[Review] Twinkle Apothecary Eye Serum & Lavender Hydrosol

Edit: I no longer feel comfortable promoting this brand after the brand owner made a snarky Instagram post chastising a customer. Despite what I'm sure was a hurtful comment (though it seems unintentional to me), it's unprofessional and unnecessary to belittle customers. I stand by my thoughts on the products but will not make another purchase.

• Shop name: Twinkle Apothecary
• Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Known for: Handmade and eco-friendly beauty products that are vegan and cruelty-free

Twinkle Apothecary's Lavender Hydrosol is a simple, soothing lavender water for the skin. It claims to be a "hydrating/balancing facial toner with calming, anti-inflammatory properties and a light floral, herbal fragrance". I think it smells a little bit like dirty dishwater. The texture is just as described - it is perfectly liquid, just like water. The sprayer was effective and left a nice mist.

I also purchased the Eye Serum, a moisturizing oil that can be applied to the eye area. The website description says, "Our roll-on eye serum combines skin-nourishing grapeseed, rosehip, and jojoba with potent essential oils to uplift, moisturize, and soothe your delicate eye area!" The texture is a lighter oil (but not a dry oil), and it has a light herbal scent that is pleasantly warm. The rollerball is metal and never had issues with sticking. Overall, I found the packaging for both items to be sturdy and well-suited to the products.

I made my purchase directly from the site in late 2020; both items are from their permanent line. I bought the smallest size of both items. The eye serum only came in one variety, but there was also an option to buy a rose version of the hydrosol.

 Thoughts

Since taking this photo, I have finished both items! They each took over a year of pretty regular use, which makes the cost a good value. I typically used them both in the morning; the eye serum was a regular part of my routine, and a little went a long way on my oily skin. The hydrosol, on the other hand, couldn't really be over-applied. I mostly used it as a layer of extra hydration over makeup or on lazy skincare days. Again, the smell was not my favorite - I contacted the owner about it to ask if everything was okay, and she assured me that it was fresh and recently restocked. It seems to just be a matter of scent preferences and a new-to-me type of lavender; I did get used to it eventually after using most of the bottle. I am going to try another brand or two for comparison, but I'd be open to purchasing this again.

For the eye serum, I'd recommend applying a tiny amount and building from there, especially if your skin is not particularly dry. On days I chose to not wear makeup, I'd often have issues with the serum getting into my eyes as my skin got more oily throughout the day. For this reason, I'm not keen on repurchasing this specific item, though I do think it is a good product that would be suited to someone else.

Overall, I am pretty pleased with my experience purchasing from Twinkle Apothecary. My items shipped in only a few hours, and I love that the entire order came in sustainable packaging. The handwritten thank-you note and free perfume sample made it even better! I will keep recommending the brand and hope to try them again sometime.