Happy fall, y'all! As usual, chime in with your own recent finds, recs, etc.

I’ve recently started getting into Asian beauty lines and reading a lot about the “Korean skincare” approach (asianbeauty on reddit is a great place to get info) so some of the below are Asian lines or Asian-inspired products. Thanks to the internet, most brands seem to be accessible worldwide, and there are several online stores that specialize in curating Asian products for the non-Asian, English-speaking market.

Garnier micellar water (blue cap)
I was looking for a full-size micellar water to have around and I kinda wasn’t thinking when picking up this one: Garnier makes two different micellar waters, one with a pink cap (regular) and one with a blue cap that’s designed to take off waterproof eye makeup. I picked up the latter, and it is very nice and does what it says. However, it leaves a slight oily residue, a lot like Lancome Bifacil or any other two-phase eye makeup remover, so I have to rinse it off or cleanse again afterward, which sorta defeats the purpose of a one-step product. However, if you’re looking for a dupe for Bifacil that’s tons cheaper, check this stuff out for sure.

Derma-e hyaluronic serum (grocery store)
My main point of comparison for this is with the Laneige water bank serum. A lot of people mention that the Laneige has a lot of perfume in it; I can smell it and it’s not my favorite, but it doesn’t seem to irritate my skin. This one, on the other hand, stings when it’s applied, especially when my skin is feeling dried out. I’ve been experimenting with putting it on when my skin is still quite damp, or right after a watery toner, because I read that in arid climates, hyaluronic acid can actually pull water out of your skin rather than the reverse, because there's not enough humidity in the air. So far, that does seem to reduce the stinging and improve plumpness.

Derma-e microdermabrasion scrub (grocery store)
I made the mistake of trying this for the first time a day after using a glycolic peel, and that led to a ridiculous amount of redness. *slaps forehead* Other than that, this is a nice fine-grained scrub, more gentle than something like the St. Ives apricot scrub. It’s kind of pricey compared to St. Ives or similar, but you get a ton in the container.

Daiso sake lotion (Daiso)
First off, Japanese ‘lotions’ are more like what we in the US would call toners or serums - they’re a watery liquid, not thick at all. This one’s made with fermented sake - ferments of sake, olives, peaches, or all kinds of other things are quite common in the Asian lotion/essence space. The resulting microorganisms are supposed to reduce acne and irritation, kind of like probiotics but topical. I honestly can’t tell if it’s doing anything, but it smells nice so I’ll finish up the bottle.

Daiso hyuralonate sheet masks (Daiso)
Best thing is that these are super-cheap: a package of 7 masks for $1.50 (Daiso is a 100 Yen store, the Japanese equivalent of a dollar store, and the branch near me sells everything for $1.50). Other than that, they’re unexceptional: OK but not amazing.

Beauty Treats vitamin E sheet mask (Daiso)
This had plenty of serum in the package but overall I was unimpressed with it. It left my skin feeling tight and itchy, and the mask itself wasn’t wide enough for my face (I have a fat American face, apparently, lol).

My Beauty Diary rose moisturizing sheet mask (local Asian grocery)
Am I the only woman in the world who doesn’t really like the smell of roses? It’s just so cloying and, well, floral. This sheet mask is quite rose-y but seems to do a decent job of moisturizing. I will use up the rest of the package but not repurchase.

My Beauty Diary bird’s nest sheet mask (Target online)
I keep waiting for a sheet mask to blow me away with its amazingness; it hasn’t happened yet but this one has gotten the closest. Skin-calming, nice mellow scent, pleasant texture.

CeraVe PM lotion
This product is beloved in skincare circles on the internet because of its ingredients, which include niacinamide, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid, all of which are great for your skin. It’s called PM because it doesn’t have sunscreen, and they offer an AM version that does, but there’s no reason you can’t use it anytime. It’s not heavy or occlusive like a night cream. I am not bowled away by this yet, just kinda meh - but part of the reason may be the hyaluronic acid in arid climates issue as mentioned above.