Everyday Beauty

This Ramadan, Izil, a skin and haircare brand from the Middle East, created an advent calendar featuring a range of products, and the OHLALA team had the pleasure of testing them out!

The Middle Eastern skin and haircare brand Izil offers various products made with natural ingredients found in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. Using 100-per-cent natural ingredients is their motto.

Skincare and haircare are a beauty priority in most girls’ lives and, during the Holy Month, extra care should be devoted to the biggest organ in our bodies –– our skin. Thinking about women’s and men’s needs, Izil created a 30-day Ramadan advent calendar with some of their products in mini sizes to be tested out.

We separated them amongst our team according to each one’s skin and hair type; here’s what each one had to say.

Omnia Elamir
Graphic Designer
One of the products that I tried was the handmade soap from Morocco, and it was foamy, which left my hands soft but not oily to the touch and gave the skin a tighter feel. The Rosy Glow Toner removed the dirt from my skin without drying it out. It had a lovely scent of rose water, and I felt that it hydrated my skin pretty well. The White Clay Powder was wonderful to exfoliate without being harsh. Having oily skin, this product improved my complexion, my foundation glided on flawlessly, and my makeup looked better. In the hair care area, I tried the Argan Nourishing Shampoo. It cleaned the hair without stripping it of moisture, left a pleasant natural smell and my scalp felt fresh and my hair less frizzy, which made styling easier. The Argan Nourishing Conditioner had a creamy consistency and helped detangle my curls, keeping a soft touch throughout the day. I only wished that there was a bit more of these products for a better experience.

Sara Waddah
Digital Editor
The Argan Nourishing Conditioner was perfect for helping nourish and bring my curls back to life after wash day. I applied it to the mid-lengths of my hair and then rinsed it out; the conditioner was able to moisturise my locks and give them a shiny appearance. After being out in the sun all day, Izil’s Rose Micellar Cleansing Water was able to cool my face down with its anti-inflammatory properties. As well as making me feel refreshed after exposing my face to the sun’s rays, the product also removed any residue of dirt that was building up.

With a strong woody fragrance, the Royal Oud Argan Oil was the best pick for moisturising my body after taking a long bath. Rich in all the essential nutrients that helped nurse my skin back to smoothness, the product was effective and smelled great. One of my favourites was the 100-per-cent Pure Black Seed Oil. By using a tiny amount with a regular moisturiser, the oil helped tackle parts of my skin that were uncomfortable due to laser procedures. As well as getting rid of the redness, it calmed and soothed the area almost instantly.

Liz O’Reilly
Editorial Director
The Orange Blossom Ultra-Hydrating Dry Oil gets a definite thumbs up. I have two inherited frizzy patches of hair, so I used this instead of my regular Argan oil. It was equally effective with the bonus of smelling great. In fact, I was so impressed with the scent that I also slathered it onto the dehydrated skin on my arms – I stayed soft and fragrant all day long.

I also loved the Moroccan Soap – Eucalyptus. I’m not a fan of hammams as I’m not keen on being scrubbed to within an inch of my life. However, this gave that black-soap experience in my own shower and left my skin feeling fabulous. I also tried a skin scrub, which was quite gentle but effective, and the Re-Mineralising Body Mask – a bit of a strange sensation, but it smelled good and left the skin on my elbows feeling rejuvenated.

The Regenerating Serum was quickly absorbed and would probably be fine for someone with ‘normal’ skin. However, my complexion is super-dry and quite delicate, and this just didn’t feel rich enough for an, admittedly, pretty tough job.

Lastly, the Pure Orange Blossom Water Toner. I wanted to like this; I really did, because it smells good. But, unfortunately, I found it very drying – not surprising really, as my regular routine does not include toner for exactly this reason.

Fernanda Langhammer
Editor
I am a big fan of skincare, and I follow my beauty routine religiously, so I was over the moon to try Izil’s products. I started by adding the Ghassoul Clay Powder, replacing my once-a-week mask moment. You are supposed to mix a bit of the powder with water and apply it to your clean skin. The drying feeling was a bit strange, but the result was excellent. The texture afterwards was soft and pleasant.

I do not scrub my face too often, maybe once every 15 days, and I used the Illuminating Almond Scrub this time around. The texture of the scrub is fantastic; it has little pieces of almond and smells great. Result wise, it did its job without leaving my skin dry, which is very important to me. I also tried two 100-per-cent oils, Argan (that I used in my hair and cuticles and loved it!) and Prickly Pear Seed (that I applied under my eyes to hydrate and help with dark circles, the skin in the area does appear moistened, I will keep using it). The Pure Damask Rose Water Toner had a great smell, but I felt that it left my complexion a bit dry, and I saw myself applying a more significant amount of moisturiser.

And last but not least, I loved the Antibacterial Hand Sanitiser, which is very practical these days and comes in a perfect size to fit even the littlest pocket.

@izilbeauty