Skincyclopedia

Hi everyone- it’s been awhile! Between moving houses and the Holiday season, I’ve been super busy. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been trying out some new products for you all! Over the last month I’ve found some new staples from an amazing New Zealand brand called Antipodes that really take my natural glow to the next level. The first things that caught my eye were the scientific and ethical claims, completely vegan and scientifically backed bioactive ingredients— this means whatever ingredients they include has a claim that is scientifically and clinically tested by independent labs. Antipodes is also committed to repurposing, reusing and recycling. This includes using recyclable boxes made from 100% biodegradable cardboard from sustainable forests as well as glass bottles, aluminum tubes, and printing with 100% eco ink from vegetables. Totally amazing! And no guilt from purchasing. They have various skincare lines based on different ingredients. I was looking for hydrators and glow, so I picked the manuka honey line. I love honey, it’s one of my favorite things to use in skincare so it was an easy choice. ANTIPODES - Aura Manuka Honey Mask utilizes sustainably wild‐sourced manuka honey from New Zealand which locks moisture into the skin, while helping to keep skin super fresh and blemish‐free because It’s antibacterial, which means acne causing bacteria can’t grow as easily on skin. The second key ingredient is Pohutukawa, which is extracted from a New Zealand native tree (don’t worry, they sustainably grow and harvest!) that conditions and deeply moisturizes. These essential minerals are easily absorbed into the skin because of the mud’s fine texture. It can support the stimulation of skin regeneration and help to powerfully detox and transform the texture of your skin. It smells like oranges and vanilla with a touch of honey and leaves you soft, smooth, HYDRATED, and glowing. At 32$, a little goes a long way. It’s not priced as expensive as other masks though it could be with all the amazing ingredients. Another winner for amazing glow and hydration is ANTIPODES - Manuka Honey Eye Cream 30ml which is the best eye cream I’ve used. No irritation or milia no matter how much I apply, and it doesn’t sting eyes. Manuka honey hydrates while kiwi and grape seed extracts brighten even the darkest bags and veins. This smells like oats and honey, and is super luxurious feeling. I need half a pea for both eyes, morning and night. Though eye cream sometimes feels like a chore, I really enjoy using this one. Though it’s 46$, I can see it will last me for a very long time. Do you have a go-to ingredient you’ve always used? i’ve always used honey, even as a kid making oat and honey face masks. I love finding products that elevate my skincare experience while keeping true to what I believe!

Since turning 24, I’ve realized I need to start hydrating and really taking care of my under-eyes. I’ve always had dark circles, but really want to start mitigating the forming of fine lines and wrinkles that come with aging! On top of that, with winter and it’s dry winds here in full swing, I find myself waking up more often with dry under-eye patches. This is where the PEACH & LILY - Cold Brew Eye Recovery Stick comes in! This 28$ eye balm/cream is truly a unique product. It goes on clear, smooth, and cold to the touch! It’s perfect for mornings and puffy eyes, as if calms them down drastically with the enjoyable cooling effect. The texture is like a hybrid serum balm, never heavy but very moisturizing and brightening. On warm days, it’s not oily or sweaty, and on cold days it locks in moisture. Key Ingredients ✨ Kiwi Extract: This provides vitamin C and E! It’s rich in antioxidants, helps brighten and even tone along with fighting UV damage and free radicals that increase fine lines and wrinkles. It also evens tone and soothes skin Cucumber Extract: This is what brings the cooling effect to the product! It reduces puffing of under eyes and helps skin feel and look tighter Caffeine + Green Tea: These two (especially together!) also helps skin look and feel tighter, and further reduces the appearance of puffiness and redness Turmeric Extract: one of my favs for brightening! It’s super anti-inflammatory benefits and helps soothe skin, along with working to lighten dark spots and even tone by decreasing UV damage! Hyaluronic Acid Mix: This helps improve the appearance of fine-lines and wrinkles with an interesting mix of three types of moisturizing factors. Short-chain molecules of HA sink into deeper layers of skin since they’re very small and can penetrate deeply. Medium-chain molecules of HA fill in the layers closer to the surface of skin, but not on top of it. Long-chain molecules of HA are the biggest, and can’t penetrate as deeply, however they help lock in moisture on skin’s surface, so that skin looks plumped up from within while appearing visibly radiant. All of these tackle dryness throughout the dermis and last much longer than other formulas. This star ingredients list is free from irritants and provides a very lovely and subtle natural glow to help eyes appear brighter and more awake, all while nourishing and conditioning them to actually be healthier. Do you use an eye cream? I’m trying to be more consistent with using one lately💘 Do you have any favorite recs I should try? Let me know!

Natural deodorant and anti-perspirent products usually get a bad rap, but the lackluster formulas are a thing of the past. No more smelling un-fresh mid day, no more staining shirts, and no more underarm irritation! The kai - Deodorant does it all and then some, all while maintaining an ingredients list free from aluminum and other heavy metals (which have links to being endocrine disrupters and breast cancer), along with parabens and sulfates. I’ve gone on runs and to the gym, traveled at length in 90 degree heat with it, and gone to the beach with it on, and it’s not let me down yet! When I do the mid and end of day smell tests, I smell about the same as when I first put it on. No re-application necessary. The clear formula goes on easy and seamlessly and leaves no residue behind. Staining and crumbling white marks or streaks on shirts is an issue you don’t have to worry about with this product! The formula includes a great mix of brightening and soothing botanicals to cut down on shaving and other irritation, along with combating dark underarms (if that’s something that bothers you!) along with deodorizing and controlling perspiration. Natural sugars (AHAs) and the inclusion of witch hazel condition the skin while helping control perspiration and odor as they both work by killing the bacteria that makes underarm sweat smell unpleasant. The AHA within the sugars then gently exfoliate to aid with ingrown hairs. Vitamin E hydrates and further soothes inflammation from shaving and ingrown hairs Chamomile lightens dark marks and further reduces bumps from shaving. It’s antiseptic properties further aid in eliminating oder, and the fact that it’s a low level anti-perspirant means you’ll stay matte and dry all day The inclusion of fragrance isn’t irritating for me— I prefer it in my deodorant. It smells like gardenias, and reminds me of Hawaii. I’ve been using this deodorant on and off for the last five years, and I always find myself coming back to it. At the jump, 24$ for deodorant seems quite pricy, however this lasts me longer than a year with daily applications. Do you have a favorite deodorant? What are some of the things you look for in a must have formula? As always let me know what you think below! ✨

I bought the YOUTH TO THE PEOPLE - Superfood Hydrate + Firm Peptide Eye Cream before quarantine on a whim at Sephora for 35$, and I’m so happy I decided to! I’ve been using the Hydrate + Firm Eye Cream for a little over six months, and it’s replaced one of my holy grails, the LA MER - The Eye Concentrate ! For only a fraction of the price, I see similar effects with an ingredients list free from mineral oils (one of my biggest qualms with La Mer formulas) and jam packed with brightening protective antioxidants and hydrators. I don’t get irritation or milia with this product, something that I always find myself getting with a majority of eye creams. The texture is thick and creamy, a little goes a long way! I’m talking less than half a pea sized dot per eye. It smells fresh, like the super food cleanser from the same line. The dry down is great, it doesn’t leave me oily or greasy durning the day but my eyes stay hydrated and plump. I’ve been using this even more during winter and so far I haven’t gotten any of my usual eye eczema patches either. ✨Ingredients!✨ It has a powerhouse formula filled with greens like spinach, spirulina, and kale for antioxidants, aloe and green tea for hydration/inflammation/less dark circles— along with protection from pollution, b5 and vitamin C are included for plumping of fine lines and brightening of eyes, along with peptides which are the building blocks for collagen. I’m super impressed with this formula— it has tons of ingredients I love and ALWAYS look for in my products because they are backed by tons of research and proven to work. I’m happy to say I really do notice a difference when I use this eye cream. Whereas before I never felt I needed one, this made me completely re think that! One thing I also love to do, is put a thick layer on when I’m masking or before hopping in the shower. It imparts massive glow and hydration for my eyes, something I usually forget about when doing face masks. Do you use an eye cream? Let me know down below if you do or don’t, and some of your hits and misses too!

Olive&June has done it again! Their OLIVE&JUNE - The Tool Box has been a staple in my life for over a year, and has given me endless lasting & perfect manis. So, you can understand my excitement (and expectations!) when they released the #Olive&June - The Pedi System[products]#[FiveStars] I haven’t had a pedi since COVID started, so I ordered this right away to try out and test. Well, TLDR; I could not be happier with my purchase! The system comes with: Foot File: it’s so satisfying! I was worried it would be too harsh/soft, but the grit is perfect. It worked through my super tough heel callouses to reveal baby feet that have lasted longer than any other foot file I’ve used, and longer than my salon pedicures (wow!). I don’t think i can live without this now. Nail Polish Remover Pot: the addition of a sponge to the inside lid of the finger dip polish is brilliant— now we can use the strong but gentle polish remover even easier. I love to swipe it over my nails prior to painting to prime them as well as to take polish off. Large Flat-edge Clippers: love these, they’re professional grade and can cut through even super thick nails. The size isn’t too big, they fit easily on all my toes and no accidental cuts. Nail File: It’s a strong grit but thin enough to fit under toe nails (especially corners) for proper and easy shaping 😍 I want a pack of these. Same with the Mini Buffer, it’s strong but small enough for all toes! Cuticle Remover: Salon grade, but non-toxic and cruelty free. Gently dissolves and softens cuticles. I used to use others that stung, but this doesn’t hurt AT ALL! Cuticle Pusher: This thing is powerful! Apply gentle pressure and you will have the smoothest toes / cuticles ever. I added too much pressure and did cut myself— so be warned! Foot Serum: Smells like peaches. Not sticky, slick or slippery. Like the cuticle serum for your feet. Honestly makes me look like I just got a pedi. This plus the foot file is 😍 Toe Separators: Foam separators step aside! These are reusable and can be sanitized. They don’t give me toe cramps like the traditional ones & are really squishy. Clean Up Brush: It doesn’t get degraded with polish and continually looks like new every time. Just wash it off after each nail session and it’ll be good to go! Small enough for all nail crannies! The Posey: Perhaps the coolest thing in the tool box IS the box. It doubles as an angled foot rest for easy pain free polish application. Just sit with your back against something, pop your foot on the posey (heel on the circle!) and put it as close/far as you want. No more weird bending and positioning trying to paint all toes Extra add on: #Olive&June - Dry Drops[products]#[FiveStars] Dries polish in 80 seconds or less, utilizing natural oils like jojoba, which gives nails a salon-perfect shine. Applies with one hand so easy and perfect for manis. Works well for smoothing out and nicks or dents in polish as well.

In this image i’m wearing only COOLA - Classic Full Spectrum 360 Sun Silk Drops SPF 30 on my skin. The biggest con is price per OZ, hence the rating of four. However, SPF is so important and the coola silk sun drops makes it fabulously easy to do the two finger rule (it’s two droppers full). It’s effortless to rub in with no white cast and sets fairly quickly. It has UVA/UVB and blue light protection, as well as protection from pollution. Sun silk drops are full of antioxidants, which I love to help combat sun damage and environmental stressors like smog. This picture is about two hours after application and i look dewy and glowing, but it never feels greasy or like i need to blot. Likewise, when i sweat or swim it doesn’t burn my eyes. My skin stays supple while i have this product on. Its important to note I haven’t gotten a sunburn while wearing this product outside, so for me it’s one of the best chemical sunscreens. This product doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin and isn’t formulated with Gluten or fragrance— for me, that means less painful breakouts. Though it can get expensive when applying the correct amount every day, for me it’s worth it and I haven’t found anything comparable that doesn’t irritate my skin. It’s a great alternative to Glossier. - Invisible Shield Daily Sunscreen for those who are allergic to fragrance and or gluten/wheat. It’s a very similar scent and end result, the only differences are formulation, price, and texture. While invisible shield is not GF or fragrance free, sun silk drops are safe for every skin type.

Hot oil treatments! Warm your oil in a microwave safe dish, ideally glass as it keeps the oil mix warmer longer. (careful, the dish will be hot at first, let it cool down before you touch it!). I prefer olive and coconut with some drops of cuticle oil mixed in, this is what I have found to be the most restoring to my nails. When I do this treatment semi-regularly (every other week), it helps with peeling and breakage. I make sure my nails are dry and I haven’t showered, as nails absorb water and this will prevent the oil treatment from affecting the actual nail itself. Good grooming practices. File with a crystal or glass file in one direction like this one from Révérence de Bastien - Glass Nail File , rather than an emrey board or traditional sandpaper file going back and forth. The latter tears nails and causes peeling. Also avoid clipping, as it can splinter the nail and cause weakening over time. Make sure to push cuticles back regularly, ideally once a week, as overgrown cuticles can slow nail growth and also impact their overall strength, as well as lead to hangnails and other issues. Use healthier polish and remover! Cheap nail polish often contains chemicals like formaldehyde and are pretty toxic. The fumes also give me a headache, and yes they can absorb through the nail into the blood steam. I opt for 7 or 9 free nail polishes, as they often contain ingredients that are actually beneficial for nails. My three favorite brands for this are deborah lippmann - Gel Lab Pro Nail Polish OLIVE&JUNE - Floral Studio Box and STATIC NAILS - Liquid Glass Lacquer: Champagne Palette as they all have the best color payoff and wear time of most polishes I’ve tried. For remover, the ella+mila - Soy Nail Polish Remover Lavender Scented doesn’t dry my nails or skin out, I find it to be more replenishing and gentler than traditional acetone, while easily taking off polish without burning or stinging, or that unpleasant smell. Protiein and omega-3! Proteins like salmon and other fish are a double whammy of nutrients for long and strong nails. It really does make a difference to take care of yourself holistically for the best results :)

Happy Holidays everyone! I wanted to share my top five faves/things from this year: 1. Product: I think I'm going with the YOUTH TO THE PEOPLE - Superfood Antioxidant Cleanser because it's really helped my oily skin and prevented some of my acne, and I'm so glad I have this product. 2. Trend: I didn't really follow any of the brow trends, make homemade masks, or shave my face (though I'm now interested in that); but I did follow the trend of more full makeup and more dramatic eye makeup, since I used to be a more minimalistic makeup gal. I've veered way more towards the full face of makeup and all the steps and using lots of brushes, instead of what I used to do, which was lots of minimal makeup and using my fingers to apply stuff (mostly Glossier makeup with a few other ones). 3. Best look: I think my favorite one was the look I did on Dec 10th (I made a post and pics of that look are in this post too) - I used so many great products and tested out new ones as well. 4. Fave creator on cherie: I think I'm tied between @LindseyRRand @Skincyclopedia! (I also like @D.Bennett, @VyshnaviKarra, @Jillianb1, @christyrand @jassintadoetoo) They're awesome and so fun to be friends with! Their content is so detailed, informational, and so aesthetically pleasing while being down to earth and sharing the tea. 5. Something I learned on cherie: I learned that everyone's skincare, makeup, haircare, and bodycare journey is different - everyone is at a different place (just like in life) and everyone is moving at their own pace. In addition, I've learned that beauty and looking good is more than just for looks - it's for confidence and to be more comfordable with yourself, no matter where in life you're at.

Since turning 24, I’ve realized I need to start hydrating and really taking care of my under-eyes. I’ve always had dark circles, but really want to start mitigating the forming of fine lines and wrinkles that come with aging! On top of that, with winter and it’s dry winds here in full swing, I find myself waking up more often with dry under-eye patches. This is where the PEACH & LILY - Cold Brew Eye Recovery Stick comes in! This 28$ eye balm/cream is truly a unique product. It goes on clear, smooth, and cold to the touch! It’s perfect for mornings and puffy eyes, as if calms them down drastically with the enjoyable cooling effect. The texture is like a hybrid serum balm, never heavy but very moisturizing and brightening. On warm days, it’s not oily or sweaty, and on cold days it locks in moisture. Key Ingredients ✨ Kiwi Extract: This provides vitamin C and E! It’s rich in antioxidants, helps brighten and even tone along with fighting UV damage and free radicals that increase fine lines and wrinkles. It also evens tone and soothes skin Cucumber Extract: This is what brings the cooling effect to the product! It reduces puffing of under eyes and helps skin feel and look tighter Caffeine + Green Tea: These two (especially together!) also helps skin look and feel tighter, and further reduces the appearance of puffiness and redness Turmeric Extract: one of my favs for brightening! It’s super anti-inflammatory benefits and helps soothe skin, along with working to lighten dark spots and even tone by decreasing UV damage! Hyaluronic Acid Mix: This helps improve the appearance of fine-lines and wrinkles with an interesting mix of three types of moisturizing factors. Short-chain molecules of HA sink into deeper layers of skin since they’re very small and can penetrate deeply. Medium-chain molecules of HA fill in the layers closer to the surface of skin, but not on top of it. Long-chain molecules of HA are the biggest, and can’t penetrate as deeply, however they help lock in moisture on skin’s surface, so that skin looks plumped up from within while appearing visibly radiant. All of these tackle dryness throughout the dermis and last much longer than other formulas. This star ingredients list is free from irritants and provides a very lovely and subtle natural glow to help eyes appear brighter and more awake, all while nourishing and conditioning them to actually be healthier. Do you use an eye cream? I’m trying to be more consistent with using one lately💘 Do you have any favorite recs I should try? Let me know!