Things I finished in October
And some Sephora recs, including my favorite Paula's Choice products.
I am a weeee bit behind schedule with this week’s newsletter, but better late than never! TBH, I have been trying to stay away from my computer and/or phone as much as possible, lest I start doom-scrolling through the news. Like many Americans, I am anxious AF about the election on Tuesday, so I’m doing whatever I can to take my mind off of it. And, yes, that may include shopping. So with that in mind, the Sephora Beauty Insider Event started on Friday; it’s open to Rouge at the moment; VIBs and Insiders get to shop starting Tuesday; and the event goes through the 11th. Several of the following products are part of the sale, but for my full list of recommendations, my Sephora Sale masterlist is a good place to start. Read on for more recs, but first, here’s everything I finished in October.
DS & Durga I Don’t Know What Body Lotion $90
I Don’t Know Why I bought this ridiculously expensive body lotion (I don’t think I paid full price for it, actually), other than I love the scent, and people frequently stop me on the street to ask what perfume I’m wearing. The texture of this lotion, however, is very thick and takes forever to absorb—I think more of it ended up on my bathrobe than on my skin. Getting the last quarter of it out of the bottle was an entire ordeal too.
K18 Peptide Prep Clarifying Shampoo $38 (this mini was part of a gift set)
Like all of K18’s products, a little goes a long way. I think this works well in conjunction with the leave-in mask, but as far as clarifying shampoos go, this one does not feel as gentle as I’d prefer—my hair felt super dried-out after washing. In terms of bond-repair systems, I still prefer Olaplex—I think it just works better for my hair.
L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil $29 (c/o)
This stuff has a cult following, for good reason—it’s the rare body wash that doesn’t strip your skin, and it’s excellent for shaving your legs. The scent is really lovely too. I also appreciate that L’Occitane now offers refills, as I hate the plastic waste that shower gels create. This is probably my favorite L’Occitane product of all time.
Aeonia Eye Refresh $75 (c/o)
I did a collab with this brand a few months ago, stopped using the product for awhile, then found it in my medicine cabinet and finished it up. The metal tip is really nice and cooling when you apply this, and I do think this cream is effective on dark circles and puffiness, however you really don’t need to spend this much on an eye cream.
Iris & Romeo Lash Up Peptide Mascara $29 (c/o)
This tubing formula is a little on the dry side, which I how I prefer my mascara—too wet and it ends up smeared all over my face—however the curved brush was a deal-breaker for me, especially since it causes the tube to be extra-huge. Which is too bad, because I really liked the volume I got from this one. Let’s hope they rethink the brush.
Kiko Milano Sun Protection Fluid
I unfortunately can’t link to this product from the US because of our antiquated laws around sunscreen (sunscreens are SO much better in literally every other country on the planet, and here’s an article that explains why). But the next time I’m in Italy, I am literally buying 10 tubes of this stuff because it’s so freaking good: it absorbs, it protects, it smells amazing.
I have not yet decided what I’m buying from the Sephora sale, but in case you need any other ideas (especially gift ideas!), L’Occitane sent me this beauty advent calendar and it honestly made my week. I am so excited to open it, but I am going to behave myself and wait until December 1st so I can do it properly, one day at a time. I fully intend to document the entire thing on IG stories, of course, so stay tuned.
This week on the blog
I have a long-standing relationship with Paula’s Choice, and it’s one I’m proud of—it’s one of my favorite skincare brands, and I never hesitate to recommend the line, as it’s (I think) easy to understand and, more importantly, the products are incredibly effective yet gentle (for the most part). And while I’ve featured them many times on Instagram, I’ve never done a full breakdown on the blog until now. So I went through all of the Paula’s Choice products I’ve ever tried and decided to give my honest review of everything. And PS most of these are available at Sephora too!