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A few weeks ago I met with Chase, the founder of Kypris, in Selfridges, where the brand have launched exclusively in the UK.
Kypris is a high-end natural range that would not look out of place sitting next to Tata Harper or May Lindstrom on the shelf, except this is taken to the extreme. Don't be fooled or put off (as the English in particular tend to be) by the airy-fairy appearance. The product is extremely solid. I would go as far to say gorgeous. And it works. Which helps, obviously. :)
More importantly, they offer a night-time alternative to retinols for all you beautiful pregnant/breastfeeding ladies out there.
This is one of those rare brands where I could find a use for every product. I'm not joking. Based solely on the hand applications I did in the meeting, I asked for a bag for Ruth, Lily and Anna (who I was meeting up with afterwards). I wanted to share the love.
For the sake of getting something up here for you to join the party, I honed in on two products, the Moonlight Catalyst and 1000 Roses, but this will not be the last you hear of Kypris on this blog.
I thought I'd give an overview of the brand, then mini reviews on these particular products and explain why they were standout for me.
If you like your products vegan, natural and organic, but do not want to compromise on results, this is the brand for you.
Their claims are extensive:
- vegan
- wild-crafted
- organic
- local
- cruelty-free
- clinically proven
- co-op grown
- sustainably sourced
- from small farms
- synthetic free
- women-owned farms
- no petroleum anything
- 100% natural & nature derived
- certified sustainable
There are three serums, three elixirs - which are essentially more oil-based, and a body product. If you saw my original Instagram post, you will know that there was a little confusion over the pricing. By confusion, I mean that the US/UK conversion didn't add up, so I queried it. You can always expect to be punished financially when a brand is made on the other side of the ocean/world - basically outside of your home country. That's just simple economics and it's the way business works.
If however, you saw the original pricing and were put off, as I know a lot of you were, come back to the fold! After I nagged spoke to Selfridges and the brand, they reviewed the situation and they have substantially altered the pricing and it makes much more sense now. I talk more about it in this video:
ANYWAAAYYYYYYY.
ONTO THE PRODUCT.
Overall:
Natural? Organic? Man made? Vegan?
Purer than the driven snow
Tested on animals/sold in China?
No/No
What's not in it?
see above list - my favourite part is obviously 'no petroleum anything'
1000 Roses
Who is it for?
Combination/hormonal or dry/dehydrated (ideally, although in reality anyone could use it)
What’s in it?
Helianthus annuus (Sunflower Seed) Oil, Cocos nucifera (Virgin Coconut) Oil, Vitis vinifera (Grape Seed) Oil, Adansonia digitata (Baobab) Oil, Aleurites moloccans (Kukui) Oil, Calophyllum inophyllum (Tamanu) Oil, Curcubita pepo (Pumpkin Seed) Oil, Ubiquinone (CoQ10), Opuntia engelmannii (Prickly Pear Seed) Oil, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Extract, Rosa damascena (Rose) Oil, Hippophae rhamonides (Seabuckthorn Berry) Extract, Punica granatum (Pomegranate Seed) Extract, Rubus occidentalis (Black Raspberry Seed) Oil, Vaccinium macrocarpon (Cranberry Seed) Oil, Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate (From Licorice), Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (Vitamin C Ester), Rosamarinus officinalis (Rosemary Leaf) Extract, Non- GMO Mixed Tocopherols
Possibly acne/allergy/troubling for some ingredients?
None of the traditional aggravators. No fragrance at all.
How do you use it?
'Apply 2-3 drops onto the skin' - I tend to do 5 and get it straight on to the face for massage - it's too expensive to mess around with - it can obviously be layered either over or under moisturisers/other products.
What’s good about it?
Besides the 1000 roses in every bottle, it's loaded with Kaneka CoQ10, a huge antioxidant that also aids discolouration (pigmentation) and contains a vitamin c ester - making it much more stable and effective because it absorbs quicker. It's a beautiful product. The appearance of glowing, healthy skin is immediate. It soothes, hydrates, softens and leaves no sticky residue. If you had to choose between this and a super high-end serum from most department store brands (outside of my usual favourites), I'd look into this one.
What’s not so good about it?
It's £175.00 for 50 ml or £75.00 for 14ml. The price is reflective of the ingredients, but it will obviously price it out of the market for a lot of you, I know. If you're older, maybe try the smaller one and see if you think the results are worth it, before indulging in the larger size.
Where to use in your routine?
Anywhere depending on am or pm. Over serum, under moisturiser. AS your serum, on its own. Any which way you can.
1000 Roses is available from £75.00 at Selfridges.com or from $90.00 from KyprisBeauty.com
Moonlight Catalyst
Who is it for?
Everyone - but especially 'Environmentally stressed, experienced ( a really nice way of saying mature), acneic, or imbalanced complexions'.
What’s in it?
Water/Aqua, Glycerin, Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Fruit Ferment Filtrate, Xylitylglucoside, Sclerotium Gum, Algae, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, sh-Oligopeptide-1, Prunus Persica (Peach) Fruit Extract, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Flower Extract, Vigna Aconitifolia Seed Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Extract, Prunus Domestica (Plum) Fruit Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Flower Water Extract, Hydrolyzed Fucus Vesiculosus Protein, Sodium Chloride, Trehalose, Sodium Levulinate, Maltodextrin, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Anisate, Sodium Citrate
Possibly acne/allergy/troubling for some ingredients?
No
What's not in it?
Vitamin A/Retinols in any form
How do you use it?
In the evening only, straight after toning, as you would a retinol. Anything else can follow. I would use a moisturiser or another Kypris Elixir on top as this is water-based and can take oil on top of it.
What’s good about it?
I like that it has an original take on an evening product, an area that is so overwhelmed with retinols/vitamin A products. This is a heavy hitting serum. Fermented pumpkin enzymes are more effective but less irritating than AHAs, they're softening and decrease the signs of stress on the skin, including redness.
sh-Oligopeptide-1 is EGF, a powerful protein that binds to cell receptors and activates and accelerates cellular proliferation (speeds them up, airs them out). It also accelerates and promotes skin healing, increases the rate of skin renewal, and slows down skin thinning, which won't bother you if you're 25, but if you're the other side of 40, you'll know what I'm talking about. This is completely plant-derived, it's not the original human-cloned recombinant EGF.
The price. This is 47ml for £56.00. Think about the amount of overnight products that are 15ml, 30ml for a similar price, if not more. For the ingredients involved here, it's absolutely worth you looking into. You don't get ingredients like this in 'corporate' brands. Independent brands don't have to answer to shareholders about cost of goods, they are driven solely by passion for the product, not profits. They invariably add more expensive ingredients. Think Zelens, Lindstrom and Tata for starters.
What’s not so good about it?
If you are wary of EGF, whether it comes from barley or e-coli in a petri dish, you will still want to avoid this. I added EGF to my routine a while ago after BioEffect responded so positively to my post with thinking and research to reassure me of the difference between recombinant (human) EGF and biomimetic (plant) EGF.
Where to use in your routine?
After toning in the evening, underneath anything else.
Moonlight Catalyst is 47ml in size, £56.00 and available in the UK from Selfridges here and in the US for $72.00 from KyprisBeauty.com here - frankly it's a bargain for what it is.
N.B. Selfridges sold out online of Moonlight Catalyst after my Instagram post and it is still not showing as available. Maddening. I tried to warn them but to no avail. Apparently there is 'plenty' on the way. I'll flag up as soon as I hear.
More info on the brand here - it's currently available in Canada and Australia also, but I don't have that pricing.
*Worth mentioning I do not work with Kypris in any way, although I would consider breaking my 'no more skincare brands' rule because the products are the dogs bollocks. And this is not a sponsored post. And Selfridges, get your arse in gear please.
