beauty diaries: the abnormal beauty company

Hi lovelies! I wanted to talk beauty today. I'm sure you've heard of  DECIEM - The Abnomral Beauty Company. The Ordinary line has been all over Youtube and Instagram. Proud to say it's a Toronto based Canadian brand and they are absolutely killing it. The main thing behind The Ordinary is that it gives you quality that won't break the bank. I thin all the items photographed above were approximately $6-10 each. Yup - that amazing.

So my skin journey is pretty frustrating. I don't have acne, but when I do get that pimple, it leaves a scar that takes months. So my issue is trying to clean up those scars a bit more quickly. Here's a breakdown of what each of the items claims to do from their website.

• Alpha Arbutin reduces the looks of spots and hyper-pigmentation. It's used at a high 2% concentration versus a standard concentration of 1% and supported with a next-generation form of Hyaluronic Acid for enhanced delivery. Alpha Arbutin is much stronger in effect than Arbutin or Beta Arbutin. 
• Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion is a concentration of Granactive Retinoid which is a complex of solubilized Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (HPR). HPR is a highly-advanced form of retinoid which is, in fact, a non-prescription ester of all-trans direct retinoic acid that offers a multi-fold better effect against signs of ageing than retinol, retinyl palmitate and nearly all other forms of non-prescription retinoid. A sustained-delivery form of pure retinol in a protective capsule system which supports both the delivery and the effect of Granactive Retinoid. 
• Retinol 1% in Squalane is a water-free solution that contains 1% pure Retinol, an ingredient that can reduce the appearances of fine lines, of photo damage and of general skin ageing. While Retinol has been studied extensively, it is irritating to the skin and newer technologies exist that mimic the visible effects of Retinol without causing skin irritation. For this reason, we generally recommend using Granactive Retinoid 2% or Granactive Retinoid 5% instead of this formula.
• Vitamin C is an effective antioxidant and its pure form of L-Ascorbic Acid has been shown to help reverse multiple signs of skin ageing while brightening the skin when applied topically. This water-free formula provides 30% pure L-Ascorbic Acid which remains completely stable due to the absence of water. Due to the presence of very light silicones, this formulation feels smooth on the skin despite the suspension format of the formulation, avoiding the short-lived gritty feeling of our original Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2% formula. This treatment is ideally applied at bedtime.

I first purchased the Alpha Arbutin and Retinoid 2% first. I liked the effects after 30 days, but deiced my skin could handle it and amped it up. I added the Vitamin C and Retinol to the mix. I use the Alpha Arbutin in the mornings, the Retinoid and Vitamin C in at night. Twice a week I use the Retinol and nothing else with it. I'm very pleased with this brand. It's definitely made a difference in my skin. Obviously it will take more time; you should try products for about 3 months to see the true effects in my opinion. So far, so good! I'll share if anything changes!

PS: the foundation is amazing! I'll do a roundup on my favourite foundations and go into more detail then.