Magical May Hauls 2024 🎩✨

[CynthieLu]

My oh my, May is here! 🌱🌸 It's time to show off all the magical must haves you picked up this month.

Let's give our hauls a moment to sparkle and shine! ⭐

🎉And of course a huge shout out to all the May Birthday Beauties! 🎉

Wishing you all the most magical month. 🎈🎁

May also holds a special day for all the Mama's, Aunts, Grand Mama's, and all the ladies who play a special role to the kiddo's in thier lives. 💝 Happy Mother's Day to all of you! 💝

If you are pampering anyone this month, we'd love to see what you've picked out. 🫶

Happy Haulin! 🛍️ 

[makeitup305]

@jaaayp I went full out and got the 300 lol I was thinking of just using it once a week as like an intensive treatment. 

[jaaayp]

DANG GURL @makeitup305 lemme know how that goes.. I dont love the feeling of 100 so omg. New level of respect rn LOL

[makeitup305]

@jaaayp I've been using it every 3 days or so and don't love the feeling but I can deal. I don't get any irritation but it does slightly feel like I'm rubbing tiny crystals on my face. I got some slight sensitivity putting it under a retinol serum but nothing serious. I just picked up the Retin-A one to incorporate into my routine as well. Idk if I've noticed any great improvement but we'll see.

[jaaayp]

Oooh ooooh OOOOOOHHH. I'm so tempted. I just repeated to myself "no buy June" @makeitup305 😂😂😂 I mean I have 2 bottles of the cica reedle 100 so I'm gonna just wait to finish them up.

Idk @makeitup305 I think you just have great skin already... since I've started using the 100, I am noticing significant improvement in speed/appearance on the acne scars (I swear I get them every that time of the month 🙄)

[makeitup305]

@jaaayp I used it under a retinol serum the other day and I thought it was fine but ended up breaking out the two days later. I'm a serious picker so now I'm in "fix it" mode. I've got a big scab on my chin and a smaller on my cheek. It was definitely my bad, I got greedy lol I'm just going to pair it with some essences and hydrating serums in the future. 

[curlychiquita]

Neat, @jaaayp! I hadn’t heard of this product.

[jaaayp]

It's new to me too @curlychiquita ! My friend recommended it last month and I haven't dropped it since (except when I go for facials, I stop use for about a week or so). Lemme know your thoughts if you end up trying! 

[CookieGirl1]

@jaaayp Great find!  I have the Reedle 100 and I kind of like the sensation but I don't notice that it's actually doing anything for me.  I'm happy that it's working out well for you!

[jaaayp]

Whaaaa @CookieGirl1 really? Your skin doesn't feel smoother?!?!?

I noticed the smoothness the day after my first use. After a week or so, I noticed that my acne scars lightened significantly (in combination of my TULA Skincare Brightening Treatment Drops Triple Vitamin C Serum 1 oz / 30 ml ) I've been using the Tula for more than 2 months now so I know the boost of brightening/fading was from the reedle.

What were you expecting to achieve? It's an essence so it kinda boosts what serum you're using with it 🤔

[CookieGirl1]

@jaaayp Maybe it's because I have enough other actives in my routine that the Reedle isn't enough to really make a difference.  I use Tret most days of the week and sprinkle in my Good Genes here and there when I feel like it; I also use niacinamide and a low-strength AHA/BHA toner in the mornings.  I've tried pairing all of those with the Reedle and don't see that it really changes how my skin looks or feels (texturally) afterward although again--I kinda like the sensation of using it.

[jaaayp]

Oooh @CookieGirl1 what's tret? It seems like you're doing a lot of exfoliating already! I haven't exfoliated since I started to use my PMD at home. I stopped for 2 weeks or so and used the reedle and it's been drastically noticeable for me! Plus, the amount of lightning I'm seeing from the reedle is crazy too (with the same tula vitamin c). Maybe it's a placebo effect... tingle = magic 🎩 ✨️ 💛 ? 😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣

[CookieGirl1]

@jaaayp I'm happy that it's working so well for you!  It's definitely an interesting/fun product.  I'd be tempted to try one of the stronger ones just to see if it would make more of a difference.

*Tret = Tretinoin (prescription retinol)

[itsfi]

@jaaayp, VT is such a wonderful brand.  I love that multi-mask pack - great to hear you do too. Yaaay! It’s my favorite multi-mask  pack and the one I’ve repurchased most often. 💚💚💚I’ve hesitated on using the VT Reedle because I’m not sure how well my skin would respond - it’s more on the sensitive side and particularly so at the moment but I’ve heard so many great results. 

[jaaayp]

Whaaaa @itsfi ! It's first purchase for meee. I've used it twice now and I definitely see reduced redness the next day. Magic 🎩 🪄 🔮 ✨️!!!! Have you tried VT collagen line...? I'm so tempted to buy/try but I just bought 2 packs of the cica so I'm gonna hold off for now.... 🫠🥲

Also, I can definitely see that... the reedle does come in lower dosage tho like 50? Maybe you can try and return immediately if you notice anything (yay for amazon lol) but I do remember you said retinol and your skin aren't bffs and it definitely tingles more than retinol so maybe not? 🥲

[itsfi]

@jaaayp, I have the VT 3-step cica collagen mask, with the sheet mask being step 2; if that works out well, the VT collagen multi-mask pack may be a future purchase. I decided to try the one sheet first to see how it performs. Right now, I'm using the Mediheal collagen ampoule toner pads like a sheet mask on certain parts of my face - they're square pads that you can use for the toner step or as a 5-10 minute sheet mask. 

If I'm remembering right, I have all of the different dosages of the VT reedles, or at least 3 or 4 of them, but my skin has been sensitive with allergies so I'll wait until it's in a better place before trying it. Slight tingles are fine for me, most of the time - I've used pretty heavily concentrated dosages of acids, but if it contains retinol (which I didn't think it did), that would be a no for me. If it just tingles, I can probably test it on a small part of my face to see how it fares, and start with the lowest dose. I've tried low concentration of retinol and didn't feel any tingling or stinging from it (weird, huh), but my skin just responds negatively to it. Hmmm... I may do some more research about the VT reedle.

[jaaayp]

Oooh. Now I'm gonna go on Amazon to look at the MediHeal... 😂😂😂 do you love it? I'm starting to collect more products with collagen in it (notice how I said collect and not use...🤣) got it, I think VT specifically says to patch test before applying so that's smart @itsfi does skin reaction mean like.. dryness? Breakout? 

[itsfi]

lol, dare I ask what collagen beauties you've collected so far, @jaaayp? Doooo tell. 

I try to patch test whenever I can because the skin on my face can be very finicky - it can be so high maintenance, I tell ya 🤣! For retinol, my skin gets really dry and raw and red. I know to some degree that is to be expected with retinol but my reaction lasts longer than it should - I've tried different concentrations, not using it every day, layering it between moisturizing products, etc. and it doesn't help. After a while, it's been agreed with my dermatologists that retinol and my face do not make a good match. 

[jaaayp]

LOL so far I have and used the Elemis Pro-Collagen Firming Retinol Alternative Renewal Serum 0.5 oz / 15 ml (I really love this... which is bad because this is pricey and im not rich enough for this. oh and look! It's retinol alternative 😉) and I have the beekman collagen booster. I use these two alternatively and my skin definitely feels firmer (either that or my face is getting fatter and plumper). Thank God both of these are boosters and only need a few drops vs a whole dropper!

I was just gifted the Paula's Choice Pro Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster for Firmer, Smoother Skin 0.67 oz / 20 mL which I haven't opened yet (I honestly think it'll take me forever to go through the two boosters above so may need to give this away)

Ahhh. It makes sense. I think I mildly know what it's like because as you said, it's somewhat normal at a low level. I do get mild dryness and redness which is why I only use retinol at night if I know I won't be wearing makeup the following day! I usually slap on the LANEIGE Cica Sleeping Mask and find that that helps a lot or the following day, I use the Tower 28 Beauty SOS Daily Skin Barrier Redness Recovery Moisturizer 1.86 oz / 55 ml . Well, it's great either way tho because there are so many retinol alternatives now!

[WinglessOne]

@jaaayp  I’m glad VT Cica Reedle 100 has worked so well for you! I won’t be buying it anytime soon for myself though, because: 

Spoiler

I’m waiting for more scientific studies and clinical data on the marine sponge “microdarts” (spicules) it contains. I was worried about them causing a foreign body reaction over time because they’re very hard to break down (I’ve seen that happen to a friend, but not due to this ingredient/product), and the only studies I could find weren’t conducted for a long enough time to rule out the possibility. I asked my derm about it and he has the same concerns. (His answer was basically “just schedule a microneedling appointment. That’ll be safer for now.”) Then I watched Mo Skin Lab’s video about this product (Mo’s a toxicologist) and yeah, I’ll hold off until more research data’s available. 

That doesn’t mean you or anyone else shouldn’t use this product though. 🙂 Anyone planning to use it should be careful about which products you layer over it. I saw someone comment elsewhere that microneedling’s not a big thing in South Korea, where they have products like this one instead. So I’d think of VT Cica Reedle like a microneedling session: maybe don’t apply strong actives after using it. Anyway, I hope it keeps working great for you! 

Aren’t multipacks of sheet masks great? That’s one of the reasons I love LuLuLun masks. I need to check VT’s cica mask ingredients again. I wanted to try them a few years ago, but back then they contained an ingredient my skin doesn’t like. They might’ve been reformulated since then, so I’ll take another look. Centella asiatica’s a great ingredient for inflammation-prone skin and one my skin’s best friends. I hope you like those masks when you try them! 

[jaaayp]

Oooh, is your skin very sensitive @WinglessOne ? I know some skins and certain ingredients don't mix very well at all. My skin tends to tolerate most, I've never had a bad reaction yet (I think?). Please tell me more about lululun! I'll google as well hehe 😉 

I can definitely understand your concerns. I actually did a bit of research before purchasing because I don't buy into the hype most of the time.

I have seen some dermatologist refer to it as "torture weapon" which made me stop listening, not gonna lie, felt like they were doing it for the views. Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinions and views and I am NOT encouraging anyone to buy, just sharing my thoughts.

• I can definitely understand your concerns about "microdarts", I read into this too but I kind of think of it as majority of the makeup I use every day has microplastic but I continue to use them. So.... oh well... 😂
• I also actually looked at their research from Jan 2023 to Feb 2023 (the one i found was all korean). Definitely not long enough to show long term effects on absorption but long enough to show that it doesn't clog pores and safety and allergic reactions which came out to 0%
• I also searched the lab they used, it's a reputable lab used by Laniege.
• Korean skincare are more stringent than US (honestly. Let's be honest, US probably has the most leniency when it comes to consumer safety. I still have PTSD from GrandeLash lawsuit 😂)

That being said, there can always be bribing or fraud or whatever may be.. but considering that this is #1 seller in Korea and Koreans don't tolerate "fake news" I thought I should give it a try.

I can only hope that I don't die and enjoy my skin in the meantime LOL

[WinglessOne]

@jaaayp  Yeah, that short study wasn’t convincing enough to make me try VT Reedle. I’ll put the following rambling into a spoiler tag because it’s kinda long 😂 : 

Spoiler

It’s good that Reedle didn’t cause allergic reactions in the study, though I wouldn’t expect it to anyway based on its INCI list. Eh, I don’t know how many people are truly allergic to centella asiatica or anything else in this product. I don’t care much about “non-comedogenic” claims in any skincare product because in the US (and probably some other countries), that’s usually based on a comedogenic scale, which itself is based on a problematic decades-old study done on rabbit ears, not human skin. (That study drove a lot of “petrolatum clogs pores” misinformation, among other things.) 

Oh, I put “microdarts” in quotes because that’s not really what’s in VT Reedle; it’s just the closest approximation I could think of to explain what the marine sponge spicules are supposed to do in this product. (VT calls them “hydrolized sponge,” not “spicules.”) I mean, those spicules aren’t plastic. I have no problem with things like microdart pimple patches, aside from wondering if they do actually deliver ingredients deeper into skin. The microdarts in those patches are usually made of things like salicylic acid and hyaluronic acid, and they’re designed to dissolve in the epidermis layer of skin. 

VT claims the sponge spicules in Reedle won’t go any deeper than the epidermis, no matter how hard you rub Reedle into your skin. If that’s true, then they should eventually slough off your face along with dead skin cells during your skin turnover cycle. And to be fair, foreign body reactions aren’t a common thing in skincare. Still, I think more (and longer) study is warranted. 

And if Reedle really doesn’t dive deeper than the epidermis, then I’m not convinced it’s going to help any ingredients that do need to get down into the dermis layer. Ascorbic acid immediately springs to mind: it can boost collagen, but not if it doesn’t get to the dermis. Then again, I’m not sure I’d want to apply an ascorbic acid serum after Reedle… I imagine my skin would feel too sensitive at that point, though I tolerate ascorbic acid just fine. It’d be like applying ascorbic acid right after microneedling, which my skin wouldn’t like. 

But I can see benefits for tyrosinase inhibiting ingredients like kojic acid and alpha arbutin, which ideally should reach the bottom of the epidermis layer to be most effective. Ascorbic acid’s also a tyrosinase inhibitor, so there’d still be some Reedle benefit for those of us battling hyperpigmentation. But it probably won’t help ascorbic acid get deep enough to boost collagen. 

There’s a YouTube video I’ve watched about 1/3 of (will watch the rest later) by someone interviewing an employee of VT’s product development team… skimming my Watch Later list… ah, the content creator is “EuniUnni” (someone whose videos I’ve never watched aside from part of this one, so I can’t vouch for her ability to be impartial and whatnot) and the video title is “VT answered all your questions for VT REEDLE SHOT: elimination, how to's, do's & don'ts, more!” It’s always good to hear a brand’s explanations of their own products. 

tl;dr: Reedle sounds promising to me as a hydration and anti-hyperpigmentation booster, but not a collagen production booster. And before I use it on my particular skin, I need to see more scientific data. 🙂

Lululun is a Japanese skincare brand. Many of their sheet masks are sold in resealable multi-sheet pouches. I especially love their “Premium Series” (aka “Travel Series”) sheet masks, which are based on ingredients from different regions of Japan and Hawaii. I’m a longtime fan of the peach, watermelon, green tea, and strawberry masks. Also love their cherry sheet mask. My skin is quite reactive/inflammation-prone: just rubbing with my hands can make it flare red and welt up, and my facial skin hates nearly all essential oils, too many fragrance components (limonene, linalool, etc.) in a single product, and any form of lavender. Actually, lavender’s my skin’s number one nemesis. Lululun has a lavender sheet mask I obviously can’t use 😅. I also won’t use their citrus or lemon sheet masks. I’m sure they’re lovely for folks whose skin tolerates ‘em, though.