Beauty Skeptic

The Future of Beauty Skeptic

April 3, 2023 by Beauty Skeptic

Years ago, when I enrolled in university while juggling full-time professional employment, I knew this blog’s priority would take a hit. Since then, a lot has happened. The world is different, my career is different, what is important to me is different. I am different.

So in the past few months, I’ve been reflecting on my time writing Beauty Skeptic, and on the future of Beauty Skeptic.

Beauty Skeptic is about a decade old. As my life changed, I made a few attempts to establish a new structure that fit and was sustainable. Upon reflection, they were half-hearted. This is telling because I’m a driven person, but didn’t apply my trademark determination to this project – repeatedly.

I should have reflected on and analyzed this sooner.

What Inspired this Project

…was being annoyed at how completely awful the marketing in the beauty industry is. It is often ridiculous and borderline predatory. I didn’t start using cosmetics in earnest until my early twenties, and was shocked at the bullshit that was completely normalized and too-easily accepted.

Takuminozawa makes the BEST Nail Clippers

March 21, 2026February 20, 2023 by Beauty Skeptic

I tend to shy away from absolutist post titles. That I didn’t this time should be telling. Who gets excited about nail clippers? I do, when they’re this good. Hell, my husband evangelizes them.

I had never found a pair of nail clippers I liked. At most, a pair achieved the stunning heights of acceptable. In fact, I went for years never cutting them and only filing to remove length. But that takes a while, burns through files, and creates excess dust.

I have since found that Japanese brand Takuminozawa makes the BEST nail clippers. This brand is also sometimes known as Green Bell. Like a few of my favorite things these days, are imports. They have several varieties, but I am using these fingernail clippers ($12) and these toenail ones ($14).

What makes a good pair of nail clippers?

Fixed, I Think?

February 3, 2023 by Beauty Skeptic

Evidently most of the site was broken for nearly a month. I think I have it mostly fixed based on spot checks I’ve done.

Please let me know if a resource you’re trying to reference gives you a weird error!

Thanks for bearing with me.

Worth it? Ohora Semi-Cured Gel Nail Strips

March 21, 2026January 25, 2023 by Beauty Skeptic

Before I got into gel manicures, I used to do nail art all the time. This also consumed a lot of time, which was okay back then because I HAD time. Then, I got into gel and got 10-21 days out of a manicure. As my time faded, so too did my interest in nail art. Even now, I don’t dislike it. I just can’t spend hours on my nails 1-2x a week, and I never picked up gel art.

Enter Ohora Semi-Cured Gel Nail Strips

I had never tried nail strips – neither classic nor curable gel. Though I appreciate the art-on-demand aspect, they didn’t strike me as something I needed to try. I have good polishing skills, and I can live without art. So, I dismissed them for my own purposes. This goes for both gel AND classic strips – just had very little interest at their price point.

Last July, some of the Ohora Semi-Cured Gel Nail Strips went on sale. I bought a pack that featured a tortoise design, and left them untouched until mid-October. It was then sufficiently Autumn, so I gave them a shot.

Application

I was pleasantly surprised that using these things is pretty damn easy! Match up sizing much like you’d do for a press-on nail. Carefully peel from the backing. Align with your cuticle and gently but firmly press to adhere, ensuring no bubbles or gaps.

Store Hair Tools with Care

March 21, 2026January 17, 2023 by Beauty Skeptic

Store hair tools, including irons, with care to prolong their lifespan!

Embarrassingly, I had a heated hair tool become problematic recently. I had my Hot Tools iron stored with a bunch of tools in a drawer. I hadn’t used it in a while, but needed to be presentable for some Mandatory Fun at work. Since my hair was dry, the Airwrap wouldn’t be a good fit. Thus, I reached for a reliable tool to do some quick low-effort wrangling of my hair.

What I found, though, was that the handle of the iron was odd: the texture wasn’t the same. It was inconsistent and, inexplicably, tacky or sticky. This wasn’t because of product build up, though – we’re talking the handle, not the barrel.

Weird, but Maybe It’s Fine?

…or, maybe not. I tried to clean it; no dice. I ventured and gave using it a shot anyhow, because nothing was unsafe from an electrical or heat perspective. This was a mistake, though: strands of my hair stuck to the handle as I curled. I ended up pulling out a few strands as a result. Ow.

Off Topic (Sort of): On Twitter

December 23, 2022 by Beauty Skeptic

If you dislike Twitter, why are you still using it?

Something that fascinates me about the ongoing dumpster fire that is the unmitigated death spiral of Twitter is the users who still actively use it. I count friends among this group, so I’m not just firing shots in the dark at some abstract group.

In one breath, we see The Owner’s actions decried as absurd, destructive, hypocritical (they are). In the next? Posting as though its just Business as Usual.

Regardless of Ownership, Twitter Users Don’t Get a Say

What so many people inexplicably fail to understand is that Twitter is not, and never has been, a democracy. Despite whatever bullshit The Owner originally peddled about being a free speech absolutist, there’s overwhelming evidence that this is categorically bullshit. Being either in denial that the platform is largely fucked, or riding it out through the death rattles, just rewards the behavior you condemn.