After accepting this trial I had a case of butterflies - my current skincare works for me, what if i was about to mess up my face? Words like 'acid' and 'peel' are kinda scary when you're talking about your face. But, accept it I had, and so I was going to do it.
I started this on the first of December which made it way easier to track the schedule - i think in future i'd try and start on the first of the month to make sure that I was keeping track of which days to do the peels and masks, because the second session, with it beginning after Xmas and happening while I was on break, confused me.
This range comes packaged as a range, in a variety of white bottles, tubes and pottles with metallic blue and black writing. It looks classy, slightly medicinal, and expensive.
The GLYCOLIC CLARIFYING CLEANSER is actually far more of a mild product than I was anticipating. It comes in a sizeable bottle equipped with a pump action dispenser This is the only dispenser that got messy, but this could be due to the fact that you use this one twice a day. The cleanser lotion is white, medium thickness and has a faint scent - nothing I can put my finger on, it just smells clean and fresh. You massage this onto damp skin for 30 seconds, leave for a couple of minutes and rinse off. This doesn't feel like it's stripping anything out of skin and it certainly doesn't feel like there is acid in it, which I was worried about. It does tingle (note: not hurt, but it's a sharp tingle) when you use it the day after a peel/mask), which can be disconcerting, but the tingle is only momentary. This also didn't remove my makeup - so I used a cleansing oil first.
The TRI-COLLAGEN ACCELERATING SERUM is the most expensive feeling product in the range. It's extreme luxury, from the dispenser being a wee dropper (implies that you should only use a little) to the luxurious feeling of this on skin. This is probably my favourite in the range - it literally feels like its rejuvenating my skin from the moment i put it on my face. It's hydrating without being at all greasy (the word 'serum' usually makes me feel oily without even touching the product!) and super lush and divine on skin. It's a thick-ish white cream with a lotion-type scent - really fresh and luxurious.
The ANTI-OXIDANT REGENERATIVE CREAM comes in some of the coolest packaging I've seen yet. It's a pottle, but with a pump lid that you simply push down on to have product pop up. It DOES dispense more than I feel necessary so I try and only 'pump' it very lightly. This is a very thick, off-white cream with a typical face cream scent. Its spreads well and hydrates beautifully, with no residue and fast absorption. When combined with the serum it genuinely feels like you're gifting your skin with a wee mini facial a couple of times a day.
Following the 2on/2off cycle for 6 weeks I had great results. It says to take 2 weeks off due to 'efficacy of ingredients' but I'm sure it's so you can be reminded how terrible your regular products are compared to these! My skin is norm/dehydrated. Cleanser - It has quite a strong, fresh, citrusy scent. It's creamy white, is non foaming & can be left on for a few mins for extra exfoliating. I used 1 & a bit pumps each time. The 100ml easy to use pump bottle will last a good while - it's at a fair price point. It deeply cleaned without drying, although it did seem to make my hands peel from massaging it in. Serum -I don't like dropper style bottles & mine arrived blocked. I used a pin & unblock where some product had gone gluggy in it. With minimal scent & a white opaque colour, it absorbs quickly & easily into skin without being oily. Benefits of brightened skin, improved radiance and skin tone were definitely met. A key ingredient in this, the cream & mask, is French Saffron to improve radiance & skin tone. Down side is the amount you need to use this product seems very expensive & for this price I'd like better packaging & more product. Cream - is very light. It has a scent similar to the cleanser but not as strong. I love the style of dispenser - you press the top down & a bit of moisturiser pops out. No mess no fuss. This one seems a bit springy, if you press too fast too much product comes out & it flicks everywhere. If a product is cheap I'm not too fussy but if it's expensive I expect even the packaging to be quality. One pump is enough for face & neck. It absorbs very quickly & skin is left soft, tight & bright with no oiliness. After using just the cleanser, serum & moisturiser my skin looked beautiful, I noticed a difference straight away it seemed clear & soft. Peel- I used 4 pumps of the generous sized peel every 2nd day. Its like a clear serum that spread easily over my face. After 30 minutes it has dried but still feels sticky on skin. Easily washed off with water. At first I noticed no burning, tingling or redness. At the start of the 4th week of product use (6th week real time) it tingled for a few of mins but it went away - I wasn't worried about this feeling as it is similar to having a professional peel & makes the product seem closer to salon quality. Mask - used once a week in replacement of the Peel. It's a light, creamy formula with a slight mauve tint to it but appears almost clear when applied and a light scent. First couple of mins the mask started to warm, calming down at 8 mins. It was by no means bad at all - I just feel I should mention it. These left my skin looking younger in every way - plump, pores reduced, smooth, even toned & glowing. I experienced no extra breakouts from the products. My dry 'yoga patch' on my chin is gone. Makeup is a dream to apply. I use much less foundation & get a very soft & smooth result. After just two weeks fine lines were less noticeable - collagen synthesis in action
Tips: I found it helpful to write down the peel and mask days so as not to get confused.
Also before cleaning my face, I removed my makeup with micellar water and eye makeup remover so as not to waste cleanser.
I use an spf everyday normally but it's a big must when using these products as it is with professional peel treatments. I don't think it helped that it's been summer holidays so I have been outside a lot more (with spf) & my pigmentation darkens over summer no matter how hard I try - I'm definitely going to do this hard core over winter! Big thanks to Beauty Review for this trial - amazing products to try and can't wait to see my skin in a few more months.