The #QuarterLifeCrisis; Do I Really Want To Be Anti-Ageing In My Early Twenties?

I have a very critical, and occasionally cynical, part to my mind that refuses to see the world for black and white. Nothing is ever what it is advertised to us as. A few months back, when Origins Original Skin Renewal Serum hit the shop floors, my feed was flooded with claims that any age-fearing human in their mid-twenties needed to add pre-anti-ageing anti-ageing into their routines. Red flag; my natural scepticism kicked straight in.

This isn't to say this product doesn't work, but really, would we ever know otherwise?

It's brilliant, really. A market that never existed before, has now been created. The product created for that marked has positively unmeasurable results. How do I possibly ever quantify whether pre-anti-ageing products work? I don't. I just close my eyes, continue to fork over the £32.00 bi-monthly and hope for the best. 

Without any possible way to measure whether this product will take any visible effect on my skin, lets talk about the immediate changes, the effects I can see happening now. And you know what, contrary to my thought on this scheme, this serum does actually have some merit.

Taking 1-2 pumps of this light mauve-pink serum into my palms - which is more than spreadable enough to cover the entire face - its silky thick cream-like consistency, feels almost velvety on skin. There is an instant pore-blurring effect, combined with the pinkish tint, it makes for the perfect skin smoother.

My skin condition has significantly improved. I have a much smoother skin, with the depth of pores minimised and any scarring or permanent blemishes drastically reduced in visibility. My skin feels so wonderfully supple and delicate and the only way it could possibly described as, is... youthful. There it is. They did it.

While I can't vouch for the anti-ageing effects, the potential is there and the Origins Original Skin Renewal Serum does have immediate skin improving qualities. However, the claim to delete skin dullness and enhance skin's glow are weak at best. In fact, my skin feels almost a little duller when using this. But glow can be added through other products as skin smoothing effects like this are difficult to come by.

So, where do I stand on pre-anti-ageing? I don't. I don't stand anywhere on it. It is just too impossible to quantify the results. By the time I show signs of ageing, I have no measurable way to say whether the Origins Original Skin Renewal Serum suspended the ageing process, accelerated it, or did utterly nothing at all. Maybe I'll come back in 20 years with some answers for you.

But for now, the Origins Original Skin Renewal Serum is a delicate thick serum which helps to blur pores and smooth skin. It gives skin a youthful-esque delicacy, applied in a gorgeously velvety formula with a petite, fruity scent. Effective, repurchase.

As early-twenties anti-ageing goes, I'm still sceptical on you.

Origins Original Skin Renewal Serum is available from Origins for £32.00 for 30ML (full size). Alternatively, you can pick up the 15ML (miniature size) for £15.00. Which, if you by 2 of, actually works out cheaper for you. Go figure. 

Moss Clear Resolution Balancing Facial Oil, For Clearer, Healthier Skin

Moss: Modern Organic Sacred Skincare are a luxury organic skincare brand specifically focused on providing natural solutions to acne, congested and blemish prone skin types. As my skin type is oily, I am regularly burdened with large, inflamed blemishes along my neck and jawline. Moss Clear Resolution Balancing Facial Oil has featured heavily around my jaw these past three months, and I've got to say, I am so glad we crossed paths.

I'd never even considered the possibility before, that blemish control products could be carried as an oil. Sign me up! Championing the ingredients list is Guava Seed Oil, which helps to supply a healthy dose of Vitamin C. Black Cumin (Nigella Sativa) Seed Oil helps to reduce inflammation and soothe fussy skin. Followed by Ginger, Jasmine and Rose to help heal and nourish.

This super little mixture has helped my jawline to feel wonderfully nourished and moisturised. Forgetting the blemish fighting powers for a moment, this little wonder-bottle has helped to nurture and regenerate my skin, transforming into a gorgeous, supple and clear neckline.

The concept of nurturing skin to help sooth and calm is very welcome indeed. The serum helps to carefully heal the skin, without any need for harsh or astringent chemicals. Instead, it very gently takes my face in both hands and coddles it back to good health. My neck blemishes have now been banished. I saw immediate effects in reducing redness and inflammation, followed by prevention of any further outbreaks. My jawline is now clear and blemish-free! 

This is a very thick oil, yet surprisingly manages to disappear seamlessly. The serum is quite warm and friendly to touch, it's a very welcome and pleasant product. It is somewhat orange-green in colour and can stain the skin if not blended carefully, so make sure to double-check - I have been caught out a few times by that. The scent is pleasantly powerful, somewhat earthy, yet in a way quite tart, but almost certainly therapeutic.

Miraculously, this little bottle seems to break the Bekenstein Limit. How it managed to last three months, I'm clueless, as I applied a several drops both morning and night, daily. I loved that instantaneous nourishment I felt upon applying this serum. I immediately felt hydrated and revitalised, a sensation which, to date, has gone unmatched.

The anti-inflammatory and blemish prevention abilities of the Moss Clear Resolution Balancing Facial Oil are absolute. By marring ingredients with both blemish control and nourishing properties, this oil manages to excel against other harsher treatments, a true testament to the power of nature. Effective, repurchase.

Moss Clear Resolution Balancing Facial Oil can be purchased from Moss for $65.00 / 20ML.

Unfortunately, Moss are only based in the US, meaning you'll have to fork out for international delivery costs ($22.00) and potentially face customs charges.

Nourish Balance: Detoxifying Cleanser, Refining Toning Mist, Peptide Serum, Essential Moisturiser

Nourish. British. Organic. Natural. Vegan. Some of my favourite words to describe my skincare brands. Nourish is an absolutely beautiful brand with products focusing on treating the skin by providing it with the essentials it needs, as opposed to counteracting its behaviour by stripping away. The Balance Range, does exactly that. While this set it targeted at combination skins, I've found my oily skin to just fall completely smitten with it.

This is all about hydration. The key is to feed skin with essential ingredients to keep it at optimum hydration levels while balancing the over-production of oil. It does this just swell. I picked up the Nourish Balance Gift Box (full size) from Feel Unique as I just had to try everything in this range. The box includes Detoxifying Cleanser, Refining Toning Mist, Peptide Serum and Essential Moisturiser.

The key ingredient for this range is apple extract. You can really tell from the truly scrumptious smell of these products, just how pertinent that is.

Nourish Balance: Detoxifying Cleanser

The Detoxifying Cleanser is an extremely lightweight cleanser. It's silky smooth to touch and spreads like a dream on skin. It's lovely to run it over my face, and it's so, so light, I can scarcely feel it. As this is a lotion-type cleanser, it is fairly runny, but that makes it very sufficient to spread. 

It's a pump-based product, I find 1-3 pumps is more than enough to cover my entire face and jawline. I massage it in, in circular motions, until the product has practically disappeared from my face, then I rinse it away with cool water. 

This is totally gentle. I have moderately sensitive skin but this is lovely and kind to me. It is a very refreshing and cooling product. This is actually fairly powerful at removing make-up, even eye make-up. As a rule, I tend to just use oil cleansers for make-up removal, but this does a bang up job and it super delicate enough to be used on the eye.

While I do love everything about this. I mean everything. Its only downfall is the depth of the cleanse. It's very surface level. I don't feel particularly cleared or clarified in a deep sense, but I do feel very fresh-faced and clean from a surface sense. Qualifying this as more of a day-to-day product and not something you reach for when you want deeper nourishment.

Nourish Balance: Refining Toning Mist

The Refining Toning Mist is my first encounter with a spray/mist type toner and I must say, I am completely sold. This is a very, very refreshing product and major factor into keeping me oil-free. It is light and calming and offers up a perfect spritz of hydration.

Simply put, you spray 3-6 pumps of this product directly onto your face with closed eyes. Give it a few moments to settle and then wipe it away with a cotton pad. You can leave this on your face, without wiping, you're totally allowed to do that, but I find it can leave me feeling a little sweaty later into the day if I don't remove it. I allow myself to breath in the apple-y aroma of this product. It's truly lifting and refreshing.

It's a very light spritz, it's not too fast or too fierce, it's nice and gentle. The toner gently drops onto the skin, light as a feather, so there are no nasty surprises when spraying with your eyes closed. Do not, however, get this product in your eyes. It's a real stinger. But on skin, this product is cooling, refreshing and balancing. My absolutely favourite in the entire range.

Nourish Balance: Peptide Serum

Sadly, this is one product I could live without. This focus of the Peptide Serum is to refine the appearance of pores - who knows what that even means? - , optimise skin nutrition and brighten the complexion. This serum follows directly after toning, but before moisturising. You take 1 pump and smooth it into the skin. 

Now firstly, this is the runniest product I've ever used. It shoots out of the pump like water and its consistency just fall apart. When applied to the skin it is left very wet. While it might not be greasy, just wet, it does not at all absorb into the skin. Instead, it sits there, on the surface, making it feel as though my face just won't dry.

Later into the day, this product will find its way into your pores and clog them. My face becomes extremely sweaty looking. While it isn't sweat, it's just the serum, it captures in the pores and shines like little beads of sweat. So I never use this product in the day time, only during the evening.

The results of this product are slim, at best. My complexion was not brightened, my face felt suffocated and my skin did not feel nourished. It did, however, reduce the appearance of my pores by turning them into a more greyish colour. In stead of dark and obvious, they blended in better, making them far more subtle. 

Nourish Balance: Essential Moisturiser

The Essential Moisturiser, as moisturisers go, it a really solid product for oily skins. It's a very creamy consistency, with a great spread and fast absorption rate. It is also very lightweight, it doesn't burden the skin in any way, so it has a lovely breathability. 

It keeps my skin oil-free, yep, but not in a way I like. The product absorbs instantly, which leaves me looking a little matte. I know, that the reality us oilier folks have always dreamed of, but it just leaves me too dull. I'm flat, without radiance. So I always need to highlight my face when using this moisturiser to stop me from looking so dead... But that, I don't mind, when my oil is kept under control.

This product very strongly smells of sour apples, and the longer you use it, the stronger it smells. It's extremely potent, so always make sure to keep the lid tightly sealed to stop it from turning. I actually don't mind the smell one bit. I love apples! But towards the bottom of the jar, I started to feel it had gone beyond strong.

The Nourish Balance Range is a perfect kit for anyone wanting to introduce themselves to Nourish, or try a range with some very powerful balancing products. I would qualify the kit as Effective, repurchase. However, on a product-by-product basis, the individual products score as follows:-

• Detoxifying Cleanser, scored Effecitve, don't repurchase. While I do like this product, it works at cleaning the skin, it is far too gentle and surface level as I require a deeper, more nourishing cleanse.
• Refining Toning Mist scored Essential. I'm absolutely enamoured with this product. I love the sensation of refreshing my skin, it's lightweight and calming, and most importantly it kept my skin very well balanced.
• Peptide Serum scored Avoid. Unfortunately, this product was not complimentary with my skin. It was too runny and wet. Most importantly, it left my face looking sweaty. While it does diminish pore intensity, that's not enough for me to continue using.
• Essential Moisturiser scored Effective, repurchase. This product keeps me oil-free, I like it. But, because it does steal all the radiance from my skin, it's not perfect. I want my oil to be controlled, but I don't want to look dull.

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The Nourish Balance Gift Box can be purchased from Feel Unique for £50.00. The set includes Detoxifying Cleanser priced at £13.00 for 100ML, Refining Toning Mist priced at £11.00 for 100ML, Peptide Serum priced at £20.00 for 30ML and Essential Moisturiser priced at £19.00 for 50ML.