Review: Drunk Elephant Rise + Glow Duo | Gin and Glow

You guys know I love Drunk Elephant since I tried their TLC Framboos Glycolic Night Serum. I've always wanted to try other products from them but sadly they are not available here in Indonesia and they're pretty expensive.

Drunk Elephant is a Clean at Sephora brand that makes decent skincare products. Rise + Glow duo is a set of 2 mini sized samples that will make you fall in love with the brand's best selling serums.

I was lucky enough to find a trusted seller online and I bought the Drunk Elephant Rise + Glow Duo for a reasonable price. Rise + Glow duo contains two serums, Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum and Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum, both in the mini version (8ml each).

If you're interested, please keep reading!

According to Drunk Elephant, Rise + Glow Duo is a daily dose of vitamins for the skin. C-Firma is a vitamin C packed with powerful antioxidant complex of L-ascorbic acid and ferulic acid to firm, brighten and even out complexion. Meanwhile, B-Hydra is a hydrating serum to hydrate and improve the look of skin texture and tone (B-hydra contains vitamin B5, niacinamide, and sodium hyaluronate, which is like hyaluronic acid but with smaller molecules).

The instructions were: mix a pump of B-Hydra and C-Firma together and apply to skin.

I actually had my eye on C-Firma but B-Hydra impressed me. It's very hydrating and lightweight, it's not greasy and sticky. I am amazed by the amount of hydration this serum gave me. My skin was instantly hydrated and plumped. It has a lightweight gel texture and it's translucent white.

The white gel is B-Hydra and the runny orange one is C-Firma.

C-Firma on the other hand, was orange and sticky (even though it's watery and runny), but still bearable, also it takes longer than B-Hydra to be absorbed. I don't mind sticky products as long as the formula is good - and this one reminds me of Skinceuticals C E Ferulic (which is horribly expensive but worth the splurge). Some people reported that C-Firma left their skin yellow/orange, but after asking Drunk Elephant themselves through Instagram DM, I learn that just one pump of C-Firma is enough.

Since I find C-Firma a little bit tacky, I followed Drunk Elephant's suggestion, I mixed them - and it's actually a very good idea. Mixing B-Hydra and C-Firma and applying them together as one makes the C-Firma less sticky. The combination of both goes on smoothly and I feel like doing this makes absorption faster.

And this is what I get when I mix the two together. Slightly orange but goes on clear on the skin.

After trying these two serums for a month (yes, these tiny 8ml bottles can last up to a month - I use it only in the AM, though), I do notice some good changes in my skin.

Some of my acne marks have lighten and my overall complexion looks healthier. I also feel that my skin is hydrated and healthy, and I definitely can tell that my skin is glowing. None of these products gave me bad reactions.

The fading of my acne marks can be because of C-Firma, 15% ascorbic acid is a lot (I usually use vitamin C derivatives and they don't really lighten my PIH as much as this), and the hydration and plumpness are from B-Hydra. The glow is definitely from both. Using B-Hydra alone gives me glow, adding C-Firma to the mix is like, glowing skin on steroids.

I would recommend B-Hydra to anyone who needs a hydrating serum, since it uses sodium hyaluronate, it can deliver more hydration - sodium hyaluronate has smaller molecules compared to hyaluronic acid, so it's able to penetrate deeper into the skin. It also contains vitamin B5 and ceramides to help improve the skin barrier, and niacinamide to brighten the skin a little. It's a very versatile product, you can use it as a serum, or as a buffer before retinols. You can also use it as a light moisturizer if you like, but I don't think it's enough.

I recommend C-Firma for people who are looking for a good Vitamin C serum to fade spots and for the antioxidant, but not to everyone (due to it's stickiness and it's price tag). It's a good serum, it helps fade PIH and dark spots and it's packed with antioxidants, it's just a little sticky. I'm actually OK with it but I can't speak for everyone. If you really like C-Firma but can't deal with the stickiness, you can mix it with B-Hydra for sure.

Overall, I'm quite happy with this purchase. Drunk Elephant doesn't disappoint. If I have to pick one between B-Hydra and C-Firma, I would pick C-Firma because my skin really needs the vitamin C and the antioxidants. It all goes back to what your skin needs and your skin concerns.

Also as I write this review, I ordered a full sized version of C-Firma already, I really like it although it's tacky. I might have to get a full sized B-Hydra too.

Have you guys tried Drunk Elephant? Which product do you like most?