Sephora

The chemist is Ron Robinson; he’s the owner of BeautyStat (their vitamin C serum was one of the first products the brand launched and is their most popular item). Hailey Bieber sought the advice of several experts in the skincare space before she started Rhode Skin; Ron Robinson was one of those experts. @Ispend2much6

How organized it was. I think this one has the most vendors. LOVED!!

New Diamond Exclusive mega-bag at $180 The purple and teal $80 bags are still up as well And a new App Exclusive deal  

@WinglessOne I did see one suggestion for a company called Barretts, who makes dupes for expensive fragrances. Great idea! I have most of the Atelier fragrances; I forgot about them! One fragrance that came close is L'Eau Hadrien. My bottle is so old it will be interesting to see what it has morphed into.

@sahteenn Aw, I’m sorry—and also annoyed that this advent calendar doesn’t contain what Sephora advertises. I checked the description and it does indeed say “Treat yourself to a daily dose of joy from December 1 through 24 with this advent calendar, containing makeup, skincare, bath, and accessory surprises to discover.” The product you got definitely doesn’t match that description. Sephora needs to change that description on the product details page. (Tagging @SephoraBIC to get some eyes on this.) I know someone who was thinking of spending points to get this for his niece. Thanks to you, I’m about to save him 2500 points. Your experience is definitely helping others!

@Ispend2much6 I saw a shop I follow post about it. She’s located in Seattle.

@Emy10 Sorry you had a reaction to The Ordinary Azelaic Acid 10% Suspension Brightening Cream 1 oz/ 30 mL, though yeah, it sounds like you experienced the same itchy side effect many people get when first using azelaic acid. My first azelaic acid experience years ago was the Paula’s Choice serum. It did make me itchy, but my biggest side effect was lots of purging. My dermatologist had to convince me to give it a second chance, and I’m glad he did! 😅 The itching and purging stopped after maybe 3 weeks of consistent use. I apply azelaic acid to my whole face (except my eye area) twice a day (eh, sometimes I forget in the morning). For me, it’s great at reducing PIH (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation—in my case, dark marks left by acne) and helping BHA clear acne faster. It does also help with the surface redness on and around my nose. My feedback on the 10% azelaic acid serums I’ve used, listed in order of “love it” to “heck no” (your experience may vary, of course): ProductTexturePerformanceKey helper ingredientsPaula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid BoosterCreamSpreads easily, penetrates skin quickly, doesn't leave much of a finish behind. Can pill if overapplied. 0.5% salicylic acid, licorice root, adenosine, allantoin, bisabolol, boerhavia diffusa rootPeach Slices Redness Relief Azelaic Acid SerumLight lotionSpreads very easily, penetrates skin quickly, leaves a slightly hydrated feel. Green tint may help mask some redness. Centella asiatica, spirulina, mugwort, allantoin, arginine; also contains gardenia extract which might bug sensitive skin Facetheory Lumizela A10 Serum (no longer available; it’s been renamed & maybe reformulated) MilkEasiest of these to spread. Leaves an emollient finish, feels kinda moisturizing. Oats, aloe, green tea, rosehip extract (not oil, according to brand)The Inkey List Redness Relief 10% Azelaic Acid Serum CreamSpreads fairly easily, penetrates quickly, leaves my skin feeling dry/matte. Green tint may help mask some redness. Allantoin; also contains 2 forms of gardenia extract which might bug sensitive skinSkinfix 2% BHA Acne Spot Treatment CreamModerate spreadability (to be fair, it's meant as a spot treatment). Pilled so badly on me, I had to wet-wipe it off my skin—so I can't say what kind of finish it leaves behind. 2% salicylic acid, kaolin clay, green tea, niacinamide, licorice root, zinc PCA #Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Booster for Redness Relief 1 oz / 30 ml is what I still use each night. On most mornings, I use the Peach Slices serum. The Paula’s Choice serum works best for my reactive mostly-dry combo skin, thanks to its anti-inflammation helper ingredients. At some point, I might start Rx-strength azelaic acid. When that happens, I’ll probably use the Rx in the morning and keep using the Paula’s Choice serum at night. The Facetheory serum was really nice on very cold windy winter mornings; it’s so emollient, it helped keep my skin from chapping/flaking. Facetheory has renamed it to Blemicalm Azelaic Acid 10% Clarifying Serum and at first glance, the INCI list looks like the old formula—but now I see they list rosehip oil instead of extract, which is good. (Pretty sure the old formula did use rosehip oil, otherwise it wouldn’t feel so emollient.) I keep thinking I’ve tried The Ordinary’s azelaic acid serum, but I never took notes on it. Hmm… I do remember it having a very silicone film feeling, so maybe I’ve tried a tester on the back of my hand before. If you liked the way that serum felt on your skin, then I see no harm in trying it again vs. trying something different.

@faeriegirl That neck cream sounds like it would make a good eye cream. One time I was using Biossance Squalane + Peptide Brightening & De-Puffing Eye Gel 0.5 oz / 15 mL as a facial serum; those bottles look so much alike I didn't notice what I was doing. However, it made my skin look really good!

@heartsmyface It catches me off guard how it seems like covid starts in late spring and it just doesn't stop until the next spring. Hopefully this year will be different. And I'm very glad you have antibodies.