Thursday Things #5

It’s been a hot minute since the last Thursday Things post, but happy fall!

I’m stoked for some chillier weather.

For this Thursday Things post I’m sharing Rise Nitro Cold Brews and Derma E’s Acne Deep Pore Cleansing Wash & Acne Blemish Control Treatment Serum.

I’m sharing only these products for this post because I haven’t been purchasing a ton of things lately. Christmas season will be here in no time and I try to shop early for presents.

Now, time to rave about some coffee first.

Oat Milk Vanilla & Dairy Free Oat Milk Latte Nitro Cold Brew — Rise Brewing Co.

Ever since I tried a canned cold brew during my Cheekwood visit a few months ago, I’ve been eyeing some at Kroger. I didn’t take the plunge to buy any until a few weeks ago though. They’re typically $2.99, sometimes on sale for $2.79, which is the price I purchased them. I think they’re a little pricey considering they’re 7 ounces and I downed them in minutes, but they’re a nice treat to have every now and then.

I tried the regular oat milk one first and I was surprised by the taste. I don’t even know how to describe the taste, but I found it odd just based off of the first sip. The taste grew on me and it didn’t take me long to finish the can. I like how the cold brew isn’t sweet, but it’s creamy and goes down smooth. I actually bought two of these and one of the vanilla flavor because I thought I’d like this one better.

As for the vanilla flavor, I’m surprised by how much I liked it since I don’t normally buy vanilla flavored coffees. The vanilla flavor isn’t too strong, but it complements the oat milk well. Again, these tastes are unusual, but I think they’re good and I will buy them again.

Between the two, I like the vanilla better because its taste is slightly different and adds a positive flavor compared to the plain oat milk cold brew. There’s a mocha flavored one, but since I don’t really like mocha drinks I’m not sure if I’ll try it, but who knows. Maybe I’ll like that one better if I give it a try.

Acne Deep Cleansing Wash & Acne Blemish Control Treatment Serum — Derma E

Here are two more fabulous Derma E products that I absolutely love! In combination with skincare products I’m currently using, the dark spots that I had at the beginning of the year have faded! I have more recent acne dark spots to tackle, but I’m relieved to know I can make those disappear in time.

I use this cleanser and serum at night. Whenever I first used the cleanser I was worried that it wasn’t going to work out for me. I used it only once and my face had small red, patchy areas forming the next morning; plus, it burned slightly. I thought I was allergic to an ingredient, but I read the box label and it said that if your skin is irritated, then you should reduce the use until your skin adjusts to the new product.

Maybe it was an initial reaction and my skin would’ve gotten used to it to eventually use twice a day, but I didn’t want to test it in case my skin worsened, which is why I use the cleanser that I mentioned in a past Thursday Things post. I use these two products at night and this seems to work pretty well because my skin seems to be pretty happy.

The smell of both products is light and refreshing. I will say that the serum makes my face feel dry afterward. This is before applying moisturizer, which I didn’t know if you were supposed to put moisturizer on even at night. I then looked this up and can confirm that people moisturizer at night. Duh, silly me. I would think dryness after using a serum is normal, but I use another serum every morning and my face feels hydrated.

According to Derma E’s website, the cleanser is $15.50 and the serum is $16.99.

On Ulta’s website, the products are the same, but I try to keep my eyes peeled for special offers. One offer I should’ve taken up that I passed on was you could get a free cleanser if you purchased a serum and moisturizer, vice versa if you buy the other products.

So, it’s sometimes cheaper to buy on Ulta whenever there’s a great deal on certain products! Plus, sometimes there’s a coupon to save a few dollars as well.

I’ve been using these two products since the end of June and I have about 1/4 of the cleanser and 2/3 of the serum left. Sometimes I will skip using the cleanser whenever I take showers at night, but overall, they have lasted for months after mostly daily use.

Am I actually doing this whole skincare routine right? I have no clue; it’s working for me, so I think that’s a good sign. My skin is super happy, and I’m loving the results. I’d highly recommend these products because they’re affordable and they’re especially great to use if you have sensitive skin.

Overall Thoughts

What are you loving right now?