The other day, a friend who is a dude proudly unpacked his nighttime skincare routine. It consisted of: Splash water on face. Motorboat pillow. Sleep. And as sick as this sounds, he gradually started to admit that his non-skincare routine didn’t really leave him feeling great. In fact, to quote his partner, “It kind of makes your face feel like a sand belt.” Sad! Times have changed, kings. It’s no longer the men’s wellness-averse 1950s, or even the metrosexual 90s—even if Frasier is back on the air. Men’s skincare has never been more possible with bro-core skinfluencers such as the @dewydudes, or brands such as Lumin, which offers an accessible range of skincare products for everyone, with a special focus on men who may be new to the game.
In the words of Lumin’s luminaries, “Our expert curated products are jointly developed by the best in Los Angeles and Seoul.” Those are two corners of the world that are known for their obsession with skincare and wellness, which may be why there’s so much ingredient transparency on the brand’s site. There are also detailed breakdowns on specific ingredient inclusions, such as why ginger extract is included in Lumin’s Daily Face Moisturizer (it can purportedly calm irritated skin), or why the brand’s Advanced Clarifying Body Wash includes tea tea oil (which is often used to deep clean pores and for acne treatments).
No shade to men’s skincare lines with Manly Man™ branding, but there’s also something so refreshing about Lumin’s brand identity choices. In lieu of brandishing bears, hammers, or headless trout, Lumin’s packaging leans into a clean, gender-neutral aesthetic with matte black packaging that won’t look cringey on our bathroom shelves. Most importantly, though, Lumin is offering a 90-second questionnaire for skincare n00bs, and a free, personalized skincare kit based on the questionnaire’s results in honor of Singles’ Day, which falls on November 11 this year. (You’ll pay the $7 shipping, but that’s it.) Here are my own results from the test, which took me roughly one minute to complete:
The 14-question form consists of easy enough questions—many of which include pictures, just in case you don’t know the names of your skin type/skin conditions. Based on your input, it helps you rank your skincare concerns in order of personal importance. Curious as to how this system has been working out for Lumin, I ran to the site’s review page to see what real people had to say about the products. So far, the brand as a whole has received a 4.5-star average rating from more than 5,800 reviews, and, as one customer writes, “I’ve used CeraVe and Kiehl’s, but those never got rid of all the oil from my face. This strips it completely, but the moisturizer seems to add everything that I need back. My skin has been healthier since I switched a few months ago.” Another reviewer posted a picture of his progress, and wrote that “The dark circle defense works wonders.”
Whether you’re tired of looking like a sad sack or looking to shop for a friend or partner, Lumin’s free trial package is definitely deserving of some face time.
Browse all of Lumin’s skincare products here.
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