This post has been much in the making. You all know how much I love to try new skincare products and sadly this go round won’t be the most positive. Hey, I have to be honest, but when it comes down to it, what works for my skin, may not work for yours and vice versa. I am simply sharing my own experience.
Typically, when I try a new product, I give it between 6-8 weeks before I make my determination. I want to be absolutely sure my skin has adjusted properly and in this way I am able to see some more of the long term effects/possible issues that may show up later.
To start, some of the first products I was super interested in trying were the Tula brand. Now, I am a blogger, so I am aware of how brand partnerships work. Here is a simple breakdown: a brand (or you) reach out, you decide to collaborate in which the blogger is given monetary compensation and/or gifted product in exchange for promotion (i.e. a set amount of blog posts, Instagram posts, and/or stories). So, this is where my interest spiked…a lot of my own personal favorite bloggers that I look up to promote the Tula brand claiming it is the only products they use. Their skin looks great and I was honestly interested to see how much of it was promotional versus “real talk” (or a combination of both).
As a result, I tried four Tula products and there in a few others!
- Tula Pro-Glycolic Resurfacing Gel, $34: I accidentally ordered this one. I thought I was buying something different (a serum) versus a toner, but I decided to try it out anyways. So, typically a toner tightens pores, gets that last layer of dirt left behind, helps balance the pH of the skin, and even skin tone. For me, I did not notice any difference in the appearance of my skin after 6 weeks of use. I did, however, like the consistency of the gel, feel that it had a nice scent, and picked up a lot of dirt my cleanser left behind. I do think this is a difficult product for me to review because this is my first time including a toner in my regiment. I am currently still using the product and will be comparing it to a difference toner, so stay tuned.
- Tula Brightening Eye Balm, $28: I ordered this because a lot of girls were talking about how great it was for brightening their under-eye area. Many also used it as highlighter over their makeup which I thought was a great idea. For me, I used it under my make-up for about 4 weeks. What I noticed was that it was really just more of a shimmer stick. It does brighten because it as a shimmer in the product itself, which is why many of the girls use it over their make up too. For me, I personally want something that is actually treating my under-eye area versus providing a concealer of sorts. The other issue I noticed was that I started getting milia (basically deposits of cells in a pore that essentially look like a pimple but actually have to be taken care of by a dermatologist which is SUPER annoying). The other facet I noticed was that when I personally attempted to use it as a highlighter over my make-up, it actually smeared my make-up. Overall, it does brighten the under-eye area, but I found it caused more qualms for me and did not treat the actual issue which is what I was more so looking for.
- Tula Illuminating Serum, $68: I am a sucker for a good serum. Like, seriously. I think I have about four or five that I mix in throughout my routine. This is the product I thought I was getting when I accidentally ordered the resurfacing gel. I have been using this for about 5 -6 weeks and my initial impression was wow. I loved the smell and consistency of the product immediately. I also really loved how when you initially apply it, your face gets this beautiful glow. Now, I can’t speak to the product individually, because I did use it in conjunction with their moisturizer, so I would apply them at the same time, but long-term (i.e. throughout the day), I did not maintain that glow. I like to use my serum and moisturizer on their own on the weekends when I just want to run errands and not apply a full face of make-up, and this is when I really noticed that it looked great initially, but throughout the day, it did not maintain. I do, however, feel that it feels great when applied to the skin and may be better for suited for someone that is not as dehydrated as I am (I am working on it). I think for me, I just need some extra support throughout the day. This is a product I would say to try for yourself and see how you feel about it. I think for someone that is new to serums, this may be a good first option, as well.
- Tula Day and Night Cream, $52: So, this is going to be a very similar review to the serum. Great consistency, amazing smell, long term, I don’t think it works well for me. I am looking for something that maintains the suppleness in my skin, keeps my skin well hydrated, and provides some treatment in regards to fine lines and wrinkles. To be honest, and this is weird to stay, I think this may be better suited for someone younger (like younger 20s) as their initial moisturizer/skincare regiment because it provides the moisture and protection they might need, whereas for me, I am looking to prevent and smooth the fine lines I already have forming, I am looking to combat some skin aging due to sun damage (because I did not treat my skin well until about 25), and something that will help even skin tone, minimize pores, and brighten the skin (I know, I am extra). This is another product, though, I would recommend trying for yourself. I do no think it is a bad product by any means, I just think it did not provide me what I was looking for.
- Ponds Cold Cream Facial Moisturizer, $7.89: So I bought this because I had heard the rumor that this used to be great when our grandma’s were our age, but they have changed the formula and now it isn’t the same. You’ve heard this right? You ask your grandma or an older woman what she used on her face to look as young as she does and she will tell you she mostly used Ponds growing up. I kid you not. Try it out. I personally wanted to get to the bottom of the rumor. Now, I am not sure if there is a difference between the actual cold cream (which is a make-up remover) and this option, but I decided to go for the moisturizer. I used this product for maybe 5 weeks. It is a super thick formula that smells exactly like your grandma, which I personally didn’t mind one bit. I thought it had a rich texture and did provide some extra moisture, however, overall, it started making my skin look ruddy. I would not recommend for the face for sure, but what I would recommend it for is your hands. I have super dry hands and I think because the skin is a bit thicker on your hands it ended up smoothing the fine lines, filling in pores and made my hands look much younger. I have continued to use the product just for this, so when I finish with my makeup I put it on my hands before I leave and I really have noticed a difference there.
- Nars Natural Radiant Longer Foundation, $49: During the Sephora sale, I wen to Sephora with the hopes of finding the Georgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation everyone is talking about. They didn’t have it in store, so a sales attendant recommended the Nars Foundation. I didn’t learn until later that she was strictly a Nars consultant, which always sort of bothers me because they are obviously biased and meant to sell or introduce new customers to their brand. Well, she did match me very well with a color and I thought why not? Now, if you have been with me for a while you know I don’t normally stray from my Estée Lauder. In fact, every time I do, I am typically disappointed. Their double wear foundation just can’t seem to be beat and for me, this foundation was no different. I tried it out for two weeks and remained annoyed each day I had to put it on. My qualms: every time I touched my face it came off on my hands, my phone, my work phone, etc. I ended up covering everything I touched in my foundation which just wasn’t going to work. I am not sure if this happened because I was using too much product, but regardless this alone was my reasoning for returning. It also did not last all day like my double wear, requiring reapplication later on in the day and overall made my face feel greasy. My praise: The color matched me perfectly, it was super light weight, a small amount of product goes a long way, and it was very silky. Like I said, it could be because I was using too much product, so if you have tried it before, leave a comment below and let me know what you think. Regardless, I knew I wanted what I liked and once again (I have tried five or six different foundations and always gone back to Estée Lauder), I returned back to the double wear.
I hope this helps you all in regards to a few products! I am trying a few more currently, in which I am having muchhhh better luck. Please message me with any additional questions!
xoxo,
Melissa
