Thumbs Down | Garnier Moisture Match

Argh, the dreaded moment when a popular beauty product just doesn't do it for you. I've tried my hardest to fall in love with Garnier's new range of Moisture Match facial moisturisers, having bought, tried and discarded four of the varieties on sale. Yep, four bottles, out of five. You can't accuse me of not trying! I thought if I could find the 'right one' I'd be head over heels, but alas, that just hasn't been the case. The latest addition to my Moisture Match collection is the Mattifying Fresh Cream, aimed at 'combination to oily skin'. Mattifying Fresh Cream claims to provide 24 hour hydration and boasts the tagline 'shine be gone'. I figured this sounded pretty promising for my combination shine-prone skin, what with the heatwave we've been experiencing in the UK recently. My skin has gone into major oil overload and keeping it matte is proving to be a bit of a nightmare. 

Garnier Moisture Match Mattifying Fresh Cream, £5.99 at Boots (currently on offer for £3.99)

I'm beginning to wonder if I'm afflicted with some sort of alien skin because Garnier's Moisture Match range really doesn't seem to be doing anything for me *sobs* Each of the four creams I've tried have left a bizarre tacky, sticky coating on my skin, and never seem to absorb properly. I was hoping the Mattifying Fresh Cream might be different, but unfortunately not. According to the blurb on the back of the box, it claims to have a 'tailored texture', being 'oil free' and 'quick to absorb'. It also contains a 'patented hydrating active' to deliver '24h hydration'. The 'tailored formula' contains anti-oxidising 'green tea extract' to 'leave your skin feeling beautifully smooth and mattified all day long'. Apparently you can 'feel the difference instantly'. Hmm... 

Texture wise, it starts out fairly promising. It has a light cream gel formula that doesn't seem heavy on first application, and it's very easy to rub into the skin without dragging. A little goes a long way. Yet after applying, I have to wait for what seems like forever for the cream to sink in, and even when it eventually dries it leaves behind a slide-y, silicone type of texture. I really don't tend to like silicone primers so this isn't a sensation I particularly want from my moisturiser. While the cream gel has a refreshing, pleasantly floral scent, it just doesn't agree with me texture-wise and it makes applying my make-up on top a real difficulty. 

In terms of immediate and long lasting mattifying action, I have to disagree. My skin still looks quite shiny immediately after applying and because it takes so long to sink in and leaves behind an odd coating, it doesn't seem to mattify much at all. I tested this out on my arm just to see if my face was being particularly strange, but again the cream gel took a while to sink in and left behind a noticeable plastic-y shine. I guess it does moisturise in that my skin doesn't feel dry or tight; but that's not enough to win me over I'm afraid. Can I really 'feel the difference instantly?' That would be a no from me, unfortunately. 

After cleansing I usually apply moisturiser and then The Body Shop Tea Tree Pore Minimiser as a primer (non-silicone feel!) followed by foundation/BB cream and concealer. I like my moisturiser to sink in and settle pretty quickly so I can get on with applying my make-up, but when I applied foundation on top of a light layer of Mattifying Fresh Cream (skipping my usual primer to give the cream a 'fair test' when used on naked skin followed directly by foundation) the foundation sort of slid straight off and refused to 'stick' anywhere. I ended up massaging foundation around and around in circles all over my face, trying to make it anchor to my skin but it turned into a bit of a slippery mess, which isn't ideal. I do use a dusting of loose powder to set my base but I prefer my base to have some of 'stick' prior to doing so! It doesn't seem to be 'quick to absorb' for me which is a shame as this is something I like in a moisturiser. 

Once I'd finally managed to get my foundation to settle somewhat, and set everything with powder, I decided to see how my skin would fare throughout the day. Considering the slipperiness experienced when applying my foundation I wasn't feeling very optimistic about the cream's all day long mattifying promise, to be honest. Sadly, after a few hours I was already suffering from an attack of the dreaded shiny forehead/chin/nose and I had to dab at my face with blotting papers and pressed powder quite extensively to sort it out. 'Mattified all day long'? Argh, sadly not *sobs again* Long lasting mattifying action is one of the main things I look for in skin care products, along with quick absorption, so this is a huge let down for me. 

I feel awful writing this review as I really wanted to be a fan of the Moisture Match range. After all, it sounds so promising, creating a range of tailored products for different skin types, and Garnier products usually suit me to a t. In case you're wondering, the other creams I've tried from the Moisture Match range are as follows: Start Afresh (normal/dry skin, used in colder months) felt very sticky and and greasy, and sort of peeled off my skin after applying. Goodbye Dry (dry/very dry skin, to target very dry patches on cheeks) felt even more silicon-y and left my skin looking like an oil slick. Didn't absorb on dry patches at all. Protect & Glow (normal skin, purchased because of its SPF20) found this left my skin looking very shiny and feeling very sticky; again, it didn't absorb and it left a weird coating on the skin. My skin's needs change throughout the seasons, hence why I bought so many different varieties. I was certain that the one tailored for combination to oily skin would be 'the one!' for controlling shine throughout the summer. 

As much as I'd love to say how well Garnier's Mattifying Fresh Cream works for me, it just really doesn't seem to suit my skin. I've read countless positive reviews of the Moisture Match range so perhaps my skin is just being strange, or it could simply be that we all have different preferences and favour different textures/scents/finishes which is of course perfectly understandable. It's important to try things for yourself, and I'm in no way suggesting you should avoid these products, I'm just giving my honest opinion. I guess I'm quite picky when it comes to lotions and potions and unfortunately Garnier's Mattifying Fresh Cream doesn't quite tick my skin care boxes. 

Have you tried the Moisture Match range? Are you a fan? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Read more on Garnier Moisture Match here