Truth Serum

This vitamin C serum is a tried-and-true for many in the skincare world. Vitamin C is said to help melasma spots, which is primarily why I wanted it. After a few days of use, I rapidly realized this would probably be the only thing from the set I would repurchase (more on that later), because my rosacea was vastly diminished within days. My melasma right on my cheekbone is looking lighter; not super significantly, but enough that I'm impressed. In general, I love putting this serum on in the morning. I'm not exactly sure it does a ton, but it's also not doing me a disservice and I love that it includes collagen. It's very light and it smells good; I really like how it feels under my day moisturizer (sunscreen, girl).

Invigorating Night Transformation Gel

This is a product I really go back and forth on. It's probably my least favorite of the set, mainly because I'm just not sure it does anything. Unlike the Truth Serum, it's a gel consistency, so it's not as pleasant to put on personally. It feels really heavy and sticky on my skin. This gel contains AHAs. I wasn't sure what AHAs were supposed to do, so I researched it and these are the basics:

Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA's) might be the anti-aging miracle workers of the new millennium. These New Age, wrinkle-smoothers from plants or milk products also help clear blemishes, hydrate the skin and lighten pigment spots by loosening one to several layers of dead cells clinging to the skin's surface.

That sounds great, except that I didn't notice any of those things happening. I got the same acne I always do. It may contribute slightly to the lightening of my hyper-pigmentation (melasma), but I really do think the Truth Serum does a better job at everything listed there.

Ultimately, just the way this product felt on my skin was enough to make me not want to use it, but I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt.

Sheer Transformation Perfecting Moisturizer

This is a great night moisturizer because it is so thick. After a few days, I opted to not use it in the morning; I felt it made me too oily. At night though, it's great to have that extra dose of moisture. According to Ole Henriksen, it has "multifruit" acids and antioxidants, which can help in skin turnover and anti-aging. I do think it's a lovely night cream for those with issues with rosacea; it felt very soothing. Again, it is also very heavy, so combined with the Transformation gel it felt like a lot of stuff on my face at night, which isn't a huge issue, but can feel unpleasant to some people. I don't think I would repurchase this moisturizer; I think there is potentially another out there that can better help me and my issues. But for coming in the set, it's a quite good one.

As I recently posted on Instagram, I meant to post my review of these products way earlier. I received my VoxBox over two weeks ago. In that time, I came down with the flu, went to the doctor twice, and have almost recovered from the flu (12 hours without a fever flare up is about as recovered as I can expect 10 days on). At least I'm not flat on my back anymore, right?

So here it is, my review. My review of these products is definitely colored by the fact that I haven't worn make up since I got sick. The number of times I've stumbled out of my house, hair a mess, wearing sweatpants, visible acne all over my face, is pretty astonishing, but very freeing. (I originally planned to post different content this week, actually. But reviews are easier to write on a fatigued brain like mine.)

Let's start with the cleanser.

Find Your Balance Control Cleanser

I have a really hard time finding cleansers that I like. I've been using the Beautycounter Charcoal bar since October (when I received it as a gift from my sister, who is a consultant) and I liked it: it removed my make up, it didn't leave my skin feeling covered in residue, it didn't dry out my very sensitive skin. That being said, it didn't seem to give me any benefit, but considering how sensitive my skin is to cleansers, I'm willing to take the bare minimum.

The Ole Henriksen Find Your Balance Control Cleanser smells amazing, first off: it has eucalyptus and peppermint oils, which sounds really harsh, but is surprisingly gentle. It is a more gel-like cleanser that foams easily in water to later across your face. It gives my skin this super tingly, fresh feeling. And the smell. Did I mention the smell? It's amazing. For whatever, it reminds me of the scene in Mean Girls where Regina's face smells like peppermint.

So how is in on the actual cleansing part? It removes my make up extremely well and I've noticed a significant reduction in the amount of oil my skin produces since I started using it. My skin is less red and I've noticed that a lot of my cystic acne scars are lightening. Those are two benefits that really work for me.

Balancing Force Oil Control Toner

I have never really been able to keep up the whole "cleanser-toner-moisturizer" routine. It's just too many steps for me. But I was willing to take a chance with this toner. It is not as strongly scented as toners I've used in the past and definitely not as harsh. It has the same clean, eucalyptus scent as the cleanser, but very toned down. It's super gentle and doesn't burn my skin like a lot of toners.

Ok, here's my important question: does not using the toner throw off the oil control aspect of this line? Here's the spoiler: yes. If I just use the cleanser and moisturizer, I definitely produce less oil than I would normally; however, without the toner, my skin definitely doesn't stay as matte. I tested out this theory a few times. So the toner is an important step and one I'm willing to take because I've literally never found anything that keeps my skin so matte during the day.

Counter Balance Oil Control Moisturizer

Technically, this is called a "hydrator" (but it's a moisturizer). Like the toner, it has a really clean scent, but definitely toned down from the cleanser. I appreciate this because it means you get that nice burst of scent when you wash your face, but it doesn't stick with you all day long.

This moisturizer promises to be mattifying--and friends, it's not lying. I've used lots of mattifying moisturizers in the past (my favorite has been dermatologica, but it definitely didn't do wonders for my skin). Since I've used this line from Ole Henriksen, I've seen a significant reduction in my acne which is honestly incredible. This moisturizer also definitely doubles as a primer for me (except on my nose, which I need a separate primer for usually). It keeps my skin super matte, it's a great base for doing make up, and keeps me from getting too dry or too oily throughout the day. I'm obsessed with it.

Also, unlike other moisturizers which I feel make my skin feel super, super grimy, this moisturizer feels so clean. It's perfect.

Ok, so that's it. I love these Ole Henriksen products. I'm so glad that Influenster selected me for the Find Your Balance Voxbox. I did receive these products for free for review (you can read my disclosure policy here), but all thoughts on them are my own. If you'd like to follow me on Influenster, you can do so here. Also, if you love this review (and all the other content on my blog), I'd love if you'd sign up for my newsletter by clicking here.

Beauty Review: Ole Henriksen's 3 Little Wonders