Know a gal in your life that always looks fabulous or seems to enjoy ALL of the hair, make up and skincare things?! This time of year so many retailers have the best gift sets from name brands and deals on big ticket appliances so if you want to spoil a special lady in your life, look no further!
A month ago I announced that I was on the hunt for a budget friendly, quality retinol to build into my skincare routine. I have struggled in the past with the high price tag of retinols and then on top of that I never had the best experience either. They either dried out my skin so bad, had a terrible odor, or just didn’t seem to show results. All of that being said, I was still determined to find something that worked for me and my skin. I’m nearing 30 and starting to notice facial lines that weren’t there even a year ago. Who knew you started physically showing your age at just 27 years old? Not me!
Over the past month I started trying out each of the Olay Retinol24 products consisting of a night serum, moisturizer and eye cream (all super affordable) into my night time regimen and I’m excited to review them for you! The best part about these products is that unlike other retinols, these products are blended with a retinyl propionate. Retinyl propionate are small vitamin A molecules that work their way deep into your skin in order to plump and smooth while also nourishing the skin on top of that which is why these products don’t dry out your skin like most retinols on the market do. In fact, I have seen no irritation whatsoever since using the products even when using them for consecutive nights.
Another big reason to love these products is that they work for up to 24 hours (hence the name), slowly working their way deep into your skin over the course of a day’s time. This is unlike other retinols that send an immediate, powerful dose of retinol all at once which usually leads to irritation and dryness. And probably the absolute biggest reason to really love these products is the price tag. I certainly know that it is a struggle to find a retinol that doesn’t break the bank. Well look no further because each of these products can be found at drugstore prices!
My favorite product out of the bunch is the Olay Retinol24 Night Moisturizer which comes as no surprise since I have loved several Olay Moisturizers over the years. This one has a silky smooth consistency that immediately absorbs into your skin and does not leave you feeling sticky or greasy whatsoever. The eye cream has a thicker consistency and is packed with a punch. A little goes a long way so although it is in a smaller jar, you get a lot of bang for your buck! Lastly the serum is a great way to add a retinol into your regimen if you already have a moisturizer that you love. It comes with an application dropper that makes it easy to work into your hands before applying or apply directly to your face and then pat into the skin. Take note that you should not use all of the products together. You can use the eye cream and moisturizer or the eye cream and serum but not the moisturizer and serum together.
My overall review is that these products are legit! If you have struggled in the past to find an affordable retinol option or have experienced irritation in the past, I would highly recommend every one of these products. Since I already have a few serums that I can’t live without, I plan on continuing to use the Olay Retinol24 Eye Cream and Olay Retinol24 Moisturizer as these are two areas my skin desperately needs a retinol savior. Since both the serum and moisturizer are applied to the entire face, I would choose whichever one you are lacking in your current skincare routine.
Lastly, I know it can be confusing whenever you start working new products into your skincare routine and you might be wondering how and when to apply the different products. When it comes to the order of application of nighttime skincare products, this is the order in which I apply mine: cleanser, toner, eye cream, oils, serum, and lastly moisturizer. The way you want to apply skincare products is going to be from thinnest consistency to the thickest. This way the thinner products can penetrate deep into the skin while the thicker products usually sit on top of the skin. For ex: if you put a moisturizer on before an oil, the oil will not be able to absorb into the skin since the moisturizer is blocking it from penetrating deep into your pores. After all, if you are spending the money on skincare products, might as well be applying them right 🙂
*Thank you Olay for sponsoring this post. As always, all thoughts an opinions are my own.*
A couple weeks ago I asked you ladies for your favorite skincare and make up products that contained SPF and boy did y’all deliver! There were hundreds of answers so I tried out some of the top recommendations and I’m sharing my review of all of them below.
I can honestly say it wasn’t until the past couple of years that I started realizing the importance of taking care of my skin and investing in products that will do just that. A large part of that was due to the fact that my mom had a melanoma and a large part was also the age spots and skin damage that I was starting to notice on my own skin. It’s never too early to start protecting your skin so that will look better and younger longer!
CHARLOTTE TILBURY MAGIC CREAM (SPF 15)
I first raved about this product in this extensive beauty routine post. I am now scraping out the very last bits of this product and will 100% be repurchasing. It has replaced all of my other primers and doubles as a moisturizer too. It helps fill in pores, even out your skin tone and make you foundation go on much easier and smoother. I actually end up using less foundation because the primer really makes the foundation go a lot further than it normally would.
JOSIE MARAN PROTECT & PERFECT RADIANCE (SPF 47)
On days that I just want a tinted moisturizer for a no-make up, make up kind of look, I reach for this product. I will say this product probably will only work for my fair skined ladies as it only comes in one shade which is not super dark. It also has a pink undertone to it. With that being said, it does blend very nicely and provides a very light coverage. I usually just apply bronzer over this and call it a day!
DERMALOGICA DYNAMIC SKIN RECOVERY (SPF 50)
I have used this moisturizer for years. You can find it buried in the same beauty routine blog post that I mentioned before. It is my favorite moisturizer especially if you have normal to oily skin. It doesn’t leave your skin feeling greasy or oily one bit so I love using it in the mornings and at night. It smells like ginger and has a pretty liquidy consistency which makes it great for mixing in tanning drops. I am currently using the Isle of Paradise tanning drops in shade dark.
KIEHL’S BUTTERSTICK LIP TREATMENT (SPF 30)
I somehow always forget to put sun protection on my lips so during the Summer months I switch out my normal chapstick for one with SPF. I’ve tried several but this Kiehl’s one is by far my favorite. It is SO moisturizing and true to it’s name, like butter! It comes in a few different tints but I personally just use the untinted.
IT COSMETICS CC CREAM (SPF 40+)
I’ve used this product for over 5 years now and cannot say enough good things about it. The CC Cream comes in a few different formulas: matte, normal and illumination. My personal favorite for the Summer or if you have oily skin is the matte formula which has SPF 40. I usually use the normal formula (SPF 50) for the rest of the year. If you do not have oily skin I would suggest getting the normal formula. This is a full coverage foundation without being too heavy or cakey. I use shade medium in the Summer months. If you haven’t tried this yet, you are missing out.
TARTE AMAZON CLAY FOUNDATION (SPF 15)
While the CC Cream is my #1 bae, this Tarte foundation is a close second for the Summer. It’s a little bit lighter and more whip like in consistency. I would say it is a full coverage foundation again without feeling heavy or looking cakey. I use shade medium beige.
IT COSMETICS COLOR CORRECTING CONCEALER (SPF 50)
While I don’t love the applicator on this product, I do like the product itself. The metal applicator is fine for applying to product but to actually work the product into your skin, I suggest using a beauty blender or a small brush. As far as coverage I would say it is a light to medium coverage. I use shade fair.
IT COSMETICS CC CREAM BRONZER (SPF 50)
If you are looking for a liquid bronzer (aka don’t want that powder look), this is a great option that has SPF built in! On days that I am out in the sun, I usually skip the powder products and opt for the liquid ones so that they aren’t as cakey and provide more of a natural, dewy finish.
There are very few setting sprays that also have SPF in them. While I definitely would choose my Urban Decay All Nighter spray over this one majority of the year, I always reach for my coola setting spray on days that I know I will be in the sun. Setting spray is meant to be the last step after applying your make up. It locks everything is place, making your make up stay all day. And if you are going to use a setting spray anyway, why not make sure it has some protection in it? I will not that it does have a sunscreen smell to it.
TARTEGUARD MINERAL POWDER SUNSCREEN (SPF 30)
If you have a full face of make up on, the last thing you want to do is slather sunscreen on and mess it all up. The Tarteguard powder is a translucent powder that has SPF already in it. The applicator is genius and really does work so well. Depending on your make up routine and how many of your make up products actually have SPF, this would be a great product to work into your routine in place of a liquid sunscreen.
If you are shopping for any skincare or make up products not necessarily just with SPF, I urge you to check out QVC’s selection. I am officially converted and always check their website before I make the trip to Sephora. Why? Because QVC almost always have some sort of deal on a skincare or make up product that I am wanting to buy. Usually it’s either a significant discount or a “free” product with purchase (for example: a make up brush or travel sized mini). Plus, if you haven’t shopped on QVC’s site before you can use code TAKE5 for $5 off your first purchase!
Photos by: BanAvenue
*This post is in partnership with QVC. As always all thoughts and opinions are my own.*
