Review: StriVectin Starter Kit.

I've been using StriVectin SD on my face for a while (I talked about it here and here) and have really liked it. Overall, my skin looks better than it has in a while - smoother, less clogged pores, more all- around glow. 

The problem - I'd been using stupidly tiny little tubes of it from Nordstrom and haven't been willing to pay for the full size tube. Then, my friend Carly tweeted at me about a starter kit she found at TJ Maxx:

Lara had also mentioned finding it there so who am I to argue? I went to TJ Maxx and lo! They had the kits and the price is pretty great for what you get:

SD Intensive Concentrate for Stretch Marks and Wrinkles (2 oz.)This super-charged, comprehensive skin-repair cream improves the appearance of wrinkles and stretchmarks, improves visible discoloration, hydrates, and improves texture and tone of the skin.

Instant Retexturizing Scrub (2 oz.)Is a scrub that cleanses, smooths and prepares the skin to respond optimally to the entire skincare regimen. 

Power Serum for Wrinkles (.25 oz.)Superb age-fighting serum is super charged with NIA-114™ molecule, plus potent elastin stimulating peptides and detoxifying plant cells that give your skin a youthful look and feel.

Tightening Neck Cream (.5 oz.)A rich, restorative cream that restores firmness, shape and dimension.  

360° Tightening Eye Serum (.25 oz.)Highly specialized eye serum visibly tightens and lifts thin, lax and droopy skin around the eye area for a full 360° tightening eye lift.

$39! Not bad at all, considering a 2oz tube of the SD Concentrate will run you $79 by itself, which is ridiculous. (For those of you playing along at home, are you wondering how this is affecting my budget? If so, you are smart. This month have been...well, you'll see soon enough.)

For the love of the blog and for slapping crap on my face, I have tried all these products. Here's my really non-expert opinion:

SD Intensive Concentrate for Stretch Marks and Wrinkles - I use this on my face so I can't say what it might or might not do for stretch marks, but I've been happy with it. My face definitely looks better than before I started using it.

Instant Retexturizing Scrub - I don't like to use physical scrubs on my face because I think they're too rough and tear the skin. Instead I use chemical exfoliants (like the Unwrinkle Peel Pads) which give me much nicer results. This scrub is also is full of polyethylene bits which have been getting bad press lately. Still, it's similar enough to the poison ivy scrub I'd been using, so I am just using this instead. Yes, seriously. I am using fancy face scrub as a poison ivy remover. 'Merica!

Power Serum for Wrinkles - This stuff. This stuff right here is what every serum should be. My skin LOVES it and I've only been using it a few weeks. The tube is stupidly tiny but it's concentrated and I will use every last wrinkle-killing bit of it.

Tightening Neck Cream - The neck cream is fine, I guess. I've been slathering it on my neck (*I listen to Nora!) like a motherfucker and I guess it works? I don't know. It sure can't hurt.

360° Tightening Eye Serum - This one is the only real disappointment in the lot. It doesn't do anything at all but burn slightly, which is not really what I'm looking for in a serum I'm putting near my eyeballs.

So, there you have it. If you can find this kit at TJ Maxx for $39 I don't think you'll be disappointed. If you hate bargains, by all means buy it on Zappos full price (which is still not a terrible deal.)


*This has made me nostalgic for Nora. Please to read.