I met Anna one super fun weekend celebrating a mutual friend's birthday. A little while ago, Anna reached out to me to offer me a free trial of the same products she uses religiously (and now sells but more on that later). Remembering how poreless and glowy her skin was that first weekend I met her, I jumped at the chance to try the product samples out.
Arbonne claim there are 5 steps to perfect your complexion:
- CLEANSE
- TONE
- RENEW
- MOISTURISE
- DEPUFF
Now you guys may have gathered by now that I don't tend to stray too far from the high street when it comes to sourcing the building blocks of my 'beauty regime'. I usually just wash and moisturise unless I'm heading out in which case I use a primer on top of my moisturiser as a base for my make-up.
These products are way beyond my price range (pricier than high street but cheaper than the likes of Creme de la Mer). All the ingredients come from plants making their products certified vegan according to their sales pitch.
I was expecting miracles.
CLEANSE
 |
RE9 Advanced Smoothing Facial Cleanser
RE9 Advanced Smoothing Facial Cleanser, £32 |
Downside was how dry and tight it left my face afterwards. Felt really harsh on my skin, like it was taking the good and the bad out, not just the bad.
TONE
 |
| RE9 Advanced Regenerating Toner, £28 |
This could either be sprayed directly onto the face or applied using cotton pads. I didn't feel the cooling effect they mentioned with either method. It seemed to just sit on my skin for AGES warming up to my body temp making me warmer than when I started then disappearing without a trace. As if I hadn't used it at all. Toner has always been a mystery to me but regardless of what it was trying to do, I didn't like it.
RENEW
 |
| RE9 Advanced Intensive Renewal Serum, £46 |
The serum didn't spread very well. The instructions said to be generous when applying which I did but it obviously isn't meant to be worn on its own without the next step. Left my skin almost tacky or sticky.
MOISTURISE
 |
| RE9 Advanced Restorative Day Creme SPF 20, £40 |
I found that although this cream alleviated the dryness from the cleanser, it left a sheen of oiliness on my face. By this stage, I felt like I had already put so much on my face that seeing the sheen made me feel overloaded. Plus I wear makeup so I had to use extra loose powder underneath my foundation to stop my makeup from slipping off of my face. Too thick, too heavy. More than likely the SPF weighing it down.
DEPUFF
 |
| RE9 Advanced Corrective Eye Creme, £44 |
This I liked. It worked wonders for my under eye area and I could see little differences in how awake I looked. The texture and consistency was great, not too heavy not too light. It absorbed easily and quickly with no residue or stickiness, perfect under makeup. Great little product and a little goes a long way. I could see this full size bottle lasting a good few months as you only need a drop for both eyes.
NIGHT CREME
 |
| RE9 Advanced Night Repair Creme, £67 |
I actually quite liked the night creme which of course is the priciest out of the lot. It felt really luxurious without being too heavy. It settled into my skin really well and I woke up with super smooth super soft skin, not a dry patch in sight. Plus it rinsed off easily in the shower the next morning with just warm water so I didn't have to use the harsh cleanser just to get it off. Great stuff.
To summarize:
What I Liked:
- Eye creme
- Night creme
- The pure and vegan-ness of it all. Feels like your are finally doing some actual good to your skin.
What I Didn't Like:
- Faaaar too many products
- The price - £257 for the lot (!!) although you get a discount if you work for them
- From extra dry to oily, no happy medium
When I spoke to Anna after the trial, she mentioned that it can take a little while for all the chemical impurities to leave your skin so you do need more than a 3 day trial to really see the effects. For me, it was all just too tasking effort wise morning and night. Totally goes against my desire to keep things simple. I did love a couple of the products but again, it's unlikely I'll be shelling out that much money on a regular basis anytime soon.
Arbonne also offers an opportunity for people to be a part of their sales team. You can also check out their full range of other products via this link.
Xxs