This is a sponsored feature. All opinions are 100% from Her Campus.
If you haven’t already heard, Her Campus is partnering with innisfree! We received a welcome kit with the perfect set for curing winter skin: a four-step hydrating routine made with green tea seeds! Sounds like a mouthful but the kit is truly a godsend. You can learn more about the partnership and the brand by reading fellow Chapel Hill writer Genni’s article, “What is Innisfree?”
I tried it out so I can give you all my honest opinion about it. Don’t believe me? Here’s the proof:
(Not the most flattering picture by any means but it does well for a good laugh!)
The welcome kit has four parts: the My Real Squeeze sheet mask, the Intensive Hydrating Serum, the Intensive Hydrating Eye Cream and the Intensive Hydrating Cream. The kit is meant to be used together and in order after your regular cleaning routine. Here are the steps that I took:
Step 1: Nightly Cleansing
I wanted to try the kit before bed so that the products had all night to soak in and work their magic. The kit should be used on a clean face so I followed my regular routine of double cleansing (double cleaning is washing your face twice, once with an oil-based product and then with a cleansing foam so that your pores aren’t clogged). For that, I wash with Philosophy’s Purity to remove my makeup and then follow up by using Shea Moisture’s Detoxifying Foaming Facial Wash. Since my skin has been extra dry from the winter weather, I used St. Ives’ Apricot Scrub to exfoliate and prep my face for optimal hydration.
Step 2: My Real Squeeze Sheet Mask
The first product to use in the kit is the My Real Squeeze sheet mask. The packaging lists the instructions for use: use a toner to refine the skin and then wear the mask.
I used the Garnier’s Micellar Cleansing Water from the HC Back-to-School Survival Kit as my toner and then put the mask on.
Getting the mask out of the container was difficult because it was drenched in the green tea seed formula. I just patted it into my skin and laid the mask on my face. Contrary to my beliefs, the mask stayed on even as I was hunched over my computer. The formula didn’t drip, either!
I waited the recommended time and discarded the mask when I was finished. There was excess formula, of course, and so I gently patted it into my skin using my fingertips.
Step 3: Intensive Hydrating Serum
Once the mask was finished, I moved on to the serum. It was kind of a watery gel, but it went on well. The instructions said that it should only be applied to the face. The package contained a lot of serum, more than I needed. I feel like I had used a lot, but there was still quite a bit left over. In retrospect, I could have saved the leftover serum but I honestly threw it away. SMH!
Step 4: Intensive Hydrating Eye Cream
I have the darkest under eyes. The Intensive Hydrating Eye Cream isn’t geared toward correcting that, but it does help to keep that area hydrated and the skin looking supple. The instruction for this one was to apply the cream gently by tapping the product into the skin. This makes sense since the under eye area is the most sensitive spot on the face. It was a pretty light product that felt refreshing on my skin.
Step 5: Intensive Hydrating Cream
I’m a huge fan of moisturizer and haven’t quite found the one that works for me. However, I can see myself using the Intensive Hydrating Cream frequently. This is the last step in the four-part welcome kit and instructions say to apply the cream everywhere except the eye area – I’m assuming this is because I already had cream on the skin there – and the neck. Applying the product to the neck was something I’ve never heard of, but a friend of mine swears by it. According to them, the neck is one of the first places that start to wrinkle as you get older.
Post-Regimen Thoughts
My skin felt a little greasy after I finished all four parts of the welcome kit. It might be because I put too much product on or didn’t pat it in well enough, so I’m not really blaming the kit. In general, my skin was already feeling hydrated and tighter!
Final Verdict: I’m a fan!
My skin felt amazing when I woke up. Soooo soft! The greasy feeling I had before I went to bed was gone and my face felt really refreshed. I wanted to see how my face felt all day after using the welcome kit so I refrained from moisturizing, which is a big deal because I have this flaky, dry area around my mouth that’s unflattering AF. To say I was impressed does not do the product justice; I was flabbergasted at how well my face remained hydrated and didn’t need moisturizing all day. Usually, I would have to reapply moisturizer during the afternoon!
Overall, innisfree is a great brand that I highly encourage people to support. The formula is pure and natural, my skin feels great, and, most of all, my wallet is happy! Most skincare products of this caliber are expensive but innisfree gives you your money’s worth!