Just Trying: Marie Veronique Organics Anti-Aging Travel Kit

I’d read a lot about Marie Veronique Organics skincare from Vivawoman. So much so, my interest was piqued. The problem was that earlier, Marie Veronique Organics did not ship here to Malaysia. I wrote in a few times to query but was told it was in progress so I decided to bide my time. One day, checking out the website again, I saw that Malaysia is now on their shipping list! The problem when I ordered (early 2011) is that when you try to checkout your order, Malaysia does not appear on the Destination Country list (it still doesn’t as of today) so I wrote in, and was told that they do ship here, but I’d have to email in my order. Update: Marie Veronique Organics now ships internationally though a third party – International Checkout.

So I did and received an invoice which I then proceeded to pay by Paypal. Lots of you have emailed me about using Paypal. I’ll write about that some day :) International shipping is a flat rate of US$12 per order and its free for US$250 and up (Update: June 2011 No longer applicable :( ) I wasn’t going to spend that much on a brand I’d never tried, so I just paid the shipping fee. There was a discount code too when I made my purchase so that softened the blow a little.

Because I was new to the brand, I picked up the Anti-Aging Travel Kit (US$51). I thought it would be a good introduction to the brand. What you get is a Cleanser (choose between Gentle or Exfoliating) 30ml, Anti-Aging Mist 30ml, Anti-Aging Oil+ 7.5ml and Moisturizing Face Screen SPF30 15ml. The last item was the one I was most interested in.

If you are wondering why my photo only shows 3 items, its because I only just realised when I sat down to write this review, that my kit did not contain the Anti-Aging Oil+! I did wonder why there was no “moisturizer” included in the kit while I was using it, but I got so busy I didn’t check. I guess I could let them know, but its been so long since I ordered and received my products I wasn’t sure if they’d believe me :P

So you’ll just read my thoughts based on my trial of the 3 products shown above.

Marie Veronique Organics Exfoliating Cleanser

I opted for the Exfoliating Cleanser. It is supposed to exfoliate dead skin cells, as the name suggests and in layman parlance, its a scrub. A very gentle scrub that I liked on my skin. It was not harsh and did not dry out my skin but it is not something I’d use everyday. I’d use it at max 3 times  a week, because I like the smell. It has a herbal aromatherapy scent that I find very relaxing. It comes in a glass bottle, but the sample does not have a pump and if you don’t use it after a while, it all clogs up and can’t pour out. So you have to shake vigorously before you can pour out the cleanser. Full size comes with a pump – thank goodness!

In a nutshell: I liked this cleanser but only used sparingly.

Marie Veronique Organics Anti-Aging Mist

This is for hydrating, based on the info on the website. Its a spray mist that you use after cleansing and is supposed to hydrate and firm up the skin, and provide anti-oxidant protection. Unlike many spray mists, this one needs to be shaken before you spritz to mix up the oils. It isn’t like those thermal water facial mists, in that this one does leave a layer on your skin for hydration purposes. It can get a little sticky. But I usually apply a moisturizer over it, since I did not have the Anti-Aging Oil+. The scent is nice too – there is a citrus zing to it.

In a nutshell: It feels and smells nice but the sticky feel takes some getting used to.

Marie Veronique Organics Moisturizing Face Screen SPF30 – No Tint

This was the one product I really wanted to try. What it is is a natural sunscreen with a very high zinc oxide content (20.6%). This got me worried. My skin seems to hate zinc oxide, never mind that its probably the best physical protector out there. So I paid a lot of attention to my skin while I was using this product. Happily, I did not react to it one bit. No clogged pores nor breakouts.

The sample comes in a dropper style slim bottle. The full size comes in a pump bottle, I believe. I found the texture takes some getting used to. It is a runny lotion that feels a little grainy and the texture reminds me of runny clay.The no tint version can leave a bit of a white cast if you apply too much. I resorted to using the tap-tap piano method for applying this sunscreen and it worked a treat! It applies a thin enough layer and does not look so thick. I was also given a little sample of the light tint version which also worked fine on my skin but was a little orangey. I prefer the no tint version.

The smell does take a bit of getting used to though. If you like herbal-y stuff like I do, you’d not be bothered by it one bit. If you don’t, then it sort of smells like a Chinese medicine shop LOL Not unpleasant, just unusual. The best thing I liked about this sunscreen is that it is not sticky. Not one tiny little bit. It does not dry out my skin, it does not make it oily, it just feels great.And because its not sticky or oily, it makes a nice base for makeup because you don’t have the oiliness of sunscreen fighting with the oiliness of foundation and turning you into the Gulf of Mexico after the BP oil spill :P

Granted, its only SPF30 while I usually wear SPF50 but I’ll live. Its a really nice sunscreen and I might consider a repurchase in full size (US$40/60ml).

In a nutshell: I liked this suncreen and I will repurchase in full size.

Marie Veronique Organics Overall

I’m not very into organic or natural skincare but I did like the items I have tried from this brand. I like the scent in the products, which smells very natural and essential oil/aromatherapy based but I’m not sure if everyone will.

Shopping at the site is a bit of a challenge if your country is not listed in the checkout. They do actually ship to more countries than are listed at the Destination Country at the checkout page, so that is something they should look into. Most people won’t bother to email and ask if they will ship. US$12 might seem hefty shipping but its a flat rate so it really only makes sense to buy a few things or maybe share your order with friends. The use of glass brown bottles is a nice touch as well and the dispensers in the full size products – spray nozzle, pump – are hygienic.

If you are into natural and organic skincare, you might like how they are paraben free and the fact that they spell out specifically that their products contain no toxic ingredients, petroleum based products or nanoparticles. As these are natural products, it might be a good thing for them to specify a best by date so consumers know they shouldn’t be keeping it too long.

I guess that sorta sums up the pros and cons eh? :)

Have you tried anything from Marie Veronique Organics? If you want to try, go for the travel kits. There are a 2 kits to suit different people (Anti-aging Travel Kit with sunscreen and Vegan Travel Kit without), and you get to have a feel of the range to see which products you might want to splurge on or continue using. And if you do, please check to ensure you receive everything in your kit! :)

Paris B

Marie Veronique Organics Anti-Aging Travel Kit retails at US$51. International Shipping is US$12 flat rate or free above US$250 purchase. Update: Marie Veronique Organics now ships internationally though a third party – International Checkout. Only available online at www.mvorganics.com and they accept Paypal.