I'm so confused. The Kosas Cloud Set Airy Setting Spray + Smoothing Mist was recommended to me on here for a hydrating, makeup-safe, ultra-fine mist that I could use throughout the day to keep my makeup fresh and re-hydrate my skin without disrupting my makeup.

I tried it out in-store today and, just as described, it produced a lovely, ultra-ultra fine cloud like mist that felt so refreshing on the skin and did not disrupt my makeup at all. It also didn't feel remotely sticky, oily, tacky or tight. Win!

So, I picked it up, but I just tried it out at home and the experience is so different from the in-store tester. That ultra-fine cloud like mist is now coming out just like a regular spray... nowhere near as finely atomized as the tester in store. I gave it a gentle shake and primed it a few times. The liquid itself is still lovely, but, honestly, the ultra-fine cloud-like mist atomizer was part of the attraction on this one.

Anyone else experience this? It's so odd. Do you think I just got a dud? Or this is the new update to the product? I have no way of knowing how old the tester was.

I tried the MoroccanOil Dry Body Oil out in-store recently. I'd tried out about 7 of the best rated post-shower oils in Ulta that day and the textural/sensory experience of the MoroccanOil one was, by far, the most appealing to me. It felt instantly hydrating, but it did not feel greasy, heavy, thick or tacky at all. I was impressed. But, oof, that price point. $50 for a full size.

This product is a mix of argan oil, olive oil and avocado oil. But, perhaps even more importantly, the first three ingredients may be what give it its great textural appeal: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (fractionated coconut oil), Cyclopentasiloxane (a silicone) and Coco-Caprylate (coconut ester).

I'd love to find another oil that approximates the skin feel of this one at a better cost per oz. Anyone found something like this?

I recently picked up the new Natasha Denona HY-Glam Brightener in shade B3 (the second darkest) and I'm having mixed feelings about this one. I would love to hear from any ladies (or gents) with medium/tan or even deep skin tones about how we're liking this one.

For those who don't know, this is not the same product as Natasha's Color Corrector. It's a Brightener sold in four pink shades and its not just the colors that are different, but the formulation is... it diffuses light more than the color corrector or concealer do. At least that's what they claim.

Honestly, I have to say, I immediately saw what they're describing. It is a really thoughtfully formulated product. It does legitimately brighten the skin. I don't know what kinda witchcraft (aka cosmetic chemistry) is involved, but it brightens in a very noticeable way without making you look reflective, pearlescent or glittery. My under eyes definitely look refreshed and healthy.

I don't know quite what the right terminology is to use here, but it's also a very dense product. What I mean is, a tiny amount will go a long way. The pigment somehow doesn't stay PINK once you spread it, but the product also doesn't get super viscous/thin. The first time I used it I placed just two small dots under my eyes. I honestly only needed one tiny dot. The emollience of the product lets is slide/glide so smoothly and it spreads so easily without thinning out. So, if this product works for you, it will last a long time!

The problem for me was, even when using a very small dot, it ends up making my under eyes (or any spot I'd use it on) look ghostly in comparison to the rest of my skin. And I don't wear full coverage foundations... only light-coverage tints. In fact, the three times I've used this product, I've then used a little of my cream bronzer and/or my medium toned Pat McGrath Under Eye Powder to warm up my under eyes afterward. I'll admit, it actually looks great after I've done that, but now I'm wondering if I should return it and venture to the deepest shade, B4.

The thing is, my skin tone is definitely not deep. It's medium/tan. It basically is the exact skin tone shown on the B3 model above (swipe thru on the carousel.)

So, yeah, any melanated folks have experience with this product? Do you think I should exchange it for B4? Am I better trying to blend it with my concealer? Or maybe even with my color corrector?

Right now, my sequence is:

• Eye cream
• Givenchy Prisme Libre Color Corrector (peach)
• Clinique Even Better All Over Concealer or Patrick Ta Concealer
• Natasha Denona HY-Glam Brightener (Pink B3)

I do this sequence, because ND herself has recommended it for brightening and canceling out any remaining shadow/darkness after your color corrector and concealer. But, I believe the product can be used in a variety of sequences.

This one is new to me. The regular Atobarrier 365 Moisturizer is my HG for nighttime moisturizing. That one is a touch too rich for daytime use, though.

I didn't realize Aestura had this particular formulation of the Atobarrier 365 Hydro Soothing Water Cream. I looked through the ingredients and while, of course, it doesn't have the 3:1:1 ratio of ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids of the original, it does have all three of those ingredients in its formulation ... which is nice to have in a lighter cream. And, it does seem to still use that same unique ceramide capsule technology from the main cream.

I'm also super intrigued by its claim of reducing the temperature of the skin by nearly 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Living in Florida, I gotta say, that really caught my attention. Reading through the ingredients, I don't think it achieves the cooling through something like menthol (which would be unpleasant and not at all what I'd be looking for!)

So, anyone tried this one? What's your assessment of its ability to moisturize, remain daytime friendly, work nicely with makeup etc? And, what about this cooling claim?

I have a cisgender male friend who's been having a tough go at life lately. Not my boyfriend... my boy-friend...a friend I've known for years. I want to cheer him up with a couple of surprise gifts. Don't worry, I'll make sure there's a gift receipt in case anything isn't a fit.

Funnily enough, we both started to get into makeup and skincare around the same time. He's still figuring things out on makeup.. he's found some skin tints, blushes, bronzers, setting powders and setting sprays he really likes.

Could I get recommendations on concealer, lip products and colognes?

I was catching up with him this weekend and we drifted into sharing our latest favorite skincare and beauty finds and he was mentioning he next wanted to figure out lip makeup products and concealers.

For lips, he wants something that hydrates and perhaps adds a tiny amount of color (but is mostly sheer)... but which doesn't give him "porn star" wet lips. (His words, not mine!) I really don't have any experience with lip products myself, so I thought y'all might have some recommendations. I don't even really understand the different categories of lip products and how you layer them if you want an ultra natural look. I don't think he'd be doing lip liners (he has quite full lips already!)... so more the products you apply directly atop the lip for hydration and maybe refreshing the color.

For concealers, I have limited experience. I'm not sure if my two current personal favs would be a fit for him.. I really like the Patrick Ta and the Clinique. I tend to prefer hydrating, luminous finishes, medium, but buildable coverage on concealers. I think he'd have a similar preference, but he also needs them to be compatible with no makeup days or super sheer skin tints.

For colognes, I know he prefers gender-neutral or masculine leaning, bright, citrus-forward scents that may have aquatic and/or green notes. He does not like anything remotely sweet (even as a secondary layer), nor does he go for anything overly musky/leathery/whiskey'ish. He wants to smell like he came back from an expensive spa, not like he's going to smoke cigars in leather-bound men's club.

Overall, he's not going for glam looks. He does ultra-natural, no-makeup-makeup, my-skin-but better looks. But, unlike a lot of dudes, he doesn't go ultra-matte.. he actually like some glow/luminosity. In case it matters he has a tan/medium complexion. I don't really know his undertone.

He's got his skincare on lockdown.. he's even better than me in that regard, so that's why we're focusing on these particular three. I've got a Sephora gift card, but I'm 100% open to recommendations from elsewhere that hit this brief!

I never notice any change whether that icon is toggled on or off. What is it supposed to do/indicate? I've tried it in different chairs, at multiple locations, no change that I could discern.

I'm in the U.S. In the past, I've usually used Olive Young. Recently, I've been a bit of a "glow chaser" and I decided to do some research on the glowiest imported Korean SPFs and order one of each to try them out. The d'Alba UV Essence Waterfull+ Sunscreen was frequently cited on lists of the glowiest Korean SPFs.

My list included suncreens from d'Alba, Skin1004, Numbuzin and Insintree. I, perhaps naively, assumed that any sunscreen sold on Yes Style, Olive Young, Syle Vana etc. was automatically going to the be the Korean version so, admittedly, I wasn't spending a bunch of time scruitinizing each product page listing once I had my shortlist of products I wanted to trial. Yes Style was the only site that carried all of the particular ones I wanted to trial, so I went with them.

The Skin1004, Numbuzin and Insntree they sent are all the Korean SPF 50+ PA++++ versions. But, these two d'Alba ones are only Broad Spectrum SPF 50+.

But here's where things get extra confusing. If you look at the product page for the main UV Essence Waterfull+, yes, admittedly, the product imagery shows the packaging with "Broad Spectrum SPF 50+" labeling.

The product description doesn't mention the SPF. But if you scroll down to customer reviews of the product, you'll see some of them having photos included in their reviews showing packaging with "SPF 50+ PA++++".

And if you look at the product page for the Pink Correcting Tone-Up version of the UV Essence Waterfull+, you'll see, yes, the photos of the product show packaging with the "BROAD SPECTRUM SPF 50+" labeling. But, this time, the Editor's Notes (aka product description) says:

>"Revitalize and protect your skin with this vegan sunscreen fitted with mineral and chemical UV filters for SPF 50+ PA++++ sun protection." 

Now, that in particular feels like a bait and switch!

Am I misreading something (it's quite possible... I'm not cosmetic chemist), or are they selling variations intended to be sold domestically in the U.S. with the U.S. FDA cleared filters? This is so disappointing. I mean... why would someone in the U.S. want to pay to get a U.S. formulation shipped all the way from Korea?

Images and screenshots attached for reference.

EDITED TO ADD: Claude helped me ID that there is some labeling on the box confirming that this isn't some random Korean-audience SPF. Meaning, my suspicion that this is a formulation made in Korea with the intention of being sold to Americans is accurate:

>According to Claude, the boxes themselves confirm these are purpose-built US-market products rather than Korean domestic imports. The FDA-issued NDC (National Drug Code) numbers on the packaging are the clearest indicator — NDC numbers are only assigned to products registered as OTC drugs for the US market; a sunscreen sold domestically in Korea would have no reason to carry one. The "Broad Spectrum SPF 50+" labeling is also US-specific — it follows FDA OTC monograph language, whereas Korean domestic packaging uses the "SPF 50+ PA++++" format. Together these confirm that whatever YesStyle's listings implied, what shipped is a US-market SKU that happens to be manufactured in Korea.

I'm in the U.S. In the past, I've usually used Olive Young. Recently, I've been a bit of a "glow chaser" and I decided to do some research on the glowiest imported Korean SPFs and order one of each to try them out. The d'Alba UV Essence Waterfull+ Sunscreen was frequently cited on lists of the glowiest Korean SPFs.

My list included suncreens from d'Alba, Skin1004, Numbuzin and Insintree. I, perhaps naievely, assumed that any sunscreen sold on YesStyle, Olive Young, SyleVana etc. was automatically going to the be the Korean version so, admittedly, I wasn't spending a bunch of time scruitinizing each product page listing once I had my shortlist of products I wanted to trial. YesStyle was the only site that carried all of the particular ones I wanted to trial, so I went with them.

The Skin1004, Numbuzin and Insintree they sent are all the Korean SPF 50+ PA++++ versions. But, these two d'Alba ones are only Broad Spectru SPF 50+.

But here's where things get extra confusing. If you look at the product page for the main UV Essence Waterfull+, yes, admittedly, the product imagery shows the packaging with this on the label....

>

The product description doesn't mention the SPF. But if you scroll down to customer reviews of the product, you'll see some of them having photos included in their reviews showing packaging with "SPF 50+ PA++++".

And if you look at the product page for the Pink Correcting Tone-Up version of the UV Essence Waterfull+, you'll see, yes, the photos of the product show packaging with the "BROAD SPECTRUM SPF 50+" labeling. But, this time, the Editor's Notes (aka product description) says:

>

Now, that in particular feels like a bait and switch!

Am I misreading something (it's quite possible... I'm not cosmetic chemist), or are they selling variations intended to be sold domestically in the U.S. with the U.S. FDA cleared filters? This is so disappointing. I mean... why would someone in the U.S. want to pay to get a U.S. formulation shipped all the way from Korea?

Images and screenshots attached for reference.

I'd love to hear firsthand from folks who have stepped up from the mid-tier 0.05% of Tretinoin to the 0.1%.

• How did you (and, presumably, your Derm) determine it was time?
• How/if at all did your frequency of dosing shift when you went up (ex: if you were doing 5x/week, did you go down to 3x/week until tolerance was known?)
• What did you notice in the early weeks of the transition?
• And, longterm, were there visual benefits you could see of stepping up? (Like, did the higher dose help you make progress on a particular issue in a meaningfully improved way vs. the .05%?)

I've been at .05% for nearly two years. Extremely well tolerated. And I already do plenty of support via hydration, moisturization and barrier-supporting toners, essences, lotions and moisturizers.

I've spent a lot of time on skincare, but I've neglected haircare. I've decided to build a more intentional routine specially tailored to my hair "profile"...

• I have fine, thin, short hair
• I live in a spot with hard water
• My challenges are... smoothing, glossing, thickening, volumizing, hydrating/moisturizing, styling.. without separating or weighing down the hair
• And, I'm trying to be intentional about minimizing wet hair mechanically-triggered breakage (essentially, when my hair is wet it tends to break more easily)

I've indicated, below, if the product is a new one (🆕) or an existing one (✅) I already use. I'm pretty happy with my post-shower styling stack already.

You don't have to be nice. If you think I'm making a dumb choice in any of these, let me have it! I'm a grownup, I can take it! I will say, I think I did a fairly thoughtful job selecting products whose formulations are most compatible with my hair type, needs and environment. Every named product is from Ulta. What do you think?

PRE-SHOWER

• JVN Complete Pre-Wash Scalp & Hair Strengthening Treatment Oil (every wash day) 🆕

SHAMPOO/CONDITION

• Volumizing Shampoo w/ a peptide and zinc complex that targets hair fall, plus a polyquaternium system that adds body without weight (every other day) 🆕
• Volumizing Conditioner w/ Capixyl peptide complex for reduced shedding (every other day) 🆕
• Hard Water Chelating Shampoo (2x/month) 🆕
• Every other day... rinse only.. no shampoo/conditioner

DEEP CONDITION/LAMELLAR

• Wella Professionals Ultimate Repair Mask (1x/week) 🆕
• L'Oréal EverPure Wonder Water (1x/week) 🆕

POST-SHOWER/PRE-BLOW DRY TREATMENT

• Drybar Liquid Glass Leave-In Miracle Smoothing Sealant (2x/week) ✅

PRE-BLOW DRY STYLING

• Color Wow Dream Cocktail Carb Leave-In Thickening Treatment (daily) ✅
• Color Wow Raise the Root Thick + Lift Spray (daily) ✅
• Color Wow Xtra Large Bombshell Volumizer (daily) ✅

POST-BLOW DRY STYLING

• Color Wow Cult Favorite Firm + Flex Hairspray (daily) ✅

Drybar is technically existing (✅), but I've only been using it 2 weeks. I really like it so far!

Given my fine, thin hair, I only use very small amounts of the styling products. I do not experience heavy build-up from these particular ones.

Tell me which of the French Thermal / Mineral Water Sprays is your favorite and why. Full disclosure, I have tried one of them.. the Avene... and although I initially balked at the idea of paying for a can of "just water", I have to admit, the product really lives up to the brand's claims and studies. It instantly soothes my skin. This stuff ain't Dasani! It's now always the first product I use in my hydration/moisturization stack after all my actives.

My one small complaint is that I don't think Avene got the atomizer right. The mist needs to be more ultra fine and elegant. And, yes, I'm holding the can at the appropriate distance from the face. If they nailed the atomizer, this would be a homerun product. I'll be running out soon and was thinking about whether to restock or try one of the others. Any opinions on the others I could identify (or any I missed?)

That's...

• Vichy Mineralizing Thermal Water Spray
• La Roche Posay Therma Water for Sensitive Skin Spray
• Evian Natural Mineral Water Facial Spray

I’m seeking a lightweight strengthening mask would help my thin, fine hair feel more resilient and reduce hair loss during wet handling and styling (mechanical stress, not shedding, which, thankfully, I don’t experience a lot of.)

Would love to hear from any fine and/or thin haired folks with experience with this mask. Or, alternatively, ones from Sephora, or elsewhere, you prefer.

I’m seeking a lightweight strengthening mask would help my thin, fine hair feel more resilient and reduce hair loss during wet handling and styling (mechanical stress, not shedding, which, thankfully, I don’t experience a lot of.)

Would love to hear from any fine and/or thin haired folks with experience with this mask. Or, alternatively, ones from Ulta you prefer.

This thing is, suddenly, all over my TikTok feed. Apparently it’s not some hot new product but, rather, a multi decade’s old product that’s getting newly rediscovered for its ability to offer a super luminous but not glittery highlight. I have to say, it has looked lovely in some of the TikTok demonstrations I’ve seen. Have you used it? What’s your verdict? Is there an alternative you prefer?

Sigh. You Gourmand Girlies have won the war. I acknowledge it. I loathe sugary sweet scents, but they're everywhere. I will never understand wanting to be a grown adult who smells like I work in a cupcake factory, but I'm clearly in the minority.

This one was on me, though. I never thought to research whether a hair product would have a sugary sweet fragrance. Lesson learned. I picked up the DRYBAR Liquid Glass Miracle Smoothing Sealant thanks to recommendations on here and elsewhere. And, ya know, it works really well. This is the "What it is" statement from the Sephora app:

>A heat-activated spray that lasts through three washes, providing frizz resistance and a super glossy, silky finish without weighing hair down.

And, credit to DRYBAR, that's exactly how it performed for me. I was concerned about using a spray like this on my fine, thin hair, but it really left my hair looking and feeling silky and glossy without weighing it down. In fact, it looks/feels thicker/denser than usual, too. I'm impressed!

But, it has an obnoxious (to me) vaguely vanilla'ish, sugary sweet scent that really seems to linger. I don't see myself going into executive meetings smelling like I just got back from a sleepover at Madyson's.

Anyone found a product just like this that has a more gender neutral and adult fragrance or no fragrance at all?

I think I'm in the market for my first overnight/sleep mask. I already have a robust skincare routine with multiple toners, essences, serums, lotions and my HG 3:1:1 barrier-repairing moisturizer, good ol' Atobarrier 365.

But, regrettably, I also find myself a Floridian resident and its hot enough now to have the AC on full blast all night. I'm starting to experience TEWL and I want to lock in all that great hydration and moisturization and barrier-repair I'm layering into my skincare.

But, I'm not the biggest fan of super greasy, heavy, tacky or tight textures. Obviously, I can handle some greasy/tack, it's inevitable with any heavy-duty skincare.

Browsing the Sephora app, it seems like these masks kind of fit this bill. Some of them will have soothing, extra hydration, firming or brightening benefits (all great), but my primary interest is reducing TEWL. I'm open to suggestions outside of Sephora, too, but I have some sales hauls to return so I might as well do an exchange if one of these feels like a winner.

I have a lot of skincare experience, but this category of occlusive masks is new to me. Appreciate hearing your thoughts!

Pictured: Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Sleepair Intensive Repair Night Mask, Laneige Cica Sleeping Mask Sulwhasoo Overnight Vitalizing Mask