The Goods, The Okays and The Mehs

Lately, I have been on a mission tried to use up my all products before I buy anything else and that is why this post will be longer than others. After using all the products I have concluded the products are either:

• Goods– I liked and I would rebuy again
• Okays– I liked but probably won’t buy again
• Mehs– I didn’t like or it did nothing and won’t buy again

Admittedly I did buy some things. BUT that was only because I was almost out of the product and shipping does take a long time. Yes. I know, I probably have a problem. I don’t know about you but I always want to try new things. When I see a raving review I just want to try out that new products.  I would constantly leave unfinished products and just open a new product.

Recently I felt like I had a revelation. Why am I wasting so much money? Ever since I started reading some investing books. PS would def recommend “Millionaire Teacher: The Nine Rules of Wealth You Should Have Learned in School”  if you haven’t already.  So here I am with a big bag of empties!  I will list what is actually worth spending your money on.

For your convenience I linked to certain sections: Please click

Goods, The Okays and The Mehs

The Saem JeJu Fresh Aloe Soothing Gel $9 CAD

Staple item, it isn’t going to cure your dry flaky skin but it will hydrate your skin. Nothing bad to say about this item, a normal aloe gel. I also have the Nature Republic aloe gel. I didn’t compare them side by side since I used up the Saem one before I used the Nature Republic but to me, they are pretty much the same. I would get the one that is on sale. I just love to slather aloe gel all over my face, not sure if its true, but it cools your face so your pores look smaller.

Labo Labo super keana Lotion $19CAD

I bought Ole Henriksen Balancing Force Oil Control Toner and that was way too drying for my skin. That is why I bought this toner instead. It is super gentle, it doesn’t dry out my skin and would def repurchase.

Tip: If you bought a super drying toner and don’t know what to do with it, I have a tip for you.  If you just want the salicylic acid to work, you can quickly apply on the face and just rinse it off. The salicylic acid doesn’t need to stay long on the face to work. That way the toner still works without drying your skin and you save money!

caudalie vinoperfect serum $89CAD $79USD

I didn’t see a difference at first but I did see a difference after a while. My skin was brighter. I would def recommend to pick some up if you are ever near a French Pharmacy. I don’t quite remember the price but I think it was roughly $60 over in Paris. You can read my guide on What to buy from a French pharmacy.  {While researching I found out there is a bundle that comes with the serum at the same price, check it out}

Camomile Silky cleansing oil $19 CAD and USD

Damn. I miss this cleansing oil. Right now I am using a gentle cleansing oil from Habo Labo ES sensitive line and it stings my eyes. This cleansing oil doesn’t sting the eyes, but it does require a little rubbing but it is a decent cleansing oil for the price, especially when you get it half off.

Innisfree JeJu orchid Intense cream $42 CAD $32 USD

I miss this cream so much, you can probably tell by how worn down it is! I have dry eczema hands and since winter came, I have been really missing this cream. This cream was a little heavy for my face but I found it super moisturizing for my dessert like hands. It is a little expensive to use it as a hand cream, but if you have dry hands like me its worth the price. P.S. Buy it when it is on sale! Check out my guide on What to buy from Innisfree.

Whamisa Organic flowers toner deep rich $30-40USD

Another product that I have been really sad to use up especially with winter coming. Super recommend this product if your skin is feeling a bit dehydrated. Gives your skin the nice glowy moisturized look. Two thumbs up!

COsrx Centella Blemish Balm $18CAD $15USD 

Since I have acne prone skin this is my go to, to help with my acne scars. I always have one on hand, just a great product. Check out my other favorite products from Cosrx.

Oaui Hair Oil $35 CAd $28USD

Miss you already. Great to tame dry frizzy hair. It transformed my hair, but it $$$.

Biore Uv Aqua Rich Watery Essence  $10 USD 15CAD

One product I would always restock whenever I am in Japan. It is non-sticky with no white cast and absorbs like a dream. It is more affordable in Japan and you can have the XL version too. I remember getting the XL version for less than ¥1000.

The ordinary advanced retinoid 2% $9.80CAD and USD

Just in case you didn’t know but the name has changed from advanced retinoid to Grandactive Retinoid Emulsion 2%. I really liked this retinoid, affordable, not irritating would def recommend especially if you haven’t already tried out a retinoid. Also, check out my other items I would recommend from the Ordinary.

Innisfree green tea seed serum  $26 USD $34CAD

A classic serum. I quite like it. It is light and quite hydrating. I like to apply it to my dry hands too, but it is a little sticky. Overall great product but I prefer using the Innisfree orchid cream for my dry hands. Want to know what other items to buy from Innisfree Check out my guide on Innisfree mask guide.

the ordinary salicylic acid 2% $5.30CAD and USD

Another staple item, a must pick up if you have acne-prone skin like me. Check out my all time favorite item from The Ordinary.

Garnier Micellar water- waterproof version $9 CAD

Are you surprised?  I love this micellar water. Great for waterproof eye makeup. Just make sure you buy the waterproof version!

Drunk Elephant C-firma day serum $100CAD $80USD

This lasted me a real long time. On the packaging, it says it only good for 6 months, so I am pretty sure mines not that effective anymore. I can definitely tell towards the end that it wasn’t working as well as the first time. I did really enjoy it at first. I saw a major difference in brightening but for me, it is far too pricey. I would def recommend my current favorite at a fraction of the price The Ordinary L-ascorbic acid you can read my review here.

Sunday riley Luna Sleeping night oil $135 CAD $105USD

I quite liked this but it is expensive. It also has a weird herbal smell. I think I found better products for my acne prone skin, so because of the price, I would skip.

angel recipe Deep Clay Pack  $11USD

I bought this way back when I first visited Japan. I took a really long time to use this up. The main reason why I bought this was that it says it has AHA and it was a peel mask. Little did I know it doesn’t peel and I don’t think it helped with declogging my pores. BUT it doesn’t dry up my face like other clay masks!

Innisfree perfect uv protection cream triple care $21CAD $16USD

I quite like Innisfree sunscreens but I prefer the one for the dry skin formulation, Perfect UV protection cream long lasting SPF50+ PA++++ for dry skin. There was more white cast in this one than the dry skin formulation. The dry skin formulation worked quite well for me even though I have combination and acne prone skin.

Too cool for school- egg mousse pack $25CAD $20usd

I quite like this mask. It is just so fun to use and I did see a bit of brightening effect.

Senka Perfect Whip $7 USD

Wow. I can’t believe I used this up. For a lazy girl like me, this cleanser is too much work. I just can’t be bother to be lathering the cleanser every single time. Just too much work for me. I don’t remember but I think it also stung my eyes or it left a little residue on the face. Either way, not the cleanser for me.

Dermadoctor- Kakadu c $36USD

I honestly didn’t care for this cleanser. Don’t waste your money, this was an expensive cleanser and I don’t think it did much for my skin. Didn’t brighten or declog. Skip.

Neostrata Glycolic Renewal Smoothing Lotion $42CAD

Pretty sure I gave up on this product. I started to use this on my scars on my legs but I didn’t really see a difference after using this. It didn’t have the best smell either. Skip.

Shiseido Moist hair Pack Repair Essence $18CAD

I remember seeing someone raving one of Shisedio hair pack. I couldn’t find that particular one but grabbed a bunch of product from the line. I don’t know if the hair mask I was looking for actually worked but the other things from the line didn’t do much for my hair. I would skip this product.

Ole henriksen INVIGORATING night TREATMENT $58CAD $48USD

You can probbaly tell this took me forever to use up, it now comes in a blue packaging. I don’t think it did anything on my skin. Left my skin feeling tacky and probably won’t buy again.

Oshima Tsubaki Camellia Hair Care Oil USD 16

I bought this in Japan. Supposedly it is the holy grail for Japanese women. I didn’t quite like it mainly because it was quite heavy. The smell is quite neutral but it reminds me of sebum.

Innisfree jeju pomegranate- TAIWAN only

Got this from a set, and I can’t believe I finally used it up. I don’t think it did anything particularly special. Would stick to Innisfree green tea seed serum.

Innisfree Whitening Pore Synergy Serum $49CAd $37USD

Honestly, I didn’t see any brightening effect nor did my pores disappear. It was pretty pricey. Not worth the money!

The body Shop shea body butter $12-$20 CAD USD

I don’t know how people do it. It takes me a hundred years to use up one of The Body Shop’s Body Butter. I don’t think it helped much for my dry eczema hand, but it does smell great though.

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Michelle

A beauty lover that loves everything about beauty and skincare. She is always on the lookout to find the new “it” product. Whether it is budget friendly or high end, she plans to share with others her beauty adventures and beauty experiences on this blog.