Skincare reviews, decoded.
From The Ordinary's $9 niacinamide to Tatcha's $90 cream — every serum, cleanser, and acid we've actually tested. With ingredient breakdowns and the verdicts our editors couldn't say at brand events.
18 reviews in Skincare
Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Drops: Why TikTok Won't Stop Talking About These
Drunk Elephant's D-Bronzi Drops became a TikTok phenomenon thanks to one Alix Earle video in 2022. Three years later, the trend has not died. As an esthetician, I have thoughts.
Lauren Davis
July 18, 2025
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%: An Honest Take After 6 Weeks of Daily Use
It's $6.50. It has 4.5 stars from over 50,000 reviews. It's the bestselling skincare product on Sephora's website. But does it actually work? I tested it daily for six weeks. Here's what I found.
Lauren Davis
April 30, 2024
Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue Spray Review: A Skincare Lifesaver For Sensitive Skin
As an esthetician with rosacea, I've been searching for the perfect calming spray for years. Tower 28's hypochlorous acid SOS Spray finally gave me one. After eight months of daily use, here's why this $28 bottle replaced six other products on my shelf.
Lauren Davis
August 6, 2024
Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask: Worth $52 Or Just Overhyped TikTok Bait?
Marianna Hewitt's beauty brand turned a $52 face mask into a cultural moment. Three flights, four hotel rooms, and one transatlantic redeye later, here's what I actually think.
Sarah Mitchell
November 11, 2024
Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream Review: My Honest Take After Two Months
I'm 52. My skin is dry, mature, and demanding. After two months of using Tatcha's iconic Dewy Skin Cream as my primary moisturizer, here's what works, what doesn't, and whether the $72 price tag holds up.
Emily Carter
May 19, 2024
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask: The K-Beauty Cult Favorite, Honestly Reviewed
Laneige's Lip Sleeping Mask has 1.5 million Sephora reviews. As a K-beauty editor born in Seoul, I've watched this product go from Korean beauty staple to global obsession. Here's my honest take.
Mei Park
December 18, 2024
Glow Recipe Watermelon Dew Drops: Cute Packaging, Real Skincare Results?
Glow Recipe is one of the most aesthetically pleasing skincare brands of the decade. But beneath all that pink-and-watermelon packaging, do their hero serums actually perform? After eight weeks of testing, here's my honest take.
Mei Park
June 24, 2025
Rhode Peptide Glazing Fluid Review: Is Hailey Bieber's Hero Product Worth It?
Hailey Bieber's Rhode brand sold out within days of launch. The Peptide Glazing Fluid is the product behind her famous 'glazed donut' skin. Three years in, I tested it for two months. Here's my honest take.
Jessica Thompson
April 4, 2025
9 Korean Skincare Products Actually Worth The Hype (From A Korean K-Beauty Editor)
I was born in Seoul. I grew up watching my grandmother layer essences before '10-step routines' had a name in the West. After 15 years of Western K-beauty obsession, here are the 9 products actually worth your money.
Mei Park
May 16, 2025
How To Build A Skincare Routine That Actually Works (A Step-By-Step Guide For Beginners)
Most skincare routines fail because they're either too complicated to maintain or too random to deliver results. Here is the simple, science-backed framework I share with every new client.
Lauren Davis
January 31, 2025
How To Layer Your Skincare In The Right Order (Dermatologist-Approved)
The wrong order can make a $300 skincare routine completely useless. The right order can make a $50 routine genuinely effective. Here is the science of skincare layering, simplified.
Lauren Davis
November 24, 2025
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream Review: Is The $105 Moisturizer Worth It?
Charlotte Tilbury's Magic Cream is one of the bestselling luxury moisturizers in the world. After three months of testing on mature, dry skin, I have a definitive answer on the price question.
Emily Carter
January 8, 2026
MAC Strobe Cream Review: The Original Glow Product, 25 Years Later
MAC Strobe Cream launched in 1997 and invented the 'glow' category before glow was a thing. After 25 years, is it still the best illuminating moisturizer on the market?
Jessica Thompson
August 5, 2025
Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair: The Serum That Defined A Category, Honestly Reviewed
Advanced Night Repair has been the world's bestselling serum for decades. After eight weeks of nightly use, our editor gives an honest assessment of whether it lives up to its legendary reputation.
Emily Carter
February 3, 2025
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream: The $105 Moisturizer That Celebrities Swear By, Honestly Reviewed
Charlotte Tilbury's Magic Cream is one of the most hyped moisturizers in beauty. After eight weeks of daily use, our editor gives an honest verdict on whether it's worth the price.
Emily Carter
March 11, 2025
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream: Why Dermatologists Recommend This $18 Jar Over Everything Else
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream is the most recommended moisturizer by dermatologists in the US. After three months of daily use, our esthetician editor explains why the recommendation is warranted.
Lauren Davis
December 10, 2024
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Exfoliant: The Cult Product That Actually Lives Up To Its Reputation
Paula's Choice BHA Exfoliant has one of the most devoted followings in skincare. After three months of use, our esthetician editor explains why the devotion is justified.
Lauren Davis
September 16, 2024
I Have Rosacea and I've Tried 200+ Foundations. VIMA's Magic Foundation Is the Best One for Sensitive Skin.
Rosacea-prone skin is the ultimate foundation stress test: you need coverage, you need it to stay, and you need it to not make your skin angrier. After six weeks of testing, VIMA's Magic Skin Changing Foundation passed every test.
Lauren Davis
April 25, 2025
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