Sunday Riley Juno Antioxidant + Superfood Face Oil

(affiliate links)

 Until recently it had been a while since I had a Sunday Riley face oil in my stash. I remember absolutely loving the now discontinued Artemis facial oil and have been through a few bottles of the much-loved Luna retinol oil. But I had never got around to trying Juno before a few weeks ago.

Juno is considered a great all-rounder facial oil, suitable for virtually everyone.
A blend of organic, cold pressed 'super food' seed oils selected for their antioxidant properties, Juno is a dry oil formula that leaves the skin feeling nourished and looking dewy and glowing, without a greasy feeling. 

What are the ingredients in Juno?

The antioxidant formula includes a range of berry seed oils, specifically Blueberry, Blackberry, Cranberry and Red Raspberry, blended with Chardonnay Grape Seed Oil, Carrot Seed Oil, Black Cumin, Broccoli and Meadowfoam.

The oils combine to make a formula that is rich in the aforementioned antioxidants, as well as omegas and vitamins for a healthy looking and feeling, perfectly hydrated complexion.

I love the yellow and purple layered look that the oils create in the bottle – before I gently shake the bottle to mix and apply.

Speaking of application, you can really use as many drops as you like, depending on how your skin is feeling. I tend to use a couple for daytime and a few more for night.

The oil can be used before or after moisturiser, on its own or mixed into other products. It’s also perfect for rubbing into cuticles (I just rub the excess into my fingers/backs of hands) and can be applied to the ends of hair – it’s a very versatile skincare product!

The oil feels very comforting and calming on the skin, in fact I have been loving it on my slightly scaly nostrils (sorry) that have been subjected to a lot of nose-blowing recently.

 

Juno has a sort of organic, almost hay-like smell to it, that I find quite pleasant, but it does dissipate quite quickly so if you don’t love the scent it shouldn’t be a deal breaker.

 

Juno Antioxidant Superfood Face Oil is available in 15ml and 35ml glass dropper bottles for £27 and £54 respectively. I love that Sunday Riley offers smaller bottles of the oils these days – it makes the products much more financially accessible, more convenient for travel and great for trying out without potentially wasting a lot of product if it’s not for you. I bought my bottle of Juno at Space NK

 

 

Nourish London Limited Edition Radiance Firming Facial Oil in support of Walk the Walk

Nourish London are a brilliant home grown beauty brand - they really do create some beautiful, effective products- and now they're doing something really special. 

The brand has just released a limited edition version of their lovely Radiance Firming Facial Oil* with a percentage of the proceeds going to Walk the Walk, the largest grant making breast cancer charity in the UK.
Nourish London are donating £2.50 from each sale of the oil (which retails for £25) to Walk the Walk, who organise power walking fundraising events throughout the UK and abroad, which gives participants the chance to improve their overall fitness whilst raising funds for various breast cancer charities and of course have fun doing it!

The oil itself is one I've used on and off before and can confirm it's a lovely, quality facial oil that can be easily incorporated into your routine.

Designed to improve elasticity, firm, hydrate and lift the complexion, the 98% organic facial oil is a blend of omega-rich oils including Macadamia and Pumpkin, with Rosehip and Borage oil and gently fragrant Geranium and Damask Rose.

French Marine Algae extract and Frankincense round things off nicely as they help to protect collagen, making the oil a decent addition to your stash- whether you're specifically into organic beauty or not.
It is up there with some of the more expensive facial oils I've used and it's worth mentioning that the Radiance Firming Facial Oil won the award for Best Facial Serum at the Natural Health Magazine International Beauty Awards

As mentioned, the Nourish London Radiance Firming Facial Oil is £25 with £2.50 of each sale going to Walk the Walk. You can find the limited edition bottle at Nourish London.

A little more about an upcoming Walk the Walk event - 

On Saturday 11^th May 2019, Walk the Walk will be holding its 22nd MoonWalk London at Clapham Common. Choose from walking The Full Moon Marathon (26.2 miles) or the Half Moon (13.1 + 2 miles) and see London's famous landmarks at night.

*Sample

MBotanicals Rejuvenating Facial Elixir

Products that combine natural ingredients with a touch of luxury are right up my street and the Rejuvenating Facial Elixir from London brand MBotanicals is no exception.

Brimming with gorgeous skin loving oils including Prickly Pear, amino acid rich Blackseed, Rosehip and Watermelon Seed, the Elixir was designed to nourish and protect skin exposed to the pollutants and free radicals that come with living in the city. 

The prickly pear based facial oil is beautifully multifunctional and can be used as it is, under your moisturizer for an extra boost or as a luxurious night treatment. I've experimented with the Elixir in a few ways, in the methods mentioned above and also mixed in with my foundation which creates a really lovely glowing, dewy look. 

Just worn as it is, the oil absorbs quickly and beautifully yet creates a pretty, healthy looking glow that is absolutely perfect for wintery skin that could do with a pep-up.

If you tend to judge a facial product by its scent, I imagine the Rejuvenating Facial Elixir will impress- this stuff smells utterly beautiful. To me, it smells botanical and comforting, a bit like a flower bed after it rains, if you want to get poetic. Equally, if you are a visual person, the Elixir (and the brand as a whole) will appeal as the entire MBotanicals range features beautiful apothecary-style labels and packaging that make the various lotions and potions totally worthy of taking pride of place on your dressing table.
To use the elxir/ facial oil, you just dispense a couple of drops (the bottle has a pump which is slightly more convenient than a dropper) and massage gently into your face. The result? Glowy, dewy gorgeousness that feels light and fresh rather than heavy and greasy. I like.

A couple of drops is all I need for my whole face, so the bottle should see me through the spring at least.
As well as face and body care products (including some amazing sounding French clay soaps), MBotanicals also do Soy Wax Candles in fragrances such as Vanilla Bean, Rose Oud, Citrus Basil and Gardenia. Safe to say these are going straight on my wish list.

MBotanicals Facial Rejuvenating Serum is £32 at MBotanicals.

A'Kin Brightening Rosehip Oil with Vitamin C

I'm rather enjoying A'Kin Brightening Rosehip Oil for many reasons but here are my first two:

1. It's created by my fellow countrymen (as in, A'kin is an Aussie brand)

2. I really, really like Rosehip Oil anyway.

The newly launched Brightening Rosehip Oil with Vitamin C combines the natural powers of Rosehip Oil, Macadamia Oil and Vitamin C to create the perfect potion for post-summer skin. The reason this is an ideal addition to your Autumn/ Winter skincare stash is that it works to brighten and recondition the texture of the skin and reduce the appearance of sun damage. In other words, it gives your skin back what harsh summer sun rays may have taken away. The organic Rosehip Oil contains high levels of nourishing essential fatty acids, which, combined with the skin-brightening and and antioxidant properties of Vitamin C and smoothing, softening effects of Macadamia Oil, make it a naturally effective force to be reckoned with. Because Rosehip Oil is a 'dry' oil, this formula is incredibly lightweight and non-greasy and I found that it absorbs incredibly fast, leaving a subtle 'glow' rather than 'sheen'. Even though I don't mind a blatantly oiled up face in the evening when the temperature drops, it is pretty handy that this oil doesn't leave you greasy so it can be used just as freely in the daytime as it can at night. To get all science-y for a moment, A'kin uses the Supercritical CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) method to extract the Rosehip Oil. Basically, this method uses pressurised Carbon Dioxide to 'pull' the precious oily bit away from the plant. Extracting this way preserves the purity of the oil and in turn maximises the benefits, meaning that this particular Rosehip Oil is of a very high quality!  The addition of Macadamia Oil into the mix is for a pretty simple reason- Macadamia Oil has a very similar composition to the sebum that occurs naturally on our skin, so it helps the formula absorb even more as well as retain moisture. For all you green beauty types, it's worth noting that the entire A'Kin range does not contain parabens, sulphates, ethoxylated and petrochemical cleansers, propylene glycol, silicones, phthalates, mineral oils, DEA and artificial colours, artificial fragrance or animal ingredients. The company is also against animal testing. A'Kin Brightening Rosehip Oil with Vitamin C has an RRP of £24 for 20ml. You can find it online at A'Kin Beauty and in-store at Waitrose and Whole Foods. Post contains sample

Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil Not Suitable for Pregnant Women?

So I have been coveting a little blue bottle of Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil since its release and today I finally have the pleasure of owning a bottle of this ludicrously priced yet much loved night time treatment. As I gleefully unwrapped it this morning, one of the first things I noticed was that the pretty dropper bottle comes complete with a very bold warning: Not for use during pregnancy.

At first this was a bit of a wtf moment - is the secret ingredient in this an intricate cocktail of booze, fags and sashimi or something else we're warned about consuming whilst with child? It sort of threw me a bit to be honest - after all, did I really want to be eagerly smothering my face with something that's actually harmful to my hypothetical foetus?

As it turns out, the potentially threatening ingredient is Trans-retinoic Acid - the very thing that makes Luna such a unique and (according to multiple reviews) effective product. Trans-retinoic Acid is basically Vitamin A and Luna is kind of special as it's a blend of natural oils and Vitamin A that makes it relatively more suitable for sensitive skins. That said, I'm yet to actually put it on my face, but I have high hopes.

So what's the issue with Vitamin A/ Retinol and pregnancy?

According to various studies, the oral consumption of excessive amounts of Vitamin A are known to cause birth defects, while the topical use of Vitamin A may be harmful to unborn babies.
I searched (googled) high and low and could not, for the life of me, find any studies that have actual, documented proof that retinol is not safe to use on your face/body if you're expecting. It seems that it's more of a precaution and hopefully wouldn't actually do any harm, unless you're literally downing bottles of the stuff.
If you've come across any studies on this, please feel free to drop a link in the comments as I'm kind of intrigued by the whole thing!

All in all, I think it's responsible of Sunday Riley to include this warning but I can certainly see that it has the potential to put some people off thinking about using the oil at all.

Kahina Giving Beauty Prickly Pear Seed Oil

Did you know prickly pear seed oil is really quite good for your skin? Well that's one thing we have in common because neither did I. In fact, I didn't know prickly pear was much good for anything other than growing in deserts and being exceptionally prickly.

Do not underestimate the power of the mighty cactus.
As it turns out, the seeds of these spiny plants are high in amino acids, Vitamin K, fatty acids and antioxidants - in other words, a whole load of good things that just so happen to be great for skin.
Amino acids smooth and tone the complexion, Vitamin K has been proven to lighten dark under eye circles and spider veins, fatty acids improve moisture levels in the skin and antioxidants aid in reducing wrinkles. The impressive part is all of these benefits exist within just one ingredient - Prickly Pear Seed Oil.

I have been trialling the 100% organic Kahina Giving Beauty Prickly Pear Seed Oil for just over a week now, which in fairness is probably not quite long enough, but I just got so overexcited by this product that I sort of couldn't wait. After cleansing and toning in the evening, I've been smoothing 2 or 3 drops of the oil onto my face before applying my night cream and I've got to say I'm a little bit in love with it. The oil is 'thicker' than argan oil and has an odd yet not unpleasant 'hay' scent. It absorbs quite nicely and leaves me with a glow rather than the shine you might expect from an oil.

The Kahina Giving Beauty Prickly Pear Seed Oil is touted as an anti-aging treatment to soften, moisturise, restore elasticity, brighten undereye circles and minimize spider veins. The main benefits I've gained from its use (so far-early days) is definitely a noticeably softer feeling face and reduction in under eye darkness. I've read a few reviews that comment on how effective the oil is in reducing under eye circles, so if this something that you struggle with I definitely recommend you give the Prickly Pear Seed Oil a go.

If you've not heard of Kahina Giving Beauty before, the company have a wonderful ethos that you can read all about here and keep an eye out for the oil when it launches at the end of the month at beingcontent.com for around £25.


This post contains a sample

L'Oreal Age Perfect Extraordinary Facial Oil Review

Facial oils only really started appealing to me four years ago when I moved to the UK. Before that, I lived on the sunny east coast of Australia that has an average temperature of 30 degrees for most of the year so the idea of putting oil anywhere near my face didn't really entice me.

Now however, not only am I older (29 in 3 days!) but my skin is subjected to cold winters and rather drying weather all round so facial oils are now a pretty important part of my skin routine. I love the indulgent aspect of using facial oils and feel like there's something a bit special about pressing beautiful oils into a freshly cleansed and exfoliated face.

My latest facial oil purchase happened a few months ago now in the form of L'Oreal Age Perfect Extraordinary Facial Oil and after using this 3 or 4 nights a week since June I think I'm ready to share a fair review. 

Firstly, this facial oil smells gorgeous. It's packed with essential oils - lavender, orange, geranium, rose, lavandin, chamomile, marjoram and romarin and therefore has a lovely, comforting scent that's perfect for use in the evening. 

The Extraordinary Facial Oil is supposed to 'replenish, smooth and brighten' and I have to say that I've found it effective in contributing to all 3. 

Though I mainly use this after I've washed my face before bed, I will occasionally pat a drop of the oil into my skin before foundation application as I find it gives quite a smooth base.
After using this at night, I wake up to smooth, soft, glowing skin with no oil slick in sight and I can genuinely feel the difference. What's not to like about that?
Due to the fact that this is a 'dry oil', the formula absorbs quickly to a non-greasy finish and you only need 2 or 3 drops per application.
You can find L'Oreal Extraordinary Facial Oil at Boots, Superdrug and pretty much anywhere that stocks L'Oreal products. RRP £19.99 

A Little Bit Luxe: Rodin Olio Lusso Oils

For the past week or so I've been trying out the Luxury Face Oil, Body Oil and Recine Luxury Hair Oil by Rodin.
Olio Lusso is Italian for 'Luxury Oil' - a collection of gorgeous elixirs created by stylist Linda Rodin on the basis that beauty should be simple. Now in her sixties, Rodin is a walking testament to her own product - an uber fashionable older woman indeed!

Linda Rodin for Karen Walker Eyewear c/o oystermag.com

Luxury Face Oil

This very luxe face oil is a beautiful, aromatic combination of Jasmine, Rose Hip Seed, Sweet Almond, Jojoba, Evening Primrose, Apricot Seed, Arnica, Calendula, Neroli, Sunflower and Argan oils (phew). Each oil is benficial in its own way ( for example Neroli fights aging, Arnica reduces swelling), so it makes perfect sense to put all of these super oils together to create one brilliant formula!

Olio Lusso claims to be suitable for all skin types from dry to oily. I've been trying it on my combination/ dry skin and I'm pretty impressed so far!
I've been applying the Luxury Face Oil religiously since last Friday both in the morning and last thing at night
After exfoliating, I pat a few drops of the luxury oil onto my (slightly damp) face and it sinks in beautifully, leaving a subtle healthy sheen without any greasiness.
*The face oil is great to apply a few minutes before your foundation - it acts as a lovely primer to smooth out your skin ready for makeup application.

Luxury Body Oil

A 'rearrangement/ of the oils found in the face oil, the Luxury Body Oil is once again super-moisturising, gorgeously scented and totally wearable thanks to it's no-grease factor!
I rub a few drops of this into my arms and legs (paying special attention to elbows and ankles) after my evening shower when skin is still a bit damp, before jumping into bed and letting the oils work their magic.

Rodin by Recine Luxury Hair Oil

The Luxury Hair Oil formulated by Hairdresser Bob Recine combines apricot kernel, calendula, sunflower seed, sweet almond, neroli and jojoba oils with rosemary and juniper to create a multi-tasking hair product that leaves your locks looking and smelling fiiiiine.
This oil can be added straight to damp or dry hair or added to your conditioner for extra oomph. The oil can also be used as a styling aid and a nourishing scalp treatment.

Presented in a gorgeous glass dropper bottle, the Luxury Face Oil costs £92 for 30ml while the Luxury Body Oil has an rrp of £68 for 120ml and the Recine Luxury Hair Oil is £60 for 30ml. Available here at Beauty Works West.

*Please note that the bottles shown are sample size which I received for review. Have you tried anything from the Olio Lusso range?

Thanks for reading :)