I Resign.

I've been part of the beauty community since 2011. Since then, I've seen it change from a somewhat underground group of passionate individuals sharing their knowledge and genuine excitement to a sickening, immoral, popularity contest whose only purpose is to shill whatever "next big thing" whichever brand came out with this week. I'm honestly sick to shit with being advertised at in my everyday life, but being prompted to buy, buy, BUY some cheaply made, over-priced piece of junk that won't enrich my life or frankly add any value to myself by a community I used to enjoy being a part of makes me want to vomit.

It's not just small and large YouTubers alike that are getting on my nerves, it's also brands. I'm hounded by emails I couldn't give less of a shit about from brands I've never heard of asking me to shill their crappy products promising coupon codes and free PR (sometimes... I've had brands reach out with the gall to ask me to buy and THEN review and promote their junk). Brands partnering with shitty, racist, misogynistic, or homophobic people just to sell more units disgusts me. Brands constantly churning out new products just to stay relevant in todays market. Brands fucking up with what should be secure information or posting off-topic and sometimes racially charged content on their social media. I. Just. Don't. Care. About. Them.

There is a lot more going on in my life now than having to worry about whether or not I'm "on trend", or if I've hit VIB Rouge, or if I have the latest mass-produced private label palette. I wish I could say I'm going to miss this, but I'm really not. I massively appreciate those of you who have stayed by during my very spotty tenure in this community, but I'm hanging up my hat. I haven't been passionate about this for well over half the time I've been here, which is the real shame, but if something doesn't make you happy then you'd be daft to try to continue doing it.

Honestly, fuck the idolitry that has become the beauty community, and fuck the constant bombardment of advertising from all angles that comes with it.

In the famous words of Philoctetes, two words; I. Am. Retired. 

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Glossier Just Dropped A Sunscreen! Glossier Invisible Shield Daily Sunscreen+ Pictures and Guest Review

Affiliate Link

After 2 years in the making, meet the Glossier Invisible Shield Daily Sunscreen+.

Oooooh! Aaaaah! The packaging on this is completely not what I was expecting by the way. I always envisioned a squeeze tube and their traditional white and Glossier Pink color scheme, so the columnar bottle and shocking chartreuse threw me through a loop. Personally, I'm not a fan of the aesthetics of this package but hey. The bottle is filled with 1 oz/30 mL of product and retails for $34, however you can get 20% off your first order if you shop with me, and because of the price this automatically goes over the threshold of $30 for free shipping.

The Invisible Shield Daily Sunscreen+ was formulated because the people over at Glossier couldn't find a sunscreen that everyone agreed on, and so instead they decided to formulate one without any greasiness, no white cast, that wouldn't mess with makeup applied on top of it, and that didn't feel heavy on the skin. In addition to sounding like the best sunscreen known to man on paper (I can't sign off on these claims just yet, folks), it's supposed to also protect against pollution which, next to UVA/UVB damage, is one of the most harmful external forces on your skin. So lemme get this straight... 35 SPF with pollution/free-radical fighting ingredients? This is more than I could have ever dreamed for.

The key ingredients of this product are as followed:

Active Microcapsules: Tiny spheres packed with UVA/UVB filters freshly delivered to your skin with ever application.

H2O: Watergel formula with no drying alcohol and no thick, greasy ingredients for a texture that disappears onto skin. 

Antioxidant Complex: Powerful mix of Vitamin E, Vitamin P, Broccoli, and Aloe Leaf extracts help neutralize free radicals inside skin.

Fermented Yeast and Vegetal Extract: Create an invisible and breathable matrix on top of skin that prevents pollution from getting in.  

Sweet Orange Essential Oil: For a pleasant citrusy scent.  

Aaaand here are the ingredients:

I've been keeping a laundry list of items I wish Glossier would come out with, and SPF is right up there with a mascara, so I was delighted to learn that May was the month all - ok, half - of my dreams would come true! I will say that I am a little iffy about the orange essential oil since I tend to find orange scented things nauseating, but hopefully it's a subtle hint and not a strong waft.

I wasn't lucky enough to get my hands on a bottle of this during the pre-launch, but you can bet your mother that I was up as early as possible to ensure I grabbed a bottle this morning. Now, like thousands of other Glossier and skin care enthusiasts, I'm waiting rather impatiently for my little cardboard box to get here in the mail.

Even though I can't say anything about the formula, I do have a fellow Glossier rep, Dymond Moore, who managed to get her hands on it, and this is what she has to say;

TheScienceOfChic: How long does it take to sink in?

Dymond: It sinks in almost immediately after application. I'm talking 10 to 15 seconds.

TSOC: Does it leave any feelings on the face, i.e. tightness, powderiness, oiliness... anything at all?

D: It doesn't leave my skin feeling oily or sticky like my other physical sunscreen. 

TSOC: Have you noticed any interactions with it and makeup? 

 D: It plays well with Perfecting Skin Tint, Cloud Paint, and ColourPop Blush, but I haven't tried it with much else. 

TSOC: Tell me your favorite AND least favorite things about it.

 D: WHY IS IT $34?? I hate the price - not good for a student budget, and I just don't think it's worth the price. It's average (to me). I like that there's no white cast, and the lemon scent.

1 comment Glossier, Review, Skin Care, SPF

Beauteque April BB Bag + Coupon Code!

PR Sample

Howdy, y'all! I know I haven't talked about it much (or at all) on this platform, but I've been really getting into Korean skincare as of late. You'd be hard pressed to find a more innovative and exciting region for skincare since brands are constantly having to stay on their top-game with products and innovation to please a very informed and picky consumer base. That is precisely why I'm so intrigued by it - there's always something new and there is never a dull moment. If you remember my last post, you know that I no longer say yes to working with companies or reviewing products just to stay up-to-date, instead I want all of my content to be enthusiastically created just like this post. Thank you so much to Beauteque for reaching out to me and sending me their BB Bag.

The reason I'm making this post is to fill the gaps in my unboxing video. I wanted my reactions to be genuine, and since it was so off-book, I found myself completely unprepared to talk about most of the products since nearly all of them have instructions in - you've guessed it - Korean! Plus, some of these products are really pretty and I wanted to get a few shots of them in before I inevitably demolish them... seriously, I go through skincare like water.

The first thing I saw in the box was their card for this service. Large, cute, and to the point! I REALLY like that Beauteque included pictures, information, and prices about the products since sometimes that isn't a given with subscription services. The card also has a very thoughtfully placed QR code that has even MORE information about the products, and, most importantly, the list of ingredients.]

Too Cool For School Dinoplatz Magic Wand For Lip & Eye Remover, $8

The packaging on the Too Cool For School Dinoplatz Magic Wand For Lip & Eye Remover  is absolutely adorable, plus the convenience of having pre-loaded remover swabs is really nifty! I don't regularly use makeup remover since my cleanser does a great job of obliterating anything on my face, but I'm excited to test them out when I fly up to Oregon in a few weeks.

Ingredient list and analysis.

A'Pieu Aqua Nature Dewdrop Clouding Cream, $13.99

I've heard of A'Pieu, but I've never tried it before. This Aqua Nature Dewdrop Clouding Cream is one of two items from the brand that I'll be testing out. For a $14 cream, I'm really impressed with the packaging - it makes it look a lot more high-end. Since I'm always on the prowl for good, yet affordable skincare, I'm hoping this one works out for me! Oddly enough, this does contain Titanium Dioxide, but it doesn't specify that it has SPF properties anywhere on the packaging. 

Ingredient list and analysis.

A'Pieu Base Maker, $8.99

Can we just talk about the *~AeStHeTiC~* here though? What a handsome product! This A'Pieu Base Maker came at a really great time since I've been a few weeks without facial SPF (whoopsie). This has 30 SPF with a PA++ rating, so not the best protection you can get, but also not the worst. I've actually used this a few times and it seems to work on my skin quite nicely, which makes me happy because it's only $9 and leagues ahead of the American ones in terms of comfort and price... plus it's really effing pretty. It is really thick though, so I like to thin it out with a serum to make it easily spreadable. It also has one hell of a white cast, which makes sense because it is a literal white base.

Ingredient list and analysis.

Somang M Cerade Professional Texturizing Hair Essence for Damaged Hair, $15

This Somang M Cerade Professional Texturizing Hair Essence was the wildcard of the bunch for me since it was the only brand that I wasn't familiar with. Honestly, I thought there were going to be more brands or more products that I'd never heard of, but this ended up being the only one *shrug*. I've been wanting to try out a hair essence for a few months now, so it's pretty cool that one ended up in here, but I'm surprised at how thick this thing is. The texture, and scent, is very much like a gel-ish conditioner. I haven't had the opportunity to try it out yet, so I can't report on how it works, but a review is pretty likely to pop up eventually. Also, there is/was a bit of a discrepency on pricing on this between the card (listed as $17.99), and the website ($15)... I don't know what that was all about, but I've put the correct(?) price in the link. 

I didn't include the ingredient analysis on this because the website wouldn't allow me to make a page on it, but feel free to peek at them in the above link.

Etude House Honey Jelly Lips Patch, $4.99

Heck yeah, sheet masks! Well, heck yeah even if this Etude House Honey Jelly Lips Patch isn't technically a sheet mask, but is still in the same category. Etude House is another brand that I've heard about, but have never tried, and I don't even know why since this stuff is pretty accessible here in the States. I've used a few lip patches in my day, but all three varieties were domestic, so I'm going to have some fun seeing how they stack up to an O.G. 

Ingredients list and analysis.

Skin Food Nail Vita Essence, $7.99

Ok, so I totally misidentified the Skin Food Vita Nail Essence as a nail polish in the video, but can you really blame me? It comes in a polish bottle and even has the phrase "formula COLOURS and covers in one quick, mistake-proof stroke". After using it, I can definitely confirm that it is indeed an essence and is not a nail color. It's a'ight... not amazing, but it does condition the cuticles a bit.

I'd include an ingredients list, but it literally says "vitamins and keratin". Wat. I can't find it anywhere else either, which is a little weird. 

This bag is valued at $59, which is a little more than twice the subscription cost of $24 + $3.95 shipping. Not bad... not bad, says I. There is a decent variety in the six, full-size products making this bag totally worth it to me!

If you're interested in this and want to save a lil' cash, you can use the code "YOUTUBE10" for 10% off your first bag. I'm not getting any commission from that code, btw. Just wanted to be transparent.

Leave a Comment A'Pieu, Beauteque, Etude House, Hair Care, Korean Beauty, Korean Skin Care, Skin Care, Skin Food, Somang, Too Cool For School

A Small Sephora Treat

Now that my life is on a more minimalistic path, I try to buy things with purpose or after fairly extensive research like grabbing samples. Sometimes, however, things manage to slip through the cracks. While at Sephora getting color matched for a sample of concealer to test out, I caved and picked up a sheet mask - they're relatively guilt-free impulse buys for me since they tend to be under $10 and I know with absolute certainty that I'll use them. Personally, I feel really skanky if I ask for samples somewhere without buying something little, so I'm not really mad about a $9 sheet mask in exchange for some concealer and two 100 point perks. This little investigative excursion turned into quite the treat! I was super pleased to see that there was not only a generous sized sample of a face moisturizer I've had my eye on for a few weeks, but also a rose-scented perfume (a huge weakness of mine). For only $9, this was quite a haul of products that actually hold purpose to me and my life.

First up is the big-ticket item - the Dr. Jart+Brightening Solution Ultra-Fine Microfiber Mask. This mask is supposed to target discoloration and brighten the complexion, which are both very appealing to me, since I have pretty severe post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) and a complexion that takes on a dull appearance quickly. I've actually already used this and filmed a Mask Monday on it, which you can find linked HERE for your viewing pleasure. What I can say is that it was a very enjoyable experience from beginning to end, but my spots are still as angry as they were. I may end up repurchasing this or experimenting with the rest of the line at some point.

I've been eyeballing the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel for a couple weeks now. I'm nearing the end of my current - and not much liked - day moisturizer and I'm on the hunt for something better to replace it. I have oily skin that seems to get even oilier with most moisturizers, light or not, but I've heard good things about this one and I'm delighted to give it a go!

The other 100 point perk that I snapped up was more of an impulse, but I'm glad I did. I saw the word "Rose" and had to have it! This little rollerball of Clean's "Blonde Rose" is quite a generous size and mercifully it's smells frickin' bomb! I love rose scents, but I also prefer to have more masculine perfumes because they gel with my personality and laid-bad semi-androgynous style. "Blonde Rose" is a perfect blend of the two! It honestly smells like a slightly feminine, yet still notably masculine cologne and I couldn't be happier with it!

Lastly we have the item that I originally came in for - a sample of the tarte Maracuja Creasless Concealer. I was color matched to the shade "Light Sand", but unfortunately it ended up being too light on me. The coverage on this was alright and so was the consistency, but it just looked odd and patchy because of the color difference. I haven't made up my mind as to whether or not I want to go try a darker shade because it's pretty comparable to the Glossier Stretch Concealer that I've been using. Eh... only time will tell! The search for a good, squeeze-tube full-coverage concealer continues!

1 comment Clean, Clinique, Dr. Jart+, Haul, Sephora, tarte

A Beauty Blogger With an Identity Crisis

I wouldn't be surprised if you've completely forgotten about me. It's been a long time since my last entry and a lot has changed since then. Last year, at the beginning of 2016, I became intrigued with the idea of minimalism, which is kind of peculiar seeing as how I run a beauty blog and a beauty channel on YouTube. The Beauty Blogger/Vlogger groups aren't particularly aligned with your typical minimalist since a makeup collection for one of us tends to be worth thousands upon thousands of dollars with hundreds and hundreds of items.

During the past 14 months I've been on a very interesting journey of self discovery, and although it pains me to say it, I must be true to myself - the standard frame for a beauty enthusiast no longer fits me. My ideals have shifted since I first began blogging about beauty back in 2011 and the way that the beauty community has evolved over those 6 years has left me feeling uninspired, bored, overwhelmed, and frankly quite annoyed. The current atmosphere is choked with coupon codes, recycled warm smokey eyes, and overly filtered content. I no longer see passion, enthusiasm, excitement... instead I see a mechanical, money-making, formulaic repetition over and over and over again spanning across so many different channels, blogs, and accounts and it's just depressing.

Even I have found content creation to be a burden due to the standards of the community today. I've barely touched my makeup collection regularly in the past year - heck, I've utilized it more in the past week because of a decluttering method I've been trying out than in the two months prior. I don't hate makeup, in fact I still rather like it, but having so much of it has made me feel overwhelmed and uninspired. Keeping things "just in case" or because they were good dupes of products I already had or "because I need a drugstore option" made me resent what I had. I've been holding on to so many products for so many years that I don't particularly like, but feel like I have an obligation to because pretty much every other content creator does the same and I'm sick to death of it. I'm done. Done with holding on to or buying popular products because it's "what people want to see", when in all honesty people rarely view my content. Done with having multiple lip options when I actually only like a handful of what I own. Done with following trends I don't give a shit about. I'm just done.

And honestly, I'm not even sure if I'm done or not with this. A radical overhaul of what I do and what I write about needs to happen if I'm going to be zealously reapplying myself in the beauty world. I've gotten more fulfillment in the past week doing my "FOTD February Experiment" and having less than 5% of my YouTube subscribers watch it than I've gotten from pretty much any other videos I did in 2016, and that's because I'm being true to myself. I'm doing things that I want to do, using products that I like, and getting rid of everything that doesn't work, pathetic performance be DAMNED. I'm no longer going to blog or vlog about PR items that I receive that I don't give a shit about and wouldn't purchase with my own money just because they're sent to me. I'm no longer buying stuff because it's new or because it's a hot product. I'm only going to do things and post about stuff I'm passionate about.

I'm officially breaking up with the "Beauty Blogger" identity, and I'm gonna do me.

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