REN Skincare

The starter kit in a lovely neat box

For my birthday back in May I was given a REN Skincare starter kit from their sensitive skin range.

It's a great (and at £13 an affordable way) to try new products and I've been enjoying using them, but with mixed feelings so far.

The kit contains their Smooth and Renew Mask, which is "formulated to gently exfoliate and detoxify", Hydra Calm Cleansing Gel ("formulated to leave sensitive skin cleansed, refreshed and soothed without irritation, tightness or discomfort), Hydra-Calm Global Protection Day Cream (to leave skin "optimally hydrated") and the Omega 3 Night Repair Serum (which promises to "replenish skin lipids" - what ever they might be...)

Naturally I wanted to put it all on my face at once. Somehow, I held back, and as it was a sleepy Sunday morning I thought the face mask would be a good start.

The face mask has a thick, gel like consistency

Unfortunately, the first thing that took me by surprise was the smell. None of the products have any sort of scent described on them, but this mask mainly made me think of honey and I wasn't overly keen on the smell. It is very thick, with an almost gloopy texture to it and almost feels slimey (but not unpleasant) when putting it on.

It doesn't feel like an exfoliating mask normally does (ie packed with scrubby beads) but my skin did feel nice afterwards.

Following the mask I put on the day cream, which has a nice thick texture and melted into my skin quickly. It absorbs well, without leaving your skin feeling like you haven't put enough on.

Again though, there is something in the scent I am not overly keen on.

That evening I moved onto the cleansing gel. It is completely clear, and more liquid than gel. It does make my skin feel squeaky clean and in fairness, exactly as it promises on the packaging, my skin doesn't feel dry, tight or slightly irritated after using it.

Finally, the night time serum. It's the first time I've ever used a serum, normally I put on E45 or Sudocream (I like to call them vintage classics) before bed.

The products are a generous size 

Just the right amount comes out of the pump bottle; I remember reading an article once about how much product to put on your face at night - apparently millions of us are far too generous with serums and creams at night, resulting in the bulk of it just being rubbed all over our pillows, not a pretty thought)

It feels rich but not greasy and I worried it might clog my pores and bring out spots, but my skin looks and feels lovely in the morning.

So all in all my favourites are probably the cleanser and the over night serum. I've had a little look on the REN Website and have spotted the full sized cleanser is £17 for 150ml and the overnight serum is £34 for 50ml.

Do I like the products enough to pay full price? Sadly no. They do make my skin feel good but I can't say they have transformed it enough to make me rush out and buy the products at full price.

I do appreciate you pay for quality -these products have no SLS or Parabens (which wreck my skin), but neither do Naked Bodycare's products, and their cleanser is currently £2.99 and their incredible face cream (which lasts ages) is only £7.49.

However, I would consider buying this little kit again, if you travel a lot (I live a few hours away from most of my family which sometimes means regular trips away with as little luggage as possible), then this kit is perfect, as the products feel really luxurious for a travel product, and they are the ideal size as well!

Have you ever used REN Skincare? What are your favourites in the range?