Peter Thomas Roth

I purchased my PTR Retinol Fusion PM serum during a special on QVC when they were selling two 6 oz. bottles for the price of one. I've been using it for 3 weeks every evening and it seems to be helping to even out my skin texture. The serum is like water so a little goes a long way. Using the dropper, I squeeze 7-10 drops into my palm and smooth it over my face, décollaté and any remaining gets rubbed into the backs of my hands. I have somewhat sensitive skin, though at 60, it has seen enough product to no longer get irritated. This serum goes on easily with no reaction, doesn't feel sticky, and sinks into the skin quickly.

I had high hopes for this to be a one-and-done sunscreen and tinted moisturizer, but it didn't quite work out. Here's why: 1. The tint is a smidge too dark on my NC20 skin. I can make it work, but it makes me look tan. 2. In order to get the stated SPF 45, you have to use 1/4 teaspoon of product. However, the tint looks streaky when I use that much product. I suppose I could try using a sponge, but then that also lessens the amount of SPF you end up getting. 3. It feels tacky and does not dry down. I don't even bother trying to put foundation on top. Maybe a powder foundation would work, but I don't own any. It's hard to get concealer to stick on top. I gently pressed my undereye to apply eyeliner to the waterline, and could see where my fingers had been b/c the coverage disappeared where I touched my skin. I have to set with a generous amount of powder. Some things I did like about the product was that it did a good job of evening out my redness. I'd say it gives light coverage. It does not sting my eyes because it's an all-mineral sunscreen. Overall, the pros do not outweigh the cons. I'm going to try to use this up, but I'm not going to rebuy it.

I got a sample of this after someone posted a comment about it being similar and texture AND effect to Drunk Elephant Protini which I love, but find to be unsustainable price wise for me as I go thru it very fast. This product is more expensive initially, but contains 2x the amount and I’ve found is much easier to find on sale than the Drunk Elephant. I have compared them side by side and the texture is very close. More importantly though I get that juicy firm bounciest I only seemed to be able to get with the protini. They are not exact dupes, but I’m not sure I could tell one from the other in a blind test by consistency or how my skin reacts. Also the peptide 21 is also fragrance free which is a plus, but doesn’t smell bad to me as some unscented products do. I have not compared the ingredient lists to see how close they are as I’m not a cosmetic chemist, just talking about the feel, consistency and how my skin reacts. Definitely worth trying a sample if you spot it in store. I got mine for $40 on sale and for 3.4oz pump bottle that makes it way more affordable. Even at full price the cost/ounces works for me as it’s almost 50% less approx.