In today’s good old-fashioned skincare empties video, I’m going through an honestly embarrassing pile of products I finished over the tail end of summer—hits, misses, and the “it was just there” category. I break down what actually performed in my routine (and why), from a super gentle hemp-oil cleanser that made me rethink what cleansers can do, to serums that either delivered real, lasting hydration…or just didn’t compare to the benchmark products I know work for my skin. I talk probiotics and fermentation with the MISSHA Time Revolution vs. my beloved Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair (spoiler: not the same experience on my skin), and I share my thoughts on rice in skincare with the I’M FROM Rice Serum—hydrating and silky, but not the brightening powerhouse I expected. I also cover the retinol-based Acaderma Chronowarp Essence (the retinol I’ve actually used consistently), plus my favorite microcurrent “conductive gel meets hydrating serum” from FOREO. Then we get into moisturizers—Sephora Collection’s AHA sleeping cream was the lone survivor of a very questionable lineup, while SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 was, unfortunately, a price-to-performance disappointment for me. And because body care counts, I finish with Sol de Janeiro minis (I live and die for that scent) and a mysterious VT Cica gel I used as a lightweight summer body hydrator.