Tried & Tested Christmas Gifts for Adults £50 and Under

Twinkle Twinkle – Organic Luxury Facial 

 Price: £40 
 Available from: Green People Organic 


Initial Reaction: This special gift set is beautifully presented and I was looking forward to trying it out. Green People products use fairly traded, organic ingredients, so ethically they’re right up my street. Green People are joint third in the Ethical Consumer shopping guide for skincare products with 14.5/20 – compared to 6/20 for ‘natural’-styled brands like Aveda and Origins, and 0/20 for Olay and Boots. I was hoping that the products would be as good as the ethical credentials. The Twinkle Twinkle gift set contains three products: Brightening Exfoliator, Rejuvenating Facial Oil and Reviving Day and Night Cream. 


At first I was a bit sceptical: they want me to put oil on my face?! I have combination skin and short cropped hair that’s often covered in oil-based hair wax, so I can easily end up with spots and was wary of putting more oil on my skin. With this in mind, I started out just using the moisturiser. At first I thought it was great, as it’s rich but not too heavy. After a few days, however (especially given the wintery weather) my skin began to feel dry and tight. The moisturiser on its own wasn’t enough; it needs to be used with the oil for the best results. 

Since I started using the oil my preconceptions have really been proved wrong. It’s totally different from having oily, greasy skin – I apply just one squirt of oil after washing my face and I find it really soothing. It leaves my skin relaxed and primed for the moisturiser – not at all greasy, which is what I was expecting. I was also a bit sceptical about the concept of a ‘day and night’ cream. Usually I use a lighter moisturiser in the daytime and a heavier cream at night and I wasn’t sure that one cream would do both jobs well. But because the moisturiser is rich and nourishing, I feel it does a heavy-duty job on my skin overnight – but it isn’t too heavy for the daytime. I’ve been using the oil and cream combination for two or three weeks now and I’m really impressed – my skin is smooth, doesn’t feel dry in the wind and cold, and I’ve even had fewer spots.