After using it for about a week, I haven’t experienced any side effects, and I feel like my skin is already looking brighter. Overall, I’d rate this product a 4/5. I’ll continue using it to see if it earns a 5/5, but so far, it’s performing well.

Here’s to another review of my favorite type of skincare product - a moisturizer! I feel like it’s a general safe skincare product that suits most skin types, and given that mine is oily and sensitive, I often look for ones that won’t break me out. I’ve had the chance to test out Dear, Klairs’ Midnight Blue Calming Cream and here are my honest thoughts on this: 🌀 Very rarely do I come across moisturizers with formulations that aren’t white, but this one was interesting! It’s blue in color, which I think is a good motivator in getting your daily skincare in. 🌀 The texture is a little thicker than your average lightweight moisturizer but still light enough to be easily absorbed into your skin. 🌀 I have eczema and I found that this helped soothe areas with eczema, which honestly impressed me. 🌀 This felt more like a moisturizer aimed in soothing and reducing irritation. If you don’t have issues with redness or irritation, this may not feel anything special. Overall, this gets a 4/5 from me.

I love toner pads so much that I’ve replaced my regular toner bottles with them. In hindsight, I find them far more hygienic and mess-free, which is why I’ve come to appreciate Skinfood’s Carrot Carotene Calming Water Pad. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, these toner pads exceeded my expectations, from the cotton round fabric to the formula itself. Here’s why I’m a fan of these toner pads: ✨ Packed with Moisture: One pad is more than enough to provide ample moisture for your entire face. For maximum hydration, I recommend splitting one pad in half and placing each half on your cheeks. ✨ Fresh and Light Scent: The scent is subtle and refreshing, which is perfect for sensitive noses. It hasn’t triggered any headaches or sensory issues for me. ✨ Beneficial Ingredients: These pads contain several key ingredients, including: ⁃ Carrot Root Extract (Daucus Carota Sativa) and Olive Oil (Olea Europaea) for antioxidant benefits ⁃ Glycerin and Sodium Hyaluronate for moisturizing ⁃ Beta-Glucan and Allantoin for soothing ✨ Soothing Before Actives: I use these pads before applying actives, and they help soothe my skin and prevent redness. The only caution is for those with an allergy to orange peel oil. Otherwise, I’d rate this a 4.5/5! *Gifted by Skinfood, thank you so much! #OliveYoungNo1pad #Kbeauty #carrottonerpad #tonerpads

Carrots are a nutrient powerhouse that is often overlooked. As it contains beta carotene, this main ingredient works to protect your skin from oxidative damage such as premature wrinkling, aging skin, etc. Skinfood’s Carrot Carotene Moist Effector focuses on restoring the skin to its best condition. After using this for quite some time, I’ve come to appreciate this: 🥕 This actually soothes your face without the sticky or greasy feel. As someone with combination oily skin, I tend to avoid products that make my skin feel “heavy” with skincare. 🥕 This is an ampoule that contains 75% of beta-carotene from carrot seed oil, which is probably one of the highest concentration used in skincare market. It also contains Carrot Root Extract (different from carrot seed oil), which contains provitamin A. Pro-vitamin A is famouse for its antioxidative and skin-regnerative abilites. 🥕 I did not break out after using this. This one of the main factors that determine whether I’ll keep using a product or not. 🥕 This gives a soothing effect that makes your skin feel taken care of. It doesn’t feel streesed and rather relaxes you. Overall, I’d give this a 4/5. It lives up to my expecatations of a good skinare product. *Gifted by Skinfood, thank you so much! #OliveYoungNo1pad #Kbeauty #carrottonerpad #tonerpads

I didn’t think I’d see this come back into my rotation – this was my holy grail mask during my high school days (around 2015). It’s even more nostalgic knowing that my younger self would’ve been ecstatic to try this as a giveaway win. I loved this mask for many reasons, but with the evolution of skincare products over the years, masks kind of faded into the background, so I didn’t repurchase it. But if there’s one mask you should try, it’s this one. It’s probably the only mask where I notice immediate benefits. Here’s a breakdown of why I’ll be revisiting and reloving my high school holy grail, though I did notice a few changes I’m not thrilled about: 🌋 This stuff literally draws out the gunk from your pores, especially once it dries down. Back in high school, I didn’t want to be the kid with visible blackheads, and this mask really kept that under control. 🌋 I used to believe it was made from volcanic remains, and while I’ve grown older (and hopefully wiser), I can now connect the ingredients with the benefits they bring. Some key examples: - Lactic acid: An exfoliant that helps with removing buildup. - Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract: A powerful antioxidant. I can attest to this because my pores stayed clear after using the mask. - Kaolin: A physical exfoliant that scrubs away blackheads. - Volcanic Ash: I wasn’t imagining it—this really was a key ingredient. 🌋 It’s full of moisturizing ingredients, so it doesn’t dry out your skin. 🌋 I used to have the most sensitive skin in high school, reacting to almost everything, so the fact that this mask didn’t irritate my face made it my first true skincare love. Overall, I’d give this a 4/5. It was much better in the past, and I truly miss those days.

This is the Amazon’s Best-Selling Toner Pad for a Reason! As someone who deals with occasional breakouts, I was immediately drawn to Mediheal’s Madecassoside Blemish Pad. True to its name, this product aims to keep acne at bay while promoting blemish-free skin. The formula includes ingredients that align with my skincare needs and effectively prevent acne flare-ups. One of my major skin concerns is hyperpigmentation, especially as a woman of color. This product contains vital ingredients that help prevent the darkening of acne spots after they've been popped, which is why it's a win for me! Here are my key takeaways on why I recommend it: 🩵 Superstar Ingredients: - Niacinamide: brightens and combats acne - Glycerin: deeply moisturizes - Hydrogenated Lecithin: works as an emollient - Centella Asiatica Extract: soothes and provides antioxidant benefits - Madecassoside: offers both antioxidant and soothing properties 🩵 Hygienic Tweezers: This comes with hygienic tweezers to maintain the product’s sterility and prevent contamination, which could unknowingly cause acne. 🩵 Easy Application: After cleansing, apply a pad and leave it on for 10-15 minutes to allow your skin to absorb its full benefits. 🩵 Pad Quality: The pads are thin but cover a good portion of the face. You won’t need to use multiple pads for decent coverage—two will be more than enough. 🩵 Results: Expect glowing, hydrated skin, and within a week, you’ll start to see post-acne dark spots fade. Just be aware that this has rosemary oil in it, so if you’re allergic to it, it’s best for you to avoid this. You can snag this during Amazon Prime Day on October 8-9, 2024 with a 30% discount! #gifted by Mediheal @mediheal_us - thank you so much for sending me these goodies!! #blemissing #blemishfighter #glassskin #squarepad #koreanskincare #kbeautytrend #viralkbeauty #amazonprimeday

These sheets are great, and one key point I want to highlight is that they’re hypoallergenic, making them suitable for all skin types. Some of the reasons I ended up liking them include: 🌱 These work even when your face doesn’t seem super oily. I used them in the morning, and even though my face didn’t look oily, they still managed to absorb excess oil. 🌱 You get 70 sheets for around $5, which is a great deal! Plus, they often go on sale, so it's a budget-friendly product to keep on hand for quick touch-ups. 🌱 The sheets are made with green tea extract and green tea oil, both of which are great for calming irritated skin. 🌱 There’s a noticeable green tea scent, and while it’s not the most subtle, I personally love it since I’m a fan of the green tea fragrance. Overall, I didn’t find any cons and give these a solid 5/5!

As someone who's been exposed to snail mucin in K-beauty for over a decade, it takes a lot to impress me with this ingredient. I learned back in high school that my skin didn’t get along with snail mucin—Cosrx actually caused me new acne issues—so I avoided it for a long time. A few years ago, I revisited it and while I don’t get the same reactions anymore, I’ve found that newer ingredients in K-beauty seem to work better for me overall. I gave this product a try for a couple of days, and I have mixed feelings. While the formulation has its merits, I don’t see myself reaching for it often. Here’s why I’m giving it a 3.5/5: 🐌 It's packed with great ingredients like glycerin, niacinamide, retinol, tocopherol, and centella asiatica. You might notice skin brightening and revitalization. 🐌 The formula is too thick for a dropper. A pump would’ve been more efficient—sometimes the dropper doesn’t pick up any product, which is frustrating. The packaging needs a revamp. 🐌 There is fragrance, which doesn’t bother me—I actually prefer some fragrance in skincare. However, the scent here is a bit stronger than I’d like. 🐌 The texture is smooth and goopy. While it doesn’t leave a sticky residue, it feels somewhat heavy on the skin, and that weight takes time to disappear. I think this would work better for drier skin types, as I have oily-combination skin. Overall, I like the formula but not the packaging or the slightly heavy feeling it leaves on my face.

🤎 UPDATE OCTOBER 24, 2024 My love for this cream is still going strong, as I’m about to enter my 9th month on this. It has solidified itself as an integral part of my skincare routine since March, and I don’t plan on changing it anytime soon. This literally fits the definition of “if it works for you, stick with it”. I don’t have acne marks as visible anymore, just mainly a few freckles (that I had since birth). This has prevented most of the new pimples from coming in. I did have a giant pimple around the month of August when I didn’t use this for a week (switched to another cream temporarily due to vacation) — so I noticed that I should just stick with this cream as long as it works for me. ___________________________________________________ My love for this cream is still going strong, as I’m about to enter my 9th month on this. It has solidified itself as an integral part of my skincare routine since March, and I don’t plan on changing it anytime soon. This literally fits the definition of “if it works for you, stick with it”. I don’t have acne marks as visible anymore, just mainly a few freckles (that I had since birth). This has prevented most of the new pimples from coming in. I did have a giant pimple around the month of August when I didn’t use this for a week (switched to another cream temporarily due to vacation) — so I noticed that I should just stick with this cream as long as it works for me. ❤️ UPDATE SEPTEMBER 25, 2024 I'm now entering my seventh month of using this cream, and my opinion hasn’t changed at all. Looking back at the condition of my skin just half a year ago, I feel so grateful for this product. I remember in 2023, my aunt gave me unsolicited advice about my skin, which really annoyed me because I had just moved and my skin was under a lot of stress. Fast forward a few months into 2024, and my skin has mostly cleared up. The unsolicited advice has also stopped! _______________________________________________ 🩵UPDATE AUGUST 2024 - Update to the 3 month update I gave in July 2024 I’ve already raved about this product and shared my three-month update, and now I’m onto month four. I can confidently testify that my love for this hasn’t changed one bit. This is the one product I can wholeheartedly recommend from this app. I’ve even recommended it to some of my family members and friends who struggle with stubborn minor acne, and they’ve told me they love it as much as I do. What makes this product so special is its consistency in delivering results over time. Even after four months, it continues to keep my skin clear and smooth, without any signs of irritation or diminishing effectiveness. I genuinely believe this is a game-changer for anyone dealing with similar skin concerns. If you’re curious to know more about my experience with it, I’ve detailed my thoughts and progress in my July update. It’s worth checking out if you’re considering adding this to your routine. —————————————————————— 🧡UPDATE JULY 2024 - After 3 months of testing!!! I’m glad to have won another giveaway for this! Having a couple of months of experience on this cream, I can give my finalized opinion of this product as I’ve already finished one jar and am starting another one. This is probably going to be the product of the year for me. I did not expect to love this so much as I currently do. The way this has fade most of my acne marks is unreal, and I cannot thank the brand enough for making such a great product. Besides winning the giveaways, I’ve bought a few to stay well stocked of this product. I’m doing a deep dive into details that I noticed while using this product for the last three months: 🌱 Besides it clearing up old acne spots and marks, this has been very helpful in keeping new pimples at bay. I try not to steer away from this particular moisturizer, because when I do, my skin doesn’t respond as positively. 🌱 Whenever I get (a few) new pimples, I literally put this on for the night. I’ve noticed that within a day or two, those new pimples completely disappear. I don’t know what it is, but in a way, this works like my pimple patches, except better. I can attribute it to the science of this formulation. 🌱 I’ve mentioned before that I have acne prone combination skin. While this kept my acne at bay, it simultaneously repaired my skin barrier and kept it well hydrated, even if I forgot to put this moisturizer the following day. 🌱 This has a cooling sensation so when applying this on puffy skin (which I have on some mornings), it immediately cools and soothes the skin. I feel that this moisturizer really lives up to its name. 🌱As someone with combination skin, I avoid products that leave my skin feeling greasy or such. This does not do any of that. I actually would argue that the texture of this cream is best suited for oilier skin types as it’s light without causing a grease-like effect, but heavy enough to hydrate the skin fully. It absorbs pretty well and doesn’t add “weight” feeling to the face. 🌱 I used to have a slightly more textured skin before using this. I would feel a little bumps here and there and I felt it could use improvement. Funnily enough, while using this for the last three months, I just noticed my skin is a lot smoother and the texture is gone. I would some days go without my skincare routine, but the one thing I did try not to miss was this particular cream. I attribute a lot of my skin improvements to this cream. Overall, this will always stay a solid 5/5 for me. I hope the formulation never changes. —————————————————————— 💜ORIGINAL REVIEW - MARCH 2024 Disclaimer: I received this product for free from Picky and Dr. G in exchange for my honest review. With that being said, let’s dive into what I thought of this product! 🌱 As someone with acne prone skin, this product particularly interested me. I saw so many tiktok videos talking about this product so I was really excited to be given the opportunity to try this. 🌱 This product claims to target skincare issues such as redness, blemishes, irritation as well as hydrate and brighten the skin. 🌱 Key ingredients support the claims. Niacinamide is an ingredient I sought after in my skincare so I was pleased to see this ingredient near the top of the list. It also contains Centella asiatica extract, which is proven to help with soothing and reducing redness of the skin. It also helps with evening out the skintone. 🌱 I’m currently using this in my rotation because through the few days I’ve used this, I’ve seen some improvements in my skin already. 🌱 The smell of this is light and very refreshing. It is an added bonus that this has a very clean smell with no fragrance. This is perfectly suitable for those with sensitive skin. 🌱 I rate this a 10/10 so far. No stinging feel, reduces appearance of dark spots, and actually reduces the redness in my face. I feel that this actually works in targeting the skin issues I had. I still have to continue this for some time to give whether the final verdict is 10/10 or not. #pickyreview #gopicky #dr.g #drg #skincare

*I’m aware that this is slightly different but I believe this is a reformulation or a very similar product! I had high expectations for this, especially since it’s been hyped all over my socials. Panthenol is one of the latest buzzwords in Korean skincare, and I’m all in for it—I actually love it for my sensitive, acne-prone, oily-combination skin. Purito Seoul’s Mighty Bamboo Panthenol Cream contains 100,000 PPM of panthenol (which translates to 10%), much higher than the typical market standard of 1-5%. As we’re shifting into the colder season where I live, I’ve become more selective with hydrating and moisturizing creams that truly benefit my skin. I’m happy to say I’ve taken a liking to this cream, but one drawback keeps me from completely loving it. Here are the reasons why I rate this a solid 4/5: 🎋 The ingredient concentration is exactly what’s advertised—10% panthenol base, much higher than the market average. It’s soothing, and leaves your skin looking glowy and hydrated, with that coveted glass-like skin effect. 🎋 It’s genuinely fragrance-free! Perfect for all skin types, especially for those with acne-prone and oily-combination skin like mine. No pore-clogging at all. 🎋 I love how it initially settles into my skin—it has a semi-dewy finish. With moisturizing stars like squalane and sodium hyaluronate, you can expect your skin’s moisture barrier to strengthen over time. 🎋 The texture is a rich, semi-opaque gel that feels luxurious without being too heavy. Application feels so good! 🎋 The one downside? The slightly tacky after-feel that sticks around for more than 10 minutes. I’m not sure if it’s just the batch I received, but it’s a bit bothersome. It takes longer than I’d like for that feeling to disappear, and honestly, I’d rather not deal with it. Overall, I’d still rate this a solid 4/5! *Gifted by Purito Seoul @purito_official. Thank you so much for sending this my way! #GlowCream #Panthenol #GlassSkin #KoreanSkincare #SkinBarrier #SkinTok #Purito