By Wishtrend TECA Barrier Cream + Pimple Patch Review

Hey guys, long time no see! This week I’m back with a review of By Wishtrend’s TECA Barrier cream and their Clear Skin Shield Patch which I’ve been testing out for a couple of weeks now.

When I saw Wishtrend launch these two I instantly added them right to the top of my wishlist because there is nothing I love more than spot treatments and pimple patches.

So let’s get to the review!

First up we have their Clear Skin Shield Patch  which costs $12 on their website.

It includes 3 sheets of patches in 2 sizes, 14 mm and 12mm ( you get two of this size) which add up to 36 in total. I really like that the patches all come in separate packaging with labels denoting their size, since usually,  acne patches just have the loose sheets inside, which can make it difficult to determine which size is which.

I’ve used these patches on a ton of my pimples and found that every time I used these, they got the job done i.e. suck out all the gunk, on the first patch. Usually, with other patches, I have to use 2-3 patches per pimple so only needing one helps make these more cost-effective.

Overall I really think these are worth it, their price is nicely centered in the middle, and Wishtrend has had multiple sales on their website where you can get these for free with your order or get 2 for the price of one!

After using the patch I used Wishtrend’s TECA Barrier Cream

This spot treatment (which costs $27.50) is unlike any other spot treatment I’ve used before because they recommend to use it on a popped pimple. I’ve heard all my life that popping pimples is on of the cardinal sins of skincare so I made sure to pop my pimple the “right” way by using a lancet instead of my grubby hands.

Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Cyclopentasiloxane, Ethyl Hexanediol, Cyclohexasiloxane, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid, Tromethamine, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Caprylate, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA

This cream relies on Centella Asiatica and Allantoin to heal the skin barrier and also to prevent the formation of PIH.

I made sure to take a before and after shot and honestly, I see a big difference. My skin is super prone to PIH (basically any acne I get will leave some) and so while this wasn’t able to completely prevent it, it did noticeably lighten the PIH that did form.

Acne and PIH can set my skin back for months as I work on fading it so having a product that lightens it, in the beginning, helps shrink the time it takes for the spot to be completely gone. For that reason I completely recommend this, a little also goes a long way so while the initial $27.50 might be steep, it will last me all year.

Let me know if you use pimple patches or spot treatments and which ones are your favorite!

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Peter Thomas Roth Potent C Collection Review

Peter Thomas Roth’s latest skincare line is based around THD Ascorbate which they claim is 50x more powerful than traditional vitamin C. I think the 50x claim is a little hyperbolic but THD (short for Tetrahexyldecyl, say that 5x fast) Ascorbate does have some clear benefits, it is more stable than Vitamin C and is also more lipid soluble than vitamin C which means it is able to penetrate the epidermis better and reach the dermis to boost collagen production. This line is supposed to help treat fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin firmness and elasticity and also help correct uneven skin tone.

When I was sent this collection by Influenster, I was over the moon and couldn’t wait to put it to the test against my PIH and my developing smile lines, but before we get fully into the reviews, I will give a spoiler, I had very mixed emotions.

First up we have the Power Serum which retails for a whopping $95 at Sephora, this was the product that I was most excited to test out because I love a good serum but was interested to see if it was worth the high price point.

Unfortunately a few days into testing, my skin firmly told me that it was not feeling this serum at all. I developed a ton of closed comedones all over my face in areas that I don’t typically break out in like my forehead and jawline. After I saw that I immediately stopped using the serum because it just wasn’t worth sacrificing all the improvements I’d seen in my skin’s texture just to give it a full 28 days if I was all ready reacting on day 3.

I don’t want to completely write off the serum since most people had glowing reviews for it online, so if you can get past its Vitamin C “meaty” scent I’d tell you to give it a go, but its a major no for me.

Next up is the Power Eye Cream which retails for $65 at Sephora, this product came with it’s own bag of issues (though not as bad as of a funky smell).

The first thing I noticed when I started using this eye cream was the burn! Without fail for the first 2 weeks of testing I couldn’t use this without my eyes watering, and to be honest I really considered discontinuing use of this too. However, along with the burn, I noticed that my normally dark under eyes, appeared significantly brighter. I kept using it and found that applying less than the normal pea size and not going as close to my waterline helped me avoid the burn but keep the radiant under eyes.

Altogether I will ultimately give this product a hestitant thumbs up, after I got over the learning curve (or maybe just adusted to the pain??) I found this to be a really nice eye cream that did something more than just hydrate my under eyes.

The last product in this line the Targeted Spot Brightener, and also the “cheapest” at only $58 from Sephora also happened to be my favorite in the whole line.

I had never heard of a spot brightener before and after the serum turned out to be a flop for me I was a little scared that this would also not end well, but was pleasntly suprised at the results. After using this over the course of a month I saw that many of my dark spots had faded much more than they typically would’ve even with my normal routine. My PIH tends to stick around much longer than a month or two so seeing the quick fading was really impressive, so I while it costs a pretty penny I really would reccommend this spot treatment.

All in all the Peter Thomas Roth Potent C Collection had a miss, a maybe and one hit for me, but I am a fan of the brand in general (love their Water Drench Moisturizer <3) so while this line might not have been for me I still can’t wait to see what else they come out with next!

Beautibi Store Review

Hi guys, today I wanted to detail my experience shopping with Beautibi!

So first off let’s talk about their website, its absolutely adorable and I adore their color scheme (and their cute bunny mascot) and its really easy to navigate with their helpful links at the top.

Beautibi carries a variety of Korean and Taiwanese brands, from the more well known My Beauty Diary and L’Herboflore to up and coming brands like Reise and Skin Editor.

So now let’s get into my experience!

I placed my order on Saturday, August 4th it shipped from California on Monday, August 6th and it arrived in NYC by Friday, August 10th so all together it took less than a week which isn’t too shabby at all. Beautibi offers free shipping on orders above $50, or they have a flat rate of $6.99 for the United States.

Let me just say that when I opened the package I was wowed by the amazing job they did packaging everything I ordered. It all came wrapped in a bright blue tissue paper which was sealed with their custom washi tape, some of the items I ordered came inside a really cute canvas bag with a lovely print. I really appreciate the care and effort Beautibi put into their presentation, its the little things that really elevate the customer experience.

Here’s what I picked up:

All together I spent $52.47.

Beautibi is also super proactive and when they saw that one of the 23.5N masks I ordered had an early expiration date, they decided to throw in some extra samples which I really appreciated.

I was really impressed with the amount of samples, especially the KinGirls memo pad the lil baby sheet mask!

So if you decide to shop with Beautibi, I got y’all covered with some codes to save you money:

STAYBREEZY15 – use this for 15% off your order

TENOFF4U – use this for 10% off your 1st purchase

Or you can also use my referral link which will get you $5 off your first purchase and I’ll also get $5.

 

VII Code O2M Oxygen Eye MASK Review

I admittedly have less than great sleeping habits, fostered by other bad habits of mine, which include late night movie binges, many evenings spent watching YouTube videos into the wee hours of the morning, and midnight cramming for tests. As a result, I have developed some pretty gnarly dark circles.

So when VII Code reached out to me asking me to test out their Oxygen Eye Masks, I was eager to begin testing them out to see if they could help lighten them up.

I’ve used eye masks in the past but always found the after result to be pretty lackluster, but right off the bat, I saw that the VII Code masks were completely different. Unlike most typical masks which are worn for 10-15 minutes, these are more like an eye sleeping mask so you leave them on for the 8 hours that you sleep and let them work their magic then.

Each box contains 6 sets of eye masks and costs $55 (which is a better value than traditional eye masks when you think about the short time that they actually on your under eyes), they are to be used over 2-3 weeks so you can choose how often you use the mask, personally I opted to use the mask two times a week, because I figured that prolonged use would provide better results.

So the masks come in a little plastic container to keep them separated from each other. When you take them out of it you peel off the plastic backing (not to be confused with the cotton on the outside of the mask)  to reveal the gel-like material which you adhere to your eyes. These masks have a refreshing cooling sensation when you first apply them, which was really nice. As someone who sleeps on my side and is prone to a fair bit of thrashing and rolling around in my sleep, I was impressed with how well they stayed on while I slept.

So now the grand reveal:

So I apologize for the lighting inconsistencies (I also managed to get a tan in the 3 weeks, which is also throwing off the white balance), but it’s clear to see that my under eyes are much less puffy then they were in the before photo (top) and there is a profound lightening of the darkness under my right eye.

 

I could not recommend these eye masks more, the proof is in the pudding and they really did do what they claimed to. I think these masks would be great for anyone looking to treat signs of aging around the eyes.

*This post is sponsored by VII Code and I did receive compensation in exchange for posting it, but like all my blog posts, this is my honest opinion of the product

 

YEOUTH Teen Skin System Review

Your teenage years are never good times for your skin and are generally characterized by hormonal changes that leave your skin with acne and oily, dehydrated skin. Most American drugstore skincare lines will tell teens that the solution to all of their woes is to attack their skin with harsh cleansers that contain even harsher ingredients (microbeads, and SLS just to name a few) which leave your skin looking and feeling even worse.

Thanks to YEOUTH you can effectively combat your acne while also hydrating your face to help with dehydration with their Teen Skin System  $54.95. 

Disclaimer: I was sent this set for free from YEOUTH but all opinions are my own

Skin Update: April 2018

What’s up y’all, long time no see, I’ve decided that this lil series on my blog will be quarterly (mainly due to sheer laziness on my part) but I also feel that it will help to show more change to both my skin and my routine since not much happens from month to month.

After 3 months this is what my skin looks like:

Left

Right side

 

This month I took the photos with the back camera of my iPhone so it would capture the texture better. The biggest improvement I personally see this month has been in the texture and tone of my skin. In my last post my right cheek was very red and inflamed from active breakouts and was also hella textured, sticking to my exfoliation schedule really helped with that. On my left side I did see more breakouts ( I feel like whenever I see improvement on one cheek the other one has to turn around and act up). My nose is still a big problem area, it’s super bumpy and I’ve yet to find a product that helps (if you have any recommendations let me know!!)

My Routine:

 

Most of the products are the same as what I used last time but I’ll give mini reviews on the new things in my rotation

•  The Ordinary’s Buffet Serum ($14.80): I won this in a giveaway and it really gives the face a lovely glow after use, I try to avoid using it to often because I’ve heard people say they’ve gotten chemical burns when they used it too often
• The Ordinary’s Niacinamide ($5.90): This stuff probably made the biggest difference in fading my acne marks, my skin had a slight “purge” for a week when I first introduced it but its been smooth sailing ever since
• Whalmyung’s Skin Elixir ($58):If you’re looking for a great multi-use product that’ll quickly pack in some hydration then look no further than this baby (also won this in a giveaway)
• SK-ii RNA Power Eye Cream ($135): This is a lovely eye cream, super brightening and sinks in wonderfully, its also too damn expensive so once I’m finished with my sample I’ll find something more poor student friendly
• Frudia Green Grape Pore Control Cream ($20): This is a really nice basic moisturizer, it has a super interesting texture it does a great job of keeping the skin moisturized, I didn’t see any changes in my pores but it didn’t break me out so yay

 

Starting Point: January 2018

 

So I had intended to post this on January 1st, let’s just say that didn’t happen.

The goal of my monthly skin updates is to have an easy way to refer to my skin routine and to be able to see the visual change in my skin texture/appearance throughout the year. I also want to hold the skincare I’m using accountable, there has been a multitude of times in the past where I believed that the products I was using were improving my skin only to realize after taking pictures of my face, that no, they weren’t.

So without further adieu, here’s my face:

 

Zee Left

Zee Right

These were taken on January 1st on what was admittedly, a good day.  The left side has a few pimples on the cheek but is my “good side” while the right has several active and angry breakouts and is riddled with PIH. My nose also has congested pores that leave it looking bumpy and just textured. My chin has a strange almost gritty texture to it and a few pimples as well.

My breakouts are really concentrated on my cheeks, and generally, my jaw and forehead are pretty resilient.

What I’ve been doing:

My routine for most days and nights + mini reviews:

1. Lica Cole Pacific Almond Cleanser ($32):  I love this cleanser, which is why it hurts me to say that its no longer available, the company that sells it fell off the face of the Earth
2. Pixi Beauty Glow Peel Pads ($22): This is used every 3 days at night, I’ve only used it 2 times and so far its a decent chemical exfoliator
3. Natural Pacific Fresh Herb Calendula Tincture Toner ($18): Originally I received this for free from 0.8L to review, but I have since repurchased it myself, it’s super hydrating and great to combat cold, dry winter skin
4. Klairs Midnight Blue Youth Activating Drop ($30): I bought this at reduced price from 0.8L, and while I have seen results in my smile lines when I put it on, the effects aren’t long-lasting
5. Biore Aqua Rich Watery Essence ($11): I like this sunscreen quite a bit because there is no white cast or greasy finish
6. Peter Thomas Roth Hyaluronic Cloud Cream ($58): While this is nice and hydrating, I abhor the packaging, the constant exposure to air is just awful for a product
7. Dr.Hsieh Mandelic Acid Anti-Acne Gel ($20): This is a fantastic spot treatment, and it really helps to reduce redness, and you get a ton of product for your money considering how little you need to use

 

In addition to these steps, I sheet mask daily, you can follow me on Instagram @skindeavor to check out which masks I use during the month