Aveeno Positively Radiant Launch Event & Product Line

Last month, I attended an event in celebration of Aveeno's new Positively Radiant products. If the Positively Radiant line sounds familiar to you, it's probably because you've seen one of the extremely aesthetically-pleasing ads starring Jennifer Aniston. While I've used a couple of the Positively Radiant products in the past, I'm always excited by new drugstore brand line expansions. What's not to love about affordable skincare products? Since people seem to be intrigued by these PR events, as well as the Positively Radiant line itself, I figured I'd do a write-up on both! Keep reading for all of the details on the launch party, as well as what products I'm most excited to try.

Firstly, I love PR events like this because they introduce me to new places in Toronto. The launch was held at Airship 37, a venue that's often used for weddings (and I could immediately see why). Even though I explore the Distillery District pretty frequently, I had never seen this hidden gem before. It has a simple, industrial feel but it's the natural light that truly makes the space shine.

The launch event itself was a ton of fun. There was a DIY mason jar salad bar (that consisted of the ingredients that appear in Aveeno's products), a nail art station, and a custom jewelry station. The tie-ins with the brand were incredibly well done, and everything was set up market-style to keep people flowing and to give it an open concept vibe. 99% of my photos from the event are of the salad bar because it was stunning. If a salad bar like this can't motivate you to eat a salad, then what will? 

Another thing that I have to mention are the mocktails. They contained a non-alcoholic spirit made by Seedlip, whose mission is to solve the dilemma of "what to drink when you're not drinking". I highly recommend checking them out if you're looking for non-alcoholic alternatives, and also just because their website is super cool.

Let's dive into the products. There are two key things to know about this line:

1) Any of the products that say "5 Factors of Radiance" are aimed at targeting tone, texture, dullness, blotchiness and brown spots. 

2) If you zoom in on the photo below, you'll see that most of the products contain "moisture-rich soy extracts", otherwise known as Aveeno's ACTIVE NATURALS® Total Soy Complex. If that means absolutely nothing to you, you're not alone. Hopefully, once I start trying these products out, I'll be able to let you know what the Total Soy Complex actually is/does.

From left to right: Overnight Hydrating Facial;  Body Lotion;  Skin Brightening Daily Scrub;  Toner;  Intensive Night Cream;  Dark Spot Corrector;  Sheer Daily Moisturizer (SPF 30);  60-Second In-Shower Facial;   Exfoliating Body Wash;   Make-Up Removing Wipes

My initial thoughts were that I was impressed by how many of the products are non-comedogenic (meaning they don't clog pores), hypoallergenic and oil-free/non-greasy. I would love for all of these claims to be true because they make it so much easier to use the cream products under makeup! Other than that, quite a few of the products seem to have "fragrance" as an ingredient which isn't a huge deal for me personally, but I know it can be a dealbreaker for some. 

Personally, I'm most excited about the exfoliating body wash, the 60-second in-shower facial, the toner and the dark spot corrector. The exfoliating body wash doesn't contain plastic microbeads, which is a huge plus for me when it comes to drugstore exfoliants. For this product, the physical exfoliant is walnut shell powder. 

The 60-second in-shower facial has the moisturizing soy properties, as well as lemon peel extract, and claims to remove dirt, oil and dead skin cells. I love that the product is meant to be used in the shower; you can take advantage of the steam to open up your pores, and it's just convenient to kill two birds with one stone. I think this is the perfect product to leave on with your conditioner while you wash your body, shave, etc.

I'm intrigued by the toner because it claims to balance skin without creating tightness or dryness because it's alcohol-free. While I sometimes enjoy the tightness feeling (because it makes me feel like the product is actually doing something), I've been on the hunt for a new toner that does a little more than a micellar water. I've been having a few issues with some of the others I've tried out recently, but this one is hypoallergenic!

Finally, the dark spot corrector simply appeals to me because I have dark spots that I'd love to correct (or simply minimize). If there's a drugstore product that can help me achieve this, I'm more than willing to give it a try!

I'm hoping to test these products out over the next few months, and do an in-depth review later on this year! In the meantime, I'll post initial thoughts updates on my Instagram. If you try any of these products out, let me know what you think!