Philosophy Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleanser

Most Helpful Critical Review

You took a perfect thing and screwed it up

This "Smooth-Glow Hope in a Jar (and the one before this—the "Renewed Hope in a Jar") both suck compared to the true, original Hope in a Jar. They don't hold a candle to it. Ever since the company Cody bought out Philosophy, the products have gone downhill, fast. The version of Hope in a Jar when Ch...ristina Carlino created, owned and ran the company was the Holy Grail. It was a perfect, whipped yet rich moisturizer with the best most clean scent, and most importantly, it delivered a glow to your skin (the product itself even had a slight shimmer/glow to it). It was seriously reminiscent of a glorious "post-O" radiant glow on your skin. I never even needed makeup when I wa saying the OG Hope in a Jar. Yeah, it separated occasionally, but all you had to do was give it a good shake and it was good to go for months (and the only reason mine last more than a month was because I lived it so much I would buy the 4- or even 8-ounce sizes of it). I had acne prone skin at the time and that version actually cleared by skin up (combined with Purity cleanser and weekly Microdelivery Peel (2 step). Then as my skin aged into my mid to late 30s, it still perfectly addressed my slightly aging, more combo/dry skin. It was a miracle product. All of the "Hope" products since Cody bought the company suck in comparison. This particular version of HIAJ left my skin feeling sticky and with a film on top of it that never so soaked in. The OG Hope—my skin just drank it in. This one leaves my skin looking dull, pores actually look larger, makeup just lays on top of it looking bad, and the worst part is it makes me break out. I know it was this product too because I stopped using it for weeks, my skin cleared, tried it again, and within 2 days it was pimple city—location: my whole face. I've talked to sooo many people—women and men—who feel and think the same way about the fact that Cody changing the original formula—it's a tragedy. They're just too bummed to be bothered to write a review because they don't think Cody will ever bring the Philosophy original formula for Hope in a Jar back. Sadly, they are probably right. I continue to mourn its passing. I certainly won't be buying this version again and I think I've given up on trying any future "versions" of HIAJ unless I start to hear that the OG original is back—the one with a glorious glow :). I think a lot of people who think this product is good never actually experienced the original, so they don't even know what they're missing. Philosophy, I'd love to give you my money, but not for this disappointing product. I will keep buying Purity cleanser though; I'm grateful that's still very good.