Christina Alyce Beauty: 2016

I have adored cleansing balms since shortly after high school, when I saved up to treat myself to Clinique's Take The Day Off cleansing balm. I enjoyed the luxurious feel of it melting through my makeup and rinsing away clean, in a way that oil cleansers couldn't compare to. I tried a few less expensive and less toxic options, and landed on RSHI from Glitter and Gratitude, which cleanses effectively, but I missed the feel of a higher end brand. When Unveil was released with a $70 price tag and an impressive ingredient list, I had to have it.
I had ordered the Unveil on Black Friday, perhaps against my better judgement because it was not included in their sale. It was supposed to come with a deluxe sneak preview of another new product though, so I figured it was worth it. Of course with my luck being what it is, I did not receive the sample. I assume this is because I had to contact customer service about something which delayed my order by about two weeks, and the sample got overlooked in that time. But, not wanting to go through the weeks-long process of customer service again, I shrugged it off and was excited to try out my new products. [Edit 2/22/16 Mahalo customer service has kindly reached out to resolve this issue]

Well, things did not pan out exactly as I had expected. I even first wrote this review in a very negative light, because there was something very wrong with my product. When I received Unveil and opened the bamboo jar, I was slightly confused to find it filled with a pale yellow balm instead of the green tea tinted product I had seen all over social media and Mahalo's own site. I double checked the label, and took a sniff to see how it compared to the product description, and everything seemed ok- the balm had a lemony aroma just as described. I assumed that because it was a natural product, there might be differences in color from batch to batch. I used the product multiple times over the next few weeks, with and without makeup, and it just did nothing for me.

Unveil is described as being gentle, exfoliating, and effective at cleansing, and is formulated with green tea, papaya, fragonia, willow, avocado, macadamia, and sunflower oil as well as Jojoba oil and essential oils of bergamot, frankincense, rosemary, ginger, and myrrh . Essentially, it sounds like a powerhouse of soothing, balancing, and nourishing ingredients, and with coco glucoside as a surfactant, I expected it to rinse away cleanly. But it did not. It barely cut through makeup, and left a greasy film on my skin, hardly living up to the claim that "The Unveil Cleanser is easily removed with just water. No cloth, or hot towels required." I was stumped at the glowing reviews I kept reading.
After many unsuccessful attempts to love the product, I wrote up my unhappy review, and went to take some product photos. I wanted to a) stage a lovely photo with some of the product on a spatula to display the consistency, and b) take my frustration out on the product by digging down deep into the jar and ruining its smooth surface with my little tiny spatula. Lo and behold, I pulled the spatula out to find a very distinct change of color halfway down the jar- the product at the bottom was unmistakably green. I gave the product a stir, and it transformed to the exact color I have seen online and had expected when I first opened the jar.

I have since used the product to remove makeup and as a simple morning cleanser, and it works beautifully now. It spreads so much better across my skin, melts makeup effectively, and rinses away easily. It leaves my skin feeling fresh and nourished, just as it should. I love the mix of butters and oils - this product contains a long list of avocado, macadamia nut, sweet almond, sunflower, cocoa, murumuru, cupuacu, argan, Pumpkin seed and castor bean. Ingredients like alfalfa, calendula, arnica, green tea, and skullcap offer vitimins, antioxidants, and boost circulation while soothing the skin. Willow bark and green clay balance the skin and fight acne.

Of course, as effective as it is, I am reluctant to spend so much on a makeup removing balm again. I currently have a large jar of my RSHI balm, which I will continue to use to remove makeup, and I think I will reserve Unveil for mornings and no-makeup-days, so I can take full advantage of its fruit enzymes, willow bark, and moisturizing properties. I feel like it is too dear to waste on removing makeup, because I like to double cleanse. I am so happy that I discovered that the ingredients had separated when I did, otherwise I would have missed out on a wonderful product.