Nalia Skin Review: Does The Cambodian-Australian Brand Deliver on Its ‘Endless Glow’ Promise?

Image: Morgan Rohan @morgansskinjournal

What first caught my attention about Nalia Skin was the beautiful packaging and the incredible textures they showcase across socials.

It’s hard not to be drawn in by the product shots and promises of ‘endless glow’ but as a sensitive skin girlie I wanted to dig a little deeper and see how the products actually performed. 

Image: Morgan Rohan @morgansskinjournal

Nalia Skin was founded by Piyane, a Cambodian-Australian influencer and entrepreneur and currently has a range of four core products focused on transforming dull skin.

The ingredient lineup is a blend of Cambodian and Australian botanicals, along with a boost of the clinical to keep things effective.

“Skincare shouldn’t be intimidating or complicated. It should be fun” is one of my favourite quotes from the site, because it does feel refreshing to have that attitude of bringing a bit of joy to your routine. 

Image: Morgan Rohan @morgansskinjournal

This was also an attitude I felt from my first use of the products, enjoying the sensory experience of each formula and how they felt altogether.

I am getting a little ahead of myself though, so let’s do a dive into each product and my thoughts now that I’ve been using them for two weeks. 

Nalia Skin Mango & Passionfruit Luminous Cleanser, $39.00

I would describe the feel of this as a true cream cleanser that gets lighter as you use it, resulting in very lightweight lather.

I recommend following the cleansing method they suggest, which is to apply it on dry skin with wet hands and use circular motions for the product before wetting hands a second time and repeating. 

Image: Morgan Rohan @morgansskinjournal. Shop: Nalia Skin Mango & Passionfruit Luminous Cleanser, $39.00

It has this kind of weird but enjoyable texture change and I do think it made a difference in the feel of my skin after cleansing, compared to just popping it on and doing your standard 30 second cleanse.

For this reason, it was one of the standout formulas for me because it did feel different and thorough without being too intense.

In terms of cleansing power, I found it effective against light makeup and sunscreen but it would still be my personal preference to do a balm first and then enjoy this as a second cleansing step.

You would also want to avoid your eye area because of the exfoliating ingredient.

Nalia Skin Cucumber & Green Tea Luminous Toner, $42.00

Image: Morgan Rohan @morgansskinjournal. Shop: Nalia Skin Cucumber & Green Tea Luminous Toner, $42.00

As someone who was a little traumatised in my youth by strong, clarifying toners, I now loveeeee to reach for something a bit more comforting for this step in my routine. 

This sits somewhere in between, providing hydration but also a pore-refining effect.

The texture is super lightweight and does feel refreshing to press into the skin after a thorough cleanse - the scent really does give you that ‘cucumber water’ feeling. 

I actually enjoyed this most when I tried it as part of my skin prep before makeup.

The SKINectura™ ingredient is included for its clinically proven effect on visibly tightening the skin and that’s the benefit I did feel like I got from it. 

Nalia Skin Lime & Coconut Luminous Serum, $57.00

Image: Morgan Rohan @morgansskinjournal. Shop: Nalia Skin Lime & Coconut Luminous Serum, $57.00

This is a lovely soothing serum to follow on from your toning step but I did end up wanting a little more from it. 

Don’t get me wrong, it’s hydrating and has a comforting feeling when applied to the skin but didn’t quite pack the punch that my favourite barrier supporting formulas do.

When I’m using more active cleansing and toning steps I am looking to my serum to settle things down a bit more. 

Nalia Skin Blueberry & Aloe Vera Luminous Moisturiser, $59.00

This might be the most fun product from the line because not only is this moisturiser blue, it’s an interesting jelly style texture.

It applies so smoothly to the skin and sinks in quickly for a truly silky finish. 

Image: Morgan Rohan @morgansskinjournal. Shop: Nalia Skin Blueberry & Aloe Vera Luminous Moisturiser, $59.00

I really enjoy that both glycerin and squalane have been included, so there’s some heavy duty hydration going on without it feeling heavy.

You could definitely start off with a small amount and then add a bit more to areas of your face that could use a little extra love.

Because it sinks in so well, you don’t get that feeling that it’s just sitting on top. 

Similar to the toner, whilst it’s lovely in my nighttime routine, it really shone for me as a base under SPF and makeup. 

Collecting My Thoughts

As an experience, the products are a joy to use, really lightweight textures with a nice scent to them and an overall feeling of freshness. 

Using them one after the other does build to give that glowing, luminous finish that was promised but without feeling too heavy or greasy.

I think if you have a more normal-oily skin type but are looking to counteract some dullness, this could be an excellent answer. 

Something that does make me pause a little is the inclusion of exfoliating ingredients in both the cleanser and toner.

Over exfoliating, even if you’re being gentle, can be a path towards a sensitised or weakened skin barrier. 

Image: Morgan Rohan @morgansskinjournal

This combination every single day was a little much for my skin and I noticed some irritation around my chin, so I recommend treading lighter and substituting one or both steps as you need. 

On the whole, I think the range works really well and each product builds on the one before to give you a pretty well-rounded routine. 

The blend of botanicals and clinical ingredients does work and I would love to see how they perform in the long run on more heavy duty concerns like dark spots.

Perhaps most importantly, the products really are fun to use and have a distinct feel to them, which is saying something in the current beauty market. 

Read more from Morgan: Are Influencer Beauty Brands Over, or Are They Evolving?

Morgan Rohan (She/Her)

Morgan is a Sunshine Coast based content creator and beauty writer with a passion for too much blush and the science behind the skincare. Find her on socials @morgansskinjournal 

https://www.instagram.com/morgansskinjournal/
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