Over the years, as I’ve learned about my skin and honed my beauty preferences, I’ve tried many products. Some worked, some didn’t; some did at one point and then my needs/wants changed.
Face Scrubs
Ages ago, I used a certain walnut-shell-containing, apricot-scented facial exfoliant from a popular drugstore brand. I loved it! Bottom line, though, is those shell fragments can be sharp – and there are more effective ways to exfoliate. These days, my physical exfoliation comes from my Clarisonic and Silkin ReVit. Chemically, I use this AHA gel from Alpha Skin and the occasional BHA Stridex pad.
After a troublesome period with my skin, it is looking the best it has in quite a while save for some stubborn pores on my chin that, frankly, aren’t too visible anyway.
Foundation
I haven’t used foundation in over a year. Maybe close to two, actually. Every now and then I slap on MISSHA Perfect Cover BB Cream if I feel particularly blotchy or tired-looking. But for the most part I’ve really only been using concealer – and lately, I’ve even been skipping that. CRAZY, I know.
This doesn’t mean I’ve sworn off foundation; nay, I just don’t really need one right now (2021 me: “loool.”) and don’t care to invest the time or money into finding the one right now since my previous favorites no longer exist. Damn discontinuation!
Liquid Eyeliner & Lipstick
After years of trying, I simply never got good with liquid liners. Whether felt- or brush-tip pens or brushes dipped in little wells, I never perfected my method with these products – so I stopped trying! Most days, I use a dark eyeshadow and an angled brush to do a soft liner-like application. If I need the impact of a dark, crisp line, I’ll use gel.
I shared my unpopular opinion on liquid lipstick before.
Fussy Brow Products
Dipbrow is a good product, but as I do not live the life of an Instagram influencer and do not care to have hyper-sculpted brows every day. I don’t like the precision pencils require.
Scented Lotions
With the exception of my favorite sunless tanner, I do not use any fragranced lotions. Even if it is a fragrance I like, I don’t care for a lotion format – especially if that lotion is meant for my hands.
The Bottom Line
What products have you stopped using?