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I don’t think I’m the only woman in the world to list “wine” and “skincare” among their interests. I just never expected to combine the two ― until I discovered Pelegrims.
The brand, who offer “vineyard to skin” products from the Westwell vineyard in Kent, feature antioxidant polyphenol-rich grape extract in its items. It’s a by-product of the wine-making process, and includes a Pinot Noir breed.
So you’d best believe I was keen to try their Exploration Set ― a giftable collection of face oil, hand pomade, and facial balm, all wrapped in a washable paper bag.
My skin, which is naturally dry, a little lifeless, and dull, suffers even more in winter; if I needed a pick-me-up in this weather, I reasoned, it’s worth giving my skin a little hydrating boost too.
So, the first product I tried was the brand’s facial oil (I applied it as instructed after cleansing my face).
I have some flaky skin on my chin that always crops up when the weather gets nippy; the soothing product contains active polyphenols and seed oils to help get my skin glowing.
I later learned that its amazing scent was thanks to the subtle addition of fig, grass, and rose (it reminds me a bit of a freshly pruned rosebush).
The lightweight formula didn’t feel sticky or heavy; it instantly smoothed my rough skin and left it lying flat enough to apply a thin layer of tinted moisturiser over the area.
I hadn’t been able to do that for weeks without looking like I’d landed chin-first into a bowl of porridge, so I was already pretty impressed.
Then, came the hand pomade.
Again, the gorgeous scent hit me first ― it contains rosemary leaf, fig, and amber.
I was curious as to why it was called a “pomade,” but it made sense once I placed some of the product on the back of my hand; rather than a greasy, slippery formula, it’s got a sort of creamy finish.
I actually think I used a bit too much of this stuff ― Pelegrims advises using a pea-sized amount, but the likely double portion I gave my hands still absorbed in a matter of minutes.
I was pleased with how smooth and moisturised my hands looked after; another win for wine, I guess.
Last came the facial balm, which contains Marine Algae extract (Pelegrims says this boosts collagen production) and English Pinot Noir extract, which promises to brighten and smoothen your skin.
I know I’m repeating myself here, but the smell was truly scent-sational (sorry) ― this time, we were working with wild rose and sea salt.
I loved the balm texture, which Pelegrims tells us to warm between our fingers before applying to our face.
I haven’t used it long enough to see how it affects my skin’s bounciness, though reviewers online say it’s made them look way more rested.
I will say, though, my skin definitely appeared less dull, uneven, and generally tired ― not bad given it’s winter, and (not to be TMI) my skin isn’t at its hormonal best.
I even think it helped to brighten my always-dark under-eye area. I was impressed: within a couple of hours, my skin looked like it had had an eight-hour sleep in a tub of moisturiser compared to its previous dull cast.
It might just be the best way I’ve tricked my face into thinking I drink three litres of water a day and never stay up past 12 am.
Given my main skin issues (dull, dry, flaky skin), I’ve been pretty bowled away by Pelegrims’ Exploration set.
If you think that’s just bluff, can I gently point out that I felt okay including makeup-free photos of my face here ― that really doesn’t happen often, especially not during my hormonal spottiness.
The smells are amazing; the paper bag is gorgeous, washable, and incredibly giftable; the balm and oil helped to smooth, deeply hydrate, brighten, and plump my ailing skin.
I don’t have particularly parched palms, but even I noticed how much the hyaluronic acid boosted my hands’ skin too.
I reckon I’ll be going for the full-sized balm when this mini one is done, but all of the products do their jobs in such small doses I don’t think that’ll happen for a while.
If you’re looking for a gift to give your most skincare-conscious friend, or just as a way to sample some of Pelegrims’ products, let me raise a toast to their wine-based Exploration Set.
You can say ‘bottoms up’ to the rest of their line here, too.