Later this month, Elizabeth Arden have just launched yet another product within their crazy successful Eight Hour Cream line up and this one’s a goodie – All-Over Miracle Oil for face, body and hair (R385).

Initially, the fact that they slapped ‘miracle’ in the name kind of irked me. I was worried they’d step into Bio-Oil territory and associate it with a host of overblown claims regarding stretch marks. Fortunately, this isn’t the case. Arden merely claims to hydrate and multitask with applications that range from moisturising both your body and face as well as your hair.

As far as formulation goes, Miracle Oil’s a mix of multiple plant oils, the big players being rice bran oil, grape seed oil and Japanese camellia oil. Rice bran and camellia oil are both nice l’il picks from the east as they’re both non-greasy, absorb like a boss and contains love-you-long-time antioxidant vitamins, essential fatty acids and phytosterols. The latter gives them anti-inflammatory properties and the ability to soothe sensitive skin.

Another interesting ingredient is Boswellia Serrata resin extract that produces Frankincense and research has shown it’s also able to soothe inflammation (a major cause of premature ageing, just so you know) while stimulating your fibroblasts to produce more collagen. I really don’t know if Arden’s used it in a high enough concentration to have an effect so don’t toss your retinol serum just yet, but hey, every bit counts, right?

I really liked that the oil’s in a spritzer bottle – it makes even application a breeze – and appreciated that my skin drank it up fast but was left feeling supple and looking radiant. It’s supposed to have a delicate citrus-floral scent but I honestly can’t pick that up at all. That’s probably a good thing, ‘cos now I don’t have to worry about it competing with my perfume. (For the record, I’m still obsessed with Boucheron’s Quatre. OBSESSED!)

Love, love

Leigh