Beautified: Summer Hydration

Beautified / By

I recently mentioned my IPSY subscription. Even though I like being surprised every month, I also like being able to pick and choose products to try too. Every couple of days, I can access daily deals. Then, when my monthly bag is unveiled, I can also add on other items for an added cost.

Even though my first bag had face masks (Avette Daily Fresh Sheet Mask Duo) and Real Chemistry Environmental Rescue Day Cream, the last few months have taken its toll. Stress. Dehydration. Lack of sleep. You name it, it’s probably written on my face. And that will require a hefty team to help. So I purchased and enlisted the help of two sets, for a total of just over $30. The retail price of which, I should mention, is staggeringly higher.

Summer Skin Trio ($10):

24/7 Hydration Set ($20):

One thing to note is that some of the retail versions do not come in “deluxe” sizes.

I did not realize how much my skin was begging for a little TLC. After a couple of days of trying some of these products, my face was glowing. Cliche, but true. In fact, by the time I was ready for bed, it still looked like I had not washed off my make-up. There was a subtle glow, and any redness was in check.

Out of all these products, one of my absolute favorites is the Goldfaden MD eye cream. It has a slight cooling sensation when it’s applied and really helps brighten up my eyes. Having said that, the product that would benefit most widely, as well as one of the cheapest, is the Belif True Cream Aqua Bomb. The RE:P Bio Fresh Mask is great if you enjoy face masks, and rounds out the top three. I absolutely love the hyaluronic acid aqua booster, and would easily place it in my top items. But, for the price, I would try to find something more reasonable for my daily routine. (Absolutely worth the IPSY subscription, though!)

The Dr. Botanicals sleep mask is ultra-nourishing, but I have to be careful to apply it. It’s dense, so during the first wear, it clogged up my problem area (by my nose). But, it didn’t happen again once I scaled back and tried to avoid saturating that area again.

Some of the items I personally did not like include the I Dew Care Sugar Kitten Face Mask, the Hey Honey! moisturizer and the Soroci sleeping mask. The face mask smelled delicious and is absolutely gorgeous. But, unless you dump a heavy layer on your face, it’s difficult and messy to peel off. The Soroci sleeping mask has a weird smell to it. It’s enriched with tomato extract, but the smell is more like new paint or cement. What’s more: it left my face feeling greasy. Of these three, the least offensive is the Hey Honey RELAX! This is a HIGHLY rated product and I’d absolutely love to try other products from this brand. But, this particular product was just too rich for my skin. It left it slightly oily and worsened the irritation around my nose.

And when you look at others’ reviews of these products, this seems to be pretty consistent too. All of these products are rated 4 out of 5 stars and above. Some negative feedback includes that the Sugar Kitten mask was hard to peel off and left skin red and blotchy. Others also found the Sorochi to have an, ahem, weird smell. But, all in all, they are all “cult favorites,” and as one user said, “a miracle worker.”

Overall, it was absolutely worth it. I absolutely see myself using Goldfaden MD Bright Eyes and Belif True Cream Aqua Bomb on a regular basis. Which, at $55 and $22 each, already exceeds what I paid for. I am thrilled to have 111Skin and the RE:P Bio Fresh Mask for as long as they last. I may not repurchase them, because of their price and I prefer sheet masks, but I love the products and can’t wait to keep using them!