Nail Polish, Miscarriages, Cancer? Not So Pretty Episode 2

Not So Pretty 2 cover

Not So Pretty is a HBO documentary series about supposedly dangerous beauty products. It’s a very persuasive, slick-looking documentary. A lot of people chucked out their products after watching it, and as someone who breaks open bottles to use the last three drops at the bottom, this cut me deep. As a scientist who uses a lot of beauty products …

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Korean Sunscreen Reviews: Beauty of Joseon, Isntree, Innisfree, Mary & May

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I recently review a bunch of popular Korean sunscreens for a sponsored video, because most of you are heading into summer in the northern hemisphere. Conveniently I’m heading out of summer, so I’ve actually been trying out tons of sunscreens, and there are some really nice ones in this batch – including a few you’ve probably seen hyped up a …

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Talc and Asbestos in Makeup: Not So Pretty Episode 1

Not So Pretty

HBO has a new 4 part documentary Not So Pretty which talks about supposedly dangerous beauty products. This kind of documentary comes out every 6 months or so, and everyone panics and throws out their products. Like pretty much everyone I think, I’m concerned about my health, but not so into people trying to exploit this concern for attention, or …

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Answering (Almost) Every Sunscreen Question

sunscreen questions guide

I’ve talked a ton about sunscreen over the years, but I’ve found that on every sunscreen post I get asked questions that I’ve answered before, and I think it’s because I’ve gotten a lot of new followers (hi, welcome and thank you!). So I thought I’d do a post where I try to cover every sunscreen question that’s relevant to …

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Paula’s Choice Skincare: Best Products

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My name is Michelle, and I’m a Paula’s Choice tragic. I first got into skincare around 2009. Back then we didn’t have all the brands we have now – and more importantly, we didn’t have all the skincare information we have now. Paula Begoun was one of the few lone voices in the internet landscape talking about the science behind …

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Matter of Fact Vitamin C and Bad Science Review

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You might’ve seen Matter of Fact skincare all over social media lately. Their star product is a vitamin C serum, and they’ve been doing a lot of sponsorships with influencers, particularly the ones that come across as “sciencey” (with a science background and/or make scientific skincare content). You might’ve been surprised to see me in one of their influencer ads …

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Affordable Acne Routine: Bumper Guide

I talked about my terrible teenage skincare routine before (check it out here if you want all the gory details). I have oily, acne-prone and dehydration-prone skin, and that skincare routine made everything so much worse. It took me about 15 years to figure out a good skincare routine (we didn’t have as much skincare info on the internet back …

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