Today at That Luxurious Feeling, we’re going to discuss face oils. Very simple, very straightforward and yet, this is the skincare favourite product of 2016.
We all know it
One of the best things that comes with what I do, is the privilege of having amazing companies send me products for review consideration. I’m very grateful for it, as it would be next to impossible to keep up with what’s new, both from a financial but also a knowledge-based point of view. I always pride myself of saying that I run a positive site – my opinions are not bought, they can’t be altered by any company and all products I receive for free are carefully disclosed. I want you to be able to detect the products that I’ve bought with my own money, but still it is important for you all to know this: if I test a product and I can’t vouch for it – you’ll never see it on here! Maybe that’s unfair (some like the “not so positive” reviews) but personally, I don’t like to read such articles myself and therefore they have no place at TLF.
During the summer and pre-fall, I could see IG flooding with pictures and positive feedback, talking about a for me unknown company. Everywhere I looked, there was something about Rosalena so naturally, I started following them in order to get a grasp on what it was. It took me no time at all to feel impressed!
A simple Company Introduction is well needed as this lovely startup company is founded by two enthusiastic friends, Maja and Helena, with a bit of a fresh approach to skincare.
Rosalena operates out of the U.K. and was launched back in 2013. Instead of trying to be everything at the same time, the company focuses on a small range of bio-active and 100% clean face oils for all the stages that our skin might find itself in. Two female entrepreneurs who doesn’t sit on huge marketing budgets have skillfully managed to cut through the buzz of a quite picky beauty community and for that it takes one single thing: a h*ll of a product.
The company comes with their own motto: “Pause, Breathe, Be” and I guess this is what caught my attention. I’m not a fan of yoga, I don’t enjoy meditation and other recreational things. I de-stress by reading a great book, by listening to music or most importantly by enforcing my skincare routines. It is my “me-time” and I’m one of those people who get stressed taking on other peoples issues. I’m not good at mindfulness, so when I saw a skincare company that discussed mindfulness in a straightforward non hocus-pocus way of course I knew I had to try it out.
I will admit I’m kind of late to jump on the bandwagon but oh my, am I jumping. Prepare yourself because you’re in for a treat.
I was about to order my own package right of the Rosalena website when Maja, one of the co-owners kindly reached out to me to present their limited edition Christmas Kit containing one of their beautiful face oils and a face mist, (which I didn’t know so much about). I was thrilled to get the chance to try them both out and it has taken me a while to write the review, simply because I wanted to use the products for 28 days to see the results.
2016 has definitely been the year for the face oils. But why do we need them and what is good to know about them? First thing to say is this: not all oils are suitable to put on your skin. Oils, like everything else comes with a huge variation of qualities and personally I favour those that are plant-based or derived from nuts. The molecular weight also determines how the oil will penetrate and what it can do for you, hence: even if your kitchen olive oil is plat-based, I wouldn’t suggest rubbing your face in it.
Why do we need oils? Well, need might be a strong word, but historically they have been used for recreation, for therapy, for skincare and health in various ways. Moringa oil and eucalyptus oil to name some have been around for centuries. We know that our skin needs hydration, it needs some antioxidant shield, vitamins and the assistance to produce collagen and elastin. A high-quality, high-performing oil can do all of these things while being clean of “nasties” (Rosalena never contains parabens, PEGs, phthalates, synthetic fragrances or any non-naturally derived preservatives). What oils also are known for is the ability to penetrate the dermis in a way that a regular moisturiser simply can’t. Many oil-base serums are simply amazing in their way to nourish and replenish skin.
Contrary of what people think, a facial oil is not bad for someone with oily or congested skin. Blocked pores occurs when we have too high of a sebum production and the pores gets blocked by dead skin cells (time to exfoliate!). An oil helps the skin to stay hydrated longer, hence it doesn’t feel the need to produce that much sebum and you might get a more stable skin status.
In addition to all that, a face oil is great to add as a primer under your foundation (I’ve for long used Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Oil as the perfect primer) it mixes in well with your regular moisturisers and assists with its penetration and it is useful for your hair, chipped lips and cuticles. Why wouldn’t you want to use a face oil in your daily routines?
On to the Mindfulness. What does it have to do with the Rosalena face oils?
All four oils are naturally scented with beautiful, yet calm scents (they won’t overtake your perfume or cologne). Each oil is made to rescue the skin and targets different areas:
Rock & Rose Face Oil revitalizes and brightens, Frank & Sense repairs and replenish, Beauty & the Beast rejuvenates and energizes and Love & Me nourishes and protects.
Depending on how we work, stress, eat, sleep etc, our skin shows different needs. The great thing with these oils is that you can use aromatherapy to find out which one you should use. Close your eyes, breathe in the scents of the oil and the one you mostly prefer for the day might actually be the one that your skin is in the highest need of. I love this and the fact that the oils are not labeled for nighttime or daytime use. They are idiot-proof, you might be needing them all at different stages of the month and they are designed to fit together if you want to use one during the day and another at night.
I got to try the Rock & Rose face oil (oh yes, I do love all the cute names!). First impression is always the packaging and Rosalena excels in this area. A shiny all hot pink parcel arrived at my door and the label is super cute and recognisable from mile’s distance. In fact, right now I know that the company is offering free gift wrapping on their online orders for Christmas, and their wrapping is extraordinary sweet.
To me, mindfulness is also achieved when I don’t have to think about every little detail or worry about the same and Rosalena is really assisting their customers with the simple fact that all ingredients are fully disclosed and easy to comprehend. There are nothing weird or complicated with these oils, once again: straightforward.
The Rock & Rose oil is as said a natural radiance booster, enriched with vitamins as it aim to energize and brighten the skin. It came in handy as my winter-skin is dull and tired. The ingredient list is quite impressive and worthy of showing off!
Pumpkin Seed Oil: adds a radiant glow, this botanical oil lift the skin for a more youthful complexion.
Safflower Oil: works like a moisture-shot for the skin.
Pricky Pear Oil: targets the skin’s elasticity as it is a quite powerful moisturizer.
Evening Primrose Oil: Is very high in Gamma Linoleic Acid (GLA’s) and on top pf that holds both Omega 3 and 6. This combats premature ageing processes.
Grapeseed Oil: the antioxidants we need. It also contains moisture in order to tone the skin.
Natural Vitamin E: Might be one of my favourite ingredients. A powerful antioxidant which fights free radical damage, promotes cell renewal and awards us with radiant skin.
Organic Rosehip seed CO2 Extract: sounds a bit complicated but is a natural active ingredient holding high levels of Vitamin A and Omega 3. This Fatty Acid (which our skin needs badly) nourishes, makes the look and feel smoother and firmer.
Coenzyme Q10: another one of my “must-haves”. This ingredient stimulates our collagen production, feeds our skin cells with biological energy and like Vitamin E it is a great source of Vitamin E.
Then, to accompany all of these skin beneficial raw ingredients comes the aromatherapy, the scents made up by the most elegant organic essential oils:
Patchouli: made to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and open pores (no, Rosalena don’t claim the pore size to shrink which I congratulate them for) this essential oil tones and tightens the skin and smells divine.
Sweet Orange: anyone who have read my fragrance articles knows I have a huge love for this scent. It is uplifting and brightening, both for the skin and mind.
Rose Otto: provides an instant boost to tried skin. I wasn’t familiar with this particular oil before, but I can see that my skin is adjusting to it in a beautiful way.
Geranium: balances our complexion and mind. It is soft, almost undetectable and beautiful. Last nut not least:
Jasmine Absolute: evokes our feelings of strength, warmness and vitality. I personally love jasmine and find it beautiful in fragrances aimed for men as well.
The oil comes in a small glass bottle (15ml) with a dropper for easy application. I find that this amount will last you a good 2 months, if not more; a little goes a very long way. One would think that it would be thick or heavy but in fact my first reaction was: “is this really and oil?, it feels like a light serum”. Yes, it is made to brighten the skin but it doesn’t give any of that oil-shine grease that some face oil can do. I wouldn’t call it a dry-oil per se, but it’s texture makes it perfect even for topical application above makeup to freshen up the look!
I am so incredibly happy with this product and naturally, I have to have them all. My next one will probably be Frank & Sense as I’m always in need of a repairing agent in my routines.
Part of the glowing Christmas set is also the Rosalena Goodness & Tonic – Face mist. It is safe to say that this is absolutely my kind of GT!
If I am a little nerdy with my oils, I can also admit that I collect face mists. I didn’t, until I moved to Dubai and my face met three different “climates”: chilly Air Condition, hot sun or 100% humidity. All of them quite uncomfortable and my skin is not happy. All kinds of mists, tones, spritzers: you name it and I probably got it.
This little beauty is first of all handy as it comes in a bag-friendly size, secondly I love the tin bottle and the way the dispenser creates a fine but still forceful mist. It is a brightening toner designed to hydrate and awaken the senses. With an uplifting duo of hydroessential oils derived from Melissa and Orange Blossom one can really detect the neroli. When I first used the mist, prior to reading the inci-label, my initial thought was: “it is like bathing in a cloud of citrus”. Super zesty and refreshing. It also holds Bergamot, Sweet Orange and Grapefruit Oils and I’m sold. Completely and over the moon in love with everything about this mist! Even though it works perfectly fine as a pick-me-up at the pool or after the gym, I prefer to use it as a toner, straight after my double cleanse to get my skin in balance before the treatment begins. I haven’t been able to measure the pH-level of the mist so I can’t give you the deets, but my own skin enjoys it and the mist sinks in very fast. Also this product comes in a 15ml bottle and I really feel that I need at leat a 100ml if I’m going to use this as much as I wish to.
Bottom line: all the reviews I read and all the buss that I heard were completely right. Rosalena, with their bio-active skincare range, attention to keeping things simple and easy for us customers to use and the aromatherapeutic angle of it makes it a brand worth watching for 2017. It is simply amazing and I’m very grateful to have gotten the chance of testing it.
On a complete personal note; it never hurts when I see female entrepreneurs succeed in this industry and I also happen to think that it is wonderful to see kind and down to earth personalities mirrored in these products which they’ve created.
Images & Article by That Luxurious Feeling