Sunday Riley Power Couple Duo

If you're like me, the mere mention of Sunday Riley has your skin dreaming and your wallet screaming. The skincare line has been on everyone's radar this year, especially the famous blue Luna Oil. But with the lowest priced items starting at around $75, I don't think my skin needs it thaaat badly. I saw this Power Couple Duo at my home Sephora a few weeks ago, but they were sadly out of stock. I was notified last week that it was back in stock online and bought it instantly. You get 0.5 oz of each product (full sizes are around 1 oz and over $100), so this is a $105 value for only $78.

The packaging is an exact miniature of the full-size version, and you can instantly see how luxurious they are. I've only been using them for about a week, so I can't really speak to their long-term effects, but my skin has been loving them. From the Sephora website: "In use together, this power product duo uncovers more radiant, moisturized skin while promoting evenness of skintone. Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment exfoliates and moisturizes the skin while smoothing the appearance of fine lines. Luna Sleeping Night Oil contains a powerful, yet gentle trans-retinol ester and moisturizing botanical oils to reduce the appearance of pores, fine lines, and sun damage while preventing flakiness and irritation".

I use the Good Genes as a serum before my moisturizer, and you can instantly feel it sink in and working. I don't think you're supposed to use this every day because of how strong it is, so I've been using it for two days then waiting a day. I use the Luna Oil every night, and although it's weird to put a blue oil on my face, it becomes transparent when you rub it in. I have slightly sensitive skin but don't notice any negative interactions. Some of my small bumps have gone down or disappeared and my skin feels a bit softer.

The jury is still out as to whether or not I'll buy the full size of these products when they run out, but I may just buy another of these sets! A little can go a long way if you're careful. They also do have a smaller, less expensive (aka still expensive but looks affordable compared to the skincare) that is worth exploring. I have the Tinted Primer, kind of like a tinted moisturizer, and enjoy it.

On another note, I devoured (hehe) Carrie Brownstein's memoir Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl in a matter of hours. I love her in Portlandia but knew nothing about her life in her band Sleater-Kinney. It was fascinating reading about her childhood and her path in the music world. She is an absolutely amazing writer--it's almost philosophical, and so intricately detailed you can feel what she feels. I highly recommend it.