I tried Milk Makeup's new melatonin-infused beauty products and though they didn't help me fall asleep, I saw noticeable results

Whenever I add new skin-care products to my nightly routine, I worry that I'll wake up with some sort of reaction, like a rash or acne.

But after using these melatonin-infused products from Milk Makeup, I awoke with calm skin that was less red and irritated than usual, as well as smooth lips that were plumper than I'm used to. I also appreciate that the items are vegan and cruelty-free.

To be fair, I don't think these products are game changers. In my experience, their results were only temporary, and the lavender scent of both was a bit much at times.

Still, I don't think every skin-care product needs to magically alter your appearance. In my opinion, just a few hours of relaxation can sometimes be all you need.

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Only 30 minutes after applying the lip mask, I noticed that my lips looked and felt a bit more plump than usual. My skin, on the other hand, was glowing — though I knew there was still a hefty amount of serum across my face. I assumed both results would be practically unnoticeable the next day.

I did hope that the products' ingredients would make me feel more relaxed, and maybe even help me to fall asleep faster, but that didn't turn out to be the case, in my experience.

When I woke up, however, I was still pleasantly surprised to find that my skin was, in fact, much brighter and less red than it was the previous night. My lips weren't as plump, but a small area that had been chapped was suddenly smooth.

These results didn't last all day for me, though; many of my red spots returned an hour or two after waking up, and my lips returned to their normal texture after eating breakfast.

When I first opened the jar, I assumed the mask was solid and would apply like a lip balm. Instead, I found that it actually had a more creamy texture, almost like Vaseline.

I applied the mask onto my lips, and was immediately taken aback by its strong scent and taste of lavender. I left it alone for a few seconds — during which I hoped it would start to melt into my skin, taking the scent with it — but eventually knew I had to wipe some product off.

Removing the excess product did the trick, and made for a much more satisfying experience.

According to a press release sent to Insider, the $22 Melatonin Overnight Lip Mask is meant to leave your lips feeling soft, smooth, and plump. It's made with topical melatonin, Persian silk-tree extract, hyaluronic acid, and lavender oil — just like the matching serum.

Maybe it's the serum's solid formula, or maybe it's the product's purple hue — but I was immediately reminded of a glue stick when I took this item out of its box to apply it during my nightly skin-care routine.

Thankfully, however, the product is nothing like glue. The serum felt silky and smooth across my face. And though I was expecting it to leave a strong lavender fragrance behind, the scent disappeared almost as soon as I removed the stick from my skin.

I started with the $36 Melatonin Overnight Serum, which is meant to be applied at night after cleansing, but before moisturizing.

According to a press release sent to Insider, the product's topical melatonin "fights against free radicals and environmental stressors," whereas its Persian silk-tree extract boosts your skin's melatonin levels.

There's also hyaluronic acid to help skin retain moisture, as well as lavender oil and chamomile extract, which are said to have a calming effect.

As soon as I took the boxes out of the plastic bag, I got a strong whiff of lavender. The scent was overbearing, in my opinion, and made me think maybe I wouldn't enjoy using the products.

I was expecting to experience some shipping delays given the pandemic — the brand's website even says it could take "a lil' longer than usual to ship your order and process returns." Instead, I received my package less than a week after placing my order — and it even came with a few miniature samples.

Unfortunately, I was less impressed by the way my products were packaged. Inside a standard cardboard box, I found my items inside a thick plastic bag embossed with the brand's logo. Though I could easily reuse this case as storage, I already own dozens of makeup bags. This extra packaging seemed wasteful and unnecessary, in my opinion. Representatives for Milk Makeup did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on its packaging.