Sunday Riley Good Genes

My skin: Extremely oily, large congested pores, lots of redness.

PROS
it shrunk my huge pores!
made my skin supple

CONS
Very high price

Check out my quick demo here:

Based on what I'd read in other reviews I really wasn't too sure about whether this was going to be a wise investment or not. I find when it comes to Alpha Hydroxy Acids my skin prefers Lactic over Glycolic anyday and this formula containing Lactic plus Licorice and a host of botanicals seemed promising...and turned out to be too! I tend not to use anything containing AHA's during the daytime as I'm never convinced I've reapplied my SPF sufficiently to protect my skin as soon as Florida's heat and humidity carry it off. For that reason I use it on a night time only. The texture of Good Genes is light and would suit most skin types I'd imagine, other than possibly sensitive types. I did receive a small sample of the Luna Sleeping Night oil with this and used in conjunction with it, but will write up about that in a separate review.
Onto the results: I found my skin tone generally brighter within a week of starting use and also smoother - definitely down to the Lactic Acid. It does contain silicones, however they are thankfully much further down the ingredients list then most silicone-containing products and therefore not a huge issue for me.

I did come across some concerns in other reviews about the essential oils in the formulation. Just to clarify in case anyone is curious there are only 2 oils in here: Meadowfoam Seed Oil which is a non-phototoxic carrier oil and Lemongrass oil which is an essential oil although not a phototoxic one either, and therefore no reason to be concerned about, unless one is allergic to them specifically. Being the beauty product junkie that I am, this has gone to the back of the (very long) line as I try the next bunch of products. If and when it does eventually get used up I would repurchase this without a hesitation based on my results using approximately half the bottle. One of the very best corrective serums I've tried so far!


Selena x



~ My HG list ~

(I've sampled 100s of skin, hair and m/u products over the last decade and a half, as I'm constantly trying out new stuff all the time - usually sample/trial sizes from e-bay, also plenty courtesy of a friend who works at Sephora. Thought it might be useful to share my top 10 must-have products, subject to change if and when I come across something more effective)


1. Hair Loss Treatment: ‘Divine Herbal’ - Hair Oil
2. Lip Balm: Jack Black - Intense Therapy
3. Pigmentation/Anti-Ageing: ‘Divine Herbal’ - Facial Treatment Serum
4. Cleanser: 'Aveda' - Purifying Gel Cleanser
5. Concealer: ‘Mac’ - Studio Finish Concealer
6. Lash Growth Serum: ‘Divine Herbal’ - Divinelash
7. Foundation/SPF: ‘Juice Beauty’ - Stem Cellular Repair (warm glow)
8. Face Scrub: ‘Sisley' - Botanical Gentle Buffing Cream
9. Moisturizer: ‘Antipodes' - Rejoice Light Day Cream
10. Hand Cream: 'Origins' - Make A Difference Rejuvenating Hand Treatment

there is absolutely no reason for this to be as expensive as it is.
like, the formula is good and the ingredients are fine, it does what it's supposed to do, but the 110 dollar price tag is such a scam.
any old exoliating lactic acid serum will do just fine, you can get the same thing from paula's choice or even the ordinary for much much cheaper. i highly doubt the plant extracts in this do anything, and they could even irritate your skin.
i guess if you're just really rich and want to blow money for no reason, it's good. the packaging is cute.

I love how my skin responds to this. I will splurge from time to time to buy more, but it’s typically beyond my budget, sadly.

It’s a win for my aging skin.

I’ve repurchased this item three times because I ‘ thought’ it was doing wonders for my skin. I initially loved it and then it kind of plateaud for me. It never did a thing for dark marks, acne or scarring. The only thing it seemed to do was keep me a bit plump and keep acne at bay. These things do not justify the absurd price of a bottle. I run out of the 110.00$ bottle in 2.5 months.

I think I’m going to rebuy some MUAC Lactic acid and go from there. Cheaper and no essential oils to bother the skin.

Edit: Have recently started using The Ordinarys Vitamin C Serum with Maya Chia Super couple Serum and the red marks that Good Genes failed to obliterate? Almost gone! It’s incredible how fast these two comparatively inexpensive products helped out.

Also just finished my bottle of Good Genes, the second largest, after two months of use. I track usuage in a journal to record how long a product lasts and this stuff, I feel, should last just a bit longer for cost.

The first time I used this I was honestly blown away and then....cystic acne. I got an absolute whopper on my cheek which took ages to go. So it’s a no from me I’m afraid

This product was a swing and a miss for me. I was really excited to try it because of all the rave reviews, but once I started applying it - it did nothing for my skin. I had just ended using a different serum and my skin was looking amazing. I thought Sunday Riley was going to turn my level 8 skin into a 10. But after a few weeks of using this I noticed my texture was coming back as well as some pigmentation that had decreased with my other skincare routine. I could tell there was acne forming, but it wouldn’t surface. It also made my holy grail foundation sit poorly on my skin, primarily settling in my pores. I had never had that problem before.

Finally, I decided to stop using this and go back to my other serum. My skin is currently in a purge and I am breaking out like crazy. I never have had a breakout this severe, but knew it was going to happen after I went back to my regular products that increase cell turnover. I could tell by the texture of my skin while on Sunday Riley .... something was festering under the surface.

Based on how other people have raved about this I really wish it had worked the same for my skin! But at they same time I guess I’m lucky that I know in a couple weeks my skin will be back to normal using a product with a lower price tag!

This is a very good all in one serum - for exfoliation, brightening and hydrating. I do really see the radiance in my skin after using it. It smells really strong and i believe it has really strong components inside, sometimes my face stings lil bit using it. But it doesnt bother me. Does not irritate my skin. I'm not too sure about any skin plumping effects tho. After using it sometimes i can also rub some dead skin cells off my face because of the lactic acid. It's expensive, but a real treat for the skin and i will repurchAse it from time to time. One bad thing is the last few drops are so difficult ro get out of the bottle.

I used Dr Dennis Gross daily peels for a week straight and my chin broke out so badly that I stoped using and got the Good Genes Flash Fix travel set. I have to admit I really like both the clay cleanser and the Good Genes serum! I’m approaching my mid 30’s and never had any skin issues really except the occasional minor break out. my skin is combo more on oily side and I have to say no irratation my pores look so much clearer like others have said blurring effect, face is so soft and tight feeling. I did take 1 💄off due to price as I grabbed the travel set not knowing the full prices. I usually wash my face take makeup off and cleanse then use the serum. I wil stock up on the travel set for now.