I’ve been in love with Jurlique for a couple of years, and the affair started with their Rose Hand Cream. It’s the product that taught me when rose is done well, it doesn’t necessarily smell old. Around 3 months ago I found the nice Pick of the Bunch set on Beautybay and decided to give it a try!
Pick of the Bunch contains a 30ml (1oz) bottle of Rosewater Balancing Mist and a 30ml bottle of Herbal Recovery Gel. I have always liked Jurlique carton boxes. They are sleek, and the plant illustrations are a nice touch.
According to Jurlique, Rosewater Balancing Mist is “a daily hydrating mist featuring the relaxing scent of rose that restores and hydrates the complexion and is ideal for normal/combination skin types.” It can be used at any time of the day to sooth and tone the skin, but I mostly use this as a toner after I cleanse my face twice a day. The spray gives a fine mist, and there is a cap on top of it for extra security. The bottle is made of glass and covered by a layer of white film (I accidentally scratched some of it off during my trip and that’s how I found out). There are two grooves on the sides so it’s ergonomic to hold. This design in particular is great for both products, since they have to be shaken before use.
After I cleanse and pat my face dry, I spray my face with Rosewater Balancing Mist a couple of times and pat it in. My skin is instantly more “alive,” as in brighter and firmer. Since I’m a big fan of rosy scents, it is an absolute pleasure to mist my face with this. If you have smelled the Jurlique Rose Hand Cream, you will know what I am talking about. It is not going to perform a miracle, but it makes a great toner and I suspect if you use facial mist to set/refresh your makeup during the day, this might be something you want to look into.
The Herbal Recovery Gel is touted as “a high performance antioxidant serum, rich in powerful botanicals and plant oils to help reduce fine lines, dryness and dullness to help increase skin elasticity, hydration and radiance, while protecting against environmental aggressors. Leaves skin feeling smooth, supple, hydrated and looking radiant.” The pump is nice and solid. It also comes with an extra cap in case you ever want to travel with it!
What you see in the picture is one pump of product. Doesn’t seem like much, but it’s really enough for your face and neck. While the product isn’t exactly cheap, the fact that you only need so much each time makes it very economical. It’s a very lightweight gel that can be spread very easily. Once you spread it out on your fingertips, just start pressing away! It is absorbed instantly, so you might feel like you haven’t used anything, but let me assure you it does its job! The smell is herbal. Sorry I can’t come up with a more accurate description, but I imagine it smells like the mixture of essential oils in it! It is light and disappears fast enough, so it doesn’t irk me.
I started using this in mid-June, and for the most part this has functioned as a serum/moisturizer in one. I particularly appreciated it during my trip to Taiwan. This is a godsend in warm and humid climate! I tried a couple of sample sachets of oil-free serum from different brands during my trip, but none of them worked as well as this! I imagine I’ll start combining a moisturizer with this serum in autumn, but this largely depends on the skin type/the climate you live in.
What have I noticed after 3 months? Brighter and smoother skin! I can’t speak for the firming part. This serum does offer some instant firming, but my skin is very firm if I may say so myself (you’re welcome to poke my cheek if you meet me in real life. Everybody who has makes the same comment), so it’s hard to say if it has become even firmer. My T-zone also gets oily slower with the gel, but at the same time my cheeks are by no means dry or dehydrated. The fact that my skin is brighter was particularly obvious when I was in Taipei. With all the sun I was getting, at some point I became very conscious of the different skin tones on my face and body. It is true that my face has always been the least tanned part, and I tend to use a higher SPF on it, but still, it was the first time in my life that I noticed such a difference! It was “fairer,” brighter, and more radiant, pretty much everything I want my skin to be! Just imagine you have hired someone to carry a beauty dish to give your skin that beautiful glow wherever you go!
Despite the fact that I get great results with these two products, they are again not something I would recommend to everyone. This has less to do with skin types and more with the fact that alcohol is one of the main ingredients in both.
I personally do not react negatively to alcohol, and I have been using both products consistently during the past 3 months with good results. I don’t know if it’s just me, but with brands that are touted as “natural” or “organic,” the products are usually a hit or miss with me. They could either work or break me out, and the ones that break me out do not always contain “icky” ingredients that people want to stay away from! Nevertheless, I feel obliged to alert you to this fact if your skin is the biggest fan of alcohol. To be honest I would be exhilarated if I could find products that do the same thing without the alcohol, but before that happens I’m happy to stick to Herbal Recovery Gel!
Bottom line: I enjoy the Rosewater Balancing Mist for the pleasure factor, and Herbal Recovery Gel for giving me brighter, hydrated, and less oily skin. I would love to stick to Herbal Recovery Gel and explore more Jurlique products, but those whose skin dislikes alcohol might have to think twice before purchasing both of these.
Jurlique does win bonus points for listing the ingredients truthfully on their website though, instead of trying to mask anything over. You can always read and be informed!
Have you tried anything from Jurlique? Have you found any products that effectively brighten your skin?
Sunny, your beauty culture translator xx