I did visit VIVI's website, and I've heard/read reviews about their products before going there, but I didn't expect to be so impressed with the store. While the products are very reasonably priced, the store looks like some high end boutique.It's very bright, very clean, and aesthetic. The store, as well as the products' packaging, is very minimal, and neutral. I loved the fact that there's a separate table with all the testers.
When I entered the store, there was another customer shopping, and hearing how the staff was interacting with her, I was happy to see knowledgeable and helpful people working there. I've seen and heard many stories of bad customer service while shopping in Lithuanian stores, but to tell the truth I haven't experienced any during my recent trip. VIVI was no exception, and I was treated wonderfully there too. Turns out that one of the ladies working there is the owner of that franchise. She was an amazing person to chat with about the brand, the store, and natural products in general. I feel proud that such beautiful, smart, young women are so entrepreneurial and so caring about what they use. VIVI was very generous, and gave 3 products to try out (I got one more myself).
Kalonji cream: I have dry-normal skin, but I picked this cream even though it is meant for problematic skin. The ingredients offer anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, skin soothing properties, and while this is best suited for acne problems, I use it too. I tend to vary my face creams, including those for oily or combination skin. I'll choose lighter textures for summer, and richer ones for winter. I chose VIVI's kalonji cream as my nightime summer cream, because with this hot and humid weather the skin sweats during the day, and I wanted something anti-bacterial to fight whatever ugliness I have on my skin from the whole day of sweat/makeup mixture. The cream is perfect for my skin, and doesn't irritate it. I've been using it for the past 3+ weeks each night, and it didn't dry my skin. I can't tell how it works for acne, but I'm sure it won't dry the skin, which is an important factor for all skin types. Too bad there's no way to see how much product is left in the bottle, but I hope it will last long as I only need a small pump for my face.
Face wash with silk and aloe vera: I haven't tried many foam face washes, and what I tried, I wasn't thrilled with. However, hearing millions of comments on how amazing this particular face wash is, I just had to get it. The store owner suggested rose face wash foam, which is especially good for dry skin, but I'm not a big fan of roses in cosmetics (not only I don't like the scent, but I do get allergic reaction once in a while). Again, I've been using the face wash for 3+ weeks now, and it's super economical. The bottle is 155 grams total, and I haven't used even 20 grams yet (the bottle has a mark for 135 grams and what's above the line is 20 grams). I take 2 pumps for my entire face, and I only use this foam to wash my face in the evening. I love the smell as it smells like my favorite almond cake (I guess it's toasted almond fragrance), but it's not overpowering, and very gentle. The description says it does not irritate eyes, but for me it does sometimes feel uncomfortable for the eyes if I have more foam around that area and if I open my eyes. That's just a habit I have, because I want to look at the mirror and make sure that all the makeup, including mascara, is gone. I've been using the foam long enough to be certain that it washes very well and leaves no residue of makeup, so I try to remind myself that I can keep my eyes closed. It washes away makeup easily, but doesn't dry the skin, which was surprising, because I'm used to foam products (face washes, hand soap, etc.) making skin dryer. The other thing that I liked about this product is that the foam is thick and creamy (you can see in the picture that it won't fall off my hands).
Hair mask with argan and hemp oils: I usually use all hair masks as conditioners, so this was no exception. I tried putting it into my hair, braiding, leaving through the night, and washing my hair in the morning, but it's just something I don't do regularly. As for the result, I think I prefer leaving it for a minute or so while using as a conditioner. I have long, blonde, and very fine hair. I take good care of my hair, so it is healthy and shiny, but no matter if I use my all time favorite Earth Science hair mask or any other conditioner, I do put extra products on the ends to moisturize them even more. This mask works like magic, because it leaves hair soft and smooth, and I don't need to use additional products for my ends. I can run my fingers through the hair without a problem! As with the previous products, a little goes a long way, so I hope I'll enjoy this effect for a long long time.
Toothpaste with kalident (mango flavor): I knew that it's a non-foaming toothpaste, and that some people don't like it, but I didn't think it was that different from other toothpastes. This toothpaste comes in 3 flavors: mint, mango, and clover. I didn't want mint as it's just too traditional, and clover is something that makes me sick even thinking about, so I picked mango flavor. It's not the worst toothpaste, but I'm not sure if I would buy it again (and foaming is not the reason behind this). I love the mango flavor though! It doesn't give mint freshness to the mouth, but that doesn't bother me as long as my teeth feel clean and look shiny. The instructions recommend taking a small amount of toothpaste, but I take a lot in order to feel something. Even with that un-economical usage, I still have a little more than half of the tube left, and I've been using it for almost a month. Anyway, as I mentioned before, I don't really feel anything when I put the toothbrush into my mouth, and it seems that the toothpaste disappears. I know it's there just because of the mango taste, and full mouth of liquid. This is a part that bothers me as it's hard to comprehend if something is or is not going on in my mouth. While I used the toothpaste like that many times, I realized there's another way to use it. Instead of using just VIVI's toothpaste, I'll squeeze some other toothpaste on the brush as well. This way I can feel the texture as well as mango flavor. The other inconvenient thing for me is the residue that this toothpaste leave. I'm guessing it's kalident (a bioactive calcium) that does it. After brushing my teeth I have to look at the mirror to see if no toothpaste is left somewhere on my face, because otherwise it's not easy to wipe off. Any leftovers with harden and won't be brushed off by just wiping with a towel. I'm mentioning that, because I almost left the house with my "white lip liner" few times. After using regular toothpastes, I just wipe my face with the towel, but with this one it doesn't seem to work that great as it dries really fast. It kinda reminds me of liquid calcium supplement, and how it hardens around the cap.
I'm happy I got a chance to try these products, and I like every single one of them, but I don't think I will repurchase the toothpaste as I want products to make my life easier, not complicate it (even if those are small things). I would definitely buy hair mask and face wash again in the future. I'm sure they will last me a long time, but I'm already planning the best way to get them shipped to me. The kalonji cream is nice, and I enjoy using it, but not sure if I want to get a second one right away. I would probably want to try some other face creams from VIVI before returning to this one. Even while exploring the products in the store, I had 3-4 creams on my list that I was interested in, but picked only this one as I realized that I can't use that many items that quickly (I had some open ones waiting for me at home).
VIVI's products look and feel like high end natural/organic products, but the price is quite low for what you get, so I would definitely recommend trying something out from this brand.
The English version of VIVI's website is here. If you live abroad, and spend 60 EUR or more, the store will give you free international delivery (put your shipping address in the comments field)! That's a piece of information that got me very excited as I know I want to try so many more items from this brand.
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