Worth the Hype? // Luna Sleeping Oil
Sunday Riley products are definitely having their moment in the beauty world right now, and I say they owe it for the most part to beauty bloggers of all kinds. I first heard about Sunday Riley through Zoe (aka Zoella) and thought it was pricey, although not completely unreasonable. Slowly but surely, I saw these oils pop up here and there (and everywhere) on the beauty blogisphere. (In the past week that I've had this post queued up, I've seen over five posts on this Luna Oil alone.) I remember walking through Sephora and spotting a Sunday Riley stand, and I was beyond thrilled that I could finally sample the products to see what all the hype was about. I did remember hearing a lot about the strong smells that Sunday Riley products carried, and when I rubbed an oil on my the back of my hand (Pretty sure it was Artemis) I remember pulling it away quickly as the smell was absolutely horrendous.
Fast forward a few months, and I decided to give the oils another try. The potential skin-changing miracles were too intriguing to resist, and bloggers left and right were saying that the results were worth putting up with the smell. I went to Sephora and requested two samples, one for Artemis and one for Luna. Artemis was the cheaper of the two and fingers crossed, I hoped that this would be the better of the two result wise. First off, the smell was nauseatingly strong, it took a lot to stomach through and I could not wait to wash it off in the morning. Next up I tried Luna, and perhaps it was the overwhelming smell of Artemis, but Luna smelled botanical, and a touch medicinal, but not overbearing.
I have used very few oils, but I have used and been fond of the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Serum. The Luna Oil is made up of two main ingredients, retinol & blue tansy. In comparison to other serums and oils I have used, the Luna oil is a lot thicker in consistency and with the obvious blue hue, due to the blue tansy. I have not noticed any issues with discoloration or a smurf-like appearance from the blue oil, but I have noticed that my skin appears more radiant and healthier - and that is due, for the most part, to the blue tansy. An article on IntoTheGloss goes into detail of the many benefits of blue tansy, which is one of the main ingredients of the Luna oil. A quick overview of blue tansy in the Luna Oil - it calms and soothes the skin, has regenerative abilities, and redness-calming properties. All in all, it's pretty much the perfect ingredient for me. I'm prone to redness in my cheeks as well as easy scarring - this product knocks both of these problems out of the park and I can honestly say that it has helped to reduce redness and existing scars to improve the overall appearance of my skin.
The other key ingredient, retinol, helps to reduce pore size, improve the appearance of damaged skin, and fight wrinkles. All three of which I am all for. We aren't getting any younger, and skincare moves up on the list as an important step of maintenance. When I was younger, sales associates would always remind me of the importance of taking care of your skin when you're younger. I CANNOT EMPHASIZE THIS ENOUGH. Wear sun screen, moisturize, do not over exfoliate, and all that jazz. I did notice during the first week of using the oil that my skin was slightly peeling (not like a sunburn peel tho). Don't fret - this is totally normal, it's helping to sloth away all of the dead skin on your face. Lovely image, eh? But after that's all dead and gone (lol had to), you'll be left with new and refreshed skin.
I've even been testing this oil on existing scars on my legs and it has definitely helped to improve the appearance of the scars and even out my skin tone. Pretty much I have nothing but high praises to sing for this stuff. I know the price tag is intimidating, but I've been using about 3-4 drops each day and I'm pretty sure I haven't even made the slightest dent in the bottle. Head out to your nearest Sephora, see if they have this in stock, get a sample, get ready to be amazed. Don't give up if you don't see results overnight - everyone is different! But definitely give this one a chance.
Do you believe in the hype? Have you tried any Sunday Riley products? Share the love on any products that have shown significant results as well!