Sunday Riley Good Genes

I am dissappointed in this brand as they blatently ignore the law for marketing purposes no doubt. They list their ingredients not in decending order like they arsupposed to, but from most expensive to least costly. This is not only against the law, but can be very dangerous if one has allergies. They know that the authorites will not prosecute them for this so they take full advantage and exploit their customers innocence and gullibility.

Packaging feels super luxurious. I wanted something to replace a cheaper daily exfoliating face lotion. I wanted something that could help with congestion, dullness, and lightening acne scars. I think it helped, but I wanted to get a silk pillow or something because I was worried it would rub off at night! It's definitely on the shinier side and when it dries, if you rub your face too much you can definitely rub off eraser bits, so I wouldn't layer it with anything. At the time, I was putting it under/over a bit of acne spot treatment, so layering didn't look the greatest on those areas. This was probably one of the first expensive skincare items I ever tried.

I have only purchased the trial size of Good Genes; I gave it a try and realized I did not need the larger bottle. Have found it extremely effective on totm large under the skin pimples; much better than Kate Somerville Eradikate. It softens skin overall but I haven’t seen any improvement on older post breakout hyperpigmentation, which was my primary reason for buying it. No difference on blackheads or pores.
Because it is so good on monthly breakouts, I always keep a small bottle with me. The smell is a bit off putting but I have somehow gotten over it since I use it sparingly.

I got this as a sample from a friend. I was not sure I wanted to try it because if I feel in love Im not sure I would want to spend the money on the full size product.

I thought the sample would only give me one or two nights of trying it but Ive used it three times already and have plenty of it left. I think a little goes a long way.

I wasnt sure about the hype surrounding this product but I have got to say that i actually love it. I don't get the "seeing results in 3 hours" part as when its on my skin it seems to actually be drying my skin out more. I can notice dehydration lines when its on.

However the next day after I rinse it off and apply my normal skincare routine my skin looks AMAZING! My fine lines around the mouth and forehead are practically non existent. Skin looks smoother and more radiant. My skin has a perfect, flawless look and a healthy glow.

I still have some of my sample left and I think I might actually want to buy this or at least find a good dupe.

I recently tried the Sunday Riley Good Genes and I experienced a permanent reaction! I applied the Good Genes as recommended on my face and blended it to my neck; immediately my neck was burning; I proceeded to wash off my neck and went to bed. The next morning, I was shocked to see that my neck was all red and dry which felt like sand paper. I moisturized and applied Aloe Vera for the burn. The burning sensation stopped within a few days but my bigger problem was the permanent reaction....my neck remained all wrinkled and extremely dry. Please be careful if considering using this product because instead of giving you beautiful skin it might age the look of your skin (neck) by 20 years!!!

I am sorry, I really am. I hate Good Genes.
Yes, it brightened my skin overall, after three weeks it did *nothing* to my melasma. My skin texture got worse and I started to get blackheads and pimples in weird places like on the side on my face next to my ear. I have never had a blackhead there in my life.
With only 4% free acid this is absolutely not worth the cost. I returned this with a bitchy attitude because the SA said: "really, Good genes broke you out?" I gave her a vicious, toothy smile. "YES. Good Genes."
Don't believe the hype. Spend your $$ on Lotion P50 if you can get your hands on that.

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.