This is clearly a line that was born in Berkeley, CA and should have stayed there. But the founder must have gotten married and wandered off to Mill Valley for a time, and promptly did Mill Valley-esque stuff like having inconsistent store hours and full appointment-only days etc. Eg, became a hobby business. Somehow, that didn't compromise the quality of her products, which a small, cult-like following devoured via her website, which despite being French and in Mill Valley did remain open. Now MV is back in Berkeley and the product like has been re-vamped a bit. (What happened to the miraculous once-in-a-lifetime turn-back-the-clock red algae stuff????)
Fortunately, MV has retained one of the best one-bottle-stop products I've ever tried, the Rejuvenating Face Oil. It's loaded with anti-oxidants from multiple sources, particularly seed oils; mega-omegas, including from all-star sea buckthorn; and skin-balancing oils including argan and rosemary. Plus it moisturizes and hydrates like crazy.
That combination makes it a terrific choice, in theory, for those seasonal changeovers when just sort of.....look like crap. Breaking out while your face is flaking off sort of thing. Plus it's organic, vegan, cruelty free, paraben free, etc. etc.
PACKAGING: Brown glass apothecary bottle with dropper. PLUS. Glass, despite being a hazard in the bathroom, poses fewer toxicity risks than does glass (and won't interact with active ingredients). The tint protects the contents from degradation owing to exposure to light, also a good thing, albeit somewhat superfluous for most of us since we keep our bottles in the cabinet once they're out of the box RIGHT? If my products aren't packaged in a vacuum-sealed bottle with a pump dispenser, which keeps the product at its freshest, I like a dropper for hygiene and precise application. Plus a bottle with a dropper allows the user to see how much is left (and get all the product out, a major gripe that most of us have with vacuum sealed opaque containers).
TEXTURE: It's an oil. Do I have to explain what that feels like?? OK fine a medium to light textured oil. Happy?
USAGE: Depends on how dry you are, and how fast your skin drinks up the product. Personally, I like to use a hydrating mist before applying oils, which limits the amount I need to use. Start with one drop for face, one for neck, one for the back of hands. I put two on my chest as well. I used a slightly bigger drop size at night than during the day, because I was applying sunscreen on top.
MIRACLE INGREDIENTS: Too long to list, but topped by raspberry seed, blackberry seed, sea buckthorn, meadowfoam, kiwi seed, and marula oils.
THE VERDICT: Does it work? It does. I used the oil instead of my usual arsenal for two weeks, keeping a retinol only. I will say I immediately noticed less time in the bathroom. Beyond that, once I got used to using less in the morning than I was tempted to use (here in Texas, you have to watch it or everything slides right off your face during the day), I liked the cumulative effect better than my typical daily anti-oxidant and hydration combo. For one thing, my skin felt a lot more hydrated, and that the effect lasted longer than my usual product. For another, and this is one of those hyper-subjective words that means nothing and everything, but I felt...glowier.
Fortunately, MV has retained one of the best one-bottle-stop products I've ever tried, the Rejuvenating Face Oil. It's loaded with anti-oxidants from multiple sources, particularly seed oils; mega-omegas, including from all-star sea buckthorn; and skin-balancing oils including argan and rosemary. Plus it moisturizes and hydrates like crazy.
That combination makes it a terrific choice, in theory, for those seasonal changeovers when just sort of.....look like crap. Breaking out while your face is flaking off sort of thing. Plus it's organic, vegan, cruelty free, paraben free, etc. etc.
PACKAGING: Brown glass apothecary bottle with dropper. PLUS. Glass, despite being a hazard in the bathroom, poses fewer toxicity risks than does glass (and won't interact with active ingredients). The tint protects the contents from degradation owing to exposure to light, also a good thing, albeit somewhat superfluous for most of us since we keep our bottles in the cabinet once they're out of the box RIGHT? If my products aren't packaged in a vacuum-sealed bottle with a pump dispenser, which keeps the product at its freshest, I like a dropper for hygiene and precise application. Plus a bottle with a dropper allows the user to see how much is left (and get all the product out, a major gripe that most of us have with vacuum sealed opaque containers).
TEXTURE: It's an oil. Do I have to explain what that feels like?? OK fine a medium to light textured oil. Happy?
USAGE: Depends on how dry you are, and how fast your skin drinks up the product. Personally, I like to use a hydrating mist before applying oils, which limits the amount I need to use. Start with one drop for face, one for neck, one for the back of hands. I put two on my chest as well. I used a slightly bigger drop size at night than during the day, because I was applying sunscreen on top.
MIRACLE INGREDIENTS: Too long to list, but topped by raspberry seed, blackberry seed, sea buckthorn, meadowfoam, kiwi seed, and marula oils.
THE VERDICT: Does it work? It does. I used the oil instead of my usual arsenal for two weeks, keeping a retinol only. I will say I immediately noticed less time in the bathroom. Beyond that, once I got used to using less in the morning than I was tempted to use (here in Texas, you have to watch it or everything slides right off your face during the day), I liked the cumulative effect better than my typical daily anti-oxidant and hydration combo. For one thing, my skin felt a lot more hydrated, and that the effect lasted longer than my usual product. For another, and this is one of those hyper-subjective words that means nothing and everything, but I felt...glowier.
