Last week, I shared with you my 3M tips for using facial oils and how they can actually be comfortable on skin. I thought it would be a good time to share with you a fairly affordable facial oil that I think is very lovely to use, smells amazing and is a close relation to a more expensive option out there
The product is the Human Nature Overnight Elixir which claims to be 100% natural and is touted as a serum but which is, in fact, a blend of oils. It promises to leave you with softer, more luminous skin, from as early as the next morning after using it, hence the name I suppose. Or if you don’t see the effects overnight, then it promises results in a week.
I naturally had to give it a go because I was already using oils in my routine anyway. The product comes in a lovely brown glass bottle with a glass dropper, and it smells wonderful!
I wish they had the technology for me to share smells with you because the minute you open the bottle, the scent that wafts out is that of a lovely relaxing lavender scent.
The oil itself is clear and while it is light, it isn’t like a dry oil that seems to evaporate against your skin. You do have to massage the product into your skin for it to absorb completely.
I must make mention of the dropper because I don’t know if I received a defective product or if it’s meant to be that way, but the pump doesn’t pick up a lot of product into the dropper. So you see that amount in the picture above, that’s the amount I pick up with each pump. No matter how careful or how slowly I depress and release the pump, that’s all I get, sometimes less.
It would bug me more if I had to use more product, but since I use about 4 drops each time it isn’t that bad. But it’s definitely something that bugs me.
I do find that the oils take a little longer to absorb into the skin but if you use my 3M method, it all sinks in fairly quickly and leaves skin feeling soft and supple and very comfortable. Sometimes, if I’m looking or feeling particularly tired, I use a more generous amount of 6-8 drops which I then take time to massage into my skin and then go to bed, using it almost like a mask. It doesn’t mark my pillow nor leave my face feeling that oily, but I do find that I wake up with skin that looks calmer and feels soft and lovely.
The sequence in which I’d use this product is as follows:-
Cleanse -> Exfoliating Toner (if using) -> Rosewater Mist -> HN Overnight Elixir -> Night Cream
I like sealing my oils with a night cream although I don’t use a heavy one. I’m presently using the Antipodes Vanilla Pod cream which is actually a day cream but too heavy for day and too light for night. So it’s just right to go over this oil or any oil for that matter.
If you don’t like the feeling of massaging oil on your skin (although it works better that way) then you can also drop 2-3 drops into your moisturiser and apply to your skin. You get some benefits but not as much as you would if you applied it directly.
I’m actually very happy with this oil and I’d be happy to repurchase once I’m done which will take a while. I’ve been using this for over a month, maybe even 2 months, and I’ve barely made a dent in it! That’s considering I’m quite generous with use too. I do find that it keeps my skin calm, more hydrated and my skin feels softer and more supple. At my age, I’ll take what I can get
IN A NUTSHELL
The Human Nature Overnight Elixir is a blend of natural oils including elemi oil, sunflower oil, lavender oil, and rosehip oil. It has a lovely relaxing scent of lavender and has a slightly viscous albeit lightweight texture. You can use about 2-3 drops each time although I’m usually more generous with my use. It takes a little while to absorb into skin but when it does, skin feels lovely and soft and supple and looks better the next morning than how you feel. The only problem I have with this is the dropper which I feel has too little suction and picks up too little product so I forsee a problem when I near the end of the bottle. But that won’t be for some time yet because it can last you a long long while. Thumbs up!
PROS: Lightweight facial oil absorbs easily into the skin, Did not clog my pores, Smells relaxing and lovely, Leaves my skin feeling soft and supple and calm, When used as an overnight mask leaves my skin looking better the next morning than when I went to bed
CONS: Dropper has poor suction and picks up very little product which may be a problem as you near the end of the bottle
WHO WILL LIKE THIS: Anyone who likes using blended face oils, Anyone who likes the smell of lavender on skin and who isn’t allergic to any of the ingredients
Here is the ingredient list so you can see if there’s anything in there that doesn’t agree with you.
Save and Splurge?
Remember I said right at the top that this might be a more affordable replacement for a similar but pricier item? Well, if you haven’t already guessed, that item is the Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate Elixir (see, even the name is similar! ) I am actually quite a fan of the Kiehl’s MRC but I hadn’t been using it for a while since I finished my last bottle.
MRC used to leave my skin looking hydrated and calm the next morning and keep it generally feeling generally soft and lovely. From memory, I do find that the Human Nature Overnight Elixir is a bit thicker in texture than Kiehl’s MRC but they both have the same lovely relaxing scent and they both seem to make my skin feel and look very comfortable and calm. For the price difference, I’d say Kiehl’s definitely has some competition in this department!
Have you tried this Human Nature Overnight Elixir?
I must say that I’ve been quite consistently impressed by most of the Human Nature products I’ve tried. They are from the Phillippines and because they’re so affordable, do really deserve a lot more credit than they get. Good job for coming up with this oil, I love it!