What Does $291 Get You in a Skincare Routine?

Your skincare routine can truly be as individualized as you are. It can be as frugal or as luxurious as you are. My typical spending habits would categorize me as frugal. However, my skincare routine would indicate I'm luxurious.

But that's only because I've been blessed with free PR products from brands.

And because they're free, I am happy to report my honest thoughts on if these products in my $291 morning skincare routine are worth it.

Hydration Part 1: Niod Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex ($62)

Let me first specify that I have two hydration steps: one is a hydrating serum, one is a hydrating mist. I do the serum first so that it can soak up all of the hydration/water/mist that comes after.

However, if I do a toner or essence (instead of a mist), I'll sometimes do it before the hydrating serum and sometimes after (it's mostly dependent on the overall texture of the serum versus the toner). Lighter toners, I'll do after serums. Thicker toners, I'll do before.

And another caveat is that I don't use a facial cleanser in the morning. I simply use a warm damp towel to wipe off my nighttime skincare routine. And I'm also a nighttime showerer, so that's also another reason why I cleanse my face at night and not in the morning.

The Niod hydration serum is honestly one of the most lightweight products I have ever used in my life.

Imagine water. You've now essentially imagined the texture of the Niod serum. It's drippy, it's hydrating, it's immediately soaked in.

What shocked me the most? There's no stickiness whatsoever. And no smell, for what it's worth (better than The Inkey List PGA Serum ($16 at Sephora), which has a pretty strong plasticky smell to it).

And if you take a look at the ingredient list, it is absolutely insane. There are so many hydrating ingredients, so many skin barrier-supporting ingredients, so many benefits-packing ingredients. And they're all packed into a lightweight product that does not have an emulsion aspect to it, meaning they're all water-soluble. Formulation is absolutely god-level.

Is it worth it? Yep, this product is formulated so well to deliver maximal hydration with minimal residue.

Cheaper alternative

Cocokind Ceramide Booster ($27 at Target, $22 at Ulta and Amazon)

Hydration Part 2: Byroe Mango Yogurt Mist ($42)

If you haven't had the luxury of trying Byroe, it's a pretty cool brand. They use upcycled food ingredients that have great skincare benefits (think: fruits, vegetables, yogurt, and more).

They're a New York-based brand that formulates their products in Korea.

This specific mist ($42 at Ulta) has an excellent sprayer to it, delivering the perfect sized droplets with a very even mist. My pet peeve is when a sprayer overdoes it on your face and it has streaks from the droplets beading up and flowing down your face.

And the sprayer makes it perfect for applying after your hydrating serum.

The ingredients are also awesome. There's soothing and hydrating ingredients that help improve your skin. I use this mist for both morning and nighttime, and it's a versatile enough product for both.

Cheaper alternative

Byoma Mist ($15 at Ulta, $17 at Target, $14 at Amazon)

Eye Gel: Cocokind Peptide Fine Line Eye Gel ($22)

If there's one thing about Cocokind, it's that they're going to give you a good product at a good price. Are the formulations groundbreaking? No. Are the formulas within reach? Absolutely.

That's the tradeoff you have to make.

This eye gel ($27 at Target, $22 at Ulta and Amazon — the price discrepancy is sus for sure) has a great lightweight feel to it, making it perfect for layering under other skincare and also your makeup. It's spreadable and feels instantly soothing.

My main gripe with this product is that it's hydrating, but I don't see any substantial improvements in my eye appearance over time. After essentially finishing the product, I didn't notice any dramatic reduction in my fine lines or the volume of my undereyes.

It's a good step to add in for extra hydration. But I think of this more of a preventative skincare than something that will help undo what has already happened to your skin.

So this one is probably not a recommended product for me if you want to splurge. But it definitely has an affordable price point.

Cheaper alternative

Inkey List Caffeine Eye Gel ($12 at Sephora, Ulta, Amazon)

Moisturizer: Allies of Skin Peptide Treatment ($125)

This is the highest-priced of the bunch. And sadly, this is the one product that I think delivers the most benefits. And it is JUST a moisturizer (shocking)!

The thing with this Allies of Skin treatment ($125 at Dermstore, Amazon) is that it moisturizes well without feeling heavy, greasy, or shiny. It's just doing its thing without making its presence known.

But after using it for a little while, you start to notice that it does do the damn thing. It helps brighten your skin, it helps tighten your skin, it helps even out your skin tone. And it's been doing that as just a moisturizer.

My stance on moisturizers has always been that they should be one of the cheapest products in your routine, simply because its job is to moisturize and lock in the treatment (which typically pack in the benefits). And that can be easily accomplished with a plain cream.

But this Allies of Skin one does that and more. It locks in your moisture, but it also helps improve your skin over time. It keeps that hydration in, but it also helps brighten your skin. It truly changed my perception and expectations for a cream.

And the wildest thing about this amazing moisturizer is Dermstore says it is FSA/HSA-eligible (side note: here’s my blog on why I love FSA for beauty). I can neither confirm nor deny this, as I have not been reimbursed for it. But if it is true, that’s honestly a game-changer for how expensive it is!

Cheaper alternative

Good Molecules ($12 at Ulta, Amazon, Target)

Sunscreen: La Roche Posay UVMune 400 ($22)

This is honestly one of my favorite sunscreens, but it's a tragedy I have to travel across the world to purchase it in France. The FDA in the US hasn't approved these UV filters, so the sunscreen itself can't be sold here. But yes, you can also order it to ship through various websites (like YesStyle for $25). Just note that the shipping process takes a while!

The lightweight-ness of this sunscreen is unmatched. It is so liquidy and spreadable that your skin immediately drinks it up. If you're the type that likes nothing on their face, this is for you.

It also has a high SPF number, which gives me more confidence as I use it everyday.

And it also has a great natural finish to it. It's neither dewy nor matte. It just looks like skin, perfected.

And the best part is that there's no eye sting with it, no matter how much I use! And that's without needing to set it either.

The only thing I would change about this product is the smell. I have no clue how to describe it other than herbal. Not my favorite, but it does go away quickly (thankfully).

Cheaper alternative

Skin1004 Centella SPF (around $10 depending on the promotions at YesStyle, Olive Young, Stylevana). It’s honestly my favorite cheap sunscreen out there.

Note: Amazon is not my recommendation for buying either the La Roche Posay or the Skin1004 one because there are a lot of counterfeits on Amazon… So beware.

Lip Balm: Biossance Squalane + Rose Lip Balm ($18)

My picky bit about lip balms is need them to actually hydrate my lips. I can't be using lip products that are just a layer on top that do not penetrate in to help improve my lips (instantly and over time). I don't want flakiness when I wipe the lip balm off. I want soft, smooth lips.

Laneige lip masks alone don't do it for me for that reason. The Biossance rose lip balm ($18 for the new version at Sephora and Amazon) is the perfect morning or night lip balm. It gives that layer of hydration that gets perfectly sealed in with a lip mask overnight. It's also great under lip glosses that don't normally have hydrating benefits.

Cheaper alternative

Tower28 Lip Softie ($16 at Sephora and Amazon)

Your Skincare Routine Is Flexible

You ultimately do not need to shell out your entire retirement fund for a solid skincare routine. It's better to be fiscally responsible than to have the most perfect skin (which is not an attainable goal anyway). As long as you have a solid sunscreen and a good cleanser, you'll be golden. The rest is just the cherry on top. I just like a lot of cherries!

But if you do want to splurge a little, my recommendations would include:

They're worth the money you pay. And the results speak for themselves.

(This post was sponsored by my credit card that keeps wanting me to spend money; my wallet and bank account do not condone these actions haha.)

And if you're looking for more affordable options, I'd go with:

But the power is all in your hands.



Note: this post contains affiliate links throughout. They do not cost you anything, but they help keep this blog running.