SKINCARE REVIEW | The Perfect Tan Without the Damage with Paula’s Choice Skincare!

Please note that the following is a sponsored post for Pretty in my Pocket. All opinions are my own.

I was a skincare junkie before, but now that I have worked in the industry for over a year (I use past tense as this will no longer be the case in a few weeks) the addiction has intensified and I have learned so much about the skincare industry, ingredients and obviously what’s great and what’s not. I have been following the infamous “Cosmetics Cop”, Paula Begoun, for a few years and have been wanting to try Paula’s Choice products for awhile considering her stance on effective ingredients in skincare products. The Beautypedia is a reference of sorts for me and I am always curious to see what she and her crew think. Sometimes I agree and sometimes not, but either way I am grateful to have someone like Paula around who can reference medical journals for her reasoning and basically take the BS out of skincare marketing jargon for the average consumer.

Since it’s the first day of summer today, I have been wanting to be tan ready since February, but I am opposed to tanning beds and long-term sun exposure as I think most of us are nowadays with the higher incidence of skin cancer. In addition to skincare for every possible skin type and concern, Paula’s Choice also offers a self-tanning regime without the damage and is one that can be easily integrated into your existing skincare routine. After a consultation with a Paula’s Choice skincare expert, I received a regime of products best-suited to my skin type (normal, dehydrated, no sensitivities) as well as a new found love for glycolic acid peels!

Paula's Choice Skincare Review Sun 365 Tanning Concentrate

Paula's Choice Skincare Review Optimal Results Hydrating Cleanser

Paula's Choice Skincare Review Optimal Results Hydrating Cleanser (3)

Paula's Choice Skincare Review Optimal Results Hydrating Cleanser (2) 
The first product that was recommended to me was the Resist Optimal Results Hydrating Cleanser* (190mL/$18.00 USD) and as you can see it is a creamy cleaner with no foaming action whatsoever. It almost feels like a light lotion in consistency and works best on damp skin to give a better massage around the face. The formula feels incredibly gentle and is ideal for dry skin types. No squeaky sounding skin here! My skin felt so amazingly soft after using this as a second step in my double cleansing routine (I cleanse with an oil cleanser first) and the price is incredibly reasonable like all of Paula’s Choice products.

Paula's Choice Skincare Review Skin Perfecting 8% AHA Gel

Paula's Choice Skincare Review Skin Perfecting 8% AHA Gel (3)  Paula's Choice Skincare Review Skin Perfecting 8% AHA Gel (2)

Hi. Welcome to my favourite product not just in my Paula’s Choice regime, but on the entire planet right now! The Skin Perfecting 8% AHA Gel* (100mL/$26.00 USD) is my ultimate jam right now and contains 8% glycolic acid to create radiant and even skin tone while stimulating collagen production. This is a chemical exfoliant and I still think people are afraid of this term. I encounter it all the time with clients and oftentimes those with mature or sensitive skin are BETTER OFF with a chemical as opposed to physical exfoliant as there is less irritation. The goal is the same minus the physical skin irritation of scrubby bits. This exfoliant is for ALL skin types and is the highest percentage of AHA in the line. It tingles just a little bit when applied to skin and is intended to be used up to twice a day and LEFT ON the skin. I chose to only use this at night as a treatment with a sunscreen of SPF 30 during the day as treatments like this make skin more sensitive to the sun. Although, sunscreen should ALWAYS be worn when outside!

Paula's Choice Skincare Review Sun 365 Self Tanning Concentrate

Paula's Choice Skincare Review Sun 365 Self Tanning Concentrate (2) 

Paula's Choice Skincare Review Sun 365 Self Tanning Concentrate (3)     
After exfoliation, it’s time for some colour! The Sun 365 Self-Tanning Concentrate* (15mL/$18.00 USD on sale now for $12.60) is like most self-tanner uses DHA to darken skin. I was a bit apprehensive about using this at first as anything involving tanning the face generally freaks me out because it IS your face. The first thing people see, but this is the year of trying new things and the reviews for this product said this gave a very subtle tan so why not? This was easy enough to use as all you need to do is mix 2-3 drops into your regular face or body moisturizer and apply to clean, dry skin. The key with self-tanner is always to apply product is evenly as possible which from the looks of my face over the last two weeks, I was able to do! Make sure you wash your hands directly after and then wait 10-15 minutes before wearing any clothes. The colour developed over the next few hours with results visible within 1-2 days. I only used the self-tanning concentrate in the morning every 2 days as needed. The colour change is VERY subtle though. In my before and after below, it almost looks like I got lighter, but that could be the intense sunshine that’s happening in the later photo. I don’t really notice the colour all that much in real life and have had to beef up the colour with bronzer.

Paula's Choice Skincare Review Sun 365 Self Tanning Concentrate (4)

Paula's Choice Skincare Review Resist Vitamin C Spot Treatment

Paula's Choice Skincare Review Resist Vitamin C Spot Treatment (2) Paula's Choice Skincare Review Resist Vitamin C Spot Treatment (3) 
And as the very last step of any skincare regime (at night only), this is the Resist 25% Vitamic C Spot Treatment* (15mL/$55.00 USD) that I had numerous people tell me was their Godsend for dark spots. When I saw the ingredients list with ACTUAL ascorbic acid as the second ingredient, I was VERY hopeful. I have a dark spot above my right eyebrow that is quite deep and a few on my left side. You can see in the above photo that they are still there which leads me to believe that I will either have to keep at it and/or finish the tube or that these are too deep to really do anything about. I have *heard* that they can be faded so I will keep plugging away. The key with applying this treatment is to pat the product on the affected areas as opposed to massaging it in.

Final Verdict: I was impressed with the Paula’s Choice line as a whole especially the glycolic acid treatment. I MUST always use this as my skin tone looked so much more even! Even though I didn’t look all that tanned in the after photo, I feel like my skin looked brighter and more even. I already have a cart full of Moisturizer with SPF and a face oil that I would like to add to my regime. I am just waiting for double cash back on Ebates ;-) The products are so affordable and the ingredients lists are full of things that have actually been proven to work. It’s so hard to see such “honesty” in skincare and experiencing Paula’s Choice was truly refreshing.

As a Power Primper, I am SO EXCITED to be able to offer all of you 20% off PLUS free shipping on your Paula’s Choice order with PROMO CODE: PRIMP20! Expires June 30th 12am EST. To see more product recommendations from regular gals with an abnormal love for beauty products, download the PRIMP app here!

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