West&Month Firming Serum – Hydrating, Moisturizing & Fine Lines Treatment – Review

Why I Almost Chucked This Serum in the Trash (But Didn’t)

Okay, let’s be real. My first impression of the West&Month Firming Serum was not good. Not good at all. I ordered it because, you know, my forehead was starting to look like a road map of questionable life choices, and the promise of “firming” and “smoothing fine lines” sounded like a gentle, affordable lie I was willing to believe. When it arrived, the packaging was so minimalist it felt cheap. The little box was flimsy, and the bottle itself? It looked like something I’d get as a free sample from a brand I’ve never heard of. I was already side-eyeing it hard.

Then came the smell. The description says green tea and avocado oil, which sounds lovely and spa-like. What I got was… different. It wasn’t unpleasant, exactly, but it had this weird, faintly medicinal, almost grassy scent that made me pause. I held the dropper up to my nose, sniffed, and immediately texted my friend: “This stuff smells like a health food store’s idea of skincare. I think I messed up.” And the texture? For a serum that’s supposed to be hydrating, it felt kind of slick and a bit oily going on. Not the quick-absorbing, watery essence I was used to. My skin felt tacky. I was stress-eating salt and vinegar chips (the kettle-cooked kind, because I’m dramatic) when I first applied it, and I remember sitting there, chip in hand, feeling my slightly sticky cheek and thinking, “Yep. This is going back.”

The confusion didn’t stop there. The instructions are basically “cleanse, apply, massage.” Great. Super helpful. But how much? Two drops? A full dropper? Do I pat it or rub it in like my life depends on it? I honestly don’t know why they can’t just put “use 3-4 drops for the face” on the bottle. It’s not rocket science. So for the first four days, I used a tiny amount, worried it would make me greasy. And you know what happened? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. My skin felt exactly the same, maybe a tiny bit more moisturized, but my fine lines were still holding their weekly meetings on my face. I was THIS close to printing the return label. My bathroom counter was its designated “disappointment zone.”

The “Fine, One More Week” Experiment

The turning point was pure laziness. I’d already thrown away the outer box in a fit of pique, and the thought of finding a box, packing it, and going to the post office felt like a Herculean task. So I decided, out of sheer spite, to use it up. But this time, I went rogue. I stopped being stingy with it. I started using almost a full dropper for my face and neck, warming it up in my palms first, and then really pressing and patting it into my skin for a good minute until that tacky feeling faded. I also started using it on slightly damp skin right after cleansing, instead of on bone-dry skin. And I committed to doing this every single night, even when I was tired and just wanted to crawl into bed after binge-watching three episodes of a show whose plot I’d already forgotten.

I Hate to Admit It, But…

About a week and a half into my “use it all up” mission, I was brushing my teeth and caught my reflection in the mirror under the harsh bathroom light. And I stopped. I leaned in. The skin around my eyes, which usually looks crepey and tired by 8 PM, just looked… plumper. Less crumpled. The two stubborn lines between my eyebrows that appear when I’m concentrating (or reading a confusing serum bottle) seemed softer. Not gone-gone, but blurred, like someone used a gentle filter. I touched my cheek. It felt supple. Not oily, not sticky, but genuinely hydrated and bouncy. I was shocked.

Here’s the thing: this serum isn’t a magic eraser. It’s not going to make you look 22 again. But what it does do—and I’m eating my words here—is provide serious, deep-down hydration. That’s the key. My skin was apparently thirstier than I thought. All that slickness I initially hated? I think it’s the avocado oil creating a bit of a barrier, locking in the moisture from the green tea extract and whatever else is in there. Once I started using enough product and applying it correctly, that slick feeling absorbed much better and left my skin feeling cushioned, not coated. My makeup started applying smoother in the mornings. That tight, dry feeling I’d get by midday? Gone. And the weird smell? I either got used to it, or it disappears completely once it’s on your skin. I honestly don’t know why the scent is so strong in the bottle but vanishes on the face, but it does.

But. There’s still a caveat. It’s a slow burn. This isn’t an instant plumping serum with hyaluronic acid that gives you a glow for three hours. The “firming” effect feels more like the result of your skin being consistently, deeply hydrated over time, which makes it look healthier and more resilient. The fine lines are less noticeable because the skin around them isn’t parched. It’s a subtle difference that builds up. You have to be patient. And you definitely have to use more than a miserly two drops.

Final, Grudging Verdict

So, would I repurchase? Yes. I actually already did. I’m on my second bottle now. But my purchase comes with a manual I had to write myself: use a lot, press it in on damp skin, and give it at least two solid weeks before you judge it. It’s a workhorse, not a show pony. It fixed my dehydration without breaking the bank, and that’s a win in my book.

If you’re looking for a miracle in a bottle with instant dramatic results, look elsewhere. But if your skin is feeling tight, lackluster, and you want a simple, no-frills hydration treatment that actually improves your skin’s texture and resilience over time, this weirdly-scented, poorly-packaged little serum might just surprise you. It sure surprised me.

If you want to try it yourself, here’s where I got mine.

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