I have yet another skincare review today!  Holy Snails skincare [referral link] is another handmade, blogger-founded line, started by Chel of the blog Holy Snails. Holy Snails sells Korean-inspired products, most notably Shark Sauce (which does not contain any sharks).  I read many, many glowing reviews of Shark Sauce before deciding to take the plunge.

I purchased all products featured in this post.  All referral links are individually marked; unmarked links are not affiliate/referral.

Shark Sauce ($29 for 30ml or 5ml for $7) is “a hydrating serum that contains 5% Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) and 3% N-Acetyl Glucosamine, which work together synergistically to fight hyperpigmentation” as well as a few other soothing / hydrating / brightening / generally skin-friendly ingredients. It’s receieved a ton of blogger reviews (and some mainstream press) praising it as a miracle product.

I was excited to try it, but sadly it’s not a miracle product for me –  I haven’t noticed any visible brightening from it. That said, it has a beautiful texture and I really enjoy using it – it is hydrating, soothing, and a pleasure to use.  A little goes a long way, and I really like the simplicity of the packaging (a plastic squeeze bottle).  I used up the whole bottle, and initially didn’t plan to repurchase, but found that I missed it.  Instead of repurchasing the standard Shark Sauce, I went for February’s version of Sauce de Mois – every month, the company offers a variation of Shark Sauce with an added ingredient. It’s an enjoyable step of my routinue, and hey, maybe there’s some long term brightening going on that I just haven’t seen yet!

One fabulous thing about Holy Snails is that they offer sample/travel sizes of all their products, all in easy to use packaging. I’ve tried a few of most of their other products in sample size.

Holy Snail Water ($29 for 30ml or 5ml for $7) is an alternative to Shark Sauce – it has the same niacinamide and n-acetyl glucosamine combination, but other ingredients are different. I used up a sample, but prefer the texture of Shark Sauce.

Snowbang Essence (55ml for $39 or 7ml for $10) is a water-textured essence/toner intended to sooth, brighten, and add light hydration.  I’ve used up two samples, one in the original squeeze bottle and one in the new spray tube (which is a big improvement – the texture is better for a spray, and the sample sized tube has a very fine and even mist).  I enjoyed using Snowbang, but it’s not worth the price for me – perhaps it would be better for someone with oily or combination skin who needs a very light product.

Perseids Facial Oil (30ml for $30 or 5ml for $7) is a rich facial oil – it’s quite thick/viscous. It absorbs slowly and makes my face feel nourished and moisturized. Given the texture, I imagine it would be too much for someone with oily skin – but it’s great for me. It’s unfragranced, but the oils have a sort of nutty scent that I really like. After I used up a sample, I bought Stratia Fortify (review) to try as an alternative, as it’s a little less expensive.   I found that I really prefer the texture of Perseids, so I do plan to repurchase once I finish my bottle of Fortify.

Holy Snails products can only be purchased online. If you use my referral link to purchase, you’ll get 10% off of your first purchase and I’ll get a $5 credit. I purchased all the items featured in this post and do not have any relationship with Holy Snails – anyone with an account can create a referral link to share.

 

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