Maintaining a beauty routine is hard as it is. Managing to go organic while using a local brand in Egypt sounds pretty much impossible. We did manage to find a local brand however, that claims they are natural and cruelty-free skincare products that are handmade in Egypt. The brand is called Urban Ducks.
If you use Instagram, you probably stumbled upon their account. The brand runs an extremely visually pleasing account, mostly due to their top-notch packaging. But we did learn that we should never judge a beauty product by its cover. So we wanted to actually try their products.
Ordering the Products:
One thing you know when you work in the media is that most brands do have testers, which usually come in very small packages to just use once. When you’re looking to review a product, that’s what you usually get, which is more than fair.
Like most of our reviews, we approached them and asked them to send us testers to review their products. The first impression of their brand was that they are super friendly, and have great customer service.
We did have a slight problem with the courier, but Urban Ducks kept following up with us and the courier to make sure we got the products.
To be fair with our review, our ordering experience will definitely be unlike ordinary orders, since they have to be on point cause we’re reviewing their products. So I let a friend order from them, and they were met with the same good customer service and faced no problems with the courier.
Online Ordering Experience: 10/10
So far, so good.
Receiving the Products:
Like we mentioned earlier, we expected a few small samples just to try the products and that’s it. To our surprise, they sent us pretty much all their products and not testers.
The packaging was truly as good as the pictures, and the first impression did look good. But again, we don’t judge products by their cover.
I was not particularly familiar with their products, and I intentionally tried not to look them up in depth just so I can be surprised with what I receive. To my surprise, they did have much more variety with their products than I expected.
Products Variety: 7/10
7 out of 10 might sound low, but for an indie brand, this is a good score.
Since we received so many products, we decided to split them among a number of people at the office to see if they work for everyone or not.
Going into reviewing each of the products we tried, we will be judging them based on their packaging, price, quality, and if we found any results after a month of usage.
Product Review #1 – Scrubs:
We received three scrubs; Green Tea & Rice scrub and mask, Hibiscus & Rice scrub and mask, and Coffee Scrub with Vanilla Body Scrub.
Starting with the Green Tea & Rice scrub and mask (Price: 110 EGP):
The first thing we noticed was the smell; it was somewhat awful. We left the mask on for around five minutes and removing it was a bit of a struggle since it left a green tint.
This was the first product we used, so it was a little scary, however, we noticed immediate effects. After trying to remove the green tint, which took a while, we noticed the skin looks instantly healthy. On the long run, after a month of usage, the skin felt really healthy.
Score: 7/10
Great results, but the smell and green tint makes it lose a few points.
Hibiscus & Rice scrub and mask (Price: 110 EGP):
This product didn’t have a bad odor like the Green Tea and Rice one. It did, however, have the same problem with the tint. This wasn’t as bad, given that it was purple and after a few washes it gave the face a pink glow.
Same as the one above, it did leave the skin healthy, and on the long run, the results were noticeable as well.
Score: 8/10
This product didn’t have the smell problem, and the tint issue was manageable. Overall, we were pleased with it.
Coffee Scrub with Vanilla Body Scrub (Price: 100 EGP):
This is a product we could honestly swear by! From its texture to its smell, to results, it’s all top notch.
Coffee Scrubs are known to be used to solve stretch marks problems, and this product did deliver. After a month of usage, great results that I was unable to reach from top brands were achieved.
And if you’re a coffee fan as I am, the smell will be your favorite part. If you hate the smell of coffee, however, you will not like this product.
This is definitely a product we will be repurchasing.
Score: 9/10
This product did not receive a full 10/10 because of a common issue with the scrubs. The packaging.
While the packaging looks great – like a thing out of Pintrest – it is hard to scoop the products out of it. It honestly felt like the Pringles packaging, where you get your hand stuck to reach the end of it. We would’ve liked it better if it was in a jar.
That said, some might be more comfortable with this packaging; it’s a matter of preference. But to also be fair, it was not that big of a deal. We’re reviewing it, so we have to nitpick and this is us nitpicking.
Product Review #2 – Lotions (Price: 100 EGP):
This is the product where we all disagreed. Some loved it, some hated it. The things we all agreed on; the packaging is great, and the price is relatively cheap.
The thing we all disagreed on; the scents. The thing about the scents is that they are all very “sweet”, and it doesn’t serve everyone’s preference. But for those who enjoyed it, it was a great scent.
The important thing, however, is the results of the product. Let us agree that it’s not the best lotion out there, but for its price, it’s good.
We all agreed that it’s best used right after having a shower since it takes time to be absorbed by the skin. But if it’s used normally, you will suffer from a lotion-y slippery hand for a bit. It does, however, leave the skin feeling good, but you just feel it on your skin for a while after using it, which could be a bit annoying.
Score: 7/10
Points are lost to the lack of scent varieties, and for taking time to absorb. But bonus points for the price.
Our overall conclusion, this is a brand that is honestly worth supporting. While they do have a few things that need to be tweaked, for a young indie brand that is local, organic, vegan and cruelty-free, and relatively cheap, they are doing more than fine.
