MIR Skincare

I was recently sent a sample pack from MIR for review and testing purposes. The samples lasted about two weeks - just about the right time to form an opinion, and work out how well the products work for my skin... I was sent the pack for normal/dry skin, after having a chat on twitter with Gisele, the founder of the company.

 

The MIR range was formulated by Gisele, following her frustration with a lack of products on the market which worked for her sensitive, blemish-prone skin. Gisele worked in law originally, but then decided to use her obsession with skincare and skincare ingredients to gain qualifications in both cosmetic science and makeup artistry... In short this lady know her stuff, and the website contains lots of tips for all skin types - well worth a look if you are into natural skincare too! 

The basic premise behind the range is that all "skintypes" that we are grouped into by the cosmetics industry (dry, oily, combination, normal, etc), can have sensitivity, which can manifest in a number of ways. MIR is designed in a way which I feel encourages the user to learn to treat their skin in a more instinctive manner, rather than a prescriptive manner...

Most of the products in the range are multipurpose, making them great for people who feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of products on the skincare market right now.  For example, the cleansing gel can also be used as a mask, the skin refresher can be used as a makeup remover, toner, and is even gentle enough to use as an eye makeup remover.

I have noticed the absence of SPF in the range - this is due to Gisele's personal experience of sensitivity to most manufactured sun protection - this is one aspect of the range she encourages users to add...

The range is free from irritants, fragrance, essential oils(often seen as a great ingredient in skincare, but often irritant to the skin), sulphates, fatty alcohols and comedogenic substances. The MIR website is a great source of useful information for all skintypes, and I'd recommend a good browse!

MIR Cleansing Gel

Contains rosewater, aloe vera extracts, green tea and chamomile, and is designed to rinse quickly with lukewarm water - removing the potential for hot water to irritate the skin or cause broken capillaries. It can also be wiped off with cotton wool or dampened muslin cloth.
I found that this worked well both for refreshing the skin in the morning, as well as an effective makeup remover at night. Mascara needed a little extra help shifting, but that is normal with the majority of cleansers in my opinion.  It can also be left on as a cooling soothing cleansing mask. Only a little is needed - a blob the size of a hazelnut was just about right for my face - I did notice that when my skin felt drier, a little more was needed, almost as if my skin was "absorbing" all the goodies from it... the 20ml sample provided lasted me a couple of weeks, so I reckon the full size (200ml) would last around 5 months - not bad for the retail price of£19.50
This left my skin feeling cool and clean, not tight or dry. One of my favourite items from the range... 

MIR Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser

 

This is basically similar to the cleansing gel, with the added bonus of jojoba beads - again it rinses very easily with lukewarm water. The exfoliating beads are of a nice consistency too - small in size, and enough grains in there to feel like it's "doing something", but not too harsh. Again, nice and refreshing to use and leaves the skin feeling fresh and soft with no irritation.

Slightly more expensive than the cleansing gel at £22.00 for 200mls, but this would last a long time, as you don't use it as often as the cleansing gel. 

This can be mixed with rassoul mud (also available at MIR for a deep cleansing mask, argan oil for drier skin etc, again making this a good multi-tasker

MIR Skin Refresher 

Contains organic Persian rosewater, aloe vera and allantoin. It is free from fragrance, essential oils, alcohol, propylene glycol and parabens. This can be used as a skin freshener through the day (can be decanted into a spray bottle), eye makeup remover, toner and makeup remover. 200mls retails at £19.50. I really lovced this product - it does a greaty job of doing all the tasks described above, without leaving the skin feeling tight or thirsty, and it so very refreshing... Another definite favourite for me!

MIR  Argan Beauty Oil

 

Argan oil has soooo many uses - skin conditioner, hair conditioner, cuticle oil and is rich in natural anti-oxidants. One thing that sets this one apart is that it is extracted from the raw nut - I was advised by many bloggers that a lot of Argan oil is extracted after it has been eaten by goats to make the extraction of the oil easier - yes, you read that right, the argan nuts are picked out of the goat "leavings" and the oil is then extracted... *ewwwww*. Thankfully not the case with this one!

This is really well priced too at £17.50 for 30 mls... only a couple of drops were needed for my face. I found when my skin was drier, this just sunk in like magic, but after a while ie when my skin was a bit calmer, less was needed - a little goes a long way. I used this in place of a "night cream", as it felt light enough to allow my skin to breathe, but also nourishing - like most skin oils it does leave a film on the skin, which is why I tended to use mostly at night. If I was feeling particularly dry, I'd happily mix a drop in with my moisturiser for the day time.  This would also work well mixed in with body lotion for sensitive body skin... a great staple product in my opinion. Not sure how well people with oily skin would like this, but my skin loved it...

MIR Skin Silk Lotion 

There are two moisturisers available in the MIR range - this and the MIR moisturising lotion. This is the richer of the two, and is aimed at normal/dry skin, and also doubles up as an eye cream for all skin types. 
Contains argan oil, marshmallow extract, white tea and rosehip, shea butter, aloe vera and allantoin and organic rosewater.
I have to say, even though this is the richer of the two moisturisers, it is not too heavy on the skin - I often find moisturisers aimed at dry skin are just too rich, and leave the skin feeling totally overwhelmed. This sinks in quickly, and doesn't feel heavy, just comfortable. Obviously though, there is no SPF in this, so that would need to be added. Does work well as an eye cream too - sinks in quickly and doesnt leave the area looking puffy. This retails at £33 for 50 mls - the good thing is, because the rest of the products dont sap moisture out of the skin, only a little is needed - I am still working my way through the 10 ml sample... 

I really enjoyed using this range, and over the couple of weeks I used it I noticed my skin seemed to feel a lot "calmer", and less sensitive... I had a breakout beofore commencing testing the range, and I noticed the redness and soreness did settle whilst using these products. My skin felt soft and fresh... This is a range I definitely plan on using again in the future - I have agreed to test a couple of other lines, and will carry through my commitment to do that, but this range did make my skin feel so much more comfortable and calm, I loved it. 

If you have sensitive skin, or even if you are just looking to simplefy your routine and find products that are effective and not full of harmful chemicals, I'd recommend ordering a sample pack from the MIR site (HERE) to see if it works well for you too...