The Experimentation Thread

[greeneyedgirl107]

What products are you currently experimenting with?  It could skincare, makeup or hair.  It could be a tool or a technique.  It could be a foil or full sized product.

This thread is meant to give us a place to chat about things we are using *right now*.  Maybe it's something you just tried once and loved right away, or something you aren't sure about until you use it some more - but you want to post about it while you're experimenting.

[CynthieLu]

A product I'm currently experimenting with is, #Supergoop! Daily Dose Hydra-Ceramide Boost + SPF 40 Sunscreen Oil PA+++ 1 oz/ 30 mL 

I tried it out in store first, I used my regular skin care on the back of my hand and tested it out over top. ( To check for pilling, how it absorbed and if I liked the way it felt)

I liked it, it absorbed quickly and didn't feel gross like regular sunscreen 😋 no pilling etc..

The tricky part, I found after using it on my face is that I dosent work as well as I would like with my make up. (And it can pill easily if I use things other than in my basic routine)

I like it, it makes my skin feel good, hydrated and ceramides work so well on my skin and it's redness and sensitivities.

I'm trying to find the right primer combo to work with it so my eye make up *especially my brows* go on smoothly and easily. I love so many things about this, but it might be ideal for days I don't wear make up and stick with #Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40 PA+++ 2.5 oz/ 73.9 mL for make up days  🤔

[greeneyedgirl107]

I finally bought shu uemura Mini Essence Absolue Nourishing Protective Oil 1 fl oz/ 30 mL .  The first time I used it I felt like it totally transformed my hair.  It was glossier, sleeker and softer than I ever could have imagined.  It didn't even look like my hair.  I used it again yesterday and now my hair looks like it usually does.  I figured the first time would a one-off.  Disappointing!  I think what's also  frustrating me is that I'll only be able to try it one more time before I have to return it due to the 30 day return policy.

[CynthieLu]

That's such a bummer @Anonymous7 Why do products behave like that? 😭

And you didn't do anything different? 

[greeneyedgirl107]

@CynthieLu I didn't do anything differently.  I guess it's just the difference between the stars aligning for a really, really go hair day the first time I used it...and things just being the same the next time I used it.  I wish I hadn't had that really good hair day, though - it set up unrealistic expectations!  

[CynthieLu]

Awww that's no fun, it did give you unrealistic hopes now @Anonymous7 It's like a Unicorn 🦄 mysterious, magical and never seen again.

It'll be even more confusing thou, if you give it a third try and it.. works 😮

[greeneyedgirl107]

@CynthieLu you are quite right!  🦄 🎩 🪄 🔮 ✨️ 🦄 

[Mellmars1185]

@Anonymous7 Hmm, were there different factors the first time you used it? Did the formula change, maybe?

[greeneyedgirl107]

@Mellmars1185 I can't think of anything that would have changed.   The bottle of hair oil is the same one.

[heavyhedon]

@greeneyedgirl107 -- I am experimenting, both with a particular product and a type of product-- liner pens, whatever you want to call them. To me, they're all markers. 

 I've been using eyeliner of all sorts (pencil, cake, liquid pots, creme, powder, press-ons, etc) for 42 years, but these are difficult for me. Each new brand requires some work to get used to. If they had been available when I was 20, I'm sure I'd be a pro by now, but they weren't back then. I didn't try one till I was around 50 and my eyes are shifting downward, becoming hooded, etc, and it's a new world using any kind of liner, much less these markers! Funny thing is, I'm not bad using them on other people-- it's just on me that I have a hard time with application.

 At first I was too tentative with them, and I think I used up 2 without ever getting both eyes to match up enough to leave the house! Which is another point, in that my eyes used to appear more even/matched, but there are subtle differences in slant/length that have become more noticeable over time; I always had to even them out a bit by adjusting the liner, now it's a bigger adjustment. Markers just take more work with that issue. I keep getting them in my Ipsy bag so I have put in some dedicated practice time, gotten bolder with the starting process, bought one I liked the look of on purpose, and now can use them with care. It still takes me longer than other forms of liner, but I want to get proficient at least. I watch tutorials but even the ones for hooded eyes are only so much use. 

 Right now, using two new ones: Araceli, which is not bad so far, and Estate, which I dislike. And I have developed a preference for the larger tips, which help give my hands more control. Estate seems sort of runny and too thin, and tends to smear when you wipe some away to sharpen the line. 

[greeneyedgirl107]

@heavyhedon That sort of eyeliner always seemed tricky to me, so I've never tried them.  I wish the best of luck with them, though!  Let us know how it continues to go.  I totally agree that each one would present it's own challenges.

[greeneyedgirl107]

Just yesterday I tried a new hair oil, OGX Renewing Argan Oil of Morocco Penetrating Oil.  I tried it b/c it was won Allure's Reader's Choice Awards for hair oil.  To my surprise, I really liked it.  I didn't flat iron my hair b/c it's been so humid out, so my hair was especially stressed-looking.  This really smoothed it - especially the ends.  I'm not in love with the bottle, as too much comes out at once.  But this got my thinking, are there any other good drugstore hair oils out there?  Looking back, I've only ever tried prestige brands.

[greeneyedgirl107]

I've been wanting to experiment more, but haven't truly needed to buy any more skincare.  So, inspired by an old thread on BIC, I decided to shop my stash.

I started with old hair oils.  I fished out my ALTERNA Haircare Bamboo Smooth Kendi Oil Pure Treatment Oil 1.7 oz/ 50 mL as I had turned my back on my usual hair oils.  I guess the texture was about the same, and at first I thought I had re-discovered an old love.  Unfortunately, this isn't robust enough for the condition my hair is in now since it's so long.  Maybe once I finally get a significant cut I can try this again.

I tried my sample of Olaplex No. 7 Bonding Hair Oil 1 oz/ 30 mL again.  The first time I used it I was very underwhelmed.  I liked it better this time around, but again I needed something with more oomph.  If you are looking for a lighter oil, or one that is on the thinner side, then I rec checking this out.

As for skincare, I tried adding The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL into my nighttime routine, and this time I'm loving it.  My skin has gotten dry, and I wasn't sure if it was dry or dehydrated or both.  Either way, I'm waking up to more supple skin in terms of look and texture.  Even using this twice a day!

I've been dragging my feet on getting more peptides onto my skin.  I started by using The INKEY List Collagen Booster Firming Peptide Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL and while it got a bit much applying it after TIL hyaluronic acid, I did feel like I was doing right by my skin.  I got greedy, and tried my The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum b/c I had read on BIC it's really good for peptides - I mean, they're right up there on the ingredient list.  I bought mine in October or so, and put it aside for various reasons b/c I wasn't impressed right out of the gate.  It's thicker and tackier than I remembered.  The tackiness wasn't a deal breaker, though.  I used it last night again, and I woke up with some red spots on my cheek.  To be fair, they mostly went away by the end of the day.  Still, I will be more conservative with trialing this in the future.  

If anyone has an peptide recs, please let me know.  I prefer light formulations, but am all ears about anything.

[WinglessOne]

Oh, I’m glad this thread got bumped! I’ll post a few updates on items from my last post: 

SOBEL SKIN Rx 4.5% Retinol Night Treatment - I got about 3/4 through the bottle before I switched to a different retinoid a couple weeks ago. Overall, I liked it. I can definitely say it’s effective: I saw noticeable results faster after 5 months of this product than I did with a 1.3 years of The Inkey List Retinol. That doesn’t mean TIL Retinol is ineffective (it’s not), it just means the Sobel Skin retinol works faster. I’m very glad I started with TIL Retinol and built up to nightly tolerance to it; this made transitioning to the Sobel Skin retinol very easy. I did experience some irritation with this one—mostly because… 

I started The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Hyperpigmentation Treatment 1 oz/ 30 mL too soon after boosting Sobel Skin retinol usage from 4-5 nights a week to nightly. 🤦‍♀️ The result was EXTREMELY painful skin. EXTREMELY: lots of redness, massive peeling on my oily zone and cheeks (I’m talkin’ “did you recently get a glycolic acid peel done at a doc’s office” peeling), occasional hives, super fun swelling under my eyes, and skin so sensitive to touch I couldn’t even gently wipe a wet Makeup Eraser across it without severe stinging/burning pain. And look, kids, this is why you do not want a broken skin barrier. It took my skin 5 weeks to heal, once I stopped using everything except cleansers, a very simply formulated licorice root serum, and thick balms as moisturizers (Aquaphor Ointment and CeraVe Healing Ointment). I restarted retinol a couple weeks later, cutting back to just 1-3 nights a week temporarily. I haven’t restarted tranexamic acid yet because I’m very gun-shy about it now. 😬 

The INKEY List Peptide Moisturizer 1.7 oz/ 50 mL - At first, it worked quite well. But eventually my skin decided “eh, it’s about as effective as any other shea butter moisturizer for me”: middle of the road, no plushly hydrated feel, and definitely not moisturizing enough for cold weather. Shea butter’s a great moisturizing ingredient for many people but, for some reason, my skin’s always just kinda meh about it. I think this moisturizer’s a better option for someone whose skin loves shea butter. 

Oh, and @ShortErica : the jar is reusable, hooray! 

[ShortErica]

Thanks for letting me know @WinglessOne! Hopefilly it works with the Florida weather and my fairly "normal" skin. I picked it and The INKEY List Ceramide Hydrating Night Treatment 1 oz/ 30 mL for my birthday order 😊

[greeneyedgirl107]

@WinglessOne Oh my!  What a terrible skin situation.  Glad you're on the mend!

[CookieGirl1]

My hair needs HELP.  Therefore I'm actually having fun trying new hair products--I just ordered Olaplex 3 for the first time so fingers crossed that it ends up being "worth the hype" for me 🙂

[greeneyedgirl107]

@CookieGirl1 Trying new products can be fun - it gives me a reason to shop, experiment, etc.  However, I do get stressed when I "have" to find a new product - like if I'm having a problem beauty-wise.  Best wishes!

[CookieGirl1]

@greeneyedgirl107 thankfully it isn't a problem that I feel like I need an instant "fix" for. Sooner would be better than later but in the meantime I'll have fun playing :-).

[greeneyedgirl107]

@CookieGirl1 Glad to hear you can focus on the fun part!!!

[Titian06]

@CookieGirl1 - My fingers are crossed! 🤞 I know how hard it is to find a good hair product.  Best wishes! 💖💖💖