Author Archives: virgofishgirl

Gentle Cleansing Balm for Menopausal Skin

Note: This blog contains sponsored links, and I may receive compensation.

  • Good Molecules Instant Cleansing Balm Comforts Dry Skin, Removes Makeup in Flash
  • Hero ingredients shea butter and sea buckthorn melt makeup and nourish skin
  • At under $20, it’s a budget winner
  • Leaves skin soft, supple, free of cosmetics

Good Molecules Instant Cleansing Balm Comforts Dry, Menopausal Skin

Good Molecules Instant Cleansing Balm has become the first step in my nighttime routine. It instantly melts makeup and comforts dry, menopause‑changed skin. Hero ingredients like shea butter and sea buckthorn oil help dissolve makeup while leaving skin soft, supple, and free of that tight, over‑cleansed feeling.

When Oily Skin Turns Dry Overnight

Menopause felt a bit like Invasion of the Body Snatchers for my face. One day my skin was oily; the next my skin was dry, delicate, and easily irritated. Removing makeup at the end of the day suddenly felt uncomfortable, especially around the increasingly crepey skin near my eyes. I started to worry that rubbing off waterproof mascara was doing harm to aging tissue. Splashing water on my face only made the post‑cleanse tightness worse. After decades of traditional cleansers and water, I began to dread that face‑cracking dryness between cleansing, drying, and moisturizing. The big change was psychological. My day-ending ritual didn’t feel like pampering self-care anymore. That is when cleansing balms—and eventually this under‑$20 one—changed everything.

What Cleansing Balms Are (And Why Gen X Missed Them)

Cleansing balms as a category passed me by when they became popular in the 2010s. Cleansing balms are oil‑based, solid cleansers. When applied to the face, they melt into an oil, dissolving makeup, sunscreen, and sebum. When cleansing balms meet water, everything rinses off cleanly without stripping the skin. It doesn’t take a big splash of water to get the job done, either. I dampen a cloth and wipe my face. Gen X did not grow up hearing about “double cleansing,” but balms are often used as the first step in that routine. These days, I follow a modified version that works well for my menopausal skin.

Why Oil Actually Helps Remove Makeup

The first step in my cleansing routine is this balm. For most of my life, I avoided putting oil on my face because my skin was breakout‑prone, and I hunted for “noncomedogenic” on every label. Still, oil was hard to avoid entirely, because it is simply more effective at breaking down sunscreen, moisturizers, and long‑wear makeup. That is why oil‑based formulas are a staple in eye makeup removers; they are about the only thing that reliably removes waterproof mascara.

Sticker Shock And The “Menopause Tax”

There are plenty of cleansing balms on the market, and some are priced as high as 70 dollars. The first one I tried was Clinique’s Take the Day Off, a mini that came in a gift‑with‑purchase. It melted off makeup beautifully, including eye makeup, but the full‑size price tag of around 45 dollars made me hesitate. At the time, my personal limit was the 29‑dollar price of Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple, which now stripped my skin. Paying more for a product just because my skin had become drier felt like a menopause tax—and I did not love that either.

Discovering Good Molecules As A Budget‑Friendly Option

That frustration sent me searching for bargain skincare, which is how I found Good Molecules. The brand leans heavily on Gen Z in its marketing and paid ads, which might be why it flies under the radar for many Gen Xers. Younger generations are dealing with tighter budgets, so Good Molecules focuses on value and does not shy away from active ingredients. You can find the line on Amazon, plus at Target and Walmart stores, which makes it accessible for quick restocks.

Key Ingredients In Good Molecules Instant Cleansing Balm

Good Molecules Instant Cleansing Balm contains shea butter and sea buckthorn oil, along with other emollients that help skin retain moisture while makeup and sunscreen are dissolved. Sea buckthorn oil is rich in antioxidants like vitamins A, C, and E, and is often used to support hydration and collagen synthesis over time. Of course, in a rinse‑off product, those ingredients do not stay on the skin for long, so it is smarter to look for sea buckthorn in leave‑on serums or creams if you want long‑term benefits. Still, in a cleansing balm, they contribute to that cushiony, non‑stripping feel that makes cleansing less of a chore.

How I Use The Balm In My Routine

This product is solid at room temperature and comes in a tin that is easy to scoop from. I use my fingers to take about a quarter‑sized amount, then massage it onto a small area of my face. I repeat this until I have worked the balm over all the areas of my face and neck where I applied makeup or sunscreen. Once everything feels melted, I use a warm, damp cloth to gently wipe away the balm and makeup. That’s it—the makeup is gone, and my skin feels comfortable, nourished, and pampered instead of tight.

My Modified Double‑Cleansing Routine

After removing the cleansing balm, I follow with micellar water on a reusable cloth to catch any last traces of makeup or sunscreen. In a traditional double‑cleansing routine, you would follow with a separate, water‑based cleanser, but this two‑step method has worked well for me. I have been using this approach for about six months now, and my skin is clear, I am spending less on cleansers overall, and my face feels so much better at the end of the day. There is something genuinely comforting about melting away makeup, applying skincare, and finally relaxing.

Malin and Goetz Strawberry: An Herbal, Floral Nostalgia Trip

This post contains affiliate links, and I may receive compensation

Quick Take

  • A Fragrance with notes of white flowers, oakmoss, and other herbals
  • Not a strawberry candy scent, but evocative of strawberry leaves in the garden
  • Herbal notes trigger nostalgia for 1970s herbal fragrances and body care
  • Rollerball $40 on Amazon
Malin and Goetz Strawberry Rollerball

A Sophisticated Herbal Floral

When I opened the pink box containing this little rollerball, I was struck by what it wasn’t. It wasn’t fancy, cute, or ornamented. The fluid inside was clear. I regret throwing the box away because it was pink and cut, much more photogenic than the plain-jane product shown above.

The fragrance itself is notable for what it is not. It’s not strawberry scented. I was happily surprised. First, I smelled notes of white jasmine, then an herbal heart that’s green and fresh. That green heart was followed by a hint of musk.

Evocative of 1970s Herbal Fragrances

Memories flooded back. Like many Gen X’ers, I began my fragrance journey with popular drugstore body care brands. I immediately remembered the original Herbal Essences shampoo from the 1970s, which is what the notes of oakmoss brought to mind. Strawberry seems like a lighter, brighter, more sophisticated version of fragrances my mother favored. She liked White Shoulders, the classic floral perfume from the 1930’s,  and a drugstore fragrance called Jovan Musk.

Verdict

I’ve really enjoyed wearing this fragrance and plan on upgrading to the perfume spray. Malin and Goetz also makes a fragrance called Cannabis. Consider me intrigued.

Maybelline Lifter Plump & Glow Foundation Review: Budget-Friendly For Mature SkinMaybelline Lifter Plump & Glow Foundation Review: Budget-Friendly For Mature Skin

Note: This blog contains affiliate links, and I may receive compensation.

  • Maybelline Lifter Plump and Glow Foundation hydrates, gives medium coverage.
  • Drugstore foundation with premium ingredients.
  • Hyaluronic acid plumps and hydrates.
  • 2 % niacinamide assists barrier repair.
  • Doesn’t settle into fine lines and wrinkles.

Review article below

The Search

I’ve been searching for a foundation that’s friendly to dry, mature skin with fine lines and wrinkles. For years, my go-to was powder foundation. Now I fund it can dry out during the day, feeling tight and decidedly uncomfortable and some brands accentuate texture.

I used Perplexity (perplexity.ai) to help me find a new foundation, and it picked a hydrating formula and a shade that’s a near-match for my skin tone. (Notes on how I parsed my search in note following my review.) Maybelline Lifter Plump and Glow Foundation in shade 112 matches my fair skin and neutral undertone. Its ingredients add oomph to my skincare routine.

Vampire Makeup

That’s right. I have foundation that makes me look like the undead, courtesy of three bad experiences trying to match my skin tone via beauty brands’ websites. Nothing I bought matched. It was all too light. One company made an exchange. Another had a no-return policy. It reminded me of buying drugstore foundation in the 80s. Without a tester, it was a money-losing experience, hence my trip to the department store for foundation.

I Turn to AI

First, I acknowledge the etical problems surrounding AI, especially environmental damage. However, once I upgraded my phone, I couldn’t escape it. I downloaded Perplexity because I don’t  like Google’s new AI assisted search.

When I was entering my search terms, I felt like I was entering a list of gripes. I entered info on five foundations, all my likes and dislikes, as well as notes on how well the shades listed matched my skin tone. Perplexity suggested Maybelline Lifter Plump and Glow Foundation in shade 112. When my bottle arrived, I swatched the product on my hand. It’s a near match. I had a sense of eerieness, in a Minority Reoprt kind of way.

Wear Test

Still, I needed convincing. I am a snob when it comes to foundation. Early in my life I turned to department store brands and relied on a professional to help match my shade. I was skeptical about using a drugstore foundation.

First, I’m impressed with the skincare aspect of this foundation. Maybelline has incorporated hyaluronic acid to help skin stay plumped and hydrated. I don’t feel like my face is dried out by mid-afternoon.

This product contains 2% niacinamide that assists in barrier support. If your skincare routine includes a stronger niacimamide serum for lightening age spots and decreasing sallowness, this is a nice boost. However, this foundation by itself does not contain a niacinamide concentration sufficient to help lighten age spots.

I am happy with the medium coverage from this product. It masks most imperfections, even though it doesn’t completely cover my two darkest age spots.

Unlike other foundations, it does not accentuate lines, wrinkles, or other texture. That’s a big relief. On my 60-year-old skin, Maybelline Lifter Plump and Glow Foundation does not separate during the day. I easily get 10 hours of wear from it, and that’s all I need.

The finish is natural, not too dewy, and not matte at all, either. My skin looks hydrated and naturally glowy. Lately I’ve become disillusioned with matte products. I think they make my skin look dry and most settle into lines and wrinkles.

Application Tips

This is a liquid foundation. Throughout my life I used makeup sponges like these to apply liquid products. Recently, though, I switched to a brush designed for liquid foundation. This one is budget-friendly. To use the foundation with the brush, I pump 2-3 pumps of foundation onto my non-dominant hand to use as a pallet, picking up.product as I need, tapping excess from my brush onto my hand. I don’t waste makeup and I don’t need an actual pallet.

I apply liquid foundation by brushing product onto the center of my forehead, blending out toward my hairline. Next, I complete my forehead and move downward to the center of my face.

Setting Maybelline Lifter Plump and Glow Foundation

Setting this foundation with powder is ok, and it would work beautifully for oily to normal skin. But adding powder to my dry, Gen X skin risks more dryness, caking, and discomfort. Setting powder works, but it’s not the best choice for me. I want to stress that dryness is the issue with powder, not a downside of this product. A hydrating spray can help alleviate powder-induced dryness, but I’d rather go about my day without that worry.

My solution is setting spray. Setting spray fuses layers of makeup, helping makeup performance better and las longer. I’ve been using this product from NYX. It adds hyaluronic acid and hydration. There are lots of setting sprays available. Some give skin a glow or sparkle or they add a dewy texture. NYX Plump Finish works well with my skin. I still own setting powder, but I don’t use it to set my full face of makeup.

Verdict

Final verdict: Definitely part of my regular routine. Im impressed with this drugstore foundation.

A Note on How I Searched

Using AI to find a product:

AI performs best when it has specific information.

Probably the most important information my list of products and shades, including very short critiques, like “Tarte Face Tape shade 112 much too light, formula feels comfortable.” I included notes for approximately five foundations.

Next, I listed what I wanted in a formula: hydrating, non-matte finish, won’t settle in fine lines and wrinkles, medium to full coverage. I needed help covering sunspots and I’m tired of using concealer on them. Everything went into the list.

The Cutest Summery Lip Balm

Note: This post contains affiliate links, and I may receive compensation for products readers purchase.

Quick take: Winky Lux Watermelon Jelly lip balm (available on Amazon) offers silky, hydrating, pink-tinted shine for spring’s chapped lips. Read on for my take.

To counteract anxiety I feel after I’ve watched the news or read some new horror from the Epstein Files. I grab a coloring book, my watercolor brush pens, and my headphones. I sit in my garden and color.

Right now the garden is waking up. The strawberry plants are sending out new runners and my thyme is starting to grow again. Being outdoors is therapeutic but I struggle with chronically dry, chapped lips. Recent high winds caused my lips to crack, something that hasn’t happened in months. Yesterday a box arrived while I was coloring, and what I got just turned my day around.

I got a a lip balm from Winky Lux. For those unfamiliar with the brand, Winky Lux is known for fun, cute packaging and quality ingredients. They offer several product families, incuding eye shadow, but the lip balms caught my eye. Many contain PH-reactive colors, some include glitter, which is a no-go for my dry lips, but they were tempting. I ordered Watermelon Jelly, a tinted, scented lip balm. “Jelly” refers to the clear, gelatin appearance of the lip balm in the tube. It’s a see-through candy pink. It is not flavored. Winky Lux describes the scent as “watermelon candy.” It’s an assertive scent, too. On a side note, I think the product smells strongly of sweet watermelon, a lot like a Jolly Rancher, but Mr. Review thinks it smells of coconut.

To me, opening the tube was a delightfully summery experience on the first truly hot day of the year. The bullet is an adorable watermelon-pink base decorated with black dots, and the cap clicks into place, letting you know the tube is secure when you tuck it into your bag. My favorite part of using this lip balm is how it feels when I apply it. It glides on without any effort. Even my beloved Burt’s Bees Coconut and Pear requires more pressure than this balm from Winky Lux. The formula includes Vitamin E to help protect and heal.

What about the color? The idea is that a wearer’s PH produces a unique shade of pink. Im not sure about how unique each shade can be. It goes on colorless, then develops in a few seconds. On me it’s a barely-there shade just noticeable but quite pretty.

This cute little lip balm is definitely going into my spring and summer makeup bag.

A Budget Black Honey Dupe

Clinique’s iconic Almost Lipstick currently runs about 25 dollars a tube, and if you’re a devoted fan, it’s worth it for that sheer, flattering wash of color. You can find it here.

I wanted to open up some room in my budget for a few paler, seasonal shades, so I went looking for a cheaper alternative. Covergirl’s Clean Fresh Tinted Lip Balm delivers a rich, lush berry gloss that feels very similar on the lips. The color is sheer and light, with a slippery glide I actually prefer to Clinique’s slightly sticky formula. The best part is the price tag—usually under 7 dollars—so trying multiple shades doesn’t wreck your budget. Shop it here.

Thanks to added hyaluronic acid, it also gives a nice boost of moisture and keeps my lips feeling comfortably hydrated. The only real compromise is in the packaging. Covergirl’s plastic tube is simple and serviceable, not beautiful and sleek like its department-store counterpart. For the price difference, I’m more than happy to make that trade, and I’m already planning to test a few more shades of Covergirl Clean Fresh Tinted Lip Balm.

If you love the look of Clinique Almost Lipstick but not the price, this is the closest drugstore version I’ve found so far. For several decades I’ve been spending money on Black Honey Almost Lipstick, and before that, I spent money on Black Honey in a pot that required a special lip brush. Teenage me felt sophisticated painting on the rich, berry gloss. No, though, as prices for cosmetics climb, I’m all about finding a good dupe.

A Beautiful Spring Eye Palette

Recently I took inventory of my eyeshadow wardrobe with spring in mind. I found I didn’t have a lot of pale and mid-range tones suited to spring and summer. I gravitate toward dark shades, moody tones too emo for a world of daffodils and tulips. I wanted some lighter neutrals, some shimmers, and some seasonal mid tones. And I wanted to invite lighter, brighter colors to compliment my Summer coloring and blue-gray hazel eyes.

After looking at lots of singles and palettes, I ended up eyeing this palette, Vol. 2, from Girlacktick.

Sure, at roughly $50 it’s a little pricey, but hear me out. This is a set of six eyeshadow duos, each duo a matte and a shimmer. Presented in this format it’s easy to borrow shades from multiple duos. The formulas are buttery and blendable. The matte shades have not creased! Not once, and I’ve been using this palette for two months.

I am in love with the shimmer offerings, especially the fashion colors in the set. Let’s talk about these shades as part of the duo structure. Clover is a shimmer paired with a matte called Mint. On my eyelids, Mint forms a base. I’ll be honest. I would not leave my home wearing only Mint on my lids. It’s a shade that reminds me of my mother’s early 1970’s blue eyeshadow. It’s a pastel with a matte finish. But when Clover gets added to Mint, magic happens. Clover is a soft, gray-blue-mint shade that shimmers and adds depth and sophistication. I’d wear Clover on its own, no problem. The lavender duo is a pair of shades called Haute and Wisteria. The matte shade is Haute. While Mint is a one-dimensional color, Haute is more complex. and compared to Mint, I find it to be a more complex color. Under the shade has an undertone of vibrant pink, and almost shifts color. Wisteria, the light purple shimmer, is a delight. It catches the light and the shimmer seems to be pink-purple on me. I’d wear Wisteria as a solo shade.

The palette has a sophisticated array of neutral/nude mattes and shimmers too. The pink duo looks like a nude on me because my complexion is so pink. Tulle/Paris form a beautiful pink-nude matte for my lid and a beautiful rose shimmer to top it off. The remaining six shades are three nude to brown mattes–Adore, Spice, and Penny. Penny is a red-brown, and it’s the shade I use the least because warm tones don’t compliment my eyes or complexion. The three nude shimmers are absolutely beautiful. Celestial is a champagne shimmer. Gleam is a copper shade that really pops. Satin is a gorgeous shimmering taupe.

I really can see this palette working for me during spring. I think I got good value for my money, considering that 11 out of 12 of the eyeshadows here are in my daily rotation.

Have you used Girlactick eye products? Tell me what you think!

Understanding Pilling in Skincare: Solutions for Glowing Skin

Those of us Gen X babies who wore synthetic knits know all about pilling. Those tiny balls of lint formed in the washer and dryer as space-age plastic fibers abraded one another. My winter clothes had to be shaved periodically because my mother couldn’t stand sending me out in the world with a multicolored sprinkling of fuzzy dots coating my body. As an adult, I learned about being gentler with laundry and I developed a fierce allegiance to natural fibers. Now I have a new pilling issue, and it has to do with getting older.

Beauty products pill.  This is a new phenomenon for me. One common ingredient that causes pilling is silicone.  I didn’t even know what primer was until the early 2000’s, when a Sephora employee matched me to a Makeup Forever foundation and inquired about how I primed my skin for makeup.  She was mildly surprised when I explained that moisturizer prepared my skin for makeup.  That expression of surprise is what I’d label a microaggression now. She probably didn’t even know her face did that, but I did.  I left with a wonderful, pricey foundation and an ok green primer that felt silicone based. I based that guess on my understanding of textiles and coatings that give a soft “hand,” or feel to clothing we buy.  Silicone is a slippery substance that’s in a lot of products, including breast implants.  In liquid form it helps products like primers create a smooth surface for makeup.  It’s in a lot of products for aging skin.  More properly, silicones, plural, are in our skincare products

As an ingredient in anti-aging products, silicones, including dimethicone, form an occlusive layer.  That is, they form a barrier that keeps moisture in the skin.  They help plump up fine lines too, so silicones are helpful.  Consistent use helps the skin’s collagen and elastin synthesis, and these two proteins are key to anti-aging.  Other important anti-aging ingredients can cause pilling too, most notably hyaluronic acid.  Polymers and related polymer ingredients can help plump fine lines and wrinkles too.  How many times in your youth did you hear about “space-age polymers,” in reference to plastics or coatings? Yes, related ingredients are in your creams and moisturizers, primers, etc.  Again, helpful in fighting the appearance of aging skin, kind of weird to think about.  I have a primer from Laura Geller.  It’s called New York Spackle Hydrating Primer.  The ingredients we’ve been discussing: silicone, polymers, hyaluronic acid, act on the surface as well as below the surface of the skin.  They are filling in lines while they encourage cell turnover, collagen and elastin production, etc.

Here’s a key piece of information: There’s only so much a person’s skin can absorb in a short period of time, and once the skin can’t absorb anymore product, pilling can start to occur.  It can happen when you apply foundation on top of primer, for instance.  It can occur in the evening after cleansing and skincare.  Try cutting back on the amount of product you’re applying.  Try spreading one or two drops of thin serums at a time.  Everyone has seen the influencer videos of people dripping expensive serums down their faces, their expressions orgasmically rapt as they encourage their audience to misuse the products they advertise. Do what you want, but that earns a big unfollow from me.  

Apply skincare products thinnest to thickest.  I begin with an antioxidant serum that is water-based and very thin.  Then I move on to my silicone-based anti-aging serum that’s much thicker, followed by an anti-aging cream.  I use an anti-aging eye cream too.  Upon adding a second eye product, I noticed pilling.  I see that as an indication that I need to choose one product or the other.  

Make sure you allow your skin time to absorb one layer before moving on to the next.  My antioxidant serum dries quickly.  All I need to do is wait a few seconds before I’m unable to feel the product on my face.  My thicker serum requires more time, and if I’m in a hurry, I use this fan that I found on Amazon.  It’s rechargeable, compact, and it’s a lifesaver during a hot flash!

Make sure, too, that you’re exfoliating too.  My dry, rather delicate skin doesn’t respond well to aggressive exfoliation, but dead skin cells on the surface make it more difficult for skincare to penetrate, and those dead cells provide more opportunity for pilling as they slough off the surface.  One option to try is The Ordinary’s Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner.  It feels gentle on the skin and I haven’t had a problem tolerating it.

Leave me feedback! How much of a problem is pilling for your mature skin?

I hope you found this post to be helpful and informative.  If you did, consider leaving me a tip.

Gen X Beauty Tips: Makeup & Skincare for 45+

Welcome to Gen X Beauty Review!  I’m Holly, and this site is all about makeup and skincare for beauty enthusiasts 45 and up.  My site emphasizes science-based research to help you get the best value for your money.  You can expect to find dupes of luxury products, including dupes of 1980s classics.  I’ll cover trends too, because looking on point is important at any age.  While I post affiliate links and I sometimes make a commission on sales, I will never recommend a product that does not work for me!

I was born in 1966.  Ten years ago, about the time menopause decided to get really serious with me, my skin started to change.  I struggled with dryness so uncomfortable my skin felt tight after splashing my face with water. I approached skin care with a little dread. Moisturizers seemed to help, but only for a short time. Dramatic changes happened to my eye area.  My dark circles got darker, crow’s feet appeared, so did age spots. The skin under my eyes was delicate and crepey. For the first time I felt I was in a cycle of expensive product trials, and most of the products disappointed me.  

Cosmetics were no different.  I found my mineral foundation settled into fine lines and wrinkles.  For the first time since my teens I had no idea how to look and feel my best.  I turned to the Internet.  Influencers repeatedly used words like “lifted” to describe looks curated for “older” people.  Frequently, those influencers appeared to be twenty-something with no lines, wrinkles, or texture anywhere.  I thought I saw a frequent subtext concerning color trends as well: the target “older” person in need of a makeup mentor was to step away from colorful choices.  After a decade of beige and taupe eyeshadows, vibrant shades are back, but, influencers suggested, I needed to hang onto one trio of browns. If anyone knows how to use a rainbow of eye products, it’s someone who came of age in the 1980s. Influencer-chosen blush selections emphasized bronzer and “natural” shades of pink and rose, but the trend is currently blinding blush in some fun colors I wore 40 years ago.  

So, get comfortable, grab a cold beverage, and let’s do makeup!