Several months ago I took a look at the “Blenheim Bouquet” line from Penhaligon’s. Be sure to read my thoughts on that iconic fragrance and its flanking wet shaving products here. Now I’m back with another look at a Penhaligon’s product line, the No. 33 skincare line. This is one of two skin care lines on offer from Pen’s, the other is included in the Bayolea line of grooming products.
The No. 33 skincare products are lightly scented with the same fragrance as Penhaligon’s No. 33 eau de cologne. This is a fresh tobacco scent with year-round accessibility. In a true EdC style, it is meant to be applied relatively liberally and frequently. The fragrance of the skin care products makes me want to buy this eau de cologne. In fact, I like this fragrance so much, I would like to see the line expanded to include products like a pomade, face mask, shaving cream/soap, and aftershave splash/balm.
Face Wash
I enjoyed the way this face wash foamed up. There’s something about non-foaming face washes that always throws me off. Whether it’s true or not, I my face feels cleaner with a face wash that foams. I also appreciated that this face wash contained both glycolic and salicylic acids, which make this a pretty strong facial cleanser. It’s possible the ingredients might be too strong for those faces with sensitive skin, but since I have oily/combination skin, I was only able to test that skin type. Of course, with those ingredients, the face wash was fantastic for my skin, and I think it would work well for anyone with normal, oily, or combination skin.
Face Scrub
This scrub takes a bit of practice before it starts to feel right. I know that sounds weird. It’s a face scrub, how hard can it be? But it’s a gel based scrub, and I found that working in a little extra water helped it cover my face more smoothly. Typically, I would use this scrub on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings before I shaved. This is my normal face scrub routine. I also found that this face scrub worked better when used immediately following the face wash.
Moisturizer
This is a very light, but also a very effective moisturizer. It has a non-greasy formulation that does not leave my face feeling oily at all. Even the next morning, my face feels moisturized, but not shiny. There’s nothing worse than waking up with oily skin. It feels so frustrating, when all I did was lay still during the night, to have my face feel greasy in the morning. This moisturizer went a long way towards alleviating that.
Eye Cream
This was very simple eye cream to use, and I don’t mean that in a frivolous sense. The consistency, the dispenser, the effects were all easy and effective. All I needed was a dab the size of a kernel of corn twice a day, and the skin under my eyes looked lighter and more awake.
From fragrance to performance to ease of use, I highly recommend the Penhaligon’s No. 33 skin care line.