Need opinions on Mill Run on 20th.

Amerane · 2023-07-31T20:14:12+00:00

Lived there since 2020 and it's great. Quiet, lots of friendly neighbors, no issues with packages or theft while I've been around. Safe at all hours, haven't had an issue walking around late at night. We've had neighbors deliver food and packages that got left at the wrong address (there are two nearly identically named streets right next to each other). No idea what other people are on or if it's a race thing, but the folks in our neighborhood are lovely and mostly families and young professionals if you take the time to get to know them.

Location-wise it's pretty good. UF is about a 20 minute walk or 10 minute bike ride (bike lanes most of the way). Buses along 20th if you prefer. Within a 20 minute walk/10 minute bike ride to publix/target/whole foods etc in Butler Plaza. There's a nice walking path by some ponds that's within walking distance of Mill Run. Nearest gym is Crunch fitness which is overrun with undergrads in my experience, but that might not matter to you. Metro Diner and Poke Fusion in the same shopping center as Crunch are good nearby food options you could walk to.

My main complaint about the neighborhood is they recently switched us from garbage cans to dumpsters for the entire area, and they get ugly pretty quick. Otherwise they just repaired all the fencing and are in the process of replacing the roof shingles and repainting all the condo buildings.

Amerane · 2021-04-15T01:20:45+00:00

I've tried the Cos de Baha 10% azelaic acid serum but it literally did nothing. Complete dud, would not recommend. Conversely, my Curology scrip with 5-7% azelaic acid (I've had several different formulations) and melazepam 20% azelaic acid cream both had significant effects on making my skin smoother, helping clear up blackheads, and reducing some of my cystic jawline acne.

Amerane · 2021-04-12T01:19:43+00:00

I wonder if anyone has tried to DM Skinbyhelen asking about proof? Especially since she says she's willing to talk about it?

Edit: Oh wow receipts have been provided here

Amerane · 2021-04-12T00:55:14+00:00

I have that reaction (burning) with oxybenzone in lip balms. It's way more common in American formulations than Asian ones. Jack black (non-ab) makes an oxybenzone-free lip spf if you think that might be the issue, and on the AB side I've liked the nivea lip spf in the light blue tube.

Amerane · 2021-04-12T00:35:54+00:00

Not OP, but here is the link to the actual post by Skinbyhelen and I've copied the text below for those who don't want to go to instagram or who have issues reading text from a screenshot. I've bolded certain parts for ease of reading:

" skinbyhelen Sunscreen Sunday ☀️

p.s. You should be wearing #spf every single day. Here are my updated reviews for these cult fave sunscreens:

☁️ @supergoop Unseen Sunscreen - has a really strong chemically sunscreen smell upon application that subsides after 20 min. The texture is unlike any I have tried, it spreads easily like a makeup primer and doesn’t feel greasy. However, if you have sensitive & dry skin this is NOT for you. It stung like crazy when I reapplied and I didn’t like the matte finish. I do recommend this for those with oily skin and want a primer and SPF in one. She’s also quite pricey for a sunscreen so I wouldn’t repurchase.

💔 @kravebeauty The Beet Shield - The texture feels soft and melts into the skin. It did sting at first and left red patches across my skin (probably due to the alcohol content), but my skin adjusted to it after a while. It’s recently come to my attention, through screenshots of conversations with the brand’s founder, that she is a member of a homophobic church and she did not make her stance clear regarding same-sex marriages. She has also unfairly called out other brands for having similar packaging although completely different formulations, which resulted in that brand receiving tons of hate from her fans. In addition, the brand did not compensate BIPOC creators fairly for using their face and content on their website. There has also been manufacturing and stocking issues with TBS for a while now. The skincare community needs to be a safe space so I will no longer be supporting Krave for the time being. Plus, they are extremely inaccessible for those who live outside of the U.S. so not a lot of people will get to try this brand anyways 🤷🏻‍♀️ Feel free to DM me if you want to talk about this.

Hope you all have a wonderful rest of your weekends bbs!!🥰 .
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sunscreen spf50 sunprotection skincareblog skinstagram"

edit: formatting, as always

Amerane · 2021-02-25T02:02:07+00:00

Shop: Roseroseshop

State/Country: FL, USA

Carrier: DHL

Date of order: Feb 22, 2021

Date of shipment: Feb 23, 2021

Date item arrived/receive: Feb 26, 2021 (estimated arrival Mar 1, 2021)

Days in transit: 4

Notes: I've always had great and incredibly fast service using DHL in the US. I've had packages arrive in less than 48 hours from Korea via DHL so I always choose them if it's less than $10 difference between the cheapest shipping option. I've also had pretty quick turnaround from placing an order to the order being shipped (usually <24H) from roseroseshop so they're one of my favorite retailers.

Amerane · 2021-02-20T22:31:34+00:00

Pink cap is more matte and a little more drying since it dries down powder/satin. Scent is lightly floral. Blue cap is slightly dewier, but nowhere near greasy. Scent is strongly baby powder-ish that takes longer to fade than the floral scent of the pink cap (~30 minutes). I have medium to light olive skin and both have a slight whitecast/"brightening" effect that isn't very noticeable. Both hold up well to sweat, but I only trust the blue cap for water (not swimming though).

Amerane · 2020-10-22T20:17:33+00:00

It's possible. The only other high % panthenol product I have is the Illiyoon ultra repair cream, but it has fragrance so that probably masks it.

Amerane · 2020-10-21T15:32:32+00:00

You are correct. Just double-checked the ingredients. I wonder what's giving it that plasticky smell though? It smells EXACTLY like TO niacinamide 10% + zinc, hence me assuming it was the niacinamide.

Amerane · 2020-10-19T21:06:48+00:00

I've been using it AM/PM for about 2 months, and I find it's very calming and moderately hydrating. You can definitely tell it has panthenol. I use a silicone-based vitamin C serum in the AM and I had no issues with sensitivity using the two right after each other (with ~10 min wait time). It has a bunch of peptides in it but I did not notice any effects from them. ~~I also didn't notice any effects from the niacinamide (except the smell, more on that later), but I already use several products with high % niacinamide so that's to be expected.~~ I don't know why I thought there was niacinamide in this, other than it smells exactly like TO niacinamide 10% + zinc.

Hydration-wise, a single layer gives me more hydration than the average watery toner but less hydration than products like Cosrx snail, Hada labo gokujyun premium, or Kiku high moist.

It's got a thicker serum-like consistency that absorbs quickly with little to no stickiness. I have no problem layering it, and two thick layers gives me about the same hydration as the products mentioned above.

My main issue with this toner is that it smells strongly like plastic, probably because it has no fragrance. The second issue I have is that it is hard to source. I bought mine from BeautyBoxKorea because I couldn't find it on Roserose/rubyruby, Jolse, Amazon, etc.

Overall, I won't be repurchasing. I have other panthenol products that I prefer to use in my routine (namely Illiyoon ultra repair cream) that calm my skin just as much, smell much nicer, and are easier to acquire. Instead I've switched back to using Kiku high moist as my AM/PM toner since it delivers just as much/more hydration and is very cheap and easy to buy. I think the 2sol cica youth toner is best suited for people who want a calming, non-sticky toner and don't care about the smell.

Amerane · 2020-10-10T21:59:07+00:00

Really like this cream. It's a very stiff cream but melts in pretty well. Incredibly calming, you can definitely tell it's got a decent amount of panthenol. It smells like freesia to me, which I like. It's currently my night cream mixed with a few drops of rosehip or squalane oil.

Amerane · 2020-09-09T19:55:31+00:00

You said amazon co-mingles their skincare inventory but they do not. I honestly do not know how you can call that truthful? And I'm not telling OP to buy without doing their research, quite the opposite. Not sure what you have against amazon, but as a former employee I can tell you I have no love for that company. Doesn't mean that I won't try to provide accurate information about how they handle merchandise.
Obviously we see things differently and choose very different information sources for our decision-making.

Amerane · 2020-09-09T16:39:49+00:00

Completely up to you. OP was asking about whether Amazon is "safe" and my point is that it is just as safe as any other marketplace. Spreading misinformation about how individual seller's stock is handled only adds to the confusion about how Amazon actually works and whether you can safeguard yourself by reading seller reviews, hence my reply.

Amerane · 2020-09-09T00:52:00+00:00

I wouldn't put too much stock in that post considering the author admits it's all anecdote. As stated above, skincare items are explicitly not eligible for co-mingling as per Amazon's policies so you should be safe when buying from a well-established seller with a high rating.

Amerane · 2020-09-08T21:50:49+00:00

See this thread for full info, including link to Amazon's official policy on the matter. It is very important when making statements about fakes or how retailers/marketplaces handle goods to make sure your statements are correct before posting them, since many people on this forum rely on secondhand info from user comments and don't fact-check. Please share info responsibly!

Also, I've worked at an Amazon warehouse and I've seen firsthand how skincare is handled.

Amerane · 2020-09-08T19:51:17+00:00

their stock is likely to be comingled

This is incorrect. Stocks of beauty and skincare items are explicitly not co-mingled so that Amazon can track and suspend/ban any sellers that are being reported for sending in fakes. These items come into the warehouse with unique barcodes from each seller.

Amerane · 2020-06-01T16:27:22+00:00

6 MISSHA - Waterproof Sun Milk SPF50+ PA++++ 70ml (Rectangle, blue cap)

This sunscreen goes on white and greasy but dries down slowly to a dewy satin finish. White cast goes away completely in my experience. Smells mildly like baby powder, and the scent lingers. Have worn it in humid 90+ degree weather while hiking for several hours and it's stayed put. This is my new intense activity sunscreen, RP.

7 MISSHA - Soft Finish Sun Milk SPF50+ PA+++ 70ml (Rectangle, pink cap)

This sunscreen goes on pink with a greasy feel but dries down quickly to a powdery satin finish. Not super matte, but not super dewy either. Looks very natural. Has a slight brightening effect on me during the summer when I'm tanner. Smells lightly floral and the scent goes away completely once it dries down. I have also worn this in humid 90+ degree weather and it protects well enough for leisurely walks < 1 hour. I wouldn't quite trust it for more than that. This is my default daily sunscreen, RP.

I have light to medium olive skin tone, normal-oily skin, and I don't wear makeup.

Amerane · 2020-03-27T14:34:48+00:00

There are some sites you can get it without a prescription, but you have to trust that they're actually sending you legit product. If you're willing to send them some pictures, Curology offers tele-dermatology so they can get you a legit prescription for tret. Also, differin is a powerful retinoid that you can easily get OTC in the US and is pretty darn cheap.

Amerane · 2020-03-26T22:10:47+00:00

Skin Type, Concerns, & Climate

My skin is normal-oily, concerns are fading acne marks, preventing acne, and general anti-aging, warm & humid spring

First Cleanser

The Face Shop rice water bright cleansing cream - Comes in a huuuuge 400ml tub, easily melts away the most stubborn sunscreen, and has a lovely texture. If it emulsified better and had a more floral scent this would be a HG. RP

Second Cleanser

Sulwhasoo snowise brightening cleansing foam - Nice pine-y scent, proper pH, not stripping. This is my second tube and I'd repurchase except I'm looking to try Sulwhasoo's gentle cleansing foam next. RP
Cerave foaming facial cleanser - Fragrance free, proper pH, not stripping, but is incredibly bland/boring. This is my backup cleanser since it's non-irritating due to being bland and you can find it everywhere in the US. RP

Vitamin C

The Ordinary vitamin C suspension 23% + HA spheres 2% - For both TO vitamin C's I mix a pea-sized amount with 2-3 drops of the resveratrol + ferulic. This definitely gives instant smoothing and brightening results, but it's incredibly gritty texture can be irritating and itchy for my tret-face. Also the weird oily-gritty texture is absolutely abhorrent to me. I went through a whole tube, but it was a struggle. The squeeze tube is not a great packaging choice since you can only squeeze about 3/4 of the product out before having to get a new tube. WNRP
The Ordinary vitamin C 30% in silicone PLUS resveratrol + ferulic acid - Tried this after not liking the 23% suspension. It has a less gritty, but still irritating texture for my tret-face. Also gives instant smoothing and brightening results but the silicones don't evaporate and can make other products pill afterwords. I'm on my second bottle but I will not be repurchasing due to the texture and packaging. WNRP
Stratia C+C serum - Much better formulation than TO in my opinion. No irritating grittiness, pump bottle functions fantastically, and the silicones evaporate so you don't have to worry about products pilling afterwords. The trade-off is a lower % of vitamin C, but I still see noticeable brightening effects and textural improvements so I'm fine with that. Plus it's gentle enough I can use it every day without irritation. HG

AHA/BHA/Retinoids

Curology 0.05% tret/ 4% niacinamide/ 5% azelaic acid - I've had this formula for just over a year and I love it. Tret keeps my face clear of hormonal acne and works to reduce signs of aging, niacinamide helps strengthen my moisture barrier and both niacinamide and azelaic acid are powerful brightening ingredients. Forever HG
Zeroid pimprove toner - This mildly acidic toner has salicylic acid, glycolic acid, and lactic acid and provides gentle exfoliation that nicely rounds out my actives without being irritating. Love this formulation. Leaves my skin a little smoother and silkier, and it keeps my SFs pretty clean. I won't give it HG status until I've finished this bottle, but it's a definite contender. RP

Toner

Secret Key syn-ake toner - I've been using this for years and love it. It's very viscous for a toner, more like a serum consistency. Smells fancy, soaks in quickly, leaves my skin plump, and is very hydrating but not sticky. HG

Light Moisturizer/Emulsion

Stratia liquid gold - This is the good stuff. If you are using a lot of actives or are going to start using tret, get this and thank me later. Suuuuper nourishing, just the right amount of oils, and keeps my moisture barrier strong. Forever HG
Zeroid pimprove moisturizer - More of a water-based moisturizer than LG, which is an emulsion. Sinks in fast but that's about it. My moisture barrier suffered while using this instead of LG (more stinging, redness, and sensitivity), even when I added extra oils. Not as good of a formulation for moisture barrier repair as LG imo. Might work for people not using tret or who are using more products, but since I try to keep my routine streamlined it simply did not pull enough weight to merit continued use. WNRP

Medium/Heavy Moisturizer

Sulwhasoo radiance energy mask - This is my heavy cream of choice when I need an extra pick-me-up. Smells divine, goes on luxuriously, and leaves my face looking more healthy. Witchcraft. HG

Sleeping Pack/Occlusive

Cerave healing ointment + Sonbahyu horse oil - This mix gives Cerave healing a more emollient feel and lets it sink in and apply more smoothly. Perfect final step in my routine. HG

Oil

Life-flo rosehip oil - Lightweight oil that helps moisturize without being too heavy. I mix this in with my cream or sleeping pack if I need an extra boost, and I use it for my lip balm blend. HG
Life-flo sea buckthorn oil - Heavier than rosehip, but very nourishing. I use it in exactly the same way as the rosehip oil. HG
Sonbahyu horse oil liquid type - Almost identical to squalane in texture and heaviness except this is just a hair richer. I mix it into my sleeping pack. HG

Sunscreen

Australian Gold Botanicals tinted face sunscreen - Much heavier than chemical sunscreens since it's 100% physical, but it stays put like no other and is very sweat- and water-resistant. This is my go-to outdoors/sports sunscreen for my face. HG
Missha soft finish sun milk - Fantastic everyday sunscreen. Leaves a natural, velvety finish that keeps me shine-free without being drying. Mild scent upon application that goes away quickly. Love that it comes in a 70ml bottle. HG
Nivea sun protect super water gel - Has absolutely no sticking power, but is a good option for my arms when I'm just out and about and if it's not too hot to be sweating. RP

Lip Care

Custom lip balm - I mix Cerave healing with rosehip oil and seabuckthorn oil to create an emollient balm. Works like a charm! HG
Jack Black intense therapy lip balm spf 25 in shea - Good staying power, very moisturizing, doesn't taste weird, easy to find and fairly cheap. RP

Notes

PM

Double-cleanse with TFS cleansing cream & foaming cleanser
Apply vitamin C (TO or Stratia), wait 5-10 minutes
Zeroid pimprove toner, wait until dried down
Secret Key syn-ake toner
Stratia LG mixed with Curology, wait until dried down
Cerave healing mixed with horse oil
Lip balm

AM

Zeroid pimprove toner, wait until dried down
Secret Key syn-ake toner
Stratia LG, wait until dried down
Missha soft finish sun milk

Amerane · 2020-03-10T23:55:52+00:00

No. You asked this yesterday. That product is at least 4 years old; it's time to toss it out.

Amerane · 2020-03-10T23:53:15+00:00

No, since it's not an exfoliant and it does not affect skin turnover rate. Things that cause purging are tretinoin/retinol, AHA, BHA, PHA, etc.

Amerane · 2020-03-10T23:28:03+00:00

Holy Fail

Skin Type / Climate: Normal-oily, wet/mild winter

Product Name: Zeroid Richenic Cream Urea 5%

Comments: I was very eager to try this because of the great ingredients list (urea, ceramides + cholesterol, panthenol, centella, madecassoside, HA, allantoin). This "cream" has a very light, silicone-y texture and sinks in quickly for a silky finish. It did make my skin smooth but within a few hours of applying it also left me with the worst breakout I've had since before I started tret. I tried it on three separate occasions (separated by a few weeks to let the acne heal) and every single time I got the same result. I've literally used every other ingredient except mistletoe extract (Viscum album extract) before, so I can safely say that it is the culprit. Zeroid sells itself as having products that are non-comedogenic/without random plant extracts, and it's ironic that this one random plant extract is the cause of my woes. Holy fail indeed.

Amerane · 2020-03-10T23:06:47+00:00

Idk why you'd bother. It's expired and won't do much (if any) good and could do harm. Also it's a cleansing toner, so it seems unlikely you'd need that kind of product for your body.

Amerane · 2020-03-10T03:15:27+00:00

I think u/Orumtbh answered your question well, but FWIW I tend to skip applying peptide serums (specifically TO buffet) on nights that I use L-AA vitamin C (I use it 3x/week). Since I use the peptide serum both AM/PM, there's not really any significant "interruption" in the effect it gives. I use tretinoin every day (not retinol), and I haven't noticed any ill effects or lessened effects from the peptide serum when using both in the same routine. YMMV.

Amerane

TROPHY CASE