review: sephora birthday gift (glow recipe)

Happy Birthday to me! I have long been a birthday brat. Since I am a twin, sharing my birthday always came with the territory. Once I was old enough to do things independently, I started to plan themed dinners and nights out with my friends around the time of my birthday. I loved it. I loved having a birthday celebration that was all my own - while still doing dinner with my family on my actual birthday. Things have changed in more recent years. I stopped wanting to plan things. I stopped wanting to go out. I stopped being as much of a birthday brat. Now? What I really want to do is take a day off of work, watch lots of movies in bed, and have dinner with my immediate family. Maybe it is a sign that I am getting older...or maybe everyone else just got busier and it became harder to plan things. Whatever the reason, my birthday is less of an over-the-top celebration now and more of a laid back day with cake. Though I certainly miss the fun experiences, cake and family is always a good thing. Since today is my birthday, it only seemed right to review the birthday gift that I received from Sephora. It included two sample sized products from Glow Recipe. This is a brand that I have heard a lot about but have never tried. It was nice to put a couple of their products to the test. Ready to find out how these performed? Whether I would purchase anything from the brand? 

There were two items included in the birthday gift from Sephora, the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops and Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow PHA and BHA Pore-Tight Toner. According to the Sephora website, a full sized version of the Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops is $47 CDN and a full sized version of the Watermelon Glow PHA and BHA Pore-Tight Toner is $46 CDN. Pretty pricey! I do like the look of the full sized versions (the bottle shapes are really interesting) but I also like the look of the smaller sample versions shown above. The pink caps, the pink pump, and the pink product is all very aesthetically pleasing to me. Both of these products have received good reviews overall and have a lot of fans. Despite so many people talking about Glow Recipe, it isn't something that I have gone out of my way to purchase. I don't tend to buy skin care items from Sephora, generally speaking, because there are other more affordable options elsewhere. That being said, it is certainly nice to try out different items every now and then. So...how did these Glow Recipe products perform?

Let's start with the Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops. According to the brand, this is a "multi-use highlighting serum that hydrates and visibly reduces the look of hyperpigmentation for a dewy, reflective glow." It can be used as a brightening serum before moisturizer or as a primer. As someone with dry skin, products that claim to be dewy and hydrating are always exciting. My skin needs lots of hydration! So far, the Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops have been working well. I've been using this as a serum before moisturizer and it definitely gives my skin that extra glow. It also smells amazing. The watermelon scent was an excellent choice. I'm not sure whether or not this is something that I would purchase a full size of, though I do really enjoy the results so far. I will continue to use the sample and make a decision once it is all finished. 

As for the BHA Pore-Tight Toner, the brand claims that this is a "gentle PHA and BHA infused watermelon toner that hydrates, gently exfoliates skin, and minimizes the appearance of pores." It is supposed to be suitable for all skin types and is said to unclog the pores while hydrating the skin. Sounds pretty good to me! Another bonus? The full sized version has a bottle that can be cleaned and recycled after use. That is such a smart idea. I hope that more brands continue to do that in the future. My experience with the product has been positive so far. Just like the Dew Drops, there is a wonderful watermelon scent, which is such a bonus. (I love when skin care products actually smell good....and watermelon is always an excellent choice.) I haven't noticed a difference after using the product, but it smells good and can easily be incorporated into my routine. Here is hoping that the longer this product is used, the more noticeable the results will be. By the time I am finished using up this sample, I should have a better idea of whether or not the product will be worth the splurge in future. 

It has certainly been nice putting these Glow Recipe items to use. I do love that Sephora does the birthday gift each year, because it allows me to test out some different things. The watermelon scent is fantastic, the products are easy to use, and the hydration makes a difference on my dry skin. I look forward to continuing to use these skin care samples over the next while.

Have you tried anything from Glow Recipe? Share your product suggestions in the comment section below!