The brand’s name recall is, in my opinion, quite catchy. Like when someone asks you,

Friend: what are your skin care brands?

You: The Ordinary.

And if they don’t know it, they’re next question is…

Friend: The Ordinary? What’s that?

So what I’m trying to say is that the brand name itself will definitely scratch anyone’s curiosity, but wait until you see the product naming convention & packaging.

PACKAGING

Let’s begin here. Most of their products come in glass bottles (frosted & dark coloured) while the rest come in tubes. There’s nothing fancy about these skin care products, in fact, the design is very simple and clean. 

When Beautylish announced that they will start carrying The Ordinary, the next thing to do is find out more about their products. Sure, there were reviews but if you don’t read carefully, you’ll be confused. Or in my case, a nosebleed. haha!

First of all, I ain’t a chemist nor have broad knowledge with chemicals or ingredients in their scientific name (if that’s how you can call them.) So reading stuff like NIACINAMIDE 10% or ARBUTIN is like a bit of a shock on my part! LOL! I’m like…”I’m sorry, NIACIN, what??”

“I’m sorry, NIACIN, what??”

So understanding and adjusting my focus while reading the reviews (without the products in front of me) is a challenge but thankfully, there are clear information on the website of Beautylish and it made things better. So I ordered. I used them for 1 month, gained better understanding and now I present to you, the products that changed my skin in the last 30 days.

THE ORDINARY SKIN CARE

Before I applied these on my face, I sent an email to Beautylish because I fear that I might ruin my skin if I use them incorrectly. As you know, I already have an existing (tho’ incomplete) skin care routine and I might accidentally mix stuff that can cause major irritation. So to be sure, I sent an enquiry and Bess Matthews of Beautylish helped me to come up with a proper skin care routine.

“BUFFET”

• is a water-based serum that help address the signs of aging.
• reduces fine lines and wrinkles, fades dark spots, hydrates, brightens, and promotes a firm, smooth texture.
• a bit of viscous on initial application but does not leave a sticky feel once absorbed by the skin.
• Scent-free.
• Applied on the face in the morning and evening before creams, oils, and moisturizers.
• 14.80 USD per bottle

NIACINAMIDE 10% + ZINC 1%

• is a water-based serum that helps reduce the appearance of blemishes, redness, enlarged pores, uneven tone, and oily skin.
• It promotes clearer, brighter, and smoother skin while balancing sebum production.
• has a similar viscosity with “Buffet”; but does not leave a sticky feel once absorbed by the skin.
• Applied on the face before creams, oils, and moisturizers.
• Scent-free.
• SHOULD NOT be used at the same time as treatments containing pure vitamin C (ascorbic acid).
• 5.90 USD per bottle

This can be used in the morning & evening, but I opt to use it only in the AM.

ARGIRELINE SOLUTION 10%

• is a water-based anti-aging serum that helps improve the appearance of expression wrinkles, especially around the eyes and the forehead.
• this is very liquid like that of a water.
• Scent-free.
• Few drops should be applied on the forehead & around the eyes in the morning and evening before creams, oils, and moisturizers.
• SHOULD NOT be used at the same time as treatments containing pure vitamin C (ascorbic acid).
• 7.90 USD per bottle

So, this one… I’m sure that I won’t repurchase because after a month of use, I didn’t see any significant changes on my fine lines around my eyes.

AZELAIC ACID SUSPENSION 10%

• is a lightweight cream-gel that brightens & restores an even tone and texture.
• fades hyperpigmentation and reduces the redness associated with rosacea.
• Scent-free.
• 7.90 USD per tube.

On the website, it says this should be applied AT NIGHT. However, I’m using this in the morning and so far, I got no problems. Initally I feel a bit of a tingling sensation after application but it disappears after a few minutes. But then as I used this, I noticed that the redness on my upper lip & around the nose improved a lot. There’s no need to use a colour corrector anymore!

If you’re going out, it’s recommended to wear additional sun protection during the day and limit sun exposure.

CAFFEINE SOLUTION 5% + EGCG

• is a water-based eye serum that helps reduce dark circles, under-eye bags, and puffiness.
• this is very liquid like that of a water.
• Scent-free.
• apply a small amount into the area around the eyes in the morning and evening.
• 6.70 USD per bottle

In my opinion, this serum gives an instant effect but not long lasting either. Waking up with puffy eyes is one of my concerns lately and this helps me keep the bulgy bags at bay. Is it a miracle eye serum? Maybe if it lasts the whole day or if it has a long term effect on me? But no. Just like our favourite cup of joe, it’s not permanent. But despite that, I’m keeping this in my stash.

Above is my modified evening skin care routine and below are the rest of the products used.

GLYCOLIC ACID 7% TONING SOLUTION

• is an exfoliating toner that restores a clear and radiant tone to the skin.
• Just like a regular toner, you use this after a facial wash but it’s recommended to use it ONCE A DAY.
• Scent-free.
• 8.70 USD per bottle

As I’ve mentioned on my (old) previous posts, I’ve been using the Alpha-H Liquid Gold with Glycolic Acid Toner but I stopped for a while & replaced it with this one. Comparing these two Glycolic Acids, I find that The Ordinary’s to be stronger because every time I apply it on my skin, I can always feel the “bite” so I make sure that I follow through with a (Evian’s) facial spray & pat the excess water with a facial tissue.

LACTIC ACID 10% + HA 2%

• is an exfoliating serum that helps reveal a bright, even tone and a smooth texture to your skin.
•  restores a clear and radiant tone to the skin.
• It has a bit of a citrusy, but chemical kind of smell but not too bad.
• 6.79 USD per bottle.

According to the instruction, it should be applied on a cleansed skin but since this quite a strong one, I was advised to combine it with a moisturiser to dilute the strength and avoid possible irritations. Once my skin can handle more, then I can slowly change the ratio of this skin care mix. Either way, I need my moisturiser so I just continued using them together.

5.80 USD per tube

SALICYLIC ACID 2% SOLUTION

• is a water-based exfoliating serum that exfoliates deep inside the walls of pores to fight acne, oily skin, and blemishes.
• promotes smoother skin texture and visible clarity with regular use.
• a bit of viscous on initial application but does not leave a sticky feel once absorbed by the skin.
• has a viscous consistency and scent-free.
• 4.90 USD per bottle.

I use this as a spot treatment every evening and it’s pretty similar with my favourite Mario Badescu (MB) Drying Lotion. They both have Salicylic Acid but then I noticed that MB seems may be drying the acne’s surface. The Ordinary’s, on the other hand penetrates the acne.

A little over a month ago (before I ordered & used these products) an acne came out near left my temple. I used Mario Badescu & other stuff that I have at hand but the spot just grew bigger but didn’t show the eye so when this salicylic acid solution came, I started applying it and after a week (I think), I saw a significant change on this spot. To date, you can say that it already died out. 

HIGH-ADHERENCE SILICONE PRIMER

• mattifying & blurs imperfections and helps makeup last longer.
• can also be used alone as a non-greasy hydrator that reduces the look of pores, fine lines, and uneven texture.
• 4.90 USD per tube.

I’ve been using this primer on & off for a while now. Although admittedly, it won’t make your pores smaller but your foundation is easier to apply. It slides effortlessly on the face even without the help of your usual makeup tools. At the moment, I’m still thinking if this is a candidate for repurchase or not.

AFTER 30 DAYS OF USE

Click the image for a larger view.

VERDICT

Despite my obvious vanity, I failed to take a BEFORE photo. That could have made this review better so you can actually picture the improvement of my skin. But I know to myself that my skin condition is better than before.

despite minor pimples that came out, it was relatively a month of clear skin for me.

I passed the 2-week mark that I gave to my skin and despite minor pimples (hormone related) that came out, it was relatively a month of clear skin for me. I can already go out wearing just sunscreen or tinted moisturiser & a little concealer and that’s like a dream come true, really!

So if you ask me if I love these? My answer is a solid YES.

What’s not to love? Their products are effective, easy to use and very affordable. If you look for, say, a branded facial serum, it would cost you around 100 SGD and you’ll realise that you also need a separate eye serum, so that’s another 100 SGD. If you go for luxury brands, their serums can cost you 250 SGD & up. Of course, you can try the drugstore brands and I did, too but it’s unfortunate that some of the stuff that I tried didn’t work at all and despite the lesser price, I consider that as a wasted of money.

I’m happy to say that out of the 10 products that I’ve tried from The Ordinary’s skin care range, 7 items will definitely be on my repurchase list. 

There you go! I hope that you find this review helpful & interesting. Until next time!