Hello everybody! Today we want to share a skincare review with you all, courtesy of Works of Beauty. They were nice enough to send us a few full-sized products and we’re very excited to be reviewing them. They sent us six products total from 2 different brands, Exuviance and NeoStrata. We’d never heard of these brands before so we were very excited to discover them. One of our editors, Marie, reviewed all of the products and these are based on her skin type which is the following: combination oily to oily, very sensitive, redness, and acne prone with some pigmentation.
Exuviance Age Reverse Eye Contour
The Eye Contour Cream was my favorite product out of all the products that were sent to us. It has some fantastic skin enhancing ingredients like peptides, caffeine, and botanicals that claim to “lift, firm, reduce crow’s feet and puffiness”. This eye cream claimed to do many different things and I’m very excited to say that it lived up to what it said it would do (how often does that happen!?).
I used it for 2 weeks and upon initial application the cream was very moisturizing. Although my lids tend to be oily, my under eye can get quite dry and this definitely helped. It has a very faint scent in the when you first apply it but goes away quickly. After using for two weeks I can say that it helps with puffiness as it has caffeine in it, is light weight despite being so moisturizing, and I am starting to see some reduction of fine lines which I imagine will only get better with continued use. Although this is a great product I was disappointed to see that after I apply this cream and go to apply my makeup after it dries, it seems to leave a thin but visible film on my under eye that only gets worse when you pat your concealer on. This is the only con I was able to find for this eye cream, but I am happy to report that I will be purchasing this again when I run out!
Exuviance Essential Daily Defense Fluid SPF 15
This SPF came right in time because I had just run out of my mine. It’s lightweight, oil-free, has vitamin E, Chamomille, and aloe so my skin really enjoys this particular sun screen.
When I first applied it I noticed it had a very pleasant apple smell that does linger but this was no problem for me since I’m not sensitive to perfumes. As I rubbed the product in I also noticed that it has a bit of a sheen to it that makes your skin look dewy. I’m a big fan of dewy skin so I happen to like this but if you’re not, no worries; it mattifies within 20-30 minutes. It had no white cast and my skin appeared to be brighter after using for 2 weeks. Once again, I am happy to say this is another product that gets re-buy status in my book.
Exuviance Multi-Protective Day Crème SPF 15
If you’ve got oily skin like mine, this SPF might be a little too heavy. It has Polyhydroxy Acids (PHA) which “evens skin tone, refines skin texture, and reduces fine lines and wrinkles for brighter, younger looking skin” according to the box. It’s also oil-free and non-comedogenic-acnegenic so it won’t clog your pores or produce allergic reactions.
I tried using this SPF when I went out for a walk and by the time I came back I looked very oily especially in my t-zone (which only looks good if you’re Gisele on the cover of Vogue). I also noticed that it gave me a white cast that many SPFs tend to do and this one wasn’t the exception I am sad to say. There is good news though, if you have mature skin this SPF will be the one for you as it moisturizes well and contains PHA that will help with wrinkles and skin evening. This particular SPF wasn’t for me but girls with drier skin could see fantastic results with it.
Ultra Smoothing Cream 10 AHA
This cream is unfortunately another one that didn’t last long on me. It was too heavy for my skin and broke me out so I actually had to go remove it after 2 hours or so because besides the fact that my skin didn’t like it, my nose wasn’t loving it either. The smell is very overpowering despite the fact that it says it’s fragrance-free. It also contains Shea Butter so I had a definite culprit as to why my skin rejected this cream.
The good news is that it feels so nice on the skin, makes it feel very soft and feels so nourished because of the 10 Alpha Hydroxy Acids that it contains. The AHA’s are supposed to give your skin a smoother appearance and “correct textural concerns such as rough skin and fine lines and wrinkles” according to the packaging. Although I could not use this on my face, I would like to add that it felt great on my neck and provided great nourishment. I’d recommend this product for mature dry skin that is in need of an overall appearance enhancer.
NeoStrata Daytime Protection Cream SPF 15
This cream is another one that I could not use. As you may have noticed by now, most creams and my face do not get a long whatsoever. This particular one had it’s good points about it because it had no smell, no sticky feeling after application, and dries to a matte finish which is something that oily skins really appreciate!
It’s recommended for normal to dry skins so I already knew it wouldn’t work out for my face but I did use it on my neck. It moisturized really well and I appreciated the extra SPF. I will say, however, that this product definitely gives a white cast and despite my pale skin it showed up. This would be another good daytime cream for mature, dry skin but not the best for oily skins.
NeoStrata Renewal Cream 12 PHA
For my last review I have the renewal cream. I’m very sad to say that this cream wasn’t very nice to my skin. Although it dries to a matte finish, it’s very rich and contains a few different oils which did not mix well with my skin type. As before mentioned, I have very sensitive skin so I know right off the bat (a few hours) if a product will work for me or not.
I applied this at night after having properly cleansed my skin and was not very happy with the results. I woke up the next day to find a few pimples and a very oily t-zone. I also applied it to my neck and décolleté area and it happened to really soften both areas so I continued to use it there. My skin has definitely softened and looks smoother. Once again I am excited to say, I will definitely purchase this product when I run out!
We really enjoyed learning about the products that were sent to us and the many benefits they provide. The Works of Beauty website not only has skincare products but also a wide selection of hair and makeup products that you will love. Please visit WorksOfBeauty.com for more on the products we reviewed here.
