I was a devoted rosehip oil user until I met strawberry oil

As someone with a serious sweet tooth, I’m partial to pretty much anything that falls into the strawberry flavoured category. Strawberry milkshakes? Sure. Strawberry clouds? Absolutely. Actual strawberries? Oh, hell, I’ll give ‘em a go.

But while I’ve definitely spritzed some strawberry stuff onto my hair (the scent of the infamous Johnson’s detangling spray is what I dream about at night) and lathered up with strawberry scented body wash in the shower, I’ve never smeared it over my skin.

It’s a little odd really – fruity beauty is nothing new – everything from peach to plum graces ingredient lists these days, and yet, strawberries, delightful as they are, are rarely invited to the topical party.

You should know that I’m generally a very devoted rosehip oil user. I don’t do too much serial skin care dating, especially when it comes to serums – they tend to be my make or break products, considering my easily irritated complexion. But when someone who will go unnamed (okay, it was me) spaced on the fact that a restock was necessary, I was left oil-less and feeling pretty damn dehydrated.

One nervous trip to my beauty cabinet later, I returned with a little bright pink bottle that claimed to be something called a ‘Strawberry Booster’. Kinda sounds like a cocktail, right? If I'm being real it was a choice solely made because of the snazzy shade – I’m a bit like a magpie when it comes to bright colours, and so into the repertoire it went.

I won’t lie; I was a tad disappointed to find that the serum inside was not the same bright berry colour as the bottle, but the let-down didn’t last long – the formula was green, you guys. Remember what I said about the bright colours? Chuck that in the win column. But no, contrary to what you might be thinking (and TBH, what I was secretly hoping for), I didn’t look like Shrek after applying it. As soon the stuff hits skin it melts into a sheer, glossy oil that leaves no colour, just a glistening glow.

I was also slightly surprised by the smell – I think I was expecting something akin to Hubba Bubba – the real thing was closer to the natural side (which checks out considering the booster’s built from real strawberry seeds, not bubblegum). The aroma is pretty earthy – like fresh-from-the-field strawberries that have brought a few leaves and a handful of dirt with them. I'm a few weeks in now, though, and I still find myself sniffing away every time, so I can confirm that it grows on you.

It definitely feels like you’ve got something on your face, and I wouldn't’ describe it as super lightweight, but I like it that way – I get a strange level of satisfaction out of watching my dry skin drink up a formula throughout the day. Texture wise, I’d describe it (in the nicest way possible) as… gloopy. Remember, it’s a booster, not an oil, so it sits somewhere between a serum and a gel, which I personally loved, but it may be a touch much for combination or oily skin types.

The booster status also means you can mix it into your favourite moisturisers or serums if you’d prefer to roll that way – I personally like to apply the pure stuff onto freshly cleansed skin as my first treatment step, but hey, do you.

Okay, onto results. As I mentioned, I’ve got sensitive skin, so I have some pretty big barometers regarding whether or not I rate a product. I’d say the first one is the most important: basically, I need said formula to not fry my face off. I’ve had some wildly dire reactions over the years, so the burn test is something I take super seriously.

Whenever I’m testing something new, I apply, and then sit there for about 10 minutes, assessing whether or not I can feel the fire of inflammation spreading across my skin. Blessedly, it wasn't a problem with the booster. Everything felt calm, and I didn’t see a spot of redness – in fact, I’d go as far as to say it took down the blotchiness levels (not easy to do with post-shower rosacea-plagued skin).

Once it’s passed that fun trial, it’s time for figuring out if it’s actually doing what the bottle says it can. This particular formula is all about softening and hydrating the skin – two things that my dry, flake-prone face is always in need of. Does my skin look totally transformed? Er, no. But it looks every bit as hydrated, happy and bright as it did when using my rosehip oil – and considering the fact that I spent years narrowing in on one that actually got it that way, that’s a pretty legit result for me. I must admit too, no hate to rosehip (I love the stuff), but this strawberry situation certainly smells a lot better.

He’s definitely a little fella – only 15ml – and after applying generously morning and night for a fortnight I’m almost out, but considering it goes for just 23 bucks at Sephora, I’m not feeling too badly about a potential re-purchase. Oh, who am I kidding, there's nothing potential about it; it smells like a strawberry smoothie for crying out loud...

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