Review: Ost Pure Vitamin C21.5 Advanced Serum

Being the girl who loves trying new beauty products, I had to try something new after finishing my second bottle of InstaNatural's (20%) Vitamin C serum! Luckily, I got the opportunity to test out a new serum: WishTrend's OST C21.5 Serum. The C21.5 Serum is an upgrade from the C20 Serum. Although I haven't used the C20 serum, I did a little research on the difference between the two.

 Packaging 

This serum comes in a dark-colored, glass container, which is great, because Vitamin C tends to degrade from light. This dark glass helps slow down that process. Additionally, this serum came with two tops: a cap and a glass dropper. The cap was very useful for me during my travels, so it was great that both were provided!

 Physical Properties 

This serum is very smooth and watery--it's not very sticky, but still is a little bit sticky to touch. The color of the formula is clear. Unfortunately, I can't quite tell what the scent is, but it's more medicinal and herbal than orange-y in scent. However, this does indicate that there's no added fragrances!

 Ingredients 

According to CosDNA, all of the ingredients used in the product are very safe and paraben-free, and none of the ingredients are acne-causing or irritating. Isn't that great? 

Hippophae Rhamnoides Water, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Lactate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Cassia Obtusifolia Seed Extract, Allantoin, Xanthan Gum, Ethyl Hexanediol

CosDNA

Vitamin C, in this case ascorbic acid, is one of the few beauty ingredients that has proven to help with fine lines, wrinkles, and skin discolorations! It works by increasing collagen production and speeding up the body's natural repair mechanisms. It also helps protect against sun damage, but that doesn't mean you can toss out the sunscreen! 

 My Opinions 

Although I didn't quite like the scent of the product, it works quite well. I usually use 3 drops for my face, and an addition drop or two for my neck. Just a short side, be sure to apply products to your neck as well! Your neck needs as much care as your face! I've heard from other people that the older version stings (not the best for sensitive skin), but this serum applies very smoothly and makes my skin feel extremely soft. Moreover, the formula is absorbed very quickly. The longer I use the product, the brighter and clearer my skin looks. In fact, directly after applying the product, my skin has a healthy, dewy appearance. 

**Warning: be sure to keep this product in a cool place. The best place is to keep it in the refrigerator. This will decrease the rate of oxidation for your Vitamin C!

 Rating 

    

 Where to purchase 

WishTrend - $24.99

Currently, WishTrend is the only place I can find that offers the OST advanced serum. However, there are a few places to purchase the OST Original C20 Pure Vitamin C Serum:

WishTrend - $14.99 *currently free shipping!

Jolse - $19.00 *free shipping

Amazon - $22.99 *prime

 WishTrend Discounts 

• WishTrend friend-referral program: if you input my referral code 173883312 upon registering for a WishTrend account, you will instantly receive a $5 discount off your first purchase! 
• Coupon code: 10% off  $55+ purchase with WISHAPR2015; cannot be combined with other codes or discounts!
• Coupon gift: Free ElishaCoy Vitamin Collagen Mask Sheet on ANY purchase with WISHGIFTAPR2015!

Disclaimer: While this product was provided for review, all opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Review: my new InstaNatural facial routine

Hello everyone! I'm currently at home and chilling! It's been such a blessing to be able to sleep in everyday and eat yummy, home cooked meals! (I've been having chicken curry with rice for lunch recently!! So delicious~~). Anyways, on to the main topic :)

Today, I will be doing a quick review of some additions to my skincare routine: InstaNatural eye gel, eye serum, vitamin C serum, and retinol cream. InstaNatural is a skincare brand with a vision to provide "safe, effective, and affordable skin care products." It uses organic and natural ingredients, and their products contain no sulfates, parabens, or alcohols! Isn't that wonderful?

If you take a look at the Amazon reviews, you'll see that InstaNatural has a great reputation. All the aforementioned products have a 4.5/5 rating or higher! I don't know if I have ever seen such high ratings before on Amazon! So, when I received these products, I was very excited to try them out.

Before I dive into the reviews, I want to let you know the order in which I use these products. After washing my face with the Philosophy Purity Made Simple cleanser (from Black Friday!) and applying the Etude House toner, I use either the eye serum or eye gel, then the Vitamin C serum, and lastly the Retinol cream.

Youth Express Eye Serum

Amazon rating: 4.8/5

This serum has a beautiful orange color (probably due the natural ingredients) and has a pleasant citrus smell. Don't worry, this color doesn't stain your skin! The kojic acid is used for its whitening/brightening effects, while the hyaluronic acid gives the serum a very moisturizing property. The caffeine has anti-inflammatory properties that helps reduce eye-puffiness and dark circles. Lastly, vitamin C has protect again pre-mature aging. 

MY OPINION:

This serum is definitely very moisturizing! After using the serum, my eyes seem as if giving a sigh of relief. This is moisturizing aspect is great for me, because my skin has been feeling very dry and dehydrated recently. Furthermore, I only use one drop for both eyes--meaning this product can last for a long time. After using it, I do feel as like my eye area seems brighter! I can't say anything about the serum's effect on wrinkles or fine lines, though!

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Vitamin C Serum

Amazon rating: 4.6/5

InstaNatural's vitamin C serum is great. Although it is vitamin C serum, it also contain other, good-for-your-skin ingredients. The ingredients include: vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, ferulic acid, and vitamin E. The latter two ingredients are good to look for in any vitamin C serum, because they help stabilize the unstable vitamin C. Once again, hyalauronic acid is great for its moisturizing properties. The serum also includes many healthy oils that nourish your skin.

MY OPINION:

I really enjoy using this serum. Like the description on Amazon states, the serum is thicker than the typical water-based serums, so the product is easy to spread and absorbs quickly into the skin. After using this serum, my face feels moisturized and smooth! I typically use 3-4 drops for my face, so one bottle will last a good time! Additionally, the price for the serum is GREAT! $16.75! Most vitamin C serums are extremely expensive, so this one is great for gals looking to save money~ There are a couple downsides: after applying the serum, my face feels a little sticky. However, this stickiness shortly disappears after the serum absorbs into the skin. The other downside is that, maybe due to the oils in the serum, my face seems to be a little more oily than usually. And with this oiliness, my face seems to break out a little more (but not badly). 

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Retinol Moisturizing Cream

Amazon rating: 5.0/5

The retinol cream actually has more than just retinol. There's vitamin C, green tea, hyaluronic acid, jojoba oil, and shea butter. Retinol (vitamin A) promotes the growth of skin cells and can counteract signs of aging. Retinol also increases the skin's production of collagen, which helps make the skin appear more plump and elastic. Green tea is a natural antioxidant helps reduce breakouts and helps soothe irritated skin. It also helps with dark eye circles! Hyaluronic acid, jojoba oil, and shea butter all have great moisturizing properties.

MY OPINION:

This cream is quite wonderful. The morning after using this cream, my skin definitely felt more elastic and "squishy." :P I felt like my skin was noticeable brighter, too! Unfortunately, the only downside I noted was that this cream isn't quite as moisturizing as I had hoped. Maybe since it was a cream, the consistency wasn't what I was used to--moisturizers/lotions/emulsions--something more liquid-y. The cream is almost like a body butter consistency, so it doesn't spread as easily as typical moisturizers. 

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Since winter time can be quite drying for the skin, these products are great addition to for any skincare routine! Hope you guys will have the opportunity to check these products out!

Where to purchase?

Eye Serum - $23.95

Vitamin C Serum - $16.75

Retinol Moisturizer - $23.75

What products are a must-have for your winter skincare routine?

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