If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, STYLECASTER may receive an affiliate commission.

I’m continually in awe of each new release Peace Out Skincare drops—from line-smoothing retinol sticks to acne-targeted cleansing balms, the brand knows how to pinpoint concerns and rectify them swiftly. That’s why when I caught wind early of another exciting launch on the horizon, I jumped at the opportunity to put it to the test before the public. And boy oh boy, it did not disappoint. 

Introducing: The Instant Pore Perfector Primer. The skincare-makeup hybrid formula blurs large pores and texture immediately upon application—trust me, you will gasp—while improving the overall look and feel of your skin over time. As Peace Out founder and CEO, Enrico Frezza, told StyleCaster, “Instant Pore Perfector is so much more than a primer, it’s your next-gen pore perfector. Unlike most primers on the market, Instant Pore Perfector doesn’t contain silicones and instead uses a powerful blend of hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, mushroom extract and malic acid to minimize pores with good for your skin ingredients.”

Before we get into it, you should also know the brand has dropped its New Year’s Sale, meaning you can score this new addition, as well as other bestsellers from the brand, for 35 percent off (plus free shipping!) through January 2. This sale slashes the primer’s price from $28 to $18. A $10 discount is simply too hard to resist, especially on a product this good.

RELATED: The Dark Spot Treatment That Faded My Spots & Scars Overnight Is Down to $19

Image: Peace Out

And the primer’s claims check out; through a brand-run consumer study, over 89 of participants said their skin “appeared more smooth and even” while near equal percentages of users said their skin “appeared more mattified” and “pores appeared smaller or minimized after application.”  

I personally can attest to all of the above. The first time I applied the primer, I was amazed at how effortlessly it blurred the pores around my nose and paved the way for foundation and concealer to glide over top better than before. My skin almost appeared airbrushed; there was definitely a notable difference between all my makeup applications prior to this one. After several subway rides and a full workday, I was surprised to see how well my makeup held up, too—while it normally would have appeared patchy and oily, it instead looked nearly as fresh as the morning.

Source: Instagram

Naturally, Frezza has seen results from personal use as well. “My skin instantly has a photo-filtered look,” he shared. “It helps even out my skin texture and tone, blurs my pores, making them almost invisible. I’ve been using Instant Pore Perfector for X months and have seen a drastic improvement in the appearance of my pore size. I also love that it provides instant benefits for immediate skin-gratification and has long-term pore refining properties that I look for in all my skincare products.”

I’m eager to see the long-term benefits of using the Instant Pore Perfector. In the meantime, I’ll continue to reap its skin-blurring magic daily with each makeup application. Scoop a tube of your own for 35 percent off now, and don’t forget to shop the rest of the brand’s offerings.

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, STYLECASTER may receive an affiliate commission.

I’m continually in awe of each new release Peace Out Skincare drops—from line-smoothing retinol sticks to acne-targeted cleansing balms, the brand knows how to pinpoint concerns and rectify them swiftly. That’s why when I caught wind early of another exciting launch on the horizon, I jumped at the opportunity to put it to the test before the public. And boy oh boy, it did not disappoint. 

Introducing: The Instant Pore Perfector Primer. The skincare-makeup hybrid formula blurs large pores and texture immediately upon application—trust me, you will gasp—while improving the overall look and feel of your skin over time. As Peace Out founder and CEO, Enrico Frezza, told StyleCaster, “Instant Pore Perfector is so much more than a primer, it’s your next-gen pore perfector. Unlike most primers on the market, Instant Pore Perfector doesn’t contain silicones and instead uses a powerful blend of hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, mushroom extract and malic acid to minimize pores with good for your skin ingredients.”

Before we get into it, you should also know the brand has dropped its New Year’s Sale, meaning you can score this new addition, as well as other bestsellers from the brand, for 35 percent off (plus free shipping!) through January 2. This sale slashes the primer’s price from $28 to $18. A $10 discount is simply too hard to resist, especially on a product this good.

RELATED: The Dark Spot Treatment That Faded My Spots & Scars Overnight Is Down to $19

Image: Peace Out

And the primer’s claims check out; through a brand-run consumer study, over 89 of participants said their skin “appeared more smooth and even” while near equal percentages of users said their skin “appeared more mattified” and “pores appeared smaller or minimized after application.”  

I personally can attest to all of the above. The first time I applied the primer, I was amazed at how effortlessly it blurred the pores around my nose and paved the way for foundation and concealer to glide over top better than before. My skin almost appeared airbrushed; there was definitely a notable difference between all my makeup applications prior to this one. After several subway rides and a full workday, I was surprised to see how well my makeup held up, too—while it normally would have appeared patchy and oily, it instead looked nearly as fresh as the morning.

Source: Instagram

Naturally, Frezza has seen results from personal use as well. “My skin instantly has a photo-filtered look,” he shared. “It helps even out my skin texture and tone, blurs my pores, making them almost invisible. I’ve been using Instant Pore Perfector for X months and have seen a drastic improvement in the appearance of my pore size. I also love that it provides instant benefits for immediate skin-gratification and has long-term pore refining properties that I look for in all my skincare products.”

I’m eager to see the long-term benefits of using the Instant Pore Perfector. In the meantime, I’ll continue to reap its skin-blurring magic daily with each makeup application. Scoop a tube of your own for 35 percent off now, and don’t forget to shop the rest of the brand’s offerings.

Although my teen years were amongst the most treacherous in my life, a few events molded me positively into the lifelong seeker I am today. When I was 16, I had the grand opportunity to go on a teen tour to nine countries in Europe with a group of kids aged 16-20. We were alone with the only supervision provided by our unknown Dutch tour leader, whom we met upon landing in Amsterdam.

The Benefits of Travel Abroad

It’s hard to imagine what you are missing if you haven’t traveled to a foreign country.

That European trip opened my mind, heart, and eyes to how others thought, spoke, ate, interacted, and related. I met boys who treated me as a person, not a sex object. I spoke with other teens about politics, not celebrities! It was 1973, the age of glam rock, protests, anti-American activism, and a burgeoning new food movement in America.

Not only were the sights fascinating, from The Netherlands to the then Communist countries of East Germany (DDR) and Czechoslovakia, but the lifestyle. In the north, women went topless on beaches (and still do), as did I. While the other girls on tour were prudish, I found nothing wrong with my body and gladly stripped it away.

The daily discovery of all things unlike anything back home made me even more curious than I was naturally and provided me with a chance to escape the hell I grew up in by reinventing myself.

How Did I Reinvented Myself?

Upon my return to the States, I realized that while traveling, I could shed my past and live in the glorious present. The kind of life the gurus speak of, where all your senses are alive, colors blast, and ideas sprout like wildflowers.

I felt like a chameleon, taking on the speech intonations of others, adapting to their environment and lifestyle, which put me at an advantage. I left preconceived notions behind me probably because I didn’t have any except in the future tense that I would have fun, explore all there is to explore and keep a curious mindset.

There was nothing in my family life to hold onto; my parents had divorced and my mother was so loose (and I belligerent) so as to have little to no guidance. Instead, I found new foreign families amongst friends who were as exotic to me as I was to them.

Perhaps it was due to my impressionable age, but travel hasn’t changed that particular aspect of my brain: an ability to suspend judgement and live in the moment. If you do that, you are on your way toward reinvention.

Can You Take the Leap?

Yet to reinvent yourself you must be willing to suspend your belief system, cultural heritage and ingrained learnings and mostly your own self-criticism.

If you think you cannot adapt to others for whatever reason and convince yourself that you’re better than the people whose country you’re visiting, that they’re wrong in their views and beliefs, that their life is weird, strange, or debased, and if you are shocked, disgusted, and dismayed by what is “normal” elsewhere, you will not succeed in the reinvention process.

Thus, you will neither learn nor become a new person; one who is able to absorb brand new adventures and experiences. You will be stuck in your mindset.

Taking the leap into the new world in a place that is foreign requires an open heart and willingness to suspend judgement on just about everything you’ve been taught.

In 2009, I took my then eight-year-old son to India on a guided coach tour with other Americans and a few Canadians. The tourists made nasty comments about the country and seemed miserable at having chosen their destination.

Unlike my son and I, who mingled with local folk in every city, met incredible artisans, families, and shared conversations with strangers. We were invited inside the temple where a holy man who blessed us, prayed. For us it is probably one of the most important trips together and one where we bonded.

Big or Small Adventure

For most of my adult life I’ve traveled alone so as not to be encumbered by others. I can go where I want; eat, drink and sleep when I want; and travel with or without a planned itinerary. For my next adventure, I plan on going to Turkey’s ancient cities like Konya, and sites like Göbekli Tepe continuing east, crossing Armenia until I arrive in Azerbaijan.

I am not afraid of solo travel because I do intensive research on each place before I go to learn as much as I can about the customs, religious habits, dress codes, and behavioral norms before I get on a plane. I encourage you all to do the same and see where it leads you. It could be to a magical place you never thought existed!

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Let’s Have a Conversation:

Would you go to a country not speaking the language or where you are unfamiliar with the customs and traditions? Have you gone on an adventure trip to Europe or elsewhere in your teenage years? How did that trip shape you?

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, STYLECASTER may receive an affiliate commission.

If you have your foot, heck, even your pinky, in the door of the skincare world, then chances are you’ve heard about retinol. It seems like there’s nothing hotter on the market right now than products that include this anti-aging and skin-clearing ingredient. But, it’s kinda hard to understand how to use it and where to put it on your skin.

See, retinoids are chemical compounds that boost the speed of skin cell turnover to help you shed everything from blemishes to scars. The vitamin A-derived compound is a fan-favorite of dermatologists and skincare obsessives alike for its ability to diminish the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines and dark spots, as well. But, because it’s a chemical exfoliant, if you don’t use retinol properly, it can wreak some serious havoc on your skin. We’re talking about shedding spots, dry patches and, in extreme cases, burns.

RELATED: The Dark Spot Treatment That Faded My Spots & Scars Overnight Is Down to $19

To avoid those mishaps, Peace Out Skincare developed a simple solution. It’s a retinol stick that allows for you to pinpoint exactly where you apply the product, and helps you avoid applying too much of it. And since the brand’s New Year’s Sale has officially dropped, this is your last chance to snag the product (among other bestsellers) for less this year. Everything is 35 percent off, plus you also get free shipping.

You might have heard of the brand before—it produces the extremely effective pore strips that went viral on TikTok. The face stick includes a 3 percent retinol blend, (most retinol products have anywhere from two to 10 percent, and experts agree that those with at least 2.5 percent of the ingredient will be effective in diminishing the appearance of wrinkles and blemishes) as well as fruit complexes that nourish and altar your skin in one fell swoop.

Designed to work with any skin type—oily, combination, dry, you name it—the retinol stick is best for those who have skincare concerns revolving around fine lines and wrinkles, dullness, discoloration and droopiness. The applicator takes the guesswork out of applying the right amount of product to your skin, since you simply have to swipe it on to experience the impact. This makes implementing retinol into your routine so much less intimidating, shoppers say.

“I love this product because I get the benefits of retinol without the oily mess,” wrote one shopper who previously relied on serums. “I love this and recommend for those who have naturally oily skin, or anyone who doesn’t like having extra oils on.”

Even those who have never used retinol before have major success using it. 

“I am 23 and just starting to create an anti-aging skincare routine and this product has really helped me do that,” wrote one reviewer. “It’s easy to use, easy to travel with, and SO CUTE! I was also worried about irritation, being a first-time retinol user but this product was ultra gentle and non-irritating, so that is a huge bonus for me!”

Courtesy of Peace Out Skincare.

Though the product is brand new to the market, this “magic wrinkle eraser” is already getting rave reviews by users and experimenters alike.

According to a consumer study, 100 percent of participants (seriously) said their skin felt smoother after a month of using the retinol stick compared to how it felt before they began using the product. What’s more, 92 percent of users said their fine lines and wrinkles looked softer and less noticeable. That’s not all, though. In just two weeks, 81 percent of testers said their skin seemed firmer. That’s about as instant as skincare results can get.

Use it under your eyes to get rid of droopiness, dark circles and fine lines. Or, apply it on your forehead to get rid of those valleys that never seem to go away when you raise your brows.

“I have noticed that my fine lines appear to be plumper and more hydrated after about a week of use,” wrote one user. “This makes me feel confident that they will improve even more with consistent use, so I will gladly continue to use this product for the foreseeable future.”

To use the face stick, apply it to areas of concern after cleansing and moisturizing your face at night. Make sure to use SPF the next morning; skin is more prone to getting sunburn when retinol is applied to it. If you have super sensitive skin, the brand recommends doing a patch test first before implementing it into your nighttime routine up to two times a week.

Once your skin is used to it, sit back, relax and wait for the results to appear. You’ll be shocked at what you’ll see. Score this unique and effective formulation for 35 percent off during the brand’s New Year’s sale, where everything across the site is fair game.

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, STYLECASTER may receive an affiliate commission.

If you have your foot, heck, even your pinky, in the door of the skincare world, then chances are you’ve heard about retinol. It seems like there’s nothing hotter on the market right now than products that include this anti-aging and skin-clearing ingredient. But, it’s kinda hard to understand how to use it and where to put it on your skin.

See, retinoids are chemical compounds that boost the speed of skin cell turnover to help you shed everything from blemishes to scars. The vitamin A-derived compound is a fan-favorite of dermatologists and skincare obsessives alike for its ability to diminish the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines and dark spots, as well. But, because it’s a chemical exfoliant, if you don’t use retinol properly, it can wreak some serious havoc on your skin. We’re talking about shedding spots, dry patches and, in extreme cases, burns.

RELATED: The Dark Spot Treatment That Faded My Spots & Scars Overnight Is Down to $19

To avoid those mishaps, Peace Out Skincare developed a simple solution. It’s a retinol stick that allows for you to pinpoint exactly where you apply the product, and helps you avoid applying too much of it. And since the brand’s New Year’s Sale has officially dropped, this is your last chance to snag the product (among other bestsellers) for less this year. Everything is 35 percent off, plus you also get free shipping.

You might have heard of the brand before—it produces the extremely effective pore strips that went viral on TikTok. The face stick includes a 3 percent retinol blend, (most retinol products have anywhere from two to 10 percent, and experts agree that those with at least 2.5 percent of the ingredient will be effective in diminishing the appearance of wrinkles and blemishes) as well as fruit complexes that nourish and altar your skin in one fell swoop.

Designed to work with any skin type—oily, combination, dry, you name it—the retinol stick is best for those who have skincare concerns revolving around fine lines and wrinkles, dullness, discoloration and droopiness. The applicator takes the guesswork out of applying the right amount of product to your skin, since you simply have to swipe it on to experience the impact. This makes implementing retinol into your routine so much less intimidating, shoppers say.

“I love this product because I get the benefits of retinol without the oily mess,” wrote one shopper who previously relied on serums. “I love this and recommend for those who have naturally oily skin, or anyone who doesn’t like having extra oils on.”

Even those who have never used retinol before have major success using it. 

“I am 23 and just starting to create an anti-aging skincare routine and this product has really helped me do that,” wrote one reviewer. “It’s easy to use, easy to travel with, and SO CUTE! I was also worried about irritation, being a first-time retinol user but this product was ultra gentle and non-irritating, so that is a huge bonus for me!”

Courtesy of Peace Out Skincare.

Though the product is brand new to the market, this “magic wrinkle eraser” is already getting rave reviews by users and experimenters alike.

According to a consumer study, 100 percent of participants (seriously) said their skin felt smoother after a month of using the retinol stick compared to how it felt before they began using the product. What’s more, 92 percent of users said their fine lines and wrinkles looked softer and less noticeable. That’s not all, though. In just two weeks, 81 percent of testers said their skin seemed firmer. That’s about as instant as skincare results can get.

Use it under your eyes to get rid of droopiness, dark circles and fine lines. Or, apply it on your forehead to get rid of those valleys that never seem to go away when you raise your brows.

“I have noticed that my fine lines appear to be plumper and more hydrated after about a week of use,” wrote one user. “This makes me feel confident that they will improve even more with consistent use, so I will gladly continue to use this product for the foreseeable future.”

To use the face stick, apply it to areas of concern after cleansing and moisturizing your face at night. Make sure to use SPF the next morning; skin is more prone to getting sunburn when retinol is applied to it. If you have super sensitive skin, the brand recommends doing a patch test first before implementing it into your nighttime routine up to two times a week.

Once your skin is used to it, sit back, relax and wait for the results to appear. You’ll be shocked at what you’ll see. Score this unique and effective formulation for 35 percent off during the brand’s New Year’s sale, where everything across the site is fair game.