SPLURGE VS SAVE; Facial Rollers

Wanna feel like a rich lady? Get yourself a face roller. Something about rolling my face feels so incredibly luxe. Put on a face mask, then a facial oil (right now I am all about starting off with the Midnight Paloma Detox Mask followed by a Vitruvi facial oil blend – you can read a review of the facial oil here) and use a facial roller to help push that product into your pores while giving yourself a gentle facial massage. But what do we really know about facial rolling other than the fact that it feels nice?

The two I decided to put to the test are the Midnight Paloma facial roller ($28) and the Nurse Jamie Uplift Massaging Beauty Roller ($89). Starting at $30ish a beauty roller is already a bit of an investment so the Nurse Jamie version is seemingly the mac daddy of face rollers. For three times the cost I would want the benefits to include always getting my milk to cereal ratio perfect and being able to go to bed at a reasonable hour.

(Something funny: when I first received the Nurse Jamie roller I left it out on the kitchen table for the first few days and a friend came over and assumed that it was a sex toy that I left out.)

Look, I’ll be the first to admit that the world of skincare can be daunting and as someone who uses no less than 12 skincare products a day it can be a bit hard to pinpoint what tools and products are effective and what are just for show. I used to put face rollers in the gimmicky category for sure. Like how can using a rolling pin on your face really be that beneficial? Is this just another product gals have for the flatlay Instagram pics?

I did some research and face rolling (specifically with jade rollers) has been around since the 17th century in China. I don’t know much about Chinese medicine and skincare practices but if a roller is as effective as Tiger Balm (another product using traditional Chinese practices), I’m sold. Face rollers claim to help remove toxins from your skin, smooth fine lines and decrease under-eye bags, calm inflammation and brighten your skin and overall improve wellness. The same way a foam roller is used on your muscles, a facial roller helps with lymphatic drainage in your face which can temporarily reduce swelling. Plus they’re naturally cooling so that also helps with puffiness! I put mine in the fridge sometimes for extra cooling properties.

The Nurse Jamie one features 24 massaging stones which is meant to replicate the techniques used in their signature facial plus it seems to be a celeb fave.

The Midnight Paloma is significantly more budget friendly (plus you can save 15% with code VICKIDUONG at check out) plus it’s like getting two rollers in one since it’s like Darth Maul’s lightsaber (read: it’s dual-ended.) The MP one has one large stone suitable for larger sections of your face, such as your neck and cheeks, while the smaller stone is better suited for more delicate areas, such as under the eyes.

The Nurse Jamie is significantly most expensive however it does have a larger roller making it easier to use on other parts of the body, such as arms and legs. No where on either site does it say this should be used full body but I am an adult and I can use it on my arms and legs if I want to feel like a rich lady.

We all know that I am a budget-friendly shopper so I was initially drawn to the Midnight Paloma Rose Quartz roller due to the cost alone. After using both the MP and the Nurse Jamie, the budget-friendly option still came up on top. Not only did the cost give it extra points but it’s convex shape seemed to be better suited for my face. I also have weak wrists and handling the rose quartz face roller seemed more ergonomically designed for my wrist.

​Save your dollars, buy a regular rose quartz/jade roller over the Nurse Jamie one. While I’ve been mostly reviewing the Midnight Paloma one because that’s the one I have, any stone roller will have the same benefits. A word of advice before buying the cheapest one available on Amazon, make sure the one you’re purchasing is made from a real stone and not plastic or other synthetic materials designed to look like stone. The reason why real stone is better is because it stays cool to the touch and isn’t porous making it perfect to use post serums and facial oils. Plastic can also warp and wear overtime so buying a real stone roller will pay for itself in the long run.

ALSO, just for fun. Look at this one that is from the Madonna brand and is super phallic and ridiculously overpriced.