Isabella Traboscia is a 19-year-old esthetician who has over 40k followers on TikTok and videos with over two million views. She is based out of Pennsylvania, about 20 minutes outside of Pittsburgh, and works at Natalie Rose Beauty. I got the chance to get my skin analyzed by her virtually over FaceTime. I signed up for the consultation through her Linktree (an online tool that lists links to all of someone’s social media accounts in one place) in her TikTok bio. Soon after, she texted me to confirm, and three days later I had my consultation.
When I picked up the FaceTime call, I was greeted by an excited Isabella, ready to get to work on my skincare routine. The first questions she asked me were my skin goals, skin problems and my budget for recommended products. I told her I used to have extremely oily skin to the point where I’d have to carry blotting sheets around with me everywhere I went, but now my face is extremely dry. I have a bit of acne scarring because if I have a pimple, I need to pop it. My budget is $100 to $150 because I know skincare can be expensive but that was all I was willing to spend.
I wanted to do my skincare routine with her on FaceTime to show her the products I was using, how much of each I applied and if my application process was correct. She was so happy; no one had ever done that for her before during a consultation. I had all my skincare products lined up and went to work. It was definitely a little strange when I first got started; it was a new experience for her and a new one for me, too. I began by re-wetting my face with a damp, clean washcloth after double cleansing with Vanicream Gentle Face Cleanser. I have super sensitive skin, and in the last five months had a terrible rash. This face wash was recommended to me by my dermatologist and it saved my life! It makes my skin feel so refreshed and clean.
I then spread two pumps of Vichy Mineral 89 Skin Fortifying Daily Booster evenly across my face (also recommended to me by my dermatologist to protect against environmental aggressors that can stress and dull my face’s appearance). Isabella recommended that I stop using it since I haven’t noticed a difference in my skin and together, we found an alternative that would be better suited for my skin type.
After the Vichy product, I take one pump of Dermasensa’s Super C Serum and gently press that all over my face. I have always loved vitamin C serums, this one specifically because it is one of the best anti-aging products on the market (other than sunscreen, obviously). I use this product as if it was liquid gold because it’s expensive. Isabella and I put it aside for now and decided on another product I could use that would actually benefit my skin.
My holy grail moisturizer, La Roche Posay Toleriane Double Repair, is applied with a blueberry-sized amount all over my face and neck. I have no words for this product, it’s not greasy and leaves my skin so radiant and ready to take on the day. I then apply a dab of the Sephora Collection Brightening Eye Cream, which honestly does nothing for me, but I am in my 20s and have raging under-eye bags, so I keep using it in the hopes that one day it’ll work.
My last step is another La Roche Posay product, the Anthelios 60 SPF, one of my favorite everyday use sunscreens. I take about two blueberry-sized dots and spread it all over my face, neck, shoulders and hands. Isabella loved both of my La Roche Posay products and told me to do without the eye cream, which honestly didn’t hurt giving up because I saw no difference in my use of it.
I mentioned to her that at night, my routine is the same minus the sunscreen and I had recently been influenced by TikTok users to try “slugging.” Slugging is basically coating your face in petrolatum products such as Vaseline and Aquaphor to to moisturize your skin overnight. I’ve been doing this for a few weeks and seen some improvements, especially to my under-eye area where I suffer from raging bags. I asked if there was anything I could be doing to improve the state of my skin to achieve that glow everyone wants.
Isabella commended me on my use of all the products and gave me a plan of what I should keep, what to take out and alternatives to benefit the health of my skin.
My new AM/PM routine includes two 60-second double cleanses of the Vanicream with a gua sha session in between using the cleanser as the lubricant. The Retexturing Activator by Skinceuticals is a serum that helps reinforce the skin’s barrier for more radiant skin to replace my vitamin C serum. I’ll continue using the Vichy product, but she recommended the Hyaluronic Acid Intensifier or the Hydrating B5 Gel (also from Skinceuticals) to replace this product in my daily routine.
I’ll still use my holy grail moisturizer from La Roche Posay and instead of Vaseline for slugging, I’ll use Calendula Cream. We also bonded over our obsession with the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask, which Isabella says she’s been using for years!
The consultation went extremely well and really surprised me, especially because it was virtual. Who knows, I might have to make a trip up to Pennsylvania and visit Isabella at Natalie Rose Beauty. But for now, being in Florida, I would definitely recommend getting a virtual consultation with her and following her on TikTok.
It was $50 for a 30-minute session and her written take-home instructions; she’s extremely knowledgeable and she’s not trying to rob your bank. She’s super reasonable when it comes to purchasing products that she recommends, but as a heads-up, you do get $10 off the consultation when you do and free shipping for the products you do buy.
To 2022, the year of good health and beautiful, glowy skin!
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