If you’re like me, you probably normally hit Whole Foods for free-range beef or fresh produce, but you rarely wander down those middle-of-the-store aisles packed with all-natural beauty products. I mean, of course I peruse these aisles occasionally, as any good shopping blogger would, but I generally end up sticking to the tried-and-true offerings at Sephora or Nordstrom.
So when the folks from Hard Night Good Morning contacted me to tell me that D’Andra Simmons, the creator and founder of the line would be at Whole Foods from noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday, I was naturally curious. OK, first off, the name is awesome. I mean, what 20-something gal doesn’t occasionally go out for late-night drinks and not want to look like crap at brunch the next day? This line was speaking to me!
Second, when the PR people sent me samples, I fell in love with the simple, black packaging and feminine script, which again made me think of little black dresses and girls’ nights out. This is all well and good, especially for a self-admitted sucker for packaging like me, but I wondered what the deal with this line was and if the products were as effective on the inside as they were cute on the outside.
Some background: Simmons is a self-proclaimed product junkie who spent more than 10 years working in the nutrition and skin-care industries before she decided to create her own line. Hard Night Good Morning is an all-natural, aloe-vera-based skin-care line that's sulfate- and paraben-free. The first product, Facial Cocktail Serum, became popular as a fast-acting skin-saver, and that inspired Simmons to create an entire none-piece botanical skin-care line.
When I perused the collection, the first thing that struck me was that there were different face washes and moisturizers for night and day. The morning cleanser contains jojoba beads, which provide light exfoliation to leave skin radiant. In contrast, the night cleanser is oil-based to thoroughly cleanse skin and remove makeup. Pretty smart. Similarly, the daytime moisturizer is geared to protecting, anti-aging and providing a youthful glow, while the nighttime moisturizer is designed to reduce wrinkles and fine lines.
I’ve been playing around with the line for a few days — not long enough to pass judgment on the claims for each product — but there are two that already stand out to me. Before I get into them, let me quickly mention that my skin has been in crisis mode recently. After years as the girl who never washed her face and never got breakouts, my skin seems to have entered teenybopper breakout-central mode. Karma sucks. I’ve been trying all sorts of products in hopes of getting it back to normal.
A couple of months ago, someone giving me a makeover suggested I incorporate toner into my routine to help balance my skin. Since then I’ve tried a few, but I’m loving the Hard Night Good Morning Detox Toner — first because it comes in a spray bottle for easy application, and second because of its light, refreshing feel.
I’m also into the Detox Mineral Masque. After only one application, I felt like my pores looked clearer and smaller, and my skin felt more balanced and less oily. Apparently you can also use this mask as an overnight blemish treatment — I’ll be trying that soon.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Hard Night Good Morning line, stop by Whole Foods on Saturday and let Simmons tell you more about it herself.
