Everything I finished in February
And what's on my birthday wish list this year.
Happy birthday to me! Yes, today is my actual birthday, and I’m celebrating by having friends over to watch the Oscars and drink champagne. Fun fact: I’ve always loved the movies, but my first job out of college was at Premiere magazine (R.I.P.) and to this day, I love the Oscar race and all of the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that goes on during awards season. Of all the Best Picture contenders, I’m Still Here was hands down my favorite, although The Substance, Conclave, Anora, and of course Wicked are all worth watching as well. Obviously I am into the Oscars for the red carpet too; everybody except Timothée Chalamet has been playing it safe fashion-wise this season (there’s a very conservative Old Hollywood thing that’s been going on this season) so I hope there are at least some risks. I also hope Demi Moore wins Best Actress and gives us another pep talk of an acceptance speech, because clearly that woman has been through some sh*t and come out the other side with an admirable amount of wisdom. And I could use a little right now.
Ready to dive into this month’s mini reviews? Here’s what I finished in February.
Left to right:
Kiko Milano Glossy Dream Sheer Lipstick $7.80 (on sale)
I bought this last summer in Rome; I think it’s been discontinued, which I am ok with. I loved the color (204, a deep rose) and the formula (sheer yet fairly pigmented) but hated the pop-up tube, which is hard to open and often doesn’t stay closed.
Paula’s Choice Triple Active Total Repair Serum $49 (c/o)
This was not my favorite Paula’s Choice serum; the combination of niacinamide, retinoid, and hexylresorcinol was perhaps too many active ingredients at once for my somewhat sensitive skin. I know this because once I finished it and switched to a different serum at night (Aeonia Age Defying), my skin immediately calmed down and looked a lot better. But YMMV.
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask $24
A fellow Substacker whom I will not name called out a bunch of content creators recently for including this repeatedly in their holiday gift guides, suggesting it was a paid placement. Clearly this Substacker has never tried it, because it’s a holy-grail product for me. My lips would be a dry, chapped mess without it, and I even keep a smaller version in my travel toiletry bag. This is one of the few beauty products that I actually spend my own money on, gladly.
L’Occitane Immortelle Karite Body Balm $75 (c/o)
If you think that all body lotion is just body lotion, then this product is probably not for you. But if you suffer from itchy, painfully dry skin no matter how much oil or body butter you slather on yourself, then this may be worth the splurge to you. It absorbs beautifully and, as a bonus, has immortelle (nature’s botox) to help firm the skin. I wish I had been a little more conservative with how much I was using, but if you’re reading this, L’Occitane, I’d love another jar!
Vegamour GRO Scalp Detoxifying Serum $42 (c/o)
I had mixed feelings about the rest of the Vegamour GRO line, however I really think this serum—a pre-treatment before washing—helps remove scalp buildup. My hair feels cleaner and lighter after I use this, and my head definitely itches a lot less.
Innbeauty Project Extreme Cream Eye Cream $48 (c/o)
As you may have noticed, this is a production sample, which I had access to because I have friends in high places. I have not yet tried the full-face version of this cream (which is supposedly a dupe for Bader, which was too thicc even for me), however this eye cream is SO GOOD. It is definitely thick but absorbs quickly and amazingly did not make my undereye makeup crease. I liked this so much, I would be willing to shell out my own money to try the face cream. I also appreciate that it’s refillable.
This week on the blog
I’ve been doing a birthday wishlist for years now, and while I write it mostly for myself, Sean and my mom end up shopping from it too. So if all goes well, you’ll see some of these pieces on the blog soon 😉.
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