This post contains affiliate links. Product provided by Jolse.
When I first saw this product, I was immediately turned off by the packaging and the fact that they were clearly “heavily inspired” (aka copied) another well-known essence. But what if it’s actually awesome? Once again, skincare FOMO got me, so I had to try it…
Mary & May Vegan Blackberry Complex Cream Essence contains 50,000ppm blackberry extract and 100,000ppm blue lotus water to hydrate, soothe, and support a healthy skin barrier. Other noteworthy ingredients include jojoba oil, ceramide, and fig extract. The essence is available on Jolse.
How to use
Shake the bottle to mix the creamy white layer and the watery purple layer
Apply after cleansing
Follow with the rest of your routine
I either use this right after cleansing or after a watery toner / first essence. Then, I apply a serum and moisturizer, or just moisturizer. Despite being a cream essence, this product is somewhat thin / watery. I do not notice a scent and the finish is not oily by any means.
For me, Mary & May Blackberry Essence is an evening product. I have more time at night to devote to skincare, and I don’t like to layer too many things on my combination skin in the mornings. Someone with dry skin may benefit from it in the mornings. I do not notice any stickiness or other unwanted side effects.
My impressions
Let’s address the elephant in the room - is this a dupe for the iconic Dr.Ceuracle essence (review here)? In my opinion, no. Was Mary & May trying to piggyback on the success of Dr.C? I think so. The bottle size, shape, material and overall look are identical to Dr.C (except not as beautiful due to the color choice). And the essence itself separates into two distinct layers.
I tried to put my deep hatred for copycats aside and judge this essence as a standalone product. It’s not bad. It’s hydrating and slightly more nourishing than the typical watery toners and essences. Is it outstanding and a holy grail? Not so much. And the aesthetics of a purple product in a package with black lid and label isn’t my thing. But overall - not bad.
But because I’m a biased, imperfect human, I can’t help but compare this to the Dr.C essence. The original is the clear winner. It just so happens that I own both at the same time (I’m on my second bottle of Dr.Ceuracle), so I could compare them in “real time”. Dr.Ceuracle is magic in a bottle - creamy but not greasy, wonderfully nourishing and hydrating, and overall fantastic. Mary & May falls short. Looking at prices at the time of writing this review, Dr.Ceuracle is only $7 more expensive than the knock off. If I were to repurchase either of these, my choice is Dr.Ceuracle.
Again, Mary & May isn’t a bad product. I think the brand would have likely had more success if they didn’t straight up copy the look and presentation of a competitor. It’s quite possible that their essence would have had its own fan club if its look didn’t immediately invite comparison to another brand.
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Mary & May Vegan Blackberry Complex Cream Essence ingredients: Water, Nymphaea Caerulea Flower Water, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Rubus Fruticosus (Blackberry) Fruit Extract, 1,2-hexanediol, Methlypropanediol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ficus Carica (Fig) Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Trilaureth-4 Phoshate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Cyanocobalamin, Ceramide Np, Maltodextrin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol