Fall in Love with Philosophy!
Written: Dec 12 '02 (Updated Feb 01 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: effective manual exfoliation, moisturising, leaves skin silky soft
Cons: can irritate sensitive skins, price
The Bottom Line: For the perfect home facial experience and a deep-down radiance try Philosophy's The Greatest Love - a three minute hydrating microdermabrading scrub.
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| darkchild99's Full Review: Philosophy the Greatest Love |
What's so great about Philosophy? Well, their Greatest Hits pack for one. This review is the partner to my The Great Mystery review because I received that product together with The Greatest Love as a gift from a friend. I currently use the mask and the scrub together, as directed, but if I had to choose between them (the dreaded 'if you could only take three things with you to a deserted island...' question!) I would have to say that I am slightly addicted to The Greatest Love. On a list of my favourite scrubs of all time it ties for first place with Origin's Never A Dull Moment. This is the grittiest scrub that I have ever used, yet at the same time it leaves my skin feeling soothed and incredibly soft. I think that the combination of sugar crystals and essential oils is what makes this product work well as both an exfoliator and a hydrator.
I received the Greatest Hits package as a gift from a friend who knows about my product obsession and wanted to feed my addiction. For once I could enjoy the effects of two glorious products without having to stifle the complaints of my anorexic wallet. I have resigned myself to the fact that I will always own more cosmetic products than I can use and I will also always subject myself to financial and physical pain in the hope of achieving the look that I want. Even had I bought this tiny tube myself, the unique and incredibly invigorating exfoliation that it performs would simply scrub away any guilt that I might feel for its atrocious price. Did I mention that this scrub is practically unlike any other? After using this, you can definitely see new skin. And it's not raw/bleeding/irritated either - just soft and smooth.
The Product
Now that I've tantalised for a bit with the obligatory introductory spiel, I should really be getting to the actual product. The Philosophy skincare line is unique in its packaging and also in its origin. The brain-child of Cristina Carlino, who was the CEO of BioMedic, the range is a consumer brand version of medical cosmetic treatments. Cristina wanted to fill the gap between the products offered by doctors and those available in department stores. The Philosophy products are designed to combine different forms of treatment and deliver on their promises while providing real access to skincare technology. All of the Philosophy products are packaged simply in translucent or opaque white bottles and tubes with black lids. A quirky, philosophical message is printed on each product in black letters.
Like The Great Mystery, The Greatest Love (the Great and Greatest can mix me up a bit and I also feel as though Philosophy is patting itself on the back just a little too much!) is packaged in a translucent white 85g (3.0 oz) tube with a black flip-top lid. The tube is smaller than The Great Mystery which makes it easy for me to tell the difference when I reach for them with shampoo-blinded eyes in the shower. On the front is printed in black letters: the greatest love is within your sacred heart. love, without expectation, all people, all of the time. You can see the product inside the tube and when you squeeze the end you can actually hear and feel the crunchy crystals inside. The scrub is very gritty and I find that I only need a very small amount to rub my entire face and down to my neck.
Just a warning at this point - sometimes the crystals and the oils and extracts can separate in the tube so it's recommended that you massage the tube before squeezing out the scrub. I find that when I forget to do this, a very thin, slippery oil comes out and this can get a bit messy. I also tend to store my tube upside down so it isn't standing on the lid. This drains the oil the other way so that it isn't the first thing that squirts out of the tube. Using the scrub is easy enough, and the sensation is truly unique. The sugar crystals are very gritty and just what you need for a deep down exfoliation. As you scrub, the crystals slowly dissolve and the essential oils are absorbed by the skin. It's important to apply the product to a dry face or the crystals dissolve immediately. The scrub easily rinses off and you are left with the softest, smoothest skin ever!
Product Hype:
>formulated to mimic the action of microdermabrading crystals
>a therapeutic, exfoliating scrub
>contains natural sugars to freshen, stimulate, and gently exfoliate your skin
>contains jojoba ester to soothe and help enhance dry skin conditions
>excellent moisturising properties from natural seed oils and aloe extracts
Directions:
apply to dry, clean face and lightly massage in a circular motion until scrub dissolves or rolls off. rinse. for sensitive skin, apply to damp skin. if skin is oily use deep cleansing mask to cleanse off product.
Ingredients:
fructose; ethylhexyl palmitate; cyclomethicone; isopropyl jojobate; dimethicone crosspolymer; silica; jojoba alcohol; jojoba esters; bisabolol; carthamus tinctorius (safflower) seed oil; aloe barbadensis leaf extract; leaf extract; fragrance; propylparaben; blue 1
I use The Greatest Love up to twice a week. I tend to use it in the shower because the crystals roll off as you scrub and can get into your clothes when you're standing up. I have to do it at the start of my shower, while my face is still dry or I don't get as much 'scrub' as I like. This is one of the most refreshing and thorough scrubs that I've used in a while. It's great to feel the moisture soak in as I scrub away my dead cells and even if I choose not to use anything before or after the scrub, my face feels like heaven after I rinse. As the particles used in the scrub are sugar, they shouldn't irritate any acne sores unless you scrub very hard. I concentrate on my T-zone and am a bit more gentle on my cheeks, which can get a little dry. As the 'oils' are essential oils, they never make my face greasy or clog up my pores. They absorb quickly and leave me with a smooth, silky feeling.
I have been using The Greatest Love now for about six months and I adore it! I love the immediate effects and I have watched how the scrub has left me with long-term smoother, more refined skin. Since I have been using the scrub in conjunction with The Great Mystery I'm not sure how much of my skin clarity I can attribute to each product. All I can really say is that the pair, when used together, wake up my face and introduce me to smoother, silkier skin. Depending on how I feel I usually use the scrub first and the facial mask afterwards to soothe my face before rinsing everything off. However, the directions on the pack say to use The Great Mystery first, followed by the scrub. Either way your face gets purified and exfoliated leaving you invigorated and ready to take on anything. Or maybe that's just me.
The Greatest Love is supposed to be one of Philosophy's most popular products, along with Hope in a Jar, Message in a Bottle, Guru and The Little Black Book. The Philosophy website suggests using it if your skin is sun damaged, uneven, dull, clogged, bumpy or no longer has a glow. Using this scrub is best in winter when your skin needs to be de-flaked regularly as well as deeply moisturised at the same time. I still continue to use it now that it is winter in Oz and continue to enjoy the benefits of glowing skin. The three main reasons why I love this product and will continue to buy it are:
(1) I am serious about exfoliation so scrubbing is an essential part of my routine - this product gives me deep down exfoliation and incredibly delicious moisturisation at the same time
(2) I haven't seen a single blackhead since using this product and I have not broken out (this is important because I sometimes break out after using Origins Never A Dull Moment)
(3) my skin texture has improved in leaps and bounds since starting on this product and my skin feels smoother and softer
So, it seems that I have fallen in love yet again. What a fickle creature I am when it comes to beauty products, but I convince myself that it's all in the interests of finding the 'perfect' product.
Trouble/Beauty Spots
This product is an excellent scrub - that's all there is to it. The pros are comparable to other scrubs and I certainly wouldn't force anyone to change an exfoliator that is already working for them. However, if you are looking for something a little different and if you enjoy a gritty manual exfoliation now and then, The Greatest Love may be just the thing for you. As with all exfoliators, you are removing dead skin cells from your face and there's something a lot more gratifying about using a manual exfoliator versus a chemical one. I use a moisturiser with BHAs in the morning but it's nice to supplement it with a great scrub. Most people find that once you give The Greatest Love a whirl (or rather, a swirl!) you may never be able to live without a scrub again. However, you do get to look at smooth, glowing skin in the mirror every day.
There are a couple of semi-cons though. The first is that the scrub (especially since it needs to be used on a dry face) can be a bit too much for sensitive skins. I would recommend using a manual exfoliator with jojoba beads for those who have had bad experiences in the past. Origins Swept Away is a perfect gentle product for more sensitive skins. If you're like me (oily/combo skinned) and fairly thick skinned, this can be a lot of fun! The second semi-con isn't really a con at all. The product contains some essential oils which may feel a bit slick when you first use the scrub. Trust me, this feeling goes away after you scrub for a few seconds and essential oils are good for all skintypes. Dry skins will rejoice and combination skins will benefit too. If you are concerned that the oil may overload your skin, simply use a deep cleansing face wash to remove the product.
Is it worth it? I think that most readers would have worked it out by now - I think that it is. I have found a scrub that truly does wonders for my skin, and I'm not about to let it go. In fact, my great experience with the Greatest Hits pack has made me interested in trying out other Philosophy products. These two products have made a big difference to the clarity and texture of my skin. If buying the two separately, The Greatest Love is more expensive than The Great Mystery even though the quantity is less. However, the overall experience is far more exciting and the results are probably more tangible (if used on its own). This is a three minute, hydrating microdermabrading scrub that has swept me off my feet. I love the fact that the grittiness (is that a word?) of the product allows me to choose how vigorous or gentle I want to be with my exfoliation.
The Verdict
I love this product! It feels good, it makes me look good and it's unique. The many other scrubs that I have tried and enjoyed previously include Origins Never A Dull Moment, Origins Swept Away, The Body Shop Japanese Washing Grains, The Body Shop Skin Defensives Exfoliating Mask and Laura Mercier Face Polish. Some of these have left me a with tight, flaky face while others have simply not had enough scrub particles to properly exfoliate. The latter problem is very frustrating because you end up using more product than is necessary. Jojoba beads are considered the best particle to exfoliate with as they are smooth and don't tear the skin, like crystals and crushed nuts/grains. However, I haven't found that my skin was irritated by The Greatest Love. My experience was very soothing and left me with soft, clear skin.
Where to buy? Unfortunately, we don't have a Philosophy store near where I live but Philosophy products are available from Mecca Cosmetica stores. The products are also available online at www.philosophy.com - which is my usual form of purchase. The website is interactive and allows you to create a 'skin blueprint' that tells you the best products for your skintype.
In a nutshell? This product is fun, interesting and it works in the sense that it does a very good job of exfoliating my face and giving a boost of hydration as well. Its smoothing, soothing and silkening effects are both short-term and long-term, leaving me with the skin that I want and the urge to touch my face every two minutes. The Greatest Love has renewed my love for my face and given me a glimpse of my inner self. This product has become a staple in my bathroom cabinet.
So, if you're looking for:
-an interesting scrub with inbuilt hydration
-a exfoliation product that doesn't leave your face dry, tight or flaky
-a product that leaves you glowing and revives your complexion
look no further! Ok, maybe look a little bit further, I always take a sneak peek at new products even when I've vowed to be faithful.
The Greatest Love is a quick scrub that exfoliates, hydrates and gives me the radiant and smooth skin that I want. This product really appeals to me for the many reasons that I've mentioned above. On a deeper level I feel that all women love to believe that we are beautiful flowers, the petals slowly peeling back to reveal our inner selves. The Greatest Love allows me to scrub past the layers to reveal my inner self. Using the Greatest Hits pack is my way of capturing a facial in my own home. It's warm and steamy, I scrub, I purify, I rinse and I'm ready to face the world with a deep down glow that keeps people guessing what I'm up to. As a gift, for a really great friend or even to yourself, this scrub is an amazing product. Embrace the love that exists within yourself (corny, but true) and learn to love your face with Philosophy.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
darkchild99
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Location: Perth, Western Australia
Reviews written: 31
Trusted by: 13 members
About Me:
Everytime I hear the word 'exercise' I wash my mouth out with chocolate.
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