So, last night a woman I kinda know from the industry (she is a beauty blogger) felt completed to get in touch “to be honest” and let me know that she expected more of me (???) and that she felt that I am/my blog was lazy.
I’ve been around the earth enough years to know that when someone is cruel, it’s a refection of their own unhappiness. But, I also think this is a good opportunity to let you guys know that I only write this blog because it is fun. This is not what I do for work. I do this in my free time, in addition to my Actual Job (I start a new one on Monday!).
As a writer I know how to research a story, but what’s expressed here are my personal thoughts on beauty products and treatments. A blog post and a story are very different and these posts take me about 15 minutes because, believe it or not, I also like to spend my time doing other things like eating bags of grated cheese.
So for you, nasty woman, here’s my lazy review of Rationale skincare.
If you’re lucky enough to live in or around any of the la-de-da suburbs of Sydney or Melbourne you’ll have heard people talk about Rationale. It’s a luxury Australian skincare company by Richard Parker. It’s one of the brands I am most frequently asked about and I hadn’t tried it until a few months ago.
I was invited in to hear about the brand’s philosophy to healthy skin and give it a go. My visit to the Woollahra flagship store started with (after I marvelled at the beautiful design and floor-to-ceiling product wall pictured above) part one of a diagnosis. I filled in a form which asked a bunch of questions about my parents heritage and colouring (though it’s okay if you don’t know all the answers) and I also provided a swap of the inside of my mouth for DNA testing.
Part two a few weeks later was the fun part. Katie, my skin therapist, ran me through the results of my DNA test and explained in simple terms what it all meant. I know a fair bit about skincare but this type of genetic testing which pertains to skin health is cutting edge stuff. Turns out my skin handles glycation really well (which is the free-radical damage from refined sugars) but it can’t really process UVA and UVB rays, hence my long struggle with hyperpigmentation.
Armed with my science-backed individual diagnose, Katie prescribed a product regime for me. Here’s where I got confused. I already knew the skincare line consisted of The Essential Six, a capsule range of six products, so how would it be tailored? Turns out some people use all six in order, while others use some or all out of order. There’s also additional add-ons and boosters to treats specific concerns that may be prescribed if needed.
Katie asked me to commit to just using Rationale for a month if I could manage it, which for a beauty writer is akin to asking a chef to only eat pumpkin. But I wanted to give it a genuine shot, so I diligently obliged.
My morning routine was pretty standard for a Rationale user. Serum 1, Serum 2, Cream 3 and the eye cream. At first I was like “oh hell no, lady” at the thought of so many layers of product on my oily skin under makeup, but was happy to discover that they left a dewy glow, not a slick mess. I immediately fell in love with Serum 1 and Serum 2 used together.
My night routine was Step 4, which is a cleanser (Rationale don’t believe in morning cleansing which was fine by me because I stopped cleansing a few years ago anyway), then I had a custom combo of serums to help reduce my oiliness but also strengthen the skin on my cheeks which has become sensitised from overuse of actives. That’s in addition to treating my nominated concerns of pigmentation and ageing, too.
When I left the store Katie had written down detailed instuctions of how to use each product. Before I was home she had emailed me even more detailed instructions and told me she was on-call if I had any questions. This is where I came undone. Ask any beauty addict and they’ll tell you more is more, so even though Katie explicitly told me to use the teeniest about of a certain product on my cheeks every second night I decided to liberally slather it all over my face. Of course two days later my whole face peeled off. That’s when I fully realised the potency of the actives (I also SOS emailed Katie and she got my skin back on track, stat).
It’s been two months since I started the trial and I totally understand the hype. My skin became more luminous right away and smoother in both texture and appearance in a few weeks. Many people have commented, and just a few days ago my friend asked me what cheek highlighter I was using when all I had on was Serum 1, Serum 2 and a tinted moisturiser.
Be warned — the prices are astronomical. To get started on the Essential Six is just over $1k. If you don’t have a whole heap of disposable income and you have decent skin, don’t bother. If you do have some money to burn or have had ongoing issues with your complexion, it’s absolutely worth a look-in. Oh, and many of the night products contain Vit A/Retinol, so mummas should check with their consultant first.
I don’t suggest buying the products online to start with if you can get to a store or salon (there’s heaps, check out the website) as you really need to know ‘how’ and ‘why’ with these products. They are totally skin-changing but if you use them the wrong way you can cause damage (girl raising hand emoji).
For me, I’ll be living off Vita-Wheats until pay day if my Splurge account is running low (yes, I am a Barefoot Investor) so I can budget in Serum 1 and Serum 2 — they are now a non-negotiable part of my morning routine. I also love number 3 and the eye cream if my budget will stretch.
Another thing I liked and this is no small thing — each time I’ve been into the store I felt welcome. One of the things I really don’t like about the beauty industry is how lots of high-end places make you feel small — like you are so lucky to be there, spending wads of cash for their products or services. A lot of salons or clinics I’ve visited of the same ilk are cliquey like that, but Rationale is genuinely welcoming and attentive.