It's been months since I talked about beauty on this space! I guess all that travelling and hiking took precedence over the summer :p
(If you're interested, my review of Herbivore Botanicals' Coco Rose Body Polish is a popular read, and I also share some of the face and body oils I love).
This time around, I'm putting the spotlight on an immensely popular beauty brand: The Ordinary, which is one of its parent company Deciem's bestselling product lines to date. Quickly becoming a cult favourite thanks to its extremely accessible price points and powerful, effective ingredients, the brand has experienced phenomenal growth since launching in August 2016.
I visited Deciem's Vancouver store (408 Howe Street) a while ago and purchased two products I thought would help to treat two of my biggest skin woes: pigmentation and dark circles.
alpha arbutin 2% + ha (CAD$8.90)
The alpha arbutin 2% + ha supposedly reduces the appearance of spots and pigmentation. Alpha arbutin is a skin-lightening ingredient, and the brand has incorporated a higher-than-normal concentration of it here.
I've been using this diligently for about three weeks now, but sadly, I've not seen any particular improvement in terms of it lightening the freckles across my cheeks. I apply sunscreen everyday before going out, so it's not like I'm not covering all the bases!
Still, I like that the formula is odourless and colourless, and goes onto skin easily without leaving any sticky residue.
caffeine solution 5% + EGCG (CAD$6.70)
The caffeine solution 5% + egcg aims to reduce puffiness and dark circles around the eye area. It has a high concentration of caffeine (5%, as the name suggests), as well as epigallocatechin gallatyl glucoside (or egcg), which is derived from green tea leaves.
The formula comes in a brownish yellow liquid but doesn't stain skin when applied, and is also odourless.
I've been using this for three weeks as well, but my panda eyes are still awfully visible. Clearly, I really need to adjust my poor sleeping habits!
Overall, I'm a tad disappointed with The Ordinary products, even with their pocket-friendly prices and the rave reviews they've received. Or maybe I should give these a bit more time to work their magic...
If you've ever used The Ordinary, let me know your thoughts below! I hope it's been more effective for you than it's been for me.
xx,
iz
give your pores a deep clean