Behind the shortlist
Hi. I test things
so you don't have to.
Mum of two boys. Originally from Australia, now living in Europe. Ethnic woman with sensitive skin, a husband who's impossible to buy for, and a very low tolerance for products that don't deliver.
Why I started this
I'm a busy person. Mum of two boys, originally from Australia, now navigating life in Europe — which means navigating entirely different product markets, brands, and beauty standards. I have things to do, people who need things from me, and genuinely no time to wade through three hundred Amazon reviews written by people who've had something for 48 hours.
I have sensitive skin, and finding skincare and beauty products that actually work for ethnic skin is harder than it should be. The majority of what's marketed as universally suitable simply isn't — formulas are designed with one skin type in mind, shade ranges are an afterthought, and the products genuinely built for deeper, more reactive skin are buried. I got tired of the trial and error.
Then there's my husband — lovely man, impossible to shop for. Every year I'd end up guessing. So I started researching properly, and realised the research was useful for everyone around me too.
After years of keeping notes for myself and getting asked by friends — "what moisturiser are you using?", "what's actually worth buying?", "what do I get him?" — I thought: I might as well make this public. That Good Good Shortlist is what I wish existed before every purchase I've ever made.
How I test
Properly. That's the short version.
I use things over weeks, not days. Skincare gets worn daily and assessed across conditions — and tested specifically on sensitive, ethnic skin, not just assumed to work because the packaging says it will. A frying pan gets used for everything from eggs to pasta sauce. A toy gets handed to my boys without instructions and I watch what happens.
I'm not testing in ideal conditions. I'm testing in a busy kitchen, a small bathroom, with two kids underfoot and a husband who claims he doesn't need anything but clearly does. If it works in that environment, it works.
For the beauty and skincare picks especially — I'm testing from the perspective of an ethnic woman with sensitive skin. If something is on this list, it works for me. That's a higher bar than most reviews you'll find, because most reviews aren't written for skin like mine.
What doesn't make the cut
Most things. Genuinely. The list is short because the standards are high.
Products that didn't pass my test simply aren't mentioned here. I won't roast a brand publicly for a product that didn't work for me — different needs, different results. But I'm also not going to list something that disappointed me just to have more content.
If something is on this list, it earned its place. If it's not on the list, there's a reason. Check the Testing Room to see what's currently under review — or follow on Instagram where I'm more candid about what's not working.
The tiers
Not everything on the list is equal. Three tiers, because sometimes something is great and sometimes it's can't-live-without-it great. There's a difference.
Can't live without it. Would rebuy immediately. The kind of product you recommend to strangers in shops.
Strong pick. Highly recommended. Does exactly what it should, at a level that exceeded expectations.
Solid, worth it, made the cut. A reliable choice that passed the test, even if it didn't blow me away.
Affiliate links & transparency
Links to Amazon on this site are affiliate links, which means if you click through and buy something, I earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you. Amazon doesn't charge you more; they pay me a small percentage of the sale.
This is how the site sustains itself. I'm not writing reviews to generate clicks — I'm listing products I've genuinely tested and approved. The affiliate structure comes after the testing, not before.
If a product was gifted to me for review, I'll note that in the review itself. Being gifted something doesn't mean it gets listed. I've tested plenty of gifted products that didn't make the cut. If it doesn't pass, it doesn't get posted — full stop.
I'll always label sponsored content clearly when it happens. I have no intention of building something people trust and then eroding that trust with undisclosed commercial arrangements.