Reviews

    Paula's Choice

    Ally HLevel 1 9 Reviews

    9 months ago

    I have complicated experiences with this brand, but my TL;DR is that if a product works, it WERKS, and they are very fairly priced and safely packaged. My problem is that sometimes, their products are complete duds, or they cause actual harm. I'll give you one product I hate and one I love: Holy Grail: Omega+ Complex Cleansing Balm Amazing no-mess packaging is great for the shower because no water can get in. I also love that this doesn't burn my eyes when I use it to take off mascara and that it generally works well on stubborn makeup. Not only that, but it's at a fair price point. Product that almost destroyed me: 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant It is absolutely criminal that this product says you can use it once or twice a day. When I first got into skincare, I bought this product and used it once a day. My face turned red and I completely WRECKED my skin barrier. Everything I put on my skin burned and my face was red and itchy. After years of becoming a skincare expert, I realize that no one should be exfoliating more than 1-3x a week. The idea that you could work up to 2x a day with this product is insane.

    Rare Beauty

    Ally HLevel 1 9 Reviews

    9 months ago

    Received a free product from Rare Beauty

    From subtle peachy tones to bold pinks and mauves, there's a Rare Beauty blush shade for every skin tone. The formula lasts a long time and it’s buildable, but beware: these blushes are HIGHLY pigmented. Use only a dot for each cheek or test it out on your hand before applying it on your face, or you risk looking like a clown. A little goes a long way, and it’s very unlikely you will run out of product in this decade. While I have a light-neutral skin tone, it makes me think they would be great on medium to dark skin tones due to their intense pigmentation. While I haven't tested much else from this brand, I took a point off because I don't think this particular product is beginner-friendly. While other folks think the price point is expensive, I actually think it's affordable given the pretty packaging and longevity of this specific product.

    MERIT

    Ally HLevel 1 9 Reviews

    9 months ago

    Received a free product from MERIT

    Merit Beauty touts minimalist beauty with skincare benefits that is Clean at Sephora compliant, vegan, and cruelty free. The result is luxuriously packaged cleangirl beauty that doesn't quite have as much staying power as non-clean brands that are going more for performance than environmental friendliness. Here are some products I've tried from them: My favorite: The Minimalist in Linen Not quite a foundation and not quite a concealer, this is the creamiest, most versatile complexion stick that blends seamlessly onto my light-neutral skin. This is super easy to use, stays put more than their other color cosmetics, and doesn't move all over the place even though I'm 37 with aging skin around the eyes. Shade Slick in Pink Beet This gives that ~clean girl~ put together aesthetic without any of the try hard. I keep this in my purse whenever I go to work as it’s easy to travel with and easy to apply. Flush Balm Cheek Color in Cheeky This balm blush is my absolute favorite color but it’s not the most long-lasting blush I’ve ever used. It looks super natural and it's easy to build so I don't go overboard on the first application. Definitely use setting spray to increase the wear.

    Osea

    Ally HLevel 1 9 Reviews

    9 months ago

    Received a free product from Osea

    This is one of my favorite brands. The packaging is beautiful, the products smell good, they don't irritate my skin, and they are sustainably packaged. My favorite product is their Ocean Cleanser. It's great after an oil cleanse to remove remaining traces of dirt and has a spa-like smell. I will say I don't love their Seaglow Resurfacing Scrub because the particles are so fine I find them impossible to clean from my shower (so later when I step in the tub I feel granules of sand, no matter how I rinse). Overall I think these products are amazing but I do realize they are at a very high price point. I wish they had more sales and deep discounts but even their biggest sales seem to be 10-15% off if that.

    Shani Darden

    Ally HLevel 1 9 Reviews

    9 months ago

    Received a free product from Shani Darden

    I've tried four Shani Darden products--her peptide cream, eye cream, retinol, and clay mask. I have gotten addicted to the peptide moisturizer, which feels like it improves my skin's luminosity over time. Being a sensitive, acne-prone girlie, I used this moisturizer down to the last drop and didn't get a single breakout. I also love the clay mask because it improves the clarity of my skin without drying me out. I'm obsessed with getting more of her products and am a huge fan of this brand. Definitely a luxury product with actual results.

    Mutha

    Ally HLevel 1 9 Reviews

    9 months ago

    Received a free product from Mutha

    I was gifted a couple skincare products by Mutha, and I have to admit that like other users, I thought they were expensive and overpriced. I'm assuming that one reason why they're expensive is because they invested in actual skincare trials. They also came up with a definition of clean beauty, which has no legally regulated definition. Because of that fact, it's important that "clean" brands define what that means to them. Here are some thoughts about products I’ve been testing for a few months: Up All Night Eye Cream A very lightly highlighting eye cream that’s best used in the morning to improve under eye radiance. I loved the natural results, gentle formula, and easy-to-dispense packaging. Note that this cream starts with a light beige tint, but it can be blended into a glowy, transparent cream on any skin tone. Body Oil Totally suitable for sensitive skin like mine, this body oil smells delicious and botanical while soothing my dry patches. While it has no added fragrance or perfume, it is formulated with citrus peel oils and fruit extract, which provide a slight citrus scent akin to essential oils. A little goes a long way and it has good spread. While this has botanicals in it, it did not irritate my sensitive skin. Face Oil I’m often skeptical of face oils that are priced at $110 (like this one) bc I’d rather be getting long-proven ingredients like retinol in my skincare if I don't know why the oil costs so much. This one has interesting ingredients such as squalene and CoQ10, but I’d love to know more from the company about why it’s at this price point--i.e. with the information available, I just can't recommend someone buy it at this price point. Unlike the body oil, this one has an "ingredient" smell that’s not super pleasant for the price. This makes sense bc botanicals can be very irritating to the face.

    Inn Beauty Project

    Ally HLevel 1 9 Reviews

    9 months ago

    Received a free product from Inn Beauty Project

    Overall, this is a mid-tier brand with a focus on cute, kitschy products. I personally have tried their lip kit (pictured). I love that they’re like the old skool 90s flavored lip smackers but more supple & elevated. Because I think this brand is more fashionable than functional I minused one star. For example, I think the lippies are more about the look of them while they're on then they are about adding moisture to your lips. I also tried their body exfoliator and it was too strong for my sensitive skin. On the other hand, they have cute packaging and a great price point.

    Topicals

    Ally HLevel 1 9 Reviews

    9 months ago

    Received a free product from Topicals

    I love that this is a WOC-owned brand with founders who understand what it's like to have sensitive, reactive skin. I personally have used Like Butter and the eye masks. Neither one of them irritated my sensitive skin and they have no added fragrance which can cause irritation. It's important to know that this is a sensitive skin brand going into it--many people mention or complain about the lack of fragrance but that means you aren't their target audience.

    Prose

    Ally HLevel 1 9 Reviews

    10 months ago

    Received a free product from Prose

    I love luxury haircare so I was pleasantly surprised to really like my three products from Prose (shampoo, conditioner, and scalp detox). I have fine, thin hair and my favorite part of using all three products at once was being able to extend time between washes. The scalp detox was an oddly thin texture compared to other brands but it actually into my scalp a lot more easily, so I can see why they went that route. Overall the process of doing the quiz to get the haircare was fun, but I will say that because mine were gifted by Prose I didn't have to go through the subscription process that everyone else is complaining about (so I can't speak to that frustration).