COOL SEPHORA BEAUTY INSIDER GRABS – FARMACY HONEY POTION, SUNDAY RILEY PINK DRINK AND SOBEL SKIN RX 27% GLYCOLIC ACID FACIAL CLEANSER
I got on a plane last week for only the second time this year. And that first time was my return home from Sarasota, Florida, on New Year’s Day!
On a whim, my photographer friend Cody and I bounced out to Las Vegas for the weekend. The flight was cheap, hotel was a steal and, most importantly, the chill was free.
If you didn’t catch our bomb #selfcaresunday session, you can watch it on my IGTV here. Cody and I seriously stepped up our selfcare game with the Cleer Beauty Ella Ultrasonic Lifting & Exfoliating Wand — a wildly futuristic facial device that I imagine Uhura using in her own #selfcaresunday routine on the Starship Enterprise.
Cleer Beauty’s super cool high-tech device uses electronic muscle stimulation (EMS) that exercises your facial muscles by contracting them, helping to firm the skin. There are three settings in all, including one that enhances penetration of serums to optimize efficacy. It’s hands-down my favorite use for the Ella. The other is an exfoliation setting. Take a look at my review of one of the best anti-aging facial devices on the blog here.
Vegas was an awesome getaway. We had great food. Took some great pics. And I even had my first facial since February in the hotel spa. Some seriously needed chill time!
The skincare stuff starts here.
I had a lot of downtime on the flights and, of course, spent some of it thinking about skin care. What had me most mesmerized was filling up the shopping cart on the Sephora app on my iPhone in anticipation of their bi-annual Beauty Insider event.
Like many people, I like to pre-fill my shopping cart in the week or so before Sephora’s Beauty Insider sale so I only need to go back when the event begins and hit the buy button. It also serves to assure that I’m not buying skincare products on impulse. We’re all guilty of that. So, the whole thing has become rather strategic for me.
While I was calculating my skincare purchases, I was thinking about products I’d recommend if people asked. And they always do! Every year, it goes something like this:
OMG what should I get at the Sephora sale?
What are the one, two or three products you think I have to buy? Something cool, that I haven’t tried before!
So, whilst I was chillaxin with my feet up in my insanely affordable first class seat, I narrowed my Sephora Beauty Insider recommendations down to three — three niche products I love and that I think most people haven’t likely experienced. Each is a clean, well-formulated, pro-skin heath product that you might not consider if it weren’t for the sale. Two are new and one is somewhat of a cult classic.
Sunday Riley’s Pink Drink is kind of a toner/serum hybrid that’s infused with probiotics to nourish and hydrate skin — and balance the skin’s delicate microbiome. The Sobel Skin Rx 27% Glycolic Acid Facial Cleanser is a potent exfoliating cleanser from NY dermatologist Dr. Howard Sobel’s new clinical skincare range. And Farmacy Beauty’s Honey Potion is, indeed, a cult classic and one of my favorite masks for rescuing my aggrieved skin in the harsh winter months.
Have a look at these three must-have Sephora Beauty Insider grabs…
OCTOBER 30TH - NOVEMBER 9TH
ENJOY UP TO 20% OFF AT THE SEPHORA BEAUTY INSIDER EVENT!
ROUGE SAVE 20% 10/30-11/9 | VIB SAVE 15% 11/3-11/9 | INSIDER SAVE 10% 11/5-11/9
CLICK HERE TO SHOP!
Farmacy Beauty | Honey Potion
I dread the cold. When I was a kid growing up in Connecticut I literally hated my life in the winter. Back then, it was very common for temperatures to hover around zero degrees Fahrenheit for weeks at a time. Even today, anything below 40 degrees sends a literal and figurative chill down my spine.
So, there are very few things I look forward to as winter approaches. During the colder months from October to March, I love hot soup, hoodies, and the Farmacy Beauty Honey Potion Renewing Antioxidant Hydration Mask!
I first discovered Farmacy’s Honey Potion three or four years ago on the shelves of Sephora. And it was highly likely that I copped it during the Beauty Insider sale.
The BI event is just the perfect time to pick up intriguing products that you wouldn’t normally shell out money for the rest of the year.
Honey Potion is that kind of special product — a true hidden gem.
At first, you’re not really sure what it is or what it does. That all changes when you try it. Farmacy describes its deeply moisturizing skin treat as “a warming honey face mask infused with essential B vitamins and antioxidants to hydrate, smooth, and visibly renew the skin, leaving a glowing look.”
And it’s the warming part that makes it so special in winter. On the skin, Honey Potion feels like an electric blanket for your face! There are very few masks that warm up like that. In fact, I’m hard-pressed right now to think of a serious mask that does. I know I’ve tried one or two kinda gimmicky warming masks that I’ve picked up in the fun shops in K-town. But none of them were legit skincare products. They’re more like those polyurethane peel-off masks. They seem fun, but don’t belong anywhere near your skin!
Honey Potion is totally legit. It’s one of the best moisture masks for dry skin that I’ve come across. What makes it so deeply moisturizing? Well, to start, it’s clean. It warms up the skin to enhance penetration of the moisturizing and nourishing actives. And, it’s infused with a complex of Honey Extract, Propolis Extract and Royal Jelly Extract — the queen bee’s favorite snack!
Humectant Glycerin and nourishing Panthenol also help to enhance moisture levels in the skin and prevent trans-epidermal water loss by attracting hydration and holding it in.
Notably, there are two potent antioxidant botanical extracts, including Ginger Root Extract and Echinacea Purpurea Root Extract — a proven anti-inflammatory known for its benefits on the immune system and overall health.
What does echinacea do for skin?
There’s an insightful piece on the Healthline website titled, Echinacea: Benefits, Uses, Side Effects and Dosage. It goes deep — beyond describing echinacea’s effects on the body.
Research has shown that echinacea plants may help treat common skin concerns.
In a test-tube study, scientists found that echinacea’s anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties suppressed the growth of Propionibacterium, a common cause of acne (22Trusted Source).
In another study in 10 healthy people aged 25–40, skin care products containing echinacea extract were found to improve skin hydration and reduce wrinkles (23Trusted Source).
Similarly, a cream containing Echinacea purpurea extract was shown to improve eczema symptoms and help repair the skin’s thin, protective outer layer (24Trusted Source).
When massaged onto clean, dry skin, Honey Potion transforms from its thick, gooey honey-like texture to a soft, velvety white cream. As incredible as it seems, it’s not at all sticky! That always amazes me.
But that’s not the most amazing part of it. At about 5-10 seconds, something truly magical happens. Honey Potion begins to warm up. That electric blanket turns on and it’s pure nirvana. Imagine the queen bee kicking back in the hive with a hot toddy. It’s remarkable — and one of my absolute favorite things to do in the winter!
Go ahead, get your little pot of gold in the Sephora Beauty Insider — like I did all those years ago!
SHOP THE BLOG: Rouge members can purchase the Farmacy Beauty Honey Potion for just $30.40 (reg. $38) here.
Sobel Skin Rx | 27% Glycolic Acid Facial Cleanser
I’m a huge fan of Dr. Howard Sobel’s new clinical skincare range, Sobel Skin Rx. Several weeks ago, I crafted a sweeping brand review of the collection titled, Dermatologist Skincare Brand Sobel Skin Rx - Some of the Best Anti-Aging Face Products for Healthy, Youthful Skin. You can still catch it here.
Sobel Skin Rx is a collection of clean skincare with highly concentrated levels of actives — exactly the kind of products you’d expect to find at a derm’s office.
Says Dr. Sobel, “Sobel Skin Rx is all about the active ingredients. You’ll find them at the very top of all of our ingredient lists, so you know that the product you’re getting is the real deal and not just hype.”
Notably, the Sobel Skin Rx 30% Glycolic Acid Peel is a top-shelf chemical exfoliant that scares the hell out of me — in a good way. The brand’s 4.5% Retinol Night Treatment is no joke.
And, one of the best Vitamin C serums, the Sobel Skin Rx Vitamin C treatment, is formulated with three forms of Vitamin C for a 35% concentration of the antioxidant power brightener. Add this one to your PM skincare routine and you’ll wake up glowing.
I use a Niacinamide serum in both of my daily skincare routines, morning and night, and Dr. Sobel’s 15% Niacinamide serum is a personal favorite. In fact, it’s among the best Niacinamide serums I’ve tried. (Psst…keep an eye out for my upcoming blog article on the best Niacinamide serums for brightening the complexion!)
In the weeks since that original piece on the Sobel Skin Rx brand, I’ve discovered another fave — the Sobel Skin Rx 27% Glycolic Acid Facial Cleanser. It’s really a fantastic face wash; a solid, clean formula. And, as with the AHA-powered SELF/ish Facial Cleanser that I reviewed on the blog a few weeks ago, it doubles as one of the best exfoliating masks with Glycolic Acid, the second ingredient. Rather than emulsifying the cleanser immediately, simply massage some onto the skin and leave it on for a few minutes. Your complexion will be litty, lit, lit!
What is Glycolic Acid?
There is an insightful article from the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team titled, Glycolic Acid: What It Is and Why You Should Use It. In it, the experts expound on the many superb benefits of Glycolic Acid for the skin.
Glycolic Acid Benefits
Using an exfoliant with glycolic acid for your face results in a brighter, more even toned complexion. Like all AHAs, glycolic acid works by helping turn over spent cells on skin’s surface.
This type of exfoliation addresses numerous skin concerns, including sun damage, uneven tone, rough, flaky patches of skin, fine lines, and wrinkles. In higher concentrations, glycolic acid can even improve the look of deeper wrinkles.
Studies also show that glycolic acid significantly increases skin’s hydration. It does this by helping skin make substances like mucopolysaccharides, which help skin stay hydrated by increasing its natural content of hyaluronic acid, which in turn enhances skin’s resilience.
One exciting new note about glycolic acid: emerging research shows it might even protect skin against UV damage (in addition to reducing its damaging after-effects), though more studies need to be done and of course it doesn’t replace the need for sunscreen. Still, it’s a promising development!
Glycolic acid occurs naturally in sugar cane, but is most effective when synthesized in a lab, where its potency and concentration are optimized for use in skin care. Using plant sugars, like sugar maple, for their glycolic acid content is an option, but the bulk of the research on glycolic acid’s benefits for skin is about the synthetic form, because this type can be optimized for effectiveness, purity, stability, and pH, all critical to getting effective glycolic acid products.
OCTOBER 30TH - NOVEMBER 9TH
ENJOY UP TO 20% OFF AT THE SEPHORA BEAUTY INSIDER EVENT!
ROUGE SAVE 20% 10/30-11/9 | VIB SAVE 15% 11/3-11/9 | INSIDER SAVE 10% 11/5-11/9
CLICK HERE TO SHOP!
With such a high concentration of the most potent of the alpha hydroxy acids, the 27% Glycolic Acid Facial Cleanser is not for the faint of heart. But, there are a slew of soothing botanical actives at high levels to prevent you from burning your face off. Among the top ten ingredients in the INCI are Allantoin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract and Chamomile Extract — all effective soothers that help to ameliorate any irritating effects from the glycolic acid.
The formula has a super light gel texture that barely emulsifies on the skin due to its reliance on Cocamidopropyl Betaine, a gentle surfactant used in skincare products.
While Cocamidopropyl Betaine can be controversial (as so many skincare ingredients are!), according to the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team, it is considered low risk for sensitizing skin. It’s also being washed off the skin relatively quickly, so I don’t give the usual hysteria much credence.
One of the things I appreciate most about the Sobel Skin Rx 27% Glycolic Acid Facial Cleanser is the fact that only a limited quantity is dispensed with each pump. That means you don’t use too much of it (remember, it’s potent!) and, as a consequence, one bottle lasts a very long time.
It’s definitely worth grabbing yourself a bottle of the Sobel Skin Rx 27% Glycolic Acid Facial Cleanser in the Sephora Beauty Insider sale. You’ll love its versatility as much as I.
SHOP THE BLOG: Rouge members can purchase the Sobel Skin Rx 27% Glycolic Acid Facial Cleanser for just $36.80 (reg. $46) here.
Sunday Riley | Pink Drink
Wow are peptides hot lately! They’re popping up in well-formulated, innovative skincare products everywhere. And that includes Sunday Riley’s cool new Pink Drink Firming Essence. If you thought a pink drink was nothing more than a tangy lemonade, it’s because this stuff just hit the market in the past month. And it kinda blew my mind. There’s simply nothing else like it!
I’m a long-time fan of the Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment — one of the best exfoliating serums for everyday use. It’s one of the few AHA serums that my skin seems to tolerate well.
But it took me a minute to get my mind around Pink Drink.
What is it?! Of course, I had to get past the gimmicky pink-means-it’s-good-for-your-skin thing. What makes it pink to begin with isn’t tinted glass or (gasp!) a few drops of red dye.
Pink Drink gets its baby pink hue from the high level of Yeast Ferment Extract (ingredient number two), which Sunday Riley refers to as “Pink Yeast”.
The third ingredient in Sunday Riley’s Pink Drink is also a nourishing probiotic ferment — the popular Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate. It’s the same fermented active found in many popular products to support skin’s microbiome, including Missha’s Time Revolution First Treatment Essence and Fresh’s Kombucha Antioxidant Facial Treatment Essence.
OCTOBER 30TH - NOVEMBER 9TH
ENJOY UP TO 20% OFF AT THE SEPHORA BEAUTY INSIDER EVENT!
ROUGE SAVE 20% 10/30-11/9 | VIB SAVE 15% 11/3-11/9 | INSIDER SAVE 10% 11/5-11/9
CLICK HERE TO SHOP!
What is skin’s microbiome?
I found an insightful article on the NIH website simply titled, The Skin Microbiome. This segment is helpful in understanding what the skin’s microbiome is and its role in the health of the skin:
An enhanced understanding of the skin microbiome is necessary to gain insight into microbial involvement in human skin disorders and to enable novel promicrobial and antimicrobial therapeutic approaches for their treatment.
The skin is an ecosystem composed of 1.8 m2 of diverse habitats with an abundance of folds, invaginations and specialized niches that support a wide range of microorganisms. The primary role of the skin is to serve as a physical barrier, protecting our bodies from potential assault by foreign organisms or toxic substances. The skin is also an interface with the outside environment and, as such, is colonized by a diverse collection of microorganisms — including bacteria, fungi and viruses.
Also at high levels are two firming peptides, three replenishing ceramides and Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside (EGCG) — a potent antioxidant component of green tea.
There are so many antioxidant botanical extracts in Pink Drink that I had a hard time identifying them all. There’s the EGCG, of course, along with Green Tea Leaf Extract, Sea Kelp Extract and Cucumber Seed Extract.
Sunday Riley even included two replenishing lipids, Phospholipids and Sphingolipids. The experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team define Sphingolipids as, “complex, long chain lipids (fats) that function as skin-replenishing and conditioning ingredients.” Sphingolipids sounds so exotic right? I’d never heard of them either!
So what is Pink Drink? It’s a fascinating formula for sure! Well, it’s a superbly skin-nourishing, protective, soothing and plumping fermented powerhouse. And it delivers beneficial support for skin’s microbiome — essential for skin health and defending against sensitivity, acne, rosacea and all manner of unhealthy skin behaviors. I don’t think I’ve come across anything quite like it.
Get yourself a bottle of Sunday Riley’s Pink Drink at the Sephora Beauty Insider event and try it for yourself. Like mine does, your skin will drink it up!
SHOP THE BLOG: Rouge members can purchase the Sunday Riley Pink Drink Firming Resurfacing Essence for $38.40 (reg. $48) here.
That’s it, guys! I hope you’ll take the leap and grab one of my Sephora Beauty Insider recommendations. You might just find a new favorite, too!
🖤 SKINCARMA
The Ingredient List of the Farmacy Honey Potion:
sii|h 0 0, Diglycerin 
sii|h, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate emu, Honey Extract h, Propolis Extract, Royal Jelly Extract, Panthenol so|h 0 0, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride emo, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil aox|emo, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract aox|so|perf, Allantoin so 0 0, Phenoxyethanol pres, Echinacea Purpurea Root Extract h, Honey so|h|amic, Water solv, Flavor, Vanillyl Butyl EtherThe Ingredient List of the Sobel Skin Rx 27% Glycolic Acid Facial Cleanser:
Purified Water, Glycolic Acid, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Allantoin, Aloe Barbadnesis Leaf Extract, Chamomile Extract, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, PEG-6 Caprylic Capric/Triglycerides, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Ammonium Hydroxide, Hexylene Glycol.
The Ingredient List of the Sunday Riley Pink Drink:
so|h, Honey Extract h, Acetyl Tetrapeptide- 11, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9, Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside (Egcg) aox|so, Ceramide AP sii, Ceramide EOP sii, Ceramide NP sii, Cucumis Melo (Melon) Fruit Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Seed Extract, Sea Water h|solv, Phospholipids sii|emo, Sphingolipids emo, Laminaria Digitata (Sea Kelp) Extract, Zymomonas Ferment Extract h, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract h, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Phytosphingosine sii|cci|aacne|amic, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract emo, Triethyl Citrate perf, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract aox|so, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil 
perf, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Extract perf|vc, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis_ (Orange) Fruit Extract, Citrus_Paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Extract perf, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Flower/ Leaf Extract h|perf|so, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract aox|so, Rosa Damascena Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Polyglycerin- 6 h, Glycerin sii|h 0 0, Saccharide Isomerate h, Cholesterol sii|emo 0 0, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate emu, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Betaine h, Polysorbate 20 emu|surf 0 0, Dimethyl Isosorbide solv|vc, Phenoxyethanol pres, Ethylhexylglycerin pres, Carbomer vc 0 1, Hydroxyacetophenone aox, Xanthan Gum vc|emu|surf, 1,2-Hexanediol solv, Maltodextrin, Tris (Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol) Citrate, Alcohol amic|solv|vc, Sodium Phytate chel
