Ole Henriksen is a brand that I have heard talked about constantly for the last few years on YouTube, blogs and social media. But they had always been a brand that I had avoided simply because the price tag was far beyond what I want to pay for my skincare. I like my drugstore items – they’ve always served me well, and better yet, their prices are on the low end of things. I can be so VERY cheap when it comes to skincare.

So when I initially received the Ole Henriksen Glow Cycle Retin-ALT Power Serum from PR, I essentially rolled my eyes and put it to the back of my cupboard figuring I’d get to it when I ran out of all of my other serums. (I hadn’t asked for the product by the way -it just showed up completely unannounced in my PO Box.) But then, a few weeks later, two more products showed up – the Pore-Balance Facial Sauna Scrub and the Cold Plunge Pore Mask  – and I was like “well okay now I’ve got three products, let’s turn this into a “I try Ole Henriksen for the first time”.

And oh my god.

Now I know what everyone is talking about. These aren’t cheap products, but I’m falling desperately in love with the brand and I’m both excited and a liiiiiitle bit scared at the same time.

After photographing all three products a few weeks ago, I added all three of them into my routine immediately. I wanted to see what exactly this was going to do to my skin.

I first started out with the Pore-Balance Facial Sauna Scrub ($34 CAD/$28 USD)  in the shower. I practically squealed with delight the first time I used it – this is a hot/cold scrub and those are some of my absolute favourites to use! When you first apply this to your skin it warms your face up, and that is so, so delightful in the morning! After you’ve rinsed it off it starts to cool your face down a bit – loved this sensation! I also appreciated that the exfoliating bits in the product are just that perfect size I love – not huge and coarse, but also not minuscule either – they’re just right. The scent on this one smells faintly of those Halls cough drops, but with a hint of… lime? Citrus something? Either way, it’s super soothing and I was so happy with the scrub.

Once out of the shower, I started up with my usual skincare routine of toner, then serum. The Glow Cycle Retin-ALT Power Serum ($70 CAD/$58 USD) is freaking PURPLE! PURPLE! I can’t quite put my finger on what it smells of, but it’s a sweet yet fresh. Be careful not to waste this product though – you really only need half a pump to cover your entire face. This serum contains AHAs and bakuchiol (a natural alternative to retinol) and claims to fight the signs of aging by targeting fine lines, wrinkles and dark spots. While I can’t say I’ve noticed a difference in my fine lines, I can confirm that my face does look oddly brighter. Not massively, and I doubt anyone would notice but me, but I have seen a positive difference. AND? This serum works fantastic under moisturizer – I had no balling up or pilling like I do with some other serums.

We’re getting to the Cold Plunge Pore Mask in a moment, but can we just take a look at these colours?? I often find skincare unbearably boring. It’s all white or clear, and often doesn’t have fun scents. I had no prior knowledge that these products were colourful, so imagine my surprise and delight when I swatched them (lol swatching skincare) for this post. Teal! Purple! Speckled grey!

And finally, the most exciting product – the Cold Plunge Pore Mask ($44 CAD/$36 USD). I had seen people wearing this bright teal mask on Instagram before, but I had no idea that it was THIS product by Ole Henriksen. Do you know how much fun it is to apply a bright teal face mask? A LOT of fun. More fun than any other skincare I’ve ever tried (except maybe a pore strip… those are so satisfying)! A little goes a long way with this one too – put a dollop on the back of your hand and then smooth it on to your face and let it sit for 15 minutes. This one smells more like a traditional clay mask with an added hint of freshness. The mask is quite cooling on the skin with a hint of tingling. I like to actually feel like my masks are doing something, so for me to have that cooling, tingling sensation is very much appreciated. And the best part? My face was noticeably smoother after taking the mask off. I’ve used a lot of skincare in my life and this one just *felt* different after it was all said and done.

So consider me converted. I’m incredibly impressed with Ole Henriksen skincare products and I’m currently looking at what else I want to try on Sephora’s web site. One thing to note is that not all of their price tags are on the high side. The serum is definitely up there at $70 CAD, but the scrub and mask are more reasonably priced at $34 and $44, respectively. And yes, I am actually considering buying a $70 serum once I’m out of this one – THAT’S how much I enjoy it.

I like that not only do I notice a difference and feel like these products are working on me, but they also make skincare fun again. They have great scents and fun colours, which may not matter to most people, but it does have a huge impact on me.

Ole Henriksen products can be purchased on sephora.ca and sephora.com.

The products featured in this post were sent to me for consideration. Post contains affiliate links.