DressGreen Haul #2

Pros: Well crafted products, professional packaging, great communication
Cons: Café & Shea Nourishing Facial Butter is suitable only for a select minority of consumers, it’s not readily apparent what the differences are between the serums

After I made my first order with DressGreen, I noticed the large line of facial products. I’m always on the lookout for skin care because I have extremely dry skin and it’s difficult to find products that are hydrating enough, especially during the long Iowa winters. I vowed to purchase a moisturizer after my standby Alba Botanica Hawaiian Moisture Cream ran out. I was really impressed with the products I purchased in my first order and couldn’t wait to test the facial products.

Breakdown

• Café & Shea Nourishing Facial Butter
• Smoothing & Reparative Serum
• Golden Pumpkin Body Scrub – Travel Size
• Spearmint Tangerine – Soap Sample

Images

Café & Shea Nourishing Facial Butter

This moisturizer ships in a standard plastic jar containing 2.5 oz of product. I had expected to receive a glass jar because the other moisturizers stated they are now packaged in glass. In hindsight, I see that this moisturizer did not specify the packaging. There is a label on the lid with the name of the company and product, while another wrap-around label stating the ingredients and directions is on the jar itself. The Café & Shea Nourishing Facial Butter is pricier than the other DressGreen moisturizers at $9.95 USD, but still a fair price.

DressGreen Café & Shea Nourishing Facial Butter

I have extremely dry skin that has plague me since I was about nineteen. I’m not sure why my skin changed so radically, but it’s continued to be a problem in my thirties. Most products on the market are not targeted to those of us with severe dry skin since most products largely promote oil free moisturizers. Obviously that’s a good thing for the majority of the population. I too used to eschew oil based products—until my skin turned into a desert. Now it’s a different story. I have a difficult time finding products with enough hydrating properties. My standby for the past several years has been Alba Botanica Hawaiian Moisture Cream. Though it contains lots of tropical oils and butters, it didn’t always cut it in the winter months.

This long winded story sets up why I was so intrigued after discovering DressGreen. I found a listing for Pure Hydration Facial Cream, a very moisturizing product that had excellent reviews. However, when I came back in winter to purchase the moisturizer, I discovered the Café & Shea version—a product with lots of coffee butter and intended for the driest of skins. Of course I had to try it.

When I received my package, I was struck by the lovely coffee scent. It does smell really good! The texture of the moisturizer is very solid and thick due to the combination of botanical butters.

DressGreen Café & Shea Nourishing Facial Butter packaging

After I opened the package, I was so excited to try my new Smoothing & Reparative Serum and Café & Shea Nourishing Facial Butter. I started by washing my face with Yes to Tomatoes Facial Cleanser. It’s not a product I love, particularly because it’s not a cream cleanser, but I picked up a couple of tubes awhile back after finding it on clearance. After cleansing, I squirted out a few drops (about three pumps) of the serum and applied to my face. Then I scooped out a similar amount to what I typically use with the Alba Botanica Hawaiian Moisturize Cream. That product is thick, sorta pricey (on average about $18 for 3 oz) and comes in a small jar, so I always use it sparingly.

Honestly, it was like smearing on Crisco. Needless to say, my face was extremely oily after application. I looked at the label on the jar and it read:

Dab small amount in hand. As it melts, rub a light layer of butter on face. Allow a few minutes for butter to absorb.

I decided to follow the directions, wait for my skin to absorb the moisturizer despite my misgivings, and cleaned up the sink area in the meantime. After a few minutes, I looked in the mirror to find my skin looking as oily and shiny as it had before. Realizing that I had put on too much product, I managed to rub most of the moisturizer into skin.

I concluded two things about my first time using DressGreen face products: 1). I used too much serum since the bottle says to use a drop or two (I used three or four) and 2). I used too much moisturizer.

DressGreen Café & Shea Nourishing Facial Butter size comparison with
Alba Botanica Hawaiian Moisture Cream

The next time I cleaned my face, I used one pump of serum and lightly skimmed a bit of moisturizer out of the jar. My face is still oily after application, but frankly that’s to be expected when you apply straight oil and vegetable butters to your face. It basically assures the necessity of using some sort of face powder before leaving the house. But my skin feels nice. Oh yeah. So soft. No more tightness. No more flaking. The oily sheen is the cost for no more painful dryness.

I purchased this moisturizer intending to use it for the harsh Iowan winter months. For days when the temperature drops to -11’—and that’s not including windchill. What I didn’t expect was the weather to average 40′. Winters have never been this warm for so long since I moved to Iowa ten years ago. Even still, I have not had any problems with breakouts. I suppose that underscores how dry my skin really is. I plan to switch to a different DressGreen moisturizer when this jar is finished, either the Pure Hydration Facial Cream or the Protective & Moisturizing Facial Cream that is touted as a lighter version of the Café & Shea Nourishing Facial Butter.

I can only recommend this product to those with extremely dry skin. It is far to oily for the vast majority of people, even those with dry skin. The amount of oil left behind will no doubt be off-putting to many.

If, however, you’re like me and struggle to find a product moisturizing enough for your skin, you may want to give this a try.

Smoothing & Reparative Serum

The serum comes in a tall bottle with a pump and lid. It is priced at $8 USD for 1 fl oz.

DressGreen offers several serums under varying and vague names. Each listing lists the main oils with a description stating how it is traditionally used. I couldn’t decide which one would better suit my facial needs, so I randomly chose one. I think I liked the avocado and orchid oils in the Smoothing & Reparative Serum.

DressGreen Smoothing & Reparative Serum

The serums are a straight up combination of oils without any real emulsifiers like other serums I’ve tried in the past. As described earlier, I used three or four pumps the first time. That is far too much. One pump should do ya. It is oily, even with one pump, so best used for those with normal to dry skin types. I typically use it only at night unless it’s really dry outside.

I admit I was a little leery of applying oil straight to my face. However, I have not experienced any breakouts while using this product, though it is comprised almost solely of oils.

Honestly, I’m not too sure what to expect from these serums and serums in general. I haven’t seen much difference since I started using them a few months ago. I admit I’m dubious as to whether there’s a substantial difference between the serums offered by DressGreen. Nevertheless, I do find this one very nourishing.

I also tried using the Smoothing & Reparative Serum as an eye makeup remover with positive results.

Golden Pumpkin Body Scrub – Travel Size

The scrub is packaged in a similar, yet different, jar to the moisturizer and holds 2.5 oz. A travel size will set you back $4.95 USD.

I first discovered the Golden Pumpkin Body Scrub after DressGreen’s fall newsletter came out. I love all things pumpkin, whether it’s food, bath & body, or the little squashes themselves. You should see our house during Halloween.

DressGreen Golden Pumpkin Body Scrub sporting some cold weather shrinkage

I decided to purchase the trial size. I was so excited to try it when it arrived, but, my excited quickly changed to…erm, dismay? Amusement? Due to the cold weather, the scrub had, ahem, shrunk quite a bit. Independent cosmetics producers always warn about heat melting your lip balms, eyeliners, etc, but I never heard anything about cold messing with products.

Everything ended up all right. The scrub just needed to warm up and it expanded back to normal. I thought the freezing incident would change the consistency, but it is completely fine.

DressGreen Golden Pumpkin Body Scrub ingredients label

Of course, the best part is the yummy pumpkin scent. Love it! It smells like pumpkin pie and gingerbread.

The scrub itself works great. It contains lots of moisturizers, so your skin is left feeling clean but hydrated and smooth. While emulsifying wax is used, the scrub is not waxy like another I’ve tried recently. What I really like about this scrub is the lack of any abrasive particles. The harshest ingredient is sugar. The scrub is fully absorbed into the skin and I don’t have to worry about all the walnut shell particles left behind in the tub.

It’s a winner.

Note: Dress Green lists this item as a limited edition fall product.

Spearmint Tangerine – Soap Sample

I received a free raspberry lip balm with my first DressGreen order. I liked the lip balm a lot and was kind of hoping for another, but the soap sample was a pleasant surprise. At first, I was thrown off by the wonderful mint smell emanating from my package because I knew I hadn’t ordered anything containing mint.

DressGreen Spearmint Tangerine Soap Sample

The mint scent is really nice. As for the actual soaping, I’ve reviewed DressGreen soaps before, so you can read the review if you’re interested.

It’s a pity that this soap doesn’t seem to be available on either the Etsy site or on the independent DressGreen site.

Final Thoughts

As before, I am extremely impressed by the quality of products and the professionalism of the DressGreen company. It is unfortunate that this level of quality and service is not nessecarily the norm with independent sellers.

Overall, I am pleased with the products I’ve ordered. I do think I’ll switch to a lighter facial moisturizer. Even I don’t think I need something this thick. Fortunately, the moisturizer doesn’t give me breakouts.

I do wonder what exactly the serum does, but so far, so good. It’s moisturizing and also doesn’t give me breakouts. The pumpkin scrub is wonderful and wholeheartedly recommended. The soap samples (and samples in general) are a thoughtful extra.

Bottom Line:
More great products from a great company.