Beauty: My Latest Obsession and a Story.

I read quite a few beauty forums and a brand that keeps popping up is Drunk Elephant. I already drank the Sunday Riley Kool-Aid so I was resistant to a whole new set of expensive face-things to want. But I kept hearing how OMGahhhhmazing the T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum is and how the C-Firma Day Serum is life changing and B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Gel is so good and the bar cleansers (not soap!*) are fantastic and I was like, FINE. FINE. STOP. And I went to Sephora and politely demanded samples of the three products available in this Drunk Elephant set:

And you guys. *sigh* These products are good. Really, really good. 

The Framboos serum is the star of the bunch and I've seen better results with it in the last couple of weeks than I ever saw with Good Genes. Already my skin is clearer and smoother and I swear my hyperpigmentation spots seem a bit lighter. I like Good Genes but Framboos seems to work a lot better for me and it's slightly less expensive.

As for the Intensive Hydration Gel I was not expecting much since gel moisturizers are usually full of silicone and aren't generally moisturizing enough for me. This one is different, though. It's got no silicones and really seems to make my face feel dewy and hydrated but not at all sticky. It's so good! I generally layer it over my Sunday Riley Juno oil which works well, though it may not be enough in the winter. We shall see.

The Vitamin C serum is going to take a bit of time to really know if it's working but so far it doesn't seem to be breaking me out the way the SkinCeuticals version did, so that's progress. My skin seems brighter, at any rate.

All I know is that since I've been using these samples my skin has looked pretty damn good, and usually this is the time of year my skin does it's seasonal freak-out. I will keep you posted!

(PS. Dermstore carries Drunk Elephant! 20% off with code FRIENDS and 7% back with eBates!)

*The other Drunk Elephant products I was considering are the Pekee and Juju bar cleansers which sounded vaguely familiar. I did a little digging and realized OMG WONDERBAR. Hahahaha. The same person founded both! If you have no clue what I'm talking about, here's a story from back in the early days of the blog:

Six years ago Marianne bought a tiny bar of soap that promised miracles. MIRACLES. (It did not deliver.) 

She posted a review and a few updates on the blog and if you read the comments on the review you'll see that WonderBar was very invested in making sure she understood what the product was and how to use it. Of course we gossiped about that because that's how we do.  

A: I am cracking up at our latest comments. WONDERBAR SAYS YOU DO IT WRONG. 

M: GAH!  Their directions say to remove make-up first!

A: I guess not with soap? What do they want you to use, then?  

M: Maybe Cetaphil? Or liquid soap? 

A: STOP CALLING IT SOAP OMG. 

M: They are making me NERVOUS.  I think they are in my house.

A: They are hiding under your bed watching you wash your face.

(And, few months later, after getting a “concerned” email directly from WonderBar who did not like Marianne's blog side-eye.)

M: I need to write up my anti-Wonderbar Propaganda screed. 

A: Are you going to relocate first? 

M: I'm writing this from my bunker at the center of the earth. 

A: You're not on wifi are you? 

M: Wait, do you hear that. OMG THE CALL IS COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE RUNNNNNN! 

it's not a soap! 

A: NOOT SOOOOOOAP!!! 

M: I'm not scared of those CRAZY SOAP BITCHES OH THAT'S RIGHT.

A: OMG ITS NOT SOAP ARE YOU CRAZY. 

M: It's a BAR that LATHERS and CLEANSES GUESS WHAT THAT'S SOAP. 

I am so scared. 

A: But, they say it's also toner and moisturizer! But you might also need to use moisturizer with it? What kind of bullshit is that? Wait, hold on, someone's at the door. 

M: Adrien? DON'T ANSWER THE DOOR ADRIEN! 

A: I think I'm in the trunk of a car pls call police 

M: What's a police? My head feels funny. Hi, my name is Sally and I love the Wonderbar. It's not a soap.

So, yeah. I am pretty sure that the Juju bar is the WonderBar all grown up. Not to say it isn't amazing, but I remember the weirdness of "that time WonderBar stalked our blog" and I am like, maybe my Cerave cleanser will be just fine. For now, at least. I want to believe but I also don't want to be stalked? I don't know. Soap is confusing.