Sunday Riley Artemis & Luna oils, my review

Since last year, the buzz around Sunday Riley has been quite unprecedented, especially online. I can’t count the number of raving reviews, especially for people who are searching for an good anti-aging solution and who have an acne prone skin.

Some of them even consider Sunday Riley products as miracle products. And well, as a true skincare junkie, I’m all about trying claimed miracle products for my old acne-prone skin! tongue
I’ve already spoken about it several times here, my skin is quite difficult at the moment.
I stopped my birth control pill 2 years ago now and the least that I can say is that the road leading to hormonal re-balance is long and difficult… I’m at a point where my skin looks better than it did at the beginning but I’m still not off the hook.

But luckily for me, I have many companions of hormonal misfortune and a lot of skincare brands are starting to offer solutions for us. Not really in the French market, that being said, where adult acne is still majorly treated by dermatologists.
But in a lot of Anglo-Saxon countries, this skin condition is commonly treated by cosmetic brands. And especially by natural cosmetic brands, which also blame the abuse of chemicals in cosmetics to explain, among other things, the result of adult acne.

Sunday riley, a cult skincare brand:

When she was a little girl, Sunday Riley was already fascinated by skincare, a passion shared with all her family.

Her family, now living in Texas, were part of the early pioneers who conquered the new continent. At the time, they learned how to use Native American plants to take care of their skin and they made sure to pass down all this knowledge through the generations.
Initiated by her grandmother, Sunday Riley discovered the secrets of plants, flowers and fruits and their virtues.
Years later, she used all this botanical knowledge when she started her own cosmetics laboratory, in 2009.

Sunday Riley's products are the result of the alliance of the best of science and nature. The active ingredients are always extremely pure and carefully chosen and all formulas are free of petrochemical derivatives, phtalates, sulfates and artificial fragrances. I would love her to have the same rigor for silicones but unfortunately she uses a bit of it in her formulas (not in the face oils though).

With ultra sharp formulas which contain powerful anti-aging ingredients like retinol, antioxidant vitamins, amino acids, but also soothing and anti-inflammatory ones, Sunday Riley products detoxify, soothe, revitalize the skin while preserving its youth and radiance.

In no time, the anti-aging brand became super popular, especially with the media, celebrities and actresses it has a cult favorite status. Sunday Riley products are now everywhere.
On YouTube, where young girls under 25 rave about its anti-aging properties (seriously do they even know what a wrinkle is???) or on Instagram where you can see their beautiful and sumptuous packaging staged by beautistas all around the world and finally in the bathrooms celebrities and on the cool beauty pages in some of the most prestigious women's magazines.

 

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After I finished my Elixir du Marabout by Garancia, which didn’t really convince me, I wanted a strong treatment for my skin. So I did some research and I finally decided to follow the hype and bought 2 face oils by the American skincare brand Sunday Riley.
I chose to do a full treatment with two products that I use in combination: the clarifying oil Artemis for the morning and the famous anti-aging revitalizing oil Luna for the evening.

The Good Genes case:

To be honest, I also bought at the same time the Good Genes serum that I used with my other Sunday Riley products at the beginning, but I realized after a month and a half (= 3/4 of product, I was gutted) that I didn’t use it properly. -_-
Indeed, when you read the instructions on the back of the box, Good Genes is supposed to be used as a serum, so before your cream or your face oil and the brand recommends to use 2 pumps of product (which is a huge amount, I had to massage it at least for 5 minutes before my skin would be able to absorb it). It explains why my product lasted for only 2 months (for 30 ml, it’s not much; usually, this quantity lasts 3 months at least…).
But on her Instagram, Sunday Riley recommends the reverse: to apply Luna first, leave it on the skin for 5 minutes and then apply 1/2 to 1 pump of Good Genes after on the face and neck.
Apparently, this particular use is only specific to Luna and it doesn’t apply to the other oils of the Sunday Riley range.
But well, honestly, I was quite pissed against the brand that the ‘user manual’ wasn’t more precise, especially since Luna and Good Genes are frequently advised to be used together… and having to snoop on the comments of her Instagram account to dig for proper infos, it’s not exactly what you can call a good communication, right? uneasy
Anyway, I wasn’t a fan of the Good Genes composition (it contains a little bit of silicone, and if you read me regularly, you know that I usually avoid this ingredient in my skincare routine, especially in the evening).

Sunday Riley Artemis Hydroactive Cellular Face Oil, presentation:

What the brand says about it:

“A sparkling, bright, lemon-scented serum which helps balance the complexion while providing clarifying, toning, and detoxifying benefits.
This highly effective face oil is balanced with super CLA from pomegranate and omega 3 from flax seed for a clean, healthy glow from within.
Milk thistle seed oil, black cumin seed oil, and pink grapefruit essential oil help fight redness and signs of premature aging caused by toxins and inflammation.
An essential oil complex of Australian medicinal plants, lemon ironbark, and lemon myrtle provides anti-inflammatory, purifying, and cleansing support.

Skin is left smooth, fresh, and youthful-looking.
This product is vegan, gluten-free, and free of cruelty.“

Artemis is a clarifying and calming face oil that tones, detoxifies and balances for a clearer and more luminous skin. It has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial ingredients which sooth the redness and irritation while maintaining a good skin hydration.
The brand advises it in priority for dull and/or sensitive combination to oily skin.

It can be used morning and/or evening before or mixed with your daily moisturizer, every day. Quantity wise, Sunday Riley recommends to massage between 5 and 7 drops onto the entire face and neck.
Personally, I use it in the morning and I mix 4-5 drops in my face cream.

This is the first time I use a face oil in the morning. With my oily skin, I wasn’t really convinced at first. But this oil is suitable for my oily skin, and as I mixed it with my moisturizer, it’s rather quickly absorbed.

Sunday Riley Artemis Hydroactive Cellular Face Oil, my test and thoughts:

– Packaging:

The bottle and the box which comes with it are absolutely sumptuous. Actually, this case is like a jewel box for this sublime almost golden yellow oil. It’s a real luxury skincare product and you can see it!
The glass bottle is also quite heavy and it has a pipette.

– Texture:

This is a real oil, not a dry one. It’s a little thick so it will take some time to be absorbed by the skin. Personally, I mix it with my moisturizer, which facilitates its absorption but I still wait a bit before applying my makeup on top.
After 10-20 minutes, it’s completely absorbed. I haven’t noticed that it made me shine more than usual during the day.

– Scent:

Super nice, very citrusy but a kind of super yummy delicious candied lemon. I love this kind of scent, especially in the morning!

– Formula: 

A nice mix of vegetable oils and essential oils with, among others:
– pomegranate seed oil, rich in conjugated linoleic acid: increases the skin elasticity, and retains skin hydration,
– black cumin oil: prevents the premature skin aging signs,
– lemon ironbark essential oil: anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and therapeutic properties,
– lemon myrtle essential oil: cleanses and purifies,
– pink grapefruit essential oil: tones, with an astringent effect (tightens the pores), stimulates the micro-blood circulation, and balances oily skins.

Ingredients list:
Persea Gratissima (Extra Virgin, Cold Pressed Avocado) Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Organic, Cold Pressed Concord Grape) Seed Oil, Rubus Fruticosus (Cold Pressed Blackberry) Seed Oil, Salvia Hispanica (Cold Pressed Chia) Oil, Dimethyl Isosorbide (And) Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Chamomila Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Oil, Tanacetum Annuum (Blue Tansy) Oil, Anthemis Nobilis (English Chamomile) Oil, Eriocephalus Punctualatus (Cape Chamomile) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Neroli) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Blood Orange) Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower (Ylang Ylang) Oil, Vetivera Zizanoides (Vetiver) Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil (And) Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, CI 61565 (Green 6), CI 60725 (Violet 2).

It’s not an organic product but I really consider it as a natural skincare product. There are no mineral oils or silicones in the formula for example. It’s also vegan, gluten-free and cruelty-free.

– Result:

This oil is quite good for my skin. My skin is more balanced, less shiny than usual and it undoubtedly is more glowy. However, I chose to use it in “winter” (if we can talk of “winter” in Dubai) because I’m afraid it would be too rich for the Dubai boiling hot summer.

– Value For Money:

It’s expensive, but the 30 ml bottle lasts between 6 and 8 months, so I’d say it’s still a good value for money (because the formula is really good). It retails for between $75 and $80 depending on the retailers.

Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil, presentation:

What the brand says about it:

“A next-generation retinoid oil that improves skin plumpness and helps fight the appearance of wrinkles, redness, and pores for visibly clearer, younger-looking skin.
Luna Sleeping Night Oil contains high potency, purified grade lactic acid to instantly correct dullness, plump the look of lines, and exfoliate the skin. Collagen synthesis is increased and elasticity enhanced, while cold-pressed extracts of avocado, chia and concord grape seed combine to promote skin’s strength, resilience and radiance.
With continued use, the appearance of stubborn hyperpigmentation, imperfections, and the visible signs of aging are reduced for a healthy-looking complexion. Enhanced with licorice for brightening, it helps to clarify and correct the appearance of imperfections for immediate, smooth radiance.
This product is cruelty-free. Luna’s deep blue color goes from blue to clear when it is rubbed into the skin. “

Luna is an anti-aging face oil which contains retinol (or vitamin A), a very interesting ingredient to treat the visible signs of aging. Indeed, retinol is very effective to repair the damages caused by sun exposure and it also boosts the collagen production.
It’s also super effective against acne: its exfoliating effect helps to refine the skin texture, helps to unclog the pores and reduces the visibility of acne scars.

However, the problem of retinol is that it can be irritating to the skin and also, it can’t be used during the day: it tends to make the skin more sensitive to light (= photo-sensitivity). It’s better to apply it at night, to avoid sun exposure and use a good daily UV protection.
But in Luna, the retinol used is a derivative, softer than the old retinols from the 90s. This is an ester of retinoic acid which has the particularity of being as effective as retinol without being irritating for the skin.

It’s paired with soothing ingredients like blue tansy oil and German chamomile essential oil. So even if you have a sensitive skin, you can totally use Luna.

You’re supposed to use it in the evening alone or applied before another product. Also, the brand recommends to wait a few minutes before applying something else on top. (and because I don’t like to wait, I usually don’t put anything after ;P)
Quantity wise, Sunday Riley recommends to massage between 5 and 7 drops onto the entire face and neck. Personally, I apply 6-7 drops at night and I apply it alone.

Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil, my test and thoughts:

– Packaging:

The same super luxury packaging as Artemis. And the fact that it’s a blue oil really gives the impression of using a precious elixir.
About that, I want to clarify that contrary to what the brand suggests when it highlights the fact that it contains blue tansy oil on the Luna packaging, this is not the ingredient that gives it its blue color. This color is due to synthetic blue colouring. (Don’t worry, Luna won’t stain the skin or your pillow, the color disappears completely when you rub it into the skin)

– Texture:

A very fine oil, quite liquid and which is quickly absorbed and leaves the skin very comfortable.

– Scent:

A light plant scent, nothing too empowering. I really like it! (but you need to know that I have a very high tolerance for this kind of scents, I worked for a essential oils based cosmetic brand for nearly 10 years ;P)

– Formula:

Like Artemis, a good mix of vegetable oils and essential oils:
– trans retinoic acid ester: encourages exfoliation and revitalization of the skin for a smoother, younger looking skin,
– blue tansy oil and german chamomile essential oil: calm and soothe the skin, anti redness,
– chia seed oil: rich source of omega 3, nourish and protects the skin.

Ingredients list:
Persea Gratissima (Extra Virgin, Cold Pressed Avocado) Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Organic, Cold Pressed Concord Grape) Seed Oil, Rubus Fruticosus (Cold Pressed Blackberry) Seed Oil, Salvia Hispanica (Cold Pressed Chia) Oil, Dimethyl Isosorbide (and) Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Oil, Tanecetum annuum (Blue Tansy) oil, Anthemis nobilis (English Chamomile) oil, Eriocephalus punctulatus (Cape Chamomile) oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Neroli) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Blood Orange) oil, Cananga Odorata Flower (Ylang Ylang) Oil, Vetivera zizanoides (Vetiver) oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil (and) Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, CI 61565 (Green 6), CI 60725 (Violet 2).

Like Artemis, it’s vegan, gluten-free, cruelty-free, mineral oil, paraben and silicone-free.

– Result: 

I really like Luna (unfortunately for my bank account wink ). I’ve seen the result on my pores quite quickly (in 1 month), they are visibly tightened and I also find that the effect on acne scars is really good: my skin heals faster.
For my acne, it has reduced it a bit but it’s not a miracle product, unfortunately…

– Value For Money:

Luna is more expensive than Artemis (between $105 and $110 depending on the retailers) but it also lasts longer, between 8 and 10 months. It’s the same size bottle (30 ml) but the texture is more fluid, so I guess that you use less product (at least I guess that could be the explanation tongue ).

In summary:

[wprs-pros][wprs-cons]

I liked the 2 face oils but if I had to repurchase just one, especially because it starts to get super hot over here, it would probably be Luna rather than Artemis. Also, I find it more complete with its anti-aging and purifying action, which fits the needs of my old acne prone skin. wink

The Sunday Riley products are available on Sephora.com, Cult Beauty and net-a-porter.com.

And you, did you try the Sunday Riley products? What did you think of them?

Photo credit: bonnie-garner.com