Let’s talk about Summer Fridays: the Instagram It Girl of skincare. The one with the minimalist beige tubes and the kind of packaging that makes you rethink your entire bathroom aesthetic. If Glossier is the effortlessly cool girl who probably drinks iced matcha year-round, then Summer Fridays is her slightly older sister who has a yoga mat in the trunk of her Tesla and knows what “skin cycling” is. Origins: Two Influencers Walk Into a Lab… Summer Fridays was founded in 2018 by beauty influencers Marianna Hewitt and Lauren Ireland—because if anyone knows how to market a serum, it’s women whose job
Category: Skin Care
Brands – I Was Promised Alpine Wellness and All I Got Was Glowy Skin: A Deep Dive into Susanne Kaufmann
Let me tell you about a woman who took one look at the high-maintenance chaos of the beauty industry and said, “No thanks, I’ll just be quietly perfect over here in the Austrian Alps.” Her name? Susanne Kaufmann. Her brand? A minimalist-glass-bottle fantasy of spa-level skincare that smells like a luxury resort and works like a lab experiment gone right. It’s the kind of brand you instinctively whisper about, because it feels like shouting in the middle of a hot spring. Let’s get into it. 🏔 From Alpine Grandma to Global Glow-Up Susanne Kaufmann didn’t stumble into beauty from a
MAC Hyper Real Canvas Cleanse Off Oil: The Oil That Mostly Could
Let me tell you about a little product that slid into my bathroom cabinet like a slick-haired con artist whispering, “Trust me, baby. I got this.” Enter: MAC Hyper Real Canvas Cleanse Off Oil—a name that sounds like it’s trying way too hard at a Marvel audition but is, in fact, a makeup remover. And a good one. Mostly. The Quick and Dirty Summary Packaging: A frosted plastic bottle… WITH A PUMP! Joy was had by all. Texture: Lightly Oily. Cleansing: Almost everything. ALMOST. Smell: Luxurious Nothingness. Price: $57/6.7 oz Ingredients: Isopropyl Palmitate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Peg-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Isohexadecane, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Peg-8 Diisostearate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Triisostearin, Peg-12 Diisostearate, Paeonia
Brands: Royal Fern – The Brand That Bottled Ferns and Somehow Made It Sexy
Once upon a time in the hallowed halls of European dermatology (read: a very sterile, white-walled clinic in Munich), a very serious man named Dr. Timm Golueke decided that what your skin really needed… was ferns. Yes. Ferns. Dr. Golueke, a board-certified dermatologist with cheekbones sharp enough to exfoliate your soul, launched Royal Fern with one central thesis: that the humble fern—specifically the royal fern (or osmunda regalis if you’re feeling botanical)—is basically nature’s retinol-meets-hydrator-meets-anti-inflammatory-goddess. Origin Story: Dr. Golueke noticed that ferns are absolute survivors. Like, ferns have been around since before dinosaurs had the chance to disappoint us. They resist UV damage, pollution, and environmental
What I Hauled While Dashing Through the Christmas Chaos
Friends, foes, and festive fiends: it’s me, your chaotic neutral beauty hoarder, crawling out from the wreckage of Christmas mayhem with a haul so glorious it could make even the Grinch jealous. My bank account may be whispering “cease and desist,” but the holiday spirit said, “MORE. TATCHA.” Let’s be real, everyone knows I’m a Tatcha simp. I’d willingly pay rent to that dewy purple packaging if it meant eternal hydration. So what did Santa (aka me) bring this year? A feast of products that will make my vanity look like the skincare aisle at Sephora, only more luxurious and,
Susanne Kaufmann Rejuvenating Eye Cream: Because Spending $185 to Look Slightly Less Tired Is Totally Normal, Right?
So I shelled out for the Susanne Kaufmann Rejuvenating Eye Cream, hoping it would turn my under-eyes into the bright, smooth canvases of my pre-teen years—before the crushing weight of adult responsibilities and stress-induced scrolling gifted me with dark circles and fine lines. Spoiler alert: it didn’t. But let’s break it down. The Quick and Dirty Summary Packaging: Plastic pump top tube. Not cheap plastic, definitely won’t crack in your travel bag. Texture: Creamy. But sticky. Like Elmer’s glue before it dries. Smell: Smells like nothing. Expensive nothingness. Price: $185 per 15ml. WT actual F. Ingredients: Aqua(Water), Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Caprylyl Caprylate/caprate, Alcohol
My Beauty Haul: A Journey into Financial Recklessness and Moisturized Bliss
There comes a moment in every person’s life when they look at their bathroom shelves—crowded with half-used moisturizers, abandoned serums, and a dry shampoo that may or may not predate the pandemic—and think: What if I just bought more stuff? This is the story of that moment. And reader, I did not disappoint myself. I went on a beauty spree so excessive that it’s safe to say I’m now prepared for any scenario involving immaculate hair, flawless skin, and lips so hydrated they could host a pool party. Was it responsible? No. Was it fun? Oh, absolutely. So, grab a cup
Royal Fern Phytoactive Skin Perfecting Essence Review: A Love/Hate Relationship
Or: How I Spent $85 to Feel Like a Beautiful Houseplant If you’re looking for a product that will make you feel like you should be reclining on a chaise in a botanical garden, sipping a hibiscus-infused cocktail while someone fans you with a palm frond — the Royal Fern Phytoactive Skin Perfecting Essence is it. But if you’re looking for a product that makes sense to your bank account or your skincare routine, then perhaps proceed with caution. Let’s break this down with pros and cons, because apparently my life choices now include ranking how much skincare items confuse
Avene Micellar Lotion: Pros, Cons, and Confusion About What Micellar Water Actually Is
Look, we all want to believe in the magic of French skincare. Because when you think of French women, you think effortless beauty. You think glowing skin, chic fashion, and somehow making a baguette look like a healthy life choice. Enter Avene Micellar Lotion, which is supposed to be the key to unlocking that flawless, *je ne sais quoi* clean girl skin. But does it live up to the hype? Let’s just say I’d rather ruin my lipstick by eating more beets than waste money on this again. The Quick and Dirty Summary Packaging: Plastic with a flip top cap so
First Aid Beauty – Pure Skin Face Cleanser
Before purchasing this facial cleanser, I had been battling with another face wash that I had been testing. I didn’t like that cleanser at all. It was composed of almost everything I avoid in a facial cleanser. As a result, First Aid Beauty has been a dream come true! I love the emollient texture and the fact that my skin does not feel stripped or raw after using it. Furthermore, this cleanser actually does a pretty decent job of removing makeup. Mind you, I *do* use a makeup remover prior to using a facial cleanser, but this stuff is usually