Here’s our Sunday Riley Good Genes review. In short: A forever product, shame about the price.
What they say: “An all-in-one AHA treatment, powered by lactic acid, that clarifies, smooths, and retexturizes the appearance of skin.”
Our grade: A+
The Sunday Riley Good Genes Review: Honestly, I’d be happier if this didn’t work. I don’t need magical potions that cost between $105 and $158, depending on bottle size — ideally, I would like products that positively affect my mood and are free, like sunshine and starry nights. Alas. Here we are.
This is the truth: Good Genes is my going-out go-to. I wash my face (usually with Aesop’s Fabulous Face Cleanser) and then apply one pump (no more is needed) of Good Genes, and that’s it, voilà et fini. When I use Good Genes, I skip both moisturizer and primer: My skin feels plenty hydrated without the former, and the smoothing and retexturizing mentioned above do the same job as a primer. It’s instantly brighter without being shiny and even — but not dull. Good Genes doesn’t offer any coverage, and that’s OK. With my skin, the degree of coverage is necessarily parallel to the degree of unhappiness (read: breakouts), so I’m happy to live without it. Good Genes doesn’t offer perfect skin, but it does offer my version of perfect skin, and that’s all I need. It gets there with lactic acid; here’s a primer on how it works if you’re interested in the chemistry. Briefly: It can irritate sensitive skin, and always wear sunscreen.
I’m not jazzed about the price, and I’m not particularly jazzed about the rest of the Sunday Riley line: The Ceramic Slip cleanser is a waste of $47, and I’ve found the other oils unpleasantly heavy and/or useless. But this is a dream product. It smells weird, but I swear to God now I just associate that smell with “good skin comin’ up!” What else is there to say?
Buy It Again? Yes, even though it costs a fortune.
Further Reading: “Sunday Riley Responds to Allegations of Fake, Employee-Written Sephora Reviews” (Allure)
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