Ole Henriksen 3 Little Wonders Set (8/10)

Summary

Cons

• Jar packaging
• Strong scent
• Does not affect the appearance of your skin

Pros

• Good value
• Enhances surface texture
• Sensitive skin friendly

In-depth Review

The 3 little wonders set from Ole Henricksen has been on mywishlist for some time mainly due to the excellent online reviews as well as mypersonal interest in trying out the brand. I’ve had mixed feelings about theeach product in the set and will review each individually. This set waspurchased for $85 CAD before taxes at my local Sephora store.

Invigorating Night Gel

This is my least favorite of the set. It has a clearconsistency and comes packaged in a glass jar. I don’t like the jar packagingbecause it’s difficult to control the amount of product I get and also I findit unsanitary. Because it is a gel formula, it is ideal as a night treatment(where you don’t need as much moisture throughout the night) however I do stillfind myself waking up with more oil on my face than I’m used to. My biggestgripe with the night gel is its “finish”. Once the gel has dried, my skin isvery tacky/sticky which I find very uncomfortable especially after a nicelycleansed face. I did not find that it reduced any acne scaring or areas ofdiscoloration throughout its entire use. My skin however did not reactadversely to the gel so as a night cream it was only average, if even. I wouldnot repurchase this invigorating night gel on its own.

Sheer Transformation

From worst to best, this day cream is my favorite of thethree. Again packaged in a jar, this cream looks heavier than it actually is.Applied on the skin, it does not have the same issue of tackiness once dried;it has a very smooth and soft finish (retexturing?) comparable to a silicone-based primer. Unfortunately, this finishdoesn’t last the entire day as its oil controlling properties are non-existent.I got about 3-4 hours of shine-free skin during the winter months. Anothercaveat of this day cream is its very strong pharmaceutical scent. It’sdifficult to describe but it irritated me for the first 2 weeks of application.Thereafter, I either grew accustomed to the scent or it was less potent thanbefore. All in all, this cream, especially for dry skin folks or people wholive in arid climates, will appreciate this cream for its moisturizingproperties as well as its ability to create a soft smooth canvas for majorityof the day.

Truth Serum

Truthfully, this was the product that first attracted me tothis set but in the end was used the least by me. I don’t find myself needingthe extra moisture that the truth serum provides under the sheer transformationor night gel. I only started using the serum once I had used up the other two.This is my first serum and I can definitely tell the difference between it anda night/day cream. The moisture that it provides is much more quickly absorbedinto the skin. Does it give a natural glow? No. Does it reduce fine lines andwrinkles? No. Does it get rid of persistent dry patches? No. Does it replace aprimer? Maybe. What it is, is a very light fluid that is quick to apply andabsorb providing moisture to the skin and very little residue. It alsoincreases controls oils to the slightest degrees and has a tacky finish – goodfor adhering product to. I currently use this as an eye cream which works ok toprime my eyes for under-eye concealer. However at the end of the day, it doesn’tprevent creasing or keep oils at bay so you’re better off with an actualprimer. Considering the price, I would not repurchase this item.

All in all, I was mildly disappointed with the Ole Henriksen3 Little Wonders Set. The experience hasn’t turned me off their skincare line (such as Clinique) but I’m not in any rush to buy any of their other products(or even repurchase).

Acne Solutions Clear Skin System Starter Kit (2/10)

Summary

Cons

• Drying
• Caused breakouts

Pros

• Reduces blackheads
• Affordable

In-depth Review

The starter kit from Clinique was perfect for me to try out their skincare line designed for acne prone skin. This kit is affordable and comes with 3 travel-sized products: cleansing foam, clarifying lotion, and clearing moisturizer. If I remember correctly, the lotion and moisturizer contain benzoyl peroxide while the cleanser contains salicylic acid.

My skin is combination oily in the cooler months and oily during the warmer ones. I bought and used the products in this kit during the winter. I had pretty bad acne at the time (combination of stress, not enough sleep, and hormones) however the use of this kit made my face much worse. My breakouts were more frequent and intense and my skin had become very dry. I tried using these products less frequently such as using the lotion every other day and the moisturizer only during the day however no combination of these products ultimately worked to better my skin.

I went so far as to try these products individually to see if there was a specific one that was reacting badly with my skin. Through my efforts, I found that the cleanser would occasionally break me out but it was the lotion that was causing the majority of my problems. The moisturizer didn’t do very much and it especially didn’t moisturize very well. I would very often have to apply another moisturizer on my face or would combine MAC fix+ with the lotion to avoid dry patches.

The entire kit lasted me 3 months and I was breaking out the entire time (I really wanted these products to work for my skin). I can’t remember why but I bought a full sized bottle of the cleansing foam again and used that for a couple of months. On it’s own, I didn’t break out nearly as much however it still wasn’t a better cleanser than the one I had been previously using (Aveeno Skin Clarifying Cleanser). I stopped using it a month after and it’s been untouched ever since.

As bad as my experience with Clinique’s Acne Solutions Starter Kit has been, these products (I can’t remember which one) did clean out my pores well and reduced my blackheads significantly. So in exchange for daily breakouts my pores were a little cleaner. Also, the cleanser did do a decent job of keeping my oil controlled throughout the day as I did mention that the acne line is very drying.

I will definitely not be repurchasing this kit or any product from Clinique’s acne line in the foreseeable future. Remember that the rating that I give this kit is based on how the products worked for my skin and not how they perform in general. Of course there are favourable reviews out there on these products or I wouldn’t have bought them in the first place. Hopefully, by providing some details on my skin, that will help you determine whether or not this kit is worth trying out.

MAC Fix+ (9/10)

**OCT UPDATE**

I've been using this as my daily moisturizer with surprising results. I've had significantly less breakouts and my skin does not have a layer of oil siting on top of my skin at the end of the day (which was what was happening with my Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel). It's now fall where I live so I'll soon see whether or not Mac's Fix+ can provide my skin with adequate moisture throughout the colder months.

Summary

Cons

• Cheap packaging

Pros

• Versatile
• Natural-looking finish

In-depth Review

I bought MAC’s Fix+ as an alternative to using powder to set my foundation. During the winter months I find that my face has more dry patches especially after applying a powder. I looked for other ways to set makeup and came across this product. By now there are several other brands that have similar products (Urban Decay, MUFE) but at the time MAC’s was the one that had an established fanbase.

The products packaging is not very impressive. I especially do not like the pump mechanism and wish that the droplets sprayed would be more fine. The product has a nice and refreshing scent however it does take some time to dry on the face. Using it to set your foundation, I find that three spritz is ideal. The product does need to be sprayed far from your face (at least an arm’s length away) as indicated in the instructions or it will dry to a sticky and shiny finish.

When applied properly, Fix+ does a good job of setting make up to a natural looking finish (not matte). I also use this product by spritzing my face before applying a moisturizer so that it will be absorbed into my skin better. Other reviewers have mentioned several other ways of using this product however these are the only two I find that work well for my skin and my routine.

This product isn’t too expensive (~$20 CAD) and it does last. I’m on the fence as to whether or not I will be repurchasing Fix+ mostly because it is a seasonal product for me. I may opt to try a similar product from a different brand when the time comes. This isn't a bad product byfar, it's just not as useful to me as it may be for others.