I'm not sure exactly when Colleen Rothschild launched her skincare line, but I started noticing the brand in blogs a couple years ago. I was immediately attracted to the simple yet elegant, gender-neutral packaging and the realistic claims backing the product. I also like to support female entrepreneurs when I can, so a few of her products have been on my wish list for a while. But you know what happens with wish lists, newer and shinier products or sales always get you sidetracked... As you can imagine, I was really excited when the brand contacted me to try a few of these exact products!

What I look for in skincare are great formulations that bring visible results, products that I enjoy using, and packaging that is functional and minimalist. This is exactly what Colleen Rothschild does, so I can say that the brand is right up my alley! Colleen prides herself on creating a line of carefully curated products that provide real results thanks to science-based formulas and offer a luxurious sensory experience. It sounds fantastic, but do the products really deliver? Let's take a closer look at the products I received, the Radiant Cleansing Balm and the Face Oil No9.




Radiant Cleansing Balm

To tell you that I was ecstatic when I received this product is not an exaggeration. I am a big, big fan of cleansing balms, that I much prefer to cleansing oils or milks to remove makeup, and I had just finished my beloved Cinq Mondes Flower Cleansing Balm when this one showed up at my door.

The Radiant Cleansing Balm is packaged in a wide, clear frosted plastic jar. It really looks like glass, but it's much lighter and less fragile! The jar comes in a sturdy, luxurious cardboard box that also contains a muslin cloth. Colleen Rothschild suggest applying the balm to dry skin and massaging with dry hands, then wetting the cloth with warm water and wiping the balm off. The muslin cloth adds to the sensory experience and provides a very gentle exfoliation, but I don't really need to use it: the balm rinses very easily with just the hands, without having to rub.




The yellow balm has a rather strong herbal scent. I find it quite pleasant, it makes me think of a traditional medicinal ointment. The balm texture is that of a thick and slightly grainy butter that melts on contact with skin. I always use a separate product to remove my eye makeup (I have very sensitive eyes) and then massage my cleansing balm into my skin to take off face makeup. The Radiant Cleansing Balm does a great job at lifting and melting away even long-wearing foundation. Then I emulsify by adding just a little bit of water to my face, which turns the balm mixed with makeup into a milky lotion, and finally rinse off. As I said earlier the balm rinses very easily without leaving any residue on my skin. It just feels clean but not stripped of its natural moisture. I often follow with a second cleanse, but I have to say that it's not absolutely necessary: I've used micellar water after the balm a few times and the cotton pad was perfectly clean, showing that no trace of makeup was left behind.

There are a few things to note about the formula. First, it's not vegan, since it contains lanolin, which may be important information for some of you. Second, the first ingredient is paraffin. You will find people out there to tell you that paraffin, a mineral oil, is the devil, but I simply don't think that's true. Paraffin has been used for a very long time in skin care for its hydrating and healing properties - it coats the skin, creating a protective barrier. In this cleansing balm, it must be one of the ingredients what work so great at breaking down long-wear, waterproof makeup. So I'm certainly not disturbed by the presence of paraffin, an ingredient that Paula's Choice rates as Good and EWG as "low hazard" (1 on a scale that goes up to 10). However, in a high-end cleansing balm such as this one, I would have loved to see a more noble plant oil being the base of the formulation, as it is in Cinq Mondes' Flower Cleansing Balm.  There are a lot of beautiful plant oils further down the list of ingredients as you can see:
Paraffin, Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-75 Lanolin, PEG-30 Lanolin, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Linum Usitatissimum (Flax) Seed Oil, Nigella Sativa (Blackseed) Seed Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea (Marula) Seed Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Luffa Cylindrica Seed Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), PPG-12/SMDI Copolymer, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Parfum(Fragrance), Eugenol, Linalool

I think this is a great cleansing balm for people who wear a full face of makeup daily, and dry skins could also benefit from using it as a morning cleanser considering all the emollient ingredients it contains. For $65 it isn't cheap but the quality is there!


Face Oil No9

This sumptuous oil comes in a small frosted glass bottle with a pump. I love pumps so much more than messy droppers! I don't know why skincare companies keep making droppers, they're so annoying... Anyways, as you would have guessed from its name, the Face Oil No9 contains nine plant oils to deeply moisturize and nourish skin as well as improve its radiance. Their antioxidant properties reduce oxidative stress and they restore skin's moisture barrier. Don't you love it when skincare brands keep it real instead of making silly claims such as "you will lose 10 years in 10 minutes"?




Here's the full ingredients list where you can spot the nine oils, plus other plant extracts as well as silicones that help make it a dry, fast absorbing face oil:
Cyclopentasiloxane, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Dimethicone, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea (Marula) Seed Oil, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Nigella Sativa Seed (Blackseed) Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Borago Officinalis Extract, Angelica Polymorpha Sinensis (Dong Quai) Root Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Extract, Bisabolol, PPG-12/SMDI Copolymer, Parfum(Fragrance), Linalool, Limonene, Citronellol, Benzyl Benzoate

The Face Oil No9 is very fluid and feels lightweight, quickly sinking into the skin without leaving any greasy residue. I know many oils promise to be non-greasy, but for this one it's absolutely true. There is not a trace of oiliness left on my skin once it's been absorbed, which takes less than a minute! If you've been wanting to try face oils but hate greasy products, this is something you should definitely try (and don't forget my face oil application tip!). It also has a light, herbal scent that makes the application a very relaxing moment.

After use my skin feels hydrated and plump, and also incredibly soft. Like I can't stop touching it soft. It's still very warm here in San Diego so I haven't used the Face Oil No9 daily since I received it, but I most likely will when the temperatures finally go down. This oil really feels so luxurious on the skin, and the at $85 the price tag reflects its quality.



I'm very impressed by the two products I have tried by Colleen Rothschild so far. They're quite an investment but the quality and luxurious experience they provide make me very eager to try the rest of the skincare range! Most importantly, the brand's values perfectly align with my expectations, so I feel like the line was designed with someone like me in mind.


On the brand's website: Face Oil No9 and Radiant Cleansing Balm.
Just for you, I have a 20% off discount code valid on the colleenrotschild.com on any full price item: LULLE20 - don't wait too long if you want to use it, it's only valid for one week after the publication of this post!



The products featured in this review were sent by PR for consideration. I received no compensation to write this post, which only reflects my personal opinion. This post contains affiliate links.