An honest look at the new skincare serums, moisturizers, and more I’ve been sampling in my gym bag — packaging, texture, scent, and benefits of each.
The beauty industry is always cranking out new innovation. And there is such a wide variety of product ingredients and styles these days. I like trying new things, and over the last few months a stack of new beauty product samples has landed in my hands. In an effort to give them all a test so I could share with you, I started tucking them into my gym and travel bag using each one here and there to get a real feel for it (usually in the mornings) while Oliveda has been my main evening / home skincare.
Oliveda remains my primary skincare choice. I love their waterless + hydroxytyrosol concept, that the company has a mission behind it, and that I have the whole collection working together to keep the line in my top spot. Plus between how often they run free product promotions and the 25% off discount I get as a consultant, it makes sense that is the brand I will purchase the most.
That said, some of these products have complementary ingredients that Oliveda doesn’t have, so I’ve appreciated adding in where I had gaps. A few months of here-and-there use with no control group means I can’t honestly speak to efficacy — there are just too many variables for that. But feel and smell? As usual, I have a lot of opinions. Here’s the full list with the good and the “meh” on ten products I’ve been testing.
New Skincare Products I’m Trying
Serums
Pareva C35.5 Firming Glow Serum
This one’s from a newer longevity-focused brand, and the vitamin C concentration is no joke at 30%. It brightens, firms, hydrates, and strengthens the skin barrier, with 30% tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate (an oil-soluble vitamin C) plus turmeric, ceramides, resveratrol, and hyaluronic acid. Pareva’s own testing found an 18% improvement in firmness after 8 weeks. It’s won a lot of awards too!
- Packaging: A pump, which I always love for ease of use. What I don’t love is the primary red bottle color. It’s genuinely alarming sitting on my counter! It also only holds 0.5 ounces, versus the 1 to 1.5 ounces I’m used to in others.
- Texture: Dry finish, very thin, absorbs almost instantly.
- Scent: A very soft floral. Barely there.
- My Take: This serum is impressive in its ingredients and is very well rounded. It was one of the best winners for texture and scent too.
Kiehl’s Collashot Plump Serum
This brand new serum is specifically for plumping and volume loss. We know we lose collagen as you age, and I take it in my diet, so it makes sense to approach the problem topically too. Recombinant collagen polypeptides, vitamin B12 (that’s what gives it the pink color), and rhamnose work together to plump skin and help define facial contours. Kiehl’s claims a 3x improvement in plumpness after 8 weeks. One of its biggest selling points is being able to penetrate the serum ingredients up to 10 layers deep thanks to a method that delivers ingredients in an encapsulated way.
- Packaging: A red-and-clear bottle, so you can actually see how much is left — I appreciate that. Also a pump, also very travel-friendly.
- Texture: A pink, very wet gel. It stayed wet on my skin much longer than the Pareva, and it’s genuinely hydrating.
- Scent: Sweet and herbal — it reminded me a lot of the Colleen Rothschild Retinol Oil I love.
- My Take: This serum feels like a complement to what I already use because nothing else I use has collagen in it! So I’m going to keep testing it and see if my skin looks plumper over time.
Aramore NAD+ Cell Energizing Treatment
Out of everything here, this one has the most science-y backstory — it’s built around NAD+, the molecule the longevity world is obsessed with, developed with Harvard-affiliated researchers. A NAD+ complex (NMN, fatty acids, ketone bodies) is paired with “spin trap” antioxidant technology and seven molecular weights of hyaluronic acid. Aramore claims it strengthens the skin barrier by 53% and addresses all twelve classic signs of aging.
- Packaging: Such a cool bottle! It’s large, so it doesn’t tuck away on a counter easily, but it holds 1.7 ounces — almost double some of the others. There is also a smaller bottle if you want to try it small first or for travel.
- Texture: A wet gel that absorbs fairly quickly.
- Scent: It smells just like marzipan. Full-on almond, in the best way. It dissipates quickly, so it’s not overwhelming.
- My Take: I love the smell, and this is yet another ingredient that I don’t have in my routine that I think could have a very positive effect, so I will continue using it!
Summer Fridays CC Me Serum
I love the branding for Summer Fridays! This is a focused brightening vitamin C serum similar to Counter’s. 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid and ascorbyl glucoside brighten and even tone, while niacinamide helps restore clarity. It’s more targeted and less all-purpose. A great summer choice when hyperpigmentation is a bigger concern.
- Packaging: I love this pink pump bottle — small, easy to travel with, and the fonts are beautiful.
- Texture: A thinner gel that’s a little tacky going on, but it absorbs to a dry touch quickly.
- Scent: Summer cherries! It reminded me of 90s chapstick, in the best possible way.
- My Take: While I love the branding and feel, I love the Counter one as much. I’m more likely to choose an all-purpose serum than a specific targeted one these days (to get the most bang for my buck!)
DamDam Citrus Glow Vitamin C + Hyaluronic Serum
A dual vitamin C blend plus hyaluronic acid work on firmness, radiance, and tone. Vitamin C is notoriously unstable stuff, so what stood out to me here is the tech DamDam uses to keep it potent: a Japanese triple-phase stabilizing system. DamDam’s testing found 90% of users saw improved texture after just one week.
- Packaging: Basic, and I’m not a fan of the dropper style in general — though I do love the pointed tip, which gets every last drop out.
- Texture: Milky and liquid.
- Scent: Citrus and lemon, almost astringent. Wouldn’t call it dreamy.
- My Take: Liked it, but didn’t loooove it.
Moisturizers
Pareva Coll20 Gel Cream Moisturizer
This is the moisturizer that goes with the C35.5 serum above — same brand, same technology — so I’ve now got two of their products in rotation. Collagen peptides, niacinamide, willowherb, and squalane work on hydration and barrier strength.
- Packaging: I like the push-up pump for dispensing, though I’m still not into the primary colors sitting on my bathroom counter!!
- Texture: Very light — hence the “gel cream” name. Very quickly absorbed.
- Scent: Like shampoo, in the best way. Fresh and clean. I love it!
- My Take: I am really impressed with the Pareva brand. I love that they pack a lot into their products and they’re science-y while still smelling and feeling great. My skin really liked this cream.
Perricone MD Face Finishing & Firming Tinted Moisturizer
This is a new kind of product for me: a tinted moisturizer, that’s in a pot (not a pump), that has a luminous tint, also with SPF! The broad-spectrum SPF 30 (mineral, from titanium dioxide) is paired with alpha lipoic acid and a vitamin C derivative for a dewy, brightened finish while softening the look of lines.
- Packaging: I’ve never had a tinted moisturizer in a jar before, but I’m a fan. The bottle is a touch clinical, but also pretty.
- Texture: Like whipped frosting — fluffy and so easy to spread.
- Scent: A bit herbal, but very clean.
- My Take: I love the highlighter effect! It’s much more of a moisturizer than a makeup, so you probably want to use it either under makeup (which might cover the highlighter) or if you love a minimal routine and don’t wear any buildable makeups. This is a great summertime moisturizer.
DamDam Mochi Mochi Luminous Cream
The name says it all here – I love mochi! Ingredients include a Shiso Phyto Bright complex and rice-derived phytic acid (a gentle AHA) that work on texture and tone, plus vitamin E. It’s got that same bouncy texture I loved in Beautycounter’s Mighty Plump Ceramide Water Cream, thanks to a gentle rice-derived exfoliant mixed right into the moisturizer.
- Packaging: A minimalist jar that’s easy to open.
- Texture: Medium-thickness cream that spreads well — genuinely “bouncy,” just like the Mighty Plump. Does not absorb quickly, so best for nighttime.
- Scent: Minimal, maybe a touch medicinal. Just smells like “cream.”
- My Take: While I did really love the feel of this cream, it wasn’t my favorite to apply because it took a while to sink in. But perhaps that’s what makes it so hydrating!
Extras
Summer Fridays Gentle Reset Daily Exfoliating Pads
What makes these different is the format — a pre-moistened pad means daily exfoliating with zero measuring or mess, which makes it great for travel too. An AHA + PHA blend (glycolic, lactic, and mandelic acids, plus gluconolactone) smooths texture and evens tone, while a soothing complex keeps irritation in check.
- Packaging: LOVE! So easy to grab, go, and pack. The candy stripes are cute, though I’ll admit the single-use format is a little wasteful.
- Texture: A moistened, textured pad with plenty of product — it goes on pretty wet.
- Scent: A bit medicinal. “Effective” smelling, ha.
- My Take: These have been so fun to use, and they aren’t like anything already in my routine. I use them 1-2 times a week, not everyday. I do love that the pad also scrubs a little and my skin feels extra clean afterwards.
Adipeau Strength Gel
This is the only body-focused product in this whole roundup, made for firming and the appearance of skin everywhere specifically, not just your face. A blend of macadamia seed oil and plant extracts is clinically evaluated to improve the look of cellulite and strengthen skin on the face and body. Whether from weight loss, pregnancy, or aging, it can help support skin’s structure.
- Packaging: A huge tube with plenty inside, but definitely not ideal for travel.
- Texture: A greenish gel that spreads easily with a medium dry time.
- Scent: Not my favorite! It smells like seeds — natural and earthy, not in a spa way.
- My Take: I plan to use this on my body, not my face, to see if I notice any difference. Check out their website for before and afters and more info on how to use it.
Fresh Soy Cleansing Jelly Balm
This jelly balm is unlike any other cleanser I’ve tried! The company says “after 3 years and 62+ formula trials, they developed a hybrid oil-in-jelly texture that suspends a targeted blend of oils in a water phase.” It’s the texture of jelly (duh) and it’s so soft and bouncy. It’s much lighter than a cleansing balm that is oil-based, and even lighter than a cleansing oil. It’s like a gel cleanser meets balm. It smells great, and cleanses well. It’s also light green, so that makes it beautiful!
Leave a Reply