Skin Care Review: Tarte Maracuja Oil

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you should know that I have two passions: red lipstick and good skin care. Actually, my skin care passion isn't for merely good skin care--it's for great skin care. I'm constantly on the lookout for the next miracle elixir that will either erase years from my face or keep future years from showing. If my pocketbook allowed, I'd be one of those batshit crazy women who drop $500 on a face cream...my obsession is that great. 

Another more recent obsession for me is QVC. As one of the world's premier 24-hour-a-day infomercials, QVC offers great presentations and, often, exclusive deals on all sorts of amazing beauty products. I can literally watch the beauty showcases for hours on end. Which is how I came across Tarte's Cold-Pressed Amazonian Maracuja Oil. 

Tarte's Maracuja Oil has a lot going for it. First, there's the oil itself. It's extracted from the Amazonian Passion Flower. I mean, how awesome does that sound? Who wouldn't want to put the oil of a passion flower on their skin? Really. 

Second, there's the packaging. Here's how my Maracuja Oil arrived: 

How cute is that little woven box? At first I thought it was wasteful, until I realized that it makes a great case for lipsticks, eye and lip pencils, or jewelry. It's totally worth it since you can use it forever, plus it's adorable! Can't beat that!

When I opened the box, this is what I saw: 

That's a little brochure explaining the miraculous benefits of Maracuja Oil, such as smoother, firmer, clearer skin. What's not to love? 

Behind the brochure is the ultimate payload: the oil itself, housed in a gorgeous purple glass bottle with a gold dropper lid: 

The glass is dark, which is a good thing considering that the oil has Vitamin C in it. Nothing aggravates me more than getting Vitamin C or retinol products in clear glass or plastic, where they are subject to degradation through light exposure. Sadly, the delivery system is through a dropper, which means that the product is still exposed to air every time you use it. I wish Tarte would rethink this and package it in a sealed pump instead. However, the packaging is beautiful no matter how you look at it. 

As for the oil itself, well, it's pretty amazing. It's high in essential fatty acids and Vitamin C, both important components of intensive skin care. Essential fatty acids are a part of the skin's lipid layer and are vital for helping to maintain the elasticity and suppleness of skin. Vitamin C, of course, is a skin care superhero, aiding in the synthesis of collagen while providing antioxidant protection against free radicals, as well as helping decrease signs of hyperpigmentation. It even gives a bit of sun protection. Together, these two are a healthy-skin powerhouse duo. 

Maracuja oil is lightweight and has no discernible fragrance (although I've read reviews that refer to a nutty scent, I haven't noted it myself). I apply a few drops to my fingertips each night, rub my fingers together a bit, then press the oil into my face. The oil leaves a shine behind, so I don't recommend it for daytime use...plus, as an oil, it may degrade your makeup even if you don't get shiny. A very small amount goes a long way with the pressing method...if you try to smear it all over your face the way you do a moisturizer, you'll use a lot of unnecessary product. 

Now for my results after using Maracuja Oil. In a very short time (less than a week), I found my skin felt softer, smoother and more hydrated. As I tend to be dry and/or dehydrated most of the time, this was a great change, and one that I didn't expect. I honestly thought I was well-moisturized before I began using Maracuja Oil and that my dryness was inevitable. However, I found that with nightly use of the oil my skin became visibly hydrated without becoming oily. I no longer had hot flushes toward the end of the day. No more tightness in the afternoon. No more rapidly appearing fine lines or flakes by dinnertime. Truly amazing! And all this in a very lightweight oil. I've used oils before with some success, but they always felt heavy. This is often a good thing for me, especially when my skin feels truly parched and exposed, but with the Maracuja Oil I realized that I don't need heavy to get hydration. It's like a little miracle in a purple bottle!

Bottom Line: I've had great success with Maracuja Oil over the last couple of months. I don't know if I will need to continue it once the weather warms up this Spring, but for the colder months it's been a godsend. Remember that I've got dry skin, so you oily girls may want to proceed with some caution, but I can tell you that I experienced no breakouts with this product---only soft, smooth, truly hydrated skin. If you are normal or dry, or possibly even combination, this is worth trying. 

Tarte's Maracuja Oil from the Amazon can be purchased online at QVC.com.