REN Skincare Review

Recently there was an online promotion from REN to receive a free Intro Kit with any order over $80 plus you automatically get free shipping with any order over $60. I picked up a couple of items to try out since I just LOVED the REN Glycolactic Skin Renewal Peel Mask so much! On the website, REN has already grouped skincare products they recommend for combination skin so I made my choices from this pool of products.

REN Multi-Mineral Pore Minimising Detox Mask $30.73

This mask is a deep cleansing clay mask that draws out skin impurities such as sebum and dead skin cells. It also has an ingredient (Spirulina) to encourage cell renewal. The mask also claims to reduce pore size which is something that I'm always interested in.

You apply this mask to clean and toned skin and let it dry. It dries and hardens fairly quick, so I have to apply this in sections to my face. Once it is dry you're supposed to gently rub off as much as you can and then rinse the rest off with warm water. I did not like the "rubbing" part of this. I think it's supposed to help stimulate your skin in some way but I find it frustrating to scrape off a mask that is pretty much caked-on.

I don't think I would re-purchase this because although it is a good product, I'm just not WoWed by the results. For now, I'll be sticking to my Shiseido The Skincare Purifying Mask. It gives me relatively the same results if not better, feels more comfortable when applied, does not harden or dry out and it's slightly less expensive.

REN Matte Balancing Fluid $52

This mattifying fluid claims to reduce shine and restore balance to leave skin clear and beautifully healthy. It contains a smorgasbord ingredient list that you can look up on their website.

Let's cut to the chase: I was disappointed in this product. I have a history of being disappointed with anti-shine lotions. They always end up adding shine and this one was no exception. I would not re-purchase this or any other anti-shine lotion again. I put this on after cleansing and toning at 8am and by 9:30am I was already a mirror. I don't know why I continue try these things. In my teens I was very oily but I'm no longer super oily. I've now got combination skin and an oily T-zone but it's nothing a few oil-blotting sheets can't handle. For the most part my face stays pretty matte except for my nose. Cheeks matte, temples matte, forehead matte, nose oily, chin slightly oily.

Freebies
Along with my order, I was given a free REN Intro Kit $40. The Intro Kit included sample sizes of:

1. Rosa Centifolia Facial Cleansing Gel
2. Glycolatic Skin Renewal Peel Mask (love this!)
3. Vita Mineral Radiant Day Cream
4. Omega 3 Overnight Lipid Renewal Serum (wanted to try this)
5. Frankincense and Boswellia Serrata Revitalising Repair Cream (wanted to try this) 6. Active 7 Radiant Eye Maintenance Cream

I haven't had a chance to properly try out all these products as I'm too happy with my Shiseido skincare regimen. As soon as I give these a fair trial, I will provide a sufficient review.