I was doing some shopping at Ulta recently when I saw they had some Love Your Skin sets for $30 each. (The supposed value is between $71-$75). You get 9 products in a set, but they are all sample/travel sizes. Still, that evens out to just over $3 per product, so I thought it was a great deal. You also get a $5 off coupon that you can use if you spend $25 or more on any of the brands featured in the box. I couldn’t decide which set I wanted to get, so I ended up getting them both.

I’m a bit obsessed with skincare and trying new products. Even though I’ve already found some great products that work for me (I know they say if it’s not broke, don’t fix it), but I’m still always on the hunt for new products. I can’t help it. Trying out new brands and products, even when I already have ones I love, has actually allowed me to find some of my most loved products. Plus, I actually get a little bored of using the same things over and over again. Switching things up every once in a while helps keep my skincare routine interesting so that taking care of my skin doesn’t feel like a chore. (Thankfully my skin is mostly okay with this, but I know that using products your skin isn’t used to can cause irritation or breakouts for some people).

I’m only going to include one of the sets in this post, and then I will do another post soon that includes the second set.

Dermalogica: Daily Microfoliant
Retail price: $10 (0.45 oz.)
Initial thoughts: I’ve heard Dermalogica is a good brand, but I didn’t expect to fall in love with this product from the first use. After cleansing my face, I gave this a try. It’s a rice powder that turns into a gritty foam when it gets wet. It doesn’t smell very good (it’s a rice powder, so of course it’s going to smell like rice), but it worked really well. It contains Papain, Salicylic Acid and Rice Enzymes that exfoliate skin to smooth and brighten. As soon as I used this, my skin felt super smooth. I was quite impressed. I can definitely see myself working this product into my daily skin regimen.

Clarins Paris: Super Restorative Total Eye Concentrate
Retail price: $85 (0.5 oz.)
Initial thoughts: Maybe this is a case of “you get what you pay for”. Sadly, I feel like the retail price of this might prevent me from purchasing in the future because I don’t know if I can afford that amount for such a small size bottle. Although you do only need to use a very tiny bit of this at a time, that’s still quite steep. I will say that my first impression of this product was super positive. It has a very silky texture, and it went on smooth and applied evenly. The skin around my eyes instantly felt more hydrated. It also did not irritate my eyes whatsoever, which unfortunately is an issue I’ve encountered with other eye creams. Only time will tell how well this cream actually works and if it’s really worth the price. I feel like even if it is, I still might have to find a different and cheaper eye cream to use.

Skyn Iceland: Blemish Dots
Retail price: $20 (for 48 dots)
Initial thoughts: These are gel patches that you put on zits overnight to help reduce inflammation and redness. Salicylic acid is the main ingredient advertised for these, but they also have tea tree oil in them. I haven’t actually used these yet, and they may work okay, but I already use straight tea tree oil on my zits and it clears them right up. I probably won’t buy these in the future, just because I’m already satisfied with using tea tree oil on my pimples. I did try the Skyn Iceland glacial face wash previously and liked it, so it’s nothing against the brand. It’s just cheaper for me to buy a bottle of tea tree oil.

First Aid Beauty: Ultra Repair Cream
Retail price: $12 (2 oz.)
Initial thoughts: This is a moisturizer meant to repair really dry skin and can also be used for eczema. It can be used on any area of your body. I probably won’t use this much on my face, but there are other parts of my body that get really dry and itchy, so I think this could come in handy for that. It has no smell and applies like lotion. I used this on some of my dry areas, and my skin absorbed it fairly quickly and left my skin feeling soft and hydrated. Even 24 hours after applying, I could tell a difference in the dryness of my skin.

Philosophy: Renewed Hope in a Jar Moisturizer
Retail price: $14 (0.5 oz.)
Initial thoughts: This is a moisturizer that features alpha hydroxy acids, hyaluronate, and asian fruit extract. The AHA’s can cause your skin to be sensitive to sunlight, so it’s recommended not to use this without wearing sunscreen with it. I’ll probably stick with using this at night for that reason. I didn’t see anything special about this moisturizer so far. It doesn’t really have a smell, and there’s not really anything about this that makes it stand out from any other moisturizer.

Origins: Ginzing Energy-Boosting Gel Moisturizer
Retail price: $28.50 (1.7 oz.)
Initial thoughts: The words “energy-boosting” instantly had me intrigued about this moisturizer. I think I fell in love from the very first use. It smells just like oranges, which is heavenly. It also has a nice texture that applies evenly and doesn’t leave a heavy or oily residue behind. My skin feels soft and hydrated when I use this. I will definitely be buying this product again.

Proactiv: Green Tea Moisturizer
Retail price: $40 (3 oz.)
Initial thoughts: This doesn’t smell like green tea, which I expected. It actually has more of a soapy smell to it. I ended up really liking it though. It absorbs pretty quickly into the skin, after you’re able to evenly apply it, and it doesn’t leave behind any greasy residue. This is pretty much what I look for in a moisturizer. I like ones that don’t have a greasy/heavy feeling, yet still make the skin feel soft and hydrated. This is it.

DERMAdoctor: Kakadu C Peel Pads
Retail price: $78 (pack of 30)
Initial thoughts: These are similar to moist towelettes that you rub across your face, and then it says to rinse with water after 1 to 3 minutes. They contain alpha hydroxy acids, glycolic acid, ferulic acid, antioxidants, and Vitamin C. As soon as I put this on my face, it started stinging.  Plus, they’re very expensive. I will not be buying these in the future.

Mario Badescu: Glycolic Foaming Cleanser
Retail price: $16 (6 oz.)
Initial thoughts: The directions say to only use this cleanser one to three times a week, and I can see why. It’s a pretty powerful cleanser that works to exfoliate dead skin. It removed leftover makeup residue well, and it left my face feeling a little tingly, which is something I haven’t experienced from a cleanser before. I liked it though because I knew that meant it was doing its job and dissolving the dead skin. I would probably purchase this in the future.