I am a big fan girl when it comes to Super Facialist and I don't understand why people don't talk about the brand more. They are a lovely little gem within the high street beauty selection. Super Facialist (used to be Super Facialist by Una Brennan) has quite a tight range but they seem to be very much in tune what the modern skin needs and have a very smart, carefully curated selection. I am already in love with the Rose Hydrate and Vitamin C Brighten products but they offer a Retinol, Salicylic Acid, Neroli line too.
Only recently I discovered that they have come out with a new Hyaluronic Acid Firming line (a cleanser, a serum, an eye cream, day cream, night cream, neck and chest cream) in Boots so without hesitation I went for their cleanser to try it. Here are the details:
What it is: an anti-ageing gel-like foaming cleanser with Calcium, Copper, Mango seed oil, Sunflower seed oil, Vitamin E loaded beads, polysaccharide and Hyaluronic Acid.
What it does: cleanses, has firming qualities and hydrates.
Who it is for: I can see this working more for oily, normal and combination skins.
Packaging: practical tube, easy to handle because the formulation is not too runny, fresh white-blue design.
How to use it: apply it morning and night on damp skin, gently massage it in and wipe it off with lukewarm water and a flannel. I would use this as a second cleanse at night or a morning cleanse. I wouldn't use this to remove my makeup. (They offer alternatives for that - the Vitamin C cleansing oil and the Rose Hydrate cream cleanser).
How it worked on me: this cleanser is pleasantly light and refreshing in the morning, the Vitamin E beads bursting on the skin is a nice experience and I love the fresh scent too. Most days I followed it with a super-hydrating skin care routine and added my The Ordinary HA serum too for an extra plumping effect which seemed to work really well together.
If you are concerned about Sulphates, however, this might not be for you, it is the second ingredient on the inki list but never mind, the Rose Hydrate or the Vitamin C cleanser is an excellent alternative for you within the brand.
Value for money: great as all Super Facialist products, you get 150ml for £8.99
It is exclusively available in Boots and Boots online.
There are always a few brands that don't fall short on quality yet they are not talked about enough. Super Facialist by Una Brennan is definitely one of those. Una Brennan is a well-known, popular facialist from Ireland working in London. The brand Super Facialist using Brennan's facialist experience (now coming up to 17 years) came up with a nice tight range of products free of gimmicks that focuses on plump, bright, glowing healthy skin using plants, essential oils and different active ingredients suitable for different skin needs.
The range is broken down into 5 categories: Rose for hydration, Neroli for plumping and firming, Salycilic Acid for oiliness and clearing, Vitamin C for brightening and Retinol for smoothing and renewal. You can mix and match products from each category tailoring a regime depending on your present needs.
My favorites are the Vitamin C and the Rose Hydrate range, especially the cleansers.
Una Brennan Super Facialist Vitamin C+ Skin Renew Cleansing Oil
I have never really been into cleansing oils (though I used to love the Shu Uemura ones) but this is a really good one and very pleasant to use. The fresh, zingy scent and pretty packaging (more on this later) is a bonus.
Who it is for: All skin types (yes even oily ones.
What it is: It is a lightweight oil formula that contains Olive, Grapeseed, Rosemary, Cucumer and Rosehip oils boosted with Vitamin C and E. It dissolves makeup, dirt, SPF while brightening and clearing the skin with Vitamin C.
How to use it: Gently massage it onto dry skin, add warm water that turns it into a milky lotion then take it off with a face cloth. Follow up with a cream cleanser to make sure the skin is totally clean.
Packaging: Apart from being pretty it is not really practical. It is hard to dispense the right amount of oil without getting it everywhere. A pump bottle would work so much better but this has never put me off of re-purchasing it.
Value for money: Great! For £10.99 you get 200ml that would be enough for at least two months.
How it works for me: I really like using this cleanser and highly recommend it. It gets off every kind of makeup (waterproof included) easily, all dirt, SPF. It smells lovely, doesn't irritate my skin and doesn't leave a residue (that is if I use a face cloth to remove it). This is an evening cleanse, you can use something lighter in the morning.
Rose Hydrate Calming Creamy Cleanser
Cleansing creams are more my area and this is a lovely budget buy.
What it is: A cream cleanser with Shea and Cocoa Butter, Marshmallow, Allantoin boosted with Pro-Vitamin B5. It removes makeup, dirt, SPF and leaves the skin clean and hydrated.
Who it is for: All skin types needing hydration.
How to use it: You can use it as a first and/or a second cleanse in the evening or as your morning cleanse. Gently massage onto dry skin, remove with warm water and a face cloth.
Packaging: Plastic tube. I prefer pump dispensers, but this is not too bad. It looks pretty on bathroom shelves too.
Value for money: Great! £7.99 for a 150ml tube, it lasts a good while.
How it works for me: This is an excellent choice if you can't afford more expensive cream cleansers and it does the job perfectly well. It is a great cleanser, dissolves makeup, dirt, SPF, leaving the skin hydrated. It is very pleasant to use however if you are sensitive to fragrant products, this smells quite strongly of rose which I personally don't mind but it might not be for everyone.
Super Facialist by Una Brennan is an excellent quality brand on the high street for the beauty lovers on a budget, check it out if you can. It is available at Boots and Super Facialist online.
