As you know, I got my VI Peel done about a month or two ago. And I’ve been doing my best to keep my skin in a tip-top condition for my upcoming trip to Korea in a few months :D. For the past month or so I’ve been trying out fairly new REN products released last year which I saved for post VI Peel skin care! :D
Shearling leather jacket by Muubaa (No foundation or concealer on my face)
And here we are! (Indeed, retinol is a miracle worker :P)
Routine
Rules
- No masks
- No cleansing devices or tools
- Only T-zone exfoliation with Belif Mild and Effective Facial Scrub every other day
Products
-
Darphin Intral Toner (full review)
-
La Mer The Treatment Lotion (full review)
-
Amore Pacific All Day Balancing Care Serum (full review)
-
REN Keep Young and Beautiful Instant Firming Beauty Shot (Day & Night)
-
REN Wake Wonderful Night-Time Facial
-
On the first week: Applied day and night
-
On the second week: applied every night
-
On the rest of weeks: Applied every other night
-
REN Bio Retinoid Anti-Ageing Cream (Day & Night)
-
Chantecaille Ultra Protection Sunscreen (full review) during day time
Overall Result
- Brightens skin
- I saw some wrinkle improvement
- It feels that the regime kept breakouts at bay
- Not sure about lifting and pigmentation
My skin normally looks very tired and gets one or two breakouts during PMS in winter, but the regime kept my skin looking pretty normal and great other than puffy face. No breakouts!
Detailed Reviews
Keep Young and Beautiful Instant Firming Beauty Shot
Full Ingredients
Aqua (Water), Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Pullulan, Carbomer, Porphyridium Cruentum Extract, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Rosa Damascena Extract, Citronellol, Geraniol
It's a thick gel like serum, yet it absorbs into skin instantly and feels very light, leaving no oily residue. There’s a slight matte finish too. I wouldn’t say it instantly lifts your skin. Regardless, I bought the full size right after trying out the sample. It’s a great hydrating serum for oily/combination skin. However, if you layer under any other lifting serum, my skin looked a bit more firm and lifted. I think it works great in synergy with other daily-use products.
There was one thing that has been bothering me whole time though...the scent. Yes, it is very beautifully rosy, which I like, but it’s way too overpowering. It’s not that subtle rosy scent, more of rose a oil scent. It stings my eyes whenever I put on, even when it's not near my eyes. And the scent lasts for a few minutes IF whatever you put on next doesn’t have much scent at all. Otherwise, be aware, you might suffocate your eyes with the scent which lasts about 20 minutes.
Oh, and if you layer over the serum, you need to be careful what kind of texture you put on next. Keep Young and Beautiful Instant Firming Beauty Shot creates an almost thick film onto your skin that if you put different formula in your next step, it will come off. I would especially avoid mattifying moisturisers on top, I recommend something much thicker. And when you apply, try not to massage it in for too long, otherwise you will find it peeling off everywhere.
Wake Wonderful Night-Time Facial
Full Ingredients
Aqua (Water), Sodium Lactate, Lactic Acid, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Oleyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Myristyl Myristate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Germ Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Lauryl Laurate, Jojoba Esters, Oryzanol, Ribes Nigrum (Black Currant) Seed Oil, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Seed Oil, Cellulose Gum, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Mannitol, Faex (Yeast) Extract, Xanthan Gum, Behenyl Alcohol, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Ananas Sativus (Pineapple) Fruit Extract, Passiflora Edulis Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract, Parfum* (Fragrance), Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Stearyl Alcohol, Alcohol Denat., Phenoxyethanol, Glycogen, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Protease, Subtilisin, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Bisulfite, Limonene, Linalool *100% Natural Fragrance - Parfum 100% Naturel
The first thing that I noticed was the awful scent and the texture. You don’t want to go near the orbital bone area, it somehow made my eyes watery although I didn’t even put it around my eyes just like Keep Young and Beautiful Instant Firming Beauty Shot. At least Keep Young and Beautiful Instant Firming Beauty Shot’s scent was better than this -_-. It just smells funky, definitely not floral or soothing.
It takes quite a while to blend the serum over Keep Young and Beautiful Instant Firming Beauty Shot. I had to massage it in for about a minute or two, then let it sink in for another a minute. For the massage technique, you will need to massage in strokes, not circular motions when it starts to sink in for faster absorption.
It's quite hydrating as a non-hydrating serum, which doesn’t mean it provides the same equal hydration power as other hydrating serums. Regardless, it did seem to deliver what it promises when used together with their Bio Retinoid Anti-Ageing Cream.
Bio Retinoid Anti-Ageing Cream
Full Ingredients
Aqua (Water), Cetearyl Alcohol, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Myristyl Myristate, Oleyl Alcohol, Gossypium Herbaceum (Cotton) Seed Oil, Cetearyl Glucoside, Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline, Lauryl Laurate, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Germ Oil, Triheptanoin, Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Bidens Pilosa Extract, Bakuchiol, Oryzanol, Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Oil, Pullulan, Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract, Levan, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Parfum* (Fragrance), Xanthan Gum, Sodium Sulfite, Decyl Glucoside, Lactic Acid, Porphyridium Cruentum Extract, Zizyphus Jujuba Fruit Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Rosa Damascena Extract, Phenethyl Alcohol, Beta-Carotene, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Linalool *100% Natural Fragrance - Parfum 100% Naturel
Smell-wise, it’s certainly not the best, nor worst. Just average, not really noticeable.
It’s hydrating, but as expected from it has a thick emulsion-like texture, it’s certainly not enough for harsh winter weather for very dehydrated/dry skin types.
So if you want to layer on top of the cream, you really have to be careful. You can’t just use any hydrating creams or oils on top. In my case, I used John Masters Organics Pomegranate Oil (full review) on top, but you can’t just simply massage it in since it will start to peel off. So I just dab it in lightly. Other than this, it feels surprisingly effective since I haven’t seen many retinol products on the market as good as this. I highly recommend!
Where to buy
- Nordstrom (Free shipping & samples)
