Murad Gift Set

I recently received this lovely gift set as a freebie for subscribing to Glamour magazine. Murad is a brand I’d been wanting to try for some time so when this set was offered as a subscription incentive I didn’t need to think too hard about it – magazines at a discounted price and free skincare seemed like a win-win situation! The set is comprised of Energizing Pomegranate Cleanser, Intensive-C Radiance Peel, Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture and Renewing Eye Cream.

The Energizing Pomegranate Cleanser is a liquid which turns to foam on application. I needed two pumps for a decent coverage and the foam quickly melts away on contact with the skin. Because of this, initially it felt as though it wasn’t cleansing as efficiently as the thicker formulations I’m used to, but I find that provided I remove my make-up thoroughly beforehand my skin is left feeling clean without feeling tight or dry.

The cleanser claims to protect skin from free radical damage whilst removing excess oil without stripping skin of natural moisture.  To be honest, although I did enjoy using this product it’s not really the best fit for my skin type. Whereas I had quite oily skin in my teens and early 20s, it’s now much drier so I tend to favour creamier formulations. Murad has a really extensive range of products so I will definitely try one of their other cleansers at some point. I couldn’t find the Energizing Pomegranate Cleanser on the Murad website, but there is a Daily Foaming Cleanser available which looks almost identical. Interestingly I did find it on the Marks & Spencer website for £25 for a 150ml bottle – £3 less than the Daily Foaming Cleanser on the Murad site. Curious!

The product I was most excited about trying from this set was the Intensive-C Radiance Peel which contains glycolic acid to accelerate cell turnover. It also uses vitamin C and Indian fig to protect against free radicals whilst enhancing clarity and luminosity, and Myrtle extract to support collagen production. It’s a creamy texture that you leave on for up to ten minutes once or twice a week.  It claims to brighten, smoothe and hydrate skin “reversing environmental ageing after just one use”. This really appealed to me as I’m not overly keen on grainy exfoliators –  I find they’re almost always not grainy enough (although I do remember using Aapri scrub in my teens which left my skin red and shiny!) It does say on the back of the tube that it can cause a slight tingling sensation which I found lingered for a few minutes after rinsing off, but this wasn’t uncomfortable or unpleasant. Afterwards my skin felt lovely and smooth, radiant and clean. At £49.50 for 50ml it’s not cheap but I really loved this mask and would definitely consider purchasing a full size tube.

The Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture was also another product that exceeded my expectations. Although the pot is really small it has lasted longer than I anticipated. The texture is quite thick but spreads well and a little goes a long way. The main ingredients are avocado, sunflower and olive fruit oils, retinyl palmitate and shea butter as well as a “collagen support complex”. After using it my skin feels hydrated, plumped up and, importantly at this time of year, protected against the elements. It certainly lives up to the claim of locking in  “optimal moisture levels for up to 8 hours leaving skin feeling silky soft and luxuriously hydrated”. At £64 for 50ml I’d have to give serious thought to purchasing this but if budget were not a consideration I wouldn’t hesitate.

The Renewing Eye Cream claims to combat the full range of ageing concerns: crow’s feet, deep wrinkles, puffiness and dark circles. I don’t tend to suffer from dark circles so I can’t really judge how effective the cream is on that point. However I am at an age where I’m keen to reduce the appearance of crow’s feet and crepey skin. I did find the cream plumped up my skin and softened fine lines.  With essential fatty acids for hydration, peptides to stimulate collagen and elastin as well as wild yam and soybean sterols to reduce wrinkles and fine lines it’s a product that would be suitable for almost anyone.  It gets a big thumbs up from me. The price? An eye-watering £64 for 15ml. I personally wouldn’t spend that much on an eye cream, but a 40% discount code was included in the gift set so I may just treat myself to this and a few other items from the Murad website.

All in all I was seriously impressed with the gift set and I’d go as far as saying that the Intensive-C Radiance Peel and Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture are new favourites!

Have you tried anything from the Murad range and if so did you love it?

Thanks for reading and have a lovely day!