Hello everyone! I want to talk about two facial oils that I picked up during the Sephora VIB sale- the Sunday Riley U.F.O. Ultra-Clarifying Face Oil and the Herbivore Lapis Oil Balancing Facial Oil.
I love a good facial oil and I try to use one every night. I usually go for either Rose Hip oil or the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate, but wanted to try some new ones that I've heard great things about. When the VIB Sale rolled around in November I figured it would be the perfect time to pick a few up.
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| Sunday Riley U.F.O. Ultra-Clarifying Face Oil- .5oz for $40 |
I had been wanting to try the U.F.O. Oil by Sunday Riley for quite some time, but due to the hefty price tag I was hesitant. You can get a .5oz bottle for $40, or a 1.18oz bottle for $80. Since I hadn't tried it before I opted for the smaller size to see how well it worked.
To give you some background on my skin, I don't get acne too often. I seem to have pimples pop up either when I am eating like shit or around my period. When I placed the order for the U.F.O. Oil, I happened to have a giant pimple on my face. It looked like a red, angry volcano that was about to erupt. I avoid popping pimples at all costs so I let that baby fester. That is until it became a huge, ugly white head and I had to go to work. I couldn't help myself so I popped it at that point and regretted it. By the time I had received the U.F.O. Oil the pimple was popped, but the ugly red spot from it remained. I started applying the oil and really didn't see a difference so I was not impressed.
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| Sunday Riley U.F.O. Oil Dropper |
Fast forward to a few weeks ago. Another pimple was attempting to make its home on my face. The difference with this one is that I started using this oil at the first signs of the acne cropping up. This worked much more efficiently. It curbed the pimple before it got massive and seemed to put its growth to a halt. No nasty red bump and no gigantic white head emerged. Just a few days ago the same thing happened and again, this oil seemed to stop the wannabe pimple in its tracks. Now that I know how well my skin reacts to this at the first signs of acne, I am a believer. For acne that is too far gone I would rather use the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate, as it seems to reduced redness and even things out, but for acne that is in its beginning stages, I think that the U.F.O. Oil really does its job well. This may not be the case for everyone, but that's what I personally noticed using it during different stages of acne appearing. To be fair it could be my fault for popping the pimple in the first place. This can seriously damage the skin and perhaps it had gone too far at that point for the oil to do its job. As much as I wonder if this is what the issue was, hopefully it doesn't happen again.
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| Sunday Riley U.F.O. Oil Texture |
U.F.O. Oil has salicylic acid in it which can be drying, but I don't find it to be drying at all. I think Sunday Riley have done a great job of balancing out ingredients so that it is effective but not too harsh. The oil absorbs quickly into the skin as well, so I will usually use it under my moisturizer. I'm not an expert so I don't know if I should since it's an oil, but it's what feels right to me. I will say that it is advertised as containing ingredients which help reduce redness from acne but will emphasize that for me it wasn't anything special for that particular issue. It's also advertised as helping with pores and blackheads and I do think that my skin looks nice and not so congested when I wake up after a night with this on. Something to keep in mind is that it has a very strong herbal, peppery scent. While it's not as pleasant as other scents, it doesn't bother me enough not to use the product. I would just give it a smell before purchasing if you are sensitive to scent. I was definitely skeptical at first but unless I find something better to stop acne from fully forming, I will continue to buy this, and will purchase the larger bottle when I'm finished with this one.
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| Herbivore Lapis Facial Oil- $72 for 1.2oz |
Next up is the Herbivore Lapis Facial Oil. This one was actually kind of an impulse buy, but I liked the promises that it made. It is supposed to reduce redness, pores, and blemishes, as well as hydrate the skin. Now this is definitely another pricey oil, but all of these functions are important to me, especially since I have dry skin that is prone to redness. I also really respected what I knew about Herbivore Botanicals as a company. They are Seattle based and do not test on animals, which is always a plus. They also state that they do not use fillers, which means that basically every ingredient serves a meaningful purpose. When a product is on the expensive side, this definitely is a major selling point. Although the product is pricey, you get a really decent amount for the price- 1.7oz for $72.
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| Herbivore Lapis Facial Oil Dropper |
The main reason that I wanted to try the oil was to see if it would help reduce redness. It contains blue tansy, which is the ingredient that is supposed to help reduce redness and also gives it its beautiful blue color. When I use this, I use it as the last step in my routine, after my moisturizer, to sort of lock everything in and keep things hydrated. I think it works really well this way. When I wake up after using it, I actually notice a visible reduction in redness- it is a miracle! My skin looks more even toned. I also noticed a visible reduction in pores, which is always a welcome effect from a product. As far as hydration goes, it does that too. My skin isn't parched when I roll out of bed. To sum it up- it just makes my skin look GOOD.
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| Herbivore Lapis Facial Oil Texture |
Since this product works so well at reducing redness, I will sometimes put some on after moisturizing in the morning and let it sink in before doing my makeup, to keep things even throughout the day. The texture is definitely hydrating, but after letting it sink in for a bit it doesn't leave my skin too greasy to layer sunscreen and makeup onto, which is great. I'm glad that I took a chance on this oil, because I truly love it. I think you get a good amount of product for what you are paying, and it should last me quite a while before I need to repurchase it.
I'm happy to say that both oils worked really well for me, even if they are spendy and my wallet wishes they didn't! The Sephora VIB Sale is a great time to stock up on expensive items like this since you can get 15%-20% off depending on your level of membership. No regrets! Do you guys have any favorite products for battling redness or acne? Let me know!
Hi! Did you use both at the same time? I have the lapris oil but I was looking to get the U.F.O and using them together
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