Vain Pursuits Personalized Skincare Profile
Vain Pursuits is a newer personalized skincare brand that enables customers to try skincare samples created to their personal needs, then purchase full-sized versions (if they choose)--putting the cost of the original samples towards the cost of purchasing the full-size product or products. Vain Pursuits focuses on products produced using natural ingredients, which is my personal preference when it comes to skincare.
Customers simply fill out a questionnaire that discusses everything from skin type to fragrance preferences, then Vain Pursuits whips up a "Vain Kit". A Vain Kit includes sample skincare jars with corresponding cards with descriptions of the products and explanations for why these specific samples were created/chosen for you (including the fragrance choices). My samples were approximately the size of lip balm jars. My Vain Kit included 3 samples, which I'd assume is the norm. Vain Pursuits then assist you in evaluating what you do or do not like about your samples and work towards finding something that you enjoy.
Price - $20 for the Vain Kit; $45-$80 for full-size products
Where to Buy - VainPursuits.com ($5 off first order with this link)
Special Note - Cruelty-free. No parabens. No phthalates. No sulfates. No synthetic fragrances.
Vain Pursuits Personalized Skincare Vain Kit Review
Vain Pursuits Over-Achiever Day Cream Review
Product Type - moderately thick moisturizer
Scent - lavender, lemongrass & peppermint
On the Skin - absorbed well with minimal tackiness left behind, but took slightly longer than the other 2 lotions; hydrated skin well; no irritation with limited use
Price - $64 (2 oz)
My Thoughts - This lotion worked very well for my mostly dry skin! It is definitely the type of lotion I would recommend for someone with dry skin like me, but not for someone who dislikes "feeling" their lotion once it's been applied as it left a slight tackiness behind. The scent chosen for this product was a bit strong for a face cream for me. I generally prefer something light as I get migraines from too much scent. I also would have preferred a little bit of sweetness to soften the strong fragrance. I enjoy citrus and most mints (except wintergreen which makes me nauseous), but I abhor lavender (which I can't remember if I noted in my questionnaire) so the mix of citrus with lavender and peppermint was too much. Overall, this was a good moisturizer aside from the scent for me.
Vain Pursuits Soft-Spoken Day Lotion Review
Product Type - luxe moisturizer
Scent - lavender, orange & something else (unable to read handwriting for last component)
On the Skin - absorbed quickly and well; nice and thick for someone with dry skin like me; no irritation with limited use
Price - $49 (2 oz)
My Thoughts - This is a great moisturizer for someone that enjoys really luxe moisturizers, but I would not recommend it for those that prefer a super light, can't-feel-it lotion. While it isn't overly heavy, it is the type of moisturizer you can feel to a small degree once applied. As I have dry skin, this isn't something that would bother me in the winter or at night, but it wouldn't necessarily be my first choice in the summer in this crazy heat. My note suggested this gentle formula was chosen to help my sensitive skin combat weather in my area. Our summers are actually quite hot and humid (we easily hit the 90's and up to 100 for a few months in the summer with high humidity), so while this formula would be great in winter or fall here, it's not a good fit for our summer weather. I loved that Vain Pursuits added anti-oxidants to my formula and refrained from using harsh chemicals.
Vain Pursuits Tough Girl Facial Moisturizer Review
Product Type - ultra thick moisturizer
Scent - grapefruit & peppermint
On the Skin - absorbed well for such a thick moisturizer; something I would use in winter or at night, but a bit heavy even for my dry skin during the day in summer; left no tackiness behind and hydrated very well; no irritation with limited use
Price - $57 (2 oz)
My Thoughts - This was a super thick moisturizer, yet it absorbed very well. It is a fairly heavy moisturizer and not something I would personally choose to regularly use during the day in the summer, but great for night and winter. There was almost something powdery to the scent to me, which is odd given it was only a mix of grapefruit and peppermint (I'm not a fan of powder scents). When it comes to beauty products, I don't mind most types of mint, except when they're on my face. I don't like mint anywhere near my eyes and find mint on my face to be overpowering. Overall, another great night time or winter moisturizer for those with dry, sensitive skin.
Final Thoughts
This was an interesting experience. While I've reviewed other personalized beauty products and boxes in the past, I haven't done something quite like this. I think the concept is fantastic and I love that the products are so natural. Overall, my products worked well for me in a general sense in regards to performance. None of the 3 scents were ones I would pick for myself or be able to use regularly. I have a sensitive nose and tend to get migraines or nauseous from a number of different or strong scents--something I noted in my questionnaire. I'm not at all a fan of lavender, which was unfortunately in 2 of my products and I never use face products with mint scents. I think for someone like me with such a "picky" nose, it's probably best to get unscented products as the moisturizers themselves seemed good. As someone with dry skin I often find it difficult to find thinner, yet extremely moisturizing moisturizers for the summer months. That was one of the downsides to the 3 moisturizers I sampled. All 3 worked beautifully, but were too heavy for the hot summer months. Come night time or winter I would hands-down reach for them regularly, but right now I require something lighter and a bit more breathable.
I think the experience was fun and unique. As a newer brand I'm sure they'll tweak a few things here or there as they continue to grow, but it seems like the moisturizers themselves are of decent quality. I think the product prices may be well worth it for some and perhaps a little out of budget for others. I tend to spend a good amount when it comes to skincare because my skin is so picky, so if I found I absolutely loved one of my samples I would definitely be okay with the prices above.
Update: Vain Pursuits looked over my questionnaire and stated I hadn't mentioned my dislike for lavender. I'm surprised by this as it is the scent I hate most in the world, but they've updated my profile for next time.
Update: Vain Pursuits looked over my questionnaire and stated I hadn't mentioned my dislike for lavender. I'm surprised by this as it is the scent I hate most in the world, but they've updated my profile for next time.
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Would you be interested in trying samples of personalized skincare products? What do you think of the service and price range offered by Vain Pursuits?
Note: Products in this post were provided by the brand for review. All opinions stated above are my own based on my personal experience and have not been influenced by the brand.
This sounds like a really cool program! I'm not too sure about the scents though...
ReplyDeleteYeah, the program is really interesting! I'm with you on the scents. I generally associate peppermint with body and foot lotions so having it on my face (especially anywhere near my eyes) is not really my cup of tea ;) I like that they're naturally scented though!
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