What is something you love about your skin type? I feel like it's easy to hate something about your skin type, like "I hate my dry skin because it always looks dull" or "I hate my oily skin because I get breakouts easily" but there are positives to everything. I'll go first. I love my oily and sensitive skin because oily skin is less prone to wrinkles and having sensitive skin has taught me that less is more 💜

What do you love about your skin?

What is your favorite way to take care of your skin that doesn't involve products? As for me I like to use a rose quartz roller once or twice daily and facial steam for a minute each morning after cleansing. I also do some basic yoga to get some blood flowing to my whole body (it gives a nice overall glow)

Skincare w/o products

So, I haven't tried this but I've learned of a few skinfluencers who have. It's exactly what it sounds like, acting as a 15 minute wash off mask using your own menstrual blood. People often extract the blood using a menstrual cup (easiest way but can be done using your pads or tampons apparently). I want to ask how you guys feel about this? As for me, I don't think I have the courage to try this yet. However I am 100% behind anyone who does these facials because periods and the blood produced by them have been stigmatized for centuries for no good reason. Also, the blood is said to have light exfoliating properties and makes the skin look and feel more rejuvenated. There's no scientific studies on this yet of course so I'm not fully aware of all the benefits it promises

EDIT: Yes I do have my side on this, I am pro period masking, I haven't tried it yet though. All I wanna say is please if you disagree, do so respectfully. Spamming barf emojis and calling people that try this disgusting is not disagreeing in a respectful manner. And yes I've argued with people who've left nasty comments, but only because they are disagreeing DISRESPECTFULLY. No I will not sit back and let people talk crap about me and others who are pro period masters. I made this post with the intention that people who disagree can share why they do, and those who agree can explain why they would do this and their experiences if they've tried this. I am happy that disagreers are commenting because I have not tried a period facial yet and am on the fence. Thank you to those being respectful in the comments, no matter your opinion on this I appreciate you and you guys are few and far between. You of course are allowed to find this gross and unappealing, but please do not berate others who are tempted. Also, please ask yourself WHY period blood disgusts you. Don't comment about it as it's not the topic at hand. But please reflect on it.

Period Blood Facials

What's a part of your skincare journey that isn't complete yet?

For me I still haven't found my SPF Soulmate, so my journey with that continues ✊🏻

Your skin care journey

So I won the giveaway and got the products yesterday, and I plan to use them starting tonight. But I'm confused about the bubble treatment. It says to use after the shampoo, but I'm not sure if this means it functions as a conditioner or a step between shampoo and conditioner (like a 2nd cleanse)? I need to know because if it is supposed to be a conditioner then I will use it on just my ends and mid shaft. If it is supposed to be like a 2nd cleanse then I'll use it on just my roots

Urban& Giveaway

I feel like I touched on the good and bad equally above, but most of my experience was kind of bad so that's what I decided to write for the bulk of my review.

I find this serum to be a bit overhyped but I also can't deny the role it's played in helping me discover niacinamide as a HG ingredient. I found it a little bit too drying when used once daily on consecutive days and it leaves a tacky, shiny film. Anything I apply after it also pills up badly because of how stiff this leaves my skin feeling. I feel like if I smile with this on, my skin will crack and my skin type isn't even dry! The problem might lie in the concentration though since 10% niacinamide is a high amount and there doesn't need to be that much to be effective. The concentration also causes the lid of the bottle to crust over from the inside, though this is normal, it is kind of annoying and sometimes the crust will get into the product. It did help reduce redness around places I was having active breakouts in though and as The Ordinary is known for, this product was also cheap. I got the 2 oz bottle for $8 on their website. I don't see myself purchasing this again because of my experience and also niacinamide is sort of in everything now in lower, less irritating concentrations.

Can feel tacky at first when you're done rubbing and patting it in but if you wait a few minutes this largely goes away and will not stick to your clothes.

This is my favorite body lotion! It's very creamy and non irritating. Despite its consistency, it absorbs really well and spreads easily. It doesn't break me out anywhere, not even in my oilier areas. It has also helped me reduce bumps on the back of my arms. Ever since I began using it, I feel like I am able to get a closer shave since my skin is now properly moisturized. It comes in a big bottle with a pump and is available in most drugstores for anywhere between $5-$8 (USD, and not sure about availability in other countries). I plan to keep repurchasing, not that I need to often though because 1 bottle lasts me around 2 months.

This is my favorite peptide serum so far! I'm really glad I found it and have nothing bad to say about it. My only qualm would be that this doesn't have a dropper like most serums, so you have to shake the bottle for a few drops or squeeze it. You have to squeeze it hard to get anything out though, and this usually causes you to get too much product out. So make sure you shake gently for each drop instead!

I use this in my night routine every night. And when my current peptide serum for the morning runs out, I will replace it with this because 

🌸it's lightweight with a watery gel texture 

🌸fast absorbing 

🌸has a very gentle floral scent that doesn't linger 

🌸doesn't causes products applied after it to pill 

🌸makes my skin feel instantly plumper and more hydrated 

🌸keeps dullness at bay 

🌸not tacky/sticky 

🌸budget friendly (USD 9 for 220 ml/7.43 oz) 

🌸each bottle lasts a while because it's big and you only need about 3-4 drops 

🌸beautifully simplistic packaging 

🌸not irritating, doesn't cause any redness or itchiness 

🌸has a mild cooling effect that I really like 

🌸has 6 types of peptides and 5 weights of hyaluronic acid, so you get hydration at all layers of skin

~Light fermented scent
~Only an once of product
~A bit too runny so you end up going through a bottle pretty quickly (takes me 6 weeks of once daily use to run out)

I love this serum! I'm on my third bottle. It's a staple in my night time routine as sort of a light dose of hyaluronic acid and niacinamide. It feels instantly hydrating, and in the long term it has helped me revive the luster in my skin that I've lost through overuse of acne products and over exfoliation. Speaking of acne, it hasn't caused me any and as a matter of fact seems to help any acne or pimples I get to heal a day faster. It's great to use before vaseline (or other occlusives) when slugging since it attracts so much moisture and absorbs easily. Overall, this serum has done so much for my complexion!

I didn&#39;t find anything bad about this product! Just don&#39;t use it on consecutive days or both day and night.

As someone with sensitive skin, I always dreaded my weekly exfoliation but knew it was necessary because my skin is also oily. At some point I just skipped the step altogether! And trust me I&#39;ve tried many different ones, both chemical and physical. The physical ones always felt too harsh and the chemical ones burned after a few minutes, then I found this cleanser! It&#39;s so gentle I can use it 2-3 times a week (at night since the PHA can make your skin more photosensitive) when I used to not be able to do that even once a week with other exfoliators! It&#39;s also nice that this is sort of a 2 in 1 that cleanses and exfoliates so if your skin is sensitive like mine, you&#39;ll appreciate having 1 less step in your routine. It also has a short and simple ingredient list that sensitive skin types like myself are always on the lookout for. The concentration of PHA is really low but still an effective amount. It lathers up very nicely with a dime sized amount, so you won&#39;t have to worry about going through the bottle quickly at all! It has a pump that locks when you turn it counterclockwise, so if you&#39;re clumsy like me you won&#39;t be accidentally pumping it everywhere as long as you remember to lock it! Tbh, I&#39;m usually not a fan of most Neutrogena products, especially their sunscreens but this product has proved worthy! And at a low price point, I hope you will like it as much as I did. 
Btw the picture attached of my forehead is to show how this product helped clear up my comedones. Before incorporating this cleanser into my routine, comedones popped up pretty regularly on my forehead.

ParisJ