• The Mandelic Serum That Made Exfoliation Feel Effortless

    Mandelic acid is the most underrated acid in skincare, full stop. Quiet part out loud: …

  • My Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2026 Beauty Edit

    Living in Spain has main character energy about 95% of the time. But online shopping here …

  • I’ve Used These Bags Daily for Six Years. Here’s Why …

    It was the summer of 2020, the world was locked down, and product recommendations were flooding …

  • My K-Beauty Haul: The Best of 10 Korean Skincare Buys

    I can’t remember the last time I posted a haul. It’s been years. …

  • D.S. & Durga I Don’t Know What Smells Like Your Best Skin. My Full Review.

    D.S. & Durga I Don’t …

    The subtle scent that somehow does the most. Subtle and impactful should not be mutually exclusive, but in fragrance they usually are. Most scents either disappear within the hour or announce themselves before you enter the room. I am looking…

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    Here Are The Best Skincare Finds At Beauty Heroes

    Here Are The Best Skincare Finds At …

    They grow up so fast. Happy 11th Birthday, Beauty Heroes! How has it been 11 years since the Beauty Heroes launch? I remember meeting Jeannie Jarnot at Indie Beauty Expo in New York City when the idea of her subscription…

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    The Orveda Vital Sap Is Not a Toner. It’s Something Smarter. My Full Review.

    The Orveda Vital Sap Is Not a …

    Since moving to Madrid, I keep spotting Orveda everywhere: in beauty pages of fashion magazines, at El Corte Inglés, even in high-end ad campaigns. I’m bringing this post back because it deserves another look. Orveda skincare still isn’t exactly a household…

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    The Paula’s Choice BHA Toner Pads Are Better Than the Liquid and Here Is Why

    The Paula’s Choice BHA Toner Pads …

    The cult-classic exfoliant gets a clever new format.  Few products are as instantly recognizable as the Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant. The little black bottle has long been a staple for oilier skin types. I have had…

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    The Truth About Mineral Sunscreen: What Butyloctyl Salicylate Really Means

    The Truth About Mineral Sunscreen: What Butyloctyl …

    If “all-mineral” sunscreen were a dinner guest, Butyloctyl Salicylate would be the plus-one they insist belongs. It doesn’t. I don’t claim to know everything. Far from it. That’s why I like to write. Writing is thinking and thinking is how I learn.…

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    Best Of:  The Eye Gels Worth The Shelf Space

    Best Of: The Eye Gels Worth The …

    Because the wrong one will flake, fade, or fight your concealer.  Eye gels and I have never had much of a rapport. Too many dry to a tacky film. Some flake within minutes of supposed absorption. Others offer so little…

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    Why The Harrods 2025 Advent Calendar Is The Ultimate Beauty Gift

    Why The Harrods 2025 Advent Calendar Is The …

    Because the Harrods 2025 Beauty Advent Calendar sets the bar for luxury. Few retailers rival the Harrods Beauty Advent Calendar. When it comes to curating a luxury holiday lineup, Harrods may even have Liberty of London beat. In past years,…

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    The Holy-Grails That Made the Move to Madrid

    The Holy-Grails That Made the Move to …

    SkinCeuticals P-TIOX made the cut. We moved to Madrid with seventeen boxes, three cats, and a skincare stash I had every intention of downsizing. I turned 45 on July 31 and have been using skincare long enough to remember when…

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