Recently, Colleen Rothschild reached out and asked if the brand could send me a package of their skincare products. I hadn't heard of the brand but said sure, why not see what it's all about? I received their bestselling Radiant Cleansing Balm and Sheer Renewal Cream.
First glance, I wasn't impressed. A cleanser in a jar? That seemed so messy and cumbersome, and what was up with the included muslin cloth? And the moisturizer didn't have sunscreen. I'll try, but this is NOT my scene.
A month later... it is my scene. I didn't have to write about this, I wasn't paid or required to in trade for the product, I just had to share how impressed I was and how my initial opinion was wrong.
For the past several weeks I have used the products daily and have seen a marked improvement in my skin. It's happy! It glows, it's soooo soft, no breakouts, no irritation, no red eyes, no itchy contacts. The only change is these two products.
The Cleansing Balm as I mentioned, comes in a jar similar in size and style to a body butter. Luckily, it's easy to open and close with one hand. The muslin cloth is exactly that - a piece of white muslin with finished edges (and of course a logoed tag). The consistency is like a deep conditioning mask for the hair with an oily consistency (not surprising since it's made from Loofah Seed and Moringa Oil). Scoop out a small dollop (seriously, this should look oily, not creamy on your skin, that's how little you need), rub between your hands to warm it up and then massage it onto your skin. Take the muslin cloth, run under hot water, gently wring out, and put the cloth over your face. I press it to the skin and let it sit there until it cools. This is a really luxe moment. The product smells like a day spa - all aromatherapy herbal goodness. I breathe it in, eyes closed, and chill out. Then I wipe my face with the muslin.
It claims to remove all makeup, but I find few products really do and perform a two-step cleansing (I use this after cleansing with micellar water). It proves that the micellar water also doesn't get everything off - the balm comes off with bits of mascara and foundation. I rinse the muslin a few times until I've removed all the product.
The Radiant Cleansing Balm is a really satisfying product for a number of reasons:
- First, it smells awesome - it really is like a mini spa experience breathing in the scent, having that moment with your eyes closed feeling like you're getting a professional facial even though you're in a bathroom that needs a scrubbing, there's three Barbies on the side of the bathtub staring at you, and you have toothpasteon your robe. Breathe in the scent, breathe out the real world.
- Second, it really feels like self-care. It's far more enjoyable than makeup wipes, micellar water, and most cleansers that burn my eyes. Afterwards, my skin doesn't feel greasy, tight, doesn't feel like there's a coating on it... it just feels soft and clean. I feel as though I'm really doing something good for me.
- Third, it's fun to look at the crap on the muslin. As mentioned, it removes that which micellar water doesn't, and you see the cream with gunk in it. Some is recognizable like flecks of mascara or the color of my foundation, but some just looks as though it pulled out the gunk in my pores. If you like Biore strips, you too may find this part satisfying.
As for it being in a jar, it's not the most convenient but I can't imagine how else to package this product. I've become quite expert at closing the jar with one hand before rubbing the product and putting it on my face.
It's really too bad the Sheer Renewal Cream doesn't have sunscreen because it is awesome. Like the Cleansing Balm, the Cream has a day spa-esque scent, but it dissipates quickly and doesn't irritate my eyes or skin. I use a blueberry-sized amount and apply over my serum. It leaves the most perfect feeling - it's not dry, it's not greasy, it just feels like velvet. It's like an elegant version of how skin feels after applying many makeup primers. And like primers, it seems to help makeup glide on the skin and stay in place during the day.
Supposedly the Sheer Renewal Cream promotes new cell turnover to help minimize the appearance of lines and wrinkles and I can't prove it but lately my skin looks healthier, feels more springy, and I feel more confident going without foundation. A little goes a very long way, I've hardly made a dent in the tube and I haven't been afraid to be liberal with use (I've even tried it on hands and elbows). I've been using it every night with a bit of almond oil over it for added sleepy-time hydration. While it's perfection with makeup, I've been only using it days when I don't wear makeup and apply sunscreen over it. If it came with SPF 30 or higher, I would be oh so psyched and likely have a Holy Grail moisturizer.
All this, and Colleen Rothschild skincare is cruelty free and free of parabens, SLS/SLES sulfates, Triclosan, formaldehyde, PABA, toluene, and benzene. All that and the products are made here in the USA. Colleen Rothschild offers free shipping to the US on all orders over $49, ships to other countries as well (details on the website) and is offering all Wardrobe Oxygen readers 20% off any full-price products with the code OXYGEN20 (offer expires June 24, 2016).
