Annmarie Gianni Skin Care Review & Giveaway

I admit it – I have neglected my skin.  When I was younger (and had a lot more time on my hands) I would perform a multi-step skin care routine daily that included exfoliating, toning, and moisturizing.  Sometime down the line, I can’t remember if it was due to moving to a new state, starting a career, or having my first child, my skin care routine fell by the wayside.  Now with a 5 year-old and a newborn, my skin care routine (if you could even call it such), is to take a shower and apply some moisturizer with UV protection.  But let’s face it, I’m not getting any younger and neither is my skin.  I have always known the importance of taking good care of your skin.  After all, the first thing people notice is your face.  I don’t want to look old before I’m ready!  Time to take action and fight to keep my face looking young! 

Here is a “before” picture of me and my neglected, sleep-deprived skin:

I received several samples from Annmarie Gianni’s Skin Care line for review.  Annmarie Gianni Skin Care products are organic, natural, and wild-crafted.  All of their products are completely chemical-free.  Every ingredient in the product is displayed on the label (and the first ingredient of each product is love).  The line also includes aromatherapy to “soothe your physical body and help shape your inner beauty by invigorating your soul”.  Annmarie Gianni has the complete list of products and their ingredients on their website at www.annmariegianni.com .    I was excited and intrigued to try these products, as I have sensitive skin and am always cautious about the products I use.  How would my skin react to these completely natural products?  And how well do these products work?  I put Annmarie Gianni’s Skin Care line to the test to find out.

First, I want to mention that the package of products I received in the mail was the most heavenly-scented package I’ve ever received.  Upon opening the box, the mixture of natural scents from the various products hit me right away, like a fresh garden maybe – and it immediately made me smile.  They smelled amazing – not sure how else I can describe it!

On Day 1, I followed Annmarie’s step-by-step guide found in the booklet that came with the products that promised to give my face a radiant glow.

Step 1: Dry skin brush every morning.

Step 2: Aloe-Herb Facial Cleanser mixed with Ayuverdic Facial Scrub for exfoliation wash – it took a little extra effort to mix it up but was applied easily.  The pH balanced cleanser and the blend of exotic ingredients in the scrub becomes a soft yet gentle exfoliant.  I massaged it into my face for about a minute and then rinsed off with warm water.  Right away I noticed a difference in my freshly-exfoliated face.

Step 3: Neroli Toning Mist – After rinsing off the exfoliation wash, I patted my face dry and applied three sprays of the Neroli Toning Mist directly to my face.  This toning mist smells phenomenal!  The scent was vaguely familiar but I couldn’t place it.  I reviewed the ingredients list to find out what it was made from.  It is pure organic neroli distillate, which comes from orange blossoms!  It is very soothing and refreshing.

Step 4: Anti-Aging Serum – Applying this serum increases skin moisture and boosts collagen III, a type of collagen abundant in young skin that diminishes with age.  This serum is made from an impressive long list of purely natural ingredients, most of them quite exotic such as life everlasting flowers, organic flaxseed, frankincense and myrrh.

Step 5: Coconut Body Oil – Lastly, I applied the Coconut Body Oil as a moisturizer.  This product can also be used as massage oil.  It absorbs quickly and made my skin feel soft, smooth, and gave it a nice glow.

My thoughts after Day 1 – the products were easy to apply, they smelled beautiful and the scent lasted all day (aromatherapy!).  My sensitive skin had no adverse reactions to the products, and at the end of the day my skin still felt hydrated, soft, and smooth!  I honestly felt that my face had an extra glow to it.

I repeated these same steps with the same products for Day 2 and Day 3.  I felt like my skin was really improving and becoming healthier.  It seemed to be much more hydrated, and stayed that way throughout the day.  It was also softer and the aromatherapy aspect was great!  The products have such a beautiful, natural scent, it is really hard to describe.  The best way would be to try it for yourself!

On Day 4, I decided to mix it up a little.  I used the Citrus Mint Facial Cleanser first.  Again, the scent is amazing.  It left my face feeling super clean and refreshed.  I followed that up with the Dead Sea Facial Scrub.  Annmarie does not recommend this for sensitive skin, but I decided to try it anyway.  I did not have any adverse skin reactions from using it.  I did, however, find the scent to be not as pleasant (it is made with actual Dead Sea Mud).  The grains in the scrub are very small, but they definitely exfoliate.  I felt the scrub was a little too abrasive for me.  Maybe it was because my skin is sensitive.  Following the scrub, I used the Neroli Toning Mist (orange blossoms!), the Anti-Aging Serum, and this time I tried the Anti-Aging Facial Oil.  This had a wonderful scent that stayed with me for hours.  And again, my face felt much more hydrated and smooth all day long.

On Day 5, I used the Citrus Mint Facial Cleanser, the Neroli Toning Mist, the Anti-Aging Serum, and the Coconut Body Oil, all with great results and no adverse skin reactions on my sensitive skin.  The aromatherapy is a great bonus. 

On Day 6, I tried the Purifying Mud Mask.  I must say this was a lot of fun.  Remember playing in the mud as a kid?  This mask is literally made up of different types of exotic clays.  When the mud mask powder is mixed with water, it forms a brown mud that you apply to your face.  I let it fully dry and then rinsed it off with warm water.  The mask removed easily and I felt my skin was cleansed and purified.  I followed this with the Rosemary Toning Mist, the Anti-Aging Serum, and the Herbal Facial Oil for normal/combination skin.  Again, wonderful aromatherapy that lasted throughout the day.

I will say that I am definitely not accustomed to using this number of products on my face and it is a bit of a time commitment to do the various steps.  I could say that from now on I’m going to make time in my schedule to do this daily (in a perfect world, yes), but with two kids and a busy job, I’m not sure it would be realistic.       

Comments on Results:  I really did feel that the products improved the hydration and texture of my skin in a short amount of time.  I would like to experiment more with the full-sized bottles of some of the products. Also, I think I would have to use the Anti-Aging products for a longer period of time to really see if they work. 

Here is an “after” picture:

Downsides: The moisturizer I regularly use has UVA/UVB protectant which I feel is extremely important, especially for me who is a very fair-skinned Floridian.  If I were going to use the Annmarie Gianni Skin Care line regularly, I would supplement it with some type of sunscreen containing UVA/UVB protectant, as we all know the sun also ages our skin!

One other downside for me is the cost of the products.  I have no doubt that they are worth every penny, as they are completely organic, natural, and wild-crafted.  But I am a conservative spender, and I’m not sure I’d want to make the investment in the long-term use of these products.  To purchase the full-size versions of the samples I received, it would cost over $300.  If you have the budget for this, then I would encourage you to go for it, as I was very happy with the results from using the products.  Instead, I may choose a couple of items to splurge on, like the Aloe-Herb Facial Cleanser, the Ayurvedic Facial Scrub, the Neroli Toning Mist, and the Coconut Body Oil.  Those together would cost around $100 which is a little more in my price range. 

Visit the Annmarie Gianni Skin Care website to find out more about the products they offer and to order yours.  They also sell sample size bundles for $10 that I would recommend so that you can try them out before you invest in the full-sized bottles.

Aloe-Herb Facial Cleanser (50ml) $24.95

Citrus Mint Facial Cleanser (recommended for oily/acne prone skin) (50ml) $24.95

Ayuverdic Facial Scrub (50ml) $24.95

Neroli Toning Mist (30ml) $19.95

Rosemary Toning Mist (recommended for oily skin) (50ml) $29.95

Anti-Aging Serum (15ml) $49.95

Coconut Body Oil (100ml) $29.95

Coconut Honey Mask (50ml) $29.95

Anti-Aging Facial Oil (15ml) $49.95

Herbal Facial Oil (normal/combination skin, or oily/acne prone skin) (15ml) $34.95

Purifying Mud Mask (50ml) $37.95

Dead Sea Facial Scrub (50ml) $39.95

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This review was written by Carrie for The Mama Report.

I received the above mentioned product for review purposes, all opinions are my own.