Life Lately: The Skincare & Wellness Rituals That Kept Me Anchored

Well, it’s been a minute. More specifically, almost two years since my last post on here. Life has that strange quality of moving both quickly and slowly—two years flash by, yet they also feel like a lifetime ago.

Lately, it’s been a lot (for so many of us), and taking space to protect our well-being felt not only necessary but refreshing. On Instagram, I posted last week for the first time in over three months, and since then I’ve received messages asking about the products in that carousel. So I thought I’d follow up here with a little more context: a few daily rituals that quietly held me steady in the background during that stretch offline.

✹ Liquid Courage Antioxidant Serum – Gentlerist

IAnyone who followed YÜLI should know by now that they’re now Gentlerist, and they’ve been releasing updates to the classics that are honestly… so good. Liquid Courage, for instance, evolves from its original oil form by keeping the oil phase entirely intact while adding an aqueous phase that layers in even more antioxidant support—think additional Vitamin C derivatives, botanical antioxidants, and advanced actives.

The result is a super serum that turns into a milky emulsion when shaken, and truly feels like bottled sunlight. Bi-phase, deeply active, and designed to intercept oxidative stress at every turn, this one has been a mainstay in my routine—especially on the days when my skin needed protection and a lift in radiance. If you’ve ever wished your antioxidant serum felt like a warm, glowing safety net, this is it. And more practically, if you’re trying to make Vitamin C work in your routine, this is one that doesn’t sting, doesn’t smell like hot dogs, and actually makes your skin glow.

✹ Superstar – MIJA

Ingestibles… do they work? That’s always the question. I think the biggest hurdle with ingestibles is the lack of immediate feedback—you don’t get the overnight gratification you might with retinols or acid toners. But having consistently taken Superstar since it launched, I can say it’s the one I reach for over and over again as my go-to wellness drink.

It’s a powdered formula packed with adaptogens, superfoods, and rare botanicals that actually feels alive. I also appreciate that it was formulated by a dietitian nutritionist, so I don’t have to second-guess if it’s going to mess with anything else I’m doing. Superstar boosts your system without the crash—nutrition that fills gaps without going overboard. That steady-hand formulation is what’s missing from a lot of wellness products these days, where everything is either 2,500% of your daily Vitamin C or “green dust” superfoods in quantities that make no meaningful difference (hi, AG1).

✹ Cream Foundation + Lip Tint – Kjaer Weis

I know Ilia, RMS, and Kosas have taken the lion’s share of the clean beauty spotlight lately, but I still think Kjaer Weis remains a bit of an “if you know, you know” brand. Their formulas are luxurious, the packaging is second to none, and the overall branding feels intentional and elevated.

These have been in my arsenal for years, and I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve refilled them. If you need further validation: I recently rewatched the pilot of a beauty series by Katey Denno (celebrity makeup artist and longtime green beauty advocate), and so many of the conventional swaps she made were with Kjaer Weis.

I love how these formulas keep skin and lips looking like you, just a bit more polished—soft, breathable, never masked. The cream foundation wears like a second skin, never dry or chalky, and the lip tint has that beautiful creamy texture that melts in without sliding off. The color payoff is subtle but buildable—natural but intentional.

✹ The Eye Serum Hunt

I never expected to be an eye serum devotee, and I’m still halfway in the “aren’t these just expensive moisturizers?” camp. But here we are: my growing collection of eye serums may have officially overtaken face oils and cleansers as my most obsessive category.

Why? Because I’m finicky when it comes to eye products. Too thick, and they’re uncomfortable. Too thin, and they feel like nothing. Perfect texture? Great—now show me the benefits. (And yes, I’m still waiting for one that actually does something noticeable for dark circles.)

Here’s what I’ve been using:

→ Verso Super Eye Serum

A retinol-encapsulated cream that strikes a good balance between active and nourishing. You’ll probably need 2–3 bottles to really see long-term improvements in aging markers, but it feels good immediately and has earned repeat purchases from me.

→ U Beauty The Return Eye Concentrate

Probably my favorite product from the U Beauty line. It’s appropriately hydrating and has a comfortably sleek, nourishing feel with noticeable results. Most of the brand’s products are too goopy for me, but this one works. I’d rank it in my top 2–5 for actual performance across various categories for eye products.

→ Saint Jane Bright Repair Eye Cream

Unfortunately, the miss of the group. It has a thick-but-bouncy texture that felt synthetic and more suffocating than expected—and it gave me milia, something I haven’t had in my 15+ years of experimenting with eye products. I passed it to my mom (the “Kiehls Avocado Eye Cream could be thicker” type) and even she stopped using it after two applications due to irritation. So yeah… no.

→ Naturium Multi-Peptide Eye Cream

The underdog here and one of the best. It’s the most affordable of the bunch but holds its own in terms of results. The peptides help soften fine lines, and the texture is spot on—lightweight but substantial. It now comes in a squeeze tube for easier use, which I appreciate. This one’s just well-balanced and easy to recommend.

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Final Thoughts

So that’s where I’ve been. And what I’ve been reaching for. This wasn’t meant to be a routine, but more of a reflection—a small inventory of rituals that continued to show up for me while I figured out how to show up for myself.

If you’re still reading after all this time, thank you. I missed writing like this—and I’m slowly finding my way back to it. If you’ve tried any of these, have thoughts, or have a holy grail eye serum I need to know about… drop a comment.

Until then, I hope you’re finding your own quiet anchors—whether in skincare, stillness, or somewhere in between.