How I said screw it and paid $185 for a serum

Spoiler alert : I didn’t. 

Like I shared on social a few weeks ago, I recently stopped working at l’Oreal Canada. What I didn’t share was that I also decided to pack my car and move to the other end of the country (a lot more on that to come). I’ll skip over all the personal reasons that guided my decision to leave my job, but regardless, while I was there, one of the best perks was that I could get my hands on discounted beauty products from pretty much any l’Oreal brand (think Lancôme, Kérastase, etc...) at any given time.

So the day before I left, you better believe I went in for one last hurrah, so I wouldn’t have to annoy my ex-colleagues into buying me the goods, at least for a little while. Going into my last ~haul~, my mentality was to try not to get stuff I already had 7 alternatives for, but also to finally buy products I knew I would never purchase if it wasn’t for the (big) discount. And that’s exactly how two SkinCeuticals serums ended up in my basket, totalling a heart-stopping $370 before discount and taxes, and owing me a huge side-eye look from my best friend, before he downright laughed out loud at my little “folie”. 

Fast forward a few weeks later (I did start using the night serum on the night that I brought them back home, because I have absolutely 0 self-control), I already feel like I can give a very good review of both. 

SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic  

This stuff was really what I had came here for. Just let me put you into context. 

You know you always have that one friend in high school or college who is tall, blonde and super tanned? She spends her summers in Greece and her spring and winter breaks in Miami. Oh, and did I also mention, she has AMAZING skin. Where I went to college, this girl’s name was Laura*, and although we were only friends through my boyfriend at the time, we always had a great time talking about beauty and skincare. And she was the one who first got me interested in CE Ferulic... 7 years ago. That actually was how long I had been waiting to put this fabulous potion on my skin and trying to get close to her perfect even skin tone and “Rich-girl-glow”.

Now before I go ahead and share my experience and results, I do have to say, the unboxing was far from the luxe and opulent experience I was expecting to get (and what I honestly thought Laura was into for all of these years). No birds signing, no extras, quirky quotes, funky “how-to’s”, or anything you’d expect from a traditional luxe brand. Instead, a simple blue box with a glass bottle and a pipette - and a funny smelling orange liquid inside. 

And while we’re here talking about the liquid, not only were the colour and smell nothing other than underwhelming at first, but the texture was also... unexpected? Extra runny and somewhere exactly between an oily and watery feel. I would love to give another product as comparison but truly, nothing comes to mind, it’s totally unique in its genre. Surprisingly though, the texture has grown on me. It has that quality of being extremely lightweight and fast absorbed into the skin, but leaves a beautiful glow behind. You can still feel a bit of the oil at the touch once fully sunk in but having dry-ish skin, I can’t say I hate it. And once topped off with my other serum (L’Oreal Paris Revitalift Triple Power LZR 1.5% pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum), moisturizer and sunscreen, the overall result is much more glowy dewyness than oily greaseball.

SkinCeuticals Resveratrol BE

Now, bet yourself I had to get the matching night goods to complete my routine. A day serum without a night one is basically like Batman without Robin, anyways. 

So back to my last day at the “l’Oreal Beauty Boutique”, I’m desperately googling on my phone, rushed by the fast growing covid-waiting-line, to find out my own ~custom-created~ SkinCeuticals routine. After inputting “uneven skin” and “first signs of aging” as first and second skin concerns respectively, the recommended night treatment comes out as Resveratrol BE. Quick glance at its promise of “Supporting skin's natural repair by neutralizing free radicals” and “Diminishing the visible signs of accelerated aging” and I’m hooked. Yes, I will put this antioxidant and vitamin rich night serum in my basket and no, I won’t look at the price (a jaw dropping 185$, fyi). 

Back home, no crazy unboxing here again, but for this one, a neatly packaged bottle with an air-tight pump, making it easier to use and definitely much less messy than its daytime counterpart. The pump also allows to keep the product fresh for much longer, guaranteeing a fresh dose every time till the end of the bottle.

Here, I really had a blast first applying. The texture is one of a light, ever so slightly oily jelly, that spreads easily and evenly on the skin, with the tiniest amount required. Again, smell and colour are a bit off putting, but I’ll always choose a (reasonably) funky smell over an overly perfumed one, anyways. Overall, this is one of the most comfortable textures for my usual nightly face massages - it glides and pretty much doesn’t dry off till the next morning, really.

As far as results, I’m so very happy to report that I did NOT throw my money out the window.

And it didn’t even take me 24 hours to notice. As I started using the Resveratrol first, my first skin “checkpoint” was the next morning, and I was SO excited to wake up to skin that was absolutely glowing. It was the least textured I had seen my skin in a while, both at fine lines and pores level. The usually visible pores on and around my nose had vanished, and I looked rested and smooth around the eyes and the forehead (I did apply the serum around my eyes, I really don’t think there were any counter-indications for it). 

Like I also mentioned, the immediate result after using the vitamin C day serum was instantly glowing, dewy skin. 

As for long term results, I did notice a difference in the evenness of both my skin tone and texture. While I absolutely can’t say I’ve seen a diminution in fine lines or wrinkles (as much as a 25 y.o. can really have), I’ve seen the biggest difference in my pores (they just aren’t a concern anymore), and in the (lack of) discolouration in my complexion. My very stubborn reddish-brown acne marks on my lower cheeks and jawline are literally disappearing away. I can’t say I’ve been one to apply so much makeup in the past few weeks / months, but now I actually have the confidence not to do so. My skin (and self-esteem) are pretty much the best they’ve been in years.

Which brings me to bigger questions : I really don’t know how much I’m willing to spend to achieve not only the skin but the confidence I have right now. If you know me personally, or if you’ve been following for a moment, you most probably know that I’ve gone through the hell of Accutane, twice. Very thankfully, my parents covered all the costs both times - they were absolutely astronomical. I’m talking around 10 derm appointments each time, 6-8 blood tests and the costs of the medication itself (for which I didn’t have insurance on the most recent shot). All racked up, I would say each round probably cost them around 2000$, which almost now seems like a steal compared to these tiny bottles. I do notice a huge change, but I’m not certain how much other people (even if standing very close) would be able to notice. But what I’m really feeling is the biggest takeaway, and what’s really making me think twice about it, is that almost un-replicable feeling of not having to worry about my skin. Knowing that it’s pretty much on it’s “best behaviour” all of the time and basically making it one less thing I need to constantly worry about. Peace of mind, I guess. And really, up to you to tell me if that has a price.