Monthly Favorites: January 2021 Edition!

[GeorginaBT]

Hope your year is off to a fabulous start, BIC! Is it just me, or did January fly by? 👀 At the beginning of the new year, I cracked open a couple new beauty buys that I instantly fell in love with and am now shouting out below, along with some oldies-but-goodies. The Beauty Insider Community wants to hear from you – what beauty products have you been loving this month? Share any makeup, skincare, hair, fragrance, or wellness faves that stood out the most.

Here are my January favorites:

• adwoa beauty Baomint™ Leave In Conditioning Styler 14 oz/ 414 mL 🌿
• DIOR Rouge Dior Refillable Lipstick 💄
• Shiseido Urban Environment Oil-Free UV Protector Broad Spectrum Face Sunscreen SPF 42 ☀️
• Tatcha Camellia Gold Spun Lip Balm 0.21 oz/ 6 g 🌟
• Youth To The People Adaptogen Deep Moisturizing Cream with Ashwagandha + Reishi Mushroom 2 / 59 🍄

Hit the “Reply” button below and tag your favorite beauty products from the month of January! Remember to type the “#” symbol before each product so other members can click on your favorites for more info.

[Ispend2much6]

I found a few more favorites! 

First off, the Sephora Hydrating Lip Balm.  I never thought I could love a $5 item so much!  All of the shades are sheer and would probably work on all.  The texture is lightly tacky, so it stays on and continually hydrates my lips.  I had trouble with lip peeling and this really helped.

I changed the way I apply The Ordinary's Hyaluronic Acid 2% and B5.  I read that leaving your face damp before you apply it will help it to actually seal in the moisture instead of drying the skin out by pulling it out of the skin.  Seems to work!  And, it plays really well Josie Maran's Whipped Argan Oil Face Butter.  My skin is soothed and hydrated.

Saturday Skin's Pretty Pop Probiotic Power Whipped Cream.  It applies and soaks in like a dream.  Something made my pores clog by this a.m., a day after I paired it with The Ordinary, so maybe they are better apart. It has a light citrus scent.

[michelleshops]

I’m crawling out of the pile of blankets I’ve been under for the past 10 months to share my favorites and try to get back into the BIC groove! Please excuse my grungy desk.

Sol de Janeiro Mini Brazilian Bum Bum Visibly Firming Refillable Body Cream 2.5 oz/ 75 mL This has been saving my cranky, crusty elbows this winter. 

The INKEY List Succinic Acid Acne Treatment 0.5 oz/ 15 mL I bought this on a whim and it works so well on my occasional spots.  I wear it speeds up time and cuts the lifecycle of a pimple from a week to a day or two.  

SEPHORA COLLECTION PRO Foundation Brush #70 I use this for both powder and liquid foundations and I get a smooth, even finish all the time. It's super quick too!

SEPHORA COLLECTION PRO Foundation Brush #56 I love this as a foundation brush but lately I've been using it for my less pigmented blushes and it gives a lovely finish.  It evenly applies more product that my wispy blush brush.

PAT McGRATH LABS FetishEyes™ Lengthening Mascara 0.27 oz/ 8 mL I received this in gratis sometime last year but only recently opened it and am way behind the rest of the world.  It makes my lashes full and longer but not super dramatic.  Perfect for a mid-day zoom call.

Devinah Cosmetics single shadows in Frission (matte gray), Moonlit (super sparkly silver) and Phalax (a greenish silver).  I've loved all my Devinah shadows but these are so beautiful and unique.  I suggest checking them out, especially if you're into multichromes!

 

[Ispend2much6]

@michelleshops   I appreciate the review of the Sephora Pro brushes.  I have my eye on a couple of them.

[faeriegirl]

Bum bum cream is one of my favorites too @michelleshops!💛

[michelleshops]

I was such a hater when it came out @faeriegirl but it's so good.  The smell, the formula, all of it, A+! 

[faeriegirl]

January favorites💖

 The TF palette and CT spray came in my Beautylish lucky bag and they are so good. I’ve been mixing a few drops of YTTP glow oil into the Skinfix barrier repair moisturizer and it has been the best combo for my dry skin this winter. I absolutely love the Dermapore. I can’t believe how much it gets out of my pores. 

[michelleshops]

I forget where I first saw that you can mix an oil in your moisturizer (I use one in my serum) but it's such a game changer!  Great favorites @faeriegirl 

[Ispend2much6]

I also purchased this Epic Professional Wet Brush.  I always have tangles in my hair, wet or dry, any time of day (curly hair that is fine, frizzy and dry, and straightens when I grow it out.)

I just tried this on my dry hair, and it slid right through my hair!  And I only lost one hair while brushing, instead of several (or more some days.)

[Ispend2much6]

I'm always on the lookout for products that will help my dry skin.  This month I discovered two winners!

REN Clean Skincare Evercalm™ Overnight Recovery Balm   and Avene Skin Recovery Cream Riche.

The REN Evercalm balm worked well overnight, first application, to alleviate the itchy skin on my face. The tube in my photo is a sample size.  It has a mild herbal scent and the consistency of Vaseline.  A slight amount of it remained on top of my skin and I could feel it on my face the next morning.

The Avene Recovery Cream is miraculous!  It is unscented and spreads easily.  My skin immediately absorbed it, even though it's a thick cream.  The tube is very well-made, as it prevents any air from entering through its valve-like dispenser.  There is a little circular valve over the opening that pops up when you press the tube to dispense the cream.  You have to press gently or too much will dispense, but it's not a deal breaker for me.  I could see using this as a night or day cream.

[Princesskat1996]

Ooh! My favorites for the winter times are LANEIGE Cica Sleeping Mask for Moisture Barrier Support LANEIGE Lip Glowy Lightweight Hydration Balm with Shea Butter LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask Intense Hydration with Vitamin C and MILK MAKEUP Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil Hydrating Face Mask cause skincare is what I love and live for!

[eshoe]

That sleeping mask lasts forever, @Princesskat1996! 

[Princesskat1996]

@eshoe ooh! That’s good to know! Thanks!

[eshoe]

@Princesskat1996 @I’ve been struggling to finish a FS jar for over a year now😂 It’s a good thing, though!

[anastasiagee]

My current favourites are all skincare since we can't really go out for a while... My skin is loving The INKEY List Q10 Antioxidant Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL  (SO good for dry winter weather, literally a game changer), the Biossance Squalane + 10% Lactic Acid Resurfacing Serum 1.01 oz / 30 mL  (gentle, effective overnight exfoliant *chef's kiss*), and the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Ultra-Fine Mist 2.53 oz/ 75 mL (LOVE this for setting all of my skincare or sometimes even just over top of my makeup). I'm really focusing on streamlining my skincare routine instead of buying a crap ton of products I never end up using. The Q10 is definitely a game changer and probably my number one baby and a life saver for the cold, dry winter. 

[eshoe]

@anastasiagee the GR most has the most delicious scent!!

[WinglessOne]

D’oh, I almost forgot to post some favorites! Just a small group this time, and it’s all skincare. 

Avene RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream - Last year, my dermatologist recommended this 0.1% retinaldehyde* product. It contains inflammation-reducing evening primrose oil (a great source of linoleic and gamma-linolenic fatty acids) and is bolstered by peptides. It’s emollient enough to evenly spread a pea-sized amount across my whole face with no trouble. I switched to this from Sobel Skin 4.5% Retinol (retinol + granactive retinoid) about a month ago, and I’ve gradually ramped up to nightly use. It’s working well for me so far, and my skin hasn’t thrown a dry scaly tantrum at it. 

*About retinaldehyde vs. retinol vs. tretinoin: 

Spoiler

Our skin cells can’t use topically applied vitamin A unless it’s in retinoic acid form. Tretinoin is retinoic acid, so our cells don’t have to convert it. Retinaldehyde is the precursor to retinoic acid: it requires one conversion by our cells. Retinol requires two conversions. All 3 retinoids are effective for wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and acne! They just work at different paces. 

Studies of retinaldehyde show it delivers results faster than retinol, with less irritation than tretinoin. One study shows 0.05% retinaldehyde is as effective as 0.05% tretinoin. (Heh, I bet that study gets cited a lot.) Since I wasn’t sure my inflammation-prone skin would ever tolerate tretinoin beyond the typical adjustment period, my derm wanted me to try a retinaldehyde (once my skin had gotten used to nightly retinol). So far, so good! 

Avene also makes a 0.05% RetrinAL product. I jumped straight to 0.1% because I'm not a total retinoids noob and my skin had already adjusted to nightly use of that scary-sounding (but quite effective) Sobel Skin retinol. I'm watching for any signs of hyperpigmentation relapse, now that I've switched retinoids. Meanwhile, if anyone new to retinoids is considering retinaldehyde, I recommend starting lower than 0.1%. It's easy to fall into the strength-chasing game with retinoids, so remember that a low % strength will be effective. It'll just take longer to show results. 

Good Molecules Caffeine Energizing Hydrogel Eye Patches - I got this jar as a late birthday gift and wow, these eye patches are very good for dry sinus/allergy-irritated skin! I love the ingredients list and price point. So when a second jar came in my 2021 Beautylish Lucky Bag, I was overjoyed! 

JayJun Green Tea Eye Gel Patches - A repeat monthly favorite, and still my absolute fave eye patches. JayJun reformulated these at some point to remove lots of fragrance components (hooray!), though "fragrance" is still at the end of the improved ingredients list. 

Aveeno Restorative Skin Therapy Oat Repairing Cream - When I first saw it, I thought “psh, how much better can this really be than other Aveeno body lotions (which I love) to justify the higher price.” One Target order later, I found out: this stuff quickly rescued my neck skin from excessive dryness, and it’s gradually lifting all the dark patches leftover from whatever weirdness happened there. Well played, Aveeno. 

[Ispend2much6]

@WinglessOne   The Aveeno really helped us too.  I was surprised.

[WinglessOne]

@Ispend2much6  I'm glad it helped you! So far, everyone I know who's tried products from the Restorative Skin Therapy line has also been pleasantly surprised, including a cancer patient (the audience this product line was originally made for). I hope Aveeno doesn't discontinue this line, and I wish they'd sell this lotion in a bigger bottle. 

[eshoe]

Interesting read, @WinglessOne! The Avène sounds enticing, especially for someone who  has not experienced much success with retinol🤔 Also, yay for scoring a bonus jar of eye gels!

[WinglessOne]

Thanks @eshoe ! You can never have too many eye gels. FYI, JayJun just released 2 new versions of their eye patches... calendula and some citrusy version. I think they both contain citrus extracts, though. 

Hmm, if retinol was too much for your skin (aside from the typical "retinization" month-long period most folks experience: increased dryness, irritation, and/or purging), you might wanna talk with a derm about trying retinaldehyde before jumping into it. I've seen claims that retinaldehyde is less irritating than retinol... that'd be something to ask a derm about. 🙂