FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Madara Cosmetics

     After an inspection of my beauty storage I realized how many samples I have and its about the time to finally try them out. So for past couple of weeks I have been using everything from MADARA COSMETICS, Latvian Eco-cosmetics brand that has earned a lot of love and respect from its customers in Latvia and outside its boarders as well.
    In total I had 10 different products to try out, most of them in sample size, but each sample was enough for 2-3 applications, so it was enough to give me a good idea whether or not I should consider purchasing a full size item.

MULTI ACTION MICELLAR WATER

     Lets start with cleansing products first. From all face cleanser product options, micellar waters are at the top of my list. It is the most convenient product to throw in your suitcase for traveling as it is supposed to clean, tone and prep the skin all at once. Best thing is that they don't require to be rinsed off with water and other skincare can be applied right away.

    My favorite quality of MADARA Micellar Water is - how quick it removes my mascara. Yet my issue is - how slow it removes my foundation. I have to use so much product and cotton to properly remove all my daily makeup, that the bottle is already half empty only after 6-7 uses.
     On the other hand, this micellar water contains some really beneficial ingredients as Aloe Vera and Hyaluronic Acid, and my skin is in love with the formula itself. Skin feels refreshed, already hydrated and so smooth, neither bad reactions nor blemishes. Creams and serums afterwards absorbs well and skin is pampered and comforted for a good night sleep.
     I will continue using it as eye makeup remover and time-to-time toner, but i wish MADARA would start producing larger sized bottle of this almost-wonderful product.

PRICE: 14.50 EUR

BRIGHTENING AHA PEEL MASK

     We are not friends. I don't get it, why not? I like soft peels and I use products with Alpha or Beta acids regularly  but this one made me brake out on my forehead and skin did not feel clean. Needless to say, there was no brightening effect just a sticky mess. Before I throw more shade I will mention that I know a girl who loves this mask and her skin type is more like dry combination.
     Mask contains AHA, but it doesn't mention what is the concentration. Use it 1-2 times per week, 3-15 minutes according to your skin type. I tried it two times and both had same issues, so I wouldn't recommend it for oily/combination skin, prone to blemishes.
     It is possible to purchase small size to try it out for 5 EUR (3-4 uses)

PRICE FOR FULL SIZE: 23.50 EUR
PRICE FOR TRAVEL SIZE: 7 USD

EXFOLIATING OIL-TO-MILK SCRUB

     First time I hated it, the other two loved! Great formula and effective exfoliation, skin is smooth and brightened. You must use it on dry skin, massage it in, then rinse it and it will turn milky. What makes me happy is how thick it is and you don't feel the oiliness at the start, but after rinsing skin feels refreshed and not greasy at all.
     It contains wax micro-beads, oils of apricot and oats, use 1-2 times a week. Scrub also is sold in travel size.

PRICE FOR FULL SIZE: 23.50 EUR
PRICE FOR TRAVEL SIZE: 5.99 USD

CLOUBERRY OAT MILK HAND & BODY SOAP

     Firstly, I would like us to appreciate the design, how good is it? Love the shape of it and how sleek is the box, its a shame to use it even. :) I tried it out on my hands AND body, to see the full effect. I used it even to shave my legs if talk completely honest here. For body seems little bit drying because I am used to shower oils, but it foams so richly and creamy that makes a great base for shaving. For hands it is excellent because its less drying that most soap bars, plus I use hand cream afterwards anyway.

     Scent is lovely and even unisex, apart of clouberry and oat milk it contains jojoba oil as well.
     This is not a very cheap soap but it is worth the price and makes a lovely small gift for someone.

PRICE PER SET: 11.50 EUR

TIME MIRACLE: ULTIMATE FACE LIFT & AGE DEFENCE

     Well, this is anti-aging skincare, so, maybe, I am not yet the best person to review these products. Also it is very hard to tell the effectiveness of anti-aging care only in couple days, but it is possible to say how 'aggressive' the product is and how skin is reacting, whether or not it is accepting the formula.

ULTIMATE FACE LIFT DAY CREAM

     Cream for all skin types - usually I wouldn't even look at the product that says these words. Honestly, to me it sound unreliable as our skins are so so so different and each one of us has different issues and specifics.  So I was prepared for a heavy textured cream that will clog my pores an make my face ultra-shiny, but, guess what, it did not!
     Texture is lightweight, non sticky and leaves skin so smooth and hydrated. I used it also on my neck area, thought maybe i would see some anti-aging effect there, and, I must say, skin feels so plumped and healthy, nice to touch as well. It is a bit richer than my usual face creams and I my forehead gets shiny during the day, yet very minimal shine on other part of the face.
     ULTIMATE FACE LIFT DAY CREAM is claimed to accelerate the cell division for 25%, protection from free radicals, therefore rejuvenating the skin and preventing its genetic aging.
It is also the first anti-aging product in the world that has its formula based on birch tree juice. Isn't that exciting? My fellow Latvian readers will understand. :)
     I would really like to hear some ladies in age 50-60 if they actually notice any significant difference after using MADARA Time Miracle skincare in long term. This treat is not cheap!

PRICE: 49.00 EUR

AGE DEFENCE DAY CREAM

     Again the cream texture, how do they do it? It is so smoothing and silky, absorbs quickly without leaving any unpleasant sensation. Must admit that I was using this sample for night time, because i wanted to try all products at once to see how my skin will react to MADARA brand in general. And it made a very lovely night cream with some good anti-fatigué effect. I noticed similar plumping effect as with the Face Lift Day Cream, but in the fight between two, lift cream is a winner for me.
     AGE DEFENCE Day Cream claims to stimulate the production of natural collagen, if it is true, amazing, cookie to MADARA. I once saw an interesting post about how beauty brands are playing their marketing games by selling and promoting Collagen creams that actually don't work. See, you have to pick the products that claim to stimulate the production of collagen cells not the ones that claim to have actual collagen in their ingredients. Post gave a perfect example: collagen molecules are so large that they are not capable to absorb inside the skin, so they will only stay on the surface. Imagine that you have a house that is falling apart, will you throw bricks at it to fix it? Same with collagen, you have to support the one that you already have, give it some nice nutrients and keep it healthy.
     I am blessed with skin that is aging slowly, keep in mind that I am only 27, don't smoke and try to take care of my skin as I good as I possibly can. But a lot of women my age already has their first aging issues and I believe that you should use skincare according to your skins condition not because of the 'time stamp' that is stated by brand. I don't have any visible wrinkles and my fine lines are tiny, so I cannot claim the TIME MIRACLE lines anti-wrinkle effectiveness.

PRICE: 43.00 EUR

MOISTURIZING SKINCARE

     Now, finally, we got to the care that is actually necessary for my skin. I got 2 from the classic "green line" and two SOS HYDRA REPAIR line samples (cream missed the photo shoot).

DEEP MOISTURE FLUID - DAY

     I had 3-4 samples so I could try out this fluid more than other items.
     For normal combination skin - perfect. Texture is also excellent, makeup stays put with minimal shine in T-zone. This is my favorite MADARA cream and it would be the first one to be purchased in full size. There is something in the formula that I love, but others might hate: after application skin feels bit waxy but NOT greasy, difficult to explain, but exactly for this reason it makes such a lovely makeup primer. Skin feels so comfortable and hydrated, makeup feels fresh all day long.
      It contains natural oils (could be the reason for waxy feel...) and Hyaluronic Acid, yay! It also claims to balance the combination skin, but I haven't noticed any particular improvements on that.

PRICE: 27.50 EUR

EYE CONTOUR CREAM

     Very liquidy and smooth texture that absorbs quickly, but the scent of this cream... I understand that MADARA is all about natural and some creams can have very pronounced, vegetal smell, but for eye cream it was a little too much for my liking.
     Cream promises to minimize puffiness and dark circles, but I didn't notice any effect on darkness. Yet definitely there is an anti-fatigue effect because in the morning I didn't have any under eye bags and skin was feeling fresh and hydrated all day long. Product ingredients includes Northern plant extracts, natural oils and Hyaluronic acid as well, so it seems to me that the formulas of all products are quite similar, not that I am complaining - my skin is ok with it.

PRICE: 25.50 EUR

HYDRA REPAIR INTENSIVE SERUM & CREAM

     It does what it says on the label and is a bit too much for me. HYDRA REPAIR line is for someone dry/very dry and very dehydrated. I can see myself using it after a long flight or in any other occasion where my skin would be stressed out and tired. I used it for night time and woke up very oily, but without any other discomfort. I tried out the cream version (no way that I could layer both) and somehow it seemed much lighter formula and my face was less shiny. Explain that?
     HYDRA REPAIR line includes peony, linseed and Hyaluronic acid. It claims to be good for all skintypes but I would suggest that my fellow Oily/Combination skins use it only when necessary.

SERUM PRICE: 35.00 EUR
CREAM PRICE: 33.00 EUR



     Overall I must say that I quite enjoyed this experience and most products I find really good  and some not good for my skin. I didn't have any irritations (except the peel mask) and skin feels soft, plumped and moisturized, despite the fact that I had a bit crazy week between two countries and very minimal time to rest and pull myself together.
     MADARA COSMETICS has such a big potential and it is very competitive in beauty market, just I wish it would become more accessible abroad. For Latvians, MADARA is already an iconic name and one of the top things to bring as gifts to represent out country.
     MADARA skincare is in quite high price range but for me it seems appropriate as I have tried many high end products and there are some big names that are not half worth of what I have just tried from M. Textures of all creams are smooth, hydrating and feels like a luxurious yer lightweight treatment. Actually, textures are amazing of most of the products I tried!
     The smell though... I understand the reasons behind it, but I still they would smell little bit better. They kind of miss some "freshness" if you know what I mean.
     Definitely, I will try more of MADARA and I hope they will keep up the good work and introduce more and more amazing products. Thank you, Dear Readers, for finishing this looong loong post! :)
Please, comment below, which MADARA products are your favorites and which you disliked.