What It Does: Helps minimize pores, combat shine/oily skin, and even out skintone.
Active Ingredients: Barbados Cherry, Cactus Flower, Niacinamide, Australian Lemon Myrtle, Japanese Raisin Tree, and Green Tea and Fig.
Verdict: I’m conflicted about this product because I do like it and it does feel good but it’s not enough to warrant paying $34 for toner. I haven’t seen a difference in controlling my oily skin or pores, but like I said, I do like how the toner feels on my skin. It doesn’t sting nor does it feel dry. It feels very soft and nourishing to the skin, so for that, I will say it’s a good toner. It also has some very excellent ingredients and is completely vegan. So for those points, I can see someone wanting to choose this toner over others. But I personally, haven’t seen a huge difference in my skin to warrant that price point.
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If I told you it wouldn’t be a secret, now would it?
PLOT SUMMARY:
For as long as she can remember, Belle has been insidiously obsessed with her skin and skincare videos. When her estranged mother Noelle mysteriously dies, Belle finds herself back in Southern California, dealing with her mother’s considerable debts and grappling with lingering questions about her death. The stakes escalate when a strange woman in red appears at the funeral, offering a tantalizing clue about her mother’s demise, followed by a cryptic video about a transformative spa experience. With the help of a pair of red shoes, Belle is lured into the barbed embrace of La Maison de Méduse, the same lavish, culty spa to which her mother was devoted. There, Belle discovers the frightening secret behind her (and her mother’s) obsession with the mirror—and the great shimmering depths (and demons) that lurk on the other side of the glass.
Snow White meets Eyes Wide Shut in this surreal descent into the dark side of beauty, envy, grief, and the complicated love between mothers and daughters. With black humor and seductive horror, Rouge explores the cult-like nature of the beauty industry—as well as the danger of internalizing its pitiless gaze. Brimming with California sunshine and blood-red rose petals, Rouge holds up a warped mirror to our relationship with mortality, our collective fixation with the surface, and the wondrous, deep longing that might lie beneath.
GRADE: A
REVIEW:
A fever dream, a fairytale, a nightmare. This book is all those things and more. As someone who is as skincare obsessed as Mirabelle, this novel resonated a lot with me. Awad writes some of the best mad, unhinged women in literature, and I’m absolutely here for it. When her mother unexpectedly dies in a tragic accident, and Mirabelle leaves Montreal for So-Cal, her descent to madness doesn’t take that long. Much like her previous books, Awad manages to capture the protagonist’s slip from reality in a way that is both poetic and terrifying. This novel is steeped with silent rage, mommy issues, and the color red. Often, as the reader, you can’t tell what is real and what is madness, a bit of an Alice in Wonderland moment, if you will. But one thing is certain, you can’t look away, and you continue down the proverbial rabbit hole along with Mirabelle, trying to make sense of the craziness as best as you can. This is one wild ride that explores our obsession with beauty and youth and to what lengths one might go to be beautiful.
*Thank you so much to NetGalley and S&S/Marysue Rucci Books for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
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Skin cycling may sound complicated, but it’s actually based on a less-is-more approach that helps you achieve healthy-looking skin and protect your skin’s barrier. To start, you’ll follow a four-day evening routine with one key type of product designated for each night.
The rotation begins with exfoliation on the first night, followed by retinol on the second night. The third and fourth nights are dedicated to recovery skin barrier-protecting serums and moisturizers. Then, the cycle repeats.
Every Day & Night: Some products are too essential to skip out on and should be used every day of your routine. This includes serums and moisturizers.
Night One: Exfoliation
Kick off your cycle with an exfoliating formula to help minimize the look of your pores, buff away dull or rough skin, and prep your face to receive the benefits from the rest of your products throughout the cycle. First, cleanse your face and make sure it’s 100% dry. Then, apply your chosen exfoliating product. For this step, some of my favorite exfoliating creams are Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Age Defying Exfoliator or Glam Glow Brightmud Dual-Action Exfoliating Treatment.
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What it does: Hydrates eyes and diminishes fine lines.
Active Ingredients: Hyaluronic Acid, Collagen, and Apple Essence.
Verdict: First of all, these eye masks are incredibly cute. Who doesn’t love Hello Kitty, right? Secondly, these eye masks are made in Korea, and when it comes to skincare, Korea knows what’s up. These eye masks did what they promised to do, and that is it left my eye area feeling very hydrated and refreshed. I highly recommend this if you’re dealing with eye bags or need a pick me up. The only con about this eye mask is that I prefer gel ones and these are sheet masks.
Price: $4.99
Where To Buy It: Target, World Market, and Sephora
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What It Is: A brightening and depuffing eye cream.
What It Does: Brightens, depuffs, and hydrates the eye area.
Active Ingredients: Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Peptides, and green caffeine.
Verdict: First things first, I loved the consistency of this cream. It’s not too thick and not too thin either. But I also wouldn’t necessarily call it a gel, as it is more of a cream. Now, I have no delusions that this cream would solve my dark eye circles because mine are hereditary, but I do like that it kind of helped (or at least they weren’t as noticeable). Apart from this, the cream is very hydrating and you wake up feeling your eye area is nourished and refreshed. I’ve only been using it at night, so I don’t know how it holds up beneath makeup. Although, since it isn’t greasy, I’d venture that it would do well under concealer. I’ve been wanting to try out Glow Recipe products and was excited that Ipsy had this in their Glam Icon Box this month. I did like this eye cream but overall I wasn’t obsessed with it, but for the price point it is a good investment.
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What It Is: A retinol and Vitamin-C-infused moisturizer that visibly smooths, hydrates, and brightens for radiant, refreshed skin.
What It Does: Resurfaces, firms, and brightens skin during sleep.
Active Ingredients: Retinol, Vitamin-C, and Wild Gooseberry Extract
Verdict: I’m a big fan of Kate Somerville skincare products because not only are they effective but have some of the best ingredients for your skin. This moisturizer is no different. From the very first moment that I applied this I was in LOVE. The texture is rich and hydrating but also lightweight and not greasy. I saw results within a few days where small dark spots from previous blemishes visibly vanished and helped even out my skintone. I know it’s on the pricier side, but at the same time, it’s very effective and you only need a dime-size amount for your whole face. I highly recommend adding this moisturizer as a step in your night time skincare routine.
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What It Is: Ultra-concentrated blend of 11 peptides Serum.
What It Does: Hydrates, soothes, and resurfaces skin.
Active Ingredients: Snow Mushroom Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium PCA, and 11 peptides.
Verdict: This serum helps hydrate and restore glow to your skin. If you have enlarged pores (as I do because of oily skin), it helps minimize them, along with fine lines, and sun damage. This serum is a miracle worker and really leaves your skin feeling well-hydrated and fully restored. I used it for a week and already saw results. I use it right after toner, on my face and neck area, and I’ve noticed quite a difference! I’ve always been a fan of Drunk Elephant skincare items but hadn’t had a chance to try this out, till it was in one of my Ipsy Glam Bag X items. Your skin will no longer be uneven or dull, and since I hate wearing foundation, this serum really helps with having your skin look glowy without makeup. I also loved the packaging, because it has a twist top that really helps with not having bacteria get into your product nor do you have to worry about product spillage if you’re traveling!
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What It Is: A hydrating and moisturizing face cream that helps plump up the skin.
Active Ingredients: Bakuchiol, Malachite, Ceramides, and Hyaluronic Acid
Verdict: This moisturizer is everything I love and look for in a moisturizer – it’s nourishing and thick without it being greasy. I use this at night and I tend to gravitate towards moisturizers that don’t quickly disappear after a few seconds. A little goes a long way and I recommend using this for the face and neck as it really helps plump up the skin without weighing it down. I have oily skin and this moisturizer was perfect – drier skin would definitely benefit from this one too.
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What It Is: This SquishKit 2 contains: 3 x Cheeky Cherry Masks, 1 x Flower Power Acne Patch Pack, 1 x Jelly Lip Gloss, 1 x Hair Bobble, 1 x Squish Pouch, & 1 x Postcard.
Makeup-free & chilling with Cheeky Cherry Mask
Review for Cheeky Cherry Masks:
First of all, just look at the cuteness! Also, these feel amazing and although Charli Howard (model and founder of this amazing brand!) claims you can reuse them up to 3 times – I was only able to use my eye masks twice. However, maybe if you keep yours on for the recommended 20 minutes you may get three uses out of this, but I loved how much these masks felt that I didn’t want to remove them, so I kept them on for an hour. I personally don’t have an issue with puffiness but I do think the serum was soothing and smoothed out any fine lines from my perpetual lack of sleep. So I do recommend these if you need to look fresh-faced right away, plus these eye masks come down to your cheeks so if you have puffiness there, it also tackles that.
Look at that shine! Experience the incredible softness that is Jelly Lip Gloss!
Review for Jelly Lip Gloss:
Charli told me in a comment that this lipgloss was underrated and definitely NOT sticky, so I was eager to try it out. But I also took that comment with a grain of salt, as I’ve always been let down by glosses in the past, even ones claiming to be not sticky, ultimately were still tacky. I’m happy to state that I was most definitely proven wrong meaning that YES THIS GLOSS ISN’T STICKY in any shape or form. First of all, this gloss feels more like an emollient cloud of softness on your lips, much like a rich lip balm. But the best part is that this gloss has shine for days! Finally, a gloss that manages to give incredible shine without the stickiness that 99.9% of the glosses I’ve ever tried had. You’re gonna want this if you’ve always been a gloss lover but hated the feel of gloss, now you can have the best of both worlds.
Why Choose Squish: Cruelty-free, vegan, and female-owned company
Ed Note: I wasn’t able to review the Flower Power Acne Patch Pack cause fortunately I haven’t had any pimples in the past month, so I’ll write a review as soon as I have one! But can we admire how incredibly adorable these patches are though? I can’t wait to try them!
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What It Is: A detoxifying eye cream that helps visibly plump and tighten, fill fine lines, and restore clarity to tired eyes.
Active Ingredients: Rose and Vegan Collagen
Verdict: I love how this eye cream feels both applying the cream and how it feels on my skin. This is why I’m conflicted – I love how it makes my skin feel – it dries fast – and yet I don’t feel like it hydrates as much as it should. Maybe it’s best suited for humid summers when you need a lighter cream, but as far as dry winters go, I don’t feel that it’s as hydrating as maybe one needs for this time of year. However, I do love how luxurious it feels and will probably use it during the warmer season for sure.
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