Sensitive Haul: Here's What We Bought in January

Another month, another super-reasonable and not at all embarrassing amount of money spent on skincare and makeup. Here’s what we bought, what we loved, and what we totally and completely hated.

Love This: NYX Stripped Off Micellar Water

Dropping a few bills on a makeup remover or cleanser feels a little silly, right? Functionally, it doesn't need to do much besides get whatever's on your skin off your skin. I mean, you literally wash it off. It's not rocket science. So when I heard good things about NYX's micellar water on the Natch Beaut podcast, I had to give this vegan, cruelty-free eau micellaire a shot. It does exactly what it's supposed to do. It's available at Target. And it's less than $10. Becky Bartkowski

Fuck That: Pacifica Sea Foam Complete Face Wash

In my January quest to take it all off, I fell in and quickly out of love with another cruelty-free, vegan, $10-ish face wash from Target. Paciica's Sea Foam Complete Face Wash promised a foamy clean. It delivered on that, easily taking off makeup, mascara, and your typical daily grime. But it also has a slightly medicinal scent (imagine coconut cough syrup) and resulted in a pretty serious breakout. B.B.

Love This: Cerave Itch Relief Moisturizing Lotion

Besides a clean face, I was also on the hunt for something to alleviate my skin's winter-weather itchy and scratchy show. Which is easier said than done, because when my skin's irritated, even products with the super-sensitive stamp of approval can sting and instead of soothe. (Looking at you, regular Cerave moisturizer, lotion, and cleanser.) Unlike those formulas, this ceramide-rich itch relief lotion quickly calms my skin -- and keeps it itch-free for hours. And the National Eczema Association stamp of approval doesn't hurt either. B.B.

Love This: Sunday Riley Good Genes

I snagged a deluxe sample of Sunday Riley's Good Genes lactic acid treatment from Sephora expecting to be underwhelmed or worse. But I ended up loving this stinky, tingling exfoliator. Turns out, it's a cult favorite for a reason: The results are quick. My skin felt smoother, looked brighter, and had a more even tone and texture just minutes after applying. The one downside? An ounce is about $100. Yeeesh. Thank god for Cosrx. B.B.

Fuck That: Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes

I have been on the hunt for what is apparently a unicorn in the cosmetic world: a natural mascara that doesn't suck. And while this 4-in-1 mascara (the promised four being lengthening, curling, volumizing, and conditioning) from Tarte wasn't terrible, that packaging sure as hell as was. If I'm going to keep what looks like an old lady's purple alligator handbag on my vanity it better at least deliver some serious results. Katie Johnson

Love This: Schmidt's Sensitive Skin Formula in Geranium Flower

Another day, another deodorant. Since I had decent luck with the brand's regular deodorant, I thought I'd try the sensitive formula. And guys, it's SO MUCH BETTER. Unlike the regular formula, the sensitive one goes on smooth and with zero effort. If you've tried Schmidt's original sticks, you know that they require, er, a little finesse to apply. (You literally have to hold it to your pits for a minute to let the stick soften up.) K.J.

Love This: RMS Beauty Wild With Desire Lipstick

Because RMS Beauty's Un Cover-Up is basically my ride or die, I thought I'd give their newish line of lipsticks a try. Always in need of an everyday nude, I started with Brain Teaser, a pinkish brown hue that doesn't hold back on pigment. The bold color and conditioning on these bad boys is so unlike any lipstick I've tried, I ended buying three -- yes, three -- in a single month. K.J.

Fuck That: Drunk Elephant La La Retro Whipped Cream

Apparently this was an Allure Best of Beauty pick, and I just don't get it. Sure, it's more moisturizing than the Drunk Elephant's B-Hydra Intensive Gel, but I've had better. And maybe it was the "six rare African oils," but on top of doing a mediocre job at moisturizing my face, it also gave me some nice pimples along the forehand. Bye bye, Lala. K.J.