Do you have a very simple skincare routine with just a few products and one or two actives OR an elaborate routine with plenty off steps and active ingredients? Why?

is simple better?

What ingredients are good at mattifying super oily skin? 🤔

Thank you!! ❤️

mattifying?

My scalp is a hot mess and I've tried a bunch of things - all have failed thus far. However, I jussssst purchased the exfoliating treatment in the attached photo (can't find it to tag) from The Inkey List and am SUPER excited to try it out!! 😍

Anyone have any experience with this product? Or do you have different scalp health recommendations? 🥰

scalp treatments

Do you use fermented ingredients? If so, which ones and what effects have you noticed? When in your routine do you use them (eg, serum, cleanser, moisturizer, etc)?

fermented ingredients

What is the best eye cream containing retinol? Bonus points if it has niacinimide, peptides, or other active ingredients! 

Thank you in advance! 🥰

best retinol eye cream 👀👀👀

YesStyle (code: SARA0809)

PFYF (code: MERLLAMICORN)

Bubble (code: MERLLAMICORN10)

It has a clean, bright floral that I find quite strong to the point that I find it somewhat overpowering, particularly for an eye product. While it goes on nicely and cooling, I find that it absorbs almost instantaneously and actually somehow dries out my under eye area (which is already a rather dehydrated area for me). Overall, this product just isn't the one for me... but, gosh, is it cute!

Thank you so much to picky and The SAEM for allowing me to try the Iceland Hydrating Eye Stick in exchange for a fair and honest review!

First off, this is by far the most adorable eye product I have ever come across - I mean, how stinking cute is this little teddy bear?! I can't! It's an simple-to-use twist-up eye stick that glides on easily and smoothly. It has a very cooling effect upon initial application. 

I, personally, notice no difference in my skin before and after using this product (and I haven't noticed any longer-term benefits either). Overall, I enjoyed the experience but it doesn't do anything special for me. 

This mask starts off strong by smelling fresh and clean! It has a more watery texture and goes on smoothly and easily. It absolutely does feel cooling for a moment as well!! You definitely get that chilly tingle, and it's quite pleasant. The mask promises "instant" benefits, including a visible lifted effect, a boost in radiance and the look of minimized pores. 

I will note that, while my makeup certainly did look very dewy/luminous when using this as a primer, I found that my makeup did not seem to last quite as long as it does on its own or with other primers (ie, the foundation/concealer seems to "break down" earlier). 

Thank you so much to picky and Touch in Sol for allowing me to try the Pretty Filter Glassy Skin Balm in exchange for a fair and honest review!

This is a hydrating priming skin balm that promises to provide an "ultimate glow" that lasts throughout the day (even under makeup). It is a rich cream with a mild bright, "clean", slightly fruity scent and a very smooth, watery texture that melts instantly into the skin (a little goes a very long way). It glides on easily and leaves you with a super smooth canvas. It gives the skin a definite "glassy" (dewy, luminous, radiant) appearance, which shines beautifully on its own as well as absolutely shining through makeup (except the fullest of coverage foundations/concealers). 

Overall, if you're looking for a very "wet", "glassy" look, this is absolutely the balm for you!! 

I'm not sure how much retinol is in the moisturizer, and I much prefer to know the percentage of active ingredients in a product. It does have a white cast for some time after application and takes awhile to absorb fully... but, since I used it on my body and not my face, I really didn't mind at all. 

I'll start out by saying that I use this only on my body (I use different retinol products on my face), so I'm writing my review from that perspective.

This is a fairly heavy cream moisturizer with no fragrance (that I noticed) - it really locks in whatever moisture you have in your skin. It also seems quite nourishing. I love that it's really affordable as it allows me to incorporate retinol into my body skincare routine in addition to what I already use on my face. My skin always feels super moisturized and plumped after use. I am not sure about long-term results yet (it's only been a few weeks), but thus far I like it as a body cream moisturizer; it'll be especially nice in the winter! 

Nothing wrong at all with this one - it's an A+! 

Thank you so much to picky and Athe for allowing me to try the Authentic Lip Balm (in three shades) in exchange for a fair and honest review! 

These vegan, fragrance-free tinted lip balms come in gorgeous sheer but buildable shades (see first photo - top left shows one swipe, bottom left shows three coats). I tried Authentic (soft pink), Low-Key (orange-y red) and Chilly (brick red) and I thought all were very pretty both sheer and built up. 

They glide on incredibly smoothly and feel super velvety on the lips. They feel very nourishing and moisturizing upon application. The color and moisturization last well for multiple hours. 

The component itself looks very sleek but is also very fun; the shape is unique and interesting and (my favorite part) it's magnetic so you'll never accidentally lose your cap. 

Overall, these lip tints are definitely a recommend for me - I'd even recommend them as gifts! I plan on exploring more colors, as I've already found myself reaching for these three multiple times each. 


merllamicorn