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Spa Sciences Aero Advanced Skincare Infusion System

12/2/2020

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by Rosy Day Blog

Science-Based & Dermatologist Recommended

I’ve never heard of Spa Sciences prior to this review, however, I’m very glad that I have. I’ve always been interested in more beauty gadgets and tools. Unfortunately many of them are just too expensive for me right now, and the more affordable ones have just been “cheap knockoffs”. Spa Sciences, an American-based innovator and distributor, believes that everyone should have the opportunity to have healthy and radiant skin without necessarily spending hundreds of dollars.

Spa Sciences is a team of skincare experts including scientists, engineers, designers, and beauticians - all working to provide effective (yet safe) and affordable beauty devices for home use. They hope that with their advanced technology of beauty devices, they can “bring the spa home with you”.

In my opinion, the Aero is a bit “ridiculously cheap” in pricing considering what it does. For privacy reasons I won’t reveal the exact nature of my job, but I do work in the design & manufacturing industry (not related to beauty or skincare), so I do understand how extensive research, testing, and then the care put forth in the design and construction of one product, can all be reflected in the final pricing. I’m seriously impressed how they made this all possible. Read on to learn more about this gadget and my experience with it.

Disclosure:

I received this product from Spa Sciences in exchange for my honest review. However, it was my decision to specifically review the Aero out of Spa Sciences’ selection of beauty devices. I was not given anything in exchange for this review. I enjoy doing product reviews to share my own experiences with the product and hope someone finds it useful. I do not work for Spa Sciences or any of their listed retailers.

Table of Contents

- Product Description, Claims, & How-To
- Product Review & Results
- Final Thoughts & Shop This Post

Triple Clinical Infusion™ Technology

Product Description:

You might have seen some similar beauty devices around social media...Aero is an infusion device designed to maximize the performance of any skincare product for both better absorption and faster results. What makes Aero unique is that is has sonic, ionic, AND thermal infusion technology all in one.

From Spa Sciences:
  • Ionic infusion - “pushes and pulls ingredients through an ion magnetic process that drives them deeper into the epidermis so they can maximize anti-aging results.”

  • Thermal warming - “the treatment head warms to 107°F, the optimal temperature to temporarily create thermal-pore-dilation...Dilated pores can utilize treatment serums and creams better and faster than non-dilated pores.”

  • Sonic movements - “30,000 movements per minute provides superior absorption of skin care actives while stimulating collagen production. Taps at a higher frequency than could ever be achieved by hand for superior penetration.”

Product Claims:

According to the Spa Sciences website, “Aero is clinically proven, and dermatologist approved to be 7 times more effective than applying products with fingers alone to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, skin hydration, skin tone, skin brightness and other signs of premature aging.”

Below are the clinical test results from an independent study:
  • Over 60% increase in hydration
  • Over 390% increase in tone
  • Over 350% increase in firmness
  • Over 500% increase in brightness
  • 500% decrease in signs of visual aging
  • Over 60% decrease in the appearance of wrinkles

Judging by the photos and info on the product box, I’m going to assume the independent study took at least 2 weeks, since the product box does show some promising results after 2 weeks of use.

How to Use:

Just as you might choose to use some or all of your skincare products once or twice a day, Aero can also be used as often as you’d like, and during whichever steps of your skincare routine (after cleansing) that you choose to. The official directions are to apply a small amount of serum, cream, or moisturizer to the treatment head and it will automatically turn on as it makes contact with your skin. You are basically massaging in the product with Aero versus your bare hands. My personal preference is to apply most of the product to my face (some things like serums are too slippery to apply directly to Aero), but don’t pat it in all the way so my face is still moist with product. Then I would go in with Aero to massage the product in until absorption, focusing on areas of concern such as my eye area and laugh lines. After you’re done, wipe the treatment head with a towel or cloth to remove any excess product/residue.

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Reduce Visible Signs of Aging

Because skincare infusion devices like Aero stimulate collagen production, this often results in the reduced appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, scars, and pigmentation. It can also help to lift sagging skin for more healthy and plump-looking skin.

There are definitely some spas/dermatology offices out there that provide some kind of skin infusion service that probably last like ~20 minutes and is of course “professional” quality. However, these treatments can be costly. At least with an infusion device like Aero, you can get a similar experience at an affordable price. You might not be using it like 20 minutes in one sitting, but with the convenience of the Aero, you can give yourself a skin infusion treatment anytime and for as long as you want.

Routine & Usage:

My skincare routine for the ~2 weeks that I used Aero are as follows below.

Morning:
  • Fresh Soy Face Cleanser
  • Son & Park Beauty Water
  • AZN Labs Afterglow Ampoule
  • Bliss Glow & Hydrate Serum
  • Laneige Water Bank Moisture Cream (not the 2019 reformulation)
  • Peach & Lily Cold Brew Eye Recovery Stick

Night:
  • Fresh Soy Face Cleanser
  • Son & Park Beauty Water
  • AZN Labs Afterglow Ampoule or AHC Aqualuronic Serum
  • Bliss Renew & Smooth Serum or Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Sleeping Mask
  • Laneige Water Bank Moisture Cream (not the 2019 reformulation)
  • Algenist Complete Eye Balm or Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Eye Sleeping Mask
  • Peach & Lily Cold Brew Eye Recovery Stick

I did get in at least 2 uses of the Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Sleeping Mask in-between my testing of Aero. However I’m still trying to figure out how this product fits into my routine, so I don’t consider it to have too much of an impact on my skin results. Plus, it’s not like I’ve never used a retinol product before so I won’t just “suddenly get smooth skin” (often associated with first time/”virgin” retinol use). There was also 1 or 2 days I got super lazy at night. In that case, I only applied the Peach & Lily Overnight Star Sleeping Mask (so nourishing you can probably skip all steps of your routine).

Like I mentioned before, how I like to use Aero is to apply most of the product to my face (some things like serums are too slippery to apply directly to Aero), but don’t pat it in all the way so my face is still moist with product. Then I would go in with Aero to massage the product in until absorption, focusing on areas of concern such as my eye area and laugh lines. I tend to use Aero during the serum and eye cream steps of my routine, however sometimes I would also use it during the moisturizer step if I feel like my face could use more nourishment pushed in. I keep Aero moving around my eye area and laugh lines the most (as they are my concern) and just quickly go over the rest of my face as they’re less of a concern.

I do use Aero both day and night. If you’re in a rush to get ready for work or school during the day, that might not work for you. In that case, at least use Aero at night with your acne/brightening/anti-aging products. Spa Sciences recommends using Aero on your desired area for 1-2 minutes. Now, I don’t necessarily have the time or patience for this. However since I do use Aero multiple times a day, if I add up all the seconds I spend using this device on my areas of concern (eyes and smile lines), it does add up to like 1 minute. Since the product does get super hot (and I don’t want to damage my already sensitive skin), it’s kind of hard to just keep Aero moving on a single spot for at least 1 minute (just something to consider).

Performance:

I’ve often heard how you should warm up a product in your hand or between your fingers before applying...This takes it to another level - like you’re ironing the wrinkles off your face...

Aero is one of the very few skin care infusion devices I’ve come across that heats up in addition to the ionic and sonic technologies. I wasn’t sure what to expect with a product that heated up, but upon first use, it felt quite nice and maybe even a bit relaxing.

Left is the before (taken in September 2019), the right is after (taken the other day). I normally keep my eyes closed but I didn't realize how nice my skin turned out so I took the after with my eyes open, LOL. Keep in mind that it was still kind of summer-ish in the before so I might look more tanned. However, believe it or not the before photo actually had better natural lighting. I had worse natural lighting to work with in the after but somehow I still looked brighter despite how many photos I took.
Side by side comparison. Again the left/before was taken in September 2019, and the right/after, just the other day. Ok, so it's not like I had terrible skin to begin with, but I feel like Aero really amplified the brightening effects of my Bliss Glow & Hydrate serum (my claim to the current biggest difference in my skin the past 1-2 months).
In my opinion, I felt like my skin was less red, more even, and better balanced, despite me pretty much using the same products within these last 1-2 months. You can definitely argue that my results were probably because the effects of my skincare products "finally kicked in". That could be true but I also feel like Aero did help push it along. Even my Azn Labs After Glow Ampoule that I'm struggling to finish off (which I reviewed and thought it didn't do much for its high price), started to show some promise after I started using it with Aero. Now, I still have some slight sunken eyes and mouth lines if I really look for it, however I think this is pretty good progress for the ~2 weeks that I used Aero.

Ionic Infusion: I truly think this technology pushes skincare products deeper into your skin and provides better absorption. Even some of the skincare products that I thought were kind of “meh”, started to show a bit of promise to me. To conserve power, I don’t necessarily use Aero to 100% absorb the products onto my skin, but I do at least try to massage the majority of the product in. I kind of pat most of the product onto my face and then finish off the absorption with Aero.

Thermal Warming: I can’t tell if the heat from the device really “dilates” my pores, but it does feel nice and helps to kind of “melt” the product down deep into your skin. Now, this device does get pretty hot. The key is to keep moving Aero and to try and not keep it over one area of your face for too long. If you have any kind of wounds or open areas on your face, I would avoid using Aero over them.

Sonic Movements: I think that this is how the magic truly happens. I do believe in facial massages, even more if it’s something that claims to have sonic movements. For the longest time I was using my Clarisonic Mia to not only thoroughly clean my face, but as a way to massage it as well. I often focused around my mouth area where smile lines were prone to form, and also my cheeks to help prevent any sagging. I believed at the time that this was what was helping to delay my aging. The only reason I stopped using my Clarisonic Mia is that is has become a bit rough for me to use on my face now, and let’s face it - it’s just annoying having to buy replacement brush heads for it. I think it was around this time that I started to see some aging on my skin (yes around the time I happened to stop using anything with sonic movements on my face). Long story short, sonic movements was doing something for me, so I’m glad to be able to re-introduce it with Aero.

I don’t know if there’s any truth to stimulating collagen production...But we exercise our bodies to keep it firm and young, why not our face?

I see the 30,000 sonic movements per minute not just as a relaxing massage, but as a workout for my face as well. With that many movements per minute, it better be considered a facial exercise!

Pros:

  • On my box, Aero is listed as having an MSRP of $39 USD. However on the Spa Sciences website and some other retailers like Target, you can get it as low as $29 USD. There is no excuse not to get this. This is a very affordable device considering the technology behind it.
  • Can be found at your local Target, Walmart, or Kohl’s.
  • Helps skin “drink up” your skincare products, making them seem more effective (yes, even the mediocre products show a bit of promise with this device).
  • Depending how long you use this in one sitting and how often, this device can easily last you up to 1 week on a single charge.
  • Very portable. It is sleek, lightweight, and can be re-charged by plugging its charger into any USB input for charging (you can just plug it into your USB phone charger).
  • It’s very easy to use right out of the box. There are no confusing buttons or indicators that you need to learn how to use.

Cons:

  • Takes about 8 hours to recharge. This means that you pretty much have to recharge it overnight. Not a deal breaker for me, but it might be a tad annoying if you were planning on using Aero that some night and can’t wait for it to charge that long.
  • Like most additions to your beauty routine, this is still no miracle worker and does require some time and patience to see results. This pretty much just helps speed things up and makes your products work better than before, just keep at it. It also helps to keep fine-tuning your skincare routine and making sure you’re using the right products for your skin type and concerns. Aero does help, but you still need good skincare products - these 2 things will work hand-in-hand in producing some results.
  • You need to make time for it. Personally I try to use this device both morning and night, especially since I don’t always have the time to spend an entire minute on each area of concern. Breaking it up between morning and night for me, works out better.
  • If you have eye concerns, the Aero isn’t quite designed for that area as it is kind of too big to properly move around, especially if like me you need help stimulating collagen around your tear duct area. Hint: Spa Sciences, make a smaller infusion device just for the delicate eye area.
  • Can get pretty hot, making it difficult for prolonged use on a single area of concern. It also doesn’t have an “off” button for the heat, which might be something Spa Sciences would want to look into for a future Aero 2.0. I also saw someone online suggest a "cold" function to compliment the "hot" one. I think they're onto something here...
  • It doesn’t have any timing functionality. For example my Clarisonic Mia would pulsate after every minute to let you know when time’s up and so you can move onto the next area of your face. Maybe I’m asking for too much, but that might be a nice feature to include, especially when you actually want to know when you’ve spent at least 1 minute on your area of concern.
  • Doesn’t incorporate LED light technology. I don’t know if it’s even possible to add a 4th technology to this already amazing device. However, LED light technology has gotten popular over the last year or so in skincare. This is something that I hope to try out before the end of the year. Even if it’s a separate device, it would be kind of cool if Spa Sciences tried dipping their toes in an LED light skincare device. LED light devices are still super expensive. Spa Sciences would be one of the first to bring a more affordable version to the masses...

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Elevate The Way You Do Skincare

Final Impressions:

I’m not sure what else I can say that hasn’t already been covered. If it isn’t obvious, I really do enjoy using Aero and adding it to my routine.

I have a massage tool and will probably still use it to help firm and sculpt my cheekbones...But I much prefer Aero for general facial massages with the bonus of skincare absorption.

I find Aero more fun to use (and more effective) than a plain old jade roller (sorry, not sorry).


Even my bf loves Aero and he’s not exactly one who’s super into skincare. He’ll still need a reminder to use it, LOL. But once he knows, he’ll go off and use it on his own for a good 1-2 minutes. While he hasn’t been using it every single day, I have still seen an improvement on his textural issues. So in conclusion, anyone can use Aero. You do not need to be like “highly experienced” in your skincare journey. You can be someone that’s as basic and novice as my bf, and still see some results with regular use. Spa Sciences, if you read my previous suggestions above, I can’t wait to see what you’d come up with for an Aero 2.0.

Final Rating = 4/5

Any questions about this product and/or my experience, please let me know! I'd love to hear your thoughts.

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Shop the Aero - Advanced Skincare
Infusion System


Photo Credit: Spa Sciences

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Peach & Lily Cold Brew Eye Recovery Stick

12/2/2020

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by Rosy Day Blog

Peach & Lily Skincare

You should have heard of Peach & Lily skincare by now. Their products are sold at Ulta, but in case you haven’t, they are the skincare line of popular U.S.-based Korean beauty online retailer Peach & Lily (created by founder Alicia Yoon). Essentially Alicia Yoon sought to address skin concerns that weren’t readily available from other skincare brands (like eczema, skincare that is effective yet still gentle for use while pregnant, etc.). She took matters into her own hands and worked the next couple of years developing products for Peach & Lily. You can read more about how it all started in detail here: Introducing Peach & Lily Skincare.

If you are interested, I have previously done reviews on their Glass Skin Refining Serum (their star product), their Peach & Lily sheet masks (including their Original Glow Sheet Mask), and their Power Calm Hydrating Gel Cleanser (great gentle, low pH cleanser). Since the release of their Power Calm Hydrating Gel Cleanser a few months ago, I’ve been wondering when Peach & Lily would come out with any kind of eye product. Looks like they’ve read my mind. Today I will be reviewing the Cold Brew Eye Recovery Stick (released in early August 2019). Why is it called “Cold Brew”? You’ll have to read on to find out.

Peach & Lily is a cruelty-free, toxin free, gluten free, and vegan brand.

Disclosure:

I bought this with my own money from Peach & Lily. I was not given anything in exchange for this review. I enjoy doing product reviews to share my own experiences with the product and hope someone finds it useful. I do not work for Peach & Lily.

Table of Contents

- Product Description, Claims, & How-To
- The Ingredients
- Packaging, Scent & Texture
- Product Review & Results
- Final Thoughts
- Other Recommendations & Shop This Post

Wake Up The Eye Area With One Swipe

Product Description:

Like its name, this is a cooling eye product - spiked with tightening caffeine and packaged in a stick form. If you have used or heard of the Tony Moly Panda Eye Stick products, this is kind of like that (more specifically the Tony Moly Panda’s Dream So Cool Eye Stick).

Product Claims:

This is designed to instantly deliver a cooling feeling which can help de-puff eyes. A roster of superstar ingredients work together to soothe, reduce redness, reduce dark spots, make skin brighter & more even toned, plump with hydration, and protect skin from free radical damage & environmental aggressors. A subtle iridescent shimmer is left behind to give eyes a brighter and more awake look. The lightweight formula can be used under and over makeup.

How to Use:

As Peach & Lily says, “all you have to do is swipe and glow”. You can also re-apply whenever you need a little pick-me-up.

I personally use this up to 3 times a day. I use a few swipes in the morning and thoroughly blend before topping off with my sunscreen (I make sure my skin is well hydrated before so it doesn’t go on “too chalky”). I use a few more swipes in the afternoon at work for a little pick-me-up (I apply to my finger and lightly pat on so I don’t disturb any light coverage I might have already applied on my eye area). Finally, I use it again at night, but I use it to top off the anti-aging eye cream that I use at night. Although this product is designed for your eye area, if you are traveling and/or short on products, I’ve come to use this as a multi-stick for other areas (not just my eyes). I’ll talk more about this below, so please read on!

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Caffeine (& More) For Your Eyes

You might drink coffee in the morning to wake up or throughout the day to stay awake and probably haven’t thought too much about caffeine in skincare. While it has been said that drinking coffee can actually make your dark circles and puffiness worse (due to the way caffeine affects your body internally)...The same thing does not necessarily apply when you use caffeine directly on your skin. Applying caffeine to your eyes, helps reduce puffiness and inflammation, as well as help reduce blood build-up from under your eyes (which causes dark shadows). These are all good things to help anyone suffering from dark circles (and other issues it may cause for your eyes). To be fair, I do drink coffee more than once everyday and I’ve never seen my eyes get worse. I have zero puffiness and I have very little shadowing most of the same (mines is due to lack of hydration or sleep).

Some people will tell you that the effects of caffeine in skincare are temporary, but you know what? In my opinion you should be using some kind of eye product twice a day anyway. Long term improvement is obviously great but one can’t expect great things without some kind of maintenance or upkeep...I think that if a caffeine product is good enough to keep my skincare issues at bay (even temporarily) until my next application (about half a day to a day), then I’m good. I’ve been using an eye cream since I was about 18 or 19. I’m 34 now and still barely have any major wrinkles. If you haven’t already, take care of your eyes now because they are often the first place where you show your age (as well as your laugh lines).

I personally have had some good luck using both body and skincare products that contain caffeine, so I can totally understand why Peach & Lily decided to formulate their new eye product around this ingredient. Of course, the caffeine is just a small part of the eye stick and there are much more ingredients designed to nourish and soothe your eye area as well…Here I’ll break down the ingredients in this product to see what types of things might help one to look more awake and recovered.

Notable Ingredients:

  • Green Tea - A known antioxidant and great for anti-aging, green tea also reduces puffiness and redness.
  • Acetyl Octapeptide-3 - A synthetic peptide that helps generate collagen and elastin.
  • Kiwi - Contains vitamins C & E to protect the skin from degeneration.
  • Cucumber - Contains caffeic acid to reduce irritated skin and swelling (puffy eyes) as well as silica for firming. This also contains vitamin C which is always great for anti-aging.
  • Berry Complex - I counted like 15 different kinds of berries that this product alone contains. Berries in general are very high in antioxidants and vitamins for fighting free radical damage. They can also help skin look brighter and more even-toned.
  • Caffeine - As mentioned earlier, this ingredient is great for reducing puffiness and inflammation/redness.
  • Moringa Seed - Helps firm skin and reduce wrinkles. Also helps promote cell growth & slows down the degradation of skin tissues, plus it contains vitamin C. As mentioned earlier, this ingredient is great for reducing puffiness and inflammation/redness.
  • Red Seaweed/Algae - Helps reduce skin irritation and dryness.
  • Turmeric Root - Contains curcumin which can help decrease UV damage and reduce dark spots/areas.
  • Adenosine - Known anti-aging ingredient for skin firming and smoothing.
  • Niacinamide - Known for brightening and balancing the skin. Pantothenic Acid/Vitamin B5 - Reinforces the skin barrier which can help skin retain moisture for better hydration.
  • Linolenic Acid - A fatty acid for strengthening the skin barrier.
  • Biotin - Helps with the production of new cells.
  • Hyaluronic Acid Complex - From Peach & Lily, “A proprietary blend of short-chain, medium-chain and long-chain hyaluronic acid molecules helps provide hydration at every level of skin; short-chain molecules sink into the deeper layers, while medium-chain molecules fill in the layers closer to the surface of the skin, and long-chain molecules lock in moisture on the skin’s surface so that skin is plumped up from within while the outer layer becomes radiant.” In short, this sounds like basic hyaluronic acid x3 to me!

Full Ingredients List:

Water (Aqua), Propanediol, Xylitol, Sodium Stearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Actinidia Chinensis (Kiwi) Fruit Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Rubus Fruticosus (Blackberry) Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caffeine, Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract, Juniperus Communis Fruit Extract, Aristotelia Chilensis Fruit Extract, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Fragaria Chiloensis (Strawberry) Fruit Extract, Morus Alba Fruit Extract, Ribes Nigrum (Black Currant) Fruit Extract, Rubus Coreanus Fruit Extract, Panthenol, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Adenosine, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Butylene Glycol, Cashew Extract, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Pantothenic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Biotin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cyanocobalamin, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Sodium PCA, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Caprylyl Glycol, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Diheptyl Succinate, Tin Oxide (CI 77861).

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Packaging, Scent & Texture

Packaging:

As usual, Peach & Lily always focuses on having good formulations in simple, yet practical packaging, rather than fancy/luxe packaging. I’m always a big fan of simple, yet chic packaging and their products are still quite eye catching with the peachy/coral hues against the very clinical looking white bottles and jars. I don’t necessarily want to pay more for a fancy looking product, if it does zero for me.

This eye stick in particular is pretty unique as there aren’t very many eye products out there that I know of, that come in a stick format (other than the Tony Moly Panda eye products - look them up if you’re curious). If anything, the stick format alone makes this product super convenient for on-the-go or traveling. It looks like it might be a tube of stick foundation or stick concealer from the outside.

Scent & Texture:

The product is advertised as having no scent and I guess it doesn’t when you first open it. However after a while and if you really look for it, I personally kind of get some wiffs of cucumber mixed with a bit of something floral (which makes sense as there are some flower extracts in here). But for the most part, it’s not like you really smell anything during and after using the product. You have to actually inhale it and see if you smell something.

As for the texture, it is a pale blue cream in stick form. It glides on smoothly and feels very cooling to the touch. However, it does leave a bit of a matte, powdery finish behind. If your skin is well hydrated/prepped prior to using the eye stick, you should have no issues blending in the product. Otherwise you might complain about it being “chalky”. There is a bit of a shimmer finish with this product (to help with instant brightening), however I found it to be more subtle than the Boscia Indigo Eye Cream by comparison. I have seen someone claim that product this causes pilling. I usually quickly pat this on, and I haven’t had any issues wearing this alone or with makeup over it (I use very little foundation in the first place - almost like a tinted moisturizer). It is also worth noting that I don’t wear concealer, so absolutely no issues with product layering for me here.

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Illuminate + Soothe

Performance:

This is truly a “Cold Brew”. It is like rubbing an ice cube around your eyes, while having the awakening powers of caffeine.

During the previous hot summer weather, my eye area was instantly cooled and the caffeine plus little shimmers in this product, do give me a little pick me up that slowly becomes more noticeable over time.


Brightening: I’ll admit at first I wasn’t sure if this was living up to its brightening claims, but I’m glad that I took before and after photos, as well as examining my face in natural lighting. Believe me everything looks so much better and less severe when you look at it in natural lightening. When I look at myself in bad bathroom lighting for example, it might look like I still have some shadowing (or they’ve gotten worse), but when you go out in bright natural lighting, it actually doesn’t look all that bad. I’ve tested this product for at least 2 weeks and I guess I’ll let the photos below do the talking. The first one is before (I have some inner darkness and my eye area was kind of dry making my fine lines more pronounced). The second one is 2 weeks after (bare face). You can see how more hydrated my eye area looks and the fine lines have softened. The last one is 2 weeks after (with product applied). Do you see a difference?

De-Puffing: I do not have a problem with puffy eyes, so I can’t personally comment on the product’s de-puffing qualities. However my bf does have puffy eyes from time to time, and it seems that cooling products work well to help reduce puffiness for him. This eye stick is no exception and while maybe not drastically, its cooling effect coupled with de-puffing ingredients such as cucumber and caffeine, help reduce any puffiness and/or irritation associated with the eye area. Though my opinion is if you really want a powerhouse de-puffing routine, you should use this eye stick during the day, but at night, use the Laneige Eye Sleeping Mask first (like its a serum), followed by the Peach & Lily eye stick to top it off.

Hydration: I wouldn’t say that this is the most hydrating eye product I’ve used (my eyes get pretty dry), though I do prefer to use heavier eye products at night. For the daytime, the consistency of this product is hydrating enough, plus it’s convenient to re-apply if needed. The product does not sink into my fine lines in a way that it would actually amplify them. In fact, I think that the proprietary hyaluronic acid does a good job of keeping my eye area more hydrated in the long run. Of course, I do re-apply this mid-day but that’s because I just really enjoy the convenience and portability of this stick format. Now, when I’m not wearing makeup, I do pat this on my eye lids. However, I do not recommend using this product on your eyelids if you’re going to be wearing any eye makeup. I tried this once and my eyelids became more oily that my eye shadow wouldn’t really stick on and it kind of slid off easily. This will not act as an eye shadow primer for you, if that's what you were thinking.

Anti-Aging: While there are definitely some anti-aging ingredients in this product, that is not the main focus here and I did not necessarily see any “anti-aging” either. With that said, this product can be good for anti-aging in the long run. Also, I find that as I get older, I kind of have to layer my eye products now to get the most benefits. If you have a more anti-aging eye cream/serum, etc. - I would apply that first, then top off with the eye stick. You still get anti-aging from the first product, plus the cooling and brightening properties of the eye stick.

My eyes did slowly but surely get brighter after using the eye stick for 2 weeks…they overall looked more even in tone and a bit healthy and comfortably hydrated.

I’m not sure if there’s any long term results but I don’t care as I love using this 2-3 times a day.

Pros:

  • It’s not drugstore cheap, but it is reasonably priced for the ingredients and formulation at ~$28 USD. The stick format will also last you a long time as a little goes a long way.
  • Always remains cold to the touch and definitely helps with depuffing (unless you have serious eye bags).
  • If you don’t have serious dark circles and/or respond well to caffeine as an ingredient, this definitely helps with lightening any shadows and giving you a more awake appearance.
  • The redness reducing properties of some of the ingredients definitely help with minimizing any irritation.
  • Can be used as a multi-tasking stick. I like to use this on other areas of my face I feel can use redness reducing or a little bit of hydration on-the-go.
  • Comes in a convenient stick format. I bring this with me to work everyday!
  • Helps skin retain moisture in the long run as you keep using it daily.
  • Almost scentless (I do get wiffs of something but nothing perfumy or artificial).
  • No synthetic fragrance, sulfates, formaldehyde, phthalates, synthetic dyes, parabens, mineral oils, silicones, EDTA, MEA/DEA/TEA, PEGs, or Polysorbates.
  • No animal testing (animal lovers rejoice!)

Cons:

  • Might not be brightening enough for those with more serious dark circles.
  • Doesn’t exactly do anything for fine lines and wrinkles if anti-aging is more of a concern for you (this does layer well over an anti-aging eye cream though).
  • Despite what it says, It does not apply over makeup very well. I would refrain from re-applying it unless you’re barefaced or just wearing sunscreen as it will at least smudge a little makeup or concealer you might have around your eyes.
  • Stick format might not be the most hygenic for some. If you’re worried about that, you can just apply some product to your finger and then transfer to your eye area, instead of just swiping the stick directly to your eyes.

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A Natural Face Highlight

Final Impressions:

While I personally enjoyed using this product, I can see why some might not like it (especially the stick format and/or the effects not being “strong enough” for their eye issues). I really do feel like if you don’t have serious eye bags (just “normal” puffiness), you don’t have serious dark circles, and you don’t have serious fine lines/wrinkles, then you will like - even love this product. Those seeking more for their needs, might have to look elsewhere. However, with that said, this product does layer nicely over other eye treatments. You can choose to do what I do and use for example, a more anti-aging eye treatment first (my concerns are eye firming and fine lines) and then layer the eye stick over for cooling/de-puffing/brightening. There is no rule out there that says that you can only use one eye product.

I have also found a more interesting use…For travel/routine simplicity, I like using it as a multi-tasking stick for other areas of my face.

I like to swipe this over my smile lines and any areas of concern/irritation and they seem to calm down a little bit after application. Finally, if I’m bare faced, this does make a nice subtle highlighter when swept over my cheeks.

If you use this product a bit more than what it’s intended for (like me), you will definitely get more enjoyment out of it. It will not hit everything out of the park for everyone, but if you’re my “skincare twin”, you will probably like this. For me Peach & Lily has done it again, though I hope they do a more anti-aging eye product in the future for those that have maturing skin and could use some extra firming/volumizing (*hint-hint).

Final Rating = 4/5 as a “multi-stick” (3.5/5 if just used for eyes only)

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Other Products To Get Glowing

Products of Interest:

There are definitely other cooling/eye stick type of products out there (and probably more affordable too). However, they have not impressed me and woken up my appearance like the Peach & Lily one. Below I’ll suggest to you some products that I’ve found to be perfect for waking your skin up a bit in the morning.
  • Son & Park Beauty Water - If you’re not sensitive to any of the ingredients in this cleansing water/toner hybrid, it gives you just a hint of hydration with a little bit of gentle exfoliation to prep your skin for the rest of your routine. It’s also perfect if you plan to wear foundation as it has always gotten rid of any pesky dry flakes I might still have remaining around my nose area.
  • Cremorlab O2 Couture Hydra Bounce Ampoule - Like the eye stick, this contains caffeine (surprise) and is one of my favorite brightening and lightly hydrating serums. I haven’t used this in awhile since I’ve run out, but during peak use, my skin was very “transparent-looking”. I definitely recommend this.
  • Glow Recipe Watermelon Juice Moisturizer - This feels fairly cooling whenever I pump it out due to the gel texture. It’s also lightweight and slightly firming.
  • Huxley Tone Up Cream Stay Sun Safe - I don’t wear makeup most of the time, so using a tone up sunscreen gives me a “my-skin-but-better” look without actually being made up with, well..makeup, LOL.
Any questions about this product and/or my experience, please let me know! I'd love to hear your thoughts.

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Shop the Peach & Lily
Cold Brew Eye Recovery Stick


Photo Credit: Ulta

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