I know that ascorbic acid is extremely finicky, but also extremely effective! I use a serum that contains 15% ascorbic acid and, based on something I read about ascorbic acid, I know it's ph dependent.  From what I understood, it works best at a ph level of about 3.  I know that water and face washes usually bring your skins ph up a little higher, with water itself being about a 7.  
     So knowing that it's ph dependent, and also knowing that my skin, after cleansing, is definitely above a 3, I've been lightly dabbing my skin with a little bit of organic apple cider vinegar in order to bring down my skins ph level before applying my ascorbic acid serum. 
     I do know that the ascorbic acid serum itself needs to be at the direct ph level as well, and mine is.  So does that mean I don't actually need the vinegar if the actual serum is at about a 3 already? 
   Or does it actually help more to do the vinegar as well?

Will this Help Me Get the Most Out of My Ascorbic Acid Vitamin C Serum?

I'm always pretty amazed with the skincare trends that specifically come out of South Korea. They're just damn innovative over there and always have the coolest stuff, that does some pretty amazing things for your skin! 
    I remember,  about 5 years ago or so, there was this new product trend called "splash masks" (also sometimes called "splash packs" or "patting masks")
    Basically, they were highly concentrated liquids with an abundance of skin-loving ingredients in them. After washing your face, you would mix the liquid with some water and pat it into your skin until absorbed. 
    I remember a few different companies making their own versions. I tried a couple and absolutely LOVED them! 
 Then suddenly, the whole concept seemed to just disappear off the face of the Earth, and I haven't heard a word about them since! lol....
    Does anybody else remember them or know why they didn't seem to stick?
    I tagged a few examples of what I'm talking about. 
I never tried the ones from Blithe, but I did try the SkinFood one and the Boscia one! I absolutely LOVED them! The SkinFood one, in particular, is literally almost impossible to find anywhere anymore!

Does Anyone Remember the Big Trend with "Splash Masks/Packs"?

I've recently been using the "Skin Spatula" from the brand Vanity Planet. Does anyone know if these actually make a difference?  It has 3 modes, exfoliating, moisturizing, and lifting.   The directions say to hold the spatula to your face one way for the exfoliating, and then a different way for the other 2 options. The moisturizing setting is supposed to help increase serum absorption.

Skincare "Spatula": Gimmicky or Magical?

So I just started on here and it took me less than a week to become qualified to apply for "The Picky Squad" (as of right now I've only "applied" for it, though, I haven't been accepted just yet).
     I've left, I think, between 5 or 6 pretty detailed product reviews (with photos), I've posted 3 discussions (this will be my 4th) that all recieve a pretty good amount of upvotes/comments, and I've left a handful of comments on other people's posts.  
     I notice that "The Picky Squad" has some pretty specific initial qualifications that need to be met in order to apply, but "The Super Picky Squad", as far as I can tell, doesn't list anything specific, beyond just qualifying for "The Picky Squad" first.  
     So I just wanted to ask people who are on "The Super Picky Squad", do you think I need to do more than what I'm doing to qualify? Roughly, what I've been doing so far, amounts to just about 1 review per day, a new discussion post every other day, and at minimum, 2-5 comments per day on other people's reviews/discussions.
     I know it takes a little time, so I'm not asking this because I'm like, confused, or anything, as to why I haven't been selected yet.... I just wanna make sure I'm doing what I need to do in order to be selected eventually.
     Also, while we're on the topic, I'm a little confused on the benefits of "The Super Picky Squad"..... Does it qualify you for more Giveaways? Or does it give you access to the same Giveaways as everyone else, and just give you a higher chance of being selected? Are there any other benefits that are exclusive to "The Super Picky Squad"?

Question for Those in "The Super Picky Squad"

When you first started using Picky and finally reached all the requirements necessary to apply to be part of the "Picky Squad", do any of you happen to remember roughly how long it took for your application to be accepted? 
I'm just curious because mine's still in limbo.... I honestly can't actually remember how many days ago I applied though, lol, so it is entirely possible that I haven't even been waiting very long, it might just feel like it's been longer than it actually has....
     Anyway, though, I was just curious so I figured I asked!

Quick Question for the People in the "Picky Squad"

Things I DID NOT Liked About this Palette: 
       ● while there were a lot of shades that have great pigment quality, there are also a lot of shades that I have to struggle to get them to show up 
       ●  And while some of these shades go on like butter and some don't, there are a couple of the metallics that are a little bit too "buttery" in the sense that, when I use them, they kind of want to fall apart unless I actively try to prevent that from happening.
       ●  Though this palette does have a few flaws, they're mostly minor enough that I'm able to work around them

Things I DID Like About this Palette: 
       ● the pink pastel theme is soooo pretty 
       ● there are lot of VERY pigmented shades in this palette (which is sometimes kind of a "hit or miss" when it comes to pastels, since pastels, by their LITERAL DEFINITION, are less pigmented just in general.... that's why they're pastels! 
       ● there are some colors in here that are buttery smooth to apply
       ●  This palette contains a very good selection of colors and they all coordinate perfectly together

I've using this product relatively consistently for the past year or two and I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this stuff! 
Attached to this review is a "before and after" picture that they have featured on their website. 
It's not a photo of myself, however, my experience with this product seems fairly similar to that of the girl featured in this picture. 

   Honestly, I was initially interested in two other versions of this product (one for clearing up acne-prone skin and another for combination skin). 
   However, upon comparing the ingredients in those two products, I stumbled upon this and decided to check the ingredients in this also. 
   The biggest reason I ultimately chose this one was because it contained a few specific ingredients that I, personally, consider "holy grail" ingredients. 
   Those ingredients were azalaic acid, glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice root), kojic acid, black tea, and retinyl palmtrate. I've definitely had the absolute BEST results from products that contained these things in the past.       The "Combination Skin Cleansing Bar" did share most of these ingredients also, but the "Even Tone Cleansing Bar" featured them a lot higher on the ingredients list, which normally suggests a higher concentration of them. 
   I was most definitely NOT disappointed! I absolutely LOOOOVE this stuff! 
   I especially love the fact that, not only can it work as a cleanser, but also a cleansing face mask, simply by allowing it to sit on your skin for a few minutes before rinsing.  This allows those "holy grail" ingredients more time to absorb for efficiently into your skin! 

    Someone with sensitive skin may want to use a little bit of caution when they first start using this treatment.... 
    For myself, personally, though, my skin is almost NEVER sensitive to literally anything.... so I definitely didn't experience ANY issues diving right in, my very first time using it.  
   However, I know there are a lot of people who do have more sensitive skin types than mine. 
   Attached is the "before and after" photo featured on their website, to give you an idea of how effective this stuff is!

    This stuff is amazingly effective! It has some pretty high concentrations on most of my absolute favorite "holy grail" ingredients!
    The second ingredient it lists is niacimide, which is AMAZING for ALL skin types! And then, only a little bit below that, it lists kojic acid, retinyl palmtrate AND retinol! A few other favorite ingredients I noticed a little further down were ascorbic acid (vitamin c) and azalaic acid!

There's a couple things I think could improve this product: 
● it's 15% ascorbic acid, that's not necessarily bad, I just prefer 20%
● I wish it contained ferulic acid, since ferulic acid with vitamin C has some really good benefits, plus the ferulic acid also helps stabilize the notoriously unstable ascorbic acid 

I LOVE this product! You can tell it's a really really good ascorbic acid serum because it leaves your face a little bit sticky after you apply it.  That stickiness does go away though when it's fully absorbed!  
● I love the fact that it's an ascorbic acid vitamin C! There are other forms of vitamin C but ascorbic acid has the most evidence behind it
●  it's at the correct ph level to work effectively
●  you see results very quickly! 

Honestly, there's only a couple negative things I can think of with this product
● it's a little pricey, but there is actually an exact for of it at Sally Beauty for $10! And when I say identical, I mean, literally identical! I've compared the ingredients side by side and they're the exact same! They also have one for most of the other GlamGlow masks! 
● people with sensitive skin might notice a little bit of burning when they use it. 

Reasons why I LOVE this Product! 
● As it dries, you'll see the color of the mask get lighter, except for the areas where it pulled the most oil and debris out of your pores.  For example, when I use it, it dries to a light gray color and my nose/t-zone will have a bunch of dark black dots, showing how much oil was pulled from those areas. There've been times when I've done the mask for a second time on the areas that had the most black dots, and by the end of the second application, there is a significantly smaller number of black dots than there were the first time, so I know it's working! 
● this product contains glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice root) which is one of my favorite ingredients for brightening! 
● I really do notice a considerable difference when using this mask
● In the photo attached, if you look closely, you can see a bunch of tiny dark black dots. Those are the areas where my pores are largest and that produce the most oil. I love the fact that you can see actual evidence of this stuff working before you even wash it off! If I had applied this mask a second time, directly after, I would have seen less black dots than I did the first time! 

Cassidyxo