Aritaum Ginger Sugar Overnight Lip Mask

One of those “Beauty Products You NEED” Buzzfeed articles convinced me to buy this. It was winter. My lips were too dry for lipstick. I had been considering buying the Laneige overnight lip mask, then Buzzfeed showed up with this alternative for $9.99.

The product page (not an affiliate link) touts that it contains shea butter, beeswax, and murumuru butter. Sounds moisturizing. Great. The main ingredient is polybutene, which from my limited research seems a lot like petroleum jelly. I think the goal here is that the main ingredient is locking in the moisture that the rest of the ingredients provide. It, uh, kind of works.

The product has a very light ginger scent. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to smell the sugar, or if there is supposed to be a flavor here. I have no idea where the sugar comes in. It’s not textured. It doesn’t taste like much of anything. 0/10 do not recommend eating.

I had been using this nightly for five months when this picture was taken. You can see that I haven’t hit the bottom yet. One container could easily last a year. It’s very thick, so you don’t need much. It also stays all night. I’ll wake up in the morning and have to wipe it off to avoid getting it all over cups.

It definitely helped over the winter. My lips didn’t crack once. But it’s not a miracle worker. I expected more moisturizing properties. It is a mask, after all. I don’t feel that my lips have any added moisture from using this mask, just that it prevents moisture loss. I wasn’t able to wear lipstick every day, which I understand is asking a lot during blizzard season. The heart wants what the heart wants, okay?

I’ve tried layering with Glossier’s Balm Dotcom, but I haven’t noticed a difference in moisture.

I’ll use this up, then probably buy the Laneige mask for fun, and then settle on using Vaseline at night. The Amazon reviews are still all screaming about how this is Holy Grail status, so you may have better luck. I think it’s good enough to use up, but not good enough for a repurchase.

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Sephora Collection Sleeping Mask in Pearl

I was so mad at myself for buying this when it arrived with the rest of my order. I had read reviews talking about what a great value it was at $4. And yes, Sephora is expensive, but I had something larger in mind.

  

I work in milliliters, and am still not sure how this is 8mL.

Now that I’ve complained, guess how many uses I got out of this? Five. That brings us down to 80 cents a use. I think that’s an acceptable value for a treat. I was wrong, Sephora. A little goes a long way with this sleeping mask.

I also genuinely enjoyed using it. It reminded me a lot like a sheet mask, but I didn’t feel like I was creating as much trash. I was able to goop enough on that I got a nice, cooling sensation for a few minutes. I do recommend giving yourself some buffer time between putting this on and going to bed. I didn’t have to wipe it off my face, but it did take a little while (10-15 minutes) to absorb enough that I didn’t feel like it would just disappear into my pillow.

The pearl “flavor” advertises that it “evens and helps minimize irregularities for skin tone that is even, fresher, and brighter”. I don’t really have skin irregularities (?) or worry about uneven skin tone, but I did think my skin felt moisturized in the morning. After five uses I’m also tempted to say that my skin looked “brighter”, but I am also in the middle of updating my skincare routine. Nicer skin could be due to a number of things at the moment.

Oh no, I guess that means I have to try this again when my routine settles down so that I can scientifically say if it actually works or not.

The next time I order from Sephora I’m going to buy every “flavor” of these. They may be replacing my sheet mask habit.

My Current Skincare Routine — March 2018

I posted about my basic routine back in November, before I bought some new products to try from The Ordinary. I’ve also started wearing sunscreen on my face every day. Even in the winter. Even when it snows.

It’s important to note that it took me two months to integrate these three products into my routine. People that are posting about how they starting using all these new products on their face one week are either lying to you and getting their sponsorship money, or have skin of steel that they don’t actually need to put thought into taking care of.

The Routine:

As always, go see a dermatologist, even if it’s just for a skin check and you don’t have anything that you’re concerned about.

AM
– Cleanse with konjac sponge and CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser
– Dickinson’s Hydrating Toner
I still want to try a different daily toner. I’m almost done with this one and am taking suggestions!
– CeraVe Moisturizing Cream
I’ve been using the same tub of this for a year and a half. It’s bottomless.
– Wait at least ten minutes.
My sunscreen doesn’t play well with my moisturizer. It goes streaky and gross if I don’t wait long enough to let it soak in.
– Eucerin Daily Hydration 30 SPF
It’s drying and leaves a white cast on my skin. I want to switch it out so badly, but I should wait until I settle on a new toner.

PM
– Cleanse with konjac sponge and CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser
– The Ordinary’s Granactive 2% Retinoid Emulsion every three days, at least 20 minutes after I’ve washed my face to allow my skin’s pH to return to normal.
– The Ordinary’s Glycolic Acid Toner also every three days, typically the day after I’ve used the retinoid.
– A mask once or twice a week. The bubble clay and these sheet masks are my current favorites. Clay or otherwise drying masks are used on my third day of the three day retinoid/glycolic acid cycle.
– The Ordinary’s Caffeine Solution
– CeraVe Moisturizing Cream

Further Tweaking:
I’d like to add some more hydration to my routine. I’ve been eyeing The Ordinary’s Buffet and Rose Hip Seed Oil.
I want to try new toners, even though the one I have now is totally fine.
I also desperately want a sunscreen that isn’t so dry and white.

I think I’m definitely on my way to having a scary intricate routine.
It’s a journey. Where are you on yours?

 

February 2018

Thank you, February, for being like two days long after January lasted for five years.

A Blog Update

I bought a domain! April Speaks is now Grumpy Skin. One of my 2018 goals was to put more effort into my blog. Do you know what motivates you to put more effort into your blog? Spending money on it.

Hopefully this year long subscription is more enjoyable than ipsy.

Nice Life Things

My friend in South Korea sent me some nice sheet masks! I’m reviewing all of them. Be patient.

And, I surprised the boy with an anniversary/Valentine’s date to an unlimited dessert buffet. Feminism is really ruining relationships. Look at how much we’re suffering.

Podcasts

Managed Retreat (Episode 293) by 99% Invisible
What do you do with buildings on the coast when the ocean starts eating up the shoreline?

A Very Fatal Murder by The Onion
Start with episode 1. The ultimate true crime podcast.

Episode 84: Masterpiece by Criminal
Do you ever feel like your crime stories need 100% more poodles? Here you go.

The secrets of church, state and business by Reveal
I had somehow missed the Jehovah’s Witness child sex abuse scandal, so I was glad to be going through the Reveal back catalog this week. I’m no longer avoiding eye contact outside of the train station, I’m glaring.

The story about high speed internet is also worth a listen. The situation in my home town is a bit better than it was growing up, but we’re still leaving the south behind.

The Man Who Ate Everything by Sawbones
I am fascinated, upset, and need to read a biography now. My favorite feeling.

Episode 2: Something Large and Wild by This is Love
Have you guys noticed that I love the podcast Criminal? 2018 is looking up because now they’re making a second podcast about love. Please listen to this. It’s beautiful, unexpected, and makes me miss my aquarium so much.

February 2018 Ipsy Bag

The premise: You give ipsy $10 a month. They send you a somewhat curated bag of makeup. I paid for a year up front and either a) the service is complete trash, or b) they figured they already had my money for a year and they are sending me the stuff no one else wants.

Oh boy, we have some shit to unpack here.

First, this month’s theme is “unzipped”. Because body positivity = about sex. Also body positivity is for EVERYONE that is conventionally attractive and not lumpy. There’s an article titled “Self-Love Starts Here: See Why *Everyone* (Including You) Deserves to Feel Sexy”. I can’t be bothered to click on it, but I feel like they’re negging me. EVEN I DESERVE TO FEEL SEXY.

Let’s see how they’re going to make me feel sexy this month.

What’s in my bag

My only complaint about the bag (other than I would never use it) is that it is described as “blushing pink”. Gross. I am pink with rage or not pink at all.

I traded in points for the eye mask. That will get judged separately later, because it was a choice that I made, rather than something ipsy subjected me to.

Swatches from top to bottom: Seraphine blush, Marsk shadow straight, Marsk shadow applied wet. Left photo is my ungodly bright bathroom. Right is with flash.

SERAPHINE BOTANICALS Lychee + Gold

I actually love peach blushes. I’m so pale that more true pinks make me look like I’m dying of heat stroke. Even this one is a bit much. I am a ghost. Solid job, though, ipsy.

Purchase or pass: It’s $14 and doesn’t have any weird ingredients aside from random fruit extracts. The only reason I’m hesitant is that all of the products say that they’re specially formulated to flatter all skin tones, but the half-assed clicking I did only revealed swatches on a girl as pale as me.

SAND & SKY Brilliant Skin Pink Clay Mask
I am 100% sure that ipsy reads my blog and is trolling me after I yelled about rubbing sand on my face last month. I’ll concede that I think clay masks are okay if you otherwise moisturize your skin well, so I’ll give this a try. Edit: Full review here.

Purchase or pass: A jar of this is $50 and the website looks like a millennial marketing scam.

MARSK Loose Eyeshadow in Foiled Again
This is much better than the last metallic eye shadow they sent me! I wore it (with primer) and it stayed all day without creasing or shedding too much glitter. I haven’t tried a wet application yet.

Purchase or pass: I will never need to wear this much glitter.

BLAQ Meteor Shower
This is the most distressing thing that ipsy has ever sent me. We don’t have the space (lol) here. You will hear about this later. Edit: Full review here.

Purchase or pass: Most. Distressing. Thing.

LUXIE BEAUTY Blending and Shading Eye Brush 249
It’s a brush. Neat.

Purchase or pass: I already own this.

If they had sent anything other than the meteors that I am supposed to throw away, I think I’d be okay with this bag. Weird.

Tell me the most traumatizing thing that ipsy has ever sent you in the comments.

Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Gel

First things first: I did not buy this $50 moisturizer. I got a sample with my Sephora order.

Having said that, I was super excited to try some Drunk Elephant. Skincare nerds love Drunk Elephant.

This moisturizer is terrible.

The first thing I noticed was that it smells pretty strongly of alcohol, which I was not expecting from something that is supposed to moisturize my skin. I looked up the ingredients and they’re mostly the ‘good alcohols‘. That’s nice. I have no idea why it’s such a bad product now.

It’s a gel. Usually gel moisturizers work well with my skin, which tends to be oily. Gels tend to absorb fairly quickly and matte on me. This one left me shiny, and instantly sticky.

I stuck it out for about an hour. Drunk Elephant is a supposedly good brand. Some things need time to sink in. My poor winter skin started feeling drier and drier. I finally gave up on this being a nice experience and slathered my face in my normal Cerave.

And no, I didn’t notice that layering Cerave over this made it work any better. Save your money.

Dermelect Microfacial Exfoliating Masque

Ipsy seems to have caught on to the fact that I’m into face masks. They sent me this one in my January bag. Normally I would do some research before buying and using a product, but I already have it, so on my face it goes.

The back of the tube says that the “MULTI-BRIGHTENING COMPLEX INSTANTLY RESTORES DULL, LACKLUSTER LOOKING SKIN TO LUMINOUS AND RADIANT!” Yes, the tube is shouting at me.

Here is my dull, lackluster skin:

Let’s see what miracles this masque can do for my face.
I dampened my skin, massaged and waited.

It was grittier than I expected. The ingredients listed on the tube are THD ascorbate (vitamin C, what is presumably ~brightening my skin~), kaolin (clay that sucks up oil), and coconut oil (the 12 minute wait is because we’re moisturizing here).

So what’s the grit? I had immediately thrown out the box this came in, so I had to pull the ingredients from ipsy’s website.

Water (Aqua), Kaolin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol,

Pumice

, PEG-40 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Butylene Glycol, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Dimethicone, Titanium Dioxide,Lactic Acid, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Salicylic Acid , Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol,Ethylhexylglycerin, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Limonene, Linalool, Citral.

It’s more pumice than coconut oil. It’s not even a sugar scrub, which I rationalize as being “okay physical exfoliation” because the sugar eventually dissolves. It’s sand-based exfoliation. Baby rocks.

Did I scrape my skin off? Am I more radiant?

Nah, I’m okay. I’m a little less shiny and had to moisturize despite ipsy insisting it didn’t cause “uncomfy dryness”. I’ll use the tube, but do feel the need to shout into the internet void:

KEEP IT OUT OF YOUR EYES AND DON’T SCRUB TOO HARD.

Literal sand.

 

January 2018 Ipsy Bag

For the uninitiated: Ipsy is a monthly beauty bag subscription. You give them $10, and a garbage algorithm decides what leftover lipstick colors you get this month. I bought a year subscription and have to live with my decision until July.

This month’s theme is vaguely sporty. I understand the dry shampoo for gym days, but a contour palette? Okay, ipsy. I’m sure you’re trying to be coherent.

What’s in my bag

First, this is a horrifyingly ugly bag with a horrifying texture. Check out how reflective that stripe is! I’m never using this bag for anything. In the pile it goes.

ABSOLUTE NEW YORK Eye Artiste Single Shadow in Posse

I like shimmery, neutral eye shadow colors. I was hoping for the brown, but ipsy heard me say I liked the pink eye shadow last month and gave me a baby shimmery pink. This eye shadow is not the best for me. It also comes with a straight up insulting applicator. It’s so tiny and awkward.

Purchase or pass: The colors are atrocious. Pass.

ORIBE HAIR CARE Gold Lust Dry Shampoo

The dry shampoo that I bought two years ago is starting to run out, so this is right on time. I clearly don’t use a lot of dry shampoo, but it’s appreciated. It doesn’t leave a weird visible residue in my dark hair. There’s nothing wrong with it. I’ll use it.

Purchase or pass: A 6 oz bottle is $46. It is dry shampoo. I understand luxury make up items are a treat, but luxury dry shampoo? It’s literally for when you don’t want to wash your hair. No.

NYX PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP Lip Lingerie in Satin Ribbon

If you’re going to go for a straight up light beige color, your formula has to be ROCK SOLID.

My lips are heavily moisturized here. Gross.

Purchase or pass: I actually have this lipstick in the darker, more flattering Exotic. It also settles into the lines of your lips, but it has great staying power. I’m convinced this color is in ipsy’s bag because it’s not selling well.

DERMELECT Microfacial Exfoliating Masque

We’ll talk about this one in it’s own post. I’ll give you a disclaimer here, though. It has pumice in it. Don’t make a habit of rubbing sand on your face. That’s a terrible idea.
Purchase or pass: ACTUAL SAND ON YOUR FACE.

CITY COLOR COSMETICS Contour Palette

I’ve never tried to hardcore contour before, but this palette seems pretty good. Two complaints: the middle color is a little orange and the whole thing smells vaguely of sunscreen.

I look downright gaunt. Is that the goal?
Anyway, he’s a swatch where I swear I’ve swatched the white. I’m just really pale.

Purchase or pass: I’m not sure that I need to contour. I’m already pretty pointy. City Color has some good products at affordable prices, though.

A perfectly mediocre haul, yet again. Stay tuned for next month’s post, where I beg ipsy to free me.

December 2017 Ipsy Bag

I was worried DHL ate this one, which would be my luck the month that ipsy finally sent me red lipstick.

Ipsy’s proofreading is still going strong this month, as well. All of my items were consistently capitalized for the second month in a row. Are things looking up?

What’s in my bag

PURLISSE BEAUTY Coconut + Rice Nourishing Sheet Mask AND Green Tea + Ginger Treatment Sheet Mask

I was scared to try this one. Do you remember the mugwort masks? Those stung without having ginger in them. Luckily, the ginger one mostly smelled like green tea and I didn’t die. Weird.

Pros: Smells great, relaxing, is made of the nice thick sheets that I liked instead of the paper thin ones.
Cons: They cost $6 a piece at their cheapest.
Purchase or pass: My sheet mask stash is running low, so I looked into buying them. I can’t justify spending $40 for six sheet masks.

CHELLA Eyebrow Defining Gel
It does absolutely nothing. It’s clear. It has no hold. I thought that maybe I trim my eyebrows too short, so I also tried them on the very patient boy’s. Nothing happened.
Purchase or pass: It’s in the trash now.

Swatches of everything else:

SMASHBOX COSMETICS Be Legendary Lipstick in Legendary
Pros: Is red (middle swatch).
Cons: Do you remember when everyone realized that you could melt crayons into coconut oil and make your own lipstick? I’m pretty sure that’s all this is, even though the ingredients list a bunch of other things. It’s very watery. You need to put a fair amount on to get the nice red color. It immediately feathers. If you blot it, it’s okay? Definitely not legendary.
Purchase or pass: I’m going to experiment with some lip liners before I throw it away.

NYX PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP Faux Blacks Eyeliner in Midnight
I’ve taken all eyeliner off of my ipsy profile despite genuinely wanting to wear it.
Pros: Color is neat. It’s dark without being black, but blue without being that 80’s blue.
Cons: Smudges with my primer. Can’t get crisp lines.
Purchase or pass: Is all eyeliner terrible?

CITY COLOR COSMETICS Shimmer Shadow in It’s A Girl
You know my spirit is broken when my favorite thing in an ipsy bag is metallic pink eye shadow.
Pros: Doesn’t crease with my primer, high color payoff. Shiny.
Cons: Rubs off very easily, even with primer. Pink.
Purchase or pass: The other colors look pretty nice. I really like City Color’s Be Matte lipsticks, so I might buy some of them.

My Current Skincare Routine – November 2017

I’m skeptical of a lot of routine posts. They tend to come just after someone has posted a product haul. It’s not always evident from my posts where I slap weird products on my face with no regards to the consequences, but I genuinely am into skincare.

You can’t work out a skincare routine overnight. You will not immediately know what works for your skin. Sometimes you’ll use a product for months and then realize that it is the actual worst and you’ll have to start over.

The past two years I’ve been through three major cleansers, two short term “fun cleansers”, two major moisturizers, and briefly flirted with chemical exfoliation before backing off. And then there’s, you know, all of the weird stuff.

Those long, multi-step routines are super intimidating. I don’t believe that they help anyone build a routine. So, before I ruin my basic routine with that haul from The Ordinary I’m planning, here is my basic routine that I have spent over a year working out.

Step 1: Go to the dermatologist.
This isn’t always feasible if you don’t have health insurance. If you are an adult with health insurance and the means to go to a dermatologist, but you have not, I am judging you. Get your moles looked at. Get that intense steroid cream for your weird dry patch of skin.

If you’re looking for product recommendations, my skin is both super oily AND prone to dryness. Almost nothing breaks me out.

AM
– Cleanse with konjac sponge and CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser
If you go the physical exfoliation route, make sure that your konjac sponge gets super soft. I got these sponges in February and I’ve still got one or two that are unused.
– Toner 
I’m using Dickinson’s Hydrating toner because Influenster sent me a full sized bottle ages ago. I thought toner would be drying, but my oil didn’t get under control until I started using it. I think the hyaluronic acid is helping to hold in my moisturizer. I have no real evidence for this.
– Eye cream
I’m using a vitamin C cream from TJ Maxx that does nothing for my under eye bags or discoloration. I can’t wait to finish it to use something else.
– CeraVe Moisturizing Cream
GET THE TUB, NOT THE PUMP. It lasts forever.
– Sunscreen if I’m going to be out.
I hate sunscreen. I hate sunscreen so much that I monitor my sun exposure with an app to feel better about not wearing it more often.
– Probably ruin everything I’ve just done with makeup.

PM
– A mask once or twice a week. The bubble clay and these sheet masks are my current favorites.
– Cleanse with konjac sponge and CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser
– Eye cream
– CeraVe Moisturizing Cream