It’s officially been one week since I received my Smart Skin package in the mail. I’ve tried out each product multiple times and in different combinations, so that I could provide the fullest review possible of the skincare range.
Digital Creator, Niomi Smart, who exudes wholesomeness, health and wellbeing, founded this skincare line, which is vegan, sustainable, and natural.
The price of the products ranges from £24-32, while the bamboo towel sells for £8 per two pack. If you buy the whole range it costs £100 – a saving of £22. That’s what I did.
It’s been a long time since I’ve invested in some skincare. When I was younger, I always wanted try whatever was new on the block. But now that I’m older, and have finally accepted that my skin is sensitive to constantly trying out different products, I usually just stick to what I know works.
I figured that because Smart Skin is so naturally sourced it wouldn’t cause too much face drama #pimples.
I was actually right.
I’ll start with the cleanser because that’s usually the first step to any conventional skincare routine. The “Golden Jelly” is a purifying jelly-to-oil cleanser with grape seed oil and orange fruit water. It’s 100% naturally derived.
It squeezes out of the tube just as you’d expect: a thick orange gel. It doesn’t have much of a smell to it, but that’s probably due to not having any artificial flavourings. It’s a very thick gel that you rub together in your hands before massaging all over your face. I only used this product to remove my makeup at night. For me, the test of any good makeup remover is whether it can successfully get my three layers of mascara off without having to rub my eyes too much. This did the job. I will say, however, that sometimes I had some oil residue left in my eyes causing my vision to blur for a while. It wasn’t anything unusual though – most oil-based makeup removers will result in this.
After washing off the product with the bamboo towel (which, yes, is the softest thing I’ve ever felt!) and some hot water, my skin felt so refreshed and renewed. The cleanser doesn’t steal any natural oils from your skin, so it doesn’t make your skin feel dried out. For that reason, I usually didn’t use the moisturiser or facial oil afterwards. I would just follow up with my normal skincare routine of toning my face with organic rose water. But if you want some extra pampering, I’d recommend applying the Smart Skin moisturiser.
I don’t think I would ever use this cleanser as a morning face wash because it doesn’t strike me as necessary, unless I had slept in my makeup. For me, this cleanser is synonymous with makeup remover. It’s so handy having a makeup remover all in one, where you can get your makeup off as fast as possible before hopping into bed at night.
So, for that reason: Is it a Smart buy? Personally, I wouldn’t rebuy this product merely because I couldn’t justify spending £24 on a makeup remover. I use inexpensive facewipes and an eye makeup remover – and Bob’s your uncle (even though, yes, that is two products over one). I would rather spend my £24 on a nice bottle of wine, or some other skincare product that’s unique.
Speaking of face masks…
The “Miracle Meta Mask” is a warming cell regenerative face mask with olive and camellia. This product is 95% naturally derived.
I used this product while taking a relaxing bath. The balm squeezes out of the tube and is a clear-ish white coloured gel, which changes into a white paste as you massage it onto your face. A little goes a long way with this one.
I applied it all over my face and left it for around 15-20 minutes (though the instructions say anywhere between 10-20 minutes). I splashed my face with warm water and rubbed the white paste into a milky liquid. Then I used my bamboo towel to wipe it off.
My face felt very clean afterwards, and adding water to the paste before you rinse it off makes the removal process much smoother for your skin. It doesn’t feel like you have a face mask on, in that though it only dries a little bit. It doesn’t solidify on top of your face like other face masks do, so you still have free reign of all facial expressions. Perhaps if you used loads of it, it would do so – though I wouldn’t recommend doing this.
I’m more willing to splurge on a face mask because you don’t use it everyday, maybe once or twice a week, which means it’ll last longer. This product costs £30. Is it a Smart buy? Given that it’s a mostly naturally derived product, that truly does leave your skin feeling radiant, and the fact that a little of it goes a long way means, I think, that it is a Smart buy. I would definitely restock on this product.
After using the face mask, I used the Smart Skin “Multi V Elixir”, which is a vitamin enriched facial oil with rosehip and avocado oil. This is a 100% naturally derived product.
It’s a beautiful deep lemon yellow coloured oil. It’s the most scented product in the whole range, probably due to the number of oils mixed in it. Avocado, argan, milk thistle, blueberry, turmeric, to just name a few.
Admittedly, I’ve never used facial oil before. I normally opt for a moisturiser over oil. Using this after the Smart Skin face mask was a lovely extra bit of self-care and pampering. I don’t think I’d apply this oil in the morning, pre-makeup, because it is much heavier and doesn’t dry into the skin like a regular moisturiser would, so it wouldn’t make a good base for makeup.
I also applied this oil after using the Smart Skin moisturiser that we’ll come onto shortly, but it was definitely excessive and left my skin feeling far too caked in product. After a while, once it had dried slightly, it did feel better, but still a little too greasy for my liking. *Though as aforementioned, I am not used to facial oils, so maybe this is normal?
Is it a Smart Buy? This is the most expensive product in the range at £32. You’re only meant to use 2-3 drops at a time. For that reason, it would probably last you a long time, and because it’s an oil it really does get the job done when it comes to moisturising your skin. It’s also very impressive that it’s completely naturally derived. I would buy this product again if I come to love facial oils over moisturisers in the future. But for now, we’ll see how long this one lasts me and judge it from there.
Now for the moisturiser. “Super C” is a protective facial moisturiser with blueberry and kakadu plum. This product is 99% naturally derived. This is MY FAVOURITE product in the range. I’m already going to put it out there that I WILL be buying this again.
The moisturiser is like jelly – not a thick gel, but imagine the type of jelly that you buy at the store. It glides right over your face and has a fresh scent. I’ve tried this after using the Smart Skin face mask as well and it felt great. I’ve also used this many times under my makeup as a primer, and OH MY it is perfect. It’s basically a moisturiser and primer all in one and it is the best base for your makeup. It’s very hydrating without feeling too thick.
Is it a Smart buy? Absolutely. For £28, given that it’s not only a product I would use at night-time when my skin is dry, but also in the morning on both makeup free days as part of my usual skincare routine, as well as under my makeup – it’s so worth it.
Finally, the bamboo towel, or I should say the “Organic Bamboo Washcloth”. You get two for £8 and it’s 100% bamboo fibre. I’ve seen people on Instagram saying it’s the softest thing they’ve ever felt and I can officially second that motion. It’s great that you get two in a pack because then while one is being washed, you still have another one you can use. Or you could use one for washing your face and one for drying. Either way, I love this towel and it’s definitely a new staple in my skincare routine to accompany whatever products I might be using.
During the course of this week my skin was noticeably more glowing and radiant. Even my boyfriend commented on my skin complexion! So if he can even notice a change, then it must be mega!
Overall, Niomi Smart created a very wonderful skincare range that makes you feel fresh, clean, and healthy.
If you’re interested in trying out the products, you can find them here. Let me know what you think if you do give them a try!
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