Skincare Review: Odylique Calming Rose Super Tonic, Superfruit Concentrate, Honey & Oat Cleansing Bar and Calendula Balm

A few weeks before Christmas, I received a very exciting email from one of the founders of English natural brand, Essential Care (who I've raved about before, particularly with respects to their amazing Coconut Candy Scrub, Gentle Herb Shampoo and their beautiful mineral Lipsticks).  The company are currently in the process of re-branding and have changed their name to Odylique.

I always have initial doubts when I see a brand that I really like go through such a big change, but with Essential Care, it seems like a natural progression.  To me, Essential Care had high performance products, top quality organic ingredients and admirable strong ethics, but the range always looked very basic, and dare I say it, 'no frills'.  As a consumer and someone who has dabbled in PR & Marketing, the re-branding makes a lot of sense.  So what's changed?

1. The name.  Essential Care are currently changing over to Odylique with the sub tag 'By Essential Care'.  Odyl means a 'power of nature', which is fitting for a natural company who harness that very nature into their products. 

2. The packaging and design.  Gone is the 'basics' look I mentioned earlier, and in is a slick new design overhaul.  Featuring botanical illustrations by the artist Merle Goll, a simple colour coded to each of the different ranges, and of course a new logo, the new packaging instantly transforms Odylique into a  higher-end feeling brand which suits the premium products that they sell much more.  They've also made a point of writing everything in easy to read plain English, with zero jargon.

And that's it!  Everything else I believe, is still going to be the same, with the addition of some exciting new product releases.  The re-branding is currently taking place in two phases with Phase 1 already out, and the final Phase 2 coming in Spring.  To celebrate the changeover, Odylique very kindly sent me a box showcasing some of their best products.   

 Odylique Organic Superfruit Concentrate* (30ml, £33, link)

The Superfruit Concentrate is co-founder Abi's favourite product and having tested it out on numerous occasions over the past two months, I can certainly see why!  It's 100% organic and contains a special blend of Sea Buckthorn, Pomegranate, Rosehip and Avocado Oils, all of which are well known natural actives that help to regenerate, protect, repair and hydrate the skin.  If you have dry, damaged, mature and/or sensitive skin, then this is the product I'd recommend trying out first.  I've been using it as part of a weekly facial treatment since the weather became really cold, and it's been working a treat to protect my skin against the elements, keeping it feeling soft and supple.  As with all face oils, you only need to use 2-3 drops each time so a bottle lasts absolutely ages, and it absorbs quickly too.  It's been re-packaged into the sleek glass bottle you can see above, and features a clever little push button pipette that dispenses the oil perfectly without any wastage. 

 Odylique Calming Rose Super Tonic* (50ml, £15, link)

I love rosewater toners, and have enjoyed using Essential Care's Rose Petal Tonic in the past.  It's now been renamed as the Calming Rose Super Tonic, been repackaged (the glass bottle feels weighty and oh-so luxe!), and has undergone a minor formulation change, but it's one that I didn't personally notice when I started using this.  The tonic is 100% organic and dispenses as a fine mist.  It's great for using everyday in your skincare routine, especially if you have sensitive skin or suffer from redness as the rosewater helps to calm everything down.  And as you'd expect, it smells of beautiful roses.  Gorgeous! 

 Odylique Honey & Oat Cleansing Bar* (100g, £6, link)

Formulated for all skin types, including sensitive, Odylique have a range of Cleansing Bars which includes this wonderful Honey & Oat bar.  It's made with skin loving ingredients such as Coconut Oil, Honey and Olive Oil, and features Oats for a gentle exfoliation that can be used on the face and body.  I've been using it in the shower all over my body, paying particular attention to those troublesome 'wobbly bits', and I love how soft and smooth it makes my skin feel afterwards.

Odylique Calendula Balm* (20g, £7, link)

I'm a big fan of Calendula Balms and always like to have one handy in my beauty stash because it's a great multi-purpose product.  You can use it on any dry and damaged area on your face and body, and I find it's perfect for cuticles, elbows, knees, heels and lips.  I also use it when I have eczema flare ups as it does a quick job of soothing away any irritation, making my skin happy again.  This one is again 100% organic and comes in two sizes; a 20g handbag/travel size and a larger 50g tub.

Were you a fan of Essential Care?  What do you think about the name change and rebranding?

If you haven't heard of them before, are you now interested in Odylique?

The full range of Odylique products will be available from Spring 2014, with the first phase already available for purchase from essential-care.co.uk.  All of the products are handmade and have their organic ingredients certified by the Soil Association.

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