Skin Authority spa skincare review + GIVEAWAY (worth $299!)

          Today I'm excited to share my review of the 'Ritz-y' spa skincare line Skin Authority, as well as offer a phenomenal Skin Authority giveaway prize (valued at $299) to one lucky Cute and Mundane reader! You might not have seen Skin Authority on shelves, but that's the point. They exclusively distribute to retailers that can explain their vision for skincare. Skin Authority is carried at Ritz Carlton spas in the U.S. and Canada, as well as other high end spas nationwide. You might remember that I had my first experience with Skin Authority products at the Dana Hotel and Spa (read about it here). I was so pleased with the results, that I agreed to put down my usual skincare and go on a Skin Authority regimen for three weeks!

          One of the highlights of Skin Authority products is the great customer service that comes with it. I was contacted via email by Carrie, one of Skin Authority's skincare coaches, who gave me a detailed regimen on how to use my products. She also checked in with me throughout the whole process to make sure things were going well.  The products were of high quality and feel; Skin Authority long ago eliminated parabens, dyes, and animal testing. My somewhat finicky skin felt comfortable throughout the process, barring a bad breakout incident with a Skin Authority moisturizer containing sunscreen. (Sunscreen is an important part of any glycolic acid routine, since your skin is more susceptible to the sun). After the incident, Carrie worked out a plan with me where I could use my own physical blocker only sunscreen to continue my glycolic acid clear skin routine and all was well.

          Here, I'll review the Skin Authority products I used, which were targeted towards clearing my acne-prone skin. The Skin Authority Daily Cleanser has a really thick viscous gel-like consistency and has glycolic acid to aid skin turnover. It works easily over the face and gave a very clean, but not stripped feeling. I liked this a lot. The Skin Authority Super-C Serum is a serum I used in the mornings. It's thicker serum with Vitamin C and antioxidants. It's a heavier serum. I love Vitamin C serums and will probably use this to the last drop. The Acne and Oil Control is the major Glycolic Acid containing product that you pat on your face to encourage skin turnover. It's much like a toner. I think this did make a difference in my skin quality. Not all my breakouts disappeared, but it did help. The Skin Authority Vitamin A Cell Renewal is a lotion with retinyl palmitate and other ingredients to encourage cell turnover. And finally, the Tri-Peptide-Hydrator is a moisturizer containing peptides to encourage healthy skin cell growth. I liked how moisturizing it was, and will likely continue to use it, especially as the seasons get cooler. At the end of the three weeks, my skin was in pretty good shape; many breakouts were controlled. However, I still did have a few lingering breakouts here and there, which could be due to hormonal or general sensitivity issues I may have. This is ok, though since I don't expect any one skincare routine to be a magic bullet.

           Overall, I had a positive experience with my Skin Authority experience, and think the products are of high quality. I'm still using the Super-C serum everyday, and will be mixing the other products in with my regular routine. Most of the full-size products I used are found in the Skin Authority Clear Skin Kit (Retail Value $299, seen here), which Skin Authority has generously offered to provide to one lucky Cute and Mundane reader (U.S. and Canada)! Make sure to read the rules and enter using the Rafflecopter Widget below. Good Luck!

Love, Dovey.

Giveaway rules and information: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. This giveaway is open to readers with U.S. and Canadian addresses. I will randomly pick one eligible winner using the Rafflecopter widget after the conclusion of the giveaway. The winner will have 72 hours to respond to my email with their mailing address, which I will provide to PR for the purposes of mailing the prize. If the winner does not respond, I may pick a new winner. Skin Authority PR will be responsible for sending out the prize. I reserve the right to disqualify an entrant for any reason I see fit. Reasons may include (but are not limited to) false or ambiguous entries (a.k.a. not completing the task you said you did), multiple entries for one person, and accounts suspected to be used solely for the purpose of 'giveaway hunting. Giveaway rules may change without notice. If any changes are made, they will be updated in the blog post and widget.
 
  a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration by PR. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own.