Drunk Elephant “The Littles” Starter Kit Review

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The Littles is a kit from my favourite skincare brand Drunk Elephant. It includes a mini version of their best-selling products and has everything you need for a complete skincare routine. They were kind enough to send me this kit to review.

Whenever someone asks me about Drunk Elephant and which of their products I recommend to try first, my honest answer is ALL OF THEM!! Now considering that buying all of their products can be quite the investment, my actual recommendation is this kit right here – The Littles. It truly is the best way to try the brand since you can sample almost all of the products that they make, and get a good sense of what you like.

In fact, The Littles is how I got so hooked on Drunk Elephant in the first place! I purchased a kit in 2017 about 6 weeks prior to my wedding because I wanted a good, clean, effective skincare routine to help prep my skin for the big day and ensure a smooth base for makeup application and flawless photos! Since then, it is no secret that I am head-over-heels drunk in love with this stuff!

Drunk Elephant releases a new version of The Littles each spring. My first kit was the 2017 version, this is the 2018 version, and soon the 2019 version will be released. There are slight changes from year to year on which products are included, but it is always a great value (around the $100 price point) and includes a great combination of essentials. Don’t let the name fool you – they may be little, but they are mighty! I found that my 2017 kit provided about 2 months of daily use, using about 1 pump of each product per day. You really don’t need a ton of product to get effective results.

What I really love about Drunk Elephant is that they are consciously formulated around the brand’s philosophy of avoiding the Suspicious 6 ingredients. That is, their products contain no silicones, no essential oils, no drying alcohols, no fragrances or dyes, no chemical sunscreens, and no sulfates. Because of this, it’s really easy to mix, match, and layer the products without worrying about the order of application or that the actives won’t penetrate the skin.

The Drunk Elephant “The Littles” Starter Kit includes the following:

• Pink jelly zip-up bag – perfect to hold your Littles and take them with you!
• Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser – a powerhouse cleanser with a pH of 5.5 to preserve the acid mantle of the skin. It takes off all traces of makeup and sunscreen, yet is gentle on the skin. Works great as a makeup brush cleaner or to spot treat makeup stains in clothing!
• B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum – contains vitamin B5, niacinamide, and sodium hyaluronate to draw water to the skin and deeply hydrate. It can be used both day and night by adding a pump to your favourite serum or moisturizer for an extra hydration boost.
• C-Firma Day Serum – a vitamin C serum with 15% L-ascorbic acid and 1% vitamin E. This serum works to firm and brighten the skin while powerful antioxidants protect from environmental stressors. This might be my favourite product they make! If you are looking to fade hyperpigmentation, this product is for you.
• TLC Framboos Glycolic Night Serum – a 12% AHA/BHA blend that works to gently exfoliate by breaking the bonds that hold dead skin cells to the surface of your skin. It helps to resurface the outermost layers of the skin to improve texture, discolouration, and signs of aging.
• Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil – 100% cold pressed marula oil. Rich with antioxidants and fatty acids, it deeply nourishes the skin. It’s simply a wonder product! My favourite facial oil I’ve tried.
• Lala Retro Whipped Cream Moisturizer – a thick, rich cream that provides both hydration and moisture to the skin using a blend of 6 African oils and sodium hyaluronate cross-polymer. In the summer months, I find it too rich, but in the winter, its the only moisturizer that can soothe my dry, dehydrated skin.
• Shaba Eye Serum – a lightweight, yet hydrating, eye serum with black tea ferment and copper peptides to help firm and smooth the eye area. Bonus: it is super nourishing for your lashes and brows too!
• Umbra Sheer Daily Physical SPF 30 – although my set did not come with this item, Littles purchased in Canada or the USA will include this item. I personally haven’t tried Umbra Sheer yet, but you can read my thoughts on Umbra Tinte (their tinted version) here.

Here are my favourite routines using these products:

Morning: Skip the morning cleanse and rinse your face with water. Mix 1 pump B-Hydra, 1 pump C-Firma, and a pea-sized amount of Lala Retro in the palm of your hand and apply. Apply 1/2 pump Shaba Eye Serum around the eyes. Top with Umbra Sheer (or Umbra Tinte as pictured above).

Evening: Cleanse with Beste Jelly Cleanser. Mix 1 pump TLC and 1 pump Marula oil and apply. Apply 1/2 pump Shaba Eye Serum around the eyes. Top with a pea-sized dab of Lala Retro moisturizer.

Have you tried The Littles? What are your favourite combinations?

Interested in more Drunk Elephant? Check out my other posts featuring the brand here.