Helhem is a French eco luxe skincare brand created last year by Aurélie Le Gall who I’ve been following for years on Youtube. The textures and the scents of all of the products are carefully thought out, luxurious and designed to create a mini-facial experience which is really enjoyable.
Since I introduce new products slowly into my routines, I love buying mini skincare kits because I find that it’s the best way to try new things without wasting products. So I was excited to try this mini collection from Helhem which retails for 65€. Aurélie’s passion for green beauty translates into her brand and I love the attention to detail with the packaging, informative leaflet and speedy delivery.
This kit includes all of the products they offer at the moment which I’m going to review individually in this article:
- Hercule sandalwood cleansing balm
- Cléopatre milky foaming powder
- Maya smoothing repairing mask
- Nefertiti anti ageing brightening oil
- Olympe night retinol balm
Hercule sandalwood cleansing balm
Hercule sits in a base of cocoa, murumuru and mango seed butters along with a mix of plant oils (hazel, baobab and sunflower seed oil). 51,5% of the ingredients are organic.
Texture-wise, this is not an oily balm but more of a hard balm (although during the summer, it melted gorgeously which I prefered). I like its sandalwood and orange peel scent which smells a bit like a spa.
This cleansing balm has been formulated to transform into a milk when you add water to it after massaging it on the face. I personally like to remove it with a flannel. It’s a pleasure to use and it swiftly removes makeup. My skin feels soft and conditioned afterwards. The drier texture of the balm means that I had to use more of it compared to my usual cleansing balms, so you go through it quickly.
It’s a beautiful cleansing balm that I enjoyed using. The full-size retails for 79,5€/80ml. So this is one to get if you want to splurge on a luxurious cleanser.
Cléopatre milky foaming powder
This is an interesting and unusual product. It’s a very finely milled powder that you mix with water to cleanse your skin. It then transforms into a milk and produces a creamy lather which surprised me. I thought it would have a gritty texture and feel more like a scrub but the powder dissolves completely in water.
Here are some notable ingredients it contains: coconut fruit powder, fruit extracts (banana, pineapple, passion fruit and papaya), non-fat dry milk. The coconut milk scent with just a hint of tartness is amazing. It makes the cleansing ritual a pleasurable experience and a moment I look forward to.
I use Cleopatre as an AM cleanser or second cleanse at night. This is one of my favorite products from Helhem. It’s a sensory experience as I love both its scent and texture. It’s gentle yet smooths my skin and leaves it feeling velvety soft. The full-size retails for 60€/100ml. .
Maya smoothing repairing mask
This is an all-rounder honey mask designed to smooth, hydrate, purify and soothe the skin.
It contains 66% of honey (raw thyme and manuka honey) along with exfoliating lactic acid, hydrating hyaluronic acid and nourishing plant oils (pumpkin, hazel and sunflower seeds oils).
I like its lush, thick honey texture. I apply it on damp skin to help spread it out and leave it on for around 15 minutes. It has a strong honey and thyme scent which I found a bit too strong at first but that I’ve actually come to like in the end.
I find that it leaves my skin soft but unfortunately I didn’t notice much else in terms of results. I might be the exception because it seems to be everyone’s favorite product from the Helhem range.
The full-size retails for 75€/80ml. .
Nefertiti anti ageing brightening oil
Nefertiti is a well formulated all-rounder face oil that helps with skin texture, tone and hydration.
I like the synergy of plant oils (macadamia, poppy, passion fruit, pomegranate, prickly pear and sunflower seeds oil) and essential oils (rose geranium, rosalina, rosewood and santal) used there. It also contains an algae extract (atlantic wakame) that helps with skin suppleness.
Nefertiti is a clear oil with a light texture that penetrates quickly into the skin but gives enough time to massage the face. This is my preferred oil viscosity as it doesn’t leave a heavy residue and melts into the skin. Here, santal has been coupled with floral essential oils which gives this light sugary pastry scent that I love.
This is one of the best product in the Helhem range in my opinion. It balances my skin, prevents dehydration, evens out my skintone and makes my skin more luminous.
The full-size retails for 90€/30ml.
Olympe retinol balm
Olympe is a nourishing face balm that smooths and plumps the skin. It helps to seal in moisture and revitalize the skin.
It sits in a base of cocoa, murumuru and cupuacu butters along with soothing anti-inflammatory oils (such as hemp seed oil and calendula flower oil). It doesn’t contain retinol or retinol esters but a natural derivative from calendula (calendula contains carotenoids that are precursors of vitamin A). The composition is beautiful and well thought-out as with all of the Helhem products.
It has a harder balm texture similar to Hercule’s (although, again, with the warmer temperatures it slightly melts). You only need a small amount for the whole face. I press it into the skin over my serum.
It has a soft and herbal scent that I find pleasant (the immortelle essential oil particularly comes through).
I really like Olympe. It works on multiple levels and gives a “beautiful skin” effect by smoothing the skin texture. At 110€ for a 30ml pot, it is the most expensive product from the range and it’s out of my budget but it’s a beautiful balm nonetheless if you can afford it.
For me, the standouts products from the line are :
- Cléopatre milky foaming powder: I love the velvety texture of this cleanser. It gently cleanses, softens and smooths my skin. Plus it has a wonderful milky coconut scent and it’s a pleasure to use.
- Nefertiti anti ageing brightening oil : I only need to use a few drops of this oil to nourish and lock the moisture into my skin. My skin looks plump and radiant when I use it.
