Review: Josie Maran Argan Cleansing Oil (mini size)

I've been slowly reviewing various Josie Maran products ever since I was gifted a collection of her mini-sized skincare products (like the "infinity cream" and her famous pure argan oil).  Unfortunately, I haven't loved any of what I've tried because of bad smell, texture and/or price for performance.  I've given away many items in the kit (a lip product, sunscreen & hand lotion) and have zero plans to review them because I couldn't make myself continue using them beyond once or twice.  The last item I plan to review, her Argan Cleansing Oil, falls into that same "Fail" category for me.

I'm a huge fan of double cleansing and use cleansing oil every day I wear BB cream/foundation (5-6 times a week).  My current go-to is the Clinique version (reviewed here) but I've used Etude House's Real Art line (reviewed here) as well as other samples of Asian cleansing oils so I've got a bit of experience with a variety of textures.

This Josie Maran version is the stickiest and heaviest type I've ever tried.  I'm surprised at the rave reviews online because the only way I'd use this cleansing oil again was if I suddenly developed a yen for rubbing thick honey around my face.  As yummy as that may sound, it's an incredible chore to massage around such a blubbery texture (and not one I can eat afterwards, either!).  I seriously wouldn't be surprised if I created a few premature wrinkles from all the kneading. =(

I'm getting ahead of myself but really just needed to put all that out there first.  To start at the beginning, this mini-sized 55 ml (1.9 oz) bottle has an annoying flip cap that barely dispenses product and the rigid plastic bottle is hard to squeeze.  (The full-sized version appears to have a push-down spout so would likely be more pleasant to use.)  The first time I tried this oil I assumed I was too stingy with the dispense and needed more product to create a smoother experience.  Come the second time I used nearly double the amount of oil but my poor face still came out feeling like an abused ball of dough.  

When I add water to most cleansing oils to start emulsifying/rinsing them off I expect a straightforward and easy process.  This Josie Maran cleansing oil is stubbornly clingy and it feels like a battle to grind the water against my face and loosen its hold.  I understand this oil is supposed to be for dryer skintypes that need rich hydration during cleansing but the time-consuming massage process and unpleasant texture is a dealbreaker for me.  

On top of all this, the actual performance was pretty disappointing.  There was consistently significant make-up residue left on my toner-soaked cotton pad.  (To test a cleansing oil I'll skip the post-oil foam cleanser step as an experiment but this 2nd step is actually a crucial part of double cleansing.)  Maybe it was my fault for not massaging long enough but several minutes is my limit for working a cleanser into my face and my other oil cleansers outperform this one by miles.

The brightest spot in this stick mess was the smell, a candy-like odor that's a cousin of the Jolly Rancher family.  The ingredient list is also decent (small & nothing blatantly bad for acne).  However, after 3 uses of this cleansing product I find even my frugal side cannot win out and I really can't bring myself to use it up.  Maybe I can use it to oil up the squeaky hinge on my bathroom door?

Summary

• Packaging:     2.5/5 (hygienic; hard to dispense mini version)
• Smell:             4/5 (strong; candy-like; fades fast)
• Performance:  1.5/5 (awful gooey texture; mediocre cleansing)
• Value/Price:    1.5/5 (blah performance & $32 for 180 ml/6 oz!)
• Recommend? No (only for argan fanatics or dough-kneaders needing more practice)
• Repurchase? No