A Very Unordinary Review | The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

If you're a regular reader of my blog you will remember that in may of last year I wrote a post reviewing The Ordinary's High Adherence Silicone Primer and it's safe to say I was a little bit disappointed. But after hearing so many good things about the brand I decided to give it another go and picked up the Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% which is also known as the High-Strength Vitamin and Mineral Blemish Formula (not very I catchy I know), on a recent trip to London.

The High-Strength Vitamin and Mineral Blemish Formula 'is indicated to reduce the appearance of skin blemishes and congestion. A high 10% concentration of this vitamin is supported in the formula by zinc salt of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid to balance visible aspects of sebum activity.' In short the solution is designed to reduce the appearance of blemishes and pores while also balancing the skins oil levels. Interestingly, The Ordinary specifically state that this is NOT a treatment for acne, and that it will not get rid of spots completely. For persistent acne-related conditions, they recommend the use of Benzoyl Peroxide and/or Retinoid Acid.

It's not often I can say this, but this is one of the first products targeted at blemished skin that actually lives up to it's claims. From the first day I tried this I instantly noticed a visible difference in the appearance of my skin. I used it before I went to bed and when I woke up in the morning the redness in my skin and around my acne was almost gone. My skin looked more even in terms of texture and pigmentation, and the pores around my nose significantly smaller. The difference was honestly incredible and applying my makeup  was much smoother.

So after these miraculous results I continued to the use the solution. I'd apply 3 drops in the morning before my moisturiser and 3 drops in the evening after cleansing my skin, and kept doing this for a week. My skin looked great but the more I used the product the less it started to work; my skin had become immune to the product. 
Unfortunately this is not the first time this has happened. I often find that when I use a product it's great at first but after time stops working and it is so frustrating. As a result the only thing you can do to get it working again is to stop using it regularly and save it for a special occasion.

This product is great if you have something coming up where you want your skin to look amazing but if you want it look amazing everyday this probably isn't the right product. But for £5 the High-Strength Vitamin and Mineral Blemish Formula is definitely worth a try.

What product from The Ordinary should I try next?

Eleanor xx

Is The Ordinary Just Plain Ordinary?

If I had to pick the most popular beauty brand of 2017 so far it would without a doubt be The Ordinary. With a waiting list of 25,000 people for their latest product, what is so special about a brand that claims to be so ordinary? Well I tried their High Adherence Silicone Primer to find out.

I first heard about The Ordinary's High Adherence Silicone Primer when Wayne Goss mentioned it in a video. I love Wayne and his videos so when he was raving about these primers that were under £6, I had to try them! I'd also heard other bloggers mention The Ordinary's skincare which intrigued me but seeing as I was out of a primer I decided to try that first. 

As previously mentioned The Ordinary currently sell two primers with one being aimed at oily skin (The High Adherence Silicone Primer) and the other for dry skin (The High Spreadability Fluid Primer). I would describe my skin as combination leaving me to choose between the two, but seeing as my pores appear quite visible at times and with my skin getting oiler as the weather warms up I decided upon the High Adherence Silicone Primer costing me only £4 from ASOS.

The High Adherence Silicone Primer is described as a "matte, hydrating and blurring primer, for make-up that looks higher in definition and lasts for longer. It can also be used alone as a non-greasy hydrator that reduces the looks of pores and imperfections". Unlike other brands, there are no wild claims saying that it will make me look 10 years younger or like a photoshopped version of myself, and this is key to the Ordinary as a brand. While their names may sound like the product has come straight out of the lab and it takes a bit of research to understand what some of the products do, they cut back on excessive branding to offer low cost simple products. 

Yet despite their understated claims my expectations were still high, admittedly this is not the brands fault and merely a side effect of the excessive hype surrounding their products, but unfortunately this led to my disappointment. In terms of living up to it's claims I'd say it did minimise the appearance of my pores but not noticeably, as for the appearance of my makeup I'd say it wasn't really improved, if anything my makeup looked a bit patchy around slightly drier and acne prone areas of my face. Therefore if like myself you have combination skin I would recommend only applying the primer to the very oiliest areas of your face or alternatively opting for their other primer. 

If you have incredibly oily skin and struggle to get makeup to stay in place then this primer will probably work well for you but if you have even the slightest bit of dryness this product probably isn't the one for you. 

It is important to remember that just as the name of the brand suggests, this is a simple product with simple claims and will not revolutionise your makeup routine. At the end of the day, it is a silicone based primer and not all that different to other silicone based products such as the Nivea Men's After Shave Balm. I think this is definitely something I will bear in mind when trying more products from The Ordinary in the future.

Have you tried any products from The Ordinary? What should I try next?

Eleanor xx