In the AB world, the graveyard of regrettable purchases stretches for miles in every direction, a barren and blighted necropolis marked by inexplicably cute headstones and forever haunted by the souls of dollars wasted, never to return. Every day, even more products suffer an untimely trashing and even more dollars drift away. We all fall into the BUY ALL THE THINGS! trap at some point. But we don’t always have to. You can save a little (or a lot) of money and break the cycle of shopping sadness just by asking yourself a few questions before you hit the checkout button.
Fifty Shades of Snail
Finding the best skin care products since 2014. Started with a focus on Korean skincare and grew from there. Skincare tips and beauty tips that work, maybe some hamster butts too
recent posts
- Protected: Fluorescent bulbs and SPF
- How I Grew My Thinning Hair Back Thicker and Stronger Than Ever Before (with no drugs or medical treatments)
- Sponsored: The Best of Skin1004
- How to Ask for Skincare Advice Online, Part Two: What Questions to Ask to Get Helpful Answers
- How to Ask for Skincare Advice Online, Part 1: What Not to Ask
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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 classical Greece to imperial China and feudal Japan, people have used oils on their skin since pretty much the dawn of known civilization. And after a couple months of experimentation, I am right there with the Fiddys of antiquity. Facial oils are awesome. They keep my tretface comfortably moisturized and heal my skin up when I’ve gone at it too hard with actives. Here are the oils I choose from every day and how they fit into my my skincare routine. I’ve paired each method with the oil I do it with most often, but they’ll work no matter which oil you use!
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…or any other ideological or political spin on skincare.
Today, I and a couple members of the Snail Unit found out that we’d been mentioned in an article on a major online publication (which I’ll not be linking, because I don’t want to give them the traffic, but which I’ll screenshot below if you haven’t seen it yet).
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HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 2016 WOOOOO!!!!!
Okay, with that out of the way, let’s continue reflecting on the best that 2015 had to offer. The awards I’ll be giving out below are my picks for the best shops in various categories–and my pick for the brand of 2015.
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Some products featured in this post were originally provided by Fifty Shades of Snail sponsors in compliance with my sponsorship policy. Affiliate links in this post generate commissions that support Fifty Shades of Snail. Press samples are marked with an asterisk (*). Affiliate links are marked with a double asterisk (**).
The year is almost over. For me, it was a blur of bottles and jars and droppers and tubs, of serums and creams and masks and scrubs, of snails and bees and seaweed floating in the tide. I tried some amazing products. I tried some not amazing products. I also tried some pretty godawful products, which I try to forget but never can. Below, I’ve organized the best Korean skincare products I used this year into a handy list, which doubles as my desert island, only one product allowed per step routine. Welcome to…the first annual Fiddy’s Choice Awards!
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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 wallet, the starry-eyed phase of my relationship with astaxanthin ended pretty early on, thanks to CHICA Y CHICO Astazet 4.0.
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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 time, and we know the implication: it will stop my aging or maybe even reverse it. Because if it’s anti-aging, then it’s the opposite of aging!
When you look more closely, though, “anti-aging” as a term is really…pretty meaningless. As a cosmetic claim, how do you prove that something, uh, anti-ages? And the same thing goes for “anti-wrinkle.” It’s just not a specific enough claim to take seriously.
On the other hand, I don’t hold empty marketing claims against the potentially good skincare products that wear them. Brands have to move product somehow, and if they’ve found they can do so more easily using terms like “anti-aging,” then that’s what they’re going to do. It doesn’t necessarily mean the product itself isn’t of value. I think I’ve said this before, but my enjoyment of skincare has increased greatly since I stopped paying attention to most packaging claims. (Unless they have to do with fancy water, but even then I’m not always susceptible. Take that, Laneige! You’ll not get any of my money again!)
Anyway, it’s my openness to giving products a shot even if their packaging flashes some pretty silly buzzwords that led me to the subject of today’s review, Graymelin Astastemcell Anti-Wrinkle Serum. Also, my own staunch anti-aging ideology. I am, at least when it comes to my skin, very much opposed to aging.
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Slap on a sheet mask and plug in your headphones, because the Snailcast is here!
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Real talk: Ever since I got into skincare, traveling has been one hell of a challenge. Here’s the thing. I love travel, even air travel, even air travel in coach with multiple layovers! I like going places! But uhhh…shoehorning even “just the necessities” (LOL) of my skincare wardrobe into a carry-on while leaving room for other things would be impossible even if TSA liquid restrictions weren’t in play. I’ve got a laziness block against doing lots of decanting and labeling (and also my pretty bottles are part of my overall skincare experience, sue me). And packing everything into a checked bag? I dunno about that. It’s not so much that I’m a cheapass who doesn’t really want to check bags if I can avoid it, though that is a factor, so much as it is my fear of the very real possibility that my checked bag might get lost with all my skincare stuff in it for God knows how long and I can’t have that.
I know. I’m difficult. I bet I’m not the only one who’s had these thoughts, though.
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Guys, I’ve added a new step to my skincare routine! And I know you may be wondering, Where do you even have room for a new step? or maybe Do you really need another step? Well, the answer to the second is up for debate, but I wouldn’t be here blogging about it if it hadn’t made some difference to me.
Fifty Shades of Snail 