Product Review: Mèreadesso Skincare System

When an insider like Mèreadesso skincare founder Linda Stephenson calls BS on the beauty industry, you sit up and listen. Stephenson's resume boasts more than two decades' experience at big-name brands like Johnson & Johnson, Mary Kay, Estee Lauder, and MAC, where her degree in chemistry and botany helped her research and develop new products. I had the privilege of sitting down with Stephenson for lunch a while ago, where I was first introduced to Mèreadesso.

Stephenson has many beefs with the beauty industry, but chief among them is the big companies' tendency to create new products to address the deficiencies of existing ones, or new products that boast a star ingredient that another product lacks. The result: consumer confusion, wasted money, and a cluttered medicine cabinet.

Mèreadesso is different. Two multi-tasking products boast the benefits and active ingredients you'd get in an elaborate multi-step skincare regimen. The oil-based face + neck cleanser dissolves makeup, gently cleanses away dirt and oil, and exfoliates when used with the buffing washcloth that's included. The all-in-one moisturizer serves as a toner, moisturizer, eye cream, and serum. Two steps, easy peasy.

Skeptical that Mèreadesso would work on my dry, sometimes breakout-prone skin, I promised to put away my current products and use it exclusively for 2 weeks. Fast forward 1.5 months and I'm still using the line and loving it. The time I spend getting ready has been cut in half because I'm not layering on products and waiting for each to absorb. The cleanser doesn't dry out skin. The gel-like texture of the moisturizer is lightweight and perfect for summer. So far my skin has been glowing, healthy, and blemish-free (although it is a tad redder than normal). As it turns out, two products is all it takes!

Alas, I've been drinking the beauty industry Kool Aid for too long to jilt it completely for Mèreadesso. But I can definitely see how great this line is for those who crave a simplified yet effective routine and for travel. The boy and I have a trip planned to San Francisco at the end of August, and I'm looking forward to traveling with a lot less beauty booty in my carry-on thanks to Mèreadesso.