I've been using L'Occitane's Angelica Ultra Matte Fluid for about six weeks now as part of my ongoing mission to find a product that really helps combat my oily, oily t-zone. Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce you to what I can only call a real stand-out gem of a product.
During my exam period I've been waking up at about 6.30 am to get into university to begin studying at 7.30am. I then wouldn't normally come home until 8pm. On these days, although I haven't been wearing as many products, I have been wearing a minimum of foundation, concealer and mascara every day. My library's environment isn't exactly the most pleasant, especially in this warmer weather. It's a lot like being inside a large greenhouse. Anyway, the relevance of this is that it's allowed me to test the limits of my skincare products. It's very clearly allowed to me see the different that applying this moisturiser makes to my skin.
[I do also wear The Body Shop's Tea Tree Pore Minimiser as my primer (full review here) but I have been doing so since January so the effectiveness of this moisturiser can still be tested against others that I have used- I have also deliberately not worn the primer on certain days so I am able to make more specific claims.]
L'Occitane's Angelica Ultra Matte Fluid is a cloudy, matte-gel (closest I can get to describing it!) that you only need to use very sparingly. The pump bottle stops any product wastage and I tend to use one to two pumps to cover my entire t-zone. I don't use this on my cheeks as they are dry rather than oily, on them I use L'Occitane's Ultra Gentle Moisturiser. The products soaks into my t-zone quickly, taking about one minute, and then you are free to apply your primer or make-up. I tend to use this with The Body Shop's Tea Tree Pore Minimser as this is a very effective primer for oily skin. Together, these too products keep my oil at bay from circa 7am until at least 4pm. For me, this is a real achievement as usually my make-up would begin to slip at about midday if I only wore the primer without a mattifying moisturiser. Nine hours almost completely oil free is not something to be sniffed at!
On days when I haven't used any primer and apply my foundation straight onto bare skin I've found that the effects of the moisturiser help keep my skin matte until 1-3pm, which is still a very good result for my skin. The lasting time has been affected by which foundation I use. My Revlon foundations, Nearly Naked and my ColorStay foundation for oily skin, have lasted an extra hour or two over my Body Shop Moisture Foundation.
All in all I've found that this has been an excellent product for improving the appearance of an oily t-zone, in summer my skin is naturally more oily but this is an every-day use product for me. It isn't cheap though and comes in at £26*. Mine was gifted to me for Christmas but when I finish it I do plan on repurchasing it as it is incredibly effective and I think it makes a lot of difference to my appearance.
If the price of this is too steep for you then I would still recommend The Body Shop's Seaweed Day Cream, which for the price is excellent value for money. But if you want a really long lasting result then I do think that L'Occitane's Angelica Ultra Matte Fluid is worth it.
This sounds simply fab xx
ReplyDeletehttp://beautyqueenuk.blogspot.co.uk/
This sounds lovely, its not a brand i've heard much about!
ReplyDeleteJamie-Lee | Glitter Infatuation | Beauty & Lifestyle Blog!
Everything from their Almond line is great and just smells soooooooo good!
DeleteI like this brand. Used to use their hand lotion, and it worked miracles. The brand is expensive, but like you said, the product works even if you use it sparingly. By the way, I feel that concealer and mascara are enough for everyday, especially someone your age. Bet you look good without ANY makeup on.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this wonderful product with us. When you get a chance, please take a look at my beauty and skin care blog, or drop by my blog about Casual Chic Fashion. Have a great day!
I've never tried anything from L'Occitane that I've not loved, this might be next on my hitlist!
ReplyDeleteSara - Pretty In Pink
My skin is the same - dry cheeks and an oily t-zone! I've been using the Super Facialist Mattifying Moisturiser on my t-zone; I've seen an improvement but I'm still getting oily my midday xx
ReplyDeleteGreat review darling. This sounds like the perfect product for me! May try the Body Shop one first seems its cheaper :D xx
ReplyDeleteOutsideBeautyInsideHealth
Oh, I've been using this for about a year now and it's worked really well for me! It's been one of the few things that has combated my oily skin, but I still need to top it up during the day :( http://newwithhashtags.co.uk/loccitane-angelica-ultra-matte-fluid/
ReplyDeleteAmazing, we like L'Occitane
ReplyDeleteHas this been effective in keeping your skin hydrated/moisturised during the winter months? I'm deciding myself whether to buy the hydration cream or the matt fluid (which would help with my acne).
ReplyDeleteI guess this comes a little late now and you have probably already found a solution, but anyways: for the winter months this might not be rich enough to hydrate your skin sufficiently. I don't think that any of the 2 products you asked about are intended for acne care...of course it depends on how severe your acne is. I have combination skin and during the winter I use the Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins Cream which works great at hydrating yet not making my skin any oilier or irritated at all. The Bare Minerals Moisturizer for Combination Skin works great for the day.
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