My Story
So Far!
Okay, real talk? My skincare journey didn’t start with a cute haul or a glowy selfie. It started with pain.
I grew up with eczema, brutal allergies, and skin so sensitive it would throw a full tantrum over the mildest product. We are talking cracked dry patches, sunburns that stuck around way too long, and sunscreen that literally made me cry. Not emotionally, just straight-up burning my eyes.
The hardest part? Where I grew up, the options were almost non-existent. I wasn’t picking between serums. I was just trying to find something that didn’t make things worse. So I kept it bare minimum, whatever didn’t sting. No 10-step routine, no glam. Just hope and a very short list of things my skin would tolerate.
Then 2013 happened. I moved to Canada, landed in Toronto, and honestly? It felt like I’d walked into a different dimension. Shelves upon shelves of products. Ingredients I’d never heard of. And a Shoppers Drug Mart on every corner calling my name. I won’t lie, the shopaholic in me woke up immediately.
But I had to slow down. My skin had been through wars. So I started reading labels like a detective, patch-testing like it was my part-time job, and slowly figuring out what actually worked for me versus what just had pretty packaging.
There were still flare-ups. Still moments where I’d try something new and wake up looking like I’d lost a fight with a cactus. But I kept going.
Then 2013 happened. I moved to Canada, landed in Toronto, and honestly? It felt like I’d walked into a different dimension. Shelves upon shelves of products. Ingredients I’d never heard of. And a Shoppers Drug Mart on every corner calling my name. I won’t lie, the shopaholic in me woke up immediately.
The real turning point? Turning 30. Something shifted. I stopped treating skincare like a chore and started treating it like the one daily ritual that was entirely, unapologetically mine. That’s when I got serious about ingredients. Really serious. I researched retinol for months before I even touched it (sensitive skin + retinol is a whole negotiation, let me tell you). I built up slowly, layer by layer, and the patience actually paid off.
Now? I shop for skincare the way some people shop for sneakers. Obsessively, internationally, and with zero regrets. If there’s a product getting buzz in Korea, Japan, France, or literally anywhere, I will find it. Multi-country hauls are basically a hobby at this point. Toronto is incredible for this. Between the Asian beauty stores in Scarborough, the French pharmacy finds, and the endless online rabbit holes, I am never bored, and my shelf is never empty.
I’ve experimented with everything. Actives, slugging, glass skin routines, barrier repair phases, the works. Some of it changed my life. Some of it went straight into the bin. All of it taught me something.
What I know now is this: skincare isn’t about chasing perfection. It’s about knowing yourself well enough to give your skin exactly what it needs. Not what an ad told you to buy. My routine is personal, a little imperfect, and completely built around comfort and consistency.
If you’ve ever felt lost in the beauty aisle, or cried (actually cried) because nothing was working – hi, I get it. This space is for you. We figure it out together, one honest review at a time.