the goods
 
Hey everyone, happy new year! I'm back again with an updated collection and, surprise, more commentary! Peep my older post here. Warning: Wall of text ahead
 
Since my last post, the growth of my collection has very rapidly escalated. Oh how things have changed! I'd like to announce that I no longer wish to smell like Red Tobacco and much prefer Chloé. I suppose my tastes have become a bit more mainstream. Recently, I've embraced femininity in fragrances and many masculine, even unisex perfumes don't tickle my pickle anymore. That's right, leather, tobacco, vetiver and peppery citrus is mostly out of the game for me now. I've explored some niche and feel as though I'm more into the designer game. Things are more affordable, easier to wear, and less expensive! Of course, I do appreciate the artistry that goes into niche, but a lot of the time it's not necessarily something I want to wear or would be easy to pull off. In any case, let's get to the commentary.
 

Designers

 
Paco Rabanne
Olympea Intense -- LOVE this, it's a chewy, glowing amber salted-caramel bean
 
Dior
Hypnotic Poison EDT -- so I hear you like root beer floats? try not to drink this out of the bottle; the winter component of the coconut-tuberose trinity, see SL Datura Noir & Armaf Simply Blanc for more details
 
Prada
Candy Florale -- new year same regret
 
Elie Saab
Le Parfum Royal -- literally Coco Mademoiselle with less patch and more orange jellies, you know the gourmet ones shaped like orange slices, it's exactly this
Girl of Now -- milky almond sugar bomb, probably gave my nosebuds cavities, best enjoyed mixed with some unscented lotion to prevent a trip to the dentist
 
(can you guess my favourite house?)
Mugler
Angel -- my one true love, I will never betray her, she makes me feel ready to slay a few demons with a magical sword before I go out for a socially distant first date
Angel Muse -- girl who likes nutella, probably doesn't slay demons but definitely goes on dates
Angel Taste of Fragrance -- blast of chocolate Angel, dries down to honey, and does honey ever smell like pee to anyone or is that just me...?
Angel Liqueuer 2009 -- identical to Angel but with the honey drydown again! it's a pass for me my friends
Alien -- holy CRAP I love this stuff, you know there are angel girls and alien girls? I think I've made a booboo and become both, maybe it's the reformulation that makes it more wearable but this stuff is liquid gold, I desperately want to test older formulations
Alien Essence Absolue -- a vanilla Play-Doh Alien, super highly coveted due to discontinuation and only worn on the most special occasions (side note: does anyone else use expensive/discontinued frags extremely sparingly? I'm so afraid of running out of ANYTHING)
Alien Oud Majestueux -- barnyard poopy animalic jasmine sexytimes, so beautiful but literally where the hell do you wear this ever?
Womanity -- absolutely not like a rotting tuna mermaid, just salty fig bliss and what I expected the original Olympea to smell like, love love love
 
Cartier
Le Baiser du Dragon -- literal fire, lol, breath from an alcoholic dragon particularly keen on amaretto, one of my first loves
 
Guerlain
Mon Guerlain -- the tiny, newest baby to my collection, a poor substitute for my beloved Lavandes Trianon but of course Lancome discontinues their best, a bit sharp and alcoholic on me but quite beautiful and feminine from far away
La Petite Robe Noire -- syrupy cherry juice, a bit medicinal, sweet like Dolores Haze, also great for a sunny winter day
Aqua Allegoria Limon Verde -- perfect lime, fizzy, figgy, mojito-y, try not to sniff it in the winter if you don't want to feel sad that summer is 6 months away
 
Lancome
Magie Noire -- forest witch brewing potions and enchanting lost men to test her new spells, may or may not have toadified a few by accident
 
YSL
Libre -- power scent for the lady who has all her ish together, I prefer the Intense but this was available at the discounters and is also amazing so I mean I'm okay with that too!
 
Givenchy
L'Interdit Intense -- so apparently sesame + tuberose makes Jolly Ranchers now
 
Tom Ford
Black Orchid -- my other one true love, maybe infidelity is allowed in this case, but my love affair with Black Orchid only occurs in the dead of night, an ultra sexy and mysterious, vaguely-gourmand-floral brew
Noir Extreme -- i hate cardamom and this is a cardamom bomb, decanted the heck out of this, too masculine for me, end of story
 
Hermes
Un Jardin Sur le Nil -- first spray: pure Windex; it's getting a bit better though, this would definitely work out better in the summer, though maybe the house of Hermes just isn't for me (looking at you Twilly, Eau des Merveilles)
 
Lolita Lempicka
Lolita Lempicka Mon Premier -- it's not actually sprayed! I got sent the wrong one but the bottle was cute so I included it here lol
 
Lalique
Encre Noire -- eau de dead log in its early stages of decomposition; it's being used to grow new life, like, life as in lots and lots of vetiver
 
Calvin Klein
Euphoria -- big big regret, why did it smell so good on the tester strip? sour and offputting, the reformulations really did this one dirty, not even good to use as a car spray, I'm so sad...
Obsession -- apart from the opening, which smells like a spicy radioactive peach incense sludge trying to knock you out harder than all of 2020, it's a love, the drydown is spicy vanilla heaven
 
Lanvin Arpege -- super creamy soapy white floral, like, soap made of double concentrated heavy cream-level creamy, also smells like L'Air du Temps if you want to pretend to be Agent Starling sometimes, just make sure to remember the Evyan skin cream
Clinique Aromatics Elixir -- crazy strong, dry bouquet of aromatics (duh) and white florals, beautiful in the summer IMO, spray more if you hate your coworkers
Salvador Dali Parfum de Toilette -- similar to Arpege but less on the soap, heavier on the florals, and the bottle cap is literally a giant nose
Jovan White Musk -- smells like a filthy millionaire's clean and happy baby, I love it and you will too
 

Niche/Private Line

 
TokyoMilk
Excess -- why are you in a 50ml when you should be in a 500ml? this is gorgeous, deep patchouli and blood orange, absolute love, terrified to wear because the day it runs out will be the saddest day
 
Diptyque
Do Son -- so I wanted Olene but this is incredibly beautiful, too, clean tuberose done right, feels like spring
 
L'Artisan Parfumeur
Premier Figuier -- at first I liked it but now it smells like a meat made out of a fig tree with lots of lily-of-the-valley, there's a strong savoury and vegetal quality doused in the white sap of a bleeding plant
Bois Farine -- another oddball, like ultra-milky powdered peanuts or these chinese sesame candies (徐福记) or even de la Rosa Mazapan minus every molecule of C12H22O11 (sugar) that ever existed, dry and powdery like your nose is attempting the cinnamon challenge without the cinnamon
 
Kerosene
Sweetly Known -- here we go, holy crap I don't even know what to say, the ultimate gourmand has been found? am I allowed to say that? will I spontaneously combust after making such a statement? this is a spiced stollen in a bottle and even though I hate spices, the spices here are definitely more than fine with me
Unknown Pleasures -- another thing that I hate: citrus, but done right! drydown becomes a bit complex, richer and more delicious, love love love, though it makes me hungry when I wear it...
 
Lancome
Roses Berberanza -- have you ever wanted to smell like salty wet nuts? that's the opening, but hang in there, the roses are testing your patience and you will thusly be rewarded
 
Serge Lutens
Datura Noir -- this is part of the coconut-tuberose trinity (with Dior HP & TF Soleil Blanc) but the more floral, year-round beauty, dries down a bit sour on me though which makes me big sad
Le Participe Passe -- my alltime fave SL, dark caramel without the usual sugar bomb with depth from the cumin, which absolutely does not smell like BO
Chergui -- powdery, lipsticky, and a bit tobacco-y, again decanted the heck out of it except I kind of feel sad about it because I like it more and more each day
 
Comptoir Sud Pacifique
Vanille Abricot -- such a happy, uplifting fruity vanilla, like a brand new stick of gum in a good way
Vanille Banane -- you love banana milk, I love banana milk, the opening is banana milk heaven but dries down kind of green and peel-y, unfortunately
 
Van Cleef & Arpels
Bois Dore -- tonka bean water that turns into cherry-like almonds, a sleeper hit, sneaks up on you and suddenly you're on the internet trying to buy every single VC&A private line blend that has ever existed
 
Dolce&Gabbana
Velvet Amber Sun -- not for me, opening is too pungent, too smoky, musty dirty, labdanum is way too much for me (sold it!) though the presentation and box are soooo pretty
 

Celebrity/Dupes

 
Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely -- it's pretty sharp and boozy in the opening, I barely get any musk but it would be a wonderfully cooling scent for a hot day
Ariana Grande Cloud -- don't know how I feel about this, sometimes it's incredibly musky and masculine with the lavender, other days it's a sweet little thing!
Armaf Just Jack Simply Blanc -- citrusy, happy, summery, nearly spot-on for TF's Soleil Blanc, the final summer component of the coconut-tuberose trinity
Jenny Glow Myrrh & Bean -- strong juice for the price, definitely layers very very well under Dior HP to add more depth!
Club de Nuit Intense Women -- a beautiful gothic rose/patchouli, however ruined by the saffron because I despise saffron!
Swiss Arabian Shaghaf Oud -- takes the cake for the sweetest perfume that has ever existed, absolutely nuclear, decanted half of it and still have enough to last at least 3 lifetimes
 
Things I recently got rid of: Mancera Red Tobacco, Bvlgari Omnia, Britney Spears Hidden Fantasy, Cartier L'Envol de Cartier EDP
 

Things I'm looking to pick up!

As if this huge collection was not enough, I'm definitely looking to pick up the following: ELdO Like This, Diptyque Olene, Dior Balade Sauvage (holy crap the price tag, can someone please recommend a good sweet fig?), Angel Eau Croisiere 2019/2020, Chloé by Chloé, Xerjoff Fiore D'Ulivo, some Ganache Parfums as well! I'm also on the hunt for some good rose scents and tea scents, let me know your favourites!

people really be buying two boxes of 500ml alcohol at supermalls and groceries (idk how many bottles in one box but it is MANY) and sell them twice or thrice its original price online because alcohols are already sold out in some places like really people would that make save u from acquiring the virus?? lol hope u first get that damn virus, monsters!!!!

Hi, this is gonna be a LOOOONG post. But if anyone has the patient to read and help me understand what I didn't do correctly, I would really really really appreciate it:
So a bit of background: I used to NOT give shit or two about my skin: face wash -> lotion and that's it. But since I discover the new world of skincare, I have developed a very extensive skincare routine that I have done A LOT of research on. So my skin is very very very oily. I sweat like A LOT. On a typical hot day, I can feel a thick film of oil on my skin. Sometime they accumulated into these tiny pieces of oil that smells really nasty. I also often develop white heads and cyst acne that burn and leave scars/dark spots.
Here is my routine that I have been trying for the past 5 months - with steps added/subtracted:
1/ Oil Cleanser: DHC Deep oil cleanser. I quite like it. So I think I am gonna stick with it for a while.
2/ Face wash: Now, I have a looong history of using different products: from Shiseido Perfect Whip, Biore anti-blackhead, The Bodyshop 365 Herb Days, The longest products I have used were La Roche Posay Effaclant Gel and Kiehl's Ultra Oil-free (I used them alternatively: Kiehl's when I feel my face is dirty and La Roche Posay when I feel like my skin is weak). I recently switch to Avene Cleanance Gel. I don't like how it makes my skin feel tight afterward - so I'm 95% sure I ain't going back to that one.
3/ Toner: I was gifted this GIANT Kose Sekkisei Lotion that I used as toner. It's actually quite good - I feel like it calmed my skin down after face wash. But ofc, "the grass is always greener on the other side" - so I attempted to use different products. My friends recommended this Naruko Tea Tree Shine Control Toner as a toner for sensitive skin. I should have trusted my instinct when I read the ingredient and saw "alcohol" in it. I have to stop using it after two tries since it makes me feel like someone sticks needles on my skin.
4/ Exfoliators/ acne treatments: now this ALWAYS leaves puzzled: so I have tried to be consistent with my exfoliation routine: Monday: AHA (Neostrata 8) - Tues: Paula's choice BHA 2% liquid -Weds: NO (I use Rentinol-A cream) - Thursday: AHA - Friday: BHA - Weekends: NO (all at night). But I develop cyst acne and white head so often that almost every other day I have to use acne spot treatment: I have them all: Kate Somerville Eradikate; La Roche Posay Duo + spot treatment, Cosrx Acne Pimple patches. I have to often combine 2 acne treatments together: spot cream and then Cosrx patch when I go to bed. So far, the only products that I like is Cosrx patches. Edit: I also wanna add: I use BHA/AHA on normal area and use spot treatments on affected areas.
Like I said, I have acne so often that it's impossible for me to avoid exfoliation completely when I use spot treatment. I really don't find AHA or BHA helps me with cyst or white heads. So I apply AHA/BHA on normal areas - and only use spot treatments on the effected spots.
5/ HA/B5 serum: I really like this step. After exfoliation, this helped my skin like a lot. I apply Timeless Skin Care Hyaluronic Acid Serum and then spray mineral water on top of it. I don't think I could ever quit this step. I do this both day and nights every single day.
6/ Other serums: so far, I'm using two products at nights: The Ordinary's Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% and Cosrx's Centella Blemish Ampule ( I just started using this couple days ago). I don't know why but I don't like my skin feel HOT after using Ordinary's Nia. I'm not sure if this supposed to feel normal or not. But I don't use Nia in the morning because of this uncomfortability. In the morning I use Maelove Glow Maker Serum - given the affordable price of this Vitamin C serum, I am quite content with it.
7. Moisturizer: I have used Neustrogena's Hydro boost gel for oil skin for 2 years. So far I like it - after using Nia, I feel like it helped reduce the hotness of my skin. But I wanna trying different ingredient - so I'm waiting for 2 boxes of Nature Republic's Aloe Vera gel to try on.
8. Face/lips mask: I am using Laneige water sleeping mask and Laneige's lip mask (berry) as a final step at night. The water sleeping mask feel...okay. But the lip mask feel like I just rubbed some scented lard on my lips.
9. Retinol: I use Retinol-A cream. I think it's does tremendously for my skin. However, there are some bumpy spots on my skin that I CANNOT get rid of (I will talk about this later...)
10. Other products in the morning: I used La Roche Posay's mattifying moisz around my T-zone area to control the oil breakout. It's not completely reduce the oil breakout - but I think it's the best product that I have bought. Sunscreen: I am currently using Anessa SPF50 PA++++ for two reasons: my mom bought 5 bottles on her recent trip to Japan and the "PA++++" label of it. I think it's fine.
​
Now that's all the detail of my skincare routine (if you able to read all of that - I salute you!). So far: I think there are some significant change in my skin. My skin feel less oily and rough. The complex is better (but not much). I really believe that I have followed quite carefully all of skincare tutorials and blogs I could find. But I really don't think it should work the way I expected:
- I still have a lot of bumps on my skin - especially on my cheeks, forehead and chin's area. I don't know if it's actually fungal acne or not. But I am considering of purchasing Nizoral Shampoo as a treatment.
- There are still after-acne dark spots on my skins. What products should I use?
- Am I correct to say that my skin is quite inflammatory? What additional products do you think I could add and what products should I stop using immediately.
​
ANY advise is absolutely welcome!

After u/Arne_L excellent post on his gear for the Cape wrath trail the other week, link, I thought it would be useful to post the gear I used and a quick (hopefully neutral(ish)) comparison to his. Unfortunately I had to finish my hike early, after 8 days as I developed a small tear in my vastus medialis (inside quadricep) and was in a lot of pain whilst walking. It was a great trip though. Good hiking and good company. Arne has read through this prior to posting and he reckoned it was accurate.
The format will be Arne's gear and thoughts, my gear and thoughts then comparison.
Apologies in advance for the length if this: it's pretty huge.
Arne's original intro:
"One week ago I completed the Cape Wrath Trail, a unofficial & unmarked route from Fort William to Scotland's most North-Western point, Cape Wrath. It combines footpaths, Land Rover tracks, pathless sections and varies in length. My variant - taking in the Beinn Eighe alternative & the roadwalk to Ullapool - was roughly 360 km. The route is often referred to as 'UK's toughest trail' & it offers a decent & interesting challenge. If you're out of luck, most trails are rivers and/or mudstreams. Sometimes, or most of the times, trails/tracks have a tendency to suddenly stop and then it's up to you to search 'the path of least resistance' to your goal. In my opinion, it's the best way to see Scotland's finest scenery. For the first 8 days I was joined by the magnificent craige1989, but sadly he had to quit his walk in Ullapool due to a injury. After that, I continued on my own, northbound to the Cape. Craig took the good weather home with him; the temperature dropped, winds came & snow/sleet/rain/hail said hi. Perfect; the Full Scottish Experience. Since this subreddit is relatively interested on gear, I thought other people might find it interesting what I used on the CWT & how it fared. A small warning, however: I am not exactly what you would classify as 'ultralight'. I value ultralight principles (efficiency is king in my opinion), but don't keep a lighterpack (oops) & don't weight most of my gear (ouch). All I know is that I started this walk with a pack weighing 12 kg; this weight included food for the first 5 days, 1L of water and camera gear. Anyway, below is what I used for 14 days."
Craig: Similar to Arne, I am not SUL, and don't obsess massively over my overall pack weight, but I am a little lighter and probably more concerned with my base weight. Comparing our pack weights in the first morning of the hike I was a a little lighter and more compact. I think around 9.5kg (22lbs) total and bw is usually around 4.5kg (10lbs). I'll do a proper gear list at some point. Here's a quick gear list I knocked together https://trailpo.st/pack/2365
Arne's Backpack: Superior Wilderness Designs Superior 40 - Full Suspension I ordered this backpack early 2018. The fabric is VX21, with 1000D cordura on the bottom, Dyneema X for sidepockets, hipbelt & shoulderstraps. Stretch back pocket, 2 shoulder pockets & a bottom pocket. I've used this pack for a week in Jotunheimen and a week in the French Alps last year and was extremely happy with it. The build quality is very good, as countless others on this subreddit have said before. SWD is a delight to work with. I've never noticed the weight, except for the first hours of the walk (I think this is more because my body is not really used to dealing with a backpack). The feeling on my hips & shoulders remain the same; 12 kg or 7 kg, it's just as comfortable. The frame & the hipbelt simply work very well. It's also the first pack I own where I can grab my waterbottle without taking my pack off or doing weird yoga-like-moves. A huge bonus. On this trip, my thoughts on the backpack remain the same. If you don't even think about an alternative your gear is pretty much perfect. The pack still looks like new but that shouldn't really come as a surprise given the materials & the fairly limited usage. The material obviously keeps rain out, but water will come in trough the seams. I used a Zpacks Ultralight Airplane Case as a packliner & as a way to protect my precious backpack on the airplane. I've bought this liner early 2017 and after 3 airplane trips the cuben is starting to show some wear & tear. I suspect it has one other trip left but then I should replace it. It still kept all my gear dry in significant downpours & protected my backpack on the plane. The internal volume is stated as 40L but I think it's larger; Craig thought pretty much the same. For me it's not a problem, since my insulation is synthetic & I prefer packing everything loosely. If anyone wants a relatively lightweight pack that can carry heavier loads and is really well made, I can advice looking for a 'Full Suspension' pack by SWD. I don't see myself buying another pack in the near future.
Craig's packing: MYOG 30L pack. Frameless, X21 body, dyneema X sidepockets, 200D straps and hip belt and a stretchy mesh front pocket. This pack was an experiment and is now around a year and a half old, and showing signs of failure at the points I skimped on construction (single stitching and tiny seam allowance experiments ;)). My pack weighs 385g (13.6oz) it performed well, although it does carry better with the 10mm foam section I usually hold against the back on the outside with shock cord. It works well for me and the volume and size in my back is great.
My liner is a .67 dcf drybag from hammock gear that I use the same as most use a compactor bag for.
I also use a waist/fanny/bum bag I made from robic extreema. Using this is a revelation for me and so much better than hip belt pockets.
Comparison: Well, they're very different packs. My pack is very low volume frameless and Arne's is a big for the quoted volume full framed pack. Obviously Arne's carries better and hold more, is more fully featured and weighs more than double what mine does. We were both happy with how are backpacks worked for us although I am making some changes to my next iteration. Not much to say about the liners. Both worked and Arne's is heavier duty to cope with being flung around an airport. Waist pack vs hipbelt pockets... slightly more volume with 2 hipbelt pockets but they're harder to access. Arne kept his camera in his shoulder strap most of the time whilst mine was in my waist pack in a little neoprene sleeve I made. My camera was a little more fiddly to access but easier to protect from rain, rocks etc.
Arne's Tent: MSR Hubba HP Ouch. Right? But don't go just yet; there's a good reason I chose this tent. I've been using a Locus Gear Khufu CF3 with a custom 2/3 semi-solid inner since 2016 but was always frustrated by the pole in the middle, the fiddly pitch (the need for a perfect rectangular when staking it out) & the limited headroom when laying down. The typical pyramid-tradeoffs. In 2013 I bought a MSR Hubba Hubba HP for me & the GF. Last year I took it to Norway and was amazed by how good it was in high winds & the warmth the solid inner provided. After yet another trip with the Khufu I couldn't stop thinking about it's downsides so I started to scour the net for a MSR Hubba HP (the HP-series was build for European conditions: fully solid inner, slightly tougher floor & the fly sits closer to the ground. The series is now discontinued) until one finally popped up on the UK-based TrekLite. I went back & forth between both shelters for the CWT for a long, long time. It was just a week before my flight I decided to take the MSR. And to be honest? I never even thought about the Khufu. I loved how easy it was to pitch. How warm & cozy it felt. How good it was in the wind. How fast it dried. How easy it was to enter & exit. There are downsides; the weight. The MSR is roughly 500 grams heavier then the Khufu, which is quite something. Also, it's inner first. To be fair, this never bothered me. When pitching in the rain, the solid inner kept the drips out & once the fly was over it the inner dried out fast. The packsize; I put the poles on the outside of my pack. The inner & outer go inside a 9L oversized stuff sack inside my pack. This way the packsize is actually smaller then my Khufu; at least inside my backpack. After 8 days I discovered a tear in the porch. I think this was caused by a cat fighting a seagull (I'm not making this up) on the campsite in Ullapool & I taped it up with duct tape. MSR offered to sell me a new fly for a bargain price, an offer I gladly accepted. For stakes I carried 4x Easton 9" (for the corners), 4x Easton 6" (doors & tie-outs), 1 Groundhog clone & 2 titanium sheperd stakes. Last two were mainly spares. The Eastons were superb, as always. Craig did manage to lose a head on one of his Eastons. If they fail, they mostly fail that way. I loved the Khufu, but I never wanted to marry it. I'll propose to the MSR; it was perfect for the CWT. I was happy to crawl inside it, every evening. If anyone is interested in a Khufu + inner, let me know.
Craig's Tent: Dan Durston Massdrop X-mid. I'm really liking this tent. It has plenty space, especially in the porches, and for sitting up, it's easy to set up and doesn't sag during the night. The tent arrived around a week before we left and I set it up a few times and had my initial thoughts and ideas for changes but left them so I could get to know it better on the trail. My only REAL issues are that the stock guyline slips in anything over 20km winds and the velcro in the vents snags the mesh inner. I've now changed the guyline and will be replacing the velcro for snaps before my next trip. Compared to my solomid XL it's a palace at a similar weight and just as easy to set up. Stake the 4 corners, add the poles, stake your door and your done. If its windy the ridge line can be staked out easily, stock guys were a little short but have been replaced with the rest and there are 4 non-reinforced tie outs mid-panel (one on each side) that provide a little extra stability when staked. I added shock cord with a double loop to each one before we left and they proved useful on windier nights. The tent with the fairly large panels does deflect quite a bit in strong winds but no more than any other mid really. I think single pole mids will be better in very strong winds but can't say for sure. Dan had said poles can be used either handle or tip up... that isn't the case for me. I tried handle up but as soon a gust of wind comes along the pole slides around in the 200D pocket and would eventually slide out. Not really an issue but I do prefer to keep my handles out of the dirt when possible. I had one small failure... I sat on the inner a little close to the edge of the door and tore the stitching on one of the seams. It's still in ine piece and easily fixed but it's a little annoying, I'll be adding some shock cord to the peak to inner attachment so that doesn't happen again.
I used 4 gold eastons, 2 blue eastons, one groundhog clone and 3 ti pins. As Arne noted a head came off one of my eastons after a bunch of bashing. It's 3 years old though and has put up with a lot... easily repaired too but it was frustrating. This stake setup works for me perfectly and I've never had an issue with any stake I use, unless I don't match them properly. I use a gold Easton for each corner, if the ground is super soft I put the groundhog clone in the most windward corner, and if it's really rocky I'll use ti pins in the corners when necessary. I use the blue eastons for the ridge tie outs and the ti pins for doors/mid panels.
Comparison: well... I think we both liked each others tents but neither of us would have swapped. Mine is 500g lighter with 2 porches but a slightly larger footprint, and less flexibility in pitching. Arne just needs 30" x length for his main tent body and the porch has a lot of flexibility in his it can be pitched. The xmid needs poles to pitch (which Arne didn't use). I found the 2 porches great. I'd put most if my stuff (food, clothing etc) behind the little door on my entrance side, my pack in the side I wasnt using and my shoes went right in front of the door. Arne's tent has a little less space overall, both are very easy to set up and take similar time and perform well in wind. Arne's large single porch looked great. The one thing I don't like about the hubba is inner first pitch. Not really worth talking about stakes because they are basically the same choices.
Arne's Quilt: GramXpert Elite Quilt In 2015, down let me... down. On a extremely humid trip in the French Alps my down quilt lost so much lost in 2 nights that it basically became a sheet without any warmth. Those were extreme conditions (to be fair: pretty much everything would have failed on that trip, myself included), but since then I made the switch to Climashield Apex. It's so easy: no need to shake the down (or down shifting to the sides), no need to be careful with it. There are downsides (weight vs. warmth, pack size) but they don't outweigh the massive advantages. To me, at least. I used a As Tucas Sestrals Blanket (Apex 167) for a while but realized I needed a closed footbox, so I ordered a custom Elite quilt with the extremely friendly guys at GramXpert. The insulation is Apex 200 & it has a fully closed, round footbox. It's lovely & toasty. Build quality is outstanding. I ordered it around the same time as my backpack so it has seen equal use. I adore this quilt. Stuff it with a damp footbox in your pack and take it out in the evening; dry footbox. Just throw it in your tent, get under it & there's a massive amount of warmth just like that. Too cold? Just pull your quilt over your head. The bag is stuffed loosely in my pack. Since the latter is pretty big, this isn't a huge dealbreaker for me. The insulation is rated to -1°C by GramXpert and this seems about right. On the final few nights the temperatures went down to -5°C & I woke up during the night feeling slightly chilly (for my pad & sleeping layers, see below). I put on my fleece hoody, pulled the quilt over my head & went straight back to sleep. Note: I'm not a warm sleeper.
Craig's Quilt: Hammock Gear Burrow 20°. I really like this quilt, we've been through a lot together since I bought it in 2015 (I think). It works perfectly for me down to the lowest I've used it at -8°C (17.6F) with a light puffy and long johns on. I'm a warm sleeper though. It definitely loses a little loft in high humidity or on warm nights where I'm sweaty inside it but I've definitely never been cold in it, it just works great for me. It's the long, regular width version with argon 10D fabric.
Comparison: Both quilts are high quality and well made. You can read up on down vs synthetic but at the end of the day both do the job well. Down is a bit lighter and if looked after should last longer, but its more difficult and time consuming to launder and in theory isn't as good in wet or humid conditions.
Arne's Sleeping Pad: Exped Synmat Hyperlite MW I've been using Exped mats since pretty much forever. I briefly flirted with the NeoAir XLite S (didn't like the fabric, the horizontal baffles & the valve) & the Multimat Superlite Air (useless in the mountains due to the low R-value; even in summer) but always came back to Exped. The fabric is comfortable, using the Shnozzel Pumpbag (which doubled as food bag) to inflate it is a efficiency-lover's wet dream & I sleep very well on them. When I managed to pick up a 2019 model of the Hyperlite MW (medium wide), I did not hesitate. I've used the older Hyperlite M since late 2016 (which, reportedly, suffers from 'exploding baffle' issues) and it's still going strong. But the extra width is just so nice as a side sleeper. The pad always felt warm, but I think -5°C is about the limit. If it got any colder I could have used an extra 3mm CCF for some added warmth. In the morning, I just 'unplugged' the valve and my body weight pushed out all of the air. Then I folded the pad in two, rolled it up & stuffed it next to the quilt. I do not use a stuff sack for my pad.
Craig's Sleeping pad: Sea to Summit UL insulated large. I need a pad at least 55cm wide otherwise my broad shoulders hang off. 60cm would be ideal and the 65cm width of my sts mat is luxury. I love this pad, its durable (40D fabric, the valve system is the best out there as far as I'm concerned and I find it very comfy to sleep on, it's very quick and easy to inflate with the sts dry bag inflator, easy to let a little air out if needed and deflates almost instantly in the morning. The only thing I'm not keen on is the weight (565g) and the fabric feel on the skin. The fabric is a little tacky and clammy so i can't really sleep without a full layer of clothes on on warm nights but otherwise it's great.
Comparison: the STS is quicker to inflate and deflate (better valve system and lever air volume going in/out) although there isn't enough in it to bother about inflation really. We both find both pads super comfy (Arne has slept on STS mats before, and I had a few minutes on the exped and it seems just as comfy). The exped is lighter comparing the same sizes and feels better on the skin. I'm seriously thinking about getting the exped synmat HL LW for the 100g weight I'd save and the next to skin comfort but otherwise there's not much in it. I suspect the exped would be better as a flotation device due to the higher volume of air inside.
Arne's Pillow: Sea to Summit Aeros UL L I did not intent to take the large, but it was a huge bargain on eBay. Enough said. To be honest, it's a bit too large but I got on with it eventually. I'm coming from a Exped pillow (finally give in after 5 years) and this is a significant upgrade. The fabric feels so nice, the packsize is next to nothing & well... it's very comfortable. It should be, it's huge! That's all I can say about it though. I slept like a angel for 14 nights, so I think that I've good a reasonably decent sleeping system.
Craig's pillow: STS Aeros UL M. We have basically the same story here. I had a klymit X pillow and it wasn't awful but a pain to deflate. It leaked so I got an exped and didn't get on with it. I nearly bought the L sts on Ebay when Arne got his but I knew it would be too big for me so got the smaller one and I'm glad I did. I don't like a big pillow so don't have it fully inflated but I actually get on really well with this pillow. Fabric is great and yeah everything Arne said :)
Comparison: one is a little bigger than the other ;)
Arne's Kitchen: To boil water, I used the Trail Designs Sidewinder with a Zelph's Starlyte and a Evernew 0.6L pot. This is a very stable, windproof & efficient system. I've been using it since 2015 and still can't imagine using another alcohol-based system. It's not the fastest or the most fuel-efficient, however. But it's so reliable & easy. To light my stove, I carry a BIC mini and 'wind/waterproof' matches by Coghlans. I do not cook meals in my pot; I boil water to add to my freeze dried meals and/or to drink tea in the morning. For drinking tea, I used the Sea to Summit X-cup. It's not really superduper light but I like that I can fold it and put it in my pot. The spork I used was a short handled Sea to Summit Alphalight. It's ok, but I was slightly jealous on Craig's bamboo spork. A huge thanks for that! I manage to stuff everything inside the Evernew pot (which goes in a Zpacks stuff sack; it has the worst sewing I've ever seen but it gets the job done), but the spork. That one goes in one of the sidepockets. In one of my hipbelt pockets there's also a Victorinox Classic. This little boy needs no introduction and to be honest, I couldn't live without one. It's handy for cutting cheese/chorizo, cutting your nails or getting rid of those annoying ticks.
Craig's Kitchen: toaks light 700, myog ti windscreen, myog alcohol stove, sil myog stuffsack, bamboo spoon. Like Arne I've been using my system since 2015 and it works great. I have ti sheet to make a cone and a wick stove already made but I never seem to get around to it. My system can boil 500ml water with 20ml fuel with some left over and weighs less than a cone. It fits neatly into the pot. I brought a bottle where the neck screws off to have tea in the morning with Arne. If I was doing it again I'd get a wildo foldacup but tbh I don't really bother about having a hot drink so would likely go without next time see hydration for more on the bottle.
Comparison: mine is a bit lighter and faster to boil, it may be slightly thirstier too but because Arne's windscreen is a giant pot support his is much more stable, the main reason I plan to make a cone system. Both work great though. My spoon is brilliant. I used s2s alphalight spoons for ages then tried the bamboo... it's lighter (6g), feels better in my mouth, doesn't get hot and when I inevitably lose it it'll eventually decompose.
Arne's Hydration: I carry a generic 1L plastic bottle for drinking purposes. It weighs 22 grams, is easy to grab & has seen quite a few interesting mountains & countries by now. For camp, I fill up a Evernew 1.5L soft water bottle. It's a handy thing to carry, especially since it doubles as my dirty bag to attach my Sawyer Squeeze. The Squeeze is over two years old now and the flow is significantly slower, even after multiple vinegar-based treatments. On the last couple of days, it started to leak pretty badly (if filtering 1.5L of water, I lost 0.5L) so I binned it in Durness (the nearest village near Cape Wrath). I'm sure it wasn't the bag that leaked. I squeezed on the bag without the filter and I saw no leaks. Craig impressed me with his Katadyn Befree, so that'll be my next purchase.
Craig's Hydration: 1L BeFree, for this trip I used a 600ml bottle that has a screw off neck so it can be used as a cup, so I could have tea with Arne each morning and a 1.5L evernew bladder. The BeFree is great. I'm a fan and have been using it for over a year now, although I don't often filter from mountain streams hence my carrying another bottle... the 600ml sucks. The bottle itself is good but capacity isn't enough and I constantly had to either fill up or get a little dehydrated. I also am not really bothered about tea in the morning so will bring a 1 or 1.5L bottle next time. The evernew works great. Barely noticable until I'm collecting water for the night then I fill it and use as necessary.
Comparison: Sawyer vs BeFree, Sawyer fits almost any bottle so is much more versatile but the BeFree is so easy to use and the flow rate is incredible. Similar total weight but the BeFree is including a 1L bottle.
Bathroom I carried 60ml of 'all purpose biodegredable soap'. I think I showered 6 times and washed my clothes and I have about 1/3 left. It's by a Dutch brand named Careplus. It smells ok. It's ok. It's soap, you know. My towel is a very small (48 cm x 48 cm) Nano towel by Packtowl. They dry extremely fast & absorb a decent amount of water. I don't see how you need anything more on a walking trip. My toothbrush was a generic full-length (sorry) bamboo toothbrush. Nothing exciting to report about this, except that it kept my teeth in perfect shape. Other stuff I carried was toilet paper, hand sanitizers, chapstick, DEET, blister patches & a small amount of meds. I never needed the patches, DEET or any form of medication.
Craig's bathroom: 10ml dr bronners lemon. I showered 4 times and still have over half left, and I also use a little on clothes when I shower. That's why I use dr bronners, you barely need any. My towel is the sts drylite towel, I think the Large. tbh I don't need one that big but I have it and it takes up no space and weighs about an ounce. It dries quick too. It was new for this trip though and the edges are starting to fray already so I'll have to contact sts as it's an expensive product for what it is. Toothbrush is a chopped bamboo toothbrush. Super light, super clean nashers :D TP, 10ml hand sanitizer, deuce of spades, 2 small plasters, one large, a couple steristrips, a few blister plasters, a needle, 2 alcohol swabs, and a few tablets (ibuprofen, immodium) all worked well. I was ill the day before and the first couple of days of the trip I was still recovering so did take some painkillers and I also had throat lozenges which I used. Blister plasters suck though. I won't be taking them again. I'll try KT tape next time I think. I stopped carrying chapstick a few years ago as I'd never used it, including at home for at least 5 years. Turns out on this trip my lips went all dry, cracked and bleeding... it was either sunburn or a carry over from being sick. Either way it wasn't fun so I borrowed a little sliver from Arne and replaced his at the next town and bought one for myself.
Comparison: don't see much point, they were basically the same. I'll probably ditch the small plasters when before my next trip because they are pretty old and I don't use plasters at home so would have to buy more.
Arne's Electronics: O-ow. Well. My camera is a Sony A6000. I only used one lens for this trip, the Sigma 16mm f1.4. I had planned to take a 50mm f1.8 but reasoned it was just another thing to take care of. The camera was attached to my shoulder strap using the Peak Design Capture Clip (which was extra connected to my sternum strap using the PD Cuff). In rain/snow showers I used the PD Shell but in full on constant downpours the camera went inside my pack. This camera system worked extremely well: the 2000+ pictures inside my Lightroom library being a silent witness of that. I carried 3 batteries for the camera & a small charger for charging 2 batteries at once (made by Ravpower). I carried 2 powerbanks: an Anker Mini 3350 mAh for my watch (see navigation) & the tried & true Ravpower QC 3.0 10000 mAhfor everything else. So, what exactly is everything else? Well: camera, Inreach Mini & iPhone 8. The powerbank never ran out of juice or failed me (not even during the really cold nights) but every 4 days or so I got a chance to charge all of my stuff from a wall outlet. My wall charger was a 4-port QC-charger by Aukey which did what it had to do. I really like charging 4 things at once. It comes with a weight penalty but wins in efficiency. I carried 2 micro USB-cables, 1 lightning cable & a cable to charge my watch. All cables are by Anker & are 30 cm in length. I am aware that shorter cables weigh less but, having used those in the past, found shorter cables way too fiddly. Efficiency, to me. I carried all of my electronics in a zippered pouch by Bagsmart. It's way too heavy (110 grams, don't burn me for this) but having all your cables & other stuff readily available is extremely handy if you need to charge something fast in say a pub. And it was a gift by my GF. I think this reason alone should suffice. I don't really carry any other stuff sacks. Finally I use a Fenix LD02. I can't really remember when I bought this but I figured that if it was good enough for Andrew Skurka, it would work fine for me. And it does, although it mostly hanged in my tent being unemployed. There was enough daylight to avoid nighthiking, so I just used it if I needed to do something during nighttime. I also carried a spare lithium AAA for it. Somewhere inside the pouch there's also a mini lens pen & some duct tape.
Craig's electronics: Canon G7Xii, and pedco ultrapod. I like the camera. I have slowly been getting a little better (I think) at taking pics but still use auto mode because, well I'm lazy. I made a little neoprene pouch to keep in my waist pack for protecting the camera and kept the ultra pod attached so it's easier to grab and hold onto. I was really happy with it but I think I have some ideas to improve how I keep it in the waist pack. Never used the ultra pod as anything but a handle for the camera but really liked that way of using it. When it rains, my entire waist pack contents are already in a large ziplock so I simply close the ziplock and zip the pack closed. I carried one spare battery for the camera and never used it. Oh well. For power I carried a 20k mah anker powercore+. I was planning on bringing my 10K but Arne wanted the extra juice so I brought the bigger one and never got close to halfway through it... every time he was out of earshot I cursed him ;) I also had a Samsung wallplug for charging it and 2 cables, a micro USB with a micro usb-usbC adaptor for charging the powerbank, headlamp and my camera, with the adaptor for my phone and I had a Garmin cable for charging my Garmin fenix 5X+... speaking of I had nothing but issues with the watch, it was freezing every time I started an activity, the altitude was way off, even after recalibrating and the battery level drops super quick (as in SUPER quick) when it goes below 30%. When it does work it's brilliant though. Nitecore NU25 headlamp with myog headband. This was new for the trip, replacing a much loved zebra light h52 and it seems a great little light. It'll certainly do me nicely, enough light to hike by and enough settings so I'm not burning through the battery super quickly. I never had to charge it. Its super light and works well so I'll keep using it. My phone is a Samsung galaxy s8+. For hiking I prefer my old Note 4 because the screen is more square so easier to view mapping but it died so here we are. I like the phone and it's water resistant so that's a plus. I forgot earphones so was pretty annoyed about that. My charging gear was kept in a ziplock in my food bag, headlamp in my waist pack.
Comparison: Despite Arne FORCING me to carry the 20K battery I'm fairly sure my electronics are quite a bit lighter. 10K mah was more than enough extra power. Arne's camera is in a different league but I wouldn't know how to use it properly anyway. I do think Arne went a bit overkill on chargers/cables and such but I did use his wall charger once or twice when he was hogging the only outlet at campsites. Arne's inreach mini seems like a cracking piece of kit. Watch wise see Navigation.
Arne's Navigation: I carried two 1:50 000 maps that covered the whole trail. They're made by Harvey and are water- & tearproof. I never actually used the maps during the day but they were good to prepare for the next day in the evening. I can really advice them if you're interested in walking the trail. They take a bit of getting used to, but when you're over that they are extremely useful. My main navigation was done on the iPhone 8 with Gaia GPS. I downloaded the maps for Scotland, loaded the tracks onto the app and that was that. It never had any issue with locating me and managed to do so very fast. My iPhone, in flight mode, lasted 3 days. This included watching an episode of The League every evening, doing some reading on the Kindle App & listening to music. I'm sure it could handle 4 days to be honest. In off-trail situations or horrendous weather, I used my good old Suunto A10 compass. Not carrying one on the CWT is just foolish. In my opinion. Foolish is a bit harsh. In a complete white-out I needed to cross a pass without any form of trail or track to go by. I used my iPhone to locate the direction of the pass, took a bearing with my compass and searched for the line of least resistance whilst periodically checking my compass. Old-fashioned? Maybe, but highly efficient. If your goal is very clear, it's not really necessary. But another example: I had crossed a summit, and knew that the descent was off-trail. On my GPS I could see that eventually I would rejoin another trail but couldn't see anything from where I was. Not the trail, not the lake that was supposed to be next to it. So, I got out the compass, took a bearing in the direction of the trail and several miles later I stumbled over the trail. Another important tool in my navigation-kit is the Garmin Fenix 3. I like to record my walks; that way I can see how far I've walked, how much vertical I've done and what my current altitude is. The latter is very important to me; that way I know how far I'm away from the summit, pass or other point of interest. Bonus is that it tells me when the sun will set/rise & I can use it as a alarm in the morning. Battery life isn't bad for a 4 year old watch; I can still get 14 hours of GPS-use of it. It has a very small battery (350mAh) so recharging goes very fast. It will be upgraded soon, though. The Forerunner 945 tickets all my boxes: maps, longer battery life, lighter & improved GPS. I run pretty much daily, so having a reliable GPS-watch is a must for me, on & off trail. Scotland & reliable phone signal coverage are not always a good marriage. There are villages (Inchnadamph for example) where I couldn't get a signal. Since last year I carry a Garmin Inreach Mini, mostly for letting my GF now that I'm doing fine. You can also upload tracks to it, so it's a back-up if my iPhone should fail. However, it does not support maps so you'd only see a line, but still. I track my walks with the Inreach as well, so she can roughly follow my progress from the couch. I am aware that electronics in the backcountry have as much lovers as they have haters. But at the end of the day, it's a personal choice/preference. I like electronics; they make my life easier & improve my experience. I like data, hence the GPS-watch. I like being in contact with my GF, hence the Inreach. No, I do not feel the need to check social media (I pretty much ignored all social media for 2 weeks, even when there was a signal or WiFi); I just want people to know that I'm fine. Also, it's nice to hear something from the women you love after crossing rivers, hopping trough bog & figuring out if it's a trail or a mud stream.
Craig's Navigation:
Primary was supposed to be my watch: it was great the first couple of days, the mapping (talkytoaster) is clear with plenty detail, but doesn't give a large enough overview so I did pull out the phone at least a few times a day. After the 3rd? day my watch for some reason froze everytime I tried to start following a course or starting an "activity". It was infuriating, especially for such an expensive piece of kit. The altitude was also often way out and battery drops super quick below 30%.
My phone was secondary. I use backcountry Navigator pro, primarily because the maps are easy to download in large sections and it's pretty easy to use. The mapping is good and it worked perfectly. The battery lasts 3-5 days on flight mode depending in how many movies I watch/games I play at night, how much I read and if solo I often listen to music.
Arne carried paper maps for us to share and they were never used during the day but were nice to have at night for discussing the next day and getting a much larger overview than a phone screen can offer.
Suunto Clipper compass. Unused but worth the 5g as I've used it in situations similar to what Arne experienced before.
Comparison: well, the first couple of days my watch was the MVP, but when it started playing up it just pussed me off. Arne's watch worked flawlessly but he didn't have tracks. Wanna argue android vs iPhone? Me neither. My screen is bigger which is nice and I prefer bc nav over gaia for the better map detail but could've made do with gaia. Gaia has the CWT marked as a route which was nice but it did lack a lot of detail e.g. scree/bog and shading. Arne had a full baseplate compass which wasn't needed but if electronics had failed it would have been better to use than the tiny suunto clipper.
Sorry, I did say it's super long. Continued in the comments.

Part II is here! For methods and general preamble, please see Part I.
ETA: IMPORTANT NOTE: Notice this list is "TOP 20 SERUMS," NOT "BEST 20 SERUMS." This list reflects popularity, not necessarily greatness or efficacy, which is precisely why I tried to include negative reviews in each write up. I did this as a kind of starting off point, and was curious to see what frequently-mentioned products I had tried, and which ones I may have missed, because I personally like to get a baseline idea before I start branching out into more uncharted territory. The popularity of each product can be due to any number of factors - have popular bloggers reviewed it favorably? Is it cheap? Is it readily available in many areas without necessitating special delivery? Is it new and hyped? Etc etc. Is AB a circle jerk? Heck yes! If anything, this list proves it. Still, to me, data for the sake of data is interesting. I'd LOVE to hear which products have a well-earned spot, which are the result of undeserved hype, etc.
Let's get right down to business!
#10. Missha Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence
So this is tough, because, as far as I know, those who included the Missha FTE in their routine could be referring to the current iteration (Intensive Moist), the previous version (Intensive), or the pre-reformulated edition. Some specified, some didn't. So, technically, this means the somewhat-poorly-received reformulation made the cut, and got grouped in potentially with older, pre-reformulation versions. It’s not a perfect system, I know - consider this the electoral college of skincare posts.
The confusion comes due to the fact that Missha seems to continually cuts ingredients (First, they came for the licorice root extract, and I said nothing...) from this classic SKII dupe, resulting in multiple editions - for the record, we’re now on the 3rd iteration. Regardless, this stuff remains popular enough round these parts to bring it in at the #10 spot.
Read more about the reformulation and how the Intensive stacks up here and here.
#9. COSRX Galactomyces 95 Whitening Power Essence
Disappointed and confused after reading about the Missha FTE? How fitting that the next product on the list is considered an alternative! Though it may be most famous for the racist original name and COSRX’s responsiveness to making it less problematic. And also for being called Galactic Mice Essence (because autocorrect and AB has a sense of humor).
But enough with the names! This stuff is know to lend those brightening, softening effects sometimes referred to as the “FTE glow.” It's brightening and hydrating, sinks in nicely without feeling sticky, and comes at a price that puts some FTE’s to shame. The most common fault typically found is that its effects are subtle and many don’t notice how much it helps until discontinuing it. I myself am trying that experiment at the moment!
u/Sharkus_Reincarnus reviews it here, u/moisanom reviews it on her blog here, and a helpful thread.
#8. Holy Snails Shark Sauce
The DIY product from Chel of Holy Snails that launched a thousand ships/DIY dreams! Inspired by the musings of u/Sharkus_Reincarnus and brought to fruition by her Holiness u/HolySnails.
The reviews are generally positive, from u/moonandherlight here, and though there is some moaning about prices, most find it worth it
I even found a blog review from someone who seems to be NOT of our AB cult!
Why do I feel the need to find outside reviews? Because admittedly, many of us (myself included) are protective of Chel as one of our own, on top of loving the product. As such, people who complain about the price or packaging are typically downvoted or vehemently disagreed with, to the point that there’s been a bit of a backlash effect from those who claim circle-jerking, and some people just being super-salty that the packaging isn’t fancy enough. Of course, Chel provides her basic recipe, so anyone is free to make the product and put it in their own fancy bottle. Jus sayin.
#7. LJH Tea Tree Essence
This is a popular one - one that I have yet to try because tea tree is an ingredient that I’ve never loved. The smell isn’t a favorite of mine, and I think it’s overplayed. But hey, people swear by it, and this essence is no exception. Apparently it's scent free, which makes me re-think my prejudice against it. And it's sold on Glow Recipe, which means it’s “all-natural,” if you’re into that kind of thing. This stuff is well-loved by many who swear by its ability to hydrate and plump skin, heal acne, and reduce inflammation. It was a popular recommendation for both my Rosacea/Redness and Anti-Acne product threads. u/apathetichearts even found a novel use for it under sheet masks! But the OG review of this stuff comes from Our Lady of Fighting the Good Fight Against Acne, u/fanserviced, who has updated her original review (I love that our bloggers do this!).
But, as with any popular product, YMMV. Some report this product offers hydration and the benefits kinda end there. ETA: Also, the price is a sticking point for many. But it does go on sale from time to time, so fans may consider keeping an eye out and stocking up them.
#6. Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium Lotion
I think, for a lot of us, we read Fiddy’s review of this product and knew our hydration game was about to be forever changed. I was surprised that this fell in behind the original formulation, but the premium really is next level in terms of hydration and richness, and this is likely the choice for those battling drier climates and drier skin and older ABers that simply need more moisture, especially as we go into the colder winter months here in the Northern hemisphere. Also, the OG version has simply been around longer. This thread breaks down the differences nicely, but the long and short of it is that the premium is thicker, tends to dry down to a stickier consistency - though, strangely, some report the exact opposite!
I’d like to take a moment to clarify something about the whole “HA pulling moisture out of the skin when there’s not enough in the air” controversy. So listen, regardless of where the water molecules are coming from (the atmosphere or your capillaries that run under your skin), it doesn’t matter. This is because while the water that sits on TOP of your skin mostly evaporates, what gives us “chok chok” is moisture within the upper layers of the skin - the epidermis. Why small HA molecules matter is that they are actually absorbed, not sitting on top of the skin, and bind to water molecules there, acting as a kind of locking mechanism to bind water and HOLD IT there. If the atmosphere is very dry, the water molecules are being delivered from the deeper layers of your face - this is good news! Since you’re not dead, any “drying out” creates an osmotic gradient that will simply pull more moisture into the skin from your lymphatic and circulatory system, especially since you are driving an increase in the osmotic gradient by adding additional HA into the skin to bind that water. Basically, you are creating a kind of localized mild edema in the upper layers of your skin. Hence the plumping. If you’re in a dry climate and worried about water loss, you should also know that applying HA to your face is only a small piece of the equation - the moisture lost through the skin of your face is a mere fraction of the total transepidermal water loss you experience throughout the day through the rest of the skin all over your body and from breathing. So as long as you are drinking water and staying hydrated, you’ll be fine. (Source: I worked on an account with a leading manufacturer of injectable hyaluronic acids who was also in the process of formulating a skin care line, and had to design coursework that explained the mechanism of action of HA based on molecular weights and level of injection/penetration to other physicians - let me tell you, those papers were bone dry reading, but I’m glad my esoteric HA knowledge can be multipurposed!)
With its fancy FiVe HyAlUrOnIc AcIdS and thick consistency, this counts an HA serum in my book. We’re definitely getting away with something with this gem. I mean, P&L (not exactly known for rock bottom prices in the first place) is hawking Skin Inc HA serum at $45 for a measly 10ml. Lol. Go home, P&L/Skin Inc, ur drunk.
#5. Scinic Honey All-In-One Ampoule
This ampoule from Scinic comes in in the top 5. The consistency is like actual honey, with an ingredient list that boasts both honey and propolis extracts. But it dries down kinda sticky and the jar it comes in is a pain in the ass, but, like many entries on this list, it’s a real value. Also, that stickiness can be tamed by using a tiny pea sized amount and layering it under your moisturizer, and the packaging… well I decant mine into a Muji bottle, because that huge bottle being dipped into and lasting for damn near ever just seems like a contamination issue waiting to happen.
For being so ubiquitous and well-loved by so many, this product still has its naysayers. This thread really shows the gamut of opinions on this product - some swear by it, some hate it. Some swear it’s brightening (count me in that group), others say nay.
Chel/ u/HolySnails sang its praises more than a year ago, as did u/JumpTheM00n in this post. Both Chel’s review and this one breakdown the differences between the Shara Shara and Scinic versions. As another point of reference, it seems the Scinic has won this battle for now - the Shara Shara was one of the poorest performers, ranking dead last (out of a whopping 155 products!)
#4. Kikumasamune High Moist Lotion
Called the “Princess Mother” by u/florida_woman ‘s autocorrect the other day, so I now officially decree this is the new name, because it’s perfect for this enormous pink bottle loved by so many. It’s a watery Japanese lotion made by an established sake producer who I assume had a bunch of ferment lying around after brewing the sake and was thinking “Huh, maybe I should make some skincare with this stuff,” which honestly charms the heck out of me, even if it’s not the actual origin story. It’s light and yet incredibly moisturizing at the same time. Most list this as a “hydrating toner,” but the ferment always made me think of it as an FTE, because the arbutin and licorice brighten, the ceramides do their awesome lipid barrier repair thing, and the ferment does its own “glow” enhancing magic.
But it does has its drawbacks. Here are the drawbacks:
The pump dispenser: really a terrible delivery system, but a problem easily corrected by decanting into a spray bottle or other, more controlled pump system (like an empty COSRX bottle).
The smell is apparently unpopular with many. It smells of sake, which is full of esters, a fermentation byproduct that also happens to lend a distinct aroma to bubblegum and bananas. So you’ll see all of these scents used to describe the smell of this essence. I happen to love all 3 of those things (especially sake) so I’m not bothered by this in the slightest.
Speaking of sake, the size of this is proportioned like a bottle of the stuff. u/theacidqueen is not joking when she notes the “bonkers price-to-size ratio” in her review, where she also dubs it “the product of choice for people stocking up for the apocalypse” (lol, but I found this a lot funnier before the election, tbh). I mean, $11 for a 500ml bottle chock full of sake fermentation stuff and ceramides. Oh, and placenta.
Consider that the 3rd drawback for some - the placenta they use is animal derived (horse placenta, specifically). However, the controversy/hand-wringing around this puzzles me, because placenta is something that is expelled following birth without harm to the animal. Placenta is in general a vegan-friendly product. Let’s just say there are human moms out there who eat their own after their child’s birth - no, I’m not kidding. OK, I’m getting off track here. I’m just saying, it’s basically repurposing something that would otherwise be used for dog food or thrown away. But I don’t pretend to understand vegan logic.
Plenty of people claim break-outs with this product - I personally don't count sensitivities, since they tend to be very personal without the best inter-user generalizability, but there are enough reports that it bears mentioning. Although, strangely, some report initial sensitivity on first use that resolves over time? Almost the way you purge with actives, though the ingredients listed don’t qualify as “actives” by our standard definition, so hmmmm. Food (drinks?) for thought.
#3. Hada Labo Gokujyun Lotion
First, a note about categorization here - those who listed HL/Hada Labo/Hadalabo/ Habo [sic] Labo Gokujyun Lotion with or without the “Moist” were added to this listing. If any of y’all meant Premium but didn’t say so…. [shruggie emoji here]. Another reason this is important is that when purchasing, READ THE LISTING CAREFULLY. Hada Labo makes a plethora of lotions, with each iteration having multiple “strengths,” so to speak. So, if you want to get this particular version, you want the bottle that looks like the one I linked to above. Gokujyun - not Shirojyun. Moist (sometimes translated as Super) - not Premium or Light. Also, just to confuse us a little more, the “Moist” version is a newer bottle of previous iterations to delineate it from the Premium and Light versions. If anyone has a good pictorial guide for telling the difference, please share in the comments - if I ever get around to actually finishing this post, I’ll put that on my “to do” list.
For the record, the “Light” version did show up a couple of times, and users would like to make clear it does NOT contain alcohol, thankyouverymuch. OK, now on to the actual product.
Considering a couple of “meh” reviews from not one but TWO Snailcasters, and the fact that the A+ S&T review is now more than 2.5 years old, I was surprised to see the OG Hada Labo Gokujyun Lotion come out ahead, and in the top 3 to boot! But yes, the people have spoken, and the bronze medal goes to the “Moist” version of the HL Goku line of lotions.
As mentioned in the listing for the Premium version, there are some significant differences in the 2 formulations. Some claim this version absorbs better and helps other products absorb more quickly (acting something like a boosting toner), while other claim the premium absorbs more completely. The question as to these differences gets asked fairly frequently, and the threads parsing it are many. For me, I do Premium in the winter and OG in the summer.
This stuff is even multi-purpose! u/riotkitty shared a few novel uses for this “beauty duct tape” product recently.
But be warned - there’s a fair number of folks that claim breakouts as a result of this product and/or HA in general. So even with its straightforward formulation, it may be worthwhile to introduce cautiously (I also don’t believe in patch testing for more than 48 hours, but I won’t get into that here)
#2. Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence
Well, whaddya know? A Benton product made it into the top 2! Even after all the contamination drama, Snail Bee stands strong. This essence holds a special place in my heart, I’ll admit, since the sheet mask version was my very first AB product and very first sheet mask :O
This essence was reviewed by Kerry at Skin & Tonics all the way back in 2013. Which is basically decades in Korean/Asian beauty years, which are like dog years, but at a 15:1 ratio instead of 7:1 (this is statistically proven, FYI, using lots of very serious and complicated math on a chalkboard by a janitor that is actually secretly a math genius and whose best friend is Ben Affleck).
Needless to say, Kerry was not the only one impressed. The persistent popularity of this product alone is a testament to its quality, but if you need more evidence, reviews continue to roll in even now, 3 years later. u/DrunkOnSoju posted her review a few months ago. Is it over-hyped? u/Anarchypo says no! I’ve also heard that this is one of those paved paradise products (as in “ya don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone") - u/ilovenoodle found their PIH resurfaing, after stopping. u/foir thought it was doing nothing until they went without. The general consensus - this stuff is the bee’s knees (SORRY I COULDN’T HELP MYSELF). Calming, healing, brightening, acne-fighting… I would not be surprised if someone claimed it cured their cold at this rate. (Please, do not ingest Benton Snail Bee Essence)
I feel like I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the contamination/spoilage/under-preservative debacle from a couple years ago, but after doing a ton of reading on the topic, I’m not sure that dredging that drama up is the right move. Let’s put it this way - things got personal and weird and something something involving the SA mods and inter-sub drama, and just a whole lotta meta stuff that has nothing to do with the actual products themselves. So! To any and all new people - this is why people are a bit exasperated when this topic resurfaces every few weeks/months. The final (FINAL BECAUSE I SAY SO! I’M THE GOD) word is this - Benton added pentylene glycol to boost their preservation system, and no issues have been reported in over a year. Some users still refuse to use Benton products based on the shadiness of how the issue was handled in the aftermath and feel that there are enough alternatives without a complicated history etc etc etc. I’m bored talking about this.
#1. COSRX Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
We made it! Finally! The #1 serum/potion/thing is the COSRX Snail Essence BY A MILE. Seriously, no other product came close. Based on my scoring system, this thing had double the points of our #2 product on this list. I was shocked, honestly. I mean, yes, it’s great , but I had no idea it was this well-loved. We all know COSRX is a favorite around here, but I feel like I see the Galactomyces mentioned more often than the Snail Essence? Obviously, I haven’t been paying close enough attention.
In a way, this essence’s popularity (and really, our #2 product’s, the Benton Snail Bee Essence’s popularity, as well) is largely a testament to our collective love of our slimey mollusk mascot, the snail. COSRX’s snail essence is 96% snail goo, and a smattering of other things to make putting snail goo in a bottle, shipping it overseas, and slathering it on ya face as smooth a process as possible. Basically, Mr Cosrx is putting as few steps between you and snaily goodness as he can and in return we offer our loyalty, our HG ratings, and our #1 spot.
It’s a humble little product in its way - like all of COSRX’s products, the formulation is pretty straightforward, without the multiple bells and whistles and extracts and fragrances and fancy packages that generally make for skincaretainment. But results speak for themselves - we love us some snail goo. We put it on pimples, on burns, on scars, on our *children”... I sometimes think that the major difference between an ABer and any other “skin care enthusiast” is whether or not your routine has snail in it. I myself have a dedicated “snail step” in my routine, meaning AM and PM routines have at least one step that is a snail product (for the record, it’s this, the COSRX Snail Essence in my AM routine, and the Mizon Black Snail AIO Cream in my PM routine)
But, of course, not even our top product can skate by without detractors. An unfortunate few find that snail doesn’t play well with their skin, which to me is almost as tragic as people who are allergic to chocolate. (Not cool, God. Not. Cool.) But yes, some do find snail products to be pore-clogging. I tried at one point to find data on snail comedogenicity, and came up empty-handed. I’ve even tried sourcing snail mucin from a local snail farm that raises snails for sale to restaurants to serve as escargot, asking if they sold snail mucin or considered harvesting it, to no avail (take that, vegans - I’m trying to get this guy to change to a more humane business model, so there!) I ALSO tried to find some solid literature on efficacy of topical application of snail filtrate - this paper says snail does good things for the fine lines around the eyes, and this one says is does good things for wound healing - I’m trying to do a more in-depth review of the literature for a separate post on this. But given my rate of publication, it might be awhile… look, I like to research and fact check thoroughly. I can’t help it! I work in medical and scientific communications! It’s literally against my very being to publish without rigorous citation and fact check processes in place. Because you’re worth it.
FiddySharkus_Reincarnus does her usual bang-up job of laying out why this stuff is the bomb dot com, but u/vanityrex and u/polywaggle beg to differ (here and here, respectively).
Phew! Well, that’s it, folks! This was quite a ride, and ended up being way more of a thing than I originally anticipated! I think I’ll follow this up with a couple of additional findings before I go back to my actual job next week - what ranked at the bottom, what products were especially polarizing, that kind of thing.

Hey - Pat from StarterStory.com here with another interview.
Today's interview is with Justin Fenchel of BeatBox Beverages, a brand that sells alcoholic portable party punch.
Some stats:

• Product: Alcoholic portable party punch.
• Revenue/mo: $250,000
• Started: November 2017
• Location: Austin, TX
• Founders: 3
• Employees: 15

Hello! Who are you and what business did you start?

Hey! My name is Justin Fenchel, and I am a co-founder and CEO at BeatBox Beverages out of Austin, TX.
BeatBox is the world’s tastiest portable party punch. Our core product is an 11.1% wine-based cocktail that comes in a 3L and 5L bag-in-box format, as well as a 500ml TetraPak single serve size. We started with only the 5L bag in box, but now 85%+ of our sales come from our tetra-pak offering.
We like to say our customers are really anyone who would enjoy going to a music festival. If you value a weekend with no worries but great music and drinks and sharing experiences with your close friends, you’d likely be a BeatBox customer!
While we are not profitable yet, we’ve grown our sales quite a bit to $2.4m in 2018, up from $1.1m in 2017 and $700k in 2016. YTD in 2019 we have already hit $2m in revenue.
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What's your backstory and how did you come up with the idea?

I had the idea with a lifelong friend of mine (co-founder Brad Schultz) to make a party version of boxed wine.
We saw how popular boxed wine, typically Franzia was in college, at tailgates, kickball games, beach trips, etc. But no one was buying it because they loved the taste of the wine. They loved the affordability, convenience and taking the bag out of the box to slap the bag! We also saw the explosion of flavored malt beverages like Four Loko, Lime-a-Rita and Mike’s Hard Lemonade. So we asked ourselves why had no one made a fun flavored version of boxed wine for the millennial consumer?
Other than being avid consumers, we had no prior alcohol industry experience. However I was in the McCombs School of Business in Austin for my MBA, and put together a team of people that brought different skills to the group, and this sharing of thoughts ideas and skill sets was important at the start. But man we had to figure out a ton of the crazy alcohol laws along the way.
We followed the Lean Startup model and applied to a consumer products idea. We actually emptied out Franzia bags, and filled them up with vodka, crystal light and food coloring.
We also crowdsourced a logo and packaging designs, and put different packaging concept stickers on cardboard boxes. We then took these makeshift boxes to different parties to see what people thought. And people went nuts for them! We had people trying to give us $20 bills at random pool parties for these boxes, and we knew we were on to something.
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I had spent the first 5 years of my career after college as an equity analyst. However I realized I didn’t want to make a career in that field, so decided to go back to school (which I ended up doing at McCombs in Austin, TX.) BeatBox was started while I was in school.

Describe the process of designing, prototyping, and manufacturing the product.

Once we realized people loved the idea, we then had to figure out how we were going to make it.
The alcohol industry has just an insane amount of laws, and every state is different. So the first thing we did is get an understanding of the lay of the land speaking to an alcohol beverage law firm.
They quickly told us that our idea of making a vodka cocktail in a 5L box was illegal, as you can’t put hard alcohol in anything over 1.75 liters. But fortunately they helped us find a flavor company who specialized in a unique wine that drank much more like a spirit and we could recreate our top tested the flavor, a raspberry lemonade crystal light, and vodka.
We then wanted to outsource manufacturing, but of course, the nature of the laws in Texas made it so that if we outsourced production, we had to ship the product directly to a distributor. The reality was no distributor would give us the time of day with our crazy boxed wine concept (although in reality, we didn’t even really know what a distributor was at first!)
So ultimately the only way to get the product out there was to make it ourselves. How hard could that be?
Well, it was really freaking hard! But we figured it out. We found a winery equipment sales rep who pointed us in the right direction as far as equipment needs and costs. We called several wineries in Fredericksburg Texas to see how they did things such as measuring the alcohol content of their wine before selling it.
We talked to our business school classmates who were engineers to help us set up our facility. We used every ounce of the network we had. As an entrepreneur, you are just always figuring things out.
One key mantra that has held true throughout our story is There is ALWAYS a solution. You just have to find it as quickly as possible. Google is a great resource, your friends/family, linked in, social media. Reach out to people who are in positions that would add value to you and ask for advice. Be vulnerable and passionate and never stop finding a way to just get it done.
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This was the first batch of BeatBox we ever made.
The five original co-founders all funded the idea (in various amounts) for a total of $55k. This got us all our market testing, legal advice, our manufacturing “facility” (an 800 sq. ft warehouse that looked like a scene out of Breaking Bad), and our first 2,000 fully produced boxes.

Describe the process of launching the online store/business.

We were able to do our first production run of 160 boxes in March 2013. This was right before SXSW, one of the biggest events in the country that happens to be in our home town of Austin, TX.
We utilized this event to donate boxes to a lot of events to get some buzz (no pun intended!) around town. We had our business school classmates go to stores asking for the product and opened up some stores on our own. We also knew we needed to get exposure at the University of Texas, so we brought on an intern who was a social chair of his fraternity to help us get some more exposure.
It was critical for us with a $20 large format box that we got what the alcohol industry calls “sips to lips”. So anyway we could get people to actually drink our product was the way to go. Additionally showing early retailers you can sell through quickly is very important. So we tried to find every way possible to generate that early sell through.
Over the first 3-4 months, we opened up around 20 or so accounts, all on our own. These were primarily independently owned liquoconvenience stores around Austin. Stores that people told us we needed to be in to reach our initial target demographic of millennials 21-25. And we did a TON of in-store samplings.
You could schedule these through the stores and this was a great way to get the product out there. We learned a lot. Our first box didn't have a flavor name on it because we wanted it to be like Redbull. What flavor is Redbull? It just is. But of course, the first question we would get is “what flavor is it?” and we realized red bull had a $300m marketing budget when they came to the US, so we decided to put the flavor name on the next run of boxes.
It was tough because for the first couple months it seemed like every box that sold was because we personally sold it, but over time we started to see the boxes sell when we weren’t there, which was an amazing feeling.
I remember the first month we reached sales 100 cases (400 boxes, roughly $6k in revenue). It was an incredible milestone. But really we were limited by the fact we were self distributing, and our limited production capacity. It would take us like 2 full days to make 400 boxes.

Since launch, what has worked to attract and retain customers?

The alcohol industry uses the phrase “sips to lips” as a metric of getting consumers to know about your product. The liquid has to be great, with solid packaging at a good price point. Once you have that - then it’s about getting as many people as possible to try it. We did this through a lot of samplings, both in store and at major events with thousands of people.
We also utilized social media, focusing on the platforms that our consumers used the most. For us, that was Instagram and Facebook. As Snapchat grew, we were actually the very first alcohol brand to put a Snapchat QR code right on the packaging itself.
The key for us is that millennials/next gen dont want to hear from brands about how cool the brand is. They want to hear from their peers about how cool the brand is. So getting people to post organically to their social channels was key.
We would recruit brand ambassadors into the company who could post on our behalf, and this spread the word much faster than we could have on our own.
Shark Tank
Perhaps the biggest thing we did was go on ABC’s Shark Tank in 2014. We ended up with a deal of $1M for 33% from Mark Cuban.
When our episode aired, we had just a crazy amount of hits to our website, and our distributor wanted to expand us throughout their footprint. The whole Shark Tank experience was nuts. It was like preparing for the Superbowl of entrepreneurship. We watched every episode, read all the books the sharks had put out, stalked their websites/blogs/social accounts.
We knew things like Lori’s brother liked to drink beer on the golf course, and that Mark used to rip of the labels of Freixenet champagne in college so it looked like more expensive champagne and mentioned that in the filming! We were over-prepared which was a huge key to our success on the show. It was by far the most nervous we had been for anything in our business careers.
We were trying to manage our new distributor, our new outsourced manufacturer, our new retailers like HEB, all while preparing for the biggest entrepreneurial moment of our lives. It was intense with many 18+ hour days.

How are you doing today and what does the future look like?

Our sales are growing quite rapidly now that we’ve got the right team and distribution network. We reached $2.4m in 2018, up from $1.1m in 2017, and have a goal of $6m+ in 2019. YTD we have already hit $2m in Revenue!
We do 100 % of our sales through our distribution partners. You are able to buy BeatBox online, but that is through a retailer who has the licenses to ship it, and they purchased it from one of our distributors.
Having excited distribution partners is absolutely critical in the alcohol space. We are now sold in over 5,000 retail accounts across 10 states, and that number is growing rapidly.
Most of our sales to date have been from independent convenience stores, so we are excited about ramping up our distribution in chain accounts.

Through starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?

I think what has helped make us successful since the beginning was having such a unique and differentiated product. We just got people’s attention from day one. We also had several people high up in the alcohol industry tell us we were crazy, but that just motivated us in that we were onto something the big players just didn’t understand.
I wish that as soon as we got the money from Shark Tank that we would have hired an experienced team to help us expand. As founders/entrepreneurs, it’s tough to delegate, but we were doing far too many things ourselves as we expanded, and that is not a winning formula. When we finally decided to hire experienced veterans the sales growth followed. Hiring the best people is probably the single greatest thing you can do for yourself as a founder.
The 10x rule is very real. Everything takes 10x longer and cost 10x more than you think when you’re planning. No one gives a shit about your business at the beginning except for you. So own that and don’t blame others. You can figure it out until others can’t ignore you anymore.
You’ve also got to find time for yourself. The risk of burnout is high in the startup world, so while you’ll be working a ton, find some time to unwind and relax/recharge. It’s critical.

What platform/tools do you use for your business?

We utilize social media quite a bit. We’re active on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. We also utilize our email database to send out newsletters on occasion.
As a product almost exclusively sold at retail through our distributor partners, it’s incredibly difficult to track any sort of internet-based marketing efforts and ROI on those efforts. For us, we want to focus on the best in-store merchandising, good pricing programs and distributor incentives to move the needle.

What have been the most influential books, podcasts, or other resources?

I love The Hard Thing About Hard Things. It just puts in perspective how in business there are no easy answers.
I also thought Shoe Dog was incredibly inspiring. It was so crazy to me how even when he was doing millions in sales, that there were constant risks for Nike going under.
No one is greater than the market, and you have to work your tail off every day to win.

Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?

Don’t just assume your idea is great. Even if your family and friends say so. Get a prototype out into the market. Get people outside of your network to tell you it’s a good idea.
Learn everything about the industry you want to play in, who are the leaders and why? How can you be different and better? Read a lot!
Be solution oriented. It’s all too easy to make excuses or give up because getting your business going is too hard. There is always a solution you just have to find it. And once you know there is a market for your product don’t give up! The entrepreneurial roller coaster is real, don’t get thrown off of it.

Are you looking to hire for certain positions right now?

We are fully hired for 2019, however we do post positions every so often through our website.

Where can we go to learn more?

• www.beatboxbeverages.com

Liked this text interview? Check out the full interview with photos, tools, books, and other data.
For more interviews, check out starter_story - I post new stories there daily.
Interested in sharing your own story? Send me a PM

EDIT: As this post has made its way to the top of /electronicmusic i want to take the opportunity to say: USE EARPLUGS!!! You like this shit, yeah? This music? You like it so much you want to hear nothing else ever again? No. Didn't think so. Use earplugs. Get decent ones. Don't lose them. Don't go out friday or saturday night without them. Lose shit often? Buy a few pairs and keep them in different pants or whatever you need to do to always have them with you when you club. I use Alpine, previously I used ACS. Doesn't really matter (although i recommend against the style that stick out of your ear, i noticed they crush highs too much, and Dubs aren't quite as protective as they should be). Buy earplugs. Use them.
*TL;DR* at the bottom
I'm from the West Coast, and after spending nearly 2 years living in Berlin, and visiting a few times since, I wanted to check out another major party city that people can't stop talking about: Ibiza.
I’ll begin by saying two things: It wasn’t all bad, and I did buy some swag, because of that.
A good friend of mine, Caro, and I recently did a lil’ techno euro-trip. We visited London (Egg, Fabric), Ibiza (Amnesia, Rebels Boat, Café Del Mar, DC-10, Jet, Sankeys, Space), and Barcelona (R33). While London and Barcelona were pretty great (and the latter MUCH better than the former), we both found Ibiza to be a massive disappointment. Here’s why:
Sven Väth. Carl Cox. Maceo Plex. Tale Of Us. Solomun. Kink. Dense & Pika. Recondite. Mind Against. Stimming. Ricardo Villalobos.
World. Fucking. Class.
These are just a few of the legendary producers who were playing during the 4 days we were in Ibiza. I remember looking at the event listings and picking them apart, setting up an almost hour-by-hour schedule to experience the best of the music that the island had to offer.
This is the story of our exploration, and subsequent disappointment, of all of the above.
.
Upon our arrival (and after my hurried attempt to learn how to drive a manual car), we first visited Amnesia- it was Sven Väth’s Cocoon night, with himself, Kink, Sonja Moonear and Ricardo Villalobos playing. Let me begin by saying that, even after seeing all we saw, Amnesia was the most impressive club that we visited. Clearly Papa Sven went all out on creating an experience, and he largely succeeded. Lights, dancers, and décor were all to the 9s, although after about 5 hours (and the better part of a day of travel already under our belts), we felt like we had gotten our 40-or-so euros worth, and headed home. Amnesia:

• Lineup: 8/10
  
• Music: 8/10
  
• Sound: 4/10 (boomy, too much bass, bad baffling and too much reverb and harmonics)
  
• Lighting/Visuals: 7/10
  
• Layout: 5/10 (no ‘chill’ area other than a fenced in pavement area outside)
  
• Crowd: 5/10
  
• Value: 7/10
  

Day 2, we headed to a bar in Playa D’en Bossa, where a friend of a friend hooked us up with some... drinks, and suggestions on where to go. His suggestion of the Capadi Rebels Katamaran boat party ended up being a lot of fun- 2.5h of open bar on a 5h boat was a blast. He also put us on guestlist for Space that night, a memo which Space never actually got… Apparently this is common there.
Capadi Rebels Boat Party:

• Lineup: 0/10 (all locals/unknowns)
  
• Music: 7/10 (up-beat tech-house but just fine for a boat party)
  
• Sound: 8/10
  
• Lighting/Visuals: N/A
  
• Layout: 8/10 (great variety of spaces to hang out, chill, party, plus dive into the water!)
  
• Crowd: 7/10 (the free alcohol really helped)
  
• Value: 7/10
  

After heading to Space (and finding out guestlist didn’t work out), we called it a night, and Khung out around our hostel in San Antonio. Probably for the best. 2.5h drinking in the sun on a ketamaran (and subsequently losing my hat) meant I needed a wee bit of rest.
Our 3rd day in Ibiza started by heading out to find a beach. 10 points to Caro for making sure we got a rental car, because it was great for this. When the first one we hit was full (and like FULL FULL), we got a suggestion for another locals beach. Some wandering around in the mentioned area, and a tip from a family that was just leaving, and we ended up at a beautiful little alcove where we soaked up sun and swam in gorgeous clear water. It was Spain, after all, and what is Spain without some beach and sun time?
Random Private Beach:

• Lineup: 0/10 (all locals/unknowns)
  
• Music: 0/10 (no music)
  
• Sound: 8/10 (very clear, no muddy bass)
  
• Lighting/Visuals (10/10)
  
• Layout: 7/10 (nature could have done a better job making it more accessible)
  
• Crowd: 8/10 (all locals, no other annoying tourists)
  
• Value: 9/10
  

After beaching it up, we headed back to the party world to prep for Paradise at DC-10. Spoiler: It’s not Paradise.
The night began at an Ibiza staple: Café Del Mar. I first heard about Café Del Mar via their Aria mix series many years ago. I’ve wanted to visit ever since. It’s directly next to Café Mambo, right on the edge of the water in the west-facing San Antonio, positioned perfectly for gorgeous sunsets.
Between the two of us, having a salad, a small pizza, and two drinks, we spent nearly 60 euros. A weeee bit steep. Bonus: the music was tech house, and was often overpowered by the Martin Solveig pre-party happening next door. I considered having a shisha, which they offer, but at 40 euros I felt it wasn’t justifiable.
Café Del Mar:

• Lineup: 0/10 (I don’t even know who was playing)
  
• Music: 0/10 (no music)
  
• Sound: 3/10
  
• Lighting/Visuals: 8/10 (gorgeous sunset)
  
• Layout: 5/10 (nothing special, very crowded)
  
• Crowd: 5/10 (nothing special)
  
• Value: 2/10
  

DC-10 was where we had originally wanted to go on the first night, to see Circoloco, a party that apparently is best enjoyed in the daytime and thus only goes until 4am. As we were just having dinner at 1am (a mediocre paella) we ended up at Amnesia instead. Experiencing DC-10 this evening, it was clear that this is a daytime party- the large open courtyard was a great chill-out space, but would have been made much better with a gorgeous sun shining overhead. Here we saw Stimming playing his Alpe Lusia album live which was a real treat. Unfortunately the entire experience was hampered by the same that bothered us at Amnesia: mediocre sound, a bevy of beefy brits who either weren’t enjoying the music, or didn’t feel the urge to dance, and really, really fucked up people who had regular battles with gravity. After Stimming, we saw some back to back with Patrick Topping and wAFF in the main room. The main room had better visuals- some cool laser grid things that captured my attention much more than the apparent disagreement Topping and wAFF were having about whether this should be a Tech House or Techno set.
DC-10:

• Lineup: 7/10 (Stimming. That is all.)
  
• Music: 7/10 (Stimming. That is all).
  
• Sound: 5/10 (unimpressive overall, muddy in the main room)
  
• Lighting/Visuals: 6/10 (some cool lasers..)
  
• Layout: 7/10 (I liked the outdoor chill area)
  
• Crowd: 4/10
  
• Value: 4/10
  

The one nicety about DC-10 was meeting a lovely couple. The four of us bailed on the indecisive music and headed back to Playa D’en Bossa to catch the sunrise and smoke a joint. I guess this was technically the start of…
Day 4: If you’ve never been to Ibiza, you might still have heard of Jet Hotel. It’s called that because regularly (as in, like, every 30 minutes), a jet comes in over the town and directly above the hotel, on its way to the airport. The jets flying overhead make a great, big noise, one that is really hard to miss, I’m sure you’ve heard it before. The hotel is famous for having chosen a great way to resolve what would normally be seen as a really, really bad location: drowning it out with music. Every day, and I do mean every day, Jet hosts a pool party. From 11am until about 9pm (or until 11 if people are still going), they blast tech house, non-stop, from F1 club-level speakers. Our new friends had a hotel room overlooking this raucous mess of chavs, which we found mildly entertaining at first, but within a few hours decided was becoming far too repetitive and bothersome. How these people managed to stay for 10 days in that room, unable to experience silence, is beyond me.
At some point early in the afternoon, we decided to head back to San Antonio where everything was a little less abrasive. While Caro got an hour of Zzz, the rest of us headed out to the aforementioned Café Mambo have some drinks. The next 8 or so hours consisted of heading back to the Playa, drinking more, discovering certain beach bars would give you a cup of ice for a euro, to fill yourself, and then drinking said cups. At some point in the evening we sorted out guestlist for Sankeys and bought tickets (yes, paid this time) for Space, Afterlife night by Tale of Us.
Both Sankeys and Space are in Playa D’en Bossa, so we went to Sankeys first, for Unusual Suspects. The club itself is quite new for Ibiza standards, and is a branch of a club with the same name located in Manchester. The club itself is cool enough, but what really brought it down was the people. Because of its relative new-ness, and the fact that it was a smaller night, getting in free at Sankeys is quite easy, so it really attracted the most undiscerning partiers. People who were doing the Macarena on the dance floor, for instance. Yes, seriously. Upstairs on the patio (next to the entirely empty 2nd/3rd room) there was a couple ladies making the rounds giving people free shots for reposting some video on facebook. Really high-quality promo work…
Sankeys Ibiza:

• Lineup: 4/10 (i don't know, frankly the macarena dancers were distracting me)
  
• Music: 4/10 (seriously, the macarena)
  
• Sound: 5/10 (not too offensive)
  
• Lighting/Visuals: 4/10
  
• Layout: 8/10 (I actually really liked the layout, great separation between areas)
  
• Crowd: 0/10
  
• Value: 1/10 (it was free, after all)
  

After about 45 minutes, I managed to persuade everyone to leave and head to Space, for Tale of Us.
ACTUALLY USEFUL INFORMATION HERE: Promo and ticket sales in Ibiza works in a couple different ways. First off, you can buy tickets from RA. Simple, easy, guaranteed. For Space, RA had the tickets for I believe 45 euros. Secondly, you can go to one of the many, many, many club ticket sales booths in various bars and areas of the island. They had tickets for 50 euros. Additionally, you could buy them last minute at the door, for a value that isn’t reallyyy known til you get there- usually either the same price or a bit more than the ticket booths. Finally, you can sometimes get discount wristbands from promoters on the beaches, and sometimes even get ticket packages from them (that may include a shuttle, drinks, whatever).
We had bought tickets presale, through RA. Our friends landed wristbands on the beach that lowered the price to the same amount we had paid (and, in fact, less if we’d arrived before 1230). Two lines, Presale/guestlist, and door. Guess which one was longer, by a solid 40 minutes? Yep. Presale/guestlist. While our friends were in the club in no time, we got to stand around and watch other people not be on guestlist, get mad, and leave. Fortunately, this time, having paid, we managed to get in, and experience the wonder that is SPACE IBIZA once before it closes.
So for starters, Space is big. I couldn’t really get a sense of HOW big, but it’s BIG. There are at least 3 or 4 different rooms and areas, although on this Thursday night the main room was not open, so we didn’t get to experience them all. What we did experience, however, was one side ‘lounge’ room with some minimal and then tech house playing, a ‘main’ room with I believe Tale of Us playing, and SO GOD DAMN MANY PEOPLE THAT WE COULDN’T ENJOY ANY OF IT. We left after 45 minutes because the crowd was SO intense that it was simply impossible to stay.
Space Ibiza:

• Lineup: 7/10
  
• Music: ?
  
• Sound: ?
  
• Lighitng/Visuals: 6/10
  
• Layout: ?
  
• Crowd: 2/10 (better than Sankeys, I guess)
  
• Value: 0/10
  

We ended the night back at our friends’ hotel, where thankfully the horrible party had ended, and we could play some good music in the room. Later that morning (still with next to no sleep) we packed our bags and began to head out. Before leaving, we did make it to a cemetery on top of the island to smoke a joint. That was definitely the quietest hour I had experienced for days… and certainly one of the most relaxing.
Overall:
Ibiza

• Lineup: 8/10
  Great international DJs playing all the fucking time
  
• Music: 6/10
  

Every single one of them seems to dumb down their music to make it more approachable and easier to digest. Not what a music aficionado would enjoy.

• Sound: 4/10

Genuinely appalling sound in all the clubs. I used musician earplugs all the time, and so I could genuinely gauge the quality of sound.

• Lighting/Visuals: 7/10

It’s clear that the clubs went out of their way to make their spaces visually stunning, and it shows. Despite my preferring dark spaces with a couple iSpots, they did a great job blowing the minds of e’d out 19 year old Brits who’d never seen a real light show before, and for that I must give them credit.

• Layout: 5/10

Overall, unimpressive. Usually too few spaces to chill

• Crowd: 1/10

This is what really bites- the city is filled with low-grade party tourists who don’t know good music, don’t know how to hold their alcohol (or other intoxicants), and generally aren’t fun to party with.

• Value: 3/10

I went because I had to see it. I spent far too much money doing so, and truly wish I’d gone only to Barcelona rather than trying to do both.
Special shoutouts to:

• A legion of insanely jacked guys waxed bare walking around with tan lines
  
• 50 euro (65+ cad) average entry to most clubs
  
• 20 euro (25+ cad) average drink price at any club
  
• 9 euro (13+ cad) bottles of water (250ml too, not even 500ml)
  
• Genuinely horrible sound design pretty much everywhere
  

On the plus side, I learned how to drive a stick, so it wasn’t a total waste.
In summary:
Fuck this stupid over commercialized expensive chavvy pop music mainstream bullshit party island.
See you in Berlin.
mic drop

Hi there! These items being offered are stored in a cool, dry, dark drawer in a smoke-free home. Used products are cleaned and sanitized with 70% isopropyl alcohol.
Shipping prices from NYC to US are as follows: $3 for packages up to 8oz, $3.50 for 9-13oz, $6 for 14+ oz. For international shipments, ask me for a quote.
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Please respond promptly to comment replies & messages regarding the items you're interested in, so I can keep other customers updated on the availability of items. :)
Abbreviations are used as follows: BN = brand new, BNIB = brand new in box, FS = full size, DS = deluxe sample, #x = number of times product was used, x# = quantity of that product type available, “ = same as immediate above in column. Claimed items are marked with a strikethrough.

Willing to Swap for:

CoverFX	PowerPlay Foundation in G50
Dior	DiorShow Mascara	FS
Hourglass	Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure	FS or travel size
"	Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light	FS or travel size
Ren	Perfect Canvas Skin Finishing Serum	FS or DS

Complexion

bareMinerals	Mineral Veil Setting Powder in Original	used 2x	$15
CYO	Lifeproof Long Lasting Foundation in 103	BN x2	$4 each
”	“ in 109	BN x2	$4 each
Dermablend	Flawless Creator Foundation Drops	about 85% left	$22
”	Loose Setting Powder	BN, travel size (.18 oz)	$7
”	Smooth Liquid Camo Foundation in 10N Cream	used 1x	$24
”	Quick Fix Concealer in 25N Beige	used 3x	$14
Giorgio Armani	Compact Cream Concealer in 3.5	used 3x, mostly untouched	$20
”	Fluid Sheer in #10	90% left	$19
Lancome	Translucence Silky Loose Powder in 100	~75% left	$18
Maybelline	Fit Me! Concealer in 25-Medium	BN (sealed), x2	$3 each
”	Fit Me! Dewy & Smooth Foundation in 220 Natural Beige	BN (sealed), x3	$4 each, 2 for $7, or all 3 for $9
NARS	Matte Multiple in Vientiane	used 1x	$12
”	Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation in Vanuatu	used 2x	$25
”	Sheer Glow in Fiji (with pump)	used 1 pump	$24
”	Sheer Glow in Gobi (with pump)	~90% left	$22
Revlon	Colorstay Foundation Combination/Oily SPF 15 in 150 Buff	used 2 pumps	$7

Other Makeup

INC.redible	You Glow Girl Iridescent Jelly in Show Glow	BN	$7
NARS	Highlighting Powder in St Barths	used 1x	$23
”	Highlighting Powder in Maldives	used 1x	$23
tarte	Tartelette Flirt Palette	swatched	$15

Fragrance

Bulgari	Au Thé Vert	BN, DS (.05 oz)	$2
”	Omnia Coral	BN, DS (.1 oz)	$2
”	Omnia Crystalline	BN, DS (.1 oz)	$2
Chloé	Chloé Eau de Parfum	BN, DS (.05 oz)	$2
Dior	Miss Dior Eau de Parfum	BN, DS (.05 oz)	$2
Emporio Armani	Stronger with You (Eau de Toilette pour Homme)	BN, DS (.04 oz)	$1
Guerlain	Shalimar Eau de Toilette	BN, DS (.02 oz)	$2
Philosophy	Pure Grace Nude Rose	BN, DS (.11 oz)	$3
Rag and Bone	Bergamot	BN, DS (.05 oz), x2	$3 each
”	Oddity	BN, DS (.05 oz)	$3
Wildfox	Eau de Parfum Spray	BN, DS (.05 oz)	$1

Skincare

Caudalie	Grape Water	2.5 oz, used 3x	$5
Cezanne	High Moist Skin Conditioner	BN, sealed, FS (500ml)	$14
Cosrx	One Step Moisture Up Pads	80% left	$13
"	Propolis Light Ampule	BN, x2	$15 each
Dr. Brandt	Microdermasion Age-Defying Exfoliator	BN, DS (0.25 oz)	$7
”	Needles No More Wrinkle Smoothing Cream	BN, DS (0.085 oz)	$10
”	No More Baggage Eye-Depuffing Gel	BN, DS (0.1 oz)	$5
”	Pores No More Pore Refining Primer	BN, DS (0.25 oz)	$7
Epionce	Renewal Lite Facial Lotion	BN, DS (.2 oz)	$2
Kate Somerville	Eradi-Kate Acne Treatment	BN, sealed	$15
Lancome	Energie de Vie The Smoothing and Plumping Pearly Lotion	BN, DS (0.5 oz), x2	$2.50 each, or $4 for both
Pigeon	UV Baby Milk SPF 35 PA +++	BN, sealed	$9
”	"	used 2x	$8
Whamisa	Organic Flowers Eye Essence	BNIB	$36
”	“	40% left	$13

Thanks for looking!