Disclaimer first - this was a free sample I have picked up on Naturisimo website. In order to get it, I had to purchase something, for which I had paid with my own money.

I love samples! Mainly because I love trying different things but also because they allow you to try a product without having to splurge out for a full version which you might not like. Unfortunately, there are no shops with extensive green beauty stock and availability of samples where I live hence I rely on online retailers to obtain my samples. Naturisimo is one of my favourites because they have regular '10-15% off' promotions and a good variety of samples. Unfortunately not everything on their website can be sampled which would have been especially useful for makeup when you really do need to try foundation before you pay £30 for a bottle which might be of wrong shade. From time to time some of their samples become free hence I picked up this moisturiser when shopping for something else. RRP is £38 for 50ml.

I have used Madara before and I have generally liked everything I have tried from them. Madara is a Latvian brand which uses natural and organic ingredients in their products. One of the biggest selling points is that they do not use water, instead, they use birch water (or sap) which is native to the Baltic regions. Birch sap is full of nature elements, such as potassium, zinc, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus, as well as amino acids. It is great for drinking but I have not seen another skincare company which uses birch water. Water as the main ingredient is one of my pet peeves - a lot of the natural and 'green' beauty products are pricey hence I feel like they could maximise the benefit of their products if something more nourishing is used instead of water, such as aloe vera. Using birch water to me feels like taking the ingredients game a step higher!

The moisturiser is primarily targeted at customers of 30+ years of age. The benefits include smoother and more radiant skin, anti-ageing effect, support of dermal collagen and repair of skin structure. Does it deliver? Partially hard to tell because I am in my early 20s and anti-ageing is not of benefit to me (I have also become slightly enthusiastic with SPF in the past year so hopefully I can protect my skin for longer) and partially because moisturiser has only lasted for 2 applications and I guess to see the full benefits you would require longer and consistent use. I find it hard to believe a moisturiser will "reverse both environmental and genetic ageing" however I cannot test it myself (the official website cites out of 35 women aged 29-70 who tested this moisturiser for 4 weeks, 100% reported a reduction of fine lines and wrinkles and improved skin elasticity and firmness). It is very possible the moisturiser leaves the skin looking very radiant because mica is included in the ingredients. For those of you who are not aware, mica is a mineral which is frequently used in mineral make up for its shimmery finish. I do not like how mica and titanium dioxide are included in almost every of their products because it seems wasteful.



The texture is nice and light yet still moisturising. It mixed well with my gel-based serum and sank into the skin without leaving a greasy residue. My skin felt very soft and I did not have any problems with applying my makeup on top of it. I did not experience any bad breakouts or irritation but I do not have very sensitive skin. I have really enjoyed the subtle herbal smell (of pines?), which did not linger so I guess it would be suitable even for people with very sensitive noses. The finish is shimmery and radiant but there are no obvious chunks of glitter.



Ingredients: Betula Alba (Birch) Juice, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Squalane, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Betaine, Sodium PCA, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea-buckthorn) Fruit Extract, Trifolium Pratense (Red Clover) Flower Extract, Galium Verum (Lady's bedstraw) Extract, Alchemilla Vulgaris (Lady's Mantle) Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Mica ( CI 77019 ), Dipalmitoyl hydroxyproline, Benzyl Alcohol, Aroma, Aqua, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Chitin, Beta-glucan, Tocopherol, Sodium Benzoate, Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail) Extract, Xanthan Gum, Ascorbyl Palmitate (Vitamin C), Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium phytate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Limonene, Linalool, Eugenol, Citral
Aroma comes from natural essential oils. 100% of ingredients come from natural origin, 70% of ingredients are organic.

Bottom line - I have really enjoyed using this moisturiser however since I do have oily skin I am not sure if it alone will be suffice for dry skin types. Would I buy it again? Yes!