It isn’t every day you come across a product in the indie green-beauty space that is a powerhouse of ingredients with fast, visible results and affordable!
I was very very fortunate to be one of the testers that Kara, founder of Me Time Botanicals, chose to try out her newest creation; the Glow-Getter. AND ITS OFFICIALLY HERE!
Why am I so excited? Not only is it a beautiful ritual; it delivers results! Without adding to the suspense, take a look at my before & after photos below. This is after only ONE WEEK of use:
I recently posted these results on Instagram & @pale_face23 was kind enough to ask me a few questions that she was seeking the answers to. I would love to take the opportunity to address them below:
Is there a strong scent?
The Glow-Getter has a vibrant yet gentle scent that is reminiscent of a citrus-y pine-y forest. It then fades and leaves a very subtle, lingering scent of geranium behind. It is gorgeous.
Did you have any sort of sensitivity to this product?
I did not experience any sensitivity to this serum. I applied liberally to my face, neck and chest twice a day and my skin simply glowed. If you are particularly sensitive to any ingredients listed below, it is important to patch test first.
At $42 per bottle, everyone can experience great skin!
Reducing hyper-pigmentation is always my goal over reducing acne spots. If my skin clears up in the process of using my skincare, I’m thrilled!
The results that I achieved with the Glow-Getter was a more even and radiant complexion! When I wore my typical makeup and looked in the mirror, I felt as though I was wearing a filter. My skin was bright and revitalized!
Can you refrigerate it for freshness?
Although it isn’t necessary to refrigerate this serum, I imagine it would be super refreshing to keep it in the refrigerator and apply directly to the skin!
How is absorption?
Look at these glittering drops of oil suspended in the serum ❤
This is probably my favorite aspect of the Glow-Getter serum! The dual phase serum goes on thin and leaves the slightest veil of hydration behind. You can feel the oil hydrating your complexion while the serum component continues to absorb. It is bliss!
Do you use it twice a day or at night only?
My results (pictured above) were from using this serum liberally twice a day. Tip: After using an essence, I like to apply about 1-3 droppers to my face, neck & decollete and take an extra few seconds to massage the serum in.
These gorgeous layers though!
Final Thoughts
I have used a lot of brightening serums, some that have cost me as much as $235; but none have made my skin feel as bright and plump as the Glow-Getter. The unique dual-phase texture is such a beautiful experience, it absorbs quickly yet leaves the skin feeling silky. The scent is vibrant and fresh, and the results speak for themselves! After just one week I noticed my skin tone was more even and my hyper-pigmentation faded substantially! The best part? It’s affordable!
XOXO,
Erika
Please comment below! Have you tried any brightening serums lately? Have they been effective?
Luxurious Botanical Skincare Worthy of the Garden of Eden
Aislin Quinn is the skincare of my childhood dreams. It satisfies the deepest part of my imagination. It is mouth watering; a treasure trove dripping with the rarest jewels, a tropical paradise bursting with the ripest fruit. It is as vibrant as the sun, as sweet as a rare orchid and as lush as the Garden of Eden.
Isola (Pink) Reine (Green) & Kuava (Orange)
Pronounced “Ash-lin Quinn”, founder Trish Moran, named her luxury skincare company after her two oldest daughters. With a background in aerospace physiology and as a plant medicine survival instructor for NATO student pilots, Trish has the perfect background to formulate beautifully natural, beautifully intentional, botanical skincare!
With the knowledge that Trish resides in Texas, I was so intrigued by her use of tropical ingredients and exotic names; when I had the opportunity to ask her a few questions, I had to know where she gets her inspiration from:
Ingredient inspiration comes largely from my background teaching plant medicine in the USAF. I like to focus on seeds, flowers, and fruits because that is really the epicenter of plant nutrition, primarily for the purpose of accommodating new life. A lot of focus on tropical fruits and flowers is the result of how fertile and bountiful the tropical regions of the earth are – as a result they produce amazing and beautiful plants with unique profiles and benefits that really just stir my heart with appreciation. Our new Wailele Phytoactive Hydration Essence, for example, was built around the dragonfruit, which is the primary ingredient. Dragonfruit is the fruit of a cactus, it is so succulent and full of phenolic color inside that I knew intuitively it would be a hydration powerhouse that also offers a ton of nutritional support, so I began experimenting with it as one of the core ingredients of our Phytoactive Hydration Matrix with the goal of bringing, deep and long lasting hydration to the skin. Broadening the hydration spectrum and then combining innovative ingredients with time tested achievers like marshmallow and cucumber means that we are really amplifying what a treatment can do and bringing something really new and sophisticated for the people we serve.
The first ritual Trish ever created (and one of my personal favorites), Lehua is a creamy yellow, oil-in-cleanser that uses honey and fruit enzymes to gently rid the complexion of debris and dead skin, leaving skin soft and glowing!
This velvety cleanser smells vibrant and honey suckle-esque, glides like silk onto the skin and is gentle enough to use every day!
Lehua Honey Enzyme Cleanser was the first formula I created for our line. I’m so busy. I have four kids. I needed something that would be a serious multi-tasker, and would really clean my skin without depleting it. When I crafted the formula and put it on my face the first time, I knew I had something truly unique and beautiful. It required a couple of small tweaks but it really was love at first sight. Even now, it is one of my top two most loved treatments.
Trish Moran, on the story behind her first creation, Lehua
TIP: Lehua also doubles as the perfect mask! I love to massage this onto dry skin in the morning, make my coffee and jump in the shower to allow the steam to further the cleanser’s magic! Once I finish showering, I rinse the mask off using a terry cloth mitt and my face feels clean and soft, ready for the rest of my routine! No need to double cleanse!
Since falling in love with green beauty, I have really developed an admiration for face balms, I especially enjoy using them at night because of their super rich texture, dense nutrition and the ability to seal in moisture! This is especially important in the evening, as the skin is the most active at night!
Isola is the sexiest balm I’ve ever used! The scent is reminiscent to me of the most luxurious and tropical IPA and I’ve never experienced such a (can I say sexy again?) glow as I have with Isola. I am normally very liberal with my skincare, but truly a little bit of Isola goes a long way! I love applying this balm to my face, neck and chest as a last step in the evening and the scent lingers so delicately, like an evening tropical breeze!
The scent is so vivid, one of my favorite memories forever tied to the smell of Isola is my newborn son laying on my chest at night; both of us in a state of utter bliss as this naturally gentle aroma envelopes us while he drifts off to sleep!
Another unique & truly rare treasure, this oil serum is another favorite of mine!
Featuring organic strawberry seed oil (when’s the last time you’ve seen this ingredient listed in your skincare?) this decadent serum deeply nourishes, protects and transforms the skin. It has a beautiful peridot green hue, and smells of JUICY berries, if I had to pick one serum from Aislin Quinn, Reine would be it. My face is always left feeling plumped and glowing!
TIP: I love mixing a drop of Reine with my cc cream to enrich the formula and further nurture my complexion throughout the day!
Aislin Quinn’s answer to a vitamin C serum, Kuava is a vivid, passion fruit & guava-scented beauty that is another juicy experience! It absorbs quickly (think aloe-based, not oil-based) and offers a multitude of benefits including deep hydration, brightening, smoothing, etc. This serum is perfect for day time use and is lighter than Reine.
Right now, this shimmering body oil-serum is seasonal and only available currently at aurorabeauty.com; regardless, it is worth a special mention! The scent is absolutely heavenly, like a tropical snicker doodle and the glow is just subtle enough that it looks like your skin is luxuriously moisturized, silky and flawless! The first ingredient in this serum is organic Kukui Nut oil; this, along with other decadant oils and Tonka butter lovingly feeds the skin! I really hope Trish brings this beautiful formula back next year! I can honestly say this lush body oil absorbs well and never leaves a greasy mess behind!
Kalahari Creme Cleanser Concentrate
I must admit, I am not able to give this cleanser a proper review…yet. I used this cream cleanser on dry skin a few times and did not really understand it to be as effective at removing makeup or cleansing like Lehua. It has a very subtle scent and does not lather like a traditional cleanser.
Recently, I saw Rich, @boy_into_beauty on Instagram, recommend using this as a moisture mask, or better yet, keeping it in the refrigerator and applying it to the face during the summer. This sounds like such a fabulous use of this lovely cream that I want to purchase it specifically as a mask!
Liliko’i Fruit And Flower Vitality Mask
Liliko’i was recently updated & I am really excited to try it again. The ingredient list is so lush and sophisticated, with 15 of the most nutrient dense flowers and fruits in the world! Think fruit enzymes, honey & pink clay whipped into a light mousse-like texture with plant peptides and hyaluronic acid to infuse the complexion with hydration, nutrition and vitality! I will be sure to update my blog the moment I have had the opportunity to incorporate the new formula into my routine!
The more I immerse myself into botanical skincare, the more I realize that most rituals are multi-functional; they can be enjoyed in a multitude of different ways and provide extra benefits! I asked Trish for some of her top tips and I love her creativity:
Think outside the box! Blend a drop of Reine Strawberry Radiance Infusion into your foundation to give lighter coverage with amazing nutritional benefits. Blend a little Kuava into Lehua for a really lovely mask experience. Cleanse with a combination of Kalahari and Liliko’i Fruit and Flower Vitality Mask for some really gently exfoliation and deep cleansing.
Be sensitive to what your skin needs now. Its always in flux and always changing. So if it needs a little extra hydration, don’t just hydrate with a single step. Incorporate extra where you can. But most importantly, choose treatments that are made with quality in mind. Quality begets quality.
Tips & Tricks from Trish Moran
Final Thoughts
When I think about luxurious, botanical skincare, Aislin Quinn is the pinnacle of this category. Trish generously shares with us her extensive knowledge of plants through formulas that harness exotic and decadent ingredients to feed and give life to the skin.
Aislin Quinn brings our wildest imagination to life! This luxurious skincare takes us on a tropical journey through luscious scents, silky textures and vibrant colors that elevates our skincare routine to that which previously only existed in our fantasies. Aislin Quinn satisfies the inner child in us, the one who dreams in vivid color, without boundaries or limitations,.
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