038. 2020 Index: Skincare, Recently Watched
A lengthy list of the most memorable skincare of 2020, and a quick look at what I watched over the break.
Hi! I’m Maggie, and welcome to Tender Forms Off-Camera: a weekly newsletter about slow beauty and slow living. If you enjoy and would like to support this newsletter, click the button below! No pressure but thank you if you do.
I’ll be sticking to the same format as last year, where I’ll list my favorite item for each step in both my AM and PM routines, as well as any treatments and tools.
T O N E R : Stark PETRICHOR Purifying Tonic* ($32, 120ml | 4floz)
First up is a toner, which acts as my morning cleanse, and there was no greater one for the task than Stark’s Petrichor. The full name describes it correctly because it is precisely a purifying tonic. It’s got white willow bark for purifying, one of my favorite ingredients ferulic acid for all your antioxidant needs, aloe, cucumber, and so much more for soothing and hydrating. I also love that there’s glycerin, which helps to sustain hydration. My skin gets easily dehydrated, and I can feel Petrichor locking in moisture. Plus, it’s effervescent quality helps awaken any slumber still lurking around. It’s refreshing, cleansing, and does a beautiful job of prepping the skin. I’ll give my skin a splash of water in the mornings, dampen a reusable cotton round, and do a full spritz onto it. One spritz is plenty; you don’t need much when it comes to this tonic. I also love to use this as what I call a “lightener” for heavier items like facial oils or balms. For example, I’ll take a pea-sized amount of a face balm, add a spritz of Petrichor, and mix the two. This creates almost a type of lotion or serum and helps quicken application and sinking in.
S E R U M : Stark EVERLASTING Calm + Smooth Infusion* ($40, 30ml | 1floz)
I was blown away this year by Stark’s Everlasting, another favorite for my dehydrated skin. This instantly gives my skin a boost of hydration while feeling subtly cooling and calming. Two drops of this concentrated liquid serum will do. I’ll either use this alone or mix in two drops with my facial oil of choice.
O I L : Wildcare SunRoot Solar Serum* ($68, 30ml | 1floz)
This is, by far, my most memorable, favorite facial oil of this year. The scent is so grounding with its herbaceous, slightly spicy qualities, and the texture is the definition of luscious. It’s a substantial oil, so I only need three drops max. And the color is like bottling up the summer harvest sun: a vibrant, saturated golden orange. The unctuous blend is anti-inflammatory, reparative, and renewing. You know your skin is nourished when you use this.
E Y E B A L M : Heart of Gold Sky Compass Eye Balm* ($66, 15ml)
I don’t usually use a separate eye cream, oil, or balm. But some days, I wake up with extremely puffy eyes, and no skincare item drains that puffiness faster than Sky Compass. As with all of Ally’s creations, its incredible blend of ingredients is awakening, energizing, and brightening thanks to cupuaçu butter, green virgin carrot seed, green coffee, chamomile, cypress, and fennel. It comes in a bright chartreuse hue and smells marvelous. It even doubles as a beautiful lip balm! You can put this in the refrigerator for an extra cooling effect, but I take the tiniest lentil size and use my Lanshin Nephrite Sculpting Spoon to work it in. It’s perhaps the most relaxing thing anyone can ever do in the morning.
L I P O I L : Twelve Beauty Hyaluroil Lip Treatment* ($36, 10ml | .34floz)
For over half of this year, I used this lip oil every single morning. I’m not one for heavy textures on, well, anywhere, but especially on the lips. And this one is the thickest lip oil I’ve tried to date. However, with continued use, I genuinely came to love it. As with the rest of my face, my lips, too, are easily dehydrated, causing flakes and cracks. But the Twelve Hyaluroil works magic on them! The rollerball makes application a breeze. One roll dispenses a good amount, and you can stop there or go in again for more luxury. You know those incredibly juicy, no lines to be seen, glossy lips you spy in editorial magazine shoots? This delivers that. It’s clean beauty’s best deeply hydrating and plumping lip oil. I usually lock this in by applying a layer of lip balm on top. Plus, it’s only $36 and lasted me well over six months. Need I say more?
S P F : Sundaze C-Shells SPF 30 ($30, 2oz | 57g)
Usually, I like to categorize SPF into the makeup portion of the index (and there will be one in the upcoming makeup newsletter). But I wanted to include this one today because it is very much skincare for me. The Sundaze SPF is my favorite for days when I don’t wear makeup because it is a heavy-duty one. This is intensely moisturizing and acts as both my moisturizer and sunscreen. I’ll finish my serum step and apply this all over. The amount I use varies depending on the weather and if I’ll be going outside or not. You need a 1/4 teaspoon for the full SPF30. But I usually wear this on the weekends when I’ll be indoors, so I don’t apply as much. This has an incredibly apparent white cast. But again, when I’m wearing it indoors at home, I don’t mind it. And I do love that it’s moisturizing, offers sun protection, and the skincare side of the blend also includes vitamin C (Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, the only one my skin tolerates), aloe, and rosehip oil. Though I don’t care too much for its slightly sweet, citrusy scent, it’s not overwhelming and dissipates quickly. Overall, whenever I used this, I found it a joy to use. And I wanted to include it because it’s my favorite non-tinted, mineral option. Again, I must stress the white cast is quite intense; I can’t see this working for anyone past a light skin tone if needing the full SPF30.
1 S T C L E A N S E :
Heart of Gold Astral Traveler Cleansing Fluid ($44, 50ml | 1.7floz)
Monastery Rose Cleansing Oil* (from friend, $43, 60ml | 2.03floz)
In true Tender Forms fashion, I can’t just choose one, so I have two. The first is Astral Traveler. I’ve rambled on and on before about how much I love this cleanser. It’s my perfect first cleanse and favorite oil cleanser. It removes makeup like a breeze and doubles as a treatment cleanser. When I have stubborn acne, this always brings it to a head with just one use. It’s magic in a bottle. It rinses clean, and whenever I use this, I don’t feel the need for a second cleanse. Plus, a little goes a long way, making a bottle last well over six months for me.
The second is Monastery’s Rose Cleansing Oil. The scent of this is an experience in itself. It’s heady, sultry, and luxurious. I thought I would get sick of the scent at some point because of this, but I didn’t! I loved every time I got to smell this. This is also a bouncy, heavier oil cleanser making it great for facial massage or an extra-long facial gua sha routine. Of course, it removes makeup incredibly well too. This does not rinse clean on its own, so I’ll remove it with a hot washcloth and follow up with a second cleanse.
2 N D C L E A N S E :
Stark ECLIPSE Activated Cleansing Gel* ($35, 120ml | 4floz)
Yuli Halcyon Cleanser Limited Rose Edition* ($58, 100ml | 3.4floz)
Clearly, I love cleansers because I can’t ever choose just one. For my second cleanse, my favorite was Stark’s Eclipse. This is my ideal gel cleanser, and I’m unafraid to scream it from the rooftops! It’s oil-free, exfoliating, gentle yet effective on its own to act as both first and second cleanse, can be used as a mask, the list goes on. I love the bouncy quality when it’s squeezed out of the bottle: a proper gel consistency. It glides effortlessly onto the skin and is a joy to use. When mixed with a bit of water, it suds up ever so slightly (read teeny tiny suds) and rinses clean. It does everything I want it to: remove makeup, gently exfoliate, hydrate, plump, and rinse clean. And it’s affordable! I will never be without one of these, ever.
The second one though I only tried as generous decants from my friend, Jess, made a lasting impression, and that’s Yuli’s Halcyon rose edition cleanser. The scent is the brightest of fresh roses I’ve ever experienced, plus it is a hard-working cleanser! While remarkably thin in consistency thanks to all of its beautiful rose hydrosol, it does the toughest of jobs, whether it’s removing makeup or decongesting. My skin feels like it can breathe immediately after using this. Be careful around the eyes, though, because this one stings like none other. But aside from that, there’s a reason why this is a cult favorite. If I time my skincare wisely, I’ll be able to purchase a bottle when it comes back around in the summertime.
M I S T :
Wildcare Rosemary + Bay Hydrosol ($19, 50ml | 1.7floz)
Heart of Gold Blue Chamomile+Rose Hydrolat (seasonal edition, currently unavailable, $30, 50ml | 1.7floz)
Maison/Made Lavender Hydrosol* ($30, 50ml | 1.7floz)
I know, I know, there are three in this category. But I reason that two are seasonal, so together, these three will provide roughly a year’s worth. The first is one you’ve heard me talk about endlessly, so there’s not much else to say except that my favorite is the Wildcare Rosemary+Bay hydrosol. This one is also available year-round, and I love it in any season. Not only does my reactive skin love it, but so does my scalp for when it needs a little extra love.
The second is a seasonal one from Heart of Gold. This one holds a special place in my heart because it was what made me fall in love with hydrosols. For the past two summers, Ally has brought back this beauty, and I will continue purchasing it forever. A bright, sweet sigh of relief, the blue chamomile and rose is the perfect way to calm and soothe my sensitive skin. The scent is a delicate veil, even for those sensitive to smells like me.
The third is a new offering from luxury brand Maison/Made. Launched as part of their Verdant collection (seasonal, limited editions), the Lavender Hydrosol is an incredible experience. One ingredient, instantly uplifting, a balanced scent profile of spicy and sweet, it’s a hydrosol you can feel working. When I spritz this, I can’t help but do a hydrosol cascade (a term coined by the one and only Rebecca of Uncommon Yarrow) with it. The scent is somehow relaxing and energizing at the same time. I am not a lavender person so that just goes to show how much I love this one. On a packaging note: I prefer to do a hydrosol cascade because the pump is a little aggressive and misdirected in mine (not sure if it’s just mine or all of them). My version of the hydrosol cascade is holding the bottle arm’s length above the face (tilted back slightly) and spritzing, letting the hydrosol fall onto the face.
S E R U M : pAra botanica Immortal Facial Serum ($72, 1floz | 30ml)
This is my favorite facial serum, hands down. When thinking about the best of 2020, listing different serums in my head, this was the first one I thought of and the one that kept knocking out all the others. It’s truly magic in a bottle: you can see and feel the results. It’s versatile, plays well with the rest of the pAra botanica line and other brands. It’s also multi-use. I’ve layered it as a serum, mixed it with facial oils or balms to create an emulsion, added it to powder masks, and it works synergistically with everything. I don’t know the details of this magic, but I welcome it. It’s instantly plumping and hydrating for me, and my skin is overall more even and brighter when I use this. And my deep expressive lines are less harsh. Overall, my skin is just happier and at its best when I’m using this.
B A L M : pAra botanica Chaya Beauty Balm* ($50, 1oz | 30ml)
As with the serum, the balm was also instantly decided. It has to be none other than pAra’s Chaya. If I were ever to formulate a balm, it would be like Chaya, which works perfectly for me because Christy’s created and perfected it all already. This balm melts into a luscious blend of oils and butters upon touch, glides along the skin, and sinks in splendidly. What I love most is that it provides the protective barrier and qualities of a balm without any heaviness on the skin. My skin gets easily congested when it comes to balms, and this not only lets it breathe but also calms and heals. I’m never looking for a new balm because I’ve already found the perfect one.
C L A R I F Y I N G : pAra botanica Nenekti Purifying Mask* ($48, 3.4oz | 100ml)
I know some find powder masks too fussy or drying, but I love them. I always feel like an alchemist when I’m mixing a custom blend, seeing the powder transform with its medium of the day, and feeling it go to work on my skin. pAra’s Nenekti was a favorite in 2019 and 2020 and still remains one. It’s my go-to spot treatment and clarifying mask. Whenever my skin feels like it needs a detox, this does the job spectacularly because it decongests, purifies, and gently exfoliates. I adore its earthy, smoky scent since it’s the first signifier of the experience I’m about to have. While beautiful on its own, my favorite way to use it is mixed with pAra’s Soma Repair Mask (coming up next). As with all clay masks, it continues to work as long as it’s moist, and Soma retains hydration to ensure it keeps working its magic. Nenekti is also quite powerful (don’t worry, no stinging), so Soma makes it more accessible for skin leaning on the drier side.
H Y D R A T I N G : pAra botanica Soma Repair Mask* ($56, 1.7oz | 50ml)
Because my skin is acne-prone, I have to be careful when it comes to hydrating masks. A lot of them tend to congest and break me out rather than improve my skin. pAra’s Soma is my favorite because it takes out all the guesswork for me. I can trust that every time I use this, my skin will be hydrated, plump, and filled to the brim with moisture and no breakouts. And this remains true even when mixed with other masks. I love this paired with Nenekti as it forms a perfect marriage of purpose and scent. Soma alone smells of deliciously spiced honey, cardamom, and helichrysum. I also love to mix this in with any other powder mask if I know there’s extra clay in one or looking for a well-rounded masking experience.
D O - I T - A L L : Naturallogic Luna Biofermented Red Wine Mask* ($78, 2floz | 60ml)
Speaking of well-rounded masks, my do-it-all pick of 2020 is Naturallogic’s Luna. This mask truly does it all: delivers intense hydration, antioxidants, brightens, evens, strengthens, cleanses, the list goes on. This is the perfect slap-it-on, watch the magic happen mask. I love using this when I’m a bit too lazy to play alchemist, want to be moving around while I mask, or don’t have the time to double mask. Luna is pre-mixed and stays on the skin. It doesn’t slip and slide and feels so comfortable it should have its own lounge-wear line named after it. It also smells of delicious red wine without you having to drink any! Once removed, my skin is plump, glistening (yes, you read correctly), smooth, and radiant. This is also a seasonal, limited edition (scheduled to come back in Spring), so you can bet I’ll be on that waiting list whenever the waitlist is available.
F L A S H M A S K : Stark ECLIPSE Activated Cleansing Gel* ($35, 120ml | 4floz)
The flash mask is for when I just want to do a little something extra but don’t have time for a full mask. I loved using Stark’s Eclipse for this purpose. After cleansing, I’ll apply a thin layer over the face and massage it in ever so slightly (~10 seconds). Then I’ll wait a few minutes and rinse it off in the shower. And because it rinses clean, I don’t need a washcloth nearby. It does a great job of exfoliating, leaves my skin bright, plump, and bouncy! It’s so easy and useful; no wonder I flash masked so often last year.
T O O L S :
Lanshin Pro Gua Sha Tool ($125)
Lanshin Nephrite Sculpting Spoon ($58)
It should come as no surprise that the Lanshin Pro gua sha tool is on this list. My ride-or-die tool of 2019, 2020, and beyond. Last year, the Lanshin team was so generous as to send the latest version of the Lanshin Pro. It was immediately evident that this version improves on one I didn’t think could be improved!
The sculpting spoon was a new tool most welcome because, my goodness, it does wonders on the eyes and jaw. My jaw is always tense and sore, and this spoon opens it up with one move! As mentioned above, it’s also the dreamiest way to apply any eye cream or balm. If you need any more convincing, I think my YouTube video says it all. I will never be without these two.
I made it a mission to watch a whole lot of film and television* during my short time off. I’m happy to report that I succeeded. While I devoted half of my 1.5 weeks to Tender Forms, I did spend the other half wisely (to me) in front of the tv. Since the above portion of this newsletter is already too long, I’ll keep this portion short and sweet. *This week’s includes films, next week’s will be television.
Happiest Season: It baffles me that the best part about this lesbian rom-com is this gay man. (And no, I have not watched ‘Schitt’s Creek,’ and yes, I know I should.) Actually, Aubrey Plaza is pretty fantastic in it too.
The Photograph: I was extremely pissed off by this movie, mainly because I’m a big fan of both leading actors. Issa Rae and Lakeith Stanfield have incredible chemistry, yet the two were so underused they might as well not have been in the movie at all.
Mank: In case it wasn’t known, I love Fincher. I love Oldman. However, I was wildly disappointed by this film. In dance, you should never see the effort that goes into executing the choreography; in this film, you saw nothing but effort. It was work to get through. The silver lining goes to Seyfried, who stole the show.
The Trial of the Chicago 7: This a bloated film at best with only two redeemable gems: Jeremy Strong and a one-line quip directed to Joseph Gordon-Levitt at the beginning of the film. I’m just going to say it: the age of Sorkin is over.
And by now, I know you must be wondering if I watched anything that I liked and I did! But that one will be in an upcoming newsletter very soon.
Thank you so much for reading this beast of a newsletter today! If you’ve made it this far, know that I’m sending you the biggest virtual hug ever. I would love to hear what skincare made its way onto your 2020 favorites list! Remember, you can always leave a comment or reply directly to this email to chat.
As always, I hope you have a great start to your week! See you next Sunday.
still haven't tried anything from para and this is the year! hmmm, may treat myself to chaya fir my b-day next week 🥳