I’d heard about a company called Enza Essentials, formulated by renown Dr. Joseph Rucker, MD, before, but when I finally got to chatting with their brand representative, I was completely blown away. I gave her the key characteristics of my not-so-awesome skin, and her response was literally, “Great– our dermatologists will come up with a comprehensive and personalized skin care routine for you.” I was expecting maybe 2 or 3 travel-sized products, but no, I was sent 6 full-sized dermatologist-recommended products, in addition to a detailed skincare routine breakdown and schedule. Oh, and there was also chocolate. Let me be real; any skincare company that sends me anything edible is automatically upgraded to an A+ in my book.

Due to my depressingly long history with dermatologists, I know a lot of the skin professional’s vernacular, but it’s still difficult sometimes to assess the frequency or amount of product you’re supposed to use. As I’ve learned in the past, using too much of a product with a lot of acidic or strong chemicals can do major damage to your skin and even exacerbate your condition. When I opened up my little “Stephanie’s Skin Care Regimen” folder from Enza, I was so impressed. Everything, and I mean everything, is broken down into steps with specific instructions of technique and frequency.

Oh, and I should probably say something about how fabulous it’s been working, too. I’m always skeptical of new facial products, and I give them about 3-4 weeks before I offer any formal commentary, just to eliminate the possibility that my skin is adjusting or that the effects are only temporary. This is hands down my favorite skin care program I’ve ever used, and I’ve given ProActive, AcneFree, and all those other dermal duds (boom: alliteration) several test runs in the past.

As for my customized regimen’s products, the cleanser is so gentile, but it still lathers enough to combine with my Clarisonic when I’m feeling the need to deep clean.  As instructed, I typically do two rinses, followed by their Saturation Toner, which is pretty fabulous. I typically carry this around in my Mary Poppins-sized bag for quick mist-over-makeup spritzes. I also apply their rejuvenating Saturation Aloe Scrub 2-3x per week for exfoliating purposes. After an AM cleansing and a particularly invigorating spritz fest, a montage of happy girl selfies followed.

Next up are my two favorite products: their Vitamin C Serum and Eyebright Anti-Puffiness Gel. I feel like, not to get cheesy and go all Neutrogena on you, but they’ve breathed new life into my dull and dark skin tone. I can see a noticeable difference in my super attractive under-eye circles and general eye puffiness, as well as in my newly-developed crows feet and aging lines (ie wrinkles), and for a 25-year-old competing against teens in the Miss Florida USA system, I’d say that’s a pretty dang exciting upgrade. Thanks, Enza, for making me feel like less of a grandma!

The final step is their Saturation Herbal Creme moisturizer, and honestly, I’ve never been a fan of moisturizer, unless I’m peeling or experiencing extreme patches of dryness or Rosacea. Since I’m Italian, my joke is always that I have enough oil on my face; I don’t need any excess shine- kthx. My esthetician finally convinced me that I’ve just been using the wrong products, since it’s an undeniably beneficial addition to any glowing skin care regimen, so I actually gave Enza’s a try. I’m in love, and I think it actually mitigates my excess “luster”. It doesn’t make me feel oily or look shiny, and the formula actually softens my skin, which is amazing.

I’m so incredibly glad I was able to start this skincare program when I did. The timing couldn’t have been any more perfect given my big stage debut in a few weeks, and I’m forever indebted to Enza for giving my skin its oomph back and– more importantly– giving me some much-needed confidence back. If you want to give their products a try (or you just want a chocolate bar; no judgement), enter in code: DEBUTANTE to get 40% off of your entire customized regimen. I’m a total Enzain (is that a thing?) for life!