[Review] L'Oréal Paris Hydrafresh Anti-Shine Icy Gel

I don't usually purchase products by L'Oréal, since they are more so aimed at older women and more mature skin. This moisturiser intrigued me though, since it claims to not only be hydrating on the skin, but completely matifies it as well. This really stood out to me, since I do like to apply moisturiser to my face before putting on BB Cream/Foundation. It sounded especially useful for in the summer time, since I do have a tendency to have a shiny/oily t-zone during the hotter seasons. 

On a daily basis, then I like to use the Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion since it is super moisturising on my normal-dry skin. The only con is that it leaves my skin feeling oily/a little shiny if I don't apply anything over it. Overall, then the L'Oréal Hydrafresh was a so-so product. 

First Impression: When I first opened the packaging, I thought it was pretty standard for a moisturiser (the typical glass jar). It's not very hygienic since you have to constantly dip your fingers inside, but it didn't bother me too much since I don't usually break out (or hardly ever). The moisturiser was a surprising blue/green colour, and reminded me of a swimming pool. The gel formula felt quite light weight, and non-sticky. 

It did have a strong scent which I didn't find particularly pleasant. After applying it to my skin, in literally 10 seconds the product had completely absorbed into my skin. I was pretty amazed, since it felt as  though I had put nothing at all on my skin whatsoever. I did notice that the moisturiser leaves a somewhat burning sensation on the face once you've applied it. 

Moisturise wise, then it was "so-so". It wasn't the greatest, but I suppose that's only because I have normal/dry skin. What I didn't like was if I were to rub my face throughout the day, the moisturiser would come off in flaky clumps. I've never experienced this in a moisturiser before, since I usually use cream based formulas. I'm not entirely sure if this is universal for all gel based moisturisers, so please let me know in the comment section below. 

I thought that the flaking was not a pretty sight, since it gave the illusion that it was my skin flaking, when it was just the moisturiser. I did like how it did matify my face and reduce oily shine as it said it would. 

What I Like:

+ It absorbs almost instantly into your skin, giving you that "barely anything" on your face feeling. 
+ True to its word, it completely matified my face and reduced oily shine. 
+ It doesn't feel sticky or heavy on your skin at all. 

What I Dislike:

+ It was not very moisturising, especially for normal-dry skin. 
+ The packaging is not very hygienic (you have to constantly dip your fingers in).
+ If you were to rub your face throughout the day, the moisturiser would come off in flakes/clumps. 
+ On application, it does leave a somewhat burning sensation on the skin.
+ The scent is a very strong minty/chlorine like smell which I found unpleasant. 

Overall Opinion: Eh, it was an okay product for me. It did everything it was suppose to do, but I guess it just wasn't the right product for my skin type. I especially did not like the flaking issue, since it gave the illusion of my skin being drier than it really is. Moisture wise, then it didn't do so well either. The scent was too strong, and it left an unpleasant burning sensation on the skin upon application. I would recommend this for people with oily or combination skin, since it does completely matify the face. 

I don't recommend using this underneath your foundation or BB Cream, because it does have a tendency to flake. It is more so a day cream for those days when you don't want to wear much face make up. 

Would I Repurchase? No. I think it is a decent product, but it's just not the right one for me, or my skin type. 

Rating: ★★