I have an established, regimented, skincare routine that I rarely waiver from. I feel like it really works for my skin and my circumstances - at night, I take off my makeup with Simple wipes, and then wash my face with the Aveeno Ultra-Calming foaming face wash. I then apply an oil - right now it's Tarte's Maracuja Oil, but I also like this one from Mitchell & Peach - and an insanely expensive eye cream from Algenist. I know, I can't believe I'm willing to pay $68 for an eye cream either, but it is literally the only one that works (and I've tried a lot of them). After they sink in, I apply a thick moisturizer - for now, First Aid Beauty's Ultra Repair Moisturizer, but that's only because Sephora was out of my first love, Ole Henriksen's Nurture Me. The FAB one is nice, and it works, but I just like Nurture Me better; it feels richer and more luxurious, and my skin feels softer after using it. In the morning, all I do is put on a light moisturizer; I'm really liking Garnier's Clearly Brighter one. It sits well under makeup and doesn't break me out.
That all being said, I will still take the opportunity to try out new things, whether it be through my Sephora monthly subscription box, Ipsy subscription, or - as with the product above - my VIB points. The seven day challenge set above was a 250 point reward, however, they sell these products as a set on Sephora.com called Three Little Wonders. It consists of a vitamin C serum, Truth Serum; a night AHA serum, Invigorating Night Transformation Gel; and a moisturizer, Sheer Transformation Perfecting Moisturizer.
The Truth Serum is priced at $48 for 1oz, and is described as "A powerful anti-aging serum formulated with vitamin C and collagen for brightening and all day hydration." The Invigorating Night Transformation Gel is $48 for 1.7oz, and is described as containing potent AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) to smooth skin texture, even tone, and reduce fine lines and wrinkles while you sleep. The Sheer Transformation Perfecting Moisturizer is $38 for 1.7oz and claims to be oil-free, rich in antioxidants, weightlessly hydrate, even tone, and smooth skin texture. All three items are said to be good for normal, oily, combo, dry, and sensitive skin types. The Three Little Wonders set is $72 and contains 1oz of each product. The reward set above contained seven sets of foil packet sheets, each sheet containing the Truth Serum and the moisturizer for day, and the Transformation Gel and another of the same moisturizer for night. It also came with a sample size jar of the Transformation Gel, to continue using after the seven day challenge. I should say - I have oily/combo/sensitive skin.
All in all I wasn't 100% wowed by these products. Having to apply a serum, let it dry, then a moisturizer and let it dry threw a kink in my morning routine, and was an added step I didn't super appreciate when time is not on my side. The combo of the Truth Serum and the moisturizer was also a nightmare under makeup - both foundations I use broke down horribly during the day, especially on my nose, and overall I noticed my skin was way more oily than it usually is with my normal routine. The moisturizer also didn't feel rich enough to use at night, and I had some definite flakiness around my eyebrows and temples.
That being said, it did do some good - in the photo above, the left is before, and the right is after the seven days. My skin texture looks a bit better and is more even, and dark spots are minimized. However, I don't think it was a big enough change to warrant the higher price tag, and it barely did anything for the lines under my eyes. I will continue to use the sample of the Night Transformation Gel - however, I think I'll use it once a week, as I'm sure the AHAs were the source of my flakiness. Also, I may look into purchasing the Truth Serum, as I've been thinking about incorporating a vitamin C serum into my routine; but I would use far less than what was in the packets (it made my face seem sticky almost), and I would mix it in with my moisturizer to save time. The moisturizer, I felt, was the biggest waste of my time. While it felt nice going on and didn't sting my sensitive skin, I also didn't feel like it did anything major in terms of moisturizing, and I hated how it wore under makeup.
Overall, it was nice to try something new, but it's back to my normal routine for me!
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