Monu skin care (also referred as Susan Molyneux skin care) claims that what you put on your body should be as healthy and natural as what you'd put into it and back this statement up by their 25 year experience. That sounds good enough to me to give their skin care range a try! 


Let's be honest, this skin care brand is not the cheapest in the world (about £16 for 200ml cleanser or toner), but considering it is a professional skin care used by beauty therapists and spas, it might be worth looking into it!

My first impression was very friendly, welcoming and professional. According to their website, the brand itself seems concerned about the environment, as well as quality of their products. Thanks to the constant innovation and research conducted by beauty experts, majority (all?) of their products seem to be made of natural ingredients, avoiding harmful chemicals as much as possible, and also 'traditional' ingredients such as lanolin and artificial scents/colours are replaces by natural oils and plant extracts. On Monu website you are welcome to order a set of samples for free (free P&P) with additional information about the products and company for you to try and decide on your own whether this is a brand you want to invest your money in. I was very impressed when I received the samples! Not only that I could choose which samples I wanted to try (out of 4 products, which I still think is a good attempt to cater for your preferences), but when the samples arrived, they were carefully packed in bubble wrap, and as you can see at the top picture, they were also wrapped in a plastic bag (I assume in case they got broken, they would not mess up the whole envelope and the brochure). The samples themselves were nice little tubes with name of the product, as well as the instructions on it. To supply even more information, there was a fairly large brochure including probably all products of Monu. Monu offers a number of lines, based on what skin trouble you want to tackle, from fine lines to super hydration and auto bronzing (see, fake tan does not even sound good!).     


You can see which samples I got my hands on:
  • Enriched Body Cream from MonuSpa range
  • Neck and Bust Cream Specialist from original Monu range
  • Auto Bronze Cream from MonuSun range
  • Hand and Nail Cream from MonuSpa range 
It is obvious, that a review based on 5ml sample is not gonna have as much value as it would have if I had a full sized product, but it does give your first impressions and formulates the first image of the company. Here is what I thought about individual products.


Enriched Body Cream (MonuSpa)
What all is this cream meant to do to your skin?
Loads! It comforts, nourishes, soothes, firms, relaxes, softens, moisturises, improves skin's barrier function, improves elasticity and lipid content of your skin.

And the main ingredients that make all this happen? 
Orange, lemon, geranium, rose, marine collagen, cocoa butter, chamomile, liquorice and vitamin A.  

Does it work?
I am pretty impressed by this cream regarding what it is meant to do and what it contains. It seems like the perfect cream to me. Now to be honest, 5ml of a body cream is just not enough. I used it on my legs and arms about 2-3 times. It does hydrates a lot, it does leave my skin very smooth and the scent is heavenly (it is one of those really natural 'grassy' scents you can experience in spa). It is not sticky and feels very pleasant on my skin. To judge more I would need to use it for longer, because so far it does seem like a really nice body cream, but have not noticed miracles.

Price


Neck and Bust Cream Specialist (Monu)
What is this cream meant to do to your bust and neck?
Sooth lines, hydrate, firm.

And the main ingredients that make all this happen?
Essential fatty acids, vitamins, wheat protein, beeswax, lemon, marjoram, sandalwood. 

Does it work?
Even though it is only 5ml, this bust/neck cream seems to work on me. It has a really thick consistency, and when you rub it in, it seems to create an instant 'lift-up'. It also seems to combat any 'fine' lines around your bust and neck instantly (not for good though). It does not have such a strong scent like the body cream, which is probably good considering it is applied on more sensitive area.This is definitely something I look into more when I get older and become more concerned about 'elasticity' of the area!

Price   


Auto Bronze Cream (MonuSun)
What is this cream meant to do to your skin?
After 3-5 hours it develops into natural looking tan, moisturises, nourishes, works as an antioxidant, smooths and keeps your skin supple.

And the main ingredients that make all this happen?
Cocoa butter, coconut, geranium, petitgrain, shea butter, UVA/UVB sunscreens and     vitamin E.

Does it work?
This is definitely the most impressive product of all I've tried. To my understanding it is something between fake tan and gradual tan (auto bronzer?). You can use it on your face as well as on your body, which is pretty convenient and it does not smell a single bit. No awful cookie smell! It smells rather pleasantly to be honest. It does not itch, it does not stretch your skin, does not seem to create fine lines (which other gradual tans on my face do, eh). Now the main pull factor for me is that it does not make you look Umpa-lumpa orange or yellow. It creates a nice bronzy look literally after one application. I've used it twice in two days and it is definitely enough for me. It seems to be streak-less (apart from one streak on my neck, which I blame myself for not rubbing it in enough) and does not leave your hands stained at all. I am not a huge fake/gradual-tan fan, as the smell and colour always puts me off, but I will use up the rest of this to see if it is as amazing as it seems so far!  

Price


Hand and Nail Cream (MonuSpa)
What is this cream meant to do to your hands?
Conditions hands and nails, softens, moisturises, sooths, protects from UVA/UVB, leaves your hands and cuticles healthy.

And the main ingredients that make all this happen?
Coconut, keratin, lavender, lemon, liquorice root, panthenol, UVA/UVB sunscreens, vitamins and wheat.

Does it work?
Now if you don't enjoy strong (strong!) lavender scent, skip this. As I love lavender, it seems great to me. It does not feel greasy and does not make my hands feel sticky, but leaves them smooths and nice to touch, not dry and flaky. The scent lingers for quite a while and to me is very pleasant and natural. The price seems a bit too steep for 50ml of a handcream, but I suppose that's a price to pay for natural ingredients.

Price


Overall, Monu skin care seems to be what they claim, they are a professional skin care brand used by beauty therapists, using natural ingredients, which your skin can benefit from. Although they do offer student and starter packs of products for lower prices, it is still over my student budget. I find these products to be more of a 'luxurious' sort and would treat myself to some for an occasion (probably the bronzer for its non-smelly and non-orangy effect and hand cream for its amazing lavender smell). Oh, and Monu does not test on animals!

You can buy their products on their website here, request your own samples or even try their full sized products!

Have you ever tried Monu?
What do you think about it?