No BS Bulletin 50

Fifty

Author

Sarah
February 06, 2025

In partnership with

Welcome to Issue 50 of the No BS Beauty Bulletin!

Welcome to another week of beauty news, skincare finds, and a little No BS fun! This week in Juicy Beauty News, we’re looking at how brands are trying to justify their premium prices in an era of dupe culture, why drugstores never became the beauty hubs they once promised to be, and the latest research proving that scratching an itchy rash only makes things worse (turns out, our parents were right all along). Plus, big changes are coming to Estée Lauder as they announce up to 7,000 job cuts in their latest restructuring plan.

In What Did I Buy This Week?, I’ve added a few exciting products to my collection—some new skincare, a cult-favorite serum, and a couple of Ulta finds that I’m curious to test out (but let’s not mention that to Cameraman 😉).

Over in About the Dogs, Ike and Lincoln have been shamelessly enjoying our cooking nights at my dad’s house, mostly because they know treats are always involved. Lincoln, ever the cheese connoisseur, has made his snack expectations very clear, while Ike is happy with anything—except asparagus, which he refuses to acknowledge as food. Meanwhile, Gabby has been running around like a puppy, and we’re thrilled that her diet changes are keeping her pancreatitis in check!

Our Winner of the Week is all about weight loss—specifically, how to help your skin bounce back after losing weight. From collagen to peptides, I’m sharing my favorite products and tips to help improve firmness. And in Loser of the Week, I’m tackling Volufiline—an ingredient being hyped for "plumping" everything from faces to busts, but spoiler alert: it’s nowhere near as miraculous as some people claim.

Finally, congrats to this week's giveaway winner, Chris H.! 🎉 And a quick shoutout to last week’s winner, Kelly B.—not only did she claim her prize immediately, but Cameraman actually managed to ship it the same day (I know, shocking! 😆). If that’s not worth a second win from the universe, I don’t know what is.

Enjoy the newsletter, and as always—happy skincare hunting! 💕

Made Me Laugh

Juicy Beauty News

👀 What did I buy this week?👀

Don’t tell Cameraman!

About the Dogs

This week, Ike and Lincoln have been loving our cooking nights at my dad’s house—mostly because they know treats are involved! Lincoln, our little cheese connoisseur, has made it very clear that he expects his fair share of any cheese-related snacks, and he’s not shy about voicing his disappointment if he gets skipped. Meanwhile, old Ike is just happy to be included, happily accepting almost anything that comes his way—except asparagus, which he refuses to touch.

Gabby has been feeling fantastic lately, and we couldn’t be happier! She’s been running around like a puppy (at least for short bursts), showing off some extra energy that we haven’t seen in a while. It’s a huge relief to see that her diet is helping manage her pancreatitis, and we’re hopeful that she’ll keep thriving with the changes.

Winner of the Week - Weight Loss

In the past few months I’ve been asked quite a bit how to help firm skin after weight loss.  Losing weight is a great accomplishment so you should be proud of yourself!  I spent about three years losing weight and it feels so nice to finally reach your goal after spending a long time doing a lot of work exercising and being accountable with what you consume.  Losing weight does have a bit of a trade-off:  post weight loss sagginess and loss of firmness.  

It can take some time for skin to “bounce” back so patience is going to be important.  Lots of other factors affect how your skin reacts to weight loss- age, genetics, and how fast you lost the weight all play a role.  So what can you do to help with “saggy” skin?

Maintaining a good skincare routine is always going to be important.  Focusing on skin hydration and keeping skin moisturized is probably the best thing you can do.  In addition to that, certain treatments such as microneedling and red light therapy may be helpful to induce collagen production deep down in the skin layers.  

Retinoids, Peptides, and Ascorbic Acid can all help to enhance firmness in your skin so adding these to your routine can help with overall skin texture and tone.  In addition to topical products adding in protein and collagen peptides are well worth considering.  

Some of my favorites worth checking out:

Loser of the Week - Volufiline

I cannot go anywhere these days without hearing about Volufiline.  Volufiline is a newer cosmetic ingredient that is made from Hydrogenated Polyisobutene and Anemarrhena Asphodeloides Root Extract.  Anemarrhena Asphodeloides Root Extract has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for its benefits as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ingredient.  

When combined with Hydrogenated Polyisobutene it is posited that it increases fat cell growth.  Sederma has patented this combination of ingredients and sells it to those while claiming it can increase breast size, buttocks, and help with facial volume.  

Volufiline is claimed to stimulate fat cell growth, increased fat cell storage, and plump skin over time with topical application.  Most of the claims you hear about this ingredient are over-hyped and nearly impossible.  

I read one over-the-top post from a person claiming Volufiline gave their breasts a 2 cup size increase.  Volufiline cannot topically provide surgical results.  This is not possible - so if you do decide to use Volufiline please go into it with reasonable expectations.  Independent research on this ingredient is lacking.  If you expect any results they will be subtle and will require consistent use and application.  

At this point I am resisting recommending any Volufiline products.

In Case You Missed It

Second Channel

Brands Doing Good:

Peach & Lily

Peach & Lily has donated a part of their profits to Restore NYC.  Restore NYC is a non-profit group that seeks to stop sex trafficking and restore the lives of survivors to lead safe, autonomous lives.

Giveaway - The winner is Chris H.! 🎉

Chris, it’s your lucky week! You’ve won some amazing beauty goodies, and we can’t wait for you to enjoy them. Check your email for all the details on how to claim your prize!

📢 Shoutout to Last Week’s Winner, Kelly B.!
Kelly, you were on top of it, claiming your prize in record time—so fas`t, in fact, that Cameraman actually shipped it the same day. 🤯 Which, let’s be real, never happens. I’m convinced the universe was so shocked by his efficiency that it decided to reward you with a second win. 😂 So congrats on the rare double victory, and props to Cameraman for proving that miracles do exist! 🚀📦

Thanks to everyone who entered this week—who knows, maybe next time you’ll be the one benefiting from another Cameraman shipping anomaly! 😆💕

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