The Oskia Facial (featuring the Secret Weekend Discovery Kit)

Hi, everyone! Last week I brought to you my recent Cult Beauty Haul that featured more than a few splurge-worthy complexion treats. Perhaps the most pampering among them was the Oskia Secret Weekend Discovery Collection, which includes three generously-sized miniatures from the line. Taken together, they create an evening skin care routine that is nothing short of luxurious!

If you haven't heard of Oskia, you're not alone. This Brit-bred brand hasn't gotten much press across the pond and if it weren't for the likes of Anna from Vivianna Does Makeup, I might have remained oblivious as well. Oskia is a brand that focuses on natural, nutritious, effective skin care. They endorse beauty from the inside out (via their promotion of a healthy diet and their popular MSM-based vitamins) as well as touting that organic, plant-based ingredients can be just as effective as the numerous synthetic offerings out there. Oskia takes a strong stance against animal testing (yay!) and aims to promote the prevention of skin care woes, rather than simply treating damage after the fact. All good things!

Now onto the product at hand. The Secret Weekend Discovery Collection includes three of their best-selling products, ideal for travel or, as in my case,  sampling the brand before committing to a full-sized product. The kit is housed in a sleek rectangular box that slides away to reveal three circular glass jars with decorated lids. How beautiful! 

The back of the box not only includes handy product descriptions and application advice for each goody inside, it also features full ingredient listings. Transparency regarding product content is very important to me, so I really appreciate this inclusion! 

As mentioned earlier, I like to use all three of these products in tandem for an ultimately pampering facial. The first step in the ritual is the Perfect Cleanser Nutri-Active Cleansing & Nourishing Balm. It's designed to remove all traces of makeup while purifying and deeply hydrating the skin. I must say, this stuff is thick. Most definitely the richest cleansing balm I've tried, like a richer version of Lush Ultrabland. You only need the tiniest amount- I warm up a dime-sized dollop between my hands and massage well all over my face. It does feel quite luxurious! I remove the balm with warm water-soaked cotton pads and a washcloth would do just fine as well. It really does remove all traces of makeup! As this does not emulsify completely with warm water, however, it will leave a bit of a residue on the skin. For those with dry complexions, it might be a welcome feeling! For oily skinned gals like me, a second cleanse is necessary. I followed it up with my Kiehl's Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash. 

After my double cleanse, it's time for Oskia's ultra lovely Renaissance Nutri-Active Brightening and Resurfacing Mask. This is somewhat of a cult product, and with good reason! It looks and smells of fruity jam and is designed to gently exfoliate, brighten, and rejuvenate the skin thanks to lactic acids and natural papaya, lemon, and pineapple fruit extracts. In the jar it appears as a peachy gel-cream, yet as it's massaged into the skin, it transforms into a milky white paste. Oskia claims that this metamorphosis signifies that the key ingredients in the mask are now activated and working their magic! Their is a slight tingle to confirm that things are happening, but far from a level of discomfort. The mask removes easily with warm water only, though you can certainly use a cotton pad or cloth to be extra thorough. My skin is left very bright and even-looking, with no signs of irritation. 

The final step in the facial routine is the Bedtime Beauty Boost Nutri-Active Nourishing and Regenerating Night Cream. This ultra rich cream hydrates and treats the skin with the likes of MSM, jojoba oil, shea butter, rose hip oil, and niacinamide. As you can see from the photo below, it's much like custard in terms of colour and texture. I usually don't opt for such an intense night cream, but this is a lovely exception. While it is intensely nourishing, this does sink into skin effortlessly and does not leave a heavy feel behind. It really leaves my skin looking glowy, not greasy! And the tiniest amount does the trick. 

Here's a shot of me post-Oskia facial (makeup-less, eek!). While my complexion isn't perfection, you can see that these products have given my face a healthy glow without any excessive redness or shine. Simply a happy face! 

Overall, my first experience with Oskia has been quite lovely! The textures of the products are rich and luxurious, but are not too heavy for my oily skin. They are a pleasure to use and the results are visible without any harshness. Moving forward, I think I will reserve the Perfect Cleanser for travel, as it is much more compact and mess-free than my Shu Cleansing Oil. I can see it being a perfect holiday treat over my Thanksgiving or Christmas travels. The Renaissance Mask is something I plan to use once weekly till it's used up. There are a good 5-6 more uses in the pot left to go, and while it's tempting to use it more sparingly, I do want to integrate it regularly enough to determine just how suited it is for my skin. A full-size might be in the cards! As for the Bedtime Beauty Boost, I think I'm going to stash this one away until wintertime. It is so beautifully rich and concentrated, that I can see it keeping my skin nourished and calm throughout the entire frigid season!

I definitely have other Oskia products on my radar (the Renaissance Cleansing Gel and the Micro Exfoliating Balm in particular), but for now I will savour this handy little luxurious kit!

Have you tried anything from Oskia? What are your favourite skin care splurges?

Thanks for dropping by! xo