The Kalahari Icon Duo pairs our Royal Kalahari Face Serum, winner of People's Star Beauty Award for Best Facial Care Product, with our Royal Kalahari Under Eye and Lip Serum Roller Oil. They belong together because they come from the same family of oils, made for two different kinds of skin: the serum for the face and neck, and the roller for under the eyes and the lips, where skin is thin and dries first. Used together, they cover the whole face in a couple of minutes.
Here is what is in each bottle, why the two formulas differ, and how we make them.
What comes in the duo
The duo holds two pieces. The Royal Kalahari Face Serum comes in a 1 fl oz bottle. It is a light face oil built on Kalahari melon seed oil that gives lasting hydration without a greasy feel, and with daily use skin looks smoother, brighter and more even.
The Royal Kalahari Under Eye and Lip Serum Roller Oil comes in a 10 ml amber glass bottle with a gold cap and a steel roller ball. It is small enough for any bag and leaves the under-eye area and lips looking smoother and softer.
One family of oils
Both formulas start with cold-pressed Kalahari melon seed oil, our hero ingredient. It comes from the seeds of a wild melon that grows in the Kalahari of southern Africa, and it is light, fast-absorbing and rich in linoleic acid, an oil that helps skin hold moisture without sitting on top of it.
In the face serum, Kalahari melon is joined by baobab and camellia seed oils, which cushion and soften dry skin; passion fruit seed oil, which helps skin look brighter and more even; tamanu, which comforts skin that looks dry or stressed; and mongongo. Monoi de Tahiti, coconut oil infused with tiare flowers, plus vitamins C and E complete it. There is no added fragrance.
The roller uses the same family: Kalahari melon, baobab, mongongo, passion fruit, camellia and tamanu, with monoi de Tahiti for a faint floral warmth. Then it adds castor oil, which gives the roller a soft, glossy cushion. Tocopherol keeps the oils fresh, and a vitamin C complex adds brightness.
Why the eyes and lips get their own formula
The skin under the eyes and on the lips is thinner than the rest of the face, and it is where dryness and fine lines show first. A face serum pressed in with the fingertips can reach it, but a dedicated formula does the job better.
The castor oil is the main reason. It gives the roller more cushion and a light gloss, which is what dry lips and under-eyes want. Under the eyes, skin looks brighter, smoother and softly hydrated, with fine lines that look less pronounced. On the lips, it leaves a soft, nourished gloss.
The format matters too. The steel ball feels cool, and it massages as it deposits the oil, so you can trace a line under each eye and over your lips in a few seconds without tugging at delicate skin. The roller suits normal, dry, mature and sensitive skin.
How we make the pair
Both formulas are made by hand in our workshop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in batches of 50 to 100, then poured, labeled and packed by the same people who made them. The face serum won People's Star Beauty Award for Best Facial Care Product, and we have not changed how we make it because of the award. It is still poured in small batches, the way it was the day it was first made.
Who the duo suits
The duo suits anyone who wants a short face routine that covers the whole face: dry and normal skin especially, and anyone whose under-eyes and lips feel dry before the rest of the face does. It is also a good place to start for someone new to face oils, because the two pieces do clearly different jobs and there is no guessing about order: serum first, roller second.
It is light enough for the morning, under sunscreen and makeup, and it works just as well at night. It is not a heavy overnight cream. If you want one, The Youth Authority Face Set adds our Wrinkle Reducing Ultra Peptide Intensive Night Cream as the last step at night.
Questions about what is in the Kalahari Icon Duo
Is the roller just the face serum in a smaller bottle?
No. It shares the face serum's family of oils, but it adds castor oil for more cushion and a light gloss, which suits the under-eye area and lips.
Does either formula have added fragrance?
The face serum has no added fragrance. The roller has a faint floral warmth from monoi de Tahiti, coconut oil infused with tiare flowers.
Is the duo cheaper than buying the two separately?
Yes. The duo costs less than the serum and roller bought on their own.
Which award did the face serum win?
The Royal Kalahari Face Serum won People's Star Beauty Award for Best Facial Care Product.
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