Foil Challenge

[ather]

I know we all talked about this but I need it in writing to hold myself more accountable! I have picked out around 28 foils that I am hoping to get through by the end of Feb. that’s 1 foil a day unless I decide to stack more than one! Here’s what I’ve picked randomly! 

 

[itsfi]

September 2024 Foils - a couple of trips last month upped my monthly foil count, and with it, put me past the 100-foil mark. I have to say I wasn't expecting that to happen as I thought (hoped) I had less than 100 foils to work through. It's all good though, they are getting used. I plan to do inventory before the year is over and donate foils I don't plan to use. @ather 

👍  Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Matte Powder Bronzer is an oldie-but-goodie. I have a healthy collection of powder bronzers to work my way through so it's not something I'd pick up anytime soon.

👍  SEPHORA COLLECTION Booster Face Mask Soothe + Hydrating 1 mask / pack has promise - quick and easy 2-piece that leaves skin lightly hydrated. A nice one to prep the skin before applying makeup.

❤️  Farmacy Honey Halo Ultra-Hydrating Ceramide Moisturizer 1.7/50 is one of those tried-and-true winter moisturizers. 

🐐  Kao Megrhythm Gentle Steam Eye Masks are fantastic for unwinding and are great for when I am dealing with allergies, insomnia or sinuses. Shout out to @missjeanie and her recent haul for reminding me to put these to use. 

👍  I like to pack some supplements like these individual packets of the Bloom Greens & Superfoods Powder (Mango). I try to get in my greens with food but I feel like I fall short of my intake when I'm home, so something like this comes in handy. They're on the sweeter side so I usually mix this with tea, either a black or green tea to sip on while doing my skincare and makeup routine or a chamomile tea while taking off my makeup at the end of the day. 

🐐  Sephora Collection Caffeine Eye Mask are a staple in my mask collection - I loooove these and am sad they've been discontinued. I've stocked up so I'm good for probably a year, so I have time to look for a suitable replacement (or to give the Sephora Collection team time to bring it back ... 😉)

😕  BodyRestore Shower Steamers Aromatherapy are fine enough. I brought thes with me on my recent trip, testing them to see if they'd be a cheaper alternative to the anihana Shower Steamers at Target. These are not bad, and I wouldn't toss them, but I prefer the ones from anihana more - the scents come through more and last longer. I purchased a variety pack fo these BodyRestore ones and have given the other scents away.

Foils Dashboard:

Month-To-Date = 14
Year-To-Date = 109  

Emoji Key: products with a love or above rating are ones I would repurchase (or have already repurchased); "like" items vary depending on what is currently in my stash

🐐= GOAT = Greatest Of All Time (have gone through at least two of the particular product and other comparable items)
😘= Chef’s Kiss = Outstanding - think of this as GOAT status in the making 😉
❤️= Love
👍= Like
😕 = Okay; “It’s fine.”; “meh”
🔬= Undecided = “Still looking into it”
🙊= Not for me / my skin type
🙅🏻‍♀️ = ❌ = “No, non, nein, nyet, …”

[CookieGirl1]

@itsfi Have you tried many iterations of the Kao steam eye masks?  I actually have some sitting in my cart for the next time I place an order but I haven't ever tried them and there appear to be several versions.

[itsfi]

@CookieGirl1, I’ve tried all the versions / scents in the regular line and a couple of the scents in their limited / special edition range. Are there certain scents that you had your eye on or were wondering about? 

[CookieGirl1]

@itsfi I was debating between Rose and Yuzu.  I've also seen that they have Chamomile (not sure if I'd like that or not), Lavender (an absolute No for me) and an unscented (but what's the fun in that?).  Is the scent even that strong on them? 

[itsfi]

@CookieGirl1, the scents from lightest / non existent to strongest are as follows:

• unscented
• chamomile
• rose
• lavender
• yuzu

The ones I picked up recently (a couple months ago) all seemed more lightly fragranced than they have been in the past. The yuzu is noticeable and I would say strong. Not so much that it gives me a headache but it is strong, with previous versions I've used being much stronger. 

Lavender smells like lavender - I don't always like lavender scented things but this was nice - not too much lavender. Rose is very faint and fleeting too, more so than the others. Chamomile I can barely smell - just a hint of herbaceousness. The unscented is a go-to for me - I can see how it wouldn't be fun for many, but I like that it does the job for me, especially when my allergies kick in. 

[CookieGirl1]

Thanks, @itsfi!  Your "ranking" is helpful.  I'm leaning toward Rose since it sounds like it falls in the middle.

[missjeanie]

@itsfi Those steam masks saved me when I had post travel Covid this month! Such a great product to have on hand.  

[itsfi]

They are must haves for me @missjeanie. I've also picked up the other "steam masks" from the brand - one for the back of the neck (or it could be used elsewhere too) and ones for the legs. I've used some cooling ones (from a different brand) for the legs also (at the recommendation of @heartsmyface years ago); these one are warming. As I think about it, having both cooling and warming ones on hand (or to use one after the other) would be great. 

[ather]

@itsfi  Awesome job!  Omg so many of the SC Caffeine eye masks! Hmmm too bad those steamers didn’t live up to the other brand. How often do you use steamers? They feel like such a treat!! 

[itsfi]

@ather, I really only use the steamers when I'm away from home, so they are a treat. Every now and again, I might use one when I'm home but that's pretty rare. There's a certain aromatherapy component about them that's nice when I'm away. When I have home, I have candles and diffusers so I think that suffices for me.

[ather]

@itsfi  that makes sense! You actually gave me an idea! I have been doing a 30 minute restorative yoga before bed every night and I get using the steamer during my yoga might help me relax. I am bad for checking my phone if it dings. But this would force me to relax! Also I think of not to scented I could bring on the plane with me and I may be able to take a nap! 

[itsfi]

@ather, oooouh, using the eye steamer masks or even the ones for the neck / legs would be a nice supplement to a restorative yoga session. At first, I wondered about the eye steamer masks since it covers your eyes, but to the extent you did a pose when your lying on your back, that would be a lovely way to relax and unwind. It's like a sleeping mask for the eyes, but there's a light warming effect. Ahhhh! The yuzu scent is the strongest, but they have a chamomile one that is very light and subtle and an unscented version. I would try using them for restorative yoga or when using the PEMF mat but I'm scared I'd fall asleep - hahaha! 

The shower steamers are a great treat; I wondered if they'd be gimmicky and I think there's a component to it where it's not a need to have but a nice to have product.  

[ather]

@itsfi  Hmmm this is a great idea. Although Friday night I think I fell asleep during yoga  woke up in the middle of the night very confused about what happened. Still not sure. It was good tho! Sleeping on a plane is better if travelling with people. Maybe not if travelling alone!

Shower steamers sound like such a treat!! It’s nice to have something special! 

[itsfi]

@ather,  you must have been very tired. Yeah, I don't like to fall asleep when I'm traveling by myself; the Kindle comes in handy to keep me busy. 📚

[ather]

Here are my foils for September! 14 total. I’m doing good. But I tend to keep finding more hiding around my house!

 

 I enjoyed all but didn't find any loves. I was hoping more for the Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Watch Ya Tone 5% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum with Vitamin C even with multiple foils didn’t notice any difference in my skin. I have a bunch of the SR good genes but I need to ration it because it makes my skin sensitive! 

[itsfi]

We twinned it with our foil usage last month @ather! 😀 I've heard good things about the Fenty serum; do you think you needed more time with it? I laughed when I read your comment about finding more foils around your house - tell me about it! I now have two bins - one for the foils I plan to use / try, and another for the ones that will be donated. 

[ather]

@itsfi  I don’t know. 🤷🏼‍♀️ maybe I didn’t use it long enough to get a clear picture but I also didn’t feel wowed either. The Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum 0.5 oz / 15 ml is in my cart for the fall sale. After hearing your praise it’s been on my radar and when I saw it was finally at Sephora Canada I was so happy! 😀 

I love that you have 2 bins! So smart! I have bags. I have skincare, makeup, hair, masks and scents.  I need to get better at adding the hair ones. Scents are hard for me since my work is scent free. I don’t often go out so I don’t use them as much. The small samples last forever for me. I was giving them away to a friend who loves using scents but she’s declined the last few times. So now they have been sitting. I’ve also been more careful which foils I choose when possible and not choosing scents. But I need a better approach. Maybe another bag for samples I want to donate. 

[itsfi]

@ather, my hope is that with these 2 bins going is that it'll help me be more mindful of how many foils I actually have; in theory, the bin with the foils I'm keeping and working on using should have more in there (though not too much 😂) and that the donation bin either gets emptied with some frequency or stays on the small / minimal side as far as pieces go. Don't get me wrong, I love sampling things but I seem to accumulate so much and don't realize it as early as I should. 

Oh, do you mean the EADEM Milk Marvel Dark Spot Serum with Niacinamide and Vitamin C 1 oz/ 30 mL? I really do love that stuff. I'm getting more into the brand as well. 

[ather]

@itsfi  Oooo good to know. I’ll have to check if that is on the Canadian site too. I just vitamin c and dark spot and got super excited!! 😆 ok just checked and I am very sad. It is not on the site. Maybe it will come soon! The resurfacing one s

is the only one on the site right now. 

[ather]

These are the foils from July/August. 

 

I’ve been adding more acids to my skincare and so far my skin is responding well. I only use like once or twice a week to be safe! 

I enjoyed all of these. And found a new love in the Benifit brow. 

[CorgiMommy]

@ather great use of your foils, I do love the Peel Pads