Review: The Ordinary - AHA Peel, Serum & Foundation
Hey guys!
When most people think of high quality skincare, they associate it with products with huge price-tags. However, since The Ordinary came along, that's all changed! The brand has created a buzz, especially in the UK, for their extensive range of high quality skincare products at extremely low price points. The brand believes in simplistic packaging. Most of the products are packaged in either black or white packaging as shown below. They also have droppers which gives it that straight-out-the-lab kinda feel.
I was really intrigued by their product line at first because of how cheap their products were but I had only heard good reviews from them, so I gave it a go! I've managed to try out 3 products from their line so far, including their famous AHA 30% Peeling Solution, so I thought I'd review these products for you in case you wanted to try them out! Below is a photo of the 3 products I've tried out so far:
Hyaluronic Acid 2% + b5 30ml £5.90
AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution 30ml £6.30
Serum Foundation 30ml £5.70
The total cost of these 3 products is under £20 which is such a bargain! You can purchase their products off their site but also off ASOS, Beauty Bay and in-store if you're in the Toronto/London/NYC/Miami/Sydney area! I picked up mine in-store and the sales assistants were all so helpful - it can be intimidating seeing their whole product line all labelled with letters and percentages if you're a skincare newbie! It's a bonus that all 3 of these products are vegan, cruelty-free and alcohol-free too!
Hyaluronic Acid
If you have read my previous skincare post you will know how much of a fan I am of Hyaluronic Acid so I was keen to see how this would compare to my one from Vichy (which is over double the price!). The consistency is thicker than water but not too thick. I want to describe it as 'gloopy' but I don't mean that in a bad way. It's a clear formula and is really easy to spread over your face before applying your daily moisturiser. It absorbs into the skin really well but unlike my Vichy one, it has a slightly tacky feel as soon as you apply it. However, this feeling goes after a minute or so once it's fully absorbed. I switch between this and my Vichy one regularly and I haven't noticed a difference in my skin from using one or the other. I usually prefer to use my Vichy one in the morning because it has a pump which saves those precious few seconds when I'm getting ready in the morning. Overall, I don't have a preference over which one I use. It does it's job for keeping my skin hydrated throughout the day and it's amazing quality for the price that it is!
AHA Peeling Solution
When I first heard about this, I already knew I had to get my hands on it ASAP! I've never used a peeling solution like this before and the product had such high claims that I wanted to put it to the test and see if it really worked. This peel claims to exfoliate your skins surface but also a deeper exfoliation which would help with skin resurfacing and clearing congestion in your pores. This would ultimately leave you with blemish-free, smooth and radiant skin.
The formula is red and it does look like...blood. It gets it's colour from Tasmanian Pepperberry which is known to reduce inflammation that can occur from using acids. Now, I know this product can look really intimidating especially with the word 'acid' being thrown about everywhere. However, the product is completely safe to use as long as you follow the directions! It's highly recommended to do a patch test first to see if you react to it. The solution is to be used once a week on a dry, cleansed face. You can use your fingers to apply a thin layer all over your face and by avoiding the eye area. Leave it on for no longer than 10 mins and simply rinse off with lukewarm water! The consistency is quite runny so you need to work quickly but it's really easy to apply and it rinses off quickly!
I've only used this twice but I've seen major results in my skin already. Instantly after using this the first time, I could see my face was brighter, more radiant and so smooth. The following day, my face was even brighter and my blemishes and scarring had noticeably reduced! I hadn't used a product that gives results this quick and effective before using this peel.
When I used this the following week, the results were even better and basically 75% of my scars had gone or were reduced and my complexion was a lot brighter. I can't wait to use this next week - I think after a couple more uses, my skin will have almost made a 100% recovery and I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a quick and effective way to get clear skin! If you do have acne, I'm not sure if this would be the best product to use, but seek advice from the sales assistants in-store - they will help you find the best products for your skin-type.
Serum Foundation
The Ordinary offer 2 different types of foundation:
Serum Foundation - light coverage
Cover Foundation - full coverage
The range has 21 different shades all with pink, neutral and yellow undertones. After testing them both out, I opted for the serum foundation as I wanted a more lightweight foundation instead of adding another heavy foundation to my collection. The Cover foundation itself wasn't that thick either but the consistency was less runny than the serum one! The sales-assistant helped me find my perfect shade but unfortunately I didn't find the 'perfect match'. It was hard to decide whether to go for 2.0 neutral or 2.0 yellow but I decided to go for the neutral. The sales-assistant said that I could refund/exchange it after use if I didn't feel like it worked for me, so bare that in mind if you do try this out!
As you can see, the consistency is thin and a little goes a long way! I only use 2 pumps for my whole face and I actually think this formula provides a medium & buildable coverage.
After buffing this out with a flat top kabuki brush and a beauty blender, you're left with a non-cakey, medium coverage finish. It evens out my skin tone completely and feels super light-weight on the skin! It's a perfect base to my makeup and it lasts a good 6-8 hours. I do have combo/oily skin so I usually touch up with powder after this but I think this would be ideal for slightly drier skin types as well! I'd say it has a semi-matte finish and it looks as flawless as some high-end foundations that I have used too! I'm wearing this in my header photo (at the top of this post) and my contour, blusher, highlighter and powder all set well on top of this serum foundation.
This is probably the cheapest foundation I have ever tried but also one of my favourites! Definitely check this out if you're looking for a new, affordable foundation. Even if you don't find your perfect shade, the foundation is cheap enough to buy two different shades which you can mix and use together!
Thanks for reading this post! I'm obsessed with The Ordinary and I'll probably be testing out more of their products in the future so keep an eye out for more posts! Let me know if you've tried any of their products or if you have any other recommendations from their line - I'd love to know!
Kavita K xo
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***All of the products I have mentioned above are from my own personal experiences. Please remember that everyone reacts differently to different products - products that work for me may not work for well for you. Be sure to do some research before making purchases, especially if you do have allergies to certain ingredients.***