Ultimate Skincare Heroes – the anti-ageing products you'll want to know about!
Ah lockdown! So nearly over and it's safe to say, we won't miss it. But it's given us plenty of time and opportunity to reflect on life. And to sort out our homes!
Admittedly, we've avoided the boring bits (think mountains of odd socks and the kitchen drawers filled with all sorts of 'shrapnel' we've accumulated over the years). Instead we've spent most of our time in beauty heaven, wading through the sea of beauty products that we both own and that are regularly sent to us to try out. We've enjoyed the process of sorting our makeup and skincare - rearranging our bathroom cabinets and dressing tables and rediscovering some great products that have fallen by the wayside (or literally fallen behind the back of a drawer! Hello NYX Doll Eye Mascara - sooo good to see you again! ).
We've also been trialling some cult products during lockdown. These are the beauty world's 'ultimate skincare heroes' - the products that regularly fly off the shelves and become the subject of beauty folklore. But they often leave us wondering... are they worth the hype? Having used them now for several weeks, we know the answer to that and are ready to give you the lowdown on 3 moisturising cult classics...
Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre, £13.
This hugely popular French cream has been around since the 1950s and currently one sells every 23 seconds somewhere in the world! And for good reason too. It's something of a multi-tasker (at VMM we're suckers for beauty that performs on more than one level!), plus it's a pretty simple formula, containing vitamins and fatty acids, making it great for sensitive, even irritated skin. So what does it do, we hear you cry? Well, it's a moisturiser, a primer, a face mask, even a cleanser. It's a rich, but lightweight cream that smoothes and softens skin and works brilliantly under makeup.
For many years it's been the beauty secret of makeup artists, models and beauty editors alike and we think it's fab. M has found it to work brilliantly on any flaky, dry patches of skin and on the very rare days that V has worn foundation during lockdown (she can count them on one hand), she's added a little to it, for a super-smooth, slightly dewy finish. If your skin is more oily/combination we think you'll find it too rich, but for everyone else, it's a great little secret weapon to have to hand and a little goes a long way!
AHC Real Eye Cream For Face, £26
This Korean wonder product only landed on our shores last month, to much delight and cheer (could you hear us whooping at VMM HQ?). It's insanely popular in South Korea, with one tube selling every 3 seconds, so we were very excited to try it out and discover what makes it such a huge seller. In essence, it's an eye cream that can be used all over the face (or perhaps it's a face cream, that can be used on the eyes?!).
Resident 'eye cream Queen', M, has been hugely impressed - she loves how hydrating, yet light it is and how it immediately brightens and tightens the skin. So many eye creams are thick and don't absorb easily, but this is beautifully light and works its magic straight away. With collagen to help skin renewal, plus peptides and patented active ingredients to improve skin tone, texture and elasticity, it's pretty cutting-edge.
V has been using it all over the face and loves how hydrating and nourishing it is and how it leaves skin glowing and looking great. Next time we go on our hols (whenever that may be!), we'll definitely be packing this rather than taking a separate eye cream and face cream.
Hada Labo Tokyo Moisturising Cream, £16.95
Hada Labo is Japan's best-selling skincare line (the Replenishing Hydrator sells there every 2 seconds) and it became available in the UK on Amazon at the end of last year. As of today, it's also available at Superdrug.
It uses three different types of hyaluronic acid, in different molecular weights, which boost skin hydration and allow it to 'hold onto' water. We've been using several products in the range and have already written about them here.
But we've not trialled the Moisturising Cream until now... and it's fair to say, we're hooked. M has long been a fan of lightweight, gel cream textures, especially in the summer months, and this one feels beautiful on the skin. It glides on and leaves your face feeling refreshed, hydrated and plumped up. And even dry-skinned V, who usually prefers a richer formula, thinks it's a winner.
As ever, please get in touch and keep your beauty questions coming - we're always here to help, and love nothing more than giving bespoke beauty advice!
Love & Super Selling Beauty,
Vikki & Mala xx