Empties! COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence

Here is my all-time absolute favourite skincare product ever. I mean it. I love this product, and for the past two years, it has been a staple in my routine. 

I use this every day, twice a day. I use it after The Ordinary products and before my moisturizer/facial oils. A year ago, I ran out for two weeks while I waited for a new bottle to arrive in the mail, and wow! I didn’t realize how much my skin loved this product until I stopped using it. 

My skin appeared dehydrated, my pores seemed more enhanced, my skin’s texture was uneven, and I had a few blemishes. Once I incorporated the snail mucin essence back into my routine, everything went away. 

When using this product, I do notice my skin’s texture is more even, my pores aren’t as pronounced, my skin is well hydrated, and if I do have any scratches or blemishes on my face, they heal quicker (than without the snail mucin). 

At one point, it bothered me that I was using snail secretion on my face, and I thought it was gimmicky. But after trying out the product and seeing the results for myself, I’m a convert. The texture is viscous and almost goopy, but it’s not sticky or tacky, and it absorbs instantly into the skin. 

I pay around $21 CDN for a bottle, and it lasts me (on average) around six months. This essence is the reason I started trying out more COSRX products and started to branch out into Korean skincare (aside from sheet masks). 

I cannot get enough of this essence, and I will never give it up. 

Empties! The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution

Oh, The Ordinary, how I’m madly in love with you!

I mean it when I say 98% of my skincare is from The Ordinary. I love their aesthetics, I love the product’s efficacy, and most importantly, I know what I’m getting.

I don’t like purchasing products with actives mixed in with fillers. With The Ordinary, I can pick and choose which actives I want and there are no hidden fillers.

Plus (and I wish I could scream this at the top of my lungs), the products WORK. Some take time ,and some are almost miraculously instant. Aaaaannnddd all of TO’s offerings are affordable, almost comically so.

Now, enough of me rambling on about how much I love TO, and let me tell you about this toner.

Alongside glycolic acid, there’s aloe vera, ginseng, and amino acids. There are more ingredients, but I won’t bore you by listing them all here.

This toner lasts me more than a year with regular use and for $8.70 CDN, it’s worth it. I get instant results whenever I use this product. My skin becomes radiant and bright, my skin’s texture is smoother, and my stubborn fine line on my forehead isn’t as pronounced.

I know when I use this toner that any red or new acne pigmentation will be reduced. I pick at my skin when I’m anxious (I know, such a bad habit), and I get angry scars, but with regular use and a bit of patience, they slowly fade because of this toner.

Though the glycolic acid in this toner is strong, it is also hydrating, and I find the aloe vera soothing on my skin.

Be warned: if you are new to AHAs or have sensitive skin, I don’t recommend this product. It’s THAT strong of an acid. Also, if you have any blemishes or scratches you are unaware of, you will know it after using this toner. Even after two years of regular use, I still feel a slight acidic heat on my face when using it.

I love this toner. I really do and am already halfway through my second bottle. It’s effective, affordable, and you get instant results. What more could I ask for?

(And no, I don’t work for The Ordinary or Deciem (The Ordinary’s parent company), and this is not an advertisement for them. However, if they do want to sponsor me or hire me, I would love it. Thanks.)

Empties! L’Oréal Fine Flowers Cleansing Gel

There’s nothing more satisfying than finishing a product. Or more anxiety-inducing, if you’re anything like me (who always worries about discontinued products or not being able to buy its replacement).

This is my go-to cleanser. I first wrote my first impressions on this line when it was released years ago . If I recall, I wasn’t too impressed with the line and was underwhelmed with this cleanser. I thought it was just a basic gel cleanser.

But I was wrong. I’m not afraid to admit it.

I love this cleanser. It’s fragrance-free, soap-free, and alcohol-free! Moreover, it’s gentle on my skin. When I have blemishes or my skin is reactive and hating life, I know this cleanser won’t aggravate it or make things worse. It’s gentle and yet, it removes any residual oil on my face leftover from my oil cleanser. I double cleanse with this, and it doesn’t strip my face of moisture or leave it feeling weirdly squeaky clean. My skin is left soft, clean, and smooth without feeling painfully dry or tight.

I’m glad I never gave up on this cleanser and kept using it because now, it’s the only one I use regularly and trust.

Empties! Life Brand Tea Tree Facial Toner

I’ve used this toner (not exclusively) for two years and it’s good.

That’s it. It’s good. Not great but good.

I don’t have blemished skin but I do get blemishes randomly. And when I do, I use this toner. I’m not sure if it reduces my breakouts but its anti-bacterial nature helps prevent more blemishes. During the summer, I get red angry bumps on my décolletage, and using this toner in that area every night for a week not only reduced them but completely prevented them!

That being said, I do have to address the elephant in the room. Yes, denatured alcohol (alcohol denat.) is listed as the second ingredient. I know, I know. Not good.

Which is why I don’t love this toner. Though witch hazel is listed as the third ingredient and tea tree oil is listed as the fourth, the fact that denatured alcohol is listed as a second is iffy to me.

Witch hazel acts as an astringent and anti-inflammatory ingredient, while tea tree oil is an anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and is an anti-acne treatment. Both (in theory) are really good ingredients to fight blemishes.

I know alcohol is often added to skincare and there are so many different types. Some are good and some are bad. Denatured alcohol is in the bad category. It’s drying, it strips the skin and can damage your skin’s barrier. In all, not really a good ingredient.

And yet, I still return to this toner. Lately, I’ve been branching out and using gentler or homemade toners but I still keep this in my skincare regime. I can’t seem to quit it. I’m convinced it helps with blemishes and maybe it does. So when my skin is revolting, I reach for this toner.

Note: this will dry your skin out! It’s verrrrry drying and I don’t use it regularly because of that.

Also note: I have combination skin so if your skin leans towards the drier side, please be aware that this will exacerbate your dryness.

Do I recommend this? Honestly, not really. I’m sure there are better tea tree toners out there but for the price (I paid $7.99 CDN and it lasts me 6-7 months), it’s okay.

Overall, I like this toner because of its anti-inflammation and anti-microbial properties but hate that there’s alcohol in it.