Category: Reviews

Want to know whether you should try a product? Read my reviews to help make a decision. I evaluate products not only based on my subjective experiences with them, but also based on objective analysis of ingredients and formulations, and I promise to always give my honest assessments. No shilling here.

  • Curology Month 5 Update

    It’s that time again! I finished off another bottle of my Curology anti-aging prescription and am back with an update. Just a quick one this time. No B&As, as I think results are easier to see with a longer wait in between, but definitely some progress to report!

  • Papa Recipe 2 Step Skin Cleaning Solution Review, Volume 1: Surprise Obsession

    I wasn’t planning to write this review today (or anytime soon, really). For the last five nights, I’ve been sweatily grunting and straining to push out a big, difficult post that took shape in my head months ago but refuses to pass into solid reality. But after cleansing (my face!) this morning, I found I couldn’t wait…

  • Review: Goodal Waterest Lasting Water Oil, an “Oil” for Those Who Aren’t Ready for Oils

    I love AB blogging because it gives me an excuse to jump from product to product instead of settling down like a normal person. I definitely have that itch for the new. So when I like a product enough to repurchase it instead of putting my hunting goggles on and skipping happily back out into the wilderness…

  • Dry Skin Megapost: 3 Great Facial Oils and 3 Ways to Use them

    I’m not really a sucker for tradition (in skincare or anything else), but even I have to admit that when our ancestors weren’t busy smearing mercury-laden blush onto their cheeks or dropping dead from makeup-related lead poisoning, they were doing some things right. Like moisturizing their skin with oils. Facial oils are some of the oldest beauty products around. From  ancient Egypt and…

  • Astageddon Part 2: CHICA Y CHICO Astazet 4.0 Review

    No skincare product lives and dies by a single ingredient. Even a boatload of great-sounding ingredients sometimes isn’t enough. Effectiveness depends on so many factors in the overall formulation, which is something I have to remind myself of every time I go starry-eyed over some exciting star ingredient or nice-looking ingredients list. Luckily for my…

  • Astageddon Part 1: Graymelin Astastemcell Anti-Wrinkle Serum Review

    This product was provided for review at my request by W2Beauty. All opinions and recommendations in this post are my own unless otherwise noted. Learn more about my rules for store partnerships by checking out my sponsorship policy and sponsor list. “Anti-aging.” What even does that mean? No, but seriously. We see it in skincare marketing all the…

  • Five Flops at Fiddy’s: After Hours Mini-Review Party

    Some products in this post were provided for review by Fifty Shades of Snail sponsors and are individually disclosed below. All opinions and recommendations in this post are my own unless otherwise noted. Learn more about my rules for store partnerships by checking out my sponsorship policy and sponsor list. Let’s do something a little different today! I recently…

  • Curology Month 3 Update, B&A, + a Chat with My Provider about Tretface Skincare

    Man. Time sure flies when you’re taking your fine lines and sunspots to church with actives so powerful that only licensed medical professionals can provide them. I’m now in my third month on Curology prescription skincare. I’ve gone from 0.012% to 0.02% to 0.05% tretinoin, one bottle at a time (with the first, weakest prescription…

  • Fiddy’s Tosowoong Favorites on Memebox, + Teaser

    You ever have one of those moments where you realize you’ve neglected something that should have come naturally to you and you just feel like you’ve let yourself down in a huge and major way? I was finalizing some things with my Memebox US box curation contact tonight when I realized that they’ve been carrying…

  • Review: illi Total Aging Care Cleansing Oil, aka the Cleansing Oil of the Gods

    The product featured in this post was provided for review at my request by Jolse. Learn more about my rules for PR samples and sponsorships by checking out my sponsorship policy and sponsor list. Affiliate links in this post are marked with an asterisk(*). You guys, my two-year nightmare is over! I finally found a cleansing oil that I…