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Skin Obsessed Mary
Skincare expert

Skin Obsessed Mary.

Mary is a 55-year-old American living in Dublin who reviews serums, mists, sunscreens, moisturizers, and foundation through the lens of mature skin care, favoring fewer products that actually work over heavier makeup coverage. Her channel documents real experimentation with devices and methods, all without sponsorship.

Why Is She A Guru?
An independent, unsponsored creator whose long-running focus on mature skin in her mid-fifties gives her takes a grounded, real-world track record.
343Products
280 yay90% approval rate
32 nayDoesn't pull punches
28 hot takesWhere she breaks from the pack

Skin Obsessed Mary's top picks.

The products Skin Obsessed Mary has crowned best in their category, and brings up again and again.

★ Best moisturizer
Rich Cream
Augustinus Bader Rich Cream
Brought up 10 times
Favorite moisturizer? Augustinus Bader Rich Cream. I just said that in last week's video. Hands down.
★ Best mist
Hydrating Accelerator Moisturizing Facial Mist
Josh Rosebrook Hydrating Accelerator Moisturizing Facial Mist
Brought up 8 times
I have one on my desk at work. That one is the hydrating accelerator by Josh Rosebrook.
★ Best long-wearing nail polish
Nail Polish System
Dazzle Dry Nail Polish System
Brought up 5 times
I have loads of different colors and I'm doing it constantly and I love it. It really really works. If you're into your nails I would check out Dazzle Dry because it really really works.
★ Best favorite sunscreen
Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel SPF 50+ PA++++
Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel SPF 50+ PA++++
Brought up 4 times
The one that I'm using pretty obsessively at the moment right now is by Isntree, it is the Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel. It just feels like magic on the skin and it gives a little bit of a glow. It's deeply hydrating but it also sinks in very quickly. I find it is very forgiving, it works on every kind of skin type, and it is beautiful under makeup.
★ Best under eye brightening corrector
Under Eye Brightening Corrector
Becca Under Eye Brightening Corrector
Brought up 4 times
It is by Becca, it is the under eye brightener. [...] This honestly is what keeps me from looking tired every single day. Sometimes I'll wear this and nothing else because it just brightens up the eyes and makes me look awake, which I feel like I never am ever. It doesn't matter even if I get good sleep. You can see that's just a little bit of a brightening effect, so that I tend to do every day even if nothing else.
★ Best ointment
Skin Utility Balm Multi-Purpose Skin Protectant
Prequel Skin Utility Balm Multi-Purpose Skin Protectant
Brought up 4 times
The very first product that I use in the morning is my Prequel Skin Utility Balm. I just apply this to my lips to sort of hydrate and soften them as I go through my routine. I adore this product and I use it in a ton of different ways.

Skin Obsessed Mary, in short.

What does Skin Obsessed Mary recommend?

Skin Obsessed Mary has reviewed 343 products. Of the ones she gives a clear yes or no to,she approves 90%. The products she rates highest and brings up most are Augustinus Bader Rich Cream, Josh Rosebrook Hydrating Accelerator Moisturizing Facial Mist and Dazzle Dry Nail Polish System.

Which serums does Skin Obsessed Mary recommend?

She has reviewed 55 serums and approved 47 of them. The ones she rates highest are Calecim Professional Serum, OGX Damage Remedy + Coconut Miracle Oil Penetrating Oil and BYOMA Hydrating Serum. The full picture is in Skin Obsessed Mary on Serums.

Which sunscreens does Skin Obsessed Mary recommend?

She has reviewed 34 sunscreens and approved 22 of them. The ones she rates highest are Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel SPF 50+ PA++++, Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics SPF 50+ PA++++ (Korean formula) and Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum SPF 50+ PA++++. The full picture is in Skin Obsessed Mary on Sunscreen.

Which cleansers does Skin Obsessed Mary recommend?

She has reviewed 27 cleansers and approved 21 of them. The ones she rates highest are CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser, Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water and BYOMA Melting Balm Cleanser.

Which moisturizers does Skin Obsessed Mary recommend?

She has reviewed 25 moisturizers and approved 23 of them. The ones she rates highest are Augustinus Bader Rich Cream, Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream and Educated Mess Sake Bomb Targeted Peptide Hydra Burst Moisturizer.

What does Skin Obsessed Mary say no to?

She has skipped 32 of the 343 products she has reviewed. The ones she is clearest about are The Ordinary Argireline Solution 10%, Dr. Pen Microneedling Device, Omnilux Face Contour Red Light Therapy Mask, Fenty Skin Fat Water Pore-Refining Toner Serum and Prequel Non-Drying Glycerin Cleanser.

What does Skin Obsessed Mary recommend for each skin type?

There is a guide to her picks for each skin type she covers most: Skin Obsessed Mary on mature skin and Skin Obsessed Mary on sensitive skin.

What they review most.

Skin Obsessed Mary's hot takes.

Products where their take diverges from the rest of the gurus.

Skin Obsessed Mary: Nay vs gurus 76% Yay
The Airwrap is a brilliant piece of engineering. [...] It dries and curls at the same time, and it's supposed to be the holy grail of hair tools. But [...] it gave me a blowout, and a blowout really isn't my jam. I wanted beachy waves, and no matter how many tutorials I watched or which attachment I used, I couldn't get the wave I was after. Even the smaller barrel only got me tighter curls, and it wasn't better than a curling iron. I sold mine to someone who really wanted it.
Skin Obsessed Mary: Nay vs gurus 68% Yay
This is Glow Recipe's Watermelon Niacinamide Glow Drops. It's really nice under makeup, [...] I used it before I put my makeup on after doing my skin care because it gave that extra dewiness, but it took me forever to use it up, and there are just other things I like more, so I'm not going to bother repurchasing it.
Skin Obsessed Mary: Nay vs gurus 73% Yay
I was using the Dr. Pen for a while and I found it more painful, it just seemed to hurt more. My skin seemed way more irritated and it took me longer to heal, even though I was using the same 0.5 needle length, maybe I was just going too deep. [...] It used to come with an attached head that you had to throw out after a few uses, which is probably why I stopped using it.
Skin Obsessed Mary: Nay vs gurus 79% Yay
I'm using the one by Charlotte Tilbury. It's not my favorite. I actually do have a new favorite. I had heard somewhere that if you do it in the middle of your application and then you put the foundation back on top of it, that it works better. And I have a real problem with longevity of makeup, so I'm willing to try anything.

Every review.

All 343 products Skin Obsessed Mary has reviewed, grouped by product type. Click a product to see the full guru consensus.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Against the gurus
Serums55 reviews
"This is Glow Recipe's Watermelon Niacinamide Glow Drops. It's really nice under makeup, [...] I used it before I put my makeup on after doing my skin care because it gave that extra dewiness, but it took me forever to use it up, and there are just other things I like more, so I'm not going to bother repurchasing it."
✕Nay
68%Guru Score
"This is Dr. Idriss's Major Fade Hyper Serum, [...] the one I forgot to cancel before the new import rules came in. I love this product, I signed up for the refills and I would absolutely keep it up. It's great for tackling my melasma, it's easy to travel with, it feels so nice on the skin, but it's about to cost me a small fortune in fees when it lands in Ireland."
~Mixed
74%Guru Score
"This is Bloom Effects' Black Tulip Regenerative Brightening Serum. When this is in my routine, my skin just looks healthier, it's brighter, it's smoother, it's more even, it's just better. I have two empties here and I'm on my last bottle and I don't know what I'm going to do when that one is gone."
✓Yay
87%Guru Score
"The Timeless Coenzyme Q10 Serum [...] really quietly impressed me. This is one of those products that reminds me skin care doesn't have to be outrageously expensive to be good. It has Q10, Matrixyl 3000 peptides, like all the things aging skin tends to enjoy. And the price? Like it's kind of ridiculous. I finished this very happily."
✓Yay
88%Guru Score
"This is one of the bounciest hydrating serums I have ever used. 30% glycerin, folks, 30. Like my skin just drinks this up. It makes everything look juicy and glassy and slightly overachieving. [...] If you need a hydrating serum, this is one to go for."
✓Yay
82%Guru Score
"I'm amazed at how quickly the skin calms down, how well it repairs, how resilient it stays over time. [...] This has become a holy grail must-have product. I am never without it."
✓Yay
90%Guru Score
"This is Augustinus Bader The Serum. I got this as part of a gift set, and I became irrationally stressed about it expiring before I could use it up, so suddenly my body was receiving a $300 serum treatment. [...] And listen, it was lovely. But would I ever spend that kind of money on a serum myself? Absolutely not."
~Mixed
65%Guru Score
"I have finished Dermaty's Needleless Growth Factor Serum and I really really liked it and for what you're getting I think the price is so hard to argue with. The only reason that I haven't repurchased it is geography. Like I don't love paying import charges when I already own other growth factors. So, I suppose it's more editing than rejection. Like, if they sold it here, I probably would repurchase."
~Mixed
74%Guru Score
"Azelaic Acid is meant to help with redness and pigmentation and overall clarity, and on paper, it makes sense to me. Now, I finished it. I didn't dislike it. I thought it was lovely, but I just can't say that I saw a shift either. And at this stage, if I'm going to keep something in rotation, I want to know what it's doing. So, for now, I'm not repurchasing."
✕Nay
75%Guru Score
"It's the vitamin C face oil. This is seriously luscious on the skin. It's rich. It's nourishing. It's comforting, and it's really nice as that final layer in the winter when you're just feeling a bit parched. It contains a vitamin C derivative which is actually very well suited to nighttime use. While vitamin C is often thought of as a morning antioxidant, which I also do, I use L-ascorbic acid in the morning, using a stable derivative at night can actually help support collagen production."
✓Yay
83%Guru Score
"But it's one of those categories that tends to be eyewateringly expensive, which is why I was so curious about this one. [...] This is The Ordinary's Growth Factor 15% and this is my second bottle. The downside is again it's that watery texture. I find it difficult to use. But coming in at around 15 bucks, you cannot beat it. [...] If you're trying to find an affordable way to get growth factors into your routine, this is a no-brainer."
✓Yay
66%Guru Score
"This is Educated Mess's Golden Hour vitamin C serum. We are talking zero irritation for those of you who have a sensitivity to [L-ascorbic] acid. It is super lightweight and it plays so well with others. It also has fruit enzymes to help with texture and the glow of our skin. But the real antioxidant powerhouse is the combination of the [L-ascorbic] acid with gold glutathione. I mean, it is powerful powerful stuff. To me, it's just a joy to use and it's so easy to get into the routine."
✓Yay
86%Guru Score
"This is a double whammy product. It's both a potent antioxidant serum. I mean, we're talking it has 11 antioxidants and it's a serious hydration serum. So, you get one product that does both. In fact, this is the best hydrating serum I have ever tried. And if y'all know me, you know I'm all about hydration."
✓Yay
89%Guru Score
"The Soothing and Barrier Support Serum is excellent. It's specifically designed to calm irritated skin and help repair a weakened barrier. I have used this so many times when I've overexfoliated and when I was still tinkering with a lot of tretinoin. It's like a little gem at a little price point."
✓Yay
76%Guru Score
"I'm actually a really big fan of BYOMA Hydrating Recovery Oil. It has squalane and nine antioxidant rich oils that just deeply, deeply nourish the skin. It's a bit lighter in feel, but it gives the same radiant and restored skin finish. This one actually lives on my nightstand for an extra drench just before I go to sleep."
✓Yay
72%Guru Score
"This is the BYOMA hydrating serum. It is so good, I think it should cost more. I have easily gone through 10 bottles of this stuff, and I'd have to say it's probably my most repurchased serum. It's lightweight, it's barrier friendly, and it is super hydrating. I just wish it lasts longer, it never seems to last very long, but I will definitely be repurchasing."
✓Yay
82%Guru Score
"This is by Josh Rosebrook. It is the Ultra Peptide Cream. Man, do I love Josh Rosebrook. And this product is something really special. It feels super luxe on the skin and it is deeply nourishing. It's especially good if your skin is feeling a bit depleted."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"I absolutely loved it. It has a stable vitamin C derivative and a provitamin D complex which is hydrating and nourishing for the moisture barrier. It has glycerin and jojoba oil that give that plump juicy skin. It's an oil that you apply at night. And honestly, I woke up the very first morning and my skin was brighter. It's really good, and I think it's worthy of a repurchase."
✓Yay
75%Guru Score
"I love it. It's one of my holy grails."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"This has that same hydrating feeling as the snail serum, like molasses. [...] There's also peptides in here, this triple peptide blend, and squalane, which is good for dry skin. [...] I'm going to be buying this for sure, and it's so affordable. I just love that texture, that snail mucin thing. [...] There are so many alternatives to snail mucin now from plants and things like that which have a similar texture, deeply hydrating. So hydrating, I'm buying that, done and dusted."
✓Yay
72%Guru Score
"Geek and Gorgeous is a Hungarian brand that is just killing it, their products are incredible. Their C-Glow is a lightweight watery 15% vitamin C with ferulic and vitamin E, and it only comes in at about $12. I don't know how they're doing it. Now, I personally don't love a watery serum because I find it hard to use and to get it from here to there, but it's a lovely serum and it's at an incredible price."
✓Yay
87%Guru Score
"On the affordable side is an incredible product regardless of the price, and the price is shocking. This is the Naturium Multi-Peptide Advanced Serum. It has copper peptides, guys, but what I really love the most is the texture, it's milky and bouncy, I mean it's just so good. And get this, I think I picked this up for $25. I mean, how are they doing it, seriously? It might not be for everyone, you may not need this, but it's definitely for me."
✓Yay
77%Guru Score
"My Holy Grail is Dermalex Self-Esteem Beauty Sleep Serum. It is just packed full of so many goodies. It has glycolic and salicylic acid, it has tons of other ingredients like antioxidants, soothers, hydrators, collagen builders. It's just incredible. So twice a week I put this on and then I put on a super thick layer of moisturizer, and that's all that I use on those days, and I'm telling you my skin in the morning is brand new. It's amazing."
✓Yay
82%Guru Score
"This is designed to repair as well as protect from the damage caused by environmental stressors, particularly UV exposure. It uses advanced DNA repair enzymes to target and fix damage at a cellular level. This should help promote healthier and more resilient skin. I haven't tried this yet, so I'm going to finish off the OneSkin first to see the effects of that before I try the Photozyme, so it's probably going to sit on a shelf until I'm ready to try it."
~Mixed
75%Guru Score
"I am an oil girl and this is such a great addition to my routine. The green ryus is a powerful antioxidant that also has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral properties. It just feels so good on the skin."
✓Yay
79%Guru Score
"After I empty the bottle I opened up one by Niche Beauty Labs. This is called the Copper Peptide Serum. I think it's great. This one only comes in at about $45, so I've ordered another one. I've really enjoyed it and I'm definitely going to continue to use it."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"I have the Green Rooibos Pressed Serum by Mama and I use that every day with my red light therapy because it boosts effectiveness. I buy them in a three pack and I think I have one more left. I mean I always have one of those standing by, but they also have a new lighter version which I actually prefer, so when I'm out of the regular version I will be purchasing the light version next. I'm just never without it."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"I also love their Chaba serum."
✓Yay
Notverified
"They've just launched their new Light Serum and I like it even more than the original. I just do. It's lighter, it's thinner. It's just the consistency is gorgeous."
✓Yay
85%Guru Score
"What I do is mix a tiny bit with a water-based serum and then I just apply it as you would any other serum. It only contains three ingredients: ascorbic acid, ferulic acid, and a starch which is just a viscosity thing. What I love about it is it's nonirritating, this is a nonirritating vitamin C. It's super versatile and it's just very easy to use. Plus it's great for travel because you can just decant a little bit into a small pot and off you go."
✓Yay
79%Guru Score
"At night it really depends if I'm prone to breaking out I will use the [...] mandelic serum, so that's something that I love so much that keeps my skin clear."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"I use the OGX oil about a half an hour before I get into the shower and it basically just coats and protects the strands so that when you're shampooing your hair you're only shampooing the scalp. You don't need to clean your hair, you just need to clean your scalp to get all the oils and the stuff. Hair is actually quite complex, what it needs is not the same as what your scalp needs."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"This was a new addition to my routine and I think it is spectacular. I really saw a difference in my skin when I started using it and when I stopped using it I noticed a difference as well. I don't know why I waited so long to try this. [...] I finished up two of these and the only reason I haven't repurchased it is because I'm trying another copper peptide serum right now but I can definitely tell you I will be back to this because I think it's brilliant."
✓Yay
88%Guru Score
"This is primarily an exfoliant but it has about a bazillion other fantastic ingredients inside of it. I use this three or four times a week in the evenings. It just gets rid of all the bad stuff. Baby's butt in the morning is just a little miracle worker in a bottle. Definitely one of the best purchases I've ever made and I will continue to use it."
✓Yay
81%Guru Score
"I started at 5% but I always have this. I just always do and I wear it every single day in the morning. It provides a very light exfoliation as well. Lactic acid is one of those acids that you can use to help retain water, which is great. I notice a difference when I don't have this, so I just stick to The Ordinary because it's just lactic acid. I use it every single day, every morning. It's non-irritating. I actually found it very easy to use. You cannot go wrong with that one."
✓Yay
95%Guru Score
"This is by Road Skin, it is the Glazing Milk, and I am a little obsessed. Talking about hydrated skin, her whole line is about creating that dewy glassy skin. It's sort of thick and gives a real juiciness to my skin. So if I apply this after the Suaka Suada, then it is just glow city and my skin is so happy."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"It does wash out, so you don't have to worry about greasy hair, but I think this has been a bit of a game changer. I mean, I know it's been a bit of a game changer. It was on, I think, my top three hair products. [...] I bought a new one and I'm probably halfway through, if not three-quarters the way through that one, and I will be purchasing a new one again. I think it's great. My hair is just doing so much better these days, and I think that's one of the reasons why."
✓Yay
83%Guru Score
"I used to be very loyal to the Olaplex No. 7 Bonding Oil and I've pre purchased that so many times and I have not used it once since I bought this."
✕Nay
66%Guru Score
"It's like a little dewiness and I absolutely adore it. Plus I mean 30 mil bottle is going to last me a year you would be amazed at how long this lasts you only need a couple of drops. I probably do about four or five drops it's probably a little bit more than I need to but it just feels so good on the skin it's dewy it's plump it's gorgeous."
✓Yay
73%Guru Score
"I got a little sample as part of the kit and I really really liked it but am I going to repurchase it I'm not. I mean I choose to spend money in certain categories and this just isn't one of them. I think there's so many really good vitamin C serums out there that cost a fraction of the price. I'm not going to purchase it again but I enjoyed it, it was nice."
✕Nay
77%Guru Score
"One that I've used for many years is by Kiehl's, it's called the creamy eye something with avocado. It's beautiful and I've used it over and over and over and over again."
✓Yay
77%Guru Score
"This is Sachi Skin's Peptide Pro Resilience Serum Concentrate. [...] It is a super lightweight serum that soothes the barrier, protects, hydrates, and calms, the texture is just so beautiful, it's elegant, it is just so nice to use, it's also great for sensitive skin. I love this product so much, [...] I will pay the full import charges that come along with it."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"Red and near infrared light drive a lot of cellular activity, including a burst of free radicals as a byproduct, and this serum helps to manage that. There is also research showing that the Green Rooibos and LED actually make each other work better, the serum helps the light be more effective and the light helps the serum absorb faster, so the results are up to 260% better. That is why I have been using this for years, and I use nothing else."
✓Yay
74%Guru Score
"This is probably the exfoliating product I've used more consistently than any other. It has glycolic and salicylic acids, hydrators, soothers, antioxidants, and somehow manages to keep my skin smooth without irritating it. And the fact that I immediately panicked when I realized it was gone probably tells me everything I need to know."
✓Yay
Notverified
"One is the texture. [...] It's quite cooling. It's got more of a gel-like consistency, but it's the applicator. When you put these two pieces together, oh my goodness. [...] It's a roller ball and it rolls, and it's super cold. Ordinarily something like that you would keep in your fridge. You don't have to keep it in your fridge. So when you combine that with this product in the morning, which is when I use this, it's next level. [...] The roller function is incredible. The texture is silky."
✓Yay
87%Guru Score
"It's Allies of Skin's Peptides and Antioxidants Advanced Firming Daily Treatment. This is a proper formulation moisturizer. It has 13 brighteners, nine antioxidants, and seven peptides, plus a whole bunch of other stuff. For me, it's Superman in a tube, and I think I have gone through this more than any other moisturizer ever. Now, you do pay more for this, but in my opinion, the supercharged formulation warrants the price tag. It comes in at about $125."
✓Yay
85%Guru Score
"For me, sometimes only an oil will do the job. [...] I have been using this longer than I have had this channel. All my besties use it, and it's always been sort of glow in a bottle. [...] It smells amazing. I had the flu over the Thanksgiving weekend and I was down for the count. The only thing that I got out of bed to do, and we're talking 4 days, was this very routine. I didn't shower, I barely ate, but I did get up every evening to do this routine. So at least my skin was sort of cared for."
✓Yay
Notverified
"The peptides here boost elasticity and firmness and the growth factor complex supports cell regeneration and repair. I did a six week wrinkle test and I can tell you this stuff works."
✓Yay
82%Guru Score
"It is their firming and plumping growth factor serum. It's a silky, lightweight treatment that has peptides, growth factors, and brightening botanicals. It gives your skin this instant, juicy look with the long-term benefits of lifted and smoother skin. This just makes my face feel bouncy and alive."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"I love this especially for menopausal skin. This product repairs, it firms, and it really supports the barrier. I just ran out of this and I thought I had a backup and I didn't. So, it's time to reorder."
✓Yay
81%Guru Score
"I love this vitamin C and I think I've talked about it probably a hundred times on this channel. It's heavy, it's almost like a thick oil light texture. It's not for everyone but I love it and my skin loves it."
✓Yay
79%Guru Score
"My other go-tos are the Peptides and Antioxidants Firming Daily Treatment, the 1% retinol Repair Cream, their new cleansing balm is out of this world. I also love their lip balm and their hyaluronic hydrating serum. In my eyes these guys can do no wrong."
✓Yay
85%Guru Score
"The C15 oil, always an oil at night, that's my non-negotiable, really that's the best thing I can do. And also if you want your skin, there have been a lot of studies that have been shown that if you have for example melasma, it's good to use vitamin C twice a day. So in the morning I like to use a vitamin C serum, at night I like to use a vitamin C oil."
✓Yay
86%Guru Score
"It also has hyaluronic acid for plumping and hydrating the skin, plus it has marula oil which contains fatty acids and antioxidants to protect the skin, to also hydrate the skin and to make the skin feel softer. I loved the feel of this on my skin. I like the texture of it on my skin and I felt this combined with this did pack a hydration punch so my skin felt really good. [...] This is all about hydration and for me I felt that it gave that dewy finish."
✓Yay
71%Guru Score
"It's packed with antioxidants, it's soothing, it's just absolutely beautiful. It's a super pricey product, it's not going to be for everyone. Will I repurchase? I don't know because it's really freaking expensive, but if I can I will. I enjoyed using this immensely and was very sad when it was over. So if you're looking for a luxury oil that is sustainable that comes from a company that actually cares about the environment, then it's certainly one worth considering."
✓Yay
87%Guru Score
Sunscreen34 reviews
"This is Haruharu Wonder's Black Rice Moisture Airy Sun daily sunscreen. I really liked this, [...] it's lightweight and hydrating at the same time, it just went on beautifully, and I went through it in a snap. I hope I can get my hands on this again."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"This is Bloom Effects' Tulip Screen Dew sunscreen, a mineral sunscreen, and interestingly I generally don't reach for mineral sunscreens, there are only two I like at all and this is one of them. I like it because it's light enough to layer, [...] it feels super silky on the skin, and the color is perfect. It just gives me this nice little dewy finish, it's just fabulous, but I have no more."
✓Yay
81%Guru Score
"I also have Then I Met You's Essence Light sunscreen. As the name suggests, it's something light that just feels really really nice on the skin."
✓Yay
69%Guru Score
"I have the Allies of Skin Sunless Tan SPF 50. It's just my new love in life, it has fabulous protection with a tan enhancing finish, and it is just so nice."
✓Yay
76%Guru Score
"I also just picked up La Roche-Posay's Anthelios UV Air. This is light as air, and I find it wonderful for just layering again and again throughout the day. I don't think you can get this in the US."
✓Yay
77%Guru Score
"This is a really good sunscreen. It's lightweight, it's clear, it's elegant, it's very serumy, and I completely understand why people love it. But I kept comparing it to the Relief Sun, and for my skin, it just wins out every time, because the Relief Sun is slightly richer and more nourishing, and as my skin gets drier with age, I've realized I just want a richer, cushier finish. [...] Gary actually finished this one, so this is a Gary empty."
~Mixed
66%Guru Score
"There's one sunscreen that I have bought more than any other. It's Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics. I like this formulation because of how it absorbs into my skin and leaves it feeling dewy and hydrated. It's just another layer of hydration, but it doesn't feel heavy or greasy, and it plays well with everything, and it's totally affordable."
✓Yay
87%Guru Score
"This could be my favorite sunscreen ever. It is definitely my most repurchased. It's hydrating, it layers beautifully under pretty much everything, and it has zero white cast, and it's super affordable. So I tend to buy two or three of these at a time. I don't have any more right now, I just have too many sunscreens because I keep buying them to test them and I just can't justify a repurchase. But I can tell you I will be buying more of this. I always do."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"This was probably my first real sunscreen, the one that I committed to when I learned that I really needed to start taking care of my skin. It was dermatologist recommended. But there are now so many more options that I haven't repurchased this and I don't really plan to. It's also kind of hard to find, plus I heard they reformulated."
✕Nay
77%Guru Score
"It has ceramides, antioxidants, hydrators, soothers. My skin feels great. I feel like it's the most versatile, and that's why it ended up here, because it's lightweight on my skin and layerable. It disappears in it, so I can actually apply this without a mirror if I have to. It's a small and light little package, so I can throw it in my handbag for touch-ups. It's convenient. Plus, I can pick it up at Boots, which is a huge bonus."
✓Yay
85%Guru Score
"It does completely disappear into the skin. And while they say it's a matte finish, I think it's a natural finish. I don't look flat, which is great. [...] But I don't look dewy either, which is why this doesn't rank a little higher on the list. [...] This is going to be ideal for those with oily or combination skin. This is actually a fantastic sunscreen and I'll definitely use it again. Plus, I can pick this up in my local drugstore."
~Mixed
76%Guru Score
"The DLow moisturizer SPF is just an incredible sunscreen that I take with me everywhere."
✓Yay
85%Guru Score
"It's very lightweight, so if you're into a full face of makeup situation this is not going to be it, but the finish on that is beautiful. It has a lovely finish to it. I think that is absolutely beautiful. It's got okay coverage, there's no redness here, and it feels really nice. It feels hydrating on the skin, which is the name of the game in my book. If you layer it up you can get to a medium coverage, and it ends up giving pretty good coverage if you're needing it."
✓Yay
81%Guru Score
"This will sting the eyes, so I won't put it on my eyelids, but as long as you're careful it's okay and it's perfectly fine. I actually think this is a great sunscreen and I keep reaching for it. It's about $26 for 50 ml, which is 1.7 fluid ounces, and I think it's a great price."
~Mixed
63%Guru Score
"I was wearing this on the days when I was not going to leave the house, maybe days I'm working from home and it's really really horrible outside, but otherwise not really sure this is one that I'm going to reach for over and over again. It was super cheap, I think it was 15 bucks for 50 ml. I like it, I wish I could get it to work and maybe I'll experiment a bit more with it. I gave it a 4 out of 10. I don't love it but I like it, so maybe I can find a way to make it work."
~Mixed
76%Guru Score
"It did start to warm up on application, making it easier to spread. Now there's quite a weird color to it, it starts pretty ashy but in the end it seemed okay for my skin tone, although I'm not sure it's going to suit everyone. It's not as hydrating or as glowy as I'd like, and to be honest it got a bit drier throughout the day. I didn't love it. It retails for $34 for 50 mls. I gave it a four out of 10."
✕Nay
75%Guru Score
"Though very fine, the powder can sometimes be felt. Be sure to shake well, but that sounds like a bit of a marketing spin to me. I really wish that I'd read that before I bought it. I don't like it. I think I used it twice and then I put it aside. I gave it a three out of 10 because the price was so good and some people might actually like it, but it's not for me."
✕Nay
66%Guru Score
"I love their skin care, which is the Madagascar Centella SPF. It's one of my favorite SPFs that I discovered last year."
✓Yay
87%Guru Score
"I cannot tell you how much I love this product. It is so dewy, it is so glowy, it is hydrating. It sinks into the skin, makeup sits beautifully underneath it. [...] I haven't repurchased it, the only reason I haven't repurchased it is I have so many sunscreens from that last year's video that I'm still making my way through. I am definitely going to repurchase this 100%. It looked so good during the winter because I didn't start using it until the winter."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"I love this product. I already have a replacement. It's the perfect sunscreen, it's the perfect color, it's very lightweight, it disappears, it gives me the coverage, it gives me a nice little glow. Perfection."
✓Yay
81%Guru Score
"This is one that I picked up recently this summer by Garnier, it is called the Invisible Serum Super UV 50. Oh my gosh, it's really good. It's clear, it is invisible, and if that's a worry of yours, this is fantastic. I loved it, used it up. The only thing I don't like about it is it's really small. I mean it's only 30 mils, like that's tiny. Because when you compare it to these, you know, this one is 50 mils, it you just have to buy a lot of them."
✓Yay
81%Guru Score
"This one is by Make P:rem, it is the UV Defense Me Daily Sun Essence. It is super lightweight, it is just beauty in a tube and it just disappears, it's gorgeous. I haven't repurchased it yet because I have so many sunscreens to use up, but I absolutely will, definitely going to repurchase that."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"The Eevee is a heavy sunscreen that comes out of Sweden."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"This is the RNR Sun Serum by Undefined and I just love it. It was a recent discovery for me this year and my sunscreen challenge. It just evens out my skin tone, gives me adequate coverage, just makes me look a little bit better. I do carry a lot of redness in the middle of my face so this just makes things a little bit better. It's also quite moisturizing and it gives a little bit of a glow."
✓Yay
89%Guru Score
"I cannot wear this as an SPF. I cannot wear enough to get the coverage to wear it as an SPF, but as a makeup I'm going to give it a 5 out of 5. I'm wearing it almost every day now, just a tiny bit. It looks flawless. It has a nice glow to it. It's a little transferable, but sure you can't win them all. But I think for the price, this has become a makeup surprise."
~Mixed
77%Guru Score
"It just sort of sat on top of my skin. Plus, super transferable. It came off on everything, my clothes, my phone. No matter what I was doing, it just seemed to kind of rub off. So if it was able to absorb a bit more in the skin, I think it would have been a winner, but I just thought it looked beautiful and I was really really sad with the results because I had high hopes. I did give it a two out of five because it looked so lovely. It just didn't stick around."
✕Nay
63%Guru Score
"I do like that it's tinted and it didn't leave any kind of white cast, which is great, but for me this was really dry, drying on the skin, and the finish was far more matte than I would have liked. I think this could be great for somebody who has really oily skin, but it's [...] an SPF 30. I will always go for a higher SPF, I try to do a 50 where I can. [...] For me I just didn't dig it. I gave this a 0 out of 5 because I'm never gonna use it, it's just not suited to my skin whatsoever."
✕Nay
70%Guru Score
"It is super hydrating and could actually work as a moisturizer alone, particularly during these summer months. It does have a bit of a scent at first but I find it dissipates very quickly. The application is just so easy, it goes on so well, it completely disappears into your skin and the finish is spectacular. For me this is a five out of five and one I'm going to repurchase."
✓Yay
82%Guru Score
"It says it's for sensitive skin, it costs 28 dollars for 30 mils. [...] It has titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. It starts out a bit greasy but then it does dry down, but it's glowy, it is uber glowy, and it leaves a super duper white cast, so much so that I had to really cover this up later with makeup and a lot of makeup. I went in with my Jones Road and after that that still wasn't enough, and then I had to use a powder foundation because it was so glowy."
✕Nay
60%Guru Score
"This was a disaster and it didn't take long to figure it out. [...] So thick, I don't know how anybody could wear this and actually get adequate protection. It just was a complete disaster. Hated it, hated it, hated it. I could not get this off my skin fast enough. [...] For me this was a dud, it was a zero out of five."
✕Nay
68%Guru Score
"It left a nice glow. I [...] really liked it, I have to say, and I've enjoyed using it. I've given this a four out of five, and the reason for that is I don't know if I'm using enough, like I don't know if it's really a golf ball size amount. I'm not sure I'm using the right amount. That's the only reason it doesn't get a five out of five. [...] It's a really lovely and an unusual product, so if you're over on this side of the pond I think it's worth a checkout."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"And this is so up my alley. It is ridiculous. I never wear a full coverage makeup, just ever. I just don't like that feeling of something heavy sitting on my skin. What I do love are tinted serums and light breathable coverage. This completely fits that bill beautifully. So, it has a kind of a sheer silky texture. [...] It's quite lightweight. [...] You can blend it with your fingers. You can use a sponge or a brush. Either way, it melts really well into the skin."
✓Yay
74%Guru Score
"It's called the One SPF 50 Invisible Sunscreen Gel. This product is completely clear, it has tons of skin-loving ingredients, and it's incredibly lightweight on the skin, which makes it easy to apply over and over again. So it's perfect for summer when you're out at the beach or you're out in the elements and you need to keep putting stuff on. This is a great product."
✓Yay
66%Guru Score
"It also has vitamin E to soothe and to protect the skin. The glow that it gives is pretty spectacular. It just delivers this beautiful sheen to the skin. The most important thing here is that aside from it just feeling so nice and doing great things for my skin, it's actually protecting my skin. For me this is actually more like body care that has the added benefit of SPF as opposed to it being the other way around. This is something that I will use in place of a lot of my body care."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
Other29 reviews
"The Airstrait doesn't curl at all, [...] it dries and straightens in one step, wet to dry to straight in a single pass. For me this was genius, because I am chronically, embarrassingly bad at blow-drying my own hair straight. [...] The Airstrait solved that problem completely, and it solved it every single time. It's eye-wateringly expensive, but it does exactly what I need it to do every time without fail."
✓Yay
85%Guru Score
"The L'Oreal Gotion has become a staple. I don't wear makeup every day, but I will wear this instead. It gives this sort of healthy, lit from within glow that just makes me look better, fresher. Plus, it solved a problem I didn't expect it to solve. My face lives under a factor of 50 every single day, so no matter how much sun I get, my face never catches up to the rest of my body, which goes quite dark."
✓Yay
81%Guru Score
"This is Drunk Elephant's D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops. [...] This was the first bronzing drop I ever tried, and it certainly showed me how much I love this type of product, but I have four other versions now in different formats and I reach for those more, so this one is definitely a pass."
✕Nay
59%Guru Score
"I've talked a lot about my Suri Sonic toothbrush. Not only do you get an incredible clean, the best thing about this product I think is the travel case, it's got a built-in battery powered UVC light that kills 99% of bacteria, so this little thing is sterilized after every single use."
✓Yay
85%Guru Score
"I just recently finished a review using a laser device by Mimi Silk and I did find that it made a subtle difference, enough to get me excited, but I don't think it's any one thing when we're trying to tackle something like this. I'm a believer in a multi-channel approach, so I think the laser device has had a good impact as part of that combination."
~Mixed
75%Guru Score
"I am also bringing my Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads. This delivers quick exfoliation, it's super easy on the go, and with all the sweat, sunscreen, and heat, I will be using these pretty regularly. Because they're so gentle on my skin, it is just easy peasy."
✓Yay
80%Guru Score
"Multiple bottles, consistent use, I committed to the cause, but I'm still unconvinced. I know people absolutely swear by this product. Theoretically, it makes sense. The peptides are meant to soften expression lines. But for me, I just never saw enough of a difference. And at this point in my skin care life, if I go through multiple bottles of something, I want to at least feel that it's working. I don't want to wonder about it. So this one just quietly exited the building."
✕Nay
73%Guru Score
"The OneSkin Cleanser turns into a light foam and in hot weather, it just gives me that deeper clean that I really need at the end of the day. It's funny cuz I don't really lean into the foam cleansers, but I really do in this type of instance. I even bring a couple of these little sponges to make sure that everything comes off properly because if you don't get that right, like nothing else really matters anyway."
✓Yay
70%Guru Score
"I use this both morning and night because it adds light hydration. It supports the barrier and it helps prep my skin for everything else that follows. This contains their green rooibos antioxidants. It also has glycerin and soothing extracts. I just love this. I go through bottles of this every year."
✓Yay
82%Guru Score
"That's why it's called collagen induction therapy. [...] Banish is the system that made it really easy for me to do regularly, safely, and without pain because that's the key one. And now that they offer replacements heads and at different lengths to do different types of treatments, it's taking this product to the next level in my opinion. [...] Without fail, every time I do a treatment, my face looks brighter, firmer, and healthier about 5 weeks later."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"She is just perfect"
✓Yay
78%Guru Score
"It's L'Oreal's LV Wonderwater. It uses Lamalar technology, which instantly fills and seals the damaged cuticles for glossy, weightless shine, and it works in seconds. 8 seconds to be exact. It's already drugstore magic, so no need for an alternative here."
✓Yay
85%Guru Score
"It's lighter on the skin, and while it's not runny, it's actually really easy to apply. It feels so nice on the skin. It has ceramides, soothing ingredients. It does not contain niacinamide. It blends in beautifully. I didn't feel this was as glowy. It's more of a kind of soft matte. It is a really, really lovely product. [...] I prefer a more hydrating formula, but oily and combo skin will love this."
~Mixed
89%Guru Score
"I have a few of this next product by Estée Lauder, it's the Advanced Night Repair. You guys, this is iconic for a reason. It protects our skin with antioxidants, it hydrates it, supports a healthy skin barrier, it boosts DNA repair, it soothes and calms the skin. The only thing this doesn't do is bring me coffee, it's just a delight to use. I've gone through buckets of this over the years."
✓Yay
64%Guru Score
"Prequel, which is an American brand developed by dermatologist Sam Ellen, it's phenomenal and it's super cheap."
✓Yay
83%Guru Score
"They say it's a highlighter, but I use this as sort of a combination highlighter and blush. It's just this juicy deliciousness. It's glowy, it's vibrant, it's sunny. I'm actually wearing it today. It's not too much blush or pigmentation, but there's just enough that I don't need to use blush in addition to it. It just makes me look healthy. I absolutely love it, and as of the end of 2024, if I could only have one blush, it would be this and nothing else."
✓Yay
76%Guru Score
"They're the face Halo makeup remover pads. I mean, they're sustainable, they're reusable, they're super soft and fluffy and gentle and they take all the makeup off. Now if you have any beauty lovers that really hate the idea of disposable cotton rounds, [...] they're fabulous. They wash super easily and they actually keep their shape longer than most other products in this category. And the other thing is they're available just about everywhere."
✓Yay
83%Guru Score
"Sleep and Glow pillows are exceptional and they are instrumental to good sleep for me. I personally prefer the AA because it's for back sleepers and that's me. I actually really struggle to sleep without this. [...] For those who can't sleep on their back, the Omnia is a lifesaver. It's specifically designed for people who sleep on their side but really want to fight the wrinkles and the puffiness that comes along with it. It has this little carveout space for your head. It's absolutely genius."
✓Yay
85%Guru Score
"I'm using Retin-A Micro instead. It's really just how my skin responds. I've used tretinoin on and off for years and the last time I just started getting peeling out of nowhere and I didn't want to wait that out, [...] so I switched. I still have a retinoid, I would always have a retinoid, I just find that there are some that are less irritating to me at certain periods."
✓Yay
88%Guru Score
"The Living Proof Triple Bond Complex is a leave-in treatment and hair mask that claims to make hair eight times stronger and more resistant to future damage while adding softness, smoothness, and shine. I use it after every shampoo and I love it. [...] I take about a pump and a half onto my hands, separate it into sections, and scrunch from the bottom up."
✓Yay
76%Guru Score
"I use this with my devices so when I'm doing things like microcurrent or radio frequency and if the gels or the serums are starting to dry up I just spray a little bit of this on to reactivate."
✓Yay
65%Guru Score
"This is Chanel's Water-Fresh Tint, also known as Les Beiges Eau de Teint, and it has these micro droplets of encapsulated pigments that melt into the skin on contact and it creates this sort of radiant bare skin effect. It is so pretty. It doesn't actually look like I'm wearing makeup, it's just this fuzzy blurry juicy kind of finish, which is just perfect for summer. I only use this in the summer."
✓Yay
77%Guru Score
"I do this every six to eight weeks with my Doctor Pen, which uses disposable cartridges so it's super hygienic. After about three or four weeks of doing a session, my face, my neck, and my chest it just glows. I don't need makeup, it's amazing. You really wouldn't believe the impact."
✓Yay
83%Guru Score
"The dry texturing spray is only a little one, which I love because it's perfect for travel. [...] The big one is really honking so I prefer these. [...] I really use this after I have curled my hair, so maybe once a week or once every two weeks. I [...] find that this sort of acts like it's part hairspray and just part texture, so it just gives it a little bit of oomph. I love this stuff. I do have another one here and I will continue to repurchase."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"Can you see how that brightens the eye? It just makes me look awake and that's the name of the game. Doesn't really matter how old you are, we could all probably use a little bit of help in that area. So that has just instantly brightens that up. [...] You do not have to be exact with this stuff, it's pretty flexible. I'm just going to tap it in and already I love putting brightness on the corners of my eyes because I do have a lot of shadowing there."
✓Yay
68%Guru Score
"The other drugstore brand in the misting category that I've used for years is La Roche-Posay, another brand I think can do no wrong. It is called the Thermal Spring Water. Throughout the day you will often see me at my desk like a weirdo just doing this, they've come to accept it, it's who I am now."
✓Yay
72%Guru Score
"The version I have, which includes the Mulberry silk pillowcase, is two hundred and ninety five dollars, and my chest wrinkles are gone and my neck lines are nearly non-existent. [...] My only complaint is that I can't travel with it, it's just too big."
✓Yay
82%Guru Score
"It's Bloom Effects Royal Tulip Nectar. Like, I talk about this product constantly, but it earns the attention every single time. She's thick, she's glossy, and brings dull winter skin back to life overnight. She just melts into the skin like honey and seals in moisture beautifully. There's generally nothing else quite like this product."
✓Yay
83%Guru Score
"Ziip is the gold standard in at-home microcurrent, and I adore the Ziip Halo. It lifts, it defines, it brightens the skin using both microcurrent and nanocurrent technology, and nobody else is doing that."
✓Yay
81%Guru Score
Cleansers27 reviews
"This is Then I Met You's Living Cleansing Balm. I liked this product, I did, but I just didn't like it enough for the price tag. I will spend 35 dollars on a cleanser but I have to love it to spend that kind of money, and there are other products in their range that I like way more."
~Mixed
87%Guru Score
"There is the New Wash, which I have used for ages and I've really liked it. This product replaces shampoo and conditioner together."
✓Yay
68%Guru Score
"Funnily enough, I didn't love the Dr. Sam's Flawless Cleanser at first, my friend gave me a bottle, but oh my gosh, I do now, and it has become my travel staple. It is the perfect double cleanser, it takes off every little bit of makeup and sunscreen, and it's gentle enough for the second cleanse as well, which I always do just to be sure."
✓Yay
87%Guru Score
"There's the Saponins Cream Cleanser. Now, this is new to my collection, but I am loving it. It's creamy, it's nourishing, and it is perfect for sensitive skin."
✓Yay
82%Guru Score
"I prefer Bioderma's version."
✓Yay
96%Guru Score
"Right now I'm using the Garnier oil infused micellar water. But you know what? It's actually not my favorite. I prefer Bioderma's version, but because I'm doing a low buy winter, I'm making a very conscious effort to use what I already have rather than replacing."
✕Nay
55%Guru Score
"The next holy grail was the CeraVe hydrating cleanser. Now, it's already affordable and it is loaded with ceramides and glycerin. Everything dry or sensitive skin needs."
✓Yay
85%Guru Score
"I use this specifically to remove eye makeup before I double cleanse in the evening. [...] Both of these products use gentle surfactants to lift makeup without stripping the skin. [...] You really can't go wrong with Garnier."
✓Yay
68%Guru Score
"And the very last skincare item on this list, my very last empty here, is the Versed Day Dissolve Cleansing Balm. I actually think that this is my favorite drugstore cleansing balm. That's saying a lot. I love the texture of this. It works like a charm and it's super affordable. I haven't repurchased this yet, but I definitely will. To be honest, I have no shortage of cleansers, but I'm going to get it."
✓Yay
79%Guru Score
"The Verso Cleansing Balm comes in at only €19, it is highly effective, and I will repurchase it when it's empty. I use it and alternate between my balm cleansers every day."
✓Yay
68%Guru Score
"This is probably my favorite drugstore cream cleanser. It's gentle but it gets all the stuff off my skin and I just always repurchase it."
✓Yay
83%Guru Score
"It's just so slippery and it smells divine and it's experiential. This is like a moment. I love cleaning my face with this product and your skin is so so soft even after the first cleanse. This stuff is like butter. I haven't repurchased it because it's hard for me to get in Europe. It's one of the things that I need to get when I'm back in the US because I have to import it and it's just so expensive but I love it."
✓Yay
75%Guru Score
"I just don't like them. I love the effect of an oil, but I just find them messy and they go everywhere and that's difficult to use. Well, this guy is different because it comes out like a gel so it doesn't make a big fat mess when you're trying to get it from your hands to your face, but it just melts into the skin like an oil and it is so good. It is so effective. And again, it's so reasonable. It's Naturium, so in my opinion this is another home run by those guys."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"So this just has my name all over it but as it turns out it's actually not for me. So for some reason, I just assumed a glycerin cleanser was going to feel like a gel cleanser, just the way that it performed on my skin, but as it turns out this is actually a foaming cleanser. I don't like foaming cleansers and I'm sure it's all in my head but I just can't shake the feeling that foam cleansers are stripping my skin. The thing about this product, this is like foam on steroids."
✕Nay
85%Guru Score
"I love a balm, it gets in there, it gets everything out. I'm using one by true Botanicals right now for the balms."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"There are sort of three go-tos, the first is La Roche-Posay's Toleriane Dermal Cleanser. It has been a favorite of mine for years. It's super gentle, it doesn't strip the skin. I do just wish it came in a much bigger bottle, that's my only complaint about it."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"As far as cleansing oils go, it's probably my favorite, but I've come to the realization that I just don't love cleansing oils. They're messy. So I haven't replaced it, but you know something tells me I just might. I keep buying oils why do I keep buying oils if I know I don't like them? But if you do like a Cleansing Oil, I think this one is fantastic and it's definitely worth a check out."
~Mixed
83%Guru Score
"The cleansing balm, super luxury, super expensive. I love it but I will not pay full price for it. I was able to get one on a really good sale a year or so ago and then Gary also gave me one for Christmas last year. I love the experience just not the price tag. So I will only repurchase it if I can find it on a good offer. It's just Bader, it's luxury, and if I had all the money in the world I would bathe in Bader."
~Mixed
76%Guru Score
"I've used DHC on and off for years I find it reliable it's a nice little easy completely affordable option. It's something I've used for years chances are I will repurchase it at some stage. I actually have a teeny tiny one that I'm using at the moment when I travel and that's what I think this size is great for. For me it's sort of one of those old reliables."
✓Yay
89%Guru Score
"I love BYOMA, this whole range is to help protect our natural microbiome and it is super duper affordable. This was the first time I used this cleanser and I actually really liked it. I think this is a really good cleanser for the price point and it's something you can find just about anywhere. If you're looking for something that's really good at doing that first cleanse that's super affordable that's kind to the skin it doesn't irritate the eyes, this is a good one."
✓Yay
68%Guru Score
"I loved it. I thought it was great. I kept it in the shower and I finished it up and I thought it was great. I think this is a great alternative if you're looking for something. I think this is really good for a second cleanse or a shower cleanse if you're just going to go for one."
✓Yay
89%Guru Score
"I didn't love it. It's not very elegant. It is incredibly affordable, it's super cheap, I think it's about six or seven dollars, and while it is effective at removing the SPF and the makeup and the grime, I just didn't really like the feel of it. I think there are so many other products that even fit within the price category that are better. So for me it's not a repurchase. It was nice to give it a try, it had been on my list, but it's just not going to be one I go for again."
✕Nay
73%Guru Score
"This is called the Nourishing Micronutrient Wash. [...] You shake it up and it comes out in a foam and you need to activate it for about 30 seconds for it to do its magic, but essentially it's helping to break down everything on the skin, all of that mineral buildup, and it's also depositing some very nourishing ingredients that are designed to help with barrier repair. They say on their website that your hydration levels are much higher throughout the day than if you did not use it."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"This cleansing jelly is an absolute delight to use. It is super silky on the skin. It removes every bit of makeup and it doesn't sting the eyes."
✓Yay
83%Guru Score
"I love a balm cleanser. I just feel they're the best for breaking down makeup and I love that slippery feel but it's not drippy. The Allies of Skin Vitamin C and Omegas Cleansing Balm is so good. First of all I actually love the packaging because there's no digging fingers into jars which I really don't like. But the way that the product feels on your face, that the spread is gorgeous, it just feels so lovely and it's perfect for travel. I can just pop this in my little bag and off I go."
✓Yay
Notverified
"I have gone through so many tubes of this. The Molecular Silk Amino Hydrating Cleanser is just a really reliable cleanser that I've been using for ages."
✓Yay
80%Guru Score
"Now it is oil and glycerin based, in fact it's 20% glycerin, so it's actually really soft on the skin and it gets absolutely everything off without stripping anything. I'm really in love with this product. As the name suggests, it's designed for even the most sensitive skin. I haven't repurchased yet because I have a mountain of cleansers that I need to get through, but I absolutely will. It is definitely one of the best gel cleansers I've ever tried, so it's worth a check out."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
Moisturizers25 reviews
"My bestie swears by La Mer and has for years, [...] so I tried it, and I just didn't dig it. [...] To be honest, I didn't feel it was rich enough. It didn't feel luxurious enough for what it costs. I know La Mer works for a lot of people, and if you love it, yay. But skin care is very personal, [...] and for me, at that price point, it was just a hard no."
✕Nay
47%Guru Score
"This is the SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream. This is the best retinoid I have ever used. It has retinaldehyde, which is the strongest retinoid you can get without a prescription, plus glycolic acid, which gives you daily exfoliation, but it is so kind to the skin, it's absolutely non-irritating. Plus it has peptides, antioxidants, brightener, soothers, the works. It feels so nice on the skin, soft, smooth."
✓Yay
83%Guru Score
"There is one Bader product I do consistently repurchase, which is, I'm sure y'all know, it is the Rich Cream, which is outrageously expensive and annoyingly excellent."
✓Yay
62%Guru Score
"So if you haven't tried Dew, you need to try it. I don't think this one they sent me is for sale, and it's going to last me forever. I am so grateful."
✓Yay
87%Guru Score
"It's called the Active Seal. This is a moisturizer, which is really interesting because I really enjoyed it. The texture is lovely, and what I really liked is it simplified my routine. Combining a moisturizer with vitamin C just makes so much sense because I was able to use less product. I was able to eliminate a serum from my routine. This is absolutely a product I would buy again, just not right now because I have so many other moisturizers that are open and ready for use."
✓Yay
81%Guru Score
"I really would like to get your opinion on the texture of this. [...] You can see I've used this a lot. [...] It has a lot of the similar ingredients. [...] Oh, it is so good. [...] That is nice. Nice and rich. It's just elegant. I feel it has such a lovely feel on the skin and it layers well because I would use this in my evening routine. [...] I am enjoying it so much. It's beautiful. It's got a scent to it. [...] It is an elegant and beautiful."
✓Yay
78%Guru Score
"Now, this isn't pretty skin care, but it is highly effective. And I have relied on this for all of the skin stresses I have had over the years. Overexfoliation, the retinoid wars, cracked skin, and it's still the one I use for days two and three after microneedling. Plus, it helps with diaper rash, heat sensitivities, just properly messed up skin. I sort of think of it as a reset button, and it is never not in this house. And it's less than five bucks. It's just a no-brainer."
✓Yay
92%Guru Score
"This is CeraVe's Moisturizing Cream. You can get this everywhere, and it's such a great value. I have gone through so many tubs of this over the years. Now, it's not elegant. It's not necessarily exciting, but it is highly effective. It's got glycerin. It has ceramides and lipids and hyaluronic acid. And if your skin is truly dry, this could support your barrier better than a lot of the other fancy creams."
✓Yay
83%Guru Score
"Clinique's Moisture Surge is just a classic gel cream moisturizer, and it's a classic for a reason. It's lightweight. It's very hydrating. It layers beautifully under makeup, and it works for a lot of people who just don't need richness."
✓Yay
74%Guru Score
"Byoma does it again with their Moisturizing Gel Cream. It's lightweight, it's affordable, it's barrier supportive, and it's a great everyday option if you don't need much weight."
✓Yay
73%Guru Score
"It's Naturium's Multi-Peptide Moisturizer. This is honestly one of the most elegant formulas you will ever find at this price point. It has peptides and brighteners and antioxidants and soothing ingredients, and it genuinely feels elegant on the skin. It's just a great example of how good modern formulation has become. It's genuinely mind-blowing for the price, which is about 20 bucks."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"The texture is this sort of gel cream. Like it's lightweight, but it's still super cushiony. It gives a hydrated, bounciness to the skin with a slightly dewy finish. Now, what's really interesting is that this product still works for me while the others do not. I guess it just goes to show that different formulas can behave differently, but to me, this is worth every single penny, coming in at about $70."
✓Yay
88%Guru Score
"This is Copari's Moisture Whipped Ceramide Cream and it has this light whipped texture that feels almost airy going on. But don't be fooled. It leaves your skin deeply hydrated and comfortable. And the hydration strangely just keeps going. It's one of those creams where your skin just feels sorted afterwards. It's calm, it's comfortable, and it's properly hydrated. And coming in at only $44, it is a steal."
✓Yay
85%Guru Score
"This is the first part of my skincare routine and it is fantastic. I've also gotten into the habit of layering essences as a way to get more hydration into the skin and to kind of lock everything in. I didn't repurchase this, and the only reason I haven't repurchased it is that I bought a whole bunch of essences after seeing my friend Cecilia in London earlier in the year and I need to work my way through them."
✓Yay
83%Guru Score
"The barrier balance which just gives such juicy skin."
✓Yay
83%Guru Score
"Right now I'm really loving the Allies of Skin Molecular Barrier Recovery Cream Balm because I've been traveling a lot, my skin's just been a little bit stressed."
✓Yay
79%Guru Score
"If I had to pick one it would be [...] this one. I think that these are my favorite. [...] These are brilliant, these are good, and quite affordable as well. [...] You use so little of this product like a serum you would use more, [...] but you're only doing a few shakes of this particular. If you're combining them this will last for months and months and months and months. For all my dehydrated mature skin gals, [...] if you don't have Essence in your life, you need to. It's a new love."
✓Yay
83%Guru Score
"This is so nice, [...] so thick in a good way and so hydrating. This is probably the first moisturizer that's made me think if I stop using my other butter, this might be the replacement. [...] I love my butter but it's really freaking expensive. This is that good. [...] If you haven't tried this and you have dry, dehydrated, older skin, it's worth it. I think this was 14 bucks for the small thing, worth every freaking penny."
✓Yay
81%Guru Score
"What I love about this is it's somehow lightweight but super super hydrating at the same time. I have some products that you put on and they're so heavy, which I love, takes a long time to rub them in, but you get that hydration. This is the complete opposite of that but it gives you the same result. It's a little bit watery in texture but I love it and I will continue to repurchase. [...] You can get it at the drugstore and that's a big bonus for me."
✓Yay
89%Guru Score
"It's really, really good for super dry skin. I'm 52, my skin's a lot drier now. If you have really dry, scaly skin, this is brilliant. It is super thick, super emollient, and it does a fantastic job. Now there's a downside to the fact that it's super, super thick and super emollient. The pump sucks. It is so thick that by the time you get to about here you can't get the product out anymore. It's just not working. So then you have to unscrew the top and take it out with a beauty scoop."
~Mixed
88%Guru Score
"I'm using the CeraVe Eye Repair Cream. It's dirt cheap and it's small and I always travel with this. It's just perfect. For me it's all about layering on the hydration. You can never do too much around the eyes."
✓Yay
69%Guru Score
"This thing costs less than 16 euros. In addition to the tri-ceramide complex, it has peptides and it has shea extract, and it is much richer than their gel version moisturizer, which I did try last year and just wasn't heavy enough for my skin. This one I really, really like. I mean it's not going to compare with my Augustinus Bader, but it has a refillable pod and you just can't beat the price."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"I switched from a super expensive Augustinus Bader moisturizer to a One Skin moisturizer that's about half the price. It's still pricey, but I'm enjoying it even more. [...] One Skin has now taken Bader's spot, and [...] in my opinion it is worth every single penny."
✓Yay
74%Guru Score
"This is InnBeauty Project Extreme Cream. It's rich, it's comforting. It has ceramides and peptides and antioxidants, but it's the texture that is just unreal. It is super rich, it is super hydrating, and it gives you that my-skin-looks-amazing effect without the higher price tag. For me it's more comforting than Alastin, but is still very much an active product rather than just a pure barrier cream."
✓Yay
88%Guru Score
"I've been using it every day, and at night when I really need that heavy stuff to go on I would apply some oil on top of it, but I'm surprised at how much I liked this. To be perfectly frank, I think it's great and I mean it's $30."
✓Yay
72%Guru Score
Tech24 reviews
"I was using the Dr. Pen for a while and I found it more painful, it just seemed to hurt more. My skin seemed way more irritated and it took me longer to heal, even though I was using the same 0.5 needle length, maybe I was just going too deep. [...] It used to come with an attached head that you had to throw out after a few uses, which is probably why I stopped using it."
✕Nay
73%Guru Score
"I'm bringing a device, [...] Masama's Aura LED Mask. LED results are cumulative, so I don't want to disrupt my routine, plus it's what helps keep my melasma in check."
✓Yay
87%Guru Score
"The CurrentBody set had the most comfortable fit of anything I owned, plus it has more LED lights than just about everything out there, so these were huge winners. It has been my go to for years and those masks are excellent. If you already have the CurrentBody Series II, you do not need to buy the new Aura."
✓Yay
89%Guru Score
"The Prana set won me over because of the pulse light technology and the ability to isolate red or near infrared on their own, which can really matter to people with melasma. It also has variable time sessions and the controller displayed useful information like battery level, which was a real game changer. [...] I loved it, but something came along that did what it did, but better. [...] The lips are covered on this mask, [...] which I really like."
✓Yay
70%Guru Score
"The controller or maybe it was the connector to the controller became faulty. After about eight or nine months the lights started to flicker during use. There was definitely a connection issue. I'd sort of have to hold the cord in place to keep the lights on. I contacted customer service. They were lovely and they sent me out a new controller twice. [...] I personally think they should have just sent me an entirely new mask. I spent $300 and something dollars at the time but they didn't."
✕Nay
79%Guru Score
"Red light therapy has had the biggest impact on the condition of my neck. [...] My first neck and décolletage mask was by CurrentBody and I used it for years. I still have it, it still works great."
✓Yay
80%Guru Score
"It's called the Chin to Chest Light Therapy Device and I use this every day. So like all of their LED devices it uses pulse light technology which is even better for skin protection for product absorption and for deeper tissue penetration. Plus it has a thicker band than the other versions which means it gives more coverage. But the best bit is the flap under the chin. Believe me I need more attention in this area, so I use this with the Prana face mask every day. I just think it's fantastic."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"This has been a staple in my routine for ages. I got it last year and I love it because it has all the same technology as the mask but it sits on my desk and it can treat my hair my face my neck and my chest all at the same time."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"If you're looking for a microcurrent, this is just the one to go with. I love their gels, they're the best I've ever used because they don't dry up. There's nothing worse than gels in the middle of the thing and you have to keep squirting or reapplying, I hate that. They have a couple of different ones to choose from based on the ingredients."
✓Yay
75%Guru Score
"I think it's great. It's super fast, it only takes me 20 seconds in the morning because I only do it in a couple of spots. I'm still using it and I'm still seeing great results from it. My two primary age spots have significantly reduced and I think the biggest surprise was I didn't know the scarring was going to go down, the coloring which was just amazing. So I do it on my nose, on my forehead from my scars from my car accident. I love it and yes I still use it."
✓Yay
62%Guru Score
"I have tried one other device by JOVS that was called the Blacken Pro which targets hyperpigmentation and it totally works so I have pretty high hopes when it comes to their delivery of innovation."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"I will share my thoughts after using the pulse LED Light Panel as well as The Prana LED mask both from Mela"
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"I did a video about 10 months ago for another hair device by Ladora and I [...] have loved using that device for many many months. It has a number of different modalities such as red LED light therapy microcurrent as well as heat to help stimulate hair growth and another really cool thing are these little pods you can get that can contain various serums or oils that you use during the treatment."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"The Lumo, which is a radio frequency device, which is super powerful and really fantastic."
✓Yay
85%Guru Score
"This device is specifically for the delicate eye area and this is a real focus for me the last couple of months. Although I've been using this device for probably a year and a half, it uses thermal collagen stimulation with LED light therapy and sonic massage. I try to use this in the morning about two to three times a week and it's only a minute and a half per eye so I can usually fit this in. I love this thing."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"I have the their face mask and I also have their neck and décolletage LED masks both of them are brilliant."
✓Yay
90%Guru Score
"This is the LED mask that I'm using almost exclusively now. While I use the panel most when I'm at home, I use this a lot for travel or if I need to have a quick fix. This is only a 3 minute cycle and that's unheard of. What also makes this so great is that each of the zones, I think that's five different zones on the face, it offers an anti-aging setting which is red and infrared, and then it has an acne setting which is red and blue, so that's all about fighting bacteria."
✓Yay
Notverified
"I got the old NuFACE Mini I got this I don't know maybe four years ago 5 years ago and I did use it consistently I don't know three times a week maybe but that was about 30 minutes in order to hit all of the areas that I wanted to hit."
~Mixed
71%Guru Score
"This is a lot of physical work. I did a review of this device using it for 60 days, three times a week for 45 minutes a session. It was such an incredible time commitment and at the end of that when I did a comparison of the images I just didn't see the payoff personally. I had fatigue, I was exhausted. I didn't want to spend 45 minutes three times a week. I just didn't want to invest the time."
✕Nay
77%Guru Score
"I have a lot of masks and I use them all but this guy is unique because he's customizable. Not only does he have multiple colors, he has red and infrared which are mostly for wound repair, tissue repair, anti-aging, it also has blue for acne. What is so great about this device is it has five different areas and you use an app and you can customize different areas."
✓Yay
73%Guru Score
"I could look in the mirror and see the difference and it wasn't a good one. If I look at the crow's feet they're definitely more pronounced, particularly here at my left eye, and even the area underneath my eye, my creases are bigger, they're deeper. I could see this in the mirror as the days were progressing. These pictures were upsetting to me because I spent so much time trying to make them better. These were my results and I have to say I'm not very pleased."
✕Nay
56%Guru Score
"The NIRA Pro I use this every single morning it only takes a couple of minutes this is traveling with me and I'm doing a trial on it now but so far love it"
✓Yay
69%Guru Score
"It is the LED hair growth helmet. [...] I have been using this device for about a year and a half, and I can honestly say I have new hair in areas that I've not treated with any other product. That's how I know this works, and this is the truth. Now, this is a very expensive product, but with my discount code, you get 20% off. That's about a savings of $150, which is huge in my opinion. I love this device, and I use it almost every day."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"After 3 months there's an obvious improvement in the tone of my skin. Before it was quite red but now it just looks so nice and even, and I also think that the texture is much more improved. [...] I don't see any big reduction in my fine lines and wrinkles but I'm 53 and I think I'm looking pretty damn good. I [...] definitely feel that my skin looks better after 3 months. [...] I was very pleasantly surprised my skin looks healthy and to me that's the name of the game."
✓Yay
Notverified
Body & Tan21 reviews
"This is Aveeno's Daily Moisturizing After Shower Mist and it's just another automatic repurchase. I use it every single morning right when I get out of the shower to get the part of my back I just can't reach with moisturizer. I think it's been in every empties video I've ever made and it always will be."
✓Yay
85%Guru Score
"This is the Nerra Dry Body Oil in Jasmine Wood, which was sent to me in PR and I am so grateful. The scent is incredible, it's a spray, and I pat it into my skin instead of spraying it directly since it kind of goes everywhere. It gives softer skin, it's a spa experience, and it actually lasted me a really long time. Sad to see that go."
✓Yay
85%Guru Score
"This is Josh Rosebrook's body serum and I would buy it again in a heartbeat if I had access to it, it is glorious on the skin. I do have one small complaint though, I find that I go through it too quickly. [...] I also wasn't a fan of the packaging, even though it's a nice glass bottle it was really tricky to get every last bit out of it, though the packaging looks different now on their website so this could be a serious upgrade."
~Mixed
78%Guru Score
"I have bought so many of these over the years, both for myself and for others. [...] It's a hard lotion, you warm it up between your hands and then rub it straight onto dry skin, and it almost melts into your skin like an oil. It's incredibly soft and the scent is just amazing."
✓Yay
73%Guru Score
"I didn't love it. I adore their face care. I don't love their body care. I didn't dig the scent and it's just not hydrating enough."
✕Nay
68%Guru Score
"I loved it. I do particularly love their body care range and I think it's the best you can get for the price."
✓Yay
68%Guru Score
"This is the Aquaphor Healing Ointment Body Spray. Both deliver glycerin rich occlusive moisture, but it's all about the spray. This also has sort of an easy mist spray to it. It's perfect for getting to those hard-to-reach areas like your back when you're getting out of the shower. That's when I use it."
✓Yay
86%Guru Score
"My suggestion for this type of product is Verso Firm Ground Retinol Body Lotion. [...] It combines retinol, caffeine and vitamin E which is going to smooth, firm, brighten and it has squalane for hydration. [...] It boosts collagen, it renews texture and improves elasticity over time. And it's under 20 bucks, so it's a great buy."
✓Yay
86%Guru Score
"I think that their body care is just some of the best out there particularly for the price. I don't know how they do it."
✓Yay
90%Guru Score
"I actually loved everything about it except one thing. I loved the consistency of it, it's sort of this whipped fluffy kind of a feel to it, but it really packs a hydration punch. Like it's thin but thick. My skin felt incredibly soft after use. But for me the problem was the scent. It's pretty overpowering. I don't mind fragrance in body care, in fact I quite like it, it just is a little too soapy and it just lingers a little too long for my liking. So it's not a repurchase."
✕Nay
70%Guru Score
"The Biolipid Restoring Body Lotion by Naturium, I think this is probably my third bottle. I love it, it's an incredible value. I mean, it lasts forever. I always go back to the Naturium body line."
✓Yay
86%Guru Score
"I use this product specifically for cleaning my makeup brushes. It's super gentle, but it's actually effective at getting them proper clean, mean proper clean. I've been without it for about a month or so, and I'm really struggling. Soaps and shampoos, nothing seems to get the makeup out of the brushes as well as this, so I did just reorder one a few days ago and I got the really big super size one, so it'll probably last me..."
✓Yay
61%Guru Score
"I love an oil in the shower after I've slightly dried off my skin and what I like most is that this is a dry oil so it doesn't hang around like other oils which I'm generally okay with but it sort of just disappears. I flew through it. It's just a shame I didn't buy a whole bunch more when I was in France because it's half the price."
✓Yay
81%Guru Score
"It is iconic, it smells divine, it feels amazing on the skin, and every time I use it I wonder why this hasn't been in the shower the whole time. My only complaint is that I need to get a bigger size. I think I found one online somewhere, you know, the big one with the pump, that is my goal."
✓Yay
87%Guru Score
"I liked it and it's pretty reasonable, I think it's about 18 at Target now. Did I notice a massive difference with the inclusion of the retinol? I kind of didn't. I thought it was lovely. It takes a long time to rub it in, which is not a problem for me whatsoever. My skin felt soft. I thought it was hydrating. I don't know if those retinol benefits were there as much as I was hoping they would be. I thought it was fine."
~Mixed
81%Guru Score
"One Skin products have been in my routine for ages. Their body product was the one thing that made me believe that topical products can work below the neck. The body supplement actually improved the texture of my skin."
✓Yay
89%Guru Score
"I'm a girl who likes oily, heavy body products, [...] and I want something that doesn't disappear in 10 seconds, leaving my skin dry again. This is the product that fits the bill. It has ingredients to even the skin tone, for collagen support and serious hydration. [...] The scent is pure magic, and [...] it just won Birdie's best body butter of 2026. I'm sad because the bottle is empty and they don't ship outside the US."
✓Yay
85%Guru Score
"It's probably one of the things that I really like about it because it feels substantial like it's actually doing something. Now they say that it helps to firm and plump the skin and it's going to reduce the appearance of cellulite and stretch marks. In typical Bader style I like to prolong the experience so I only used it once or twice a week. And guys it's €175. Needless to say I won't be repurchasing, but if I had the dough, sure I'd be buying everything in the Bader line."
✓Yay
83%Guru Score
"Yes it made a difference to my skin. It's empty and I haven't been able to replace it because my space and K does not carry this or they were just out of it so I am without the serum right now and I'm a little bummed. I think we all need a serum step. I think if you're my age a serum step is gold dust so I'll be repurchasing that."
✓Yay
82%Guru Score
"I liked this, I didn't love this, and I didn't love this because it's not as thick as I like a body product to be. I do know they have the body cream, they did not send that to me, and I may pick that up and try it. I do think these together were absolutely gorgeous, but I suspect this in the body cream I would like even more."
~Mixed
73%Guru Score
"I didn't like this and it's not because of the formulation or anything, it's just that I don't like gel deodorants. That sticky kind of... I just don't like them. I use a solid and I think that if this was a solid we would be having a very different discussion. I thought it was effective, I liked the scent and all that sort of stuff, I just didn't like wearing it."
✕Nay
80%Guru Score
Lip21 reviews
"I tried the legendary lip oil in the [...] color chameleon [...] the second it arrived, and my heart is actually broken because I adore the formula, it feels so nice on my lips. I picked the wrong shade though, it's really just not very nice on me. [...] I loved it so much and it just doesn't work for me, so I have to find another way to get [...] the right color."
~Mixed
62%Guru Score
"So this one lived beside my bed, and I used it consistently at night. And I really liked it. It was nourishing, comfortable, easy to use. I'd wake up with very soft lips. But did I love it enough to pay US shipping and fees for me? You know, convenience matters, accessibility matters. That's a big deal for an American living abroad because it cost me a fortune to import things from the United States."
~Mixed
75%Guru Score
"During the day, this should probably come as no surprise, it's SPF. I cannot believe I was getting this wrong for so long. Our lips need protection just as much as the rest of our skin. So, I use the OneSkin SPF as well. [...] This product then I just keep reapplying throughout the day. It keeps my lips hydrated and protected. And once the texture is right, they're super soft and they're healthy."
✓Yay
81%Guru Score
"I've been using the OneSkin OS-01 Lip Sleep Mask for ages. When I'm applying, I take it slightly outside of the lip line because those pesky vertical lines are starting to show themselves."
✓Yay
83%Guru Score
"It's Violette FR Bisou Balm and she calls it a sheer matte lipstick. Now, I know it says matte, but I think this is different. It's almost like a blush for your lips. It's not intense. Plus, it doesn't dry your lips out at all like a lot of these matte products do. It gives the most beautiful, healthy color. So, I just swipe that on. I put my SPF on top and I'm done. Happy lips. No mirror required."
✓Yay
83%Guru Score
"I'm going to make it just a hair bigger. Like that's a nice color. Like I could use this all over my lips and just do a lip gloss and that's generally what I would do. [...] This is definitely going to go in the handbag and I will definitely reuse it."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"I apply this all over my lips and I let it dry. Then, I follow up with the barrier-based. Now, this is a rich conditioning balm that actually supports the lip barrier rather than just sitting on top. So, we resurface and then we replenish. I thought this would be another over complicated lip thing. I was wrong. It solves the problem instead of just masking it."
✓Yay
83%Guru Score
"I always start with a little lip balm cuz I got those chapped lips and I am loving this one by Then I Met You. It's new to me. I'm not sure if it's new to the rest of you, but wow, is it a doozy. This is called the Honeydew Hydrating and Exfoliating Lip Mask. It is divine, and I've decided that I need a bunch more."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"I think this is super duper hydrating, and I love the packaging. In fact, this ridge top is really easy to open, and the doe foot applicator is great. I love the color. It's not too much. It's not too little. And it has pretty good staying power, but you do have to be careful because the product comes out really fast. [...] The first time I went, "Wo!" It was far too intense color-wise. But once you realize how to use it, use it quite delicately. It's so pretty. [...] It's just a winner."
✓Yay
86%Guru Score
"The NYX Smooshy Lip Balm, [...] it's kind of a sickly scent, I'm not going to lie, but I do really like the feel of it. It's like a gloss going on, but then it settles into a balm. It's moisturizing. It leaves my lips feeling silky. Now, this color is a bit punchier than I would generally do. It's more red than raspberry, but that was just a color choice, and sometimes I'm going for that."
✓Yay
76%Guru Score
"My new favorite lip gloss is by Jones Road and it's called Mocha Shimmer. I discovered it when I went in for my pre-wedding makeup trial and it is so pretty when paired with this type of lip liner."
✓Yay
68%Guru Score
"Straight off the bat I didn't like it. I just found it really sticky and I just didn't dig it. I did like the color, which I'm wearing right now, it's called Jam, but that was about it. Over time I found myself reaching for this more and more and I came to realize it actually has better staying power than any of the other glosses I own. I also really love the little doe foot applicator, it's just perfect."
~Mixed
69%Guru Score
"I also love their lip balm."
✓Yay
83%Guru Score
"It's super easy to use, it just glides on, it feels so nice and nourishing on the lips, and it's just a great color. It's almost like it's just the perfect universal color because it's very different depending on who's wearing it. I have to say I swear I was wearing this when I was her age, just out of college back in San Francisco in the 90s. And what's even more interesting is that this color itself has been around forever."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"This is the Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil, it comes in eight shades and it's €22, and all I can say is it's worth every freaking penny. I love the feel of these things on my lips because it feels oily but it's not an oil, and the staying power is so much greater than you would ever think. It has staying power, it feels so nice on the lips, so good."
✓Yay
68%Guru Score
"Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in the color Roomiest Rose. I actually just found this a couple of days ago, and I can't stop wearing it, because even if I'm not wearing makeup, which I'm not doing a lot right now, I still look relatively put together."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"It's just so good. It's a clear balm, but I adore the doe foot metal applicator and the feel has just so impressed me. It keeps my lips juicy for longer and it's probably the best so far of the sorts of glosses that I have tried for longevity because my lips just feel great now. [...] I think it's just under 30 bucks for 10ml, and my only wish is that it wasn't clear, that it came in colors, because I like a little bit of color."
✓Yay
80%Guru Score
"I have this in Rosy Brown and [...] I've actually used this a lot. [...] It's a lovely color and it works very well for me. It's pretty and really moisturizing, feels so good."
✓Yay
79%Guru Score
"I'm just applying a clear gloss by Armani called Prisma Glass. I actually have it in two colors and it's an excellent gloss. I just love the finish of this. The gloss gives this sort of an underglow and it looks like me but better, and the great thing is even if the makeup starts to fade which it inevitably will, I still have this lovely sheen as the day goes on. I have been wearing this everyday for months."
✓Yay
82%Guru Score
"The formulation feels so good on my lips. It feels nice on my face, feels nice on my skin. Everything feels really good. [...] As it starts to absorb into my lips, it's becoming one with the lips, which makes it a little nicer. I'm not sure about the color Melanie though. It's a bit orangey. I like a bit of orange, I like the coraly side versus the pinky side, but I'm not sure if this is too much. I'm on the fence about the color."
~Mixed
78%Guru Score
"I really really like this color on. The next one is called Raspberry Jelly and this is where you start to see a lot more intense color and I think this was my favorite, I absolutely love this color. The last one is Espresso, this is a lot deeper and a heavier brown which I thought was lovely too. So I liked that they had these different colors because I do prefer color in my lip product if I can get it."
✓Yay
74%Guru Score
Eye Makeup16 reviews
"For the mascara, the one that I am using is by Sweed Pro Lash Lift [...] in the color brown. This has been an absolute love. It's got the tiniest [...] little wand. [...] I love this mascara. [...] I absolutely love it."
✓Yay
85%Guru Score
"The one thing I never travel without is my Educated Mess Grow a Pair eyelash serum. It's just part of my routine at this point and it comes with me everywhere."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"This is the Makeup by Mario Ethereal Eye Palette in Moonlight, and it did not disappoint. This is completely my color palette because I run warm. So these tones were made for me. There are 12 shades and a mix of different finishes and honestly, there's something for everyone. [...] They're well pigmented, they are blendable, they are buildable, and they're just easy to use, which is key. And I am a serious shimmer girl. So it feels like Christmas morning every time I open this up."
✓Yay
77%Guru Score
"Mascara, it's fine. Still there. I would expect any mascara to still be there. I don't tend to have a lot of fallout or movement. I think it's fine. Do I love it? Not really. It's fine."
~Mixed
81%Guru Score
"I love the form factor. I think they're easy to apply. Don't know if I love them. I don't think this is sparkly enough. And I'm not sure if this is dark enough, but in the end, I might end up loving it. I think I'm going to come back and love this."
~Mixed
79%Guru Score
"For me, I would be going for the Makeup Forever HD Skin Essentials Palette. In fact, it looks almost identical. It is a little bit pricier, but I know it's a good brand."
✓Yay
83%Guru Score
"So for this I am using the highlights cream eyeshadow in the color moondust. And it's sort of this shimmery champagne color. [...] It comes in this little tube. Not my favorite. It's messy. [...] I wish it had another form factor, but I'd love if it was just a little pencil that I could dab on there, but that's okay. I'm going to take the teeniest little amount. Like, this is going to last me for like a hundred years. And then I'm going to put just a tiny bit on the front."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"It has a great stiff applicator which allows me to really hit every single lash, it gives incredible lift and, of course, staying power. I bought this ages ago but for some reason didn't use it every day until quite recently, and that's because I'm finding that every other mascara I have is starting to smudge. This mascara stays put until you take it off. It did take me a while to figure out how to remove tubing mascara, but once I figured it out it changed everything."
✓Yay
83%Guru Score
"I have the Bad Gal Bang from Benefit and I really really like this. I got this in a kit, the little travel one, I thought it was so good I bought the big one which then broke and leaked immediately and I had to throw it out. I did buy a replacement which I have at home and I wear it all the time. I think it's excellent."
✓Yay
73%Guru Score
"This is by Rare Beauty and I absolutely adore it. It has a super fluffy brush and I find that two coats of this makes a serious impact, but there's no gloss, there's no cakiness, there's no clumping. It just looks like really nice long lashes. In fact, I haven't used any other mascara since I did that video. I do wish it came in more colors, I prefer a brown or specifically a blue, but this is a beautiful mascara."
✓Yay
76%Guru Score
"I don't usually do eye primers, I don't generally have a separate one for that, but I bought this five months ago and never used it. I haven't tested this to see if it works or not. It does give a little bit of brightening too, because when you get to be older you can get discoloration which I do have. I can have a bit of redness or just general blotchiness."
~Mixed
76%Guru Score
"The only other product in makeup that I do tend to finish is my mascara. It is by Lancôme, it is called Lash Idôle, and I can't even say how many of these I've gone through because I go through so many of them. [...] I got another [...] one for Christmas, [...] so I'm back in business and ready to go."
✓Yay
74%Guru Score
"It does work, it is effective after about 6 weeks I could start to really see the eyelashes growing. But it didn't work for me. First of all I had a real sensitivity in the eyes to this. When I apply it, it kind of stung my eyes, not massively but just enough where I was kind of irritated. And then something that started to happen that by process of elimination I discovered was I started getting kind of a crustiness on my upper eyelids."
✕Nay
66%Guru Score
"Look at those freaking lashes, man. You don't even need to do lots of wiggle, you don't need to do lots of anything. [...] Look at the difference in the lashes. I don't even need to go in and get more product, I can tell there's a lot of product on it still. [...] Imagine if you did multiple coats. I'm not like a big massive bushy eyelash kind of gal, [...] but look at that."
✓Yay
85%Guru Score
"It's got this classic sort of wand. Nothing gimmicky there whatsoever. And it grabs every single eyelash. I always curl [...] my lashes, and I'm going to just give it a few little pumps. Look at the difference just the curler makes. It's huge. I really like this mascara. And you get a lot of bang for such a tiny little number. It's so good. I only tend to do the top. [...] I only tend to do the bottom in the evenings and not always. [...] It's so good."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"This is called Eyelights so it's going to have a whole lot of shimmer to it, it is a cream and I got it in the color Moondust. [...] Absolutely gorgeous. [...] You do not need a lot of this, and it just gives that little sheen which is what I love even for a daytime. I don't wear a lot of eye makeup but if I do this is what I would be wearing. [...] I don't even need a brush to put it on with, which I have, but I love when I can just use my fingers."
✓Yay
70%Guru Score
Mists & Essences13 reviews
"This lives at work. It's my office skin care emotional support spray. If my skin starts feeling really dry during the day, I reach for it automatically. It's hydrating without being sticky. It's refreshing without irritating. And somehow it manages to sort of make my skin feel awake again. I have reordered this so many times now. People don't even laugh at me at work anymore. They're just so used to it. So, this is no longer a testing product. It's infrastructure."
✓Yay
90%Guru Score
"I love this. It has ceramides. It has a super fine mist, and it's great for layering and or travel. This is a great little one to take along with you. I definitely need more. I have not repurchased it yet, but as soon as I see it, I will buy it."
✓Yay
92%Guru Score
"I would use them sporadically, and now they are fundamentally a part of my routine. Because of the hydration, I just love that they're light enough that you can keep using more of them and it just keeps your skin so bouncy. [...] This one just goes straight into the skin. It's not laying on top."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"My ultimate skin goal aside from skin health is bouncy juicy skin. I'm actually not even worried about the wrinkles, I'm not even ultimately that worried about the sagging, I just want dewy plump skin, and this is the product that gives it to me. The very first time I tried it, 4 hours later my skin was still hydrated, I didn't have to mist it, felt bouncy, I was shocked. And this product is only $24."
✓Yay
83%Guru Score
"My repeat purchases are the fractionated eye Contour concentrate as well as the super oxide dismutase saccharide Mist, both of which I use every day."
✓Yay
82%Guru Score
"This one is by True Botanicals and it is called the Nutrient Mist and I love it because it is so freaking small. I just refill it from the larger bottle and so this thing goes with me everywhere. It's super small and super hydrating."
✓Yay
83%Guru Score
"This one has a thick, milky texture, like milk with a hint of cream. I love that, I [...] want to put this on my face. [...] I might have to do a triple layer. [...] That is stunning, I really like that so far."
✓Yay
77%Guru Score
"I thought it was fine. I didn't love it. I ended up putting this to the side and I used it when I use my devices, so if I'm using gels or glycerin or some sort of product, when I'm doing like microcurrent or radio frequency, sometimes I need to keep my skin hydrated if the gels or the products start to wear away, and this is what it was great for. This lasted me a really really long time. Am I going to repurchase it? I don't think so. I didn't really like that much for the price."
✕Nay
74%Guru Score
"I love this product I think this is incredible hydrating"
✓Yay
77%Guru Score
"I love this, in fact this was included in my recent affordable skincare routine. I think it runs about eight dollars, maybe not, maybe ten. They have fixed the pump on it so it has a nice mist to it, I love it. Now I haven't repurchased it because I have about a million mists here at the moment, but if you're looking for an affordable mist, you just can't do wrong with any of Byoma products. This contains their tri-ceramide complex and it's just microbiome friendly."
✓Yay
81%Guru Score
"This is one of my holy cards. I love it, it's so milky, it is so hydrating. The girl can make some product, I have to say. Do a little shake, I always give it a shimmy. It's quite watery, but not runny, it's somewhere in there, it's quite rich, so medium, you know. Nothing's knocked it off. I use this in the morning."
✓Yay
75%Guru Score
"This helps brighten the skin, strengthen the barrier, refine the skin texture, and it delivers such a hydration punch. This is bright, glassy skin in a bottle. I use this every night before my moisturizer and then my moisturizer seals it all in."
✓Yay
Notverified
"This is Allies of Skin Molecular Saviour Probiotics Treatment Mist and I love this. It has niacinamide in it which helps to brighten and to protect, it has antioxidants, it has hydrators, and it also has probiotics which are there to actually feed the skin the healthy stuff that your skin needs in order to be balanced. I use this morning and night and I also use it in between my steps in order to keep things hydrated up until the end, and I also use this throughout the day to rehydrate my skin."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
Blush & Bronzer12 reviews
"Blush, not so much. Not so much. [...] I love the form factor. I think they're easy to apply. Don't know if I love them. I don't think this is sparkly enough. And I'm not sure if this is dark enough, but in the end, I might end up loving it. I think I'm going to come back and love this. I think it's happening."
~Mixed
77%Guru Score
"This is Pixi On-the-Glow Blush in the color Juicy. And it is exactly what I need right now because it's sort of like this little ray of sunshine which I need to give to my face. I'm only using the tiniest bit. And I always focus it sort of here and up because my face is old and I don't want to drag anything down. [...] Sometimes it can look a little heavy if you put too much on. I go back in with my little foundation brush and just blend it in at the edge."
✓Yay
82%Guru Score
"I recently picked up the iconic Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream and it turns out it is the perfect eyeshadow color. I use it just above the crease. As the hoods become more pronounced and they go lower, I have to go higher so that you can see that shadow. It's just to give a little bit of depth to that eye area. I also bring it down just a little bit to the inside corner."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"My go-to has been RMS Beauty, it's the ReDimension Hydra Powder Blush in Bohemian Girl which is this lovely kind of coral color and it has a little shimmer to it. I use my Refiner number 18 brush, it's nice and fluffy and light, so I usually apply this just above the apples of my cheeks."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"It is the lip product Benetint and I know I've mentioned it on this channel a few times so my daughter got one last year and when she was here back in Dublin I threw some on and went oh wow that's really good so I got one for me."
✓Yay
73%Guru Score
"It is so incredibly beautiful. This just gets you the most beautiful highlight you will ever see in your whole life. They have more sort of goldy ones and sort of pinky ones, so there's going to be something to suit everybody's skin type, but it just gives that that shine. I want shiny skin, I want youthful, I want that glowing look. I picked that up a year or so ago and I have used it to death. I cannot believe how much product is in here."
✓Yay
86%Guru Score
"I think I like this, it's creamy, it's easy to use. That's actually warmed up my foundation a bit so everything seems to be matching a bit better. It's soft, it's creamy. This thing is fantastic. I love it."
✓Yay
83%Guru Score
"This was my go-to blush for months and months and months. It has this super soft kind of silky touch but it is super illuminating without being sparkly. You do have to be careful with it because it is so heavily pigmented. I have completely overdone it, it is very, very easy to do. You need the smallest amount, I am not joking, the smallest amount. The color has this shimmer to it, it's like sparkly goodness without being sparkly."
✓Yay
85%Guru Score
"I have them in loads of different colors and I'll tell you why: they are so rich in oils that are so good for mature skin. I have been experiencing some very intense dryness because of a device that I use that just made the area under here severely dry and I'm still combating it, so I use this little Miracle Balm as the last step in my makeup because I almost think it's more skincare than makeup. [...] I put this right underneath my eyes and it keeps my eyes moisturized all freaking day."
✓Yay
68%Guru Score
"I'm pretty impressed. I think it looks very natural. I am super impressed with this. It just looks like me. The website does show this product against multiple skin tones so that would be very worth checking out. This is very impressive. I think it might also work as a good sort of eye shadow. I think that's fantastic. I think this is great."
✓Yay
80%Guru Score
"This is called the RMS Beauty ReDimension Hydra Bronzer, and I have this in the color Malibu Muse. I have found that bronzers are the perfect color for the crease. This has become just a go-to eyeshadow for me, and I absolutely love it. I use it as an eyeshadow because I find that most bronzers are absolutely perfect. I slowly build it. I like to go crease, above the crease and all over the lid. It just gives a bit of depth to the eyes. Such a great color."
✓Yay
89%Guru Score
"This is called the Hydra Powder Blush. It just makes me so happy every time I use this. Now, I have learned that blush is really important for mature skin. We lose a bit of natural color as we age and the right blush can sort of instantly lift the face and bring everything back to life. [...] But this formula, it's super silky and it's super soft and it is buildable, which is great because you can really start slow and then dial it up if you want more. I am personally a subtle girl myself."
✓Yay
85%Guru Score
Haircare12 reviews
"The Airwrap is a brilliant piece of engineering. [...] It dries and curls at the same time, and it's supposed to be the holy grail of hair tools. But [...] it gave me a blowout, and a blowout really isn't my jam. I wanted beachy waves, and no matter how many tutorials I watched or which attachment I used, I couldn't get the wave I was after. Even the smaller barrel only got me tighter curls, and it wasn't better than a curling iron. I sold mine to someone who really wanted it."
✕Nay
76%Guru Score
"Pureology Color Fanatic is an automatic reorder for me, this is probably my tenth bottle at this point. I use it after I wash my hair every single time as my leave-in conditioner, and it has great heat protecting properties too."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"This is L'Oréal's Glycolic Gloss Shampoo and it is always in my bathroom. It is cheap as chips, I grab it at the grocery store because I always do a double shampoo. [...] I love this for softening, it is just so good. In fact the whole range is just brilliant and they are all in my bathroom."
✓Yay
85%Guru Score
"This is my deep clean shampoo, Pantene Pro-V Active Volume and Body Shampoo. I bought it because I can't get the one I actually want from home, so this is the closest I've been able to find here."
✓Yay
80%Guru Score
"I bought a secondhand GHD Duet first, same principle, same bit of magic as the Dyson, and I used that thing into the ground, I actually killed it."
✓Yay
83%Guru Score
"I am one hundred percent dedicated to the bond repair mask. It's always in my shower, I use it generally three times a month, and I've been doing so for years and years and years and years."
✓Yay
81%Guru Score
"The Dove Bond Strength Serum Hair Mask has actually become my conditioner. Like, when it comes to dryness caused by menopause, it is the in shower MVP. It makes my hair super soft in a way that feels slightly unreasonable for the price. I mean, this is drugstore gold medal. Zero debate."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"This takes care of it in seconds. There's no mess. There's no drama. There's no learning curve. You literally just turn this little guy on [...] and then you simply move this around and the hair is gone. When you're done, you simply unscrew the top, you empty out the contents, and off you go. It recharges by USB, which is also super duper handy. I have had this little device for over 2 years, and it still runs perfectly."
✓Yay
85%Guru Score
"I use it primarily as a leave-in conditioner and also serves as a heat protectant. It is the first thing I put on after towel drying my hair. I finally found a little mini travel size [...] and it goes with me everywhere."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"Since I only wash my hair twice a week, which by the way I hate, I miss washing my hair every day but I'm trying to protect my hair and it's what I have to do, now I prefer to use a cheaper alternative for the first wash and I thought this product was great. However, I can't buy it here so I've had to move on. So if I lived in the US, would I buy it again? I would buy it again, I thought it worked great."
✓Yay
78%Guru Score
"I have been using the Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density from the ordinary and it cost about 15 bucks."
✓Yay
68%Guru Score
"The Dyson Supersonic has become my new best friend. It's very protective and kind to the hair. It uses light and air as opposed to heat and air, so it's just far better on the locks. It's very quick and it's very simple. This whole process probably takes two and a half minutes."
✓Yay
89%Guru Score
Eye Care11 reviews
"That crepey skin entered the conversation, and [...] this was one of the first products that really brought about change to the texture under my eyes. It wasn't overnight, it was gradual, but it was very specific. It made me realize that I needed to really treat it differently. [...] I've repurchased this at least five times. [...] This tiny little bottle lasts for ages, we're talking 6 months, because you just use the tiniest amount."
✓Yay
77%Guru Score
"It's very rich. So this would be an evening one. It's creamy, so nice, very elegant. [...] This would be lovely during the evening. I'm really enjoying this product. This is the kind of product that I'm sort of hoping that I don't like since it gets very expensive to like something like that. But yeah, that's beautiful, very beautiful. And you don't need very much. This is going to last a really long time. [...] I've been dipping into this for about a month now and I love it."
✓Yay
85%Guru Score
"For me, it's about texture. It glides on and it softens that area instantly. It makes that crepey area look nice and smooth before I even apply makeup. So this has become my post sunscreen premakeup staple. Plus, I even top up during the day. It's the perfect form factor for the purse because there's no mess. I'm not having to dip my fingers into anything. I did have to return my first one because this twisting mechanism didn't work at all. Boots actually said they'd seen a few returns."
~Mixed
77%Guru Score
"And this little guy makes me look more awake than I really am. [...] It uses light reflecting pink and peach pigments to instantly lift under the eye. It has a creamy texture that just melts into the skin. And the key thing is that there's no creasing and there's no dryness. [...] This is what I call my instant 8 hours of sleep in a pot. I apply a little bit just to the inside bits of my eye because it just brightens up that section. I don't use it all underneath my eye."
✓Yay
86%Guru Score
"This is the Forever Eye Mask. These are reusable and they are so fabulous. I like to apply the serum and then put these on, and it locks the serum in and gives it a more intensive treatment. I generally wear those for about half an hour, and when you take it off, oh my goodness, the skin is so plump. Sometimes I do that in the morning before I go for my morning walk, [...] and sometimes I do it at night."
✓Yay
86%Guru Score
"Look at that, do you see how much brighter that is? It's brightening because I want to have juicy bright skin, right? That's what youthful skin looks like. So I'm using makeup to help me deliver on that desire to have that nice healthy happy youthful skin. And I think that looks great. I think it's not too much, it's not cakey, it's very lightweight. I don't think it's going to settle into anything. It's just so lovely."
✓Yay
82%Guru Score
"It could go either way because they've sent them to me in the past and I've repurchased them as a result. I'm really into eye masks right now. I know that they're not environmentally friendly but I really like them. I keep them in my beauty fridge so they're nice and cool, and when I apply them it just makes me feel nice, particularly if I've had a few glasses of wine the night before. I haven't repurchased these yet but I'm pretty sure I will. I'm here for the eye mask so I need some more."
~Mixed
62%Guru Score
"They came individually wrapped in these little things and they were a bright gold and I found them super hydrating. If you guys know me, you know I'm all about the eye situation and trying to rehydrate, so I do like eye masks. I really do. I find that anything that plumps up that skin is ace in my book and I really like these and I kind of wish I had more. So will I buy them? I might go looking for these because I found them effective and they're cute and fun to use."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"I do know that snail mucin is not for everyone, but I am a big fan because it's super hydrating, exactly what my crepey eye skin needs. I tend to use this more like a serum, applying it first and letting it settle in before I put a thicker eye cream on top. You don't need to do that, it's just what I choose to do. [...] There is definitely a reason why this product keeps selling out."
✓Yay
82%Guru Score
"Eye products are really difficult for me because the skin is so dehydrated and crepey now. I notice immediately when something isn't doing enough. I have very high standards here. And this one does. It's creamy, it's hydrating, and over time, I think it's genuinely helped the overall quality of the skin there. So yes, I already have an open one that I'm using every day. There was never a question that I would."
✓Yay
78%Guru Score
"This is my holy grail eye cream. It's by Allies of Skin, the Peptides and Omegas Firming Eye Cream, and I have definitely repurchased this more than any other eye cream ever. The formula is [...] loaded with firming peptides and ceramides that help with barrier support."
✓Yay
89%Guru Score
Foundation9 reviews
"This is the one that finally solved the problem. It is the Nars Natural Matte Longwear Foundation in the color Patagonia. It's not flat, and it's not matte. [...] It just looks like skin, but better. It's got that nice sort of satin finish to it. And generally, I don't even need to seal this in with a powder. Another great thing about it is that instead of going patchy as it wears throughout the days, it just sort of subtly fades away."
✓Yay
69%Guru Score
"It does seem to hold up better throughout the day. It doesn't last 16 hours like they say, [...] but it lasts longer than anything else I've tried. While they do say it's full coverage, it doesn't feel like that. [...] I can make this lightweight and it just blends beautifully. It covers up the redness, I can still see my age spots, so I'm not going overboard. It just never looks heavy or cakey. [...] Even at full price, which I think is around 50 or 55, it is worth every freaking penny."
✓Yay
76%Guru Score
"The Maybelline SuperStay Hybrid Powder Foundation is one of the very few foundations I've actually finished twice now. I only use this on top of a very very glowy or super hydrating base, but when I do, it gives that soft focus finish without looking heavy. I've already repurchased and as you can see, I have already hit pan on this. That pretty much tells you everything. I'm going to buy more. In fact, I think I'm going to buy two, one for the summer shade and one for the winter."
✓Yay
86%Guru Score
"If I had to choose a budget alternative, I'd probably go with the L'Oreal True Match Hyaluronic Tinted Serum. Now, this is such a beautiful product. It gives me that fresh, radiant, my skin but better look. And that's from the drugstore. Like it really is very good."
✓Yay
73%Guru Score
"It's not a daily makeup for me. It's really for filming or if it's Saturday night going out out. [...] The finish is just gorgeous. The coverage is good. It's not too much. They say it's a medium buildable coverage and that's why it's not an everyday. It's probably more, well, it's definitely more than I would generally wear, but I just love it. Like, if I was a big makeup gal, I would wear it every day."
✓Yay
64%Guru Score
"I really like this product, it's great for mature and dry skin so if you're oily or combo it's probably not for you but I do know a number of you love this as much as I do."
✓Yay
62%Guru Score
"I have been using this for the past week or so and while the finish isn't quite as dewy, I really like it. It has a bit more staying power too, which is also great."
✓Yay
82%Guru Score
"This is the L'Oreal Age Perfect makeup balm. What I love so much about this is it's kind of creamy but it really just kind of disappears on the skin but it gives a little bit more coverage, it packs more of a punch. You can actually cover up a fair amount of redness with this product. Now it is quite silky and quite creamy but when you put it on and I usually put it on by dabbing it on my face and poof the texture is just gone."
✓Yay
83%Guru Score
"I got mine in the shade 90 which is a medium deep and it's really only going to be good when I've had a lot more sun which we don't have here. [...] I probably need to get a 60 which is a medium but you can see I have used the bulk of this up. I will finish it up and I will buy another one. It's just a lovely product that gives a soft little balance to the skin. It just evens things out a little bit. It comes in 14 shades and it retails for 49."
✓Yay
82%Guru Score
Retinoids9 reviews
"It's the Geek & Gorgeous 2% retinal serum. People think you shouldn't take a retinoid on a trip that's all heat and sun, it's usually the first thing people leave at home, but in my world retinoids are used every single night, that's how they're most effective. That's also why I use a retinaldehyde instead of a tretinoin, I can tolerate it every single day with zero side effects, so I use it every single day."
✓Yay
83%Guru Score
"The very last skincare product was actually an accidental purchase. I meant to pick up ZO Skin Health Advanced Radical Night Repair, which has the 1% retinol, and my intention was to use this as a peel, but instead I accidentally got their Retinol Skin Brightener. It has encapsulated retinol, bakuchiol, and skin brighteners. I finished it because I liked it, and also because it cost me $152, but I didn't love it, which for that price, you can't win them all."
✕Nay
71%Guru Score
"As for Medik8, I love Medik8. Now I've only ever used the Crystal Retinal products and they're fantastic. They have such a huge range, and it's just something I haven't tinkered with yet. Part of that is the whole import thing, I think I have to pay to import it. But I loved their retinoids. I think they're fantastic."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"This contains retinaldehyde, which is the strongest type of retinoid you can get without a prescription, but the beauty of it is that it's also far less irritating than tretinoin. I think this is sort of the Rolls-Royce of retinaldehyde, which are also called retinals with an A. It's encapsulated, which means it goes deeper into the skin before being released and absorbed. It just means that it does not irritate my skin in any way. Then there's what I call the supporting band members."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"Just even a Neutrogena you could even do a Neutrogena like skin moisturizer anti-aging"
✓Yay
83%Guru Score
"I gave up retinoids completely so it took me about another year, year and a half to try again because I know the research is there, I know it works. So I started off with these Elizabeth Arden Retinol Ceramide capsules because I love those ceramide products, they're so super kind to the skin. I was willing to give it a try. No problems."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"If I was in the US I would be using Naturium. You have a retinaldehyde serum cream and they actually have two different strengths depending on where you are, 0.05 or 0.1. For me I'd be going for the 0.1, just making sure that you build it into a routine very slowly. This is the one I would be using if I was in the US."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"I use a retinoid every single day, even when I exfoliate. [...] I do rotate retinols. I am on my second bottle of Sachi Skin Ursolic Acid and Overnight Reform. The texture is fabulous. It's elegant. It's easy to layer. There's no irritation for me whatsoever. And I don't often feel that I need a moisturizer on top, which is quite unusual."
✓Yay
82%Guru Score
"I have been using the one by Allies of Skin, it's the Retinol and Peptides Advanced Repair Night Cream at a 0.1%, and I've been using this for about 10 months now. They had the 0.005% for ages but this is their new stronger formulation that they've just launched. It has encapsulated retinal, which is retinaldehyde, which is the strongest you can get without prescription. It has 11 antioxidants and brighteners, it has ceramide and Omega complexes, and so much more. I love it."
✓Yay
Notverified
Toners7 reviews
"This is the Bloom Effects B-Phase Tonic, a two-phase toner that's milky and lovely yet super lightweight. [...] The milky top layer is all about hydration and nourishment, and the bottom phase focuses on barrier support and antioxidant protection. I'm lucky I have a backup of this one, but I know the tears are coming when it runs out."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"I've also decided to bring along a few of my Hanyul Artemisia Calming Toner Pads. And this is just in case my skin gets a little overheated or is a bit red from the sun."
✓Yay
83%Guru Score
"I bought a number of the Fenty products years ago and I absolutely loved them however I couldn't stay on this end they're very very heavy fragranced which was very intentional by Rihanna but then I found out they launched an unscented range and I thought that was what I bought I think it's unscented but I didn't really like the scent of this one either it didn't feel as overwhelmingly powerful as the other one did but I just didn't like it now I love the effects of this on my skin it's actually stunning but it wasn't for me so it's just not what I'm going to repurchase"
✕Nay
62%Guru Score
"This is the Milk Skin Toner from Teer Tier. I had just finished up my previous toner and then I busted this out well I love her. So what I've learned is that I prefer a watery kind of milky toner or maybe that's just what's really working for me during the winter because winter for me is definitely all about layering essences, mists, serums, even moisturizers."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"This toner is the lightest in this line but it's still very very hydrating, so it could still be considered sort of like a bouncy serum. It is, and it's centella based, so that's the thing with this, very soothing, hydrating, and you see it's rich and bouncy but it's nice."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
"Medicube is quite affordable, and this one might be making it onto my face. [...] I'm digging it."
✓Yay
68%Guru Score
"It's a very soothing toner, it has 5% panthenol, and I loved it. This was less than a tenner. They're not distributing in the US now, which is really good news for you guys over there. If you're looking for a very effective retinal, they're supposed to be amazing. I've used their vitamin C which is fantastic, they say it rivals the SK-II. This is a fantastic brand and worth checking out. So affordable."
✓Yay
74%Guru Score
Powder & Setting5 reviews
"I'm using the one by Charlotte Tilbury. It's not my favorite. I actually do have a new favorite. I had heard somewhere that if you do it in the middle of your application and then you put the foundation back on top of it, that it works better. And I have a real problem with longevity of makeup, so I'm willing to try anything."
✕Nay
79%Guru Score
"I did not enjoy this spray. It felt like hairspray, particularly in my hair. I had to do a lot of brushing out of my hair to get it out of my hair. [...] I'm not sold."
✕Nay
60%Guru Score
"I don't generally love a pressed powder, but I'm going to be using it because that's what I have. So I may just go in just around the nose and maybe a little under the eye if I need it just to get rid of the shine. [...] This does have a bit of color in it, so it can actually help on that front, too. [...] It's just enough to make me look put together. It's not wild, but I don't do a lot of wild makeup. It makes me look healthy, and it just makes me feel put together."
~Mixed
68%Guru Score
"This is called the Hydra Setting Powder, and this is so good. I don't use a [...] lot of powder, but I prefer this just under the eyes or just around the T-zone because I can get a bit of shine. [...] It's very finely milled. I just go in to these little spots that I want to just get rid of that shine or set the concealer. [...] I still want a bit of glow, and this lets me do that."
✓Yay
77%Guru Score
"It is the loose powder by Jones Road, it's called the Tinted Face Powder. I'm using this in light. I actually also have it in yellow which is perfect for just under the eyes to kind of brighten. I'm really into the loose powders at the moment and I'm just finding this works a treat."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
Balms & Ointments4 reviews
"First up is the Prequel Skin Utility Balm Multi-Purpose Skin Protectant. I generally apply this just under my eyes as a final occlusive. It helps seal everything in and stops that area from drying out overnight, which bugs me. But if my skin is feeling particularly dry or compromised, I will use this all over my face, which is essentially slugging. I do like a good slug. I don't do this every night, but if my skin needs it, it makes a huge difference."
✓Yay
71%Guru Score
"I would apply a thin layer of ointment all over my face. I was really surprised to find the next morning that my skin wasn't tight or dry. It felt healthy and hydrated. Revelation."
✓Yay
85%Guru Score
"The new Healing Ointment by CeraVe launched here in Ireland in 2024 and I adore it. [...] I am a lover of CeraVe for the skin and all of their products contain ceramides, which are great for both repairing and protecting the skin barrier. [...] Plus this also has humectants, antioxidants, antimicrobial and soothing ingredients so it seals, it hydrates, it protects and it repairs. It's lighter than Aquaphor and it's non-comedogenic which means it won't clog your pores."
✓Yay
87%Guru Score
"I have found that slugging has been instrumental so I do this twice a day and I do it just on this area and it locks everything down it locks everything in so whatever I put underneath it just works better. I know slugging is not for everyone like those with oily skin need not apply and it's messy but I don't care and it has a very firm place in my routine now. I love Aquaphor."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
Masks & Peels3 reviews
"I've been using this one from Medicube, the Super Cica Daily Quick Mask, because it's really, really soothing and it is literally designed for a quick treatment. I usually leave this on for about 5 minutes and they come 32 a box. So it's cost effective for frequent use."
✓Yay
85%Guru Score
"I love the formulation, they're like a super thick jelly and they're also in two parts so it fits really well on the face and it doesn't fall off, but did I love it? Not really. I thought it was fine. I won't be repurchasing. I went for Sculpted by Amy instead, I thought it was a better mask."
✕Nay
70%Guru Score
"I do combine this with my Josh Rosebrook Hydrating Mask. I'm out of it, I emptied it the other day and I thought I had a backup and I don't. The two of them together, oh my gosh, I mean I've done videos about it, it's just amazing. It's an oil slick, you've got to be prepared for that. It is donut City but I like that. You go to sleep with that and you wake up so one's exfoliating and one is hydrating all in one go, and you've got super super soft skin in the morning when you wake up."
✓Yay
84%Guru Score
Concealer2 reviews
"It's super lightweight. If you like a heavy coverage, this is not going to be your jam. But I do not like a heavy coverage. It feels so silky and it seems to give me just a little bit of lightness. [...] That actually works quite nicely. I don't think it's going to have staying power, folks. I'm just going to say it. It's very fluidy and lovely and soft and it feels like a moisturizer that's just going to disappear. But I like it. I do like the True Match range."
✓Yay
74%Guru Score
"This is called the Uncover, and it's actually the only one that I wear. I tinker with a lot of other ones and I like a lot of other ones, but this is really the one that if I'm going to wear concealer, this is the one that I want in my pocket. And why I like this is because it's never cakey and it never creases. It just sort of disappears into the skin, but disappears in a good way and that it kind of brightens everything up."
✓Yay
81%Guru Score
Tools2 reviews
"This is a serious piece of kit, and the results are excellent when it's used properly and consistently. But [...] the needle heads are really small, which means treatments take a really long time. And it's also quite painful. I'm not going to lie. Now, yes, I could use a numbing cream, but that adds even more time to the process. And over time, I realize that when something takes too long or it feels too uncomfortable, my consistency drops."
~Mixed
75%Guru Score
"They've just launched very recently for the Omnia the Sid sleeping pillow a copper pillowcase which is fascinating so that is going to have antibacterial properties and also supposed to be really beneficial for the skin."
✓Yay
Notverified
Nails1 review
"It's easier and it's more effective, so it's a double win. The removal is [...] the best part: it's just like regular nail polish, you swipe it off with any old polish remover, with no foils, no soaking, and no acetone drama. A starter kit is about $85, and it [...] gives me a solid 7 days of chip-free wear. [...] For me it is a duh product. The downside is they don't ship outside the United States."
✓Yay
89%Guru Score
Primer1 review
"The e.l.f. Halo Glow Liquid Filter [...] is a complexion [...] booster. [...] I put a bunch of it onto my hand and apply it with a foundation brush. [...] People thought this was a foundation when it first launched, but it's really not. It gives a serious glow to the skin but it does not give a lot of coverage. [...] What I want is a nice healthy glow, and if you can just blur it a little bit then I'm happy."
✓Yay
82%Guru Score

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Skin Obsessed Mary is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, The Guru Index. Every quote on this page comes from her public YouTube videos, linked at the timestamp. Verdicts and approval stats are our editorial read of what she said. "Guru" is a title we award, not a sign of any affiliation.